a choice narrative of count gondamor's transactions during his embassy in england by that renowned antiquary, sir robert cotton, knight and baronet ; exposed to publick light, for the benefit of the whole nation by a person of honour. vox populi scott, thomas, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing s ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing s estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : , : ) a choice narrative of count gondamor's transactions during his embassy in england by that renowned antiquary, sir robert cotton, knight and baronet ; exposed to publick light, for the benefit of the whole nation by a person of honour. vox populi scott, thomas, ?- . rowland, john, - . cotton, robert, sir, - . [ ], p. : port. printed for john garfield ..., london : . dedication signed: john rowland. erroneously attributed by the editor to cotton. first published, , with title: vox populi. reel : lacks portrait. reproduction of original in huntington library. item at : has wing number c (entry cancelled in wing nd ed.). eng gondomar, diego sarmiento de acuña, -- conde de, - . great britain -- foreign relations -- spain. spain -- foreign relations -- great britain. great britain -- politics and government -- - . a r (wing s ). civilwar no a choice narrative of count gondamor's transactions during his embassy in england· by that renowned antiquary, sir robert cotton, knight and scott, thomas c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - taryn hakala sampled and proofread - taryn hakala text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion portrait of count gondamor the ryght honorable diego sarmiento de acũna earle of gondomor extraordinarie ambassadour from the catholike king of spaine to his maiestie the king of great britannie . ao . . jusculptum a simone passeo eidemque comin dd. are to be sould by thomas jennier a choice narrative of count gondamor's transactons during his embassy in england . by that renowned antiquary , sir robert cotton , knight and baronet . exposed to publick light , for the benefit of the whole nation . by a person of honour . london , printed for john garfield , at the printing press for pictures , near the royal exchange in cornhil , over against popes-head alley , . to the right worshipful , sir vvilliam pastons , knight , and baronet . sir , the general voice is , that you are a great lover of rarities , whence it is that i dedicate this to you , and i hope you will make my apologie your self , with that of seneca , non malè meruit , sed benè judicavit : the age is full of voluminous books that are able to make the reader nauseate , were he not recreated by diversion ; this i present you with , is but small , yet were it wyer ▪ drawn to its full length , it would make a huge volume : for it includes the actions of king james , earl gondamor , bishop bancroft , sir walter rawleigh , and some other famous men , of whom several histories might be compiled : i may compare it to gold , that in a small quantity is of more worth than a great deal of base coin , for it comprehends much matter in a few words . and for the farther commendation , it bears in the frontispiece the name of that ever famous antiquary , sir robert cotton , who was never wont to treasure up any thing but what was rare ; nor can i certainly say , whether it were pen'd by himself or not . i insist the more upon him , because it was my chance to be one whom he vouchsafed to take by the hand a little before his death , i being sent to him by my lord privie seal , to acquaint him that by my lords mediation , the king was reconciled to him : but his answer was , that his heart was broken , and that it was now too late : whereby it appears that princes are sometimes abused , and mis-informed , to the ruine of the best men . sir walter rawleighs unfortunate end proves the same , who was circumvented by the cunning practises of earl gondamor , whereby to the unspeakable detriment of posterity , he was prevented from setting forth the second part to compleate the worlds history , which he had made ready for the press . gondamor is yet fresh in memory of many men , who knew him when he lay leiger here from the king of spain ; and i never heard or read of any embassadour that acted his part with more dexterity for his masters glory and advantage than he did , for however he had to deal with a very wise prince ( as he sayes ) yet like another mercury he could soon with his facetious words and gestures pipe king james a sleep , and did sometimes take hold of the helm himself , and was very near to have run the ship a ground , or to have split her upon the rocks , the influence of his ill aspect , and eclipsing the sun-beams is hardly over unto this present age . don caro columbus who was sent hither , was thought by many judicious men , to be the more prudent , and that gondamor was but a buffon compared with him : yet when he departed , he was fain to leave this motto behind him , revertar , emplying , that he had not accomplished what he came about : but gondamor put a period to what he had designed ; and perhaps it had been better for our nation if that politick spaniard had never tr●d upon english ground . i should be injurious to your patience if i should detain you longer in the suburbs : therefore i hasten to subscribe my self , your worships very humble servant , john rowland . a choice narrative of count gondamor's transactions during his embassy in england . his catholick majesty had given commandement , that presently upon the return of signior gondamor , his leiger embassadour from england , ( . ) a special meeting of all the principal states of spain , ( who were of his council ) together with the presidents of the council of castile , of aragon , of italy , of portugal , of the indies , of the treasure , of war , and especially of the holy inquisition , should be held at mouson in aragon , the duke of lerma being appointed president , who should make declaration of his masters pleasure , take account of the embassadours service , and consult touching the state and religion respectively , to give satisfaction to his holiness nuncio , who was desired to make one in this assembly , concerning certain overtures of peace and amity with the english , and other catholick projects which might engender suspition and jealousie betwixt the pope and his majesty , if the mistery were not unfolded and the ground of these counsels discovered afore-hand . this made all men expect the embassadors return , with a kind of longing that they might behold the issue of this meeting , and see what good for the catholick cause the embassadours employment had effected in england , answerable to the general opinion conceaved of his wisdome , and what further project would be set on foot to become matter for publick discourse ; at length he arrived and had present notice given him from his majesty , that before he came to the court he should give up his account to this assembly , which command he gladly received as an earnest of his acceptable service , and gave thanks that for his honor he might publish himself in so judicious a presence ; he came first on the day appointed to the council chamber , ( except the secretaries ) not long after all the council of state and their presidents met , there wanted only the duke of lerma , and the popes nuncio , who were the head and feet of all the assembly . these two stayed long away for divers respects , the nuncio , that he might express the greatness of his master , and lose the sea of rome , no respect by his over-sight , but that the benches might be full to observe him at his approach . the duke of lerma to express the authority and dignity of his own person , and to shew how a servant put in place of his master , exacts more duty of his fellow servants then the master himself ; these two stayed till all the rest were weary of waiting , but at length the nuncio supposing all the council set , lanched forth and came to road in the council chamber , where after mutual discharge of duty from the company , and blessing upon it from him , he sate down in sollemn silence grieving at his over-sight , when he saw the duke of lerma absent , with whom he strove as a competitor for pompe and glory . the duke had sent before , and understood of the nuncio's being there , and stayed something the longer that his boldness might be observed , wherein he had his desire , for the nuncio having a while patiently driven away the time with several complements , to several persons , had now almost run his court-ship out of breath , but that the duke of villa hermosa , president of the council of aragon , fed his humour by the discharge of his own discontentment , upon occasion of the duke of lerma his absence , and beckned signior gondomor to him , using this speech in the hea●ing of the nuncio , after a sporting manner ; how unhappy are the people where you have been , first for their souls , being hereticks , then for their estates , where the name of a favourite is so familiar ; how happy is our state where the keyes of life and death are so easily come by , ( pointing at the nuncio ) hanging at every religious girdle , and where the doors of justice and mercy , stand equally open to all men without respect of persons ; the embassadour knew his ironical stroak to be intended only as a by-blow at the nuncio , but fully at the duke of lerma , ( whose greatness begun now to wax heavy toward declension ) and therefore he returneth this answer . your excellency knoweth , the estate is happy where wise favourites govern kings , if the kings themselves be foolish , or where wise kings are , who having favourites , either foolish , or the wiser sort , will not yet be governed by them . the state of england ( howsoever you hear of it in spain or rome ) is too happy in the last kind , they need not care what the favourite be , though for the most part he prevent all kind of suspition in that kind , being chosen rather as a schollar to be taught ▪ and trained up , then as a tutor to teach : of this they are sure no prince exceeds theirs in personal abilities ; so that nothing could be added to him in my wish , but this one , that he were our vassal and a catholick . with that the noise without gave notice of the duke of lerma's entrance , at whose first approach the whole house arose , though some later then other , as envy had hung plummets on them to keep them down ; the nuncio only sate unmoved , the duke cherished the observance of the rest with a familiar kind of carriage , too high for curtesie as not neglecting their demeanors , but expecting it , and after a filial obeysance to the pope his nuncio , sate down as president under the cloth of estate , but somewhat lower , then after a space given for admiration , preparation , and attention , he began to speak in this manner . the king my master ( holding it more honor to do , then to discourse , to take from you the expectation of oratory , used rather in pulpits and schools then in councils , ) hath appointed me president in this holy , wise , learned , and noble assembly , a man naturally of a slow speech , and not desirous to quicken it , by art or industry ; as holding action only proper to a spaniard as i am by birth , to a souldier as i am by profession , to a king , as i am by representation ; take this therefore briefly , for declaration both of the cause of this meeting , and my master his further pleasure . there hath been in all times since the worlds foundation , one chief commander or monarch upon the earth , this needs no further proof then a back looking into our own memories and histories of the world ; neither now is there any question ( except with infidels and hereticks , ) of their own chief commander in spirituals , in the unity of whose person , the members of the visible church are included . but there is some doubt of the chief commander in temporals , who as the moon to the sun might govern by night , as this by day , and by the sword of justice , compel to come in , or cut off , such as infringe the authority of the keys : this hath been so well understood long since by the infallible chair , as that thereby upon the declension of the roman empire , and the increase of romes spiritual splendor , ( who thought it unnatural that their sun should be sublunary ) our nation was by the bishop of rome , selected before other people , to conquer & rule the nations with a rod of iron . and our king to that end adorned with the title of catholick king , as a name above all names under the sun ( which is ) under gods vicar general himself , the catholick bishop of souls ; to instance this point by comparison ; look first upon the grand signior , the great turk , who hath a large title but not universal , for besides that he is an infidel , his command is confined within his own territories , and he stiled not emperour of the world , but of the turk and their vassals only . amongst christians , the defender of the faith , was a glorious stile , whilst the king , to whom it was given by his holiness , continued worthy of it , but he stood not in the truth , neither yet those that succeed him , & beside it was no great thing to be called , what every christian ought to be , defender of the faith , no more then to be stiled with france , the most christian king , wherein he hath the greatest part of his title common with most christians ; the emperour of rome , russia , germany , extend not their limits further than their stiles which are local , only my master the most catholick king , is for dominion of bodies , as the universal bishop for dominion of souls , over that part of the world which we call america ( except where the english intruders usurp ) and the greatest part of europe , with some part of asia , and africa , by actual possession , and over all the rest by real and indubitable right , yet acknowledgeth this right to be derived from the free and fatherly donation of his holiness , who as the sun to the moon lends lustre by reflection to this kingdome , to this king , to this king of kings my master , what therefore he hath howsoever gotten , he may keep and hold , what he can get from any other king , or commander , by any stratagem of war , or pretence of peace , he may take , for it is theirs only by usurpation , except they held of him from whom all civil power is derived , as ecclesiastical , from his holiness ; what the ignorant call treason , if it be on his behalf is truth , and what they call truth , if it be against him is treason ; and thus all our peace or war , our treatises , marriages , and whatsoever intendment else of ours , aims at this principal end , to get the whole possession of the world , and to reduce all to unity under one temporal head , that our king may truly be what he is stiled , the catholick & universal king ; as faith is therefore universal , & the church is universal , yet so as it is under one head the pope , whose seat is and must necessarily be at rome , where saint peter sate ; so must all men be subject to our and their catholick king , whose particular seat is here in spaine , his universal every where . this point of state , or rather of faith , we see the catholick roman religion hath taught every where , and almost made natural ; so that by a key of gold , by intelligence , or by way of confession , my master is able to unlock the secrets of every prince , and to withdraw their subjects allegiance , as if they knew themselves rather my master his subjects in truth , then theirs , whom their birth hath taught to miscal soveraign ; we see this in france , & in england especially , where at once they learn both to obey the church of rome , as their mother , to acknowledg the catholick king as their father , & to hate their own king as an heretick and an usurper ; so we see religion , and the state are coupled together ; laugh and weep , flourish , and fade , and participate of eithers fortune growing upon one stock of pollicy : i speak this the more boldly here in this presence , because i speak here before none but natives , persons who are partakers both in themselves & issues , of these triumphs of antient rome , and therefore such as besides their oaths it concerns to be secret ; neither need we restrain this freedome of speech from the nuncio his presence , because besides that , he is a spaniard by birth , he is a jessuit by profession and order , devised by the providence of gods vicar , to accomplish this monarchy the better , all of them being approriate thereunto ▪ and as publick agents , and privy counsellors to this end , whereas the wisdome of this state is to be beheld with admiration , that in temporal wars , it imployes , or at least trusts none but natives ; so in castile , portugal , or aragon : so in spirituals , it imployes none but the jesuites , and so imployes them that they be generally reputed ▪ how remote soever they be from us , how much soever obliged to others , yet still to be ours , and to be of the spanish faction , though they be polonians , english , french , and residing in these countries and courts ; the penitents therefore , and all with whom they deal and converse in their spiritual traffick , must needs be so too , & so our catholick king must needs have an invisible kingdome and an unknown number of subjects in all dominions , who will shew themselves and their faiths , by their works of disobedience , whensoever we shall have occasion to use that jesuitical vertue of theirs ; this therefore being the principal end of all our councils , according to those holy directions of our late pious king phillip , the second , to his son now surviving , to advance the catholick roman religion , and the catholick spanish dominion together , we are now met by his majesties command , to take an account of you ( signior gondomor ) who have been embassadour for england , to see what good you have effected there , towards the advancement of this work , and what further project shall be thought fit to be set on foot to this end , and this is briefly the occasion of our meeting . then the embassdour who attended bare-headed all the time , with a low obeysance began thus ; this most laudable custome of our kings , in bringing all officers to such an account , where a review and notice is taken of good and bad service upon the determination of their imployments , resembles those roman triumphs , appointed for the souldiers , and as in them it provoked to courage , so in us it stirs up to diligence ; our master converseth by his agents with all the world , yet with none of more regard then the english , where matter of much diversity is often presented through the several humors of the state , and those of our religion and faction , that no instruction can be sufficient for such negotiations , but much must be left in trust to the discretion , judgment , and diligence of the incumbent : i speak not this for my own glory , i having been restrained , and therefore deserved meanly , but to forewarn on the behalf of others , that there may be more scope allowed them to deal in , as occasion shall require . briefly this rule delivered by his excellency , was the card and compass , by which i scaled to make profit of all humors , and by all means to advance the state of the romish religion , and the spanish faction together , upon all advantage either of oath or the breach of them , for this an old observation but a true , that for our piety to rome , his holiness did not only give , but also bless us in the conquest of the new world ; and thus in our pious perseverance , we hope still to be conquerors of the old . and to this end whereas his excellency , in his excellent discourse , seems to extend our outward forces , & private aims , only against hereticks , and restrain them in true amity with those of the romish religion : this i affirm sure , because there can be no security , but such princes as are now romish catholicks , may turn hereticks hereafter , my aims have ever been to make profit of all , and to make my master , master of all , who is a faithful and constant son of his mother rome : and to this end i beheld the endeavours of our kings of happy memory , how they have archeived kingdomes and conquests by this policy , rather then by open hostility , and that without difference , as well from their allies and kinsfolks , men of the same religion and profession , such as were those of naples , france , and navarr , though i do not mention portugal now united to us , and savoy that hardly stept from us , as of an adverse and heretical faith ; neither is this rule left off , as the present kingdome of france , the state of venice , the low countries , bo●emia , now all labouring for life under our plots , apparently manifest this way ; therefore i bend my engines in england , as your honours shall particularly hear ; neither should i need to repeat a catalogue of all the service i have there done , because this state hath been acquainted with many of them heretofore by the intercourse so wrought , that the state should be rather rob'd and weakned ( which is our aim ) then strengthened , as the english vainly hope ; besides in a small time , they should work so far into the body of the state , by buying offices , and the like , whether by sea or land , of justice civil or ecclesiastical , in church or state , all being for mony exposed to sale , that with the help of the jesuites , they would undermine them with meer wit , without gunpowder , and leave the king but a few subjects , whose faiths he might relie upon , whilst they were of a faith adverse to his , for what catholick body that is sound at the heart , can abide a corrupt and heretical head . with that the duke of medina dell rio secco , president of their council of war , and one of the council of state , rose up and said , his predecessors had felt the force and wit of the english in eighty eight ; and he had cause to doubt , that the catholicks themselves that were english , and not fully jesuited , upon any forraign invasion , would rather take part with their own king , though an heretick ; than with his catholick majesty , a stranger . the embassadour desired him to be of another mind ; since first , for the persons , generally their bodies by long disuse of arms were disabled , and their minds effeminated by peace and luxury , far from that they were in , when they were daily flesh'd in our bloud , and made hearty by customary conquests : and for the affections of those whom they call recusants , ( quoth he ) i know the bitterness of their inveterate malice , and have seen so far into their natures , as i dare say they will be for spain a●ainst all the world : yea ( quoth he ) i assure your honours i could not imagine so basely , of their king and state as i have heard them speak , nay their rage hath so perverted their judgements , that what i my self have seen and heard proceed from their king beyond admiration even to astonishment , they have sleighted , misreported , scorned and perverted to his disgrace , and my rejoycing , magnifying in the mean time our defects for graces . here the duke pastrana , president of the council of italy , steps up and said , he had lately read a book of one cambdens , called his annals , where writing of a treaty of marriage long since , betwixt the english elizabeth , and the french duke of anjowe ; he there observes , that the marriage was not seriously intended on either side , but politickly pretended by both states counterchangably , that each might effect their own ends : there ( quoth he ) the english had the better , and i have some cause to doubt , since they can dissemble as well as we , that they may have their aims under ▪ hand as we have , and intend the match as little as we do : and this ( quoth he ) i beleive the rather , because their king as he is wise to consult and consider , so he is a constant master of his word , and hath written and given strong reasons against matches made with persons of contrary religion ; which reasons no other man can answer , and therefore doubtlesse he will not go from , nor counsel his son to forsake these rules , laid down so deliberately . your excellency mistakes ( quoth the embassador ) the advantage was then on the side of the english , because the french sought the match ; now it must be on ours , because the english seek it , who will grant any thing rather than break off ; and besides have no patience to temporize or dissemble in this or any other design , as the french have long since well observed ; for their necessities will give them neither time , nor rest , nor hope elsewhere to be supplied : as for their king i cannot search into his heart , i must beleive others that presume to know his mind , hear his words , and read his writings , and these relate what i have delivered : but for the rest of the people , as the number of those that are truly religious are ever the least , and for the most part of least account , so it is there ; where if an equal opposition be made betwixt their truly religious and ours , the remainder which will be the greater number , will stand indifferent , and fall to the stronger side where there is most hope of gain and glory , for those two are the gods of the magnitude and multitude ; now these see apparently no certain supplies of their wants , but from us . yes ( quoth the duke ) for even now you said , the general state loathing the match , would redeem the fear thereof with half their estates ; it is therefore but calling a parliament , and the business were soon effected . a parliament ! ( sayes the embassadour ) nay , therein lies one of the chiefest services i have done , in working such a dislike between the king and the lower house , by the endeavours of that honourable earl , and admirable engine , a sure servant to us , and the catholick cause whilst he lived , as that the king will never endure parliament again , but rather suffer absolute want , than receive conditional relief from his subjects ; besides , the matter was so cunningly carried the last parliament , that as in the powder-plot the fact effected should have been imputed to the puritans , the gteatest zealots of that calvinian sect ; so the propositions which dam'd up the proceedings of this parliament , howsoever they were invented by romish catholicks , and by them intended to disturbe that session , and yet were propounded in favour of the puritans , as if they had been hammered in their forge , which very name and shadow the king hates , being a sufficient aspersion to disgrace any person to say he is such , and a sufficient bar to stay any suit , and utterly to cross it , to say it smells of , or enclines to that party : moreover , there are so many about him who blow this coal , fireing their own stakes ; if a parliament should enquire into their actions , that they use all their art and industry to withstand such a council , perswading the king he may rule by his absolute prerogative without a parliament , and thus furnish himself by marriage with us , and other domestick projects without subsidies , when levying of subsidies and taxes have been the only use princes have made of such assemblies : and whereas some free minds amongst them resembling our nobility , who preserve the priviledge of subjects against soveraign invasion , call for the course of the common law , ( a law proper to their nation ) these other time-se●vers cry the laws down , and up the prerogative ; whereby they prey upon the subjects by suits and exactions , milk the state and keep it bare , procure themselves much suspition amongst the better and more judicious sort ▪ and ha●e amongst the oppressed commons ; and yet if there should be a parliament , such a course is taken , as they shall never chuse their shire knights and burgesses freely , who make the greater half of the body thereof ; for these being to be elected by most voices of the free-holders in these countries where such elections are to be made , are carried which way the great persons , who have lands in these countries , please ; who by their letters command their tennants , followers , and friends , to nominate such as adhere to them ▪ and for the most part are of our faction , and respect their own benefit or grace , rather than their countries good ; yea , the country-people themselves , will every one stand by the great man , their lord , or neighbour , or master , without regard of his honesty , wisdom , or religion , that which they aim at ( as i am assured by faithful intelligence , is to please their landlord ) and so to renew their lease ; in which regard they will betray their country and religion too , and elect any man , that may most profit their particular : therefore it is unlikely there should ever be a parliament , and impossible the kings debts should be paid , his wants sufficiently repaired , and himself left full-handed by such a course ; and indeed , as it is generally thought , by any course but by a marriage with us ; for which cause , whatsoever project we list to attempt , enter safely at the door , whilst their policy lies asleep , and will not see the danger : i have made tryal of these particulars , and find few exceptions in this general rule . thereby i and their own wants together , have kept them from furnishing their navie , which being the wall of their island , and once the strongest in christendom , lies now at road , unarm'd , and fit for ruine ; if ever we doubted their strength by sea , now we need not ; there are but few ships or men able to look abroad , or live in a storm , much lesse in a sea fight ; this i effected by bearing them in hand , the furnishing of their navie bred suspition in my master , and so would avert him from the match , the hope of which , rather than they would lose , they would lose almost their hope of heaven . secondly , all their voyages to the east indies , i permit rather with a colourable resistance than a serious , because i see them not helpful but hurtful to the state in general , carrying out gold and treasure , bringing home spice , silks , feathers , and the like toyes , and insensibly wasting the common stock of coin and bullion , while it fills the custom-house , and some private purses , who thereby are enabled to keep this discommodity on foot by bribes , especially so many great persons ( even states-men ) being adventurers and sharers in the gain ; besides this , wasteth their marriners , not one of ten returning , which i am glad to hear , for they are the men we stand in fear of . thirdly , their west indian voyages , i withstand them in earnest , because they begin to inhabite there , and fortifie themselves , and may in time perhaps raise another england , to withstand our new spain in america ; as this old england opposeth our present state , and clouds the glorious extents thereof in europe : besides , there they trade for commodities without waste of their treasure , and often return gold for knives , glasses , and the like trifles , and that without such loss of their marriners , as in other places ; therefore i crossed whatsoever intendments were projected for virginia , or the bermudoes , because i see they may be hereafter really helpful unto them , as now they serve for drains to unload their populous state , which else would over-flow its own banks , by continuance of peace , and turn head upon it self , or make a body fit for any rebellion . and so far i prevailed herein , as i caused most of the recusants , who were sharers , to with-draw their ventures and discourage the work ; so that besides private persons unable to effect much , nothing was done by the publick purse : and we know by experience , that such voyages and plantations are not effected without great means to sustain great difficulties , and with an unwearied resolution and power to meet all hazards and disasters with strong helps and continual supplies , or else the undertaking prove idle . fourthly , by this means likewise , i kept the voluntary forces from venice , till it was almost too late to set out , and had a hope that work of secrecy , should have broken forth to action , before those could have arived to succour them . fifthly , i put hard for the cautionary towns , which our late king philip , of happy memory so aimed at , accounting them the keyes of the low countries , that they might be delivered to his catholick majesty , as to the proper owner ; and had perhaps prevailed , but that profest enemy to our state and church who dyed shortly after , gave council to restore them to the rebellious states , as one that knew popular common-wealths to be better neighbours , surer friends , and less dangerous enemies , than monarchs ; and so by this practice rescued them from my hands , and furnished the exchequer from thence for that time ; neither was i much grieved at this , because the dependancy they had before of the english , seemed now to be cut off , and the interest the english had in them and their cause , to be taken away , which must be fully and finally effected , before we can hope either to conquer them , or england , who holding together are too strong for the world at sea ; and therefore must be disunited before they can be overcome . this point of state is acknowledged by our most experienced pentioner , and sure friend , mounsier barnevel● , whose succeeding plots for this end , shall bear witness for the depth of his judgement . sixtly , but the last service i did for the state , was not the least , when i underwrought that admirable engine , rawleigh , and so was the cause , his voyage threatning much danger and damage to us was overthrown , and himself returning in disgrace , i pursued almost to death ; neither ( i hope ) need i say almost , if all things hit right , and all strings hold ; but the determination of my commission would not permit me longer to stay to follow him to execution , which i desired the rather , that by concession i might have wrung from the inconsiderate english , an acknowledgment of my masters right in those places , punishing him for attempting there , though they might prescribe for the first foot ; and this i did to stop their mouths hereafter , and because i would quench the heat and valour of that nation , that none should dare hereafter to undertake the like , or be so hardy as to look out at sea , or breath upon our coasts ; and lastly , because i would bring to an ignominious death , that old pirate , who is one of the last now living , bread under that deceased english virago , and by her flesht in our blood and ruin : to do this i had many agents , first , divers courtiers who were hungry and gaped wide for spanish gold ; secondly , some that bare him at the heart for inveterate quarrels ; thirdly , some forraigners , who having in vain sought the elixer hitherto , hope to find it in his head ; fourthly , all men of the romish faith , who are of the spanish faction , and would have been my blood-hounds to hunt him or any such to death willingly , as persons hating the prosperity of their country , and the valour , worlh , and wit of their own nation ; in respect of us and our catholick cause ; lastly , i left behind me such an instrument composed artificially , of a secular understanding , and a religious profession , as he is every way adopted to scrue himself into the closet of the heart , and to work upon feminine levity , who in that country , have masculine spirits , to command and pursue their plots unto death . this therefore i account as done , and rejoyce in it , knowing it will be very profitable to us , grateful to our faction there , and what though it be cross to the people , or the clergy , we that only negotiate for our gain , & treat about this marriage for their own ends , can conclude or break off when we see our time , without respect of such , as can neither profit us , nor hurt us ; for i have certain knowledg , that the commons generally are so effeminate and cowardly , that they at their musters , which are seldome and slight , only for the benefit of their muster masters of a souldiers , scarce a hundred dares discharge a musket , and of that hundred , scarce one can use it like a souldier ; and for their arms they are so ill provided , that one corslet serveth many men , when such as shew their armour one day in one place , lend them to their friends in other places to shew , when they have use ; and this if it be spied , is only punished by a mulct in the purse , which is the officers aim , who for his advantage , winks at the rest , and is glad to find and cherish by connivance profitable faults , that increase his revenues ; thus stands the state of that poor miserable country , which had never more people and fewer men ; so that if my master should resolve upon an invasion , the time never fits as at this present , security of this marriage , and the disuse of armes having cast them into a dead sleep , a strong and wakning faction being ever amongst them ready to asist us , and they being unprovided of ships , or arms , or hearts to fight , an universal discontentment following all men : this i have from their muster masters , and captains , who are many of them of our religion , or of none , and so ours ready to be bought and sold , and desirous to be my masters servants in fee . thus much for the state particularly , wherein i have bent my self to weaken them and strengthen us , and in all these have advanced the catholick cause , but especially in procuring favours for all such as favour that side , & crossing the other by all means ; and this i practice my selfe , and give out to be generally practised by others , that whatsoever success i find , i still boast of the victory , which i do to dishearten the hereticks , and to make them suspitious one of another , especially of their princes best states-men , and to keep our own in courage , who by this means increase , otherwise would be in danger to decay . now for religion , and such designs as fetch their pretence from thence , i beheld the policy of that late bishop of theirs , bancroft , who stirred up and maintained a dangerous schisme , betwixt our secular priests and jesuits , by which he discovered much weakness to the dishonour of our clergy , and prejudice of our cause ; this taught me as it did barnevelt in the low countries , to work secretly and insensibly betwixt their conformists , and non-conformists , and to cast an eye as far as the orcades , knowing that business might be stirred up there that might hinder proceedings in england , as the french ever used scotland to call home the forces of england , and so to prevent their conquests , the effect you have partly seen in the earl of argile , who sometimes was captain for the king and church , against the great marq. huntley , and now fights under our banner at bruxels , leaving the crosses of st. george , and st. andrew , for the cross of st. james : neither do our hopes end here , but we dayly expect more revolters , or at least such a disunion as will never admit solid reconcilement , but will send some to us , & some to amsterdam , for the king ( a wise and vigilant prince ) labouring for a perfect union betwixt both the kingdomes which he sees cannot be effected ; where the least ceremony in religion is continued diverse , sharp & bitter brambles from thence arising , whilst some striving for honour more then for truth , prefers their own way and will before the general peace of the church , and the edification of souls , he i say seeks to work both churches to uniformity , and to this end made a journey into scotland , but with no such success as he expected , for divers of ours attended the train , who stirred up humors and factions , and cast in scruples and doubts to hinder and cross the proceedings , yea those that seem most adverse to us , & averse to our opinions by their disobedience and example , help forward our plots , and these are incouraged by a factious and heady multitude , by a faint and irresolute clergy , many false brethren being amongst their bishops , and the prodigal nobility , who maintain these stirs in the church , & that thereby they may safely keep their church livings in their hands , which they have most sacrilegiously seized upon in the time of the first deformation , and which they fear would be recovered by the clergy , if they could be brought to a brotherly peace and agreement , for they have seen the king very bountiful in this kind , having lately increased their pentions , and setled the clergy a competent maintenance , and besides out of his own means which in that kingdome is none of the greatest , having brought in and restored whole bishopricks to the church , which were before in lay-mens hands , a great part of the nobilities estate consisting of spiritual lands , which makes them cherish the puritanical faction , who will be content to be trencher fed with scraps and crums , and contributions , and arbitrary benevolence , from their lords , and lairds , and ladies and their adherents and followers . but ( quoth the inquisitor general ) how if this act of the kings , wherein he is most earnest and constant , should so far thrive , as it should effect a perfect union in the church and common-wealth , i tell you it would in my conceit , be a great blow to us , if by a general meeting , a general peace should be concluded , and all their forces bent against rome , and we see their politick king aims at this . true ( quoth gondamor ) but he takes his mark amiss howsoever he understands the people and their inclination better then any man , and better knowes how to temper their passions and affections , for besides that he is hindered , there in scotland underhand , by some for the reasons above recited , and by the other great ones of ours , who are in great place and authority amongst them , he is likewise deluded in this point , even by his own clergy at home in england , who pretend to be most forward in the cause , for they considering if a general uniformity were wrought , what an inundation would follow , whilst all or most of theirs would flock thither for preferment , ( as men pressing towards the sun for light and heat ) and so their own should be unprovided ; these therefore i say , howsoever they bear the king fairly in hand , are under hand against it , and stand stiff for all ceremonies , to be obtruded with a kind of absolute necessity upon them , when the other will not be almost drawn to receive any , when if an abatement were made , doubtless they might be drawn to meet in the midd'st ; but there is no hope of this with them , where neither party deals seriously , but only for the present to satisfie the king , and so there no fear on either side , that affections and opinions , so divers , will ever be reconciled and made one , their bishop of st. andrews stands almost alone in the cause , and pulls upon himself the labour , the loss and envy , of all with little proficiency , whilst the adverse faction have as sure friends , & good intelligence about the king , as he hath ; and the same post , perhaps , that brings a packet from the king to him , brings another from their abettors to them , acquainting them with the whole proceedings and councils , and preparing them aforehand for opposition , this i know for truth , and this i rejoyce in as conducing much to the catholick good . but ( quoth the nuncio ) are there none of the heretical preachers busie about this match , me thinks their fingers should itch to be writing , and their tongues burn to be prating about this business , especially the puritanical sort , howsoever the most temperate , and indifferent , carry themselves . the truth is my lord , ( quoth the embassadour ) that privately what they can , and publickly what they dare , both in england and scotland , all for the most part , except such as be of our faith , oppose this match to the uttermost , by prayers , counsels , speeches , & wishes ; but if any be found longer tongued than his fellows , we have still means to charm their sauciness , and to silence them , to expel them the court , to disgrace them , and cross their preferments , with the imputation of pragmatick puritanism : for instance , i will relate this one particular ; a doctor of theirs , and chapline in ordinary to the king , gave many reasons , in a letter , against this marriage ; and propounded a way how to supply the kings wants otherwise : which i understanding , so wrought underhand , that the doctor was committed , and hardly escaped the danger of this presumptious admonition ; though the state knew his intent was honest , and his reasons good : wherein we on the other-side ( both here , and with the arch-duke ) have had books penn'd , and pictures printed directly against their king and state , for which their embassadors have sought satisfaction of us in vain , not being able to stay the prince , or so much as to touch the hem of the authors garment . but we have an evasion which hereticks miss , our clergy being freed from the temporal sword , and so not included in our treaties and conditions of peace , but at liberty to give any heretical prince the mate when they list , whereas they are lyable to accompt and hazard , and are muzled for barking , when ours may both bark , and bite too : the council-table , and the star-chamber , do so terrifie them as they dare not riot , but run at the stirrop in excellent command , and come in at the least rebuke ; they call their preaching in many places standing up , but they crowch and dare not , stand not up , nor quest , behave themselves like setters , silent , and creeping upon their bellies , lick the dust which our priests shake off from their beautiful feet . now ( quoth the duke of lerma ) satisfie me about our own clergy how they fare ; for there were here petitions made to the king , in the name of the distressed , afflicted , persecuted , and imprisoned priests , that his majesty would intercede for them , to free them from the intollerable burdens they groan under , and to procure their liberties ; and letters were directed from us to this end , that you should negotiate this demand with all speed , and diligence . most excellent prince , ( replyed gondamor ) i did your command , with a kind of command my self , not thinking it fit to make it a suit in your name , and my masters ; i obtained them liberty to walk up and down , to face , and out-face their accusers , judges , magistrates , and bishops , and to exercise their functions , almost as freely , altogether as safely as at rome : here the nuncio objected , that he did not well in procuring their liberty , since they might do more good in prison , than abroad ; because in prison , they seemed to be under persecution ▪ and so were pitied of others , and pity of the person prepares the affection further ; besides , then they were careful of their own lives to give no offence , but abroad they might be scandalous in their lives , as they use to be in rome , and spain , and other catholick countries ; and so the opinion of their holiness ▪ which upholds their credit , and cause , against the married clergy , would soon decay . but the embassadour replyed , he considered thes● inconveniences , and besides a superiour command , he saw the profit of their liberty , more than of their restraint ; for now they might freely confer , and were ever practising , and would doubtless produce some work of wonder ▪ and besides , the reason of their authority , and means to change places ▪ did apply themselves to many persons , whereas in prison they could only deal with such as came to be taught , were their own before ; and this ( quoth he ) i added as a secret , that as before they were maintained by private contributions from devout catholicks , even to excess ; so much more now shall they be able to gather great sums to weaken the state , and furnishing them for some high attempt , by the example of cardinal wolsey , barrelling up gold for rome ; and this they may easily do , since all catholicks rob the heretical priests , and with-hold tythes from them by fraud or force , to give to these of their own , to whom it is properly due : and if this be spied , it s an easie matter to lay all upon the hollander ; and say , he carries the coin out of the land ( who is forward enough indeed in these practises ) and so ours shall not only be excused , but a flaw made betwixt them to weaken their amities , and beget suspition betwixt them , of each others love . but amongst all these priests , ( quoth the inquisitor ) did you remember that old reverend father , bauldwin , who had a finger in that admirable attempt made on our behalf against the parliament house ; such as he , deserving so highly , and ventering their liv●s so resolutely for the catholick cause , must not be neglected , but extraordinarily regarded , thereby to encourage others to the like holy undertakings . holy father , ( quoth gondamor ) my principal care was of him , whose life and liberty , when i had with much difficulty , obtained of the king , i solemnly went in person , atended with all my train , and divers other well-willers , to fetch him out of the tower , where he was in durance : as soon as i came in his sight , i behaved my self after so lowly and humble a manner , that our adversaries stood amazed to see the reverence we give to our ghostly fathers ; and this i did to confound them and their contemptuous clergy , and to beget an extraordinary opinion of holiness in the person , and piety in us ; and also to provoke the english catholicks to the like devout obedience , that thereby at any time these jesuites whose authority was somewhat weakned since the schism betwixt them and the seculars , and the succeeding powder-plot , may work them to our ends , as masters their servants , tutors their schollars , fathers their children , kings their subjests , and that they may do this the more boldly and securely , i have somwhat dash'd the authority of their high commissioners ; upon which , whereas there are divers pursevants , men of the worst kind , and condition , resembling our flies , and familiars , attending upon the holy inquisition ; whose office and employment is to disturb the catholicks , search their houses for priests holy vestments , books , beads , crucifixes , and the like religious appurtenances ; i have caused the execution of their offices to be slackened , so that an open way may be given to our spiritual instruments , for the free exercise of their faculties ; and yet when these pursevants were in greatest authority , a small bribe , in the country , would blind their eyes , or a little greater at the court , or in the exchequer frustrate and cross all their actions , so that their malice went off like squibs , making a great crack to fright children , and new born babes , but hurt no old men of catholick spirits ; and this is the effect of all other their courses of proceedings in this kind , in all their judicial courts , whither known catholicks ( convicted , as they term them ) are often summoned and cited , threatned and bound over , but the danger is past so soon as the officer hath his fee paid to him , then the execution goeth no further ; nay , upon my conscience , they are glad when there are offendors in that kind , because they are bountiful , and the officers do their best to succour them , that they may encrease , and so their benefit and gain come in freely . and if they should be sent to prison , even that place for the most part is made a sanctuary to them , as the old romans were wont to shut up such by way of restraint , whom they meant to preserve from the peoples fury ; so they live safe in prison till we have time to work their liberty , and assure their lives , and in the mean time , their place of restraint is as a study unto them , where they have opportunity to confer together as in a colledg , and to arm themselves in unity against their single adversaries abroad , ( but quoth the inquisitor general ) how do they for books when they have occasion either to write or dispute ▪ my lord replyes , gondamor , all the libraries belonging to the romish catholicks , through the land , are at their command , from whence they have all such collections as they can require , gathered to their hands , as well from thence , as from all the libraries of both universities , and even the books themselves if that be requisite . besides i have made it a principal part of my employment , to buy all the manuscripts and other ancient and rare authors , out of the hands of the hereticks ; so that there is no great schollar dies in the land , but my agents are dealing with his books ; in so much as even their learned , isaac causabons library was in election without question to be ours , had not their vigilant king ( who foresees all dangers , and hath his eyes busy in every place ) prevented my plots ▪ for after the death of that great schollar , i sent to request a view and catalogue of his books , with their price , intending not to be out-bid by any man , if mony would fetch them , because ( besides the damage that that side should have received by their loss , persecuting the same story against cardinal baronius ) we might have made good advantage of his notes , collections , castigations , censures , and criticismes for our own party , and framed and put out other under his name at our pleasure ; but that was fore-seen by their prometheus , who sent that torturer of ours , the bishop of winchester , to search and sort the papers , and to seal up the study , giving a large and princely allowance for them ▪ to the relict of causabon , together with a bountiful pention , and provision for her and hers , but this plot failing at that time , hath not ever done , nor had the university of oxford so triumphed in their many manuscripts given by that famous knight sir thomas bodly , if either i had been then imployed , or this course of mine then thought upon ; for i would labour what i might this way or any other way , to disarm them , & either to translate their ●est authors hither , or at least to leave none in the hands of any , but roman catholicks , who are assuredly ours ; and to this end , an especial eye should be had upon the libraries of one sir robert cotton an ingrosser of antiquities , that whensoever it comes to be broken up either before his death or after , the most choice and singular pieces might be gleaned or gathered up ; neither let any man think that descending thus low to petty particulars is unworthy an embassadour , or of small avail for the ends we aim at , since we see every mountain consists of several sands , and there is not more profitable conversing for states-men , then amongst schollars and their books , especially where the king for whom we watch is the king of schollars , and loves to live almost altogether in their element . besides , if by any means we can continue difference in their church , or make them wider , or beget distaste betwixt their clergy and common lawyers , who are men of greatest power in their land , the benefit will be ours , the consequence great , opening a way for us to come in between , for personal quarrels produce real questions . as he was further prosecuting this discourse , one of the secretaries , who waited in the chamber without desired entrance , and being admitted , delivered letters which he had newly received of a post , directed to the president , and the rest of the council , from his catholick master ; the contents whereof were to this effect . right trusty and wel-beloved cousins and counsellors , we greet you well ; whereas we had a hope by our agents in england , and germany , to effect the great work of the western empire , and like on the other side to surprize venice , and so incircling europe at one instant , and infolding it into our arms , make the easier road upon the turk in asia ▪ and at length reduce all the world to our catholick command : and whereas to these holy ends , we had secret and sure plots and projects on foot in all these places , and good intelligence in all courts ; know we that , we have received late and sad news of the apprehension of our most trusty and able pentioner , barnevelt , and of the discovery of other our intendments ; so that our hopes are for the present adjourned , till some other more convenient and auspicuous time ; we therefore will you presently ▪ upon sight hereof , to break off your consultation , and repair straight to our presence , there to take further directions , and proceed as necessity of the time , and cause , shall require . with that his excellency and the whole house , struck with amazement , crossed their fore-heads , rose up in sad silence , and brake off this treaty abruptly , and without tarriance took horse and posted to the court , from whence expect newes the next fair wind . in the mean time , let not those be secure whom it concerns to be rouzed up , knowing that this aspiring nebuchadnezzar , will not lose the glory of his greatness , who continueth still to magnifie himself in this great babel , until it be spoken , thy kingdome is departed from thee , dan. . finis . a lamentable relation of a fearfull fight at sea, upon our english coast, between the spaniard and the hollander who after their first meeting and fight which was on friday the sixt of september last past, and the finall fight on friday being the eleventh of october following, the event whereof you may hear in this following ditty : to the tune of, let us to the wars againe / by martin parkin. m. p. 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a lamentable relation of a fearfull fight at sea, upon our english coast, between the spaniard and the hollander who after their first meeting and fight which was on friday the sixt of september last past, and the finall fight on friday being the eleventh of october following, the event whereof you may hear in this following ditty : to the tune of, let us to the wars againe / by martin parkin. m. p. (martin parker), d. ? broadside. by m.f. for tho. lambert, printed at london : [ ] attributed to martin parker by stc ( nd ed.). date of imprint suggested by stc ( nd ed.) in double columns. without music. reproduction of original in the national library of scotland. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng ballads, english. spain -- history, naval. netherlands -- history, naval. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a lamentable relation of a fearfull fight at sea , upon our english coast , between the spaniard and the hollander , who after their first meeting and fight which was on friday the sixt of septembr last past : and the finall fight on friday being the eleventh of october following : the event whereof you may hear in this following ditty . to the tune of , let us to the wars againe . in every place where men did meet , the talk was of the spanish fleet , which the stout dutchmen with great boast , besieg'd upon our english coast : now every severall expectation is satisfi'd by this relation . great pitie t is that any pen should note such hate twixt christian men . it was a pittifull conclusion , of christian bloud so much effusion , that who the storie reads or hears , if he can scape the shedding tears , t is what the writter could not misse , when he the storie wrote of this . great pitie this that any pen , should note such hate twixt christian men . this spanish navie ( as t is said ) to th'cardinall infanto's aid , was carrying men and money store , hoping to land on flanders shore : but their intention now is voide , the dutch hath them almost destroy'd . great pitie t is that any pen , should note such hate tvvixt christian men . the hollender who long hath been against the spaniard armde with spléene , waits all occasions that he may , to circumvent him any way , as now for him he laid a traine to catch him far enough from spaine . great pitie t is that any pen , should note such hate tvvixt christan men . the spaniards being pestered sore , with what they could have wisht on shore , unarmed men for sea unfit , few of them being preparde for it , and lying long on our cold clime , many were thrown ore board that time : great pitie t is that any pen should note such hate tvvixt christian men . the hollender with fresh supply , insulteth ore his enemie , vowing the totall overthrow of th'spanish navie at one blow . to say the truth their odds was much ; fourescore spaniards , sixscore dutch. great pitie t is that any pen , &c. on friday morning that sad time , this bloudy battell was in prime , the stately admirall of spaine , weigh'd anchor , and put forth to th' main , the hollend admirall did the like , one did against another strike . great pitie t is that any pen should note such hate tvvixt christian men . a certain space they did abide , fighting all stoutly on each side , so that the ordinance of the dutch , hath lower deale spoild very much . out of the town the people fled , yet many cattle were struck dead . great pitie t is that any pen should note such hate tvvixt christian men . at last the spanish navie stout , ( orecome with force ) was put to rout , and of their ships full twentie foure , were gravelled on our english shore , at dover and at other ports , where ships for saftie oft resorts . great pitie t is that any pen should note such hate twixt christian men . eight of the spanish ships that day were burnt and utterly cast away , the admirall when he did see his ship perforce must taken be , he with a manly resolution , set it on fire in the conclusion . great pitie t is that any pen should note snch hate tvvixt christian men . it was a spictacle of woe , ( grant lord that time the like nere show ) to sée men from a fired ship . how they out of the port-holes scip , each one pronouncing this good word , have mercy on my soule o lord. great pitie t is that any pen should note such hate tvvixt christian men . what losse the hollander hath had , was not in this relation sad , mentiond at all , but at the last , will bring to memorie things forepast , but certainly we may coniecture , that canons preach a bloudy lecture . great pitie t is that any pen should note such hate tvvixt christian men . a thousand men or rather more , are of the spaniards swom on shore , at dover , deal , and waymouth , they are living all this present day , this was the fiercest fight at sea , that hath been fought this many a day . great pitie t is that any pen should note such hate tvvixt christian men . a multitude the sea cast up , which all had tasted of deaths cup , some without heads , some wanting armes , some legs , all shewing what great harmes proceed from that inveterate spléene , which hath long time inventing been . great pitie t is that any pen , &c. i oft have heard that winters thunder , to us produceth sommers wonder , the fourteenth of ianuary last , thunder and lightnings made us agast , and now this thundring on the main , hapt on our coast'twixt holland and spain great pitie t is that any pen , &c. o that all christians would accord , to fight the battell of our lord , against the infidel and turke , that upon our dissention worke , he counts it a most politicke matter , alwayes to fish in troubled water . but god grant peace , and right all vvrongs , by giving right , vvhere right belongs . finis . by martin parkin . printed at london by m. f. for tho. lambert . thomas campanella, an italian friar and second machiavel, his advice to the king of spain for attaining the universal monarchy of the world particularly concerning england, scotland and ireland, how to raise division between king and parliament, to alter the government from a kingdome to a commonwealth, thereby embroiling england in civil war to divert the english from disturbing the spaniard in bringing the indian treasure into spain : also for reducing holland by procuring war betwixt england, holland, and other sea-faring countries ... / translated into english by ed. chilmead, and published for awakening the english to prevent the approaching ruine of their nation ; with an admonitorie preface by william prynne, of lincolnes-inne, esquire. de monarchia hispanica dicursus. english campanella, tommaso, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing c estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) thomas campanella, an italian friar and second machiavel, his advice to the king of spain for attaining the universal monarchy of the world particularly concerning england, scotland and ireland, how to raise division between king and parliament, to alter the government from a kingdome to a commonwealth, thereby embroiling england in civil war to divert the english from disturbing the spaniard in bringing the indian treasure into spain : also for reducing holland by procuring war betwixt england, holland, and other sea-faring countries ... / translated into english by ed. chilmead, and published for awakening the english to prevent the approaching ruine of their nation ; with an admonitorie preface by william prynne, of lincolnes-inne, esquire. de monarchia hispanica dicursus. english campanella, tommaso, - . chilmead, edmund, - . [ ], p. printed for philemon stephens ..., london : [ ] translation of: de monarchia hispanica dicursus. reissue of the st ed., , with a new t.p. and the addition of prynne's preface (p. [ ]-[ ]) dated from "lincolnes inne, decemb. , ." reproduction of original in yale university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng spain -- politics and government. europe -- politics and government. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion thomas campanella an italian friar and second machiavel . his advice to the king of spain for attaining the universal monarchy of the world. particularly concerning england , scotland and ireland , how to raise division between king and parliament , to alter the government from a kingdome to a commonwealth . thereby embroiling england in civil war to divert the english from disturbing the spaniard in bringing the indian treasure into spain . also for reducing holland by procuring war betwixt england , holland , and other sea-faring countries , affirming as most certain , that if the king of spain become master of england and the low countries , he will quickly be sole monarch of all europe , and the greatest part of the new world . translated into english by ed. chilmead , and published for awakening the english to prevent the approaching ruine of their nation . with an admonitorie preface by william prynne of lincolnes-inne esquire . london , printed for philemon stephens at the gilded lyon in st. pauls church-yard . mr. william prynne his premonitory epistle concerning campanella's discourse of the spanish monarchy . to the ingenuous reader . thou hast here presented to thy serious perusal ( by an able hand ) a faithful english translation of a discourse touching the spanish monarchy penned by thomas campanella ( a famous italian frier , and second machiavel ) about the end of queen elizabeths reign , prescribing sundry politick plots to the king of spain , how to make himself sole temporal , and the pope sole spiritual monarch of the world , in general ; and of england , scotland and ireland and holland in particular ; laid down in the . and ● . chapters ; by sowing the seeds of division and intestine wars between england , scotland , ireland and the netherlands , eith●r by changing our hereditary kingdom into a commonwealth , or at least into an elective kingship , and other policies there laid down to destroy our temporal kingly government ; and by broaching new opinions and sects in religion , and by scattering the seed of schism and division in the natural sciences , and promoting the study of astrology , to undermine our church and religion , and usher in popery by insensible degrees by romish emissaries . if thou wilt but seriously peruse these chapters and compare them with the counsels , projects , proceedings , new models of government , and wars with the scots and hollanders of the late agitators and general council of officers in the army , and their anti-parliamentary conventicles , ever since the year . till this present ; thou wilt most clearly discern , and ingenuously confess that they punctually pursued campanella his projects , to advance the popes and spaniards monarchy over our three kingdoms and the netherlands , and reduce them under their unsupportable tyranny both in civils and spirituals ; wherein they have now made ( either ignorantly or affectedly ) such an unhappy dismal progress , by subverting our ancient kingly government to metamorphose us into a commonwealth , which hath crumbled our formerly united kingdoms , churches , into so many opposite irreconcileable sects , factions , parties , interests , undermining , oppressing each other by impoverishing our k●ngdoms , destroying their trades , and eating them up to the very bones by a perpetual domineering all swaying army , and intolerable endless taxes , excises , militia's , imposts , free-quarters , and all sort● of violences and oppressions , and leaving us no legal visible head , authority , council , parliament , governours , judicatures , to which they can flie for protection or advise ; that unless gods infinite mercy interpose , they are in all probability ready to be invaded , overcome and swallowed up by the united forces of these combined enemies , and to incur that fatal doom which christ himself hath predicted to every kingdome and city in our present condition , mat. . . every kingdome divided against it self , is brought to desolation , and every city or house divided against it self shall not stand . which campanella laying for his ground , made it his master-piece to set down stra●agems to divide us and other kingdoms and nations against and between themselves , to bring them first to desolation by themselves , that so the spaniard and pope might without much difficulty seise upon them whiles in that condition , which imminent danger and approaching ruine we have no probable means left to prevent , but by a speedy cordial christian union between our lawful king long exiled head and members ; and happy restitution of our hereditary king , peers , and english parliaments to their ancient just rights and priviledges according to our sacred oathes , protestations , vow , league , covenant , and an avowed future renunciation of all campanella's jesuitical , popish , spanish counsels , plots , innovations , dividings , which i leave thee to contemplate . concluding with this memorable observation and passage of st. basil the great in his ascetica . this holy saint of god being very much perplexed in his mind at the manifold schismes and vehement dissentions then in the church of christ , between christians , bishops and ministers themselves , renting the church with opinions and practices contrary to the commands of the lord jesus christ , and diligently enquiring and much doubting what should be the true cause thereof ; at last that text in the book o● iudges coming into his mind , every one did that which was right in his own eyes , the cau●e whereo● is d●clared in the premised words , in those dayes there was no king in israel , after some consideration and meditation thereupon , he concluded not as a paradox , but undoubted truth ; that the very r●ason why there was then so great contention and fighting amongst christians in the church of christ , was , the contempt of that great , true and only king of all men , whilst every one departed both from the doctrine of our lord jesus christ , and did set up his own cogitations and definitions by his own authority as his rule , and would rather command against the lord , then be subject to the lord , and governed by him . when i pondered these things with my self , and stood amazed at this enormous impiety , and would yet further search out the truth hereof● i was perswaded that the aforesaid cause was true in this , as it was in other affairs of this life . for i saw all the multitude to be a well compounded state , and to consent and consist together so long only as obedience was yielded to some one supream king of them all : and on the other side , that dissention and division of every kind , and also polyarchy to arise from hence , if there being no king every man obtained licence to do what he pleased , i have sometime seen even a swarm of bees out of the law of nature to wage war and to follow their own king in order , and i have seen and read many such things of them , and tho●e who are busied about such things know much more ; so that what i have said may be proved true from hence . for it is the propertye and peculiar of those who regard the command of one , and use one king , that they be well and vnanimously disposed between themselves : therefore all dissention and discord is both an index and prognostick of that contumacy , wherein the principality of one is rejected whether this be not the true and principal cause of all our sad divisions and wars both in church and state ; let the reader resolve when he hath perused campanella of whom i have oft made mention in my late publications , and was one chief cause of its translation into english. william prynne . from my study in lincolnes inne , decemb . . . the translator to the reader . courteous reader , seeing that we are fallen into an age of translations , that swarm more now then ever , partly by reason that there are so many that ( as things now stand ) have hardly any other trade of life to take to ; and partly also through the natural itch that most men have to appear to the world some way or other , ( especially since they find so good reception from such readers , as either cannot , or will not take the pains to peruse authors in their originals ) i have also adventured to present thee here with a translation , which , if thou understand it , thou wilt thank me for ; if thou dost not , thy censure concerns me not . but first , before i put thee upon the reading of the book it self , i shall by the way take liberty to give thee some little , but necessary information , touching these three following particulars , viz. . the author of this piece . . the use that may be made of it : and . of this present translation of it into english. first , as for the author , he was a man that was as famous for his sufferings , as for his learning ; for notwithstanding that he was a roman catholick , nay a frier , and withal so eager and hearty an asserter , and maintainer of the roman catholick sea , and its interests ; yet for all this do we find him in the inquisition , and so terribly tormented there , as that the learned i. gaffarel , a frenchman , being at rome , where our author was then in duresse , and having a desire to see him , he went with some friends to the place where he was , where he found him ( as he expresseth himself in his c●riositez inonyes , cap. . ) ayant le gras des jambes tontes me●●tries , & les fesses presque sans chair , la luy ayant arrach●e par morceaux , 〈◊〉 de tirer de luy la confession des crimes dont on l' accusoit : with the calves of his legs beaten black and blue all over , and with scarsely any flesh at all upon his buttocks ; it having been torn from him peice-meal , to force him to the confession of such crimes as they had accused him of . niether were these his sufferings of any short continuance , as appears out of his own words , as in other places , so in this book of his now in our hands ; where we have him intimating unto us ( as i conceive ) these his sufferings , and casting them decennalem afflictionem , his ten years affliction , in his preface to this book : and in the last chapter of it , decennalem miseriam , his ten years misery . but of the reason of these his sufferings , i am not at present able to give thee any very good account : only the afore cited i. gaffarel there tells us , that there was at that time an expectation abroad of a ful relation of his whole life ; for , ●aith he , mais un seavant aleman faira voir en peu de temps , l' histoire de ses malheurs , & de sa vie : a certain learned german will ere long give us the historie of his misfortunes , and of his life . now whether any such discourse of campanella's life ever came forth or not , i know not ; i confesse it never came to my hand● so much for the authors sufferings . and as for his learning , whosoever would understand how large , and general that was , must not stay upon this our present treatise , but may have recourse to other tracts of hi● , that are written of several subjects , both in divinity , philosophy , politicks , astrology , and what not i which the shops will every where furnish him with . as for this present discourse , touching the spanish monarchy , i confes●e i cannot yet discover in what language it was first written by the author ; but i find that the latine which is now lately come abroad , and goes under the name of the last edition , and is set forth by lodwick elzivir at amsterdam , is the third edition of it , and pretends to the mending of what was amisse aud corrupt in the two former editions . and seeing that we have now , in a manner , found a kind of an accomplishment of some counsels of his , that were given long ago , as namely , touching a war with the dutch , it would not be amisse to examine about what time this book was written . now though the very time of the writing of it is no where precisely set down ; yet there are some circumstances let fall here and there in the book , that may serve to guide our conjecture by . and i therefore conceive it to have been written about , or years . since . for , it is plain , that it was written in queen elizabeths time , and after . and indeed● when the queen was now grown very old , and that king iames was in daily expectation of the english crown falling to him. but this does not do the businesse : we can bring it yet nearer home then so ; for in his chap. xxiv . of france , speaking of henry iv. king of france , he sayes that iam in declivi aetate est , nec successorem nec uxorem habet ; he now begins to be an old man● and hath neither successor nor wife . now the time here pointed out , i conceive to be the year of our lord . or the following year , . for in the first of these years king henry was divorced from margaret , his former wife , and he married the year following ca●h●rine de medicis , by whom he afterwards had issue , lewis the xiii . &c. in one of these years therefore i suppose the author to have written this book . . for the use of it , we have here laid down , both in a methodical and copious way , a perfect model both of the original , and principles of government . for here weare instructed both how princes ought to treat their subjects at home , and also how to manage their affaires abroad , towards other forreign kingdomes and republicks . we have here , as it were , a political glasse , wherein we have presented unto us a view of each particular country , province , kingdom and empire through the whole world ; as also by what waies of government , whether by strict justice , or lenity , a strait , or a loose rain they are to be governed , and kept in obedience : as likewise the causes of the rise and fall of each severall kingdom , and empire ; together with the dangers and hazards they were exposed to , and the advantages they had to boast of ; and all this illustrated and confirmed by several examples , taken both out of profane , and sacred writers . now although this be designed wholly , and modelled out , in reference to the spanish monarchy only , and the support of the papacy ; yet may all wise , judicious men make very good use of the same , and apply what counsells are here given the king of spain , to their own affaires . for , if it be good counsel for the king of spain to take , to procure and maintain a perfect vnion among his own subjects at home ; but on the contrary , to sow the seeds of division among his enemies abroad : the same must be as good counsel for the king of france also to take , or any other prince , or potentate what ever . if it be good counsel to the spaniard , never to trust so much to any peace made with an enemy , as thereupon quite to lay aside his armes : it is altogether as good counsel for any other prince . and the same may be said of any other of the general maxims of policy delivered here by our author . but as for what in particular concerns the advancement of the spaniard and his designs , in order to the bringing about of his universal monarchy ; whether the rules by our author laid down were in sufficient to do the businesse : or whether , hough they were every way as full and proper as could be , yet having not been precisely observed , the businesse hath miscarried , and the spaniard hath not as yet arrived , and perhaps now is never like to arrive to the end of his desires ; all this needs not hinder , but that thou shouldest look upon this author , as a man of a most clear wit , & judgment and prize him as one that was full of knowledge , and experience in the affaires of the world , and a most industrious , and studious person . in the third and last place thou art to take notice , as concerning this translation , that we have therein dealt so fairely nd ingenuuosly with our author , as that we have perfectly and entirely preserved his own sense unto him● neither have we stopt his foul mouth where he hath either used ill language toward any of the protestant princes , or cast dirt into the faces of the first reformers , luther , calvin &c. for to what end should we falsifie our original , by making our author more civil then he had a mind to be ? seeing we are never a whit the worse for being so miscalled by him ; nor is he himself a jot the wiser for using us so . and to say the truth , we our selves take the same liberty towards them : and therefore , for ought i see , — hanc veniam petimusque damusque vicissim . we must even be content to allow each other this liberty on both sides . an index of the chapters . chap. i. of the causes of humane principalities , page . ii. the causes of the spanish empire . p. iii. of the first cause of empires , namely god. p. iv. of the spanish empire , considered according to the first cause . p. v. of the second cause , namely prudence . vi. how the clergy are to be dealt withal . vii . what may be further added concerning prudence , and opportunity . viii . the causes by which the spanish monarchy may be enlarged , and become l●sse . ix . of the king. x. what sciences are required in a monarch , to render him admired by all . xi . of lawes , both good , and bad . xii . of counsel . xiii . of justice , and its contrary . xiv . of the barons , and nobility of the spanish empire . xv. of the souldiery . xvi . of the treasure of spain . xvii . of the peoples love and hate ; as also of conspiracies . xviii . of preachers and proph●sies . xix . of such kingdomes , as are properly belonging to the king of spain : and of such also , as ar● his enemies ; and of these , which are in league with each other , and which not . xx. of spain . xxi of italy . xxii . of sicily , and sardinia . xxiii . of germany . xxiv . of france . xxv . of england , scotland , and ireland . xxvi . of poland , muscovia , and transylvania . xxvii . of flanders , and the lower germany . xxviii . of africk . xxix . of persia , and cataia . xxx . of the great turk , and his empire . xxxi . of the other hemisphere , and the new world. xxxii . of navigation . the authors preface . the universal monarchy of the world , begining from the east , and so coming at length to the west , having passed through the hands of the assyrians , medes , persians , greeks , and romans , ( who were divided by the imperial eagle into three heads , ) is at length come down to the spaniard : upon whom , after so long slavery , and division , it is wholly conferred by fate : and that with greater splendour , then on any of his predecessors : to whom also , according to the vicissitude of humane affaires , it did of right belong . now although i had not any intention to write any thing , touching either the government , or the enlargement of the spanish monarchy , which you , most noble alfonso , have desired me to do ; yet being at length delivered from my tedious sicknesse , and my ten years afflictions , though i am utterly deprived of the help of any books , and am , as it were , shut up as a prisoner in this my cell ; i shall notwithstanding in a brief , and compendious way , give your lordship an account , what my iudgment is concerning this subject ; and shall give in the causes of each several point , in general first ; not after a natural , nor a theological , but after a political way : and shall afterwards also descend to trea● more particularly of the same . tho. campanella . a discourse touching the spanish monarchy . chap. i. of the causes of humane principalities . in the acquiring , and managing of every dominion , and principality , there usually concur three causes ; that is to say , god , prudence , and occasion : all which , being joyned together , are called by the name of fate ; which is nothing else , but a concurrence of all the causes , working by vertue of the first . and hence also is fortune sprung , which is the successe of earthly things , whether it be good , or evil ; which● if it be rightly known , is called prudence ; but if otherwise , it is then called fate , fortune , or chance . as for example , if a man find that which he had long sought after , it is called vnderstanding , and prudence : but if he light upon a thing which he did not seek after , nor knew where it was , it is called chance , or fortune . among these three causes , one sometimes prevailes in the ruling of things , more then another ; and perhaps more then the other two . yet notwithstanding , if we will confesse the truth , they are all three politically concurring in the businesse . do but take notice of the kingdome of the iewes , wherein god was the principal agent ; who , by sending moses and aaron , furnished out the other two causes . for moses was a person of extraordinary wisdome , and knowledge , not onely in divine , but in humane things also : for he was well versed in all the learning of the egyptians , and managed a war for king pharaoh against the king of ethiopia ; whom he vanquished in the war , and whose daughter also he took to wife , as both flavius iosephus , and philo testifie . and yet for all this he despised not the advice of ieth●● , his father-in-law , touching the taking in of a certain number of persons to assist him in the administration of the government over the people of israel . and indeed they , being sore oppressed , and labouring under their egyptian slavery , took occasion , by his means , of shaking that yoak off their necks : whence they were inclined to hearken the more willingly to him ; and to follow him whither ●e would lead them ; the occasion also , taken from the wickednesse of those of palaestine , concurring with their inclinations . besides , the great monarch of all the earth , god , of his own accord , and free grace , gave wisdom to his people ; as he did likewise to the apostles , and to the bishop of rome ; which was also assisted by occasion ; which is nothing else , but to know how to make right use of the time : whence followed the division of the romane empire , but the utter subversion of the iewish . yet notwithstanding , where the power of man only appeared outwardly , there was a concurrence and co-operation of the finger of god , though not so visibly seen . and thus the assyrians for some secret causes were possessed of the monarchy of the world ; which causes notwithstanding have been sometimes apparent : as we see in nabuchodonosor , whom god rewarded with the spoyles of egypt , because he had made use of him against the ingrateful hebrewes , and against tyre . and in isaiah , god reproveth the king of the iewes , for that , when by his aide his enemies had been slain and put to flight , he notwithstanding had ascribed all to his own strength . now the occasion of this , was , the wickednesse of the nations , who were governed by no prudence . in the monarchy also of the medes , the same occasion carried a great stroke in the businesse , when as god ( as it appears out of daniel ) came forth upon the stage , and raised up arbaces , the praefect of media , who was a very wise man , against sardanapalus , who wallowed in all luxury and womanish delights . in the persian monarchy the valour and courage of cyrus appeared , and media , being destitute of a successour for the kingdome , afforded him the occasion of shewing it : and god himself , in isaiah calling cyrus , his anointed , instructed him how he should bring the nations under his yoake . who makes any doubt of the prudence and wisdome of alexander the great ; and knowes not , that the divisions of the grecians at home , and the loosenesse of life that the eastern nations had at that time given themselves up unto , administred unto him an occasion of making use of it . wherein the divine power was most evidently manifested ; for as much as , as the prophet daniel testifies , the angel of the kingdome of greece laboured much in the businesse . in the roman empire also , prudence , and valour , did very much ; but italy's being divided into several common-wealths , and the carthaginians factions among themselves , were the occasion . and commonly to that part that dissolves any great empire , all the rest of the principalities of the world do incline . and certainly god himself was the chiefest cause of the prosperity of the romans , because of their moral virtues ; as it is proved by st. augustine , in his book de civitate dei. yet no place doth more evidently shew , what occasion can do , then sicily , at what time it called forth peter of arragon against those of anjou ; whence sprang the proverb of those most famous vespers . although it cannot be denied , but that he was assisted very much in that undertaking , not only by the pope ; but also by his own innate prudence . and truly , although historians seldome make any mention at all of these three causes , yet the books of the kings of the iewes , and the successions therein laid down before us , do sufficiently confirm the same , and make it appear , that which way soever the prophesies , and the valour of the persons inclined , that way also did the fortune of the kingdom look . chap. ii. the causes of the spanish monarchy . the same three causes therefore have concurred in the spanish monarchy . for after that ●t had , by the assistance of almighty god , happily maintained war against the moors for near . years space together , it at length brought forth such valiant commanders , and souldiers , that being so fortified both by strength and prudence , and having overcome the barbarians , they then turned their armes another way , and proceeded on to greater undertakings . and afterwards being , as it were by divine instinct , assisted by the pope with a great treasure of indulgences and c●oisados , and the king being also honoured by the title of catholick , that is to say , vniversal , it arrived to so great a reputation and glory of valour , that the genueses were so much the more willingly and readily drawn in to their assistance in the making themselves masters of the new world : and lastly , it is most certain , that whilest wars were made with launces , and horses , the gaules , goths , and lombards enlarged their dominions ; but when the sword was the chief weapon , the romans then carried all afore them . but in after times , when subtlety and cr●ft was of more prevalence then valour , and that printing , and guns were now found out , the chief power then fell into the hands of the spaniards , who are a people that are both industrious , active , valiant , and subtle . for then did occasion joyn the king of arragon with isabella , queen of castile , who had no issue male to succeed her : and at the same time also was added to him the imperial line of the house of austria : to which likewise , through defect of issue male in the burgundian family , there was added a very considerable inheritance of many lordships , and provinces in the low-countries , and in other places . then followes the discovery of the new world , made by christophorus columbus ; and another accession also , by the joyning of the kingdom of portugal to spain . all which rendred the monarchy of spain both illustrious , and admirable , and also , besides other things , made her lady of the seas : to which advantages was also added the troubled condition of the french , english , and dutch , who were at variance among themselves about certain points of religion : by which meanes the spania●d so easily arrived to this height of power and greatnesse it now is in . and the king of spain might grow more powerful yet , and might attain to the dominion of the whole world , if he would but endeavour the overthrow of the turkish empire ; as alexander heretofore did of the persian , and the romans of the carthaginean . for that empire got up to this height , for the sins of the christians ; and the angel of that people hath yet the upper hand . for while the imperialists have been at variance with the pontificians , the french with the english , the venetians with the gen●eses , god hath raised up the turks , and hath sent them into both empires ; because that the christians were too gently , and lightly punished for their sins by the arabians , tartars , and other foreign nations ; as i have already shewed in my papal monarchy . and the turk is the same to us at this day , who are so distracted and divided by several heresies , that the assyrians were of old to the iewes , who by faction were divided into the kingdomes of iudah and israel ; except the good angell of spain afford us his assistance ; as i have elsewhere shewed . chap. iii. of the first cause of empires , namely god. it is very evident , that neither prudence alone , nor yet joyned with occasion , is sufficient for the attaining to , or governing a kingdome ; for as much as we know , that the freedom of the will consists only in the will it self , and not either in action or passion . for it may so fall out , that a man may over night purpose the next morning to go to sea , or to study , or to go to plow , or to do any other businesse ; and yet upon a sudden the falling of rain , or unexpected tempestuous and foul weather may crosse that so wise counsel of his ; so that he must be forced to do , not according to his own determination , but according as matters shall fall out . so that he that knowes how so to order his counsels and determinations , as that they shall alwaies be subordinate to the superiour causes , his affaires shall seldom fail of succeeding prosperously . wisemen therefore make it their businesse to labour after the knowledge of these superiour causes , of god , and his divine will , on which the whole chain , and series of future things depends . and hence it is , that some have sought for god in the stars ; who hath also answered some by the stars ; as namely , the magi , or wisemen , at our saviours nativity . and perhaps a rainy morning may have done no hurt at all to this , or that astrologer ; because they foresaw this rain , and so probably ordered their affaires accordingly , having regard to the will of god herein ; who , out of his singular goodnesse , will be found there , where we seek him with a sincere heart . nay , when the businesse so requires , he answereth even those that do not seek him with a sincere heart : as we see in balaam , whom he answer'd perhaps , when he was not askt . and so likewise in king saul , who was informed by samuel , what the event of things should be , though he had by witchcraft consulted the divel , and not samuel : as tho : aquinas also is of opinion , in his . . . and therefore we also ought to believe , that the true god gave answer to the diabolical superstitions of the romans , graecians , and chaldeans , by the ministry of the peculiar angel of each of these several empires . for the inevitable decree of his will sometimes exalted , and again sometimes depressed and clouded the majesty of those monarchies . therefore the chaldeans , and so likewise the medes , whensoever their own wisdom failed them , made their invocations upon god by the stars ; as the greeks did by their oracles at delphos , the romans by their auguries , and observations of birds ; and as the more sound philosophers sought him in the works of nature : as pythagoras also did in numbers , which are as a certain ray of divinity , disseminated and diffused throughout the whole universe . but much more rightly did the iewes seek after him , by the prophets which were sent unto them . which custome of theirs the christians also followed , when as the archangel michael had gone over from the iewes , to the state of the christians . for in all probability we ought to believe , that when any empire is overthrown , the angel of that goeth over to the conquerour . and this is a secret which was not unknown to the romans , who for this very reason would not have their tutelar angel to be known , to the end that he might not be invoked by other nations . and therefore we may probably believe , that either the angel of persia yeelded to that of greece ; or else , that he went over from the persians to the greeks : and so consequently , that the angel of constantinople does at this time fight for the turks ; or else , having removed his station , stands now for germany , and hath joyned himself to her angel. now where there are the more of these tutelar angels , there there is the greater growth , and stronger confirmation of power . and therefore , being instructed hereto out of the scriptures , i affirm , that if at any time god appear to treat either favourably , or else contrarily with any monarchy , we are to understand this in reference , not to that present monarchy only , but to the succeeding also . for , unlesse this were so , god should not have revealed the knowledge of future things to his church by the prophets ; which is an absurd thing to believe : and it would also follow , that this knowledge was to be sought for by the stars , or some other things . which things , seeing they are partly also forbidden by the pope , we are necessarily to believe , that all things are otherwise sufficiently provided for . wheresoever therefore god speaks of the babylonish empire , we are to understand it as said also of the persian , grecian , and roman , which in their turns succeeded it. and hence it is , that st. iohn calls rome , babylon . and so likewise what is said of the kingdom of the iewes , the same is to be understood also of the church of rome ; which hath received the keyes of david , and the name of ierusalem ; according to that which is said to the angel of philadelphiae : now philadelp●ia is , brotherly love ; as roma , rome , by turning the letters backward , is amor , love. and god oftentimes threatens his church ; i will remove thy candlestick out of its place , unlesse thou repent . for in like manner the angel of god may be said to remove from one church to another , ( as for example , from heretical england , to catholick borussia ) as from one kingdom to another . and so what is pronounced by ezechiel , ieremy , and esay , concerning the prince of tyre , is sometimes to be taken as spoken of the prince of the angels that fell from heaven , and were cast out of their kingdom there . where that also which is said ; how art thou fallen , o lucifer ! which is spoken of the king of the chaldaeans , is to be taken , as , by way of similitude , spoken of his successors , and of the aerial ( so called ) empire of the great divel . for , both empires , and all other earthly things bear a similitude to the heavenly ; as those of the sea do to them of the land. whence it is , that you have your bishop-fish , your sea-calf , and the calamary , or sea-clark : for as much as all of them have their dependance from the prime reason , or the divine idea , which is , the eternal word . whence i seem to my self to have found out a key , by which i may find out a passage to the knowledge of the original , government , and end of the kingdome of spain , by the first cause , which god hath laid open in the prophets ; and by which we may proceed on further , to discover the prudence herein requisite , and the occasion , which the spaniard ought to lay hold on . chap. iv. of the spanish empire , considered according to the first cause . it is evident , that the prophesy concerning the end of the world , both according to nature , and the art of policy , is shortly to be fulfilled ; being that the fixed stars of scorpio , and taurus , have changed their places , and the sun is now ten thousand miles nearer to the earth ; and so many eclipses also appear , by reason of the transposition of the equinoctial points ; which , according to the opinion of plato ( though aristotle , who was ignorant in deeper matters , and was skilled only in logick , and such like quiddities , denies the same , ) do foretel grand mutations● these exorbitances of the heavenly bodies , together with the deluges , and devastations by fire that have happened in all parts , as also the changes that have happened in the greatest monarchies of the world , according to the gospel ( wherewith seneca also agrees in opinion ) are the evident signs , that the world is drawing to an end . for the empire , or state of christianity ( and it is a thing very well worth our observing ) hath lasted already . yeares ( and upward ; ) which number , being composed of sevens and nines , is fatal to all monarchies , as both pythagoras , and plato have written ; and as may be gathered also out of moses , where he speaks of iubiles , and weeks ; as likewise out of ieremy , speaking of the sabbatisme of the holy land ; and also out of the art of physick , touching the cure of fevers , and the difference of complexions and ages : and lastly , from a passage of augustus caesar , who in an epistle of his to his nephew , rejoyceth very much , that he had escaped the sixty third year of his age ; which year , seeing it is composed of nine septenaries of years , is most dangerous and fatal to people . and even god himself created all things in number . therefore this very time doth presage enlargement , or impair , and mutations in all things . we see also , that the prophesy touching the monarchies drawes now near an end , seeing that balaam , as it is recorded by m●ses num. cap. ● , reckoning up the monarchies , stops at that which concerns italy , saying ; they shall come in ships from italy ' and shall overcome the assyrians , and in the end themselves also shall be destroyed , in which place he speakes of the monarchy of spain ; so that it is necessary that it must be ingrafted into that of italy . and consequently also the fate of tyre may be understood of that of spai● : for as much as caerthage was a colony of tyre , and by reason of the frequent voyages they made thither by sea to and fro , it followed the manners and fashions of the tyrians . and hence are the spaniards descended , who at first embracing and applying themselves to the manners , subtleties , & gods of the carthaginians , and afterwards becomming christians , were overwhelmed with all those evils , with which god in his prophets , ezechiel , ieremy , and esay threatens tyre . and besides , they were very skilful also in navigation , as those of tyre were . and if spain shall imitate the pride of tyre , by extolling it self above the church , as tyre did , it shall suffer a sorer destruction then that did , neither shall it ever enlarge the bounds of its empire . neverthelesse before the end of the world , the spaniard being joyned in amity with the pope , shall live in a more happy condition , and shall raign securely and peaceably , holding correspondence with the church , and courting the pope and the cardinals , like the daughter of tyre , ( as it is in the psalmes , and esay ) with gifts : neither yet shall he arrive to that height of vniversal monarchy which he had aspired unto . but this is a businesse to be handled secretly , and not to be published openly to the world. and as concerning the spaniards ambition , i affirm , that while he complies with the house of austria , he shall be humbled , for as much as isaiah saith ; onus iumen●orum austri , the burden of the beasts of the south ; intimating , that he shall effect none of those things which i shall hereafter touch upon ; that is , raigning in the condition he now doth ; but shall be destroyed , as one overwhelmed by a wall falling on him , like as tyre was . and hence considering with himself the evill likely to befal him , he shall at length lift up his head , when he shall have called to remembrance , that after that the house of austria was once inserted into that of spain , the new world was presently discovered by his agents , and he had thence returns of ships laden with gold , which are iumenta austriae , those beasts of austria ; & besides , that the title of monarchy , and this so great principalitie of his began under charles v. had he but known as well how to keep what he had got , as he knew how to get it . but because that neither in his time fate answered the expectation of spain we must therefore search the scriptures more ●●ligently , that we may discover when that time is to be ; as a certain politician said , and as we also , god willing , shall shew ; that we may attain to that which they drive at . but i say , that the end of monarchies is now come , and that we are now come to that age , wherein all things are to be in subjection to the saints● and to the church ; which is to be , after the end of the four monarchies , and the death of antichrist , who shall continue for the space of three weeks and a half , according to the opinion of lactantius , irenaeus , tertullian , origen , victorianus , s. bernard , ioachimus abbas , dante , petrarch , and some others , both divines , philosophers , prophets , and poets ; as i have elsewhere shewed . daniels image also is fallen to the ground ; so likewise the four beasts , the three weekes , and the twelve feathered wings of the eagle , spoken of in the second book of esdras , are now all at an end , together with the roman empire ; which seeing according to him , it is the same with that of babylon , it is by succession divided into three heads ; first , into the right head , which is the western , or german empire ; then into the left head , that is , the eastern empire of the turks and sa●acens ; and the middle one , which is that of constantinople . for in the scriptures the right , and left hand of the world is otherwise assigned by moses , then it is by aristotle in his works . now amongst these three heads the left , as the same prophet testifies , hath devoured the middlemost ; that is to say , the turkish empire hath destroyed the constantinopolitan , to wit , in the time of mahumet the second . it now remaines , according to the same prophet , that the right head , or western empire , devour the left , that is , that of the turks . and hereto agrees the astrology of torquatus , which saith , that hungary threaten● destruction to the turk ; and that the empire of the moon shall be divided betwixt two sons of the turkish emperour , that shall be the fifteenth emperour of turkey ; at which time the moon shall be bowed into two horns . and this star is indeed a very terrible one , and will make it appear , that he that shall conquer , and subdue the turkish empire , shall be lord of the whole earth . the house of spain then can never attaine to any great monarchy , according to fate ; but only by the adhering to italy , & the roman empire , which is the german , & the right head. the king of spain therefore is to use his utmost endeavour , that he may be chosen emperour : seeing that not only god , but even human prudence also may inform us , that by that meanes he may attain to what ever his heart can wish . a beginning of which thing appeared plain enough in charles the fifth , king of spain : who being also emperour , and being assisted with the whole power of italy and spain , overcame those of tunis , and the king of france , and conquered all germany : in so much that solyman , seeing the prosperous fortune of this prince , had good cause to say , that it behooved him to take heed of charles : neither would he , though he were stronger then he , fight with him under the walls of vienna . we see therefore that which way the fates incline , the same also goes all the rest of the fortune ; and so on the other side , all things must needs be successelesse , that are ●aken in hand under a reluctant fa●e . i shall here also open another mystery , namely , that all empires , according to the prophesy of noa● , do descend from the sons of iaphet ; god shall enlarge japhet , and he shall dwell in the tents of sem , and cham shall be his servant . and from cham are to descend none but slaves , and tyrants , who are indeed slaves ; as i have elsewhere proved . wherefore the turkish empire comes from iaphet , by magog , and as to the law , from sem by the line of ishmael , from whom mahumet descended ; as it hath allwaies been observed to fall out , that the northern people which are fierce , and by the armes of iaphet still victorious , have yet received lawes and rules from the wiser southern people , who were the ofspring of sem. and yet the empire sometimes hath otherwise had a succession of tyrants also , who have descended from cham , though by the intervention of the german , who is descended from iaphet ; as the spaniard himself derives his line from iaphet by tubal : like as concerning the law , the roman christianity doth derive it self from ●em , in respect of christ , who is a true sem , by the line of isaac . seeing therefore dominion was promised to iaphet , it belongeth chiefly to the spaniards , who are more nearly , and by a firmer alliance descended from the law-giver , then the turks ; and their victorie drives on to this end , that they may dwell in the house of sem , seeing that they possesse the greatest part of italy , by the investiture of the pope , who is descended from sem : of whom this is no fit occasion to say any more , although i willingly would do so , and indeed ought . i shall only add here , that they cannot , according to fate , come to be lords of all , unlesse they become the deliverers of the church , and set it free from out of the hands of the babylonians , that is to say , of the turks , and hereticks . upon this account they conquered the moores , god bestowing upon them so great an empire as their reward . now it is evident , that the church is in subjection to babylon , as long as it is militant : and i have formerly shewed elsewhere , that it do●h yet retain the dayes of tuesday and friday , and the moneths of august and iuly , which were theirs of the roman babylon ; and the church now suffers most grievous persecutions under the babylonian infidels , both in africk , asia , and europe , and especially in germany , france , england , and pola●d . this discourse therefore is to be listened unto with attentive eares , because that all the iewish affaires were a type and figure of those of the christians . he therefore , that shall deliver the church out of these evills , shall become the universal monarch ; because he shall perform the office of the christian cyrus , whom god shall raise up , as esay saith , to subdue the whole world , to restore ierusal●m , to remove their captivity , and to build a temple to the god of heaven and earth , wherein shall be set up the continual sacrifice , as is foretold by daniel , esay , and esdras . cyrus also was of the linage of iaphet , by the medes ; and notwithstanding that the turk is descended of the same stock also , yet shall he not perform the office , because that he is become an enemy , by setting up another contrary law. the french in the time of charlemagne arrogated this office to themselves ; who by their often delivering the pope out of the hands of the princes of italy , the lombards , and the got●s , arrived to so great power , that they became formidable to all : and the said charlemagne might have come to have been universal monarch of the world , had not his sons been at variance among themselves , but had managed their empire rightly , and as they ought to have done . but the discords that were betwixt the christians , and ●he following heresy , raigning at this day , broke the neck of the french empire ; at least took away from it all hope of ever arriving to the height of so much greatnesse . but the spaniards , by being continually rooting out of the moors , became powerful ; but contrariwise constantinople , because it deserted the pope , and adhered to arrius , sabellius , and others , came to destruction . the venetians also have by the popes meanes arrived to a great height , because that they assisted him against frederick . so that it is manifest , that he that shall take any enterprize in hand , under a favourable fate , shall have all happy successe therein ; but on the contrary , he that shall rush on upon any undertaking under a crosse , and vnwilling fate , shall find the event also quite contrary to his desires . which may also be demonstrated out of reasons of policy . for , he t●at maintaines the popes interest , maintaines the universal right of all christendom , which depends upon the pope . for this cause is accounted both a just , and a religious one , and therefore all men will take it up . and the opinion also of religion overcomes all other causes ; as we ●ave already shewed elsewhere , and shall further shew hereafter . add hereto , that the pope is the universal moderator , and judge of all things ; to whom all people have their recourse , and yeild obedience to him , as to their god , and deliverer ; as on the contrary the sweden , saxon , and the constantinopolitan princes , as being enemies to , and stubborn opposers of him , are rejected , and deserted by them . therefore the office of cyrus belongs to the king of spain , who , being now honoured by the pope with the title of the catholick king , may easily arrive to the principality of the whole world ; and we see that he hath already followed his footsteeps , in having delivered the church heretofore out of the hands of the moors of granado , as he hath lately done from the hereticks of england , the law-countries , and france : and he maintaines besides with yearly revenues so many bishops , cardinals , and monasteries : and he hath also setled the daily sacrifice throughout the whole world : for as much as that every half hour , & indeed continually , the masse is celebrated throughout his empire : within the compasse whereof the roman papacy , the city of ierusalem , and the temple are contained . neither doth it ever sleep in his empire . for seeing that the sun being carried about in his course from spain , to brasile , the straites of magellan , the philippine islands , iapan , china , archipelagus lazari , calecut , goa , bengala , ormus , the cape of good hope , the sea coast of africk , and the fortunate islands , till it comes back again to the same spain , there is no hour of the day but it enlightens some part of his dominions ; there is no question but that there are continually sacrifices offered up to the god of heaven and earth . it is certainly a very wonderful thing , and a most evident sign , that this kingdom of his is diffused to a vast distance , wherein prayers are continually offered up for the church , and the king , together with what stupendous sacrifice ; which , both according to the truth , and the opinion of men , is of no mean efficacy in the hearts of his subjects . whence i affirm , that the king of spain , following the order of things , and by observing the rules of prudence , together with occasion , may bring all things under his obedience ; as it shall be made appear out of the reasons hereafter following . for this is already evident , that he engages in the same interest with that of the german empire , which is the same with that of italy , which is the same with that of rome , of greece , and of persia , or the empire of cyrus , and so consequently of that of media and babylon . and he shall have the assistance of many several angels , as that of cyrus , and of michael ; and afterwards all things shall be delivered into the hands of gog and magog ; but the christians shall overcome : and then shall christ come to judge the world. and then shall the end be . but the eclipse , and the great conjunction in sagittary , which is the constellation of spain , will discover many secrets , when i shall have opportunity to discourse of the same . chap. v. of the second cause , , namely prudence . for as much as prudence is required in the manageing of all humane things , ( which is a cause adjoyned to fate , consisting of an infinite number of ioynt causes , acting by vertue of the prime cause ) , so especially it is necessary in the manageing of an empire : by it the whole world is governed ; and it is disseminated by god through all the universe . for nature is an intrinfecal , divine art : and whosoever shall follow nature as his guide , he is wise ; which appears evidently in plants , ants , bees , cranes , and the very fishes themselves ; which small creatures do oftentimes afford instruction even to men , in the managing of their dominions . whence we are to understand that prudence is a different thing from craft ; which is called by some , ratio statuum regendorum , the reason , or rule of state-government . for prudence is agreeable to the prime cause , namely god ; whence it searcheth into prophesies , and divine sciences , to the end that it may attain to the knowledge of things to come . but craft seeks after its own satisfaction , and pleasure only , and is pleased with nothing more then the subtlety of its own wit ; which notwithstanding , though falsely , calls it self wisedom ; according to what was spoken by pharaoh : venite , sapienter opprimamus eos ; come on , let us deal wisely with them prudence is magnanimous , and proposeth to it self onely such things as are truly of most difficult atchievement but craft is pusillanimo●s , and sneaking : yet that it may appear to be magnanimous , it puts on the garbe of pride , and would fain seem to reach at high matters● but alwayes out of the way of vertue ; and it flies at mean things , such as are scarcely of any value at all . prudence is addicted to clemency , and truth ; but craft is cruel , and given to flattery . whence the crafty princes saying is , that the nobles , the wise , and the valiant are to be made out of the way , least happily they should wrest the scepter out of his hand . quicquid excelsum est , cada● ; was the saying of nero , and periander ; whatsoever is high , you must down with it . but prudence makes use of the assistance of such , for the establishing of its own kingdom : as we read that the honest pharaoh , ( who differed much from the other crafty pharaoh ) made use of the service of ioseph . and this is the rule also of the pope , who is wont to advance such as are wise , and learned ●ersons , to be dignity of being cardinals . the craf●y prince studieth how to find out deceitful tricks , and fraudulent devises , to impose upon his subjects : but the prudent looks after advantageous , and useful arts , and such as may encourage his people , and make every one of them the more ready for the discharge of his duty : as we see in numa , who , that he might render himself the more venerable , and worthy of esteem to the people of rome , found out for them , and established a form of religion , and sacred rites , that so by this meanes he might the better make them contain themselves within the bounds of their duty and obedience . prudence is a vertue that becometh kings and emperours ; but craft is fit only for davusses , and slaves . prudence , while it loseth , is a gainer ; ( as we may observe of st. peter , and from the practise of the pope at this day , ) and the more inwardly we are acquainted with it , the more fervently we love it ; whereas craft , while it gaines , is a loser ; and the better it is known , and seen into , the more it is hated . as wee see it was in that wicked disciple of machiavell , caesar borgia , who by his crafty , politique tricks , lost the principality of flaminia , ( which is now called romania ; ) and in tiberius also , and nero : who by their finesses , and crafty designments darkened , and cast a cloud over the majestie of the romaen empire , which had been rendred so resplendent and illustrious before , by the prudent management of augustus caesar. the prudent prince proposeth to himself the good of the publique only ; but the crafty looks onely after his own private gain . the prudent , that he may accomplish his desires , shewes himself valiant even almost to rash adventuring : as columbus , caesar , alexander , and cyrus did : and withall liberal also , even to a seeming degree of prodigality● and lastly iust , yet with a moderation in his severity . and therefore when he gets any thing , he bestowes it all upon his subjects , that so he may oblige them to him by benefits , and may make them faithful and true unto him. neither yet is he so free in his gifts to them , as that they shall never have need of him more . but when he hath once attained to what he laboured for , he then becomes more thrifty , and looks about him , and considers how he may maintain his own state ; least otherwise he should be forced by the necessity of imposing upon his subjects unusual taxes , to gain their ill will , and lose their affections ; which was caligula's case heretofore ; who , after that he had in riotous courses fool'd away all his own estate , was necessitated presently to snatch away other mens . certainly , whosoever takes in hand any high and difficult attempt , under the assistance of a favourable fate , he must necessarily be couragious and daring ; and indeed every great , and memorable enterprise requireth a certain extraordinary valour and courage ; which yet in case the successe should not be answerable , would be called rashnesse . as for example , it was accounted a bold undertaking in columbus , to go in search of a new world ; but plain rashnesse in vlisses : only because the one escaped safe ; but the other suffered shipwrack . but when a prince hath effected his desi●es , he must then have an eye to the uncertainty of fortune , and must therefore take heed how he is too bold and daring ; the observing of which counsel being neglected by charles the fift , was the cause of bringing to nothing all that he had atchieved before in germany ; for he did not take the same wise course to preserve what he had gotten , as he had done in the getting of it . and the case was the same also with the great iulius caesar. and then again , in war there is a necessity of using severity , that so the souldiers may all be kept to their several duties ; and besides , those that perform any signall peices of service , are to be rewarded accordingly : which course unlesse it be taken , they will begin to spurn at the government , and break out into seditious wayes : ( as tiberius his army did , when it was in germany ) and will fall to an insolent course of plundering , and robbing : and so by these meanes will bring the victory they had gotten before , to nothing : as it happened to conradinus the swevian , and charles of anjou . therefore after any conquest gotten over a kingdom , the conquerour must modestly use his victory , and endeavour to please the people ; for otherwise he will alienate their affections from himself ; and they will be apt upon all occasions to invite in his enemies to fall upon him ; as it happened to rehoboam , and charles of anjou in sicily ; and to the carthaginians after the first punick war ; and to aecolinus , against whom his subjects , the citizens of padua , shut their gates ; as likewise to nero , who , though prince of it , was yet called , the enemy of his country . and although many crafty practises are now in use among princes , for the keeping of their subjects in due obedience ; yet i dare boldly affirm , that they will in the end prove destructive to those princes . for we see that tiberius , that grand artifex of subtleties and craft , was miserably hated by his subjects , and so led a very sad life , because he found he was not loved by any body , so that he was fain to put some or other every day to death , as contemners of his majesty , and so to be ever of a troubled , disquieted mind : which certainly may better be called a death , then a life . therefore the highest , and most advantageous craft that a prince can make use of , is , to shew himself beneficent , religious , and liberall toward his subjects ; yet this in so moderate a way , as that by this means he give them not occasion to despise him : as happened to pope celestine the fifth . but let us now proceed to those things , that more particularly concern spain . as i have before shewed by divine reasons , that there can be no universal monarchy among the christians expected , save that of the pope : and have also declared how he is to be dealt withal ; so i shall now prove by reasons of policy , that there can be no monarch in the christian world , unlesse he have his dependance upon the pope . for certainly , what prince soever hath any other that is superiour to him , though in religion onely , and not in point of armes , as the pope is , he can never attain to an universal monarchy . for , whatsoever he shall take in hand , it will be successelesse ; and he shall be , as it were , crushed in pieces by the superiour . for , all religions , as well the false , as the true , do prevail , and are victorious , when they have once taken root in the minds of men ; upon which onely depend both their tongues and armes , which are the onely instruments of attaining dominion . thus we see that iulius caesar , when any were created consuls , if the po●tifex maximus came and sayd , they were not created rightly , they were presently by him put by : and so , whensoever he was to enter into a fight , if the augurs said , that the pullen would not eat their meat , he forbare to go on ; and did onely what he was directed to by their omen . and therefore when the same caesar had fallen upon a resolution of making himself a monarch , he opposed cato as much as possibly he could , and endeavoured by all possible meanes to be chosen to be the pontifex maximus . which when he had once attained unto , he acted another way , and took upon himself all the martiall offices that were to be administred by the sword , that so he might drive on his designs the more securely ; and withal by his gifts obliged all the souldiery so to him , as that they refused not to bear arms for him , even against their country , and to assist him in his designs of changing the government of the state . so in like manner cyrus would be called by the title of gods commissary , that so no prophet might pretend to be greater then himself . and alexander the great would be accounted the son of iupiter ammon , for the very same reason . it is also very evident , that no monarchy in the christian world hath arrived to the height , by reason of the obedience which is due to the pope . and hence it is that mahomet , when he aspired to a monarchy , brought in first a new religion which was quite different from what was before . for armes cannot effect any thing against religion , if they be overmaster'd by another more powerful religion , though a worse , if so be it be but entertained by the people . for as much therefore as there is no more powerful religion found in the world , then that of the roman christian , it is evident that neither spain , nor france can attain to any greater dignity then it. and hence it was , that charles the great , when he had a design upon the universal monarchy of the world , took upon himself the title of being the protector of the pope : and indeed so long as he stood up in a defence of christianitie , he became great . if the king of spain therefore do in like manner aspire to the same height , it is necessary that he frame some new religion ; but this , neither god nor reason permits him to do . for first , this is never to be done , but in the very infancy , and beginning of a kingdom ; as you may see in the examples of mahomet , romulus , and pythagoras ; for otherwise he must needs come to ruine , by changing the auspicia regni , the fortune of the kingdom , as i may call it , whose dependance is from faith in christ ; and then the people will immediately betake themselves to their armes , and revolt from him . neither indeed have any monarchies been either more certainly , or more miserably brought to destruction , then when they have changed their religion ; as is testified by histories . and then again , the pope , and the rest of the princes of christendom would joyn their whole strengths together , and would in a very litle time root him out of his kingdom of naples , millan , and consequently also of the new world , & the rest of his dominions . and although these things were not done to henry the viii of england , nor yet to the duke of ●●xony , because their territories were encompassed within small , though well fortified bounds ; yet for all that did they fail of succession , and so their states went away from them . and we have examples hereof also in ieroboam , iehu , iulian the apostate , and others ; who , for having changed their religion , incurred the hatred of their people , and brought destruction upon themselves . unlesse we shall say , that the pope hath no power at all in temporal things , nor is any whit above either any other of the bishops , or theirs surrogates or chaplains , in authority or degree ; which is evidently contradictory to gods ordination , by which he hath been constituted a regal priest , and hath been armed with both the swords , as well the civill as the spiritual . for , were it otherwise , christ should be a very mean law-giver , and should be lesse then melchisedech , who was both king , and priest together ; which addeth both the greater majesty , as well as security to any kingdom ; as i have proved in my treatise touching monarchy , against dante , who , looking only upon the priesthood of aaron , allowes to the pope nothing but spiritualties , and tithes only . and which is more , this impugnes also all reasons of policy , because the pope can never want those that will take up armes in his defence , ( in case he should not be able to defend himself ) and that either by being moved thereunto through zeal to religion ; as the countesse matilda did against the emperour henry ; or else out of emulation , or some interest of faction ; as it was in the case of the venetians making war upon the emperour frederick , whom they compelled to kisse the popes foot : or for both these reasons ; as when king pipin , and charles the great took up armes in assistance of the pope against the lombards , and others who waged war against him . thus we see that the constantinopolitan empire came to be destroyed for the apostasy of iulian , and constantius : in like manner as all the fredericks , henries , and other kings also of naples suffered for the same cause , as often as they denied their obedience to the pope . and certainly the opinion , and beliefe which hath prevailed upon the minds of all people touching the christian religion , is of very great force ; and moves them to defend it to the utmost of their power ; so that whensoever the pope hath excommunicated any prince , he doth at the same instant ruine him also . do but observe , i pray you , to what state ferraria is reduced at this day . but we have discoursed more copiously of this in the treatise of monarchy . it is , lastly , against all policy too ; for the pope withholds the rest of the princes of christendom from invading spain ; as he doth the king of spain from invading them , by continually composing their differences ; in like manner as he divided india betwixt the portugals and the spaniards ; and thus hath several times made peace betwixt the spaniards and the french , venetians , and genowaies ; and so likewise betwixt pisa and florence ; which yet he would not so easily be able to do , by the meer reverence they bear to religion . for here in these cases they have an eye as well to the force of armes , as to religion ; for he that is in the wrong cause , may justly suspect the popes joyning of his strength to that of his antagonist ; and so for this reason he will the more readily obey the popes injunction ; as i have declared formerly in the forementioned treatise . and the king of spain , if he but declare himself for , and stand up in the defence of the pope , shall be sure to have alwayes the assistance of his forces at his devotion at any time , which will be a good means of confirming his kingdom to him . and therefore i conceave it very necessary , according to the fate of christendom , that if the king of spain would arrive to an universal monarchy , he must declare himself publiquely to have his dependance from the pope , and command it to be published all abroad throughout the world , that himself is the cyrus that was before typified , and the catholick king , that is , the universal monarch of the world , declaring this his monarchy by his religious counsels , and pious actions ; and passing also by many litigious controversies which he hath with the pope ; and dwelling in the tents of sem , making it appear to all the world , that he is the chief defender of christian religion , that depends wholly upon the pope of rome ; calling together also the christian princes , to consult about the recovery of those countreys they have lost , and are at this day in the hands of hereticks , and turks ; and he must proceed to the causing of such to be excommunicated , as shall deny their assistance herein ; and lastly he must also take care that pious , and diligent preachers be sent abroad into the world to promote this businesse . for the plain truth of it is , that the pope picks quarrels sometimes with the king of spain for no other reason , but only because he is afraid , that in case he should subdue the king of france , and the princes of italy , hee would then make him only as his chaplain . and this is the reason , why he desires , that they should alwayes be at variance one with another ; that so , in case either of them should fall off from him● by reason either of apostasy , or some quarrel or other , he might have the other to assist him . and this is the reason why he stirred up the western empire against the eastern ; onely because they had forsaken their former religion , & had had many clashings with the pope about it. but now if king philip will but do that which is his duty , ( as is before declared ) and will but give way to the pope in some things which he pretends his right , and will besides send some bishops , and cardinals into the belgi●k provinces , and to the new world , to dispose of , and order things there ; he will by this meanes both free the pope from this suspition , and shall withall effect his own desires : seeing that it is evident , that the pope , by his indulgencies and croysados , brings him in more mony , then those dignities which he bestowes upon cardinals , archbishops , bishops , and other ecclesiastical persons , do yearly stand him in ; so that he will be a gainer in that , wherein he is affraid most of being a loser . and this he would quickly confesse , if he would but cause it to be publickly preached and proclaimed abroad , that the end of the world is at hand , and that the time is now come , when there is to be one sheepfold , under one shepheard , that is , the pope ; and that himself is another cyrus , whose office it is to see these things brought about , and to gather all the flock into that one sheepfold ; and that what nation , or kingdom soever shall refuse to yield him obedience , shall be brought to destruction ; and many other things , which i had rather deliver by speech , then writing . there are many causes to be laid open , whereby the king of spain , as well in reference to prudence , power , and lastly prophesy , may be rendered admired by all the world. for , whether all these things do joyntly incline , there necessarily must the empire follow . and seeing that this height of dignity is to be atained unto , under the fortune , and interest of the empire of italy , which is now called the german empire ; there is a necessity that the king of spain should labour by all possible meanes to reduce that empire under his power . and the better to effect this he must deal with the pope , that he would denounce the most direful curses that may be , against the three protestant electors of the empire ; threatning them withall , that unlesse they return to the church of rome , he will deprive them of their elect●ral dignity , which they received from the pope onely ; and that ●eeing they now affirm , that the pope is antichrist , they shall be convinced out of their own words , and made to see , that themselves are antichristians : and that therefore they ought of themselves to lay down that dignity of theirs , unlesse they will recant , and again admit of the catholick beliefe . and to this end the french , italians , and spaniards , being first all reconciled and made friends by the pope , are to joyn their whole forces together , and to go against them ; ( which certainly would much promote this businesse ) and having overcome them , they must utterly extirpate all the sects that have raigned among them , and send in new colonies into their places . and this expedition is so easy a one , that charles the fifth himself might have been able to have effected it alone . but whereas the free cities of germany do in no wise desire to hear of any such empire , or vniversal monarchy , lest so they should be reduced into their ancient servitude again ; and also because they are very slow in their deliberations , and as slow also in the execution of them ; it would therefore very much advance this design , if the rest of the princes of christendom , joyning their forces together , would suddenly fall upon them ; which businesse when it should be over , the most potent , or most forward of those princes should be chosen electors of the empire , by the apostolical authority of the pope , whether they were germans , italians , or spaniards ; or else they might be chosen by lot , when the most potent of the christian princes should meet together in a solemne convention . and although the universal empire of christendom might easily by these meanes be translated to spain ; yet it would be sufficient to do the businesse , if but any one king of spain would so order the matter , that himself might be but chosen emperour ; who should then immediately march into germany with a good army , and should instantly subdue it , while it is at so great discord and variance within it self , both in point of religion , and of state. and this expedition he ought speedily to go upon , and that under a pretext of marching for hungary . these things i say , that all people might take notice , how much it concerns the interest of the king of spain , that he endeavour the attaining to the empire of the world by the means of the pope . and indeed his being dignified ●ith the title of the catholick or king● shewes plainly , that this is the will of the holy spirit , speaking by the clergy . chap. vi , how the clergy are to be dealt withal . but it is not sufficient that we have the clergy on our side ; but we are further to labour that at length we may get a spani●rd to be elected pope , or rather , one of the house of austria ; seeing it is evident , that whensoever the pope pronounceth his oracle for this house , he doth thereby raise it withall ; and on the contrary● he casts a cloud upon it , and keeps it under , whensoever he declares against it . which the kings of france observing , they have endeavoured with all their might , that the pope should remove his seat , and go and live in fr●nce . and so we know that when the oracle at delphos began once to speak on philips side , king of macedon : he presently , what by his politick stratagems , and what by pretense of religion , arrived to the monarchy of all greece . in the determinations also concerning differences in religion , it behoves the king of spain to be the most active of any in the managing of the same ; and indeed to take a greater care , and to be more vigilant herein , then the pope himself . whence we see , that philip , king of france , did alwaies in a manner , as it were , command pope iohn the xxii . as being himself more zealous then the pope was , in defending , and propagating that decree of the church , namely ; that the saints in heaven do see the essence of god , even before the last day of iudgment . there must also alwaies some novelty or other , tending to christian religion , be set on foot ; such as are the canonizations of saints , the changing of the names of holy dayes , & of moneths , & other the like things , by transferring them to christian worship ; by which means he shall keep busy the heads of the prelats as much as he can , and so shall thereby the more confirm his own authority among them . he ought besides to oblige the chief of the clergy to himself by the most commodious arts that he can ; as namely , by sending into the low-countries , and the like suspected places , cardinals , and bishops , to be governours there ; for the people would much more readily and chearfully obey the commands of such , then they will the severity of the spaniard ; and such prelates would also adhere more to them. neverthelesse in the mean time they ought to have as subordinate to them , some military commanders , with forces too . and besides , he ought , by the popes consent too , to send abroad such cardinals , as are either spaniards born , or at least of the spanish faction , into the parts of the new world , and all other far remote places , to rule and exercise monarchical power there ; which would be a businesse of high advantage to him. he must also bestow on all wise men , and such as are the most skilled in matters of religion , greater gifts , then the pope himself doth ; that so he may have them at his devotion , whensoever he shall have need of them . he must make choice of , and take into all his higher councels two or three of the religious , either iesuits , dominicans , or franciscans , that he may bind the clergy the faster to himself , and that his councellours may be the more circumspect , and may in their determinations have more authority . in all wars that he takes in hand , every one of his chief commanders must have an adjutant joyned to him out of the clergy ; for by this meanes the souldiers will hearken to their commands with the more reverence ; neither is any thing to be done , without their being first acquainted therewith . but especially the stipends of all poor maimed souldiers are to be distributed to them by the hands of those of the clergy ; for this is the misery of spain , that they pay their mony , and know neither how , nor to whom . and by this meanes under the banner of religion● he shall both make the pope more firm to him , and shall also establish his own empire ; and so complying with divine fate , he shall raigne the more happily , and be the more fortunate . neither ought he ever to commend to the pope for ecclesiastical dignities and preferments , such persons as are not fit for the same ; that so he may have the greater credi● with the pope , and that those persons , whose wisedom and parts he hath commended to him , may be the more approved , and esteemed . he must alwayes likewise be making proposals , and laying down the wayes by which the infidels are to be set upon : and he must be earnest with the pope , that he proclaime that all such princes are worthy to be deposed , that shall any way impede , or hinder such religious expeditions . he shall do well also to build hospitals , almes-houses , and the like charitable places , which , as they are profitable , and give encouragement to the souldiery , so may they serve also as so many seminaries , both for souldiers and artificers for the contriving of engines for war ; in which houses , maimed souldiers and engineers may be carefully lookt unto , and may also have indulgencies proposed unto them , as shall be shewed hereafter . he must also be sure , that whatsoever expeditions he shall undertake , they shall be approved of by the pope ; that so they may be commended by all christians , and also that the craft of the spaniard may be the lesse suspected ; and that the pope also himself may be the more ingaged to see the same brought to good effect . he must declare also to the world , that he conceives the right of empire to consist , not in armes alone ; ( contrary to the opinion of the roman scipio , who being askt by a certain spanish commander , what right h● had to spain ? answered him , only by shewing him the armie he had brought against it ; ) but in the auspicious fa●e of christianitie . according to what iephta answered , when he was askt the same question ; iud. . . wilt not thou possesse that which chemosh thy god giveth thee to possesse ? so whomsoever the lord our god shall drive out from before us , them will we possesse . whatsoever therefore the spaniard getteth under the victorious banner of christ , it is his own right . and this i speak in reference to the spaniards subduing of the new world , which is blamed by so many . for seeing that the indians had violated the law of nature , the king of spain invading them upon the interest of the christian religion , ( whose handmaid the law of nature is ) their country is his lawful possession ; in like manner as moses seized upon the holy land , after that the iniquities of the amorites were once grown full ; so also the turkes having possessed themselves of constantinople under the conduct and fortune of mahomet , for our sins , they possesse it now as their own right , as if chemosh had given it them● but neither are all meanes of recovering that empire again denied us therefore ; when as we shall have repented of that sin , which was the cause that we lost it ; namely , the discord of the christian world. for then the angel of that empire , which now defends , and takes care of it , not for that false macon's sake , whom it invokes ; but by reason of the just judgment of god , shall come over unto us. and these arguments are of very great moment for the defending , or ( as i may better call it ) the justifying of those expeditions ; the justice of which , lactantius especially , lib. de iustitia dei , and cajetan ● . x. and some other of our later writers understood not . but now , it seems to me very expedient , for the inducing of the pope to stand wholly for the king of spain , and that the fate of christianity may advance his monarchy , if that king philip would promise the pope , that he , ( whereto the rest of the christian princes should give their assent , ) would observe inviolably that constitution of the emperour constantine , wherein he affirms , that in all causes , and from what powers and courts of judicature soever , appeales may be made to the tribunals of the bishops ; who are called by him , angeli dei , gods angels ; and dei terrestres , gods on earth . for when the pope shall once find this promptnesse , and readinesse of mind in him , he cannot chuse but alwaies be a friend unto him . neither can this be any diminution at all of the dignity of the king : for the rest of the christian princes will never give their consent hereto , without all doubt ; and so all businesses will be betwixt the pope and him onely to be managed . but in case that they should also give their assents to this , all causes would presently be put necessarily into the popes hands ; so that the king of spain having united his monarchy to the popes , he should that way also have dominion over the rest . and that this may not prove prejudicial to him , he may er●ct some kind of supreme councel , and court of judicature , into which there shall be admitted two bishops , and his own confessor ; and himself also , as a clergy man , shall have a power of voting there , ( for as much as the kings eldest son is alwaies to be initiated into the order of the clergy : ) and to this councel there should be liberty of appeal , as from all other tribunals , so from that even of the bishops also , in case they shall oppresse either their own , or the kings subjects . for by this means , the king shall in effect be the sole judge , not onely of all other courts , but even of that of the bishops too , as being himself one of the holy order of the clergy . and by this means he shall evade that dangerous opinion of d. rota , who sayes , that the kings subjects , when they are hardly dealt withal by the prelats , may appeal to the supreme councel of spain . which assertion is certainly both an unworthy , and an heretical one , and is of dangerous consequence also to the king ; for it tends to the rendring him odious to his people , and diminisheth rather , then encreaseth his authority ; as we find it testified by daily experience . or else , it may indeed be desired at the popes hands that it should be so ; and it may also be declared , that the king is willing to yield , that in all causes whatsoever there should be appeales to the pope , if so be that it may be but every where allowed to appeal first to a councel of three bishops : or else , that appeales in all causes of the laity shall come at length to the pope , but passing first by degrees , through a councel , consisting of two bishops , and the king ; and so to be referred afterward to a general councel ; and last of all to come to the pope : for , appeals from general councels are very seldome heard of ; and besides , the very name of a councel is hateful to the pope . so that in conclusion , the determination of all causes will alwaies rest with the king ; who by this means shall be a gainer , where he seems to be a loser . chap. vii . what may be ufrther added , concerning prudence , and opportunity . that prudence ought in the first place to agree in all things with divine fate , hath already been shewed : it remaineth now that we speak of all the rest of the parts of prudence ; and shew , whitherto all its vertues , and especially opportunity ought to be referred : for as much as it is the property of prudence , to know how to make use of occasion . we have already also declared . upon what interests , and under what confederacy with the pope , the monarchy of spain ought to proceed ; at least , as far as was fit to be committed to writing : for the most secret arcana , and mysteries of state are not thus to be made publick . it is therefore manifest , that the occasion which the king of spain hath , consists chiefly in this , that his neighbouring enemies are weak , and at discord among themselves touching both points of religion , and matters of state : but his remoter enemies are more powerful ; so that these , if his weaker neighbours were once overcome , seem the more easily conquerable . the spaniard hath besides a notable occasion from the extraordinary advantage of navigation , and by his having dominion in all places round about the whole earth in a circle . and it seems to me , that the attaining to the empire of the whole world is a very feasible businesse for him to bring about , if there could be such an uniting of things together by degrees , as i shall shew hereafter , according to the general rules of politick prudence : where we shall at length come to particular actions , examined according to nearer , and remoter relations . but first of all the politick relation of spain at home is to be strengthened ; and afterwards the forrain is to be looked after . thus therefore i proceed on to the businesse . chap. viii . the causes by which the spanish monarchy may be enlarged , and become lesse . the occasions , by which the spanish monarchy may be kept up , or perhaps be enlarged also , are these : first of all , the virtue of the king ; secondly , the goodnesse of the lawes ; thirdly , the wisdome of the councel ; fourthly , the iustice of the officers of state ; fiftly , the obedience of the barons ; sixtly , the multitude , and good discipline of souldiers and commanders ; seventhly , a full treasury ; eightly , the mutual love of the people among themselves , and toward their king ; ninthly , good preachers , in their sermons speaking for subjection to kings ; tenthly , the good agreement betwixt his own kingdomes , and the disagreement betwixt his neighbours . and on the contrary , this monarchy hath these things that may be the ruine of it : as first , a wicked king ; secondly , bad lawes ; thirdly , an ignorant councel ; fourthly , vnjust officers of state ; fifthly , a disobedient nobility ; sixthly , the want of souldiers and commanders , and those he hath , not well disciplined ; seventhly , want of mony ; eighthly , the mutual hatred of the people among themselves , and toward their king ; ninthly , false prophets , or else perhaps true ones , that may rise up against monarchy ; tenthly , the discord of his own kingdomes , and the agreement among others . all which things are prudently to be considered , and weighed ; seeing that the present disagreement among the enemies of spain , and his power at sea all over the world , have rendred the attempt not only of maintaining , but of enlarging this so great a monarchy very feasible . chap. ix . of the king. he cannot govern the world , that cannot govern an empire , neither can he rule an empire , that cannot a kingdom ; nor he a kingdom , that cannnot a province : nor he a province , that cannot a city ; nor he a city , that cannot a village ; nor he a village , that cannot a family ; nor he a family , that cannot a single house ; nor he a single house that cannot govern himself ; neither can he govern himself , that cannot reduce his affections , and bring them within the compasse of reason ; which very thin● no man is able to do , except he submit himself to the will of god. for whosoever rebels against god , who is the supreme wisdom , against him shall all things that are subordinate to him rebel also ; and that justly , and by the law of retaliation , which is most just in all both governments , and actions of men. having therefore weighed in onr mind , and co●sidered all the ideas and formes of humane government , we say , that the king of spains endeavours must be , that he may arrive to the highest pitch of wisdom that may be . for every virtue is an affection of the mind , consisting in a certain mean ; beyound which if it arise , or fall beneath it , it comes to be a vice. now it is reason , that constitutes this mean : and therefore we are to say , that actions alone do not render a man vertuous ; but to this purpose there is required also a natural inclination in the person , which is derived both from the complexion of his parents , from the aire , and from the stars . seeing therefore that the kingdom of spain is not an electtive one , but descends by succession , i say , that the king ought to have but one wife , ( for to have more , is contrary to reason it self ; ) which is to be of a tall stature ; and she must be both fruitful and eloquent , and must excel all other women in the endowments both of body and mind . neither must he look after the noblensse of her family only ; for so she may chance to be barren , or may some other waies be not so pleasing to him ; and he should be overwhelmed with all those mischieifs that henry the eighth was , or the duke of mantua , whence francis , the duke of tuscany , might seem to deserve commendation , if he had married blanch only because he wanted an heir to succeed him . the king is likewise to exercise the act of copulation with his queen under a fortunate planet onely , and after digestion is finished ; and besides , he must not do this , till after he hath abstained some reasonable time from the said act , to the end that his seed may be the more fruitful ; and when ever he hath any thing to do with his queen , he ought at that instant to be very hot in his love to her ; for it is of great concernment to the whole world , what the seed of the king be . and i could wish , that all men did observe these rules ! but the world is now come to that passe , that men take more care to have a generous breed of horses , then to have generous children . then must his queen , when she is with child , use some moderate exercise , that so the child may be the stronger . when she hath brought forth a son , there must be some woman , that is a gentlewoman provided to be his nurse ; which gentlewoman must also be a wise woman , and of a high spirit too . for , the manners are suckt in , together with the milk of the nurse . when the child is grown up to some maturity , he must converse with men , rather then with women ; and he must delight himself with the looking upon mathematical figures , and also with maps , and draughts of the kingdoms he is born to ; he may also look upon horses , and armes : but he must not be suffered to run about to idle childish sports and plaies : as were the sons of cyrus , cambyses , and darius : as if they had been born for themselves only , and not for their people : and who therefore ( as plato saies ) came to destruction . he must have religious tutors , both bishops , and commanders , that are eminent for their knowledge in martial affaires : he must also have eloquent persons , that may instruct him in the art of aratory , and informing him rather in the solid rules , then the trifling quiddities of grammer . after he hath grown past a child , he must then exercise both his mind , and his body also : for valour , and wisdom are virtues that are proper to princes . and we are to know , that wha● prince soever shall use the exercise of body only , and not of his wit , ( as well his own , as his subjects , ) he shall be a slave to him that exerciseth his wit too . and hence it is that the king of france , and his officers of state , yeilded themselves up to calvin ; as the germans did to luther ; both which so bewitched their eyes , that they took all for right and good , whatsoever these laid down before them . and thus the tartarians also , after they had made themselves lords of the whole east , were at last made fools of by mahomets priests . and if they are not enslaved by wicked ingeniou● men , yet how ever they are slaves to those that are good , as well as ingenious . and hence we see , that those kings of iudah and of israel , that were both dull and wicked persons , were given up into the hands of elias , and elisha , and others ; who set them up , and deposed them from their thrones , for their ignorance of their own religion . the consuls of rome likewise were in subjection to their priests . and again on the other side , he , that exerciseth his wit only , is brought under the power of him that exerciseth his body , and feats of armes . whence it is , that the popes have so often been made the laughing stock of the goths and lombards ; and that platonical king , theodoricus , the second k. of ravenna , was subdued by belis●rius . but that king that exerciseth himself both these waies , he is the truly wise king. and hence it was that the romans never exercised their wit , without the exercise of the body too ; as salust informs us . i adde moreover , that a king ought not to bend his studies wholly to , and to spend all his time in one certain science onely ; as did king alphonsus , who became one of the most famous astronomers in the world ; following the example of king atlas , who was overcome by perseus , a valiant man of armes , as the fable tells us : nor yet would i have him to addict himself wholly to the study of divinity , as henry the viii . did , who by this means utterly ruined his own wit. but he ought to have several tutors for each several science , and be a hearer of each of them at their several appointed times . but the knowledge most fit for the king , is , to know the division of the world into its parts , and of his own dominions ; the different manners and customes of the several nations of the earth , and their religions and sects ; as also the stories of all the former kings , and which of them was a conquerour , and which was overcome , and for what reasons : and for this purpose he must make choice of the best historians that have written . he must likewise know the several lawes of nations , and which are wholsome lawes , and which not ; and the grounds they were made upon . but chiefly he is to be well skilled in the lawes of his own kingdome , and of the kings his predecessors ; and to understand by what means charles the fifth got here , or lost there ; and how maximilian sped in his wars : so likewise , with how many , and what kind of nations and kingdomes they made their wars ; and how the same nations may be subdued . he must also give an ear to all sorts of counsels ; but let him make choice of , and publish as his own , the best , and soundest onely . let his rule be also , to inflict all punishments upon his subjects in the name , and by the ministry of his officers ; but to confer all benefits , and rewards upon them with his own hand , and in his own name . in a word , he must be adorned with all kinds of vertues ; and let it be his chiefest desire to leave to his successors himself an example worthy of their imitation ; as it must be his care to imitate all the wisest of his predecessors . those affections which he ought with his utmost power to restrain , are grief , pleasure , love , hatred , hope , fear , and lastly mercy also . for when a king shewes himself to be cast down by any ill fortune that hath befallen him , he betrayes his own weaknesse , discourages his subjects ; and , lastly , gives himself wholly to grieve for the same : for which king david was justly reproved by ioab , when he lamented so excessively the death of his son absalon . as on the contrary side , when he is too much lifted up with joy for any good successe , it argues in him an abject and servile disposition and temper : and especially , if he addict himself to keep company with buffoons and jesters , and give himself up to excessive banquettings , and other the like pleasures , he must needs be despised by his subjects : as nero was , who minded nothing but stage-playes , and his harp ; or vitellius , and sardanapalus , who giving themselves over wholly to women , and feasting , were therefore scorned by their subjects , and deposed , with the losse of their lives . and indeed the love of women will very often endanger him , unlesse he fortifie his mind against it : ( as it happened to the most wise salomon himself : ) and especially of his own wife , who commonly hates her husbands nearest , and most intimate friends ; conceiving , that the greatest share of his affection is due to her self : in so much , that she will hate and persecute the wisest , and ablest commanders for war that are about him . thus we read * sophia , wife to the emperour iustinian , dealt with narses ; who being thereby very much incensed , he took occasion to invite the lombards into italy ; to the infinite prejudice and losse both of the emperour and empresse . covetousnesse also proves the ruine of kings ; as we see in antiochus , who pillaged the temple of iupiter dodonaeus ; and in caligula , who having profusely wasted all his own , most greedily gaped after other mens estates : whence they both came to be hated by their subjects , and so died a miserable death . such a one also was midas , who wished , that whatsoever he touched might presently ●urn to gold ; whereas he could neither eat his gold , nor could it procure him an houres sleep when he wanted it ; that is to say , it was of no use at all to him ; but it onely laid him open to the spoyl of him , that had but the skill to make use of his iron . caligula in one year consumed riotously seventeen millions of crowns , which his predecessor tiberius had scraped up together : and was afterward reduced to that want , that he was forced to betake himself to spoyl his subjects , and to practise all manner of cruelties upon them . king solomon also , what in building of sumptuous palaces , and temples , and about other most chargeable pomps and magnificences , expended the better part of a hundred and twenty millions , which his father david had left him : and notwithstanding that he had no trouble upon him from any part , yet did he so excessively overburden his subjects with taxes , that being become intolerable to the greatest part of his people , he lost a great part of his kingdome , in his son rehoboam . we do allow in our king a desire of honour ; but so , that he aspire to it by the steps of vertue : for otherwise he will gain onely the opinion of being proud ; which was the ruine of alboin , and attila . and indeed honour is the witnesse to vertue : and therefore whosoever is a vertuous person , he shall attain to true honour , without any flattery ; which hath been the overthrow of many a prince in the world. and hence it will also follow , that a prince should not enter into so strict a tye of friendship with any one , or two of his subjects , as to indulge them the liberty of transgressing the bounds of justice , and the lawes , without controul : for by so doing , the principal persons of his nobility , and commanders in war , laying aside all duty , will look upon him as an abject , unworthy person . and , which is more , they sometimes in these cases enter into conspiracies against him ; and that very person , whom he advanced to so much honour as to make him his favourite , may chance to usurp the kingdome : as we read it happened betwixt gyges , and candaules , king of lydia . so likewise sejanus did much mischief to the emperour tiberius , who notwithstanding was as subtle and crafty as any man : but yet macro did more , who made an end of him . neither can any thing be more destructive to a prince , then to single out one onely , to be his friend and favourite . and hath not antonio perez been of very ill consequence to the present king ? if the king hate any particular persons , he must by no means discover it ; unlesse he find that they are hated by the people also : as are commonly all hereticks , infidels , usurers , and publick executioners of justice upon malefactors : for by so doing● he shall the more indear himself to the people . he must also take notice , that accusations among his subjects do not so much avail his kingdome , as calumnies hurt it● and therefore he ought alwaies to encline rather to the accused party . and to the end that he may attain to the highest degree of his subjects love , and affection , he must set up some court of grace , that shall be above all other courts whatsoever ; that all such persons as are condemned to death , may have yet some left to whom they may appeal . and the king ought to pardon offenders often , where it may be done safely enough ; and where the condemned person hath not been admitted to make his appeal to the kings deputies , or hath not offended either against the state , or religion : and these offenders by him pardoned , may be sent out either for souldiers , or else to the gallies : and this will do very much good . and of this court of grace , i would have the king himself to be president ; and it should consist onely of his queen , and his children , and one bishop only . the king must also with all modesty , and humility , put his chiefest trust in god , and repose but little confidence in his own strength : especially when he is not endued with any extraordinary prudence for the managing of the same : and all the weightiest of his actions must be referred to god , as the author of them , that so they may be lookt upon by all with the greater reverence , and esteem . let him never hope with a few to vanquish a greater number , nor with undisciplined and unruly souldiers : nor to conquer a forraine enemy in his own country : of which things i have elsewhere spoken . he must alwayes remove all fear far from him ; and ●e must discover his onely fear to be , lest any sad disaster should befall either religion , or his subjects . and in all his expeditions he must shew himself to the height of valour , and even of bold daring too : provided that ●e do it with reason , and that so he may the more inflame the courage of his souldiers . neither ought he ever to seem to be jealous of the worth of any one ; lest he should so betray his own timorousnesse , and poorenesse of spirit . and therefore , to the end that his subjects may not rebel , his safest course will be , to keep them alwayes up in armes , rather then to let them lie unarmed quietly at home : for , being in armes , they will the easier be kept within the bounds of obedience . because that , if they be by fair , and prudential meanes kept in awe , they will be ready to make use of their armes at all times for their kings advantage ; but if , though unarmed , they be otherwise then fairely dealt with by their prince , they will be apt to revolt from him , or ( which is worse ) will find armes , which they will turn against him. an example of this kind we have in david and s●ul , who was jealous o● david , seeing his valour and worth. the king ought also , as often as he begins to be jealous , and fearful of the greatnesse of any of his subjects , under the shew of honouring him , to send him abroad out of the country he is powerful in , to some other ; as ferdinand , king of arragon , dealt with the great duke consalvus ; removing him from n●ples , where he might possibly have raised commotions in the state , to spain , where he was not able to do any such thing . neither yet are such men too much to be slighted ; for by this meanes the prince might incurre the hatred of his subjects ; and it would be a discouragement to them from the endeavouring at any high and noble actions . therefore such persons , as he is jealous of , are to be employed in such places , where there is the least danger to be feared from them : as , we read , belisarius was called home by iustinian out of italy , where he was beloved by all men ; and sent against persia. the kings anger must neither be violent , nor headlong ; as was alexander's of macedon against his nobles ; for so he may chance to be made away by poyson , as alexander was : and his subjects may fall off from him , and so his power will be diminished ; as it happened to theoderick the first king of ravenna ; and which was also the cause of the emperour valentinian's death . in times of peace he must be merciful to such as offend either out of ignorance , or weaknesse of body or mind ; and that , in favour of the multitude , and to sweeten them : but this he must take heed of , in time of war ; and he must not pardon any egregious offenders , or that are the heads , and ringleaders of any faction : especially where the worth of the persons is not so great , as that , being pardoned , they may be of greater use to him , then that wherein they offended was prejudicial . thus scanderbeg pardoned moses rebelling against him , as being the greatest commander he had under him : who thereby became afterwards of very great use , and advantage to him : in like manner as david also pardoned ioab . but yet we must remember , that this easinesse , and mercifulnesse is then only seasonable , where the crime concerns not the state it self , but onely particular persons . and therefore the prince ought not at any time to deny the legal proceeding of justice to any one ; for , for this very cause , philip , king of macedonia , was slain by pausanias . and therefore , as we have formerly said , he ought to be careful , and circumspect in the curbing , and bridling of his own passions and affections . but now , piety , and religion is of it self sufficient to make any prince exercise his power of dominion justly , and happily : as we see by the examples of the emperour constantine the great , theodosius , and the like . and here we are alwaies to remember , that it is most certain , that , the people do naturally follow the inclinations of their prince . and therefore plato was wont to say , if the king but mend , all the kingdome mends , without the accession of any other law. and therefore the virtue of the prince ought to surpasse , in a manner , all humane sense . as concerning making of war , it is certain and evident to all , that warlike princes have still had the better of those that are not so inclined : and although wise kings have alwaies made a shift to preserve their own , yet they have not alwaies enlarged their dominions : but the idle , and sloathful have ever been of the losing hand . i say therefore , that a king , if he would be accounted a warlike prince , ought to go in person to the wars ; especially , ●●ere he is certain of victory . thus ioab , having for some time besieged that city of the ammonites , and being now ready to take it , he gave notice to the king , that he should come , and be at the delivery of it up , that so the glory of the action might be his. for by this means the people will be ready to admire their king , as if he were something more then a king. but he must be sure to decline all evident dangers , and especially duels ; lest ( as the israelites said to david ) he quench the light of israel . for this was accounted a great fault in alexander the great , that he would needs leap down first himself from off the walls into a certain town ; where he by that meanes received many wounds : for by that rash act of his , he in his single person brought into hazard the monarchy of the whole world. he must also re●ard his old souldiers with his own hand , and must pre●er them to the government of castles , and forts : and the rawer sort of souldiers he must cause to exercise themselves in light skirmishes among themselves , and in exercises of the field . every king that swaieth a scepter is either a wolfe , or a hireling , or lastly a shepheard ; as homer , and the holy gospel it self also calls him . a tyrant is the wolfe , that keepes the flock for his own advantage ; and alwayes maketh away with all the wealthiest , wisest & valiantest of his subjects , that so he may fill his own bags , and may without any danger or controule , lord it as he list , and range about through the whole flock , spoyling whom he please . and if the king of spain should go about to shew himself such a one to his subjects , he will lose all ; as did those dionysij of syracuse , acciolinus of padou● , caligula , nero , vitelliu● , and the like . the hireling is , he that kills not indeed his subjects ; but rather drawes to himself all profits , honours , and advantages acquired by the service of his souldiers and vassals ; but he doth not at all defend them from the ravenous wolves ; i mean , false teachers ; nor other fierce invaders , and oppressors . as we may call the venetians , the hireling rulers of cyprus ; seeing that they did not defend it against the turkes . and the romans also were such , in relation of the saguntines , from whose necks they did not keep off hannibals yoak . and in like manner we may tearm don philip maria the hireling vicount of the genowayes ; for he mad onely a benefit of them , but shewed not himself as a governour over them ; which cannot now be said of the ki●g of spain . and these hirelings , or mercenary princes , are suddenly losers by it , as the former were . as , wee see , the king of france lost , by suffering calvin to mount up into the chaire ; as the elector of saxony likewise did , by suffering that wolf luther . for he that makes a prey of mens mind , hath command over their bodies also : and will at length have the disposing of their fortunes and estates too . and therefore it is a meer folly , and ignorance in those princes , whosoever they be , that shall admit new religions into their dominions , whereby the minds of their subjects are lead away . and hence it was that saul foresaw his own ruin , so soon as ever he perceaved the affections of the people inclined towards david . and the mischiefs of germany , poland , and france have been infinite , since luthers making a ●prey and carring away the minds and affections of the inhabitants of these countries● but that king is a shepheard , that feeds himself with the honour , and love of his people ; and them , with his own example , learning , and abundance of good things ; and withall defends them by his armes , and wholesome lawes . and therefore a good king ought to be endued with so much a greater proportion of learning and knowledge above his people ( who do infinitely herein excel brute beasts , ) as the shepheard is above his m●te flock . so that a prince ( as plato said ) is somewhat above humane condition , and ought to be esteemed as a kind of god● or a christ ; or at least is to be reputed as qualified with a certain measure of divinity , and to have some emin●nt knowledge conferred upon him from above , as had that divine law-giver moses ; and as at this day have the pope , and the bishops . or if this be not granted to him , he ought however , ●hrough humane virtue at least , to submit , and yield obedience to the divine law-giver ; as did charles the great . and there have been some , who wisely considering these things have endeavoured to perswade the world , that they were inspired from heaven , as did mahom●t , and minos ; whose lawes were thereby held in great reverence by the people . and certainly wheresoever the king shall approve himself to be such , the people in general will be made good ; where as on the contrary , if the prince be bad , the people will be so too . and therefore following the example of the pope , and his bishops , he ought to appear as like them as he can , doing nothing at all without their approbation , but making a union betwixt his kingdom and their church , so to make up one body of a republick betwixt them ; as i have said before ; and by observing the ecclesiastical order , and by constituting good lawes , he must render himself worthy of reverence from the people : which by appearing but seldom abroad among them in publique , he shall be sure to have from them . as for those acts which humane nature cannot abstain from , as eating , and the like , these he ought to do privately . or if at any time he do any of them in publi●k , he must alwaies , after the example of philopoemen , the general of the achaeans , have some by him to discourse touching peace and war. our king must not endeavour so much to be accounted a vertuous person , as to be so really : for , where any one is discovered to have but once played the dissembler , no body will ever believe him again afterwards . and because that , for want of issue to succeed him , the kingdome may easily fall to the ground ; his chiefest care must be , that he get children as soon , and early as he can . and so soon as ever his eldest son shall be grown up to any maturity , and himself perchance is yet a young man ; he may then do well to ●end him to rome , that so he may be instructed both in the affaires of the world , and in those of religion also ; and withal , the kingdom of spain may be the more firmly incorporated into the church , by having both the cardinals , and popes themselves alwayes true to their faction : and also , that his son , and the barons may not dare to joyn together , and take up armes against him : ( which our king philip suspected of his son charles ; ) and so , by obeying , he shall learn how to rule . the king of spain ought also alwayes to design some of the house of austria to be his successor , in case that he should die without a successor of his own . let him alwayes speak the language of his native country , and give audience to such only as speak the same . he ought alwayes to keep his court in spain , the head of his empire● neither let him ever go out of it , unlesse it be to the wars , and leaving his son behind him : or , to suppresse some mutinying province , or some baron that he suspects , he may go and take up his quarters among them ; that so , being thereby reduced to want , and scarcity , they may be forced to serve the king instead of souldiers , and he by this means may be freed from all fears and jealousies . the rest of his male children , that are not brought up in the hope , and expectation of reigning ; he may make cardinals ; neither ought he at any time to commit the rains of government to their hands , least happily they should be possessed with a desire of ruling . and hence it is , that among the turks it is the custome , alwayes to make away with all the yonger sons . and the king of china shuts up those that are next in blood to him , in large , spacious places , which abound with all variety both of necessaries and delights : as the king of ethiopia confines all his to a certain very high , and most pleasant mountain , called amara ; where they are to continue , tell they shall be called to succeed in the kingdom . but yet for all this , neither doth the king of china , or ethiopia , by confining their nearest of kin , nor the great turk by killing his , nor yet the moor , by putting out the eyes of his , acquit themselves from the danger and fear of seditions , and rebellions . for notwithstanding that the parents of these confined persons may haply bear it with a patient and quiet mind enough ; yet it may possibly be , that either the common people , or the nobles of the kingdome , being moved either with indignation , and fury , or else fear of punishment , or desire of revenge , may corrupt , and provoke those persons so shut up ; or by killing their keepers , may carry them away out of their prisons by force , and may place them in the throne : as those they call , the common rebels of spain , attempted to carry away by force the duke of calabria , who was at that time a prisoner in the sciattive tower. and in china many most cruel tyrants ●f both sexes , both kings , and queens , have been murdered . and of late years , in ethiopia , abdimalo was called to the crown , not from ou● of the mountain of amara , but from out of arabia , whether he had fled to preserve himself . neither is there any country , where there have been more civil wars , and rebellions raised , then among the moors in ma●ritania . the kings of ormus , before that that country was subdued by the portuguez , were wont to kill their parents : which custome was practised also by some emperours of constantinople ; by the kings of tunis also , and of marocco , and fez ; as likewise among the turks : as appears by the wars betwxt bajazet and zerim , and of selim and his father , bajazet the second . therefore this cruelty of the turks renders them not much more secure thereby . for in other kingdomes it is onely● ambition , and a desire of honour , and rule that excites men to raise sedition , and to take up armes against the prince : which ambitious desires may either be satisfied some other way , or be diverted to some other design , or possibly may be overawed , and crusht : but those of the blood royal among the turks , and moors , besides ambition , have a necessity also of seeking the preservation of their own lives , to force them on to such attempts . for , seeing they are all certainly enough assured , that they shall be put to death by the succeeding emperour , they have need all of them to provide for themselves ; and so are necessitated , in a manner , to take up armes , and to implore the aid and assistance either of subjects at home , of forrain princes abroad . hence it was that s●lim was wont to say , that he was to be excused for having made away with so many of his brothers , nephews , and kindred ; seeing that otherwise the meanest person of the ottoman line , that should have but scaped acting a part in that tragedy , might have come to the same dignity he enjoyed . but , passing by these impious , and yet ●neffectual examples of cruelty , let us now come to the daughters of the king of spain . and these probably may do well to be matched with the kings , or princes of poland , and france : and also with the kings of denmark , muscovia , england , and the like : upon this condition , that these princes promise faithfully to embrace the catholick religion ; which if they would do , there would thence a double benefit accrue . the king must take into his court , all the most able , and most knowing in all sorts of sciences : and he must endeavour to render both himself , and his children , as excellent in them as is possible ; that so the eyes of all men may be turned upon him , and his , and may joyn themselves unto them , seeing them live so happily and securely . in like manner , as all the people of israel , even to the maccabees themselves , who had god for their guide , became yet admirers of the romans ; and entring into a league with them , fled to them for protection . now he that protects , or assists , may naturally be said to be lord of him whom he protects ; as the man became lord of the horse , whiles he assisted him against the stag. chap. x. what sciences are required in a monarch , to render him admired by all . all great men , when they have gone about to set up a new monarchy , have changed the sciences that the people were exercised in before , and many times also the religion of the country ; that so they might render themselves the more admired by their subjects : and by this means also other nations have come in unto them too . and this is the reason why the assyrians , under king ninus , changed the religion of noah , and set up that of iupiter belus , and applied themselves to the study of astrology ; whereby they became so famous , and admired , that they brought the whole east under their subjection . the like course also was taken by the persians , under cyrus , who took upon himself the title of gods commissary : for these introduced into the world the practise of natural magick ; a science till then never heard of before ; and furnished it out with great variety of new , and admirable rites and ceremonies . the macedonians made the world believe , that their prince , alexander the great , was the son of iupiter ammon ; and withal abolis●ing the ancient disciplines , they brought in upon the stage the aristotelian ; which confuted all that were before it : insomuch that his father , king philip , rejoyced very much thereat , foreseeing that this novel●y of doctrine would lay a foundation for his son to erect a new empire upon ; and so thenceforward neglected the worship of iupiter , mercury , osiris , and the rest of the most ancient among the gods. thus mahomet also , when he now aspired to a monarchy , introduced a new religion ; fitting it to his own palat , and the gust of the people . iulius caesar likwise , being now got to be chosen the pontif●x maximus , and astrology being at that time not very well known to the romans ; he , by changing the old account , and rectifying the year , laid the foundation of his monarchy . and the same must the king of spain also do ; especially seeing he hath the best opportunity that can be , of doing the same . for seeing that it is not lawful at all times to introduce a new religion , he ought therefore to adorn , and set forth the old so much the more , and to enlarge it with variety of new rites an● ceremonies ; as also to bring forth into the world new sciences , and such as shall be suitable to his dignity . but above all , let him make a law , to be observed by all christians ; first , that whensoever any people or country shall forsake the roman religion , all princes shall be bound , upon pain of forfeiting their estates , to root out , and extirpate the same ; like as god commanded moses . secondly , that the clergy , and such as are skilled in church matters , shall make it their care to look to the regulating of the moneths of the year , and the daies of the week ; calling the several moneths by the names of the twelve apostles ; and the seven daies of the week by the names of the seven sacraments . for the truth of it is , that the inhabitants of the new world , when they find , in conversing with the christians , that the heathenish names of moneths and daies are still in use among them , they are wrapt into a great admiration . and the like course is to be observed in other the like things . thirdly , that seeing that new sciences do make a new monarchy the more admired , i would have the schooles of the platonists , and of the stoicks opened again , whose opinions come nearer to christianity , then the aristotelian . and , that we may descend to particulars , the telesian philosophy is the most excellent of all ; seeing it comes the nearest to the holy f●thers , and makes it appear to the world , that the philosophers knew nothing ; and that aristotle , who would have the soul to be mortal , and the world to be immortal , and denyes providenc● also , ( on which christianity is grounded ) talks very absurdly , notwithstanding all his so specious reasons ; seeing that the same are refuted by stronger reasons , fetcht in like manner from nature . fourthly , it is necessary that he set the wits of the learned to work with scholastick questions ; lest by being conversant in the sciences of natural things , it set an edge upon their ambition , and by this meanes they should aspire to higher matters . fifthly , that he should banish all theological questions out of the transalpine schools ; seeing that all the divines of those parts turn hereticks , by not continuing firm to the holy constitutious of the pope , but are still raising up fresh controversies : and the wits of these men are to be exercised onely in the disputes of natural philosophy . sixtly , he must endeavour to get himself renown , as iustinian did , by reducing all the roman lawes into one body● and as charles the great did , by opening the school of aristotle , which was at that time the only school of philosophy in christendome : for all the rest had been long before trodden down to the ground by the barbarians ; as i have shewed elsewhere . seventhly , he shall do well to shut up all the greek and hebrew schools ; because that these two languages have been destructive to monarchy ; and are , besides , the main pillars by which those heresies that chiefly raign at this day are built upon . and therefore , on the contrary , let him endeavour to bring in the knowledge of the arabick tongue ; by meanes whereof the mahumetans may be the better convinced ; and the troublesome transalpine wits may imploy themselves rather in confuting the turks , then in vexing the catholicks with their disputes . eighthly , let him also erect mathematical schools : because this would be of great use and advantage in respect of the new world , as well as of the old : because by this means the peoples minds will be diverted from creating us any trouble , and will be incited to bend their studies that way , which may be useful to the king. then let him get about him the ablest cosmographers that he can , and assign them liberall allowances ; whose businesse it shall be , to describe those several parts of the world wheresoever the spaniards have set footing throughout the compasse of the whole earth ; because that ptolomy knew nothing of most of those countries at all ; and let him , by the industry of these his mathematicians , correct all the errours of the ancient geographers : and he may also put forth a book , under the title of the king of spains name , wherein he shall set forth the praises due to christophorus columbus , magellanus , americus vesputius , ferdinandus cortesius , pizarrus , and others of his valiant sea-commanders ; whose posterity he ought to confer dignities upon , for the incouraging of others to fall upon the like undertakings . let him also send able astrologers abroad into the new world , and especially some of those beyond the alpes ; to the end that he may by this means also take them off from their heresies , and filth ; and let him , by proposing rewards to such , invite the ablest wits out of germany , and send them into the new world ; that there they may give an account of , and describe all the new stars that are in that hemisphere , from the antarctick pole to the tropick of capricorn : and may describe the holy crosse , whose figure is at that pole ; and about the pole it self they may place the effigies of charles v. and of other princes of the house of austria ; following herein the example of the grecians and egyptians , who placed in the heavens the images of their princes and heroes . for by this meanes both astrology , and local memory will be both learnt together . and when any such illustrious persons are so advanced to honour , and rendred so venerable : and such astrologers are encouraged with large rewards , it is of no small advantage to the enlargment of a kingdom : for , all the worlds affections will be inclined toward such a prince , and will desire to serve him . we are to know also , that the novelty of doctrine is a great promoter of monarchy ; provided it be not against religion , as was that of luther : but that it rather agree well with it : as doth that of tele●ius , and that which i my self have collected , by my reading of the ancient fathers of the church : or a● least when it doth not contradict the same , but rather enlargeth it , and renders it admired by all men , and takes up the minds of the people , and keeps them in , from running after , and employing themselves in that which is prejudiciall to the kingdom . aristotle , though his opinions were impious , yet was he in nothing at all any hinderance to alex●nder ; and therefore much lesse can there be any hurt , in such a doctrine as we speak of . the king must also take care to have the general histories and annals of the whole world , compiled in a compendiou● and succinct way , like that of the books of the kings of the hebrewes : and which may also shew from the first building of rome the whole progresse of this monarchy down to this present day , and may set down the time when the christian faith was first embraced by it : and may make it known to all , so many kings thereof as were pious and , and religious men , were all of high esteem in the world , and reigned happily ; but those that were wicked , and ill men , were also unfortunate . let him likewise cause a brief collection to be made of the lawes of all the several kingdomes and principalities of the world , digested in their several orders ; as also their religions and customes ; and let him make use of the best of these , and reject the bad . but he must be very careful , that he publish not in any place such lawes , as the nature of that place cannot bear . chap. xi . of lawes , both good , and bad. the king of spain , as well for theological , as politick reasons , can enact no new lawes . for the christian law , together with the roman military power and prudence , is that which he succeeds in , and with which he is to comply . he must take heed therefore , that he make not many pragmatical sanctions . and it would be an excellent thing , if the lawes , as far as it were possible , were all written in the spanish tongue ; that so the whole world might be acquainted , and might have some commerce with the spanish monarchy , both in the language , and the lawes . but seeing that this monarchy had its rise under the roman empire , and religion ; the latine is a language that it needs not be ashamed of . let such lawes therefore be made , as the people may keep rather willingly , then by compulsion , and through fear of punishment ; as finding them to be advantagious to themselves . for when such lawes are enacted , as make for the profit of the prince , or some few particular persons only , the people must needs be out of love with them ; and then do they presently find out waies to elude the same : whereupon there strait followes confiscation of the subjects goods , with mulcts , punishments , and banishment . then must we have new laws made , to punish the transgressors of the former ; and then again other new lawes must be made , for the punishing of such as have offended against these latter : and thus is the number of lawes increased , the princes authority slighted , and the subjects at length , out of hate to their prince , either rise up against him , or else forsake the kingdom ; to the very great damage ( no question ) of the prince : for by this means both the number of the souldiery is diminished , and besides , the kings subsidies grow lesse . every tyrant therefore , that maketh lawes that are for his own advantage only , and not for his subjects , is a fool : for by this meanes he loseth himself ; whereas on the other side , a wise king , while he seems to do things prejudicial to himself , doth himself notwithstanding thereby the greatest right that can be . and we find by experience , that princes that are popular , are more extolled , then those are that admit into their friendship and favour some few noblemen , or courtiers only : as we may observe in the contrary examples of augustus , and tiberius . it is moreover necessary , that a law be conformable to the custome of the place for which it is made : for all northern people love easie lawes ; and would rather obey out of their own good nature , then by compulsion . and the not observing of this , was the reason of the dukes d'alva's losing the low-countries . the southern people , as those of andaluzia , require strict lawes ; the italians , portuguez , and calabrians , desire a mediocrity , and moderation in their lawes . the king must also consider , as touching the new world , under what climate each particular people there lyeth . for , those that lye under the equinoctial , would have moderate lawes ; but those that are under the tropicks , must have more severe and rigid lawes ; as also those that are under the pole : but those that are nearer to the frigid zone , desire milder lawes : but those that are more remote , and lye nearer to the tropicks , as do the inhabitants of siam , require austere lawes , and such as carry a religious reverence with them . but those that are situate in a middle position , as the italians are , are of like nature to those that lye under the equinoctial . when another country loseth any of its inhabitants by reason of the difference of religion , new lawes are presently to be made by some bishop , and some eminent commander of war , and a colony of fit persons is to be sent thither : as , for example , netherlanders may be sent into africk ; italians into the netherlands ; and spaniards into the new world. and the fittest time to do this , is , when the war is on foot there : but when they begin once to yield , the lawes may then be altered by little and little : as it is fit it should be done in the low-countries , when the people there shall submit , and yield obedience to the spaniards . for then there should be more use made of the tongue , in governing of them , then of the sword : and the inquisition is also to be kept up there` under some other name , and pretense . but if any city , or country , that is addicted to the catholick religion , be taken in ; it will be sufficient then to send thither some spaniards onely to guard it ; and some wise persons , who by degrees may change the lawes of the place : but the king must put some of his own subjects , and of his own country , into the highest , and chiefest places of trust ; but with the meaner and lower offices he may intrust the inhabitants of the place : as duke francis did at sena ; and the venetians at padoua . but when the name of a spaniard begins once to be hateful among them , let him then send thither such italians as he may safely trust , and employ them as his ministers there . now what course is to be taken in the several kingdomes belonging to the spaniard , i shall shew hereafter . onely this i shall say here , that the first , and principal keeper of the lawes ought to be honour ; the second love ; and the third , fear : but where this order is inverted , and runs the contrary way , nothing will there prosper . of counsel . chap. xii . the supreme councel , or court , ought to consist of the king , and some few of the wisest of his nobles , with some of the clergy joyned to them . yet the court of grace ( of which i spake before ) must be above the supreme court of iustice. the councels of that kingdom are already managed rightly enough ; yet their decrees would be observed with greater reverence , and religion , if that course were taken which i before proposed ; namely , of adding to them a greater number of the prelates : for by this means the clergy will be the easier won ; and withall , the decrees of the said councels will be of the greater esteem , and reverence . we are to take notice also that persons of any nation whatsoever are not fit to be presently taken in for counsellours ; but such only , as know the customes of the country , or are learned men , as was plato : or else have an excellent dexterity of wit , as had ci●cinnatus . for as much therefore as the spaniard is a person of good ability in all matters of a subtile nature , and where there is use of good language ; as the germans abilities lie chiefly in matters that are to be done by the hand , and require labour ; and the italians in matters of state government , and policy ; it must therefore be the kings care , that he make a right choice of these several persons , and according to their different abilities make use of them in his counsels . my opinion is therefore , that in maritime affairs , and whatsoever concerns navigation , he ought chiefly to employ the portuguez , and the genouese : but in things which concern mechanical arts , artificial fire-works , and engines of all sorts , the transalpine is the only man : but where the government of state is concerned , let the italian be there made use of : but as for fortifications , keeping of garrisons , making discoveries , or giving intelligence , and going on embassies , or whatsoever concerns religion , with any of these let the spaniard be intrusted . and seeing that we would have the king of spain to be lord of the whole world , it must be his care , as much as he can , to draw on all nations to comply with the spanish manners and customes ; that is , let him make them all spanish . let him also make them partakers as well of government , as of warfare ; as the romans of old did ; and as the turks custome is to do at this day . for otherwise , the spaniard will be the lesse couragious in war , as not having any to rival him , in military glory and renown ; neither will the counsellours strive among themselves , who shall excell the other in smartnesse , and sharpnesse of wit , when they find that all forreign nations are cut off from all hopes of being called to counsel . i say therefore that spaniards are for the most part , though not alwayes , to be admitted into the counsel of spain ; and especially those of religious orders : as being the only persons that have little or no interest of their own in secular affairs . into the councel of italy there must be taken in such spaniards , as have lived some time in italy , with some italians , and two out of the netherlands . for by this means all the several nations will rest satisfied , and the kings counsels will be ●he better tempered : because the spaniard will alwayes be of a contrary judgment to the italian , as thinking himself the better man , and the greater respect and dignity due to him , because the head of the empire is with them : and the italian , according to the freedom of spirit of that nation , will boldly give such counsel as he conceives to be sound and good , and endeavour to curbe and abate the fiercenesse of the spaniard : and then must the netherlander come in , and reconcile them to each other . the councel of the netherlands , ( seeing it is already granted , that the councels of all nations must be held in spain ) must be made up of spaniards , italians , and natives , for the same two causes before given in . the councels of both the indias must consist of spaniards , and such of other nations , as have continued in the same for some time , whether english , genuese , or others ; provided alwayes , that into such councels as concern the state , there be taken in some that are of religious orders ; and also some of the wisest among the nobility , and any others that are well skilled in the customes , religion , rites , situation , and the policy , both domestick , and military of the several nations , what country soever they themselves be of . i shall here lay down one most admirable and profitable rule more , for the king to observe , and that is● that every seventh , and ninth year ( which are the fatal numbers ) he should call together all the nobility of each of his several kingdomes , every one of which shall come to the court , attended but with three servants apiece at the most ; and at the same time let there be sommoned to appear also all persons whatsoever , that are the ablest , and best seen in the affaires and secrets of state , and of government : and there let him command them to propose , every one of them severally , what they conceive most advantageous for the promoting of the greatnesse of the spanish monarchy , or else for the particular benefit of their several provinces : aud withal to give notice , what errours have been there committed to that very time , which it concernes the publick should be rectified . and i would have all the counsellours also of all the several councells to be present at this assembly , that every one of them in particular may be instructed in what concerns the whole world , and may take notice by this meanes wherein he committed any error for the last seven yeares , and so may either be reproved for the same , or may otherwise r●ceive the praise due to him . for , if this course were taken , the counsellours of the several councels , growing wiser and more circumspect , would take heed how they gave any either unworthy , or unprofitable counsels : and the king himself would have a greater insight into the condition of his monarchy , and by discovering new secrets , and mysteries of state , should thereby find out waies of advancing his own greatnesse more and more every day : and the nobles also would set their braines to work all that seven years space , to find by what means their princes state might be the most advanced , and would not any longer continue in their former ignorance ; and both they , and the rest of the learned of the kingdom would utter the virulency of their ambition , not by their sword , but by their tongue . now there is none so weak , but is able to deliver in words the state of his own republick : seeing that there is no philosopher , but will undertake out of his own brain to give a description , or model of the same : whence indeed are scattered abroad the seeds of heresy and sedition . but by the taking of this course , when any of these kind of persons hath hopes of being rewarded by the prince , he will conceive it his best way to expect rather to be cal●ed to give his judgment at the septennial assembly , or else to send it thither in writing , and so will suppresse his opinions till that time . and so by this meanes the king shall be rendred the more secure of the obedience of his nobility , and shall understand who they are that deserve either well or ill of him : neither shall he be deceived , and abused by his courtiers● or flatterers ; and shall have the better opportunity of calling his ministers of state to an account , for their evill administration of the provinces they were set over ; and shall withal very much mend the condition of the said provinces , and shall find many oth●r advantages to follow hereupon , which i am not at present able to reckon up ; and shall besides bring it so to passe , that his councel shall be both the wiser , and withal the truer to him. but the nobles of the new world , in case they cannot make their personal appearance at this meeting , may send others in their places : which is the custome that the clergy , being instructed by a certain divine wisdome , have alwaies observed in their ge●eral chapters : though no monarch , or state , hath ever taken the said course , except it be the venetians ; whose embassadours , when they return home from any forreign parts , are to give an account in the senate of what they found observable in the several countries whither they were imployed . now although our discourse here hath been concerning the particular councels , and kingdoms , that belong to the king of spain onely ; yet we may not therefore omit to say something of councels in general ; seeing that it is certain , that more weighty affaires are effected by good conduct and counsels , then by weapons and hands . but because a dissertation of this nature , being besides the intention of our present design , would be too prolixe , i shall only here touch at some few particulars . such counsels as are too subtile , and nice , are not much to be regarded ; because they seldom are brought to any good issue : for by how much the greater subtlety there is in them , so much the more exactnesse , and punctuality is there required in the execution of them ; which is a businesse of the greatest difficulty that can be . and hence it is that the venetians , although they are not so ingenious a people as the florentines , yet are they more happy , for the most part , in their consultations , then they are ; as of old , the lacedaemonians were in this particular more fortunate , then the athenians . those counsels are not to be much regarded , that have no matter of weight or eminency in them ; yet much lesse are such to be esteemed that aime at too vast and immense undertakings ; such as for the most part were those that were designed by the emperour maximilian , and pope leo x. the effecting whereof required both a better purse , a longer life , and greater abilities then either of them had : which kind of undertakings are very pernicious to a state , or kingdom . all deseperate counsells are likewise dangerous ; and are commonly attended by despaire and misery . it remaineth therefore , that those counsells are chief●ly to be embraced , that have the greatest both facility , and security in them ; and such as are well grounded , and upon mature deliberation resolved upon , and as little subject , as may be , to casual●ies , and the power of fortune . slow counsels become great princes ; for it concerns them to be more careful in the preserving , and making good , then in the enlarging of the bounds of their kingdomes . but those counsels that are designed rather for the acquiring of more , then the preserving only of what they have , must be more quick , and sudden . but of this subject i have elsewhere discoursed more largely . chap. xiii . of justice , and its contrary . if the king be just , all his ministers will likewise be just : and if the superiour ministers of state shall be unjust , the inferiour will be unjust also : but there is nothing can hurt a prince more , then to distribute the rewards of virtue , at the pleasure of any favourite . and therefore where offices are disposed of at the will of the court favourites , nothing ever goes well there : and it is so much the worse , because that now adaies the greater officers sell the lesser offices to such creatures of theirs , as shall play the theeves ever after for them , and themselves . and thus in small countries common justice is not observed : for these men , while they pretend to enlarge the kings jurisdiction , they render him odious to his people , and in the mean time fleece the poor , miserable subjects . therefore let every officer provide himself to render an account of his administration to the people , who are to give in information to the king every ten yeares , where they have been honestly dealt with , and where not . all false witnesses also , of whom the world is so full , must likewise be severely punished : and there must be care taken also , that the atturnies of the exchequer may not force men by threatning words , and sometimes by blowes too , to be witnesses for them . but the best course would be , that the law of retaliation should be in force ; that the complainant that makes not good his accusation , should suffer the same punishment that the other should have done , if found guilty : because that now adaies there are more calumnies brought into courts , then just accusations . and therefore any lawyer that shall be found to have suborned any such witnesse ; or any judge , that shall be proved to have taken any bribe , to pervert the lawes , should be debarred for ever after , either from pleading at any bar , or giving sentence in any court. the king must also take care , that judges give sentence alwaies according to the lawes , and not according as policy of state ( as they use to speak ) shall require : and afterward either the king himself , or his viceroy , or any other of the kings ministers may mitigate the rigour of the law , as they shall see cause , ( provided it be not in case of high treason ) that by this meanes they may gain the more upon the peoples affections . and that untoward custome is to be rooted out of the minds of ordinary judges , which yet hath taken deeper root in the minds of the superiour judges also ; namely , that although they know an accused person to be innocent , yet they will condemn him , though it be in a matter of no moment ; to the end that the fault may at last light upon him , after the businesse hath been a good while depending under the judge ; that so , ( as they use to say ) there may seem to have been pregnant reasons for the long depending of the cause . whereas they should be so far from aggravating any fault , as that they should rather lessen it as much as may be : and so they should endeavour the rather to be really just , then to get an opinion of being so ; to the great detriment of the people , and also of the king himself ; who through the wickednesse of these unjust judges , who are hated both by god , and himself , is deprived of the love and affections of his people ; which is the main prop of his affaires : and besides , good men , having lost their reputation , desire to change their present state for a better ; as we see it usually comes to passe . and no people have opportunity of offending more dangerously , and closely , then your inferiour officers have ; and besides , these men , the more in favour they are with the prince , the more grievously are they wont to aggravate mens crimes . and therefore in this case there ought to be certain commissaries at all times deputed , and the same also to be maintained at the charge of the said ministers , who shall yearly also lay down a certain summe of mony to be kept in some common place , for the charges of the next commissaries the following year , that by these their books of accounts may be examined during the time of their being in office , or afterwards also , if need be . for , by reason of the corruption of these inferiour officers , whole provinces have many times heretofore fallen off from the roman empire ; especially when they have been found to be too ambitious , and active in squeezing the subjects , either for the enriching of the publick treasury , or else for the filling of their own private coffers . and for this reason it was , that the parthians , having killed crassus , filled his mouth full of melted gold : as a certain spanish grandee was also served by some indians in the new world. and certainly covetousnesse , and an open , barefaced desire of gold , was the reason , that the affaires of the spaniards succeeded so ill in the new world , into which at first they had so miraculous an entranc● : and that the other nations there , perceiving that humour in them , stood upon their guard as well as they could against the spaniard , whose government notwithstanding , before , they had not refused . the same manner of proceeding also in the netherlands , was the cause of the ruining of the spanish affaires there . let all criminal causes , in times of peace , be protracted as much as may be : ( for , no delay , about the death of any man , can ever be too long : ) but this must not be in times of war. as for civil causes , they ought all to be without any demurring , or delay , heard , and determined . chap. xiv . of the barons , and nobility of the spanish monarchy . the king of spain , to the end that so vast a monarchy may not fall to decay , hath need of such men as are excellent both for learning , and the practise of armes ; whom he ought to reward afterwards with baronies ; that so being from thenceforth made sharers , as it were , of the said monarchy , they may to their utmost power endeavour to maintain , and make good the same to their prince . which baronies notwithstanding , when they once fall into the hands of unworthy persons , are the cause of much mischief . and they do fall into such hands , when they come to be bestowed either upon buffoons , or perhaps such exchequer men , as have found out new waies of oppressing the subject : or else , when they have been conferred at first upon wise , and valiant men , whose successors for all that may have proved to be mean , inconsiderable persons ; or are else riotous , and proud ; and such , as laying aside all thought of their ancestors virtue , take the full enjoyment only of that they have left them , and having no worth of their own , can onely boast of the nobility of their ancestors . and hence it is , that the king is in want so much of persons of worth , whilest the number of such uselesse drones encreaseth in the kingdom . the great tu●k , that he may prevent the latter of these mischiefs , putting by all such as are bottom'd only upon others nobility , takes notice of such onely as are eminent for some worth of their own : neither doth he suffer any son to succeed in the estate , or goods of his father by right of inheritance ; but he is to receive the same at his hands , as a reward of his service , if so be he deserve it . but in case he do not , he must then serve him either in some ignoble art , or else in some inferiour office in his wars . the former of these inconveniences any king of spain may prevent , if he but confer these rewards upon such onely , as are deserving persons ; but the remedy of the second , which is practised by the turks cannot be made use of among christians . onely let him be sure that many of these baronies do not in time fall into the hands of one man , who perhaps upon the first opportunity given may revolt from him ; as did the nobility of iapan , who being grown great in power , made opposition against their king in the city meaco , which was also done by the barons of france , who thereby hindered their own monarchy ; and as scanderbeg did to the turk : and so likewise the princes of ta entum and salerne , and many other in the kingdom of naples , who made the same attempts against their kings , both those of arragon , and of anjou too . now the mischeifs which these barons bring upon the people , and consequently upon their king , are these . they come to naples , and to the court , and there spending their mony profusely and lavishly , they make a great shew for a while , and get in favour with the kings friends ; and at length having spent all , they return poor home , and make prey of whatsoever they can , that so they may make themselves whole again ; and then they return to court again ; running round still , as it were , in the same circle ; in so much that we see these mens territories much more desert , and naked , then the kings in italy are ; all through the default of the barons themselves . and then , if the people have been infested with any pestilential diseases or have suffered by the turks ; they presently beg of the king to have the yearly taxes to be remitted for some certain time ; the payment whereof they themselves require at the hands of the people , and in the kings name too , and that with all the severity that may be : which the prince of rogebo had the confidence to do , after the battel with the turks . and lastly , under the pretence of the camera , ( as they call it , ) that is to say , that the country may be freed from quartering of souldiers , they extort from the subjects many thousands of crownes . and they find out a thousand other wayes of fleecing the poor subjects , that so they may never want supplies either for their luxury , or their prodigality . and notwithstadning that the spaniards believe , that this lavishnesse of theirs makes for the kings advantage , and renders his state the more secure ; because that those that are so given to rioting and luxury , are never any gatherers , and hoarders up of vast sums of mony which may prove the instruments of rebellion ; yet the plain truth of it is , they do him much hurt : for they by this meanes reduce the people , from whom the greatest part of the kings revenues come , to a poor , low condition . for the remedying of which mischeif , it would do well if there were a law made , that no baron should have above . crownes of yearly revenues : and that whatsoever any of them hath more , it should not descend to his successor , but should go after him to the exchequer : i speak here onely of such baronies as shall be conferred by the king , upon the grounds aforesaid . as for the ancienter barons , it would do well if there were some competitions cherished among them , that by this means , by their contentions they might keep one another under : and so likewise , that at every seven years end there should be such an assembly called together , as i spake of before : and that the barons should be freed from all bonds . likewise , that every baron should every three years find the king as many souldiers and horses , as he hath thousands of crowns of yearly revenue . let him also divide the titles of honour ; and besides , he may do well to create many new lords , finding out for them new titles ; that so the smalnesse of their number may not encrease their dignity and honour . let him take care also , that the lordships , and lords mannours of the kingdom of naples , millan , spain , and the n●therlands may be bought by forraigners ; that is to say , by the genuese , florentines , french , and venetians ; that so the barons , that are the natives , may be brought lower , and the forreigners may bring the king in a large yearly revenue out of their own country lordships . by which means i dare be bold to affirm , that the king shall have greater power , and command at genoa , then at millan ; because that nothing can be done , or resolved upon at genoa , without his knowledge and consent ; whiles the genueses will alwayes be in fear of losing the lordships they have in the king of spains dominions . and by this means also the king shall not need to trouble himself about allowing them maintenance , as he is with the millanois : for , whosever is fed by thee , he is thy servant . and thus have the florentines alwaies been servants to the king of france , into whose dominions they have liberty of traffick allowed them . but there must be care taken , that no fortified places be ever put into the hands of any of the barons . and besides , there must be such provision made , as that all the sons of the said barons should have spaniards for their tutors , who shall hispaniolize them , and train them up to the habit , manners , and garbe of the spaniard . and when these barons shall once begin to grow powerful , he must take them down ; yet under the pretense of honouring them , by sending them away to some office , or charge , that lies in some place far remote from their own lordships , and where they shall be sure to spend more then they get . and again , when ever the king shall please to take his progresse into the country , let him so contrive his gists , as that he may lye upon these barons ; and so under the pretext of doing them honour , may force them to be at a great charge in entertaining him. let him give a willing ear to the people , when they make any complaints of them . neither ought nobility to be higher prized by the king , then virtue ; which is a rule that deserves to be observed above all the rest . besides , in all the metropolian cities in his several kingdomes , as at lisbon , toledo , antwerp , and the rest , as well in this , as in the other hemisphere , the king under pretext of doing them honours may constitute , in each of them , five , eight , or ten ranks , or orders of barons ; such as are at naples ; that when they are to treat of any affairs of state , each of them may go into his own order and place . for being thus divided , they will never be able to determine any thing that shall be prejudicial to the king , by reason of the ambition that will be amongst them , and so , where there shall be three lawes perhaps made , to the kings prejudice , there will alwaies be eight made for his advantage . and the common people also may in like manner , be distributed into their several classes and ranks . and this is much the more honourable , and secure way , then to cause divisions , and sidings into parties among them , which is the counsel of some writers , who have a saying , divide , & impera : cause divisions among thy subjects , and thou shalt rule them well enough . the king must alwayes make much of such persons , as are of eminent either valour , or virtue , and must prefer them to dignities and honours . in every place also , where he hath any councel sitting , he ought to joyn to them one of some religious order or other , whom he can trust ; and that , for the common security of both parties , both prince , and counsellour . and all such persons as shall be admitted to this honour , should have an oath administred unto them , or else should have some kind of obligation by way of some religious fraternity with the crown , by which they should be bound , in all troublesome and perillous times , not only to deliver into the kings hands all the gold and silver they have , but that themselves also shall in person serve in the wars , in defence of the fortune and safety of the kingdom . by which means the king shall prevent all insurrections among them : or in case they should stirr , he shall have a sufficient pledge in his hands , as being possessed of all their treasures ; in so much that their wives will not spare in this case , to bring in what rings , bracelets , and chains of gold , or any thing else of value that they have , ( as we read , the roman women did , when rome was distressed by hannib●l , and other enemies , ) and lay them all at the kings feet . and as for commanders in war , those he ought to account the best , that were themselves once common souldiers ; such as antonius de leva , and gonsalvus de corduba were ; as those counsellours also are to be esteemed the ablest● that have risen to that height from the lowest , and meanest trusts and employments . and therefore the king shall not take any great care for such barons , as have not been in service abroad before , so that they may have thereby rendred themselves fit to discharge the offices of able commanders in war , or to serve the king in his councells . but he must get about him such , as have been men of long experience , and are well acquainted with , and versed in the affaires of the world. neither is it a small calamity , that the kingdom of spain lieth under , by reason of such quarells , and suits of law as oftentimes arise among the nobiliy , about precedency , as they call it : which certainly , in the time of war , must needs be of most dangerous consequence ; for there , military valour is onely to be looked after . and who knowes , whether or no this very thing might not be the cause of the miscarriage of the armado that was sent against england in the year . but herein the barons are of great use , and advantage to the king , because that in case he shall have any ill successe in any expedition , he can immediately make himself whole again by his barons : which the turks can not do . for when he hath once received but one notable blow , and is now much weakened thereby , he hath no barons left him , by whose aide he may recover himself again : which was the case also of d●rius , when he was overthrown by alexander the great ; and of the sultan of aegypt that was conquered by selim ; both which being once beaten , were never afterward able to make head again against their enemy . and if so be that emulation and envy had not born too great a sway among the christians , in that memoral victory obtained at sea against the turk , in the year . constantinople might at that time have been recovered , and the turk utterly rooted out . the king must therefore take especial notice , wherein the barons may be prejudicial to him , and in what they may advantage him : and he must make use of them rather as his treasurers of his arms , and monies , then make them , as it were , the patrons of his state. and yet out of these treasurers of his he may choose out some to be commanders in his war ; provided , that he lay a command upon them to set aside their second sons , to be as a seminary of military valour both for sea , and land service ; as we shall shew hereafter : and by this means he shall have their fathers , the barons themselves , as it were bound to be faithful to him , by reason of this engagement of their sons to the prince ; and so he shall be sure to have them at his devotion , whensoever he shall have occasion to make use of them : as shall be shewed hereafter , in the chapter of navigation . chap. xv. of the souldiery . the souldiery of spain , and consequently the defense , and enlarging of that kingdom , may faile two wayes ; one is , because that spanish women , by reason of the too great heat of the country , are not very fruitful : whence it may well so come to passe , as that seeing there are very many spaniards killed , both in the netherlands , and in the new world , and other of their wars , they may want souldiers . as on the contrary , the helvetians , and polonians , and all other northern nations do abound with souldiers , by reason of the fruitfulnesse of their women ; and especialy , because there are so few of them in those parts , that put themselves into monasteries : neither do they suffer any publick stewes there at all , ( by which it is a wonderful thing to consider , how much humane seed is lost and utterly cast away , ) and also because they deal more openly and freely with each other ; neither are matches among them so often broke off , through the disagreement of parents about dowries , &c. and therefore they multiply much the faster , as having fewer impediments either from art , or nature . and hence it is , that the franks , goths , vandals , lombards , herulians , and other northern people , have alwaies abounded with plenty of men : in so much that by reason of the too narrow limits of their own countries , they have been fain to leave them , and to seek for places of habitation in ours , and other countries ; and have like bees , been continually sending forth fresh colonies into other parts : by which means we see it hath come to passe● that the oriental nations , together with the grecian , italian , spanish , and hungarian are now in a manner quite extinct . and therefore the spaniards , being but few in number , have been forced , for the reasons afore alleadged , quite to clear all the places whatsoever , that they conquered , of their ancient inhabitants , as appears by the course they took with the indians in the new world ; least otherwise they should have lived in a continual fear , that the conquered , who were much the greater number , might rise up and take armes against● their conquerors . and this is the reason , why by the ignorant they are accounted cruel , mercilesse people , for such their proceeding against the indians . the number of the subjects also , and the revenues of the crown are by this means diminished ; neither will any nation that is populous , endure to hear of the spaniards : who for the same cause endeavouring this way to bring in the n●therlands also , became most hateful among them . and this course is the king of spain at this day fain to take in naples , and sicily : for he hath not above five thousand spaniards to keep those so large kingdomes in obedience . and indeed those dominions are upheld , and made good to the spaniard meerely through opinion onely . and for this very reason are they forced to disarme the people ; which causeth them to suspect tyranny , and inhumanity from them ; and which makes many also forsake their country ; as solon told periander , the tyrant of corinth . besides , seeing they are necessitated to treat the subjects hardly , they are therefore fain to get switzers about them for their life-guards ; as not daring to trust their persons with those , whose hatred they have for these reasons contracted ; which was also the discourse of the same solon to the aforesaid tyrant of corinth . another meanes , and cause why spain should want souldiers , is , because that the spaniards , when ever they conquer any country that abounds with all manner of delights , they do so give themselves up to the full injoyment of those delights , that they thereby soften , and enervate themselves ; and laying aside all their innate fiercenesse , and yet withal securely relying upon their own strengths alone , they are easily driven out thence again . for this cause the romans , when they saw their army to be grown effeminate , and much weakned , by lying in campania , and enjoying the pleasures thereof , they presently reformed it . and at naples they never had any native for their king , by reason of the delicacy of the aire there , and venereal pleasures ; whereby all their manly courage , and gallantry of spirit is softened , and taken down . neither could any forreigners ever keep it long ; because that in processe of time they became cheap in the peoples eyes , and so became a prey to other forreigners ; as the viscardians were to the suevians , the ●uevians to those of anjou , and those of anjou , to the arraganians , and at length to the french , and the castilians : who afterwards , under the command of the great captain drove the french out of the said kingdom of naples . the like hath also happened to ●ll those fierce nothern nations , that have heretofore possessed themselves of any southern countries ; for through the softnesse , and delights of the said countries , they have at length become effeminate , and broken in their strength . and by this meanes the herulians became a prey to the goths , and the goths to the grecians : as the lombards were to the french : and as at length it befell to the vandalls also , and hunnes . thus the tartarians in like manner became the laughing-stock , and scorn of the turks ; but indeed the turk now defends himself by his guards of these northern people , after this manner . after he had once perceived , that the courage of his own nation began to cool , he presently erected certain seminaries of souldiers ( they call them seragli , that is to say , cloysters , or enclosures , ) into which he shut up all the likeliest , and ablest-bodied young boyes of all the nations that he had conquered ; where they should be taken off from acknowledging their own parents ; and should be accustomed to reverence , and own the grand signiour only , as their father : and here they are also instructed in all military arts , and in the turkish religion ; and out of these doth the great turk choose his ianizaries , for the guard of his own person ; and of these same ianizaries doth he afterwards make his bashawes , that is , his commanders , and counsellours in his wars ; as also the presidents of his provinces , and baronies ; and such of these as he finds to be studiously inclined , a●d fit for the book , he chooseth out of them the muf●ies , and the cadies , that is to say , the priests , and judges . so that although the race of the turks should faile , yet will he never be unprovided of an able souldiery ; seeing that he takes such an order to have such brought up thus for his service in every province , by the presidents of the said provinces . and the romans of old , to the end that they might never want souldiers , proposed great rewards , and honours for all such as should approve themselves valiant in war. hence we read , that ventidius , marius , and other valiant and wise persons , arrived to so great a height of renown among them ; till at length by this means they made themselves masters of the whole world. the king of spain therefore , to the end that he may remove from his souldiery these two evils , which it chiefly laboureth under , must make use of these two arts especially . first , he must presently take away from all people that he shall conquer , all their immovable goods , and must allow them only food and cloathing , and so set them to manure the ground ; and as for their sons , he may make them either souldiers , or husbandmen , according as he shall find them fittest for either of these imployments . and this will be best done in such countries , as he shall have brought into his subjection upon some certain occasion : according as ioseph did in egypt , who taking his advantage by occasion of the unexpected dearth that arose there , to the end that the people might the better be furnished with corn , he caused them to put all they had into their king pharaohs hands : from whom the turks also have learnt this art. but there will be need of a very wise man , that may be able to bring this about in our country , by taking good and plausible occasions of doing the same : or else the king may constitute some third person , as an intermediate lawgiver , ( such as ioseph was in egypt ; or plato , who was ●ent for into sicily by dionysius the tyrant ) by whose means he may , in each several province , reforme the politi● of three or five cities there ; the examples whereof the rest will afterwards follow of their own accord , when they shall but once take notice of the benefits and advantages that such a reformation brings along with it . and therefore for this end and purpose , there must be care taken especially for the providing of wise , and able preachers for these places : and i may ●elf have a certain secret to communicate , which would much promote this businesse ; which i shall reserve for the kings own ear. or if the king of spain have a purpose and re●olution of prosecuting the course already begun , ( although it seems not to be so proper a one for the new world ) my opinion is , that , considering the multitude of his conquered vassals there , and the small number of his souldiers in comparison of them ; he ought to take this course . first of all , let him shew himself bountiful to the people , by remitting their taxes , by mitigating the severity of the lawes , and by removing all occasions that the inferiour officers might have of seizing upon the subjects goods ; and restraining the souldiers from abusing the inhabitants where they come ; for which very reasons the people do not get so many children as otherwise they would , which might afterwards do the king service . and hence also it is , that their daughters , wanting good portions to put them off , are fain to become either nunnes , or whores ; and the men● to turn priests , or friers , or renegadoes ; and so to serve as souldiers in other countries . and therefore it would be much the better course to use them more courteously ; and to take this for a most certain truth , that mony doth not give men dominion over their enemies ; but rather exposeth them as a prey to others . and therefore the spaniard is in a very great errour , ( as we shall hereafter shew , ) while he thinks , that mony hath the command of all the world : whereas in truth , it is thy vassals , and thy souldiers that must make thee lord over thine enemies , and not thy mony. for , the only use of mony , is , to procure , and maintain souldiers with it . it is much better therefore , that souldiers should bear rule over any country , then mony : for by this means mutual amity , and friendship will be the better preserved betwixt the souldier and the subject . and to this purpose it would be much a safer course , if there were a law made , both in spain , and other places , that the eldest sons only should inherit their fathers estates , and the rest should all serve the king , and be pensioners to him ; then so severely to squeeze out of the people such vast summes of mony as the kings ministers do . in the second place , i would have some course to be taken for the promoting of peoples marrying , by the denying of some certain honours and priviledges to all such , who , being arrived to the age of one and twenty years , ( unlesse they be souldiers , ) do not marry : for by this means the summes required for virgins portions in marriage , which ●ath now rendred the condition of matrimony very hard , will be abated . and this is one of the principal elements of advancing a common-wealth , and was much made use of by the romans . it would do very well also , if a law were made , that the daughters of no tradesmen● or husbandmen , should bring above a hundred crowns to their husbands for their portions : and that within the compass of this law should be included all those also , who have in former time● ever been tradesmen , or mechanical persons . for now adaies , when any one hath scraped together but a hundred crowns , he presently puts the same out to use , and looks ever after to be called a gentleman , quite bidding adieu to his profession : and thus the kings tributes are diminished , not without the losse and detriment of the rest of their fellow subjects . but a circumspect and wise law-maker will be able to provide well enough against all these things . thirdly , let the king give leave to his souldiers to seize upon women in the low-countries , england , and africk , and carry them away with them by force ; which they may afterwards make their wives , according as any of them shall be invited to do so by mutual love : and these women thus caught up , i would have to be maintained at the kings charge ; who , for this cause , must enlarge the souldiers pay . but all these things are to be so ordered , that the dutch women be married to spaniards , and the african women either to germans , or low-dutch , and the spanish women to italians . for this the law of nature seems to require , that the heat of the spania●d should be rendred more fruitful by the german juycinesse ; and that the fiery temper of the african should be attempered , and allayed by the cold and moyst constitution of the netherlander ; that so both venereal desires , and fecundity too , may be the more excited , and procured ; as i have formerly shewed in my philosophy . and as concerning this temperament , the italians are good for both . and from hence will arise two advantages ; the first whereof is , that these women will embrace the christian faith : for , a woman will never be of any other religion then that which her husband , whom she loves so dearly , is of : as your northern women , who are naturally cold● love their south-country husbands , who are hot● and the sabine young women made peace betwixt the romans their ravishers , and the sabines their parents , that came to demand them of the romans , and to have them home again . and st. paul saith , that the unbelieving wife is sanctified by her believing husband ; and so on the contrary . the second advantage is , that by this meanes the king shall never be without good store of souldiers , while he shall alwaies have his souldiers sons also to make souldiers of . when therefore he shall once come to abound in souldiers by reason of this course taken to promote fructification , which i have now laid down ; it will be a means to inflame the souldiers minds , and will exceedingly encourage them to go on against any garrisons , or fortified places of the enemy , that so they may get themselves handsome women for their wives , and afterward may lye still , and take their ease . and this was a secret of plato's finding out , that souldiers should be stirred up , and encouraged to fight for love. i would also have a law made , that such souldiers , as have taken away more women then one , should be placed in some strong holds , and keep garison there ; and not be forced to follow the camp : in like manner as at naples , all those souldiers that are married , are put into the forts there : and it would do very well if such were sent away into some new colonies of the new world. fourthly , let him cause to be erected in each of his several dominions , ( as namely in spain , naples , the low-countries , &c. two , or four seminaries of souldiers , into which shall be put poor mens sons only , and bastards ; which shall be here trained up to the exercise of armes ; acknowledging the king for their father , and none else : and these , after they are once grown up to be listed for souldiers , shall go and seize upon women where they can , in an enemies country , which they may make their wives . and this will be a means to encourage poor people to get children as fast as they can , as being certainly provided of one that will breed them up for them ; and the king also shall by this means be sure to have faithful souldiers . but in forreign nations , let him erect for every several nation a several seminary ; as for example , let there be one for the moors , and another for the sons of the low-dutch : all which he shall cause to be brought up in military discipline , as the great turk doth his ianizaries . and besides , there should be certain poor women maintained in the said seminaries at the kings charge , who shall make the souldiers beds , or may spin and weave cloath for the making of sailes , or the like . then again , that such as are too near of kin may not marry , contrary to the orders of the church ; and withal , that those marriages that are made , may prove the more fruitful , i would have italian women to be married to those that are of the seminaries of the low-countries , or of spain . for by this means also , there will not so many idle persons enter themselves into religious orders , as there do , who are a great burthen to the church● for as much as ●hese men make choice of this kind of life , not out of any sense of religion , but meerly being forced out of necessity ; and so are a scandal to the rest ; and besides , the king is also hereby prejudiced , who by this means hath both the fewer vassals , and souldiers , and the smaller subsidies also . there may also be educated in these cloysters , or colledges , or call them what you please , people of all nations whatsoever : for the maintenace of whom there may revenues be taken out of the allowances of almes-houses , and hospitals appointed for the maintenance of old men , or of any other honest men ; or of such friers , as by preaching about the country get enough to sustain themselves ; and toward this charge there may be something exacted of all usurers , as i shall shew hereafter , when i come to speak of the kings treasure . and by this means the kings revenue will be so far from being diminished , that if he do lay out any thing of his own , he will rather prove a gainer by it . but now , it would be very advantagious for spain , that the spaniards should marry italian , and low-country women , and so make up one family betwixt them : for by this meanes the whole world would by little and little be brought to embrace the manners and garbe of the spaniard , and so would the easilier be brought into subjection . and those spanish souldiers that are at naples are in an errour , while they seek onely for spanish women to make wives of : and therefore the vice-roy there should see , that the spanish women should have italians , or netherlanders for their husbands ; on whom he should confer all the honours he can ; especially , where these marriages happen to be among the barons , or other persons of quality . neithe● let any one think , that those seragli , or cloysters among the turks , before spoken of , are a meere fiction : for this most excellent design hath been practised in the church ever since the apostles time : and we see how many colledges for young students the pope hath , both of germans , english , and maronites ; that are as so many seminaries of the faith. and then , the orders of st. dominick , s. francis , and the rest , are nothing else● but seminaries of apostolical souldiers , who using no armes , but their tongue only , do bring the world in subjection : and these are the very nerves of the ecclesiastical monarchy . the pope likewise promotes men of all nations to the dignities both of priests , bishops , and cardinals , having no respect either to rich or poor , barbarian or roman , ( as the apostle himself commanded ) if so be they be but wi●e , and good men. and hence it is , that his dominion is so far extended , and so united within it self ; namely through spain , the n●w world , af●ick , and france , as well as in italy ; and that by reason only of the common tie of religion , and the union of men and minds . and therefore the king , whose design it is to procure an association not of his subjects fortunes onely , but also of their persons , and armes ; unlesse he be powerful over their religion too , which is the bond of mens minds and affections , he will have but a kind of an estranged , and weak dominion among them . and it is very evident , that the emperour of germany , by reason of his subjects being of different religions , is of lesse power , then either our king is , or the duke of bavaria . and hence it is therefore that the turks have learnt wisedome , to our prejudice and damage : whilest we in the mean time transgresse against the lawes of policy , while we observe the roman , or national lawes . wherefore the king might do , what would well become a christian , if he would cause to be erected colledges of souldiers ; and would also promote to military preferments , not spaniards only , but all persons of worth and valour whatsoever ; by that means engaging them in the spanish manners , and customs : for by so doing , he should be beloved as well by strangers , as by his own subjects . and it is also consonant to the opinion of thomas aquinas , to take and baptize , in the seminaries , such children of hereticks and moores , as have been taken from an enemy in time of war ; though not to do so in time of peace : as , for example , to take the children of iewes , living at rome , perhaps , and by force to baptize them : notwithstanding that scotus approves of both these . i would have the king likewise every seven years to pardon all such as are banished persons , or are guilty of murder ; upon condition that they shall serve him as souldiers in his warres against africk , or in the new world. let him also make an act , that each several parish shall every year furnish him out one souldier a piece ; ( which is a proposal , your lordship saith , was made by a friend of yours in spain ; ) for by this means there may be raised threescore thousand souldiers , and more , in that kingdom . it will therefore be very expedient , that there should an union be made up betwixt the king and the pope , as hath been before spoken of . but it would be better , that every baron , at the end of such a set term of years , should bring in to the king such a certain number of souldiers : and it would be best of all , that the baron himself also should go in person to the wars , whensoever the king goes . and this ought to be observed not only in spain , but in all other of the kings dominions : and likewise that other rule , that only the eldest sons shall inherit their fathers estates in all places what ever . but all these rules cannot be observed any where to any great purpose , except the foundation of the nations be first reformed , namely , in making of marriages , and by erecting seminaries , or colledges of souldiers ; who should be such , as contenting themselves with meat , and drink , and cloathes onely , shall have the courage , through hope of advancement , in case they approve themselves stout and valiant persons , to attempt as daringly , and adventure upon all the most dangerous undertakings , and those greater , then even the turks janizaries are wont to venture on . and let this suffice to have been spoken concerning the means of encreasing the souldiery , and against the depopulating of countries . as touching captains , and commanders in war , they ought not to be made out of that most idle sort of men , whom they now adaies call nobiles , gentlemen : but rather let the most stout and valiant persons be chosen for this purpose ; and such as are inclined rather to severity , as hannibal was , then such as are of a courteous disposition , as was scipio . and i would have these to be chosen out of the number of souldiers , that have behaved themselves valiantly in fight , and such as have step by step got up to what places they are now in : such as were marius , sylla , ventidius , antonio de leva , cicala , and occiali . but the person to whom the whole charge of the war shall be committed , must be such a one as is of very great authority amongst the souldiery , and one that is also of the blood royal. or , if it be suspected , that such a one may possibly himself aspire to the monarchy , let there be then one chosen out of the barons , who shall be found the most fit for this trust , and who is a man that is eminent rather for real action , then for shew and ostentation . in this case , that the king may proceed the more securely , let him erect a councel , which shall consist of wise , and faithful persons , with some of some religious order or other joyned to them ; from whose hands the souldiers should receive their pay. for there was nothing that did more promote the ruine of the kings affaires in the low-countries , then the souldiers being defrauded of their pay. and therefore i would have those to be entrusted with the charge of paying the souldier , that are capuchins ; because that these men care for mony the least of any religious order of friers whatsoever . and that there may never be wanting fit persons to be made captains , and commanders , there ought to be certain peculiar seminaries erected for the education of the second , and younger sons of barons , and gentlemen ; who shall there be instructed in the art of riding the great horse , and using the javeling , of raising fortifications , and making assaults upon , and taking in of fortified places ; likewise of marshalling of battels , and laying of sieges to places ; also of managing a battel , and drawing out an army into companies , and how to give the word of command to the souldiers , and lastly , how to train up fresh-water souldiers : all which things hannibal was instructed in , when he was yet but nine years old . but now , not onely the souldiers having been cheated of their pay , but also their insolency after a victory , and their contempt of too mild a commander , often gives them occasion of mutinying . and therefore they are alwaies to be divided into regiments , and never the whole army to lye all together , but when they are to go into the field to fight ; because by this meanes the fear of the enemy will keep them in due obedience to their commander . the neglect of this one thing was the cause of all those mischeifs that the carthaginians felt , after the second punick war ; and it was destructive also to the romans themselves , in the time of furius camillus . let the authors therefore of all mutinies among the souldiers be immediately put to death in the face of the whole army , as speridius heretofore was ; and he that caused the army of charles the fifth to mutiny ; so that he was forced to retreat back from austria , and go into italy again ; for it is ●he duty of these men to be able to make use of their swords , rather then of their tongues . and what persons soever are condemned to die , let them suffer by the hands of the army , rather then by the commanders ; least by this meanes he should draw an odium upon himself . but yet he ought oftentimes to pardon those that are guilty of death , especially when not a few only , but the whole army become intercessors for them : as was the case of papirius , torquatus , and drusus , as it is reported by titus liviu● , and cornelius tacitus . the spaniards are good foot souldiers even in mountainous places , or when they are to fight from a wall in defending any strong hold. the french and netherlanders are good horsemen , and charge notably well in an open field● and at the first onset . the italians would do well at both these , did not the abusing of their own proper inclinations spoyl them . all mountainous people , as the biscaines , switzers , and the italians that inhabit the appennine ; so likewise the saxons● are excellent foot souldiers , and are naturally desirous of liberty ; they are also accounted very faithful , though not very subtle . those that inhabit champian countries , as the andalusians , castilians , austrians , hungarians , and neopolitans , are excellent horsemen ; and are to be kept in obedience by a strict hand ; but they are each of them both an unfaithful , and a subtile kind of people . all these considerations a general must exactly observe , if he intends to manage his army discreetly , and according to art ; unlesse he have the skill of judging of the dispositions of his souldiers by physiognomy , as iulius caesar had . after any of his souldiers are arrived to the age of fifty yeares , he must then encourage them with gifts ; that so they be may enticed to stay the longer in the service ; and when they once come to the age of five and fifty , he must either put them into castles , and strong holds , or else he must dismisse them quite , and let them go to their homes . he must accustome his souldiers also to carry burthens , or to carry forth the earth in making entrenchments , as the romans were wont to do when they wanted men to dig their trenches . or let him put them to make bridges , or to mend the gallies , as caesar● army did in the low-countries and in england . and although the fortune of the wars does not alwayes favour those that have the greatest armies , as may be seen in the example of alexander the great , who with thirty thousand old souldiers subdued the whole world : and of scanderbeg , and of iulius caesar also , who with small numbers conquered multitudes , yet however it is a very good thing to be alwaies provided with good full numbers of souldiers . and hence it is , that the turk hath almost in all battels been the conquerour : for having such a multitude of souldiers as he hath , and placing all the most inconsiderable of them in the van , our souldiers having spent themselves in fighting with , and cutting off these , are at length fallen upon by the janizaries who are fresh , as not having struck a stroak before , and so are overcome . this course of his , i confesse i should like well enough , were i● not a wicked and inhumane one . therefore such commanders are to be sent into the wars , as are both expert souldiers , and such as will propose to themselves the advantage , and glory of christianity only , and not their own glory ; neither ought he upon every slight occasion to expose his men to death . and besides , the general must sometimes , as occasion shall require , take care in person of his maimed , and sick souldiers ; that by this means he may the more indear himself to them . he is also to have preachers to go along with him in his army , who are to put him in mind of god , after the example of the maccabees . and if a commander would conquer his enemy with a small number , it will concern him that he have more of his own souldiers with him , then either of auxiliaries , or hired souldiers , or of those that are guarders of the frontiers : least , when they come to the point , they all run away . there are many more observations required to the making up of a perfect commander ; all which i cannot here set down ; my design being at present to deliver such things as concern spain only . but above all● care must be taken , that the souldiers be not used like beasts ; who , if they have but their wages duly paid them ; and , if when they are wounded , they be caref●lly looked to ; and be encouraged also to shew themselves valiant men through the hopes of military glory , and by hearing good preachers , and by rewards ; they will then never think either of running away , or of revolting ; which are two of the greatest mischiefs that can befal an army . i would also have some persons appointed , out of some of the religious orders , to commit to writing the famous and memorable acts of each particular souldier ; which should be read openly , before the king , when ever he bestowes rewards upon his souldiers . for this is the reason , why the barons refuse to serve in person in the wars , saying ; the king himself is not there , to be an eye witnensse of my valour ; and i cannot confide in the treacherous memories of envious commanders . neither would i have the souldiers to be rewarded with mony only , but sometimes also with some coronet , either of oak , or of olive ; which is a most magnificent argument of honour to them , and of no charge to the prince ; and by this means they will be the more faithf●l , and constant to him. for an other mans mony may in like manner buy and sell perhaps that faith , which you have so purchased of them ; but such honour it cannot : seeing it is a most ignominious thing , even in the esteem of an enemy himself , for any one to forsake his king. and therefore it should be lawful for any man to kill such a one , as should begin to run away ; or , that goes abroad a pillaging without the leave of his commander : which very thing hath often hindered the obtaining of victory against the enemy ; and those that are of least account in the army do by these courses enrich themselves , while the valiant souldier fights it out to the last drop of blood in his body . what souldier soever shall fill up the place of his slain fellow-souldier , or protects him , and saves his life ; he should have a coronet of oak granted him : this was called by the romans , corona civica . that souldier , that shall first get upon the enemies walls , should have a mural coronet , made of herbs wreathed together in form of a coronet ; which he should recieve at the hands of the general , whiles the rest of the army standing round about shall celebrate his gallantry with acclamations and songs , according to the ancient custome of the romans . for , these two things , punishment , and reward , are the two pillars whereon all military discipline is founded and built : the former whereof deterrs the souldier from wicked courses ; as the latter pricks him on to do gallant things : the former was devised for the restraining of vile● rebellious spirits ; as the latter was for the encourage●ent of the generous , and valiant : the former serves instead of a bridle , as the later doth of a spur. alexander the great erected , for the honour of his souldiers that were slain at the river granicus , statues of marble , in a most stately manner . the king of siam , that he might encourage his souldiers to fight bravely , took care to have the names of all those that had behaved themselves gallantly in the wars , to be registred in a book , and afterwards to be recited before him : which was the custome also of king ahasuerus , as the holy scripture testifieth . whensoever there are any designs on foot for the gaining any large kingdom , or empire ; the king ought alwayes to go in person to the wars ; because that princes that are warlick , alwaies get more then those that are sluggish and negligent : which is a consideration of great importance for all such princes , as desire to enlarge their dominions . but if they care only to preserve their own , they may then stay at home themselves ; provided that they set valiant , and faithful commanders over their souldiers . however , it will concern a prince that he get an opinion of being a warlike man , unlesse he mean to be despised by all people ; or let him make an open shew that he loves wars . and to the end that he may be the more secure of victory , let him alwaies take with him good store of souldiers ; that so he may neither lose his reputation , nor be despised by his enemies . those defeats of his armies are the least hurtful to him , where he himself was not present at the engagement . strength of his forces at sea , wherein the genoese , portugals , and hollanders do most excel , is also a most necessary businesse . for , whoever shall make himself master of the seas , the same shalll command all by land also . chap. xvi . of the treasury of spain . it is necessary that the king have a full treasury , if it be but for the keeping up of his reputation abroad : for , as the world goes now a dayes , the power of princes is valued according to the fulnesse of their purses , rather then the largenesse of their territories . and therefore not only in the time of war , but of peace also , it behoves a prince to have alwaies good store of ready mony by him : for it is a very hard , and dangerous businesse also , especially when he is now already engaged in a war , to expect , and wait till monies can be raised . tolle moras : semper nocuit differre paratis . it is necessary therefore , that there be monies alwayes in a readinesse for the raising of souldiers in an instant : least while you are employed in getting mony together , your enemy be before hand with you . to this end augustus caesar erected a military treasury , as suetonius testifieth ; and that he might alwaies , and without any trouble be provided of mony for the raising , and paying of his souldiers , he filled the same with new taxes , and impositions . and certainly very many wonder how it comes to passe , that the king of spain , whose yearly revenues amount to above twenty millions , hath not by this time made himself universal monarch of all christendome , nor hath all this while so much as as once set upon the turk . to whom i answer , that this is nothing at all to be wondred at , if they would but take notice , that the reason of this it , because he hath not the skill to lay hold on occasion , when it is offered him ; which very thing hath hitherto upheld the fortune of all great empires , for there was an occasion given him at the uniting of the kingdomes of castile and arragon , and of naples , and millan : but there was a much fairer offered to charles the v. who was a man of a warlike spirit ; & being king of spain , was afterwards chosen also emperour of germany ; by al which advantages he might have been able to have made himself lord of the whole earth , had he but known as well how to give lawes to those he conquered , as he knew how to conquer them . this prince took tunis , and having driven thence ariodenus the turk , he made muleasses king of that place , without changing the former state of the kingdom at all . after this he conquered germany ; that is to say , the protestant princes there : whom he devested of their electoral dignity , substituting into their places their brethren , and kinsmen : but otherwise , leaving them in the same state he found them . and although he had once got luther himself into his hands and power ; yet , looking after the empty fame only of being accounted a merciful prince , he let him go again ; that so he might have the opportunity ( forsooth ) of seducing all germany , and the n●therlands . he took f●ancis , the king of france ; and then set him again at liberty ; that so he might raise up a new war against him , and thereby frustrate all that he had done before . he also took in the cities of sienna , florence ; and bestowed them upon the family of the medici ; that so he might procure himself more powerful enemies by the bargain . for , whosoever is raised by any one to some degree of power , what service soever is due from him to his rayser , he will be sure to decline the doing it as much as he can : and therefore he seeks all the occasions he can of shaking off the yoak , that he may make his benefactor , his enemy : which very thing was done by the dukes of florence , and by maurice , prince elector of saxony , against charles the fifth . and indeed such benefits as , by reason of the greatnesse of them , cannot any way be returned ; commonly they draw a hatred upon the virtue of the benefactor : as we see it evidently fell out in the case betwixt the aforementioned francis , king of france , and charles the fifth . another cause that this monarchy hath not yet hitherto been brought about , is this , because that philip could not succeed his father , not so much as in the war , and therefore lost both the low-countries , together with the imperial titles . but that affliction which also fell upon him by the losse of charles , his son , was the most grievous of all the rest : for he would have been able to have maintained the wars in his stead : which seeing the king of spain is not able to do , he is constrained alwaies to defend , and make good the bounds of his kingdom rather , then to endeavour to enlarge them : and to look to his commanders , and see that they do not pillage the countries where their command lies , and enrich themselves out of the kings treasure ; it being their onely care , how to keep up such a trade of war , by which they may make advantage to themselves , rather then any way enlarge the kings dominions . i shall therefore here lay down these rules , ( though they are not so proper for this place ) that when any new country is conquered , that is of a different religion , and manner of government , the natives are presently to be removed out of it and carried into some other country , where they may serve as slaves ; and their children are to be baptized , and may be either put into the seminaries before spoken of , or else sent into the new world ; and into this conquered country may be sent colonies of spaniards , under the conduct of so●e wise and faithful commander . which course ought to have been taken by charles the fifth at tunis ; who should also have carried away muleasses to naples . and he should by right have done the very same thing in germany ; namely , in saxony , in the marquisat of brandenburg , and the lantgravedome of hessen : into which countries he should have sent new colonies , under the command of new governours . the free cities also he should have suppressed and have taken away their priviledges : and lastly , he should have made three cardinals the governous of all germany . but when any new country is taken in , that is not of a different religion , but only differing in government , let him then change nothing at all , in matters that concern the people : but only let him set strong guards upon the country ; and let the chief officers be chosen all out of the kings party , but the inferiour out of the common people of the place : the lawes whereof may also be altered by little and little , and made to conforme to the kings lawes , either by heightning , or abating the rigour of them , according as the condition and temper of the place shall require . all authors , or heads of factoins must be presently removed out of the way , either by death , if they have been enemies ; or , if they have been friends , they must be carried away into spain , that they may there receive baronies for their reward , or may have liberty of free traffick into the kings dominions granted them . but the chief heads of such people as he shall subdue , he must never suffer to continue in their places ; which course ought to have been taken with the strozzi , medici , cappones , petruccij , and other ringleaders and heads of factions , at sienna , and florence . and indeed the same course should have been taken with francis king of france , that so he might have had no further opportunity of attempting any thing against charles the v. but as for the hereticks , and luther , the best way would have been to have suppressed them , under some other pretense , presently after the breaking up of the diet at ausburg ; as i shall shew hereafter . and if cha●les the fifth had but taken these courses , he had never left behind him so much work and trouble for king philip ; and perhaps his young son charles too might have been alive at this day ; and might perhaps by his arms have added africk , hungary , macedonia , italy , and england to his dominions . but he , as i have before said , was the onely cause of all those evills , which we see at this day . so that i do not wonder at all , that notwithstanding the vast treasures of the king of spain , yet the bounds of his monarchy are not all this while enlarged . but i rather wonder , that so wealthy a prince hath not laid up all such his revenues , for necessary uses against times of need ; which might have been his ruin . for if so be his negotiation by sea should be stopt , or interrupted but for one five , or six yeares space together , or that his plate fleet should be intercepted in its return home from the west-●ndies , would it not be so sore a cut to him , as that he must of necessity be forced to oppresse his own snbjects by laying most heavy and unusual taxes upon them , and so draw upon himself their hate ? and besides , should he not also undoe all his merchants , and defraud his souldiers of their pay , and by that means be in danger of losing them upon every the least occasion ? and indeed it is a thing much to be wondred at , how , and which way such vast summes of mony should come to be wasted , and yet the king not any thing at all the better for it ; for we see , that he is still poor for all this , and is almost continually borrowing mony of others . and therefore i say , that it is impossible but that things should alwayes succeed ill with him , so long as there is no provision made for the remedying of this mischief . yet i do not say , that a kings whole strengh consists only in his mony ; but he is to consider , that mony alone will do little toward the subduing of an enemy . and indeed we read that iulius caesar , by his great knowledge in military affaires , and having withal the love of his souldiers● though they were but a very small army , to speake of , yet for all this conquered the whole world. and so likewise the saracens , tartarians , and hunnes , without any mony , made themselves lords of almost the whole world. we confesse therefore , that mony is of excellent good use , and most necessary for a prince , for the preserving and making good the bounds of his dominions ; but not at all for the enlarging of them , by adding new provinces to the same . and therefore let him believe , that the sinews of his strength lye in something else then his mony. for , that faith that is purchased by mony , may again be sold for mony. and therefore i beseech you , do but observe , how in france our king philip by his mony procured the dukes of maine , ioycuse , mercoeur , and guise , to take up armes against the king of navarre ; and then again , how the king of navarre by the same meanes got over the very same men to his side , after they found king philip to be grown somewhat close-sisted , and not to come off with his mony so freely as before . and in like manner the commanders , and souldiers in the low-countries do now a daies rather exercise the profession of hucksters , then of souldiers : for , they do not fight , that they may overcome their enemy ; but that they may make a gain of their serving in the wars ; and so have made armes , which are the instruments of monarchy , to be the instruments of their covetousnesse , and their sports . and the king deceives himself , whiles he pursues all covetous designs ; for , he hath mony enough , if he have but souldiers enough ; and if there be withal but mutual love betwixt him and them , and a due regard had to their several merits ; which things if they be wanting , he shall be sure to be a sufficient loser in the end . first therefore , and above all things , let the king endeavour to treasure up to himself the minds and affections of his subjects and vassals , and indear himself to them , by his own gallantry both in peace , and in war ; making himself admired by them , by making profession of , and proposing to them some new sciences , &c. as hath been said before . secondly , let him raise himself a treasure of his subjects bodies , by causing them to multiply by frequency of marriages ; to which they are to be encouraged by honours , and other inticements , &c. as was also touched before . and in the third place , let him raise himself a treasure out of the wealth of his subjects , whiles he makes them rich , by taking care that agriculture , and manuring of the ground be promoted ; and that the making of silks , woollen cloath , and the like useful and profitable arts , and trades be set on foot , and diligently followed ; rather , then that such courses should be taken , as we see now adaies every where ; whiles in the smaller towns , most people give themselves to usury ; and in the greater cities men for the most part apply themselves to merchandise , and extorsion . the pope raises up his treasures in the minds of men ; and therefore is he a conquerour ; because that this , being conjoyned with eloquence and wisedom , is the onely instrument by which that treasure is acquired . and hence it was , that the saracens , by the use of their tongue , and also by making profession of new sciences , and of a new religion , became conquerours . iulius caesar raised himself a treasure both in minds and bodies ; by his own personal virtue and gallantry , winning to himself , and obliging the hearts , and affections of the whole souldiery . but the ta●tarians , and hunnes did this by bodies only ; rendring them so fruitful , as that by reason of their vast numbers , they were fain to leave their native soyl , marching out of it in huge bodies , ( like swarms of bees ) and seizing upon others territories . but now the king may , by his own just right , exact all these treasures at the hands of his subjects ; as namely , religion , by placing able preachers among them ; love , by good lawes , the subjects profit , and true justice ; and multiplication of them , by the waies before laid down , where i spoke touching the encreasing of the number of the souldiery : and let him require of each several nation , that , which they most abound in ; as , people , from the germans ; souldiers , from the spaniards ; commanders in war , and garments , from the italians ; from the west-indies , gold ; but not the contrary . we may truly affirm , that the new world hath in a manner undone the old ; for it hath sowen covetousnesse in our minds , and hath quite extinguished mutual love among men . for , all the world are wretchedly in love with gold only : and hence it is , that men are become deceitful , and fraudulent in their dealings , and have often sold , and re-sold their faith for hire ; because they saw that mony was that , that did the businesse every where , and that was held in admiration by all people ; and so they are come now to despise all sciences , and holy sermons , in comparison of mony ; and have bid adieu both to agriculture , and other arts , applying themselves only to look after the fertility and increase of mony , and to get themselves into rich mens houses . it hath likewise introduced a great disparity amongst men , making them either too rich● whence they become proud , and insolent ; or else , leaving them too poor , whence proceeds envy , theft , and open robbery . hence also it is , that the prices of corn , wine , flesh , oyl , and cloath , are very much raised ; because that no man applies himself to this kind of merchandise ; whence followes want , and penury ; and yet monies in the mean while must be laid out : in so much , that the poorer sort , being not able to hold out in the world , are fain either to put themselves into service ; or else betake themselves to robbing upon the high-way , or else turn souldiers , being necessitated to do so through poverty , and not at all for love either of the king , or of religion ; and many times also they run away from their colours , or else change them : neither do they endeavour to get children in a lawful way of marriage , because they are not able to pay taxes : or else perhaps they try all the waies that possibly they can , to get to be admitted into some covent or other for friers , or preachers . i therefore here leave it to the king to consider , whether or no he may not rather be overcome by gold , which is the cause of so many evils . i say therefore , that there are many things here that stand in need of a reformation , that so the kings treasury may grow rich , and that he himself may have greater testimonies of his subjects love , and fidelity : which might easily be brought about , if so be that those rules before laid down , touching the encreasing the number of the subjects , and the remitting and abating the taxes and exactions laid upon them , were but observed : and if the king , going into the wars himself in person , would by that means chalk out , to his wise and valiant commanders , and souldiers , the way to honour , rather then to covetousnesse ; and would also propose new arts , and sciences . so likewise if he would make some such lawes , to which those that are obedient , should have their former honours continued to them ; but the refractory , and disobedient should have disgraces cast upon them : and to perswade obedience to which lawes , there should in the second place , some profit , and advantage be proposed for such : but , in the third place , before the disobedient should be laid down the fear of punishment : to which our modern writers absurdly attribute the first place , in relation to the due observing of lawes ; who having regard to the time rather , then to religion , require fear in subjects , rather then love : because that the rulers of the gentiles preferred this later , before the former ; and so taught that wicked wretch , macchiavel , and other the like polititians , those rules . but if there be no place left for a reformation , it is then necessary , that , respect being had to the present abuses , there should be good store of treasure got up together ; lest at length the king should be undone by use-mony , or some other losses should fall upon him ; in case the plate fleet should not return back from the west-indies in three or four years together perhaps . i shall first therefore lay down the usual rules , in this case ; and then , such other as i my self have thought upon . first therefore , there must be matter administred for the promoting of vsury , and vsurers ; and every one of them is to be bound , under a certain penalty , to have alwaies a stock of monies lying by them ; that so , when there shall be any necessity , the king may know where to fetch presently good store of large summes of mony : which course is to be taken in all the chief cities , both in the kingdome of naples , and of spain . then , when any great war is near at hand , the said summes of mony are to be called for at the said usurers hands ; and that , by the intervening too of the popes authority , that so the king may not draw upon himself alone the hatred , and ill will of his subjects . secondly , let him introduce the tribute of apulia , ( which was brought up by king ferdinand ) through all the provinces that are under him , imposing it either in the same , or some other the like form. thirdly , let him cause all the barons to bring in what summes of mony they have , binding them thereto in the name of religion , and the crown of spain , to which they are joyned , and engaged . fourthly , let him procure of the pop● indulgences and croisados for all his kingdomes ; and those summes of mony , that shall be raised by the same , he shall lay up in some treasury , where they may encrease to such a quantity , as that an army may be raised out of them , which may be sent into the holy land. fifthly , let him get an injunction from the pope , that , for the space of five years , all churches , monasteries , bishopricks , and parishes throughout all his provinces , shall pay in a certain sum of mony into the sacred treasury , so called , as being collected for the making of a war against the infidels ; that is to say , five in the hundred , of all their revenues ; but so , that every year there should be an abatement made of one : as namely , the first year they should pay five in the hundred , the second year four● the third three , and so on , till the five years be expired . but the venetians exact the tenths . and this course may be taken● betwixt the king and the pope , under the pretense of making a war upon the infidels . after all this is done , let him then appoint two bishops to be the treasurers of this mony. sixthly , let the king , by his treasurers , traffick in every country , with such commodities as are used there ; as in calabria , with silks ; in apulia , with wheat ; in sicily , with oyl ; for by this means he will divert his subjects from applying themselves to usury , and will cause them to attend more the manuring of the ground , and withal will hereby mightily enrich himself . seventhly , let him send out into every city , and town , especially in the kingdom of naples , a commissary , having a counsellour joyned with him , who shall be one of the clergy , to make enquiry into all usurers ; and to cause them to make it appear by the testimony of three witnesses , that they have taken no other use , then what is allowed to be taken by the custome of the kingdom : and where they shall find any to have done otherwise , to seize upon all they are worth , and carry it away to some publick place for the king's use . but then , the king may afterwards restore half of it to them again , if he think fit : as for example ; suppose his officers took away from any of these usurers ten thousand crownes ; he may then restore to the owner five thousand crownes of his mony again . for they are a hateful sort of people , and are despised by all men ; so that you need never fear that they will rebel : and besides , the people , when ever they see them ruined , will be very glad of it , neither will any of them take their parts ; and indeed the usurers themselves , when they have half of their estates left them , will think themselves very well dealt withal . and with the rest of such monies the king may set up a bank of charity , where poor people shall take up monies upon their pawn ; but upon this condition , that if they redeem not their pawn by the limited time , that then it shall be forfeit to the king. and afterward with the mony arising from hence , he may drive a trade of merchandise , as the usurers themselves use to do : or else he may with those monies erect cloysters , or seminaries for souldiers , and poor women , as hath been shewed before . and if some of the clergy were sent abroad with the like commissions to inquire into the barons also , it would do them much good , both in reference to their soul , body , and state ; who otherwise by their arts would swallow up , and devour the whole world. eighthly , let him require an account of all the kings ministers , and commissioners , for the whole time of their being employed in their offices : and whatsoever fines shall be set upon their heads , let it be put into the treasury ; or the king may remit half to them , if he please ; or lesse , as he shall see cause : and by taking this course with them , both himself and his subjects shall be much advantaged , and have cause to rejoyce . ninthly , let him call all those before him , that have been condemned by any sentence of judgment , or have any waies been branded with any note of infamy ; and let him command all such judgments passed against them , within the space of five years past , to be burnt : by which act of his , the offenders will reckon themselves highly honoured ; but yet , for this favour of the kings , they shall be bound to pay down such a certain summe of mony. tenthly , let every one that enters first into any great city , such as naples is , or into any garrison , such as is that of cotron , pay something at his entrance , under pretense of taking notice of all that enter in . then , let there be an imposition laid upon all things whatsoever , that are used both for necessity and superfluity ; but upon things of necessary use , as meat , drink , oyl , and the like , the imposition should not be great ; but upon things of superfluity , it should be higher . as , upon cards , let there be put an imposition of two carolines ; and upon dice , one caroline ; upon every quire of writing paper , one grain ; upon every pair of gloves , half a caroline : but upon silks , and garments richly wrought with needlework , and embroideries of silver and gold , there must be higher impositions laid , for the benefit of the king. but i would have the greatest impositions to be laid upon whores ; as at naples , and in all other places , the taxe should be encreased half a ducat upon every bawdy-house . neither should baths , or play-houses , and players be exempted from these impositions ; nor yet innes , taverns● or any houses of publick entertainment whatsoever . and in all things let the rule before laid down be observed ; namely , that necessary things should have but a small imposition put upon them ; but a greater , upon those that are not necessary . likewise the king , when he is pressed by any great necessity of the state , may have an estimate made of all his subjects lands , and accordingly impose taxes and tributes upon the same . and that this should be done , is both right and just : for● every private good ought to serve the publique good ; without which , mens private estates could not be upheld , and subsist . but i would have these to be , not personal , but real taxes ; that is , they should not be levied upon the persons , by the pole , but upon their estates : lest otherwise the whole burthen of these taxes should ly upon the shoulders of the poor only , as it uses to do for the most part . for the gentry use to shake off the burthen that is imposed upon them , and cast it upon the commons ; as , in like manner , the principal cities cast off theirs upon the country-man : which is against all justice and equity in the world. neither ought any goods to be taxed , but only such as are certain , and immoveable ; for , the duke of alva , going about to lay a taxe upon all goods indifferently , as well moveable , and uncertain , as others , caused the whole country of the netherlands to rise up against him . and if at any time , when the urgent necessities of the kingdome shall so require , you will lay a taxe upon moveable , and uncertain goods also ; i should like it well enough , if there were the same course taken in proceeding herein , as they use to take in some certain cities of germany ; as namely , norimberg , ausp●rg , collen , and some others ; where they use to put every man to his oath . yet that way of imposing taxes is the more just , and legal , that put them upon all manner of merchandise , and commodities , that are either exported abroad , or imported into any of the kings dominions : for it is but just , and reasonable , that whosoever makes any gain to himself in our country , or by our commodities , he should pay something in consideration thereof . and whereas all such merchants are either the kings subjects , or else are forraigners ; it is fit that we should exact greater customs from forraigners , then from our own merchants : which rule the great turk observes at this day ; exacting ten in the hundred upon all commodities that are imported from alexandria by forraigners ; but taking but five in the hundred of his own merchants . in england all forrain merchants pay four times as much in customs , as the natives do ; but in denmark they pay but three times ; and so their payments are diverse , according to the diversity of places . to summe up all in a word ; wheresoever all those things that are necessary for the substentation of mans life , are found in greatest abundance and plenty , to that place will there ever be a conflux of riches : so that it will concern every prince to use his utmost endeavours in bringing his subjects to apply themselves to husbandry , and the following all sorts of arts and manufactures : of which we have spoken elsewhere more at large . then , i would have all those waies of raising of mony , that are hateful to the people , either to be quite taken away , or else to have some other name put upon them : in like manner as the taxes also , and impositions paid into the exchequer ought to be somewhat abated , and to be exacted of the subject under some other name . and hence it was● that augustus caesar did not stile himself , king , but onely , tribune ; because that the name of a king was hateful to the romans . and therefore i would have the name of tribute , to be changed to erogations , or contribution : and these names also i would have to be altered perpetually . and because the name of donative is now become hateful , and loathsome to the people , the king may do well to lay aside that name , and put some other upon it . but i shall not discourse so very particularly , and punctually of these things here , as i could . the kings trafficking with the genoeses , is as good as a treasure to him : let him therefore use all the means he can , to procure liberty of exercising the like traffick and commerce with other nations and countries . there are also many other extraordinary profits which princes may raise to themselves , partly from their own subjects , and partly also from forraigners : such as are casualties , confiscations , escheats , donatives , portions , honoraries , as they call them , and many other the like ; of all which i should speak particularly : but i have resolved to keep this discourse , till i shall have an opportunity of speaking thereof in the presence of his majestie . chap. xvii . of the peoples love , and hate : and also of conspiracies . it may perhaps be thought fit by some , that in common-wealths , mutual love should be maintained amongst all fellow-citizens , for the benefit of the publick ; as we see it is among the venetians : but that in all monarchical governments , hatred , and dissentions are to be sowen abroad among the subjects ; lest otherwise , when any of them were injured by the prince , the rest should joyn in revenging their fellow-subjects wrong upon the prince ; or lest they should at any time all unanimously conspire against him : and so all the subjects love should be joyntly bent against the king. but this rule is most absurd , several waies . first , because it makes the king to be a most cruel tyrant , who takes care of himself alone , and not of his subjects in general : and so by this means , through the mutual hatred of his subjects , the king doth not at all procure their love , but rather kindles their envy against himself , and so lives in continual fear . secondly , because all natural dominion requires concord amongst the people , that so they may be able more stoutly , and effectually to resist all enemies whatsoever ; and may oblige one another by mutual offices , both at home , and in war. and therefore all good lawgivers have used their utmost endeavors , to procure a union , and , as it were , a knitting together of subjects , by the bonds of mutual love , and of unity in religion : and therefore they have provided , that they should all meet together in churches , to the end that they might the better know the reason why they ought to love one another : for , ignoti nulla cupido : no man desires● what he knowes not . and upon this consideration it was , that plato forbad all private chappels : and moses also gave order , that there should be erected but one temple only , in the whole kingdom of the iews ; that so , all of them concurring , and agreeing together in one religion , and in the love of one only god , might every way fill up one compleat mutual love amongst themselves . and to this end , besides marriages , were clienteles , or multitudes of clients , and followers designed ; and diverse other institutions , tending to the promoting , and advancing of mutual profit , and advantage . as likewise companies of merchants ; and officious relations to great persons , taken up upon designe of doing them service , or honour . and all these things are profitable to the prince ; but so is not the hatred of his people ; for this proved very prejudicial to france . and such contests betwixt the prince and his subjects have made for the advantage of the see of rome , when ever the people got the better of it : although the contrary happened in florence . for there , the conquering plebeians did not raise themselves to the condition of gentlemen ; but , on the contrary the gentry debased themselves down to the state of plebeians ; the contrary whereof happened at rome . and therefore my advice is , that the prince should use his utmost endeavour to procure , that there be a mutual love and correspondence among his subjects . now this mutual love is maintained , first , by their unity in religion ; and by rooting out all those that endeavour to sow tares abroad ; which was the losse of the netherlands . secondly , by spaniards marrying with any other nations whatsoever ; thirdly , by having commerce and traffick with several nations ; fourthy , by introducing an equality amongst them ; for this is an error , which hath now spread it self over all the christian world , that one man should be very poor , and another very rich ; which was a thing that plato hated perfectly . whereas a parity , or equality between fellow-subjects is a meanes of removing all envy , rapine , pride , hatred , and effeminatenesse from among them . and hence it was , that moses commanded the iewes , that every seventh year , all families should have their inheritances restored unto them again ; and all servants , that were of their own nation , should be set at liberty , and have also some thing given them by their patrons , at their going off ; withall informing them , that this was agreeable to the law , and will of god. and for this reason also almes-houses , hospitals , and other the like places for charitable uses were erected ; that so honour might be preserved amongst them with some equality . salust testifieth , that there were never any conspiracies contrived by any of the romans against their country , till such time as a few persons had gotten into their hands the wealth of many ; that is to say , such as crassus , pompey , and caesar. and in luthers , and calvin's time , the country peasants in germany rose up in armes aginst the nobility and gentry , only because those two having trampled under foot the evangelicall truth , had sowen tares , and the seeds of sedition , and subversion of states every where ; to the ruine of whole kingdomes . and even in our daies also we see that you shall have one man that hath a hundred thousand crowns a year ; and a thousand other men again that have hardly each of them a hundred crowns a year a piece . and all that wealth will he spend upon dogs , horses , jesters , and in gold trappings for his horses ; or else upon whores , which is worse . and if at any time a poor man shall be put to go to law with him for any thing , he is so far from being able to prosecute his action against him , as that he is rather fain to get out of the way as fast as he can , or else he may chance to be forced to end his dayes in prison : mean while that the rich man does every where what he li●ts , without controule ; because , forsooth , he hath mony to corrupt the judges with . and indeed , our judges , for the most part , are such as have been made judges either for favour , or for mony ; as we s●e it commonly fals out in all smaller cities : which certainly is a most pernicious thing to all principalities . for , it is almost an impossible thing , that a judge that will take a bribe , should ever discharge his office honestly : for , as god himself testifieth , a gift blindeth the wise. which , it is very likely , will be the practise of him that buyeth his office with mony ; and so entreth into it , not as into a field overrun with thorns and briers , but rather as into a most plentiful and rich harvest . and therefore i shall here take the liberty ( though it be somewhat beside my present purpose ) to admonish all polititians whatsoever , that they should take this for a certain rule ; that whosoever sells his offices for mony , the same desires that his ministers should be theeves . lewis the twelfth of france was wont to say , that those that buy offices , were like merchants ; who buy goods altogether at any easie rate ; and afterwards sell them off in parcels at a dear rate . but to returne to our purpose . although our rich man is very liberal , and is at great cost and charges in the maintaining , and richly cloathing of his servants and retainers ; yet is not the common-wealth any thing at all the better for this , but rather suffers by it . first of all , because by this means he obligeth them to himself onely , and makes them so much his own , as that they will be ready to follow him against any person whatsoever , even the king himself : which thing was attempted heretofore by that roman , spurius melius , against his country : and therefore the venetians , fearing this very thing , suffer not any to keep about them any great retinue . then besides , it renders them soft , and effeminate ; and makes them to be flatterers , and proud pimps , and bawds to their patrons lust : and so by this means here is erected , as it were , a seminary of most idle and vile persons ; who after they have once gotten themselves wives , do then by their crafty wiles oppresse poor men , and begin to spread abroad the poyson of their wickednesse far and near . and for this reason it was , that bishops have oftentimes forbidden those prelats that have been under their jurisdiction , the use of a numerous retinue ; though here , there was no great need of any such interdiction . for although that such servants of prelates are not in truth honest , and good men ; yet are they forced at least to appear such in those places ; and so they give the lesse scandal to the world. wherefore the king ought to endeavour to introduce an equality by restraining all numerous retinues . let him moreover indulge the common people so much , as that for the space of whole ten years , they shall pay onely the one half of their taxes ; and for the other half , let him exact the payment of it at the hands of the barons , and others that are artificers . i would also have those lawes , and arts , spoken of before , where i treated of the barons , and usurers , to be brought into use . but for as much as the spaniards are hated by all nations , the best course would be , that the king should endeavour to reconcile them to the spaniard by intermarrying with them ; and also by erecting such military seminaries , into which should be admitted indifferently , and be there maintained , souldiers of all other nations . for by this means the king shall have both a more copious , and also a better tempered , and more generous army : as we see chestnut graffes , when they are set upon other stocks , bring forth the better fruit . and this very course god himself is wont to take ; who , that he may render all mankind the more noble , uses to transplant the people of the northern parts , and to remove them into the more southern : which he also does for some other causes ; which yet are all , save one or two , unknown to us . after this let the king of spain so order his affairs , as that not only his subjects may live together in mutual love amongst themselves , but also that he himself may be beloved by them : which thing he may easily effect , by enacting profitable lawes , by encreasing the number of his subjects , by remitting their taxes and impositions ; by bringing in an equality amongst them ; and lastly , by not omitting even those things also , of which we spoke before . and because that nothing is so destructive to a prince , as the stirring up of the subjects hate against himself : whence it is , for the most part , that conspiracies , and treasons are plotted against both prince , and state ; it would be very well , if all the subjects were of the same religion that the prince is of : for nothing in the world doth more set men at variance , then diversity of religion . and this , the king of france hath found to be true , by his own sad experience . but it is here necessary , that the prince should shun those two extreams , to wit , hypocrisie , ●ud superstition . god is truth , and will be worshipped in truth , and with a clear , upright mind . let our prince therefore be sure , that he approve himself to be a pious , and religious prince without hypocrisie , ( by which tiberius caesar did himself much wrong , ) and without any apparent softnesse , or effeminatenesse . but nothing more commends a prince to his people , then to be furnished both with domestick , and military vertues ; which are sufficient to engage all his subjects , of all ranks and conditions whatsoever , to be faithful to him : for , these are the foundation , and groundwork of all principalities . for as the elements , and all bodies compounded of them , do without any reluctancy obey the motions of the celestial bodies , by reason of their ingenit excellencie of nature ; and in the revolutions of the celestial orbes themselves , the inferiour follow the motion of the superiour ; in like manner do all men willingly submit , and yeeld themselves up to such a prince , in whom they find all eminent vertues shining forth . for , this is an impression of nature , imprinted on all , that no inferiours refuse to yeeld obedience to those that are above , or better then themselves . for it is received by the eternal law of nature , that inferiours should obey their superiours : and it is the bond of faith , ( saith livy ) to obey our betters . and● our superiours commands are to be obeyed ; saith another author . and a●istotle sayes , that natural reason requires , that those that do excel in wit , and iudgment , should govern those that are not so excellent therein . when any prince therefore is eminent for vertue , it gains him the love of his people : especially , if he shall but make it appear to them , that he loves them with a fatherly love , admitting them to come into his presence , and to discourse with him , and withall looking into the accounts of his inferiour ministers ; and alwayes more readily lending an ear to the poor , then to the rich : and besides , if he pardon all offenders , and bestow all rewards himself , but inflict punishments on malefactors , by his ministers : and also , if he suppresse usurers , and those mercenary barons , spoken of before ; and shew himself clear from all wicked acts whatsoever : and withall render himself worthy to be reverenced for his religion , by having godly counsellors about him , and winning to himself a holy love from all , by reason of the most strict tye that is between him and the pope , and the holy church . and let him in all things propose for examples for him to follow , david , constantine , theodosius , trajan , augustus , martianus , charles the great : all which being endowed with the forementioned vertues , a●d with sciences , raigned more happily , then iulian , frederick , henry , tiberius , nero , and philip surnamed the faire , who spent his time in a quite contrary course to what charles the great did . besides , i would have him to invite his subjects , by honours and rewards , to an emulation of vertue , and sciences , and an endeavour to excel each other herein : by which means there would be new sciences invented . gaming also would be of good use in spain , and would serve to divert the common people from prying over-curiously into affairs of state : or else it would necessitate those , that have lost all their estates that way , to turn souldiers . but yet , seeing that this breaking of one another is the cause of extortion , covetousnesse , hatred of their fellow subjects , and of the love of mony ; this gaming seems in the end to bring more damage to the state , then benefit . and therefore i conceive it were better that there were some sports of recreation devised for his subjects of spain to try masteries in ; and some velitations , and innocent contentions in some arts , or sciences : but for his forraign subjects abroad they should use gaming , either at cards , or dice ; which they should be put upon by the leiger ambassadours there : that so by this means they may become broken , and heartlesse , through idlenesse , and want of exercise . i would also have some mathematical , philosophical , and politicall questions proposed among them , that they may so be diverted from embracing heretical opinions . but the best course the king can take , for the preventing of all conspiracies , and designs against him , will be , to shew himself a good , awful , and iust prince● the want of the first of these vertues was the ruin of nero , and acciolinus ; the defect in the second , undid sardanapalus , and vitellius ; and the failing in the last cost philip , king of macedonia , his life : who because he had denied the due course of justice to one pausanias , was by him killed . inequality also and injustice was the cause of the ruin of rome it self . if any one single person have any treacherous design against the prince , the only course in that case for prevention of it , will be , to take notice of , and search every one that comes into the kings presence , least they should carry any armes privily about them ; for it is a difficult businesse to prevent such treacheries , as are designed by one single person alone . and hence it was , that henry the iii. of france , and the king of moab , and so likewise philip , king of macedonia were all slain by single persons ; the first of them , for his religion ; the second , for his cruelty ; and the third , for his denying justice to be done to a subject of his . but if there be many joyned together in any conspiracy against the prince , it cannot be , but that unlesse they effect their design within fifteen , or twenty daies space ; or , except the conspirators have fallen upon their design out of their love , and respect they bear to justice , piety , or the benefit of the publick , and so it prove to be onely a conspiracy contrived by honest men against a tyrant ; it cannot otherwise be , i say , but that they must necessarily be discovered ; for , every body will hope , some way or other to advance himself by the prince's favour , if he do but discover the said conspiracy to him . and hence it was , that the conspiracy of absolon against his father david , and of catiline against his country were detected ; because that those , that were the conspirators , were nothing at all better , or honester men , then those against whom they had conspired . conspiracies are also easily , and speedily too , discovered by servants ; unlesse they be presently put into execution ; as was that of laurence de medicis against duke alexander , which was deferred but one night onely . and whensoever honest men joyn in any conspiracy against a most cruel tyrant ; notwithstanding they should delay the putting of the same in execution , yet would there be no great danger of its being discovered ; and hence it was , that the conspiracy of iohn de procitha , and the barons , of sicily , against the french , and charles of anjou , who miserably afflicted the poor inhabitants , was kept close above a year before the execution of it : and that too , though both the emperour , the pope , and peter , king of arragon , who were forraigners , were all privy to the same : the only reason of which was , because that this was a conspiracy made by the nobles and others , that were therein concerned , against forraigners , and tyrannical governours . the like was that conspiracy also , which was entred into by iehoiada and the levites against athaliah . and yet , for the most part , although the number of those that are in the conspiracy be but of a few , and it be besides contrived against some wicked person too ; yet if it be not speedily put in execution , it comes to light , and is discovered : as we may see by that conspiracy made against nero ; in which even seneca himself also was ; and that other contrived against cosmo de medicis by the wicked strozzi , who were themselves much worse then he. but in case any single person , aspiring to some principality , shall yet bear his followers in hand , that he drives at some other thing , and so in the mean time winnes upon them , and gaines their affections ; he shall certainly bring about his designes . this was the course that iulius caesar took , in attaining to the empire ; though he kept his design close to himself , and never discovered it to any ; being yet wont , while he was but a youth , to have this saying often in his mouth : si violandum est jus , regnandi gratiâ violandum est : if i would violate the lawes , it should be , to rule . and of this design of his , he laid for himself two foundations ; namely , religion , and the love of the souldiery ; to whom at length he made known his purpose , though under another pretext . whereas catiline in his attempting the same , took a quite contrary course ; and having laid down to himself before hand no one particular foundation , he , without any more ado , at first made all of his fellow conspirators acquainted with his drift , and purpose . by whose miscarriage caesar taking warning , he attempts the same thing , but with more caution , and advisednesse . the king therefore ought to use all diligence and care , to discover how the minds of his subjects , and ministers stand affected toward him , and what they have in agitation amongst them : and when he hath once found what they would have , he shall do well , immediately to give them satisfaction in that particular . and besides , it would not be amisse , that he should bestow some gifts , under hand , yet without any shew at all of fear , or suspition , upon some one principal person among the conspirators ; who , being by this meanes wrought over to the prince , will be able to acquaint him with what ever designs his subjects have in hand . and if any shall inform him , that there are certain persons , that have for many months together been openly contriving some conspiracy against him ; he may very well laugh at such informers . for , whosoever shall go about to attempt any such thing in that manner , are either fooles , or very unskilful in the course of the world ; or else , lastly , those that gave him such information , are liers , and forged those stories , only to ingratiate ●●emselves with the prince , and get into favour with him . thus heretofore perseus falsely accused his brother demetrius , of having secretly conspired against their father , philip , king of macedonia . and in the reigne of tiberius , and afterwards of nero , there were every day some or other , that accused others of treasonable designs against the emperour ; which certainly is a very villanous , base thing ; for by this meanes the prince is both made to suspect every body ; and besides , he renders himself withal suspected by every body ; so that the subjects are put to act really upon him that which himself stands in fear of ; or else , innocent men are unjustly put to death ; both which things are of very ill consequence to a kingdom . he ought rather therefore to seem not to believe any such accusations , although perhaps they should be true , unlesse they be also manifestly proved ; except they be such , as wherein religion is concerned . for , by so doing , he will shew himself to be a just , and good prince , and such a one , as doth the least in the world deserve to have any such conspiracies contrived against him ; and so also the conspirators themselves will presently lay aside the ill opinion they had conceived of him. in the mean time , for the prince to cause any of his subjects to be thought guilty of rebellion , and treason , when no such thing can be proved against them , is but a very sad businesse ; for then , out of the sense of the infamy that is cast upon them , they will be forced to desire a change of government , and will invite the kings enemies to invade him ; which hath often happened both in the low-countries , and in france . and notwithstanding that there seems to be some hope of gain issuing from thence ; because an occasion may hereupon be taken of keeping a stricter hand over the subject ; ( which advantage being readily apprehended by the forementioned cosmo de medicis , he took an occasion presently to break off the articles of peace that had been concluded upon betwixt him and the florentines ; in like manner as our king also , upon the like occasion held a harder hand over the arragonians , upon pretense that they had entred into conspiracy against him with antonio pe●ez ; ) yet , in truth , the king receives more damage , then advantage thereby . and therefore the more sure , and certain way , to confirm and assure his kingdom to himself , would be , so to winne over the people to him by mutual love , and favours bestowed upon them , that they should not have any ground to have any such suspicions of him . and besides , where this note of infamy is thrown upon the subjects ; not only themselves , but their children also will be sure to preserve the memory of it , and so will watch for some fit opportunity of revenge ; which when it offers it self , they will not stick openly to joyn with forreigners against him ; and thus their treasonable designs are not by those meanes quite quashed , but are deferred only . and hence it was , that nero's hoping to get mony out of the people , about the first conspiracy against himself , and so by punishing them , to benefit himself , did not at all suppresse the said conspiracy , but only put it off , till some other time : which also the senatours afterwards set on foot again , but with greater care , and circumspection : as it likewise happened to tiberius , and other wicked princes . if any such thing therefore should befall our prince , he should endeavour to obliterate , and blot out the memory of such rebellions , by benefits , rather then punishments ; by that means both putting a bridle into their mouthes , and yet withall sweetning them , and winning them over to himself by his bounty ; so much more advantagious is it for a prince , at all times , and in all places , to approve himself rather good , then cunning . but yet it cannot be denied , but that such conspiracies are most dangerous , which are countenanced by the pretext of introducing a new religion ; or , when any seditious preacher takes liberty to cast reproaches upon the state. and therefore i shall say something , in my following discourse , touching preachers , both good , and bad ; and afterwards also of the vniting , and division , or falling off of kingdomes , and countries from one another . i would also have severer punishments , and more examplary peeces of justice then usual , ( if it may be ) to be at once , and speedily inflicted upon all conspirators ; least , by often repeating of lighter punishments upon them , their hate be thereby the more encreased , and shew it self upon all occasions . but again , if any such , having made their escapes , shall yet , after some space of time , begin to be humbled , and repent of their wickednesse ; i would not that all hope of pardon , and reconciliation should be cut off from them . as for the preventing of the barons rising against the king , the courses before laid down may be taken . no heresies can spread , or get any footing any where , but by the clergy ; as i have demonstrated elsewhere . the king's deputies , or viceroyes ought to have no command over any castles , or frontier townes that have garrisons in them : but all such places are to be committed to the trust of some particular commanders residing in the same , and who are experienced souldiers , and betwixt whom and the viceroyes there is no great correspondence . and let these be chosen out of the barons of the kingdome ; that so their baronies , or lordships may be as pledges for their fidelity to the king. and to this end , i would have spaniards to be sent into italy , and contrariwise , italians to be sent into spain , to take upon them these charges . chap. xviii . of preachers , and prophesies . it is certain , that the people , especially of a certain number of kingdomes , are of more power , then the king himself , with all his friends and souldiers : i mean , in the christian world ; for in turky , whether it be so or no , is as yet something a doubtful businesse . it is therefore necessary to produce here some reasons , why the people do not , upon every light occasion rise up against the king , and shake the yoak from off their neck : and these are , because that being so scattered , and at such a distance from one another , they cannot so well joyn in a body , and stick together ; or else , because they are worthlesse , dull-headed fellowes , and have none to head them in a rebellion , in whom they may repose their confidence and hope . now it is manifest again on the other side , that the causes of the publick peace and quietnesse , do derive their original from the wisedome of the preachers , and others of the clergy , to whom the people give an ear ; and that so much the rather , because these promise unto them eternal blessings , which , if they do but despise their temporal , they may attain unto : perswading them withal , that it is agreeable to the will of god , that obedience should be yeilded to the king ; and , that by suffering afflictions , they shall be rewarded by god himself ; withal often inculcating into their minds humility , and other the like vertues ; but grievously threatning all theeves , murderers , whoremongers , and seditious persons , declaring what punishments , both from men , and god himself , continually hang over their heads : on the contrary , comforting , and encouraging the good , and promising them all manner of happinesse . and so by this meanes , the words of these men being greedily hearkned unto by their auditors , overcome , and captivate their minds and affections : and then again , all wicked , irreligious persons are cast out of doors , with their perfidious designs ; being unable to infect any , either magistrate , or souldier , with their corrupt , malitious perswasions , or by any means to incite them to a rebellion . the first instrument therefore of raigning well , and quietly , is the tongue ; and the second is , the sword : and the truth of this will best of all appear , by the contrary use of it. for , whensoever any seditious preachers rise up against the king , they are able in a short time to bring the people , that before dissented in judgments , to be now of one and the same mind , and will adde courage to every seditious spirit , and so will make themselves the heads , and ringleaders of sedition ; by which princes have oftentimes been brought into very great straits ; and , which is more , have sometimes also lost their lives thereby . an example of this kind may be mahomet , who stirred up the people against heraclius the emperour . the like whereof hath of late years been practised by luther , and calvin , against an infinite number of princes : and these two have done more mischief with their tongue , then either marcus sciarra , or ninus martinus did with their swords . thus again , on the contrary , menenius agrippa , with his tongue only suppressed the mutinying commons of rome , and made them again to yield obedience to the senat , against whom they had shamefully risen up . the pope also hath often by his preachers repressed rebellions that were now broken out , and grown high . nay , he by this means preserved , and upheld the western empire , when by the rhetorick of his divine tongue , he diverted attila , the hunne from destroying all italy , and made him return home again . king ahab also was brought to destruction by the tongue of the prophet elijah ; as ieroboam was by ahijah's . and therefore good preachers ought to be had in high estimation , especially if they be good men , and are able to confirm that which they say , both by miracles , and by strong reasons : like as moses confounded pharaoh ; and the pope , the emperours frederick and henry ; and as the emperour constantine performed that , which he had conceived by divine inspiration . it is certain therefore , that tumults , and mutinies may be stirred up among the people , by the eloquence of such persons , as are powerful with them , and in high esteem among them : and therefore such are to be had in reverence , whether they be good men , or bad ; and they are to be made your friends . for , if they be good men , they are then so powerful by their divine authority , as that there can be no opposition made against them . look upon samuel , who set saul upon the throne ; and shortly after deposed him again , and set up david upon it . and so likewise , what is it , that the pope is not able to do , in this kind ? for as much as his supream authority , joyned with sermons , is of much greater force and power . and bishops , in this case , would also be very powerful , if they would but take upon themselves to discharge the duty of preachers . how stoutly did st. chrysostome oppose the rage and fury of the empresse eudoxia , and her party ! and st. bernard also made himself very formidable both to the cardinals , and to the popes themselves , setting at oddes , and reconciling princes and their people , as he pleased himself : as his epistles do sufficiently testifie . and i am verily perswaded , that if all princes and nations should joyn their forces together , for the overthrowing of the popedome , they would not be able to effect it : for thus much christ hath also promised to his church ; whatsoever ye bind on earth , shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever ye loose on earth , &c. and again , the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. and if there were but one expedition onely of croisades appointed to be set forth , all persons that are of any religious orders whatsoever , ( and of these there are certainly many millions , ) would questionlesse immediatly flock together with their armes ; and making use both of their tongues , and swords , would be able to make resistance against , and to strike a terrour into the whole world. for indeed all people would be afraid to make use of their armes against persons that are in sacred orders : and yet if some few of them should dare to do this , yet would the major part of them lay down their armes ; and so the rest , being by this means disheartned , would not make any opposition against them . do but take notice , if you please , how moses alone , being accompanied onely with the levites and priests , yet took up armes against the rebellious people of israel , and against their princes , who , together with their wives , were above a million in number ; and how with the armes of one single tribe onely , and that too of the priests , he killed t●irty three thousand men in one day , and reduced the rest into obedience . for , where the true religion joyneth armes and preaching together , there is no power so great , as to be able to make resistance against it . the romans , so soon as ever they perceived the power of the new growing christian religion , they presently took up armes against it , killing and imprisoning the christians every where ; yet were they fain at last to give way to it : until at length themselves also , in the time of the emperour constantine the great , embraced the christian faith. and although that a bishop , or the pope himself should chance to be a wicked person ; yet if any prince shall draw his sword against him , he shall be overcome , though the conquerour : of which we had a plain example in roger guiscard , king of naples ; who though he got the victory in the battel , yet was he afterwards compelled to kisse the popes foot. a remedy against which some kings conceiving they had found out , ( among which number was henry the viii . king of england ) they betook themselves to apostasy ; and yet neverthelesse did they also come to ruin : and this very thing would bring , if it should be attempted , the most certain destruction upon spain also ; as we have formerly shewed . some others have thought it the best course to cast the popes into prison ; which philip k. of france made bold to practise upon pope boniface the eighth : and in like manner st. c●rysostom was heretofore sent into banishment by the emperour arcadius ; which yet was destructive to both these princes . for , chrysostome was called home again , and restored to his seat with greater honour , by occasion of gaina the goth his taking up armes against the said emperour : notwithstanding that gaina himself could not be preserved in the church , because he was an opposer of that religion that chrysostome was of . and the king of france , after he had by boniface's means brought it so about , that a frenchman was chosen pope , hoping by this meanes his offence would escape unpunished , he fomented and kept up the breach , that at that time was risen in the church , and sent clement v. the new elected pope , to avignon , to keep his residence there ; but all to no purpose : for this very pope clement , by the advice of cardinal brateus , deceived his kings expectation , in not keeping those promises that he had made to him . and indeed , from that time forward , the kingdome of france seems to have been continually in declining ; as appears plainly out of history . it is therefore a profane remedy , to lay hands upon , or to attempt any thing against the person of a priest. other princes again have elected anti-popes ; as did the duke of bavaria ; by which meanes they were afflicted worse then before . others have summoned such bishops and popes as have been obstinate , perverse persons , and enemies to them , to appear before a general councel : but this devise of theirs the pope hath now eluded ; it being openly delared to all the world , that a generall councel hath no power at all over the pope ; and a decree being also made , that no councel shall be called , but by the pope alone . and for this reason did pope leo x. ruine those cardinals that were present at the councel of pisa ; and yet neither did their friends , the princes , obtain what they desired . eclesiastical princes have alwaies been wiser then secular ; some of whom have found a remedy for this evil , by yeilding , and submitting themselves ; as theodosius the emperour humbled himself before that good bishop , st ambrose ; and the kings of the goths left rome , and went to ravenna to reside ; giving way to the popes , as well to the bad , as the good. and that king of england also , by whose command thomas beck●t , archbishop of canterbury , was murdered , made choyce rather to enter into conditions of peace with the pope , then to lose his kingdom ; and so was forced to pay yearly to the pope forty thousand marks of gold ; and besides , at his death , he made the pope his heir to the kingdom by his last will and testament . after the example of these princes , it will behoove the king of spain also to give way to the pope , whether he be good , or bad ; and to lay aside what controversies soever he shall have with him , and to leave such bishops as are his enemies , to be chastised by the pope , to whom he must wholly unite himself by those waies which are before set down . alexander , the king of the iewes , having drawn upon himself the hatred of the pharises , and being now upon his death bed , persuaded his wife ( as iosephus testifies ) that by all meanes she should take him , and throw him down headlong out at the window ; telling her , that by so doing she should give full satisfaction to the incensed pharises , who , after she had done that act , would suffer her to succeed him in the kingdom ; giving her counsel besides , that she should ever take head how she fell out with any religious persons , least she suffered that which himself had done . but if such men as are authorised by no superiour power , ( especially if they be clergy men , such as were arrius , savana●ola , and luth●r , ) shall rise up against any state , this is a very dangerous case : and it must then be enquired into , whether these men have any encouragement from the pope to do so , or not : for , if so be they have , and he contradicts them not , then is the evill in a manner incurable ; but if they have not him for their abettor , then may an order be very easily taken with them . for here it is necessary that it be considered , whether these men be good or bad ; ( for both may prove very dangerous ) and if they are bad , they must then be rooted out by the authority of the pope ; but if they are good men , they must then be cited to appear before a general councel ; where , by the authority of the pope being also interposed , they may be openly convinced ; in like manner as berengarius , being convinced of his errour , yeilded to the truth , and submitted ; and this is the course that ought to be taken , where the parties are sincerely , and really good men , and not meer hypocrites onely . but if they maintain a good cause , those faults , which they did inveigh against in their sermons , are to be mended ; and they themselves are to be sent for away to rome , where they should afterwards spend the rest of their lives ; as was done by bartholomaeus miranda , archbishop of toledo , and the bishop of curzola , who was expelled from his bishoprick by the venetians . if they are lay-men , as was iohn of leyden , and philip melancthon , there is no great danger to be feared from them ; for , these two , after the breach had been first made by luther , at length rose up ; and when now luther had already setled his erroneous religion , and false priesthood in germany . but in our dominions , no one lay-man whatsoever would be able to bring about such a businesse , without the assistance of some one of the clergy . it is an infallible rule , that no heresie did ever do any hurt in a count●y , unlesse the prince himself of that country , for some reasons of state , afforded some patronage to the same : as i have shewed where i discoursed touching the monarchy● it will therefore concern all princes to take care , that their nobles also be not infected with the said heresie ; which they may prevent , by taking them off with employments , and so diverting their minds from any such thoughts ; as i have delivered before . now these rules are to be diligently observed , with these aforesaid hereticks . you must be careful that you do not fall to dispute with them about minute quirks , and subtilties in divinity ; but only that you require them to give you a good account of their calling : and to produce the names of their authors ; after this manner , suppose . who commanded you to teach these things publickly ? were they men , or divels rather ? for we cannot believe , they should be any other . and then , if they shall answer , that god● let them then make the same appear to you , by doing some miracles or other ; such as god heretofore armed his messengers with , namely moses , elijah , and the apostles . and if they are not able to do any such things , you should then bring them to the stake , and burn them , if you can , and render them as infamous as possibly you may . but be sure you avoid all grammatical disputations , and logical subtilties ; but dispute with them only according to the principles of divine logick ; as st. francis did in egypt , and st. iohn guidalbert ; and as i my self have endeavoured to do , in my dialogues against the lutherans and calvinists ; laying down a way , how they are to be convinced by an apostolical , and political way ; least out of multiplying idle● and vain words , one controversie may still be started out of another ; which ●o perverse , and malicious spirits will be taken for a kind of victory . i would also have them condemned to be burnt out of the imperial constitutions ; for as much as they rob persons in authority of their goods , and good name , ( such as are the pope , and other religious● and pious men , who have confirmed the faith of the church , and sealed it with their blood ; ) which indeed is more precious then what ever other treasures in the world : and therefore whosoever they are , that are refractory to , and perversly oppose such persons , and seduce others to do the like , they justly deserve to be punished . a second rule is , that all care be taken , that there be no fruits suffered to spring from such branches : for the hindering whereof , the best course would be , to prefer only men of excellent parts to bishopricks and benefices ; and withal you are to consider that such , if they be good men , will be of good use to you , nor will ever scatter abroad any pestilent opinions : such as were cato , and socrates among the gentiles ; and st. bernard , and thomas aquinas among the christians● there are also other good men to be found , that are able to act powerfully on either part ; such as were among the heathen , alcibiades , and coriolanus , both which were the authors of much good , and as much evil to their countries , accordi●g as they were led by the occasion , and present necessity upon them : as , among the christians , were luther , and sergius ; who afterwards recanted , as it were , all that ever they had before rightly preached and taught . and therefore it concerns the prince , that he shew himself favourable● and gracious to all learned men ; seeing that he cannot be able to see so far into them , as to know what their ●nclinations are . and let him use all the means he can , to know who are the most excellent for learning in his dominions ; and having notice of them , let him invite them to him , and find imployments for them ; preventing even the pope himself in bestowing perferments on them : and these he shall encourage , and provoke to shew their abilities against the infidels . one only monk converted all england to the christian faith : and charles the great , that extraordinary favourer , and patron of all that were eminent for learning , and eloquence , whether they were laicks , or clergy-men ; subdued gotland , norway , and denmark● with a great part of germany also , by the means of these men ; whom also he rewarded most magnificently . in the conquest also of the new world , the monks were of more use , and did more good , then the souldiers . and the like might also be effected both in china , ethiopia , and persia. wherefore new sciences are to be introduced , and new sects of philosophers , together with the mathematicks ; as likewise the study of the arabick tongue is to be taken up , ( seeing that the empires of the greeks , and of the hebrews are now quite extinct ) that so , by the use thereof , the turks may be the better convinced of their errour . let there be also certain assemblies erected● consisting of the wisest persons that can be pickt out both of the religious order of the friers , and out of the laity ; whose businesse it shall be , to deliberate about such things as concern the state : that so their wits being wholly taken up with the meditating about these things , they may wholly serve the prince ; and him only , and not design any thing to his disadvantage ; while their own only ambitions will be , who shall deserve best of the prince ; and so will have no other thoughts : and let him make it his businesse , to get together as many of these men as he can ; and withal let him be sure , that they be all honest , good men . for , should there be never so many of them , yet if they were such as those were that iezabel had about her ; one elijah , because he is a good man , would easily confound them all , and bring them to nothing . antiochus also erected greek schooles at ierusalem , to the end that , by that means , he might abolish the wholsome doctrine and lawes that moses had given the jewes ; but all in vain ; because the macchabees opposed themselves against him . in like manner ought the king to set up many christian catholick schooles● and that , against the enemies of religion : for , by so doing , he shall render himself secure , both from the pope , and from his enemies ; and shall besides reduce the netherlands , and bring them under his subjection ; as i have before declared . neither would i have this one thing to be omitted ; namely , that he erect certain colledges through all the provinces of his dominions , in which should be placed all the most ingenious boyes of the said provinces ; ( and who are such , may easily be known , by their first masters , that taught them their grammers , and other the first rudiments ) and these , being thus c●lled out of all grammer schools , i would have to be brought up , and maintained at the kings charge ; and there should be a new order set up of them , like that of st. dominick ; which order i would have called , the austrian order . and when any of these were come to be . years old , they should then be commanded to preach : and these i would have to be called , the kings preachers ; and they should then be sent abroad , some into germany , and others into england : where , if they have managed their businesses rightly , and well ; at their return they should have bishopricks conferred upon them by the king , of those that are in the kings own gift : for , by so doing , he shall render himself secure both from the pope , and also against all perfidious preachers and hereticks ; and by this meanes such persons only shall be maintained at his charge , as do him service for it , and advance his affairs . neither can it be expressed by words , what great advantages he shall reap to himself hereby . for , among all sorts of hereticks that are , there are none that are farther out of the way of truth , then the calvinists are , who sow abroad the seeds of sedition wheresoever they come , and endeavour to break asunder the bonds of that peace , which was made known unto the world by angels , and publickly preached by christ himself : and , who having neither any respect to learning , nor regarding the authority of the fathers , do defend their own sect by their armes only , as the turks do . there is need therefore here of the most effectual medicines that can be , against this evil , these kind of men ; and that is , principiis obstare , to stop them in their beginning : which course is to be observed in the prevention of all evils whatsoever : and then afterwards are those other remedies to be applied , which are before set down ; namely , for the converting of them : for which work there must be chosen out honest , and painful labourers , who by the purity of their doctrine , and holinesse of their life , may reduce and winne back such wandring sheep , as have gone astray out of the way of truth . the kings of portugal , and especially iohn the third , erected in india certain colledges and seminaries , wherein are educated a great number of young youths of all sorts , under the discipline of the iesuits ; who also have by this meanes done very much good both in germany , and in the new world. for , those cities of germany , in which these jesuits live , have alwaies stood firm in the faith ; and those other , which have been infected with the venom of heresie , are cured thereof by their means . but if there be no hopes at all left of reducing these men , and bringing them back again into the true way , and making them to submit themselves to our government and doctrine ; then must the king embrace that counsel which was given by terentius varro to hostilius , for the keeping of the tuscans within the bounds of their duty and obedience ; namely , let him so order the matter , as that they should not be able to shake off the yoak , if they would never so fain . and this may be done , by observing these three things ; namely , by bringing them to be weak● and , lastly , if they be kept ●sunder from one another : for , the boldnesse that any take upon them , in attempting to cast off the yoak from their necks , proceeds either from their height of spirit , or from their strength , or else from their multitude . but before these severer courses are taken with them , it cannot be expressed , how mightily advantageous it would be to the businesse in hand , if so be the children of infidels were put to such masters as should instruct them in the arts , and liberal sciences , and all such exercises as are fit for any ingenuous man to be brought up in : for , by this course alone , we should at once oblige both the children , and the parents also to us. we must therefore erect , as i said before , seminaries both for the tongues , and armes , which we call the two instruments of our future monarchy : the former of these , for the reducing of all such of our subjects , as are infidels , and hereticks , and the bringing them back in a peaceable manner into the true way , and to a unity of faith : and the later , to the end that they may be utterly weakned , and deprived of all power , in case they shall stand out , and refuse to return to the true faith ; of which we have formerly spoken elsewhere . chap. xix . of such kingdomes as are properly belonging to the king of spain : and of such also , as are his enemies ; and of these , which are in league with each other , and which not . some are of opinion , that it is impossible , that the kingdom of spain should stand long , as well because almost all other nations are either enemies to it , or at least , not very good friends ; as also , by reason of the remotenesse of the several parts of it from each other , some lying in the new world , and others lying scatteringly here and there like islands , as in italy , the low-countries , and in africk ; all which are most different from one another , both in their languages , situation , and temper of the climate : whereas on the contrary , the turk , who layes claime to the universal empire of the whole world , hath his dominions lying all close together ; and besides , in his wars , he observes the same course that the romans heretofore did , in making war alwayes upon his neighbours only , that lye round about him . neither can the enmity , or hatred of those nations that are his enemies , do him any hurt at all ; for as much as he brings up within his own dominions young children of all sorts , of which afterwards he maketh souldiers : so that his empire seems in a manner to be nothing else , but a military republick . neither can religion at all hinder his proceedings ; and besides , his bashawes , or governours of provinces , have all of them an absolute power of rule given them ; so that they need not stand in fear of poor naked , and unarmed people : whom , if they should but offer to rise , they would be able to suppresse by their own sons . whosoever desires to become a great monarch , it will behoove him to be continually in making war upon all his neighbours that lye round about him ; and to reduce them under his subjection as soon as possibly he can . for thus the romans heretofore did , first of all setting upon the sabines , and latines : and then afterwards falling upon the aequicolae , the peligni , the veientes , lucanians , tuscans , and samnites ; alwayes going round in a circle , till at length , having subdued all italy , they passed over into sardinia , sicily , spain , gaule , and germany . the self same course was taken by the babylonians , in their expeditions against those of asia , and the persians . the macedonia●s did the like , making war upon the thebans first ; then falling upon the epirotes , lacedemonians , achaians and aetolians ; and afterwards , passing over into asia , they filled it wholly with their armies . in so much that at length , as livy , and plutarch write , they were so puft up with the glory of their victories , as that they would have marcht on against the romans , and carthagineans also . certainly , had not alexander the great been taken off by an untimely death , he would without all doubt have made an expedition against the romans also . i say therefore , that the turk does at this day take the very same course , that the greatest empires in former times did . for , having first subdued all asia minor , he then passed over into europe , and conquered all greece : next , he falls upon syria , egypt , and armenia ; till at length he came as far as macedonia , epirus , and hungary . where , after he had taken in some certain christian provinces , and added them to his empire ; and that the christians now out of a general fear of being swallowed up by him , betook themselves all to their armes , and joyned their whole strengths together against him ; he then very craftily , and subtlely makes a truce with them , and agrees upon conditions of peace . these things passing on thus , the christians in the mean while fall at variance among themselves , and make war upon ●ach other ; so that the turk being now secure from any molestation by them , turnes his victorious armes against the kings of persia , or georgia : till such time that , finding the christians all to peices again among themselves , he thinks fit then to strike up a truce with the pe●sian , or those other of his enemies whosoever they were ; and so falls on again upon the christians with all the strength he hath , and does them what mischeif lies in his power . and then , while they are fain to spend time in consulting what is to be done , the turk , he goes on still victoriously , taking in now one place , and then another , without controule . so great , and of so dangerous and sad consequence are those intestine dissensions , that are at this day kept up among the christian princes ! but the king of spain , at one and the same time maintaines a war with several nations ; neither hath he at any time all his whole forces joyned together in any one battel ; by which meanes he utterly destroyes himself . for , we shall have him making war in the most remote parts of the world , whiles yet in the mean time he hath all his neighbours , that lye round about him , his enemies ; as the english , french , hollanders , and perhaps even the italians themselves also . whence it may seem , that he takes a very crosse , and unlikely way , for the enlarging of his dominions and empire . but , to this objection i answer , that though much of this is true , yet the course that the turk takes is so blunt , and plain● that if he should have but one overthrow , so that it were a lusty one indeed , it would prove his utter ruin ; ( as i have hinted before , ) since that he hath no vice-roys , or barons , by whom he might be recruited , and made whole again . but we cannot say so of the king of spain ; who , in such a case , would presently be furnished with aides from the pope , and the princes of italy , and that by reason of their union in point of religion . i say moreover , that he cannot suffer any notable overthrow , ●nlesse it be by some very potent prince ; such a one as the great turk is ; who yet lying so very far remote from him , ( as alexander the great of old did from the romans ) cannot so quickly ruin him : whereas , on the contrary , any peaceable agreement of the christians among themselves , if so be it were but firm and lasting , would utterly confound the turk . and therefore i say , that although king philips kingdomes lye scattered far and near , yet his enemies also lye far asunder one from another : and therefore it is clear , that his emulators , the italians , tuscans and venetians , will never enter into a combination against him , unlesse he first give them some evident cause , and wrong them very much . neither indeed will the pope ever suffer any acts of hostility to be done against his catholick majesty ; and besides , it is also most certain , that the catholick princes , both out of fear of the hereticks , and also of the authority of the pope , will never attempt any such thing . and the hereticks are at very great variance also amongst themselves ; and for this reason germany being divided into severall small republicks , cannot do him any harm at all ; and it is besides , part of it , made subject to the house of austria , and the archdukes thereof , by the emperours ; and part also to certain archbishops , who are withall secular princes ; as namely the archbishops of m●ntz , of colen , trevers , salsburg , strasburg , and bamberg ; and part also to the dukes of bavaria ; so that the protestants can by no meanes make any insurrection against the king of spain . the lower germany also is divided into more common-wealths then the other ; all which bear armes against the king of spain , though it be only to defend themselves , and not to offend him. and of this number are the provinces of holland , frisland , and zealand . besides , the upper and the lower germanies differ very much in their religion : which we may also say of the danes , norwegians , transylvanians , gotlanders , polonians , french , switzers , and grisons : so that the king hath no need at all to fear , that these should ever all joyn together against him : and besides , the king retains a great part of these nations in pay , and by that means keeps them his friends : and then , the king of poland , and the prince of transylvania are allied to him by marriage , and so are in league and amity with him . so that he hath no body to stand in fear of , but only the king of france , and the king of england ; which two princes , by reason of their being of different religions , can never agree together . now although the king of spain cannot as yet subdue the king of france , yet it makes very much for his interest , that the king of france , being absolved by the pope , is returned again to the obedience of the church . for otherwise , he would have been the head of all the transalpine hereticks , and would have marcht with an army of them over into italy , to the great prejudice both of the pope , and of our king : which none of the hereticks hath to this day adventured to do , merely for want of a powerful general to head them . then besides , there is a division broken out in france , betwixt the catholicks and the hereticks : and , which is the chiefest thing of all , there are in that kingdome many potent bishops , who would not by any means see spain ruined . and lastly , our kings subjects do not come into the field with lances , swords , and horses , as the french use to do ; but they come into it armed with guns , which are a kind of arms that are fitter for the defending of strong holds and fortifications , then for the setting upon an enemy in an open field . and hence it is , that the french are able indeed to resist all the spaniards attempts , but they cannot overcome them : for , in this case , the very princes , and states of italy , who have to this day alwaies held with the french , would go over to the spaniard : for it is their design , to keep the ballance alwaies so even betwixt these two nations , as that neither of them may preponderate , and bear down the scales , and so make a prey of the other : which hiero , king of syracuse , heretofore laboured to do , betwixt the romans and the carthaginians , although he failed of his purpose . besides the king of france cannot march with an army into spain , by reason of the fortified places , and castles that lye in his way , and are kept by the spaniards , who are very well skilled in defending such places . neither can he so soon march out with an army against millan , or naples , but that the king of spain can be much sooner in france with an army , and shall so force him to return back again , and defend his own kingdom . neither did the king of france ever passe over into italy , unlesse when he was assisted by the pope , as the expedition of charles of anjou testifies ; or except he were called in by some prince , or state of italy ; as charles the eighth was called in by the duke of millan : which yet at this time can hardly be done again . for , the italians were now afraid , that they would bring in a new religion with them . and besides it is a usual thing , that that prince that first calls forraigners in to his aide , shall be first ruined by them : for , he must necessarily entertain them , and allow them quarters ; who after they have overcome the adverse party , will joyn with them , and so drive out him , who called them first in . examples of this we have in the sforza's , castruccio's , and the florentines , with many others ; and also in the pope himself ; although his own papal authority restored him again . and therefore the spaniard hath no need to fear the king of france much . and as for the english , he hath much lesse reason to stand in fear of them , seeing they are shut up within an island : and we seldome see islanders get any sure footing , and make themselves masters of any part of a forraign continent . and therefore it is sufficient for them , if they can keep their own ; only they send out their ships to fetch in prizes by sea : but for this mischief i shall hereafter set down a remedy . only let the king of spain take care , that the english joyn not their navy with the hollanders , scots , danes , norwegians , and danzickers : for if they should , they might then be able to overrun all spain ; as the alans , goths , and vandals did of old . and yet seeing that these nations differ all in religion , and the king of spain doth craftily under hand sow new seeds of dissention amongst them , there is no great cause to fear , that they should joyn their forces together ●pon any design . let us now see , what spain is able to do within it self , and by what means it may become greater , and enlarge its territories ; laying down this for a ground ; that for the rendring of any dominion whatsoever firm , and durable , it is necessarily required , that there be first , a natur●l sociablenesse , and an apt correspondence , among the subjects themselves , and then , betwixt the prince and the subjects ; as there is in mans body , betwixt the members themselves , and also betwixt them and the head. now this natural sociablenesse is founded , first in the man and wife ; then in the father of the family and his children with the rest of his family ; and then again , in several families being linked , and united together ; then , in those also , who are allied together by the bond of consanguinity , or affinity ; and likewise , those that live in one common aire , and climate , enjoying the same temper of the heavens ; as also , those that agree in their lawes , manners , customes , and studies ; whereto also we may add their using one common language , and wearing all one & the same habit in apparel . neither do i account their identity of species or of humanity , to be any small bond of this natural sociablenesse ; namely , because they are all men : and wheresoever many of these bonds & ties meet together , there also must necessarily be a firmer , and more durable association made up , and a more lasting dominion setled . hence it is , that the italians and the spaniards do so readily jump and agree together ; both because they understand each the others language , and are also like each other in their manners , bodies , and their rites and customes ; which can never be amongst the french , because they differ among themselves not only in their language , and manners , but are also of a different natural constitution and temper . so the spaniards would much more easily , be brought to enter into a league of society and friendship with the africans , then with the netherlanders ; who are of a much more different constitution from them . for , the spaniards are naturally hot and dry , and are therefore lean , and of a low stature , being withal sharp-witted , subtle , and talkative . but on the contrary , the netherlanders are cold , corpulent , and big-boned , and are heavy and dull , and of few words . whosoever therefore is to rule several , and different nations , and would keep them all within the bounds of obedience , let him endeavour to reduce them into a conformity , as far as he is able , and to make them in all things like to each other . and this uniting of men to one another , god himself , the author of all polity , had pointed out unto men. now , there are three sorts of this union we here speak of : the first is , of minds , which is caused by religion : which is indeed the strongest of all unions ; for it uniteth together in opinion nations , that are at the greatest distance that may be from each other . upon this have both mens wills , and actions , their dependancy ; and in this ; are both their tongues & arms united . by this , the pope ruleth over europe , asia , africk , and america ; and in a word , over all the christians in the whole world. whereas , on the contrary , the emperour of germany is scarse able to rule germany alone , although the people there are otherwise as like , and as much agreeing among themselves as may be , both in their shape of body , habit , arms , rites , and customes ; and all , because it wants this first vnion , namely , of religion . for , there are so many several , different opinions in religion among the germans , that it may be truly said of them , quos homines , tot sententiae ; so many men , so many minds . and for this reason the english , and helvetians fuffer but two sorts only of religion in their countries : for that common saying , divide , & impera , that is , divide thy subjects , and thou shal●●ule them , is of no use here ; but rather on the contrary , divide , & perdes , that is , if thou devide thy subjects , thou shalt ruin thy self . catharine de medicis , queen of france , that she might , contrary to the salique law , sit at the helme , and have the government of the kingdome in her hands , complied sometimes with the catholicks , and sometimes with the huguenots : but by this means she brought destruction both upon her self , and upon her sons ; one of which was slain by a dominican fryer . and therefere , in this particular , the king of spain is more happy then any other besides ; because that his kingdomes , though they lye at a great distance from one another , are yet all joyned together , and united in one religion ; and in this very respect also he stands upon better terms then the great turk himself , or any other prince whatsoever ; because , as we have shewed before , he converts those that are under his subjection , and makes them to be all of one and the same faith. the second is , the vnion of bodies : and in this , the turk goes beyond all other princes ; for he hath under his subjection , and in perfect obedience , both mahumetans , christians , and iewes , which are all as much differing one from another in their religions as can be : neither doth this their diversity of religion prejudice him at all ; because that he brings up their sons to serve him in his wars ; and besides , he leaves all such of his subjects , as are not of his religion , without either armes , or any meanes possible of doing him any harm . but indeed , in case he should intrust any of these with the government of any part of his empire , and should exercise , not a despotical , but a political soveraignty over them , he would quickly , be brought into sad straites by them ; as we see it , for example , in many of our german princes at this day ; or at least all meanes of enlarging his empire would quite be cut off from him ; as , we see , the case now stands with the emperour , and with the king of poland . if haply among the turks vassals there should chance to start up some gallant-spirited person , he might possibly prove to be the ruin of his empire ; as scanderbeg had like to have been , had he had but the christians as ready to assist him , as the genueses were to do him a mischief● who both to their own , and also to the great losse of hunniades k. of hungary , were hired , for so many crownes , to passe over forty thousand mahumetans out of asia into europe ; by which meanes amurath , t●at was before in a manner utterly broken , and had well near lost all , was now so well relieved and recruited again , as that by these forces he afterwards made himself master of half europe . i shall not here speake of moses , who was raised up against god by pharaoh ; according to which example god may also raise up some of the turks christian slaves against him . the like insurrection may also possibly utterly subvert the spanish monarchy . the third is , the union of monies and riches , by meanes whereof the turk commands the ragusians , who are otherwise a free people ; but they are forced to pay him tribute , that so they may enjoy their estates , lying within his dominions , as also because they are too neer neighbours to him ; which neighbourhood alwaies inforceth the weaker to be a servant to him that is stronger then he . by this third kind of vnion the king of spain beareth rule over the genueses ; because that their merchandise , and their baronies lye within his territories . and therefore i say , that that prince , whose dominions lye far asunder one from the other , ought in the first place to endeavour to joyn them together by a natural vnion ; and then secondly by political bonds and ties . as concerning natural ties , the king may by them joyn his spaniards with any other nations , although for the most part they are hated by all nations ; for , a spaniard , whiles he is a servant , is humble enough ; but , where he is a master , he is very proud . and he is , besides , a great boaster , and loves to deal very subtlely , and cunningly in meer trifling businesses : though he does not carry himself so in matters of any moment . it is also certain enough , that the spanish language and habit doth please most people ; but then again , their ordinary carriage and conversation , and their swelling titles , together with their ambitious striving for the uppermost places at all meetings , and their too affected , stately gate , distasts every body . and because these vices are naturally inherent in this nation , although they cast a blot upon their virtues , namely their patience , religion , manlike courage , together with their eloquence ; yet they cannot possibly be quite taken away ; and therefore others must come over unto their manners , as trees are graffed into one another . and therefore i say , it would be a very excellent good course , if our spanish souldiers , and barons , that live abroad in forraign countries , should marry wives out of the same : and besides , those arts by which strangers should be invited in to match with spanish women , and by offices , ( of which i have formerly spoken ) deserve so much the more serious consideration , because there lies more within them , then they outwardly make shew of . and this will appear more clearly when i shall come to speak of each several nation in particular . as concerning political vnions , the king must endeavour to procure an union betwixt his ow nation and others ; and especially in religion ; which is the surest means of uniting men together in the world ; and this must be done by the meanes of good , and learned preachers ; as we have said before . and next , by the tye of new , and famous arts and sciences , and languages , which would draw all men into an admiration of so great an empire . and let him alwaies make war rather upon his neighbouring enemies , then upon those that are farther off , and let him go himself in person to the wars . and lastly , let him perswade , and invite all nations that traffick into the west-indies , to take up their commodities in some parts of his territories ; as we see , that genueses do at this day . and therefore let him so order all businesses , as that one kingdom may alwaies stand in need of another ; that so by this means there may be a continual tie betwixt them . and let him seek out all possible ways of setting his enemies at variance amongst themselves , and labour that they may disagree both in religion , leagues , manners , sciences , conditions , traffick , and all things necessary● and let him be in league with all those that may do him any hurt . all which things that they may appear the more clearly , i shall now fall to speak particularly of all such several nations , as may either annoy , or be advantageous to him ; withall laying down the means b● which they may be brought to an union with him . for it is an undoubt●d truth , that every great empire , if it be vnited within it self , is so much the safer from the enemies incursions , because it is not only great , but vnited also ; whence cheifly is derived all its strength and power . chap. xx. of spain . to what hath been said , we may further add , that seeing that there are so many several sorts of people in spain , the king ought to take care , that those amongst them , who have heretofore been more eminent then the rest , for the largenesse of dominion they had there● be at unity among themselves . and therefore let him labour especially that there may be all fair correspondence and friendship betwixt the castilians , arragonians , and the portugues ; and let him confer equal offices upon them in court , and let him bestow preferments upon the portugues in the kingdom of castile ; and upon the castilians , in the kingdom of portugal ; & also let him , as it were , tye them one to the other by the common bond of marriages betwixt each other , and by the community of navigation . and the same course also is necessary to be taken with the mountainous biscaines , and the lionois ; and also betwixt the astureans and gallicians , and betwixt the champian-inhabiting and●luzians and valentians : and let all these be brought to a familiarity one with another , notwithstanding they are so far distant in place from one another . let him also erect in these several provinces , such common colledges , and seminaries for souldiers , both for the theorical , and practical part of war , as we have before spoken , of that by means of these , both themselves , and also the king may be rendred the more secure : and let him take such order , that they may marry wives from forraign countries , and so may have children by them ; who , in case any war should be made upon them , may fight for them , not as if by chance they were engaged thereto , but as they stand bound to do so by the law of nature . and by little and little their old customes are also to be abolished , but not upon a suddain : and let them be instructed how to bear offices in italy , rather then in the netherlands : but in spain , let italians be put to bear offices with the spaniards . and seeing that spain is the principal seat of the whole monarchy , there ought in it to be all vertues and sciences in their prime , and height ; namely justice and religion ; that so others may the more readily be induced to make the spaniards their pattern to walk by , and may suck in their manners , whom they see to live so well , and happily . but in case that they should be of a dissolute life , and of corrupt manners , they would be abhorred by all nations : not to say any thing , that in gravity , and constancy of manners , they ought to excell all others , because they have an example amongst them whence they may learn these vertues . and in the first place it is necessary that they be very faithful , as well in the times of peace , as of war ; in which principle they must be instructed , and brought up , in the aforesaid seminaries , where they are taught to yield obedience and service to the king. and then , if the king shall approve himself to be a good souldier and a cherisher of valour , and worth ; he will necessarily thereb● winne himself the love , and affections of all men . and let him be sure withal to deal faithfully and justly with every one ; for then , all his subjects will readily , and chearfully compose themselves to the example of his carriage and behaviour towards others . let those castles , and strong holds , that lye next to france , be very well guarded , and furnished with all necessaries ; and likewise those that are at corrugna , and on the northern coast of spain , looking toward england : and all care must be taken , that these be not set upon by the enemy . but yet , the best way would be , to have a gallant fleet , consisting of a thousand sail , to be alwaies in readinesse upon all occasions , as i shall shew by and by . let the spaniards also teach whatever africans , or west , or east-indians , are either brought over to them , or else come over to them of their own accord , all mechanical arts and professions ; but let them study themselves only military sciences ; and let them indeed ●ather addict themselves to these studies , then to those of books : but as for all forraigners , let them be put rather to the reading of books , then the practise of armes . for we see , that the learned city athens was overcome in war by the martial city sparta : both which notwithstanding were afterward reduced , and brought under the power and subjection of the macedonians ; namely , because this nation had been better instructed in the use and exercise of arms , by their king , philip of macedonia , the father of alexander the great , then either of those cities had been . it is sufficient therefore , if the king have seminaries for the arts and languages , for his new austrian order ( before spoken of ) to be brought up in , among his forreign subjects , and nations ; but as for others , there is no great care to be taken of them , but they may apply themselves to the study of sciences and arts , if they think fit : however , it is very necessary , that , in spain , all persons , as well in the said seminaries , as out of them , be brought up in the exercise , and knowledge of armes . there ought also to be schools erected for the educating and training up of the younger sons of the spanish nobility : whence the king may be furnished with able and faithful commanders , both for land , and sea service : of which thing also we have said somewhat before . neither ought any man to despise , or set light by the country of spain , because of the barrennesse of it : for this defect is not to be imputed to the nature of the soyl , but onely to the scarsity of people to manure it . for this country is of a most fruitful soyl of it self ; and yeildeth plentifully all things whatsoever , that are necessary for the sustaining of mans life ; and if it were but carefully manured , and tilled , it would be able to feed an infinite number of people : in like manner as heretofore it was able , besides its own inhabitants , to feed also the vast armies of the carthagineans , and romans . neither did any country longer , or more gallantly stand out against the power of the romans , then spain did : neither had it ever any army cut off , but it was able presently to raise a greater . but to passe by ancient stories , it is reported by our latter writers , that the king of granada brought into the field , against ferdinand , fifty thousand horse ; which number of horse , i doubt , wo●ld scarsely at this day be made up out of all the other provinces besides , both of spain , and portugal ; not that either the nature of these countries , or the temper of the heavens , are changed ; but only , because that the number of the inhabitants is grown lesse , and so consequently the manuring and tilling of the ground is very much neglected now , more then heretofore . now , the number of the inhabitants is decreased , first by reason of that war with the moors , where they got the better of the spaniards ; for , in that war , within the space of three months , there were slain seven hundred thousand men. after this followed another war , which continued for the space of seven hundred seventy and eight years ; till such time as the whole nation of the moors was utterly rooted out of spain : in which space of time there was a vast , and indeed incredible number of men slain on both sides ; insomuch that many cities , yea and many whole large tracts of ground were left utterly desert , and void of inhabitants . and this war was scarsely ended , when presently the spaniards prepared for other new wars again , setting upon africk , naples , millan , and the west-indies : and having overcome all these , they then set themselves to endeavour the recovery of the netherlands : in which wars also there was a vast number of men lost , being cut off either by the war , or those other calamities , that are the usual consequents of war. and then again , even now at this day they are continually sending abroad infinite numbers of people into the aforesaid west-indies , partly to make plantations there , and partly to traffick as merchants there , or else to keep some garrisons or other . and therefore the practise of husbandry hath been a long time neglected in spain , because that the people of that nation are naturally inclined to the exercise of armes , and so rather seek after profit that way , by their pay , as souldiers , then by any other way whatsoever . and indeed the spaniard is but a heavy , dull fellow , not onely at agriculture , and points of husbandry , but generally at all mechanical arts whatsoever : and that is the reason that spain is so unfurnished of mechanicks , and that their wooll , silk , and what other commodities the country affords , are all transported abroad ; and what ever course matter they do not send out , is in a manner all wrought up by the italians onely ; and as for their fields , and vineyards , they leave the manuring of them to ●he french. and if we would but diligently examine what the ●eason should be , that spain hath enjoyed a most quiet , and undisturbed peace , for so long time together ; whereas franc● is continually harassed and imbroyled in wars , we should find the principal reason hereof to be this , namely , because that spain is continually imployed in some forreign wars , either in the indies , the netherlands , in subduing some hereticks or other , or in keeping off the invasions of the turks , or of the moors ; in all which the spaniards have both their hands , and minds wholly imployed and set on work ; mean while their country continues quiet , and they themselves vent all their venom of sedition against others . and therefore i may not here omit to relate , how that many times , for want of souldiers , they have been forced to do , as the finlanders are used to do ; who , when they go out to fight against the muscovites , are wont to carry along with them a great number of fierce mastive dogs , which also many times do them very good service . which very thing was also put in practise in the west indies by vasco nugnez , not with out much slaughter done upon those barbarians , many times also by this meanes putting them to flight . but we have already dwelt long enough upon spain . chap. xxi . of italy . spain hath no nation , that is more a friend to it , then italy . and therefore for the preserving of the amity and friendship of the italians , it is very fit , that the king of spain should so court and ply by benefits and gifts both the neapolitans and the millanois , as that other nations seeing it should , admire the felicity of those two countries , & should withal wish , themselve had the like good fortune . and this the king may do , by remitting some thing of their gabels and taxes , & by increasing the number of men in both those dominions ; and he may also erect in both the countries certain seminaries , out of which as out of these trojan horse , may issue forth able persons , that are skilled both in all the liberal , and military sciences , and such as are withal most firm , and resolved catholicks : as we have hinted before . which thing would certainly cause in forreigners both admiration , and astonishment ; neither would the king ( as the opinion of some men herein is ) lose any thing at all thereby . let there be also some course taken for the restraining of usurers ; and let him set up some monti della pieta , as they call them ; that is , banks of charity ; which are certain publick houses , where the poorer sort of citizens have the liberty of taking up mony upon their paw●s . let them also restrain the grouth of the nobility : and let the barons prisons be visited sometimes ; for these are many times too cruel . neither would i have it in the power of any , to imprison any man by any private authority , except it be in case of sedition , or violation of the publick peace , or of treason against the prince ; and , those that are prisoners , should be dealt more gently with , then they have been hitherto wont to be : for , the kings officers , by their intolerable cruelty , have caused the king to be branded with that infamous name of a tyrant ; especially in the kingdom of naples . and i conceive , it would make very much for the winning of the love , and good will of the common people , if the king would appoint one commissary , at least , who should joyn to himself some of the clergy , and should go and visit all the publique prisons , reforming what abuses they find there : and should also take an account of all usurers , and of the inferiour sort of publick officers ; as hath been touched before● i would also have him to shew mercy to such as are proscribed , and banisht persons , under the pretense of sending them into africk : and i would really advise him , once in seven years , to ●end all such into the west-indies . as for those souldiers , which have alwayes hitherto been set over the subjects , i would have them to be all disbanded ; and in their stead , to have so much the greater number of gallies provided , that should lye all along the sea coasts throughout all the kings dominions , to guard , and secure them against the invasions of the turk . for these souldiers have alwaies carried themselves very insolently , and proudly towards the people ; but have been still very backward , and unwilling to go out in any expedition by sea against the turks : and besides , when they have returned home from any such expedition , they have usually abused poor citizens , that have behaved themselves stoutly in the fight , cudgelling them , and forcing from them such prisoners as they had taken ; and so afterwards in a thrasonicall boasting way , make their brags abroad that themselves had taken those turks prisoners : which most base , unworthy course we see practised in calabria every day . it were a better way therefore , that the subjects themselves should take up arms , and go out against the turks ; and should have at least half the mony that the prisoners taken in the war are valued at : for by this means the king will have both valiant , and rich men to fight for him : neither shall he have cause to fear , least the subjects , through the hatred they bear the souldiers for their cruelties , should seek to change their masters , and bring in some other to rule over them . let him also take order for the restraining of the knavish diligence of the officers of the kings exchequer , who , to maintain the kings right , forsooth , forbear not to use any manner of cruelty towards the poor subjects , imprisoning them , and extorting mony from them , under any pretenses , how unjust so ever . but of these evils , and their remedies , we have spoken sufficiently before , where we discoursed of iustice &c. these sea expeditions will render the king secure both from his enemies abroad , and his own subjects at home ; whereas , on the contrary , the souldiers that are set over the country people , do at first but very little good , and afterwards do none at all : and therefore the putting of good full guards into all the strong holds upon the sea coast , will be sufficient for the securing of the inland parts : and withall , the people will by this means be kept in a loving awfulnesse , and dread of their prince . the best part of italy , that is to say , the kingdome of naples , and the duchy of millan , is subject to the king of spain : and those other parts that are not so , are stirred up by their several princes , who stand in fear of the spaniards potency , against the spaniards , & made to hate them : whence it is , that they are wont to threaten the king of spain with two things . the first is , that they will call in the french , and encourage them to set upon the state of millan : which mischief however the king might easily prevent , if he would but place strong garrisons in all the frontier towns of the said duchy , and would quite destroy all the small , unfortified villages , that lying here and there scattered about , are made a booty by the enemy that hath liberty to range up and down where they please . and he might take order also , as the hungarians do , that all the provision of corn●nd all the subjects goods be carried into the fortified cities , and places of strength , with all manner of mechanical instruments ; that so those that have fled thither in the time of any siege or incursions of the enemy , may have where withall to set themselves on work , and may so get wherewith to keep themselves . but genoa lies very conveniently for the coming into the kings assistance ; and so doth naples also , if so be the king would but provide himself of such a fleet as i spake of before , to ly about those seas in a readinesse . for it is a most certain truth , and that hath been confirmed by long experience , that he that can make himself master of the sea , shall give lawes to the continent , and command it ; and shall be able to land men whensoever , and wheresoever he pleases , and shall find it convenient to do so : which the king of france , should he be invited into italy● could not be able to do . it will be a good course therefore for the king of spain , to be in league with his neighbours , the switzers , and the grisons ; and let him chuse out of these nations thirty thousand souldiers , to whom he shall in the mean time allow half pay , till such time as he shall have occasion to use them ; according as the venetians are wont to do : and this army let him make use of for the repelling of any powerful enemy assaulting h●m . but yet , lest these people , encreasing their numbers , should themselve● invade the duchy of millan , which thing we know to have happened heretofore in the time of the romans ; i would have this army to be divided , and some part of it to be sent into the netherlands , and another to naples , and there may some of them also be sent abroad as far as the west-indies ; that so , serving him abroad in his wars , they may at length be all destroyed . and certainly should this people but keep at home , and not go so much abroad to wars , as they do , but should unite their forces together ; it would be a very easie matter for them to subdue all italy : but now , whiles that they serve , some of them under this prince , and some under that in their wars ; there is no great reason to fear any such thing of them : however it would be a very good way , to divide them , as we have shewed , and to send them abroad several waies . the second thing , that the italians are wont to threaten the spaniard with , is , that perhaps they may enter into a league with the pope , and the king of france , to the prejudice of spain . but this conceipt of theirs also , the king of spain may easily elude : because no one of them dares do any thing without the pope and the king of france ; as being not able of himself to defend himself ; much lesse to attempt any thing against others : unlesse it be by chance , and by taking some extraordinary advantage ; as the venetians did heretofore , at what time the popes were at war with the emperours , and when the transalpines made bold to march over into italy . and therefore , i● so be the king of spain have but the pope on his side , he hath no need at all to fear the princes of italy : neither indeed is there any change made in any state , or dominion in italy , without the pope ; and , the pope alone hath been the cause of all the mutations that have happened in the kingdom of naples . and in case the pope should take up arms against any party , or against any common-wealth in italy ; he would presently prove the conquerour ; by having recourse immediately to his wonted helps ; such as are , his giving out indulgences against it ; and his absolving the subjects from the oathes they have taken to be true to the same ; and by calling in others to his assistance : as pope iulius the second did , at that time when he excommunicated the venetians : at which time they were utterly crushed by him . now my counsel to the king of spain is , that he would yeeld to the pope , and do whatsoever he would have ; and that he would give his commands abroad as constantine the emperour heretofore did ; namely , that the pope shall have supream authority in last appeals : and so likewise that two bishops with the king , who then holds the place of a clergy man , be judges in all causes that shall be devolved unto them by way of last appeals . and let it be agreed upon betwixt him and the pope , that what princes soever shall refuse to submit hereto , they shall be deprived by their authority . for if some of the princes of italy , or indeed , if all of them should fall off from the pope : the king of spain , who is the vindicater of the pontifical authority , being assisted by croisados , and other aides from the pope , would by degrees ruin them all , one after another , or else bring them in subjection under himself ; and thus , whiles he yields to the pope , , he is sure to have both his affections surely united to him , and his power assisting him ; and he shall withal make himself ma●ter of the princes of italy's dominions . and this may possibly hereafter come to passe ; although , as matters now stand , all that the king can do , is , to make it his businesse to keep these princes at difference amongst themselves ; and to make either the duke of parma , or some other of them , sure to him ; and then he need care but little for any of the rest . let him also give the venetians the tittle of being the fathers of italy ; and let him desire of them the favour , to have some of the principal of them sent to him , whom he may imploy as iudges in the netherlands : because that this nation doth more willingly admit of italians then spaniards ; and , of all italians , of the venetian , rather then any other ; and upon these venetians , so imployed by him , let him confer the dignities of barons . and seeing that it is known to every man , that the venetians are both very just , and also free from ambition , and so the fitter to be made use of , if not for the gaining of any new dominions , yet certainly for the keeping of what are already gotten ; let the king so order the matter , as that the hollanders may be brought to desire lawes to be prescribed them by the venetians : of which i shall say more hereafter . and if by these arts he could so far prevaile with them , as to get them to give over their travelling to alexandria and ●yria , to traffick there , and to take up a trade of merchandise with those in the west-indies , as the portuguez have done ; he would by this meanes in time make himself lord of the venetians , as he hath already of the genoeses . now that he may also secure himself in the mean time from the venetians , it would be his best course to provide himself of such a navy , as i spake of before ; and he should likewise do well to make use of the archduke of carinthia , and his neighbours the grisons in his wars ; by this meanes to fright the venetians the more . and besides , let him give entertainment to all such persons as are banished by the florentines , or by the venetians , and receive them into his service in his wars : and he may do well , to bestow extraordinary rewards upon them too : that by this meanes he may draw others of them also over to him , who may serve under him , if neeed be , even against their owne native country : which indeed was the frequent practise of the duke of millan : and also many times of the king of france , when for the same reason , he invited in to him all the banished genoeses , and florentines . and for the same reason also the strozza's , piccolominies , and the lord peter de medicis might in these our times strike no small terrour into the great duke of florence . if therefore the king would have these princes of italy to continue at variance among themselves , let him take heed how he strikes any fear into them : for , fear is the onely meanes to unite them together : and therefore let him beware that he discover not at all , that he is angry with them . now there ought not any meanes to be used for the causing of any division amongst them through differences in religion : neither indeed can any such thing possibly be effected : but this must be done only by bestowing rewards upon some of them ; as we have said before . and if any one of the house of austria should chance to be elected pope , italy were then quite undone . it would do very well also if the king would give way that others might have liberty to ●ome and traffick at genoa , as his subjects do : for , genoa is , as it were , the king of spain's treasury : and he makes use of them , to keep the princes of italy in awe . and besides , the genois assist him very much in poynt of navigation , and seafaring businesses : as hath been said before . but yet these genois are to be treated handsomely , and cunningly : that they may not seem to be forced to do what they do , but only by love , and fair usage to be brought about to be so serviceable , and obedient to the king of spain . yet would i have the king pay his debts to them as soon as might be : and he may either pawn , or else sell them some few townes , or fortified places ; least , if by chance there should be any general rising in italy , the genoises banners might also march along with them for company . let him therefore continually have a vigilant eye upon the two most flourishing states of the venetians and the genueses : yet of the two , the vnetian doth far excell the genuensian , both in dignity and power● the reason whereof is , because that the venetians , by maintaining a free trade of merchandise with other nations , have reasonably well improved every man his own particular estate , but have advanced the publick infinitely ; whereas the genois , by being chiefely great bankers , and mony-masters , have infinitely enlarged their own private estates , but the publick hath much suffered thereby . which being considered , the king , in his transactions with these two different commonwealths , must proceed in a different manner . chap. xxii . of sicily , and sardinia . the sicilians and sardinians , being both islanders , and also somewhat near neighbours to africk , ought , for these reasons , to have stricter lawes imposed upon them , then the italians : and a good way to keep them within the bounds of obedience , would be , for the king to secure all their havens , and fortified places lying upon the sea coast. and these places would very easily be rendred secure , if the king had but such a navy continually in a readinesse as i spake of before ; which i would not have to lye all together in a body , but to be divided into severall squadrons , which should lye round about italy , and these islands , and so keep them safe from all invasions of enemies ; the souldiers of which fleet , if they should be set over the countrymen , would do much more hurt then good ; and besides , the number of them must then be enlarged . whereas by this meanes the prizes that they take , from the moors , and turks , would be sufficient to maintain them ; and the king would also be thereby enriched , and the coast of aff●ick made safe and secure . and if it should chance , that those of algier and tunis should at any time cause any tumult in favour of the christians , there should be souldiers alwaies in a readinesse to come into their assistance , by sayling over into the kingdome of oran : with which people , they may traffick , by carrying into them silks , wheat , and other commodities , so long as the adriatick sea is scoured and made safe by the venetians ; so that there would be no need of fearing either the turks , or pirats . in these islands there may very convenient seminaries be erected for the breeding up of souldiers , of such children , as with their mothers shall be taken from the turks and moors ; and in these may be also taught the arabick tongue ; and there may be monasteries for friers erected also , as we have hinted before . and here we are to giv● a caution , that whensoever any merchants put in at either of these islands , either from england , turky , or africk , there ought to be present some or other of the clergy , lest the inhabitants should be infected with some forreign heresy . for islands , by reason of their commodiousnesse for the reception of people of all sorts , are very subject to such mutations and changes ; which is also observed by plato himself . those that live near the sea coast , by reason of their so constant conversation with forreigners ( for which reason plato called the sea the schoolmaster of all wickednesse ) are crafty , subtle , and circumspect , and such as know very well what belongs to trading and merchandise ; but on the contrary , the inlanders are sincere , upright , and just , and content with a little . the king might also make very good use of great cities , such as is syracuse in sicily ; which , as cicero here tofore said of it , had it been divided into four parts , would very well have made as many handsome cities . and such as at this day also is palermo , in the same island , which is adorned with stately churches , and palaces ; wherein there are two things worthy to be taken notice of ; the one is , a stately street , that runs all along the whole breadth of the city , and divides it in a manner into two parts , and is both very streight , long , and broad , and withal adorned with very fair buildings ; so that i do not know , whether all italy can any where shew the like of it , or no : the other is , a vast pile , or banke , raised up by an infinite expence of mony against the sea ; by meanes whereof the city is accommodated with a very fair , capacious haven : which is a work that is really worthy of the ancient roman magnificence . islands , as plato saith , were , for the most part , the nests of tyrants . but touching such havens as are necessary in case of such fears , and likewise of navigation , and sea voyages , i shall have occasion to speak in its proper place . and as concerning these islanders , they ought not to be kept short , and to be defrauded of things necessary ; or to be held to too hard meat : but they have need rather , that such usurers , as lye lurking amongst them ; and also the publick prisons should be inquired into , and visited ; as we have said before . there may also be erected some seminaries for sea-men ; to which may be yearly sent , in gallies , young men to be instructed in the art of navigation , as the custome is among the venetians ; and this the king ought to do so much the rather , because that he wants young seamen more then any thing : but yet to these he must joyn some transalpine seamen , for the encreasing of his number . there may also be instituted in these islands two new orders of knights , such as those of mal●a ; neither ought the revenewes belonging to the knights that are of the order of st iames , or of any other order of knighthood , to be bestowed upon idle persons ; that the king may not alwaies be forced to make use of auxiliary seamen ; or else to imploy mercenaries , such as the genois are . in s●ch islands as these , the barons ought to have a stricter hand held over them , then any others ; because that the conveniency of the situation of such places may tempt them to take an occasion of rebelling , here , rather then in any other places , these men being indeed naturally inclined to be rebells . and therefore the best way would be , to send barons from out of some other countries into these islands ; and of all other , those of spain are the fittest ; the rather , because they lye all in the same climate : and these should be put in trust with all offices , and seafaring affaires ; with whom may be joyned some transalpines , partly to assist them as souldiers , and partly for procreation of children . neither ought any noble men of the natives to be intrusted with any of the stronger holds , or castles : for these are most commonly the authors and ringleaders of all rebellions ; as they have alwaies proved , against the french especially ; and yet these men have been since very faithful to the arragonians , by reason of their likenesse both in temper and manners . in a word , there is nothing more necessary for the making a prince to reign happily , then that he throughly understand the nature , temper and inclination of his subjects . for , according as he finds these to be , so must he order his government . chap. xxiii . of germany . comming now to speak of such nations as are enemies to the king of spain , to some of which notwithstanding he hath some title ; the germans first offer themselves unto us ; whom yet the king needs not fear , seeing that the house of austria is the most powerful in all germany ; being now raised up to so great a height of greatnesse and power , by continual marriages with great princes , and hereditary successions , and great alliances , as we see it at this day . for , maximilian had the provinces of the lower germany falling to him , by mary his wife , who was daughter to cha●les the last duke of burgundy : and philip● maximilians son , became possessed of spain , with all its appurtenances , by the marriage of ioan , he daughter of ferdinand and isabella ; in which kingdomes his son charles succeeded . and in these our daies king philip , the most worthy son of so worthy a father , hath had portugal with all its appurtenances , which certainly are very great , fallen to him by the death of his mother isabella : from which very house is derived the title of king of both spains . now we are to understand , that the house of austria is in league with none , save only catholick princes ; such as is the duke of bavaria , with the german archbishops , & bishops and some few others : and therefore it is very necessary , that these should still be more and more closely united to each other , not only in religion , but also by marriages into one anothers families , and other like ties and bonds , of friendship : which as it is the justest course that can be taken , so it is also the safest , and is much more firm and durable then any other whatsoever . but there must be all the care taken that may be , to sow continuall● the seeds of discord and dissention between the marquesse of brandenburg , the landgrave of hessen , the duke of saxony , the duke of brunswick , the count palatine of the rhine , and also the duke of wirtemberg , and those other petty common-wealths in germany : which may easily be effected by reason of those state divisions , and emulations that frequently trouble these republicks , and fill them with suspicions , and jealousies of each other . an● hence it comes to passe , that they never come in with their ai●es to the emperours , in any seasonable time ; first , because they conceive the emperours businesse , and design to be , to bring hungary in subjection , not to the roman empire , but rather to the house of austria ; and then again , they are afraid lest the emperour , when he is now grown to so great a height of power , should endeavour to put a yoak upon their necks also , and keep them in subjection . and therefore they do acknowledge him to be indeed the head of their union ; but yet they will not yeeld him any homage ; but themselves order matters as they see cause among themselves , both in reference to the abolishing of old lawes , and enacting new , as also in doing the like in matters of religion : a sufficient example whereof we have both in norimberg , spires , strasbourg , and frankford . yet i shall here add , that this dissension among the german princes is in one respect advantageous to the king of spain ; and in an other prejudicial , as it usually proveth to be in reference to all forreign powers . for , the turk hath already taken away bosnia , croatia , and hungary from the house of austria : and it is to be feared , that possibly he may some time or other force his way even into austria it self also . and then , if germany should find it self to suffer thus , under the protection of this house ; possibly they may reject ●t , and elect some heretick to be their emperour : which certainly would prove to be the cause of many greater mischeifs . and therefore i conceive the king of spain ought to labour as much as in him lies , to bring either the emperour himself , or else his brother maximilian , to enter into a league with the duke of transylvania , or else with the muscovites , and that they should joyn all their force and strength together , to ruin the turk . i would have the emperour also to engage himself faithfully both to the protestant princes , and free cities of germany , and also to the duke of bavaria , that what places soever he shall take in , in his wars , they shall be all reckoned as parts added to the empire , and not be accounted as additions to his own house only . then again , i would have him , during the time of the war , to confer upon all such persons of eminency , as shall be sent to his assistance by the free cities , lands , and lordships , and the like gratuities ; by this means to oblige them the more to his service , rather then to that of their own native country : in like manner as caesar engaged his army even against rome it self . but this must be the businesse only of some one of the house of austria , that shall be a person both of great valour , and wisedom ; neither can any meaner man undertake it . and then , having conquered the turks , he must next march with his forces against germany , calling in to his assistance some ●paniards also , and italians . for , unlesse he do so , there is some reason to fear , that the king of spain may receive some prejudice thereby . he must therefore take care , and to the same end deal both with the emperour , and the pope● that the right of election of the emperour may be put into the hands of such only as are his friends ; such as are the duke of bavaria , and the archduke ; for otherwise , if it should so chance , as that the king of france should be elected emperour , it would very much impede , and crosse all his designs . but what course there might be taken so to prevail with the protestant party , as that they should elect no other for emperour , but only the king of spain , i shall be ready to enform the● kings majestie himself , when he shall please to give me audience touching these things : but i shall forbear to set any thing of this here down in writing . if the king desire to make himself lord of germany , he must first necessarily get himself to be elected emperour of germany ; and having brought this about , he must then , under a pretense of making war against the turk , march into hungary ; and so he may upon a sudden fall upon the protestants before they are aware , and while they dream not of any such thing ; and by this means he may be so much before hand with the imperial cities , as that they shall not have any time to provide themselves to make any resistance against him : which course was practised by charles the fifth , with very good successe . and then , let him bring in new colonies , and make new laws , and place italians over them , for his ministers of state ; for the clime will not bear the temper of the spaniard : neither can this thing be better ordered any other way . but indeed , the hungarian affaires go very ill , and they there have very much need of assistance : for , if vienna should be taken , the turk might presently march into friuli , if he would . now , what courses may be taken for the prevention of this mischief , i shall hereafter declare , when i shall come to speak of the turk . the constant practise of the turk hath been , in his warres against the christians , never to maintain any long war with any one prince : but to set now upon one , and then upon another ; and to send some to invade one country , and others to invade another , and so hath sometimes snatcht away a whole kingdom at a time from them . and least , by being continually thus put to it , they should so become to be expert in the use of armes ; he presently makes either an absolute peace , or else agrees upon a cessation of armes with them , and then immediately falls aboard of some other , not giving them so much as any time to look about them , or to provide to make resistance against him : and then , having taken some city , or some strong hold fr●m them , he presently makes either a peace , or a truce with them , and so away again . by which means it comes to passe , that his armies are all old , tried souldiers ; but ours are , for the greatest part , made up of such as are raw , and unexperienced in war. for , the turk is continually at war with some or other ; but so have not any of the aforesaid princes been . and hence it is , that he hath alwaies been of the gaining hand ; and that , either by taking in , and adding to his empire some new places ; or else by establishing to himself , and making sure what he hath formerly gotten . but it is now time to return to our former discourse . i say therefore again , that it behoves the king of spain to take care , that his friends be at unity among themselves , but that his enemies , especially in germany , be at variance and discord : and he must not let slip any opportunity for the bringing of this about . and it would be a most excellent course , for the bringing down of the hereticks courage , and taking them off their edge , if there should be erected in germany schools for philosophy , and the mathematicks ; that so by this means the younger heads might be busied , and taken up with these kind of speculations , rather then spend their time in heretical studies . and i would have others of them to be imployed in contriving of engines for war , both by land and sea ; and in other mechanical operations : and let the choicest wits amongst them be invited , by large salaries , to go into the west-indies , and there to apply themselves to the study of astrology . but there is an admirable way of causing a separation betwixt them , which pleaseth me very much ; and it is done two waies : the first is , if all desire and willingnesse of meeting one another , and laying their heads together to plot or design any thing be quite dasht in them : and this is to be done by fomenting what disgusts , aud jealousies there are amongst them , so that one of them shall not dare to tell his minde to another , or to trust any man with any of his secrets . and this was an art that charles the great made use of ; who also , besides his ordinary tribunals , set up a secret court of justice in westphalia , for the keeping of the w●stphalians in order , who , after they had received baptism , lived very strangely nevertherlesse ; and not without suspition of being false to the christian faith. a second way is , by hindring them from ever being able to do any thing , that may be prejudicial to the state : and this may be done , by seeing that there be no affinities , leagues● or other correspondences contracted between the principal and most powerful persons of that nation ; and secondly , that no person that is , of any very eminent account amongst them , be suffered to live there , but that he be removed some whether else . and this course did charles the great take , to avoid the frequent combustions that arose in saxony , by sending away all the nobility of that province into france . lastly , let him be sure to place in all their councels , colledges , and about all magistrates , some of his creatures , to serve him for spies , and informers . chap. xxiv . of france . seeing that there is no christian kingdome , that is more able to oppose , and put a stop to the growing of the spanish monarc●y , then france is , ( i speak here to such kingdomes as are united , and lie compacted together all in a body ) as being the greatest , richest , and most populous in christendome : for , it hath in it seven and twenty thousand parish churches in it , and feedeth about a hundred and fifty millions of soules ; and is so fruitful by nature , and so rich , through the care and industry of its inhabitants , that it comes behind no other country whatsoever : adde hereunto , that it lies not far from spain ; and the inhabitants thereof do naturally hate a spaniard ; and are besides excellent souldiers , and have all but one head over them , residing also in their own country : all which circumstances you shall not find to meet in any one country besides : for some lye either very far off , as the turks , and english do ; or else are heartlesse , and unapt for war , as are the italians ; or else are divided among themselve● , as the germans are : all these things ( i say ) being considered , it will be needful that i should here give a more exact , and punctual account of the f●ench then ordinary ; wherein also i shall discover , what , and how great errours we have of late years committed , in reference to them ; that so for the future we may be the more wary , as to this particular . the french nation , being descended from iaphet , by gomer , by their strength , and the force of their armes , and having also their religion , and the fates propitious to them , have had very great successes ; in that under the conduct of charles the great , and king pepin , they arrived to so great a monarchy , as they then had . and certainly all the other princes of christendom had at that time an e●e upon the kingdom of france : and if the french had but crusht the impiety of the mahumetans , when it was yet but in the bud , they might easily have compassed the monarchy of the whole world : and that so much the rather , by reason that their rivals , the spaniards were divided into many several kingdomes , and were besides held in play with the moors , who had invaded their country ; so that at that time they were not at leasure to interrupt the french , or to take them off from their designes : as the french at this day hinder them in theirs . but for as much as the french have not the skill of carrying a moderate hand in government over such forraigners as are under their subjection , but are too impatient , and indiscreet ; they could never yet attain to so great a height of power . for they are apt to arrogate too much to themselves ; & shewing no gravity at all , they permit their subjects to do what they please ; and so sometimes they use them too cruelly , and sometimes again too gently ; having no regard at all to their own defects , and weaknesses . and hence it hath come to passe , that though they have gotten many things abroad , yet they have not been able to keep any of them . for , in one evening● they lost all sicily : and almost in as short a time , the kingdom of naples too , together with the duchy of millan : and for no other reason , but only because that they knew not how , through want of prudence in governing , to oblige their subjects to them by the love of the publick good : nor yet took any care to draw in others to put themselves under their protection . for , when the people once perceaved , that there would be very litle or no difference to them , in respect of their liberty● whether they served the french , or the spaniards , they would not vouchsafe so much as to draw a sword in their behalf . and for the very same reason did the king of france , and the duke of millan several times lose their dominion over the genois . we may add hereto , in reference to the french , the discord that was betwixt the sons of charles the great ; because that one of them would be king of italy , another of germany , and a third of france : and likewise the weaknesse of the french nobility , who would needs all be free princes , and live of themselves without any head : such as are the duke of burgundy , the earl of flanders , the duke of bretaigne , of the delphinate , of savoy , the count palatine of the rhine , with diverse others ; each of which would needs be an absolute prince of himself● so that as well for these reasons , and because of their being d●vided in their religion , and also as well by fate , as by god himself , and besides , by not laying hold upon occasion , when it was offered , they seem to be excluded from ever attaining to the universal monarchy of the whole world. and therefore the majesty of the universal dominion over all seemes rather to incline toward the spaniards , both because fate it self seemes to have destined the same unto them ; as also , because it seemes , in some sort , to be their due , by reason of their patience , and discretion . but because that the very situation of the country , the manner of their armes in war , and the natural enmity that there is betwixt the french and the spaniards , seem to require that france should be continually in war with spain , and should be still interrupting their glorious proceedings ; like as also when it was in a flourishing state under charles the fifth , it was hindred by francis king of france ; and as it may also at this day be troubled by the hereticks of france , and their king henry the fourth , who is a valiant , and warlick person ; these things , i say , being considered , it nearly concerns the king of spain seriously to consider the state of his own affaires , and withal to weigh the power of france ; and to be sure , when any fit opportunity is offered to fall upon them with all his might , & to set upon them on that part where they are weakest , that ●o that other part , where they are more powerful , may sink of it self . seeing therefore that they are weak , not in armes , but in wisdom , and brain ; he ought to manage his war against them accordingly . and therefore , first of all , he must be sure to lay hold on fortune , and opportunity , whensoever they offer themselves ; as evidently appeares by the example of that good fortune , that delivered the aforenamed king francis , and germany into the hands , and power of charles the fifth ; by which means , had he pursued that opportunity , he might have crushed all the princes that were his competitors ; for he ought immediately to have bent his whole strength against france , and by the assistance of the germans to have repressed , and curbed the insolency of the french. i say , by the assistance of the germans : for they , as being the more fierce nation of the two , have alwaies been as an antidote against the fiercenesse of the french. and hence it is , that the franconians , normans , swedes , gotlanders , danes , and other northern forraign nations , have alwaies , in a manner , been to hard for the french , that lye not so northerly as they . and therefore , as i said charles the fifth ought immediately , with an army of germans , to have set upon france . and after that , he should have put guards of spaniards into all their castles , and strong holds , and should have placed italians in all their courts of judicature , and have appointed them to regulate their lawes ; and then should either have brought france wholly under his own power , and obedience ; or else should have put it into the hands of some petty princes , to be governed by them ; and so should presently have declared himself head of the christian world. but he , instead of doing thus , had recourse to that vain , uselesse course of securing himself , by marriage ; chusing rather to winne over to him his rivall neighbour by fair meanes ; which is never to be done , but with those that are farther off ; and which is especially to be declined , when a prince hath so potent neighbours that are his antagonists for an empire . for , the f●ench had first a design of making themselves universall monarchs of the world , before the spaniards had any such thought ; whom the french afterwards envied , when they found them aspiring that way . a second opportunity of keeping france under in such sort , as that it should not have been able to have opposed , or hindred the growing potency of the spaniard , was offered to his son , philip , had he but had the skill to have laid hold of it , and to have made the right use of it . for , henry the iii. of france being slain by a certain dominican frier , under pretense of his favouring those of the religion ; and the whole kingdom of france being now divided into two factions , namely , the catholicks and the huguenots ; and many governours of provinces having at that time the said provinces at their devotion as , for example , montmorency had that of languedoc , and espernon , and others , had others : the line of valois being now quite extinct , and there being a great controversy started amongst them , whether it were best for them to think of choosing any new king of some other house , or not : and lastly , henry of navarre being , by reason of his being an heretick , hated by the catholick party ; king philip had at that time five opportunities offered him : either of which had he but laid hold of , it would have been sufficient to have made him master of france , or at least to have weakned the power of it very much ; not to say any thing what might have been done , when all of them concurred , and met together . and yet to say truth , it lay not in his power at that time to effect this ; for he saw , that if he should fall upon this design in an open way of making war upon them , it would have been necessary for him then to have had good store of souldiers to have brought into the feild ; ( which at that time he had not , ) to be able to divide , and distract all the nobles of that kingdome , and to set them together by the ears . and therefore he should first of all have dealt under hand either with the duke of guise , or of maine , or with some other of the most powerful amongst them , and have promised to make him king , and besides to make him his son in law : and at the same time to give hopes also to all the rest of the nobility , that they should every man of them be made the proprietary , and absolute lord of their several provinces ; as that montmorency should have languedoc confirmed to him , esper●on should have provence ; and every one of them should have had a promise made him of such lordships as they liked best ; and all of these he should also have furnished with mony , that they might have been the better enabled to make resistance against henry of navarre . he ought also to have entred into a league with the pope , and the rest of the catholick princes ; that so joyning all their forces together , they might all at once have set upon henry of navarre , who was of a different religion from them . and then besides all this , he ought to have obliged to him the hearts of all the french bishops , and preachers , by conferring upon them large dignities , and preferments . and when all these things had been thus ordered , then either the king himself in person , or else , if he should not think that fit , his son , or the duke of parma should presently have invaded france with an army of at least a hundred thousand men , consisting of germans , italians , and spaniards ; and he should also immediately have sent out some to make excursions into france , by the way of the duke of savoys country , and by navarre , and picardy . and all these things should have been , with all care and diligence , put into execution : which if they had , he had then certainly done his businesse , and had either added france to his other dominions , or else might have canton'd it out into many small baronies and republicks , as germany is ; and so he should have been ever after secure from their being able to do him any hurt . but king philip was not nimble enough in his businesse ; and besides , he was deluded by the french nobles , who almost all went over to the king of navarre : whereas , had he been but as quick as he shonld have been , all this had never happened . for this is the usual course of the world , that every man looks first of all to his own interest , and then to that of the publick ; and accordingly men use to bestirr themselves in troublesome times . but here , in this case , where every one of them perceived , that the good of the publick did consist in the welfare of each particular person , and so on the contrary ; they then presently made choice of that which they conceived would be for the publick good. and so , although those french nobles , being at the first by mony , and fair promises , wrought over to favour the king of spain , and so were brought to enter into action in order thereunto ; yet when upon better consideration they found at last that in case the crown of france should passe away to another , or that the kingdom should be parcell'd out into small dominions , and republicks , the losse would at length redound to each of them in particular , whiles that the king of spain might then with ease reduce them one by one , and bring them under his obedience ; seeing that they were so divided , as that they could not in any convenient time joyn their strengths together to make any opposition against him ; and besides , knowing that france it self , which had been hitherto so much honoured by all other nations , would now come to be despised by them ; and that all hopes of ever attaining to the crown would now be quite cut off from them ; and , that they should afterwards find , that the spaniards would but laugh at them for all their pains ; they conceived it to be the safer , and more advantageous course for themselves , to adhere to the king of navarre , and receive him for their prince . which certainly when at the first , whiles they were inveagled , and blinded by the false hopes of the spaniards mony , they had not so well and throughly considered , as they did afterwards , when they had once weighed in their minds what the event was like to be , and also saw with their eyes what the kings proceedings were ; they then at length began to elude art with art. besides , the french , perceiving also how great inconveniences would arise , by maintaining a war with the spaniard , did therefore the more willingly and chearfully proceed to the election of a new king , because that they were perswaded , that when a king was once chosen , those evils would then be removed , which yet at the first they made litle account of . but the king of spain committed yet another errour in this point , in that by his slownesse he gave the king of navarre time to make over to his party the princes of italy , and the pope , only by making them believe , that he intended to abjure the protestant religion , and turn catholick : besides , that those princes did likewise consider , that when france was once subdued by the spaniards , whom they knew very well to gape earnestly after an universal monarchy , their own turnes would probably have been next to have been swallowed up by them . this very slownesse of his was the reason why the spaniard gained the lesse , and was also the longer held in expectation ; and besides , by gaping in this manner after what belonged to others , became hated by all : so true is that common saying ; namely , that there is no place inexpugnable , into which an asse , laden with gold , can but get in . but then this is also to be added to that saying ; namely , that that golden asse , or that asse laden with gold , must have many horses laden with iron to come after it : that so while the citizens are all busied in weighing , and telling out their mony , thou mayest in the mean time make use of thy iron in the subduing , and taking in of that place . to this we may adde , that the spanish commanders , as well as the french , plaid booty , as we say ; neither of them fighting for the victory , but for gain onely . and the reason of this was , because that neither the king himself , nor his son were present in person in the army . and besides the duke of parma durst not at first , in the beginning of the war , hazard all in a battel , without commands from the king ; by which means the king of navarre had time given him to gain over to him the french nobility , ( whom the spaniard had before wrought over by his mony to his side , ) only by an opinion they had conceived of his military valour . and in this he imitated those other most valiant princes , who , neglecting the common people , made it their only businesse , to oblige the nobles to them only : which hath been the ancient custome with the polonians , persians , and french. and because , that the nobles think it a thing too much below them , to march with foot souldiers ; hence it is , that these very nations have alwaies been very strong in horse ; but have still been but weak in foot. and seeing the businesse is come to this passe , that the king of france hath now won to himself the affections both of his subjects , the french , and of the pope also ; and hath thereby got himself more renown , then if he had beaten the king of spain himself ; it is now to be feared , that he may sometime or other attempt to take in some part of spain also . for , he is of a turbulent , unquiet spirit , neither can the french hold , while they have well settled a country that they have newly taken in ; but they must on still , and fall upon some other ; and this the king of france must the rather do , because that being out of mony , he is forced to forrage abroad , and take from others , that he may ha●e to pay his own men . and therefore it will be necessary that the king of spain take care that the frontiers of spain , and the duchy of millan also be well guarded , and fortified ; and also , that he carefully observe these following rules . the first whereof is , that he enter into a league with the french , who are his competitors : and the second is , that he hinder the coming of any assistance to him either from england , or from italy : both which things may be effected one and the same way ; namely , if he do but perswade the pope , that the king of france hath a purpose of assisting the hereticks ; and that , should he but once come into italy , he would scatter abroad the poyson of his heresie every where ; and , that tuscany , and the venetian territories will first be the seat of the war , and afterwards will be his prey . let the king of spain therefore deal with the pope , that he would interdict the king of france the contracting of any league , or friendship , either with the queen of england , or with any other of the hereticks ; such as are the genevians , helvetians , and rhetians , or grisons : for , these would be able to assist him very much . let the pope also make him swear , that he will go to the holy land , and there joyn with the italians in the defence of the christian faith. but the best course of all would be , that the nobility of france and of italy should all joyn together , and should be sent in an expedition against greece ; and that there should also be another association made betwixt the princes of the house of austria , against the hereticks . for , if that the christian princes were but thus dispersed , and kept at a distance one from another , the kingdom of naples , together with that of spain , and the duchy of millan also , would have none to stand in fear of , but would be secure on all sides : and besides , the king of spain might in the mean time bethink himself what waies were the best to be taken for the reducing of the net●erlands ; over whom were he but once conquerour , the forenamed princes would be so much astonished at the report of that his victory , and of his military strength , that they would never dare to attempt any thing against him ; no , though they should return home lords of all asia . for , although pompey was a conquerou● in assia ; yet he was not able to stand against caesar , that had now subdued the belgick provinces for , the belgians , by reason of their fiercenesse in war , put caesar much more to it to subdue them , then those of asia did pompey , who was for this reason also inferiour to caesar in power . now in case that henry the fourth should die , as he begins now to be an old man , and hath neither successor , nor wife ; or if he should marry , and should leave a son behind him , yet probably he would be under age ; and so conde would either be the next heir to the crown , or else would at least have the administration of the government put into his hands , during the minority of the prince ; whose ancestors , having alwaies been the leaders , and indeed the stirrers up of the hereticks of france in all their wars , were the authors of shedding so much catholick blood : i say , should things come to thi● passe , it would then concern the king of spain to lay hold on that opportunity , in proposing to the consideration of the catholicks of france , whether they thought would be the better course , to make choyce of conde , or else of some catholick to be their king ; remembring that he is the son of that father , that acted so much cruelty upon the catholicks , which this prince suckt in with his nurses milk. the king of spain must also so order the matter , as that if he cannot bring it about , that the kingdome of france should be divided in judgment upon this particular , he must then deal with them , that it may be conferred upon some one that they shall pitch upon , by way of election . or else , in the last place , he must speedily have recourse to the arts before set down : which king philip failed in before . and this manner of electing a king , upon condition that he be a catholick , would very much please the italians ; and the catholick princes of france also would very willingly assent thereto ; because that every one of them would have some hope hereby of attaining to the crown himself . and if this should once come to passe , it would prove a very great weakning to the kingdom of france : for , during the vacancy of the crown , there must needs arise very great , and long dissentions amongst them ; and , possibly , the king of spain also , being called in by some or other of the princes , might come to have a finger in the businesse . now for as much as elective kings are , for the most part , not much given to trouble themselves about the enlarging the bounds of their kingdome ; because that they know very well , that their sons are not their successours ; therefore neither will they expose themselves to danger upon the account of another mans interest . and this is the onely reason , why the emperours of germany n●ver trouble themselves about the enlarging of their empire ; as neither do the kings of poland , unlesse they chance to be persons of a high , warlick spirit , as king steven was , surnamed battorius ; and sigismund ; both which maintained wars with the m●scovites , tartarians , and others , about the principality of prussia , and some other territories ; because they hoped , that their sons should at least have succeeded them in those . this course is of very good use to a prince , for the acquiring of military glory , and through the multitude of victories , and the affection of his souldiers , for the bringing his own country under his subjection : which course , i before shewed , was to be taken by the emperour of germany , according to the example of iulius caesar. yet notwithstanding , this piece of craft being well understood by the french , hath been the cause , that they have now laid aside all desires of enlarging their territories , meerly to avoid that suspition . and this suspition is the reason why the venetians do not send commanders of their own into their wars , but rather chuse to make use of forraign commanders , whom a little mony contents well enough for their pay. for , as to this particular , it was no small hazard which they heretofore run , under carmagnola● and ludovicus vrsinus . and francis sforza , who was but a mercenary souldier under the state of venice , returning home a conquerour , made himself duke of millan . for this very cause the romans heretofore hated the tarquins , their kings , who till that time had alwaies been elective : and this very thing also was the ruine of the duke of the athenians , that was elected at florence . neither are opportunities at this time wanting of setting the french together by the ears among themselves : for although their peace is not at this time at all disturbed by any forraign enemies ; yet they being naturally of an impatient , unquiet spirit , are alwaies rising up one against another , although it be perhaps but upon their quarrel about the heresie of the calvinists , and i know not what new gospel ; which wheresoever it is preached , it bringeth , not joy , but mourning ; not peace , but horrid wars ; and filleth the minds of men , not with good will , but with rage and madnesse . this mischief therefore ought to be taken in due time , and have a stop put to it : for , this contagion hath already infected above two hundred thousand persons in france . for , if so be it should spread further , and should infect the nobility also , and peers of the kingdom , it would be much to be feared , that there would never be any end of the troubles of france : which is now the condition of germany , by means of the dukes of saxony , hessen , and others . for , as we see , such kingdomes as abound with nobles , are made in a manner immortal ; as we may evidently perceive by the examples of france and persia. for , when france was heretofore in a manner all subdued , and brought in subjection by the king of england ; yet it was afterwards , through the industry , and by the endeavours of the nobility and gentry , wholly asserted & restored again to its first , natural lord. and so likewise the kingdome of persia , which is one while annoyed by the tartarians , and again another while by the saracens ; is yet so well defended by the pe●sian nobility , as that it is kept from falling under either of their power , and obedience . but yet , on the contrary side again , the very same kingdomes are by reason of their nobility also obnoxious to most unavoidable and miserable calamities ; seeing they are able at any time either to assist , or protect all such , as endeavour to introduce any innovations , either in the state , or religion . chap. xxv . of england , scotland , and ireland . although the english seem the least of all to affect an vniversal monarchy ; yet notwithstanding they have been a very great hinderance to the king of spains designs that way : several examples whereof may be gathered from the proceedings of the aforesaid queen elizabeth of england , who appeared both against the catholick king , in the low-countries , and against the most christian king in france , by fomenting the corrupt humours in the subjects of both these princes , and in assisting the hereticks both with her counsels , and forces . for they possesse an island that is excellently well furnished both with shipping , and souldiers ; and by this means they rob the king of spain in all places in the north wheresoever he hath any thing ; and also wander out abroad , as far as to the new world ; where , although by reason of the fortifications made upon the sea coast , they cannot lay the foundation of any kingdome , yet do they do the spaniards no small harme there . for , that same famous englishman , captain drake , following the example of magellan , who bad done the same before him , sailed round about the whole world more then once ; and it is no● impossible , but that the kingdom of bacalaos , which lies somewhat near to the english , and is very convenient for them , by reason of the temperatenesse of the air , may be some time or other seazed upon by them . however it is most certain , that if the king of spain could but once make himself master of england , and the low-countries , he would quickly get to be sole monarch of all europe , and of the greatest part of the new world. but , seeing that he is not able to reduce this island under his obedience , because that it is so exceeding strong ; by reason both of its situation , and multitude of inhabitants , who naturally hate the spaniard and are quite different from them both in their manners , and also their religion ; it will concern him therefore to defend himself as well as he can , and to fortifie and set strong guards upon all such places of his dominions as lye open to their incursions ; least otherwise the english should chance to seaze upon them . and such are the haven corugna , and all the sea coast of galicia , leon , biscay , and all the kingdomes that lie in the other hemisphere ; as shall be shewed hereafter . but this he must make his cheifest businesse , namely , to weaken the power of the english : for the effecting of which design , it would be sufficient , if he could but bring it about , that the hollander , and the freezlander should with their fleets fall upon the english forces at sea , as i shall by and by make it plainly appear . but seeing he is so far from doing this● that his own navies are very often damaged by the english ships , the only remedy that is left him is , to provide himself of some vast fleets of ships which should lie at corugna , and lisbon , that when ever the spanish fleet shall return from the indies , they may serve as convoys to it , and may bring it home safely : or else they may be sent forth either against ireland , or england , and so may divert them from lying in wait for , and infesting of the spanish navies . and because the king of spain is to be lord of the seas , it is very necessary that he build himself many wooden cities , that is to say , great navies , for the securing of his treasure that he recieves out of the new world. it would also be a very good course for him to hire those that are of the greatest strength among the hollanders , though it cost him a million of mony , to guard such fleets of his , as are to passe to and fro in the northern seas ; and to deal in the like manner with such nations , as are better skilled in nautical affaires , then the english themselves are : as namely the danzickers , by means of the king of poland , who is allied to the house of austria ; likewise with the gutlanders , swedes , finlanders , and the rest that are of scandinavia , denmark , pomerania , and borussia , procuring them to declare against the english , and either to set upon some of their islands , or else to invade england it self , that so they may divert them from falling upon the spanish fleets ; or else , if the king shall think it better , to set upon the english navy it self . if , i say , he would but be at so great a charge , as to hire the said nations to fall upon the english , and would besides but give them all the booties that they should take from the english , he might compasse all his desires : and besides , the seeds of such a feude once sown , would spread far and near , and would never be killed and choaked again . and therefore i conceive , that mony alone would be able to set these people at variance , and make them fall foul one upon the other . and it is certain , that england stands in fear of no other nations so much , as of those above named : because they are both more fierce , and more populous nations , and also more powerful at sea , then the english themselves are . for , spain cannot it self make any considerable opposition against the english , unlesse it be by makig use of some such artifice ; seeing that they are better acquainted with those northern seas , then the spanish are . and then , england is an island whose inhabitants are both very numerous , and they are also a diligent and subtle people ; and it is besides very strongly fortified both by sea and land , and withall a deadly enemy to spain , partly by reason of their different religions , and partly because the english claime a kind of right to that crown , by reason of the castilian line , which is derived by the house of lancaster ; besides , diverse of the former kings of england of the family of york , and others , have been allied to spain . now as concerning the weakning of the english , there can no better way possibly be found out , then by causing divisions , and dissentions among themselves , and by continually keeping up the same ; which will quickly furnish the spaniard with better , and more advantageous opportunities . and as for the religion of that people , it is that of calvin ; though very much moderated , and not so rigid , and austere as it is at geneva : which yet cannot so easily be extinguished and rooted out there , unlesse there were some certain schooles set up in flanders , ( with which people the english have very great commerce ) by meanes of which there should be scattered abroad the seeds of schisme and divisions in the natural sciences ; as namely , betwixt the stoicks , peripateticks , and telesians ; by which the errours of the calvinists might be made manifest . for the truth of it is , that sect is diametrically contrary to the rules of policy : for , they teach , that whether a man do well , or ill , he doth all by divine impulsion ; which plato demonstrates , against homer , to be opposite to all sounder policy ; which sayes , that every man hath free liberty of will , either to do well , or ill ; so that it is in our own power , either to observe , or not observe what is commanded us ; and from hence we are to expect either our rewards , or punishments ; according as i have most evidently demonstrated in my dialogue touching policy , where i have discoursed of this point , though but briefly , and without any flourish of language ; which they , since they have become hereticks , are grown somewhat subtle in : and yet , being of a nature that is still desirous of novelties , and change , they are easily wrought over to any thing . as concerning their dominions , and private estates , the english are divided , and live in several countries : whence some time or other the spaniard may easily light upon some convenient opportunity of advantage against them . for the king of englands dominion is divided into ireland , and england ; which together with scotland , maketh up the isle of great brittain . now scotland it self hath also many small islands belonging to it , which are called the orcades . and hence it is , that the isle of great brittain had alwaies two kings reigning over it : namely , one of them was king of england ; and the other , of scotland , who , by reason of their lying so near to each other , were in a manner continually at wars , and invading one anothers territories ; for their kingdomes are severed only by a little small river , and some few hills . but now the king of scots hovers , as it were , at this time over england , not only by reason of his neighbourhood to it , but also because of his right , of succession ; for his mother was niece to king henry the eighth , who was father to queen elizabeth that now reigneth ; and , if we should confesse the truth , there is none so near in blood to the crown of england , as he is . and therefore the time now draweth on , that after the death of the said queen elizabeth , who is now very old , the kingdom of england must fall into the hands of their ancient and continuall rivals , the scots . we may here add , that the peers of the land , who when they are assembled together in a body , are called in their language the parliament , carry a great sway with them , and have very great power : in so much that they seem to desire to set up an oligarchy , or an aristocratical state , according to the example shewed them by the netherlande●s . for , all northern nations are naturally impatient of monarchy , or abs●lute power in princes ; and the kings of england were alwaies kept under by the parliament ; till that now of later times under pretext of introducing a new religion , they have taken upon them to exercise a more absolute power over their subjects . but in antient times the whole kingdom of england was divided into four lesser kingdoms ; as spain also hath been anciently distributed both into many several kingdomes ; both of which countries did afterwards grow into two entire kingdomes : although it cannot be denied , but that the power of the kings of england was never so great as that of the kings of spain . my opinion is therefore , that the king of spain should do well to employ under hand some certain merchants of florence , that are wise and subtle persons , and that traffick at antwerp , who ( because they are not so much hated by the english , as the spaniards are ) should treat with some such of the english as are some way or other descended from some of the former kings of england , and should promise each of them severally ( no one of them knowing any thing what is said to the other ) all the possible aides that can be from spain , for the restoring of them to their inheritances , legally descending down to them from their ancestours ; and undertake to effect this for them , if not as to the whole kingdome , yet at least to some part of it : requiring them to engage themselves to nothing else , ( so to give a colour to the businesse ) save only that they shall not joyn their forces , and assist the english in setting upon the spanish fleet at its return from the west indies . for by this meanes each of them being puft up with hope , will presently fall to question the king of scots his title to the english crown , and will endeavour to oppose him in it . let him also send privately to king iames of scotland , and promise him , that he will assist him to the utmost of his power in his getting possession of the kingdom of england , upon this condition● viz , that he shall either restore there again the catholick religion ; for the love whereof , his mother , mary stuart , queen of scots refused not to spend her dearest blood , and even to lay down her life too ; or at least , that he shall not annoy , or any way disturbe the said spanish fleet. but then again on the other side , let him under hand labour with the english peers , and the chiefest of the parliament , and egge them on to endeavour to reduce england into the form of a republick : withal assuring them , that the king of scots , when he shall have once gotten into the english throne , must needs prove a cruel prince to them , as having alwaies about him a deep remembrance , how injuriously the english have heretofore dealt with the scots . moreover , let him endeavour to strike a terrour into queen elizabeths friends , by often putting into their heads , that they will find , that king iames will revenge his mothers bloo● upon queen elizabeths friends , seeing that she is like to leave behind her none of her own blood upon whom he might take revenge ; especially seeing that his mother , queen mary , when she was now to dye , seriously commended unto him the care of the catholick religion , and the revenge of her blood. the english bishops are also to be exasperated , and put into fears and jealousies , by telling them , that the king of scots turned calvinist out of hope , and desire of the english crown , and being also forced to do so by his heretical barons : but that , when he shall once be quietly settled in the english throne ; he will then quickly restore the former religion ; for as much as , not onely his deceased mother , but even the king of france also have both of them very earnestly commended the same unto him. by which means it must necessarily follow , that the seeds of a continual war betwixt england and scotland will be sown ; in so much that neither kingdome shall have any leisure to work any disturbance to the spanish affaires . or else by buzzing into their ears , that in case king iames should be possest of this kingdom , he wil● however be a friend of spain : that the whole island would be devided into many dominions , or else that it would come to be an elective kingdom ; ( by which means the king of it will be the lesse careful of making himself master of other countries , and of adding them to the english crown ; neither indeed , though he should never so much desire it , would he ever be able to do so , as i have before shewed , where i speak of france : ) or else , that this country of england will be reduced into the form of a common wealth , which will perpetually be at feude with scotland ; and that all actions it shall undertake , will be long in bringing to effect , and so it will be able to do the lesse harm to spain . the spirits of the english catholicks also are to be rouzed up , and , as it were , awakened from sleep , and encouraged to action : for by this means , so soon as ever the throne shall be vacant , the king of spain shall come into england , under pretence of assisting them . let him also deal with those english nobles , who are possessed of some certain circumjacent islands lying about england , that they should exercise an absolute and full jurisdiction , each of them in their several places , and have peculiar courts of justice of their own , distinct from those of england : which very thing we read to have been anciently done by them . the chief of the irish nobility also are to be dealt with , that , as soon as they hear of the queens death , they should new model ireland either into the form of a republick , or else should make it a kingdom of it self , throwing off all obedience to the english ; withal promising aides to each of them in particular : and that so much the rather , because that in that kingdome , or island , the catholicks , and especially the friers that are of the order of s. francis , are very greatly esteemed and beloved . there is also much greater agreement and correspondence betwixt the spaniard and the irish , then betwixt them and the english ; whether it be by reason of the similitude of their manners , or else by reason of the clime , and the nearnesse of these two countries one to the other . there are also in ireland many vagabond persons , and such as have fled their countries , being men that are most impatient of government ; and yet are good catholicks , and such as may be able to do good service in this kind , as hath been shewed already . but this sort of men is not very rare to be found , either in england , or scotland also . these , and the like preparations may be made before hand ; that , so soon as ever queen elizabeth is dead , they may be immediately put into execution . for , there is no man but knowes what horrid civil wars , and what strange alterations , and turns have happened several times in england . so that , what i have here proposed , ought not to appear to any man , as things either new , or impossible . chap. xxvi . of poland , muscovia , and transylvania . the kingdom of poland is in our time the most potent of all the northern kingdomes ; insomuch that , if it were not so divided in it self , about points of religion , as it is ; and were withal an hereditary kingdome , and had a prince that were a native , and were not elected out of some forraign nation , as their custome is ; it would prove a sufficient terrour to the great turk ; especially , if the great duke of muscovia were but joyned with them . but the nobility of that nation , in whose power the election of the king is , are very much afraid of the king's power ; and for that reason they keep as hard a hand over him , as possibly they can . the king of spain therefore must endeavour as much as lies in him , that no king be elected there , but such a one as is of the catholick religion ; which course hath hitherto been observed amongst them . for , should they chuse themselves a king that were of any other religion , he would then very easily be induced to countenance , by his authority , the northern hereticks ; who do all agree in these two points , ( although they differ among thems●lves almost in all the rest , ) namely● that the pope is antichrist ; and , that the arch-dukes of austria are all of them such as fight for antichrist . and therefore , upon any the least occasion that could be , they would be apt to joyn their forces together against both the pope , and the emperour , their neighbour ; had they but any powerful prince to head them , and to be their general : which charge none is so able to undertake , and go through with , as the king of poland is . for , the king of denmark is but a weak prince ; and the king of sweden lies too far off ; and besides , is severed from germany by the sea. the king of spain must then in the next place by all meanes endeavour , that one of the house of austria may be advanced to the crown of poland : or at least such a one as is some way or other allied to the house of austria ; as the now king of poland is . and lastly , he must be such a one , as shall alwaies make head against the turk , and that should enter into an association with the muscovites , who together should to their utmost endeavour , as much as in them lies , the utter ruine , and extirpation of the turks . he must also make choyce of some of the wisest , and most eminent persons of his kingdom , whom he shall send as embassadours to cracovia , and who by their presence may adde authority , and weight to the spanish union , in the esteem of the electors of poland : and that may obtain of them , that in case the king of spain should have more sons then one , that the● they would elect one of the younger of them to be their king : for certainly , were any of the king of spain's sons chosen king of poland , he would never be so simple , and foolish , as to take upon him to govern the kingdome of poland according to his own will and pleasure ; as the king of france's son endeavoured to do . besides , he must deal with the people of scandia , and the dantzickers , by the means of the king of poland , who now is king of swethland also , that they would joyn together , and send out a fleet against the english ; as hath been said before . for by taking this course , the kings expense will not be half so great , as his gains will be . he must also labour that the prince of transylvania may in like manner enter into a league with the polanders ; or else , that either he , or the great duke of muscovia may be chosen king of poland . for , seeing that these two nations are not only neighbours to ●he turks , but do also naturally hate them , they might easily be able to stop his proceedings . and i am verily perswaded , that among all the northern nations there is not any so fit , and able to oppose the turk , as is the muscovite ; who , would but the tartarians , and the polanders joyn with him , might be able to make incursions into the turks dominions , and march up even to the very walls of constantinople . neither indeed hath macedonia , or moldavia , or bulgaria , or thrace ever suffered so much losse by any nation , as by the muscovit●s . and if there were an association contracted betwixt the king of spain and the muscovite , either by marriage , or else by the nearer tie of religion , brought about there , by the industry of the iesuites ; it must needs prove a very advantageous businesse to him : because that spanish gold is , among these northern nations , of greater estimation , and account , then any thing else in the world . and then must the king of spain be very careful , that , as soon as ever he finds he hath wrought up the affections of these people to a willingnesse to do him any service , he set them upon some notable expedition or other , while they are now ready for it , and before they begin to cool again , and repent themselves of their forwardnesse : for , delay hath alwaies been the ruine of the king of spain's affaires ; by reason that his confederates , through his slownesse in putting them in execution , have alwaies had time enough to smell out the subtilty of his designs ; and by this means it comes to passe , that he commonly loses his labour , and is at charge to no purpose . the bohemians also might be hired by the king of spain's , and the popes mony , to joyn with the transylvanians against the turks ; because that they are in league with the house of austria . yet , when all is done , there cannot be any considerable matter done in this particular , without the assistance of the polanders also , and the muscovites : and unlesse the emperour himself also be a man of a stout , and warlike spirit ; ( as we shewed before , when we spake of germany , ) and use his utmost endeavour to stop all growing mischiefs in their very beginings ; least , by delay , they get head , and grow so much the stronger , and intractable . chap. xxvii . of flanders , and the lower germany . it is not without good cause , that the king of spain endeavours by all possibl● meanes that he can , to recover the low-countries again : about the keeping of that only part whereof , which he still possesseth , it hath cost him more humane blood , then there is water in it ; and about which he hath spent more gold , then there are stones in it . and yet neither is this a matter so much to be wondred at ; seeing that , could he but once make himself master of those countries again , he might then very easily make himself lord also of the whole earth . for , were this but done , both france and germany would quickly follow , in spite of what ever they could do : and also england it self would be utterly ruined ; and indeed all the northern nations would be much weakned , and rendred utterly unable to make any resistance against him. for we see that caesar , after he had once conquered the belgians , made little account of all the rest of the northern countries ; and so presently passed over into england . and indeed there is no power that lies more conveniently , and is better able to destroy the english navy , then the power of holland , and zealand● for these provinces , both for the number of their shipping , and also for their skill and experience in nautical affairs , do infinitely surpasse all other nations whatsoever : not to say any thing of the fierce nature , or of the wealth of these people . for these netherlanders have diverse towns and cities , that are built in the very water , after the manner as venice is built : out of which towns , they may very commodiously issue out , and fall upon the english upon all occasions ; and may be able to secure their fleet , returning from the west-indies ; and so may have opportunity of carrying over colonies thither , and making plantations ; and having subdued many nations there , may exercise a free trade of merchandise in those countries . and therefore the king of spain must endeavour , to the utmost of his power , to reduce these countries , and bring them under his obedience again ; which yet seems now to be a businesse of no small difficulty ; and meerly through the heedlesnesse , and ill managery of the governours . i therefore conceive it would not be amisse , to reckon up here all the errours that have been committed by the spaniards in this particular ; that so they may learn to be the more wary for the future . and i shall also lay down such subtle waies and means , by which these people may be subdued : for the northern nations are all of such a spirit , as natural●y is addicted to a certain licentious freedome , and liberty ; in so much that no prince shall ever be able to rule them by keeping a strict , and severe hand over them , without using politick arts , and by remitting something of their authority . for , these nations by reason of their natural fecundity● are very numerous : now no multitude , or great number , is easily kept in order . they are moreover of a firece disposition ; as being born● and brought up in a cold clime . for , those that are born in such cold countries , have their natural heat shut up close within them , neither doth it in them evaporate in small , minute parts ; whence it is , that they are full of blood , corpulent , and are full of spirits , and valiant ; being also lovers of bacc●us , rather then of venus : and they are , by reason of the natural fuliginousnesse , and mistinesse that is within them , full of unsetled , tumultuous thoughts ; and , by reason of their abundance of spirits , are very prone to all licentiousnesse ; being withall very suspicious , and , by reason of their drunkennesse , shewing little or no gravity in their behaviour . these northern people ( i do not here speak of those nations that inhabit the utmost borders of the north ) are moreover full of courage , and without any craft : whereas the southern are , on the contrary , full of craft and subtlety ; but very fearful withal . the northern people are of a temper of body sutable to the disposition of their mind ; being big-bodied , and full of flesh ; and are full of blood , and vigorous . but the southern are on the contrary , crafty , and have dry bodies ; and are apter to run away , then to stand to it in a set battle . those former are of a plain , open soul ; these other are wily and subtle , and withal very malicious ; those weare a lions skin ; these a foxes : those are of a boystero●s , and inconstant nature ; these slow , but constant in their actions : those are merry , but these are melancholick ; those are addicted to wine ; these to women : those are couragious ; these are cowardly ; those are licentious ; these are more composed● and therefore these are to have more gentle and easie laws imposed upon them● for they are of so free , and loose a course of life , as that they cannot endure to be bound in by lawes ; and besides , relying upon their own strength , they are apt to care little for those that are their lords and rulers . all which things we find to be quite contrary , in the southern countries ; and especially in spain , which lies something near to the tropick of cancer ; beyond which are the amphiscians , having their noontide shadowes cast both wayes , at several times of the year . and therefore i say , that this was the reason why they were so eager to change their religion ; first , because they are so addicted to wine , and use to have so frequent feastings , and drinking-bouts : whereas the rules of religion require a more strict life , with fastings and abstinence . and secondly , because that being such as are subject to vehement , and unruly passions , they had an opinion , that they should never be able to moderate themselves in their pleasures . and this was the reason , that they were so ready to give ear to the doctrine of luther , and calvin ; because that these men deny , that man hath free will to do either ill , or well ; affirming moreover , that god himself doth work in men both good● and evil : which these northern men being easily perswaded to believe , they conceive themselves to have no power in themselves , either to forbear drinking , or to abstain from women . we may add hereto , that they have also longed to have an opportunity given them of opposing the pope , and the princes , against whom luther in his sermons inveighed bitterly . which course of theirs was diametrically opposite to that which was taken in other countries ; where they easily perceived , what strange troubles , and tumults , the introducing of a new religion was the cause of . now the heresies , that sprung up among those of the southern countries , were full of speculations , and had much subtilty in them ; whereas , on the contrary , those that were broached among the northern people , were very grosse . for , some of the southern denied the divinity , some the humanity , and some the plurality of wills in christ ; some of them again denied the procession of the holy ghost from the word , and the like points , that were both sublime , and full of mystery . but the northern hereticks , passing by these high , and subtile fancies , fell to cry down the use of fasting daies , vigils , penance , with auricular confession , and all those points of discipline , that hindred the multiplication of blood : to these we may add the single life of clergy men , and many other points of this kinde ; which , though they agree with , and are very consonant both to reason and to the scriptures , are yet very repugnant to the flesh , and humane senses . these men also oppose the authority of christs vicar : for , being men of a high courage , they therefore stand stiffely to maintain their liberty . and as in temporall matters , they are indeed under the government of republicks , or elective princes ; and yet are no farther obedient to them , then they themselves please ; even so in spiritual matters also do they take to themselves the same liberty . and as among these northern nations their commanders and souldiers are more eminent for their strength and courage , then for their policy , and stratagems ; in like manner are their ministers , in their disputations , much better at rayling then at reasoning . and hence it is , that under the pretense of liberty of conscience , they only seek after liberty of domineering● and being accounted the only men ; which pleases them much better . and therefore the first errour that was committed by the spaniards in this particular , was , that at the diets of worms , and ausburg , luther was suffered to go away alive . which although , as some are of opinion , was done by charles the fifth , out of a politick consideration ; namely , that by this meanes the pope might have some body that he should alwaies stand in fear of , and so should be forced to hold alwaies in with the emperour , furnishing him continually with mony and indulgencies , till such time as he should attain to an universal monarchy ; and withal pronouncing all wars whatsoever , that he should undertake , to be just and lawful : as fearing , that in case he should not do these things , the emperour might take part with his antagonist luther : yet the event shewed clearly , that this was done against all the rules of policy . for the pope being by this meanes weakned , the whole christian world is now thereby weakned also ; and now that heresy is introduced , all subjects , under the pretense of freedom of conscience , have shaken off the yoak of obedience ; an evident example whereof we have in germany , and the low countries , both which were subject to the said charles v. and therefore we may very well , and safely conclude from hence , that he was deceived , out of a certain generous pity ; because he doubted not , but that he should be able to subdue not only germa●y , a●d the protestant princes , but even the whole world also , when●oever , a●d as often as himself pleased . which fancy of his deceived him in like manner in those expeditions , that he made against t●nis● and france . and therefore i say , that it was well done of him indeed to keep his promise made to luther , so long as the diet lasted ; but yet afterward , he ought not only to have dispatched him , in his return home ; but to have proceeded to the utter extirpating also of the protestant princes . for , by this meanes , that heresy had been utterly crushed in the very bud ; neither should calvin , with so many others that have since in●ected both germanies , ever have appeared in the world : neither had the princes of the netherlands so carefully followed the steps of the protestant princes of germany against the interest of cha●les v. a second errour was commited by them in those parts that border upon the rhine ; in that they believed , that they should be able to bring in subjection , and order , that people , that had now shaken off the yoak , only by taking the course that is used by the spaniards ; namely by introducing that rigid inquisition , by the duke of alva . for we see , that fires that are now beginning● by the strength of the winds blowing on them , increase rather the more , then are any whit put out by the same . when as therefore at the first these aforenamed people cryed out for liberty of conscience , that so under this pretense they might shake off the yoak of obedience ; and that they could not at the first of all suppresse them either by armes , or strong holds , or by their lawes , that were yet accommodated to their own natures and temper : it was an easy matter for them to lay hold on their so much beloved liberty . and hence it was , that they divided themselves into several republicks , and chose themselves commanders , in order to a war to be made with the spaniards : and so by this meanes it came to passe , that all the most ingenious , and valiant persons among them , had now an opportunity of shewing themselves in the world , either in the pulpit , or in the field . then presently followed the wars betwixt them and the spaniard ; whereby these people were so much exasperated , as that they gave their generals a greater power then they had before ; and therefore appointed count william of nassaw , prince of orange , to be general of all their forces ; who was a man that was indeed more fearful then a sheep , but more crafty then a foxe : to whom his son now succeeds , who is a warlike young man , and grown famous for his worthy deeds , and victories that he hath gotten . and these princes , because they professed themselves the patrons of the peoples liberty only , were strangely followed by them , and cryed up above measure . then did they , to the end that they might make the people hate the spaniards the more , bring in among them calvinisme ; by which meanes there was caused a greater disagreement betwixt them and the pope , and spaniard , then is caused by the diversity of manners , shape of body , and disposition of mind that is betwixt them . for , the netherlanders , as hath been said before , are white of complexion , tall , licentious , great drinkers , and gluttons , impatient , indiscreet , sanguine , and of a free behaviour : whereas the spaniards are black , crafty , circumspect , sober , continent , patient , discreet , melancholick , covetous , severe , and grave , and ( to say all in a word ) contrary to them in all things . so that it seemes to be an impossible thing , where there is so great a dissimilitude , and disagreement in manners and temper of body , to cause there any agreement of minds ; which before was maintained betwixt them only by their being united both in religion , and government : which union being now dissolved , there was necessarily to follow a disagreement , and breach of all former ties of friendship . and hence it is now come to that passe , that the low-countrymen do more detest and abhor to be subject to the spaniards , then they love their own life : and so likewise , on the other side , the spaniards hate them worse then the divell himself : although they know how to conceal their hatred of them , better then the netherlanders do theirs ; yet in the mean time do they not omit to do them all the mischief that possibly they can , that so they may make up their revenge full . now the want of weighing , and considering rightly of these things , was the cause of the losse of these provinces . by what hath been said it appears , that the king should not have made so much hast to have brought in the inquisition amongst them ; neither should he have put such extraordinary taxes upon them ; or have affrighted them with the fear of war. but he should rather upon the sudden , and before they were aware of any such thing , have clapt strong garrisons into all the great cities , and all the valiantest , and most eminent men of any seditious city , should have been sent abroad some whither else , under the pretense of some military imployment ; and the ringleaders of all heresies were to have been extirpated and rooted out ; and honest preachers , chosen out among the natives , and such as were ●ound in the catholick religion , should have been substituted in their places : and then at last , after all this , should the inquisition have been brought in , by the means of the bishops , though under some other name . and yet even then , he should have forborn to have imposed any taxes upon them : that so it might appear to all the world , that nothing but their own welfare and good was sought after , by religion ; and not the kings advantage , and benefit onely . there should also have been set over them such governours as were chosen either out of the germans , or italians ; seeing they naturally abhor a spaniard ; and these indeed should be employed only in the keeping of cities , but not be made governours of them : for they are too severe , and ceremonious ; whereas the dutch should have such governours set over them , as are more remisse , and easie. to these errours were added others , that were committed in the managing of the war : for , the king himself , who was very much beloved of them , as being descended of german blood , yet never went himself in person to the war , but sent in his stead spanish commanders , who were cruel by nature , and withal extreamly hateful to the dutch ; being such , as in their commands would make use of blowes rather , then of fair words . and the truth of this appeared , in that they desired to have one of the house of austri● to be their head ; and therefore made choyce of matthias , the arch-duke . after him , they chose one that was ne●rer unto them , namely francis , the king of france his son ; who yet , having afterwards laid a plot so , as that upon a certain day appointed , he would have entered into the city of antwerp upon a sudden , with all his horse , whilest the citizens dreamt of no such thing , and would by this meanes have made himself master of it ; ( but in the mean time having before-hand laid no foundation for this his design , neither by way of religion , nor policy ; ) he was in an instant driven out again by the tradesmen and merchants , and that not onely with the losse of his reputation , and principality , but so great was the tumult , that he had like to have lost his life in it too . and although margaret , arch-duchesse of austria , was made governesse of these provinces for one while , and ruled there indeed with the love and good will of the subjects ; yet could she not by any means reduce the same into a due obedience ; because that heresie had now taken so deep root amongst them , and that the people had besides a suspition , that she had a design of reducing them , and bringing them again under the obedience of the spanish scepter : and this was the pretense , under which the ringleaders of that sedition amongst them , covered their desire of principality , and liberty , which they so greedily thirsted after . and yet afterwards god himself shewed a way by which these people might have been subdued ; seeing that they were so divided by their several sects , into divers parts ; some of them standing for dull luther , others for subtile calvin , and some again for dissolute zuinglius , and mennon : in so much that you can hardly find a house amongst them , wherein these different heresies are not maintained ; neither are we wanting to our selves in any thing , save only that we have not the skill to lay hold on so wished an opportunity as this is , and to make the best use of it . for , every kingdom that is divided within it self shall be destroyed ; and a firm union hath alwaies a very hard knot to ●ye . notwithstanding we have not yet succeeded all this while ; not because the enemy doth do us any harm , but because we annoy them . for it is certain , that by reason of their differences in religion , they dare not one of them so much trust another , as to joyn together in the election of a general for their wars : so that , if ever any where , it may be truly said here , that , quot capita , tot sententiae , so may men , so many minds . i would be understood to speak here , in reference to their making of warres abroad for the enlarging of their dominions . for , they are every one of them so jealous , as that they cannot believe , but that , should they proceed to the chusing of such a general to be over them , he would presently take upon himself the authority to extirpate all such sects of religion , as are different from that which he professeth : and it would be the general fear of them all , that such a one would usurp an absolute power over them . and therefore we see , that the successes which they have had in their wars , under the conduct of count maurice , have yet heartned them so far onely , as to enter into a league amongst themselves of maintaining a defensive war , but not of an offensive . and then in the last place , there be many other mischiefs that lye in the way , to hinder the spaniards from compassing the dominion of these provinces . the first whereof is , because they are to fight with an enemy in his own country ; to whom both the nature , and site of the country , and also the temper of the air are very agreeable ; all which are most contrary to the temper of the spaniard . the second is● because that this nation understandeth very well , how great inconveniences do arise unto them , by this their war with the spaniard ; and therefore it is not without good cause , that they do so hate the spaniards , who are the authors of this war : and certainly , to them , — pax una triumphis innumeris potior . — a firm peace once settled betwixt them , would be infinitely more advantageous , then all the victories they shall get , be they never so many . a third is , because that the spaniards being now , as it were , mad , that the netherlanders have been able to hold them play , now for so many years together ; should they but once get the better of them , they would questionlesse make a horrible slaughter amongst them : seeing that they do now at this time miserably afflict what towns soever they take in , punishing the inhabitants most grievously . a fourth hinderance of the spaniards successe herein is , because that the spanish commanders fight onely so , as that they may have still occasion to fight , and not that they may get the victory ; by this means making , as it were , a trade of war ; which should be used rather as a means , not only of defending , but also of enlarging their dominions . and the very same is the practise of the commanders of the other side also : for even count maurice himself , to the end that he may the longer keep that power he hath in his hands , and that conquering the country by degrees , he may at length get into his power the whole principality of it , protracts the war , and spins it out as long as he can : and his footsteps do the rest of the officers and commanders diligently follow . now the spanish commanders prolong the war , that so their pay , as well as their authority may also be prolonged ; and take the same course here , that charles spinola took , when he was sent into abruzzo , against mark sciarra ; with whom he dallied only , and had no desire to destroy him : that so the viceroy of naples might leave him to be as it were lord of abruzzo , and might also send him those large summes which he had promised him for his service ; mean while that scia●ra himself also sent him vast presents , to the end he should not fall too hard upon him . and thus spinola being paid on both sides , ( both by his friend , and his enemy ) continued for a long time , and without any danger , the lord of that country . so that it is no wonder , that king philip having spent such vast summes of mony in this war with the net●erlands , hath yet not only done no good upon it , but hath besides exasperated the enemy so much the more , and caused them to be the more exercised and experienced in martial affairs , and hath given an opportunity to his a●tagonist , count maurice● and the rest of the dutch commanders , of acquiring to themselves great fame and renown for their military prowesse : and hath now brought the businesse to that passe , that his enemies , though never so much divided among themselves in their religion , do yet , meerly through fear of the spaniard , continue faithful and constant to the league that it made betwixt them . and therefore truly i am of opinion , that this war which the spaniard now maintaines against the hollander , is both more disadvantageous to the spaniards , and on the other side , more advantageous to the hollanders ( only because they are thus continually forced to be in arms● ) then if they were let alone , and suffered to live quietly . for thus we find it testified by salust , and after him by augustine ; that the romans , by being continually exercised , and vexed with war , by their neighbours , became by this means more eminent and glorious every day then other ; and by the tyranny of tarquin , and others , they grew thereby more and more united among themselves : whereas on the contrary , when they were once left to themselves , without any to annoy them , they then presently fell to raise civil wars amongst themselves . for when that cartharge was once laid flat with the ground , and that the whole world was now conquered by them ; being thus freed from all fear of forreign enemies , through a mutual emulation amongst themselves they became presently to be divided into factions , and by this means brought destruction both upon themselves , and their common●wealth ; as we see clearly in the examples of sylla and marius ; and of caesar and pompey : so true an argument of wisedom is it , not to hold your neighbours in war too long , lest by that means they come to be skilful and valiant souldiers . for thus heretofore it was objected against agesilau●● who had been wounded by the thebans , namely , that he had received but his due reward from them , for teaching them , by his making a long war upon them , how to use arms. but the cheifest point of wisedome is , for a prince not to make war upon his subjects ; especially if they be his natural subjects , and natives . for by this means they will be but the more exasperated , and more averse from him : and so , that which was at first but only a little heart-burning , as it wer● , breaks out afterward into open rebellion : as we see it happened to sigismund , in his war that he made against the bohemians . for certainly you will never meet with any people , that are so utterly devoyd o● all shame , as presently● and upon the instant to rise and take up arms against their prince ; seeing that the very name of treachery and rebellion is infamous , and hatefull every where . but when that the princes sword is once stained with the subjects blood , and that the tye of protection is now broken , and all care of justice thrown aside ; they use then openly to fall off from him , and to declare themselves his enemies . alexander , king of the iewes , beginning at last to be weary of the long war he had maintained against them , wherein he had destroyed at least fifty thousand men ; and asking some of his friends by what meanes there might be a firm and happy peace concluded upon betwixt them , was answered ; that this could not be brought about by any other meanes , then by his death : and thus did he , though too late , do that which he ought indeed to have done at the first . i could here reckon up many other examples to this purpose , but that i have resolved not to transgresse against the brevity which i at first proposed to my self . to returne therefore to my purpose , i shall here lay down for an observation , that those that are put to fight in their own country , for their wives and children , pro aris et focis , as the ancient romans were used to say , are alwaies wont to fight more stoutly , then those that make war upon a forreign country ; for , that assault which is not successeful the first day , growes by degrees weaker ever after , and withal adds the greater courage to those that are assaulted . for , the assailants , be●ides those other inconveniences that naturally accompanie all war , which certainly are very great , are also wearied out by the disagreeablenesse of a strange air , and soyl. which thing , if hannibal had understood , or considered , and had immediately after his first victory at trebia , marched against rome it self , and had besieged it ; he might at that time easily have overthrown the whole roman empire : or at least , after his victorie at cannae , which was much the greater , he should not have given the romans any time to gather together fresh forces ; but , following the counsel of maherbal , should presently have set upon rome it self . thus absalon also , if he had followed the counsel of achitophel , and had at the first pursued his father david ; he had utterly destroyed him , and had possessed himself of all iudaea ; neither had he given him any time to have gathered forces together , and to have recovered courage , as he did , to his destruction . the enemy is therefore either at first to be presently suppressed , that so he may not get time , and gather strength ; or else he is some way or other to be drawn forth of his own country ; in like manner as he●c●les drew forth antaeus , king of l●●ya , that so he might the easier disposs●sse him of his t●●o●● . f●● otherwise , the nearer he came to the g●ound , that is , to his o●●●ountry , the stronger he presently grew : as the learned fable 〈◊〉 us . so that it , seemes to be both a vain , and absurd und●●taking , to maintain a war still with the netherlanders , in their own country , seeing that they could not be conquered at the very beginning of the war : for the war doth but onely increase their strength , and makes them abler to resist . and therefore i conceive , that there are but two waies left now to be taken , for the bringing this businesse to effect ; the first of which is to sow the seeds of division amongst them ; and the second , to draw them forth out of their own country . cadmus , having a designe of erecting a monarchy at thebes , whether he came a stranger , is said first to kill a serpent ; by which was signified , the defence , and safeguard of thebes : and then afterwards , to sow the teeth of it ; that is to say , to scatter abroad the poyson of desire of innovation , and an earnestnesse to be instructed in the knowledge of learning , namely , in such new sciences and arts , as he had brought over with him from his own country . and hence souldiers are said to spring up , who through mutual discord slew each other ; and the remainders of them that were left , joyned themselves with cadmus , their head , and captain ; so laying the foundation of the kingdom of thebes in boeotia . i affirm therefore , that these very courses ought to have been taken by the king of spain ; and not a war to have been onely maintained against them all this while . and certainly if the southern people would ever conquer , or lay the foundations of a monarchy over the northern , seeing that they are not strong enough to bring the same about , they ought to have recourse to the arts either of cadmus , or else of iason : although of the two , iason went the more wisely to work ; seeing he first wonne the heart of medea , that is , the good will and affections of the northern women to him : for , the women of those countries are easily brought to love southern men , by reason of the natural heat that is in them , which those women like very well : neither indeed do the netherlanders hate the spaniards so much , as their wives love them . afterwards iason , by the enchantments of medea , slew the dragon , that is , the guard of the kingdom ; such as are the warlick and valiant men of a nation● with the preachers . and then did he by the meanes of enchanted oyntments tame fierce beasts , the brazen-footed , and fire-spitting bulls ; that is , by his friendship and gifts , he won over to him the nobles , and principal men of the kingdom . and at length , by them he sowed about the teeth of the dragon ; that is , by the assistance of the nobles , he spread abroad the seeds of discord and dissention about religion , arts , and honours . whence in the last place sprung up souldiers , that is , factions ; ( such as are those of the guelphs and gibellines , the pontificians and imperialists , the lutherans and catholicks , ) wherein they killed each other : but those that remained , chose iason for their head , and commander ; and , though few in number , yet afforded him their assistance in the getting of the golden fleece , that is to say , such an empire as we here speak of . this learned fable i have therefore proposed , and explained , that i might shew the king of spain what he is to do ; seeing that he hath hitherto taken so great pains , and lost so many men , and all to no purpose ; as cadmus did , before he had killed the serpent . namely , in the first place , i would have either the king himself , of else his daughter , or his son , to go and dwell either a antwerp , or bruxels ; or , if he think fit rather , at gaunt ; that so , by their presence , the subjects may be the more encouraged , and withal forraigners may be drawn thither too ; herein following the example of cadmus , who , after his men were slain , went himself to the fountain of the serpent , that kept the same . in the next place , i would have him remove from all the neighbouring provinces all suspition , or fear of having any more wars made upon them by the spaniards ; and he should suffer them to live a while in peace , and quietnesse : and he withal shew himself so gentle , and full of humanity to his own subjects there , that forreigners , taking notice of it , should even repine thereat , and should have a desire kindled within them of enjoying the same happinesse , and of joyning themselves with his subjects in the defending of that his dominion . in the third place , he should remit the taxes and impositions that have been laid upon those places that are under his subjection ; and should exact no more of them , then what is necessary for the maintenance of the kings court only , and the payment of the souldiers that keep the garrisons there : but however , instead thereof , he should require a certain number of souldiers to be raised yearly out of every city ; which he may send away into the west-indies . and let him be sure to pick out the stoutest , and ablest men , for this purpose ; by this means diverting the noxious humours from hence , and turning them another way ; and filling up with these men his armies in other parts . for , from all such countries as abound in men , it is better to require men , then mony : for , this is both more advantageous to the prince ; and also more agreeable to the humour of the people themselves . fourthly , i would have him make a general feast every year , to be kept upon one certain day , in each several city and great town , and at his own charge ; at which time every city throughout the whole province would voluntarily declare their readinesse to serve the house of austria . and at this yearly feast i would have no cost to be spared : for , there is nothing in the world that doth more unite this people among themselves , and bind them to others , then to feast them , and make them drunk once a year at least : which practise is said to have been first taken up by minos , the ancient law-giver . fifthly , i would have the name of the inquisition taken away ; though the inquisition it self should be kept up by the bishops , but under some other name ; and ●t should not be so severe , as it is in spain , and at rome ; but the terrour of it should consist in words only , and threatnings , rather then in any more harsh usage . sixthly , that under pretense of a croysade expedition , there should be indulgences , and dispensations procured from the pope concerning fasting daies , and the abstaining from flesh at certain times of the year : for , these people are infinitely given to feastings , and revellings . seventhly , all garrison'd towns should be kept by spanish souldiers ; but the government of the same should be committed to the care of bishops ; as the government of the several provinces should be put into the hands of cardinals ; who should be such as are of ripe years , and a●e eminent also for wisdom . and then would i have some of the gentry of venice to be appointed as judges , and to have the hearing of all law causes amongst them : for by this means the italians and low-country-men will easily be reconciled to each other ; seeing that these later love the itaelians much better then they do the spaniards . eighthly , let souldiers be tempted by large pay to leave the service of the rebel netherlanders ; and these should be sent away to the king 's other armies abroad ; and the spaniards should do well to inveagle , and fetch away women out of their quarters into their own ; where they should be married to spaniards . and i would also have women of q●ality from among the dutch hereticks to be chosen out , and married to some of the catholick nobility : for , as i have shewed before , these women would willingly yeild to love such husbands . and indeed it is a wonderful thing to imagine , how advantageous a matter it is to such princes , as have conquered any nations , to have their subjects contract marriages with the women of the said nations . for , alexander the great himself marrying roxane , a persian lady , and giving to others of his army a hundred other women of the same nation for wives , got himself a great deal of good will among the persians ; who hereupon perswaded themselves , that they should find alexander a very courteous and loving prince to them . and livy writes of those of capua , that nothing did more hinder them from joyning with hannibal , then the affinity that had been contracted betwixt them and the romans . ninthly , let him endeavour to weaken the heads of their factions , by making war upon them from several parts at once , and let all diligent care be used , that they may be more distracted every day then other , and divided among themselves : that so through their own dissentions , and their envy at the mutual concord and prosperity of their enemies , they may even despond , and lose all heart and courage . and this course , of making your own advantages out of your enemies sufferings , is a most useful one , and was very much practised by queen elizabeth of england . tenthly , seeing that it is only the fear they have of the spaniard , and especially the hatred they bear to the pope , that keeps them at unity among themselves ; because they do all unanimously agree in this , that the pope is antichrist , though in all other of their tenets they are at sufficient difference among themselves ; there must therefore care be taken , that all fear of war being removed , that controversie only be proposed to be publickly disputed on ; for , upon this do all the rest depend . neither would i have any other nice , or frivolous questions to be at all proposed to them to be discussed ; but only that one , touching the novelty of the papal authority ; as i have touched before , and whereof i treated sufficiently , in my dialogue against these men. in the eleventh place , it must be unanimously , and stoutly maintained against them , that all commentaries whatsoever that have been written upon the bible , whether by catholicks , or hereticks , ever since s. augustin's time , are to be suspected , and not to be trusted to ; and that the only authors that are to be received , are s. clemens romanus , s. cyprian , clemens alexandrinus , s. chrysostome , basil and tertullian . for , the heresie of denying free will , and the like , are to be better understood out of the ancients , ( to whom also these people are most of all addicted ) then out of later writers , ( whom they cannot endure to hear of : ) as appears plainly out of clemens romanus . i would have that controversie therefore to be discussed , touching the original of that evil , that moved epicurus , and some others , to deny that there was a god : for , they perswaded themselves , that he was excluded , by reason of evil. others there were , that believed there were two gods ; of which number were manes , and perhaps pythagoras too . others , as the libertines , have boldly declared that their opinion was , that there was no such thing , as either evil , or sin. others have taught , that god is the authour , and cause of all evil ; and that he is a tyrant : and of this opinion are calvin , zuinglius , bullinger , luther , and beza ; namely , while they will have god to be the authour of all things . which opinion certainly , as both cicero , and plato teach , must needs tend to the disturbance of every well ordered common-wealth , for as much as it deprives men of all freedom of doing either well , or ill ; and so in effect destroyes all law and discipline . and the long canvasing , and dwelling upon the examination of this opinion , hath made all those on the other side the alpes , atheists , and epicureans ; who have therefore denied that there is a god , because they would not assent to yield obedience to the pope of rome . and therefore my judgement is , that in disputing with these men in the presence of learned men , they should have political , and natural arguments urged against them : and again , before the common people , they should be required to give an account , whence they had their calling : as i have shewed more at large in my dialogue , and my political and theological questions , written against these men. for , the multiplying of books , and the spinning out of controversies , do but add authority to a bad cause , and besides also shew like a kind of victory . twelfthly , these hereticks after they had put forth new bibles into the world , and wresting all the fathers and historians as they pleased , put such interpretations upon the same as they thought good ; they then began , in order thereunto , to apply themselves to the study of the hebrew , and greek tongues , and started a thousand grammatical niceties , wherewith they have filled up many great volumes : in so much that the whole north in a manner makes a grammatical war upon us , rather then a spiritual : whereas we have long since laid aside the study of the languages , ever since we overcame the hebrews , greeks , and latines , and have made them submit themselves to christianity , or else have devested them of the power of discharging all political , and sacerdotal administrations ; as it is with the iewes at this day . and therefore we intend not now to trouble our selves any further with petite sophistical niceties , and grammatical quirks ; but relying only upon our own strength of wit , we let alone all prolixe courses of disciplines , and the tediousnesse of writing huge volumes : mean while that these men spend their time herein , and weary us out almost with their cavillings , although they do not get the better of us . i conceive therefore , that these men should be taken off from these their grammatical heresies , namely by some new arts and sciences● and such wherein we are excellent our selves . and to this end the king should erect certain schools in all the principal cities , wherein the arabick tongue should be taught ; that so by this meanes there may be such among his subjects as shall be able to dispute with the turks , moors , and persians , who by the use of that tongue spread their ma●umetanisme , as we do christianity , by the latine tongue : and so by this meanes our intestine wars may be laid aside , and our armes turned against forreign enemies . there should also schools be erected for the mathematicks , and astrology ; unto which these northern people should be invited to come , by proposing some salaries for such of them , as shall apply themselves to the discovering , and giving an account of such stars● and constellations , as are found in the other hemisphere , in the new world. for , by this means there would redound to the spanish empire both hono●r , and profit . i would also have the schools of the old philosophers to be opened again ; as of the platonists , and stoicks , and of the telesins ; that so the people may be diverted from theological questions , and may apply themselves to study questions of philosophy ; for , these come nearer to the christian faith , then the doctrine of aristotle doth . now the king , in doing these things shall follow the example of hercules , who , to the end he might the more easily overcome an●taeus , drew him forth of his own territories ; and also of cadmus , who brought over new arts and sciences with him into boeotia ; and by means of the same , got to be prince of that country . and by taking this course , the principal among the hereticks , when they shall see there is more to be gotten there then here , forsaking their heresies , will become ringleaders in the sects of philosophy , and astrology . and besides● that they may gain our favour , they will probably make head against their enemies the turks , and their impious doctrine , which hath insensibly crept into germany ; because it agrees very much with calvinisme . there should also be erected publick work-houses , for the exercise of mechanical arts , to which this people is exceeding apt ; and so by this means will the businesse of navigation be much promoted , together with the skill of besieging towns , and of taking them in by the use of artificial fire-works . by this means the people ( probably ) will be taken off from their false religion , and divided one from another ; to the great advantage of the king , and kingdom of spain ; to whom many will now come and tender their service ; and his empire , which of late hath been contemptible , and hateful to all the world , shall recover its ancient splendour and honour . . there must mutual contentions and hatred be stirred up amongst the nobles , and principal men of the country : and that part , that most favours the spanish interest , must be assisted , and rewarded with gifts ; that so the rest may be brought over too , and may be encouraged to do the like . but if this cannot be done , he must then rid them ●ut of the way ; or if the cannot ●e found to have deserved death any way , then must their rep●tation only be diminished , ( ●or injustice never yet took deep root ) or else they must be sent away into some other parts . paulus aemilius , that he might leave macedoni● in a quiet and peaceable condition , perswaded all the principal of the nobility to take their wives and children , and go live in italy . and charles the great , to prevent the frequent tumults and commotions that were in saxony , sent all the nobility of that country into france . . they should be prevailed with to sail away into the new world , and to joyn with the portugal fleet , and break into arabia and palestine , through the read sea , ●o to annoy the turks , as shall be hereafter shewed : that so being drawn out of their own country to fight against forreign enemies , they may be destroyed by the spaniards , who in this particular are much abler men then they. . the seeds of emulation , and envy should be sowed amongst them , that after the example of those brothers that sprung up out of the serpents teeth , they may destroy one another ; and that those few of them that shall remain , may be afterwards made use of by the king of spain , for his service . but then it is necessary , in the first place , that the serpent of sedition it self , i mean count maurice , should be destroyed ; and not have opportunity given him , by the continuing of the war , of growing greater and more powerful every day then other . but before all● as i said before , there must be new learning , and new languages introduced amongst them , according to the example of cadmus ; and there m●st likewise women be got away from them , after the example of iason . . the hollanders are to be hired every year , ( though it should cost the king a million of gold ) to be a convoy to the spanish fleet returning out of the west indies ; and also to secure the sea coast of spain against the english ; and those that are the chief amongst them in that expedition , should deliver up their sons for hostages , till such time as they shall have done their businesse effectually . for these men will willingly be hired for mony , to fight against england : and very probably there will at length be found some one or other of them , that will for mony also betray even holland it self , and their whole fleet , to the spaniards . and certainly , if the seeds of dissention , and envy , were but once sowed among the principal men , and nobles of these common-wealths ; they would never be able to hold up so stifly against the spaniards , and gain strength every day , as they do : neither would those , that now maintain bookish controversies against the pope , get so much reputation and authority among the people : and the king himself would also by this means confirm his own empire both by sea , and land , and would draw these people over to him . these people are wonderfully taken with miracles , and are great admirers of any excellency , and eminent vertue : so that any holy , and wise men , might easily by their arts draw them to any thing . therefore there is need of such diligent workmen , who by their doctrine , and spotlesse sanctimony of their life● may call home those straying sheep to the way of truth . and if it should please god to call me to take this imployment upon me , i should &c. . when these people were now once divided , and weakened ; they should then upon the sudden be set upon by an army : for delay tends rather to the confounding , then the well ordering of affaires : for , — semper nocuit differre paratis . when preparations now are made , designs are by delay betray'd . the king should therefore fall in upon them with a numerous● and powerful army , in the head whereof himself should be , and should withal make use of some unusual stratagem ; without which , all his designs will come to nothing . there should also some one among the spanish commanders , who is both a stout , and also a wise and circumspect man , be suborned by the king of spain , to counterfeit himself to be a renegado , and going over to the enemy , should insinuate himself into the states general , and should prevail with them to make him their general● as we read zopyrus did , who betrayed the city of babylon , whether he had fled , ( having first cut off his own nose , ears , and lips , and making them believe , that all those were the marks of the cruelty of darius ) to his master : or , as sinon did to the troj●ns ; and as sextus tarquinius did , who going over to the g●bii● and making them believe that he was fled from his father , and being both believed by them , and also chosen to be their general , he first cut off the cheif men of the common-wealth , and afterwards betrayed the said gabii to his father . for the bringing about of the like designe whereof , the king of spain hath need of a man that is most faithful , as well as valiant , and wise ; and not such a one as was that perfidious fellow , antonio perez . . seing that the cities of the netherlands were in former times , and before the wars , the greatest mart towns in all europe , and that for no other reason , but only because that the customes of all such commodities as were either imported thither● or exported into other parts ( which were both infinite in number , and of all sorts ) were but small : it will therefore concern the king , whiles he endeavours to reconcile these people to himself , to take this into his consideration , and to recall again that ancient custome , and , in a word , to restore to the netherlands its former happinesse , and to endeavour the continuation of the same . for , although these countries have no gold mines of their own , yet , while all things were quiet with them , and no noyse of war heard amongst them ; what by their various , and inestimable pieces of workmanship , and their admirable skill in manufactures , and other arts , they had got together so much gold , as that they needed not at all to envy either the hungarian , or the transsylvanian mines : neither was there any country more glorious , rich , or more frequented by forreigners , i will not say , in all europe onely , but in the whole world , then this was ; in so much that , in regard of that vast , immense treasure , that charles the v. received from thence , it was for just cause called by some , the emperours indies . it much concerns the interest therefore of the king of spain , that he reconcile these people to himself , and that things may be restored to their former state and condition ; which is a thing that is wont to be very easily brought about . and to the effecting hereof he ought not to spare either for cost , pains , counsel , or industry . . a careful administration of justice , together with peace , and plenty of all things , will contribute much to the bringing of these things about ; as also the maintaining , and keeping up of religion , learning , and vertue . for seeing that those that are of religious orders , and other learned men , and persons of worth , are the men that are as it were the heads among the rest of the people ; whosoever hath these of his side , he may easily draw all the rest over to him also . for , those of religious orders bear rule over the consciences of the people ; as the learned do over their wits ; and those of eminency and worth , over their purses , and military strength : those former are looked upon for their piety , and religion ; the other for their learning and vvisedome : those through reverence ; these through the esteem the world hath of their parts . and hence it is , that what soever those men either do , or say , it passes for oracular , and is thought worthy to be imbraced and followed by all men . . the same also of a princes being addicted to mercy , and clemency , and constantly per●evering in the same , will stand him in very good stead ; if so be that it may be but made known to all men , that this gentlenesse , and connivence in him proceeds meerly from his own good nature and inclination ; but that when ●e punisheth any , it is out of necessity , and his zeal towards justice , and the love of the publick peace . thus nero , in the beginning of his empire , by his cunning dissembling his natural inclinations , and his appearing to be a merciful prince , wonderfully wonne the hearts and affections of the people of rome to him : which part he acted so cunningly , and to the life , as that , when a certain sentence of judgment , that had been pronounced by the judges against an offender , was brought to him to set his hand to it , he sighing said , o quam vellem literas non didicisse ! i could wish , i had never known a letter . . the raies of some extraordinary , eminent vertue , shining forth in a prince , would also be of very great advantage to him : for by this meanes he would not only oblige his own subjects to him , but even his enemies would be won over to love , and favour him ; examples whereof we have in alexander , and scipio ; both of which gave testimony to the world of their singular continency , and moderation in all things ; as likewise in camillus , and fabricius ; who both gave evidence of the greatnesse of their courage , the one against the falisci : and the other against king pyrrhus . these sparks of gallantry appeared also in the emperour conrade , in his war again misic● ; and likewise in charles the great , who besides his diligent observance of religion , and his endeavours to promote learning , got himself a great deal of reputation also by his beneficence , and liberality towards all sorts of men , both the highest , lowest , and of middle ranke , and indeed generally to all . and certainly there is not a more lovely , strong , and commendable tye , whereby to bind the affections of the people to a man , then liberality and bountifulnesse . but above all things , it would be a businesse of very great efficacy , if that such covenants and agreements as have been made betwixt the king and them were but kept ; which yet the spaniards have neglected to do● though to their cost , and the losse of their own lives . for , nothing doth more offend , and alienate the hearts both of natural , as well as conquered subjects , then when they see that those capitulations , as they call them , and articles , upon which they have submitted themselvs to any prince , are altered , and changed by him . and we see , that this being not observed by the duke of alva , who was a covetous , and unjust man , and one that looked after nothing but his own gain ; was the cause that the netherlands began to raise such tumults there , and at length openly to rebel against the king. whereas on the contrary , alexander farnese , duke of parma , for his fidelity in keeping his promises and agreements , ( which is certainly an infallible argument of a constant mind , and of an excellent judgement , got himself an exceeding great repute of gallantry and worth among the netherlanders . and questionlesse he was a most compleat , and throughly-accomplished souldier ; and served as general under a most just king , alwaies commanding an army under him , for the service of the church , and of god ; sometimes following the example of fabius , and sometimes that of marcellus . . neither would it be a businesse of small moment , to bring in the spanish tongue into these countries , and to cause it to be spoken there ; according to the practise of the ancient romans , who , when they had conquered any country , caused the nation conquerd to learn the latine tongue . thus did the arabians also , after the example of the romans , introduce their language into a great part of africk , and of spain : and william duke of normandy , surnamed the conquerour , endeavoured , about five hundred years since , to do the same in england● but now , for the introducing of a language into any conquered country , it is necessary , in the first place that the lawes of that country be written in the said language , and that the lawyers plead in that language in all courts of judicature ; and likewise that all commissions , proclamations , and petitions , be published , or written in no other language but that . this was also done heretofore by charles the great , who having made himself master of the exarchate of ravenna , which he afterwards bestowed upon the church , he would have it called by the name of romania ; that so by degrees he might bring into disuse the language , and customes of the greeks , to whom that people had been formerly subject ; and might withal implant in them the love both of the roman church , and of the roman emperour . and even the great turk also does not suffer any of the inhabitants of natolia to use any other language but the turkish , save onely in their church services . . education also seemes to have a great stroke herein , as being indeed , as it were , a second nature ; by the meanes whereof , strangers are in a manner naturalized . the king of spain therefore should do well to take the sons of the nobility , and principal men , as also such poor mens sons , ar are found to be endued with any extraordinary natural parts ; and to take order that they may be carefully brought up in some of the afore mentioned seminaries in spain , either of armes , or of arts. alexander the great , finding the benefit of this course , commanded that so many thousands of the pe●sian youth should be picked out , and be trained up in learning the use of armes , & in the habit , and manners of the macedonians ; conceiving that he should b● this meanes receive as much benefit by them , when they were once grown up to be men , as by his own natural subjects of macedonia themselves . after the same manner doth the turk bring up his ianizaries , who are onely the children of such of his subjects as he hath conquered by war , or else of christians , and forreigners , such as he can catch abroad at sea ; which afterwards prove the most faithful souldiers to him that ever he had . and indeed these are the men , to whom the guard and protection of the emperours person is committed ; and these men doth the great turk make use of only , in all affaires of the greatest consequence , where there is most need either of strength , or fidelity . by meanes of the turks thus bringing up of ●he sons of his subjects , he makes two great advantages to himself ; for , first he deprives his unfaithful subjects of their strength ; and then , secondly , by that strength of theirs , of which he hath deprived them , he confirmeth his own . . i would advise our king , not to despise , or make light of any the least commotions , or distempers among his nobles , or subjects : for , all mischiefs have but small beginnings ; which yet , if they be neglected , and not looked unto in time , will very probably bring ruine with them in the end : as we see , the least clouds in appearance at first , do in the end produce most horrid tempests and storms . . i would not have the king to assent to the proposal of any thing , that may introduce with it any change , or innovation in the state : for , his very giving way to have the same deliberated upon , addes both authority , and esteem to the same . all the troubles that hav● befallen , both in the netherlands , and in france , took their rise from two little books ; of which the one was read to francis the second , king of france , by caspar coligni ; and the other was presented to the duchesse of parma by the l. de brederode . . let the king take heed , how he ever exercises his absolute power among those people , where his ordinary power will serve the turn well enough : for , that way of proceeding is proper to tyrants only ; but this later , to good princes . and indeed , all absolute , and extream power may rather be said to be tempest as , then potestas , a tempest , rather then power . . let there be all care taken , about the chusing of the ministers of state in those countries , that only such be made choyce of , as are but just sufficient to discharge the trust committed to them ; and that they be neither too much above it , nor beneath it : which we find to have been carefully observed by the emperour tiberius . for , those whose abilities are above the employment they are put upon , will be apt to neglect the same , as despising it , and thinking it below them : and then , the other are not able to discharge it , if they would . lastly , let him never so much trust to any peace , as to make him quite lay aside his armes : for , such an vnarmed peace would prove but a weak one . constantine the great , enjoying now a settled peace every where round about him , disbanded all the souldiers that lay in garrisons upon the borders of his empire : by which means he set open a gate for the barbarous nations , to break in upon his territories . and in like manner maximilian the first , trusting too much to the truce agreed upon betwixt him and the turk , and thereupon laying down his armes , was the cause of the ruine of very many christians . and thus have we discoursed of these particulars , as copiously as we thought was fit to be committed to paper : but , as for the rest of those more secret particulars , and which are more worthy of observation , i shall reserve them till some other time , when it shall please his majestie to admit me to his presence , and shall give me audience concerning the same . however , in the mean time , those things which we have here proposed , are not to be omitted : for , unlesse by these means here set down , the peoples good affection towards their king be stirred up , and cherished , his dominion in those parts will prove to be but like a plant without any root . for , as every the least storm will be apt to overturn a tree that hath no firm root in the ground ; in like manner will every the least occasion offered alienate the hearts of the subjects from their prince , where they are but ill affected to him before ; and will take them off from their allegiance to their natural prince ; and being thenceforth hurried about by fortune , they will one while adhere to one , and by and by again to another . and hence arise all the mutations that we see , in kingdoms , and states : a most evident example whereof we have in the kingdom of france . chap. xxviii . of africk . the turk possesseth in africk all egypt , algier , and tunis . the ki●gdome of f●z hath a peculiar king of its own ; who nothwithstanding might very easily be cast out of his throne ; because that mahumetanisme in those parts is divided into above sixty several sects . the rest of the kings in africk have but very small dominions ; except only the king of the abyssines , who is commonly called prester iohn , and hath above fifty smaller kingdomes under him . this king of the abyssines is a christian , although he doth not professe the pure , catholick religion . it is necessary therefore , that forces should be brought over thence into spain , seeing that the passage to and fro is very easie . for , our king is possessed of the kingdome of oran there already , where he is in continual wars with the moors : who might easily all of them be conquered , if he should but make one invasion only upon them with an army of germans . neither indeed need the king fear any obstruction to his spanish monarchy from those parts . for , those nations are much fitter to serve , then to command , and bear rule : neither have they ever been able to conquer any of the northern nations , but rather themselves have been alwaies conquered by them : excepting only carthage , which was a colony of tyre ; who yet were at length utterly ruined by the romans . and the arabians also passed over out of africk into spain ; where they kept their footing for the space of eight hundred yeares ; yet were at length quite driven out again . neither indeed were they truly africans : but only the novelty of their armes , together with that of their m●hometan religion encouraged them so far , as to fall upon so bold an attempt . but the africans at this day are a very weak , unwarlike people : and , for as much as they are naturally envious , crafty , and of a servile nature , the king of spain , by making use of one of the little kings there , might in a little time break in upon them , and make his way to the most inmost countries of all africk ; as the romans of old did , by the help of m●sinissa . and therefore sebastian , king of portugal , did wisely , when he made use of the king of f●z his sons , for the getting , and possessing himself of that kingdom ; although he was not so very wise , in venturing his own person in that expedition . and indeed , because that the sons of those kings are wont to kill one another , they are so much the more easily conquered , if a man do but make any one of them over to him . but seeing these people are so much divided among themselves , there is no need of fearing them at all . the king of spain ought therefore to get further footing in africk ; seeing that he hath opportunity enough of doing so , by reason of the many strong holds that he is master of , all along the western , and so●thern coast of africk . and he should do well , to make over to him the above named prester iohn ; whom he should cunningly set against the rest , and get him to make war upon them . and the king of spain may very easily contract friendship with this prester iohn by means of the jesuites , whom he may send thither ; and he should also , by his em●assadours sent to him for that purpose , put him in mind of the duty , and obedience that he owes to the pope ; ( which was formerly done in the time of pope eugenius iv. and clemens vii . by means of the portuguez ; ) and so should make a league with him . there should therefore be sent thither such as are both true catholicks , and learned men , to instruct them in the arts , and in the true religion , both which they are as yet ignorant of : for , they would be easily converted ; and that so much the rather , because they say it hath been heretofore foretold them , by a certain prophetesse , whose name was sinoda , that they were predestinated to joyn with the latines , and to root out the turk , and to set at liberty the holy sepulchre of christ. seeing therefore that the king of spain is master of all the african shores , he must make it his care , that none may have any fleets to passe by the said coasts : but that it may be free and safe for the aforesaid prester iohn , by the assistance of the portuguez , to sayl into palestine , when ever he pleases , by the gulf of arabia , and there to fall upon the turks , and to do them what mischief he can . and to this purpose he is to be furnished with all necessary means , ( as namely● engines of war , and other such provisions ) whereby he may be the better enabled to conquer the turk . for , if mahumetanisme should but once be introduced into that kingdom of his , it would prove extreamly prejudicial to the whole christian world , and especially to spain . he may also come in by egypt , and so fall upon the turk . and if there were but a gallant fleet lying about naples , that might go out at pleasure , and scour the seas all along the northern coast of africk , it might easily be brought under the king of spain's power : and those slaves also that are at algier , and in cyrene , might be dealt with , to rise up all at once , and rebel , in favour of the spaniard . and such a fleet , as i but now spake of , might be maintained meerly by the prizes that they should take : and so by that means would both italy be secured ; and all such other places also , that are now obstacles to the spanish monarchy , might be taken in . chap. xxix . of persia , and cataia . the king of spain must endeavour by all means possible to hinder the persians , and those of taprobana , from putting out any fleets of ships to sea ; and also the arabians ; for these people would questionlesse be a great hinderance to his affaires in the east-indies , and would annoy his fleet in its passage that way : and might also probably infect the new-converted christians there with mahumetanisme . he ought therefore to build strong castles all along the coasts of arabia and ethiopia , and so likewise upon the coasts of the arabian gulf , and also in all the southern islands that lye upon the coast of africk , and asia : and he should enter into a league with the persian , against the t●rk . and yet perhaps he need not so much care to have the turk quite extirpated ; for , whosoever of those two , should overcome the other , whether the turk , or persian , he would thereby become so powerful , as that he would be able to conquer the whole christian world , and so consequently to spoyl all the hopes of a spanish monarchy : and it might prove as prejudicial to christendom , to have the turk ruined by any other , but some christian prince ; as it would be for the advantage of christendome , that he should be conquered by the christians themselves alone . but yet , seeing that the turk does us continually very much harm , breaking in upon us by hungary , sclavonia , and africk ; it would be good policy to set the persian upon him ; and to take a course that he may have guns , and such like artillery ●ent unto him , to make use of in his warres against the turk . for , it was meerly the want of these , that was the cause that he lost almost all armenia , and that the turk is now so potent in the east , and that he so little fears the persian , as he does : for by this means , whiles he is making war upon the christians in the west , he is secure from all danger from asia ; and so gets ground upon us daily more and more . it would be convenient therefore to make a league with the persian ; and especially , in respect of the kings negotiations in the east-indies ; because that his fleet must passe by the persian coast. and i am of opinion also , that the same ought to be done with the kings of calecut , narsinga , and caramania : but these are not to be furnished with guns . they may indeed be instructed in the art of printing , and other arts , that are in use among the christians : to the end they may thereby have the christians in admiration , and high esteem ; and that by the introducing of ingenious arts and sciences amongst them , they may be made our own. and yet arts are wont to become a prey to armes at last ; unlesse they be both equally in practise together . and hence it is that pallas , in the fable , is said to have overcome both calliope , and mars ; because she was experienced as well in the use of mars his armes , as calliope's arts. the like course is to be taken with those of taproban● , china , and iapan , by communicating our arts and sciences to them ; as printing , painting , and the like ; which will be very much admired by them ; and by the means of which , they may by degrees he won over , and may be brought to embrace the christian faith. but those that deal with them , must be sure , that above all things they abstain from covetousnesse , and exercising of cruelty upon any of these people ; lest otherwise they should be provoked , and should joyn all together against us , and should thereby prove a great hinderance to the spaniards designs . we shall not need to speak any thing here of the great cham of cataia , seeing that his country lies so far out of the road that the spaniard takes in his voyage to the east-indies ; notwithstanding that the persians , and turks have cause enough to stand in fear of him : and we know very well , that the tartarians have many times over-run all asia ; and that also , becoming christians , they restored unto us ierusalem . yet afterwards , when they once saw our unworthy , base disposition , in that , notwithstanding we all professed the same christian religion , we were yet continually at war one with another ; they forsook christianity again , and presently embraced mahumetanisme , which at that time flourished infinitely , and was in high esteem throughout the whole east . and by this means was it , that they came to give over making war any longer upon the persians and turks , whom they now suffered to live quietly , without being at all annoyed by them , who yet had in former times often overthrown , and beaten them : but , on the other side , they were more and more alienated from the christian faith , and from the christians , whom they saw to be so base , and unworthy , as to be continually at discord and variance amongst themselves . and yet i believe , that the glorious spanish monarchy , which encompasseth the whole earth , will shortly reduce them , and bring them to embrace again the christian religion : especially if there should any wars break out in the eastern parts ; and that so much the rather , because that macon is now divided into many several sects . besides , the people of calecut , and of goa , are christians already , though but nestorians : yet they might easily be brought to embrace the true , primitive christian religion , if it were but proposed to them to consider , that god hath alwaies preserved the church of rome , and firmly settled it in its own proper seat , and power : whereas on the contrary , all the heresies of others have been successelesse , and could never get any dominion , or authority throughout christendome : as appears by arius , nestorius , macedonius , apollinaris , and all other authors of heresies . now i do not know any thing that would cause those most remote kingdoms to admire us more , and that would sooner draw the inhabitants of the same from their superstitions , and would besides weaken them too , and make them unapter for war , then if the knowledge of the liberal arts , the languages , philosophy , and the mathematicks were carried thither from hence , by some of our western professors of the same ; because that — minuit vires , nervosque minerva . minerva's quiet arts take off , and chill our hearts . let the king therefore take care , that forraigners may be exercised only in idle , umbratil sciences , and light , toyish matters , and pastimes : but in the mean time let him keep his own natural subjects to the exercise of their armes also , together with those forenamed sciences : by which means he may still be victorious . but lastly , ( that we may return to our former discourse , touching the persians aiding us against the turks , ) the persians , having alwayes relyed wholly upon the number , and goodnesse of their horse , have notwithstanding in the mean time , while they have been victorious in the open field , yet lost their cities at home . and therefore i say , they are to be advised to fortifie their cities with castles , and strong holds every where . for the turk , although he have been many times beaten by them , hath yet by litle and litle so entrenched himself about , as it were , with garrisons , and fortifications , made in all convenient places , that he hath by this means made himself master of a very great part of the persians country , and hath possessed himself at last also of the great city tauris , or ecbatan . they must be taught therefore to make use of the same arts in defending themselves , by which they have formerly been beaten . chap. xxx . of the great turk , and his empire . by what means the turk endeavours to make himself lord of the whole world , hath been , as i conceive , sufficiently declared before in this treatise : and he will also at this time already be called , the vniversal lord ; as the king of spain is called , the catholick king : so that these two princes seem now to strive , which of them shall attain to the universal monarchy of the whole world. and therefore i think it not amisse to examine here , in what particulars the one of them is either inferiour , or superiour to the other . the great turk is the most absolute lord of , and heir to all the goods that his subjects have , throughout his whole empire : and not of their goods only , but also of their persons . and in this , he is worse then ever any tyrant was ; in that he arrogates all to himself : and , because that although he calls all his people , his sons ; yet he doth not , like a father , suffer them to inherit any thing ; but only bestowes yearly upon every one of them as much as he thinks fit , appointing them withal the employments that they shall serve him in . he hath also a religion that is framed according to his own will only , without taking the advise with him of any arch-priest . he hath likewise a most able souldiery ; because that he takes all the likeliest boyes , and youths through all his dominions , and breeds them up in seminaries , erected for that purpose : and these he employes both in his wars abroad , and in peace at home ; making some of them souldiers , and others , judges , and noblemen also . neither hath he any barons to stand in fear of ; neither hath he any brothers to share with him in the empire : for , the eldest son , comming to the empire after his fathers death , presently makes away with all his younger brothers . neither can he want any men : seeing that he permits every one of his subjects to take as many wives to him as he is able to keep : so that neither inheritance , nor virginity are any hinderance to the procreation of children in his territories . his custome is also in making his wars , to go as it were round about in a circle● and so to deal with his neigbouring enemies ; neither leaving any enemy behind him , nor ever going farther from home one way then another , as hath been said before . and he hath besides an admirable art in his making his cessations from arms , and truces with his enemies ; being sure alwayes to make them for his own advantage . now the turk is descended from iaphet , by magog ; and he hath the lawes of sem , derived to him by ishmael ; whence hath sprung mahumetanisme . and of him , god himself foretold agar , that his hand should be against every man ; and every mans hand against him : and , that he should dwell in the p●esence of all his brethren . and therefore we see , that he hath pitched his tents at constantinople , in the uttermost angle of europe , over against us , who are his brethren , descending from isaac , who was both the legitimate , and natural brother of ishmael . for , as the spaniards are descended from tubal , so the turks are descended from magog ; who were both the sons of iaphet . and truly the turk doth put forth his hand every way , not only against all christians , but also against mahumetans , now here , now there ; one while on the right hand , and then on the left ; and still goes away the conquerour . he makes use also of another point of subtlety , which is , that so soon as ever he finds that we are at union amongst our selves , he then presently flies to making a truce with us : which notwithstanding he presently breakes off again , so soon as ever he sees us at dissention among our selves . and whensoever he is returned victorious from one couutry , he presently falls to the making of some other expedition , either against the persians , or the ethiopians &c. as hath been shewed before . and yet though all these things be thus , yet doth the king of spain lay claime also to the dominion of that empire , or at least of part of it , and tha● by reason of his fraternity , both natural from iaphet , and also legal proceeding from abraham ; but yet in respect of this later , he hath the preheminence above the turk . for , he is descended from isaac ; from whom christ , who is also god , is descended , the cheif law-giver of all ; and he hath also thereby a general promise made him , of the universal empire of the world. and because he was blessed also in abraham , the last kingdome of the saints , which is to succeed after the end of the four monarchies● and of which daniel prophesied , belongs unto him . but ishmael , from whom mahomet , the turks law-giver , is descended , had no other promise made unto him , but that he should be an absolute lord , and a great and famous warriour . besides , both these princes are a part of the roman empire ; for after that the roman monarchy shall be at an end , there shall no other succeed it . but according to esdras , the g●rman , which is now the same that the spaniard , ( as hath been said before ) is the right head , but the turk is the left head of the imperial eagle ; after that mahomet fell off from the emperour heracli●●● during whose reign the eagle was divided : to whom notwithstandi●g there was no other promise made , but that he should devour the middle head , namely , the constantinopolitan ; whereas the spaniard hath this promise made him , that● he should devour the left head , that is to say , the turk : as we have hinted formerly . and although that the spaniard hath above him one that is a clergy man , and that is also armed with the temporal sword ; yet doth this make for his advantage , both in respect of fate , and of his state , as hath been written before ; for as much as the spaniard , according to the example of cyrus , hath under him the united monarchy of the saints ; and the pope is also a most sure defence and safe-guard to him ; by whose assistance , he is able to deal well enough with his enemies , both with spiritual , and temporall weapons : and yet so , as that he may easily withal avoid the suspicion either of covetousnesse or profanenesse . now as concerning the absolutenesse of dominion , the great turk is herein much above the king of spain . but yet i have formerly shewed , that this very thing , of his not caring to have any barons , or nobles under him , renders him , and his condition and state so weak , that if he should receive but one sound blow onely in an open field battel , it would so crush him , as that he would never be able to hold up his head again . which cannot happen to the king of spain ; because that his nobles , and bishops , and also the pope himself would speedily in such a case send in relief to him. the great turk keeps under all the great ones among his subjects , least they should attempt any innovation in the state , or act any thing to the prejudice of his monarchy ; as the nobility of france did heretofore . but then in the mean time he doth so weaken them , that they are not able to yeild him any relief or aide at all , in case he should come to have need of it . as concerning military discipline , and the manner of making war , the turk far excells the spaniard , as i have before shewed● yet notwithstanding , if the king of spain would but use all convenient diligence , and withal carefully observe those rules , which i have here laid down before him ; he might , even in this particular , surpasse the turk ; and the rather , if so be he would but go himself in person to the wars . and as for the number of men , and of souldiers , the turk goes beyond the spaniard ; and indeed in all his greatest expeditions , he hath ever done his businesse rather by his numbers , then by valour . and yet his subjects are divided amongst themselves in religion ; and then besides , all the lands of every country are given in fee only to the principal commanders of his militia : whereas the king of spain hath fewer subjects indeed in number ; but yet they are more at unity among themselves . but i have already shewn how the number of the king of spains subjects may be encreased , by their marriages with forraign nations● and also how , by meanes of erecting seminaries for the instructing of youth both in learning , and the use of armes , the valour of his souldiers may be encreased ; the neglect of making use of which meanes , hath been the cause , that the turk hath overstript us in this particular . as concerning the businesse of mony , i conceive there is little or no odds on either side . but if the king of spain would but proceed in that absolute way of power over his subjects● that the turk does over his ; he might easily surpasse him in riches . the king , i confesse , wants mony ; but i have formerly shewed him , by what waies he might gather together mony enough to maintain a war against the turk . now the turk useth infinite celerity and speed , in putting what ever designs he hath in execution , sparing no cost or charges for the providing of all things necessary for the same : so that with the present mony that he hath in his treasury he presently raiseth men , and provides them armes , and gets all things immediately in a readinesse , in order to the expedition he is upon ; and when he hath laid out all the mony that he had in his treasurie , he then presently falls to filling it up again , by laying fresh impositions and taxes upon his subjects . it is a necessity , that is in a manner peculiar to the turk , of making war upon his neighbours round about , and as it were in a circle : for , they are all his enemies . but now , the condition of the spaniard is otherwise . for , betwixt his kingdome of naples , and his duchy of millan● there lye the pope and the tuscans ; who are united unto him by the tie both of religion , and friendship . he lies something remote indeed from the netherlands , and the west indies : which notwithstanding render him worthy the more admiration ; because that , by reason of his fleets , he lies as it were neer unto them : and by meanes of the same he may possibly in time make himself master of those other parts also which he hath not yet possessed himself of ; as we shall shew hereafter . the king hath also this advantage , that although those countries l●e at so great a distance from one another ; yet , by the tie of religion , they are all joyned to spain . lastly , whereas in turky the eldest sons of the emperours are wont alwaies to make away with their younger brothers , this piece of cruelty of theirs does but set a note of infamy upon them : and it may easily so fall out , that some one of these younger brothers may get away out of his elder brothers power , and may be able afterwards to make war upon his brother . and we see that this had been like to have come to passe in gemes , the brother of bajazet ; who , having gotten out of prison , might have been able to have done his brother very much mischief , and , by the assistance of the christians , might have made his way into greece , had he not , by the arts his brother bajazet used , and by the treachery also of the christians , been taken off by poyson . and selim , although he did not desire to make himself emperour , yet he made himself very strong ; at first , only to preserve himself from being put to death ; but afterwards , taking the opportunity when it was offered him , he turned both his father , and brother out of the empire , and commanded them to be both put to death : at which juncture of time , that empire might very easily have been utterly subverted , and ruined . and truly i conceive , that the total destruction of that empire cannot be brought about any other way , then by this one thing ; namely , their most bloody cruelty that they practise upon their nearest , and dearest friends and kindred . for , seeing that the great turk takes as many wives to himself as he pleases , and so gets an infinite number of sons by them ; all which are most certainly assured , that , when ever their eldest brother comes to be emperour , they shall be all of them murdered : it is very probable , that some time or other there may civil wars arise in that empire , by which it may either be totally destroyed , or at least may be divided into many parts : which would give the turks enemies an opportunity of falling upon him , and so of ruining him . neither need any one wonder , that this hath not as yet happened to this very day ; seeing that this empire is not of any so very long standing● for , ottoman , who was the founder of it , died but in the year of our lord . in the time of pope benedict xi . and yet we know , that there have already been bloody wars amongst them ; which seems to confirm this our prognostication ; and makes me the willinger to give credit to torquatus the astrologer , who foretold that it would come to passe , that in the time of the sixteenth emperour of turky , that empire should fall to the ground : namely , when the moon , which is the ensign of that empire , shall begin to decrease ; that is to say , when it shall be divided into two hornes , by two of the great turks sons rising up one against the other , and causing the empire to be divided into two parts : one of which brothers , turning to christianity , shall come over to the christians . now these two hornes signifie two kingdomes : for kingdomes are oftentimes denoted by the ensigns , or armes of the same : as we see in the revel●tion of st. iohn , where the kingdomes themselves are from their insignia , called sometimes dragons , sometimes eagles , and sometimes also lions ; and the prophet ieremy calleth the kingdome of the assyrians by the name of a dove ; because the assyrians had the figure of a dove for their ensign , or devise . now in this particular the spaniard is much more happy then the turk ; because that his sons do not fall out , or hate each other for any such cause . yea , we see at this day , that those of the house of austria , partly by reason of this very thing , because they are brothers , and kindred , and partly also through fear of the other christian princes , and of the hereticks , are at so much the greater concord , and agreement among themselves . and you shall scarse find more brothers , or kindred , in any one princes family , then in that of austria ; and yet have not these ever broken the bond of consanguinity one with another ; nor have ever raised any commotions in their republick , through ambitious ends and respects : but have , on the contrary , preserved each to other their just rights untoucht , and have lived together in so unshaken a concord and union , as that they seem to be so many bodies , animated all with one soul , and guided all by one will. we may adde hereto , that the younger brothers of this house have hopes either of being made cardinals ; or else of being elected kings of poland , or of some of the other forreign elective kingdoms : so that the house of austria , by reason of the multitude of sons , growes the greater ; whereas the ottoman house does , for the same reason , decrease every day more and more : not to say any thing , how much the turk's subjects are offended with this tyranny of his . experience also testifies , that the daughters of the house of austria have , by their marriages with other princes , and the inheritances thereby fallen to them , very much advanced the greatnesse of the austrian family , and have enlarged their dominions in a wonderful manner : and besides , they have also caused the hearts of their husbands , and of their subjects , to encline to our king : and of this we have a clear example this day in the wife of the prince of transylvania , and likewise in the duke of savoy's , and the king of poland's wife . and the women of the austrian family are also all of high spirits , and are besides adorned with the endowments of vertue , and gravity . whereas , on the contrary , the great turk bestowing his concubines only upon his own slaves , and bassaes , ( as they call them ) gets himself no advantage at all from abroad ; onely he hereby obligeth these men to be true and faithful to him. and therefore my opinion is , that it would be the best way for the king of spain , never to marry a wife out of the austrian family ; unlesse he should thereby come to inherit some new country : because that it would be much better , that those daughters should be married abroad to forreign princes ; that so they may turn the hearts and affections of their husbands toward the king of spain . but seeing that , as hath been formerly said , the turk stretcheth forth his hand against all men ; whence it comes to passe , that all men in like manner stretch forth their hands against him ; all whom yet he is frequently wont to delude by his cessations from armes , and truces , ( for he keeps his faith with none of them : ) it would be a businesse worth our serious consideration , how this practise of his might be turned against himself . which that it may the easilier be effected , the king of spain should prevail with the persians , to invade arabia with a sufficient army , perswading them , that this would be the only means of securing their own territories ; and possessing them withal with this perswasion , that the turk is the common enemy , and that therefore he ought to be set upon on all sides to the uttermost of their power ; least , after they have once overcome us christians , they themselves should fall to be his next prey : and then● that under a pretense of zeal for religion , they should possesse themselves of the city of mecha , where is the sepulchre of mahomet , who was the head of their empire : which designs being but once happily , and prosperously accomplished , that then all other things would the more easily be brought about . let the king of spain also take care , that there may be a league made betwixt the persian and prester iohn ; and this later should be perswaded to send out as great an army as he could , to invade the common enemies , the turk's country ; which army should be carried over by the red sea , by meanes of the portugals fleet ; or else , he may send those forces of his in by land : and that not onely to enlarge their own empire , and dominion , but also for the advancement of their religion , namely , by recovering of ierusalem , where the sepulcher of our saviour christ is , which both we , and the ethiopians too have now so many ages been deprived of . both nations therefore ought to bend their whole forces that way . it would also be very convenient , that the muscovite ( who should be perswaded to this by some polonian oratours ) should at the same time fall in upon bulgaria , and moldavia , with an army . and the king should so order the matter , that at one and the same time the emperour , and the prince of transylvania should fall upon him in hungary , and the polander upon macedonia , and mysia : that the tu●k being by this means so distracted , may not know which part to relieve first . the georgians also should be secretly dealt withal , to embrace this general association , by the venetian merchants , and to fall upon natolia , and trapez●nd , or macedonia . and for the promoting of this design , it would be very convenient , that every one should keep to himself what he hath got ; except ierusalem only ; which should be reserved for the king of spain : of which country the king also should shortly afterward by little and little get the possession , by making use of the conveniency of the red sea. i would also advise , that the king of spain , and the venetian , together with the pope , entring into a mutual league together , should at the same time also fall upon morea , cyprus , or egypt : for which purpose such a neapolitan fleet , as we have formerly spoken off , would be of very excellent use and advantage . and afterwards , they should divide such countries and places , as they have taken , and share them among themselves , making the pope their judge , and arbitrator herein . and this association and league made betwixt the aforesaid princes , i would have to last for the space of whole ten years . for by this means the turk having his hands full at home , would be taken off from making war upon the christians in the west , as he now does , to the great detriment of the house of austria . and to this end , it would be very expedient , that there were a league made both with the persians and prester iohn : for these people might very much annoy the western countries . and this would also make very much for the advantage of the venetians too , who stand in no small dread of the turks ; whom , because they are not able to match them in power , they are fain to pacifie and keep quiet by fair means , and presents . there are some that are of opinion , that there are two wayes by which an association , or league might be made by the christians against the turk , if not for his total ruine , yet at least to the bringing about of some very good effect . and one of these is , that all such princes , whose territories border upon turky , should at one and the same time set all upon him , every one of them invading that part of the turks dominions that lies next him , not with any certain part only of ●is forces , but with the whole strength and power that he can possibly make in the world : for so , all of them should enjoy an equal share in the spoiles that were taken . the second , and that the more noble , is , if that very many several princes would but resolve , for the glory of god , and the propagation of the church , to set upon the turk , either altother from one part , or else from diverse parts all at once : as we read to have been done in those former heroick times , when as many several valiant princes , out of germany , the netherlands● france , and italy , some of them selling their territories outright , and others of them pawning the same , gathered together an army of above forty thousand men , and marching with them into the eastern countries , and there beating the turks out of nice , the persians out of antioch , and the saracens out of ierusalem , they afterwards laid wast the whole east , and in a short time recovered the holy land. in which expedition this especially is to be taken notice of , that neither the emperour himself , nor any other king , was either their general , or so much as went along with them in it . and notwithstanding that afterwards indeed the kings of france , and of england , as also the emperours , conrade , and frederick , made several expeditions into those parts , not for the taking in of any new countries , but only for the keeping of what the others had formerly gotten ; yet for all there was not any thing at all done by them , worth the speaking of . but now there ought to be care taken , in this businesse , that all may share alike in what shall be gotten : for otherwise , the design would be quite spoiled , and never come to any thing . for , as in a clock , if there be any one exorbitant , or irregular wheel , it spoiles the whole harmony , and mutual agreement that should be in it : so likewise , in all associations , if there be any deficiency in one part , it proves to be the cause of the dissolution of the whole union . a clear example whereof we have in the league that was made betwixt the popes , paul iii. and pius v. the king of spain , and the venetians : which though it were managed with the greatest diligence , and eagernesse on all sides that could be , and with incredible successe also ; yet it came all to nothing at last ; and that meerly for this one reason , namely , because that it did not equally concern the interests of all of them , that that expedition should be so carefully undertaken , and so diligently carried on . for , spain hath no great advantage by any thing that is done against the eastern people ; which yet is most beneficial to the venetians : in like manner as it is of litle or no concernment to the venetians , what ever is done against africk , which yet is of very great advantage to spain . and this is the reason , that the venetians , who stand in fear of the power the turk hath in the east ; and the spaniards who are afraid of their neighbours of algier , can never unanimously go on together against the enemy , with equal courage , and desires . and by this means the pope , lying in the mean time in the midst betwixt them both , and being forced to be at a great charge , yet hath no benefit at all thereby . but to return to our present discourse again , whence we have digressed . there is yet another way , whereby the turkish empire might be overthrown ; and that is , in case that some one of his chief commanders in war , who was at first a christian ( such as were cicala , occhiali , and scande●beg ) should be prevailed withal , by such large promises as should be made him , as namely , that he should have some christian province given him for his reward , ) to betray the turkish navy unto us , if at least he have it committed to his charge : or else , in case he hath been appointed by the great turk to manage any kingdom under him , as his viceroy ; he should then have the possession of that kingdom promised him ; as suppose , of tunis , algier , or the like . for there is no doubt to be made , but that such a one had rather be the sole absolute lord of any kingdom , whatsoever it be , and so to have the power of transmitting it over to his posterity ; then to be but a kind of nobler slave to the great turk ; having neither power in his li●e time to give away any thing to his friends ; nor at his death to leave any thing to them , and i am verily perswaded , that there is nothing that keeps these men from attempting such a rebellion against the turk , more , then because they dispaire of ever being able to bring any such their undertakings to effect ; as not daring to confide in the christians , or to rely upon them for assistance . yet if they were but sincerely , and ingenuously dealt withal , i am clearly of opinion , that they might be brought to this . it may also so happen , that some such gallant vindicator of the peoples liberty may spring up among the turks themselves , as was moses , the hebrew , among the subjects of pharaoh , king of egypt ; and such a one , in case the great turk should entrust him with any great authority , or charge , might questionlesse be able to do him an infinite deal of mischief . there might also a general association be made amongst the christians ; by whom he might be brought to a pitch'd battel ; ( as we said before ) and might have one or two such notable blowes given him by them , that he should be never able to hold up his head again : because that he hath not any nobles , that might relieve him in such a case . and this might the more easily be done , because that he hath within his dominions an infinite number both of christians , and iewes : who , if they but once saw him overthrown , would all presently come over to us. and yet in the procuring of such an association as this , there would be required either very much patience in the pope , and the king of spain ; or else a very great necessity , that should force all of them to joyne together . now these princes should all be bound , by mutual covenants drawn up betwixt them , that every one of them should have a proportionable share of what soever shall be gotten by the said expedition ; and also that those that have gotten possession of their own share , shall assist the rest also in the getting of theirs ; after the example of reuben , and dan : who after they had possessed themselves of the country that lay on this side iordan , were then to assist their brethren in the subduing of the further part of it , that lay beyond iordan . there ought also to be a persuasion wrought into all , and every one of these princes , that by the king of assyria , in the scriptures , is prefigured unto us the great turk : who , after he hath destroyed the kingdom of israel , that is to say , the kingdom of the east , or that of constantinople ; he will then next overthrow the kingdom of iudah , that is , of the west ; except they repent them of their heresy , and return again into the bosom● of the church of rome , which is our jerusalem : ( as i have written in my christian monarchy ) and that so , together with the empire , the priesthood also will be lost , and will passe over into the new world , ( as i have there demonstrated by political reasons , ) except they take the course here set down before them . and perhaps also it may hereafter so come to passe . and when the turk , who is the typical cyrus , is destroyed , then shall the church be renewed again . it is therefore most necessary , that all christendom should joyn their forces together , for the destruction of this ravenous wolf , who by his strength , and cunning , hath taken from us two empires , and two hundred kingdomes ; mean while that we do nothing but fall together by the eares one with another . but if this cannot be brought about , the persians must then be persuaded to joyn with the ethiopians , muscovites , and polonians , as hath been said before . and i do believe also , that the great turks bassaes , and other of his subjects would quickly be got to fall off from him , if so be they could but be once fully perswaded & assured , that they should each of them really be made the absolute lords of what they now possessed . all which things ought to have their accomplishment in the death of this mahomet iii. now raigning , seeing that that number is fatal . the great turks younger sons also are to be seazed upon , and conveigh'd away , least the eldest brother should murder them according to their usual custome : and this the venetians may do conveniently enough by their merchants ; or else the same may be committed to the christian slaves that are there , to be done by them . after that this empire shall be thus weakned , and divided , it would be convenient then to send thether some preachers , who should endeavour to convince the natives of their error . there should care also be taken by meanes for the bringing of printing into turky ; by meanes whereof that people may be taken off from the exercise of arms , and may apply themselves to books ; and by being taken up with disputations concerning points of divinity , and philosophy , both of the peripateticks , stoicks , platonists , and telesians , they may be divided amongst themselves , and so be the more weakned . for , those that give themselves to the study of books onely , usually become a prey to such as apply themselves to the exercise of armes , and the study of the arts too : as we see in the example of athens , which became a prey to the lacedemo●ians ; both which nations philip , king of macedon , by the force of his armes afterwards subdued , being first instructed by epaminondas by what meanes this was to be effectd . cato was wont to say , that the romans would lose their empire , so soon as ever they should begin to apply themselves to the study of the greek tongue , and sciences . this the great turk , who is wiser then we are , knew very well ; and therefore preferred rather the exercise of armes , and got him great guns , and slaves ; i mean , those jewes , that were sent to him by ferdinand , the last king of arragon : for he knew very well , what , and how great advantage might be made by slaves ; and that the children that they should beget , were to be brought up in the exercise of armes , and the knowledge of military affaires . but then , on the contrary , he would not receive , nor accept of those printing-presses , and letter , ●or the printing of the arabick tongue , that were sent him by the great duke of tuscany ; because he would not have his dominions filled with books , because that would much take off the military valour of his subjects ; and besides , because that mahumetanisme , by frequent disputations about it , might easily in a short time have been overthrown . it hath also been very prejudicial unto us , that we have had no law made for the injoyning of silence ; whereby we should have been commanded to conceal some things from others : which law certainly would have been of very good use . but now adaies in germany all things are made publick , and laid open to the whole world : and hence it is , that we see every one there publisheth in print a new bible ; and that the empire goes to ruine , and that all places are overwhelmed with luxury , and riot . and , had not the fear of the king of spain's armies kept the netherlanders in awe , they also would by this time have been at eff●minate , and luxurious as the germans are . and the like would have befallen to the english also . so that we might have hopes , that unlesse there were a war maintained amongst them , to keep them in exercise , they would all quickly come to utter ruine ; after that they should but once come to be effeminate , heart-lesse , and at discord one with another ; as we have said formerly : and that so much the rather , because that the heresie they professe , seeing it denyes the freedom of the will , is repugnant to all principles of policy . now all heresies , when they are once gone so far as to atheisme , are reduced again into the way of truth by some wise prophet or other ; such as were in italy , thomas aquinas , dominicus , scotus , and others . for , her●sies also have their periods , as well as states ; which fall first , from being governed by good kings , into the hands of tyrants ; from their tyranny , into an aristocracy , from thence into an oligarchy , and so at length to a democracy ; and in the end they shift about again , and in a circle , as it were , return again to their first form , either of a kingdom , or a tyranny . chap. xxxi . of the other hemisphere , and of the new world. the admirable discovery of the new world ( which was foreseen by st. brigitt , and expressely foretold by seneca , in his medea , and there lively set forth in its proper colours and names , according as he had received the same from one of the sibylls , ) hath been the cause that this hemisphere of ours hath been thereby rapt into the greatest admiration that can be . for , some of the ancientest among the philosophers , of which number was xenophanes , were of opinion , that that other hemisphere lay all covered over with water ; some others , as lactantius , and st. augustine , thought that the earth was not a perfect globe , about which the sun was carried in his diurnal motion . and some others believed , ( among whom was dante , ) that those countries were inhabited , and were a certain kind of earthly paradise . some there were that doubted hereof ; amongst whom was aristotle : and again some others of them confidently affirmed , that the earth was an absolute and perfect orbe , or globe : and of this number were plato● and origen . and therefore it is but for just cause , that all the world admires the spanish monarchy , as both very daring , and very powerful ; seeing that it hath measured , and overcome so many seas , and in a short space of time hath put a girdle about the vast globe of the whole earth : which neither carthage , nor tyre were ever heretofore able to do ; nor yet the wisest of all men , king solomon : whose fleet , making its voyage as far as goa only , and taprobane , spent alwaies three whole years in the same ; which yet our seamen now adaies perform in three moneths time . so that , although the vast distance of place , that there is betwixt the several parts of the spanish monarchy , seems to render it weak ; yet doth their admirable skill in navigation , for the shortening of those distances , together with those other means of uniting these parts , which the spaniards daily do make use of , or , may make use of , when they please , make the same most illustrious , and more admirable , then some perhaps do imagine . however , to the end that the king of spain may not onely keep what he hath already gotten , but may also enlarge his empire ; i shall here give in a catalogue of such errours as have been heretofore committed , in reference to the managing of his affaires in the new world ; and shall shew , that they ought with all speed to be corrected , and taken out of the way ; laying down withal those waies and means , by which the kings power in those parts may yet be enlarged . when that the spaniards , directing their course through the western ocean , were now first arrived in the new world ; the natives beheld them with astonishment , and wonder ; and , having never dreamt of any other world but their own , believed verily those men to have dropt down from heaven ; and conceived them to be the sons of the clouds , by reason of the thundering noyse they made with their guns : and then again they heard , with trembling , and fear , speaking papers , and writings : all which things likewise even our selves at first wondred at , as well as they . for , neither had we all these things upon ● sudden , all together , and in one and the same instant of time presented to us , as they were then to them : and besides , assu●faction makes all the most unusual things at length familiar to men. in a word , they could not choose but have all yielded themselves up freely , and of their own accord , to the spaniards , who , as they were really perswaded , were all gods ; had not they themselves , by their own dissolute and corrupt life , removed all such opinion of divinity far from them , by their cruelty , and covetousnesse in hunting after the indians gold , which they themselves regarded not : insomuch that the natives were fain to betake themselves to the mountains , and to defend themselves against them as well as they could . and this is the reason , that the spaniards could never make themselves masters of the whole country of peruana , ( which is half as big again as all africa ) but were fain to keep about the sea coasts , and those plain and open countries that border upon the same ; nor could ever get any farther northward then florida , new spain , and new france , baccalaos , and the country about mexico , but were alwaies repulsed by the natives . whence it plainly appears , that the spaniards ought at the first to have cherished that good opinion which the indians had all generally conceived of them , by their innocent , and vertuous life : for , by this means , they must needs have become masters of the whole country . and besides , they should have openly professed , and made it known to all , that they were really the sons of god , and not of the clouds ; and were sprung from a much nobler seed , and were endowed with an immortal soul : and that it was god , that had created both the heavens and the earth , and that disposeth of , and governeth all things according to his own will and pleasure : and that by how much the more noble any creature is , ( such as are men , who are his sons , being created after his image , ) so much the greater , and more vigilant care hath he over them , then over the rest . so likewise they should have informed them further , how that all men sinned in their disobedient first parent , adam , whom they have ever since imitated in that which is evil , rather then that which is good : yet notwithstanding , that god , who is the father of all , loved them so dearly , that he found out a means of calling them back again to his worship , and of translating them at length even into heaven it self , sending amongst them abel , enoch , and others to instruct them . but , that they , growing continually worse and worse , provoked god , their father , to wrath ; who therefore suddenly swept them all away , except one only family , by an universal deluge . and , that it is the same god , that by puting a vast sea betwixt them , had divided their world from ours , which very thing was asserted heretofore by plato , where he speaks of the atlantick ocean . and , that noah sent over colonies into their countries , and peopled that whole tract of land , from peru , as far as baccaleos with inhabitants . and that afterwards the whole progeny of noah , within the compasse of which the indians themselves are comprehended , sinned also ; except some few of them only : and that god sent afterward among them also other instructers ; as moses , and others : whom , when the world believed not , that then god himself took humane flesh upon him , and out of the infinite love that he bare us , put on our nature ; that so , making use thereof , as of an instrumental means , he might the more effectually teach us , what way we must take , for to go to heaven ; and how that truth is to be observed in all things : ( and all these things should have been instilled into them by friendly perswasions , and fair means ; and not by force of arms : ) and lastly , that god himself in his own person , and by his own example confirmed all things that he ever taught ; and laid down a pattern before us , according to which we ought to walk in this life . and that , after he had taught us , that we ought not to be terrified , or affrighted from the worship of our god , even by threats and death ; himself first underwent death , suffering it by the hands of cruel tyrants , to the end that we might be encouraged to follow his steps : and that , rising again the third day from the dead , he ascended up into heaven , leaving behind him his vicar upon earth , who is called by the name of the pope ; who sits in his tribunal , being endowed with celestial wisedom ; being assisted also by many most valiant princes , who all mantain the divine truth ; among whom the king of spain is the cheif . and , that now god , being moved with compassion towards them , who were all idolaters , and violaters of the law of nature , had sent their brethren the spa●iards , to convert them , and to bring them back again into the way of truth , and by means of the pope , and of the king of spain ( from which country their world was divided at first by the flood ) to bring them home to him : adding further , ( and saying● ) that , god hath given us skill to build ships , and to tame horses , and command the sea ; and hath shewed us how to make voc●l , speaking papers ; that so , the indians seeing all these things , might the more readily believe us . and that we are able , besides these things , to do any other such miracles as he himself did , when he was upon earth ; as namely , healing the sick , raising the dead to life , if so be that we be but obedient to his commands , and be baptized with water , in the name of the only one god , and be cleansed from our sins by his invisible grace . and that he hath given us these arms , to punish all those , that should endeavour to hinder the propagation of the truth . some such prologue as this should have been used , to winne upon them at first : and they should also have made choise among the indians of some such , as by their looks they should have guessed to have been the fittest to be instructed in this doctrine , and should have instilled the same into them : and should afterwards have sent them , like the woman of samaria in the gospel , to call their countrymen , and fellow citizens , and should have used them with all gentlenesse , and courtesie , and without either cruelty , or covetousnesse . and they should besides have perswaded them , that they regarded gold as litle as the indians themselves did ; and that they made use of it only by way of exchange for other things ; and desired to have it , without any covetous mind at all ; letting the indians see withall , that they brought them iron for their gold ; which is a much more useful mettal , both for the manuring of the earth , and also for the defence of mans life it self . and then , after all things had been thus carried , they should have presently clapt abroad their ships as many of the natives as they could , under pretense of some such command , given from heaven , to the pope and the king of spain ; into whose dominions they should have carried them , and have disposed of them in colonies dispersed up and down through africk ; from whence they should afterwards have been conveyed over into spain , to be made to labour there , and to till the ground , and to be instructed in mechanick arts ; mean while that the spaniards themselves should follow their exercise of arms , and so by degrees shall subdue their whole country . but now , the spaniards that first landed in those parts , were meer rude , boysterous souldiers ; and such as knew not of how great force the opinion of divinity , once raised in the minds of men , is , towards the subduing of them . but they , as if they had been come into an enemies country , fell immediately to hunt after their gold , and to pillage them of what they could ; making it plainly appear , that they took litle care of the saving of the poor indians souls ; and yet though they never had prepared them at all by preaching christ to them before hand , yet how ever they would needs by threats fright them into christianity , and force them to be baptized , and to believe that christ was crucified for them . which things certainly at the first sight , could not chuse but seem to them to be most absurd ; as namely , that water was able to bring any one to heaven ; or , that god could die : and so by this means they at the very first became a stumbling block unto all of them , as the apostle paul speaks , by not observing that apostolical rule ; praedicate hominibus , preach to all men . by this means therefore the spania●ds comming to be repulsed by the natives , they presently fell to killing of them : so that the natives betaking themselves to the mountains , the spaniards then fell to hunt after men , no otherwise then they used to hunt after wild beasts ; and returning home at night , they made their brags how many indians each of them had killed that day : and so by this means , they in a short time laid that country , for the space of three thousand leagues together , utterly wast , and voyd of inhabitants ; never considering at all , that by the common tie of humanity the● were their brethren whom they had so barbarously destroyed ; and that we are all of us descended from noah ; and therefore that all that are not baptized , are not presently to be accounted no better then beasts . but by this means it came to passe , that the miserable wretches , seeing that gold was so highly esteemed by the spaniards , & indeed was more accounted of then the men themselves ; they grew to be very much offended at them , and said , that the spaniards desired to bring them under their subjection , only by the sprinkling of a litle water upon them , ( meaning that of baptisme ) but that their dominion over them , would be the very same with that of the wolfe over the sheep , only to worry them , and tear them in pieces . they retired themselves therefore to the mountains ; and from thence afterwards issuing out , they have sometimes got the better of the spaniards ; in so much that to this very day , having now pretty well learnt how to deal with them , they have the courage to come out against them with their● armes ; no longer reverencing them as gods , but driving them away , and chasing them as so many ravenous wolves . and from hence sprung up another mischeif also● which is , that spain , which it self was very bare of men , was notwithstanding ●orced to send over colonies into those parts : and yet for all this , the plain truth of the businesse is , that the souldiers that were there , were so inconsiderable for their number , in respect of that vast tract of ground , as that they were very hard put to it , to keep what they had got . for the taking off of which fear from themselves● they fell to slaughter , and to kill up the natives out of the way : which is an argument of the greatest ignorance , and cruelty that can be . so that i am clearly of opinion , that the king of spain should make it his businesse rather to people those parts , and to encrease the number of the inhabitants ; then to enrich himself only with the gold and silver that is fetched away from thence ; if so be he look after his own greatest advantage , and would continue lord of that country . and therefore i would have him in the first place to take order , that there be a catechisme made , and published in the language of the country ; whereby the people there might be instructed , first of all , in the principles of the law of nature , and of gods providence . then would i have a history to be compiled from the creation of the world down to christ , and so continued on to our times ; which should be written in a brief , comp●ndious way ; according to that short form which i have laid down in few words , in my preface to this d●scourse ; and after the example of the fathers of the church , who in converting the heathens to the christian faith , made use of the like compendious method ; as , for instance , clemens , and lactantius did : and not such prolixe , tedious formes , as our modern writers use now a dayes . there should also be chosen , out of such of the natives as are instructed in the principles of the christian faith , some , who should take upon them the office of priests , and preachers ; and these should be sent abroad among the rest of their countrymen , that keep about the mountaines , ( to whom the spanish preachers cannot come ) and should offer them their brotherly assistance ; and should tell them what things the pope , and the king of spain , as in the name of god , would have them informed of ; and withal , how grievously , and severely god had punished our world , by heresies , and mahumetanism , onely for the former inhumanity , and cruelty used by the souldiers towards them : and that now the king hath sent again to them the second time such persons , as should with all mildnesse and gentlenesse invite them to receive the christian religion . and with these should be joyned also some of our preachers ; who , after that they had faithfully , and effectually discharged their office there , should then be preferred to be bishops , or abbats ; that so , others , by their example , might be encouraged to do the like ; and also that those people might know , and see , that great honors are by us proposed to such men , as we send over to them , to teach and instruct them . and it seems also to be very necessary to institute some certain order of preachers of the new world , to be expressely known by that name ; seeing that the businesse seems altogether to require it . and the king of spain must also take care rather , how that country may be made populous , & full of inhabitants , then how the natives may be all rooted out . and such among them , as will not be converted to christianity , he may make slaves ; after the examples of the romans ; and lucullus , who alone had forty thousand slaves of his own , by whose meanes he dug down nine mountaines , and laid them level with the plain ground ; and these slaves the king of spain may put to row in his gallies . but as for those that shall embrace the christian faith , they may be put to learn mechanical occupations , as smiths , and carpenters , and the like ; that so the spaniards themselves may not need to look after any thing else , but wholly to mind the exercising of themselves in military affaires ; following herein the example of croesus king of lydia , whose custome it was , to put all such prisoners as he had taken in war , to learn the trades of carpenters , and smiths ; but to keep his own subjects close to their armes onely . i think it fit therefore , that a great number of those indians should be transported over into spain , and africk , and should be set to build great cities all along upon the coast of africk , and of asia ; the strong holds , and government of which cities should be put into the hands of spaniards onely ; but the tilling of the ground● and the mechanical arts should be left to the indians to follow , or to some other the like slaves of the spaniards , that should also be christians . and when any of the indian kings should chance to be converted● and transported over into spain , they should have baronies conferred upon them there , that so the spanish empire might thereby be rendred the more glorious ; and that the indians also might by this means be brought by degrees to love us , and our countries . and if the king of spain had but observed all these rule● , he might at this day have been possessed of larger territories , both in africk , and asia ; and spain also would have been more populous , and strong , and the new world much richer then it is . and therefore in my opinion , it is the most absurd thing in the world , for the king to make those parts a treasury to supply him with gold & silver only , and not rather with men ; seeing that these later are , of the two of much the greater value . now of those indians being brought up to trades , and comming in progresse of time to be sufficiently hispaniolized , the king may make souldiers also : as the turk is used to do with such of our children as he takes to bring up in his turkish way of life . then would i have in each several province of the new world , an austrian seminary to be set up , for the training up of young souldiers ; who should acknowledge no other father , save the king onely ; and another seminary for women ; of which we spake formerly ; and likewise another for mariners ; of which i shall speak more hereafter . and by this meanes it would so come to passe , that within lesse then thirty years , the king would so abound with faithful domestick servants of his own , that he would have no further need to make use either of auxiliaries , or mercenary souldiers ; and he would hereby also winne the hearts of the indians to him , when they shall see their children to be brought up in so liberal and ingenuous a way of education , and shall find them nothing so rude , and ill-behaved as they were before ; and so they will the more readily yield to serve the spaniard . lastly , seing that that part of the world is at so vast a distance from this of ours , it is ●ecessary that these parts should be united , and joyned together as much as possibly can be , for as much as there is no empire but is lame , and imperfect witho●t this union . the first sort of union is , true religion : and therefore there ought to be strong castles , and block-houses erected upon all havens , and mouths of rivers ; least the english breaking into these parts , should bring in heresy : whereby the whole design of the spaniard would be utterly frustrated , and come to nothing . and besides , there should be nothing had in greater reverence , where any of these people are in presence , then the very name of the pope ; that so they may be kept the faster to our religion . and they should be brought also to sue to us , and to desire us to prescribe them some rule of living here , and also the meanes of attaining to eternal life hereafter . in the second place , the king of spain must make himself absolute lord of those countries ; for if there should but any other christian be chosen king in that part of the world ; our king were then quite lost . now there is none that he need to fear in that point , unlesse it be some principal noble man ; especially , if it should chance to be such a one , as is descended lineally from some of those worthies , that were the first discoverers of this new world ; as , namely , if he should be descended from columbus , who first of all discovered these parts ; or else from cortesius . so that it seemes to be necessary , that such as have performed such gallant peices of service , should be rewarded indeed with very great honours ; and preferments : but then it should not be in those countries , that they themselves had subdued . for we know that marquesse vaglio , who was nephew to columbus , was once very near being chosen king ; and even the vice-roys themselves , ( as they call them ) might easily make themselves kings , if they pleased . and therefore none but some principal nobleman , that hath great revenues of his own either in spain , or italy , is to be placed as ruler of the new world ; or at the least , some cardinal , or bishop , that hath many kindred here with us . the keeping of all strong holds also , and castles , is to be committed to some garrison captains , who are to expect their reward from the king ; and the vice-ro●s are to live , not in any of the strong holds , but in cities : and it must be so ordered , that those that are the commanders of the strong holds and castles , and the vice-roys , may be as much at variance and discord , as possibly may be . over such countries as have been conquered by portugals , there should be placed spanish governours ; and so on the contrary ; thus uniting the two kingdomes the more ; and by this meanes the kingdom will be the more happily , and the more safely admininistred . clergy men should also be frequently sent to these strong holds and castles , to take a view of them ; and especially the capuchins . the authority also● of particular men is to be restrained ; neither ought too great a power to be granted to any one man , in any matters that are of very great moment and consequence ; but these should be transacted by the personal , joynt consent of all , or at least by signifying the same by their letters , in like manner as all things that concern the kings interest in italy , are by a very wise course therein taken , appointed to be considered of by the kings embassadour , lying lieger at rome , the vice-roy of naples , and the governour of millan . the third sort of union is of goods : and therefore my opinion is , that the king should do well to divide every new discovered country among the common people , and maimed spaniards , according to the ancient roman law , called lex agraria ; joyning with them also such africans , and indians , as he had , not long before , transported into africk ; but still under this condition , namely that none of them all shall account what he possesses to be his own proper goods ; but must reckon upon all to be the kings ; save onely what belongs to the clergy . and fields , castles , and offices are to be frequently taken from those that hold them , and to be disposed of to others ; that so the eyes of all may be upon the king onely , in whose gift , and at whose disposal all these things are : yet the fruits of the earth of every mans land they may gather and enjoy as their own . there should also judges be appointed out of the clergy , who should assign every man what is his due ; and should allot so much for the maintenance of the clergy , so much for to pay souldiers , and so much to be paid to the king for a tribute . and these judges should take care to see , that no spanish souldier shall possesse any thing as his own , save only his armes ; unlesse it be by chance some small orchard , or garden , for to recreate himself in : but they shall all be maintained at the publick charge . and as for such sons of souldiers , as shall not be fit to serve in the wars , they may be put to the plough ; and in their places , to the end that the whole power may still be solely the kings , there may be some such chosen out among the husbandmen , as shall be thought most fit for that purpose , and may be trained up to the use of armes . and thus shall all things be ordered according to the kings own wish , and desire ; and the king himself also shall be beloved above all things ; neither will his subjects desire to have any ample possessions , seeing they all depend upon military service only , by means whereof they are daily enlarged . and when it shall be thought convenient so to do , there may be vines , and the seeds of other things sent over to them ; that so they may have wherewithal to delight themselves : but yet , let them be so sparingly furnished with these things , as that they may alwaies stand in need of us for their support . for , if that the use of vines , the liberty to till the ground , and the exercise of armes , together with the use of printing , and the building of ships should be denied them ; the king might thereby easily incur the suspition of tyranny . in the most convenient places of that hemisphere there should be erected schools for the study of astronomy , the mathematicks , the mechanical , and other arts and sciences ; as hath been formerly shewed : that so the constellations of the heavens , and the seas , and countries of that part of the world may be the more fully discovered , and made known . i would not have either the kings , or lesser princes of any of those countries to be killed ; but rather to be carried over into spain : for , that will both adde to the majesty of the spanish empire ; and will also very much win upon the affections of the indians . chap. xxxii . of navigation . but now , for the better preserving of this dominion of the new world entire to himself , the king of spain had need to build him a great number of woodden cities , and to put them out to sea ; which being laden with commodities , may continually passe to and fro betwixt this and the west-indies● and by being perpetually abroad , and so scouring those seas , may hinder the english , and others● from making any attempts that way . for the performing of which design , the king of spain will have need of very many ships , which should also be very well manned , with a sufficient number of sea-men ; which should sayl about to the new vvorld , and round about africk , asia , calicut , china , iapan , and the islands adjacent ; subduing all where ere they come . and all this might easily be effected , if that the king would but give his mind to gather men together , rather then mony : seeing that it appears evidently enough , that in those expeditions of his against england , the netherlands , and france , he was utterly frustrate , and failed of his designs , meerly through his trusting too much to his mony , and his want of able souldiers . first of all therefore in all the islands of sicily , sardinia , the canaries , those of the achipelago , st. lazaro , in hispaniola likewise , and the philippine islands , i would have seminaries to be erected for mariners , and places appointed all along the coast of spain , where young youths ma● be taught to build ships and gallies , and may learn to know the stars , and the use of the mariners compasse , and of the sea tables , and charts : all these things i say , i would have beaten into the dullest heads . and then , whensoever he destroyes any country , he ought to have more regard to the captives , then to the spoiles of it : and so becomming wiser then formerly , he shall change away gold and silver for a better sort of merchandise . secondly , at what parts so ever his navy shall arrive , he should make havens , and erect such work-houses ; especially at the mouths of rivers and bayes , he should cause ships and gallies to be built ; in the manning of which he may make use of such mariners as have been brought up in the foresaid seminaries . thirdly , when he hath thus gotten to be well stored with men , he may then treat with the richer sort among the portuguezes and the genois , and let them know , that they shall have both of them free liberty to buil● themselves ships and gallies , and with the same to sayle round about the new world , which is now almost wholly the king of spains , and to go into the havens , and to fall upon towns and castles there , and to keep all the booty they shall there find , to themselves ; only the places themselves they shall deliver up to the king● , together with all the elder children of both sexes , for the supply of his seminaries . and if they chance to take any whole large country , they may have whole baronies bestowed upon them for their reward . and by this means both the king will be enriched , and the genois will become the instruments both of confirming and enlarging the kings empire : who yet are themselves so rich , as that they are able either of them to set forth whole fleets of ships against the great turk● and to take in very many countries for themselves , if they pleased : and therefore the kings navies ought alwayes to be so much the greater , and the better provided . fourthly , the hollanders also , dantzickers , and the gutlanders are in a friendly manner to be dealt withal , and perswaded to do the same , as is said before ; only upon this condition , that ●hey shall deliver in their sons as pledges , that what places soever they shall take in , they shall not reckon upon them , as gotten to themselves ; nor shall introduce heresie into the same . and by this means they would be the easier brought in subjection to the king , even without making war upon them , in like manner as the genueess are ; and thus by degrees would the whole world be brought over to comply with the spaniards customes , and manners . fifthly , every seventh year such persons , as are condemned to death , are to be called forth ; and , under the shew of a gentler punishment , are to be sent away into the west indies : and so likewise the children of hereticks , and of such others as shall be conquered by him , either in the low-countries , or africk , should be sent into the seminaries : that afterwards they may be serviceable to the king , both at home and abroad , both in nautical affairs , and in the tilling of the ground . and , i would have the king to be well assured , that he hath not more need of any thing , then of men ; and especially , of some most experienced , and able person , for the managing of his affairs ; such as were lycurgus , and solon ; of which sort of men there are many more to be found now adaies , then there were then ; only , by reason that they are obnoxious to other mens envy , they are not so much taken notice of as they ought to be . there should also be mathematicians sent out of the low-countries , and out of germany , into all parts of the world , for the observing of the motions of the stars , and what new constellations there are ; as also to observe the situations of countries , the depths of the seas , what motion they have from the east toward the west , together with their ebbings and flowings , and which of them increase when the moon is twenty five daies old , and again decrease when she is twenty six ; and which are fitter for the summer voyages , and which for winter , and under what star raigning ; so likewise in what parts their waters are thick , and heavy , and in which they are thin & light ; and again , which of them are wont to be frozen , and which not : together with all their rocks , islands , and shelves : for , the knowlege of these things will tend to the advancement of the spanish monarchy , more then any thing else whatsoever . for , god himself desires , that these works of his should be known ; and he also reveales them to all such , as desire earnestly after the knowledge of the same . there ought also diligent notice to be taken of all habitable places , and temperate climes ; and in what parts of the world there are pygmies found , and where g●ants ; where the inhabitants are black , and where red ; where white , and where green ; passing along thus in order from one climate to another . for the perfect knowledge of the world , is as good as the gaining of that half of it. and god himself hath given the world into the possession of the spaniards , because that they , above all others , have the most earnestly thirsted after the knowledge of the same ; and because they also graced columbus with honours , and dignities , for that he desired to inform himself in the knowledge of world , as being the handiwork of god himself . besides , this course would be also of very good use , for the bringing under ( through their admiration of the spaniards , ) and also the weakning of the northern people . now , that there may be continually safe passage for the kings navies to and fro , he ought to set up two orders of maritime knights , after the example of those of malta : the masters of which orders should have their residence in spain , and they should be divided into two colledges● one of which should be called the eastern , and the other , the western : in which these knights should be brought up from their youth in the study of nautical affaires , and the exercise of what ever concerns navigation ; where also they should take an oath , that they will imploy themselves contin●ally in the scouring of the seas , and use their utmost endeavours , both for the protecting , and also the enlarging of the spanish monarchy ; for which purpose also the younger sons of the barons should be made use of especially , and be imployed in these sea-services , some as commanders , and some as common souldiers only . and if the king would but once resolve to put all these things into practise , he would quickly render himself formidable to the whole world ; much more therefore to england , which yet he now stands in fear of : and besides , all hopes of being able to put forth any fleets to sea , would be quite cut off , both from the turks , persians , and all others whatsoever : and withall , those salaries which are now swallowed up by idle , uselesse persons , would be more profitably bestowed upon such worthy , heroick spirits as we here speak of . there should also be proposed , for the greater encouragement of all such stout propagators of their country as cortesius was , some proportionable rewards ; not so much of mony , or possessions of lands ; ( for these savour too much of covetousnesse ; and may possibly by corruption be purchased for mony ; ) but rather of honours : namely , that they should be allowed to have their triumphs , after the example of the ancient romans ; and should enter into spain under their triumphal arches , wherein should be described such places as they had taken , together with the manner how those places were taken by them . they should also have their statues erected , for their greater honour ; and underneath the same there should be such new stars as are found to appear in the new world set up , wrought in mettal . neither can it be imagined , how much good this course would do for the preservation of military discipline , and also for the exciting , and stirring up of all mens minds towards the attempting of noble , and high things . it would also make very much to the businesse in hand , in case that the king would but command , that all the famous acts of what persons soever , whether commanders , or common souldiers , should be publickly recorded , with the names of the authors of the same set down ●o them : for , this would serve as a spur to stirre up others to the like attempts . for seeing that those monuments and short inscripti●ns that we see in small chappels , do enflame those that are living , through the desire of fame , and excite them to the study of virtue ; what ought we to think it will do , when men shall see that their names shall be recorded in annals and histories , and shall be carried throughout the whole world , and celebrated to all eternity ? in which particular certainly our castilians were very much overseen ; who , notwithstanding that they performed things most worthy to be committed to everlasting memory , namely their so frequent compassing the earth about , their finding out of so many islands and continents , and , which is the most eminent piece of service of all the rest , the discovery of the new world ; yet did they never all this while take care to employ any able person , in the committing of these famous acts of theirs to memory , and , after the example of the greeks and romans , to record them in writing , and transmit them over to the perpetual memory of posterity : although that the portugals have herein gone far beyond the castilians ; for they have found out such able persons , as have published abroad to the world their gallant acts , both in latine , and in their own native language . the second sort of rewards should respect profit ; and this i would have to be the chiefest dignity , or place of honour in the kingdom that should be taken in : the king whereof should be carried over into spain , and should there be instructed in the catholick religion ; and there should also be conferred upon him some barony in spain ; to the end that it might so be rendred the more illustrious ; and also that the rest of the indian princes might be given to understand , that we put not to death any of the kings of such countries as we subdue , if that they will but embrace our religion ; ( as , for instance , motecuma , atabalipa , and some other petty kings that we could name : ) but rather use them with all courtesie , and civility that may be . for , it is fear of being put to death only , that forces those princes to take up armes against the spaniard . businesses of state do all contain in them some certain thing ; the not knowing of which , makes all other things both difficult , and also vain , and to no purpose : as in sayling , there are some that spread the sailes , and others that ply their oares , and some again are imployed either in casting forth , or taking in of ballast ; yet are all these things to no purpose , unlesse there be joyned with these an able pilot , who by his skilful steerage of the vessel , shall make good , and set forward the labours of all the rest . and therefore spain especially hath very great need of some wise person , that should know in what thing chiefly consists the stern ( as we may call it ) of the kingdom ; without the knowledge whereof , all conceipts , contrivances , labours , charges , and consultations whatsoever will come to nothing . after that pope clement the viii began to think of making a reformation among the clergy , all men were ready to put to their helping hand , and assist in the framing of new lawes , orders , and ceremonies , together with appointing of fasting daies , and such habits as every one should wear . but i , living at that time at st. sabines , told them plainly , that all the endeavours of the commissaries were vain ; seeing that the rule it self was sufficient for the bringing about of all those things ; neither indeed did they know , wherein the main point of the businesse lay . i added moreover , that the whole businesse of the reformation consisted in this , that no one particular person of the whole company in monasteries , or the like religious houses , should have a key or lock to himself of his cell , but that there should be only one common key , that should serve both for the dormitory and also for every mans particular lodging . for this would have been a means at once to have put an end to all proprieties ; and to have kept out all wanton books , gifts , and obscene poetry . but when that the chief and principal governours of this ship once perceived , that all this would redound to their losse , there was none of them then that would set his hand to the stern , nor come to the head of the matter : but they would onely have some lawes to be made , concerning novices only , and such as were newly entred in religion : but would not hear of any thing at all that touched their own interest . and so by this means the good intention of the pope was utterly frustrated , and came to nothing . the kingdome of spain therefore hath need of some wise palinurus , by whose conduct all things may be rightly managed according to the rules before laid down . which certainly would much more tend to the advancement of the majesty of its empire , then any macchiavilian suggestions , and cunning devises whatsoever , which have nothing of a good conscience in them at all ; and which besides serve as a cloak only , to disguise the tyranny , and cruelty of princes , by arming them with the law of majesty ; and which countenance such abuses , as even not silly women , much lesse people that have been accustomed to liberty , can endure . and therefore i cannot sufficiently wonder , that there should be any that should so extol this impious politician to the heavens , as they do ; as if his writings were a certain rule , and idea of a good , and happy government . and yet this i do not so much wonder , as i am angry at , when i see that most vile maxime in politicks to be admitted in the administration of state affaires ; namely , that some things are lawful in respect of the state , and others in respect of conscience : then which opinion there cannot certainly be imagined any thing to be either more absurd , or more wicked . for , he that shall take away , or restrain that universal jurisdiction , that conscience ought to have over all things , as well publick , as private , shewes thereby , that he hath neither any conscience , nor any god. the very beasts themselves are lead by a natural instinct to such things as are good for them , and refuse whatsoever would be hurtful to them ; and should the light of reason , and the dictate of conscience , which were given unto man that he might know how to distinguish betwixt good and evill , be utterly blind in publick things , and fail in businesses that are of the greatest moment ? i have had , i confesse , i know not what itch upon me , to give an account in writing of such points , as that author ought to be chastised for with the rod of censure ; and not onely he himself , but all his disciples , i mean , the counsellours of princes , and their nearest favorites ; for certainly both all the scandals of the church of god , and all the perturbations and hurly burlies that have happened in the whole world have had their rise from hence . but yet i have thought fit to hold my hand till some other time , seeing that some others have written of the same subject already very copiously , and also because that the thing is of it self clear enough . and therefore i fell upon another design , whereby i might illustrate the majesty of the spanish empire ; the conservation whereof is a businesse of much greater difficulty , then the acquisition . for , humane things do , as it were , naturally encrease sometimes , and sometimes again decrease ; after the example of the moon , to which they are all subject . and therefore it is a most high , and weighty undertaking if not such a one as is above the power of man , to endeavour to fixe them , & keep them in one certain , standing condition ; that so they fall not from the pitch they had arrived at , nor grow worse , and fall to decay . for , in the acquisition of any thing , both occasion , fortune , and also the enemies errors , and other the like accidental things do very m●ch assist ; which are yet all of them placed without a man : but to keep what is got , requires both an excellent wit , and singular wisedom . valour is of use for the getting ; but prudence , and that not ordinary neither , for the keeping what is gotten . for the raysing of tumults , and sedition , the vilest persons have power enough : but peace , and quietnesse have need of art and skill to maintain them . the lacedemonians , that they might shew , that it was a businesse of greater moment to keep what was ones own , then to possesse himself of what was another mans , appointed punishments for those onely that had lost their shield in fight ; but not those that had lost their sword : and among the germans , of old , it was reputed a most heynous crime for a man to have left his sheild behind him ; neither was it lawful for any man in that scandalous manner , to be either present at their sacrifices , or to joyn with them in any of their meetings . the romans also were wont to call fabius maximus , the shield of their commonwealth ; but● marcus marcellus , the sword : and it is certain enough , that they made much more account of fabius , then they did of marcellus . of this opinion also was aristotle , who affirmes in his politick● , that the office , and duty of a lawgiver doth not so much consist in the constituting , and forming of cities , as in the endeavouring to preserve them when they are formed , and to make them stand firm as long as possibly may be . neither need that to trouble us at all , that the propagators of kingdoms have alwaies been more highly esteemed then the conservators of the same ; for the reason of this is , because that their present acts do more affect , and take up the eyes of men , and do make a greater noyse , and shew , and are fuller of ostentation , and novelty , which all people so dearly love . and this is the reason , why most people do more applaud , and are delighted to hear of expeditions , and conquests ; then they are taken with those other more peaceful arts of preserving what men had before gotten : which arts notwithstanding , by how much the more tranquillity , and quiet they work withal , so much the greater both judgment , and wit , do they argue to be in him whosoever he be , that knowes how to make use of them . and as constant rivers are much more noble then sudden torrent● , that are caused only by the accidental falling of some violent showres of rain ; which yet are with more admiration gazed upon , then those more quietly-flowing rivers ; just so is it with the common people , that alwaies have him in greater admiration and account that wins countries , then that preserves them when they are gotten . and yet the truth is , that it is a much harder task , ( as florus hath also observed ) to preserve and make good a province , then to make one . these things are indeed gotten by strength ; but they are kept by good lawes . and therefore i shall conclude with that of the poet : non minor est virtus , quam quaerere● parta tueri . it shews as great a skill● to keep , as conquer still . and now i conceive i have treated copiously enough , touching the prudence , and occasion that the king of spain ought to make use of , both in general , and particular : notwithstanding that having been detained ten years in misery , and being also sick , i could not have the opportunity of furnishing my self with such things as this businesse required , nor could have the help of any books ; for indeed i had not so much as a bible by me when i wrote this discourse : so that i shall the more easily deserve the readers pardon , in case that i shall have any where doatingly failed , either by setting down some things in such places as were not proper for them ; or else by writing some things twice . i have done what i was able to do ; though i could not do what i would willingly have done : the fuller handling of all which things notwithstanding i shall reserve for some fitter opportunity . in the mean time i desire , that your lordship would take the pains to peruse this tumultuary , sudden piece ; which yet i hope i shall revise again , against the next easter : and therein i shall take the more pains and care , and shall take away , and adde , where i shall see cause . this age of ours hath also its solons lycurgusses , and iosephs , which are sent by god himself : but they are kept under , and are not admitted to the presence of princes : and that common saying , namely , that there are no solons , or aristotles born now adaies , is most false . for indeed there are such born even in these our daies ; and such as are better then they too : but they lye hid , and concealed ; whiles that gentiles are had in admiration ; but christians are envied . but i would have these things committed to secret ears : for hereafter , when they shall have been viewed over again , and correct●d , they will be more esteemed of , then the sibylls books were by the roman king. it is not in the power of envy to hinder me from speaking thus much : for , when those things which i have here delivered shall but come to be examined , and made trial of , spain shall know what it hath to do , and shall perceive how great my desire is to assist it in what i may . pro captu lectoris habent sua fata libelli . books either fail , or hit , by th' scale o' th' readers wit. and thus i shall now take leave of your lordship ; whose honours , and deserts i desire , and earnestly pray , that almighty god would crown with a happy length of years , and a full increase . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e prooemium de iudicio dei. iudg. . . . . . notes for div a -e * he wou●d have said , theodora : for so was justinians wise called . notes for div a -e the text saith on●ly . exod. . . the ioyfull returne, of the most illustrious prince, charles, prince of great brittaine, from the court of spaine together, with a relation of his magnificent entertainment in madrid, and on his way to st. anderas, by the king of spaine. the royall and princely gifts interchangeably giuen. translated out of the spanish copie. his wonderfull dangers on the seas, after his parting from thence: miraculous deliuery, and most happy-safe landing at portsmouth on the . of october ... relacion de la partita del principe de walia. english almansa y mendoza, andres, th cent. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the ioyfull returne, of the most illustrious prince, charles, prince of great brittaine, from the court of spaine together, with a relation of his magnificent entertainment in madrid, and on his way to st. anderas, by the king of spaine. the royall and princely gifts interchangeably giuen. translated out of the spanish copie. his wonderfull dangers on the seas, after his parting from thence: miraculous deliuery, and most happy-safe landing at portsmouth on the . of october ... relacion de la partita del principe de walia. english almansa y mendoza, andres, th cent. [ ], p. printed by edward all-de for nathaniell butter and henry seile, london : . chiefly a translation of: almansa y mendoza, andres. relacion de la partita del principe de walia. reproduction of the original in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng charles -- i, -- king of england, - . great britain -- foreign relations -- spain -- early works to . spain -- foreign relations -- great britain -- early works to . great britain -- foreign relations -- - -- early works to . spain -- foreign relations -- - -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the ioyfull returne , of the most illvstrious prince , charles , prince of great brittaine , from the court of spaine . together , with a relation of his magnificent entertainment in madrid , and on his way to st. anderas , by the king of spaine . the royall and princely gifts interchangeably giuen . translated out of the spanish copie . his wonderfull dangers on the seas , after his parting from thence : miraculous deliuery , and most happy-safe landing at portsmovth on the . of october stil . veteri , to the vnspeakable ioy of both nations . testified no lesse by triumphall expressions of the spanish ambassadours , ( here now residing ) as by the lowd acclamations of our owne people . london : printed by edward all-de for nathaniell butter and henry seile . . the returne of prince charles from spaine . as no transitory glories can bee greater than to see kingdomes married to kingdomes in commerce , confederacie , and honourable vnion : so , next vnto that , ( or rather first aboue that , because this second is a roote , from whence those cedars of blessings more often arise , ) no chaines can bee made of purer gold , than those by which , two princes potent and neighbouring nations are linked together in holy and honourable bondes of wedlocke . our most excellent prince therefore ( charles ) heire apparent to all the kingdomes of our royall soueraigne king james ( his father , ) hauing that care ( due to all princes ) to lengthen out his name , by leauing a royall propagation behind him ; did by the consent of the king his father , depart in priuate from england , in march last , with a small traine , of which the then lord marquesse , now duke of buckingham , next to his highnesse was chiefe . his princely desires seruing him as wings to flye ouer the dangers of the seas , into spain , there to behold that admirable lady of the world , ( for birth , beauty , and all the richest ornaments , both of minde and body ) the infanta of spaine , ( donna maria ) sister to philip the fourth king of spaine , &c. and not onely to behold her , but also , that by presenting to her faire eyes , a prince , equall to her in all excellencies of perfection , there might from their mutuall enter-viewes one of another , a heauenly fire of loue be kindled , out of which might shine a memorable glory to both the nations . england could not trust the sea with a greater masse of treasure , yet ventured she to lock it vp in the bosome of the deepe : france in a short time had gotten into her possession a richer flower than her owne flower deluce , and but for a short time kept it : for neither seas , nor land had charmes strong enough to hold the vnbounded spirit of our prince , vntill he had arriued at that place , to which the brauery of his resolution had vowed to carry him . the heauens had vndertaken to waft him vnto spaine , and there , after many weary iourneys , did they safely bring him to the king of spaines court , at his royall city of madrid . what exultations were made at his arriuall , what generall acclamations shouted out his welcomes : his magnificent entertainements , princely feastings , with all the curiosities of kingly triumphs , that either sumptuous expences , quicknesse of inuention , or the custome and quality of that countrie could bring forth , haue beene already so shrilly sounded out of the trumpet of fame , that here againe to proclaime them , were to set vp a candle , after a firmament of lights had showne them to the world . now albeit , ( aboue these temptations , ) there was in the young king , and our prince ( of themselues ) sufficient allurements , not to haue them parted asunder , ( they being as darlings one to another ; ) for they were a paire of sweet-sounding instruments , set to one tune , and equally strung with the same number of yeares , ( or not much differing : ) all their thoughts , wishes , recreations , speeches and actions , being lines meeting in one center , and their often-infolded armes , the circumference to that center . nay more , albeit , that high-borne princesse , donna maria the infanta , through the naturall magicke of her beauty , sweetnesse of voyce , variety of languages , with all the rarest and most princely comportments , fitting to her birth was able to fasten , such a power vpon our prince , that he well might beleeue no countrie in the world but spaine was worth his abiding in it . adde likewise to this boundlesse ocean of delight , other cleere-running streames falling into their current , as the continuall and endeerde embraces of the infante cardinall , and the infante don carlos ( brothers to the king : ) bring vp besides to these , all the honors , complements , congratulations , attendances , and courtly regards bestowed daily vpon our prince , by grande's , conde's , and lords of state ; the least of which by it selfe , but all of them knit together , being of vertue to make any man consent to be drawne away in so golden a chariot : yet there was a heape of kingdomes ( one day to be his owne ) which beckond to haue him come and feele their embraces . hee might as farre as from the court of england , to that at madrid in spaine , heare his royall father ( king iames ) often wish , to haue his princely charles againe by his side . not that he feared any malitious danger could fall vpon him , ( there , ) but rather at his being parted from thence , when those two inuincible pirats of the sea , ( the windes and the waues ) should fall out and fight one against another , might play the traitor and take him from vs. hee might heare the lords of his fathers most honourable priuie councell , lamenting for his abscence : the nobility discontentedly sighing , the cleargy still praying for him : the gentry complaining , and the common people more than madde in their longings , to haue him make a quicke returne home . thus , were the warning-pieces , which continually were shot off to giue him notice , how much the kingdome ingenerall languished for him . this was his owne country-musicke , striking vp of purpose to haue his princely eare listen to the tunes . these were a mixture of ten thousand voyces , ( like ecchoes ) dwelling in euery hill , peer , promontory , and cape at sea , betweene vs and spaine , hollowing to our charles ( like so many merry whistling windes ) to haue him come aboord , and make for england . but before we can make our eyes so happy , as to behold him , we must awhile looke into spaine . and there obserue what care the king of spaine took , for the preparation of his highnesse iourney : appointing attendants and officers befitting the state of such a persons ▪ this that followes being verbatim translated out of a short spanish relation of that entertainment , printed at madrid . a relation of the departure of the most illustrious prince of wales , from madrid the ninth of september this present yeare . . stilo nono . to don alonso neli de reibadeneyra , lord of vega de porras , neere to valladolid . the wonder of cordoua ( seneca , romes master , ) said , that the first point of ingratitude , was to bee forgetfull of a benefit . those which i receiud from don francesco de reibadeneyra , a knight of the order of santiago , father to your worthines , i cannot in gratitude passe ouer in silence , for acknowledging whereof , i may well say ( that the sonne of reason and recognition rose in me early ) and moreouer by an hereditary bequeathment , sonnes put their fathers in mind , what i stood endebted in to yours , whereof i now pay a part , laying at the feete of your censure , ( for the discharge of my office , in respect of your wit , and more then humane parts ) this last discourse , of the departure and magnificences of the prince , except the shallownesse of my owne braine abate some graines of the due estimate . fare you well . andrez de mendoza . the comming of the illustrious prince of wales into these kingdomes , being the strangest occurrent that in a royall person the world hath for many ages seene , which dasht and obscured all ancient patternes and examples , it astonished whole nations , and raised vp assured hopes of great prosperities and opinions , of his comming amongst men , being so diuersly conceiued , beyond the bounds of ordinary discourse , as in sundry of my relations hath beene reported , wherein are discouered and reuealed many points of vrbanity , greatnes , and gallantrie , i thought my selfe likewise obliged to write of his departure , comprehending ( as you shall see ) so many circumstances of pleasure , and contentment . for which , the ninth of september was constituted , and by the conde de oliuares , as chiefe master of the horse , councellor of estate , and the kings neerest confident ; order was giuen , that hee should bee accompanied by twelue gentlemen wayters , to serue and attend him , conde de villa mor , de meiorada , de villa franqueza , and catillana , d. iohn de sabe , ara the gallant , d. diego de zarate landi , d. ioseph de samano , d. antonio zapata , d. garcia de castro , d. iuan de cordoua , d. aularo de guzman , d. pompeio de farsis , all persons of renowned and great quality ▪ they and their seruants , with all honourable apparence , of coaches , horse-litters , iewels , liueries , and gallantry , manifesting the greatnes of their persons , by vndertaking it with that obseruance & cheerefulnes , which vsually they shew , in any thing commended to their care . the carriages were committed to the licentiate don lewis de paredes alcayd of the pallace and court , and his care and diligence herein was but requisite , for so great prouisions as belonged to the king and the infantes , besides those of the prince which hee had in charge , and the preparing of the wayes , and opening of passages , to the licentiated iuan de queniones , lieutenant to the corrigidor of madrid , who in this , as in all other things , shewed his affection and desire to serue the king ; then to prouide victuall , to minister iustice to both parts , and to gouerne a company so necessary to be ruled and ordered , as such a number of coachmen , littermen , and muleters , was referred to the licenciate , don diego franco , de garnica alcayd , which was not one of the least seruices that euer hee performed . the cardinall zapata , the marques de aytona , and the conde de gondomar , counsellors of estate , were appointed to accompanie , and to assist , in whatsoeuer was necessarie to bee consulted or treated of , in the behalfe of the king ; for as there is no action of princes , which is not subiect to great variety of accident , and new reasons giue occasion of present debatements , points of state must necessarily bee scand and discust ; the conde de monterrey , president of italy , so rare and famous in vnderstanding ; was commaunded to attend his highnes , for the contentment hee had giuen herein since his comming , and the great acceptance which the prince made of his seruice ; and hee was commaunded to ioyne with the counsell of estate , to treat of any matter that should come in question , and for secretarie there was ordained don andres de prada , and losudà knight of the order of saint iohn , one that also deserued higher employments . the kings house , furnisht with double officers , from the highest to the least , at the disposition of the conde de baraias , his mayordome , or steward . the priuy chamber and all belonging to it , was commended to the duke of buckingham , who attended in that place , and most of the gentlemen there attending were of the english nation , and the offices being inferiour to ours , it was the lesse inconuenient , they should come for the time vnder forraine obedience , then to oblige so great nobilitie , to new orders and customes : the seruants and pages of condi de olivaries , attended and serud the duke , as they had done since the first day of his arriuall . horses , and mules of carriage , with whatsoeuer to them belonged was referred to the charge of d. francisco zapata , one of the kings ryders , who was confident of his owne experience : and amongst so many and sundry persons that went along in this troop , there were d. iacynto castelin , and don antonio de farsis : d. gieronimo de tapia , and d. manuel gutienes the kings pages , the chiefe of the order of calatraua , the rest were of the order of st. iago . the lieuetenant to the great post-master , sanctiago de saldanna and his officers , and the spanish , and almaine guardes , were vnder baraias command , and whatsoeuer else belongs to so many lords : all which stroue to the vttermost , in adorning their owne persons , and enriching their seruants liueries . his maiestie presented to the prince : and the marques flores de auila his principall rider , and a gentleman of his chamber , in his name , deliuerd eighteene spanish genets , sixe barberies , sixe breeding mares , and twenty foles , all couered with clothes of crymson veluet , garnisht and garded with gold lace , and scutchions of his armes , and one of them had a saddle of fine lambskinnes , the other furniture set and embroyderd with most rich pearle , beseeming well both his maiestie , and his highnesse , and two stallions , with their mares , and a pistoll , sword and dagger , set with diamonds of great value and estimation , fourescore small shot , the like number of cross-bowes , with which the duke of medina sidonia had serued , and a sword , and pistoll , with which the duke of ossuna once serued his maiestie : and an hundred selected swords , amongst all those of the court , and the prince gaue the marquesse of flores , a rare iewell of diamonds . to the duke of buckingham were giuen twelue spanish gennets , foure moriscos or barberie horse , foure mares , and ten foales couered with mantles of crimson veluet , garnisht with gold , and of swords and handpeeces , about fiftie : with a girdle of diamonds of the value of thirty thousand crownes . and to the captaine of the guard , baron of kensington , two hundred buttons of diamonds , and foure horses , and with them certaine slings . and to the estimation of fifty . duckets in iewels amongst the english gentrie : a gift and largesse correspondent to so great a monarch . the queene our lady and mistres besides linnen , presented to the prince , fiftie skins of ambar vnshauen , and an hundred and fiftie cabretanes , or of young kids : their sent and perfume amounting to a great sum of crownes . the conde d'olivares ( besides diuers pictures and other rich vtensils of the house ) presented his highnes with three chains of needle worke , so rich as proper only for a prince . don layme manuel de cordeues marquesse of belmonte , gaue him foure barbary horses , and his highnes commanded a very faire chaine , to be giuen him that brought them . his maiestie and his highnesse went twice , to take leaue of the lady infanta , and of other royall persons , to the monasterie of the descallsas ; where they were entertained with teares of ioy , and his maiestie commanded that the marques of villena , and the prince of esquilache , should enter , with other lords , that had sisters and daughters there . and her highnes gaue vnto the prince , many boxes of sents , flowers , and other things of great curiosity and riches . the embassadors , grandes , and counsellors of estate , went to take leaue of his highnes ; by whom they were honor'd , and he thanked them for the care & paines they tooke , in all the meetings for his dispatches : and hee sent to visit all religious and graue persons , ecclesiasticall and secular of the assembly , to whom he gaue the like thankes : for as in greatnesse , so is hee in no manner of vrbanitie defectiue . on thursday at seuen of the clocke in the morning , in the presence of the counsell of estate , betweene the hands of the illustrious patriarke of the indies , his highnesse with the king of spaine , performed some ceremonies of the matrimoniall capitulations , and those of the conuention of the state. the day after , in the euening , about fiue of the clocke , his maiestie went for the prince in publike , wearing a blacke sute , and iewels , for the sorrow of the princes departure , and his highnesse ware no iewels at all . the concourse of people was so great , that neither any respect of his maiestie , nor feare of the guards could keepe them back , so dearely spaine loues her kings . the loue of the , prince , is growne so naturall : and his confidence , & tractabilitie in treaties , hath so augmented it ; as also the spaniards are so easily wonne with affabilitie , an infallible effect of their demerit and valour . and so likewise , as beeing sonne to a most absolute & vnderstanding king , his highnesse knew how to imitate with such admirable sufficiency . the queene and the infanta , accompanied with all the ladies of the court , the wiues and ladies of embassadors , ladies , & menima's [ which are certaine yong nobilitie ] expected thē ; who being entred , they went & receiued him without the tarrima . and all turning towards her , hee first tooke leaue of the queene of spaine , without an interpreter in the french tongue : and afterwards by meanes of his embassador ordinarie , who interpreted for the infanta , with whom hee continued about halfe an houre . and all the english lords and knights kissed the queenes , and the infanta's hands . where being conducted and accompanied by the lords infantes , to his coach , and the duke of infantado , the conde de oliuares , the duke of buckingham , and the earle of bristoll , the spaniards on the side of his highnesse , and the english on the kings side , they went to the descalsa's , to take their last leaue of his highnes , leauing behinde them this great and famous place . they returned by night . and afterwards his highnes gifts and presents were made knowne , such as beseemed a prince , to persons who shall be made knowne ; wherein he shewed the greatnesse of his person , and the desire and respect they bare to his maiesty , and ought to shew and manifest . to the king our lord hee gaue a sword set with diamonds , which in the least estimate must needs be held a great gift : and his maiesty gaue him that deliuered it , a iewell correspondent to the maiestie of a king. to the queene our mistresse , hee sent a faire and relucent diamond , which was esteem'd to bee of twenty caracts weight : and a triangle , and two eare rings of diamonds , as big as an indifferent beane , great in value , but greater in art and workmanship : and the queenes maiestie gaue to the keeper of the wardrobe that brought them , three thousand crownes . to the lady infanta a string of two hundred & fifty great peare-fashioned pearles , of rare perfection , and of fiue caracts : and one with a diamond which cannot be valued : and two little peare-pearles for the eares , of inestimable value : and other two pearles for the same parts , maruellous great . to the two chiefe ladies of the chamber , the duchesse of gandia , and the countesse of lemos . to the chiefe mayor-domos or stewards : the duke of infantado , and the conde of benauente , iewels of diamonds . and the duke gaue fiue hundred ducats to him that brought them : and to seuenteene ladies and minima's seuenteene iewels , as estimable for value , as for art. to the lord infante don carlos a poynted diamond , in a cup , set in a ring , as a true present from a prince to his highnesse . to the lord cardinall infante a pectorall of topazes , diamonds , and a pendent pearle , which might supply the absence of the peregrina . to the conde de oliuares , a great diamond called a portugues , and it was sometime don sebastians , it is of eight caracts , with a pendent pearle of great price . and the conde gaue to the keeper of the wardrobe , to mr. endimion porter , & mr. thomas carey of his highnesse chamber , iewels of good value , and each of them sixe excellent swords , with all their furniture . to the countesse of oliuares , a crosse of very great diamonds in forme of a columne . and to the lady maria de guzman her daughter , a ring worth a great summe of crownes . to the admirall of castilia a great iewel , & his excellency gaue a . crowns to him that brought it , & to the marquesse of carpio the like . to the duke of hixan : to the marques of mondexar : to the kings confessor , and to the bishop of segouia foure iewels of diamonds worthy of such persons , and him that gaue them . and to all the gentlemen of the chamber , rings with faire diamonds , and to the counsellors of estate , stones of double the greatnesse . to foureteene of the kings pages , so many chaines , and sixe and fifty thousand ryals to the inferiour officers that waited . to the guard of archers foure thousand crownes ; and to euery one was giuen a very good ring . and also to don melchior of alcazar , whose obseruance & attendance deseru'd it . to the conde de la puebla del maestre , a chaine of a thousand , an hundred and seuenteene diamonds ; & a iewell with forty seuen more , with his owne picture . the duke of buckingham gaue to don rodrigo de aguiar , and don pedro ares , seruants to the conde de oliuares , two sutes of apparell , and crosses of diamonds double the value . the like were giuen to don iuan de santacruz , and don pedro de vega : and to thirteene pages , thirteene chaines of gold : and to the inferiour officers and seruants , a great summe of money : and to all that carried horses , or any other thing into england , great gifts of money and chaines , reseruing still , the shewing them a further fauour there . the prince did the like to the gentlemen-waiters to the king. to marco antonio darroque , and to don iuan de fonseca rabelo , attendants about the kings person , to each of them a thousand fiue hundred crownes . on saturday by faire day-light , they departed , the prince , the king , and the infantes , and in a manner , all the court , and euery ones family ; to san lorenço , or the escuriall , whither they came that day . and the day following , there were shewed to his highnesse , accompanied with the royall persons , the pantheon , sepulchers , vestrie , quire , libraries , cloisters , and gardens : who admired it , as it well deserues : and to all those lords it seem'd not onely greater then the fame that went of it , but then any conceit or imaginatiō they could haue therof : and in reason , it was exalted with the title of the eighth wonder of the world , and the epilogue and conclusion of all the rest . monday following , being the eleuenth , ( while they that were to goe the iourney ; came on to the rest of the company ) vvas spent in seeing the fresneda , & the boscages , as also in hunting there . tuesday morning was spent after the same manner : and his maiestie determining with their highnesses , to accompany them to the groue of balsayn : when his highnes requested him , hauing respect to the queenes being great with child , that he would no longer continue his absence ; his maiesty resisted , but in the end was ouercome by his highnesse : for his iust demand required no lesse . they departed from the escuriall ; and in a little field not farre off the place ordain'd for their taking of leaue ; they alighted , & so sitting down for the space almost of halfe an houre , conuersed . afterwards they embraced , and the queene , the infanta , with the brothers , don carlos , and infante cardinall , came to doe the like : then all the english lords and gentlemen kissed the kings hand , and the spaniards the princes : by both whom they were vouchsafed great honours . and returning to embrace againe , with wonderfull demonstrations of loue , a trophee was commanded to be erected , with an inscription of all that succeeded , in this place where they took leaue . the prince departed to lye at guardarama in his coach , with the duke of buckingham , conde de monterrey , conde de gondomar , & his fathers embassador leager : and the king and their highnesses went to madrid . and this night the admirall of castile and leon , in his maiesties name , with a great traine and show of followers , was sent post to visit the prince , and one of the english lords was likewise sent by his highnesse to the king of spaine . on wednesday hee went to dine at balsayn , where hee tooke great delight in the house and boscages ; as also in the rare and strange situation . and about foure of the clocke in the euening , he entred into segouia , where all the country came flocking in to see him . he admired the building of the church , and of the palace , when , vpon the opening of the coach , they gaue him a welcome with all their artillerie , which was much and good . and lighting on foote , hee viewed all the house , extolling the memory of prudent philip the second , the re-edifier thereof , delighting to see his armes quartered , with those of these kingdomes in the scutcheons of the second great hall. the worke of don henriques the third , who married with a neece of the kings his progenitors . the conde de chinchon alcayd of that royall house , and the treasurer of the money mint , was appointed to entertain him : which hee performed with the greatnesse of his quality , and singular wit and discretion : who attended him at the gate , accompanied with his lieutenant , the guard , and the captaine of the alcazar or palace , and withall their seruants set forth in all brauerie , and hee offered him the chiefe and double key , because the principall key of the fuerca is onely presented to the kings person ; or else obtaining it by plea of homage . his highnesse was pleased to merender , or make his collation , and the conde serued him , with a number of delicates , and certaine trouts of extraordinarie greatnesse . also don sancho giron , a knight of the order of alcantara , corrigidor , ( the glory of talauera , his countrie ) was ready with a present of milke confections , of that citie , so celebrated , which he esteemed , and for it sent him great thankes . afterwards the whole citie in ranke and order , with mace-bearers , came to kisse his hand , whom he honor'd , discouering himselfe to them , and not permitting the ceremony of a kisse , hee imbraced them with shew of great ioy and contentment . then he went downe to see the mint-house : where also the count himselfe offered him the keyes ; and the alcazar , or palace , gaue him a full salue . all the stamps were imployed , and wrought of all sorts in his presence , and here , after he had admired the form and maner thereof , the conde de chinchon serued him in founts , with more then three thousand crownes , telling him , how it was the fruit of those gardens , in doubles , of an hundred , eight , foure , two , and plaine plates , ryals of fifty & of eight , and from them to halfe ryals : he accepted of this seruice ; and among those knights and gentlemen , that delighted in the beauty of the coyne , he imparted some ; the rest with much contentment , hee disperst among the people , who beheld him , with many acclamations and benedictions . being returned to the palace , when he had supt , the place was girt round about with lights & fires : and the palace with a number of torches , & some great ones very artificiall , which yeelded much light : an excellent inuention : and he presented him with a gallant mask of thirty & two knights , which might wel haue appear'd in the court , wherin there were liueries of cloth and silkes , mounted on excellent iennets . the palace discharges al their artillery , which was mingled with the sound of bels , trumpets , and musical instruments , which took vp a great part of the night . they had prouided buls , and twelue lanciers ; but the haste of the iourney could not admit of this seruice . his highnesse gaue to chinchon a iewell worth . crownes , and hee to him that brought it , a chaine worth three hundred . he cōmanded money to be giuen among the officers of the house , and . crownes to the masters of the artillerie , and as many to don iuan de torres , a pregnant and witty poet , who dedicated vnto him certaine ingenious and elegant verses : and to andres de mendoça , author of this relatiō , who presented him with a congratulation of his happy espousals in the latine tongue , three thousand ryals , with many honours and manifestations of contentment . and about fiue in the morning , hee cheerefully departed frō agasaxo , being receiued into that citie : hee dined at santa maria de nieua , & the day following , at santiustie , and lay at olmedo : on saturday he dined at valdestillas , & by two came to valladolid , where the whole chancerie , citie , and vniuersitie kissed his hand , with a great traine and company , whom he honored with signes of ioy and gladnesse : he was entertained by those lords with brauery and gallantrie , wherein they shewed affection to serue their king , & by celebrating the ioy of the prince his cōming , which his maiestie formerly manifested : amongst whom , the marquesse de los velez , & the conde de aluade aliste , exemplified themselues , in the great traine of seruants , the glorious apparell of their owne persons , and in the riches of their liueries ; al which he honoured as they deserued , and as hee well knowes how to performe it . his highnes went to see the kings garden , hee was much delighted with the pictures of raphael de vrbino , and michael angelo , and with the alabaster fountaine , which the illustrious great duke of tuscan gaue to my lord cardinall , the duke of lerma ; he was serued with it : it is the portrature of cain and abel . and his highnesse took great contentment in the rich shops of the citie , which honoured him with festiuities of fires , ( for he would stay for no other solemnities ) and leauing among the officers of the palace & the garden , testimonies of his magnificence , he departed to duennas , where , by order , the duke of cea , vice-admiral of castilia , entertained & feasted him ; and in palencia he was receiued & feasted by the bishop , to whom he gaue a great iewell , & to his best , and inferiour seruants , a liberality of mony : from whence he departed to carrion . hee visited the antiquities of the citie , and so went to fromista , and hauing entertainement in the marquesses house , by his order , he was serued with a great sumptious dinner : the like was shewed him in alguilar de campo , by the marquesse thereof : and in herrera rio de pisuerga . the constable of castilia and leon , presented him with the like , for his own honour , and the eminency of his family , omitting nothing , wherin he may testifie it . and thus the author cuts off the thread of his narration , reseruing the rest for some more elegant pen , till his comming to london . with licence from the lord gançalo perez de valençuela . in madrid by the widdow of alonso martin , . thus far runnes the printed spanish relation : what ensued after , you shall now heare , from the report of some of his highnesse traine , that attended in the voyage . and thus it beginnes . he arriued at saint andera on saint mathews day : not farre off from this port , the prince dined ( hauing not yet made his entry into the towne ) whilst he sat at dinner ( circled about with all his noble company ) a double newes saluted him at the boord , and both of them good : the one was , that his sister ( the princesse palatine ) was safely brought to bed of a sonne ; the other was , that the whole fleet ( vnshaken by any dangerous sea-bruizes ) was arriued in the hauen of saint andera . in the afternoone of the same day that the newes was brought , about foure of the clocke , he was with all honor receiued and welcomed into the towne : being entertained vpon the way , not only with multitudes of people testifyng much affection in their faces , and vttering no lesse in their spanish tongues , that it came from their hearts : but to render this ioy more substantially , he was first all the way he came along presented with vollies of musketeeres , and at the towne with a ringing peale of ordnance . he was no sooner in the towne , but his desire was to take a view of his fleet , being attended by many great lords of spaine who had come along to saint andera with him ; the conde of monterey being a principall ; with many english of good quality . how soone are ioyes turned into sorrowes ? safetie into dangers ? a shining forenoone into a gloomy euening ? his highnesse after all that feasting and triumphing in saint andera , being desirous to go aboord that goodly ship ( the admirall of his fleet ) called the prince , ( a title due to it for the brauery and princely building of it ) spent so much time , that the euening drew on apace , and with the euening a more threatning enemy : for not onely the tyde resisted his comming backe ( his highnes being then in his own barge , & his owne watermen rowing in it ) but a storme began to arise , and the billows to swel high , before the watermen had gottē halfe way frō the ships to the towne , the distance between the shore and the ships being at least a spanish league . the watermen were strong , cunning , and couragious , but the furious waues taught their oares another māner of practise then euer they were put to vpon the thames . to the town they could not possibly get , against a wind and tyde so raging , or if they had ventured , it had been dangerous , in regard a huge barke ( to saue her selfe ) lay very neere the mouth of the harbour : to the shore they were as fearefull to put , it being full of rocks ; to the ships back againe to flie for succour , night ( a darke night ) being spred ouer that horizon , denied that comfort , for if they should misse the ships , they were in doubt to be carried into the maine , the channell where the fleet anchored , running with an impetuous and irresistable torrent . in this full-sea of horrors , the prince resolued to turn back towards the ships , and to fall in vpon the first they could fasten , rather then trust to the mercy of the rockes , vpon euery one of which sat ineuitable destruction . what could hope trust to here , where neither the watermens skill , nor strength , could incourage them to bring safety to their master ? the clouds opened , and discharged their artillery of raine , lightning , and thunder : elements of contrary nature , warring one vpon another , whilst the waters ( which were called vp , to decide the controuersie ) quarrelling with the winds , made the vproare more horrid and tempestuous . and so much greater was the danger , by how much the night ( by reason of the storme ) grew darker and darker : yet at last , that omnipotent arme , which can teare vp rocks from their center , and that voyce which can call in the winds ; and still them with the mouing of his finger , sent a doue with an oliue branch in her bill , as an assurance of comfort . for by casting out a roape from a ship called the defiance , ( which with much hazard of life , one of the princes watermen catched hold off ) by spying a light in the same ship , his highnesse and all in the barge with him , ( praise be giuen to the almighty pilot , that stood at helme ) were , with vnspeakable ioy receiued into that shippe , and there tooke vp his lodging till the next morning : nothing at all daunted at these terrors , sithence dangers to noble minds are but the triumphs of their constant sufferings . the next day ( being satturday ) his highnesse was brought to shore , and dined in a house appointed for him and his company ; where after dinner , he tooke leaue of the spanish commissioners , and others , who had waited on him thither ; and a little before the euening , went aboard his ship , called the prince , with a full resolutiō to make the compasse of those woodden walles , the prince of englands court , and in that sea-chamber of presence euen to dwell , without any remoue , vntil it should please god to send a prosperous winde , fit to carry him into england . on sunday ( which was the of september ) his highnesse inuited the spanish commissioners , and other gentlemen to a feast aboard , as a farewell to them before they set forward to madrid ; and at their returne from his shippe , where they had such royall entertainment , as the time and place could conueniently prepare , the whole fleete in their passage by euery particular ship , bestowed vpon them a sea-salutation and farewell , from the mouthes of their artillery , whose ecchoes met them vpon their very landing on the shore . leaue we those lords of spaine , fitting their iourney backe againe to madrid , and let vs returne to our prince ; whose progresse ( after the king of spaine had taken leaue of him at campillo ) ending at s. andera ( or s. andrew ) the time vntill he set sayle for england , was thus entertained . on the of september , his highnesse came to the towne ; on the . his whole fleete , ( being eight ships of his maiesties nauy royall , and two pinnaces ) safely arriued in sight of the towne : the . . . . . and . went away ( as before is related ) in entertainments on shore and aboard , in surueying , and making ready the fleete ; and last , in that last farewell giuen to the spanish commissioners , which was on the of september ; after whose departure , his highnesse continued aboard foure dayes , before he weighed anchor , which was with much ioy , eleuation of voyces , thundring of drums , and trumpets , and that excellent musicall tumult of mariners , nimbly running vp and downe to set forward so royall a businesse . anchors now are weighed , all the linnen brauery of swelling sailes , courting the winds to speed them in their iourney : spanish people stand vpon the shore ; our prince and english noble men vpon the deckes , taking leaues one of another in dumbe shewes , with lookes , hands , and hats ; and now suppose that for nine dayes & nights together you behold his highnesse and his noble attendants , flying apace towards england with the wings of prosperous winds . but on the . day of september ( being michaelmas day ) the seas grew churlish , the windes angry , and to auoyd their fury , the whole fleet was forced to put into the iland of silley , from whence they came into saint maries sound , and then on the third of october , being accompanied onely with a side-wind , they came merrily forward ; and within two dayes after , that is to say , on the fifth of october , ( being sunday ) at nine of the clocke in the morning , his highnesse , ( with vnspeakable ioy of all within reach of such happy tidings ) landed at portsmouth . yet before he could meet this happinesse of landing , a misfortune had a minde to crosse him , but heauen would not suffer it : for one of the ships in the fleet had like to ouer-set him , but the malice of this danger ended in his preseruation . being thus then in health and safety set vpon the shore , let vs with the same speed follow him to london , which he himselfe makes , to glad with his presence , the eyes of his royall father . but the ioy ( that he was come ) being swifter then he could be himselfe , put both the countrey , ( all the way that it came ) and the city , ( when euen after midnight it was entred into it ) into such in-vtterable expressions of affectionate gladnesse , such vnlimitable & violent inundations of ioy , that the people ( to remember the comfort they receiued in their prince ) seemed to loose their owne being , and to forget that they were themselues : men , women , and children made but one consort , and the musicke of that consort , sounded nothing but the prince is come , our charles is come . from the noble man to the artificer , if contention had arose , which of them was fullest of good wishes , of glad welcomes , of lowd-resounding acclamations for his comming , it had beene hard to decide the difference . so many bels were heard ringing for a whole day together , that a stranger but newly ●●●ring the citie , might haue thought here , 〈◊〉 ●eene spoken no other language , all language else being drowned . so infinite were the bonefires , so costly , and so high flaming , that had they all beene seene burning in the night-time , that weeke might haue boasted , it had gotten one day more than any other weeke in the yeere , so vniuersall was the light . the day was foule and rainy , but there were artificiall sun-beames in euery streete to dry vp the showres . what need i busie my selfe againe to draw forth this english master-peece of ours , when euery man carries the picture of it in his bosome ! it will be a legacie for yong men when they grow old , to reade ( by the fire side ) the chronicle of this day to their children . let vs leape therefore from land againe and behold at sea one remarkable accident , with which his highnesse happily encountred in his passage homewards . and that was this . about a day before they put in at silley , a great thundring of ordnance beat round about the aire , in so much that in a short time after , the fire of the peeces was a farre off easily discerned . the fleet approching neerer and neerer , certaine dunkerkers & hollanders were at it pell mell : hereupon two ships of his highnesse fleet , called the seauen starres and the rainbow ( being the formost of the rest ) gaue them a shot and haild them ; vpon which first came vp foure shippes singled from the rest , who being asked what they were ? they answerd men of warre , and of dunkerks : our men bid them goe to the lee-ward , and speake to the prince of england ; they presently did so , and went vnder our princes sterne . then came vp . ships more , they being likewise hailed , came ; & being demanded what they were ? they answered , holland men of warre ; these also were bidden to go to the lee-ward , and speake to the prince of england . these comming then vnder the princes sterne , as the other had done before ; his highnesse commanded them to hoyse out their boates , and the captaines of either side to come aboard : they did so ; and the cause of their fighting being examined by the prince , it was found that the foure dunkerkers comming out for them , made after them , & chased them to fight . his highnesse vnderstanding by their own relations the truth of their quarrell , told them that since it was their fortune to fall into his company , hee would perswade them to bee at peace , and to giue ouer the chase , and to bid farewell one to another . the hollander seemed vnwilling to this , vrging rather the contrary ; but his highnesse ( out of a noble desire to saue the shedding of bloud ) vsed many gracious mediations to draw them to peace , and preuailed so much at that time , as that they parted friends & vpon equall termes ; and for preuention of returning to their quarrell , his highnes set them one from the other some good distance off , and so let them goe . the names of the shippes that were in the english fleete , their burthen , and what noble gentlemen vnder the prince were commanders .   burthen . ordn. the prince-royall , in which came his highnes : the earle of rutland being admirall . . . the saint andrew , in which was the lord morley vice-admirall . . . the swift-sure , in which the lord windsor was rere-admirall . . . the saint george , in which sir francis steward was chiefe commander .     the defiance , in which sir sacuile treauer commanded . . . the bonauenture , sir william sentliger commander . . . the rainbow , commanded by sir henry palmer . . . the antilope , commanded by captaine lone . . . the charles , vnder the command of captaine harris . . . the seauen starres commanded by . . the numbers of peeces of ordinance , carried in the whole fleete , amount to . memorable therefore for euer amongst vs , bee the fift day of october , for our prince his ioyfull arriuall here in england , after so many tempests at sea , and hazardous aduentures by land , in his passage through other kings dominions : as those two other fift daies stand remarkable to the end of the world ; viz. the fift of august , and fift of nouember ; the first for the particular preseruation of our king ; the second , for the generall deliuery of our country . let one red letter more bee now added to our calendar , & an anniuersary held with thanksgiuing to god , and with belles and bonefires , testifying the ioy of the people in memory of so inestimable a happinesse . and now to shut vp this short discourse with a matter worthy obseruation : what an vnexpected comfort was mixed with the misfortunes of those . prisoners . ( . men and . women ) when the very sound of a princes name stayed the hand of the law from striking them ? ioy did so transport the soule of the whole kingdome , that death was loth to do his office euen vpon those poore condemned wretches : mercy set a portcullis before the gates of iustice , so that when her sword was vpon drawing to cut off the liues of . miserable creatures , the very breath of our princes comming put the blow by : in stead of that charitable bell , which at the end of euerie sessions , is with a dolefull sound rung out after mid-night , to put condemned persons in remembrance of their end , which is to be the next morning , the poore soules were cheered vp , with peales from a thousand belles long before breake of day , so that in stead of being cald downe out of the iayle to go to their deaths , they came as ioyfully from their dungeon , as if they had beene to haue gone to a wedding . neither hath this abundant grace and mercy of the prince giuen glad hearts and thankfull tongues to these . only ( their pardons being now signd ) but it flyeth like a gentle gale of wind , into all the prisons of the land , to fanne comfort , and freedome , to all such as lie imprisoned or condemned for petty crimes . last of all , to saue the reader a labour of turning ouer leaues , to satisfie himselfe , with a briefe calender how time went away with the prince after hee came to port saint andera , let him bee thus informed ; that his highnesse came to that towne , on the . of september , ( this yeare . ) the whole fleete came and met him there on the . day . in feasting the spanish commissioners , surueying his fleete , taking leaue , and other correspondencies required in a designe of such state , . dayes more were spent . on the . day he put to sea ; on the . day he put into the sillies ; and on the . of october , landed at portsmouth ; so that hee continued at sea , in his comming homewards , . daies . his iourney by land from madrid , till he came to saint andera . on the eighth of september , , stilo veter . the prince comming from madrid , was accompanied with the king of spaine , his two brothers , &c. to campillo , where they tooke leaue , that towne being but eight miles from madrid . from saint lorenzo to guadarama , leagues from guadarama to segouia , from segouia to s. maria de nieua , from sancta maria de nieua to olimedo , from olimedo to valladolid , from valladolid to pasencia , from pasencia to carrion , from carrion to herrera , from herrera to reynosa , from reynosa to la puente de nieuas , from puente de nieuas to port st andera , number of leagues . there came along with the prince , in one of the shippes of the fleet , an ambassador , called don diego de mendoza , a gentleman of a noble family , and kinsman to the duke of infantado ; who comes to congratulate with his highnesse father our king , and vpon his returne is to goe into allemaine , flanders , and france , to giue account to their maiesties and highnesses of these happy concordances , carrying with him iewels and other prouision for his person . fjnjs notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e those of his maiesties chamber being all of the chiefe nobility of spaine . a place of the court so called . a monastery of bare-legd friers . some rare iewell so called , a place of pleasure in spaine . an officer of great place . betweene dinner and supper a collation of some fruits and iunkets . a hideous night . the spanish lords feasted in the princes ship , for a last fare-wel . the original and growth of the spanish monarchy united with the house of austria extracted from those chronicles, annals, registers, and genealogies that yeild [sic] any faithful representation how the houses of castile, aragon and burgundy became knit and combin'd by thomas philipot ... philipot, thomas, d. . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing p estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the original and growth of the spanish monarchy united with the house of austria extracted from those chronicles, annals, registers, and genealogies that yeild [sic] any faithful representation how the houses of castile, aragon and burgundy became knit and combin'd by thomas philipot ... philipot, thomas, d. . [ ], p. : port. printed by w.g. for r. taylor ..., london : . "imprimatur october , roger l'estrange"--p. [ ]. alphabetical gazetteers on p. - . reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore 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works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng spain -- kings and rulers. spain -- history. spain -- history -- house of austria, - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion philippvs iv hispaniarvmet indiarvm rex catholicvs the original and growth of the spanish monarchy united with the house of austria . extracted from those chronicles , annals , registers and genealogies , that yeild any faithful representation how the houses of castile , aragon and burgundy became knit and combin'd into one body . to which are added several discourses of those accessions and improvements in italy , africk , with the east and west-indies , that are now annexed by alliance or conquest to the diadem of spain . by thomas philipot m. a. formerly of clare-hall in cambridge . london , printed by w. g. for r. taylor , in st. martins le grand neer st. leonards church yard . . to the learned and judicious st richard fanshavv knight and baronet , one of his majesties most honourable privy council , and design'd lord ambassador for spain . my lord , your experience and practical observation being the best comment on those annals and registers which have an aspect on this ensuing treatise ; give me leave to offer it up to be scann'd and winnowed by your particular scrutinie ; and if it shall receive its approbation in your vogue and estimate , i fear no blot from the common suffrage . for i shall not fear that justice , which is so even and impartial ; nor despair to find an absolution there where the former is mixt and complicated with so much charity and candor . and i dare with much confidence expect to be assoil'd by the publique decision , if once it shall appear that your private determination hath discharged and acquitted ( my lord ) your very humble servant thomas philipot . the preface to the reader . courteous reader , since the printing off the first sheets of this treatise , the signal battel was commenced between don john of austria , and the conde de villaflore general for the portugal , where ( after an eager and blo●●● debate ) the spanish grandeur did so sink in the fatal carnage of that field , that many conjecture ( how truely or falsly i know not ) it will not buoy up again , ( at least for some years ) from that important ruine . nor hath a lesse destructive wound been lately inflicted on the house of austria by the turkish scimeter , which hath lopped off new-hausel from the dominion and interest of the emperour ; which as it hath a dangerous prospect towards novigrad , cassovia , tokay , and other towns of the upper hungary , so it hath a dismal aspect on moravia , austria , and the residue of that princes hereditary territories ; and from the prejudice its losse may probably super induce , does tacitly seem to implore other christian princes to concenter in a noble and just confederacy , to stop the impetuous current of the turkish conquests , which like an inundation threaten ( if not timely intercepted ) to intombe not onely the house of austria , but germany it self in a ruinous devastation . and since i am engaged in this discourse of the turkish greatnesse , you may be advertised that if this essay find any acceptance in the publique estimate , i shall represent in a compendious ●●lume , the original and growth of the turkish empire , and from what a narrow increment this thracian bramble hath shot out and improved it self to that excrescencie , that it hath not only by an unhappy diffusion , over-spread the lesser asia , but a considerable part of europe it self . i have no more to add but this , that those errors which through the inadvertency of the presse , and peradventure too , through my own , have by an unhappy intertexture been imbodied with this treatise , ( as namely , page . line . in my discourse of castile , for despois nos vos , read despues de nos vos . and then line . for no es lover read no ay lugar . and in my discourse of portugal , page . line . for john the fourth , is inserted john the fifth ) have made this treatise and my self the object of your charity . there may possibly occur other mistakes of a lesser dimension , on which you may exercise at once , both your justice and your candour ; with the first you may censure , and with the last excuse t. p. imprimatur , october . . roger l'estrange . the original and grovvth of the spanish monarchy . the spanish monarchy is like a tall colossus swoln by new acquists to that bulk and dimension that it bestrides almost two parts of the habitable world , that is , europe and america , and indeed its glory hath in these latter ages arrived to that eminence and lustre , both in its latitude of power , and extent of empire , that it is by a successful competition grown almost corrival with the great eye of the day , the sun , who both rises and sets in those dominions which are subservient to the interest of the spanish scepter . and though its grandeur hath been lately eclips'd , and the wide circumference of its jurisdiction and command hath been contracted into a narrower orb , by the revolt of catalonia , because its ancient rights were invaded by conde olivarez ; and the total defection of portugal , because its native franchises and immunities were assaulted by vasconcelos the secretary , and other ill ministers of state ; yet is catalonia by the valour and magnanimity of john de austria , and the prudent conduct of the marquisse of mortara , almost retriv'd and again knit to the spanish patrimony ; nor did the duke of st. german and the marquiss of viana not long since manage and improve the increasing hopes of the spaniard to lesse advantage in portugal ; for since the reduction of olivenza by the first , and the subduing of monzon and salvaterra on the river of minho by the last , that crown and scepter did then seem to shake , and was fear'd ( if not by a timely supply supported ) it might have fallen from the head and hand of their own native soveraign , to prostrate themselves at the feet of the spanish monarch . but not long after , the victory of elvase did so expiate these crooked and sinister accidents , that the diadem of portugal that did before look somewhat dim , did by this conquest and other successes of a more modern aspect , seem to recover its primitive lustre . having in this short preface limn'd out a compendious prospect of the spanish empire , i shall now take a more full and serious view of all those limbs which like so many ingredients fall into the composition of this great body ; and first i shall consider those provinces which lie immediately wrap'd up within the verge of spain . secondly , those which like so many excrescencies have been annexed to this scepter , by the collateral designs either of marriage or conquest . and thirdly , those islands and other dominions and principalities which lie scattered on the continent either of the east or west-indies , and which by any modern discovery have been successfully subdued and made captive and ministerial to the power and jurisdiction of the spanish diadem . spain was in times of an elder aspect styl'd hesperia , from hesperus the evening ▪ star , under whose beams and influence it is believed to be situated ; secondly , it fell under the appellation of iberia , which name was conceived to be borrowed from the river iberus now called ebro which disembogues it self into the mediterranean sea , not far distant from tortosa in catalonia . thirdly , it had the denomination of hispania , either from panus an iberian captain , o● else from panus a punick word , which imports or signifies in that dialect , a cony ; with which creature this continent in elder times was much infested . it stretches out it self to a length of eight hundred miles , and is again dilated into a breadth of five hundred and six of the same proportion , so that the whole circuit amounts to two thousand eight hundred and sixteen miles . it was anciently distinguished into three parts or divisions , known by the names of . ●arraconensis , . boetica , and . lusitanica ; w●ich afterwards by constantine the great , were broken and multiplied into seven divisions or provinces styl●● b●tica , lusitanica , gallicia , 〈…〉 haginensis , ●arraconensis , ●ingit●●● , the province of the isles , embracing w●●●●n its verge and circuit , ma●orc● , minorca , ebusa and f●umentari● . spain after many contests and signal decisions in the feild , wherein the ●ate of this nation was put to the bloody umpirage of the sword , first sto●ped and surrendred its neck to the rom●n servitude , but when the vandalls like an ●nundation swolne with successe and victory , b●oke in upon spain and bore down all before them , the romans were supplanted and disseised , and being wholly dislodged from their ancient acquists , this kingdome was once mo●e resign'd up as a prey to the successful sword of gunderious king of the abovesaid nation . but the same vic●ssitude which had crushed the romans , ●●●led in upon the vandals , who being in several conflicts and encounters broken and dispers'd by the ●lla●n and suezians , gave up their new c●nquests to be enjoyed by the victorious hand of there early invaders ; but their triumphs were bl●sted , and those laurels and chaplets which they expected like a happy guerdon should have crown'd their victories , suddenly withered , being torne from ●●eir temples by the rough 〈◊〉 of the go●hs : for athaulfus their leade 〈…〉 match ▪ d with placidia sister to honori●● 〈◊〉 ●●p●rour , e●poused his quarrel , and b 〈…〉 tun●●e ●rup●●on made on the spanish re●●o●s , ● co●●●●●ted ●he power , and dissipated the ●●r●ngth ●f these bold ●●ttuders , that they erec●●d ●h●t throne , upon which they intended to fixe and 〈◊〉 that ●●n●rchy they aspired to in this nation , upon their ruins . so that about the year . the temples of vallia successor to athaulfus , were empal'd with the diadem of spain ; yet was it not obtained without the regret and reluctancy of the reliques of those roman forces who were scattered into the several provinces of spain , who being wholly broken and subdued about the year . the conquest then appeared to be wholly p●rfected , and the scepter confirmed in the hand of s●intilla the second , to whose successful managery of affairs the gothi●h nation seemed first to owe the glory and gran●eur of a full establishment in their triumphs over this kingdome . no● was their such an inherent tincture of barbar●ime in the minds of the goths ( though i know they appeared black in elder times for their ra●ure of histories and demolishing of records and other monuments of antiquity ) but the culture of discipline did melt and supple m●●● into a capacity which made them fit to 〈◊〉 a nobler complexion ; for though the laws 〈◊〉 spain peradventure borrowed an imperfect institution from the romans , yet were they mingled with the customes of the goths , which were after digested into shape and order by euricus the first . but in procedure of time these being found of too general a latitude to be calculated for the climate of every province , they about the year . were refined and new polished by ferdinand the third , that being thus attired they might be made proportionate to the manners and temper of his subjects , and fit for the genius of castile . and thus they continued without any thing of moment or importance being added to them , untill the year . and then king ferdinand ( the scourge of the moors ) and isabella his queen ordained and decreed by a statute enacted at corduba , that all gentlemen of those signories and lordships which were subject to the crowns of castile and aragon , were obliged to appear and exhibit a just proof and testimony of their pedigrees and nobility ; which law , because it received its first birth and institution there , hath ever since obtained the appellation of the law or statute of corduba . but i have digressed , i now return , and shall discover a compendious series of the gothish kings of spain , as i find their names recorded upon their ancient coins , from whence their catalogue has been drawn , and exactly registred by the industrious pen of augustinus bishop of tarragona , in his learned discourse of ancient coins . . athanarick joyned with fridigerne reigned years . . alarick united with radagaise governed years . . athaulfus rul'd years . . segeric , who being suddenly after his being invested with the crown destroyed by a traiterous combination of his own subjects , upon his decease one vualia ascended the throne and managed the scepter years , as vulsa and isidore testifie , and not twelve years as sigebert asserts . . the●deredus governed years . . turismund held the scepter but one year according as i●idore avers , and not three as jornandes and sigebert record . . theuderick and not theodorick ruled . years . . euricus wore the gothish crown . years . . alaricus the second ruled years . . gesaleicus and in other records styled gesalicus and gesalaricus reigned four years . . theudericus the second was invested with the diadem years . . amalaricus swayed the scepter years . . theudis , and in history sometime written theudes and theudius , governed years . . theudiseulus sate on the throne one year and five months . . agila , and in other monuments of antiquity styled aquila , sate five years and three months . . athanagildus governed years . . liwa , and not liuba or luiba as some historians falsly intimate , ruled one year . . leovigildus , so his name is exhibited on his coines , and not leovegildus or liuvigildus as some historians represent , reigned years . . reccaredus weilded the scepter . . liwa the second governed two years . . wittericus or wittricus , not victericus as some records insinuate , sustained the scepter six years . . gundemar not gundimar reigned two years . . sisebutus managed the government years and months . . reccaredus the second ruled but some few days . . suintilla not scintilla or cintila swayed the scepter ten years . . sisenandus and not sisnandus as histories misrepresent his name , governed years . . suintilla the second reigned years . . tulca not tulcas governed two years . . chindassuintus , not cindasiundus or ghindasuintus , as his name is falsly registred in some annalls , ruled . years and odd months . . reccesuinthus not reccesiundus , for under that notion antiquaries have registred him , supported the diadem years . . wamba not bamba as his name is placed in ordinary registers , managed the government eight years . . erigius , erroneously sometimes written eringius , continued placed on the throne six years . . egica falsly styled egipsa weilded the scepter of the goths years . . witiza and not vitiza , as his name is enrolled in some chronicles , reigned in a joint combination of government with his father five years , and five years he swayed the scepter alone . . rudericus , so his name is inscribed on his coins , and not rodericus , as it is registred in the spanish annalls , governed one year , and then having by an injurious and violent rape polluted and debauched the honour of cana daughter to count julian an eminent nobleman of spain , he to assoil his name and family from that stain which this ignominious affront had spread over it , invited the moors of africk , under the conduct of musa , to expiate the former violence , who indeed executed the vengeance designed by him for roderick so solemnly , that in a signal battell commenced at xeres de la frontera in andalusia , the fortune of spain was entomb'd in the carnage of that field , and roderick abandoned both crown and kingdome to the prevailing sword of the moors ; and musa being supported and reinforced by new supplies , by frequent successes , forced almost all spain to bow to a universal conquest , whilst the scattered reliques of the pale and amazed goths immur'd themselves in the inaccessable retreats of asturia or leon , from whence garcia ximenes a nobleman , extracted from the royal gothish blood , about the year . or as others assert about the year . descended with men , and after divers successeful encounters with the moors , gave a beginning to the little kingdom of suprarba locked up within the pyrenean hills , which sometimes after dilated it self , and spread into the valleys , which from hence assum'd the name of navarra , or navierras , which in spanish imports as much as plain grounds : and of this kingdome i shall now render an account . navarre . navarre is circumscribed on the east with the principality of berne in the kingdome of france ; on the west with the river ebr● or iberus ; on the north with the cantabrian mountains , and on the south with the river aragon which seperates it from that kingdome . the ancient inhabitants were the vascones , invested not only in the possession of this track , but of biscay and guipusc●a also . it was ravished away from these by the romans , who were expulsed by the goths , and they again were disseised of the tenure of this province by the invading moors , who finally were dislodged from their new acquists by the magnanimity of garcia ximenes above-mentioned ; whose successor ximenes garcia dying without issue , after an interregnum of four years , inigo arista son of simon earl of bigorre , was advanced by election to the royal dignity of navarre as the next heir in the collateral line to ximenes garcia abovesaid ; and he was ancestor to sancho the fourth , who in respect that he was possest by descent of navarre and aragon , of castile in right of his wife donna nugna or elvira sister and heir of sancho the last earl thereof , and of leon by conquest , incorporated into his stile the title of great ; and he upon his decease bequeathed the kingdom of navarre to his eldest son garcia , whose son sancho the fifth was unnaturally assassinated by his younger brother raymir ; after whose tragical exit , and the brief interposition of this bloody intruder who had bespattered the throne of navarre with such a purple effusion , this diadem was pluck'd from his temples by sancho ramires , to invest his own ; after whom , pedro and alfonso kings of aragon likewise did severally and successively weild the scepter , and manage the government of navarre : but this alfonso dying without issue , and his brother raymir a monk unclouding his head of his cowle to adorne it with the crown of aragon , the soveraignty of navarre was vested in garcia raymir grandchild of garcia de nagera , and son of raymir the usurper abovementioned ; so that the right of this descent so fortified his title , that he ascended the throne of navarre as the direct heir of that kingdome , from whom the transmission of descent transported it to his grandchild sancho the eighth , in whom the male line of garcia ximines was wound up in a conclusion ; for he going out without issue , theobald earl of champaigne son of blanch his sister and heir , was entitled in right of this descent to the diadem of navarre ; and from the thread of succession wafted this dignity to his grandchild henry , who determining in joan his sole daughter and heir , she by matching with philip the fair king of france , by this new alliance inoculated the the scepter of navarre on that of france , and in the hands of his posterity it flourished during the government of lewis hutin , philip the long and charles the fair , kings of france and of navarre his lineal successors ; but charles the last of these , expiring without issue , jane daughter of lewis hutin , as heir general of this charles , was invested in the possession of this kingdome ; and in her right , philip earl of eureux her husband step'd into the throne of navarre ; and from these two did the diadem of this province devolve by successive transmission to his grandchild charles the third king of navarre , in whom the male line determining , the distaff prevailed against the spear , for blanch his daughter annexed this kingdome to the patrimony of her husband john king of aragon , who likewise found his name wrap'd up , as to this particular match , in two daughters and coheirs ; one of whom styled leonora , by espousing gaston de foix , gave up the roialty , possession and crown of this kingdome to empale the brow of this earl her husband ; and from these two the soveraignty was conducted down by successive delegation to their grandchild francis phoebus , who deceasing without issue , the crown and dignity of navarre came to embellish the head of catharine his sister and heir , and she being espoused to john d'albret of gascony , descended from amani d'albret ; which amani ( in the government of charles the fifth king of france , was wedded to margaret of bourbon , sister to jane queen of france , and by that alliance very much improved the splendor of his house ) linked the kingdome of navarre to his patrimony ; and from these two descended henry their son and heir , who was king of navarre , and match'd with margaret sister of francis the first , king of france , by whom he had issue jane the sole inheritrix of navarre , who by espousing anthony of bourbon , entitled him to the crown and scepter of navarre ; and she was mother of henry the fourth , grandmother of lewis the thirteenth , & great-grandmother of the instant lewis the fourteenth , successively kings of france , who by authority of this alliance , have ever since inserted and interwoven the title of king of navarre amongst their style and inscriptions . but alas ! this is only a barren , naked and empty title , for the actual possession of the crown , which should give support and vital energie to it , was long since torne away by ferdinand the catholick king of aragon and castile ; the occasion which ministered materials to that foundation on which that detention was established , was this : about the year . lewis the twelfth having by a signal victory over the venetian at aignadel humbled that people , much retrenched their power , and infus'd a terrour into all the princes of italy , fell into contention with pope julius the second , and their mutual animosities were enhans'd with that acrimonie and spleen , that the quarrel was prosecuted almost to a scihsme ; for julius blasted all the partisans of lewis with an excomunication , and put their estates under interdict , in the register of whom was john d'albret king of navarre , who was disseised of his crown and scepter by ferdinand above mentioned ; for this ferdinand varnishing his designe of ravishing this kingdom away from the house of d'albret , with a pretence and shew of passing into guinne , to combine and unite his forces with the confederate invading english , by vertue and authority of the papal interdict to seise and subdue the crown of france , suddenly retriv'd his army , and like a tempest , drop'd on the kingdome of navarre ; and by conquest about the year . supplanted ●nd expell'd john d'albret above mentioned ; upon this pretence , that he was entwined and linked in confederacy with lewis the twelfth , who was a rebell against the church , and an avowed enemy to the english , with whom he was wrap'd up in mutual alliance ; and more to fortifie this pretence , he asserted , that there was an ancient compact or stipulation between the kings of spain , by which they did covenant and indent with each other , not to suffer or permit that any of the spanish crowns should fall into forreign hands , or under the power and seignory of houses not soveraign , as those of foix and albret were , and who likewise by a kind of servile coherence and connexion had their dependance on the crown of france : and though in ages subsequent to this , the french have protested against this invasion and forcibl●●ntry , and have likewise endevoured to vindicate their interest by the more powerful argument of the sword ; yet hath it ever since been so firmly linked to the spanish patrimony , that it still obeys the scepter , and confesses the dominion of philip the fourth , king of spain . castile . castile is bounded on the east with navarre , aragon , and part of valentia ; on the west with portugal ; on the north with biscay and guipuscoa and asturia ; on the south with estremadura , andalusia and granada . it is divided into the old and new castile ; the first of which assumed that appellation , because it was the ancient patrimony of the first earls thereof : the other hath borrow'd the distinction of the new , because it was incorporated into the old demeasne when the successful conquests of the castilians had rent it from the moors . the ancient inhabitants of these two provinces were , the vaccai , ventones , arevacae , oretani , dittani and the carpentani , whose chief city was named castulo , now shrunk into an obscure village , hav●●g its ancient glory entomb'd in neglected rubbish , from whence some conjectures have asserted , that the name of castile was imposed on this province . but all these inhabitants having been much harrassed by the frequent incursions of the romans , not able to stand the shock of so powerful an opposition , fell under their conquests , and became a part of the roman empire ; from which again they were rent off by the alani , who again were disseised of their violently extorted purchase by the intrusion of the goths , who being overwhelm'd by the moors , who like an ●nnundation not cloistered up within the shore and channel of any restraint , bore down all before them , for some distance of time gave way to the torrent ; but not long after , their spirits , which before seemed to have been sunk , buoy'd up again , and by the assistance of the kings of leon , so resolutely vindicated their own interest , that they disengaged themselves wholly of that yoke of moorish servitude , that with an uneasie load had so crushed their shoulders ; and the better for the ●uture to secure themselves from the eruptions of the moors , resign'd themselves up to the dominion and protection of the kings of leon , who managed this province at first by provincial earls ; but they having made ill use of that power they had entrusted them with , by making too frequent inroads upon the peoples liberties , were by the instigation and influence of one ordogno , who much fomented this defection , barbarously assassinated by the impetuous multitude ; having thus thrown off all obedience to the scepter of leon , they were afterwards governed by judges ; and secondly , by earls , as an absolute and independent estate , chained by no subserviency to any forreign diadem ; but still this did not so supersede the claim of the kings of leon , but that they often endevoured by the power of the sword to assert their title , until sancho king of leon being engaged in a debt to ferdinand gonzales , ●e to absolve himself from this obligation , quitted and released ▪ all pretence and claim to the earldom of castile , so that ferdinand gonzales from this signal investiture is look'd upon in the spanish annalls as the first proprietary earl of castile ; and from him it came down to his great grandchild garcias the second , who being treasonably assassinated , and concluding without issue , sancho the great , king of navarre , in right of his wife elvira sister and sole heir to this garcias , entred upon it and linked it to his revenue ; and upon his decease setled by particular donation on his son ferdinand ; and more to enhaunse the glory of this grant , annexed the title of king to this concession ; and from him did the crowns of castile and leon by the devolution of many descents come to empale the temples of sancho the third , second son of alfonso the fifth , king of castile and leon ; who by the revolution of humane affairs , having the fate to survive his elder brother ferdinand de la cerd● , contriv'd so many stratagems in his fathers life time , which artifices of his were so closely combined and knit together in the contrivance and contexture of them , that by aide of these , and the concurrent support of a prevalent faction beside , he extorted the scepter of castile and leon from the heits of his elder brother , though many attempts were made to retrive the diadem thus placed on the head of sancho , which being by the prudence of sancho broken and disappointed , alfonso son of ferdinand , retreated for shelter into france , where he match'd , and had issue lewis earl of clermont , which lewis , by leonora de guzman , extracted from the house of medina sidonia , had issue lewis and john , both which were extinguished without issue , and isabella de la cerda , who by matching with bernard , a natural son of the house of foix ; and so all the right of that family which was concentered in her , was now lodged on him ; which bernard , king henry the second , ( the more by some solemn obligations to endear and fasten to himself ) adorned with the title of earl of medin● c●li ; and his son gasto● , the better to enforce and propagate the memory of the noblenesse of his antiquity and extraction , discarded the name of foix , to embrace that of de la cerda ; which hath ever since been transmitted with the title bestowed on lewis , grandchild to this gaston , and to his posterity , though there hath not wanted a successive regret and murmur in this family , to be thus excluded from the spanish diadem . it is customary for this house , at the coronation of the kings of spain , to put up a petition to the prince , wherein they exhibit their claim to the spanish scepter , that at the least , upon the defailance of this family now reigning , the stream of soveraignty might flow back into this house ; to which demand the king subscribes this answer , despois nos vo● , after us , you : and sometimes , no est lover , there is no place for him . thus have i in a compendious prospect represented the fate which attended on the stock and lineage of ferdinand de la cerda : i shall now trace out what vicissitudes waited on sancho the third , from whom the scepter of castile and leon ( by the unbroken thread of succession ) came to be swayed by the hand of his grandchild pedro the cruel ; who was expulsed out of the possession of his kingdoms by the procurement and influence of his natural brother henry earl of transtamare , because of that havock and ravage his savage executions had acted both on the nobility and populacy ; who after the discarding and renunciation of him , was by the favour of the people advanced to the crown of castile and leon ; but his son john the first , finding that his title was established but upon a crazie foundation , unlesse there were some more powerful buttresses to sustain , more to fortifie his claim , matcht his son and heir prince henry to catharine daughter to john of gaunt by constance one of the daughters of pedro the cruel , and so twisted the two differing titles into one ; and from him did the diadem devolve to his great grandchild henry the fourth , who going out without issue male , isabell his sister and sole inheritrix , being wedded to ferdinand son to john king of aragon , incorporated it with the patrimony of his crown and scepter ; but both these princes dying without issue male , jo●n their onely surviving princesse of castile , leon , granad● , &c. and of aragon , navarre , sicily , naples , &c. by espousing phillip arch-duke of austria , and lord of belgium , fastned these vast territories into one body ; the ciment which knits them together hath been in subsequent ages so closely united by the combination of many reciprocal leagues and marriages , that they are still the demeasne of the austrian family ; and particularly , the scepter of this kingdome is lodg'd in the hands of phillip the fourth , now monarch of spain . portugall . portugall is bounded on the north with the rivers minio and avia , which seperate it from gallicia ; on the south , with algarue ; on the west , with the atlantick ocean ; on the east , with the two castiles , and estremadura . the ancient inhabitants were the lusitani ; and from them the name of lusitania was imposed upon it ; but though these were the principal , yet the celtici and turditani , who dwelt on the south-side of tagus , and the gallaici braccarii ( so styled from the gallaici lucenses , who were proprietaries of gallicia ) and who inhabited on the north of duero , were entitled to a considerable part of the possession of it . it was at first by the successful sword of the romans made subject to their empire , but when their power began to sink under the impressions of those barbarous nations who had so fatally assaulted them , this was extorted from their jurisdiction by the alani ; but continued not long twisted into their acquists , for the suevians breaking in upon them , supplanted the contexture of their newly obtained conquests , and forc'd them to dislodge , and tamely to surrender their interest here to them ; but a usurped right can have no solid foundation to establish itself upon , for not long after , these new invaders were cast out from their new encroachments by the prosperous attempts of the goths ; but they again sunk in ths ruins of spain , ( particular lamentations are not distinguishable in universal groans ) when the moorish invaders by a publique conquest made the liberty of spain stoop to their commands and successe , and after it had for some ages groaned under those fetters they imposed upon it , it was rescued from its servitude by the noble conduct of henny of lorrain , to whom ( as a just recompense of his vertue and exemplary services ) alsonso the sixth , king of leon , espoused his base daughter teresa , and with her , to improve her fortune , transmitted that part of portugall which he and his ancestors had by some auspicious conquests rent from the moors ; and and to make his bounty more conspicuous , he invested him with the title of earl ; from whom it came by descent to his son alfonso , who by the soveraigns of leon , was as guerdon to poize both his valour and his virtue , and that testimony of an excellent courage he exhibited at the battle of obriqu● , anno . he governed as earl and king seventy two years , and managed his scepter with that art and prudence , that at his decease he made his exit with the fear and reverence of his enemies , and the adoration of his friends . and from him did the diadem of this kingdom descend to alfonso the wise , who by a successful conquest inlarged the dominions of portugall , and wrung the kingdome of algarue from the moors of morocco , who had before supplanted the moors of sevill , and so broke the power of aben mefad , one of the most puissant princes of this track , that most of the towns and petty governours became by a subordinate vassalage subject to the scepter of portugall ; and having thus entwined the right of these two provinces , he transmitted them to his grandchild pedro , who left issue ferdinand the first , in whom the male line of hen. of lorrain determined , so that the right both of portugall and algarue was concentered in beatrix his daughter ; who was disseised of her title to the crown by her uncle john , natural son to pedro above mentioned ; who having thus dislodged her from the throne , by ill arts and dark stratagems , disdaining to be tir'd down by any bordering title by an unlawfull disherision , di●carded and cast out the remaining lawful issue of his father pedro ; and having thus by these crooked designs grasped the scepter , and empa●'d his temples with the diadem of portugall and algarue , he to fortifie and support his unjust pretensions , match'd with phillippa daughter to john of gaunt duke of lancaster , with whom so many noble english families enter'd portugall , that most of the eminent houses of this nation spin out their extraction from them at this day . and this john the first , had by this alliance alfonso the fifth , and john the second , successively kings ; who both deceasing without any issue surviving , emanuel son to ferdinand duke of vis●o , third brother to these two monarchs , ascended the throne of portugall ; and from him it descended to his grandchild john the fourth ; who upon his decease left it to be enjoyed by his son and heir don sebastian , who being unhappily slain in the fatal battail of alcasar , which stained the feilds of africk wi●h so much blood , henry third brother to king john above mentioned , and uncl● to this sebastian , put off his cardinals hat to adorne his head with the diadem of portugall ; but he being aged and impotent , his hand was too we●k to manage or sustain a burden of that importance ( as the royal scepter ) long , so that being assaulted with cares , and over-laid with years , after some short time of his assuming the crown , shrunk into ashes , and paid that debt we all owe ; upon his decease , several pretended a title to this diadem ; lewis second brother to king john above mentioned , died without any lawful issue , but left antonio , christopher and others begot in unlawful imbraces ; antonio fixt his claim upon a pretended act of legitimation from the estates of portugall , but there were titles which appeared more specious and plausible which stav'd his off ; for edward the fourth brother to king john , though he concluded without issue male , yet he left two daughters and co-heirs , mary wedded to alexander duke of parma , and catharine matched to john duke of braganza ; and the two aunts of the deceased sebastian , namely , mary was espoused to charles the fifth , and beatrix was married to charles duke of savoy ; from both which alliances there proceeded issue , so that now the controversie was , whether after the decease of cardinal henry , a brothers daughter , or a sisters son had the more fixed and established pretence to the crown and scepter of portugall ; and when this question was begun to be winnowed by the civill lawyers , the duke of alva to endear himself to his prince , who was phillip the second , king of spain , and son to charles the fifth and mary above mentioned ; and to assoile himself from that stain his stupendous massacres in the netherlands had contracted , perswaded his master to cast his claim upon no other debate , but the umpirage of the sword ; and this counsell had so great an operation upon him , that he employed this duke , and a puissant army under his conduct to assert his title to the diadem of portugall ; the effects of which invasion were so visible , that after some trivial opposition made by the portuguees , who were broken and split into division and faction , the whole kingdome stoop'd and resigned it self up ( with a restriction to havs its original franchises preserved and supported ) to the dominion and scepter of phillip the second ; and under the command of his successors it continued untill the year . and then by the arts and dark engines of cardinal rich●lieu , the negligence and supine inadvertency of conde d'olivarez , and the ill managery of affairs in portugall it self by the king of spain's ministers , that kingdome was torn off by a total defection from the crown of spain , and the scepter placed in the hand of john duke of braganza , who was with the publique applause of the people acknowledged for king , by the name of john the fifth ; and upon his late decease this kingdome is come to confesse alfonso his son just heir to his dominion and scepter . leon and oviedo . the kingdome of leon and oviedo is bounded on the east with biscay , on the north with the main cantabrian ocean , on the south with castile , on the north with galicia . the ancient inhabitants were the astures , from whence the name of asturia was imposed upon it ; and were divided into the two general names of the augustani and transmo●tani , in which the particular tribes of the pesici , gigari , zoelae and lanci●●s●s were involved and circumscribed . it is divided into two parts , asturia de oviedo confining on galicia towards the west , and asturia santillana approaching biscay towards the east . from which divisions thus approportioned , the eldest son of the monarch of spain is styled prince of the asturias , which denomination some probably conjecture was derived from this foundation , that this countrey was the first that like a dam stopt the current of the moorish fury , which before like an impetuous inundation carried down all before it , though other spanish writers of authentick credit , refer the rise and original of this appellation to that time which was cotemporary to the match of catharine daughter to john of g●●nt , and in right of her mother constance the indisputable heir of castile , unto henry son of john the first , then planted in the possession of the kingdome of castile , it being then assented to more to improve the honour of this married pair , that as the heir apparent of england is styled the prince of wales , so the eldest son of castile should be named prince of the asturias . it was first conquered by the romans , and by augustus caesar made parcel of the province tarraco●ensis , and part afterwards of the province of gallicia by the emperor constantine ; torn it was from the roman dominion by the conquest of the goths ; and from them again it was extorted by the invading moors , though they were not long after supplanted . for as the lust of roderick , excited the injured count julian to call in the moors , so the intempered and disordered lust of magnutza a moorish viceroy , engaged him to ravish the sister of prince pelagius , whilest he had embarqu'd the said prince in an embassy to musa the moorish generall , who being a person of noble pretensions and daring hopes , at his return to expiate this dishonour and infamy with which his family was bespattered , to assoil this stain , he gave up the life of this viceroy as an oblation offered up to the justice of his sword , and the price of so great an insolence and lust ; despairing of pardon for this act , he flew to defensive arms , as his noblest sanctuary , and fortified himself in the most inaccessable retreats of this country , to which many of the old inhabitants resorted , and having prospered under his command , elected him for king , by the name of king of the asturias , though after he had reduced the city of leon , he assumed the title of king o● leon , and left it to his son fasila ; who dying without issue it devolved to alfonso , for his piety sirnamed the catholick , who had wedded ormisind his sister ; and he had issue froilla the repairer of oviedo , aur●lius and odesin matched to sillo , who after the decease of the two others was king of leon , after whose exit the crown of leon was unjustly usurped by mauregate natural son to alfonso ; in which violent detention he was supported by aderamen king of the moors , who was obliged to this supply by an infamous stipulation transacted and made between him and the said mauregate ; by which this usurper was engaged to pay him , as an annual cense or tribute , fifty virgins collected out of the families of the most eminent and noblest estimate in this region ; but after his decease the crown of leon returns to invest the temples of veramund , son to froilla above-mentioned ; and from him the clew of descent guided it down to his great grandchild alfonso the third , who not only with contempt and scorn disdained to pay the ignominious tribute of virgins abovesaid , but in so many signal contests and encounters retrenched the power of the moors , that he justly merited the title of alfonso the great ; and he left issue garcia , who deceasing without children , the crown and scepter of leon devolved to his s●cond brother ordogno who was king of gallicia ; and from him the inheritance by many generations flowed down to his successor veramund the third , who engaging in an unsuccesseful war with ferdinand king of castile , was by him in a prosperous conflict discomfited and slain ; upon whose tragedy the scepter of leon was seised on by this ferdinand , as having match'd with sanctia sister and heir to veramund ; and he left the crown of leon to alfonso his youngest son , and that of castile to sanctius his eldest ; which sanctius dying without issue both scepters devolved to be grasped by alfonso , from whom the efflux of descent cast them into the possession of his daughter ●rraca queen of leon and castile , and she had two husbands raymond of burgundy , and alfonso the seventh king of arrag●n and navarre ; by the raymond she had issue alfonso the eighth , who succeeded in the realms of leon and castile ; and he had issue sancho the second , on whom he setled the kingdome of castile , and ferdinand the second , on whom he enstated the realm of leon ; and from him it went along to alfonso the ninth of leon , who ( more to twist the complicated interest of these two diadems ) espoused with berengaria sister of henry king of castile , from which alliance descended ferdinand the third king of leon , who by the arts and designs of his mother berengaria , was advanced to the soveraignty of castile , to the prejudice of blanch her eldest sister , matched to lewis king of france . and thus the crowns becoming once more united , they were never since dissever'd , though the title by the violent assaults of sancho second son of alfonso the fifth , was distorted and planted in his family , to the injury and apparent disherison of the children of ferdinand de la cerda . of which discomposure i shall discover more when i come to treat of castile . biscay and guipuscoa . biscay is bounded on the west with leon , on the east with the pyrenean mountains and guienne , on the north it confines on the cantabrian ocean , and on the south with navarre and old castile . the ancient inhabitants of this province were the cantabri , subdivided again into the several tribes of the mar●ogi , caristi , antrigones , varduli , and the cantabri properly so called , a people as eminent for their antiquity as they were for their valour and conduct , which they exemplified in many solemn contests with those adversaries of theirs that endevoured either to retrench or else absolutely to subvert their liberties ; nor lost they any thing by their intermixture with the vascones , who came out of navarre and setled amongst them , but rather improved their courage by this union , so that notwithstanding the frequent impressions and onsets made upon them by the romans , carthaginians , goths , and moors , they remained as in their liberties not vanquish'd so in their language unalter'd , the reasons of which eminent courage of theirs may be assigned to be these : first , their habitations being amongst the craggy and inaccessable retreats of inexpugnable mountains , those natural bulwarks cast up at gods own charges , might make them more confident and daring ; and secondly , the purity of their native air , might so fan and winnow their spirits from those dregs and compacted humours , which thicker fumes and grosser exhalatious frequently amass together , might possibly render them more active and vigorous . this hath made them so impatient of servitude , and not easily yeilding a tame compliance to any thing they resent with dislike and regret , so that this scale of privileges still fortifies their liberties . first , though they give obedience to their prince with their bodies , they deny him the service of their purses ; being exempt from all tallages and impositions , for when ever the king of spain approaches their borders , he is accosted in his progresse by the noblesse of the country , neer the borders , and there they present him with some small pieces of brasse , called maravedies , treasur'd in a lethern bag appendant to the end of a lance , which he is oblieged not to take ; which refusal ( as they conceive of his , ) does enwrap a tacit symboll of a confirmation of their immunity from taxes . secondly , at all their publique assemblies , the women first taste of the cup , which custome hath grown by tacit consent into use , and hath been made hoary and reverend by a prescription of many years , ever since ogne countesse of castile attempted to destroy the life of her son , by a cup of wine fatally mingled with poyson . thirdly , they admit no bishops ; which aversnesse to that order , peradventure had its rise and growth from some antecedent pressure imposed upon them by that order , as our modern sectaries from some personal defects they beheld in the english protestant bishops , did arrive at that height of animosity as to abrogate their function ; as if this were an equitable piece of logick , because there is an error in the seed therefore consequently there must be one in the soil , not considering that these biscainers by the want of bishops and episcopal visitations have fallen into that ignorance , rudenesse , and excesse , which like a cimmerian mist dwells yet about them . fourthly , they allow or give license to no priest to officiate amongst them unlesse he bring his concubine with him , to appease his desires ; affirming it impossible to preserve their wives chast and unmix'd from the imbraces of the incumbent , if he hath not a woman with may allay the wilder flames of concupiscence . but to proceed , though the ancient inhabitants were so martial and vigorous , yet the frequent assaults of the romans so wasted their strength , that though they were not wholly subdued , yet they were forced to resign themselves with some salvo or provision which had a reflection on their liberties , to the command of augustus . under the romans they continued untill that empire shrunk into its own ruins , and then not brought under servitude by the goths , but surrender'd to them with the residue of biscay . and this indeed may be added to their glory , that they were the last province of spain which offered themselves up to the successeful fury of the moors ( excepting the asturias never part of their triumphs ) and the first which disengaged their necks of that yoke of conquest the moors had loaded them with , animated in that design by soria , who so managed and improved their increasing hopes , with conquests and augmentation of territory , that about the year . he undertook the command of lord of biscay , and from him did the title and estate by the steps of several descents passe down to his successor lopez diaz the third , the first who assum'd to himself the sirname of haro , borrowed from a town of that name of that foundation ; and from him did it descend to his successor nugno de lara , vvho determined vvithout issue ; so that his tvvo sisters and coheirs , jean and isabel vvere entitled to his inheritance ; but vvere defrauded of the possession by the forcible intrusion of pedro king of castile ; ferdinand the younger son of ferdinand de la cerda king of castile , matched vvith jean nugna the edest of these tvvo sisters ; and from this conjunction issued jean manuell espoused to henry the second , king of castile likevvise ; and he had issue john vvho vvas invested also vvith the diadem of that kingdome , and he in right of his mother vvas planted in the propriety of biscay ; and from him did it devolve to his successor henry the fourth , king of ●●●tile , vvho dying vvithout issue , it came to confess the title of his sister and heir isabella ; vvho by matching vvith ferdinand king of aragon , placed the propriety of it amongst those flovvers vvhich adorned his diadem , vvhere it hath been so permanent and fixed , that though several revolutions have intervened in this family , yet still it acknovvledges it self to be an appendage to the crovvn and scepter of philip the fourth , novv king of spain . guipuscoa . as for the fortunes of guipuscoa , they had this aspect as they stood in their posture towards the rest of spain . first , the vascones , then the cantabri , subdivided into the marbogi , caristi , and other petty colonies above-mentioned , enjoyed the possession of this track , and for sometime were disseised of the propriety of it by the invading romans ; but having vindicat●● their interest from their encroachments , they were at last forced to bow to the dominion of the goths ; and from them was it torne by the moors ; and being again rescued from their slavery by the kings of navarre , it was link'd to that kingdome , and remained a member of that crown , untill it was wrung from sancho the sixth king of navarre , by alfonso the first king of castile , about the year . by whom it was entrusted to the managery and sway of lopez diez de haro lord of biscay . but after the decursion of some time , it was again upon following capitulations , surrendred to the kings o● navarre , to whose scepter it continued fastned untill the year . when the people of guipuscoa having by a just and equal resentment tasted of both governments , and rellishing that of castile better than that of aragon , they by a voluntary resignation bowed their heads to the command of alfonsus the fourth , king of castile , who without the least decision of the sword received this country into a full subjection , and left it thus setled and confirmed to his successor● the kings of spain , in whose demeasne and revenue the seignory of it is yet constantly treasur'd up . gallicia . gallicia or gallaecia , is bounded on the east with leon , on the south with portugall , from which it is separated by the river minio , on the north with the cantabrian ocean , and on the west with the atlantick . the ancient inhabitants were the gallaeci , whence it assumed its name , broken into the several tribes of the b●dyi , su●ri , cilini , capori , and lemavi . it was one of the last provinces which resigned themselves up to the power of the romans ; encouraged to this noble defence and asserting of their liberties by that chaine of cantabrian mountains , with which this country is almost interlaced ; out of which consideration it was selected as a refuge or sanctuary by those afflicted christians who groaned under the conquest of the moors . it was in times of an elder inscription a limb of hispania tarraconensis ; after it swelled it self into the estimate of a province , and had the name of gallicia imposed upon it , being augmented with the asturia's , and some part of portugall , and the old castile . in the eclipse of the roman power , the suevi , a warlike nation of germany ( accompanying the vandals and alani in their eruptions ) invaded spain , and atchieved the conquest of this province . but not satisfied with their new acquists , they assaulted the silings , a collateral tribe of the vandalls , then invested in the possession of boetica ; whom they subdu'd , and by a successful province extorted that province from them , animated to this conquest by the presence of richila their second king. they not long after improved their victories by the addition of lusitania ; but their farther progresse was intercepted by theodorick the second , king of the goths , by whom they were discomsited and shut up within the recesses of gallicia ; which they enjoyed untill their final suppression and subversion by l●u●igild king of the goths , about the year . and then this province was linked to the gothish scepter . in times subsequent to this , it was incorporated into the kingdome of leon , being conqueted by retaile and in pieces from the intruding moors by the kings of that province . it was first erected into a kingdome by alfonso the third , sirnamed the great , anno . and given to ordogno , his second son , who upon the decease of his elder brother garcia was entitled to the crown of leon likewise , and so gallicia became once more united to leon ; but so as by particular compact it was beheld as an independent distinct realme of it self . but this connexion was not very permanent , for in the year . the gallicians resenting with regret the ill government of raymir the third , elected veramund for their king , who was son of ordogno the third , and had the most manifest title to the diadem ; who being advanced to the crown of leon on the death of raymir , once more incorporated the two realms under one scepter ; but it was torn off once more from leon , by ferdinand king of castile and leon , who gave it unto garcia his youngest son , anno . but it was again reduced under the sway and dominion of leon , by sancho eldest son to ferdinand above mentioned , by whom the forces of garcia were broken , and he himself made captive in the year . never since broken off from leon and castile ; but when leon was rent from castile , being still involv'd with leon in those distinctions till that dis●nion of leon and castile was sodered together and cimented in the person of ferdinand the second , in the year . and being thus entwined they are by successive descent brought down to confesse the diadem of philip the fourth , now king of ●spain . corduba . corduba , as it stood when it vvas by conquest rent from the moors by the spaniards , vvas thus environed . on the fast it vvas contiguous to murcia and the mediterranean ; on the west to portugal and the ocean ; on the north to the mountains of sierra , morena , and castile ; and on the south with the ocean , the straits of gibralter , and the midland-seas . it extracts this denomination from corduba the principal city , and did anciently enwrap with its limits andalusia , gades , estremandura and granada ; of which last i shall speak more hereafter . the ancient inhabitants of these provinces were the turduli , the bastu'i , the yurditani of andalusia and granada , the celtici , and some part of the lusitani ; all which were reduced to the roman obedience , and contributed to the making up those triumphal wreaths which adorned the temples of scipio african , about the commencement of the second punick warre . from the romans the seignory of these provinces was ravished away by the vandalls , who passing over into africk , there to multiply their conquests to a larger extent , transmitted it to them ; but they were scarce planted in their new patrimony , but they were disseised by theodorick the fourth , king of the goths , who by these victorious atcheivements made all boetica augment the grandeur of his diadem ; under the scepter of whose successors it continued constant , untill the fatal eruptions of the moors , who having by perpetual conflicts and inroads enslaved almost the whole continent of spain , were first subservient to the commands of the great caliphs , who spread their rule over the saracenical empire , commanding here from ulidor ulit , by whose influence and reiterated supply they perfected their triumphs over the goths , anno . to abdalla , anno . at what time abderamen of the line of mahomet the impostor , declining by flight the fury of abdalla , by whom the ancient line of the caliphs of the race of humeia ( from which stem this abderamen was extracted ) had been devested of the empire , sought for shelter in spain , and was with many symtomes of joy and other unusual carresses received by the spanish moors entirely devoted to his house , whose government ( upon his shaking off all dependance or subordination to the caliphs or mahumetan emperours ) he wholly assumed to himself . in his line the title flowed with an even and undisturbed current untill it streamed down to hizen the second ; after whose decease the scepter of corduba seemed to be broken to pieces by the surprizal or encroachment of subsequent usurpers and pretenders , the last of which was mahomet the son of 〈◊〉 , after whose exit the body of the carduban monarchy ( having evaporated its most vigorous and most active spirits at those wounds the successeful swords of the kings of castile and leon had inflicted on it ) languished into decay , and fell to peices ; the fragments of which dissolved monarchy , were gathered up by several royolets and erected into new principalities ; as namely , one started up at sevill , another at toledo , a third at valentia , and a fourth at corduba . after this great onset made on the monarchy of corduba , which so broke the scepter and disordered the diadem , made now contemptible and cheap by the tearing off so many provinces from its seignory and jurisdiction , the series of those princes who were successors to mahomet above mentioned , is so ravel'd and discomposed , that there is no track in the registers of history made visible to us by which we may persue their remembrance , only several petty and inconsiderable tyrants by an unjust usurpation endevoured to grasp the scepter ; but their arrogance and insolent comportment so disgusted and disobliged the people , that to rescue themselves from that load of oppression which with so calamitous a pressure sat heavy upon their lives and fortunes , they called in the miramomolins , or kings of morocco , who so nobly asserted the peoples liberties that all those roytelets were totally by them subdued . under seven princes of morocco did the government of these spanish moors continue unbroken , that is to say , from the entrance of joseph telephin in the year . unto the going out of mahomet the green , in the year . during which interval of time , which made up an account of an hundred and twenty years , their affairs and designs were so well managed by the conduct and inspection of these active chieftains , that they lost nothing but estremadura , which was snatched from them by alfonso the second , king of castile and leon ; and the city of lisbon torn from them by alfonso the first , king of portugall . but mahomet the green being discomfited at serra morena , by the forces of the christians , concentered and knit together in in a joynt confederacie or combination about the year . was so dispirited with this disastrous successe , that he made an obscure retreat , abandoning all that care which might have oblig'd him to a farther defence of this monarchy ; after whose recesse this kingdome was once more split and dissolved into divers principalities and small royalties almost equal to the number of great towns , which after various contests were incorporated into that regall patrimony which bowed under the several scepters of the kings of castile , aragon , and portugall ; but the kingdome of corduba , having too crazy and infirm a foundation to support a fabrick so ruinous and tottering , sunk into its own ruines , being pluck'd asunder by the victorious hand of ferdinand the second king of castile in the year . who afterwards fastned to that revenue which owned the jurisdiction of that crown and scepter , where the title hath remained ever since so fix'd and permanent , that by the steps of several descents it hath been conducted down to confesse the power and authority of philip the fourth now king of spain . granada . granada is circumscribed on the west with andalusia , on the east with murcia and the mediteranean , on the north with new castile , on the south only with the midland sea. this kingdome was a limb of the kingdome of corduba , being still wrapp'd up in the fate of that , having still the same inhabitants cultivating its earth , and the same conquests retrenching its liberty , so that it was sacrific'd as an oblation to the sword of the invading moors and sarazens . but when the castilians by many signal encounters had so dissipated and rent asunder the great kingdom of corduba , that it appear'd to be split into parcels , this was seised on by mahomet ben alhamar or alcamir , who so vigorously asserted the interest of the moors , even in their declining fortune , that he made this province part of his own endowment and patrimony , and ▪ vvas by those persons vvhom he had so gallantly shadovved vvith his protection , advanced to be the first king of granada , though he vvas the last of corduba ; of all the kings subsequent to him , the spanish records affords us so dim a beam that we wander in the dark , when we endevour to trace out a just and successive series of them ; for civil contentions and intestine animosities like a private moth did so fret into the title , that it was no longer stable than the power of the sword did support it , nor indeed could it be but expected that the foundation of a monarchy fixed on so great a ruine , and whose fabrick was cimented with so much blood , must be crazy , brittle , and unsafe , so that the ●●own devolving to mahomet boad delin ( who did not expect his fathers death , but hastned it ) with all these imperfections debauching its lustre , it is no wonder if it was snatch'd from his head by ferdinand and isabella , who having by a noble and a christian conquest knit it to the demeasn of castile and arragon , it is now by successive right brought down to confesse philip the fourth , now king of spain for its lord and soveraign . toledo . the kingdome of toledo extracts its appellation from toledo the principal city , which in elder times did circumscribe the chiefest part of that countrey , which now falls under the name of new castile . the ancient inhabitants were the carpentani , and gyres●●ni dislodged by the romans ; who again were dispossessed by the alani , and they again finally disseised by the goths , who after they had many descents possest it , and made toledo their capital residence ( which city was surrounded and fortified with a wall by the care and expence of bamba king of the goths ) were outed and devested by the discomfiture given by musa chieftain of the moors , to roderick the last gothish king , whose incogitant ●●●st gave him and spain up a prey to the sword of barbarous sarazens . but afterwards , when the great kingdome of corduba began to be split asunder , by its own disorder and confusion , it was upon the entrance of abderamen , into spain , ravished away from galafr●y , who held it as vassall under the caliphs of da●ascus , but with the title of king ; and this abderamen left it to his eldest son zuleima , who was disseised not only of this province , but of corduba likewise , by his younger brother hizen ; after which devestiture it remained constant to the interest of corduba , untill the expiration of the reign of abderamen the second , king of corduba ; from whom it was torn away by aben lope ; who again was supplanted by mahomet son of abderamen , about the year . and here it continued fixed and constant until addalla , a man of very great estimate amongst the moors , taking advantage of the feud started between zuleima and hizen the second in relation to the realm , seised on toledo , and entituled himself to the diadem of it ; but he dying without issue , as divers old records intimate , the crown of toledo devolved by his testament and donation to mahomet almohadi ( issued from the royal family of humeia king of corduba , to which diadem though he had an indisputable title , yet he was illegally and forcibly discarded from the possession of it by the violence of zuleima and his more prevalent faction ) and from this mahomet did the scepter of toledo come to adorn the hand of his son obeydalla , who had but newly ascended his throne , when he fell in an unsuccesseful encounter a sacrifice to the ambition and fury of hizen king of corduba , about the year . after whose disastrous tragedy the diadem of toledo empailed the temples of his kinsman hairam ; from whom the devolution of successive right carried it down to his great grandchild to hiaya , sirnamed alcaduchir or alcadarbile ; who having by his tyranny and exactions disobliged his subjects and exasperated their spirits against him , opened a gap so wide , that alfonso the first , king of castile and leon ▪ rushed in at that breach , and by an absolute conquest annexed this province to castile , to the dominion of whose succeeding princes , it hath ever since continued so constant , that it still obeys the scepter of philip the fourth now king of spain . murcia . murcia is bounded on the west with granada , on the east with valentia , on the north with valentia and part of granada , on the south with the levant or mediteranean sea. this province being an appendant limb to hispania carthaginensis , was upon the eruption of the alani ravished from the romans , who were by conquest first entituled to it ; but the alani had not been long resident in their new atcheivements here , but they were expulsed by the more powerful sword of vallia or wallia king of the goths . after this it was so subservient to the fate of spain that it was made part of the conquests of the moors of africk , when the rest of the kingdome bowed it self to their yoke and scepter : but their empire in spain being by their own divisions and animosities so disorder'd and discompos'd , that it was distracted and broken into several parcells , this upon so general shipwrack was seised upon by aben-hut , extracted from the kings of saragossa , who raised it into a distinct kingdome about the year . and afterwards stretched out his power to that latitude , that he not only commanded over this countrey , but reduced granada and part of andalusia under his dominion . but long he had not been in the possession of his new conquests , when amidst the caresses of a drunken feast , he was traiterously assassinated by aben arramin a per●idious servant of his own ; upon whose tragedy , one aben hudiel with a successeful hand seised on the scepter ; but long he had not grasped it , when one alboaquis wrung it from him ; but he being not able to assert his new atchieved regality against the power of his competitor , resigned the kingdome into the hands of ferdinand the second king of castile , but with this provisoe , that he should enjoy the title of king of murcia during his life ; upon whose expiration it was annexed to the diadem of ferdinand abovementioned , and hath been so constantly linked ever since to the scepter of castile , that it now acknowledges no other monarch but philip the fourth now king of spain . valentia . valentia is circumscribed on the east with the mediterranean ; on the west with castile and aragon ; on the north with catalonia . it was originally part of that division of spain called tarraconensis ; but afterwards that province being subdivided by constantine , it was made a limb of hispania carthaginensis . the ancient inhabitants were the bastitani , the edotani , the contestani , and some part of the celtiberi . in the waning of the roman empire , when the imperial diadem was torn to pieces , by its fatal distemper within , as well as by the violent and forcible eruptions of the barbarous nations from without ; this ▪ province stoop'd to receive that yoke which was imposed upon it by the victorious alani ; but this was not long after taken off by the goths , who having subdued these new intruders , cimented this province by conquest with the residue of spain ; but was again rent off from their monarchy by the successeful sword of the moors , and knit by this acquist to their kingdome erected in spain , and in their do ninion untill mahomet enasir received that destructive blow at the battel of sierra morena , which so diminished the strength of the moors , that their retreat into africk was an effect of this defeat ; valentia was erected into a distinct kingdome by zeit aben zeit , the brother of mahomet enasir before mentioned , about the year . but not long after , that is about the year . it was ravished away from this new prince by zaen , a prince of the moors in spain ; and the pretence upon which he established this violence , was , that this dethroned potentate had an intention to revolt to christianity ; but this zaen had not been long seated in his new conquests ; but he was supplanted and subdued by james king of aragon , about the year . and this province annexed as an appendage to the kingdome of aragon ; to which it hath ever since been so constantly fastned , that both its title and propriety is at this instant linked to the scepter of philip the fourth , now king of spain . majorca . the kingdome of majorca contained the islands of majorca , minorca , fbusa , frumentaria in the levant , and the land of roussillon , which was added to spain in the time of the goths , being accounted a limb before of gallia narbonensis . on the decease of gerrard the last proprietary earl , it was added to the crown of aragon by alfonso the second ; by james the first it was annexed to the diadem of majorca ; but being torn from that scepter by pedro the fourth , it was once more linked to the patrimony of that crown . after that it was transmitted as a pawn by john the second , to lewis the eleventh king of france , to secure the reimbursement of crowns , lent in the year . and freely surrendred to ferdinand the second , sirnamed the catholique , with a release from all incumbrances by charles the eighth his son , in the year . with this provisoe annexed , that he should not impede or intercept him in those designs which had an aspect on the conquest of naples ; from whom the continued flux of descent carried it down to philip the fourth king of spain , in whose patrimony it lay couched until the late defection of catalonia ; and then it was totally lopp'd off from the interest of the spaniard by the successeful sword of the french , and is by the conditions of the last treaty of peace to remain during the truce wrapp'd up in the demeasnes of the gallican diadem . adjoyning to this province , as part of the kingdom● of majorca , is that countrey , which by the spaniard is styled cerdagne , and it is probable borrowed this appellation ( now stiv'd into a lesser volume ) from the cerretani , who were the ancient inhabitants . this province lying in those valleys which are linked to the pyrenean hills , was judged meet to be annexed to the county of roussillon , for the farther improvement of that province , to whose paramount fortune , its appendant fate hath been constantly ever since so subservient , that when it and roussillon was pawned to the french , it was part of the mortgage , and was also wrapped up in the restitution . the earldome of montpellier was some hundreds of years since , by mary the only daughter of william the last earl thereof , united to the dominion and patrimony of peter the second king of aragon ; and by her he had issue james king of aragon and majorca , of that name the third , who conveyed it by sale to philip of valois king of france , in the patrimony of whose successors it hath ever since been resident . majorca with the circumambient islands of minorca , ebusa , now called yuica , frumentera styled by the greeks ophiusa and colubraria by the latins , from the multitude of serpents which anciently infested it , drag●nera , cabraria , vedra , co●●rello , moncolibre , alfaques , and scombraria , so called from a contemptible fish named scombrus , attaqued in the time of the romans in numerous shoals on this coast , and thence transported to rome ; though more anciently , as divers eminent records testifie , it obtained the denomination of the island of hercules . these islands were first planted by the tyrians or phaenicians , to whose industrious care most of their cities owed their first institution and erection , there being one erected in the island of ebusa , which to inforce a grateful acknowledge ment to posterity of their expence , had the name phaenissa anciently lodged upon it . and from these phaenicians the future inhabitants derived the art of slinging , which they improved to so great advantage and dexterity , that the name of baleares in subsequent ages was imposed upon them , which word some do assert was extracted from the phaenician word baal-jarre , which in the punick dialect imports as much as a master in the art of slinging , though others with more probability deduce it from the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies to cast forth or throw . but to proceed . these islands first bowed to the yoke of the carthaginians , whose affairs here were successefully managed by the prudent conduct of hanno and himilco , anno m. . at what time the city of rome lay gasping under the tyranny of the decemviri , under the dominion of that state they remained subject until the conclusion of the second punick war , when the carthaginians being no longer able to shelter them with their protection they abandoned them to themselves , who immediately moulded themselves into the constitution of a commonwealth , whose contexture was quickly supplanted by metellus brother to him who subdued crete , and united it to the roman patrimony , who from this submission of theirs to that empire , was recompensed with the glorious trophies of a triumph . afterwards being incorporated into spain , and made a limb of that great body , the same fortune , either prosperous or adverse , which waited on that , attended likewise on this . in those distractions which retailed out the empire of the moors in spain to a various ruine , they were knit into an entire kingdome , under the notion of the kingdom of majorca ; from the moors it was rent away by the conduct and prowesse of raymond earl of barcelona , assisted in that undertaking by the concurrent supply of the genoese , about the year , but i know not upon what grounds ; not long after the genoese made a tame surrender of it to the moors again , which was not long resident in their possession , for james king of aragon about the year . wrung it from them by a second conquest , and he setled it on his second son james , and from him the diadem devolved to his son and heir sancho , who dying without issue , james son of ferdinand , brother to james the first king of majorca , entred upon it by the name of james the second ; on whose decease james the third ascended the throne , who suddenly after was dislodged , being subdued and slain in a disastrous encounter by pedro the fourth king of aragon about the year . after whose tragedy this was annexed to aragon , and hath continued ever since so closely interwoven with the interest of this kingdome that it still obeys the scepter of philip the fourth now king of spain . catalonia . catalonia is shut in on the north with the county of roussillon and the pyrenian mountains , on the east with the mediterranean , on the south with valentia , on the north and north-west with aragon . the name ( as some probable conjectures seem to affirm ) is derived from the castellani , who in elder times were the ancient inhabitants of some part of it , though others upon as possible grounds assert it was extracted from the catalauni , an ancient people of languedoc , a province of france , divided by no considerable distance from this province . but the affirmation of those , is certainly the most proportionate to reason , who deduce it from gotholonia , which , by depravation of dialect , and a more easie pronunciation , was melted into catalonia . this province having been adopted into the name of gotholonia by the goths , as having been one of the first provinces of spain on which that nation made their violent and successeful eruptions . the ancient inhabitants of this province were the castellani , auxitani , indigites , cosetani , with part of the ilercones and jaccetani , all of them possessors of that distribution of spain which was styled hispania tarraconensis ; but when the glory of the roman empire began to suffer her eclipse and umbrages , and wand into a visible declension , this was rent from that great body by the alani , who not long after were subdued and disseised by the goths ; but when a general ruin was super-induc'd on spain by the power of the moors , this sunk in that general shipwrack , and was forc'd to stoop to receive a yoke from the hands of infidelitie ; from them , after many signal struglings , it was rescued by the magnanimity of charles the great , who having reduced the city of barcelona about the year . settled it on one bernard a frenchman , with the title of earl , and he managed the affairs of this province for that emperour , as gothofredus his successor did for lewis the godly . but gothofredus son to this godfred , having acted some exemplary service which obliged charles the gr●● to some grateful acknowledgement , he to expiate this engagement made him proprietary of it , with this limitation reserved , that the year of the kings of france as was accustomed to be performed by his predecessors should be inscribed and used in all records and instruments of publique cognisance ; and from him it was transported to his grandchild gothofred the second , who dying without issue , his uncle borellus entred upon the possession of this earldome , and in his line was it so successively fixed untill by an even clew it descended to raymond the fifth , who by matching with petronilla daughter of raymir the second , king of aragon , was by the authority of that alliance invested with the diadem of that kingdome , and knit by a future combination this earldom to the patrimony of that scepter , whose successor was james the first , king of aragon and lord of catalonia , ( for so the records of spain seem to insinuate , his style was used in coins and other inscriptions ) to whom st. lewis king of france , by resignation and surrender released that vassalage and acknowledgement which was due from his predecessors to the diadem of france in the year . and this king james to ballance and poize the merit of so great an obligation by a proportionate compensation , at the same time devested himself by a general release of all his right and title to carcassan , b●ziers , nismes and some other considerable pieces in france , in tim●● of el●er inscription relating as appendages to the revenue of that crown . thus have i represented in landskip , how catalonia became twisted into the demeasne and royaltie of aragon , where it constantly reposed it self untill the year . and then that defection from the crown of spain , which was occasion'd by the invasion of the liberties of the catalans , as was pretended by the spaniard , though those pretences were improv'd , inflam'd and aggravated by the arts and cloudy stratagems of cardinal richelieu , having torn it off from that scepter , it was by the inhabitants modelled and fashioned into the shape of a common-wealth , but with a reservation that it should still be under the patronage and shelter of the crown of france , and in this capacity it remained untill the sucbesseful sword of don john of austria , the marquiss of cerra , and the marquiss of mortara so vigorously asserted the interest of spain , that they wrung all catalonia from the hands of the french ; and although this nation by the concurrent aid of the catalans did retrive puycerda , castiglione , and some other pieces from the spaniard , yet the more principal part of catalonia doe●●et after all these vast concussions acknowledge no other scepter but that which is swayed by the hand of philip the fourth king of spain . aragon . aragon is fettered in on the east with the land of roussillon and the pyrenean hills , on the west the two castiles , on the north navarre , on the south and south-east catalonia and some part of vanlentia . the ancient inhabitants were the celtiberi , who spread themselves over a very considerable part of spain , styled hispania tarraconensis , but originally had their rise and extraction from the celtae an ancient people of france , who being clogg'd and surcharg'd with superfluity of people , advanced over the pyrenean hills , and mingled with the iberi , the old possessors of aragon ; yet there were other inhabitants of lesse importance , as namely , the jaccetani , the lacetani with some part of the editani , and ilergetes or ilurcones , that had their concernment in this province , and thrived under the protection and shadow of the nobler colonies . and in this posture it remained until the carthaginians endevouring to enlarge their territories made it bow to their government ; but here it had not long been resident , when the power of the romans growing paramount to theirs , it was forced to submit to the more predominant strength of that empire , and to their interest it was subservient , untill it was ravished away by the prevailing arms of the goths , whose acquists here attended the fate of spain , and was surrendred to the moors in that publique calamitie which was complicated with their conquest . but about that time when the foundations of the kingdomes of leon and navarre were established , one aznarius a person of an unbroken courage , disdaining any longer to lye panting under that load of slavery which the moors had cast upon him , disengaged himself of the pressure , and by many generous conflicts with the moors , wherein he exhibited many symptomes of an inexpugnable courage , he invested himself in the possession of some lands on the banks of the river of aragon ; but because he found his power was too infirm and crazie to support his new acquists without some collateral supply , he put himself under the protection of the king of navarre about the year . and that monarch , both to excite and cherish so worthy a vertue with some exemplary guerdon , dignified him with the title of earl of aragon ; and from him it devolved by descent to his lineal successor fortunio ximines , in whom the male line determined , so that fortunio the second king of navarre , in right of his mother urraca who was his sister and heir , was entitled to aragon supported by this alliance , annexed this province to navarre ; and from him the clew of descent transmitted it to sancho the great king of navarre , who gave it to his son raymir begotten in unlawful embraces , to the prejudice of his lawful son garcia , who indeed justly merited this disherision , because he had by an unnatural accusation endevoured to blast the reputation of his mother queen elvira wife to his father , by besmearing her with the calumnious aspersion of adultery , from which black tincture she was assoil'd by the noble and generous assistance of raymir above mentioned , who offered to assert her innocence by the solemn decision of a mutual combate with this garcia , which obliged his father king sancho to reflect with so benigne an eye on so great a virtue , that he thought the earldome of aragon a proportionate guerdon to his merit and courage , and translated the coronet of this province into a diadem , that the reward designed him might swell into a more considerable dimension , and with more lustre adorn his temples ; and from this raymir did there issue out a series of kings that was never interrupted , disturb'd , or ravel'd in the clew of descent , but in an even order went along untill the line of succession brought the crown of aragon to empale the temples of ferdinand sirnamed the catholick , who by matching with isabella the heir of castile , linked and incorporated these two kingdoms into one body , whose divided interest being thus combined , hath ever since continued fastned and tied up in so strict a union , that the propriety of both these kingdomes does now support and inforce the grandeur of that diadem which invests the head of philip the fourth the instant monarch of spain . spain . spain in times of an elder complexion was the stage where the scene of much contention and bloudshed was established , the romans attempting with much eagernesse and animosity to ravish away the spanish liberty , and impose that yoke of servitude on their necks they had burdened and loaded the shoulders of other captived nations with , and the spanish inhabitants , again endevouring with a generous vigour to assert their native franchises against their eruptions , and so to secure their liberties , that they might not be offered up an oblation to the rapatious tallons of the roman eagles ; but after many conflicts commenced , and the bloody umpirage of several battels , the spanish body having exhaled its most active and vigorous spirits at those breaches and wounds the successeful swords of the romans had torn and discompos'd the bulk of their empire withall , fell a cheap sacrifice to their successe and ambition , and by a tame submission put on those fetters the hands of these new victors had designed to load them with ; and the romans , the better to manage and fortifie their new acquists with a cautious improvement , scattered several colonies and forts on those several provinces which were circumscribed within the continent of spain ; a subsequent list of which i shall now represent to the reader , as likewise an exact register of those cities and towns which in times of a more modern inscription have like so many phaenix's ascended into shape and order out of their antiquated ruines . a alce a city of the celtiberians , was raz'd by gracchus . abdera now called almeria , and according to the conjectures of some , the place where now the city of vera●s ●s situated . abula , now denominated avila . acci , likely to be guadix in granada . agra , it is under controversie whether it were placed in spain or in africk arcobrica , now styled calataiub , or else separated by no great distance from it . assindon , the place where now medina sidonia or xeres in andalusia is fixed . astapa , a colony of the carthaginians was destroyed by martius , a roman commander under scipio . astigia , reputed to be eccia in andalusia . asturica or astorga , retains its primitive appellation , and continues a bishoprick until this day . ategua , how this city is denominated now is represented by ferrarius , who asserts that it is now called tebalaveia or teiveila in granada . augusta , a name common to many towns in spain , yet when it is simply rehearsed or registred without being yoked with any additional denomination , it is taken to signifie bracar or braga . auriensis , or aquae calidae , now taken for the bishoprick of orenza or orense in gallicia . auringa was an eminent city in andalusia , di●●antled and overturn'd by scipio . a●s●●●a or auxima , at this present styled vic d'ossone , an obscure towne circumscribed within catalonia . auca , an ancient city out of whose ruins burgos is now started . axenium , where that was situated , or what city was extracted from its ashes is uncertain . b barcina or rubicata , now call'd barcelona , the capital city of catalonia . bastitania now known by the name of baza , in the province of murcia . bregetium , in old records denominated likewise lucus astu●um is now the city of ovi●do in leon. biaria , now called barra , is in the kingdome of toledo . bigastrensis civitas , or urbs bistargensis , was a bishoprick situated in the province of carthagena . bigerra , now styled beijar , is contiguous in its position to valentia . britolensis urbs , was a town near tuy in gallicia . c cauca , was a city in the territory of the vacceni , and scituated in portugall , ruined by lucullus the roman general . carmona was a town near cordova , demolished by the goths . cauria , at this day denominated coria , and is placed near merida . caesarea augusta , or salduba , now sarragossa , the metrapolis of arragon . calaguris , now represented under the name of calahorra , in navarre . colimbrica or conimbrica , now coimbra , an eminent university in portugall . carthago nova , or carthagena , which still retains its pristine name and though now fallen under some umbrage and obscurity , was in elder times one of the most eminent cities of spain . castulo , at this day styled castona , and is scituated near sevill . centobrica in celtiberia , was reduced to the roman obedience by metellus , since crumbled into rubbish . complutum , out of w●ose rubbish , the noted and illustrious unive sity of alcala de henarez in c●stile , is now risen forth . conistorgis was a colony in portugall , long since mouldred into a neglected heap . colenda was a city of the celtiberians . corduba gave na●e to the whole province wherein it was placed , and preserves the ancient appellation , and continues a bishoprick untill this day . d dertosa , now called tortosa , and is scituated upon the river of ebro , which separates catalonia and valentia . di●ni●m , now styled denia , is placed in the kingdome of toledo . e civitas egarensis , was the residence of a people call'd egur●● , out of whose ashes sprang a town in toledo , styled medina del rio secco . egedita , now a little ●ourg in portugall called edania . egosa or egiba , is a town which still continues its ancient appellation , and is situated near girona in catalonia . ebora , now is known by the name of euora , and is placed in portugall , and is at this instant ascended to that eminence that it is become the residence of the kings of portugal . elib●●is , was in ages of an higher step , a populous and spatious city , though in times of a lower descent , it shrunk into the narrow bulk of a castle ; but it is conjectur'd that granado , not far distant , owes part of its dimension and grandeur to its superannuated ruins . eliocrota , was scituated betwixt carthagena and cas●ona , but was by the fury and frequent onsets of the vandalls , rendred so inconsiderable an heap , that it is now entombed in its own rubbish . elna , was placed in gallia-narbonensis , and is now shrunk into decay and oblivion . emirita , at this instant called merida , is placed in castile , and hath nothing singular to ennoble it , but onely some venerable ruines . eminium or euminium , is placed in portugal , betwixt coimbra and porto ; but it is now crumbl'd away into such a narrow heap , that it hath at present , found a forgotten sepulcher . ergavica , now a town in aragon , called alcanez . escadia , was a city scituated in lusitania , reduced to ruines by the roman conquests . f flaviobriga , a city in biscay , which mouldering away by the injurious impressions of time , and the assaults of enemies , fell into decay and rubbish . bilbao , the capital city of that province , was extracted from its sepulcher . flavium brigantium now passes under the notion of corvina , in gallicia . flavinavia , was scituated in asturia , and hath now atchieved the name of st. andero . g gades , an ancient town of spain , in more modern orthographie written cadez . gerunda , in catalonia , is now marshal'd under the name of girona . gerabrica or jeraabrica , is placed in portugall , betwixt lisbon and st. irene , but is now by the rude hand of time , crushed into so disordered a masse , that it is removed but a small preferment from the notion of a village . gemella , was a fortresse in portugal , what name it hath since been habituated to , is uncertain . girniza , a city of the vacceans , demolished by titus didius . h hispalis , in andalusia , is now listed under the name of sevil , and is the metrapolis of that track . i iacca was the principal city of the jaccetani , in aragon , and still preserves its name . ilerda , was scituated in catalonia , and is now styled lerida . ilice , in the kingdom of valentia respecting the islands pitieuses , and adopted that eminent bay call'd sinus ilicitanus into its own sirname , but where this town or the rags and skeleton of it , have found their enterment , no beam extracted from publique record , can direct to a discovery . ilipa was a city scituated in the straight of boetica , it is supposed to be niebla in portugall . illiturgis , was scituated in andalusia , and was put into flame and ashes by scipio . julio briga , an antiquated colony , is now logrogno in aragon . illiberis , was a city in roussillon , divided by no great distance from the pyrenean hills , out of whose rubbish coliure or colibre , a city now extant , had its original institution . civitas imotinensis , is by some conjectures now asserted to be montanches not far distant from merida . imopyreneus or rhoda is at this day called roses and is a city of eminence in catalonia , it was built by the rhodians . empuria urbs impuritana or emporitana , though languish'd into decay hath from its skeleton afforded a town call'd empuria now plac'd in catalonia . julia libica is now that city we stile sardona or cardona , a city existent in catalonia , or as some conjecture linca . jugastria or juncaria was scituated in catalonia and is in more modern appellation stil'd junquera . intercatia was plac'd amongst the astures , but what denomination it hath acquir'd now no record does exhibit . iria flavia is at this instant stil'd padron and hath its scituation near terrae finis in gallicia . italica an ancient city in andaluzia , is now entomb'd in its own ruines and wild dispersion . l lambria was no far distance divided from the margent of the river of limia in portugall , but what name it hath obtained now is incertain . lacobrica there were two towns which bore this denomination , the one at cape st. vincent , the second near palenza it is now conjectur'd to be lagos . lameca now passes under the denomination of lamega , and is a noted city in portugall . luci tarum is now stil'd st. lucar di barameda in andalusia . lancia was in elder times the metrapolis of asturia , though now wholly devested both of bulk and beauty . laurona was an ancient city made an heap of flame and ruines by sertorius even in the presence of pompey . legio is at this instant stil'd leon , and is the capital city of that province . lucia or urbs lucensis was an ancient colony now known by the name of lugo in gallicia . m malaca at present called malaga , one of the most eminent cities of the kingdome of granada . mentesa now monteio or else jaen in andalusia . munda was a city of the vacceans eminent for the battle between the two pompeys and caesar , it is now obscure in its own ruines unlesse ronda be started from it . n novi●m in gallicia is now faln under the name of noya . numantia after a tough seige buryed in its own ruines , by scipio . o oboliola was a city upon the verge of portugal , which was demolished and destroyed by quintus fabius maximus servilianus in his war commenc'd against viriatus . occi or acci is now involved in guadix , scituated in valentia . ocilis or ocelona was a city near merida , now so wrap'd up in its own disordred and confused dispersions that it its difficult to trace out its rubbish even amidst its ruines . olisipo now known by the name of lisbon the metrapolis of portugal . orcelis whose bishop was at the councell of arles , it was fixed in valentia . it is now denominated origu●la . or●tana now stil'd calatrava , the seminary of knights of that order , was in the kingdome of toledo . osca that is huesea in aragon a bishoprick and a university . ossobona was in algarbe not far divided from faro which by the moors was named exuba . oxovia in the kingdome of toledo stil'd by plyny uxania at this instant it is known by the appellation of osona , and is honoured by being the see of bishop . oxthraca a city of eminent note in the ancient lusitania destroyed by atilius or acilius balbus one of the roman commanders . p pax augusta an eminent roman colony in extremadura now still'd badaisos and by the moors in elder times named baxang● . palentia or palantia in the kingdom of toledo , continues listed under that name and remains a bishoprick at this day . pampelona continues still espoused to its ancient name , and is at this instant the capitall city of navarre . placentia is situated in castile and preserves its ancient denomination at this instant . porto or portogallo , is placed in lusitania , and is that city which at present is nam'd portoport . s saguntum was destroyed by hannibal out of whose ashes morviedro in valentia is now descended . sanuessa is now sanguessa in navarre . salmantica or elmantica is circumscribed within the limits of castile , and hath now assumed the denomination of salamanca , being both a bishoprick , and an eminent university . segobia or secobia is scituated likewise in castile , and with a small variation from the ancient name is now stil'd segovia . segobrica is the town called segorbia in aragon . seguntia or saguntia , now named siguenza is placed between castile and aragon , and is made eminent by being the see of a bishop . senga in aragon , hath now contracted the name of balbastro . segissama hath now atcheived the name of tordede●illas . sediga was a noted city of the arevaces , and was extinguish'd and dismantel'd in the conflicts and contentions between spain and the romans . setabis is the town xat●va now a limb of the kingdom of aragon . septimantia now stil'd simanca , is a town which is scituated in castile .. scalabis was an eminent roman colony in portugall , how it is stil'd now is incertain . sarabris or sentilla was scituated in castile , and is now marshall'd under the name of zamora or toro . sitia was erected in the province of corduba , but what name it hath assumed at this instant no record does discover . sitale o● sitiale was established in the track of andalusia , what denomination it hath now put on we cannot at present trace out . t tarracona was scituated in catalonia , and at present is stil'd tarragona , being an arch-bishops seat and the second city for eminence and populacy in that province . talabriga hath now obtained the appellation of talavera and is circumscribed in portugall . tartessus , now stil'd carteia , is scituated in andaluzia , and gave the name to the whole track . trebia and tribola were two eminent cities in castile and the old lusitania both cast into a heap of rubbish in the wars of the romans waged with the people of that province . thermissa was in times of an elder complexion a city of the vacceans or arevaces , and was demolished by the consull titus didius . thermantia was an ancient city of spain not far distant from numantia now by the injuries of time shrunk into decay and oblivion , only it is supposed nuestra sennora de tiermas in aragon is now extracted from its tomb. toletum is that eminent city , we now stile toledo being an archbishoprick and the metropolis of castile . turiasso now the town tarrasso which had its position near the limits of navarr . tucca was scituated in betica near castulo , what name is fix'd upon it now i cannot discover . tuda or tyda is now adopted into the name of tuy in gallicia and is adorn'd with the title of a bishop . tullica was placed in cantabria or biscay , but what denomination it hath borrowed since no beam of antiquity does exhibit to us . turris julia is now compacted into the more modern name of trugillo in portugall . v valentia or valence , is at this instant an eminent arch-bishoprick ▪ and affords a name to the whole province where it is scituated , preserving both its name and antiquity . valeria , had its first erection in the province of arragon , and hath at this instant got the appellation of co●cia or cuenca . vasco baso , was an eminent city of the vascones now languished into an obscure town in navarre , call'd basconton . veila , was an ancient city in cantabria , now languished into neglected ruines . vesci , is now stiled viseo , and is a noted town in portugall . urci , was an ancient roman colony , not far removed from almeria in castile , now shrunk by decay into an inconsiderable obscurity . urgela , called likewise bergidum , is now urgel , a city , and a bishops see in catalonia . urbicua , a town of the celtiberians , put into ruines by q. fulvius flaccus , a roman commander . ucubis , a town in farther spain , now entombed not only in its own rubbish , but in oblivion likewise ; onely it is conjectured ucubi in granada , is a child of its production . uxama , an ancient colony of the romans , is fallen into so obscure a decay that it hath lost both its name and the place of its abode , so that it is now extant only in record and annals . vellica , was in navarre , whose dispersed rubbish was in the year . by sancho the fourth , king of navarre , collected into a city , whose denomination in memory of some successe upon its first institution was victoria . viminacium , was placed in castile , but what town is now descended from its ruins , the testimony of history does not exhibit to us . virovesca in old castile , hath now put on the name of briviesca , or birviesca . voluce , or veluca , hath from its ashes given us cannatanazor , now in valentia , urso , hath f●om its ruins been productive of ossuna , now plac'd in andalusia . there are other ancient towns in spain , and its circumabient provinces , which are registered in mela , strabo , ptolomie , pliny and antoninus ; which because they have put on other names , i shall represent the first as they are recorded in those venerable authours , and exhibit the last as they lie enroll'd in the spanish histories ; as namely , a asta , in pliny is now xeres , in the kingdome of granada . augusta forma , mentioned by the former authour , is now eccia in andalusia . aquae calidae , enrolled in the pages of ptolomie , is now oreus or orenza , in gallicia . aspavia by corduba , mentioned by ptolomy , is stil'd espeio . alba in antonnius , is now viana in navarre , which formerly afforded a title to the king of navarr's eldest son , who was stil'd prince of viana . avia or livia , register'd likewise by antoninus , is now villalon in castile . alaba in celtiberia or biscay , call'd so by ptolomy , hath now in more modern appellation assum'd the name of alava . b balaria in antoninus , hath now assumed the name of bara or vera , and is fixed in castile . baetulo or betullo styled so by mela is now named badelona . c certima in ptolemy is now carthama in castile . caetobrix or cetobrica , recorded by pliny and antoninus , is now either scituated in portugall , or else almadas on the mouth of the tagus . calpe or heraclia in antoninus , is now gibraltar in andalusia . carmela in antoninus is now carmon in portugall . cex mentioned in ptolomy , and sexicanum registred in antoninus , is now velez malaga , in the province of granada . condabora in ptolomy is now siguenza in castile . cecillia gemellina in antoninus , is now st. mary of guadalupe . clunia remembred by pliny and livy , was a colony of the arevaces , and is now styled corunna del conde , or cividad del castro , both scituated in castile . cauca registred by ptolomy , is now that coca which is scituated in old castile . contestania mentioned by ptolomy and clusius , is now shrunk into concentayna in valentia . e elna in roussillon , mentioned by antoninus , was erected by the celtae , and still deserves its ancient denomination . g gracu●is was a colony in hispania baetica , instituted by gracchus , whose memory is preserved in the pages of ptolomy and antoninus , and is now called agreda , being seated in castile . i i lorci recorded by pl●ny , is now that town we call lorca in murcia . illusias or illusia , so it is written in ptolomy , is now d●nominated ●ucena , and is placed in valentia . illarco scituated in new castile , and styled so by pliny , hath now obtained the name of alarco . illuro or diluron , styled so in the registers of ptolomy , is now called alora , being a village in catalonia . ilarcuris , named so by ptolomy , is placed on the margin of new-castile , and is now called caros de los infantes ildum . hath obtained that name in the itinerary of antoninus , and was seated in valentia , where it is now known by the name of salsadella . l lacuris or larcuris , whose remembrance is treasured up in ptolomy , and surita is circumscribed within castile , and is now styled loquera or alarcos . lebrisia in ptolomy , hath now from its ruines given us nebrissa in andaluzia . m mantua whose appellation survives amongst the leaves of ptolomy , is now supposed to be madrid in castile , the eminent residence of the king of spain . marcia offered up to our remembrance by pliny and strabo , is now marchena in andaluzia . margis , preserved from oblivion by the industry of ptolomy , is now conjectured to be maxacra in granada . menralia , whose name is enrolled in the volume of the abovesaid author , is now the eminent city of murcia . n norba caesarea , though ●●bverted and demolished by petreius and afranius , two of pompey's commanders , yet it lives still in the volumes of ptolomy , and antoninus , & hath contributed a being to alcantara in portugal . nemetobriga or nemetobrica , a ●own plac●d by ptolomy in old casti●e , is now called val●de nebro . nebrissa so styled by ptolomy , but called veneria in the records of pliny , hath now contracted the appellation o● ●ebrixa . naebis is placed by ●●ra●o neer viana in portugal , and is now called neiva . nagara is by ptolomy represented to be a town of hispania tarraconensis , and hath acquired the name of naira . p pinta registred by ptolomy , hath now transplanted its name into valladolid . porta augusta is by ptolomy likewise asserted to be a town of hispania or old caestile , and hath now purchased the modern name of torquemada . portus calensis was seated in portugal , and is named now porto port. r ruseino or ruscino , mentioned by pliny , is conjectured by some to be the castle of roussillon , and by others to be perpignan in that county . rusticiana was placed by the itinerary of antoninus in old castile , and is now as some contend named castileo though others assert cividad roderigo , was extracted originally out of its ruines . s sacili or sacilis , affirmed by the registers of pliny and ptolomy , to have been a town of hispania baetica , is now known by the name of alcorrucen in granada . salaria in ptolomy's time , hath from its remains afforded siruela in new castile or as some from very ancient records do assert , another town styl'd cazorlo . salsulae in roussillon nominated so by stra●o , is now faln under the denomination of salses , selsona , or celsona , for so they are promiscuously written in ptolomy & other venerable monuments of antiquity , hath from its ashes contributed a new production to salsona in catalonia . segisama mentioned by ptolomy and orosius , is now involved in veyzama seated in biscay . segortia lacta or lata , which owes for its remembrance to ptolomy , is now wrapped up in sepulveda , scituated in castile . segobriga , whose name occurs in strabo and pliny , hath now assumed another appellation , and is styled cabezza del griego , being scituated in valentia . t tucci denominated likewise augusta gemella , and gemella tuccitana , as the pages of pliny and ptolomy do abundantly testifie , is now shrunk into a little town in andaluzia called martos . v virgao , whose memory is improved by the pen of pliny , is now called vera in granada . z zacantha was an ancient city in spain , entombed in its own ruines , by the successeful fury of hanniball . there were other ancient towns wrapped up within the limits of the continent of spain and portugal ; as namely al●hea , aronda , athanasia , arsa , anitorgis , cusibis , cunes , contrebia , evandria , hippo , ituca , and serezola , which often occur in the annalls of spain , which were so dismantled and defaced in the wars commenced by the romans with the carthaginians , and the native inhabitants of spain , and there memory now entombed in such inhospitable ruines , that it is a work of more perplexed difficulty to trace out their fragments and remains , which now lye treasured up in untractable rubbish , then it was for the roman generals first to subdue them . having taken a prospect of the continent of spain , let us now lanch out into the ocean , and make a reflection on that interest or concernment , the spanish scepter is entituled to , either in africa , asia or america ; and the first of these new acquists wh●ch does obviate our discovery are the canaries , which are in number seven , and have contracted this denomination from canaria the principall island . in ancient records they are adorned with the epithete of the fortunate islands ; and in the arithmetick of pliny and ptolomy are computed but six , but though they consent in their number they disagree in their names . by pliny they are said to be ombrio , junonia major , junonia minor , capraria , nivaria , and canaria : but upon ptolomies catalogue and account they are thus reckoned , aprositus , hera or junonia , pluitania , casperia , canaria and pincuria . but more modern discoveries h●ving rectifyed former surveys , have improved the account to seven , now better known by the new names of canaria , palma , teneriffa , gomero , ferrò , lanserotte , and fuerte ventura . the ancient inhabitants of these islands were the guanches , who were ( as ancient relations discover to us ) both rude and barbarously ignorant , for their food was raw flesh , for want either of the use or knowledge of fire ; their earth they turned up with the horns of oxen , being destitute of ploughs or instruments of iron ; their beards they shaved with a sharp flint , and transmitted the care of their children to the nursery of goats . the slaughter of beasts was in their estimate the most ●ordid and de●picable employment , and therefore was impos'd on prisoners and persons devoted and conden ned to the ignominy of a common execution , who being the common slaughtermen , were to live separated from publique intercourse and society ; yet notwithstanding this barbarity , the light of nature , though it shined in them with a faint and sickly beam , yet was it not so extinguished but that it still did send forth those rayes , which did guide them to resign themselves up to a kingly government ; for each island was rul'd by a single person , whose power and authority held some proportion and analogy to the rule and dominion of a king : but yet was their government not so purely regall , but that it was retrenched with the dictates and prescriptions of a comm●n councell collected out of all the islands , and consisting of an . who did not onely guide in civill matters , but direct and steer in sacred also , the people being by them conducted both in their interest of state and that of conscience , and obeyed their prescripts , which had an aspect on their faith and worship , as well as an influence on their civill obedience . the knowledge of these islands being lost with the roman empire , they lay conce●led untill about the year . when an english , or as some affirm , a french ship , did in the disorder of a tempest fall upon them . notice thereof being given to alfonso the fourth king of portugall , lewis de ordo was by that prince designed to the conquest of them , who being repulsed at gomera anno . abandoned the enterprise , and only left some foundation for the portuguese to establish a future claim upon . but the news of this new discovery successively extending it self to the court of rome , pope clement the sixth esteemed it convenient by a new donation , to transmit the right and title of them to prince lewis , son to alfonso de la cerda , the indisputable heir of castile ; but nothing being effected by lewis abovesaid in relation to the popes concession , some adventurers of biscay about the year . furnishing out some ships from sevill to recruit their ebbing fortunes at sea , fell amongst these islands , and having observed the number , greatnesse and scituation of them , after their pillaging of lanserote , returned into spain with a considerable cargo of wax , hides , and other commodities , which did ennoble the riches and fertility of these islands , and did so excite the appetite of henry , at that instant king of castile , that for the future he did resolve toinvest himself in the possession of them ; but though his design was by death made abortive , yet katharine his queen dowager during the minority of her son king john the second , pursued the enterprize , and employed john de betancourt an active daring frenchman in the conquest of them ( with a condition annexed to hold them under the soveraignty of the crown of spain ) and he so well managed the undertaking that four of them were subdued , but attempting to attaque the remainder , he perished in the action . in the year . young betancourt the son finding his power not proportionate to the conquest and reduction of canaria the chief island , whither most of the islanders had retired for sanctuary , fortified himself in lanserote and assumed the title of king , which he transmitted to one menault , under whose rule , these islands were reduced to the knowledge of christianity , having a sea episcopall established in the isle of lanserote . but this new commander having ravel'd and disordered the government of these islands by many irregular excesses , by the clamorous importunity of the inhabitants in the court of castile , pedro barva de campos with three ships of war was employed against him , with whom menault abovesaid being unable to grapple , he with the approbation of the crown of castile , conveyed his interest in these islands to fernando perez a knight of vast wealth in sevill ; from whom the title and propriety streamed down to his successors , but the posterity of this perez were entitled to the possession of the four lesser islands only , for canaria it self , teneriffa and la palma , continued under the scepter of their own kings , and so remained untill the rule of ferdinand the catholick ; who in the year . under the conduct of alfonso de muxica and pedro de vera two eminent and prosperous leaders , obtained the empire and dominion of them , and translated the episcopall see from lanserote to canaria . but as these islands before this totall conquest , were by separation broken into two estates , so do they remain at this day , though now one be subordinate to the other , for gomera , lanserote , and hierra , or ferro , are resident in private hands , but canaria ( where the prime seat of justice is fixed , to which all the residue resort as their occasions oblige them ) palma , teneriffa , and fuerte ventura , are at this instant a limb of that demeasne which makes up the patrimony of the crown of spain . america is the next subject of our discourse , which if you measure it by parts and proportions , as to the principal territory of it both for wealth and dimension , it is now subservient to the dominion of the crown of spain . i shall now represent the first discovery of those parts in the west-indies , that are now interwoven with the demeasne of that crown ; and first cuba exacts our consideration . it was one of the first islands which was discovered by columbus , who having almost tyred and tortured the expectation of the spaniards with increasing hopes , first fell upon guahanani by florida one of the lucaios , to which he gave the name of st. saviours ; and from thence ●ailed to baracoa on the north of the island , which he styled fernandina in honour of ferainand the catholique king of castile and arragon . the inhabitants he found rude and ignorant , not knowing the use of money , nor understanding the nice intrigues of meum and tuum , being tenants in common to those blessings the earth by a cheap and easie birth produced , and coheirs of nature : after this about the year . this island was reviewed by don diego de valasques , by whose prudent conduct the spaniards got such footing in it , and made that footing good by so many colonies , that their title and possession was beyond dispute , and so continues until this day . hispaniola was fir●t discovered by columbus , being conducted hither by some of the natives of cuba , and having by his civil compliance endeared the affections of the islanders , he obtained license of one of the kings or caciques to erect a fortresse here , which he stiled natividad , which he garrison'd with . spaniards , who upon his departure were butchered by the per●idious natives , and the fort dismantled . but on his return , being better furnished for a second plantation , he erected the town isabella ( stiled so in honour of isabella queen of castile ) near the mines of cibao ; which afterwards was also abandoned and the colony transplanted to st. domingo , which was first built by bartholomew columbus , anno . on the east bank of the ozama ; and afterwards in the year . removed by nicholas de obando then governour of the island , to the opposite shore . after this the spaniards so secured this island with surplusage of colonies , and so immur'd and chain'd it up with fortifications , that notwithstanding the various attempts of forreigners , it is still wrapp'd in the patrimony of the crown of spain . porto rico was first touched upon by christopher columbus in his second voyage , in the year . but being deserted by him , it was first planted and inhabited by john ponce de leon in the year . who ▪ having by a fair deportment obliged aiguabana the chief prince thereof , established a colony of spaniards in the north part of the island , called caparra ; from whence some ten years after , the colony was transplanted to guarica ; and from thence drawn off to st. germans ; nor did it fixe here , for it was carried away to porto rico , now become the chief town , placed in a little island , on the north-side the greater , which having been fortified with two castles , by the command and influence of philip the first , anno . it ever since maugre the assaults and saccage of the english , hath been rolled up in the income of the king of spain . jamaica lieth on the south of cuba , from which it is divided by a distance of fifteen leagues . it was discovered in the second voyage of columbus , who not only entituled the island st. jago , but likewise instituted here a spanish colony , which he stiled st. jago de la vega , which in some years after was enhaunsed to a higher reputation and estimate , when it gave the title of dukes to christopher columbus , and his brother bartholomew . but in ages subsequent to this , the possession of this island was not so secur'd to the spaniard , but that it was invaded and conquered in the year , by sir anthony shirley ; but being again abandoned , it remained under the spanish obedience ; until late years , it was again subdued and quitted by capt. jackson , so that it again return'd to confesse the interest of the spanish scepter , and continued subservient to that dominion , untill lately it was snatched away by the english , under the command and conduct of collonel doiley . margarita and cubagna are two little islands opposite to cumana . the first of which was discovered by columbus in his third voyage , which was about the year . and not long after cubagna , where the spaniards erected a colony , which they adopted into the name of new-cadiz● but in the year . the convent of franciscans on the opposite shore being destroyed by the savages of cumana , infused so much terrour and astonishment into the spaniards , that they abandoned the island , and fled to hispaniola ; but were commanded back again by the council there under the command of james de castellon , by whom the town was adorned with more beauty , and improved to more strength than it enjoyed since the first plantation . both these islands were under a signal repute , and much frequented , whilest the charms & magick of the pearl-fishing did invite the spaniards hither ; but that being decayed , the flourishing condition of these two islands is shrunk into neglect , and languished away with it ; and the mid-land parts of these two islands being destitute of grasse and water , and by consequence , of cattle , and there being nothing kept up in reserve which might attract either new resort or commerce , they quickly grew over-grown with solitude and desolation ; so that these two islands have been compar'd to some profuse gallants , who spend all upon the back , but nothing upon the belly , having their out-sides laced with pearl , but within nothing but want and hunger . the spanish interest on the continent of america . paria is the first which exacts our notice . it is bounded on the east with guiana , and the islands in the mouth of the river of orenoque , on the west with the gulfe or bay of venezuela , and part of the new realm of granada , on the north with the atlantick ocean , or mare del noort ; the countries on the south being hitherto not discovered . it is called paria from its eminent situation , paria in the american dialect importing high hills or mountains , ( for here begins that chain of hills which are from thence continued to the straights of magellan for the distance of . miles ) cumana , and venezuela are limbs or provinces of this paria . cumana hath on the east the gulf of paria , and the river of orenoque , on the west venezuela , on the north and south it is circumscribed as before . it was first discovered in the third voyage of columbus , but the possession was first taken by two dominicans , who out of a zeal to disperse the mists of infidelity in paria , by the irradiation of the gospel , established a little cell in the place , where after in the year . the borough of cumana was erected ; and certainly their religious intentions had been reduced to perfection , had not the avarice and treachery of some spaniards subverted it , who having brought the chief of one of their tribes with his wife and train into captivity , so enraged the natives , that nothing but the death of the two monks could expiate this affront ; but their death was recompensed with revenge by alfonso de oieda in the year . but he himself not long after fell a sacrifice to the fury of the savages ; and with him perished two convents of dominican and franciscan friers , which had been established here in the year . to repair these prejudices , and peece up the colony , a second supply is employed hither under the conduct of gonsalvo de ocampo , who beheads one of their kings , hangs some of the people and depopulates the country . but this force being likewise dissipated and broken , diego de castellon is commanded by the council resident in hispaniola , to secure the possession of the country ; by whom the castle first , and secondly the borough of cumana was both built and planted . afterwards the castle st. michael de neueri was erected by hierome de ortal , which fo●tifications and strengths have so asserted the interest of the spaniard in this province , that it is yet under the signory & scepter of that monarch . venezuela ▪ the second province of paria , is shut in on the east with cumana , and on the west it is chained in with the bay of venezuela , the lake of maracaybo , and the new realm of granada . it was first discovered by columbus , but first discoveries being like the designs of chymists in their quest of ●old , much in projection but little in perfection ; it was afterwards perfected and brought to some accomplishment by alfonso de oieda , who having found a borough of savages to which there was no passage feasible but by a boat , being circumscribed with waters , he stiled it venezuela , the word importing as much as little venice . afterwards john de anpuez was in the year . by the council of hispaniola employed to secure this province thus discovered , with forts and colonies , to the dominion of the the crown of spain ; and thus it remained untill charles the fifth , being obliged by his necessities , had taken up vast sums of money of the velsers , a wealthy family of augspurg , mortgaged this province to them as their security untill they were reimburs'd , and by them was ambrose alfinger employed with foot and . horse , to take possession ; but he and his sucessors ▪ filling the whole country with rapine and devastation , the council of domingo being zealous in the reduction of this province to perfect obedience and civility , designed one john de caravayall in the year . for that employment , who having out-vied his predecessor in all excesse and disorder , was supplanted and outed by one john pe●ez de tolosa , sent over likewise by the council of hispaniola , by whose prudence and conduct this province was brought to conform to order and government . in the year . the negroe , being transported out of africk in great multitudes into this province , endevoured a mutiny , but their treasonable designs being discovered , they were for the most part offered up to the sword of justice ; after these distempers and concussions the country was in short time so thorowly planted , and the natives in their several tribes so exemplarily encouraged by exempting them from taxes and other pressures , that peace , plenty , and contentment have ever since waited upon this province , under the government of the king of spain . guiana is bounded on the east with the main atlantick ocean , on the west it is hem'd in with the mountains of peru , or rather some undiscovered countries interposed betwixt them ; on the north with the river of orenoque , and on the south with that of the amazons ; it is assirmed by authors of approved esteem that it is called wiana from the river wia , and by the dutch who cannot melt the w into a , in their dialect guiana , the g. being more naturally proportioned and shaped to the genius of their pro●●nciation . rio●e ●as amazones , called likewise orellana , was first discovered by orellana lieutenant to gonzales pizarro , from whom it extracted its name : this pizarro moved with the noise of some rich countries beyond the andes , he collected a considerable force and passed those mountains ( where being necessitated by the want of provisions ( they framed a boat ▪ and employed orellana abovesaid to bring in provisions ; but the river he engaged in was of that course , that being debarr'd of return , he obey'd his fate , and follow'd the stream from the beginning of january to the end of august . and at last descended into the sea , and arriving in the isle of cubagna sailed into spain ; in his passage some masculine women shewed themselves active to oppose his landing , inter-mixt with men , and in some places he found men with long hair like women ; either of which relations might foment that report which affirmed these parts to be held by amazons . but to return , in the year . he obtained a commission from the court of spain for the conquest of these countries , and immediately undertook the employment ; but though he found one of the mouthes of the river , yet he could never attaque that channel , though often attempted , which conducted him before to the sea. this ill successe , waited on with the losse of his fame and fortune , filled him with that regret and discomposure , that the lord of sorrow sunk him into his sepulchre , having bequeathed to posterity the honour of the first discovery . this enterprize was prosecuted with the same fruitlesse successe , by one pedro de orsna in the year . since which the spanish hopes being blasted with these discouragements , they have abandoned the design and given it over . the coast and river of orenoque with the several nations that dwell on the margin and fringes of it , as namely , the capuri , and macureos , with the tivitivas , assawy , saymae , wikeri , aroras , and ar●ac● , were first discovered by diego de ordas , anno do● . . furnished with a patent for the conquest of this track , by charles the fifth , but missing the true channel , and being not able to level those difficulties which did intercept his design , he returned into spain , effecting nothing , but opening the way to others . followed herein by hierome de ortal , anno . and after anno . by herrera , who advanced his progresse farther then the others , and finally by gonsalvo ximenes de quesada : and antonio berreo , with more auspicious fortune waiting upon their designs , who commencing their journy from the new realm of granada in the search of guiana , sell casually into this great river , as orellana did before into that of the amazons . but yet not perfectly discovered untill the year . in which sir walter raleigh having taken prisoner this antonio berreo , and taking an account of him of his expedition , resolved upon the undertaking , and searched so far into the country , by the course and conduct of this river , that some have since imposed the name of raliana upon it . the businesse next year was prosecuted by capt. lawrence ke●is , who by the influence and employment of sir walter raleigh embarqued himself in that attempt , but the spaniard , having unravel'd his design , dispersed and scattered the natives which favored the english , and made good their interest here with such vigorous opposition , that he was forced to return without any other effect of his journy then the finding out the true mouth of the river of orenoque , which owes it self to his discovery . after this the spaniards the more to secure their concernment here , erected st. thome , situate on the main channel of the river , a town consisting in the bulk of it but of . houses , stretched out in extent ( though meanly built ) the distance of half a mile , which in the year . was sack'd by sir walter raleigh , not without the losse of his son and a considerable part of his forces , who at his return into england , to expiate this affront offered to the spaniurd , was excuted upon a former attainder octob. . . though some lawyers of that age did assert , that the investing him by commission with the power of general , did absolve him from all former guilt of high treason , upon whose tomb stone the character dropped upon his memory by the learned cambde● in his annals may be endorsed as an eternal epitaph ; vir erat nunquam sat is laudato studio , & regiones remot as detegendi , & navalem gloriam promovendi : and so having opened the sepulchre of this great man , i again close it up and leave him in his bed of rest , and proceed . in the year . the town of st. thome above-mentioned was again invaded and ransacked by the hollander , but being abandoned not long after , it was repossessed by the spaniard , and remains in obedience with the country adjacent at this instant under the crown of spain , there is an island at the mouth of the river of orenoque called trinidado , or insula trinitatis , being situated opposite to paria , from which it is divided by a frith or straight by columbus , who in his third voyage anno . first discovered this island called boca del drago , or the dragons mouth , from the difficulty and danger of the passage of it , the frith or straight is but three miles over , yet made more narrow by the interposition of four or five little islands , which the sea breaks thorough with great impetuousnesse , leaving only two entrances for shipping into the gulf , called the gulf of paria . there is nothing more memorable in the story and fortunes of this island , but that it abounds with maiz , sugar-canes , cotten-wooll , excellent tobacco , sufficiencie of fruit and cattel for the use of the natives , and some veins of gold and other metals , as likewise such abundance of pitch that innumerable ships might be laden with it , but that it is conceived to be unfit for the calking of ships , because it ●oftens in the sun : the principal town of the island is joseph's , patch'd up of forty houses , yet the spanish governour who hath here his residence , besides this island , stretches his command ( as is intimated by his titles ) over the two provinces of el dorado and guiana . paraguay is bounded on the south with magellanica , on the east with the main atlantick , on the north with brasil , on the west it is shut in with some unknown countries that interpose between it and chile . it hath borrowed this appellation from paraguay one of the greatest rivers in the world which runneth through this province , which with the adjacent country is by the spaniards christned by the name of rio de plata , from the great abundance of silver they expected from it . it is divided into the three provinces of rio de plata , tucuman , and s. crux de sierra . the soil is productive of maiz , wine , sugar-canes , and other american fruits ; blest with an increase of cattel , especially of kine and horses brought out of spain , multiplying here to a strange improvement : not unfurnished of mines of brasse and iron , some veins of gold and silver , and great plenty of amethists . it contains likewise great plenty of stags , and of monkeys incredible numbers ; not to say any thing of lions , tygers , and other such destructive animals , a few of this noxious register being thought too many . these provinces were first discover'd by john diaz de solis , anno . afterwards the discovery was reduced to a more eminent perfection by a farther prosecution by sebastian cabot , in the year . but wanting that happy conclusion that a design of this nature did seem to exact , its discovery was reassum'd by pedro de mendosa in the year . but still his undertakings were not so matur'd and digested but that they were left to be brought to a final period by alvarez nonnez , who in the year . having fully perfected the discovery and conquest of these territories , hath left the possession ever since to be enjoyed by the succeeding kings of spain . chile is shut in on the north with the desart of alacama extended . leagues in length , interposing betwixt it and peru , on the west with mare del zur , on the south with the straights of magellan , and on the east as far as to rio de la plata , with the main atlantick ocean . the soile hereof towards the midland is mountainous and unfruitfull , towards the sea-side levell and fertile , made so by rivers distilling from the mountains , productive of maiz , wheat , and excellent pasturage , not defective in plenty of gold , abundance of hony , store of cattel , and wine enough for the use of the people ; the vines and all other plants which are transported hither out of spain , enriching the industry of the inhabitants with a thriving and successful fertility . the people are of a white complexion , but shaggy hair'd like the rest of the savages , of a tall and gigantick stature , well conditioned and qualified unlesse provoked , they are armed with bows and arrows , and are attired with the skins of beasts , the climate exacting it ; this country being called chile from the word chill , which in more tongues than ours , doth signifie cold ; indeed the air of this territory is so exposed to the violence of frosts , that many times both horses and men are congealed , and hardned like a peice of marble . it is divided into chile , properly so called , and magellanica . the first province was discovered by almagro de alvarado , but conquered by baldivia , anno . and he with the concurrent assistance of garcias de mendoza , the more to secure the spanish acquists in this track , about the year . strewed it with the colonies of serena , st. jago delos confines , imperiale ( so stiled by the spaniards , because they found on the dores of some houses an eagle insculped in wood , the relique perchance of some german ship-wrack ) villa rica , baldivia osor●o , castro , st. juan de la frontera , and other colonies ; and though the savages ( worried by some affronts of the spaniards ) flew to arms , and not only in a successful encounter slew baldivia , but about the years . and . being better furnished with military provisions , sacked the town of baldivia , forced imperial● to surrender without conditions , and reduced osorno by famine , yet in times subsequent to this , the spaniards so vindicated their interest here , that a considerable part of this province is yet held in obedience to the spanish scepter . magellanica is a province which for the most part is not onely interlaced and bunch'd out with mountains , but condemned to cold and barrennesse , abounding with men of a huge proportion and gigantick stature . it was stiled so from the dangerous gulf or straight which washes the south parts of it , and was discovered by ferdinand magellan . but the first discovery being imperfect , it was endevoured to be improved by don pedro de sarmiento , who entered the gulf . and planted two colonies on the most convenient parts of that straight which he named nombre de jesus , and cividad del roy philip , which he resolv'd to fortifie and store with canon . but winter approaching , he left his men , promising to supply them upon his return with a recruit of necessary provisions to inforce their increasing hopes ; but after struggling with many storms , shipwrecks , and disappointments , his unhappy fate cast him into captivity under sir walter raleigh , so that his two plantations shrunk into ruine , the men either mouldering away with diseases , or else being destroyed by the savages ; so that the design of planting this province hath ever since been abandoned . peru is bounded on the fast with that vast chain of mountains they call the andes on the west with mare del zur , on the north with some part of the realm of new granada , on the south with chile . it hath extracted its name from the river peru , which being one of the first of note the spaniards met with in their pursuit of this country , invited them to impose this name upon the whole . it is divided into the plains , the mountainous countryes , and the andes ; all of so different a nature one from the other , as if they were far distant , both in sight and soile ; the plains extended on the sea-shore are in all places levell without hills , the andes a continual ridge of hills without any vallies , the hill-countryes are composed of both . in the plains it seldom raines ; on the andes almost continually ; on the hill countries rain distils from september to april , and then is ushered in a constant fair weather . in the hill countries the summer begins in april and concludes in september . in the plaines their summer commences from october and determines in aprill . the andes are clothed with woods and forrests , but the hill-countries are bare and naked ; the plains though refreshed with store of rivers , are yet dry , barren and sandy . in some parts of the hill-countries though there is a destitution of rivers and rain but seldome , there is a copious production of roots , maiz-fruit , and all other necessaries : in the plaines there never blows any but the southern wind , though it is the harbinger to no rain ; in the hills the winds breath from every quarter and coast , and of every nature , some ushering in raine , some snow , some claps of thunder , and some again being the parent of fair weather . as for the country it self though it be productive of a narrow increase of wheat , yet is it of a large plenty of roots ( the principal food of the inhabitants ) some proportion of maiz , and plenty of cocas , the leaves whereof being dried and formed into lozenges , are exceeding useful in a journey , for melting in the mouth they appease both hunger and thirst , and preserve a man in his strength , and his spirits in vigor ; and though the cattel of europe brought hither in a considerable quantity , are not multiplyed to any great increase , yet is that defect supplied by beasts called vicagues , in resemblance somewhat like a wilde goat , which in infinite numbers graze in their woods and pastures ; and great store of sheep by the natives called pacos , profitable for fleece and burden , as big as a small breed of horses , but in relish as pleasing as our mutton , and no lesse conducing to nutriment . a creature so well acquainted with his own abilities , that when he is over-pressed with a burden , no force or violence shall engage him to move forward untill his load be abated ; and of so cheap a diet , that very litle suffices him , passing sometimes for the continuance of three dayes without any water . nor is the peruvian fig-tree to be forgoten , the north-part of which respecting the mountains produces its fruits in summer onely ; the southern part having an aspect upon the sea , is fruitful onely in winter : and secondly that beast called the huanacu , exacts our remembrance , of that regard to their females that the males stand sentinel on the hills , whilest they are feeding in the vallies , and if any men approach , they by some clamorous notice intimate to them the invasion , and if they are pursued they descend to bring up the rear , that by interposing their own bodies , they may secure their retreat from danger . another plant the relations of peru informe us of , but do not discover the name , which being placed in the hand of a sick man will by some symptomes give testimony whether he shall live or die , for if on the pressing of it his visage be cheerful , it is an assured sign of his recovery ; as otherwise , if sad and troubled , a certain index of ensuing death . nor is peru defective in rarities of nature even in things inanimate , for here is affirmed to be a lake near the mines of pot●si , whose water is so hot , though the circumabient region be exceeding cold , that they who bath themselves are not able to sustain its heat if they depart and wade some distance from the bank , there being a boyling in the midst of above twenty foot square ; a lake which never does decrease though they have drawn a considerable stream to be subservient to their mines of silver . as for the inhabitants , they are people of no great knowledge , yet great dissemblers , being never drawn to discover their conceptions freely . they are ignorant of letters , but bold in war , and dexterous in the managery of those weapons they have been accustomed to , nor do they resent death with any fear , being prompted to this confidence by an opinion that after death they shall eat , drink , and make their love & addresses to women . at the funeral of any eminent person they offer up one or two of his servants as an oblation to his sepulchre ( being egged on to this inhumanity by the former opinion ) to attend him in the world to come . in their habit they are conformable to other savages , onely those attire their upper parts with some decent garment , but expose the other members to publique view , being bare and naked . but this is onely near the aequator , both sexes else wearing mantles pendulous to their feet , habited generally in one fashion , unlesse in the attire of their heads , wherein they almost all disagree from each other , each retaining his mode to himself . the women here are treated as slaves , and sometimes upon trivial accidents cruelly beaten , the men being prompted to this barbaritie by being given up to sodomie , and other unnatural uncleannesse . peru is divided into quito , a province of a fertile soile well stored with cattel , plentifully furnished with fish and fowl , great quantity of nitre , and replenished with rivers , some of which have their sand enamelled with veins of gold ; the people are strong and healthy , industrious in the making of cottens almost proportionate to silk in finenesse , but given to dissembling , the disorders of drink , and other vices , which renders it difficult to reclaim them from their ancient barbarisme , and makes them unapt for any tincture or impression of the christian faith. secondly , los quix●s , somewhat more barren then quit● , whose people have distinct a tongue of their own , though they both understand and speak the common per●vian language . thirdly , lima or los reys , ennobled with the mines of castro verreyna , from whence is extracted silver of the purest complexion . fourthly , cusco , a province blest with a calme and temperate air , not fretted or over-scalded with the scorching reflections of the sun , nor made drowsy & dull with the distempers of evening mists , and whose soile is full of rivers and pasturage , which makes it to be furnished with deer and other herds of cattel ; nor is it wanting in coca which is here gathered in some abundance , or defective in mines of gold or quick-silver , very subservient to the easie extraction and purifying of the former noble metal ; the first being discovered at st. juan del ore in the valley of carravayan , and the second being traced out in the year near the town of guancabelica . fifthly , callao , a country well stored with fertile pastures , and those pastures furnished with herds of cattel , but barren of corn , and not well furnished with maiz , whose defect is supplied by bread composed of a root call'd ropa , dryed in the sun bruised to powder ; its inhabitants are of a more clear and solid judgement then the rest of peru , and so dextrous in the observations of the course of the moon , that the spaniards upon their first discovery of this province , found the year distinguished into months , days , and years , for each of which they had a proper and significant name . in this province is the so much fam'd lake of titicaca , in which twelve rivers are reported to lose themselves , in compasse . leagues , and usually navigable with barks and ships ; the waters are not so salt as that of the sea , but so thick that they are in no capacity to be drank . by a fair water-course or river i● glides into a lesse lake called aulaga , and thence most probably by some indistinguishable recesses empties it self into the sea. sixthly , los ch●rc●s , a province not very plentiful in corn or cattel , though in many places furnished with excellent pasturage ; but its eminence arises from the inexhaustible mines of porco and p●tosi , which makes it to be unparrallel'd with any province in peru. the mine of potosi is two hundred fathom deep , to which they do descend with ladders made of raw hides eight hundred steps , some of the workmen not seeing the sun many months together . for the refining of this silver there are . engines or silver-mills upon a river near unto it , . more in the valley of tarapia near adjoyning , besides many which they turn with horses ; and from these peruvian mines as from some bottomlesse exchequer does the king of spain load that fleet whence he extracts so much income and profit . peru and the provinces circumscribed within the limits of it were discovered and conquered from arabaliba the inga or emperour of peru by pizarr● & his complice diego de almagr● . first of which ( more to secure his conquests ) erected lima , truxillo ( named so from truxillo a village in navarre where pizarr● was born and educated ) arned● and other colonies , but yet the conquest was not so perfected by these two commanders above-mentioned , but that gil●s ramirez first in the year ▪ and don francis de toledo afterwards in the year . by building of oropes● in charra● , and establishing colonies in the other provinces , brought this vast kingdome to the full obedience of the spanish scepter . nova granada , or the new realm of granada is shut in on the north with castella aurea , on the west with mare del zur , on the east with venezuela , on the south with the hills and unpassible mountains and countries not yet discovered . it is divided into granada , properly so called , and popayna . granada hath an air well tempered , the country is full of woods , amongst which guia●um so medicinable for the malady of france , grows in great abundance ; the soil is of great fertility , well stored with corn and pasturage , which affords a feeding to many herds of cattell ; it is enriched likewise with some veins of gold and other metals , and that part which is called tunia exhibits plenty of emeralds . the people are tall and strong of constitution , but not very industrious , they wholly devoting their time to songs and dances . the women are of a white and more clear complexion than their neighbours , and more handsomely attired , being apparelled in black or party-coloured mantles girt about their middles , their hair ●ied up and covered with chaplets artificially composed and intermixed with flowers . popayna is a country which being over-cloid with rain produces little maiz , lesse wheat , and almost no cattel . the people were anciently man-eaters and as rude as any , now more industrious and accostable than the other americans , especially about popayana where the soile is better tempered then in other places . both these provinces were reduced to the signorie of spain by gonsalvo ximines de quesada and sebastian de betalcasar , the first sub●ued granada . and the last mastered popayana not long after , and styled it so from the name of a king which then governed it at the conquest by the command and influence of francis pizarro governour of peru. castilia del oro is bounded on the east and north with mare del noort , on the west with mare del zur , and some part of veragua , on the south with the new realme of granada . it is divided into panama darie●e , nova andalusia , st martha , and rio de la hach . panama hath an air foggy but exceeding hot , and consequently , the soil is either mountainous and barren , or low and mirey ; naturally uncapable of grain , and productive onely of maiz , and that but sparingly ; more devoted to pasturage & the goodness of it : upon the first approach of the spaniard , the country was almost over-run with swine , but being destroyed , that nation now complains as much of their defect , as they did before of their abundance . as for the inhabitants , most of the old stock being almost rooted out by the spanish massacres , and no new ones planted in their room , the country in all parts , except towards the sea , is almost desolate and forsaken . darie●e hath an air well tempered and a fruitful soil , very happy in the production of melons and other fruits , ripening here in twenty dayes after they are sown , and with the same felicity does it yeild an increase of grapes , either congenial hereunto , or else transported from europe . a tree here is called hov● whose shade is reputed so wholsome that the spaniards covet to sleep under the shadow ; out of the blossoms they distill a perfumed water ; out of the bark they compose a bath prevalent to open the pores and redresse wearinesse ; and out of the roots they extract a liquor fit for beverage ; of beasts and fowl both wilde and tame , there is exceeding plenty , and some of them not discoverable in other places . nova andalusia is mountainous and full of woods , but those woods abound with great store of rosin-gums , and ●ome kind of balsams . here is said to be a tree which whosoever touches is in danger to contract a ruine by poyson . our europian fruits transplanted hither prosper not , because the soile being obnoxious to abundance of rain , becomes moist and soggie . this province is interlaced with few veins of gold , onely in that part of it which is called zena ; the spaniards at their first arrival found much treasure not digg'd out of the entrails of the earth , but deposited in the tombs and repositories of the dead , such being the reputed sanctity of this region , that the bordering nations brought their dead to be enterred here , with great quantity of gold , jewels , and other riches . the natives were fierce and bold whilst they were a people , but being wasted in those contests which intervened between them and the spaniards , the populacy of this province is now thin and empty , and their courage much broken and debased . st. martha hath a soil barren and unfruitful not capable of pasturage or tillage , it being made knotty by a long ridge of mountains , called by the spaniards , la● sierras nievadas , or the snowy hills ; yet notwithstanding the air which hovers on the sea-coast is in its temper hot and scalding , though it be again fann'd and qualified with the breezes of the mid-land parts which are cold and freezing ; which combination of heat and cold , peradventure renders the soile productive of limons , oringes , pomgranates , and such other fruits as are transplanted or transported out of spain . the inhabitants are affirmed to be of a rough and arrogant nature , some of whom by the advantage of the mountains of tairona , called so from a neighbouring valley of that name , have preserved their liberty against the spaniard ; the residue , though they retain their several kings are yet in subjection to the spaniard ; whose government they submit to with much unwillingnesse and regret . rio de la hacha is a fifth province which summons our notice . it is a territory of a small circuit , confining on the north-east of st. martha , environed on two sides with the main ocean , and on the third , which is that of the east , shut in with the spacious arm of the sea called golfo de venezuela , the extremities hereof north west , have borrowed the denomination of cabo la vela , and those on the north-east the appellation of cabodi coqui boccoa . the whole province borrowed its name from the town and river of la hacha , which though it be but narrow in its dimension and estimate , yet is it big enough to afford a title to so small a province . the soil which embraces the town is exceeding rich , giving increase to all such plants as are transported from spain , being enamelled with veins of gold , studded with some gems of much worth , value , and virtue , and likewise well replenished with wiches which are fitted and proportioned to the production of excellent salt : the inh●bitants both in the dimension of body and quality of nature differ not much from those of st. martha , from which this province is divorced by no great distance . panama , nova andalusia , and dariena , now annexed to panama , were first discovered on the north-side by columbus about the year . dariena and panama were afterwards imperfectly conquered by didaco ni●uesa ; and nova andalusia as lamely subdued by alfonso oreda : but the complete and perfect reduction of these provinces to the obedience of the crown of spain , in whose patrimony they have been ever since resident , was reserved to the victories of eucisus , balboa , and pedro d'avila . the two praefectures of st. martha , and rio de la hacha , were brought under the dominion of the spanish scepter by the successful managery of the arms of that nation by francisco vasquez ; and being thus reduced , have been ever since constantly subservient to the commands and interest of the successive monarchs of spain . guatimala is environed on the north with jucutan and the gulf of honduras , on the south with mare del zur , on the east with castilia del oro , on the west with new spain . it is resolved into six more subordinate provinces , namely , chiapa , verapaz , guatimala properly so called , honduras , nicaragua , and lastly veragu● . chiapa hath a soil not very productive of corn or fruit , though that valley which is contiguous to the town of chiapa is well replenished with pears , apples , wheat , and maiz ; herbs , beans , and lentils transported from spain thrive here to a plentiful increase , yet vines seldome arrive here to any maturity , though wood-vines there are besides , which afford a pleasant pulpe , and if they were well managed might repay the labourers industry with a nobler profit . their trees , as pines , oakes , cedars , and the cypresse are of greater dimension then in other places ; here are entire woods of walnut-trees , but the nut is not of that quantity as those of europe ; some trees distil rosin , some such balsamick-gums as in other parts are not customary , and some there are whole leaves being dry'd into powder , contribute a soveraign plaister against inveterate ulcers : and indeed this country being stored with snakes and other venomous creatures , doth often exact such defensatives against their poyson which is fatally deadly . here is a considerable production of cochineele . the inhabitants are more devoted to musick , and become more exact in painting than the rest of the natives . verapaz is a province distinguished into eminent hills and deep vallies , but defective in fruitfull valleys . it is generally overspread with woods very large and thick , which so disturb the free passage of the winds , that the air is much exposed to showers , insomuch that nine months in the year are moist with continual raine , nor are the other three altogether secure from it ; which excesse of moisture engenders many mesqueto's injurious and destructive to fruit , with which , and with fish and other necessaries this province is redundant . in stead of mines of gold and silver not yet discovered , some trees here pour out a kind of amber , which the natives style liquid amber ; some mastick and other gums ; nor is here any defect of medicinal woods , as sarsa-parilla , china , and many others of the like nature . the natives are tractable in their conformity to the spanish discipline , unlesse the le●andones and pachuteci , being some broken remains of the ancient salvages , who immuring themselves in the craggy fastnesses of this country , have at once asserted their native freedom against the onsets of the spaniards , and retained their ancient idolatry , there being but fourteen villages in all this province in which the spaniards have mingled with the old inhabitants . guatimala properly so called , is a province not only embost with mountains , but likewise interlaced with many rive●s , which renders the country commodious both for fishing and hunting . productive it is of wheat , maiz , and other provisions not durable ; it is not so much exposed to raine , as the neighbouring provin●e of verapaz , but more infested with winds . it contains plenty of rich and fertile pastures , and those covered with great herds of cattel . it contributes store of cotten-wooll , some balsam and other medicinable liquors ; it transmits the best sulphur , and other healthful drugs , whose register i am ignorant of . the people are full of fear and pusilanimity , yet seem greater poficients in christianity and civility then the residue of the salvages , yet very prone to relapse again to paganisme and infidelity , and as propense to revive again their old barbarous customes , if the curb of power and bridle of authority , did not with an awfull fear restrain this apostacy . the men are affirmed to be dextrous in archerie , and the women skilful in spinning . honduras is a fourth province of guatimala , a country so swoln with hills or depressed with vallies , that it affords little champaigne , yet is productive of maiz and wheat , and of rich pasturage , improved to that fertility by the constant over-flowings of their rivers about michaelmas . some mines of gold are affirmed to be wrapped up in the entrails of the earth not yet discovered ; the inhabitants being made so unactive with sloth and idlenesse , that they had rather subsist by roots , the common stock of nature , then by the more industrious design of tillage , and therefore not easily charmed to toyle for others , that will not labour for their own necessities . nicaragua is a fifth province which claims our consideration . it is a country destitute of rivers unlesse where it is linked to costa ric● , which is it self marshall'd under the notion of a province . the defect of which is supplied by a great lake called the lake of nicaragua , one hundred and twenty leagues in compasse , ebbing and flowing like the sea. it is not much enriched with corn , but abounding in herds of cattell , who have a soil to graze on levell and champaign , but cooled with the shadow of frequent trees ; one amongst the residue is of that nice constitution , that a man cannot touch it in any part but it pre●ently withers . vulgar relations assert this province to be as well replenished with parrots as england with crows ; it is stored with plenty of cotten-wooll , and a numerous product of sugar-canes . indeed the country is so ennobled with all things that may either improve delight or contribute to necessity , that the spaniards have imposed upon it the title of mahomet's paradise . the inhabitants are generally knowing in the spanish dialect , to the garb , behaviour and apparel of which nation they willingly conforme themselves ; well retriv'd from their old barbarous customes , which are still retained by those mountainers , they call cho●tales . they are all of a considerable stature , and of a complexion indifferently white . before their reduction to christianity , they were knit together by a politique form of government , onely as the romans had no determined law or punishment for a man that destroyed his father , so had these none for the killer of a king , both of them judging that men could not be so unnatural as to act either parricide or regicide . a theif they condemned not to death , but decreed he should be slave to that person he had injured , till by his service his crime was expiated with just satisfaction : a course both prudential and merciful . veragua is the last province in guatimala which extracts our inspection . the name which was imposed upon it , was extracted from veragua , the most considerable river in it at the first discovery . this country is knotted with mountains , and has a soil condemned to barrennesse , in no capacity for tillage , and lesse useful for the feeding of cattel , yet is sufficiently productive of maiz and herbage , but else very thrifty in other necessaries which conduce to the life of man ; but to recompense this ingrateful indigencie and penury of soil , the bowels of the earth treasure up in their cells and gloomy repositories , as in some inexhaustible exchequer , never perishing mines of gold and silver . the inhabitants are of a warlike and irrefragable spirit , sufficiently testified by their undaunted courage in bearing the spanish yoke with that regret and reluctancy as they do at this instant ; it being observable , that the most untameable and untractable nations have been the inhabitants of woody and mountainous countryes ; the last being bulwarks cast up at gods own charges to secure them from the onsets of any forraign violence . this country entitles its discovery to diverse men , according to the several members and divisions of it ; veragua , though the last of these provinces which were conquered , had the honour to be first visited by columbus , who in the year . driving up and down on these coasts was cast on the entrances of that river on which he afterwards imposed the name of ●elen , where ( hearing that there was golden treasures in the mines of hurira not far distant ) he intended to fortifie ; but his designs being superseded by a defect of provisions to to sustain his followers , the further discovery of guatimala was abandoned , being reserved to the fortunate and vigorous undertaking of ferdinand corte● , who having fully setled and composed the affairs of mexico , determined to make the residue of america bow to the commands of the spanish scepter . and to reduce these intentions of his to perfection , he employed his officers and commanders into several parts , guatimala was discovered and reduced by pedr● de alvarado ; honduras was conquered by christopher de olid ; nicaragua and verag●a were subdued by gonsalvo de corduba ; and lastly , vera paz was won to christianity , and the spanish obedience together , by the preaching of some d●minican friers of that nation . but cortez distrusting that some new revolt or defection might tear these provinces from the spanish dominion , resolved to secure his new concernments by a personal visit ; and to fortifie , and second this design in the year . he collected a body of fifteen hundred horse , and as many spanish foot , with an addition of three thousand mexicans , and advancing into guatimala , he continued his progresse as far as truxillo , where finding that gonsalvo de cordova had so composed affairs , that there was no farther need of his conduct or assistance , he with his little army in the year . retreated to mexico , leaving these provinces before recited , firmly fastned and annexed by an happy conquest ( as they have continued ever since ) to the dominion and command of the diadem of spain . nova hispania . nova hispania is circumscribed on the east with a spacious arm of the sea called the bay of new spain , and the gulf of mexico ; on the west it is shut in with some parts of nova gallicia and mare del zur ; on the north with another part of nova gallicia , some part of florida and the gulf ; on the south with mar● del zur , or the south sea ; from the discovery of these new acquists , the kings of spain style themselves reges hispaniarum , in the plural number . the air of this whole continent , as to the generality or principall part of it , is temperate enough , though placed under the torrid zone , the heat being much qualified by the fannings of those continual breezes which breath upon it from three confines of the sea ; this refrigerium or abatement of heat being much inforc'd by that continual flux of rain which distils upon the earth in those hotter months of june , july and august . the entrails of this soile treasure up in themselves mines of gold and silver , and some of brasse and iron ; nor is the surface of it more ungrateful to the industry of the inhabitants , here being a copious plenty of wheat , barly , pulse of all sorts , and of such plants and roots as are nourished for the use of the kitchin , maiz in a fertile quantity ; nor is the production lesse of other plants unknown to europe ; pomgranats , oringes , limons , citrons , malacatons , figs and cherries , do here enrich their owners even with superfluous increase ; apples and pears are more thrifty in their fertility , and grapes no lesse , and those which arrive to maturity are unfit for the composition of wine . of beasts and birds both wilde and ●ame , there is a fruitful account : but that which most ennobles it is the plenty of coco-nuts , the abundance of cassia , and the wonderful increase of cochineel , which hath been improved to that quantity , that five thousand six hundred and seventy arroba's of it ( each arroba comprehending twenty five bushels of our english measure ) have been transported into europe , ● drug of a very inconsiderable extraction , for it grows upon a small tree or shrub shadowed with thick leaves called a tuna , in their institution planted and order'd as the french do their vines , out of the seed hereof issues a worme , in its bulk , when extended to the greatest proportion not exceeding our lady-cows , whom they much resemble ; which receiving their food from the leaves , and over-spreading the ground with their number , are collected into heaps twice in the year by the natives , stifled with ashes , or mortified with water , and after this tragedy , being dried and reduced into powder , make up that cargo which is transported into europe . nova hispania is distinguished into six provinces , the register of which follows , namely panuco , mexicana , mechoacan , tlascala , guaxata , and jucutan . all which are not alike in all places as to the constitution of the soil and air , which is so different in these provinces , that in such ▪ parts of them as are hot and dry , their seed time is in april or may , their harvest in october ; but in that division of this continent as is low and moist , they entrust their corn to the earth in october , and reap its product in april or may ; thus two ▪ harvests in a year , ( and yet but one if we consider their alternate and successive vicessitudes ) in this region are the result of the husband-mans industrious tillage . the ancient and original inhabitants of this track were the chichimeca's and ottomies , who were disseised by the navatlacos , resolv'd ●nd digested into seven tribes , which are thus registred in their catalogue , the sachimilci , ●he chalchae , the tepenecae , the culvae , the tla●uici , the tlascaltecae ; all of which were setled ●n this track , and five of them upon the mar●in of the lake of mexico , before the eruption of the mexicans , so styl'd from mexi their prin●ipal leader , who much charmed with the con●eniences and situation of temistitan , a city then ●n●ombed in a heap of ruines , caused it to be ●eedified and adopted it into his own family , ●tyling it mexico , which afterwards grew the metrapolis of this common-wealth ; the chiefs of six of the tribes managing the publique affairs ●n common after the fashion and mould of an aristocratical common-wealth , but the ty●annical prevalency of some tribes having by ●n over-poize made the power unequal , the mexicans , one of the most inconsiderable tribes , ●eing grated upon by the unjust and uneven pressures of the rest , separated themselves from the main body , and resigned up the administration and sway of their affairs to a king of their own , at first elected by themselves ; but when the prosperity of their prevailing arms had cast all these tribes but tlas●alla , under the scepters of acamapitzli , vitzovitzli , hulzi●ihuiel , chimal pupuca , iscoalt , motezuma , and others of their succeeding kings , the choice of the mexican monarchs was entrusted unto six , who as a common-council or senate represented the six tribes above-mentioned , and they still lodged the election upon the most active and magnanimous , and who were chiefly fitted for military designs and undertakings . although this spacious province be not barren in rarities , as namely , two mountains , one in the province of mexico , which vomits out fire , the second in that of guaxata , which disgo●ges from its heated entrails two burning streams , one of red pitch , the other of black ; yet the principal which exacts our notice , is that which they call magney or meto , a tree which they both plant and dresse as we do our vines ; it hath on it forty severall distinctions of leaves , which when tender , they compose into conserves , paper , flax , mantles , mats , shooes , girdles and cordage ; and these leaves are armed with prickles so strong and pungent , that the people use them in stead of saws . from the top of the tree issues a juice in consistence like a syrrup , which upon decoction puts on the shape of an hony ; and if purified , the form of sugar , out of which they extract both wine and vinegar . out of the bark , being roasted , is drawn a convenient plaister for wounds , bruises and sores ; and from the highest of the bowes distils an unctuous juice like a gum , which is a soveraign antidote to chastise the malignity of poyson . but i have digressed , i now return to the description of those provinces above mentioned ; and first panuco obviates our discovery , so called from panuco the chief river of it , which bubling out of the hills of tepecsuan , bordering upon cinoloa and couliacan , and dividing new biscay from the province of zocotecas , glides through the middle of this province , and so at last after many traverses disembogues it self into the gulf of mexico . it is divided into three lesser provinces called aiotuxetlan , chila , and a third whose name is not yet discovered . the soil is in some parts fruitful and productive of mines of gold , in others again lesse pregnant , and in the last provinces dry and unpleasant , being condemned to barrenness & infertility not from any intrinsique defect in the soil , but rather ( as it s thought ) from a want of inhabitants to cultivate the earth , who being active and couragious , rather than they would bow their necks to a forraign servitude , have been almost rooted out in those contests and encounters which were waged between them and cortez the spanish general . mechoacan , the second province , hath extracted its name from that plenty of fish their abundance of rivers and lakes afford them , the word importing in the native idiome locus piscosus or a country of fish. it is ennobled with an air so sweet and salubrious , that diseased people repair thither from distant countries to retrive their health , which is likewise promoted and inforced by the use of those medicinable hot baths which issue from rocks and other craggy repositories . the soil is plentifully productive of grain even to admiration . it is well wooded and full of excellent pastures , which are improved by the multiplicity of springs and rivers , nor does it yeild to any part of america for herbs and plants of an active and medicinal nature in the conquest and expulsion of diseases . it is likewise redundant with amber , mulbery-trees , wax , hony , and such other things as are subservient both to pompe and pleasure . the inhabitants are tall , strong , and active , of no contemptible ingenuity , as being dextro●s in the contexture of many manufactures , more pliant to the manners and habit of the spanish nation than any of the natives of new spain , the mexicans on●ly excepted , and of so propense an inclination to christianity , that by planting many parishes , and establishing many convents of dominican and augustine friers amongst them they are almost rescued from their old habituated idolatry . mexicana is the third province which obliges our consideration . the soil abundantly supplyes not only the inhabitants , but likewise numerous herds of cattel , with plenty of aliment ; nor is it defective in fruits , of which there is a liberal production . the inhabitants are industrious as to the care of their common subsistence , which commonly is supported by their copious stock of cattel , of which some private persons abound to such store , that their register amounts to forty thousand kine and oxen : nor are they lesse dextrous in extracting a livelyhood from fish , of which last they draw out such plenty from the lake of mexico alone , that the profits arising from this trade swell to a volume of twenty thousand crowns paid yearly into the king of spain's exchequer : they are ingenious likewise in those mechanical arts which here are professed , growing good handy-craftsmen , if they stoop so low as to trades ; becoming rich merchants , if they apply themselves to a more noble and profitable commerce ; and waxing hardy and valiant soldiers , if they are disciplin'd and imployed in service , having in times of more high ascent , very well managed the sling and arrowes their ancient arms , and in these modern ages as vigorously ( being enured to it by their spanish conquerours ) weild the harcubuize and pike which are their new . but the greatest glory and fame which both now & anciently did accrue to them , was their exquisite perfection in composing their feather pictures , turning every feather to the light every way , upwards and downwards , to discover in what posture it will best fit the place intended for ; secondly , their most accomplish'd expertnesse in refining their metals ; and thirdly , their curious designs in painting upon cotton , whatsoever was represented to the eye . but these virtues and perfections were stained and debauched with so barbarous a cruelty , that they thought no victime so fit could be offered up to appease the fury of their gods , as an oblation of humane sacrifices , so that it is no wonder if god permitted the spanish sword to ●ake such bloody ravage upon this people , as ● reward proportioned to recompense their inhumane butcheries , it being still very equal that the artificers of death should be caught in their own impious and injurious artifices . but ignorance and barbarity are still complicated and entwined , and so it was manifested here , for upon the first eruption of the spaniards , their misguided apprehensions esteemed them and their horses to be one peice , and when they neighed they demanded what they spake , ignorantly placing no distinction between neighing and speaking . guaxaca is a fourth province which falls under our cognisance . it hath assumed this name from guaxaca the principal town of these parts , now styled antequera . the air hereof is sound and salubrious , which hovers over a soile as fruitful , productive not onely of those commodities which it enjoyes in common with other provinces of this continent , but likewise blest with such plenty of mulberry-trees , that from thence is extracted such a quantity of silk , that if the natives paid their tithes ( as they do not ) the income which issued from thence , would afford a revenue competent enough to support five bishopricks . rivers are here very numerous , whose shores for the most part are enamelled with golden sand , nor is there here any deficiency of cochineele , cassia , silver , and other metals ; so that if the industry of the people were but correspondent to the fertility of the soil and wealth of the country , it might become as opulent as any province in america : but the natural sloth of the inhabitants makes them impatient of labour , and consequently intercepts all opportunities which may suggest an occasion of ama●●ing together any considerable estate ; yet notwithstanding this , they are of a tractable and docile capacity in relation to the impressions of the catholique faith , which hath encouraged the spaniard to establish here an hundred and twenty covents of dominican friers , and many other schools and seminaries of learning , that by their influence and concurrent assistance they might better improve the growth of christianity in this province . jucutan is a fifth province which calls for our remembrance . it hath borrowed this name from jucutan , which in the idiome or dialect of the country imports as much as what say you ? for when the spaniards at their first arrival demanded the name of the place , the natives answered , jucutan . the air which hovers over this country is hot , whose fervors are inforced from the destitution or want of rivers in this track , whose defect is supplied by the conservatories of artificial pits and channels . the soil is generally condemned to barrenne●s , not producing wheat , or any european fruits ; nor many of those which are of the natural extraction of america in other places . nor are its bowels more pregnant in mines of gold and silver or any other metalls , so that the general subsistence of this people , is principally supported by trades and mechanick operations . but that which makes this country most remarkable , is , that the spaniards upon their first approach discovered here some symptomes or glimpses of christianity , the people generally observing a constant form of baptisme , which in the native dialect is styled a second birth , expressing by that word a regeneration ; nor is any one permitted , to marry untill he hath the symboll of this initiation , which probably was some vestigium or relique of the christian religion left here behind by mad●c●ap owen , or some other christians by the disaster of some shipwrack cast upon this infortunate shore . tlascalla is that eminent province , which being one of the seven tribes , which having supplanted the ancient natives , the chichimechas , could never be reduced to the tyranny and usurpation of the kings of mexico , but still preserved themselves , notwithstanding their frequent eruptions in the liberty of a democracie or free state , and erected here the city of tlascalla , which as it gave name to , so it became the metrapolis of this province , and in this capacity they remained until the invasion of cortez made upon mexico , to whose assistance out of animosity to the mexicans , they and the inhabitants of zempoallan , another city of this province , contributed such large supplies both of men and other necessaries , that by their concurrence mexico was reduced and the scepter of that kingdom broken to peices ; and though they were forced afterwards to bow to the successful sword of the spaniard , yet do they preserve still some shadow of ancient liberty , being exempt from all kind of tribute , as a recompense of their former services , except it be an handfull of wheat for every person , and permitted to live under the protection of the former government . this province is abundantly stored with corn and cattell , every where strewed with rich pastures , and abundantly productive of mai● . it is levell and beaten out into an even champaigne , unlesse where it confines on the sea , where it is made gibbous and rugged with a chain of craggy mountains ; but indeed the fertility of the earth is very much inforced and multiplyed by those many rivers which stream almost through every vein of it . if we please to trace out those eminent persons to whose industry and navigation these provinces which lie clasped up within the verge of nova hispania do attribute their first discovery , we shall find that panuco and mechoacan were first attempted by francisco garaio , but their conquest was perfected by ferdinand cortez in the year . jucutan was first discovered by ferdinand cordova in the year . which discovery was in the year . reinforced by john de grijalua , and persued likewise by the industrious designs of cortez , who about tabasco obtained over the natives a signal victory ; but the final reduction of this province to the obedience and soveraignty of the crown of spain , is entitled to the successful sword of francisco monteio , who in the year . atchieved a full and absolute conquest over it . mexico and guaxata followed the fate of panuco and mechoacan , and by their conquest and subjection augmented the triumphs of the victorious cortez , about the years , and . tlascalan was first discovered by john grijalua , but received under the protection of the spanish scepter by cortez in the year . nova gallicia is circumscribed on the east and south with nova hispania , on the west with the river of buena guia , and the gulfe of califormia , the countries which abutt on the northern parts of it are not yet exposed to a discovery . it hath assumed this name from some resemblance or proportion it holds with the province of old gallicia in spain . the air generally is of a temperate constitution , yet more inclinable to heat than cold , yet often discomposed with thunders and storms , and cataracts of rain ; the ground is much obnoxious to drynesse , if not mollified by the morning dewes which here distill frequently , but whether the temperature of the air or soil do contain in it some impure seminalities is incertain ; sure it is , that here is a production of gnats ( it is possible they may proceed from a complicated putrefaction ) affirmed to be in bulk equall to a bean , which by their stings afflict the people , and raise blisters on their bodies proportionate in their dimension to a walnut . the country in general is more knotted with hills then levell with plains , and in most parts sandy . quarryes of stone are here in abundance , but there is a deficiency of marble , or any other stone of value . plenty here is of mines of silver , but few of gold or iron ; yet is their silver not free from a mixture of lead . the soil is so fertile that for one measure of wheat it payes back its interest in sixty , and for one of maiz it refunds two hundred . the rivers abound in fish , and the woods in beasts ; swarms here are of bees without stings , which have no other hive but the forrest to compose their hony in . apples , pears , citrons , figs , malacotons , and other european fruits transported from spain , thrive better here than in their native soil , onely the cherry and olive arrive at no perfection ; of which the first hath her nourishment purloin'd from her by emmots , and the last thrusts forth such clouds of leaves , ( occasioned by the ranknesse of the circumambient earth ) that the fruit seldome ascends to just maturity . the people are of an inconstant volatile nature , apt upon any disgust to abandon their houses , and take sanctuary in woods and other fastnesses ; nay , to return to their ancient barbarisme . tractable and docile enough even in matters which relate to religion ; but lazie and impatient of labour , to which they hardly are enur'd either with stripes or wages , yet they are of vigorous and healthful temper , contagious diseases seldome breaking in upon them , which is occasioned by the sound constitution of the air. much given they are to dancing , singing , and sometimes to drinking . their stature is reasonably tall , their vesture generally is a shirt of cotton , with a mantle cast over it , fastned with two buckles about their shoulders . they inhabit in villages , which swell in their dimension , according to the greatnesse of those several tribes they are to receive , which tribes are under the command of their respective chiefs , who succeed hereditarily , yet notwithstanding are all subservient to the sway and regiment of the judges , and other ministers of the king of spain . plenty here is of sugar-canes and cochineele ; but the spaniards being concerned in more gainfull merchandise , and eager in the persuit and search of metals , neglect to refine the one , and are not very sedulous to attend the ordering of the other . if you will survey the anatomy of this region , you will find it to be dissected into seven subordinate provinces ; namely , cinaloa . couliacan . xalisco . guadalaira ; and on the western shores , zacot●cas new b●scay ; and lastly , nova mexicana , lock'd up within the land. cinaloa the first province in the register above mentioned , is made happy by an air generally clear and healthy , and enriched with a soil fat and fruitful , productive of maiz , pulse , and a certain long pease , equivalent to those in proportion the latines anciently called phaseoli , of which it contributes to the industry of the inhabitants a large abundance ; and this plenty is much enhaunsed by the multiplicity of rivers with which this province is very well watered . the inhabitants are generally of an eminent stature , which much exceeds that of the spaniards ; warlike they are , vigorous and active , and not reduced to the obedience of the spaniard without the expence of much blood and treasure , though their furniture either for offensive or defensive war , consisted in a narrow inventory , being only a massie club , a bow and some poysoned arrows . those garments which both sexes attire themselves with , are made out of cotton-wooll , of which this province yeilds a plentiful increase ; the hair of both sexes is nourished a considerable length , which the men winde up in a knot , but the women permit to shoot out into a wide diffusion . both sexes at the first approach of the spaniards , had nothing to veile their nakednesse , onely their pudenda were obscured , being both indigent and ignorant , adoring the sun , and making their diet out of humane butcheries . couliacan is the second province which exacts our notice ; it enjoys a soil plentiful of fruits , and yeilding to none in its production of all sorts of provisions ; and not defective in mines of silver , which owe their first discovery to the ingenuity of the spaniard . the inhabitants are not much different from the residue of gallicia , only the beauty , personage , and dresse of the women is more obliging ; yet the men were not secure from sordid and unnatural uncleannesse . the vesture which both sexes were habited in at the first discovery of the spaniards , was framed out of cotton-wooll . their houses are neatly thatch'd with straw , but the lintells of the dores are embellished with paintings full of impudence and impure obscenity . they are ignorant of gold , of which this province is defective , but the spaniards having discovered some silver mines , made them by a costly experience know the value of that metall , compelling them both to dig and refine it , that it might be more ministeriall to the ends of their avarice and luxury . xalisco or galesco is a third province of account . it enjoyes a soil very capable of the production of maiz , with which it plentifully rewards the industry of the inhabitants , onely the scorchings of the sun have introduced a penury of herbage , which is the greatest defect , onely the northern parts styled chiatnetla , are endued with more fertility and people , being enriched with store of wax , plenty of honey , and some mines of silver . the people were formerly embarqued in perpetual feuds and mutual contests amongst themselves , and dieted themselves with mans flesh ; which barbarous customes , their conversion to christianity hath extinguished , onely one of their ancient customes they yet adhere to ▪ which is , to sustain the smallest burdens on their shoulders , and not carry them under their arms , as thinking the last indecent and mis-becoming . guadalaira is a fourth province which obliges our discourse . the character which we have in generall propotioned to the natives of nova gallicia , may be fitted and shaped in particular to the inhabitants of this province . the soil being moistned with the kind refreshments of the river barania which cuts through the midst of it , becomes fortunate in the production of herbage , maiz , wheat , and other fruits which owe their first extraction to europe ; nor are they destitute of silver mines , whose bowels here cast out their treasure in some plenty . zacatecas is a fifth province , circumscribed within the pale of gallicia , whose inhabitants whether by the conduct and instinct of nature , or the impulse of external force , are more industrious than the rest of the gallician natives . the soil is in its entrails enriched with silver mines , but its surface is naked and barren , being destitute of maiz , wheat , water , and all other provisions which should contribute to the support of humane nature , as if it were design'd to be the residence of some greedy miser , who delighted to glut his eyes more than his appetite . the northern parts styled uxitipa , have nothing wanting which may give a supply either to necessity or pleasure ; and though they are defective in silver , yet are they plentifully stor'd with corn and fruit , whilst their woods are liberally replenished with deer , whose several trees afford such entertainment to quires of birds , that they may be deemed the constant repository of those feathered choristers . nova biscaia is a sixth province which does summon us to a description . the bowels of the earth are the excheque●s from whence much silver is extracted ; as for its margin it is abundantly productive of all necessary provisions , though much exposed in the winter to the injurious inclemency of frost and snow ; no● are they likewise defective in mines of lead , which fitly contributes to the melting and refining their silver , not onely here , but in new spain and peru also . the inhabitants are generally of a vigorous constitution , and of a resolute and active spirit , not bowing their necks to the yoke of conquest upon the first impression , being rather reduced by the calmnesse of perswasion , then subdued by the rougher attempts of violence and force . nova mexicana is the seventh province which calls for our notice ; but those relations which have an aspect on this territory , are disordered with so much fiction and improbab●lity , that , that beam of truth which should direct us to a just and regular description of it , is mu●●led up in the darknesse of incertain and imperfect informations , so that untill clearer discoveries do dissipate that cloud which invelopes this province , i shall deliver nothing for positive or certain , either in relation to the natives , or the commodities emergent from the soil . cinaloa and guadalaria in nova gallicia , were first discovered and entered into by non●●● de gu●man , . whose conquest was accomplished and completed by francisco tharra about the year . couliacan was reduced to submit to the scepter of spain , by the auspicious conduct of nonnez de guzman about the year . xalisco or galesco was forced to resigne it self to the spanish obedience , by the armes of nonnez de guzman . but its conquest received its perfection from the successes of francis tharra , about the year . uxitipa was made to encrease the register of the spanish acquists in america , by the fortunate sword of lopez de mendoza , employed in this design by nonnez de guzman about the year . zocotecas and nova biscaia , were made to stoop to the diadem of spain , by the happy conduct of francisco tharra , in the year nova mexicana was first offered up to the discovery of augustine royaz a frier , in the year . but its conquest was afterwards attempted by antonio espeio a citizen of mexico ; but his designs being by their own disorder rendred lame and imperfect , its final reduction , as to that part which is now folded up in the spanish patrimony , acknowledges the happy valour of john de onnate to be solely instrumental in it , who in the year , by the vigorous assistance of five thousand men link'd it to the demeasn of his master the king of spain . califormia circumscribes all those provinces of mexicana , which lie on the west-side of that northern peninsula which is seated beyond gallicia and new spain , though in the stricter acceptation of its chorography , it is confined to that province which is placed on the other side of a long and spacious ●ulf styled m●rvirmigl●o or the pay , and califormia , and limited to an island ( so generally conceived to be ) extended in a full length from north to south thereof . the continent is distinguished into the two provinces of cibola and quivira , and the island is sub-divided into califormia , properly so called , and nova albion . the inhabitants generally of these provinces make their food out of the flesh of beasts , which they feed on raw , and swallow down in great morsels without chewing ; the men from head to feet are attired in bulls skins , but the women have no other garment to secure them from the cold ( which here is keen and eager ) but their hair , which they nourish to that extent , that like a veile it rescues their nakednesse from the publique view . their habitations are volatile and unsetled , wandering in companies , and living in hoords like the ancient nomades , and the present cathay tartars , from whom they are removed by no great distance , and by whom , some probable conjectures assert , they were at first peopled . the inhabitants of cibola are well propotioned and rall , and of a more pregnant ingenuity than other salvages of califor●ia , securing their nakednesse with mantles wrought in variety of colours , which with those painted skins , they with much industry import from ●icuique or some northern country , and that quantity of cotton they have amongst them ( none of it growing upon their soil ) are demonstrations of their ingenuity , in managing a course of traffick with their neighbours . the natives of califor●ia are numerous and of thick proportion , resolv'd ( as some reports testifie ) into twenty three several nations , all of different languages and dresses , inhabiting the banks of bona gui● . some stain their faces wholly with paint , and some half way , and others supply the use of painting with vizors ; they bore holes in their no●thrills and ears for their pendants , the tips of which last , they even over-load with the pendulous bones of fishes ; each of their wasts are surrounded with a girdle , to which they fasten a bunch of feathers which hangs down behind them like some excrescence , which the women use also , but upon them they are visible before . the diety to which these califor●ians offer up their devotions , is the sun ; and the god to which the natives of cibola consecrate theirs , is the w●ter ; both which are by these salvages affectionately adored , because they are the causes to which they entitle the increase of the earth multiplied into corn , fruit , and herbage . the soil of quivira is plain , level and full of herbage , giving nourishment to cattel , differing not much in bulk and dimension from those of europe , only that there is a gibbous excrescence or bunch placed between their shoulders , they are bristled upon the back like bores , with somewhat which resembles the mane in horses , and the beard in goats ; their legs are short , but attired with something proportioned in similitude to fetlocks , their horns are sharp but short ; the whole beast is of an aspect so full of terrour , that no horse upon the first accesse or intercourse will approach him . the hides of these yeild the natives either houses , or the covering of them ; their bones are composed into bodkins , their hair into thread , their sinews into ropes , their horns , maw● and bladders , are framed into vessels ; their dung supplies pi●e , their skins are shaped into bougets to preserve water , their blood affords drink , and their flesh meat . the soil of cibola is generally level , but in some parts made rugged with rocky mountains . it is shadowed but with few trees , and those destitute of fruit ; but to recompense this , they have a wood like cedar , which abundantly supplies them with fuel and timber . here is a plentiful stock of maiz and white pease , which gives them a supply of bread. here are numerous herds of deer , which they chase and destroy for their skins . and a considerable production of sheep , known to be so onely by the analogy of their fleece , being in bulk and dimension equivalent to an horse , or oxe , and having horns that poyse in ballance the weight of fifty pounds . but though cibola enjoy but a narrow stock of those creatures which are of profitable entercourse , yet of bears , tygers , and other noxious animals , there is an unprofitable redundance . the island of califormia , properly so called , is indifferently even , only here and there the champaigne swells with mountains , and some of those from their sulpherous entrails vomit out flame , which hath caused the spaniards to impose the title of cacofogo upon them ; the waves which wash the shore of this island , afford the natives plenty of fish , which are found upon weeds amassed into heaps , and which like so many floating islands invest the surface of the sea. but the only rarity which ennobles this country , is a beast which is hairy like a goat , but hath teats like a cow. the air both of cibola and califormia , is of an indifferent temper , onely it is sometimes discomposed with the unkind distributions of frost and snow . cibola and quivira were discovered by the diligence of antonio mendoza , who employed marco de nisa a frier , to perfect the discovery ; but the more absolute and accomplished conquest was reserved to the valour and conduct of francisco vasques de coronado , about the year . califormia was discovered at the expence of ferdinand cortez , who set out two ships . but the design languishing away , it was renewed and reinforced by francisco de ulloa . after him , fernando de alarcon , discovered many leagues up the river bu●na guia , where naguacatus one of the cheifs , surrendred himself to obedience . finally , roderigo cabrillo . by a new discovery attaqued two small islands called s. lukes , and possession , on the western shore . but these countries affording no gold or other attractives which might charm the spaniards to an abode , they abandoned them to that poverty the inclemency of the air , and thriftinesse of the soile , had long before condemned them to . florida is circumscribed on the north-east with virginia , on the east with mare del no●rt , on the south and some part of the west with the gulf of mexico , on the residue of the west with part of new gallicia , and some countryes not yet expofed to a full discovery . the country is parallel to castile in spain , which renders the air and soil to be almost adequate to that in their temper & constitution , but the last infinitely out-vies castile in its fertility and plenty , the earth being not here so harrassed with the impressions o● continual tillage as in the other . productive it is of abundance of maiz the natural bread of the country , which they sowe both in march and june , which the third month after repayes the plow-man's toyle with a plentiful crop , which they deposite in publique granaries , and employ as the necessities of persons exact its destribution . not is it defective in fruit , which here are registered under the particular names of mulberries , cherryes , chesnuts , grapes , and plums , of excellent tast and colour . it is likewise eminent for its store of fowle , and its herds of beasts , both wilde and tame . the woods and forrests are shadowed with spreading okes and very tall cedars ; as likewise cypress● and bay-trees of a large dime●sion . nor is their plenty inconfiderable , which they yeild of that wood the natives style p●v●●e , and th● french sassafras ; and of the tree named esqui●e , the bark of the first , and the wood of the last , are both asserted to be soveraign against the incursions of the malady of france . it is affirmed also , that the entrails of the florida● earth are enriched with some mines of gold and silver , and studded with turquoises , pearls , and emeralds of much estimate and beauty , and the probability of the first is supported and inforced by the relations of the natives , who report that in the hills called apalatei , there are discovered veins of a reddish metal , which the french concluded to be gold , but wanted time and opportunity to improve their search . the people are of an olive colour , large stature , and cast into a fair proportion , naked , only their privities excepted , which they obscure with the skins of stags . their arms and knees are stained with variety of paintings , not to be forced off with frequent ablution . their hair is by complexion black , which they nourish to that extent and length , that it diffuses and shoots it self even to their thighs . apt they are to wrap up their actions in an affected veil of dissimulation , whose contexture is made more specious by an artificial cunning . they are naturally revengeful , which engages them in continual feuds and animosities , whose effects are visible by those bloody contests frequently commenced amongst themselves . generally they are subtle and ingenious , and in a capacity to be reduced to a tamer subserviency , by compliance and nobler usages ; but then they are like tigers , who when they appear reclaimed by the intercourse and calmnesse of civil correspondencies , yet upon the first draught of blood they are apt to leap into their former crueltie , and devoure those hands who gave them food and discipline . the women upon their husbands decease ( as a symptome of sorrow ) cut their hair close to their ears , and afterwards to make their grief appear more signall and solemn , strew it on their husban●s sepu●chres ; nor are they permitted again to entertain a second marriage , until their hair be improved to that growth as to cove● their shoulder . hermaphrodites , that is , persons of a twisted or complicated sex , nature hath here yeilde plenty , who onely are designed to the sustaining of luggage , and the being ministerial to the cheaper and more ignoble works of drudgery . some imperfect notions o● conceptions the natives have of the immortality of the soul , but otherwise their knowledge , in relation to a deity , is so gloomy , that it is enwrapped and muffled up in a grosse and dark idolatry . this continent , as to those parts of it which border on the sea , hath in times of a more modern inscription been the stage whereon the scene hath been laid that hath represented to our view those sad contentions which have been waged between the french and spaniard , concerning the dominion of this province , which drew so much blood , that the purple effusion bedewed almost every turfe on which those fatal tragedies were acted ; but the french being at last utterly supplanted , and thei● forts which they erected here , namely arx carolina , fort chastilion and others , were dismantled or diserted . but in these contests the spanish strength was so much broken and impair'd , and its noblest spirits evapourated at those wounds the french sword had inflicted , that wanting recruits to manage their conquests , they abandoned their new acquists and retired to st. jago , st. matthew , and st. augustines , the onely places they preserved in florida , where they planted and fortified , but not long after the fate of war cast the new colony of st. augustines under some umbrage , for in the year . sir francis drake having by a vigorous assault mastered the fort of st. johns which had a powerful aspect upon the town , he reduced this likewise , and enriched himself and his partisans with a booty of twenty thousand florens ; but though this new plantation was almost sunk by these disasters , yet not long after , it buoyed up out of these ruines , and being reinforced with a supplement of additional fortifications , this with st. jago , st. philip , and st matthew , have been ever since so firmly twisted with the spanish interest , that they are at this instant under the dominion and seignory of that crown and scepter . the first who engaged himself in the discovery of florida , was john p●nce of leon , who sailed thither about the year . but his survey being left imperfect , it was attempted to be reduced to perfection by the diligence of vasques de aillon , who made an invasion on florida in the year . but such a complication of crosse accidents encountered his endevours that they were rendred unsuccessful . to repair the dishonour of this expedition , pamphilu● de n●rva●z makes an eruption on florida , about the year . being seconded with a strength of four hundred foot and eighty horse . and lastly , hernandes à soto , embarques in this expedition , and did endevour with a supply of three hundred and fifty horse , and ninety foot , to accomplish the conquest of florida , that by the addition of this province he might enhance both the lustre and patrimony of the spanish diadem , and pursued and managed this enterprise with a various successe and conduct from the year , to the year . but it is disputable whether the storm with reason , or the storm without , was more destructive and prejudicial to the double expedition of these two last undertakers : for diseases , tempests and shipwracks , combining with the treacherous ambushes of the natives , so disordered their affairs , and discomposed the contexture of the whole design , that the spaniards ever since , have abandoned any attempt which had any tendency to the reduction of this province to the spanish scepter ; since the enterprizes of those commanders before named , which seemed at first to sprout out with such specious hope , were at last so infortunately blasted , onely they preserved st. augustines and the other colonies above recited , to remain as in-lets , to open for the future both an opportunity and passage to any new invasion which might fortifie and confirm the spanish interest in this province of florida . having taken a full prospect of those additions of empire the spaniard is now possest of in america , i shall now hoist sail , and make my application to the east-indies , and view what new accessions have made an improvement both of revenue and power of that estate which relates to the spanish dominion in these territories : and first the malacca islands do call for our consideration : they are seven in number , ternata , tidor , macir , bacha , machian , botona and siana ; the first discovery entitles itself to americus vesputius , whose first attempts were perfected by the endevours and successful navigation of ferdinand mag●llan , encouraged to embarque himself in this expedition , by the expence and at the command of charles the fifth , about the year . but though the title of these islands might seem at first so firmely engrasfed upon the spanish scepter , that no external force could almost ravish it away ; yet have the hollanders by some modern successes , so shaken the spanish interests in these their new acquists , that a considerable part of these islands is pluck'd away , and annexed to the patrimony of the united provinces . next the philippina islands oblige us to a discourse ; if you consult the original register , upon the account you will find but four in the catalogue , namely , luzon . mindanao . tandair . pall●han . they were discovered originally by lagaspi a spanish captain , by the concurrence , procurement , and assistance of lewis de velasco vice-roy of new-spain , in the year . and in memory of philip the second ( in whose raign they were discovered ) they were called philippinae . but since these islands were knit to the spanish demeasn , the hollanders by the assistance of fleets , and support of armies , have endevoured to ravish away these islands from the patrimony of spain , to incorporate them into their own ; but yet maugre these attempts , the title of them hath been so firmly inoculated upon the spanish scepter , that it is still subservient to the seignorie and command of philip the fourth , the instant king of spain . the second part . the spanish interest in burgundy , belgium , or the netherlands . the french county and dutchy of burgundy . the french county , or county of burgundy , is involv'd and couch'd in the patrimony of the house of austria , and is thus circumscrib'd ; it hath on the east the mountain of jo●r , on the west the dutchy of burgundy , on the north a branch of the mountain vange , on the south la bresse . it is by estimate miles in length , and about in breadth . the ancient inhabitants of this county , were the sequani , whose power was of that latitude , that it was once put into the ballance , when the contest was between them and the hedui and arverni , for the soveraignty of gaul , until this emulous contention was superceeded by the roman conquest , under whose government it made up , together with switzerland , the province of maxima sequanorum . in the wane of whose empire , it grew a limb of the burgundian kingdom , the first of whose monarchs who conducted the burgundians into gaul was tibica , whose successor gundomar son of sigismund was in a successeful war dislodg'd , and cast out from his kingdome by childebert and clotaire kings of paris and soisson , in revenge of their brother clodomire , who fell by the sword of this sigismund . and thus was burgundy annexed to the demeasne of the french , after it had continued about an hundred and twenty years entire , without any subserviency ; guntram the son of clotaire , and clovis one of the sons of dagobert the first , bring both in their respective times ennobled with the burgundian diadem . but the subsequent succession of the kings of burgundy , was emergent from the partage of the patrimony and empire of cherlemaigne , amongst the children of lodovicus pius the first , of which monarchs which weilded the burgundian scepter , was charles younger son of lotharius the emperour , in which lotharius likewise , the title to this crown , as being son to lewis the godly , was tacitly lodged ; but he dying without issue , it devolved to his brother lotharius , who likewise determined without children ; and ●o a second vicissitude brought it to confesse the scepter of their uncle charles the bald , king of france , and emperour of germany , who conferred the seignory with the title of earl , on boson earl of ardenne , who had matched with his sister judith ; which boson was advanced not long after , by charles the grosse , to the title of monarch , and was styled king of arles and burgundy , in which last this province was rolled up ; from whom by several traverses it came down to rodolph the first , who had the title of duke of burgundy beyond the jour ; and from him the devolution of successive interest , carried it to boson the second brother to this rodolph the first , by whom the dukedome of burgundy beyond jour , was united to the kingdome of arles and burgundy ; and from him the thread of descent transported it along to his grandchild rodolph the second ; who concluding without issue , gave this and many other provinces to conrade the second emperour of germany , who had espoused gisela sister and heir general of this rodolph . after this it was so couched in the caesarean patrimony , that it was esteemed as a limb of the german empire , and was managed and governed by such earls and provincial officers , as those emperours transmitted hither , to sway and regulate the affairs of this province . otho of flanders , son of a sister of the emperour conrade , by the aid and concurrence of robert king of france , was the first who was invested in it as proprietary , those others whom the french registers and records represent to us to have held it , being official rather than hereditary . this otho above mentioned , determined without issue ; so that reinald his cousin and kinsman , became heir to the earldome of burgundy ; but here the title was very transitory , for he concluded in a female inheritrix called beatrix , who was matched to the emperour frederick barbarossa , by which alliance it was annexed to his patrimony , and from him it devolved to his youngest son otho ; but here likewise the possession was as transient , for he expired in a daughter and heir styled beatrix , who by matching with otho duke of meranis , which was part of the province of tyroll , brought it to confesse him for earl of burgundy , and by her he had issue alice , his only daughter and heir , who was violently dispossessed by stephen de chalons and his complices , who was next heir to garrard de vienne and joan his wife , second daughter to otho the first , and sister of beatrix , acknowledged by his faction there for earl of burgundy , even in the life time of otho ; and from him did the title glide down to his grandchild hugh , who finding his new acquited dignity was established upon a crazy foundation , to fortifie his claim , he matched with alice the heir of otho , the second above-mentioned , and so by twisting their titles together , became indisputable heir to this earldome ; and he had issue othelin , who going out in a daughter and heir known by the name of joan , she by matching with philip the long king of france , annexed it as an appendage to his scepter , and he setled it on joan his eldest daughter issuing from this match , on eudes duke of burgundy ; but his grandchild philip dying young and without issue , this upon his decease by right of inheritance devolved to margaret second daughter of king philip the long , and joan his wife above mentioned , who was wedded to lewis de malain earl of flanders ; and he had issue by her lewis de malain , who in her right incorporated this earldom into his patrimony ; but here it was not long resident , for he found his sepulchre in a female heir called margaret , who by espousing philip the hardy , second son of john king of france , linked this and the title and interest of many other eminent seignories to his paternal demeasne . having thus in landskip discovered the fate of the french county , i shall represent in a compendious prospect those vicissitudes and revolutions that roll'd about the title of the dutchy of burgundy , untill it came finally to accknowledge the dominion of philip the hardy above-mentioned . the dukedome of burgundy hath on the east the french county , and ●o ●e part of the savoy ; on the west burbonnis ; on the north champaigne ; on the south bresse , lionnois , and and some part of peau jeulois . the ancient inhabitants of this dukedome , were the people in ancient reco●ds , so eminent for their warlike disposition , called the hedui . in times of a more mode●n inscription , that is , about the division of the french kingdome of burgundy , made by charles the bald , that part of it which was called the dukedome of burgundy on this side of the soasne , was canton'd into the five earldoms of dijons , chalons , autun , lions , and mascon ; whereof the three first being laid and amassed together , by eudes king of france , during the minority of charles the simple , were given unto his brother richard , embellished with the title and style of duke of burgundy : but the common fate which attends upon all humane frailty , transported this province , upon the decease of gilbert son of this richard who made his exit without issue male , to otho ( son of hugh capet earl of paris , surnamed the great ) in right of his wife , who was daughter and heir general of this gilbert ; in whose patrimony it had not long resided , when he dying without issue , this dutchy which he had been entituled to , by the authority of this alliance , came over to his brother henry , who likewise expiring without children , the thread of desent wafted it along to robert king of france son to hugh capet , who was nephew to otho and henry above mentioned ; and from him did the clew of succession guide it down to robert the third , who had issue hugh the fifth of that name duke of burgundy , and eudes , who upon the decease of his brother hugh the fifth , without issue , entered upon this dutchy as his heir ; and from him again did it come down to his grandchild philip ; who dying young and sans issue , this province with all its perquisites , augmented the revenue of john king of france , to whom it accrued in right of his mother joan wife to his father philip de valois , who was one of the daughters of robert the third above mentioned , and by consequence upon defailance of issue in philip abovesaid , became entitled as his heir general to the propriety of this dutchy ; but this was pretended onely , for his title was better supported by a violent detention of this dutchy , upon which he had entered as an escheat , to the prejudice and supplantation of the earls of eureux , by an illegall inroad upon their interest ; since those earls extracted their descent and claim from the daughter and heir of lewis de hutin k. of france , before philip de valois , which lewis matched with margaret eldest daughter to robert the third above mentioned , and mother to the heir general . but to proceed , k. john being thus invested in the possession , setled it on his second son philip the hardy , from whom by the steps of some descents , it came down to charles the hardy , who finding an untimely sepulchre in the feilds of nancy , left the propriety of burgundy to be enjoyed by mary his sole inheretrix ; upon the decease of which charles , lewis the eleventh king of france , seised upon the dutchy of burgundy , as an appendage to the crown of france , pretending it was by the fundamental customes of that kingdome to return to that scepter , in case there were a defailance of issue male ; but the french county being an imperial isle , was permitted to remain united to the patrimony of his daughter mary abovesaid , in whose right maximilian the emperour her husband , was invested in the fee ; and from him is the seignory and demeasne of this province , by the transmission of successive descent , guided down to own the scepter and dominion of philip the fourth , the instant king of spain . flanders and artois . these two though since since separated , were originally knit together in the interest of one estate , yet after the interval of five or six descents were again twisted together , and remained thus incorporated ever since . flanders is bound in on the east with hai●alt and brabant ; on the west with the german ocean ; on the north with the seas of zealand , and a branch of the scheld ; and on the south with picardy and graveling , interposing betwixt callis and graveling . antiquity hath extracted its name from several conjectures , as first from flando , because it lyeth upon the winds ; others again assert that it was imposed upon it , from flandbert the son of blesinda daughter of cl●dion the second king of france ; some fetch it from a town of that name situated in that part of the country where now ardenbourg stands , so long since languished and shrunk into ruin , that the least symptome or representation being wanting to inform us that there was once such a place in being , that we now with difficulty trace out its rubbish amidst its ruines ; therefore the conjectures of more rational heads extract the appellation from flandrina the wife of lideric the second , the first who managed the government of these parts as forrester . it was in elder times resolved into three divisions , that is , flandria imperialis , called so because it was long in its obedience subservient to the emperours of germany ; flandria gallica , so styled from the french dialect there spoken ; and flandria teutonica , because within its precinct the dutch language was properly used . artois is limited on the east with flanders gallicant , and the county of cambray ; on the south and west it is bounded with picardy ; on the north with flanders flammegant , and the river of lis. the name is extracted from the atrebates the old inhabitants thereof ; the air is temperate , and the soil so pregnant and ●ertile that it may very well have the denomination of the granary of flanders and brabant . these countries of flanders and artois were anciently , if not a part , yet much of the same nature and condition with the great forrest of ardenne , nothing but the solitudes of continual woods and de●arts , making the aspect of it rude and desolate ; the ancient inhabitants of the first were the nervii and morini , who were supplanted by the romans , and these again by the french , who having established the great earldome of ardenne , made these provinces in part subject to the dominion and power of its governours , whilest that track of earth which confined on the sea , was so exposed to rapine , pyracies , and depredations of the danes , that it was neglected , uncultivated , and almost unpeopled ; the in-land countries ▪ something contributing to the general calamity by being meanly planted , from a deficiency of those necessaries which should support the life of man. but when brunulph earl of ardenne was secured by dagobert king of france , this wild and disordered country , extending as far as the river of some , and enwrapping besides artois and flanders , a considerable part of pi●ardy about the year . was given to lideri● le beuque , with the title of forrester , to be held under homage to that crown . in whose posterity this title sojourned , until the time of baldwin the first , the son of odoacer the seventh of the forresters , whose names are recorded in the registers of flanders , there being a gap or parenthesis which ravels their memories during the ravage of the danes and normans . this baldwin having by a violent onset ravished away , and after wedded judith sister to charles the bald king of france , and emperour , was by him created earl of flanders about the year . the soveraignty reserved as before it was ; in whose issue the interest of these provinces remained combined and entire , until philip the first surnamed of elsas , son of theodorick the first , surnamed likewise of elsas , to which theodorick the seignory both of flanders and artois accrued , as being heir general of heltrude , daughter and heir general likewise of robert the first , earl of flanders and artois , after the decease of her brother robert the second , charles son of canutus king of denmark , who had matched with her sister adeliza , and of william , grandchild of william the bastard duke of normandy ( who had espoused mawde daughter of baldwin the fifth earl of flanders and artois ) gave unto philip augustus king of france , the province of artois with the earldome of veramandois , with isabel his neice , daughter of baldwin the eighth earl of hainault , which baldwin had wedded margaret daughter of theodorick above-mentioned , and sister and heir of this philip. by lewis the eighth son and successor to this king philip , artois was given as a portion to swell the patrimony of his youngest son robert , who was adorned with the title of earl of artois by king lewis the ninth anno . this robert had issue robert the second , in whom the male line failed , so that mawde his sole daughter , being matched to othelin earl of burgundy , he in her right became earl of artois : but in him the title was as volatile and unfixed as in the former ; for he deceased without issue male , and so joan his daughter and heir by espousing philip the long , king of france , united this earldome to his scepter , and the estate to his patrimony , and gave it in marriage with the county of burgundy , with joan his eldest daughter , to eudes duke of burgundy ; and from him the right of descent wafted it along to his grandchild philip the third , who expiring without issue , margaret second daughter of king philip the long above mentioned , who was matched to lewis earl of flanders , entered upon this earldome as his heir general , and transmitted it and both the burgundies to his son lewis de malain ; and from him again did margaret his sole heir carry the united titles and interest of all these provinces to philip the hardy , to whom she was solemnly wedded at gaunt , in the year . having thus in a compendious discovery represented those revolutions which annexed artois to the burgundian stem , i shall now in as narrow a volume pursue and trace out the fate of flanders ; and it stood thus : theodorick of elsas earl of flanders above mentioned , had issue philip surnamed of elsas , and earl of flanders likewise , who dying without issue , baldwin the eighth earl of hanault , who had espoused margaret his sister and heir , in her right was entituled to the earldome of flanders , and left his new acquists to his son and heir baldwin the ninth , a man of that latitude of power in the age he lived in , that he was not only earl of flanders and hainault , but emperour of constantinople also ; but he and his greatnesse found one sepulchre together in two daughters and coheirs , joan the eldest was first matched to ferdinand son of sancho king of portugal , and secondly to thomas third son of thomas earl of savoy , by whom having no issue surviving , margaret her second sister wedded to william of dampiere , became heir to her concernment in flanders and hainalt ; by her husband abovementioed she had issue william of dampiere , whom even in her life time she admitted to the title of earl , which he continued until his death , which was divers years before her own decease ; and guy of dampier● who was not only dignified with the title of earl on the death of his brother , but invested also in the estate , on the exit of his mother , and from him did the steps of several descents conduct it down to his great grandchild lewis de malain earl of flanders , hainault , artois , and both the burgundies ; but expiring without issue male , margaret his sole inheritrix by matching with philip the hardy , fourth son of john king of france , brought them not only to improve the grandeur of his family , but likewise to swell and inforce his patrimony , and from him did the title of these provinces flow down to his great grandchild charles duke of burgundy , surnamed the warlike , who being unfortunately cut off at the battle of granson , and expiring without issue male , his interest in flanders , burgundy , and many other provinces , came to be enjoyed by maximilian the emperour , and his son philip having wedded joan daughter of ferdinand and isabella , monarchs of spain , so twisted the title of flanders and burgundy with that of spain , that it is still subservient to the dominion and empire of philip the fourth , who now weilds the scepter of the spanish monarchy . hainault . hain ault is bounded on the east with namur , on the west with flanders , on the north with brabant , on the south with picardy and champaigne . it was in elder times called saltus carbonatius , by some writers the lower picardy ; in latine records of a more modern inscription hannonia . it borrows this name from the river haine or hania , which glides through it , and the word holt which imports a wood ; this province being almost clouded and over-spread with forrests , so that the etymologie will be hainault quasi hain-holt , a country replenished with woods on the river of haine . thus it is represented in french , but in dutch it is best known by the name of henegou , that is , a country consining on the river haine , as the signification in that language does intimate . the ancient inhabitants of this province were the nervii , so eminent in history for their valour and prudence , who after bloody contests were supplanted by the romans ; but they again being dislodg'd by the prench , it became a limb of the great earldome of ardenne , and remained so until the death of brunulph , who was subdued and slain in battel by dagobert k. of france ; which brunulph his father in his life time had invested with the title of duke of ardenne , and designed unto the conquest of it ; but the fury of war being allayed , and the parts of flanders and brabant which were parcels of that dutchy being enstated on other houses , this by the indulgent magnificence of sigebert king of metz or austrasia , was setled on alberic surnamed the orphelin one of the younger sons of brunulph , and was likewise adorned with the name and title of earl of hainalt ; and from him did both the title and estate by the thread of descent come down to walter the third ; by whose eldest daughter it was brought to confesse albon both for earl and proprietary ; and from him the clew of paternal descent transported the title to his successor reigner the third , who determined in a daughter and heir called richild , who by matching with baldwin the fifth of that name , earl of flanders , added so strong a right to this alliance , that he became earl of hainalt by the name of baldwin the first , and left it to his son arnulph , who was barbarously robbed of his estate by his unnatural uncle robert ; who not glutted with this ruin , ravished away likewise the earldome of flanders by an unjust and usurped surprizal , into which he succeeded , though his nephew baldwin , brother to the infortunate arnulph , was repossest of hainault , by the name of baldwin the second , and styled himself likewise earl of flanders ; and from him by a continued channel of worthy successors , did the title of this earldom flow down to baldwin the eighth of that name in hainault , and the ninth in flanders , who went out in two daughters and coheirs , joan who dyed without issue though twice married ; and margaret who being entrusted to the care and tuition of buschart her guardian , he by ill arts and worse stratagems so seduced and charmed her affections , that she was made a prostitute to his lust , and by those unlawful embraces had a natural son called john de avesnes , prior of st. peters in l'isle , who by the designs of force and fraud , by an unjust intrusion extorted hainault from his two brothers william and guy of dampierre , both being sons of william of bourbon lord of dampierre and this margaret , & both the issue of lawful sheets ; and this john being thus swoln with an increase of patrimony , and made tall in title , matched with aleida daughter and heir of florence the fourth earl of holland , and so by the authority of this alliance , was not only earl of hainault : but of that territory also of whose descendants , and how both hainault and holland came to devolve to the house of burgundy , i shall discover when i come to treat of holland . namur . namur hath on the east hainault , on the west the bishoprick of leigh , on the north brabant , and on the south luxenbourg . the ancient inhabitants of this country were the nervii . it was first erected into an earldom by some of the descendants of the sons of clodion second king of the french , who being by a violent usurpation devested of their fathers diadem , by meroveus master of his horse , to whose ingrateful and unworthy tuition they had been entrusted by their confident ( but unwa●y ) father , were forced to seek shelter in the most desencible places of the great forrest of ardenne , where they established the great earldomes of ardenne and mosell . divided in succeeding generations into many parcels , of which this was one . who the first earls were , because ancient records are dim in that particular , is incertain . albert who was co-temporary to hugh capet , and matched with irmingrade daughter of charles of france , and first duke of lorraine , is represent in very old registers to have been earl of this province ; and he was grandfather ( and as some authors assert ) father to ●eter earl of namur , in whom the male line determined , so that his daughter and heir by espousang henry the second son of baldwin the eighth earl of flanders and hainault ( which henry was emperour of constantinople likewise , after the death of his elder brother baldwin the ninth earl of flanders and hainault ) brought this earldom into that family ; and from him it descended to yoland his daughter , who wedded peter earl of auxerre ( who also succeeded his father in law henry in the empire of constantinople ) and he supported by a right derived from her , was entitled to this earldome ; and upon his decease philip his younger son , as being then in the netherlands , entered upon it as earl ; but he dying without issue , john his elder brother , who at his fathers decease was at constantinople and there made his claim , was entitled to it ; but he likewise making his exit without issue , it devolved to philip the second , brother to henry the emperour above mentioned ; and the likewise determining without children , it was transmitted to margaret one of the two daughters and co-heirs of baldwin the ninth , as heir general to this philip , and she setled it on her third son john sirnamed of dampierre , upon whose decease his elder brother guy of dampierre entered upon the earldome , and left it to his son by his second wife , by the name of john the third ; upon whose exit , his brother who was one of the sons of guy de dampierre above mentioned , by his first wife , was invested in the earldome by the style of john the fourth ; but he expi●ing without issue , his brother by the whole blood entered upon the possession , by the name of guy the second ; and from him it descended to his grandchild john the sixth , who in the year . passed away his estate here in reversion to philip the good , to be enjoyed by him , on the decease of his next heir theodore , who being infirm , and going out without issue , it accordingly augmented the revenue of philip the good ; and from him hath the steps of several descents carried down the title and propriety to philip the fourth , now king of spain . luxenbourg . luxnbourg is environed on the east with the moselle and the land of triers on the west with the maes and the forrest of ardenne , on the north with luick-land , namur , and a part of hainault , and on the south with the dutchy of lorraine . it hath borrowed this name from the castle near the town of luxenbourg , selected by sigifride the first earl hereof for his seat and residence . the whole dutchy is resolved into two parts , that on the east having borrowed the name of famenne , that on the west having the appellation of ardenne imposed upon it . this province was at first a limb of the great earldome of ardenne , rent from it in the raign of otho the first by sigifride the son of ric●inus prince thereof , who in the breaking the estate by division into pa●cels , had this consigned for his portion with the title of earl. of his successors gilbert , godfrey , and conrade there is little represented to us by ancient record , in a constant order of succession , until the time of henry the first , who being slain in the cause and quarrel of renald earl of gueldres ▪ contending with john duke of brabant for the dutchy of limbourg , this province descended to his son and heir henry the second , who by the influence and procurement of his brother baldwin elector of triers , emperour of germany ; and he had issue john who matched with elizabeth daughter of wenceslaus the elder , king of bohemia ; the respect had to that alliance was so operative upon that nation , that he was in the life time of his father by their election advanced to the scepter of that nation . and he had issue charles who was emperour of germany the fourth of that name , and likewise king of bohemia , and wenceslaus the first , who was created duke of luxenbourg by his brother charles the emperour , to inlarge and multiply the grandeur of their family ; but he deceasing without a successor , this dutchy again was united to the patrimony of wenceslaus , who was eldest son to charles the fourth , and was emperour , and king of bohemia also ; and to him succeeded his brother sigismund who was invested in all his estates , and adorned with all h●s titles , as namely , emperour , king of bohemia , and duke of luxenbourg ; but grew more considerable when he matched with mary heir of l●wis the first , king of hungary ; by which alliance that diadem likewise encircled his temples ; and he the better to fortifie his own family with external butteresses , by a munificient donation , enstated this dutchy on elizabeth daughter to his younger brother john duke of gortlitz ; which endowment of his fitted her for the bed of anthony of burgogn duke of brabant ; after whose decease she was remarried to john the third earl of hainault and holland , but having issue by neither of them , she by sale conveyed her concernment in this dutchy to philip the good , duke of burgundy , 〈◊〉 whom several descents hath conducted the 〈◊〉 down to philip the fourth now king of 〈◊〉 . brabant . brabant is bounded on the east with luickland , on the west with the river scheld and a part of flanders , on the north with the maes , which separates it from holland and guelderland , and on the south with hainault , namur , and a branch of guelderland . the ancient inhabitants of this province were the aduatici , and some part of the tungri , by the romans reputed a limb of that province , called germania secunda ; and by the french , a province of the kingdome of east-france or austrasia ; the southern parts thereof confining on hainault , were subservient to the command of the earls of ardenne ; the northern parts extending towards the sea , were miserably harrassed with the depredations of the danes and normans , and therefore for their future indempnity , were committed to the custody and protection of one who had the title of lord warden of the marches . but long these robbers had not laid this province desolate with their wilde depopulations , when their rapine met with a just expiation , for theodebert son of theodorick first king of austrasia , accompanied with utilo a boiarian prince , so check'd their insolencies , and retrenched their eruptions by seve al defeats , that theodorick at the request of his son theodebert , to ballance the signal performances of utilo , gave him not only the command of these countries , but the propriety and possession of a considerable part of them likewise by the title of lord marquiss of antwerpe , the fourth from whom called araulph , was the first mayor of the palace to the kings of france , made hereditary to this family and his ●uccessors . by dagobert the first ●ole king of the french , that branch of this country which was 〈◊〉 ●ubjection to the earls of ardenne , was by his victorious sword extorted from them , and the whole estate con●erred on ansegisus son of arnulph , with the title of duke of brabant ; and from him did the title and estate descend to charles martell base son of his son pepin the first ; and this charles had issue pepin the second , surnamed the short , who having managed successfully the affairs of france , at last usurped that diadem , and solemnly receive the crown at soissons from the hands of boniface arch-bishop of mentz in the year the dukedome of brabant was by this means incorporated into the revenue of the crown of france , where it 〈◊〉 ●●●ch ●●nt● the partage of the french empire amongst the ●ons and kinsm●n of lewis the godly ▪ and 〈◊〉 ●t w●s link'd as an appendage to the kingdom● of lorraine , where it lay wrapped up , until lotharius the third king of france , in whose share it was involved conferred it on charles his younger b●other with the title of duke of brabant . but this donation little improved his interest , because the principal part of this , and that moiety of the kingdome of lorraine which obeyed the french , was cut off by the sucessful sword of otho the second emperour of germany , and annexed to the empire . but this otho considering that charles above-said , thus devested , was his cousin german , as being son to lewis king of france surnamed the transmarine , who had wedded gerburg sister to his father otho the first , invested him in the great dukedome of lorraine , which in spacious latitude and extent of it circumscribed within its precincts and perambulation , lorrain , gulick , brabant , which had then the denomination of basse or low lorrain , and the lands of luick . but out of this spreading patrimony thus enstated on charles of france , otho the second above-mentioned , reserved out of it for his aunt gerburg mother of the said charles , the towns and territories of lovain , bruxells , antwerpe , and nivelle as her dower ; which with reference to the ancient title , he honoured with the dignity of marquisate of the holy empire , ann● . gerburg the sister , and after the death of charles her brother abovesaid without issue , succeeded in lovain , antwerpe , bruxells , and nivelle ; by a right transmitted to her from her grandmother the first gerburg , aswell as from him , ( though she had injuriously disseised of lorrein and the title to that large demeasne by the emperour henry the second , the emperour ) which territories of lovain and the rest above-mentioned , she conveyed in marriage to lambert one of the sons of reigner earl of hainault , with the title of earl of lovain , henry his son reduced antwerpe , which it seems by an unjust violence was detained from him ; and by this atchievement obtained the whole marquisate , but still reserved the title of earl of lovain . godfrey the sixth earl , having by several new acquists much extended the bounds and marches of his dominions , was by the emperour henry the fifth , to whom he was link'd in as near an obligation of affinity ( having matched with his sister ) as in friendship , in the year , created the first duke of brabant ; and from him the title flowed down with an undisturbed channel to john the third of that name duke of brabant , by whose daughter and co-heir both the title and seignory was transported to wenceslaus the first duke of luxenbourg , by whom though she had no issue , yet on him and on his posterity she enstated this dutchy , and sigismund his second son duke of luxenbourg setled it on elizabeth his neice , daughter to john duke of gorlitz in lusatia ; and she by matching with anthony of burgogne , one of the younger sons of philip the hardy , annexed it to his inheritance ; and being by this alliance thus entitled to it , it was transmitted to john the fourth duke of brabant , who was eldest son by his first wife ( for this his second deceased without issue ) joan daughter of waleran earl of s. paul ; but he dying without issue , it devolved by descent to his second brother philip , who likewise expiring without children , philip the good grandchild to philip the hardy , succeeded in this dutchy as heir to his two kinsmen above mentioned ; and from him did the clew of diverse descents guide the title down to philip the second , king of spain , and he lost a considerable proportion of it in the fatal defection of the netherlands , occasioned by the bloody impression made upon their invaded and injured liberties by ferdinand duke of alva ; though bruxells , antwerpe , machlin , and other important peices , do yet confesse the scepter and dominion of philip the fourth now king of spain . the seignory of machlin consists onely of that city , and some eight or nine contiguous villages ; the most eminent of the villages is styled liest or hiest , situated on the pleasant knob of a swelling hill ; the residue of the adjacent villages confining on the foot thereof . both town and villages were formerly enwraped in the patrimony of the powerful family of the bertholts ; which name expi●ing in the person of gualter de bertholt , slain in the battel of worancan by john duke of brabant , one moiety of it devolved to the bishop of leige , who again conveyed it by sale to john the second duke of brabant , and the other proportion accrued to ...... duke of gueldres , and he in the year . passed it away to lewis de malain earl of flanders , but he conveyed nothing away but a naked title which was before denuded of its revenue , by the successful hand of john the third duke of brabant , who tore it away to augment his own estate , since which this seignory of machlin with all its perquisites and appendages , hath so constantly attended the fate of brabant and flanders , that it at this instant confesses the interest of the spanish scepter . limbourg hath on the east the dukedome of gulick , on the west the bishoprick of leige , on the north brabant , and on the south the dukedome of luxenbourg . the ancient inhabitants of this track were the eburones ; when it was first advanced to the title of an earldome , the light which should be collected from ancient records is so dim and faint that it cannot conduct us to any clear and positive discovery , onely it is probable , that it was originally a limb of the great earldome of ardenne , from which it was rent to institute and make up a patrimonial inheritance for some cadet or younger son , as namur and luxenbourg were , or snatched away by the violent hand of some for aign pretender ( as gulick was , when godfrey and baldwin dukes of lorrain , the indisputable heirs of ▪ the house of ardenne , were engaged to a necessary absence by the holy war. but when , and by whom it was a●orned with the title of an earldome , certain it is , that of an earldome it was erected to a dukedome by the emperour frederick barbarossa , anno . henry one of the dukes hereof , matched his daughter margaret to godfrey the third duke of brabant , which suggested to his successors some specious colour to pretend unto it , supported with a title of more authority which came in to reinforce the former , on the decease of another henry , the last duke of limbourg , whose next heir adolph conveyed it to john duke , who fortified his claim and title to it by a colourable pretence and right derived from the former match anno . but reynald earl of guelders , being blown up with an over-weening conceit that his title was established and erected on a better foundation than that of adolph , in right of ermingrade his wife , daughter to herman a late duke thereof , cast in his challenge to this dukedome , and attempted to evict the title by the power of the sword , but this was ruinous and destructive to him , for being subdued and made captive by the said duke john in the battel of worancan , he was forced to redeem his liberty by no lesse a price or ransome than his total release to all title or claim that he or his successors might pretend to the dukedome of limbourg : after which it was so folded up in the interest of the dukes of brabant , that it came over with it to the house of burgundy ; and from that again to own ever since the dominion of the spanish monarchy . guelders , zutphen , and groning . guelderland is shut in on the east with cleve and the earldome of zutphen , on the west with holland and utrecht , on the north with over issell and the zuyder-sea , and on the south with brabant and the land of gulick . the ancient inhabitants of guelderland were the menapii and sicambri , people very eminent in ancient record for their magnanimity and courage . in ages of a more modern inscription , these sicambri mingled with the french , and under that name and notion were entitled to the spreading empire of the west . in the partage thereof by the posterity of charles the great , this province was knit to the kingdome of austrasia or east-france ; and afterwards being broken off was united to the german empire . at the beginning of its government the publique ast●i●s were swayed and weilded by some who enjoyed no other title but guardians and protectors , and were advanced to that dignity by the people in the raign of charles the bald ; the first who were embellished with this title were wickard and leopold two brethren , who fixing their chief residence in the castle of guelders , gave an occasion to future ages to impose the name of gueld●rland on the whole province ; but they and their successors were supported by a power of so narrow a circumscription , that in effect their office was but provincial , they themselves being accomptable to the emperours how they managed the publique concernments of this province . the first prince who disengaged from the shackles of these restraints , was otho of nassaw , who matched with aleida daughter to wickard the last guardian , and was by the emperour henry the third made the first earl of guelderland ; and under this style and title his successors continued , until the emperour lewis of bavaria improved this dignity in the person of reynold the second , to the degree of a duke , about the year . and from him did it descend to his son edward the offspring of his second wife eleanor daughter of edward the third king of england ; and he deceasing without issue , mary his sister by matching with william●arl ●arl of gulick , brought both the patrimony and ducal crown of this province to be possest b● him , and his two sons william and reynold the fourth , successively enjoyed it ; but they dying without issue , arnold of egmond son of john lord of egmond and mary his wife , daughter of joan the sister of william and raynold the two last dukes , as heir general possest himself of guelderland ; but in the declension of his age , being worried by his unnatural son adolph with war and imprisonment , he was in this agony supported by charles the warlike , duke of ●urgu●dy , who rescued him from his son , and released him ●rom his fetters ; and he to ballance ●o signal a favour , conveyed his interest in guelderland and zutphen to this duke , which contract was after much contest and effusion of blood ratified to charles the fifth , by his second son arnold , and accordingly the provinces of guelderland and zutphen were by a voluntary resignation surrendred to charles the fifth , and from him the title devolved to his son phil●p the second , king of spain , in whom it was lodged until the barbarous cruelty of the duke of alva engaged most of the belgick provinces to a revolt or defection , and the prudential conduct of maurice prince , having much extended the conquests of the confederate states , most of this province was by his successful atchievements annexed to their united patrimony . zutphen . zutphen was anciently an earldom of it self without any connexion or dependance on the fortune or seignory of guelderland , and remained in this capacity until it devolved to be the patrimony of wickman the last earl , who determined in sophia his sole daughter and heir , who by matching with otho first earl of guelderland , fastned it to that province , annd so it continued after this , subservient to the command of the successive earls and dukes ; and when arnold the last duke of guelderland conveyed all his interest to charles the fifth , this was wrapped up in the purchase , and remained under the dominion of the scepter of spain , until the defection of holland and other provinces from that crown ; and then about the year . it was by prince maurice , and the army of the united states , by conquest torne from the spanish patrimony , and hath ever since remained linked in confederacy with those combined provinces . groining . groining , both city and province , did in elder times confesse no other seignory but of that of the bishop of utrecht , but he either by want of power of inadvertency , being remisse in asserting their liberties against forraign eruptions , they submitted to the protection of the dukes of guelderland . but these princes were disturbed in their new acquists by the dukes of saxony , who by a pretended claim entitled themselves to the propriety of it , during which disorder and emotion it was surprized by ezardus the earl of east-frizeland , who about . conveyed his usurped interest here to the duke of guelders the just proprietary of it . afterwads they resigned themselves up , with a reservation of their ancient liberties , to charles the fifth ; which being men●ced to be overwhelmed by the fury of the sp●niard , they combined . with holland in ●●ion and remain yet wrapped up in that confederacy . holland , zealand , and frizeland . holland hath on the east the zuyder-sea , utrecht and some part of guelderland ; on the west and north the german-ocean ; on the south the isles of zealand , and some part of brabant . zealand consists of seven islands , viz. walcheren , south beverlant , north beverlant , wolfers-dike , schowen , duvelant and tertole● . it is divorced from flanders by the left branch or arm of the scheld ; on the east it is divided from brabant by the right branch of the said river , on the north it is separated from holland by the gulf called the flack , and on the west it is rent from england by the ocean . west-frizeland hath on the east the land of groining and a part of westphalia , on the south over-issell and the zuyder-sea , on the north and west the main ocean . the ancient inhabitants of these three provinces were the batavi and carinefates , inhabiting that track of ●arth contracted almost into the circumambient embraces of the rhine and wael , and which now circumscribes within its precincts and verge holland , utrecht , ●●d a part of the dutchy of guelders ; the frisii who were entitled to the possession of west-frizeland , and the mattiaci who were planted in zealand . but when the ravage and pyracies of the normans had by many bloody onsets and impressions acted such a devastation here , that these provinces were almost dispeopled ; charles the bald to thierry son of sigebert a prince of aquitane ; and the more to manage and improve his encreasing hopes , and enable him to protect these depopulated countries , he engraffed on him the title of earl , with this restriction annexed to the donation , that he and his successors should own and confesse the soveraignty of the crown of france , which was accordingly performed , until it was by arnulph the fourth earl interrupted and discontinued , who rendred himself homager to the empire ; and from this thierre an undisturb'd channel of descent transported it down to john the son of florence the fifth , who determining without issue , john of avesnes earl of hainault , in right of the marriage of his father john of avesnes earl of hainault , and his mother aleide sister and heir of william the second earl of holland , entered into the possession of these provinces as their heir general ; and from him it was wafted down to his grandchild william the fourth of that name earl of holland , and the second of hainault , who being slain in a war against the frisons , and leaving no issue , margaret his sister and heir brought it to be possest by lewis of bavaria emperour of germany , after whose decease she was forced to relinquish holland to her second son william , and hainault to her third son albert ; but earl william , the fifth above mentinoed , deceasing without issue , albert his brother became entitled to the earldoms of holland and hainault , and had issue william the sixth , who by a right transmitted to him from his father , wore the coronet of holland ; and in him this family was entombed , for he deceasing without issue male , jaqueline his only daughter became his heir ; but it seems she was condemned by nature to an inexpugnable barrenness , for though she had three husbands , namely , john the fourth duke of brabant , from whom she was separaed by divorce , under pretext of consanguinity , humfrey duke of gloucester , and john de borselles , a gentleman of a private orb , yet the annalls of holland do assert that she had children by neither , so that wanting posterity to inforce and propagate her memory to succeeding times , she conveyed her concernment in holland and hainault to philip the good , duke of burgundy , son of john duke of burgundy and of margaret his wife , sister to earl william the sixth , and daughter of albert above-mentioned ; from whom by the traverses and steps of several descents ( the house of burgundy ▪ having by the match of joan the heir of ferdinand and isabella , fa●●ned and knit the house of castile unto it self ) the propriety and title of holland , zealand , and frizeland , devolved to philip the second king of spain , 〈…〉 vice-roy for the ● provinces the duke 〈…〉 va having by his prodigious butcheries and ●●●cutions incited the people to a total defection from the crown of spain , they to fortifie t●●m●●lves against the bloody encroachments of the spamard , chained their divided interests together in one common union and co●s●●●●●cy ▪ in which they continue linked at this instant . utrecht . utrecht is chain'd in on the east with guelderland , and on the west , north and south with holland . the city of utrecht was sometimes the royal residence of radbold king of the frizons , after the romans were dislodged , who had long been plante ●here in those cities and seats , they by an unjust violence had torn from the bructeri , salii , and batavi , who w●re the ancient inhabitants ; but when dagobere king of france had dissipated and broken the strength of the frizons , he erected this province into a bishoprick , and annexed unto it a demeasn spreading and opulent , the better to soment the increase of christianity , and improve the subsequent dignity of it . the first bishop whose hand sustained the crosier , was willibald an english-man , who established christianity , and dispelled the mists of infidelity which had long over-shadowed these parts ; and his successors multiplied it to that grandeur and formidable power , that they asserted their patrimony and intetest in this province about nine hundred year● , with much of reputation and courage against all the encroachments and unjust incursions of the invading earls of holland , until it came to be possest by henry of bavaria bishop hereof , who being distressed by the duke of guelders , and expulied out of utrecht by his own mutinous and tumultuous subjects about the year . conveyed his estate here to charles the fifth , and he procured an investiture in it from the estates of the empire ( it being an imperial fief , and so not to be alienated or imbezelled without their license ) not long after ; and from him did it devolve by succession to his son and heir philip the second , who having lodged the government of the netherlands upon his vicegerent ferdinand de toledo , duke d'alva , this duke by his massacres and assassinations , having filled the inhabitants with a universal regret and animosity , this with the rest of the provinces , by a pub●ique revolt , renounced and disclaimed all alleigeance to the crown of spain ; and the better to secure their liberties from the future onsets of that kingdome , the people of this province cemented themselves in a confederate union with those of holland , and continue at this day wound up in that first combination . cambray . the city of cambray with the territory annexed , was established and erected into a bishoprick in the person of st. diogenes by birth a grecian . in times of a more recent aspect , that is , about the year . it was advanced to the dignity of an arch-bishoprick by paul the fourth . it was made an imperial fief by the german emperours , and was given in protection by the emperour henry the fifth , to robert of hierusalem earl of flanders , which patronage was ratified to the successors of this robert , by the indulgent bounty of the emperour frederick barbarossa about the year . so that being under the constant tuition of flanders , it was esteemed a limb of that province , yet had the bishops a separate jurisdiction , and were of that eminence and latitude of power , that the bishop of cambray was under the repute and notion of a prince of the empire . it was several times , sometimes by assault , and sometimes by stratagem , forced to bow to the dominion of the french , who having disobliged the people by their disorders and irregular exorbitances were expuls'd in the time of lewis the eleventh , and then it continued under the character of a free city & province , though shadow'd still with the protection of flanders , until the year . a citadel was here established by charles the fifth , which could not rescue it from being surprized in a sudden camisade by the duke of alenzon , but being not long after retrived by the courage and virtue of the spanish arms , it hath ever since remained annexed to the patrimonial inheritance of the crowne of spain . the spanish interest in italy . sicily is the first place in italy which swells the bulk of the spanish greatnesse ; and made its interest so considerable to its enemies , and useful to its friends in all its scattered territories . it is environed with the lower or tyrrhenian sea , and contains seven hundred miles in compasse , and by elder conjectures was supposed in ages of a higher ●limax to have been united to italy , being then a demy-island or peninsula , such as peloponnesus , and joyned to the continent by some narrow isthmus . indeed the narrownesse of the straight , thr ●hallownesse of the water in the phare , the brittlenesse of the shore on either side , being full of caves , and chinks , wrought in it by the violent onsets of the sea ; and then the city rhegium situated on the cal●brian coast , and almost opposite to messina , which imports a breach or cutting off , from the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies to break off ; do evince to us by probability of circumstances , that sicily was one piece with the adjacent continent , until the violence of earth-quakes , and the impetuous futy of the waters and waves did dislodge and consume the earth which tyed it to italy . it was once called trinacria , because it extends it self into the sea with three capes or promontories , viz. pelorus now capo de foro. pachinus , now capo passaro , and lilybaeum now cape boij , or coro . the first inhabitants that history represents to us to have possest this country , are those vast giants recorded in the odysses of homer , under the appellation of the laestrygones and cyclops . these were afterwards supplanted and discarded by the sicani , a people of spain , who called it sicania . but these new invaders being not long after rooted out by the siculi , who were driven out of latium by evander and his areadians , and forced to seek new habitations here ; it abandoned the name of sicania , and assumed that of sicily . at their first landing they built the city of zancle called afterwards messana , together with ne● , hybla , catana , and leontium . after them came another italian colony styled the morgetes , being forced hither by the oenotrians , and fixed their residence in that part of the island where they erected the city morgentum , and adopted it into their own surname . the first of the greeks who invaded it , were the chalcidians , a people of the isle of euboea , now called negropont , to whom the city of naxos owed its first foundation ; and after archias of corinth , and his retinue of adventurers , by whom syracusa ( famous in elder times for the petalismus or banishment of citizens by having their names writ in an olive leaf ) was first built , or else very much enlarged and adorned . next them the rhodians and cr●tians sent some colonies hither , the first founders of gela ; and after , of the so much celebrated city of agrigentum . and not long after , a new stock of planters built heraclia . the citizens of megaris , another state of greece , transmitted a colony also , who built s●linus : and so did those of messene or mycena also , who taking the town of zancle from the siculi , new beantified it ; and being thus repaired , fixt on it the name of messana . nor can we deem the tyrians and phaenicians , such noted undertakers of publique businesse● , would be so stupidly unactive not to attempt nothing , when so rich and eminent a prey did invite their industry ; for we find they attaqued the promontories of pachinus and lilybaeum , and some of the adjoyning islands , and forti●ied them , the better to secure and improve the trade they had established in sicily . but these several colonies being broken into several interests and factions , combined not together in the design of an absolute conquest , but planting themselves on the shore , did not discard the name of the island , by which they found it distinguished upon their first eruption . after this island by these particular onsets and impressions , fell under the cognisance of the greeks , from all their principal cities , colonies issued out , who inhabited the sea-coasts of the country ; but so as they never concentered in a common body , but had their several ends and particular interests , whereby they came to be split into many factions , and sacrificed as a prey to as many tyrants . phalaris over-ruling agrigentum , panaetius at leontium , gelon at syracusa , cleander at gela ; and when one faction was too impotent to obviate or resist the other , they called in several forraign nations to support their quarrel . for on this foundation the carthaginians were called in by the messanians , against the agrigentines . and on the same principle , was managed the peloponnesian war , the athenians combining with the leontines , ●nd the spartans with the syracusans , in which the whole power of athens was broken by sea and land , and their two generals nicias and demosthenes offered up to an untimely and bloody fate in prison . but because syracusa was a city of the most eminent authority , and of the greatest influence over the rest , the state and affairs of that city are made more visible by history , than those which have an aspect upon the towns or communities of this island . the government at first was popular , as it was in most of the greek colonies , according to the platforms and models they transported with them , and was but newly transplanted into the aristocratical when gelon erected his kingdome here , about twenty years after the expulsion of tarquins at rome , whom with as many succeeded in the royal dignity , take in this subsequent register . a. m. . . gelon taking advantage of the contests in syracusa betwixt the magistrates and people made himself master of the city , and was chosen king. . a. m. . . hiero the first , valiant , but rude and covetous . a. m. . . thrasibulus brother to hiero , whose government was so barbarous and insupportable , that he swayed but ten months . a. m. . . dionysius the so much celebrated tyrant , who being general of the syracusans , made himself their king. a man of great vices , and as eminent vertues . . a. m. . . dionysius the second succeeded his father in his kingdome and his vices , but not in his courage or prudence , being first supplanted by dion a gentleman of syracusa , and secondly , vanquished and made captive by timoleon , of corinth . a. m. . . agathocles a potter , after a souldier , twenty years after the death of timoleon , made himself king of syracusa . . a. m. . . hiero the second , of a leader of their armyes , chosen king of syracusa by a party which he had pack'd amongst them . in his time broke out the first punick war , the romans being called in by the mamertones , who held messana against the carthaginians . . a. m. . . hieronymus son of hiero , after whose decease all sicily became subject to the dominion of rome , by the successful conduct of marcellus . being thus made subservient to the government of rome , it was wrapped up in the fate of that city , and of the roman empire ; until in the partition , ●f the roman empire , it was cast together with apuglia and calabria into the power of the greeks . in the declension and wane of whose greatnesse , this island having been miserably depopulated and harrassed by constans , anno . it became a prey to the saracens ; from them rescued again by the normans ; who held both this , and the realm of naples in fee of the church , under the title of kings of both the sicilyes . after that it fell under the fortune of that kingdome subject unto the princes of the norman and german line , until the death of conrade , no discomposure or interruption intervening . after whose exit , when manfred base son of the emperour frederick , and brother of conrade , had by a forcible intrusion entitled himself to the crown and scepter of this island , it was offered by the pope ( upon some conditions knotted with many rugged difficulties ) to richard earl of cornwal brother to henry the third ; a man according to the standard of those times , of a most important revenue ; upon whose waving this motion , it was again offered to his nephew edmund second son to henry the third , who was espoused to this royalty by a ring , and mony coyned in his name by the popes appointment , with the impresse and inscription affixed to it of edmundus rex siciliae . but henry the third being not in any capacity to pursue this design , the civil contests with his barons having entangled him in more difficult undertakings , and the pope having sufficiently by this overture drained his exchequer , it was in the year . given to charles earl of provence and anoju , brother to lewis the tenth of france . to his command this island was subservient until the year . in which his competitor peter of arragon justled his title by a new claim , emergent from his wife the daughter and heir of manfred above mentioned ; and for the clearer decision of the title , invited him to the commencement of a duel before king edward the first of england , at bourdeaux ; which defiance he tacitly declining , peter in the mean time by dark stratagems and black contrivances , wherein he was aided by john de prochita a gentleman of the kingdome of naples , from whom charles of anjou had violently snatched the island of prochita , upon a summons received from a toll of a bell , sounded , as it was pretended , to give an alarum to sicily of the approach and onset of some invading sarazens , the french were assassinated in this island which massacre so firmly riveted the title into the house of aragon , that it still continues incorporated into the interest of spain . sardinia . the island of sardinia lyeth west from sicily , from the nearest point thereof it is distant about two hundred miles . it is in length one hundred and eighty , ninety in breadth , and in circuit five hundred and sixty miles . in the time of aristotle it was called ichnusa , and next sandaliota , from the resemblance of a shooe-sole or the impression of a mans foot on the earth ; and finally , sardinia from sardus the son of hercules , who coming out of africk entitled himself to the possession . and that which more improves and fortifies this narration is , that the people in the latine tongue have still the appellation of sardi , and the circumambient sea the denomination of mare sardoum . and to this name it hath remained so constantly ever since espoused , that no following plantations were ever able to extinguish or divorce it . some companies of attica were conducted hither by iolaus , where they erected olbion and agrillis ; which colonies , to inforce and multiply the memory of their foundér , assumed to themselves the name of iolatenses . and after the ruine of troy , some of the broken reliques of that scattered nation came and planted in the void places of this island ; whose successours are mentioned by livie and pliny , under the denomination of the ilienses . after these the carthaginians by the nearnesse of their habitation , did attaque all advantages to make , as at last they did , a full conquest of it ; building therein the cities of carmis , calaris , and sulchi ; and asserting their title to it , it was unjustly wrung from them by the romans , at the end of the first punick war ; at what time carthage was in hazzard to be ruined by the defection of her own mercenaries , and so in no capacity to resist . this island being thus extorted from the carthaginians by the romans ▪ was immediately under the signory of the praefect of rome ; but after by junsti●an , it was incorporated into his new dioce●s of africk , and as an appendage to it , was claimed , invaded , and subdued by the sarazens , anno . who destroyed calaris , subverted by gracchus and the romans ; and again in more setled times re-established . but from them it was rescued by the pisans , ( who re-edified calari ) and genoese , who made a partition of it betwixt them ; but the genoese disgusted with their portion , as being lesse in quantity , and worse in quality , began to enter into contest with the pisans , which at last ushered in an open war , anno . in which having worried themselves with mutual contests , pope boniface the eighth , to appease their animo●ties , and supersede all quarrel for the future , by a new donation enstated it on james the d . king of aragon , who had entitled himself to it by a specious claim before , upon pretence that it was a limb or appendix to sicily , and wrapped up in the patrimony of that diadem ; and the more to fortifie his new acquists , obtained the papal concession to support and improve his interest here , which before appeared to be but infirm and crazie ; and being thus doubly guarded with his own title and the pope's grant , he after some signal decisions of the sword , wholly supplanted both the pisans and genoese ; and in the year . reduced this island under the dominion of the aragonian scepter . and from him hath the propriety ever since been conducted down to his successors in so uninterrupted a channel , that the devolution and traverses of many winding descents hath at this instant brought it to confe●s the empire and seignory of philip the fourth k. of spain . naples . the kingdome of naples is almost on every side circumscribed with the adriatick , ionian , and tuscan-seas , unlesse on the west , where it is separated from the lands of the church , by a small neck of land drawn from the mouth of the river of druentus , to the spring head of axofenus . it is divided into terra di lavoro , abruzzo , apulia , terra de otranto , calabria-inferior , calabria-superior , and the isles of naples . terra di lavoro was anciently called campania , and extracted this surname from the campani , who with the oscani , who were invested in possessions about capua , in ages of a very old inscription style● osca , were the ancient inhabitants of it . abruzzo , in latine styled aprutium , was the residence or territory of the picentes and the samnites ; the last of which were subdivided into the ●erentani , arpinates , caraceni praecatini , peligni , vestini , hirpini , and the samnites , properly so called . terra di otranto was in elder times peopled by the salentini , iapyges , and messapiani ; and from hence in the records and monuments of antiquity , it is exhibited to posterity under the names of salentina , iapygia , and messapia . calabria-inferior and superior , were both originally that track of earth which was postest by the calabri , tarentini , lucani , ●rutij , and some sprincklings of the liburni , a people devoted by the romans to the sustaining of burdens & other servile employments ; and this i believe was done by such cheap and contemptible undertakings to extinguish in them all thoughts which might egg them on to a recovery of that liberty which the sword of the romans had lopped off ; for these , the calabri and tarentini were the last ( not without many signal and solemn strugglings ) who prostrated themselves as a prey to the victorious tallons of the roman eagle . this kingdom of naples hath been whirled about with so many revolutions , that the inhabitants of any region have not been obnoxious to more vicissitudes and mutations than the possessors of these provinces have been . for . the grecians entered and scattered here their particular colonies of achaians and spartans , which obliged antiquity to give the name of magna graecia to calabria ; in which track they erected locris , so eminent in old records for zeleucus the law-giver , and his laws and institutions , and eunomus the musician . . tarentum , which contributes a name to that capacious bay called sinus tarentinus . . crotona , whose inhabitants were anciently so active in the olympick games . . amycle , a town whose inhabitants were made up in elder times of the pythagoreans , a sect which by the institutions and rules of their order , devoted themselves to silence . . sybaris●o ●o infamous in story for their softnesse and effeminacy , having melted themselves into so much ease and luxury , that they expulsed all smiths and brasiers into exile ▪ because by the noise of their bellows and hammers , they might make an invasion on their repose and slumber , and entertained with unusual caresses , musicians , fidlers , because they improved their sleep and excesse . and . they here erected rhegium , which name they fixed upon it from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies to break or tear asunder ; this city being separated or torn off from sicily , by that straight of sea which they style the faro of messina . in terra di lavoro they erected parth●nope , now called naples , osca now named capua , cuma and sinuessa now called sessa . in abruzzo they established arpinum . in apulia anciently by the grecia●s called daunia , they founded luceria , asculum sometimes styled asculum satrianum , and argyripa the argos hirpium , of the ancients , and contracted by use and depravation of dialect into agyripa , which as antiquity asserts and intimates , was erected into the shape and model of a city by diomedes , and a colony transmitted from etolia . in terra di otranto they established brundufium , hydruntum , and as some affirm ( but upon what grounds i know not ) gallipolis likewise ; but though naples were thus strengthened with colonies , and knotted with cities , yet this could not so secure her from forraign eruptions , but that she bowed her head ; and partly by a voluntary resignation , and partly by conquest , gave her self up to be made part of that patrimony which improved the roman grandeur ; and after it had for some years submitted to the dominion of rome , as it was first a common wealth , and afterwards the seat of the empire , it was rent off from that great body by the goths , under whose tyranny it had not long lain gasping , but it was forced to surrender it self to the jurisdiction of the lombards , who by their frequent and happy inroads disseised the goths of their new acquists ; but their conquests were not fixed or permanent , for their foundation being cimented with blood , was infirm and slippery , being after some assaults made upon it by charles the great , forced to bow to his scepter : but to winde up all controversie for the future , and to entomb all emergent differences in an amicable pacification , this charles about the year . made an equal and indifferent partage between nicephorus then emperour of the east , and himself as emperour of the west ; the limits of which division was the river liris now cantigliano by capua , and the river aufidus now ofanto in apulia . but this partage did not long continue without some discomposure ; for ill agents having fomen●ed some differences between the greeks and the germans , their private animosities and heats were at last blown up into the publique flame of war , which did determine in the total expulsion of the germans out of naples ; yet this was not acted without the concurrent supply of the sarazens , enemies to them both ; who discovering the weaknesse of the greeks in being invited in to supplant the germans , invaded those who had called them in ; and thus was this unhappy kingdome for several ages made the sad stage where the latines , greeks , and sarazens , acted their bloody tragedies . but in fine , the greeks being wasted with frequent conflicts , and almost sinking under the weight of a forraign conquest , they having evapourated their noblest & most active spirits at those wounds the swords of these infidels had inflicted on them , were supported in this their agony by forty norman gentlemen , who about the year . returning from a pilgrimage made into the holy land , gave so noble and generous assistance to the afflicted christians that they checked the fortune of the sarazens , and intercepted the current of their victories , which before like a deluge menaced wholly to over-whelme the christian ●nterest and concernment in this kingdome . but this gave the distressed inhabitants but some dawning of better hopes ; the improvement of this successe was left to the valour and conduct of one drangot , who having slain repostel a gentleman of eminence , in the presence of robert duke of normandy , father to our william the conquerour , so disgusted his allies and relations , that to decline the tempest which menaced him , he retired into this kingdome for shelter , and after many conflicts commenced with the sarazens , by a fortunate managery of the christian quarrel , he contracted their power into narrower limits ; but being supplied with new recruits the sarazens not onely reinforced their animosities but hopes also , until tancred and his twelve sons arriving out of normandy with fresh supplies , after many signal encounters , wholly supplanted the interest that these infidels had in naples ; but though these invaders were thus dissipated , yet the greeks remained dis-satisfied , and gave new occasion of war and trouble to these norman conquerours under the command of melorco vicegerent of this province under the grecian emperours ; but the affairs of the normans were so well swayed and ordered by the care and prudence of william son to tancred above mentioned , that this new emotion was extinguished by the defeat of melorco , and the troops marshall'd under his conduct ; but this discomfiture did not so totally dispel the tempest , but that there were new clouds collected together , to disorder and ecclipse the glory of the norman conquests ; which in fine , were so wholly dissipated , by the active courage of robert guiscard another of the sons of tancred , that the greeks being absolutely crush'd and subdu'd , & the reliques of the sarazens extirpated & thrown out , he justly merited in the annals of succeeding times the title of the conquerour of the kingdome of naples ; and he bequeathed this province with all its perquisits and appendages to be enjoyed by his second son robert guiscard earl of sicily , who in the year . by the favour and influence of anacletus then pope , had the title of king of naples conferred upon him , and his son william received the crown , with this restriction , that he should hold this diadem as a donative from the pope , and in homage of the see of rome ; and in the hands of his successors did the neapolitan scepter remain fixed , until it came to be weilded by william the second , who upon his decease left constance his daughter , his onely lawful issue , and tancred his natural son , the issue of unlawful embraces ; and he by the concurrence and support of his faction , so managed his designs , that he invested his head with the crown of naples , to the prejudice and disherision of constance the lawful heir ; but disdaining to acknowledge the pope for soveraign of the fee , the pope to retaliate this affront , matches constance to henry the sixth emperour of germany , and by opposing the right of his empresse to the distorted and usurped title of tancred , so crippled his authority and power , that finally after many contests and bloody decisions , the scepter of naples came to be swayed by henry the sixth abovesaid ; but his successor frederick the second embarquing in the former contrast with the succeeding popes in relation to the soveraignty of naples , disclaimed and renounced any homage to the see of rome , which so inflamed that bishop , that he collected all supply that the engins borrowed either from strength or art could contribute to vindicate his pretended right to the soveraignty of naples ; yet was he thwarted in his endevours with such vigorous opposition during the government of frederick the second abovesaid , conrade his son , manfred his natural son , and conradine grandchild to frederick , nothing was effected of importance which might afford any support to the accomplishment of the designs of the popes for the time being : so that pope innocent the fourth , to fortifie his attempts with forraign succour , presented the kingdom to st. lewis king of france ; for his brother charles count of anjou and provence , who had the repute of an excellent souldier , and an experienced commander ; and about the year . which was two years after pope urban the fourth invested him with it ; he to assert his interest , commenced a war with conradine king of naples , and having put his title to the umpirage of a battel , after a bloody debate , took this conradine captive ; and made the forfeiture of his head expiate its wearing that diadem which the popes donation had before by a pretended investiture entituled him to ; and having thus fixed the scepter of naples in his own hand , he left it to be swayed by his son and heir charles the lame , who by mary his queen inheritrix of hungary had issue , charles surnamed martel , who had his mothers kingdom assigned him for his subsistence or portion ; lewis his second son , who assumed holy orders , and clowded all his earthly glories in the cowle of a franeiscan frier , and afterwards was bishop of thoulouse ; robert his third son , was by the munificence of his father entitled to the inheritance of the kingdome of naples . there were other sons who had other lands consigned them in appennage for their future support and alimony . robert abovesaid , had issue charles , who dying without issue male in his fathers life time , left onely a daughter and heir called joane , who after the decease of her grandfather robert , came to manage the neapolitan scepter ; and this is that joane so famously infamous in the annals of naples , for the probable assassination of her first husband andrew , and other wilde disorders , which have cast so dark a tincture upon her fame , that though some have endevoured to wrap up her guilt in a modest covering , yet the blacknesse of her life is visible by an indelible stain through all those veils the industry of flattery attempts to fold it up in . but to proceed ; about the expiration of the raign of this ioane , which was about the year . the church of rome was disordered by a remarkable schisme ; for urban the sixth , being made pope , the violence of a predominant faction , a considerable part of the conclave of cardinals elected robert cardinal of geneva , by the name of clement the seventh . queen joan being warped with animosity against urban , who was born under her dominion and scepter , made her self a partisan in the cause and quarrel of his adversary and competitor clement . her crime contracted from the slaughter of her husband andrew , had been long entombed in a pacification transacted in her favour by pope clement the sixth , with lewis the great , king of hungary , brother to andrew abovesaid . but urban the sixth , to recompense her for those disservices with which she had disobliged him , again raked into her guilt , and incensed charles of duras , of the house of hungary , to expiate the former murther by a just revenge ; and this prince , inflamed by his instigations , came and beseiged her in castello del ovo , and having reduced her , and that fortresse to his discretion , strangled her in or near that place where she had acted her barbarous parricide on her first husband andrew . charles of duras having thus destroyed this infamous princesse seised on the neapolitan diadem , which did not sit so fast on his temples , but that it was shaken by a concurrent title , for joan not long before her death , to fortifie her self agrinst the designs of pope urban , had adopted lewis duke of anjou brother to ch●rles the fifth king of france , for her heir ; and he endevoured to vindicate and extort the crown from charles of duras by dint of sword ; but the latter did so vigorously sustain all the impressions of the house of anjou , that he not onely asserted and fixed the right of the crown to himself , but likewise transmitted a peaceable possession of it to his successors ; which were , first , ladislaus his son and heir , who deceased without issue , and joan his onely daughter and then heir , who upon the death of ladislaus , ascended the throne of naples by the name of joan the second ; who for disorders and irregular excesses , and holding a scandalous familarity with one caracciolo , as likewise for her ill administration of the publique affairs , was degraded from the regal dignity by pope martin the fourth , and lewis of anjou , grandchild to lewis duke of anjou above mentioned , named by him to wear the diadem of naples in her place ; but she disdaining to be thus devested , to secure her self against the attempts and pretences of this lewis , adopted alfonsus king of aragon and sicily for her heir ; but being a woman of a volatile and inconstant temper , upon pretence of some ingrateful affronts put upon her by alfonsus abovesaid , cancelled her first adoption , and by a second instrument declared lewis the fourth duke of anjou , son to lewis abovesaid , for her heir ; and this lewis having wrung the crown from the house of aragon , enjoyed it joyntly with this queen joan , in a fixed serenity of government for some years ; but dying without issue before her , she to preserve her self from the eruptions of the aragonian faction , adopted rene duke of anjou his brother , for her heir ; and soon after she had declared and effected this , she her self was disrob'd by death of all earthly glory . but this rene being then captive with the duke of burgundy , was debarred from amassing those forces together , which might adjoust his title to the crown of naples ; indeed his dutchesse elizabeth , attempted to retrive it , but being overlaid with the faction and force of alfonsus , she and the house of anjou were utterly supplanted , and alfonsus upon a pretence extracted from the first adoption of joan , which was supported by conquest , upon the ruines of this family , step'd up to the throne of naples ; and he more to ennoble his family by an additional augmentation of revenue , enstated this kingdom on his natural son ferdinand , who being thus invested in it , transmitted it to his son alfonsus the second ; and he had issue ferdinand the second , who likewise wore the diadem of naples ; but a tenure very volatile and unfixt attended the soveraignty , and made it rest but loosly on his temples ; for charles the eighth king of france , espousing the title and quarrel of the house of an●ou , so vigorously supported their interest , that he supplanted this ferdinand , and forced him to abandon the neapolitan scepter ; but the french upon the departure of charles the eighth managing both the civil and military affairs of this kingdome with much impetuousnesse and inadvertency , excited the neapolitans to resent their sway and government with so much regret and passion , that frederick brother of alfonsus the second , regained it with as much facility as his nephew ferdinand had cheaply lost it . but lewis the twelfth , successor and kinsman to charles the eighth , upon the decease of this charles ( who dyed suddenly at amboise , as he was preparing for a second eruption upon naples ) collected a powerful army to vindicate his pretences and title to that kingdome , so that frederick finding himself too weak to sustain the weight of so mighty an opposition , threw himself into the protection of ferdinand king of aragon and castile , who in stead of asserting his interest against the onsets of the french , by an unworthy compact with lewis the twelfth , disserted his kinsman , and had the moiety of the kingdome assigned him , as the price of this dereliction ; but not long after , the french and spaniard entering into contention about the bounds and limits of the lands divided , their animosities were improved to that heighth , that they blazed out in the flame of a publique war ; which was managed with that vigor and prudence by gonsalvo the spanish general , that after many encounters the french were wholly disseised , and their interest they had in this kingdome extorted from them ; and though in ages subsequent to this , the french did not tamely abandon their pretended concernment here , but sought to retrive it by the bloody umpirage of the sword , yet were their designs so ill managed , and their arms so unprosperous , that their disastrous successe did but more fasten the crown and scepter of naples to that of spain : to whose diadem the interest and title of this kingdom hath remained ever since so firmely linked , that it is still united to the hereditary patrimony of philip the fourth now king of spain . milan . milan is shut in on the east with mantua and parma , on the west with piemont and switzerland , on the north with the province called marca anconitana , and on the south with that chain of hills which is styled the appenine . the ancient inhabitants were the insubres , the b●ji , the cenomani , and the senones ; who were after diverse signal contentions devested of their possessions by the romans , and forced to surrender themselves as tributary to their dominion and seignory ; and in that demeasn which supported rome , as it was first the head of a spreading common-wealth , and then secondly , the metrapolis of a spacious empire , did this province lie folded up , until the government of this province came to be managed by augustulus , the last of the western emperours , who being subdued and his forces broken by odoacer king of the heruli and thuringians , this province became the guerdon of his triumphs ; but the possession being thus atchieved by an unjust invasion , was not long after extorted and ravished away from them by theodorick k. of the go●hs , about the year . but here the title was as volatile and transient as formerly ; for teyas his ●uccessor , was about the year . vanquished by the un●ted forces of alboinus king of the av●res , invited out of hungary , and narses general for the emperour justinian in ita●y ; the goths being thus disieised , this province was consigned to alb●inus , and his troops by narses , anno . as the price of his successful courage , and meritorious fidelity so visibly exhibited in the war commenced with the expulsed goth ; and in himself and his line , did the soveraignty of this province , by a decursion and series of twenty three kings remain uninterruptedly lodged , until the devolution of descent brought the scepter to be weilded by desiderius , who being about the year . discomfited by charles the great , this kingdome sunk in his ruines ; and was afterwards incorporated as a province into the spreading demeasne of that victorious monarch . after whose raign this province remained imperial , and was subservient still to those who had the empire of the west . but when the house of charle●aigue degenerated , and suffered the imperial diadem to be ravished from their heads after the year . an eager dispute was managed by the continuance of fifty years , betwixt the italian and german princes , in relation to the possession and soveraignty of the empire . in fine , the germans prevailed in the person of otho the first , and his successors having designed and fixed their seat of power and government in the empire , they afterwards were entangled in several contentions with the papacy , which so much retrenche● and contracted their authority , that their power in italy began sensibly to crumble away , and a considerable part of lombardy slipt out of their dominion ; and some seignories chose to themselves italian lords , and some elected liberty and a popular government . in these confusions milan and its appendant territory , put it self under the patronage and protection of otho its arch-bishop , descended from the viscounts of angleria , a place of a narrow circuit in this dutchy . but after his decease matthew brothers , son to this arch-bishop , was confirmed in the government of milan by albert emperour of germany , but under no other notion or title than that narrow one , onely of commander ; ( for still it seems the skeleton of soveraignty was deposited in the hands of the emperours , though those nerves and muscles which should make it act vigourously , and move regularly , were rent off ) and from him did the same command devolve to his son galeazzo visconti , who because he exercised this authority without the approbation of lewis of bavaria the emperour , he was disseised of his power and expulsed ; but his son actio visconti was reinvested in that command from which his father had been dislodged by the same lewis ; but after his exit , the same command was successively managed by his two uncles luchino and john visconti , younger brothers to his f●ther galeazzo ; and after their ●xtinction , the government of this state was dispensed and swayed by galeazzo the second , son of stephen , who likewise was a younger brother of these two , but embellished with no other title but that of commander of milan ; and here this appellation expired with him , and was entomb'd in his urne ; for after his decase , john galeazzo visconti son of galeazzo the first , above-mentioned , coming to graspe the command of this province , by the benefaction and munificence of the emperour wenceslaus about the year . as some compute , or about the year . as others calculate , received his investiture into the state of milan , with the more splendid title of duke ; which was successively enjoyed by his two sons , john maria , who in a popular sedition fell an early oblation to the disorder and fury of the vulgar ; and philip maria , who likewise made his exit without issue , so that the right of inheritance was lodged in valentina their sister and heir , who about the year . was matched to lewis duke of orleans , son to charles the fifth king of france , and by the contract of matrimony , it was manifested and declared , that upon defailance of the masculine line of galeazzo , the children of valentina should be invested in the succession of this dutchy ; notwithstanding , this clause had this emient defect , that this dutchy being established a masculine fee , galeazzo could not make it feminine without the emperours grant or license , which was not demanded or required , because the empire was then vacant by the degradation of wenceslaus whom the electors had devested and deposed because of his dull and sluggish administration of the affairs of the empire ; but it is asserted by the french , that pope benedict the thirteenth , who then held his see at avignon , ratified and approved the above-mentioned contract , for that right the popes challenge in the vacancy of the empire . but this succession falling in the confusions of france under charles the seventh , when the two sons of valentina , charles duke of orleans , and john count of ango●lesme were captive in england , where the first continued twenty five years , and the last almost thirty . it was a design of not much difficulty for francis sforza ( a man of a vigorous resolution and a deep speculation ) who had wedded bona natural daughter to philip maria , the last duke of milan , above-mentioned ; in that interval of time , and the desolation of the house of orleans , to surprize and seize the dutchy of milan , of which he had procured and obtained an investiture of the emperour frederick the fourth . but this did not so supersede the int●insique right of the house of orleans , but lewis the twelfth coming to be king of france , about the year . so powerfully prosecuted his right , that he expulsed lodowick sforza ( who h●d by a cla●destine assassination destroyed his two nephews , the sons of his brother francis abovesaid , entrusted to his guardianship and protection , and violently ravished away the possession of this dutchy ) and having made him his prisoner , carried him into france , where he dyed in captivity in the tower of loches . lewis remaining thus master of this dutchy , to secure his claim and fortifie his title , he obtained two investitures of the emperour maximilian , the first in the year . and the second in the year . but this did not so support his possession , but that towards the latter end of his government he was supplanted by maximilian sforza , son to lodowick , and the concomitant succours of the suisse , with the consent of maximilian the emperour , who was disgusted because claude eldest daughter to lewis who had been promised to his grandchild charles , was ●spoused to francis , afterwards king of france , by the name of francis the first ; which francis after decease of lewis , being emp●l'd with the diadem of france , so successfully vindicated his claim and title , that he regained this dutchy , and rendered maximilian his prisoner , but he either neglected o● the d●dained to do homage to the ●mperour for a new investiture ; which contempt of his , charles the fifth , who succeeded his grandfather maximilian , re ented with so much regret , that his animosity against francis grew inveterate and implacable , which blazed out in the flame of a publique war , in which francis was made captive at the battel of p●via , and from thence transported and put under restraint at madrid , and there remained until he purchased his enfranchisement with a plenary release and surrender of his right to this dutchy into the hands of charles the fifth , though the french affirm this could onely prejudice himself , but not the children of claude his queen , who were entitled to a right by descent from their mother ; and that this concession of madrid is null by the fundamental laws of france , which will not permit the alienation of the soveraign rights of the crown without the consent of the estates general ; and they never ratified this concession ; but the actual possession of the spaniard hath been more strong than these pretences , who have so secured their interest in this dutchy , against all the efforts and hostile eruptions of the french , that it is still wound up in the patrimony of philip the fourth king of spain . the spanish interest in siena . siena . siena and its circumambient territory is situated between the estate of pisa , and the patrimony of the popes of rome , called the demeasn of the church . the city is by antoninus in his itinerary styled sena julia , to distinguish it from another of that name , situated on the margin or fringes of the adriatick gulf , and named sena gallica . it was as the ancient traditions of italy testifie , erected by brennus , who here , as in some infirmatory , did deposite his souldiers who were superannuated with age , or else almost crumbled away with sicknesse . in times of a more modern aspect this province was wholly devoted or offered up to the interest of the faction or combination of the gibellines or imperial party , so that the price was narrow and easie at which they enfranchis'd & purchased their liberty of the emperour rodolphus . after this city and province came to confesse the seignory and scepter of the spaniard ; but they had not been long resident in their new acquists , but they were disseised by the french , but by the second eruption of those spanish they had not long before expulsed , they were again rooted out and supplanted ; and the king of spain having thus rescued siena from the yoke of the french , conveyed all his concernment in it to cosmo de medices duke of florence about the year . but with this retrenchment or limitation , that the dutchy of siena it self should hold in fee of the crown of spain , and the cities and ports of porto hercol● , orbitillo , piombino , and porto longone , should be annexed to the crown of spain , and remain as limbs of the patrimony of that diadem for ever ; & though porto piombino and longone were not many years since torne from the spanish scepter by the prosperous arms of the french , yet the spanish discovering how destructive and ruinous it would be to their affairs in italy , to suffer these new intruders to be fixed in a constant possession of them , retrived them by dint of the sword , and are at this instant entitled to the peaceable possession of them . the interest of the house of austria in germany . austria properly so called , hath on the east the kingdome of hungary , on the west bavaria , on the north b●●●●ia , on the south stiria or stiermarck , represented to us by the dutch under the denomination of ost●●rick , that is to say , the eastern kingdome , this being the extreme province of east-france , or the eastern kingdom of the french ; in the rude and unpolished latine of those times styled austrasia , whence the modern austria hath borrowed its name and extraction . the ancient inhabitants were the quadi who were subdued by the romans ; but these had scarcely advanced their trophies upon the ruines of this people , but the marcomanni improving their strength by a confederate mixture with the boij , dislodged the romans from their new acquists , and conquered part of this province , and left the remainder to be offered up as a sacrifice to the victorious sword of the avares . but these boij being subjugated by clovis the great , and the avares expulsed from pannonia by charlemaigne , both this and that became incorporated into the french empire , until the subduing pannonia by the hungarians . to oppose whom , and more vigorously to protect this province in its peace and safety , some under the notion of guardians or lord marchers , were deputed by the kings and emperours of germany to have an inspection into the affairs of this territory ; and more to reward and ennoble their care , they were adorned with the title of marquisses . at first officiarie , but at last hereditary ; made so by the emperour henry the first , who gave this province anno . to one leopold surnamed the illustrious , extracted from the house of schwaben ; and from him descended leopold the fourth marquisse of austria , who dying without issue , henry the second was not onely invested with the estate , but likewise with the title of marquisse of austria ; but by the liberal munificence of frederick barbarossa in the year . was advanced to a higher dignity and created duke of this province by that emperour ; and from him it came down to his grandchild leopold the fifth , who surprized richard the first , in his return from the holy war ; and having made him his captive , obtained so plentiful a ransome for his redemption , that with it he purchased stiermark and the counties of neobourg and lintz , and circumscribed u●enna with a wall ; and this leopold had issue frederick the warlike , who for some enterprises wherein he exhibited signal testimonies of his courage , was made king of austria by frederick the second emperour of germany ; but he deceasing without issue , ottocarus son of wenceslaus king of bohemia , being fortified with a right derived from margaret sister to this frederick , entered upon his newly established monarchy , adding thereto , as an increase of patrimony , the countries of carinthia , and carniola , which he had purchased of ulric the last prince thereof ; but being vanquished and slain by rodolphus of hapsberg not long before advanced to the german empire in the year . he conferred the possession of these large acquists on his eldest son albert with the title of duke of austria , about the year . but though these new conquests were incorporated into the demeasn of albert , by the successful sword of his father , yet was their title better secured and supported by marriage ; for he wedded elizabeth daughter of m●inard earl of tiroll and elizabeth his wife , the daughter of gertrude , who was daughter to henry brother to frederick the warlike ; which gertrude matched with hermanus marquisse of bad●n , by whom she had frederick beheaded at naples by charles of valois , . and this elizabeth abovesaid , in whose right albert became entitled to austria , tiroll , and many other opulent and considerable possessions elsewhere ; and from him did this dutchy by descent devolve to albert the sixth , who ( as some records and histories assert ) assumed the style of arch-duke , about the year . and much enhaunsed his grandeur and revenue by matching with elizabeth heir of sigismund king of hungary and of bohemia , she adding those two crowns to his patrimony ; and he left issue ladislaus , who deceasing childlesse , frederick the second , being extracted from leopold one of the sons of albert the third duke of austria surnamed the short , was by a right flowing from him entitled to this dukedome ; and he had issue maximilian the first , from whom this dutchy devolved successively to his two grandchildren charles the fifth , and ferdinand the first . the last of which had issue maximilian the second ; from whom the title was conducted down to his two sons rodolph the third , and matthias , who both deceasing without issue , the title was invested in their kinsman ferdinand the second duke of gratz , son of charles duke of austria youngest son of ferdinand the first ; from whom it is transmitted to his grandchild leopold ignatius , the instant emperour of germany . stiria or stiermark , is bounded on the north with austria , on the south with carinthia , on the east with hungary , on the west with carinthia likewise . it was anciently possest by inhabitants who fell under the denomination of the taurisci part of the norici , from whom it extracted the appellation of stiermark ; the germans calling that a stier which the latines call tauriscus , or a little bullock . from which account it may be asserted that stiermark was nothing anciently , but the borders or marches of the taurisci , being the utmost limits or extent of their possessions . it was annexed to pannonia in the destribution of the roman provinces , and had the name of valeria imposed upon it , as a trophie of honour imposed upon it , to improve the memory of valeria the daughter of dioclesian . but when it was rent off from the roman empire it obtained the name of stiermark , which had an aspect upon the ancient inhabitants the taurisci . it was first erected into an earldome in the person of one ottocarus , who was dignified with the title of earl by conrade the second . and this title continued until leopold the fourth was created marquisse of stiermark by the emperour of germany , for the time being ; and from him the right of succession transported this province to his son ottocarus the fourth , who was adorned with the title of duke of stiria by frederick barbarossa . but he being without hope of issue , and infected with the incurable disease of the leprosie , conveyed his interest and concernment in this province to leopold the fifth , duke of austria , which he purchased with that vast heap of treasure he extorted from richard the first , for his ransome from that captivity he was detained in . and hath been wrapped up ever since in the demeasne of the house of austria ; but so that it hath been consigned as a portion to support the younger sons of that family ; as namely , to leopold the ninth of that name , one of the younger sons of albert the short , and after to ernest the youngest son of that leopold ; and lastly , to charles the youngest son of ferdinand the first , commonly called charles duke of gratz , father to ferdinand the second , who was successor to matthias in the empire , and heir general likewise to that complicated interest he enjoyed in austria , and the rest of the estates incorporate with it , where it hath ever since remained so united , that it is not probable for the future , that it will so unpolitiquely be dismembered from it . carinthia and carniola are two other provinces which inforce the grandeur and swell the patrimony of the austrian family . the first called karnten in dutch , is bounded on the east with stiermark , on the west with the bishoprick of saltzbourg , on the north with austria , on the south with carniola . carniola styled krain in dutch , is surrounded with sclavonia on the east , friuli on the west , carinthia on the north , and istria on the south . the ancient inhabitants of karnten and krain were the carni ; from them not only the adjoyning alpes had the name of carnicae , but these two counties had those names imposed upon them , by which they now are known . both provinces were united long since in the persons of the dukes of karnten ; the first of whom the testimony of authentique record does exhibit to publique view , was henry son to berthold a noble man of bavaria , in the time of the emperour otho the third , who invested him with the title , and planted him in the estate ; which were both disposed off in succeeding times at will of the emperours , as their interest guided them . nor was the title fixed in any house , until it devolved to henry son of englebert president of istria , in which family it remained under this henry , his brother englebert , ulric the first , henry the second , herman and ulric the d . the last who was intituled to these provinces ; who by matching with agnes sister and heir of otho the second duke of meranis , linked that estate to his former patrimony . but being ancient and issue-lesse , he conveyed his interest here to ottocarus king of bohemia and duke of austria , by whom these countries were surrendred to rodolphus of habsperg , as an oblation to that peace which was solemnly stipulated between them . and though rodolphus gave carinthia to mainard earl of tiroll ( in right of whose daughter , albert the son of rodolphus was enstated in austria ) yet upon the expiration of henry the son of mainard without issue male , it devolved ( according to a pre-contract ) unto albert the short , eldest son of albert , and grandchild of rodolphus , continned ever since annexed to that family , though not alwayes resident in the chief house of austria . in this province of carniola is the town and little territory of gorit● anciently styled noreia , and was in elder times of that repute that the proprietary of it was adorned with the title of an earl ; he that had the dignity of count of goritz , was albert second son to mainard earl of tiroll , who devested himself of the propriety of it , to fix the title on him ; and in the descendant line of this albert it continued until the year . and then leonard the last earl thereof dying without issue , it was seised on by maximilian the emperour as his next visible heir , whose successors both in the house of austria and empire also , inter-weave the title of earl of goritz in their usual style . tiroll . tiroll is bounded on the east with friuli and marca trivigiana , on the west with grisons and some part of switzerland , on the north with bavaria , and on the south with lombardy . the earls were at first but provincial officers ; but when this naked and empty title vanished and grew hereditary , no beam either from private or publique record does contribute any light to a discovery . the first whom any certain evidence does represent to us , is mainard who dyed earl of tiroll about the year . and from him did this earldome devolve to his grandchild henry , who dying without issue male , his daughter margaret by the consent and suffrage of her subjects , conveyed her propriety in this earldome to the sons of albert the short , which hath been linked ever since to the revenue of the austrian family . ferdinand the first gave it in appennage to his second son ferdinand surnamed of inspruch , who having disgusted his allies by matching with philippina a burger's daughter of ausburg , he to becalme their passions which boyled with regret and animosity against this cheap alliance , entered into covenant with them , that her issue should not be entitled to the inheritance of tiroll ; in order to which stipulation , after his decease this earldome devolved to the house of gratz , his eldest son charles being adorned with the dignity of marquisse of burgh , and his second son andrew advanced to be cardinal of brixia , so that the propriety of this county hath been ever since resident in the above recited ▪ family ; and at this instant confesses the seignory and title of the descendants of leopold brother to ferdinand the second , duke of gratz , and emperour of germany . bohemia . bohemia is encompassed on the east with moravia , on the west with the upper palatinate and voitland , on the north with misnia , lusatia , and some part of silesia ; on the south with some parts of bavaria and austria . the first inhabitants were the marcomanni and quadi , mingled with the boiari marsigni , burij and gothini ; who upon the wane of that power and splendor which ennobled the roman empire , were disseised of their ancient patrimony in this kingdome by the sclavi , a nation inhabiting the banks of the river ister ; a people very obscure in their original and in their country , until their successes dispelled that mist which hung about them , and made them more conspicuous . under what form of government they modelled themselves after their atchievement of this kingdome , is not obvious from any ancient record ; or if they did erect any frame , it was swept away by new squadrons of sclaves , croatians , and other scattered nations , who under the conduct of zechius a leader of great estimate , like an inundation broke in upon them , which zechius , with his brother leches about the year . were expulsed out of croatia , for some offences of a dark complexion there acted by them ; and being very acceptable to the sclaves of bohemia , who viewed him as a prince extracted out of the same cradle and seminary with themselves , and one of the same language , concerned in the same laws , and conformable to the same customes with their own , they adopted him into the supreme government of this province . but after his decease the estate crumbled into the confusions of a disordered anarchy ; until crocus about the year . recollected the broken pieces into shape and order ; and from his justice and integrity in the administration of the publique affairs , acquired the name of the bohemian law-giver ; after his exit the bohemians resigned themselves up to the government of libussa his youngest daughter , but her hand being too narrow to graspe the affairs of state , her subjects made choice of primi●●aus , and by matching of him to her devolved the government on his shoulders ; and in his posterity the supreme authority was resident , who were adorned with no other title but sometimes governours and sometimes dukes of bohemia ; until the rule of ueratislaus brother to sbtign●us , who about the year . was for his worthy and generous performances in several undertakings , by the emperour henry the fourth , at metz , invested with the title of king ; which regal dignity was to continue elective either at the will and arbitrament of the emperour , or at the disposition of the estates and people ; and this is evident from several precedents , this uratislaus left three sons who were devested of the crown to give way to conrade brother to uratislaus , who by the suffrages of the people was elected king ; and after his decease brecislaus son to uratislaus , to the prejudice of hi● two sons , was advanced by choice to the bohemian diadem ; and after his exit , borivorius fourth son to brecislaus , to the disherison of his three elder brothers , was elected to weild the scepter ; and thus did the crown continue in the persons of sutopulcus , uladislaus the second , sobeslaus brother to this uladislaus , uladislaus the third , son to uladislaus the second , above mentioned , who by the peoples election was advanced to the diadem , the sons of sobeslaus being excluded and all the residue of their successors ; until the crown came to be placed on the head of ferdinand the first emperour of germany , who notwithstanding his latitude of power , acknowledged that the bohemian scepter devolved to him not by the authority of any intrinsique or inherent right or the claim of succession , but only by the election of the people ; and this his confession was enrolled in the records of the kingdome ; and though it is certain , that maximilian his son , rodolphus & matthias his two grandchildren , were successively kings after him , yet not their descent , but the peoples election , fortified their advancement to the bohemian diadem ; and though upon the decease of matthias , ferdinand surnamed of gratz , as adopted son to matthias , & declar'd successor to the crown of bohemia by his testament , intruded upon the throne ; yet being not formally and legally elected by the people , he was by the estates of the kingdom rejected , who fixed upon frederick elector palatine of the rhine as the object of their choice ; but he being betrayed by his confederates , and over-laid with the united armies of the emperour ferdinand , and the dukes of saxony and bavaria abandoned bohemia , which was re-possest by ferdinand , in whose descendant line it hath been since so permanent ( the peoples election having been by menaces and force extorted ) that it is now the possession of his grandchild leopoldus ignatius the instant emperour of germany . silesia . silesia is bounded on the east with poland , on the west with lusatia , on the north with the marck of bradenburg , on the south with moravia . the first inhabitants hereof were the marsigni , burij , gothini , and some part of the quadi . in the great partage of the eastern parts of germany amongst the sclaves , who had supplanted the ancient proprietaries , it was incorporated with the dukedome or kingdom of poland ▪ and remained annexed unto it until the government of uladislaus the second , who being devested of his crown and scepter by the unnatural combination of his brethren , was by the powerful influence and intercession of the emperour frederick barbarossa , seated in this country , with this restriction , that it shoul be held in homage to the soveraignty of poland . after his decease it became split into parcels , and was distributed amongst his three sons , and again according to that ancient custome of germany called land-skiftan ( which with the saxons was transplanted into england ) was subdivided into so many subordinate parts , which were to support the revenue and livelyhood of their posterity , that it became resolved and broken into fourteen dukedomes ; of all which , onely oswitz and zator continue fastned to the crown of poland , ten of the twelve remaining being by the power and prudence of wenceslaus the second , and john of luxenbourg , son to the emperour henry the seventh , both kings of bohemia , knit to the patrimony of that diadem only su●initz remained under the regiment and administration of its own dukes , until bog●slaus the last duke by testamentary donation , passed away all his interest in it to charles the fourth emperour , and king of bohemia also ; so that eleven of these petty royalties by conquest and voluntary concession , came to be linked to those possessions which improved the grandeur of the ●ohemian scepter , and have still so constantly waited on the fate which hath attended the diadem of that kingdome , that they are now subservient to the interest and dominion of the austrian family , at this instant seated in the imperial throne ; onely lignitz the last in the inventory of fourteen dukedomes , does yet pay its obedience to a proper prince or duke whose predecessors have enjoyed it by a prescription of many descents . but alas ! his power is circumscribed , and himself so chained up by tribute and homage , to the commands of the emperour , as king of bohemia , that he appears little more than precarious . moravia . moravia is shut in on the east with hungary , on the west with bohemia , on the north with silesia , on the south with the lower austria . the ancient inhabitants were the marcomanni and quadi , who were in subsequent ages rooted out and discarded by a sprig or branch of the sclaves , who inhabited about the banks of the river mora , from whence they imposed the name of moravia on their new acquired patrimony . at the beginning of their settlement in this province , their government was managed by kings , the first name of whom , represented to us in record is raslai , who was made captive by lewis the godly , and this province forced to become tributary to the empire ; after raslai the right of succession brought the moravian scepter to be swayed by hermodurus and suantopulcus , under whose raign these moravian sclaves were retrived from the mists of paganisme and infidelity to the light and clearer conduct of christianity , by the pious industry of cyrill and methodius , two grecian doctors . after suantopulcus , his son suantobegius ascended the moravian throne ; a prince of a noble and inexpugnable spirit , who stretched his scepter by many eminent conquests over bohemia , silesia , and polonia al●o ; but his power growing formidable , arnulph the emperour thought it meet to contract it , and taking the advantage to lay the foundation of a quarrel from his denial to pay the accustomed tribute , by the united aid of the hungarians then pagans , so bruised him in several encounters , that his kingdome crumbled into a heap of r●ines , being seised on by the hungarians and poles , and other nations . and in this calamitous condition it lay entombed , until it began to glitter with a new beam of grandeur , by being erected into a marquisate , but when chronologie is silent ; only history represents to us that jodocus barbatus about the year . elected emperour , was likewise marquisse of moravia ; after whose decease it devolved to sigismund emperour and king of bohemia as his next heir , and he enstated it on his son in law albert duke of anstria about the year . which albert upon his decease not only succeeded him in moravia , but likewise was planted in all the rest of his estates ; since which time it hath been so constant an attendant on the fate and fortune of the crown of bohemia , that at this instant it obeys the scepter of leopoldus emperour of germany . lusatia . lusatia , in high dutch styled the lausnits , is clasped in on the east with silesia , on the west with misnia , on the north with the marck of brandenbourg , and on the south with bohemia : who were the first inhabitants , no beam from antiquiy affords us light enough to discover , onely an obsolete supposition reflects upon the senones of tacitus to be its ancient possessors . in ages of a more modern inscription , the winithi or venedi , the most powerful branch of all the sclavos were entitled by conquest to the propriety of it . when it was advanced to the dignity of a marquisate , the annalls of the empire are so dim and obscure that they exhibit no testimony to us which may justifie a perfect discovery . about the year . one c●nrade dyed invested with the title of marquisse , to whose dominion the emperour henry the fifth , added both the title and marquisate of misnia , which for some decursion of time remained annexed to lusatia ; after this , this province of lausnits being not able to support it self against the frequent incursions and inroads of the poles , it stooped to the scepter of their kingdom , and continued subservient to the interest of that diadem , until it was conveyed by sale to frederick the second , marquisse and elector of brandenbourg , who reserving to himself c●thouse , and some other peices contiguous to the margin and verge of his confines , transmitted the remainder by a voluntary resignation to george pogibrachius king of bohemia , who claimed it by the right and authority of an original grant made to uratislaus the first bohemian king , by henry the fourth emperour of germany ; and from this george did the right and title of this province flow down to ferdinand the second emperour of germany , in an even channel ; who conveyed his interest in it to the late duke of saxony , as a guerdon of those supplies with which he supported his quarrel against the palsgrave fredrick elected king of bohemia . yet though moravia , silesia , and this lusatia , were thus interwoven in the person of one supreme governour , yet did they continue so distinct in their particular laws and governments , that the chief magistrate or ruler is admitted and acknowledged by each province distinctly by it self , and not by any one of them in the name of the rest ; and this is done to preserve themselves free from any slavish connexion or dependency of each to the other ; which custome or priviledge , notwithstanding these late concussions , hath remained unshaken and unviolated to this day . alsatia . alsatia , in dutch , elsats , is shut in on the east with the rhine and some parts of schwaben , on the west with the mountain vogesus , which divo●ces it from lorrein , on the north with the palatinate , on the south with switzerland . the ancient inhabitants were the tribochi , with some mixture of the nem●●es and ra●ra●i ▪ it was first subdued by the romans ; and w●ung from them by the almans ; afterwards extorted from these by the french , and by them annexed as a province to the kingdome of lorrein , and and when that realm was in the solstice of its most flourishing condition , it fell under the notion of a province of the empire . the government at ●irst was managed for the emperours by provincial earls called landgraves , at first officiarie and ti●ular onely , as being accomptable for the profits of the county to the present emperour . but in the subsequent age it was made hereditary and successive , in the person of theodorick , by otho the third ; after whose decease the empire returning to be elective , gave such an alarum to these provincial commanders , that they endevoured to secure themselves by lopping off any future dependant connexion that might render them precarious ; so that the propriety of elsats remained folded up in the successive line of this theodorick , until the government of the emperour frederick the second , and then this estate and seignory of alsatia was broken to peices and conveyed by female coheirs to albert the second earl of habspurg , albert earl of hohenloe , and lewis count of ottingen . rodolph of habspurg , afterwards emperour , son of this albert , matched with anne heir of the earl of hohenloe , and so in her right and in his own , became invested in two parts of this province , which make up the upper elsats , which remained so constantly fixed in the possession of the house of austria , that by the steps of several descents it came to acknowledge the dominion of the emperour ferdinand the third , not long since deceased , who to reimburse the french for those vast expences the german war had embarqued and engaged that crown in , by the articles of the late peace so solemnly transacted at munster , conveyed it by grant to the crown of france , and remains so at this instant an appendage to the demeasn of that diadem . sungow or the earldom of pfirt , was anciently clasped up within the patrimony of the princes of schwaben , upon the expiration of which eminent house , in the person of conraradine about the year , the patrimony of which , supported the lustre of that family ; in his extinction sunk into parcells , some proportion of which erected this into a distinct earldome . and under this notion it remained until ulrick the last earl , going out in two female coheirs , about the year . ann the eldest matched to albert the short , duke of austria , and son to the emperour rod●lphus , and ursula the second , by an equal distribution shared his inheritance ; and she fearing his power , for a recompense of eight thousand crowns conveyed her moiety to this albert ; whose successors ( unlesse when it was pawned or engaged to burgundy ) were entitled by an uninterrupted right to the propriety of it , until the war commenced not many years since , between the two emperours ferdinand the second , and ferdinand the third , and lewis the thirteenth king of france , made by that king in favour of the swede , who was in danger to be over-laid , and dislodged from his new acquists in the empire , by the thriving caesarean army , after the fatal battel of nortlingen ; the effects of which quarrel were so destructive and ruinous to the last emperour , that to expedite an accommodation with the crown of france , he gave up his interest in this province , during the term of the truce , to be enjoyed by the french. brisgow in schwaben . brisgow was in times of a very high ascent the patrimony of the earls of zeringen , which was erected into an earldome by berthold the first , son of gebizo , and grandchild of guntran the second earl of hapspurg ; which family finding its tombe and fatal extinction in the person of berthold the fifth , the seventh in succession , who deceased anno . the right of brisgow devolved to the earls of fribourg , the principal city of that country . cuno the first who bare the title of earl of fribourg , being the eldest son of judith sister and heir of berthold the last earl of zeringen . eggon is the last recorded in the register of those earls of fribourg who were invested with that dignity and the propriety of brisgow ; who being over-born by the eruptions of his mutinous subjects , he sunk under the pressure , and transmitted by sale his entire concernment in this province upon the receipt of twelve thousand ducats , to albert and leopold dukes of austria , sons of albert the short ; in the patrimony of whose successors the title of this province hath ever since been so constantly folded up , that it still confesses the signory of the austrian family . hungary . hungary is shut in on the east with transylvania and walachia ; on the west with stiria , austria , and moravia ; on the north with the carpathian hills ; on the on the south with sclavonia and some part of dacia . the ancient inhabitants of hungary on the north side tisse , were the iazyges metanastae ; on the east-side of tibiscus , the daci were planted ; on the south-side of the danau , the pannones resolved into the several colonies of the azuli , latovici , werciani , jassij , and oseriates ; as likewise the ercuneales , breuci ; aravisei , and scordisci inhabited ; the first of which extended their dwellings to the east , as the last inlarged their habitations to the west . but all these above mentioned were either very much broken , or else forced to surrender themselves to the successful sword of the romans , anno post urbem conditam . lucius cornificius , and sextus pompeius being consuls ; and after they had been planted in the possession of this province for some centuries of years , their tenure and title was disordered by the invasions of the chuni or huns , who under the command of balamir their general , in several encounters , so disspirited the power and bruised the force of the romans , that they adandoned this province to the possession of these new conquerours ; but the same vicissitude which cast out the romans , roll'd in upon these huns , and crushed them with the wheel of a revolution ' like the former ; for the winnithi or longobards , having both infested these huns with many inroads , and afflicted them in many fortunate encounters , so wasted their strength , and impair'd their armies , that they gave up themselves and this province , as a cheap oblation to the triumphs of these victorious longobards ; but these being called by narses into italy , to reinforce his armies ( who then were in contest with the goths for the soveraignty of that territory ) discarded the cold and barren fields of hungary to settle on the warmer champaign of lombardy , where under the government and scepter of alboinus , they erected their longobardian kingdome . the longobards having thus left the stage , the avares or avarini , a people dropp'd out of the bosome of sarmatia , about the raign of tiberius the second emperour of greece , entered under the conduct of caganus or chan , an heroick but merciful ( clemency and magnanimity are twins ) cheiftane , who first dissipated the forces employed to break him by tiberius abovesaid , and then after a bloody decision subdued cometiolus lieutenant to the emperour mauritius , successor to tiberius , and the forces marshall'd under his conduct ; which emperour attempting to repair the dishonour contracted by this defeat , had his endevours frustrated by that execrable and perfidious assassination which was acted on him by his bloody servant phocas ; which murther so unsetled and disordered all those hinges which sustained the frame of the grecian empire , that these avares and their commanders taking the advantage of its intestine distractions , not only reduced hungary to their subjection , but likewise so extended their conquests , that in the raign of phocas abovesaid , and the emperour heraclius , they forraged to the gates of constantinople ; and having thus broken the power of the greeks , they next assaulted the goth● and gepidae , who yet possest some part of hungary ; and after many conflicts and disputes with these tougher nations about their title , they supplanted these also , and asserted the entire possession to themselves ; and here they setled in a quiet and undisturbed residence , until the government of charles the great ; and then he having like a whirle-wind , cast out those nations which opposed him , shivered these into a wilde dispersion , and by his victorious arms dislodged them from the possession of this kingdome ; after their exit this province was subservient to the commands of the german emperours ; until arnulphus being assaulted by the fierce impressions of suantobogius king of moravia , called in the hungars , a people of scithia , wandering in sarmatia europaea , and not tied or fixed to any certain abode , to his support and assistance , and they so generously crushed the attempts , and repulsed the assaults given to the emperour and his armies , that to reward so signal and generous performances , arnulphus invested them in the possession of pannonia , and by a grateful elevation advanced casala their leader , to the title of duke of this province ; and he to perpetuate to posterity the memory of this magnificent donation , discarded the ancient name of pannonia , and imposed that of hungary ( an appellation extracted from the people above mentioned ) upon it ; and from him it came down to his great grandchild stephen the fourth duke of hungary , in whom that title ceased , and was improved to the more eminent dignity of king ; which office by the transmission of descent , passed along to his successor stephen the fourth of that name king of hungary ; and he determined in mary his sole heir , who by matching with charles the i ame , son of charles k. of naples , linked the crown of hungary to his patrimony ; and in his descendant line it resided until the scepter of this kingdome came to be grasped by his successor ludovicus or lewis , who concluding in daughters and coheirs , mary the eldest being wedded to sigismund the emperour , brought this crown about the year . to acknowledge his scepter and seignory ; and he left issue , elizabeth daughter to them two , and she by espousing albert of austria , planted the crown of hungary on his temples ; and from him it devolved to elizabeth his daughter by this alliance , who was affianced to ladislaus the second , son of casimir the fourth king of poland , who in her right was justly entitled to the hungarian diadem , and left it to his son ladislaus or lewis , infortunately slain at the battel of mohats by the turks , about the year . upon whose decease without issue , ferdinand brother to charles the fifth , in right of anne his wife , who was sister and heir to lewis above-said , was invested with the crown of hungary ; and from him the scepter of this kingdom was transported by the devolution of several descents to ferdinand the third emperour of germany , who upon his late decease hath left it to be weilded by his son and heir leopoldus ignatius , who now is placed on the hungarian throne . croatia . croatia is bounded on the east with bosnia , on the west with carniola , on the south with contado di zara , anciently named liburnia , on the north with windischland . the reason why the name was imposed , is not obvious in authours , only it is generally asserted it was fixed on it by the sclaves when they made their first eruption on this country , when they disseised the goths who supplanted the romans , who had before rooted out and dislodged , by several multiplied conquests , the ancient inhabitants call'd the liburni and illyrij , mingled with some allay of the neighbouring nations , or rather colonies of the japodes , the scirtari , the mazai , the peruistae , the derrij , ceraunij , daursii , vardae , siculotae , sardiotae , and others of more despicable estimate . but long the sclaves had not setled in this province , but their disorders unsetled them ; for by their mutinies and rebellions against their governours , which concluded still in their slaughter and ruin , they fill'd the state with anarchie and vicissitude , and were never calm or fixed , until the several tribes to allay this distemper , had princes who succeeded one another in a more regular method , under the title of kings of croatia ; and in this capacity it remained until the year . when having worried and harrassed their neighbours by pyracies and other acts of devastation , the venetians , inflamed by these affronts , to expiate their depredations with a just revenge , in several conflicts so embased and retrench'd their power , that zelamirus the last king , deceasing without issue , bequeathed the kingdome to his wife , and she by a willing donation transferr'd her interest to her brother ladislaus the saint , king of hungary , so that it hath had its title ever since so involved and wound up in the fate and fortune of hungary , that by ann the sister and heir of k. lewis , who perished in the ruin of the battel of mohatz , , it accrued to ferdinand the first emperour of germany ; and from him by the traverses of several descents , did it passe along , untill at last it is now come to confess the soveraignty of leopoldus ignatius now emperour of germany . vvindischland . vvindischland is chained in on the east with part of the lower hungary , on the west with carniola or karnt on the north with the river dravus , on the south with croatia . it was anciently esteemed a limb of pannonia inferiour , as in more modern times a parcell of the province of savia . the ancient inhabitants were the winithi or vendi , who being swallowed up in the frequent mixtures of their confining neighbours the sclaves , were esteemed a branch of that powerful and spreading nation ; but still to preserve the name of their first original the denomination of windischland was imposed on this province , which since by the sale and conveyance above mentioned , made by zelamirus to uladislaus the saint , hath been so linked with croatia , that as it hath had still the same successours , so at this instant it owns no other scepter , but that of leopoldus ignatius now emperour of germany . finis . vox cœli, or, nevves from heaven of a consultation there held by the high and mighty princes, king hen. . king edw. . prince henry. queene mary, queene elizabeth, and queene anne; wherein spaines ambition and treacheries to most kingdomes and free estates in europe, are vnmasked and truly represented, but more particularly towards england, and now more especially vnder the pretended match of prince charles, with the infanta dona maria. whereunto is annexed two letters written by queene mary from heauen, the one to count gondomar, the ambassadour of spaine, the other to all the romane catholiques of england. written by s.r.n.i. reynolds, john, fl. - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc . stc a estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) vox cœli, or, nevves from heaven of a consultation there held by the high and mighty princes, king hen. . king edw. . prince henry. queene mary, queene elizabeth, and queene anne; wherein spaines ambition and treacheries to most kingdomes and free estates in europe, are vnmasked and truly represented, but more particularly towards england, and now more especially vnder the pretended match of prince charles, with the infanta dona maria. whereunto is annexed two letters written by queene mary from heauen, the one to count gondomar, the ambassadour of spaine, the other to all the romane catholiques of england. written by s.r.n.i. reynolds, john, fl. - . scott, thomas, ?- , attributed name. [ ], p. s.n., printed in elesium [sic] [i.e. london] : . s.r.n.i. = john reynolds. sometimes wrongly attributed to thomas scott. the imprint is fictitious; correct place of publication from stc. b r, last line: 'his palatinate'. formerly stc a, identifed as such on umi microfilm reel . reproduction of the original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode 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anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng great britain -- foreign relations -- spain -- early works to . spain -- foreign relations -- great britain -- early works to . great britain -- history -- james i, - -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion vox coeli , or , newes from heaven . of a consvltation there held by the high and mighty princes , king hen. . king edw. . prince henry . queene mary , queene elizabeth , and queene anne ; wherein spaines ambition and treacheries to most kingdomes and free estates in evrope , are vnmaskd and truly represented , but more particularly towards england , and now more especially vnder the pretended match of prince charles , with the infanta dona maria . whereunto is annexed two letters written by queene mary from heauen , the one to count gondomar , the ambassadour of spaine , the other to all the romane catholiques of england . written by s. r. n. i. printed in elesium . . to the illvstriovs and grave assembly of the high covrt of parliament the fruition of all temporall blessings . the felicitie of all spirituall blessings . lords . knights . bvrgesses . to you who are the re-presentiue body of england , and the ep●…tomie and compendium of this great volume of our estate ; to you who are assummoned by our king , and sent vp by our country , to obay the first with your best fidelities , to serue the second with your chiefest zeale and endeuours , and to affect and honour both , with your most religious prayers and wishes . to you from whom god for his glory , our soueraigne for his honour and safety , and our church and common-weale for their flourishing well-fare and prosperity , doe expect much by your transcendent and honourable imployments : to you i say , and to no other , doe i present this consultation ( termed vox coeli ) to your consideration , and dedicate it to your protection . and because ( in point of integrit●…e and duty ) i hold my selfe bound ●…o bring the truth neerer to your knowledge , or rather home to your vnderstanding ; may it please you to be informed , that about some three yeares since , at the first sitting of the last high court of parliament , when our king was so earnest in proposing the match of our noble prince his sonne , with the infanta of spaine ; when the king of spaine coulourably presented ( though not really intended ) to be d●…epely affected to entertaine and embrace the said motion ; when coun●… gondmar ( his ambassador ) made shew to be a zealous solicitour , and a most actiue and officious stickler for compassing and finishing it ; when our romish catholiques became passionately , and insultingly confident of the free tollera●…lon of their religion , and in the skie-reaching mountaines of their ambitions and superstitious hopes , were already preparing to erect their groues and altars , to set vp their idols and images , and consequently to introduce their pope and his masse in the temples of our god ; when all prisons were vnlocked and open to all pernitious priests and dangerous ●…esuites , and that many others 〈◊〉 ( caterpillers and vipers ) came flocking and swarming from diuers parts of europe , to poison and eate cut the soules of our people , with their idolatrous doctrine of antichrist , and to with-draw their hearts and consciences from their alleagiance and fideli●…ie , to their naturall prince and countrey , purposely ( with 〈◊〉 treachery then religion ) to subiect them to a forraigne power and iurisdiction . when the emperour had beaten the king of bohemia from prague , and the duke of bauaria with the assistance of the swords , soulders , and treasure of the king of spaine , had in a setled truce assaulted and taken many townes in the palatinate , contrary to their promises to our king , and of his maresties to the prince his sonne in law , and contrary to the publique peace of germany aend christendome . then , then it was , ( that to pull off the maske of spaines ambition and malice , who with the fire of this match sought to set england all flaming in a mournfull and miserable combustion ) thereby to bury her glory in the dust , and her safety in the cinders of her subuersion and ruines ) that as prometheus fetch'd fire from heauen , so the fire of my zeale to the good of my prince and country , likewise fetch'd from thence this royall consultation for the discouery of our apparant and imminent dangers , and in knowing them , to know likewise how to preuent them ; which resoluing to m●…ke publiq●…e ; because it solely re●…ded to englands publique 〈◊〉 and prosperitie : i contrary to my expectation ( but not to my feares , ) saw my hope●… nip●… in their blossoms , and my desires stis●…ed in their births , because the seas of our kings affection to spaine went so loftle , and the winder were so tempestious , that it could not possibly be permitted to passe the pikes of the presse : when albeit my zeale and fidelity againe and again infused new audacitie and courage to my resolutions , to see it receiue the light yet it was imposible for mee or it , to bee made so happy , because i sawe allureds honest letter , scots loyall vox populy , d. whiting , d. euerard , and clayto●…s zealous sermons , and others , suppressed and silenced , as also wards faithfull picture , which yet was so innocent , as it onely breathed foorth his fidelity to england in silent rethorique , and dumbe eloquence . wherevpon inforced to take a lawe from the iniquitie of the time , ( with much reluctation and more greife ) i bushed vp my said consultations in silence , & because i could not serue my prince and countrie in that booke of mine : i therfore then renewed my constant resolution and zeale to serue them in my most seruent prayers , and my most religious and zealous wishes , the which i haue euer since faithfully and constantly performed . sitting thus to behold the constant inconstancie of the world , which presents as many different accidents to our knowledge , as obiects to our eye ; and being iealous , vigelant , and attentiue , to that which did , or which might any way appertaine to my soueraigne and his princely posteritie , to his dominions and subjects ; i was enforced to see ( o that i had beene so happie , as not to ban●… seene ) the perfidious progresse of spaines now trecheries , and vsurpation vpon many countries of europe ; for first his cousen leopaldus hath deuoured the dutchy of cleaues and iulleirs : then he and his forces haue taken many other free townes , and whole bishoprickes in the countries of luxembourg , and l●… marke , as also in the frontiers of swisserland and loraine ; then he and his factor the duke of bauaria ( for him ) hath finished his absolute conquest of the pallatinate ( that dainty , rich and fertile prouince of germany ) the dowry of our onely princesse , the inheritance of the prince her husband , and the patrimonie of their royall issue , wherein the honour of our king , and his three famous kingdomes , doe most extreamely suffer . i saw him conquer the chiefest cities , forts , and passages of the grisous , and hath brought their liberties and liues to their last gaspe and periode ; yea , to the mercilesse mercy of his not generous but bloody sword ; which being vnder the protection of the french king. doth likewise cast a wonderfull stay●…e and blemish on the lustre of his honour and crowne , if he speedily take not his reuenge thereof ; by leauing these his honest 〈◊〉 as free as he found them , and as great henry his father left them . and after the triumphes and treacherous progression of the house of austria in germany . the king of spaine hath now made a body of his , and the imperiall forces , and this summer intends to play his bloody prize for the totall ruine and subuertion of the netherlands , who ( to the eye if the world , and to humaine iudgement ) must shortly sinke if the two kings of great brittaine and france doe not make them swim ; by speedily sending them braue succours and assistance in this their vrgent necessity . and wherevnto tends all this treacherous ambition , and formidable vsurpation and greatnes of the king of spaine , but to cut out a passage with his sword , and to make his troopes & regiments fly o're the alpes , for his erecting and obtaining of the westerne empire : and wherevnto tends it i say , but to make his territories and dominions to encirculiz●… great brittaine and france , yea to be their cloyster , and to make and esteeme those two famous monarchies , but onely as a fatall church-yard to burie and interre themselues in . but illustrious and genero●…s sirs , it this all the malice and treacherie which spaine hath offered towards england ; o no , nothing lesse , for vpon that iournie ( which was as dangerous as suddaine ) of our prince into spaine ( then whome the world hath not a brauer : ) hath not the king of spaine dealt treacherously with him about his match with the infants his sister , yea haue they not in his princely person , violeted the lawes of hospitality , and the priueledges of princes ( when being vnder his owne roofe ) by attempting to tye him to formes , which were dia●…etrally opposite to his honour ; yea , to be so audatiously impudent , as with much violency and virulency to seeke to put a rape vpon his conscience , and religion , and proffered inforcement of his conuersion to popery ; as if their infanta had bin to him more pretious then his soule , or that he had bin so wretchedly grounded and instructed in pietie , that his highnesse would haue forsaken his god purposely to haue obayed & adored the king of spaine , who is not , nor cannot be a greater king then he is a prince . and to step yet a degree further ; was it not a hellish pollicy , and a diabolicall designe and resolution of the counsell of spaine , to aduise our prince vpon his returne into england , to waerre vpon the protestants , and to proffer him an army to suppresse and exterminate them . the prot●…stants , i say , who are those by whome our king his father raingeth , and without whom his maiesty can neuer subsist nor raigne ; nor his highnesse sucessi●…ely aspire , or hope to aspire to his crownes and kingdomes after him , sith they are the life , the vigour , the heart , and the soule thereof . and will our king , and our prince , our parliaments , and our protestants of england , then euer forget this inueterate rage , and infernall malice of spaine against them ? as also the rest of their imperious and insulting cariage towards his highnesse , and towards great brittaine , as if they priz'd i●… at so low a rate , and made their boundlesse ambition so excessinely ouer-valew their owne spaine ? that that were in the crisis of her weakenesse and misery , and this in the prime and verticall point of her power and glory ? and when his highnesse pressed them for the restitution of the pallatinate , which they had often promised to the king his father , then they temporized so cunningly , and subtillized so trecherously with him , that euery day brought forth new delayes and difficulties , till in the end they had made the cure worse then the disease , and hauing taken firme footing therein , were enforced to vnuaile and vnmask their dissimulation , and faintly and coldly to affirme , that they would treat with the emperour for the restitution thereof , but could not promise it : thus hauing abused , first our king the father , and then our prince the sonne , they haue now likewise betrayed and ruined our princesse the daughter in their finall conquest , and resolute detention of the prince her husbands palatinate , that princesse i say , whose royall and sublime vertues , make her the honour of her time , the ornament of her sexe , and the phaenix princesse of the world . whereunto adding the absolute breach of the match long since prophetically delacerated , and cast in heauen by the princely and royall authors of this consultation , and since the same breach here on earth likewise so happily confirmed by the king , as also by the prince : so all these premisses considered , hath not england reason to hate spaine , in regard spaine hates it ? especially because of these two maine ensuing points , and important considerations ? first , for that the king of spaine is a greater , and more professed enemy to our sacred king , and his royall posteritie , then either the emperour , or duke of baua●…ia , and is to be held and esteemed of vs. secondly , that therefore to denounce warre to him , and to make it good as soone as it is denounced , is as honourable as necessary , and as iust as honourable for england ; as vpon new-yeares day last i made these two points apparant and manifest to the king ; in my discourse intituled votiuae angliae , which i sent his maiestie in the behalfe and fauour of the prince palatine his sonne in law , for the restoration of his palatinate . hauing thus ( with as much disdaine as griefe ) seene his inueterate malice towards great brittaine , towards our king and his royall posteritie , and consequently the eminent dauger whereinto our profound securitie hath throwne and precipitated vs in particular ; and vnderstanding likewise how the said king of spaine with xerxes , threatens the seas and mountaines of europe in generall ; being as well in heart as tongue an englishman , and therefore knowing by grace , what i owe by nature to my naturall prince and countrey ( like cressus his dumbe sonne ) i would not , i could not be silent thereat , but must expose this consultation of vox coeli to the light and sight of the world : i meane to the light of your knowledge , and the sight of your consideration , vnder the secure target , and safe shelter and sanctuary of your auspicious protection . to you therefore great brittaines greatest palladines and champions , to you the inuincible bulwarke of our king and his royall progeny , and the inexpugnable cittadel and acrocorinth of our estate : to you i say the conscript fathers of our supreamest senate ; doth it in dutie present it selfe , and in humilitie prostrate it selfe ; which when your first leasure hath curiously read , and your best zeale carefully and maturely considered : then by all that true english bloud which streameth in your heart and veynes , by all the loue whic●… your countrie beares you , and by all the dutie and affection which reciprocally you owe to your country : i both request and coniure you , to tell our king that it is nothing for his maiestie to haue made a braue and generous declaration of warres against spaine , except hee speedily second it with execution , without which it will proue a vaine fantasma , and an abortiue embrion : tell him , that it were the last acts of augustus , which embellished his raigne , and that old pericles made the greatnesse of his generositie and courage , to reuiue and flourish on his tombe , when hee caused the athenians to warre vpon the pelloponessians : tell him that philopaemenus affirmeth , that peace is the best time to meditate of warre . tell him that to transport warre into spaine , is to auoide and preuent it in england , as hannibal said to king antiochus , that the only way to make warre against the romanes , was to begin it in the heart and bowels of the dominions of rome , and so to vanquish italy by italy . tell him that plutarch affirmes there is no action so royall or magnificent in a king , as to take armes to assist and reuenge his confederates vniustly oppressed and ruined , much more his owne royall children , and that if the palatinate be too farre , that flanders and brabant , are but the skirts and suburbs to england . tell him that agesilaus said , that words are feminine , and deeds masculine , and that it is a great point of honour , discretion , and happines for a prince , to giue the first blowe to his enimies . tell him that spaniards hate vs ; why then should we loue them ? that we can beat them at our pleasures , why then should we feare them ? tell him that if it goe not well with holland , it must needs goe ill with england ; and that if wee doe not preuent their ruine , that wee cannot secure our owne danger . tell him that in matters of warre , it is dangerous to make a stand , shamefull to retire , and glorious to aduance . tell him that philip of spaine is of pyrrhus his minde , who said , that hauing deuowred and conquered all europe , he would end his dayes in ●…ollity and pleasure in macedonia . and therefore that it is time , yea high time to strike vp our drums against him , aswell because our saftie , as our honour inuites vs to it . and now turning from his maiestie , to you the illustrious and famous body of this great and famous court of parliament ( whereof the king is the head ) to you , i say , who are the creame and flower of his subiects : o hold it no disparagement tha i tell you ; that sith in all matters of order , policie and reformation , that delayes and protractions proue still dangerous , many times fatall : that you beware least as your consultations flie away with the time ; that occasion and opertunitie flie not away with your consultations , sith time must be taken by his forelocke , and then as iulius caesar saieth , we haue winde and tide with vs. thinke what a happines , what a glorie it is for england to haue wars with spaine , sith spaine in the lethirgie of our peace , hath very neere vndermined our safetie , and subuerted our glory ; and let vs dispell those charmes of securitie , wherein england hath beene too long lul'd and enchanted a sleepe : and if feare & pusillanimitie , yet offer to shut your eyes against our safetie , yet let our resolution and courage open them to the imminency of our danger ; that our glory may surmount our shame , and our swords cut those tongues and pennes in pieces , which henceforth dare either to speake of peace ▪ or write of truce with spaine . no , no ; to take the length of spaines foote aright , we must doe it with our swords , not with our ●…ecks , for the first will assuredly establish our safety , and the second infaliby ruines it . wars , wars , then ye ( with cheerefull hearts and ioyfull soules ) let vs prepare our selues for warrs : that our great brittaine ( the beautie of europe as europe is the glory of the world ) lie no longer exposed to the apparant danger , and merciles mercy of this castilian rat , of this crocodile of italy , of this vulture of germany , and af this woolfe of ardena ; but let vs all signaliz our fidelities to our soueraigne by our courage , and immortaliz our zeale to our country by our valour and resolutions herein : that we may all be of alcibiades his opinion , that the bed of honour is the best death , that there is no better recompence of death then glory , nor no richer glory , then to dye for our prince and country . and here i had imposed silence to my penne , and infused a period to this my epistle , had not the dignitie of your places , the quality of your imployments , the nature of the time , and the consideration that i am an englishman , commaunded me to insert and annex these few lines , by the way either of a supplement , or a post-script . although i can adde nothing to your affection and care , for the good of our country , yet giue me leaue ( i beseech you ) to substract this from mine owne fidelitie and zeale . that you be carefull that your warres ( both by sea and land ) be plentifully stored with money , powder and shot , which indeed is the veignes and arteries , the sinewes and soule of warre . that you crye downe all gold and siluer lace , and all silkes , veluets , and taffities , and crie vp woole cloath , and blacke 〈◊〉 and corslets insteede thereof , that thereby england as a blacke and dismall cloud , may looke more martiall and terrible to our enimies . that our english romanists may be taught either to loue , or to feare england . that there be prouision made , and especiall care had to secure his maiesties coasts , seas . and subiect from the ships of warre of dunkerke and ostend , by whome otherwise they will be extreamely indomaged and infested . that by some who'some statute and order , you cleanse the citties and countrie , the streets and highwaies from all sort of beggers , by prouiding for their labour and reliefe , whereby many hundred thousand christian soules will pray vnto god for his maiesty , and to power downe his blessings vpon all your designes and labours , whereby without doubt our warres will succeed and prosper the better . i will no further vsurpe on your patience : but here ( withdrawing the curtaine of this preface ) inuite your eyes and thoughts to the sight and consideration of this consultation , s. r. n. i. the introduction , heauen being gods throne , and the earth his footstoole , it is impossible any thing can be here spoken and acted , but will there be heard , reuealed and detected ; for not onely our hearts but our thoughts , not onely our tongues but our intents , lye open and are obuious and transparent , to the glorious , and relucent eyes of gods most sacred maiestie , who being the sole architector , and preseruer both of heauen and earth , rules that by his presence , this by his prouidence , and both by his power ; and that wee men are not by many thousands degrees so great in his eyes , as the smallest pysmires are in ours ; who lookes still in our designes and actions , sometimes with approbation ; now with pitie , then with contempt , and anon with choller and indignation , being himselfe the prime president , the great moderator , the mighty councellor , the eternall and euerlasting iehouah ; who can and will giue lawes to all the kings and princes of the earth , as they doe to their subiects by their subordinate , and yet transcendent power , drawne from his most sacred maiestie of heauen , as the starres who actually deriue their light , and borrow their lustre from the refulgent beames , and glorious body of the sun. and as this great god seated in his coelestiall throne of glory , with his all ▪ seeing and sacred eyes beholds in heauen the thoughts and actions of men here on earth : so likewise out of his indulgent mercy and prouidence , he likewise giues the same authority and power to his angels , saints and martyrs , to doe the like ; who clad in white robes , the ornaments of sanctity and purity , with palme branches in their hands , the emblemes of peace and ioy , and crowns and coronets on their heads , the rewards and markes of glory , follow the lamb christ iesus wheresoeuer hee goe , still singing these ioyfull io peans and epithalamians of haleluiah , and glory be to god on high , peace on earth , and good will towards men . by vertue of which diuine priuiledges , the maske of spaines boundlesse ambition being discouered and pull'd off , in supporting the pope , and seeking the increase of his spirituall iurisdiction , whereby his holinesse in exchange , may enlarge that of spaines temporall monarchie , so as that shall haue feete to goe , and these wings to flie to the height of earthly greatnesse ; whereby the catholique kings ayme , out of the ruines of rome and germany , to erect another empire in the west , and endeauour by degrees to make most of the kingdomes and free estates of europe become prouinces vnto spaine ; as , some by force , some by policie , some by treacherie , and now england by the match of the infanta his daughter , with our most illustrious and royall prince charles ( next to his royall father king iames , our most dread soueraigne ) the hope of englands life , and the life of it's ioy and hope . i say the newes of these proiects and resolutions of spaine , hauing with as much fortunary as celeritie , passed the cloudes , and peirced the vaults and windowes of heauen , it fast arriued there , to the vnderstanding of that immortall mayden queene elizabeth , whose heart euer loued england , as her soule did heauen , and of whose flourishing wellfare and prosperity i cannot truely auerre , whether she still remaine more iealous or ambitious ? whereat grieuing with as much disdaine , as she disdained with griefe , and knowing that her nephew and god-sonne prince henry , participated and burned in her zeale , that the insatiable and blood-thirsty ambition of spaine , might not erect his trophees vpon the tombe of englands downfall , and the ruines of her subuersion , shee speedily acquaints him with it , whome although heauen had purified and deuested of his earthly passions , yet such was this young prince , his neuer dying zeale to englands euer liuing glory that his highnesse could not refraine from looking red with anger , and pale with feare , at the report and knowledge thereof . they consult hereon and hold it both expedient and necessary to acquaint other english princes herewith , especially those whome they knew stood deeply and sincerely affected to england . so prince henry acquaints his mother queene anne herewith , and queene elizabeth her brother king edward . and both their father king henry . who so vppon aduise hereof , could not refraine to looke on england with the eyes of affection and pitty , and on spaine with those of indignation and contempt . so these fiue great princes & queenes prepare themselues to consult on this most important busines , when loe they are suddenly met and assayled , with a doubt of no meane consequence and consideration viz. whether , or no , they should admit & receiue queene mary into this their consultation , whom not her romane merits , but the prayers of the protestants had brought to heauen ; when at first they considering that in heart and soule , she alwayes loued , and preferred rome and spain before england ; they resolued to exclude her , but at last ( vpon riper and more mature deliberation ) considering that she knew many secrets of spain , wherof peraduenture they were ignorant ; as also that from her innate and inueterate malice to england , shee might ( either in iest or earnest ) bewray something that might turne and redound to the good of england , they all consented she should be aduertised hereof , and so admitted ; which was instantly performed ; and as the rest of these royall princes enuied spaines ambition , and pitied englands dangers ; so to speake the truth , and no more , queene mary ( still resembling herselfe ) both in her speeches and lookes testified the contrary ; vowing that as she loued ●…hilip the ii. the father , so she would still honour philip the iii. his son. thus these three princes , and three queenes , not daring to consult in heauen on any thing , without permission of the superiour powers , they all repayre to the sacred throne of the lambe , ( of that great maker and conductor of heauen and earth ) whose tribunall is enuironed with more sparkling and burning sunnes , then we see starres in the firmament ; and who is waited and attended on by many millions and meryades of angels ; where in signe of gods glory and their humilitie , these royall personages fall on their faces to his blessed feet , and so proffer vp their petition to his heauenly maiestie to haue authority , and place giuen them to consult on this important businesse betwixt england and spaine . their petition read and considered , god out of the profunditie of his immense affection and fauour , towards the prosperity of england , ( wherein for the space of well neere one hundred yeares , his sacred maiestie hath seen himselfe truely serued and glorified ) ratifies their request , and approues and authoriseth their sitting ; when departing from gods most sacred throne ; they were by a full quire of angels with trumpets and tymbrels in their hands , vshered into the golden starre-chamber of heauen , which was purposely prepared for them ; when taking their seuerall seates , the doore shut , and guarded by englands tutulary angell , with a naked brandished sword in his hand , all thinges being hushed vp in silence , and all heauenly duties and ceremonies performed , these sixe royall personages begin their consultation in this manner . the consultation . h. . before we descend to speake of spaines ambition and enu●…e towards england , or the match now in question betwixt england and spaine , with the dangers which threaten , and presage vs will ensue thereof , it will not be impertinent , rather necessary ; that we mount vp the steps of this last century of yeares , and so take a cursory , though not a curious suruey , with what ambition and crueltie , and treachery , the kings of spaine from time to time , haue knocked at most kingdomes and estates of europe ; in the vnfolding and dilating whereof , you must not expect much light from me , rather i from your selues , sith as your yeares so your raignes succeeded me . nauarre . e. . and as you all know my yeares were so few and my raigne so short , that neither these , nor this , made me capable to diue into the affaires of princes and kingdomes , and yet i must confesse it was both with griefe and pitie , that i reade , with what vsurpation and trechery , ferdinand king of arragon depriued iohn of albert , and katherine his queene of their flourishing kingdome of nauarre , who for meere griefe and sorrow dyed immediatly after , hauing no other claime nor title to this kingdome , but an insatiable desire of empire and dominion , which the aragonois , and castil●…ans wonne with their swords . q. m. o but nauarre lay fit and commodious for the prouinces of old castille , b●…iscay , and galicia , besides , the kings of spaine are the catholique kings , and therefore it is both proper and naturall for them to be vniuersall . q. e. it is indeed both naturall and proper to them to bee ambitious and tyrannicall , for i am confident , that as catholique as they are , they loue earths empire , better then heauens glory ; and sure i cannot but lament to see nauarre made a prouince to spaine , which more is the griefe of christendome , and the shame of the royall line of burbon , now the french kings , whose patrimonie and inheri●… it is , and will not king lewes recouer it ? p. h. had great henry his father liued , he would vndoubtedly haue conquered nauarre with as much glory , as it was lost with shame and pitie ; yea , the turrets of pampelone , and fonteraby , had long since cast off the ragged staffe , to beare out the three flower de luces . q. a. so might king lewes his sonne too , if the pope and iesuites diuerted not his thoughts from that honourable and glorious enterprise . e. . surely it is against the lawes of conscience , and the rules of religion , for the kings of spaine thus to vsurpe nauarre , or were they so iust , as they pretend they were holy , they would restore and not retaine this kingdome . q. m. o the cath●…lique kings are too wise to commit such grosse errours of state , as to restore ; for it is conquest and possession , and no way restitution , which af●…oords them best melody ; besides , sith they are the catholique kings , they cannot be irreligious much lesse vncharitable . h. . why then daughter , the kings of spaine are of pirrhus and lysande●…s minde , whose limits and confines of their countries they held so farre , as their swords and lances could extend them . which being so , they are only catholique in title , not in effect , much lesse in heart or soule , for if vsurpation bee religion , i know not what is heresie . e. . the pope may , but our sauiour christ , neuer authorized or approued vsurpation . q. m. but the kings of spaine know the popes will and pleasure , as they doe gods , and this beliefe i am sure is both catholique and apostolicall . q. e. see , see with how much ignorance and wilfulnesse , with what blinde zeale and po●…re implicit faith , my sister is perpetually lincked to rome and spaine . p. h. if so vsurpation be romes doctrine , and spaines delight and practise , my soule did well to make me hate the one , and detest the other . the west indies , or new spaine . h. . bvt leaue wee nauarre weeping and groaning vnder the burthen of the miserable seruitude to spaine ; o how since columbus de cortez , and pizarro , ( with as much iudgement as fortunacy ) discouered to castille the rich america , and in it the gold and siluer mines , which hath giuen wings to his ambition to flie to the height of this earthly greatnesse , wherein wee see spaine seated and founded ; how it hath both grieued and amazed me to vnderstand , how at cuba , hayta , peru , panama , and mexico , and in all these vast iles and spacious continents , that the spaniards with a more then hellish cruelty , haue slaine such infinite millions and meryades of those poore indians , whereby in a manner they haue wholly depopulated these populous countries , and not onely made riuers but whole seas of their bloud ; and of whose inhumane and bloudy cruelty , i may iustly say ; that as all former ages cannot shew the like president , so our posterity will difficulty beleeue it . and yet behold the horrible hipocrisie of these insulting and vsurping castillians ; for demaund them the reason of these their bloudy and execrable massacres , of those poore armelesse and harmlesse indians , and of the rooting out and exterminating of all their princes and nobility , they with as much falshood as impiety will affirme , that sith their king is the catholique king , so this is to plant the catholique faith in the remote , and new found worlds of the world ; whereby we may obserue , that religion must still be the pretext , and cloke of their bloudy vsurpation , when heauen and earth knowes and sees , that it is first gold , then a greedy desire of dominion and empire , which is the true cause , and sole obiect thereof . e. . but if that bloudy resolution , against these huge numbers of poore indians tooke place in the heart and councell of charles . must it needes follow that the like inhumanity and cruelty should liue in this of phil. . and phil. . his sonne and grand-childe : so as this bloud-thirsty malice of spleene and gall against these poore indians , must be heriditary to the kings of spaine , as now by custome and intrusion , ( and by the ignoble coniuencie of the princes electors ) the ambition to enioy the empire of germany , is to the house of austria , from whence they are descended . portingall . q. e. my royall father obserued well , that religion was onely the pretext , but wealth and empire the sole obiect of spaines ambition ; for although charles the . vsurped those places of america from the indians , who indeede knew not christ ; yet what religion or catholique was that of philip the , his sonne , vnder hand to precipitate , and throw sebastian king of portingall , into the vnnecessary and vnfortunate warres of affrica against the moores , where hee losed his life with his ambition : and then after his decease , to worke so on the impotency , feare , and ignorance , of olde king henry his successour , as ( contrary to the lawes of iustice and nature ) to enforce him to illigitimate don anthony the prior of crato , who was the first and neerest heire vnto that crowne and kingdome , thereby to exclude him as indeede hee did , or if he had not an itching and longing desire to swallow and deuoure that kingdome of portingall ; which all christendome and rome her selfe knew was still more catholique then spaine ; yea , and then when hee had ingaged his royall word to the rest of the pretendants , as the aforesaid don anthony , the dukes of sauoy and parma , katherine of maedicis ( queene mother of france ) and katherine dutchesse of braganca ; that hee with them would stand to the sentence of the chamber of lisbone , to know to whom the right of that kingdome most properly and lineally descended . that then this king philip the . forgat his conscience to god , and his promise to these princes ( fearing others right , and distrusting his owne ) brought an army to the gates of lisbone , ere the pretendants , or portingalls themselues dreampt thereof , or had meanes or leasure to defend themselues , wherby such was his insatiable ambition , vsurpation , & couetousnes , that in a plaine and setled peace , hee deuoured this rich and noble kingdome ; making it not onely tributary but a prouince to spaine . and was this also religion , or to plant the catholique faith ? or rather was it not manifest treacherie , and apparant vsurpation , such if don anthony had not , all the world knowes , the dutches of braganca had more right to this kingdome then king philip. p. h. yea , that policy king phil. learnt of the emperour charles . his father , who when himselfe , and king francis the first of france . contended for the empire of germany , whiles francis was bribing of the electors , charles brought an armie into the field and so enforced them to elect and choose him . q. m. i must confesse i euer held the portingalls to be zealous and good romane catholiques ; but as nauarre lay fit for biscay and galicia , so portingall lay exceeding comodious for andoulosie ; and if my husband king philip , had not seconded his right of descent by the law of his sword , perhaps he might haue had a bad neighbor in portingall , which he and his counsell timely fore-seeing they as wisely preuented . and howsoeuer , although he hated don anthonie , yet i know he loued the dutches of braganca well ; but when we speake of crownes and kingdomes , religion will make his surprise of portingall a matrer of state , though to speake truth , state can neuer make it a matter of religion . q. a. how well king phillip loued the dutches of braganca , i know not , but this i am sure of , that both monsieur de boysise monsieur de bissea●…x , and monsieur de marais , ( ambassadours with king iames my husband ; for the two last french kings , henry . and lewes . ) tolde me , that philips hatred and rage was so great against don anthony , that he begged his body , which lyes in a coffin of lead , in the cord-liers church at paris , to be deliuered his ambassadours , and so sent him into spaine ; but as they said , these two most christian kings their masters answered philip , that there was little religion , lesse charity , to take vp , and remoue the ashes of a dead prince and king , as was don anthony , and so his body still remeanes in paris . p. h. if spaine were so malicious to a dead prince , how ought those that are liuing to beware and take heed of him ? h. . as a guilty conscience can neuer finde ●…est , so it may be that king philip was afraid of a second don anthony , as of a second sebastian . p. h. but king philip his sonne , hath farre more reason to feare don anthony his two princely sonnes , don emanuel , and don christopher , and of don emanuell , his two generous and illustrious sonnes , don maurice and don lewes , all foure liuing who are fam●…os , and royall reserued peeres of shipwracke of that royall kingdome and blood of portingall . q. m. o but they are poore , and want friends and meanes to advance their iust title to that crowne if they haue any . e. . their right and title to portingall is iust , and therefore cannot , and should not dye . q. e. if the french forces had met mine at the groyne , peneca , or lisbone , or had the portingals ●…isen , my norris , drake , and noble essex , in despight of philip and his forces , had pluck'd the crowne of portingall from his head , and set it on king anthonies . p. h. no , no : don anthonies sonnes are beloued of the nobilitie of england , france , and the netherlands , and don emanuels wife , is sister to that valiant and incomparable captaine maurice of nassaw , prince of orenge . so if fortune smile , and a fauourable gale blow , these disinherited portingall princes may one day proue pricks and thornes to the sides of spaine . for all portingall knowes , that their veines and hearts streame with pure portingall blood ; yea , with the remainder of the royall blood of that kingdome , which philip . his last entertainment ( together with the prince his sonne ) at lisbone , had almost found true : but that his maiestie departed with as much feare , secresie , and shame , as he came with resolution , popularitie , and glory : in the interim , these portingall princes remaine prodigious and ominious commets to spaine . q. m. did spaine thinke so , it would quickly make these princes ride poast into another world . q. e. if spaine should send these princes poast into another world , either by the b●…cke doore of poyson , by the wicket of a ponyard , and not by the great and fore-dore of nature , it would draw the fists of most christian prince , about king philips eares , and make all portingall solemnize their funerals with their swords drawn , and their cities gates shut . e. . indeede i haue heard that the commons , and especially the nobillitie of portingall begin extreamly to distaste the imperious pride and ambitious carriage of the spaniards , as many of them let not to say boldly and publiquely , that phillip enioyes the kingdome by vsurpation and n●…t by right . q. m. not by right ? why pope gregory . approued his title and confirmed his conquest of the kingdome of portingall . q. e. so did not our sauiour christ , whose successour and vicar the pope pretends himselfe to be . p. h. in the meane time spaine domineeres at her conquest of portingall , and well shee may ; for it is one of the fairest flowers of his garland , and of the richest diamonds of his crowne . h. , but the other kings of christendome haue ●…ust cause and reason to grieue and storme hereat ; for as it was portingals mischance then to fall , and vaile bonnet to spaine , so it may be theirs to morrow ; for to a prince and people so greedy and ambitions of empire as is spaine , all fish is good that comes to his hooke or net . p. h. thus spaine deuoures kingdomes as the cyclope polephemus did passengers ; for he surprizeth no more then he meetes withall , and yet will not chirstendome beware of spaine . italy . h. . vve haue past from nauarre , the west indies , & portingal , & now let vs come to italy to see how spain is beloued or feared of the italians , & how he hath behaued himselfe there . e. . in italy the king of spaine is nayled to the pope , as most of the colledge of cardinals , and all die iesuites are to him ; yea , he hath the greatest and richest territories thereof , as the kingdome of naples , the dutchy of millane , and the island of cicily , and ( in a mannet , the marquesse of monaco , and finall , the dukes of montoua , parma and vrbin ; the princes of massa , and piombino , with the states of genoua and luca , doe all march vnder his banner , and call onely on his name ; yea , he hath so incircled the pope as hee is rather his prisoner , then his spirituall father ; for if his patrimony of st. peter be the temple , his naples and millane is the cloyster to impall it , so as he hath no impeachment or obstacle from making himselfe sole lord of italy , but the great duke of tuscany , and the prudent and potent seignorie of uenice . q. m. o but the pope neede not feare the king of spaine , for ●…s spaine is the popes hand , so the pope is spaines tongue : for the catholike king is his holinesse champion ; and his holinesse the king of spaines oracle . e. . i had thought that the popes alwayes loued the kings of france better then those of spaine . q. e. o no : there is reason to the contrary ; for spaine hath receiued romes hellish and bloudy inquisition , and france is so wise and couragious , as it reiecteth and disdaines it . p. h. nay , there is another reason likewise ; for although the former kings of france were braue and victorious , yet king lewes that now is feares the pope and loues him not , whereas king phillip of spaine loues him , but feares him not . q. m. if the popes had not loued spaine , they would neuer haue giuen him naples and cicily , nor permitted him to enioy that rich and populous dutchy of millan , which is the patrimony of the house of orleans , and is now fallen to the right of france . q. e. surely there is a great vnion betweene the popes and the kings of spaine , for spaine makes the pope ride on his pontificall chaire , and the pope makes spaine flie in phaetens chariot , about the foure corners of christendome . p. h. but the pope loued not spaine so well , to giue him either the marquisat of anconitana , or the dutchy of ferrara , when he begged it of him by his ambassadours . h. . but did spaine seeke ferrara , and the marca of ancona of the pope ? q. m. yea , and vpon good grounds and solid reasons too , for that lay commodious for millane , and this for naples , and both would serue as bridges to passe into that braue and proud state of venice . the state of uenice . q. e. now you speake of the graue and noble venetians ; as they haue long since pull'd off the maske of spains itching desire to deflowre their beautifull adriatike sea-nimph : so they haue resolued no more to trust spaniards . for of late ( notwithstanding their prudent decree to the contrary , grounded vpon some priuate reasons of state ) they both thinke in their hearts , and know in their soules and consciences , that it was onely the ambition and double pistols of spaine , that laid the foundation of the last treacherous and execrable attempt against their citie ; and consequently against their whole state , notwithstanding that some perfidious frenchmen ( degenerating from the honour of their country and ancestors ) were corrupted and seduced ( by the gold and flattering promises of spaine ) to be the chiefest agents , and forlorne hope in that damnable attempt ; and to make this as cleare and apparent as the sunne , that illustrious and wise senate well knowes , that at that very instant , and nick thereof , the duke of ossuna ( vice-roy of naples ) houered with his fleet & land-forces to lay hold and embrace that occasion . q. m. sure sister you wrong the duke of ossuna , and in him king phillip his master ; for i haue heard that the said duke did then arme , vpon newes of a great fleet of gallyes comming from constantinople to rhodes , vpon the irruption of intelligence betwixt the great turke and the french king , for the escape of the polonian prince coriski : for the which the baron of sancy , the french ambassadour was at least confined , if not imprisoned at constantinople , and that therefore for the safety of the kingdome of naples , it behooued the said duke to fortifie his ports of apulia , o●…tranto , and calabria , as well with fleets as regiments . p. h. the king of spaines ministers neuer want pretexts and euasions for their designes ; but if the duke of ossuna for affirming hereof , should sweare botto d●…os , and par la sanctissima uirgina , till he were damn'd , yet that wise senate , and especially the councell of tenn , will neuer beleoue him . q. e. o but ossuna and the king of spaine his master , shall giue me leaue to ioine in opinion with the prudent venetians ; and therefore i highly praise their fore-sight , and applaude their generositie , in keeping a braue nauall army on their seas , and strong garrisons in their castles and cities , for the security of their state , as also for k●…eping of their exchequer rich , and their arsenall and magasins aboundantly stored and furnished . h. . but hath spaine offered the signiory of venice , no other wrongs and affronts but this ? q. e. o yes : for although that prudent state say little , yet they remember , ( and will not forget ) how busie his ambassadour and agents were at rome , to giue fire to the quarrell betweene pope paulus quintus and themselues , about banishing the iesuites from their state , and for imprisoning the chanon of vincensa ; as also , how readily and earnestly they proffered the pope , that a great spanish and neopolitan army should instantly enter their state , and put all to fire and sword . p. h. and they likewise remember , how the king of spaine ( that thereby his regiments mought fish in troubled waters , and get firme footing in their country ) hath often incens'd this emperour ferdinand , then duke of gratz , to inuade their frontier townes in fri●… , and the trevisan , q. e. but noua palma brescia , pescara , and veronae , are obstacles and stops to the designes both of the emperour , and king of spaine ; yea that wise sate , is so watchfull and vigilent , that in time of peace they make their greatest preparation for warre . and it were a blessed happinesse and a safe felicitie , for most kingdomes and estates of christendome , if herein they would emulate and imitate the example of these wise and valiant venetians , which is neither to trust , much lesse to feare spaine . q. m. but as wise and as strong as the venetians are , as their church and pallace of st. marke , was not built in a day , so are not all the designes and resolutions of the king of spaine , and therefore a time may come , but i say no more . q. a. o , i gesse at your minde ! you would haue the state of venice made a prouince to spaine , that thereby he may finde a way for his fleetes , to conuey his armies into high and lowe germany . and if spaine thinke so : contareno the venetian ambassadour , resident with the king my husband ; and since him donato likewise told me , that herein spaine is deceiued in the arithmetick of his ambition and vsurpation ; and thus to reckon , is to reckon without his hostesse , and without god. swisserland h. . bvt how doe the warlike cantons of swissers trust the king of spaine ? q. a. as they doe the emperour ferdinand , his brother leopaldus and the rest of the austrian princes : for they knowe his ambition and their malice , and so neither feare nor loue these , q. m. but they loue the double pistols of spaine , doe they not ? q. e. yes , but they say the french crownes of the sunne are farre purer and truer gold , and therefore passe currenter with them . e. . the austrian princes , and the swissers ; i haue still heard , are from father to sonne , hereditary and irreconcilable enimies . p. h. yea , the swissers drawe good vse and benifit hereof ; for by this meanes they liue not in securitie as some other states doe ; but are still armed and ready to march and followe their colours , q. e , but there is no warre would be so acceptable and pleasing to them as vp to millane , or downe to the free country , brabant , and heynault ; if france , sauoy , and uenice , would command them the first , and england , france , and holland , ordayne and giue way to the second . q. a. what is not past is yet to come . q. m. yea , but the councell of spaine hath policy enough , to insinuate and temporize with all these princes and states ; and so to diuert their designes , and frustrate their resolutions , if they were bent that way . p. h. it hath indeede hitherto proued so by spaine : for their policy and treachery , hath purchased and gotten them more countries , then either their valour or swords . q. m. these easie conquests are still sweet and pleasing to spaine . p. h. yea , but they are neither honest nor iust . e. . but hath not spaine 〈◊〉 with the swissers for their confines and limmits ? q. e. yes , two wayes , next germany by leopoldus , and betwixt losanno and gray in the free county by the archduke albertus . q. m. yea , the king of spaine will angle so long till he take . q. e. but hath not spaine attempted by his ambassadours and agents , to sowe discention and discord amongst these heluetian cantons ; to oppose them one against the other , and so to debauch and withdraw them first from the french kings seruice , and then to his owne . p. h. yes many times , but that tricke of spaine is now growne olde and thrid-bare ; so as the swissers vowe to remedy the first , and the french kings to preuent the second . q. m. but the catholique king will watch those swissers a good turne , and if the ephinaerides of his en●…ie , ambition , and greatnesse faile him not , either his spinola , or his pedro d●… tol●…do , shall one of these dayes dine with him at berne , friburg , or soleurre , ere their table-cloathes be layed . q. e. but sister , you are deceiued in the swissers ; for their table-cloathes are alwayes nayled to their tables ; yea , they haue so great a quantity of swords , pikes , and m●…skets in a readinesse , to giue any enemy of theirs a bloudy banquet , th●…t if phillip king of spaine dare assault them , they doubt not but to vse him as they haue formerly done phillip duke of burgundy , whom they ouerthrew in three seuerall pitch'd battels , at gra●…son , morat , and nancy , where he losed his treasure , his men , and his life . the grisons . h. . bvt how stand the grisons affected to spaine ? e. . spaine through the vicinity of millane , doth so often knocke at their doores , that if they keepe them not fast shut , they know , or at least feare that he will shortly enter by the uoltaline and chiauena . q. m. o though of late they made a shew of resistance , yet the gold of spaine , the neighbourhood of millane , the fort trents , but chiefly their owne credulity and security , hath almost brought them to the king of spaines lure . q. e. this people were both warlike and wise . p. h. but spaine will briefly make them fooles and cowards if they will hearken vnto him . q. m. as how nephew ? pray be not bitter against spaine . p. h. why , fi●…st spaine will 〈◊〉 them vp in peace and security till matters be ripe , or else he will engender factions , and sowe discords among themselues , either ●…or religion , or ranke , or betwixt them and their dearest friends the swissers ; and so when hee sees all things ready , and the iron hot , then he will march , and strike , and not faile to vnite and annex the cantons of the grisons to millane , as he hath already done millane to spaine . h. . if the grisons at any time lose the swissers friendship , or their owne vigilancy and generosity , it will not be long , ere they shake hands with their liberty and liues . q : m. so spaine hopes , for if warre cannot worke , and effect it , they make no doubt but peace shall . q. e. if the grisons hearken to the charmes of spaine , they are halfe lost . q. m. if they hearken not to spaine , they are wholly vndone , but if they listen to spaine , all will be well . h. . yea daughter , i beleeue for the spaniards , but not for the grisons . q e. to trust to spaine , is to rely on a broken staffe , and to harbour a serpent in our owne bosomes . p. h. to trust to the promises of spaine , is to commit our selues to the mercy and protection of a lyon who will deuoure vs. q. m. the grisons will see , and say the contrary . e. . so will i say , if i see the contrary ; till when , i feare the grisons will buy their peace , as well with teares as bloud . sauoy . h. . bvt how doth sauoy brooke spaine ? for i take it this present duke charles emanuell , married this king phill. . his second sister ; the infanta katherina michaela . p. h. sauoy loues spaine , as it hath deserued of it ; for the noble and generous duke thereof cries out ; god de●…end me from such a brother in law as king philip. q. m. i beleeue if the catholique king offered that duke any vnkinde office , it was nothing but because hee was so neere a neighbour to geneua ▪ as he and the pope suspected his highnesse , would turne caluinist . q. e. alas that good citie of geneua , why all the world knowes the dukes loue to it , and its religion , witnesse the barron of attigna●… and his consorts , as also terraill and bastide ; but if there were once a spanish garison in this citie , sauoy would soone know how to distinguish betweene good and bad neighbours . e. . but it is the laughture of the world , to say that spaine hates sauoy , because he loues the religion of geneua . p. h. yet this is as true as many other of spaines colours pretexts and euasions , when he hath a purpose and plot to vsurpe . q. m. why wherein hath the king of spain abused , or wronged the duke of sauoy ? p. h. first , in being himselfe the chiefe cause and subiect , and then m●…king him the instrument and executioner , to cut off the two noble heads of biron in paris , and d'al●…igny in turin . q. m. why the catholique king is the vniuersall king , and therefore it is not strange , if in all countries of the world , hee haue his farre fetch'd policies , agents , and instruments to make his stra●…agems and resolutions take effect , for those who are obstacles to his will and pleasure ; his verball friendship shall alwayes proue their ●…eall ouerthrow and subuersion ; howsoeuer hee and his ministers pretend , and make shew of the contrary . q. a. nay , let vs leaue biron and d'albigny in their graues , for me thinkes it is a poore charity to take vp the ashes of the dead . and for our better information , let vs take a suruey of the courtesie , or rather of the cruelty that spaine hath offered sauoy . e. . none knowes nor can deliuer the particular truth thereof , so well as your royall sonn●… prince henry . q. m. but i feare my nephew will be too partiall in the deliuery hereof , betweene the king of spaine , and the duke of sauoy , because i haue heard that of the two princesses their daughters , hee preferd that of sauoy , before this of spaine . h. . no , no ; my nephew henry is a iudicious and iust prince , therefore i know he will not wrong spaine to doe right to sauoy . q. a. he resembles king iames his father too well , who will still loue the king of spaine , although therein he hate himselfe , therefore speake on faire sonne . p. h. when great henry of france ( my honoured vncle ) made warres vpon the present duke of sauoy for the 〈◊〉 of his marquisat of saluses , then this phillip king of spaine , ( vnder the pretence and shew to ayde the duke his brother in law against the french ) sent him may troopes and regiments of spanyards for the preseruation of his state ; when the peace being made betwixt the king and the duke , and the exchange for saluses , with the countries of bresse and gex ratified and accomplished ; these spanish regiments being quartered in carboneres , mountemellion , sauillan , pignorall , and other places of sauoy and ●…iedmont , they vpon no request or assummons made them by the duke , would depart thence , but being commanded the contrary by the count de fuentes ( vice-roy of millan ) as he wa●…●…rom the king his master from spaine , they peremptorily r●…solued and vowed to keepe firme footing , which they long time did , vntill at last that wise and valiant duke being thereunto constrained for the securitie of his estate , whose eminent and vtter subuersion he apparantly saw before his eyes , he very nobly cut all their throats . h. . beleeue me his highnesse of sauoy did well , for it was an act most worthy of his iudgement and generositie . q. m. but the king of spaine , the dukes of lerma , pastramae , denia , albecurque , tolledo , and all the counsell of warre of spaine ; vow to haue their reuenge of this affront . q. e. spaine hath done his worst to sauoy already , for as long as france loues sauoy , sauoy needs not feare spaine ; at least mine authors tell me so , who are that famouss captaine , the duke of dedisguieres , his valiant son de crequy : and noble du fremes . q. a. though this one wrong , be one too many , yet is these all wrongs that this king of spaine hath offered this duke of sauoy . p. h. no madame , for although the duke winke , and seemes ( with father aubigny ) to haue the art of forgetfulnesse ; yet he well remembers how don iuan de faxis ( spaines ambassadour in france ) told lullius , arconas , and alimes , his highnesse ambassadours at lyons , that the king his master would conttibute towards the exchange of the marquisat of saluces , conditionally it remained on that side the alpes from the french ; and since how his catholique maiestie hath performed nothing . he remembers spaines plots vpon his castle of nice ( the key not only of his countries , but of italy ) when his spanish galleyes lay at villa franca to bereaue him of his children , hee remembers how the spanish cardinals oppose his precedency at rome , with the duke of florence , and how the catholike king , or his vice-roy of millan for him , was the match and incendiary to set fire twixt the duke of mantoua and him , for the marquisat of montferrad . q. e. we may see what a kind brother in law the king of spaine is , and what it is to build vpon his alliance , affinitie , promises and assistance . p. h. i am glad the duke of sauoy , and the princes his children haue now purchased the length of spaines foote . e. . they haue reason to haue it , for they were all enforced to take it with their swords , ●…ikes , and lances , at cassallo , uerceile , and other-wheres . q. a. as long as sauoy loues not spaine . the marquis of lullius , and monseur de 〈◊〉 told me , it needes not feare it . q. m. o but as long as spaine knockes at the gates of sauoy and piedmond , he may at last enter . q. e. sauoy hath reason to enter millan , not spaine sauoy . q. m. but time and the policie and swords of spaine cut all donations and rights in peeces . p. h. sauoy hath had warnings enough to beware of spaine , and therefore as i euer loued that generous duke , so i hope that he and the illustrious and valiant princes , his sonnes , will neuer want arme of steele , and hearts of diamonds to out-braue spaine , who with such ambition and malice seekes to out-braue it . france . h. . but what sayes france of spaine . q. m. my honoured father ▪ all the world knowes that spaine hath euer loued france well . q. e. yea , too too well , and so well as france will neuer loue spaine , much lesse trust it in requitall . q. m. why hath not spaine reason to ballance and counterpoise the power and greatnesse of france . p. h. yea , but not to seeke to make that famous and flourishing kingdome become a prouince to spaine . q. m. spaine neuer wisht it , much lesse attempted it . q. e. yeares , more often then france hath prouinces , or spaine cities . p. h. why ? who was the author and protector of the league , but first spaine , then the pope , and next the deuill . q. m. o that was onely to preserue catholikes , and the catholike religion , and to exterminate and root out heretickes , and was not this well done of the king of spaine , sith he is the catholike king. e. . nay , now the least childe in france knowes that religion was onely the pretext , but empire and dominion the obiect of that league . how els dared mendoz●… ( spaines ambassadour ) in paris seeke the crowne of france for the infanta of spaine , or how els dared the iesuites his ministers , in their seditious sermons , and pernicious pamphlets aduance her right to the crowne and kingdome , when god and the world knowes she had none to it . q. m. why , it was when god had caused that good fryer iames clement , to kill that bad king henry the third at saint clou , and when indeed that kingdome was without a head , and then the king of spaine had reason to aduance his daughters title to france , in right of her mother elizabeth , ( that queene of peace ) notwithstanding the fundamentall power of the salique law to the contrary . h. . you are deceiued daughter , for it was a good king , and a bad fryer ( or rather a diuell in a fryers weed ) to set handes on the lords anoynted , but this arrow came out of the quiuer of spaine , and hell , for that bloody and execrable murther was no sooner perpetrated , but then instantly followed the proposition of the infantaes title to france , which apparantly makes the murther to be spaines , q. m. it was the dukes of mayene , mercu●…ur who drew the king of spaine , to assist the league and in it france . q. e. no , no , contrarywise it was the king of spaine , that debouch'd and drewthese two dukes , and with them almost all the nobillitie , to f●…rge and contriue this league , and in it to ruine france ▪ for already france was almost spaine , and the infanta had vndoubtedly borne the crowne , if great henry his victorious sword had not pul'd off spaines maske , and so cut her title and its pretence in peeces . q. m. but see the equitie and iustice of king philip , for when henrie that heriticke king came to the crowne , he restored him calais , dourlans , ualencienes , blauet , and all other townes and castles which he had formerly wonne and conquered in france . p. h. but all this was not worthy thankes , for philip alone restored that which he could not , nor dared not to keepe . q. m. nay obserue farther , how religious king philip was ( in imitation of king agesilaus ) for he kept his faith inuiolable towards henrie . although he were an heritique king. p. h. nay obserue how irreligious and treacherous king philip was to king henry . ( in imitation of antaxerxes , the son of xerxes ) for he violated his faith and frindship towards him , in debaushing of biron marcanques , loste , whose promises and gold made them traytors to theit king and country . e. . surely i thinke it is incident , and i feare it will proue hereditary to the kings of spaine , to conquer more by treachery then by the sword . q. e , but had great henrie liu'd , he would haue required , these courses of spaine , as also that of guyguard and chastell ; who ( although the report runne otherwise ) had their greatest light and encouragement from beyond the pyreene mountaines ; for to speake truth he in hart could neuer be drawne to loue spaine . p. h. yea , that spaine knew full well , for when the french iesuits his ministers had vnlocked that mistery , they like bloody schoolemasters , so diuilishly instructed and fortified that monster of men rauilliaek ( their execrable and damnable desciple ) that he soone sent him hither in a bloudy coffin . q. m. but you will not say that the king of spaine was accessary to henry the . his murther . p. h. no , but i will say that if the truth were knowne , the opening of that veyne would make many great birds , yea and many learned ones too , bleede themselues to death , and peraduenture the wounds and scarres thereof , would bleede an hundred yeares hence . q. a. the marshall of lauerdin whispered me a word concerning this , which i shall neuer forget , onely he requested my secrecie therein : so the king of spaines lerma , and the queene mother of france her d'anchre , his mariano , and her cotton shall giue mee leaue to thinke . q. m. questionlesse it were the sinnes of that king , and the finger of heauen that cut off the thred of his life . q. e. questionlesse you are deceiued sister , for it were the sinnes of france who made the knife , and the treasons of spaine and rome , which made that parracide rauilliack performe . h. . well , in despight of rome , spaine , and hell , that victorious and glorious king is wafted hither in triumph , therefore leaue we him with god , and god with him , and let vs see since his deplorable death , how kinde king philip of spaine hath beene to king lewes his sonne . q. m. so kinde that hee hath matched king lewis to his eldest daughter , the infanta anna ; and his eldest sonne , prince philip to the eldest princesse of france madame elizabeth , that now these two mightie kingdomes and houses seeme to be but one . q. e. this is faire to the eye of the world , but it will be excellent if the end of these matches proue fortunate for france . h. . who were the match-makers ? p. h. s. p. q. r. or to bee better vnderstood , spaine , pope and queene regent . q. e. if king philip of spaine be heyre as well to his fathers ambition as to his kingdomes , he will loue france so well as to push and fish for it . p. h. what force could neuer effect , he hopes those marriages now will. e. . indeed , the snake lurkes vnder the fairest greene leaues , and the aspick vnder the purest and sweetest roses . q. e. no kings of the world know better how to dissemble then the catholique kings . p. h. you speake scripture , not tradition . q. m. and you tradition not scripture . h. . but what entertainement had the infanta of spaine in france ? p. h. noble , royall , glorious . e. . what trayne of spaniards brought shee with her into france . p. h. a very great trayne , for monsieur de marais ( the french ambassadour with the king my father ) tolde me that monsieur d●… bo●…elle ( maister of the ceremonies to the french king ) reported , that when the first of them were entring paris at saint iaques gate , that the l●…st were but comming ●…owne the pyrene mountaines . q. a. but what did all this rabble of spaniards doe in france ? p. h. to speake truth , they fell presently to skrewing and working themselues into the state , by begging and buying of offices , places , pensions and gouernments , both in church and common-weale , and by making pensioners for spaine , and consequently a bridge and passage for the king their master to enter . h. . but how did the parliaments , the priuie councell , and the nobilitie of france brooke and digest this ? q. e. yea , that is a question of state indeed . p. h. as for the parliaments and priuie councell , many of them are so iesuitiz'd , as they are spaniards in heart , though french in tongue , and therefore they were so farre from preuenting , as they gaue way to it , onely for the princes and nobilitie ( some few excepted ) they ( resembling themselues ) vowed and swore , that their swords should cut the pennes and tongues in pieces of any spaniard whatsoeuer , that dar'd propose or attempt it , for they spake aloud , and affirm'd , the florenti●…es had taught them wit. e. . a braue resolution of the french nobilitie ; for the greatest of a state haue alwayes the greatest interest in the state ; those princes and nobles are therefore highly to bee applauded and praised : and such of the priuy councell and parliament who tacitely are delinquents , and traytors to their prince and countrey , deserue to be found out , arraig●…ed , and sacrificed to the good of the common-weale , either with a sword , or a halter . q. m. but what said the clergy of france to this ? q. e. sister , it is to be feared , as you wish and desire . p. h. why they out of passionate zeale , more then of zealous and sollid iudgement , approue of any match for their king , so it bee not with a protestant , and yet of none so well as of this with spaine ; demaund their reason , and they will answer you ( with as much vehemency as ignorance ) that the king of spaine is the catholique king , and if you come further to particularize , they reply , that their cardinals ( who indeede are onely the popes creatures ) shall deliuer more at the estates generall : so the clergie bad the spaniards welcome into france . q. e. but where are the firebrands and incendiaries of the state , the french iesuites , who indeed are the fistulaes and botches of a state , what entertainment gaue they to the young queene and her spaniards ? p. h. surely aunt , they crouched very low to the queene ; but in cottons absence , arnoux and berrulla ( their tongue and eare ) whispered so secretly to her maiestie , that i could neither gather nor vnderstand what they said , but i guest at it : onely they gaue faire words and actions to all the spaniards in generall ; and to the nobler and wiser sort of them in particular , they engaged themselues to keepe curious correspondence with the catholique king , to whom they affirmed and swore by their semie-god and sole patron ignatius loyalla , they would beare true obseruance as the marigold doth to the sunne . q. a. are not these two iesuites the french kings ordinary preachers , and yet dare they doe it ? q. e. although berrulla be the father of the oratory , yet he is in heart and soule a iesuite , and arnoux is the arch-iesuite of france , and the kings confessour , and yet they dare , and will doe it . h. . but how did the queene regent entertaine the spaniards ? p. h. courteously and nobly , because shee made the match ; which since she hath repented tho ; yea , and the duke of mayene too , who concluded and finished it : and so did villeroy likewise , although it were too late . but sillery and d●… uair loue spaine so well , as their courages are so masculine , that though they see their errors in perswading these matches , yet they rather persist then acknowledge it , for like good cleare-sighted states-men , they haue wit enough to beare vp with the time , for otherwise they know the times will not beare vp . q. m. but how did the commons of france entertaine the spaniards ? q. e. truly i thinke they will neuer be perswaded to like the fashion of the little hat , and great set ruffe . q. a. son henry , pray answere queene mary . p. h. if we may iudge of hercules by his foote , so we then may of france , by those of paris ( which is the eye , the heart , the soule thereof ) where the citizens in all streetes , and especially the lakeyes at the lourre gate , and the new bridge , still salute the spaniards as they passe by , by these courteous epithites , boracho , pantalones , and bouriques . h. . how long remained all these spaniards in france ? q. m. so long i warrant you , vntill they did all their kings businesse , and their owne too before they departed . p. h. in truth so long , till all france was weary , and distasted of them and their proceedings , yea , so many yeares , that at last the king and counsell were in a manner constrained to send them away by an edict , as they themselues , not many yeares since , did the moores . q. m. the banishing of the moores was a good and wholesome counsell of spaine . q. e. and i assure you sister , the sending home of the spaniards was as excellent one in france , for vpon the matter , they were but spyes , moaths , and drones , , and would haue proued so to france if they had continued there longer . e. . but were they all sent home , and none left at the court of france to giue , and receiue packets too and fro for the iesuites , the king of spaines factors and agents . q. e. o , no assure your selfe , for the councell of spaine is too wise to commit so grosse and palpable an errour of state. p. h. therefore to cast the thicker mist , and to put the better varnish one the businesse , the countesse de la tour was left there with the title of gouernesse to the young queene , and there is as much correspondencie betwixt her and don ferdinand de geron ( the ambassadour of spaine ) as there is betwixt him and the french iesuites . q. a. thus spaine leaues alwaies a sting behinde him , and i feare france will in the end finde it so . q. m. whereon is your suspition , and feare grounded ? q. a. vpon the apparant symptomes of the lethargie , feuer , or consumption of france . e. . you say right madam , and the noblest and truest hearted frenchmen participate of your apprehension : for the iesuites ( being the popes factors , and the king of spaines oracles and agents ) haue already corrupted the parliaments and priuie councell , who should bee her illyum and acrocorynth . they haue vndermyned and ruinated the sorbone , heretofore her palladium , once the queene of vniuersities : who now as a mournfull widdow , sits with her haire dandling about her eares , and her teares trickling downe her cheekes , liuing onely in her shaddow or ghost , or rather in her ruines ; for the genius and soule , hath already made a transmigration to clermont house ; yea , and to speake true french , in our english tongue , they by their deuilish aphorismes and bloudie positions ( vnder a false and hipocriticall shew of learning and pietie ) doe poyson and corrupt the youth and prime wits of france , as the iewes did the springs and fountaines in england . q. e. also , the clergie of france degenerates from its pristine candor and zeale to the good of france , and the glory of the french church , for they receiue lawes from the popes nuncio , and the iesuites , to whom they should giue them . how else at the last generall estates of paris , and the assembly of notables at rouen ? were they so vnwise , dishonest and cowardly , to referre themselues to the two cardinals perron and gondye ? who like good cardinals , but bad frenchmen ( hauing onely their bodies in france , but their hearts at rome ) in thankfulnesse to the pope for their red hats , forgat themselues and their allegiance so much , as to prostitute and debase that famous crowne , and flourishing kingdome of france , to be dependant to rome in temporall matters , notwithstanding the pragmaticke sanction , and the prerogatiues of the crowne and church of france to the contrary ; whereat the popes nuncio at paris laught with open mouth : so did the colledge of cardinals , and the pope himselfe at rome ; and likewise the catholike king in spaine , with all that huge rabble of iesuites , whiles all the kings , soueraigne princes , and free estates of europe ( spaine and italy excepted ) greeued and lamented at it , with as much shame as wonde●… . e. indeed these are two maine points and reasons , that the greatnesse and genero●…ity of france declynes , and that rome and spaine will shortly sl●…uffie the cards so well ▪ as it must needs be made a prouince to spaine ; for they both haue consulted , and finde , that what couldnot be effected during the reigne of old henry , may in these of young king lewes his sonne . p. h. it is not impossible , rather likely , for france abounds in a moustrous height of pride and sinne : and the old cleargie of france admit of so many new orders of fryers and nunnes , that almost all is out of order ; and the seuenteene millions which the duke of 〈◊〉 left by accompt to the queene regent , is all long since spent , and twice seuenteene more . so as although the 〈◊〉 be still on foote , monopolyes neuer so rife , the finnances , or exchequer drawne dry , and exhausted , yet the king is extreamely 〈◊〉 to his nobilitie and pensioners ; and is not this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 king of spaine ? h. . 〈◊〉 great henry liued , he would haue remedied and preuented these calamities . q. a. but his sonne king lewes is not so happy to doe it , no not his 〈◊〉 , the duke of luynes so discreet and honest to aduise and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thereunto . p. h. 〈◊〉 neglect thereof may make one , or both of them to repent●…t , and peraduenture the kingdome too ; for already the commons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and the nobilitie would , but cannot remedy it . q. m. spaine loues france , therefore france neede not feare spaine . p. h. the panthers skin is faire , yet his friendship is fatall , and his breath infections . q. e. indeed if france loued not spaine , it neede not feare it . q. m. king philip loues king lewis dearely . q. a. not halfe so well as he loues his kingdome of france . q. e. in truth france hath reason to haue a vigilant eye ore spain , for as long as shee sleepes in her bed of pleasure and securitie , perhaps one of these dayes , spaines ambition may awake her with drum , trumpet and cannon . p. h. o no ▪ not as yet , for if the king of spaine were so ill aduised , his councell is not ; for they like old experienced foxes , will neuer permit him to discouer himselfe , much lesse his resolutions , and least of all his ambition and sword , vntill the sunne hath attain'd the meridian . q. m. i know not what my nephew meanes by this mathematicall riddle . q. e. i was neuer greatly skild in the mathematickes , and yet consuming my youth , yeares , and cares for england , i haue reason to vnderstand his knowledge . wherefore sister , sith hee is a noble and famous prince , let vs heare him , for he hath some mistery to reueale twixt france and spaine . q. m. he loues france , and hates spaine , and which is worse , hee was an heretique , therefore his tongue can make no spherall melody . e. . but his heresie hath brought him hither to heauen tho , and hee is a famous and noble prince : therefore cosen wales speake on of france and spaine , for now wee are all resolued to heare you . q. e. i gaue him my fathers name , and he inheriteth my resolution and courage , and the king his fathers wisedome , therefore he can neither flatter nor dissemble . q. a. speake on henry . p. h. know all men by these presents , that if spaine did see the heart and bowels of france weltring in its bloud , and flaming in the fire of an intestine giuill warre , if it did see the princes banded against the king , or the king against the protestants , these rifeling of the lourre , and of paris , and his maiestie besieging of rochell , sancerre , sedan , nismes , or samury , or denouncing warre to all those of that religion . if it did see sixteene parisian tribunes , carrying away the court of parliament prisoners to the bastille , and chastellets the rebellious barycadoes , and a bloudie massacre in paris ; and generally in all the cities of the kingdome , if hee did see some princes of the bloud ( or two great dukes as were du mayene and merary ) captiuating and deboshing the obedience and affections of the french nobilitie , clergie and commons , and couering their pernitious designes and trecherous attempts , vnder the cloake of the holy league ; if it did see calais , dourlaus , amiens , montdidier , valencienes , blauet , and croyden , or other strong cities , or forts of france , bearing out the red ragged crosse instead of the three yellow flower deluces , and a second mendoza for his ambassadour , sate as premier president and oracle in the louare , towne-house and parliament , that then phillip the iii. of spaine loues his sonne in law lewes the thirteene of france so well , that hee would vse him as king phillip the second had an eager desire , and had almost done great henry his father . q. m. why how was that ? p. h. right as my godmother queene elizabeth hath formerly told you , nothing but to depriue him of his kingdome . e. . it were better that all the iesuites were hanged , and the young queene of france sent home to spaine , with her portion , to the king her father . q. e. but wee see strange alterations in the court of france , for some dare , but will not , and others would , but dare not informe the king hereof . q. a. france hath reason , yea , it is high time for her to looke to her selfe , for the agents , iesuits , and double pistols of spaine are busie , and their swords and pikes are not idle . for whiles france playes the theorie , spaine playes the practique . of the netherlands . h. . how doth spaine and the netherlands ●…gree ? e. . spaine hath so long inured and enforced the hollanders to bloud and warres , as now at sea and land they are become such braue souldiers and marriners , as they feare not spaine , and to loue spaniards they vow it is impossible , much lesse to obey them . q. m. it is pittie that king phillip the second ended not the chastising and conquest of these heretique hollanders , ere king phillip the third began it , or that hee cannot reduce them to obedience , by ending these warres with more fortunacie , and lesse danger and dammage . q. e. nay sister , it is pittie that these two kings of spaine , and the archduke albertus and isabella , haue from time to time beene so ambitious , inhumane , cruell and reuengefull , to drowne the face of the netherlands with many deluges of bloud , in seeking to preserue their libertie , liues and consciences from the cruell tyrannie and inquisition of spaine . p. h. indeed for this forty yeares , the netherlands hath beene the schoole and theater of mars , whereon there hath beene more braue souldiers and renowned captaines flame , then in any country of the world , or in many precedent ages ; and yet all this bloud is not capable to quench spaines ambition and tyranny in seeking to deuoure those prouinces . q. a. hath not spaine assaulted the netherlands as well by trecherie as hostilitie ? q. e. yes , witnesse the damnable villaine gerrard , who long since murthered william the famous prince of orange , their lieutenant generall , and father to maurice that valiant and incomparable captaine , who now succeeds him in his principalitie . q. m. o sister , cast not so base an aspersion on king phillip my husband , to affirme hee was accessary to the murther of william prince of orange , much lesse authorised it or commanded it . p. h. all the ocean betweene holland and spaine , cannot wash off that murther from your husband king phillip , for his proscription to murther him beares it , and his lieutenant the duke of parma commanded the count assonuille to deale with gerrard about this murther , who promised him twentie fiue thousand crownes to effect it , which , o griefe to speake it , he did . e. . but his valiant sonne hath long since had reuenge for the death of his father . q. a. if he haue not , he resolues to haue it . h. . but hath not spaine since attempted , or broached any other treason towards the hollanders ? p. h. o yes very lately , for whilst spaine is spaine , holland will neuer forget how neere he was to haue extinguished her libertie , and surprized their state , by infecting and corrupting their secretary barneuelt , a man of so profound wit , and deepe iudgement and experience in matters of state , as he was not onely the oracle of the netherlands , but the ornament and wonder of europe , ye●… of his time . q. e. see , the fruites of spaines gold , and the effects of his boundlesse ambition , for it is a common custome with him , if not by the maine , yet surely by the bye , to breake the necke of great princes , and free estates , publique ministers , whether they are great souldiers or great statesmen , or both . q. a. yea , the web of this treason was so cunningly wouen , and so subtilly and finely spun , as if the netherlands had not broken barne●…elts necke , he long ere this had assuredly broken the necke both of their libertie and state. q. m. well , barnauelt is gone , and now spaine needs not feare his policy . p. h. nay , barneuelt being dead , and maurice that famous prince of orenge liuing , holland need not feare either the trechetie , or force of spaine . h. . but nephew , i heare that the vnited prouinces of the low-countries will this spring haue warres with spaine , for their peace is neere expired and ended . p. h. a braue , noble , and wise resolution of theirs . e. . heretofore england taught the hollanders wit and valour , and now they resolue to shew england the way to those two vertues . q. m. but the gold and siluer of spaine w●…ll preuaile against them , and weigh them downe . p. h. but the hollanders had ships enough of their owne , and gold , siluer , and men from england , therefore they disdaine to feare spaine , nay rather they vow before the next summer to make spaine feare them . h. . see , see , a handfull of men dare attempt that against spaine , which great brittaines huge infinitie will not . q. e. and yet their cause and reason is englands , viz. their consciences , liues and countries . q. a. pray god england and france interpose not to crosse the warres , and seeke to conclude a peace betwixt holland and spaine . e. . but the hollanders are resolued to make king iames a large offer , to protect them against spaine . q. m. but king iames loues spaine too well , and therefore will not hearken to , or regard their proffer , for his maiestie is resolued not to protect them . p. h. the more is the pitty . q. e. the more my griefe . q. m. and without griefe or pitty , the more is my ioy . q. e. i protected the netherlands in despight of spaine . e. . but spaine went neere by your leicester , to betray both you and them . h. . if king iames would now protect the netherlanders , how easily might he refetch backe flushing , the brill , and the 〈◊〉 ? e. . nay , how easily did his maiestie depart with them to the netherlands ? p. h. it infinitely reioyceth me to vnderstand the hollanders braue resolution and forwardnesse to haue warres with spaine . q. m. but there is a secret tricke to coole their courages which they least thinke of . h. . as how daughter ? q. m. why , to pistoll this prince of orenge , as they did his fat●…er . q. e. heauen forbid it . p. h. god defend it . q. m. why , 't is but one for another ; for he knowing barnauelt a traytor to his countr●…y because a pensioner to spaine , caused the lords states , to put him to death , why then ( in exchange and requitall ) should not a pensioner of spaine either poison , or pistoll the prince of orange ? e. . these diabolicall resolutions and bloudy positions come from hell. q. e. and thither they goe that professe and practise them . q. m. the king of spaine is too religious to authorise so execrable a murther . q. e. but the pope as holy as he is will pardon it , and yet the world , i hope , knowes , that the k●…of spaine cannot be so religious as his holinesse . q. a. it were good then for holland to be carefull of their prince of orange his life , as all the world knowes his excellency is of their safetie and preseruations . p. h. and it will likhwise behooue them to obserue withall ( as i hope they doe ) how subtilly and trecherously spinola , takes their neighbour townes for the emperour , and keepes them for the king of spaine his master . e. . and if the warres goe on 'twixt holland and spaine ; as i hope they will , it will be needfull for spaine to haue a speciall care of his west-indies from the holland fleetes . h. . wherefore only spaines west-indies , or rather why not all the worlds west-indies ; sith their red and white earth sets all the would on fire and in combustion . q. ●… . surely , ere this summer passe , and the next appeare , the hollanders vow to haue a heaue at them . q. m. nay , i hope the contrary , for the west-indies is the maine and onely prop of spaine , which if once found out , and taken away from them , will quickly make the greatnesse of his ambition and empire totter . p. h. till when , all other kingdomes and estates of christendome may thinke themselues exempt from spaines feare , but shall neuer be from his danger . q. e. this holland perfectly and apparantly knowes , and it were a greater happinesse for the rest of europe , if they would herein imitate their generositie , valour and wisedome , who stand on their guards with their swords drawne , and their match lighted ready to giue fire ; as being constantly and vertuously resolued neither to loue , trust , nor feare spaine . england . h. . but now leaue we all other countries , and come wee to england , from whence being descended , wee by the lawes of nature , are eternally obliged to honour and loue it ; yea to preferre it and its prosperitie and glory to all other countries of the world ; wherefore let vs see spaines ambition and enuy towards it ; and how he hath from time to time borne himselfe to the english. q. m. there is no kingdome in the world , that spaine loues better then england . q. e. nor no people vnder the sunne that it hates more then englishmen . e. . for peter king of castille , most ingratefully and basely abused our famous and generous edward the blacke prince , ( the ornament of armes , the glory of england , and the honour of the world ) and his whole army in spaine , after that he had inthronised and seated the said peter in his kingdome , and with his victorious armes expel'd henry the bastard , who vsurped it . q. m. if spaine had not loued england and englishmen , king philip would neuer haue married mee . q. e. hee loued you well sister , but your kingdome farre better , for you were the obiect of his zeale , but england that of his ambition . h. . but elizabeth , hee hated you more then euer he loued mary . q. e. and yet i dare truly affirme , that king philip loued my kingdome farre more then euer he hated my per●…on . h. . to speake truth daughter , he neither loued you , nor mary his wife and queene , but only england . p. h. and i haue heard that if he had neuer married my aunt mary , shee had neuer lost calais , nor consequently , england , france . e. . though that match were vnfortunate to england in the losse of calais , yet it was fortunate in that philip and mary had no children . q. m. if we had had any males , england had beene long since a prouince to spaine . q. e. god knew so much , and therefore preuented it , wherein i qle●…se his mercy and prouidence , as also your sterrilitie . p. h. aunt , and i your resolution in speaking it . q. m. the kings of spnine are the greatest ●…nd most potent kings of the world. q. e. yea , in ambition and ostentation , but not in power , for i proued it not so , i found it not so , i left it not so . p. h. you madame found warre with spaine surer and safer then peace . q. e. yea , farre more safer , and farre more profitable too for england . q. a. then i wonder that king iames my husband so delights and drownes himselfe in his peace with spaine . q. m. o but spaine findes both policy and reason enough to full king iames a sleepe in the cradle of peace and security . q e. i neuer feared spaine lesse , then when i loued it not , no●… more then when it made greatest shew to loue me . p. h. and the king my father neuer loued it more , then now when he feares it . e. . but is it possible king iames feares spaine ? p. h. it seemes so , for else he would neuer loue it so excessiuely . q. e. sir nicholas bacon my chancellor on his death-bed wrote me a letter , that the glory and conseruation of england consisted in holding spaine at rapiers point ; and will not his sonne sir francis , the now chancellor tell his maister so much ? p. h. o no , he is otherwise imployed . h. . but tell mee daughter , was spaine euer treacherous to your person ? q. e. almost euery yeare spaine hatched mee a new treason , witnesse parry , babbington , williams , yeorke , lopez , and infinite others , who sought to lay violent hands on my person and life , but that god in his infinite mercy and prouidence still protected and defended me , to their owne confusion . p. h. but king phillip . chiefely discouered his loue to england , in the treacherous attempt of his huge armado of . ( tearmed by the pope ) in a brauery ( the inuincible fleete , ) at what time his ambition and greedy desire of vsurpation , so farre ore-swayed him and his councell , as he thought to haue made an absolute conquest of england ; but hee was deceiued of his hopes ; for god looked on england with his indulgent eye of pitty and compassion , and on that great and mightie nauall army with contempt and detestation . q : e. yea god was so gracious to england , and so mercifull to mee , as not only my ships and people , but the windes and waues fought for my defence , and that of my countrey , against the pride and malice of spaine , who grew mad with anger , and pale with griefe , to see this his great and warlike armado beaten , foyled , and confounded , in the midst of their glory and ambition . e. , but sister , was this all spaines malice and trechery towards you and your state ? q. e. no , no , for i had forgotten how before that , his maiestie in spaine and his lieutenant the duke of alua in flanders , embarg'd and confisk'd a world of goods and ships that belonged to my subiects , contrary to all lawes of conscience and nations . p. h. and no other ? q. e. yes , king phillip beg'd my kīngdome of ireland of the pope , and so assisted the rebels , and made a confederacy with them for ●…he conquest thereof from me , bringing in first stukeley , then don iuan of aquila , into that kingdome to the same effect : but heauen alwayes laught at their ambition , vsurpation , and trecherie , which still proued as vaine , as impious and vniust . p. h. and yet see the iustice of the cause , and the equitie of your armes ; for essex landed at calez , and in despight of spaine tooke and rifled it , beating and sinking their best and greatest ships , in a manner without any shew of defence or resistance . q. m. o but now the times are altered and changed , for then spaine was poore and england rich , and now england is poore and spaine rich : likewise spaines warres parsimonie , and frugalitie , makes his men souldiers ; and our peace , pride , and superfluitie , hath made our souldiers either courtiers or cowards . h. . france knew that i found souldiers in england when i tooke tourney and bouloigne . q. e. and spaine felt that english were souldiers , when my drake beat them on my seas and coast in . my norris at croyden in . my essex at calais in . and my montioy at kingsale in . q. m. but when england was delighted in combats , warres , and victories , and now in stage-playes , maskes , reuels and carowsing , so as their courages are become as rustie as their swords and muskets , which serue to grace the walls and not the fields , except in poore musters , and sleight trainings , and that but once a yeare , which vpon the whole , is more for ostentation then seruice : moreouer , then englands nauy-royall could giue a law to the ocean , and now time and negligence hath almost made all these ships vnseruiceable , who lye rotting at chatam and rocesther . e. . here queene mary hath reason , for now she is in the truth . q. e. what ( sister and brother ) my royall-nauy lye r●…tting , who are the bulwarkes and walles of england , and when i left them were capable to beate the power and pride of spaine to shiuers ? o this grieues me ! but i beleeue not that my wife and prudent successour king iames will suffer or permit it , i pray , god-son and nephew prince henry , resolue me hereof . p. h. indeed madam , i confesse i haue seene so much my selfe , when god knowes i grieued to see it ; neither did i faile to put the king my father often in remembrance thereof ; and his maiestie still promised me to new build and repaire that royall fleete , to which number i added my prince-royall , a ship , who had she many fellowes , england needed not feare all the fleetes of the world ; but although the old lord admirall hath not beene carefull for the preseruation of the nauy , yet the new one is . h. . if he be not , i grieue for the fleet. q e. and i lament it . e. . and i pittie it . q. a. and i bewaile it . q : m. and not to dissemble , both gondomar , king phillip his master , the pope , my selfe , and all the romane catholiques of england reioyce hereat , for the impotency and destruction of this royall nauy , is the harbinger to prepare the way , and a step for king phillip to mount the throne of estate , to plucke off king iames his crowne , and to place and ●…ettle it on his owne head . q. e. o my ships , my ships : god knowes they were still deare to me , because still necessary to england . where is my drake , where my cumberland , my for bisher , my grinuille , my cau●…dish , my haukins , my rauliegh , and the rest : alas , they want me , and king iames and englnad wants them ; for when they liued , and i raigned , our valour could stop the progression of spaine ; yea my ships domineerd in his seas and ports , and their clouds of smoke and fire , with their peales of thunder , strueke such such amazment to the harts , and terrour to the courages of castille and her faint-hearted castillians , that euery spanish bird kept his owne nest , not powerfull enough to defend themselues , much lesse to offend any ; and lest of all england , who was then ●…n her triumphes , in her lustre , in her glory . p h. grieue no more ( deare aunt ) for the nauy royall of england ; for although nottingam were remisse and carelesse herein , yet braue buckingham hath of late yeares set a new face on that fleet : and makes it not onely his delight , but his glory to re-edifie and reforme them ; yea there is not a yeare passes him , but hee brings some new forth from their dockes , and puts in other old , although cranfield ( resembling himselfe ) bites his lips at the charge thereof , because he affirmes he hath other occasions to disburse , and pay away the kings treasure . q. e. nephew wales i am glad to heare that buckingham is so carefull of england ▪ fleet-royall , and in very deed , his ambition , care , and zeale herein , will infallibly purchase him much loue and honour of the whole kingdome , especially if he continue it . h : . me thinks scotland annexed and vnited to england , should make it farre the stronger . q. e. but how can king iames say england and scotland is strong , when he feares the powers of spaine , and will not know or beleeue his owne . e. . yea it were much honour to the king , and happinesse to his kingdomes and subiects , if in any poynt ( knowing the weakenesse thereof ) he would fortifie and reforme it . q. a. and it were a great happinesse for most kingdomes and free estates of europe , if they would follow the examples of the venetians and hollenders , who will neither trust , nor loue , much lesse , feare spaine . p. h. and among the rest , if england would follow it , they should drawe securitie out of danger , whereas now her apparant danger is drawne and deriued from her apparant security . q. a. o that the king my husband would thinke hereof . p. h. o that the king my father would make vse hereof . q. e. o that king iames my heire and successour would not hearken or beleeue the contrary hereof . h. . but this were the way to haue warres with spaine , and king iames i vnderstand , is resolued to liue and dye in peace with them . q. m. warre cannot be bought at a cheape rate . q. e. but it is pitty that peace should be bought at too deare and dishonourable a rate . p. h. i haue alwayes beene enformed , that england still gets by her warres with spaine . q. e. i got by my warres with spaine , and spaine lost by it . p. h. my father and his subiects lose by his peace with spaine , and spaine gets by it . q. m. when england hath lost her selfe , she can lose no more . q. e. but sister , your death was the death of the popes hopes , and of spaines pretences to england . p. h. but they both seeme to reuiue and bud forth a fresh , if the match betweene my noble brother p. charles , and the infanta of spaine take effect . q. a. may heauen deny the first , and the king your father neuer consent to the second . q. e. so shall spaine euer feare england , but neuer england spaine . q. m. but i hope the contrary ; for in these dayes the king of spaines gold and his ambassadour count gondomar act wonders in england . h. . hath gondomar propounded this match to king iames ? p. h. o long since , and hee hath vowed to weare out his red leather coach and greene buckram litter , but he will see an end of it this parliament . q. a. i thought indeede it was not for nothing , that he makes aesops fables his daily pocket guest . e. . how doth king iames relish this match . q. m. his exchequer is poore , and king philips indies rich , and therfore his maiestie likes it so well , as he will hearken to no other . h. . how doth prince charles himselfe like this motion ? p. h. i know not how my brother likes it , but for my part i should euer haue preferred a daughter of franc●… to that of spaine , and i hope the match will not succeede , because my noble brother prince charles is wise , valiant , and generous . e. . but how doth the braue and graue parliament sauour this spanish match ? q ▪ a. fewe loue it , most feare it , but as the match , so the parliament is not yet ended . q. e. this would be musicke indeede for the romane catholiques of england , if it should take effect ; for the very first newes thereof , made them flap their wings , as if they were ready to crowe . q. m. yea , for they hope , and which is more , they know , that if it proue a match , that the infanta will soone introduce the masse , and vsher in the pope ; therefore they haue reason to reioyce at it . p. h. but if the king of spaine will not giue the summe which my father king iames demaunds , will not they make it vp ? q e. it is probable and credible , that their holy father the pope , and themselues will stretch both their purses and credites to knit the match . h. . why ? hath gondomnr such power with king iames , to hope to see this match effected ? q. m. o yes ; for his maiestie saith , that his master is an honest king , and hee a wise seruant : the first all the world knowes ; and the second , i hope england shall shortly feele , at least , if all hookes take . p. h. indeed if gondomar can effect this match , it is the direct way for him to be a grande of spaine , and to procure a red hat for his sonne or nephew . q. a. was the duke of monteleone so rewarded for his french matches ? q. m. hee is already a grande of spaine , and hath the promise of a hat. q. a. why then count gondomar need not feare , for hee hath as much policie as the duke of monteleone , though not so much ost●…ntation . h. . who made and concluded the match with king philip ? q. m. my selfe and the parliament . q. e. nay sister , put in woolsey and gardyner , and leaue out the parliament ; for you onely proposed it them but for forme , and had secretly concluded it before hand your selfe . q. m. suppose i did , i might doe it of mine owne authority , and prerogatiue royall . q. e. but you offered no faire play to the parliament , though in asking their aduise when the contracts were ready to be sealed . q. m. but i had reason to follow mine owne iudgement , not their passions . h. . nay , nay daughter , you contrariwise followed your owne passion , not their iudgements , and so god gaue limits to philips ambition , and your owne desires , by making you ●…orsake earth , and he eng●…and . e. . but wise king iames is opposite to my sister mary , as well in religion as sexe ; and therefore , i hope , nay , i assure my selfe , he will first consult this match with his parliament , ere he conclude it with spaine . p. h. if the voyc●… of the parliament be free , and not enforced , i make no doubt but the pope , the king of spaine , gond●…mar , and all our recusants will come short of their hopes for the match . h. . daughter , what benefits proposed you to the parliament , by your match with spaine ? q. m. strength , profit , honour , which england , king iames , and prince charles will likewise now finde if the match hold . e. . as for strength , if england would know its selfe , it neede not expect or hope for any from spaine : for spaines assistance hath alwayes proued fatall and ruinous , to those who haue vsed it ; and if england would assume the ancient generosity of her ancestors , and forsake her new fangled pride and prodigality : wee know it is strong enough to beat spaine , and all his kingdomes and prouinces , and no way so weake , to feare that spaine should make england a prouince ; for it were farre safer for england and englishmen , if they wore worse cloathes , and had better hearts and swords , and if they were more martiall and lesse effeminate . q. e. for profit , what indies is richer then england ? for if england want money , herselfe is still more powerfull and capable to inrich it selfe , if it would be lesse vaine , and more frugall and industrious , &c. what is a few hundred thousand pounds to england , if england be thereby exposed to the danger of spaine ? or that it b●… againe fetcht from them by the bye , as it was brought in by the maine ? for was profit euer cheape when it was bought with losse and repentance , with teares and blood ? or shall not euery ducket be weighed and counterpoised downe with a farre greater preiudice and inconueniency : for if the match hold , will not our recusants looke a loo●…e ? will not spaniards bee so ambitiously insolent to attempt to out-looke english ? will not the pope steale in by degrees , and the king of spaine breake in either like a torrent or a thunderbolt , when his factors and agents haue made all things ripe and in a readinesse ? will this be englands profit ? p. h. for honour , england and scotland were free , royall , and ancient monarchies ; when indeed spaine was not spaine , but disioynted and disseuered prouinces : yea , for pompe , state , and glory , our princes were kings , when their kings were scarce princes , nor their princes nobles : therefore great brittaine by the match can conferre and adde honour to spaine ; but not spaine to great brittaine . q. a. i could neuer yet affect the match of spaine , for either of the two princes my sonnes : for the spaniard is by nature as trecherous as proud , and although northampton perswaded me thereto , yet i loued true-hearted salisbury , who alwayes diuerted me from it ; as ( in the depth of his allegiance , and the profunditie of his wisdome and iudgement ) well fore-seeing they would proue ●…atall and ruinous to england . e. . it is strange to see with what insatiable desire and ambition , spaine couets england ; for hee hath already attempted it by trechery , by force , and now by the match of his daughter the infanta to prince charles . q. m. you meane king philip the . and not this present king philip the third ; and as don iuan de taris ( the ambassadour of spaine ) told king iames at his first comming to the crowne of england , that the ambition and malice of spaine to england , dyed with that prince , and was interred and buryed with him . q. e. but was this king philip the third and his councell , neuer acquainted with that horrible gunpowder treason , whereby it was intended and resolued , that england should haue beene blowne vp , ouerthrowne , and ruined in a moment . q. m. o no , he is too catholique a king to haue hearkened , much lesse to haue approued that passionate plot . q. e. you might haue said , that execrable and damnable plot of treason , but that you will seeke to diminish and extenuate rome and spaines treasons . q. m. you infinitely wrong the pope , and king of spaine , to suspect , much lesse to beleeue , that they were acquainted with that powder plot . q. e. no ? went not faulkes ( that hellish incendary ) once to rome about it , and the younger winter twice to vallidolide . q. m. yea , about some other businesse it may be , although i must confesse it was very immediatly before that treason was discouered . p. h. gondomar told me , that both the pope and king of spaine abhord that treason . q. a. i feare they abhord it , for griefe it tooke not effect . q. m. if euer this king philip hated england , yee may be sure now he loues it ; for else he would neuer seeke to match his daughter to it . q. e. what force and treachery cannot effect , now affection in the match shall . wherein king philip is of lysanders minde , who when the lyons skinne will not serue , he will sowe on a peece of the foxes tayle . e. . so he come into england , he cares not by which way he ariue . p. h. so the daughter come not into england , england neede not feare the comming of the father . q. m. count gondomar will beate his head and his horse shoes , but he will bring in the daughter , and already his hopes and the probabilities are great , for he is exceeding great and familiar with king iames . q. e. else he could neuer haue gotten open the prison dores for the romane priests and iesuites . p. h. nor haue made raleighs head to caper beyond his body . q. a. nor haue kept back an army from my sonne and daughter the king and queene of bohemia , when so many hundred thousand valiant english souldiers desired and longed to haue serued them in their warres . q. e. nor haue shipt away so great a quantitie of ordnance for spaine , which one of these dayes will returne bullets to our hearts . e. . nor haue procured a gallant fleete to secure the coast of spaine , against the turkish pyrates , vndeer coulour of going to argier and barbary . p. h. that fleete was fitter to haue gone to mexico . q. a. so indeed it might haue returned with glory and gold , whereas now i feare it will with losse and repentance , i will not say with shame . q. e. i know by experience , it is an excellent thing for england to fight with spaniards , but not to ioyne with spaniards against others . p. h. why should not our english fleetes goe for the west indies . q ▪ m. if this proposition be broached , then gandomar will run madde . e ▪ . what difference is there betwixt the east and west indies ? p. h. as much as there is betweene pepper and siluer , or white feathers and yellow gold. h. . o but england , neere this twenty yeares hath lost those golden times of going to the gardens of hesperides . p. h. and now holland after ten yeares tryall , and patience , resolues to finde them . q. e. now we speake of holland : it againe exceedingly grieues me , that england goes from holland , in that it will not protect it against spaine . q. m. and truely it is my ioy and comfort to vnderstand it ; for the farther england goes from holland , i am sure the neerer spaine comes to england . p. h. nay , if the match hold , holland can expect no assistance from england ; for the pope , the king of spaine , gondomar , the iesuites , and english recusants , will in few yeares so shuffle and deale the cards , as england shall not bee able to assist herselfe , much lesse her neighbours . e. . why that is the way , in a few more yeares , to make england a prouince to spaine . q. e. yea , yea , there is the mysterie ; for if the match with spaine hold , the conquest of england will vndoubtedly follow , & then gondomar can be no lesse then vice-roy or great commander of england , for the king and councell of spaine will iudge him worthy of this honour , because he hath deserued it . p. h. it were better spaine were hell , and gondomar vice-roy to the diuell , as he is now ambassadour to the catholicke king. q. a. but is it possible that the king of spaine hath so little iustice and charity , and so much vanitie and ambition to desire it ? e. . the kings of spaine make this the tenth article of their creed , that the rules of empire and state ought to giue lawes , but not to receiue any . q. e. but this is contrary to the lawes of the king of kings . q. m. but in the counsell of spaine , the rules of state are alwaies too sublime and powerfull for those of religion ; yea the pope will easily dispence with the king of spaine , to make a conquest of england , either by treachery , hostilitie , or the match : for it is against an heriticke king and people , who refuse to enter into the bosome of the church , and therefore lawfull in it selfe ; because it tends to the catholique cause , the displanting and rooting out of heretikes , and the establishing and pres●…uation of the romane catholikes in england . q. e. those giddy and passionate romane catholiques of england , who disire to fish in troubled waters , who delight in nothing but in innouation and nouelty , and who make a may-game of conscience , and an ape of religion , may peraduenture flatter themselues with the false sunne-shine of these hopes ; but those of them whose hearts are better lodged , and whose eyes and iudgements can see farther and clearer : those i say who know by the lawes of grcae and nature , what they owe to god , to their lawfull prince and country ; those remember , that the duke of medina sydonta said in eighty eight ( who was then generall of the spanish fleete ) that his commission was not to distinguish of religion ; but to make a passage with his sword , ore both religions without exception , that thereby the king his master might haue the easier way , and fairer passage to the crowne and kingdome of england : therefore wee neede no perspectiue glasse , or spectacles to see , that it is not the establishing of the romane religion , but of himselfe in england , whereat the king of spaine still aymes . q. m. 〈◊〉 count gondomar is wise enough to prouide a playster for that sore , for hee in netling the nobler sort of catholiques with the match , hath in plaine tearmes giuen the lye to the duke of medina his speech , and therefore he hopes they will beleeue him . p. h. the nobler and more passionate and factious sort of them may beleeue gondomnr herein , but the wiser , temporate , and conscious will not ; and yet the feminine gender , are masculine sticklers and solicitors for him , as hee and the iesuites are for the king his master . q. e. nay , the romane catholikes of england haue reason to beleeue gondomar ; sith king iames loues him well , as hee esteemes his speeches oracles and scripture ; and who with the quintessence of his castillian , or rather galician braine , hath now brought matters to this passe , that no sincere aduise , honest letter . religious sermon , or true picture can point at the king of spaine , but they are called in ; and their authors imprisoned ( in sted of rewarded ) though neuer so honest and loyall subiects . h. . but me thinkes that this is no subtill policie of gondamar ; for the more he striues to suppresse the truth , the more it will flourish and preuaile ; for ( for the good of england ) if one penne , or tongue bee commaunded to silence , they will occasion and set tenne at libertie to write and speake ; as grasse or cammomell , which the more it is depressed , the thicker it will spread and grow . q. m. but hath not gondomar reason to strike whiles he findes the iron hot , and to take the benefit of the floud , before the ebbe come or the tide be spent . q. a. indeed they say , hee reports that this summer time , the ayre of london and islington is not sweete enough , either for his fistula , or perfumed braine , and that hee hath thereforefore gotten leaue of his maiestie , to lodge in a part of his pallace of greenwich , which stands in so pure an ayre , vpon the pleasant christall riuer of thames . q. e. that were a presumptuous part of gondomar indeed , to aspire to lodge in that pleasant , and royall pallace of greenwich . q ▪ m. but if it bee so , i thinke it is not to lodge there himselfe , but onely to square out the infanta's lodgings , her chamber of presence , and a plot to build her grace a chappell against shee come , whereof iones sir innigo hath already the modell in his braines . p. h. if king iames my father lodge gondomar this summer in greenwich , the next , king philip himselfe will hope to lye in white-hall . e ▪ . nay soft ▪ first let his daughter the infanta come , for shee must breake the ice , ere his catholique maiestie will dare aduenture to come passe the seas hither . q. m. aduenture to come ? why wherefore else , saith count gondomar , lyes king iames his fleete at alciant , and carthagena , but to transport her for england this summer ? q. e. vntill i am enforced to vnderstand , that that fleete is at lisbone , the groyne , or saint andera , i will not beleeue it , but then i will feare it . q. m. so the heretike protestants of france feared their spanish matches , and yet we see they prosper . q. a. it is the end which crownes the beginning , not the beginning the end of a worke . q. e. what speake you sister of the french matches with spain●… , to this of england and spaine ? for all the world knowes , that the estates of england and france , are diametrically opposite in point of religion ; for france hath fortie papists for one protestant , and england fortie prot-stants for one papist . q. m. but those protesting heretikes of england , will sing another tune , when they see the king of spaine hath made their countrey his prouince . p. h. heauen forbid , that euer england should sing the tune of spaines ballad , or spaine liue so long to make england see that dismall and bloudy day . q. e ▪ it were farre better , that prince charles were married to an english milke-maid , and the infanta of spaine mewed vp for a nunne in a cloyster . q a. yea , for how can my sonne prince charles thinke the king of spaine loues him , when he sees that vnder-hand he is a mortall and professed enemy to his brother and sister , the king and queene of bohemia . q. m. you mistake madame ; for it is the emperour ferdinand , and not king philip that is their mortall enemy . p. h. if philip had not ( vnder-hand ) powerfully assisted ferdinand , his imperiall maiestie , had neither had legs to goe , nor wings to flie into prague , and yet the king my father will not asist his son in law , king frederick . q. a. yes to recouer the pallatinate if that were lost ; but gondam●…r through his slye crouches , and sugred insinuations , hath extorred a hope , and some say wrested a promise from king iames not to assist bohemia , but i hope the contrary . q. e. but will spinola restore those townes he hath taken in the pallatinate . q. m. gondomar promised that digby shall bring that home vnder his hand and seale , onely he sayes , t is fit that spinola should be satisfied for his charges . q. e. that 's an old baffle and tricke of spaine , which vpon the matter , will proue but a flat denyall . therefore if king iames please to hearken to my advise , i would send an army thither and re-fetch these townes of the pallatinate from ferdinand , phillip , albertus , and bauari●… , with the point of the sword , in despight of spinola , tilly , and cordo●…a . p. h. if i were againe liuing in england , i would so worke with the king my father , that this resolution of queene elizabeth , should neuer dye , but spedily bee put in execution ; for it is the safest , cheapest , shortest , and honourablest way for england ; yea what would not england doe for my deare and royall sister of bohemia , if the king my father would giue it the word of command ? q. m. but content your selfe nephew ▪ count gondomar hath promised that his master king phillip will giue king iames content for his townes of the pallatinate . q. a. so gondomar promised his maiesty , that spinola should neuer attempt the pallatinate , and yet we see the contrary , and being false in this , how , or what reason haue we to beleeue him to bee true in the match . q. m. england must beleeue him sith the king doth , and will. and herein i both triumph and glory . p. h. thus my royall father intreates ; where he should command , and loues spaine , where he hath farre more reason to hate it . q. e and this is my truest griefe and deepest affliction , that king iames will still delight in contemplation , when ( if his maiesty will not ) all the world sees , that king phillip is ( vnder-hand deepe in actiō . h. . it may be that king iames thinkes king phillip to be of hanniballs minde , who more feared fabius not fighting . then marcellus fighting , or of pompe●… ▪ or of marcus crassus their opinion , who were more afraid of c●…cero's gowne , then of caesars sword . q. m. nothing lesse ; for king phillip loues king iames his gowne and pen , yet no way feares his sword . q. e. but if king iames inherited my resolution as he doth my kingdomes , i would make spaine feare his sword , and rome either loue or obey his pen , and neuer consent to a peace , much lesse to the match . q. m. but why should king philip feare king iames his sword , sith he neuer yet knew the way to drawe ir : or why should his catholike maiesty feare the counsell of england sith it is apparant to all the world ; that the eliment and delight of their king , is bookes , not battailes , the pen , not the pike . h. . why ? know you not daughter that king iames hath lately established a counsell of warre , and whereunto think you tends that . q. m. to peace i hope , or rather , assure my selfe . q. e. then sister you are of neere intelligence with gondomar ; for not long since in one of his dispatches to spaine , he wrote the ll. of that councell , that they should not doubt nor feare of the counsell or warre of england ; for it was ( said he ) but a scarre-crow to feare , not to hurt , and would onely serue as a vane on a house top , rather for ornament then vse . but if king iames were of my minde , his counsell of warre should strike rather then threaten ; and send a royall army into the bowels and heart of castille ere they thought it could be ready to depart from the ports of england . q. m. not into castille ; for then the peace were quite broken betwixt england and spaine . p. h. why then into bohemia , the pallatinate ; the netherlands , or the states of uenice , or wheresoeuer the castillians regiments disturbe the publique peace of christendome . e. . i see no reason to the contrary , but england should be as soone in armes and action as spaine . q. e. but it is the inchanting melody of the match , that brings england out of tune . q. m. but in this proposition and parlee of the match , the king and counsell of spaine , speake faire termes , and giue reall not verball content to king iames. q. e. so did philip your husband , and his father by his embassadours to mine at bourbourg , thereby to ●…ulle me a sleepe when his great armado was in a manner ready to weigh anchor , and set sayle from lisbone , to inuade me and my england . q. m. but king ●…iames knowes spaines affection and gondomars sincerity to him , and consequently to england in seeking this match . q. a. but england knowes neither the affection of the maister , or the sincerity of the seruant , and therefore hath reason , though not to feare yet to suspect both . h. . it rather thinkes king philip of pericles his opinion and ambition , who desired that the ●…land in the port of piree mought be remoued , sith it was a moate and beame in his eye . p. h. the morall is , that philip would 〈◊〉 england a prouince to spaine , but if the match hold not ; spaines ambition , gondomars policie ▪ and both their treacherie will proue too weeke to performe so strong an execution . q ▪ m. then the king of spaine will hate gondomar , as much as he vaunts the king of england loues him : but i must count gondomar hath liued too long to dote , or be made a child in his old age . p. h. no , no , gondomar is too young to dot●… , and too old to be a child , therefore he is confident and sure that the match will hold ; but withall , he saieth the parliament must be ended , ere these royall nuptiall cerimonies can begin , and i thinke so to . e. . indeed this castillian embassadour now sailes before winde and tide , vnder fore ▪ sayle , and maine top-sayle , but very shortly he hopes to hoyst vp top and top-gallant . p. h. he may chance to packe on so much sayle , that he may at last crack the maine mast of his policy , or the maine stay of his hopes , or be so busie and violent in the solicitation of this match , as he himselfe may giue himselfe a shotte , which may sinke either his reputation , or iudgement , or both , betwixt winde and water . q. e. intruth i found his predicessour mendoza too busie and dangerous in my state , and therefore i forbad him my presence , and discharded him my kingdom , whereat i know not whether he , or the king his master , more grieued , or my counsell and my countrey reioyced . q. a. gondomar hath had time enough to know my husband king ianes , but it seemes king iames hath not yet enough deeply pryed into gondomar . in a word i know his maiesty hath heard his tongue , but not seene his hart , much lesse the designes and resolutions of the king and counsell of spaine , which are inuelloped and hood-winked vnder the mysterie of this match . h. . indeed i haue read that king phillip king of macedon went neere to haue betrayed arisbes king of molesses of his kingdome , vnder treating a match with him . q. m. o but that phillip of macedon was a heathen king , and this phillip of spaine is the catholike king , therefore king iames need not feare his sinceritie in the match . q. e. sith you are so religious sister , pray say , how doth the inquision of spaine like to match their infanta to an heretique prince , for so i know they terme my noble nephew prince charles . ? p. h. why ? digby could haue resolued you of that long since , for he knowes that the sacred and reuerend inquisition of spaine loue england , but not the match ; our countrie , but not our religion and people ; and yet in hope to roote out heretikes , and to plant england with romane catholiques , they oppose not the match , but rather giue way to it and approue it . q. e. but can royall king iames , and his illustrious sonne prince charles obserue their religion and conscience , in consenting to this matcb , or haue the clergie of england warrant enough authenticall , out of the word of god to say amen to it ? q. a. o no , for king iames ( though not the prince and clergie ) will now make religion and conscience handmaydes to wait and attend the state. e. . but his maiesty should doe farre better to defend the faith ( whereof he is the defender ) and therein the state , which professeth the true and sincere religion of christ and his apostles , sith plety is the preseruer of kingdomes , and all our actions whatsoeuer should tend to the glory of god ; which is the banishing of idolatry and superstition , with their effects and causes . q. m. why pray , what marriage so religious as for prince charles to match with the catholique king his daughter . q. e. sister you haue still religion in your tongue , but i feare we shall finde none in your heart , for pray what places haue you of diuine scripture , to authorize and approue this match of prince charles with the infanta , sith they are of a different religion and beliefe . q. m. as i confesse i haue none to approue it , so i am sure you all cannot alleadge any one to oppose and contradict it . h. . yes , i produce gen. ch. . ch . against it . e . and i , exod. ch. . iudg. ch. . q. e. and i , iosh. ch. . . chron. ch. . p. h. and i , . kings ch. . chap. . q. a. and i , ezra . ch. . nehem. ch. . q. m. well , whatsoeuer you say this match ( notwithstanding ) tends to gods glory , and the good of the catholique and apostolique church , and in the end you shall finde , that gondomars policie and spaines ambition will triumph ore your scripture . q. e. this match tends onely to bring in the pope into our churches , and the king of spaine into our estate ; for that is the ayme of the first , the ambition of the second , and the obiect and hopes of both , and i feare a few yeares will proue it so ; if in time it bee not remedied and preuented : which god of his mercie graunt , for 't is true all the wheeles of gondomars art and inuention , are at worke to effect and accomplish it . q. m. the pope i must confesse ( as christs vicar generall on earth ) desires that england were catholique , but for the good king of spaine , hee hath kingdomes enough of his owne , and therefore lookes not after england , onely he desires to see the match consummated . p. h. yes , the king of spaines tongue hath so long watred , and his mouth gaped for england , that after spaine , hee wisheth england were his , aboue all the countries of the world , and his catholique maiestie is very confident , that this match will giue a maine stroke to the businesse . q. e. if he once haue england , hee will presently assume the title of emperour of the west , as king philip his father was resolued to doe a little before his death ; yea , his ambition was so violent , as hee missing of england , would haue proclaimed himselfe emperour of spaine ; and had not his councell diuerted and preuented him he would haue sailed to mexico , and there inuested and intituled himselfe emperour of america . p. h. and i haue heard that gondomar hath giuen the king of spaine his maister good hope of england ; for 't is certaine that hee not long since wrote to the dukes lerma and pastranna , that the report of the strength of england resembled those huge pageants and colosses erected at rome , as the caesars past from the meluine bridge to the capitoll in triumph , who were outwardly glorious , and within filled onely with strawe and poore combustable stuffe . e. . indeed , it is the shame and weaknesse of england , that spaine is no better acquainted with its strentgh . q. a. and t is my griefe , that spaine should see englands weaknesse , and not feele its strength . q. e. o but it is the spanish match which will giue fire to england , and make her welter in her miseries , and flame in her calamities and afflictons . q. m. no , no , that match will keepe the temple of englands peace from firing . h. . yea , as erostratus did that of diana of ephesus , which in one day consumed all the wealth that rich asia had bin many yeares and ages getting . q. a. as religion is the powerfullest passion of our soule , so there is no stronger lincke of friendship then conscience , and therefore i hope my sonne charles will not consent to match the infanta of spaine . q. m. but one of his chiefest vertues is his obedience to the king his father ; for although the prince be his son , yet hee knowes he is his subiect . q. a. all the world cannot better teach the prince my sonne to obey the king his father , then already hee knowes and doth ; but i could wish that king iames my husband , would not inforce his affection to this spanish match . q. e. if he marry the infanta , she may proue a false and vnsecret secretary to the prince her husband , and a dangerous princesse to the state : for hee giuing her his heart , his highnesse can hardly reserue any corner for himselfe . p. h. yea , then euery spanish traytor and english rebell will shroud themselues vnder the authority and greatnes of the princesse . e. . so if england match with spaine , spaine vndoubtedly will in a short time ouer-match england . q. a. and infallibly take the crowne from it . q. m. borrow it peraduenture , to see it , not to weare it . p. h. i feare to weare it , neuer to returne it . h. . yea , for once gone , it is gone for euer . q. e. and then shall englands strong men fall vpon the edge of the sword ; her virgins bee defloured and murthered , her wiues defiled and slaine in sight of their dying husbands ; and their children and young babes shall haue their braines dashed out against the walles in sight of their dead parents . p h. yea , then shall our nobilitie and gentrie , dye vpon the swords of those barbarous 〈◊〉 , and those who escape and suruiue their fury , shall bee fettered and led captiues and slaues to worke in the mines of peru and mexico . e. . then shall our priests who are now cloathed in the white robes of righteousnesse , bee drowned in those of their owne scarlet blood : no church , no temple , no preaching , no sacraments , but all couered with the thicke fogges of romes superstitious idolatries , and aegyption darknesse . q. a. yea , then the king my husband , the prince my sonne , my excellent daughter the queene of bohemia , her princely posterity , and if spaine possibly can , all great brittaines blood royall shall be rooted out and exterminated ; as if they neuer had beene , or at least no remembrance left of them , or of the name of great brittaine . q. m. this were musicke indeed for rome and spaine to dance at , and for gondomar to laugh himselfe to death for ioy . q. e. but i hope god of his mercy will confound all those who wish or desire it , whether it be gondomar , the iesuites , englands recusants , spaine , the pope , or the diuell . the conclusion of the consultation . h. . but heere let vs make a stand , and shut vp our consultation ; and sith so many millions of imminent dangers , desolations and miseries attend and hang ouer the head of england by this match of spaine ; let vs goe to suffrages and votes , that plurality may giue sentence whether it shall be a match yea or no ; for what wee conclude , i make no doubt but our great god with his owne voyce will ratifie and confirme . h. . q. m. e. . q. e. p. h. q. a. whereunto we all consent and agree . h. . i am against the match . e. . i am against the match . p. h. i am against the match . q. m. i am for the match . q. e. i am against the match . q. a. i am against the match . h. . daughter mary , wee are fiue against you one , therefore the match of england and spaine hath end 〈◊〉 beginning , and is absolutely cast without 〈◊〉 . and now let vs breake vp our consultation ; and againe repaire to the throne of the lambe , ( of our sacred god both of heauen and earth ) to acquaint his diuine maiestie with all the particulars thereof , and therein his heauenly pleasure and commaund ; when the angell opening heauens starre-chamber , a great concourse and affluence of saints and angels ( singing most diuinely ) conduct them to the blessed ●…ribunall , where the whole newes of their consultation , being already arriued to the vnderstanding of the almightie ; it pleased his diuine and coelestiall maiestie , to call foorth queene mary whom hee sharply reproues and checkes , in louing spaine , to bee so vnnaturall to hate her natiue countrey of england . then he infinitely disproues the match of prince charles , with the infanta of spaine ; as derogating from his diuine glory , and england safetie and prosperitie ; and so to conclude very ioyfully and cheerefully approues of their consultation ; which for the more grace and authoritie he makes and reputes as his owne . when commaunding these three princes , and two queenes ( for q●…eene mary was now put by and excluded ) to send vnto england ( by its owne tutulary angell ) foure seuerall printed copies of this their consultation ; the first to be deliuered to king iames ; the second to prince charles ●…is sonne ; the third , to the high court of parliament ; and the ●…ourth , to the lords of his maiesties most honourable priuy councell , the which in his sacred presence was speedily performed and effected ; when a great shout of ●…oy , and an vniuersall plaudity being hereunto giuen by all the angels , and host of heauen ▪ these fiue royall personages followed the lambe christ iesvs where hee went. this consultation thus ended , queene mary biting the lip at her checke and disgrace ; and grieuing to see the match of the infanta with prince charles thus vnexpected dash'd ; and consequently the pope frustrated of his hopes , and the king of spaine of his ambitious desires ; shee calls mercury to her , and with all possible speed sends him away likewise to england , with these two ensuing letters which shee had written , the one to count gondomar , the other to all the romane catholiques of england . queene mary , to count gondomar ambassador for philip the iii. king of spaiine , resident with iames , king of great brittaine . your excellencie may vnderstand , that i haue dispatch'd mercurie to you in england , 〈◊〉 aduertise you of a consultation held here in heaven , by my father king henry viii . my brother king edward vi. my sister queene elizabeth , queene anne , prince h●…nry , and my selfe , concerning your masters pretences & hopes of england , by the match of the infanta his daughter with prince charles , which all the 〈◊〉 fiue haue opposed as preiudiciall and dangerous , and my selfe maintayned as profitable and honourable for england ; for louing philip the father , i must and will euer honour philip his son ; they haue likewise ript vp and vnmasked spaines former ambition , cruelty , and treacherie , as well towards england , as other kingdomes and states of europe , the discouery and relation whereof , i could neither silence nor preuent ▪ your excellencie must giue me leaue to signifie , that i feare your secretaries are not so honest , as your selfe politique ; ●…or you are here by these princes brought on the stage in your naked and naturall colours , therefore i could wish y●…u to be more modest and not so busie ; onely to the vtmost of your m●…rtall power , 〈◊〉 the knot of this mat●…h , for if it holde , the heart of england will be soone broken , or if the contrary , it will infallibly breake the necke of the king your maisters generall hopes and pre●…ences , and also of your owne particular credit and reputation , as well in england , as spaine ; you haue many eyes ouer you , and although your sweet words and promises ●…ull king iames asleepe , you will neuerthelesse goe neere to be circumuented , by those 〈◊〉 seeke to circumuent . if you can bring in the i●…fanta , doubt you not but she will vsher in the pope , and consequently hee the catholique king your master ; for ▪ get not to continue , and sor●…efie your intelligence with 〈◊〉 s●…minaries and iesuites of england , as also with the catholique ladies of that kingdome , and especially , with those of the nobler ranke , and who are most powerfull at court , for they may open a passage for your master when none else dare . at any hand vse the prime of your art and inuention , to keepe the king of england poore , and be sure to riuet this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his maiestie , that there is no vertue so royall and magnificent in a great king , as liberalit●…e . i am sorie to heare that englands nauie royall , doth so prosper and flourish ; in which regard and consideration the king your master shall doe well to build store of new ships in biscay , ostend , and dunke●…k ; for if spaine master england at sea , england can neuer withstand spaine by land ; for now the english are effeminate , and you 〈◊〉 souldiers . i doubt not but by this time , there is such order taken in spaine , that the english fleet at alicant , and car●…agena , shall returne home with lesse , shame and repentance , whereby you may teach them that it is onely proper for spaniards , to domineere at sea , and that the sea and maritine actions , are now spaines , no longer englands element . so whiles england lyes gasping , on her bed of peace and securitie , let the king your master prouide for warre ; continue to sowe d●…uision in the church of england , and rather augment then diminish your pensions to you know wh●…m . if 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 army to goe out of england , either for bohemia , the pa●…atinat , the netherlands , or venice , deale so eff●…ctually with king i●…mes , that either it be so small as it can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great 〈◊〉 to catholiques , or be a m●…anes to cause them to sta●… so long ▪ that it bee impossible to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g●…od for protestants . i commend 〈◊〉 excellen●…ies poli●…y , in being sharpe , and bitter against those , who either speake , write , or 〈◊〉 , against the king your 〈◊〉 and his pretenc●…s , for now you 〈◊〉 the h●…nour and feli●…itie , to see your selfe 〈◊〉 to king 〈◊〉 his e●…re , and his maiestie to your girdle the 〈◊〉 an●… 〈◊〉 ●…f th●…se will terrific others ▪ be sure to bee intimately 〈◊〉 with all factious & discontented catholikes , for they will proue fine agents and instruments to execute your masters commands . i am glad to see king philip so sleight and dis-respect king iames , as hee hath not this many yeares sent him an exraordinary ambassadour , especially , now for treating and concluding this match ; for the more you and he debase the honour and vnder value the reputation of england , the more you aduance and prise that of spaine . but that which grieues mee most , is , because god himselfe hath opposed and confirmed the breach , and delaceration of the match ; but i hope that for the catholike kings sake , our holy father the pope , and our blessed mother the church , will so interpose their prayers to his sacred and diuine maiestie , that very shortly hee will reuoke and change his resolution , and relish that which hee now distasteth . through your zeale and industry , i likewise doubt not , but ( before a few yeares bee past and 〈◊〉 ouer ) to see england made a prouince to spaine ; her nobilitie most murthered , and the rest caryed away slaues to worke in the mines of peru , and mexico ; the pope installed ; all heretikes rooted out either with fire or halter . let your excellency proceed , as you haue well and happily begun , and feare not but you shall enioy your wishes , the king your master his hopes , and myselfe and all the romane catholikes of england our desires . in the meane time i kindly greet and salute your excellency , and bp your next dispatch for spaine , fayle not to signifie that i kisse the catholiks kings hand . written and sent from heauen . your excellencies friend : mary queene . queene mary , to the romane catholikes of england , of both sexes , and of all rankes . my heart on earth , and my soule in 〈◊〉 , hath euer so deeply affected you and your religion , as to the vtmost of my power , i will neuer admit , that any adu●…rse accident , or stratagem what soeuer , shall endomage you or preiudice it : to which end by mercury ( whom i haue purposely sent vnto you ) i would not faile to aduertise you of a consultation which hath beene here held , by my father henry viii . my brother edward vi. my sister queene elizabeth , queene anne , prince henry , and my selfe ; tending to the safety and glory of england , to the vnmasking of spaines pretentious ambition and treachery to many estates of europe , and more especially to the vtter breach of the match betwixt prince charles and the infanta of spaine , which two last points alone , i 〈◊〉 and defended , but they all most violently contradicted and opposed . in which consultation ( i write it aswell with griefe as pittie : ) cou●…t gondomar , hath ●…eene narrowly both sifted and censured , and all his actions brought on the table , and made apparant and obuious to the dimmist eye , to the weakest iudgement and vnderstanding , the which i haue now signified his excellency by a particuler letter ; wherein i haue prayed him to haue a more iealous and curious eye ouer his secretaries , as i know england hath ouer him ; and to the end your soules and consciences may haue spirituall food and consolation , i wish and exhort you to put all your wits on the tenter-hooks to bring in the infanta ; or else neuer expect the pope , and consequently not the catholike king. for else all your intelligence with rome and spaine , your correspondence with the iesuites and count gondomar , will not preuaile , nor your poyson po●…iard , or powder take eff●…ct , if the match doe not ; and because king iames wants money , and his exchequer drawne drie and exhausted , if he stand on a greater summe then the catholike king can , or will giue , you shall doe a most acceptable seruice to our blessed father the pope , and to our holy mother the church ; that you lords and knights morgage your manners and plate , and you ladies and gentle-women p●…wne your ringes and iewells to make vp the expected summe ; for the match once consum●…ted , you know , and count gondomar can perfectly teach you , a thousand wayes to refetch it , with a ioyf●…ll and golden interest ; i highly 〈◊〉 and applaude your ●…oy , when you 〈◊〉 bohemia won , and the pala●…nate assaulted ; towards which victories and 〈◊〉 , your 〈◊〉 contributions gaue a great stroke , which although ferdinand for the present cannot recompence ; yet doubt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 phillip sho●…tly & fut●…rely will ; sit●… his ambassadour gondomar ●…akes him confident , that you are as fast nayled to his scepter , a●… his catholicke 〈◊〉 is to the popes triple crowne . bee you still the eyes of count gondomar , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him still continue your 〈◊〉 , for you can neuer desire a better 〈◊〉 then himselfe , nor a stronger protector then the king his master . but in very deed , i much feare that this great parliament , will teach the protestants of england wit , and you romane catholickes repentance . if holland , the palatioate , or venice be in the field , be you not idle in your houses or in england ; for although douer bee shut , you shall 〈◊〉 ports enough open , for it is for the progression a●…d aduancement of the 〈◊〉 cause , and for the seruice of the great catholike king , and if all things hit well , you shall not repent your selues of your valour & generosi●…ie employed and spent in his seruic●… . what though god 〈◊〉 here approued of this consultation against the match ; yet his great 〈◊〉 the pope , will confirme the match against the consultation ▪ therefore make you your 〈◊〉 with the pope , and doubt not , but his holinesse , both can and will at his pleasure , make his with his god ; howsoeuer bee ruled , and beleeue in the pope , who is the head of the church ; for you know out of the church , there is no saluation . i like well , that there daily trauels some of your wisest gentlemen for spaine , and now you see there is no feare to bring ●…ome priests and iesuites , for count gondomar ●…ath found out the art and mysterie , to open the doores of wisbich , the gatehouse , and the clincke at his pleasure . to liue idle is effemin●…te and 〈◊〉 bee you therefore 〈◊〉 your selues ) still b●…sie and in action , for as in matters of religion and pietie , so in th●…se of the state the p●…actique is alwayes more honourable then the theorie . in a word , as long as 〈◊〉 kings raigne in england , your zealous catholikes shall there finde but little peace , and lesse ioy ; and yet i must need●… confesse , that god se●…mes to b●…are a particuler affection to king iames , out withall you know the second meanes must bee vsed , w●…ich ( i write to my comfort ) i see his 〈◊〉 neglects ; so ●…f gondomar continue in england , and the m●…tch dyë not , then i hope a little time will worke all things to the best . t●…ll when i salute you all , and will ●…till pray ▪ 〈◊〉 you for the prosperitie of the great cause . written and sent from heauen . queene mary . finis . a terrible sea-fight related in the copie of letter sent to i.m. councellour, pensioner, and bailiffe to the citie of batavia : concerning the great fight betweene nine east india ships of the hollanders and three great gallions, which happened about goas bare in the east indies, the . of september, . a. s. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text s in the english short title catalog (stc . ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a stc . estc s ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a terrible sea-fight related in the copie of letter sent to i.m. councellour, pensioner, and bailiffe to the citie of batavia : concerning the great fight betweene nine east india ships of the hollanders and three great gallions, which happened about goas bare in the east indies, the . of september, . a. s. individuell människohjälp (organization) [ ] p. printed by thomas harper for nathaniel butter, london : . signed at end: a.s. "with priuilegio." "imprimatur. philip. minutolius"--p. [ ]. signatures: [a]² b¹ c⁴. reproduction of original in the british library. eng netherlands -- history, naval. spain -- history, naval -- th century. goa (india : state) -- history. a s (stc . ). civilwar no a terrible sea-fight: related in the copie of a letter sent to i.m. councellour, pensioner, and bailiffe to the citie of batavia. concerning a. s c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a terrible sea-fight : related in the copie of a letter sent to i. m. councellour , pensioner , and bailiffe to the citie of batavia . concerning the great fight betweene nine east india ships of the hollanders , and three great gallions ; which happened about goas bare in the east indies , the . . of september , . god is my helper london , printed by thomas harper , for nathaniel butter . . with privilege . a true relation of a great sea-fight between the hollanders and spaniards . after that we had set out sail from batavia's rode , the . . of iuly , . we have speedily performed our voyage ( god be thanked ) as farre as to the baixos de padua , which are very dangerous rockes and sands ; but by the negligence of the captains and masters of the pinaces , little rotterdam and david , ( which were sent out before to cast out every houre the lead ) we were led with the whole fleet towards the said rockes ; insomuch that our commander , looking out by day , upon the bank behinde the gallerie , perceived a great alteration of the water ; wherefore he charged his pilot to cast out the lead ; which having done , found first of all fourteene , afterwards nine , and at last six fadomes of water , that we could see some of the rockes lie under water . the admirall perceiving this , made three or foure shots , to give warning to the fleet , and that the pinnaces should come backe againe : and thus sailed back again from thence , as they came thither , thanking god almightie for his gracious keeping and protection . from thence we set our course towards the malabaerish coasts ; which having got in sight , about cananor , and mont fremosa , we sailed along the wall ; where , in divers tides , we met with two small vessells of black-moores , but they had free passe of the directour barent pieters , one whereof was bound for cananor , & the other for calicut , which advertised us , that daman and dieu , being two strong forts , and belonging to the portugals , were besieged by the great mogoll , and they beleeved that daman was surrendered alreadie . after that the foresaid vessels had departed from our commander , we went on again in our voiage , and the . . of september , about evening , came in sight of us about goas bare , the pinnaces armuyen and valkenburg , which at night came aboord of the admirall , relating unto him the newes , which they had received upon wingurla ; because they had arrived upon wingurla about eleven or twelve daies before our comming . the next day after our commander calling together the generall counsell , communicated unto them that same , what he had understood by the principalls of the aforesaid pinnaces ; namely that three gallions lay in the bay of goa veille , under favour and safeguard of the fort mormagon , being not yet readie to go to sea & fight . further , he desired the councell to consider upon , what was best to do for the good and profit of the companie . after manie disputations and consultations , the councell departed againe from aboord in the evening , with order , that when the commander , two or three houres before day light , did light againe a candle , they , together with the militarie officers , should come aboord againe of the admirall . having met together again , they unanimouslie resolved to surprize the enemie without delay ▪ that he lay with the gallions under the protection and favour of the fort mormagon , the greatest difficultie was , that we knew not the depth or situation of the harbour : wherefore order was given , that the pinnace david should betake it self to the right , and the pinnace little rotterdam to the left hand , saile forward , and cast continually out the lead : having come close to the walls , some boats were set out to cast out the lead continually in like manner , and to give warning unto us . afterwards order was given , that the ship zierick-sea should saile out before : upon which the commander himselfe went : him followed armuyen , valckenburg , franiker , bredamme , and the ships new harlem , and middelburg , should come as nigh as possibly they could ; because the enemie lay so close under the wall , and the depth of the harbour was unknown unto us ; and the said ships drew so deep water , and had also in them the cargozoen for wingurla . in this order about noon , with the sea winde , we sailed towards the enemie ( being under sail , the vice-commander william tiberius , who died the same morning , was set without the ship ) having come under the fort , they shot most fiercely out of the fort , upon the fleet : but we answered them in like manner . seeing those of the fort verie perplext , and timerous , ( because we were not above a musket shot from the fort ) we sailed to and fro along a wall or trench , which was drawn towards another small bulwark , from whence they made likewise some shots . being come neere unto the ships , we found them to be the three great gallions ; namely , bon iesus , bon ventura , and s. sebastian : bon ventura lay ready for to fight , but not readie for sailing : the other two had none or few canons in them , lying yet without carriages , because they expected us not so soon : yet afterwards we heard , that many free men , together with some voluntiers , came out of goa to affoord their aid and helpe in the making ready of the aforesaid gallions , thinking to come out against the pinnaces armuyen and valkenburg , which they had first perceived , but missed of it . zierick-sea sailing out before , passed by the forts ; and the ships armuyen and valckenburg in like maner . the commander with his boat departing from the ship zierick-sea , gave order , that franiker and bredamme should make towards the gallion , bon ventura carrying about . brasse pieces of ordnance , let their anchors fall ; from which gallion they shot fiercely upon us , having come on the side of him , and being not halfe a musket shot from it , they shot crosse thorow and thorow our pinnace , that it looked like a window where the glasses are beaten out : and thus we continued above three hours long , shooting against the said gallion ; insomuch that the pinnace franiker received more shots then the whole fleet together : all the row horses , and pieces of ordnance in the sterne were shot in pieces ; insomuch that we could not make one shot more from the sterne against the enemy , what care soever i tooke , and what encouragement soever i gave to the remainder of our men ( because i my selfe in person went continually to and fro , and the shipper was upon the deckes ) for we had in that pinnace about men kild , and about wounded ; insomuch that after the fight , we had not men to man the boat : whereupon presently afterwards were sent unto us to aid us , men from other ships . amongst the dead were divers of our officers ; as namely , the upper pilot , high boats-man , the cooke , the cookes mate , gunners mate , one or two quarter masters : and all the other officers for the most part , wounded : our shipper was hurt in his belly , in the head , and in one of his hands ; but god be thanked ) he hath recovered , and is now well againe ; i scaped free with a blew blow , and some other small hurts , i cannot give sufficient thankes unto god almightie for his gracious protection and keeping . bredamme next to us received the most shots , the shipper iohn symons symein was in the first beginning kild with a shot thorow his body . yet after this bloudy fight god almighty by his gracious help and assistance granted unto us the victory , unto whom is due all glory , praise , and thanksgiving now and for evermore . the pinnace little rotterdam , whilst we were shooting against bon ventura , laid aboord the gallion bon iesus , which lay before bon ventura , mastered the same , and set up the princes flagges ; because very few men were in her . our commander seeing this , went into the gallion called bon iesus , and called to the portugals in bon ventura , that they should have good quarter , if they would yeeld : whereunto they , as stout souldiers , would not condiscend nor heare of it upon no termes , but answered the commander , that he should do his best : whereupon our commander gave order , that the cable of bon iesus should be chopt off , which drove directly to the belly of bon ventura , so that his blind mast turned crosse our bon iesus . the admirall asking them the second time , whether they would yeeld , or else he would fire them both ; namely , bon iesus , and bon ventura . whereupon they answered , that they would not yeeld : whereupon the commander gave order , that bon ventura and bon iesus should be set on fire ; notwithstanding they desisted not with their fierce shooting , till at last the fire got into the●r gun-powder , and was blown up . bon iesus after that it was on fire , drove a little off from the other . whist all this passed , the gallion saint sebastian was likewise fired by the ship armuyen : so that all three together at once were on fire , without the losse of any of our pinnaces or ships , that the generall and councell of india had ordained the pinnaces , bredamme , little roterdam and david for fire ships . i am of opinion , if we should have laine with the pinnace franiker twenty paces neerer to the gallion , it would likewise have been in danger to be blowne up , because our fore-mast , and some ropes were likewise blowne up into the aire ; all our ropes and cords are spoiled , tha● they hung like cut yarne . after that bon ventura was blown up , some boats have been in the ferry-water , to knocke the portugals in the head that lay in the water : yet after that they had kild some of them , our commander bid them to give quarter ; insomuch that we got prisoners above men , about white , and negroes , amongst which were two or three priests , and four lords of the crosse , or fedalges : the captaine of the gallion was likewise taken up : our commander entertaines the said lords and patres at his owne table in the cabinet . at night we tooke up again our anchors , and sailed againe out of the bay close under the fort mormagon , out of which divers shots were made , because they could very well see us by the flame of the burning gallions : yet at last we got out of their shot , and cast anchor within two or three leagues of the wall . the upper merchant , peter bad-neighbour is chosen by the councell vice-commander in place of the deceased tiberius . the second of october , new stile , sailing towards wingurla , we met two saile of ships , after which we pursued with the whole fleet ; but being our ships were so battered and spoyled , we were faine to desist from pursuing any further after them ; and order was given that we should goe with the pinnace franiker towards wingurla ; where we arrived the fourth of october . afterwards came newes that the pinnace bredamme had driven a small vessell to the wall ; out of which the portugals fled and made the vessell to leake : yet the bredammes boat comming in haste to it , got into it , and kept it above water with pumping , till all the goods , consisting of ivorie , or elephants teeth , and other goods , were taken out of it , which were brought aboord of the commanders ship . another gallion was pursued after the . . of october , by the pinnace armuyen , which the same night overtooke the gallion ; and after that our pinnace had fought a good while with it , it gave the slip againe , and escaped . by nine prisoners taken by the pinnace armuyen with the boat of the said gallion , we understand , that it had in her above dead , but was manned with above men , being the gallion which went last yeare towards daman : the other vessel that was chased to the wall , came out of mosambique . the . . of october the ships middelburg , armuyen and bredamme , received order to go towards cotcheyn to crosse there , and to lie in wait for the enemies vessels , which by this present might passe by goa ▪ the vice-roy within goa , is departed out of this life ; in whose place by election , succeeds don antonio teles , who last yeare was admirall of the enemies fleet the said vice-roy reports , that hee will come with all his fregats about in number to visit us , which we long to see . there hath divers been aboord of the admirall , a priest borne at antwerp , to treat about the releasing of the prisoners ; but hitherto he hath effected nothing , what further herein will be done , time will shew ▪ after the departure of the d. caen , came hither upon wingurla , a mogoller , who was hired by the portugals to massacre the great governour mameth radia , together with all the hollanders , and some of the chiefest merchants ; for the execution whereof , hee should be rewarded with eleven or twelve thousand pageden , who ended his life as followeth : the aforesaid mogoller , with a traine of persons , comming into wingurla himselfe , together with another mogoller , sitting on horse-back , came before the lodging of the great governour mameth radia , who , at that time , was come to wingurla to view his fregats : the mogoller asking for him , was answered by the mameths servants , that he lay and slept . at which the mogoller replied , that he himselfe must see it ; who going with another towards his chamber , ( because hee was well knowne , and had been alwayes very familiar with the governour ) opened the curtains , and found him playing with his childe . the mogoller drawing his sable , chopt off one of his hands , thinking to turne off the blow with it , as also gave him a great wound in the neck ; insomuch that he presently after died : from thence the mogoller rode towards the lodging , to massacre the netherlanders ; he was twice beaten backe from the moat : in the mean time an alarme rose amongst the governours people , which flockt together about foure hundred strong , kild fifteen or sixteen of the mogollers men , took prisoners three or foure . the mogoller betook himselfe to flight ; after whom they pursued with their naked sables : whereupon the said mogoller leaping with his horse into the water , thinking to swim over the river , was seen by some of the governours servants , which were in a house not farre from the shore ; they seeing their fellow-souldiers run with their naked sables after him , stopt him , and shot him with a peece down from the horse , the rest gave him many cuts and blowes after he was dead . given at wingurla , the . . of october . . a. s. imprimatur . philip . minutolius . printed for nath. butter , august . . . the treaty of peace called the pyrenaean treaty, between the crowns of france and spain concluded and signed by his eminency cardinal mazarin and dom lewis mendez de haro, plenipotentiaries of their most christian and g[c]atholick majesties, the seventh of november, / printed in paris by his majesties command, and now faithfully rendred english. treaties, etc. spain, nov. france. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the treaty of peace called the pyrenaean treaty, between the crowns of france and spain concluded and signed by his eminency cardinal mazarin and dom lewis mendez de haro, plenipotentiaries of their most christian and g[c]atholick majesties, the seventh of november, / printed in paris by his majesties command, and now faithfully rendred english. treaties, etc. spain, nov. france. france. treaties, etc. spain, nov. . p. printed for t. collins, j. wright, t. sawbridge, and m. pitt, london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling 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strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng france -- foreign relations -- - . france -- foreign relations -- spain. france -- foreign relations -- treaties. spain -- foreign relations -- - . spain -- foreign relations -- france. spain -- foreign relations -- treaties. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the treaty of peace , called the pyrenaean treaty , between the crowns of france and spain . concluded and signed by his eminency cardinal mazarin and dom lewis mendez de haro , plenipotentiaries of their most christian and gatholick majesties , the seventh of november , . printed in paris by his majesties command , and now faithfully rendred english . london : printed for t. collins . j. wright , t. sawbridge , and m. pitt , . the treaty of peace between the crowns of france and spain , concluded and signed by his eminency cardinal mazarin , and dom lewis mendez de haro , plenipotentiaries of their most christian and catholick majesties , in the isle called of the pheasants , in the river of bidassoa , upon the confines of the pyrenaean mountains , the seventh of november , . lewis by the grace of god , king of france and of navarra , to all those who shall see the present letters , greeting : whereas , by vertue of the powers respectively given by us , and the most high , most excellent , and most potent prince the catholick king of spain , our most dear and most beloved good brother and uncle , unto our most dear and most beloved cosen the cardinal mazarin ; and to the lord dom lewis mendez de haro and gusman , they have in the isle called of the pheasants , in the river of bidassoa , upon the confines of both the kingdoms , towards the pyrenean mountains , the seventh of the instant month of november , concluded , agreed and signed the treaty of peace and reconciliation , the tenor whereof is as followeth . in the name of god the creator . to all present and to come , be it known ; that whereas a long and bloody war , hath many years since caused great miseries and oppressions to be suffered by the people , kingdoms , countries , and dominions under the obedience of the most high , most excellent , and most potent prince lewis the xiv , by the grace of god , most christian king of france and navarra ; and of philip the iv , by the grace of god catholick king of spain : in which war , other princes and republicks , their neighbours and allyes having also taken part , many towns and countries of both the parties have been exposed to great evils , miseries , ruines , and desolations . and although at other times , and by several ways , diverse overtures and negociations for an accommodation , have been made ; yet none of them , through the mysterious secrets of the divine providence , could take the effect most earnestly desired by their majesties , until at length that supreme god who hath in his hand the hearts of kings , and hath particularly reserved to himself alone , the precious gift of peace , hath had the goodness , through his infinite mercy , to inspire at the same time , both the kings , and so to guide and direct them , that without any other interposition or motives , but the only 〈…〉 of compassion they have had of the sufferings of their good subjects , and of a fatherly desire of their good and relief , and of the peace of the whole christendom , they have found the means how to put an end to so great and long calamities , to forget and extinguish the causes and the seeds of their divisions , and to settle to the glory of god , and the exaltation of our holy catholick faith , a good , sincere , entire and lasting peace and fraternity between them and their successors , their allyes and dependants ; by means whereof the dammages and miseries suffered , might quickly be repaired in all parts , which to attain unto , both the said lords and kings having given order unto the most eminent lord messire julas mazarin , cardinal of the holy roman church , duke of mayenne , head of the most christian kings councils , &c. and unto that most excellent lord , the lord dom lewis mendez de haro and gusman , marquis of carpier , earl-duke of olivares , perpetual governour of the royal palaces , and of the arcenal or magazine of the city of sevella , great chancellor perpetual of the india's , one of his catholick majesties council of state , great commander of the order of alcantara , gentleman of his majesties chamber , and gentleman of his horse , these two first and principal ministers , to meet upon the confines of both the kingdoms , towards the pyrenaean mountains , as being the two persons who are best informed of their holy intentions , of their interests , and of the most intimate secrets of their hearts ; and consequently the most able to find out the necessary expedients to end their differences ; and to that end having given unto them most large powers , the copies whereof are inserted at the end of these presents , both the aforesaid principal ministers , by vertue of their said powers , acknowledged on both sides , to be sufficient , have granted , established , and concluded the following articles . i. first ; it is concluded and agreed , that for the future , there shall be a good , firm and lasting peace , confederation and perpetual alliance and amity between the most christian and catholick kings , their children borne and to be born , their childrens successors , and heirs ; their kingdoms , dominions , countries and subjects , who shall love one another as good brethren , procuring with all their power the mutual good , honor and reputation one of the other , and shuning bona fide , as much as in them shall lye , the damage one of the other . ii. in consequence of that good re-union , the cessation of all manner of hostility , concluded and signed the eight day of may of this present year , shall continue according to its tenor , between the said lords and kings , their subjects , vassals , and adherents , both by sea and other waters , and by land ; and generally in all places , where the war hath been hitherto between their majesties . and if any new thing , or ways of fact should hereafter be attempted by the arms , or in any manner whatsoever , under the name of the authority of either of the said lords and kings , to the prejudice of the other , the dammages shall be presently repaired , and things put again in the same state , as they were in upon the eighth day of may aforesaid , when the said suspension of arms was agreed on and subscribed , the tenor whereof ought to be observed until the publication of the peace . iii. and for hindering lest the differences , that might hereafter happen betwixt any princes or potentates in alliance with the said lords and kings , be able to alter the good correspondency a●● amity between their majesties , which every one of them is desirous to make so sure and lasting , that no accident may disturb the same , it hath been concluded and agreed , that in case hereafter any difference should arise betwixt their allies , which might carry them to an open breach between themselves , neither of the said lords and kings shall assault or disturb by his arms , the ally of the other ; or shall give an assistance , publick or private , against the said ally , without first , and afore all things , treating in the court of the other king , by his ambassador , or some other particular person , about the occasion of the said difference , hindring as much as in them shall lye , and by their authority , the taking up of arms betwixt their said allies ; until either by the judgment of both the kings , if their allies will yield to their decision , or by their interposition and authority , they might have endeavoured an amicable composure of the said difference , so that every one of their allies be satisfied with it ; shunning on both sides , the taking up of auxiliary arms. after which , if the authority of both the kings or their offices and interposition , cannot produce the accommodation , and the allies do at last take the way of arms , every one of the said lords and kings shall be free to assist his allie with his forces , without incurring thereby any breach betwixt their majesties , or any alteration of their amity : each of the two kings even promising in that case , that he will not suffer that his arms , nor the arms of his allie should enter into any of the dominions of the other king , there to commit any hostility ; but that the quarrel shall be ended within the limits of the dominion or dominions of the allies , that shall fight together ; so that no warlike action , or any other done in that conformity , shall be deemed a breach of this present treaty of peace . as likewise , whensoever any prince or state in alliance with either of the said lords and kings , shall be directly or indirectly assaulted by the forces of the other king , in what he shall hold and be possessed of at the subscribing of the present treaty , or what he ought to possess in consequence of it , it shall be lawful to the other king , to help or assist the assaulted prince or state ; and yet whatsoever shall be done in conformity to the present article , by the auxiliary forces , whilst they shall be in the service of the assaulted prince or state , shall not be deemed a breach of the present treaty ▪ and in case it should happen that either of the two lords and kings should be first assaulted , in what he now is possessed of , or ought to possess by virtue of the present treaty , by any other prince or state whatsoever , or by many princes and states in league together , the other king shall not joint his forces to the said assaulting prince or state , though otherwise his ally , nor to the said league of the likewise assaulting princes or states , as aforesaid , nor shall give to the said prince and state , or to the said league , any assistance of men , money or victuals , nor passage or retreat in his dominions , to their persons or forces . as for the kingdoms , princes and states , that are now in war with either of the said lords and kings , and could not be comprehended in the present treaty of peace ; or that having been comprehended therein , would not accept of it , it hath been concluded and agreed , that the other king shall not have power , after the publication of the said treaty , to give them , directly or indirectly , any manner of assistance , of men , victuals or money ; much less to the subjects that might hereafter rise or revolt against either of the said lords and kings . iv. all occasions of enmity or misunderstanding , shall remain extinguished and for ever abolished : and whatsoever hath been done , or hath hapned , upon occasion of the present wars , or during the same , shall be put into perpetual oblivion : so that for the future , of neither side , neither directly nor indirectly , shall any inquiry be made for the same , by justice , or otherwise , under any pretence whatsoever : nor shall their majesties , or their subjects , servants , or adherents , of either side , shew any manner of remembrance of any offences or damages suffered during the war. v. by means of this peace and strict amity the subjects of both sides , whatsoever ▪ shall have liberty , they observing the laws and customs of the country , to go to and fro , to dwell , trade and return into one anothers country , merchandising or as they shall think best , both by land and by sea , or any other fresh-waters , to treat and trade together : and the subjects of the one shall be maintained and protected in the others countreys , as their own subjects , paying reasonably the duties in all accustomed places , and such others , as by their majesties and their successors shall be imposed . vi. the towns , subjects , merchants , and inhabitants of the kingdoms , dominions , provinces , and countreys belonging to the most christian king , shall enjoy the same priviledges , franchises , liberties , and sureties , in the kingdom of spain , and other kingdoms and dominions belonging to the catholick king , as the english have by right enjoyed , by the last treaties made between the two crowns of spain and england ; and no greater duties or impositions shall be exacted of the french and other of the most christian kings subjects , either in spain , or any where else , within the lands or other places of the catholick kings obedience , than have been paid by the english before the breach , or than are paid at this time , by the inhabitants of the united provinces of the neatherlands , or any other strangers that shall be there the more favourably intreated . the same shall be done , within the whole extent of the obedience of the said lord the most christian king , unto all the subjects of the said lord the catholick king , of what country or nation soever they be . vii . in consequence of this , if the french ▪ or any other of his most christian majesties subjects , are found in the said kingdoms of spain , or upon the coasts thereof , to have shipped , or caused to be shipped upon their vessels , in what manner soever it may be , any prohibited goods , to transport them out of the said kingdoms , the penalty shall not extend further than hath been heretofore practised , in such cases , towards the english ; or than it is , at this time practised towards the hollanders , in consequence of the treaties made with england or the united provinces : and all inquiries or processes hitherto made , about the same , shall remain null and be extinguished . the same shall be observed towards the towns , subjects and inhabitants of the kingdoms and islands belonging to the said lord the catholick king , who shall enjoy the same priviledges , franchises , and liberties , throughout all the dominions of the said lord the most ▪ christian king. viii . all the french and other subjects of the said lord ▪ the most christian king , shall have liberty , freely and without any hindrance , to transport out of the said kingdoms and countries of the said lord , the catholick king , the proceed of the sale by them made of corn within the said kingdoms and countries , after the same manner as they wanted to do afore the war ▪ and the same shall be observed in france towards the subjects of the said lord , the catholick king. ix . of neither side , shall the merchants , masters of ships , pilots , or mariners , nor their ships , merchandises , commodities or other goods to them belonging , be arrested or seised on , either by vertue of any general or particular mandate , or for any cause whatsoever of war , or otherwise ; nor even under pretence of using them for the preservation and defence of the country ▪ and generally , nothing shall be taken from the subjects of the said lords and kings , within the lands of the obedience of the other , but with the consent of those to whom such things shall belong , and paying ready money what shall be desired of them . yet it is not understood that therein should be comprehended such seisures and arrests of justice , by the ordinary ways , because of debts , obligations , and valid contracts of those , upon whom such seisures shall be made ; whereunto it shall be proceeded , as it is wonted , according to right and reason . x. all the subjects of the most christian king , shall ▪ with all security and liberty , fail and trade in all the kingdoms , countries and dominions , that are or shall be at peace , amity , or neutrality with france , ( excent portugal only , with their conquests and adjacent countrys , whereof it is otherwise disposed by an article of the present treaty ) and shall not be troubled or molested in that liberty , by the ships , galleys , frigots , barks , or any other sea-buildings , belonging to the catholick king , or any of his subjects , because of the hostilities that are or might be hereafter between the said lord the catholick king , and the aforesaid kingdoms ▪ countries , and dominions , or any of them , that are or shall be at peace , amity or neutrality with france : provided , that the exception made of portugal , in this and following articles , concerning the commerce , shall only be in force , during the time the said portugal shall remain in the condition it is at present : and that if it should happen that the said portugal should be reduced under the obedience of his catholick majesty , the same should be then observed ; as to the commerce in the said kingdom of portugal , in regard of the french , as in other dominions now possessed by his said catholick majesty , according to the contents of the present and following articles . xi . that transportation and that traffick shall extend to all kinds of merchandizes and commodities , which were wonted freely and securely to be transported into the said kingdoms , countries and dominions , afore they were in was with spain : provided yet , that during the said war , the most christian kings subjects shall abstain from carrying thither any merchandizes of the growth of the catholick kings dominions , such as may be serviceable against him and his dominions ; much less shall they carry thither any contrebanda-goods . xii . by that kind of contrebanda-goods , are only understood all sorts of fire-arms , and all things belonging to them ; as canons musquets , mortar-pieces , petards , bombes , granadoes , saucidges , pitchd circles , carriages , forks , bandaliers , gunpowder , cords , saltpeter , bullets , pikes , swords , caskes , headpeices , cuirasses , halberts , javalins , horses , saddels for horses , holsters for pistols , belts , or any other warlike furnitures . xiii . in that kind of contrebanda-goods , shall not be comprehended , wheat , corn , or other granes , pu●●e , oyles , wines , salt , nor generally any thing belonging to the nourishment and sustentation of life ; but they shall remain free , as all other merchandizes and commodities , not comprehended in the aforegoing article , and the transportation of them shall be free , even to places in enmity with the crown of spain , except portugal as aforesaid , and the towns and places besieged , blockt up , or surrounded . xiv . for the execution of the premises , it hath been agreed , that it shall be done in the manner following , viz. that the ships and barks , with the merchandizes belonging to the subjects of the lord , the most christian king , being come into any haven of the lord catholick king , where they used to come and trade before the present war , and being willing from thence , to pass unto the ports belonging to the said enemies , they shall only be bound to shew to the officers of the spanish port , or of any other of the said lord and kings dominions , from whence they are to go , their passes , containing the specification of the lading of their ships , attested and marked with the ordinary hand and seal , and acknowledged by the officers of the admiralty of the places from whence they came first , with the declaration of the plate , for which they are bound ; the whole in the ordinary and accustomed form. after which exhibiting of their passes , in the form aforesaid , they shall not be disturbed or molested , detained nor retarded in their voyages , under any pretence whatsoever . xv. the same shall be done , as to the french ships and barques that shall go into any roads of the catholick kings dominion , where they used to trade before the present war , and shall be unwilling to enter into the harbours , or being entred there , yet will not unlide or break bulk ; who shall not be obliged to give any account of their lading , but only in case of suspicion , that they are carrying any contrebanda-goods unto the enemies of the said lord the catholick king , as aforesaid . xvi . and in the said case of apparent suspicion , the said subjects of the most christian king , shall be obliged to show in the ports , their passes , in the form above specified . xvii . but if they be entered into the roads , or be met in open sea by any of the said lord the catholick kings ships , or by private men of war of his subjects ; the spanish ships , to avoid all kind of disorder , shall not come nearer to the french , than the reach of the canon , and shall have power to send their cock-boat or shallop abord the said french ships or barques , and cause two or three of their men only to go into them , to whom shall the passes be shewed by the master or patron of the french ship , in the manner aforesaid , according unto the form that shall be inferred at the end of this treaty : whereby it might appear , not only of their lading , but also of the place of their abode and residence , and of the name both of the master and patron , and of the ship it self : that by those two means , it may be known whether they carry any prohibited goods : and that it may sufficiently appear , both of the quality of the said ship , and of its master and patron ; unto which passes and sea letters , full faith and credit shall be given . and to the end their validity might be the better known , and that they might not in any wise be falsified and counterfeited , there shall be given in , certain marks and subscriptions of both the said lords and kings . xviii . and in case there be found in the said french vessels and barques by the means aforesaid , any merchandizes and commodities , before declared to be prohibited and contrebanda , the same shall be unladen , denounced and confiscated before the judges of the admiralty of spain , or any other competent judges ; yet for all that , neither the ship and barque , nor any other of the lawful and permitted goods , merchandizes and commodities found therein , shall in any wise be seised on or confiscated . xix . it hath further been agreed and concluded , that whatsoever shall be found to have been laden by the subjects of his most christian majesty , aboard any ships belonging to the enemies of the said lord and catholick king , although not contrebanda goods , shal be confiscated , together with all that shall be found in the said ship , without any exception or reservation : but , on the other side , whatsoever shall be found in the ships belonging to the subjects of the most christian king , shall be free and freed , although the lading , or part thereof should belong to the enemies of the said lord the catholick king , except the prohibited goods ; in regard whereof they shall carry themselves according to what hath been disposed in the aforegoing articles . xx. all the subjects of the said lord the catholick king , shall mutually enjoy the same rights , liberties and immunities in their trade and commerce , within the ports , roads , seas and dominions of his most christian majesty . and what hath been abovesaid , that the subjects of the said lord , the most christian king , shall enjoy in his catholick majesties ports , or in open sea , ought to be understood , that the equality shall be mutual , in all manner , on both sides , even in case hereafter the said lord the catholick king , should happen to be at peace , amity and neutrality with any kings , princes and states , that should become the enemies of the said lord the most christian king ; each of both the parties being mutually to use the same conditions and restrictions expressed in the articles of the present treaty , concerning the trade and commerce . xxi . in case of either side there happens any contravention to the said articles , touching the commerce , by the officers of the admiralty of either of the two lords and kings , or any other person whatsoever , the complaint thereof being addressed by the interessed parties , unto their majesties themselves or their councils for the navy , their said majesties shall presently cause the damage to be repaired , and all things to be executed in the manner aforesaid . and in case , in progress of times , any frauds or inconveniences should be discovered touching the said commerce and navigation , nor sufficiently provided against by the aforesaid articles , new ones shall be added thereto , of such other precautions , as shall be thought convenient on both parts : the present treaty remaining yet , in the mean while , in its force and vigor . xxii . all goods and merchandises arrested in either of the kingdoms , upon the subjects of the said lords and kings , at the time of the declaration of war , shall be uprightly , and bonâ fide restored to the owners ; in case they be found in esse , at the day of the publication of the present treaty . and all debts contracted before the war , which upon the said day of the publication of the present treaty , shall be found not to have been actually paid unto others , by vertue of judgments given upon letters of confiscation or reprisal , shall be bonâ fide acquitted and paid : and upon the demands and pursuits that shall be made about them , the said lords and kings shall give order unto their officers , to render as good and speedy justice unto the forreiners , as unto their own subjects , without any distinction of persons . xxiii . the actions that have been heretofore , or shall hereafter be intented before the officers of the said lords and kings for prises , spoils , and reprisals against such as are not subjects to the prince , in whose jurisdiction the said actions shall have been intented or begun , shall , without any difficulty , be returned before the officers of the prince , whose subjects the defendants shall be . xxiv . and the better to secure , for the future , the commerce and amity between the subjects of the said lords and kings , for the greater advantage and commodity of their kingdoms , it hath been concluded and agreed , that there hapning hereafter any breach between the two crowns ( which god forbid ) six months time shall alwaies be given to the subjects on both sides , to retire and transport their persons and goods , where they shall please : which they shall be permitted to do , with all liberty , without any hinderance ; and during that time , there shall be no seisure made of their said goods , much less their persons arrested . xxv . the inhabitants and subjects of either side , shall every where within the lands of the obedience of the said lords and kings , make use of such advocates , proctors , notaries , and sollicitors as they shall please ; whereunto also , they shall be committed by the ordinary judges , when need shall be , and when the said judges shall be desired so to do . and it shall be lawful to the said subjects and inhabitants of both sides , to keep in the places of their abode , the books of their trade and correspondence , in such a language as they shall like best , either french , spanish , flemish , or any other , without falling thereby into any molestation or trouble . xxvi . the said lords and kings shall have power , for the commodity of their subjects trading in one anothers kingdoms and dominions , to settle some consuls of the same nation of their said subjects , who shall enjoy the rights , liberties , and immunities belonging to their exercise and employment : and that the establishment shall be made in such places , where with a mutual consent it shall be thought necessary . xxvii . all lettees of mart and reprisals that may have been formerly granted , for what cause soever , shall be suspended ; and none shall be granted hereafter by either of the said lords and kings , to the prejudice of the subjects of the other , unless in case of a manifest denial of justice onely ; whereof , and of the summons made about the same , such as shall sue for the said letters , shall be bound to bring good proofs according to the form and manner required by the law. xxviii . all the subjects of both sides , both ecclesiastical and secular , shall be restored to their goods , honours and dignities , and to the enjoyment of such benefices as they were invested with afore the war , either by death or resignation ; either by way of coadjutorship or otherwise . in which re-establishment into goods , honours and dignities , are namely understood to be comprehended all the napolitan subjects of the said lord , the catholick king , except only the charges , offices and governments , they were possessed of . and it shall not be lawful for either side , to refuse to place , or to hinder the taking of possession to any of those who have been invested with prebends , benefices , or ecclesiastical dignities afore that time ; nor to maintain therein such as have obtained any other provisions of the same , during the war ; unless it be for the curates canonically provided , who shall remain in the enjoyment of their parsonages . both the one and the other shal likewise be restored to the enjoymeet of all and every one of their goods , unmoveables , and rents , either perpetual , or during life , or to be redeemed , seised on or taken from them since that time , either upon the occasion of the war , or for following the contrary part ; together with all their rights , actions and successions to them accruing even since the beginning of the war ; yet so , that they shall not demand or pretend any fruits or revenues received since the seisures made of the said goods , immoveables , rents and benefices , until the day of the publication of the present treaty . xxix . nor likewise make any demand of such debts , goods and moveables , as have been confiscated afore the said day : so that the creditors of the said debts , nor the depositaries of such goods , nor their heirs or assigns , shall never be admitted to prosecute or pretend the recovery of them . which reestablishments , in the aforesaid form , shall extend to those who have followed the contrary part ; so that , by means of the present treaty , they shall be restored to their king and soveraign princes grace , as also to their goods , such as shall be found extant upon the conclusion and subscribing of the present treaty . xxx . and the said re-establishment of the said subjects on both sides , shall be made according to the tenor of the xxviii article aforegoing , notwithstanding any donations , concessions , declarations , confiscations committed , sentences preparatory or definitive , given by contumacy in the absence of the parties , and without hearing of them : which sentences and all judgments shall be void and of none effect , and as not given or hapned , with full & entire liberty to the said parties , to return into the countries from whence they had formerly retired themselves , to enjoy in person their goods , unmovables , rents and revenues , or to settle their abode out of the said countries , in such places as they shall think best , it remaining in their choice and election ; so that , in that respect , no manner of compulsion shall be used against them . and in case they rather chuse to inhabit elsewhere , they shall have power to depute and appoint such persons , not suspected , as they shall think best , for the government and enjoying of their goods , rents and revenues , but not of such benefices as require a residency , which ought personally to be administred and served . yet so , that the liberty of a personal so journing mentioned in this article , shall not extend it self to those , of whom it is otherwise disposed , by any other article of the present treaty . xxxi . such as shall have been provided on either side with benefices being of the collation , presentation , or any other disposition of the said lord , and kings , or any other , either ecclesiastical or lay persons , or such as shall have obtained provisions from the pope , of any other benefices situate within the obedience of either of the said lords and kings , by whose consent and permission , they shall have enjoyed the same during the war , shall remain in the possession and enjoyment of the said benefices during their lives , as being well and duly provided . yet so , that thereby no prejudice is intended for the future , to the right of the lawful collators , who shall enjoy and use the same , as they were wonted to do afore the war. xxxii . all prelates , abbots , priors , and other ecclesiastical persons , that have been nominated to their benefices , or promoted to the same by the said lords and kings , before the war , ordering the same , and whereunto their majesties were in possession to provide and nominate , afore the breach between the two crowns , shall be maintained in the possession and enjoyment of the said benefices ; and shall not be molested therein , for any cause or pretence whatsoever ; as also in the free enjoyment of all the goods that shall be found to have belonged to the same of old , and in the right of conferring the benefices depending of the same , in what place soever the said goods and benefices be found situate . provided yet , that the said benefices be filled with able persons , having the requisite qualifications , according to the reglements observed before the war : and for the future , it shall not be lawfull , of either side , to send any administrators to govern the said benefices , and enjoy the fruits thereof , which shall not be received but by the titulars only , lawfully provided unto the same ; as also all places that have formerly acknowledged the jurisdiction of the said prelates , abbots and priors , in what part soever they be situate , shall likewise acknowledg the same for the future . provided their right appears to have been setled of old ; although the said places should be found within the extent of the dominions of the contrary party , or depending of some chastellenies or bayliwicks belonging to the contrary party . xxxiii . and to the end , this peace and union , condeferation and good correspondency , might , as it is desired , be so much the more firm , lasting and undissolvable , both the said principal ministers , the cardinal duke , and the marquis earl duke , by vertue of the special power they have had , for that end , of the two lords and kings , have concluded and agreed , in their names , the marriage of the most christian king with the serenissime infanta the lady maria theresa , eldest daughter to the catholick king , and the same day , bearing the date of these presents , have made and subsribed a partcular treaty , whereupon they refer themselves , touching the mutual conditions of the said marriage , and the time of its celebration ; which treaty by it self , and capitulation of mariage , are of the same force and vigor with the present treaty of peace , as being the chiefest part thereof , and the most worthy , as well as the greatest and the most precious earnest of the surety of its duration . xxxiv , because the length of time , and the difficulties that would have met in case the several rights and pretentions of the said lords and kings , should have been put to a particular discussion , might have much retarded the conclusion of this treaty , and put off the good that whole christendom doth expect and will receive by it ; it hath been concluded and agreed , in consideration of the peace , touching the retention and restitution of the conquests made during the present war , that all the differences of the said lords and kings , shall be ended and composed , after the manner following . xxxv . inprimis , it hath been concluded and agreed , concerning the low countreys , that the lord the most christian king shall remain seized , and shall effectually enjoy the places , towns , countreys and castles , dominions , lands and lordships following , first , within the county of artois , the town and city of arras , and the ▪ government and bailiwick thereof ▪ hesdin and the bailiwick thereof ; bapaume and the bailiwick thereof ; bethune and the government or bailiwick thereof ; lillers and the bailiwick thereof ; lent and the bailiwick thereof ; the county of st. pol ; terroane and the bailiwick thereof ; de pas and the bailiwick thereof ; as also all the other bailiwicks and chastellenies of the said artois , whatsoever they be , although not here particularly named and mentioned , except only the towns , bailiwicks and chastellenies or governments of ayre and st. omer , with their appurtenances , dependences and annexes , which shall remain all unto his catholick majesty : as also the place of renty , in case it be found to be of the said dependences of ayre or st. omer , and not otherwise . xxxvi . secondly , within the province and county of flanders , the said lord the most christian king shall remain seized , and shall effectually enjoy the places of graveling , the forts philip , of the sluce , and hannuin bourbourg and the chastelleny thereof ; and st. venant , whether it belongs to flanders , or to artois , and their dominions , appurtenances , dependences and annexes . xxxvii . thirdly , within the province and county of hainaut , the said lord the most christian king shall remain seized , and shall effectually enjoy the places of landrecy and quesnoy , and their bailiwicks , provostships , or chastellenies , dominions , appurtenances and dependences . xxxviii . fourthly , within the province and dutchy of luxembourg , the said lord the most christian king , shall remain seized , and shall effectually enjoy the places of thionville , montmedy and damvilliers , their appurtenances , dependences and annexes , provostships and lordships : the provostship of ivoy , chavancy , chasteau and the provostship thereof ; and the place and post of marville scituate upon the small river called vezin , and the provostship of the said marville ; which place and provostship did formerly belong , partly unto the duke of luxembourg , and partly unto the dukes of bar. xxxix . fifthly , his most christian majesty having strongly declared that he could never consent to the restitution of the places of la bassee , and bergh st. wynox , chastelleny of the said bergh , and the royal fort erected upon the chanel , hard by the town of bergh ; and his catholick majesty having condescended that they should remain to the french , unless an exchange of the said places , with others of the like consideration and mutual conveniences could be agreed upon , both the said lords plenipotentiaries , have at last agreed that the said two places of la bassee and bergh-st . wynox , the chastelleny and royal fort of the said bergh , should be exchanged with the places of marienbourg and philippeville , situate on the rivers sambre and maez . their appurtenances , dependences , annexes and dominions : and therefore his said most christian majesty restoring , as it will be said hereafter , unto his catholick majesty , the said places of la bassee bergh-st-wynox and the chastelleny thereof , and the royal fort , with thei appurtenances , dependances , annexes and dominions , his catholick majesty shall at the same time put into the hands of his most christian majesty , the said places of marienbourg and philippeville , his said most christian majesty to remain seised of them , and effectually enjoy them , and their appurtenances , dependences , annexes , and dominions , in the same manner , and with the same rights of possession , soveraignty , and others which his majesty shall enjoy , or may enjoy , by the present treaty , in such places , as have been gained by his arms during the war , and which are to remain unto him by this peace . and even in case hereafter , his most christian majesty should happen to be troubled in the possession and enjoyment of the said places of marienbourg and philippeville , by reason of the pretensions of other princes , his catholick majesty doth bind himself to concur to their defence , and to do on his part whatsoever shall be necessary , that his most christian majesty might peaceably , and without dispute enjoy the said places , in consideration of that his majesty hath yielded in exchange the said la bassee and bergh-st-wynox , which his most christian majesty might have kept and possessed without trouble , and with all security . xl. sixthly , his catholick majesty , for certain considerations hereafter particularly expressed in another article of the present treaty , doth promise & oblige himself to put into the hands of his most christian majesty the town and place of avennes , situate between the sambre and the maez , with the appurtenances , dependences , annexes and dominions thereof , with all the artillery and warlike ammunitions that are therein now , to remain to his said most christian majesty seised of the said place of avennes , and effectually to enjoy the same , and the said appurtenances , dependences , annexes and dominions , after the same manner , and with the same right of possession , soveraignty and other things , which his catholick majesty doth now enjoy there . and because it hath been reported , that within the said place of avennes , and the appurtenances , dependences , annexes and dominions thereof , the ordinary jurisdiction , the rents and other profits do belong to the prince of chimay , it hath been declared and agreed between the said lords and kings , that whatsoever is contained within the walls and fortifications of the said place , shall remain to his most christian majesty ; so that the said prince shall have no kind of right , rent , or jurisdiction within the said walls and fortifications ; it being only reserved unto him to keep whatsoever in time past did belong to him out of the said place , in the villages , countreys and forrests of the said dependence of avennes in the same manner as he hath hitherto possessed the same , provided also , as hath been said before , that the soveraignty and the high dominion of the said villages , countreys and forrests of the said dependence of avennes , shall belong and remain to his most christian majesty ; the said lord the catholick king having taken upon himself to indamnify the said prince of chimay for the interest he may have in what is taken from him by the present treaty within the precincts of the said place as aforesaid . xli . the said places of arras , hesdin 〈…〉 bethune , and the towns of lillors , lens , county of st. pol , teroan●… and their bailiwicks ; as also all the other bailiwicks and chastellenies of artois ( except only as aforesaid the towns and bailiwicks of ayre & st. omer , their appurtenances , dependences , annexes and dominions ) as also renty , in case it be not found to be any of the dependences of ayre or of st. omer ; together with the places of graveling , and the forts philip , the sluce and hannuin , bourbourgh and st. venant , in flanders ; the places of landrecy and quesnoy , in the haynaut ; as also those of avennes , marienbourgh and philippeville , which are to be put in the hands of the most christian king , as aforesaid : and likewise the places of thionville , montmedi , and damvillers , the town and provostship of ivoy , chavency , chasteau and the provostship thereof , and marville , in luxembourgh , their bailiwicks , chastellenies , governments , provostships , territories , dominions , lordships , appurtenances , dependences and annexes , shall remain , by the present treaty of peace , unto the said lord the most christian king , and to his successors and assigns , irrevocably & for ever ; and with the same rights of soveraignty , propriety , regality , patronage , wardianship , jurisdiction , nomination , prerogatives and preeminences upon the bishopricks , cathedral churches , & other abbeys , priories , dignities , parsonages , or any other benefices whatsoever , being within the limits of the said countreys , places & bailiwicks so yielded , of whatsoever abbies the said priories may hold and depend , and all other rights formerly belonging to the said lord the catholick king , though not particularly related here . and his most christian majesty shall never hereafter be troubled nor molested by any way whatsoever , either of right or of fact , by the said lord the catholick king , his successors , or any prince of his house , or any other whatsoever , under any pretence or occasion that may happen , in the said soveraignty , propriety ▪ jurisdiction , prerogative , possession and enjoyment of all the said countreys , towns , places , castles , lands , lordships , provostships , dominions , chastellenies and bailiwicks , and of all the places and other things depending of them . and for that effect , the said lord the catholick king , for himself and for his heirs , successors and assigns , doth renounce unto , quit , yield and transport , as his plenipotentiary in his name by the present irrevocable treaty of peace , hath renounced to , quitted , yielded and for ever transported , in the behalf and to the benefit of the said lord the most christian king , his heirs , successors and assigns , all the rights , actions , pretensions , regalities , patronage , wardianship , jurisdiction , nomination , prerogatives and preheminences upon the bishopricks , cathedral churches , and other abbies , priories , dignities , parsonages , and any other benefices whatsoever within the precincts of the said countreys , places , and bailiwicks so yielded , of what abbies soever the said priories do hold or depend : and generally , without retaining or reserving any thing , all other rights which the said lord the catholick king , or his heirs and successors have and pretend , or may have and pretend for what cause & occasion soever , upon the said countreys , places , castles , forts , lands , lordships , dominions , chastellenies and bailiwicks , and upon all the places depending of them as aforesaid : which , together with all the men , vassals , subjects , boroughs , villages , hamlets , forrests , lands , and other things whatsoever depending of them , without keeping or reserving any thing , the said lord the catholick king , both for himself and for his successors , doth consent to be from this time forth and for ever united and incorporated to the crown of ▪ france ; all laws , customs , statutes & constitutions made to the contrary , even such as may have been confirmed by oath , in any wise ▪ notwithstanding : to which , and to all clauses derogatory to former derogatory clauses , it is expresly derogated by the present treaty , for the effect of the said renuntiations and cessions ; which shall be valid and shall take place , the particular expression or specification not derogating to the general , nor the general ▪ to the particular , and excluding for ever all exceptions , upon what right , title , cause or pretence soever they may be grounded . and the said lord the catholick king doth declare , consent , will and understand , that the men , vassals and subjects of the said countries , towns and lands , yielded to the crown of france as aforesaid , be and remain quitted and absolved from henceforth and for ever of the faith , homage , service and oath of fidelity , they ▪ all , or any of them may have done to him ; or to his predecessors the catholick kings ; and withall of all obedience , subjection and vassallage which they for that cause might owe unto him . the said lord the catholick king willing that the said faith and homage , and oath of fidelity become and remain void and of none effect , as if they had never been taken . xlii . and as concerning the countries and places taken by the arms of france , during this war towards spain : as it had been formerly agreed by the negotiation begun in madrid , in the year . upon which this present treaty is grounded , that the pyrenean mountains , which antiently had divided the gauls from spain , should also make henceforth the division of both the said kingdoms . it hath been concluded and agreed , that the lord , the most christian king , shall remain in possession , and shall effectually enjoy the whole county and viquery of roussillon , and the county and viquery of conflans , the countries , towns , places , castles , burroughs , villages and places , which make up the said counties and viqueries of roussillon and conflans : and to the lord , the catholick king , shall remain the county and viquery of cerdana , and the whole principality of catalonia , with the viqueries , places , towns , castles , burroughs , hamblets , places and countries , that make up the said county of cardena , and the principality of catalonia . provided , that if there be found any place of the county and viquery of constans onely , and not of roussillon , that be in the said pyrenean mountains toward spain , it shall likewise remain to the catholick majesty : as likewise , if any place be found of the said county and viquery of cardena onely , and not of catalonia , that be in the said pyrenean mountains towards france , it shall remain to his most christian majesty . and that the said division might be concluded , commissioners shall be presently appointed on both sides , who shall together bona fide , declare which are the pyrenean mountains , which according to the tenor of this article , ought hereafter to divide both kingdoms , and shal mark the limits they ought to have : and the said commissioners shall meet upon the place at the furthest , a month after the subscribing of the present treaty , and within the space of another month after , ought to have concluded the matter , and declared , with common consent , the premises . provided , that if then they cannot agree among themselves concerning it , they shall presently send the grounds of their opinions to the two plenepotentiaries of both the lords and kings , who taking notice of the difficulties and differences happened thereupon , shall conclude the business betwixt them : so that it shall not be suffered , that arms be taken up again about the same . xliii . the whole county and viquery of roussillon , county and viquery of conflans , except the places that shall be found to be situate in the pyrenean mountains towards spain , in the manner aforesaid , according to the declaration and agreement of the commissioners that are to be appointed for that purpose ; as also that part of the county of cerdana , that shall be found situate in the pyrenean mountains towards france , according unto the same declaration of the commissioners , the countries , towns , places , castles , that make up the vigueries of roussillon and conflans , and part of the county of cerdana , in the manner aforesaid , appurtenances , dependences , and annexes , with all the men , vassals , subjects , borroughs , villages , hamblets , forests , rivers , lands , and any other things whatsoever depending of them , shall remain irrevocably , and for ever , by the present treaty , united and incorporated to the crown of france , to enjoy the same by the said lord , the most christian king , his heirs , successors and assigns ▪ with the same rights of soveraignty , propriety , regalities , patronage , jurisdiction , nomination , prerogatives , and preheminences , upon the bishopricks , cathedral churches , and other abbeys , priories , dignities , parsonages , or any other benefices whatsoever , being within the limits of the said county of roussillon , viguery of conflans , and part of the county of cerdana , in the manner aforesaid ( except , as to conflans , what shall be found to be in the pyrenean mountains towards spain ) of whatsoever abbeys the said priories be holding and depending ; and all such other rights formerly belonging to the said lord , the catholick king , though not here particularly mentioned : and that his most christian majesty shall never , hereafter , be troubled or molested by any way whatsoever , either of right or of fact , by the said lord , the catholick king , his successors , or any prince of his house , or by any other whosoever , or under any pretence or occasion that might happen in the said soveraignty , propriety , jurisdiction , power , possession and enjoyment of all the said countries , towns , places , castles , lands , lordships , dominions and bailiwicks : and withal , of all the places and other things whatsoever , depending of the said county of roussillon , viguery of conflans , and part of the county of cerdana , in the manner aforesaid ( except , as to conflans , what shall be found to be in the pyrenean mountains towards spain . ) and for that end , the said lord the catholick king , both for himself , and his heirs , successors , and assigns , doth renounce unto , quit , yield and transport , as his plenipotentiaries , in his name by the present treaty of peace , irrevocable , hath renounced to , quitted , yielded and transported , perpetually , and for ever , in the behalf , and to the benefit of the said lord , the most christian king , his heirs , successors , and assigns , all the rights , actions , pretensions , regalities , patronage , jurisdiction , nomination , prerogatives , and preheminences upon the bishopricks , cathedral churches , and other abbeys , priories , dignities , parsonages , or any benefices whatsoever , being within the limits of the said county of roussillon , viguery of conflans , and part of the county of cerdana , in the manner aforesaid ( except as to conflans , what shall be found to be in the pyrenean mountains towards spain ) of what abbeys soever the said priories be depending : and generally all other rights , without keeping or reserving any thing , which the said lord the catholick king , or his said heirs and successors , have and pretend , or may have and pretend , for what cause and occasion soever , upon the said county of roussillon , viguery of conflans , and part of the county of cerdana , in the manner aforesaid , ( except as to conflans , what shall be found to be in the pyrenean mountains towards spain ) and upon all the places depending of them as aforesaid ; which together with the men , vassals , subjects , burroughs , villages , hamblets , forests , rivers , lands , and other things whatsoever depending of them , without keeping or reserving any thing , the said lord the catholick king , both for himself , and for his successors , doth from henceforth and for ever consent , to be united and incorporated to the crown of france : all laws , customs , statutes , constitutions , and conventions made contrary thereunto , even such as may have been confirmed by oath , in any wise notwithstanding : to which , and to the clauses derogatory of any other derogatory clauses , it is expresly derogated by the present treaty , for the effect of the said renounciations and cessions , which shall be valid , and shall take place , the particular expression or specification not derogating to the general , nor the general to the particular : excluding for ever , all exceptions , upon what rights and titles , causes , or pretences soever the same may be grounded ; and namely , that that might hereafter be pretended , that the separation of the county of roussillon , viguery of conflans , and part of the county of cerdana , in the manner aforesaid , ( except as to conflans , what shall be found to be in the pyrenean mountains towards spain ) and of their appurtenances and dependences , should be against the constitutions of the principality of catalonia ; and that therefore the said separation cannot have been resolved nor concluded , without the express consent of all the people assembled in their general estates : and the said lord the catholick king , doth declare , will and intend , that the said men , vassals , subjects of the said county of roussillon , viguery of conflans , and part of the county of cerdana , in the manner aforesaid , ( except as to conflans , what shall be found to be in the pyrenean mountains towards spain ) their appurtenances and dependences , be and remain quitted and absolved , from henceforth and for ever , of the faith , homages , service , and oath of fidelity , all and every of them , may have made unto him , and to his predecessors the catholick kings ; and withal of all obedience , subjection , and vassalage , which therefore they might owe unto him : willing that the said faith , homage , and oath of fidelity , remain void and of none effect , as if they had never been done or taken . xliv . the said lord the catholick king , shall re-enter into the possession and enjoyment of the county of carrolois , to enjoy it by him and his successors , fully and peaceably , aud hold the same under the soveraignty of the most christian king , as he held it afore the present war. xlv . the said lord the most christian king , shall restore to the said lord the catholick king , in the low-countries the towns and places of yperen , oudenaerd , dixmude , furnes , with the fortified posts of la fintelle , and la quenoque , merville upon the river of lys , menene , and comines , their appurtenances dependences , and annexes . as also his most christian majesty shall put again into the hands of his catholick majesty the places of bergh , st. wynox , and its royal fort , and the place of la bassee , by way of exchange for the places of marienburgh and philippeville , as hath been said in the xxxix article . xlvi . secondly , the said lord the most christian king , shall restore in italy , unto the said lord the catholick king , the places of valance upon the po , and of mortara , their appurtenances , dependences and annexes . xlvii . thirdly , in the county of burgundy , the said lord the most christian king , shall restore unto the said lord the catholick king , the places and forts of st. amour , bleverans and joux , and their appurtenances , dependences and annexes , and all the other posts , fortified or not fortified , which the armies of his most christian majesty have taken in the said county of burgundy , without keeping or reserving any thing . xlviii . fourthly towards spain , the said lord the most christian king , shall restore to the catholick king , the places and ports of roses , the fort of the trinity , cap-de quers , la sèau a'vrgel , toxen , the castle of la bastide , the town and place of baga , the town and place of ripol , and the county of cerdana , wherein are belvet , puicerda , carol , and the castle of cerdana , in such a condition as they be now , with all the castles , ports , fortified or not fortified towns , boroughs , villages , and other places , appurtenances , dependences and annexes , belonging to the said places of roses , cap-de quers , seau d'vrgel , and county of cerdana , although not named nor specified here : provided , that if any of the said posts , towns , places and castles aforenamed , should be found to be in the viguery of cerdana , in the pyrenaean mountains towards france , they shall remain to his most christian majesty ; according unto , and by vertue of the article of the present treaty , any thing in the present article contained , notwithstanding ; whereunto in that case , and in that respect it is derogated . xlix . the the said lord the catholick king , shall restore unto the lord the most christian king , the towns and places of rocroy , le catelet , and linchamp , with their appurtenances ; dependences and annexes ; so that for any reason ▪ cause , or excuse whatsoever , foreseen or not foreseen , even this , that the said places of rocroy , le catelet , and linchamp , are at this present in the power , and in other hands , than of his catholick majesty , he shall not be dispensed of the said restitution of those three places , to the said lord the most christian king ; his said catholick majesty ingaging and taking upon himself the real and faithful execution of the present article . l. the respective restitution of the said places , as it is aforesaid in the five next foregoing articles , shall be made by the said lords and kings , or by their ministers , really and bona fide , without any delay or difficulty , for what cause or occasion soever , unto such as shall be appointed by the said lords and kings respectively , within the time , and in the manner that shall be here under appointed , and in such condition , as the said places are at this time , without demolishing , weakening , imbezzeling , diminishing or damnifying any thing therein , in any wise ; and without pretending or demanding any reimbursement for the fortifications made in the said places , nor for the payment of what might be due to the soldiers and garisons that are in them . li. the said lords and kings , in restoring of the said places respectively , shall have liberty to take and carry away all the artillery , powder , bullets , victuals or other warlike ammunitions , that shall be in the said places , at the time of the restitution . likewise , the officers , soldiers and others , that shall go out of the said places , shall have liberty to take and carry away the moveable goods , to them belonging ; but it shall not be lawful to them , to exact any thing of the inhabitants of the said places , nor of the country people , nor to wrong their houses , or carry away any thing belonging to the inhabitants : as also the said lords and kings , shall be bound to pay unto the said inhabitants of the places , from whence they shall withdraw their arms , and which they shall restore , all what may be justly due unto them by the said lords and kings , for things taken by the governors of the said places , or other ministers of the said lords and kings , to be employed to their services , whereof they shall have given receipts or bonds , to such as have furnished them with the same . as also the officers and soldiers of the said garrisons shall be obliged to pay what they lawfully owe to the inhabitants upon their receipts or bonds ; provided , that for the performing of that satisfaction to the inhabitants , the yielding and restoring the said places be not retarded ; but that the same be done by the time and day that shall be agreed on and prescribed hereafter , in the other articles of the present treaty . the creditors , in that case remaining in all the right of the just pretensions they may have ▪ lii . as the place of hesdin and the bailiwick thereof , ought , by the present treaty of peace , to remain to the most christian king , as before hath been expressed , it hath been concluded and agreed , in consideration of the offices of the said lord the catholick king , who had taken under his protection the officers of war , or the soldiers of the garrison of the said hesdin , who had revolted in that place , and had drawn themselves from the obedience of the said lord the most christian king , since the death of the governor of the said place , that in conformity to the articles , whereby the said lords and kings do pardon each of them , all such as have followed the contrary party , provided they be not found guilty of any ▪ other crimes , and do promise to settle them again in the possession and enjoyment of their goods : his most christian majesty shall cause his letters of amnisty and pardon to be dispatched , in good form , in the behalf of the said officers of war , and soldiers of the garrison of the said hesdin ; which letters being offered and put into the hands of the commander of the place , upon the day designed and appointed between their majesties , for the restitution of the said place , into the power of his most christian majesty , as shall be said hereafter upon the same day , and at the same time , the said commander , officers and soldiers , shall be bound to go out of the said place , without any delay or excuse , under what pretence soever , foreseen or not foreseen , and to surrender the said place , in the same condition it was when they revolted , to the power of such as his most christian majesty shall commit for to receive it in his name ; and that without altering , weakning , imbezzeling , demolishing or damnifying any thing , in any sort or manner whatsoever , in the said place : and in case the said letters of amnisty and pardon , being offered to the said commander himself , or the other officers and soldiers of the said garrison of hesdin should refuse or delay , under what cause or pretence soever , to surrender the said place in the said condition , into the power of such as his said most christian majesty shall have appointed to receive it in his name ; the said commander , officers and soldiers shall forfeit the grace of amnisty and pardon procured unto them by his catholick majesty , and his said majesty shall make no further instance in their behalf : and in the same case his said catholick majesty doth promise , upon the word of a king , not to give , directly or indirectly , unto the said commander , officers and souldiers , nor suffer to be given them ▪ by any in his dominions , any assistance of men , arms , victuals , warlike ammunitions or money : but to the contrary , shall assist with his forces , in case he be desired , the said lord the most christian king , for the assaulting of the said place , that it might the sooner be reduced to his obedience , and the present treaty may the sooner have its full effect . liii . as the three places of avennes , philippeville and marienbourg , with their appurtenances , dependences and annexes , are yielded by the present treaty , as aforesaid , unto the lord the most christian king , to be united and incorporated to the crown of france , it hath been concluded and agreed , that in case between the said places and france , there be found any boroughs , villages , places or lands , which not being of the said appurtenances , dependences or annexes , ought to remain in the propriety and soveraignty of the said lord the catholick king , neither his said catholick majesty , nor the kings his successors , shall have power at any time to fortifie the said boroughs , villages , posts , or countries , nor to make any new fortifications between the said places of avennes , philippeville , and marienbourg , by means of which fortifications , the said places or any of them , might be cut off from france , or the communication between them disturbed : as likewise it hath been concluded and agreed , that in case the place of renty in artois remain to his catholick majesty , as it ought to remain to him , in case it be found to be of the dependences of ayre or st. omer , neither his said catholick majesty , nor the kings his successors shall have power , at any time to fortifie the said renty . liv. all papers , letters and documents , concerning the countreys , lands and lordships that are to remain to the lord the most christian king , by the present treaty of peace , shall be furnished and delivered him , bona fide , within three months after the exchanging of the ratifications . lv. by vertue of the present treaty , all the catalonians and other inhabitants of the said province , as well prelates , ecclesiastical persons , religious persons , lords , gentlemen , and burgesses , as other inhabitants , both of the towns and of the country , none excepted , shall have power to re-enter , and shall effectually re-enter , and be left and established in the possession and peaceable enjoyment of all their goods , honours , dignities , priviledges , franchises , rights , immunities , constitutions , and liberties , and shall never be prosecuted , troubled , or molested , either in general , or in particular , upon any cause or pretence whatsoever , for any thing done since the beginning of the present war. aud for that end , his catholick majesty shall grant and cause to be published , in good form , his declarations of amnisty and pardon , in the behalf of the said catalonians , which publication shall be made upon the same day , as the publication of the peace ; in consequence of which declarations , it shall be permitted to all and any of them in particular , either personally to return to their houses , and to the enjoyment of their goods ; or in case they be willing to settle their habitation any where else out of catalonia , they shall have liberty to do it , and to send into the said country of catalonia , their agents and attorneys , to take in their names , and for them , the possessions of the said goods , to improve and administer the same , receive the fruits and revenues , and transport the same whether they shall please ; so that they shall not be obliged personally to go and do homage for the lands and manors , whereunto their attorneys shall have power to satisfie in their name : and their absence shall not hinder their free possession and enjoyment of the said goods ; which they shall have also liberty and all faculty to exchange , or alienate , by sale , gift , or otherwise . yet upon that condition , that those they shall so commit for the management and improvement of their said estates , be not suspected to the governours or magistrates , of the places where such estates are scituated ; in which case , the owners shall appoint other persons , that be acceptable and no way suspected . yet it remaining at the will and power of his catholick majesty to prescribe the place of the abode to such of the said catalonians whose return into the country shall not be acceptable to his majesty . yet so that the other liberties and priviledges granted unto them , and which they enjoyed , shall not be repealed nor altered . as also it shall remain at the will and power of his most christian majesty to prescribe the place of abode to such of the county of roussillon , appurtenances and dependences , who have retired themselves into spain , whose return into the said county , shall not be acceptable to his majesty . yet so , that the other liberties and priviledges granted to the said persons , shall not be repealed nor altered . lvi . the testamentary successions , or any other donations whatsoever between living persons or others of the inhabitants of catalonia , and of the county of roussillon , mutually made to one another , shall remain equally permitted and inviolable ; and in case about the said successions , donations , or other acts and contracts , there should happen betwixt them any differences whereby they should be obliged to plead and go to law , justice shall be done on both sides with equality and bonâ fide , although they be under the obedience of the other party . lvii . the bishops , abbots , prelates , and others , who have been promoted during the war , to ecclesiastical benefices , with approbation of our holy father the pope , and by apostolical authority , dwelling in the lands of either of the parties , shall enjoy the fruits , rents and revenues of the said benefices , which shall be found to be within the limits of the lands of the other party , without any trouble or molestation , upon what causes , reason , or pretence soever : and for that end they shall have power to appoint ▪ for the said enjoyment and receiving of the said fruits , such persons as are not suspected , having first obtained the good liking of the king , or of his officers and magistrates , under whose nomination the said fruits , rents and revenues shall be found to be scituated . lviii . such inhabitants of the principality of catalonia , or of the county of roussillon , who shall have enjoyed , by donation or confiscation granted by either of the two kings , such goods or estates as were belonging to any persons of the contrary party , shall not be bound to make any restitution to the owners of the said estates , of the fruits by them received by vertue of the said donations or confiscations , during the present war. provided that the effect of the said donations or confiscations do cease from the day of the publication of the peace . lix . commissioners shall be appointed on both sides , two months after the publication of the present treaty , who shall meet at such a place as shall be respectively agreed on , there to end in an amicable way all such differences as might be yet betwixt both parties : which commissioners shall have care to see the subjects on both sides to be equally and well intreated , and shall not suffer the one to re-enter into the possession of their estates , but at the same time when the other shall also re-enter into the possession of theirs : as also the said commissioners , if it be so judged fit , shall be injoined to make a just valuation on both sides of the estates of such as shall not be willing to return into the country they have forsaken , or of such as the two kings shall not be willing to receive , having prescribed unto them their abode somewhere else , as aforesaid ; that the said valuation being made , the same commissioners might manage in all equity the exchanges and compensations of the said estates for the greater conveniency , and with equal advantage to the interessed parties , being careful that none be wronged . and in a word , the said commissioners shall regulate all things concerning the commerce and the mutual frequentation of the subjects on both parts , and all such things as they shall think the most conducible to the publick utility , and to the strengthening of the peace . and whatsoever hath been said in the four immediately foregoing articles , and in this concerning the county of roussillon and the inhabitants thereof , ought in the same manner to be understood of the viguery of conflans , and that part of the country of cerdana , that may or ought by the present treaty to remain in the propriety of his most christian majesty , by the declaration of the aforesaid commissioners , and of the inhabitants of the viguery of conflans , and the aforesaid part of the county of cerdana : as also it ought reciprocally to be understood of the county of cerdana , and of the part of the viguery of canflans , that may or ought to remain to his catholick majesty , by the present treaty , and the declaration of the said commissioners . lx. although his most christian majesty hath never been willing to engage himself , notwithstanding the pressing instances made to him heretofore , backed even with very considerable offers , not to make the peace without the exclusion of the kingdom of portugal , because his majesty hath foreseen and feared least such an engagement might be an unsurmountable obstruction to the conclusion of the peace , and might , consequently reduce the two kings to the necessity of a perpetual war ; yet his said most christian majesty , wishing , with an extream passion , to see the kingdom of portugal enjoy the same quietness , which so many christian states shall get , by the present treaty , hath for that end , proposed a good number of parties and expedients , such as his majesty thought might be satisfactory to his catholick majesty ; among which , though as aforesaid his majesty was no way ingaged in that affair , his majesty hath even gone so far therein , as to be willing to deprive himself of the principal fruit of the happiness and success his arms have had , during the course of a long war , offering , besides the places his majesty doth now restore by the present treaty unto his catholick majesty , to restore yet unto him all the rest of the conquests generally made by his arms during this war , and wholly to restore the prince of condae ; provided , and upon that condition that the affairs of the kingdom of portugal should be left as they are now : which his catholick majesty having refused to accept , but only offering that in consideration of the mighty offices of the said lord the most christian king , he would give his consent for setting all things in the said kingdom of portugal , in the same state they were afore the change arived there in the month of december , in the year , pardoning and giving a general amnisty for all what is past , and granting the re-establishment into all estates , honours , and dignities , to all such , without distinction of persons , as returning under the obedience of his catholick maiesty , shall put themselves again in posture to enjoy the effect of the present peace , at length , in consideration of the peace , and considering the absolute neeessity his said most christian majesty hath been in , to perpetuate the war by breaking off the presen● treaty , which his majesty found to be unavoidable , in case he would have any longer insisted upon the obtaining , upon that affair of his catholick majesty , other conditions than such as he offered , as aforesaid : and his said most christian majesty willing to prefer , as it ought to be , and is most just , the general quietness of christendom , to the particular interest of the kingdom of portugal , for whose advantage , and in whose behalf , his said majesty hath never omitted any thing of what depended of him , and did lie in his power , even to the making of such great offers as aforesaid , it hath been at length concluded and agreed between the said lords and kings , that it shall be granted unto his said most christian majesty , a space of three months time , to begin from the day of the exchanging of the ratifications of the present treaty , during which his said majesty may send into the said kingdom of portugal , to endeavour so to dispose things there , and to reduce and compose that affair , that his catholick majesty may remain fully satisfied . which three months being expired , if his said most christian majesties cares and offices have not had the desired effect , his said majesty will no further meddle with that affair , and doth oblige and engage himself and promise upon his honour , and in the word of a king , for himself and his successors , not to give unto the said kingdom of portugal , either in general , or to any person or persons in particular , of what dignity , state , condition , or quality soever they be , now or hereafter , any help or assistance , publick or secret , directly or indirectly , of men , arms , ammunition , victuals , ships , or mony , upon any pretence , nor any other thing whatsoever , by sea or land , nor in any other manner . as also , not to suffer any levies to be made in any parts of his kingdom and dominions ; nor to grant passage to any that might come from other srates , to the assistance of the said kingdom of portugal . lxi . his catholick majesty doth renounce by this treaty , both in his name , and of his heirs , successors and assigns , unto all the rights and pretensions , without keeping or reserving any thing , which his majesty may , or might hereafter have upon the upper and lower alsatia , the zuntgaw , the county of ferrese , brisac , and dependences thereof , and upon all the countries , places , and rights left and yielded to his most cristian majesty by the treaty made at munster , the of october , to be united and incorporated to the crown of france : his catholick majesty approving , for the effect of the said renunciation , the contents of the said treaty of munster and not any other thing of the said treaty , as not having intervened therein . in consideratiòn of which present renuntiation , his most christian majesty do offer to satisfie to the payment of three millions of livers , his majesty is obliged to pay , by the said treaty , to the archdukes of inspruek . lxii . the duke charles of lorraine , having shewed much sorrow for his conduct towards the lord the most christian king , and to have a firm intention to give him more satisfaction for the future , both of himself and of his actions , than the time past , and the occasions have formerly enabled him to do , his most christian majesty , in consideration of the mighty offices of his catholick majesty , doth from this time receive the said duke into his good grace , and in contemplation of the peace , without looking to the rights his majesty may have acquired , by several treaties made by the late king his father , with the said duke , after the demolishing , which shall be first made , of all the fortifications of both the towns of nancy , which he shall not have power to raise again , and the drawing and carrying away of all the artillery , powder , bullets , arms , and ammunitions of war , that are at present in the magazines of the said nancy , shall put again the said duke charles of lorrain into the possession of the dukedom of lorrain , and even of the towas , places and countries , by him formerly possessed , depending of the three bishopricks of metz , thoul and verdun , except first , moyenvie , which though within the marches of lorrain , yet belonged to the empire , and hath been yielded to his most christian majesty , by the treaty made at munster , the of october , . lxiii . secondly , except the whole dukedom of bar , countries , towns , and places , making up the same , as well that part thereof as doth hold from the crown of france , as that which might be pretended not to hold of it . lxiv . thirdly , except the county of clermont , and the dominion thereof , and the places , provostships , and lands of stendy , dun and jametz , with the whole revenue thereof , and the territories belonging to them . which moyenvie , dukedom of bar , therein comprehended the part of the place and provostship of merville , which part , as it hath been said before , did belong to the duke of bar , places , county , provostship , lands , and dominions of clermont , stenay , dan and jametz , with their appurtenances , dependencies , and annexes , shall remain for ever united and incorporated to the crown of france . lxv . the said duke charles of lorrain , afore his re-establishment into the dominions aforesaid , and afore any place be restored unto him , shall give his consent to the tenour of the three immediately foregoing articles : and to that effect , shall deliver to his most christian majesty , in the most valid and authentick form his majesty might desire , the acts of his renunciation and cession of the said moyenvie , dukedom of bar , therein comprehended the part of merville , both the part holding and pretended not to hold of the crown of france , stenay , dun , jametz , the county of clermont , and the dominion thereof , appurtenances , dependencies and annexes ▪ and the said duke , not his successours , either now or ever hereafter , shall pretend or demand any thing of the price the late king lewis xiii . of glorious memory , had bound himself to pay unto the said duke , for the said dommion of the county of clermont , by the treaty made at liverdun , in the month of june , . because the article containing the said obligation hath been annullated by the subsequent treaties , and again afresh , in as much as need might be , is wholly annullated by this present treaty . lxvi . his most christian majesty , in restoring unto the said duke charles , the places of his dominions as aforesaid , shall leave therein , except only in such as are agreed to be demolished , all the artillery , powder , bullets , arms , victuals , and ammunitions of war , that are in the magazines of the said places , without imbezling , weakning , and damnifying the same in any manner whatsoever . lxvii . neither the said duke charles of lorrain , nor any other prince of his house , or of his adherents and dependents shall have power to remain in arms , but both the said duke , and the other aforesaid , shall be bound to disband their forces at the publication of the said peace . lxviii . the said duke charles of lorrain , afore his re-establishment into his dominions , shall likewise prepare an act in good form , unto his most christian majesty , that he doth desist and give over all intelligences , leagues , associations and practises , he hath or may have , with any prince , state , and potentate whatsoever , to the prejudice of his majesty and the crown of france : and that for the future , he will give no retreat into his dominions to his enemies , rebels , or suspected subjects , and will not permit any levies there , nor gathering of souldiers against his service . lxix . the said duke charles shall likewise give , afore his re-establishment , an act in good form unto his most christian majesty , whereby he shall bind himself , both for himself and all the dukes of lorrain his successours , to grant at all times , without any difficulty , under what pretence soever the same might be grounded , free passage upon his dominions , both to such persons and forces , horse and foot , whom his said majesty and the kings of france his successours , shall have occasion to send into alsatia , or to brisac and philipsbourg , as often as he shall be desired of it by his said majesty , and his said successours ; and to cause victuals , lodgings and other necessaries to be afforded unto the said forces in his said dominions , by way of estap , the said forces paying their expences at the ordinary rate of the country . provided , they be but meer passages , at regular marches and reasonable journeys , without so journing in the said dominions of lorrain . lxx . the said duke charles afore his re-establishment into his dominions , shall put into the hands of his most christian majesty , an act in good form , and satisfactory to his majesty , whereby the said duke shall oblige himself for himself , and for all his successours , to cause the farmers and administrators of the salt-pits of rosieres , chasteau-salins , dieuze , and marsal , which his majesty doth restore unto him , by the present treaty , to afford unto his majesty , all such quantity of measures of salt , as shall be necessary for furnishing all the salt store-houses , that ought to be filled for the use and ordinary consumption of his majesties subjects , within the three bishopricks of metz , thoul , and verdun , dukedom of bar , and county of clermont , stenay , jametz , and dun , at the same rate for each measure of salt , as the said duke charles was wonted to afford it to the store-houses of the bishoprick of metz , in time of peace , during the last year of the said dukes possessing his whole dominions ; and neither he , nor his successours shall have power to raise the price of the said measures of salt. lxxi . and because since the time the late most christian king of glorious memory , hath conquered lorrain by his arms , a great number of the subjects of that dukedom have served their majesties , in consequence of the oaths of fidelity their majesties have desired of them , it hath been agreed , that the said duke shall not like them , nor use them the worse for it , but shall consider and use them as his good and faithful subjects , and shall pay them off such debts and rents , whereof his dominions may be charged ▪ which his majesty doth so particularly desire , that had it not been for the assurance his majesty takes of the faith the said duke will engage to him for that purpose , his majesty would have never granted him so much as he doth by the present treaty . lxxii . it hath been farther agreed , that the said duke shall not have power to alter any thing in the provisions of the benefices granted by the said lords and kings , untill the day of the present treaty ; and that such as have been provided , shall remain in the peaceable possession of the said benefices ; wherein the said duke shall not disturb or molest them , nor have power to turn them out of their possession . lxxiii . it hath been further agreed , that the confiscations given by his majesty , and his father the late king , of the estates of such as were in armes against him , shall be of force , as to the enjoyment of the said estates , untill the day of the date of the present treaty ; and such as have enjoyed the same , by vertue of the said gifts , shall not be troubled , nor molested for the same , in any wise , and for no cause whatsoever . lxxiv . it hath been further agreed , that all proceedings , judgments and arrests , issued by the council , judges and other officers of his most christian majesty , upon any differences and processes , prosecuted both by the subjects of the said dukedoms of lorrain and bar , and others , whilest the said dominions were under the obedience of the said lord the most christian king , and of the late king his father , shall stand and shall have their full and intire effect as if the said lord and king should remain lord and possessor of the said country : and the said judgments and arrests shall not be called to any question , nor recalled , nor the execution of them any way retarded or hindered . yet it shall be lawful to the parties , to sue a revision of the cause , according to the order and disposition of the laws and ordinances ; the said judgments remaining in the mean while , in their force and vertue . lxxv . moreover it hath been further agreed , that all other gifts , graces , remissions and alienations , made by the said lord the most christian king , and the late king his father , during the said time of things escheated and accrued unto them , or adjudged to them either by confiscation for crime or offence , ( other than of war , for having followed the said duke ) or by reversion of lands , or for want of lawful successors or otherwise , shall be and shall remain good and valid , and shall not be recalled ; nor shall those , to whom the said gifts , graces , and alienations have been made , be disturbed or molested , in the enjoyment of them , in any wise , and for any cause whatsoever . lxxvi . as also that such as ▪ during the said time , have been received to faith and homage , by the said lords and kings , or their impowred officers , because of the said lands and lordships , held and depending of the towns , castles or places , possessed by the said lords and kings , in the said country , and have paid for the same the rights and duties belonging to the lord , or have obtained a gift and remission of the same , shall not be troubled nor molested , by reason of the said rights and duties , but shall remain acquitted , and shall be lyable to no demand about the same . lxxvii . in case the said duke charles of lorrain , be not willing to accept and ratifie what hath been agreed by the two lords and kings , concerning his interests , in the manner aforesaid : or having accepted of the same , he should happen hereafter to fail in the execution and performance of the tenor of the present treaty , his most christian majesty , in the first case of non-accepting of the treaty by the said duke , shall not be bound to execute on his part , any of the articles of the said treaty ; and yet he shall not be deemed , for this cause , to have in any thing infringed the same : as also in the second case , that the said duke having accepted of the aforesaid conditions should hereafter happen to sail on his part , in the execution thereof , his said majesty hath reserved and doth reserve unto himself all the rights he had acquired upon the said dominions of lorrain , by several treaties made , between the late king his father of happy memory , and the said duke , to prosecute the said rights in such manner as he shall think best . lxxviii . his catholick majesty doth consent that his said most christian majesty be not obliged to the foresaid re-establishment , unto the said duke charles of lorrain , but after the emperor shall have approved and ratified by an authentick act , which shall be delivered to his most christian majesty , all the articles stipulated as to the said duke charles of lorrain , in the present treaty , none excepted : and his said catholick majesty doth oblige himself to procure of the emperor , the speedy expedition and delivery of the said act : as also in case it be found that of the dominions , countrys , towns , lands or lordships , remaining to his most christian majesty , in propriety , by the present treaty , of such as formerly belonged to the dukes of lorrain , there be any fief held of the empire , for reason whereof his majesty had need and should desire to be invested with the same , his catholick majesty doth promise , sincerely and bonâ fide , to sollicite the emperor for the obtaining of the said investitures , in the behalf of the said lord most christian king , without delay or difficulty . lxxix . the prince of conde having let cardinal mazarin the plenipotentiary of the most christian king his soveraign lord to understand , that he might acquaint his said majesty with it , how extreamly sorrowfull he was to have some years since followed a course displeasing to his majesty ; that he wished he could redeem with the best part of his blood , all the hostilities he hath committed within and without the kingdom of france ; whereunto he protesteth that his sole unhappiness , rather than any evil intention against his majesties service , hath engaged him : and that if his majesty be pleased to have so much generosity as to use towards him his royal bounty , forgetting what is past , and keeping him in honor of the his good graces , he will endeavor as long as he shall live to acknowledge that benefit , by an invioable fidelity , and to repair what is past by a full obedience to all his commands : and that in the interim , to begin and shew by the deeds that might be presently in his power with how great a passion he desired to recover the honour of his majesties benevolence , he pretends nothing in the conclusion of that peace , for all the interests he may have therein , but from the meer bounty , and of the own motion of the said lord the king his soveraign lord ; and doth even desire his majesty should be pleased fully to dispose , and according to his good pleasure , in such a manner as he shall please , of all the indamnifyings , the lord the catholick king shall be pleased to grant him , and which he hath already offered him either in estates or lands , or in places or money , which he submits all to his majesties feet : and besides that he is ready to disband all his forces , and to put in his majesties power the places of rocroy , le chastelet and linchamp , whereof the two first were remitted to him by his said catholick majesty : and that as soon as he may have obtained leave , he will send an express to the said lord the king , his soveraign lord , to protest yet more expresly of all the same intentions , and of the truth of his submissions , and to deliver unto his majesty such act or writing subscribed by him , as his majesty shall be pleased to prescribe for assurance that he renounceth to all leagues , treaties and associations he might have made heretofore with his catholick majesty : and that for the future he will not take nor receive any establishment , pension , nor benefit of any foreign king or potentate : and finally , for all the interests he may have , in what thing soever they may consist , he wholly remitteth them to the good pleasure and disposition of his majesty , without any pretension . his said most christian majesty being informed of all the premisses by his said plenipotentiary , and being sensible of the said princes proceeding and submission , hath desired and consented that his interests should be regulated in this treaty , after the manner following , granted and agreed on between the two lords the kings . lxxx . first , that the prince shall lay down arms at the furthest within eight weeks , reckoning from the day of the subscribing of the present treaty , and shall effectively disband all his forces both horse and foot , french and foreigners , who make up the body of the army he commands in the low-countries ; and that after such manner as his most christian majesty shall be pleased to prescribe ; except the garisons of rocroy , le chastelet and linchamp , which shall be disbanded at the time appointed for the restitution of the said three places . and the said laying down of arms and disbanding shall be made by the said prince really and bona fide , without transporting , lending or selling either really or feignedly , unto any other princes or potentates whatsoever , either friends or foes , or either allies of france . lxxxi . secondly , that the said prince , sending an express to his majesty to confirm more particularly unto him all the things aforesaid in his name , shall deliver unto his majesty an act subscribed by him , whereby he shall submit to the execution of what hath been concluded between the two lords and kings as to his person and interests , and as to the persons and interests of those that have followed him . and in consequence thereof , he shall declare that he sincerely departeth from , and bona fide renounceth to all leagues , intelligences and treaties of association or protection he may have made and contracted with his catholick majesty , or any other kings , potentates or foreign princes whatsoever , or any other persons within or without the kingdom of france ; with promise never to take or receive at any time hereafter of the said foreign kings or potentates , any pensions , establishments , or benefits , that may oblige him to a dependance of them , or to any tie to any other kings or potentates , but to his said majesty his soveraign lord ; upon the penalty , in case of breach of the said writing , to forfeit from that time the restoring and re-establishing granted to him by the present treaty , and to return to the same condition he was in about the latter end of march in this present year . lxxxii . thirdly that the said prince , in execution of what hath been before concluded and agreed between the said two lords and kings , shall really and indeed put into the hands of his most christian majesty the places of rocroy , le chastelet and linchamp , upon the time and day appointed by another article of this same treaty . lxxxiii . provided that what is abovesaid be executed , his most christian majesty , in contemplation of the peace and in consideration of the offices of his catholick majesty , using his royal clemency , shall sincerely and with a good heart receive the said prince into his grace , will pardon him , and with the same sincerity will forget all what for the time past he hath done and undertaken against his service , within or without the kingdom ; and will like his return into france , even where his majesties court shall be . in consequence whereof his said majesty shall restore and re-establish the said prince really and indeed into the free possession and enjoyment of all his estates , honors , dignities and priviledges of first prince of his blood : yet so , that as to the said estates and goods , of what nature soever , the said prince shall never pretend any thing , for the time past , for restitution of the fruits of the said estates , by whomsoever they may have been enjoyed by order of his majesty , nor for payment and restitution of his pensions , salaries , or any other rents and revenues he had upon demaines , farms , or general receipts of the said lord the king , nor by reason , or under pretence of what he might pretend to be due unto him by his majesty , afore his going out of the kingdom ; nor for demolitions , degradations , or damages made by his majesties orders or otherwise , in what manner soever , upon the estates , towns , places fortified or not fortified , lordships , chastellenies , lands and houses of the said prince . lxxxiv . and concerning the charges and governments of provinces or places , whereof the said prince was provided , and which he possessed afore his going out of france , his most christian majesty hath for a long time constantly refused to restore him thereunto , until being sensibly affected with the proceeding and the submission aforesaid of the said prince , when he wholly referred to his good pleasure and disposition all his interests without any pretension , and whatsoever was offered to him by his catholick majesty for his in damnifying , his most christian majesty hath at length inclined to grant him what followeth , upon certain conditions hereafter specified , concluded and agreed on by the said lords and kings , viz. that in case the lord the catholick king , on his part , instead of what he intended to give to the said prince towards the in damnifying of him , will draw out the spanish garison that is in the town , place and cittadel of juliers , and leave the said place and cittadel free of the said garison unto the duke of newburgh , upon the conditions , and in the manner that shall be hereafter more particularly specified in another article of this present treaty : as also if his said catholick majesty , besides the drawing out of the town and cittadel of juliers , the aforesaid spanish garison , doth put in the hands of his most christian majesty , the town and place of avennes , situate between the rivers of sambre and maez , with the appurtenances , dependances , annexes , and dominions , after the manner his said catholick majesty hath above obliged himself to do , by an article of this present treaty , ( which place of avennes his said majesty intended also to have given among other things , unto the said prince . ) provided , his majesty doth perform the premisses as aforesaid , that is to say , by way of compensation for the said remitting and yielding of one of the said places to the said lord the most christian king , to be for ever united and incorporated to the crown of france ; and of the going of the spanish garison out of the other , in the behalf of a prince , who is a friend and an ally of his said most christian majesty , whom his majesty hath desired to oblige , by vertue of the treaty of the said alliance : his said most christian majesty , for all things generally whatsoever that may concern the charges and governments formerly possessed by the said prince , or which any of those that belong to him had ground to hope , none excepted , will give unto the said prince the government of the province of burgundy and brescia , wherein are understood to be comprehended the countries of bugey , gex , and veromey : as also will give him the particular governments of the castle of dijon , and of the town of st. john de laune ; and to the duke of enguien his son , the charge of grand master of france , and of his houshold ; with briefs or declarations of assurance unto the said prince to secure it , in case the said duke of enguien should die before him . lxxxv . his said majesty shall cause his letters patents of amnesty to be dispatched , in good form , for whatsoever the said prince , his kindred , servants , friends , adherents , and domesticks , either ecclesiastical or secular , have or may have done or undertaken , heretofore , against his service ; so that neither he , nor they shall ever be prejudiced or suffer for it , at any time , nor their heirs , successours and assigns , as if those things had never happened . and his said majesty shall never at any time , make any inquisition against the said prince , nor his , nor against his servants , friends , adherents , or domesticks , either ecclesiastical or secular , for any moneys he or they have taken out of the general or particular receipts , or out of his customs and farms . and his majesty shall not oblige them to any restitution of the said moneys , nor of all the levies , of contributions , impositions , exactions upon the people , and acts of hostility committed in france , in what manner soever it might be : the which shall be more particularly expressed in the said letters of amnesty , for the entire security of the said prince and of those who have followed him , that they shall never be prosecuted , troubled , nor molested for the same . lxxxvi . after the said prince of conde hath on his part satisfied unto the contents of the three articles , , , . of the present treaty , all dutchies , counties , lands , lordships , and dominions , even those of clermont , stenay and dun , as he had them afore his going out of france , as also that of jamets , in case he had it then , which formerly belonged to the said prince ; together with all his other estates and goods , real or personal , of what quality soever , in the manner aforesaid , shall be restored unto him really and indeed , or to such as the said prince , being in france , shall commit and appoint , to take in his name the possession of the said goods , and to serve him in their administration : as also shall be restored unto him , and to his said deputies , all titles , documents and other writings left , at the time of his going out of the kingdom , in the houses belonging to his said lands and lordships , or elsewhere . and the said princes shall be re-integrated into the true and real possessions of all the said dutchies , counties , lands , lordships and dominions , with such rights , authorities , justice , chancery , royal cases , garners or salt store-houses , presentations and collations of benefices , graces and preheminences , which he or his predecessours have enjoyed , and as he enjoyed afore his going out of the kingdom , provided that he shall leave bellegarde and montrond in the state they are at present . whereupon shall be dispatched unto him , in as good form as he shall desire it , all letters patents of his majesty necessary thereunto ; and he shall not be troubled , prosecuted , nor molested in the said possession and injoyment by the said lord the king , nor by his heirs , successours or officers , directly nor indirectly , notwithstanding any donations , unions , or incorporations that might have been made of the said dutchys , counties , lands , lordships and dominions , estates , honours , dignities , and prerogatives of first prince of the blood , and any derogatory clauses , constitutions , and ordinances contrary thereunto . as also neither the said prince , nor any of his heirs and successours by reason of things that he may have done , either in france afore his going out , or out of the kingdom , after his said going out , nor for any treaties , or intelligences whatsoever , by him had or made with any princes and persons whatsoever , of what condition and quality they be , shall not be molested , troubled , nor prosecuted : but all kinds of proceedings , arrests , even that of the parliament of paris , of the of march , . judgements , sentences , and other acts , that may already have been made and issued against the said prince , both in civil and criminal matters , unless in the civil matter he hath voluntarily debated it , shall remain void and of none effect , and no pursuit shall ever be made concerning the same , as if those things had never happened . and in respect of the dominion of albres , which the said prince injoyed afore his going out of france , and whereof his majesty hath since otherwise disposed , his majesty shall give unto the said prince the dominion of bourbonoïs , upon the same conditions upon which the exchange of those two dominions had already been agreed , afore the said prince went out of the kingdom . lxxxvii . as to the kindred , friends , servants , adherents and domesticks of the said prince , either ecclesiastical or secular , who have followed his party , they shall have liberty , in consequence of the pardon and amnesty in a foregoing article mentioned , to return into france , with the said prince , and settle their abode in such place as they shall think best ; and they shall be re-established , as the other subjects of the two lords and kings , into the peaceable possession and injoyment of their estates , honours and dignities , except the charges , offices and governments which they were possessed of , asore their going out of the kingdom , to injoy by them the said estates , honours and dignities , as they held and possessed them . yet they shall not pretend any restitution for the enjoyments of the time past , either from such to whom his majesty had given the same , or in any other manner whatsoever . as likewise they shall be re-established into their rights , names , reasons , actions , successions and inheritances to them accrued , or to the children and widdows of such as are deceased , during their absence out of the kingdom ; as also such moveables by them left , shall be restored unto them if they be found in esse : and his majesty , in contemplation of the peace , doth declare null and of none effect , ( except as to their said charges , offices and governments ) all proceedings , arrests , even that of the parliament of paris of the of march , . sentences , judgements , adjudications , donations , incorporations , and other acts , that may have been made against them or their heirs , for having followed the said princes party ; and that both in civil and criminal matters , unless in the civil matters they have voluntarily debated : and neither they nor their heirs shall ever be prosecuted , troubled or molested for the same . upon all which things aforesaid , his most christian majesty shall cause to be dispatched both unto the said prince , and to his kindred , servants , friends , adherents and domesticks , as well ecclesiastical as secular , all the necessary letters patents , containing the premises , in good form : which letters patents shall be delivered unto them , when the said prince shall have performed on his part the contents in the three articles , and , of the present treaty . lxxxviii . in conformity to what is contained in the . article of the present treaty , whereby his most christian majesty doth oblige himself to give unto the said prince of conde , and unto the said duke of enguian , his son , the governments and the charge therein mentioned , his catholick majesty doth promise and oblige himself , of his part , and in the word of a king , to draw out of the town , citadel or castle of juliers , the spanish garrison that is in the said town , citadel or castle , and all such other forces as might have lately gone into the same , or might yet go in to reinforce the garrison thereof , leaving in the said town and citadel all the artillery marked with the coat of arms of the house of cleveland or of juliers , or that hath belonged to them : and as to the rest of the said artillery , arms , ammunition , and instruments of war , which his majesty hath in the said town and castle of juliers , delivering them unto the duke of nubourgh , or such as shall be appointed by him to receive the same , in the same quality he hath the possession of the estate of juliers : the said duke delivering before into the hands of his catholick majesty a writing in good form signed with his hand , satisfactory ▪ to his said catholick majesty , whereby he shall engage not to sell , alienate nor , pawn the said town , citadel or castle to any princes , or any other private persons ; and that he shall not put therein , nor settle there any other garrison but of his own forces : as also to grant unto his said catholick majesty , whensoever he shall have need of it , the passage for his forces , either through the said town , or through the state of juliers ▪ his said majesty paying at his own charges the expence of the passage of the said forces , which shall be regulated journeys and reasonable marches , and shall not sojourn in the land ▪ the said duke taking , in such occasions , the necessary precautions for the safety of the said town and citadel . and in case the said duke should fail in the performance of what he shall oblige himself unto , as well of not alienating the same , as not of putting any other garrison in the said place and citadel , but what is his own , or that he refuseth to give passage to his catholick majesties forces , in paying their expences , the said lord the most christian king doth promise in the word of a king , not to assist the said duke with money or soldiers , nor in any other manner , by himself , or by interposed persons , to uphold the said contravention ; but to the contrary he will lend his own forces , if need be , for the accomplishing of the premises . lxxxix . it hath been expresly concluded and agreed between the said plenipotentiaries ▪ that the reservations contained in the and articles of the treaty of vervins , shall have their full and entire effect ; and no explication contrary to their meaning shall be used : and that in consequence thereof to the said lord the most christian king of france and navarre , his successors and assigns are reserved , notwithstanding any prescription or space of time that might be alledged to the contrary , all the rights , actions and pretensions he conceives to belong unto him , because of the said kingdoms , countries and lordships , or any where else , for any cause whatsoever , whereunto it hath ever been , either by himself , or by his predecessors , expresly renounced , to prosecute the same by an amicable way and of justice , and not by arms. lxxxx . likewise shall be reserved unto the said lord the catholick king of spain , his successors and assigns , notwithstanding any prescription or space of time that might be alledged to the contrary , all the rights , actions and pretensions he conceives to belong unto him , because of the said kingdoms ▪ countries and lordships , or any where else , for any cause whatsoever , whereunto it hath never been , either by himself or by the king 's his predecessors expresly renounced , likewise to prosecute the same by an amicable way and of justice , and not by arms. lxxxxi . whereas the said cardinal mazarin , his most christian majesties ▪ plenipotentiary , hath represented , that for the better obtaining of a good peace , it is necessary that the duke of savoy , who hath intermedled in this war , joyning his arms to those of the crown of france , whose ally he is , should be comprehended in the present treaty : his most christian majesty loving the welfare and preservation of the said duke , as much as his own , because of the propinquity of blood and alliance whereby they are related ; and his catholick majesty finding it reasonable that the said duke be comprehended in that peace : upon the instances and by the interposition of his most christian majesty ; it hath been concluded and agreed , that for the future there shall be a cessation of all manner of acts of hostility , as well by sea and other waters , as by land , between his catholick majesty and the said duke of savoy , their children , heirs and successors , born or to be born , their states , dominions and lordships , a restablishment of amity , navigation and commerce , and good correspondency between the subjects of his said majesty and the said duke , without distinction of places or of persons : and the said subjects shall be restablished , without difficulty or delay , into the free and peaceable possession and enjoyment of all their goods , rights , names , reasons , pensions , actions , immunities and priviledges of what nature soever , which they possessed in the dominions one of the other , afore the present war ; or that might have escheated to them during the same , and which by reason of it may have been seized on : yet so that they shall not pretend or demand any ▪ restitution for the enjoying of the same for the time past , during the war. lxxxxii . in consequence of the said peace , and in consideration of the offices of his most christian majesty , the said lord the catholick king shall restore unto the said duke of savoy , really and indeed , the town , place and castle of verceil , and all the territories thereof , appurtenances , dependences and annexes : and shall therein demolish nothing , nor damnifie the fortifications that have been made there ; but shall restore it in the same condition , as to the artillery , ammunitions of war , victuals , and any other things , as it was when the said verceil was taken by his catholick majesties arms. and as to the place of cencio in the langs , it shall likewise be restored to the said duke of savoy , in the same state it is now in , with the dependences , and annexes . lxxxxiii . as for the dower of the late serenissima infanta catharina , about which there hath been some difference betwixt the houses of savoy and of modena , his catholick majesty doth promise and engage , to see effectively paid unto the duke of savoy , the arrears that may be due to his house , since the said dower was appointed , until the of december , in the year . at which time the late duke charles emanuel of savoy gave in appanage the said dower , to the late prince philbert his son , as it shall be verified by the date , out of the books of the royal chamber of the kingdom of naples . and for the payment , for the future , of the current of the said dower , and other arrears , what is further disposed about it , hereafter , by another article of the present treaty , shall be followed . lxxxxiv . and because the divisions , or contrary pretensions of the houses of savoy and mantua , have several times caused some troubles in italy ▪ because of the assistances the said lords and kings have at divers times given , each of them to his ally ; that for the future , no subject or pretence may be left , that might afresh after the good intelligence and amity of their majesties ▪ it hath been concluded and agreed , for the good of the peace , that the treaties made at querasque , in the year ▪ about the differences of the said houses of savoy and mantua , shall be executed according to their form and tenor . and his catholick majesty doth promise and engage his royal word , never to oppose , nor in any wise to do any thing contrary unto the said treaty , nor to the execution thereof , for any reason , action , or pretence whatsoever , and not to give any assistance or favour , directly nor indirectly , in any manner whatsoever , to any prince that shall offer to infringe the said treaties of querasque ; whereof his most christian majesty shall have power to maintain the observation and execution of it , by his authority , and if need be , with his arms. and his most catholick majesty shall not have power to make use of his own to hinder it ; any thing of the third article of the present treaty ( whereunto it is expresly derogated this present article , only for that regard ) contrary thereunto , notwithstanding . lxxxxv . whereas the difference remaining betwixt the said duke of savoy , and the duke of mantua , about the dower of the late princess margaret of savoy , grand-mother to the said duke of mantua , could not be composed in several conferences had by the commissioners of the said dukes about the same , both in italy and in this place , before the plenipotentiaries of their majesties , because of the too great distance of the one , and the exceptions of the other : so that they could not agree afore the conclusion of the said peace , which ought not to have been retarded , because of that interest onely : it hath been concluded and agreed , that the said dukes shall cause their commissioners to meet in italy , within thirty days after the subscribing of this treaty , and sooner , if it may be , at such a place as shall be agreed on between the duke of navailles , and in his absence , between the ambassador of the most christian king residing in piedmont , and the count of fuensaldana , or in such manner as they shall think it most fit ; to the end , that with the intervention of the ministers of both the lords and kings , which may happen to contribute much for facilitating and carrying on of that accommodation , they might attend the composure of that difference ; so that within other forty days , after their first meeting , the said accommodatoin may be concluded , and the parties may agree about the sum that is due . and in case that new conference do not produce the intended effect , afore the spring , then both the plenipotentiaries of the two lords and kings shall meet again together , upon this same frontier of both the kingdoms . and then their majesties , having been acquainted by their ministers of the reasons on both sides , and of the expedients propounded unto them shall make choice of that which they shall judge to be just and reasonable , to mediate the accommodation of that business in an amicable way ; so that the said dukes might and be obliged to remain satisfied on both sides . and their said majesties shall concur afterwards , unanimously to procure that their determinations may be executed , so that nothing might remain that may alter the publick tranquility of italy . lxxxxvi . and because , since the death of the duke of modena hapned in piedmont , the last year . his catholick majesty hath been informed , by his ministers in italy , that the duke of modena his successor hath shewed his pleasure for the things hapned during this war , and to have a firm intention to give satisfaction to his said majesty concerning his person and his actions , and to merit by his conduct his royal good will , the said duke having made for that end , divers offices to the count of fuensaldana , governor and captain-general in the state of milan . upon this consideration , and of the lord the most christian kings interposition , his catholick majesty doth from henceforth receive into his grace , the person and the house of the said duke , who shall for the future live and proceed in a good and free neutrality with the two crowns of france and spain , and his subjects shall have power to have and to hold a free-commerce within the dominions of both the crowns : and the said duke and his subjects shall enjoy such rents and graces , as they have obtained , or hereafter may obtain of their majesties , as they wonted to enjoy them , without difficulty , afore the taking up of arms. lxxxxvii . likewise his catholick majesty hath consented and granted never to send any more into the place of correggio , the garrison he used to have there , for the time past : so that the possession of the said place of correggio shall remain free of the said garrison , and even for a greater security and advantage of the said duke , his catholick majesty doth promise to make most pressing offices towards the emperor , that he may be pleased to grant unto the said duke , to his satisfaction , the investiture of the aforesaid dominion of correggio , as the princes of the said correggio formerly had it . lxxxxviii . as to the dower of the serenissima infanta catharina , assigned upon the customs of foja in the kingdom of naples , of duckets of yearly revenue , or such other quantity as shall appear by the books of the royal chamber of that kingdom ; about which dower , there is some difference betwixt the duke of savoy and the duke of modena , his catholick majesty acknowledging without any difficulty , that he oweth the same , and having intention to pay it to any of the said dukes , to whom the propriety of the said dower shall be adjudged by justice , or by any particular convention or agreement made between them , it hath been concluded and agreed , that his said catholick majesty shall forthwith settle all things concerning the said dower , in the same state they were , when the payment of the said dower began to cease to be paid , upon the occasion of the taking up of arms ; that is to say , if at that time , the monies of the said dower were sequestred , they shall continue so still for the future until the differences betwixt the said dukes be ended , either by a definitive judgment of justice , or by a mutual agreement between them : and if at the aforesaid time , the late duke of modena was in possession of ▪ enjoying the same dower , and the monies thereof not sequestred , his majesty shall continue from this time , to pay unto the duke of modena his son , both the arrears that shall be found to be due for the time past , and what shall run for the future , of the revenew of the said dower , yet defalking upon the arrears all the enjoyment of it during the time the house of modena hath been in arms against the state of milan . in that last case , shall , in the mean while , remain to the said duke of savoy , all reasons , actions and rights to prosecute the same in justice , and cause it to be declared , to whom doth the propriety of the said dower belong . after which judgment or particular convention , that may intervene between the said dukes , his catholick majesty shall pay , without difficulty , the revenew of the said dower , to such of them to whom the same shall be found to belong by a definitive sentence of justice , or by an accommodation made between the said dukes of savoy and modena . lxxxxix . and because the said lords and kings have considered , that the differences of the other princes their friends and adherents , have often drawn them , against their wills , and the kings their predecessors , of glorious memory , to the taking up of armes : their majesties desiring , as much as in them lies , to remove , by the present peace , in all places , the least occasions of dissention , the better to secure the continuation thereof , and chiefly to settle the tranquility of italy so often troubled by the particular differences happened between the princes , who do possess any dominions there ; the two lords and kings have concluded and agreed , that they will jointly interpose , sincerely and pressingly , their offices and supplications towards our holy father the pope , until they may have obtained of his holiness that he might be pleased to cause the difference to be ended without delay , either by an agreement or by justice , which the duke of modena hath had so long since , with the apostolicall chamber , touching the propriety and possession of the valleys of comachio : the said kings and lords hoping of the soveraigne equity of his holiness , that he will not refuse the just satisfaction that shall be due to a prince , whose ancestors have so well deserved of the holy see , and who , in a most considerable interest , hath hitherto consented to take even his own adversary's parties for judges . c. the two lords and kings , upon the like consideration of plucking up the seeds of all differences , that might trouble the peace of italy , have also concluded that they will jointly interpose , sincerely and pressingly , their officers and supplications towards our holy father the pope , untill they may have obtained of his holiness , the grace which their majesties have so often demanded of him singly , in the behalf of the duke of parma , that he may have power to discharge , at several convenient intervals of time , the debt he hath contracted to the apostolical chamber by like intervals ; and that by that means , and with the engaging or alienating of part of his dominions of castro and roneiglione , he may find such monies as are necessary unto him for the preservation of the rest of his dominions . the which their majesties do hope of the goodness of his holiness ; no less by the desire he will have to prevent all occasions of discord in christendom , then by his disposition to favor a house so well meriting of the holy apostolical see. ci. the said lords and kings judging that they can not better acknowledg towards god , the grace they have received of his meer soveraigne bounty , who hath inspired them the desire , and opened them the means of reconciling themselves , and granting peace unto their people , then by applying themselves , and endeavouring , with all their power , to procure and preserve the like tranquility unto all other christian states , whose peace is either troubled , or like to be suddenly altered ; their majesties seeing , with a great grief ▪ the present disposition of germany , and of other northern countries , where the war is kindled , and may yet inflame the empire , by the division of the princes and states thereof , have concluded , agreed and resolved , to send without delay , their ambassadors , or cause those they have already in the empire , jointly to act for the managing , in their name , and by their interposition , a good and speedy accommodation , both of all differences that may trouble the peace of the empire , and of such , as some years since , have caused the war in the other parts of the north. cii . and because informations have been had , that notwithstanding the accommodation made some years since , of the divisions happened then betwixt the cantons of the leagues of switzerland catholicks and protestants , there remains yet under the ashes , some sparks of that fire , that might if not wholly quenched , take fire again , and cause new troubles and dissentions betwixt those people allyed with both the crowns ; the two lords and kings have judged it necessary to apply themselves , on this part to the prevention of that danger , as much as in them shall lye , afore things grow worse : and therefore it hath been agreed and concluded between their majesties , that they shall send , upon that occasion , some particular ministers every one of them to the cantons of his alliance ( unless they judge those they have there in ordinary to be sufficient for the end they have proposed unto themselves , ) with orders , when they have exactly informed themselves of the motives and causes which have occasioned the misunderstanding and disunion of the said nation , to meet and endeavor , joyntly and uniformly , to procure there a good concord , and cause all things there to return to the peace , quietness and fraternity , wherewith the said cantons were wonted to live formerly : acquainting their superiors with the satisfaction their majesties will receive of it , because of the affection they bear to their states , and how much that establishment of union will be pleasing to them , because of the great desire they have for their welfare and publick tranquility . ciii . the differences hapned in the countries of the grisons , about the valtoline , having several times obliged both the kings and several other princes to take up arms ; to avoid , lest for the future , they might alter the good intelligence of their majesties , it hath been agreed , that within six months after the publication of the present treaty , and after information had , on both sides , of the intention of the grisons , touching the observation of the treaties heretofore made , it shall be agreed , in an amicable way , between the two crowns , of all the interests they have in that affair : and that for that end each of the said lords and kings shall give sufficient power to treat of it , to such ambassadors as he will send to the court of the other after the publication of the peace . civ . the prince of monaco shall be restored , without delay , into the peaceable possession of all the goods , rights and revenues belonging unto him , and which he injoyed afore the war , in the kingdom of naples , dutchy of milan , and other places of the obedience of his catholick majesty : with liberty to alienate the same as he shall please , by sale , donation , or otherwise : and shall not be troubled nor molested in the injoyment thereof , for having put himself under the protection of the crown of france , nor for any other subject or pretence whatsoever . cv . it hath been likewise agreed and concluded , that his catholick majesty shall pay ready money to the lady duchess of cheureuse the sum of philippuses , each of ten reals , amounting to livers french money : and that for the price of the lands and lordships of kerpin and lommerscin , with the aids and dependences of the said lands , the said duchess had purchased of his catholick majesty , according to his said majesties letters patents of the second of june . out of which lands and lordships , the said lady hath since been turned by his catholick majesties ministers , because of the present war ? and his said majesty hath disposed of them in the behalf of the elector of cologne : and shall the said payment of philippuses , each of ten realls , be made by his said catholick majesty , unto the said lady of cheureuse , by the two terms , the first within six months from the day and date of these presents ; and the rest six months after ; so that in a years time they may have received the whole sum . cvi. all prisoners of war , of what nation or condition soever , being detained on either side , shall be set at liberty , in paying their expences , and what they may otherwise owe ; but without paying any ransom , unless they have agreed before otherwise ? in which case the treaties made by them afore this day , shall be executed according to their form and sense . cvii . all other prisoners and subjects of the said lords and kings , who by the calamity of the wars might happen to be detained in their majesties gallies , shall be speedily delivered and set at liberty , without any delay , for any cause or occasion whatsoever , and without demanding any thing for their ransom , or for their expences . as also , shall be set at liberty , after the same manner , all french soldiers that shall be found to be detained prisoners in the places held by his catholick majesty upon the coasts of africa , without demanding of them , as aforesaid , any thing for their ransom or expences . cviii . provided all the premises be duly observed , it hath been concluded and agreed , that the treaty made at vervins in the year , is again confirmed and approved by the said plenipotentiaries , in all its points , as if the same was here inserted word for word , and without innovating any thing therein , nor in any of the other former treaties , which shall remain in their full force in whatsoever it is not derogated unto by this present treaty . cix . and as touching the things contained in the aforesaid treaty of , and in a former made in the year . which have not been executed according to the tenor of the said treaties , the execution shall be made and performed , in such things as are yet unperformed : and for that end commissioners shall be appointed on both sides , within two months , with sufficient power to agree together ; within the space that shall be mutually agreed on , concerning all things to be yet executed , either touching interests of of the said lords and kings , or the interests of the commonalties and private persons , their subjects , who shall have any thing to demand , or complaint to make on either side . cx . the said commissioners shall likewise have care , by virute of their powers , to regulate the limits , as well between the dominions and countries that of old have belonged to the said lords and kings , about which there have been some debates , as between the dominions and lordships that are to remain to each of them , by the present treaty , in the low countries . and particularly a separation shall be made by the said commissioners of the chastellenies and other lands and lordships that are to remain to the said lord the most christian king , from such chastellenies . lands and lordships as are to remain to the said lord the catholick king ; so that hereafter there may arise no dispute about the same , and that the inhabitants and subjects on both sides might not be disturbed . and in case they cannot agree touching the contents of the present article , and of the next foregoing , arbitrators shall be appointed by common consent , who shall take conusance of whatsoever shall remain undecided between the said commissioners : and the judgments that shall be rendred by the said arbitrators , shall be executed on both sides without any delay or difficulty . cxi . for the satisfaction and payment of what may be due on both sides for the ransom of the prisoners of war , and for such expences as they may have made during their prison , since the beginning of the war until the day of the present peace , in conformity to the treaties made for the exchanging of the said prisoners , and namely that of , made at soissons , the marquis of castel rodrigo being governor of the low countries , it hath been concluded and agreed , that the expences of such prisoners as have been already released , or are to be released without ransom by virtue of the present peace , shall be presently paid , ready money on both sides ; and that as to the other prisoners that have been released by virtue of the particular treaties of exchange made during the war , and afore the present treaty , commissioners shall be appointed on both sides , within a month of the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty , who shall meet at such place as shall be agreed on , towards flanders , whither also the accounts concerning the prisoners made in the kingdom of naples and sicily , and their dependences in the state of milan and in piedmont , in the principality of catalonia , and in the counties of roustillon and cerdana , and other places of spain , besides what concerns the frontiers between france and the low-countries , shall be carried ; and the said accounts being stated by them , both for their expences for diet , and for this ransom , after the manner practised upon other treaties of that nature , the lord and king who shall be found debtor to the other , by the stating of the said accounts , doth oblige himself to pay ready monies , bonâ fide , and without delay , unto the other of the said lords and kings , the sums of money whereof he shall remain debtor to him , for the expences and ransoms of the said prisoners at war. cxii . as it might well happen that the particular persons interested on both sides , in the restitution of the goods , into the propriety and enjoyment whereof they ought to re-enter , by virtue of the present treaty , should find under divers pretences , difficulties and resistance in their re-establishment by such as are now in possession of the said goods ; or that any other obstructions should arise in the full execution of the premises , it hath been concluded and agreed , that the said lords and kings shall appoint each of them one of their ministers to repair to the court of the other , and other places if need be , to the end that hearing jointly , at the place where the said ministers shall meet , such persons as shall apply themselves unto them about those affairs , and taking conusance of the contents of the articles of the treaty , and of what the said parties shall offer unto them , they might declare together unanimously , briefly and summarily , without any other formality of justice , what ought to be executed , issuing thereupon the necessary . act and instrument of their declaration , which act shall be performed without admitting or leaving any room to any contradiction or reply . cxiii . the execution of the present peace , in what regardeth the restitution and surrendring of the places which the said lords and kings are to restore and put in the hands one of the other respectively , or of their allies , by virtue of , and in conformity to this treaty , shall be made at the time , and after the following manner . cxiv . first , without staying for the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty , to the end the forces which make up the army of the most christian king , and the garrisons of the places he holdeth in italy , might repass the alpes afore the ice doth shut up the passages , both the said plenipotentiaries have concluded and agreed , that they take upon themselves to have the orders of their majesties respectively , forthwith sent by expresses unto the duke of navailles , & the count of fuensaldagne ; as also to the marquis of caracent , for what concerneth him , to make , upon the th . of the instant november , the following restitutions , viz. upon that day shall be restored by the lord the most christian king unto his catholick majesty , the places of valence upon the po , and of mortara in the state of milan : as likewise upon the same th . day of november , shall be restored by the lord the catholick king unto the duke of savoy , the place and cittadel of verceil in piedmont ; and towards the low counties , unto his most christian majesty , the place of castelet ; the said lords and plenipotentiaries having taken upon themselves , by vertue of the particular orders they have of their majesties for that purpose , the punctual execution of that article , afore the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty , as aforesaid . cxv . the exchange of the ratifications being made within the day that hereafter shall be named , on the th . day of december , of this present year , shall be restored , by the said lord the most christian king , unto his catholick majesty the places of oudenard , marville , menene , and comine upon the river lys , dixmude and furne , with the posts of la fintelle and la quenoque . as also , upon the same th . day of december , shall be restored by the said lord the catholick king , unto his most christian majesty , the places of rocroy and linchamp . cxvi . eight days after , which will be the th . of january , of the next year . shall be restored by the said lord the most christian king , unto his catholick majesty , the places of ypre , la bassee , bergh st. wynox , and the fort royal thereof ; and all the posts , towns , and castles , taken by the french arms in the principality of catalonia , except roses , fort of the trinity , and cape de quiers : as likewise upon the same th day of january , shall be restored by the said lord the catholick king , and put into the hands and in the power of his most christian majesty , the places of hesdin , philippeville , and marienbourg . cxvii . after the prince of conde hath rendred his respects to the most christian king , his soveraign lord , and is setled again into the honours of his grace , the places of avennes and juliers shall be by the lord the catholick king , put into the hands and in the power of his most christian majesty and of the duke of newbourg . and the same day , the said lord the most christian king shall restore unto his catholick majesty , the posts , towns , forts , and castles taken by the french in the county of burgundy , after the manner , and at the time more particularly agreed upon by their said majesties . cxviii . upon supposition and condition that the said commissioners , that are to be appointed to declare the places that ought to belong to each of the said lords and kings , in the counties and vigueries of conflans and cerdana , shall have before concluded and unanimously made the declaration that is to regulate for the future the limits of both kingdoms : as also , when all the aforesaid restitutions are made and punctually performed , his most christian majesty shall restore upon the th . of may of the next year . unto his catholick majesty , the places and posts of roses , the fort of the trinity and cape de quiers , upon the conditions more particularly agreed on by their majesties . cxix . it hath likewise been concluded and agreed , that in the exchange that shall be made of la bassee and berg st. wynox , and its royal fort , with philippeville and marienbourg , there shall be left in the said places as much artillery , both in number , and of the same weight and quality , as well in the one as in the other ; as also as much ammunition of war of all sorts , and victuals , as the commissioners appointed on both sides shall agree bona fide , and shall see it performed : so that what shall be found over and above , as well in the one as in the other , may be taken out of the said places , and transported any where else ; where the lord and king shall please , to whom that greater quantity of the things aforesaid shall be found to belong . cxx . their said majesties have likewise concluded , agreed , resolved and promised , upon their royal word , to send , each on their part , their orders to the generals of their armies , or governors of their arms and countries , to have them give their assistance for the execution of the said respective restitutions of places upon the certain days before prefixed , advising together , bona fide , about the means and all other things that may regard the faithful execution of what hath been promised and agreed between their said majesties , after the manner , and at the time aforesaid . cxxi . the duke charles of lorrain accepting , as to what concerns him , this present peace , upon the conditions afore stipulated between the said lords and kings , and not otherwise , his most christian majesty shall re-establish within four months , from the day of exchanging of the ratifications of the present treaty , the said duke into the dominions , lands and places expressed before , except such as are to remain to his most christian majesty , in propriety and soveraignty , by the said present treaty ; provided , the said duke , afore his re-establishment , besides his accepting of the conditions that concern him in the present peace , doth furnish unto his most christian majesty , and at his satisfaction , all the several acts and obligations , he is to put into his hands , according to this treaty . and after the manner specified and stipulated before . cxxii . besides the duke of savoy , the duke of modena , and the prince of monaco , who , as allies of france , are of the chiefest contractors in this treaty , as aforesaid , by the common consent of the said lords the most christian & catholick , shall be comprehended in this peace and alliance , if they will be comprehended therein , on his most christian majesties part , first , our holy father the pope , the holy apostolical see , the electors & other princes of the empire , allies and confederates with his majesty for the maintaining of the peace of munster , viz. the three electors of mentz , cole● , and the count palarine of the rhine , the duke of newburg , the dukes auguste christiane , lewis and george william of brunswick and luneburge , the landgrave of hessen-cassel , and the landgrave of darmstat , the duke and the seigniory of venice , and the thirteen cantons of the league of switzerland , and their allies and confederates , & all other kings , potentates , princes and states , towns and particular persons , to whom his most christian majesty , upon a decent requisition made by them for it , will grant on his part , to be comprehended in this treaty , and will name them , within a year after the publication of the peace , unto his catholick majesty by a particular declaration , to enjoy the benefit of the said peace , both by the aforenamed , and by such as his majesty shall name within the said time . their majesties giving their declaratory and obligatory letters , required in such case respectively ; and the whole with an express declaration , that the said catholick king shall not have power , directly , nor indirectly to molest , by himself , or by others , any of those who on the said lord the most christian kings part , have been above , or hereafter shall be comprehended by a particular declaration ; and that if the lord the catholick king hath any pretensions against him , he shall only have power to prosecute him by right , before competent judges , and not by force , in what manner soever it may be . cxxiii . and on the said lord the catholick kings part , shall be comprehended in this treaty ( if they will therein be comprehended ) our holy father the pope , the apostolical see , the emperor of the romans , all the archdukes of austria , and all the kings , princes , republicks , states and particular persons , who , as allies of this crown , were named in the treaty of peace made at vervins , . and who shall have preserved , and do at this day preserve themselves in that alliance . to whom are added now the united provinces of the low countries , and the duke of guastale ; as also , shall be comprehended all such others , as by common consent of the said lords and kings , shall be named within a year after the publication of the present treaty , to whom , as also to the aforenamed , if they desire it in particular , letters of nomination respectively obligatory shall be given to enjoy the benefit of the said peace , & with express declaration , that the said lord , the most christian king , shall not have power directly nor indirectly , by himself , or by others , to molest any of them : and if he hath any pretentions against them , he shall have power only to prosecute them by right before competent judges , and not by force . cxxiv . and for greater security of this treaty of peace , and of all the points and articles therein contayned ; the said treaty shall be published , verified and registred in the court of the parliament of paris , and in all the other parliaments of the kingdom of france , and in the chamber of accounts in the said paris . as likewise the said treaty shall be verified , published and registred as well in the grand council , and other councils , and chambers of accounts of the said lord the catholick king , in the low countries , as in the other councils of the crowns of castile and arragon , according unto , and after the manner contained in the treaty of vervins , of the year . whereof the expeditions shall be delivered on both sides within three moneths after the publication of the present treaty . which points and articles before set down , together with the whole contents of any of them , have been treated , granted , passed and stipulated between the aforesaid plenipotentiaries of the said lords , the most christian and catholick king , in the name of their majesties . which plenipotentiaries , by virtue of their power , the copie ; whereof are inserted at the bottom of this present treaty , have promised and do promise under the obligation of all and every the goods and estates , present or to come of the kings their majesties , that the same shall be by their majesties inviolably observed and performed , and to cause them to ratifie the same meerly and singly , without adding any thing thereunto , and to give and deliver reciprocally one to the other , authentical and sealed letters , wherein the whole present , treaty shall be word for word inserted ; and that within days , from the day and date of these presents , and sooner if it may be . besides , the said plenipotentiaties have promised and do promise , in the names aforesaid , that the said letters of ratification , being exchanged and furnished , the said most christian king , as soon as it may be , and in the presence of such person or persons as the said lord the catholick king shall be pleased to appoint , shall solemnly swear upon the cross , the holy evangelists , the canons of the mass , and upon his honour , to observe and perform fully , really , and bona fide , the whole contents of the articles of the present treaty . and the like shall be done also , as soon as possibly may be , by the said lord the catholick king , in the presence of such person or persons as the said lord the most christian king shall be pleased to appoint . in witness whereof the said plenipotentiaries have subscribed the present treaty with their names , and set the seals of their coat of arms thereunto . we , having the aforesaid treaty acceptable , in all and every the points , and articles therein contained and declared , have , both for us , and for our heirs , successors , kingdoms , countries , lands , lordships and subjects ; accepted , approved , ratified and confirmed , and do accept , approve , ratifie and confirm the same ; and do promise , in the faith and word of a king , and under the obligation and engagement of all and every our goods , present and to come , inviolably to keep , observe , and maintain the whole , without ever doing any thing contrary thereunto , directly , nor indirectly , in what sort and manner soever . in witness whereof , we have signed these presents with our hand , and thereunto caused our seal to be set and apposed . given at thoulose the four and twentieth of november , . and of our reign the seventeenth . finis . lord william cecill and mannars baron of roos ... ros, william cecil, lord, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc . estc s ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) lord william cecill and mannars baron of roos ... ros, william cecil, lord, - . sheet ([ ] p.). by r. barker, [london : ] imprint suggested by stc ( nd ed.). declaration of style and title as ambassador to the king of spain. reproduction of original in: society of antiquaries. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng ros, william cecil, -- lord, - . great britain -- foreign relations -- spain. spain -- foreign relations -- great britain. great britain -- history -- james i, - . broadsides -- london (england) -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion lord william cecill and mannars baron of roos laufull heyre of the baronies of burghley and earldome of excetor , ambassader extraordinary for the sacred and royall maiestie of the most illustrious kinge of great brittaine to his very louing brother the most illustrious catholique kinge of spaine . anno . . the tears of the indians being an historical and true account of the cruel massacres and slaughters of above twenty millions of innocent people, committed by the spaniards in the islands of hispaniola, cuba, jamaica, &c. : as also in the continent of mexico, peru, & other places of the west-indies, to the total destruction of those countries / written in spanish by casaus, an eye-witness of those things ; and made english by j.p. brevísima relación de la destrucción de las indias. english casas, bartolomé de las, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing c ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing c estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the tears of the indians being an historical and true account of the cruel massacres and slaughters of above twenty millions of innocent people, committed by the spaniards in the islands of hispaniola, cuba, jamaica, &c. : as also in the continent of mexico, peru, & other places of the west-indies, to the total destruction of those countries / written in spanish by casaus, an eye-witness of those things ; and made english by j.p. brevísima relación de la destrucción de las indias. english casas, bartolomé de las, - . phillips, john, - . [ ], [i.e. ], [ ] p., [ ] leaves of plates : ill. printed by j.c. for nath. brook ..., london : . translation of: brevísima relación de la destrucción de las indias. reproduction of original in huntington library. eng indians, treatment of -- latin america. spain -- colonies -- america. a r (wing c ). civilwar no the tears of the indians: being an historical and true account of the cruel massacres and slaughters of above twenty millions of innocent pe casas, bartolomé de las b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion teares of ye indians or inquisition for bloud being a relation of ye spannish massacres in those part . r gaywood fecit the tears of the indians : being an historical and true account of the cruel massacres and slaughters of above twenty millions of innocent people ; committed by the spaniards in the islands of hispaniola , cuba , iamaica , &c. as also , in the continent of mexico , peru , & other places of the west-indies , to the total destruction of those countries . written in spanish by casaus , an eye-witness of those things ; and made english by i. p. deut. . . therefore thine eye shall have no compassion ; but life for life , tooth for tooth , hand for hand , foot for foot . london , printed by i. c. for nath. brook , at the angel in cornhil . . to his highness , oliver , lord protector of the commonwealth of england , scotland & ireland , with the dominions thereto belonging . may it please your highness , i have here laid prostate before the throne of your justice , above twenty millions of the souls of the slaughter'd indians ; whose forc'd departure from their bodies , cruelty it self compassionates . yet me-thinks i hear a sudden stillness among them ; the cry of blood ceasing at the noise of your great transactions , while you arm for their revenge . by which it is apparent , how well your highness doth observe the will of the most high , using your vast power and dignity onely to the advancement of his glory among the nations : while the divine deitie bequeathes you back again immediate recompences ; crowning you , like his holy warriour , david , with the highest degree of earthly fame . therefore hath he inspired your highness with a prowess like that of ioshua , to lead his armies forth to battel ; and a zeal more devoutly fervent than that of iehu , to cut off the idolater from the earth . which divine vertues appear so eminent in you , that there is no man , who opposes not himself against heaven , but doth extol your just anger against the bloudy and popish nation of the spaniards , whose superstitions have exceeded those of canaan , and whose abominations have excell'd those of ahab , who spilt the blood of innocent naboth , to obtain his vineyard . and now , may it please your highness , god having given you a full victory over your enemies in this land , and a fix'd establishment , by the prosperous and total quelling of those pertinacious spirits ; certainly there is no true english-man who doth not lift up his eyes to heaven with thanks to almighty god , that you have made the land so happie , as to be the admiration of other nations , who have laid themselvs at your feet for alliances , as knowing your wonderful successes both by sea and land . pardon me , great sir , if next my zeal to heaven , the loud cry of so many bloudy massacres , far surpassing the popish cruelties in ireland , the honour of my country , of which you are as tender as of the apple of your own eye , hath induced me , out of a constant affection to your highness service , to publish this relation of the spanish cruelties ; whereby all good men may see and applaud the justness of your proceedings : being confident that god , who hath put this great designe into your hands , will also be pleased to give it a signal blessing ; which is the prayer of your highness most faithful , and most obedient servant , i. phillips . to all true english-men . never had we so just cause to exclaim in the words of the prophet jeremiah ; o that our heads were waters , and our eyes fountains of tears , that we might weep for the effusion of so much innocent blood which provok'd these sad relations of devout casaus , by reason of the cruel slaughters and butcheries of the iesuitical spaniards , perpetrated upon so many millions of poor innocent heathens , who having onely the light of nature , not knowing their saviour iesus christ , were sacrificed to the politick interest and avarice of the wicked spaniards . the blood of ireland , spilt by the same faction , in comparison of these massacres , was but as a drop to the ocean . it was the saying of christ himself , the son of mercy , and redeemer of the world , that we ought not to cast the childrens bread to dogs : but what would he have judg'd of those , that not onely cast the bread , but the blood ; and not onely the blood , but the innocent blood of men , women and children , to satisfie the contemptible hunger of their hounds ? the intention of these men was murder ; and they kill'd up the poor indians , not as if they had been their fellow-mortals , but like death it self ; and invaded their land , not like men , but like the pestilence , whose destruction is epidemical . when our own case had a small resemblance of this , how sensible the people were , and how they mourned at the burning of a poor village ; the usual accidents , or rather , things to be expected , in a tedious and necessitated war : but , had you been eye-witnesses of the transcending massacres here related ; had you been one of those that lately saw a pleasant country , now swarming with multitudes of people , but immediately all depopulated , and drown'd in a deluge of bloud : had you been one of those that saw great cities of nations and countries in this moment flourishing with inhabitants , but in the next , totally ruin'd with such a general desolation , as left neither person living , nor house remaining : had you seen the poor innocent heathens shaming and upbraiding , with the ghastliness of their wounds , the devilish cruelties of those that called themselves christians : had you seen the poor creatures torn from the peace and quiet of their own habitations , where god had planted them , to labour in a tormenting captivity , by many degrees worse then that of algier , or the turkish galleys ; your compassion must of necessity have turn'd into astonishment : the tears of men can hardly suffice ; these are enormities to make the angels mourn and bewail the loss of so many departed souls , as might have been converted and redeemed to their eternal mansions . we read of old , of the ten persecutions wherein the primitive christians were destroy'd by the cruelties of the heathen emperours : but we now read of christians , the professors of a religion grounded upon love and charity , massacring , where there was no cause of antipathy , but their own obstinate barbarism ; as if because their wickedness had so far transform'd them into devils , they were resolved to deface the image of god , so innocently conversing among them . the turks and scythians shall be now no more the adagies of cruelty among us ; for here is a christian nation which hath taken off that envie from them , and entayl'd it upon themselves . and now , o men of england , let me ask you but this question ; whether you , that for these many years have had the honour to be the patrons of religion ; whose charity hath still relieved , and whose power hath still defended the cause of the oppressed at home and abroad ; whether you can withdraw your assistance from this great work , and deprive your selves of that birth-right which you seem to have among the nations , god still continuing the management of his iustice in the hands of our most fortunate and lawful magistrate , whom he hath rais'd up , as his great instrument , to revenge the blood of that innocent people . consider this , moreover , that you are not uow to fight against your country-men , but against your old and constant enemies , the spaniards , a proud , deceitful , cruel , and treacherous nation , whose chiefest aim hath been the conquest of this land , and to enslave the people of this nation ; witness those invasions in the days of queen elizabeth ; whose leagues of amity we had more reason to repent of , then to rejoyce at , as being destructive to the nation , and made with those that onely sought the advantages of peace , that they might be more safe to do us mischief : and so little they car'd for peace with us , that they never sought it , but when meer vrgencies of state requir'd ; and never kept their articles , when they had the least hope of profit to themselves : of which we need not look for ancient examples ; they are fresh in memory , and have been too sadly and undeservedly sustain'd , both nearer home , and of late years in the west-indies also , as appears by that pious and prudent declaration set forth by his highness the lord protector ; as if providence had so ordain'd it , that by the wrongs of our country-men in those parts , we should be interested in the quarrel of those innocent nations . neither need we to fear the vaunts of the spanish monarch , whose government stands not on those strong foundations that some imagine ; blood and tyrannie being the chief pillars of his greatness , or rather , his arcana imperii ; & his empire being onely strong in this , that the weaknesses thereof have not yet been well look'd into . should we chase him from his indian treasures , he would soon retire to his shell , like a snail tapt upon the horns . and perhaps it would not a little avail to the general peace of europe , whereby we should be strengthened against the common enemy of christianitie . for doubtless it hath been the satanical scope of this tyrant , to set all the european princes at variance , and to keep them busie at home , that they might not have leasure to bend their forces against his golden regions . but he pretends a right to them , though upon very slender grounds : for that the english may better claim then himself ; it being first discovered , as is well known , and tendered to henry the seventh , by sebastian cabot , one of his own captains . which brings to minde the poor spirits of our english kings , who would not regard such an advantage , so highly importing the honour of the nation , so far as to be almost guilty of the bloud shed in those parts , through their neglect . but for farther satisfaction concerning the right of the english to the west-indies , i shall refer you to a further treatise , which i may ere long put forth . and now , honoured country-men , seeing that by divine providence the cruelties and barbarous massacres of the spaniards have been so apparently presented to you , i cannot but be confident of your endeavours , as you tender the good and welfare of your native country , to acquit your selves in so just a cause , which god hath put into the heart and hands of our supreme magistrate , who is so vigilant to embrace all opportunities for the good of the nation . tears of the indies , or inquisition for bloud : being the relation of the spanish massacre there . in the year . the west-indies were discovered , in the following year they were inhabited by the spaniards : a great company of the spaniards going about . years agoe . the first place they came to , was hispaniola , being a most fertile island , and for the bignesse of it very famous , it being no less then six hundred miles in compass . round about it lie an innumerable company of islands , so throng'd with inhabitants , that there is not to be found a greater multitude of people in any part of the world . the continent is distant from this about two hundred miles , stretching it self out in length upon the sea side for above ten thousand miles in length . this is already found out , and more is daily discovered . these countreys are inhabited by such a number of people , as if god had assembled and called together to this place , the greatest part of mankinde . this infinite multitude of people was so created by god , as that they were without fraud , without subtilty or malice , to their natural governours most faithful and obedient . toward the spaniards whom they serve , patient , meek and peaceful , and who laying all contentious and tumultuous thoughts aside , live without any hatred or desire of revenge ; the people are most delicate and tender , enjoying such a feeble constitution of body as does not permit them to endure labour , so that the children of princes and great persons here , are not more nice and delicate then the children of the meanest countrey-man in that place . the nation is very poor and indigent , possessing little , and by reason that they gape not after temporal goods , neither proud nor ambitious . their diet is such that the most holy hermite cannot feed more sparingly in the wildernesse . they go naked , only hiding the undecencies of nature , and a poor shag mantle about an ell or two long is their greatest and their warmest covering . they lie upon mats , only whose who have larger fortunes , lye upon a kinde of net which is tied at the four corners , and so fasten'd to the roof , which the indians in their natural language call hamecks . they are of a very apprehensive and docible wit , and capable of all good learning , and very apt to receive our religion , which when they have but once tasted , they are carryed on with a very ardent and zealous desire to make a further progress in it ; so that i have heard divers spaniards confesse that they had nothing else to hinder them from enjoying heaven , but their ignorance of the true god . to these quiet lambs , endued with such blessed qualities , came the spaniards like most cruel tygres , wolves , and lions , enrag'd with a sharp and tedious hunger ; for these forty years past , minding nothing else but the slaughter of these unfortunate wretches , whom with divers kinds of torments neither seen nor heard of before , they have so cruelly and inhumanely butchered , that of three millions of people which hispaniola it self did contain , there are left remaining alive scarce three hundred persons . and for the island of cuba , which contains as much ground in length , as from valladolid to rome ; it lies wholly desert , untill'd and ruin'd . the islands of st. iohn and iamaica lie waste and desolate . the lucayan islands neighbouring toward the north upon cuba and hispaniola , being above sixty or thereabouts with those islands that are vulgarly called the islands of the gyants , of which that which is least fertile is more fruitful then the king of spains garden at sevil , being situated in a pure and temperate air , are now totally unpeopled and destroyed ; the inhabitants thereof amounting to above . souls , partly killed , and partly forced away to work in other places : so that there going a ship to visit those parts and to glean the remainder of those distressed wretches , there could be found no more then eleven men . other islands there were near the island of st. iohn more then thirty in number , which were totally made desert . all which islands , though they amount to such a number containing in length of ground the space of above two thousand miles , lie now altogether solitary without any people or inhabitant . now to come to the continent , we are confident , and dare affirm upon our own knowledge , that there were ten kingdomes of as large an extent as the kingdome of spain , joyning to it both arragon , and portugal , containing above a thousand miles every one of them in compass , which the unhumane and abominable villanies of the spaniards have made a wilderness of , being now as it were stript of all their people , and made bare of all their inhabitants , though it were a place formerly possessed by vast and infinite numbers of men ; and we dare confidently aver , that for those forty years , wherin the spaniards exercised their abominable cruelties , and detestable tyrannies in those parts , that there have innocently perish'd above twelve millions of souls , women and children being numbred in this sad and fatall list ; moreover i do verily believe that i should speak within compass , should i say that above fifty millions were consumed in this massacre . as for those that came out of spain , boasting themselves to be christians , they took two several waies to extirpate this nation from the face of the earth , the first whereof was a bloudy , unjust , and cruel war which they made upon them : a second by cutting off all that so much as sought to recover their liberty , as some of the stouter sort did intend . and as for the women and children that were lest alive , they laid so heavy and grievous a yoke of servitude upon them that the condition of beasts was much more tolerable . unto these two heads all the other several torments and inhumanities which they used to the ruine of these poor nations may be reduced . that which led the spaniards to these unsanctified impieties was the desire of gold , to make themselves suddenly rich , for the obtaining of dignities & honours which were no way fit for them . in a word , their covetousness , their ambition , which could not be more in any people under heaven , the riches of the countrey , and the patience of the people gave occasion to this their devillish barbarism . for the spaniards so contemned them ( i now speak what i have seen without the least untruth ) that they used them not like beasts , for that would have been tolerable , but looked upon them as if they had been but the dung and filth of the earth , and so little they regarded the health of their souls , that they suffered this great multitude to die without the least light of religion ; neither is this lesse true then what i have said before , and that which those tyrants and hangmen themselves dare not deny , without speaking a notorious falshood , that the indians neevr gave them the least cause to offer them violence , but received them as angels sent from heaven , till their excessive cruelties , the torments and slaughters of their country-men mov'd them to take armes against the spaniards . of hispaniola . they erected certain gallowses , that were broad but so low , that the tormented creatures might touch the ground with their feet , upon every one of which they would hang thirteen persons , blasphemously affirming that they did it in honour of our redeemer and his apostles , and then putting fire under them , they burnt the poor wretches alive . those whom their pity did think fit to spare , they would send away with their hands half cut off , and so hanging by the skin . thus upbraiding their flight , go carry letters to those who lye hid in the mountains and are fled from us . this death they found out also for the lords and nobles of the land ; they stuck up forked sticks in the ground , and then laid certain perches upon them , and so laying them upon those perches , they put a gentle fire under , causing the fire to melt them away by degrees , to their unspeakable torment . one time above the rest i saw four of the nobles laid upon these perches , and two or three other of these kinde of hurdles furnished after the same manner ; the clamours and cries of which persons being troublesome to the captain , he gave order that they should be hang'd , but the executioner whose name i know , and whose parents are not obscure , hindred their calamity from so quick a conclusion , stopping their mouthes , that they should not disturb the captain , and still laying on more wood , till being roasted according to his pleasure , they yeelded up the ghost . of these and other things innumerable i have been an eye-witnesse ; now because there were some that shun'd like so many rocks the cruelty of a nation so inhumane , so void of piety and love to mankinde , and therefore fled from them to the mountains ; therefore they hunted them with their hounds , whom they bred up and taught to pull down and tear the indians like beasts : by these dogs much humane bloud was shed ; and because the indians did now and then kill a spaniard , taking him at an advantage , as justly they might ; therefore the spaniards made a law among themselves , that for one spaniard so slaine , they should kill a hundred indians . of the kingdomes which the island of hispaniola did contain . the island of hispaniola had in it five very great kingdomes , and five very potent kings , to whom the other lords , of which there was a very great number were for the most part subject ; for there were some few lords of peculiar countries that did not acknowledge the jurisdiction of these kings ; one of these kingdomes is called maqua , which signifies a plain . this plain if there be any thing in the world worth taking notice , claims a very nice observation . for from the south to the north it is stretcht forward fourscore miles in length ; in breadth it takes up sometimes eight , sometimes five , and sometimes ten miles , on all sides it is shut up with very high mountains ; it is watered by thirty thousand rivers and rivolets , whereof twelve are not lesse then either duerus , ebrus , or guadalgevir : and all the rivers which run from the mountains on the west side , whose number is twenty thousand , do all of them abound with gold . with which mountain the province of cibao is bounded , where are the mines of cibao , that afford the most exquisite and pure gold which is so much valued among us . this kingdome was govern'd by guarionex , who had under his jurisdiction as his vassals , lords and governors so potent , that every one of them was able to bring into the field for the service of guarionex , above sixteen thousand men apiece . some of which lords i very well knew ; this king was not meanly vertuous , by nature peaceful , and much devoted to the king of castile . this king commanded his subjects that they should present to the spaniards a bell full of gold , which when they were not able to do by reason that the people had but little skill how to dig out the gold , he thereupon commanded them to present the spaniards with as much as they could fill . here a cacicus or governour offer'd himself to the service of the king of castile , upon condition , that he would take care that all the countrey from isabella to st. domingo , being five hundred miles in length , might be till'd ; which promises i am very confident he would cheerfully have performed ; and then might the king of castile have had a revenue of above three millions of castilian crowns , and there had been still remaining in the island above fifty cities as large all of them as sevill . but what was the recompence which they afforded to this milde and bountiful prince ? they suffered one of the spanish captains unworthy of the name of a christian to vitiate his wife . he might have raised an army and endevoured a revenge ▪ but he rather chose to leave his kingdome and his dignity , and to live a banished person in the province of coquaios , where a potent vassal and subject of his inhabited . but the spaniards hearing of his flght , resolved not to let him lurk anywhere ; but immediately making war upon him that had received them so liberally , they never rested till they had wasted all the kingdome to finde him out , at length he fell into their hands ; and no sooner had they taken him , but they fettered him immediately , putting him into a ship that was bound for spain ; but the ship was wrackt by the way , many spaniards perishing , and a great treasure of gold being lost ; god so taking revenge upon their enormities . another kingdome was called marien , where there is a port at one end of the plain that looks toward the north , being larger and more fertile then the kingdome of portugal , and which very well deserves to be better peopled ; for it abounds with mountains wherein are great store of gold mines . the name of the king that there ruled was guacanagari , under whom there were many other potent lords , some of whom i knew : to this place came the old sea captain that first discovered america , who was received with so much courtesie and friendship by guacanagari , who gave him and his associates all the help and assistance that might be ( for his ship was there sunk ) that upon his return into spain he would often affirm , that his own parents in his own countrey were never so friendly to him . this king flying from the cruelty and enormous murders of the spaniards , being depriv'd of his kingdome , died poorly in the mountains . the rest of his nobles ended their lives in that servitude and slavery which shall be hereafter related . the third kingdome was maquana , a countrey very temperate and fertile , where the best sugar in that island is made . in this countrey at that time canabao did reign , who for power , dignity , gravity , and the ceremonies which were used towards him , far exceeded the rest . this king suspecting nothing lesse , was by the craft and subtlety of the spaniards taken in his own house ; whom when they had taken they put a shipboard to send him to castile ; but there being six ships in the port ready to set sayle , the sea began to swell so high , and to be so unruly , that all the six ships with the spaniards in them , together with king canabao , who was laden with chains , all perished in the waves . the great god shewing the judgements of his wrath upon these unjust and wicked wretches as he had done upon the others . this king had three or four brothers stout and valiant men , who being offended at the captivity of their lord and king , hearing of the devastations and rapines daily committed by the spaniards in these countries , and understanding that their brother was dead , resolved to take armes for the reliefe of their countrey ; but the spaniards meeting them with a certain number of horse , which are a very great terror to the indians made such a slaughter among them , that they depopulated the greatest part of this countrey . the fourth kingdome was called xaraqua , being in the centre and middle of the whole island , for eloquence of language , as also for good government and gentile customes , it excels all the rest , there was in it a great company of lords and noble men , and for the people themselves they were the most comely in the whole island . the king of this countrey was called behechio , who had a sister who was called anacaona . both the brother and the sister were very bountifull to the spaniards , for they had freed them from the dangers of imminent death , shewing great kindnesses to the kings of castile . behechio being dead , the kingdome was solely govern'd by his sister . now it happened one day , that the governour of the island with sixty horse , and three hundred foot ( though the horsemen were sufficient not only to wast the island , but also the whole continent ) cal'd to him about three hundred of the peers and lords of the nation , the greatest part whereof who were the more powerful , having by craft got them together in a straw cottage , he cause to be burnt alive together with the house , the rest with an infinite sight of people he caused to be put to death by the souldiers , who murdred the poor people like dogs with their swords and launces . as for anacaona the queen , that he might seem to be more courteous to her , he caused her to hang her self . and if it happened that any who were either moved with compassion , or covetousnesse , thinking to make lacqueys or servants of the children , had set them behinde their horses , another would come behinde them , and either run them through , or cut off their legs if they hung down upon the horse sides . and when certain of the indians , who escaped this furious massacre fled into an island distant from them about some eight miles , they were by the governour condemned to perpetual servitude . the wars being now at an end , and the inhabitants all killed up , the women and children being only reserved , they divided them among themselves , giving to one thirty , to another forty , to one a hundred , to another two hundred , and those that had most , received them on this condition , that they should instruct them in the catholick faith , though commonly their masters were a company of stupid , ignorant , and covetous fellowes , and defiled with all manner of vices . but the main care was to send the men to work in the gold mines , which is an intolerable labour , and to send the women to manure and till the ground ; an exercise fit only for the stoutest men . these they fed with nothing but roots and hearbs , so that the milk of women with childe being dried up , by that reason the poor little infants died . and the men being separated from the women , there was no more issue to be expected from them . the men perished in the gold mines with hunger and labour , the women perished in the fields , being tired out with the same calamities : and thus was a vast number of the inhabitants of this island wholly extirpated . besides all this they caused them to carry great burdens of a hundred and fourscore pound , and to travell with it a hundred or two hundred miles . they were also forc'd to carry the spaniards up and down in their hamechs , using them in manner of beasts to carry their burthens and the necessaries of their journeys . and as for the blows which they gave them with whips , cudgels and their fists , wherewith they continually tormented them in their labour , i could be hardly able to finde either time or paper to make a narration large enough of those things . now it is here to be noted that the desolation of these islands and provinces happened after the death of queen isabel , who deceased in the year , for before that time few of the provinces were intrenched upon by any unjust war , or over-flowed with this deluge of devastation ; or if any thing was before that time done , it was conceal'd from the knowledge of the queen , for she was alwayes zealous and solicitous for the safety and prosperity of this poor people . and this may be also a generall rule , that the spaniards to what ever part of the indies they did come to , after that time ceased not to exercise their abominable slaughters , tyrannies , and execrable oppressions upon the poor people , and being delighted with new kindes of torments , daily encreased their cruelty and rage . of the islands st. john and jamaica . in the year . the islands of st. iohn and iamaica that look'd like fruitful gardens , were possessed by the spaniards , with the same bloudy intentions , as the other were ; for there they also exercised their accustomed cruelties , killing , burning , roasting men , and throwing them to the dogs , as also by oppressing them with sundry and various torments in the gold mines , as if they had come to rid the earth of these innocent and harmelesse creatures , of whom above six hundred thousand were murthered in these two islands , so lavish were the spanish swords of the bloud of these poor souls , scarce two hundred more remaining ; the rest perished without the least knowledge of god . of the island of cuba . in the year , . they went over into the island of cuba , which extends as far in length as it is from valladolid to rome , in which there were many fair provinces , inhabited with an infinite number of people , where the humanity and clemency of the spaniards was not only as little as it had been in other places , but their cruelty and rage much greater . in this island many things were done worthy observation . a certain lord of great power among them by name hathvey , who had fled over to cuba , that he might avoid either death or perpetual captivity , hearing by some of the indians that the spaniards were also come into this island , having assembled the indians together , he began as followeth : countrymen and friends , you are not ignorant of the rumour by which we understand that the spaniards are come among us , neither am i now to tell you how they have used the inhabitants of hapti ( so the call hispaniola , in the indian language ) you know it by a sad experience : nor can we hope to finde them more merciful then they did . then quoth he , countreymen do you know the errand which brings them hither ? to whom they replyed , that was unknown to them , yet they further replyed , that that they were well assured of the cruel nature of the spaniard . then quoth he , i le tell ye the cause of their coming . they do worship some covetous and unsatisfied deity , and to content the greedy worship of that celestial power , they require many things from us , using all their endevour to murther and enslave us . which having said , taking up a little chest filled with gold , he proceeded in these words : behold here the god of the spaniards , and therefore if you think fitting , let us daunce and sing before this their god , perhaps we may thereby appease his rage , and he well then command the spaniards to let us alone : who with an unanimous shout cryed out all , well said , well said ; and so they went to dauncing round this box , not ceasing till they had sufficiently wearied themselves . then the lord hathvey going on with his speech , quoth he , if we do keep this god till he be taken from us , we shall be surely slain , and therefore i think it expedient for us to cast it into the river ; so his counsell being followed , the chest was cast into the river . when the spaniards had landed in this island , this noble man that had sufficient tryal of their manner , avoided them as much as he could , still flying from them and defending himself by force of armes upon all occasions . but at length being taken , for no other reason , but because he fled from those that sought his life , and defended himself that he might not be tormented to death , he was by the spaniards burnt alive . while he was tyed to the stake , there came to him a monk of the order of st. francis , who began to talk to him of god and of the articles of our faith , telling him , that the small respite which the executioner gave him was sufficient for him to make sure his salvation if he believed . upon which words after hathvey had a little while paus'd , he asked the monk if the door of heaven was open to the spaniards , who answering , yes , to the good spaniards . then replyed the other , let me go to hell that i may not come where they are . it happened once that the citizens of a very fair city distant about twelve miles from the place where we were , came forth of the city to do us honour , and to submit themselves to the king of castile , but they being returned home , the governour of the spaniards about the middle of the night as they were sleeping in their bed , and least suspecting any such thing , sent a company who came suddenly upon them , and set fire upon their houses , burning up both men , women and children , here some they murthered , others whom they spared , they tormented to make them tell where they had hid their gold , after which they made them their slaves , having first marked them in the body : and immediately as soon as the fire was spent , they ran to finde out the gold . at that time the spaniards got above ten hundred thousand crowns of gold , out of which the king scarce had three hundred thousand sent him ; there were slain in this place eight hundred thousand people ; and those other tyrants that came afterwards , emptied the island of those that remained . among all the notorious enormities committed by the foresaid governour , there is one not to be omitted : a certain noble indian presenting him , perhaps more for fear then love , a present of above nine thousand crowns , the spaniards not content with this , tied him to a stake , and stretching out his legs , put fire to them , requiring a greater sum of gold , who not able to endure the torment sent home for three thousand more ; notwithstanding the spaniards with a fresh rage began to torment him again , but seeing that he was able to give them no more , they kept him so long over the fire till his marrow dropt from the soles of his feet , whereof he died . these were the torments wherewith they murthered not only the common people , but the peers and lords of those nations . sometimes it would happen , that a band of spaniards ranging abroad would light upon a mountain where the indians were fled for protection from their cruelty , where they immediately fell upon the indians , killing the men , and taking the women and virgins captive ; & when a great company of the indians pursued them with weapons for the recovery of their wives and children , they resolving not to let go their prey , when the indians came near them , immediately with the points of their swords ran the poor women and children through the bodies . upon which the wretched indians beating their brests for grief would now and then burst forth in these words , o perverse men , o cruel spaniards , what will ye kill helplesse women ? there was the house of a noble man distant from panama above . miles ; he was by name called paris , and he was very wealthy in gold ; to him the spaniards came , and by him they were entertained like brothers , he giving to the captain , as a present , fifteen thousand crowns ; who by that perceiving that he must of necessity have a very great treasure , feigned a departure , but about the middle of the night returning again entred the city , set it on fire , sacrificing the poor people to the flames . hence they took away about fifty or sixty thousand crowns ▪ the noble man escaping , gathered together what force he could and made after the spaniards , who were gone away with no lesse then a hundred and forty thousand crowns of his own treasure ; when he had overtaken them , he fell upon them , and having slain above fifty of the spaniards , he recovered his gold again . the rest saved themselves by flight . but not long after the spaniards returned with greater force upon the noble man and having routed him , made slaves of all his people . of the province of nicaraqua . in the year . the foresaid governour went to subdue the province of nicaraqua . there is no man that can sufficiently expresse the fertility of this island , the temperateness of the air , or the multitude of the people that did inhabit it . there was a vast number of people in this province , for it contained divers cities above four mile in length : and for plenty of fruits ( which was the cause that it was so extreamly well habited ) without compare . this people because their countrey was all plain and level , had not the shelter of the mountains , neither could they be easily perswaded to leave it , so pleasant was their habitation . and therefore they endured far the greater misery , and persecution , and underwent a more unsufferable slavery , being the lesse able to bear it , by how much they were of a milde and gentle nature . this tyrant vex'd and tormented these poor creatures with so many continual injuries , slaughters , captivities and cruelties , that no tongue is able to expresse them . into this territory he sent above fifty horse , who totally extirpated the people of this province by the sword , sparing no age nor sex , not for any wrong they did them , but sometimes it came not so speedily when they called as they expected , or if they brought not such quantities of corn as they imposed , or if they did not bring a sufficient quantity of indians to their service : for the countrey being in a plain there was no avoiding the fury of the horsemen . he commanded these spaniards to go pillage and depopulate other countreys , permitting to these robbers , and hangmen , to bring away and enslave what number of these poor people they pleased : whom they laded with chains that weighed above sixty or fifty pound , that they might not have the opportunity of escaping , so that it seldome hapned that above four in four thousand returned home ; and if either through the weight of their chains , or for hunger or thirst they did chance to faint by the way , because they would not hinder their journey , they cut off their heads immediately , throwing the head in one place and the body in another . and the poor captive indians when they saw the spaniards preparing for such journeys , at their departure would weep and fall into these kinde of sad expressions , these are the journeys that we have often gone , to serve the christians , and then we could return home again to visit our wives and children , but now all hope is cut off from us , and we must never see them more . it happened also , by reason that it came into the governors minde to change the indians from one master to another , pretending to take away force from some that he saw began to envie him , that there was no seed time nor harvest for a whole year ; now rather then the spaniards would want , they took it from the indians , by which means there perished no lesse then thirty thousand people ; which caused one woman for hunger to eat her own childe . and because these cities and other places were such pleasant abodes , therefore the spaniards took up their habitations in these places , dividing the possessions among themselves ; and as for the indians , both old and young they lived in the houses of the spaniards , drudging day & night in a perpetual captivity , who spared not the smallest children , but impos'd on them burdens as much as they were able to bear , and sometimes more ; & by this means allowing them neither houses nor any thing else proper to themselves , they destroyed them daily , and do daily destroy them : so that they exceeded the cruelties which they had committed in hispaniola . they hastned also the death of many of these poor people , by forcing them to carry timber and planks for shipping to the port that was distant about thirty miles from this place ; compelling them also to fetch honey and wax from the mountains , where they were many times devoured by the tygres . neither were they ashamed to lade and burthen women with childe , as if they had been only beasts for carriage . but there was no greater plague that depopulated this countrey , then a liberty granted by the governour to the spaniards , for the requiring of slaves and captives from the nobles and potent men of the kingdome ; who as often as the spaniards obtained leave to demand them , which was every four or five moneths , and sometimes oftner , gave them constantly fifty servants , whom the spaniards still threatned , that if they would not be obedient , they would either burn them alive , or throw them to the dogs . now because the indians have but few servants , for it is a very great matter to see above three servants in that place waiting upon a noble man ; therefore the nobility were fain to come to their subjects , from whom first they took all the orphans , then coming to those that had many children , from them that had two they took one , and from those who had three they demanded two ; and thus they were fain to make up the number which the threatning tyrant required , while the poor people wept and deplor'd the sad misfortune of their children , over whom they are very tender . which being done for a daily continuance , in ten or twelve years they made a clean riddance of the inhabitants out of this place . for every foot there came five or six ships which returned full of indians into the regions of panama and peru , where they were sold , and ended their daies in captivity . for experience hath taught us this , that when ever the indians are removed from their accustomed habitations into other climates , they quickly die ; the spaniards neither affording them sufficient food , nor in times of sicknesse diminishing their labour , for which end they were only bought . and thus the number of people hurried from the enjoyment of their freedome into a sad and laborious captivity , amounted to five hundred thousand souls , of which above fifty or sixty thousand are already perished , and more daily perish . all these massacres were committed within the space of fourteen years . there may be now remaining in the province of nicaraqua perhaps some four or five thousand men , though they daily diminish through the immoderate oppressions of the spaniards . notwithstanding in former time for number of people , it was the most flourishing place in the whole world . of new spain . in the year . new spain was discovered ; after the discovery of which they did nothing first or second , but immediately sell to their old practises of cruelty and slaughter : for in the following year the spaniards ( who call themselves christians ) went thither to rob and kill ; though they gave out that they went to people the countrey . from that year unto this present year . the violence , injustice and tyrannies of the spaniards came to their full height ; and now quite forgetting their humane natures , they laid aside all fear of god or of their king . for the slaughters , massacres , cruelties , devastations of countreys , destructions of cities , violences , tyrannies , and rapines of the spaniards , which they did commit in these so many several and so large kingdomes , are so numberlesse , and strike the minde with such a horror , that those which we have before related , are nothing in respect of these which we are to relate , being all perpetrated in the year . and continued to this very moneth in a most sad and dreadfull manner ; so that what we said before holds very true , that the spaniards still went on from bad to worse , themselves striving to exceed themselves in wickednesse . and thus from the first entry of the spaniards into new spain , which happened upon the tenth day of the moneth of aprill , continuing from the eighteenth year untill the thirtieth , in which space of time are contained twelve years compleat , there hath been no end of the bloudy massacres and cruel slaughters of the spaniards , perpetrated in the continent of mexico and the parts adjoyning , which contained four or five large kingdomes , that neither for compasse nor fertility gave place to spain . all this region was more populous then either toledo , sevill , valadolid , augusta caesarea , or faventia ; nay i may affirm that there is not at this present , neither was there when those places were at the highest of their flourishing estate , so many people as in those parts , which take up the space of above a thousand and eight hundred miles . in these ten or twelve years , what with men , women , youths , and children , above four millions were by the spaniards consumed part by fire , part by the sword in these destructive wars ; wars more unjust and more condemn'd both by the law of god and men , then any invasion of the turk against the catholique religion . neither do we now reckon those that died under the intolerable yoke and burdens of their captivity . there is no language , no art or humane science , that can avail to recite the abominable crimes and bloudy actions committed by these enemies not only of common-wealths , but of all humane societies ; neither can any diligence , or time of writing sufficiently aggravate the circumstances of these detestable deeds . notwithstanding something i shall say of every one of them ; though i do seriously protest , that i connot rehearse one thing of a thousand in respect of all that were done . of new spain in particular . among other grand murthers of theirs , they committed one more notorious in the city cholula , which did contain above thirty thousand families . all the potent men of that region , with the priests who brought along with them their chief priest also , came to meet the spaniards ; and that their reception and entertainment might be the more honourable , they agreed to entertain the spaniards in the houses of the greatest noble men ; but here the spaniards consulted how to begin their massacres , or as they call'd them , chastisements of the people , that they might keep in awe every corner of the countrey with the terror of their cruelties . for this was their common custome , that they no sooner had set sooting in any place , but they committed immediately some notorious violence upon the people , that the rest might stand in the greater fear of them . they sent therefore to the supreme lord of the city , as also to all the other lords and governours , that they should give them a meeting , but they were no sooner come to parley , but they were all immediately laid hold on , leaving none to carry back these bad tidings to the rest ; first they demanded of them six thousand indians , to carry the luggage which they had with them , which when they were brought together they shut up in their houses . it was a sad spectacle to behold this poor people preparing themselves to carry those burthens . they came naked , covering only their secret parts , and at their shoulders hung a little net wherein they kept their food ; and thus while they stooped under their burthens , they lay open to all the cuts and blowes of the spanish weapons . now being in this manner gathered together in a great and wide place , part of the spaniards all in armes , stood at the door to keep the rest out , while others with swords and launces kill'd the innocent lambs , so that not one escaped . after three or four daies were expired , some that had hid themselves among the dead bodies all over besmeered with bloud , came with all submission imploring mercy and compassion from them ; but they not at all regarding their tears , nor moved with their lamentations , immediately hew'd them to pieces . all the lords and noble men , were kept a while in chains , and afterward at the commandement of the spanish captain , tied to stakes and burnt to death . but the king of the whole countrey escaped , with about thirty or forty men , betaking himself to a temple which was like a castle , and in their language called quu ; there defending himself a good part of the day ; but the spaniards out of whose hand few of them , especially the souldiery escap'd , setting the temple on fire , burnt them all that were within alive , who as they were dying , brake forth into these lamentations : o wicked men , how have we injured you , that you should thus torment us ? away , away to mexico , where our chief lord montenchuma will revenge our quarrel . this is also reported that while the spaniards were busily acting this bloudy tragedy , killing and destroying above six thousand innocent creatures , their chief captain in sport sung these verses : one flame the roman ' city now destroyes , and shrieks of people made a dismal noyse , while nero sung , and moved with delight , from tarpey hill beheld the wofull sight . another butchery was by them committed in the city of tepeaca , which was a much larger city then the former . here they put to the sword an infinite number of people , with many additions of cruelty . departing from cholula they came to mexico , the king whereof montenchuma sent the peers and nobles of this realm with innumerable presents to meet them , who all the way testified by several sports and solemnities , the joy which they had for their arrivall ; when they approached neer the wal of the city , the kings brother came forth with many noble men to meet him , who brought many gifts of gold and silver , to present them with . coming to the entry of the city , there stood the king himself with all his attendants , who being carried in a golden litter accompanied them to the palace which was prepared for them . but that very day , as was told me by some that were there , they seised upon the king , little suspecting any such matter , setting a guard upon his person of above eighty souldiers : after that they put him in chains . but here passing by many things which might be said ; i will relate one thing worthy observation . the governor being call'd away to quell one of his captains that had taken armes against him , and having left montenchuma with a guard of above a hundred , it came into the mindes of the spaniards to do something which might render them dreadful and terrible to the indians ; which was a policy , as i said before , they did often use . in the mean while all the nobility and commonalty of the city minded nothing else but to exhilarate the minde of their captive king with several varieties of sports and recreations . among which there was none that they used more then dancings and revellings , which they performed all night long in the streets . these exercises they in their language call'd mirotes , but the islanders areytos . to these recreations they bring together all their wealth and richest garments , and what ever they do esteem precious ; using them as the greatest testimonies of gladnesse . the nobles also and princes of the royal bloud every one according to their degree , were busie in these sports in those places which were nearest the houses where the king was detained captive . not far from the palace there were above two thousand youths , being all the children of the nobility , and indeed the flower of the nobility which were in mantenchuma's kingdome . to these came the captain of the spaniards with a small party of souldiers , sending other troops to other parts of the city , as if they only came to be spectators . but the captain had given command that at a certain hour they should fall upon them ; and he himself being about to lead the way , cry'd out , st. iago , let us rush in upon them . the word being thus given , the souldiees all fell on , and with their swords began to hack and hew those delicate bodies , spilling that generous and noble bloud with such an unheard of malice , that they left not one alive . and doing thus to others in other places , there fell a dismal fear and amazement upon the whole countrey . nor will these poor creatures doubtlesse ever forget as long as the world stands , to lament and bewail in their solemnities the sad calamity and ruine of the whole seminary of their nobility , of which they were wont so much to boast . the indians beholding this unheard of cruelty and injustice committed upon such a number of innocent souls , having with long patience endured the captivity of their king , who had charg'd them to be quiet , now ran all to their arms , and falling upon the spaniards , wounded many , the rest narrowly escaping : at length the spaniards putting a dagger to the brest of the king montencuma threatned to kill him unlesse he would look through the window and command his subjects to lay down their armes . but the indians at that time contemning the commands of their king , chose them a captain whom they made chief commander of all their forces . by this time the forementioned governour was returned from subduing his enemy , bringing with him a greater number of spaniards then he carryed away with him . whereupon the indians desisted from doing any thing more untill he was entred into the city . but then gathering together very great forces , they fought so vigorously , that the spaniards despairing of victory resolved to retreat in a tempestuous night and to leave the city . which being known to the indians , they cut off abundance of them upon the bridges of the lakes : neitheir can any man deny but that they did it justly , for the reasons above rehearsed . afterwards the spaniards having recollected more forces , there followed that great contention in the city , wherein they committed so many several butcheries upon the indians , by killing and burning both the commonalty and the nobility in a most barbarous manner . having committed so many detestable slaughters upon the indians in mexico , and other places distant ten , fifteen and twenty miles from thence , this tyrannical plague proceeded to infest and depopulate the city of panuco . there was a wonderful frequency of people in that countrey , neither were the slaughters , that were there committed , lesse remarkable . in the like manner they laid waste the provinces of tatepeca , ipilcingonium , and columa , every one of which is of as large a compasse as the kingdomes of legiona and castile . it is a very hard thing , if not altogether impossible , to recite all the murthers and cruelties there committed ; besides that , it would cloy the reader . here we must observe , that they entred into these kingdomes and territories , ( which for the abundance of people ought to have been the joy of all true christians ) upon no pretence , but as they said to reduce them to slavery . for at their first entrance they commanded them to swear fealty and obedience to the king of spain , & those that would not come in and submit themselves to the will of such unjust and cruel men , they proclaimed rebels , and and accus'd them of that crime to the king . the blindnesse of the chief governours of the indies not permitting them to discern , that no man can be called a rebell who is not before a subject . this cruel tyrant leaning upon this pretence , sent two other captains excelling himself in fury , and impiety to guatimala the most fertile and most flourishing kingdome both for men and fruit of any that were situated southward . they had also received commands to visit the kingdomes of naco , honduras , and guaimara looking toward the north , and being distant from mexico above three hundred miles ; the one was sent by land , the other by sea , being both of them well furnished with men and ammunition for horse and foot . and this i dare affirm , that the enormities committed by these two captains , and by him especially that was sent to guatimala ( for the other dyed an evill death in good time ) are enough to fill a particular volume , so many were the slaughters , violences , injuries , butcheries , and beastly desolations which they perpetrated , as do not only amaze the present , but must of necessity strike a horror into future ages : for in this place their abominations and devastations were more fatal then in any place before . as for him that went by sea , he vex'd all the shore with his incursions and cruelties , to whom there came certain out of the kingdome of yucatan , which lies in the way to the kingdomes of naco , and naymura , whither he was then marching , and brought him many presents , yet he was no sooner come into the countrey , but he sent the souldiers to depopulate and waste the same , who ceased not to commit many abominable outrages . among the rest , a certain seditious rebel entring into a region bordering upon guatemala , burnt up their city , killing the inhabitants , and laying waste all the countrey , which he did on purpose , that if he should be pursued by his enemies , they might be liable to the revenge of the indians as they passed along ; which happened accordingly , for there the chief commander from whose power the foresaid captain had rebell'd , was slain ; but he was succeeded by many other fell tyrants , who with their wonted cruelties and captivity destroyed the people , selling them to those that brought garments and other provision , and by that kinde of servitude , which they practised from the year . to the year . they depopulated and made desert the provinces of naco and honduras , which seemed to be the elysium and paradise of the world in every respect . and i have lately seen them so destroyed , that it would move the most stony heart to compassion . in these eleven years there prrished in this countrey above two millions , scarce two thousand now remaining , who daily diminish through the hardnesse of their servitude . but as for that abominable tyrant that exceeded all that were before in tyranny , and is equall to all that remains behinde , let us now finde him out in guatimala . he going through the provinces adjoyning to mexico toward guatimala , which are above four hundred miles in length , minded nothing else all the way he went , but slaughters , rapines , burnings , depopulations , compelling all upon the foresaid pretence to submit themselves to their cruelties , in the name of the king of spain , whom they had never seen nor heard of , and whom they could not but think more unjust and cruel then his ministers and officers , yet giving them no time to deliberate , they wasted all before them with fire and sword . of the kingdome and province of guatimala . at their first entrance into this kingdome they committed a very great outrage . but for all that their chief lord and governor carried in a litter came forth to meet him with drums and trumpets , and great joy ; attended by many of the nobles of the city of vtlacan the greatest mart town of that kingdome , where they gave him provisions in abundance , with all that he could desire . that night the spaniards lodg'd without the city , not thinking themselves safe in a town so well fortified as that was . the next day he called to him the chief lord with a great number of the nobles , demanding of them a very great quantity of gold . they returning him answer , that they could not satisfie his request by reason that their countrey afforded not gold , were immediately by his command , without any cause or form of proceeding , all burnt alive . the rest of the nobles of these provinces , seeing that all the chiefest of them , who had the power and government of the kingdome in their hands , were for no cause put to death , but because they were not able to give them gold , fled to the mountains for safety , charging their subjects to submit themselves to the spaniards , but not to tell them where their sculking places were , nor to give them notice of their flight . whereupon an infinite number of the indians came to the spaniards requesting that they might be their subjects , and that they might serve them . the captain made answer , that he would not receive them , and that moreover he would kill them all unlesse they would declare whither their lords were fled : the indians replyed , that they knew nothing of it , but their wives and children they said were ready to serve them , adding , that they were at home in their houses , whither they might goe , and either kill them or use them as they pleas'd ; which offers they made to them again and again . but strange to tell , the spaniards demanded their cities and towns , killing these poor creatures , who as they thought were secure at their work . they came to a very large town , which being confident of their own innocence , thought themselves safer then the rest ; but in two hours space they brought such a desolation upon it , killing all ages and sexes , that there was not a person left alive , but what saved themselves by flight . the indians perceiving that with all their humility , their patience , and their presents , that they were not able to asswage the fury of these inhumane creatures , and that they were daily killed up like dogs , began to think of taking armes ; for they thought it better , since an evill death could not be avoided , rather to die fighting and taking revenge upon their enemies , then to be killed like beasts by them . but when they saw their want of armes , their feeblenesse , their nakednesse , and that they were utterly unskilfull in the management of horses , that they might have some way of prevailing upon their enemies , it came in their minds to dig certain ditches in the waies , that so the horses as they went along might fall into them : at the bottome of these pits they had driven in stakes sharpned at the top , and they had covered them over with clods of earth that they might not be discovered ; twice or thrice the spaniards fell into these ditches , but afterwards by their care they easily avoided them . and therefore they made a law among themselves , that all the indians which they took , of what ever sex or degree , should be thrown into those pits which they had made : into these pits they threw women big with childe , and all the aged persons that they could light upon , till the pit was full . it was a sad sight to behold women with child goar'd through the body with these stakes ; while others that lay uppermost were killed with swords and launces ; those that would not in were cast to their dogs . they burnt a very potent peer of the nation in a great fire , saying that he was much honoured with that kinde of death . among other abominations committed by this captain and his followers , who were not at all more gentle then their leader , this was one more memorable then the rest . into the province of cuzcatan , where the city of our saviour is situated , being a countrey , which together with the neighbouring sea coast is extended about forty or fifty miles in length ; and also into the city of cuzcatan it self , which is the metropolis of the whole countrey , he was received with very great joy , the indians expecting his coming , laden with a present of above thirty thousand turkies and other things necessary for their refreshment . but he having received their gift , commanded the spaniards every one of them to take as many indians as they pleased , and to keep them for service as long as they should stay there . whereupon every one took a hundred lesse or more , according as his occasions required . and as for the poor captives they served them with so much zeal and affection , that they could require nothing more then adoration it self . after this the captain required of the people a great quantity of gold , who returned him answer , that they would give him all the gold they had . whereupon the indians brought together a great company of spears which were guilt with orichalcum , so that they seemed to be gold ; but the captain causing them to be touched , and not finding them to be gold , spake thus to the people , all curses light upon such a region as this , wherein there is no gold ; and then commanded all those that had taken servants , to keep them in chains , and to mark them with the mark of servitude , which was immediately done , the kings mark being burnt into their flesh ; which i saw also done to the son of the chiefest man in all the city . those indians that escaped with the rest of the inhabitants of the countrey , gathered themselves together , resolving to hazard a war with the spaniards , but alas with small prosperity , there being an infinite number of them slain . after this they returned to guatimala , where they built a city , which god in his justice destroy'd , overwhelming it , first with earth , then with stones of a vast bignesse , and lastly , letting in upon it a great deluge of waters . now after that they had slain all that were able to make resistance against them , they carried away the rest into captivity , or forced them to give away their children as tribute due to the spaniards , for they use the service of no other creatures . and thus part being sold into the countreys of peru , and part destroyed by the sword , they made a wildernesse of one of the most happy and populous countreys of those parts , stretching out in length and bredth above a hundred miles . this the tyrant himself confessed , writing that this county was more populous then the county of mexico , as indeed it was . this man in the space of fifteen years , which was from the year . to . together with his associates , massacred no lesse then five millions of men , and do daily destroy those that are yet remaining . it was the custome of this tyrant , when he made war upon any town or countrey , to carry along with him as many as he could of the subdued indians , compelling them to make war upon their countreymen , and when he had ten or twenty thousand men in his service , because he could not give them provision , he permitted them to eat the flesh of those indians that they had taken in war : for which cause he had a kind of shambles in his army for the ordering and dressing of mans flesh , suffering children to be killed and broyled in his presence . the men they killed only for their hands and feet , for those they accounted dainties . which being understood by the neighbours , they were all struck with astonishment . of new spain . as also of panucon , and xalisco . these horrid murders and massacres being committed , besides others that i have omitted , in the provinces of new spain , there came another cruel and furious tyrant into the provinces of panucon , who having perpetrated many hainous iniquities , and sent great numbers of the natives to be sold in the countreys of spain , laid waste all this kingdome : and once it hapned that they used eight hundred of the indians in stead of a team to draw their carriages , as if they had been meer beasts and irrational creatures . he was afterwards made president of the city of mexico , and with him many other his fellow tyrants advanced to the office of auditors ; which offices they contaminated with so many impieties and abominations , that it is hardly to be imagined . and as for this countrey it self , they so far destroyed it , that if some of the franciscan friers had not strenuously opposed him , and that the kings councel had not provided a sudden remedy for it , in two years space they had wholly depopulated new spain , as they had done in hispaniola . one of the associates of the president that he might enclose his garden with a wall , used the service of eight thousand indians , and because he afforded them neither food , nor wages , they all perished after a most sad and lamentable manner . after the first captain , of whom we spake before , had put an end to the destruction of panucon ; and that there came newes to him that the kings councell was coming into these parts , he went further into the countrey , that he might exercise his cruelties with more liberty , and caused fifteen or twenty thousand of the indians to follow and carry the burthens of the spaniards , of whom scarce two hundred returned alive , the rest being all destroyed ; at length they came to the province of machuaca which is distant above forty miles from mexico , and is nothing at all inferior to the other either for plenty of provision , or number of people ; the king coming to meet him with all shewes of respect and honour , they put in prison because he was reported to be very rich : which that they might get from him , they thus tormented him ; having put his feet in a kinde of stocks , and stretching out his body , they tyed his hands to a stake , and then putting fire to his feet , while a boy was set to baste them with oyle , that they might roast the better ; there stood another also with dogs behind him , threatning to set them upon him ; which if he had done , they would have soon put an end to his life : and with these torments they vexed him , to make him bring his treasures to light . at length there came a franciscan frier who freed him from his torments , but not from death , which immediately ensued . with this kinde of torture they put to death many other of the princes and noble men of the countrey . about this time a certain man who came to visit their purses rather then their souls , knowing the indians to be adorers of idols , for the spaniards had not taught them better , kept them captive till they had delivered all their images , for they thought that they had been all of gold , but when they found themselves deceived , he inflicted upon them punishments as if they had committed some great offence , and because he would not utterly lose their hopes , caused them to redeem their idols with gold , to adore them ; and thus did the spaniards procure the worship of god among the indians . this tyrant out of the province of panucon , went to methuaca and xalisco , which were countreys fruitful both in men and money , and no small glory of the indian nation , having cities that were in length above seven miles . when he came into these countreys , the indians , as they were wont , met him with accustomed signes of joy and gladnesse ; but he immediately brake forth into his wonted cruelties , to attain his usual scope , which was the heaping up of gold , the only god which they adore . the cities they burnt to the ground ; their princes , having first tormented them , they carried away captive , binding them in chains . women with childe , without any consideration of their weaknesse , they oppressed with tedious labours and hunger , that they dy'd by the way . and as for their children , because they could not carry them , they were forc'd to throw them away , by which a number of infants were destroyed . there being a certain christian who went about to defile a virgin , her mother interposed her self , and would have taken the daughter from him ; the spaniard drawing forth his dagger , cut off her hand , and afterwards slew the virgin , because she would not give consent to his lustful desire . among other things also this was most unjust , that they caused to be marked with the mark of slavery above four thousand five hundred of the indians that were all as free born as themselves ; among which they also caused to be thus marked children of two , three or four years old , though they were all such as came forth to meet him with great acclamations of joy ; other things without number i passe by in silence . all these above mentioned abominations being done , they reduced the rest to a tyrannicall subjection , for which cause they thought that they were only sent thither . in which regions the said governour gave liberty to all the spaniards , especially to his stewards and officers , to exercise what tortures they pleased upon the indians to draw out of them the knowledge where their treasure lay . his steward in times of peace kill'd many indians , burning some , and casting other to his dogs , cutting off others hands , legs , and heads , that thereby their minds being totally subjected they should never deny where their gold or treasure lay hid . all these things were done , the tyrant himself beholding and consenting ; and not only so , but they oppressed them and continually abused them with stripes and blowes of their canes and fists , leaving no cruelty unexercised toward them . in this kingdome of xalisco they consumed by fire six thousand villages , upon which the indians growing desperate , seeing the remainder of those that escaped daily destroyed ; they made an insurrection against the spaniards , and killing some of them , as they well deserved , they betook themselves again to the mountains . but the cruelties and injuries of the tyrants that went from these parts to depopulate ( which they called discover ) other regions overtaking them ; many indians were by them slain , while they sought to defend themselves in the rocks : and to this present there are a thousand butcheries committed upon them ; whereby there are hardly left any people in the whole countrey . and thus the spaniards being blinded and forsaken by god , and given over to a reprobate sense , considered not how unagreeable both to the law of god and nature were their proceedings against the indians , how unjustly they went about to destroy them by force of armes , and not only to cast them out of their countrey , but to torture them and cut them in pieces : nor do they see how impious their violences and tyrannies are over these poor people ; they do believe and do affirme both in deed and word , that those victories which they have obtained and used to the destruction of the indians , as if their unjust wars were of right , and are so impudent as to give god thanks for them : like those theeves of whom zachary speaks in the eleventh chapter , the third and fourth verses . feed the flock of the slaughter , whose possessors slay them and hold themselves not guilty , and they that sell them say , blessed be the lord , for i am rich . of the kingdome of yucatan . in the year . a vile and impious man through his sawning and lying , was made governour of the kingdome of yucatan ; which was the manner that other tyrants used for the obtaining of their preferments and offices ; for by their authority they had greater opportunities to do mischief . this kingdome did abound with people both because of the temper of the air , and for the plenty of provision , in which it excelled the countrey of mexico . but those things for which it is chiefly famous are hony and wax , which it afforded to all the countreys of india , which have been hitherto discovered . it is three hundred miles in compasse . this nation either as to policy and good government , or as to their way of living and conversation , excelled all the rest ; and well deserved to have had more knowledge of the true god . there there might have been erected by the spaniards many brave and large cities where they might have liv'd as in a paradise , had they not rendred themselves totally unworthy of any such benefits through their own enormities and impieties . this tyrant with three hundred men made war upon these innocent indians living peaceably in their houses , and offering injury to none , destroying many people . and because the countrey hath no gold , for if it had they had soon ended the lives of the inhabitants , by digging in the mines , making a gain of those bodies and souls for which christ died , therefore those that they left alive , they made slaves of , sending whole ships away fraighted with people , bartering them for wine , oyle , vinegar , pork , horses , and other things which they stood in need of . out of fifty or a hundred virgins which he had chosen out , he exchanged the best of them for the smallest vessell of wine , oyle , vinegar or pork : and once it chanced that a youth who was the son of a prince , was exchanged for a cheese , and a hundred persons for a horse . this was his imployment , from the year . to . till newes was brought of the regions of peru , whither the spaniards going put an end to their villanies here for a small time . but after some daies were past over , they returned again to their former rapines and dishonouring of god by their wicked courses ; neither have they yet made an end , so that now three hundred miles of land lie untill'd and void of inhabitants . the particulars of their cruelty are not to be remembred , only two or three that come into my minde i will relate . while the spaniards were hunting after the indians with their dogs , they met with an indian women , who being sick and seeing that she was not able to escape them , taking a rope hang'd her self , hanging also her childe of a year old about her waste by the feet ; but the dogs immediately fell upon the childe , only he was baptized by a religious person before he died . when the spaniards departed out of the kingdome invited the son of a certain noble man , governor either of a city or great province , that he would go along with him , who answering that he was unwilling to leave his native countrey , they threatned to cut off his ears unlesse he would go along with him ; notwithstanding all which , he persevered in his resolution ; whereupon they cut off his nose and the upper part of his lip , with as little remorse as if they had been paring their nailes . this furcisur carried himself obscenly toward a deserving religious person , boasting to him , that he had got as many indians as he could with childe , that they might yeeld the more profit in the sale of them . in this kingdome , or else in some province of new spain , it hapned that a spaniard being a hunting , his dogs seemed to him to be a hungry , whereupon he took a little infant out of the mothers armes , and cutting off the thighs and armes of the childe , cast it to his dogs , and when they had devoured those , he cast the whole body to them . thus we see how they were delivered over to a reprobate sense ; and what a value they put upon these creatures formed after the image of god . but now worse things follow . many cruelties , and indeed innumerable which were never before heard of , i doe omit , only i shall adde this one . these ambitious , blinde and execrable tyrants going out of this region to seek more riches , there went with them four monks of the order of st. francis together with father iames , to keep the countrey in peace , and to bring the remainder of those that were left by their preaching to the knowledge of christ . i do beleeve that these were they that in the year thirty four were solicited by the indians to come into their countrey , and to preach to them the knowledge of the true god . to which purpose they gathered assemblies and congregations together , that they might know what sort of people these were that call'd themselves fathers , and fryers , who differed so much from the rest of the spaniards , that vex'd them with so much affliction and torment . at length they receiv'd them , but on condition that they would come alone and not let any other of the spaniards enter in among them , which those religious persons promis'd , for they had not only a liberty , but a command from the governour of new spain , that they should so promise them , and that the spaniards should do them no harm or injury . upon which they began to preach the gospel among them , and to declare to them the holy intention of the king of spain , of which things they had not yet received any knowledge , nor that they had any other king then him who oppressed them with so much tyranny . the religious persons had not been there above forty daies , when they began to bring in all their idols , and to commit them to the fire ; and afterwards they brought their children , whom they loved as dearly as the apples of their eyes , to the religious persons to be instructed . and thus being perswaded by these religious persons they did more then ever had been done in the indies before ( for what ever the tyrants that had oppressed them were wont to tell them they only spoke in contempt and derision on the indians ) for above twelve or fifteen kings of large provinces , together with their subjects by their councell and consent , all of them acknowledged the king of castile to be their superiour lord of their own accord , and received him for their emperour , as he was king of spain . in test●mony whereof i have a writing in my own custody signed by those persons . thus not without the great joy of those devout persons , an entry was made , for the bringing of those inhabitants that were remaining in these countreys to the knowledge of christ ; but in the mean while by another way there entred in among them about eighteen spanish horsemen and twelve footmen , bringing with them great loads of idols , which they had brought out of other countreys . the captain of the foresaid spaniards called to him one of the noble men of this countrey , and commanded him to take these idols and to distribute them among his people , and bring in exchange an indian man or woman for every idol , otherwise threatning to make war upon him ; the foresaid lord out of fear took those idols , giving every one of them to his subjects , commanding them to worship them , and also to send back in recompence to the spaniards some of their people to serve them . the indians terrifi'd delivered their children after a certain proportion , those that had two giving one , and those that had three delivering two ; and thus they ended this sacrilegious merchandize , and so the cacique gave satisfaction to the spaniards ; i dare not call them christians . one of these sacrilegious robbers , iohn garcia by name , being very sick and like to die had under his bed two burthens of these idols , who when the indian woman that looked to him was with him , commanded her that she should not deliver those idols at a small rate , because they were of the best sort , and therefore that she should not sell them , but for an indian man or woman in exchange , and as he was making this kinde of will he expired . and who can now question but that his soul is now tormented in the flames of hell ▪ consider by this what was the progresse of religion ; and what examples of christianity the spaniards did shew , when they came into america , how they honour'd god themselves , or how much they car'd that the indians should know the right worship of him ; judge which is the greater crime , that of ieroboam who made israel to sin , causing two golden calves to be set up , and to be worshipt by the people , or of the spaniards , who caused the indians to buy their idols , and made merchandize of them . these are the deeds of the spaniards , who most often , out of a desire of heaping up gold , did sell and do yet sell , did deny and do yet deny christ their redeemer . the indians seeing that the promises of the religious persons , that the spaniards should not enter into their countrey , were not performed , and that the spaniards brought idols out of other places to sell them into their countrey , whereas the religious persons had made them to burn all theirs , that there might be but one worship of one god , came and spoke to them in this manner . why have you told us so many untruths , promising so faithfully to us that the spaniards should not come into our countrey ? why have you burnt our gods , when as they do bring and sell others among us ? are the gods of other countreys better then our own ? the friers , although they had little to say , yet they made a shift to pacifie their mindes , and immediately went to the spaniards declaring to them the evill which they had done , humbly beseeching them to depart . which the spaniards not only utterly denyed , but also , which was more wicked and abominable : they perswaded the indians that they were called by the friers : which being believ'd , they took councell to kill the religious persons , who being admonished by certain other indians , avoided that danger and fled . but after their departure , knowing the falshood and treachery of the spaniards , they sent messengers fifty miles after them , craving pardon in the name of the indians , and intreating them to return . the religious persons , as upright servants of god and zealous for the souls of those poor people , gave credit to the messengers and returned , and were entertained as if they had been angels sent from heaven , and remained with the indians for five moneths , receiving a thousand courtesies from them . but when the spaniards would not depart from thence , although the viceroy used all his endevours to recall them ; he declared them traytors and guilty of high treason ; and moreover , when the persevered in their tyranny and oppression , the religious persons seeing , that though revenge came late , that yet they would not go unpunished , and fearing lest that revenge might fall upon their own heads , and besides not being able to preach the gospell in quiet , by reason of the incursions of the spaniards , resolv'd to leave the kingdome , which now remains destitute of all knowledge , the souls of these poor indians remaining in their past miseries of ignorance and heathenisme , all the streams of divine knowledge being taken from them , by these cursed spaniards , as when water is taken from the young plants ; for at the time when they went away , the indians were very covetous after the knowledge of our religion . of the province of sancta martha . the province of st. martha by reason of the golden mines & the fertility of the place wa● a brave island ; wherefore from the year . to . many tyrants went thither by sea , with their incursions wasting and spoyling all the island , after a strange manner destroying the inhabitants , and robbing them of all their gold . and so the whole countrey was wasted by them , especially all the coast and the places adjoyning , untill the year . and because it was a fruitfull countrey , there went thither at severall times severall captains , succediug one another in cruelty , so that every one striv'd to out-vie his predecessor in the inventions of exquisite torments to afflict the poor people . and thus also in this place they confirm'd our foresaid axiome . in the year . there went thither a very great tyrant accompanied with many troops , with an intention to exceed all the rest of his predecessors in cruelty , who took away abundance of treasure from the people in the space of seven years ; in which exile he dying without repentance , into his place other tyrants succeeded , where with their bloudy hands and impious points of their swords they destroy'd all the rest that their predecessors had spared . and such a desolation they brought upon many provinces by their accustomed waies of cruelty , and inflicted so many torments upon the princes and people to force them to declare where their treasure lay , that from the year . to this day they depopulated above four hundred mile of land , the number of people in these parts slain being not inferior to those who had been slain in other places . if i had decreed to reckon up the impieties , slaughters , cruelties , violences , rapines , murders , and iniquities , and other crimes committed by the spaniards against god , the king , and these innocent nations , i should make two large a volume : yet i shall do my endevour , if god grant me life . for the present i will rehearse a part of those things which the bishops of these provinces wrote to the king our soveraign lord . these were letters dated the . of may , in the year , . in which these words are written . i tell your sacred majesty , that there is no remedy to ease this afflicted nation , but to deliver it out of the power of these step-fathers , and to give it into the power of a loving husband , which may use it with more gentlenesse as befits it , and that as soon as may be ; for if there be any delay , it must of necessity perish . and a little after he proceeds thus . by which it shall be apparent to your majesty , how deservedly the governors of these provinces ought to be deprived of their dignity , that the provinces may be eased ; which if it be not suddenly done , these provinces will never be eased . this also your majesty may further take notice of , that they are not men that live here but devils , that there are no servants of god or the king to be found , but traytors both to the law and king . now certainly there is nothing more destructive to the peace of the nation , and that hinders more the conversion of those that live there in peace , then the cruel and hard usage which the spaniards afflict those innocent people withall , which bred in them such a loathing of the spanish name , that nothing is more odious and detestable . for the indians call them yaes , which in their language signifies devils . and truly not without reason , for the actions of these people have been more like the actions of devils , whereby it happens that the indians seing such crimes committed by the spaniards both of high and inferiour conditions , so void of pity and compassion , cannot chuse but think amisse both of god , the king , and 〈◊〉 of the christians ; and to labour to 〈◊〉 them to the contrary , is a vain and fruitlesse labour , and whereby a greater advantage is given them to laugh at christ and his law . and as for the indians that take armes to defend themselves they think it better to die once , then to fall into the hands of their enemies , and to be afflicted with many deaths . these things , most invincible caesar , i have learnt by experience . he addes further , your majesty hath in these countreys more friends and servants then you are aware of ; for there is no souldier of all those that serve in these parts , who does not publickly and openly professe , whether he rob , steal , kill or burn the subjects of your majesty , for the obtaining of gold , but that he does it to do your majesty service . wherefore most invincible caesar it would be requisite , that you should signifie by the severe correction of some , how displeased you were with such services , whereby they shew themselves so disobedient and refractory to god himself . which words are taken from the writings of the said bishop of st. martha , out of which it is manifest , what strange things have been committed , and are daily committed by them . they call the indians warlike , that continually flie to the mountains to avoid the cruelty of the spaniards , and they call those the indians and inhabitants of the countrey , whom they have subjected to the hardship of a perpetual slavery by the terror of their massacres : by which they have been depopulated and wasted , as appears out of the letters of the foresaid bishop , who recites but a very few of those things that were committed . the indians of these regions us'd to break forth into these expressions , when they are forc'd naked through the craggie passages of the mountains , if at any time they chanced to faint with wearinesse ( for then they are constantly beaten with canes , sometimes their teeth knockt out with the hilts of their swords , to make them rise and proceed on in their journeys without any rest ) then were they wont i say to break forth into these expressions , oh how envious art thou ▪ i faint , kill me , and put an end to my daies : this they sigh forth , scarcly able to draw out their words , the certain signs of an inward anguish and deep distresse ; but who can comprehend in words the hundredth part of these calamities and afflictions wherewith the spaniards do torment the poor indians ; god of his mercy bring them to the knowledge of those who are able to remedy and prevent them for the future . of the province of carthagena . this province is distant from the island of st. martha toward the west . miles , and is situated upon the confines of the kingdome of cerusia , being stretched upon the sea coast to the bay of vraba a hundred miles in length , south ward it is also stretched to a very great length . these provinces from the year . to this present year were handled after a most cruel manner , and depopulated with several kindes of slaughters , as it happened in the islands of st. martha : but that i may come to a quick conclusion i shall cease to speak of every particular , that i may make hast to the rehearsal of those detestable crimes which they committed in other countreys . of the shore of pearls , of paria , and of the island of the trinity . from the shore of paria , to the bay of v●necuela , which takes up above two hundred miles in length , the spaniards committed most wonderful depopulations ; for they gave themselves wholly to their wonted robberies , enslaving also infinite numbers of men , on purpose to sell them for money , against all the faith and pledges which they had given them for their security ( for those were things which they never observed ) though they were entertained by these innocent creatures with all civility , and softered in their houses like their parents , or children , serving them in all things to the utmost of their power , and making them masters of all that was in their possession . it can hardly be said or expressed , with how many injuries and unjust actions they used to afflict the poor indians in these countreys from . untill this present year . two or three of their most hainous crimes i will rehearse , whereby the reader may judge of the wickedness of those which remain untold . into the island of the trinity being larger and more fertile then sicily , and stored with inhabitants , according to their quality , more ingenuous & vertuous then any other nation of the indians , a certain robber went in the year . accompanyed with fifty or sixty other fellow theeves , who presently proclaim'd an edict that all the indians should come into the island to live with him . the indians received them as their natural countreymen , both princes and subjects yeelding obedience to them with much chearfulnesse , bringing provision to them every day as much as would have sufficed to have served a far greater number ; for this is the custome of the inhabitants of this new world , to afford all necessaries to the spaniards in great abundance . a little while after the spaniards built a great house for the indians to dwel in , for they would not that all of them should have more then one house , where they might all dwell together , that they might with more convenience execute that which they had in their resolutions ; which they did accordingly : for when they had thatched it over , and raised it to the height of two men , they shut up abundance of them in the said house upon pretence to hasten the work ; but in truth , that those within might not be seen by those without ; then a part of them compass'd the house with their weapons that none might enter in or go forth ; after that others of them went in , and unsheathing their swords , they threatned death to the naked indians if they stir'd , and then bound them . and if any of them went about to flye , they were in the place immediately cut in pieces ; some few that escaped , part wounded , and part whole , joyning themselves with those who stood without , being about two hundred in number , with bowes and arrowes retreated to another house , who being all at one end stoutly defending the entry of the house , the spaniards set fire to the other end , and so they all there perished by fire . hence they departed with their prisoners , all they could lay hold on , being about a hundred and eighty , to the island of st. iohn where the sold half , and from thence also to the island of hispaniola , where they fold the rest . now when i taxed the captain for his wickednesse , after he came to the island of st. iohn ? he gave me this answer , pray sir be patient , for i was commanded by those that sent me , that those that i could not take by fair means , i should seize by force : yet the said captain had related to me for certain , that in the island of the trinity he found them both fathers and mothers to him , which he spoke to his greater confusion and the aggravation of his crime . infinite of other things they did , taking captive these poor people against all faith given . let these actions be well considered , and whether the indians so taken may be justly enslaved or no . once the fryers of the order of st. dominick consulted about sending some of their order to this island , to spread the light of the gospel among the indians , for the salvation of their souls ; whereupon they sent a licentiate , famous for his sanctity with a lay man , to accompany him , to visit the countrey , converse with the inhabitants , and to seek out fit places for the the building of monasteries . the religious persons being arriv'd were received as angels from heaven , ear being giv'n to their words with all attention , alacrity and affection , that they were able at that time , for they were ignorant of our language ; it happened afterwards when the religious persons were gone , that there came a band of souldiers , who according to their wonted customes of fraud and impiety , carried away captive the prince of the province , who ( either because that name was given him by the religious persons , or by the other spaniards ) was call'd alfonsus ; for they delight to be called by the names of the christians , and therefore before they are informed of any thing else they desire to be baptized . by these souldiers was alfonsus craftily seduced a shipboard under pretence that they would give him a banquet ; with their prince there went seventeen other persons , for they had a confidence that the fryers would keep the spaniards from doing them any injury , for otherwise the said king would not have trusted them so far ; but they were no sooner on shipboard , but the spaniards hoysed up their sailes for hispaniola , where they sold all the indians for slaves ; now all the region being troubled for the losse of their king and queen , flockt to the religious persons , and had like to have slain them ; who perceiving the injustice of the spaniards were very much troubled ; and i do beleeve , that they had rather have lost their lives , then that the indians should have suffered such an injury to the hinderance of their salvation ; but the indians were satisfied with the promises of the religious persons , who told them , that as soon as any ships came to the island , they would take the first opportunity to go to hispaniola and endevour to get their king and queen set at liberty . providence sent a ship thither to confirm the condemnation of those that govern'd , by which these religious persons sent to the religious persons of hispaniola , but got no redress , for the spaniards there were receivers of the prey . when the religious persons , who had promised to the indians that their king should return within four moneths , saw that he did not come in eight moneths , they prepared themselves for death , and to give up their lives to christ to whom they had offer'd them before their departure out of hispaniola ; and so the innocent indians reveng'd themselves upon the innocent friers . for the indians , believed that the religious persons were guilty of the said treachery , partly because that their promises concerning the return of their king in four moneths had prov'd so vain , partly because the indians make no distinction between the religious persons and the theeving spaniards . it hapned also that at another time , through the great tyranny and oppression of the evil christians , that the indians slew two religious persons of the order of st. dominic , of which i was a very real witnesse , as being one of those who escaped the same fate by a great miracle , which i had resolved not to have mentioned , lest the horror of the fact should deter others . wherefore to avoid prolixity , i shall say no more concerning these things , leaving them to be revealed at the day of judgement , when god shall pour his vengeance down upon these robbers and destroyers of mankinde . in these provinces in the bay of coderat , there was a city , the lord of which was called higueroto , a name common either to the persons , or to the officers of the place . he was a person so milde and gentle , and all his subjects endued with such vertue using the spaniards that arriv'd there with that civility , that they thought nothing too much for them , bestowing all things needfull either for sustenance or delight that their countrey afforded . this lord had saved many from death , who had escaped out of other provinces , from the murthers and slaughters of the spaniards , being a kind of a sanctuary for the sick and half famished persons that came into his countrey , and when they were recovered sent them back again to the island of pearls where the spaniards liv'd , though he had an opportunity to have slain them , there being none to regard or misse them ; in brief , the spaniards had all the houses of the inhabitants in common , and all the subjects of higueroto they called their own subjects ; but a perfidious spaniard took councel how he might destroy this region which seem'd it self so safe and secure ; presently therefore he sayl'd thither , and invited a great number of men to come a shipboard , who giving credit to the spaniards , came willingly to them ; but they were no sooner entred the ship , but the spaniards hoysed sayl for the island of st. iohn where they sold them all . at the same time i arriv'd at this island , where i saw this tyrant , and was told the relation of what he had done . he wholly destroyed the city it self , which the other spaniards who were wont to harrace all the sea coast , were notwithstanding much troubled at , abominating actions so hainous committed against them who had been so courteous and liberal to them , and where they had been entertain'd as in their own houses . i will not recite the infinite wickednesses which have been committed by them , and are daily committed among them . these spaniards departed from the sea coast to the islands of hispaniola and st. iohn , carrying with them above two millions of men to the said islands , which they afterwards destroyed through hard labour and continual bad usage ; those that before liv'd in this island , being not reckned into their number , who were an infinite and unspeakable number , and it is a most sad thing to consider , and that which would move the most cruel hearts , to see all this fertile shore lie desert and depopulated . this is also a known thing , that they never do transport indians from these places , but in their voyage they do pay the third ●art of them as a tribute to the waves , besides those that are murthered in their own houses . the cause of all these things are their own wicked purposes ; that is to say , by the sale of the indians to heap up treasure , yet furnishing the ships not with half provisions for the sustenance of those that they transport , because they would not be at too much charges ; and sometimes there are hardly provisions enough to suffice the spaniards themselves , so that the indians ready to die for hunger and thirst , are immediately thrown into the sea . and it was related to me for certain , that a ship going from hispaniola to the island of lucayos , sayl'd thither without any compasse , only by the carkasses that floated up and down the sea . afterwards when they are landed , where they are carried to be sold , there is no man that would not be mov'd with compassion , to see both old and young , men and women , naked and hungry , drop and faint as they goe along . afterwards they divide them like sheep , separating sons from fathers , wives from their husbands ; and then making up a company of ten or twenty , those that set out the ships , and fitted them with necessaries , presently cast lots for their shares . and when the lot fell upon a company that had an old or a sick man , he to whom the lot fell , was wont to break forth into these expressions , cursed be this old fellow , why do you give him me ? to bury him ? why do you give me this sick man ? to be his keeper ? and thus let us consider , in what estimation the indians are among the spaniards , and how the precept of charity on which the law and the prophets depends is observed among them . there is nothing more detestable or more cruel , then the tyranny which the spaniards use toward the indians for the getting of pearl . surely the infernall torments cannot much exceed the anguish that they indure , by reason of that way of cruelty ; for they put them under water some four or five ells deep , where they are forced without any liberty of respiration , to gather up the shels wherein the pearls are ; sometimes they come up again with nets full of shels to take breath , but if they stay any while to rest themselves , immediately comes a hangman row'd in a little boat , who as soon as he hath well beaten them , drags them again to their labour . their food is nothing but fish , and the very same that contains the pearl , with a small portion of that bread which that countrey affords ; in the first whereof there is little nourishment ; and as for the latter , it is made with great difficulty , besides that they have not enough of that neither for sustenance ; they lye upon the ground in fetters , lest they should run away ; and many times they are drown'd in this labour , and are never seen again till they swim upon the top of the waves : oftentimes they also are devoured by certain sea monsters , that are frequent in those seas . consider whether this hard usage of the poor creatures be consistent with the precepts which god commands concerning charity to our neighbour , by those that cast them so undeservedly into the dangers of a cruel death , causing them to perish without any remorse or pity , or allowing them the benefit of the sacraments , or the knowledge of religion ; it being impossible for them to live any time under the water ; and this death is so much the more painful , by reason that by the coarctation of the brest , while the lungs strive to do their office , the vitall parts are so afflicted that they dye vomiting the bloud out of their mouthes . their hair also , which is by nature black , is hereby chang'd and made of the same colour with that of the sea wolves ; their bodies are also so besprinkled with the froth of the sea , that they appear rather like monsters then men . by this intolerable labour , or rather diabolical exercise , they have consumed all the lucayans , for their particular gain ; out of every indians labour gaining above fifty or a hundred crowns . they sold them also against all justice ; only because lucayans were most skilfull swimmers . there perished also many of the inhabitants of other provinces in this place . of the river of yuya pari. through this province runs the river of yuya pari which rises in other countreys about two huudred miles distant . into this river entred a perfidious tyrant , wasting many miles of land , committing many slaughters , consuming many by fire , and putting an infinite number of these poor indians to the sword , that liv'd peaceably in their own houses without any suspicion of making disturbance . at length he dy'd an evill death , and all his forces came to ruine , though he were succeeded by many others , not inferiour to him in impiety , who daily destroy the souls of the poor indians , for whom the bloud of christ was spilt . of the kingdome of venecuela . in the yeare . our soveraigne lord the king through the false perswasions of some evil counsellours made over to certaine dutch merchants the kingdome of venecuela , being more large and long then spain , giving to the governour a full and plenary jurisdiction over the said people upon certain conditions . they entered this region with about . men , where they found the people affable and courteous as they were in other countries of india before they were killed up by the spaniards . they by many degrees crueller then the rest of whom we have spoken shewed themselves more fierce and greedy then tygers , wolves or lyons ; for having a jurisdiction over the land , and therefore possessing it more freely , they bestirred themselves with greater fury and covetousnesse in the heaping up of gold and silver , then any of their predecessors had done before them ; laying aside all feare of god , or of the king , and forgetting all humanity . these incarnate devils laid waste and spoiled above . miles of most fertile land , containing very great provinces , fruitful vallies forty miles in length ; and an infinite number of villages abounding with gold and silver . so many , and so many several regions they so utterly depopulated , that they hardly left a messenger of these sad tydings , but those which hiding themselves in the caverns and bowels of the earth escaped the thirst of their enraged swords . with new and unusual sorts of torments they destroyed above four or five millions of people ; neither do they yet put an end to their abominable crimes and enormities : three or four of their mad actions i will rehearse , whereby the reader may judge of the rest . the chiefe lord of the province they took captive , putting him to several torments to squeeze his gold from him ; but he escaping fled to the mountaines , and thereupon his subjects that lay hid among the woods and bushes began to raise a tumult ; the spainards followed destroying abundance of the people ; and as for those who were taken alive , they were publickly sold for slaves . in many provinces , and indeed in most provinces where they came before the captivity of the chief lord , they were still welcom'd by the indians with songs and dances and great presents of gold ; though the thanks which they gave them was alwayes with the points of their swords , still recompensing them with massacres . one day when they came forth to meet the spaniards , the german tyrant and captaine caus'd an infinite number of them to be shut up in a house made up with straw , where he commanded that they should be all cut in pieces . now by reason that there were beames in the house whither the indians got up to avoid the fury of the german swords ; therefore ( o cruel beasts ) the governour sent certaine men to set fire upon the house , and so burnt them alive : so that now the whole region lay waste and desolate , the inhabitants being all fled to the mountaines for safety . they came afterwards to another large province neere to that of st. martha , where they found the indians in their houses and cities very peaceably employed about their occasions , where they liv'd a good while at the charges of the inhabitants , the indians serving them like men in whose power their lives and safeties were , induring beyond imagination their continual importunities and daily oppressions , which were almost intolerable . this being added , which i said before , that one spainard consumes in one day as much as would suffice to serve an indian family consisting commonly of ten persons for a whole month . at that time the indians presented them with several great summes of gold , doing many other kindnesses for them . at length when they were about to go away , as a recompence for all their courteous entertainment , they resolv'd to leave them after this manner . the german tyrant gave command that all the indians with their wives and children if possible , should be gathered together and shut up in one large place ; which done , they were also commanded to signifie to them , that whoever desired to be at liberty , must redeeme themselves with their wives and children at a certain ransome , impos'd upon them at the discretion of the governour ; & to hasten them the more and bring them to a greater necessity , he commanded that no sustenance should be given them , till they had pay'd the sum required . hereupon many sent home for the price of their redemption , that they might be at liberty to seek for victuals : but they had not been long at home ere they were brought back again by the robbers , and shut up in the same place , that being oppressed with hunger and thirst they might be forc'd to redeem themselves once more ; and thus were many of them three or four times faine to ransom themselves . and in this manner a country abounding with gold and people was totally destroy'd ; in which there was a valley forty miles long , where they burnt a village that contained above a thousand houses . this governour went further , having a great desire to see the lower parts of perue ; for which journey he provided an infinite number of indians , lading them with chaines and heavy burthens ; and if any of them fainted by the way , because they would not stand to loosen the chaines , they cut off their hands and heads , casting the head one way , and the body another , and their burdens were divided and impos'd upon others . and now should i reckon the provinces which he laid desert , the cities which he burnt , for all their houses are of straw , besides the particular slaughters which they made , though i am confident of the truth thereof , yet should i scarcely be beleeved , by reason that so much cruelty could not be suppos'd in man . this course took other tyrants that departed from venequela and the province of st. martha , with a resolution to make a further discovery of the divine gold of perue : but they found that glorious country so desert , so depopulated , so wasted and destroyed , that they themselves though a crew of blood thirsty tyrants , were amaz'd and wondred to behold such ruines and depopulations . these and many other things were prov'd before the fiscal of the indian council , and the several proofes are kept by the said council ; though t is most certain that they never put to death any of those cursed tyrants , as if all the devastations and murders by them committed had not been at all to be regarded . for hitherto the ministers of justice in india through their extraordinary and damned blindnesse , have never been very solicitous to inquire after the crimes and slaughters which those tyrants have committed , or daily do commit . onely they tell you slightly , that because such and such a one did ill and handled the indians so cruelly , that therefore the treasury of the king was much diminished ; and this is all they do toward the suppression of so many hainous actions . neither are those , which are prov'd , verifi'd to any purpose , neither is there that credit given to them as indeed there should be ; for if they would but do their duty both to god and the king , they would soon finde the king to have been cheated by the german tyrants of above three millions of gold ; for the region of venecuela being about . miles in length , for the happinesse of the soile and the abundance of gold is not inferiour to any of the rest : and thus in the space of seventeen years wherein these enemies of god and the king , have done nothing else but destroy'd and wasted these countries , they have , as i said before , defrauded the king not of lesse then three millions of gold . neither is it to be hop'd that these losses can be repaired as long as the world stands , unlesse god by some miracle should raise from the dead so many people as have been slaine ; besides the blasphemies and curses wherewith they have been bold to provoke even god himselfe . but what recompence can be made for the destroying of so many soules , which through the cruelty and tyranny of so many blood-sucking tyrants are now tormented in hell ? this also may be added by way of conclusion to the rest of their crimes , that from the time that they first enterd this region , which is now seventeen years agoe , they never ceas'd to send whole ships laden with indian captives to the islands of st. martha , hispaniola , iamaica , and st. iohn , having sold at the least a million of men ; neither do they yet forebeare in this yeare . that abominable practice ; the royal council of the king taking no notice thereof : and that , which they cannot choose but see , they not onely dissemble , but suffer and uphold them that do it . and as for the rest of their crimes and infinite devastations , which they spread all along this part of the continent , for a matter of . miles in length , together with venecuela which is under their jurisdiction , they shut their eyes , when they might have remedi'd them . the reason why they did captivate the indians was onely this ; out of a perverse , obstinate and blinde desire of heaping up gold and riches , which is common to all that have gone into america . for these quiet lambes , they drew them by violence out of their houses , carrying them , together with their wives and children into captivity , afflicting them in those horrid manners as abovesaid , and burning them with the marke of slaves . of the provinces of the country of florida . into these countries there went two several tyrants at several times , from the year . or eleven , that they might perpetrate the same abominable actions as the rest had done ; that by the blood and destruction of the people , they might obtaine offices and dignities which they were no way worthy of . but at length they were taken away by an evil death , the houses also which they had built them ( this i witnesse of all the three ) at the cost of humane blood perish'd with them , the memory of them vanishing from the face of the earth , as if they had never been . they left these countries very much troubled and confused , having incurr'd no small infamy by reason of the crimes which they committed , though they were not many : for god cut them off at the beginning , leaving the revenge of those evils , which i know , and have seen done in the indies , to be poured forth upon this place . of the fourth tyrant that came well instructed lately in the yeare . we have had no news these three yeares . this we are sure of , that at the beginning he carried himselfe very cruelly ; and if he be alive , most assuredly he hath destroy'd an infinite number of people ; for he among all those who have done most mischeife in ruining both provinces and kingdoms , is famous for his savage fury ; wherefore i am apt to believe that god hath put the same end to his life , as to the others . three or four years after these things happened which i have related , the other tyrant that went along with him who there ended his dayes , departed out of that country ; whose cruelties and rapines while the chiefe captaine liv'd , and after his death were so many , as we since understood , that what we said before , may still stand for an axiom , that the further they went , the more exorbitant was their fury and iniquity . but because it is so irksome to me to rehearse these execrable and bloody acts not of men but of beasts , i will no longer dwell upon them , but go to those things which followed after . they found a numerous people , wise and well moralliz'd , over whom they exercis'd their wonted tyrannies , seeking to strike an awe and dread into them , with the anguish and the burdens wherewith they oppressed them . and if they fainted by the way , they would not take the pains to open the fetters , but came to the fainting person , and cut off his head or his hands , and so left them . once entring into a certaine village , they were with great joy and exultation received by the spaniards , who gave them provision till they were satisfied , allowing them also six hundred indians to carry their burdens , and to look to their horses . but the spaniards being departed , a certain captain , of kin to the chiefe tyrant , returned to spoile them that mistrusted nothing ; who there slew the king of the province with his lance , and committed many other cruelties . in another village , whose inhabitants seem'd to be more vigilant , by reason of the horrid iniquities which , as they heard , the spaniards were wont to commit , they put all to the sword , young and old , little and great , lord and subject , sparing none that came in their way . the chief tyrant , with a nose and lips down to his beard , having call'd together a great number of indians , reported to have been about two hundred , caused them all to have their members lopt off , leaving them in this sad and painful condition , the blood streaming forth , to be witness●s of the mercy of these persons baptiz'd in the catholike faith . now let us judge of the love which such kinde of men beare toward christianity , or after what manner they beleeve in god , whom they boast to be good and just , and whose law is without blemish . most pernicious have been the evils committed by these wicked men , the sons of perdition . at length this wretched captaine dyed without any repentance ▪ neither can we doubt but that he now lies fetter'd in the shades of hell , unlesse god of his infinite mercy and goodnesse , not according to his deserts , have taken compassion on him . of the river of plate , or the silver river . about the yeares one thousand five hundred and two or three , some four or five captaines undertook a journey to the river of plate , which containes many provinces and countries , which flourish with people very rational , and of handsome dispositions . in general we can say that they did there commit many horrid mischiefes and execrable murders . but being at a very great distance from those indians , of whom we have talked more at large , we can relate nothing singular or particular ; onely we doe not question , but they do employ themselves in the same works of darknesse as hath been hitherto practised in divers other places ; for they are spaniards still , and many of them the very same who were present at the other massacres , and having the same intention to become rich and potent , which they cannot obtaine but by the same courses as they formerly took , following the bloody footsteps of those who have already destroyed and slain so many indians . after i had written what i have above mentioned , it hath been related to me for certaine , that they have depopulated and laid waste many provinces and kingdoms in those regions , rendring themselves so much the more exquisite and devilish in their oppressions , slaughters , and massacres of those people , by how much they are at a farther and more convenient distance from spaine ; and laying aside all thoughts of justice , which indeed was never practis'd in those regions of america , as doth sufficiently appeare by what we have above writtrn . among all the enormities which shall follow after , this one was read in the councel . a certain gouernour had given in charge to his souldiers , that into whatever village they came that should deny them provision , that they should there put all the inhabitants to the sword . upon which warrant the souldiers went , and because the indians would not submit to them as to enemies , fearing rather to come into their sight , then that their liberality or store would be defective , they immediatly put to the sword above . of them . a certain number of men also living in peace , offer'd their service to them ; they afterwards were by chance summon'd by the governour , and because they came not so suddenly as his fury expected , he thereupon commanded that they should be delivered to those indians that were their enemies . with tears and outcries they beseeched him that he would rather permit them to die by their hands , then deliver them up to the mercy of their foes ; and when they would not come out of the houses where they were , they were all torne lim-meale , crying out , and saying , we come in peace to serve you , and you now kill us , may our blood sprinkled upon these walls be a testimony of our unjust death , and of your cruelty . certainly this was a deed not only to be bemoaned , but also to be bewaild and pity'd . of the great kingdomes , and large provinces of peru. in the yeare . a great helluo and devourer of men went into the kingdoms of peru , upon the same pretences , and with the same intention as the rest ; and being one of those who had been present at the murders and slaughters committed in other places , in the year . therefore he proceeded with a greater hardnesse of heart in his outrages and robberies ; and being a man of no faith or truth , he laid waste cities and villages , slaying all the inhabitants ; and was the cause of all those mischiefes that followed afterward in those kingdomes ; to undertake the narration of which , and to represent them all to the reader , is a thing impossible , until they shall perfectly and clearly appear at the day of judgement before all men . and for my selfe , i doe confesse , should i goe about to describe the deformity , the quality and circumstances of their actions , it would be a task too difficult for me . at his first enterance he wasted certain villages , and plundred the country of a great quantity of gold : and one time coming into an island adjoyning to these regions , which was known by the name of pagna , being a fertile island and full of people : he was receiv'd by the prince and the inhabitants thereof as if he had been an angel sent from heaven . but after that six months were past , in which time the spaniards had consum'd all their provision , they then brought forth the corn which they had reserv'd against times of barrennesse for themselves their wives and children , in places under the ground , offering it to them with tears in their eyes , desiring them to do what pleas'd them with it . but they ill rewarded them in the end , killing a very great number of them with their swords and lances , and those whom they took alive they carri'd away into captivity , emptying and destroying the country , with many other cruelties . from thence they went to the island of tumbala , which is situated in the continent , where he kill'd all that fell into his power ; and because the people being astonished at their barbarism fled away from them , they accus'd them of rebellion against the king of spain . this tyrant us'd also this kind of subtilty toward the indians . he commanded those whom he took , and others which brought him presents , still to bring him more , till he saw that they were quite destitute ; telling them that he recev'd them now as vassals and subjects of the king of spain ; flattering them also and telling them that he would neither take them , nor do them any other injury . as though it had been a thing lawful for him to rob & spoile them , and to terrifie them with such kinde of strange news before he had receiv'd them into the protection of the king of spain ; or as if after he had so receiv'd them to protection , he had never done any injury or laid any oppression upon them . after this the king and supreame emperour of all these regions , acaliba by name , brought against the spainards a great power of pittiful naked creatures , and arm'd with most ridiculous weapons , not knowing the sharpnesse of the spanish swords and lances , nor the strength of their horses ; to the place where they lay approach'd the spaniards , who certainly would rob the devils of gold if they had it ; this king resolv'd to call the spaniards to an account , for the slaughters of his people , the destruction of his country , & the robberies which they committed upon his treasures . but the spaniards met him , kill'd an infinite number of his people , and seiz'd upon his person , which was carried in a kind of litter . now they come to capitulations about his redemption ; he promises ten millions of crowns , and numbers down fifteen ; they promis'd to release him , but never stood to their words , falsifying all the protestations which they made to the king ; telling him how that his subjects were gathered together again by his command . to whom the king made answer , that there could not be a leafe of a tree moved without his will and authority ; but if they were now assembled anywhere together , it was not by his power ; who was now their captive , for they might take away his life if they pleas'd . notwithstanding all which they consulted whether they should burn him alive or no , which sentence they afterwards passed ; but by the intreaty of some , that sentence was mitigated and he was commanded to be strangled . the king understanding that he was to dye , spake to them in these words ; why do you kill me ? did you not promise to set me at liberty , so i would give you gold ? i gave it you , and more then you requir'd ; yet if it be your will that i must dye , send to your king of spain : but ere he could utter more , the flames prevented him . consider here the equity of this war , the captivity of this prince , the sentence of his condemnation , and the execution of that sentence , the conscience of the spaniards , which nothing deterr'd them from consuming and taking away by violence the great treasures of this great king and of his nobles , how they all concur to aggravate their devillish iniquity . concerning the foule and enormous cruelties wherewith they wholly extirpated the people of these regions , i will here relate a few , seen by a friar of the order of st. francis , and confirm'd and committed to writing under his own hand and seale , and disperc'd not onely in these provinces , but in the kingdome of castile . a copy of which i can produce signed with his own hand , wherein these things following are contain'd . i brother mark of cilicia , of the order of st. francis , cheif governour of all the brotherhood of that order , in the provinces of peru , being one of the first religious persons that went into those parts , speak this for a certain truth , testifying those things which i have seen , and which properly concern the inhabitants of these countries . first i am an eye-witnesse , and do affirme upon my knowledge that the inhabitants of perue were a nation very courteous , affable , and loving to the spaniards ; and i have seen presents of gold , silver , and precious stones , given by those people to the spaniards in great abundance , besides many other offices of service which they daily did for them . neither did the indians ever move war till they were forc'd to it by the contumelies and injuries of the spaniards : but on the contrary , the spaniards being received by them with all the shews of respect and freindship , were continually furnish't both with men and women for their service . i am also a witnesse , that upon no occasion given them by the indians the spaniards did enter their country , and burnt to death their great emperour call'd ataliba , after they had receiv'd from him as a ransome from his captivity above two millions of gold ; his whole kingdome having submitted themselves to him without any resistance : with the same cruelty was cochilimacha his captain general put to death , who came with other noble men of the country to the spaniards in peace . the same fate also follow'd another potent lord of the province of quitonia , whom they also burnt without any occasion given , or injury done them : as unjustly did they burne also schapera , prince of the canaries : they also burnt the feet for aloides the most potent lord in all the provinces of quitonia , afflicting him with many other torments to make him confesse where the gold of ataliba lay , though as afterwards it appear'd , he knew nothing of it . they also kill'd quitonius cocopagauga , governour of all the provinces of quitonia , who at the importunities of sebastian barnaclacanus captain of the governour came in peace to the spaniards , because he could not give them the sum which they demanded ; thus they put to death divers other of the noblemen of the country ; and as i understand , it is the intention of the spaniards not to leave one of the lords and noblemen of that place alive . i do also affirme that i have seen the spaniards for no other cause , but to satisfie their own wills , dismember the indians both men and women , cutting off their eares , noses , and hands , and that in so many places and regions , that it would be a tedious thing to relate them . i have also seen the spaniards set their dogs upon the indians to devour them ; and such a number of houses and villages burnt by them , that it would be over long to rehearse them : this is also a truth , that they would snatch young infants out of their mothers bellies , and cast them as far as they could throw them ; besides many other cruelties which they committed , which did not a little amaze me , though they are too many to be numbred . i do also affirme that the spaniards got together as many of the indians as possibly they could croud into three houses , and there , upon no occasion given , burnt them to death . at that time it chanc'd that a certain presbyter , by name ocaena snatch'd an infant out of the fire , which one of the spaniards beholding , immediately took the child out of his hands , and threw it into the fire ; which spaniard , the same day that he did this vile act , as he returned to his quarters , fell down dead by the way , whom i perswaded the rest to leave unburied . i have also seen them send to the noblemen and chief rulers of the indians to come to them , engaging to secure them , and to let them return in peace ; but when they came , they caused them to be immediately burnt . two they burnt while i was present , one being the lord of andonia , the other of tumbala ; neither could i by any perswasions prevail with them to take them out of the fire ; and this i speak in the presence of god , and according to my own conscience , that i never knew of any commotion or rebellion raised by the indians of peru against them , though it was apparent to all how they did torment and massacre them . which had they done , considering how the spaniards broke their faith and promises to them , how against all law and right they practis'd nothing else but their desolation and destruction , certainly they had done well , chusing rather noble a death , then to endure such tedious miseries . i doe also affirme out of the mouths of the indians themselves , that greater quantities of gold lie hid then are yet discovered , which because of the cruelties and injustice of the spaniards , they are loath to reveale , nor will reveale , till the tyrannical hand of the spaniards shall be taken off them , rather chusing to dye , as others have done . whereby god is offended , and the affaires of the king many times impeded : for he hath been defrauded of more then would serve to maintain castile , the recovery of which cannot be performed without much difficulty and large expences . and thus far i have related the very words of this religious person , confirm'd by the bishop of mexico , before whom he justified all that is here written . here we must consider these things to be such as this religious person was an eye-witnesse of , having traveld long in those parts for the space of above nine or ten yeares , and had compassed above fifty or a hundred miles of that country , when there were but few spaniards that liv'd in those parts ; though afterwards to the noise of the gold there flockt thither above five thousand , who scattered themselves through those large provinces , that contain'd in length above five or miles , which they totally laid waste , committing rather more and greater cruelties then they had done in any other countries ; and to say truth , from that time until this present year , they destroy'd a thousand times more persons then he makes mention of , and with lesse feare , either of god , or of the king , and with lesse pity they massacred the greatest part of mankind of those that inhabited those regions , killing above four millions of people . a few dayes after , with darts made of reeds , they shot at the most potent queen , who was the wife of elinguus , in whose hands the whole administration of the government of these kingdomes remain'd , which occasioned him to rebel against them , and to this day he holds out against them : at length they took his queen , and contrary to all right and equity , they put her to death , though it was reported that she was great with child , for no other cause but that they might afflict her husband . but if i should goe to particularize the murders and slaughters committed in that region , the reader would finde them so horrid and so numerous , that in both respects they would far exceed what hath been said touching the other parts of india . of the new kingdome of granata . in the yeare . many of these tyrants departing from venecuela , santa martha and carthagena , met together to make a conquest of peru. and many others comming out of the same regions , having a desire to make a further progress , they found many pleasant countries , about some . miles from carthagena , & divers gallant provinces , well stored with courteous and affable inhabitants like to other places in india , abounding also in gold and precious stones , which are called emraulds ; which provinces by a new name they called new granata , because that the tyrant that first came into these parts was borne in the kingdome of granata . and because those that robb'd and spoil'd these countries , were cruel men , and perverse stewards , famous butchers and spillers of humane blood , therefore are their diabolical actions so great and so many , that they farre surpassed those which were done before them in other countries , of which , some of the most select ones i will rehearse . a certain governour , because he that destroy'd those parts would not admit him to share with him in his gettings , made certain inquisitions and proofes , which he got prov'd by many witnesses , by which are apparent the murders and homicides which the other committed ; in the committing whereof he perseveres unto this day ; there were read in the councel , and stand these recorded . in the said examinations the witnesses depose , that when all these kingdomes were peaceful , the indians serv'd the spaniards , getting their living by painful labours in the tillage of the earth , bringing them what quantity of gold or gems they had or could get , having also divided their houses and their habitations among them , of which they are not a little covetous , as being a means for them to obtain their gold the more easily . but when all the indians were labouring under their accustomed tyranny , the chief captain and tyrant of the spaniards took the king and lord of the country , and kept him a prisoner for the space of six or seven moneths , for no other reason then to squeez from him what gold and precious stones he could . the said king , whose name was bogata , through fear promised him that he would give him a golden house , hoping by that meanes to be set at liberty ; and so he sent his indians , who brought back great sums of gold and precious stones . but because the king gave them not a golden house , therefore they told him that he must be put to death , because he did not stand to his word . whereupon the tyrant commanded that he should be brought before him ; and thus they presum'd to call to judgement one of the greatest kings of the land . whereupon sentence was given that hee should be tormented , because he had not given the gold'n house . whereupon they tortur'd him , dropping hot sope upon his belly ; then they fetterd his two feet to two posts or stakes , and bound his neck to another ; then two men holding his hands , they set fire to his feet , the tyrant comming now and then to him , and threatning death to him , unlesse that he would tell them where his treasure lay ; but that could not be done , for with torments they soon ended his life . which things , while they were doing , the displeasure of heaven fell upon the city for their sakes , whereby it was immediately consum'd with fire . the other captaines of the spaniards , resolving to walk in their leaders footsteps , because they knew no art but that of dismembring the poor people , were not less guilty of the same crimes , with divers and most horrible torments afflicting both the nobles and the commonaly which submitted themselves unto them , though they would faine have bought their peace with great presents both of gold and precious stones . they tormented them onely that they might obtaine from them the greater sums of gold and silver ; and thus all the noble blood of that country was spilt in a most barbarous and shameful manner . one time it happend that a certain number of the indians , full of innocence and simplicity , came to proffer their service to the spanish captain ; but while they thought themselves safe under the protection of their own humility , a captain at that instant came to the city where they serv'd their masters , who , after he had sup'd , commanded all the indians , who were sleeping and resting from the hardnesse of their labours , to be all put to the sword . which slaughter he made with intention to make himselfe the more dreadful to all the country . once the captain commanded all the spaniards that they should bring forth as many of the indian lords or common people , as they had in their houses , into a publick place , and there kill them ; and thus they slew above four or five hundred men . this the witnesses affirme of a certain particular tyrant , that he exercis'd very great cruelties , by cutting off the hands , noses , and feet both of men and women . another time it happend that the chief captain sent an officer into the province of bogata , to enquire who had succeeded the prince that was so cruelly murdered ; who riding many miles into the country , took the indians captive , cutting off the hands and ears of many of them , onely because they would not tell who was their kings successor ; others they threw to their dogs to be torn to pieces ; and thus they kill'd and destroy'd great numbers of the indians in these parts . upon a certain day , about the fourth watch of the night , they fell upon many princes , peers , and other men who thought themselves in safety ; for the spaniards had made promise to them that they should not receive any injury ; upon which promise they came out of their lurking holes in the mountaines , returning without any fear or suspition to their houses ; all these this tyrant took , and causing them to lay their hands upon the ground , with his own sword cut them off , telling them that he would chastise them for not declaring where their king was . another time , because the indians did not bring a chest of gold to the captain which he required , he therefore sent forces to make war upon them , in which war so many were slain , so many dismembred , that the number was hardly to be reckond ; besides others that they cast to their dogs , bred up and fed with humane flesh , who were immediately devoured by them . another time the inhabitants of another province , seeing that they had murderd about four or five of their chief princes and rulers , fled in fear to a certain mountain for shelter against their inhumane enemies , where there were got together above foure or five thousand indians , as hath been proved by witnesses : but the captain , or governour of the spaniards , sent a notorious tyrant with a company of souldiers to reduce , as he said , those rebellious indians , that had fled from their slaughters and cruelties ; and to chastise them for it , as if they had done an unlawful action ; or as if punishment had been due to the indians , and not rather more deserved by themselves , to have bin us'd without all pity , who had shewd themselves so mercilesse to others . the spaniards scale this mountain by force , for the indians were weak and unarmed , telling them that they desired peace if they would lay down their armes ; whereupon they all immediately threw away their weapons , which when the chief tyrant beheld , he sent to certain of the spaniards to possesse themselves of the cheife places of strength in the mountaine ; and then commanded them to fall upon the indians . whereupon they fall upon them as wolves or lyons fall upon a flock of sheep , till they were wearied with murdering ; but they had no sooner taken breath , but he commanded them again to renew their fury , and caus'd them to precipitate the rest which were remaining from the top of the rock which was very high and steep . and the witnesses affirm that they have seen a cloud of indians falling down from the mountain , which were all bruis'd to peices . and to finish his cruel enterprise , he caus'd the indians that had hid themselves among the thickets to be searched out and put to the sword , and then thrown down from the tops of the high mountaines . and not satiated with these cruelties , that their horrible abominations might be the more notorious , he gave command that all the indians that were reserv'd alive should be kept by his particular souldiers as their slaves , a custome which they constantly observed ; as for the women , those excepted whom they thought most fit for their service , they were all thrust together into a house made of straw and there burnt to death , to the number of above four or five hundred . the same tyrant came to the city of cota where he took an infinite sight of people , and cast fifteen or sixteen of the nobles and lords of the kingdom to his dogs , cutting of the hands of many of the indians both men and women , which he hung upon a perch for the indians to behold ; in this manner were seen hung together above seventy paire of hands . this is also to be added that they cut off the noses both of infants and their mothers . no man can rehearse the cruelties committed by this man , the enemy of god ; they are innumerable , neither heard of nor seen before , especially those committed in guatimala , which were their chiefe masterpeices in this art of destruction which they have been so long practising . the witnesses do moreover adde this , that the cruelties and slaughters committed in the said new kingdome of granata by the said captain and his accomplices the destroyers and abaddons of mankinde , who are with him , and to whom he gives the power to exercise these strange abominations , are so many and so great , that if his majesty do not stop the deluge of evils which they bring along with them ( for the slaughters of the indians are made onely through the desire of their gold , though it be all in their own hands already ) in a very short time the kingdom will be ruin'd & laid desolate , and the land when all the inhabitants are destroy'd must of necessity lie untill'd . in this place we must noe passe by a most pernicious cruelty of these tyrants which was so violent , that in the space of two or three years ( for no longer time there was between the desolation and the discovery of this kingdom which was the most populous country in the whole world ) they totally ruin'd and depopulated the whole country , shewing themselves so void of compassion , so empty of grace , so regardlesse of the kings honour , that they had not left a person living , had not his majesty a little stopt the current of their cruelty : which i the more easily believe , because i have seen my selfe in a few dayes several great kingdomes and countries destroy'd and desolate . there are some large provinces adjoyning to the kingdom of new granata which are call'd popagan and cali , and three or four others which stretch themselves in length above . miles , which they destroy'd in the same manner as they did the other , and by their foresaid massacres brought down to the lowest degree of desolation , and this some who return'd out of these countries & came to us relate ; but if there were ever any thing to be bewailed by man , they were the stories which they told of large cities ruin'd and buried in their own ashes ; scarce fifty houses remaining where before there were above a thousand , or two thousand ; and the sad narrations which they brought , of large countries and regions that lay desolate and spoil'd of their inhabitants . at length there went out of the kingdomes of perne through the country of quitonia into the regions of granata and popaganum , many very cruel tyrants , who march'd through the carthagenians , and vrabia , to reach calisium , while others stay'd to assaile quitonium it selfe . but these at length joyn'd together , depopulating above sixe hundred miles in length , with an infinite waste of men , to the remainder whereof they are at present no lesse cruel . and thus what i set down as a rule , still holds good , that the violence and cruelty of the spaniards , by continuance still waxed more and more furious and bloody . but among all these crimes , which are onely worthy of fire and sword , that have been perpetrated in these countries , this which followes is worthy the taking notice of . when the heate of massacring and killing is over , they carry captive away sometimes two hundred , sometimes three hundred men apeice ; and when their master pleases , he commands a hundred at a time to be brought before him , to whom when they come like meek and patient lambs , he commands thirty or forty of them to be put to death ; telling the rest that thus they shall all be us'd unlesse they prove diligent in his service . consider i beseech you , all that read , or shall read these few papers , whether an act so horrible , so detestable , so inhumane , do not exceed all the iniquities and cruelties that the imagination of man can comprehend ; and whether such spaniards may not be deservedly called devils ; or whether it be not a thing almost indifferent whether the indians should be in the hands of spaniards , or of the infernal spirits . neither will i forget to relate one barbarou's action , which as i think doth exceed the cruelty of beasts . the spaniards which are among the indians do breed up a sort of fierce dogs , which they teach and instruct to fall upon the indians and devour them . now let all men , judge whether christians or turks , in this it much imports not , whether so much cruelty ever peirc'd their eares before . these dogs they take along with them in all their expeditions , carrying also divers indians in chaines for the sustenance of those dogs . and it was a common thing for them to say one to another ; give me a quarter of your indian for my dogs , and too morrow when i bill one i will pay it you again ; as if they were no more to be accounted of then the offals of a hog or sheep . others were wont to go a hunting in the morning , and being ask'd how they had sped : oh very well reply'd the other , my dogs have kill'd fifteen or sixteen indians this morning ; these have been all proved in the impeachments made by one tyrant against another . could there be any thing more horrible or more cruel ? but i will here stay , until there shall come news of greater impieties ( if greater there can be ) or till we shall return to behold these things which for the space of above forty years we have already seen . and now i do protest according to my conscience and in the sight of god , that the losses of the indians were so great , and so many their subverted cities , the cruelties and massacres so horrible , the violences and iniquities so in human , that though i have done my utmost to relate what i could , and to paint them in their own lively colours , yet have i not been able to rehearse one thing done among a thousand , either as to the quantity or the quality of the crimes . and now that all true christians may be mov'd with the greater compassion towards the poor creatures , that their losses may appeare the more deplorable , that they may with a greater indignation detest the ambition , cruelty , and covetousness , of the spaniards , to those which i have abovesaid , i will also adde this for a truth , that , from the time america was first discovered unto this present , the indians never were the men that ever shewed the least disaffection , or offer'd the least injury to the spaniards , but rather ador'd them as angels of immortality come to visit them from heaven , till their owne actions betrayd them to a far worse censure . this i will also adde , that from the beginning to this day , the spaniards were never any more mindful to spread the gospel among them , then as if they had been dogs ; but on the contrary forbid religious persons to exercise their dutie , deterring them by many afflictions and persecutions from preaching and teaching among them , for that they thought would have hindered them in getting their gold , and kept the people from their labours . neither had they any more knowledge of the god of heaven , as to say whether he were of wood , brasse , or iron , then they had above a hundred years before . new spaine being onely excepted , whither the religious persons had most liberty to go : so that they all dy'd without faith or sacraments , to the willing destruction of their souls . i frier bartholmew casaus , of the order of st. dominic , who went to these parts through the mercy of god , desiring the salvation of the indians , that so many precious soules redeemd with the blood of christ might not perish , but wishing with my whole heart , that they might through the knowledge of their creator live eternally : because of the care also and compassion which i beare to my country , which is castile , fearing lest god should destroy it in his anger for the sins which it hath committed against his divine majesty , the faith and the honour of divers great persons in the court of spaine , zealously religious , and who abominate these bloody and detestable actions , after many hinderances of businesse , did at length put an end to this brief tractate at valentia the eighth day of december ● . when the spaniards ( though they were in some places more cruel , in some places lesse , after the end of all their torments , violences , tyrannies , desolations and oppressions , were at length come to mexico , which enjoyes a gentler usage then other parts ; for there is an outside of justice , which doth something restrain their cruelty , though not at all the immoderate tributes which they lay upon them . and now i have a real hope , that charles the fifth our soveraign lord and prince , emperor & king of spaine , ( to whose eares the wickednesses and impieties of these tyrants do daily come , which are committed against the will of god in these countries , for they have hitherto conceal'd these things from him ) not lesse subtilly then maliciously , will extirpate the causes of so many evils , and apply fitting remedies to the calamities of this new world delivered by god to him as to a lover of justice and mercy . which god we doe beseech to grant him happinesse in his life and in his imperial dignity , and to bless his royal soule with eternal happiness . amen . finis . the historical relation of the spanish massacres in the west indies . a narrative of the wicked plots carried on by seignior gondamore for advancing the popish religion and spanish faction heartily recommended to all protestants by rich. dugdale, gent. scott, thomas, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing s wing d _cancelled estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : or : ) a narrative of the wicked plots carried on by seignior gondamore for advancing the popish religion and spanish faction heartily recommended to all protestants by rich. dugdale, gent. scott, thomas, ?- . lerma, francisco de sandoval y rojas, duque de, - . gondomar, diego sarmiento de acuña, conde de, - . dugdale, richard. [ ], p. printed by t.b. and are to be sold by robert clavel ..., london : . sometimes attributed to richard dugdale. cf. wing and nuc pre- imprints. the projected marriage between prince charles, afterwards charles i and maria, the infanta of spain, entered largely into the negotiations here reported. "the president's [i.e. the duke of lerma's] speech requiring the ambassador to give an account of his plots and wicked intrigues against england": p. - [i.e. ]. the ambassador's reply: p. [i.e. ]- . item at reel : identified as wing d (number cancelled). reproductions of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time 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general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng gondomar, diego sarmiento de acuña, -- conde de, - . great britain -- foreign relations -- spain. spain -- foreign relations -- great britain. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a narrative of the wicked plots carried on by seignior gondamore for advancing the popish religion and spanish faction . heartily recommended to all protestants by rich. dugdale , gent. ephes . v. , . have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness , but rather reprove them ; for it is a shame even to speak of those things , which are done of them in secret . london , printed by t. b. and are to be sold by robert clavel at the peacock in st. paul's church-yard , . the preface . courteous reader , this following narrative has run all the hazards and risks of fortune , it breathed for a long time in the obscure shadow of a country and loyal divines study , after the death of that worthy and eminent person , a relation to the great e. of strafford , it fell into the ●ands of one of his younger sons , who being a man of business , and a da●ty frequenter of westminster-hall , that great mart and exchange of law , this lay hundled up , among some bundles of insigni●icant and worthless papers , till it pleased god to confine this gentleman to his chamber , by a distemper , which though it was so severe as to deny him to act abroad , yet it did not so at home : under this imprisonment ( for restraint is such to active spirits ) he reviewed his long neglected writings , and being unwilling like the rable of the town , to condemn and exceute upon a bare presumption of guilt : he calls all to a single scrutiny and examination : the multitude here , as in the world , proved trash and refuse , only this manuscript , like moses among the reeds , was preserved alive , because it was of a very fair and beautiful countenance : perils and manifold sorts of death attend writings as well as their authors , and gods providence is as legible in the extraordinary preservation of useful and profitable books , as in raising up and protecting persons of invincible resolution and courage , to be the publcik instruments of the churches and kingdoms deliverance ; of this advantageous nature and consideration , i take these following sheets to be , for herein are evidently discoursed and unridled the designs of the spanish match , the strategems of the comprehensive statesman gondamore , and of his faithful adherents the jesuites ; for the introduction of his masters religion and empire into these nations together , the negotiations betwixt spain and great britain were , in king james raign ; the unaccountable state-secrets and mysteries , these exercised and distressed the combin'd heads and wits of our great council , raised the fears and jealousies of the people , and prepared them to entertain those groundless suggestions , which afterward both gave rise and support to our late civil wars . the designs of the catholick bishop and monarck , in all these treaties of mariage , were to enslave us to a false and foppish religion and a tyrannical government , and though pretences of commerce and friendship swom at the top , yet these were the great motives , which lay at the bottom . to compass these , perjuries and the violation of the mariage-oath with an heretical prince , would be a sacred and meritorious action , and if the antichristian beast could be drawn in , as the giant did the cattle into his den , backward , and by the tayl , 't is no matter , how much reason and morality is affronted ; nay , his holiness , out of the plenitude of his power , will indulge his faithfullest adherents to renounce even in extremis at the very point of death , some essential and reproachful articles of their faith ( as the lawfulness of deposing * kings and soveraign princes ) that the whole system may with the less suspition be glibly swallowed down and entertained . the dimensions of hercules were exactly calculated by the measure of his foot , and the magnitude of a limb may discover to the intelligent the true bulk of a sumetrical and well built body ; and the horrid lies and immoralities , rapines and murders , assassinations and massacres approved of in this small pamphlet , for the effecting of the romish design , may sufficiently instruct such ( of the villanous and pernicious nature of the whole ) as have cast out the two devils of prejudice and of a blind and implicite faith in that arch-fanatick of europe and divider of kingdoms ; for he it is ( and for this lesson i must acknowledg my self intirely indebted to this paper ) who sows the tares of division betwixt the gown-men of this nation : sets the lawyer to quarrel the divine : the two temples to deprecate the church , and westminster-hall to envy the princely and magnificent structure of the abby . read this discovery with seriousness , and i am confident , it will prove very instructive in many important particulars : 't was its misfortune to lie so long in obscurity , and so was it too to breath first of all in an air , infected with the stench of such an infinite number of puny , insect and imperfect libels : here is nothing in this but what is masculine , the argument is weighty , the style passant and expressive , the discovery of the popish designs in that juncto of affairs clear and palpable , and that it may be serviceable in this to the publick-weal is the only design and hearty wish of him , who is reader , a hearty well-willer to the wellfare and prosperity of this nation richard dugdale . a narrative of the popish strategems carried on by seigniour gondamore the spanish embassador , &c. his catholick majesty having given commandment , that presently upon the return of seigniour gondamore , the leiger embassador from england , a special meeting of the principal states of spain , who were of his councel , together with the presidents of the council of castile , of aragon , of italy , of portugal , of the indies , of the treasure of war , and especially of the holy inquisition , should be held at monson in arragon , the duke of lerma , being appointed president , who should make declaration of his majesties pleasure , take an account of the embassadors service , and consult touching the state and religion respectively , to give satisfaction to his holiness's nuntio , who was desired to make one in this assembly , concerning overtures of peace and amity with the english , and other catholick princes , which might engender suspicion and jealousie betwixt the pope and his majesty ; if the mystery were not unfolded , and the ground of those counsels discovered aforehand : this made all men expect the embassadors return with a kind of longing , that they might behold the issue of this meeting , and see what good for the catholick cause the embassadors employment had effected in england , answerable to the general opinion received of his wisdom , and what further project would be set on foot to become matter for publick discourse . at length he arrived , and had present notice given him from his majesty , that before he came to court , he should give up his account to this assembly , which command he gladly received , as an earnest of his acceptable service , and gave thanks , that for his honour he might publish himself in so judicious a presence . he came first upon the day appointed to the councel chamber ; not long after all the councel of state , and the president met , there wanted only the duke of lerma and the popes nuntio , who were the head and feet of all the assembly . these two stayed long away for divers respects : the nuntio , that he might express the greatness of his master , and loose the see of rome no respect by his over-●●ght , but that the benches might be full at his approoch . the duke of lerma to express the authority and dignity of his own person , and to shew how a servant put in place of his master exacts more service of his fellow-servants than the master himself . these two stayed till all the rest were weary of waiting , but at length the nuntio supposing all the council sat , launced forth and came to roade in the council chamber , where after mutual discharge of duty from the company , and blessing upon it from him , he sate down in solemn silence , grieving at his oversight , when he saw the duke of lerma absent , with whom he strove as a competitor for pomp and glory . the duke had sent before , and understood of the nuntio's being there , and stayed something the longer , that his boldness might be observed , wherein he had his desire ; for the nuntio having a while , patiently driven away the time with several complements to several persons , had now almost run his patience out of breath ; but the duke of villa hermosa ( president of the council of arragon ) fed his humour by the discharge of his own discontentment , upon the occasion of the duke of lerma his absence , and beckoned seigniour gondamore to him , using this speech in the hearing of the nuntio , after a sporting manner . how unhappy are the people , where you have been ; first , for their souls , being hereticks , then for their estates , where the name of a favourite is so familiar ? how happy is our estate , where the keys of life and death are so easily come by ( pointing at the nuntio ) hanging at every religious girdle , and where the door of justice and mercy stand equally open to all men , without respest of persons : the embassadour knew the ironical stroak to be intended as a by-blow to the nuntio , but fully at the duke of lerma ( whose greatness began now to wax heavy towards declension ) and therefore he returned this answer , your excellency knoweth the state is happy , where wise favourites govern kings , if the kings themselves be foolish , or if the wiser sort will not yet be govern'd by them , the state of england ( howsoever you hear of it in spain or rome ) is so happy in the last kind , they need not care much what the favourite be ( though for the most part , he be such as prevents all suspition in that kind , being rather chose as a scholar to be taught than a tutor to teach ) of this they are sure no prince exceeds theirs in personal abilities , so that nothing could be added to him in my wish , but this one , he were our vassayle and a catholick . with that the noise without gave notice of the duke of lerma his entrance , at whose first approach the whole house arose , though some latter than others , as if some had hung plummets on them to keep them down , the nuntio only sate unremoved : the duke received the obeysance of the rest with a familiar , kind of carriage to high for courtesie , as one not neglecting such demeanors , but expecting it , and after a filial observance to the popes nuntio , sate down as president under the cloath of state , but somewhat lower , then after a space given for admiration , preparation and attention . the presidents speech , requiring the embassador to give an account of his plots and wicked intreagues against england , and what success he met with . the king my master ( holding it more honourable to do , than to discourse , to take from you the expectation of oratory , used rather in schools and pulpits than in councels ) hath appointed me president in this holy , wise , learned and noble assembly , a man naturally of a slow speech , and not desirous to quicken it by art or industry , as holding action only proper to a spaniard , as i am by birth , to a souldier as i am by profession , to a king as i am by representation , take this therefore briefly for a declaration , both for the cause of this meeting , and my master his further pleasure . there hath been at all times from the worlds foundation , one chief commander , or monarch upon the earth , this needs no further proof than a back-looking into our own memories and histories of the world , neither now is there any question ( except with infidels and hereticks ) of that one chief commander in spirituals , in the unity of whose person , the members of the visible church is included , but there is some doubt of the chief commander in temporals , ( who as the moon to the sun ) might govern by night , as this by day , and by the sword of justice , compell to come in , or ●ut of , such as infringe the authority of the keys : this hath been so well understood long since by the in●allible chair , as that thereby upon the declension of the roman emperours , and the increase of romes spiritual splendour ( who thought it unnatural , that their suns should be sublunary ) our nation , was by the bishop of rome selected before other people , to conquer and rule other nations with a rod of iron , and our kings to that end adorned with the stile of catholik kings , as a name above all names under the sun , ( which is ) under gods vicar general himself the catholick bishop of souls : to instance this point by comparison , look first upon the grand seignior , the great turk , who hath a large title but not universal , for besides that he is an infidel , his command is confin'd within his own territories , and he is not stil'd emporor of the world , but of the turks and of their vassayles , only among christians the defender of the faith was a glorious stile , whilst the king to whom it was given by his holiness continued worthy of it , but it stood not in the truth , neither yet those that succeeded him ; and besides it was no great thing to be call'd what every good christian ought to be , defendor of the faith , no more than to be stiled with france the most christian king , wherein he hath the greatest part of his title common with most christians . the emperor of russia , rome and germany extend not their limits further than their stiles , which are local , only my master the most catholik king is for the dominion of bodies , as the universal bishop for the dominion of souls over all that part of the world , which we call america , ( except where the english intruders usurp ) and the greatest part of europe , with some part of asia and africa by actual possession , and over all the rest by real and indubitable right , yet acknowledgeth his right to be derived from the free and fatherly donation of his holiness , who ( as the sun to the moon ) bestows lustre by reflection , to this kingdom , to this king of kings , my master ; what therefore he hath , howsoever gotten , he may keep and hold ; what he can from any other king , or commander , by any stratagem of war , or pretence of peace he may take , for it is theirs only by usurpation , except they hold of him , from whom all civil power is derived , as ecclesiastical from his holiness : what the ignorant call treason , if it be on his behalf , is truth ; if against him , it is treason : and thus all our peace , our war , our treaties , marriages , or whatsoever intendment else of ours , aimes at this principal end , to get the whole possession of the world , and to reduce all to unite under our temporal head , that our king may truly be , what he is stiled the catholick and universal king : as faith therefore is universal , and the truth universal , yet so as they be under our head the pope , whose seat is , and must necessarily be , at rome , where st. peter sate ; so must all men be subject to our and their catholick king , whose particular seat is here in spain , he is universal every where , and almost made natural , so that by a key of gold , by intelligence , or by way of confession , my master is able to unlock the secrets of every prince , and to withdraw their subjects allegiance , as if they knew themselves more my masters subjects in truth , than theirs , whom their birth hath taught to miscall soveraigns , we see this in france and in england , and especially , where all at once they learn to obey the church of rome , as their mother , to acknowledge the catholick king , as their father , and to hate their own king as an heretick and usurper : so we see religion and the state coupled together , laugh and weep , flourish and fade , and participate of eithers fortunes , as growing upon one stock of policy : i speak this the more boldly in this presence ; because i speak here before none but natives , persons who are partakers , both in themselves and issues of the triumphs , above all those of antient rome , and therefore such ( as besides their oaths ) it concerns to be secret , neither need we refrain this freedom of speech from the nuntio his presence ; because , besides that he is a spaniard by birth , he is also a jesuite by profession , an order raised by the providence of gods vicar , to accomplish this monarchy the better , all of them being appropriate thereunto , and as publick agents and privy councellors to this end ; wherein the wisdom of the state is to be beheld with admiration ; that as in temporal war it imploys , or at least trusts none , but natives in castile , portugal and arragon : so in spirituals , it imploys none but jesuites , and so imploys them , that they are generally reputed , how remote soever they are from us , how much soever obliged to others , still to be ours , and still to be of the spanish faction , though they be polonians , english , french , and residing in the countrys or courts : the penitent therefore , and all with whom they deal and converse in their spiritual traffique must needs be so too , and so our catholick king must needs have an invisible kingdom , and an unknown number of subjects in all dominions , who will shew themselves and their faith by their works of disobedience , whensoever we shall have occasion to use their jesuitical vertue and policy : this therefore being the principal end of all our counsels ; ( according to those holy directions of that late pious king philip the second , to his son succeeding ) to advance the catholick roman religion , and the catholick spanish dominion together . we are now met by his majesties command to take an account of you , ( seignior gondamore ) ) who have been embassador for england , to see what good you have effected there , towards the advancement of this work ; and what further projects shall be thought fit to be set on foot to this end ; and this breifly is the occasion of our meeting . then the embassador , who attended bare-headed all the time , with alow obeysance , began thus , this laudable custome of our king in bringing all officers to such an account , where a review is taken of good and bad services , upon the determination of their imployments , resembles those roman triumphs appointed for the souldiers ; and as in them it provoked to courage , so in us it stirs up to diligence , our master converseth by his agents with all the world , yet with none of more regard than the english , where matter of such diversity is presented ( through the several humours of the states , and those of our religion and faction ) that no instruction can be sufficient for such negotiations , but much must be left in trust to the discretion , judgment , and diligence of the incumbent ; i speak this not for my own glory i having been restrained and therefore deserved meanly ; but to forwarn on the behalf of others , that there may be more scope allowed them to deal in , as occasion shall require ; breifly this rule delivered by his excellency was the card and compass by which i sayled , to make profit of all humours , and by all means to advance the state of the romish faith , and spanish faction , together upon all advantages of oaths and the breach of them ; for this is an old observation and a true one , that for piety to rome his holiness did not only give , but bless us , in the conquest of the new world , and thus in our pious observance , we hope still to be conquerors of the old ; and to this end , whereas his excellency in his excellent discourse seems to extend our outward forces and private aims , only against hereticks , and to restrain them with true amity with these of the romish religion : this i affirm that since there can be no security , but such princes though now romish catholicks may turn hereticks hereafter , my aimes have ever been to make profit of all , and to make my mr. master of all , who is a faithful and constant son of his mother rome ; and to this end i beheld the endeavours of our kings of happy memory , how they have atcheived kingdoms and conquests by this policy , rather than by open hostility , and that without difference , as well from their allies and kinsfolks , men of the same religion and profession ; such as were those of naples , france and navar , though i do not mention portugal now united to us , nor savoy , ( that hardly fly'd from us ) as of an adverse and heretical faith , neither is this rule left off , as the present kingdom of france , the state of venice , the low countries and bohemia ( now all labouring for life under our plots ) apparently manifest ; this way therefore i bent my engines in england , as your honours shall particularly hear ; i shall not need to repeat a catalogue of the services i have here done , because this state hath been acquainted with many of them heretofore , by entercourse of letters , and messengers ; these only i will speak of that i have of late done , since the return of the lord roos from hence , and may seem most directly to tend to those ends formerly propounded by his excellency that is , the advancement of the spanish state , and romish religion together : first it is well observed by the wisedom of our state , that the king of england ( who is otherwise one of the most accomplish'd princes that ever reigned ) extreemly hunts after peace and so affects the true name of a peace-maker , as that for it he will do or suffer any thing , and withall they have beheld the general bounty and munisicence of his mind , and necessity of the state so exhausted , as it is unable to supply his desires , who seeks to have that he may give to others , upon these advantages they have given out directions , and instructions both to me and others , and i have observed them as far as i was able . and for this purpose , whereas there was a marriage propounded betwixt them and us ; ( ( how soever i suppose our state too devout to deal with hereticks in this kind in earnest ) yet i made that a cover for much intelligence , and a means to obtain what i desired , whilst the state of england longed after the marriage , hoping thereby ( though vainly ) to setle peace , and fill the exchecquer ; here the aroh-bishop of toledo , inquisitor-general , stept up and interrupted gondamore , saying that marriage was not to be thought on , first for religions sake , lest they should endanger the soul of the young lady , and the rest of her company might become hereticks . secondly , for the state , least by giving so large a portion to hereticks , they should enrich and enable themselves for war , and impoverish and weaken the catholicks . to the first objection the popes n●●●io answered , that his holiness for the catholick cause would dispence with the marriage ; and urged these following reasons . first that there was valuable danger , in the hazarding of one for the gaining of many , perhaps of all . secondly that it was no hazard since women ( especially young ones ) are too obstinate to be removed from their opinions , and abler to win solomon to their opinions , than solomon to work them to his faith. thirdly it was great advantage to match with such , from whom they might break at pleasure , having the catholick cause for a colour , and besides if need were , to be at liberty in all respects , since there was no faith to be kept with hereticks ; and if his holiness may dispence with the murder of such , and dispose of their crowns , as what good catholick doubts but he may ; much more he may , and will he in their marriages , to prevent the leprosy-seed of heresy , and to setle catholick-blood in the chair of state : to the second objection the embassador himself answered , saying , that though the english generally loathed the match , and would as he thought buy it off with half their estates , hating the nation of spain , and their religion ( as appears by an uproar and assault a day or two before his departure from london by the apprentices , being greedy to vent their own spleen , in doing him or any of his a mischeif ) yet two sorts of people unmeasureably desired the match might proceed . first , the begging and beggarly courtiers that they might have to furnish their wants . secondly , the romish catholicks , who hoped thereby , at least , for a moderation of fines , and laws , perhaps a toleration ; and perhaps a total restauration of their religion in england ; in which regard quoth he , i have known some zealous persons protest ; that if all their friends , and half their estates could procure the service of our lady ; if she came to be married with the prince they would use the means faithfully to ●ight under her colours when they might safely do it , and if it came to portion they would under-hand contribute largly of their estates to the spanish collector , and make up half the portion of themselves , perhaps more : so by this marriage it might be so wrought , that the state should be rather robb'd , and weakened ( which is our aim ) than strengthened ; as the english vainly hope ; besides in a small time they should work so far in the body of the state by buying offices and the like , either by sea or land ; of justice civil or ecclesiastical , in church or state , ( all being for money exposed to sale ) that with the help of jesuites they would undermine with meer wit , ( without gunpowder ) and leave the king but a few subjects , whose faith he might rely upon , while they were of a faith adverse to his : for what catholick-body that is sound at the heart , can abide a corrupt and heretical head , or ruler ? with that the duke medina des rio setto president of the council of war , and of the council of state rose up and said , his predecessors had felt the force and wit of the english , in . and he had cause to doubt the catholicks themselves that were english , and fully jesuited , upon any foreign nation , would rather take part with their own king , though an heretick , than with his catholick-majesty a stranger . the embassador desired him to be of another mind , since , first for their persons , generally their bodies , by long disuse for arms were disabled , and their minds effeminated , by peace and luxury , far from what they were in . when they were flesht in our blood , and made haughty in customary conquests ; and for the affection of those whom they call r●cusants , ( quoth he ) i know the bitterness of their inveterate malice ; and have seen so far into their natures , as i dare say , they will be for spain against all the world ; yea , ( quoth he ) i assure your honours , i could not imagine so basely of their king and state , as i have heard them speak ; nay , their rage hath so perverted their judgments , that what i my self have seen and heard from their king beyond admiration , even to astonishment , they have sleighted , misreported scorned , and perverted to his disgrace , and my rejoycing ; magnifying in the mean time our defect for grace . here the duke pastrane , president of the counsel , for italy ; steps up and said he had lately read a book of one cambdens called his annals ; wherein writing of a treaty of a marriage long since , between english elizabeth , and the french duke of andiou : he there observes , that the marriage was not seriously intended on either side , but politickly pretended by both states counterchangeably , that each might effect their own ends , there the english had the better ; and i have some cause to doubt , since they can dissemble , as well as we ; that they have their aimes under hand as well as we ; and intend the match as little as we do , and this ( quoth he ) i believe the rather because the king as he is wise to consult and consider ; so he is a constant master of his word , and hath written , and given strong reasons against matches made with persons of contrary religion ; which reasons no other man can answer : and therefore doubtless he will not go from , nor counsel his son to forsake those rules laid down so deliberately . your excellency mistakes ; ( quoth the embassador ) the advantage was then on the side of the english , because the french men sought the match ; now it must be upon ours , because the english seek it , who will grant any thing rather than break off ; and besides , they have no patience to temporise and disemble , in this or any other design , as the french long since have well observed ; for their necessities will give them neither time nor rest , nor hope elsewhere to be supplyed . as for their king , i cannot search into his heart , i must believe others that presume to know his mind , hear his words , and read his writings , and these relate what i have delivered : but for the rest of the people , as the number of those , that are truly religious , are ever the least for the most part of least account : so is it there , where if an equal opposition be made betwixt their truly religious and ours , the remainder will be the greatest number and will stand indifferent , and fall to the greatest side , where there is most hope of gain , and glory : for those two are the gods of the magnitude , and of the multitude : now these see apparently no certain supplies for their wants , but from us . yes , quoth the duke , for even now you said the general-state loathing the match , would redeem the fear thereof , with half their estates : it is therefore but calling a parliament , and the business were soon effected . a parliament ( quoth the embassador ) nay , therein lies one of the principle-services i have done , in working such a dislike between the king and the lower-house : by the endeavour of that honourable-earl and admirable-engine , a sure servant to us , and the cause whilst he lives , as the king will never endure a parliament again , but rather suffer absolute want , than receive conditional releif from his subjects : the matter was so curiously carried the last parliament , that is in the powder-plot , the fact effected should have been imputed to the puritans , the ( greatest zelots of the calvinian-sect ) so the propositions which damn up the proceedings of this parliament ( howsoever they were invented by roman catholicks , and by them invented to disturb that session ) yet were propounded in favour of the puritans , as if they had been hammored in their forge , which very name and shadow the king hates : it being a sufficient aspersion to disgrace any person , to say he is such , and a sufficient bar to stop any suit , and utterly to cross it , to say it smels of , or enclines to , that party : moreover there are so many about him , which blow this coal fearing their own states . if a parliament should enquire into their actions , they use all their art , and industry to withstand such a council : perswading the king he may rule by his absolute prerogative , without a parliament : and thus furnish himself by a mariage with us , and by other domestick projects without subsidies , when leaving off subsidies , and taxes have been the only use princes have made of such : and whereas some free-minds among them , resembling our nobility ; who prefer the priviledg of subjects against sovereign invasion ; call for the course of the common-law ; ( a law proper to their nation ) there is other time servers cry the laws down , and up the prerogative ; whereby they pray upon the subjects by their suites , and exactions ; mulct the state , and keep it poor ; procure themselves much suspioion amongst the better and judicious sort , and hate amongst the oppressed commons ; and yet if there should be a parliament such a course is taken , as they shall never chuse their sheire knights and burgesses freely , who make the better-half of the body thereof ; for these being to be elected , by most voices of the free-holders in the country , where such elections are to be made , are carried which way the great persons who have lands in these countries please ; who by their letters command their tennants followers and friends , to nominate such as adhere to them , and for the most of them are our faction ; and respect their own benefit and gain , rather than their countries-good : yea the country people themselves , will every one stand , for the great-man their lord , or neighbour , or master , whithout regard of his honesty , wisdom and religion . that which they aim at , ( as i am assured by faithful intelligence ) is to please their landlords , and to renew their lease , in which regard they will betray their country and religion too : and elect any man that may most profit their particular : therefore it is unlikely there should be a parliament , and impossible the kings debts should be paid , his wants sufficiently repaired , and left himself ful-handed by such a course : and indeed ( as it is generally thought ) by any other course than with a marriage with us : for which cause whatsoever project we list to attempt , enters safely at the door , whilst their policy lyes asleep , and will not see the danger , i have made tryal of these particulars , and found few exceptions in these general rules ; thereby i and their own wants together have kept them from furnishing their navy , which being the wall of their island , and once the strongest in christendom lies now at road , unarm'd and fit for ruine : if ever we doubted their strength by sea , now we need not , there are but few ships or men able to look abroad , or to live in a storm much less in a sea fight . this i effected by buzing in their ears , the furnishing a navy bred suspition in my master , and so would avert his mind from this match , the hope of which rather than they would loose , they would almost loose their hope of heaven . secondly , all their voyages to the east indies i permitted rather with a colourable resistance , than a serious ; because i see them not helpful but hurtful , to the state in general ; carrying out gold and silver , bringing home spice , silks , feathers and such like toyes : an insensible wasting the common stock of coyn and bullion , whilst it fills the custom house , and some private houses , who thereby are unable to keep this discomodity on foot , by bribes especially : so many great persons being venturers and sharers in the gain : besides this wasteth the mariners , not one of ten returning , which i am glad to hear ; for they are the men we stand in fear of , as for the west-indian voyages i withstood them in earnest , because they began to inhabit there , and to fortifie themselves , and may in time there perhaps raise another england to withstand a new spain in america : as this old england opposeth our state , and clouds the glorious extent thereof in europe : besides , there they trade for commodities , without wast of their treasure , and often return gold for knives , glasses , or the like trifles , without such loss of their mariners as in other places : the refore i crost whatsoever intendments were projected for virginia or burmoudos , because they may be hereafter really helpful unto them , as now they serve for dreyns to unload their populous state , which else would overthrow his own banks by continuance of peace and turn head upon it self , or make a body fit for any rebellion : and so far i prevayled therein , as i caused most of the recusants who were to go thither to withdraw their ventures and discourage the work : so that besides private persons unable to effect much , nothing was done by the publick purse : and we know by experience such voyages and plantations are not effected without great means , to satisfy great difficulties , and with an unwearied resolution and power to meet all hazards and distastes , with strong help and continual supplies , or else the undertaking proves idle : by this means also i kept the voluntary forces from venice , until it was almost too late to set out , and had hopt that work should have broken forth to action , before these would have arrived to succor them : i put hard for the cantionarie towns , which our late philip of happy memory so much aimed at , accounting them the keys of the low countries , that they might be delivered to his catholick majesty , as to the proper owner , and had perhaps prevailed , but that the profest enemy to our state and church , who dyed shortly after , gave counsel to restore them to the rebellious states , as one that knew popular commonwealths to be better neighbours , safer friends , and less dangerous than monarchs , and so by this practice wrested from my hands , and furnish'd the exchequer from thence , for that time , neither was i much grieved , because the dependency they had before of the english seem'd to be cut off , and the interest that the english had in them to be taken away , which must now fully and finally be effected before we can either hope to conquer them , or england , who holding together , are too strong for the world at sea ; and therefore must be disunited , before they can be overcome . this point of state is acknowledged by our experienced pentioner and sure friend monsieur barn●velt ; whose suc●eding plots to this end shall bear witness for the depth of his judgement . but the last service i did for the state , was not the least ; when i under-wrought that admirable engine rawley ; and was the cause his voyage ( threatning much danger to us ) was overthrown and himself returning in disgrace : i pursued almost to death , neither ( i hope ) need i say almost , if all things hit right , and all things hold , but the determination of my commission would not permit me longer to stay to follow him to execution , which i desired the rather , that by confession i might have wrung from the inconsiderable english an acknowledgment of my masters right in those places , punishing him for attempting there , though he might prescribe for the first foot ; and this i did to stop their mouths hereafter ; and because i would quench the heat and valour of that nation , that none should dare hereafter to undertake the like , or be so hardy to look out at sea , or breath upon our coast . and lastly , because i would bring to an ignominious death , that old pirate , who is one of the last now living , bred under that deceased english virago , and by her flesht in our ruine ; to do this i had many agents . first , diverse courtiers , who were hungry and gaped wide for spanish gold. secondly , some that bare him a grudg at the heart for inveterate quarrels . thirdly , some foreigners , who having in vain sought the elixir hitherto , hoped to find it in his head . fourthly , all men of the romish faith , who are of the spanish faction ; and would have been my blood-hounds to hunt him or any such to death willingly , as persons hating the prosperity of their country ; and the valour , worth and wit of their own nation , in respect of us and our catholick cause . lastly , i left behind me such an instrument composed artificially of a secular understanding , and a religious profession , as he is every way adopted to screw himself into the closset of the heart , and to work upon feminin● lenity , who in that countrey have masculine spirits to command and pursue their plots unto death , this therefore i count as done , and rejoyce in it , knowing it to be very profitable for us , grateful to our faction there ; and for the rest , what though it be a cross to the people , or that clergy , we that only negotiate for our own gain , and treat about this marriage for our own ends , can conclude or break off when we see our own time , without respect of such as can neither profit us , nor hurt us , for i have certain knowledge that the commons generally are so effeminate and cowardly that at their musters ( which are seldom , or sleight , only for the benefit of their mustermasters ) of thousand souldiers scarce an hundred dare discharge a musket , and of that hundred scarce one can use it like a souldier ; and for their armes they are so ill provided that one corslet serves many men , when such as use their arms upon a day in one place , lend them to their friends in other places , to shew them when they have use , and this if it be spied is only punished with a mulet in the purse , which is the officer's aim , who for his advantage winketh at the rest , and is glad to find and cherish by co●nivance profitable ●aults , which increase his revenue , thus stands the state of that poor miserable country , which had never more people and fewer men : so that if my master would resolve upon an invasion , the time never fits as at this present security of this marriage , and disuse of armes having cast them into a deep sleep , a strong and weakning faction being ever amongst them ready to assist us , and they being unprovided of ships and armes , or hearts to fight , an universal discontentment filling all men : this have i from their mustermasters and captains , who are many of them of our religion , or of none , and so ours , ready to be bought and sold , and desirous to be my masters servants in fee. thus much for the state particularly , wherein i have bent my self to weaken them and strengthen us , and in all these have advanced the catholick cause , but especially in procuring favours for all such as favour that side , and crossing the other by all means , and this i practiced my self and give out to be generally practised by all others that whatsoever success i find i still boast of victory , which i do to dishearten the hereticks , and to make them suspicious one of another , especially of their prince , and of their best statesmen , and to keep our own in courage , who by this means increase , but otherwise would be in danger to decay . now for religion , and for such designs as ●etch their pretence from thence , i beheld the policy of that late bishop of theirs ( bancroft ) who stood up and maintained dangerous schisme between our secular priests ond jesuites , by which he discovered much weakness to the dishonour of our clergy , and prejudice to our cause , this taught me as it did ( barnevelt ) in the low countries , to work secretly and insensibly between the conformist and nonconformist , and to cast an eye as far as the orcades , knowing that business might be stirred up there that might hinder proceedings in england , and so to prevent their conquest . the effect you have partly seen in the earl of argyle , who sometime was captain for the king and church against the marquess huntley , and now fights under our banner at bruxels , leaving the crosses of st. george and st. andrew for the staff of st. james . neither do our hopes end here , for we daily expect more revolters , at least such a disunion as will never admit solid reconcilement , but will send some to us , and some to amsterdam , for the king , a wise and vigilant prince , labouring for a perfect union betwixt both the kingdoms , which he seeth cannot be effected where the least ceremony of religion is continued , divers sharp and bitter brawls from thence arising , whilest some striving for honour more than for truth , prefers their own way , and will , before the general peace of the church , and the edification of souls ; he , i say , seeks to work an uniformity betwixt both churches , and to this end made a journey into scotland , but with no such success as he expected , for divers of ours attended the train and stirred up humours and factions , and cast in scruples and doubts to hinder and cross the proceeding ; yea those that seem most averse to us , and averse to our opinions by their disobedience and example , helped forward our plots , and these are encouraged by a faction and heady multitude , by a false and irresolute clergy ( many false brethren being amongst the bishops ) and by the prodigal nobility who maintain these stirrs in the church , that thereby they may keep the church-livings in their hands , which they have most sacrelegiously seized upon in the time of the first deformation , and which they fear would be returned by the clergy , if they could be brought to peace and agreement , for if they have seen the king very bountiful in this kind , having lately increased their pensions , and settled the clergy a competent maintenance , and besides out of his own means which in that kingdom is none of the greatest , having brought in and restored whole bishopricks to the church , which were before in lay-mens hands , a great part of the nobilities estates consisting of spiritual lands , which makes them cherish the puritanical faction , who will be content to be trencher-fed , with scraps , and crums , and contributions , and arbitrary benevolences from the l●i●rds , and lords , and ladies , and their adherents and followers . but ( quoth the inquisitor-general ) now if this act of the king wherein he is most earnest and constant should so prevail as it should effect a perfect union both in church and commonweal . i tell you it would in my conceipt be a great blow to us , if by a general meeting a general peace should be concluded , and all their forces bent against rome , and we see their politick king aimes at this . true ( quoth gundamore ) but he takes his mark amiss , howsoever he understands the people and their inclination better than any man , and better knows how to temper their passions and affections , for ( besides that he is hindred there in scotland underhand by some for the reasons before recited , and by other great ones of ours who are in great places and authority amongst them ) he is likewise deluded in this point by his own clergy at home in england , who pretend to be most forward in the cause for they considering if a general uniformity were wrought , what an inundation would follow , whilst all or most of theirs ( as they fear ) would flock hither for preferment ( as men pressing to the sun for light and heat , and so their own should be unprovided , these therefore ( i say ) howsoever they bear the king in hand , or underhand against it , and stand for all ceremonies to be obtruded with a kind of absolute necessity upon them , when the other will not be almost drawn to receive any , when if an abatement were made , doubtless they might be drawn to insert in the midst , but there is no hopes of this with them , where neither part deals seriously , but only for the present to satisfy the king and so there is no fear on our side , that affections and opinions so diverse will ever be reconciled and made one : the b. of st. andrews stands almost alone in the cause , and pulls upon himself , the labour , the loss , and the envy of all with little proficiency , whilst the adverse faction have as sure friends and as good intelligence about the king as he hath , and the same post , that perhaps brings a packet from the king to him brings another from their abettors to them , acquainting them with the whole proceedings and counsels , and preparing them aforehand for opposition , this i know for truth , and this i rejoyce in , as concerning much the catholick good. but ( quoth the nuntio are there none of the heretical preachers busie about this match , methinks their fingers should itch to be writing , and their tongues burn to be prating of this business , especially the puritanical sort , howsoever the most temperate and indifferent carry themselves . the truth is my lord ( quoth the embassador ) that privately what they can , and publickly what they dare , both in england and scotland all for the most part ( except such as are of our faith ) oppose this match to the utmost by prayers , counsels , speeches and wishes , but if one be found longer tongued then his fellows , we have still means to charm their sausiness , to silence them , and expell them the court , to disgrace them , and cross their preferment with the imputation of pragmatick puritanism , for instance i will relate this one particular , a doctor of theirs , and a chaplain in ordinary to the king , gave many reasons in a letter against this marriage , and propounded a way , how to supply the kings wants otherways , which i understanding , so wrought under●●●nd , that the doctor was committed , and hardly escaped the danger of his presumptuous admonition , though the state knew his intent honest , and his reasons good , wherein we on the other side ( both here and with the arch-duke ) have books penned , and pictures printed directly against their king and state , for the which their embassadors have sought satisfaction of us in vain , not being able to stay the print , or so much as to touch the hem of the authors garment : but we have an evasion , which heretioks miss , our clergy being freed from the temporal sword , and so not included in our treaties and conditions of peace , but at liberty to give any heretical prince the slip when they list , whereas theirs are lyable to accompt and hazard , and are mussed for barking , when ours may both bark and bite too ; the counsel-table and the star-chamber do so terrifie them , as they dare not riot , but run at the stirrop with excellent command , and come in at the least rebuke : they call their preaching in many places standing up , but they crouch and dare not stand up , behaving themselves like sitters silent , creeping upon their bellies lick the dust , which our priests shake from their beautiful feet . now ( quoth the duke of lerma ) satisfy me about our own clergy , how they fare , for there were here petitions made to the king in the name of the distressed , afflicted , persecuted and imprisoned priests , that his majesty would interceed for them , to free them from the intollerable burdens they groaned under , and to procure them their liberties , and letters were directed from us to that end , that you would negotiate that demand with all speed and diligence . most excellent prince ( replyed gondamore ) i did your command with a kind of command my self , not thinking it fit to make it a suit in your name , or my masters , i obtained them liberty to walk freely up and down , to face and out-face their accusers , judge magistrates , bishops , and to excuse their function almost as freely , altogetheras safely as at rome . here the nuntio replyed , that he did not well in his judgment , in procuring their liberty , since they might do more good in prison than abroad , because in prison they seemed to be under persecution , and so were pitied of others , and pity of the person prepares the affection further , besides then they were careful over their own lives to give none offence , but abroad they might be scandalous in their lives , as they use to be in rome and spain and other catholick countries , and so the opinion of their holiness , which upholds their credit and cause against the married clergy , would soon decay . but the embassador answered , he considered those inconveniences , but besides a superiour advantage arose from the profit of liberty more than of restraint , for now they might freely confer and were ever practising , and would doubtless produce some work of wonder , and besides by reason of their authority and means to change places did apply themselves to many persons , whereas in prison they could only deal with such as came to be taught , and were their own before ; and this ( quoth he ) add as a secret , that as before they were maintained by private contributions to denounce catholicks even to access ; so much more now shall they be able to gather great sums to weaken the state , and furnish them for some high attempt , by the example of cardinal woolsey , barrelling up gold for rome , and this they may easily do , since all catholicks rob the heretical priests , and hold tithes from them by fraud or force , to give to theirs of their own , to whom it is properly due , and if this be spyed , it is an easy matter to lay all upon the hollander , and say , he carryeth the coyn out of the land ( who are forward indeed in such practises ) and so ours shall not only be excused , but a flaw made betwixt them , to weaken their amities , and to get suspition betwixt them of each others love. but amongst all these priests ; ( quoth the inquisitor general ) did you remember , that old reverend father baldwin , who had a finger in that admirable attempt made on our behalf against the parliament house ? such as he deserving so rightly , adventuring their lives so resolutely for the catholick cause , must not be neglected , but extraordinarily regarded , thereby , to encourage others to the like undertaking . holy father ( quoth gondamore ) my principal care was of ●im , whose life and liberty when i had with much difficulty obtained of the king ; i solemnly went in person attended with my trayn , and diverse other well-willers to fetch him out of the tower , where he was in durance ; as soon as i came into his sight , i behaved my self after so lowly and humble a manner , that our adversaries stood amazed to see the reverence we gave to our ghostly fathers ; and this i did to confound them and their contemptous clergy , to beget an extraordinary opinion of holiness in the person , and piety in us ; and also to provoke the english catholicks to the like devout obedience , that thereby at any time their jesuites ( whose authority was somewhat weakened , since the schism betwixt them and the seculars , and the succeeding pouder plot ) may work them to our ends , as masters their servants , tutors their scholars , fathers their children , kings their subjects ; and that they may do this the more boldly and securely ▪ i have somewhat dasht the authority of their high commission ; upon which whereas there are diverse pursevants ( men of the worst kind and condition ) resembling our flies and familiars , attending upon the inquisition ▪ whose office and imployment , is to disturb the catholicks , searching thier houses for priests , holy vestments , books , be●des , crucifixes , and the like religious appurtenances . i have caused the execution of their offices to be slackned , that so an open way may be given to our spiritual instruments , for the free-exercise of their faculties : and yet when these pursevants had greatest authority , a small bribe in the country would blind their eyes , or a little greater at court , or in the exchequer frustrate and cross all their actions , for that their malice went off like squibs , made a great crack to fright children and new-born babes , but hurt no old men of catholick spirits ; and this is the effect of all other their courses of proceedings in this kind , in all their judicial courts , whether known catholicks committed as they stile them , or often summoned and cited , threatened and bound over , but the danger is past so soon as the officer hath his fee paid him , then the execution goeth no further : nay , upon my conscience they are as glad when there are offenders in that kind , because they are bountiful , and the officers do their best to favour them , that they may encrease ; and so their reuenue and gain come in freely . and if they should be sent to prison , even that place for the most part is made a sanctuary to them ; as the old romans were wont to shut up such , by wayes of restraint , as they meant to preserve from the peoples fury , for they live safe in prison , till we have time to work their liberty , and assure their lives , and in the mean time their place of restraint is as it were a study to them , where they may have opportunity to confer together as in a colledge , and to arm themselves in unity against the single adversary abroad . but ( quoth the inquisitor general ) how do they for books , when they have occasion either to write or to dispute my lord ( replied gondamore ) all the libraries belonging to the roman catholicks through the land , are at their command , from whence they have all such collections as they can require gathered to their hands , as well from thence as from all the libraries of both vniversities , and even the books themselves if it be requisite ; besides , i have made it a principal part of my imployment , to buy all the manuscripts and other rare and antient authors out of the hands of the hereticks ; so that there is no great scholler dyes in the land , but my agents are dealing with his books , in so much as even their l●arned isaac causabons library was in election to be ours , had not their vigilant king ( who foreseeth all dangers , and hath his eye busie in every place ) prevented my plot ; for after the death of that great scholer , i sent to request a catologue of his books , with the price , intending not to be outvied by any man , if money would have fetch'd them : because , beside the damage that side should have received by the less prosecuting the cause against cardinal baronius , we might have made a good advantage of his notes , collections castigasions , censures and crit●cisms for our party , and framed and put out others under his name at our pleasure ; but this was foreseen by their prometheus ; who sent that torturer of ours , the b. of winchester , to search and sort the papers , and to seal up the study , giving a large and a princelike allowance to the relict of causabon ; with a bountiful pention and provision for her and hers ; but this plot fayling at that time , hath not ever done so ; nor had the vniversity of oxford so triumphed in their many manuscripts given by that famous knight sr thomas bodly , if either i had been then imployed , or this course of mine than thought upon ; for i would labour what i might this way or any other way to disarm them , or either to translate their best authors hither , or at least to leave none but in the hands of roman catholicks , who are assuredly ours , and to this end a special eye would be had upon the library of one sr. robert cotton ( an ingrosser of antiquities ) the most choice and singular pieces might be gleened , and gathered up by a catholick hand : neither let any man think that descending thus low to petty particulars is unworthy an embassador , or a small avail for the ends we aim at , since we see every mountain consists of several sands , and there is no more profitable conversing for statesmen , than amongst schollars , especially the king , for whom we watch is the king of scholars , and loves to live altogether almost in their element : besides if we can by any means continue differences in their church , or make them wider , or get distast betwixt their clergy and common-lawyers , who are men of greatest power in the land , the benefit will be ours , and the consequent great , opening way for us to come between , for personal quarrels produce real questions . as he was prosecuting this discourse one of the secretaries ( who waited without the chamber ) desired entrance , and being admitted , delivered letters , which he had newly received from the post , directed to the president and the rest of the council from his catholick majesty , the contents whereof were to this effect . right trusty and well beloved cousins and councellors ▪ we greet you well , whereas we had a hope by our agents in england and germany to effect that great work of the western empire , and likewise on the other side to suppress europe , at one instant , and infoulding it in our arms , make the easier road upon the turks in asia , and at length reduce all the world to our catholick command ; and whereas to this end we had secret and sure plots and projects on foot in all those places , and good intelligence in all courts ; know now that we have received late and sad news of the apprehension of our trusty and able pentioner barnevelt , and of the discovery of other our intendments , so that our hopes are at present adjourned till some other more convenient and more auspitious time , we therefore will you presently , upon the sight hereof , to break up your consultations , and repair straight to our presence , there to take further directions , and proceed as necessity of time and cause shall require . with that his excellency , and the whole house stook with amazement , crost their foreheads , rose up in a sad silence , and brake up this treaty abruptly , and without tarrianee , took horse , and posted to court , from whence expect news the next fair wind. in the mean time let not those be secure , whom it concerns to be roused up , knowing that this aspiring nebuchadnezar will not loose the glory of his greatness , who continueth still to magnify himself in his great babylon , until it be spoken , the kingdom is departed from thee , daniel . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * vid. concil . lateran . magnum sub innocentio . can. . de hereticis , where the legality of the popes power to depose princes is asserted , and this declaration thus authoritively made ( denyed by the late dying conspirators ) is a sufficient ground of falth , except they will grant , the catholick church both representative and vertual to be fallible , which concession vvould stab popery in its vitals , and kill it at a blow . by the king a proclamation touching tobacco. england and wales. sovereign ( - : charles i) approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) by the king a proclamation touching tobacco. england and wales. sovereign ( - : charles i) charles i, king of england, - . [ ] leaves. by bonham norton and iohn bill, printers to the kings most excellent maiestie, imprinted at london : m.dc.xxvi [ , i.e. ] caption title. imprint from colophon. allowing importation of spanish tobacco as part of the royal monopoly; requiring sealing of tobacco by commissioners in london. "giuen at our court at whitehall, the seuenteenth day of februarie, in the second yeere of our reigne of great britaine, france, and ireland. reproduction of original in: society of antiquaries. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng tobacco industry -- virginia. tobacco industry -- bermuda islands. monopolies -- great britain -- early works to . great britain -- commerce -- spain -- early works to . spain -- commerce -- great britain -- early works to . great britain -- colonies -- commerce. great britain -- history -- charles i, - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion honi soit qvi mal y pense royal blazon or coat of arms ❧ by the king. ❧ a proclamation touching tobacco . whereas our most deare father , of blessed memory , deceased , for many weighty and important reasons of state , and at the humble suit of his commons in parliament , did heretofore publish two seuerall proclamations ▪ the one bearing date the nine and twentieth day of september , in the two & twentieth yeere of his highnesse reigne of england , france , and ireland , and of scotland the eight and fiftieth , and the other the second day of march then next following , by both of them vtterly prohibiting the importation & vse of all tobacco , which is not of the proper growth of the colonies of virginia , and the sommer-ilands , or one of them , with such cautions ▪ and vnder such paines and penalties , as are in those proclamations at large expressed . and whereas our sayd father , by another proclamation bearing date the thirtieth day of december , in the seuenteenth yeere of his highnesse reigne of england , did straitly charge all and euery person or persons , of what degree or condition soeuer , that they should not from the second day of february then next following , presume to sowe , set , or plant , or cause to be sowen , set , or planted within this realme of england , or dominion of wales , any sort or kinde of tobacco whatsoeuer , and that they , or any of them should not maintaine and continue any old stockes or plants of tobacco formerly sowen or planted , but should foorthwith destroy and roote vp the same . and wheras we , finding the said proclamations to be grounded vpon many weighty reasons and considerations , did since our accesse to our crowne , by our proclamation lately published , renew and confirme the said former prohibitions : neuerthelesse , because the immoderate desire of taking of tobacco hath so farre preuailed in these our kingdomes , as that it cannot on a sodaine bee vtterly suppressed , and the difference , or , at least , the opinion of difference betweene spanish or forreine tobacco , and tobacco of the plantations of virginia , and of our owne dominions , is such , that our subiects can hardly be induced totally to forsake the spanish tobacco ; whereby it commeth to passe , that where wee were willing to haue suffered losse in our customes , so as the sayd forreigne tobacco might haue been kept out , the same is secretly , and by stealth brought in in great quantities , and many great quantities of tobacco are set and sowen within this our realme of england and dominion of wales , and so the mischiefe , intended to be redressed , is not auoided , and yet our reuenue in our customes is much diminished . wee therefore , taking into our princely consideration , as wel the present estate of these times , and how many important necessities doe at this instant presse us , that by all good meanes wee should husband our reuenue to the best , and also considering the many inconueniences which doe and will arise , both to our selues and to our subiects , by the secret importation of spanish tobacco , and planting of english tobacco , whereby diuers of our subiects haue taken liberty to themselues , for the desire of priuate gaine , without respect to the publique , to make such frequent sale of the same , as that thereby not onely our plantations abroad are much hindered , but our customes also are much impayred , wee haue thought fit , by the aduice of our commissioners for our reuenue , as our first part of proceeding concerning tobacco , to restrain● wholly the planting of tobacco within these our realmes , or any the iles thereto belonging , and to forbid the importation of forreine tobacco . and yet to giue way to the infirmitie of our subiects for the present , by the allowing the importation of some smal quantity of spanish or forreine tobacco , not being of the growth of the english plantations , not exceeding the quantitie of fiftie thousand weight in any one yeere to bee brought in by our owne commissioners onely , and to our owne particular vse onely , and not otherwise . and to the end that the extraordinary liberty now taken , may be restrained , the said colonies or plantations not hindered , nor our selfe deceiued in our customes , wee haue likewise by the aduice aforesaid , thought it requisite , to imploy some persons of trust and qualitie to be our commissioners in this seruice , to , and for our owne proper vse , and vpon accompt to be giuen to us for the same . wee doe therefore hereby publish and declare our royall will and pleasure , that , notwithstanding the seuerall proclamations before mentioned , we are well contented to giue way to the importation and sale of so much spanish and forreine tobacco , as shall not exceede the quantitie of fifty thousand weight in any one yeere , as aforesaid , and that the same shall bee our owne merchandise and commodity , and be managed and disposed of by our owne commissioners , or such as they shall appoint for our vse , and not otherwise . and , because that no man shall presume , by colour of this our licence or toleration , to import any other , or greater quantity of spanish or forreine tobacco , nor vtter or put the same to sale , to the preiudice of our seruice hereby especially intended , and to the ouerthrow of our colonies and plantations abroad , wee doe hereby straitly charge and command , that no man , other then our owne commissioners , for our owne proper vse , presume to import any forreine tobacco into our realmes of england or ireland , or any parts thereof . and for their better assistance therin , and the preuention of all abuses , wee haue thought fit , and so ordaine , and doe by these presents publish our royall pleasure , that all tobacco that shall from hencefoorth be imported into this our realme of england , whether it be spanish , or of the growth of virginia , the sommer-ilands , or the west-indies , or other adiacent ilands , beeing english plantations , shall be brought into our port of london onely : also that there shall bee three seuerall seales kept by our commissioners in some conuenient place , where they shall appoint , vnder three lockes , whereofthree of our commissioners shall keepe three seuerall keyes , wherwith both all such forrein tobacco , as shal be so imported , as aforesaid , as also such other tobacco of the growth of virginia , and the sommer-ilands , and other the said plantations as shall be imported , shall be sealed , that is to say , for that of virginia , and the sommer-ilands , a seale engrauen with our armes , and for that of the other english plantations , a seale engrauen with a lion and a crowne , and for the other forreine tobacco , a seale engrauen with a broad arrow and a portcullice , without paying any thing for the sealing of the tobacco of virginia , and sommer-ilands , and other the said plantations , but onely what the parties themselues shall thinke fit to allow for the sealers paines , waxe , and threed . and we doe hereby will and command , that no person or persons whatsoeuer , whether denizen , or stranger , or borne within any of our realms or dominions , doe presume , attempt , or goe about to counterfeit the said seales , or any of them , and that no person or persons whatsoeuer , other then our commissioners , their deputie or deputies doe presume , attempt , or goe about to import any spanish or forreine tobacco whatsoeuer , or to buy , vtter , or sell any tobacco , of what sort soeuer , but such as the roule thereof shall be sealed with one of the seales aforesaid , or to import any other , or greater quantitie of spanish tobacco , then the said fiftie thousand weight onely in any one yeere , or to sowe , set , or plant , or cause to be sowen , set , or planted in any of his , or their grounds , any tobacco whatsoeuer , within our realmes of england , or ireland , or dominion of wales , or any isles or places belonging thereto , or permit , or suffer any old stockes formerly set to continue , vpon paine of forfeiture vnto us , of all such tobacco as shall be imported , set , sowen , planted , suffered , vttered , or put to sale , contrary to the true meaning of these presents , and to haue the same english tobacco vtterly destroyed , in whose hands soeuer the same shall be found , and vpon such further paines and penalties , as by the lawes and statutes of this our realme of england , or by the seueritie , or censure of our court of star-chamber , or by our prerogatiue royall may be inflicted vpon the offenders for their contempt of this our royall command , the one moitie of all which fines to be imposed vpon any the said offenders , wee are graciously pleased shal be bestowed vpon the persons that shall informe against them for the same ; and that such person or persons as shall discouer any planting of tobacco within our realme of england , or other our realmes or dominions , shall haue his charges expended in following of suite against the offendors , allowed out of our part of the fines to be imposed , besides his moitie aforesaid . and further , that euery person or persons , that shall discouer the falsifying , or counterfeiting of any the seales aforesaid , shall haue an hundred crownes for such his discouery out of our part of the fine to be imposed for the same , besides the one moity for himselfe , as aforesaid . and for the better execution of our will and pleasure , we doe hereby command , all and singular customers , comptrollers , searchers , waiters , and other officers , attending in all , and euery , or any of our ports , creekes , or places of lading , or vnlading , for the taking , collecting , or receiuing of any our customes , subsidies , or other duties to take notice of this our pleasure . and we doe hereby command , and giue power and authority vnto our said commissioners , and those whom they shall thinke fit to imploy in our said seruice , and euery , or any of them from time to time , and at all times when they shall thinke fittest , with a constable , or other officer , for their assistance to search any ship , or other vessell or bottome , riding or lying within any port , hauen , or creeke within their seuerall charge and place of attendance , for all tobacco , imported contrary to the intent of this our proclamation , and the same being found , to seize and take to our vse , as also to take notice of the names , and apprehend the bringers in , and buyers of the same , to the end they may receiue condeigne punishment for their offence . and further , to take speciall care , that no more of the said spanish , or other forraine tobacco , shall be imported , then the said fifty thousand weight onely , in any one yeere , and that the same be brought into our port of london onely , as aforesaid , vpon paine that euery of the said officers that shall be found negligent , corrupt , or remisse herein , shall lose his place , and entertainement ▪ and vndergoe such paines and penalties , as by the laws , orthe censure of our said court of star chamber may be inflicted vpon them for the same . and likewise we doe hereby ordaine , will and appoint , that it shall and may be lawfull , to and for our said commissioners , authorised , as aforesaid , to import the said fifty thousand weight of spanish or other forraine tobacco , by him , or themselues , or his , or their deputy or deputies with a constable , or other officer , for their assistance , to enter into any suspected place or places , at such time or times , as they shall thinke to be most conuenient , and there to search , discouer , and finde out any tobacco , imported , vttered , plan●ed , set , sowed , sold or vented , not marked , or sealed , as aforesaid , contrary to the true meaning hereof , and all such tobacco so found to seize , take away , & dispose of & the owners thereof , or in whose custome the same shal be found , to informe , and complaine of , to the end they may receiue punishment , according to our pleasure herein before declared . and further , we doe by these presents , will and require , all and singular mayors , sheriffes , iustices of peace , bailiffes , cōstables , headboroughs , customers , controllers , searchers , waiters , and all other our officers , and ministers whatsoeuer , that they , and euery of them , in their seuerall places and offices , be diligent and attendant in the execution of this our proclamation , and also ayding and assisting , to our said commissioners thereunto by us appointed , or to be appointed , and to their deputies , as well in any search for discouery of any act , or acts to bee performed , contrary to the intent of these presents , as otherwise in the doing , or executing of any matter or thing for the accomplishment of this our royall command . and lastly , our will and pleasure is , and we doe hereby , charge and command our atturney generall , for the time being , to informe against such persons in our court of star-chamber , or exchequer-chamber , as the case shall require from time to time , whose contempt and disobedience against this our royall command , shall merit the censure of these courts . giuen at our court at whitehall , the seuenteenth day of februarie , in the second yeere of our reigne of great britaine , france , and ireland . god saue the king. ¶ imprinted at london by bonham norton and iohn bill , printers to the kings most excellent maiestie . m.dc.xxvi . a true and exact account of the wars with spain, in the reign of q. elizabeth (of famous memory) being the particulars of what happened between the english and spanish fleets, from the years to , shewing the expeditions, attempts, fights, designs, escapes, successes, errors, &c. on both sides : with the names of her majesty's ships and commanders in every fleet : being a patern and warning to future ages : never printed before / written by sir william monson ... monson, william, sir, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing m estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a true and exact account of the wars with spain, in the reign of q. elizabeth (of famous memory) being the particulars of what happened between the english and spanish fleets, from the years to , shewing the expeditions, attempts, fights, designs, escapes, successes, errors, &c. on both sides : with the names of her majesty's ships and commanders in every fleet : being a patern and warning to future ages : never printed before / written by sir william monson ... monson, william, sir, - . [ ], p. printed for w. crooke, and sold by w. davis ..., london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng england and wales. -- royal navy. great britain -- history, naval. great britain -- history -- elizabeth, - . spain -- history, naval. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ben griffin sampled and proofread - ben griffin text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a true and exact account of the wars with spain , in the reign of q. elizabeth , ( of famous memory . ) being the particulars of what happened between the english and spanish fleets , from the years to . shewing the expeditions , attempts , fights , designs , escapes , successes , errors , &c. on both sides . with the names of her majesty's ships and commanders in every fleet. being a patern and warning to future ages . never printed before . written by sir william monson , who was a captain in most , and admiral of several of those fleets in the said wars , and dedicated to his son. london , printed for w. crooke , and sold by w. davis in amen corner . m.dc.lxxxii . sir william monson to his son john . dear son , the custom of dedicating books hath been ancient , and they have been usually dedicated either to great persons , for protection or remuneration ; or to familiars , out of friendship and affection ; or to children , in respect of nature and for admonition . and to this end it is , that to you i commend the reading of the discourse following ; that so beholding the years war by sea , which for want of years you could not then remember ; and comparing them with the years of peace , in which you have lived , you may consider three things . first , that after so many pains and perils god hath lent life to your father to further your education . secondly , what proportion his recompence and rewards have had to his services . lastly , what just cause you have to abandon the thoughts of such dangerous and uncertain courses ; and that you may follow the ensuing precepts , which i commend to your often perusal . and in the first place , i will put you in mind of the small means and fortune i shall leave , that you may rate your expences accordingly ; and yet as little as it is , 't is great to me , in respect i attained to it by my own endeavours and dangers , and therefore no body can challenge interest in it but my self , though your carriage may promise the best possibility . beware you presume not so much upon it , as thereby to grow disobedient to your parents ; for what you can pretend to , is but the privilege of two years of age above your younger brother ; and in such cases fathers are like judges , that can and will distinguish of offences and deserts according to truth , and will reward and punish as they shall see cause . and because you shall know it is no rare or new thing for a man to dispose of his own , i will lay before you a precedent of your own house , that so often as you think of it , you may remember it with fear , and prevent it with care . the great grandfather of your grandfather was a knight by title , and john by name , which name we desire to retain to our eldest sons ; god blessed him with many earthly benefits , as wealth , children , and reputation ; his eldest son was called john after his father , and his second william like to yourself and brother ; but upon what displeasure i know not , ( although we must judge the son gave the occasion ) his father left him the least part of his fortune , though sufficient to equal the best gentleman of his shire , and particularly the ancient house called after his name . his other son william he invested with what your uncle now enjoys . both the sons whilest they lived carried the port and estimation of their fathers children , though afterwards it fell out that the son of john , and nephew to william , became disobedient , negligent , and prodigal , and spent all his patrimony ; so that in conclusion he and his son extinguished their house , and there now remains no memory of them . as for the second line and race , of whom your uncle and i descended , we live as you see , though our estates be not great , and of the two mine much the least ; which notwithstanding is the greater to me in respect i atchieved it with the peril and danger of my life ; and you will make my contentment in the enjoyment of it the greater , if it be accompanied with that comfort i hope to receive from you . the next thing i will handle shall be arms. know that wars by land or sea are always accompanied with infinite dangers and disasters , and seldom rewarded according to merit : for one souldier that lives to enjoy that preferment which becomes his right by antiquity of service , ten thousand fall by the sword and other casualties : and if you compare that of a souldier with any other calling or profession , you will find much difference both in the reward and danger although arms have been esteemed in all ages , and the more as there was greater occasion to use them ; yet you shall find they have been always subject to jealousies and envy ; jealousies from the state , if the general or other officer grow great and popular ; subject to envy from inferiors , who through their perverse and ill dispositions malign other mens merits . the advancement of souldiers is commonly made by councellors at home , whose eyes cannot witness the services performed abroad ; but a man is advanced as he is befriended , which makes the souldiers preferment as uncertain as his life is casual . compare the estate and advancement of souldiers of our time but with the mean and mercenary lawyer , and you shall find so great a difference , that i had rather you should become apprentice to the one , than make profession of the other . a captain that will seek to get the love of his souldiers . as his greatest praise and felicity , of all other vices must detest and abandon covetousness ; he must live by spending as the miser doth by sparing ; insomuch as few of them can obtain by war wherewith to maintain themselves in peace , and where wealth wants preferment fails . souldiers that live in peaceable islands , as in england , their profession is undervalued , because we see not those dangers which make the souldiers necessary , as others do where wars are practised . and the good success in our wars hath been such as makes us attribute our victories , not so much to valour as to chance . i confess the base and ill behaviour of some souldiers , hath made themselves and their callings the less esteemed ; for the name of a captain , which was ever wont to be honourable , is now became a word of reproach and disdain . souldiers may have reputation , but little credit ; reputation enough to defend their honours , but little trust in commerce of the world ; and not without cause , for their security is the worse , by how much the danger of death is the greater . learning is as much to be preferred before war , as the trade of a merchant before that of the factor . by learning you are made sensible of the difference betwixt men and other creatures , and will be able to judge between the good and the bad , and how to walk accordingly . by learning you attain to the knowledge of heavenly mysteries , and you may frame your life accordingly , as god shall give you grace . by learning you are made capable of preferment , if it concur with virtue and discretion ; and the rather because you are a gentleman by birth , and of good alliance , which i observe next to money in this golden age is the second step to advancement . for one that is preferred by arms , there are twenty by learning ; and indeed the souldier is but a servant to the learned , for after his many fought battels , and as many dangers of his life , he must yield account of his actions , and be judged , corrected , and advanced as it shall please the other . you may wonder to hear me extoll learning so highly above my own profession , considering the poor fortune i shall leave was atchieved by arms ; it is enough therefore to persuade you what i say is not conjectural but approved : for if i did not find this difference , the natural affection of a father to a son would make me discover it to you , that you may follow that which is most probable and profitable . good son , love souldiers for your countries sake , who are the defenders of it ; for my sake , who have made profession of it ; but shun the practice of it as you will do brawls , quarrels , and suits , which bring with them perplexities , and dangers . there are many things to be shunned , as being perillous both to body and soul ; as quarrels and occasions of them , which happen through the enormities and abuses of our age. esteem valour as a special virtue , but shun quarrelling as a most detestable vice . of two evils it were better to keep company with a coward than a quarreller ; the one is commonly sociable and friendly , the other dangerous in his acquaintance , and offensive to standers by . he is never free from peril , that is conversant with a quarreller , either for offence given to himself , or to others wherein he may be engaged . a true valiant man shall have enough to do to defend his own reputation without engaging for others : nor are all valiant that will fight , there 〈…〉 discretion makes a difference betwixt valour and desperateness . no 〈…〉 can happen more unfortunate to a gentleman , than to have a quarrel , 〈◊〉 yet nothing so ordinary as to give offence ; it draweth with it many mischiefs both to body and soul : being slain he is danger of damnation , and no less if he kill the other without great repentance . he shall perpetually live in danger of revenge from the friends of the party killed , and fall into the mercy of the prince and law where he liveth , but if for fear and baseness he avoid and shun a quarrel , he is more odious living than he would be unhappy in dying . drinking is the foundation of other vices , it is the cause of quarrels , and then follows murders . it occasions swearing , whoredom , and many other vices depend upon it . when you behold a drunkard , imagine you see a beast in the shape of a man. it is a humour that for the time pleaseth the party drunk , and so bereaves him of sence , that he thinketh all he doth delighteth the beholders ; but the day following he buys his shame with repentance , and perhaps gives that offence in his drunkenness , that makes him hazard both life and reputation in a quarrel . you have no man that will brag or boast so much of the word reputation as a drunkard , when indeed there is nothing more to a mans imputation than to be drunk . a drunkard is in the condition of an excommunicated person , whose testimony betwixt party and party is of no validity . avoid ( good son ) the company of a drunkard , and occasions of drinking , then shall you live free without fear , and enjoy your own without hazard . whoredom is an incident to drunkenness , though on the contrary all whoremasters are not drunkards . it is a sin not washed away without the vengeance of god to the third and fourth generation . besides the offence to god , it giveth a disreputation to the party and his of-spring , it occasioneth a breach betwixt man and wife , encourageth the wife oftentimes to follow the ill example of her husband , and then ensueth dislike , divorce , disinheriting of children , suits in law , and consuming of estates . the next and worst sin i would have you shun is swearing . i do not advise you like a puritan , that ties a man more to the observing of sundays , and from taking the name of god in vain , than to all the rest of the commandments : but i wish you to avoid it for the greatness of the sin it self , for the plague of god hangeth over the house of the blasphemer . swearing is odious to the hearers , it giveth little credit to the words of him that useth it , it affordeth no pleasure as other sins do , nor yieldeth any profit to the party ; custom begetteth it , and custom must make one leave it . for your exercises let them be of two kinds , the one of mind , the other of body ; that of the mind must consist of prayer , meditation , and your book ; let your prayers be twice a day , howsoever you dispose of your self the rest of the time ; prayers work a great effect in a contrite and penitent heart . by this i do not seek to persuade you from such exercises and delights of body as are lawful and allowable in a gentleman ; for such increase health and agility of body , make a man sociable in company , and draw good acquaintants ; many times they bring a man into favour with a prince , and prove an occasion of preferment in his marriage ; they are often times a safeguard to a mans life , as in vaulting suddenly upon a horse to escape an enemy . i will especially commend unto you such pleasures as bring delight and content without charge ; for others are fitter for greater men than one of your fortune to follow . hawking and hunting , if they be moderately used , are like tobacco , in some cases wholesom for the body , but in the common use both laboursom and loathsom ; they alike bring one discommodity , ( as comonly vices do ) that they are not so easily left as entertained . tobacco is hot and hurtful to young bodies and stomachs , and augments the heat of the liver , which naturally you are subject to . it is offensive to company , especially the breath of him that takes it ; it drieth the brain , and many become fools with the continual use thereof . let your apparel be handsom and decent , not curious nor costly . a wise man is more esteemed in his plain cloth than gay clothing . it is more commendable to be able to buy a rich suit than to wear one . a wise man esteems more of a mans vertues and valour than of his vesture ; but seeing this age is fantastical and changeable , you must fashion your self to it , but in so mean and moderate a manner , as to be rather praised for frugality , than derided for prodigality . he that delights in curious cloaths is an imitator of a player , who measures his apparel by the part he acts . and as players appear upon the stage to be seen of the spectators , so do the gallants proclaim their braveries in open assemblies . whilest i live and you not marry , i shall temper this expence ; but when i die remember what i say , seek advancement rather by your carriage ; the curiousness , the reputation you gain by that will be lasting , when this will appear but like a flower sading . frame your course of life to the country and not to the court ; and yet make not your self such a stranger to great persons , as in assemblies they should ask others who you are . i confess the greatest and suddenest rising is by the court ; yet the court is like a hopeful and forward spring , that is taken with a sharp and cold frost , which nips and blasts a whole orchard except or trees ; for after that proportion commonly courtiers are preferr'd . and he that will thrive at court must make his dependency upon some great person , in whose ship he must imbarque all his hopes ; aud how unfortunate such great persons are oftentimes themselves , and how unthankful to their followers , we want not precedents . he that settles his service upon one of them shall fall into the disfavour of another ; for a court is like an army ever in war , striving by stratagems to circumvent and kick up one anothers heels , you are not ignorant of the aptness of this comparison by what you know of me , whose case will serve you for a prospective-glass , wherein to behold your danger afar off , the better to prevent it . yet reverence lords because they are noble , and one more than another , as he is more notable in virtue . be choice of your company ; for as a man makes election of them he is censured : man lives by reputation , and that failing he becomes a monster . let your company consist of your own rank , rather better than worse ; for hold it for a maxim , the better gentleman the more gentle in his behaviour . beware they be not accused of crimes , for so it may touch you in credit ; and if you lose your reputation in the bud of your youth , you shall scarce recover it in the whole course of your life . let them be civil in carriage , for commonly such men are sensible above all ; let them be learned , for learning is a fountain from whence springs another life ; let them be temperate in diet and expence , so shall you learn to live in health , and increase in wealth . beware they be not cholerick in disposition , or arrogant in opinion ; for so you shall become a slave to their humours , and base by suffering . a cholerick man of all others is the worst companion , for he cannot temper his rage , but on any slight occasion of a friend becomes an enemy . value true friendship next to marriage , which nothing but death can dissolve ; for the sickleness of friendship is oftentimes the ruine of ones fortune . beware of gaming , for it causes great vexation of mind . if you lose , it begets in you that humour , that out of hope of regaining your losses , you will endanger the loss of all . do not presume too much of your skill in play , or making wagers as if you were excellent above others , or have fortune at command ; for she is like a whore variable and inconstant , and when she disfavours you , it is with more loss at once than she recompenceth at twice . love your brother and sisters for their own sakes , as you are bound by nature , but especially for mine whose they are . remember you are all indifferent to me , but that god chose you from the rest to be a strength and stay to them ; think you cannot honour your father more being dead , than in shewing affection to them he dearly loved ; and nothing will more approve you to be mine , than love and kindness amongst your selves . you owe somewhat more to me than that i am your father , in that i seek your advancement above theirs , of which obligation i will acquit you conditionally you perform what you ought to them . for because man cannot himself live ever , he desires to live in his posterity ; and if i had an hundred sons , my greatest hope must depend upon you as you are my eldest , and seeing my care is of you above the rest , do not make my memory so unhappy , as to give the world an occasion to say , i left an unnatural son. the onely request i make is , be kind and loving to them , who i know by their disposition will give you no cause of offence . a discourtesie from you will be as sharp to them as a razor from another . be courteous and friendly to all , for men are esteemed according to ther carriage . there is an old proverb , the courtesie of the mouth is of great value , and costs little . a proud man is envied of his equals , hated by his inferious , and scorned by his superiours ; so that betwixt envy , hate , and scorn he is friendless . many times a man is condemned to death out of presumption , especially when it concurrs with an opinion of his former ill carriage : how much therefore doth it concern a man in the times of his prosperity to lay up a stock of love and reputation ? there cannot be a greater honour than to gain a mans enemy by a courtesie ; it far exceeds the kindness that is done to another , and doubly obligeth him that receiveth it . love is a thing desired by a king from his subjects , by a general from his souldiers , and by a master from his servants ; he that hath it is rich by it , it maintains peace in time of peace , and is a safe bulwork in time of war. do not buy this love with the ruine of your estate , as many do with prodigal expences , and then are requited with pity and derision . let your expence be agreeable to the wearing of your cloaths , better or worse according to company ; or the journying your horse , the less way you go to day , you may travel the further to morrow ; but if you go every day a long and wearisom journey , your horse will fail , and you be enforc'd to go on foot . and so will it be in your expences , if you do not moderate them according to days and companies , your horse and you may travel faintly together . if you are prodigal in any thing , let it be in hospitality , as most agreeable to the will of god , you shall feed the hungry , relieve the poor , and get the love of the rich . what you spend among your neighbours is not lost , but procures their loves and helps when you have need , and thereby you shall find friendship in the country as available as favour at court. if you are called to any place of magistracy , do justice with pity , revenge not your self of your enemy under colour of authority , for that shews baseness , and will procure you hatred . in money matters favour your country , if it be not against the present profit of the king , for many times his name is used for the gain of other men . study the laws , not to make a mercenary practice of them , but onely for your own use , the good of your neighbours , and the government of your country . hold the laws in reverence next to the king ; for that kingdom is well governed where the king is ruled by the laws , not the laws by the king. be not presumptuous in your command , yet seek to be obeyed as you desire to obey ; for as you are above others , others are above you . give your mind to accommodate controversies among your neighbours , and you shall gain their love , which will more avail you than the hate of the lawyers can hurt you . punish idleness and other vices , as well for that they are such , as for examples sake . gain love by doing justice , and hate doing wrong , though it were to your immediate profit . if you marry after my death , chuse a wife as near as you can suitable to your calling , years , and condition ; for such marriages are made in heaven , though celebrated on earth . if your estate were great , your choice might be the freer ; but where the preferment of your sisters must depend upon your wives portion , let not your fancy overrule your necessity . it is an old saying , he that marrieth for love hath evil days and good nights : consider if you marry for affection , how long you will be raising portions for your sisters , and the misery you shall live in all the days of your life ; for the greatest fortune that a man can expect is in his marriage . a wise man is known by his actions , but where passion and affection sway , that man is deprived of sence and understanding . it is not the poverty or meanness of her that 's married that makes her the better wife , for commonly such women grow elevated , and are no more mindful of what they have been , than a mariner is of his escape from a danger at sea when it is past . you must set your wife a good example by your own carriage , for a wise and discreet husband usually makes an obedient and dutiful wife . beware of jealousie , for it causeth great vexation of mind , and scorn and laughter from your enemies . many times it is occasioned by the behaviour of the husband towards other women : in that case do like the physician , take away the cause of the infirmity , if not you are worthy to feel the smart of it . jealousie is grounded upon conceit and imagination , proceeds from a weak ; idle , and distempered brain ; and the unworthy carriage of him that is jealous , many times maketh a woman do what otherwise she would not . if god be pleased to give you children , love them with that discretion that they discern it not , lest they too much presume upon it . encourage them in things that are good , and correct them if they offend . the love of god to man cannot be better expressed , than by that of a father to his children . comforts of crosses they prove to their parents , and herein education is a great help to nature . let your children make you to disrelish and abandon all other delights and pleasures of the world , in respect of the comfort and joy you receive by them . make account then that somer is past , and the melancholy winter approacheth ; for a careful and provident father cannot take delight in the world and provide for his children . for a conclusion i will recommend two principal virtues to you , the one is secrecy , the other patience . secrecy is necessarily required in all , especially publick persons , for many times they are trusted with things , the revealing whereof may cost them their lives , and hinder the designs of their masters . it is a folly to trust any man with a secret , that can give no assistance in the business he is trusted with . councellors of state and generals , of armies , of all other ought to be most secret , for their designs being once discovered , their enterprizes fail . silence was so much esteemed among the persians , that she was adored for a goddess . the romans kept their expeditions so secret , as that alone was a principal cause of their victories . but of all others trust not women with a secret , for the weakness of their sex makes them unsecret . be patient after the example of job , and you shall become a true servant of god. patience deserveth to be painted with a sword in her hand , for she conquers and subdues all difficulties . if you will take advantage of your enemy , make him cholerick , and by patience you shall overcome him . marcus aurelius being both emperour and philosopher confessed , he attained not the empire by philosophy but by patience . what man in the world was ever so patient as our saviour himself , by following whose example his ministers have converted more by their words , then all the persecuting emperours could deferr by rigour or cruelty of laws . the impatient man contests with god himself , who giveth and taketh away at his good will and pleasure . let me ( good son ) be your patern of patience , for you can witness with me , that the disgraces i have unjustly suffered , ( my estate being through my misfortunes ruined , my health by imprisonments decayed , and my services undervalued and unrecompensed ) have not bred the least distaste or discontent in me , or altered my resolution from my infancy ; that is , i was never so base as to insinuate into any mans favour , who was favoured by the times . i was never so ambitious as to seek or crave imployment , or to undertake any that was not put upon me . my great and onely comfort is , that i served my princes both faithfully and fortunately ; but seeing my services have been no better accepted , i can as well content my self in being a spectator , as if i were an actor in the world . before i treat of the sea i will shew what laws richard the first established in his expedition by sea , which in some points are observed to this day . . that whosoever should kill a man , should be tied to him killed , and thrown into the sea with him . . if any be killed on land , the party to be buried alive with him killed . . whosoever shall strike another , and not draw bloud , shall be duck'd three times at the yards arm. . whosoever revileth or curseth another , so often as he revileth shall pay an ounce of silver . . whosoever draweth his knife , or draweth bloud , shall lose his hand . . whosoever doth steal , shall have his head shorn , and boiled pitch poured upon it , and feathers strewed upon the same , whereby he may be known ; and at the first landing place he shall be towed on shore . a yearly account of the english and spanish fleets , which were set forth from the year , when the wars with spain first began , untill the year , when king james made his happy entrance into this kingdom ; shewing the designs , escapes , and errors on both english and spanish sides , with the names of the queens ships and commanders in every expedition . a voyage of sir francis drake . to the west indies , anno dom. . ships . the elizabeth bonaventure the ayde commanders . sir francis drake , capt. forbister . capt. carlee lieutenant general by land. upon the knowledge of the imbargo made by the king of spain in anno , of the english ships , men , and goods found in his country ; her majesty having no means to help or relieve her subjects by friendly treaty , authorized such as sustained loss by the said arrest , to repair themselves upon the subjects of the king of spain ; and to that end gave them letters of reprisal , to take and arrest all ships and merchandizes that they should find at sea , or elsewhere , belonging to the vassals of the said king. her majesty at the same time to revenge the wrongs offered her , and to resist the king of spains preparations made against her equipped a fleet of sail of ships , and imployed them under the command of sir francis drake , as the fittest man by reason of his experience and success in sundry actions . it is not my intent to set down all the particulars of the voyages treated of , but the services done , and the escapes and oversights past , as a warning to those that shall read them , and to prevent the like errors hereafter . this voyage of sir francis drake being the first undertaking on either side , ( for it ensued immediately after the arrest of our ships and goods in spain ) i will deliver my opinion of it , before i proceed any further . one impediment to the voyage was , that to which the ill success of divers others that after followed , is to be imputed , viz , the want of victuals and other necessaries fit for so great an expedition ; for had not the fleet by chance met with a ship laden with fish , that came from new found land , which relieved their necessities , they would have found themselves reduced to great extremity . the service that was performed in this action , was the taking and sacking sancta domingo in hispaniola , cartagena in terra firma , and the fonta aqua in florida ; three towns of great importance in the west indies . this fleet was the greatest of any nation but the spaniards , that had been ever seen in those seas since the first discovery of them ; and if it had been as well considered of before their going from home , as it was happily performed by the valour of the undertakers , it had more annoyed the king of spain , than all other actions that ensued during the time of the war. but it seems our long peace made us uncapable of advice in war ; for had we kept and defended those places being in our possession , and provided to have been relieved and succoured out of england , we had diverted the war from this part of europe : for at that time there was no comparison betwixt the strength of spain and england by sea by means whereof we might have better defended them , and with more ease incroached upon the rest of the indies , than the king of spain could have aided or succoured them . but now we see and find by experience , that those places which were then weak and unfortified , are since so strengthened , as it is bootless to undertake any action to annoy the king of spain in his west indies . and though this voyage proved both fortunate and victorious , yet considering it was rather an awakening than a weakning of him , it had been far better to have wholly declined it , than to have undertaken it upon such slender grounds , and with so inconsiderable forces . the second voyage of sir francis drake to the road of cadiz , and towards the islands of tercera , anno . ships . the elizabeth bonaventure the lyon the rainbow the dread-nought commanders . sir francis drake , general . sir william borrough , vice admiral . capt. bellingam . capt. thomas fenner . her majesty having received several advertisements , that while the king of spain was silent , not seeking revenge for the injuries the ships of reprisal did him daily upon his coasts , he was preparing an invincible army to invade her at home . she thereupon sought to frustrate his designs , by intercepting his provisions before they should come to lisbon , which was their place of rendezvouz , and sent away sir francis drake with a fleet of sail great and small , whereof were her own ships . the chief adventure in this voyage ( besides those ships of her majesties ) was made by the merchants of london , who sought their private gain more than the advancement of the service ; neither were they deceived of their expectation . sir francis drake understanding by two ships of middleborough , that came from cadiz , of a fleet with victuals , munition , and other habiliments for war , riding there , ready to take the first opportunity of a wind , to go to lisbon and joyn with other forces of the king of spain , he directed his course for cadiz road , where he found the advertisement he received from the ships of middleborough in every point true ; and upon his arrival attempted the ships with great courage , and performed the service he went for , by destroying all such ships as he found in harbour , as well of the spaniards as other nations that were hired by them ; and by these means he utterly defeated their mighty preparations which were intended against england that year . the second service performed by him was , the assaulting the castle of cape sacre , upon the utmost promontory of portugal , and three other strong holds ; all which he took some by force , and some by composition . from thence he went to the mouth of the river of lisbon , where he anchored near caske cadiz ; which the marquess of st. cruze beholding durst not with his gallies approach so near as once to charge him . sir francis drake perceiving , that though he had done important service for the state by this fortunate attempt of his , yet the same was not very acceptable to the merchants , who adventured onely in hope of profit , and preferred their private gain before the security of the kingdom , or any other respect . therefore from caske cadiz he stood to the islands of tercera , to expect the coming home of a carreck , which he had intelligence wintered at mosambique , and consequently she was to be home in that moneth . and though his victuals grew scarce , and his company importuned his return home , yet with gentle speeches he persuaded , and so much prevailed with them , that they were willing to expect the issue some few days at the islands ▪ and by this time drawing near the island of s. michael , it was his good fortune to meet and take the carrick he looked for ; which added more honour to his former service , and gave great content to the merchants , to have a profitable return of their adventure , which was the thing they principally desired . this voyage proceeded prosperously and without exception , for there was both honour and wealth gained , and the enemy greatly endamaged . the first action undertaken by the spaniards was in , the duke of medina general , who were encountered by our fleet , the lord admiral being at sea himself in person . ships . the ark royal the revenge the lyon the bear the elizabeth ionas the triumph the victory the hope the bonaventure the dread-nought the nouperil the rainbow the vanntguard the mary rose the antilope the foresight the ayde the swallow the tyger the scout the swiftsure the bull the tremontary the acatice pinnaces , gallies , hoyes — commanders . the lord admiral . sir francis drake , vice admiral . the lord thomas howard . the lord sheffeild . sir robert southwell . sir martin forbisher . sir iohn hawkins . capt. crosse. capt. reyman . capt. george beeston . capt. thomas fenner . the lord henry seymore . sir william winter . capt. fenton . sir henry palmer . capt. barker . capt. fenner . capt. hawkins . capt. bostock . capt. ashley . notwithstanding the great spoil and hurt sir francis drake did the year past in cadiz road , by intercepting some part of the provisions intended for this great navy , the king of spain used his utmost endeavours to revenge himself this year , lest in taking longer time his designs might be prevented as before , and arrested all ships , men , and necessaries wanting for his fleet , and compell'd them per force to seave in this action . he appointed for general the duke of medina sidonia , a man imployed rather for his birth than experience ; for so many dukes , marquesses , and earls , voluntarily going , would have repined to have been commanded by a man of less quality than themselves . they departed from lisbon the th . day of may , with the greatest pride and glory , and least doubt of victory , that ever any nation did ; but god being angry with their insolence , disposed of them contrary to their expectation . the directions from the king of spvin to his general were , to repair as wind and weather would give leave , to the road of callice in piccardy , there to abide the coming of the prince of parma and his army , and upon their meeting to have opened a letter directed to them both with further instructions . he was especially commanded to sail along the coasts of brittany and normandy , to avoid being discovered by us here ; and if he met with the english fleet , not to offer to fight , but onely seek to defend themselves . but when he came athwart the north cape , he was taken with a contrary wind and foul weather and forced into the harbour of the groyne , where part of his fleet lay attending his coming . as he was ready to depart from thence , they had intelligence by an english fisherman , whom they took prisoner , of our fleets late being at sea , and putting back again , not expecting their coming that year ; insomuch that most part of the men belonging to our ships were discharged . this intelligence made the duke alter his resolution , and to break the directions given him by the king ; yet this was not done without some difficulty , for the council was divided in their opinions , some held it best to observe the kings command , others not to lose the opportunity offered to surprize our fleet unawares , and burn and destroy them . diego flores de valdos , who had the command of the andalusian squadron , and on whom the duke most relied , because of his experience and judgment , was the main man that persuaded the attempt of our ships in harbour , and with that resolution they directed their course for england . the first land they fell with was the lizard , the southermost part of cornwall , which they took to be the rams head athwart plymouth , and the night being at hand they tacked off to sea , making account in the morning to make an attempt upon our ships in plymouth . but whilest they were thus deceived in the land , they were in the mean time discovered by capt. flemminge a pyrat , who had been at sea pilfering , and upon view of them , knowing them to be the spanish fleet , repaired with all speed to plymouth , and gave warning and notice to our fleet , who were then riding at anchor ; whereupon my lord admiral hastned with all possible expedition to get forth the ships , and before the spaniards could draw near plymouth , they were welcomed at sea by my lord and his navy , who continued fight with them untill he brought them to an anchor at callice . the particulars of the fight , and the successes thereof , being things so well known , i purposely omit . while this armado was preparing , her majesty had from time to time perfect intelligence of the spaniards designs ; and because she knew his intent was to invade her at sea with a mighty fleet from his own coast , she furnished out her royal navy under the conduct of the lord high admiral of england , and sent him to plymouth , as the likeliest place to attend their coming , as you have heard . then knowing that it was not the fleet alone that could endanger her safety , for that they were too weak for any enterprize on land , without the assistance of the prince of parma , and his army in flanders ; therefore she appointed sail of holland ships to lie at an anchor before the town of dunkirk , where the prince was to imbarque in flat-bottom'd boats , made purposely for the expedition of england . thus had the prince by the queens providence been prevented , if he had attempted to put out of harbour with his boats ; but in truth neither his vessels nor his army were in readiness , which caused the king ever after to be jealous of him , and as 't is supposed to hasten his end . her majesty , notwithstanding this her vigilant care to foresee and prevent all danger that might happen at sea , would not hold her self too secure of her enemy , and therefore prepared a royal army to welcom him upon his landing ; but it was not the will of god that he should set foot on english ground , the queen becoming victorious over him at sea , with little hazard or bloudshed of her subjects . having shewed the design of the spaniards , and the course taken by her majesty to prevent them ; i will now collect the errors committed as well by the one as by the other , as i have promised in the beginning of my discourse . as nothing could appear more rational and likely to take effect , after the duke had gotten intelligence of the state of our navy , than his design to surprize them unawares in harbour , he well knowing that if he had taken away our strength by sea , he might have landed both when and where he listed , which is a great advantage to an invader ; yet admitting it had took that effect he designed , i see not how he was to be commended in breaking the instructions given him by the king , what blame then did he deserve , when so ill an event followed by his rashness and disobedience ? it was not the want of experience in the duke , or his laying the fault upon valdes , that excused him at his return ; but he had smarted bitterly for it , had it not been for his wife , who obtained the kings favour for him . before th' arrival of the ships that escaped in this voyage , it was known in spain , that diego flores de valdes was he who persuaded the duke to break the kings instructions ; whereupon the king gave commandment in all his ports , where the said diego flores de valdes might arrive , to appreheud him ; which was accordingly executed , and he carried to the castle of sancta andrea , and was never seen or heard of after . if the kings directions had been punctually followed , then had his fleet kept the coast of france , and arrived in the road of callice before they had been discovered by us , which might have endangered her majesty and the realm , our ships being so far off as plymouth , where then they lay ; and though the prince of parma had not been presently ready , yet he had gained time sufficient by the absence of our fleet to make himself ready . and whereas the prince was kept in by the sail of hollanders , so many of the dukes fleet might have been able to have put the hollanders from the road of dunkirk , and possest it themselves , and so have secured the army and fleets meeting together ; and then how easie it had been after their joyning to have transported themselves for england ? and what would have ensued upon their landing here may be well imagined . but it was the will of him that directs all men and their actions , that the fleets should meet , and the enemy be beaten as they were , put from their anchorage in callice road , the prince of parma beleaguered at sea , and their navy driven about scotland and ireland with great hazard and loss ; which sheweth how god did marvellously defend us against their dangerous designs . and here was opportunity offered us to have followed the victory upon them ; for after they were beaten from the road at callice , and all their hopes and designs frustrated ; if we had once more offered them fight , the general by persuasion of his confessor was determined to yield , whose example 't is very likely would have made the rest to have done the like . but this opportunity was lost , not through the negligence or backwardness of the lord admiral , but merely through the want of providence in those that had the charge of furnishing and providing for the fleet ; for at that time of so great advantage , when they came to examine their provisions , they found a general scarcity of powder and shot , for want whereof they were forced to return home . another opportunity was lost not much inferiour to the other , by not sending part of our fleet to the west of ireland , where the spaniards of necessity were to pass after so many dangers and disasters as they had endured . if we had been so happy as to have followed this course , as it was both thought and discoursed of ; we had been absolutely victorious over this great and formidable navy , for they were brought to that necessity , that they would willingly have yielded , as divers of them confess'd that were shipwreck'd in ireland . by this we may see how weak and feeble the designs of men are , in respect of the creator of man , and how indifferently he dealt betwixt the two nations , sometimes giving one , sometimes the other , the advantage ; and yet so that he onely ordered the battel . the action of portugal , . ships . the revenge the dread-nought the ayde the nonperil the foresight the swiftsure commanders by sea. sir francis drake capt. thomas fenner capt. william fenner capt. sackvile capt. william winter capt. goring commanders by land. sir iohn norris sir edward norris sir henry norris sir roger williams serjeant major earl of essex voluntier . the last overthrow of given to the invincible fleet , as they termed themselves , did so encourage every man to the war , as happy was he that could put himself into action against the spaniards , as it appeared by the voluntiers that went in this voyage ; which the queen ( considering the great loss the king of spain received in the year past , whereby it was to be imagined how weakly he was provided at home ) was willing to countenance , though she undertook it not wholly her self , which was the main cause of its ill success and overthrow . for whosoever he be of a subject , that thinks to undertake so great an enterprise without a prince's purse , shall be deceived ; and therefore these two generals in my opinion never overshot themselves more , than in undertaking so great a charge with so little means ; for where there are victuals and arms wanting , what hope is there of prevailing ? the project of this voyage was to restore a distressed king to his kingdom , usurped as he pretended ; and though the means for the setting forth of this voyage was not so great as was expedient ; yet in the opinion of all men , if they had directed their course whither they intended it , without landing at the groyne , they had performed the service they went for , restored don antonio to the crown of portugal , dissevered it from spain , and united it in league with england , which would have answered the present charge , and have settled a continual trade for us to the west indies , and the rest of the portugals dominions , for so we might easily have conditioned . but the landing at the groyne was an unnecessary lingering and hinderance of the other great and main design , a consuming of victuals , a weakning of the army by the immoderate drinking of the souldiers , which brought a lamentable sickness amongst them , a warning to the spaniards to strengthen portugal , and ( as great as all this ) a discouragement to proceed further being repulsed in the first attempt . but notwithstanding the ill success at the groyne , they departed from thence towards portugal , and arrived at penech , a maritine town twelve leagus from lisbon , where with a small resistance they took the castle , after the captain understood don antonio to be in the army . from thence general norris marched with his land forces to lisbon , and sir francis drake with his fleet sailed to caske cadiz , promising from thence to pass with his ships up the river to lisbon , to meet with sir john norris , which yet he did not perform , and therefore was much blamed by the general consent of all men , the overthrow of the action being imputed to him . it will not excuse sir francis drake , for making such a promise to sir john norris , though , on the other hand , i would have accused him of great want of discretion , if he had put the fleet to so great an adventure to so little purpose : for his being in the harbor of lisbon , signified nothing to the taking of the castle , which was two miles from thence ; and had the castle been taken , the town would have been taken of course . besides , the ships could not furnish the army with more men or victuals : wherefore i understand not in what respect his going up was necessary ; and yet the fleet must have endured many hazards to this little purpose . for betwixt cask cadiz and lisbon , there are three castles , st. john , st. francis , and bellin . the first of the three , i hold one of the most impregnable forts to sea-ward in europe ; and the fleet was to pass within calliver shot of this fort ; though i confess , the passing it , was not the greatest dander : for with a reasonable gale of wind , any fort is to be passed with small hazard . but at this time there was a general want of victuals ; and being once entred the harbour , their coming out again was uncertain , the place being subject to contrary winds : in the mean while , the better part of the victuals would have been consumed , and they would have remained there in so desperate a condition , as they would have been forced to have fired one half of the fleet , for the bringing home of the rest : for being as they were , yet after the army was imbarqued for england , many died of famine homeward , and more would have done , if the wind had took them short ; or , if by the death of some of them , the rest who survived had not been the bettr relieved . and besides all these casualties and dangers , the adilantado was then in lisbon with the gallies of spain ; and how easily he might have annoyed our fleet , by towing fire-ships amongst us : we may suppose the hurt we did the spaniards the year before in cadiz road ; and greater we had done them , had we had the help of gallies . it was a wonder to observe every man's opinion of this voyage , as well those that were actors in it , as others that staid at home ; some imputing the overthrow of it , to the landing at the groyn ; others to the portugalls failing us of those helps and assistances which were promised by don antonio ; and others , to sir francis drake's not coming up the river with his fleet. though any of these three reasons may seem probable enough , and the landing at the groyn , the chiefest of the three ; yet if we weigh truly the defect , and where it was , it will appear , that the action was overthrown before their setting out from home , they being too weakly provided of all things needful for so great an expedition . for when this voyage was first treated of , the number of ships was nothing equal to the proportion of men : wherefore they were forced to make stay of divers easterlings which they met with in our channel , and compelled to serve in this action , for the transportation of our souldiers ; and though these ships were an ease to our men , who would have been otherwise much pestered for want of room ; yet their victuals were nothing augmented ; but they were put aboard the ships , like banished men , to seek their fortunes at sea , it being confessed , that divers of the ships had not four days victuals when they departed from plymouth . another impediment to the good success of this voyage , was , the want of field-pieces ; and this was the main cause why we failed of taking lisbon : for the enemies strength consisting chiefly in the castle , and we having only an army to countenance us , but no means for battery , we were the loss of the victory our selves : for it was apparent by intelligence we received , that if we had presented them with battery , they were resolved to parly , and by consequence to yield ; and this too was made use of by the portugalls , as a main reason why they joyned not with us . and there is as much to be said on the portugalls behalf , as an evidence of their good will and favor to us , that though they shewed themselves forward upon this occasion , to aid us , yet they opposed not themselves as enemies against us : whereas if they had pursued us in our retreat from lisbon to cask cadiz , our men being weak , sickly , and wanting powder , and shot , and other arms , they had in all probability put us to a great loss and disgrace . and if ever england have the like occasion to aid a competitor in portugal , we shall questionless , find , that our fair demeanor and carriage in this expedition towards the people of that countrey , have gained us great reconciliation among them , and would be of singular advantage to us : for the general strictly forbad the rifling of their houses in the country , and the suburbs of lisbon , which he possess'd , and commanded , just payment to be made by the souldiers for every thing they took , without compulsion , or rigorous usage : and this hath made those that stood but indifferently affected before , now ready upon the like occasion to assist us . a voyage undertaken by the earl of cumberland , with one ship royal of her majesties , and six of his own , and of other adventures , anno dom. . ships . the victory the margaret , and five other commanders . the earl of cumberland capt. christopher lister capt. monson , now sir william monson , vice-amiral . as the fleets of sir john norris and sir francis drake , returned from the voyage of portugal , my lord of cumberland proceeded upon his , towards that coast , ; and meeting with divers of that fleet , relieved them with victuals , who otherwise had perished . this voyage was undertaken at his and his friends charge , excepting the victory , a ship royal of the queen's , which she adventured . the service performed at sea , was the taking of three french ships of the league in our channel , and his encountring upon the coast of spain , with thirteen hulks , who made some resistance . out of these he took to the value of l. in spices belonging to portugal . from thence he crossed over to the island of terceras , and coming to st. michaels , with boats he fetched out two spanish ships from under the castle , which the same night arrived out of spain . in this course , from thence to flores , he took a spanish ship , laden with sugars and sweet-meats that came from the maderas . being at flores , he received intelligencence of divers spanish ships , which were in the road of fayal , whereupon he suddainly made from that island , where captain lister and captain monson gave a desperate attempt in their boats upon the said ships ; and after along fight possessed themselves of one of them of tuns burden , carrying eighteen pieces of ordidinance , and fifty men. this ship , with one other , came from the indies , two of the rest out of guiney , and another was laden with woad which that island affords in great plenty ; who putting from thence to sea , and coming to the island of graciosa after two days fight , yielded us by composition some victuals : off that island we likewise took a french ship of the league , of tuns , that came from new-found-land . afterwards , sailing to the eastward of the road of terceras , in the even-we beheld tall ships of the indies , entring into the said road , one whereof we after took in her course to the coast of spain : she was laden with hides , silver and cochineal ; but coming for england , she was cast away upon the monnts bay in cornwall , being valued at l. two other prizes of sugar we took in our said course to the coast of spain , esteemed each ship at l. and one from under the castle of st. maries to the same value . there was no road about those islands , that could defend their ships from our attempts ; yet in the last assault we gave , which was upon a ship of sugars , we found ill success , being sharply resisted , and two parts of our men slain and hurt : which loss was occasioned by captain lister , who would not be persuaded from landing in the view of their forts . the service performed by land , was the taking of the island of fayall , some months after the surprizing of those ships formerly mentioned . the castle yielded us pieces of ordinance , great and small : we sacked and spoiled the town , and after ransomed it , and so departed . these summer services , and ships of sugar , proved not so sweet and pleasant as the winter was afterwards sharp and painful : for in our return for england , we found the calamity of famine , the hazard of shipwrack , and the death of our men so great , that the like befell not any other fleet during the time of the war. all which disasters must be imputed to captain lister's rashness , upon whom my lord of cumberland chiefly relyed , wanting experience himself . he was the man that advised the sending the ships of wine for england , otherwise we had not known the want of drink ; he was as earnest in persuading our landing in the face of the fortifications of st. maries , against all reason and sence . as he was rash , so was he valiant ; but paid dearly for his unadvised counsel : for he was one of the first hurt , and that cruelly , in the attempt of st. maries , and afterward drowned in the rich ship , cast away at mounts bay. sir john hawkins , and sir martin forbisher , their voyage undertaken , anno . ships . the revenge the mary-rose the lyon the bonaventure the rainbow the hope the crane the quittance the foresight the swiftseur . commanders . sir martin forbisher sir iohn hawkins sir edward yorke capt. fenner . capt. george beeston capt. bostock capt. burnell from the yeear . untill this present year . there was the greatest possibility imaginable of enriching our nation , by actions at sea , had they been well followed ; the king of spain was grown so weak in shipping , by the overthrow he had in , that he could no longer secure the trade of his subjects . her majesty now finding how necessary it was for her to maintain a fleet upon the spanish coast , as well to hinder the preparations he might make against her , to repair the disgrace he received in . as also to intercept his fleets from the indies , by which he grew great and mighty . she sent this year . ten ships of her own , in two squadrons ; the one to be commanded by sir john hawkins , the other by sir martin forbisher , two gentlemen of tried experience . the king of spain understanding of this preparation of hers , sent forth sail of ships , under the command of don alonso de bassan , brother to the late famous marquess of st. cruz. his charge was to secure home the indian fleet and carrecks . but after don alonso had put off to sea , the king of spain becoming better advised , than to adventure of his ships to of ours , sent for don alonso back , and so frustrated the expectation of our fleet. he likewise made a dispatch to the indies , commanding the fleets to winter there , rather than to run the hazard of coming home that summer : but this proved so great a hind'rance and loss to the merchants of spain , to be so long without return of their goods , that it caused many to become bankrupts , in sevil and other places ; besides , which was so great a weakening to their ships , to winter in the indies , that many years hardly sufficed to repair the damage they received . our fleet being thus prevented , spent seven months in vain upon the coasts of spain , and the islands ; but in that space , could not possess themselves of one ship of the spaniards ; and the carrecks , upon which part of their hopes depended , came home without sight of the islands , and arrived safe at lisbon . this voyage was a bare action at sea , though they attempted landing at fayal , which the earl of cumberland , the year before had taken and quitted ; but the castle being re-fortified , they prevailed not in their enterprize : and thence forwards the king of spain endeavored to strengthen his coasts , and to encrease in shipping , as may appear by the next ensuing year . two fleets , the one by vs , under the lord thomas howard , the other by the spaniards , commanded by don alonso de bassan , anno . ships . the dfiance the revenge the nonperil the bonaventure the lyon the foresight the crane commanders . the lord thomas howaad sir richard greenvile , vice-admiral sir edward denny capt. crosse capt. fenner capt. vavasor capt. duffeild . her majesty understanding of the indian fleets wintering in the havana , and that necessity would compell them home this year . she sent a fleet to the islands under the command of the lord thomas howard . the king of spain perceiving her drift , and being sensible how much the safety of that fleet concerned him , caused them to set out thence so late in the year , that it endangered the shipwrack of them all ; chosing rather to hazard the perishing of ships , men and goods , than their falling into our hands . he had two designs in bringing home this fleet so late : one was , he thought the lord thomas would have consumed his victuals , and have been forced home . the other , that he might in the mean time furnish out the great fleet he was preparing , little inferior to that of . in the first he found himself deceived : for my lord was supplied both with ships and victuals out of england ; and in the second , he was as much prevented : for my lord of cumberland , who then lay upon the coast of spain , had intelligence of the spaniards putting out to sea , and advertised the lord thomas thereof , the very night before they arrived at flores , where my lord lay . the day after this intelligence , the spanish fleet was discovered by my lord thomas , whom he knew by their number and greatness , to be the ships of which he had warning ; and by that means escaped the danger that sir richard greenvile , his vice-admiral rashly ran into . upon view of the spaniards , which were sail , the lord thomas warily , and like a discreet general , weighed anchor , and made signs to the rest of his fleet to do the like , with a purpose to get the wind of them ; but sir richard greenvile , being a stubborn man , and imagining this fleet to come from the indies , and not to be the armado of which they were informed , would by no means be persuaded by his master , or company to cut his main sail , to follow his admiral ; nay , so head-strong and rash he was , that he offered violence to those that councelled him thereto . but the old saying , that a wilful man is the cause of his own woe , could not be more truly verified than in him : for when the armado approached him , and he beheld the greatness of the ships , he began to see and repent of his folly ; and when it was too late , would have freed himself of them , but in vain : for he was left a prey to the enemy , every ship striving to be the first should board him . this wilful rashness of sir richard , made the spaniards triumph as much as if they had obtained a signal victory ; it being the first ship that ever they took of her majesties , and commended to them by some english fugitives to be the very best she had ; but their joy continued not long . for they enjoyed her but five days before she was cast away with many spaniards in her , upon the islands of tercera . commonly one misfortune is accompanied with another : for the indian fleet , which my lord had waited for the whole summer , the day after this mishap , fell into the company of this spanish armado : who , if they had staid but one day longer , or the indian fleet had come home but one day sooner , we had possest both them and many millions of treasure , which the sea afterward devoured : for from the time they met with the armado , and before they could recover home , nigh an hundred of them suffered shipwrack , besides the ascention of sevil , and the double fly-boat , that were sunk by the side of the revenge . all which was occasioned by their wintering in the indies , and the late disambogueing from thence : for the worm which that country , is subject to , weakens and consumes their ships . notwithstanding this cross and perverse fortune , which happened by means of sir richard greenvile , the lord thomas would not be dismayed or discouraged ; but kept the sea so long as he had victuals ; and by such ships as himself and the rest of the fleet took , defrayed the better part of the charge of the whole action . the earl of cumberland to the coast of spain , . ships . the garland of her majesties . seven other ships of his and his friends commanders . the earl of cumberland capt. under him capt. monson , now sir william monson . the earl of cumberland keeping the coast of spain , as you have heard , while the lord thomas remained at the islands , and both to one end , viz. to annoy and damnifie the spaniards , though in two several fleets , the earl found fortune in a sort , as much to frown upon him , as it had done upon the lord thomas howard . in his course from england to the spanish coast , he encountred with divers ships of holland , which came from lisbon , wherein he found a great quantity of spices belonging to the portugalls : so greatly were we abused by that nation of holland , who , though they were the first that engaged us in the war with spain , yet still maintained their own trade into those parts , and supplied the spaniards with munition , victuals shipping and intelligence against us . upon my lord's arrival on the coast of spain , it was his hap to take three ships at several times , one with wine , which he unladed into his own ; and two with sugars , which he enjoyed not long : no more did he the spices , which he took out of the hollanders . for one of the ships of sugar , by means of a leak that sprung upon her , was forced to be cast off , and the men , with much difficulty , recovered the shore , and saved their lives . the other being sent for england , and tossed with contrary winds , was for want of victuals forced into the groyn , where they rend'red themselves to the enemies mercy . the spices were determined to be sent for england , and a ship appointed for that purpose , with other ships to guard her ; and captain monson was sent on board her to the islands of the burlings , with a charge to see her dispatched for england . but the other ships , not observing the directions which were given them , and the night falling calm ; early in the morning , this scattered ship was set upon by six gallies ; and after a long and bloody fight , the captain , and the principallest men being slain , both ship and spices were taken ; but whether it was the respect they had to the queen's ship which was admiral of that fleet , or honor to my lord that commanded it ; or hope , by good usage of our men , to receive the like again , i know not ; but true it is , that the ordinary men were treated with more courtesie than they had been from the beginning of the wars . my lord of cumberland considering the disasters that thus befell him , and knowing the spanish fleet 's readiness to put out of harbor ; but especially finding his ship but ill of sail , it being the first voyage she ever went to sea , he durst not abide the coast of spain , but thought it more discretion to return for england , having ( as you have heard ) sent a pinnace to my lord thomas with the intelligence aforesaid . a voyage undertook by sir walter rawleigh ; but himself returning , left the charge thereof to sir martin forbisher , anno . ships . the garland the foresight , with divers merchants ships . commanders by sea. sir walter rawleigh capt. cross , and other . sir walter went not , but sir martin forbisher . commander by land. sir iohn borought . sir walter rawleigh , who had tasted abundantly of the queen's love , and found it now began to decline , put himself upon a voyage at sea , and drew unto him divers friends of great quality , and others , thinking to have attempted some place in the west indies ; and with this resolution he put out of harbour ; but spending two or three days in fowl weather , her majesty was pleased to command his return , and to commit the charge of the ships to sir martin forbisher , who was sent down for that purpose ; but with an express command , not to follow the design of the west indies . this suddain alteration being known unto the rest of the captains , for the present made some confusion , as commonly it happens in all voluntary actions . their general leaving them , they thought themselves free in point of reputation , and at liberty to take what course they pleased : few of them therefore did submit themselves to the command of sir martin forbisher , but chose rather each one to take his particular fortune and adventure at sea. sir martin , with two or three other ships , repaired to the coast of spain , where he took a spaniard laden with iron , and a portugal with sugar : he remained there not without some danger , his ship being ill of sail , and the enemy having a fleet at sea. sir john boroughs , captain cross , and another , stood to the islands where they met with as many ships of my lord of cumberland's , with whom they consorted . after some time spent thereabouts , they had sight of a carreck , which they chased ; but she recovered the island of flores before they could approach her ; but the carreck , seeing the islands could not desend her from the strength and force of the english , chose rather , after the men were got on shore to fire her self , than we the enemy should reap benefit by her . the purser of her was taken , and by threats compell'd to tell of another of their company behind , that had order to fall with that island ; and gave us such particular advertisement , that indeed she fell to be ours . in the mean time don alonso de bassan was furnishing at lisbon of those gallions , which the year before he had when he took the revenge ; he was directed with those ships to go immediately to flores , to expect the coming of the carrecks , who had order to fall with that island , there to put on shore divers ordnance for strength'ning the town and castle . don alonso breaking his directions , unadvisedly made his repair first to st. michaels , and there delivered his ordnance before he arrived at flores ; and in the mean time one of the carrecks was burnt , and the other taken , as you have heard . this he held to be such a disreputation to him , and especially for that it happened through his own error and default , that he became much perplex'd , and pursued the english leagues ; but in vain , they being so far a head. the king of spain being advertised of his two carrecks mishap , and the error of don alonso , though he had much favored him before , in respect of divers actions he had been in with his brother , the marquess of st. cruz , and for what he had lately performed , by taking the revenge : yet — the king held it for such a blemish to his honor , not to have his instructions obeyed ; and observed , that he did not only take from don alonso his command ; but he lived and died too in disgrace ; which , in my opinion , he worthily deserved . the queens adventure in this voyage , was only two ships ; one of which , and the least of them too , was at the taking of the carreck ; which title , joyned with her regal authority , she made such use of , that the rest of the adventurers were fain to submit themselves to her pleasure , with whom she dealt but indiffereutly . the earl of cumberland to the coast of spain , anno dom. . ships . the lyon the bonaventure , and seven other ships . commanders . the earl of cumberland capt. under him , capt. monson sir edward yorke . the earl of cumberland finding , that many of his voyages had miscarried through the negligence , or unfaithfulness of those who were entrusted to lay in necessary provisions ; and yet , being incouraged by the good success he had the last year , obtained two of her majesty's ships , and victualled them himself , together with seven others that did accompany them ; and arriving upon the coast of spain , he took two french ships of the league , which did more than treble the expence of his voyage . my lord , being one day severed from his fleet , it was his hap to meet with hulks , at the same place where captain monson was taken the same day two years before : he required that respect from them that was due unto her majesties ship , which they peremptorily refused , presuming upon the strength of their ships against one only ; but they found themselves deceived : for after two hours fight he brought them to his mercy , and made them acknowledge their error ; and not only so , but they willingly discovered , and delivered up to him a great quantity of powder and munition , which they carried for the king of spain's service . my lord of cumberland having spent some time thereabouts , and understanding that fervanteles de menega , a portugal , and the king's general of a fleet of sail , was gone to the islands ; he pursued them , thinking to meet the carrecks before they should joyn together . at his coming to flores , he met , and took one of the fleet , with the death of the captain , who yet lived so long as to inform him both where the fleet was , and of their strength : the day after , he met the fleet it self ; but being far too weak for them , he was forced to leave them , and spent his time thereabouts , till he understood the carrecks were passed by , without seeing either fleet or island . sir martin forbisher , with a fleet to brest in brittany , anno . ships . the vauntguard the rainbow the dreadnought the quittance . commanders . sir martin forbisher capt. fenner capt. clifford capt. savil about three years past , anno . the queen sent sir john norris with souldiers , to joyn with the french king's party in those parts . the king of spain , who upheld the faction of the league , sent don iohn de aquila with the like forces , to joyn with the duke de merceur , who was of the contrary side . the spaniards had fortified themselves very strongly near the town of brest , expecting new succors from spain by sea ; which the french king fearing , craved assistance from the queen , which her majesty was the more willing to grant , because the spaniards had gotten the haven of brest to entertain their shipping in , and were like to prove there very dangerous neighbors : wherefore she sent sir martin forbisher thither in this year , , with four of her ships : and upon his arrival there , sir john norris , with his forces , and sir martin with his seamen , assailed the fort ; and though it was as bravely defended as men could do ; yet in the end it was taken with the loss of divers captains , sir martin forbisher being himself fore wounded , of which hurt he died at plymouth after his return . a fleet to the indies , sir francis drake , and sir john hawkins generals , wherein they adventured deeply , and died in the voyage . anno . ships . the defiance the garland the hope the bonaventure the foresight the adventure commanders by sea. sir francis drake sir iohn hawkins capt. gilbert yorke capt. troughton capt. winter capt. tho. drake . commander by land. sir tho. baskervile these two generals , presuming much upon their own experience and knowledge , used many persuasions to the queen , to undertake a voyage to the west indies , giving much assurance to perform great services , and promising to engage themselves very deeply therein , with the adventure of both substance and life . and as all actions of this nature promise fair , till they come to be performed , so did this the more , in the opinion of all men , in respect of the two generals experience . there were many impediments and let ts to this voyage , before they could clear themselves of the coast , which put them to greater charge than they expected ; the chiefest cause of their lingring , was a mistrust our state had of an invasion , and the danger to spare so many good ships and men out of england as they carried with them . the spaniards with their usual subtilty , let slip no opportunity to put us in amazement , thereby to dissolve the action ; and sent four gallies to bleuret in brittany , from thence to seize some part of our coast , that so we might apprehend a greater force was to follow . these gallies landed at pensants in cornwall , where , finding the town abandoned , they sack'd and burnt it ; but this design of theirs took little effect ; for the voyage proceeded notwithstanding . the intent of the voyage , was to land at nombre de dois , and from thence to march to panuma , to possess the treasure that comes from peru ; and if they saw reason for it , to inhabite and keep it . a few days before their going from plymouth , they received letters from her majesty , of an advertisement she had out of spain , that the indian fleet was arrived ; and that one of them , with loss of her mast , was put room to the island of porto ricom . she commanded them , seeing there was so good an opportunity offered , as the readiness of this her fleet , and the weakness of porto ricom , to possess themselves of that treasure ; and the rather , for that it was not much out of their way to nombre de dois . it is neither years , nor experience , that can foresee and prevent all mishaps ; which is a manifest proof , that god is the guider and disposer of mens actions : for nothing could seem more probable to be effected , than this later design , especially considering the ability and wisdom of the two generals ; and yet was unhappily prevented , and failed in the execution : for there being five frigats sent out of spain , to fetch this treasure from porto ricom , in their way it was their hap to take a pinnace of the english fleet , by whom they understood the secrets of the voyage ; and to prevent the attempt of porto ricom , they hastened thither with all speed ( whilst our generals lingred at quadrupa , to set up their boats ) and at their arrival , so strengthened the town with the souldiers , brought in the frigats , that when our fleet came thither , not expecting resistance , they found themselves frustrate of their hopes , which indeed they themselves were the occasion of , in managing their design with no more secresie . this repulse bred so great a disconceit in sir john hawkins , as it is thought to have hastened his days ; and being great and unexpected , did not a little discourage sir francis drake's great mind , who yet proceeded upon his first resolved design , for nombre de dios , though with no better success : for the enemy having knowledge of their coming , fortified the passage to panuma , and forced them to return with loss . sir francis drake , who was wont to rule fortune , now finding his error , and the difference between the present strength of the indies , and what it was when he first knew it , grew melancholly upon this disappointment , and suddenly , and i hope naturally , died at nombre de dios , where he got his first reputation . the two generals dying , and all other hopes being taken away by their deaths , sir thomas baskervile succeeded them in their command , and began now to think upon his return for england ; but coming near cuba , he met and fought with a fleet of spain , though not long , by reason of the sickness and weakness of his men. this fleet was sent to take the advantage of ours in its return thinking , as indeed it happened , that they should find them both weak , and in want ; but the swiftness of our ships , in which we had the advantage of the spaniards , preserved us . you may observe , that from the year the revenge was taken , untill this present year . there was no summer , but the king of spain furnished a fleet for the guarding of his coasts , and securing of his trade ; and though there was little fear of any fleet from england to impeach him , besides this in the indies ; yet because he would shew his greatness , and satisfie the portugal of the care he had in preserving their carrecks ; he sent the count of feria , a young nobleman of portugal , who desired to gain experience , with ships to the islands ; but the carrecks did , as they used to do in many other years , miss both islands and fleets , and arrived at lisbon safely . the other fleets of the king of spain in the indies , consisted of ships , their general don bernardino de villa nova , an approved coward , as it appeared when he came to encounter the english fleet ; but his defects were supplied by the valor of his vice-admiral , who behaved himself much to his honor : his name was john garanay . the earl of essex , and the lord admiral of england , generals , equally , both by sea and land , anno . ships . the repulse the ark-royal the mere-honor the warspite the lyon the rainbow the nonperil the vauntguard the mary rose the dreadnought the swiftsuer the quittance the tremontary , with several others . commanders . the earl of essex . capt. under him sir will. monson the lord admiral . capt. under him ames preston the lord thomas howard sir walter rawleigh sir robert southwell sir francis vere sir robert dudley sir iohn wingfield sir george carew sir alexander clifford sir robert crosse sir george clifford sir robert mansfield capt. king. the first of june . we departed from plymouth ; and our departure was the more speedy , by reason of the great pains , care and industry of the captains , who in their own persons , labored the night before , to get out some of their ships , riding at catwater , which otherwise had not been easily effected . the third , we set sail from cansom bay , the wind , which when we weighed , was at west and by south , instantly cast up to the north east , and so continued untill it brought us up as high as the north cape of spain ; and this fortunate beginning put us in great hopes of a lucky success to ensue . we being now come upon our enemies coast , it behoved the generals to be vigilant in keeping them from intelligence of us , who therefore appointed the litness , the true love , and the lion's whelp ( the three chief sailors of our fleet ) to run a head , suspecting the spaniards had some carvels of advice out , which they did usually send to discover at sea , upon any rumor of a less fleet than this , was made ready in england . no ship or carvel escaped from us , which i hold a second happiness to our voyage : for you shall understand hereafter , the inconvenience that might have happened upon our discovery . the th . of june , the said three ships , took three fly-boats that came from cadiz days before ; by them we understood the state of the town , and that they had no suspition of us , which we looked on as a third omen of our good fortune to come . the th . of june , the swan , a ship of london , being commanded , as the other three , to keep a good way off the fleet , to prevent discovery , she met with a fly-boat , which made resistance , and escaped from her . this fly-boat came from the streights , bound home , who discovering our fleet , and thinking to gain reputation and reward from the spaniards , shhaped her course for lisbon ; but she was luckily prevented by the john and francis , another ship of london , commanded by sir marmaduke darrel , who took her within a league of the shore ; and this we may account a fourth happiness to our voyage . the first ( as hath been said ) was for the wind to take us so suddainly , and to continue so long : for our souldiers being shipped , and in harbor , would have consumed their victuals , and have been so pester'd , that it would have endangered a sickness amongst them . the second , was the taking all ships that were seen , which kept the enemy from intelligence . the third , was the intercepting of the fly-boats from cadiz , whither we were bound , who assured us , our coming was not suspected , which made us more careful to hail from the coast than otherwise we should have been : they told us likewise of the daily expectation of the gallions to come from st. jacar to cadiz , and of the merchant-men that lay there , and were ready bound for the indies . these intelligences were of great moment , and made the generals presently to contrive their business both by sea and land , which otherwise would have taken up a longer time , after their coming thither , and whether all men would have consented to attempt their ships in harbor , if they had not known the most part of them to consist of merchants , i hold very doubtful . the fourth , and fortunatest of all , was the taking of the fly-boat by the john and francis , which the swan let go : for if she had reached lisbon , she had been able to make report of the number and greatness of our ships , and might have endangered the loss of the whole design , she seeing the course we bore , and that we had passed lisbon , which was the place the enemy most suspected , and made there his greatest preparation for defence : but had the enemy been freed of that doubt , he had then no place to fear but andulozia and cadiz above the rest , which upon the lest warning might have been strengthned , and we put to great hazard ; he might also have secured his ships , by towing them out with gallies ; and howsoever the wind had been , might have sent them into the streights , where it had been in vain to have pursued them , or over the bar of st. lucar , where it had been in vain to have attempted them . and indeed , of the good and ill of intelligence , we had had sufficient experience formerly , of the good in . for how suddainly had we been taken and surprized when it we lest suspected , had it not been for captain flemming ? of the ill in the year before this , by the spaniards taking a barque of sir francis drake's fleet , which was the occasion of the overthrow of himself and the whole action ? the th . of june we came to cadiz , earlier in the morning than the masters made reckoning of . before our coming thither , it was determined in council , that we should land at st. sebastians , the westermost part of the land ; and thither came all the ships to an anchor , every man preparing to land as he was formerly directed ; but the wind being so great , and the sea so grown , and four gallies lying too , to intercept our boats , there was no attempting to land there , without the hazard of all . this day was spent in vain , in returning messengers from one general to another ; and in the end , they were forced to resolve upon a course which sir william monson , captain under my lord of essex , advised him to , the same morning he discovered the town ; which was to surprize the ships , and to be possessors of the harbor before they attempted landing . this being now resolved on , there arose a great question , who should have the honor of the first going in ? my lord of essex stood for himself ; but my lord admiral opposed it , knowing if he miscarried , it would hazard the overthrow of the action ; besides , he was streightly charged by her majesty , that the earl should not expose himself to danger , but upon great necessity . when my lord of essex could not prevail , the whole council withstanding him he sent sir william monson that night , on board my lord admiral , to resolve what ships should be appointed the next day to undertake the service . sir walter rawleigh had the vaward given him , which my lord thomas howard hearing , challenged in right of his place of vice-admiral , and it was granted him ; but sir walter having order over night to ply in , came first to an anchor ; but in that distance from the spaniards as he could not annoy them : and he himself returned on board the lord general essex , to excuse his coming to anchor so far off , for want of water to go higher ; which was thought strange , that the spaniards which drew much more water , and had no more advantage than he of tide , could pass where his could not : but sir francis vere , in the rainbow , who was appointed to second him , passing by sir walter rawleigh his ship , sir walter the second time , weighed and went higher . the lord general essex , who promised to keep in the midst of the fleet , was told by sir william monson , that the greatest service would depend upon three or four ships ; and sir william put him in mind of his honor ; for that many eyes beheld him . this made him forgetful of his promise , and to use all means he could to be formost in the fight . my lord howard , who could not go up in his own ship , the mere honor , betook himself to the nonperil ; and in respect the rainbow , the repulse and warspight , had taken up the best of the channel , by their first coming to an anchor , to his grief he could not get higher : here did every ship strive to be the headmost ; but such was the narrowness of the channel , as neither the lord admiral , nor any other ship of the queens could pass on . there was commandment given , that no ship should shoot but the queens , making account , that the honor would be the greater , if the victory were obtained with so few . this fight continued from ten , till four in the afternoon : the spaniards then set sail , thinking either to run higher up the river , or else to bring their other broad sides to us , because of the heat of their ordnance ; but howsoever it was , in their floating , they came a ground , and the men began to forsake the ships : whereupon there was commandment given , that all the hoys , and vessels that drew least water should go unto them . sir william monson was sent in the repulse boat , with like directions . we possess'd our selves of the great gallions , the matthew , and the andrew ; but the philip and thomas fired themselves , and were burnt down before they could be quenched . i must not omit to describe the manner of the spanish ships and gallies , riding in harbor at our first coming to cadiz . the four gallions singled themselves from out the fleet , as guards of their merchants . the gallies were placed to flank us with their prows before entry ; but when they saw our approach , the next morning the merchants ran up the river , and the men of war of port royal to the point of the river , brought themselves into a good order of fight , moving their ships a head and a stern , to have their broad sides upon us . the gallies then betook themselves to the guard of the town , which we put them from before we attempted the ships . the victory being obtained at sea , the l. general essex landed his men in a sandy bay , which the castle of poyntull commanded ; but they seeing the success of their ships , and mistrusting their own strength , neither offered to offend his landing , nor to defend the castle ; but quitted it , and so we became possessors of it . after my lord 's peeceable landing , he considered what was to be done ; and there being no place from whence the enemy could annoy us , but the bridge of swasoe , which leadeth over from the main land to the island ; by our making good of which bridge , there would be no way left for the gallies to escape us . he sent three regiments under the command of sir conniers clifford , sir christopher blunt , and sir thomas garret to the bridge ; who at their first coming were encountred by the enemy , but yet possess'd themselves of it , with the loss of some men ; but whether it was for want of victuals , or for what other reasons , our men quitted it , i know not , and the gallies breaking down divers arches pass'd it , and by that means escaped . my lord dispatched a messenger to my lord admiral , intreating him to give order to attempt the merchants that rode in port royal , for that it was dangerous to give them a night's respite , lest they should convey away their wealth , or take example by the philip and thomas , to burn themselves . this message was delivered by sir anthony ashley , and sir william monson , as my lord admiral was in his boat , ready with his toops of seamen to land , fearing the lord general essex should be put to distress with his small companies , which were but three regiments , hastened by all means to second him , and gave order to certain ships the next day to pursue him . seeing i have undertaken to shew the escapes committed in any of our english voyages , such as were committed here , shall without fear or flattery appear to the judicious reader . though the earl of essex his carriage and forwardness merited much , yet if it had been with more advisement , and less haste , it would have succeeded better : and if he were now living , he would confess , sir william monson advised him , rather to seek to be master to the ships , than of the town ; for it was that would afford both wealth and honor : for the riches in ships could not be concealed , or conveyed away as in towns they might . and the ships themselves being brought for england , would be always before mens eyes there , and put them in remembrance of the greatness of the exploit ; as for the town , perhaps it might be soon won , but probably not long enjoyed , and so quickly forgotten : and to speak indifferentiy , by the earl's suddain landing , without the lord admirals privity ; and his giving advice by a message to attempt the ships , which should have been resolved of upon mature deliberation , no doubt , the lord admiral found his honor a little eclipsed , which perhaps hastened his landing for his reputation sake , whenas he thought it more advisable to have possess'd himself of their fleet. before the lord admiral could draw near the town , the earl of essex had entred it ; and although the houses were built in that manner , as that every house served for a platform ; yet they were forc'd to quit them , and to retire into the castle . my lord at last , in despite of the enemy , gained the market place , where he found greatest resistance from the houses thereabouts ; and where it was that that worthy gentleman sir john wingfield was unluckily slain . the lord general essex caused it to be proclaimed by beat of drum through the town , that all that would yield , should repair to the town-house , where they should have promise of mercy , and those that would not , to expect no favor . the castle desired respite to consider untill the morning following ; and then by one general consent , they surrend'red themselves to the two lord generals mercies . the chief prisoners , men and women , were brought into the castle , where they remained a little space , and were sent away with honorable usage . the noble treating of the prisoners , hath gained an everlasting honor to our nation , and the general 's in particular . it cannot be supposed the lord generals had leisure to be idle the day following , having so great business to consider of , as the securing the town , and enjoying the merchants ships : wherefore , for the speedier dispatch , they had speech with the best men of the city , about the ransom to be given for their town and liberties , duckets was the summ concluded on ; and for security thereof , many of them became hostages . there was likewise an overture for the ransom of their ships and goods , which the duke of medina hearing of , rather than we should reap any profit by them , he caused them to be fired . we found by experience , that the destroying of this fleet ( which did amount to the value of six or seven millions ) was the general impoverishing of the whole country : for when the pledges sent to sevil , to take up money for their redemption ; they were answered , that all the town was not able to raise such a summ , their loss was so great by the loss of their fleet. and to speak truth , spain never received so great an overthrow , so great a spoil , so great an indignity at our hands as this : for our attempt was at his own home , in his port , that he thought as safe as his chamber , where we took and destroy'd his ships of war , burnt and consumed the wealth of his merchants , sack'd his city , ransomed his subjects , and entred his country without impeachment . to write all accidents of this voyage , were too tedious , and would weary the reader ; but he that would desire to know the behavior of the spaniards , as well as of us , many confer with divers english men that were redeemed out the gallies in exchange for others , and brought into england . after we had enjoyed the town of cadiz a fortnight , and our men were grown rich by the spoil of it , the generals imbarqued their army , with an intent to perform greater services before their return ; but such was the covetousness of the better sort , who were inriched there , and the fear of hunger in others , who complained for want of victuals , as they could not willingly be drawn to any farther action , to gain more reputation . the only thing that was afterwards attempted , was pharoah , a town of algarula in portugal , a place of no resistance or wealth , only famous by the library of osorius , who was bishop of that place ; which library was brought into england by us , and many of the books bestowed upon the new erected library of oxford . some prisoners were taken ; but of small account , who told us , that the greatest strength of the country was in lawgust , the chief town of argarula , twelve miles distant from thence ; because most part of the gentlemen thereabouts were gone thither , to make it good expecting our coming . this news was acceptable to my lord of essex , who preferred honor before wealth : and having had his will , and the spoil of the town of pharoah and country thereabouts : he shipped his army , and took council of the lord admiral how to proceed . my lord admiral diverted his course for lawgust , alleadging the place was strong , of no wealth , always held in the nature of a fisher-town , belonging to the portugals , who in their hearts were our friends ; that the winning of it , after so eminent a place as cadiz , could add no honor ; though it should be carried , yet it would be the loss of his best troops and gentlemen , who would rather to die , than receive indignity of a repulse . my lord of essex , much against his will , was forc'd to yield unto these reasons , and desist from that enterprise . about this time there was a general complaint for want of victuals ; which proceeded rather out of a desire that some had to be at home , than out of any necessity : for sir william monson and mr. darrel , were appointed to examine the condition of every ship , and found seven weeks victuals ( drink excepted ) which might have been supplied from the shore in water ; and this put the generals in great hope to perform something more than they had done . the only service that was now to be thought on , was to lie in wait for the carrecks , which in all probability could not escape us , though there were many doubts to the contrary ; but easily answered by men of experience : but in truth , some mens desires homeward , were so great , that no reason could prevail with , or persuade them . coming into the height of the rock , the generals took council once again , and then the earl of essex , and the lord thomas howard , offered with great earnestness , to stay out the time our victuals lasted ; and desired to have but ships furnished out of the rest to stay with them ; but this would not be granted , though the squadron of the hollanders offered voluntarily to stay . sir walter rawleigh alleadged the scarcity of victuals , and the infection of his men. my lord general essex , offered , in the greatness of his mind , and the desire he had to stay , to supply his want of men and victuals , and to exchange ships ; but all proposals were in vain : for the riches kept them that got much , from attempting more ; as if it had been otherwise pure want , though not honor would have enforced them to greater enterprises . this being the last hopes of the voyage , and being generally withstood , it was concluded to steer away for the north cape , and afterwards , to view and search the harbors of the groyn and ferrol ; and if any of the king of spain's ships chanced to be there , to give an attempt upon them . the lord admiral sent a carvel of our fleet into these two harbors , and aparrelled the men in spanish cloaths , to avoid suspicion . this carvel returned the next day , with a true relation , that there were no ships in the harbors : and now passing all places where there was any hope of doing good , our return for england was resolved upon ; and the th . of august , the lord admiral arrived in plymouth , with the greatest part of the army : and the lord general essex , who staid to accompany the st. andrew , which was under his charge , and reputed of his squadron , two days after us , the th . of august , where he found the army in that perfect health , as the like hath not been seen , for so many to go out of england , to such great enterprises , and so well to return home again . he himself rid up to the court , to advise with her majesty , about the winning of callis , which the spaniards took the easter before : here was a good opportunity , to have re-gained the ancient patrimony of england ; but the french king , thought he might with more ease re-gain it from the spaniard , who was his enemy , than recover it again from us , who were his friends . my lord admiral , with the fleet , went to the downs , where he landed , and left the charge of the navy , to sir robert dudley , and sir william monson . in going from thence to chatham , they endured more foul weather , and contrary winds , than in the whole voyage besides . a voyage to the islands , the earl of essex general , anno . ships . the mere-honor after in the repulse the lyon the warspite the garland the defiance the mary rose the hope the matthew the rainbow the bonaventure , the dreadnought the swiftsuer the antelope the nonperil the st. andrew commanders . the earl of essex . capt. under him sir robert mansell the lord thomas howard sir walter rawleigh the earl of southampton the lord mountioy sir francis vere sir richard lewson sir george carew sir will. monson sir will. harvey sir will. brooke sir gilly merick sir iohn gilbert , he went not . sir tho. vavasor capt. throgmorton . her majesty having knowledge of the king of spain's drawing down his fleet and army to the groyn and ferrol , with an intent to enter into some action against her ; and that , notwithstanding the loss of thirty six sail of his ships that were cast away upon the north cape , in their coming thither : he prepared with all possible means , to revenge the disgraces we did him the year last past at cadiz . her majesty likewise prepared to defend her self , and fitted out the most part of her ships for the sea ; but at length , perceiving his drift was more to afright than offend her , though he gave it it out otherwise , because she should provide to resist him at home , rather than to annoy him abroad . she was unwilling the great charges she had been at , should be bestowed in vain ; and therefore turned her preparations another way , than that for which she first intended them . the project of this voyage , was to assault the king of spain's shipping in the harbor of ferrol , which the queen chiefly desired to do for her own security at home ; and afterwards to go and take the islands of tercera ; and there to expect the coming home of the indian fleet. but neither of these two designs took that effect which was expected : for in our setting forth , the same day we put to sea , we were taken with a most violent storm , and contrary winds ; and the general was seperated from the fleet , and one ship from another , so that the one half of the fleet were compelled to return home , and the rest that kept the sea , having reached the coast of spain , were commanded home , by order of the lord general . thus after their return , they were to advise upon a new voyage , finding by their ships and victuals , they were unable to perform the former : whereupon it was thought convenient all the army should be discharged , for the prolonging of the victuals , except a thousand of the prime souldiers of the low countries , which were put into her majesties ships , that they might be the better prepared , if they should chance to encounter the spanish elect. thus the second time they departed england , though not without some danger of the ships , by reason of the winter 's near approach . the first land in spain we fell withal , was the north cape , the place whither our directions led us , if we happened to lose company ; being there descried from the shore , and not above leagues from the groyn , where the spanish armado lay . we were in good hopes to have enticed them out of the harbor to fight us ; but spending some time thereabouts , and finding no such disposition in them , it was thought fit no longer to linger about that coast , lest we should lose our opportunity upon the indian fleet ; therefore every captain received his directions to stand his course into degrees , there to spread our selves north and south , it being a heighth that commonly the spaniards sail in from the indies . at this time the lord general complained of a leak in his ship ; and two days after , towards midnight , he brought himself upon the lee to stop it . sir walter rawleigh , and some other ships , being a head the fleet , and it growing dark , they could not discern the lord general 's working ; but stood their course as before directed ; and through this unadvised working of my lord , they lost him and his fleet. the day following , sir walter rawleigh was informed by a pinnace he met , that the great armado , which we supposed to be in the groyn and ferrol , was gone to the islands , for the guard of the indian fleet. this pinnace , with this intelligence it gave us , sir walter rawleigh immediately sent to look out the general . my lord had no sooner received this advice , but at the very instant he directed his course to the islands , and dispatched some small vessels to sir walter rawleigh , to inform him of the suddain alteration of his course , upon the news received from him , commanding him with all expedition , to repair to flores , where he would not fail to be at our arrival . at the islands we found this intelligence utterly false : for neither the spanish ships were there , nor were expected there : we met likewise with divers english men , that came out of the indies ; but they could give us no assurance of the coming home of the fleet ; neither could we recive any advertisement from the shore , which made us half in despair of them . by that time we had watered our ships , and refreshed our selves at flores , sir walter rawleigh arrived there , who was willed by the lord general , after he was furnished of such wants as that poor island afforded , to make his repair to the island of fayal , which my lord intended to take . here grew great questions and heart-burnings against sir walter rawleigh : for he coming to fayal , and missing the lord general , and yet knowing my lord's resolution to take the island , he held it more advisable to land with those forces he had , than to expect the coming of my lord : for in that space the island might be better provided : whereupon he landed , and took it before my lord's approach . this act was held such an indignity to my lord , and urged with that vehemence , by those that hated sir walter , that if my lord , though naturally kind , and flexible , had not feared how it would have been taken in england , i think sir walter had smarted for it . from this island we went to graciosa , which did willingly relieve our wants , as far as it could ; yet with humble intreaty to forbear landing with our army , especially , because they understood there was a squadron of hollanders amongst us , who did not use to forbear cruelty wherever they came ; and here it was that we met the indian fleet , which in manner following , unluckily escaped us . the lord general having sent some men of good account into the island , to see there should be no injury offered to the portugals , he having passed his word to the contrary ; those men advertised him of four sail of ships descried from the shore , and one of them greater than the rest , seemed to be a carreck : my lord received this news with great joy , and divided his fleet into three squadrons , to be commanded by himself , the lord thomas howard , and sir walter rawleigh . the next ship to my lord , of the queen's , was the rainbow , wherein sir william monson went , who received direction from my lord to steer away south that night ; and if he should meet with any fleet , to follow them , carrying lights , or shooting off his ordnances or making any other sign that he could ; and if he met with no ships , to direct his course the next day , to the island of st. michael ; but promising that night to send ships after him . sir william besought my lord , by the pinnace that brought him this direction , that above all things he should have a care to dispatch a squadron to the road of angra in the tercera's : for it was certain , if they were spaniards , thither they would resort . whilst my lord was thus contriving his business , and ordering his squadrons , a small barque of his fleet happened to come , to him , who assured him , that those ships discovered from the land , were of his own fleet ; and that they came in immediately from them . this made my lord countermand his former direction ; only sir william monson , who was the next ship to him , and received the first command , could not be recalled back . within three hours of his departure from my lord , which might be about of the clock , he fell in company of a fleet of sail , which at the first he could not assure himself to be spaniards ; because the day before , that number of ships was missing from our fleet. here he was in a dilemma and great perplexity with himself ; for in making signs , as he was directed , if the ships proved english , it were ridiculous , and he would be exposed to scorn ; and to respite it untill morning , were as dangerous , if they were the indian fleet : for then my lord might be out of view , or of the hearing of his ordnance : therefore he resolved rather to put his person , than his ship in peril . he commanded his master to keep the weather-gage of the fleet , whatsoever should become of him ; and it blowing little wind , he betook himself to his boat , and rowed up with the fleet , demanding of whence they were : they answered , of sevil in spain ; and asked of whence he was ? he told them of england ; and that the ship in fight was a gallion of the queen 's of england , single and alone , alleadging the honor they would get by winning her ; his drift being to draw and entice them into the wake of our fleet , where they would be so entangled , as they could not escape ; they returned him some shot , and ill language ; but would not alter their course to the tercera's , whither they were bound , and where they arrived to our misfortune . sir william monson returned aboard his ship , making signs with lights , and report with his ordnance ; but all in vain : for my lord altering his course , as you have heard , stood that night to st. michaels , and passed by the north side of tercera , a farther way , than if he had gone by the way of augra , where he had met the indian fleet. when day appeared , and sir william monson was in hope to find the ships promised to be sent to him , he might discern the spanish fleet two miles and a little more a head him , and a stern him a gallion , and a pinnace betwixt them ; which putting forth her flaggs , he knew to be the earl of southampton in the garland : the pinnace was a frigat of the spanish fleet , who took the garland and the rainbow to be gallions of theirs ; but seeing the flag of the garland , she found her error , and sprang a loof , thinkink to escape ; but the earl pursued her with the loss of some time , when he should have followed the fleet ; and therefore was desired to desist from that chase by sir william monson , who sent his boat to him . by a shot from my lord , this frigat was surk ; and while his men were rifling her , sir francis vere and sir william brook came up in their two ships , who the spaniards would have made us believe were two gallions of theirs ; and so much did my lord signifie to sir william monson , wishing him to stay their coming up : for that there would be greater hope of those two ships , which there was no doubt but we were able to master , than of the fleet , for which we were too weak . but after sir william had made the two ships to be the queen's , which he ever suspected them to be , he began to pursue the spanish fleet afresh ; but by reason they were so far a head of him , and had so little way to sail , they recovered the road of tercera ; but he and the rest of the ships pursued them , and himself led the way into the harbor , where he found sharp resistance from the castle ; but yet so battered the ships , that he might see the masts of some shot by the board , and the men quit the ships ; so that there wanted nothing but a gale of wind to enable him to cut the cables of the hawsers , and to bring them off : wherefore he sent to the other great ships of ours , to desire them to attempt the cutting their cables ; but sir fra. vere rather wished his coming off , that they might take a resolution what to do . this must be rather imputed to want of experience than backwardness in him : for sir william sent him word , that if he quitted the harbor , the ships would tow near the castle ; and as the night drew on , the wind would freshen , and come more off the land , which indeed proved so , and we above a league from the road in the morning . we may say , and that truly , there was never that possibility to have undone the state of spain as now : for every royal of plate we had taken in this fleet , had been two to them , by our converting it by war upon them . none of the captains could be blamed in this business : all is to be attributed to the want of experience in my lord , and his flexible nature to be over-ruled : for the first hour he anchored at flores , and called a council , sir william monson advised him upon the reason following , after his watering , to run west , spreading his fleet north and south , so far as the eastern wind that then blew would carry them ; alleadging , that if the indian fleet came home that year , by computation of the last light moon , from which time their disimboguing in the indies , must be reckoned , they could not be above leagues short of that island ; and whensoever the wind should chop up westernly , he bearing a slack sail , they would , in a few days overtake him . this advice my lord seemed to take , but was diverted by divers gentlemen , who coming principally for land service , found themselves tired by the tediousness of the sea. certain it is , if my lord had followed his advice , within less than hours , he had made the queen owner of that fleet : for by the pilot's card , which was taken in the frigat , the spanish fleet was but leagues in traverse with that eastern wind , when my lord was at flores , which made my lord wish , the first time sir william monson repaired to him , after the escape of the fleet , that he had lost his hand so he had been ruled by him . being met aboard sir francis vere , we consulted what to do , and resolved to acquaint my lord with what had happened , desiring his presence with us , to see if there were any possibility to attempt the shipping , or surprize the island , and so to possess the treasure . my lord received this advertisement , just as he was ready with his troops to have landed in st. michaels ; but this message diverted his landing , and made him presently cast about for the islands of the tercera's , where we lay all this while expecting his coming . in his course from st. michaels , it was his hap to to take three ships that departed the havana the day after the fleet : which three ships did more than countervail the whole voyage . at my lord's meeting with us at tercera , there was a consultation how the enemies ships might be fetched off , or destroyed as they lay ; but all men with one consent , agreed the impossibility of it . the attempting the island was propounded ; but withstood for these reasons , the difficulty in landing , the strength of the island , which was increased by fourteen or fifteen hundred souldiers in the ships , and our want of victuals to abide by the siege . seeing then we were frustrate of our hopes at the tercera , we resolved upon landing in st. michaels , and arrived the day following at punta delgada , the chief city . here my lord imbarqued his small army in boats , with offer to land ; and having thereby drawn the enemies greatest force thither to resist him , suddainly he rowed to villa franca , three or four leagues distant from thence ; which , not being defended by the enemy , he took . the ships had order to abide in the road of delgada ; for that my lord made account to march thither by land ; but being on shore at villa franca , he was informed that the march was impossible , by reason of the high and craggy mountains , which diverted his purpose . victuals now grew short with us , and my lord general began discreetly to foresee the danger in abiding towards winter upon these coasts , which could not afford him an harbor , only open roads that were subject to southern winds ; and upon every such wind , he must put to sea for his safety . he considered , that if this should happen , when his troops were on shore , and he not able to reach the land in a fortnight or more , which is a thing ordinary , what a desperate case he should put himself into , especially in so great a want of victuals : and so concluding , that he had seen the end of all his hopes , by the escape of the fleet , he imbarqued himself and army , though with some difficulty , the seas were now grown so high . by this time the one half of the fleet that rid in punta delgada , put room for villa franca , and those that remained behind , being thought by a ship of brazile to be the spanish fleet , she came in amongst them , and so was betrayed : after her there followed a carreck , who had been served in the like manner ; but for the hasty and indiscreet weighing of a hollander , which made her run a shore under the castle ; when the wind lessened sir william monson weighed with the rainbow , thinking to give an attempt upon her , notwithstanding the castle ; which she perceiving , as he drew near unto her , she set her self on fire , and burned down to the very keel . she was a ship of tuns burden , that the year before was not able to double the cape of bona esperansa , in her voyage to the east indies ; but put into brazile , where she was laden with sugars , and afterwards thus destroyed . the spaniards , who presumed more upon their advantages than valors , though themselves in too weak a condition to follow us to the islands , and put their fortunes upon a days service , but subtilly devised how to intercept ns as we came home , when we had least thought or suspicion of them ; and their fleet , that was all this while in the groyn and ferrol , not daring to put forwards while they knew ours to be upon the coast , their general the adelantada came for england , with a resolution to land at falmouth , and fortifie it , and afterwards , with their ships , to keep the sea , and expect our coming home scattered . having thus cut off our sea forces , and possessing the harbor of falmouth , they thought with a second supply of levantisco's ships , which the marquess arumbullo commanded , to have returned and gained a good footing in england . these designs of theirs were not foreseen by us : for we came home scattered , as they made reckoning , not in number together . we may say , and that truly , that god fought for us : for the adalantada being within a few leagues of the island of silly , he commanded all his captains on board him to receive his directions ; but whilst they were in consultation , a violent storm took them at east , insomuch that the captains could hardly recover their ships , but in no case were able to save their boats , the storm continued so furious , and happy was he that could recover home , seeing their design thus overthrown by loss of their boats , whereby their means of landing was taken away . some who were willing to stay , and receive the farther commands of the general , kept the seas so long upon our coast , that in the end they were taken ; others put themselves into our harbors for refuge and succor ; and it is certainly known , that in this voyage the spaniards lost eighteen ships , the st. luke , and the st. bartholomew , being two and in the rank of his best gallions . we must ascribe this success to god only : for certainly the enemies designs were dangerous , and not to be diverted by our force ; but by his will , who would not suffer the spaniards in any of their attempts , to set footing in england , as we have done in all the quarters of spain , portugal , the islands , and both the indies . the lord thomas howard admiral to the downs , from whence be returned in one month , anno . ships . the elizabeth ionas the ark royal the triumph the mere-honor the repulse the garland the defiance the nonperil the lyon the rainbow the hope the foresight the mary rose the bonaventure , the crane the swiftsuer the tremontary the advantage the quittance commanders . the lord thomas howard sir walter rawleigh sir fulke grivel sir henry palmer sir tho. vavasor sir will. harvey sir will. monson sir robert cross sir richard lewson sir alexander clifford sir iohn gilbert sir tho. sherley mr. fortescue capt. troughton . capt. ionas capt. bradgate capt. slingsby capt. hoer . capt. reynolds i cannot write of any thing done in this year of . for there was never greater expectation of war , with less performance . whether it was a mistrust the one nation had of the other , or a policy held on both sides , to make peace with sword in hand , a treaty being entertained by consent of each prince , i am not to examine ; but sure i am , the preparation was on both sides very great , as if the one expected an invasion from the other ; and yet it was generally conceived , not to be intended by either ; but that ours had only relation to my lord of essex , who was then in ireland , and had a design to try his friends in england , and to be revenged of his enemies , as he pretended , and as it proved afterwards by his fall : howsoever it was , the charge was not so great as necessary : for it was commonly known , that the adalantada had drawn both his ships and gallies to the groyne ; which was not usually done , but for some action intended upon england or ireland , though he converted them after to another use , as you shall hear . the gallies were sent into the low countreys , and pass'd the narrow seas , while our ships lay there , and with the fleet the atalantada pursued the hollanders to the islands , whither he suspected they were gone . this fleet of hollanders , which consisted of sail , were the first ships that ever displayed their colors in war-like sort against the spaniards , in any action of their own : for how cruel soever the war seemed to be in holland , they maintained a peaceable trade in spain , and abused us . this first action of the hollanders at sea proved not very successful : for after the spoil of a town in the canary's , and some hurt done at the island of st. ome , they kept the sea for some seven or eight months , in which time their general and most of their men , sickned and died , and the rest returned with loss and shame . another benefit which we received by this preparation , was , that our men were now taught suddainly to arme , every man knowing his command , and how to be commanded , which before they were ignorant of : and who knows not , that sudden and false alarms in an army , are sometimes necessary ? to say truth , the expedition which was then used in drawing together so great an army by land , and rigging so great and royal a navy to sea in so little a space of time , was so admirable in other countreys , that they received a terror by it ; and many that came from beyond sea , said , the queen was never more dreaded abroad for any thing she ever did . french-men that came aboard our ships , did wonder ( as at a thing incredible ) that her majesty had rigged , victualled and furnished her royal ships to sea in days time : and spain , as an enemy , had reason to fear , and grieve to see this suddain preparation ; but more , when they understood how the hearts of her majesty's subjects joyned with their hands , being all ready to spend their dearest blood for her and her service . holland might likewise see , that if they became insolent , we could be assoon provided as they ; nor did they expect to find such celerity in any nation but themselves . it is probable too , that the king of spain , and the arch-duke , were hereby drawn to entertain thoughts of peace : for as soon as our fleet was at sea , a gentleman was sent from brussells , with some overtures , although for that time they succeeded not . however , whether it was , that the intended invasion from spain was diverted , or that her majesty was fully satisfied of my lord of essex , i know not ; but so it was , that she commanded the suddain return of her ships from sea , after they had layn three weeks or a month in the downs . sir richard lewson to the islands , anno dom. . ships . the repulse the warspight the vauntguard commanders . sir richard lewson capt. troughton capt. sommers . the last year , as you have heard , put all men in expectation of war , which yet came to nothing . this summer gave us great hope of peace ; but with the like effect : for by consent of the queen , the king of spain , and the arch-duke , their commissioners met at bulloign in piccardie , to treat of peace ; a place chosen indifferently , the french king being in league and friendship with them all . whether this treaty were intended but in shew only , or , that they were out of hopes , to come to any conclusion ; or , what else was the true and real cause of its breaking off so suddenly , i know not ; but the pretence was but slender , for there grew a difference about precedency , betwixt the two crowns , though it was ever due to england ; and so the hopes of peace were frustrated , though had it been really intended , matters might easily have been accommodated . the queen suspecting the event hereof , before their meeting , and the rather , because the spaniards entertained her with the like treaty , in when at the same instant , his navy appeared upon her coast to invade her ; therefore , least she should be guilty of too great security , in relying upon the success of this doubtful treaty , she furnished the three ships before named , under pretence to guard the western coast , which at that time was infested by the dunkirkers . and because there should be the less notice taken , part of the victuals was provided at plymouth ; and sir richard lewson , who was then admiral of the narrow seas , was appointed general , for the more secret carriage of the business ; so as it could not be conjectured , either by their victualling , or by their captain , being admiral of the narrow seas , that it was a service from home . as they were in a readiness at plymouth , expecting orders , the queen being fully satisfied , that the treaty of bulloign would break off without effect , she commanded sir richard lewson to hasten to the islands , there to expect the carrecks , and mexico fleet. the spaniards on the other side , being as circumspect to prevent a mischief , as we were subtil to contrive it ; and believing ( as we did ) that the treaty of peace would prove a vain , hopeless shew of what was never meant , they furnished eighteen tall ships to the islands , as they had usually done , since the year . the general of this fleet was don diego de borachero . our ships coming to the islands , they and the spaniards had intelligence of one another , but not the sight , for that sir richard lewson hailed sixty leagues westward , not only to avoid them , but in hopes to meet with the carrecks , and mexico fleet , before they could join them : but the carrecks being formerly warned by the taking of one of them , and burning of another , in . had ever since that year , endeavored to shun the sight of that island ; so that our fleet being now prevented , as they had often before been , ( nothing being more uncertain , than actions at sea , where ships are to meet one another casually ) they returned home , having consumed time and victuals , to no purpose , and seen not so much as one sail , from the time they quitted the coast of england , till their return , two ships of holland excepted , that came from the east indies ( for then began their trade thither ) which ships sir richard lewson relieved , finding them in great distress and want . sir richard lewson into ireland , anno . ships . the warsight the garland the defiance the swiftsuer the crane commanders . sir richard lewson sir amias preston capt. goer capt. sommers capt. mainwaring in the year . and part of the year . there was a kind of cessation from arms , though not by agreement , for this year gave a hope of peace ; which failing , the former course of annoying each other was revived ; we in relieving the low countries , the spaniards in assisting the rebels in ireland . this was the summer , that the arch-duke besieged ostend , which was bravely defended , but principally , by the supplies out of england . and towards winter , when the spaniards thought we least looked for war , don diego de borachero , with sail of ships , and soldiers was sent to invade ireland . in his way thither he lost the company of his vice-admiral , siriago , who returned to the groyn , which when the king heard , he was much distasted with siriago , and commanded him upon his allegiance , to hasten with all speed for ireland , as he was formerly directed ; don diego , his landing being known in england , when it was too late to prevent it ; yet , least he should be supplied with further forces , sir richard lewson valiantly entred the harbor , drew near their fortifications , and fought the enemy for the space of one whole day , his ship being an hundred times shot through , and yet but eight men slain . god so blest him , that he prevailed in his enterprize , destroyed their whole shipping , and made siriago fly by land into another harbor , where he obscurely imbarqued himself in a french vessel , for spain . all this while was the main army , which landed with their general , don iuan de aquila , seated in kinsale , expecting the aid of tyroen , who promised every day to be with him . our army commanded by the lord montjoy , lord deputy of ireland , besieged the town , so that he prevented their meeting , and many skirmishes past betwixt them . the siege continued , with great miseries to both the armies , and not without cause , considering the season of the year , and the condition of the country , that afforded little relief to either : some few days before christmas , tyroen appeared with his forces , which was some little heartning to the enemy , in hopes to be freed of their imprisonment , for so may i call it , they were so strictly beleagured . the day of agreement , betwixt the spaniards and tyroen , was christmas eve , on which day , there happened an earthquake in england ; and , as many times such signs prove aut bonum , aut malum omen ; this proved fortunate to us , the victory being obtained , with so little loss , as it is almost incredible . this was the day of tryal , whether ireland should continue a parcel of our crown , or no ; for if the enemy had prevailed in the battel , and a treaty had not afterwards obtained more then force , it was to be feared , ireland would hardly have been ever recovered . the spaniards in ireland , seeing the success of tyroen , and the impossibility for him to re-inforce his army , being hopeless of supplies out of spain , and their poverty daily increasing , they made offers of a parly , which was granted , and after ensued a peace there : the conditions whereof are extant in print . they were furnished with ships , and secured of their passage into spain , where arriving in english vessels , the ships returned back for england . sir richard lewson , and sir william monson , to the coast of spain , anno . ships . the repulse the garland the defiance the mary rose the warspight the nonperil the dreadnought the adventure the english carvel commanders . sir richard lewson , admiral sir will. monson , vice-admiral . capt. goer capt. slingsby capt. sommers capt. reynolds capt. mainwaring capt. trevor capt. sawkel the last attempt of the spaniards in ireland awakened the queen , who , it seemeth for two or three years together , entertained the hopes of peace , and therefore was sparing in setting forth her fleets . but now perceiving the enemy had found the way into ireland ; and that it behoved her to be more vigilant than ever ; she resolved , as the safest course to infest the spanish coasts with a continual fleet ; and in this year furnished the ships aforesaid , having promise from the states of holland , to joyn to them twelve sail of theirs ; and because this important service required great speed , she had not time enough to man them , or supply them with provisions altogether so well as they were usually wont to be ; but was content with what could be gotten in so short a warning , so desirous was she to see her ships at sea. sir richard lewson set sail with five of them the th . of march , and left sir william monson behind with the other four , to attend the coming of the hollanders : though within two or three days after , sir william received command from the queen , to hasten with all speed to sir richard lewson ; for that she was advertised , that the silver ships were arrived at the tercera's . sir william monson hereupon neglected no time , nor stayed either to see himself better manned , or his ships better furnished ; but put to sea the th . of march. this intelligence of the queen 's was true : for the plate fleet had been at the tercera's , and departing from thence , in their course for spain , sir richard lewson , with his few ships , met them ; but to little purpose , wanting the rest of his fleet , and the help of the hollanders . we may very well account this not the least error or negligence that hath been committed in our voyages : for if the hollanders had kept touch according to promise , and the queen's ships had been fitted out with care , we had made her majesty mistress of more treasure than any of her progenitors ever enjoyed . sir richard lewson's design against the indian fleet , notwithstanding his renowned valor , being thus frustrated , and by the hollanders slackness crossed , he plied towards the rock , to meet sir william monson , as the place resolved on between them ; but sir william having spent days thereabouts , and hearing no tidings of him , went round to the southward cape , where he was likewise frustrated of a most promising hope : for meeting with certain french-men and scots , at the same instant , he descried three ships of ours , sent by sir richard to look him . these french and scottish ships came from st. lucas , and made report of five gallions , ready the next tide to set sail for the indies : they likewise told him of two others that departed three days before , wherein went don petro de valdes , to be governor of the havana , who had sometimes been prisoner in england . these two later ships were met one night by the warspight , whereof capt. sommers was commander ; but whether it was by the darkness of the night , or by what other casualty ( for the sea is subject to many ) i know not , but they escaped . this news of the five gallions , and the three ships of the queen 's so happily meeting together , made sir william direct his course into the heighth wherein the spaniards were most likely to sail in ; and coming into that heighth , he had sight of five ships , which in respect of their number and course , he made reckoning to be the five gallions ; and thought that day should fully determine and try the difference between the strength and puissance of the english and spanish ships , their number and greatness being equal : but his joy was soon quailed : for coming up with them , he found them to be english ships coming out of the streights , and bound home ; but yet this did not discourage the hope he had conceived that the spaniards might be met withall ; and the next day he gave chase to one ship alone that came out of the indies , which he took , though he had been better without her : for she brought him so far to leeward , that that night the gallions passed to wind-ward , not above eight or ten leagues off us , by report of an english pinnace that met them , who came into our company the day following . these misfortunes lighting first upon sir richard , and after upon sir william , might have been sufficient reasons to discourage them ; but they knowing the accidents of the sea , and that fortune could as well laugh as weep , having good ships under foot , their men sound and in health , and plenty of victuals , they did not doubt but that some of the wealth which the indies sent forth into spain would fall to their shares . upon tuesday , the first of iune , to begin our new fortune with a new month , sir richard lewson and sir william monson , who some few nights before had met accidentally in the sea , were close on board the rock , where they took two ships of the east country , bound for lisbon ; and while they were romaging these ships , they descried a carvel from cape picher bearing with them ; which by signs she made , they perceived had a desire to speak with them . sir richard immediately chased her , and left sir william with the two easterlings to abide about the rock till his return . the carvel being fetcht up , made a relation of a carreck and gallies to be in cisembre road ; and that she was sent by two ships of ours , the nonperil and the dreadnought which lay thereabouts to look out the admiral . with what joy this news was apprehended may be easily imagined : sir richard made signs to sir william to stand with him ; and lest he should not be discerned , he caused the carvel to ply up with him , wishing him to repair to him ; but before they could approach the cape , it was midnight , and nothing chanced all that time , but the exchanging of some shot , that passed betwixt the admiral and the gallies . upon wednesday , the second of june , every man looked early in the morning what ships of her majesties were in sight , which were five in number , the warspight , wherein sir richard was : for the repulse he had sent for england some few days before , by reason of a leak ; the garland , the nonperil , the dreadnought , and the adventure , besides the two easterlings taken the day before . all the captains resorted on board the admiral , to councel , which took up most part of the day . at first there was an opposition by some , who alleadged the danger and impossibility of taking the carreck , being defended by the castle and gallies : but sir william monson prevailed so far , as that all consented to go upon her the next day , and concluded upon this course following , that he and sir richard should anchor as near the carreck as they could , the rest to ply up and down , and not anchor . sir william was glad of this occasion , to be revenged of the gallies , hoping to requite the slavery they put him to when he was prisoner in them ; and singled himself from the fleet a league , that the gallies might see it was in defiance of them ; and so the marquess of st. cruz , and frederick spaniola , the one general of the portugal , the other of the spanish gallies , apprehended it , and came forth with an intent to fight him ; but being within shot , were diverted by one john bedford an english-man , who undertook to know the force of the ship , and sir william that commanded her . before i go farther , i will a little digress , and acquaint you with the scituation of the town , and the manner of placing the gallies against us . the town of cisembre lieth in the bottom of a road , which is a good succor for ships with a northerly wind. it is built with free-stone , and near the sea is erected a strong and spacious fort , well replenished with ordnance : above the town , upon the top of a hill , is seated an ancient , strong fryery , whose scituation maketh if impregnable , and able to command the town , castle and road ; close to the shore lay the carreck , like a bullwork to the west side of the castle ; so as it defended both that , and the east part of the town : the gallies had flancked and fortified themselves with the small neck of a rock on the west side of the road , with their prows right forward , to play upon us , every one carrying a cannon in their cruzia , besides other pieces in their prows ; and they were no way to be damaged by us , till our ships came so nigh the town , that all these forces might play upon us in one instant . the gallies being placed to this great advantage , they made account ( as a captain of one of them we took confess'd ) to have sunk our ships of themselves , without any farther help . we saw the tents pitched , and great troops of souldiers drawn together ; which was no less than the whole country in arms against us : the boats pass'd betwixt the shore and the carreck all the day long , which we supposed was to unlade her ; but we found afterwards it was rather to strengthen her with men and munition : here appeared many difficulties and dangers , and little hope of taking her ; but rather of sinking or burning her , as most men conjectured . the danger from the gallies was great , they being flancked with the point of a rock at our entrance , as you have heard , it being likewise calm , and they shooting low : another danger was , that of the wind : for if it had come from the sea , the road being open , and the bay deep , our attempt must have been in vain . and notwithstanding these , and many more apparently seen ; and that there was no man but imagined , that most of the carrecks lading was on shoar , and that they would hale her on ground , under the castle , where no ship of ours should be able to fleet to her ; all which objections , with many more , were alleadged , yet they little prevailed , procrastination was perilous , and therefore with all expedition , they thought convenient to charge the town , the fort , the gallies , and carreck , all at one instant . and they had determined , if the carreck had been on ground , or so nigh the shoar , that the queens ships could not fleet to her , that the two easterlings , the day before taken , should board her , and burn her . thursday the third day , early in the morning , every man commending himself to god's tuition and protection , expected when to begin , according to the agreement the day before . a gale of wind happening about ten of the clock , the admiral weighed ; shot off a warning-piece , and put forth his flag in the maintop : the vice-admiral did the like in his foretop , according to the custome of the sea ; every captain encouraged his men , which so imboldened them , as though they were grown weak and feeble before , they were now revived , and bestirred themselves , as if a new spirit had been infused into them ; the admiral was the first that gave the charge , after him followed the rest of the ships , shewing great valor , and gaining great honor ; the last of all , was the vice-admiral , at whose entrance into the fight , he still strived to get up as near the shoar as he could , where he came to an anchor , continually fighting with the town , the fort , the gallies , and carreck , all together , for he brought them betwixt him , that he might play both his broad sides upon them ; there might be seen the prowess of the gallies , swim by the sides of them , the slaves forsake them , and every thing in confusion amongst them , and thus they fought , till five of the clock in the afternoon . the vice-admiral was anchored to such an advantage , as the gallies rowed from one side to another , seeking to shun him , which sir richard lewson observing , came on board him , and openly , in the view and hearing of his whole company , imbraced him , and told him , he had won his heart for ever . the rest of the ships , as they were directed , plied up , except the admiral , who by the negligence of his master , or some other impediment , when he should have anchored , fell so far to leeward , as the wind and tide carried him out of the road , so that it was the next day , before his ship could be fetcht in again ; whereat the admiral was much inraged , and put himself into the dreadnought , and brought her to an anchor close to the vice-admiral , about two of the clock in the afternoon : there was no opportunity let pass , for where the admiral saw defect in any other ship , he presently caused it to be supplied , and the easterlings , who were appointed to board the carrek , beginning to faint , and fail of observing the directions given them , the vice-admiral perceiving it , went on board them himself , vowing , that if they seemed backward in putting in execution the design of firing the carreck , they should look for as little life from the english , as they could expect from the enemy . whilst the vice-admiral was thus ordering things , sir richard lewson came to him , and would in no case suffer him to board the carreck himself , but carried him into the dreadnought , where they consulted how to preserve the carreck , and enjoy her . the result of this reference was , to offer her parley , which they presently put in practice , and commanded all the ships to leave shooting , until the return of the messenger : the man imployed , was one captain sewell , who had escaped ▪ and swam to us , having been four years prisoner in the gallies , and so did many turks and christians ; the effect of this parley , was to persuade them to yield , promising honorable conditions , and he was to intimate , as from himself , that the gallies , whose strength they presumed upon , were beaten , some burnt , the rest fled ; that we had the possession of the road , the castle not being able to abide our ordinance , much less the carreck , and if they refused this offer of mercy , they were to expect all the cruelty and rigor , that a conpueror could impose upon his enemy : after some conference to this effect , the captain of the carreck told him , he would send some gentlemen of quality , with commission to treat , and desired , that some of the like quality from us , might repair to him , to the same purpose . these gentlemen came aboard the dreadnought , where the admiral and vice-admiral were , attending the return and success of captain sewell ; after the delivery of their message , they would needs hasten on board the carreck again , for that , as it seemed , there was an uproar and a division in her , some being of opinion to entertain a parley , others to save themselves , and set her on fire : which sir william monson hearing , without further delay , or conference , with sir richard , what was to be done , he leaped suddenly into his boat , and rowed unto the carreck ; when he drew near to her , he was known by diverse gentlemen on board her , he having once been a prisoner among them : they seemed to be very glad of this meeting , and their passed diverse imbracements between them , in remembrance of their old acquaintance : the captain was called don diego de lobo , a gallant young gentleman , of a noble house . he descended down upon the bend of the ship , and commanded his men to stand aside ; sir william did the like to his company , in the boat ; the captain demanded of him , if he had the portugal language ; he told him , he had sufficient to treat of that business ; acquainted him of the place he commanded in the fleet , intimated the affection and respect he bore the portugal nation , and that the treaty which was offered , proceeded out of his motion , and wished him to make his proposals , which were as followeth , the first demand he made , was , that they should be safely put on shoar with their arms. the second , that it should be done the same night . the third , that they should enjoy their ship and ordinance , as appertaining to the king , but we the wealth . the fourth , that the flag and ancient should not be taken down , but worn while the carreck was unlading . his speech being ended , sir william told him , that his demands gave suspition , that under pretence of parley , they meant treachery , or that their hopes were greater , than there was cause ; and , but that he knew it was the use of some men , to demand great things , when less will serve them , he would not lose his advantage , to entertain a parley ; he desired , that what they intended , might be quickly concluded , for night growing on , might advantage them ; and for his resolution , he should understand it in few words , viz. to his first demand , he was willing to yeild , that they should be put on shoar with their arms. to the second , that he was contented , that they should be set on shoar that night , except eight or ten of the principal gentlemen , whom he would detain three days . to the third , he held it idle and frivolous , to imagine , he would consent to separate ship and goods , and esteemed it por cosa de burla . to the fourth , he would not consent , being resolved , never to permit a spanish flag to be worn in the presence of the queens ships , unless it were disgracefully , over the poop . there was long expostulations upon these points , and sir william monson seeing the obstinacy of the captain , offered , in a great rage , to leap into his boat , resolving to break the treaty , which the rest of the gentlemen perceiving , and that he had propounded nothing but what might very well stand with their reputation , they intreated him once more to ascend into the carreck , and they would enter into new capitulations : the effect whereof , as it was agreed upon , were these that follow ; that a messenger should be sent to the admiral , to have his confirmation of the points concluded on ; and that in the mean time the flag and ancient should be taken down ; and if the admiral should not consent to the agreement , they to have leisure to put out their flag and ancient tofore the fight should begin . that the company should be presently set on shore ; but the captain , with eight other of the principal gentlemen three days after . that the ship with her goods , should be surrendered without any practice or treason . that they should use their endeavors , that the castle should forbear shooting whilst we rid in the road ; and this was the effect of the conditions agreed upon . this carreck wintered in mosambicke , in her return from the indies , a place of great infection , as appeared by the mortality among them : for of and odd men , twenty of them lived not to return home . after a great deal of calamity and mortality , she arrived at this port of cisembre , as you have heard ▪ the viceroy of portugal , having sent gallies to her rescue , and mocas de camera , which is a title of gentlemen that serve the king upon any honourable occasion , when they are commanded . that she was brought to this pass , and forc'd to yield on these conditions , sir robert cecil was wont to impute to the gentlemens acquaintance with sir william monson . although three days were limited for setting the captain on shore , yet it was held discretion not to detain them longer than untill the carreck was brought off safely to our ships ; and therefore sir william monson having carried the captain , and the rest of the gentlemen on board him , where they supped , had variety of musick , and spent the night in great jollity ; the morning following , accompanied them on shore himself , whither the conde de vitagera had drawn down all the force of the whole country , amounting to the number of men . i must not omit to describe the behavior of the gallies in the fight , that every man may have that honor that is due to him : those of portugal , being of the squadron of the marquess of st. cruz , betook themselves , with their general , to flight in the middle of the fight ; but frederico spinola , who was to convey his gallies out of spain into the low countreys , followed not the example of the marquess , but made good the road ; which the other seeing , with shame returned ; but to both their costs : for before they departed , they found the climate so hot , as they were forc'd to fly , their gallies being so miserably beaten , and their slaves so pitifully slain , as there wanted nothing but boats to possess them all , as well as the two we took and burnt ; which is a thing hath been seldom seen or heard of , for ships to take and destroy gallies . the number of men slain in the town , the castle , the carreck and gallies , are unknown , though they could not chuse but be many ; the wealth of the carreck could then as ill be estimated , though after found to be great ; the value of the two gallies burnt with their loading of powder , is hard to judge , though it 's known to have been a service of great importance . for our loss , it was not much , only one man killed in the fly-boat , five slain , and as many hurt in the garland , and one hurt in the adventure : sir william monson had the left wing of his doublet shot off , but received no other hurt . the day following , with a favourable wind , we stood our course for england , which brought us into degrees ; and there we met a pinnace , sent with a pacquet from the lords , signifying the readiness of a second fleet to supply us , and the setting out of the hollanders , which were so long looked for ; which fleet of holland was in view of the pinnace the same night ; but pass'd by us unseen . this unlooked for accident made the admiral and vice-admiral consider what to do , and concluded , they could not both appear at home , and have a fleet of so great importance upon the enemies coast without a guide or head ; and therefore they held it fit the vice-admiral should put himself into the nonperil , as the ablest ship of the fleet , and make his return once more to the coast of spain ; but he having taken his leave , and standing his course for the coast , a most violent storm , with a contrary wind took him , which continued ten days , and discovered the weakness of his ship , who had like to have foundered in the deep . the carpenters and company seeing the apparent danger , if he bore not up before the wind , presented him with a petition , beseeching him to have a regard to their lives ; for by keeping the seas they should all perish . thus was he forc'd by mere extremity to bear room for england ; and coming for plymouth , he found the carreck safely arrived , and the fleet he went back to take charge of , not to have quitted the coast of england . though it be somewhat impertinent to this voyage , to treat of more than the success thereof ; yet i will a little digress , and relate the mishap of that worthy young gentleman don diego de lobo , captain of the carreck ; and because his worth will more appear by his answer to sir william monson's offer to him when he was his prisoner ; thus it was : sir william monson told him , he doubted , that by the loss of the carreck , he had lost his best means ; for that he supposed , what he had gained in the indies , was laden in her ; and therefore offered , that what he would challenge upon his reputation to be his own , he should have freedom to carry along with him . the gentleman acknowledged the favor to be extraordinary ; but replied , that what he had , he had gained by his sword ; and that his sword , he doubted not , would repair his fortunes again , utterly refusing to accept any courtesie in that kind : but , poor gentleman , ill fortune thus left him not : for the viceroy , don cristoball de moro , holding it for a great indignity to have the carreck taken out of the port , that was defended by a castle , and guarded with gallies , and especially in his hearing of the ordnance to lisbon , and in the view of thousands of people who beheld it ; some of them feeling it too , by the loss of their goods that were in her , others grieving for the death of their friends that were slain ; but every man finding himself touched in reputation . the names of the carrecks and eleven gallies . the st. valentine , a carreck of one thousand seven hundred tuns . the christopher , the admiral of portugal , wherein the marquess de sancta cruz went. the st. lewis , wherein frederick spinola went general of the gallies of spain . the forteleza , vice-admiral to the marquess . the trividad , vice-admiral to frederick spinola , burnt . the snis , in which sir william monson was prisoner , . the occasion burnt , and the captain taken prisoner . the st. john baptist. the lazear . the padillar . the philip. the st. john. and the viceroy not knowing how to clear himself so well , as the laying it upon the gentlemen he put on board her , the same night they returned to their lodging , he caused the most part of them , with their captain , to be apprehended , imputing the loss of the carreck to their cowardise and fear , if not treason and connivance with the enemy . after some time of imprisonment , by mediation of friends , all the gentlemen were released but the captain , who received secret advice , that the viceroy intended his death , and that he should seek by escape to prevent it . don diego being thus perplexed , practised with his sister , who finding means for his escape out of a window , he fled into italy , where he lived in exile , from . when this happened , untill . his government in the indies , for which he had a patent in reversion , was confiscate , and he lest hopeless ever to return into his native country , much less to be restored to his command ; an ill welcome after so long and painful a navigation . having thus spent thirteen years in exile , at the last he advised with friends , whose councel he followed , to repair into england , there to enquire after some commanders , that had been at the taking of the carreck , by whose certificate he might be cleared of cowardise or treason in the loss of her , which would be a good motive to restore him to his government again . in the year . he arrived in london , and after some enquiry found out sir william monson , to whom he complained of his hard ▪ mishap , craving the assistance of him and some others , whom sir william knew to be at the taking of the carreck , and desired him to testifie the manner of surprizing her , which he alleadged , was no more than one gentleman was bound to afford another in such a case . sir william wondered to see him , and especially upon such an occasion : for the present , he entertained him with all courtesie ; and the longer his stay was in england , the courtesies were the greater , which sir william did him . sir william procured him a true and effectual certificate from himself , sir francis howard , captain barlow , and some others who were witnesses of that service ; and to give it the more reputation , he caused it to be inrolled in the office of the admiralty . the gentleman being well satisfied with his entertainment , and having what he desired , returned to flanders , where he presented his certificate to the arch-duke and the infanta , by whose means he got assurance , not only of the king's favor , but of restitution likewise to his government . the poor gentleman having been thus tossed by the waves of calamity , from one country to another , and never finding rest ; death that masters all men , now cut him off short , in the midst of his hopes , as he was preparing his journy for spain ; and this was an end of an unfortunate gallant young gentleman , whose deserts might justly have challenged a better reward , if god had pleased to afford it him . sir william monson to the coast of spain , anno . ships . the swiftsuer the mary rose the dreadnought the adventure the answer the quittance the lions whelp the paragon , a merchant . a small carvel commanders . sir will. monson capt. trevers capt. cawfield capt. norris capt. brodgate capt. browne capt. may capt. iason capt. hooper the fleet of sir richard lewson being happily returned , with the fortune of a carreck , as you have heard , and the queen having now no ships upon the spanish coast , to impeach the enemies preparations , she feared , the fleet which was ready at the groyne , would give a second assault upon ireland ; whereupon sir william monson , who by this time was arrived at plymouth , was sent for in great haste , by her majesty , to advise about , and take on him the charge of the fleet , then at plymouth . after a long conference with sir william monson , in the presence of her majesty , her lord admiral , treasurer , and secretary , it was resolved , that sir william should repair to plymouth , and with all speed get forth those ships , and others that were there making ready . his directions were , to present himself before the harbor of the groyne , being the place where the spaniards made their randevouz , and if he found any likelihood of a design upon ireland , not to quit that coast untill he saw the issue , but if he found ireland secure , and the enemies preparations to be intended only for defence of their own coasts , then his instructions led him thence , to the place where the holland fleet had order to attend , and expect him ; and afterwards , the whole carriage of the action was referred to his discretion , but with this caution , that above all respects of other profit or advantage , he attended the affair of ireland . the wind this part of the summer hung contrary , and it was six weeks before he could clear the coast , during which time , he lost his greatest hopes , by the return of the carrecks of the indian fleet , which happened a full month before his arrival : he set sail from plymouth the last of august , with a scant wind , which continued with foul weather , untill he recovered the groyne , choosing rather to keep the sea , then hazard the overthrow of the voyage by his return . he stayed at the groyne , until he understood that the fleet which was suspected to be prepared for ireland , was gone to lisbone , to join with don diego de borachero , who all that summer durst not budge forth , for fear of our fleet , that made good the coast thereabouts : sir william in his way to the rock , commanded his carvel to repair to the islands of bayon , as the likeliest place to procure intelligence of the state of those parts ; as the carvel drew near the islands , he discerned the spanish fleet , consisting of twenty four sail , whose design was , as she understood by a boat she took , to look out the english fleet , whose comming they daily expected upon the coast ; and meeting sir william with this news , he held it a good service to be thus warned of them . here he took two goodly ships of france , bound for lisbone , which harbor he put them from , and took pledges , that they should directly return into france , without touching in any harbor of spain , for that he understood , the spanish fleet was ill provided of men , and many other things which these ships could supply . sir william and the dreadnought , were carried with a chase into the road of cisimbre , where the carreck was taken not long before , and after some fight with the castle , who defended the vessel chased , they came to a friendly treaty , and presents past between them . that night , while the admiral rid in the road , a carvel comming in , not mistrusting him , was taken , but dismissed in a friendly manner ; by whom he understood the affairs of lisbone , but could get no notice of the holland fleet , which was appointed to attend at the rock , whither once more he repaired . coming thither the th of september , a light was espied in the night , which the admiral chased , thinking it had been the fleet of st. omer , or brazil , bound for lisbone , where they were expected ; but drawing so near them , that he might hail them , he found them , by the hugeness of their vessels , and the number which answered the relation the carvel made , to be the armado of spain : whereupon he sought means how to clear himself , being ingaged amongst them , and made a spaniard which served him call to them , but they could not hear him ; the adventure only , and the whelp , were left with him , the rest losing company , four nights before in a storm ; the enemy perceiving our lights , and thinking it to be some fleet of flemmings , stood in amongst us , but the adventure being discovered to be an enemy , the alarum was soon taken , and they shot at her , and slew and hurt some of her men ; as soon as the day appeared , the spaniards beheld the three enlish ships a head them , which they chased , and three of them , which were better of sail than the rest , fetcht upon us , and drew near the whelp , who was of small force to resist them . but the admiral resolving , though it was to his own evident peril , not to see a pinnace of her majesties so lost , if so be he could rescue her with the loss of his life , though it was much against the persuasions of his master , and company , he stroak his two sails for the whelp , and commanded her to stand her course , while he staid for the three spanish ships , with hope to make them have little list to pursue us : the admiral of the spaniards perceiving how little he cared for his three ships , in that he lingered for their coming up , took in with the shoar , and shot off a peice for his three ships to follow him . it may appear by this , as by several other expeditions of ours , how much the swift sailing of ships doth avail , being the principal advantage in sea service , and indeed the main thing we could presume upon , in our war against the spaniards . sir william having thus escaped the enemy , in his traverse at sea , there happened , as there doth upon all coasts , where there is plenty of trade , divers occasions of chases ; and one day sir william following one ship , and the adventure another , they lost company for the whole voyage . sir william was advertised by a ship he took , being a frenchman , who came from st. lucas , that the st. domingo fleet was looked for daily , which intelligence made him bear up for the south cape , as well in hopes to meet with them , as to have news of his fleet. he was no sooner come to the cape , but he was informed by some english men of war , that the domingo fleet was past by two days before ; here he met with ships of several nations , some he rescued from pirats , and to others that were in league with her majesty , he gave his safe conduct , for their free passage on the sea ; he kept that coast until the th of october , on which morning he gave chase to a gallion of the king of spain , who recovered the castle of cape sacre , before he could fetch her up ; although he knew the strength of the castle , yet he attempted , and had carried her , had it not been for the fear and cowardize of him at the helm , who bore up , when he was ready to board her : the fight was not long , but sharp and dangerous , for there never past shot between them , till they were within a ships length one of another : the castle plaid her part , and tore his ship , so that a man might have crept through her : between the castle and gallion , they slew in the admiral ten men , and hurt many more , in the view of sireago and his quadron , to the westward , and of divers english men of war , to the eastward , who durst not put themselves upon the rescue of sir william , for fear of the castle : sir william being now left alone , and seeing what head land soever he came unto , he was to encounter a spanish squadron , stood his course that night to sea , thinking to try , if the islands of terceras would afford him any better fortune , but coming within forty or fifty leagues of the islands , he was taken short with the wind , yet still bearing up what he could for the rock ; but at length finding his victuals grew short , his mast perished , and the dangers he was exposed to , by keeping that coast , he directed his course for england , and came to plymouth , the th of november , where he found the mary-rose and dreadnought , most part of their men being dead or sick . the adventure arrived within an hour after him , who in her way homewards fell , fell amongst the braizl fleet , and encountring with them , lost divers men , but took none : the paragon was at home long before , with a prize of sugar , and spices , which countervailed the charge of the voyage . the quittance in her return , met two ships of dunkirk , and in fight with them , her captain was slain , but she acquitted her self very well , without further harm . this fleet , as you have heard , was to keep the enemy busied at home , that he might be diverted from the thoughts of ireland ; what hazard it endured by the enemy , the fury of the sea , and soul weather , doth appear ; and no marvel ; for it was the latest fleet in winter , that ever kept upon the spanish coast , as it was likewise the last fleet her majesty imployed ; for in march after she died , and by her death all war ceased . as sir william monson was general of this last fleet , so was he a soldier , and a youth , at the beginning of the wars , and was at the taking of the first spanish prize , that ever saw the english coast , which yet was purchased with the loss of twenty five of our men , besides fifty hurt . this prize was afterwards a man of war , and served against the spaniards , and was in those days reckoned the best ship of war we had ; she was called the commander , and belonged to sir george carew , then governor of the isle of wight . sir richard lewson and sir william monson into the narrow seas , anno . ships . the repulse the mere-honor the defiance the warspight the rainbow the dreadnought the quittance the lyons whelp commanders . sir richard lewson sir william monson capt. goer capt. seymers capt. trevor capt. reynolds capt. howard capt. polwheele sir william monson returning with his fleet , in november , there was a resolution to furnish another against february , which should be recruited with fresh ships , men and victuals in june . sir richard lewson was to command the former fleet , and sir william monson the later : for the queen found it a course both secure and profitable , to keep a continual force upon the spanish coast , from february to november , that being the time of greatest peril to her majesty ; and she was the rather encouraged thereto , by the safty she found the last summer , and the wealth and riches she had from time to time taken from the enemy . the complaint of the ill furnishing out of her ships in other voyages , made it more carefully to be look'd unto now , and there was better choice of victuals and men than usually had been ; but in the mean time , it pleased god to visit her majesty with sickness , which caused a ling'ring , though no absolute dissolving of the fleet ; but when her danger was perceived to increase . the ships were hastened out to sea , it being a point of good policy , to keep our seas guarded from any forreign attempt , untill his majesty should be peaceably settled in england . this fleet departed from quinborough the th . of march , and arrived in the downs the th . of the same , being the day after her majesties death : the news whereof , and commandment to proclaim king james the sixth of scotland , our lawful king , and the rightful inheritor to the crown , arrived both together ; which put us into two contrary passions , the one of grief , the other of joy : grief for the loss of the queen , joy for ▪ accepting of the king in that peaceable manner , which was a happiness beyond all expectation , either at home or abroad . as the design of this fleet was to guard and defend our own coasts from any incursion that might be made out of france or the low countreys ; so the commanders were vigilant to appear on those coasts once in two days , to dishearten them , in case they had any such thought ; but the truth is , it was beyond their abilities , whatever was in their hearts to impugn his majesty . and because the arch-duke would make the candidness of his intention apparent to the world , he called in his letters of reprizal against the english ; and published an edict for a free and unmolested traffick into flanders : so that now our merchants might again trade peaceably into those parts from which they had been debarred the space of eighteen years . the king finding , that france neither impeached his right , nor gave any jealousie by the raising of an army ; and that the arch-duke made a demonstration of his desire of peace , his majesty did the like , acknowledging the league he had with those princes , with whom the late queen had wars : for wars betwixt countreys are not hereditary ; but commonly end with the death of their kings : wherefore he commanded his ships to give over their southern employment , and to repair to chatham , giving manifest testimonies , how desirous he was that his subjects should recover that wealth and freedom by peace , which they had formerly lost by war. finis . the process, and pleadings in the court of spain upon the death of anthonie ascham resident for the parliament of england, and of john baptista riva his interpreter, who were kill'd by john guillim, william spark, valentine progers, jo. halsal, william arnet, henrie progers. who are all in close prison in madrid for the said fact, except henry progers, who fled to the venetian ambassador's hous, and so escaped. / sent from madrid from a person of qualitie and made english. hierro, agustín de, th cent. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the process, and pleadings in the court of spain upon the death of anthonie ascham resident for the parliament of england, and of john baptista riva his interpreter, who were kill'd by john guillim, william spark, valentine progers, jo. halsal, william arnet, henrie progers. who are all in close prison in madrid for the said fact, except henry progers, who fled to the venetian ambassador's hous, and so escaped. / sent from madrid from a person of qualitie and made english. hierro, agustín de, th cent. howell, james, ?- . r. w. [ ], , [ ] p. printed by william du-gard, printer to the council of state, london : . a translation, by james howell, of an unidentified work by agustín de hierro, whose name appears on a r. dedication signed: r.w. the words "john guillim, .. henrie progers." are bracketed together on title page. annotation on thomason copy: "july. th". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng ascham, antony, d. . riva, john baptista, d. . guillim, john, th cent. spark, william. progers, valentine. arnet, william. progers, henry. halsal, john. great britain -- foreign relations -- spain -- early works to . spain -- foreign relations -- great britain -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no the process, and pleadings in the court of spain upon the death of anthonie ascham resident for the parliament of england, and of john bapti hierro, agustín de b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - angela berkley sampled and proofread - angela berkley text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the process , and pleadings in the court of spain upon the death of anthonie ascham resident for the parlament of england , and of john baptista riva his interpreter , who were kill'd by john guillim , william spark , valentine progers , jo. halsal , william arnet , henrie progers . who are all in close prison in madrid for the said fact , except henry progers , who fled to the venetian ambassador's hous , and so escaped . sent from madrid from a person of qualitie and made english . london , printed by william du-gard , printer to the council of state . . to his truly honored friend sr w. butler knight . sir ! your desires to mee are equivalent to decrees , which i shall bee alwayes readie to put in execution , as far as i can , and never bee found in a contempt ; therefore , according to the contents of your last , i have sent you by this post the plea , concerning the english gentlemen that are under close restraint here in the king's prison , for the death of mr ascham , and your old acquaintance john baptista riva his interpreter ; wee cannot conjecture yet what will becom of them , for the church stand's firm for them ; and you well know what predominant influences the church hath in this clime . the lord cottington , and sir edward hide are parted , and departed from this court , the first to vallodolid , the other for flanders , and since that time mr fisher appear's abroad in som lustre with his coach and lackies , whereas before hee kept retir'd and invisible . catalunia is like to bee reduc'd this summer , for there are mightie forces both by land and sea to that purpose . no more now , but that i am alwaies your readie and most real servant r. w. madrid this th of maie , . the whole discours analys'd . this plea doth partition it self into sundrie particulars . . the manner and circumstance of the fact is punctually related , with the names and distinction of the actors . . the atrocitie and hainousness of the fact is aggravated , beeing committed upon the person of a publick minister of state , viz. the ambassador or resident of england , whose person should merit more particular respect in the catholick court in regard of the precedencies which were alwayes given in england to the spanish ambassadors . . divers testimonies are produc'd how that the persons and office of ambassadors are sacred , &c. . it is proved that this publick minister had the safe conduct , and consequently the protection of his catholick majestie , which make's the offence reflect upon him , and is punishable by his own royal justice , and so the delinquents are not to bee transmitted elswhere for their punishment . . a parallel twixt the death of ascham and abner , who had king david's safe conduct . . the holie church cannot protect so proditorious a murther , as it is prov'd by forcible reasons . . important arguments for a sudden execution of justice upon the offenders , &c. the learned and elaborate charge of doctor don augustin de hierro , knight of the order of calatrava , and fiscal ( or attorney general ) of the council roial against don john guillim , william spark , valentine progers , and william arnet , jo. halsal , englishmen , who saie they are , and are detained in the roial prison of this court , for having traiterously , and upon propens malice kill'd anthonie ascham ambassador , or resident of the parlament of england , who came and entred into this court by virtue of the safe conduct of the king our lord ( whom god preserv ) and john baptista riva a genuës , beeing interpreter , or secretarie of the said resident . the immunitie of the church , which they pretend , cannot avail them , nor ought the plea of that immunitie hinder the imposing and executing upon the said delinquents the punishment that correspond's with their offences , as will bee proved in the ensuing charge . the accusation or charge . the disaster and death of charls stuart king of england hapned the . of febr. . the parlament of england governing the kingdom afterwards , sent an embassage to the king our lord ( whom god guard ) and besoldus saith , that qui à belli ducibus , gubernatoribúsque provinciarum liberis mittuntur , sunt legati . those who from generals of war , and free governors of provinces are sent anie where , are ambassadors . i could produce a cloud of authors upon this argument , who treat of and declare , who have capacitie to send ambassadors , as the earl of fontanar don christoval de benevente in his advertencies to princes and ambassadors , the dissertations of don john vella , conrado bruno , and the count don juan antonio de vera in his book , call'd the ambassador , do amply aver : but whether the person sent lately by the parlament of england was an ambassador or agent , or resident , as the delinquents term him , or most properly an orator ( for hee came to deprecate peace ) whether hee was all these , or anie of these it matter 's not ; for anie of these may style him a legate , and make him deserv that title ; and the same securitie is due to all those titles , as hotoman upon this theme resolv's the point , with others . . this ambassador , or resident sent by the parlament of england , call'd anthonie ascham , arrived at the bay of calis the of march , . with an interpreter , and three or four servants , and not meeting there with the duke of medina celi , hee went in quest of him to the port santa maria , and did let him know that hee was sent by the parlament of england in qualitie of an agent to the court of spain . the duke lodg'd him thereupon , and according to his accustomed attention and prudence , by which hee alwayes operate's , sent to tell him , that in regard it was the first negotiation between spain and the parlament of england , hee could do nothing in the business , till hee had first given an account to his majestie , as hee did the of march , which came to madrid the second of april , and the same daie the king referred the letter to his council ; and the fourth of april there was order sent to the duke , to treat him as resident , and see him convoi'd to the court accordingly in safetie . the twentieth of april the resident ( having been sick before ) began his journey , beeing accompanied by the camp-master d. diego de moreda , and the second of june they came to toledo , whence the camp-master sent to the court for further order , and order was sent that hee should pursue his journey , and that the resident might take a hous where hee pleas'd in the court : so they arriv'd at court sundaie following at five in the evening , and munday next after , at six in the morning john baptista riva , who was ( hee sayed a genuës went in company of a servant of the camp-master , to hieronymo de la torre knight of the order of calatrava , and secretarie of state , the said riva complain'd of the illness and incommoditie of the lodging : but when the resident and his train lighted at their lodging , 't was observ'd there passed by som that went muffled , thereabouts , who were over-heard to say , essos son , these are they : so riva delivered the secretarie two letters from the parlament , saying that the resident came under the protection of his majestie . the secretarie answered , they had don ill not to have given account at the verie point of their arrival , the resident beeing the person hee was , & being in the catholick court hee was secure enough ; and hee would advertis his majestie of his coming accordingly , which hee did within a quarter of an hour , charging the camp-master's servant , that hee should tell his master , to continue in assisting the resident ; but an hour and half before this , the fore-mentioned delinquents , did proditoriously , out of propens malice , murther the said resident , and the said john baptista riva , according to the circumstances which shall follow . now these men well knew , that the said resident came to treat of peace , and they spontaneously confess they knew it , and that hee entred into this court , by order from his majestie , and with his pass-port ; so that besides , the treacherie and malice of the act , they committed capital treason , crimen laesae majestatis in primo capite : now for everie offence , there is a corresponding punishment , and for this certainly there is undoubted pain of death ; therefore they have made themselvs unworthy of the immunitie of the church , which they pretend . the business briefly doth branch it self into two articles . first , the grievousness of the delict is to be considered , and the qualitie of the person upon whom it was committed , one , who had a safe conduct from his majestie , therefore it is crimen laesae majestatis , and perpetrated in a most trecherous and malicious manner . secondly , the church cannot give them sanctuarie , therefore the pain of death is to be executed upon them according to the merit of the delict ; in declaring the circumstances , whereof i will leav all curiosities , and go to the pitch of the business , without extending my self to any extravagant impertinencies . the first article . touching the necessity and utilite of embassies , besoldus prosecut's this subject at large , together with pascalio benavente , & marsellaert , in their learned dissertations . but pedro erodo may be said to comprehend all , in these elegant words . legatorum munus perquam utile est , ac perquam necessarium , nam sine iis nec foedera iniri possunt , nec belli leges , pacisque dici , inimicitiae essent immortales , insidiae , caedes , incendiáque ubique essent . the function of ambassadors is most profitable and necessary , for without them , there can no confederation be made , nor any lawes of peace or warr enacted , enmities would prove immortall , slaughterings , perfidiousness ; deceipt and combustions would be every where . this so necessary and profitable a ministerie , was justlie called santo officio y ministerio de los angeles , the holy office , and ministerie of angels ; and the persons of those , who did exercise it , were held for sacred in all men's opinions . sancti habebantur legati , eorúmque corpora sancta sunt . ambassadors were held holy , and their bodies are holy , saith marcus varro ; therefore they should be protected from all humane injurie . cicero also sayeth , sentio jus legatorum tum hominum praesidio munitum esse , tum etiam divino jure vallatum : i hold the right of ambassadors not only to be fortified with humane safe-guard , but entrenched with divine safetie ; i could muster up a whole squadron of autors , both modern and ancient upon this subject , specially king don alonso , who mak's this security of ambassadors his own , and defend's it so ; and this securitie is due to any ambassadour , though he be suspected and fals , as frier don goncalez resolve's the point in his historie of china , and besoldus also , and although the said ambassador com to deceiv and collude , or that he bee an enemie , yet having a safe conduct , he is to be protected , as the count de la roca sayeth , fides enim quando promittitur , etiam hosti servanda est contra quem hellum geritur , quantò magis amico pro quo pugnatur . and if this securitie be due to an ambassador , that com's to intrap , yea , to an enemie , how much more to an english friend , in whose countrie the ambassador of spain hath , and alwaies hath had the pre-eminence of the ambassadors of all other princes . now that england should still be our friend , in statu quo nunc , and that peace should bee continued with her , proceed's from right , for peace is not only made with the king , but with the kingdom also , and although the first exspire's , the last remain's . for , put case that a peace be concluded with a countrie , without including the king , either by carelesness , or som other accident , yet the peace stand's good , for so the polish magistates answered the emperor ferdinand the . faltando el rey , se conservan con el reyno , the king failing , yet peace is to be conserv'd with the kingdom . so bodin hold's , and urgeth a pregnant example to this purpose , lib. de repub. cap. . fol. . where he allegeth the answer , which the ambassadors of france made to edward the fourth , king of england , desiring aid from france against som rising subjects of his , by virtue of the league between them , which answer was , that the king of france could not help him ; for confederations twixt france and england , were made twixt the kings and kingdoms , so that though king edward was dispossessed thereof , yet the league and amity remain'd still with the kingdom , and with the king regnant . just so the peace twixt the kings and kingdoms of spain with england , though charles stuart , the king , be wanting , yet it may be kept intire with the kingdom : and his majestie himself insinuat's so much unto us , continuing still his ambassador in england ; for when a peace is established twixt kings and kingdoms , people , persons , and vassals , though the king fail , and the kingdom receiv a differing form of government , yet the peace hold's good still , becaus it aim'd principally at the people and persons of both nations , and upon these terms , the peace was renewed twixt spain and england , . as the french mercurie relate's . therefore these delinquents fail'd much in the foresaid reverence , due to the sacred persons of ambassadors , as also to the safe conduct of his matie , by laying violent hands upon his person much more by murthering him : joab did treacherouslie kill abner who came with david's safe conduct , whereupon david said to all the people that were about him , scindite vestimenta vestra , and reinforcing his sorrow , levavit david vocem suam , & flevit super tumulum abner , flevit autem & omnis populus ; david lifted up his voice upon abner's tomb , and wept , yea , all the people wept : moreover david erected a tomb for abner , beeing so treacherously kill'd , notwithstanding that hee had his safe conduct , and the privilege of an ambassador . the romanes rais'd statues to ambassadors that were kill'd . interfecto legato statua debetur , saith besoldus , through all his chapter of legations . moreover it is observable that david did not onely weep , but hee burst out into this deprecation , si ante occasum solis gustavero panem vel aliud quidquam , if before the setting of the sun , i taste bread or anie thing els , &c. now , this sorrow of david did much pleas the people , populus audivit , & placuerunt iis cuncta quae secerat rex in conspectu totius populi : as the holie text hath it , the people heard , and were pleas'd with everie thing that david did . here it is to bee observed , that the people were to bee satisfied herein ; nor was a bare sorrow onely satisfactorie for this murther , but a due punishment must expiate the offence , which in regard that david himself could not do it in his life time , hee left it in charge to his son solomon in these words , facies ergò juxta sapientiam tuam , & effudit sanguinem belli in pace ; thou shalt do according to thy own wisdom ( exaggerating his speech with a reason ) and hee shed the bloud of war in peace . so his catholick majestie ( god guard him ) hath don out of a resentment hee had of this treacherous murther , by recommending the business to so great a tribunal ; facietis ergò juxta sapientiam vestram , effudit sanguinem belli in pace ; proceed according to your own high prudence , by punishing these delinquents , who have murtherd the ambassador of the parlament of england , though hee came with a roial pasport , and so shed the bloud of war in time of peace . moreover this death of the ambassador , by hindering the procedure of his embassie is no single offence , but it reflect's upon manie . as the great civilian saith ; si quis autem legationem impedit , non unius , sed multornm profectum avertit , & sicut multis nocet , à multis arguendus est . whosoever shall impede an embassie , hee avert's not the benefit of one man , but of many , and as hee hurt 's manie , so hee is to bee argued by manie . now manie are the accusers of these men , manie are interressed in the business , and most especially the king , our liege lord , who gave a passport , and allowed of the ambassador , and of the parlament of england that sent him : therefore these men had need to have manie lives to lose , for to satisfie so manie whom the business concern's ; so magalotti hath it , that the punishment is to bee double , in regard of the persons concern'd . but hence may result a question , whether the punishment bee to bee inflicted where the delict was perpetrated , and the king's securitie violated , or whether the murtherers bee to bee sent to the ambassador's master , whom hee represent's : this was an old difference twixt romulus and tacius , who reign'd together as pedro aerodo relate's the business briefly , yet elegantly . romulus was of opinion that the offenders were to bee sent to the ambassador's master . but this transferring of the offendor to the partie offended , was alwaies held to proceed rather from vrbanitie then justice , as it appear's in the case of rincon and fregoso , which is amply related in the annals of the emperor charls the fifth , it was a loud clamorous business , whereof all the corners of christendom did ring , and everie chronicler hath it , therefore i will not molest you with so trite a thing . tacius was of differing sentiment ; for hee would have the delict to bee punish'd where it was perpetrated , and the reasons which the doctors give , is , becaus the lord of the territorie is the more interressed , and obliged to punish the offence on the partie , to vindicate his own wrongs , as in this caus his catholick majestie is most injur'd , becaus his roial passport is violated , and why should hee have recours to a forrein power , to desire justice , when by the law of nations hee may avenge the affront at home by his own . and it is most fitting they should receiv punishment in this court , rather then anywhere els , where in regard of the greatness of our king , there are continually so many ambassadors residing , whose securitie may bee much confirmed by the exemplarie punishment of these delinquents , and in particular , the verie ambassadors of england themselvs who are sojourning here now , though opposites to the dead ambassador , in regard of the dissentions now in england , all which must bee don by a just infliction of punishment . but the delinquents think to scape by the immunities of the church , where they fled , and sheltered themselvs from so grievous and atrocious a crime , aggravated by so manie circumstances , by so manie accusers and interessed persons ; nor according to their defence , do they confess to have committed anie offence or sin at all ; but they vaunt to have performed an heroick act . now 't is a rule that jactantia aggravat peccatum ; boasting of mischief , make 's the sin the wors . st augustin in defineing sin , saith , that it is dictum , factum vel concupitum contra legem aeternam , a thing spoken , don , or wish'd against the eternal law ; him followed thomas aquinas , and citing gregorio de valentia , father granados pursueth the opinion , and vasquez . sin also is defin'd transgressio legis , a transgression of the law , now the delict of murther is opposite to all laws , both divine and humane ; as also to violate the securitie of an ambassador , much more to murther him , is condemn'd by all laws of heaven and earth ; therefore this can bee no other then a delict , and much more precisely a sin , and a sin non nominandum , an infandous sin , much less an heroick action , or exploit of gallantrie . the second article . that these delinquents cannot make themselvs capable of the protection of anie sanctuarie , will bee justified by two mediums , in form of a syllogizing argument . hee who commit's crimen laesae majestatis , a crime of high treason , cannot have the protection of the church ; but these delinquents have committed a crime of high treason ; ergò , they cannot have the protection of the church . the second argument is of no less force . hee who commit's a treacherous murther cannot have the protection of the church ; but these delinquents have committed a treacherous murther ; ergò they cannot have the benefit of the church . for proof of the first , ambrosinus , bosius , and julius clarus their opinions are cleer , gambacarta , diana and others concur with them ; among other high treasons they instance in killing the kings eldest son , his brother , or anie of the race roial , or the king's wife ( becaus shee is the one half of him ) or a privie counsellor of his , &c. as also hee who violate's the king's salvo conducto , whereon they insist much . now touching that large bull of gregory the th touching the immunities of the church , it is the opinion of all the civil doctors on this side the alps , that it is not available in all provinces , nay , it hath been petition'd against by divers , and to this daie , it is not put generally in practice , they are the words of evia de bolanos in his curia filippica , it was petition'd against in portugal , nor could this bull take footing in spain , which never had such exorbitant privileges , but observed the common canonical right , which make's more for the reverence of the church . and whereas it may bee alleg'd that the said safe conduct was not to bee observed by the said delinquents , becaus it was not publish'd and that it binde's onely from that time ; whereas it may bee alleg'd also that the king's safe conduct is onely by roial letters , or som publick instrument ; all this is of little or no validitie at all ; for the delinquents voluntarily confess , that they had notice by letters from england , that this resident was to com to treat of peace ; and correspond with spain . the delinquents besides may aver , that the observation of this salvo conducto did not aim at them beeing no vassals here ; but this argument is of little vigor likewise , for all people , whether vassals or no vassals are oblig'd to observ the laws in the territories of that prince where they sojourn ; and if this law take's hold on the natural vassals of anie countrie , much more on strangers , who must not bee encouraged by anie immunitie to com , and offend in another countrey , without incurring the same severitie of law . nor will it will serv their turn , to saie that all treasons are either in odium or contemptum regis , neither whereof could induce them to that act , becaus they were militant in his majestie's armie , and serv'd him with all exact fidelitie , for all this concur'd in joab , for hee was ever faithful , and a confident of king david's , and son to his sister serviah . for proof of the second argument of our discours , viz. that hee who commit's a treacherous , or proditorious murther , cannot have the protection of the church ; the determination of his holiness clement the th shall serv , who saith , that not onely hee who kill's one proditoriously , but hee who kill's a reconciled enemie , is deprived of the benefit of sanctuarie ; now these delinquents destroi'd this publick minister of state per insidias , appensatè , animo deliberato , & proditoriè , fraudulently , by forecast , with a deliberate minde , and proditoriously , therefore they are far from deserving the shelter of the holie church . the sacred scripture take's us out of all doubt by the act of holie and religious solomon , when in execution of the just commandement of david his father hee consulted how to punish joab for having slain abner , who had david's safe conduct , for which hee fled to the church and to the altar , fugit ergò joab in tabernaculum domini & apprehendit cornu altaris , and banaias , who had the charge of executing him , returning with this news to solomon , hee answered vade interfice eum , go and kill him ; banaias going again to joab , told him the king's command , and bid him com out , joab replied , i will not com out , but i will die here ; thereupon banaias going back to solomon to inform him what joab had said , the king rejoin'd : fac sicut locutus est & interfice eum , do as hee hath said and kill him . so banaias the son of jehoida went up to the altar , and assaulting joab , hee kill'd him ; now 't is a great question among the theologues whether solomon sinned in doing this : abulensis excuseth him giving this reason ; quia non illi profecit tenuisse aram , quia nullum homicida insidiator habet praesidium , becaus the altar could not profit him , in regard that no treacherous manslayer hath anie protection ; add hereunto what gaspar sanchez and ruperto allege touching the same fact , nihil debet illi fides altaris , qui per dolum occidendò proximum omnem fidem perdidit ; the faith of the altar oweth him nothing , who lost all faith in slaying his neighbor feloniously . but cajetan with others finde no way how to excuse solomon touching this business , in regard that hee might by his praetorian troops , and veterane souldiers have taken him both from the altar and the tabernacle , and so without anie note of violating religion , hee might have dispatch'd him in som prophane place , as the priest joiada commanded athalia to bee taken out of the temple , and kill'd without . this is a great and precise lesson for the lords alcaldes , for they need not fear to put these men to death ; in regard they are not now materially in the church . to prove the minor of the second syllogism , viz. that these men did fraudulently , of set purpose , with a deliberate minde , and proditoriously murther the ambassador of the parlament of england shall bee thus prov'd . certain men espied the said ambassador , lighting at his lodging the same night hee came , the next daie william spark , and henry progers ( who is fled ) spoke with john baptista riva the ambassador's servant , and henry going down , said to william , let 's go here below ( where the other three delinquents were ) and said , let 's kill the resident for a destroier of our nation ; so they swore among themselvs , that if one died , all would die with him in so heroick an act : whence this circumstance may bee drawn , that this murther was committed by former consultation , and with a deliberate minde : what is formerly related , is confessed by the delinquents themselvs , and that they came to perform this exploit two by two ; for beeing com to the lodging , two remain'd at the foot of the stairs , two on the top , and two entred . william spark went in first , seeing two sitting at the table , hee pulld off his hat , and said , i kiss your hands , which is the resident ? and when they knew who hee was , don john guillim came , and snatching him by the hair , with a naked dagger hee gave him a thrust that overthrew him ; then came william sparks , and gave him another , so that they gave him five stabs in all , john baptista riva thinking to retire to his chamber , there went four of them after him , and gave him four wounds , whereof hee presently expired , whereby it appear's most evidently , that the murther of the ambassador was committed , per insidias , appensatè , animo deliberato , & proditoriè , therefore the church cannot protect them . it was don proditoriously ; in regard that prodere est unum actibus ostendere , & aliud in mente gerere , unde homicidium proditorium est caedes hominis nibil tale suspicantis , as augustin barbosa affirm's . just so was abner kil'd by joab , according to the text , he killed abner in a dishonourable way , viz. fraudulently , when he spoke to him peaceably , therefore joab deserv'd to be depriv'd of the immunitie of the temple ; and just so was this ambassador kill'd , and it may well bee thought , they deserv not the shelter of the sanctuarie , as joab did not . but me think's i here the delinquents , to extenuate their delict , whisper that they kill'd the said ambassador for an heretick , for a disturber of the publick peace , who particularly fomented the death of the king , and the change of gouernment , and they did operate this to vindicate the death of their king , upon a regicide , an enemie to his countrie , and on an impostor . moreover , one of the delinquents saith , that in this rebellion hee kill'd a brother of his , with whom hee had particular enmitie , to these arguments i may say , as john garcia said in his gloss . nobilit . adducuntar leviuscula quaedam argumenta quae meritò subtaceri poterant , sed satisfaciendum est doctis pariter ac indoctis . certain light arguments are alleged , which might have been spar'd , but wee must satisfie the unlearned , as well as the learned , and concerning the first , they say , they kill'd the ambassador for an heritick , so was their king , who they pretend hee had help'd to murther ; but the catholick church never held yet , that it was lawfull to kill a man , only for his religion ; besides this ambassador had a royall pass-port , and was attended all the way from the sea-side by his majestie's servant ; and ministers of any religion may have pass-ports for their safetie as john huss had , and as charls the emperour gave luther . they say , this ambassador came to seduce and deceiv by a book of his which was found among his papers , and a medall which hee had , which had on the one side nebart , and on the other xii . and the word obstricti , and they say it signifie's those xii . which gain'd nebart , and occasion'd the warrs : hence they inferr , that hee came to deceiv , there was also found a crown stab'd with a poniard . this same argument joab propounded to david , when hee said , ignoras abner filium ner , quoniam ad hoc venit ad te , ut deciperet te , ut sciret exitum tuum , & introitum tuum , & nosse omnia quae agis , thou know'st not abner the son of ner , for hee is com hither to deceiv thee , to know thy going out , and thy coming in , and to prie into all things thou do'st , as the sacred text tell's , but this could not excuse joab for killing abner , who came hither all the way with a safe conduct , and it is the prerogative only of that prince who gave him the safe conduct , to know the cause of his coming . to com now to a conclusive point , and finall period of this plea , the punishment of these men for having fraudulently , by propense malice , with a deliberate mind , and proditoriously murthered the ambassador of the parlament of england , according to the foregoing circumstances , and by their own spontaneous confessions , i say the speedy chastisement of these men to death ( notwithstanding the depending process , touching the immunitie of the church ) is required by six parties that are interessed therein . viz. . by god himselfe . . by the king . . by his subjects . . by the publick cause . . by the fiscall of the council . first , god require's it , who watcheth over all crimes specially those of blood , which crie out for vengeance more then anie , therefore the procrastination hereof would be offensive to his divine majestie . secondly , the king ( whom god preserve ) require's speedie execution , in regard som grave doctors do doubt whither it was a sin in david to delay the punishment of joab till after his death , by bequeathing the execution of justice to his son solomon , as a legacie . thirdly , the subjects of the king , our liege lord , require a hastning of the punishment , becaus it trouble's them to see hard before the king's eyes , and in his catholick court , so horrid and sudden a murther committed . quando accidunt aliqua mala & horrenda quae sunt penitus inopinata , solent homines nimiùm turbati , etiamsi ad illos mala illa non pertineant , quia ergo mors abner erat malum quoddam rarum & inopinatum , subitò illo audito turbati sunt omnes israëlitae , when som horrid , unexpected , and unusuall mischiefs happen , people use to be strangely troubled , though it nothing belong's unto them , therefore because abner's death was a kind of extraordinarie sudden mischief , all israël was troubled at it , as abulensis speake's upon the of kings . fourthly , the publick caus requir's a sudden execution of justice upon these delinquents , becaus they murthered two men by fraud ; quorum opera utilis videbatur futura reipublicae , whose negociation was to bee profitable to the common-wealth , as gaspar sanchez sayeth . lastly , the fiscal require's justice for god , for the king , for his fellow-subjects , for the publick-caus , and for himself , who conclude's with cokier in his treatie de legato . ac perde has animas , patriam bonus eripe noxâ . to shut up all , the justified ▪ an● cries out for speedie justice , in regard that these delinquents murthered an ambassador of the parlament of england , now to everie ambassador , there is owing an extraordinarie respect , specially to the ambassadors of england ; they slew him , though they knew that hee had his majestie's safe conduct , they slew him in the catholick court , where the right of nations useth to be kept inviolable , and more solemnly then anywhere else , whereby they committed not only a soul trecherous murther , but treason in a high degree against his majestie ; they surprised the ambassador and his secretarie at dinner , a harmless hour , they came in like friends ; wherefore it may justly be inferr'd , that this murther was committed , por insidias ▪ animo deliberato , appensatè & proditoriès by fraud , with a deliberate mind , by fore-cast , and trecherously ; touching the circumstances , their own spontaneous confessions make them good ; therefore both god , the king , all the vassals of this court , the publick-caus , and the fiscal of the council , demand a speedie and actual execution of justice upon them , notwithstanding the depending process , and pretentions touching the immunities of the church . salva in omnibus , &c. such was the charge in the court of spain , which was delivered , with much aggravation , by the said doctor hieronymo hierro , knight of the order of calatrava , against john guillim , william spark , valentin progers , jo. halsal , william arnet , and henrie progers , who are detain'd still in prison , for killing anthonie ascham , resident for the parlament of england , and john baptista riva his interpreter , all except henrie progers , who being formerly known to the venetian ambassador , fled to his hous for protection , and so made an escape ; the suit is still depending , and no resolution taken , in regard the church stand's so earnestly for them , in so much that it is not known when it will be determined . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- stylo novo . a translate of a letter from don lewis de harro chief counsellor and minister of state to his majesty of spaine sent unto the king of scots at brussels concerning the affaires in england, publication of the articles of peace and marriage with france, &c. méndez de haro, luis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason .f. [ ]). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason .f. [ ] estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; : f [ ]) a translate of a letter from don lewis de harro chief counsellor and minister of state to his majesty of spaine sent unto the king of scots at brussels concerning the affaires in england, publication of the articles of peace and marriage with france, &c. méndez de haro, luis, - . charles ii, king of england, - . sheet ([ ] p.) s.n., [london : ] dated at end: . annotation on thomason copy: "feb. . ". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng charles -- ii, -- king of england, - -- early works to . spain -- history -- th century -- early works to . a r (thomason .f. [ ]). civilwar no a translate of a letter from don lewis de harro chief counsellor and minister of state to his majesty of spaine sent unto the king of scots méndez de haro, luis a this text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a translate of a letter from don lewis de harro chief counsellor and minister of state to his majesty of spaine sent unto the king of scots at brussels concerning the affaires in england , publication of the articles of peace and marriage with france , &c. may it please your majesty , since it hath pleased the almighty lord thus to blesse and crown your majesty with patience in long sufferings , in which you have been a strict observer of those graces , precepts and qualities so eminent in your royal father , that even his and your greatest enemies are driven to confess , that amidst the multitude of your thoughts ( as the psalmist delivers it ) gods comforts doth delight your soul , and whilest evil men who are the tormentors in this life solace themselves with all your earthly pleasures , it is your greatest care to preserve and keep unto your self the testimony of a good conscience , which will ever surmount and triumph above all the adversities of this lower world , and at last that furious zeal which hath now dominion in your kingdoms , will burn , and as a canker at the root of their hopes shall destroy your opposers ; from hence great sir , the nations murmure , and your faith in those long sufferings gives you firm hopes that the day of your redemption is nigh , for this never fails in the consent of all nations , vox populi , vox dei : and therefore since god hath shewed unto the people a mark of his high displeasure by your exile , they are upon return , by which your majesty is encouraged to say amen . but this is not altogether my affair , the transact promulgation of the articles of peace and marriage with his majesty of france is unalterably true , and what therein concerns your majestie is also decreed , as i hope hath already in part appeared by the present forces of your own subjects drawn out by your majesties servants , and if need require there is other helps designed for you , yet finding an unwillingnesse in your councel to alarm your countries with forraigners ( if possibly avoided ) i must forbear to urge the kindnesse of my master , otherwise there had been a freedom answerable to your majesties ( i am sorry that i have occasion to say ) necessities , which indeed is rather a shame to your own subjects , of whom the heathens can with some remorse discourse , and amongst the christians under his catholick majestie ( although there wants union with you in matters of religious worship ) you are pitied in that the foundation is laid in christ our lord ; let your enemies therefore feare and tremble as in the presence of the lord , for the justnesse of your cause heightens my belief of their astonishment . and were it not for their present interest in ill gotten goods ; i dare positively affirm there were no enemie to give you battel , but the wonder is at an end in that such as these are foretold by that unerring spirit in the prophets and apostles , which saith , that covetousnesse is the root of all evil . in conclusion the forwardnesse of this dispatch is occasioned through great desires of yeelding any thing which may contribute to your majesties consolation : pure and intire affections are pardonable , although hastilie scattered before princes , and in confidence of that i can as well hope for as plead my excuse . his majesties congratulations followed with all the ambassadors , councellors , commanders , ministers of state , and monsiur le prince are amply in this expresse declared as a demonstration of great joy for your majesties hopeful restauration : and that your successe may fill the world with admiration , and convince all subjects of that sin , is the prayer of him who is in great truth , . your majesties most humble and faithful servant , lewis de harro . a memorial delivered to the states-general by the marquess of castell moncayo, envoy extraordinary of spain, at the hague, may th, . avaux, comte d' (jean-antoine de mesmes), - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a memorial delivered to the states-general by the marquess of castell moncayo, envoy extraordinary of spain, at the hague, may th, . avaux, comte d' (jean-antoine de mesmes), - . sheet. printed for richard morris ..., london : . imprint from colophon. reproduction of original in the university of london. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng spain -- foreign relations -- - . great britain -- foreign relations -- - . france -- foreign relations -- - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john pas sampled and proofread - john pas text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a memorial delivered to the states general , by the marquess of castell moncayo , envoy extraordinary of spain , at the hague , may th . . the marquess of castell moncayo , envoy extraordinary of spain , doubts not but that your lordships deputies ( which were present at the conference held this day by the ministers of the high allies ) have made a sincere and true report of that which was there debated : nevertheless , he hath thought fit to put in writing that which was there represented by discourse ; viz. that the said envoy extraordinary of spain was extreamly troubled and perplext , by reason he knew not whether or no he ought to concur in the same sentiments with the ministers of the high allies , or with those of this state ; without due reflection on his majesties pleasure and resolutions . the spanish affairs being transacted without regard to the interest of spain , or that which respects its monarchy ; without concern for its honour , or that which is due to the king thereof ; proposals of a peace or a truce , and the partaging of the spanish netherlands being made in such a manner , as if they belonged to the states-general , and not to his catholick majesty . but having also considered that there were present at the aforesaid conferences , besides your lordships deputies , the ministers of many other princes and states , who seem cordially to embrace the interests of his catholick majesty , and who have the same esteem for the king his master's friendship , as the king his master has for theirs : the said subscribed envoy extraordinary therefore is fully resolved to understand the opinion and sentiments of the said ministers , though perhaps he may meet with a mortification in desiring the same thing from your lordships deputies ; which mortification will be the more intollerable to the said subscribed envoy , by reason of the lecture your lordships deputies have made of the french ambassadors last memorial : in which the ministers of the high allies have taken notice that he says , knowing that this state is more inclined to accept of a truce than a peace ; which if your lordships think consists more with your interest , his most christian majesty gives your lordships the choice , to conclude either a peace or truce , according to the conditions specified in his ambassadors memorial , the th . of april . as if it belonged to this state , and not to spain , whom france makes war upon ; or as if this state had received a full and ample power from spain to treat of an accommodation with france . the said envoy extraordinary of spain desires to know , that if france gives to your lordships the choice of a peace or a truce , whither your lordships be masters of luxemburg , and of all the other places and towns which france demands , and pretends to retain , or if they belong not to the king his master , or if by this choice france may think that your lordships will induce his catholick majesty to agree to the unjust and impracticable conditions of france . the said subscribed envoy extraordinary hath several times declared , and now doth declare unto your lordships , that if your lordships shall continue to promote such a design , it will be wholly in vain , and of no effect , and the reasons which he hath already alledged , which concern this state , and the allies of his most catholick majesty , as may appear by their minister disapproving the late measures your lordships have taken . if then the perswasions of your lordships will be wholly ineffectual to cause his catholick majesty to consent to the proposals of france , as the said envoy extraordinary hath already declared , and now doth declare unto your lordships , how can your lordships then undertake to dispose of that which is not your own , the so doing belonging to him to whom it appertains , and who hath declared he will never agree to such conditions . if france think that your lordships may constrain his catholick majesty to comply with terms wholly inconsistent with his interest , which if it be done directly , it will leave this glorious example to posterity . that those arms which were first rais'd for the defence of the spanish netherlands , were afterwards instrumental in its oppression ; and if indirectly by withdrawing your troops , then this state will be the first that will feel the effects of such a resolution . and the said envoy most instantly prays your lordship to consider , that his catholick majesty is their friend , their allie , and their confederate , but not their pupil ; and , that if your lordships continue to treat your allies as they do , perhaps they wo'nt have one left , when they stand in need of many . his majesty could not worse resent the measures your lordships have taken , than by your granting france all that he pretends to ; for undoubtedly , if such a grant should take place , this state would be utterly lost without the future hope of a recovery . however , his catholick majesty taking to heart the liberty and welfare of this state , is content to hazard the rest of his dominions , ( he having lost the best part thereof ) and by his constancy and patience , will do what in him lies to hinder this state from sinking , which turbulent spirits endeavour to compass . the ministers of the high allies have sufficiently exposed to your lordships , of what importance luxemburg is to this state , and to the empire , and what consequences may follow to both if it be lost , with the disposition and readiness that there is to succour it : therefore , since that we are morally assured of its making a vigorous defence , as vienna has done , and that those troops which besiege it are not equal in number to those which besieged vienna , and those which may raise the siege are not at such a distance as those which relieved vienna ; i 'm sure the cause is as just , and we have the same god to confide in . in the name of god then , let us not delay to succour a place whose conservation imports christendom as much as vienna . london , printed for richard morris , at the sign of st. paul in holborn . . an account of the first voyages and discoveries made by the spaniards in america containing the most exact relation hitherto publish'd, of their unparallel'd cruelties on the indians, in the destruction of above forty millions of people : with the propositions offer'd to the king of spain to prevent the further ruin of the west-indies / by don bartholomew de las casas, bishop of chiapa, who was an eye-witness of their cruelties ; illustrated with cuts ; to which is added, the art of travelling, shewing how a man may dispose his travels to the best advantage. selections. english. casas, bartolomé de las, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing c estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : or : ) an account of the first voyages and discoveries made by the spaniards in america containing the most exact relation hitherto publish'd, of their unparallel'd cruelties on the indians, in the destruction of above forty millions of people : with the propositions offer'd to the king of spain to prevent the further ruin of the west-indies / by don bartholomew de las casas, bishop of chiapa, who was an eye-witness of their cruelties ; illustrated with cuts ; to which is added, the art of travelling, shewing how a man may dispose his travels to the best advantage. selections. english. casas, bartolomé de las, - . [ ], , p., [ ] leaves of double plates : ill. printed by j. darby for d. brown [and others], london : . abridged translations of six of the nine pamphlets published in and of l'art de voyager utilement. cf. bm. reproduction of original in british library. "the art of travelling to advantage": p. at end. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng indians, treatment of. slavery -- latin america. spain -- colonies -- america. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - derek lee sampled and proofread - derek lee text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an account of the first voyages and discoveries made by the spaniards in america . containing the most exact relation hitherto publish'd , of their unparallel'd cruelties on the indians , in the destruction of above forty millions of people . with the propositions offer'd to the king of spain , to prevent the further ruin of the west-indies . by don bartholomew de las casas , bishop of chiapa , who was an eye-witness of their cruelties . illustrated with cuts . to which is added , the art of travelling , shewing how a man may dispose his travels to the best advantage . london , printed by j. darby for d. brown at the black swan and bible without temple-bar , j. harris at the harrow in little britain , and andr. bell at the cross-kevs and bible in cornhil . m. dc.xc.ix . the contents . the introduction . page . a particular account of what the spaniards did in hispaniola . . of the kingdoms contain'd in the island of hispaniola . . of the islands of st. john and jamaica . . of the island of cuba . . of the continent . . of the province of nicaraqua . . of new spain . . a more particular account of new spain . . of the kingdom of guatimala . . of new spain ; of panuco and xalisco . . of the kingdom of yucatan . . of the province of st. martha . . of the province of carthagena . . of the pearl-coast , and the island of trinidado . . of the river yuya-pari . . of the kingdom of vencuela . . of the provinces of the continent call'd florida . . of the river de la plata , or silver river . . of the great kingdoms and provinces of peru. . a letter from frier mark de xlicia to the king ▪ of spain against the cruelties of the spaniards . . of the new kingdom of grenada . . a letter of bartholomew de las casas concerning the spanish cruelties in the well-indies . . a fragment of a letter relating to the same affair . . the bishop of chiapa's discourse to the king of spain in order to prevent the ruin of the west-indies . . his propositions concerning the title of the kings of spain to america . . a dispute between the bishop of chiapa and dr. sepulueda concerning the lawfulness of the wars made by the spaniards on the indians . the bp of chiapa's further sentiments of that affair . his reasons at large for subjecting the west-indies to the crown of spain , and thereby preventing the ravages of the spaniards there , &c. . newly publish'd , an inquiry concerning virtue , in two discourses : the first of virtue , and the belief of a deity ; the second , of th●● obligations to virtue . price bound in calf s. an argument , shewing that a standing army is inconsistent with a free government , and absolutely destructive to the libertie of this nation . in two parts . price d. a letter from the author of the argument against a standing army , to the author of the balancing letter . price d. the militia reform'd , or an easy scheme of furnishing england with a constant land-force , capable to prevent or to subdue any foren power , and to maintain perpetual quiet at home , without endangering the public liberty . price d. a letter to a member of parliament , shewing that a restraint o● the press is inconsistent with the protestant religion , and dangerous to the liberties of the nation . price d. a letter to his majesty king william concerning the expedients us'd by his predecessors to support the english monarchy . price d. some remarks on the providences of god to this nation during the four last reigns . the d edition . by slings by bethel , esq ; price bound d. discourses concerning government , by algernon sidney , son to robert earl of leicester , and ambassador from the common-wealth of england to charles gustavus king of sweden . published from an original manuscript of the author . price bound sixteen shillings . the preface . america was first discover'd by christopher columbus a genoese in the year , in the name of ferdinando king of arragon , but takes its name from americus vespucius a florentine , who discover'd the country of brezil five years after , by order of emanuel king of portugal . the europeans had no sooner enter'd on this vast continent , and the islands about it , but the natives shew'd 'em all imaginable kindness and respect , and were ready to worship 'em as gods ; but these soon took care to convince 'em of their error , and to deliver 'em from the danger of falling into this sort of idolatry , by treating 'em with all manner of cruelties , and tormenting 'em like so many devils : so that these barbarous people receiv'd as great a turn in their thoughts concerning the spaniards , as the barbarians of the island of melita did in respect of st. paul ; for as these believ'd him to be a god whom they had just before taken for a murderer , so the other really found them to be murderers , whom they had a little before esteem'd as so many gods. the following relation of the destruction of many millions of indians by all the inhuman methods the spaniards could invent , would appear incredible , were not the truth of it confess'd , and attested by the spaniards themselves , and among others , especially by don bartholomew de las casas bishop of chiapa , who made large complaints of these cruelties to the king of spain , and to the royal council for the indies , with a design to put a stop to 'em if possible . that he is a person of irreproachable credit in this case , will appear by the following account , wherein he challenges all the world to disprove the truth of the matters of fact he asserts , while he stood the test of a court who could easily have detected him , if he had attempted to impose on 'em by a malicious falshood . this bishop writes with such an air of honesty , sincerity , and charity , as would very well have become one of a better religion than that in which he had the unhappiness to be educated . it may well surprize the reader to hear a spanish prelat declaim so loudly against persecution , and plead so freely for liberty of conscience in a country subjugated to the inquisition . to hear him in his dispute against doctor sepulueda , decry all methods of violence for the propagation of the truth , as more sutable to the maxims of mahometism than the principles of christianity : to hear him assert the natural right of all mankind to liberty and property , and inveigh against all vsurpation and tyranny in the smartest terms , is enough to move any one's wonder , and pity too , when on the other hand 't is observ'd how much he magnifies the power and authority of the pope in some of his propositions contain'd in the following treatise . but all may serve to convince one how great an advantage or disadvantage a man has as he pleads the cause of truth or error ; and of the great difference there is between the genuin language of reason and good sense , and the servil prejudices of bigotry and superstition . 't is no less a subject of admiration that a book of this stamp , which reflects so sharply on persecution and tyranny , should see the light cum privilegio at this time of day in france , where the civil and religious liberty of subjects have not been provided for with the utmost care , where the will of the prince has long since been the law , and dragoons of late years the principal missionaries for the propagation of the gospel . this treatise was first compos'd in spanish in the beginning of the reign of charles v. and was long since translated and printed in more languages than one ; but having lately receiv'd a new dress in modern french at paris , 't is hop'd this translation from the french will not be unacceptable to the english nation . i 'm sure the above-mention'd principles of the bishop of chiapa concerning property and liberty both civil and religious , are more agreeable to the genius and constitution of this island , than to the present temper of that part of the continent which lies nearest to it ; and so this book may expect at least as favorable a reception in this nation as in that where it has been lately publish'd . what the bishop says here and there in favor of his own religion , is so weak , and has been so often exploded here and every where else where the reformation has obtain'd , that 't would be unnecessary to confute any of those popish fancies in this preface . 't is enough for me that i have faithfully discharg'd the part of a translator . and if some particular things occur more than once , it must be consider'd on the one hand , that the bishop had need to mention them on divers occasions , as when he disputed , and when he wrote his arguments for the use of the king of spain , &c. and on the other , that the importance of the affair , and the greatness of his zeal to have the grievances he complain'd of redress'd , made so deep an impression of some things on his mind that he could not forbear to repeat ' em . as for the translation it self , i hope those that shall have the curiosity to compare it with the french copy , will find that i have done it justice . and if there is not that exactness of method and stile the present age expects , it may be the better excus'd , when 't is consider'd how long since the original was compos'd . however , the extraordinary things contain'd in this history will make sufficient amends for any defects in the composition of the bishop of chiapa , and for the abrupt transitions sometimes us'd by the compiler of this treatise in putting the bishop's several pieces together , of which it almost wholly consists . i shall only add , that as no history in the world can parallel this for the inhuman slaughter of such vast numbers of people ; so these barbarities , together with the bloody croisades in the th and th centuries , as well as the many persecutions and massacres since the reformation , render it no difficult matter to discern to what church that prophetick character agrees , that in her was found not only the blood of prophets and of saints , but of all that were slain upon the earth . rev. . . the cruelties us'd by the ●●●niards on the indians pag. . pag. . pag. . . . . pag. . . . pag. . pag. . pag. . pag. . pag. . . . pag. . p. . . . pag. . p. . p. . . . p. . p. . . the spaniards cruelt 〈…〉 the indians &c p. . p. . p. . p. . p. . p. . a relation of the voyages and cruelties of the spaniards in the west-indies . the west-indies were discover'd in the year ; the year after the spaniards setled there , and inhabited this new world. but for the space of these years last past , an infinite number of people have left spain to dwell in these countries : they generally touch at hispaniola , which is a very fertile and large island , and is become very famous : the extent of it is above leagues ; 't is surrounded with a multitude of small islands , and abounds so with inhabitants , that there 's no country in the world more populous . the continent , which is above leagues distant from it , is of a vast extent ; a great part of which has been already discovered , and fresh discoveries are made every day : and such great numbers of people inhabit all these countries , that it seems as if providence had amass'd together the greatest part of mankind in this part of the world. all these people are naturally simple , they know not what belongs to policy and address , to trick and artifice ; but are very obedient and faithful to their rightful governors : they are humble , patient , and submissive , even to the spaniards who have subdued and enslav'd 'em : they love to live quietly , and are enemies to disputes and quarrels , hardly knowing what 't is to be malicious , and seldom meditating revenge . they are a weak effeminate people , not capable of enduring great fatigues ; they care not to be expos'd to toil and labour , and their life is of no long continuance ; their constitution is so nice , that a small fit of sickness carries 'em off . the children of their princes and nobility , are in all respects dealt with like those of the meanest subjects : in which they differ much from our europeans , among whom the children of kings and great men , are brought up with all the delicacy and tenderness imaginable . the people of this island are so very poor , that they live in the want of almost every thing ; they are very cool and indifferent in the pursuit of temporal advantages , and seem not to be inclin'd to pride and ambition ; their way of living is so frugal , that the antient hermites in the wilderness were scarce more sober and abstemious . all the indians in general go naked , only they have the modesty to wear a sort of apron about their waste . they sometimes use a kind of shaggy covering , or a piece of cloth an ell or two long : those of the best fashion lie on beds made with girts tyed in knots at the four corners : their apprehension is quick and subtile , therefore they are very docile , capable of receiving the impressions of sound doctrine , and easily inclin'd to embrace the principles of the catholick religion : they are no enemies to good manners , but have a greater disposition to civility than many other nations , because their manner of life is free from that care and distraction in which the perplexity of business involves others . the very first ideas and instructions that are given 'em of our religion , kindle in their souls so great a desire to the sacraments and divine service of our church , that those monks that instruct 'em , have need of a great deal of patience to moderate the impetuosity of their minds , and to answer all the questions they have the curiosity to ask . and it may truly be said that these indian nations would be the most happy in the world , if endued with the knowledg of the true god. the spaniards themselves who have treated 'em so ill , cannot but confess the goodness of their natural temper , and the great disposition of their minds to every kind of vertue . the almighty seems to have inspir'd these people with a meekness and softness of humour like that of lambs : and the spaniards who have given 'em so much trouble , and fallen upon 'em so fiercely , resemble savage tigers , wolves , and lions , when inrag'd with pressing hunger . they applied themselves forty years together wholly to the massacring the poor wretches that inhabited the islands ; putting them to all kinds of unheard of torments and punishments , ( a part of which cruelties exercised on these miserable indians we design to describe in the sequel of this work ) insomuch that this island which before the arrival of the europeans , contained about three millions of people , is now reduc'd to less than three hundred . the island of cuba , the length of which is equal to the distance between validolid and rome , is entirely desert and destitute of its inhabitants , and nothing but ruins now to be seen in it . the islands of st. john , and jamaica , have met with the like treatment , which were very fertile and populous , but are render'd desolate and waste by the like means . the islands near cuba and hispaniola on the north-side are sixty in number , which are commonly call'd the isles of giants , of which the least fruitful abounds more with plenty than the royal garden of seville ; but they are destitute of inhabitants , tho 't is as wholesom an air as men can breath in . when the spaniards first landed in these isles , there were above five hundred thousand souls ; they cut the throats of a great part of these , and carried away the rest by force to make 'em work in the mines of hispaniola . when some pious persons embarked to visit these isles after the ravage the spaniards had made in 'em , they found but eleven people left there : it was from the motives of charity and compassion they undertook this difficult and perilous voyage , in hope to instruct these poor creatures in the knowledg of jesus christ . above isles near that of st. john were entirely depopulated , tho of a vast extent , so that there is scarce an inhabitant to be found in them . as for the continent 't is certain , and what i my self know to be true , that the spaniards have ruined ten kingdoms there , bigger than all spain , by the commission of all sorts of barbarity and unheard of cruelties . they have driven away or kill'd all the inhabitants ; so that all these kingdoms are desolate to this day , and reduc'd to a most deplorable condition , tho this was formerly the best peopled country in the world. we dare assert , without fear of incurring the reproach of exaggerating , that in the space of those forty years in which the spaniards exercis'd their intolerable tyranny in this new world , they unjustly put to death above twelve millions of people , counting men , women , and children : and it may be affirm'd without injury to truth , upon a just calculation , that during this space of time , above fifty millions have died in these countries . the spaniards who invaded these isles , and boasted of their christianity , made use of two ways principally to exterminate the inhabitants : the first of which was by an unjust and bloody war carried on with the utmost barbarity and cruelty ; the other was that detestable policy which inspir'd them to massacre all that had any remains of liberty , or endeavour'd to shake off their tyrannical yoke , and to free themselves from so unjust and intolerable a slavery ; for this the bravest , most potent , and most warlike nations off the indians attempted . when the spaniards had kill'd all the men in the war , they suffer'd the women and children to live , but with the imposition of a yoke so cruel and insupportable , that their condition was rendred as miserable as that of beasts . a multitude of other particular methods were taken for the destruction of these poor americans , but they may be reduc'd in general to those two we have mentioned . the gold and silver these people had in their possession , was the motive that violently prompted the europeans to persecute and destroy ' em . the earnest desire they had of speedily enriching themselves , in order to procure such honour and dignity as far exceeded their condition , inspir'd 'em with all this inhumanity . in a word , their avarice and ambition were arriv'd to an excess beyond imagination ; the immense riches of the new world , the tractable , sweet , and good disposition of the indians , which render'd a descent into their country easy to any that would attempt it , have occasion'd all the ravage and spoil , all the horrid massacres and cruelties which the spaniards have caus'd 'em to suffer . they made so little account of the miserable inhabitants of these islands , that i may aver , without fear of being accus'd either of imposture , or of speaking inconsiderately , since 't is that of which i have been an eye-witness , that they valued them less , and treated them worse than beasts . they had so little regard to the salvation of their souls , that they would not give themselves the trouble so much as to speak of the christian faith and sacraments to those numberless multitudes of men and women whom they sacrific'd to their ambition and tyranny . and that which aggravates the enormity of their crimes , is , that these poor indians had offer'd 'em no injury , but on the contrary , gave 'em as much honour and respect as if they had been sent from heaven ; till they were wearied out with repeated outrages and massacres , and constrain'd to betake themselves to arms contrary to their inclination , and to repel force by force , to secure themselves from the horrible violences and insults of their enemies , who invented divers kinds of torments for them , with a barbarity beyond all description . a particular account of what the spaniards did in hispaniola . at this island the spaniards arriv'd in their first voyages , and here began to persecute and murder the indians , taking away their wives and children , and using 'em , or rather abusing 'em at their pleasure . they devour'd all that these poor creatures had amass'd together for their subsistence with a great deal of care and labour , not content with what they freely offer'd 'em as far as their poverty and the meanness of their condition would permit : for they are satisfied with what is of pure necessity , not troubling themselves with superfluities , or laying up great stores before hand . one spaniard would consume in a day , that which would have suffic'd three indian families of ten persons each , for the space of a whole month. this ill treatment and spoil soon made the inhabitants of this island lose the esteem they had conceiv'd of the spaniards , whom they at first look'd upon as messengers from heaven : so that at length they began to hide their wives and children , and whatever goods they had from ' em . some retired into caves , others fled up into the mountains to avoid meeting with the spaniards who now appear'd so terrible and cruel to ' em . the spaniards did not content themselves to beat 'em , and to offer 'em many other indignities , but cut their throats in cold blood : and without any respect either to age or quality , put their princes , and the governors of their cities to death : they came to that height of impudence and villany , that a spanish captain had the insolence to abuse the wife of the greatest king of the island . this vile fact drove 'em quite to despair , so that from that time they sought means of driving the spaniards out of their country ; they betook themselves to arms , and did what they could to defend themselves against these tyrants : but the weapons they us'd were neither capable of defending them , nor of offending their enemies to any purpose ; and were more like those that children use to play with , than such as are fit for souldiers to use in war. the spaniards , who were mounted on fine horses , and armed with lances and swords , look'd upon enemies so meanly equip'd with the greatest contempt , and committed the most horrible slaughters with impunity . they pass'd through the several cities and towns , sparing neither age nor sex , but kill'd women and children as well as men : they rip'd up women with child , that root and branch might be destroy'd together . they laid wagers one with another , who should cleave a man down with his sword most dexterously at one blow ; or who should take his head from his shoulders most cleverly ; or who should run a man through after the most artificial manner : they tore away children out of their mothers arms , and dash'd out their brains against the rocks ; others they threw into the river , diverting themselves with this brutish sport , and giving great shouts while they saw 'em in this misery : and to add insulting scoffs to their cruelty , advis'd 'em to struggle in the water , and try if they could save themselves from drowning . they held up the bodies of mothers and children together upon their lances : they set up gibbets , and hang'd up thirteen of these poor creatures in honour to jesus christ and his twelve apostles ( as they blasphemously express'd themselves ) : they kindled a great fire under these gibbets , to burn those they had hang'd upon 'em : they cut off the hands of those they sav'd alive , and sent 'em away in that miserable condition , bidding 'em carry the news of their calamities to those that were retir'd into the mountains to escape the spaniards . they erected a small scaffold , supported with forks and poles , upon which to execute their chiefs , and those of the most considerable quality among ' em . when they had laid 'em at length upon this scaffold , they kindled a gentle fire , to make 'em feel themselves die gradually , till the poor wretches after the most exquisite pain and anguish , attended with horrible screeches and outcries , at length expir'd . i one day saw four or five persons of the highest rank in this island burn'd after this manner . but the dreadful cries this torment extorted from 'em , incommoding a spanish captain ; and hindring his sleep , he commanded 'em to be presently strangled . but a certain officer whose name i know , and whose relations are well known at seville , put gags into their mouths to hinder 'em from making a noise , that he might not be depriv'd of the brutish pleasure of broiling them gently , till they breath'd out their souls in this torment . i have been an eye-witness of all these cruelties , and an infinite number of others which i pass over in silence . and because these poor people took all the care they could to hide themselves from a generation of men so barbarous and wicked as the spaniards , who had no sentiment of humanity , honour , or religion left , but acted as if they were made for nothing else but to destroy mankind ; to add further to their brutish cruelty , they taught dogs to go a hunting for these poor wretches , and to devour 'em as if they had been beasts . and because the indians after they had been provok'd with so many unheard of injuries , now and then kill'd one of them when they met with 'em stragling ; the spaniards made a law among themselves to massacre a hundred indians for every spaniard they should kill . of the kingdoms contain'd in the island of hispaniola . hispaniola contains five great kingdoms , the kings of which were very powerful , and govern'd all the other chiefs , whose number is very great : yet there are some independent countries which have their particular lords , and are not subject to any of those kings . one of these kings they call magua , which signifies a plain , his name being taken from the situation of his kingdom , which is extremely pleasant . this plain is leagues in extent from south to north , but is only five , eight , and sometimes ten leagues in breadth . 't is encompass'd on every side with high mountains ; 't is water'd with a great number of brooks and rivers , of which there are twelve that come not behind those famous rivers the ebre , the duere , and the guadalquivir for bigness . the rivers that water this plain , especially those falling down from a mountain that looks towards the west , abound with gold. this mountain bounds the province of cibao , where the mines bearing that name produce that pure gold of the fineness of carrats , so much talk'd of in europe . the soveraign of this kingdom was call'd guarionex ; he had under him such powerful subjects , that one of 'em could bring men into the field for the king's service . i knew some of these indian lords . this king was very submissive to the kings of spain , and express'd a great deal of affection to them . his humour was mild and peaceable ; and his soul capable of every vertue . he once order'd all his subjects to bring him each of 'em a great purse of gold ; but finding they were not in a condition to answer his requirement , he remitted half this tax . the inhabitants of this island have not the art of extracting gold out of the mines . this cacique voluntarily offer'd himself to the service of the king of spain , on condition the queen isabella would take care that those lands should be cultivated , which the spaniards inhabited at their first arrival in the indies , extending about the space of leagues towards st. domingo : for he said his subjects had no experience or skill to extract gold out of the mines . if this condition had been accepted , he would faithfully and joyfully have accomplished his promise , which would have been of vast advantage to the king of spain , who might have taken above three millions of gold every year out of these mines ; and consequently there might now have been fifty cities in this province as fine as seville . but what greateful acknowledgments did the spaniards return to the kind offers of this prince , who gave such proofs of his good-will to 'em , and sincere desire to serve ' em ? they cover'd him with shame and infamy , his wife was violated ( as has been said ) by a spanish captain , a wretch unworthy of the christian name . this prince might have waited for an opportunity to revenge himself of this outrage , but chose rather to retire and live in obscurity and exile in the province of one of his subjects , voluntarily abidicating his kingdom and government . the spaniards being inform'd of the place of his retreat , pursued him with the utmost fury , without giving him time to hide himself . they cruelly declar'd war against that indian lord that had given him sanctuary , and had receiv'd him with a becoming humanity and respect ; they ravag'd all his country , and never left off their cruelties till they had found and seiz'd this fugitive prince , whom they loaded with chains , and put on ship-board to be carried into spain as their prisoner . this vessel was cast away in the voyage , a great many spaniards drown'd , and an incredible sum of gold and silver lost : among the rest there was a prodigious lump of gold as big as a great loaf , which weighed crowns . thus did the vengeance of god meet with 'em for the enormous crimes they had committed in the indies . the second kingdom is called marien , where there is a fine port just at the end of the other kingdom on the north-side : this kingdom is larger than portugal , and more fruitful , and was stor'd with vast numbers of inhabitants ; there are divers mountains in it , and several mines abounding with gold and copper . the name of the king of this country was guacanagari , who had divers lords under his jurisdiction . 't was in this country that famous pilot who first discover'd america landed . guacanagari receiv'd him with all imaginable hospitality and civility ; he made the best entertainment he could for all the spaniards who accompanied him : when their ship was sunk , they were receiv'd at this prince's court as kindly as if they had been in the houses of their own natural relations : here they met with all manner of refreshments and recruits the country afforded , which were given 'em with great expressions of humanity and compassion on the account of their hardships . this king afterwards to secure himself from the barbarous usage of the spaniards , when they began to commit their massacres in his country , abandon'd his kingdom , and was forc'd to retreat into some of the remote mountains , where he died with the fatigues and inconveniencies to which he was expos'd . those indian lords that depended on him found no better treatment , but perish'd under that horrible slavery to which the spaniards had reduc'd ' em . maguana is the third kingdom of this island , and is an admirable country , both for health and fruitfulness . here is made the best sugar in america . caonabo was the king of it , who surpass'd all the other kings both in regard of his power , the riches of his kingdom , and the respect and ceremony with which he was honour'd . this prince not keeping on his guard , nor at all distrusting what tricks the spaniards design'd to play him , was surpriz'd in his own house by the artifices they had laid to insnare him . he was put in a ship to be carried into spain , and there were at the same time six vessels in the port ready to set sail , when all on a sudden there rose a horrible tempest , which batter'd the ships to pieces and sunk 'em , with all the spaniards that were on board . king caonabo loaded with chains perish'd , together with the vessel in which he was embarqu'd . the almighty was pleas'd to display his just and terrible judgment by this sudden storm , in destroying so many spaniards , and thereby punishing the crimes they had committed in abusing the poor indians . this king had three or four brothers , all of 'em valiant and couragious princes ; who being much provok'd at the unjust captivity of the king , their brother and soveraign , and inform'd of the ravage and massacres the spaniards had made in other neighbouring kingdoms , and after all hearing the news of the fatal end of their brother , betook themselves to arms , and sought means of revenging themselves on their enemies . the spaniards attack'd 'em with their cavalry , which is very formidable to the indians , whom they soon conquer'd , and made so prodigious a slaughter among 'em , that half the kingdom was depopulated and became desert after this defeat . xavagua is the fourth kingdom of hispaniola , and is as it were the heart and centre of all this island ; the language of it is the most refin'd and polite . the people of this kingdom are the most civiliz'd , and their manners more cultivated than those of other parts of the country : and there are a greater number of great lords and persons of quality among ' em . these people are better shap'd , and have a finer aspect than those of the other kingdoms . the king's name was behechio , he had a sister call'd anacaona ; both of 'em heap'd their favours on the spaniards when they landed in their country , and with a great deal of generosity sav'd 'em from death , which they could not otherwise have avoided : they left no stone unturn'd to shew themselves obliging to the kings of spain . after behechio's death his sister anacaona continued absolute mistress of the whole kingdom . one day the governor of the island , accompanied with horse and foot , sends a summons to about of the greatest lords of the country to attend his person . these few horsemen alone were able to have ravag'd and laid waste not only all this island , but even the whole continent , so defenceless were these poor people . the indian nobles , not at all suspecting any treacherous design , were by the governor's order brought into a house cover'd with straw , which he commanded to be set on fire , where they perish'd miserably . those of 'em who attempted to escape were pursued by the spanish troopers , and kill'd without mercy . they also kill'd a vast multitude of the common people , cutting 'em and running 'em through with their swords and lances . this same governor caus'd queen anacaona , who had the soveraign authority after the death of her brother ( as has been said ) to be hang'd , that he might disgrace the memory of that princess as much as he could by so vile and ignominious a death . if at any time a spaniard , either touch'd with the sentiments of compassion , or prompted with those of avarice , thought fit to spare one of these poor wretches for his own service ; another would come transported with rage , and fall upon him in his presence , and either run him through the body , or cut off his legs , so as to render him unserviceable . some of these indians who escap'd this massacre retir'd into an island not above eight leagues distant from this kingdom , to shelter themselves from the fury of the spaniards ; but these were condemned by the governor to perpetual slavery . the name of the fifth kingdom is hiquey : hiquanama the queen , who govern'd it , tho very much advanc'd in years and decrepit , was hang'd by order of the spaniards , who tormented an infinite number of the inhabitants of this kingdom by divers kinds of cruel punishments . some they burn'd alive , they cut off the arms and legs of others , and made slaves of the rest . there are so many things to be said of the ill treatment and cruelty the spaniards exercis'd against the people of this island , that 't is impossible to recount 'em all ; and if that could be done , the recital of 'em would appear incredible : and yet the indians gave the spaniards no occasion to engage in so barbarous a war against 'em , and to commit such violences upon 'em ; but one may truly say , these poor creatures liv'd in as great subjection and obedience to the spaniards , as the most submissive and obsequious order of monks do in the most regular and well-disciplin'd monastery ; so that there was no lawful occasion given 'em to rob those of their property , or condemn 'em to a rigorous slavery , who had found means of escaping their bloody massacres . 't is further to be observ'd , that the indians offer'd no affront to the spaniards when they first arriv'd in america : so that they had no colourable pretext for revenge , or the least right to punish 'em after so cruel a manner . as for those sins , the punishment of which god has reserv'd to himself , such as hatred , envy , the passionate desire of revenge , the spaniards had no occasion to reproach 'em on this account , since these people have scarce more strength and courage than children of ten years old . on the other side , the indians had a thousand just reasons to make war with the spaniards , tho these had no reasonable pretence to treat them as they did with a barbarity equal to that of the most savage and inhuman tyrants . after this unjust war was ended with the destruction and massacre of all the inhabitants of these countries , having reserv'd few besides the women and children , they divided these among themselves , some keeping of them , others , others , some , according to the interest they had in the tyrant of the island , whom they honour'd with the title of governor ; for 't was he that gave 'em these indians , on condition they would cause 'em to be instructed in the maxims of the catholick religion , tho the persons to whose care he committed 'em were the most ignorant , cruel , covetous , and vitious of all mankind . these ( as might well have been expected ) took no care to instruct 'em ; but confined the men to the mines to get out gold with incredible toil and labour ; they us'd the women for husbandry and tillage , tho this last was a labour hard enough for men of the most robust and vigorous constitution . they fed 'em only with herbs , or such like food , that had but little substance or nourishment in it : so that the milk dry'd up in the breasts of the women that gave suck , and their children in a little time pin'd away and dyed with faintness and hunger . the men having no conversation with the women , but dwelling in separate houses , there could be no farther propagation of children by ' em . thus at length the men perish'd in the mines with hunger and labour , the women dyed under the pressure of their servitude in the fields ; so that all the inhabitants of this populous island were exterminated in a short time . and indeed if the same course were taken every where else , all mankind would be destroy'd in the space of a few years . the spaniards oblig'd these poor creatures to carry burdens of fourscore or a hundred pound weight for a hundred or two hundred leagues . and that they might travel the more at ease , they would make these indians carry them in chairs and horse-litters on their shoulders : they us'd 'em like beasts of burden to carry their utensils , and what they pleas'd either for their profit or pleasure , so that the backs and shoulders of these poor slaves were black with bruises occasion'd by the great weight of their burdens . these incredible fatigues did not secure 'em from blows with cudgels and whips , accompanied with curses , nor from a great many other punishments . but 't would be endless to describe all the miserie 's these unfortunate people were made to suffer ; it would require whole volumes , and the reading of so deplorable a story would deeply affect and soften every mind not quite divested of humanity . it is to be observ'd that the destruction and desolation of these provinces began since the death of the most serene queen isabella , who departed this life in the year . before this time the spaniards never durst exercise their cruelties on the people of this island , nor destroy their country : if they offer'd 'em any violence , 't was as it were by stealth , and with great precaution . but after the death of this princess , the desolation became general . before this fatal time , they took great care to conceal whatever hardships they made these people endure , because the queen was marvellously zealous both to promote the instruction and salvation of the inhabitants of this new world , and to advance their temporal advantages ; and accordingly she gave us many examples of her piety and zeal . in whatever part of america the spaniards set their feet , they perpetrated the same abominable villanies and massacres , to oppress and exterminate these poor innocents . they seem'd to take pleasure in the invention of new kinds of torments , and their fury augmented every day more and more , till god almighty provok'd by so many horrid crimes , abandon'd 'em to a reprobate sense , and permitted 'em to fall as it were from deep to deep , and from one precipice to another . of the islands of st. john and jamaica . in the year the spaniards went into the islands of st. john and jamaica ( which resemble delicious gardens ) with the same intentions and designs they had carried on in the island of hispaniola . here they committed a world of robberies and cruelties , just as they had done in other places where-ever they came . the marks of their devastations and murders were every where to be seen . they laid all places desolate where they arriv'd , exposing men to the mercy of beasts . and after having inflicted all sorts of torments on 'em , put 'em in the mines to work like slaves as long as they liv'd . they entirely depopulated these countries , so that in these two islands , where there were computed to have been above . inhabitants before their arrival , there are scarce now to be found : the rest being all destroy'd with misery and hardship , and that without having any pains taken with 'em to instruct 'em in our religion , or to administer the sacraments to ' em . of the island of cuba . the spaniards pass'd into the island of cuba in the year , which contains as much ground in length as from vallidolid to rome . there were formerly fine and flourishing provinces to be seen , fill'd with vast numbers of people , who met with no milder or kinder treatment from the spaniards than the rest . on the contrary , they seem'd to have redoubled their cruelty upon those people . there happen'd divers things in this island that deserve to be remark'd . a rich and potent cacique nam'd hathuey was retir'd into the isle of cuba , to avoid that slavery and death with which the spaniards menac'd him : and being inform'd that his persecutors were upon the point of landing in this island , he assembled all his subjects and domesticks together , and made a speech to 'em after this manner . you know ( said he ) the report that is spread abroad , that the spaniards are ready to invade this island ; and you are not ignorant of the ill vsage our friends and country-men have met with at their hands , and the cruelties they have committed at hayci ( so hispaniola is called in their language ) they are now coming hither with a design to exercise the same outrages and persecutions upon us . are you ignorant ( says he ) of the ill intentions of the people of whom i am speaking ? we know not ( say they all with one voice ) upon what account they come hither , but we know they are a very wicked and cruel people . i 'll tell you then ( reply'd the cacique ) that these europeans worship a very covetous sort of god , so that 't is difficult to satisfy him ; and to perform the worship they render to this idol , they 'll exact immense treasures of us , and will use their utmost endeavour to reduce us to a miserable state of slavery , or else to put us to death . upon which he took a box full of gold and valuable jewels which he had with him , and exposing it to their view : here is ( says he ) the god of the spaniards , whom we must honour with our sports and dances , to see if we can appease him , and render him propitious to us ; that so he may command the spaniards not to offer us any injury . they all applauded this speech , and fell a leaping and dancing round the box , till they had quite tired and spent themselves . after which the cacique hathucy resuming his discourse , continued to speak to them in these terms : if we keep this god ( says he ) till he 's taken away from us , he 'll certainly cause our lives to be taken from us ; and therefore i am of opinion 't will be the best way to cast him into the river . they all approv'd of this advice , and went all together with one accord to throw this pretended god into the river . the spaniards were no sooner arriv'd in the isle of cuba , but this cacyque who knew 'em too well , began to think of retreating , to secure himself from their fury , and resolv'd to defend himself by force of arms , if he should happen to meet with them ; but he unfortunately fell into their hands : and because he had taken all the precautions he could to avoid the persecutions of so cruel and impious a people , and had taken arms to defend his own life , as well as the lives of his subjects ; this was made a capital crime in him , for which he was burn'd alive . while he was in the midst of the flames , tied to a stake , a certain franciscan frier of great piety and vertue , took upon him to speak to him of god and our religion , and to explain to him some articles of the catholick faith , of which he had never heard a word before , promising him eternal life , if he would believe , and threatning him with eternal torment , if he continued obstinate in his infidelity . hathuey reflecting on the matter , as much as the place and condition in which he was would permit , ask'd the frier that instructed him , whether the gate of heaven was open to the spaniards ; and being answer'd that such of 'em as were good men might hope for entrance there : the cacyque , without any farther deliberation , told him , he had no mind to go to heaven , for fear of meeting with such cruel and wicked company as they were ; but would much rather choose to go to hell , where he might be deliver'd from the troublesom sight of such kind of people : to so great a degree have the wicked actions and cruelties of the spaniards dishonor'd god and his religion in the minds of the americans . one day there came to us a great number of the inhabitants of a famous city , situate above leagues from the place where we lodg'd , to complement us , and bring us all sorts of provisions and refreshments , which they presented us with great marks of joy , caressing us after the most obliging manner they could . but that evil spirit that possess'd the spaniards put 'em into such a sudden fury against 'em , that they fell upon 'em and massacred above of 'em , both men and women , upon the spot , without having receiv'd the least offence or provocation from ' em . i was an eye-witness of this barbarity ; and whatever endeavours were us'd to appease these inhuman creatures , 't was impossible to reduce 'em to reason ; so resolutely were they bent to satiate their brutal rage by this barbarous action . soon after this i sent messengers to the most noted indians of the province of havane , to encourage and engage 'em to continue in their country , and not to trouble themselves to seek remote places to hide in , and advis'd 'em to come to us with assurance of our protection . they knew well enough what authority i had over the spaniards , and i gave 'em my word , no injury should be offer'd 'em : for the past cruelties and massacres their country-men had suffer'd , had spread fear and terror through all the country ; and this assurance i gave 'em was with the consent and advice of the captains and other officers . when we enter'd into this province , two and twenty of their chiefs came to us , and the very next morning the commander of our troops , without any regard to the promise that had been made 'em , would needs sentence 'em to be burnt , pretending 't was best to put these people to death , because they might one time or other use some stratagem to surprize and destroy us : and i had all the difficulty in the world to prevent 'em from throwing 'em into the fire . the indians of havane seeing themselves reduc'd to a state of severe slavery , and that there was no remedy left , but they were irrecoverably undone , began to seek refuge in the deserts and mountains , to secure themselves if possible from death : some strangled themselves in despair ; parents hang'd themselves , together with their children , to put the speedier end to their miseries by death . above two hundred indians perish'd here after this manner , to avoid the cruelty of the spaniards ; and abundance of them afterwards voluntarily condemn'd themselves to this kind of death , hoping thus in a moment to put a period to the miseries their persecutors inflicted on ' em . a certain spaniard who had the title of soveraign in this island , and had three hundred indians in his service , destroy'd a hundred and sixty of 'em in less than three months , by the excessive labour he continually exacted of ' em . the recruits he took to fill up their places were destroy'd after the same manner ; and he would in a short time have unpeopled the whole island , if death , which took him out of the way very happily for those poor wretches , had not shelter'd 'em from his cruelties . i saw with with my own eyes above six thousand children die in the space of three or four months , their parents being forc'd to abandon 'em , being condemn'd to the mines . after this the spaniards took up a resolution to pursue those indians that were retir'd into the mountains , and massacred multitudes of 'em ; so that this island was depopulated and laid waste in a very little time . and 't is a most lamentable spectacle to see so fine a country thus miserably ruin'd and unpeopled . of the continent . in the year , a merciless governor , destitute of the least sentiment of pity or humanity , who was deservedly accounted a barbarous tyrant , and cruel instrument of the wrath of god , pierc'd into the continent , being follow'd by a great many spaniards , all animated with the spirit , and pursuing the designs of their leader . tho some of his stamp had enter'd the continent before him , and had kill'd a great many people , yet they had only exercis'd their robberies and cruelties on the sea-coasts . but he of whom i am now speaking , surpass'd all his predecessors in cruelty and impiety . he was not content to ravage the sea-coasts , but laid waste great kingdoms and vast countries , and destroy'd an infinite number of indians in the gross darkness of their idolatry . he run through above fifty leagues of the finest country in the world , and carried desolation with him where-ever he went , ruining in a little time the most pleasant and fruitful country in the west-indies . there were before the arrival of this tyrant , abundance of villages , towns and cities , that excell'd those of all the neighbouring countries . this country abounds more in gold than any yet discover'd . the immense riches that have fill'd spain since she has traded to the indies , have been chiefly drawn out of the mines of the country of which i am now speaking . the governor of this new world invented various kinds of torments to constrain the inhabitants to give him all the gold they had heap'd together . in one progress which some of his captains made by his order to pillage and rob the people of their riches , they put above forty thousand of 'em to the sword ; others they burnt , others they expos'd to be devour'd by dogs , and the rest they destroy'd with divers other kinds of cruel punishments . the wretched ignorance of those that have been sent to govern the indies , has occasion'd a great many mischiefs and disorders , and hinder'd the conversion of the indians : for what they endeavour'd to perswade 'em by their words , was contradicted by their actions ; and the sentiments of their minds were no ways conformable to the pretensions of their tongues . they commanded the indians to embrace the christian religion upon pain of death , they menac'd 'em with cruel slavery , or the most exquisite tortures , to force 'em to turn christians , or to swear allegiance to the king of spain : as if the son of god , who dy'd for the redemption of men , had ordain'd those whom he sent to preach the gospel , and to declare the kingdom of god , to constrain people that liv'd peaceably in their own country , to make profession of his doctrine , on pain of being plunder'd of their goods , of being separated from their wives and children , of losing their liberty , and of being condemn'd to a cruel death , without having ever been instructed in the maxims and principles of our religion . and the poor creatures must be oblig'd to render an exact obedience to a king they had never seen or heard of , till they were inform'd of him by these messengers of his that treated 'em so inhumanly . this bloody and impious governor , urg'd with the insatiable desire of heaping up treasure , pillaged the indians that dwelt both in the villages and cities with impunity , while they little thought of securing themselves against his robberies . he order'd his souldiers to go privately to the places where they suspected any gold was to be found , and to declare his orders to the inhabitants of this new world after the following manner . caciques and indians of this continent , we are come to declare to you that there is but one god , one pope , and one king of spain , who is lord and master of the country you inhabit ; we therefore require you to come immediately and take the oath of allegiance to him . after such kind of preambles as these , they would choose the night to fall suddenly upon these poor wretches , when laid fast asleep , without having taken any measures to secure themselves from the artifices of their enemies , who would set fire to their houses , which being thatch'd with reeds and straw , were burnt to ashes in an instant . the women and children were devour'd by the flames almost before they had time to consider where they were . they massacred such as made a shift to escape the fire , or kept 'em for slaves ; they used tortures to force 'em to tell where they had hid their gold. they printed marks on their bodies with red hot branding-irons ; and after all these cruelties , us'd their utmost diligence to make a strict search for the gold of these miserable people , of which they got vast quantities together , besides pearls and diamonds , which the indians gave 'em to avoid their fury . all the spaniards who had any office or place of trust , committed the same rapine ; every one sent as many souldiers as he could to make their progresses , and ravage all the country . the first bishop that was sent into america , imitated the conduct of these covetous governors , and made use of his servants to procure himself a share of the spoil . the spaniards in a little time carried away above three millions out of this kingdom ; of which vast sum the king of spain had scarce crowns for his share . here were above people slaughter'd ; and the succeeding governors continued the like massacres till they had destroy'd the rest of the natives . i must not pass over in silence one action committed in this country by the governor , of whom i have been speaking . a cacique , whether voluntarily or out of fear i know not , gave him the weight of crowns in gold : this great sum not contenting the spaniards , they tied this unhappy prince to a stake , and setting fire to his feet , endeavour'd by this means to extort a greater quantity from him . this torment being intolerable to him , he gave 'em the weight of crowns of gold more , which he had reserv'd ; upon this they renew'd their tortures , to get still more out of him : but whether he had no more to give 'em , or whether he was resolv'd they should exact no more of him , he expir'd amidst their tortures . they put to death many of the most considerable persons of this kingdom after the same cruel manner . a company of spaniards happening to light on a body of indians that had retreated into the mountains , to avoid the tyranny of their persecutors , in a great rage fell upon the poor wretches , and killing all the men they could catch , carried away three or fourscore women prisoners . the indians that escap'd being highly incens'd , came in arms to attack the spaniards , to try if they could oblige 'em to let go their prey : these seeing the indians draw near 'em , and being unwilling to surrender the booty they had taken , stab'd the women and maids in the presence of their husbands and fathers , who were seiz'd with horror and despair at the sight of so lamentable a tragedy ; and smiting their breasts , cry'd out , o merciless men ! o cruel spaniards ! who can murder poor women that never offended you without pity ! and indeed they must be more savage and bloody than beasts of prey , who can be capable of such brutish actions as these . one of the greatest lords of this country , whose name was paris , had a house about ten or fifteen leagues distance from panama ; he was very rich , having a great quantity of gold in his possession . when the spaniards came to his house , he receiv'd 'em with as much kindness and civility as if they had been his relations . he frankly gave the captain the value of crowns : this captain , and the spaniards that accompanied him , concluded that this indian must needs have immense treasures , from the parcel of gold he had given 'em ; and since they had undertaken this journey on purpose to rob him , to make the more sure of succeeding in their design , they pretended they would be gone , and accordingly took their leave of him , but return'd in the middle of the night , and rushing into the city unexpectedly , they set it on fire , and destroy'd abundance of the citizens in the flames , and carried away thence or crowns . a person of the most considerable quality of any in this city escap'd the fury of this fire ; and after a respite of three or four days , having got as many men together as he could , fell upon the spaniards by surprize , kill'd about fifty of 'em , and retook all the spoil of the city which they had burnt , and particularly the value of crowns , of which they had plunder'd him : the rest of the spaniards made the best of their way and escap'd , but not without a great many wounds . soon after this they return'd with a greater force to attack this cacique , and destroy'd the greatest part of his troops , making slaves of the rest . of the province of nicaraqua . in the year , the forementioned governor undertook to subdue the province of nicaraqua . the great fertility of this country , the goodness of the air , and the vast number of the inhabitants cannot be sufficiently express'd . there were cities in this province four leagues in length . the great quantities of excellent fruits that grow there , drew together those great multitudes of people . these cities being situate in vast plains , the people had no mountains near in which to hide themselves ; besides , the climat is so sweet , and the country so agreeable , that the inhabitants could not easily resolve to quit it , and consequently were the more expos'd to the outrages and persecutions of the spaniards ; yet they suffer'd all with as much patience as was possible , that they might not be oblig'd to change their dwelling . and tho these people are naturally of a mild and peaceable temper , the governor , or rather the tyrant , with the ministers of his cruelty , resolv'd to treat the indians of this province after the same manner he had done those of other kingdoms . here he committed so many enormities , such robberies and massacres , that 't is impossible for any pen to relate 'em all . he sent troopers into this province , which is bigger than the country of rousillon , who massacred almost all the inhabitants , without any regard to age , sex or quality . if these poor creatures fail'd to bring 'em a certain measure of corn which they exacted of 'em , or did not send into their service such a number of slaves as they demanded , they kill'd 'em without mercy . and this being a plain country ( as has been said ) there was no place to shelter 'em from the spanish horse , who pursu'd 'em with the utmost fury . the general permitted these villains to commit all the insolencies and robberies they pleas'd , and to take as great a number of prisoners as they desir'd . these they sometimes loaded with chains of sixty or eighty pound weight ; so that of captives , scarce six were able to endure this fatigue , the rest all dy'd by the way under the intolerable weight of their fetters . that they might not have the trouble to open the chains of such as dy'd with hunger , thirst , weariness and toil , they cut off their heads . when the indians saw the spaniards prepare for these kind of journeys , well knowing they were never likely to see their friends and country-men any more , they , with many deep sighs and groans , and floods of tears , utter'd their complaints after this manner . time was ( say they ) when we have travell'd these journeys to serve the christians , and have been suffer'd after a certain space of time to return home to our wives and children , but now there is no hope of any such return ; and this separation must be for ever . one day a fancy came into the governors head , to make a new distribution of the indians ; he took 'em away from those for whom he had no kindness , and gave a greater number to those he respected . this chopping and changing of slaves occasion'd a great scarcity for one year , there being but a very small crop on the ground . the spaniards endeavour'd to supply this defect by taking from the indians all the corn and other provisions which they had laid up in store for the subsistence of their families . this disorder produc'd a famin among 'em , which destroy'd above thirty thousand people . there was one woman so intolerably press'd with hunger , that she kill'd her child to appease her appetite . all the cities and fields round 'em are like pleasant gardens , which the spaniards cultivated according to the share each one had assign'd him by lot : and to save their own revenues , they fed upon the stores that belong'd to the indians , and liv'd at their charge , devouring in a few days what these poor people had been a long time getting together with a great deal of care and toil. there was no spaniard but had an estate of his own , and kept abundance of indians in his house to manure his land , and to do other domestick business : and none of these were exempted from slavery , their nobles , their women and children were made to work day and night for the advantage of the spaniards , who exacted tasks of 'em quite beyond their strength , and miserably wore 'em out with excess of labour and hardship . they drove 'em out of their houses , and took possession of 'em ; they seiz'd their goods and lands , and instantly consum'd their provisions , thus reducing 'em to extreme necessity . many of 'em dy'd under the heavy burdens they oblig'd 'em to carry on their shoulders as far as the port , which was above leagues ; for hither they made 'em bring planks and pieces of timber for the building of vessels . they forc'd 'em to go and seek for honey and wax in the mountains , where they were devour'd by tygers : women big with child were not exempted from these hard services , and often perish'd together with their fruit , under the pressure of this rigorous slavery . that which contributed yet farther to unpeople this province , was the liberty the spaniards took to exact of the caciques , and richest indians , a great number of slaves . this kind of tribute was authoriz'd by the governor , and levied with a great deal of severity ; for he threaten'd to burn 'em alive if they fail'd to send him a recruit of fifty slaves every three months , or as often as he should give order : tho the indians have no great number of slaves ordinarily , and 't is much if a cacique has three or four among his other domesticks . if a father had two children , the spaniards would take away one of them , or two if he had three : the parents must submit , with how great reluctancy soever ; but their children were not ravish'd from 'em without abundance of tears and dolorous complaints ; for they have a very tender affection to their off-spring , and breed 'em up with abundance of care. this kind of tribute being often extorted , all this kingdom was in a few years depopulated . there arriv'd five or six ships here every year , which were laden with slaves , whom they transported into peru and panama , and there sold 'em , where they died in a little time ; for it has been confirm'd by many experiments , that those indians that are transported from their native country into other climats , seldom live long : and that which contributed to kill 'em the sooner , was the neglect of supplying 'em with sufficient sustenance , and the excessive labour with which they were over-charg'd . in the space of a few years there were above slaves drawn out of this province , tho they were all burn free : and during the war that was made against 'em , there dy'd about fifty or sixty thousand besides these : the rest were condemn'd to cruel slavery , in which a considerable number dy'd every day . there are about four or five thousand people still to be found in this province ; but it was once one of the best peopled countries in all america : and in a little time in all appearance the rest will be destroy'd by the ill treatment they continually suffer . of new spain . new spain was discover'd in the year , and the year following the spaniards began to ravage it , and to massacre the inhabitants , tho they pretend to go out of europe to people this country . their violences and oppressions arriv'd to such a height , that they had no regard either to god or the king , but forgot both that they were men and christians . since they came into this country , there has been nothing but rapine and spoil , massacres , and buring of cities , nothing but tyranny and violence ; so that they have in a short time depopulated and ruined vast kingdoms from one end to t'other . the remembrance of the villanies and cruelties committed there , has cast such a terror into the minds of the natives , that they can't think of a spaniard without trembling . they have not yet left off tormenting 'em ; on the contrary they rather grow worse and worse , and their persecutions augment every year . the spaniards since they first enter'd into new spain have destroy'd by violent deaths in and about mexico . this country contains four or five kingdoms , that come not short of the kingdom of spain for extent , fertility , and plenty of all things : here were cities to be seen more populous than toledo , seville , vallidolid , saragossa , or barcelona ; for tho all these cities are well stor'd with inhabitants , those of the new world are yet more populous . the country of which i am now treating is above leagues in compass . here the spaniards have kill'd above four millions of people by fire and sword , and other violent deaths , both men , women and children , within the space of leagues . they call the countries they have got by their unjust and cruel wars , their conquests , into which they enter'd with the bloody design of exterminating the inhabitants , and behav'd themselves worse than turks , or the greatest enemies of the christian name would have done . i don't now reckon in the number of those they have kill'd , such as have perish'd in slavery , or dy'd under the hardships of their tyrannical oppressions . no tongue is capable of describing to the life all the horrid villanies perpetrated by these bloody-minded men. they seem to be the declar'd enemies of mankind , and act as if they were destin'd to destroy the whole human race : and how accuratly soever one endeavours to relate the cruelties and ravages of the spaniards , the thousandth part of it cannot be utter'd . a more particular account of new spain . in the flourishing and famous city of cholula , which contain'd more than thirty thousand families , the principal inhabitants , together with the priests , led by him whom they look'd upon as their high-priest , came with abundance of solemnity and pomp to meet the spaniards ; and that they might receive 'em with the greater honour and respect , they had order'd matters so amongst themselves , that those of the highest quality in the city should conduct the spaniards to their houses , and give 'em the best entertainment they could . notwithstanding this , the spaniards resolv'd upon the spot to make a horrible slaughter of 'em , thereby to render themselves the more formidable , and to spread terror through all the country . and this method they us'd to observe in every country through which they pass'd , viz. to make a great massacre at their first arrival , that the people , who are as meek as sheep , might not look upon 'em without dread . they deputed some to go and treat with the chief men of the city , and places adjacent , to engage 'em to come and meet 'em , that they might confer together . these were no sooner come to 'em , but they put 'em in chains , while the inhabitants of the city knew nothing of this treachery . they demanded indians of 'em to carry their baggage , their utensils and provisions : when they were come , they shut 'em up in divers yards , and 't was a miserable spectacle to see the poor wretches prepare to carry the burdens they were to lay upon ' em . they were almost stark naked , and stoop'd down prostrating themselves upon the ground , submitting like sheep to the blows and wounds these tyrants gave ' em . when they were all thus pounded in several courts or yards , part of the spaniards arm'd with lances and pikes fill'd up the avenues to hinder the indians from escaping , while the rest put 'em to the sword ; so that none of these escap'd . two or three days after they found some of them among the carcases all cover'd with wounds and blood , that had been left for dead ; these cry'd for mercy , and beg'd they might be suffer'd to live ; but these bloody men were not at all soften'd by their groans and tears , and the submissive manner in which they ask'd their lives , but cut 'em in pieces upon the spot with a kind of nameless cruelty . above a hundred of the principal indians of this place were put in irons , and kept alive as yet : but the commander of the spaniards order'd stakes to be fix'd in the ground , and these unhappy people to be fasten'd to 'em and burnt . the king of the country happen'd to make his escape , and retir'd into a temple with thirty or forty attending him , hoping to find sanctuary there : here he defended himself for a whole day . but the spaniards , who never gave quarter to any one whom they found in arms , set fire to the temple , and burnt all that were in it . they cry'd out of the midst of the flames : o vile and cruel men ! what hurt have we done you , that you should kill us after this manner ? be gone , be gone to mexico , where our king monteçuma will punish you according to your deserts . 't is said the spanish commander was at play during this tragedy ; and that when the flames had quite consum'd these poor indians , in a transport of barbarous joy , shall i say ? or fury , he utter'd these words : nero , says he , beholding from mount tarpeius the flames that laid rome in ashes , heard the cries of his citizens without any emotion of compassion . the spaniards made another great massacre in the city of tepeaca , which is a yet finer and larger city than the former , and comprehends in it a greater number of houses . here they kill'd a multitude of the inhabitants with their lances and swords . they afterwards went to mexico , where king monteçuma accompanied with his nobles , and those of the most distinguished rank in his court , entertain'd the spaniards with all sorts of divertisements , to testify how mightily they were pleas'd with their arrival . the king's brother came to meet 'em with a splendid retinue ; he made 'em noble presents in gold and silver , and gave 'em rich stuffs painted with divers colours : the king himself receiv'd 'em at the entrance of the city with all his court , being carried upon a golden frame , or chair of state , and conducted 'em to the palace that was provided for ' em . but the same day they seiz'd this unfortunate prince , who thought of nothing less , and posted fourscore souldiers to guard him , having loaded him with a heavy chain . this action put all the indians in a consternation and fear . but to augment their terror , they contriv'd to signalize their cruelty by some memorable action . all the nobility of the city was engag'd in representing plays and shows , and in dancing round the place where their king was imprison'd , to allay the troubles of his mind during his captivity ; in these plays they expos'd to view all their riches and magnificence . these were the demonstrations of their joy , and of the desire they had to please the spaniards . the nobles and princes of the blood , according to their several degrees , were employ'd in these plays and dances ( as i have said ) round about their prince's prison ; so that there were about the palace two thousands young men that were the very flower of the whole kingdom , and the pride and glory of the court of king monteçuma : while they were thus engag'd , the commander of the spaniards with one of his troops came to fall upon ' em . he had sent the rest of his souldiers into the other quarters of the city , where the people were using the like divertisements , ordering 'em to seem to join in with these indian sports , as if they were mightily pleas'd with 'em , but withal giving 'em a word to put these dancers at a certain time to the sword. accordingly they fell upon 'em , pronouncing the word st. james , which was the signal for massacring these poor naked indians , that were in no condition to defend themselves from souldiers arm'd with swords and lances : with these they made large wounds in the tender bodies of the young noblemen of mexico , who were all massacred , and not so much as one of 'em escap'd . the indians in the other parts of the city were seiz'd with so much horror and trouble , that they knew not where to seek for shelter to secure themselves from the fury of these cut-throats , whom they loaded with a thousand curses . since this time they don't forget to celebrate the memory of this barbarous action with their sighs and tears , and have put this day in the rank of their most unfortunate ones , since in it they lost in a moment the most illustrious nobility of the whole kingdom . the indians who had suffer'd the imprisonment of their king with so much patience , hearing of the massacre of so many young noblemen , could not but express their detestation of this so bloody and wicked a fact , and took up arms to revenge themselves : and tho monteçuma had forbidden 'em to offer the spaniards any violence , they attack'd 'em vigorously , and kill'd divers of 'em , and the rest were constrained to retreat . the spaniards put a dagger to their prince's breast , and shew'd him in this posture to his subjects through a window , hoping the sight of it would oblige 'em to lay down their arms , which the prince himself likewise commanded them to do ; but they were too much provok'd now to obey even his orders . they chose one to head 'em , and having put all their troops under his command , attack'd the spaniards so furiously , and fought with so much obstinacy , that these concluding they were not able to withstand 'em , left the city , and retreated in the middle of the night ; which the indians perceiving , pursu'd 'em , and kill'd a great number of 'em as they pass'd the rivers . however the spaniards return'd soon after with a greater strength , and assaulted and took the city , in which they made a horrible slaughter , and burnt those indians that were of greatest note . after they had committed all this cruelty and spoil in the city of mexico , they carried desolation with them into the province of panuco , which is not above twenty leagues distant from it , and here exercised their ordinary barbarity . this province was mightily stock'd with people : but since the arrival of the spaniards , the greatest part of 'em has been cut off . the province of tute-peca , and that of colima underwent the same fate ; each of which provinces is as big as the kingdoms of leon and castile . 't is to be observ'd that the spaniards invaded these provinces only to plunder and inslave the inhabitants . one of the first things they did was to oblige 'em to take the oath of allegiance to the king of spain ; which if they refus'd to do , they were presently massacred , or made slaves . they declar'd those of 'em rebels who came not to meet the spaniards , and to submit to their unjust and cruel orders . those of the highest rank among the indians were accus'd of this crime , and this was improv'd against 'em to the king of spain , without considering that 't is a plain rule in law , that none can be term'd rebels but subjects that are revolted from their prince . there 's no good christian will make any difficulty to conclude , that such missionaries as the spaniards have not the qualifications necessary to insinuate the maxims of our religion into these people , who are naturally free , and know not how to bear the haughtiness and insolence with which they have been treated : for they are peremptorily told , you must without any more ado submit to the obedience of a foreign prince , whom you never saw nor heard of ; and if you refuse so to do , we 'll cut you in pieces ; and this no sooner said but done . but that which is more unaccountable is , that those who yield a blind obedience to all they command 'em , are no better treated than the others ; for they are made miserable slaves , they exact intolerable tasks of 'em , and condemn 'em to all sorts of torments : so that whole provinces , both men , women and children , are destroy'd in a short time : nay , those whom they kill outright are the happier sort , as having an end put to their miseries in a moment . but when they are forc'd by menaces to promise fidelity and obedience to a foreign prince , can it be pretended they are oblig'd to it in conscience , when this suppos'd duty is neither founded on the laws of god , nor those of nations ? besides , the threatnings that are made 'em are capable of terrifying men of the greatest courage and resolution ; wherefore all the promises obtain'd by such menaces have no value nor obliging force . i pass over in silence the affronts , the insults and injuries that were offer'd the king of mexico . in a word , they have violated all the laws of nations , and infinitely wrong'd and abus'd the poor indians . this is all the service the spaniards have done these people . the governor of this new world , supported by his imaginary titles , sent two captains , scarce inferior to himself in impiety aad cruelty , into the kingdoms of guatimala , which are situate towards the south : they pierc'd as far as the kingdoms of naco and gaymura , which extend northward for the space of about leagues ; these kingdoms border upon that of mexico . these captains travell'd both by sea and land , accompanied with a good party of horse , and a considerable number of foot. the captain whose lot it was to travel into guatimala , did a world of mischief there ( the other soon dying ) he carried desolation with him every where , and fill'd this kingdom with blood and ruin , to render the spaniards formidable even to future generations . i am of opinion , that the mischief this captain did here surpass'd whatever the europeans had done before in the new world. he went by sea , and carried sword and fire throughout all the coasts . some of the inhabitants of the kingdom of yucatan , which is in the way to the kingdoms of naco and gaymura , made him magnificent presents : yet as soon as he had enter'd their country , he sent his souldiers into every part of it , who committed horrible spoil , and massacred an infinite number of these poor people . a furious spaniard at the head of men , enter'd the country adjoining to guatimala , set fire to all their cities , and cut the throats of all the inhabitants , without giving any quarter : he carried away what booty he could , and continued to pillage the country for the space of sixscore leagues . this captain had rebell'd , and revolted against his general ; and his design in ruining the country after this manner was to put the spaniards out of a condition to pursue him , by preventing their finding subsistence in a country thus ruin'd , and by exposing 'em to the fury of the indians , who would omit nothing to revenge upon 'em the injuries and mischiefs they had receiv'd from their companions , which fell out accordingly : for the spanish general attempting to pursue this rebel , was kill'd by the indians . those that succeeded him exercised all manner of cruelties on 'em , and reduc'd almost all of 'em to slavery , after they had spoil'd 'em of all their goods , provisions , clothes , corn , wine and other necessaries of life . the provinces of naco and hondure , which were like gardens of pleasure , were turn'd into melancholy deserts , altho this country was very full of people . 't is impossible to reflect on these things without being sensibly touch'd and soften'd into compassion , tho one were naturally of an obdurate and sowr temper . they kill'd two millions of people in this country in less than ten years ; so that there are scarce two thousand left in all the vast extent of it ; and these are groaning under a heavy yoke of bondage . when they propos'd to 'em to take the oath of allegiance to the king of spain , they would give 'em no time to deliberate ; they must immediately obey , or else die by fire or sword. of the kingdom of guatimala . the spaniards signaliz'd their entrance into this kingdom by divers massacres , tho the king came to meet 'em in his chair of state supported by his slaves , follow'd by a great number of his lords , and with trumpets and drums before him , to give the greater testimony of joy ; he shew'd 'em all the courtesy and civility in the world , manifested a great deal of kindness in readily supplying 'em with plenty of provisions , and gave 'em whatever they could reasonably desire . the spaniards lodg'd without the city the first night , thinking they should not be secure enough in a place so well fortified . the next day they engag'd the prince of the place to come out to 'em with the greatest part of the persons of quality , obliging to bring with them a certain quantity of gold. the indians made answer that 't was impossible for them to do what was requir'd , because their country did not yield this metal . however this refusal so mov'd the indignation of the spaniards , that for no other offence , without any formal process , they cast 'em all alive into a great fire . the most considerable inhabitants of these provinces , seeing their masters so cruelly treated , only because they gave not the spaniards all the gold they demanded , retir'd with all speed into the mountains , ordering the common people to submit to the spaniards as their masters , and giving 'em a strict charge by no means to give the least notice of the places where they were gone to hide themselves . abundance of these poor people came accordingly to the spaniards , begging of 'em to receive them into the number of their servants , and promising to serve 'em faithfully as far as they were capable . the spanish commander roughly answer'd 'em , that he would not so receive 'em , but cut 'em to pieces without mercy , unless they would discover the places whither their masters were retreated ; the indians replied , they did not know : however they readily offer'd themselves , their wives and children to their service ; and said , they would continue in their houses expecting their orders ; they further told 'em , they might treat 'em as they pleas'd , 't was in their power either to kill 'em , or to save 'em alive to employ 'em in their service . the spaniards upon this went into their villages and towns , and found these poor indians with their wives and children busy at their work , and in great security , believing they had no need to fear the spaniards would attack 'em ; yet these blood-thirsty men massacred 'em without pity . after this they went to another great town , the inhabitants of which confiding in their innocence , thought themselves in no great danger ; but this whole town was destroy'd in less than two hours , and the massacre was so general , that no age , nor sex , nor quality met with pity , but all were put to the sword , unless such as fled before the arrival of the spaniards . the indians at length finding it impossible either by their patience , their submissions , or their presents to soften the cruel and savage temper of the spaniards , who cut their throats without any reason , or any sentiment of pity , resolv'd to get together in a body , and take arms to defend themselves : for seeing death was inevitable to 'em , and become a necessary evil , they chose rather to die with weapons in their hands , thereby to sell their lives at as dear a rate as they could , and to revenge themselves as much as possible on their persecutors , than to suffer their throats to be cut like sheep without making any resistance . they wanted effectual arms , they were quite naked , and knew their strength was much inferior to that of their enemies ; they had no horses , nor did they understand the use of 'em in battel : they had to do with a furious and warlike enemy that gave 'em no quarter , and design'd nothing but their extirpation . they therefore thought it necessary to use stratagems : it came into their heads to make pits up and down the ways by which the spaniards were to pass , and to cover 'em with straw and leaves that they might not be perceiv'd , that so their horses might fall in 'em , and break their necks or legs . some of the spaniards were two or three times taken in these traps , but afterwards took care to avoid 'em , and resolv'd to cast all the indians they could take into these pits , whether men , women or children , of what age or condition soever ; they threw in women big with child , and old men as well as others , till they had quite fill'd ' em . it was a most lamentable sight to see some women empaled together with their children , and so expos'd to the fury of greedy dogs , and others run through with lances and halberts . they burnt one of the greatest lords of the country with a gentle fire , and insultingly told him 't was to do him the more honour , that they put him to death after this manner . these butcheries and cruelties were committed for seven years together . the reader may conjecture what multitudes of poor indians were slaughter'd during so tedious and bloody a persecution . 't is fit to be remark'd , that the spaniards were receiv'd with great acclamations , and with all the demonstrations of a sincere joy in the province of cuzcatan , which is situate on the sea-side , and extends forty or fifty leagues in length . in this province is the famous city of st. saviour ; cuzcatan is the metropolis of the province . these people sent indians to the spaniards laden with indian poultry , and all other provisions the country would afford in great abundance . after they had receiv'd these presents , the spanish general order'd his men to choose as many indians as each of 'em desir'd for their service , while they remain'd in that province : accordingly one took a hundred , another fifty , as they had occasion to carry their baggage . these poor wretches serv'd them with all the care and diligence they could , and were even ready to worship ' em . at length the general demanded of 'em a great quantity of gold , that being the main business for which he came : they with a great deal of humility and submission , told him they would readily give him all they had , and presently got together all the lances they had , which were made of copper gilt , and which they took for pure gold by the looks of it . the general soon made trial of it , and finding what it was , address'd himself to the spaniards in these terms : we must carry destruction with us ( says he ) through all this country , seeing here 's no gold to be found : every one of you may keep the indians you have chosen for your perpetual slaves : you may load 'em with chains , and brand 'em with the marks of their slavery : which was immediately done : for they printed the king's arms with a hot iron upon all they could take . those of 'em that escap'd , provok'd with the ill treatment which they every where met , assembled all the indians they could to make an effort to deliver themselves from the persecutions of their enemies by force of arms ; but their enterprize was not successful , so that an incredible number of 'em was kill'd . after this expedition the spaniards return'd to guatimala , where they built a city ; but god was pleas'd by his just judgment utterly to overthrow , and destroy it . they kill'd all without mercy whom they suppos'd to be in a condition to incommode 'em by their arms , and the rest were condemn'd to slavery . they extorted from 'em a tribute of boys and girls , and sent 'em into peru to be sold . the other inhabitants of this kingdom , which is leagues in length , were likewise destroy'd . thus one of the most pleasant and fruitful countries in the world was reduc'd to a melancholy desert . the governor himself has freely confess'd , that this was the most populous country in the west-indies , not excepting mexico it self , which is certainly true . in this noble country the spaniards have destroy'd no less than four or five millions of men in fifteen or sixteen years , and continue every day to treat those that remain after the same manner . these inhuman creatures were wont when they declar'd war against any city or province , to bring with 'em as many of the conquer'd indians as they could , to make 'em fight against their country-men ; sometimes they had fifteen or twenty thousand of these new subjects among ' em . but because they were not able to furnish 'em with all necessary provisions , they allow'd 'em to eat those other indians whom they took in war , so that in their camp they had shambles stor'd with human flesh . infants were kill'd in their sight , and then broil'd and eaten ; men were slaughter'd like beasts , and their legs and arms dress'd for food ; for the indians like the taste of those parts better than others . the news of these horrible practices soon alarm'd the neighbouring countries , and fill'd 'em with terror and consternation . many of the indians were worn out with carrying the tackle of the spanish ships , which they would needs have brought from the north to the south sea , which are leagues distant : they made 'em carry anchors of a great weight all this long way ; they laid great guns upon the naked backs of these poor creatures , under the weight of which they were not able to stand ; so that the greatest part of 'em dy'd by the way , not being able to endure these fatigues . to increase their misery , they divided their families , taking husbands from their wives , and wives from their husbands ; their daughters were taken from 'em , and given to the seamen and souldiers to satisfy their lust , and to appease their murmuring . they fill'd the ships with indians , and suffer'd 'em to perish with hunger and thirst ; because they would take no care to furnish 'em with necessaries . but to give a particular account of all their cruelties would require large volumes , the view of which would astonish all that should have the curiosity to look into ' em . the spaniards had two powerful fleets destin'd to the same purpose of destroying the poor indians . how many parents have they bereav'd of their children ! how many children of their parents ! of how many adulteries and other infamous practices have they been the causes , the actors , and accomplices ! how many people have they inslav'd ! what miseries and calamities have they not brought upon this new world ! what fountains of tears have they open'd ! what rivers of blood have they pour'd out ! how many lives have they taken away after such a manner as might render 'em yet more miserable in the other world ! which is a melancholy reflection both in regard of the indians who have suffer'd so many cruelties , and of the spaniards who have been the authors of so much mischief and villany . of new spain , of panuco and xalisco . after the spaniards had committed all the foremention'd cruelties and massacres in new spain , there came to panuco another tyrant as barbarous and unmerciful as the former . he loaded his ships with multitudes of the natives , and carried 'em to cuba and hispaniola , where they were sold for slaves : so that in a little time he render'd the whole country destitute of people . fourscore of these indians ( tho they have reasonable souls as well as other men ) were exchang'd for one horse . when the president of the city of mexico was made governor of all new spain , there were also a great many assessors and auditors made , who all rul'd like so many petty tyrants , and committed unparallel'd cruelties and outrages in the exercise of their offices . they acted such abominable things , and made the country so desolate in a very little time , that if the franciscan monks had not oppos'd their disorders with a great deal of courage and resolution , and had not the royal council by their messages given orders for the preservation of this province , all new spain had been ruin'd in less than two years , and been made as desolate as hispaniola . one of the president 's companions employ'd eight thousand indians to make a wall round his garden , but he gave 'em neither wages nor victuals ; so that they almost all dy'd before the work was finish'd : neither the hard labour they endur'd , nor their death could make this merciless man relent . after the former general , of whom we have spoken above , had made an end of destroying and wasting the province of panuco , and was inform'd that the royal council would arrive in a little time , he advanc'd farther into the country , hoping to find some new province on which to exercise his wonted rapine . he forc'd fifteen or twenty thousand indians to attend him , to carry the spaniards baggage and provisions , which they did till they all died in the way except two hundred . he came at length into the province of mechuaca , about forty leagues from mexico . the king of this province very civilly came out to meet him , and was as officious to serve him as could be desir'd ; but for his reward was loaded with irons , because suppos'd to have a great treasure by him ; and the better to extort great sums from him , he was made to suffer a great many torments . his hands being tied to a stake , and his legs stretch'd out , they drop'd burning pitch on 'em , and basted his body with boiling oil from time to time , that his skin might be gradually roasted . over against him stood a furious souldier with a bow shooting arrows into his breast : another let loose hungry dogs to bite and tear him in every part ; all these tortures were to make him confess where he had hid his gold : and these cruelties would have been continued longer if a franciscan frier had not happen'd to come and rescue him out of their hands ; however he could not save his life , for he expir'd soon after . many caciques and great men of this province were put to death after this manner , to make 'em confess where they had hid their gold and silver . about this time there arriv'd another person in this country , who was more greedy of money , than solicitous about the salvation of the poor indians . he happen'd to find some of their idols which they had hid , ( for the spaniards would very seldom give themselves the trouble to inform these idolaters of the true god ) upon this he imprison'd the most considerable persons in the nation , till they should discover to him where they had put their idols , because he suppos'd theirs were made either of gold or silver ; but he fail'd in his expectation : however to mend the matter , he impos'd great sums on the indians , which they were to pay for the redemption of their idols , that they might worship 'em after their wonted manner . these are the improvements the spaniards have been making in the west-indies , and this is their zeal for the glory of god and religion . after this tyrant had run through the whole province of mechuaca , and pillaged it , he came to xalisquo , a country very populous and fruitful , and the most famous in all america ; there are towns in it of seven leagues in length . these indians , as the others had done before , came out to meet him with great expressions of joy ; but he soon left upon 'em the marks of his cruelty , which he had cultivated by long experience . the noble presents made this tiger could not mollify him . his design was to heap together a great quantity of gold , this was the only idol he ador'd ; and all means were indifferent to him , so he could but attain his end . he set fire to all the cities through which he pass'd , and destroy'd 'em to the very foundation . he kept those of the highest dignity prisoners , after he had inflicted divers kinds of torments on ' em . the spaniards loaded all the indians they could take here with chains , which was a great number . the souldiers made women big with child carry their baggage , till they fainted and sunk under their burdens with hunger and weariness . others not able to carry both the heavy burdens they gave 'em , and their children too , were forc'd to leave these by the way , by which means a prodigious number of children perish'd . a spaniard attempting to ravish a virgin in the presence of her mother , the mother did what she could to hinder him ; upon which , to prevent her from farther opposing his brutish design , he drew his sword and cut off her arms , and afterwards kill'd her daughter because she would by no means consent to his filthy desires , but resisted him with a virtuous indignation and courage to her last breath . four thousand and five hundred of these poor indians were branded with a hot iron by the spaniards , who mark'd 'em thus for slaves , tho they were born free and independent . the very children , as well as those that were grown to maturity , suffer'd this punishment and infamy : they pretended they had right to make a great number of 'em slaves , to defray the charge of their long travels ; and that they might lawfully make these poor creatures endure all sorts of torments , to force 'em to declare where they had hid their gold : some of 'em they burnt , others were torn in pieces by hungry dogs ; they cut off the feet , hands , arms , tongues , and sometimes the heads of others , to terrify the rest by these sad spectacles , that they might oblige 'em the more easily to submit to slavery , or to shew 'em the places where they had secur'd their treasure . and all these things were acted with the knowledg and consent of the governor , who would sometimes order more blows to be given 'em , when they were beat or whip'd , to compleat their misery . fourscore towns and villages at least were burnt in the kingdom of xalisco : which tragical sight , together with all the various cruelties they suffer'd every day , so provok'd the indians , that they arm'd themselves and fell upon the spaniards , and kill'd some of 'em : after which expedition they fled up into the mountains , but at length were massacred in this place of refuge by other spaniards who made excursions through these provinces to lay 'em waste . they put all of 'em to the sword who made any offer to defend themselves , so that this place became a horrible scene of blood : and there is scarce any remnant of this once numerous people left . the spaniards were certainly blinded , harden'd and abandon'd by the almighty , that they made no reflection on the laws of god or men , which all forbid the exercise of such violence as they have been guilty of in america . they had no just occasion given 'em to drive the inhabitants of those provinces from their native country by force of arms , and to massacre 'em so barbarously : they did not consider how unjust and criminal these outrages were , and how contrary it was to all the laws of nations , for them to treat those who had never injur'd 'em with so much cruelty . they pretend the wars they have made against these people are just and lawful ; that god hath left 'em to their mercy , and that they have right to make such conquests as these , and to destroy all these nations : so that it seems they would fain make god himself partner with 'em in their tyranny and wickedness ; and one may well apply the words of the prophet zechariah to 'em : feed the flock of the slaughter ; whose possessors slay them , and hold themselves not guilty : and they that sell them say , blessed be the lord , for i am rich ; and their own shepherds pity them not . chap. . , . of the kingdom of yucatan . a very profligate person who had neither honour nor conscience , was made governor of the kingdom of yucatan in the year ; which dignity he procur'd by his lies and artifices , and the false accounts of matters which he sent to the king of spain . a method which other tyrants have hitherto likewise follow'd to obtain places of trust : for under the umbrage of the title of governor , which seems to give some dignity and authority to all they do , they take the liberty to exercise their robberies and violences with impunity . the kingdom of yucatan contain'd a prodigious number of people ; the air of this country is very temperate and pleasant : it has great plenty of fruits , and all the necessaries of life ; it exceeds mexico it self in fertility : there is more wax and honey found in this than in any other part of america that has been yet discover'd . this kingdom is leagues in compass . the inhabitants of it are more polite , more civiliz'd , and better disciplin'd in morals , and in what belongs to the good order of societies , than the rest of the indians . there is a remarkable prudence and justness of mind in them , which is not to be found in others . these natural endowments without doubt ought to have encouraged christians to take the pains to instruct 'em in the knowledg of the true god ; and they seem'd to have no small disposition to receive the maxims of the catholick religion . the spaniards might have built great and flourishing cities in so pleasant and commodious a country , where they might have liv'd in the midst of pleasure and plenty , as it were in another earthly paradise : but their stupidity , their avarice , and the enormous crimes they have committed in america have render'd 'em unworthy of these advantages . they attack'd these poor indians , who liv'd in profound peace and security , with the utmost violence of a cruel war , and massacred a prodigious number of 'em , tho the number of the spaniards was but three hundred . this country produces no gold ; if the spaniards could have found any mines there , they would have condemn'd the indians to 'em , who must have perish'd with hunger and hardship . these covetous wretches esteem'd gold more than souls , which were purchas'd by the blood of jesus christ ; they made slaves of those whom they sav'd alive , and fill'd the ships they had brought to the coasts of this kingdom with 'em , and so exchang'd 'em for wine , oil , vinegar , salt pork , horses , and all other necessaries . they would give fifty or a hundred of the handsomest young girls for a measure of wine , oil or vinegar , and would sell a hundred or two of lusty well-made young men at the same rate . they swop'd a prince's son for a cheese , and a hundred persons of eminency for a horse . they continued in this country till they heard of the riches of peru , the news of which made 'em leave it immediately , and thus their persecutions ended in the kingdom of yucatan . however , before they went they committed all the excesses and disorders that can be imagin'd against both god and men : so that those three hundred leagues of one of the finest countries in the world , that was very rich and full of people before their arrival , were in a little time reduc'd to a vast desert . 't is not easy to believe the account of all the villanous actions they committed in this kingdom : i 'll recite but two or three particular facts . they had prepar'd fierce dogs which they kept hungry to go a hunting after the poor indians ; as they were hunting they lighted on a woman that was sick , who not being in a condition to fly to avoid being devour'd of the dogs , hang'd her self , after she had hang'd a child she had with her of a year old ; the dogs presently camt to her , and began to devour her : but a certain frier that was happily there perceiving the child not to be yet quite dead , baptiz'd it . when they quitted this kingdom , they invited the son of one of the princes of the country to accompany 'em , who shew'd a great unwillingness to abandon his country to follow 'em , on which they threatned to cut him in quarters if he did not consent to their desire . the child still persisting in the same mind , one of the spaniards drew his sword and cut off both his ears : this ill treatment however could not make him alter his purpose , upon which this brute cut off his nose and lips , and laugh'd while he was committing this barbarous action . another brag'd that he had got many indian women with child , that he might sell 'em for the more money . some of the spaniards have been so inhuman as to give infants to their hounds when they were hungry : they would take these poor babes by the two legs , and violently tear 'em asunder into two pieces , and then feed their dogs with 'em , they were left of god to such a reprobate mind , that they made no more account of human creatures , that were ransom'd by the blood of jesus christ , than of beasts . i pass over an infinite number of other unheard of cruelties , which surpass all imagination . when these covetous and ambitious tyrants left the kingdom of yucatan to go in search after the greater riches of peru , four franciscan friers came thither to comfort these miserable people , and to endeavour by their preaching to bring those that had escap'd the fury of the spaniards to the knowledg of the true god. the same friers were very earnestly solicited by many other indians to come into their country likewise to teach 'em the maxims of their religion . they assembled in great companies to inform themselves what sort of men these religious . persons were , who call'd one another father and brother , to inquire into their true designs , and to know wherein they differ'd from other spaniards , who had exercis'd so much cruelty over all the west-indies . they were willing to entertain 'em on condition they would come alone to instruct 'em , without any other spaniards to attend 'em ; which the friers promis'd very readily , assuring 'em they would not offer 'em the least injury . the governor of new spain likewise now order'd 'em to promise the indians , that they should be treated more kindly for the time to come , and should find no farther occasion to complain of the spaniards severity . thus these religious men began to preach the gospel of christ with a great deal of zeal , and inform'd these people moreover of the good intentions of the king of spain towards 'em ; so that in about forty days time , they brought all their idols to throw 'em in the fire : they as readily brought their children , whom they bring up with a great deal of tenderness and fondness , to be instructed ; and built both houses and churches for these friers with all the affection and forwardness imaginable . all the several provinces strove with great emulation for their company , their zeal was so great for the new religion they preach'd to ' em . so that what the governors could never obtain of the indians in many years , these friers accomplish'd in a very little time : for the princes and great men of these provinces , at the head of their people in a general assembly , voluntarily submitted to the government of the king of spain , whom they acknowledg'd for their soveraign , and put themselves under his protection ; as may be seen by the account these friers sent into spain sign'd with their own hands . these pious men were transported with joy to find a door open'd to 'em to preach the gospel in these vast provinces , to those that had escap'd the barbarity of the several governors , who had massacred such prodigious numbers . about this time there came into these parts eighteen spanish troopers with twelve foot souldiers , who brought with them abundance of indian idols which they had taken out of other provinces ; the commander of these souldiers sent for one of the principal chiefs of the nation , and commanded him to take these idols and distribute 'em throughout the country , and to bring him indian men and women in exchange for 'em , threatning him with a severe war if he refus'd to obey him . this prince was so terrified with these menaces , that he carried away all these idols , and dispos'd 'em in the several cities of his province , requiring the people in the name of this spanish captain to worship these false gods , and to render 'em all the honour and service they were formerly wont to do . to recompense this action they gave him liberty to make as many slaves as he pleas'd . the indians , frighted with the threatnings that were made 'em , deliver'd up their own children ; he that had two gave one , and he that had three gave two . this was the event of this impious traffick , the cacyque being forced to obey the orders of the spanish captain . one of these ungodly wretches , whose name was john garcia , being taken dangerously sick , and ready to expire , bethought himself that he had a considerable number of these idols under his bed ; and therefore order'd an indian woman that he kept to sell 'em , telling her she might make a good market of 'em , the matter of which being very valuable , he told her every image was at least fairly worth an indian in exchange . this was the spaniards last will and testament , and these were the marks he gave of the pious disposition of his mind , and in the midst of such cares as these he gave up the ghost . by this story it may easily be conjectur'd what good examples the spaniards set before the indians , and what progress the catholick religion is likely to make among these people ; who being eye-witnesses of such actions as these , easily perceive that the europeans have so little sentiment of religion , that they don't much care whether poor infidels be reduc'd to pay the true god that worship and honour they owe him , or not . it can hardly be said that jeroboam's crime , who caus'd two golden calves to be cast , and oblig'd his subjects to worship 'em , is more hainous than that of the spaniards , who drive such an abominable trade with idols , and occasion so much scandal by this shameful kind of traffick . this is the manner of their conduct and behaviour in the new world. they sacrifice every thing to their detestable avarice , and sell christ jesus himself for gold. they are every day renouncing him , and dishonouring his religion by the many infamous crimes of which they are guilty . the indians seeing the spaniards still continue to ruin their country , notwithstanding all the express promises the friers had made 'em that they would abstain for the future from their wonted robberies ; and that instead of mending their own lives , they brought idols even from other countries to expose to sale among them , who had voluntarily resign'd their own to the friers to be committed to the flames , being resolv'd to worship but one god in their country for time to come : seeing all this ( i say ) they were extremely enrag'd at the spaniards , and no less provok'd against the friers , whom they accosted after this manner . why ( say they ) have you deceiv'd us thus by your false promises ? did not you assure us the spaniards should no more invade and oppress us ? why have you burnt our gods , to bring us strange gods out of other countries ? are these better or mightier than our own ? the poor friers endeavor'd to appease 'em as well as they could , tho they scarce knew how to answer their complaints , having no good reasons to offer to excuse the matter . however they applied themselves to the spaniards , reproach'd 'em for having so exceedingly scandaliz'd the indians , and conjur'd 'em to leave the country , which they absolutely refus'd to do ; and which was still more vile and unworthy , they perswaded the indians that they had not come into their country but at the request of these friers : which pretence had the success they desired ; for the indians giving credit to these stories , resolv'd to kill the poor friers ; but some of 'em giving 'em notice of the design , they made their escape in the night . after they were gone , the indians perceiv'd they were impos'd on , and receiv'd full information of the malice of the spaniards , and the base trick they had play'd 'em , and therefore dispatch'd a message to the friers to entreat 'em to return , and forgive the fault they had committed , assuring 'em they heartily repented of their ingratitude . these pious men that were devoted to the service of god , and animated with an ardent zeal for the salvation of souls , confiding in the protestations of the indians , return'd to 'em according to their request , and were receiv'd as if they had been angels come down from heaven : they continued three or four months among 'em , receiving abundance of respect and kindness from ' em . the spaniards , who still refus'd to quit the country , tho the vice-roy had expresly order'd 'em so to do , and had us'd all his authority to oblige 'em to it , were declar'd rebels and traitors ; however this did not hinder 'em from continuing their rapine and insolence . and tho the friers were satisfied they would not always escape with impunity , yet they fear'd it might be a long time before they receiv'd their deserts ; and considering moreover that the continual insults they made on the indians , depriv'd them of the liberty of preaching to 'em , upon the whole they thought meet to resolve to leave this kingdom , which was depriv'd of the light of the gospel by the malice of the spaniards : and thus these poor indians who manifested such good inclinations toward christianity , were abandon'd to their former darkness and idolatry , in which they continue to this day , while those profligate wretches still by the same obstacles in the way of their conversion . when these friers were constrain'd to retire out of the country , the indians began to imbrace the christian religion with a great deal of zeal and fervor ; but being unhappily depriv'd of all means of instruction , they wither'd like tender plants , for want of water . of the province of st. martha . the province of st. martha was famous for the rich golden mines that are near it , and for the fruitfulness of its soil . the people are numerous , and very skilful in getting gold out of the mines , which easily engag'd the spaniards to go thither , and that in great numbers ; they made continual excursions over all this fine country to ravage and spoil it ; they massacred vast numbers of the inhabitants , took away all their gold , and fill'd their ships , which serv'd 'em for magazines , with the booty . they soon laid waste this flourishing province by the robberies and villanies they committed : they did the greatest mischief upon the sea-coasts , but they soon after pierc'd higher up into the country , where they endeavour'd to make a settlement . the country being rich and fertile , divers spanish captains successively invaded it with their troops , and the last was still more cruel and inhuman than his predecessor . they seem'd ambitious to outvie one another in the enormity of their crimes and villanies . in the year , a spanish general attended with a great many souldiers enter'd into this province with a resolution of ruining it entirely . he continued there for seven years together , and carried away an immense treasure with him ; at last he was condemn'd to be banish'd , and dyed in his exile without shewing the least token of repentance . those who succeeded him went on to massacre those indians that he and other tyrants had spared ; they made both the common people , and the nobility of this province suffer most horrible torments , to oblige 'em by the violence of their pain to discover their gold : they laid this country waste for above leagues , not leaving one soul alive ; tho this province was well stock'd with inhabitants before their arrival . to give a particular relation of all the extravagances , massacres and desolations , of all the impieties and villanies committed by the spaniards in this province against god , against the king , and against the innocent indians , would require a large history : i must therefore content my self to pass over many circumstances after a cursory manner . the bishop of this province , writing to the king of spain in the year , among other things thus expresses himself : great sir , to redress the grievances of this province , it ought to be deliver'd from the tyranny of those that ravage it , and committed to the care of persons of integrity , who will treat the inhabitants with more kindness and humanity ; for if it be left to the mercy of the governours , who commit all sorts of outrages with impunity , 't will be destroy'd in a very little time . the same bishop farther adds in his letter : the ill conduct of the governours may well engage your majesty to deprive 'em absolutely of their places , to relieve these provinces ; and if this course be not taken , the disease will be incurable . i am necessitated to let your majesty know , that the spaniards who come into this new world , live here rather like devils than christians ; they neither serve god nor the king ; they violate all the laws of god and men with impunity . nothing can be a greater hindrance to the conversion of the indians , than the ill treatment and persecution they make 'em suffer continually . these people naturally love peace and quietness ; but the barbarous usage they meet with from the spaniards , inspires 'em with horror and indignation against all christians , whom they therefore call in their language yares , that is to say , devils . nor is it without reason that they appear so odious and abominable to these poor creatures , since the actions they see 'em commit , are more like those of devils , than of reasonable creatures , or christians . for while the indians see the officers as well as souldiers commit such detestable crimes ; they believe the laws of christianity authorize these inhuman actions , and that neither our god nor our king forbids ' em . 't is to no purpose to pretend to undeceive 'em , and remove these prejudices , as the case stands ; 't is but only to expose the laws and religion of christ the more to the contempt of these idolaters . the indians now begin to defend themselves from the spaniards by force of arms ; and choose rather to perish together at once than to suffer a thousand deaths by the cruelty of these unmerciful men. your majesty has more servants in this new world than you imagine ; for there are none who bear arms in these vast countries , and make it their business to plunder , kill , and burn , but give out that they are employ'd here in your majesty's business , and endeavour to perswade the world that 't is by your majesty's order , and for your interest , that they do all this mischief to the indians : tho the truth is , they use 'em after this violent manner , only to enrich themselves by plundering 'em of all they have . it seems absolutely necessary for your majesty to stop the course of these robbers by some exemplary punishment ; and that your majesty declare you will have none of their services , who so highly dishonour god and religion . thus far the letter which the bishop of st. martha wrote to his catholick majesty : by which it may be conjectur'd how the spaniards have abus'd the poor indians . they in derision and scorn call those the warlike indians , that fly into the mountains to save their lives . and when they force these miserable people , to travel in rough and difcult ways , sweating under the great burdens they oblige 'em to carry , not content with having overloaded 'em , they aggravate their misery by beating 'em unmercifully , and bruising their faces with the pommels of their swords , till the poor wretches driven to despair with all this oppression , often cry out , i can hold out no longer ; kill me out-right ; put an end to my miseries by a speedy death . and many deep sighs accompany these expressions , which sometimes they are scarce able to utter , their strength is so exhausted with their toil , their weariness , and the unmerciful blows which they give 'em , without any regard to their other miseries . of the province of carthagena . this province is situate about leagues distance from that of st. martha westward , and borders on the country of cenu ; it stretches along the sea-shore as far as the gulf of voaba , the space of a hundred leagues ; and is still larger on the south-side . all this country from the year . to this time hath suffer'd great persecutions from the spaniards , who have exercised a world of violence , and made a great many massacres here , till they have made all this country as desolate as that of st. martha . but i begin to be weary of mentioning so often the barbarity and impiety the spaniards have discovered in america . of the pearl-coast , and the island of trinidado . the spaniards have made horrible ravage and spoil from the coast of paria quite to the gulf of venecuela , which is the space of above leagues ; and after having committed their wonted robberies , have taken as many indians as they could , and either sold 'em , or made slaves of 'em themselves , contrary to the promises often made 'em , that they would treat 'em as their friends , and as a free people ; which protestations they never took care to observe . and tho these poor people did 'em all the good offices they could , and were very ready to serve 'em on all occasions ; tho they liberally gave 'em all they had to subsist on themselves ; yet 't is not to be express'd with what injuries and mischiefs the spaniards requited all this kindness . i purposely omit a great many disorders which they committed along this coast , being willing to insist only on those matters that are most remarkable . the isle of trinidado is larger and more fruitful than that of sicily , it is join'd to the continent on that side where it touches paria ; the inhabitants are a very honest sort of people , teachable enough , and well inclin'd to virtue . a spanish captain , accompanied with cut-throats like himself , invaded this country in the year , and immediately commanded the indians to come to him , pretending he was come to live peaceably with them in the island ; who receiv'd him and his company with as great testimonies of kindness , as if they had been their own children . the chief men of the country as well as the common people all waited on 'em with abundance of alacrity and joy ; they every day brought 'em a quantity of provisions sufficient for a much greater number of men : for the indians are very much given to hospitality , and readily supply strangers with all the necessaries they have . in a little time the spaniards would needs make 'em build a vast house , that all the indians might lodg together in the same place ; they us'd this artifice to catch 'em in the snare they were preparing for ' em . when the work was carried up about the height of two men , they inclos'd a great many indians within , that the work might be the sooner finish'd , as they pretended ; but the design was to hinder any communication between them that were within and those that were without : part of the souldiers kept the doors of the house with their weapons in their hands to prevent any from going out ; another part went in among 'em with their naked swords , threatning to cut their throats , if they made any stir or disturbance ; and so bound 'em all like so many sheep . if any one attempted to make his escape , they immediately cut him in pieces ; however divers of 'em escaped , some whole and others wounded , who joining with those that had not yet been shut up in this fatal house , and arming themselves with bows and arrows to the number of , retir'd into another house , where they thought themselves secure , if they could defend the door against the spaniards ; but these set it on fire on the other side , and cruelly destroy'd these poor creatures . after this barbarous expedition they retreated into the island of st. john with about prisoners , who had suffer'd themselves to be bound ; where they sold half of 'em , and the rest in hispaniola . when i severely reprov'd this captain for his perfidiousness and cruelty , he satisfied himself with making me this answer : don't you trouble your self about these matters ; they that sent me gave me orders to act after this manner , and to take all those by force that i could not bring away under the shadow and pretence of peace . the spaniards were guilty of a world of such base actions , in seizing these indians contrary to their promises that they would treat 'em like friends . let any one now make reflection on the conduct of the spaniards , and see if they have any appearance of right to reduce the inhabitants of america , as they do , to such a miserable state of bondage . it was resolv'd among the dominican friers to send some of their order , to display the light of the gospel among the indians that liv'd in the gross darkness of idolatry , and were out of the way of salvation : they first sent one that was a licentiate in divinity , of great reputation for his piety and virtue , who took with him a lay-brother : they both went through this country to seek a commodious place for the building of a monastry ; and conferr'd with some of the inhabitants what measures to take to succeed in this design . when the other friers were arriv'd , the indians receiv'd 'em as if they had been messengers sent from heaven ; they manifested abundance of affection to 'em , heard what they said with great attention , as far as they were capable of understanding them ; for these religious persons not being yet sufficiently acquainted with their language , were constrain'd to make use of signs to express their meaning . no sooner was the ship that brought the friers gone off , but there came another full of souldiers , who made use of treachery and artifice , according to their wicked custom , to seize the prince of this nation , unknown to the friers . this prince's name was alfonso , which was given him either by the friers , or some other spaniards ; for these indians take upon 'em christian names with a great deal of joy ; and before they are instructed in our mysteries , very eagerly desire to be baptized . this prince alfonso , together with his princess , not aware of the artifices of the spaniards , and the deceitful trick they had resolv'd to play 'em , were perswaded to go on board one of their ships , and many other indians did the like , being all made to believe there was a great feast prepar'd for 'em ; and they needed the less importunity to entice 'em into the ship , because they suppos'd the friers , in whom they put abundance of cofidence , had interest and authority enough among the soldiers to secure 'em from all manner of danger : otherwise they would not have so easily trusted themselves in the hands of the spaniards . the very moment they enter'd the vessel , these perfidious men set sail , and carried 'em to hispaniola , where they sold 'em for slaves . all the country was alarm'd at the sad tidings that the spaniards had carried away their prince and princess ; and came in crowds to seek the friers , who narrowly escap'd being kill'd by ' em . these good men were extreamly griev'd at the treachery us'd with these poor people ; and would rather have died than suffer'd these outrages to be on all occasions committed against 'em , if they could have prevented 'em , because these were the great obstacles that hinder'd 'em from embracing the catholick religion . however , the indians were appeas'd by the promises the friers made 'em , that they would write by the first vessel that should go to hispaniola , to procure their prince and princess to be sent back . accordingly a vessel being in a little time prepar'd for this voyage , they made use of the opportunity to write to hispaniola , to engage these robbers to restore their prey , which they obstinately refus'd to do , the governours of that island having had a share in the booty . these good friers who had given their word to the indians , that their prince alfonso and his princess should be restor'd to em in four months , seeing twice four months elaps'd without any hope of their return , were oblig'd to prepare for death ; there was now no way to avoid shedding their blood for the glory of christ , and in his service , which sacrifice they had offer'd in the ready disposition of their minds to suffer before they came from spain : in short , they were massacred by the indians , who believed they were accomplices of the foremention'd treachery ; and thought their suspicion well founded , because the friers had promis'd to redress their grievance in four months time ; and yet they saw these promises produc'd no effect : besides , these barbarians make no great difference between those religious men that go to the indies only to instruct and preach to 'em , and the spanish souldiers who go thither only to enrich themselves by robbing ' em . however , these good fathers were unjustly put to death ; and one may without scruple place 'em in the order of martyrs , and conclude they are now enjoying god in the glory of heaven . they obediently resign'd themselves to go into america according to the direction of their superiours , and had no other intention in their voyage , but that of preaching the christian faith to these idolaters , and of putting 'em in the way of salvation , with a resolution to suffer any hardships , or even death it self , in the prosecution of so pious a design . the cruel treatment the indians met with from the spaniards occasioned 'em likewise to kill two dominican friers about the same time . there was in these provinces , near the gulf of codera , a city , the prince of which was nam'd higuerote ; who was naturally of a sweet and amicable temper , and his subjects civil and complaisant : when the spaniards came first ashore in his country , the inhabitants treated 'em with abundance of kindness ; they supplied 'em with provisions and stores in great plenty ; and omitted nothing they were capable of doing to refresh and recruit 'em after the fatigues and troubles of their voyage . this prince had sav'd the lives of a great many europeans , who had exercis'd their cruelty and oppression in other provinces , when they came to his coasts half dead with hunger and weariness ; and after he had recruited 'em with his good entertainment , sent 'em safe and in a good state of health to the isle of pearls , which was the ordinary residence of the spaniards , tho he might have securely kill'd 'em all , without being ever suspected of the fact . upon this the spaniards were so well perswaded of higuerote's good inclination toward 'em , that they took his house for their home , and were as kindly entertain'd in it as they could expect to be in their own . while this country thus enjoy'd a profound peace , a spanish captain coming ashore there , invited divers of the inhabitants to come on board his vessel ; which they often did , from the entire confidence they had in the repeated promises the spaniards made 'em that they would do 'em no injury : at length when many of 'em were got into the ship , the captain gave a signal to put out to sea , and sail'd directly for the isle of st. john , where he sold all the poor creatures , whom he had thus perfidiously surpriz'd . i soon after arriv'd in the same island , where i saw this robber , and had a particular account given me of the circumstances of this villanous action ; and it seems , to compleat the crime , he utterly destroy'd this prince's city . these things were not well resented by the rest of the spaniards that us'd to cruise up and down the neighbouring coasts to pillage 'em ; for they could not but abhor the action of this captain , that he should by so infamous a piece of treachery abuse this indian chief , who had done 'em so many good offices from time to time , and was wont to entertain 'em as if they had been his own children . the spaniards took away above two millions of men from the coasts of these provinces , and transported 'em into the islands of hispaniola and st. john , where the greatest part perish'd in the mines , or by other hardships which they made 'em suffer . it would produce compassion in the hardest hearts , to see these coasts that were once so full of people now absolutely desert . it has been observ'd by many trials , that one third part of the slaves which the spaniards take on board their vessels die by the way , besides those they kill when they search their houses to take these poor wretches away . the end the spaniards propose to themselves , which is to get riches at any rate in the world , induces 'em to commit all this violence ; they carry away great numbers of slaves , to produce considerable sums of mony , and yet take but a small quantity of provisions in their ships to maintain all these people , for fear of being at too great a charge in transporting 'em ; nay sometimes they have scarce enough for the spaniards that man the ship : so that many of the indians perish miserably with hunger and thirst ; and sometimes they cast the greatest part of 'em over board , to preserve the rest . a certain pilot told me , that in a voyage he once made from the lucay islands to hispaniola , which is about seventy leagues , he had no need either of a compass , or the observation of the stars to guide his vessel ; for he assur'd me the floating bodies of the indians that had been thrown into the sea , serv'd for his guide throughout this passage , and conducted him straight to the port to which he was bound . to see the indians arrive in any island where they design to sell 'em , can't but excite compassion and trouble in every mind that is not divested of all sentiments of humanity : to see a great number of men. women and children stark naked , and so worn out with hunger and hardship , that many of 'em can scarce stand , and others fall down with faintness ; and to see 'em divided into several companies like sheep , husbands separated from their wives , and children from their parents ; for the spaniards are wont to divide 'em by ten or twenty in a company , and then to cast lots which share each man shall have . this is the trade of these pirats , who arm and fit out vessels on purpose to carry away these poor wretches from their own houses , to inrich themselves by selling 'em for slaves . when a spaniard happens to have an old or sick man fall to his share among the rest , he 'll complain of such a lot , and say to his companions , why d' ye give me this old fellow that 's good for nothing ? he is not worth his keeping : what shall i do with this sick slave , that will only be a charge to me , and can do me no service ? 't is easy to see by all this how little account they make of these people , and what little regard they have to the rules of christian charity ; 't is too evident they neither have any love to god , nor to their neighbour , tho on these two ( as our saviour says ) both the law and the prophets depend . the detestable cruelty and tyranny of the spaniards in insnaring and seizing these poor indians , when they go in quest of 'em to inslave 'em , and employ 'em in fishing for pearls , is scarce to be imagin'd . the torments they make these unfortunate people endure , can scarce be compar'd to any less than those of hell. what they suffer in the gold mines , tho very terrible , yet is far inferior to that we are now relating . they make 'em dive in the sea five or six fathom under water ( where they are forc'd to hold their breath ) to take up mother of pearl ; and when they come up to the surface of the water with nets full of those shells , to get a little breath , if they keep above water something longer than ordinary to refresh themselves a little , a merciless spaniard who attends with a boat , beats and abuses 'em without measure , and often takes 'em by the hair of the head , to force 'em again under water , to continue their fishing . they feed 'em with a little fish and a piece of dry hungry bread , and don 't give 'em a belly full of that neither ; they have no other bed than the hard ground on which they make 'em sleep in their chains , for fear they should run away . they are often drown'd in fishing thus for pearl , or else devour'd by a sort of sea-monsters , that will swallow a man whole , so that they hear no more of ' em . 't is no hard matter to perceive by what has been said , that the precept of christian charity is ill observ'd in this kind of fishing , seeing these poor slaves are expos'd to imminent danger of perishing both in soul and body . the avarice of the spaniards , who mind nothing but gain , is such , that they scarce take any care to instruct their slaves , and to fortify 'em by communicating the sacraments to ' em . they oppress 'em with so much labour and fatigue , that they die in a little time ; and 't is impossible men should continue long under water without respiration , and endure the great constraint they suffer in holding their breath : the coldness of the water sometimes makes 'em vomit blood ; and they soon die , partly by having their stomachs so violently press'd by long holding of their breath under water , and partly by the excessive cold they endure , which causes that flux of blood of which i have just now spoken . tho they have naturally black hair , the fatigue they undergo changes the colour of it ; so that it becomes like the hair of sea-wolves . the foam of the sea sticks so fast to their shoulders , and in such a manner , that they look more like monsters than men. by this fishing trade the spaniards have destroy'd all the people of the lucay-islands , which were the most skilful and experienc'd in this employment ; and the reason why one of those indians was sold for fifty crowns or more , and sometimes for a hundred , was because they were marvellously dextrous at swimming and diving . however , those of other provinces were employ'd too in this work when they could take 'em ; so that by this means an infinite number of people have been destroy'd . of the river yuya-pari . this province is water'd by the river yuya-pari , tho the source of it is two hundred leagues distant . a spanish captain once had the boldness to go up this river to penetrate farther into the country , and to ravage and spoil it . he massacred abundance of people in his way , laid the country waste with fire and sword , and ruin'd them by whole families , while they were peaceably enjoying themselves in their houses , and thought of nothing less : but after all this mischief , himself perish'd miserably , and his souldiers quarrel'd and destroy'd one another . they that afterwards came into this country succeeded him in his cruelties , and are still laying it waste ; they commit abundance of massacres and robberies there with impunity , and seem to undertake their long voyages and journeys on purpose to precipitate an infinite number of souls into hell , that were redeem'd by the blood of the son of god. of the kingdom of vençuela . in the year , the king of spain , abus'd by the artifices of some ill-designing people , who made use of a thousand fetches and excuses to conceal from him the great devastations the spaniards had made in the new world , to the great prejudice of the glory of god , the christian religion , and the salvation of the poor indians , gave the government of the kingdom of vençuela , which is bigger than all spain , to several flemish merchants , with full jurisdiction and power to do what they pleas'd there , and to dispose of the country as they thought convenient . they accordingly enter'd it with three hundred men , and found the people there to be of a meek , tractable and peaceful disposition , as indeed the indians generally are when left to their natural temper , and not enrag'd by the abuses so often offer'd ' em . these were still more brutish and cruel than those spaniards of whom we have been hitherto speaking : they exceeded tygers , wolves and lions in barbarity , when they saw themselves masters of this great kingdom , in possession of it , and the jurisdiction of it entirely put into their hands : they thought they had ample liberty to do there whatever they pleas'd , and that they might satisfy their covetousness at any rate , and by all the methods they could imagine , tho never so unjust . they took no care but how to heap up vast treasures of gold and silver ; and the abominable means they us'd to this end , shew'd they had no regard either to god or their prince ; nay , they seem'd to have utterly forgotten that themselves were men , having put on such an inhuman and savage fierceness ; or to come yet nearer to their true character , they appear'd like so many devils in the shape of men. they ran through these rich and pleasant provinces , and instantly laid the country waste for forty leagues together , wherein were fruitful vallies of a prodigious extent , and towns and villages stor'd with great quantities of gold. the destruction they made was so general , that scarce a man was left to carry the news of the cruelties they exercised in this kingdom to other provinces : none but those that hid themselves in caves and holes of the earth , could escape the sword of these furious and inhuman creatures . they invented new kinds of punishments wherewith to torment 'em , to force 'em to part with their gold by discovering the places where they had hid it : after this manner they destroy'd three or four millions of people . the instances of three or four facts will sufficiently discover how these brutes behav'd themselves in this kingdom . one of the first things they did , was to seize him , whom they look'd upon as the soveraign prince of the whole kingdom ; they loaded him with irons to get the more gold out of him : they endeavour'd by the tortures to which they put him , to make him discover the places where he had secur'd his treasures ; but he had the good fortune to escape their hands , and fly into the mountains : his subjects surrounded him , and hid him in the woods ; but their number was too great to be long conceal'd : so that the spaniards pursued 'em with swords in their hands , and made a dreadful massacre among 'em ; others of them they took alive , and sold for slaves . before the spaniards had took their king prisoner , they were receiv'd in all these provinces with singing , dancing , and all the highest demonstrations of joy , as if come to bring peace and plenty with 'em into the country : they frankly and voluntarily gave 'em immense sums of gold and silver ; for which all the compensation they had was to be run through , and cut with lances and swords , and massacred without pity . one day when they came out to meet the spaniards to do 'em the more honour , the flemish commander having order'd a great number of 'em to assemble together in a certain house , cut 'em all in pieces immediately , only some of the poor wretches got upon the beams to avoid the fury of the souldiers ; upon which this commander caus'd the house to be fir'd , and destroy'd them in the flames . the whole country was soon turn'd into a desert ; for all that escap'd the souldiers rage retir'd into the mountains . the spaniards after this pass'd into a vast province upon the confines of that of st. martha , where they found the natives following their ordinary business in profound peace . all the while they continued here they liv'd at the charge of the indians , who serv'd 'em with as much affection and diligence , as if they had ow'd their lives to 'em : nay , they bore with their troublesom humors , and continually receiv'd ill treatment from 'em with incredible patience . the indians moreover to qualify their ill temper , brought 'em a prodigious quantity of gold , and many other things of great value . yet these tyrants , when upon the point of leaving 'em , instead of gratefully acknowledging all the good offices they had receiv'd of 'em , resolv'd to put 'em all to the sword. the flemish general ( who has since been suppos'd to be a heretick , because he never went to mass himself , nor suffer'd others to go ) commanded his men to take all the indians with their wives and children , and put 'em into some very large place capable of containing 'em all ; and then to declare to 'em that if they had a mind to redeem their liberty , with that of their wives and children , they must necessarily lay down a certain sum , which this unjust governor had tax'd 'em according to his own capricious humour ; and to urge 'em the more to answer his requirement , he barbarously prohibited his men to give any victuals to these poor creatures , till each of 'em had paid the sum impos'd on him . many of 'em sent to their houses for the sum demanded , being willing to do what they could to redeem their liberty , and to have leave to go seek something to eat : yet they were no sooner got out of the clutches of this covetous governor , but he instantly sent soldiers to take 'em again , and subject 'em to the same confinement from which they had ransom'd themselves with so much difficulty : so that they dy'd in this captivity with hunger and thirst , unless they speedily bought their liberty again , which they forc'd 'em to do by this barbarous usage . so that many of 'em were taken and retaken thus three or four times , and every time oblig'd to ransom themselves with great sums . those that were not able to pay the tax laid upon 'em , continued in this cruel prison till they pin'd away with hunger and misery . thus was this opulent province that abounded with gold , made desolate in a very little time . there was one pleasant and fertile vale ravag'd by these brutes , which extended no less than forty leagues ; they burnt a town in it consisting of a thousand houses . after this resolving to advance farther into the country to discover a new way to peru , they made use of a multitude of indians in this journey , whom they loaded with chains , and their baggage together : those that fainted under their burdens with weariness , they kill'd upon the spot , cutting of their heads ; and divided the burdens of them that died among the survivors . if one could exactly describe all the ravage and massacres the spaniards commited in this province , together with all the towns they fir'd , so deplorable a story would fill every reader with horror , and almost surpass belief . many other tyrants came afterward into this province , who follow'd the steps of the former in searching for gold and other treasure ; but they found the country so burnt , pillag'd and desolate , tho it had heretofore been both very populous and fertile , that they themselves could not but stand amaz'd to think what cruelties the poor indians had endur'd . all these violences were plainly prov'd by the procurator of the treasury of the council of the west-indies . the acts and proceedings made in this affair are yet preserv'd upon record ; yet not one of these tyrants was ever put to death for the injuries offer'd these poor indians : so that all the process that was made against 'em prov'd to very little purpose . those ministers of justice that have been hitherto sent into the indies have regarded nothing but their interest ; and studied how to enrich themselves without taking the trouble to examin and punish the crimes of these tyrants , who did so much mischief , and committed so many outrages on the poor indians . they content themselves to say in general , that such and such have committed great crimes , and abus'd the inhabitants of the new world ; that they have lessen'd the king's revenues to such a degree . but when they have made these loose and general enquiries , they go no farther : whereas more effectual remedies ought to be used to stop the course of all these mischiefs . there is not so much care taken as to evidence and verify these matters ; nor do they give their acts and proceedings all the life and authority they ought : for to discharge their duty faithfully to god and the king , they should make such tyrants as these restore all the plunder they have so unjustly got . and 't would be no difficult matter to prove that they carried out of this kingdom of vencuela above millions of gold , having utterly ruined the country for leagues together in the space of years ; for so long they continued spoiling this noble and fruitful region . they have cheated the king of above millions of his revenues ; nor can they ever be able to repair the damage they have done this delicious country , unless the many thousand people they have cruelly murder'd could be rais'd again from the dead . what i am now speaking of , only respects the king 's temporal interest , which they have so ill manag'd , without saying any thing of their blasphemies , their impieties and outrages committed immediately against the divine majesty . and who shall make reparation for the loss of so many souls they have precipitated into hell , in not suffering the missionaries to instruct ' em ? these are the fruits of their detestable avarice and profanity . as soon as ever they enter'd this kingdom , they several times loaded divers ships with great numbers of indians , whom they carried into the isle of st. martha , and sold for slaves . great multitudes of these poor creatures were likewise carried into hispaniola , jamaica , and the isle of st. john , to the number at least of a million of men. the royal council has been sufficiently inform'd of all these disorders and cruelties ; but they are pleas'd to connive at 'em , and are as willing to shut their eyes , and take no notice of all the robberies and villanies the spaniards have committed on the coasts of the isle of st. martha ; tho they might have easily hinder'd all this mischief if they had applied themselves to it . 't was the infamous avarice of these tyrants , that induc'd 'em to take so many indians to sell 'em for slaves : and the very same covetous humour and phrenzie has seiz'd all the europeans that have hitherto set foot in america . their custom has been to take the poor indians out of their houses , with their wives and children , to load 'em with chains , to mark 'em like sheep that they might distinguish 'em one from another , and afterwards to sell 'em as if they had been born slaves . of those provinces of the continent called florida . three merciless tyrants have invaded these provinces one after another since the year , all animated with the same spirit , and mov'd by the same designs . they all committed the same outrages throughout this country , to put themselves by robbing and pillaging into a capacity of buying places of honour and profit , far above their quality : but god was pleas'd to punish 'em after a very signal manner ; for they all came to a miserable end ; they were buried in the ruins of those houses , which they had built with the spoils of so many miserable people whom they had ruin'd and murder'd . thus were these provinces left desolate . these brutes would doubtless have committed yet more villanies , had not the just judgment of the almighty shorten'd their days , and punish'd 'em in this country for the massacres and robberies they had committed in other parts of the indies . when they came into florida , they found it plentifully stor'd with people , who were wise and well disciplin'd both in civil affairs , and in morals : they immediately began to cast a terror throughout the country by i know not how many massacres ; so that the poor indians who had never known any thing like it , were put into a mighty consternation . the spaniards us'd 'em instead of beasts of burden to carry their arms , utensils and provisions : yet the inhabitants of one great town express'd abundance of joy at their arrival , entertain'd 'em with the best they had , and furnish'd 'em with plenty of provisions as long as they continued there ; they offer'd 'em of their strongest men to carry their baggage , and look to their horses . yet the spanish general was so little touch'd with the courtesie of these people , that he kill'd their prince with a lance , that so he might be in a better condition to pillage them , who little thought of such a bloody fact as this , and other cruelties with which their barbarous guests requited their kindnesses . they with their swords and lances kill'd all the inhabitants of another town , who stood upon their guard , and endeavour'd to defend themselves from the hostilities of these tyrants . they put men and women , great and small , masters and servants all to the sword , without any respect either to age , sex or quality . in another village a spanish captain kill'd above indians : he cut off the lips and noses of others , and sent 'em away in this condition to terrify the rest of the country by so horrible a sight . these cruelties hinder'd the success of the missions of our apostolick men in the indies , who had no good reasons to produce to these poor wretches to excuse such barbarities as these . one may easily guess by this instance what love the indians must have for the catholicks , and what confidence they can put in their promises . what idea can they have of god , when he is described to 'em as infinitly good and merciful ? what can they think of his law , which they are told is so holy and just ; when they see those that profess to observe it , not scruple to commit all these crimes ? most of these cruel villains perish'd miserably without the least contrition or repentance ; and tho god is infinitely gracious and merciful , there is reason enough to fear they are condemn'd to eternal torments . of the river de la plata , or silver-river . several spanish captains have undertaken voyages to the silver-river , since the year . the country upon it is of a vast extent , and contains many great kingdoms and noble provinces . the inhabitants are a very rational and civil sort of people , and live at a considerable distance from the other indians ; which render'd it an easy matter to the spaniards to molest 'em with impunity , and to exercise all their wonted rapine and cruelty among ' em . they every where carry with 'em the same design of enriching and making themselves great and powerful at the cost of these unhappy people , whom they plunder of their treasure , as if it were the spoil of a just and lawful war. wherever they come , they use the same ways and means to compass their design ; they torment and kill the people , pillage and destroy the country , ruining whole nations to possess themselves of their gold and silver . on the banks of the silver-river they have destroy'd divers great provinces and kingdoms ; and cut the throats of multitude of indians , treating 'em with all the cruelties they could invent : for when they were at this vast distance from spain , they did not much fear the king's authority ; believing the remoteness of the place where they committed their crimes , would secure 'em from the danger of suffering for ' em . this hope of impunity made 'em more barbarously cruel in this country than in others ; so that they liv'd here after the most licentious manner imaginable , without the least regard to law or justice . however some of their actions have been reported to the council of the indies . a certain governor one day commanded his souldiers to enter into a town , and massacre all the inhabitants , if they should refuse to give 'em what provisions they wanted . the soldiers prompted by this order , and supported by the authority of the governor that sent 'em , kill'd of these poor creatures ; who looking on the spaniards as their declared enemies , were not willing to trust 'em , or to have any commerce with 'em ; and therefore hid themselves , not so much to avoid giving 'em what they as'kd , as to escape the points of their swords . the other indians were so terrified by this slaughter , that they readily offer'd themselves in great numbers to serve the spaniards . these indians when they were one day call'd by the governour to receive some orders from him , i know not by what hap , made some delay to present themselves before him ; upon which he commanded 'em to be deliver'd up to another nation of indians who were their mortal enemies . the poor wretches as soon as they heard this cruel sentence , cried out most hideously , entreating the spaniards with tears in their eyes rather to kill 'em outright with their swords and lances , than to abandon 'em to the rage of their sworn enemies . nor could they by any means be got out of the house were they were ; upon which the spaniards hew'd 'em in pieces one after another ; while the poor indians complain'd to 'em of their barbarity , expressing themselves with hearts full of anguish and despair after this manner : we came voluntarily to meet you , to offer our service to you , and to shew you all the respect we could ; and all the return you make to our kindness is to murder us without pity . our blood that is dash'd on every side upon the walls of this house shall be an everlasting witness of your cruelty , and cry for vengeance against you for the unjust death you make us suffer . 't is impossible to reflect on this action without being mov'd both with horror and compassion . of the great kingdoms and provinces of peru. a spanish commander with a great number of soldiers enter'd these kingdoms with the title of governour ; and with a resolution to heap up a vast treasure in a little time . he had already given some proofs of his skill and capacity on the continent ; and he every day perfected himself more and more in the art of cutting of throats and pillaging . he was naturally cruel , without faith , honour or religion ; he knew no other god than gold or silver , and therefore gave himself liberty to commit all sorts of crimes , to get these metals any way in the world . he did abundance of mischief in the large provinces of peru. 't is not possible to represent to the life what persecutions the inhabitants of this rich country underwent ; and what cruel sorts of death they were made to suffer , to extort their gold and silver from ' em . when this governour first enter'd peru , he rifled divers villages , and took away prodigious quantities of gold. he then pass'd into an island ( not far from this kingdom ) which is very pleasant , fruitful and populous . the prince of this island , together with the inhabitants , came out to meet the spaniards , and received 'em with great joy and civility . but in the space of six months , which time the spaniards continued here , they consum'd all the corn and other provisions they found in the island . after this they discover'd that the indians had hid some corn under ground , to keep against a time of scarcity , for the subsistence of their wives and children ; which they were constrain'd to leave to the discretion of the spaniards , who took possession of it as their own property ; and hereby reduc'd these poor people to the utmost necessity . soon after this they left the island , but first kill'd a great many of the people , and carried away the rest with 'em for slaves . thus by the many cruelties they committed , this island is quite depopulated . from hence they went into the isle of tumbala , which is situate near the continent ; here they massacred all the inhabitants that fell into their hands . the rest frighted at this cruel slaughter , fled every way they could to avoid 'em ; and tho they did this only to save their lives , it was interpreted a rebellion against the king of spain ; but was only an artifice of this tyrant to entrap these miserable people , that he might make 'em surrender to him all the gold and silver they had : which they brought to him in great quantities , while he still demanded greater , being resolv'd to leave 'em nothing : and when he had strip'd 'em of all they had , he told them he receiv'd 'em into the number of the king of spain's subjects , and pretended a great deal of kindness to 'em , promising he would treat 'em as his friends , and not do 'em the least hurt for the time to come . this hypocrite was for plundering the indians , and terrifying 'em with menaces of the king of spain's displeasure ; but had the policy not to receive 'em into the number of this prince's vassals , till he had robb'd 'em of all they had . and yet the title of the king of spain's subjects did not secure 'em for the future from his insults and robberies . the name of the soveraign prince and emperor of all these kingdoms was atabalipa , who brought with him an innumerable army of naked men , who made use of a ridiculous sort of weapons , not understanding the force of the spaniards swords and lances , and horses , with which these indians had never been acquainted ; he advanc'd his troops near the spaniards , crying with a great deal of courage , where are these spaniards ? i 'll never leave 'em till they have made me satisfaction for all my subjects that have been kill'd by them ; of all my towns which they have burnt , and of all my riches which they have carried away . the spaniards came to meet this prince in good order and well-arm'd , and made a horrible slaughter among his souldiers ; they took the king himself , who was carried on a stately seat upon the shoulders of his subjects . this prince finding himself in this miserable condition , began to treat with 'em about his ransom , for which he promised to give 'em millions of crowns : for this sum they engag'd to give him his liberty ; yet would not stand to their own agreement , but obliged him to assemble all his people , who to obey their prince's order came together in crowds . this king bore such a sway in the minds of his subjects , that he boasted that the leaves of the trees in the woods durst not move without his order . he told the spaniards he was their prisoner , and they had now power to put him to death if they pleas'd . upon this they held a council of war to deliberate what to do with him ; and resolv'd to burn him with a gentle fire : only there was one captain not quite so inhuman as the rest , who told 'em they ought to content themselves with strangling him , and then burning him after he was dead . when the king was inform'd that he was condemn'd to die , he thus express'd himself ; why will ye needs put me to death ? what crime have i committed against you ? did you not promise to restore me my liberty , provided i would pay that fine of gold you impos'd on me ? have not i given you a greater sum than you demanded ? however if you are resolv'd to kill me first send me at least to the king of spain . but all his complaints , all his just reproaches and protestations could not hinder them from burning him . 't is easy to see that the spaniards had no right to make war with this prince and to treat him so inhumanly . but the captivity of this king , the sentence of death pronounc'd against him , and the cruelty with which they put it in execution , after they had extorted such vast treasures from him , all sufficiently discover the genius of these tyrants , and of what injustice and violence they have been guilty both against the princes and people of the new world. i have a letter from a monk of the order of st. francis written to the king of spain , by which it will appear how the spaniards behav'd themselves towards the indians : the very terms of which letter i 'll here set down . i , frier mark de xlicia of the order of st. francis , general of all the monks of the said order in peru , who came into this country with the spaniards that first invaded it , do testify what i have seen with my own eyes of the manner of their treating the people of this new world. having been an eye-witness , i have a certain knowledg of the disposition and manners of the inhabitants of peru ; they are a meek , good-humour'd and peaceable nation , and have shewn a great deal of affection and respect to the spaniards ; i have seen 'em give 'em great sums of gold and silver , and pearls of a great value very readily ; they render'd 'em all the services they could require of 'em with all the diligence that could be reasonably desir'd . they never offer'd to make war with 'em , nor so much as to put themselves in a posture of defence , till they had receiv'd all imaginable injuries from 'em , and were thereby constrained to it contrary to their inclinations . they gave the spaniards as many men and women as they needed for their domestick business ; and when they had receiv'd 'em into their towns and villages with all the honours they could think of , they supplied 'em liberally with all the necessary accommodations of life . i farther testify , that the spaniards without having receiv'd the least occasion of offence from the indians , seiz'd their great cacique atabalipa , soon after they enter'd his country , and burnt him after they had receiv'd four millions of gold of him , and after having taken immense sums out of his province without any resistance . they inflicted the same punishment on cochilimaca his captain general , when he came to meet them in an amicable manner with many other noblemen of peru. a few days after another great lord of the province of quitonia suffer'd the same fate ; for the spaniards burnt him without having the least occasion given 'em for so cruel an action : with the like barbarity and injustice they burnt schapera the prince of the canaries . they also burnt the feet of aluis , the first and greatest lord of the province of quitonia , and put him to a great many other torments to make him reveal k. atabalipa's treasures , of which he was utterly ignorant , as it evidently appear'd by the sequel . they condemn'd cocopagaganga to the same punishment , who was prince of the province of quitonia : he suffer'd himself to be over perswaded by the treaties of sebastian banalcaçar a spanish captain , to come in an amicable manner and surrender himself to the spaniards ; this captain having given him his word that no injury should be done him ; yet , contrary to this promise , he was burnt alive , with several caciques besides : and i have been inform'd , that the spaniards design'd to shew no mercy to any indian in the country . i moreover affirm , that i my self have seen the spaniards in several places cut off the noses , ears and hands of indian men and women , without any provocation , in cold blood ( as it seem'd ) purely for the sake of doing mischief , which is a most inexcusable sort of barbarity . i have seen the spaniards set their fierce and hungry dogs at the indians to tear 'em in pieces and devour ' em . and i have seen 'em set fire to so many towns and villages , that 't is impossible i should recollect the number of ' em . 't is certain they have torn children from their mothers breasts , and thrown 'em with all their might as far as they could , to divert themselves with this brutish sport. i have often been a witness of many other cruelties of this nature , which have fill'd me with dread and horror ; but i should be too prolix and tedious to give the detail of ' em . i protest , that once the spaniards when they had assembled the greatest number of indians they could in three great houses , set fire to 'em and burnt 'em all alive , without any reason , having not receiv'd the least affront from ' em . and a certain priest , whose name was ocana , happening to attempt to take a young child out of the flames , a spaniard that saw him , took the child from him , and immediately cast it again into the fire , where it was burnt with the rest . this spaniard the same day be committed this black and cursed action , died suddenly as he was going to the camp ; and i was of opinion that his carcase ought not to be interred . i have seen the spaniards send deputies to the caciques and chief indians , to engage 'em to come and meet 'em without fear , promising 'em to employ their interest with the king of spain on their behalf : but as soon as they were come upon the credit of the promises that had been given 'em , they were burnt without pity or any formal process . two of the most illustrious and considerable indians were burnt in my sight , one at andonia , and the other at tumbala . all the efforts i made to secure 'em from the flames , and to get 'em out of the hands of these bloody wretches , were to no purpose ; my discourses and exhortations made no impression on ' em . i can say with a good conscience , and in the presence of god , that so far as i have been able to learn , by the long time i have been among 'em , the inhabitants of peru have never fomented any mutiny or rebellion , or done the least injury to the spaniards , who have treated them so inhumanly ; but whatever torments they have suffer'd , they seem'd to have laid aside the thoughts of revenge . and when they found the spaniards were always deceiving 'em , and breaking the promises they made 'em ; when they found they treated 'em with so much tyranny , contrary to all law and equity ; and that they did not scruple to commit all sorts of outrages against 'em , they rather chose to die , than to be continually expos'd to such miseries . i have been inform'd by the accounts the indians themselves have given , that there is a great deal more gold among 'em undiscover'd than has been yet found ; the ill vsage and cruelty of the spaniards having made 'em conceal it : and they are resolv'd never to discover it while they are treated with so much injustice and tyranny , but will rather die as their companions have done , who have been put to death with so much cruelty . the injuries offer'd these poor indians are very hainous sins in the sight of god , and contrary to the interest and service of the king , who has been cheated of more treasure in peru than would keep all the people in castile . thus far the letter of that monk , which was confirm'd by the attestation of the bishop of mexico : he was an eye-witness of what he here relates , for he went through this country for the space of fourscore or a hundred leagues , and continued there nine or ten years , in a time when there were but few spaniards there . but as soon as it was reported in spain that this new world was so full of gold , there presently came four or five thousand people , who spread themselves through these noble provinces , and possess'd five or six hundred leagues of the country , which they entirely ruined , committing all those disorders and crimes that have been mention'd before . they have destroy'd a great many more people here than this frier takes notice of in his letter : and without having any fear of god before their eyes , or any regard to the king , or the least sentiment of compassion to their fellow-creatures , they have almost destroy'd one half of mankind ; for in the provinces of peru alone they have kill'd above forty millions of people . a few days after what i have related above , they kill'd a great queen with arrows made of reeds ; she was wife to prince elingue , who still governs this province in quality of king : the spaniards did what they could to seize this prince's person , and omitted no tricks and artifices to accomplish it ; this was the occasion of his revolt against the spaniards , and he has ever since continued their declar'd enemy . they took his queen contrary to the rules of equity and justice ; and 't is said they kill'd her at a time when she was big with child , meerly to vex and grieve the king her husband , who lov'd her very tenderly . if all the massacres the spaniards have committed in peru should be recounted , every one would be astonish'd at the recital , and the number of 'em after an exact computation would surpass all probability , and appear too great to be believ'd . of the new kingdom of grenada . a great number of spaniards went from veneçuela , the isle of st. martha , and carthagena in the year , to make a discovery of peru : divers others went up higher , three hundred leagues beyond st. martha and carthagena , to discover those excellent countries that were very fertile , and full of people of a mild and sociable temper ; where is abundance of gold and precious stones found , especially emeralds : they gave this kingdom the name of new grenada , because the captain that first set his foot in it was born at grenada . they that accompanied him were very profligate men , and extremely cruel ; they shed human blood without any scruple or remorse , for they had been long accustom'd to all sorts of wickedness , and therefore 't is the less to be wonder'd at that they have committed so many crimes in this new grenada , where they abandon'd themselves to all manner of abominations . i shall only mention some instances of 'em , because an exact recital of their cruelties would fill the minds of all that read this history with too much horror . a certain governor that could not get his share of the booty another had got before him in ravaging this new kingdom of grenada at his pleasure , tho he could have seconded him with all his heart in the cruelties and robberies he committed here ; yet being enrag'd to see such a valuable prey escape him , thought meet to appease his trouble after a sort , and to revenge himself on the other by making authentick informations confirm'd by the concurrent testimony of many witnesses , which expos'd to light all the vexations , murders and cruelties which this tyrant had been guilty of in new grenada . the said informations were read in the council of the indies , where they have been hitherto preserv'd , and are yet to be seen . in these informations the witnesses depose , that this new kingdom enjoy'd a settled peace before the spaniards came thither ; that the people shew'd 'em all the kindness imaginable as soon as they came among 'em ; that they maintain'd the spaniards with their labour , and the fruit of the ground which they manur'd ; that they gave 'em prodigious quantities of gold , and abundance of precious stones , amongst others a great many emeralds ; that they freely brought 'em whatever was most valuable in their cities , the government of which the spaniards divided among themselves when they had canton'd 'em into several parts : for this they counted a proper method , the better to compass their design of heaping together all the gold they could possibly find . when the indians were first subjugated to the tyranny of the spaniards , the chief captain , who was general of the rest , took possession of the king's person as well as of the country , and kept him prisoner for five or six months , without any reason in the world , demanding gold and emeralds of him continually . this king , whose name was bogata , in the midst of his fears , promis'd the spanish general to deliver up all the gold-plate he had , hoping by this means to get out of the hands of this tyrant : he sent a great many indians to his house to fetch these precious goods ; and at the several turns they made he gave the spaniard a great quantity of gold and emeralds ; who was not content with all this , but threaten'd to kill him . accordingly he commanded this unfortunate king to be brought before him to receive his sentence . this is the treatment these tyrants give the most illustrious persons of the new world : this haughty general pronounc'd a fatal sentence against this prince , by which he was condemn'd to most horrible torments if he did not immediately send for all the gold he had : accordingly this tyrant's executioners laid hold of the king , stretch'd him out at length upon the ground naked , and pour'd boiling rosin upon his belly ; besides this , they put his feet into a fire , having fasten'd his neck to a stake fix'd in the ground , while two of these hangmen held him by the arms. the cruel general came from time to time to look upon him while this torture continued , threatning to take away his life if he did not speedily deliver up his gold. god seem'd by his providence to signify his displeasure against these cruelties , in suffering the city where they were committed to be consum'd with fire in a moment . the rest of the spaniards took pattern by their general , and fill'd up his steps : and having no other trade than that of tormenting the indians , and cutting 'em in pieces , they practised the same villanies in divers parts of this kingdom : they inflicted terrible punishments on several caciques , and all their subjects , who too imprudently depended on the good words and promises the spaniards made 'em : and this after they had given 'em incredible sums of gold , and many emeralds . these presents , tho so valuable , could not soften their obdurate hearts , and render 'em civil to their benefactors ▪ the tortures to which they put the indians were to make 'em bring yet more gold and precious stones ; and the same motive has induc'd 'em to burn all the great lords of the country with a slow fire . a great multitude of indians one day came to meet the spaniards with a great deal of humility and simplicity ( as their manner is ) to offer 'em their service , supposing themselves safe ; but while they were sleeping without any apprehension of danger , being faint and weary , a spanish captain commanded his men to massacre 'em all , which was accordingly executed . this was done to strike the whole country with terror and consternation , and to fright the inhabitants out of their gold by the horror of so tragical a spectacle . the general made his souldiers swear how many caciques and indians each of 'em had kill'd , and how many they had reserv'd alive for their slaves ; these he immediately order'd 'em to bring out into the most publick place of their city , and made 'em there cut off the heads of or of these poor creatures . divers witnesses have depos'd that this captain order'd the hands and noses of many indians both men and women to be cut off , and exercis'd other unheard of cruelties among ' em . he sent into bogata's province to enquire who had succeeded that prince , whom he had so inhumanly put to death : the men he sent to make this discovery took as many indians as they could ; such of 'em as could not tell the name of their late prince's successor , were barbarously abus'd , some of 'em had their arms and legs cut off ; others were expos'd to the fury of greedy dogs , and soon torn in pieces by ' em . they fell upon a great number of caciques and indian noblemen by a treacherous surprize in the middle of the night , after they had assur'd 'em they need not fear any affront or abuse from them . the innocent indians confiding in these fair promises , were come down out of the mountains where they had hid themselves , to lodg in the cities , not suspecting the ill design the spaniards had against 'em : however these perfidious men surpriz'd 'em , and cut off the hands and arms of all they took , letting 'em know they were chastiz'd after this severe manner for not telling the name of their late king's successor . another time the general sent a great party of soldiers into a city to make war with the inhabitants , because they sent him not a basket of gold which he had demanded : they made these poor people suffer a thousand outrages , and massacred vast numbers of ' em . they inhumanly cut off the noses and hands both of men and women , and gave others to be devour'd by their dogs , which were wont to be fed with human flesh . the people of one of these provinces , seeing or of their chiefs burnt to death with a slow fire , were frighted by this horrible sight into the mountains to shelter themselves from the spaniards ; they were about or : hereupon the spanish commander sent a company of soldiers to pursue 'em , and treat 'em as rebels . 't is hard to imagine by what right they assum'd an authority to punish people as rebels , that were free-born , and did not in the least depend on ' em . when the spanish soldiers were got into this mountain , they fell on the poor indians , who were naked and disarm'd , with a fury like that of wolves and lions , when they set upon a flock of sheep to devour 'em ; till at length they were so spent and fatigu'd meerly with slaughtering these poor creatures , that they were forc'd to give over a while to take breath ; after which they renew'd this massacre with more vigour . and to cut short their bloody work , they threw down the greatest part of these indians headlong from the top of the mountain , which was very high . it has been depos'd by those that were eye-witnesses of this tragedy , that they forc'd above of these poor indians all together down this precipice , so that they look'd like a cloud as they fell ; they were all dash'd in pieces by this dreadful fall , and died miserably . the spaniards push'd on this barbarous expedition to the utmost ; for they made a diligent search in all the remote corners of the mountain , and gave no quarter to any they found ; those they could catch were either cut to pieces , or after many wounds cast down from the top of the mountain . nor did these cruelties satisfy 'em , but they shut up divers indians both men and women , whom they had reserv'd for slaves , in a house cover'd with straw , which they set on fire and so consum'd ' em . they likewise went to the city of cola , where they took abundance of people , with about or of their great men ; they expos'd these to the fury of their dogs , which devour'd 'em , having first cut off the hands and feet both of men and women ; and fix'd these sad spoils on poles , that they might be obvious to the view of all , and that the dreadful sight might cast terror and amazement in the minds of all that surviv'd . the ravage and cruelties these bloody-minded men exercised in this new kingdom of grenada are so great , that if the king of spain dos not apply a speedy remedy , and set bounds to their excessive avarice and insatiable thirst of gold , that whole kingdom will soon be destroy'd , and the land lie uncultivated and unimprov'd , for want of inhabitants . in the space of or years , since this kingdom has been discover'd , they have without the fear of god or man put the inhabitants to death , without any emotion or pity to see so much human blood pour'd out . there are now scarce any people to be found there after all these massacres . there are divers fine large provinces near new grenada ; this country is called popoyan and cali , and is above leagues in extent , which they also have ruined , and made as desolate as the former . here they have so slaughter'd the people , that this once populous country is now quite destitute of inhabitants . those that come from thence relate such terrible things of the spaniards proceedings there , that one can't hear their sad stories , without being pierc'd with trouble and compassion in a very sensible manner . in these provinces they have ruin'd many fine cities from one end to t'other ; so that they now lie buried in their own ashes : there are scarce any of the ruins of those cities to be seen , which once contain'd above houses . in a word , this country which was full of villages , towns , and cities for the space of leagues , is now so bare , that there 's scarce any token remaining to signifie there ever were any such buildings . some of the spaniards came from peru into new grenada and popoyan through the province of quitonia ; others of 'em came to cali by the way of carthagena and vraba , but all join'd together to carry on the same design , spoiling a country of leagues in extent of all its riches , and extirpating all the inhabitants after they had plunder'd ' em . when this cruel war was ended , the spaniards took some of the indians , whom they had reserved for slaves , into their service , and caus'd the heads of several of their companions to be cut off in their sight to terrify 'em ; telling 'em they must all expect to undergo the same fate , if they did not serve 'em faithfully . by the recital of such barbarous actions as these , the reader may easily imagin how the spaniards behave themselves towards the indians in the several parts of america . they feed their fierce dogs with human flesh , on purpose to accustom 'em to tear men in pieces , and devour ' em . they carry these dogs with 'em wherever they go , and barbarously murder the poor indians , to feed these savage curs with their flesh . they 'l say one to another , give me a quarter of that indian to make my dog a feast ; and when i kill one , i 'll pay you again . they commonly hunt in the morning with these dogs ; and when ask'd by their fellows what luck they have had , they answer according to their success . sometimes one will say , i am content , my dogs have kill'd about a score of 'em ; so that one would think they were speaking of wolves or wild boars . can any thing be imagin'd that exceeds such horrible cruelty as this ? and all these barbarities have been prov'd and averred by strict examinations made and produc'd before the council of the indies . but i shall add no more , till i shall receive farther information of their other villanies , which may be expected to be yet greater than those i have mention'd , if greater can possibly be committed . and that which is most deplorable is , that the spaniards take no care to speak to these people of the mysteries of our religion ; nor seem to regard 'em any more than dogs or wild beasts . nay they have forbidden the monks and missionaries to instruct 'em , whom they have even persecuted , and laid a thousand obstructions in their way , to hinder 'em from preaching the gospel to these poor creatures who passionately desired it ; and all because they thought the conversion of these people would be an obstacle to their covetous designs , and hinder 'em from getting all the gold they desir'd . so that these miserable people have been industriously kept in their former ignorance , and know no other god than those of wood , stone or copper ; unless it be the people of new spain ( which is but a small part of america ) where the monks have exercised their function , and have been suffer'd to display their zeal with more freedom . in the other provinces the indians perish without baptism , or any other sacrament ; and no one gives himself the trouble to instruct 'em ; as will farther appear by an authentick letter from a bishop of this country , who expresses himself in these terms : i frier bartholomew de las-casas , monk of the order of st. dominique , having signified my desire to be recall'd from the indies , had leave to come over to the court of spain , to give an account of the deplorable condition of the indians . to this i have been mov'd by the zeal with which god has inspir'd me for souls redeem'd by his blood. my earnest desire is , that they may know their creator , and embrace his word , that they may be sav'd . and i cannot choose but extremely pity spain , my native country , because i am greatly afraid god will utterly destroy it , for the enormous crimes committed by the spaniards ( who go into the indies ) both against god , against the king , and against their neighbours . i don't doubt but divers illustrious persons of this court , who are truly zealous for the salvation of souls , are very sensibly touch'd with the calamities and miseries those multitudes of poor creatures suffer in the new world , who are abandon'd to the fury of the spanish souldiers . i resolv'd long ago to draw up an exact relation of these matters , but have been still hinder'd by the continual urgency of those affairs in which i have been engag'd till now . however i have at length accomplish'd this design at valence , the th of december , anno . this treatise gives a short account of the violence , tyranny , persecutions , robberies , massacres and devastations committed by the spaniards in all the parts of america where they have dispers'd themselves . these calamities and disorders are advanc'd to a degree that surpasses all belief , and is the more surprizing in that the spaniards are much less furious and cruel every where else . indeed the people of mexico and of the places adjacent , are now treated much better than others ; insomuch that no body there dares offer violence to any indian openly : 't is true they exact immense sums of 'em , but the forms of justice are at least so observ'd , that the people are protected from the insults and affronts of such as have more power than themselves . i have great hope our illustrious lord , charles the fifth , emperor and king of spain , who begins to take cognizance of the tyranny and ill behaviour of the spaniards toward the indians , will undertake the protection of these miserable people , who are persecuted against his will , as well as against the will of god. all the miseries that have bin inflicted on these newly discover'd nations have bin hitherto conceal'd from our prince with no less subtilty and address than malice . yet now 't is not to be doubted but this wise emperor , into whose hands god has cast the government of those vast regions , and who bears so sincere an affection to justice , will give effectual orders to put a stop to these persecutions . may god preserve this illustrious emperor in all the glory and prosperity that attends him , for the salvation of his soul , and the preservation of the church . amen . a year after the writing of all of these matters above recited , there were published in the city of madera certain laws and constitutions made by his majesty at barcelona , in the month of december in the year . which were calculated according to the urgent necessity of affairs to rectify the disorders that were then commited with so much insolence both against god and man , to the utter destruction and desolation of the new world. for the constituting of these wise laws his majesty assembled a great many persons , illustrious both for their quality and learning , and moreover endued with great piety , who deliberated on these important affairs in divers sessions at valladolid . at length by the unanimous consent of the whole assembly , divers propositions were ratified and publish'd ; and which appear the more conformable to the rules of christianity , in as much as the persons who compos'd this famous assembly had never been any way concern'd in the outrages offer'd the indians ; they were such as had neither wash'd their hands in their blood , nor reap'd any advantage by the immense treasures that had been taken from 'em with so much violence , after the murder of incredible numbers of innocent people . for the avarice and cruelty of those spaniards who first set foot in america have been the fatal causes of all the miseries that new world has undergon . after the publication of these new orders for regulating the affairs of the indies , the protectors of those cruel tyrants , who had still some credit at court , procur'd several precepts to constitute officers to send into divers provinces of the indies , for they were much concern'd to see the course of their violence likely to be stop'd , and their wonted robberies and extortions obstructed . and thus they to whom the care of suppressing these disorders , and preventing the farther insults of these tyrants was committed , made no conscience of violating that equity and fidelity they ow'd both to god and their prince ; for they knew very well what effect the edicts that were made must needs have , and therefore alarm'd the people before the arrival of the judges who were sent to the indies to publish the laws of their prince , and to put 'em in execution : so that as soon as these judges came into america , they appear'd to be of the same stamp with those that sent 'em , and neither regarded god nor man ; they immediately forgot the king's orders , and laid aside the reverence due to so great a prince ; and being willing to take part with those tyrants , that they might have a share of the booty , behav'd themselves with a cruelty beyond imagination , and justified those villanies which they were sent to punish . so that since the year , such rapine and violence has been committed in peru , that the like has not been heard of either in the indies , or any other part of the world : nor do they exercise their cruelty only on the indians , whom they have almost exterminated , but are suffer'd by the just judgment of god to turn their arms one against another with great fury to their mutual destruction . some of the people of this new world under the protection of these rebels , were encourag'd to refuse obedience to the emperor's orders ; others pretending they were desirous to address petitions to his imperial majesty , have suffer'd themselves to be carried down the stream with the rest , and have revolted too . for the spaniards are not easily perswaded to surrender those treasures they have unjustly usurped , or to release those indians whom they have inslav'd . if they don't so often massacre 'em , they increase the weight of their irons , and impose laws on 'em more and more unjust and rigorous . and the king with all his authority has not yet been able to stop the course of these mischiefs , because they are generally link'd together in a confederacy , both small and great ; and all use the licentious trade of robbing and spoiling more or less according to their power , some more publickly , and others after a clandestine manner . but that which yet further discovers the boldness and insolence of these hypocrites is , that they still make pretences that they consult nothing but the king's interest , and the glory of god in all they do ; while 't is most apparent , they are continually robbing the king , and that with impunity , and are always dishonouring god and religion by their criminal and scandalous practices . that which next follows is a fragment of a letter of a certain person who accompanied the spaniards in their voyages and journies , giving an account of their actions in the various places through which they pass'd : but this letter being design'd to be sent with other papers , he that made up the packets lost several pages of it which contain'd very remarkable and extraordinary things concerning the actions of the spaniards . this fragment i send you is the body of the letter , the beginning and end of which are both wanting . however , seeing that which it contains deserves the notice of the publick , i thought meet to print it , and hope the view of it will produce the same effect of moving you to commiserate the calamities of the poor indians , as i presume the more ample relation i have given you above has done : and consequently that your wonted charity will excite in your minds an ardent desire to oppose and rectify all those disorders as much as in you lies . the fragment . — the captain order'd these indians to be chain'd for slaves , which was presently done , and he carried away with him great numbers of men and women in chains ; so that the whole country was soon turn'd into a desert . they took away all the crop of corn these poor creatures had , and whatever else they had laid up for the subsistence of their families , by which means they were soon reduc'd to extreme want ; so that many were found dead in the high-ways merely with famine . there were also above ten thousand of those indians the spaniards took to carry their baggage , that died on the coasts : for almost all that went any distance from the sea were kill'd with the excessive heat they met with on the continent . this same captain following the steps of john ampudia , sent before him two indians whom he had taken in the province of quitonia , to discover the villages and towns that were in their way , and where any booty was to be got ; these indians were either his own slaves , or those of his souldiers , some of whom had two or three hundred slaves a man , and others more or less , as they had more or less baggage and provisions to carry . these indians return'd to their master , together with such others as they could bring away with ' em . and in these expeditions all sorts of cruelties were committed upon women and children . they did the same in the province of quitonia , they fir'd their houses wherever they came , and burnt all the stores of corn the indians had . and to shew their spite the more , as if all this mischief had been too little , they kill'd their cattel only for the suet and marrow , having no occasion for the flesh ; only the indians who attended the spaniards in these expeditions ate the livers , that being one of their principal dishes . 't is scarce to be believed what numbers of cattel they kill'd here ; they destroy'd above a hundred thousand after this manner only for the fat and livers , and so made the country desolate by this needless slaughter , which brought such a famine and misery upon the inhabitants , that they died for want of food : they besides carried away out of this province all the corn they did not burn ; so that tho the country produces abundance , there was so great a scarcity , that a * septier of corn was worth ten crowns , and a lamb was sold for the same price . the commander of these troops being return'd from the sea-coast , resolv'd to leave the province of quitonia , and to join john ampudia . to accomplish this design he raised above two hundred men horse and foot , among which were divers citizens of quitonia . he gave 'em leave to bring with them the caciques , and all the other indians which had formerly fallen to their share , and to add as many others to 'em as they pleas'd , which they did . one alphonso sanchez carried with him his cacique , whose name was nenuyta , with a hundred other indians and their wives . peter cobo accompanied him with a hundred and fifty indians and their wives , who were forc'd to drag their children after 'em , for fear they should perish with hunger . one moran , a citizen of popayan carried above two hundred people with him ; and all the rest of the souldiers did the same proportionably to their stock and occasions . they desir'd permission to make all the indian men and women that attended 'em their absolute slaves , which was granted ; and this privilege continued as long as they liv'd , tho these indians were the subjects and vassals of the king of spain as well as the spaniards themselves . with such an equipage as this our general left the city of quitonia , to go take possession of that of octaba , which fell to his lot . he demanded of the cacique five hundred men to join his forces , which were deliver'd to him , with divers other persons of note . part of these indians he distributed among his souldiers , and took the rest to himself , some of whom were loaded with chains , and others with his baggage and provisions . 't was a lamentable sight to see these poor wretches tied one to another with cords . when these spaniards parted from the province of quitonia , they carried away no less than six thousand indians , of which scarce twenty came back to their own country ; for the extreme fatigues and scorching heat they endur'd in those hot countries soon cut 'em off . the general having made alphonso sanchez captain of a company , this brute meeting some women and children in his way , loaded with provisions , and waiting for him to present him with what they had brought , massacred 'em all without pity . in this cruel action , a spaniard going about to kill an indian woman broke his sword in two the first blow he gave her ; at the second stroke he broke it again , so that he had nothing but the hilt left in his hand : but that which is more surprizing is , that this poor woman receiv'd no wound by the blows he gave her . another souldier striking an indian woman with a large dagger , had about three inches of it broken off at the first stroke , and the whole blade quite to the hilt at the second . when this general , of whom we have been speaking , parted from quitonia , he cruelly separated husbands and wives one from another , giving the young women to the indians that went with him , and leaving the old women to those that remain'd in the city . one of these women follow'd him with loud cries when he went away , and beg'd of him with abundance of tears , that he would not take away her husband from her , telling him she had the charge of three children , and 't would be impossible for her to provide for 'em if she were bereav'd of her husband ; so that they must necessarily be starv'd . the general repuls'd her not without some indignation , upon which she redoubled her sighs and cries , telling him her children were ready to die with hunger : at length seeing her prayers and tears made no impression on him , she took a stone and dash'd out the brains of all her children in his sight . when this commander arriv'd in the city of palo , which is situate in the province of lilia , he met with captain john ampudia , who went before him to make a discovery of the country , and to settle peace in it : he was now governor of this city , which had a garison in the king of spain's name , and was under the direction of the marquess francis de piccaro , who had establish'd a council there consisting of eight counsellors , that had the inspection of the whole country , and kept it in peace and union by the good management of peter solano de quenon . ampudia hearing our general was arriv'd in the country , came to give him a visit , accompanied with many of the inhabitants and indians , who brought him abundance of fruit , and other provisions . many of the neighbouring indians came afterwards on the same errand , and after them the inhabitants of xamundia , palonia , solimania and bolonia , did the like . but because they did not bring so great a quantity of corn as demanded , the general sent a troop of souldiers with a great many indians to seek some elsewhere , with orders to take it where ever they found it . with this order they went into palonia and bolonia , where they found the indians dwelling very peaceably in their houses ; and without any regard to the laws of nations or of hospitality , took away all the corn and other provisions , together with all the gold and silver they had , and put many of the poor indians in chains to make slaves of ' em . these unhappy people came to make their complaint to the general of the ill treatment and injustice they had suffer'd , and to intreat him to cause restitution to be made of what had been so violently taken from 'em , but in vain , for he would do nothing in the matter , only gave 'em his promise that his men should do 'em no hurt for the future , and that they should never come again into their country : yet four or five days after they went into another part of the country for corn , and pillag'd the poor indians as they had done before ; who were so provok'd to see themselves deluded by the general , who had broke his promises almost as soon as he had made 'em , that the whole country betook themselves to their arms in an instant ; which tumult afterwards occasion'd many disorders and great offences to be commited both against the majesty of god and the dignity of the king of spain : at length these people fled , and left this whole country desolate . they that retreated into the mountains came down from time to time to seek provision ; the indians likewise engag'd in a cruel war one with another , wherein the stronger party us'd to eat the weaker : for that indian nation that inhabits the mountains are a fierce and warlike people , and mortal enemies to their neighbours . after this insurrection the general went to the city of ampudia , where he receiv'd all the honours due to his character ; he afterwards march'd with two hundred horse and foot toward lilia and pelinia . he sent his captains all round the country to make a cruel war upon the indians ; they fir'd a great many houses , robb'd all that fell into their hands , and kill'd abundance of ' em . this killing and pillaging continued many days together . the lord of the country hoped to put a stop to these miseries , and to allay the bloody rage of these tygers by sending their subjects to 'em with all sorts of provisions and other presents . soon after this they came to lilia with all the indians they had taken , for they would not discharge one of ' em . they pass'd through ycea in their way , and were no sooner arriv'd there , but they fell to pillaging and massacring all they met with ; they exercis'd their usual trade of firing their houses , they consum'd above a hundred of 'em in one village ; nor did other towns and cities in the neighbouring country , which they call tulilicui , fare any better . when the cacique at the head of a great company of indians came to meet 'em , the spanish commander demanded gold of him and his subjects : they told him they had no great quantity , but would readily give him all they had ; and accordingly brought him that little they had got together . upon which he deliver'd a kind of receipt sign'd with his own hand to each of 'em , which was to serve for a token by which to distinguish those that had given him gold from the rest ; adding , that whoever had not this receipt should be expos'd to the dogs to the devour'd by ' em . the poor creatures terrified by these menaces , brought him all the gold they had in very great haste , and those that had none were fain to retire into the mountains , or into other cities to save their lives ; and thus the country was depriv'd of the greatest part of its inhabitants . a little after he order'd the cacique to send two indians to the city of agua , to signify that he requir'd the inhabitants to meet him , which they might do with safety , and to bring with them all the gold they could . after he had dispatch'd this order , he went to another city , and the same might sent a party of spaniards to seize some of the people of tulilicui , who brought him a hundred men and women the day following , of which he reserv'd the most robust and lusty , whom he thought fit to carry great burdens , for himself and his souldiers , and put many of 'em in chains , giving the young children to the cacique of tulilicui to eat , in whose house their skins fill'd with ashes are still to be seen . after this expedition he went toward the provinces of calili , where he join'd captain john d' ampudia , who was gone another way to make a further discovery . these two commanders left great marks of their cruelty in all the provinces through which they pass'd . ampudia happen'd to come to a certain city , the governor of which , whose name was bitacon , had made deep works under ground to hinder the approach of an enemy : two of the spaniards horses , that of one antony redondon , and that of marc marqués , fell into these traps , and the latter of 'em dy'd with the fall , but the other escap'd the danger . however this small loss by the stratagem of the indians so provok'd this captain , that he order'd his men to take all of 'em they could light on , which was about three hundred , and to cast 'em into these pits ; besides this they fir'd a hundred houses . from hence they came to a very great and populous city , here they had no interpreter by whom to converse with these indians ; however they massacred abundance of 'em with their swords and lances . as soon as these two commanders met one another again after all these expeditions , ampudia gave the other a relation of what he did at bitaconia , and told him how many indians he had cast into the pits that were made at the entrance of the city , while the other applauded all he had done , telling him he had reason to serve 'em after that manner : and added , that for his part he had destroy'd above two hundred indians near the river bamba , which waters the province of quitonia . thus these two tyrants made war upon all this country at the same time . they both after this enter'd into the provinces of birumia and anzerma , where they left everlasting tokens of their barbarity and fury . one francis garcia , whom they sent out to pillage the country , treated the people with abundance of insolence , till he reduc'd 'em to extreme indigence and misery . the indians came to him by couples , making signs to desire peace for the whole country , promising to give the spaniards all they should demand , and to deliver up their gold , and their wives too , provided they would give 'em their lives ; but receiv'd no other answer from this cruel garcia , but that they must be gone , for he had drank too much , and was now in no condition to consider of what they said . he enter'd their country full of fury , and running through the whole province , put it all under military execution , robbing , and spoiling , and massacring the inhabitants without mercy : he carried away two thousand of the people with him , who were put in chains , and dy'd under the rigor of their cruel bondage : and before he left this country he put fifty more to a violent death . after he had fill'd this province with misery and horror , he passed into the province of calili . when any of the indians that carried his baggage fainted with weariness , and fell under their burdens in the way , they kill'd 'em on the spot , to terrify the rest by these bloody actions , that none of 'em might dare to pretend themselves sick to get rid of their burdens and labours . and thus they were all destroy'd by degrees ; for partly because they were not sufficiently look'd after , and partly because unreasonable labour was exacted of 'em , there was not so much as one of all those indians left alive , which they brought from quitonia , pastonia , quilla , cangapatra , popaya , lilia , calicia , and anzerma . as the spaniards return'd , they past through a great city , where they put most of the inhabitants to the sword , and carried away prisoners , whom they inslav'd according to their usual manner . the general sent john ampudia , when they were in the province of lilia , with a considerable party of soldiers into those parts of the country most inhabited , to take as many indians as he could to carry the baggage ; because not one of that number they brought from anzerma and allia , which amounted to about men , was able to endure the fatigue , but all died in the way . they here took as many as they had occasion for to carry their baggage , and the rest were left to the discretion of the soldiers , who put 'em in chains , and kept 'em till they were starv'd ; so that this country was quite unpeopled , neither spaniards nor indians being now to be found in it . after all these ravages , they advanc'd toward popaya , leaving martin d' aquirra by the way , he being unable to follow the rest . as soon as they arriv'd at popaya ; they form'd a garison in the city , and treated the inhabitants with the same insolence and violence they had us'd in all other parts of the country where they had made their progress . here they coined money with the king's image and arms upon it ; they stamp'd all the gold they had , as well as that which john d' ampudia had got by his robberies , after this manner . all this gold was melted by the general 's order , without keeping any account of it , or paying any of the soldiers , unless it were such as had lost their horses ; so that he kept almost all the gold for his own private use . he pretended indeed to take the th part of it , which is the king 's due , and to go to cuzco to give an account of it to his majesty's intendent ; but took another way , and return'd into the province of quitonia , taking up many indians as he went , who all died under the heavy yoke of their slavery . he afterwards effac'd the king's image , which he had stamp'd upon this new money . and 't is remarkable concerning this man , that he could not but reflect on all the mischief he had done , and on the cruelties he had committed ; for he was wont to say of himself , whoever shall come into these provinces years hence , and be told what kind of life i led here , will say , such a tyrant went this way , and here are everlasting marks of his violence and cruelty . it is not to be conceal'd from your highness , that the rest of the spaniard who came into the indies after him , have endeavour'd to tread in his steps , and have exactly follow'd the example he set 'em ; for they have committed the same injustice and villany and so they still continue to do . among the other remedies propos'd by the lord bartholomew de las-casas in the assembly of prelats and learned men whom the king call'd together at valladolid , to reform the affairs of the indies , in the year , he advises , that the king of spain should take the indians under his protection , and consider 'em as his lawful subjects , that by this means they may be shelter'd and guarded from the continual tyranny and insolence of their enemies , and not be utterly extirpated by massacres , which have bin so often committed with impunity . for as fruitful and populous as this new world has been , it will soon be laid entirely waste , and turn'd into a barren desert , if the spaniards be still suffer'd to root out the inhabitants , as they have hitherto done . the words of the bishop on this subject are as follows : the most proper and best expedient , and which is of great importance for your majesty's interest , without which all others will be fruitless , is , that your majesty send express orders to all your courts and tribunals in the indies , to receive all the indians , both those that have been already subjugated , and those that shall be conquer'd for time to come , into the number of your free subjects , that all the provinces they inhabit be united to the kingdoms of castile and leon , and that all the inhabitants be incorporated as your own people , so that they shall not be capable of being inslaved by any spaniard ; and that this law and order be inviolably observ'd : that for the future these new provinces may not be dismember'd and alienated from the crown of spain , under any pretext whatsoever , tho never so great necessity should be pretended ; and never so pressing intercession be made with your majesty to obtain the title of a particular soveraignty for any one : that all the world may know that the government of those provinces that are subdued in the indies , is inseparably united to your majesty's crown , and a part of your property . that to confirm this constitution the better , and to render it the more solemn and inviolable , your majesty would please to take an oath upon the holy gospel , on your crown , and all that is most sacred , in the form and manner princes are wont to do on such occasions , that you will never revoke this edict ; and that your successors be oblig'd to take the same oath : and that your majesty take care to make it one express article of your last will and testament to engage your successors to observe this law , and to make others observe it , as much as lies in their power . divers reasons are afterwards produc'd to shew that this policy is of absolute necessity for the preservation of america , and to hinder the utter extirpation of the indians . the insatiable covetousness of the spaniards , who mind nothing but to amass together heaps of treasure , makes 'em unwilling to suffer any priest or monk to come into those cities where they are masters , for fear their worldly interest should receive considerable damage by that sort of men ; because ( they say ) it makes the indians idle , to assemble 'em ( as they do ) to instruct 'em in the matters of religion ; for all the time they take up to preach to 'em , they detain 'em from the work imposed on ' em . sometimes when the poor indians have been assembled for their instruction in christianity , the spaniards have insolently accosted 'em with cudgels in their hands ; taking such a number of 'em as they think fit , to carry their baggage or any such like service ; and if they are unwilling to obey , they force 'em to it with blows in the sight of all the rest , and in the presence of the monks that instruct 'em ; which is a great scandal to our religion , and a mighty obstacle to their conversion , who are strangely terrified and hinder'd in these pious exercises as well as the monks that preach to 'em , by this ill usage . another inconvenience the spaniards pretend they receive from these instructions , is , that when the indians are converted and plac'd in the number of christians , they grow proud and insolent , thinking better of themselves than they are , and refuse to work so hard as they did before . for the spaniards are very ambitious to command the indians as their absolute slaves , and to be obey'd , respected , and even ador'd by 'em ; and therefore omit nothing that may hinder them from becoming christians . sometimes or towns or villages are given up to the disposal of a certain number of spaniards , and the inhabitants distributed among 'em , to some more , to others fewer ; and it often happens that a woman falls to one man's share , whose husband falls to the lot of another , and their children to a third ; so that they divide these miserable families like flocks of sheep . they employ 'em in all sorts of service , as to manure the ground , to work in the mines , and to carry burdens in journeys of or leagues . and their masters so constantly exact the hard tasks of work they set 'em , that the poor wretches have not time to attend the instructions of the divine word , and to learn the rules of christianity . these people , tho free , have been made slaves , and the greatest part of 'em destroy'd . parents and children have been slaughter'd together ; villages and cities entirely ruin'd , and not a house left standing . and the spaniards have no more regard to their salvation , than if their souls and bodies died together , and were uncapable of eternal rewards or punishments . the spaniards undoubtedly have an obligation of duty upon 'em to instruct them in the doctrine of christ ; but they are so ignorant themselves , that 't is not much to be wonder'd at , if they take no care to inform others . i knew one john colmenero in the isle of st. martha , as dull , as ignorant and whimsical a fellow as one should meet with , to whom the care of instructing the indians in a great city was committed , tho he scarce knew how to make the sign of the cross ; and when he was examined about the course he took to instruct the indians , could make no other answer , but that he taught 'em to say , per signin sanctin cruces . by which one may easily guess at the profound understanding of the man. and how indeed is it possible for the spaniards to teach the indians christianity , and to inform 'em what is necessary to salvation , when the most noted spanish lords , and such as make the greatest figure in the indies , scarce know how many commandments there are ? for they go into america only to gratify their insatiable covetousness . they are generally given to all sorts of vices ; and so immodest , voluptuous and effeminate , that if a just comparison were made between them and the indians , these latter would be found to have much more virtue and honesty : for as ignorant and barbarous as they be , they are content with one wife according to the laws of nature , as a necessary help to 'em ; whereas the spaniards lay aside all respect to the will of their maker , and take or women , or as many as they please , to satisfy their brutish passions , how opposite soever this plurality of wives is to the law of god. the indians scarce know what it is to take away one another's goods , and live innocently by their neighbours , without offering 'em any violence or oppression . and what thoughts must such people as these have of those that call themselves christians , when they see 'em commit all manner of crimes and villanies ; when they see 'em guilty of so much injustice and treachery , and in a word , of all the abominations of which men that are left of god , and have no principle of honour or conscience can be capable ? this makes many indians laugh at the god we worship , and persist obstinately in their incredulity . they believe the god of the christians to be the worst of gods , because his worshippers are the worst of men. as for your majesty , they think you are the most cruel and impious prince in the world , while they see the cruelty and impiety your subjects so insolently commit ; and they verily believe your majesty lives upon nothing but human flesh and blood . probably this account may very much surprize your majesty , who perhaps have not yet receiv'd sufficient information about these matters ; but this opinion is of long standing , and become inveterate among ' em . i could produce a great many instances , of which i have been an eye-witness , to convince you of the truth of it ; but i am afraid of making your majesty too uneasy , and of filling the reader 's mind with too much horror , by reciting such extraordinary and unparallel'd stories , which may give a just occasion of wonder , that god has so long defer'd to inflict some exemplary and terrible judgment upon spain , to punish all the abominations the spaniards have committed in the indies . the pretence of subjecting the indians to the government of spain , is only made to carry on the design of subjugating 'em to the dominion of private men , who make 'em all their slaves . one spaniards who has the government of a town or city , does more mischief by his vitious and scandalous example , than a hundred priests and monks can do good in endeavouring to advance christianity by all their piety , and the exemplary sanctity of their lives . when the spaniards have the government of any place committed to 'em , or have any personal concern , or special interest in it , they 'l be sure to oppress and harass the poor indians , and offer 'em all the abuses that can be . and 't is now become almost impossible for your majesty or your ministers to stop the course of these oppressions , and regulate these disorders ; for the spaniards terrify the indians by their threatnings , and sometimes kill 'em to prevent their complaints against 'em : and of this kind of cruelty we have many instances : so that the poor indians are continually molested and harassed , without any calm intervals in which to compose their minds , and therefore are not capable of applying their thoughts to the consideration of divine things . their whole life is spent in sorrow and anguish under their persecutions and torments . this makes 'em mortally hate your majesty , and abhor the christian religion ; for they can't but think you impose a severe yoke on 'em with intolerable tyranny , that you are the most covetous prince upon earth , and that therefore they ought to leave no stone unturn'd to get clear of your government . the despair under which they lie , occasions 'em to belch out a thousand curses against our god , attributing all the miseries they suffer to him , whom they accuse of blindness , injustice , and want of compassion , for not punishing the outrages committed against 'em under the pretence of obliging 'em to embrace his religion , and for not chastising the impiety of such as make a boast of being his servants , while they are guilty of the highest abominations . this inflames their zeal towards their false gods , which they say are much better than ours , who has brought all manner of miseries upon 'em , whereas their own were the authors of all kinds of blessings . we shall make it evidently appear to your majesty , that the spaniards in about eight and thirty or forty years have unjustly put to death above twelve millions of your subjects ; and what an incredible damage must your majesty have farther sustain'd by these massacres , as they have hinder'd all these people from multiplying , who would have amounted to an infinite number , the people of this new world being very fruitful , and the climat generally very temperate and pleasant , and consequently very proper for generation ? the spaniards have massacred and destroy'd all these nations , to possess themselves of their country , and to usurp the government of it , so as to have it entirely at their disposal . and how injust soever those wars have been which they have made upon the indians , if the poor creatures put themselves in a posture of defence , they cruelly cut their throats without any distinction of quality , sex or age : such as escape their fury they reserve for slaves , many of whom they condemn to the gold or silver mines , others they yoke together like beasts to make 'em carry vast burdens . they don't much concern themselves whether the indians live or die , provided they reap some advantage by their labour , and heap up gold at any rate in the world. i pass over in silence a great many of the torments these poor people have been made to endure on all occasions . if any shall attempt to perswade your majesty of the contrary , we 'l undertake to prove what violence the spaniards have us'd among the indians by invincible and undoubted evidence : and shall not scruple to say , that whoever take upon 'em to deny the truth of these matters , have in all appearance partaken of those robberies , or at least hope to have a share of 'em one time or other . for what shew of probability is there in saying the contagion of the air has so entirely destroy'd the people of a country of leagues extent , that there 's scarce a man to be found ? the spaniards , who know no other god but their interest , have sullied the reputation of the poor indians with the most odious stain that can be imagin'd , in accusing 'em of being addicted to an infamous and abominable sin against nature ; a calumny as ill contriv'd as 't is unjust . for that crime has never been heard of in the islands of hispaniola , st. john , cuba , and jamaica , which have been very populous . this i can speak with assurance , as knowing it to be true , because i took care to inform my self of it as soon as i came ashore in the new world. nor is it so much as known what this vice is in all peru : not one man has ever been found guilty of it in the whole kingdom of yucatan ; and the like may be asserted in general of other countries of america : only 't is said , that in some very remote parts of it there are some people addicted to this monstrous crime : but is it reasonable for this to accuse the whole new world , and to cast an everlasting reproach on so many different nations ? we must say the same of another enormity charg'd upon the indians , namely their eating of human flesh . there are indeed in some particular places a sort of men so barbarous that they eat their own kind ; but 't is very injust to take occasion from this to report the same of all america in general . another pretence the spaniards use , by which to justify their ill carriage towards the indians , is their idolatry ; as if it did not belong to god rather than to them , to punish those that offend him by such abominable worship when he sees meet . besides , the lands and territories they possess are not under the jurisdiction of the spaniards , nor are the indians oblig'd to own any other governors than their lawful and natural soveraigns . our ancestors before they were instructed in the doctrine of christianity , were buried in the gross darkness of idolatry as well as the indians . and before the coming of christ , all the nations of the world in general were guilty of that crime . but that which evidently proves the minds of the indians to be very susceptible of our religion , is the mildness , humility and courtesy they at first express'd to the spaniards , and the patience wherewith they have since undergone their cruelties . 't is a most inexcusable piece of wickedness in the spaniards , that they have made use of all the obstructions they could , and that deliberately , to hinder the indians from imbracing the christian faith ; they have driven away all the monks that came into the indies to preach the gospel , from those places where they had power enough to do it , because they did not care these religious persons should be witnesses of the tyranny and cruelty they exercis'd on the poor people . they have even debauch'd the indians by the ill example they have set 'em , and taught 'em a great many vices they never heard of before they conversed with the spaniards , such as oaths and blasphemies against the name of christ , the practice of extortion , lying , and many other sins that seem'd opposite to the sweet and peaceable temper of these people : so that to leave these poor indians under their government , is visibly to expose 'em to utter destruction , and to make 'em miserable both in soul and body . king ferdinando was so far impos'd on by the artifices of some self-interested men , as to give 'em leave to transport the inhabitants of the lucay-islands into hispaniola : these people were forc'd out of their houses , and out of their country , in pursuance of this grant , which was subtily obtain'd , and occasion'd the destruction of above a hundred thousand people ; so that there now remain but eleven of 'em in fifty islands , some of which are bigger than the canaries , that were well stor'd with people . and this i can affirm on my own knowledg , if your majesty could have seen the ravages and massacres that have been committed in the lucay islands , you would have been pierc'd with the most lively sentiments of compassion ; and then i should have been afraid to incommode your majesty by reviving the memory of that tyranny , in giving an exact recital of it . we have taken notice above of the injust wars the spaniards formerly rais'd against the indians ; we have shewn how they massacred 'em against all law and equity , how cruelly they depriv'd 'em of their children , their parents , and friends ; how they have laid waste one of the finest countries in the world , and render'd it in a manner destitute of inhabitants . this barbarity makes the earth groan , the angels lament these miseries : and god himself has given us to know by the judgments he has inflicted on us , how much these injust and violent actions displease him . the spaniards have taken from the indians all they had ; they make 'em work till they spit blood , they expose 'em to all sorts of hardships , and exact intolerable tasks of 'em ; and , which is yet more horrible , after all they load 'em with heavy blows , beating , whipping and tormenting 'em with the utmost cruelty . to give up the indians to the government and tyranny of these men , is as great a madness , as to give children into the hands of men that are acted by a raging phrenzy , and have knives and daggers ready in their hands to cut their throats ; or to sacrifice men to the fury of their sworn enemies , who have long entertain'd the desire of revenge , and form'd a design to murder 'em ; or to expose a young beautiful virgin to the discretion of an impudent ravisher . who in such a conjuncture , without the interposition of special grace , would abandon himself to the conduct of his passions ? in a word , it would be the same thing as to give 'em up to so many wild bulls , wolves , lions and tigers , when inrag'd with pressing hunger : for all the prohibitions that should be given these wild beasts not to touch such as are expos'd to their fury , would have just the same effect to prevent 'em from being devour'd , as any charge that can be given the spaniards to hinder 'em from murdering the indians to possess themselves of their gold and silver . we dare assure your majesty after the long observation we have made of these matters , that if your majesty should order a gibbet to be set up at every spaniard's door , and should swear upon your crown , that you would cause every man to be hang'd that should kill or offer any considerable injury to the indians to get their riches ; this would not be an effectual remedy to these disorders , if your majesty gave 'em any authority or power over 'em either directly or indirectly . the same occasions of doing mischief would still present , and defeat all the prohibitions that could be made , and all the punishments that could be us'd to terrify ' em . nor are the poor indians expos'd only to be made slaves by the spaniards , but suffer abundance of oppression from a cruel tyrant , that has the government of each town or city , who has a severe eye over 'em , to see how they acquit themselves of their labors , and perform the tasks impos'd on ' em . his business is to plague and torment 'em so many different ways , that their sufferings are almost beyond comparison ; he beats 'em with cudgels , tears their flesh with whips , and causes burning drops of fat to be distill'd on their naked bodies . he is continually exercising his invention in contriving new tortures , he violates their wives , takes away their turkeys , which they count one of their greatest treasures ; these fowls serve him to make presents to the general , who is superior to all these petty tyrants . but 't is impossible to give a particular description of all the punishments these poor wretches endure ; and after all to stop their complaints , they threaten to accuse 'em of idolatry . thus the poor indians are subject to the authority of several different powers , to your majesty , to their cacique , and to the spanish governor , besides twenty other little tyrants , destitute of reason , honor and conscience , who commit all sorts of outrages ; and likewise the moors whom the chief tyrant employs to rob and oppress the poor indians . 't is much to be fear'd that almighty god will make spain feel some extraordinary marks of his displeasure and indignation for these enormous crimes : nay , there appear already some tokens of the divine anger against the spanish nation , for the disorders and devastations made by some in the new world : for tho god had laid up such quantities of treasure there , that it may be said neither solomon nor any other prince ever possess'd a stock of gold and silver comparable to that which the people of these vast regions enjoy'd ; yet they have bin so pillag'd , that now there 's little remaining among 'em : but that which is more unaccountable is , that there 's scarce any of that silver now to be found , that was so common in america when the spaniards first discover'd it . this makes every thing extraordinary scarce there , so that the spaniards are reduc'd to extreme poverty and indigence . all the while larés govern'd the indies , there was no more care taken to instil the principles of christianity into the poor indians , and to put 'em in the way of salvation , than if they had no souls to save . this general applied himself only to plunder the great cities , and would give a hundred indians to one spaniard , and fifty to another , as he had more or less respect for ' em . he made no distinction of age or condition , but promiscuously distributed old men , and big bellied women , as well as others , persons of eminency and princes as well as the common people , to oblige his favorites ; as if these indians were his absolute property . their new masters made 'em work in the gold mines , or employ'd 'em in any other service they pleas'd ; and without regard to their rank or quality , oblig'd 'em to bear this slavish yoke till they dy'd . this governor suffer'd the spaniards to confine eighty thousand of 'em in the mines , who were all married men , while their desolate wives were forc'd to labor in the villages , in digging the ground , making ditches , and throwing up banks , a sort of work fit only for the strongest men , and the rather because they had neither shovels nor other instruments proper for their business . in other places they put 'em upon spinning and other works of that kind , which they found would turn to account ; and would sometimes keep husbands and wives from seeing one another a whole year together ; and when they met after this long separation , they were often so fatigued , and consum'd with hunger and labor , that they were incapable of multiplication . sometimes the children dy'd for want of sustenance , their mothers milk being exhausted with hard labor and hunger ; by this means there dy'd seven thousand infants in the space of three months in the isle of cuba , of which i was an eye-witness . some of the women transported with despair strangl'd their own children ; others that were with child took poisonous herbs to destroy their fruit. thus the men dy'd with hardship in the mines , and the women in the villages ; so that the whole country became desert in a little time , because the women ceas'd to bring forth children into the world. this governor deliver'd up all the indians to the discretion of the spaniards , and suffer'd 'em to treat 'em with all the rigor and severity they pleas'd , and to oppress 'em with the hardest labor they could . they employ'd men to chastise 'em that were more savage and barbarous than tygers , these scourg'd and beat 'em most unmercifully , and gave them all the ill treatment they could devise ; they would never discover the least sign of kindness or pity , but always shew'd themselves austere and barbarously cruel . it would be very inhuman to treat the moors themselves after this manner , tho they are so very cruel to the christians , and do 'em all the mischief they can , when they have the ascendent over ' em . but the indians are naturally a good-humour'd , easy , peaceable , submissive , and tractable sort of people . some of 'em have by the many miseries they suffer'd , been driven to despair of any mitigation of 'em , and therefore fled into the mountains , where they expected death every moment . the spaniards to hinder 'em from flying after this manner , appointed a bloody fellow to make it his whole business to hunt out these indian refugees upon the mountains . the governor besides establish'd a sort of officers in the spanish cities of great consideration and authority , whom he call'd visitors ; to each of these he gave a hundred indians to serve him , besides his ordinary domesticks , the better to support his dignity . he chose such to this office as had signaliz'd themselves by their cruelty . when the alquazils presented the indians they found on the mountains to these visitors , there were persons suborn'd and instructed to accuse 'em after this manner ; this indian is a lazy dog , that fled into the mountains to avoid work , therefore i desire he may be chastiz'd as he deserves . after the giving of this evidence , the visitor us'd to cause the poor indian to be tied to a stake , and beat with a tarr'd rope , which the seamen call a salt-eel , and indeed is like a rod of iron , till the blood would start out in i know not how many parts of his body , and the poor creature would lie for dead upon the place . god is witness of all the cruelties these miserable innocents have endur'd : 't is not possible to recount the hundredth part of what i have seen with my own eyes . a man had need have a body of iron to undergo the labor they endure in getting gold out of the mines . they must delve and search a thousand times over in the bowels of the mountains , till they dig 'em down from top to bottom ; they must work the very rocks hollow . after this the gold must be wash'd in some river , and the poor creatures that do this work must be perpetually in the water , which gradually alters and spoils the constitution of their bodies ; and if the mines happen to be full of water , they are forc'd to empty ' em . that your majesty may the better judg of the labor and toil they suffer in the gold mines , your majesty may please to consider , that the pagan emperors accounted this the worst and most intolerable punishment to inflict on the martyrs , next to death it self . the indians are sometimes kept a whole year in these mines : but since the spaniards have observ'd , that it kill'd most of 'em to keep 'em there so long together , because their bodies were uncapable of sustaining the fatigues of such a tedious and continual labor , they resolv'd to make 'em work only for the space of five months successively , and then to give 'em a respite of forty days , wherein they employ'd 'em in melting gold. but this pretended rest did 'em no great good , for they were not much less incommoded during this time than before , being employ'd in other very troublesom kinds of work. the indians don 't know what holy-days are ; for they work as hard and as long on those days as at other times . nor have they a sufficiency of bread allow'd 'em ; and what they have is a very ordinary sort , that has not much strength in it , being made of roots and cassave ; so that if they don't eat flesh or fish with it , it yields very little nourishment . they likewise give 'em a sort of pepper that grows in the country , and looks much like a dry'd grape . those spaniards that pretend to keep their slaves extraordinary well , distribute a porker every week among fifty indians ; but he that presides over 'em at the mine keeps one half of it for his share , and gives them the other , which is but every one a bit . some of the spaniards are so wretchedly covetous , that they send their slaves into the fields and mountains to feed upon what fruit they can find , and then oblige 'em to work two or three days without giving 'em any thing to eat . your majesty may easily imagine , that such kind of food can't possibly sustain their weak and languishing bodies , that are continually enfeebled and exhausted with hard labor ; or that these poor creatures that are macerated with all manner of hardship and fatigue , without any rest , or relaxation of their misery , can live long under the pressures of so cruel a servitude . the abovemention'd governor at last order'd they should have wages distributed among 'em , viz. that three * blancs should be given each of 'em to spend every two days , as the reward of the hard labors they exacted of ' em . this was only to mock the poor wretches , for this mony would scarce buy 'em the least trifle . but for many years they had nothing at all given 'em , yet this does not disturb 'em so much as want of victuals ; for there is nothing in the world they so much desire as to eat well , insomuch that if they could but satisfy themselves with one good meal , they would afterwards be content to die . this governor depriv'd 'em of all the liberty they enjoy'd , and suffer'd the spaniards to inslave 'em , and treat 'em as severely as they pleas'd ; and indeed the ill usage they have met with is beyond what the mind of man can imagine . they have not the liberty to dispose of any thing they have : the condition of beasts is preferable to theirs , for these are at least sometimes turn'd loose to fill their bellies with grass in the fields , and have a little ease and liberty ; whereas the poor indians have scarce any time of rest allow'd 'em , but are constrain'd to do whatever the covetous spaniards command ' em . they lead 'em to work like beasts of burden rather than men. if at any time they give 'em leave to go home to take a little repose , they neither find their wives nor children there , nor any thing to eat , and have no other relief than to lay themselves down and die . the incredible fatigue they undergo wears 'em out the sooner , because they are naturally of a weak and tender constitution ; and when they are sick and faint , they are still made to work without any compassion : nay , the spaniards are so cruel as to beat and abuse 'em when they are just ready to die , calling 'em lazy rascals , as if they refus'd to work , and feign'd themselves sick , merely out of idleness . at last when they see their illness increase to that degree , that they can expect no more service of 'em , they send 'em home , giving 'em six or seven great roots , almost like turnips , with a small quantity of cassave , to carry 'em a journey of fifty or sixty leagues ; so that they often miserably languish and die before they have proceeded far on their way : we often found a great many of 'em dead on the roads , others we found ready to expire , and others by their groans and sighs gave us to understand their extreme hunger . when the governor had not a sufficient number of men for the works in the mines , he supplied the places of them that were releas'd by death , by casting lots for others , which method was observ'd once a year . when he enter'd into the continent , he came like a sweeping judgment of god , or as a wolf among sheep : he committed so many robberies , massacres and cruelties , depopulated and destroy'd so many towns and cities , giving the spaniards liberty to do what they pleas'd , that no history can parallel his barbarity : he robb'd both the king of spain and his subjects , without being ever call'd to account for it ; he left above forty leagues of a very populous and fertil country to the discretion or rather fury of his soldiers : all that pleasant tract of ground from daria where he landed to nicaraqua was reduc'd to the utmost desolation ; so that five or six millions of mony will not repair the damage done there . this vile and cruel man abandon'd the indians to the tyranny of the spaniards , which was the source and original cause of all the persecutions under which those poor people have since groan'd , and of all the devastations that america has suffer'd wherever the spaniards have set their feet . this contagion by degrees spread far and near ; so that this general by letting loose his soldiers after this licentious manner , has occasion'd the ruin of many millions of men , and the desolation of divers great kingdoms that were subjected to your majesty's dominion . if we say the spaniards have destroy'd seven kingdoms bigger than that of spain , we can speak it with confidence , as knowing it to be true , and having known the time when they were fill'd with multitudes of people , tho now there are scarce any to be found , the spaniards having extirpated the people of these large kingdoms , and left the walls and houses of the towns and cities without inhabitants . your majesty has no fix'd and constant revenue in the indies ; your effects are like leaves , which when once they fall from the trees appear no more till a year after . that the spaniards are possess'd of the absolute government of the indies is the true cause of this disorder ; for the number of the indians every day decreasing , your majesty's revenues must necessarily receive a proportionable diminution . the kingdom of spain is in great danger to be invaded by foreign nations , especially by the moors and turks , who perhaps may one day be in a condition to destroy it : for god is a just judg , and cannot look upon the villanies and oppressions , the robberies and murders of the spaniards in the indies , without indignation . all the nations of this new world , who were created ( as well as his others ) after the likeness and image of god , and ransom'd by the precious blood of jesus christ , have been unjustly and cruelly tormented and persecuted by 'em ; they have made horrible slaughters among 'em to requite the many kindnesses they heap'd on 'em with all imaginable freedom and civility . and that which still aggravates their crimes the more , and must needs farther provoke the divine displeasure , is , that god had made choice of spain to carry his blessed gospel into the indies , and to bring many populous nations to the knowledg of himself ; for which if they had fallen in with his designs , he would , besides those eternal rewards reserv'd for 'em , have given into their hands many good and fruitful countries , abounding with mines of gold and silver , diamonds and other precious stones and pearls ; in a word , with all sorts of temporal blessings , beyond what any one can imagine , unless such as have seen it with their own eyes . and 't is to be remark'd that god usually observes this rule in the execution of his judgments , to proportionate his penalties to the crimes committed against him . the outrages and cruelties these innocent people have felt are so horrid and notorious , that their tears and groans and blood , the cry of which has reach'd the throne of god , will undoubtedly draw down vengeance on those that have offer'd all this violence to their persons , and plunder'd 'em of their estates . the report of these cruelties is spread through the whole world , and has been carried even to the most barbarous nations , and has made 'em abhor the spaniards , and conceive a mortal hatred against 'em : a hatred which extends to the person of our king , as well as subjects , and is extremely prejudicial to the whole nation in general . none can be so ignorant as not to foresee what mischiefs the desolations in america are like to bring upon spain ; and succeeding generations will be but too much convinc'd of the truth of this prophecy : and if the king of spain still suffers the spaniards to domineer and tyrannize as they have hitherto done in the indies , and makes not effectual provision by proper edicts to stop the course of the many miserie 's the people of this new world undergo , those countries will in a little time be totally depopulated . and god will undoubtedly make all spain feel the effects of his wrath in punishing such crimes as these ; since the whole scripture is full of threatnings , and plain instances of the judgments of god on such as have been accessory to the sins of others by permitting them . most illustrious and mighty prince ; the royal council for the indies , animated with a sincere zeal for the glory of god , and your majesty's honour , desir'd me a few days ago to write to your majesty all that i had told you viva voce before , and to explain to you what right the kings of spain have to those kingdoms in the indies : and the rather because some who are uneasy to see the liberty your majesty is pleas'd to give me in conversing with your royal person about these affairs , to engage you to regulate those disorders committed in america , have declar'd against my sentiments with a great deal of heat and animosity . they say the zeal with which i oppose the violence and injustice of the spaniards ( and these i 'm resolv'd to oppose as long as it pleases god to continue my life ) prompts men to call in question the title the king of spain pretends to have to the new world. however i have perform'd what the council demanded of me , and drawn up thirty propositions , without giving my self the trouble of proving them at large , partly because they are all certain and evident , and partly because i was much urg'd to dispatch the business , and to send them to your majesty ; which i have accomplish'd in the fear of god , and according to the dictates of my conscience , with a strict regard to truth . since the desire i have of being serviceable to god daily increases , i thought my self oblig'd to refute the impostures and calumnies of some ill-designing persons , who wilfully shut their eyes against the truth , because 't is directly opposite to the designs and projects they have form'd . they flatter themselves , that under the false pretext of serving the kings of spain , who are ordinarily of a sweet and benign temper , and ready to judg of others by the good sentiments they find in themselves ; i say , they flatter themselves that they shall still be able to impose on 'em , and bear a sufficient sway in their minds to bring 'em into the snares they have laid for ' em . it was the complaint of ahasuerus in the history of esther , that corrupt and vicious subjects alter'd the good disposition of princes , and betray'd 'em into excesses , that occasion'd the ruin of whole kingdoms and their kings together . 't is for this reason , great sir , i have briefly drawn up these propositions , to set this matter before you in a clear light . this i have done to discharge my own conscience , and that i might the better answer the obligations of that ministry wherewith god has entrusted me . i find my self growing old , being advanc'd to the th year of my age ; and the great acquaintance i have had with the affairs of america , has furnish'd me with a very distinct knowledg of 'em ; so that my circumstances render me in some respects more capable than others of giving proper advice to those that are propos'd for the government of america , that they may know how to put a period to its miseries : for i have no other intention or desire in this matter , than that of suppressing the injustice and cruelty that has so long harass'd the inhabitants of the new world. they that endeavour to cross my good design with the greatest warmth , and deck themselves with a false appearace of zeal and affection to your majesty , tho at the bottom they have no regard either to truth or justice , take care to hide their designs under the specious colour of promoting your majesty's service and interest , and of establishing your majestiy's right and title to america , while indeed all they do is directly contrary to your majesty's service , whether in respect of spirituals or temporals . and i believe all intelligent christians , that have a true zeal for their religion , will be of this opinion , when i have made the errors and extravagancies of those that oppose my sentiments appear ; for these gentlemen hand over head maintain that the kings of spain have a right to found and establish themselves a title to the government of america by force of arms , after the same manner that nimrod , who was the first mighty hunter ( as the scripture expresly observes ) and first began to tyrannize over men , laid the foundation of his dominion ; or as alexander the great , and the antient romans extended the bounds of their empire ; or just as the turks to this day oppress the christians , and invade their territories . all the world may easily perceive that they who reason thus , are ignorant of the true interest of the king of spain , and shamefully violate all the rules of justice . to prove what they advance , they add new errors to their first extravagancies , till they shew by the wretched maxims they expose , that they have neither honor nor christianity . for it often falls out , that while they who wander from the tract of truth and virtue , go about to excuse the errors they have made , they fall into other mistakes that are still more gross and dangerous . there are others of 'em who produce titles that appear to be somewhat better founded , and alledg arguments that seem more probable and honest . these say we may justly take possession of the indies , and subdue the people , because we have a greater stock of prudence and wisdom than other nations , and because our country is nearer to the indies than many others . but 't is easy to see that none of these reasons are concluding , having no solid foundation to support ' em . that your majesty may the better comprehend the force of the reasons that have been produc'd before you , and more easily distinguish what is agreeable to the rules of equity from what is contrary to 'em , and discern your faithful servants from such as mind nothing but their own interest , i shall come my self , and viva voce explain to your majesty the principal points on which my judgment is founded . in the mean time i send your majesty an abstract of my propositions , which your majesty may cause to be translated into latin , if you think meet , that they may be printed both in the latin and spanish tongues : or if your majesty don't see good to make 'em publick , 't will be no great matter . i proposition . the pope of rome canonically elected to be the vicar of jesus christ , and the successor of st. peter , hath received his authority and power from christ himself ; and this power extends over all men , whether believers or infidels , in matters appertaining to salvation , and the way of eternal life . but it is to be observ'd , that he ought to exercise this power toward infidels , that never enter'd into the church by baptism , nor never heard of jesus christ and the catholic faith , in a different manner from what he does toward those that either are or have been believers . ii proposition . st. peter and his successors contracted an indispensible obligation , founded on the divine precept , to procure the publication of the gospel , and the propagation of the christian faith in the whole world , that all infidels may be brought to the knowledg of the true god , when there is any hope that they will not oppose the promulgation of the faith , and the doctrin of the gospel . iii proposition . the pope by the authority of his apostolic ministry , may and ought to send capable ministers from all the states of christendom , to preach the doctrine of jesus christ through the universe : nay , he may oblige 'em by virtue of his power to accept this mission and employ ; and they on the other hand are oblig'd to undertake it , in obedience to the pope , as to jesus christ . iv proposition . among all the instruments that can be chosen for the publication of the catholic faith , and the conversion of infidels , christian princes are capable of contributing most to the carrying on of this work ; because their authority , their forces and temporal riches are a great help to preserve and defend ecclesiastical ministers that may be sent , and to furnish 'em with proper means to attain the end propos'd . v proposition . the pope by the authority which jesus christ has given him upon earth , ought to exhort christian princes to contribute all their assistance to remove the obstructions that impede the publication of the christian faith ; to employ their mony in advancing this work , and to send such of their subjects as are capable of instructing infidels . the pope may moreover in some sort oblige all christians in general , according to their ability , to bear the necessary charges of those missionaries in so pious a work , as occasion may require . vi proposition . no christian kings or princes ought to engage in this work without the participation of the holy see , and of the vicar of j. christ . and if any prince should think himself oblig'd , for the advantage of his kingdom , to send evangelic ministers to instruct the infidels , he ought to consult the pope about it , who will use such means as he thinks most proper to advance this design . vii proposition . to avoid confusion , the vicar of christ may distribute the kingdoms and provinces of the infidels , of what sect soever they be , among the princes of christendom ; and may exhort 'em to be zealous for the propagation of the faith , and vigorously to apply themselves to the work of enlarging the universal church , by the conversion and salvation of souls , as the only end they ought to have in view . viii proposition . in making this division the pope ought not to regard the increase of the honors , titles , riches and territories of princes , but only to have respect to the conversion of the infidels ; since this alone is the intention of christ in the trust he reposes in 'em , to take care of the instruction of souls , which is a difficult and careful charge , and of which they will be one day oblig'd to render an account before the strict tribunal of god. for this employ respects the advantages of infidels more than the particular interest of christian princes . ix proposition . christian princes ought to have no consideration for any thing but the service of god , and the advancement of the universal church , when they apply their endeavors to propagate the faith of christ : in this affair they ought to have no temporal advantage in their eye , but to look upon all earthly things as transitory and of small consequence : yet it would not be just , if they can do any thing for the advantage of their dominions , while they are procuring the augmentation of the kingdom of christ , to oblige 'em to neglect so favourable an occasion , provided it be done without any considerable prejudice to the infidels , or to the princes that govern ' em . x proposition . those infidels that live in countries remote from europe , and have never heard of jesus christ , or the christian religion , have their own lawful kings and princes , who are the natural rulers of the particular countries they govern , and have right to make laws , and to establish all things necessary for the good government of their respective dominions ; so that they can't be expell'd out of 'em , or depriv'd of what they possess , without doing violence to the law of god as well as to the law of nations . xi proposition . that opinion which contradicts the principle just now laid down , is erroneous and pernicious ; and if any persons set themselves obstinately to defend it , they 'l become guilty of heresie . for it opens a door to all impieties and villanies , to robbery and cruelty ; in a word , to many irreparable mischiefs , and hainous sins which dishonor the name of christ , hinder the progress of the catholic faith , and bring the greatest miseries on mankind in this life , together with the inevitable destruction of multitudes of souls ransom'd by the blood of christ . so that this would be the way to stifle all the sentiments of piety , humility , and evangelic meekness , nay of all christian virtues in general , to introduce violence , treachery , revenge , and other vices that are most contrary to the maxims of the gospel in their stead . xii proposition . infidel princes ought not to be depriv'd of their states for their idolatry , nor any other of those great sins they commit ; nor may their subjects be depriv'd of their estates or honors for the like crimes . xiii proposition . idolaters ought not to be punish'd for their idolatry , or other sins , how enormous and great soever , during the time of their infidelity , before they have voluntarily receiv'd baptism : there being no tribunal or judg in the world that has a right to molest 'em on that account , unless they directly oppose the publication of the gospel , and after they have been admonish'd and warn'd of it , obstinatly persist to obstruct it out of mere malice . xiv proposition . pope alexander vi. under whose popedom the west-indies were discover'd , was indispensibly oblig'd by the divine law to chuse a christian prince , to whom he might commit the care of making provision for the preaching of the gospel in this new world , for the advancement of the universal church , the catholic faith , the worship of god , the conversion and salvation of the inhabitants of america , and for all things necessary to attain this end . xv proposition . king ferdinando and isabella his queen had some special advantages preferable to those of all other catholic princes , to induce the pope to chuse them rather than any other potentates of europe , to confer on 'em the trust of publishing the catholic faith in the indies , and , without any other reason , by the authority which god has given him , to invest 'em with this dignity , and constitute 'em the ministers of the apostles in the indies . among other privileges peculiar to them , this is the principal , that they have taken a world of pains to rescue those kingdoms which they inherited from their ancestors out of the hands of infidels and mahometans , who are declar'd enemies of the catholic faith. for this they expos'd their royal persons to imminent danger , when they attempted to enter again into the kingdom of grenada , to which they had a lawful title , and which they at length reduc'd under the yoke of christ , and the catholic church . another reason to their advantage is , that they sent the famous christopher columbus to america at their own charge , and honor'd him with the title of chief admiral of the west-indies , when he had discover'd those rich and vast countries . xvi proposition . the pope might well chuse them as the most proper persons to establish christianity in the new world , just as he made choice of the emperor for his son to be the defender of the catholic faith. but if this choice should in the issue become prejudicial to the establishment of the faith , 't is not to be doubted that the pope might revoke it by the authority he has receiv'd from god. and for the same reason he might forbid all other christian princes to send missionaries into the indies without the consent of the holy see , on pain of excommunication . and whoever should act contrary to this prohibition , would grievously offend god. xvii proposition . the kings of castille and leon are the lawful soveraigns of many princes and kings of the new world ; therefore this universal jurisdiction over the indies , of which we have been speaking , belongs to them . xviii proposition . the soveraign empire which the kings of spain have over the indies , obliges the natural kings of those subjected nations to submit to the jurisdiction of the king of spain . xix proposition . all the natural kings and princes , all the nations , cities and communities of the indies , over whom the kings of spain have acquir'd a lawful right , ought to acknowledg them for their rightful soveraigns in the manner we have said , since they have freely and voluntarily receiv'd the catholic faith and baptism . but before they receiv'd it , or submitted to christianity , and before the kings of spain had acquir'd any right over 'em , they depended on no tribunal , nor jurisdiction of any judg in the world. xx proposition . the kings of spain are oblig'd by the law of god to chuse out and send into the indies such ministers as are capable of preaching the gospel and the catholic faith , to exhort all the people of the new world to embrace the doctrine of christ , and to seek all just and necessary means to accomplish this work. xxi proposition . the kings of spain have the same power and jurisdiction over these infidels before their conversion , as the pope has in quality of christ's vicar , because the charge and care of spreading the light of the gospel amongst these idolaters , and of doing all that 's possible for their conversion , is committed to them . xxii proposition . the manner of establishing the christian faith in the indies ought to be conformable to that which our saviour used to introduce his religion into the world ; that is , it ought to be a mild , peaceable , and charitable method . humility , and the good examples of a holy and regular way of living , are to be imploy'd to gain upon all infidels , especially the indians , who are naturally of a sweet and easy temper , and ready to submit to the yoke of christ . they ought moreover to be engag'd by presents , and we should with alacrity give 'em a share of what we have , without regarding their riches . by this means they would be easily perswaded , that the god whom the christians worship , is good , just and gracious ; they would more readily give ear to his word , and would make no difficulty to forsake the worship of their false gods. xxiii proposition . to go about to subdue the indians by force of arms , is a course utterly against the law of god , who is full of kindness , grace and love. 't is to follow the method which mahomet and the romans before him us'd to spoil and conquer the world : and the turks and moors to this day take the same course , but 't is unjust , tyrannical , infamous , and unworthy of christians : it would be the occasion of many blasphemous reflections on the name of christ , and the christian religion , as we have been taught by sad experience , since the spaniards have exercis'd so many cruelties on the indians ; for they believe that the god we worship is the most unjust , unmerciful and cruel of all gods : therefore the way of violence and severity would be an invincible obstacle to the conversion of the indians . xxiv proposition . 't is to be expected that infidels will alway oppose such as attempt to invade their country , in order to take possession of it by the title of conquest ; so that to go about to subdue 'em as the proper way to convert 'em , is to lose time , and ruin so holy an enterprize . xxv proposition . from the time when christopher columbus discover'd the indies , the kings of spain have always expresly forbidden their subjects to make war upon the indians : so that the spaniards can shew no authority or permission that was ever given 'em by the king of spain to commit any act of hostility in the new world : or if they can shew any such commissions , they are forged , or have bin surreptitiously obtain'd by false informations , invented to obtain a power of taking away the riches of the indians , or of making them slaves with impunity . on the contrary , the kings of spain have often on this account renew'd their orders to obviate the cruelties and outrages that were committed on the indians . xxvi proposition . seeing the spaniards have not been supported either by the authority of their prince , or any lawful reason to make war against the indians , who liv'd peaceably in their own country , and had done the spaniards no wrong : all such conquests that have been , or may hereafter be made in the indies are to be accounted unjust , tyrannical , and null , being condemned by all the laws of god and men. for the proof of this proposition one need only produce the proceedings against these tyrants , which are yet to be seen in the archives of the royal council ; or those prosecutions that might still be made against 'em every moment . for both heaven and earth cry aloud against the violence they have offer'd the poor americans . xxvii proposition . the kings of spain are by the law of god oblig'd to establish so good a government in the indies , by causing those indian laws and customs that are good to be observ'd , and by abolishing the bad , which are less numerous than the other , that nothing contrary to good manners and the rules of civil policy may be tolerated . and the most likely way to succeed in such a design is to publish the gospel among those people , by which means both the king's interest and that of the indians will be provided for effectually . xxviii proposition . the devil could never have invented any thing more pernicious for the extirpation of the people of this new world , and the desolation of so many great and populous kingdoms in a little time , than the distribution the spaniards have made of these nations among themselves , taking possession of the inhabitants as their own property , and then treating 'em as ravenous wolves do a flock of sheep : for this is the most barbarous kind of tyranny that can be imagin'd , because it hinders all those nations from embracing the christian religion : for the spaniards employ 'em night and day in the mines , and all other kinds of labor ; sometimes obliging 'em to carry heavy burdens forty or fifty leagues , so that their condition is worse than that of beasts . besides , they persecute those indians with fresh cruelty , who apply themselves to the monks to be instructed in the gospel , because they are afraid ( if these religious men should be encourag'd to come among the indians ) they would be witnesses of their robberies and cruelties . xxix proposition . the distribution which the spaniards make of these people among themselves , as if they were so many head of cattel , was never commanded nor allow'd by the kings of spain since the spaniards enter'd the indies . they never thought of authorizing so injust and tyrannical a kind of government , and which so much tends to the destruction of the people of the new world. queen isabella of immortal memory , under whose reign the indies were discover'd , gave express orders to christopher columbus , who was the first governor and chief admiral of the indies , and to francis bobadilla , who succeeded him , and also to general de larés , who came after both the former , to preserve peace and liberty among the indians , and to do 'em justice in every thing . admiral columbus gave only three hundred indians to such of the spaniards as had done great service to the crown ; and for his own part , contented himself with having only one indian to serve him : the court of spain was then at grenada , where the queen issued out an order that these three hundred indians should be releas'd and sent home , only she permitted columbus to keep one indian whom he had taken for his service . what then would this great queen now say , to see how the spaniards have inslav'd the people of america ? the continual avocations the king has had , and the frequent journys he has been oblig'd to make into italy , having not permitted him to inform himself exactly of the miserie 's those people endure from the hands of the spaniards . xxx proposition . from all that has been said it may well be concluded , that if the soveraign jurisdiction of the indies belongs only to the kings of spain , the conquests that private men appropriate to themselves are injust and tyrannical ; that the shares they have made among themselves are founded upon no lawful right : and that those who usurp the lands of the new world , without the consent and authority of their prince , are absolute tyrants , in acting ( as they do ) directly contrary to his orders , and the regulations of the royal council ; which is a matter so public and notorious , that there 's no spaniard in the indies can justly excuse himself by pretending ignorance . a dispute between don bartholomew de las-casas , bishop of chiapa , and dr. sepulueda . dr . sepulueda , at the instigation of some spaniards who had committed great ravages in the indies , wrote a very elegant book in latin in the form of dialogues , which contain'd principally two conclusions , namely , that the wars of the spaniards in the indies were very just , and that they might lawfully subjugate the people of this new world ; and that the indians were oblig'd to submit to the spaniards , and acquiesce in their government , because these are more wise and prudent than the others . and in case they refuse to submit , this doctor asserts , that they may be constrain'd to it by force of arms. these are the two points that have occasion'd the ruin of incredible numbers of indians ; so that the country is almost entirely unpeopled for the space of two thousand leagues , where the spaniards have left the marks of their boundless cruelty . this doctor , to give some color and shew of truth to his reasons , declar'd that he had no other design in writing than that of justifying the king of spain's title to the indies . he presented his book to the royal council , and was very importunate to obtain leave to print it , which was several times refus'd ; after which he applied himself to some of his friends , who were in the emperor's court , to patronize this work. the bishop of chiapa being well inform'd of the steps this doctor made , with all his might oppos'd the impression of his book , plainly demonstrating what ill consequences the publication of it might produce . the members of the king's council perceiving this matter was purely theological , resolv'd to dismiss it to the universities of salamanca and alcala , desiring them to make a thorow examination of this treatise , to see if it contain'd any thing that might justly obstruct the printing of it . these two universities after they had accuratly examin'd it , declar'd that it was not fit to be printed , as containing unsound doctrine . the doctor now despairing of seeing his book obtain in spain , sent it to rome , earnestly recommending it to the bishop of segovia , who was one of his particular friends . when it was printed , it was prohibited by the emperor 's express order , who caus'd the copies to be seiz'd , forbidding any of 'em to be sold in spain : but because it was impossible to prevent divers copies in the vulgar language from being spread among the people ; the bishop of chiapa thought himself oblig'd to refute this book in defence of the indians , and to let all the world know how scandalous doctrine it contain'd , being accommodated to open a door to all manner of disorders . dr. sepulueda was cited to give an account of his thoughts on this subject by word of mouth , and the bishop of chiapa was engag'd to answer him : the dispute lasted five whole days , after which dominic de soto , a great divine , and confessor to his majesty , was desir'd to give a summary account of this dispute , which he did before the assembly in these terms . most illustrious , most magnificent , and most reverend lords and fathers . you have bin pleas'd to order me to give a succinct and summary account of the dispute maintain'd between the famous dr. sepulueda , and the bishop of chiapa , without adding any thing of my own , or troubling my self to seek other reasons to support the sentiments of either of ' em . the point about which you desire to be inform'd , is in general what method ought to be us'd for the publication of the catholic faith in the new world , which has bin lately discover'd by the permission of god , and how the emperor may subject those nations to his government without offending his conscience , in conforming himself entirely to the bull of pope alexander . 't is first necessary to enquire whether the emperor may justly make war with the indians before the faith of the gospel be preach'd to 'em ; and whether these people will be in any condition to receive the light of the gospel , after they have bin subdu'd by force of arms ; whether they will be more tractable and docil , and better dispos'd to receive the impressions design'd to be given , so as to reject their errors , and embrace the doctrine of the gospel . dr. sepulueda maintains , that this war is not only allowable and lawful , but necessary . the bishop of chiapa is of the contrary opinion , and pretends that this war is unjust , and an invincible obstacle to the propagation of the faith in the indies . sepulueda supports his opinion by four principal arguments : the first is founded on the enormous crimes of which the indians have bin , and are every day guilty , especially their idolatry , and their sins against nature . his second reason is taken from their barbarity and ignorance , which may be reform'd under the government of a people so intelligent and polite as the spaniards . his third reason respects the facility he supposes of publishing the christian faith to the indians when they are once subdu'd . his fourth argument is taken from the cruel treatment the indians give one another , in that they offer human sacrifices to their false gods. he confirms his first reason three ways : st . by examples and authorities taken out of the holy scripture . dly . by the suffrage of doctors and canonists . dly . by a particular account of the gross crimes which the indians commit . he cites a passage out of deut. . to explain after what manner war ought to be made on the indians ; the words are these : when thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it , then proclaim peace unto it . and it shall be , if it make thee answer of peace , and open unto thee , then it shall be that all the people that is found therein , shall be tributaries unto thee , and they shall serve thee . and if it will make no peace with thee , but will make war against thee , then thou shalt besiege it : and when the lord thy god hath deliver'd it into thy hands , thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edg of the sword : ver . , , , . and ver . . but of the cities of these people which the lord thy god doth give thee for an inheritance , thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth . the doctor adds , that this passage is not to be strictly taken , and enforc'd against the indians with so much severity : tho 't is also said , thus shalt thou do unto all the cities that are very far from thee ; by which passage the gloss understands those of different religions . from hence he concludes , that we may lawfully declare war against those nations that are of a religion different from ours . my lord bishop answers him four ways . first , he says , it was not to punish the sin of idolatry , that god commanded the israelites to make war with the gentiles and infidels : that god was pleas'd to single out precisely seven nations , the canaanites , the jebusites , &c. mentioned in deut. . who possess'd the land of promise bequeathed to abraham and his posterity . he allows it to be true , that god design'd to punish the idolatry of those heathen nations , in giving 'em up to the israelites ; but he says if god's intention had bin only to chastise 'em for their idolatry , he would also have punish'd all the nations of the whole world after the same manner , seeing they were all polluted with the same sin. whereas god specified only these nations to be abandon'd to the sword of the israelites , to shew that it was rather to accomplish the promise he had made to abraham , than to punish these idolaters that he deliver'd 'em into the hands of their enemies . that god himself expresly forbad the israelites to offer any violence to the edomites , or to the egyptians who had entertain'd 'em when they were strangers in their country . secondly , that the passage of luke . where it is said , compel them to come in , is not to be understood of an external constraint by war and arms , but ought to be interpreted of internal inspiration , and the motions which god produces in the hearts of men , either immediatly , or by the ministration of angels . in the third place the bishop maintains , that christian emperors have never engag'd in war with heathen nations to oblige 'em to renounce idolatry , and to induce 'em to imbrace the christian faith ; that the wars of constantine were purely on a politic account , and that the passage of the ecclesiastical historian , lib. . cap. . is to be understood in that sense . that this prince who was so animated with piety , when he subdued by his arms the goths , sarmatians , and other barbarous nations , excepted those that sought his friendship , and desir'd peace . that because he subjected himself to the divine commands , god was pleas'd to recompense his virtue in subjecting all the people of the world to his dominion . besides , he says , constantine made war with the goths and sarmatians , because they made incredible ravage and spoil wherever they came . but when these barbarous people were at peace with the christians , and offer'd 'em no injury , they were suffer'd to live at quiet . he adds in the th place , that if we would do any good upon pagans , it must be by the power of good examples , and not by violence . he cites to this purpose a passage of st. augustin , who says it belongs only to men transported with rage , and to assassins to use force against those that are inferior to 'em in power : that this father also condemns such as were not able to do the pagans any hurt , and yet rashly offer'd themselves to death , to gain the reputation of martyrs . he also quotes a passage out of deut. . when the lord thy god shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it , &c. ver . . ye shall destroy their altars , and break down their images , and cut down their groves , and burn their graven images with fire , ver . . upon which passage he says st. augustin expresses himself after this manner : many of the pagans have idols in their fields , must we take upon us to break these idols in pieces ? 't is much better to endeavour to get 'em out of their hearts . when they have embrac'd christianity , and exhort us themselves to break these idols , we shall do it with pleasure . we must in the mean time pray for their conversion , without appearing violent and passionate against 'em because of their idolatry : we are not ignorant where they hide their idols , and yet we let 'em alone , because god has not given us a commission to take 'em away without their leave . when then does god give us leave to take 'em from them ? not till the owners of these idols are become christians . he farther produces the examples of the apostles and martyrs , who took no other course to overthrow idols but by their doctrine . he grants that indeed on some accounts war may be made with infidels ; for instance , if they have violently usurp'd the lands of christians , as they have the holy-land ; if they profane our churches , break down our images , and offer any great outrages to christians , in hatred and contempt of their faith : that when the emperor constantine forbad the heathens to keep their idols , it was for fear the christians should be scandaliz'd by ' em . he says , if god severely punish'd the crimes of the sodomites , it does not therefore follow that we may take upon us to punish all infidels for their unnatural pollutions : that we are to admire the judgments of god , but not always to imitate every thing he does . he says , we may punish infidels if they blaspheme the holy name of god , or dishonour the saints and the church ; if they openly hinder the publication of the faith , and if they massacre those that preach it : but that it is not lawful to declare war against 'em merely on the account of their idolatry , their unnatural sins , or any other crimes they commit among themselves . and whereas dr. sepulueda says , the indians are a barbarous people , and born for slavery : the bishop of chiapa answers this objection , in saying , that we ought not to make war upon infidels to bring 'em to the true religion , which is only to be demonstrated by genuin reasons , that the understanding may be captivated according to the words of st. paul , that it must be a pious affection to the christian faith that will dispose men to embrace it ; and that care ought to be taken that they may have no aversion against those that preach it ; who therefore ought by their good examples to engage the indians to relish the doctrine they endeavour to propagate among 'em : that war is visibly contrary to this end , because it fills the minds of those idolaters with horror and indignation against the christians , for bringing so many miseries upon 'em ; and that they cannot chuse but think the law of christ an execrable doctrine , since it authorizes ( as they imagin ) such terrible disorders . the bishop concludes in saying , 't is a mere delusion to assert , that the wars made against these infidels are not design'd to introduce christianity among 'em by open force , but only to subjugate those barbarous nations the better to dispose 'em to receive the faith of christ voluntarily . he pretends that this is ill reasoning , because war spreads so much terror among those people , that if they afterwards embrace the true faith , 't is to be suppos'd they do it rather out of fear than love : and that their neighbours when they hear what violence , spoil , and massacres have attended this war , may probably , to avoid the like mischiefs , blindly embrace the faith , without knowing what they do themselves . dr. sepulueda urges for another reason of war , that the indians massacre innocent persons , either to sacrifice , or to eat ' em . to which argument the bishop returns this answer , that if the church exhorts us to undertake the defence of innocents , it ought not in this case to be by the way of arms. first , because of two evils we ought to chuse the least . if the indians massacre some innocent persons to eat 'em , 't is indeed a great evil ; but war would bring much greater slaughters with it : besides , that these wars dishonour our religion , and render the christians odious to the infidels ; who tho they sacrifice men , are not altogether inexcusable , because of their great ignorance , and have reason not to put themselves into the hands of the spanish soldiers , who come with their swords in their hands to rob and kill 'em , instead of instructing 'em in religion ; whereas they have no right to punish 'em for their errors : that plutarch says , when the romans subdued divers barbarous nations , who were wont to offer men in sacrifice , they did not punish 'em for that crime , but only forbad 'em to do the like for the future . that it is not to be expected of the indians , that they should renounce their errors in a moment ; that the light of nature which informs 'em there is a god , teaches 'em to shew him respect , and to return him thanks for the benefits they receive of him , and likewise to endeavour to make atonement for the sins they commit against his divine majesty ; and that they ought to devote the best they have to him in sacrifice : consequently their evil custom of sacrificing human creatures to the suppos'd deities they worship , is the less to be wonder'd at , since they have no knowledg of divine revelation , but only the glimmerings of natural light to direct 'em ; which light too is obscur'd with much thick darkness in the minds of pagans . that these people believe they perform a very acceptable service to god , when they offer him the lives of men ; that this may be confirmed in some sort by the testimony of holy writ , seeing god , when he would try the faithfulness of abraham , commanded him to sacrifice his only son , whom he tenderly lov'd ; which god might do , as he is the absolute master of the lives of men : that besides this instance , the scripture testifies that god requir'd the israelites to redeem their own lives by the sacrifice of animals . that the word of god remarks , that 't is impossible to give a greater testimony of love , than to offer ones self for the person belov'd : that those women in the indies that were most dear to their husbands while they lived , chose to be buried alive with 'em , to give the greater proof of their conjugal fidelity and affection . in answer to the other argument alledg'd by dr. sepulueda , namely , that the barbarity of the indians which ( he says ) shews they were born for slavery , is a sufficient reason to declare war against 'em , in order to subject 'em to the government of the europeans : the bishop of chiapa says , there are three different sorts of barbarians . first , that this term is taken in general to signify any nation that differs from others by some strange opinion , or peculiar customs , tho they want not prudence or policy to conduct their affairs . that the second kind of barbarians is of those , who have no language proper by which to express themselves to other people ; such as the english formerly were , when they had no letters or characters whereby to explain their thoughts . the third sort of barbarians are such as resemble savage beasts , by the dulness and stupidity of their minds , by their brutish inclinations , and by the extravagance of their customs ; who wander up and down in the fields , never dwelling together in towns or cities ; who are without laws or civil government , and take no care to observe the law of nations ; who rove about to commit robberies , and use violence on all that have not power enough to resist 'em ; such as the goths and alans were formerly , and such as the arabs in asia are to this day : that 't is as lawful to make war with this sort of people , as to hunt wild beasts , and would be a great piece of service to the world to reduce 'em to any tolerable disciplin . but as for the indians , that tho they have some extravagant customs , but not any good policy , yet they ought not to be look'd upon as properly barbarians ; seeing they are of a quite contrary disposition , being meek , civil , and tractable in their manners ; that they are a numerous people , who have cities and laws , and understand divers arts ; that they have princes over 'em , and live under a kind of regulated government ; that they not only punish sins against nature , but have laws that award capital punishments for some crimes of lesser consequence : that their policy has its particular rules ; that upon all these accounts their pretended barbarity is not a sufficient reason for any to declare war against 'em , but would be a piece of visible tyranny and injustice ; and that this course would be so far from promoting the gospel , that 't would be the very way to cut off all hope of establishing christianity among them . that therefore the best expedient would be to send preachers into the indies , to endeavour to convince some of the principal indians of the truth of our religion ; and to make treaties of peace with 'em , to favour the entrance of the europeans into the indies by such a gentle and peaceable method as this : that if any danger should arise after this , we might build some forts upon the frontiers , and so treat with 'em with the greater security , and make 'em gradually relish our religion , by setting 'em good examples . the royal council for the indies having heard this dispute , between the bishop of chiapa and dr. sepulueda , concerning the manner in which the indians ought to be treated , order'd the bishop to draw up his thoughts of this matter in writing , whereby they should be the better able to determin this question , whether they might lawfully inslave the indians , or were oblig'd to set at liberty all they had hitherto reduc'd to slavery . in answer to their desire , the bishop farther explain'd his sentiments after the following manner . all the indians taken in the indies since the discovery of the new world to this day , have bin unjustly inslav'd ; and the spaniards who retain 'em in bondage against their wills , can't do it with a good conscience , because they had no right to declare war against 'em ; for it follows by consequence they could not lawfully deprive 'em of their liberty , nor were they ever authoriz'd by their prince to make war upon ' em . now there are but two motives that can render any war just , namely , some righteous cause , or the authority of one's prince . and what just motive then could the spaniards have to declare war against the indians , who never did 'em any wrong , nor ever gave 'em any disturbance ? they were people they had never seen ; they had never made any descent into any country that belong'd to the spaniards , to spoil and ravage it ; they had never profess'd christianity as the moors of africa had done , who were christian in the time of st. augustin ; or as the kingdom of grenada , the empire of constantinople , and the kingdom of jerusalem did formerly . nor can we justly reproach the indians as declar'd enemies to our religion , or that they ever attempted to destroy it by open persecutions , or secret perswasions , by presents , or any other manner whatsoever , that can be used to engage christians to renounce their faith , and turn idolaters : for neither the law of god , nor that of nations ever permitted war to be made against any people merely to establish christianity among ' em . unless any one will pretend that the gospel of christ , which abounds with charity , meekness , and humanity , ought to be introduc'd into the world by force like the religion of mahomet . the spaniards can't say , that they had no other end than that of protecting the innocent , seeing they have made it their whole business to rob , pillage , and murder the poor indians , taking upon 'em to usurp their goods and lands . besides , if the war they undertook had bin in defence of those poor wretches the indians unjustly put to death for sacrifices , it would not have bin carried so generally thro' the indies , but would have bin a sort of civil war kept up only in some particular places : nor would the spaniards have had right even in such places , to have made slaves of those whom they took in such a war. they can't so much as pretend that ever they had a command or order to this day from their prince , to declare war against the indians : 't is easy to evidence such a fact as this ; for the governors and generals have nothing to do but to show their commissions if they have any . there 's not one of 'em who has any fear of god , or respect for his prince , that will pretend to shew any such commission , except the vice-roy don antonio , and don sebastian ramire bishop of cuenza ; all the rest that have made war on the indians , are thieves , and robbers , murderers , and declar'd enemies of mankind . seeing then the spaniards have had no lawful reason to support their declarations of war against the people of america , nor have bin authoriz'd in such proceedings by their prince , it evidently follows that the war they have made is injust , and contrary to the laws of god and men , and consequently that the indians ought not to have bin treated as slaves . all the ways the spaniards have us'd to compass this end of inslaving these people , have bin monstrously wicked , made up of nothing but fraud and treachery , unlawful tricks and artifices , and such unheard of villanies as can't but fill the minds of all that hear 'em with astonishment and horror . some to insnare the poor indians that liv'd among 'em , have constrain'd 'em to own themselves their slaves in courts of justice : after which extorted confession , the governors have order'd the king's arms to be fix'd upon their skin with a hot iron ; tho they were not ignorant what an unlawful course had been taken to abuse the poor creatures . others hir'd the indians with a little wine , or a shirt , or by giving 'em some other trifle of small value , to bring 'em fatherless and motherless children , whom they put on shipboard , and transported into other countries , where they were sold for slaves , especially into new-spain , the islands of st. john , and cuba , or other neighbouring islands . but at first the spaniards us'd open violence , attacking the indians that liv'd peaceably in their houses , setting their towns on fire , massacring some , and after the exercise of all this cruelty , carrying away those they could take alive to sell 'em for slaves . they us'd without any formal process , to brand 'em with the king's arms ; which was enough to make 'em pass for slaves ; and accordingly they were sold from one hand to another , till they were transported into the islands . these were all the forms of justice the spaniards observ'd in carrying away the indians from the continent into the islands of new-spain , the isles of cuba and st. john , the coast of pearls , yucatan and panuco . and by these execrable artifices they have since carried away vast multitudes of people of every age , sex , and condition , from the kingdoms of vencuéla , guatimala , and nicaraqua , to fell 'em in panama , and in peru. they once put or of 'em in one ship , the greatest part of whom died in their passage for want of food , the allowance given 'em being so very small . at a town consisting of about people , the spaniards would require the cacyque to send 'em indians at such a certain day and hour , to carry their provisions , and work for ' em . the poor cacyque was mightily concern'd he could not execute this order , not having people enough in the whole town ; and not knowing what to do in the case , desired to have a day or two more allow'd him : but these brutes would interpret this delay as an express breach of their orders ; and immediately asking leave of the governor to go and fall upon 'em , would attaque 'em in their houses , cutting the throats of many of 'em in a barbarous manner , and carrying away the rest as prisoners of war , whom they inslav'd contrary to all law and equity . sometimes they would order a cacyque to send 'em half a hundred men to labour for 'em , and would set 'em to what work they thought good , after which they would embark 'em in ships and carry 'em away ; and sometimes would mark 'em with the letters of their own names without fixing the king's arms on ' em . when they were angry with 'em , they would load 'em with chains , and make 'em carry heavy burdens beside , for or leagues . after they had us'd 'em in what drudgery they pleas'd , they would sell 'em , tho the indians are as freeborn as any other nation . by this means the spaniards have unpeopled the province of st. michael , which is situate between guatimala and nicaraqua . when they formerly advanc'd far into the country to make further discoveries of the indians that liv'd there , these good-natur'd people came to meet 'em loaded with turkeys , and other provisions , which they freely offer'd 'em , but for their kindness were either hew'd in pieces , or lese made slaves , on pretence they were found in arms in the fields . nor could the governors be ignorant of these violences and disorders or the soldiers , since themselves had the best share of the spoil . when they had divided those countries among themselves , which they had so unjustly usurp'd , and render'd themselves the absolute masters of the indians , as if they had coquer'd 'em in a just and lawful war , they oblig'd the caciques and natural princes of those people to bring 'em such a sum of gold as they were pleas'd to command ' em . if they had not such a quantity , they told the spaniards , they would willingly give 'em all they had to appease 'em ; but receiv'd a severe reply from these cruel men in such terms as these : if you don't bring us all the gold we demand within such a time , we 'll set fire to all your houses . the poor cacyques would sometimes make such a return as this in a lamentable tone : indeed our country has no great store of gold in it ; and besides , we have not bin curious to search for mines . upon such an account as this the spaniards have fasten'd stakes at a time in the ground , and tied the poor wretches to 'em with terrible menaces , and then let loose those ravenous dogs upon 'em , that us'd to be fed with human flesh . it may be the cacique would be so terrified with such a horrible spectacle as this , that he 'd go among his subjects , and take children out of every family , and give 'em to the spaniards for slaves to pacify ' em . if there were but children in a house , one of 'em was taken away , and that must be the strongest and likeliest to do service . when the cacique had got together such a number of his people as the spaniards requir'd , he would come to present 'em to them himself . and it was a most lamentable thing to hear the sighs and crys of parents , when their dearest children were ravish'd from 'em , to be transported into remote countrys for slaves . when these children were brought to the governor to be branded , the spaniards would order the caciques to engage the indians to testify that they were slaves , and the children of slaves , and that they were bought in the market ; and would threaten to burn 'em , unless they would stand to such lies as these . and when the person appointed to examin them , who was well acquainted with all these tricks , would ask the children of what country they were ; they made 'em answer , that they were slaves , and that their parents were so , and that they were bought in such a market . after this examination they were mark'd with the king's stamp . his majesty's governors and officers are very well acquainted with all this roguery of the soldiers , and have had too great a hand in the invention of these artifices , as appears by their having the largest share of the booty . when the missionary monks had got a great number of indians together in their church to instruct 'em in the knowledg of the true god , the spaniards would suddenly come upon 'em with their swords in their hands , and take what number of 'em they thought meet ; which could not but much scandalize the rest , and extremely griev'd the missionaries , who were only told by the spaniards , that they wanted men to carry their baggage and provisions , and so were forc'd to take all patiently . when they had thus seiz'd the poor indians , they set their mark upon 'em , and sold 'em for slaves . the governors at first seldom refus'd any that ask'd leave to plunder the indians , and ruin and depolulate the country . this was a kind of recompense they gave 'em for the great services they had render'd the king of spain . but afterwards they took a course that did not seem so dishonest and cruel , but was equally pernicious to the people of the new world , which was to buy slaves of the caciques , threatning 'em to burn 'em alive if they did not furnish 'em with such a number as they demanded , for which they would only give 'em a shirt or some such trifle ; so that the poor caciques became themselves the ruin of their own country for fear of being burnt , and made it their business to go among their subjects to gather great numbers of slaves together , to sasisfy the avarice of the spaniards . at last they would make the caciques pay 'em this tribute with other people ; so that they were constrain'd to go to some of the neighbouring caciques , and would make their complaint to 'em after this manner : these tyrant threaten me ( would one say ) to cut my throat if i don't furnish 'em with such a number of indians for slaves , and they won't suffer me to chuse out some of my own subjects for 'em ; therefore i desire the liberty to take some of yours , and you shall have as many of mine for ' em . i am content ( would the other say ) and the rather because i my self am oblig'd to pay such a tribute as you are , and to seek for slaves out of my own country to satisfy the spaniards . the caciques themselves were wont to bring these poor slaves to be mark'd , and were made to swear they were none of their subjects , but that they had taken 'em among their neighbors ; which was true , but the spaniards were never the less guilty in constraining 'em so to do . the governors that knew their injustice and roguery , wink'd at it , and would never accuse any of 'em of these prevarications before the judges of the royal council ; for they made it no part of their care to perform their duty to god and the king faithfully ; nor did they seem to be touch'd with the least compassion in observing all the violence committed against those miserable people . i could produce a multitude of proofs to confirm what i say , but one shall suffice at present . there came an order from the king to the governor of the province of nicaraqua , to forbid him to inslave any indians , or to brand him with the king's arms : at the same time there was a ship in the road that was design'd to be fill'd with slaves ; which made the governor forbear to publish the order he had receiv'd , till the vessel was laden with indians , and ready to set sail ; nay he privately gave notice to those that were concern'd in the ship , to make what haste they could , and carry away as many slaves as they needed , because the king had sent an express prohibition to hinder any from being inslaved for the future . it was once matter of astonishment to see the fruitfulness , plenty and multitude of inhabitants , that fill'd the province of honduras ; and 't is now as deplorable to behold the misery , desolation , and want to people there , which resemble it to a melancholy wilderness . the governor of this province made use of a trick not much unlike that of which we have been speaking . he ow'd a great sum of mony to some merchants for wine and other commodities he had bought of 'em ; who had their vessels in the port , and expected this governor to pay 'em in slaves . but the emperor's order forbidding him to make any slaves in this province being very strict , he durst not take up indians publicly to pay his debts , for fear of provoking the emperor by acting directly against his command : he therefore sent out two of his captains , one to the sea-coast , and the other farther up into the continent , with orders to take up such indians as were likely to make the least noise and disturbance by their complaints ; these he order'd to be embarqued , and to prevent to himself any danger from the court , he pretended these indians were seditious persons and malefactors , whom he was oblig'd to banish , because it would have been of ill consequence to have let 'em remain in their country : this was the pretext under which he sold 'em for slaves to pay his debts . and with this sort of coin the spaniards us'd to buy all sorts of commodities that came from europe , and whatever else they thought necessary . so that 't is no wonder that those fine and rich provinces are become forlorn deserts , since this trade of buying and selling slaves has been allow'd , which was first practis'd in hispaniola . sometimes the spaniards to deceive the indians would perswade 'em they should go with them into spain , when they design'd only to carry 'em to the isle of cuba , and sell 'em there . and there are many still at havana , that were taken after this manner ; for when other spaniards heard of the stratagems their countrymen us'd to impose on the poor indians , they would use the same tricks , and brag of 'em instead of being asham'd ; so that the world has been sufficiently inform'd of these artifices . the miseries and desolations of the provinces of nicaraqua and guatimala , of the greatest part of mexico , tabesco , and panuco , are incontestible proofs of the cruelties and other crimes of the spaniards . the archbishop of mexico wrote an account of 'em by way of complaint to the royal council for the indies , wherein he inform'd 'em that the governor had loaded twenty eight ships with slaves . the governor of the province of xalisco took for his own share slaves , men , women and children , some of whom were but one , others two or three years old ; all was fish that came to net ; besides an infinit number that other spaniards took in this province , against the king's express orders , who was much displeas'd that those people should be inslav'd , who ought to have bin instructed in the knowledge of the true god , and of the christian religion , in order to their salvation . those flemish merchants that got possession of the kingdom of vençuela , to pillage and destroy it , made horrible spoil there for the space of twenty years . that all i say is the very truth , may better appear by consulting the archives of the royal council , which are full of complaints against the insidious contrivances of the spaniards , and the great violences they have committed to enslave the poor indians . these poor wretches have no body to interceed for 'em , or to protect 'em ; and are always in great consternation , because continually expos'd to the insults of their enemies , who oppress 'em without being call'd to account for it . so that they despair of relief , not knowing to whom to address themselves for justice . now seeing the artifices that have bin us'd to inslave these poor creatures , are so unjust and tyrannical ; and seeing these people as well as others are born free , it follows that the spaniards have acted contrary to the law of nations , in inslaving all those indians whom they have taken for that end ever since the discovery of the new world , and have by their violences evidently transgress'd the law of god and nature . to prove yet farther that the spaniards are oblig'd to restore those indians their liberty , whom they yet detain in bondage , there 's only need of making one reflection , namely , that the law of god obliges us to make restitution of every thing we have taken unjustly from our neighbours , and to make reparation for the injuries done 'em ; and without doing thus 't is impossible to be sav'd . upon this principle 't is evident , that the spaniards ought to release their indians slaves , and to do what in 'em lies to make 'em amends for the wrong they have done 'em , against all law and equity ; for 't is not to be suppos'd the sin will be forgiven , till what has bin unjustly taken away is restor'd ; and consequently the spaniards who have treated the poor indians after so ill a manner , and yet don't go about to make 'em satisfaction , are under the guilt of a mortal sin. to make this appear yet more evidently , two things must be suppos'd . first , that there were no slaves in new spain , on the borders of which there dwelt divers nations , especially the mexicans , that are more dexterous and politic than other indians : this every one knows who is acquainted with the new world. secondly , that the term slave does not signify the same thing among the indians as among the europeans , but only denotes a servant with the former , or one that has some particular obligation to assist us in our necessary affairs ; so that to be the slave of an indian , is to be but one degree below his son ; 't is to dwell in his house , to take care of his goods and silver , to wait on his wife and children , which is consistent with the enjoyment of his liberty : he sets the house in order , sows the land , and does any necessary work , as occasion requires . and his master on his part treats him with a great deal of kindness and humanity , as if he were not oblig'd to render him this service . those missionaries that have learn'd the indian language , and know the import of their words , can testify the truth of what i say . it is farther to be suppos'd , that in new spain and mexico many unlawful ways have bin us'd by the spaniards to inslave the indians , in so much that one would have thought they knew nothing of the true god , nor had ever heard of the precepts of the gospel . when there was a famin there , which seldom happens in those rich and fertil countries , those indians that had a stock of corn , perswaded them that were poor to sell 'em their children for some of their corn : with this proposal they comply'd very willingly , because their servitude is so easy , their slaves not being oblig'd to any very hard labor . and the indians are naturally obsequious and submissive to those on whom they depend ; they would give one of their children for five bushels of corn , and this was the ordinary price they gave . 't is true , this was an unjust method of making slaves , because all things ought to be common in a time of extreme necessity ; for the law of nature obliges us freely to give or lend to those that are under pressing want . another occasion on which the spaniards made the indians their slaves was this ; when any one had found an indian with some ears of corn which he had stolen , he had authority to make him his slave . the missionaries have observ'd that some of 'em would maliciously scatter ears of corn in the high-ways , that they might seize those for slaves that had innocently gather'd 'em up . besides this , the parents and relations of him that had the corn found upon him were made slaves for this imaginary theft , which is a very unjust and criminal artifice . they likewise had invented a sort of play among 'em , in which he that lost was made a slave ; the best players would make as if they knew not how to play , to insnare those that were ignorant into their service . if any one whom they had thus caught , presum'd to run away , his nearest relations were forc'd to supply his place . when a free-man had lain with a woman that was a slave , her master had power to seize him , or his wife , if he were married , and to oblige him to serve him till she was brought to bed . which custom obtain'd throughout the whole country . he that had a young maid to his slave , would inslave any one that lay with her , which was attended with great inconveniences ; for the masters of these young she-slaves would put 'em upon enticing men to lie with 'em , on purpose to catch 'em in this trap. if a slave took any thing out of his master's house to give it to his relations , they all immediately became his master's slaves . when several merchants went into other countries for slaves to sell in new spain , where they had the best trade for 'em , they lent those that were poor their goods and corn upon usury ; and when they were not in a condition to pay for what they had bought , they seiz'd 'em for slaves . if he that ow'd the sum , died before the debt was discharg'd , and his wife and children were not capable of paying the creditor , they became his slaves . in time of famin , parents would sell one of their children to serve a master for a certain number of years ; but indeed there was no end of this servitude , for if the master dy'd , his relations would take possession of his slave . but the bishop of mexico , who is a very pious and virtuous prelat , has written an account in latin of all the tricks the spaniards have us'd to inslave the indians ; by which 't is easy to see with how much injustice they have abus'd the simplicity and necessity of these poor wretches to reduce 'em to a miserable state of bondage . from what i have been relating it appears , that the indians being idolaters , and destitute of the knowledg of the true god , and the rules of christianity , don't regulate their actions by such motives as the fear of hell , and the desire of heaven , and the hope of having their good works rewarded hereafter : therefore they are vicious and corrupt in many respects ; for instance , they don't observe the law of nations in the wars they make one upon another ; by which one may well guess there are many other injust things done among ' em . but the faith of christ , and the precepts of the gospel are for preserving only good laws and customs , and for abolishing those that are bad , especially such as are opposite to the law of nature , and prejudicial to human society . therefore those indians that are converted , who have bin guilty of polygamy , are oblig'd to put away all their wives but one , according to the prescription of the law of god , as well as to restore all the goods they have gotten by unlawful ways of robbery or extortion . if christians follow the evil customs of infidels , or tolerate 'em when they can hinder 'em , they manifestly render themselves accomplices in the crimes of those idolaters , because we are oblig'd by the divine law to abstain from such actions as may occasion scandal , or any way injure the temporal or spiritual welfare of our neighbor . for this reason st. paul commanded christians not to eat things offer'd to idols , lest it should be thought they approv'd of those damnable sacrifices ; tho they might eat of those very meats , provided the pagans did not see 'em , and so were not scandaliz'd by the action . all christians are oblig'd by the divine word to do what in 'em lies for the abolition of sinful customs , or at least to abstain from 'em , and disapprove 'em themselves . and when a man doubts whether any action he is about to do is just or injust , he can't do it with a good conscience : this is a general rule that admits of no exception , because christians are oblig'd by the doctrin of the gospel , rather to lose all they have than to commit the least sin. therefore while the mind hesitates and doubts , whether the action on which one thinks be sin or no , we ought necessarily to abstain from it . the very desire of doing such an action is contrary to right reason , and to the love of god ; because it would be to expose one's self to the hazard of transgressing the divine will , to do that concerning which one labors under an uncertainty whether it be lawful or forbidden . and the doubt , when one thus ventures to sin , is no longer a mere doubt , but most certainly becomes an offence against god , because we are always oblig'd to take the safest course . when it falls out that we meet with two ways , and are uncertain which is the right , we ought always to chuse that which is the least dangerous , according to that maxim of st. augustin in his penitential book , take what is certain , and leave what is uncertain . the rules of the civil law , which are confirm'd by reason , by the law of nature , and that of christian charity , admit of a dispensation in some cases , when there is a prospect of some great good , to which a greater strictness would probably be prejudicial . but 't is a general rule , that when a man deliberates on two doubtful things , he is to determin his choice on that side where he may avoid sin , where there are the fewest inconveniences , and where his neighbour's interest runs the least hazard . upon this principle , clergy-men ought not to be oblig'd to retire and live separatly from their mothers , grandmothers or sisters , or to forsake their father's house ; because such a separation may be very disadvantagious to 'em , tho there may possibly be some inconvenience likewise in their dwelling together . that man retains a thing with an evil conscience , about which he is in doubt whether it be lawfully gotten , or which he has receiv'd of one who had no right to it , or who had reason to doubt whether it belong'd to him or no. whatever is possess'd under such circumstances , is kept contrary to the rules of justice , and against both the law of god and nature . therefore the spaniards who keep those indians in slavery , concerning whom they are in doubt whether they have bin bought , or given to those of whom they had 'em , act contrary to justice and to the law of god , in retaining 'em while under this doubt . every one knows that a man is oblig'd to restore whatever he does not lawfully possess , and whatever he has receiv'd from one that had no just right to it , because a man can't communicate a right to another which he has not first himself . thus when any one buys or receives any thing from a person who sells or gives it , and yet has no right to it , he is unjust if he keeps it , and is oblig'd to make restitution . the reason is evident , because 't is no less than the commission of theft , wilfully to retain any thing against the will of him to whom it appertains . and tho this thing should have past through a thousand hands before it came to you , you would have no right to withold it from the proper owner , because these were all unlawful possessors , and consequently ought to have made restitution . and tho some human laws give permission to retain a thing which one has bought with mony that is coin'd with the king's stamp , and is current in the commonwealth , yet this is no lawful title to it , because human laws must not prescribe contrary to the law of god and nature , nor to good morals , which forbid theft , and the witholding of another man's goods against the consent of the rightful owner . inferiors , and such are kings themselves in respect of the divine majesty , can't justly establish any thing in prejudice to the law of god , which is superior to all other laws . he that buys stolen goods knowingly , is an accessory in the robbery : and if he does but suspect they are stolen , and has not bin so diligent as he might have bin , to inform himself whether they were lawfully gotten , he can't keep 'em with a good conscience ; because no man can innocently do that which exposes him to sin. and if we will not take the pains to inform our selves whether that which is sold or given to us be lawfully gotten , when we are in doubt about it , we can't be the lawful possessors , because this is a culpable and wilful ignorance . those who have in such cases consulted men capable of giving information , are excusable , unless themselves be of such a character as obliges 'em to be acquainted with law and equity , as civilians , judges , and the like ; or when they ask advice , content themselves with consulting only one person , tho they have opportunity of advising with many ; or ask counsel of interested persons , and such as will not answer according to the dictates of their conscience , instead of consulting men of integrity who will give advice according to the rules of law and equity ; or when they address themselves to persons whose honesty is suspected upon good grounds . a man is not excusable under such circumstances as these , tho he ask counsel of the learned in the law ; and after having taken their advice , acts contrary to right and equity . these four circumstances being regarded , may be of great use to ease scrupulous persons of their doubts , and to give 'em peace of conscience . and by these principles it may be easily known that the spaniards unjustly retain most of their indian slaves against the law of god : and if they have a right to any of 'em , the number is very small , and they have reason to doubt whether these have been lawfully made slaves ; because those they have had from the indians have been brought to 'em as a tribute extorted from 'em against their will , by fear , menaces and torments ; so that they have no just title to 'em : or if they have bought 'em of indians , they have us'd unfair tricks to procure 'em , having terrified the caciques , and constrain'd 'em by tortures to deliver up their subjects into their hands , threatning otherwise to acuse 'em to the judges for worshipping and offering sacrifices to idols ; so that the poor caciques when they could not give the spaniards as many indians as they demanded , us'd to steal 'em where they could ▪ 't is true , when these disorders came to be known to his majesty , he expresly forbad any such ways of inslaving the people for the future . as for those few slaves which the indians have voluntarily sold , tho the spaniards have hitherto made no question that they had a lawful right to 'em , they have had however reason enough to doubt it , and they ought by no means to have taken possession of 'em , till they had first us'd all necessary diligence to get information whether they might do it with a good conscience ; and if after all their inquiry the matter remain'd dubious , they ought not to have bought 'em while under that scruple : so that all the ways they have taken to procure themselves great numbers of slaves are unlawful : and when the indian princes saw how eagerly the spaniards pursu'd this trade , they would tyrannize over their subjects , and force 'em to become slaves , that they might be capable of answering the spaniards demands , and of buying the trifles they sold ' em . the judges of the royal council , who have sounded this matter to the bottom , have declar'd , that scarce any of the indians have been lawfully inslav'd , and on this account have set many of 'em at liberty . the missionary monks who understood the language of the indians , and were acquainted with their secrets , have declar'd , that those who have kept 'em as their slaves , have done so without any just ground : and they had no interest to speak after this manner , being only concern'd about the salvation of souls . and can it be thought that the spaniards were ignorant of what themselves had done , who made themselves formidable to the poor indians , and forc'd 'em by severe punishment to procure 'em what slaves they requir'd ? and these ignorant infidels , who have so little of the fear or love of god , might easily perswade themselves that there was no injustice in doing what they saw christians do before 'em ; so that their ill examples might well embolden 'em to steal away fatherless children , to trepan the ignorant , and even to make use of force and violence to get slaves to sell to the spaniards . for after this manner have the indians been corrupted and induc'd to commit all kinds of injustice against their own country-men to procure slaves , since they have had conversation with the christians , who incouraged 'em in these tricks , not only by their words , but likewise by their example . and 't is most certain , the spaniards could not be ignorant of these unrighteous proceedings , since themselves were the occasion and instruments of all this mischief : and it must at least be granted , that they were oblig'd to suspect whether the slaves that were brought 'em were taken as lawful prisoners of war , and to inquire whether they might keep 'em with a good conscience or not . they drove this trade with suspicious persons , and therefore might well have presum'd that they offended the rules of justice ; and that those that gave or sold these slaves to 'em , had no right so to do . men ought to be very cautious how they deal with the indians , lest they approve of the theft and other crimes of these infidels . the spaniards knew well enough what was commonly reported of the indians every where , that they us'd many unjust and tyrannical ways to get slaves on all sides ; and therefore ought to have scrupled the buying of 'em such as were naturally free , and who had bin inslav'd against the law of nations : so that they can never excuse themselves from possessing 'em unjustly , and from participating of the crimes of the indians in stealing and captivating great numbers of people . among a hundred thousand slaves whom the indians have sold to the spaniards , or paid 'em by way of tribute , perhaps not one of 'em was properly a slave , or taken in a just and lawful war. but allowing some of 'em to be so , how could they be distinguish'd from the rest in this vast number ? besides , that there is a great difference , as we have already observ'd , between the slaves of the indians and those of the europeans : the former make slavery not very uneasy or troublesom , their slaves being in a manner free , and not much differing from their children ; whereas slavery among the spaniards is a most terrible condition , and those that are subjected to it , enjoy no favor , comfort or rest , but are continually expos'd to hunger and thirst , and other severe punishments : nor are there any laws or statutes that can soften the cruel temper of the spaniards , and hinder 'em from exacting of their slaves such service as surpasses human strength . from all the principles we have been establishing , it follows , first , that his majesty is oblig'd by the law of god to set all those indians at liberty , whom the spaniards have made their slaves , and unjustly retain as such . first , because his majesty is oblig'd to do justice to all the world , to great and small , without respect of persons , without despising the cause of the miserable and afflicted , who are not in a condition to defend themselves , or redress their own grievances . 't is the principal duty of kings to execute justice , and protect the weak against the oppression of the strong ; and when they fail in this , they sometimes draw down the divine vengeance on their own persons and kingdoms ; because the cries of the poor , and such as labor under misery , incessantly go up to the throne of god. and since the spaniards unjustly oppress the indians , who have no way to secure themselves from the violence and tyranny of their persecutors ; 't is evident his majesty is oblig'd to stop the course of their injustice , and to restore those poor people their liberty who groan under so cruel a bondage . nor ought this to be one moment deferr'd , seeing these vexations are publick and notorious , and his majesty cannot be ignorant of ' em . those kings that are willing to observe the strict rules of justice , whether pagans or christians , ought to use their utmost efforts to keep their subjects in peace , tho at the same time they should forget nothing that may conduce to lead 'em in the way of virtue ; because the end that every governor of a commonwealth ought to propose to himself is , to act so as to render all his subjects virtuous . how much more are catholic princes , who profess to follow the rules of christ , oblig'd to govern their subjects according to his precepts , and to remove all the obstacles that are likely to turn 'em out of the way of truth ? in which enterprize they cannot succeed without giving 'em good and equal laws , and obliging 'em to an exact observance of ' em . christian princes are moreover bound to exhort their subjects to serve the true god , and to yield obedience to the doctrin of christ , as much as possibly they can . and seeing the spaniards by unjustly retaining the indians in slavery , are continually in the habit of a mortal sin , and consequently don 't live according to the laws of christ , our kings ought to command 'em to release all the indians , that they may remove this great obstacle which lies in the way of their subjects salvation . the royal character of princes obliges 'em to make laws and regulations , that justice may be maintain'd , and the people subject to their government preserv'd in the practice of virtue ; and are likewise requir'd by the divine law to employ their temporal power for the augmentation of the catholic church , and the maintenance of ecclesiastical disciplin , that the professors of christianity may not rebel against the ministers of christ . in this they may lawfully employ the terror of their arms , to keep all people to their duty ; for otherwise temporal powers would not be necessary for the administration of the affairs of the church . from hence it may fairly be concluded , that the king of spain ought to use his power to render justice to the poor indians , who are so tyrannically oppress'd , and to strengthen the hands of the ministers of the church in the indies by his authority , who are not able to make any progress by their ministry among the natives , nor to reclaim the spaniards from their vices , while they are suffer'd to afflict and persecute the poor indians , because these continual violences , and their fix'd resolution to persist in 'em , are habitual sins . at present they regard not at all the remonstrances and menaces of prelats , or ecclesiastical censures , but go on adding sin to sin , in so much that the church in the indies is in a forlorn condition , and under great difficulties : so that the indians ought to be set free , that the obstructions lying in the way of their salvation may be remov'd , and that they may the better be engag'd to submit to the doctrin that is preach'd to 'em : for by this means christian pastors will have a full liberty to exercise their ministry , and to discharge their apostolic functions . the bishops of america are oblig'd by the law of god continually to sollicit his majesty and his royal council to deliver the indians from the oppression under which they groan , and to give 'em their former liberty , because these bishops are necessarily engag'd by their character to do the best they can for the discharge of their pastoral office , which consists in governing and teaching the people under their conduct , and in providing for all their spiritual necessities ; as also in securing 'em as well as they can from any temporal injury , and in rescuing 'em from the hands of oppressors , especially when the vexations they suffer are so many stumbling blocks in the way of their salvation . nor ought they to be wanting in procuring 'em all the temporal advantages they can . the dominican and franciscan friers are very pious and prudent , and deserve to be highly commended , in that they have agreed to refuse absolution to all the spaniards of new spain , who keep indian slaves , and to oblige 'em to bring this affair under examination before the royal council , in conformity to the laws newly made ; tho they would have done better not to have had recourse to this tribunal . these monks know very well by experience what unjust and deceitful methods have been us'd to inslave the indians , and can't doubt but god has been highly offended by these violences , and that those who have committed 'em are oblig'd to repair the injuries of which they have been guilty . a confessor who undertakes to hear mens confessions , one who officiates in quality of a bishop or curat as a spiritual judg , ought to understand the obligations of his ministry , and to have that knowledg and prudence which is requisite to perform it after a becoming manner , that he may pass a wise and just judgment on all matters propos'd to him , and rightly discern what wrong is offer'd to any oppressed party . if his ignorance or negligence is the cause of his mistake , so that he obliges not his penitent to restore any ill-gotten goods , he commits a great sin , and is himself bound to make restitution and amends for the injustice done the offended party : just as a physician who has through ignorance done some considerable mischief to his patient , or occasion'd his death , ought to make some special reparation for his fault . the same may be said of judges that pass an unrighteous sentence , while they are ignorant of the law , or take no care to inform themselves of the merit of the cause before 'em , because such neglect and ignorance are criminal , and they ought to know the matters on which they are intrusted to pass a judgment . 't is certain all the ecclesiastical persons in new spain are well assur'd that the indians have been inslav'd , and are still kept in bondage , contrary to all law and equity ; and therefore are not oblig'd to refer the examination of this affair to the royal council : besides , there are all sorts of tricks and devices used to divert the council from taking cognizance of the matter , lest they should suppress those vexatious practices . his majesty ought with all speed to issue out his orders for the release of these miserable people , and so much the rather , because the oppression they are under is the occasion of the ruin of an infinit number of souls . and this is the only way to reclaim the spaniards from the habit of a mortal sin , and to put the prelats in a condition freely to acquit themselves of their ecclesiastical functions . among all the expedients frier don bartholomew de las-casas , bishop of the royal city of chiapa , propos'd for the reestablishment of peace and tranquillity in america , the most effectual was that of directly subjecting all the west-indies to the crown of spain , that so the spanish lords might be uncapable of making the indians their own subjects and vassals . and he supported this proposal with many very cogent reasons . first he says , the princes and people of the new world being infidels , and their conversion to our holy faith appearing necessary , 't is very proper they should be under the protection of a catholic and powerful king , who has a true zeal for the honor and propagation of the christian religion , and might send able missionaries into the new world , to bring those idolaters to the knowledg of the true god , and to embrace our divine religion , and submit themselves to the holy see. and hence it appears that nothing can be more advantageous to the indians , than to put themselves under the protection of catholic princes , that no particular lords may be capable of taking possession of 'em as their property . this is what the kings of spain ought to regard , without sharing with any others that power and authority they have acquired over the indians ; for they ought to preserve this jurisdiction immediately to themselves , and not divide it to invest private men with it . and this is an affair of so great consequence , that no less than both the temporal and eternal welfare of those nations depend on it ; for the conversion of the new world would be a very advantageous thing to the commonwealth . 't is neither just nor possible to abandon this jurisdiction to private persons , since none but the king can be invested with it ; because when the pope has once made choice of any person or power for this affair , it ought not to be delegated or entrusted to another . when he has in this matter declar'd himself in favor of any person illustrious by his character and merit , who has a perfect knowledg of any cause he may have to determin , 't is to be presum'd he 'l pass such a judgment as the pope himself would have done . now 't is manifest that in the case in question we have a person cloth'd with grandeur and dignity , seeing he is king of spain , a very good christian , and zealous for the catholic religion ; and the matter is of great importance , because it concerns the preaching and propagation of the true faith and worship of god , the conversion of numerous nations , and the government of 'em ; which is to be administred with lenity and prudence , that justice may be maintain'd among 'em , and the love of virtue inspir'd into 'em : which is an employ too great for any but soveraign princes to perform . 't is certain the holy see has chosen the king of spain to be entrusted with the government of the indies ; which may be prov'd by two considerable circumstances . the first of which is the clause added in the commission , we rely upon your fidelity , prudence and justice : which is inserted in the bull of grant and commission of the indies to the most serene kings of spain , wherein the pope says in express terms ; knowing you to be kings truly catholic , as we have been assur'd by many experiences , and that your piety is every where regarded throughout the christian world , we doubt not but you will use all the care and diligence you can for the exaltation and increase of the catholic faith ; as you have spar'd no charge or pains to rescue the kingdom of grenada from the hands of sarazens and infidels , which has so much conduc'd to the glory of the name of god. the second circumstance is , that when any express order is added in the commission , the first clause of it is express'd in these words : we exhort you by your holy baptism , which obliges you to submit to our apostolic orders ; and we conjure you by the bowels of compassion in jesus christ , that you would generously undertake this expedition , to engage the people of the new world to embrace the christian religion : nor let any hardships or perils discourage you , but put your trust in god , who will make your work succeed to his glory . the other clause contains a kind of command , and is thus express'd ; we command you in virtue of the holy obedience you owe us ; and we doubt not but you will undertake this affair with a great deal of zeal and fervor , and send into the islands and continent men fearing god , able , experienc'd , and capable of instructing the inhabitants of the new world in the catholic faith , and of inspiring 'em with the love of virtue . these circumstances make it sufficiently appear , that the pope gave the charge of causing the indians to be instructed to the kings of spain , in consideration of the signal services render'd the church by that crown ; nay , that he has oblig'd them to undertake this good work by his express command to apply themselves to it , in virtue of the holy obedience they owe him . pursuant to this these princes solemnly engag'd themselves to second the pope's designs with all their power : their promise was turn'd into a covenant , and became a formal obligation on 'em ; and consequently 't is the indispensible duty of the kings of spain to be the ministers of the holy see in carrying the word of god into the indies , and contributing all their power to continue the work of converting the indians : their care should be extended to their temporal as well as spiritual concerns ; and they ought to neglect nothing that may be necessary for their preservation or conversion . nor is it lawful for these princes to abdicate this authority , and divest themselves of this jurisdiction . let your majesty therefore please to consider seriously how strict and indispensible this obligation is ; be pleas'd to remember that in the year , when christopher columbus , the first discoverer and admiral of the west-indies , had permitted each spaniard that accompanied him to take one indians in recompence of the great services done the crown of spain in that voyage , when those indians arriv'd in spain , your majesty so much resented it , that 't was not easy to appease your anger on that occasion . your majesty ask'd if the admiral had power to destroy your subjects ; and commanded the spaniards to send back to the indies all the indians they had brought from thence on pain of death . accordingly they return'd in the year , when francis bobadilla went to take the government of the new world. the second reason that proves your majesty under an obligation to incorporate the indies into the inheritance of your crown , and not to suffer the spaniards in the least to usurp any thing in quality of lords and masters , is , that otherwise 't is impossible the people should ever be brought to espouse christianity . to comprehend the force of this reason it must be remember'd that the design of your majesty's title to possess these newly-discover'd nations , is no other than the publication of the gospel , to spread the knowledg of jesus christ among 'em ; and consequently your majesty is oblig'd to remove all impediments that oppose this end , by establishing good laws and orders , and using all other just ways and means to render this design prosperous . the end is always the great spring that should give motion and direction to our actions ; and 't is this we ought to have principally in view , that we may the better foresee what obstructions are likely to lie in our way , and take the most sutable measures to attain the end propos'd . now 't is certain , that the power usurp'd by the spaniards over the indians is one of the greatest hindrances to the preaching of the gospel among 'em for their conversion . all the world knows their excessive avarice makes 'em unwilling to suffer the missionary monks to preach the gospel to the indians , whom those tyrants look upon as their vassals ; because the publication of the gospel ( they say ) occasions a considerable damage to 'em two ways . first , because these monks make the indians lose too much time in hearing their instructions ; these people ( say they ) are naturally lazy and negligent , so that when they are diverted from their work , 't is hard to bring 'em to it again . it has often happen'd when the monks had got the indians together in their church to instruct 'em , the spaniards have come upon 'em , and taken away a hundred or two by force , beating 'em cruelly to the scandal of the rest , in spite of what the poor monks could say or do . and such violences can't but extremely impede the salvation of the indians . another disadvantage the spaniards pretend to receive from the conversion of the indians , is , that when they are once instructed in the maxims of christianity , they grow proud and untractable , and not so capable to serve 'em : and is not this an open confession that their private interest is dearer to 'em than the salvation of these peoples souls ? the frame of their mind is an habitual mortal sin against charity , the order of which they pervert , not only in not promoting their salvation themselves , which they ought every day to do , being oblig'd in conscience either to instruct 'em , or procure others to do so ; but also in that they are so far from acquitting themselves of this duty , that with all their might they hinder others from informing 'em , without being afraid of the judgments of that god , who will one day severely punish 'em for want of charity to their neighbours , in witholding light from 'em , tho they have so much need of information . they hinder the pious missionaries from coming to preach to 'em , lest they should become acquainted with their vexations and cruelties , which are so great and strange , that the monks are seiz'd with horror when the indians relate ' em . and when they see with their own eyes how miserably the indians are treated , they make it their business ( as they are bound in duty to god ) to oppose these disorders . they sometimes advertise the judges of those tribunals your majesty has established there of these things , to seek to redress 'em that way ; tho the means hitherto used have had very little effect ; because the governors and judges having a great many indians themselves , to whom they are unmerciful and cruel , abuse their power in oppressing these poor creatures , causing 'em to be punish'd rigorously for the slightest faults . this is the true reason why the monks are look'd upon as so many troublesom spies , and the enemies of their temporal interest ; so that they can't endure so much as to see 'em , nor would they willingly tolerate 'em in the country , but often curse 'em , and invent all sorts of calumnies against ' em . the poor indians almost despair to see any end of their miseries ; and having nothing to trust to but the zeal and charity of the monks , do love and reverence 'em as their deliverers and protectors , still putting great confidence in them under all their troubles ; they often come in bodies out of their towns and cities to meet 'em : but 't is a great mortification to the spaniards to see the indians pay these good men so much respect ; and they take occasion from hence to reproach 'em , pretending the monks design to make themselves the lords and masters of these poor wretches . but god only knows what labors and hardships these missionaries undergo , and to what extremity they are often reduc'd by poverty and hunger ; when they undertake great journeys with inexpressible fatigue , in rough and troublesom ways , to assist the indians , and shew 'em the way of salvation ; and to admonish the spaniards of their enormous sins , in tormenting 'em so many ways , in robbing and murdering 'em : all which violences call for large restitution , if they expect to be sav'd . covetousness and injustice reign more in the indies , than in all the world besides ; tho the spaniards have no just right nor power there , since they don't derive it of your majesty . the indians are naturally timorous and cowardly , or rather the ill treatments and cruelties of the spaniards have terrified 'em to that degree , that consternation and dread are become natural to 'em , insomuch that they scarce remember they are men. 't is impossible for men in their condition to apply themselves to hear the preaching of the gospel , that so they might become christians , since the spaniards so strenuously oppose it ; who ought therefore to give up the title they have usurp'd over them , ever since they made a conquest of 'em , as they are wont to boast . they that have any interest in a governor's favor , dispose of the persons of the indians as their proper goods , and divide 'em among themselves , as if they were born absolute vassals . two or three spaniards will sometimes appropriate to themselves a whole nation of indians . it may be the master of the family falls to the lot of one , his wife to another , and their children to a third . they are sent to the mines loaded like horses , and forc'd to carry heavy burdens a hundred or two hundred leagues ; this is seen every day . to obviate these disorders , it will not be sufficient that your majesty demand your tributes , and threaten those with severe punishment who shall presume to torment the indians for the future , or exact such tasks of 'em as they are not justly oblig'd to perform ; for they 'l still persist in the same course . as the severe bondage of the indians is a great obstacle to their conversion on the one hand , so on the other is the course taken to disperse 'em at a distance one from another , whereby 't is almost impossible to assemble a considerable number of ' em . both these ways prevent their being instructed in our religion , and put in the way of salvation . 't is necessary in order to their being fed with the divine word , that they live in society , and be in a condition to be easily assembled ; and 't is as necessary they should enjoy an entire liberty , that they might voluntarily embrace the word of god. the learned say there was no system of written laws given by god in the time of abraham , because the church was his family , and did not consist of any whole nation . nor did god see good to give his law to the israelites while in egypt , tho they were then a numerous people , and computed to be no less than six hundred thousand men able to bear arms , because they were not a free people , being yet in captivity . but the almighty gave 'em his law when these two conditions were found in 'em together , namely , when they were both numerous and free ; which was not till he had employ'd his power to deliver 'em from the yoke of pharaoh . but of all laws , that of the gospel especially requires both these conditions , because it supposes persons at liberty to seek to be instructed in it , and to put the precepts of it in practise . and 't is very proper for those that observe the laws of christ to incorporate themselves and live in societies , that they may perform the solemn acts of divine worship by the practice of the seven sacraments and other ceremonies of the church . 't is necessary for christians to meet together from time to time in public to hear the word of god , and assist at other parts of his worship , that so new converts may be confirm'd in the manner of life they have embrac'd ; for without these helps they would insensibly decline in their zeal , and might come even to lose their faith. in short , if the spaniards are permitted to keep the indians scatter'd up and down on the mountains , and in the vallies , and to employ 'em perpetually in performing the unreasonable tasks they exact of 'em , it will be impossible to instruct 'em in our religion to any purpose . by what has been said , your majesty may very well conceive what disorders reign in the indies , and how necessary 't is to hinder the spaniards from retaining the natives under so severe a yoke , and from proceeding to depopulate the country as they have hitherto done . and that which is yet more deplorable , is , that they suffer 'em to die without taking care to have the sacraments administer'd to 'em , having no more regard for 'em than for dogs or horses . one would think they believ'd these people to have no immortal souls , but were uncapable of rewards or punishments in the other life . the spaniards are no way qualified either to be lords and masters of the indians , or to teach 'em the doctrin of the gospel , or to induce 'em to imbrace it by their examples . a considerable number of indians were committed to the care of john colmenero to be instructed in our religion , tho he was so ignorant that he knew not well how to make the sign of the cross , or give any tolerable account of his own faith ; in so much that when he was ask'd what he taught those indians under his conduct , he could make no other answer than that he taught 'em to make the sign of the cross , but pronounc'd the words wrong that are us'd in that ceremony . when the indians of one province had brought all their idols to the missionaries , with protestations that they now detested that impious worship , and were resolv'd to serve the true god for time to come , the spaniards sold these very idols to other indians , or exchang'd 'em for slaves . what concern of mind can the spaniards be suppos'd to have for the salvation of these people , when they only design to enrich themselves , and thereby to be qualified for employments above their rank ; and when they are so ignorant , that they don't know the creed , or ten commandments ? they are sordidly covetous , and indeed give themselves up to all sorts of vices ; so that their lives are infamous and abominable . the indians are comparatively more honest and virtuous than they are : for tho they are pagans and idolaters , yet are content with one wife , as nature teaches 'em , while they see christians take fourteen or fifteen women , how expresly soever the law they profess forbids it . many of the indians scarce know what it is to rob one another , to offer violence to any one , or to commit murder : whereas they see the christians guilty of all these , against all reasons and justice , and that they violate all their oaths , so that there is no ground to put the least confidence in ' em . the poor indians that are witnesses of the crimes of such as call themselves christians , think the god they worship is the vilest and most unjust god in the world , because he does not immediately inflict some signal punishment on those that pretend to serve him , for their flagitious lives . they also think your majesty the most cruel of all princes , because your subjects are so abominably vicious ; they fancy ( as i have before said ) that your majesty drinks human blood , and eats the flesh of men. and tho these things may appear strange and surprizing to your majesty , they are no news to us who have been accustom'd to ' em . and we can't but wonder , that some extraordinary marks of the divine anger and indignation have not been inflicted on spain to make her smart for the crimes committed by the spaniards in america . your majesty may by this time very well perceive the character of those men to whom the charge and care of the souls of the indians is committed . and 't is no wonder that there 's so little done either for their temporal or spiritual advantage , since the discovery of the indies , under such conduct . god is no more known there now than he was before , unless it be in the province of mexico . and that slight instruction the people have had there has cost 'em very dear : tho the son of god commanded his disciples to give that freely which they had freely receiv'd . the indians were committed to the spaniards , on condition they would undertake to teach 'em the christian religion : therefore since they have acquitted themselves so ill of that commission , they ought to make restitution of all they have taken from 'em under this pretext . however , god will not be mocked , who sees all things , and is a witness of all the wicked actions of the spaniards , who have made it their business only to torment and inslave these poor people instead of taking care to inform 'em of the truth . and indeed these secular men are not very proper to be made preachers of the gospel . your majesty has been ill serv'd in not having had good information given you of the ill deportment of your subjects . for 't is not to be doubted but your majesty would have provided a remedy , if due care had been taken to give you advice of it : or if your majesty had not done it , you would have very much wrong'd your conscience in sending such men into the new world to preach the faith , and give testimony to the doctrin of jesus christ , who are absolutely uncapable of so honourable a ministry , and even decry and debase it by their scandalous conversation . 't is therefore necessary that this employment be taken away from secular , and committed to religious persons , as agreeing better with their character , which may be done without giving these ecclesiastical ministers any occasion to claim a temporal jurisdiction over the indians ; for if that should be allow'd , we should fall into the same inconveniences we are endeavouring to avoid . the corrupt lives and evil examples of the spaniards do more hurt than the preaching of an infinit number of priests and monks can do good . therefore your majesty is oblig'd in conscience to deprive the spaniards of the power they usurp over the indians , and never suffer 'em to make 'em their vassals . one principal reason that proves this proposition is , that people ought to enjoy peace and tranquillity , that they may be in a condition to attend the worship of god , and the good works prescrib'd by the christian religion , and not to be diverted from the sacraments by being condemn'd to continual labor . which state of peace and rest can't subsist without preserving to every man his property , and guarding him from all the assaults of injury and injustice . the governors of commonwealths are bound by the law of god to remove out of the way all obstructions to so necessary a peace , and speedily to allay those dissensions and troubles that may continue discord among such as profess christianity , because 't is directly opposit to the end of god in creating men ; for he sends 'em into the world to observe his commands , and to apply themselves to the exercise of religion and good works , that they may thereby merit eternal life . this good order is necessary in every christian republic , but there especially where the christian faith has been but lately entertain'd . the spaniards are too covetous and self-interested to have any jurisdiction over the indians granted 'em , because they 'l never give 'em any respit or repose , but go on to rob and torment 'em all the ways they can invent . there is no kind of injustice but they commit it to spoil these poor people , and therefore there is no way to shelter 'em from their oppressions , but by annexing the indies to the proper inheritance of your majesty's crown . the spaniards kill the indians with impunity in the fields , in the high-ways , and in the mines , and do it more boldly , because many times there are no witnesses present to convict 'em of their cruelties . so that nothing can be more evident , than that the indians are not in a condition to compose their minds to attend to the divine word , so as to be induc'd to obey the divine commands , while the spaniards are their absolute lords , who will continually harass 'em with endless trouble and persecution , which will fill their minds with anguish and vexation , and all kinds of misery , nay with an aversion to your majesty , and a great hatred to our god , and to his law , which seems to 'em so severe , so heavy and intolerable a yoke . they can't but think your majesty's government is tyrannical , as well as that the god whom we adore is unjust and unmerciful ; supposing him the author of all the violence they suffer from the spaniards ; because while they , on pretence of preaching the catholic faith , bring so many terrible calamities upon 'em , their god suffers this without punishing their injustice and impiety after a very remarkable manner . these unfortunate people have no other relief than what they find in their tears , which they pour forth day and night , protesting their own gods were more kind and favourable than the god of the europeans , and saying they enjoy'd a settl'd peace , and all the coveniences of life while they serv'd their own gods , whereas ever since they had been under the power of the christians , they had been expos'd to all manner of abuses . this makes 'em abhor the catholic faith , and by consequence puts those that preach to 'em out of a condition to attain their end : so that your majesty is beyond all question oblig'd by the law of god to rescue the indians from the yoke of the spaniards , and to take 'em under your own protection . i farther add , that the power your majesty has over the people of the new world , has been granted you by the grace of god and the suffrage of the church , both for the temporal and eternal advantage of the indians , which privilege is a kind of necessary means of their salvation . so that the government of 'em belongs of right to none but your majesty , with the exclusion of all other powers whatsoever , unless they desire to frustrate all the advantages both spiritual and temporal , which the indians might hope to reap from the conversation of the europeans . your majesty's character and jurisdiction over 'em engages you to remove all obstacles that may hinder them from obtaining these advantages , and being sav'd through faith by the preaching of the gospel . your majesty ought not to suffer your authority to become infamous and odious , nor your subjects to usurp a tyrannical power that will infallibly issue in the destruction of the indians , if they must be vassals to the spaniards , who treat 'em so cruelly and inhumanly . when we first arriv'd in the new world , we saw innumerable multitudes of people inhabiting the provinces of new-spain , cuba , jamaica , and the isle of st. john , which are now all desolate . the provinces and kingdoms of the continent are in a yet more deplorable condition , tho once as well peopled as toledo and seville . there 's scarce any place in the world where men and other animals multiply so much as they do in the indies , because the air of the country being temperate , favours generation . but the spaniards have found out the art of entirely depopulating large countries fill'd with infinit numbers of people , for they have unjustly massacred some to possess themselves of their gold and silver , others they have destroy'd by excessive labors , or by forcing them to carry unreasonable burdens in long journies ; in a word , they have sacrific'd the poor indians to enrich themselves . we advance nothing but the very truth , and all that we have said does not express half of what we have seen ; nor will it be a difficult task to convince them of falshood who dare maintain the contrary before your majesty . none but such as have shar'd in the fruit of this rapine and cruelty , will oppose the truth of such facts as are known to all the world . and 't will be in vain to pretend that any contagious distemper has made a country of leagues desolate , which before was very populous . the manner of governing kingdoms ought to be conformable to the law of god and man , for the good and profit of the people , who are to be defended and preserv'd from the violence and injustice of those that are destitute of the fear of god , and use a tyrannical power , merely obtain'd by usurpation , for the ruin and destruction of those that are under ' em . your majesty may easily be inform'd how the spaniards have abus'd the power you granted 'em for the conversion of the indians , in turning it to afflict and destroy 'em with unexampled cruelty . and that which makes the case yet more lamentable is , that none of those who have been employ'd in your majesty's service have ever given you advice of these great disorders , tho so very prejudicial to your interest , besides the loss of an infinite number of souls who have perish'd in the darkness of paganism , out of which they might have been easily reduc'd if the spaniards had in the least been govern'd by the fear of god. your majesty may please to remember that one article of the will of the most serene queen isabella , is express'd after this manner : item , since the time wherein the apostolic see granted us the isles and containent of the ocean , it has always been our principal intention to cause the light of the gospel to shine on the people of the new world , and to send prelats and monks thither to convert and instruct 'em in the truth of the catholic faith. therefore i beseech my lord the king , and the princess my daughter , to labour with all their might to render this enterprize successful , and to secure the indians from receiving any damage either in their estates or persons , but on the contrary to take care they be treated with all sorts of kindness ; and that strict and speedy justice be executed upon any one that shall offer 'em the least injury , and to keep exactly to the terms of the apostolic brief dispatched for this grant. these are the express words of that illustrious princess : and yet no sooner was she expir'd , but the spaniards began to abuse the indians , and to offer 'em all the outrages of which we have been speaking , and could give your majesty a more ample relation . to all the foregoing reasons it may be added , that the spaniards are declar'd enemies to the indians , and design nothing but their destruction , and to get possession of their country ; which is so undoubted a truth , that 't is altogether needless to prove it . for he is properly a man 's declar'd enemy , who goes about to accuse him of some capital crime , that deserves death ; who deprives him of his liberty and the greatest part of his goods ; who makes a cruel war upon him and inslaves him ; who seeks all occasions to kill him , and takes away his wife and children to inslave 'em ; who usurps all the goods of his relations when they die , and unjustly ravishes from him all that is dear to him . certainly such violences as these are against the rights both of people and princes ; and 't is sufficient to demonstrate the spaniards to be the declared enemies of the indians , that they have done 'em all the mischief which we have been relating . for they have calumniated and accus'd 'em of the most horrible and infamous crimes that can be imagin'd , meerly to get possession of their estates , and strip 'em of all they had under this pretext ; whereas the practices they charge 'em with are purely imaginary , and such as have never been so much as heard of in the great islands of new spain , cuba , jamaica , and st. john , tho they have been all very populous ; for after the most exact enquiries we were able to to make , we could never find the least appearance of those abominable sins , to which some few persians are addicted . the indians of the kingdom of yucatan know not what this unnatural vice is . nor are there any great number of 'em that eat human flesh . they are farther accus'd of idolatry ; but men have no right to punish 'em for this crime , which ought to be left to the judgment of god. our ancestors were formerly idolaters , as the indians are now ; and the whole universe was polluted with this sin before the coming of christ , and before the apostles had preach'd the christian faith. for god dispers'd them up and down the world to dissipate the darkness that was spread over the earth : and they did not employ violence and force of arms to punish idolatry , or other sins that were the consequences of infidelity ; they made use of nothing but the good examples of their virtue and holiness , together with their doctrin , which contain'd the menaces and promises of the word of god ; and we ought to do that in the indies , which they did in other parts of the world. this was the course which christ himself first took , and then oblig'd his apostles to follow his example . the son of god came to seek and to save that which was lost . which of our ancestors could have been sav'd if they had been put to death for crimes committed in the time of their unbelief ? the express words of the gospel are contrary to this method ; for christ says to his disciples , thus it is written , and thus it behoved christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day ; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preach'd in his name among all nations , beginning at jerusalem : and ye are witnesses of these things , luke . , , . which evidently proves that the gospel ought to be at first preach'd to infidels , by declaring of peace , and the remission of sins that are past , since christ has given no power or permission to men to punish ' em . the spaniards have moreover presum'd to maintain that the indians were like brute beasts , utterly uncapable of disciplin , and unfit to receive the light of christianity . your majesty has good reason to punish those that declare such notorious falshoods : for under this colour they have obtain'd of your majesty a power to possess themselves of the indies as their absolute property , and to do the indians what mischief they please . thus have they impos'd on the conscience of the most catholic king ; and obtain'd leave to carry away the inhabitants of the islands and countries that lie near hispaniola , and have accordingly forc'd 'em out of their own country against all law and equity ; so that an innumerable multitude both of men and women that inhabited above fifty islands , some bigger than the canaries , have been destroy'd , insomuch that there are but eleven persons left . i have been an eye-witness of this desolation , as well as peter de lisle , who is a man of honor and credit , and now a monk of the order of st. francis. he built a brigantine , and man'd it with sea-men to make a review of those once populous islands ; and they found in all that vast country but eleven people ( as has been said ) tho they spent two years in making this voyage . 't is impossible for me to express to your majesty , on the one hand , the great meekness , goodness of temper , and sincerity of the people of the new world , and on the other , what enormous ravages and cruelties the christians have exercised upon ' em . your bowels would be mov'd with compassion , and your heart too much affected , if an exact description of all this were made you . cruel wars have been rais'd in divers rich provinces , without any fair occasion , but only to gratify the covetous humour of the spaniards : at the same time they flatter themselves that they have authority from your majesty to employ force and violence to inslave these people . and all the difference they make between those indians they look upon as their subjects , and those whom they treat as slaves , is , that they sell the latter publicly , but use a little more formality about selling the former , by seeking pretences to hide their injustice . in the unjust wars they have made with 'em , after having kill'd the masters of families , they have also murder'd their wives and children , and possess'd themselves of all they had . and god is now pleas'd every day to shew us by his severe chastisements that he has been grievously offended by these robberies and cruelties . the welfare of the indians both as to body and soul is in the greatest danger ; for if they must be subject to the absolute power of the spaniards , they 'l utterly destroy 'em , without sparing any , so much as to propagate their race . if the law of nature forbids us to commit a pupil to the charge of one that is a mortal enemy to him or his parents , or has embezel'd his estate , or set him an ill example ; and yet he has been given up to the care of a person of this character ; the judges would be oblig'd to rectify the matter , by taking him from under his conduct , whatever security he offers to give for his fidelity . 't is much the same case with the indians in respect of the spaniards , for these would have it believ'd that they are the guardians , tutors , and protectors of the other : tho 't is only a fraudulent pretence to ensnare ' em . the indians know well enough how to govern themselves , without being beholden to guardians ; and the spaniards are no way capable of instructing 'em in the things of religion , which yet is the main thing the indians want , and the greatest kindness that can be done ' em . and 't is easy to see what disposition the spaniards have towards 'em , as to their temporal advantage . so that 't is most certain they are their declar'd enemies ; since they have strip'd 'em of all their goods , offer'd all sorts of abuses to their persons , and taken away their wives and children , whom they have condemn'd to perpetual slavery ; which course , together with the cruel wars made upon 'em , has almost quite unpeopled the new world. how is it possible that men that lead such kind of lives , should inspire the indians with the desire of embracing the law of god , and the love of virtue , especially seeing they many ways persecute the very monks , who are so zealous for the reformation of these idolaters ? on the contrary , the spaniards spare nothing that may debauch 'em , and expose 'em to all sorts of vice by the evil patterns they set 'em : they teach 'em to swear and blaspheme the holy name of god , tho in reality the poor indians don 't do it designedly , but only because they hear the spaniards use such expressions . 't is therefore plain that the spaniards ought not to have any jurisdiction over the indians , if their advantage either as to this life or that to come be consider'd , seeing they are the mortal enemies of this people , and think of nothing but how to destroy ' em . it would therefore be a piece of great injustice to abandon 'em to such men , when their disposition toward 'em is so well known ; it being a mortal sin to expose one's neighbor to evident danger of losing his life : and we doubt not but your majesty will be cautious of falling under the guilt of such a crime , and not give up the indians to the fury of the spaniards . all just and reasonable laws , and those philosophers that have written on morality are against placing any government in the hands of necessitous and covetous men , whose greatest end is to get rid of their poverty , and to deliver themselves from that mean condition in which they live , and therefore are ready to sacrifice all the obligations of duty to the desire they have of becoming rich . and because this greedy passion is continually increasing , and their minds are wholly set on the ways of heaping up wealth , and filling their chests , they find no rest but in satisfying their avarice . they abhor poverty as nature does a vacuum , and therefore have no other thoughts night or day but to contrive means of amassing together as much treasure as they can . upon this account the philosopher determins that 't is a dangerous thing to put nations or provinces under the government of such as are covetous or needy , who are resolv'd to be rich at any rate in the world . we are inform'd in history that the romans being about to send two consuls to govern spain , one of whom was poor and the other covetous ; when this affair was propos'd to the senat , scipio africanus gave his opinion that neither of 'em was proper to make a governor , there being reason to fear that both would abuse their authority to feather their nests out of the public stock ; because such kind of persons are like leeches in a commonwealth , and make it their principal care to gather something on every side , and to devour the substance of the people , making themselves rich at their charge , because their covetous desires can never be satiated as long as they remain in this world : nay it must be added , that this vice most commonly proves incurable ; so that if men greedy of lucre get authority over any people , they will not fail to spoil and ruin 'em , because the passion that animates 'em , keeps no bounds or measures . no laws nor penalties with which they can be menaced , will be strong enough to restrain 'em , as long as they are invested with power ; and the more successful any covetous man finds his industry to be , the more earnestly does he desire and pursue riches , which he accounts the supreme good. the desire of being rich produces much the same effect in the mind of a poor covetous man , as the hope of celestial happiness would in that of a good man ; for as this perfectly fills up the capacity of his mind that ardently wishes for it , so the miser's soul can desire nothing besides hoards of treasure , wherein his happiness consists , because money answers all things : for this is that which capacitates men to undertake the greatest enterprizes , and to obtain whatever they desire in this world , the highest employments , honors and dignities , costly habit , and the most delicious dainties ; this facilitates their commission of all sorts of crimes , gives 'em opportunity to be reveng'd on their enemies , to acquaint themselves with persons of great quality , and to obtain their favour and esteem . 't is on these accounts that the men of the world seek it with all their might , and expose themselves to so many fatigues and perils , as well as perpetrate the greatest villanies to procure it . now the possession of riches can never satisfy the soul , so as to give it perfect content ; for 't is perpetually craving what it does not yet possess . therefore the worldling , who has chosen mony for his chief good and last end , is indifferent as to other things , but devotes himself entirely to this , employing all his care and diligence to increase his bags ; and his thirst of gold grows more and more violent , by how much the more his estate swells , according to the philosopher's maxim , that motion is by so much the more impetuous , by how much the nearer it approaches its end . avarice is a more incurable evil than concupiscence , because its object , and the things it promises attract the hearts of men with greater violence ; and the power of mony is of a larger extent , because it puts a man in a condition to gratify his lust , whereas this on the other hand can't procure him riches . the love of mony endures longer on the mind than the appetite of sensual pleasures , how violent and impetuous soever they may be for a time . covetousness is always on the advance , and seldom extinguish'd but with a man's life : for the more a man 's natural infirmites increase , the more the desire of heaping up wealth fortifies it self ; as 't is observable in old men , that the nearer they approach their end , the more covetous they usually grow ; because as their health and strength gradually diminish , they think they have the more need of the assistance of the things of this world. these reasons make it evident , that if any jurisdiction or government be given to covetous men , they will not fail to oppress and vex those that are subjected to them , that they may make themselves rich at their costs ; and that nothing will hinder 'em from gratifying their avarice whenever they have a fair occasion ; for this vice is the root and spring of all others , 't is the source of treason , fraud , perjury , violence , rapine , and barbarous cruelty . this passion is said to be blind , because it occasions blindness in the mind , and benights the reason with the grossest darkness , and hinders him that is captivated with it from perceiving his danger . the sight of gold , tho it causes the commission of all manner of crimes , and is the source of calumnies , gives him more joy than the light of the sun , because he finds his account in the ruin of others . it excludes fidelity , and banishes union and concord out of the world ; it violates charity , and produces all manner of mischief ; it knows no compassion , but induces men to disclaim their very parents , and break all the ties of faith and amity ; it never suffers a man to sympathize with his neighbour's miseries , but even makes him disregard his relations as if utterly unacquainted with them . the covetous man never forgives himself his own expences , and leads a miserable life in the midst of plenty and wealth . this greedy humor so darkens the understandings of those that are bewitch'd by it , that they know not how to make a right judgment of any thing , but instead of following the dictates of reason , are on all occasions driven down the impetuous current of their beloved vice , all their thoughts and desires are directed this way , and yet they can never quench the insatiable thirst that preys upon their souls . but i must now apply all these reasons to the subject in hand : and i beseech your majesty to give attention to the consequences i draw from ' em . all the spaniards that leave their own country to go into the indies are poor , and 't is only avarice that drives them thither ; for they don 't only pretend to raise themselves a little above a condition of poverty and want , but to amass vast treasures together , without setting any limits to their unmeasurable covetousness , that they may be able to buy honorable offices and emploiments , and advance themselves far above their degree . we have been taught by experience that in a few years , many spaniards who were in the meanest and basest condition , and always led a miserable life , have considerably alter'd their fortune by the riches they have brought from the new world , and likewise introduc'd great corruption of manners throughout all spain . the love of mony is now grown to that height , that gold and silver seem the only gods that are worship'd . they that know not how to advance themselves by industry and labor , do it by plundring and robbing without any fear of punishment . they take away from the poor indians all they find in their houses , and after all make 'em work to get still more out of their sweat and labor ; so that if any authority over the indians be allow'd 'em , they 'l certainly abuse it to enrich themselves , while this detestable covetousness reigns in their minds . and what can the poor indians do to shake off their tyrannical yoke , since they are naturally meek , quiet and timorous , and dare not complain or murmur ; or if they should , have no body to hearken to 'em or defend ' em ? the spaniards who have an absolute power , are always chiding and domineering over 'em wherever they are , in the fields , on the mountains , in the mines , in the desarts , or in the high-ways . they take all the furniture of their houses from 'em , which is their greatest riches , as well as expose 'em to the greatest dangers , and most intolerable labours , beating and inflicting on 'em the severest punishments for the least trifle , when they hope to get any thing by it . what a piece of injustice then must it be to abandon such meek and submissive creatures to the fury of such men as these , when they are in no capacity to resist the tyranny of their persecutors , but are made their meer tools ? what would one say of that judg , who after he has received information of the violent passion of a wild spark in the heat of youth , to a beautiful virgin , should notwithstanding order 'em to live together in the same house , and give him an absolute power over her , but withal threatning to punish him severely if he offer'd her any violence ? could any one safely confide in the promises of such a man as this , whatever protestations he should make of moderating his passion on so critical an occasion ? it is not to be doubted but such a judg would commit a mortal sin , in thus exposing his neighbour to so dangerous a temptation , tho he should happen to abstain from the sin to which he has so great a propension . it almost amounts to the same thing to put the indians under the jurisdiction of the spaniards , who are their mortal enemies ; for if they don't massacre 'em in cold blood meerly out of the hatred they bear 'em , they do it however to get their goods , and rob 'em of their treasure . and as in the former instance it would be next to a miracle for that amorous youth not to abandon himself to the conduct of his passion , when the object of it is committed to his disposal ; so 't is not to be expected that the spaniards should abstain from committing all sorts of outrages on the indians , and sacrificing both their estates and lives to their own interest , since their avarice irritates 'em with greater violence ( if possible ) than lust does the other in the former case : so that laws back'd with menaces and punishments will make no impressions on the minds of these men , but they 'l be sure still to exercise a thousand cruelties on the poor indians , if no other course be taken to give check to their covetousness . i entreat your majesty to consider what befals any province to which you send a governor . if he be covetous , and regardless both of his honor or relion , what disorders and mischiefs does he not bring with him ? tho he has not so absolute a power as the spaniards have over the indians whom they keep in their houses ; tho the royal council of spain think themselves concern'd to oppose his prevarications ; and tho the king's presence one would think should be a strong bridle to restrain his exactions : yet in two years time , such a governor as we have bin describing will become rich , by the rapine and extortion he commits in the province put under his care . what then is it likely the spaniards will do , in the remotest parts of the indies , when they have an unlimited power over the indians , and neither stand in awe of god nor the king ; and when these poor people are under so great apprehension of still more intolerable cruelties , that they dare not complain of the violence they suffer ? and how shall they report their grievances ? shall they go to the royal council , which is it may be three or four hundred leagues from 'em ; or shall they address themselves to your royal throne , which is distant above three thousand ? what course shall they take to prove the insults , vexations and persecutions they endure from the spaniards in countries so remote , where they can expect no relief ? the spaniards are so hardn'd by their excessive avarice , that they are not in the least touch'd with the groans and complaints of these miserable people ; for nothing makes impression on their minds but gold and silver . the condition to which they advance themselves in the indies is so far above their former state , that it inspires 'em with intolerable pride and arrogancy . they pass away their time in pleasure and feasting , and clothe themselves after so sumptuous a manner , that nothing in the world can be more magnificent . and withal it may well be said that nothing can equal the corruption , licentiousness and dissoluteness of their manners ; and to supply all these superfluous expences and excesses , they suck out the very blood of the poor indians . now seeing there 's no hope of obliging the spaniards to alter their conduct , and both the laws of god , and right reason , and all the maxims of policy and prudence oppose the giving of any government into the hands of covetous and indigent persons , who are prejudic'd with a violent desire of gain : much less ought your majesty to suffer the spaniards to usurp a title to the indians as their free-hold , when they are so greedy and insatiable , that they 'l make no difficulty to sacrifice all kinds of duty to the desire they have of raking sums of mony together any way in the world. for all their industry will be employ'd in pillaging their vassals ; and which is yet more to be lamented , while they cruelly deprive 'em of temporal life , they likewise take a course to expose 'em to eternal death . therefore your majesty ought to incorporate the indies with the inheritance of your crown , that you may be the universal father , protector , governor and lord of all the indians . i add to all the foregoing reasons , that the spaniards impose intolerable burdens on the indians , and exact such services of 'em as reduce 'em to the extremity of misery and despair . 't is their first and principal duty to serve and obey their own natural princes ; because this is founded on the law of nature . in the second place , they owe your majesty service and obedience , as being their universal soveraign ; which is an obligation of divine right , founded on the engagement your majesty has contracted to send 'em the light of the gospel , and to take care for their instruction in the orthodox faith. the third kind of service is that which the spaniards oblige 'em to render them whether they will or no , which is a severe and tyrannical yoke , nay more intolerable than what the heathen tyrants impos'd on the primitive christians ; it may be liken'd to the torment the devils inflict on the damned in hell. the violence of it is contrary to all the laws of nature and reasons , nor can it be justified by any human laws . it must be remembred that the indians are naturally weak , going always naked , and continually expos'd to the heat of the sun : 't is therefore contrary to all justice that they should be oppress'd with heavy burdens far above their strength , as well as contrary to charity , and the custom of all reasonable men. all the service these poor creatures do can't satisfy the spaniards , who therefore set an officer over 'em strictly to inspect their actions , and render their servitude still more terrible . this employ is usually bestow'd on some cruel and inexorable monster , who always stands over 'em to make 'em work the harder , and punctually to obey all his commands . the executioners of the divine wrath in hell can't be more wicked and hard-hearted than this sort of men : they brand 'em with hot irons , and are continually beating and abusing 'em ; they are not content to make 'em labor without intermission , and to set 'em unreasonable tasks , but always reproach and chide 'em while they undergo this toil , and besides all this , violate their wives and daughters , or make presents of many of 'em together to their masters on whom they depend , and who set 'em to work as so many principal tyrants , who also make it their business to invent cruel and unsufferable torments . and to hinder the indians from complaining of their miseries , they threaten to inform against 'em , that they have seen 'em worship their idols . this is the sad state to which these people are reduc'd . they depend on no less than four several masters , on your majesty , their caciques , the spaniard to whom they are inslav'd , and his deputy , who is the greatest plague to 'em that can be . nay , 't is impossible to tell how many masters they have , seeing all the spaniards domineer over 'em as so many tyrants , robbing 'em by turns , and making no scruple cruelly to abuse and murder ' em . seeing the preaching of the orthodox faith is the only thing that could warrant the reduction of the indians to a state of dependance on any foreign power , in order to their conversion ; and seeing none can pretend on this account to be their lawful soveraign but your majesty ; it follows that your majesty ought with all your might to oppose the power which private men assume over 'em , and which can't be look'd upon as any better than tyranny . your majesty is oblig'd for the common good of all your subjects to establish a regular and stable form of government among 'em , which may conduce to their conversion and salvation : and seeing the soveraign and single power you have over 'em is sufficient for the end propos'd , other jurisdictions are not to be tolerated , because they can only prove burdensom and incommodious , and contrary to the common maxims of government receiv'd in the world , which will not allow a people to be subject to several different princes ; much less should the indians be thus subjected , because of their poverty , meekness , patience , humility , and the tenderness of their constitution , partly occasion'd by their going naked , their unwholsom food , and the labor they undergo to get their living . after all this 't would be sufficiently tedious and uneasy to 'em if no other duties were exacted of 'em than those which your majesty and their caciques , who are their immediat princes , impose . how then can they be able to endure those excessive tasks , those heavy blows , vexations and abuses of which we have spoken above ? if your majesty has a mind to preserve the indians from utter destruction , these new burdens ought not to be impos'd on 'em , nor should they be condemn'd to this severe slavery . this would be to violate the laws of justice and charity : for the masters of policy and prudence usually say , that tho a prince require extraordinary assistance of his subjects in some pressing exigencies of the commonwealth ; yet where these subjects are under other subordinate and immediate lords , to whom they are oblig'd to pay the same duties , this cannot be done , because this would be to overcharge 'em with endless taxes : for 't is contrary to all justice to oppress 'em with a double burden , and all good laws formally condemn it ; for the rules of equity forbid all oppression and injury . therefore since the indians are already bound to serve their natural and immediate princes , and to pay 'em all the homage and duty of subjects , it would be unjust to subject 'em to such new masters as pretend to a right of exacting new services of ' em . the taxes that are impos'd on any estate should be proportionate to the revenue that may be expected from it ; and there ought not to be more homage and service annex'd to it than is reasonable for the advantage of him that owns that estate . if inanimate things have this privilege , how much more ought it to be so with men , who deserve to be us'd a little better ? since therefore your majesty's government alone is sufficient for the welfare and advantage of the indians , to set other lords over 'em would be to act contrary to justice . for who can deny it to be contrary to all the laws of equity , to subject the indians to the spaniards , who mind nothing but to raise estates by making a prey of ' em ? an 't is as opposit to charity to add new burdens to them that can scarce bear such as are already impos'd upon 'em , and to increase the calamities of such as are sufficiently beset with affliction , besides the pains they take for the subsistence of their wives and children ▪ charity teaches to do to others as we would have them do to us , to secure 'em from all the evil we can , and to relieve 'em in their indigence when they address themselves to us , and shew us their necessities , because we our selves are desirous of the assistance of others , when in distress . the laws of christ are founded on such maxims as these : do to others what you would have others do to you ; and , thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self ; in which one word , st. paul says , the whole law is contain'd . he farther says , bear ye one another's burdens , and so fulfil the law of christ . it is to be consider'd , that all the inhabitants of the new world are born free : nor do they lose this liberty in recognizing your majesty for their soveraign , and universal emperor of the indies . on the contrary , if there be any defects in their polity , your majesty's government may supply 'em , by which their liberty will be render'd the more compleat . this was the design of that most christian princess , queen isabella , as appears by all the writings she left about this affair . a few days before her death she commanded general d' alcantara , then governor of hispaniola , to treat all the indians as a free people . and in a general assembly of divines and lawyers held at burgos , his catholic majesty declar'd in council , that the inhabitants of america were free , and commanded they should be treated as such . the same was done by your majesty , after having consulted the most learned divines and canonists in the year . now if it be an incontestable principle that all the indians are free , and that all of 'em that have been , or shall be discover'd in time to come , can't be subjected to any other jurisdiction but that of your majesty , and that they own to your majesty alone that homage and obedience which free cities and nations are oblig'd to pay their lawful soveraign , 't is most evident that no private men can pretend to the same . nay , they are more free in respect of us than other nations , because the kings of spain have no title to 'em as their subjects by right of inheritance , or that of purchase , or of conquest , as they might have had , if they had been conquer'd in a lawful war , that had bin formally declar'd , for the revenge of some great offence which the indians might have commited against the spaniards , or against the universal church , or some very considerable member of it , for which they had refus'd satisfaction when demanded : or if they had unjustly retain'd any lands or goods of which they were unlawfully possess'd . but on the contrary , they have frankly and voluntarily submitted themselves to your majesty . and yet they have bin hitherto not only neglected , but treated by the spaniards , as wild beasts are by hunters , tho they never did any thing to deserve such ill usage . they have yet seen nothing to convince 'em of your majesty's grandure , justice , goodness , and magnificence , having found nothing but tyranny , violence , injustice and cruelty from the spaniards your subjects , whose ill actions and bad examples render 'em infamous ; so that the indians look upon 'em as the vilest of men. and this makes 'em think upon the kings of spain with horror , who yet never gave 'em occasion to entertain such thoughts of ' em . but they fancy your majesty perfectly knows all the ill treatment they endure , and that 't is by your consent and approbation ; they believe 't is all done by your order , and that you give your protection and favour to those that insult over ' em . the title your majesty has to the indians is founded only on the obligation you have taken upon your self to have 'em instructed into the true faith , as appears by the apostolic briefs granted on this account : which ought to engage your majesty to moderate your government so much the more , and to treat 'em with the greater tenderness and kindness . the kings of spain should signalize the first-fruits of their soveraignty over the indies , by the tokens of peace and love to these people , and by taking care to furnish 'em with good examples : in a word , they ought to treat 'em as their neighbors and natural subjects , for fear the commission of any injustice or cruelty among 'em should prejudice 'em against the christian faith , and indispose 'em to receive the counsils and maxims of our religion . there should not be the least occasion given 'em on any account to blaspheme the name of god , which would be an obstacle to the great end of their conversion . nothing should be left undone , that may make 'em love your majesty , and induce 'em to praise god on finding themselves under a government so easy and commodious . they deserve in some respect to be dealt with after this manner , because of the freedom of their birth , which makes it unjust for any to violate their liberty . 't is necessary for the honor of the christian religion , that they embrace it voluntarily , because god himself will have men make a free choice in matters of religion ; nor is any man whatsoever to be treated with violence in this case , and forc'd to embrace a religion against his will. and temporal princes commit a great piece of injustice , if they put a force on the minds of their subjects in a business wherein they ought to have an entire liberty of conscience : they should rather observe the rules which god , the universal soveraign of all his creatures , has constituted . there is no power or authority on earth that has a right to violate the liberty of any people , because 't is the most valuable thing they possess , and preferable to all other things in the world. hence it is there are such advantageous constitutions in the civil law in favor of liberty . and the particular customs of the kingdom of spain prescribe that nothing be determin'd in prejudice of a man's liberty in doubtful things , nor the least force or constraint put upon men that are free . and when their consent to any thing is violently extorted , it ought not to be imputed to 'em , because 't is an infringement of the law of nature . if 't is unlawful to seize on the goods of men that are free without cause , much more is it to offer violence to their persons , and to inslave 'em , which is the greatest injury they can receive next to the loss of life it self . if a father can't choose himself another heir without the consent of his son , who has a natural title either to the whole , or at least a th part of his father's estate ; much less may inferior lords pretend to a right of appropriating the kings subjects to themselves , unless his majesty consent by abandoning his own right , which is founded on the voluntary agreement of his subjects . if the current mony of the kingdom can't be alter'd without the people's consent , because the alteration may be attended with great inconveniences ; much less can the people themselves be taken from the dominion of the king against their will , and subjected to the absolute power of private masters ; because this forc'd change is a violation of their liberty . it must be farther added , that such as are tributary to your majesty , can't pass under the jurisdiction of another person , which would be more uneasy and disadvantageous to 'em , and under which they would perhaps be condemn'd to a more servile and laborious course of life . how much more ought they who enjoy an entire liberty under any prince's government , to be preserv'd in the possession of their privileges ; and how injurious would it be to deliver 'em up as vassals to particular lords , who would probably abuse their authority , and treat their persons with violence , as well as greatly prejudice 'em in their estates ? 't is most injurious both to the lives and liberties of men , to depend on divers lords and masters , because their service and labors multiply according to the number of those under whose jurisdiction they are : and 't is to be presum'd they will not be all alike just and equitable . 't is very much the interest of princes , not to suffer the number of their subjects to be diminish'd , because it will deprive 'em of much of the advantage and service they may reasonably expect from ' em . and 't is as much the interest of subjects , not to suffer themselves to be transfer'd from the dominion of the prince under which they have always liv'd , to that of an inferior master . those that know the difference between the government of kings , and that of particular lords , which is usually hard and severe , will do any thing to be secure from the latter ; while they are well pleas'd with the former , and readily dispose themselves to bear a yoke that appears so much easier and lighter than the other . and this is the reason why the generality of men do all they can to avoid falling under the dominion of private men to the prejudice of that royal jurisdiction to which they have been continually accustom'd . and this sentiment is justified by the suffrage of all wise men , and favor'd by all just laws . 't is a general rule , that a prince can do nothing that may cause any considerable damage to his subjects , unless they freely give their own consent : and this your majesty every day observes , wherein you follow the steps of your ancestors , who to avoid doing any thing contrary to the rules of justice and equity , frequently us'd to assemble their council , and to take their advice who were persons of great wisdom and sense , and to make a due improvement of it . in the present affair , it would be injurious to the indians to give 'em up to the spaniards as their vassals , because they use 'em so barbarously , and reduce 'em to the utmost degree of servitude . and such a matter as this is not to be concluded , without proposing it to the indians , and obtaining their consent . for thus to change their condition without consulting 'em , were to put a treacherous trick upon 'em against the laws of nature , justice and charity , because this subjection would be to a severe and tyrannical power ; as is evident by what the indians have hitherto met with from the spaniards . beside , such an alteration would be contrary to the will and law of god , because it would hinder the progress of the catholic faith , and inspire the indians with hatred to the gospel , and would tend to the general destruction of those people whom your majesty is bound to preserve and protect . this you owe 'em from a motive of charity and zeal for the good of your neighbor , as you are a christian prince , and moreover by the obligation of your office , as the vice-gerent of jesus christ . from all the reasons alledg'd , it may well be concluded , that if even the indians themselves would voluntarily consent to be inslav'd , and utterly renounce their liberty ; yet this consent of theirs would be void and null of it self , because a thing every way so mischievous ought by no means to be tolerated . your majesty would be oblig'd by the law of god to hinder 'em from ruining themselves in such a manner ; because the tyranny the spaniards exercise over 'em is so great , that many of the indians have fallen into utter despair under their unsufferable impositions , and chosen rather to stab or poison themselves than to pine away gradually under their miserable bondage : others have fled into the mountains , where they have become a prey to tigers and lions ; others have died merely with sorrow and anguish , when they found they were condemn'd to a life so full of misery and toil , without any hope of respit or mitigation . i knew a spaniards who was so famous for his cruelty , that above two hundred people kill'd themselves , some one way and some another , to avoid his barbarities in hispaniola : a like number underwent the same fate in the isle of cuba , where this tyrant exercis'd his violence and rapine . but tho the common interest of all nations in the world ought to prevent their kings from alienating them from their own dominion to make 'em the vassals and subjects of private men , and tho this is founded on natural reason and justice ; yet sometimes in pressing exigencies princes may alienate a part of their territories to extricate themselves out of some great and perplexing difficulty , from which they cannot otherwise get free . for instance , if they have no other course to take for the defence of the commonwealth , it seems lawful for 'em to exchange the jurisdiction they have over their subjects , provided they some way indemnify 'em , or repair any damage this exchange may occasion . but 't would be impossible to indemnify the indians if they should be left to the dominion of the spaniards , who bring upon 'em inexpressible calamities and mischiefs , that can never be repair'd by any advantage they may allow 'em ; for they take a course to destroy both their souls and bodies . therefore seeing the conversion of the indians depends principally on your majesty's title and jurisdiction over 'em , you ought not to do any thing that may blast the hope of this design , and will infallibly hinder these people from embracing christianity . and it must be remember'd they have freely and willingly chose your majesty for their soveraign , which is a kind of contract they have made with your majesty , that cannot be violated without their consent , unless it be to put 'em in a condition more easy , advantageous and secure , than what they enjoy under your majesty's dominion . and your majesty is oblig'd to promise and swear to 'em , that you will always preserve their privileges , as they are ordinarily kept in the generality of kingdoms , when a free people submit themselves to the government of a new king. this practice is almost as antient as the world , for ever since men began to spread themselves upon the face of the earth , it has always been the custom of princes to promise and swear to 'em to employ all their power in preserving and defending 'em from oppression . which evidently proves that your majesty has not power to give up the indians to the absolute dominion of the spaniards , who have had the cruelty to destroy such numerous nations of 'em , without any legal process , or leave to make their defence . for it would be to act contrary to the law of god and nature to expose 'em to so many miseries , which are as so many invincible obstructions to hinder 'em from turning christians . nor is there any prince on earth , who can justly pretend to have such a power : for soveraign princes have no authority to do any thing that may provoke the justice of god , who has not set 'em over their people for their ruin and destruction , or for the overthrow of the church ; but on the contrary has set 'em in the world to defend the church , to bring their people to espouse the true faith , and edify 'em in it . reason and the law of nature direct that those who have made an ill use of the privileges granted to 'em , should be depriv'd of ' em . now the jurisdiction allow'd the spaniards over the indians was only on condition they would instruct 'em in religion , and defend 'em from their enemies ; and they have not only fallen short of this engagement , but even barbarously abus'd those they were oblig'd to protect . 't is remarkable in the laws of spain , that if a master treats any one of his slaves inhumanly , he is oblig'd to sell him , because 't is but just that he who tyrannizes over his subjects should lose his jurisdiction over 'em , which of right devolves on the prince . he that abuses his title is not worthy to possess it : and a man neither owes homage nor obedience to a tyrant . so that your majesty ought in quality of soveraign lord of the people of the new world , to defend 'em , and do 'em justice , when they are wrong'd ; and consequently to rescue 'em from the power of the spaniards , that they may enjoy their liberty . 't is moreover a custom establish'd by the laws of spain , that if the king grant any privilege contrary to the catholic faith , 't is null and void , as much as if it were contrary to the civil good and welfare of the kingdom , or to the rights of any particular persons . and the same account is to be made of any privilege given contrary to the law of nature : as for example , if a king should take away any private man's estate , to bestow it on another . therefore your majesty cannot divest the natural princes of the indians of their dominion over 'em , to invest the spaniards with it , who not only are foreigners to 'em , but also treat 'em after a tyrannical manner . 't is therefore necessary for your majesty to revoke so unjust a privilege , destructive to the people , and directly opposit to the catholic faith , as well as to your majesty's service , the advantage of your kingdom in general , the good of many members of the commonwealth in particular , and which is contrary to reason , and the law of nature . 't is farther constituted by the customs of spain , in conformity to the imperial laws of your majesty , as well as those of the church , that when a privilege in process of time proves injurious , and occasions more hurt than good , it ought to be immediately abolish'd , without so much as consulting the prince that granted it ; because from that very moment wherein this privilege began to be detrimental , it ought to be suppos'd the prince design'd to revoke it : so that it can have no more force or authority , because not according to the prince's intention , who always ought to have equity and the divine will in view . now since the privilege granted the spaniards to subject the indians as vassals is become so pernicious , and occasions an irreparable damage to the christian religion , and to the crown of spain , and has bin the cause of the ruin of such vast numbers of people , and of the desolation of some of the finest countries in the world ; and seeing in all appearance it is the very reason of those calamities with which god is now afflicting spain , 't is necessary to apply a speedy remedy , and to go to the root of the disease , in revoking so pernicious and tyrannical a grant. besides , the dominion of the spaniards over the indians has never bin judicially approv'd by the kings of spain . he that first shar'd these poor people among 'em , as if they had been so many sheep , had no order to make this distribution , which absolutely desolated and unpeopled new spain , but exceeded the limits of his power ; so that no just consequence can be drawn from what he did . it was the great general d'alcantara who began this irregular course in america . in the year , the most serene king ferdinando and queen isabella sent general de-larés from grenada to govern the new conquests : at which time there were but three hundred christians in the island of hispaniola . this governor was expresly charg'd to treat the indians as free nations ; to be very kind , tender and charitable toward 'em , to do 'em exact justice on all occasions , and not to impose too severe a yoke on 'em , or to inslave 'em ; in a word , to protect 'em from all injuries , lest any violence should prove a stumbling-block to divert 'em from entertaining the christian faith , and inspire 'em with an aversion to the professors of it . general de-larés carried with him three thousand spaniards , who landed at st. domingo , where they soon found themselves reduc'd to great straits for want of food . however , the strict orders he had receiv'd would not permit him to do any violence to the indians , or to infringe their liberty in the least ; upon which he writes many things to the queen against the indians , hoping to render 'em odious to her by his lies and slanders , that he might have leave to abuse the poor wretches at his pleasure . among other things he wrote , that it would be impossible to preach the christian faith to 'em as long as they were suffer'd to enjoy an entire freedom , because they industriously avoided all manner of acquaintance with the christians ; in so much that they refus'd to work for 'em , tho they offer'd 'em wages for their labor , and chose rather to wander up and down as vagabonds , than to keep company with christians to inform themselves of their religion . as if he thought the indians were oblig'd to divine that there was a new religion to be preach'd to 'em , which they ought to embrace ; or that they ought , as poor as they are , to forsake their houses , wives and children , and to leave their lands unmanur'd , to come to seek the spaniards , and so expose themselves to die with hunger in a journey it may be of two hundred leagues or more ; or as if they were under any obligation to undergo the fatigue of bringing provision to the spaniards such a tedious way as this . his majesty , who was sincerely zealous for the salvation of these idolaters , and publishing the name of christ in the new world , answer'd the general after this manner : we very ardently desire the conversion of the indians to our holy faith , and that they be taught the mysteries of the catholic religion ; and think it necessary to the success of this design , that the indians and spaniards converse and live together . therefore we by these presents command you to oblige the indians to deal with the spaniards of hispaniola , and to have conversation with 'em , to assist 'em in building their houses , and in getting gold and other metals out of the mines , and to pay 'em their wages exactly , according to their labor and desert . you shall likewise order every cacique to have a certain number of indians always in a readiness to be employ'd in such work as shall be assign'd 'em , provided that care be taken to preach to 'em , and instruct 'em in the word of god on all holy-days , and that they be always treated as free-men , and not as slaves ; and besure let them meet with no ill usage , nor have any occasion to complain : yet let some distinction be still made in favor of such as embrace the faith. but let no person be permitted to wrong 'em , or give 'em the least disgust in any thing whatsoever . these are the very words of the letter which the king sent to the governor of the indies , by which his majesty sufficiently signified that his principal design in the indies was the salvation of those idolaters , and that for that end they should converse with the spaniards , which plainly proves he had no other regard to this commerce betwixt the christians and these infidels , but only as a necessary means for their conversion . and it must be farther observ'd , that when the king gives order to oblige each cacique to send the spaniards a certain number of indians to work for 'em , on condition of being paid for their labor , he did not intend that all the men in the indies should be bound to perform such tasks , much less that the women , children , old men , and chiefs of each nation , whom the indians look upon as their natural princes , should be thus treated . the king design'd there should be due consideration had of their necessities , that they should have liberty to provide for their wives and children , and go every night home to refresh themselves with their families , and sleep in their own houses . and it may be farther remark'd in the king's patent , that he did not in the least design the indians should be made to work every day and without intermission , seeing it provides they should be paid daily after their labor ; his intention was that they should be engag'd by fair means to do what was requir'd of 'em , and not forc'd to it whether they would or no ; in short , that they should be us'd in all respects as a free people . besides , the king commanded that all their labors should be moderate , and proportionate to their strength , and that they should rest on holy-days and sundays , that their wages should be sutable to their work , sufficient to encourage 'em in taking pains , and to relieve their families in all their domestick necessities . if the king had a perfect account of the nature of the land in the indies , of the weakness , poverty , meekness and good humor of the inhabitants , of the rigor and severity of their labors , and the great difficulty of getting gold out of the mines ; if he knew the desolate state in which they are often left , and the little care taken to engage 'em to receive the sacraments before they die , he would without doubt employ some effectual means to put an end to these disorders . the first admiral of the indies , who made the discovery of this new world , though the acted conformably to the king's interest in rendering the indians of new spain tributary , by obliging 'em to dig a certain quantity of gold out of the mines , and condemning others that were remote from any mines to other kinds of tribute . some of the spaniards he carried with him , shook off the obedience they ow'd the king , and set up for so many tyrants , committing violence and spoil beyond what can be easily imagin'd in the province of xavagua , one of the finest and most populous countries in the indies . the king being inform'd of these ravages , wrote his mind to general de-larés , and order'd him to put a stop to the cruelty and violence of the spaniards on the indians , and to govern 'em as a free people , which orders were not well executed : for the spaniards shut up the indians by force in the mines , to employ 'em in the toilsom work of digging for gold , which requires a very robust constitution : and when they had got this gold , they were forc'd to be all day in the water to wash it . at first the indians were kept in the mines for a whole year , till the spaniards found they were not able to endure such hard and continual labor , and therefore gave 'em some time of respite , contenting themselves to keep 'em only for five months in digging gold , after which they employ'd 'em forty days in melting it . this they pretended was a time of rest for these poor creatures , tho this latter sort of work is more toilsom than that of grubbing up of roots , and clearing ground that is over-run with wood : so that they don't know what a holy-day or sunday means throughout the whole year . they are sometimes almost famish'd , having nothing given 'em save a few dry roots that yield but little nutriment : tho the most liberal of the spaniards distribute a porker once a week among half a hundred indians , which is little more than every one a taste . nay some of 'em have not been willing to give the indians that serv'd 'em any thing at all to eat , but out of mere avarice sent 'em to feed like beasts in the fields , or to gather fruit upon the mountains , after which they forc'd 'em to work two or three days together without eating . one man frankly confess'd to me that he had got a great estate in a little time by this kind of frugality . what strength can bodies that are naturally of a tender constitution be suppos'd to have when fed after this manner , and oppress'd besides with excessive labor ? 't is impossible they should subsist long under this cruel bondage ; which makes 'em lead a sorrowful , languishing and miserable life , being destitute both of convenient food and rest . tho the king order'd each indian to be paid in proportion to his work , that they might have something to live on , and be capable of buying themselves necessaries ; this command has been ill observ'd , for they had nothing at all for many years ; so that they were put to the greatest extremity , and suffer'd hunger to that degree that they desir'd nothing more than to die , that they might find an end of their miseries . these are the calamities the poor indians have suffer'd in the service of christians , who have had no regard either to their souls or bodies . as for those orders that have been given the spaniards to treat the indians as a free people , not to over-charge 'em with labor , not to do 'em any ▪ injustice , and to let 'em mind their own affairs , and order their business as they saw good , they have bin no more heeded than the other . for they have been made mere slaves , and certainly have not so much liberty as beasts . and the spaniards , as good christians as they are , are not at all mov'd by all the calamities these poor wretches undergo , but look upon them as the vilest of slaves , and not fit to have the liberty of doing any thing they have a mind to do . they are constantly expos'd to the cruelty of these tyrants , and not treated like human creatures , but wild beasts , who are kept in chains by their owners , and dispos'd of at their pleasure . if they sometimes let 'em go to their own country , they will not suffer 'em to carry their wives and children with 'em , nor hardly any thing to eat ; so that they are presently constrain'd to return , while the reflection they make on their deplorable condition often makes 'em desire death to relieve ' em . if the excessive labors impos'd on 'em make 'em sick , as it often happens ( because , as i have observ'd , the natural temper of their bodies is none of the strongest ) the spaniards do not in the least pity their condition , but oppress 'em with intolerable tasks , reproaching 'em as lazy , and only feigning themselves ill to be excus'd from labor . and when they see their sickness increase , so that they become unserviceable , they send 'em to their own country , which is sometimes forty or fifty leagues distance , giving 'em nothing but a few sapless roots to eat by the way , so that they often die miserably , not being able to accomplish such a journey . sometimes we find some of 'em on the road just ready to expire , others groaning hideously in the agonies of death , and others quite dead . those of 'em that are able to speak , say nothing but hunger , hunger . your majesty by this account may see that the governor of the new world had little regard to the orders that were given him , to treat the indians as a free people . that governor was expresly charg'd not to do any thing to the indians that might hinder 'em from receiving the principles of the christian religion , or prejudice their lives or health , because the king had no design to destroy 'em : yet this man saw infinit numbers of 'em perish that were imploy'd in melting of gold. the labors exacted of 'em were like a furious pestilence , which cuts off multitudes of people in a little time ; and yet this sad spectacle could not engage him to revoke his cruel orders , or so much as mitigate the severity of ' em . however he knew well enough that he was not able to excuse his proceedings either before god or the king , being expresly contrary to the charge that had been given him ; and therefore us'd so much subtilty and artifice in the management of this affair , that none of his cruelties on the indians were known in spain for those seven years in which he tyranniz'd over the new world. they that came after him , trod in his steps by destroying the indians , tho his catholic majesty recommended it to 'em to induce the indians to receive the catholic faith , by shewing all kindness to 'em , and not to make war upon 'em on the account of religion , or to constrain 'em to embrace christianity by force , but rather to treat 'em as the king's liege people , imposing a certain tribute on 'em , as on his other subjects . all this was express'd in the instructions given to pedrarias , when he was made governor of the indies ; notwithstanding which he enter'd america just as a hungry wolf falls on a flock of sheep , and made horrible slaughters on all sides , using such unheard of torments , and making such waste and spoil , that nothing like it is to be found in any history . he might have been look'd upon as a heavy plague , sent by god to execute his wrath in extirpating the indians . this man , and those that accompanied him , cheated your majesty of five or six millions of gold , and 't is impossible to compute the spoil they made in the indies . they depopulated a country of above four hundred leagues , as rich , fertil and pleasant as any in the world. all this tyranny was us'd to make the indians deliver up all their gold : but by the just judgment of god they made no great advantage of their robberies ; and it would have bin more for their interest to have kept the indians alive , and to have made a considerable profit out of their hard labors . if a particular account should be given your majesty of all the disorders committed by the spaniards in the noble province of nicaraqua , your majesty would be astonish'd ; and if they had not still continued their tyranny over these poor people , every day killing and destroying 'em , i should not have expos'd my self to the fatigue of so tedious and troublesom a voyage , to give your majesty an account of it . when your majesty is assur'd that the spaniards have depopulated so many vast and noble kingdoms , and that they still continue to destroy whatever escap'd the fury of former governors ; when you are convinc'd that they have carried fire and sword through seven kingdoms that are larger than spain , your majesty will easily be perswaded that what i have said is no exaggeration . i have seen these kingdoms in a manner as full of people as hives are of bees , where now there are none to be found , having been all murder'd by the spaniards ; so that there are only naked walls and empty houses to be seen in many once populous cities . the orders given by the most catholic queen isabella to general de-larés were very prudent and useful , but he did not think fit to observe 'em ; and the relation he gave the king and queen of matters from time to time , were very far from truth , tho supported by the testimony of divers indians . he acted quite contrary to the instructions given him , violating all the rules of the law of nature and reason ; by which 't is evident he went beyond his commission , and prevaricated in those letters he directed to the council of spain , by intermixing falshoods in his account , and disguising what was true . and 't is certain if your majesty had been inform'd how tyrannically this governor treated the indians , you would never have entrusted your authority in his hands ; and by consequence your majesty is oblig'd to declare that you detest the proceedings of this governor as injust and tyrannical , and to abrogate all he has done , and declare that the indians ought not to have been subjected to the dominion of particular men , and that all the injuries they have suffer'd are contrary to the law of god and nature , as well as to the imperial and canon laws ; seeing they have been tormented in their persons , molested in their liberty and estates , and condemn'd to die . your majesty is oblig'd , as you are a just prince , and an enemy to violence , to suppress these vexatious practices , and to deliver the poor indians from the tyranny of those that have oppress'd and tormented ' em . if your majesty neglect to take this cruel yoke from their necks , they will infallibly perish . and that lovely country which is naturally fruitful and populous will soon become a vast desert ; for the spaniards that go thither , don't go to people the country , but to inrich themselves by pillaging it . those that have lately gon into hispaniola , and other depopulated places , and carried thither the commodities of europe , have not been able to dispose of 'em , there not being people to buy 'em : so that these disorders are directly opposite to your majesty's interest ; for what advantage can you receive from the ruin of those people ? and what will the world say of so just a prince as your majesty , if when you are inform'd of the mischief don by your subjects in those vast kingdoms , and among such multitudes of people , you should not apply sutable remedies to so dangerous a disease ? it can't of gold out of the mines , and condemning others that were remote from any mines to other kinds of tribute . some of the spaniards he carried with him , shook off the obedience they ow'd the king , and set up for so many tyrants , committing violence and spoil beyond what can be easily imagin'd in the province of xavagua , one of the finest and most populous countries in the indies . the king being inform'd of these ravages , wrote his mind to general de-larés , and order'd him to put a stop to the cruelty and violence of the spaniards on the indians , and to govern 'em as a free people , which orders were not well executed : for the spaniards shut up the indians by force in the mines , to employ 'em in the toilsom work of digging for gold , which requires a very robust constitution : and when they had got this gold , they were forc'd to be all day in the water to wash it . at first the indians were kept in the mines for a whole year , till the spaniards found they were not able to endure such hard and continual labor , and therefore gave 'em some time of respite , contenting themselves to keep 'em only for five months in digging gold , after which they employ'd 'em forty days in melting it . this they pretended was a time of rest for these poor creatures , tho this latter sort of work is more toilsom than that of grubbing up of roots , and clearing ground that is over-run with wood : so that they don't know what a holy-day or sunday means throughout the whole year . they are sometimes almost famish'd , having nothing given 'em save a few dry roots that yield but little nutriment : tho the most liberal of the spaniards distribute a porker once a week among half a hundred indians , which is little more than every one a taste . nay some of 'em have not been willing to give the indians that serv'd 'em any thing at all to eat , but out of mere avarice sent 'em to feed like beasts in the fields , or to gather fruit upon the mountains , after which they forc'd 'em to work two or three days together without eating . one man frankly confess'd to me that he had got a great estate in a little time by this kind of frugality . what strength can bodies that are naturally of a tender constitution be suppos'd to have when fed after this manner , and oppress'd besides with excessive labor ? 't is impossible they should subsist long under this cruel bondage ; which makes 'em lead a sorrowful , languishing and miserable life , being destitute both of convenient food and rest . tho the king order'd each indian to be paid in proportion to his work , that they might have something to live on , and be capable of buying themselves necessaries ; this command has been ill observ'd , for they had nothing at all for many years ; so that they were put to the greatest extremity , and suffer'd hunger to that degree that they desir'd nothing more than to die , that they might find an end of their miseries . these are the calamities the poor indians have suffer'd in the service of christians , who have had no regard either to their souls or bodies . as for those orders that have been given the spaniards to treat the indians as a free people , not to over-charge 'em with labor , not to do 'em any ▪ injustice , and to let 'em mind their own affairs , and order their business as they saw good , they have bin no more heeded than the other . for they have been made mere slaves , and certainly have not so much liberty as beasts . and the spaniards , as good christians as they are , are not at all mov'd by all the calamities these poor wretches undergo , but look upon them as the vilest of slaves , and not fit to have the liberty of doing any thing they have a mind to do . they are constantly expos'd to the cruelty of these tyrants , and not treated like human creatures , but wild beasts , who are kept in chains by their owners , and dispos'd of at their pleasure . if they sometimes let 'em go to their own country , they will not suffer 'em to carry their wives and children with 'em , nor hardly any thing to eat ; so that they are presently constrain'd to return , while the reflection they make on their deplorable condition often makes 'em desire death to relieve ' em . if the excessive labors impos'd on 'em make 'em sick , as it often happens ( because , as i have observ'd , the natural temper of their bodies is none of the strongest ) the spaniards do not in the least pity their condition , but oppress 'em with intolerable tasks , reproaching 'em as lazy , and only feigning themselves ill to be excus'd from labor . and when they see their sickness increase , so that they become unserviceable , they send 'em to their own country , which is sometimes forty or fifty leagues distance , giving 'em nothing but a few sapless roots to eat by the way , so that they often die miserably , not being able to accomplish such a journey . sometimes we find some of 'em on the road just ready to expire , others groaning hideously in the agonies of death , and others quite dead . those of 'em that are able to speak , say nothing but hunger , hunger . your majesty by this account may see that the governor of the new world had little regard to the orders that were given him , to treat the indians as a free people . that governor was expresly charg'd not to do any thing to the indians that might hinder 'em from receiving the principles of the christian religion , or prejudice their lives or health , because the king had no design to destroy 'em : yet this man saw infinit numbers of 'em perish that were imploy'd in melting of gold. the labors exacted of 'em were like a furious pestilence , which cuts off multitudes of people in a little time ; and yet this sad spectacle could not engage him to revoke his cruel orders , or so much as mitigate the severity of ' em . however he knew well enough that he was not able to excuse his proceedings either before god or the king , being expresly contrary to the charge that had been given him ; and therefore us'd so much subtilty and artifice in the management of this affair , that none of his cruelties on the indians were known in spain for those seven years in which he tyranniz'd over the new world. they that came after him , trod in his steps by destroying the indians , tho his catholic majesty recommended it to 'em to induce the indians to receive the catholic faith , by shewing all kindness to 'em , and not to make war upon 'em on the account of religion , or to constrain 'em to embrace christianity by force , but rather to treat 'em as the kings's liege people , imposing a certain tribute on 'em , as on his other subjects . all this was express'd in the instructions given to pedrarias , when he was made governor of the indies ; notwithstanding which he enter'd america just as a hungry wolf falls on a flock of sheep , and made horrible slaughters on all sides , using such unheard of torments , and making such waste and spoil , that nothing like it is to be found in any history . he might have been look'd upon as a heavy plague , sent by god to execute his wrath in extirpating the indians . this man , and those that accompanied him , cheated your majesty of five or six millions of gold , and 't is impossible to compute the spoil they made in the indies . they depopulated a country of above four hundred leagues , as rich , fertil and pleasant as any in the world. all this tyranny was us'd to make the indians deliver up all their gold : but by the just judgment of god they made no great advantage of their robberies : and it would have bin more for their interest to have kept the indians alive , and to have made a considerable profit out of their hard labors . if a particular account should be given your majesty of all the disorders committed by the spaniards in the noble province of nicaraqua , your majesty would be astonish'd ; and if they had not still continued their tyranny over these poor people , every day killing and destroying 'em , i should not have expos'd my self to the fatigue of so tedious and troublesom a voyage , to give your majesty an account of it . when your majesty is assur'd that the spaniards have depopulated so many vast and noble kingdoms , and that they still continue to destroy whatever escap'd the fury of former governors ; when you are convinc'd that they have carried fire and sword through seven kingdoms that are larger than spain , your majesty will easily be perswaded that what i have said is no exaggeration . i have seen these kingdoms in a manner as full of people as hives are of bees , where now there are none to be found , having been all murder'd by the spaniards ; so that there are only naked walls and empty houses to be seen in many once populous cities . the orders given by the most catholic queen isabella to general de-larés were very prudent and useful , but he did not think fit to observe 'em ; and the relation he gave the king and queen of matters from time to time , were very far from truth , tho supported by the testimony of divers indians . he acted quite contrary to the instructions given him , violating all the rules of the law of nature and reason ; by which 't is evident he went beyond his commission , and prevaricated in those letters he directed to the council of spain , by intermixing falshoods in his account , and disguising what was true . and 't is certain if your majesty had been inform'd how tyrannically this governor treated the indians , you would never have entrusted your authority in his hands ; and by consequence your majesty is oblig'd to declare that you detest the proceedings of this governor as injust and tyrannical , and to abrogate all he has done , and declare that the indians ought not to have been subjected to the dominion of particular men , and that all the injuries they have suffer'd are contrary to the law of god and nature , as well as to the imperial and canon laws ; seeing they have been tormented in their persons , molested in their liberty and estates , and condemn'd to die . your majesty is oblig'd , as you are a just prince , and an enemy to violence , to suppress these vexatious practices , and to deliver the poor indians from the tyranny of those that have oppress'd and tormented ' em . if your majesty neglect to take this cruel yoke from their necks , they will infallibly perish . and that lovely country which is naturally fruitful and populous will soon become a vast desert ; for the spaniards that go thither , don't go to people the country , but to inrich themselves by pillaging it . those that have lately gon into hispaniola , and other depopulated places , and carried thither the commodities of europe , have not been able to dispose of 'em , there not being people to buy 'em : so that these disorders are directly opposit to your majesty's interest ; for what advantage can you receive from the ruin of those people ? and what will the world say of so just a prince as your majesty , if when you are inform'd of the mischief don by your subjects in those vast kingdoms , and among such multitudes of people , you should not apply sutable remedies to so dangerous a disease ? it can't be thought that your majesty , whose mind abounds with so much goodness , and so great a zeal for equity and justice , can tolerate such cruel oppressions as these . to what has been said , it may be added , to demonstrate that the power the spaniards have over the indians is prejudicial to the crown of spain , that by this means your majesty loses an infinit number of subjects , who are every day cut off without any lawful occasion ; whereas if suffer'd to live , they would chearfully submit to your majesty's government when they saw the difference between your majesty's yoke , and that slavery in which they are held by their private masters . if your majesty had once receiv'd 'em into the number of your subjects , so that they might be secur'd from the inhuman severities they now daily endure , they would love and serve your majesty with incredible zeal , being naturally inclin'd to be very submissive to their princes . your majesty may farther consider , that you lose immense riches by the cruel depopulation of the indies , which otherwise you might justly acquire ; for 't is impossible for the spaniards to subsist long in the indies , if the natives be exterminated . and those treasures sufficient to enrich all spain , would be no small advantage to promote your designs , and enable you to resist your enemies . if there come no mony from the indies , but that spring of treasure be suffer'd to dry up , spain must necessarily sustain great inconveniences for want of it . experience already shews that the indies don't furnish us with so great a quantity as in time past , and 't is likely to diminish more and more for time to come . besides , the manner of extorting it from the indians can't possibly last long , because 't is too violent a course . the isle of hispaniola is an unexceptionable instance of what i say ; for whereas above three millions of very fine gold were drawn out of it at first , it cannot now afford the tenth part of that sum. the least reflection your majesty can make will easily convince you how your revenues every day diminish . your majesty has nothing certain and stable in the indies , if the land be not cultivated , and the inhabitants preserv'd for those labors that are so advantageous . you have now but a small number of indians in all new spain , from whence your majesty might annually have drawn a million of ducats , if the indians had been preserv'd , and your majesty's interest at first regarded . there have been yet greater confusions and disorders in peru , and the mischief daily increases ; from which kingdom your majesty might yearly receive two or three millions of gold if the indians were not treated with so much injustice and inhumanity , many of 'em having been murder'd , togther with their great king atabalipa . all the gold the christians have taken by force in peru would of right have belong'd to your majesty , because that indian prince would have voluntarily presented himself to your majesty with all his treasures . the church has likewise receiv'd great damage by these cruelties ; for as your majesty has been frustrated of those immense riches , so the church has lost an infinit number of souls who have perish'd in their ignorance , when they might have been taught the mysteries of our faith : so that the losses sustain'd both by church and state are irreparable . the kingdom of spain , which your majesty rules with so much equity , is surrounded with enemies , and in danger of being wasted and ruin'd by the turks and moors , those declar'd enemies of the catholic faith : because god , who is the just judg and soveraign lord of the universe , is grievously offended with the violence and massacres which the spaniards have committed in the indies , where they have opprest and slaughter'd innumerable multitudes of people . these indians have rational souls form'd after the image and likeness of god , and ransom'd by the blood of his son , who keeps an account of 'em , and will not think 'em of no value , how ignorant and barbarous soever they seem to be . he was pleas'd to choose spain to the service of carrying the light of the gospel into the new world , and to engage those nations to entertain the christian faith. and it seem'd as if the almighty had discover'd all these temporal riches to the spaniards , as a recompense for those spiritual pleasures with which they were to enrich the indies . but tho he open'd a way for 'em into those vast regions , so wealthy , fertil and pleasant , so full of mines of gold , silver and precious stones ; instead of being thankful for all these favors , they have committed the most hainous crimes to provoke him . now 't is usual for god to distribute his punishments by a rule of proportion , adjusting them to the nature of the offence . if men sin by pride , he covers 'em with confusion and shame ; if they get any thing unjustly through avarice , he often suffers 'em to lose their own goods ; and they that have stolen , are in turn rob'd themselves . those that oppress and murder others , he permits to fall into the hands of such as treat 'em with the like cruelty : they that take away their neighbors wives and violate 'em , have sometimes the same outrages committed on their own . and such as usurp kingdoms that don't belong to 'em , by god's judgment come to see their own kingdoms invaded by their enemies ; and thus it is with other judgments which frequently answer the different kinds of sin. the holy scripture and other histories are full of instances to this purpose ; and experience every day furnishes us with such marks of the divine displeasure as these . the moors once over-run spain , and this was interpreted as a judgment from god to punish the crime of king roderick , who ravish'd the daughter of count don julian , tho 't is more probable it was to punish the crimes of the people of spain , and the injuries they offer'd their neighbours , and that the crime of this king only fill'd up the measure of those vices . 't is convenient to inform your majesty what is thought by persons of the best sense , who are govern'd by no prejudice , but only compassionate the sufferings of the poor indians . i have heard many such persons say , i pray god these extravagant cruelties don't one day fall heavy upon spain ! it may be such words as these that drop from many wise men , are so many advertisements and menaces from god , who has been highly incens'd against this nation by the crimes of the spaniards . and we already see that spain is reduc'd to great necessities , and mony is very scarce among us ; tho more treasures have bin brought hither than solomon possess'd in all his glory : most of those that have brought these riches from the indies have made a miserable end , and their children are reduc'd to extreme poverty , which justifies the old maxim , vix gaudet tertius haeres , the third heir seldom enjoys an ill-gotten estate ; and that passage of holy scripture , he that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches — shall surely come to want , prov. . . because , as has bin said , the divine judgments bear some proportion to the crimes that men commit . if your majesty have the curiosity to inform your self of the detail of all these matters , we can shew you a list of the principal tyrants that have committed the greatest disorders in the indies , by pillaging and massacring those poor people , and have themselves all died in a dreadful and despairing manner . it seems their violence and cruelty , the great quantity of blood shed in the massacres they have commited , and their other vicious actions , the effects of which are yet to be seen , cry aloud to heaven for vengeance ; while the tears , and sighs , and entreaties of so many poor innocents have filled heaven and earth , and put all the world into a consternation , to the utter shame and reproach of all the spanish nation , and of the kings of spain too . since then it depends only on your majesty to lay the ax to the root of all these disorders , and to do justice to these afflicted people , it will be an argument of your prudence and equity to employ your power to deliver the indians from the terrible oppressions and calamities under which they yet groan . your majesty may be pleas'd farther to observe , that if the spaniards have an authority given 'em over the indians , however it may be qualified , they will infallibly abuse it ; for being naturally proud , they 'l become still less obedient to your majesty's commands : nay the immense sums which they 'l get in the indies will enable 'em to confederate with other nations , to withdraw their allegiance entirely from your majesty at long-run , and to support one another in their rebellion . we already see that the richest of 'em , that flatter themselves with the title of conquerors , are so intolerably presumptuous , as to set themselves above the rules of common justice . your majesty's vice-roy said not long since in one of his letters , that the indians ought to acknowlege no other god nor king than himself . your majesty therefore should take it for granted that it is not consistent with the security of your government , that there should be any great lord in the continent of the west-indies , invested with an absolute jurisdiction over the indians ; this power ought to be inseparable from your royal person : 't is not convenient for the future to give any one the title of count , marquess , or duke over either the indians or spaniards that are setled there ; because 't will prompt 'em to think too highly of themselves , and to advance themselves above their condition , which may have very mischievous consequences : in a word , this may probably open 'em a way to make themselves kings of the indies , and thereby devest your majesty of the right you have to those countries . nor will it be more safe to trust this power in the hands of those gentlemen that compose your majesty's council in the indies , which may also be attended with inconveniences ; for 't is impossible for the affairs of america to be well administred if the members of that council be absolute lords of the indians : to be sure then the king of spain shall never know the truth of what passes there ; this would produce nothing but fraud and imposture , and be an infallible means to compleat the ruin of the indies . they that govern in the indies , industriously endeavour to prevent the court of spain from receiving any true information how matters stand there , that they may securely pillage the country , and live at their own discretion . they have oppos'd those friers whose zeal carried 'em to america to preach , and have hinder'd 'em from reaping the fruit they might have expected from their labors . the judges and other officers were afraid the conversion of the indians would be prejudicial to their temporal interest ; and avarice bore sway in their minds instead of that zeal they ought to have had for the salvation of those infidels . god is witness that this is true , and 't is not difficult to prove it . they continued to persecute the monks , till one of 'em , pitying them iserable case of these idolaters , came on purpose to inform the king of spain of the violence of his officers , and of the obstructions they rais'd against the publication of the gospel there . cardinal ximenes at that time manag'd the affairs of spain , who being well inform'd of the affairs in the indies , immediately resolv'd to devest the council there of the jurisdiction they pretended to have over the indians , as being very pernicious . but the kings of spain are at so vast a distance from those countries , that they have not been able speedily to redress all the pressing grievances that incessantly afflict those miserable people . their laws and orders given at so great a distance have no great efficacy : and 't is next to impossible for 'em to have a true account what persecutions the indians suffer : or if a true information should be had , they can only give some general orders , without descending to make special provision against all those mischiefs that can't be well known unless they were upon the place where they are acted . besides , the persons to whom these orders are directed , commonly conceal 'em , or defer the execution of 'em ; so that when they go about to fulfil 'em , 't is too late , and the remedies applied prove unseasonable and useless . nay , they are often so wicked as to act in direct contradiction to what is commanded 'em ; and flatter themselves with hopes of never being call'd to account , because they are so remote from spain . if your majesty would reserve to your self alone the jurisdiction of the indies , without sharing it among the spaniards , it would be the greatest happiness imaginable to the indians , and nothing could more rejoice 'em , because then they would be convinc'd they should be no more expos'd to the insults and persecutions of their enemies ; and would have so great a respect for your majesty , obey you so universally , and love you so sincerely , that they would be always ready to sacrifice their lives for your service . you could then require nothing of 'em , but they would do it chearfully , because they seem to have a great propension to submit to your royal crown ; whereas if the spaniards are their absolute masters , as their obedience will be forc'd , so it will be of no long continuance , and they 'l do all they can to get free of so severe a yoke . moreover , when the indians are once perswaded they are under your protection , that they may live safely in their own houses , and need fear no injury either in their persons or goods ; all that are retir'd to the mountains will soon come down to dwell in the plains , as they were wont heretofore . for abundance of 'em have retreated to avoid the cruelties of the spaniards ; and chuse rather to be devour'd by wild beasts in the mountains , than to fall into the hands of their persecutors , tho christians . the poor wretches suffer a world of inconveniences in those places whither they have retir'd , wanting almost all the necessaries of life : and 't is impossible to find 'em out to instruct 'em in the christian faith : whereas if they liv'd together in towns and cities , they might easily be taught religion , and a regular sort of government establish'd among 'em , whereby they would be brought to the service of the true god , which would become familiar to 'em : by this means the ground would be cultivated , the roads frequented and render'd more safe , and the country no longer be desert and forlorn : the spaniards would be supplied with provisions , and convenient places to lodg in on their journeys , and have a thousand other advantages of which they are now depriv'd by the indians deserting their habitations . your majesty may remember that after a mature examination of this affair by many learned men and able divines , they unanimously declar'd , that the dominion of the indies could not be justly given to private men , nor dismember'd from your majesty's crown . this determination was signified to ferdinando cortez , with orders to put it in execution . your majesty was pleas'd on the same account again to call together an assembly of persons of great learning and virtue , who after a long debate , declar'd that the spaniards could not lawfully be made lords of the indies . after which your majesty gave most express orders to prohibit it , revoking all grants to the contrary procur'd on those false accounts and misrepresentations that had been given you . your majesty commanded the governor of florida to put these edicts in execution , as may be still seen by his instructions . among the principal articles of these constitutions , one is , that the indians ought to be accounted free , and not obliged to any other services than the rest of your majesty's subjects who enjoy their liberty under your government : that they ought to pay tithes to god , unless excus'd for some time , and likewise such tribute to your majesty as is impos'd lawfully , and in proportion to the goods they possess , and the quality of their land , according to the reasonable estimate of those that govern ' em . if it be desir'd that the indians should be taught the catholic faith , and brought to embrace our customs , while they keep up a sort of government among themselves , your majesty ought not to give them as slaves to any one whatsoever , either for ever , or for a limited time ; for this would be to expose 'em to the same miseries they have hitherto endur'd , and perhaps to increase them : for after this there will be no dependence to be had on the orders and prohibitions made in favour of the indians , whatever penalties shall be annex'd to facilitate their execution ; for those that have bin already made are very wise edicts , and might be very useful if put in practice . and one chief reason against giving the indians for vassals to the spaniards , is the small account these latter make of the lives of those poor creatures ; for 't is not to be imagin'd with what contempt they look upon 'em , unless by those that have seen it : their excessive covetousness induces 'em to make 'em labor beyond their strength , not caring what becomes of 'em so they get any thing by ' em . if any persons give your majesty a contrary account of these matters , you ought to look upon 'em as enemies to the state , and disaffected to your majesty's service . if your majesty be convinc'd by the arguments produc'd , you will prevent the spaniards from committing a great many violences and murders , of which they are every day guilty . you will secure spain from this contagion , in preventing your people at home from partaking of the sins of their fellow-subjects , and sharing the plunder with them which they have so unjustly gotten . for all men of sense acknowledg that the crimes of the spaniards in america render all spain obnoxious to the curse of god ; that the course they take to become rich is unjust ; that the gold and silver they bring from the indies is stolen , and that they are oblig'd to restore it to the right owners whom they have unjustly plunder'd : which likewise evidences that those that partake of these usurp'd riches have no good title to 'em ; for they ought to have no commerce with those publick robbers , nor to sell 'em any commodities for their stolen gold ; they should not so much as receive presents from 'em , or consent to be their heirs : and if so , it follows that all spain is become guilty of the crimes of those men ; so that there are few but have reason to be under trouble of conscience , and are in danger of damnation , because there are scarce any who have not participated of the rapine of those that have come from the new world. it has bin objected by the spaniards , that if they have not a jurisdiction over the indians as their vassals , it will be impossible for 'em to live in the indies , and consequently that your majesty will not be able to keep those kingdoms that have bin conquer'd in your name , nor to publish the catholic faith there . for they say , if the spaniards can't subsist there , the king of spain can't preserve his dominion over the indians , nor maintain monks among 'em to preach to 'em , so that they must be destitute of the light of the gospel ; and those of 'em that have already receiv'd it , will gradually lose it for want of fresh instruction , and so return to their former idolatry , and other sins . they that reason after this manner , do it not so much from a principle of true zeal and compassion , lest so many souls should perish , as from a desire of oppressing these people , and that they may grow rich by the spoil they get from ' em . 't is only their privat interest makes 'em talk at this rate ; for they are not at all concern'd about your majesty's interest , or the salvation of the poor indians . 't is not the good of the public , or the glory of god that moves 'em ; for their conduct sufficiently shews what little respect they have to the law of god , which forbids 'em to do the least hurt to any one , how great an advantage soever it might procure ' em . they ought to know , if they have the true sentiments of christianity , that tho your majesty should run the risk of losing all your conquests in the indies , and be render'd uncapable of causing the christian faith to be preach'd among the indians ; it were better to forgo all such great advantages , than to obtain 'em by ruining the inhabitants after the manner hitherto practis'd . it had bin no great misfortune to your majesty , if your empire had not extended so far as the indies ; and 't is an ill way of going to work , to endeavour to establish christianity there by such criminal methods . the reason of which is evident , because we are forbidden to do evil that good may come , rom. . . god is not pleas'd with the greatest sacrifices if polluted with any sin , but abhors all such offerings . 't is a most hainous sin , and worthy of eternal damnation , to massacre infidels on pretence of introducing the christian faith among 'em , and of extirpating a part of 'em to save the rest . god dos not require men to receive his word on such hard terms , and absolutely forbids such a kind of zeal for the salvation of souls as this . he would not have us pretend to be more concern'd about the salvation of souls than himself . that which he requires of us is to keep within the compass of his laws , and not to exceed the limits he has prescrib'd . for 't would be an argument of much stupidity , and a great sin for any one to throw a child into a well to baptize it , and so to drown it on pretence of saving its soul. and is it not a greater crime , and more odious and abominable in the sight of god , to scandalize , destroy and massacre so many thousand people , under the pretext of putting the rest in the way of salvation ? 't is our business to do all the good we can in conforming our selves to god's commandments , and keeping within the bounds he has set us , leaving the rest to himself . but this is a false gloss which the spaniards use to cover their avarice ; for the salvation of the indians is no part of their care ; all they mind is rather to ruin and inslave 'em , than to make christians of ' em . therefore in opposition to all their false pretences , we assure your majesty , that if you please to reserve to your self alone the dominion of the indies without admitting the spaniards to assume the quality of lords and masters over the indians , it will be an infallible means to establish the catholic faith among them . the spaniards will be able to live commodiously among 'em in greater numbers than they have hitherto done ; and all other inconveniences will be remov'd , which will mightly conduce to the glory of god , the advantage of the indians , the aggrandizement of your empire , and the general good of all spain . finis . the art of travelling to advantage . 't is commonly thought that the advantages of travelling are always out-balanc'd by the inconveniences that attend it ; that tho a man is at never so much charge in his voyages , he must still undergo a great deal of hardship ; and when all is done , the profit he reaps is not to be compar'd with the fatigues he endures . but nothing can be more false than this opinion ; for in truth , the advantage of travelling infinitely surmounts the trouble of it : and as the experiment of a chymist , whatever it costs him , is very well rewarded when he makes some considerable discovery of nature ; so that traveller that knows how to improve his mind as he ought by his voyages , is always well requited for the inconveniences he has sustain'd . the prejudice that some entertain , that the want of that experience which is to be gain'd in voyages and actual discoveries , may be supplied by reading books that treat of such matters , or by the force of the imagination , which gives its own shape to all things it represents , and never makes 'em appear as they are in themselves , is a mere illusion : for whatever ever forestals and prepossesses the judgment is so little capable of forming the mind , that 't is the very thing which corrupts it , and deprives it of its natural relish for truth , and that disposition to receive it , which serves as a foundation for reason to build upon . that which is found in books is not always true ; for besides that decency will not permit men to write but within the compass of certain rules , flattery , the humor of the time and nation wherein a man lives , the public interest , or the management of private affairs , always make some difference between what a man writes , and what may be thought by those among whom he lives : which forms an almost invincible obstacle in the way of truth , and hinders her from shewing her self in her proper shape . but in travelling we find all imaginable help and assistance to furnish our minds with experience and knowledg ; for what is conceal'd in books is by this means openly discover'd to us ; and we judg of things with more safety , because we see 'em with greater perspicuity when the curtain is drawn aside . when we go to the very principles of things , and draw water at the fountain , the taste and quality of it must needs be most agreeable . this is the way to know men as they really are , and not only as the interest of some persons makes 'em appear to be ; and to judg of their actions , manners , and politicks in themselves , and not on the credit of foreign relations ; so that the mind receiving thence a pure and vivid light , that sets it above the danger of prejudice , is at the same time confirm'd and improv'd on solid grounds , and at length rais'd to the upper region of policy where its great phenomena appear . we are taught in the book of ecclesiastes , that to become wise a man must go into strange countries , sapiens in terram alienigenarum gentium pertransiet ; and it follows afterwards , in absconditis suis conciliabitur , by that means he shall be acquainted with the most profound notions of wisdom , that is , of religion ; occulta proverbiorum exquiret , he 'll make a scrutiny into their maxims , manners and customs , that is , into morality : bona enim & mala in hominibus tentabit ; he 'll have the advantage by conversing with the living ( which is much better than to consult the dead ) to know the sources of that good and evil which men do either to themselves , or one another , that is , in one word , policy . these are the three fundamental principles by which a wise man ought to regulate his conduct , and in these he ought to accomplish himself by travelling : for a man is confirm'd in his religion by the knowledg he acquires of the importance and certainty of it ; he forms a solid scheme of morality from the different practices he observes in the world , and informs himself in the true rules of policy by the use he finds other people make of ' em . from which it follows , that if a man would be wise , he ought to travel ; and 't is hardly to be expected that any one who neglects this method , will prove eminent for prudence and politicks . this art of travelling to advantage requires four conditions that are all absolutely necessary in every one that would succeed in it . the first is , that his mind be already form'd and fix'd , and yet this in such a manner as not to be strictly determin'd . the second is , that he be not prepossess'd with prejudices . the third is , that his capacity bear a proportion to the science or business to which he is devoted , and in which he desires to be accomplish'd . and the fourth is , that he want no assistance necessary to bring him into acquaintance with the best masters , and that he know their sentiments at the first hand . i say , the first condition is to have the mind form'd , but not determin'd ; that is , it should not be so crude as eagerly to receive all sorts of impressions , and yet sufficiently dispos'd to give a free admission to truth , which will perhaps be understood better by an example . one that travels too young is immediately dissatisfied in the exercis of the religion he professes , by the different manners of worship he discovers abroad ; therefore the greenness of his age makes him run a greater risk than is commonly thought in the discussion of matters of religion , tho it renders him very fit to endure fatigues , the difference of climats , of food , and of the various seasons of the year . nor is a man any more fit to improve by travelling when too much advanc'd in years , because his mind is too much determin'd , and in no very good disposition to learn what he thinks he knows well enough already . so that that part of a man's age from twenty five to thirty five is the most proper time for travelling , because his mind is neither wholly crude , nor entirely form'd ; that which he has already learn'd only disposes him to judg the better , while he seeks to be inform'd after another manner ; and thus he makes so fair a decision of what he learns , that all the sophisms in the world will never shake him . by this 't is easy to see whence it is that so few are the better for travelling , and can only give an account of such circumstances as soldiers and postilions might easily relate ; 't is to be attributed either to their too great youth or too great age. the second qualification of a traveller is , that he be void of prejudice in every thing , about which he desires to receive information ; because prejudice produces such an effect upon our reason , as a film does upon the eye ; it casts such a mist upon it , and renders it so uncapable to make a fair judgment of what is propos'd to it , that nothing can be more opposite to the discovery of truth than prepossession , which if it bear sway in the mind , will give little hope of improvement by travelling . the third quality requisite is , to have a capacity of mind proportionate to the business to which a man applies himself , and in which he seeks to be accomplish'd : for seeing the rudiments of painting and other arts are not to be learn'd by travelling , and observing the finest strokes of the best masters ; but a man must be cut out for a business before he presumes to seek improvement in it by going abroad : they that suppose to turn a blockhead into a man of parts by sending him into foreign countries , will find themselves mistaken . he that has but a small natural capacity will never have a large one , whatever course be taken to improve it : 't is true , he may learn by travelling to fill up what capacity he has , but he 'll never be able to go beyond it ; for the minds of men have their several degrees of height and strength , as well as their bodies ; and as 't is impossible by all the art in the world to add one inch to a man's stature when at his full growth , so 't is utterly impracticable to enlarge the capacity of his mind beyond the bounds which nature has prescrib'd . the fourth qualification is , to be furnish'd with all necessary assistance to facilitate his access to the masters of those arts and sciences he has a mind to learn ; in which respect every country has a different genius ; so that 't is often seen , that what may contribute to a man's assistance in one place , will by no means do him any good in another . for instance , in germany a man shall never get inward with great men by being profuse in his expences , but will by this means be the more likely to fall under suspicion , and become much less welcome than one of another character . to gain esteem there , a man must bring with him a good reputation , a distiguish'd birth , or an extraordinary merit . in italy the quite contrary humor obtains . and in the levant neither one nor t'other takes place , but an air of simplicity , sincerity and honesty will introduce a man into any company . an eloquent and voluble tongue does well in poland , but very ill in spain , and still worse at constantinople : a great shew of devotion will naturalize a man in portugal , but render him ridiculous in the northern kingdoms . a pleasant and merry humor will spoil a man's business in austria and italy , but give him easy access in england . as for the knowledg of tongues , besides that it is impossible to acquire all a man wants if he travel any thing far , and that it will not do him all the service that is commonly imagin'd , if he has only a mind to run through europe , it is a great occasion of the corruption of manners , by easily introducing men into places of debauchery ; and on the other hand it has been observ'd , that it contributes very little to the forming of the mind : for besides that it is not the common people that a man ought to be curious in consulting ; and among men of figure the knowledg of their language renders a man obnoxious to suspicion , 't is sufficient that a man can speak any one language that is know : as the italian tongue is very common in greece and the lesser asia , besides the help one may have from interpreters , of whom there are great numbers for all the living tongues in europe . and if you speak a dead language with any native of a foreign country , he has no advantage above you ; and if you are better vers'd in it than he , he 'll be sure to supply what he wants in expression by the degree of knowledg , wherein he excels you in respect of the matter about which you converse , and will give you a greater insight into it in half an hour's discourse , than you should have obtain'd it may be in twenty visits , if you had made use of his native language . 't is sufficient if you have language enough to make your self understood about your necessary affairs ; and there are always people to be found , who will make use of your native language , to discourse with you so as not to be understood by others , that they may learn something of you that others don 't know ; and that they may give you occasion to learn something of them which you don 't yet understand . but curiosity ought to be kept within the bounds of patience and discretion , and that being suppos'd , there 's scarce any thing but a man may be capable of it in travelling ; if one can but add to the conditions i have been mentioning a lively and yet obsequious fancy , and easy and faithful memory , a sweet and insinuating humor , a curiosity that is not impatient , and an impartial way of judging . these are the qualities that give a man an easy and agreeable reception into all companies , and prepossess the people of any nation with favourable thoughts of a traveller who is endow'd with ' em . these cut his work short , remove all obstacles in the way of his acquaintance with them , and bring them into such a familiarity with him , as will be sure to engage their confidence , if he be but careful to observe himself , as well as study the temper of others . these are the vehicles of policy , which by discovering the humor , inclinations and genius of every nation , insensibly bring us to the knowledg of their maxims , their reasons of state , their designs , their conduct and various sentiments . in a word , 't is by the help of these qualifications , that a man becomes a proteus in foreign countries , and knows how to transform himself into the shape of others , and so to conceal his own . and by consequence must needs reap advantage by all the good he sees or hears , which is agreeable to his character , and the capacity of his mind . i say , he should have a lively , but obsequious imagination , which may pass for a paradox among such as judg hastily , just as they feel their fancies touch'd ; and supposing a lively imagination can never be obsequious without losing its vivacity at the same time , will tell me i require an impossibility : 't is therefore convenient to undeceive 'em by a sensible comparison . when one that seeks for game sees something move in a bush , his first motion is to put himself in a posture to shoot ; but if he discharges immediately without any further observation , he may well be counted rash , and his precipitancy will spoil his design : whereas if he has prudence and patience , he 'll observe what 't is that stirs , and endeavour to discover what game may be in the bush , which way it came , and whither it goes , which gives him the greater advantage to direct his aim , so that his shot can hardly miss . there 's no comparison can be more just and applicable to the case in hand . a traveller that has a mind to make some discoveries in the mysteries of state-policy , is prying and observing with an activity like that of one who is seeking after game ; every thing that appears more than ordinary ought to strike his mind so as to excite his attention : but nothing ought to determine him but his reason , and a due application of the principles of policy ; he should see and hear , and take a measure of every thing , without imagining he has got any thing till he has measur'd it with that profound discussion i have been commending . statesmen are extremely crafty , and know how to dodg with a stranger , especially when they see in him a great vivacity and eagerness to receive what they tell him . these artifices are us'd in all nations more or less according to the degree of their refinement and subtilty : therefore the intelligent traveller must imitate the cunning hunter , who sometimes makes as if he did not see his game , merely to surprize it the more easily : he must make as if he did not hear some things , and as if he understood much less , and discover'd nothing at all ; from whence one of these two things must necessarily follow , either that he will be suppos'd to be ignorant and stupid , which will render him less suspected , and occasion a new explication of the matter discoursed of in more open and intelligible terms ; or else that the person he converses with , will immediately give another turn to the subject in hand by different expressions , and the variety of terms cannot choose but give some light into what he would conceal or disguise . he may also learn somewhat from the common report of a province or city , to inform him what is the predominant genius of a nation , or of the court that governs it , only with this difference , that what he is told of the spirit of any nation , is generally and almost infallibly true ; whereas the idea that is given of a court is almost always false ; so that 't would be a kind of miracle if ever it should happen to be true . there is in the voice of the publick a certain tract of truth , simplicity , ingenuity and sincerity , which keeps the multitude either from being easily deceiv'd themselves , or from deceiving others ; and so much the more , because ( as origen says ) god , the first cause of all things , has reserv'd only this way to make an impression of truth on the minds of the populace , who are not capable of any other discussion of things , much less of refin'd politicks ; which gave occasion to that wise saying , the voice of the people is the voice of god. but the court is another world , where all things are compounded , and from whence simplicity , candor , sincerity , and oftentimes even justice and truth are exil'd . and seeing the men of this world are different from others , 't is not to be wonder'd at if one is deceiv'd by their disguises , and if the warm fancy of a young man is every day impos'd on by them : for every thing they do is with design , and therefore 't is no wonder that there 's double dealing in all affairs , so that one knows not where to have ' em . hence it is that those authors that write relations of the state of princes-courts , are carried away with so many illusions : for the more account they make of that certain knowledg they pretend to have of 'em , and the more the ministry see they depend upon it , the more they vary in their discourse with such an author , to deprive him of the sight of what he aims at , by embarassing his mind with diversity of mediums . there 's no rock more dangerous to an intelligent traveller , than the popular reports which a prince's council either purposely spreads abroad , or suffers to be divulg'd : there 's no stress to be laid on such stories , and a man ought to be careful not to suffer himself to be surpriz'd by ' em . a wise roman on such an occasion one day said to me , se questo fosse véro , non to saprébbe il popolo . the credit the people give this report may be enough to convince you that there 's no such matter at the palace , but that the business is either already finish'd , or else 't is a stroke that is not resolv'd , and it may be not thought on , for if it was either the one or the other , you may be sure the people would have known nothing of it . however 't is true , that common reports as they precaution the fancy instead of instructing it , do not fail to furnish a traveller with such notices , as must needs turn to his account . these reports salust very wisely calls , experimenta nationum , the trials of the people ; for there is at least so much probability in 'em , that they have some principle that gives rise to 'em , and that they have given some colour to an end which a court is willing to hide by some specious means . i confess the italians excel all christian nations in this method of travelling ; but the people of the east infinitely out-do the italians themselves : and 't is from the long conversation i have had with both , that i have receiv'd what light i have in this matter , especially the way of abating the heat of fancy , and preventing it from being transported beyond due bounds by its vivacity , in which the eastern people are inimitable ; and 't is a quality one can't behold in 'em without astonishment . but seeing a fancy that is tractable and obedient determines nothing , and what it discovers may as well deceive it as inform it ; it ought to commit the discussion of all to the judgment that so it may come to a result : for this purpose the judgment ought to be sublime and clear , tho these two qualities are not so compatible as at the first glance they seem to be : for the elevation of the mind exposes it to mists and clouds , tho clearness of thought is common to an extensive soul. the former is like the tops of mountains which reach to the clouds , and almost always seem cover'd with a mist to them that stand in the plain . that is , to explain the similitude ; that genius which is naturally sublime , being less capable than others of stooping down to the many frivolous circumstances which concur to the discovery of the politick spirit of a court , often happens to pass such a judgment as is not free from all objections , or else his way of expression is less clear and intelligible than that of others . on the contrary , they that affect clearness of judgment creep on the ground as it were , still following the natural extent of their minds which serves for a line to direct their steps ; and as without this they could never go directly to the end they have in view , so by the help of it they do every thing with a becoming justness and deliberation . happy are they whose genius is both sublime and extensive , for the elevation of their minds shews 'em what souls of an inferior rank could never have discover'd ; and their extension serves to help to render every thing present to 'em without confusion , because the elevation of their minds gives 'em a prospect of every thing ; so that they see both distinctly , and as it were at one view , whatever is necessary to direct 'em to make a right judgment . to inculcate this matter the better , it may not be amiss to make use of a comparison . suppose three men walking in the field together discover an object at a distance : one of 'em having observ'd it , says 't is a cart going on the top of a hill ; another supposes it to be a bush wav'd up and down by the wind ; and the third is confident 't is a man on horseback riding against the wind. now it being naturally impossible for the same object to be at once a cart , a bush , and a man on horseback , 't is most certain that at least two of the three are mistaken in their judgments ; and if one of them judges right , it must be he that considers with the greatest force of thought all possible motions of that object about which he has thought fit to make a judgment . this discovery is not to be ascrib'd precisely to the sense of seeing , since this is suppos'd to be alike in all three ; therefore the truth of this judgment must be attributed to the quality of his mind who has the best notices of the matter . the application of this comparison is easy : travellers often think they have discover'd every thing that passes in a court , those enterprizes that are yet only to be seen at a distance , and those designs that are still more remote ; yet 't is not possible that all that make these observations should have the same elevation of mind , and none but such as have a very sublime and clear judgment are capable of speaking accuratly of what they have observ'd . hence it is that we see so many different accounts of foreign countries , and yet all of 'em publish'd for truth by their respective authors ; and indeed they may be so , but this in proportion to the character of the minds of those who compos'd 'em in their travels , according to the judgment they made of things . if i had not read in the account of the voyage to athens the history of one hieros damaskinos of caloyero , with whom i had just such another interview as the author of that relation says happen'd to him , i would here give an account of it at large ; but shall now only add something which that traveller seems not to have met withal . there were three gentlemen of different countries and my self one day discoursing with this illustrious caloyer about the policy of the turks , which each of us pretended to look upon as barbarous and uncultivated , on purpose to give him an occasion to speak of it after such a manner as might give us light into it . he told us he had no skill in policy either in general , or in the use of it among the turks ; and that he made it his business only to understand and explain the holy scripture to his disciples of athens : but he said if we would address our selves to the turks , as to the vaivode of athens , or any other person of note , they would be sure to give us satisfaction in those matters . i remember i was the only person in the company that could not be perswaded that this caloyer was unacquainted with politicks . a very ingenious polander thought he was too much devoted to the study of the scripture to have any great matter of skill in other things . a german that was of our company took him for a person only vers'd in the notions of the school-men , and capable of criticizing on the holy scripture : an italian that was with us maintain'd that as he was one of that remnant of greeks who seem to be the posterity of the peasants of former times ; he had not subtilty of mind enough to penetrate into such politicks as were as burdensom to 'em as they appear'd violent and unreasonable . we push'd our curiosity yet further , and by good luck a sangiac who was upon his return from candie to the port , and pass'd through athens , was so kind as to inform us of many things we had a mind to know ; and among other things told us there was no man in the world knew more of those matters than this grecian . it may easily be imagin'd i hug'd my self for judging differently of this man from the rest of the company . and at last , after many earnest sollicitations , we engag'd this learned caloyer to take off the mask , and shew us that he was under such a serious disguise of simplicity as would have deceiv'd a thousand people . to return from this digression ; i say , to judg well of all that presents and strikes the imagination of a man in travelling into foreign parts , whether it concern religion , morals or politicks , there 's need of both elevation and clearness in the judgment ; that is to say , such a measure of both , as may dispose things in so much order that they don't perplex and confound the minds of other men , nor produce any thing in 'em but light. and this qualification is not to be acquir'd if a man is not born with a sutable disposition . it can't be well explain'd but by practice ; however , to give some idea of it , it seems to me to consist in three things : first , in laying the stress of one's judgment on that which makes the least appearance in an intrigue or negotiation ; for policy being the academy of disguise , and an exercise of craft and subtilty , generally that which appears least in a politick observation may pass for the most real and true part of it . secondly , in never counting any thing sufficiently explain'd to determine one's mind about it , that so the unexpected sounding of some circumstance or other , that does not seem to be thought of , may give one a discovery of somewhat of which the ministry of a court perhaps is not aware . and so much the more in as much as speculative policy being suppos'd impenetrable , and not beginning to appear till 't is going to be put in execution , 't is in the circumstances of the execution that you are to seek the certain discovery of the design . thirdly , in the opposition of one thing to another ; for altho the means employ'd in any particular politick design may be absolutely alter'd from one day to another , because there 's no medium always essential to and inseparable from policy , yet 't is certain , considering how men are made , that 't is probable the council of a prince don't alter their common notions , nor take up resolutions as contradictory one to another as black to white : and therefore the opposition an intelligent traveller discovers in the affairs on which he is making observation , ought to suspend his judgment , and to oblige him to forbear determining his opinion , till time give him further light . the first of these rules forms the judgment , and renders it solid ; the second cultivates and refines it ; and the third advances it to perfection . the first is owing more to nature than experience ; the second depends as much on experience as on a genius : and the third raises the mind to a consummate prudence , which is the highest pitch of politick wisdom . that traveller who has not an elevation of mind capable of such inventions as may out-wit another , may make use of the second character of a prudent mind , namely , to enquire much into things , and determine but little about 'em ; but if a man wants both the one and the other of these qualities , we 'll venture to prophesy that he 'll never become a politician . the memory in the judgment of many passes for one of the most excellent faculties of the soul : but few consider , that seeing it brings out nothing but what has been committed to it before , when there is confusion in the mind , there must also necessarily be the like disorder in the memory . 't is a great advantage to a traveller to have a memory easily impressible , provided it be faithful ; for if a man because he has seen much , goes about to utter a great deal without giving an intelligible account of matters , by reason of that confusion which the amazing diversity of things , names and circumstances ordinarily occasions , his memory appears to be a mere labyrinth of perplexity . i have always look'd upon an easy memory to be like a handsome face , which hides a great many infirmities in a crazy body , and strikes the fancy more than all these imperfections , tho they really much out-balance it . for besides that such a memory serves for a rock for the imagination to split on , and this becomes as dangerous to the reason and judgment , supposing it not to be incompatible with the regular exercise of either of these ; yet 't is most certain a great multiplicity of facts require either abundance of time to range 'em in good order , or a prodigious heat of fancy to melt 'em down ( as it were ) altogether , without making any alteration in ' em . so that it seems an impossible supposition , that an easy memory can be strong and true , so as not to divert from that steady application which the judgment requires . and yet both are necessary for a traveller , so that one of these qualities without the other would be of no use to get the knowledg of the state-resolutions of any foreign politicians : for if what he learns to day is not supported with all those circumstances that may render it more than probable to his discussion , and is not produc'd afresh in all its circumstances when any affair that bears a proportion to it presents , 't is easy to conceive that all the circumstances that help'd him at first to decide the matter in hand being represented to him but by halves , and in the room of those that are omitted others substituted which alter the state of the case ; 't is not difficult , i say , to conceive that such an easy memory must cast him into confusion , because it does not faithfully revive all those circumstances . this conclusion may be set in a clearerlight by an example . the visier kara mustapha who besieg'd vienna remember'd the advice , and a great many of the projects count tekely had given him in his tent at their enterview beyond buda before this great enterprize : and his memory reproduc'd that in his extremity , which his pride had made him despise . the count perswaded him to possess himself of the bridges of vienna on the north-side before he made a formal siege , presuming that by this means he would either block up the late duke of lorrain with his troops in leopalstat , or oblige him to quit it with the more speed , and a greater number of his men , which would make the circumvallation more easy , and the garison probably less numerous , or else the duke would expose himself to be first routed in the field ▪ and never was any advice more wisely given , or more rashly contemn'd . when this visier was mortified by the resistance of the besieged , and resolv'd to attempt any thing to repair the damage he had sustain'd , and the time he had lost in this siege , he was willing to have recourse to count tekely's counsel , and would needs endeavour to be master of those bridges , without considering the difference of time and other circumstances ; he gave his orders for the execution of this design , but instead of depriving vienna of good part of its garison , or of weakening those succors which the prince of lorrain manag'd so long , and to so good purpose against him , as he might certainly have done in the former juncture , he diminish'd his own force , and sent his troops to be cut in pieces without being able to execute the orders they had receiv'd . by this one may judg that an easy memory is always dangerous when 't is unfaithful ; tho i confess 't is less so in the speculation of a traveller than in the conduct of a statesman , who ought from the very first step he takes to distrust it more than depend on it . memory is a great help at the bar , and in the pulpit , but 't is the least qualification of a statesman . 't is by reading ( which is a kind of travelling ) and by travelling ( which is a living sort of reading ) that a man is to be convinc'd of this truth , that an easy memory being usually treacherous when 't is over-charg'd with many things that have no mutual connexion , nothing is to be omitted that may render it less easy and more faithful . i think i have observ'd by experience three rules that contribute much to reduce the memory to this state , which is certainly no easy matter to accomplish . the first is , for a man to learn well the chief foreign things about which he has a mind to employ his memory , without troubling himself to retain the proper names of places , persons and times , of which gazetteers seldom fail to give a very particular account for the information of the curious , because 't is their province to know things of this kind . the second is , to join that which one desires to know , to what one knows already by some epocha of facts , times , or conjunctures , which resemble and refer one to another ; as , for instance , to join to the raising the siege of vienna the politick proposition made by the king of poland for his eldest son to be married to the archdutchess as his reward for relieving that city . the third is , to unite and accommodate both the one and the other to the circumstances and actual conduct of the country where a man is at present , or whither he is to return ; because what passes there can't easily escape the mind , being often reviv'd by the memory , and therefore that which has been link'd to it will also be retain'd , and the memory render'd faithful to such a degree , that all things will be easily recollected . i say a man ought in the first place thorowly to possess his mind with the first discoveries he makes in his travels ; that is to say , after he has made a deep search into the precepts of policy ( without which nothing is to be expected of him ) to look on every side upon that which first strikes his mind in a manner different from the prejudices he has brought out of his own country , that so he may object against his own prepossession all those reasons that he imputes to the prejudices of others , which is fit to be demonstrated by an example . a french man that goes to rome furnish'd with many advantages and recommendations that give him access to persons of quality , is presently loaded with civilities , without being taken into that kind of familiarity with them , which is so agreeable to his humor : this makes him impatient , and it seems no small punishment to him to continue six weeks at rome , to live all the while in an inn : but at length the reasons of this kind of treatment are open'd to him , and he comes to understand that the italian loving splendor tho he is not rich , and affecting to be liberal without incommoding himself , waits to regale him after a magnificent manner and in good company , when he finds a proper time for it , and then his splendor , profusion and magnificence will appear at once . he must therefore examine all the reasons of this kind of conduct ; and by opposing this liberty the italians reserve to themselves , to the ordinary profuseness of that nation , he 'll be convinc'd that they do well at rome not to live in that familiarity he so much desir'd . these discoveries will be serviceable to him at constantinople , and he 'll appear a knowing man in other places in proportion to the faithfulness of his memory in reviving the reasons , and different respects that have determin'd him at rome . this is what i call a thorow possessing of the mind with that which one desires to commit to memory . the second method is , to join things together by some epocha that is remarkable , and not easy to be chang'd . this connexion is like a guide always going before the judgment with a light in his hand , so that he seldom mistakes his way who is conducted by it . the epocha contributes much to the fidelity of the memory , and the things being allied together by a proper reference and proportion , 't is almost impossible that the revival of 'em in the memory should not be exact and true . the reason of which is not from the nature of those incidents which accidentally happen to be link'd together , but from the immediate application of the mind , which because it omits nothing that may give it a deep impression of a thing , can't see two different circumstances which concur to the same fact , without making a certain fix'd point , as well for the time , as other conjunctures : 't is this that has occasion'd so many digressions in antient historians , who have not been able to resist that natural inclination of shewing in the same treatise , what they had observ'd at the same time , and by the same discoveries . in fine , the third method of rendering the memory faithful is , to reunite the notices one receives , and the conjunctures that present , to what actually passes in one's own country ; because the revival of what is acted there must needs be frequent and of long duration , and a man's mind will necessarily be concern'd about it ; and seeing this obliges a man to join to his present observations , that which pass'd in his own country when he was there , he is as it were tied fast to the circumstances of things so that he cannot easily mistake 'em , but is necessarily oblig'd to revive 'em in his mind . 't is true , there must be strength of thought , labor and time to reunite these things after long voyages , especially if our traveller has not had much correspondence with his own country : but experience every day shews that 't is no impossible thing . this is , in my opinion , the innocent art of rendering an easy memory faithful ; let us now pass to the other qualifications of a traveller . it has been said that he ought to have a sweet and insinuating humor , not by a study'd composing of himself , which will soon betray him when he tarries long in a place , but by a docility of mind , which makes a man as it were naturally comply with things that one would think must needs shock him , to judg of him by the gust of his country . 't is this sweetness of temper which becomes affability in those who are in public posts , but in travellers it should always be condescension , without degenerating into a servile weakness of mind : and they ought to have the art of using this condescension after an advantageous manner , so as to engage those with whom they converse , either to confide in 'em , or to inform ' em . suppose , for instance , that one happens to be with an english-man who boasts of his own nation , in respect of its strength , courage , trade , plenty and independence ; and scarce ever speaks of a french-man , an italian , or a german , without contempt ; a traveller who has docility , and yet firmness of mind , will in sincere terms give his suffrage to applaud what is good in the english nation , and in their polities , without undertaking to make comparisons between nation and nation , or so much as between man and man , which ought to be industriously avoided ; because there are always in foreign countries some persons that go under a disguise , whose genius , country , interest and designs , can scarce ever be discover'd , but yet by this means may be won upon . in observing this conduct , our traveller would not fail to attract the confidence of such an english-man , and so might get out of him why the english nation is so fickle and unsteady in the midst of all its prosperity , why they are so eager after gain amidst so great riches , and why they are so unfit for long enterprizes and tedious conquests , tho they have such good armies and fleets . in a word , he 'd learn more of this english-man in three days , than he could perhaps in reading all the historians that have written of that country . but to give the demonstration of this , when ever any thing flatters and pleases a man to such a degree as to make him despise what does not seem to bear a proportion to it , either he is a fool , or under a disguise , or an intelligent man set upon his own interest , and over-zealous for it . if the first , a wise traveller will easily discover him , and contemn him , without troubling himself to talk with him . if the second , he 'll make trial of him by the rules i have been laying down ; so that this man under a mask shall not be able to proceed far without being either reduc'd to silence , or else betraying himself . if the last , he can't be a man of knowledg but by the universal principles of policy , in which he has no advantage above our traveller , or else by such particular decisions he has made as are proper to his country ; and in this point he excites all the curiosity of our traveller , who for his own satisfaction must apply himself to receive instruction with all that nice complaisance which we have been already supposing ; he must hearken , applaud , and enquire : for attention and applause always procure the esteem and confidence of him that speaks ; and a sweet , ingenuous and modest way of inquiring always returns with some discoveries ; experience shews that it never fails to get some degrees of knowledg out of those upon whom 't is duly tried . the information i have receiv'd even from a servant as it were by accident , of a visit made by a certain person to his master , has furnish'd me with the first occasion of diving into an affair , of which i had not the least thought , and the discovery very of which gave me that satisfaction which is agreeable to one that travels for his information . but to re●●●● this effect the more certain ; to this quality one ought to add a curiosity that is not impatient . curiosity is needful in travelling , but then it ought not to be too brisk and lively , that one may the better dissemble the motives of it , and cover 'em with the usual pretexts of such a vain curiosity as only applies it self to the description of churches , palaces , gardens , fortifications , and the detail of such counsels and circumstances as the meanest servants of a court always understand , as well as those that compose historical relations . there must be curiosity to mitigate the uneasiness and difficulty a man must be sure to meet with in accommodating one's way of living , habit and manners , to the custom of countries so unlike one's own : for seeing self-love hath more pressing reasons when it deprives it self of what is pleasing to it , to expose it self to that to which it has an aversion ; 't is necessary that it be requited for quitting what it so naturally likes , by some other satisfaction which the fancy has the art to represent as greater , more rare , and more durable ; without which there 's no probable ground to expect a man should travel with delight , and 't would be an unadvised thing to attempt it . for to suppose that all those advantages a man may make use of in travelling will excuse him from all kind of uneasiness , is to please one's self with a mere delusion , especially when a man goes out of the christian part of europe . curiosity therefore must serve instead of all other pleasure to make amends for the expence and uneasiness to which our traveller is expos'd . this curiosity deprives it self of what it designs to obtain , when it once appears to be impatient , and it really is impatient when ever it appears to be so . men of all countries in the world are fram'd after such a manner , that no man is willing to oblige another to his own disadvantage ; and the most grateful and officious person that can be will never give an occasion of getting an advantage over him by what he discovers . all that observe a traveller have in this respect the same impression ; every body suspects that man to have some special design , who leaves his family and his country to expose himself to sickness and other dangers and inconveniences , which are inevitable . they that suppose he has only a sensual curiosity are always indulgent enough to satisfy him in that respect , because self-love obliges a man to discover whatever is curious in his own country to a stranger : but it being another sort of traveller that i have been supposing , namely , one who seeks to get an insight into state-policy ; the chief advice i would give him , is not to devest himself of curiosity ( for that would be unreasonable ) but not to be impatient in seeking to give it satisfaction . impatience is the daughter of desire , and this if it be reasonable , must be the production of the judgment , which will fully convince a man that whatever sets him at a greater distance from the end he has in view , can't be proper to lead him to it . now impatience will infallibly set our traveller at a greater distance from the end he proposes , and consequently cannot be fit to promote the pleasure he expects from it . but to make it the better understood how and why impatience retards the satisfaction of the curiosity , one need only observe that it produces such precaution in the minds of those with whom a traveller converses , as becomes a kind of partition-wall , that he must either pierce through or break down before he can discover what is acted on the other side of it . the more importunate a man of understanding perceives a stranger to be to get information , the less willing he is to satisfy him , and keeps the greater guard on himself not to gratify his desire till he is as it were necessitated to do it , and has learn'd something of this traveller that may oblige him to it . this obstacle is so great that one must not think either of slighting it , or of overcoming it without a considerable space of time , and a great deal of management . if a man presumes to do the former , he 'll find every body prejudic'd against him , when the person he has slighted comes to explain himself after a manner that is disadvantageous to him : and if he depends on the latter course , he engages himself in a great charge with more than a moral uncertainty of succeeding in his design . would it not therefore be much better for our traveller to appear free and easy in the presence of such persons , that they may not become so cautious , but may attribute that only to his curiosity which by his impatience he 'll give 'em occasion to impute to a desire of knowing the present state of the government in which they are concern'd ? and on this head it will not be improper to alledg an example of which i have been a witness my self . i happen'd to be in a certain foreign court , where there was a dutch-man who had a great deal of wit , and made too great an appearance not to be suspected ; this person desir'd audience of one of the principal ministers of state , who in conversation making use of that right which his rank and authority gave him , ask'd him , what was the motive of his travels ? the dutch-man thinking to make his court to him , answer'd , that it was to learn of him as well as by the example of other persons of his figure , to understand the government of a state. the minister coldly replied , you had need of a great deal of time , and a ripeness of age to succeed in a business of this nature . to which this stranger made this foolish return , my curiosity ( says he ) and impatience after knowledg may abridg both the one and the other . at this answer the statesman rose up and left him , with these words , for my part , sir , i perceive i shall contribute nothing to either . and the dutch-man was driven to despair to find himself suspected by a minister of state , who had receiv'd him with affability , and now look'd upon him as a man of no sense . needs any more to be said to shew that curiosity , which is suppos'd necessary to a traveller , ought not to be impatient ? but for this end there 's need of a great deal of judgment , and a good faculty of discerning the humor of nations , and the temper of particular mens minds , which is a talent that one can't communicate to any man. after all it is not impossible not to be impatient to learn what one goes so far to seek : for as our traveller has not assign'd his voyages a precise space of time , much less does he pretend to prescribe laws to foreign nations ; 't is his business to accommodate the extent of his curiosity to the measure of his capacity , and to proportion the effects of it to the good success he has had in foreign discoveries : all occasions , seasons and conjunctures are not equally proper for this purpose . there are some states in which nothing at all is to be learn'd during the time of war , and others wherein one can get no information but in such a time . in one place peace is an obstacle to politick discoveries , in another war shuts up all the avenues to the confidence of particular persons . there are some ministers under whose conduct men dare not speak , and others under whose government people say any thing . hence it is that some travellers learn more than others , tho perhaps they are persons of like ability and curiosity . and if i may be permitted to add my opinion , i shall not scruple to say , that a man ought to travel at several times and occasions to the same court , to be well assur'd of improvement , and that he has penetrated into the maxims and conduct of it . let any one judg after this , whether impatience is not an invincible obstacle to curiosity , and how great a disadvantage they must be under , whose too great vivacity precipitates 'em , and whose warm temper exposes 'em rather to the censure than procures 'em the confidence of foreign nations . 't is still much worse when a man has not such a politick undetermin'd posture of mind as to act with impartiality , and not to shew any prejudice or a strong inclination to the maxims of his own country on the one hand , and on the other hand an indifference for those of others . and this being the great and indeed the original fault that men carry into other countries , one can't too much argue against it , and shew the danger of it . universal reason , which is the foundation of policy , directs that a man of honor part from his own country undetermin'd in his mind , that is , so dispos'd to learn of all men according to the foremention'd passage of the wise man ; bona enim & mala ex hominibus tentabit ; he shall try what is good and evil among men : that he may appear docile to every man , and receive any one courteously who is willing to give him any information . 't is not only useless but dangerous to travel without this disposition ; for the diversity of minds one meets with being the only remedy against prejudice , an inconsiderate and heady traveller often ruins his health , as well as corrupts his reason , by every thing which might otherwise improve the one and restore the other . 't was this that made the late elector palatine say , that man is a fool that goes out of his own country without hopes of returning with more honor , wisdom and knowledg than what he carried abroad . this disposition being suppos'd will be followed by another , and that is , that a wise traveller will never return undetermin'd in his mind , as he was when he went out : but fully convinc'd what is the greatest and most solid advantage , with which he has had the address to form his mind in proportion to the capacity he has had of casting abundance of differing matters together , only to extract out of 'em what might contribute to his improvement in knowledg . this temper of mind is more easily spoken of than found ; for the mind must be moulded after an extraordinary manner to be capable of that docility which places a man at the feet of others to learn their instructions ; and 't is next to a miracle to find a genius of this character , which is fix'd and solid enough to come to a determination in the midst of such a prodigious number of maxims which all result from reason as their principle , tho the effects they produce appear so opposite one to another . and again there is danger lest this docility with which a man prepares himself in going abroad , should degenerate into irresolution , easiness , and servile complaisance at his return . that which is to be seen in the greatest part of those who are willing to make too deep and prying a search into matters of religion in prejudice to the establish'd systems , who often by their too curious enquiries are brought at last to sit loose from all religion , and die in this irresolution of mind , often happens to those middle-witted persons whose minds are tractable in appearance , but weak in reality , so that by the very prospect of the many different maxims of government , they become uncapable of governing ; because their minds are not endow'd with a vigor and heat sufficient to melt down all such matters together , and to extract out of 'em only what precisely sutes with the government of the country in which they live . one may every day see not only a great many travellers , but even ministers of state and ambassadors , whose minds are so fram'd , that their heads turn round instead of becoming firm and stable at the appearance of so many different circumstances and measures . on which account the old prince lubomirski was wont to say , that such sort of men are sent abroad to learn the art of being regular fools . indeed such persons appear so little furnished with the general ideas of policy , and so deeply preposses'd with the particular maxims of their own country , that their weakness is discover'd almost as soon as they begin to talk . to speak yet more plainly for the good of the publick , 't is ignorance that determines the judgments of some travellers ; even before the maxims of foreign countries are known to 'em , they go from home so full of prejudice , that they are resolv'd to return possess'd with greater opiniatrety than when they went out : whence it comes to pass either that they can learn nothing because of their prevention , or else they see and observe so much that they can come to no decisive judgment , like those who have more victuals in their stomachs than they have natural heat to digest . to this purpose the late prince charles of lorrain us'd to say ; if these travellers would learn with a design of improving in knowledg , they would act becomingly ; but to presume they know every thing , before they are capable of learning , is the way to become a distinguish'd fop. and ignorance in this matter contains in it three respects , which the greatest part of the world does not sufficiently consider , at least they seldom or never unite 'em all together . the first regards the principles of universal policy ; which persons of ordinary parts almost perpetually confound with the actual determinations of the government of their country . 't is true , there are every where some minds more sublime and judicious , who go to the bottom of things , and seek out means of repairing the defects of the politicks of their country : but it generally so happens that persons of this genius are seldom advanc'd into favor , and meet with very little respect in a state ; whether it be that they want docility to accommodate themselves to the humors of others , or submission to procure them patrons , or ambition to push 'em forward . it was of this sort of men that the duke of parma once said , they were of the same use to states , as props to old houses to hinder their fall . the second sort of ignorance respects persons of another genius , who surpassing the former as well in number as authority , are in possession of the privilege of setting a value upon things , and giving weight to decisions that are made : and hence it almost necessarily comes to pass , that that is suppos'd to be best and truest , which appears to be most authoriz'd , and most generally receiv'd . and this mistake is almost irreparable , if we take the matter in general , in as much as the number of just and sublime minds being every where very small , and that of narrow capacities almost immense in proportion to the other ; there is between both a sort of middle-siz'd understandings , to whose decision those of a subordinate rank pay a blind deference , which produces that publick impression which obtains on the generality of people , that such as fill the first places in any government , are ordinarily the wisest and ablest men. this popular opinion is often heard without contradiction , and this silence encreases the number of the suffrages that are given 'em , by which means people are confirm'd and rivetted in their ignorance . the dutch with some appearance of reason value themselves upon their scrupulous care of avoiding the first of these instances of national ignorance ; because they indeed apply themselves more than any other nation to dive into the principles and special uses of universal policy : and we design hereafter to shew what is their motive , and how it is supported , in a treatise of the politic genius of the united provinces . but they have too little firmness to keep 'em from falling into the second error , which will always mightily check the projects they lay in particular determinations . on the contrary , the spaniards very stupidly fall into all the faults of the first mistake by their negligence and contempt of the principles of universal policy , which they seem not to know , but only so as to appropriate them to themselves without any distinction of actions , persons , interests and obstacles , which foils 'em at every turn , and defeats 'em in all treaties . but they preserve among 'em the liberty of speaking with firmness of mind about public affairs against the second instance of national ignorance : and therefore the duke of holstein ploen said one day at vienna with a great deal of solidity ; by the first course the dutch will support themselves a great while , but never advance very far : whereas the spaniards have enough to do to sustain themselves by reason of the actual weakness of their present situation ; but if ever they come to recover themselves , they can't fail of making a very great advance . the third respect of this national ignorance proceeds from the indisposition men are in to know others , by reason of the little sincerity and application they use to get the knowledg of themselves , which betrays 'em into frequent mistakes , and occasions 'em to take the faults of a nation for the genius of it , and the art of augmenting those faults ( instead of mending 'em ) for motives of governing it . nay more than this , men are willing to misunderstand their own properties which might be cultivated , and by that means neglect the remedies by which they might continually rectify them . perhaps these metaphysical abstractions will not sute every body's palat ; but i have already declar'd that i speak in general without making a particular application of things , and am unwilling to offend any one . however 't is certain that every nation has its faults , its singular qualities , its bright and dark sides ; and if an instance of this be desir'd , the love of riches will one time or other ruin the dutch , but the indefatigable industry they are capable of to acquire wealth , will be their support a long time . ambition is a fault in the french , which may run to dangerous extremes ; but their valor and activity will serve a great while to sustain ' em . to avoid being ignorant of any thing that relates to this , both these are to be throughly consider'd , and exactly balanc'd one against the other ; and a man ought to be convinc'd by himself which side has the greatest weight , either to do the most mischief , or procure the most good. but in good earnest do men usually begin their voyages with such a preliminary knowledg as this ? and yet less than this will not suffice to travel to any purpose ; and for want of this discussion , men carry nothing but ignorance with them into foreign courts . i could advance a great deal on this head , but shall produce only two examples , which may serve to instruct others , and 't is in what i have been a witness my self . a certain gentleman that made a good appearance , and had very great recommendations ( a fatal help in a foreign court when a man has not the art of supporting them well by his own conduct ) was ask'd by a minister of state , what was the occasion of his travels , because he seem'd to be of a weak constitution , and considerably advanc'd in years , and therefore probably had some particular design in view . the gentleman ingenuously answer'd : sir , i travel to acquaint my self with europe , and to take occasion hereafter to make my own country acquainted with it . the minister replied ; if the pencil that is to draw your picture of europe is like that with which you describe your own country , there will be more fancy than truth in your originals . sir , i can scarce believe ( return'd the gentleman ) that there are any more perfect ones than those i have left in my own country . upon which the minister rose up and said , sir , you seem to me to be rather struck with one certain impression than to have a true knowledg of things ; you 'll judg of us by that in which you most excel : have a care that you be not judg'd of here by that in which you are most deficient . this stranger was cast into so great a perplexity , when he compar'd this answer with the first compliments of esteem for his country , and for the recommendations he brought from thence , that he was quite nonplus'd . and tho he would several times fain have recover'd himself , and endeavor'd by great expence , industry and conversation with ingenious men to inform himself better than he had done ; all signified nothing but to give occasion to have it said to him at the end of eighteen months , sir , you had need to come and consult us ; you see a man learns much if he knows but little when he leaves his own country ; and that he has made no small advantage , who has acquir'd by his travels the art of learning . the second instance is of one who was sent with the charge of a negotiation to a court , where he had orders to tarry only so long as was necessary to perform his duty , and to wait for an answer . he came and lodg'd in a publick house , where he was complimented on the part of the chief minister by an abbot , who found him ready to sit down at table , very much displeas'd at the way of dressing the victuals which was prepar'd according to the gust of the country : after the first compliments were past , this envoy could not help saying , what sort of a country have you here , sir ? here is not so good eating as in other places where i have been , and nothing near so good as at my own table . sir , ( said the abbot ) men reason here as they ought to do , but do not much trouble their heads about the art of cookery ; that they leave to other nations to carry to the highest pitch of perfection they please . what ( reply'd the envoy ) can there be just reasoning in a country where every thing seems out of order at which the abbot rose up and said , you shall judg of our country ( if you please ) by your selves ; and we 'll refer our selves in this matter to your opinion , provided you don 't pretend to subject ours to your pleasure . by the recital of this foolish discourse of the envoy , the minister of state had a sufficient discovery of his character : the day following he came to his audience , where nothing was discours'd but state-affairs ; and as he was going out , says the minister in a tone of railery : be sure to get a good dinner , sir , and pray order your matters so as to dine with me to morrow . the envoy did not fail to come , and opposite to him was plac'd one of those secret censors , who penetrate a man as soon as he begins to open his mouth , without regard to his office , of which they never speak directly or indirectly . he was magnificently regal'd , and at the time when the table allows a liberty of free discourse ; well sir , says this censor , how d' ye like this country ? there 's nothing but magnificence ( says the envoy ) every where , but yet here 's one thing wanting : to which the other wittily reply'd ; if it be nothing but your approbation , we can do well enough without it . indeed this envoy was not long enough at this court to improve himself by it : for when he left it he was so entirely displeas'd with it , that by signifying his disgust , he gave occasion to 'em to let him know a thousand ways , that they were every jot as much disgusted with him . at his return he made a ridiculous description of this court : but men had need take care what they say , for there happen'd to be a stranger in the company who made this disdainful reply : if your own country ( said he ) could not furnish you with common sense , how could you expect that a court which you did but just pass through should teach you what you had no disposition to learn ? this repartee was carried to that court of which this envoy had given so unsutable a character , and 't is certain he a long time pass'd there for the greatest fool that ever was honour'd with a public employ : these are the effects of ignorance , and a sottish prejudice . that is never to be learn'd in travelling which 't is suppos'd a well-bred man ought to know before he engages in travels . for the principles of society and policy are so link'd together , that he that transgresses the former , renders himself ridiculous when he speaks , to signify some unjust preference that he makes in it . the confounding of a personal determination of a minister of state , together with a national determination , is a second stumbling-block , against which the greatest part of inconsiderate and raw travellers break their shins : who when they are spoken to about the actual symptoms of the government of their country , on purpose to put 'em upon discoursing , if instead of intimating by a wise reply , that they know how to distinguish the interests and designs of their country from the personal motives of those who govern it , which on that account determine them otherwise , they confound them both together , they pass for fools , and mere butterflies , that always flutter about that which casts the greatest light. and after a man has once made such a false step , let him try as long as he pleases , he 'll find it impossible to set himself right again in the esteem of men of sense , railery will take its turn after serious discourse ; and the greater expence he shall be at to introduce himself into good company , the more ridiculous will he appear to ' em . and if you tell these stupid creatures , or ( if you please ) these pretended politicians , that they err in the first principles of policy , they 'll treat you as a ridiculous and whimsical person ; nay some of 'em have been so ill-temper'd as to endeavour to render a man suspected , for having had respect and kindness enough for his country to advertise 'em of their mistake . the faults of every nation are known in all foreign countries : nay they compose divers axioms of 'em , which are not altogether false ; for after all , if they are not all of 'em absolutely true , there 's something in 'em infallibly so . and whether it be prejudice or time that has given authority to this sort of proverbs , 't is certain whoever shocks 'em , goes for an extravagant man. the art of travelling teaches a man to keep his equal distance from the extremities of wholly denying , or wholly confessing such national faults . for 't is equally dangerous to err on either hand , which very few persons consider : he that denies a fault that is imputed to his country , pulls an old house upon his head in irritating the people among whom he resides at present , which must needs be a great piece of imprudence . nor is that traveller much wiser who falls into the other extreme , that is , coldly and tamely to grant every story that is impos'd on his country ; for tho he should captivate some vulgar minds by this air of sincerity , he 'll be sure to get the reputation of a fop among persons of note . 't is still worse when a traveller grants that with which his country is reproach'd , only to take his turn immediately to twit that nation where he is thus attack'd with that fault which is imputed to it in our traveller's country ; for this is to insult over people at their own home , and therefore can't choose but irritate ' em . and the wisest men will disapprove of any man's coming into a country to reproach it with a fault , which 't is always asham'd to be thought to have , and perfectly hates to hear laid to its charge . what then must a man do in this case ? why that which no body will ever teach you , if you neglect to learn it before you leave your own country ; and that is , to study well the defects and virtues of your country by setting 'em in opposition one to the other , that so you may oppose 'em when occasion requires to what is imputed to you , and may speak of the one , without signifying any thing for or against the others , by entering into a particular examination and confutation of ' em . by this conduct you 'l pass in foreign nations for a wise man , by this means your capacity will be known , and you 'l be consider'd and esteem'd in proportion to the knowledg you appear to have , and to the advantage others may have of learning by you to become acquainted with a nation which perhaps they never design to see . and since one story draws out another , that which you give concerning your country will infallibly procure you the knowledg of the nation where you are ; and by this address you 'll easily get a solid understanding of what you came to seek , namely , the discovery of the genius , policy , and manners of a whole nation . this is the product of skill in the art of travelling . i 'll give one instance which formerly touch'd me very sensibly . a certain italian being in lithuania , one of the principal lords of the country said to him in conversation : whence is it , sir , that the italians never forgive an injury ? my lord , reply'd the italian , 't is because they are never easily offended . now this being the great fault of the polish and lithuanian nobility , the repartee was very witty , and as it seem'd to me , the most subtil and ingenious censure that a man could pass on ' em . the lithuanian nobleman receiv'd the impression of it so prudently , that he even affected to expose the fault of his country yet farther , in making this return : sir , ( said he ) we should be as easily offended as you have been made to believe of us in your country , if we could be capable of being displeas'd to hear the truth told us with so good a grace . he afterwards presented him with a horse , and order'd that he should be conducted at his charge from his estate , which lies within two days journy of grodnaw , as far as dantzick , whither this italian had a mind to go . and now let any one put in the room of what he has been reading , such a disposition of mind as the greatest part travel with , and he 'll easily perceive what is produc'd by that busy preference which determines on the first prejudices , which are almost always false , and may easily judg by this whether it was not necessary to give the publick a method of travelling . i intend hereafter to treat of the politic genius of all the courts of europe , and hope the manner in which i shall discourse of 'em will sute the relish of the world ; because i am to treat of the facts and maxims of common use and conversation , without which 't is impossible to penetrate into the true spirit of those courts : and i shall begin with the port , or ottoman court. finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * a septier is a measure of corn containing about pound weight . * a blanc is about the value of a half-penny . memoirs of the court of spain in two parts / written by an ingenious french lady ; done into english by t. brown. mémoires de la cour d'espagne. english aulnoy, madame d' (marie-catherine), or - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) memoirs of the court of spain in two parts / written by an ingenious french lady ; done into english by t. brown. mémoires de la cour d'espagne. english aulnoy, madame d' (marie-catherine), or - . brown, thomas, - . [ ], , p. printed for t. horn ... f. saunders ... and t. bennet ..., london : . translation of: mémoires de la cour d'espagne. attributed to la mothe, marie catherine, comtesse d' aulnoy. cf. bm. errata: p. [ ]. reproduction of original in yale university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng spain -- court and courtiers. spain -- history -- charles ii, - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion memoirs of the court of spain . in two parts . written by an ingenious french lady . done into english by t. brown. vtile dulci . london , printed , for t. horn , at the royal exchange , f. saunders , at the new exchange and t. bennet , in s. paul's church-yard . . to his honest friend mr. william pate , of london woollen-draper . i know no occasion wherein all sorts of people have taken greater liberty , than in their dedications , both in regard of the persons to whom the complement is made , and of the things that are usually said in them . all authors pretend to disclaim flattery upon these subjects , and yet were historians to draw great men according as they are represented in dedications , abundance of persons would pass ▪ with posterity for men of wit , who never made a jest in their lives , and for honest patriots , who were only mere fripons at the bottom ; but tho most authors are agreed to wheedle and flatter in their dedications , yet i see they are not so well agreed in the choice of their patron ; some have chose whole corporations , or societies for this office , and indeed this conduct would be politick enough , if the parties , who are concerned in the dedication were obliged to espouse the author's quarrel ; others have gone a step further , and dedicated their books to the respective countries where they live ; and lastly , some of a more vniversal spirit , have offered them to the whole world in general , without any restrictions or limitations , as it consists of the four known parts , europe , asia , africk and america , and comprehends persons of all sorts and characters , those that can read as well as those that cannot , and those that have a religion as well as those that have none at all . but the generality of writers decline this course of dedication , because bodies politick , and countries , and the world it self , as large as it is , seldom reward the author , for , as we say , what is every mans business , is no mans business , and therefore they generally make choice of particular persons , and those for the greatest part of the best estates and fortunes ; not because an illustrious name gives any better protection to a book than a meaner would do , altho this is always pretended , but because such persons are best able to reward an author , and consider him for his incense . as i never knew a bad book sell a farthing the better for having a gaudy title prefixed to it , so a good one never fared the worse because it appeared without a fine fiocco : for in short , if the world has a mind to be censorious , a person of quality's name is as feeble an amulet against the criticks , as a silver horseshoe nailed upon a threshold would be against witchery and possession ; for i am of opinion , that an horseshoe made of iron is full as powerful a preservative as the other . now i had two reasons , mr. pate , to address the following translation to your self , the first is because you are my friend , with whose entertaining learned conversation i have been often diverted , and the next is , because i can approach you without any of that ceremony and fineness , which uses to embarras a young author so much , when he addresses himself to quality , where , as he is obliged to say several things against his conscience , so he cannot assume that familiarity and openness , which makes all sorts of discourses agreeable . however i would not have you think , that i am so unreasonable as to desire you to stand surety , or ( what in a few years will become a scandalous word with us ) godfather to my translation , because i am sensible there are several faults in it ; nor yet to defend the little poetry in it , because i understand spanish no more than i do arabic , and consequently was forced to copy after the french paraphrase ; nor lastly to stand up for the author of this epistle , for then you must resolve to combat all comers and goers : all i require of you is that if any of your acquaintance should enquire either after the book or the translator , you would only tell them that the book gives a good account of a certain prince's court , who at this present writing is one of our allies and confederates , and that the translator is a very honest fellow , who between a little french and less latin makes a shift to get a sorry livelihood . i have been often reproached , and particularly by your self for fitting idle a whole year , and writing nothing of my own ; now th● i must confess a certain party amongst us has given us almost daily provocations to encounter them , yet i find they are a generation that are never to be edified by satyr , and indeed all wholesome advice is effectually lost upon them . suppose you or i should tell honest mr. partridge yonder of covent-garden , that it was not civily done of him to leave the thirtieth of january , good friday , and the twenty ninth of may all at a clap out of his almanack , and that john gadbury and he may now shake hands together , like a couple of bigotted rascals as they are , perhaps next year , ( as who knows how far a turbulent reformer's zeal may carry him ) he will leave us never an apostle in the calender , to the utter confusion of the poor people in the country , who make no other use of the apostles , but only to direct them to the next horse-race or fair. to say the truth , we have too many ridiculous follies , and divisions amongst us ever to be cured by writing , which puts me in mind of what mr. burgess , who has made all the town merry with his preaching said lately upon this argument . we englishmen , crys he , have been famous in all ages for our wars and jars , and strife and life , and so forth : why , what do you think virgil said of you sixteen hundred years ago ? even penitus toto divisos orbe britannos , i.e. the britains are the most divided people in the whole world . thus you see , mr. pate , what little encouragement a man has to write , since it is so unlikely that he should ever cure any of those distempers that are so inveterate in our climate , but i haue a more particular reason still behind , which obliges me to sit a spectator , and purely respects my self ; for as i have had the ill luck to displease the moderate party by attacquing the merits of the comprehension in my last dialogue , so i have fallen under the indignation of the criticks by being too profuse and lavish of my similes . as for the first i have nothing to say to them , because they are a sort of gentlemen , to whom i never designed to make my court , and as for the last , before i go about to justifie my self , i will tell you a short story . i happened some years ago to make a visit to an honest decayed old captain in alsatia , and his chamber was a perfect wilderness : pipes and napkins , and ends of candles , and old cloaks were jumbled all together , but what was most remarkable a loaf and a cheese lay upon his close-stool . i asked him the reason of it , and the captain honestly told me that he did it only for want of room . and this mr. pate was my own case exactly , for there were several persons in the world for whom i had a kindness , and these for want of a better convenience i was often forced to throw into a simile , and to say the truth some , of them were such sad wretches that they did not deserve to have a paragraph bestowed upon them . but now to speak a word or two in behalf of these memoirs , i am in good hopes they will be favourably received , both because they were written originally by a lady , which will go a great way you know with the ladies , and admirers of ladies , as also because they give us a true idea of the spanish court , with which the generality of men amongst us , are utterly unacquainted , and lastly because they provide an agreeable entertainment to all sorts of people : for here is rain and sunshine , and earthquakes and shows , and masquerades , and processions , and the lord knows how much history in sippits to divert the zealous admirers of stow and hollenshead : and then for persons of better palats here are abundance of political reflexions , and judicious observations , with the true reasons how this vast monarchy , which in the last century made so considerable a figure in the world , is in this become so feeble and paralytic ; so that not to flatter the work , i should scarce believe it was written by one of the fair sex , but that several french gentlemen here about the town have fully satisfied me of the truth of it . i will only take notice of one instance among the rest to give you a true taste of this lady's ingenuity . don juan , while the administration of affairs was lodged in his hands removed a poor dominican from salamanca ( which place you know a certain doctor who pretends he has received more stripes on his back than st. paul and all his brethren did , has made remarkable in story by the chimerical degree he took there ) and made him the king's confessor . he thought by this means to have secured the monk for ever to his own interests , and to have had a trusty confident upon all occasions near his majesties person : but he found himself mightily mistaken in his expectation , for this beast of a religious , soon abandoned his patron 's party , and herded amongst his profest enemies . some people , says this lady , pretend that he did it out of a principle of conscience , but as for my self i am of another opinion , il est impossible que l' ingratitude puisse jamais avoir de bons principes . it is impossible that ingratitude should ever flow from any good principle . i am sorry that this honest doctrin is not in better reputation with some people amongst us , for i am satisfied that no pretence whatever can atone for so black and ungenerous a sin as ingratitude is . i should here , according to the laudable custom of all authors , take occasion to say something in your prai●e , but besides that i will not offer that violence to your modesty , i cannot handsomely commend you , for so great a variety of learning in so much youth , but but at the expence of the city , and you know i have too great a respect for our honourable metropolis to do any any thing of that nature , or indeed without a reproach to our selves , who cannot pretend such excuses , as the perpetual distractions of trade and business . indeed if your good fortune in the world prove answerable to your merits , you may for all i know dye a richer man than gresham or sutton : but i must tell you , my dear friend , that good fortune and merit are two as different things as any are in the world . i knew a gentleman who made a pleasant remark upon this occasion . i have , said he , in my time laid out for two things , viz. preferment and a red nose , with as much zeal and application as any man in town . to attain the last i have dutifully drank my gallon of claret every night , and a dull sober sot , a neighbour of mine , with his single penurious pint has arrived to it before me : and as for the former i have wearied out my patience in waiting at court , and at noblemens levees , and yet could never stumble upon any ; and so he concluded that several men come by preferment and red noses , who never deserved either of them . after all , mr. pate , if my wishes will do you any good , i wish you store of customers , but never a poet , or courtier , or disbanded captain , or player amongst them all . may i be so fortunate as to behold you advanced to the highest pinacle of honour in the city , to furnish new matter for settle's triumphs of london , to sentence light butter and bread on horseback , to terrify sabbath-breakers , and those that forget to hang out their lights , to appear in the next edition of baker or stow , and arrive to the priviledge of sleeping in your gold chain at guild-hall chappel . in short , may you be the wealthiest , happiest man within the bills of mortality , and may you ever continue to love your friend and servant , t. brown. errata . page . line . instead of usually read generally , p. . l. instead of corogne r. groyne . p. . l. . instead of having taken the horoscope of flanders , r. having had his nativity calculated in flanders . memoirs of the court of spain . we must not expect to find in a general history those particular relations of things , that generally entertain the reader better than the history it self : but when any person is once acquainted with them , he often reflects upon them with a great deal of pleasure . i imagine i may without any flattery pretend my self to be capable of writing several secret passages , that happened at madrid from the year , to the year . however i think it not amiss to begin these memoirs from the time of philip the iv. in order to render the following discourse more intelligible , and to give the reader a better idea of the genius of the spanish court. elizabeth of france , his queen , being dead , he espoused mary ann of austria , daughter of the emperor ferdinand , and sister of him that reigns at present . she was young , of a fair flaxen complexion , her humour was lively and pleasant , and she was no less agreeable than witty . she departed from vienna , in order to go to spain●n ●n the year ● . she loved the arch-duke her brother very affectionately , and as both of them were weeping when they took their leave of one another , she demanded of him what it lay in her power to do for his service : my dear sister , says he , it lies in your powe● to have an infanta there , which you may give to me in marriage . this accident is so much the more observable , because the arch-duke having at that time an elder brother , who died afterwards king of the romans , and being himself designed for the ecclesiastic state , there was little probability that he should ever arrive to the empire , and marry , as it since fell out , the eldest daughter of the queen his sister . amongst several other persons , whom the emperor gave the queen his daughter to accompany her into spain , he chose father iohn evrard nitard , a german jesuit , to be her confessor . his extraction was mean and obscure , and he employed almost all his thoughts in the advancing of his fortune . he was of a supple complaisant temper , he exactly studied the respective characters of those persons to whom he belonged , and took care never to differ much from them as to matters of opinion . he finished his studies in the jesuits college at vienna , and there took upon him the habit of his order , and afterwards was sent to govern one of their seminaries , in which office he acquitted himself very well . when he came back again to vienna , he began to make himself known in the world , and several ladies of the court desired him to be their spiritual director : they omitted no opportunity to do him all the good offices they could with the emperor ; and in fine , spoke in such advantagious terms of him , that he was well enough contented to let the queen take him along with her . this princess was extreamly surprized at all the spanish customs , which those who came to wait upon her from the king , caused her to observe in the first days of her voyage . i have have been told that as she arrived to a certain city under the dominion of the king of spain , where the principal commodities of the place consisted in frocks , wastcoats and silk stockings ; they made her a present of a great quantity of them , of different colours ; but her major domo mayor who religiously observed the spanish gravity , despised the present , and so taking up a bundle of silk stockins , threw them at the heads of the deputies of the town . aveis de saber , says he to them in a very furious tone , que las reynas de espagna no teinen piernas , that is to say , i would have you to know that the queens of spain have no legs ; meaning , that they are so far elevated above others by vertue of their rank , that they have no feet to touch the ground like the rest of their sex. however it was , the young queen , who was not as yet acquainted with the niceties of the spanish language , took it in the literal sense , and began to weep , saying that she was fully determined to go back to vienna ▪ and if she had known before her departure from thence that they design'd to cut off her legs , she would rather have died , than stirred a foot . it was no difficult matter to assure her of the contrary , and she continued her voyage . when she came to madrid they told the king of this innocent simplicity of his queen , he was so mightily pleased at the story , that he vouchsafed to laugh a little at it , and this was the most extraordinary thing in the world for him to do , for whether it proceeded from affectation , or was the effect of his constitution , it was observed of him that he never laugh'd above thrice in all his life . the king show'd a great respect for father nitard because he was the queen's confessor , who reposed an intire confidence in him , but whatever desires she had to see him advanced , he left him peaceably in his post , without conferring any other dignities upon him , and he had unquestionably continued a long time in the same condition , if the king had not hapned to die . when that prince found himself to be dangerously ill , and saw he could not bequeath the care of his kingdoms to cardinal sandoval , upon whose management of affairs he always depended , because he was at that time extremely sick , and to say the truth , died but hours after him ; he made his will , wherein he ordered that the queen his spouse should be regent of the kingdom , and governess of the young prince , who was then four years and an half old , a he named the cardinal of arragon , archbishop of toledo and inquisitor general ; the count of castrillo president of castile , the count de penarauda , don cristoval crespi chancellor of arragon , and the marquiss d' aytona ; to the end that these six ministers should assist the queen in her councils ; and thus the king died in the month of september . b the queen resented the great loss she sustained with abundance of sorrow , but she had been still more sensible of it , if she had found her self in the condition of the other queens of spain , who are obliged to enter into a convent , when they are widows , unless the king orders the contrary before his decease ; nor was she insensible of the sweets of governing . the first use she made of her authority , was in favour of father nitard : for don pascal of arragon having been made archbishop of toledo and grand inquisitor , in the place of cardinal sandoval , the queen sent for him , and by her repeated importunities prevailed with him to quit the last of these two dignities . c he could not be brought to comply with this request without a great deal of trouble , for he almost chose rather to be inquisitor general , than archbishop of toledo , although that archbishoprick is worth thousand crowns per annum . but he was not able to refuse the queen a thing she so passionately desired , who as soon as she saw her self in a capacity to dispose of that important charge , bestow'd it upon her confessor . as she engaged her self in this affair of her own proper inclination , without consulting any thing else but the desire she had to see him made superior to the other ministers , so she took occasion to discourse of it to them , who immediately began to murmur amongst themselves . they read over the will of the late king , where they found it expresly ordered that the queen should do nothing without consulting their advice , and yet notwithstanding all this precaution of the deceased , they saw with no little concern that she had without ever communicating the matter to them , disposed of one of the most considerable offices in the kingdom , and that to a meer stranger , who had been born and bred up in the d lutheran religion till he was years of age . the desire they had to preserve their own authority , and the jealousie which it is natural for all men to have of a favourite , made them speak very fiercely in the matter : however the queen being informed of their discontent , took the true measures to appease them . the charming manner of her deportment , and particularly the obliging things she spoke to them upon this occasion , prevailed with them to lay aside their murmurs , so they agreed to dispatch letters of naturalization for the confessor , without which it was impossible for him to execute the office the queen had given him . altho all those difficulties that at first threatned to hinder the elevation of father nitard , were removed without any great trouble , yet he did not fail to raise several secret enemies upon himself , who envied his growing fortune . they beheld with a great disdain and impatience the extraordinary confidence that the queen reposed in him , for she determined nothing without advising with him , and so great was his credit , and interest with her that he durst offer to resolve things of the greatest importance , without speaking a word about them to the queen . don iuan was one of those that was the most offended at the advancement of father nitard : he was sensible that they would turn him out of all by little and little , upon this score he gave way intirely to the father confessor , whom the q. had made counsellor of state ; he then retired to consuegra the ordinary residence of the grand prior of castile , of the order of malta , and said very imperiously , that after he had seen himself president of the privy council of the king his father , he could never endure a companion that was so much his inferior . but the queen who was wholly busied in advancing her chief minister , never disquieted her self with thinking what reflections people might make upon him , so that without taking the least notice of don iuan's discontent , she suffered him to depart , and he continued a long time without visiting the court , until the queen sent him particular orders at aranjues , whither he was gone to divert himself , to come immediately for madrid upon some important affairs , which she was willing to communicate to him he was the natural son of king philip iv. and a certain actress whose name was maria calderona . he was privately brought up at ocana near madrid , and of all the natural sons that king had , he only acknowledged him , whether it were because he loved his mother better than any of his other mistresses ( and to say the truth she was the most charming person in the world . ) or because count d' olivarez procured this good fortune for him ; for 't is commonly given out that the count had a son named don iulian de gusman , whom he had a mind to own , and therefore used this artifice of perswading the king to begin with don iuan , that so he might follow his example . whatever the matter was , philip loved this young prince very tenderly , altho some people suspected he was the son of the duke of medina , of the house of gusman , who had formerly been passionately in love with the young calderona , and was in his time the most accomplisht handsom cavalier in spain , and don iuan very much resembled him . but if some persons were of this opinion , others could never believe it , especially when they considered the great kindness and fatherly affection that the king had for him , and besides reflected upon his extraordinary good qualities , which declared him to be worthy to be the son of so great a monarch . he was brave even to a contempt of all dangers whatever , gallant and agreeable , well-shaped , obliging , liberal , and a person of great honour ; he had abundance of wit , and was master of a genius that extended it self to all arts and sciences . as there is ne're a court in europe where natural sons are treated with such advantageous distinctions as they are in spain , so this prince could scarce perceive that the unhappiness of his birth did in the least prejudice his advancement ; and 't is indeed a certain truth , that we see in this country , the legitimate sons bred up with those that are not so in the same father's house , without any distinction between one and the other . but this custom is not altogether observed with relation to the natural sons of the kings of spain : for example , they never bestow the title of infante upon them , and don iuan who passionately desired to have it , used his utmost efforts to accomplish it , but had not the fortune to succeed in his designs . from the year the king had given him the government of the low countries , e of burgundy and charolois , and he always enjoyed it , excepting the time when the arch-duke leopold governed there . don iuan contributed very much towards the reducing the kingdom of naples to the spanish obedience : he took piombino and portolongone , and in all his campaigns he performed a world of actions that equally testified his bravery and conduct . the king his father having conceived no less an esteem than tenderness for him , communicated to him the most weighty affairs of state , and chose him to be chief of an assembly of the chief ministers of his kingdom . he was scarcely arrived at madrid but a council was held , where he came to be informed that the king of france was resolved to espouse the interests of his queen , to whom brabant and some other states of the low countries escheated by right of devolution , upon the death of the infant don balthazar her brother ; that his most christian majesty had published a manifesto wherein he proved the justice of his claim , and that not thinking himself obliged to consume any time in unprofitable contestations , he had turned his arms towards that side of the country ; that he had matched his troops with incredible diligence , and made considerable conquests as soon as ever he appeared . upon a serious examination of the present state of the monarchy , they were convinced that it was impossible at the same time to maintain a war against france and portugal , and that it was necessary for them to lay hold of a certain conjuncture that made a very plausible appearance ; that don alphonso king of portugal , having by his extravagant conduct lost the hearts of his people , was dispossest of the government , and his subjects freed from the allegiance they ow'd him ; that the infanta don pedro his brother had taken upon him the administration of affairs ; that things of this considerable importance could neither be begun nor ended without some disturbance , during which they must have occasion for their own troops , and therefore if it was judged expedient they should lay hold of this opportunity to advance proposals for a peace . after every one had delivered his own opinion of the matter , the queen came to this conclusion . a letter was dispatched to the marquiss de liche , who was at that time prisoner of war at lisbon , wherein he had all necessary instructions given him . in fine , he managed the affair so dexterously , that the regent don pedro listened favourably to the proposals , and so a treaty of peace was concluded on the th , of ian. . this news was entertained at madrid with a great deal of satisfaction , because the affairs of flanders grew every day worse and worse , and it was necessary to take some speedy measures to preserve it , or else to abandon it for good and all . new levies of souldiers were ordered in gallicia and elsewhere , and the queen cast her eyes upon don iuan to send him thither to command the troops ; for besides that no body was more capable of so great a trust than he was , she had observed that during the little stay he made at madrid , his aversion to f. nitard daily increased , and this reason alone was sufficient to incline her to resolve upon his removal . she was not able to indure those biting reflections which don iuan by way of raillery very liberally bestowed upon the father confessor . one time among the rest when the ministers demanded of him who was fit to send against the king of france . i am clearly of opinion , says he , that we had best send father nitard , he is a saint to whom heaven can refuse nothing ; the post wherein we behold him at present is an undeniable proof of those miracles , which he can command upon all occasions . the confessor answered , with a very melancholly air , that he was of a profession which taught him to hope every thing from the divine mercy , but that it did not belong to his function to be a general of an army . oh my dear father , replies don iuan , and don 't we see your reverence every day employed in things that are full as unsuitable to your profession . as i said before , it was resolved to send the prince with the new supplies to flanders , and a recruit of nine hundred thousand crowns , with which they furnished him out of the silver that was brought in the gallions . necessary orders were likewise dispatched to cales , and so the admiral who had charge given of this sum , set sail with eight vessels , from thence at the same time when don iuan was marching towards gor●●ne , where the rendezvous was appointed to be . the french fleet cruised upon the coasts of gallicia , and was composed of vessels and fireships . don iuan finding his forces much inferiour to the enemy was not willing to hazard all in a fight , where in all probability he could not avoid a total defeat . therefore he thought it more advised to send his troops in small bodies to flanders , where they arrived without any danger . the formidable power of his most christian majesty not only alarm'd the spaniard , but the english and dutch , who after a bloody war at last concluded a peace at breda in . and having ceast from all acts of hostility towards one another , entred into a league , in the beginning of . to oblige the king of spain to accept of one of the two alternatives proposed by the king of france , who still persisted in his offers . after their example the archbishop of triers , the duke of bavaria , the elector palatine , and duke ernest augustus of brunswick bishop of osnabruck , concerted their resolutions for the common safety , and made a league , whereby they obliged themselves to endeavour the adjusting the differences between france and spain , or else to declare war against either of the two crowns that should refuse their mediation , and act against the treaty . the pope likewise entred into the league , and a peace was concluded at aix la chapelle . but these things were not so speedily determined , but that other matters of consequence happened at madrid and other places , which strangely perplexed those persons that were interested and concerned in them . don iuan as was before mentioned , was at corogue upon the point of imbarquing himself , when he received certain informations of the death of ioseph mallades a gentleman of arragon whom he entirely loved . it was told him to his unexpressible amazement , that he had been secretly arrested at madrid about eleven a clock at night ; and that by an order of the queen written by her own hand , he was strangled two hours after . the great care they took to keep this execution private only contributed to make it spread the faster , and it was not doubted but that the queen sacrificed this unfortunate gentleman to the security of her confessor . don iuan was extremely concerned at the tragical death of a person whom he loved so well , and yet more enraged at the injury which he imagined himself to have directly received from father nitard , resolved not to go to flanders . they would never have exposed me to the puissance of the most christian king , ( says he to don diego de valasco , for whom he had an extraordinary affection ) but only with a design to compleat my ruine . they will certainly take care to keep back those succours from time to time , of which i shall stand in need , and whatsoever good conduct i may use in the management of the war , there is no question to be made , but that they will make me answerable for all the ill success we meet . you see i am now at the port , and yet they have executed a man who was guilty of no other crime than of wearing the character of my friend . what will they do then if i were once in flanders , all my friends would undoubtedly find themselves exposed to the malice and hatred of the new favourite . he searched the most plausible pretences he could think of , to excuse his going for flanders . for some days he feigned him●elf to be indisposed , and sent word to the queen that he was troubled with a defluxion on his breast , that the physicians had made him apprehend the fatal consequences of it if he undertook so long a voyage , and therefore he beseeched her to dispense with him . an alteration so little expected made a great noise at court , and gave no small mortification to her majesty and father nitard . they easily guessed at the cause , and if they had imagined the prince was no farther off , perhaps they had not sentenced malladas to die so soon . the q. ordered don iuan to resign his employ to the constable of castile , who was to go to flanders in his room , and also commanded him to go immediately to consuegra , without presuming to come nearer than league of madrid , which he accordingly obey'd . but it seems this obedience was not enough to satisfie the queen's indignation , who was so exasperated at him , that in august . she carried into the council with her own hands a decree against the prince ; wherein she represented to them the disobedience he had shown at so pressing a juncture , and the reasons which ought to have obliged him to set sail , altho the indisposition he pretended had been really true ▪ that a lye from a subject to his soveraign was always thought worthy of the highest punishments , and especially under such important circumstances . don iuan was informed of all that this decree contained against him , and he was the more sensibly concerned at this ill usage , since he had trespassed so much upon moderation , in not making a louder complaint of the death of malladas . the man that served altogether to estrange his inclinations from the queen , was a captain , whose name was don petro de pinilla , who having asked leave to speak with the queen , threw himself at her feet , and entertained her an hour in private without any bodies knowing what he said to her . it is not doubted by what happened afterwards but that he discovered something of importance against don bernardo pategno , brother to don iuan's chief secretary because he was seized the next morning with of his servants . these informations were kept so secret that no one knew the matters they contained : the marquess de salinas , captain of the spanish guards , received orders from the q. to post away with fifty of the reformed officers , and arrest the prince at consuegra ; but altho he used the utmost diligence in this affair , yet he was not able to find him . this , as it happened , did not prove unlucky to him , for don iuan had about him at that time a great number of his friends and domesticks , who would all have hazarded their lives to preserve him from being taken ; but by his great prudence he avoided the exposing any single man of them , for being advertised of what had passed he withdrew in time , and only left a letter behind him to the queen , dated octob. . wherein he spoke to her with greater liberty than he had hitherto used . he there takes an occasion to acquaint her , that he would have certainly gone for flanders , if it had not been for the surprizing and tragical death of his friend malladas , that he had all the reason in the world to believe that father nitard was the instrument and author of it , that so horrid an injustice ●●ied out aloud for vengeance against the man that had committed it , that he found himself possest with an earnest desire to contribut what lay in his power towards the removal of so wicked a man , that he humbly beseeched her both for the good of the kingdom in general , as also for her majesties glory to consent to his banishment ; that he hop'd he should never be constrained to have recourse to any other methods than those of prayer to chase him out of that place , where his presence was become odious to all the world ; that he found himself obliged to go and seek a sanctuary against the violences of this stranger , and that this was a cruel necessity for a person of his quality ; that he hoped her majesty would be pleased to make serious reflections upon the whole , and apply necessary remedies accordingly . the reading of this letter awakened all the resentment and indignation that the queen had naturally to don iuan : she flew into the greatest passion imaginable , and had made it appear in a terrible manner , if the grandees and people had not testified less inclination for her . 't was a new subject of displeasure to the queen and father nitard to see that all the world agreed to set themselves free from his ministry , and that they had the hardiness to tax him publickly with the murder of malladas , and the imprisonment of patigno . this obliged the queen to set forth a declaration , wherein she assured the world that both those persons came to madrid to execute the wicked designs of don iuan , that she was fully inform'd of the whole by their ●wn proper confession , and that she had never proceeded so far as to take away malladas's life if she had not been assured of his crime . at the same time father nitard printed and published a sort of an apology , in which he accuses don iuan with having frequently endeavour'd to assassinate him ; he spoke of this design as a thing beyond contest , and declared his own innocence with relation to the death of malladas , and the imprisonment of patigno . he pretended to give an undeniable proof of this assertion , in alledging that when the former was strangled , he was saying over his breviary along with frier bustos ; and that when the second was arrested , he was setting his papers in order in his cabinet . then he took occasion to enlarge upon the nobleness of his birth , and upon the considerable services which his ancestors had done for the emperours . this article only served to set people on work to examine the obscurity of his family . he addressed this writing to the queen , and she for her part forgot nothing that might make his attestation be the better believed . some time after she presented to the council a second complaint against the prince , charging him with having 〈…〉 flanders ; in which 't was easy to discover the high and mighty expectations with which he fed his ambition . that such an insufferable curiosity had been always punished as a crime of high treason , that it was not only necessary to examine the fault , but also the quality of the person that committed it , that the debate was about a man of design , who could by no means pretend to sin out of ignorance ; and an ungrateful rebellious subject loaded with favours and rewards by the crown ; that it was absolutely requisite to chastize him , for fear lest a connivance should authorize his wicked designs , and put him in a capacity of accomplishing them . the prince had too many friends , not to find some amongst them who had the courage to defend him ; there was scarce any thing to be seen in all manner of company but multitude of writings , the bitterness of which only served to animate the interested parties , and make them more inveterate . those that appear'd in behalf of don iuan , maintained that he was incapable of forming so mean and low a design as that of assassinating father nitard ; that if it had ever entred into his imagination , the execution of it could have been no difficult matter ; that the difference was only about a stranger of an ecclesiastic , without friends or relations , supported by a q. who ought to have abandoned him to vengeance , when she was informed of his wicked conduct ; that the best proof one can bring to show that the prince had no inclination to do any such thing was , because it was not done ; that far from endeavouring to take him off privately , he had demanded in publick to have him removed from his ministry , and that for attempting his removal , he exposed himself to all the indignation of the queen : that at the bottom , father nitard would have no reason to complain of his ill usage , since he was permitted to retire with the punishment only of a pension of crowns per annum , which he has hitherto enjoyed , besides some other private benevolences that don't appear ; that so considerable a revenue one would think might content the ambition of a simple ecclesiastic ; who was himself of so vindicative a nature , that he would fain have assassinated the prince at barcelona and consuegra ; that it was not the effect of any particular resentment which made don iuan press the queen so earnestly to send him home to his own country , being generous enough to forget any private injuries ; but that he was too good a subject to bear any longer with a man , whose rash and violent counsels might some time or other prove the occasion of a general revolution in the kingdom of spain . to this they added several other things , which i shall pass over in silence . the court and the city were divided upon this point , every one engaging himself in the affair , either as his own sentiments led him , or as he was influenced by the reports of others . nay the court ladies entred into the quarrel , and for a distinction of the party they embraced , some were called austrians , and others nitardines . thus i have given you a relation of what past at madrid , during the time that don iuan kept himself at a distance from it , and approached to barcelona . the queen was ignorant what way he took , and her disquietudes doubled upon her , when she considered with her self what dangerous effects an affair of this nature might carry along with it , especially seeing it began with so much heat . when he was arrived there he writ a very respectful letter to the queen , but did not conceal the resolution he had taken , to demand of her constantly the removal of her confessor ; he advised her to it with very forcible reasons , but they only provoked her the more against him , and she could never suffer her self to be perswaded , that she ought to deprive her self of the man in whom she reposed so intire a confidence , and for whom she preserved so great an affection . she found that don iuan meddled with an affair she had no inclination to , and that since the council which the late king had assigned her , could find nothing to except against the father's conduct , she was not obliged to gratifie an aversion , which the prince had so injustly entertained against him ; that it would be for her glory , to testifie to the world the firmness of her mind in this rencounter ; and that if she abandoned her servants at the first chimerical objections that were raised against them , it would be a dangerous matter for anyone to serve her . in fine , the extream desire she had to keep father nitard with her , furnished her with such specious reasons , that no body durst combat them . the father on his part knew not where to turn himself , he was pleased without question to see himself beloved and protected by so great a queen , and to enjoy an absolute power next to her ; but on the other hand , he was not without sensible emotions when he considered what an enemy he had to deal with : he was apprehensive of being poisoned or assassinated , and tho the council had not as yet spoken against him , yet he was not ignorant that he was but ill beloved by all the ministers . and that if ever it was his fortune to be turned out , the greatest part of the grandees would commend the courage and constancy of don iuan. these reflexions so palled his spirits , that he often went and threw himself at her majesty's feet , with tears in his eyes , humbly to beg the favour of her to suffer him to depart : but she always assur'd him of the continuance of her protection , and forbad him any more to mention that thing , which gave her so much pain and uneasiness . the prince did not content himself with writing to the queen , but writ also to the chief ministers , in such vehement terms , that they evidently saw what it was he desired to do with the father confessor , and likewise that he would never depart from his resolutions . he pray'd them to second him with her majesty , and to represent to her , of what a mighty consequence it would be to the state , to send this stranger home . these letters mightily augmented the troubles of f. nitard , his friends were afraid that don iuan would betake himself to violent methods , and his enemies had the satisfaction to consider that the prince would employ his u●most efforts to turn him out of spain . but those that beheld the whole scene calmly and without passion , judged that the queens obstinacy and the opiniatrete of don iuan , would necessarily involve the kingdom in some great disorders , where every thing would be equally confounded . the queen fell into the greatest passion imaginable , whenever the matter was mentioned to her , and finding her person to be no where else in safety , she order'd the cavalry to come to pardo , which is a royal palace within two leagues of madrid . 't is certain , that if she had had less fears upon her , she had at that moment declared don iuan rebel . she communicated this design to her father confessor , who approved of this way of procedure well enough , but others that were consulted about it , opposed it with all their might . they represented to her , that in case this was done , the prince would no longer observe any measures with her , that perhaps he waited for a favourable pretence to declare himself ; that he was brave in his own person , well beloved by his friends , and besides had the people on his side ; that less causes have occasioned great revolutions ; that there was nothing left but good usage and gentleness that could make him return to his duty , or at least convince him that nothing had been omitted to inspire him with a true sense of it . altho this advice was extremely opposite to the queens resentments , and by her good will she would never have treated with a prince , by whom she supposed herself to be injured , yet she was at last perswaded to follow this good counsel . so she wrote a very obliging letter to him , wherein she conjured him to return to consuegra , and she engaged her royal word for the security of his person . don iuan made some difficulty at first of obeying these orders , whether it were , because he was apprehensive , as he told the queen , of putting himself into the hands of father nitard , whom he had but lately escaped , or for some other reasons that are unknown : but the duke d' ossone , who was then at barcelona , spoke to him with so much zeal , and so vigorously sollicited him to obey her majesty's orders , that he submitted to his reasons , and so departed with three companies of horse , which the duke had given him for his guard . the queen having received advice of it , contrived to give him some affronts upon the road . she knew that he was to pass through arragon , and therefore she writ to the states of that kingdom to show don iuan no manner of respect , nay , even to seek out some opportunities to disgust him ; but herein she was ill obey'd . the states sent her word back again , that they could not dispence with themselves from paying to the son of the late king , and the brother of their present monarch , those devoirs that were due to his quality and merits . to say the truth , they acquitted themselves herein with the greatest zeal ; and when he approached saragossa , all the inhabitants went out above two leagues to meet him on the way . the press was so great that he had much ado to get through it , they cried all with one voice , let the king live , and the lord don juan , let him always have the better of his enemies , and curses light on the iesuit that persecutes him . every one scatter'd flowers before him , such as the season of the year furnished them with , and sprinkled him with perfumed waters ; the ladies better apparell'd than they used to be on the most solemn days , made a double lane for him with their coaches ; the air was filled with nothing but the benedictions and praises they bestow'd upon him : in a word , the joy was universal in this great city . the queen and father confessor , who received a faithful relation of the whole proceedings , were sensibly concerned , she to see the contempt wherewith her orders were entertain'd , he to find himself so inveterately hated by the people . the report of iuan's extraordinary reception spread it self as far as madrid ; and amongst several persons that receiv'd it with joy and satisfaction , there were many that apprehended some disorder at the return of the prince . in order to prevent those evils that seemed to threaten them , the regidors and other magistrates of that city assembled on the first of february . they sent four of their body to the president of castile , to represent to him the great mischief that might be occasioned by iuan's arrival with his troops , at a time when the court was so weak , and the people so insolent and disposed for a revolt ; that notwithstanding the prince was well affectioned towards them , yet he would not be able to prevent the lamentable effects they had reason to fear . the president waited upon the queen , and the council immediately met , where it was ordered to dispatch a courier to don iuan , with her majesty's orders to send back his guards without delay . he received the order , but hastened his march , making the courier follow him two days , on the third he gave him a receipt for his order , and sent him back without any answer . in the mean time that he delay'd the couriers coming back , they were alarm'd at court with the ill success of his voyage , and their uneasiness was much increas'd in the palace , when they saw him sent back without any letter . some of the lords went thereupon to find out the president , to desire him to tell the queen , that they were ready to undertake any thing in the world for her service . the cavalry was drawn up together , and preparations were making at madrid to sustain a siege , the event whereof appeared very doubtful , altho they had to deal with a prince who was only attended by horse . 't was in effect this guard that occasioned the greatest trouble ; the queen ordered the marquess de penalva to assemble the reformed officers together , with those that should offer themselves , to go upon this occasion , and tell the prince , that her majesty ordered him to send back the three troops of horse , he had brought along with him . the marquess de penalva was disposed to obey , but he demanded an order of the council royal , and the secretary of state refused to expedite it , alledging that the queen could do nothing without the council of the government , and that she had never consulted them about this affair . the queen being provoked , sent the secretary word , that he ought seriously to consider what difficulties he was going to start at so ill an exigence , and how little they were to the purpose . the cardinal arragon , the count de penarauda , and the vice-chancellor came to wait upon her majesty ; they represented to her , that the secretary was in the right , and gave the president of castile a severe reprimand for giving way by his counsels to an order that might have produced very evil consequences . they resolved at last not to take up arms ; and to dissipate the apprehensions the people were under at madrid , 't was publickly proclaimed that don iuan had sent back his guards , or that if he had not done it as yet ; yet he would send them back at the first warning . the queen having no hopes at all of seeing her self obeyed by force , betook her self to more gentle methods , to try if she could by that conduct oblige don iuan to send back his soldiers : she writ to him by don diego de velasco , who was his great confident , and the letter was very courteous and civil . the prince , who came secretly to madrid to discover the state of affairs , the dispositions of his friends , and what he might be able to effect there , very resolutely sent the queen word again , that there lay no obligation upon him to expose himself to the revenge of father nitard , therefore he positively demanded to have him turned out of the kingdom ; that after this were once done , none of all her subjects should pay a more dutiful submission to her orders than himself . this was to demand a thing of the queen , which she had no manner of inclination to grant ; the noncio borromée , the council of state , and the grandees gave themselves a great deal of trouble to no purpose to adjust the matter . in the mean time the prince appeared so firm in his resolution , that all the world judged it would go very happy for the confessor , if he could escape with his life . he himself was sensible enough of the danger he was in , so he redoubled his importunities with the queen to suffer him to depart . she returned him no answer but by her tears and sighs , insomuch that he chose rather to expose his own life to the utmost extremity , than disoblige her by leaving her service . news arrived , that the prince was come with his troops to torrejon-dardos , which is but four leagues from madrid . those that were of the queens party were mightily disquieted at it , and she her self was more afflicted than the rest . they heard her several times repeat these words , oh heavens ! this good father will be the first sacrifice . the council of the government met , and desired the nuncio to carry don iuan the letter the pope had written to him , wherein he conjured him to preserve those sentiments of respect and submission for the queen , which a subject ow'd his soveraign . the nuncio went to find him ▪ and came back about midnight . no body almost in this great city went to bed , but attended his return with impatience , for they knew the occasion of his journey ; and the people ran up and down the streets in great bodies , asking each other who they were for . the news the nuncio brought back with him did not at all please the queen , he told her that he had earnestly requested the prince to go to guadalajara , or at least to stay where he was a few days , that new measures might be taken to satisfie him , but that the prince refused both the one and the other , and said , that if on the monday following the co●f●ssor would not go out of the gate , he would throw him out at the window , and enter madrid on purpose to put it in execution . it was afterwards known , that this negotiation passed after another manner , viz. that the prince had agreed to let father nitard be with the queen , provided she would grant some advantages to him which he proposed ; but that the nuncio , who had no kindness for the father , was resolved to break the treaty all to pieces by concealing the favourable inclinations of don iuan. father nitard was informed of all that happened , he confessed the queen the next morning , and afterwards threw himself at her feet , beseeching her not to expose him to the outrages which he might expect to suffer from an incensed prince , that his life was at stake , and that there was no other way to preserve it , but by submitting to the present necessity . the queen answered him with abundance of tears , that she was not able to consent to his removal , that he should not disquiet himself at all , for she would take care to set things to rights again . he was well enough satisfied of her own good will for him , but he questioned whether her power answered her inclinations ; nevertheless he resolved at last that he would be torn in pieces by the people , before he would leave madrid without her order . so he tarried with her , having all the apprehensions upon him that a man , who every moment expects his death , can be capable of . these affairs came to this upshot at last , that on monday the th of february , the great court of the palace was filled with numbers of people of all conditions , who in a disorderly manner , that was not easie to be suppressed , loudly demanded to have the confessor discarded without any more delay , that no body was ignorant of what don iuan had said to the nuncio , that the city would go near to be exposed to plunder and desolation for the sake of a jesuit who was a stranger , and had no other merit to recommend him but his pleasing the queen . the duke d' infantado and the marquess de liche seeing such a vast multitude assembled together , ran to the queens apartment , who was then in bed : she had not closed her eyes all night long , and had not enjoyed one moment of rest , having it seems received some information of what had past . one of her ladies , whose name was donna eugenia , was upon her knees by her to comfort her in these extremities . alas , said the queen to her , what signifies my grandeur , and these high titles they give me , since i am not allowed the liberty to keep the good man any longer with me , upon whom the consolation of my life depends ? there is never a lady in spain but has the priviledge of keeping her chaplain , and no body finds fault with it . but i am the only woman in the kingdom , that is persecuted upon this score , and whose confessor must be taken away from her by force . the council sate immediately because the disorder still increased in the city , and it was to be feared that it would augment more and more . some of the ministers , who were in the queens interests , were for finding out some expedient to hinder the departure of father nitard ; but others pretended there was no room left for an accommodation , and said that if the business was any longer delayed , all would be lost : that don iuan would soon enter madrid , and then friends and enemies would fare alike , that their debate at present was only about a poor ecclesiastick , whom the people hated even to madness , and never mentioned without the bitterest execrations , altho at the bottom he never deserved them , and was an honest man. her majesty happening to be in bed , when the duke d' infantado , and the marquess de liche demanded to speak with her , they could not see her , because it is the custom in spain for no body to go into the queens chamber when she is gone to bed. so they went to the cavacuela , which is a place under ground belonging to the palace , where the * secretaries of state abide . they spoke to don blasco de loyola , and would have given him a memoir to deliver to her majesty ; but the great haste they made in running up to the queens apartment , and afterwards in hurrying down stairs again to the privy council , together with the great ado they made to get in , caused several persons that met them , to follow after them , so that when they entred the chamber where the ministers were assembled , to inform themselves of what had past , * they found a great rabble of people who entred along with them , and began to cry out all together , deliver us from the iesuit , and send him packing . the ministers continued a while surprized , and looking upon one another , while the rabble renewed their importunities , adding at the same time some menaces against those that should offer to stand by the father confessor . without demurring any longer upon the matter , they resolved to send don blasco de loyola to wait upon the queen with a decree , with which they entrusted him . he brought her word that the council had determin'd that father nitard should depart madrid within three hours warning . the order was already drawn and the queen discovered no emotion in reading it ; she signed it with great steadiness of mind , and without shedding one tear ; but being desirous that her confessors removal should not seem to be extorted by force , but that he made an honourable retreat , she procured an order of leave to be drawn up in these words , whereas f. john everard nitard , of the society of jesus , my confessor , minister of state , and inquisitor general , has humbly intreated me to give him leave to withdraw himself out of these kingdoms ; altho i am fully satisfied not only of his integrity and his other good qualities , but also of the great zeal and application wherewith he has always served the crown ; yet nevertheless upon the account of his earnest supplications , as well as for divers other important reasons , i have given him my permission to go where he pleases : and since i desire that this may be done in a manner that is suitable to his merits and dignity , i have ●hought it expedient to give him his choice of going in the quality of embassador extraordinary either to germany or rome , with all the emoluments and advantages that belong to that charge . given at madrid the th of february , . as soon as don blasco was gone , the queen using no farther violence with her self to keep in her tears , shed them very plentifully , and casting herself upon the bed with all the grief imaginable cryed out incessantly , alas ! alas ! to what purpose is it to be a queen and regent ! on the other hand the council commanded the cardinal of arragon , and the count de penaranda to go and acquaint father nitard with the order her majesty had signed . he who had long expected this tempest , seemed not to be surprized at the news , but was perswaded by the nuncio's importunities not to go to council as he had designed , for he told him the people were so highly incensed against him , that he would infallibly run the risque of being torn to pieces , if he offer'd to shew himself . the superiors of the jesuits were come to wait upon him to prepare him for this fatal stroak . the admiral of castile came thither also , telling him with great fierceness and that freedom of conversation , that so peculiarly distinguishes persons of quality from others , that he had drawn all these misfortunes upon himself by his own ill measures , which he there particularly enumerated to him . the father who had been never accustomed to these reprimands , replyed that this discourse was not fit for an inquisitor general to hear before all the world . when the cardinal of arragon arrived , he found the father extremely afflicted . the necessity of parting immediately without so much as taking leave of the queen his mistriss toucht him to the quick . the cardinal was not able to refrain tears at beholding it , whether from a consideration of the incertainty of humane affairs that have no sure foundation , or else from the particular esteem he always had for him . he offer'd to furnish him with a thousand pistols for his voyage , and the count de penarauda with letters of exchange for thirty thousand ducats , but he would not accept of them , saying , that as he came thither a poor ecclesiastic , so he knew well enough how to depart from thence under the same circumstances . the cardinal comforted him as well as he was able , and told him that he would accompany him to fuencaral , then he withdrew to leave him at liberty to set his own things in order , and towards the evening came to take him up in his coach , which was well guarded : he asked him immediately whether all his things were ready , i have no other things , replies the father , save only my habit and breviary , so they departed , being accompanied by all the officers of the inquisition . as soon as ever the people saw father nitard , they fell a crying and throwing stones at him , and followed him with curses and imprecations : it happen'd well for him that he was in company with a person of the cardinal's dignity , for otherwise he had been exposed to the fury of the rabble . the grief that so rude a treatment possest him with , obliged him several times to say with tears in his eyes , that god had now tryed him by throwing him into this furnace of tribulations , and that he should be very happy to be found good alloy . as he passed through the streets , he said to the people who pursued him with contumelious reproaches , farewel my children , farewel , i am a going . he was not willing to accept of the embassy to rome , altho the queen writ a very obliging letter to him at fuencaral , and reiterated the offer to him . she sent him two thousand pistoles for his voyage to rome , some precious stones , and an augmentation of two thousand crowns by way of pension . when he was gone , his domestics found a hair-cloth and some disciplines in his cabinet . when there was now no longer any fear of displeasing the father confessor by showing respect to don iuan , every one went to see him at consuegra , and testified their zeal for him . he wrote to the queen to thank her for sending away his inveterate enemy , as well as that of the state , and pray'd her to give him leave to come to court , and kiss the kings hands . but instead of granting him that request , she order'd him to retire a dozen leagues from madrid . he was sensibly toucht at this unexpected severity , and complained of it as of a sort of banishment . nevertheless this did not hinder him from demanding by letters , as well to the queen as the council , to take the public good into their consideration , and to fill father nitard's places with persons that were capable of discharging them well : he represented to them , that those dignities ought to be taken from him , since it was equally as important a matter to hinder him from coming back again into the kingdom , as it was necessary to make him leave it . he demanded also that they should take away the place of president of castile from the bishop of placentia , since he was the man that issued out the decree , by virtue of which malladas was strangled ; and that the marquess d' aytone , his capital enemy , should no longer have the liberty of passing his judgment in those affairs that concerned him . the queen was very much offended at the manner wherein the prince wrote to her , and yet more enraged at what had happened , sent him a very unpallatable message , and order'd him forthwith to discharge his guards , as he had engag'd to do . he complained of this to the cardinal of arragon and the nuncio , giving them as well as the queen to understand , that he could not part with his friends that accompanied him , till such time as he was certainly informed that father nitard was out of the kingdom , because he had still reason to fear some mischief from that quarter . hereupon the council met , and judged it convenient that the cardinal should go to guadalajara , to engage the prince to comply with the queens desires ; he consented to it at last and dismist his guards , after the cardinal had managed a sort of a treaty between that princess and don iuan , by which she confirmed him in the government of the low countries , and passed her word that the father confessor should quit his places ; that the president of castile and the marquis d' aytone should not meddle with the cognizance of those things wherein the prince was concerned ; that as for himself , he might settle whereever he thought convenient ; that they would take particular care to ease the people of their grievances ; that no body should be admitted to any of the military orders of castile , who had not served ten years by land or by sea ; that the pope should be the depository of the queens word for the security of the prince . there were many other articles besides these , but not of the same weight and consideration , all tending either to the satisfaction of don iuan , or the ease of the people . he forbore making his usual remonstrances till the month of may , at which time he received information that the queen was setting on foot a regiment of guards for the kings service , whereof she had made the marquis d' aytone collonel . he wrote very sharply to her about this matter , and represented to her , that it was against the custom of the kings of spain to have any other guards but the inhabitants of madrid , that this regiment would be an everlasting reproach to the city , and would occasion abundance of ill effects , which he there enumerated at length . it is worth the observing , ( and i could not forbear to take notice of it ) that in this same letter he complained , that the queen did not answer him with her own hand ; but used that of the cardinal of arragon , under pretence that she was troubled with a megrim ; telling her in plain down-right terms , that a man of his rank and quality was not able to bear such a contempt . the world may learn from this remarkable passage on what grounds the natural sons of the kings of spain pretend to stand . all the courts of judicature as well the chief as the subaltern , the body of the city and the people made several remonstrances to the queen , to hinder the setting up this regiment in madrid , but to no purpose . in fine they importuned her so often upon this score , that she signed an order , by which she prohibited them to speak to her any more about it , and so without any more delay she compleated the regiment . she afterwards commanded don iuan , under very rigorous penalties , to remove from guadalajara : he obeyed her orders with a great deal of respect , altho he was in a condition , by the the help of his friends , that were come to him from arragon and other places , to do what he pleased ; the report ran , that he was coming within a little distance of madrid , and this gave several persons abundance of uneasie thoughts . to pacifie their spirits , the queen wrote to him and desired him to repair to arragon , in the quality of viceroy and vicar-general of the kingdoms dependant upon it . this order affected him with a very sensible joy , and he took care to testifie it by the thanks he returned the queen , to whom he writ a very large letter , desiring her majesty to consider seriously of the education of the young king. in it he represented to her the great consequences of it , as being a man , that was master of a great deal of wit and honour . he wrote likewise to the pope on the th of iune , to conjure him to oblige father nitard to quit his offices . in the mean time some of the queens enemies set about a sham decree , wherein she gave orders to the council to disarm the people immediately , and return their arms into the common hall. it was an easie matter to perswade the world that this was her real intention , and indeed this pretended innovation so far estranged the peoples hearts from her majesty , that they were just upon the point of making an insurrection . this reason joined with the horrible disorders that were committed by the regiment of the scambergues ( for so the people nick-named them because they were clad a la francoise , and the spaniards copied this mode from m. de schomberg ) this reason , i say , obliged the council royal to present another remonstance to the queen , wherein they desired her to send these new soldiers to the frontiers ; but she did not think fit to comply with their requests , because she imagined this body of military men would keep the city in awe and subjection . don iuan was now at saragossa , beloved by the nobility , and adored by the people : the queen could never forgive him the irreparable injury he did her , in forcing her to part with her confessor , who made but a sorry figure at rome , so that by way of raillery it was frequently said . that the queen of spain had so invincible an aversion to the spaaiards , that she would never consent to the ruine of father nitard , till he was naturalized a spaniard . but however she still preserved so great an esteem and affection for him , thatshe employed her utmost endeavours to procure him a cardinals cap. for this reason she gave secret orders to the marquiss de s. romain , her ambassador ordinary at rome . this soon came to be known at madrid , and the news alarm'd the people exceedingly , every one apprehending that if ever the father confessor was made cardinal , he would certainly by those steps come back to spain , and they were all perswaded that the queen maintained the regiment of the schombergs for no other end , but only to favour this design . the council being really afraid lest the intrigue should succeed , bethought themselves of some means to defeat father nitard in his pretensions , and for that purpose they dispatched a courier to the marquess de s. romain to propose to the pope some other subjects of spain , who better deserved the purple . the queen made as if she consented to the busine●s , but under hand renewed her orders : but the ambassador , who was no friend at all to the jesuits , managed his affairs so prudently , that his holiness rejected father nitard , and besides obliged him to resign his other places . the general of his order , whom he had formerly neglected , and who for that reason owed him a great deal of ill will , thought he had now an opportunity in the reverse of the father's fortune to pay the debt , so he sent him immediately to one of their houses near rome . he retired thither with a spirit of moderation that was very exemplary , and of all his train he kept no one with him but friar bustos his companion : behold here a continued series of thunder claps one upon the neck of another . this harsh usage appeared so terrible to the poor queen , who did not in the least question the success of her negotiation , that she fell sick of a tertian ague , which continued a long time upon her . 't is easy to believe , by what i have already related , that her resentments became more violent than ever against don iuan : from her natural disposition she was inclined to make him him responsible for every thing that gave her any disquiet , and when she saw at the same time the bulls for the charge of inquisitor general arrive at madrid , she did not doubt but it was all of the prince's doing . in fine that place which she had seen so deservedly filled by father nitard , was possest by don antonio balladores , president of castile ; and father nitard for his part continued still near rome , but subject to all the ill treatment , with which the general of his order thought fit to mortify him . the queen was not able to endure , that a man who had formerly enjoyed so great a share in her friendship and confidence , and who had governed the whole monarchy of spain so absolutely should continue exposed to all the resentments and caprices of his general , therefore she employed all the credit she had at rome to place father nitard in another condition . clement ix dying in the month of december . cardinal altieri was chosen pope , and took upon him the name of clement x. the queen , who did not doubt but that this pope would bestow a cap upon her confessor , named the father to be ambassador extraordinary of spain at his holiness's court , an employment which she had formerly offer'd him , when he departed from madrid , and which he was not then willing to accept of ; she procured leave for him to return to rome , and in fine , managed this affair with his holiness so successfully , that father nitard was created archbishop of edessa . she continued to sollicit his promotion with a great deal of vigour and application . the pope being thus importuned , made him cardinal priest in the month of april , and gave him in the month of august following , the title of st. bartholomew d' isola , and gave him a place in the congregations . this news filled the queen with a very sensible joy , and all those persons who were of her party did not fail to compliment her upon this occasion . the new cardinal writ a very obliging letter to don iuan in hopes that this civility would draw another from the prince , and that finding by this correspondence a means to reconcile himself to him , he would at last consent to his return into spain . but he was mightily mistaken in his project , for don iuan sent him no answer back again . cardinal nitard seeing that the prince still continued his aversion to him , laid aside all hopes of going to madrid , till the time of the king's coronation . but since what i have written concerning cardinal nitard , has insensibly led me to the time of don fernand de valenzuela , i think my self obliged to speak of him . he was originally of the city de ronda in the kingdom of granada , and was supposed to be an hidalgo , that is to say a gentleman , and not a cavallero . for they make this difference in spain between a cavalier and a gentleman , that the former is descended of an ancient family , or at least allied to some illustrious house , and pays neither taxes nor tribute , whereas the latter is exempt from nothing , tho he perhaps has acquired the quality of a gentleman . valenzuela came very young to madrid , where the duke de l' infantado took him for his page , when he went ambassador to rome . he was handsom and well-shaped , of an agreeable meen , had a great deal of wit , loved his studies , and was naturally a poet. the character of his verse was tender and passionate , there are several pieces of his to be seen that are composed after this fashion , and among the rest some comedies which he caused to be represented for the diversion of the queen mother , at the time when he first began to have the honour of being in her good graces . the duke de l' infantado being returned out of italy , made don fernand knight of st. iago . 't is by this means ordinarily that great persons begin to recompence those of their domestics , for whom they have the greatest consideration . but he received nothing else but this bare title for the many years service he had waited upon his master , because it so happened that the duke died , before he did any farther kindness for him . he found himself therefore all at a blow destitute of a protector , and so miserably poor , that he was obliged to become passean●e en corte , which is as much as to say , a man that lives by his wits . to say the truth , he was master of very happy talents , which put him in a condition to accomplish every thing he undertook , so that after he had seriously examined with himself the meanness of his fortune , he imagined the best conduct he could use to advance it , was to make himself acquainted and known to some persons , that were particularly devoted to the interests of the queen . he searcht out means to effect this design with so continued an application , that at last he found access to father nitard ; he chose him immediately for his patron , and indeed could not have pitch'd upon a better ; and soon insinuated himself into his favour by his exemplary submission and diligence . the father taking notice that he wanted neither address nor wit , and besides that he was capable of keeping a secret , communicated to him some of his own , and afterwards entrusted him with those of the queen , acquainting him with the resentments she had entertained against don iuan of austria . he knew very well what advantages to make , both of the discovery that was made him , and of the favourable disposition of the father confessor , and rendred himself so necessary to him that he could not almost be a moment without him . this obliged him to give him admission into the palace , whether he often came to give him on account of the several things he had intrusted him with . as soon as ever valenzuela was introduced into the palace , he lost no time there , but improved all his favourable moments to the best advantages ; he plaid very well at cards , and being informed that amongst the other women that waited upon the queen , there was a german lady , whose name was donna eugenia , in whom her mistress intirely confided , he presently resolved to use all means to see her : he walked often under her chamber window , and being an handsome agreeable young fellow , she for her part failed not to take due notice of him . in short they spoke to one another , he pleased her at least as well as she pleased him , she gave him leave to galantear her , for that is the fashionable word with them there , when any person devotes himself to the service of any of the court-ladies : and 't is a thing so common among them , that altho a man is married , yet he does not forbear to treat his mistress in publick with all those ceremonies , that are usually paid to the lady , whom they design to marry . donna eugenia did not receive the testimonies , that young valenzuela gave her of his passion with the least coldness or indifference , and he pursued the point so vigorously , and prest her so earnestly to consent to marry him , that she discoursed the queen about it . her majesty had already taken notice of him , and he had the good fortune not to displease her , so that to tye him the faster to her interests she consented to let him marry her favourite , and afterwards bestowed a gentleman querry's place upon the new bridegroom . about this time the differences between the queen and don iuan daily increased , and as don fernand was a man of address enough to sound the bottom of any intrigue , so he did not omit to do the queen all the useful services that lay in his power . she beheld his zeal with a great deal of pleasure , and took him so far into her consideration , that she daily gave him some fresh assurances of her confidence . father nitard placed all this to his own account , and voluntarily contributed to valenzuela's advancement , because he looked upon him as his own creature : but tho fortune now began to dese●t and leave him , yet she absolutely declared her self in favour of valenzuela , about the time when don iuan returned from arragon to castile , and caused the father confessor to be turned out of spain . valenzuela continued the queen 's sole favourite without any spy upon him , for the prince returned back to saragossa in quality of vicargeneral of the kingdoms of arragon . the queen was so extremely perplexed and mortified by the removal of father nitard , and her enemies knew so well to make their advantages of it , that it was some time before she could tolerably recover herself from the impression that so rude a shock had made upon her : but having considered the necessity she lay under to have a faithful person near her , whom she might entrust with her most secret affairs , she cast her eyes upon valenzuela , who for his part still continued very much amaz'd at the misfortunes of father nitard . one day the queen spoke to donna eugenia to bring her husband with her privately towards the evening , because she had a mind to discourse with him alone : donna eugenia who wanted neither wit nor ambition , was transported with joy to think that valenzuela was going to have such particular conversations with the queen , and exactly obeyed the orders she had received . the first time he entred into the queen's chamber , he was very cautious and fearful , for he came armed with a broquel , which is a sort of a buckler , that they generally carry with them in spain , when they go to a place where they apprehend any danger : his hair , that was very fine and delicate , he had tyed up in a ribbon knot , he had not his golilia on , for 't is the fashion there to leave them off at night , in short he forgot nothing that might render himself charming and agreeable to the queen . she appeared in a deshabille that sate much better upon her , than the widdows habit she wore in the day time , which very much resembles that of a religious woman . valenzuela threw himself immediately at her feet , and after he had returned her his most humble thanks for the great honour she was now pleased to do him , he assured her , that his blood , his life , in a word every thing that lay in his power was so intirely resigned to her service , that he had the presumption to believe none of all her . subjects was devoted to her majesty , after so particular a manner as himself . the queen gave credit to his words , and after this meeting scarce a night past over his head , but she caused him to come privately to her apartment . his wife always conducted him thither , and the queen ordered her to be present all the while to take away all suspi●ion and umbrage . here it was that he gave her a particular account of every thing he knew , and informed her of all the most secret intrigues that were carried on in court or city , of the designs of don iuan , of those lords that were of the prince's faction , of the measures that were taken against her , so that she knew all the most private affairs , altho to appearance she spoke with no body . it was commonly said at court that there was a duende in the palace , that is to say a familiar spirit , that acquainted the queen with all the news , and secret designs : but some time after when it came to be publickly known , that valenzuela was this esprit folet , this familiar spirit , he was usually called el duende de la reina . the affection she had for him encreased to such a degree , that all the world knew it , and the courtiers all endeavoured to please the new favourite : no favours were to be obtained but through his intercession , and the credit of the other ministers sunk so low that they stood only for ciphers , so they began to murmur amongst themselves . to what purpose was it , said they , to remove father nitard and send him away , since a new favourite is started up , that succeeds him in his place , and acts with more authority than the other ever did . this good fortune of valenzuela occasioned him a thousand enemies , they spoke of the q. with all the freedom and liberty imaginable ; both grandees and people made no scruple of saying in publick that a young ignorant favourite without fortune or merit governed all spain , and that it was a shame to endure it . the q. being informed of what was said , resolved to advance valenzuela's fortune without delay , to the end that he might feel the good effects of her protection , before they were able to hurt him . upon this consideration she gave him the charge of master of the horse , without having any regard to the custom , by which she was obliged to concert it with her ministers , as is the way in spain , when they are going to dispose of any considerable post , because she apprehended they would have opposed her designs ; so that without entring into any manner of consultation ( that is the usual term in spain ) she ordered his commission to be dispatched . the marquess de castel-rodrigo who was at that time master of the horse , opposed it with all his power , and peremptorily refused to give him admission into that place , alledging abundance of very disobliging reasons against the pretensions of don fernand , and particularly that he had no title to make him hope so great an honour . the queen removed that difficulty very easily , for she created him marquess de san-b●rtolome de los pinares . when the world observed so advantageous an alteration in the fortune of valenzuela , no b●dy questioned but that he was a valido , that is to say a favourite . the report immediately spread it self through all spain , attended with some circumstances that deeply concerned her majesty's reputation , but she made no account of them ; whether it were , because she thought those persons not worth her consideration that had the boldness to talk so freely of her , or because she had some particular reasons to herself not to alter this conduct . some time after , the marquis de castel rodrigo , master of the horse , happened to die , and the queen bestow'd his charge upon valenzuela : if the grandees formerly murmured when he was advanced to a less considerable post , 't is an easie matter to imagine the excess of their dissatisfaction and jealousy , when they behold him settled in a place , which all of them could have wished to have enjoyed , and of which they believed themselves to be infinitely more deserving ▪ but they ceased to make any farther clamours about this business , when they found they had a subject to talk of that was a great deal more surprizing . her majesty made valenzuela a grandee of spain of the first class , with a double gold key . at this piece of news all people looked upon one another , and continued mute for some time , not being able to express the astonishment they were in . the lords as they met one another said nothing else but valenzuela made a grandee , o tempora , o mores : in fine the queen declared him her sole favourite , so that he issued out all orders for her as chief minister , or to speak more properly , as an absolute master . no body was surprized at this new honour that arrived to him , for they made no question , but that after such strange unaccountable beginnings , he was marked out and designed for the ministry . being elevated to so eminent a post , he wanted nothing but some friends to help and support him , if it ever should be his ill fortune to make a wrong step . and it was no difficult matter for him to effect it in so advantageous a scituation , where all favours , all the mony , all the the offices and benefices were at his intire disposal . but as soon as ever he procured a favour for any ●ingle grandee , he at the same moment disobliged above twenty more , who from that time dated themselves his mortal enemies , and heartily wished his ruine , because he did not prefer them : so that he was often heard to complain and regret his fate , for that he could not satisfy all the world , and as the number of his friends was infinitely inferiour to that of his enemies , so the latter began to cabal against him , and think of some way or other to oblige don iuan of austria to return , out of an expectation that he was the fittest person to remove this universal grievance , this new creature valenzuelae . this cabal of malecontents increased so mightily , that there was almost nothing to be seen but pasquils , lampoons , and satyrs both in prose and verse against the queen and against him . nay they had the boldness to give out , that he hindered her majesty from recompencing the services of several persons , who otherwise might have expected considerable employments . in short , their insolence proceeded so far , that one night very near the palace , they hung up the portraiture of the queen with valenzuela . he had at his feet all the marks that represented his several places , a sword for constable , an anchor for admiral , a golden key for gentleman of the bed chamber , a collar of the fleece for knight of that order , and so of the rest . he pointed at all these things with his hand , and below was written este se vende , that is to say , all this is sold. and the queen leaning her hand upon his heart with this inscription yeste se da , that is to say , and this is given : the report ran very strong , that he sold all office ; and dignities at high rates , at which some persons of the highest quality were extremely offended , and his avarice drew upon him abundance of enemies . but what is still the most remarkable is this , that all these various reports made not the least impression on the queen . she said that her rank placed her above these little contumelies , and that she should be angry with her self if she were capable of being disquieted at such miserable reproaches , that were so infinitely below her indignation ; that the most effectual way to punish and extinguish these licentious abuses was to take no notice of them , that the reason why they were so inveterate against the marquess de valenzuela proceeded only from their envy , that she was resolved not to abandon and sacrifice one of the best subjects that the king her son had , to gratifie the insatiable humour of some malecontents that were never to be satisfied . so that now it was apparent , that all the methods they took to destroy this favourite , served only to confirm him so much the deeper in the affections , and good graces of the queen . nevertheless he used all possible means to procure the good will of the people , he took care that madrid should be always plentifully supplied with provisions , necessary for life ; and that all sorts of commodities should be sold at cheap easy rates . he often entertained the city with bull feasts , where he generally made his appearance in a black habit , embroidered over with silver , and wore black and white plumes , as being in second mourning , because the queen was a widdow : but as soon as ever he entred the lists , and according to the custom of those that design to combat the bulls , came under the queen's balcony making her a profound reverence and demanding permission de taurear , ( as they call it there ) she sent a messenger to forbid him to expose himself . 't was observable in one of these courses , that he wore a scarf of black taffata embroidered o're with gold , with the device of an eagle gazing stedfastly upon the sun , and for the motto these words , tengo solo licentia , that is to say , it is only permitted to me . some days after he appeared at the running at the ring , having an eagle painted upon his buckler , ( for they always wear them at this sort of course , which is an ancient diversion of the moors ) armed with iupiter's thunder , bearing the same motto , it is only permitted to me . there being no hazard to run in this sport , the queen was willing that valenzuela should show his dexterity , which he did , and carried away the prize from a great number of young lords , that disputed it with him , and received from the queen's hand a sword beset with diamonds . they talked hotly at court of the two devices of the favourite , and every one was ready to explain them according to his own fancy and inclination . he caused some comedies of his composing to be publickly represented on the theatre , and all the town had the liberty of seeing them for nothing . this was the most taking way in the world to gain the hearts of the spaniards , for they are such passionate admirers of all publick shows , that they will lay up the mony , which ought to be spent in maintaining their poor families , to purchase a dear seat at a bull-feast . valenzuela was not satisfied to cultivate the affections of the people by these magnificences , but sought other ways to win their hearts . he set several noble buildings on foot , rebuilt the great square , the better part of which had been consumed by fire , and particularly the house where their majesties went to behold the courses at the bull-feasts , and running at the ring . he caused a bridge to be built at the gate near toledo over the mancanares , that cost a million of ducats , and another bridge over the same river at pardo , which is a house of pleasure belonging to the king. the frontispiece and place before the palace was finished by his order , as also the tower of the queen's apartment was raised much higher . he employed all his thoughts in contributing to the diversion of the queen , and the king her son ; this young prince now began to go to all the meetings of sport and pleasure that were kept at aranjues , the escurial and the other royal houses . one day when the marquess de valenzuela had received orders of the king to prepare a chase for him , and the court was then at the escurial , the king designing to shoot a stag , shot his favourite and wounded him on the thigh ; the queen being terribly affrighted broke out into great lamentations , and fainted away between the arms of her ladies . this accident occasioned some people to predict the approaching ruine of valenzuela , whereof this odd adventure seemed to be a presage . the time being now come to order the king's houshold , the marquess made choice of all the o●ficers , he made the duke d' albuquerque mayor-dome mayor , the admiral of castile cavallerizo mayor , and the duke de medina-celi sumiller de corps , this officer is the same in effect with high chamberlain , and puts on the kings shirt : the name is originally french , and comes from the dukes of burgundy , from whom the house of austria is descended . after the same manner he disposed of the other places . now as there were abundantly more pretenders than places to fill , he drew upon him by this means a considerable number of enemies , who could not digest the affront of having nothing given them , and were less inclined to pardon him for that which directly concerned themselves , than for what related to the interest of state. at this time they thought more earnestly than ever of don iuan , hoping that he would come to revenge their quarrel upon valenzuela , and besides they laboured underhand to convince the king , how necessary it was for the better management of affairs to have the prince about him . the queen being informed of what was designed against her , passed many sorrowful days , and more melancholy nights , altho she had almost continual conferences with the marquess ; but she could never represent to her mind the killing thought , that they would treat the marquess after the same cruel manner as they had used father nitard , but she fell a weeping and discovered all the signs of a real concern . she knew very well , that the grandees frequently assembled together , and that they spoke of the government with all the freedom imaginable ; that the libels and pasquils , that were insolently scattered abroad , all tended to defame her administration , were publickly owned and acknowledged by the authors themselves , and that she was obliged to seem , as if she knew nothing of those matters , because she was not in a capacity to punish them . valenzuela for his part was not without his uneasy moments , the elevation of his fortune only served to make him sensible of the terrible precipice he was falling down , from which he did not perceive any visible means to secure himself . in the mean time don iuan , who continued still at saragossa , was discontented at his banishment , how honourable-soever it appeared , it is sufficient that it was not voluntary , and that was enough to make him disrelish it . the queen and he had still the same mutual aversion to one another as formerly , and notwithstanding the fair appearances of his outward behaviour , he laboured under hand with his friends to get himself declared , infant de castile . at least people report it of him ; 't is indeed very true , that he was never able to accomplish that design , but they pretend that he was not absolutely without hopes to effect it . however it was , he made so great a faction , by the means of some considerable persons about the king ▪ who were for promoting his return , that his friends sent him word , that the king desired it , that every thing was disposed , and ready to receive him , and that the credit of the queen would never be able to stand in competition against his . this good news obliged him to quit arrag●n , and make all the haste he could to arrive at buenretiro . to bring about this affair with more facility , they gave the king to understand , that he was not only under the tutorage of the queen his mother , but under that of valenzuela . they afterwards represented to him the constraint he lived under in such lively colours , that he protested he would free himself immediately from this servitude . and altho the queen had always her eye upon him , for fear he should be seduced by any ill counsels , and take contrary measures to what she prescribed him , yet he found the opportunity one night to steal out of the palace with only one gentleman of his bed-chamber , who lay in his room , and so muffled up in his cloak he walk'd on foot to retir● , which was far enough off : from thence he dispatched an order immediately to the queen not to stir out of the palace . it is easy to imagine what entertainment such mortifying news found with her , and what effects this sudden reverse of fortune caused in a princess , who had been accustomed to govern . she employed the remainder of the night in writing to the king , conjuring him in the most tender terms to give her leave to visit him , but he still refused it . while the king tarried at retiro , the people being informed of his intentions , flockt in multitudes to salute and acknowledge him . all the lords of the court made him very considerable presents , so that some persons valued them at a hundred thousand crowns , either in mony , plate , tapistry or diamonds . there was an universal joy at madrid upon this occasion , and that for these two reasons , which equally caused it . the first is , the exceeding affection the spaniards have for their prince , the second , because the queen was so ill beloved , and besides the people could never forget some words that dropt from her once , viz. that she should never be at rest , till she had brought them all to be cloathed with esterac . this is a sort of a course matt made of rushes , that serves them for mattresses and their bedding . the next night after the king's retreat , they made illuminations in all the streets . as soon as don iuan arrived , he obliged the king to remove the queen from thence , so she was sent to toledo , with positive orders not to stir out of that city . the unfortunate valenzuela took his leave of her with all the testimonies of grief and duty , that so short a time would allow him , and retired to the escurial according to order . thus there being a new face of affairs , every body made his court and application to don iuan , and the king by his extraordinary caresses , sufficiently testifyed how joyful he was to see him again . he commanded him to take care of all his affairs , and indeed don iuan rendred himself so absolute a master , that his authority became much greater than that of the queen , and her two chief ministers . don iuan earnestly desired to have valenzuela's person in his power , but could not tell whither he was gone . at last being informed that he was to be found at the escurial he showed a great deal of joy at the news . this is one of the king's houses , and is of so prodigious an extent , that if we take in the buildings , the park , and a convent of religious ieronomites , which is contained within the precincts of it , 't is thought it is several leagues in compass , and is all inclosed with walls : the king commanded don antonio de toledo , son to the duke of alva , to go thither in person and arrest valenzuela ; he departed immediately with the duke de medina sidonia , and the marquess de valpa rayso , don fernand de toledo , several persons of great quality , and two hundred horse . the marquess was then walking in an adjoyning forrest full of heaviness and melancholy , but hearing on a sudden a great noise about him , and being informed at the same time , of what had happened , by a certain messenger , whom some of his friends had sent in all speed to acquaint him with the news ; he returned hastily to the escurial ; and finding out the prior of the convent of the ieronomites , who was a very honest man , and particularly concerned at the misfortunes of this favourite , he told him in a few words what danger he was in , and what reasons he had to apprehend the loss of his life , in case he was taken ; praying and conjuring him with all imaginable earnestness to conceal him in some place of safety . the prior immediately ordered a hole to be contrived in a cell , belonging to one of the religious , of whose confidence he was well assured ▪ this cell it seems was all over wainscoted , so that taking down one of the pannels of the wainscot , and making a cavity in the wall which was of a considerable thickness , in manner of a nitch , they threw in a few mats , and there the poor marquess was shut up . it being very well known , that the marquess was retired into the convent , there was no place or corner left unsearcht by don antonio de toledo , and those that accompanied him . they had so small a respect to the most holy places , that they almost turned every thing in the church upside down . but their search was to no purpose ; and don antonio could not tell what to resolve upon . he had been upon the hunt there several days to find out valenzuela , who , as he now began to imagine , had certainly found the means to save himself : when the unhappy marquess bein● almost stifled in the hole for want of air , and besides disordered with his late afflictions , fell so dangerously ill , that there were little hopes of his life . finding himself therefore in this desperate condition , he cared not what became of him : but the father prior having first taken the chirurgion of the convent's word to keep the secret inviolably , sent him to the marquess to let him blood : this treacherous villain within a quarter of an hour after discovered the whole mystery to don antonio , who had been it seems in the cell , where poor valenzuela lay immured , almost every day since he began to make the search after him . he then immediately entred the convent , and all on the sudden commanded the pannel , which covered the marquess , to be taken down . he f●●nd him fast asleep ▪ but very much altered by his indisposition and misfortunes ; his arms lay ready by him , and if he had been awake , there is no question to be made but that he had resolutely defended himself , being a person of great courage and bravery : and besides what would not a man attempt in so deplorable a condition ? he was conducted to the castle de consuegra , which belongs to the grand priory of castile , of the order of malta . don iuan chose to make this the scene of his confinement , because the castle depended upon him . valenzuela lay there dangerously sick , and often said in the hearing of his guards , oh heavens ! and there is no hope then that i shall dye immediately , must i still live after i have endured so many afflictions ? when he was somewhat better , he was removed to the castle de los puntales at cadiz , where he suffered a very close imprisonment ; nevertheless heshowed a great deal of constancy and resolution , in the midst of all his ill usage and disgraces . at last he was imbarked in a vessel to be sent to chile in the philipines . these are certain islands in the extreamest part of the east-indies , almost adjoyning to china . 't is a long and tedious voyage thither , and they generally transport their most notorious criminals in spain to those places , where they are forced to work in the quicksilver mines . they seldom tarry above two years in that slavish employment but they die , or at least are troubled with a general trembling in their limbs , which makes them suffer infinitely more than death it self . valenzuela was in●ormed before his departure , that he was degraded from all his honours , and that the king had taken away all his offices , leaving only his bare name to him . i perceive then , says he very pensively , that i am under more unfortunate circumstances by far , than when i first came to court , and the duke de l' infantado took me for his page . but tho they took care to acquaint him with what related particularly to himself , yet he could learn nothing of the queen's destiny , or what became of his wife , and children . they had shut up her majesty together with them in a convent at talavera de la reine , and strictly commanded the abbess , not to let them stir abroad , or speak to any body . 't is commonly reported , that at the time , when he was at the port of cales ready to embarque , a woman of an extraordinary size , handsomly drest , and covered with her veil , as it is the spanish fashion , bustled through the guards close up to him . take courage valenzuela , says she to him , thy enemy will die , and thou shalt once more see spain . those that heard her say so , would have stopt her , but she found out means to make her escape . what she told him afterwards proved in effect to be true , for don iuan died , and one of the first graces that the queen mother begged of the king at her return to madrid , was to have valenzuela recalled home . so a vessel was sent to the philippines to bring him back , but he found to his sorrow , that d' eguya hindered his return , altho the queen so earnestly desired it . the pope having received information of what had passed , as well in the church as in the convent , when they dragged valenzuela by force out of the escurial , excommunicated all those that were concerned in the fact ; so that before the lords could prevail to have the ecclesiastical censure taken off , which by this violation of the churches liberty they had incurred , they were obliged in white sheets and halters about their necks to walk to the imperial colledge , where cardinal mellini , who was then nuncio at madrid , made each of them undergo some blows of discipline . all the kingdom testified an extraordinary satisfaction to to see don iuan enter upon the government , and we may safely say , that all the hopes and expectations of spain were lodged in him . as he was master of a great deal of wit and vivacity , so that it was natural to believe that the different empl●●m●●ts of his life , whether in peace or war , rend●●ed him extreamly capable of repairing the breaches and reforming all the irregularities of the state. several of the grandees had entred into a sort of an association for his return ; and now they had leisure to make severe reflections upon the weakness of the late government , where they found nothing but private intreagues and little factions , that were extreamly disadvantagious to the publick interest . a german queen , an infant king , a foreigner chief minister of state and confessor , valen●uela made a favourite and minister ; without birth and without capacity , raised upon the sudden by a strange caprice of fortune , and thrown down again into his primitive nothing : in fine , all their hopes centred in don iuan , and they had long expected him almost to a degree of impatience : but when he was once arrived , and they beheld him at a nearer view , presently all those great and glorious ideas , which they had conceived of him , vanished away like a dream . this is commonly the fate and destiny of all great ministers ; the high place they possess only serves to expose them the more to the envy of their inferiours . even those persons that took the greatest pains to place them in that condition , think they have laboured all the while for an ungrateful wretch , and if he fails to showr down all his favours upon them , will be sure to give him less quarter than any men else . so small a distance there is from publick favour and admiration to publick hatred . this rule which generally holds a● all ●imes and in all places , did not fail to be accomplished in the person of don iuan. most people were concerned to see what harsh usage he gave the queen , and could not forbear to accuse his obstinacy , for refusing to enter madrid , till the queen was gone out , and on her way to toledo . he was not content with this affront that he put upon her at his first appearance , but to humble her still the more , he added another that was full as mortifying , he descended into a severe examination of her past conduct , the particulars of which had not the least relation to the present state of affairs , and only tended to defame her . this princess suffered with an incredible grief a treatment so unbefitting her high quality , and so injurious to her reputation , but all other ways of shewing her resentments were denied her , and she had nothing left to exercise , save only her patience and virtue . but several persons of quality that were still linked to her whether out of affection or duty , could not without a sensible affliction , behold the oppression she lay under . they generally spoke of it with heat and indignation , and spread abroad a report , that altho don iuan was no legitimate prince , yet he flattered himself that he should one day become absolute master of the monarchy . abundance of people maintained the contrary , alledging that he was never guilty of such a design , and that if he had been capable of harbouring any such thoughts , he might easily have succeeded in them , by the assistance of his own party which was very numerous , and by his own power ; that the king was but fifteen years old , and besides was equally destitute of authority and experience . what occasioned this suspicion was his establishing of some innovations that were never practised by any minister before him . one that made the greatest noise was this , that in his chamber of audience he would neither give the right hand nor a seat to the ambassadors . at first they shewed themselves extreamly disobliged at it , but at last the nuncio and the other foreign ministers submitted to this rule , and visited him without difficulty . the queen's creatures made a greater bustle about this affair than even the ambassadors themselves , who were only concerned in it , and whether they discoursed of it with too much freedom , or don iuan only suspected their private sentiments , he caused several of them to be banished . among the rest were the admiral of castile , the duke d' ossone , the prince de stillano , the marquess de mansera , the count d' humanez , the count d' aquillar , and the marquess de mondejar . the last of whom was accused for making the following verses , but they were mistaken in the author , for they were written by the admiral , who was a person of extraordinary wit. vn frayle y una corona , vn duque y u● cartelesta an dubleron la lista de la bella calderona . baylo y alguno blasona que de quantos han entrado en ' la danca ha averiguado quien ilezo el prez del bayle : pero yo atingome al frayle , y quiero perder doblado . i have here translated these verses into english , altho it is certain they have nothing of the bel air and spirit the spanish have . fair calderona , the pride of the stage , in her youth did with many a lover engage . dukes , actors , and kings , in spight of their state , and monks so demure on her triumphs did wait . the kind coming nymph , as besitted her station , receiv'd the addresses of half the creation . and very well knew , ( as sh' had reason enough ) who plaid his cards surest , and came the best off . as for me , without giving my wherefore or why , the monk , the fat monk did the business , say i. de tan santa confradia , procidio un hijo fatal . y coco al ma● principal la pension de la obua pial . claro esta que les diera lo que qui siesse su madre pero no haura a quien no quadro vna rason que si offrece : mirese a quien parece porque aquel sera su padre . sole tiene u●a sefial de nuestro rey soberano . que en nada pone la mano . que no le succeda mal . a ca perdio a portugal . en las dunas su aroganciae dio tantos triumphos a francia , que es cosa de admiracion que dar tanta perdicion en un hijo de ganancia . mande pues carlos secundo ber si le huvo sin recelo el rey que vi●●el cielo de unia muger del munda : en misterio tan presundo solo puedo de●ir yo que por suyo le jusgo mas si contodo es estrasio no sea el primer engasio que felipe padecio . in this blessed conjunction a bantling was got , and the king , as best able , did pay for the shot : he got him nurst up in a little blind quarter , and had it been the mode there , wou'd have giv'n him a garter , the politick dame , ●o iilting well used , with a thousand strange stories , her lovers amus'd , but , we , that have no inclinations to flatter , are resolved to be rul'd by our eyes in the matter , and him , for the brat's real father we 'll find , whom most he resembles in body or mind . of our late piou● monarch , no marks he retains but a constant ill conduct , ill luck , and no brains : through him all our hopes were in portugal crost , and dunkirk alas ! by his folly was lost : the plague of our counsels , and cause of our woes , fresh losses attend him where ever he goos . well fortune i 'll call thee a strumpet no more , for wer 't thou in truth and in earnest a wh●re , thou oughtst to have favour'd him more than another , and shown him respect for the sake of his mother . let charles send an envoy to the mansions above , and let the late king all our doubts to remove , tell us whether he 'll 〈◊〉 don john for his son , since more were conce●●d , as the runner does run . his mother , we know , was a good natur'd dance , that strove to oblige all strangers that came . if philip at last in his judgment was gull'd ; pray is this the first time that the monarch was fool'd ? en sus definios penetro por una y por otra acion . que no tiem otra entencion don iuan , que empefiar el cetro : abrenuncio vade retro hi de dame para el , reyno , enrique y a un fiel , (a) noble y valiante le admira hasta el dia de oy suspira la lealtad porel cruel . (b) ocarlos gran rey de espana , no te espantes ni te admire , que el mundo todo suspire con oppression tan estrana noes porque el pueblo engana el pretexto del rumor , si no que es tanto el aemor de la plebe lastimosa es solo ana vos quexosa que les oprime el dolor . by his conduct 't is plain both to country and town , that his ●aughty designs tend all to the crown ; but durst he aspire , and make such a pother , if he 'd ever reflect on the strumpet his mother ? ●ave a henry 't is true , tho a bastard , did reign , ●ut tho his exploits are so famous in spain , so seldom to serve our true prince we have fail'd , that in spight of the tyrant , don b pedro's bewaild . awake mighty charles , and thy sceptre assume , let the arrogant wretch feel the weight of his doom . and be not amazed that the people thus cry , vnder all the oppressions and burdens they lie . though too loudly they rail at the plague of the age , their zeal to thy person excuses their rage . and if they repine , and are heard to complain , it proceeds from the smart and excess of their pain . don iuan found these verses upon his toillette , and in several other places of his chamber ; he was more concerned at them , than in reason he ought to be , for certainly he could never be so vain as to imagine that he was equally acceptable to all the world . these resentments having sowred and exasperated his spirit , he observed that the conversation of the count de monterey diverted the king ; this was enough to render him suspected ; and altho this nobleman had set himself at the head of a party , which declared for the prince's return , yet all his services were forgot , and the prejudices of jealousie , which are sometimes too headstrong to be mastered , made don iuan●end ●end him to command in catalonia . he afterwards banished him , and what is more , ordered a trial to be commenced against him about the affair of puicerda : thus the unfortunate count saw himself all in a moment removed from court , where he flattered himself long to continue in the king 's and princes favour . but that monarch was young , and destitute of experience , and besides laboured under the ill effects of a bad education ; for a minister that regards nothing in the world but what has a particular relation to his own interests , will be sure to keep back those lights from his prince , that may help him afterwards to discover by what an ill conduct he is managed . don iuan was very well acquainted with the policy of this maxim , and accordingly took care to conceal the affairs of state from the king , with as much precaution as the priests keep their mysteries from the people . to make himself always necessary to him , he never instructed him in the art of governing , but perpetually amused him with some little insignificant diversions , that possessed his tender years with a spirit of laziness , which could never fail to produce ill consequences afterwards , and never gave him leave to stir a foot out of the palace but in his own company . the people that are never sensible of events , but at the very moment when they feel the smart , had perhaps looked upon the banishment of the lords , and the captivity of their king with an indifferent eye , if they had not been sufferers themselves . but the great scarcity of provisions that were daily inhanced , the irregular administration of justice , and the disorderly management of the finances , made them soon sensible , that the changing of masters is not always for the better . and as it is natural to run headlong from one extream into another , and the just limits of carrying on a reformation are known but to very few persons , so they began to disrelish the regency , and to show a dissatisfaction , that might easily have been improved into an insurrection , but that the anger of the people of spain is generally weak and feeble , and 't is not only upon these occasions that the apparent fierceness of that nation goes off , and vani●hes . for 't is very true , that the people content themselves there with railing and murmuring , so that if there was any thing to be feared it was from the grandees , who notwithstanding their banishment , left very considerable relations and friends behind them at court : these being concerned to see them exiled , began privately to join and associate for the same cause ; they proceeded so far as to signifie to the queen that they passionately desired her return , and that she ought to attempt something on her side as they were resolved to do something on theirs , and in short they took an occasion to discourse the king about the matter . they made him sensible that he was under a slavish ignominious dependance , and confirmed him in his natural inclinations to take the government of the state into his own hands . he relished very well the overtures they made him , and the queen likewise received her informations not without pleasure ; but it was not enough to wish well , something of action was necessary : for the king was young , wanted assistance , and every one shifted it off from himself to another . the pleasures of the court , and that laziness which is so peculiar to the spaniards made them advance so slowly in their affairs , that don iuan had leisure enough to destroy in one day the foundations they had been laying for several weeks . the queen for her part was under a confinement , which held her chained to the place , so that she could attempt nothing without being discovered . she was afraid too of finding traitors among her own servants , and drawing new disgraces upon her , whilst she endeavoured to free her self from those she lay under at present . what was past instructed her in some measure to fear and avoid what was to come . as she is naturally of a slow disposition , so after long reflections upon the matter , she was of the opinion , that she ought not by any precipitate actions hazard the future repose of her life . don iuan on his side was alarm'd with continual fears and jealousies ; and having abundance of spies about him , he was instructed of what he did not care to hear , the unwearied designs that were daily formed against him . notwithstanding the great authority and power , with which he was invested , he could not forbear very sensibly to apprehend the bad consequences of an aversion , that began to be entertained so generally against him . he was in a manner responsible for all the good and all the bad successes of the state , and the weight of so cumbersom a monarchy hung very heavy about him . he sometimes considered with regret the tranquility he had formerly enjoyed in flanders and arragon ; in fine his spirit was not in its natural sphere , and we may say of him , that he even overbought the pleasure of making so great a figure on the theatre of the world. the war that was kindled . between france and holland , interested several princes of europe , who took their sides in it , either according to their several inclinations , or else the particular engagements they had to the powers , that were then at variance . spain , which is always inseparable from the interests of the empire , neither spared her mony nor forces upon this occasion , when the hollanders made a peace with france first in the year . the emperor and some of the princes of the empire followed their example , nay spain could not hinder it self from doing the like . the king of denmark and elector of brandenburgh , who as yet kept their swords in their hands still , laid them down likewise , and a peace was concluded at nimeguen , that gave repose to all europe . in the mean time the king of spain was upon the point of marrying the arch dutchess , the emperor's daughter : this affair was so far advanced , that the articles were regulated , and the contract signed . this marriage was of the queen's doing , who earnestly desired the accomplishment of it ; but don iuan at his return broke off this match , not being desirous to strengthen his enemy's party , as it must assuredly have been by the accession of this young princess , who was of the same name and same country with the queen , and besides all this , was her grand daughter and neice . he too much feared the ill consequences of this affair to give his consent to it . the king about his nineteenth year seemed to be setled in a healthful state of body , which promised successors to the crown , and he expressed a great inclination to be married ; he considered that of the house of austria he alone was left remaining of the spanish branch , and that his whole kingdom had an equal interest to see him have children . the circumstances of the peace , that hapned to be concluded at nimeguen , made him cast his eyes upon mademoiselle , eldest daughter of monsieur , who was the kings only brother . she was almost of his own age , amiable , well-shaped , of a sweet disposition , witty and charming : all her inclinations were noble and vertuous , and lewis the great took an extraordinary affection to her , because her humour so exactly suited with his , so that all the courtiers were surprized at it . the king had accidentally seen some portraitures of this princess , and several spanish lords who had been at the court of france spake of her as a prodigy . these advantagious testimonies so luckily concurring , sensibly affected him , he could not take his rest a nights , he carried her picture next his heart , and held long conversations with it , as if it understood him . but what is the most incredible thing of all , and yet is related for a certain truth , is this , that before he became enamoured he could not endure any woman near him , but these dispositions were altered in him upon this occasion , and he beheld the fair sex never after with aversion . all the people were ravished with joy to hear that the king desired mademoiselle . the memory of queen elizabeth of france , the first wife of philip the iv. was so deeply imprinted upon the hearts of all the spaniards , that they desired to see one of the same blood sit upon the throne again . don iuan agreed with the king's inclinations , as well as those of the people in relation to this princess . he sent orders to the marquess de los balbazez in flanders , who was come from nimeguen , where he had assisted at the treaty of peace , to go and demand mademoiselle for the king his master . every one was surprized that the prince lent his helping hand to this affair . true policy would have required him to protract as long as he was able and to delay the marriage , because as it gave a wife to the king , so it might perhaps give an enemy to the favourite . and here many people could not forbear to call to mind the first ideas of that ambition , of which he was suspected , now it was for good and all to abandon the design of making himself declared infant , to content himself with reigning after the king , in case he had no children . many persons do likewise pretend , that notwithstanding the great earnestness he showed in publick , yet he had no over great desire to have the match succeed . they alledge this for a reason , that he ought to have done something before so open an embassy , by way of secret dispatches , which might absolutely have had the success of a negotiation : but that at the bottom , whatever he did or whatever he said to the contrary , he did not heartily desire it ; that he was afraid lest a french queen , supported by the authority of the greatest king in the world , would never truckle to him ; that now he was master , but hereafter would become no more than a companion , others were of the contrary opinion , and said that he had a fair prospect of being well received by mademoiselle , especially since he had broke off the marriage with the arch dutchess , and given the preference to her . these different considerations embarrassed and perplexed don iuan to such a degree , that he knew not which way to determine himself , and even at the very time that the marquess de los balbazez demanded the princess in france , he very cunningly got the king at madrid to see the portraiture of the infanta of portugal , who was a lady of admirable beauty : he talked exceedingly of her charms , and not knowing as yet that her marriage with the duke of savoy was agreed upon , he underhand made a proposal to give her to the king ; but he was too deeply gone to alter his affections . the demand made by don balbazez was very agreeable to his most christian majesty , and don iuan who received advice of it , did not at first doubt of its success . therefore he ●ow endeavoured to overshoot the favourable dispositions of france , either to promote his own interest by it , or else by demanding things that were too great , to meet a refusal , and by that means to find a plausible pretence to break off . in effect , he pretended that mademoiselle not being the daughter of a king , they ought therefore for that reason on the side of the french court to enter into particular considerations , and restore to spain some of those places , that were yeilded up to france by the last treaty of nimeguen . upon this he held a council , where he was desirous to insinuate his own sentiments into them , but he found no body inclined to hearken to them . every one concluded , that they ought to have nothing else in view but the king's satisfaction ; that they were happy enough in finding out a princess , that was beautiful and capable to give them a soveraign , and that they ought not to take pains to destroy a thing of that consequence , which all the world so earnestly desired to see accomplished . the queen who continued still very solitary at toledo , and who was consulted in no affairs , wrote a letter to the king , wherein she told him , she had received information that he was going to be married , that she counselled him in the mean time , while that affair was carrying on , to go to arragon , and catalonia , to confirm the ancient priviledges of those people . the king sent her barely word again that he would do it , without explaining himself more openly upon his marriage . ever since the twenty fourth of ianuary . the king had nominated those persons who were to fill up the respective offices of the house of the new queen . the dutchess de terra nova was made camarera major , that is , first lady of honour , but her power is of a greater extent than that of the other ladies of honour ; because she is mistress of all the women that serve the queen in her palace . she is the widow of the duke de terra nova , who was of the house of pignatelli , and a grandee of spain . she in herited a vast fortune that descended to her from fernando cortez , for her mother bore the name of that famous captain , who left her a small kingdom in the west indies , tho he might , if he pleased , have left her a more considerable one in that part of the world , where he made so great a progress . she is descended of a branch of the house of arragon , that setled a long while ago in sicily ; she is extreamly rich , of a fierce imperious humour towards persons that are above her , insupportable to her equals , but kind and obliging to her inferiours . she has a world of wit , is fixed in her resolutions , and is of a deep penetrating ●pirit : her temper cold and serious , still preserving her spanish gravity , and never steps a foot backward or forward unless she has well considered of it before . she thunders out her i will , or i will not , enough to make one tremble . she is a meager pale woman , of a long and wrinkled visage , her eyes little and severe , in short she makes a dangerous terrible enemy . don carlos of arragon her cousin german was assassinated by the banditti , whom she caused expresly for that purpose to come from valentia , because he demanded of her restitution of the dutchy of terra nova , which was in her possession , altho of right it belonged to him . the terrible noise this affair made in the world , obliged her to retire into arragon , where don iuan resided at that time , deeply afflicted at his misfortunes . both of them imagined , that they had reason to complain of the severity of their fortune , and this soon occasioned a certain friendship between them , as it usually happens amongst persons of their quality when they come to be involved in the same circumstances . after they had frequently conversed with one another , the prince found out part of the dutchesse's humour ; he knew she was ambitious , but as all the other ill qualities of her soul were outwardly set off by the appearance of a great devotion , he never took her for so malicious and spightful a devil , as she really was . he therefore cast his eyes upon her to make her camarera major for the young queen . the marquess d' astorgas was nominated at the same time to be grand master of her house , don iuan had some thoughts at first of conferring this office upon don vincente gonzaga of the house of mantua , and made him quit his viceroyship of sicily to come and possess it , which the other freely left , in consideration of the place , that was now offered him . but his expectations were deceived ; for the marquess d' astorgas , who had heaped up a prodigious wealth when he was viceroy of naples , having profered the use of it to don iuan , who mightily stood in need of mony at that time and accepted the profer , was preferred to don vin●ente , who was admitted however into the ●ouncil of state , where his great abilities , without question , did great service . altho the duke d' ossone continued as yet in exile , don iuan did not forget to nominate him for master of the horse to the queen ; he bestowed that place upon him only that he might have an opportunity to take away from him that of the president of the orders , where his conduct it seems did not please him . he affected a certain air of devotion that sate very disagreeably upon him , because he mixed too much bigotry with it , and it was a strange sort of bigotry too ; for this good duke one evening caused the count d' humanez to be set upon in the streets by some men of valencia , who never come to madrid but to commit murders and other crimes of that nature . the occasion of the quarrel was this , the duke was passionately in love with a certain lady , and soon after came to discover that the count was a more fortunate man than himself . nevertheless the count escaped the danger . this affair made a great bustle ; don iuan who was particularly disgusted at the duke , laid hold of this opportunity to banish him the court , but now procured this considerable post for him , that he might gain over to his party a man of so great an importance ; besides it was his interest to see the chief offices of the queen's house filled with those persons that were at his devotion , and might prepossess the mind of that young princess in favour of him . the other officers of her house were likewise nominated about the beginning of march. at the same time the marquess de mansera mayor domo to the queen mother was fined a hundred thousand crowns , which he paid upon the nail . after this manner the king sometimes punishes the crimes that the grandees commit against him . he was soon after banished to the castle de cocchia , and his place was given to the count de chincho● . but the queen being highly incensed at these proceedings , declared that she would never suffer it , alledging that the widow of philip the fourth , and mother of charles the second ought not to be treated after this unworthy manner , so they were forced to let the matter drop , and proceed no farther in it . there happened a little after another business , that occasioned a great clamour . don francisco de toledo , second son of the duke of alva , the count de mirande grandee of spain , the marquess de valero son of the duke de bejar , and the eldest son of the duke de sessa occasioned the escape of a man , that was accused of great crimes . the manner whereby they brought it about , was this . they sent a woman with a basket of fish to stand near the prison , she sold such good pennyworths there , that a man appointed for the purpose having informed the jaylor , and the keepers of it , they presently ran to the place to buy some fish. the woman amused them with abundance of foolish stories so well , that she succeeded in her design , for in the mean time the above-mentioned lords broke open the prison gates . the king ordered all of them to be arrested , however this affair , like others of the same nature at madrid , brought no ill consequences upon them . the king took all the care imaginable to have the young queens apartments in the palace fitted up , and made ready . he was to have gone according to the usual custom , in the month of april to aranjues , but don iuan hindred him , because that place was too near toledo , so he went to buen-retiro . the queen mother wrote to him thither , desiring that he would be pleased to come and see her ; but tho she prest it with a great deal of tenderness and importunity , she was not able to succeed in her desires . he diverted himself every day with hunting and seeing comedies , either at pardo or zarzuela , which are two houses of pleasure belonging the king of spain . the opera d' alcine was represented before him , it cost a world of mony , but was miserably performed . there was likewise a bull-feast kept , where two young cavaliers unfortunately perished : on the following day there was running at the ring . about this time the prince de ligne arrived , and a day or two after kissed his majestys hand , and took his place at the council of state. father francis de relux a dominican came likewise from salamanca , where he had been professor of divinity , and was chosen by don iuan to be the kings confessor . the duke of alva had engaged that he should submit himself intirely to don iuan's will , who accepted him upon his parole . at this time the cardinal de portacarero archbishop of toledo returned from rome . the court at madrid was very full and numerous . on the twentieth of ianuary the king of france named the marquess de villars to be his ambassador in spain , who was at that time under the same character at savoy . he was known to the court of spain , for in the year . he resided there in quality of ambassador ; he arrived at madrid on the seventeenth of iune , and those persons that were well acquainted with the disposition of don iuan , very much doubted whether he would meet with that reception , which he might reasonably promise himself : they knew well enough that the natural haughtiness of don iuan would never comply with the instructions of that minister , who to be sure would never go to visit the prince , unless he were assured beforehand of receiving the honour of the hand , the step and the chair ; that don iuan would never consent to this proposal , because it was not to be imagined that he would easily give up the rights he had obtained over the other ambassadors , and that it would be an inconvenient thing for him of france not to treat directly with the chief minister . what people surmised upon this occasion really happened , for the prince would not bate him an ace , and the marquess de villars kept fast to his instructions . therefore they looked upon one another with great coldness , but nevertheless this did not hinder the ambassador from having a private audience of the king on the eighth of iuly , and a publick one a little after , upon the conclusion of his marriage with mademoiselle . don iuan had three fits of a tertian ague towards the beginning of iuly . on the thirteenth the secretary of the marquess de los balbazez arrived , who brought word that the king had consented to the marriage of mademoiselle with the king of spain : nothing is equal to the joy that he shew'd upon this account , for he had expected the news with the greatest impatience . he ordered te deum to be sung at our ladies d' atocha , all the houses in the city were illuminated with white wax tapers , and bonefires were to be seen in every street . an hundred and fifty cavaliers of the best families in the kingdom performed a masquerade on horse-back , that consisted only of some embroiderie , tiffany ribbons and feathers ; for they were apparalled in black as they used to be , but were not masqued at all . after this manner they ran all night , every man carrying a flambeaux in his hand : all these divertisements lasted three days and three nights . a courier arrived soon after , who brought the contract of the king's marriage , this was soon communicated to the queen mother , who exprest a great deal of joy at it . the ratification was presently sent back , and bonefires were made as before . while the people did thus endeavour to express their zeal to the king , the servants of the queen mother were busied in finding out some means or other to advance her return . the marquess de villars had refused to follow the example of the other ambassadors in the conduct they used towards don iuan upon the occasion of those new customs , which they suffered him to establish ; and this seemed a favourable opportunity to perswade the enemies of the prince , that monsieur de villars had some secret instructions which were not favourable to him . they flattered themselves immediately with the hopes of making him one of their party , and believed it would extreamly strengthen their own side if they could once bring him over to them . upon this consideration , the greater part of the courtiers applauded him mightily for his constancy , and made him abundance of complements upon that score . he was respected at madrid , and had the good fortune to find out several of his friends again , and the queen mother shewed a particular esteem for him . she gave him a very obliging proof of this , when he came to wait upon her at toledo ; for after publick audience was over , she was pleased to entertain him in private about her own affairs , and testified what an entire confidence she reposed in him : but altho several proposals were made to him , to be of a party against the prince , and besides his own natural disposition led him to espouse the quarrel of those persons who opposed a minister , whose civilities he had no great reason to applaud , yet he was of opinion that in this present conjuncture it would be his best way to remain neuter . he considered still , that the marriage of the king of spain with mademoiselle would bring along with it some agreements that were not to be expected before the arrival of that princess , that it was a sure unfailing way to oppose one power to another , that this young princess would never suffer theminister of france to be run down in that court where she was to become the mistress and sole delight , that it was certain she would link her self to the interests of the queen mother ; that the most christian queen who loved both the one and the other very affectionately , would be sure to give her this in charge before her departure amongst the other counsels , which she was always to observe ; that their credit being united together and seconded by all those persons , that desired another government , don iuan would without question find himself obliged to give way . most persons reasoned after the same manner upon this affair , and encouraged one another to stand firm against the favourite ; they now began to speak those things aloud which before they were almost afraid to mutter in private , they complained of him , and importuned the king to call the exiles home , and openly promoted the return of queen mother . don iuan was now more disquieted than ever : the appearance only of his fall had prevailed with several persons , who ought to have been his creatures , to abandon him for good and all ; and as for those that remained , they had neither authority , nor merit enough to support him . he could scarce find any comfort but when he was alone , but this sort of conduct does not always afford a man a sanctuary ; for even the silence , the retirement , and the infinite reflections we make are rather apt to perplex and disturb , than to relieve our spirits . he was still more afflicted , when he saw some of his friends , or at least such as he believed to be so , embrace the interests that were directly opposite to his , and he knew they employed the confessor's credit with the king to bring all these matters about . i have already told you , that don iuan was the man who caused him to come from salamanca , and after he had advanced him to this preferment , thought he might ever after have him at his devotion . nevertheless , whether he had promised him nothing , or really broke his word , 't is certain he quitted the prince's party , and caballed amongst his enemies . some people pretend that this proceeded from a principle of conscience , but it is impossible that ingratitude should ever flow from a good principle . however it was , he obtained for the princess de stillano , who was the duke of alva's daughter , the return of her husband . don iuan had absolutely refused it , and found so little credit upon this occasion , that he was sensibly afflicted at it : for the thing it seems was pushed so far , that the king out of pure complaisance to his confessor said it signifies nothing that don juan opposes it , 't is enough that i would have it so . these few words very much increased the prince's melancholy ; but as misfortunes seldom come unattended , there happened another mortification upon the account of the duke of ossone , who was in the number of the exiles . the prince had sent him notice by some of his friends , that he desired him to throw up his place of master of the horse to the new queen , which he had lately bestowed upon him , but he rejected his proposal with the greatest scorn imagi●able . don iuan was mightily enraged at it , and would have banished him farther off , to make him sensible of his power , and of the affront he had done him in pretending to oppose his intentions : but he was so far from succeeding in his project , that he saw the duke de medina celi , who hitherto kept fair measures with him , had prevailed with the king to recall the duke d' ossone . the son of the duke de medina celi had married the daughter of the duke d' ossone , and this occasioned the great friendship between them . the pretence was , that it was necessary for him to be with the queen , and the duke de medina celi , having found a favourable opportunity , told the king that he was not a little concerned to see a man of the duke ossone's quality , who had the honour to possess one of the highest offices in the queens house , banished so far from court , at a time when all those persons that ought to serve her , should be making preparations to meet her . the king consented to his return , as likewise to the count de montereys , upon condition that they should neither make nor receive any visits at madrid . a general custom seldom fails to hold true for any particular person , and 't is an usual observation , that when we begin to receive any one misfortune , we ought to expect another . don iuan being perswaded that he was not happy enough to be excepted from this invidious rule , was desirous to strengthen his party by the authority of the constable of castile ; but he met with a very unlucky rub in his way , for having engaged the duke of alva to propose an accommodation to him , t●e constable calling to mind the insupportable pride wherewith don iuan had formerly treated him , and therefore still looking upon the prince as his formidable enemy , answered very coldly , that the time was past . to encrease his troubles , all those that were exiled came into favour , for they took an opportunity to solicit their return whilst he was sick , and made such advantages of that conjuncture , and pushed matters so home , that the king was resolved to call home the queen mother . while they were deliberating upon the conduct , that was to be observed in this affair , the king held a long conversation with the inquisitor general ; he sent his confessor to acquaint the duke de medina celi of the house de la cerda , and the count d' oropeza of the house of braganza to meet at an appointed hour at the inquisitors . when they were met , the king sent them word by the aforementioned father relux to advise him of the best method to remove don iuan , and recall the queen mother . the day was spent in conference , and after all , it was unanimously agreed that the king should depart from the palace as if he were going out to hunt , and that before his return he should send word to the prince to withdraw immediately . this project was not put in execution , the prince knew not a syllable of the matter , and for want of resolution and courage the design fell . on the twenty sixth of iune , a bull feast was kept , where there was very good sport , at the same time the marquess de fuentes got to be ●●de counseller of the military affairs . the k●●g gave orders to the gentlemen of his bed-chamber , who were to meet the queen upon the way , to furnish themselves with three suits of clothes a peice , and two of them were to be after the french fashion . our ambassador made his entry on the thirteenth of august , and we did not fail to go to some of our friends to behold the show . 't is a custom there for the king to send the ambassador a certain number of horses out of his own stable both for himself and his attendants , for the ambassadors make their entry on horseback ; next morning the major domo in waiting , the conductor of the ambassadors and his deputy accompanied him from his own house to the palace . in his publick audience , which he had of the king , he always spoke in french ; the procession of his entry was a long time interrupted by the opiniatrete of the ambassador of malta , who pretended that his coach ought immediately to follow that of the venetian ambassador , who was the last ambassador of the chappel , in such manner that he was got before the second coaches of the marquess de villars : but to put an end to the dispute , the conductor of the ambassadors was sent to the palace , where every thing was adjusted to the advantage of the ambassador of france , and the pretensions of him of malta , who was don diego de bracamonte , were adjudged to be ill grounded , since the ambassadors of crowned heads never gave him the right hand at their houses . after some instances on his side , his coach withdrew ; he is the first ambassador of malta that ever aspired to this honour . don rodrigo de silva de mendoza , duke de pastrane & de l' infantado , having been named by the king to go ambassador extraordinary into france , and to carry the presents of marriage to mademoiselle , went immediately to toledo to receive orders of the queen mother , and being returned to madrid , he departed from thence with a dozen postillions , and six trumpeters clad in green velvet embroidered with gold : he had several gentlemen , and pages with him , and his two brothers don ioseph , and don gaspar de silva accompanied him in his journey . donna catarina de mendoza his mother gave him twenty thousand pistoles , and five thousand to each of his brothers . he was descended in a right line from father to son of rui gomez prince a' eboli , who was made duke de pastrane by king philip ii. whose privado or principal favourite he was , as his wife , whose beauty has made so great a noise in the world , was his mistress . the king named the marchioness de mortare , the marchioness del fresno , the countess de santorcas , the countess dayala , and the marchioness de castra forte to be ladies of honour to the queen ; and for maids of honour the daughters of the dutchess de sessa & de frias , those of the marchioness d' alcanisa , of the countess de villambrosa , of the marchioness de villa franca , of the marchioness de villa manriquez , those of the dukes d' hijar and d' albe , of the counts de paredes , and d' arcos , the sisters of the duke de vareguas , and the marquess de godar ; the daughters of the duke d' hijar , and pastrane were to be menines or young ladies of honour : they are not above ten years old , and are the prettiest ladies i have seen in spain . donna laura d' alarçon was named to be the mother of the maids of honour , the sons of the marquess de villa manriquez , and of the count of st. stephen to be menins or pages to the queen , the marquess d' astorgas major domo major , the dutchess de terra nova to be camarera major of the young queen . all these ladies went to toledo to take their leave of the queen mother , and at their return they went strait down to the palace , where the took possession of those chambers that were alotted to them . the king presented a thousand pistoles to every maid of honour to bear the expence of their journey , with a pension of a thousand ducats . he gave the title of grandee to don francis maria spinola a gentleman of genoa , duke de s. pierre , and son in law to the marquess de los balbazez : he was a young lord very well shaped and accomplished . at the same time the count de talara brought the king a resignation of his office of master of the horse , the aversion between him and the admiral of castile made him unwilling to execute his orders , and since he saw himself recalled from banishment , he thought it the best way to leave the court. a courier arrived from cales on the twenty-second of august , who brought the news of the safe arrival of the gallions tha● were computed to be worth thirty millions , but above half the treasure belonged to the merchants . they were once minded to seize the whole cargo to defray the charge of the marriage , and to serve for other occasional expences . however after a long consideration , the council finding it would utterly ruin all commerce , desisted from the design . the ministers and grandees went to complement the king on st. lewis's day , because it was the birth-day of the young queen ; he received them with with a more pleasant air than was his usual manner , and having abundance of precious stones in his hat , he told them that he wore them for the sake of the queen . the cardinal portocarero came to wait upon his majesty , he went from madrid to toledo very much discontented ; and told some persons , that if the king did not receive him with more honour , than he did the first time , he would never come back again to court ; but he had reason enough now to be satisfied , for as he came out of the coach he found the halberdiers of the guards under their arms , touching the pavement with their halberds , as they always use to do when the king passes by . so great and so welcom a reception made him resolve not to give the right hand to ambassadors and to the grandees , which at first a little displeased some people , but the dukes de medina celi , d' ossone , and alva , the popes nuncio , and the venetian ambassador having made him a visit , were pleased to submit to the new regulation he had established , which some others followed after their example . when it was known at madrid , that our king was to swear to the peace at fountainblea● on the last day of august , the king of spain came about four a clock in the afternoon to the great gilded hall of the palace , to perform this ceremony on his side . the marquess de villart came to the palace , where he was received by the master of the ceremonies : the constable of castile followed by all the ma●●● d●●●'s received him at the gate of the ●●●st hall ; he passed , through several rooms , each more magnificent than the other , and hung with the richest tapistry in the world . at the upper end of the hall there was a scaffold erected , covered with persian tapistry gounded with gold , it was ascended by three steps , the king's throne was placed upon it , all imbroidered with large pearls and precious stones of admirable beauty and splend●r . the cardinal port●carero sate upon a chair of state , the constable of castile upon a little low stool ; our ambassador seated himself upon another b●nch , the patriarch of the in●ies continued standin● : the king came followed by his grandees and sate down ▪ and those w●ose right it was to sit down and be covered did it . don pedro colonna secretary of state read with a loud voice the commission which our king had sent to the marquess de villars to assist at this ceremony in his stead . a little silver table was set before the king , on which a crucifix and the gospel was placed . the king kneeling , set his right hand upon the book ▪ all the while that the cardinal read aloud the oath which his majesty took to keep peace with france . when this was over , the ambassador approached and made a complement to the king , who briefly answered him according to the custom , and returned presently to his apartment . all the court was now filled with joy : a masquerade on horseback was kept in the great cour● of the palace ▪ it was divided into two squadrons which ran against one another . prince alexander fa●●ese brother to the duke of parma led one and the duke de medina de las torres led the other . the king named the constable of castile and the duke de medina celi to be judges and arbitrators of the course . the marquess defiat arrived at madrid from the part of monsieur ▪ to make his complements to the king of spain . he received him very kindly and as a person of his merit deserved : he went to toledo to wait upon the qu●en mother , and came back immediately . on the ninth of august a courier from the marquess de 〈◊〉 b●lbara● arived at madrid , who brought the happy ne●● that the marriage of the king with mademoiselle had been solemnized at fountainbleau , and this gave occasion to the masquerades on horseback , and the bonefires that were to be seen for three days together . all this publick rejoycing did not in the least diminish don iuan's melancholy ; and 't is certain , the great perplexity of mind he was under very much impaired his health , and the vigour of his constitution . he was at a stand what party to take , for as he had too much bravery ever to think of giving way to his enemies , so his credit was not strong enough to put him in capacity of resisting them . in this violent condition , he was sensible enough tha● he should never be able to sustain the weight of his affliction , and to say the truth , it cost him his life at last : but great men seldom complain when they become the sport of fortune , and after their example don iuan expected his last day with the constancy and steadiness of a heroe : his tertian ague seized him again , and on the seventh of september he found himself so extreamly ill , that the physitians acquainted the king that there was but little hopes of his recovery . at this news his majesty wept , and testified a sensible grief , he ordered cardinal p●rtocarer● to go to him and learn what condition he was in ; he appeared but little concerned , and prepared himself for death like a ●ood christian and philosopher : he comforted 〈◊〉 his friends with a wonderful presence of ●●nd , a man has lived long enough , said he to ●●em , when he dies without having any thi●g to 〈◊〉 him , i mean in r●la●ion to honour : 〈◊〉 for what concerns my d●ty to god i have been too deficious , and the time of my repentance cannot be too long . he received the holy viaticum , and the king almost every other moment came into his chamber , testifying a great deal of friendship for him , and tenderly complained , that he would abandon him at a juncture , when his assistance was become so necessary to him . don iuan made his will , by which he constituted the king his heir , he left almost all his jewels to the young queen , and the queen mother , and named cardinal portocarero , the duke de medina celi , the duke of alva , and the president of castile to be his executors . he likewise gave order , that as soon as ever he was dead , they should remove his cabinet , which was filled with papers of great importance , out of his own apartment to that of the king. this extream illness of the prince put some stop to the publick rejoycings that were resolved upon , and particularly to a bull-feast , but however it did not hinder them from making fine artificial fireworks in the court of the palace ; nay he desired it himself , altho he was troubled with a furious pain in his head , that might very well be increased with the noise of rockets and crackers . all this while his physitians , who knew nothing of the profound melancholy wherein he was plunged , punished his body for an indisposition , that was properly lodged in the mind● and made him suffer a sort of martyrdom by the several torments they inflicted upon him . in fine , this poor prince died on the seventeenth of september . on the very same day that his father philip iv. did . he was born in . and abounded with a thousand good qualities . a little time after his birth , his mother received the habit of a religious woman from the hands of pope innocent x. who was then the pope's nuncio to king philip iv. this action of her retiring out of the world , justified her from abundance of suspicions , which people entertained upon the score of her imprudent conduct . the king did not acknowledge him till the year . he had the grand priory of malta in castile bestowed upon him , and was sent against the portugueses with the title of generalissimo of the armies by sea and land. after this he reduced the city of naples to its obedience , and went to flanders to command the troops there . he was governour of the low countries , of burgundy and char●lois ; but he came back to march once more against the portugueses . after the de●●h of the king his father , he passed his time , as it above mentioned , at consuegra , the ordinary residence of the grand prior of castile , and when the present king came to be of age , he continued near him . on the twentyeth his body was carried to the escurial , and was interred in the pa●theon , for so the place is called where they lay the bodies of the kings of spain , but those of the princes and princesses of the royal family are placed in a vault which is not far from it ; nay they don't lay the bodies of the queens of spain in the pantheon unless they have had children . he left a very beautiful daught●r behind him , whom he had by a person of gr●●t quality . she is a religiou● among the carm●lit●● at madrid , who are called las descaltas re●les . the first journey the king made after the death of don iuan was to go and visit the queen mother , he parted the very same day from madrid , and lay on the way at ara●juez , and arrived the next day at toledo . the queen received him with great testimonies of tenderness , they mingled their tears together as they embraced one another , and dined , and afterwards entertained one another a long time in private . all those that accompanied the king , kissed her majesty's hand ; so after the day was ag●eed upon for her to come back to madrid , he left her . we may easily believe , that she took but little time to prepare her self for a journey that was so welcome to her . the king parted from madrid on the twenty seventh , he lay again at aranj●●z and the next day he set forward to meet the q●een on the way that leads to toledo . as soon as they met , he desired her to come into his coach that they might discourse in private , and so he brought her to buen r●t●r● , which is one of the king's houses scituate at the end of the city . there she rested her self for some time , till the house of the duke d●●eda could be fitted up fo● her , which it seems she chose to reside in , because the palace was not spacious enough to lodge the two queens . it would be an endless piece of trouble to reckon up all the persons of quality , besides the vast multitudes of people that accompanied their majesties at their arrival , and indeed this mighty alteration of fortune was very remarkable on the queen mothers side . there was an universal joy for her return in the very same city , where but two years ago don iuan was seen to enter as the deliverer of his country , and the queen to go out like a meer fugitive under all the weight of the publick hatred . the king ●arried there till evening , and there scarce passed a day over his head , from the time he went to meet the queen first on the road , but he dined with her , and staid a long time in her company . all the new queens family were just upon the point of going to meet her ; t●e dutchess de terra nova made great preparations , and since every body in a manner envyed her for having so advantagious a post , and don iuan her protector was dead , 't was commonly believed that she would be obliged to resign it : but she foresaw and prevented all this by taking possession of her apartment in the palace , from whence it was not so easie a matter to eject her now , as it would have been before . she departed on the twenty sixth of september with the marquess d' ast●rgas , and the whole family of the queen except the duke d' osso●e , whose equipage could not be got ready , because he was but just returned from his banishment . but before i carry on these memoirs any farther , i judge it not amiss to speak a few words of some of the lords that belonged to the court when i was there . i shall particularly enlarge upon those that were of the council of state , for it will be no small satisfaction to the r●●der to know the characters of those persons , whose names he meets so frequently . i shall not here speak of the duke de m●dina celi , nor of the cons●able of castile , neither do i pretend to name them according to their rank and order , but shall only place them as they occur first to my remembrance , and shall begin with . the duke of alva or dalbe of the family of toledo , he has a vast estate and a considerable revenue , and yet for all that is not before hand in the world ; he enjoys several good places and a large pension at court. he was a witty obliging person , and shew'd but little kindness to the queen mother . he was . years old . don pedro de arragon was formerly known by the name of the marquess de p●bar , he endeavoured to relieve perpig●●● , when he was general of the horse , but had the ill luck to fall into the hands of the french , amongst whom he continued a prisoner for some time . at his return to madrid , the king made him governour to the prince don bakazar his son , who died by overheating himself , and was afterwards let blood in vain . the king upon this enraged against don pedro , banished him . when the king was dead , the queen regent called him home and sent him ambassador to rome . after this he was made viceroy of naples , where according to the custom he heaped a great treasure together , and what is more remarkable , knew how to keep it , for this is not the genius of that nation . he was . years old . the admiral of castile of the family d' henri●●● , descended from a bastard of the kings of castile , was a great lord , and better shaped than any in the court : he was tall of statu●e and well proportioned , the air of his face was great and noble , and he had a world of wit , was a of gentle easie deportment , and had nothing to trouble him , but only his being . years old . he had an excellent talent at writing of verses , which flowed naturally from him , and in these diversions he employed himself more than in his ●●●mestick affairs . he was born a libertine , and lived private , and could not fix himself so as to make a regular court either to the king or the chief minister . he was of opinion that whatever is done by constraint cannot be recompenced by all the favours of fortune , he communicated himself to a very few persons , whether it were , because he had too exquisite and nice a tast to accommodate himself to all the world , or because he was a lover of solitude , which the most delicious gardens and the finest house in madrid recommended to him . formerly he kept some mistresses , for whose sakes he almost ruined himself . he was master of the horse to the king. the marquess d' astorgas of the family d' ozorio was in his time a person of the greatest gallantry in the world , and notwithstanding the disadvantage of being . years old , continued still to be so . he was of a chearful lively spirit , and talked justly and well upon all occasions . he was grand master of the young queens horse ; his lady having entertained an implacable jealousie and hatred against a young beautiful woman , for whom he had an extraordinary affection , found an occasion to kill her , took out her heart and made a ragoo of it . when her husband had eaten part of it , she asked him how he liked it , he answered very well . i am much surprized at it , says she , for 't is the heart of your mistress , and immediately drew out her head , all bloody as it was , from under her farthingal , and so threw it upon the table , where he was with several of his friends . 't is easie to imagine how ●●eply he was concerned at so tragical a sight , she saved her self in a convent , whither she retired full of rage and jealousie , and never stirred out of it . the marquess's affliction was so great , that it had like to have made an end of him . he was exceeding rich . the prince de stillano of the house of gusman , and duke de medina de las torres , had abundance of wit , and if he had joyned a little more experience to his natural parts , had assuredly been capable of the greatest things . but he was never out of madrid , and lived an effeminate lazy life there , which alienated his mind from all manner of business . he lived at la floride near the gates of madrid , where he had charming gardens , and continued there under so unconcerned a state , that he neither received nor made any visits , and never endeavoured to draw any advantages from the court ; he had a prodigious estate , but for all that it was sufficiently intangled , for want of putting every thing in order . when he married the daughter of duke d' albe he ordered a sedan to be made for her all covered over with plates of gold , and garnished with coral ; but when it was finished , no body was found strong enough to carry it . he was . years old , and was deeply in the interests of the queen mother . the duke d' ossone of the house de giron was master both of good and bad qualities , that equally distinguished him . he loved his friends passionately , and served them freely with his credit and purse , he was of a liberal temper , and a great adorer of ladies , sparing no cost to ingratiate himself with them ; he was an irreconcileable enemy , and withall was of a proud naughty imperious humour , that made him insupportable to all the world ; and yet his conversation was diverting and pleasant enough , when he could leave off his grandeur and rhodomontadoes . he was a man of an inflexible steadiness , and always had some quarrel or other in court or city . he was one of the richest noblemen in spain , and might be about . years old . he had been vice roy of catalonia , governour of milan , president of the orders , and was master of the horse to the young queen . the count de chinch●● was formerly called marquess de bayon●a : he had been general of the spanish gallies , was a brave man , he neither was rich , nor desired to be so . he was . years old . don vincente gonzagua , prince de guastalla , had never been married , he was a very polite witty person , and came very young to the spanish court , where he ran through most of the considerable posts , and always acquitted himself well in them . he had been vice-roy of catalonia and sicily , and being a man of singular integrity , don iuan caused him to come to him to madrid , in order to give him a place in the council . he was . years old . don louis portocarero , cardinal and arch-bishop of toledo , possessed the greatest benefices in spain . he was extreamly rich , and his archbishoprick was worth three hundred and sixty thousand crowns per annum to him . he did abundance of good in his station , was very obliging and courteous , of an easie temper , and had the repute of being an honest man. he might be about . years old . the marquess de liche , who carried the name of de haro gusman , had two very opposite qualities , he was liberal and yet covetous , he carried his magnificence even to an excess , considering his rank in the world , but especially towards his mistresses ; nevertheless he sometimes shewed his frugality in things that did him no credit . he had but an ordinary mein , and was ill-favoured , but was master of all the wit , penetration and vivacity imaginable . he was a great lord , full of ambition and so naturally forward and adventurous , that they feared him at court , and kept him always at a great distance . he was ambassador at rome , and was . years old . the count de monterey was brother to the marquess de liche ; more medling in all affairs . and no less ambitious , but more discreet , and more moderate , gallant , liberal and witty . he had a great deal of experience , and people were well contented with his conduct in the government of flanders . he was not above . years old . 't was observable , that he was well-shaped , and his wife very deformed , whereas the marquess de liche , his brother , was very deformed , and his wife exceeding beautiful . the marquess de los balbazez a geniese , of the house of spinola , was very rich . he was not without justice reproached for falling into an excess in the manag●ment of his domestick concerns . he married the sister of the constable colonna : the bigness and and figure of that lady were very remarkable . it must be owned that he had both zeal and capacity for the service of his master . he had been governour of milan , and afterwards was ambassador at vienna and at france , and plenipotentiary at nimeguen . he was . years old . don diego sarmiento was originally of gallicia , his birth was not illustrious . the queen mother protected him , and procured for him the place of councellor of state , because he was altogether devoted to her service . he was a person of great abilities and prudence , and reckoned to be . years old . the duke de villa-hermosa of the house of borgia , mightily increased his fortunes during his stay in flanders , where he was governour . he passed for a person of great bravery , and had the character of a sweet-tempered affable man. he was not very rich , and might be about . years old . don melchior navarra owed his elevation to his good fortune , and to the queen mother . he was a man of great merit and knowledge , and was a member of the council royal. he left spain in the year . to be vice-roy of peru , and was supposed to be , years old . the marquess de los-velez was son to the marchioness de los-velez , who had been gover●●nte to the king : he married the sister of the dutchess de medina celi , he was vice-roy of naples , and made himself to be beloved there for his good qualities . he was master of a great fortune , but of greater vertues , and was but . years old . the count d' oropeza , who carries the name of toledo conjunctly with that of portugal , was young and not above . years old . his stature was somewhat of the lowest , otherwise he was well enough made as to his person , of a smiling agreeable countenance , and a sweet and infinuating conversation , open in appearance , but in effect very reserved and close , not always speaking as he thought , and generally intent upon nothing but to deceive and amuse . he pretended to be devout , and under the exteriour shew of unconcernedness for the world concealed his great ambition , to which he might be prompted perhaps by his illustrious birth : he was of the house of portugal , and presumptive heir of that kingdom in case the king had no children . the king at that time loved him exceedingly , and this love has been since wonderfully increased ; he is become a favourite and chief minister . the marquess de mansera had been formerly sent . ambassador into germany , and afterwards was made vice-roy of new spain , where he enriched himself , and came back to madrid : he was of so unhealthful a constitution , that he could not fill the chief places of the government , which otherwise he might have done , being a person of great capacity , in regard of his experience and judgment . he was . years old . the duke d' albuquerque was general at sea , he was very brave , and was not destitute of wit. he married the daughter of his eldest brother to keep up the name of his family , which was that of cueva , and was very antient . he might be about . years old . don iuan ieronimo d' eguya was born at gesue , but his family was of nav●●re , and his father had been gentleman to the duke de turcis : he was well shaped and agreeable , had abundnace of wit , and lived in the quality of a page to don pedro fernandez del campo , secretary of state : his master loved him exceedingly , and made him his chief commissary . he afterwards rose to be secretary ; for don pedro del campo not being in the good graces of valenzuela , d' eguya was chosen to officiate in his place by a commission , and after some time had the good fortune to get it for himself , for he , to whom it belonged , died of grief because he was not permitted to exercise it any longer . the king had a great kindness for him , and he behaved himself towards his majesty with all the address imaginable . his office was under the king's apartment , he was called secretary of state and del despacho vniversal . he was never of the council : his employment directly fastned him to the person of the king and chief minister . he kept the bolfillo , without being obliged to give up his accounts . now these are the fines that come to the king , as well from spain as the indies ; they amount to a prodigious summ , and are employed for secret services , either by way of presents or pensions . all these persons , whom i have mentioned , were very eminent and considerable , and possessed the chief offices and greatest employments . there is another class of courtiers still behind , which is only composed of young lords , who are there called guaps , as we call them in france les petits m●●tres . the most witty and well-shaped among these are reckoned to be the duke d' v●zeda , the marquess de penaranda , the count d' altamire , the sons of the duke de cessa , the prince de montoleon ; don antonio and don francisco de toledo , sons of the duke dalbe , and don fernand de toledo his nephew , the two silva brothers to the duke de pastrane , the marquess de leyva , the duke de medina sidonia , the marquess de quintana , and the son of the duke de medina celi . altho the eldest of these lords is not above . years old , yet they were most of them married ; for they take care in spain to make themselves acquainted with his godship hymen , as soon as is possible . and now as for the ladies , i shall only say in general , that there is no place in the world where they have a greater share of vivacity and wit , and a better talent to please , than they have in spain ; amongst these , without reckoning the maids of honour that belonged to the two queens , the most remarkable for wit were the dutchesses dalbuquerque , de terra nova , d' ossone , de frias , de medina celi , d' hijar , de pastrane , and the countesses de monterey and de villambrosa ; for beauty the marchioness de liche , the princess de montelion the marchioness de la roche , the countess de penaranda , the princess stillano , the dutchess d' osseda , the wife of don pedro of arragon , that of don henrique henriques , and the marchioness de la puebla . the constraint wherein they live , the climate of the country and their own natural temper carry them to gallantry on course . they are for the most part little , lean and slender , their skin is swarthy , soft , and painted , their features regular , their eyes full of fire , their hair black and in great abundance , and their feet small to admiration . their habit sits so ill upon them , that unless one has been long accustomed to it , she can scarce know how to endure it . the men are no less disadvantageously apparalled ; they always come to court in their golilia and a black cloak and hanging sleeves , and altho they be never so well shaped and handsom , with fine heads of hair and good features , yet their awkward way of dressing and parting their hair on one side of their face , and throwing it behind their ears , does abominably disfigure them . this digression has caused me to interrupt the series of these memoirs , but now to reassume my discourse , i must inform my reader , that the good understanding which passed between the king and the queen mother , occasioned abundance of people to make their court to the latter . they looked upon her as a princess , who had assumed all her former authority , for the king was still young , and had need of good counsel , and his mother being accustomed to govern , was for all sorts of reasons more capable to direct him than any one besides . nay it was commonly believed , that she would not be displeased to take the government again into her hands , and so some by inclination , and others out of policy endeavoured to get into her favour , in order to obtain some place or other under the new ministry , that was going to be formed , as well upon the score of her return , as the arrival of the young queen . the world had reason to believe , that the face of affairs would be absolutely changed , and therefore every one thought of himself in the present conjuncture . 't is true abundance of persons that were very well read in politicks , judged that the queen mother would not perhaps manage the reins of the government , they pretended that this would be always a weighty and troublesom charge , that she had been of late years accustomed to ease and quietness , and having undergone all the varieties of an uncertain fortune , she was afraid of seeing her self exposed to them the second time ; that there was hopes she would disswade the king from taking a chief minister , and that she would be forward enough to make him conceive an aversion for one ; that to effect this she only needed to put him in mind of the sorry figure he made , when don iuan had such an authority over him , and that in fine she would endeavour to form a junta , which should be composed of her own creatures ; that this would be the true way to reign , without making her self responsible for any events ; that all her orders would be punctually executed , and yet she not appear to have any hand in them . i ought to acquaint my reader , that a iunta is an extraordinary council of state , which the kings of spain erect to remedy the pressing necessities of the state : for example , philip iv. by his last will created a iunta to serve and assist the queens council during the minority of the king his son. thus people searched after , and as easily found out the lords who were to compose this iunta ; the hatred or the friendship of those persons that made reflections upon the present affairs enriched or impoverished those they had a mind to ; they bestowed offices and took them away , they made vows to no purpose , and had effectual fears and apprehensions upon them : in a word , all these busie spirits were divided upon the point , and the most quiet among them found themselves somewhat concerned for what was to come . but the queen mother made no stir , she seemed in appearance to have no other thoughts than how to establish her self in the favour of the king her son , and serve her self in the same condition . this young prince was passionately in love , and was sensible of all the pleasure that accompanies those agreeable ideas , that love uses to inspire , and flattered himself to see all his expectations suddenly crowned ; the possessing a princess , who was already become so dear to him , employed his heart to such a degree , that he could think of nothing else . he pressed the time of his departure that he might be the sooner with her . the arrival of the courier , who brought the news , that the queen was advanced towards the frontiers was expected with extream impatience . the marquess de los balbazez sent them word exactly on what day she was to arrive at irun : while she was in the territories of france the kings houshold waited upon her . the prince d' harcourt accompanied her in quality of ambassador extraordinary and the princess his wife likewise made the journey . the mareshal clerambant's lady who was governness to her , waited upon her as lady of honour , mademoiselle de grance as lady of the wardrobe , and this place has left her the name of madam instead of that of mademoiselle . nothing was omitted in any of the cities through which her majesty passed , to receive her with a respect suitable to her high rank , and we may say she so much set off the grandeur of her birth by her natural beauty , and by her engaging and courteous deportment ; that all france was sensibly grieved to lose her . one of the first persons that took the freedom to speak to the queen and give her advice was a religious theatin , called father vintimiglia . he was born in sicily of an illustrious family , and was brother to the count de prade who happened to be governour of palermo at the time when that city revolted in the late troubles . he had been seized , and people thought it would have cost him his head , but he got the favour to be sent to madrid to justifie himself ; his brother the theatin went along with him to assist him with his credit . he was a bold hardy adventurous man , and devoted himself entirely to don iuan , and his zeal for that prince carried him so far , that in some of his sermons he spoke of the queen mother with very little respect . this father departed from madrid , in company with the duke d' ossone , and tho he had not now any hopes of being made the queens confessor , as he had before the death of don iuan , yet he could not forbear to go as far as bayonne to salute her ; his deportment , his birth , and his knowledge of the french tongue , which he spoke perfectly well , because he had resided a long time at paris , procured him access enough to the young queen to take his opportunity of prepossessing her with some suspicions and jealousies against the queen her mother in law , and the french ambassador . by this piece of conduct he did not only design to injure those persons who had formerly been enemies to don iuan , but he had a particular aim , that personally respected himself , and wherein his ambition had by much the upper hand of his discretion : and that was to perswade the queen to endeavour the erecting of a iunta , that was to depend solely upon her . he told her , that in order to bring this design about , she was to chuse the duke d' ossone to be a member of it , because he was a person of consummate abilities , and besides had a great zeal for her majesty , he took care to reckon himself in the number of the ministers , and could not forbear to write a scheme of the government ; the memoirs of which he gave to the duke d' harcourt , to the end that he might present them to the queen , but 't is very probable , he never showed them to her majesty . the queen was now advanced as far as st. iohn-de-luz , and she departed from thence about one a clock in the afternoon on the third of november , followed by the guards an corps of the king. she came to a wooden house that was purposely prepared for her , it was gilded and painted within and without , there was a great hall in it , a chamber , and a moveable closet of crimson-damask with galloon and a rich lace of gold and silver . this house was scituate upon the brink of the river de bidassoa which parts france from spain . as soon as the queen arrived there , she put on a most sumptuous habit , then coming into the hall , she took part of a noble collation : there she staid a little , and afterwards retired into her chamber , after this she ascended a scaffold , and placed her self in a chair of state under a noble canopy ; at this very moment she was seized with an air of melancholy which shewed what a regret she had to be so near leaving france . the prince d' harcourt placed himself at her right hand , the princess d' harcourt at her left , the mareshal clerambaut's lady and madam de grance behind her chair . monsieur de saintot went to inform the marquess d' astorgas of it , who was major d●no to the queen . he was in a boat upon the river , near a little island , which the treaty of the pyrantes has rendred since so famous , and which was joyned to the queen's house by a bridge of communication . the guards de corps formed themselves into several squadrons in this place . the marquess was waiting for his orders in this boat , which was very magnificent , and was prepared on purpose to carry her majesty over to the other side . as soon as he was informed that the queen expected him , he set foot upon the ground , and fourscore persons , gentlemen , pages , or valets marched on foot before him , he threw himself immediately at the feet of the queen , kissed her hand , made her a complement , got up again , and covered himself , without staying for the queen to say any thing to him . the prince d' harcourt covered himself likewise at the same time . the marquess spoke to her all the while in spanish , and presented her majesty with two letters from the king and queen mother ; but before he gave them , he touched them upon his forehead , his eyes , his mouth , and his heart , as the fashion is . the queen told him she was extreamly glad that the king her husband had given him the charge of conducting her . after this the old marquess turned himself towards the prince d' harcourt , and made him a complement , who answered that he had orders from the king his master to deliver the queen of spain into his hands . monsieur de chateanneu● counsellor of the parliament of paris , read the act of deliverance in french ; and don alançon , caruero , secretary of state , read the act of reception in spanish . the marquess presented several persons of quality to her majesty , who kissed her hand kneeling down upon one knee . the bishop of pampelune kissed her hand , but did not kneel . the queen did not press to depart , but the marquess informed her that it was high time to march ; she immediately arose , placing him on her right hand and a m●nin of honour on her left , upon whose shoulder she leaned , for he was a young boy , and thus she advanced towards the bridge . the dutchess de terra nova met her just about the middle , and kissed her hand with the ladies of the palace that followed her , who threw themselves all at her feet . after the dutchess had made her complement , she presented several spanish ladies to the queen . monsieur de repaire , lieutenant of the king'sguards ducorps , who carried the queens train , gave it to the dutchess . the queen entred into the boat along with her , her chamber was glazed all over ; and thus being all alone with this old dame , she cast her eyes frequently towards that side of the kingdom which she had quitted , and her languishing air sufficiently testified by what commotions she was agitated within . twenty four seamen placed in two barques drew the boat along , and the spanish horse discharged their musquetoons and pistols as soon as it began to move , the artillary of fontarabia answered them with a great firing . the prince and princess d' harcourt , the other ladies and all the queens attendants passed over in boats that were prepared on purpose . the queen setting foot upon the ground towards the evening , found her own coach , her litter , and a chair with abundance of men in liveries ; she placed her self in her chair , and twenty valets on foot lighted the way with long flambeaux of white wax : when they came to irun , te deum was sung , and this was the first time her supper was served after the spanish fashion ; the repast was so little and so ill drest , that she was extreamly surprized at it , and could scarce eat at all . alas ! that a young princess bred up in the most magnificent and refined court in the world should be forced to pass so many sorrowful melancholy moments . she had always had the liberty hitherto to eat in publick , and it had not been denied to her upon the way ; she danced , she rode on horseback , she knew and esteemed those that were her companions , and they ( if i may use the expression ) adored her . and now she found her self all on a suddain amongst persons whom she knew not , and consequently could not appear amiable enough to divert her grief , she understood so very little of their language , that she could not tell what they meant , or return them any answer without trouble ; then besides all this , the manner wherein they served her appeared so strange , and carried so small a resemblance to that of france , that she was not a little discomposed at it . all was ceremony , all was restraint and affection ; from the very first day she appeared amongst them , the spaniards expected she should know and do every thing as readily as themselves , who had been learning them the better part of their lives . they never considered the difference between the two nations , that are opposite to one another in every punctilio , but believing that her majesty ought immediately to be made acquainted with their way of living , which she was religiously to observe for the rest of her life , they dispensed with her in nothing , so that from that time she suffered a kind of slavery , to which the rigid humour of her camarera major contributed very much ; but the natural sweetness of the queens temper , and her prudence made her receive all these things , that naturally fatigued and displeased her , with a world of patience . nevertheless one would have been apt to conclude , that out of meer policy the dutchess de terra nova ought to have managed the good disposition of the queen after another manner , especially since having no interest in her at present , she ought by a courteous deportment to have gained her favour , because she had so great a number of considerable enemies ; and the greatest part of the court ladies were desirous of her place . the prince who advanced her to this post , was already dead , all appearances seemed to predict her fall , and she her self was very apprehensive of it . however she took different measures from what any body would have thought she ought to observe , for instead of shewing any complaisance to her young mistress , she became a spy upon her actions , so that by this means she might merit the king's favour . she studied all her inclinations , and her humour , she frequently caused some french women , that followed her to madrid to be entertained , she drew strange consequences from the slightest occasions , and every thing became poison in her hands . she likewise drew for her self a plan of the conduct she was to follow , and this effectually hindred her from being turned out of her post. she was not only content with taking these remote measures to ingratiate her self with the king , but likewise was of opinion , that to secure her own interests , she was to hinder the young queen from ever having any friendly correspondence with the queen mother , or reposing any confidence in her : because her party being absolutely opposite to that of don iuan , it was natural to believe that the first sacrifice she would demand of her daughter in law , would be the removal of the camarera , who was the creature of her enemy . besides she could not flatter her self , that the young queen would refuse to give the queen mother this proof her complaisance , at a conjuncture that would deliver her from a sort of a governess , whom she had no great reason to love ; thus she could not think of a better expedient to support her self , than by possessing the queen , that the queen mother was her secret enemy ; that she would oppose her in every thing ; that she could never forget that she was in part the cause that the marriage of the arch dutchess her grand-daughter was not consummated with the king her son ; that she was always uneasie because she had not that ascendant , as she desired , over the king's affections ; that she was resolved to keep her under a subjection that was more befitting a daughter in law , than the spouse of so great a monarch . to effect this more easily , she had instructed some persons that stood very near the queen , who acted their parts well enough . when they first took the liberty to discourse her about this affair , she thought them to be altogether devoted to her service , and their pretended tears seemed to engage for the sincerity of their apparent zeal , what have you lost madam , would they say to her sometimes with a mournful air , what have you lost by the death of don iuan ? what would not he have done to please you ? if it had not been for him the king had married the arch dutchess , and his breaking off that match drew abundance of mortal enemies upon him . now if you could promise your self , that the ambassador of france would prove faithful to you , you might find some consolation in him , you might follow his advice , and profit your self by his directions ; but considering his present dispositions , heaven preserve you , madam , from taking his counsel : alas , he quarrelled with don iuan only upon the queen mothers account , he clearly declared himself for her in his first embassie , and she reposes an intire confidence in him . thus your majesty cannot show your self too great a stranger to such a minister , that will never go cordially along with you , and who will penetrate into your private sentiments for no other reason , than only to make an ill use of them . the queen was extreamly alarm'd at the things they told her , and knew not which way to determine her self , being so young , and having no experience in this new world , where she was acquainted with no body . she departed from irun , and lay that night at hernani . the next day she mounted on horseback , followed by the dutchess de terra nova , who made but a sorry figure upon her mule ; madam de grance accompanied her . the marquess d' astorgas , and the duke d' ossone , with each a pair of spectacles upon their nose , as is the fashion of the grandees , bore their shares in the cavalcade . the marquess placed himself next her majesty , because she was to be his charge till she saw the king ; but the duke pretended a right to the same place , as being master of the horse , and so took it by force , menacing the marquess very haughtily . this dispute obliged the queen to take coach again . she lay that night at tolosette , where as soon as she was arrived , the duke d' ossone arrested the guard , who had abused his coachman , because he would not suffer the coach of the marquess d' astorgas to go before his . this quarrel was renewed upon the discharging of their offices ; the marquess pretended , that all the honours of the queens reception belonged to him ; the duke maintained that he being master of the horse , ought therefore to have all the pre-eminences in her house . to decide the matter , they were forced to write to the king about it , who decided it in favour of the marquess . the duke not thinking himself justly dealt with , continued his pretensions still , but this obstinacy drew an order upon him to return to madrid , with a prohibition to pass through burgos , where the king was at that time . in effect , the king left madrid on the twenty second of october , being but slenderly accompanied . the duke de medina celi , lord chamberlain , the constable , and don ioseph de silva were all three in his coach ; as for the admiral of castile he did not go along with them , for he pretended that for want of mony he was not in a capacity to fit out an answerable equipage : there might indeed be something of truth in this pretence ; but it is certain , that his natural laziness was the real occasion , he loved his pleasure , he shunned all trouble , and carefully avoided whatever might make him uneasie , and this was the true reason why he did not meet the king and queen till they were within a days journey of madrid . the king continued fifteen days at burgos , because he was extreamly troubled with a cold , in the mean time the queen advanced forwards by small journeys . she wrote to him several times , and he answered her again . her majesty was forced to send to him to demand leave to dine in publick , and sometime to ride on horseback ; for those two terrible creatures the marquess d' astorgas , and the camarera major would not consent to it , till they had received positive orders . he granted it very freely , and she sent to him in this place a watch beset with diamonds , and a cravat with a knot of a fire colour . he immediately put on the cravat , and ordered five hundred pistols to be given to the gentleman who brought him the present . the count d' altamire , grandee of spain ; came to ognate to complement the queen from the king , and presented her with bracelet of diamonds and rubies . she arrived on the eleventh to victoria , where a lamentable comedy was prepared to regale her . there it was that she drest her self first a l' espagnolle , and she appeared no less beautiful and charming in that , than in her french habit. she went likewise to the great church , where the bishop of calahorra received her at the gate , and held the canopy over her , she afterwards was pleased to go and see a bull-feast in the market-place , but there was little or no magnificence in the sight , because it was only performed by citizens . she received in this place a pair of pendants for the ears , with pearls to them of a pear fashion , this present was sent to her from the queen mother , and was valued at four hundred thousand livers . monsieur the ambassador of france came to wait upon her at bribiesca , and tho he tarried but a little time with her , and their conversation was but short , yet he could very easily observe that she exprest a great uneasiness , and a particular distrust of him ; he could not penetrate into the reason of it , however he presently judged that these dispositions were not natural to her , he told her several things that might be serviceable to her , he advised her not to amuse her self with the different impressions that any persons might endeavour to make upon her , that she ought to consider that the greatest part of those that waited on her only minded their own proper interests , that her surest way would be to love the king cordially , and so by that means engage him to love her ; to unite her self to the queen mother , and concert all affairs with her ; that she ought to rest satisfied , that that princess had a great kindness for her , and that if she took care to make suitable returns , she would find the affections of a true mother in her . the young queen was already prepared for this discourse , and particularly for what concerned the queen mother . she had been tampered with upon that point before , but if she had seriously examined what he spoke to her , she had soon been made sensible , as she was a person of extraordinary wit , that the ambassador dealt plainly with her , and that whoever perswaded her to the contrary , endeavoured to disunite her from her real interests . he took his leave of her , and went back to the king at burgos , and during this short time he had the honour to discourse with her , she still entertained him with great coldness and indifferency . the prince d' harcourt was advanced as far as burgos to salute the king ; and since the queen was to come to quintanapalla , which is within three leagues of it , it was generally supposed that she would come to lie there on the nineteenth of november , and that the ceremony of the marriage would be there solemnized : but the marquess de villars , having met , as he was coming back , the patriarch of the indies who was going to meet the queen , it came immediately into his head , that the marriage might perhaps be consummated , without his being informed of it ; this thought made him inquire the news of don geronimo d' eguya , secretary of state , who only told him , that the queen was expected the next day at burgos . this doubtful answer , which had nothing positive in it , obliged our ambassador to inform himself still more particularly , and he understood at last that the king was to go the next day to quintanapalla to celebrate the marriage . being assured of this , he took care to send advice of it to the prince d' harcourt , and they departed together soon enough to be with the queen before the king arrived thither . when they came there , they found it no difficult matter to discover , that the spaniards desired to have the marriage solemnized without them . the camarera major , who was altogether of that opinion , and to whom they spoke with abundance of honest freedom , told them coldly that they were not to assist at the ceremony , and that the king would have no body be there , except only those whose presence was indispensably necessary , such as the chief officers , and some gentlemen of the bed-chamber . the prince d' harcourt and the marquess de villars answered , that the king their master had given them orders to be present at it . she fiercely replied , that the king their master had nothing to do to command in spain . monsieur de villars told her that the king his master was used to command his ambassadors , and that they would obey him in every thing ; that if the king was not willing to have them assist at his marriage , he ought to signifie to them by an order in writing that they were not to be there . the camarera ravished with joy that she had an opportunity to show her zeal for the king of spain , altho this was a very improper time for it , was so far transported with the matter , and spoke several things so incoherent and so fierce , that the ambassadors left her and addressed themselves to the marquess d' astorgas ; he patiently listned to them , and told them ingenuously that he would immediately dispatch a gentleman to the king to know his pleasure herein . this gentleman found him on the way , and he consented that the messieurs d' harcourt and villars should assist at the ceremony . in short it was occasioned by the industrious diligence of some persons who had no inclination to the french , that this thought was insinuated into the king : they were of opinion , that so august a marriage ought not to be celebrated in a poor village , where there were not above a dozen houses , and their spanish vanity was so extreamly offended at it , as to desire that the ambassadors of so great a king might not be witnesses of so great a negligence , not to say misery . and now , to excuse the matter , they gave out that the king was young and amorous , that every thing that hastned the pleasure of seeing his spouse touched him so sensibly , that he even forgot the magnificence and grandeur of his rank ; that love alone made up the honours of his feast , and that the king thought this alone sufficient . the queen having passed the night at quintanapalla , about ten a clock in the morning was told that the king was arrived ; this news caused a small emotion in her , and spread a colour upon her cheeks that made her still appear more beautiful and lovely . she went to receive him in her spanish dress , and having met him as he was just going to enter her anti-chamber , she would have thrown her self several times at his feet , and kissed his hand , but he hindered her still and saluted her after the spanish fashion , that is , without kissing her , but pressing her arms close with his two hands , and calling her often mireina , mireina , my queen , my queen . they discoursed together a long time , without being able to understand one another , and this was certainly no little pain to them . monsieur villars , who perceived it , advanced forward to serve as an interpreter ; if he did not say every thing they said , it is at least very certain that he spoiled nothing of their conversation , and that he mingled a great deal of tenderness , and passion with it . the king was drest a la scombergue , which is properly after the french mode , and all his attendants were clad after the same manner : for the campagne habits of the spaniards somewhat resemble ours . the marquess de villars having observed that the grandees of spain took the right hand , spoke to the king about it , and represented to him , the rank the marquess de los balbazez had given to him at fountainbleau , when the queen was espoused there . this reason prevailed , so the king ordered the ambassadors of france to be treated after the same manner . the constable of castile could not be brought to quit his place without some trouble ; he had still a small dispute upon the point , which continued a little time between the ambassador and him , however civility was still preserved on both sides , and the rest of the grandees placed themselves behind the king. don antonio de benavidez y bazan , patriarch of the indies and grand almoner gave them a second benediction ; the ceremony was performed incognito in the queens anti-chamber : if the arch-bishop of burgos had not been indisposed , he had performed this office. whilst mass was saying , they put a ribbond of black taffaty about the king and queen , tied up in a true lovers knot , and a white gauze with a silver fringe upon the king's shoulders , and over the queens head. the dutchess de terra nova held up her train . when the ceremony was over , the king and queen withdrew into a chamber by themselves , where they continued two hours alone : they dined afterwards in publick , and parted from thence to go and lie at burgos . there was no body with them in the coach , and since they did understand one another but very little , one can scarce imagine what they said , however the king appeared very amorous and affectionate ; several grandees of spain went before their majesties with very stately liveries , and accompanied them to the palace , where a comedy was acted , and artificial fireworks were to be seen . the next day the king came to a rich abby of nuns , that are called las huelgas , which is not much beyond the suburbs of burgos : she dined there , and about three a clock made her entry on horseback , being drest after the spanish mode , but appeared so beautiful and charming , that she ravished the hearts of all the spectators . three grandees marched before her , the marquess d' astorgas followed her ; a canopy was carried over her head ; the old dutchess de terra nova rode upon a mule , and the maids of honour accompanied her on horseback . on the twenty second of november prince d' harcourt made his entry , and had audience of the king and queen ; after dinner there was a bull-feast , which pleased the queen exceedingly , because the cavaliers showed extraordinary dexterity and courage in the performance . the day following she saw the parejas , that is to say , an horserace , in which nothing is observeable , but that two men who start together , ride even without going a step one before the other , altho they ride full speed : sixty gentlemen clad in silver brocard ran after this manner . after they had thus spent three days in different pleasures and diversions , it was high time to think of going to madrid ; most of the french gentlemen and ladies that followed the queen took leave of her in this place , so that the greatest part of the houshold went back to france ; but this was not done without shedding abundance of tears . the queen had the liberty still to keep with her her two nurses , two women of the chamber , some valets de chambre , a gentleman to look after five or six english horses she had ordered to be brought with her , and some other officers for her table . she presented the prince and princess d' harcourt , the mareshal clerembaut's lady , and madam de grance with her picture enriched with diamonds of different prices , according to the quality of the persons to whom she gave them : and the obliging manner wherewith she knew how to accompany her liberalities augmented the price of them exceedingly . they pretend that the present the king made the prince d' harcourt was worth twenty hundred thousand crowns , but it fell much short of it ; the queen got a pension of two thousand crowns for madam de grance , which was to be paid her where-ever she lived . the princess d' harcourt , and the other ladies that followed the queen went back to france , while she and the king took the way to madrid , being both by themselves , and sate in the back part of the coach. several officers of the houshold went before , and marched by different roads to avoid an embarras ; the counts d' arcos , and de talara , don ioseph de silva , and the duke d' hijar , gentlemen of the chamber , were named by the king to accompany him in his journey ; he came back the very same way as he went to burgos ; he lay at lerma , at aranda , at st. stephen de gormas , and at guadalajara : the nuncio and the venetian ambassador came thither to make their complements to the queen : the next day their majesties arrived at torrejon , which is within three leagues of madrid . all the while that the court was on the way from burgos to this place , the camarera major frequently discoursed the king in private : she found it no difficult matter to insinuate those sentiments into him , that are so natural to the spaniards , and he had for his share been educated in a country where they make no reckoning of a ladies virtue , unless they take away from her all opportunities of trangressing . she represented to him the ill consequences of that liberty which the women are allowed in france ; that it was absolutely necessary for the queen to live after the retired manner that those of her sex observe at madrid ; that she was young , lively , and of a brillant spirit , accustomed to the french fashions ; that what is innocent in one place may become criminal in another ; but if he would be pleased to confide in her , she would by her great diligence prevent every thing . the king commended her zeal , and gave her sufficient assurances of his confidence . the queen mother was arrived at torrejon before the king ; she quitted her apartment to go and meet their majesties ; when the king saw her , he ran to her and embraced her very tenderly ; the young queen advanced forward at the same time to kiss he● hand , but the queen mother would not suffer it : she took her between her arms , and embraced her several times with great testimonies of friendship , treating her still by the name of her majesty ; but the young queen told her , that she requested her to call her daughter , and love her as one , and to be perswaded that she had all those dutiful sentiments for her , that might make her worthy of this honour . the king gave her his hand on one side , and the queen mother on the other ; and thus going between them she entred the palace , that had been prepared to receive them . the queen mother perceiving that the queen had never a muff , presented her with her own , about which was a great knot of diamonds : afterwards she took from her a ribbond that tied some of her tresses , and in exchange put upon her arm a bracelet that was computed to be worth three thousand pistols . in a word , she showed the queen all marks of her good inclinations to her , from which she might promise her self all happy consequences . she staid with their majesties as long as she could , but went home that evening , because this place had not conveniencies enough to receive her . the next day which was the second of december , the king and queen arrived at madrid , in a coach with the curtains open , that they might be seen by the people . they went down to our ladies datocha , where te deum was sung , and at night lay at buen-retiro ; the next day a comedy was acted , and some french musitians , that followed the queen , prepared some opera's . the dutchess de terra nova being resolved to take entirely from the queen that little liberty that remained to her , and desiring to continue sole mistress of her majesty's will , declared when she was arrived at buen-retiro , that no body , of what quality or condition soever , should see the queen till after she had made her publick entry . this was a sorrowful state , and a heavy restraint to the young queen to find her self thus all on a sudden shut up from those persons , that either might have afforded her some consolation , or diversion , or useful advice . she kept her in this solitary condition at retiro , without permitting her so much as to go out of her apartment . all the entertainment they regal'd her with , was to see long fulsom tedious comedies , little of which she understood ; and the terrible camarera was incessantly before her eyes , with a severe affected air , and never laught , but was perpetually finding fault with something or other . she was a professed enemy to all manner of pleasure , and she treated her mistress with as much authority , as a governess would use towards a little girl . the marquess de villars knew all that passed , and was mightily concerned at it , but it was not time as yet to speak of it . he sent to the dutchess de terra nova to know whether he might have leave to salute the queen , she answered him just as she did all the rest of the world , that she was not to be seen till after the entry was over . this answer he looked upon to be so positive , that not desirous to run the risque of meeting a second refusal , he was forced to acquiesce : but the queen being informed of what had hapned by some of the french women that still continued with her , could not forbear to acquaint the king with it , and obtained leave to see our ambassador de secreto , that is to say , as a private person . she immediately took care to inform him of it ; and the marchioness de villars imagining that she might likewise have the favour of the same priviledge , sent to the camarera major to know whether she might be admitted to wait upon the queen , but she received the same answer that monsieur the ambassador had received from her before , saying in a few words , she had no order to let her in . the gentleman that discoursed the matter with her , still insisted that she had something of moment to say to her ; 't is all one , says the camarera , i 'll never suffer any new customs to be introduced within these walls . her majesty not knowing what had passed between the camarera and the ambassador's lady , charged her confessor to tell her , that she desired to see her , and that she would extreamly oblige her by making her a visit . but she was not in a capacity to obey the orders she had received , and the confessor being informed what obstacles stood in the way , very fairly gave the queen an account of all . she was not a little troubled at the ill services the dutchess had done her ; and one may be able to judge by these few instances what an absolute power that old lady assumed in the queens house , and over the queens person . the queen mother , who came every day to retiro , observed an air of melancholy in the looks of the young princess , which sufficiently testified her disquietude within : she easily apprehended , that a person of her age could not chuse but be disgusted at the severity of the camarera ; so she thought her self obliged to acquaint the king with it , and desired him that he would be pleased to treat her after a more gentle method : she succeeded in her petition , and procured leave for the marchioness de villars to go and wait upon the queen , who was introduced into her apartment through that of the dutchess de terra nova , who appeared less savage and somewhat more respectful to her than she used to be . the king according to the custom of spain , sate in a chair of state , the two queens upon two low stools , and presently another was brought for the ambassador's lady . soon after the queen mother going out along with the king , she found her self alone with the queen , who seeing she was now at liberty to talk , could not ●orbear to shed some tears , as she acquainted her with the sorrowful life she led . after she somewhat eased her self by recounting to her the several ill usages that so much disturbed her , the ambassador's lady did not fail to apply those consolations she judged expedient for one in her condition . she made her sensible , that this life , so full of constraint as it was , and for which she expressed so great a reluctancy , was yet the very same that all the queens and infanta's of spain had ever been accustomed to ; that there was nothing particular in what she suffered ▪ and consequently was not designed to disoblige her ; that she ought to hope , that when the king was better acquainted with her , and saw he had an entire possession of her heart , he might out of complasance allow her some relaxations which hitherto her predecessors had never enjoyed ; that since the queen mother loved her , and cherished her interests as her own , she could not do too much to cultivate that friendship , which would be so advantageous and necessary to her ; that in the distribution of humane things , the greatest happiness is always attended with some inconveniencies ; that she was now elevated to the supreamest grandeur upon earth , which heaven would have her purchase at the expence of a few mortifications , but that her complaisance to the king and queen mother would soon deliver her out of them . she likewise told her several things , which in the conduct she was to observe towards the rest of the court , might assist her to support the beginnings , and render what followed more agreeable to her . madam de villars spoke with a great deal of zeal of the queen mother ; but the young queen being not as yet disingaged from those sentiments with which she had been lately possessed , looked upon all this discourse as designed to mislead her , and tho she ought to have considered that the ambassadress could have no other views in what she told her , than only to make her sensible of her own true interests , yet these advices did not at that time make those impressions upon her , as one could have wished they had for her good . her prejudices to the queen mother , which were perpetually inspired into her , ballanced the confidence she had in madam de villars , and her mind , that was only accustom'd to be entertained with those agreeable things , that use to employ persons of her youth , her temper that was naturally free and lively , dissipated the application she ought to have made , in order to distinguish good counsels from bad . she knew just enough to embarrass her and give her occasions of being uneasy , but could not tell how to disintangle herself , and for want of a steady resolution to free herself from these melancholy ideas , thought it too great a fatigue to solve these apparent contradictions . so she continued under this uncertainty without being able to rescue her self from it , and perhaps by this means lost a favourable juncture that then offer'd it self to deliver her from the subjection , under which the dutchess kept her afterwards . the ambassador of france saw her sometimes whilst she continued at retiro , but this was before company , and besides the time they allotted him to be with her , was so short , that in those general visits they could discourse of no particular affairs . the queen mother continued to visit the queen often , she desired her to dress herself after the french fashion , because she never beheld her in that dress ; she did so , and the queen mother liked it extremely well . when she was returned to her palace , which is the house of the duke d' vzeda , and is one of the finest in madrid , the young queen sent her two little cabinets full of pretty curiosities ; she on the other hand procured her by way of exchange the diversion of going a hunting at pardo . she had not been on horseback since she came to retiro . the king killed a wild boar before her , and after that day they went frequently to the chase together . the councils of the inquisition , of castile , of italy , of flanders , of arragon , of the indies , of war , of the finances , of the crusade , and of the orders , went on new years day to wish a happy year to their majesties ; for this is the custom in spain . the marquess sera a genoese , offer'd to make the naples squadron consist of fourteen gallies , which was never more than seven , and not put the king to any expence , provided he would allow him the same conditions that the duke de tursis had at genoa . he had made this proposal to don iuan , some time before his death , who found it to be very advantageous . however their resolutions are so long a taking in spain , and they have so small a consideration for novelties , of whatsoever use they may prove , that it is almost impossible to introduce one ; and this affair it seems met with the same fortune . the marquess de los balbazez took the oath of fidelity for his place of counsellor of state , and don manuel de lira did the same , for that of secretary of state in italy . the duke d' ossone still expected that they would accommodate the dispute between him and the marquess d' astorgas , but seeing that they said nothing to him about it , he took up a resolution to go no more to court , and appeared every day in the city with a great equipage . this is often enough practised in spain . there are some people in the world that are never to be discountenanc'd by a repulse , and father vintimiglia was of this number : altho he had received no manner of answer to the memorial he gave the pr. d' harcourt at bayonna to present to the queen , yet he could not forbear to draw up a second , wherein he regulated all the monarchy ; he intrusted a french gentleman with it , who promised to find out some means or other to give the queen a sight of it : but whether he show'd it her , or not , 't is certain that vintimiglia by an express order of the king was banished out of all his dominions . he betook himself to the ambassador of france , and nothing more became of the matter . 't was expected that immediately after the king's return some sort of government would be established to settle affairs in their old course , which had been intirely suspended ever since the death of don iuan. just as his death happened , every thing was making ready for the journey , which employ'd all the court , and the king in particular ; his marriage might well enough detain him some time from making those applications he ought to use in the choice of an able minister : and the world was not at all surprized , to find him forget the concerns of the kingdom in general , at a time when he was wholly possess'd with a passion for his queen ; and had his head full of those agreeable ideas , which all lovers amuse themselves with . but now when that business was over , they impatiently expected to see him take up some fixed resolutions . the queen mother who was newly returned from her exile thought of nothing else than how to preserve her self in the favourable scituation she was in at present , and no body in a manner was so interested with the king as to be able to pretend to the ministry . thus the whole government was lodged in the hands of a monarch , who was but years old , and who was never so well versed in things of lesser consequence as to have any just knowledge in greater affairs . the only man that shared the monarchy with him , was don ieronimo d' eguya , who had been secretary of state years , to which post he arrived from that of a simple co●missary . his address together with his good fortune render'd him agreeable to the king , who had followed no other counsel than his , unless d' eguya who was fearful of giving it sometimes , had not advised him to consult the constable of castile , and the duke de medina-celi in certain affairs , because he had no mind to answer for every thing himself . it is indeed true , that during the journey nothing of importance was debated upon , for they only busied themselves about that in particular , and the orders that are necessary to be given upon such occasions . the court became now very full ; the kings marriage and the return of the q. mother had brought together the most considerable persons of the kingdom . every family was consulting about the measures that were to advance some particular man amongst them to the chief ministry : some wished their relations had it , others desired it for their friends , and abundance of people wished to enjoy it themselves : among those that had the justest pretensions were reckoned the constable of castile , and the duke de medina celi : they were both of them furnished with great personal qualities , were both of an illustrious birth , and considerable fortune ; they possessed the chief offices of the crown , were counsellors of state , and their merits equally distinguished them : but nothing was more opposite than these two lords were to one another : an old spirit of hatred , which they were not able to suppress , and which they had testified in a thousand rencounters , increased their common emulation ; their humors and inclinations were as contrary as night is to day . several of their common friends had endeavoured to reconcile them , but their pains were to no purpose : they were all sensible that if they concerted matters together , they would reciprocally render good offices to one another , which might serve to advance their fortune . this was one of the reasons they used to accomodate the matter between them ; but sometimes we meet with aversions that are never to be surmounted , and this i have mentioned was of that number . the duke de medina-celi was years old , his humour sweet and good natur'd , but too slow and careless in matters of moment , of an insinuating agreeable spirit . he was descended of the illustrious houses of castile and de foix : he is seven times a grandee of spain . his wife was heiress of the house of arragon de cardonne , she is very rich on her side , as well as he is on his . he was president of the council of the indies , sommellor du corps , that is to say , high chamberlain , he made his court regularly , and always testified a particular zeal for the person of the king ; and his majesty as he never fails upon that point , expressed a certain affection for him , which he never show'd to any one besides . this made the world believe , that he stood fairer for the ministry than all his competitors . the constable of castile , descended of the house de ve●●sco , was years old , and was master of a considerable estate , nevertheless he did not live easy amidst all his wealth ; he is the tenth hereditary constable of castile , dean of the council of state , and grand master of the king's houshold . his genius is vast , his abilities and knowledge are surprizing , and he was always concern'd in employments , where he acquired experience . the last of his governments was that of flanders , and altho these posts ought to have made him sociable and familiar , yet he always preserved so severe and rigid a character , that it rendred him terrible : access to him is very difficult , and his humour is naturally so imperious , that he can never submit . and this is the reason why he was embroiled so deeply with don iuan , and hindered him from receiving several favours , which that prince would otherwise have willingly bestowed upon him , to have brought him over to his own party . 't is true he declared himself very violently for the queen mother , and this might be one of the principal causes , that kept him from being of don iuan's faction . no body doubted but that the king respected him very much , for what the queen mother might say in favour of him , and the world was perswaded , that among those persons , whose merits she would recommend to the king , the constable would be the first , who besides this would unquestionably find himself supported by all the party that had been ill treated by don iuan , and by all those that continued still in the interests of the queen mother : she was obliged for her own proper interests to procure the king's favour , and the favourite's place for the constable . but amidst all these flattering appearances , he seemed to be very indifferent in the matter , whether it were because the ill posture of affairs , and the tender age of the king , made him apprehend some danger to be in the chief post , or because he was sensible that he had not a prospect of obtaining it at one step , and so was willing to ascend it by degrees . he seem'd to desire that a junto were established for the government , wherein he wou'd bear his share with the inquisitor general and the marquess de mansera . he sometimes told his friends that the weight of great affairs astonished him , and that he found it a harder matter to adjust them , than those persons who behold them only at a distance , can well imagine ; and that all his ambition was to contribute what in him lay to the erecting a junto . the queen mother was not unwilling to have this project take effect ; because this was the way to keep the entire authority in her own hands ; for the council being composed of her creatures , they would in all probability act according to her directions . the constable for his part secretly promised , that by his conduct and management he would always keep the upper hand over the other two , and that thus his companions would only enable him to bear the publick hatred , in case any thing should meet with ill success . but this junto , that would lodge all the authority in the hands of three persons only , destroyed at the same time the expectations of all those that would have it be divided amongst more , out of a consideration of their own interest : this party desired to have it full as numerous as it was during the regency , and would have it composed of the cardinal portocarero archbishop of toledo , of don melchior navarra , who had been formerly vice chancellor of arragon , of the duke de medina celi , and the other three whom i have mentioned . after so many different projects , people were so well satisfied that the council at last would be only composed of the queen mothers creatures , that the alarm became general to those persons who had been devoted to do● iuan , and were very apprehensive of the credit of the queen mother and the advancement of the constable : several of them assembled hereupon , they beheld their ruine in the elevation of the contrary party , and united themselves to the d. de medina celi , to find protection from him , out of hopes of beholding him made chief minister : they considered that it would be more advantageous to them to see one man made happy , who was sure to befriend them , than to see three happy persons depending upon one alone , who had just reasons to wish them ill . the duke de mediea celi was of an equal and peaceable temper , which rendred him agreeable to the king. this good fortune , which seem'd particular to himself , made him be looked upon by the greater part of the courtiers as the only man that ought to pretend to this favour , in a c●urt where the greatness of rank and birth is one of the most essential qualities to recommend a chief minister . those that penetrated into the true disposition of the king , saw very well that in the midst of these different parties , the duke could not fail to get the better ; but whether it was an effect of his prudence and moderation , or whether it was occasioned by the intrigues of those persons that were on the contrary side , he advanced but slowly . it appears probable , that the greatest part of his ambition came from his friends , and that he rather followed the advices they inspired into him , than his own proper inclinations . i desire the same thing that you do , would he say to them , but in truth the tranquillity a man abandons to expose himself to all the murmurs of the people , and to all publick inquietudes , very much moderates the pleasure that is inseparable from so great a post : and unless it were for the service we hereby render to our master , i can't imagine how any man could find any satisfaction in a thing that draws so many hazards along with it . thus people busied themselves about the two different factions , that were formed by the constable , supported by the queen mother , and by the duke de medina-celi , who was seconded by all the creatures of don iuan : but while these rivals were openly disputing the prize , and all the court seemed divided between them , every one embracing a party according to his own inclinations , don ieronimo d' eguya formed a third almost alone . he saw himself all on the sudden made secretary of state , when the marquis de valenzuela , after the removal of f. nitard , became the queen mother's favourite and took away that office from don pedro fernandez del campo , who did not behave himself supple and submissive enough to him , so that we may say his haughtiness was the occasion of his fall , valenzuela having no reason to be content with him , obliged him to quit his office , and bestowed it upon d' eguya . he had too fresh an example before his eyes to fall into the same fault , and being very adroit , complaisant , and well enough versed in dissimulation , neglected nothing to please valenzuela as long as he stood upon his feet : but when he saw his fortune declining , and that the court declared in favour of don iuan , he presently copied after them , and preserved himself , during that ministry , by his exemplary submission . he was one of the first that espoused his party , and was likewise one of the first that abandon'd the prince , when he saw his credit began to sink in the world . nay some time before the end of don iuan , he managed himself as he had done before valenzuela's fall , he entred into a correspondence with the queen mother , assuring her that he would only depend upon her , so whether she was really perswaded of his sincerity , or had not as yet a fit occasion to remove him from his post , she suffered him to continue in it without the least molestation . in all these changes he only held his place by a commission , but as this furnished him with an occasion to see the king perpetually , and to discourse him in private about all affairs , so he made use of this opportunity to possess him with a distrust of all those , that might with justice make pretensions to his favour , nay even of the most considerable persons : so that being only a simple secretary of state by a commi●●ion , and in all appearance of a narrow unexperienced genius , he beheld himself in a capacity to ballance at one time two powerful parties , so that neither one nor the other could succeed in their affairs , so long as he opposed them . whatsoever inclinations the king had for the duke de medina celi , don ieronimo frustrated them , by awakening him with an idea of don iuan's ministry , the slavery he then suffered , the persecution of the queen mother , so many persons of quality ill used without any occasion , the misery of the people , and many other disorders that inevitably happen , when the government is abandoned to the caprice of one man : on the other hand he represented a junto to him , as a company of ministers that would command every body , and everlastingly embarras their own affairs by their jealousies and mutual discords ; that it would be a burthen to himself , as well as unprofitable to the state ; that junto's might do some good under a minority , but that his majesty was too far advanced in age , to want any governors ; that suppose he were pleased to compose one , yet the obligation he had to make the constable one of the number , would involve him in new difficulties ; that his temper was haughty and imperious in authority , and that he was wholly devoted to the queen mother ; that she had been accustomed to govern , and would easily come to be mistress again , by the help of a junto composed of her own creatures ; that since he was married , and had prudence and wit sufficient , he ought to manage himself , and that if ever he was prevailed upon to do otherwise , he would find himself by little and little reduc'd to those sufferings , from which he desir'd to free him . it is natural for a young king to desire to be at large , and independent ; so whilst he continued thus in suspence , eguya was master of all affairs : the confessor possessed the king with the same sentiments to chuse no chief minister , upon whom he must depend : and the dutchess de terra nova found herself equally concerned to keep off the queen mother , a junto , and a favourite . during this interregnum , she had opportunity enough to fix and settle herself in the king 's good opinion , she did not question but if the q. mother hapned to be once more mistress , she would endeavour either by herself or by her creatures to turn her out of the court ; this consideration obliged her to discourse frequently with the king , and her only care was to perswade him , that he ought to be apprehensive of the queen mothers designs . she likewise inspired him with the same distrust of the queen , whose youth and easiness of temper made her uncapable of taking strict measures : she constantly whispered some disagreeable things or other into his ear , that only tended to disquiet him ; but he preserved so great a love for his queen , that notwithstanding he believed all the stories this old beldam told him , he never had the less affection and tenderness for her . the court continued still at buen-retiro , that is to say without madrid , expecting the queen to make her entry , after which they were to go and lodge in the palace ; the preparations for her entry were very long , it was commonly believed for some time that the queen was with child , but all these hopes vanishing about the beginning of ianuary , she made her entry on the th . of the same month ; the queen mother went in the morning to buen-retiro , from whence she parted some time after along with the king , they went together to see all the streets through which the queen was to pass , and stayed at the countess dognates in a balcony made on purpose , and having a lattice-window gilt all over , the avenues that led to retiro were all shut up , and a prohibition was issued out for any coach to go that way . about eleven the queen mounted on horseback , those that were to go before began to march , and passed through a marble gate , which was but lately built : the kettle drums and the trumpets of the city , in their habits used in these ceremonies , marched at the head of all ; after them the alcaldes of the court , the nobility , the knights of the three military orders , the gentlemen of the king's house , the mayor domo's to the queen , and the grandees of spain , followed by a great number of lacquays , whose different liveries of brocard , and gallon of gold and silver of a mixt colour , made an agreeable diversity ; the querries of the queen marched on foot immediately before her : the count de villa mayana was on her right hand , who was her chief gentleman usher : she was surrounded with her menins and pages of honour ( when she walks on foot she always leans upon one of them ) the dutchess de terra nova followed her , and donna laura de alargon governante of the maids of honour , both of them mounted upon their mules , and in their widdows habit ; which somewhat resembles that of religious women , except that when they are on horseback , they wear great hats on their heads , which made no less terrible a figure than the rest of their garb . but people saw after this with a great deal of pleasure donna teresa de toledo , donna francisca henriquez , donna maria de gusman , iosepha de figueroa , and donna manuela de velasco , maids of honour to the queen , all very beautiful and richly drest ; they were on horseback , each of them was accompanied by their relations , in the midst of whom they marched : there were several led horses admirably fine , led by grooms clad in rich liveries , and the passage was shut up by the guards de la lancilla . at the prado , which is one of the most agreeeble walks in madrid , by reason of the several fountains that water it continually , was to be seen a gallery open on every side with one and twenty arches , there were several jettings out in it , on which the armes of the several kingdoms under the dominion of spain were affixed to pillars that supported some gilt statues , which carried devices in honour of the queen , with crowns and inscriptions that had a relation to the several kingdoms ; the queen found at the end of the gallery a triumphal arch , very magnificent and well design'd , through which she entred into the city . the corrigidor and the rigidors apparelled in brocard of gold , of a red crimson colour , with bonnets and breeches , such as the antient castilians wore , presented her with the keys of the city , and with a canopy which they carried over her head , during the procession : the streets were adorned with the richest tapestries , and the precious stones that were to be seen in the goldsmiths row were valued at eleven millions . it would take up too much time to describe all the magnificences of that day , i shall only content my self to say , that the queen was mounted upon a fine andaluzian horse , which in this noble march seemed proud to carry so beautiful and great a princess . her habit was so covered with embroidery that the stuff was not to be seen ; she wore on her hat white plumes mixt with red ; and a pearl called there the peregrina , which is as big as a small catherine pear , and is of an inestimable value , hung below a clasp of diamonds with which her hat was beset . she wore on her finger the great diamond of the king , which , as they pretend , surpasses in beauty any thing of that nature that was ever set in a ring . but the graceful deportment of the queen in all her actions , and particularly in the management of her horse , and the charms of her person made a greater lustre than all the pretious stones she wore , altho it is certain that people could scarce behold the glittering of them . she made an halt before the balcony of the countess dognate to salute the king , and queen mother ; they opened the lattice about broad fingers to see her , and the k. taking hishanderchief in his hand , carried it several times to his mouth , his eyes and his heart , which is the greatest piece of gallantry in spain . she went on in her procession , and the king with the queen mother received her in the court of the pallace , he helped her to light off her horse , and the other taking her by the hand conducted her to her apartment , where she embraced her often , telling her that she was over happy to have so amiable a daughter in law. that evening there were curious fireworks , and illuminations for three nights together ; the king next day went to the royal chappel , where the queen was likewise in her chair of state , the ambassadors and grandees were there according to the custom , and te deum was sung . after dinner the king and queen went out together , which was the first time of their appearing in publick : they were in a chariot made like a triumphal coach without a crown upon it , and open on all sides to shew themselves to the people , they traversed the great square before the palace , and passed through several streets , where the balconies were full of ladies , who mingled their acclamations with those of the people ; the grandees followed their majesties in very rich coaches , with a great number of livery men . there were abundance of these lords who for nine days together had nine different liveries , and each finer than the other ; after this manner they went to our ladies datocha , and it being already night before they returned to the palace , white wax tapers were lighted at all the windows , and the streets were so prettily illuminated , by them , that a man might almost see from one end of the city to the other . the finest show of these lights was at the placa mayor , which is a very large noble square , the houses are built with five rows of balconies one over another , and could reckon above three thousand tapers in all . as soon as the king and queen were arrived there , the fireworks began . many other diversions lasted for several days ; sometimes their majesties went a hunting , at other times to a comedy , or took a walk : sometimes they went to sup with the queen mother , or the queen mother came to eat with them at the palace . all the ladies had the honour to kiss the queen's hand , the councils and the grandees complemented her also . some days after her entry a bull-feast was kept at madrid , which was the most magnificent of the kind that had been seen for a long time . the king and the queen came to the great square about one a clock in the afternoon : aftewards entred the duke de medina sidonia , the marquess camaraza grandees of spain , don felix de cordova , second son of the duke de sessa , don francisco moscoso , and don fernando de lea , a gentleman of cordova , each of them followed by an hundred lacqueys , some dressed after the turkish , others after the graecian fashion ; and after this manner they represented several nations . they combated the bulls with extraordinary dexterity and courage ; the son of the duke de sessa had two horses killed under him . this sport is an old remainder of the moors , whose genius and customs are not intirely extinguished in spain , altho they themselves have been long turned out of it . the spaniards still seem to preserve something of the barbarity of these people , since they do so freely expose themselves the rage of mad bulls to divert the publick . but to say the truth , this representation is one of the finest things in the world , and nothing can afford so agreeable a prospect , as the place of the combat , which is prodigiously spacious , encompassed with five ranks of balconies all equal and regular , and curiously set out with rich hangings and furniture , as well as filled with almost an infinite number of spectators . the king on the eighteenth of ianuary named the marquess d' ossera to go vice-roy per interi● of sardinia , because the count d' egmon was not as yet in a condition to go thither : he named the same day the marquess de fuentes , son to him who had been ambassador in france , to go thither in that quality in the room of the duke de giovenazzo , who from an envoy to the court of savoy , was nominated to that of france , but it seems was at last destined to return to turin . in the mean time the marquess de villa mayna , chief gentleman usher to the queen discharged the office of master of the horse , in the place of the duke d' ossone , who for his ill conduct was prohibited to come to the palace . the marquess d' astorgas took the advantage of his absence to make his own court , and altho he had been indisposed , and continued to be so still , yet he went every day with five coaches of extraordinary fineness , and a numerous retinue of livery-men to wait upon the king. the duke d' ossone being informed of it resolved to meet him , and give him some affront , so he took abundance of people with him , and knowing which way the marquess was to pass , he ordered his coachman to drive thither full speed , and to overturn the marquess's coach , in case he was within : it happened he went that day in a chair , and his coaches followed him , but the duke ossone's coachman for all that met with him so conveniently , that he threw him along in the river : this rencounter made a great noise , and did not at all accommodate the affairs of the duke , which before this were in no good condition . madam , the constable colonna's lady , who went out of the convent , where she sojourned , to behold the queens entry , staid with the marchioness de los balbazez till the fifth of february , when she was carried away by the king's order to a convent some leagues off madrid . 't is the custom of spain , that upon all solemn occasions , whether of joy or grief , all the kingdoms and all the principalities that depend upon the king , send their deputies to complement him . thus don pedro de salinas y vnda came in the name of the principality of d' avila , accompanied with the duke de pastrane , and don ioseph de silva his brother , to kiss the king's hand , and complement him upon the score of his marriage . the kingdoms of naples , navar , arragon , granada , and divers other places sent likewise . after the king had given them audience , he took the queen along with him to a great hunting of the wild boar , where they killed abundance of them . the duke de pastrane , who exercised the office of chief ranger in the absence of the marquess de liche , conducted the queen to a place in the forrest , that was extreamly pleasant . several streams of water ran by the place , and under some of the highest trees a pavilion of gold brocard adorned with a fringe of the same , was set up . all the trees were covered with little apes , squirrels and parrots , and a thousand other birds that were fastned to them ; young boys that were drest like fauns and silvanes , and girls apparelled like nymphs and driades , and shepherdesses served up a noblecollation to her majesty , who seemed to be at first extreamly pleased with the entertainment . but altho no body knew what it was that disquieted her afterwards , she appear to be very sad all the remainder of the day . on candlemas day there was a procession in the galleries of the palace ; the religious of the mendicant orders , and all the ecclesiasticks belonging to the chappel walked before the pages of the king , and those of the queen followed after . the grandees of spain marched before their majesties , the dutchess de terra nova held up the queens train , the maids of honour came next , and there did not seem to be above eighteen or twenty of them : 't is not here as in other holidays where they all wait upon their soveraign . tho the young queen changed her place of abode , yet she did not change that solitary and disagreeable life she led at buen retiro , under the guard of the dutchess de terra nova . she governed her like a child , and continued still to treat her after a worse manner , unless it were that she was permitted to receive the visits of some ladies , which oftentimes appeared more tedious to her than even solitude it self ; not that they wanted wit , for no body can reproach them with want of that : but the queen understood but a little of what they said , and besides could not repose that confidence in them , which gives liberty , and life , and spirit to conversation ; all was grandeur , and ceremony , and reverence , and state. much about this time i had the honour to kiss her hand , but she could not forbear smiling , to see me so much altered for the worse by my spanish garb , for unless her self alone , i never saw a stranger look well in that habit. after i had passed through her apartments , which to say the truth , were exceeding pretty , i found her in her closet , which was painted and gilded , and set out with great looking glasses fastned to the ceiling ; she sate upon a little square stool near the window , making gold net work , mingled with blew silk ; her hair was parted in the middle of her head , which was bare , only one knot of her hair was curled and plaited with great pearls , and reached down to her waste ; she had a velvet robe on , of a rose colour , embroidered with silver , and had pendants in her ears that touched her very breast , and so heavy that she gave her self the trouble to take out one of them that i might pass my judgment on it , and i was exceedingly surprized at it . she spoke very little french to me , affecting to talk spanish before the camarera major . she ordered me to send her all the letters i received from france which had any news in them , to which i replied , that the news which was sent to me did not deserve the consideration of so great a queen . ah good god , cryed she , lifting up her eyes with a charming air , i shall never think meanly of any thing that comes out of a country , which is so dear to me . this affection , said i to her , which your majesty preserves for your own native country , makes me hope every thing , madam , since as i have the happiness to be one , so i have all the inclinations of a good french woman . she answered this with her usual goodness , and whispered me in french , that she would rather see me apparalled after the french fashion than that of spain : but , madam , said i to her , 't is a sacrifice which i have made to the respect i have for your majesty . say rather , continued she with a smiling air , that the rigid temper of the dutchess has frightned you . she appeared to me so very charming that day , that i could not forbear to admire her , for in spight of her melancholy she was plump and and in good liking , and that contributed to make her still more beautiful and agreeable . when i came back to my lodgings , i found my letters from france were arrived ; there was one amongst the rest , which i supposed would please the queen , so i made all the haste i could the next morning to carry it to her , but the camarera would not suffer me to have the honour of seeing the queen two days together , therefore i was contented to write to the dutchess , desiring her to present that letter to the queen . behold the contents of it . i am of opinion , madam , that i cannot send you better news to day , than that of the marriage of mademoiselle de blois with monsieur the prince de conty . the contract of the marriage was signed on the fifteenth of this month in the king's chamber , who went about seven a clock at night to the queens apartment , and afterwards returned to his own with all the royal family : the prince de conty led mademoiselle de blois ; she was set out with the finest iewels in the world , all which together did not glitter so brightly as her eyes , and whose lustre was inferiour to the lillies and roses of her complexion . all the court was in a transport as soon as she appeared , and the majesty of her stature was not a little increased by a train five ells long , which mademoiselle de nante carried . the king drew near to a table that stood against the wall ; the queen was on his left hand , and next after monseigneur , monsieur , madam , mademoiselle d' orleans , madam the dutchess of tuscany , madam de guise , monsieur the prince , and monsieur the duke , and madam the dutchess , the prince de la roche sur yon , mademoiselle de bourbon , the princess de carignan , the count de vermandois , the count du maine , mademoiselle de nante , and mademoiselle de tours , all placed in a demi-circle about the table . the prince de conty , and mademoiselle de blois came one after the other within the demicircle over against the table . the marquess de seignelay drew near to the king , and read the beginning of the contract with a loud voice , but he had scarce read the qualifications , when the king told him 't was enough , and so signed the contract . after all the royal family had signed it the cardinal de bouillon entred , and advanced forward to the middle of the chamber ; then the prince de conty and mademoiselle de blois approached up to him , and performed the ceremony of the betrothing . the princess's name , as you know , is anna maria , and the prince's louis armand : this ceremony being over , the king and all the court went to see an opera . next day the cardinal de bouillon married this young prince and beautiful princess in the chappel of the old castle in the presence of the king , the queen , and all the court : the king dined with all the royal family : at night a comedy was acted , and after that there was a great supper , where , without reckoning the princes and princesses of the blood , there were fifty ladies that sate at one table ▪ which was served with three services of two hundred dishes each . the cardinal bouillon blessed the bed , the king gave the shift to the prince of conty , and the queen to the princess . next morning their majesties went to see her at her apartment in the new castle . the king has given her the dutchy de vaujour , a million of mony in hand , a pension of a hundred thousand livers , and abundance of iewels ; to the prince de conty fifty thousand crowns in hand , and a pension of twenty thousand to the prince de la roche sur-yon . from st. germains the th of ian. . the queen mother had given all imaginable assistance to the queen of spain , to deliver her from part of her troubles , if she could have cured her self of those suspicions with which some people had possest her against her ; but she unhappily imagining , that the other still regretted the arch-dutchess , and would have been glad to see her in her place , that opinion made her extreamly distrustful : and the queen mother who found nothing of that openness of heart and freedom as she desired , was likewise troubled for her part : for in effect , she loved her tenderly , and was ready to give her all possible testimonies of her affection . the ambassador of france , his lady , and the confessor often reminded the queen of that conduct she was to observe , if she intended to be happy . they told her , that she ought to give her self intirely up to the queen her mother in law out of a principle of duty , and gratitude for the friendship she showed her , as out of a consideration of her own proper interests : they represented to her , that the queen mother ought not to be suspected by her , and that altho the arch dutchess was her grand daughter , yet she had received such few tokens and assurances of friendship from the emperour during her disgrace , that she was too sensible ever to forget it : that the conduct of france towards her was directly opposite to this , that there she had been pitied and obliged , that her most christian majesty had ever preserved a strict correspondence and friendship with her , and that the queen mother knew well enough that she could not by any returns oblige the queen of france more , than by showing back all that kindness to the young queen of spain ; that she had all the agreements in her , which could engage her heart ; that besides this she hoped to see her give an heir to the crown ; that this was necessary for the good of spain ; that the melancholy humour , to which she abandoned her self , might hinder her from having one ; that they ought to concert all their affairs together , in order to possess the good graces and inclinations of the king ; that it was natural to believe , he would divide his power between his mother and his queen , rather than bestow it upon a favourite , who would think of serving him no longer , than his family reaped advantage by it ; whereas the souls of soveraigns , having something in them that was more noble and great , than those of private persons , the motives of interest would never be supposed to influence two queens , so much as they would a chief minister ; that in fine there ought to be no separation between them , but that they must begin with the union of their hearts . the queen relished these reasons , and found them plausible enough , but for all that she relapsed all on a sudden into her old distrust , into which the different things that had been said to her , did cast her anew : besides the extream trouble she suffered from the rigid conduct of the dutchess de terra nova ; she found her so absolute and inflexible that she began to fear her , to which the tenderness of her youth , her want of experience , and her natural sweetness contributed not a little , so that she could not open her self to the queen mother , when she considered , that if she did not really love her , but would make invidious reflexions upon what she said , this would be the way to throw her into new inconveniencies ; so that notwithstanding the desire she had to speak to her , she was always silent in her company . the queen mother perceived it well enough , yet for all that she continued to visit her almost every day , and sent her presents from time to time . at last the young queen being entirely vanquished by all these demonstrations of amity , resolved to submit her self wholly to her directions . they had a long conference together , where they took those measures which they judged were necessary to promote their common satisfaction . after this the queen mother spoke to the king , but found him in a cold reserved humour , so she made him no discoveries of any thing , but took her opportunity to withdraw , imagining with her self that her son would be obliged to come after her ; and that the world might take less notice of this alteration , she gave out that she only desired to live easie , and that she preferred her own repose to all other considerations whatsoever : she talked after this rate before several persons , in whom she reposed no ordinary confidence , altho at the bottom she was clearly of a different opinion . the constable was the first man that was aware of this alteration , and was one of those who were mightily troubled at it . he easily saw that the queen mother was leaving all thoughts of advancing him , and as he had his own particular views , so he used all the means in the world to effect his designs . in fine , he joyned interests with the camarera major , don ieronimo d' eguya , and the king's confessor , who brought the duke of alva into the same confederacy : the design of these three last was to set up the constable against the duke de medina celi , whose favour with the king increased , as they thought , very fast , and this gave them violent jealousies of him . the constable for his part endeavoured to gain by them what they designed to make the duke de medina celi lose ; his emissaries began to promote the affair with very favourable appearances , but after they had seriously reflected upon the imperious humour of the constable . he is so arrogant and haughty , said they , that he would rather ruin every man of us , than ever be brought to own that he was obliged to us for his elevation , and whatever minister has his place , will certainly be less dangerous than he . don ieronimo d' eguya , who thought of nothing else but how to ballance the credit of these two lords one with the other , did not neglect their reflections . he mentioned them almost every day , and endeavoured to make them more strong if it were possible , he found it would be a great deal more advantagious to him to continue in the same condition , than to see himself subjected to a new dependance , and this reason obliged him to inspire the king with an aversion and jealousie for the constable ; so that instead of doing him any service as he promised , he did him underhand all the ill offices imaginable . when our own particular interest lies at stake , and we are pursuing the dictates of our ambition , we are so clear-sighted , that it is a difficult matter for any one to deceive us long . we penetrate even into the most secret thoughts of him that calls himself our friend , and easily find out whether he doth us good or ill . pursuant to this maxim , the constable soon perceived how well he was served by his friends , and what designs each of them drove in particular . it is no difficult matter to imagine how a person of his temper , as i have already described , resented this usage , and his uneasiness to be sure was so much the more violent because he smother'd it for some time before he let it break out . don ieronimo de eguya was the first person whom he attacqued . having represented to them one day in a full council , and that with the greatest fierceness in the world , how all affairs went from bad to worse , he added , that no body ought to be surprized to find it so , since d' eguya who pretended , to manage every thing , had neither judgment , nor experience , nor capacity , and that he ought to be confined to the duties of his post , without medling with those things that had no relation at all to it . when he had ended his discourse , don manuel de lira secretary of state of the council of italy , who was of the constables faction , presented to them at the same time a large memorial , in which he laid open the vast prejudice which the state of affairs received from the ill conduct of de eguya , and most of them there had been well enough satisfied , if these complaints had obliged the king to remove him . don manuel de lira did not act only out of complaisance to the constable but had his own private ends . he imagined that if d' eguya were once turned out of his post , he might perhaps succeed him in it . now nothing animates a man's zeal in any affair , more than the prospect of some advantage or other to be gained by it . however this same business did not meet with that success which he and the constable proposed to themselves , so after long consideration the constable was obliged to come back to the queen mother , and importune her to appear in favour of him . he represented to her , that if the chief minister was not one of her party , her repose would not be of long continuance ; that the duke de medina celi stood very fair for it , and altho he advanced insensibly , yet it was probable he would soon find himself possessed of a place where he would make his enemies severely feel the weight of his indignation ; that in spight of politicks , to which he pretended , he would not fail to set up the president of castile against her , who was a creature of don iuan , and always ready to execute those resentments that had lodged in his breast so long ; that this duke was the very person who formerly had the hardiness to carry her the order for her exile ; that he seem'd at that time to rejoyce at her misfortunes and perplexities ; that if ever he came to be favourite , she would find him to be a constant rub in her way , and that this conjecture perhaps was not ill grounded , since the duke still possessed all the passions of don iuan. the queen mother was alarmed at what the constable represented to her , and gave him her word to act vigorously in his behalf ; but the duke de medina celi being advertised of it , was resolved to prevent the blow , and judged it the best expedient to soften the spirit of the queen mother , by making a profound submission to her . in fine he went to her , and told her , that he was resolved to be oblig'd to her for all the king's favours , and desired to depend upon her out of an obligation of gratitude , as he had done a long time ago out of duty and inclination ; that he humbly begged of her to do him the justice as to believe , that his heart , his birth , and his fortune , were too great ever to suffer him to be one of don iuan's creatures ; that he would never receive that title but from his own master , and that the party must wear a crown who commanded the duke de medina celi ; that altho he had declared himself for the president of castile , yet it was not out of a consideration of don iuan , but the king's service , and he was ready to abandon his interest at any time , having no particular engagements of friendship to him ; and that if he appeared in this affair , it was only done with a design to defend the authority of the king , which the nuncio had a mind to invade in the conduct which he used towards the president . the queen mother answered him , that she did not without a great satisfaction , believe what he said to be true , that she had a great esteem for him , and would not fail to give him convincing proofs of it in a short time . the constable being informed on his side , that queen mother had very favourably received the submission of the duke , whether out of a spirit of kindness , or indifference to the choice the king might make of a chief minister , dispaired at last of seeing himself succeed in any of his projects , either of the junto whereof he pretended to be a member if one were erected , or in the place of favourite which he could have desired rather to fill alone . he resolved to merit something at least of the duke de medina celi , by yielding up that post with a good grace , when he was in a capacity to dispute it with him still . in short , he laid hold of the first opportunity he could find , to tell the king that no person was fitter to serve his majesty , and preserve the government in good order , than the duke de medina celi . he bestowed wonderful commendations upon him for the good conduct he had ever used ; the free unconstrained manner wherein he spoke all this , was exceeding remarkable , especially in a man of the constables haughty temper , who , as the world imagined , would dye a thousand times , rather than offer this violence inwardly to himself : but people at last believed that he design'd to render himself agreeable to the king , by commending a man , for whom his majesty testified so great an inclination . after all , it must be confessed that he showed a generosity , which is not common , in treating his declared enemy after this manner . it cannot be easily imagin'd , what a great detriment the republick received by these factions of the courtiers , and the king's irresolution to take or not take a chief minister . nothing was concluded , nothing was done ; a spirit of lethargy seemed to be predominant at court , which helped to increase those perplexities , under which the kingdom laboured before . every body languished to see what would be the success of the smallest matters ; and business that had been carried into the council , tarried there whole years , nay things that went directly into the king's hands were dispatched never the sooner . thus no one knew what party to take , or where to address himself . our ambassador who promised himself to find a better treatment than he had met with a long while , and which he dexterously dissembled in expectation of the queen's arrival , perceived at last that they designed to satisfie him no better , than the other ministers . who made their complaints . about five months were passed since he demanded justice for some violations of the peace that were lately committed as well by the governors of the provinces , as by the taking of several vessels , and the burning of others . but at the time when he was urgent to have a positive answer , he received a new injury by the insolence of an (a) alcalde , and several (b) alguazils who passed before his house , which was never done at madrid , in the quarter belonging to an ambassador . he was extremely surprized at it , but was so far from receiving the satisfaction that was due to him for this affront , that they told him his majesty had given order that his quarter should be no longer exempt . this resolution so much the more disgusted him , because it affected only himself , and all the other ambassadors enjoyed their priviledges as formerly . not but that they had several other complaints upon their hands , as for example , the envoy from the elector of brandenburgh made a great noise because they had amused him a long time with specious promises that had no effect at all ; they ow'd his master a great sum of money , he demanded the payment of it , but they shifted him off from time to time , so that at last he perceived that they neither had the power nor inclination to satisfie him . the nuncio did not seem to be less disgusted for his part , because he saw the president of castile keep his place and continue still in favour , altho the pope had declared him suspended , and he himself omitted no application to have justice done upon him . in the mean time they wanted mony to raise four spanish regiments that were designed to be sent to milain , because they apprehended some motion from the court of france , but it was almost impossible to find any funds , and besides this the silver that came from the indies in the flota was so suddenly gone and with so little order , that no body knew what was become of it , so that it was a difficult matter to send any returns into flanders , or other places , where there was occasion . those that used to advance mony upon these sorts of occasions , would now do nothing at all , they were all of them drained , and the necessities were generally so great , that they knew not where to take up mony to defray the ordinary expences of the king and queens house . this proceeded in part from the disorder of the mony ; a pistole which ought to go for no more than fourty eight reals de vellon , was raised up to a hundred and ten ; and the patacoons that are only worth twelve reals went at the rate of thirty . the occasion of it was this , a great part of the reals de vellon , that are of copper , were bad , and the common custom made them pass as well in commerce , as if they had been good . but at last they were called in all on the sudden , by reason of the excessive price a pistole was raised to , and 't is impossible to recount the disorders and inconveniencies that attended this new regulation . the court was of opinion in the month of february . that there was a necessity to find out some remedy or other suddenly for it ; so a pistole from a hundred and ten reals was levelled to fourty eight , the patacoons to twelve , and the other mony was so confounded one with the other , that it was reduced to the eighth part of the ordinary value . there was no body almost but lost more or less upon the account of this new regulation , and accordingly felt it ; that which before the sinking the value of the mony was worth fourty reals , which make four livers of french mony , since the reducing of it , was worth a hundred and ten reals , which is ten livers of our mony ; so that what commodities a man could buy on munday for fifty sons , went on the tuesday for above a third part more ; and the debtor , who , it may be , on saturday owed twenty thousand reals de vellon , which made but two hundred pistoles , found to his sorrow the next day after that he owed near five hundred pistoles . this ruined a great number of families , and caused a mighty dejection in the spirits of the people ; for every thing a man has occasion to buy , is dearer by much in madrid than any where else , because they are brought a great way off , and there are few or no manufactures at all in that part of the country . a kind of a mutiny happened at toledo , because after this sinking the value of mony , no care was taken to regulate the price of provisions , for which they paid excessive rates . it is still to be noted , that the civil government in spain is managed but after a very sorry manner , and that the slow lazy humour of those persons , who might , if they pleased , correct the ill conduct of others , contributes exceedingly to the publick loss . all these disorders and continual complaints , which made a noise from all quarters , began at last to shake and undermine don ieronimo d' eguya . he knew very well , that the post wherein he stood , was ticklish and dangerous , and that after all his endeavours to disgust the world , in case he remedied nothing , the oblige maledictions and hatred would fall upon the favourite . the present ill state of affairs was attributed to his ill conduct , so he thought within himself , that he could not too soon deliver himself from the torrent of the popular fury , and therefore resolved to omit nothing , whereby he might incline the king to choose a chief minister . the consideration of his own interest soon determined him to act vigorously in favour of the duke de medina celi , he knew the king had a particular affection for him , and besides he perswaded himself , that when the duke was informed what good offices he had done him , he would maintain him still in his post , as well out of a principle of acknowledgment , as for the great services he might do him in these affairs , since he had managed them for so long a time , and consequently was in a capaci●y to furnish him with some necessary lights , which all those persons that newly enter into the government are altoge●her unacquainted with . and then he knew the natural sweetness of the duke's temper would never permit him to turn him out of his place , and he was certain that as long as he continued in it , he could manage the king's favour , the functions of his place giving him opportunity to approach near the king's person very often . the camarera major , and his majesty's confessor had each of them particular designs in their head , however they were both agreed as to the duke's advancement , so that all the world concurring with the favourable dispositions which the king had for him , he signed a decree ( that is the usual term with them in spain ) wherein he declared the duke de medina celi to be chief minister . he immediately commanded father relux to carry it to him , who came to his house about ten a clock at night on the twenty first of february . and acquainted him with the good news . no body had any reason to be surprized at the duke's elevation . it seems he had promised himself the place some time before , whether it were because the king gave him his promise , or that some outward appearances assured him of it . however it was , it was agreed upon by all hands at court that the king could not have made a better choice . he was a person in whom all good qualities were to be found ; his agreeable conversation , his obliging character , his noble and generous . deportment , his free easie temper , made him beloved by all the● world : people only wundered , that being so great a lord as he was , he would sacrifice his repose to the administration of affairs , that were then in a miserable condition . they could scarce imagine ( and perhaps he was of the same opinion himself ) how he could ever be able to remedy evils of so inveterate a malignity . before he could effect this , he must in all appearance make an intire change in the ordering of the monarchy , but this was an impracticable design , and impossible to be executed . as soon as the choice his majesty had made in favour of the duke , came to be publickly known ; all persons that were of any quality went to complement him , as well the ministers of foreign princes , as the grandees of spain . the next day being accompanied by all his friends and relations , he repaired to court to kiss his majesty's hand , and thank him most humbly for all his great favours . on the following days he received visits in his bed , pretending a slight indisposition to exempt himself from the fatigue of ceremonies , his apartment and furniture were extreamly magnificent , but it is an odd sight to see a spaniard in his bed of state , because they wear no morning gowns here , but only their golilia and black cloaks , and have their hats on , or else are bare-headed , for the men as well as the women wear no caps ; he had enjoyed the place of sumiller de corps , i. e. lord chamberlain for a long time , and in this quality he was the only person that commanded in the king's chamber , and lay there . he did not delay to give publick audience in the hall , which they call the rubis , and is the place where the council of state uses to assemble . 't is under the king's apartment . here it was that the duke received the visit of the nuncio and the venetian ambassador , they did not seem to be pleased at the manner wherein the chairs were disposed , because it could not absolutely be determined whether either of them or he had the chief place of honour . besides this , he only reconducted them to the middle of the hall of audience . they acquainted the marquess de villars with it , who told them that he had designed to make that visit along with them , because the ambassadors of the chappel generally acquit themselves of these sorts of devoirs together , but that he was not displeased with himself for not being there , since he was resolved to take direction by the fault they had committed ; and that he would not neglect , as they did , to use all necessary precautions about the step , place and rank , and would be assured both of the one and the other before he performed that ceremony . in short , he sent to the duke to know whether he would not receive him , as don louis de haro used to receive the ambassadors of france ; he immediately agreed to it , and that there might be no mistakes committed , the places were marked out , and every thing was adjusted before the day of audience . the other ambassadors were concerned at the oversight they had committed , and by this visit of our ambassador , regulated those they continued to make to the chief minister . the count de monterey kissed the kings hand and the queens , he complemented them from the part of the city of st. iago de compostella , the marquess d' astorgas did the same from the city of avila . about this time don francisco d' agourto was nominated by the king to be master of the camp general of the cavalry . the envoy extraordinary from england surprized all the court by the strict prohibition he gave his domesticks not to suffer any ecclesiasticks or religious to come within his doors . the young queen was so taken up with the diversions of the carnaval , that she had scarce opportunity to perceive that this was a set time of mirth and jollity : her best days were spent in hunting with the king , and the three last days of the carnaval there was a comedy represented upon the theatre at buen-retiro , which is a well-contrived building . the king and the queen saw it on the sunday , the next day it was acted before the several councils , and on tuesday before the officers of the city . the queen being informed that the dutchess de bejar , and the marchioness de castel rodrigo , who had never bore any children before , were each of them delivered of a son , begged leave of the king to send them word that she wished them joy , i agree to it , says the king smiling , on condition that within nine months they will come in their turn to perform the same complement to you . all spain impatiently expected to see what remedies the new ministers would apply to those disorders , that seemed for a long time to be radicated in the monarchy ; but whatever good intentions he had to rectifie them , he found it a difficult matter to put them in execution . the king's treasury was exhausted , several private families ruined , the price of all commodities excessive high ; and these perplexities were heightned by the connivance of the magistrates , and the length of time . during the ministry of don iuan nothing had been set in order , and since his death one would have thought they had affected to abandon all manner of business . to this we may add , that the duke de medina celi had never been in any employ , where he might learn that experience which is so necessary for government . he was born and bred in the genius of madrid , which is so supine and careless , that nothing almost is determined there . nay what is more , he suffered the master of the council to deliberate about the publick affairs , after the same manner , as he did , before his ministry , and submitted to take his counsel ; he likewise erected iunta's to debate of those things , which he supposed to carry any great difficulty with them . he erected one amongst the rest , to which he nominated the constable , the admiral , and the marquess d' astorgas , all which three were councellors of state ; he also admitted three divines , whereof the king's confessor was one , and three councellors of the king's council to examine along with him the affair of the president of castile , about which the nuncio made so great a noise . the occasion of this dispute was this , monsieur mellini , the nuncio , had a mind to preside over a chapter of religious , whom they call clericos minores , who were going to choose a provincial . the president desired that one of his friends might be named ; now he knew that the nuncio had a kindness for another , so he went the shortest way to work , and obtained a decree of the king , which forbad him to preside in that assembly , and because he did not exactly obey it , he was fined a thousand crowns . the nuncio suffered this strange treatment with indignation enough , and complained of it to the pope . his holiness writ to the king about it , and don iuan promised him to get the fine revoked ; but the many disorders that happened after his death , hindred the execution of it . the king thought the business was laid asleep , because he writ a very submissive letter to the pope about it , but for all that , the nuncio , who was not to be appeased by a letter , renewed the quarrel after the prince's death . he saw that the king had not as yet pitched upon a chief minister , and judged that the president of castile was not well supported ; he knew he had abundance of enemies , and that amongst the rest the queen mother was the most inveterate against him . all these considerations served to perswade him , that he should obtain an intire satisfaction without any trouble : he pretended therefore that he ought to lose his place , and to go to rome to have the suspension taken off , which he had incurred in the year . the court absolutely refused to grant him what he demanded ; upon this he complained very highly to the king , telling him that he ill performed what he had promised the pope in his letter . the duke de medina celi being advanced to the ministry , was willing to examine the reasons of the nuncio , and those of the president by a iunta . 't was alledged in favour of the last , that being a native of spain , the king could not abandon him to the pope's resentments if at the bottom he did not deserve it ; that it was true indeed he had done irregular things upon several occasions , but then his place was of that nature , that he could not forfeit it unless it were for reasons of the greatest importance : the chief minister declared , that he should keep his place of being president of the council of the indies , and that don vicente gonzaga should perform all his functions . he received with extraordinary satisfaction the offer which the admiral of castile made , to resign the office of master of the horse to him , which is generally possest by the favourite , but would not accept of it . he gave order to don gabriel quinones , secretary of the council of war , to bring in his accounts , out of hopes of drawing some mony from thence ; and indeed the state was never in such extremity of want as now ; for since the publishing of the king's declaration for sinking the value of mony , all commerce was intirely stopt , the shops continued shut up , and the people groaned under the greatest necessities imaginable . the duke used all his power to remedy these pressing grievances , he designed to coin new mony , and to lessen the price of all commodities , but the effect of his good intentions was long delayed , and the publick misery increased more and more every day . hereupon a man of great business , whose name was marcos dias presented a memorial to the duke , wherein he proposed a method to raise the king's revenue , and yet ease the people ; he offered to prove that the magistrates of the city of madrid , under pretence of reimbursing themselves of the mony they had lent the late king , had raised considerable summs , and had never given any account of them . he proposed a way to force them to refund the overplus , as well to supply the present want , as to prevent the like exactions for the time to come . the duke hearkned to him , and told him his advice was good . immediately after this marcos dias presented another memorial to him , wherein he shewed , that his majesty's dues were considerably diminished , that he offered to pay the full worth of them , and yet to make an advance of two hundred thousand crowns , a present of a hundred thousand crowns to the king ▪ and lessen the imposition of the dues one half of what it amounted to the year . when they were less by one third part , than they were this present year . for this he demanded that the rents of the guild-hall of the city of madrid , the payments whereof were assigned for these funds , should be reduced to five in the hundred , whereas they were risen to eight ; and what is more , he still offered to reimburse those persons who were not willing to suffer this diminution . it is natural to believe , that he knew his own accounts well enough , not to lose any thing by his project , and to say the truth he had been no loser : for the disorders and rapines were at that time so great , that not a ninth part of the king's rights came into his coffers . the duke foreseeing the event of this affair , advised marcos dias not to stir out of the palace , but he had a mind to go to alcala , and he returned with vomiting of blood and convulsions , which occasioned the belief that he was poisoned : for this overture of accommodating the publick affaris , disgusted some particular persons of great estates , who got prodigious summs at the expence of the king and people . these persons , to avert this blow , had written to dias , and threatned to have him infallibly stabbed if he continued his proposals . he was very apprehensive of the danger he incurred , and besides this , these very magistrates offered the same terms to his majesty : but the duke saw there was all the reason in the world to prefer dias , and so he refused the others . upon a consideration of what these differences might produce , the duke advised him to have a care of himself , till the treaty was concluded . the advice was good , if he had had the good fortune to have followed it , but as he came back from alcala to madrid , he met some men in masques , who gave him several blows with little bags full of sand , so that he spit abundance of blood at his mouth , and being seized with a violent feavor died on the first day of april . the corrigidor , and some other officers of the city were the men that were principally exasperated against him , because he had discovered their villanies a little before : nevertheless they were willing to submit to some beneficial alterations in matters , and so they reduced the rents of the guild-hall of the city , from eight to five in the hundred . there was also some small regulation made in the civil government , but the duke could not forbear to be sensibly touched for losing , by the death of dias , an opportunity to serve the king and ease the people . in the mean time the people who had fully flattered themselves that if the proposals made by dias had taken effect , they should have met with plenty instead of want ; bei●g informed of his indisposition , flocked about his house , and cryed out aloud , that he was poisoned , and that this business ought to be examined to the bottom , because he suffered for the good will he had expressed towards them . they added menaces against those persons who had opposed such profitable advice , and as the king accidentally passed by them in his coach , a great body of them ▪ got about the coach , and followed it crying , vive el roi y muera el mal goviorno , that is to say , let the king live , and the ill government dye . there were great endeavours used to moderate the first motions of the popular fury , which exceedingly increased on the day that dias died . above six thousand were got together , who ran up and down the streets complaining and weeping bitterly , every one of them said , that they had murdered the only man that wished them well . they accompanied his body to the place of burial , and the streets were so full of people , that the king durst not stir out of his palace , altho he was to go to a great festival that was celebrated by the jesuits , and he had a great desire to be there . there was little probability that they would ever be appeased , but as good fortune would have it , the multitude was only made up of poor irresolute people , whose spirits were broken by the miseries of which they complained . all this tempest past over in vain menaces , and some injuries against some considerable persons , but however it did not alter the state of affairs . at this same time word was sent to the nuncio , by an express order from court , that he should enjoy no other priviledges than what the ambassador of spain did at rome . this was a new occasion of discontent to him ; but the action was general , and they took care to inform the other forreign ministers , that for the future the would allow them only the same priviledges as their princes allowed to the ambassadors of his catholick majesty ; so that he had no reason to complain since he was treated but like the rest . this resolution was taken upon this account . six alguazils de corte passing before the h●use of the venetian ambassador , it seems three of his footmen knew them , and dem●nded of them how they durst have the impudence to go through their quarter . the alguazels returned them a sawcy answer , whereupon the servants drew their swords , but the alguazels fired immediately upon them , and killed them upon the place . the ambassador made great complaints about it , they promised to give him full satisfaction , but to av●id the doing of it , they thought it more expedient to revoke all the franchises . the king received a letter from the vice-roy of naples , and was extreamly glad to hear that he had found out a way to borrow three hundred thousand crowns of the merchants of genoa for the raising four thousand men that were to be sent into the milanese : but they were perswaded at court that it would be a long time before they could be in a condition to get there , because they demanded a further supply of mony from madrid , and here they wanted it , without exception , for every thing . however this did not hinder them from using all imaginable efforts to contribute towards the raising of these four thousand men , because they were exceedingly alarmed at the treaty of casal , which they pretended our king had bought of the duke of mantua . they apprehended , this was an open pass to render himself master of italy when he pleased , and they were fully perswaded that he had sent an army thither upon this score . the genoese first whispered and spread about these jealousies , which at last reached the venetians , so that they drew their soldiers out of their garrisons in dalmatia , and bestowed them in their own towns in lumbardy , where they made some new fortifications . the emperor for his part was as much alarmed as the rest of his neighbours , for he sent his troops to the milanese to guard them , and several princes of italy put themselves to a great deal of trouble , out of an apprehension of a rupture . but if there was any reason to fear one , it was from the side of bisca , where the people of that province , who are under the dominion of spain , have almost every day some disputes with those that live under the dominion of france , sometimes about the fishing , at other times about other differences , each of them appropriating the river de bid●ssoa to themselves , so that they seldom live in peace . matters came to that upshot at l●st , that they burnt several barques , and took several of the french prisoners . our ambassador was ordered to demand justice for these injuries , and frequently spoke to the ministers about it , who continued deaf in these cases because they had no mind to redress them . they persisted to be so stiff and obstinate upon this occasion , that the ambassador declared at last to don vincente gonzaga , that his master would order his troops to march towards the frontiers , by which mea●s it would be more easie to get satisfaction for the insolence of the biscayneers , than by sending to the council at madrid , that his majesty was concerned for the tranquility of his subjects , and that he ●ould take a due course to procure it . gonz●ga heard monsie●● de villars very patiently , ●nd t●l● him at la●● that he was surprized to find him add●ess himself to him because he was no longer commissary , and that the marquess de los ba●bazez , had been nominated to his place above a month before . the a●bassador acquainted him , that generally these sorts of changes are not made without in●o●ming those persons who are interested in them ▪ and that as for himself he had never heard the least mention of it . don vincente replied , that don pedro colonna had been ordered to inform him of it , but that in truth he was a negligent person , and had showed h●mself so not only on this occasion . upon this he made some particular reflections that were not very obliging to the new secretary of state. don pedro fernandez del campo , marquess de majorada , who had been formerly secretary of state , and to whom the marquess de valenzuela , when he became sole favourite had an aversion , because he would not blindly obey him , died of grief for the loss of his place , and to see it still possessed by don ieronimo d' eguya . the number of the maids of honour belonging to the queen , was about this time augmented . the king added to them the daughter of the princess pio , those of the countess de villambrosa , the marquess do pouar ; the duke d' hijar , donna eleonora of the house de zapara , the niece of the dutchess de terra nova , and mademoiselle de lalain , who was a flemish woman . but altho this was a testimony of the particular consideration which the king had for his young queen , because ordinarily the queens of spain have not so many , yet he could not ●orbear to be sensibly tormented at the stories which the camarera continually buzzed into his ear . don melchior navarra , who had formerly been vice-chancellor of arragon , and whom don iuan banished to cienpuzu●los , was called home at the intreaties of the queen mother . nay it was even believed that the king would give him the place of president of castile , in case the president , who was then embroyled with the nuncio , were turned out of his place . the king and queen had the pleasure of hearing mass celebrated at the jesuits college in the chaldean language , by a priest of the city of muzal , which was heretofore called ninive . after it was over , the queen , who was always desirous of informing herself in matters of curiosity , sent for him to come to her , and by the means of an interpreter , she asked him several questions , and amongst the rest , whether the women were as severely lock'd up at muzal , as they were at madrid . this question , altho there was nothing criminal in it , was so maliciously explained by the dutchess de terra nova , that the king was observed to look upon her with a great deal of coldness for some days after . this did not hinder the queen mother from going to visit her , who assured her with all the tenderness imaginable how sensibly she was concerned at these ill offices that were done her . they went together to st. marie la royalle , where was celebrated the beatification of torribio alphonso mogrobejo , second archbishop of lima : the musick of the chappel was there ; their majesties were informed at their return that the great arch deacon of madrid was dead . the queen mother seemed to be desirous of seeing this dignity filled by one of her own creatures , and the young queen proposed to send to cardinal portocarero to demand it of him : but now it was too late , for the cardinal to prevent all sollicitations upon this point , made haste to gratify his nephew don pedro portocarero with it . in the mean time , whilst these small things happened , news was brought that a squadron of french men of war , commanded by the marquess de valbelle , was arrived before the isle of majorca , to demand of the viceroy some merchantmen that had been taken by the corsairs , since the peace , and monsieur valbelle had in his hands an order of the king of spain for their restitution . the viceroy would not restore these prizes , alledging that the persons who had taken them had already shared and divided them , and that they were not all of them majorcans ; that theeffects were all consumed and gone , and for his part he demanded damages for certain hostilities which these corsairs had suffered . valbelle continued his instances , but seeing they had no effect ; he declared that he would not forget to make use of the right of reprisals ; that the subjects of the king of spain , whenever he met them on the sea , should find it to their cost ; that the king his master had reason to complain of the usage he found at their hands ; that several governors and viceroys dependant upon the king of spain had taken liberty to commit all injustices against the french ; that it was almost to no purpose to demand satisfaction from those at madrid , where the councils were filled with persons who had played the same tricks , when they were in the like posts , and consequently durst not condemn and punish others for the very same crimes they had committed themselves ; that he was assured this was the reason that occasioned this impunity and all their frivolous pretences : in a word , that he was going to take another course with them , and do himself justice . these menaces , one would have thought , were sufficient to alarm those persons that were concerned in them ; but they have this maxim in spain , that provided the danger is a little remote , they never fear it , whether this happens through insolence or temerity , and they rather chuse to suffer the disorders , that always fall out in military executions , than give themselves the trouble to do justice upon the complaints that are made . but before i finish the first part of my memoirs ; i think it will not be altogether amiss to say something of the councils of spain , according to the best information i have received concerning them . the council of state. the number of these counsellors is not ●ixed , they don't observe the right of seniority amongst themselves , but take their places as they happen to come into the chamber . the king administers the oath to them , and they sit , as the secretaries of state do upon benches , with backs to them , every man has his cushion , the counsellors are in the middle near the table , the secretaries of state at both ends . when the king assists there , he has a table above that of the counsellors , who for that time have only places , and the secretaries of state stand . this council is held twice every saturday , and but once on mondays and tuesdays , all of them are called his counsellors , and they deliberate here upon affairs of the greatest importance , such as peace and war , leagues and truces . here they likewise treat of the marriage of the kings and princes of the royal family , and distribute the viceroyships , and all the governments of the provinces that are under the obedience of the king of spain , and altho other affairs are examined in other councils , yet the counsellors of state don't for all that omit to give the king their advice about them . behold a list of those that compose this council at present . the constable of castile , who is the dean of it . the duke of alva . don pedro d' arragon . the admiral of castile . the marquess d' astorgas . the duke d' ossone the prince de stillano . don vincente gonzaga , prince de guastallo . don lovis portocarero cardinal and archbishop of toledo . the marquess de liche . themarquess de loz balbazez . don diego sarmiento . the prince de ligne . the duke de villa hermosa . don melchior navarra . the marquess de los velez . the count d' oropesa . the marquess de mansera , and the duke d' albuquerque . the council royal of castile . this council is the chief of all , and to distinguish it from the rest by a title of honour , the king calls it our council . it was established by st. ferdinand the third of that name , in the year . there are in this council a president , sixteen counsellors , a fiscal , six reporters , six secretaries , a register , and a keeper of the registers , a receiver of the fines due to the council , another of the fines adjudged to particular persons , a treasurer , a deputy , and a dozen porters . the council assembles every friday in the palace , towards evening the king comes there . the kings , don ferdinand the fourth , and don alonzo the last of that name , established this custom . this council is divided into four chambers , where they distribute those affairs that are under their jurisdiction in castile . one of them goes by the name of the chamber of the fifteen hundred pistoles , because such a sum is to be consigned before any man can get a review of a process which is pretended to be unjustly judged by the parliaments of vailladolid and granada , which are the two parliaments of castile . when the president of castile , goes out of the council , the counsellors follow him to his chair ; he never makes any visits , never gives the right hand to any at his house ; he is to give the king an account of the most important affairs , that pass in council , where they name a council every week to report them . when the king comes there , they all uncover themselves and kneel down . afterwards they cover themselves and sit . when audience is over , the king retires into his cabinet with the president , who discourses him about business of the greatest moment for which the king gives his orders , and this does not return any more to the chamber for the counsellors to deliberate upon it . in the year . all castile was divided into five districts , and every district is under a counsellor of the council royal , who takes cognizance of the conduct of the judges , the lords , ecclesiasticks , and other secular persons . besides this , there is a particular council that is called the council of the chamber of castile ; the president is the chief , and the king names a certain number of counsellors of the council royal whether they be three , or four that compose it . here it is that they dispatch all benefices in the king's nomination , titles , and patents for the most considerable places , letters of naturalization , and the ratification of orders to arrest the grandees of spain , and the graces and favours , to which his majesty is pleased to give his consent . the king receives prodigious sums of money for the places that are sold by the means of these counsellors . he gives likewise the patents and commissions of several places of justice , and 't is commonly pretended that in the two castiles , the kingdom of leon , guypuscoa , biscay , the province de hana , and in navarr there are above thousand places of judicature . secretary of state , and of the vniversal dispatch . this secretary is in a condition to serve or injure people , according as he stands affected to them , for all the requests and petitions , which they call memorials here , and are presented to the king or chief minister , pass through his hands . 't is he who sends them to his counsellors , who are to give their advice concerning them : after the consult is made ( for this is their phrase in spain ) these petitions are sent back again to the secretary of state , and when he reports them to the king , his majesty orders what pleases him , and this is called a decree . this decree is expedited by persons proposed for that office ; so that when these requests are carried to the king they say the memorial is mounted ; and when they are answered , they say the memorial falls down ; or else the consult ascended and the decree descended . without counting the secretary of state , whom i have been speaking of , there are two more that enter the council , one of them dispatches the affairs of arragon , of italy and sicily , the other those of castile and the north. one of these is named don manuel de lira , who was formerly master of the ceremonies , and envoy extraordinary in holland ; he was made at his return secretary of state. the other is called don pedro colonna , he is descended of a good family , and those of his house have always possest great places . they may give their advice in writing in matters of consequence . the king sends the decrees to them , and through their hands affairs go to the council of state : they make a report of them there , and gather the voices ; and give an account of all to his majesty , who at last orders it as he thinks fit . they have power to assemble the council out of the appointed days , when they judge it convenient , and when the king has a mind that they should have any extraordinary meeting , they send the order immediately to all the counsellors . every secretary of state has a chief commissary , who is called the official mayor , and exercises his masters office , when he happens to be absent . the secretary of state for italy has eight commissaries reckoning him that is the principal , the king pays them : and the secretary of state for the north has seven under him ; they chuse them themselves and the king gives his consent : these dispatch all patents , and generally those persons that get into these employments , advance their fortunes in the world . the council of war. this began as soon as the kingdoms of castile and leon were erected , under king pelagius , in the year . it assembles on mundays , wednesdays , and fridays : as for what concerns the government of it , the king is always president of it , and the counsellers are men of the sword. they must be men of experience and service , the number of them is not fixed , and it depends upon the king's pleasure to augment or to diminish them . their places are not regulated in the council , but they sit as they they come . it is indeed true , that when the counsellors of state are called thither , they have the upper end , but then they never come but at a time when a full council of war is held . they have two secretaries , who have each of them two commissaries under them , one of these is for the sea-affairs , and the others for those at land. when they debate about matters of justice , an assessor of the council royal , makes a report of them , who has likewise the priviledge to give his opinion before the dean of the council : the king comes there almost most every day . there are besides some other chambers that depend upon this council , such as those of the flota's , the gallies , and the garrisons . the king nominates the officers for these chambers . the councils are the same with those of the council of war , and 't is the chief minister or the president of castile that presides there . alcaldes of the court. the word alcalde signifies a judge of any place . this tribunal is full as ancient as the council royal , whoever is judged to be a criminal by it can make no appeals but is executed immediately . for this reason it is named the quinta sala , that is to say , the fifth hall. here they determine both civil and criminal affairs , but when these councils were established in castile , the judges thereof were reduced to four alcaldes . they have been augmented since , and are nine at present , two reporters and four registers : their jurisdiction is divided into two parts , one , as i said before , relates only to criminal matters , the other is like that of ordinary judges , and is to direct the management of civil affairs . the supream council of the inquisition . this council was erected in the year . by don ferdinand , and donna isabella , king and queen of castile , to defend and preserve the catholick religion , altho it is certain that this tribunal of the inquisition was established ever since the year . the president of this council is called the inquisitor general , and the counsellors , the apostolick inquisitors . they are named by the pope , and there are in spain above twenty thousand officers belonging to the holy inquisition , whose business it is to seize the persons of criminals . every council consists of six inquisitors ( the word signifies enquirers , ) the fiscal who is the accuser , two secretaries , and alguazil principal , two reporters , a receiver of the fines , four porters , and a sollicitor . the inquisition keeps its tribunals at madrid , at toledo , at granada , at sevil , at cordova , at murcia , at guenza , at logrono , at lierena , in gallicia , and at vailladolid . the council of orders . this was erected in the year . the duke de sessa of the house de cordonne is now the president of it , he has two counsellors of the order of st. iago , two of calatrava , two of alcantara , a fiscal and a secretary , who are all knights . the king is grand master of these three orders , and is called the perpetual administrator of it . this council take cognizance of the temporal and spiritual government and of the civil and and criminal justice of these orders . there are also religious men and religious women of it , who bring their proofs and carry the mark of the order . 't is in concert with this council that the king examines those of his subjects , who are capable of filling the places and vacant governments that depend upon the order . the sacred royal and supream council of arragon . the king don ferdinand established this council at madrid in the year . charles the fifth confirmed it in the year . and appointed new regulations of it in . when he passed through catalonia to go into italy . the chief of this council is called the vice-chancellor , who at present is don pedro d' arragon , and the prince de stillano is treasurer general . this place is hereditary to the family of the duke de medina de las torres , and this duke is the head of it . three of the councellers are to be natives of valentia , three of arragon , three of catalonia , a protonotary , a fiscal , four secretaries , four scriveners , a procurator general , nine commissaries for the great registers , five for the little , one for letters , four porters , and an alguazil : the isles of majorca , minorca , sardinia , and innica are under the jurisdiction of this council ; they take cognizance of every thing that happens within the extent of their authority ; and deliberate with the king about ecclesiastick and military affairs , vice-roy-ships , bishopricks , the finances , and in short about whatsoever relates to the civil government . the council royal of the indies . the spaniards having had the good fortune to find out this part of the world which was unknown before , and to reduce it under the dominion of spain , his catholick majesty in the year . established a council of the indies at madrid ; charles the fifth in . added a clause to it about the preserving of religion , and ordained that it should be composed of a lord chancellor , a president , eight councellers of the long robe , and four of the sword , with a deputy to the chancellor , a fiscal , a treasurer , four contadores , an alguazil mayor , two secretaries who have each a dozen commissaries under them , two agents to the fiscal , five reporters , one historiographer , one geographer , one chaplain , one sacristan , one advocate , and one proctor for the poor , ten porters , one scrivener , and a counceller of the contratation at sevil ; this last is commanded to preserve and keep together all the ordinances and laws for the indies . there is a chief , and an under commissary , and four more under him . this council together with the king takes cognizance of every thing that has relation to the several kingdoms and provinces in the indies , of navigation , of war , of peace , and of civil and criminal affairs . philip the fourth created a chamber for the indies in the year . before the duke de medina celi was made chief minister , he was president of the council , he still retains the profits as well as the title of it , but he has placed in his room don vincente gonzaga councellor of state , by a commission ; he is called the governor of the council of the indies . the council of italy . charles the fifth first erected this council in the year . and afterwards philip the second did cast it into a new form. it is composed of six councellors and a president , which office at present is filled by the duke of alva of the house of toledo . they are called councellors regent , and there are two for the affairs of milan , two for those of sicily , and two for those of naples . of this number three are to be spaniards , and three italians . the last of these reside upon the place where their district is , and have a fiscal , a secretary , two reporters and four porters . the president has no voice in the affairs of justice ; his business is to propose persons to the king for military employments . this council takes cognizance of matters of state , of grace , and of justice that lie within the reach of their jurisdiction , as also of the affairs of the treasury . they consult with the king about the disposing of bishopricks , and places of justice , as well as those of the finances and the civil list , and in short about all governments of places , except some few that belong to the council of state , as for example the castle of naples does . they deliberate about the government of the mildnese , naples and sicily . the council of the finances named de hazienda . philip the third in the year . established this council . it consists of four tribunals , don carlos ramirez de atellano is president of it ; eight councellors of the sword , and the president compose this council . their chief business lies in the recovery and administration of the finances , in the raising and augmenting of the rents , graces , priviledges and concessions of the king. they make treaties for defraying the expence of the houshold and of the armies . when there is occasion for advance-mony , they are to find out people to do it . the president signs all the expeditions alone by himself , after he he has received the king's order , and the consult of the council , for all gratifications , appointments , assignments , profits , pensions , ordinances and advances of uundertakers . their expeditions are made in two offices , in each of which there is a chief commissary , two seconds , and two that are called entretenus . there are a dozen contadores , that keep the registers , and accounts of this council . the last contador is called ecrivain major , which signifies the register of his majesty's rents : they all go the council of the finances , where they cover themselves after they have stood bare for some time . they give them a sign to go , when the secretaries have a mind to come in . in the regard of the affairs , and trials belonging to the tribunal of the oydores , and the council of the finances , there is a great number of inferiour officers , whose places are sold , and four reporters , that are named by the council . the council of the crusade . pope iulius the second in the year . granted the priviledge of the crusade to the kings of spain , to make war against the infidels ; the revenue of it is so considerable , that it brings in several millions , and in the same year queen ioan and the king her father , who governed in her name , formed and erected the council of the cruzada . the president thereof carries the title of commissary general , and he is at present don henriquez de benavides y bazan , patriarch of the indies . it is composed of two councellors of the council of castile , and two regents , one of the council of arragon , the other of that of the indies , a fiscal , two treasurers , a reporter , two registers , and three sollicitors . this council gives permission or licence to publish jubiles , and to print books ; all the states of his catholick majesty are under its jurisdiction , except those of flanders , milan and naples , who would never admit of its authority . they judge without appeal . the council of flanders . philip the fourth named the president and councellors of it in the year . this council is superiour to all those that are established in flanders : the prince de stillano was president of it , but the count de monterey is now preferred to this post. it consists of no more than three councellors . the council d' aposento . since the first floor that is raised in all the houses in madrid , belongs to the king , this council may rent it , or sell it until the proprietors redeem it . don alonzo , the eleventh of that name , erected in the year . a junto consisting of a president , who is called the aposentador major , of six aposentadores of exercise , ( because some others may be admited into it if they are veteranes , ) of a fiscal , a secretary , a receiver , an alguazil , and a porter . this junto preserves his majesty's rights , they take care likewise to lodge the officers of the king's houshold . the council of the chamber of castile . queen ioan and charles the fifth her son , erected this council in the year . the president of castile is the chief man of it , with four councellors of the same council , three secretaries and a reporter . they meet toward night on mundays and wednesdays every week at the presidents house , and give him an account of all the posts that are to be filled in the two castiles . they expedite all remissions and deliver the titles to dukes , marquesses , counts , and the names of the villages . they likewise look after all the benefices , that are in the king's presentation , by the apostolick commission . the iunto de bosques reale . charles the fifth established it in the : it consists of two councellors , an alcalde , a fiscal and a secretary . their business is to look after the palace , and the rest of the king's houses as well in city as in country , and likewise to take care of his majesty's woods . the iunto of the millions . philip the fourth observing that the council de hazienda was overcharged with business , in the year . formed a chamber composed of a president , four councellors of the finances , four commissaries deputies of the states , a fiscal , and two proctors of the court. this chamber is called the tribunal of the millions , because here they receive the revenue that arises from imposts upon victuals , oyl , wine and vinegar , and amounts to a prodigious summ. the end of the first part. memoirs of the court of spain . pa●t ii. on the fea●● of the annunciation , the young q. went to the monastery of the incarnation . the french ambassador's lady accompanied her thither ; but tho' she never so earnestly desired to have an opportunity to entertain her in private , she could not find one single moment to do it ; for the vigilant camarera would not allow the q. that liberty . at her return , she served nine poor women at dinner , and gave each of them a suit of apparel , and five pistols in their purse : the maids of honour carried the dishes ; the q. mother performed the same ceremony on her side . but what infinitely surprized the q. was to find a billet privately slipt into her pocket , and thus superscribed : for the queen alone . at first she was in doubt , whether she ought to open it or no ; but presently after she had a mind to carry it to the king : nevertheless the uncertainty of what was contained in it , and after what manner the k ▪ might take it , prevailed with her at last to open it . it seemed to be written in a disguised sort of an hand , and contained these words in spanish : the supreme elevation of your majesty , and the mighty difference that 〈◊〉 between us , has not been able to efface that passio● which your admirable qualities have infused into my heart . i adore you , my queen ; i die in adoring you ; and i dare say , that i am not unworthy , to adore you : i see you , i sigh after you ; but you don't know my sighs , you don't understand my secret languishings ; nay , you don't turn your charming eyes upon me . ab , madam , how unhappy am i to be born a subject , who find my self possessed with the inclinations of the greatest k. in the universe . the queen continued some time surprized and astonished : she could not imagine who this rash person was , that had the hardiness to write to her in these terms ; and did not question , but that the billet was slipt into her pocket by one of the poor women whom she had served . but then it appear'd very strange , that a man , who seem'd to be of great quality , would trust his life ( for nothing less was hazarded ) into the hands of a poor needy creature ; for such she must be that could approach the q. that day . it was true indeed , that she had been amongst the religious women of the incarnation ; but altho' some of them might undertake this business , yet there was little probability to believe it , by reason of the consequences that would have proved fatal to the party concerned , if ever the matter came to be discovered . sometimes she thought , that perhaps it might be a trick of the camarera mayor , to see what use she made of this billet , and then to acquaint the king with it , and turn the most innocent thing in the world into a wrong sense . after these different reflections , at last she judged it would be the safest way to discover the matter to the q. mother , and follow her advice . she went the next day to dine with her , and afterwards shew'd her the letter , beseeching her to keep it : that if the k. came to know any thing of the matter , she would be so kind as to testifie the whole truth . the q. mother seeing that she was discomposed at it , assured her , that it was not worth the while to torment her self about it ; and from whatever hands the letter came , if the king was disquieted at it , she would take care to acquaint him wi●●●ne truth : so that the queen le●t her more at ease than she was before , by reason of this assurance . on this day the q. arrived to her eighteenth year : she received the compliments of all the lords , and the ladies made her presents , particularly the q. mother , who sent her a set of diamonds and turquoises . at night there was a consort of french musick at the palace . it was much about this time that the envoy of brandenburgh parted from madrid , complaining , and loudly th●eatning them with his master's resentments . he came to receive several considerable sums , which the elector had sent to the k. of spain . they had amused him a long time with many tedious delays , but at last gave him an assignation to receive fifty thousand crowns of the silver that was daily expected from the indies . when the flota was arrived , he went to sevil , but his journey had no success , because they had ordered the president of the * contration at sevil , to give him nothing . he came back to madrid with all the fury imaginable , to find himself treated with so little respect : he renewed his importunities ; and they for their part renewed their promises : at last he was so wearied with these continual delays , whereby they still put him off , that he demanded a positive answer , and yet tarried longer than he had resolved . but his master being informed of the whole proceedings , ordered him to take his audience of leave . the duke de medina celi would fain have stopt him , promising to pay down fifty thousand crowns in four months : and perhaps the envoy had stay'd in expectation of them , if he had not been otherwise ordered , altho' there was little probability , that he would have received satisfaction at the time appointed ; and so he refused this proposal . then they offered him thirty thousand crowns in hand . he was upon the point of accepting them , when he was given to understand , that this would be paid him no better than the rest . this put him into a great passion , which made him speak so fiercely and freely to the ministers , that he did not spare them at all . he shew'd several persons a letter from the elector of brandenburgh , which was full of menaces , for the rude treatment of his envoy . the night before he parted , they sent him a golden chain worth a hundred and fifty pistols ; but he returned it immediately back again to the person who brought it to him from the king : the next day the same chain was brought to him the second time ; but he sent it back to the chief minister , and told him , he would rather say , he had lost it upon the road , than accept of a present that was so unworthy of the elector his master . on the other side , the count de gubernatis , envoy from savoy , seeing that all his solicitations and instances for four years last past , hadnot advanced his negotiation , in the least ; and that all the hopes they gave him of granting the same honours to the ministers of the duke of savoy , as they received in france , were only dilatory illusions to amuse him , without ever designing to perform them ; he departed from madrid in a great fury , which was so much the greater , because they refused to satisfie his demands , in the payment of those subsidies that were due to his master . some of the other envoys departed also with no less discontents ; and as for those that stay'd behind , they complained in their turns , of the ill usage they had received . but forreigners were not the only persons that were disgusted the subjects of the k. of spain were little better used ; and the count de balbo , with several milanese officers , returned to italy , without being able to obtain what was due to them , or get the recompence they demanded . it is indeed certain , that the king had no funds , that the price of victuals was not in the least diminished , that many poor : artisans and day-labourers died of hunger , and that those men who were supposed to be rich , had billets often sent to them to send their money to such and such places , with great menaces to assassinate them , in case they failed . another affair happened , upon which the court had their eyes fixt for a long time , and several persons of the highest quality found themselves interested in it , by the means of the prince d' stillano , and the count de monterey . the first of these possess'd the place of president of the council of flanders at madrid ; it was taken from him by don iuan of austria , and conferr'd upon the count de monterey , who had never taken possession of it . the pretence they used to set by the prince de stillan● , was a quarrel raised for the purpose . he had been banished , but was afterwards informed under hand , that he might , if he pleased , come back to madrid : so he fell into the snare , and returned . the k. and don iuan seemed to be very angry with him , because he presumed to come back , contrary to his majesty's order ; and therefore to punish him , they bestow'd his place upon the count de monterey , who at that time commanded the army in catalonia ; and after this usage were so far from revoking his sentence , that they banished him to his old place . the fi●st thing the count did after he had been summoned to the court , was to demand the oath of his office , and the k. promised to chuse a convenient opportuni●y to receive him : but the q. mother being informed of it by don geronimo d' eguya , hindered the king from receiving the oath of the count de monterey , because she had a kindness for the prince d' stillano , who was altogether devoted to her service . the affair continued in this condition , till the duke de medina celi was advanced to the ministry , who assembled a iuncto at cardinal p●rt●carero's palace , to examine the reasons of one side and t'other : the cardinal presided in it , and was assisted by the king 's and queen mother's confessors , by don benedetto , and by don pedro gil del faro : they gave the prince de stillano to understand , that since his majesty had disposed of his place in favour of the count de monterey , he had nothing left him to do , but only to submit . to this the prince answer'd , that by an ancient law of castile , the king could not take away his place , without commencing a process against him . upon this the iuncto broke up , but at their second meeting concluded , that it was in the king's power to dispose of this office , who having a great inclination to the count , had decided it in his advantage . whilst the prince de stillano continued thus outed , the queen-mother was sensibly concerned at the injustice that was done to one of her principal servants ; and she was perswaded , as well as the rest of her family , that they could reproach him with nothing but his faithful adhering to that princess . he still persisted in his demands to have his tryal come on ; that since they had taken away his place from him , as from a criminal , they ought to treat him as one , and punish him according to his faults . all the queen-mother's faction joyned in the same complaints ; but that did not hinder the count de monterey from continuing still in his place . it is true , that considering him personally , he was more deserving than the p●●nce de stillano ; that he had faithfully served the king in flanders , when he was governour there , at a time when affairs were in a ticklish condition . he is a well made agreeable person , of great abilities ; and we ought to reckon amongst his other good qualities , his alliance with the duke de medina celi ; and this was no small consideration , at a time when the duke did whatever he pleased at court : for example , he nominated his brother to be vice roy of mexico , which is a post where they get a prodigious wealth in a short time . the president of the council of castile , received about this time a breve from the pope , whereby he was enjoyn'd to repair immediately to rome , to give an account of his behaviour towards the nuncio ; but they were of opinion here , that he was not obliged to obey it . it was known at madrid , that the visitor general of the kingdom of naples had sent word to the duke de saint-angelo , dean of the collateral council , to depart out of naples within three days , and to retire sixty miles off . he obey'd this injunction , after having taken his leave of the vice-roy , and the most considerable persons of the city ; and afterwards went to gaette with his whole family . the vice-roy , who appeared in favour of him , was very glad that the city of naples had writ to the king of spain about him , with a great deal of zeal and affection . the visitor general enraged at the course they had taken , sent orders immediately to the duke de monte sardo , his son in law , to the duke della regina , his nephew , and to all his other relations , to be gone within an hour . the duke della regina being a magistrate of the city ▪ pretended , that he could not be hindered from staying in it . he summon'd his friends together , and after he had represented to them the injury that was done to himself in particular , he declared to them , that the visitor had a design to attack them too in general , as appeared by his severe examining the conduct of the princes and barons of that kingdom , although by their priviledges they were exempted from it . 't was resolved in this assembly , to meet again the next day ; and accordingly a great number of people came there . in short , there came more than sixty , who elected out of themselves the prince dotojano , of the house de medici● , the prince de la torella , of the house of caraccioli , and the duke de matalone , of the house de caraffa : they went to find out the vice-roy , who voluntarily engaged to speak to the visitor general ; but he coldly told him , that he executed the orders he had received from spain . hereupon the neapolitan lords were extreamly dissatisfied , and several of them wished , that they had some chief or other to head them , who was capable of a great resolution . for the better understanding of these memoirs , i ought to acquaint the reader , that the ambassadors , and even the envoys , had a certain right at madrid , which exempted them from paying any toll at the city gates , for those things that were nece●sary for their families . this custom had been observed time out of mind ; but it being discovered , that some persons had extended this priviledge farther than it ought to be , and that hereby the king suffered exceedingly in his dues ; the council judged it expedient to convert it into a sum of money , which was in effect paid to the forreign ministers , and the franquezas ( for so they call this right ) were abolished . there was likewise another priviledge , which is called immunidad del barrio ; that is to say , the ambassadors have a certain precinct markt out about their houses , in which compass justice is not to be performed without their permission , and the alcaldes dare not pass in the ambassador's quarter with their white rods , which is the badge of their authority . every ambassador is so jealous to preserve this priviledge , that some forreign ministers have been so hardy as to hang the alguazils at their gates , when they found them trespassing in this point . i must confess very few of them have carried things to this extremity , but several have ordered them to receive an hundred blows with a cudgel . notwithstanding the apparent risque they ran , and the consequences that such infractions might carry , the corrigidor , accompanied with his officers , passed at mid-day through the quarter belonging to our ambassador : they carried with them their white rods ; but he not being informed of it till they were quite gone , could only send to the corrigidor to tell him , that he was extreamly surprized at his procedure , and that for the time to come , he should remember his duty better . he answer'd , that he was ignorant , till he was now better informed , that the ambassador's quarter extended so far as the place through ▪ which he had passed ; and that it was sufficient he knew it now . but notwithstanding this sort of satisfaction , the very same corrigidor a few days after came by that way again , and pass'd before the ambassador's house at a time ●hen he was abroad . the marquiss de villars being informed of it , complained loudly of this insolence . he expected with impatience what would be the result of the matter , when an order from the king came to him , wherein his majesty revoked the priviledges of his quarter , pretending it was not just , that the ambassador of france should be more favourably treated at madrid , than the ambassador of spain was at paris . it was said at court , that in that great city the officers of justice went when they pleased up to the very gates of the spanish ambassador , to perform the functions of their respective offices : that in the year . there was issued out a declaration of the same nature with this ; that the renewing of it was no novelty , and that since the first declaration the ambassadors had only enjoy'd this priviledge by sufferance , but that for the future they were resolved to connive at it no more . monsieur de villars answer'd , that he owed too great a respect to the king , ever to remove himself from it : that he was assured the king his master would approve of the proposal to ●●eas their ambassador , as they did his in spain : but th●● they ought to consider , what priviledges that minister has at the court of france : that it was not necessary there to demand audience and permission , which always retard affairs , in order to speak to the king and queen , to see them , and accompany them ; that he went a hunting with the king ; that he assisted at feasts , and other ceremonies , as often as he pleased ; that he was allow'd to have six horses to his coach , and so to drive all about paris : that the ambassador's lady went in the queen's coach ; that she sometimes dined with her , and that she received several marks of distinction , all which served to make an embassy pass very agreeable : that it ought to be considered , that he did not enjoy all these advantages at madrid : and lastly , that he would take care to acquaint his master with the declaration of his christian majesty : that he could not have an answer immediately , by reason of the great distance ; and that it was but reasonable and just , that things should continue in the old state , till it arrived . but the king of spain issu'd out a second declaration , wherein it was said , that his majesty persisted in his first resolution , and that he thought fit to take away the immunities of the french ambassador's quarter , without assigning any cause . 't is indeed very surprising , that monsieur de villars , who had reason to promise himself very advantageous . distinctions upon the queen's account , should be the only man , who was singled out from the rest of the ambassadors , to have his franchises taken away from him , whilst the others ●njoy'd theirs as formerly . he did not fail to send advice to the court of france of what had happened ; the king was sensibly concerned at his ill usage , and promised to see justice done to him . but monsieur desiring , that things might not be carried to extremities , neither on one side nor the other , writ a letter to the queen his daughter , wherein he signified to her his great trouble and inquietude about this affair . he conjured her to use all her interest with the king her husband , to engage him to do his most christian majesty justice . she was kept ignorant till this very moment , of what had passed , and was no less surprized than afflicted at it . she took occasion to discourse the king about it at a favourable juncture , as she imagined ; but he answer'd her coldly enough , that it was a long time a-go since this affair had been regulated , and that he would dispense with himself for telling her the reasons . she earnestly importuned him to acquaint her with them ; and after infinite sollcitations , he could only be brought to reply as follows : esque me quiteram este embaxador , y me embiaram otro gavacho . which signifies in our language ; let them take away this ambassador from me , and send me another in his room . it is easie to judge , that the king speaking in those terms , was not only prejudiced against the marquess de villars , but also against any other that might be sent to him . whatsoever intreaties the queen made to oblige him to settle matters in ●●e estate they were formerly , yet he continued still inflexible , and seem'd indeed to act in this affair rather by another spirit than his own , without making any reflection , either he or his council , that france would resent the injury . but they awaked out of their lethargy , when they saw an extraordinary courier arrive on the th of april to the marquess villars's house . they had terrible apprehensions upon them , that he brought a declaration of war along with him ; and the suspicions they had entertain'd a long time from the side of italy , sensibly alarm'd them . our ambassador had audience of the duke de medina celi , to demand the re establishment of his franchises , and the jurisdiction of his quarter . he represented to him the hardship of his usage , and the little reason they had to treat him after this manner , and to chose him from amongst the rest to be affronted : that the king his master was never the aggressor , but that he would not tamely suffer an injury , without revenging it : that particularly he was sensible of this , and demanded publick satisfaction for it . the duke alledged , as he had done before , that ever since the year . the king of spain was resolved not to grant the franchises to the ambassadors any longer , but that the relaxation which time causes in every thing , was the reason that the forreign ministers by little and little recovered their former rights ; that this was no good consequence , why it should take place of the law , and for a testimony that they had no intention to disgust him in this particular , he might rest assured , that for the time to come , all the other ambassadors should be treated after the same manner . to this the marquess de villars made answer , that instead of finding any particular satisfaction for himself , he met with a new subject of complaint , upon the score of this general conduct ; that since the new alliance that was contracted between the two crowns , the natural right warranted him to expect that the ambassadors of one would easily merit-favours of the other , and even procure them for their friends ; that he was so far from meeting that usage , that he could get nothing for them but affronts ; but ●hat this was not the 〈◊〉 he demanded : that as for the declaration of . he was not obliged to take the least notice of it , since having been ambassador at madrid , near four years a-go , he peaceably enjoy'd all those priviledges , which now they designed to retrench him of , under the pretence of that declaration . he was not content with discoursing the chief minister about this affair , but demanded audience of the king , and immediately obtained it . so he presented to him his letters of credence , to have this affair regulated , and ●aid every thing that was necessary to engage him to make necessary reflections upon a thing that might draw after it such evil consequences . he reminded him of the peace that was so lately sworn , and of the marriage he had contracted with a princess of the blood of france , and told him what little occasion he had to disgust the most christian king ; that in truth , his master believed he did not act by his own inclinations , and that upon this consideration he was disposed to receive the satisfaction he had so much reason to promise himself on his part . the king of spain only answered with veremos , according to his usual custom . after this , it was deliberated in council , what was necessary to be done in the business : the council gave their advice to the chief minister , and he to the king , as is the way in spain . at last a resolution was taken up , that the marquess de los balbazez , who had been named to go commissary to the ambassador in france , should give him satisfaction . in pursuance to this order , he went to the palace of the marquess de villars , and presented to him a paper that was signed , wherein was represented in terms full of amity and respect , that the king of spain had given necessary orders to his ambassador , to give that answer and satisfaction to his most christian majesty , which he had demanded in his letter ; and that he came to assure him , that the king his master had so great a regard to all the motives of friendship that united their majesties , that he would still continue the ambassador of france in all the priviledges and immunities of his quarter ; and that he should likewise have the right of the franchises paid to him ; that if he had them not till this present , it was only occasioned by his own neglect to demand them ; and that the king had never any designs to take them away from him . it is a thing seldom practised in other courts to begin actions of this nature , unless they have had an important occasion to do it , and afterwards to abandon them with an easiness , which may in some measure be attributed to their great weakness ; but there are some places where this conduct is more in request than others , and the court of spain is one of them . some persons were even perswaded , that this design of taking away the ambassador's priviledges , was executed by the ministers , only out of a principle of revenge , because our king had sent word to the duke de giovenazzo , that he was willing to give him at his court all the advantages that belonged to the character of the ambassador of spain , wherewith he was invested ; but that he had no intention to leave him those liberties which he allowed to others . and he had a particular reason to observe this conduct with him ; for it is very well known , that when he was in the quality of envoy at the court of savoy , he had busied himself , without any provocation , to put them upon the design of burning the vessels of toulon , and the magazines of pignerol : so that the king having very just reasons to look upon him as a particular enemy , it was natural enough to deny him those favours that are allowed to those persons for whom we have an esteem . however it was , if the court of spain was at the bottom mortified at this matter , they took care not to make it appear ; and to take away from our king an ambassador who was by no means agreeable to him , they immediately named the marquess de la fuente to go and supply his place . the queen was extremely satisfied to see the business of the franchises terminate as she desired . the king , who loved her tenderly , notwithstanding all those secret enemies that did her ill services with him , knowing that one of her greatest diversions was to ride a hunting , ordered three fine horses to be brought to her from andalusia . she chose one of the most mettlesome , and mounted him ; but she was no sooner got upon his back , but he began to caper , and was very like to have thrown himself backwards upon her , when she fell : one of her feet unluckily happened to hang in the stirrup , and the horse finding this embarras , ran about very furiously , and dragged the poor queen after him , to the extream peril of her life . this accident happen'd in the court of the palace . the king beholding her from a balcony , was brought to the last despair ; and though the court was full of persons of quality , and the guards , yet no one durst offer to go and help the queen , because it is not lawful for any body to touch her , and especially by the feet , unless it be the chief of her menins , or pages , who puts on her chiopins : these are a sort of sandals , into which the ladies put their shooes , and make them appear very tall . the queen always supports her self upon one of her menins , when she walks any where ; but these were children too small to rescue her from the danger wherein she was . at last , two spanish knights , one of whom was named don louis de las torres , and the other don iaime de soto-mayor , resolved , whatever might happen , to deliver her : so one of them caught hold of the horse by the bridle , and stopt him ; the other took hold immediately of the queen's foot , took it out of the stirrup , and put one of his fingers out of joynt in doing her this piece of service : but without tarrying a moment , away they went to their houses , and presently ordered their horses to be sadled , to escape the king's indignation . the young count de pennaranda , who was a friend to both of them , approached the queen , and told her very respectfully , that those gentlemen who had been so happy as to save her life , were yet in fear of losing their own . she had the goodness to speak to the king in their favour , because , as i mentioned before , no body was permitted to touch her , and particularly by the feet . the king , who came down immediately , to see in what a condition she was , testified an extraordinary joy to find she was not hurt , and very kindly received the request she made in behalf of these generous criminals . word was immediately sent to them , who by this time were got on horse-back to save themselves : the queen honoured them with a present , and ever after had a particular consideration for them . a few days after this accident had befallen the young queen , she received a small disgust from the king upon this occasion : she had a very pretty spaniel with her , and the little creature used to lie with her a nights . the queen happening to miss her one night , got out of her bed , and groped up and down the room for her ; the king too finding the queen was not in bed , got up likewise to find her . behold them now in the midst of a great chamber , without any light , going on one side and t'other , and rubbing their shins against every thing they met ; at last , the king being impatient , asked the queen , why she got up ? the queen answered him , to search for her spaniel : and is it worth the while , said he , for a king and queen of spain to rise out of their beds , to find a little pitiful bitch ? being thus vexed , he spurned the poor creature with his foot , as she came against his legs , and was like to kill it . at the crys she made , the queen , who loved the bitch , could not forbear to complain in a sweet manner , and came to bed again very sorrowful ; but neither the king nor she were able to find it again ; and they were forced to call up the queen's women to bring them a light. the next morning the king went out very early a hunting all alone , without saying a word to the queen . this disquieted her all day long , and she past the greatest part of it leaning upon the windows of her chamber , although the dutchess de terra nova frequently disturbed her , and told her , that a queen of spain ought not to look out at a window . all that day she impatiently expected the king's return , and as soon as ever he lighted from his horse , met him about half the stair-case , and threw her self about his neck , with that agreeable french liberty , which she had not yet forgotten : he was perfectly charmed at it , and could not forbear to embrace her often , altho it is not the custom in that country , where their way of saluting the ladies , is to press their arms with their hands . he was in so good a humour , that she obtained leave for the duke de ossone , to come back to court , and execute his place of great master of the horse . the iuncta , that was erected to determine the affair between the nuncio , and don iuan de la puente y guebarra , president of the council of castile , decided it on the th of april . he was sentenced to be banished , and turned out of his office. the nuncio demanded of them , that they would oblige him to go to rome , to take off the suspension he had incurred ; but they thought they had punished him sufficiently . abundance of people said , that these great names he took upon him , did not belong to him ; and that his true name was don iuan de montesillo , and that he was barely a gentleman of the province of castile . he finished the course of his studies at salamania , and afterwards was made canon of toledo . his behaviour mightily pleased the archbishop of toledo , who was at that time cardinal of arragon , and taking a delight in his conversation , trusted him with the management of all his affairs . he acquitted himself so well in this station , that the archbishop took care to recommend , and make him known to don iuan of austria , whom he extreamly pleased by the suppleness of his carriage , and the vivacity of his genius ; and whether that prince had any particular designs upon him , or only intended to prefer him , to acquit himself of the promise he had made to the cardinal , he made him president of the chancery of valladolid . some time after the count de villambrosa , who was president of castile , happening to die , the prince gave his place to don iuan de la puente . to say the truth , he only executed that office by a commission ; but it was a very great post , and could not fail to draw the envy of several persons upon him : and so it really did ; for few people were concerned at his misfortunes : they looked upon him as one of the creatures of don iuan ; and those that were always looking out for an object for their hatred , when that prince was gone , vented all their spleen and indignation upon him . the people accused him of all their grievances , and pretended , that he was the cause of crying down the money ; that being in a place which rendered chief of justice and the civil government , he might , if he had been so minded , have found out some way or other to relieve so many different persons , that suffered according to their condition . but the complaints of private men , nay , even those of the publick in general , could not have been able to hurt him , if there had not been a necessity at that juncture , to oblige the pope , by reason of the apprehensions they had of the designs of the most christian king upon italy . although the office of the president of castile is the next in dignity to that of the chief minister , yet all people have not an equal desire to possess it . don iuan ascensio , bishop of avila , whom the king nominated to it , refused it : an order was sent to him , to come immediately , but he desired the duke de medina celi to excuse him , and leave him in his diocess . he had formerly been a religious of the mercy , and general of his order : however , as it is a hard matter to resist the will of one's prince , especially when it happens to be so advantageous as this was , he obey'd the second order that was sent him , and came without any delay . he was a person of great discretion ; and 't is certain a man cannot have too much to qualifie him for the exercise of so considerable a place : for the council of castile regulates all the affairs that respect the government of the states of castile : it was first created in the year . by st. ferdinand , king of castile ; it is composed of a president and sixteen counsellors ; the president never makes any visits , and at his house gives the right hand to no body . they summon to this council the chanceries of granada and vailladolid , and the courts of judicature of sevil and gallicia , which are the four seats of justice , where they determine , by way of appeal , all the suits that are judged by the corrigidors in the cities , and by the alcades in the villages : when the king speaks of the council of castile , he barely calls it our council . the court was exceedingly troubled at the advices they received , that the vice-roy of naples , having with no small pains , heaped together the sum of two hundred thousand crowns , part of which he had borrowed to send to piombino , portolongone , orbitelle , and some other places which the king of spain possesses on the coasts of tuscany ; the money being embarked in a felouque , eight slaves found the opportunity to carry off the vessel : two small vessels and a gally were sent after them to bring them back , but they were gone too far to be recovered : so all the pains of the marquess de los-velez , tended only to set eight slaves at liberty , and enrich them for the remainder of their lives . the ambassador of venice seeing that he of france received satisfaction upon the occasion of the franchises and immunities , redoubled his instances to have justice done him upon the alguazils , who had killed two of his attendants . he received satisfaction on the th of april . the alcalde who led them on was banished , and the alguazils were sent to prison , and were not enlarged but by his intreaty . if the count de monterey was sensibly affected with joy , to be preferr'd to the prince de astillano , as to the presidentship of flanders , he was not a little disgusted to see several persons made counsellors of state before him ; and notwithstanding he earnestly desired to be one of the number , he was disappointed . the king named the duke de albuquerque general at sea , the count doropesa , who was very young , and had no other dignity as yet , the marquess de los velez governour of naples , the duke de villa hermosa governour of flanders , don melchior navarra , who had been formerly vice-chancellor of arragon , the marquess de mansera mayor , domo major to the q. mother , and the inquisitor general , to be members of this council . it was commonly believed that the q. mother had a great influence in naming most of these lords . the council of state was instituted by charles the fifth in . here it is that they examine the merits and services of those persons that pretend to be made vice-roys , or to possess any other great employments : they regulate the most important affairs of the monarchy ; the king only is the president of it , and the number of the counsellors is not fixed . most people were surprized , that don carlos ramirez de arrellano , was made president of the finances , on the th of april , after he had been so long chained and shut up for his lunacy and madness : he was chosen in the room of don antonio de monsalve . no body could imagine for what reason the duke de medina celi thought fit to trust him with a post of that consequence ; for he had none of those qualities that are necessary to make a man capable of discharging it well ; nay , he had some that ought to have excluded him . amongst the rest , he was son-in-law to a corrigidor , named don francisco de herrera , who was mortally hated by the people ; and 't is said , not without just grounds , since he contributed not a little to the extream miseries under which they groaned . the council of finances , which is there called de hazienda , was established in the year . by philip iii. it is their business to inspect the tribunal , which is called the contaduria mayor , and was set up by philip the second in . a certain accident happened at court , which i cannot forbear to relate , although it is of little consequence . the queen had two of the prettiest parrots in the world , which she had brought along with her from france , and loved mightily : the dutchess de terra nova thought to do a meritorious work in killing them , because they could only talk french , one day when the queen was gone out to take a walk , and the dutchess , to avoid going with her , and to put this design in execution , had pretended a slight indisposition ; she demanded the parrots of the woman that looked after them , and so without any more a-do , as soon as ever she had got them into her hands , wrung off their necks , in spight of all the prayers and intreaties that were used to prevent her from killing them . this was a great affliction to the poor french women that waited upon the queen , who when she came back to her apartment , commanded them to bring her parrots and dogs , as her custom was always when the king was not there : for he could not endure any of these little creatures , because they came from france ; and whenever he saw them , he cry'd , fuera , fuera , perros frances ; that is to say , out , out , you french dogs . all the queen's women , instead of going to fetch what she demanded , stared upon one another , and continued for some time immoveable , without daring to speak a word ; but at last , after a long silence , one of them gave her an account of the execution which the camarera had made of them . she was extreamly concerned , although she took care not to discover it ; but as soon as the dutchess entred the room , and according to her custom , came to kiss her hand : the queen , without speaking a syllable to her , gave her two boxes on the ear with her hand . never was any thing in the world in such a rage and surprize as the dutchess was ; for she was one of the most haughty imperious women living , and carried as much state and grandeur : she possessed , as i mentioned before , a kingdom in mexico , and now to be buffeted by a young queen , whom she had hitherto treated like a child ; this appeared insupportable ; she immediately flew out of the room , saying all the impertinent things that her anger suggested to her , and assembled together her relations and friends , and above four hundred ladies : with this numerous train of coaches , she came to the king's apartment , to demand justice of him for the affront she pretended she had received from the queen : she made so great a clamour , and shed so many tears , that he sent for the queen to come to him : and as he represented to her the high rank which the camarera mayor held in the world , the queen interrupted him , and told him , without any hesitation , senor , esto es une antojo . these few unexpected words clearly changed the face of affairs ; the king embraced her with a thousand testimonies of joy , adding , that she had done very well ; and that if two blows were not enough to satisfie her , he consented she should give the dutchess two dozen more . now antojo signifies in the spanish tongue , the longing of a woman with child : and they are it seems convinced by long experience , that if women with child in that country have not what they desire , and don't do what they have a mind to do , they are delivered before their time of a dead infant . the king , who believed the queen was with child , was ravished with joy ; and though he had a mighty kindness for the dutchess , yet he exceedingly approved of the queen's action : so that all the satisfaction she received from him was this , cailla os , est as bofetadas son bii as del antojo ; that is to say , hold your peace● these bl●ws are the fruits of a woman with child . the queen had so much prudence and address , as not to take the least notice of the death of her parrots : so that she left the king no room to imagine , that the antojo of boxing the old dutchess proceeded from her own resentments . the marquess de villa menrique obtain'd the vice-royship of peru , which is one of the most considerable posts , by the means of a pretty lady , of whom the duke de medina celi was extreamly enamoured . the king , the queen , and the queen-mother , went together to buen-retiro to pass the holy week there . after easter was over , the king expressed a great desire to go to aranjuez , as it had always been the custom : but the queen-mother , who had no inclinations to be at any great distance from madrid , because all affairs were managed there , and the counsellors never stir out of it ; and likewise because the neighbourhood of toledo , where she had been formerly confined against her will , revived a sort of horror in her , raised so many obstacles , that the king alter'd his mind : so he stay'd but a very inconsiderable time at buen-retiro , and passed four days at the escurial . he would only suffer himself to be accompanied by the duke de medina celi , the master of the horse , one of the gentlemen of his bed-chamber , and the major domo . the next day after he was arrived , the queen wrote a very tender letter to him , and sent him a diamond ring . he sent her , by way of r●turn , a chaplet made of the wood of calambour , garnished with diamonds , in a little box of gold filagreen , wherein he inclosed a billet that had only these words , madam , there has been a great wind ; i have killed six wolves . as soon as he returned to madrid , the desire of going to aranjuez , seized him again . by a custom that had been established ever since the time of philip ii. the kings of spain were used to go to this noble house some time after easter . this is appointed in the ceremonial of the palace , which is a rule they always follow : in it are to be found all the ceremonies that are to be observed , the habits which the kings and queens are to wear , the time of their going to their royal houses , how long they are to continue there ; the days of going to chappel , as also those for bull feasts , and running at the ring , the hour of their majesties going to bed , and rising , and a thousand other things of the same nature . but , as it happen'd , there was so great a scarcity of money , that the king was obliged to stay at madrid : however , to excuse and colour so extraordinary a thing , they gave out , that the small pox was at aranjuez , which being scituated upon the road to malaga , where the plague raged , and from whence it might easily be spread thither , his majesty was not willing to hazard himself so far as to venture thither . the court was troubled at the advices they received on the first of may , that the fishermen of fontarabia and those of andaye , had been lately engaged in a quarrel about the fishery of the river bidassoa , which separates the two kingdoms . they fought , and several men were killed on both sides ; but what concerned them the most , was , that the governour of fontarabia , instead of sending to part them , play'd the cannon upon the french , and demolished some houses in andaye : so that to prevent the consequences , which might perhaps have proved very dangerous , they commanded him to repair the houses that were battered , and give the french fishermen all the satisfaction they desired . our ambassador assured them , that he would write to his master , and acquaint him with what readiness and complaisance this affair was made up at court. the duke de medina celi offer'd to make the marquess de villa franca counsellor of state , provided he would quit his place of lieutenant general of the mediterranean , which the king had a mind to bestow upon prince alexander farnese : but he returned him this answer , that having reason to flatter himself , that he had discharged this office well , he could never be prevailed with to throw it up to another , as long as he was capable of doing the duties of it himself . the king's confessor was upon the point of being sent away about the beginning of may. the duke de medina celi designed that place for father bayona , confessor of the university of alcala ; for he imagined he might reckon upon him , and beside , the king had given his consent . they had a mind to bestow the bishoprick of plazencia upon father francis de relux , to have a favourable pretence to remove him : but he used all the interest and credit he had in the world to keep his old post , declaring , that he would refuse the bishoprick ; and that if the king turned him off , he would every where complain of the chief minister . although the duke de medina celi hated him heartily , because he was difficult of access , and having a great ascendant over the king , possess'd him with several scruples , in order to pursue his own particular views ; yet he was forced to let him alone . every one is of opinion , that the duke had done much more discreetly , not to have discovered his intentions agains● him , unless he had been in a capacity to put them in execution , because to shew an ill will , and not be able to effect our designs , only draws mor● enemies upon our heads , and exposes us to the contempt of all the world , which will be apt to conclude we only are too weak . but this was not all ; he left in the person of the confessor a man that was always with the king , and who was sure to oppose him in every thing ; but that was not the only thing he had reason to apprehend . the camarera mayor , and don ieronimo de eguya , still continued to possess the king's favours ; they had opportunity to discourse him a● often as they pleased , by vertue of their places , and neglected ●o occasions to advance and secure their own interest . this was a sort of a triumvirate , which might very well check the authority of the chief minister ; he very well saw what he was to ●ear from this quarter , and was extreamly concerned at it ; he had long a-go desired to remove de eguya , but he fixed himself every day more and more in the king 's good graces ; and the the death of don pedro fernandez del campo , left him in the intire possession of a place , which before he had only exercised by a commission . he likewise obtained a place of being a counsellor in the chamber of the indies ; and when the duke used all his endeavours to remove him from business , he perceived , that the king's inclination prevailed above all his attempts to the contrary ; for his majesty was perswaded , that de eguya was faithful and necessary to him . the dutchess de terra novo , as well as the confessor , confirmed him in this opinion : so that they rendred one another all good offices reciprocally ; and this was a sure and easie way to support themselves . ever since the night that the camarera moyor had received that chastisement from the queen , after a long consideration of the matter , she found , that if she continu'd to observe the same rigorous conduct towards that young princess , which she had hitherto used , she could never insinuate her self into her affections . besides this , she knew that the queen-mother utterly disapproved this sort of treatment , and that she had frequently spoke to the king her son about it ; that she had represented to him , that there was so vast a difference between the customs of france and those of spain , that there was a necessity to make some allowances , and not to perplex a young princess , whose age , as well as the sweetness of her temper , deserved another sort of usage . the camarera looked upon her self as undone , if she did not lay aside all her former severity ; and these considerations prevailed with her to assume a more engaging air , and to endeavour to relieve the queen in all her pensive moments , by discovering the king's humour to her , and the means to please him . whenever the king was vext , and out of humour , she seemed to spare no pains to sweeten him ; and the queen being of a frank , easie disposition , was immediately perswaded , that the dutchess had taken up a better temper , and even believed , that she did her all the services she could . but the rest of the world were of a different opinion from her majesty ; they knew well enough that this old bell-dame was rather inclined in her own nature , to throw oil into the fire , than endeavour to quench it ; and they alledged , as an indisputable proof of this , all the ill impressions she had made upon the king , in relation to the french ; nay , even the most inconsiderable things that came from france : for , as i signified before , the queen durst not play with the little dogs she had brought along with her , before the king ; and the two parrots were killed for no other reason but because they talked french : the king was out of humour as oft as any frenchman passed through the court of the palace , especially if the queen looked upon him , although it was through the windows and lattices of her chamber . as she was going one day to datocha , a poor fellow , who was a frenchman , came to her coach , and begged an alms of her ; the king was in so horrible a passion , that they were afraid he would have caused this unfortunate wretch to be killed immediately . the camarera officiously counsell'd the queen to order him to leave madrid without any delay ; but if the dutchess had not prejudiced the king after this manner , it is not to be imagined that the queen had been exposed to these injuries , which happened so often to her . this is so undeniable a truth , that one day when their majesties went into the city , two gentlemen belonging to the ambassador of holland , chancing to meet them , they stopt their coach , out of respect , and saluted them as they ought : they were on that side the queen happened to be of , and were apparelled after the french fashion . this immediately raised the camarera's passion , who commanded one of the guards to go and demand of them who they were , from whence they came , whither they were going , what business they had in madrid ? and when to this they answered , that they were both hollanders in the ambassador's retinue , she believed it to be a sham , or at least pretended to believe it , that she might give the king a fresh occasion to commend her care and zeal for him ▪ so that she sent to the ambassador himself to be better satisfied ; and when she was fully assured of the truth , she sent the two gentlemen word , that when they met their majesties , they should never be guilty of the presumption any more to go on the queen's side , to salute her , or look upon her . nevertheless , observing the queen to be concerned at this conduct , as soon as she was informed of it , she thought to efface all this out of her mind , by sending often to the french ambassador , and giving him to understand , that she was angry with him for coming so seldom to the palace , she used the same expressions to the ambassador's lady , and told her , that it would be the greatest joy , in the world to her to see them visit the young queen oftner , who perhaps was too melancholy in private , and would certainly find no small diversion to enjoy the company of persons of their merit , and who were of the same country with her . this did not make the marquess de villars alter his conduct in the least ; for he understood well enough what was the meaning of these fair speeches ; but as for his lady , there seldom passed a day but she went to wait upon the queen , either in the queen-mother's company , or all alone by her self ; but notwithstanding the assiduity of her visits , she seldom found an opportunity to entertain her in private : she was hindered from doing this , by the presence of the spanish ladies , who came to make their court ; or else by the king 's coming , who went every other moment from his own apartment to the queen's ; for 't is the custom there , that as soon as he appears , all the women that are in the chamber do immediately withdraw . without reckoning the pennance of this extraordinary solitude , the queen had other things to afflict her , and one was to find her self clearly destitute of money ; and this , considering the generosity of her heart , and her natural inclination to be liberal , was a very sensible mortification . she had lived there six months intire , without having any money to serve her for her lesser pleasure and she was forced to ●orrow a little , to buy a few things , she had a necessary occasion for , and to keep a few horses she had brought with her out of france , that were become altogether unserviceable to her , because she had no permission to ride them out at any time . she wanted money likewise to send back some of her women that could not comply with the customs of spain , and whom they could not consequently endure there . the few officers that she was allowed to bring with her , were all dismist , even to her chyrurgeon , who had bought the place , and performed the journey at his own expences . all of them departed ; and this consideration redoubled the young queen's afflictions , to see she was not mistriss enough to keep them any longer , or to do them those kindnesses she designed . on the th of may pistols a month were assigned her ▪ but this was in a manner less than nothing , because for six months together she had been forced to borrow money , and even out of this small sum she was obliged to lay aside pistols monthly for some alms and charity , which the queens of spain were accustomed to make . all this while no orders were given out about the currant money of the kingdom , nor was the price of victuals regulated ; a great want and scarcity reigned every where , and the publick miseries daily increased : it had not rained for six months together , and this very much contributed to inhance the price of corn : so that the people were reduced to the last extremities : nay , what is infinitely more surprising , they were not in a condition to pay the queen the money that was assigned to her , gold and silver being so scarce , that none of it was to be seen . the bishop of aquila being arrived at madrid , took possession of his place of president of castile ; and the first of his cares was to relieve and ease the people of their grievances to effect this , he made a strict examination into the most minute matters , and soon discovered , that the gross monopolies , and insatiable avarice of the magistrates , were partly the occasion of these horrid disorders . he came to be informed , that even the counsellors of the council royal , by some of their creatures , took their shares of the imposts that were laid upon victuals ; and that the same thing was done in the oil , chocolate , coals , and other provisions necessary for life : that the regidors and corregidors belonging to the town-hall , play'd most abominable cheats in the corn , and consequently advanced the price of bread , at least one half above its usual price . but he was sensible that he was not able to rectifie these abuses alone ; so he discoursed the duke de medina celi about the matter , whose encouragement and assistance he promised himself . nevertheless , whether the duke , were otherwise employed , or had no real intentions to change the form of the government , he did not answer the president 's desires , who perceiving that if he acted by himself , the hatred of all those persons , whom he should cause to be punished , would directly fall upon his own head , he was not willing to sacrifice himself for the publick good. he remembred that in the time of the regency , a certain bishop , who was president as he was , having endeavoured to suppress these abuses , had been poisoned by the magistrates . in the mean time every thing without exception continued to be as dear as formerly , and silver was so scarce a commodity , that one would have imagined it had been all melted down ; i once saw at a relation's house of mine the sum of almost three thousand crowns received in pieces of bellon and in ochavos * , which are a wretched sort of brass money , and for the greatest part had , and yet happy was the man who in this universal scarcity could get this money . however i am obliged to say this in honour of spain , that althô the finances were in that sad condition as i represented them before , yet the king paid all the pensions that were due to foreigners very exactly , because he looked upon himself obliged in honour to do it , and yet to confess a truth , some of these pensions were not inconsiderable . i knew a certain lady , to whom he gave eight thousand crowns , and they were constantly paid her in the most difficult times . the families that were ready to die of hunger , set themselves to rob and murder , being in a manner authorized in these disorders , by the little care that was taken to punish murderers as they deserved , and by the extraordinary partiality which the judges shew to the natives of the country . these families , i say , that were very numerous at madrid , assembled together in one of the least frequented quarters of the town , and resolved by main force to break open some of the magistrates houses , because they principally charged them with the disorders of the present affairs , and afterwards to plunder them in the face of the world , to serve for an example to others . but as this design was only formed by a mutinous rabble , who had never a head to lead them on , so it is not to be wondred if they did not push their wicked intentions any farther . in short , every man returned to his ordinary occupation , and none of them were called to an account for assembling after this tumultuous manner . behold now the effects which this sort of connivance and toleration always produces . the shoemakers being informed about the middle of may , that that the price of shoes was orderd to be regulated , presented a petition to the new president of castile , wherein with terms full of respect they represented their reasons against this regulation , making it appear , that they could not possibly lessen the price of shoes , as long as leather was sold so dear as it was . he sent them to the president of the chamber of the alcaldes ; so they formed themselves into a sort of a body , to meet him with the greater ceremony : but he being a man of a sour sullen humour , fell into a passion to see so great a number of them ; he threatned to imprison them , and told them , that if their power were equal to their ill intentions , they were to be feared , because they were neither better nor worse than down-right mutineers . they muttered a few words , and being at that time none of the strongest , went in a body to find out their companions and friends , and then immediately repaired to the court of the palace . they ran under the windows of the king's chamber , and , as it is the custom there when the people complain of the government , they cried out as loud as they were able , let the king live , and let the ill government die . as soon as the king perceived it , he came near the window , and was extreamly surprized to see so great a rabble got together , for by this tim● abundance of other people had joyned them . the king sent in great hast to find out the president of castile , who came amongst them , and promised them all the satisfaction imaginable : he moreover told them , they violated that respect they owed his majesty , in coming to demand justice of him with such clamours and tumults , and that if they would follow him home , he would presently content them . they very readily went along with him ; so he gave them a permission to sell their shoes at the same price as they did before the order was published . this made them return the joyfullest people in the world , but they happened to meet the president of the alcaldes in the way , who not knowing a syllable of what had past , and not at all considering that he had to do with an unruly mob , stopt them to vent his reproaches and menaces against them . but this procedure raised their indignation so high , that they drew out their swords with a design to kill him , and pursued him so fiercely , that never was any man under more terrible apprehensions . he had never escaped their hands , had not their fury so far transported them , that they took no notice how he saved himself through a little gate , which he took care to shut after him , but his fear was so great , that he fell dangerously ill upon it . after they had searched for him on all sides , to no purpose , they were going homewards , when they saw the president of castile coming that way ; they presently surrounded him , and swore they would not let him pass any farther , till he had signed the permission he had given them to sell their shoes at the ordinary price . he immediately did every thing they demanded of him ; so without any delay they took drums and trumpets to publish and affix this permission to all the publick places of the city . they suffered this first heat to pass over without opposition , but afterwards they arrested several of those whom they found the most seditious ; nevertheless they tarried but a short time in prison , and what deserved an exemplary chastisement , was punished like an inconsiderable trifle . it is indeed very true , that in order to humble the people , it was proposed to forbid all manner of tradesmen to carry swords about them , and to wear black silk cloathes with the golilia . 't was likewise designed that that this prohibition should extend to all those persons who had no titles , and were not able to keep a coach : however they durst not put it in execution , because they thought this regulation would be too difficult and severe to be practised . the vice-roy of naples was not a little afflicted at the loss of the money which the eight slaves had carried away with them . he was obliged to get more , but it was no easie matter to find it in a place , where they were burthen'd every day with imposts upon imposts . he received orders from madrid to let out the lands belonging to the king's demain at forty thousand crowns per annum ; but no body could be found to take them , although those persons , who had formerly taken them , enjoy'd them peaceably ; and this example one would have thought ought to have encouraged others to imitate them . the banditti of that country had ●or some time suspended all acts of hostility , out of hopes that his majesty would have given them a general indemnity upon the score of his marriage ; but when they perceived that their expectations were like to be frustrated , and that endeavours were used to apprehend their captain mattheo tango , who was just come from pirateering at sea , they met to the number of three thousand , pillaging and ravaging every thing they found in the country , and , what is strange , not a word was spoken of the horrible disorders they committed . the queen-mother who was every day at buen retiro , and searched all means to gain the affections of the people , gave three comedies , with musick between the acts , that were represented on a theatre in the placa mayor , that abundance of people might have the pleasure of seeing them without putting them to any expence . the comedians play'd for three days together , and the crowd was so great , that some people were killed . the city seemed to be very well pleased with these shews , for they love them more in spain than in any other part of the world ; and what helped to sustain the publick joy , was the mighty expectation they had of seeing a new face of affairs , under the ministry of the duke de medina-celi : they promised themselves to find an end of all their present grievances , without considering that although his intentions were never so good , it would be a difficult matter to redress them . he had don vincente gonzaga for his friend , who was very capable to advise him and furnish him with all necessary expedients to accomplish his designs , but the execution of them seemed to carry almost invincible difficulties along with it . there was a necessity to be severe , to disgust some , and punish others ; to remove several things that had been long established , to give ones self up entirely to business , and constant application , before these matters could ever be accomplished : but this was not the genius of the duke , and his natural sweetness and bounty suited but very ill with that steadiness and resolution that ought to be observed in these nice ran-counters . this gave him abundance of uneasie thoughts , so that don vincente , who still prest him to take up steady measures , and support them with vigour , had opportunity enough to discover his weakness . to deliver himself therefore from so rigid and severe a supervisor , the duke gave him the government ( as 't is called there ) of the council of the indies , upon condition that he himself should always be the president of it ; but as for the profits , one had as great a share as the other . and now don vincente thought of nothing more than discharging the duties of his new place , and it was not doubted but he would worthily exercise them ; for his judgment , his age , and his experience made him to be considered as one of the chief persons of the council . in the mean time several people of great merit and birth were displeased to see the duke confided in him no longer , they were in hopes that they would have joyned together to regulate the money . the good was diminished , as i said before , and the bad continued to go as freely as formerly it did . it was therefore resolved to suppress it for good and all in commerce , and an edict was published on the th . of may . by which the king suppressed all the copper money that had gone for several years , and people were ordered to bring it in within ten days to certain offices that were set up in all parts of madrid , where they were to receive bills of exchange for it , that were payable in six months . but they found a vast inconvenience in the execution of this project ; for in the two castiles they had sixteen millions of this money , part of which were mixed with good silver , and the other was notoriously bad . so that to draw these sixteen millions out of the hands of private persons , they found in the king's coffers a fund of only sixscore thousand crowns : however , this did not hinder the crying down of the money ; and as for those persons that had store of it , they were utterly undone . it is an easie matter to imagine what sad effects these new grievances drew upon the people , who were miserable enough in all conscience before , and who were forced to buy every thing at excessive rates . the ministers of the inquisition , with their trumpets , kettle-drums and banner marching before them , went on the th of may in a cavalcade , from the palace to the place major , where they ordered it to be published , that on the th of iune , they would publickly punish all those whom they had condemned to the fire and other torments . it was forty years a-go , since a thing of this nature had been seen ; and the sight was expected at madrid with as great an impatience , as if it had been the most agreeable festival in the world. don thomas de la cerda , brother to the duke de medina-celi , parted for cales , with so magnificent an equipage , that a prince of the blood could not have a finer . three men of war waited to carry him over to new spain , of which he was made vice-roy . they received advices at court , that the count de fuensalida , vice-roy of navar , had sent some troops to fontarabia , under the command of the duke de canzano . this conduct did not seem to agree with the orders they had sent him from this place , to give satisfaction to the french fishermen of andaye , who had been abused and injured . on the th of iune a bull feast was kept , at which the king and the queen , attended by all the court , made their appearance . this seemed an extraordinary fine show to the spaniards , because two of the combatants were killed upon the spot , and three cavaliers more were dangerously wounded . the queen was so concerned at it , that she found her self somewhat discomposed ; however , she took care not to discover it , for fear of disquieting the king. the count de gubernatis , envoy extraordinary of savoy , waited for his orders to depart , but he received a command to attend the marquess de dronero , who went ambassador extraordinary into portugal . so he tarried at court without any character . we were here informed , that the spanish captains , who were at naples , were not a little mortified at the prohibition that was issued out to forbid them to go drest after the french fashion . there is never a spaniard of 'em all that is not ravished with joy , as soon as he is out of his own country , to quit the habit of it also , and to ablige them to wear it again , nothing less will serve the turn but re-iterated edicts one upon the back of another . the execrable secret of preparing the most subtle poyson , that is so frequently practised in italy , has been used from time to time in the kingdom of naples . the regent galeota , who came back from gaeta , made a sad experiment of it , in a dose of physick , which dispatched him in a few hours after : the vice-roy of naples , who loved him dearly , exprest a mighty sorrow at his loss , and promised , that if ever he was able to discover the crime , he would make a notorious example of those that were concerned in it . on the th of iune there was kept at madrid an auto de inquisition ; that is to say , a general execution of the iews . the people ran thither in their best cloaths , and with as great an earnestness as if it had been to the most solemn show . a great scaffold was erected in the placa mayor , where from seven a clock in the morning till nine at night , nothing was to be seen but criminals of both sexes , that had been sent from all the inquisitions to madrid : their process was read aloud , and judgment was pronounced against them : twenty iews , as well men as women , and a renegado mahometan , were sentenced to be burnt : five more iews of both sexes , this being the first time they were apprehended , and now repenting of their errors , were condemned to a long imprisonment , and to wear a yellow scapulary , with a red st. andrew's cross upon it , which they call a sanbenito , as those that carry this habit are called sanbenitados . ten more accused of bigamy , witchcraft and sorcery , were sentenced to be whipt , and sent to the gallies : these wore past-board bonnets upon their heads , with inscriptions upon them , having a rope about their necks , and torches in their hands . all the court was present , the king , the two queens , the ladies , the ambassadors , the grandees , and a great multitude of people . the inquisitor's chair was placed after the manner of a tribunal , and was much above that of the king , and a great deal higher . these unfortunate people were persecuted so near the king , that he heard all their complaints and groans ; for the scaffold where they were ranged touched his balcony . the grandees of spain did the same thing here as our provost-marshal's men do in france , they conducted the criminals that were to be burnt , and held them tied fast with thick cords : the famillares ; that is to ●ay , the domestick officers of the holy inquisition , at the same time led the other offenders , and several of the religious , whether learned or ignorant , disputed vehemently with them , to convince these miserable creatures of the truth of our religion . some of the iews were very knowing in their own way of worship , and returned very surprizing answers to their disputants . amongst the rest , there was a young woman , of admirable beauty , who seemed not to be above seventeen years of age , and happening to be on the same side where the queen was , she addressed her self to her , to obtain favour at her hands : great queen , says she , cannot your royal presence bring some remedy to my misfortunes ? have pity on my youth , and consider that i am persecuted for a religion which i have sucked in with my mother's milk. the queen turned away her eyes , and appear'd to pity her case , but durst not make any intercession to have her saved . mass was now began , in the midst of which the priest that officiated , quitted the altar , and sate down upon a seat which was prepared for him ; then the inquisitor general descended from the amphitheater , drest in his cope , and having a mitre on his head ; and after he had bowed towards the altar , he advanced to the king's balcony , which he ascended by some steps that went round the scaffold , accompanied by some officers of the inquisition , who carried the cross , and the evangelists , and a book containing the oath , by which the kings of spain oblige themselves to protect the catholick fai●h , to extirpate heresies , and to support the procedures of the inquisition with their royal authority . the king stood up , with his head uncovered , and having the constable of castile on one side of him , who held the royal sword lifted up , swore to observe the oath , which a counsellor of the council royal read to him , and continued in this posture till such time as the inquisitor was returned to his place . then a secretary of the inquisition got up in a pulpit , and read the same oath , which he caused the councils , and all the assembly to take . it was about noon when mass began , and it was not over till nine a clock at night , by reason of the long sentences of the condemned persons , that were read aloud one after another . the constancy and resolution with which they went to the place of punishment , had something in it which was very extraordinary ; several of them cast themselves into the fire , others burnt their hands , and afterwards their feet in the flames , bearing their torments with a tranquillity which made them be lamented , that such resolute souls were not illuminated with the light of faith. as for my self , i did not go to behold this sad spectacle ; for besides that it was mid-night , and the place of execution was without the gate of fuencaral , i was so concerned at what i had seen in the day-time , that i found my self indisposed . the king could not avoid seeing this horrible sight , both because it was a religious affair , and because he is obliged to authorize by his presence whatever the inquisition does . we must not believe that these rigorous examples do in the least promote the conversion of the iews ; they are not at all concerned at it , and there are a considerable number of them in madrid , who are known to be such , and yet are quietly suffered to enjoy their employments in the finances . amongst these don aventura dionis was reckoned : his father gave seventy thousand crowns to be made a knight of st. iago ; and he himself a few days after this execution obtained of the king a marquess's title , which stood him in fifty thousand crowns . his uncle was one of the most famous iews of amsterdam : all this was known at court , but there was not the least notice taken of it ; and indeed the general receipts and farms are full of these people . when they are rich , the spaniards content themselves with affrighting them , that they may make them empty their purses to redeem their lives . by this means they draw prodigious sums of money from them , and provided they are in a condition to pay a good round sum , they make a shift to escape the fire , which they deserve as well as the rest . the duke de giovenazzo , who from being envoy at the court of savoy , was nominated to go ambassador to that of france , was ordered to return to turin . but the count de gubernatis , who at that time was under no character at madrid , and who was making prepatations for his journey to portugal , went to find out the chief minister , and represented to him , that the duke his master was so ill satisfied , to see that his ministers were not treated in spain with the same respect as they were in france , and especially because they did not pay him those great sums that were due to him , that he desired to see an envoy of spain no more at turin . the duke de medina celi answered him , that whatever treatment was paid his master in france ▪ ought not to be used as a consequence for the king of spain to do the like , who wa● so far above all other kings , that he had no example to follow . the count replied , that he had no mind at present to enter into an examination of their greatness , or the difference that might be between them ; but that he had not forgotten , that about twenty years ago philip iv. had declared , by the marquess de la fuente , that his ambassador should not appear at the ceremonies where those of france assisted ; and that this declaration was very well known , and accordingly regulated in all the court● of europe . the duke answered him , that he knew nothing of the matter , and that he could hardly believe the business was as he represented it . in the mean time , they made several reflections at court upon the proposals of the duke of savoy ; and don antonio de la cerda , who had been nominated to go to turin , was recalled home before he arrived there . nevertheless , they dispensed with themselves so far , as to send to compliment the duke , upon the alliance he was going to make with the infanta of portugal . this princess , as it was commonly pretended , was supposed to be poysoned ; and what made the world judge so , was , because one of her officers having carried some of the dishes from her table to his own house , his wife , and some others , after they had eat of them , found themselves extreamly ill , that they believed they should die , and had all of them marks of poyson about them . this accident occasioned a great bustle at lisbon ; the people mutinied , and wanting a● object for their fury to work upon , they desig●ed to pick a quarrel with the spanish envoy , a●though they had no reason for it , and he was just upon the point of suffering the greatest outrag●s imaginable . the portug●eses had afterwards a new occasion to grieve them , caused by the death of don duarte ribero , who was sent ambassador to savoy . he happened to die in the territories of spain , after so violent and sudden a manner , that all the world was astonished at it ; and this served to increase the suspicions they formerly entertained of the evil intentions of some persons , in relation to the infanta . a little time appeased all these clamours , and the count de gubernatis departed towards the end of iune to go for portugal . on the d of the same month , the marquess de grana , ambassador from the emperour , made his entry . all his retinue were ba●ely cloathed in gray , and his coaches had no gilding about them . most people were surprised at the sight ; and to say the truth , this was not the right way to please in madrid ; for there they shew them more or less respect , according to the expences they are at in these sorts of occasions . to this we may add , that the people there love fine shows above any thing in the world , and it being known , that the ambassador had received twenty five thousand crowns to defray the charges of his journey , and that he drew every year from the emperour and the king forty thousand crowns more , they were ready to throw stones at him , when they saw him make so scandalous an entry . don diego de bracamonte , ambassador of malta , was the reason why he made his entry no sooner . he was still of opinion , that they had not done him justice , when as he marquess de villars made his entry , but that as soon as ever he renewed his pretensions , he should have satisfaction given him . being under these expectations , he demanded that his chariot might march immediately after that of the last ambassador of the chappel ; the marquess de grana would by no means consent to it , alledging what had been formerly done by the ambassador of france , and so that example was followed . this small difference was scarce determined , when the marquess de grana had another contest with don geronimo d' eguya ; he would have had him make the first visit , as the other secretaries of state had always done before him . d' eguya excused himself , by pretending , that all the other ambassadors has come first to visit him , and that he lay under no obligations to make any particular distinctions for the sake of monsieur de grana . upon this , the other ambassadors taking notice what ill advantage he had made of the civility that shew'd him , unanimously declared , that they never pretended to make that visit , as if it had been a duty incumbent upon them ; so that d' eguya was not a little mortified at a declaration so contrary to his vanity and pretensions , and found himself now under an indispensable necessity to go first to the ambassador of germany . he carried till the court was gone to the escurial , and took his opportunity to go to his house on a certain day , when he knew he was not at home : but this did not satisfie the marquess , who said , he reckoned that visit for nothing , which he had not received : d' eguya answered , that he had acquitted himself of his duty ; and thus they did not see one another at all . the embassador extraordinary of malta made his entry , which tho' it made no magnificent appearance , was handsomly ordered . it was no small satisfaction to them at court to hear , that the flota for the indies , which they believed would scarce be in a condition to go this year , by reason that the great disorder of the currant money had not a little hindred all manner of commerce , had set sail out of the port of cales , and made a happy voyage with the brother of the duke de medina-celi , who went vice-roy to new spain : but to allay their joy , they were informed , that one of the greater vessels had struck against a rock in the middle of the bay , and received so much damage , that springing a leak on every side , they had not time enough to bring her off to any place where they might unload and repair her , so that she was lost with some of her passengers , and all her merchandize . the duke of medina-celi not being absolutely assured to continue chief minister long , thought it the best way to make all advantages of the present opportunity . he had nine daughters , but had only married two of them , and had a great mind to bestow the third upon the son of the constable colonna , who was newly returned to madrid from his his vice-royship of arragon , and had brought his children along with him . this appeared to be a very advantageous match for the duke's daughter , and therefore having it still in his eye , he shewed a particular respect to the marquess de los balbazez , who was brother-in-law to the constable . few persons penetrated at first into the true motive of the thing ; they thought he did it only to have a fit occasion to take his instructions , because he was capable of giving him the best : but the more understanding people soon discovered that the great desire he had to conclude this alliance , was the principal reason ; for at the bottom the marquess de los balbazes had more reputation at the time when his embassies and great negotiations kept him at a distance , than when he was at madrid . whether it proceeded from the envy the world bore him , or that his presence made them examine his faults more narrowly , it is certain that people had a better opinion of him when he was absent , than when they saw him before them . the good graces of the duke still contributed to draw more hatred and envy upon him , but they did not last long enough to make him suffer any thing upon that account . one of the greatest things they usually reproached balbazez with , was his excessive avarice which busied it self in the most inconsiderable matters , altho he was master of a plentiful fortune , and might have lived after another manner , without incommoding his estate in the least . he was a genoese , of the house of spinola ; his grandfather had formerly commanded the spanish army , and this was likewise a great captain ; but whether it were because he was a stranger , or for some other reason , the grandees of spain looked upon him as much inferiour to them , although he was a grandee as well as themselves , and was of illustrious birth . they despised him , because he made advantage of his money , after the manner of a banker , which is so seldom practised in spain by persons of quality , that they , cannot endure those that do it . his enemies pretended , that he had committed notorious oversights at the treaty of nimeguen , and that they daily beheld new inconveniences arise from his ill conduct there ; that this was the subject of perpetual quarrels between france and spain , because he had neglected to lay down in plain intelligible terms , what things were yielded up , and their dependances , and that every one made use of this obscurity to interpret it to their own advantage . it is certain , that what they alledged against the marquess de los balbazez , had foundation enough , but the constable of castile was the man that took the greatest pains to expose his miscarriages to the world. he had no kindness for him for iuan's sake , whose favourite he had always been , and for which reason the marquess declared against the queen . this was the true cause of the aversion that was between the constable and him , and it increased very much on the side of the former , when he saw what a respect and esteem the duke de medina celi testified for the other . he needed no more than this to revive the old grudge he had against the chief minister , and it proceeded so far , that he incessantly heighten'd the complaints that came from all parts , under the dominion of the king of spain , against the duke . it must be allowed , that the constable was one of the most dexterous prudent men of his age , and that his rank and great abilities gave him vast advantages over the rest ; so that whenever he gave his advice , few people were found so hardy as to oppose him . the duke was sensible , that he directly thwarted him upon all occasions : this together with his other affairs , made him extreamly uneasie , to find himself perpetually engaged in a troublesome combat , and to dispute against a man , who , as we may say , took a pleasure in chasing himself , and who searched all occasions to perplex and disgust him . therefore in this affair the duke took the mildest course ; he courted the constable's friendship , and made all advances towards it : he knew that he was fall'n ill , and that though he was not in a condition to go to the council , he was not so much indisposed , but that he might his have advice , in case it were demanded . he sent constantly to the constable's house to consult him upon all important occasions , and this mark of distinction flatter'd his vanity so agreeably , that he found himself mightily obliged to the duke . he wanted very little of pretending to be always sick for the time to come , as long as the duke continued to give him so evident a proof of deference : however , 't is very certain , that although he was as well as ever , he would not stir abroad for a long time , only to prolong a thing which filled him with so much pleasure and satisfaction . he received another obligation from the duke , which made no less an impression upon him ; a considerable benefice happening to be vacant , he bestow'd it immediately upon one of his natural sons , without the constable's ever demanding it . so many unexpected favours perfectly overcame him , and made him desirous to do something on his side ; so he proposed to submit to a reference , in order to accommodate the business of the duke cardonne's succession . the constable had espoused his widow , and the duke his daughter : these two ladies had great pretensions , and as great differences ; therefore they thought it the best way to determine them by the mutual consent of both parties : the duke was sensible , that the constable , who naturally loved long tedious law-suits , shew'd a great deal of complaisance in this matter , and indeed the constable was of opinion , that it would be better to put an end to this affair , than be engaged in an everlasting contest with the chief minister . this chief minister often assisted the king , and denied , audience to no body ; but neither did his endeavours or audiences produce any advantageous effects for the publick interest , and the smallest affairs were as difficult for him to determine as the greatest . the marquess de grana knew so well before hand what he was to expect upon this score , that he could not be brought to accept the embassy for spain , till he received express orders from the emperour , although for his farther encouragement , he had several relations and friends at madrid , and that besides his having resided there formerly , th● consideration of those favours he might reasonably expect for his master's sake , ought to have overcome the unwillingness he expressed to come to this court. it is true , what served to increase it very much , was the secret advantage which he thought his enemies , and those that envied him , might have upon him , during his absence from vienna ? but for all this he found he had reason enough to be content with the manner of his usage , the king allow'd him a double franchise , and paid all the charges of his house at his arrival : the two queens honoured the marchioness de grana , and her daughters , with several presents ; they favoured him in every thing , yet nevertheless he could not forbear to say proudly , that he hoped he should not tarry there above a year , and that it should not be his fault , if he did not depart sooner . he was a fine gentleman , had abundance of wit , penetration and conduct ; but he was of a prodigious bigness , and found himself mightily incommoded by it : he sometimes could not help changing his countenance , when he happen'd to be in company with people whom he was not well acquainted with , when they looked stedfastly upon him . the court of spain had such favourable inclinations for him , that they readily granted him whatever he desired ; but they could not forbear now and then to promise him some things which they never performed , and he himself was sensible that they never would . he was frequently vexed upon these occasions , saying , that it was his misfortune not to know what he might depend upon : he was concerned at the misery to which all sorts of people were reduced at madrid , and i have heard him frequently say , that whatever idea's a man might form to himself of the publick grievances , yet they infinitely fell short of what they really were , when he came to see them , and that for his part , he could not imagine what remedies they could apply to them . it is indeed true , that funds were wanting for the most necessary . exigencies , and that they were forced to borrow five thousand pistols for the subsistence of some troops that they thought convenient to send to italy , and the frontiers of biscay , by reason of the apprehensions they had at court of the designs of our king. i have heard it often said , that the couriers could not go , for want of money to defray the expences of their journey , although they had affairs of great consequence to dispatch ; and the marquess de los balbazez , who knew this better than any body , represented to the duke de medina celi , that there was a perfect necessity to take full cognizance of the funds , upon which they might depend for the time to come . the duke relishing this proposal , ordered a true scheme of the king's revenues to be brought before him : but the president of the finances , and some others , after they had deliberated , as their fashion was , upon the matter , that is , with a regard only to their own proper interests , answered all with one consent , that what he demanded of them was the work of several years . this answer was sufficient to make him abandon the undertaking ; for the duke never cared to engage himself in any business that was of long continuance ; nay , he had scarce resolution enough to go through those things which he was obliged suddenly to begin , and as soon to finish . one of the best examples i can produce to justifie this , is his leaving the camarera major , don geronimo de eguya , and the confessor , quietly to enjoy their places , without endeavouring to remove them , whether it were because he despised them , or that he imagined them to be too powerful to attempt any thing against them . the weakness which he shew'd in that rancounter , served only to increase their courage and haughtiness ; and they went so far at last , as not to fear him at all : they possessed the king with a strong aversion to him , and insinuated several things into him that were quite opposite to the duke's intentions . he was well enough sensible of it , but his natural insensibility hindered him from resenting it : his gentleness rend'red him contemptible both to one and the other , but particularly to the dutchess de terra nova , who spoke often to the king about him , and explained her self upon her constant chapter , the duke , in such bitter language , that he being informed of it , as he certainly was , every body had reason to wonder how he was able to endure it . this ill-natur'd old beldame had only a seeming , and not a real kindness for the young queen , and it lasted so short a time , that her usage served only to make the queen sensible , that she knew how to moderate her self well enough , when she saw it was necessary for her interest so to do . but as this was indeed a true constraint upon her nature , and she could not counterfeit the least sweetness of temper , without a great reluctance , so she soon re-assumed her proper c●●racter , and her persecutions became more frequent than ever . the queen , utterly impatient of this rigorous deportment , charmed the king one day , by all manner of tender engaging caresses , till she found him in a humour to deny her nothing . after some time had past , she told him , that if she was dear to him , she conjured him to give her some testimony of it , that was as well necessary for her health , as the satisfaction of her mind . he promised to consent to whatever she desired . why then , saith she , deliver me from the tyranny of the dutchess de terra nova . this demand surprised him , and it was a pretty while before he returned her any answer ; but knowing that this had disquieted her a long time , he told her at last , that what she requested had never any president , and that no queen had ever changed her camarera major . ah , sir , replied the queen , your majesty has shew'n me several favours for which none of your predecessors have left any example ; and cannot you then condescend to grant me this ? i consent to it , says the king , taking her by the hand , i consent to it ; but then , madam , have a care upon whom you cast your eyes ; for after this first choice it will be impossible for you to make another . the queen testified her joy and acknowledgment , by thanks proportionable to the pleasure she received . the first journey she made , was to acquaint the queen-mother with the news , not at all questioning , but that she would almost shew as much joy upon this occasion as her self . but she was not a little surprised to find her so reserved and cold , as if the matter were absolutely indifferent to her . this mightily perplexed her , and so she discovered the whole affair to the french ambassador's lady , who took pains to put her in heart again , by making her sensible , that the queen-mother was only apprehensive of seeing this place filled by some other lady , who might perhaps be full as disagreeable to her as the dutchess de terra nova was , and that she was of opinion , that if she proposed some body to her , whom she liked , she would open her self more clearly to her . the young queen replied , that she would do nothing in this business , without the advice of the queen her mother in law ; that she was minded to have said as much to her , when she first discoursed her about it , but that she seemed to be so indifferent in the matter , that she had not confidence enough to explain her self farther . the queen judged it would be expedient to acquaint the duke de medina celi with this affair , for fear , least if she made a mystery of it , and he should afterwards happen to discover it , he might look upon himself to be disobliged , and resent it so much , as to endeavour to hinder the accomplishment of it : but she still lay under some perplexities , because she fancied she did not understand the spanish language well enough , to be able to hold any long conversation in it with the duke , and this was a nice case , wherein she ought to explain her self clearly and intelligibly . she was yet more afraid , that the camarera , who was always a listening in all parts of her apartment , and who sometimes slipt into corners , where , without being perceived , she understood and saw everything that past , would go and discover what she said concerning her . these reasons prevailed with her to charge one of her women , in whom she reposed a great confidence , to go to don antonio de la cerda , who was a near relation of the duke de medina celi , and who besides expressed a great zeal for her majesty , and desire him to acquaint the chief minister with what had happened , and to tell him , that since the queen was resolved to remove her camarera , she desired him to chuse for her one of his friends , of whose fidelity he was assured ; and that it was necessary for him to assist her in this affair , to the end , that acting in consort one with another , the business might succeed to their common satisfaction . the duke received the honour the queen did him , with a great deal of respect and acknowledgement , and sent his dutchess that very evening to return her his most humble thanks . when she came to the queen's apartment , she carried till the other ladies were gone out of the room , that she might have a better opportunity of making her compliment . the queen , who knew very well , that the dutchess was sensible enough of the favourable condescensions she had made on her side , was desirous to bestow the place upon her ; but the affair did not succeed as she imagined , because that lady had too much business upon her hands to accept the offer . i have designed it for you , says the queen , and i am of opinion , that you will not be unwilling to serve me . the dutchess thanked her , as in duty obliged , and told her , she could wish with all her heart that she was in a condition to accept this honour , and that no body in the world should serve her majesty more faithfully than she would ; but her health was so ill , that it would not permit her to render her those services in which that place , as well as her own inclinations , would engage her . but the queen continuing to press her still , she told her , that although this consideration was laid aside , yet she had another of equal importance , which she could never dispence with , that she had seven daughters , upon whose education and good conduct all her cares were bestow'd ; and therefore she requested her majesty to think of her no more : however , she durst assure her , she believed the marchioness de los velez , to be the most proper person to execute this place ; that she was a lady of great merit , and illustrious birth ; that she had formerly been governante to the young king , and consequently being so well known to his majesty , could more dexterously humour and please him than any one besides . the queen very well approved of this advice , and the dutchess afterwards withdrew . she gave her husband an account of what conversation had passed between her and the queen ; but he was displeased to hear that she had recommended the marchioness de los velez , because he had already engaged himself in behalf of the dutchess de albuquerque , and earnestly desired to see her advanced to this post. the confidence which the king reposed in de eguya , would not permit him to conceal from him the promise he made the queen to remove the camarera . he for hi● part omitted nothing that might turn off the intended blow ; but he found the king was so fully resolved to satisfie the queen , that he perceived it would be to no purpose to use any importunities with him upon this score : so all he could do in the matter , was only to acquaint the camarera with what was designed against her , that so she might be the better provided to bear the shock when it happened . she had some suspicions of this before , it being her principal talent to penetrate into the most secret affairs . this blow sensibly afflicted her , and she could not forbear to speak to the queen about it . madam , says she , i should reckon my self extreamly unfortunate , if my zeal for your majesty should ever ' happen to displease you : i have spoken to you with more zeal , and perhaps with more freedom than any one has done ; nevertheless , my design was only to inspire you with a desire of learning all our fashions , that so you might absolutely possess the heart and good inclinations of the king : the liberty i took has appeared too assuming ; i have drawn your displeasure upon my self , by endeavouring to deserve your affection ; and i am informed at last , that your majesty desires to see my place filled by another . the queen ; surprised to see that the affair she had communicated to so few persons , had taken air , answered coldly , it is not worth the while , madam , to trouble your self about what people say ; few persons know my thoughts ; and 't is a thing usually practised in courts , to invent news , and then to relate it as if it were true . the camarera was not able to draw any discoveries from this conversation ; but whether her conscience reproached her for the conduct she had used , or else she had been informed of the queen's designs before de eguya spoke to her about them ; it was some time a-go since she suspected that she was to be removed , and upon that consideration , having examined all the ladies of the court , who gave her the greatest jealousie , she found three , viz. the marchioness de los velez , the dutchess de albuquerque , and the dutchess de l' infantado . this is the cause that she took her measures a long time before , and spoke of these three ladies in very disobliging terms before the queen , whenever an occasion presented it self . she accused the marchioness de los velez for her haughtiness in all her actions , and for her insupportable severity . she pretended , that the dutchess de albuquerque hated all the french so mortally , that when she happen'd to meet any of that nation , she turned her eyes aside , that she might not behold them ; and that she valued her self so mightily upon the score of her high birth and vertue , that she had always something or other to say against all the world : and then as for the dutchess de l' infantado , she represented her as an old doting woman , who at the best had never any great share of wit , and had now totally lost it , by reason of her great age. she was not content to speak of them after this manner , but engaged all the french women , who were near the queen , to insinuate the same opinion into her , and they acquitted themselves in the matter as well as they could , out of hopes , that if the dutchess continued in her post still , she would take care to consider them for their good services . what they said to the queen upon this occasion , made but a small impression upon her mind ; and the first time she could find an opportunity to discourse the queen-mother about it , she acquainted her with her designs in favour of the marchioness de los velez ; but she expressed as great an indifference at this motion as she did at first . this gave the queen no small affliction ; so she imagined , that she ought to inform her of every thing that was laid to the dutchess nova's charge , as well upon the affair of don carlos of arragon , whom she caused to be assassinated , as several other things that rendered her odious . after this , she added the particulars of the deportment she had used towards her . but the queen-mother pretended , as if all this were news to her , and still continued to speak very kindly of the camarera ; not that she had the least kindness for her in reality ; for she had not forgotten how deeply she had been engaged in the interests of don iuan ; and she had not as yet forgiven the memory of that prince for the troubles he brought upon her . the reason of her using this conduct with the queen , was only to exclude the marchioness de los velez , and the dutchess de l' infantado , whom she did not greatly care for . she thought with her self , that if she desired to oblige the queen to take a camarera from her hands , it would he necessary for her to testifie no aversion for her that was to fill that place , and that the queen being desirous to be seconded by her , would demand of her whom she pitched upon , and so take a person of her own chusing . the young queen was aware of her mother-in-law's designs : however , she pretended to know nothing of them , supposing that such a one would be always obliged to do as the queen-mother directed her ; having therefore a particular inclination for the marchioness de los velez , she was resolved to sound the king's sentiments upon that affair , and proposed her to him ; but he exprest an extraordinary antipathy to her : if , says he , you knew the marchioness de los velez as well as i do , i am confident you would never think of placing her so near you ; she has been my governante , and is the only person in the world whom i dread most . the duke de medina celi desired no more to see her in that station than the king did , and shew'd as great a dislike to the dutchess de l' infantado ; all their votes concurr'd in behalf of the dutchess de albuquerque , and it was agreed upon at last , to perswade the queen that she ought to chuse her . this choice had infallibly succeeded , if the queen could have cured her self of those disagreeable impressions which the camarera had made upon her in relation to that dutchess ; she often thought of the imperious humour that was attributed to her , of the pretended aversion she had to the french , but especially of what the king had told her , that when once the dutchess de terra nova was removed , and another put into her place , she must never think of turning her off . she was perswaded , that she should be no gainer by the change , if she pitched upon the dutchess de albuquerque : nay , that it might so happen to her , as to be a considerable loser by it . this imagination hindered her from pushing this affair any farther ; and she thought it would be much better to carry a little , till she could find out some other lady , who might be altogether agreeable to her . in effect , as she was searching after one , she was told of the marchioness de eytona , who was a woman of solid vertue , great merit , and had abundance of wit and gallantry . in fine , she was every way so well accomplished , that it was necessary for her majesty to have her near her ; and by the relations she had at the queen-mother's court , and with the chief minister , she could not chuse but please both parties alike . the king shew'd no opposition to her , and the queen who knew her , loved her already ; so that she was mighty joyful to meet with one whom she liked so well . but this joy did not continue long ; for the marchioness de eytona fell sick , and died a few days after . the young queen was sensibly afflicted at this loss , and not knowing where to make a better choice , she came back again to the marchioness de los velez , because she comprehended no difference between the dutchess de terra nova and the dutchess de albuquerque ; and as for the dutchess de l' infantado , ●he perceived well enough that she was not fit for her . but now to propose the marchioness de los velez , was to attempt a thing that could never succeed , for the reasons i have already mentioned . the marchioness , who perceived them better than any body , could not endure to be so long exposed to an exclusion that was so very disobliging to her ; so she went to find out the queen , and returned her thanks for her great favours ; but she told her , that her age , and the trouble she had had with the king , when she was governante to him , gave her so great a disrelish for the court , that she could by means reconcile her self to it , and therefore desired her to think of her no more . all these difficulties seemed to arise for the satisfaction of the dutchess de terra nova , or at least , they proved the occasion why she continued still in her place ; and that the queen , utterly wearied to find so many disappointments in her way , was come to such a pass ; that she was no longer desirous to remove her . the queen-mother all the while intrigued more than she , because she earnestly desired to have that lady turned out of the palace . what still contributed to make the young queen less concerned for the matter , was , that her mind was taken up with new troubles , that were more pressing upon her than those she received from the camarera ; i mean , the apprehensions they had at court of a rupture between the two crowns . the queen remained inconsolable , when she considered , that the peace of nimeguen , of which she was , as it were , the seal , was going to be broken . the love she had for france , and the obligations that fastened her to spain , ballanced all her inclina●ions ; and she often shed tears , out of a fear only of seeing the war renewed . the most christian king pretended , that the spaniards had pillaged and abused his subjects in several places , and either burnt or taken many french vessels ; that they returned him no answer at madrid , to the complaints he had made ; that the marquess de borgomaine , who resided at london , in quality of ambassador extraordinary from the king of spain , observed no manner of measures ; nay , not even those that decency prescribes ; that he had made a league in the name of the king his master , with the king of england against france ; that he was well informed , that as he was upon his departure to go ambassador to vienna , he had received private orders to stay some time in holland , to try if he could perswade the hollanders to do the most prejudicial things they could to france . the king , provoked at so clandestine a conduct , and so extraordinary in the midst of a peace , which he had not infringed the least on his part , was resolved to act according to his usual justice and equity ; and finding himself possess'd with these resentments , he had nothing to incline him to believe , that he was obliged to part with any of his rights . he ordered his gallies to put to sea , with an express command to make those of spain give them the first gun whenever they met them . he knew that this affair had been regulated at the same time when philip iv. had agreed , that his ambassadors should never appear in publick with those of france ; and he made the duke de medina celi be acquainted , that the conduct he used during the peace , was so opposite to peace it self , that he saw himself obliged to seek out all advantages on his side , as he found it expedient . the king of spain , for his part , complained of the exact severity that was show'n him in the smallest matters , alledging , that when the commissioners of the most christian king were to have adjusted with those that came from spain , the limits of what had been yielded up by the treaty of nimeguen , the french had refused to treat with the deputies ●f spain , as long as the catholick king should take upon him the quality of the duke of burgundy : they added a declaration to this refusal , that if within a certain time assigned , they did not treat , by vertue of another commission , where this title was not inserted , they would immediately put the king of france in possession of the territories and rights which belonged to him . so that the king of spain was content to cut off the titles he usually assumes , with an &c. this league , about which the marquess de borgomaine made such a bustle and stir in england , was at last concluded with spain . it was a mutual engagement on both sides , whereby they obliged themselves to defend one another , in what place soever they should happen to be attacked . for this end england was to furnish eight thousand foot , and thirty men of war ; and spain was obliged to send an hundred thousand crowns every month into flanders , to keep the garisons there in a good condition , and have twelve thousand men in pay in champagne . they were in good hopes , that the emperour and the hollander would likewise enter into the league . don pedro ronquillo , ambassador extraordinary of spain , in england , sent a courier , with a ratification of the treaty , which was received at madrid on the th of iune , . most people were very well satisfied , when they saw the several motions on both sides , that the war would infallibly be kindled somewhere or other in flanders . the duke de villa hermosa had demanded to be recalled home , and that another governour might be sent to supply his place . the unconcerned temper , as well as the natural slowness of the spaniards , held the matter a considerable time in suspence , without giving themselves the trouble to determine it . the marquess de los balbazez , was first pitched upon to be sent thither : but as soon as he received advice of it , he endeavoured all he could to get himself excused , out of an apprehension that they would engage him at the same time to contract vast debts , to which his thrifty humour gave him an invincible aversion . besides this , they found it a difficult matter to meet with any subject who was to their mind : the report ran , that the duke of lorrain would go to command there in chief ; afterwards it was said , the duke of newburg would be the man , for whom the marquess de grana did several good offices . after they had deliberated a long time about the merits of these two competitors , at last they cast ●heir eyes upon prince alexander farnese ; he obtained the preference , and was named a●out the beginning of iuly . he was brother to the duke of parma , and was about threescore year old ; the gou● very much troubled him , and the tallness of his stature was very extraordinary : he had been a long time devoted to spain , and particularly to the queen-mother , at the juncture when she had those great differences with don iuan : he had been general of the cavalry in estramadura and catalonia , and passed for a very great souldier , although 't is certain he had but very little experience , and the management of his private affairs sufficiently demonstrated it ; for he ow'd every body money , paid seldom , and had not a farthing by him : his profuseness and his mistresses ruined him ; and although , after all , he had really a great estate , yet it was miserably incumbred . it was the general opinion here , that if the war commenced , flanders would be the first victim ; and this made them believe , that it would be less ignominious for spain to suffer this loss , when an italian was governour of the low-countries , than if a spaniard were there . in short , it could be nothing else but this consideration only , that could possibly induce them to believe they did well to fill this post with a man , who never had managed as yet any affair of that vast importance as these were . they bargained with don francisco de castile , for the sum of three hundred thousand crowns , which was to be remitted to brussels , for the payment of the troops : and after prince alexander had received the thirty thousand crowns which the king ordered to be given him , to bear the expence of his voyage , he parted on the th of iuly , to go and take shipping at the groyne in galicia . he took along with him abundance of voluntiers , and a numerous train of domesticks : he sent a courier into france , to get necessary pasports , and left the court in such haste , that he forgot to carry with him the patent for his government . it was not very long before he heartily repented for so doing , and he prest earnestly to have it : however , they promised him one , but d●ferr'd to expedite it ; so that he could only be said to be governour for the interim ; and it was believed , with reason enough , that he would not be well pleased with this usage . he had intrusted some persons at madrid to sollicite this affair for him ; but they refused the expeditions , when the court would oblige them to take them in such a form , and after many petitions on their side , and several contests with the ministers about it , it was not at last inserted into the patent after what manner he was made governour . in the mean-time the prince departed from madrid with so little money , according to his usual custom , that he was scarce arrived at the groyne , but he dispatch'd a courier away to the court with some letters , wherein he demanded money to perform his voyage . they answered him very coldly , that they would advise him not to defer the day of his departure , and that they could by no means believe , that he had already spent his thirty thousand crowns . he embarked immediately , accompanied by some vessels belonging to biscay , which transported five hundred new raised men , that had been levied in galicia , and were commanded to guard the frontiers . the people in flanders had not for many years seen any other governour but don iuan ; he possessed the government as his own till his death ; and although he was at so great a distance , yet couriers were still dispatched to him , to receive his orders , even in th● most important conjunctures . to say the truth , the constable of castile had been sent thither , as i have already observed in the beginning of these memoirs , in the place of that prince ; and he obtained a general patent , without specifying in it , that it was only by a commission ; but the queen-mother would have it so , on purpose to disgust don iuan. the pressing necessity there was for money in flanders , obliged the duke de medina celi to search with all imaginable application some means or other to furnish them with some ; and he tried several without meeting any success . don francisco de castile immediately promis'd to remit thirty thousand crowns thither , and afterwards engaged to make a return of eighteen hundred thousand florins more ; upon which consideration they were to give him two hundred thousand crowns in hand , and to pay him the rest at different times upon assignations , which in all probability would never have been paid to him . he questioning it very much , was not willing to be their fool , and resolved to send no money to brussels , but accordingly as he received it at madrid . they failed to perform the promise they had made him , to pay him two hundred thousand crowns down upon the nail ; 〈◊〉 he● , for his part , failed them in the 〈◊〉 . now how was it possible to draw such 〈◊〉 sum as this out of the king's treasury , ●hen it was totally exhausted ? the inferi●ur officers of his house having tarried for ●heir wages longer than they could well do , except they reduced themselves to down-right-beggary , would have thrown up their live ries , being resolved to quit the service , unless they had been partly detained by menaces , and partly by fair promises to see them paid , if they continued in it still . as for people of quality , they could not tell what to do : after they had pawn'd their jewels , their plate , nay , even their canopies of state , and their wearing apparel , they found they had now no more money or credit left . the bankers were not in a better condition , and the merchants had neither merchandize nor money . the inconvenience of proclaiming money , to go at a lower price , was sensibly perceived every day more and more , and the publick misery still increased . a man cannot sufficiently wonder that things of so great a consequence were managed with so little consideration : nay , matters were come to that pass , that in several provinces they were forced to exchange cattle for corn , and cloath for linnen , because there was not money enough to circulate in the way of trade . heaven pitied the great afflictions of those people , and favoured them with a plentiful year ; but the price of bread was not in the least diminished , either through the negligence or villany of the magistrates , who were so far from encouraging the corn to be brought into the great cities , that they under-hand hindered it from being carried to those places . the queen-mother's houshold began to find in their turn , the effects of these disorders ; she had been hitherto very well paid , and her domesticks received their racions , that is to say , their allowances , either in money or provisions ; and now when they prest the treasurers to take care they might have them , they were told , that they might go and visit the chests of the treasury , if they pleased , which at present were all open , because they had no money within . so many particular , as well as private calamities , were yet increased by the ravage and desolation the plague made in andaluzia . it is not long ago since it was altogether uninhabited along the sea coasts from malaga to alicant . the kingdom of granada was not free from this pestilence , which spread it self about sevil and corduba , and in estramadura . it was immediately perceived at port st. mary , but they would not take any publick notice of it , till after the departure of the flota for the indies , for fear of spoiling commerce . if it had not been for this consideration , it had been visibly perceived much sooner . the difficulties still increased , as to the business of trade , and people were apprehensive that their letters , commodities and goods carried the infection with them . it is natural enough for men to use all necessary precaution against so dangerous a distemper as this was . i have already observed , that the duke de medina celi would have fain engaged the king to part with his confessor , but that finding so many difficulties appear in the way , he desisted from his design : but father francis de relux had not , for his part , forgotten the ill offices that the duke endeavoured to do him . he dissembled his resentments , because he was not as yet so well settled in the king 's good inclinations , as to venture to cope with the chief minister . but as soon as he found himself upon sure grounds , he spoke to de eguya , and the dutchess de terra nova , to interest them in his quarrel , out of a desire he had to make the duke sensible of the effects of his power . the old dutchess was not ignorant , that the duke hated her , and that he passionately desired to see another in her place : this inspired her with a mortal aversion to him ; and so these three persons being always united , raised a considerable faction against him : but that of the confessor was carried on more secretly , and consequently was more dangerous . it often happens , that a man pursues his revenge freely , when he may safely do it under the pretence of devotion ; and this was the case of father de relux ; for he incessantly attacked the king in his most tender part , his conscience . he represented to him the misery of his people , the extremity of the state , the disorder and miscarriages , which were so far from being remedied , that they were openly encouraged ; that no grievances were redrest , that every thing came to ruine ; that if his majesty was sensible that he had not power and experience enough to regulate affairs of himself , and to take the reins of the government into his own hands , he ought at least , to intrust them with a minister , who would give him an honest and faithful account of his employment : that the debate was not now about a trivial matter , but that his everlasting salvation lay at stake ; that god , who makes and preserves kings in their sovereign authority , expects that kings should perform their duties ; that they are obliged to cherish their subjects as their children , and to make them happy as far as it lies in their power ; that the duke de medina celi only regarded his own private interests , and minded nothing but his family , which was very numerous , and the advancing of his relations , whilst the rest of spain groaned under the heavy weight of subsidies , imposts , and a thousand other vexations , which were purposely raised to exhaust them ; that he was obliged in conscience to inform him , that unless he vigorously endeavoured to apply proper remedies to these evils , it was his duty to deny him absolution . the king , who continued for some time astonished at these menaces , demanded of him , whether he did not speak all these afflicting things only to try him , the other answered , that he was so far from entertaining any such thoughts , that were so little conformable to the respect he owed him , that he would willingly have sacrificed his own life , to have been exempted from the cruel necessity of speaking to him after so frank a manner . the king was very pensive , and spent several days in consulting himself , without knowing what to resolve upon : he loved the duke de medina celi exceedingly , and at last sent for him to come to him . so having shut him up with himself in his closet , he fairly acquainted him with the occasion of his uneasiness , and with his apprehensions in relation to his salvation : he recounted to him every thing that past between his confessor and him , and how he refused to absolve him , because of the general disorder of affairs ; and at last told the duke , he had now sent for him to comfort him with good reasons . the chief minister listned very respectfully to him all the while , and would not suffer himself to be transported with any passion against the confessor's severity , for fear the king should suspect the true motives of that heat . on the contrary he agreed , that he was indeed a man of sincerity , and that his advices seemed to proceed from a good intent : but then he added , that he was a monk , and had no manner of experience in the world : that don iuan had drawn him out of a convent , where he lay buried ; that he never had any conversation but with monks , like himself ; that he was dazled with the post , to which , by the favour of don iuan he had been elevated all on the sudden ; that his head was giddy , and that he knew not how to make any difference between things and times , although this was an article absolutely necessary in the conduct of souls ; that he placed the king's soul in a parallel with that of a private man ; that he agreed indeed , that in the sight of god one were as valuable as the other , and that all the difference that was to be found between them , proceeded only from the diversity of their works ; but then every man had a particular way to save himself , that a prince ought to live like a prince , and a private man like a private man , and so after the same manner , a secular like a secular , and a religious like a religious ; that father relux , whose capacity was very narrow , confounded all estates , and even lost himself in this chaos ; that his majesty ought not to be disturbed at what he had told him , and especially least of all in the present affairs , because he assured him , for his part , that he would not lose a moment to set them in the best order imaginable ; that in truth , it was necessary to allow some time for the performance of this ; that let a man's zeal be never so earnest for the publick good , yet he cannot effect it immediately , since it is full as difficult a matter to remedy grievances , as 't is easie to desire the removal of them ; but that since the confessor had troubled himself with several things , which did not at all belong to him , if the king would be pleased to take his advice , he would provide him with one , who was more capable of the post than f. relux , and would never torment him with impertinent scruples . the duke found it an easie matter to perswade his majesty to embrace a t●●ng that would set his conscience at rest ; and the king had consented that very moment to the removal of the confessor , if he had not judged it necessary to take the advice of don geronimo de eguya , and so he told the duke , that he would make a few reflections as was requisite , upon the matter . de eguya coming to wait upon the king , he communicated his designs to him . after the strict union that was between this favourite , the dutchess de terra nova , and father relux , there was little probability that he would consent to his removal , but as he preferr'd his own interests to those of other persons , and only served others out of a respect to his own advantage : so he found , that the confessor was so devoted to the camarera major , and that she so resolutely swore the down-fall of the duke , that if this combination continued much longer , the duke would infallibly fall under the weight of it : that his successor might perhaps have less favourable dispositions towards him , and that he had better sacrifice the confessor to the minister , than the minister to the confessor . these reasons appeared so well-grounded , that instead of inspiring other sentiments into the king , he fortified those he had already , and this was enough to ruine the father confessor to all intents and purposes . they offered him , as they did before , the bishoprick of avila , in order to observe some sort of decency in removing him ; but he would not accept of it , and was content to contin●e a counsellor in the supreme council of the inquisition , where they are always obliged to have a dominican . the duke de medina celi perswaded the king to take in his place father bayona , a dominican , professor of the university of alcala : he had expressed a great desire long before to see him placed in this station , and had spoke of him ever since the ministry of don iuan. that prince , who had no kindness for him , would never admit him , saying , that he was a frenchman . he was indeed a native of navar , but that was the spanish navar : he entred into this function towards the end of iuly . 't is very observable , that in the space of five years the king had seven confessors . this alteration gave a fatal blow to the dutchess de terra nova , and the chief minister flatter'd himself , that she would now leave the palace in a short time . since people spoke no more of sending her away , and she was well informed of every thing that past , she was of opinion , that they could not find any lady who was fit to succeed her in her place , and that she should still continue in it : but the queen finding all her stock of patience spent and gone , by reason of all those occasions of complaint she still persisted to give her , consented at last to receive the dutchess de albuquerque near her person : but this was not till after she had endeavoured to obtain the marchioness de los velez , and even the dutchess de l' infantado . she saw very well , that the queen-mother , and the chief minister would never give their consent to it , and that it was indispensably necessary for her to take a camar●ra major from their hands , or else to rest contented with whom she now had . every one gave the dutchess de albuquerque a good character , to efface those ill impressions she had received against her . they took care to satisfie her , that she was ingenious , and well-read in the world ; that she was not ignorant of any of the customs and ceremonies of the court ; that she would do her all good offices imaginable , both with the queen-mother , and the duke de medina celi ; that she had better make this choice freely and voluntarily , than express any repugnance to a thing , which would unavoidably happen . these reasons had their effect ; the queen accepted her , and receiv'd her very kindly when she saw her . she had concerted the matter with the queen her mother in law , and the duke de medina celi : but this was not sufficient ; the king's consent remained still to be gained ; and he was no less averse to the dutchess de albuquerque , than to the marchioness de los velez . the prejudices he had received against this dutchess were of the same nature with those that had been insinuated into the queen . the dutchess de terra nova , and the secretary de eguya , were the persons who had thus maliciously pre possessed him against her ; and nothing less than all the authority of the queen-mother could make him resolve to admit her into the palace . she spoke to him of it at first very softly and gently , but afterwards in a stronger and higher tone . she told him , that it was high time for him now to know people of himself , and not to judge of their merits by what was whispered to him concerning them ; that any person might be so unhappy as to have secret enemies , and that he was in a miserable condition to depend always upon those that possessed his ear. when he perceived the queen-mother to speak to him after this manner , he opposed the business no longer , and so every thing was adjusted . don pedro de arragon received orders on the twentieth of august , to acquaint the dutchess de terra nova with the queen's intentions , and with the reasons she pretended to assign against her conduct ; that the best way she could take , would be to obey without resistance , and to make it appear , as well as she could , that she retired of her own accord . this blow did not surprize her , since she was long ago prepared for it , by the private whisperings that were spread about the court. she answered don pedro de arragon in a very few words , and could not yet bring her self to believe , that the king had given his consent to her removal : so she was resolved to be satisfied of the truth of it from his own mouth . she waited to speak with him , as he was just going to sit down to dinner , and entertain'd him for some time in a low tone ; at last , raising her voice to a higher pitch , she demanded leave of him to retire . the king answered her aloud , i give you my consent , madam ; you may retire as soon as you please . these few words were like to discompose all the constancy of the dutchess ; she changed colour several times , and advanced a few steps to speak in private with him again ; but he turned his back towards her , and asked something or other of the duke de uzeda . she went hastily out of the room , and retired to her chamber to compose her self again ; but the disorder she was in , would not permit her to appear before the queen till evening ; and then she came to wait upon her at supper , and at her going to bed , with as unconcerned an air , as if nothing had passed , though to counterfeit this , gave her a great deal of trouble , because she was throughly netled . the queen was informed by the king of what he had said to her ; however , she had the goodness not to discover any thing of it , although she had no reason to be well pleased with her . next morning , the dutchess , who had not gone to bed , but had passed the whole night walking in her chamber , with the dutchesses de monteleon and de hijar her two daughters , only waited till the queen was up , to go and take her leave of her . her visage was more pale than ordinary , and her eyes more red and fiery : she then approached the queen , and without weeping , or shewing the least concern , told her , she was very sorry that she had not served her so well as she wished . the queen , who was a person of wonderful tenderness , could not forbear to seem somewhat touched , and to relent a little ; but as she was saying some obliging things to comfort her , the dutchess interrupted her , and told her with an imperious air , that a queen of spain ought not to weep for so inconsiderable a matter ; that the camarera who came to succeed her in her place , would acquit her self better of her duty : and so , without saying a word more , she took hold of the queen's hand , and making a shew of kissing it , immediately retired . when every one about the court knew that she was to go away , they came to her apartment , shedding tears , either through policy , inclination or weakness . she did not seem to them to be in the least afflicted , and casting her eyes on all sides , she said : i thank heaven , this is a place where i shall never set my foot again ; i am going to taste the sweets of repose , and to find tranquillity at my own house : i will go to sicily , there i shall meet with no such disgusts as i have found at madrid . in saying these words , she struck her fist twice upon a little table that stood near her , and taking a very pretty china fan , she broke it in two , threw it upon the ground , and stampt it under her feet . thus she was sent away a few days after the father confessor ; she that never thought of leaving the court , as well by reason of the ascendant she had got over the king , as because it was a thing without a president , till now , to remove the queen 's camarera major , unless it so happen'd , that she desired it her self . 't is easie to imagine the grief she felt upon this occasion ; however , to comfort her in some measure , it was resolved to bestow the vice-royship of gallicia upon the duke de hijar , her son in law , and the order of the fleece upon the duke de monteleon , who had married her grand daughter . they were likewise willing still to continue to her the honours and the appointments belonging to her place ; but as soon as she was informed of the good intentions of the court towards her , she proudly said , that she would refuse every thing they could offer her , and that this was to give her incense , forsooth , and break her nose with the censer . as soon as she was departed from the palace , the dutchess de albuquerque went thither to take possession of her apartment ; and though she had the character of a proud haughty woman , yet she did not make it appear , that she intended to copy after the dutchess nova's conduct : on the other hand , she entertained all people with a world of respect and civility , and expressed the greatest affection imaginable for the young queen . this lady was widow to the duke de albuquerque , who was chief of the family de la cueva , and was fifty years old . i always saw her wear a little bandore of black taffata , which reached down as low as her eye-brows , and bound her forehead so hard , that her eyes were swelled with it . she was a woman of great wit and reading , and on certain days in the week , held assemblies at her house , where all the learned were well received . she had only one daughter , whom she married to the youngest brother of the late duke de albuquerque , to keep up the name of the family . she was passionately devoted to the queen-mother's party , and people did not doubt , but that she would use the young queen very well . they were afterwards confirmed in this opinion , when they heard the king , a little after her admittance to court , tell the queen , that he would have her take her pleasure more than she had hitherto done ; that she must walk abroad , and ride on horse-back ; and that he was willing she might go to bed late , provided he might go to bed at eight a clock , as his custom was . nay , he was so very complaisant a few days after , as to resolve not to go to bed till ten. this agreeable alteration in his conduct , gave the world occasion to conjecture , that the dutchness de albuquerque had engaged the queen-mother to speak to the king in favour of her ; and that the severity which the queen had hitherto undergone , had been inspired into the king only by the means of the dutchess de terra nova . the marquess de caralvo , who was of the council of state , died about this time : he ●eft prodigious sums of ready money behind him ; and the crown gained by his death sixty seven thousand crowns , which was yearly given him by way of pension . the admiral of castile's lady died likewise , and as he had lived after a very indifferent manner with her always , and was one of the greatest admirers of the fair sex in all the world ; so he did not over-much complain for his wive's death , nor was over-sorrowful to become a widower . he had accustomed her to see near fifteen or sixteen of his mistrisses live in his house with him , in very fine apartments , and all different ; and he was sometimes so malicious , when she walked out in the garden , as to look out of a window with one of these creatures standing by him , who let her handkerchief , or a ribban drop , and the admiral would call to his wife to take it up , and bring it to the person to whom it belonged ; which she submitted to do , with a respect and patience that all the world admired . it happened to be said at court , that a certain man was found digging in the ground very early in the morning , over-against the imperial colledge . his design was to take up some money and jewels , which a iew , who had been burnt , and whose domestick he was , had buried , in that place . the king ordered him to bring what he had found there : it was all locked up in a little iron chest , which was full of pieces of gold of several sorts ; and amongst the rest , there were two pictures , which i have seen , bigger than my hand , and incircled round with diamonds of a considerable value : about them were two little scrowls of parchment , with some writing upon them ; upon one , the dutchess de chevreuse ; and on the other , the dutchess de montbazon . it was judged , that the iews , who traffick much , and lend money upon pawns , came perhaps by these pictures after the same manner . they were perfectly finished , and the ladies were both of admirable beauty . the king said , that they ought to be sent to the escurial . i often had the happiness to see the marchioness de liche , who was one of the most beautiful and agreeable persons at court ; her husband was a man of infinite wit : he was much against his will ambassador at rome ; and when he was to go thither , endeavoured all the ways in the world to break off his voyage . he tarried a long time upon the coasts of spain , and was unwilling to depart , pretending that he was ill , and praying them to send another in his room , to whom he offered to give all his equipage , as a free gift , or else to trust him for it , at his choice : but the court was afraid of the vivacity of his genius , and he was known to be a man of enterprise : for this reason it was thought convenient to keep him at a distance and so they sent him fresh orders to depart , and go to rome . he appeared there with a great magnificence , and supported the honour of his ministry very well . when the duke de medina celi was made chief minister , he writ several letters to him , and employ'd the interest of all his family to get himself re-called . it was positively denied him , because he was feared now more than ever ; and it was apprehended , in case he returned home , that he would unite himself with his brother the count de monterei . to these reasons of state the duke de medina celi joyned some private ones , that purely respected his own proper interest : for it was an easie matter to take advantage of the absence of the marquess de liche , to have a certain law-suit determined , which was depending between them . the marquess being informed of what had happened , and despairing ever to surmount those obstacles which the duke laid in his way , thought the surest expedient to get himself re-called home , would be to disgust the pope upon all occasions ; and herein he acquitted himself so dexterously , and did every thing to displease the pope after so disobliging a manner , that his holiness sent the king word , that unless he would re-call the marquess de liche , he must resolve to leave rome ; intreating him to send another ambassador in his place , since he had never seen so disagreeable a one as this in all his life : but they answered him , that one of the reasons which inclined them to continue him still at rome , was , because his holiness had declared . that he would grant the rights of the franchises , and the immunities of their quarter , only to those ambassadors who were then resident in rome , and that those who were to be sent in their room for the time to come , should no more enjoy them . the pope perceiving that he tormented himself in vain , and that if he , for his part , had good reasons to demand the re-calling of the marquess de liche , the court of spain had also theirs to deny it , did not renew his importunities any more : but being resolved to do all the ill offices he could to the ambassador , who had on purpose disobliged him , as far as lay in his power , he found an opportunity to quit scores with him ; and he took his advantage of it with pleasure . it was about a dispensation , which the marquess de liche demanded of him , in favour of don pedro de arragon , his uncle , to marry donna catalina de la cerda , daughter to the duke de medina celi . this young lady was niece to don pedro de arragon , who was brother to the duke de cardonne , and to the cardinal of arragon ; and the duke de cardonne was father to the dutchess de medina celi : so that there was an absolute necessity for a dispensation . the marquess was intrusted with the procuring of it by his uncle , who writ him word , that he should die contentedly , if he could but leave an heir of his name and estate behind him ; that after he had been twice married , without getting any children , he hoped his third match would prove more fortunate to him ; and therefore he desired him , not to lose a moment to obtain of the pope what he desired . the ambassador omitted nothing to compass it , and gave himself a great deal of trouble and pains to no purpose ; they still put him off , and sent him sometimes to one , and sometimes to another cardinal . in fine , after having made him dance attendance long enough , till he had lost all manner of patience , they bluntly told him , that they could by no means grant what he demanded , and that the pope made a scruple of giving a dispensation to a man , who was seventy years old , to marry his niece , who was not yet sixteen . the ambassador sensibly resented this refusal , and sent speedy notice of it to don pedro de arragon : but what gave him a new occasion to be more displeased , was to hear , that at the very moment , when don pedro was reading his letter at madrid , the nuncio brought him a dispensation that was expedited gratis , and told him , that he had received it much sooner , if the marquess de liche had not appeared in the matter . don pedro sent his nephew word of all these circumstances , who was exceedingly vexed at it . the marriage was concluded on the th of iuly , without any ceremony , at the house of the duke de medina celi , where cardinal portocarero married them . all the spanish officers at naples were enjoyn'd to reassume the spanish dress : 't was believed that the neapolitans would soon imitate them ; but seeing they did it not in the least , an ordinance was published , by sound of trumpet , at the beginning of august , commanding all the officers of justice to apparel themselves after the spanish fashion . this conduct had never been used towards them , had it not been to let them see how great a heart-burning it was to them , to behold them drest after the french way . the troops continued still to make complaints , because it was a long time since they had been paid off : they spoke several times to the vice-roy about it , who sent them to the secretary of war , and he to the cash-keeper , or pay-master to the army . he answered them , that the military funds were clearly exhausted , and that he was not in a condition to satisfie them . this makes it sufficiently appear , that the extream misery , which indeed oppressed the whole spanish monarchy , was not only perceived at madrid . the king being fully resolved to endeavour , as far as in him lay , the ease and satisfaction of his people , and thinking himself obliged to the performance of it , by those things which father francis de relux had said to him , at the time when he was his confessor , acquainted the duke de medina celi with his designs to establish a particular council , where all manner of affairs should be debated ; and it should be composed of the constable of castile , the marquess de los balbazez , the inquisitor general , and don melchior navarra . the chief minister was to be the head of it , but the king reserved to himself the last resolutions of things , and all favours , and disposals of places . the duke approved at first of the king's project , but after he had maturely deliberated upon it , he went to the king on purpose to disswade him from it , out of an assurance , that the council of state would be jealous of it , which was composed of some of the most considerable persons in the kingdom ; that this would occasion a vexatious difference between them , and rather hinder the success and advancement of affairs , than promote them . don melchior navarra , vice-chancellor of arragon , obtained all the appointments and profits , which the presidents of that council were formerly used to enjoy . it was not at all questioned , but that the queen-mother advanced the dutchess de albuquerque to the place where now she was to be seen ; and people were as fully perswaded , that it was she who got the prince de parma to be sent into flanders , to recompence the great zeal he had always expressed in her service . but the council of state began to be alarmed at the great power of this princess . what is the matter ? would they usually say one to another , are we going to have a new regency , and is the king resolved to be under wardship again ? what gave them the greatest occasion to talk after this manner , was as follows : the council having , according to the custom , named three subjects for the vice-royship of peru , out of which number the king generally chuses one ; his majesty , without having any regard to it , named don melchior navarra , w●o had advanced his fortune by the means of the queen-mother , and was absolutely devoted to her . he was born in arragon , of an obscure family , and at first was an advocate , and afterwards a counsellor at naples ; being come to madrid , he there became fiscal to the council of arragon , and had the good fortune to please the queen-mother , who was then regent . she made him vice chancellor of arragon , which is one of the most considerable places , out of pure spight to the council of state , who opposed her , so that she could not bestow this office upon the prince de stillano . the iuncto of the government refusing to admit him , she put the other in his place , that she might always have one of her own creatures in that iuncto ; and besides this , might always be informed for the time to come , of what was transacted there . the queen had no sooner given this testimony of her affection to don melchior , but every body stood surprized to see a man of so mean a birth , advanced to so high a post ; but when they knew him better , they found him to be a person of great merit , experience and probity . don iuan of austria , who was mightily displeased at his conduct , banished him , and he came not back to court till after the death of that prince . the queen-mother being desirous to make him compleatly happy , got the vice royship of peru for him , which is a very advantageous post ; for in less than five years time a man may very well heap up three millions by it , without wronging either his own conscience , or his neighbour . just at his departure , they charged him with very rigorous orders against the governours of that kingdom , who had made an ill use of their power . this custom has been taken up of a long time ; the poor and unfortunate only are made examples , but the rest make a shift to escape well enough , by giving a good round sum of money , which perhaps they have extorted from other people . but as it always happens , that one man's good fortune proves an obstacle to that of another , the marquess de santa crux died of grief , because he mist this place . he had been general of the spanish gallies , and was a man of birth and merit , but so extreamly poor , that he saw nothing else could set him up again , but the vice-roy-ship of peru. he did not question but that they would consider him for the services of his ancestors , and remember that the count de chinchon , his father , who had been counsellor of state , was always faithful to the crown , and that they would examine his own personal merit . he flattered himself , that all these considerations would infallibly procure him the vice-royship of peru. he came on purpose to madrid , to solicite for it ; but when he saw don melchior navarra preferred before him , he could not master his grief , and died within few days after . his death was attended by that of one of the dearest persons in the world to him , donna antonia de la cerda , daughter to the duke de medina celi , and wife to the son of the marquess de villa manriquez . she was very young , and yet extreamly agreeable . the ambassador of the estates of the united provinces , had audience of the king , on the twentieth of august : he demanded of him the payment of several millions that were due from the crown of spain to the admiralty of holland , ever since the year . the king was only pleased to say , veremos , and that evening having sent for the duke de medina celi to come to him , i have never , says he , seen so many debts , and so little money to pay them ; if this holds , i will give no more audience to those to whom i am indebted . the duke told him , he hoped that in a short time things would be in a better condition , and that the hollanders were rich enough to stay a little longer for their money . people talked very strangely at madrid , of the king 's recalling the duke de veraguas , who was vice-roy of valentia . this little kingdom is , as it were , annexed to that of arragon , and is a place where there never fail to be abundance of murderers , robbers and cut-throats . the malignant influence that reigns here , makes the men naturally so bad , that when there is any ill action to be done , they make use of the bandoleros , who are a sort of banditti , divided into several factions , and have each of them their chief , who are generally seditious persons , capable of all the villanies in the world. an apostatized monk took shelter amongst them , and they found him to be so resolute and hardened a fellow , that they chose him for their captain ; but as it happened , the very moment he came to commit an assassinate , he was taken with his sword in his hand . he could not deny so palpable a crime , and the vice-roy was advised to execute speedy justice upon him . the vice-roy was well enough satisfied that he ought to serve him so ; but what gave him some trouble , was this , that having to deal with a religious , he thought , that he ought to use more formality with him . another reason likewise stopt him a little ; for by the laws of valentia , some days are allotted to criminals after they are condemned , before their execution . he ordered four religious of different orders to meet , and consulted them upon these two heads : two of them were of opinion , that he might take cognizance of this matter with the archbishop's consent : the two others maintained , that although the laws of the countrey allow some time to a guilty person , and that this was a monk belonging to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction ; yet for all that , the king's service demanded a speedy and severe example ; and that the actions of this man were so abominably odious , that he deserved to have no respect show'n him . the duke de veraguas was of their opinion , and ordered him to be hanged immediately . the ecclesiasticks demanded him before execution ; the archbishop supported them by his authority , and when he knew it was to no purpose , his official published an interdict . the people immediately made an insurrection , and the vice-roy was obliged to shut himself up in his palace ; but being besieged on every side , and apprehending some danger from the violence of the rabble , he escaped out of the city well accompanied . the archbishop lost no time to inform the court of what had happened ; the duke too sent thither as soon , and each of them alledged their reasons . upon this the king ordered a iuncto to sit , composed of his own confessor , a jesuit , and a dominican . it happened well for the archbishop that he was of the same order with this last , and had been general of his order ; he wanted no more to gain the cause ; the duke de veraguas was condemned with one consent , and a sum of money was remitted to him , with orders to come within twenty leagues of madrid , and there to wait the king 's farther pleasure . on the twenty sixth of august the count de aquilar was named to succeed him in his place , and within hours after he departed , to go and take poss●ssion of it . if t●is affair , the judgment whereof appeared too rigorous , made so great a noise , the connivance show'n to the marquess de las navas , vice roy of sicily , surprized people no less . he merely , for a humour , persecuted the archbishop of palermo , so as to make him leave the city : the king being informed of the proceedings , was not only content to reprimand the vice-roy for it , but ordered , that the archbishop should receive particular satisfaction from him . he wrote a very obliging letter to this prelate , wherein he acquainted him how much he was concerned at the affronts he had received , and sent it to the marquess de navas , with orders to deliver it to the archbishop with his own hands . the vice-roy received it , and kept it by him ; but they being informed of it at court , a fresh injunction was sent him : he obey'd this no better than the former . this stiffness and contumacy of his , perfectly wearied the council , without drawing the least inconvenience upon him ; so that they no more commanded him to deliver the letter to the archbishop . it is very certain , that another man would not have had this indulgence show'n him ; but the vice-roy being , it seems , obliged to marry his son to one of the daughters of the duke de medina celi , this is one reason why he was sure to meet with good quarter , as long as the duke continued in favour . nevertheless , the marquess de louvignies , who was made governour of messina , was no sooner arrived there , but he was offended to see the fortifications and garrison in so ill a condition . he plainly told the marquess de las navas , that he could not dispence with himself from giving the court an account of these matters . he was as good as his word , and the vice-roy received a severe check for his negligence . they had a new occasion to be displeased at madrid , when they received advices of what happened at naples , on the th of september : the vice-roy passing through the toledo-street , to go to visit the spanish nuns , was stopt by an hundred troopers , all armed , and on horse-back , who audaciously demanded of him , either to pay them off , or else to dismiss them . so resolute an action as this was , did not a little surprize him : he promised to do every thing they desired of him , and returned back again to the palace very suddenly . as soon as he believed himself to be safe , he ordered six souldiers to be sent to prison , and their tryals to come on speedily . he reformed all the cavalry , together with the captains , and the other officers , as well as the lieutenant general . this body of horse consisted of seven troops , and had been kept up above fifty years . he pretended , that he had received orders from madrid to reform them after this manner ; but the real truth is , he was not in a condition to pay them . the king of spain hereupon was exceedingly grieved , to behold the misery to which all his kingdoms were reduced . but all this evil news was ballanced , when they knew that the plague was intirely ceas'd in andaluzia , and that the chief magistrate of cales finding the port of st. mary free from the infection , had taken off the prohibition of commerce . after this , they immediately begun to load the gallions . on the fifth of september there were great rejoicings at court , because it was the birth-day of his most christian majesty : a comedy was acted there , and all the ambassadors and grandees of spain were present at it . the queen appeared so covered with jewels , that her diamonds cast a greater light than six large flambeaux , as big as torches did , that were lighted in the great hall. a few days after this , the king and the two queens went solemnly to chappel , where the anniversary of philip iv. was celebrated with great ceremonies . the queen being returned to the palace , found a sealed letter in her pocket , having the same superscription with that which she formerly received ; and seeing written on the out-side , for the queen alone , she would not open it , and almost distracted her self in thinking what person it was , that could find the means to come so nigh her , as to slip this letter into her pocket . towards evening she went along with the king to the queen-mother's palace , to make her the usual complements of condolance , upon the death of the late king her husband . the dutchess de medina celi told the king , that she had received a letter from ispaham , the capital city of persia , which had great curiosities in it . the king replied , that he was desirous to hear it . all the company being gone out of the room , she placed her self near him to read it . the queen took her advantage of this opportunity , and told the queen-mother , that she had a great desire to see a picture of titian , which she had lately bought . as she said these words , she advanced towards the great closet of the queen-mother , whither she follow'd her . when they had entred into it , the young queen gave her the letter , which she had found in her pocket , and desired her to keep it , or burn it , as she thought most convenient . i don't know , says she , but it may come from the dutchess de terra nova ; but she shall be clearly mistaken in her project . the queen-mother told her , that she had best open the letter , to see what was contained in it . ah , madam , replied the queen , i would never , by my good will , see any such letters . the queen-mother admired the prudent conduct of this young princess , and bid her not disquiet her self about the matter ; for she would take care to keep it sealed by her ; and some time after she recounted this adventure to the marchioness de m●rtare , and show'd her the first letter , saying , she believed it proceeded from the malice of some persons who designed to do the queen a mischief . it was through this lady's means , that my cousin and i came to know all that i have written concerning this affair . the queen , and the queen-mother did not tarry long together , but came to find the king , who told them , that the dutchess de medina celi had read a letter to him , wherein was contained a very tragical surprising accident , and that they would by no means think their time lost to hear it . the dutchess immediately read the letter ; it was dated from ispahan , the th of march , . and gave an account , how , that on the d of ianuary , in the same year , the city of masulipatan , which is the greatest scale of trade in the kingdom of golconda , had been overflow'd by the sea , and by extraordinary rains , accompanied with a furious hurricane ; that above twenty five thousand persons were drowned there , and that the loss of the goods and merchandize amounted to twenty millions ; that it had rained blood for the space of two hours , in the village of sobou , near deli , where the great mogul keeps his residence ; and that part of the city of sougean , near daera , had been over-whelmed by an earthquake : that the engl●sh having received advice , that the raja sevagi , after he had pillaged the city of danga , threatned to besiege bombay , ( which is a place that was yeilded up by the portugueses to them , together with tangier , upon occasion of the marriage of the infanta catharina , queen of england , ) had sent some men of war to bombay to defend it ; but that it was very much questioned whether they would be able to hold it out against a prince who continued to make his conquests with so prodigious a swiftness , and who had already defeated cercan loudi , a prince dependant upon the king of visiapour . he had possessed himself in less than two years of all the territory scicuate upon the coasts of coromand●l . the king of visiapour being concerned at the misfortune of this prince , who was just upon the point of marrying the princess famika , his sister , designed to assist him , and sent his forces under the command of famika , who was as brave as an amazon , beautiful and haughty . the prince sevagi knowing that she marched against him , advanced with his army , and met her towards the kingdom of golconda . she sent a zagay to him , with a sabre , and writ to him , that in case he was so pleased , they would decide the quarrel by a single combat . he accepted the challenge , took the arms she sent him , and returned her other . the two armies were drawn out in battel , with orders , not to make the least movement as long as the combat continued . the princess was vanquished , and surrendered her self prisoner . the prince cercan londi , who was with her , was driven into despair , when he saw his mistress taken away from him ; he threw himself , with his forces upon those of s●vagi , and after a long combat cercan was taken prisoner , and the prince remained master of the field . after this , he still carried famika along with him ; and she appeared so charming to him , that he told her , if she was willing to marry him , he would restore to cercan loudi all that he had taken from him by way of conquest . the princess haughtily replied , that she would never sacrifice her self to one that was a subject to the king her brother . sevagi , who was deeply in love with her , dispatched an envoy to the king of visiapour , to demand famika of him , and promised , that if he would bestow that princess upon him , he would serve him as his vastal . the king scorned the proposal , treating him as a revolted subject , whom he knew well enough how to chastise . when the other saw that gentle methods signified nothing , he presently fell a ravaging the countrey of visiapour , from surat to goa , except six or seven places upon the coasts ; so that his conquests extended as far as n●gapatan ; and this , in all , made near leagues in length . he always carried his fair prisoner along with him , hoping to gain her by his respect and complaisance ; but having had one day a very long conversation with her upon this topick , wherein she declared , that all the injuries either she , or those of her family , suffered at his hands , only served to provoke her the more , and that she would never love any one but cercan loudi : the love of sevagi was in a moment turned into fury , and he had the cruelty to cause a scaffold to be erected for her , where with his own hands he cut off the head of the young princess famika , and her lover . the queen-mother having a great kindness for the marchioness de grana , received two of her daughters , who were very lovely and well shaped , into the number of her ladies . a short time after , the king , the two queens , and all the court , departed for aranjuez ; but the house not being large enough to lodge half the officers and ladies , they came back every night , and lay near it . the duke de uzeda , the count de altamire , and the two sons of the duke of alva , disguised themselves like muleteers , with bonnets , after the english fashion pulled over their heads to hide them ; and being drest after this fashion , they went every day on foot by the boot of the coach of the queen's maids of honour , to court their mistresses , as the custom is there . although the king had prohibited all persons in general , and married people in particular , los galanteos de palacio , as they call it , at madrid ; yet he was not able to hinder it . it has been a thing established time out of mind amongst them , to entertain the ladies of the court , with their gallantry , although they have not the least design to marry them : and they wait upon them with as much assiduity as if they were already betrothed to them . but what is the strangest , as well as the least pardonable thing of all , is , that they ruine themselves by it : i have seen married men , nay , even those that were grandfathers , totally taken up in an amour with one of the ladies of the court. the women , whose husbands are led away with these extravagant fancies , are extreamly disgusted at it ; and this often occasions horrid disorders in their families ; but all that these cavaliers pretend to reap by their passion , is only , that their mistresses will suffer them to come and stop under their windows . here they sit in the back part of their coaches , and entertain them by their fingers , and the ladies answer them after the same manner , without speaking to them , but only upon days of ceremony , for at that time they have the liberty to accost them before all the world. but what is very surprising , and was never yet practised any where else , the ladies of honour belonging to the queen , receive jewels , apparel , and considerable sums of money from their gallants . the dukes de montalte , and de medina sidonia , having no office to oblige them to follow the court to aranjuez , sent their stewards , cooks , and other servants , with gold and silver plate , to carry magnificent repasts to their mistresses , as long as they staid at aranjuez . the diversion there is but little , because the greatest pleasure one can take , is to walk along the sides of the river tagus , which wash the banks of the finest walks in the world ; but the rains were so great , that no body could stir out . when there was the least fair weather , the queen rode on horse-back with all her ladies , but one of them had the mischance to be carried away by her horse , and received so much hurt by her fall , that she died within three days after . this ill accident troubled the king exceedingly , so that by his good will , he would not suffer the queen to ride ; when he saw her not , he would still be crying , let some body go to see how my queeen does , and bring me word , whether she is fallen off her horse . the king was informed at aranjuez , that two portugues● men of war , in their return to lisbon , had met a french vess●l , commanded by the chevalier de leti : he demanded the salute of them ; and upon their refusing to do it , gave them a broad-side , which they answered with all their guns ; but after a long dispute , he obliged them to strike the flag . after this , the vessel continued its course towards villa franca , where the ambassador of savoy waited to be carried over to portugal . upon this the king of sp●in told the duke de medina celi , that there was no question to be made but his gallies would be served after the same manner , if they were not better provided . the king had a mighty desire when he parted from madrid , to go immediately to the escurial , but he could not fully resolve to carry the queen along with him thither , till he had staid some time at some of the other houses belonging to the kings of spain . he had been told , that it was looked upon to be an ill omen to go first to the place where the royal tombs are ; and since the queen had as yet been only at buen retiro , à la casa del campo , at pardo , and zarzuela , which are so near madrid , that she just rested her self there a few hours after she came from hunting , he was resolved to begin with aranjuez , to avert and frustrate those evil presages : therefore he ordered every thing to be in readiness for his journey , by the beginning of september , which is one of the finest months of the year in spain ; but the ministers not finding money enough in the treasury to defray the expences of the progress , dexterously endeavoured to put it by , though in all appearance they seem'd to desire it as much as the king did , and daily ordered mules to be got ready to carry the baggage . they pretended the ways were dangerous and bad , and at last , that the great rains had corrupted the air. nay , they sent for some physicians , with whom they had been practising , to confirm all they said . notwithstanding these reasons , the king still persisted in his resolution to go to aranjuez , and did not know till the very evening before he was to depart , that he could not go . he was the only person that was ignorant of it ; for the ministers had acquainted their friends with it above twelve days before , and all the city was informed , that the king was to stay at madrid still . the queen was not a little displeased at these proceedings ; she spoke to the king about it , and told him , that the ministers might now very well forbear to use them any longer like children ; that if there had been any important reasons why they should not go to aranjuez , they ought to have given them timely notice of it ; but to put them off , and , speaking properly , to fool them after this insufferable rate , was never to be endured . the king was vexed , and told the queen , that this should be the last time he would suffer such things at their hands , and that they should direct themselves for the future only by his will and pleasure . this discourse was over-heard by some of the gentlemen of the bed-chamber , who went presently to acquaint the duke de medina celi with it , to make their court by this means . he was terribly disheartned , and feared least the queen , who was charming and witty , might come to get a greater ascendant over the king's inclinations than he desired ; and therefore that he might not displease the king any more , used all imaginable diligence to provide a fund sufficient to bear the expences of going to aranjuez and the escurial . till this very moment he had resolved to break off these two journeys ; but he apprehended a great deal of danger from the queen's dissatisfaction ; and so to get a sum necessary for the occasion , he sold two offices of the contador major for twenty five thousand crowns , and received forty more for a government in the indies . he took fifty thousand crowns out of an hundred thousand , that were to be laid out in equipping of the gallions . he made use of the money gathered for custom , that was to have paid off the the rights of the franchises , and the revenues of the town-hall : in a word , every thing was got ready by that time the court came back from aranjuez , for them to go to the escurial . however , the king was not able to go as soon as he desired , by reason that the ill weather increased ; ever since the beginning of september never a day passed without violent tempests , accompanied by dreadful claps of thunder : the lightning struck abundance of persons in several places , and the hail fell so thick , and in such prodigious quantities in the forrest of the pardo , which is an house of pleasure belonging to the king , that it broke the branches of the greatest trees , and killed so many birds and wild fowl , that both the fields and the river of mancanarez , were covered with them , and it was the most surprising sight in the world to behold ; the ancient bridge de aranda de ducro , was carried away by the waters of that river , and the tagus over-flow'd its banks with that impetuosity , that it did an incredible mischief to the pleasant walks at aranjuez . so many accidents , of which they received fresh news daily , troubled the court exceedingly ; for there was scarce a place in spain exempt from these continual tempests : one of them happened on the th of september , in so out-ragious a manner , that the gardens of the countess de ognate , which are the finest in madrid , were overflown in a moment ; the water entred into the lower apartments of her house , where she kept her noblest italian paintings , and her richest moveables , and all was intirely spoiled by this inundation . the torrent , to work out its passage , threw down the garden-walls , and broke into that belonging to our ladies de atocha . the next night we all thought that madrid would be beaten down about our ears by the thuder claps , the lightning , the wind , the rain , and the hail . i don't believe any body went to bed in the whole city ; the churches were full of people who confessed , as if the hour of death were approaching . the water of the mancanarez swelled exceedingly , and spread it self on all sides . the king and the queen , who impatiently waited for day light , went in devotion to our ladies de atocha , but at their return they found the prado overflown ; and tho●gh a coach had been overturned a little before , by the rapidity of the torrent , the king believed that his might pass it well enough , and commanded the coachman to advance speedily forward towards the bridge of the bare-legged augustines : within a few paces of the bridge the two fore mules , which in spain are at a pretty distance from the hindmost , were overturned by the impetuosity of the water : the postillion that led them 'scaped very narrowly ; the mules recovered themselves twice , and were thrown down as often . the king was all alone in the coach wi●h the queen , very much concerned , and telling her , that he was in pain only for her sake . in the mean time some people got hold by the traces , and so drew out the coach by meer strength . by this means the mules got out of the water ; but their majesties could not reach the palace , and being affrighted at the great danger they had just escaped , were obliged to go to buen-retiro , where they tarried till mid-night , and waited for the waters to fall . the marquess de los velez , vice-roy of ●●●ples , dispatched a courier to court , to give them advice , that the pope had demanded of them to send the marquess sera , a geroes● , to him , who was excommunicated for falling foul upon the apostolick nuncio's courier on maunday thursday . the brief specified , that h●s holiness grounded his pretensions upon the right of soveraignty the holy see had to the kingdom of naples . the officers of all the courts of judicature assembled upon it , and resolved not to comply with the popes desires , by reason of the ill consequences that might attend such an affair . but the king , and the ministers here , could not forbear to wonder , that his holiness spoke of renewing his pretensions , which seemed to be adjusted a long time ago . the only son of the marquess de castel-rodrigo died about the beginning of october , as did also don rui gomez de silva , brother to the duke de hijar : we may say , they were two of the most handsome and hopeful lords at court. this last was mightily devoted to donna isabella de mendoza , a lady of great beauty , who was not compleatly seventeen years old . she took the death of her lover so much to heart , that without acquainting her mother with it , she got out of her house , covered in a mantle , and went to the * descalsas reales , there to take upon her the religious habit. their majesties parted from madrid on the th of october , to go to the escurial . the king only carried with him the duke de medina celi , the grand master of the houshold , with two masters of the house in ordinary , the great forrester ; and the first gentleman of the bed-chamber , and two other lords in the same office , don geronimo de eguya , secretary of state , and the marquess de grana , ambassador from the emperour . the admiral of castile , who was master of the horse , did not arrive there till fourteen days after the king : he was naturally so lazy , even when he was obliged to make his court , that he could not resolve in a less time to go to the escurial . all the ladies of the court , and six women of the bed-chamber , accompanied the queen ; the marquess de villa maina , chief gentleman of the bed-chamber , and the marquess de astorgas , grand master of the houshold , went along with her . as for the duke de ossone , who was master of the horse to her , he tarried at madrid , upon the account of a new disgust he had received at court. the king was willing that the queen should ride on horse-back , to take a few turns in the walks of the meadows , and to meet him as he came from hunting . she had four fits of an ague , but the following ones were so gentle , that she was able to get up a few days after , and divert her self , as she had used to do ever since her arrival to the escurial . the king , who was altogether taken up with the pleasures of hunting , pursued the sport from sun rising till night . one day he ordered a chase to be prepared after the german manner ; they had toils , which inclosed a great quantity of ground , and here with their guns they killed above two hundred bucks or does . the queen was at first desirous to be there , but being informed after what manner they used these poor creatures , she imagined that such a sight would rather give her occasion to employ her pity , than afford her any pleasure . the king in all his chases generally took no more with him than the first gentleman of the bed-chamber , and the great forrester ; he loved to find himself alone in vast solitudes , and sometimes it was a long while before they could find him . when he hunted after the german manner , he would be accompanied by the duke de medina celi , and the marquess de grana . at his return , the chief minister following the king to the queen's apartment , found that her majesty did not cast her eyes upon him , he immediately penetrated into the reason of this alteration he found in the queen's behaviour ; for to say the truth , she was displeased with him for disswading his majesty to expedite a parent for a government in the indies , which he had granted to her : but when the duke knew it , he told the king , that the queen begged this grace of him , at the intreaty of one of the women of her bed-chamber , who was a french woman , who would get considerably by it , when in the mean time twelve thousand pistols were offered for it . the king thought it was the best way to take this sum , and after this would not hear the least word of dispatching the patent , as he had promised . but what provoked the queen infinitely more , was the conduct he had used in her absence towards the constable colonna's lady . the dutchess de medina celi had passed her word to the queen , as in her husband's name , that during the stay her majesty made at the escurial , nothing should be done to the prejudice of this lady . notwithstanding these assurances , upon which she depended , she was carried away from madrid , and by an order from the king , confined to the cas●le of segovia . to begin this story from its original , the reader is to know , that this lady was niece to the late cardinal mazarine : she brought a very considerable fortune with her at her marriage ; and perhaps the family of the colonna's had sunk very low without this seasonable relief . after she had passed the happiest and most pleasant part of her life at rome , where she always appeared in great pomp and splendor , having the liberty to live after the french fashion , and according to all appearances , seeming to be content with her fortune : she withdrew all on the sudden , without so much as knowing the reason of it her self , through the ill counsels of some persons , who hazarded not a little upon her account , in making her hazard every thing on her side : so that she departed privately with the dutchess of mazarine , her sister . they had disguised themselves so well , that none knew them when they took shipping : and thus they arrived safely in france . the constable colonna's lady hoped to find here a sanctuary against her husband , and some vain flattering idea's , that were not as yet perfectly extinguished in her heart , served to perswade her , that she should be well received at court ; but so far was she from meeting any encouragement to make her appearance there , that she was prohibited by the king to come there . i have heard her say , that she resented this treatment with so sensible a grief , that she was like to have died of it . after this she went to turin , where she made a short stay , and the uneasiness of her mind led her at last to flanders . there she happened to find the marquess de borgomaine , of the house of este , in whom she reposed an intire confidence , without remembring that he was rather a friend to her husband than to her self . he flattered her in all her projects , in order to amuse her , and to gain time till he might receive advice from the constable , how to dispose of her ; for he had sent him a letter by a courier for that purpose , to inform him , that his wife was at brussels ; and in answer to it , the constable earnestly desired him to seize and apprehend her . he acquitted himself immediately of his commission , and carried her to a convent , from whence she was not to depart , unless she would consent to be shipt for spain , as they desired her . when she was at madrid she delay'd , upon several pretences , to take the religious habit upon her ; she loved her liberty , and was desirous still to enjoy it : but the constable being informed of her arrival , sent don fernand de colonna , his natural brother , with letters to the king , and the ministers , wherein he beseech'd them , that either by fair means , or violence they would oblige his lady to enter into a convent . this necessity seemed very hard to her ; nevertheless she submitted to it , and retired to the monastery de santo domingo el real , upon condition , that if she happened to come out of it , she would consent that the king should restore her to her husband . she continued there a long time , and sometimes in an evening she escaped out with one of her women , and often went to walk on foot in a white mantle in the prado , where she met with several pleasant adventures , because most of the women that come there are ladies-adventurers ; and some ladies of the best quality at court , take a mighty pleasure when they can go thither , and are not known . the constable colonna being come to madrid , in his way to arragon , whereof he was vice-roy , went every day to entertain her at this grate , and i have seen him show those gallantries to her , which a lover may show to his mistress . he departed in a very good understanding with her ; but when the queen made her entry , she having a great desire to behold her majesty , did not imagine they would hold her so strictly to the word she had given the king , that in case she ever quitted the place of her confinement , he should deliver her into her husband's hands : so without any more a-do , she went to the marchioness de los balbazez , her sister in law , who received her very kindly , and the marquess made her an entertainment that might have deceived a person of less faith than her self . seeing these fair appearances she thought no more of returning to santo domingo , but staid with the marchioness de los balbazez . all this while he secretly endeavoured to get an order from the king , and as soon as he had procured it , carried her to a convent within four leagues of madrid . so severe a procedure afflicted her as much as it is possible for a woman to be afflicted . she wrote to the queen to demand her protection ; and being informed , that the constable was come back from arragon , with his sons , she obtained a permission of the king to go into some monastery or other at madrid . but whether it were , that she was not content to be there , or that she had some other views in her head , she made her escape , and went strait to her husband's house : she lived in one half of it , made her court very regularly to the queen , visited abundance of ladies , and diverted her self very well . the constable left her an intire liberty to do what she pleased ; but when he was desirous to return to rome , he talked of carrying his lady along with him thither . she was mightily alarmed at it , and declared , that she would not go . the reason was , because she had got her nativity to be calculated , and it was told her , that if she had another child , she should die . this prediction was so fresh in her imagination , that she would rather chuse to return to her old place of retreat . the king was urgent with her to explain her meaning ; she sent him word back again , that she humbly requested him to grant her his protection , in the design she had to throw her self into a convent . the king judged it convenient , that the inquisitor general , don melchior navarra , and his confessor , should meet to determine this difference between the constable and his lady . the marquess de los balbazez sollicited so powerfully , that the iuncto concluded to ●end her to the castle of segovia . this he so passionately desired , that all the last year he was perpetually troubling his brain , how to do her some ill office. but the constable of castile , and the admiral , set themselves all they could to oppose it ; and they were not able to obtain an order for it . they had never obtained one , if the duke de medina celi had not been an enemy to the constable's lady . she being informed of what had past against her , and what reasons she had to apprehend some mischief from her enemies , cast her self at the queen's feet , and conjured her , with tears in her eyes , not to abandon her in this distress , but to engage the chief minister to pass his word , that nothing should be attempted against her as long as the court was at the escurial . the queen interposed in this affair , as i have already mentioned ; but notwithstanding all this precaution , within eight days after her departure , a counsellor of the council royal , with his officers , accompanied by the constable colonna , and the marquess de los balbazez , who performed the office of bailiffs , being all armed , as if they had been going to apprehend a ring-leader of robbers , rather than an unfortunate lady , who was not capable of making the least resistance , went about eleven a clock at night to break open the doors of her apartment , although it was within her husband's house . she was in her chamber , when immediately an alcalde of the court pretended to tie her arms with a cord : seeing her self used after so ignominious a manner , she took up a little knife , which lay accidentally upon the table ; and as she defended her self , gave him a cut in the hand . this resistance made the rest of the company fall upon her with that barbarous fury , that they dragged the poor lady , half naked , as she was , by the hairs of her head , and so they forced her away , like one of the most miserable of her sex. she was conducted after this manner all night long to the castle of segovia , without expressing the least consideration either for her birth or reputation , although she had given them no occasion to treat her thus ; for in fine , she was actually at that time in her husband's house , and her only crime was , her refusing to return to rome with the constable , although she offered to go into a convent , without having the liberty ever to leave it . most persons pitied her sorrowful condition , and took it ill that they broke their promise to the queen , and that they durst employ the king's name , only to satisfie the malice and animosity of the marquess de los balbazez . it was for his sake principally that they used this persecution towards the constable's lady ; for her husband was one of the best conditioned men in the world : he loved her , and as he had formerly given her his consent to stay several years in a religious house ; so without question he had not now opposed the conditions she desired , if it had not been for the marquess de los balbazez . he alone managed this affair , and sollicited the duke de medina celi in the constable's name ; and that minister thinking by this means to oblige both of them , gave his consent to what was demanded of him . nevertheless it was a surprising thing , that he used so rude a conduct towards the constable's lady ; it had been a more generous and manly part , to endeavour to reconcile the present differences , than to imprison a lady who was to be mother in law to his own daughter . he ought to have considered , that a husband and wife are easily brought to accommodate matters ; and that if ever they came to be friends again , his daughter would fall into the hands of the constable's lady , who would then be in a condition to revenge her self upon her for the injuries he had done her . he might reasonably imagine , that as she was rich , and had a great number of near relations , who made a considerable figure in the world : so they would never see her opprest , without regretting her misfortunes , and interesting themselves in her quarrel : that they would vigorously endeavour to procure her her liberty , and that at the bottom , when he came to cast up his accounts , he himself would get nothing but ill will by it . this affair made a great noise in the world : i knew every particular circumstance of the story , because i was intimately acquainted with this unfortunate lady , and knew her to be of a good disposition , and not given to speak ill of other people , and , as it was truly said of her , she was never an enemy to any one but her self . indeed it were to be wished , she had been mistress of more discretion , and had not been of so easie a temper as to believe those persons who advised her ill . she was very lovely , although she was not in the prime of her youth ; her eyes were lively , quick and piercing , her teeth admirable , her hair blacker than jet , and in a great quantity ; her stature noble , and her leg well shaped . the queen being informed of her misfortunes , was mightily concerned at them , and continued to be very angry with the duke de medina c●li , for not keeping his promise to her . the calamities occasioned by the plague , were not the only evils which the people of spain suffered . the publick poverty spread it self farther still , for the scarcity of provisions continued , and no remedies were applied to rectifie these disorders . no alteration was made in the government , and the chief minister seemed to be possessed with a lethargy . every body hung down his head , and men were so enfeebled , that they had scarce strength enough to lift up their eyes and hands to heaven to implore its assistance and relief . the past and present miseries made them apprehend what was to follow ; every one made melancholy reflections upon the sad condition of affairs , which carried them further than they desired : but to compleat the general calamity , after they had for six weeks together beheld terrible inundations that did a world of mischief in several goodly cities , these accidents were followed by an earthquake , which happened two days after the king's departure to the escurial . we perceived it at madrid on the th . of october , between six and seven a clock in the morning ; it was so violent , that it made a general concussion , and the most resolute persons were possess'd with fear . this extraordinary motion was perceived all the kingdom over , and even at lisbon , and the other parts of portugal ; but the city of malaga found the saddest effects , and sustained the greatest loss by it . this city is situated in the kingdom of granada upon the coasts of the mediterranean sea , within twenty five leagues of the streights , at the foot of a mountain , upon the top of which stands a castle that commands the town and the port. it is large , well peopled , and rich , by reason of the considerable trade they drive in spanish wine , oyl , citrons , fruits , and other commodities , which draw a vast number of vessels to that port. its fortifications , although they are old , are very good , and are adorned with several stately buildings , which are remainders of the magnificence of the moors , and the cathedral church was formerly the principal mosque . they perceived there a great trembling of the earth , which lasted but a few moments , however the concussions were so violent , that they caused a general fear and desolation in in the city by the strange disorders it occasioned . the harbour , and the walls on the same side , with their bulwarks , towers , and ramparts were overthrown ; the sea was in so extraordinary an agitation , that the fishes every where leapt out of the water ; the vessels that were in the port were lifted up above twenty foot high , and all their sides crack'd as if they had been in a real tempest , so that the mariners believed they were unavoidably lost . fifteen convents of men and women were ruined after that manner , that scarce one stone lay-upon another ; and in that of the observance of st. francis , there were fourteen persons buried in the ruins . this magnificent church , which had been enlarged and beautified in the year . leaned several times on its two sides ready to overturn , and yet received no damage , which the inhabitants took for a miracle . houses were sorely battered , and more than ruined . 't is easie to judge what a vast number of persons must have been killed , hurt , and buried in this confusion . as soon as the earthquake had ceased , the bishop , followed by his clergy , and a great multitude of people , went in procession to the church , to implore the divine commiseration . assuredly in these sorts of occasions the most irreligious hardned persons pray heartily and sincerely . the inhabitants being affrighted , retired into the country , fearing to be overwhelmed in the city by some new concussion , but several houses fell down all about malaga ; a great mountain was perfectly overthrown , the earth opened in abundance of places , and cast up the water in such prodigious quantities , that great torrents were occasioned by it , which swelled the rivers so as to make them overflow their banks . 't was observable that the wall of the church d' albavrin opened it self the breadth of four foot , and afterwards closed again , so that the place where this fissure happened , could not be discerned . the jasper pillars in the same church were removed from their pedestals , but afterwards returned to their old place , and sustained no damage . at the city of velez malaga the earth opened and swallowed up a river which runs near it , after this it closed again with so terrible a noise , and threw up the water with so great a violence , that it rose above ten pikes higher than the houses , and had like to have overwhelmed every thing when it fell down . several cities here were entirely overthrown , and the earthquake did a great deal of mischief at sevil , corduba , and at iaen , where palaces and churches , and many houses were ruined . it is impossible for any thing in nature to be more terrible than this was , for no body knew where to save themselves , and death seemed to pursue them where-ever they fled . a few days after this earthquake , there happened at night a tempestuous storm , which overturned part of the roof of the escurial , broke the crystal windows of the king's apartment , and tore up abundance of trees in the garden by the roots . the king perceiving the queen to be affrighted at it , was so complaisant as to rise with her , and sent for some company to come to her chamber , and comfort her a little . it has been a custom long ago established in spain , that when any thing happens , the truth of which they cannot immediately discover , for the ministers to suspect that france had a hand in it . thus they had received certain advice , that the count d'estrées had sailed with several men of war in his company for the west-indies , and therefore they presently concluded , that it was he who burnt porto-bello ; but they were informed of the contrary by two vessels , which were arrived from the honduras at the port of cales , laden with six thousand chests of indigo , and two hundred thousand piasters . these brought word , that some bucaniers , commanded by an english-man , had landed at the port de bastimentos , and after five days march in the mountains , had attacqued porto-bello ; that the spanish garrison threw away their arms , and retired without fighting a stroke into the citadel ; that a poor negro , who was seventy years old , had marched out of it , followed by twenty five soldiers , and made a brave resistance , but was killed upon the place , being abandoned by his men. the bucaniers carried away thirty six thousand crowns , and all the booty they were able to take with them . in fine , having passed the gulf of darien , and being conducted by the indians that were enemies to the spaniards , they arrived through unknown ways in nine days to the south sea , within a league of panama : they imbarked in this place in some cano●s , and passed by port de perico , where they made themselves masters of three vessels , and several ba●ks . they went from thence to pillage the suburbs of panama , the garrison of which place , without making any resistance , retired to a bastion , with the president and the auditors of the exchequer . the bucaniers continued some days masters of the sea , but at last departed , upon information that a relief of four hundred men was coming from cartagena , and that two vessels were setting sail from lima , to oppose their designs . the council of the indies , highly provoked against the spanish soldiers , who had shewd so little courage upon this occasion , assembled at madrid , and resolved to send three hundred veterane soldiers to reinforce the garrisons . they gave full authority to don melchior navarra , who was named to go vice-roy for peru , to condemn without appeal the officers and other soldiers that were found guilty , and to decimate them , in case he found them all in fault , as it was believed here . it was no small mortification to them to hear of the taking of a vessel belonging to the king of spain , the lading whereof was computed to be worth four hundred thousand crowns in goods . six ships of the elector of brandenburgh took her near oftend . this prince was highly enraged at the ill treatment of his envoy , and it seems the menaces he gave them just as he left madrid , were not without effect . 't was believed here , that he had done himself too much justice ; but others , who considered this action without prejudice , were agreed , that it was but natural for the elector of brandenburgh to make recourse to violence , after the unfair measures they had kept with him , which he had so much the less reason to expect , because he was devoted to the interests of the house of austria , and had chiefly supported it in the last war. but if these reasons served to excuse him , there were others that laid some blemish upon him , to use such an action of hostility towards a king , with whom he was in peace , and who had never failed on his side to satifie him , unless he had been utterly uncapable of paying him : that at the very time when the envoy from brandenburgh demanded the money , the king of spain had not enough to defray th● expenses of his houshold , and that if h●●ad been in other circumstances , he had de●●t better by him . the court was not a ●●tle troubled at this infraction of the peace , and now they had a fresh argument to grie●e them . they were informed that the portugu●ses pretended to keep the island of st. gabriel to themselves , and that although buenosaires lay so near it , yet they were in a condition to maintain themselves there . the coast of brasil lying to near favoured them , as well as the river , whose channel is so very narrow in that place , that it was an easie matter to command it , and to hinder all commerce . the portugueses it seems had entred the river de plata ; and all these circumstances were the more afflicting , because it was certainly known that a squadron of brandenburghers was gone for the indies . this affair was much talked of , and the council met about it : but those that were well acquainted with the genius of the spanish nation , were satisfied that the alarm would not last very long , because at court they look upon dangers , that are at any distance , but as so many things that will never happen . the king and queen being come back to madrid from the escurial , every one was very forward to make his court to them ; and on the fourth of november , which was the festival of st. charles , his majesty went to the chappel in the palace , where the embassadors of crowned heads appeared to complement him , and several of the grandees of spain , who kissed his hand according to the custom . the king was dress'd in a suit , the ground-stuff whereof was black , with flowers of gold , embroidered with pearls , and a large diamond in the midst of every flower . his chain , to which the order of the fleece was fastened , glittered with several emeralds half a finger long . the queen-mother writ to the queen in the morning , desiring her to dress her self that day after the french fashion . the queen carried this billet to the king , and after she had read it to him , asked him , if he would agree to it ? he told her , she look'd so pretty in her spanish dress , that he pray'd her not to quit that habit on a day of rejoycing . the king took away the receipt and administration of the revenues of madrid from the corregidors and regidors , when he knew their cheats and villanies . he entrusted the management of them to a council composed of four persons , don lopez de los rios , don andrea villaran , don francisco carillo , and don ioseph benavidez ; and empowred them to make the regidors give them an account of their administration . they were accused to have gotten the sum of eight hundred thousand crowns by the expences of the queen's entry , and by the building of the new bridge at toledo , which was carried away by the waters of the mancanares . at the same time the collecting of the imposts upon wine , victuals , and coals , was taken away from them . these alterations diminished the profits of their offices so mightily , that they could scarce get any people to bid six thousand ducats for them , whereas before this reformation it was an usual thing to give ninety thousand , although the sallaries were not above six hundred ducats . the chief minister had sent a commissioner some months before to the frontiers of biscay , to adjust the rights of both sides with the french , but he being fond of his commission , endeavoured to prolong it , and so decided none of the differences . there were some regiments at bayonne posted all along the river of bidassoa , and some brigandines blocked up the mouth of it to hinder the inhabitants of fontarabia from all manner of traffick . they could not go out to fish , or commit any of those acts of hostility , to which they had been so long accustomed : and now they were given to understand that they should be kept thus imprisoned till the court of spain had consented to a reasonable accommodation . whilst matters continued in this posture , the brigandines pretended to go away ; immediately the biscayners began to fish , but the french coming back upon them , carried them away prisoners , and made themselves masters of their barks . as soon as this news was brought to madrid , the ministers began to exclaim that this was an unheard of violence , and such an infraction of the peace , as was never to be endured . but his most christian majesty ordered his ambassador to acquaint them that they then ought to remove the difficulties , which occasion'd so many disorders ; or till they were regulated to consent to follow the decisions which the commissioners of france had made after the treaty of peace . a person of the first quality who had followed the king to the escurial , and came back from thence before him , told us , that he had strong conjectures to believe that the duke de medina celi had fallen out with the queen mother . however , few persons suspected it at that time ; but after the return of the court to madrid , it was plain and visible . some people pretend that the duke was wearied with the great number of creatures , whom the queen-mother daily recommended to him , and to whom he was forced to distribute part of his favours ; that now he did not look upon her as any longer necessary to support his fortune , and therefore was not willing to grant the frequent demands she made him ; that in order to break off with her all at once , he found it convenient to visit her no more , but express a great coldness towards her . on the contrary , there were other persons that said , that it was occasion'd by the queen-mother her self , who was not able to constrain her self so far as to suffer the presence of a man who minded nothing but how to advance his family or friends , and never show'd any civilities to her . there were others still that were of opinion , that the duke's behaviour towards the queen-mother was not the result of his own inclinations , but proceeded from the suggestions of don geronimo d' eguya , and indeed it might be so , if it were not for the two following reasons : the first is because there was not the least appearance of any particular motive to engage him to desire a rupture between the queen-mother and the duke ; the other is , that supposing he had such a design , yet d' eguya did not at that time stand so firm in the king 's good graces , as that the chief minister should think it worth his while to give him so great a proof of his deference : nay 't is certain that they had a pique against one another for some time , the subtle insinuating humour of d' eguya made him always embrace the interests of the most fortunate , and he found himself under certain circumstances , which advised him not to press too far , for fear of disobliging the chief minister . but notwithstanding the coldness which passed between them , the king when he was at the escurial , told d' eguya one day very angrily , that if he was not more punctual for the future , to come and help him in the dispatches , he would do all the business with vibanco , who was secretary to the chamber , and for whom the king shew'd inclination enough . the duke immediately , whether out of generosity or politick , excused de eguya so handsomely , that he set him right in the king's favour again ; and this obligation , for which de eguya was indebted to him , made them be in a good understanding with one another . de eguya finding himself so well with the duke , confirmed him in all the dispositions he already had , not only in regard to the queen-mother , but also to the young queen , he represented to him , that these two princesses could do nothing for him ; that the king would take it well , to find him testifie a devotion only to his own person , and that he would answer him with his affection better when he saw it was not divided . his true design in speaking to him after this manner , was only to keep him to himself , that so the chief minister might repose an intire confidence in him . in fine , they were both agreed , that in order to render the duke an absolute master , it would be necessary for him to resolve to refuse the two queens whatever offices or employments they begged for their creatures . the duke imagined that this counsel proceeded from a true motive of zeal , which he thought abounded in de eguya , and believed him so heartily , that he would do nothing but by his advice . the duke was generally complained of , for suffering himself to be managed like a child , by the only man of spain , who as he was a person of the greatest courtship , so he was likewise of the least sincerity . to pursue his project of disgusting the queen mother , the chief minister ordered pensions to be given to several persons who were directly opposite to her ; the duke de villa hermosa , who had got enough in flanders , and the duke of alva , were in this number . the marquess de astorgas was made master of the ordonance , although he was comptroller of the queen's houshold ; and that single place , with the wealth he had heaped up in the kingdom of naples , might very well suffice a man of his age. the chief minister afterwards assigned pensions to the women of the dutchess de medina celi , out of the bolsillo , which is a sort of a privy purse for the king's house , and other private expences . he gratified several of his own domesticks after the same manner , whilst those belonging to the king lay under such great necessities , that they found themselves obliged to quit his service for meer want and poverty . the duke de medina celi gave one proof of his power , which succeeded a great deal better than one could have believed . on the th of n●vember , he married one of his relations , whose name was don augustine henriquez de gusman , a cadet of the house of gusman , very poor , and of little or no merit , to donna laura , only daughter to the duke de montalte , who was but fifteen years old , and so rich , that she was looked upon to be the best match in all spain , as well upon the account of her fathers vast estate , as those of the marquess de los velez , and the count de oropeza , whose fortunes she was to inherit , in case they had no children . this affair was the work of the dutchess de medina celi : don augustine de gusman had waited upon her with so much assiduity , that to recompence his services , she procured this marriage for him . all the world was extreamly surprised at it ; but no body could comprehend upon what considerations the duke de montalte consented to sacrifice his daughter to policy . the marquess de los velez , the count de oropeza , and all the rest of their family were hereupon mightily enraged at the duke de medina celi ; they quitted his interests , which they had hitherto embraced with zeal , and they openly declared , that they would resent so dishonourable an alliance as long as they lived . the count de oropeza made particular complaints against the duke , because he had contributed more than any one to his elevation , and that if he had been minded to have taken advantage of the favourable dispositions his majesty had to him , it is certain , that when don iuan was dead , he might have been made chief minister , notwithstanding he was so young : but as he had a great respect for the duke , he imagined , that if he vigorously assisted him upon so important an occasion , he would always remember him for his services ; and that if he did not govern by himself , he should at least govern by his friend . in this he found both repose and security together , he flattered himself with disposing of favours , and being defended from the aversion of the people . these reflections engaged him to employ all his wit , and all his credit with the king , to declare the duke his chief minister . but for all this obligation , which was transcendent , and for which he was highly indebted to him , he did not act fairly with relation to the daughter of the duke de montalte ; for altho the count de oropeza was her uncle , yet he knew nothing of her marriage . the marchioness de los velez , grand-mother to this young lady , was no better informed of it ; they were married privately without any ceremony , for fear least any one should come to disturb the feast . the king and queen , being willing to divert themselves , went to prado , to hunt there till st. andrews day ; they came back from thence , by reason the queen-mother had a slight indisposition upon her , and they were desirous to visit her every day . about this time don philip vinzani , an able chymist , who came from naples to madrid , with don pedro de arragon , received orders from the chief minister to examine the money , which had been cried down some months before , in order to separate the silver from the brass . it was pretended , that the king by this means , would get six millions of peices of eight , and that he would employ them to send considerable forces to sea ; for the pope was willing , that the money which was to be collected by the bulls of the crusade , should be laid out to equip a fleet , to make war against the corsairs of barbary . at the same time they were apprehensive that the vessels sent to the indies had suffered shipwrack , because they had received advice , that one of them arrived very much shattered at barbadoes , and they could not hear any news of the rest . although it is the custom of spain for the king to dine with the knights of the golden fleece on st. andrew's day , his majesty dispensed with it , to take the diversion of hunting . as he came back from prado , towards the evening , the two queens went out to meet him , and conducted him to the admiral of castile's house , where they had passed the time ever since noon . this nobleman , who was always generous and magnificent , being informed that he was to receive this honour , ordered the basons of several fountains to be encompassed with large silver pots , filled with all manner of victuals , flowers and fruits as the season produced , and the diversity joyned to the order had a very agreeable effect upon the eye . in all the summer-houses which terminated the walks , there were little tables set out with pieces of cristal , agate , cornelian , tapistry of gold and vermilion , having all sorts of things in basons after the same manner as the tables had . he got all sorts of fruit counterfeited , particularly of grapes which hung with their leaves and branches in the grottas , they were composed chiefly of little carbuncles of a pomgranet colour , topazes , and amethysts , and nothing could look finer or prettier . the two queens received a mighty satisfaction at this walk . as soon as the king was arrived , they went into the house , where fifteen ladies and as many cavaliers immediately appeared , drest after the fashion of the country . the ladies came at first in their mantles tabados , that is to say , all their face was covered except one eye . the cavaliers for their part wore their cloaks up to their noses , and their hats over their eyes ; this was a sort of masquerade , and to divert their majesties they talked with their fingers , and by signs for some time , with all the several turns and jestures that are used in this kind of dumb conversation : afterwards the ladies quitted their mantles , and the lords their cloaks , and began to dance a saraband after the moorish fashion , holding one another with taffata skarfs of different colours , and quitting them sometimes to carry flambeaus in their hands . the women wore little caps on their heads , covered with plumes that were raised up on the sides very high . when the saraband was finished , the ladies kissed the queens hand , and the cavaliers the king 's ; their majesties were pleased to declare , that they were extreamly satisfied with this pretty entertainment . the duke de medina celi , and the constable of castile , knowing what honour the king had done the admiral , desired him that he would condescend to come and divert himself at their houses , whither he went along with the two queens . there were comedies there , and artificial fire-works , and a noble collation : they omitted nothing that might testifie their joy upon this occasion , and their acknowledgment of so great a favour . on the second of december the king demanded a supply of mony of all the councils , and a hundred thousand pieces of eight of the council of italy . he proposed to fell some places to raise this summ , because it was impossible to be raised any other way . the king being informed that abundance of people died of several distempers at port st. mary , which were chiefly occasioned by the great scarcity of provisions , told the duke de medina celi , that some way or other must be found out to remedy these miseries , and that he could not endure to hear any more talk of them ; that they had been of a long standing , which made him inclined to believe that all this proceeded from meer negligence . the duke replied that he would not lose one moment to redress them , and that if his life would do the people any good , he was free to sacrifice it . he went home very melancholy , and having retired into his closet with his dutchess , i have a great desire , says he to her , to abandon every thing , i slave and kill my self here with business , and after all meet with nothing but reproaches for my pains . when you have once brought things into a good condition , says she , you may quit them if you please ; but if you leave them at present , all the world will conclude that it is through weakness . she added so many reasons to these , that she made him take courage again , altho' he was mightily dejected . the marquiss de priego , his son-in-law being come to madrid to see him , as he entred the room hit himself a little blow on the temples against the edge of a cabinet , he was immediately seized with a bleeding at the nose , and died of it within a short time after . our ambassador prevailed with the king to give his consent to appoint a judge conservator , whose only business should be to look after all affairs relating to the french nation . the business was decided at last in madrid , in favour of constable colonna , upon the difference he had with the roman knights , subjects to the king of spain , about the priority they pretended to dispute with him in the cavalcade , which is every year performed to present the pope with a white mare , and a common scedule for the kingdom of naples , which the king of spain holds in fief of the holy see. his catholick majesty's council had delay'd to regulate this affair ever since the year . when the roman barons perceived that it was not determined in favour of them , they searched new occasions to get the sentence revoked ; and to succeed in their designs , they united themselves with the heads of the papal families , to write all of them together to madrid about the matter : when the king was told of it , he only answered , what is judged is judged . the marquis de liche , ambassador from spain , at rome fell sick ; he sent immediately for the pope's physician to come to him , and when his friends demanded of him why he chose him before his own , i am so weary of my life , says he , that i purposely send for one , who will soonest kill me , if it were only to please his master . the pope being informed of this answer , sent one of the gentlemen of his chamber to visit him , and ordered him to tell the marquis , that he desired his health as much as he did his absence , and by that he might judge whether he wished his recovery or no. about the beginning of december there was a great earthquake in the province of salerne , as also at naples , and the places about it , nevertheless it did no damage . it was commonly said at madrid , that the queen-mother had engaged the king to nominate cardinal nitard to be vice-roy of naples , and that she hoped in a short time to see her two favorites with her . the cardinal was the first , and the marquiss de valenzuela the second . the marquiss de los velez , who had no desire to quit his place , sent the king ( in order to six himself in his good graces ) a stately coach of admirable sculpture , and embroidered all over most delicately . but although the king had so many fine coaches by him , i never saw him in any of them ; he just cast his eyes upon them , and then they were shut up in a coach-house , where time and the dust absolutely spoiled them ; the king rather loves to ride in great coaches of green linnen waxed over , made after the same fashion with ours , and which a simple citizen of paris would not vouchsafe to go in . the marquiss de los velez sent him likewise some neapolitan horses , but so finely shaped , that nothing certainly ever came near them . few days passed wherein the king and queen did not go a hunting , or else to see a play ; they went to buen retiro to behold some dutchmen skate upon the ice after the fashion of their country . some ladies sent to acquaint the queen that if her majesty would permit them to appear masked , because they had no mind to be known , they would show her better sport than she had hitherto seen . they were told that they might come if they pleased , and immediately they went upon the ice in short petticoats , fine shooes and stockings , and pattins after the dutch manner ; they danced a saraband with castanets to admiration , moving as nimbly as the dance would allow them ; but the ice not being equally thick in all places , broke under one of them , and let her fall into the water , where she had certainly been drowned , if people had not come to her help immediately . having lost her mask by this mischance , they saw she was a ve●y deformed old woman , who was near threescore years old . when the queen was told of it , she smiled and answered , that at that age it was lawful for any one to go masked . the two queens on st. nicholas's day made a present of precious stones to the dutchess d' albuquerque , because it was her birth-day . she offered them in way of return , some curiosities of great value , and particularly a prayer-book to the young queen which was incomparably well painted , with golden clasps , and adorned with diamonds . it being now towards the end of the year , i went ( according to the custom ) to wish her majesty a happy new year , she was drest in a slight stuff of white wool , and had a prodigious quantity of large pearls about her ; she sat near a great vessel full of olive stones , and turning over the leaves of the prayer-book which the dutchess d' albuquerque had given her , did me the honour to shew it me . see , says she , here are henry the fourth , and mary de medicis on their knees , stretching out their arms in their oratory ; it is certain that this book was made for one of them . i was desirous to know by what accident it came into spain , and told her that perhaps queen elizabeth brought it thither . upon this she called for the dutchess d' albuquerque , and asked her how she came by it . the dutchess told her she could not tell , but only that she had received it of her mother . the queen said to me afterwards , are you not surprized to find me drest in white wollen ; 't is a small sort of devotion which the king and i perform , but no body shall know the reason of it . ab madam , reply'd the dutchess de pastrane , we all of us take the liberty to divine . how says the queen , without mistaking ? no , i am not positive said the dutchess . and for you , said she to me , have you guess'd at the true cause ? yes madam , very easily , reply'd i , and all spain joyns its vows with yours . don't you know , says the queen smiling , that this is none of the best places in the world to play the sorceress in , and that we have a horrible inquisition here ? the king entred the room at that moment , so the queen rising up , told him with a chearful air , that she had two sorceresses to shew him ; and that the dutchess de pastrane and i had divined the mystery of her white habit. the king , although in all appearance he seemed to be in a good humour , looked so angrily upon us , and particularly upon my self , whom he knew to be a french-woman , that i made a profound reverence , and went immediately out of the queen's apartment . an order was here published to raise the price of money , which was reduced to a fourth part of its value . although the duke de medina celi was indisposed , yet he did not neglect to inform himself diligently of every thing that happened , and he was not a little troubled to hear that the plague began to rage again at port st. mary . the scarcity and poverty of this country was so extreamly great , that several persons died daily for want. and the duke de medina-cidonia was obliged to send corn from andaluzia thither . the misery was not less at naples . the pope's nuncio , by his holiness's order , summoned the superiours of all the regular houses hither , to oblige them to give the city some relief in corn. they granted two in a hundred of their revenue , and it was hoped that what with this money , and what with the charities they drew from private persons , they would remedy these pressing necessities : but after some time , cardinal caracchioli , arch-bishop of naples , acquainted the marquess de los velez by his vicar general , that the pope would not suffer the tax of two in the hundred to be raised any longer upon the ecclesiastical revenues . thus the vice-roy found himself disappointed in his designs of raising two hundred thousand crowns , which were to be laid out in corn , and likewise a more considerable sum that was to be sent to madrid . to augment the disorder , which was already great enough , the price of gold money diminished daily in the dutchy of bari , which totally hindred all commerce in the greatest part of the kingdom . on the th . of december they made a procession at naples , which is duly performed every year , to thank god for preserving this city from the flames of the mountain vesuvius . the body and blood of st. ianuarius , one of the protectors of naples , was carried about in this procession . the king was troubled with an ague for a few days towards the beginning of ianuary . it is impossible for any one to show the assiduity that the young queen made appear during the little time his indisposition lasted . two comedies were acted at court to divert his majesty after his recovery . on one of these days , the king having prohibited all persons , without exception , to sit upon the theatre ; the duke d'ossone placed himself there upon a heap of cushions , and would not depart . the king took no notice of it during the play , but as soon as it was over , he sent an order to him , to come no more to council or to court. he was not in the least pitied , since he had voluntarily drawn this misfortune upon himself , and because it was necessary to mortifie him a little . but what principally occasioned the king's severity , is , that he had observed in his journey to the escurial , that the duke , who was master of the horse to the queen , did not follow the court thither . a little after his return , he sent him word , that he expected him to wait more diligently for the future ; the duke took no notice of this advice , and as he was one of the haughtiest men in the world , affected a certain negligence in the discharge of his office , which obliged the king to acquaint him by a note from the secretary of state , that if he did not behave himself better for the time to come , he would dispose of his place to some body else . he might easily have judged from this , that the king had his eye fixed upon him , and at least ought to have taken care of himself for some time , but his natural haughtiness would not suffer him to comply with this constraint . the duke de medina celi did not pass all his moments with content ; he was envied for the high post he enjoyed , and d'eguya was mortally hated : both of them had powerful enemies , and amongst these were reckoned the duke de veraguas , the duke de pastrane and his two brothers , the admiral of castile , the prince de stillano , the count de monterey , the count d'oropeza , and the marquess de mansera . they frequently met together , and made severe reflections upon the unequal conduct of the duke de medina-celi ; they observed that he was too irresolute when there was an occasion for constancy ; too lazy , when he ought to be diligent ; and too positive , when he was justly and reasonably opposed . they examined the present state of the kingdom , the misery of the people , and the little appearances there were that he would redress them . they proposed expedients to remedy all these grievances , and likewise to prevent those that might happen ; but as it was not the publick good alone that made them thus inquisitive , but their private interest animated them , they took all of them different measures to attain the particular ends they proposed to themselves . it is true indeed , they all concurred in the destruction of the chief minister , but when he was removed out of the way , every one was desirous to make the best advantages of it for himself ; and thus this narrow spirit of self-interest which was so predominant in their cabals , hindred them from uniting with that sincerity , that makes great affairs succeed happily . amongst these noblemen the admiral was most forward to desire an alteration : he had not forgot the sweetness he had tasted in that short interval , when the marquess de valenzuela was the queen-mother's favourite : the remembrance of that golden time made him desirous of another like it ; for though he was a person of a great estate , yet his expences were so extraordinary , that if he had been a great deal richer , he would have been always in debt . he desired therefore to contribute what in him lay to the setting up of another minister , in order to find his accounts in it ; not that he designed to heap up any money , but to throw it out of the windows , and squander it away , if he could but get enough to serve so . he carefully look'd about him to find out a fit and capable person to be advanced to this honour ; and at last , the count d' oropeza seemed to be the most proper to accomplish his designs : for he did not doubt but that those particular marks of esteem his majesty always shewed him , would have their effect , in case he were supported by a powerful party . on the other hand , the count de monterey , who wanted neither youth , wit , nor ambition , whose whole deportment was agreeable and court-like , who had been concerned in the management of several affairs , who was laborious and vigilant , took only resolute and secret persons into his party . he had the justest occasions in the world to be displeased with the duke de medina celi , and don geronimo d' eguya his mortal enemy had done him a great deal of wrong before the king. he had painted the action and character of this count in such black colours , that the young queen designing to do him some good offices , and speaking very advantageously of him to his majesty , he told her , that monterey might reckon himself happy enough , that he wore his head upon his shoulders still . the count was sensibly disgusted to see the duke de villa hermosa , who had been governour of flanders after him , and who had even served under his orders , made counsellor of state at his arrival at madrid , and himself consequently excluded after so disobliging a manner . besides this , he saw that the marquess de liche , his brother was detained at rome against his will , although he daily petitioned to be called home . this gave the count a new occasion to complain , and made him sensible of the ill dispositions they had at court to his brother and himself . the marchioness de liche , who was beautiful and young , threw her self frequently at the king's feet , to demand of him the return of her husband , who was continually indisposed at rome , whether it were because the air did not agree with him , or that his uneasiness to be kept there by force , contributed to destroy his health . what makes the case harder , is , that she did not request to have him come back to madrid , but only that he might have permission to live in any of his majesty's dominions . the greater part of the councellors of state were agreed in favour of the marchioness , and her prayers had certainly met with success , if the enemies of the marquess de liche had not taken all opportunities to confirm the king in the opinion he had already of him , that he was a man of the most incurable ill temper in the world , and that it was not possible for him to permit him to come home , without hazarding the peace of all the court. we may therefore easily apprehend , that the count de monterey had reason enough to be angry with the duke de medina-celi and d' eguya ; and his resentments as well as his ambition made him passionately wish to see another in the place , that he might effectually revenge himself upon the duke , whom he hated , and might have access enough to the new favourite , to be able through his means to be introduced into the council of state , and push on his own fortune . he imagined himself capable of doing it by his merits and good management ; but although he might with justice aspire to the most high and difficult posts , he was obliged to conceal his desires and intentions , because he found people's eyes were still upon him , and that several who made a solemn profession to be his friends , served only as so many spies to watch him . this consideration prevailed with him to put that restraint upon himself , as to live in a sort of retirement , and that with so much circumspection , as to discover his designs almost to no body . nay , he affected to visit the duke de medina celi , and having found him one day more easie of access than was usual with him , he freely declared to him , that it was not without the greatest impatience that he beheld the preference the duke de villa hermosa met with , to be made privy-counsellor , and himself excluded . the duke answered him , that he might expect his turn one day , and upon this shewed him some civility , which perswaded the count to believe , that he had now perhaps a greater kindness for him than formerly . this reason engaged him to make his court regularly to him , and to devote himself to him , at least in appearance . the duke de veraguas , sensible of the affront he had received in losing the vice-roy-ship of valentia , had no other motive to induce him to think of the removal of the chief minister , but only an expectation that he who succeeded him in that place , would do him more justice , than the duke de medina celi had done : for although the duke de veraguas was descended of an illustrious family , as being of the house of portugal , and that besides his youth , he had a great deal of merit and capacity , yet whatever importunities he made at court to be restored to his vice-roy-ship again , he was not able to obtain it . he had received absolution privately from the apostolick nuncio for having ordered the monk to be executed , who had quitted his habit , and was made captain of the banditti . it was believed , that having now appeased the pope , this would facilitate his re-establishment ; he daily presented his petitions to the council , he demanded of them , that if he were a criminal , they would treat him as such , that his tryal might come on , and that his head might answer for the faults he had committed ; but that if after a strict examination of his conduct , they found he had served his majesty well , they would not deny him the justice that is allowed to the meanest souldier . his trouble and his requests were always equally unsuccessful , he found them perverse and prejudiced against him ; and so by this ill usage they obliged him to joyn with the male-contents . as for the duke de pastrane , he had not in the least been ill used at court , however he thought it sufficient ill treatment to be left without an employ . his wife , who was sister to the marquess de liche and the count de monterey , being provoked at what indignities those of her family had suffered , perswaded him to use all his efforts to get a new ministery established . the duke de pastrane voluntarily espoused this party , and his two brothers , whom he had made acquainted with the design , were resolved not to separate their interests from his ; one of them was named don gaspar , the other don ioseph de silva ; the last of these had a very great share in the king's affections , and his place of chief gentleman-usher procured him a great esteem and approbation . he had married the daughter of the marquess de mansera : but these three noblemen were guilty of a great solecism in this affair ; for they communicated the matter to don sebastian bibanco , secretary of the chamber , out of a presumption that he was of the same opinion with themselves , but herein they were mistaken ; for he was ●●finitely more devoted to the chief minister ●●an to them , and consequently no sooner knew any thing of importance , but he immediately discovered it to him . the marquess de mansera , grand master of the queen-mother's houshold , and her creature , desired for her sake as well as his own , to see the government molded into another form . he was a man well advanced in years , whose merit and experience might with justice prompt him to believe that he was fit to possess whatever place they would assign him in the ministry . he desired a iuncto to be erected , that he might be chosen a member of it : but knowing that his zeal for the queen-mother rendred him strongly suspected , and that he ran an extraordinary hazard if he appeared for himself , he judged it expedient to employ the marquess de grana , who was his brother-in-law and confident . so he discoursed him about the matter , and possessed him with a desire to take all necessary measures to effect it . the other having nothing to fear by reason of his quality of being ambassador , laboured very diligently in the affair , while the marquess de mansera expressed but a small concern for whatever happened at court , unless it were for the marquess grana's endeavours to contribute to his advancement . he seemed to be of opinion , that for the interests of the emperour his master , he was obliged to procure the prosperity of spain , which languished under an extream misery that extended it self farther than the limits of that kingdom : that it was impossible for the king to second the emperour in any of his designs , as long as the members of that great body were declining , and continued under the ill effects of a consumption , that made them utterly incapable of action ; that it was to no purpose to make any proposals to the ministers , because whatever they promised him was never executed . all these motives joyned together , excited him to make all possible advances to convince the duke of the necessity he lay under to erect a juncto . besides this he considered that the marquess de mansera wou'd not fail of making one of that number ; that he would manage himself in the council according to the directions he gave him , and that this would be the easiest way for him to succeed in all his enterprizes . he imagin'd that the best policy he could use to accomplish these designs , would be to use none at all , and so he addressed himself immediately to the duke de medina celi . he began with commending his zeal , his industry and pains , and afterwards passing into a more strict examination of every thing , he was desirous to make him comprehend , that the affairs of this monarchy were reduced to their last period , unless he took sure and ready methods to remedy them ; that he made a slave of himself in vain , since it was not possible for one single man to sustain ( like another atlas ) the weight of so many kingdoms ; that don louis de haro at a conjuncture of less difficulty , had composed a iuncto for his own ease , and herein followed the example of several great ministers who preceded him ; that a iuncto would serve to determine matters under the authority of the chief minister , to whom they would carry every thing almost digested in his hand , and that by this means business would go on cheerfully and speedily ; that at the present time , whatever good resolutions were taken , yet they continued without effect by reason of the general perplexity , which rendred those things difficult that appeared to be very easie ; that he ought to consider , that the most accomplished genius in the world , without great presumption , could never promise himself to move so ponderous a machine all alone , and that he therefore counselled him to take some seconds , of experience and ability sufficient , to make him repose one part of his affairs upon them . the chief minister relished these reasons of the marquiss de grana , promising to weigh the matter with deliberation , and afterwards if he saw good , to determine himself by the advice he had given him . this gave the ambassador good hopes , that his visit would meet with happy success ; and as he was a person of a great deal of wit , who knew how to set off any thing to the best advantage , and show it by the best lights , so he did not question but the duke de medina celi would lay hold of the expedients he had discovered to him ; but the chief minister had the weakness to discourse d' eguya about them ; who did not lose one moment to disswade him from this resolution . he represented to him , that if he composed a iuncto he went to give himself so many tutors ; that then he could decide nothing but in concert with them ; that he would find himself joyned with noblemen who were led by their own passions , blinded with their own interests , still pursuing their own ends , and turning every matter to their own private advantage ; that notwithstanding all this , he only must resolve to bear the brunt of all , and that every body having their eyes fixed upon him would pursue all his motions step by step ; that if any difficult juncture , any misfortune , or unexpected accident should happen , he alone must incur the reproach of it ; that the iuncto would never be called in question for ill events , but that they would all lye at the chief minister's door ; that it was very just and natural to think , that if he alone was responsible for all miscarriages , that then he alone deserved to enjoy the grandeur and advantages that are annexed to this place . he turned the duke's inclinations so happily by these reasons , that he resolved to follow them , notwithstanding the advice that was given him to the contrary ; so that when the marquess came to him with expectations to find him continue still in the same sentiments , and ready to put them in execution , he perceived that he was stedfast and inflexible in the other opinion , and that all the avenues to him were shut up and hindred . in the mean time the lords who had associated together to make a league against the duke , continued to assemble in private , and to debate of the expedients that were to be taken to convince the king of the necessity there was to chose another minister , or at least to erect a juncto ; but the greatest part of their time was generally spent in making long political discourses , and these same politicks hindered them so , that none of them offered to put himself at the head of the party . when the question was about setting up a chief , every one stood looking upon his neighbour ; they wanted that amity and confidence in one another which is necessary to cement these designs , and he that merited the greatest esteem , was sure to find the least friendship from the rest . envy reigned amongst them , sincerity was not observed ; and when their society was examined , there was nothing but vanity and weakness to be found at the bottom . amongst those who were most sensible of the ill management that was to be found in this cabal , the admiral of castile was one of the first . he easily discovered all the defects of the party , and found it was non sense to be longer engaged in it , since the bow was not drawn high enough to send the arrow to the butt . he was assured that the design would be discovered , and that then he should find himself very finely ruined ; that supposing it succeeded , and a juncto was set up , the marquess de liche would in all probability be made a member of it , and for his part rather than that should happen , he would chuse to go to hell , because he bore such an implacable hatred to him . this only idea , that now he contributed to procure an advantage for the marquess , turned his inclinations absolutely from the society into which he was entred ; in fine , after abundance of reflexions he totally abandoned it , and several people were strongly perswaded that he was not content to quit it , but that he went to the king , and acquainted him with the least particulars of what had passed there ; nay , that he gave the same advice to the duke de medina celi . the first victim the duke sacrificed to his resentments , was the count de monterey whether it were because his indignation was the more violent against him by reason of the friendship he always pretended to him , and now had violated ; or because he feared him more than any of the rest : so that notwithstanding the great security he imagined himself to be in for his circumspect conduct , the president of castile sent him word , that he had something to say to him , and therefore must see him that evening at court , ( for it must be observed by the way , that the presidents of castile never go to make any visits . ) the count was very glad to have this opportunity to discourse him , having some affairs to speak with him about , wherein he was concerned . but his joy lasted but a short time , for the president gave him an order contained in a billet from the king , and signed by don geronimo d' eguya , wherein it was specified that he must instantly retire to one of his country houses . he continued surprized for some time , and told the president that he was ready to obey it ; but that being a grandee of spain , he demanded an order signed by the king 's own hand , since it was the custom ; and that while he tarried for it , he would go to put his affairs in order . in short , he returned to his own house extreamly concerned , and got his equipage made ready , not at all doubting but that the order would be sent suddenly to him . he received it next day , which was the th of ianuary , accompanied with a permission to tarry three days longer in madrid . he passed them there amongst some of his friends , and afterwards parted for salamanca . few people pittied his case , because he was generally envied ; and when fortune leaves a man , few of his friends have generosity enough to declare themselves in favour of him , or to espouse his cause . he was the first person whom the duke de medina celi treated ill , and 't is believed he had not made him serve as an example for the rest , if d' eguya by his violent courses had not sowred that peaceable and sweet disposition that was so natural to the chief minister ; for he advised him to punish the count immediately , to be a warning to others ; and he was banished rather because he was not agreeable to d' eguya , and had too much merit , than because he was an enemy to the duke . the queen-mother secretly rejoyced at it , but could not so well conceal her satisfaction , but that it was evidently perceived . the count had quitted her party in iuan's time , and 't is very well known that he had several pressing obligations upon him to have used her after another manner ; for if he had been willing to have made the best advantage of his fortune , she had preferred him to valenzuela , and intrusted him with the management of her affairs . he had at least as many good qualities as the other could pretend to , and was of an illustrious extraction , but being a young man he neglected the advances the queen-mother made towards him . a certain person who knew the whole proceedings very well , told me that father nitard was scarce gone out of spain when she began to cast her eyes upon him intending to honour him with her confidence . on the festival of st. isidore , who is the patron of madrid , and on which day a bull-feast was celebrated at the expence of the city , the queen-mother asked the count whether he designed to combat the bulls , he told her no , unless her majesty would be pleased to order him . no , says she , i will by no means command you to do it , but is there ne'er a lady here in court , who has laid any such commands upon you ? if any of them had , reply'd he , your majesty may well imagine that i would not fail to give her this mark of my obedience . the queen cryed out jesus , jesus , count ! will you expose your life thus ? a few days after this she let a paper drop out of her hands as he was giving her an account of some affairs she had intrusted him with , he took it up , and kneeling upon one knee , presented it to her . perhaps , says the queen , you believe it is a paper of importance , come i 'll leave you to judge of that your self , open it . the count found the following words there . estoy toda la noche despierta sola , triste , y deseando : mis penas son martirios , mis martirios son gustos . that is to say , i pass all the night without sleeping , alone , pensive , and forming desires to my self : my pain is a martyrdom , but my martyrdom is a pleasure . the count read these words with so careless an air , that the queen who observed it , snatched the paper out of his hand , and said to him , go you insensible , and say your domine non sum dignus . the count was sensible of his fault , and indeavoured to repair it , but it succeeded a great deal worse with him . the queen-mother did not doubt but that he had some other engagement which he preferr'd to his fortune ; she informed her self of his conduct , and at last knew that he was desperately in love with the dutchess de monteleon . this was a young widow , beautiful and agreeable , but the queen prohibited her to come to court. the dutchess de terra nova her mother , was extreamly disgusted at it , and this was the occasion why she disengaged her self from the interests of the queen-mother , and joyned with iuan's faction . in the mean time the queen continued still enraged at the procedure of the count de monterey ; so that passing from the extremity of love to that of hatred , she gave him , during the remainder of her regency , all the mortifications she could think of . most people were displeased with the admiral of castile , and call him nothing but false brother , and false friend . nevertheless he would have it received for a certain truth , that he never had any intention to make the least discoveries , but that the king having sent for him , told him , that upon condition he would deal fairly and honestly by him , he would forgive him ; whereas on the contrary , if he went about to excuse himself , he was certainly undone ; that he knew every thing that had passed , even to the least circumstance , that the declaration he demanded of him was rather to know his heart , than to draw any new lights from him ; that when he would have denied every thing , the king prest him more earnestly than before ; so that upon that score he resolved to discover what related personally to himself , but that he had avoided as much as was possible to speak of his friends . to say the truth , whether he really excused the prince de stillano , or the court looked upon him to have made but an inconsiderable figure amongst the party , the chief minister did not make him feel the effects of his indignation . it is indeed as certain , that his punishment preceded his fault , and that having already lost his place of being president of the council of flanders , which was bestowed upon the count de monterey , he had some justice on his side to expect that they would suffer him to live in quiet . the banishment of the count de monterey so terribly affrighted the duke de pastrane his brother-in-law , that he thought of nothing else but how to get handsomly out of the intrigue : he follow'd the admiral 's steps , that is to say , he readily discovered whatever he knew of this affair , that he might better perswade the king of his sincerity and repentance . secretary vibaneo , to whom he opened himself , had already discovered the whole contrivance ; but in fine , he came soon enough to be favourably received ; his two brothers , who were concerned in the same cabal , imitated his example in reconciling themselves to the duke de medina celi , and they seemed in all appearance to embrace his interests with greater zeal than any of his best and oldest friends . nevertheless the duke de pastrane and his two brothers could not forbear to be a little troubled , for being looked upon by the world as timerous persons , who had only made these discoveries out of weakness and irresolution : this reason obliged them to use all imaginable means to make it be believed that they had told the king nothing ; but that having had the misfortune to communicate their designs to vibanco , he had sacrificed his friendship to make his court at their expence ; that the king had him ready to produce as a witness against them , that he had severely threatned them , and affixed their pardon only to their sincerity ; that they could not possibly avoid the doing of this at a juncture when they should otherwise have destroyed themselves without saving any body else ; and that if it had not been for these unhappy circumstances , they had never been capable of doing this injury to their friends . people hearkned to them , but gave no credit to their words ; nay , several of their friends reproached them very frankly for shewing so little courage and constancy upon this occasion . perhaps the duke de veraguas had escaped as well as the prince de stillano , and the loss of his vice-roy-ship had prevented the punishment they pretended he deserved , for joyning himself to a party against the chief minister : but he was impatient to be restored to his former dignity , and continually demanded justice at their hands ; he filled all his petitions with complaints , and loudly vented them against the duke de medina celi ; besides this , he earnestly importuned the king to assign him some judges , before whom he might justifie his conduct in condemning the relapsed monk , who had betaken himself to the banditti . so at last he was sent to the council of arragon , where he demanded to be re-established , as a piece of justice that could not be denied him , and pursued this affair with all possible vigour and heat : but on the third of february he received an order to withdraw presently to his estate in andaluzia . he begged leave to go to any other place , because the plague raged violently in that province ; but it was refused him , and he had only eight hours to prepare for his departure . one may say , it was only the ill fortune of the duke de veraguas that procured him all the ill usage he met upon the account of his vice-roy-ship : for it is a certain truth , that if there were a law to treat all people after the same manner who fail in their duty , abundance of persons had been severely punished , who were now gratified and encouraged for their pains : but his majesty was so exceedingly prejudiced against him , that one evening when the queen was demanding of him , whether it were true , that the duke de veraguas was banished : he answered , yes , and that all those should be treated in the same kind , who talked impertinently . this was sufficient to make the queen know how his inclinations stood , and as she was very prudent , she took care to change the discourse immediately . it was now sensibly perceived at court , that the duke de medina celi , and don geronimo d' eguya opposed the queen-mother in every thing , but the true occasion was not positively known . one day when the marchioness de mortare came to visit us , we spoke to her concerning it ; and as she was particularly informed of the whole matter , and reposed a greater confidence in us than in the spaniards , because we had no interests to take in this affair ; she acquainted us , that some time before the king went to the escurial , d' eguya going to find out the queen-mother , to shew her a certain letter which the marquess de liche , ambassador at rome , had sent to the king : when he was come into her closet , looked for it in his letter-bag to no purpose . he then remembred himself , that he had lock'd it up in his scritore , where he had several other papers , which he had no mind any body should see ; and sent a little page for it , who could not read . the poor boy took the first letter he found there , and wrapped it up in a sheet of white paper , as he had every day seen his master do the same , when he carried his expeditions to the king. don geronimo d' eguya tarried all this while with the queen-mother , and as soon as the boy brought him the letter , without taking it out of the paper , delivered it to her . it was now towards evening , and the queen went to the window to read it more conveniently : she was immediately surprized to find it was not the marquess liche's hand , but that of donna lucinda bucados ( who was of the house de barcelona ) one of her maids of honour , who was a very beautiful lady , and extreamly lov'd by d' eguya . the letter was writ with a great deal of freedom , and signified to him , that he had no reason to apprehend that the queen her mistress would censure their amours . she gave him several reasons for it , that highly reflected on the queen's reputation . after she had read it over , she imposed that constraint upon her self , as to conceal her indignation for that time , and only told d' eguya , that she must discourse the king about what the ambassador had written to him . as soon as he was gone , she sent for donna lucinda , and after she had reproached her for her ingratitude and impudence , she caused her to be privately locked up in a little chamber well grated and barred up , and kept the key of it her self . here the unfortunate lucinda was forced to lye upon a sorry matt , having nothing but bread and water to sustain her , and the queen-mother frequently ordered her to undergo the penance of a discipline . they told those that enquired after her , that she was sick of the small pox , that the queen had ordered her to be removed out of the palace , and that she was dangerously ill . don geronimo d' eguya believed the news , and was almost desperate for two days ; but having opened his scritore to take out something or other , he was exceedingly surprised to find the marquess liche's letter there , which he thought he had left in the hands of the queen-mother : he searched immediately for that of donna lucinda , and not finding it , he soon concluded where the fatal error was committed ; so he ran in all hast to the queen-mother's apartment , cast himself at her feet , conjured her to forgive lucinda , to consider her youth , her birth , and the humble tender intreaties he made in her behalf , but he found the queen inflexible . seeing at last that he was not able to move her , he told her , he knew a way how to revenge himself upon her . she asked him what it was ? he replied , that he would hinder valenzuela from ever coming back again ; and that she should behold him no more . the queen very much enraged at this answer , told him , that she was sensible enough of the ill will he bore her , but that she did not fear the effects of it ; that it was a long time since she had lost valenzuela , who was indeed one of the best servants she ever had , but that she was now accustomed to bear his absence . afterwards she added these words , looking earnestly upon him , i would advise you for your own sake to hinder his return , for if ever he comes to know that such a fellow as you had the boldness to displease me , he would tear you in pieces , as a lion does a she-goat . d' eguya possessed with rage , took the first favourable opportunity to speak to the king in prejudice of valenzuela ; he represented to him , that he was a bold intriguing man ; that if the queen had him with her , they two would raise factions together , in which they would engage all the turbulent spirits in the kingdom ; that by this means they would disturb the tranquillity he now enjoyed ; that the queen still regretted the time and authority of the regency ; that it was dangerous to sh●w favours to any of those persons who had been her creatures of old . in a word , he so well managed the king upon this occasion , that he bid him issue out an order , such as he judged convenient , to hinder the coming back of the unfortunate valenzuela ; d'eguya lost no time about it , and the substance of the order was , that if they met him upon the sea in his return to spain , they should take him out of the vessel where he was , and re-embark him in that which brought the order , and so carry him to cartagne in the west-indies . the queen-mother for her part sent away donna lucinda in private , with orders to ship her at the groyn , and to transport her to flanders , where she had sent word to prince alexander of parma , to get her shut up in a nunnery . but don geronimo d' eguya having found means to acquaint himself of what had hapned , dispatched an order of the chief minister to the groyne , to bring donna lucinda back to one of her relations , who had agreed to take care of her . the duke de medina celi espoused d'eguya's side in this dispute with a mighty heat . the affair blew over at court without any noise or bustle ; as for the queen mother she spoke nothing at all of it , because it had then been necessary to produce lucinda's letter , which was by no means convenient to be shown , for the several fierce and disrespectful things contained in it . on the other hand , d eguya had no temptation to speak of it , for being secretary of state , and under an obligation to preserve his spanish gravity , he was not willing to discover his amorous weaknesses to the world. d'eguya , who was the sole cause of the ill understanding between the queen-motherand the duke de medina celi , used all his endeavours to increase it still , and in order to accomplish his designs , alarmed the duke perpetually with all that he had reason to apprehend from the resentments and indignation of that princess . what he whispered to him , served to exasperate the chief minister more and more against her , and this made him keep a fair correspondence with her no longer . he considered with himself , that he stood firm in the king's affection , and that the father confessor and d' eguya , who had more frequent occasions to discourse his majesty than he had , would take care to confirm him in all the favourable dispositions he had for the duke . this triumvirate began at the same time to sow the seeds of discord between the king and the queen-mother . no body durst acquaint the king with the reasons that inclined them to act so violently , they had seen after what manner the chief minister had treated those persons who were not of his side , and they had no mind to draw down his anger upon themselves . the great officers belonging to the king's houshold seemed to depend intirely upon him ; the gentlemen of the chamber , who waited every day in their turn , pay'd a no less abject submission to the favourite , and those who had sincerity enough to speak , considering the injury they might hereby do themselves , left the province of better informing the king to some body else who had more zeal , and less policy : so that the duke de medina celi , d'eguya , and the confessor , finding a clear field , gave his majesty what ill impressions they pleased , in relation to the queen-mother ; they assured him that nothing in the world could make her forget the troubles and ill usage she had found when don iuan governed all ; that although she had reason enough to believe that when that minister treated her so rudely , he acted only by himself ; yet it was certainly true that all was done under the name and authority of the king ; that therefore she would always remember , it was he that abetted the persecution she had suffered ; and that he ought to consider , that it was by no means safe to repose any confidence in a reconciled enemy . the natural goodness of the king , and the respect he had for the queen his mother , hindered him from being absolutely influenced by the pernicious counsels they gave him ; however they prevailed so far upon him as to render him jealous , and consequently cold and reserved to her ; she easily perceived it , and was well informed of all their designs , but whether she judged it was by no means a proper time to endeavour the destruction of her enemies , or whether she had some other reasons to disswade her from attempting it , she did not move at all in that affair , and a short time after she never went out of her palace but only to make visits of common decency to the king and queen . the chief minister , the father confessor , and d'eguya applauded one onother for having removed the queen-mother from all share in the administration of affairs ; but fearing lest the young queen might become serviceable to her in this conjuncture , they found it convenient to render the queen-mother suspected to her . they took a very odd way to effect it , but one that served their turn as well as any ; that is to say , they began to inspire the king with a dislike of the queen's conduct , wherein they made him observe abundance of inconsiderable slight things , which they interpreted to him with so much the more malignity , because the queen acting without any reserve , as all persons of sincerity use to do , never restrained her own natural temper . sometimes the king expressed to her some dissatisfaction at it , and this afflicted her extreamly , but while she looked about her to find out who those persons were that did her these ill offices , some of the duke's confidents gave her to understand that all this came from the queen-mother , who seeing she had no children , endeavoured to render the king indifferent to her , that so she might arrive to what she so earnestly desired , which was to see the arch dutchess queen of spain . the young queen found some appearances of truth in what they told her , and this threw her into a dejection of mind , that really made her an object of compassion . another affliction was joyned to this , and contributed to augment her grief , and that was to see the little credit she had to obtain what ever she desired . for although the chief minister had promised to be always devoted to her service , and she had accepted of the dutchess d' albuquerque chiefly upon his recommendation , yet he seemed not at all to be sensible of it , and never obliged her in any tolerable manner . it was to no purpose that she begged any favour of the king , and it was to as little purpose that his majesty granted them ; for he no sooner spoke to the duke about them , but the duke disswaded him from doing what the queen desired ; in such manner , that if she requested any thing it was sufficient for her to rest assured that she should lose the fruit of her prayers . the queen who had a great deal of wit and penetration , and who knew what obstacles the chief minister always laid in her way , could not forbear to speak to the king about him in a most pressing earnest manner , which intimated to him his unaccountable fondness for the chief minister , and sometimes she closed the discourse with a particular detail of the disorders which were to be found in all affairs by reason of the duke 's insufferable negligence . the king gave d'eguya an account of what the queen told him , d'eguya carried all to the duke to make his court by it , and this still occasioned fresh complaints on one side and t'other . the young queen by this means compleatly lost that little interest she had in the chief minister , and sometimes could not tell what measures she ought to take to strengthen and support her own authority . the queen was considering with her self what the occasion might be that made the duke de medina celi neglect to give her that deference he was obliged to pay her for so many reasons ; and the duke being informed that the queen's resentments against him daily increased , made use of the marquess astorgas's confessor to tell him who belonged to the queen , that her majesty made a wrong judgment of his inclinations ; that he should always be ready to give her all imaginable testimonies of his respect and fidelity , but that it was an ungrateful displeasing sight to him to see her majesty shew such particular favours to persons directly opposite to him , amongst whom he reckoned the marchioness de liche , the countess de monterey , the princess de stillano , the dutchess d'ossone , the marchioness de los velez , the dutchess de l'infantado , and some others : that if she would be pleased to remove those ladies , or at least not entertain them with such evident distinctions of kindness , he should receive it with a most sensible acknowledgment , and omit no opportunity to give her all the proofs of gratitude he was capable of . he added , that without consulting his particular interests in this , he was obliged to acquaint her majesty , as being her servant , that it was not the custom of spain for the ladies to have such free access into the queens apartment , and that generally they were introduced by the camerara major only . the queen listned to this advice the chief minister sent her , but had no inclinations to follow it , because she found he designed to subject her intirely to the dutchess d' albuquerque after the same manner as she had been to the dutchess de terra nova . she knew that in all the differences he had with the queen-mother the camerara major always declared for him , that she embraced his interests with more zeal than her own , and that she had clearly forgotten all that the queen-mother had done for her to advance her to this place . the queen had no desire to throw her self again into a captivity , from which she had lately got her self delivered with so much difficulty . thus she was content to examine the motives which made them set so many intreagues on foot , but had no mind to be the victim . the duke had so pressing a desire to possess the sole affections of his master , that he could never forgive those persons who were in a capacity to become his rivals ; and he added a certain air of sincerity to his words , whenever he spoke ill of any one , that the king was really perswaded he had no private by-ends in doing it : his relations , nay , even his friends had no more priviledges than others , who were indifferent to him . the duke was believed , because he always passed for an honest gentleman ; but one ought to have a great fund of vertue , not to be corrupted when he becomes a favourite . he represented to the king , all those that came near his person , as so many secret enemies and domestick spies , who had neither zeal nor affection for him : and these impressions wrought so far upon the king's spirit , that he was scarce ever able to wear them off . the duke not only did ill offices to those that belonged to the king's houshold , but he extended his malice to all those who were able to maintain any intelligence between the queen and the queen-mother . he was perswaded , that the ambassador of france and his lady , contributed to it all that lay in their power ; and this made him conceive an aversion for them both : he spoke of them daily to the king , after a very disobliging manner , and laid several things to their charge wherein they were not concerned . this made the king so mightily displeased with them , that he could not forbear to tell the queen one day , as they accidentally talked of the marquess de villars , that he had poysoned all the court , and that he would rather chuse to have an open war with france , than such an ambassador at madrid . he after this let fall some reflecting words against the ambassador's lady , which sufficiently testified what strange thoughts he had of her , although we may safely say , that neither she nor her husband deserved it . but the reason why the chief minister was so provok'd against them , was , because he was well informed , that the prince de stillano , the count de monterey , the duke de veraguas , the admiral of castile , and some others , had seen him in private , and communicated to him their designs against him , to which he was to contribute something on his side , by getting the q●een to support the project . but suppose the ambassador really knew of their intentions , this is no good consequence , that he was willing to second them ; and indeed there is little probability to believe it , because the ambassador had no reason to desire the removal of the chief minister ; and the duke's abilities were not so formidable , that the court of france had any occasion to be apprehensive of him . while the court at madrid was thus divided about the little intrigues i have mentioned , the people continued to cry out and complain of their grievances , because no care was taken to redress them . it was now a full year since the duke de medina celi had been made chief minister , and it was hoped that he would have taken all necessary measures in a matter so pressing and important , as was the easing of the people ; but he so far forgot his duty , that every thing went worse and worse still ; and indeed the least inconveniencies sensibly improve in their malignity , when they are neglected . the lessening the value of the copper-money had occasioned a great disorder : 't is true indeed it might have been managed to the publick advantage , but they took such wrong measures in the regulation , that it became a most horrible oppression ; for the species of gold and silver being thus reduced to one half of its just value , forreigners took such hold of this opportunity , that they exported prodigious sums out of the kingdom . besides this , the price of segovia wooll , which is an excellent commodity , and brings a mighty profit to those that deal in it , rose in proportion to the abatement of the money ; so that no body would buy it , unless they would sink the price : and things being in this condition , then at last came the crying down of the money , and this totally compleated and ratified their misery . there was computed to be of it to the value of six millions of crowns . the king did not at all take them off , although he had promised by his edict , to pay the full value of the metal , to those who brought them into the offices appointed to receive them . so all this money lay absolutely dead : and it is no easie ' matter to express the loss which the bankers , the merchants , the king's farmers , and almost every private man suffered by this decrying of it down . forreigners were the only men that made advantage of this general misfortune of spain : they bought this copper money , that was mixt with a good allay of silver , for very little , and sent it to genoa , to portugal , and other places . the council very well knew the prejudice the kingdom received by it , and assembled several times to find out an expedient to put a stop to it : there were some undertakers , that offered to treat for all of it , and separate the silver from the copper ; and , as i said before , don philip vinzani , was made choice of in this affair ; but he had not been preferred before others , if it had not been for the credit of don pedro de arragon . this man owed him great sums of money , and had been twice bankrupt , and was just upon the point of breaking the third time ; so he was desirous to introduce him into some great business , that he might by this means enrich himself , and be in a capacity of paying his debts : but this project did not succeed , because so great a quantity of this money was already carried out of the kingdom , and the separating of the allay was so difficult a matter . these losses were the cause that abundance of persons of great quality found themselves under a necessity of selling their plate and jewels . 't is true , there is so much both of the one and the other at madrid , that it cannot well fail in a long time . what made several private men suffer the more , was , that the rents of the town-hall , which were reduced from eight to five in the hundred , were not now paid at all , because the corregidors and regidors , who were concerned in the payment of it , were such great villains , that although the city was sufficiently harassed with customs , taxes , and heavy duties , before these people had drained it as long as they pleased , and that they had put some small inconsiderable matter of it into the king's coffers , there was nothing left more out of so many imposts , and yet they were not levied for the greatest part , but under the pretence of satisfying the rents of the town-hall . but how was it possible to put things , as they now stood , into a better order ? it was resolved , that there should not be above four regidors ; there had been more than fifty , and their places were worth sixty thousand crowns . it is certain , that before they could reimburse themselves of such a sum , they must be guilty of great extortion and cheating . an order was sent from madrid to all the ports to publish reprisals in favour of the subjects of the king of spain , upon the vessels belonging to the elector of brandenburgh . i have already spoke of the vessel which that elector's subjects had taken away from his catholick majesty . the elector had allowed three months to redeem her , but they were not in a condition to do it . the ambassadors of england and holland laboured to accommodate the businesss with no success , because the elector declared he would be paid his eight hundred thousand crowns that were due to him , and he would restore nothing but upon that condition . and therefore the court would rather suffer him to enjoy his prize : however , to save the honour of spain , the ministers pretended that the king would have his vessel restored before he would do any thing , and that he refused to hearken to any other proposal , till that were executed . the queen-mother , who seldom stirred abroad , and who lived a very melancholy life at her palace , invited the young queen one day to dinner , when the king was gone out a hunting : they afterwards shut themselves up in the queen-mother's great closet , and ( as she told the marchioness de mortare , from whom i afterwards had the story ) they began to weep , and embrace one another very tenderly . the queen-mother complained , that the queen her daughter-in-law , had prejudiced the king against her , and that she suffered as great a confinement , as if don juan did still govern ; that she was not ignorant that the duke de medina celi , d' eguya , and the confessor did her all the ill offices they were able ; that if she had only these to combat , she would endeavour to destroy them ; that perhaps she might be able to accomplish it ; but that when she saw the queen at the head of the party , she had no courage left to defend her self ; that although she very well knew she had promised to do her all the injury she could , yet she could not forbear to speak to her of it , rather to ease her self , than out of any hopes to soften her dispositions . alas , madam , alas , cryed the young queen all in tears , why do you add such stabbing suspicions to the other ills you have done me ? could you not be content to poyson my conduct before the king , and make him shew me a thousand sensible unkindnesses upon that score , but must you insult upon me too , and accuse me of the only thing in the world i am uncapable of doing ? at these words the queen-mother stretched out her arms to her , and they tarried a considerable space of time without being able to speak a syllable , so much were both their minds prepossessed against each other : but at last , when they could speak in cold blood , and came to examine what had been said on both sides , they were sensible that some ill persons had endeavoured to disunite them , in order to fortifie their own party , which was equally contrary to them both . they gave one another an account of the measures that had been taken , of the persons that were concerned in them , of ●hose whom they ought to suspect for the ti●e to come , and they resolved to employ all their interest to destroy the opposite cabal . they staid together till it was night , and on the next day , which was the fifth of february , the constable of castile gave the king and the two queens a magnificent collation , accompanied with musick . the king's dwarf , who is one of the prettiest creatures in the world , whom the constable brought with him from his government of flanders , where he succeeded don iuan , danced a * passa cailla along with a young girl whom the queen had taken to her service , and was newly redeemed out of slavery . they were both of them dress'd after the indian fashion , covered with feathers of birds of different colours ; they had little tabors , and played prettily upon them . this feast was followed by another at the house of don pedro d' arragon , where the queen danced before the king , which she had never done before , although she acquitted her self that way to admiration . she had purposely learned the canaries and a saraband , so that the king was perfectly charmed to see her so expert in the spanish dances , and told her several times as he pressed her arms with his two hands , mi reina , mi reina , ere 's la mas perfeta de todo el orbe : that is to say , my queen , my queen , you are the most accomplished person in the whole world. the queen-mother sent her that evening a watch all adorned with diamonds , and a gold chain of exquisite work ; she writ a letter to her , wherein she wished that this watch would only shew her happy and pleasant hours . the queen returned her this answer , that they would be always so , if she would continue to love her . she afterwards desired the king to tell her some tender thing , that she might send it to the queen-mother . the king told her immediately , no tengo que desir . how , sir , says the queen , have you nothing to say to the queen your mother ? i beseech you to give me a complement that may please her . the king studied a long time what to send her , and at last said , ponga os mi reina que jo tongo busna salud . that is to say , write , my queen , that i am well . the king dispatched an order to prince alexander , governour of the low-countries , to make a grand reform amongst the officers of war and justice . he gave at the same time the vice-roy-ship of navar to the great prior of castile . the count de fuen salida , who possessed that post , went to gallicia , whereof he was made vice-roy . the count de palma , nephew to cardinal portocarero , had the government of malaga , and the coasts of granada , in the room of the count de cifuentes ; and the duke de hijar , son-in-law to the dutchess de terra-nova , obtained the vice-roy-ship of arragon . this dutchess had not appeared at court ever since she had quitted it with so great a disgust : but her son-in-law having now received this new favour , she was resolved to go and visit the queen on the tenth of february . she had already sent to her majesty to demand her permission , and the queen sent her word , that she should be glad to see her . the dutchess at her entrance into the queen's chamber , seemed at first a little disordered : she excused her not coming to court upon the account of a long fit of sickness , and then added , i assure your majesty i did not think i should have been able to live , after my misfortune to be separated from you . the queen told her , that she had been informed of her indisposition , but that this was not a place for her to speak of what made her uneasie , and in effect passed to some other discourse . the dutchess de terra nova fixed her eyes continually on the dutchess d' albuquerque , as if she had a mind to devour her ; and the dutchess d' albuquerque , whose eyes were neither better nor sweeter than hers , looked askew upon her , and they let fall every other moment some expressions that were a little eager . one of the footmen belonging to the venetian ambassador had committed some insolence , and the justices ordered him to be apprehended for it : but this minister pretending that it was against the priviledge of ambassadors , complained of it to the duke de medina celi , but did not receive so favourable an answer from him as he expected . this so much disgusted him , that he went to acquaint the rest of the ambassadors with it , who all agreed to represent the consequences of such an action to the duke de medina celi in a large memorial conceived in very harsh terms , which they sent to him all at the same time . the chief minister carried it to the council of state , who , after they had maturely deliberated upon the affair , were of advice that they should set the footman immediately at liberty . the ambassadors were resolved , in case they had refused them this satisfaction , to have forced the prison to fetch him out . constable colonna came back to madrid in february . the most important affair that brought him thither , was his desire to accommodate matters with his lady , and to find out a way for both of them to live in peace . the marriage of his son with the daughter of the duke de medina celi did also take him up very much . the queen was concerned at the misfortunes of his wife , and it was no small trouble to her to understand what ill usage a person of her quality received in prison : nay , she was particularly obliged to protect her , by reason of the promise the duke had made her , and the confidence the constable's lady reposed in it . these reasons engaged her to charge her confessor to do all he could with the constable , in order to negotiate an accommodation , and see whether he would carry her into italy , or suffer her to stay in some religious convent at madrid , as she had already been . but the constable and his wife were strangely exasperated against one another : she resented to the life the unworthy treatment she had received , and the mutual occasions they had to complain , hindered them from consenting to what might contribute to their common satisfaction . at last , the constable being earnestly importuned by the queen , and advised by the marquess de los balbazez , proposed , that his wife should turn a religious , and that he , for his part , should take the habit of a knight of malta . this at first appeared very surprising to all the world , but indeed was more strange to the constable's lady than to any one ; for 't is certain she had no great desire to that life , and her inclination did not very well relish three mortifying vows , an austere cloystering , and a severe rule . nevertheless , the constable was so positive , that all his wive's friends were satisfied there was no other way to deliver the unfortunate lady out of the castle of segovia , but by obliging her to give her consent to what he proposed . thus at last they prevailed upon her to consent to it ; so she was brought back to madrid on the th of february , . where she immediately was shut up amongst the nuns of the conception of the order of st. ierome . she was so afflicted at her misfortunes , that she would see no body but her children : she told them , she looked upon her self to be the most unfortunate creature in the world , and that she was going to do a thing which might cost her the repose of her life ; that she beheld the consequences of it with terror , but that nevertheless she was resolved to undergo it , because she had given her promise . in effect , she went down into the quire , where every thing was prepared for the ceremony , and she took upon her the habit of a novice , but with a formal design to die rather than make profession . she wore a petticoat of gold and silver brocard , under her woollen robe , and when she was not in company with any of the nuns , she would throw her veil aside , and put a coif upon her head , after the spanish mode , drest with ribbons of all colours . sometimes it so happened , that the bell rung to chappel , where she was obliged to make her appearance by the rule of her order ; and the mistress of the novices coming to inform her of it , she clapt on her frock and veil over her ribans and her loose hair ; this made a very odd and comical figure , and no body could have forborn laughing at it , had not her miseries on the other hand , drawn the compassion of all persons that knew her ; for indeed her condition was very necessitous ; she wanted money , had but mean eating , and yet worse lodging . one day as i happened to be in the queen's retinue , i entred into the convent , and the constable's lady carried me to her chamber ; i was like to have been starved with the cold there ; it was as high as a tennis-court ; and , not to flatter the place it was no better than a great barn. the constable got a dispensation from rome to hasten the time of her profession ; and he himself was obliged , as i have already said , to take the vows of the order of malta , but he was told every day , that his wife had an unconquerable aversion to become a religious , and at last had no hopes of it : the marquess de los balbazez , as well as the marchioness , were not a little concerned to be laught at by all the world. the constable concluded the marriage of his eldest son with the daughter of the duke de medina celi , and parted three days after to return to rome : he carried his sister in law , and his two sons along with him . as for his lady , she still carried in the convent , where she wore the habit of a religious long enough , and at last quitted it . the king and queen went to the iesuites colledge , to see a tragedy , where a young scholar , who personated a fury , coming upon the theatre with a lighted torch in his hand , perceived his tutor in a corner , who acted a chymist ; in all appearance he bore him a grudge ; for he run after him , and burnt his beard and hair , and pursued him like a real fury indeed . he play'd his part so well , that the king was mightily pleased with him , and would needs have them begin that scene again , because it was the prettiest in the play. the scholar desired it with all his heart , but neither his tutor , nor any of the colledge , had a mind to be concerned in the other part . the carnival approached , and a comedy was play'd the three last days of it at court. on the th of february , which was ash-wednesday , the king had a solemn service at the chappel royal , and ordered the ambassadors to be told , that he would continue to have one every week , except holyday-week . in the mean time the duke de medina celi applied himself seriously to find out means to set a fleet to sea by the spring , and treated with some of the principal bankers of madrid , whose names were dominico grillo , francisco de monserato , and ambrosio dionis . the first engaged to send a hundred thousand piasters a month to flanders , the second to remit fifty thousand to catalonia , and the third thirty thousand to navar. but what signified all these treaties , since they were not in a condition to furnish necessary funds ? the court received advice from naples , from whence they expected some supplies in money , that the prince de belvidere , and several of the principal barons , were retired to their respective countrey-houses , by reason of the great disorders and misery of that city . besides this , they were informed , that the inhabitants of trapan , and of two other cities in that kingdom , had made an insurrection , killed their governour and judges , and at the same time had sent to demand assistance of the turks . this news found but an unwelcome reception at madrid . there arrived also at court a deputy of the commerce at sevil , with whom i had a long conversation . he assured me , that that great and stately city was reduced to a condition which amazed all the world ; that there did not now remain one fourth part of its inhabitants ; that the imposts increased every day , and that this city , which but about fifty years ago , was one of the richest in the universe , was now ready to sink for want of relief , although the gallions arrived there , and it still enjoy'd the most considerable trade of any place in spain . we may hence justly conclude , in what a sad condition the rest of the cities of spain were reduced to , since the best of them was almost ruined . this reason obliged me to enquire of a certain gentleman , who was well acquainted in those affairs , what the revenues of the king of spain might amount to ? he told me , that in ready money only , which came from the indies , they amounted to thirty millions , and eight hundred thousand ducats , which in french money is worth somewhat more than seventy five millions of livres : but then it ought to be observed , that the king does not touch a third part of this sum , the greatest part of it being either otherwise engaged or purloined ; and yet out of this third part are to be defrayed the expences of the palace , the pensions his majesty bestows , and the payment of his armies . he is likewise obliged to be still sending considerable sums to milan , to naples , to messina , to catalonia , and to flanders : for the vice-roys and governours take effectual care that the king shall not draw a farthing out of those kingdoms and provinces ; they keep all the profits to themselves : and this is the reason why money is so often wanting , even for the necessary occasions of the king's house . but after all , i can by no means be perswaded , but that he is richer than he is generally supposed to be ; for there is no probability that otherwise he could be able to give , as he does , such considerable pensions , and so much in standing wages , to so vast a number of people . it is true , these liberalities so mightily incommoded him , that about the beginning of the year . all the livery-men of the stables having waited two years together for their wages , left the king's service on the same day , and looked abroad to get a livelihood ; so that his horses had no body to look after them , or give them corn. this appeared so much the less surprising , because the table of the gentlemen of his bed-chamber , was absolutely laid aside , although it was the only one the king kept in his palace . the women that waited upon the queen had no better luck , and the court could not be supplied with money enough to defray the least expences . this extremity lasted for a while , and then things were established as formerly . but what is very remarkable , and deserves the last commendation , the souldiers , notwithstanding this misery , continued still in the service ; although there were several officers , nay , entire regiments of them that had not received two months pay in three years . however this was the reason that abundance of garrisons were ill provided with men , and in a very bad condition , and particularly on the side of estra madura , where nevertheless it was their interest to have been more careful , because the portugueses had very considerable posts in that part of the country . we saw the governours of st. sebastian , bilboa , and fontarabia at madrid , who came on purpose to acquaint the council of war , that their souldiers died of hunger , that the youngest of them had deserted , that none but the old and infirm were left behind in the garrisons ; and that in a short time there would be none of these left , unless they gave them a speedy relief . they had fair promises made them , they returned back , but were forgotten as well as a great number of others . it is indeed surprizing , and cannot easily be believed , that in this very spain , so excessively poor and exhausted , as it seems to be , the flota from the indies only , in the year . brought thirty millions of gold. but of these prodigious summs that arrive there every year , we must deduct near two thirds which the forreigners draw away for the several goods they furnish them with ; and besides there is a way found to cheat the king of the fifth penny , which is due to him out of all the silver that comes from the indies . there is another thing still behind that contributes exceedingly to make the spaniards so destitute of money as they are , and that is the prodigious number of french and dutch who come to help them , whether in the tillage of the ground , or in their buildings , or any other things of a more servile nature , which the don diegos and the don rodriguez think so much below them , either out of a principle of vanity or idleness , that they had rather chuse to starve , than resolve to set about them . but foreigners are not so nice and delicate , they come hither , and when they have scraped a little mony together , they return to their own country , in the mean time others come in their room ; and are employed in the same work . they are computed generally to be full forty thousand , who come in and go out of the kingdom after this manner , and there is not one of them who does not carry away with him seven or eight pistoles every year , and sometimes more . it is easie to judge that this arises to a prodigious summ. the people still continued to cry out and exclaim , and at last the duke fatigu'd with the great business he had upon his hands , and with these continual complaints , resolved to erect a juncto to set things in order again , and endeavour to relieve the present necessities . he cast his eyes upon a person of great abilities , whose name was don lopez de los rios , and whose vertue and experience were sufficiently known , for he had always bore some office either in the civil government , or the finances . he at first shew'd a great zeal , and the heat of this zeal did not at all abate in his mind , but he found himself not strong enough to cope with all the enemies alone , whom he must expect to create by a severe and steady conduct . several persons , nay even the ministers interested in these affairs , directly thwarted him , and by this means destroyed all that he had established with so much pains and industry . on the d. of february a private act of the inquisition was performed in the church of the dominicans , where twenty persons were condemned for being guilty of superstition , sorcery , and judaism . the duke de villa hermosa , who came back from flanders , arrived about this time at madrid , and the duke d' hijar parted from thence to go to saragossa , and take possession of the viceroyship of arragon . two days after this , which was the th of february , the marquess du mondejar was made a grandee of spain . the duke d' ossone who now began to be weary of not supplying his place himself , desired some of his friends to intercede with the king in his behalf that he might come to court ; and the king consented to it , with this proviso , that he should perform his duty better for the time to come . the count de pouar , and the count de montiel were forbidden the court ; both of them were passionately in love with donna francisca d' alcannicas , lady of honour to the queen , and niece to the constable of castile . the count de pouar was under her chamber window , and entertained her there with his fingers as is the manner of spain , and told her a story very much to the disadvantage of the count de montiel , who lay hid in a corner where he saw and understood all , so that coming towards the count de pouar all enraged , with his hand upon the guard of the sword , he told him he was a persidious villain , and that he might thank his good fortune for being in the palace . the count de pouar coldly answered , that he would go out of it as soon as he had told donna francisca two or three things he had still to say to her , and that he came seasonably enough to be a witness of them , because they concerned him . the count de montiel transported with choler , was upon the point of drawing his sword upon his rival . but the duke d' usseda , brother to donna francisca , passing by that way with the count d' altamire , she made them a sign to draw near , and told them with her fingers what had hapned . the two lords laboured all they could to make up the quarrel between the two rivals , and succeeded in it ; however this accident could not be kept so secret but that the king being informed of it , forbid them the court. the duke de sejar parted from hence to go and serve in flanders in quality of a volunteer . he was a person of illustrious birth , very rich , and very young ; the reason he did this was only because he was jealous of his lady . the count de talara had the place of judge of the forrests conferred upon him , which was vacant by the death of the marquess de la garde ; and don francisco de manserato obtained the title of marquess de tamarit . the king ordered the council to discharge all the receivers of the impositions , that are laid upon the provinces : these officers were above a thousand , and the suppressing of them must needs be of great advantage to his catholick majesty , and to his subjects . a vessel which came to cales from the honduras , brought news that the flota was happily arrived on the fifth of september , and that the merchants of lima offered three hundred thousand crowns to the king , on condition that for an year and half he would not send the gallions here . in the mean time ill weather hindred the fleet , which had set sail from cales a little before , from doubling the cape of st. vincent ; the bad effects of this tempest were not only perceived at sea , for it was so violent in all parts of castile , that several houses were beaten down , and the exceeding rains so swelled the rivers , that the roads were o'reflown , and almost all the bridges carried away by the rapidity of the waters . this ill news was followed immediately by three couriers , one upon the neck of another , and the first of them arrived on the th . of march from abbot masserati , envoy of spain in portugal . he dispatched them to inform the council , that they had received advice at lisbon by a vessel , that the governour of buenosaires , having got together abundance of indians , had joyned them to his garrison ; that on the th . of august . he had surprized the fort which the portugueses had began to build in the isle of st. gabriel ; that he had taken the governour prisoner , and cut the garrison in pieces ; that the prince-regent , being provoked at this insult , had assembled the council of state , where the queen of portugal was present ; that they had re●olved to raise the militia , and send horse , and four regiments of old soldiers into estramadura ; that it would be necessary to get magazines ready on the frontiers , and to have a general rendezvous at eluas ; that having demanded audience of the prince-regent , he had refused it him , and that in all probability a war would ensue . 't was expected at court that the envoy of portugala would make his complaints , but they were extreamly surprized to see him take no notic● of it at all : so now it was not doubted , bu that this silence certainly presaged a surprize of the spanish territories , like to that which the governour of buenosaires had committed in the indies upon the portugueses . the ministers judged it convenient to prevent this blow , and spoke to the english ambassador about it , desiring him to represent to the envoy of portugal , that the king of england would be obliged to take up arms against him who first broke the peace , whereof he was guarrantee ; that he had also a more particular reason than this , forasmuch as by the league that was concluded between the king his master and his catholick majesty , they had mutually engaged to declare against the enemy that fell upon either of them . this discourse was spoke with a great deal of heat ; but the envoy of portugal answered him , that he looked upon him to be a partisan of the court of spain rather than an ambassador from the king of england ; that he knew very well he spoke without order , and of his own head : this answer was followed by a protestation in writing , wherein it was declared , that the king of england could not upon any reason whatever hinder the prince of portugal from using the right of reprisals , and endeavouring to get satisfaction from the spaniards for the injuries received . a little after this , the envoy of portugal received an order from the prince-regent to demand publick audience upon this occasion ; and told his catholick majesty , that he demanded an entire satisfaction from him , and that the prince-regent desired , that they would set the souldiers and governour at liberty ; that they would punish those of buenosaires ; that they would restore the ammunition and cannon ; that if the fort were razed , they would rebuild it ▪ or else surrender the place ; that in case the prisoners were sent into spain , they would set them at liberty ; that they would receive into the fort of st. gabriel the garrison which the prince of portugal should send thither ; that the governour of buenosaires should be chastised , and that an answer be given in within twenty days , or else they would begin actions of hostility . upon this the council met , and spent three days to deliberate about it . they gave orders for their forces to march towards the most exposed , defenceless places , and don antonio panyagua , master-general of the camp , was charged to stay there , till he saw an end of this affair . besides they set forth a great memorial , wherein were contained the arguments which the envoy of spain had given in at lisbon , to make it appear by authentick papers , that according to the limits appointed by pope alexander vi. the isle of st. gabriel belongs to the spaniards , and that they have had it a hundred fourscore and six years in their possession . after this they took notice of the declaration of the envoy of portugal , and ended all with a protestation , signifying , that they were desirous to preserve the peace , and that they would labour with all application in this matter . this manifesto was sent to all the foreign ministers to communicate to their masters ; but they had scarce given it to them , when they sent in all hast back again for the copies to correct something or other , and then they returned them again . at the same time a rumour was industriously dispersed , that the nuncio by an express order from the pope , had moved them to send an ambassador to lisbon to treat about an accomodation . but this was really a temperament they had found out to conceal the true motives which engaged them to make this advance . the nuncio upon this said openly , that he had never interposed in the business , and that it was impossible to receive any orders from rome about so fresh an affair . the duke de giovenazzo was chosen for this embassy . as soon as he was arrived at lisbon , he saw the prince-regent , who nominated the duke de cadaval , and the marquess de fronteyra for commissioners . he would have made his complaints at first , and demanded satisfaction : but he was told , that they were of a humour clearly opposite to what he pretended ; and that matters were to be done conformable to the memorial which the envoy of portugal had presented at madrid , or else let the affair go whither it would for them . after some slight contestations , he gave his consent to it , and dispatched a courier to madrid to inform the court of what he had done . immediately the ministers bellowed out against him as a man of no judgment , who had violated his fidelity to the king , pretending that he had infringed all the rules of prudence and good sense by a conduct and an accommodation so disadvantageous to spain , and that his instructions furnished him with no such power . all these circumstances of indignation and resentment were only offered to the honour of the nation : but notwithstanding all this , they did not lose a moment to conclude the accommodation , and the ratification of it was speedily sent to the duke de giovenazzo . money still continued to be as scarce as ever at madrid , and certain it is that it was the greatest difficulty in the world for the council to provide a hundred and fifty thousand crowns for the king to go to aranjuez . the ceremonial of the palace , whereof i have already made mention , orders this summ precisely to be spent in that small journey , and here they are so exact to follow it , that they would not for all the world lay out a hundred pistoles less . but after the money was once in the king's coffers , the council thought to send it to the forces that were kept on the borders of portugal , by reason of the late difference about the isle of st. gabriel . the duke de medina celi spoke to the king about it , and proposed that in this juncture they might take money where ever they could find it ; but he roundly answered him , do what you will , provided you don 't meddle with that which is designed for aranjuez . he was not able to go thither all the autumn , because such a summ of mony as is necessary for that purpose could not be then gotten ready . he began his journey about the beginning of april . being not willing to break any of the customs that are established in the ceremonial of the palace : philip ii. observed it religiously , and after him the kings of spain have look'd upon it as sacred as a law. every thing is there set down , the processions , the chases , the solemn days of chappel , the changing of their apartments , their habits , their walks , their journeys , the presents the kings make their mistresses , and what is to become of them when they cease to love them any longer : in a word , there is to be found every thing from the most essential circumstance of state down to the most insignificant trifles . the king tarried five weeks at aranjuez . this royal house is within seven leagues of madrid . he goes no where all the year round but there , and to the escurial in october : these are his two great journeys . i went thither along with a relation of mine to take leave of the queen , and receive her orders . she had the goodness to promise me her protection for a young girl , whom i was to leave behind me in spain , and was very dear to me . she told me she would take her into the number of her menines , and that i might assure my self she carried her own recommendation along with her , since she came from france . she honoured me with her picture in enamel , incircled with diamonds , and i sensibly regret the loss of it to this very day . this is not a fit place to tell how this misfortune hapned to me ; perhaps i may still write the memoirs of another court , where i resided some time , and which are no less particular than these ; and there i shall have a fit opportunity to speak concerning the portraiture of this lovely queen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e a since the time of don loys de haro , the kings of spain have had no privado or chief minister . the duke di medina de las torres had the management of the northern affairs , and the count de castrillo of the rest . b the six ministers that composed the junta , were those that were or should be archbishop of toledo , the president of castile , vice-cancellor of arragon , and inquisitor general . and besides these a grandee of spain , and a counsellor of state. c the cardinal of arragon being grand inquisitor , and afterwards named to the archbishoprick of toledo , quitted the post of grand inquisitor , because he could not not have two places in the junto . d altho 't is very true that he had been formerly a lutheran and it was objected to him , yet he vehemently denied it , because it might have made him uncapable of that office. e he held as his proper right the government of the low countries . * who is called in spain secretary del defpacho universal . * these two lords were not of the junta of the government . (a) don enrique ii. (b) don petro el cruel matado por don enrique su●rm●no natural . a henry the bastard king of gastile . b pedro the cruel , king of castile , turned out of his kingdom by henry the bastard in , and . (a) who is a kind of a provost or judge . (b) these are serjeants and bayliffs . notes for div a -e * the contration is a council where they order all affairs relating to the indice . we will see . * these are much of the same value with the french doubles , and are scarce an english farthing . * a monastery founded by joanna , sister to philip iv. * a ground . megalopsychy, being a particular and exact account of the last xvii years of q. elizabeths reign, both military and civil the first written by sir william monson ..., the second written by heywood townsend, esq. ; wherein is a true and faithful relation ... of the english and spanish wars, from the year , to the queens death ; with a full account of the eminent speeches and debates, &c., in the said time ; to which is added dr. parry's tryal in the year ; all written at the time of the actions, by persons eminently acting therein. monson, william, sir, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing m estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) megalopsychy, being a particular and exact account of the last xvii years of q. elizabeths reign, both military and civil the first written by sir william monson ..., the second written by heywood townsend, esq. ; wherein is a true and faithful relation ... of the english and spanish wars, from the year , to the queens death ; with a full account of the eminent speeches and debates, &c., in the said time ; to which is added dr. parry's tryal in the year ; all written at the time of the actions, by persons eminently acting therein. monson, william, sir, - . parry, william, d. . true and plain declaration of the horrible treasons. [ ], , [ ], , [ ], p. printed for w. crooke, and sold by w. davis ..., london : . in pts.; each pt. has separate paging, and pt. has special t.p. with title: a true and exact account of the wars with spain. each part also issued and cataloged separately. imperfect: heywood townsend's, historical collections, , ( p.) is lacking on filmed copy. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database 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bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng parry, william, d. . catholics -- england. great britain -- history, naval -- tudors, - . great britain -- history -- elizabeth, - -- sources. spain -- history, naval. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion megalopsychy being a particular and exact account of the last xvii . years of q. elizabeths reign , both military and civil . the first written by sir william monson , one of the queens admirals . the second written by heywood townsend , esq . wherein is a true and faithful relation of all the expeditions , attempts , designs , successes , and errors , both of the english and spanish wars , from the year , to the queens death . with a full account of the eminent speeches and debates , &c. in the said time . to which is added dr. parry's tryal in the year . all written at the time of the actions , by persons eminently acting therein . london , printed for w. crooke , and sold by w. davis in amen corner . m.dc.lxxxii . a true and exact account of the wars with spain , in the reign of q. elizabeth , ( of famous memory . ) being the particulars of what happened between the english and spanish fleets , from the years to . shewing the expeditions , attempts , fights , designs , escapes , successes , errors , &c. on both sides . with the names of her majesty's ships and commanders in every fleet. being a patern and warning to future ages . never printed before . written by sir william monson , who was a captain in most , and admiral of several of those fleets in the said wars , and dedicated to his son. london , printed for w. crooke , and sold by w. davis in amen corner . m.dc.lxxxii . to the reader by way of advertisement . you have here put into your hands a piece of english history of a time of great actions . you will hardly meet more truth in any history than you will find in this . all circumstances considered , there could not in any thing be greater opportunities of truth , they being written by persons of eminent characters , and considerable actors in the same times . these very authors wise and heroick actions make no inconsiderable part of the history it self . the first is a relation of the military transactions of the nation for nigh twenty years , beginning anno domini , ( from which time to queen elizabeths death there was yearly set out a fleet against the spaniards ) with a full account of all the expeditions , stratagems , attempts , successes , and miscarriages , that happened in that war on both sides ; wherein is shewed the valour and heroick acts of those great souldiers that were so plenty in that age ; as , cumberland suffolk essex sheffeild drake rawleigh hawkins forbisher carlee burroughs bellingham fenner southwell crosse seymour crosse winter beeston palmer barker bostock sackvile goring norris williams leicester york greenvile vavasor , &c. and sir william monson , the author of this , who was admiral in several of the said expeditions against the spaniards , and also a member in her last parliaments . the second part is the full and exact account of the four last parliaments ( both lords and commons ) of queen elizabeth , taken from the original records of their houses , by heywood townsend esquire , a member thereof ; with the particular speech and behaviour of the wife and learned statesmen , lawyers , &c. which that time was fo fruitful of , viz. egerton burleigh buckhurst cecill walsingham hatton bacon rawleigh hobby crooke coke moore fortescue pophan yelverton finch maynard spelman wentworth hobart manwood jones digby caesar anderson winch , &c. with other passages of history in those times , that is , runs contemporary with sir william monsons relation both together being the account of the military and civil state of affairs , of nigh years of the last part of queen elizabeths reign , being the most eminent time of action in all her government . with sir william monsons directions and advice to his son by way of dedication , to excuse it s not coming forth sooner , may be to avoid such offences , which must necessarily be given by a faithful and exact historian , that writes of the present age , when the parties are living that were actors in it ; it may by this time be supposed that such objections ( against its now coming forth ) may be over . you have added at the end of this the tryal , condemnation , and execution of dr. parry , for a conspiracy against the said queen , written also at the time of his tryal and execution . so that what is here offered for thy use , is nothing but what was written at the time of the action , or by the persons who were actors , and of such quality , that it is quite out of all suspicion there should be the least falshood in this ; it being never at all designed for the publick in the life-time of the authors . therefore neither profit nor honour did the authors expect , although their exact and careful accounts of truth must be no small benefit to the curious reader . there is lately published a small book of s. d. price , called , the connexion , being choice collections of some principal matters in king james his reign , and passages betwixt this book and rushworth , nalson , and the rest that begin at king charles i. sir william monson to his son john . dear son , the custom of dedicating books hath been ancient , and they have been usually dedicated either to great persons , for protection or remuneration ; or to familiars , out of friendship and affection ; or to children , in respect of nature and for admonition . and to this end it is , that to you i commend the reading of the discourse following ; that so beholding the years war by sea , which for want of years you could not then remember ; and comparing them with the years of peace , in which you have lived , you may consider three things . first , that after so many pains and perils god hath lent life to your father to further your education . secondly , what proportion his recompence and rewards have had to his services . lastly , what just cause you have to abandon the thoughts of such dangerous and uncertain courses ; and that you may follow the ensuing precepts , which i commend to your often perusal . and in the first place , i will put you in mind of the small means and fortune i shall leave , that you may rate your expences accordingly ; and yet as little as it is , 't is great to me , in respect i attained to it by my own endeavours and dangers , and therefore no body can challenge interest in it but my self , though your carriage may promise the best possibility . beware you presume not so much upon it , as thereby to grow disobedient to your parents ; for what you can pretend to , is but the privilege of two years of age above your younger brother ; and in such cases fathers are like judges , that can and will distinguish of offences and deserts according to truth , and will reward and punish as they shall see cause . and because you shall know it is no rare or new thing for a man to dispose of his own , i will lay before you a precedent of your own house , that so often as you think of it , you may remember it with fear , and prevent it with care . the great grandfather of your grandfather was a knight by title , and john by name , which name we desire to retain to our eldest sons ; god blessed him with many earthly benefits , as wealth , children , and reputation ; his eldest son was called john after his father , and his second william like to your self and brother ; but upon what displeasure i know not , ( although we must judge the son gave the occasion ) his father left him the least part of his fortune , though sufficient to equal the best gentleman of his shire , and particularly the ancient house called after his name . his other son william he invested with what your uncle now enjoys . both the sons whilest they lived carried the port and estimation of their fathers children , though afterwards it fell out that the son of john , and nephew to william , became disobedient , negligent , and prodigal , and spent all his patrimony ; so that in conclusion he and his son extinguished their house , and there now remains no memory of them . as for the second line and race , of whom your uncle and i descended , we live as you see , though our estates be not great , and of the two mine much the least ; which notwithstanding is the greater to me in respect i atchieved it with the peril and danger of my life ; and you will make my contentment in the enjoyment of it the greater , if it be accompanied with that comfort i hope to receive from you . the next thing i will handle shall be arms. know that wars by land or sea are always accompanied with infinite dangers and disasters , and seldom rewarded according to merit : for one souldier that lives to enjoy that preferment which becomes his right by antiquity of service , ten thousand fall by the sword and other casualties : and if you compare that of a souldier with any other calling or profession , you will find much difference both in the reward and danger although arms have been esteemed in all ages , and the more as there was greater occasion to use them ; yet you shall find they have been always subject to jealousies and envy ; jealousies from the state , if the general or other officer grow great and popular ; subject to envy from inferiors , who through their perverse and ill dispositions malign other mens merits . the advancement of souldiers is commonly made by councellors at home , whose eyes cannot witness the services performed abroad ; but a man is advanced as he is befriended , which makes the souldiers preferment as uncertain as his life is casual . compare the estate and advancement of souldiers of our time but with the mean and mercenary lawyer , and you shall find so great a difference , that i had rather you should become apprentice to the one , than make profession of the other . a captain that will seek to get the love of his souldiers . as his greatest praise and felicity , of all other vices must detest and abandon covetousness ; he must live by spending as the miser doth by sparing ; insomuch as few of them can obtain by war wherewith to maintain themselves in peace , and where wealth wants preferment fails . souldiers that live in peaceable islands , as in england , their profession is undervalued , because we see not those dangers which make the souldiers necessary , as others do where wars are practised . and the good success in our wars hath been such as makes us attribute our victories , not so much to valour as to chance . i confess the base and ill behaviour of some souldiers , hath made themselves and their callings the less esteemed ; for the name of a captain , which was ever wont to be honourable , is now became a word of reproach and disdain . souldiers may have reputation , but little credit ; reputation enough to defend their honours , but little trust in commerce of the world ; and not without cause , for their security is the worse , by how much the danger of death is the greater . learning is as much to be preferred before war , as the trade of a merchant before that of the factor . by learning you are made sensible of the difference betwixt men and other creatures , and will be able to judge between the good and the bad , and how to walk accordingly . by learning you attain to the knowledge of heavenly mysteries , and you may frame your life accordingly , as god shall give you grace . by learning you are made capable of preferment , if it concur with virtue and discretion ; and the rather because you are a gentleman by birth , and of good alliance , which i observe next to money in this golden age is the second step to advancement . for one that is preferred by arms , there are twenty by learning ; and indeed the souldier is but a servant to the learned , for after his many fought battels , and as many dangers of his life , he must yield account of his actions , and be judged , corrected , and advanced as it shall please the other . you may wonder to hear me extoll learning so highly above my own profession , considering the poor fortune i shall leave was atchieved by arms ; it is enough therefore to persuade you what i say is not conjectural but approved : for if i did not find this difference , the natural affection of a father to a son would make me discover it to you , that you may follow that which is most probable and profitable . good son , love souldiers for your countries sake , who are the defenders of it ; for my sake , who have made profession of it ; but shun the practice of it as you will do brawls , quarrels , and suits , which bring with them perplexities , and dangers . there are many things to be shunned , as being perillous both to body and soul ; as quarrels and occasions of them , which happen through the enormities and abuses of our age. esteem valour as a special virtue , but shun quarrelling as a most detestable vice . of two evils it were better to keep company with a coward than a quarreller ; the one is commonly sociable and friendly , the other dangerous in his acquaintance , and offensive to standersby . he is never free from peril , that is conversant with a quarreller , either for offence given to himself , or to others wherein he may be engaged . a true valiant man shall have enough to do to defend his own reputation . without engaging for others : nor are all valiant that will fight , therefore discretion makes a difference betwixt valour and desperateness . nothing can happen more unfortunate to a gentleman , than to have a quarrel , and yet nothing so ordinary as to give offence ; it draweth with it many mischiefs both to body and soul : being slain he is danger of damnation , and no less if he kill the other without great repentance . he shall perpetually live in danger of revenge from the friends of the party killed , and fall into the mercy of the prince and law where he liveth ; but if for fear and baseness he avoid and shun a quarrel , he is more odious living than he would be unhappy in dying . drinking is the foundation of other vices , it is the cause of quarrels , and then follows murders . it occasions swearing , whoredom , and many other vices depend upon it . when you behold a drunkard , imagine you see a beast in the shape of a man. it is a humour that for the time pleaseth the party drunk , and so bereaves him of sence , that he thinketh all he doth delighteth the beholders ; but the day following he buys his shame with repentance , and perhaps gives that offence in his drunkenness , that makes him hazard both life and reputation in a quarrel . you have no man that will brag or boast so much of the word reputation as a drunkard , when indeed there is nothing more to a mans imputation than to be drunk . a drunkard is in the condition of an excommunicated person , whose testimony betwixt party and party is of no validity . avoid ( good son ) the company of a drunkard , and occasions of drinking , then shall you live free without fear , and enjoy your own without hazard . whoredom is an incident to drunkenness , though on the contrary all whoremasters are not drunkards . it is a sin not washed away without the vengeance of god to the third and fourth generation . besides the offence to god , it giveth a disreputation to the party and his of-spring , it occasioneth a breach betwixt man and wife , encourageth the wife oftentimes to follow the ill example of her husband , and then ensueth dislike , divorce , disinheriting of children , suits in law , and consuming of estates . the next and worst sin i would have you shun is swearing . i do not advise you like a puritan , that ties a man more to the observing of sundays , and from taking the name of god in vain , than to all the rest of the commandments : but i wish you to avoid it for the greatness of the sin it self , for the plague of god hangeth over the house of the blasphemer . swearing is odious to the hearers , it giveth little credit to the words of him that useth it , it affordeth no pleasure as other sins do , nor yieldeth any profit to the party ; custom begetteth it , and custom must make one leave it . for your exercises let them be of two kinds , the one of mind , the other of body ; that of the mind must consist of prayer , meditation , and your book ; let your prayers be twice a day , howsoever you dispose of your self the rest of the time ; prayers work a great effect in a contrite and penitent heart . by this i do not seek to persuade you from such exercises and delights of body as are lawful and allowable in a gentleman ; for such increase health and agility of body , make a man sociable in company , and draw good acquaintants ; many times they bring a man into favour with a prince , and prove an occasion of preferment in his marriage ; they are often times a safeguard to a mans life , as in vaulting suddenly upon a horse to escape an enemy . i will especially commend unto you such pleasures as bring delight and content without charge ; for others are fitter for greater men than one of your fortune to follow . hawking and hunting , if they be moderately used , are like tobacco , in some cases wholesom for the body , but in the common use both laboursom and loathsom ; they alike bring one discommodity , ( as comonly vices do ) that they are not so easily left as entertained . tobacco is hot and hurtful to young bodies and stomachs , and augments the heat of the liver , which naturally you are subject to . it is offensive to company , especially the breath of him that takes it ; it drieth the brain , and many become fools with the continual use thereof . let your apparel be handsom and decent , not curious nor costly . a wise man is more esteemed in his plain cloth than gay clothing . it is more commendable to be able to buy a rich suit than to wear one . a wise man esteems more of a mans vertues and valour than of his vesture ; but seeing this age is fantastical and changeable , you must fashion your self to it , but in so mean and moderate a manner , as to be rather praised for frugality , than derided for prodigality . he that delights in curious cloaths is an imitator of a player , who measures his apparel by the part he acts . and as players appear upon the stage to be seen of the spectators , so do the gallants proclaim their braveries in open assemblies . whilest i live and you not marry , i shall temper this expence ; but when i die remember what i say , seek advancement rather by your carriage ; the curiousness , the reputation you gain by that will be lasting , when this will appear but like a flower fading . frame your course of life to the country and not to the court ; and yet make not your self such a stranger to great persons , as in assemblies they should ask others who you are . i confess the greatest and suddenest rising is by the court ; yet the court is like a hopefull and forward spring , that is taken with a sharp and cold frost , which nips and blasts a whole orchard except or trees ; for after that proportion commonly courtiers are preferr'd . and he that will thrive at court must make his dependency upon some great person , in whose ship he must imbarque all his hopes ; and how unfortunate such great persons are oftentimes themselves , and how unthankful to their followers , we want not precedents . he that settles his service upon one of them shall fall into the disfavour of another ; for a court is like an army ever in war , striving by stratagems to circumvent and kick up one anothers heels , you are not ignorant of the aptness of this comparison by what you know of me , whose case will serve you for a prospective-glass , wherein to behold your danger afar off , the better to prevent it . yet reverence lords because they are noble , and one more than another , as he is more notable in virtue . be choice of your company ; for as a man makes election of them he is censured : man lives by reputation , and that failing he becomes a monster . let your company consist of your own rank , rather better than worse ; for hold it for a maxim , the better gentleman the more gentle in his behaviour . beware they be not accused of crimes , for so it may touch you in credit ; and if you lose your reputation in the bud of your youth , you shall scarce recover it in the whole course of your life . let them be civil in carriage , for commonly such men are sensible above all ; let them be learned , for learning is a fountain from whence springs another life ; let them be temperate in diet and expence , so shall you learn to live in health , and increase in wealth . beware they be not cholerick in disposition , or arrogant in opinion ; for so you shall become a slave to their humours , and base by suffering . a cholerick man of all others is the worst companion , for he cannot temper his rage , but on any slight occasion of a friend becomes an enemy . value true friendship next to marriage , which nothing but death can dissolve ; for the fickleness of friendship is oftentimes the ruine of ones fortune . beware of gaming , for it causes great vexation of mind . if you lose , it begets in you that humour , that out of hope of regaining your losses , you will endanger the loss of all . do not presume too much of your skill in play , or making wagers as if you were excellent above others , or have fortune at command ; for she is like a whore variable and inconstant , and when she disfavours you , it is with more loss at once than she recompenceth at twice . love your brother and sisters for their own sakes , as you are bound by nature , but especially for mine whose they are . remember you are all indifferent to me , but that god chose you from the rest to be a strength and stay to them ; think you cannot honor your father more being dead , than in shewing affection to them he dearly loved ; and nothing will more approve you to be mine , than love and kindness amongst your selves . you owe somewhat more to me than that i am your father , in that i seek your advancement above theirs , of which obligation i will acquit you conditionally you perform what you ought to them . for because man cannot himself live ever , he desires to live in his posterity ; and if i had an hundred sons , my greatest hope must depend upon you as you are my eldest , and seeing my care is of you above the rest , do not make my memory so unhappy , as to give the world an occasion to say , i left an unnatural son. the onely request i make is , be kind and loving to them , who i know by their disposition will give you no cause of offence . a discourtesie from you will be as sharp to them as a razor from another . be courteous and friendly to all , for men are esteemed according to ther carriage . there is an old proverb , the courtesie of the mouth is of great value , and costs little . a proud man is envied of his equals , hated by his inferious , and scorned by his superiours ; so that betwixt envy , hate , and scorn he is friendless . many times a man is condemned to death out of presumption , especially when it concurrs with an opinion of his former ill carriage : how much therefore doth it concern a man in the times of his prosperity to lay up a stock of love and reputation ? there cannot be a greater honour than to gain a mans enemy by a courtesie ; it far exceeds the kindness that is done to another , and doubly obligeth him that receiveth it . love is a thing desired by a king from his subjects , by a general from his souldiers , and by a master from his servants ; he that hath it is rich by it , it maintains peace in time of peace , and is a safe bulwork in time of war. do not buy this love with the ruine of your estate , as many do with prodigal expences , and then are requited with pity and derision . let your expence be agreeable to the wearing of your cloaths , better or worse according to company ; or the journying your horse , the less way you go to day , you may travel the further to morrow ; but if you go every day a long and wearisom journey , your horse will fail , and you be enforc'd to go on foot . and so will it be in your expences , if you do not moderate them according to days and companies , your horse and you may travel faintly together . if you are prodigal in any thing , let it be in hospitality , as most agreeable to the will of god , you shall feed the hungry , relieve the poor , and get the love of the rich . what you spend among your neighbours is not lost , but procures their loves and helps when you have need , and thereby you shall find friendship in the country as available as favour at court. if you are called to any place of magistracy , do justice with pity , revenge not your self of your enemy under colour of authority , for that shews baseness , and will procure you hatred . in money matters favour your country , if it be not against the present profit of the king , for many times his name is used for the gain of other men . study the laws , not to make a mercenary practice of them , but onely for your own use , the good of your neighbours , and the government of your country . hold the laws in reverence next to the king ; for that kingdom is well governed where the king is ruled by the laws , not the laws by the king. be not presumptuous in your command , yet seek to be obeyed as you desire to obey ; for as you are above others , others are above you . give your mind to accommodate controversies among your neighbours , and you shall gain their love , which will more avail you than the hate of the lawyers can hurt you . punish idleness and other vices , as well for that they are such , as for examples sake . gain love by doing justice , and hate doing wrong , though it were to your immediate profit . if you marry after my death , chuse a wife as near as you can suitable to your calling , years , and condition ; for such marriages are made in heaven , though celebrated on earth . if your estate were great , your choice might be the freer ; but where the preferment of your sisters must depend upon your wives portion , let not your fancy overrule your necessity . it is an old saying , he that marrieth for love hath evil days and good nights : consider if you marry for affection , how long you will be raising portions for your sisters , and the misery you shall live in all the days of your life ; for the greatest fortune that a man can expect is in his marriage . a wise man is known by his actions , but where passion and affection sway , that man is deprived of sence and understanding . it is not the poverty or meanness of her that 's married that makes her the better wife , for commonly such women grow elevated , and are no more mindful of what they have been , than a mariner is of his escape from a danger at sea when it is past . you must set your wife a good example by your own carriage , for a wise and discreet husband usually makes an obedient and dutiful wife . beware of jealousie , for it causeth great vexation of mind , and scorn and laughter from your enemies . many times it is occasioned by the behaviour of the husband towards other women : in that case do like the physician , take away the cause of the infirmity , if not you are worthy to feel the smart of it . jealousie is grounded upon conceit and imagination , proceeds from a weak , idle , and distempered brain ; and the unworthy carriage of him that is jealous , many times maketh a woman do what otherwise she would not . if god be pleased to give you children , love them with that discretion that they discern it not , lest they too much presume upon it . encourage them in things that are good , and correct them if they offend . the love of god to man cannot be better expressed , than by that of a father to his children . comforts or crosses they prove to their parents , and herein education is a great help to nature . let your children make you to disrelish and abandon all other delights and pleasures of the world , in respect of the comfort and joy you receive by them . make account then that somer is past , and the melancholy winter approacheth ; for a careful and provident father cannot take delight in the world and provide for his children . for a conclusion i will recommend two principal virtues to you , the one is secrecy , the other patience . secrecy is necessarily required in all , especially publick persons , for many times they are trusted with things , the revealing whereof may cost them their lives , and hinder the designs of their masters . it is a folly to trust any man with a secret , that can give no assistance in the business he is trusted with . councellors of state and generals , of armies , of all other ought to be most secret , for their designs being once discovered , their enterprizes fail . silence was so much esteemed among the persians , that she was adored for a goddess . the romans kept their expeditions so secret , as that alone was a principal cause of their victories . but of all others trust not women with a secret , for the weakness of their sex makes them unsecret . be patient after the example of job , and you shall become a true servant of god. patience deserveth to be painted with a sword in her hand , for she conquers and subdues all difficulties . if you will take advantage of your enemy , make him cholerick , and by patience you shall overcome him . marcus aurelius being both emperour and philosopher confessed , he attained not the empire by philosophy but by patience . what man in the world was ever so patient as our saviour himself , by following whose example his ministers have converted more by their words , then all the persecuting emperours could deterr by rigour or cruelty of laws . the impatient man contests with god himself , who giveth and taketh away at his good will and pleasure . let me ( good son ) be your patern of patience , for you can witness with me , that the disgraces i have unjustly suffered , ( my estate being through my misfortunes ruined , my health by imprisonments decayed , and my services undervalued and unrecompensed ) have not bred the least distaste or discontent in me , or altered my resolution from my infancy ; that is , i was never so base as to insinuate into any mans favour , who was favoured by the times . i was never so ambitious as to seek or crave imployment , or to undertake any that was not put upon me . my great and onely comfort is , that i served my princes both faithfully and fortunately ; but seeing my services have been no better accepted , i can as well content my self in being a spectator , as if i were an actor in the world . before i treat of the sea i will shew what laws richard the first established in his expedition by sea , which in some points are observed to this day . . that whosoever should kill a man , should be tied to him killed , and thrown into the sea with him . . if any be killed on land , the party to be buried alive with him killed . . whosoever shall strike another , and not draw bloud , shall be duck'd three times at the yards arm. . whosoever revileth or curseth another , so often as he revileth shall pay an ounce of silver . . whosoever draweth his knife , or draweth bloud , shall lose his hand . . whosoever doth steal , shall have his head shorn , and boiled pitch poured upon it , and feathers strewed upon the same , whereby he may be known ; and at the first landing place he shall be towed on shore . a yearly account of the english and spanish fleets , which were set forth from the year , when the wars with spain first began , untill the year , when king james made his happy entrance into this kingdom ; shewing the designs , escapes , and errors on both english and spanish sides , with the names of the queens ships and commanders in every expedition . a voyage of sir francis drake to the west indies , anno dom. . ships . commanders . the elizabeth bonaventure sir francis drake . the ayde capt. forbisher .   capt. carlee lieutenant general by land. upon the knowledge of the imbargo made by the king of spain in anno , of the english ships , men , and goods found in his country ; her majesty having no means to help or relieve her subjects by friendly treaty , authorized such as sustained loss by the said arrest , to repair themselves upon the subjects of the king of spain ; and to that end gave them letters of reprisal , to take and arrest all ships and merchandizes that they should find at sea , or elsewhere , belonging to the vassals of the said king. her majesty at the same time to revenge the wrongs offered her , and to resist the king of spains preparations made against her equipped a fleet of sail of ships , and imployed them under the command of sir francis drake , as the fittest man by reason of his experience and success in sundry actions . it is not my intent to set down all the particulars of the voyages treated of , but the services done , and the escapes and oversights past , as a warning to those that shall read them , and to prevent the like errors hereafter . this voyage of sir francis drake being the first undertaking on either side , ( for it ensued immediately after the arrest of our ships and goods in spain ) i will deliver my opinion of it , before i proceed any further . one impediment to the voyage was , that to which the ill success of divers others that after followed , is to be imputed , viz. the want of victuals and other necessaries fit for so great an expedition ; for had not the fleet by chance met with a ship laden with fish , that came from new found land , which relieved their necessities , they would have found themselves reduced to great extremity . the service that was performed in this action , was the taking and sacking sancta domingo in hispaniola , cartagena in terra firma , and the fonta aqua in florida ; three towns of great importance in the west indies . this fleet was the greatest of any nation but the spaniards , that had been ever seen in those seas since the first discovery of them ; and if it had been as well considered of before their going from home , as it was happily performed by the valour of the undertakers , it had more annoyed the king of spain , than all other actions that ensued during the time of the war. but it seems our long peace made us uncapable of advice in war ; for had we kept and defended those places being in our possession , and provided to have been relieved and succoured out of england , we had diverted the war from this part of europe : for at that time there was no comparison betwixt the strength of spain and england by sea , by means whereof we might have better defended them , and with more ease incroached upon the rest of the indies , than the king of spain could have aided or succoured them . but now we see and find by experience , that those places which were then weak and unfortified , are since so strengthened , as it is bootless to undertake any action to annoy the king of spain in his west indies . and though this voyage proved both fortunate and victorious , yet considering it was rather an awakening than a weakning of him , it had been far better to have wholly declined it , than to have undertaken it upon such slender grounds , and with so inconsiderable forces . the second voyage of sir francis drake to the road of cadiz , and towards the islands of tercera , anno . ships . commanders . the elizabeth bonaventure sir francis drake , general . the lyon sir william borrough , vice admiral . the rainbow capt. bellingam . the dread-nought capt. thomas fenner . her majesty having received several advertisements , that while the king of spain was silent , not seeking revenge for the injuries the ships of reprisal did him daily upon his coasts , he was preparing an invincible army to invade her at home . she thereupon sought to frustrate his designs , by intercepting his provisions before they should come to lisbon , which was their place of rendezvouz , and sent away sir francis drake with a fleet of sail great and small , whereof were her own ships . the chief adventure in this voyage ( besides those ships of her majesties ) was made by the merchants of london , who sought their private gain more than the advancement of the service ; neither were they deceived of their expectation . sir francis drake understanding by two ships of middleborough , that came from cadiz , of a fleet with victuals , munition , and other habiliments for war , riding there , ready to take the first opportunity of a wind , to go to lisbon and joyn with other forces of the king of spain , he directed his course for cadiz road , where he found the advertisement he received from this ships of middleborough in every point true ; and upon his arrival attempted the ships with great courage , and performed the service he went for , by destroying all such ships as he found in harbour , as well of the spaniards as other nations that were hired by them ; and by these means he utterly defeated their mighty preparations which were intended against england that year . the second service performed by him was , the assaulting the castle of cape sacre , upon the utmost promontory of portugal , and three other strong holds ; all which he took some by force , and some by composition . from thence he went to the mouth of the river of lisbon , where he anchored near caske cadiz ; which the marquess of st. cruze beholding , durst not with his gallies approach so near as once to charge him . sir francis drake perceiving , that though he had done important service for the state by this fortunate attempt of his , yet the same was not very acceptable to the merchants , who adventured onely in hope of profit , and preferred their private gain before the security of the kingdom , or any other respect . therefore from caske cadiz he stood to the islands of tercera , to expect the coming home of a carreck , which he had intelligence wintered at mosambique , and consequently she was to be home in that moneth . and though his victuals grew scarce , and his company importuned his return home , yet with gentle speeches he persuaded , and so much prevailed with them , that they were willing to expect the issue some few days at the islands ; and by this time drawing near the island of s. michael , it was his good fortune to meet and take the carreck he looked for ; which added more honour to his former service , and gave great content to the merchants , to have a profitable return of their adventure , which was the thing they principally desired . this voyage proceeded prosperously and without exception , for there was both honour and wealth gained , and the enemy greatly endamaged . the first action undertaken by the spaniards was in , the duke of medina general , who were encountered by our fleet , the lord admiral being at sea himself in person . ships . commanders . the ark royal the lord admiral . the revenge sir francis drake , vice admiral . the lyon the lord thomas howard . the bear the lord sheffeild . the elizabeth jonas sir robert southwell . the triumph sir martin forbisher . the victory sir john hawkins . the hope capt. crosse . the bonaventure capt. reyman . the dread-nought capt. george beeston . the nouperil capt. thomas fenner . the rainbow the lord henry seymore . the vanntguard sir william winter . the mary rose capt. fenton . the antilope sir henry palmer . the foresight   the ayde capt. barker . the swallow   the tyger capt. fenner . the scout   the swiftsure capt. hawkins . the bull   the tremontary capt. bostock . the acatice   pinnaces , gallies , hoyes — capt. ashley . notwithstanding the great spoil and hurt sir francis drake did the year past in cadiz road , by intercepting some part of the provisions intended for this great navy , the king of spain used his utmost endeavours to revenge himself this year , lest in taking longer time his designs might be prevented as before , and arrested all ships , men , and necessaries wanting for his fleet , and compell'd them per force to seave in this action . he appointed for general the duke of medina sidonia , a man imployed rather for his birth than experience ; for so many dukes , marquesses , and earls , voluntarily going , would have repined to have been commanded by a man of less quality than themselves . they departed from lisbon the th . day of may , with the greatest pride and glory , and least doubt of victory , that ever any nation did ; but god being angry with their insolence , disposed of them contrary to their expectation . the directions from the king of spain to his general were , to repair as wind and weather would give leave , to the road of callice in piccardy , there to abide the coming of the prince of parma and his army , and upon their meeting to have opened a letter directed to them both with further instructions . he was especially commanded to sail along the coasts of brittany and normandy , to avoid being discovered by us here ; and if he met with the english fleet , not to offer to fight , but onely seek to defend themselves . but when he came athwart the north cape , he was taken with a contrary wind and foul weather and forced into the harbour of the groyne , where part of his fleet lay attending his coming . as he was ready to depart from thence , they had intelligence by an english fisherman , whom they took prisoner , of our fleets late being at sea , and putting back again , not expecting their coming that year ; insomuch that most part of the men belonging to our ships were discharged . this intelligence made the duke alter his resolution , and to break the directions given him by the king ; yet this was not done without some difficulty , for the council was divided in their opinions , some held it best to observe the kings command , others not to lose the opportunity offered to surprize our fleet unawares , and burn and destroy them . diego flores de valdos , who had the command of the andalusian squadron , and on whom the duke most relied , because of his experience and judgment , was the main man that persuaded the attempt of our ships in harbour , and with that resolution they directed their course for england . the first land they fell with was the lizard , the southermost part of cornwall , which they took to be the rams head athwart plymouth , and the night being at hand they tacked off to sea , making account in the morning to make an attempt upon our ships in plymouth . but whilest they were thus deceived in the land , they were in the mean time discovered by capt. flemminge a pyrat , who had been at sea pilfering , and upon view of them , knowing them to be the spanish fleet , repaired with all speed to plymouth , and gave warning and notice to our fleet , who were then riding at anchor ; whereupon my lord admiral hastned with all possible expedition to get forth the ships , and before the spaniards could draw near plymouth , they were welcomed at sea by my lord and his navy , who continued fight with them untill he brought them to an anchor at callice . the particulars of the fight , and the successes thereof , being things so well known , i purposely omit . while this armado was preparing , her majesty had from time to time perfect intelligence of the spaniards designs ; and because she knew his intent was to invade her at sea with a mighty fleet from his own coast , she furnished out her royal navy under the conduct of the lord high admiral of england , and sent him to plymouth , as the likeliest place to attend their coming , as you have heard . then knowing that it was not the fleet alone that could endanger her safety , for that they were too weak for any enterprize on land , without the assistance of the prince of parma , and his army in flanders ; therefore she appointed sail of holland ships to lie at an anchor before the town of dunkirk , where the prince was to imbarque in flat-bottom'd boats , made purposely for the expedition of england . thus had the prince by the queens providence been prevented , if he had attempted to put out of harbour with his boats ; but in truth neither his vessels nor his army were in readiness , which caused the king ever after to be jealous of him , and as 't is supposed to hasten his end . her majesty , notwithstanding this her vigilant care to foresee and prevent all danger that might happen at sea , would not hold her self too secure of her enemy , and therefore prepared a royal army to welcom him upon his landing ; but it was not the will of god that he should set foot on english ground , the queen becoming victorious over him at sea , with little hazard or bloudshed of her subjects . having shewed the design of the spaniards , and the course taken by her majesty to prevent them ; i will now collect the errors committed as well by the one as by the other , as i have promised in the beginning of my discourse . as nothing could appear more rational and likely to take effect , after the duke had gotten intelligence of the state of our navy , than his design to surprize them unawares in harbour , he well knowing that if he had taken away our strength by sea , he might have landed both when and where he listed , which is a great advantage to an invader ; yet admitting it had took that effect he designed , i see not how he was to be commended in breaking the instructions given him by the king , what blame then did he deserve , when so ill an event followed by his rashness and disobedience ? it was not the want of experience in the duke , or his laying the fault upon valdes , that excused him at his return ; but he had smarted bitterly for it , had it not been for his wife , who obtained the kings favour for him . before th' arrival of the ships that escaped in this voyage , it was known in spain , that diego flores de valdes was he who persuaded the duke to break the kings instructions ; whereupon the king gave commandment in all his ports , where the said diego flores de valdes might arrive , to apprehend him ; which was accordingly executed , and he carried to the castle of sancta andrea , and was never seen or heard of after . if the kings directions had been punctually followed , then had his fleet kept the coast of france , and arrived in the road of callice before they had been discovered by us , which might have endangered her majesty and the realm , our ships being so far off as plymouth , where then they lay ; and thought the prince of parma had not been presently ready , yet he had gained time sufficient by the absence of our fleet to make himself ready . and whereas the prince was kept in by the sail of hollanders , so many of the dukes fleet might have been able to have put the hollanders from the road of dunkirk , and possest it themselves , and so have secured the army and fleets meeting together ; and then how easie it had been after their joyning to have transported themselves for england ? and what would have ensued upon their landing here may be well imagined . but it was the will of him that directs all men and their actions , that the fleets should meet , and the enemy be beaten as they were , put from their anchorage in callice road , the prince of parma beleaguered at sea , and their navy driven about scotland and ireland with great hazard and loss ; which sheweth how god did marvellously defend us against their dangerous designs . and here was opportunity offered us to have followed the victory upon them ; for after they were beaten from the road at callice , and all their hopes and designs frustated ; if we had once more offered them fight , the general by persuasion of his confessor was determined to yield , whose example 't is very likely would have made the rest to have done the like . but this opportunity was lost , not through the negligence or backwardness of the lord admiral , but merely through the want of providence in those that had the charge of furnishing and providing for the fleet ; for at that time of so great advantage , when they came to examine their provisions , they found a general scarcity of powder and shot , for want whereof they were forced to return home . another opportunity was lost not much inferiour to the other , by not sending part of our fleet to the west of ireland , where the spaniards of necessity were to pass after so many dangers and disasters as they had endured . if we had been so happy as to have followed this course , as it was both thought and discoursed of ; we had been absolutely victorious over this great and formidable navy , for they were brought to that necessity , that they would willingly have yielded , as divers of them confess'd that were shipwreck'd in ireland . by this we may see how weak and feeble the designs of men are , in respect of the creator of man , and how indifferently he dealt betwixt the two nations , sometimes giving one , sometimes the other , the advantage ; and yet so that he onely ordered the battel . the action of portugal , . ships . commanders by sea. commanders by land. the revenge sir francis drake sir john norris the dread-nought capt. thomas fenner sir edward norris the ayde capt. william fenner sir henry norris the nonperil capt. sackvile sir roger williams the foresight capt. william winter . serjeant major the swiftsure capt. goring earl of essex voluntier the last overthrow of given to the invincible fleet , as they termed themselves , did so encourage every man to the war , as happy was he that could put himself into action against the spaniards , as it appeared by the voluntiers that went in this voyage ; which the queen ( considering the great loss the king of spain received in the year past , whereby it was to be imagined how weakly he was provided at home ) was willing to countenance , though she undertook it not wholly her self , which was the main cause of its ill success and overthrow . for whosoever he be of a subject , that thinks to undertake so great an enterprise without a prince's purse , shall be deceived ; and therefore these two generals in my opinion never overshot themselves more , than in undertaking so great a charge with so little means ; for where there are victuals and arms wanting , what hope is there of prevailing ? the project of this voyage was to restore a distressed king to his kingdom , usurped as he pretended ; and though the means for the setting forth of this voyage was not so great as was expedient ; yet in the opinion of all men , if they had directed their course whither they intended it , without landing at the groyne , they had performed the service they went for , restored don antonio to the crown of portugal , dissevered it from spain , and united it in league with england , which would have answered the present charge , and have settled a continual trade for us to the west indies , and the rest of the portugals dominions , for so we might easily have conditioned . but the landing at the groyne was an unnecessary lingering and hinderance of the other great and main design , a consuming of victuals , a weakning of the army by the immoderate drinking of the souldiers , which brought a lamentable sickness amongst them , a warning to the spaniards to strengthen portugal , and ( as great as all this ) a discouragement to proceed further being repulsed in the first attempt . but notwithstanding the ill success at the groyne , they departed from thence towards portugal , and arrived at penech , a maritine town twelve leagus from lisbon , where with a small resistance they took the castle , after the captain understood don antonio to be in the army . from thence general norris marched with his land forces to lisbon , and sir francis drake with his fleet sailed to caske cadiz , promising from thence to pass with his ships up the river to lisbon , to meet with sir john norris , which yet he did not perform , and therefore was much blamed by the general consent of all men ; the overthrow of the action being imputed to him . it will not excuse sir francis drake , for making such a promise to sir john norris , though , on the other hand , i would have accused him of great want of discretion , if he had put the fleet to so great an adventure to so little purpose : for his being in the harbor of lisbon , signified nothing to the taking of the castle , which was two miles from thence ; and had the castle been taken , the town would have been taken of course . besides , the ships could not furnish the army with more men or victuals : wherefore i understand not in what respect his going up was necessary ; and yet the fleet must have endured many hazards to this little purpose . for betwixt cask cadiz and lisbon , there are three castles , st. john , st. francis , and bellin . the first of the three , i hold one of the most impregnable forts to sea-ward in europe ; and the fleet was to pass within calliver shot of this fort ; though i confess , the passing it , was not the greatest dander : for with a reasonable gale of wind , any fort is to be passed with small hazard . but at this time there was a general want of victuals ; and being once entred the harbour , their coming out again was uncertain , the place being subject to contrary winds : in the mean while , the better part of the victuals would have been consumed , and they would have remained there in so desperate a condition , as they would have been forced to have fired one half of the fleet , for the bringing home of the rest : for being as they were , yet after the army was imbarqued for england , many died of famine homeward , and more would have done , if the wind had took them short ; or , if by the death of some of them , the rest who survived had not been the bettr relieved . and besides all these casualties and dangers , the adilantado was then in lisbon with the gallies of spain ; and how easily he might have annoyed our fleet , by towing fire-ships amongst us : we may suppose the hurt we did the spaniards the year before in cadiz road ; and greater we had done them , had we had the help of gallies . it was a wonder to observe every man's opinion of this voyage , as well those that were actions in it , as others that staid at home ; some imputing the overthrow of it , to the landing at the groyn ; others to the portugalls failing us of those helps and assistances which were promised by don antonio ; and others , to sir francis drake's not coming up the river with his fleet. though any of these three reasons may seem probable enough , and the landing at the groyn , the chiefest of the three ; yet if we weigh truly the defect , and where it was , it will appear , that the action was overthrown before their setting out from home , they being too weakly provided of all things needful for so great an expedition . for when this voyage was first treated of , the number of ships was nothing equal to the proportion of men : wherefore they were forced to make stay of divers easterlings which they met with in our channel , and compelled to serve in this action , for the transportation of our souldiers ; and though these ships were an ease to our men , who would have been otherwise much pestered for want of room ; yet their victuals were nothing augmented ; but they were put aboard the ships , like banished men , to seek their fortunes at sea , it being confessed , that divers of the ships had not four days victuals when they departed from plymouth . another impediment to the good success of this voyage , was , the want of field-pieces ; and this was the main cause why we failed of taking lisbon : for the enemies strength consisting chiefly in the castle , and we having only an army to countenance us , but no means for battery , we were the loss of the victory our selves : for it was apparent by intelligence we received , that if we had presented them with battery , they were resolved to parly , and by consequence to yield ; and this too was made use of by the portugalls , as a main reason why they joyned not with us . and there is as much to be said on the portugalls behalf , as an evidence of their good will and favor to us , that though they shewed themselves forward upon this occasion , to aid us , yet they opposed not themselves as enemies against us : whereas if they had pursued us in our retreat from lisbon to cask cadiz , our men being weak , sickly , and wanting powder , and shot , and other arms , they had in all probability put us to a great loss and disgrace . and if ever england have the like occasion to aid a competitor in portugal , we shall questionless , find , that our fair demeanor and carriage in this expedition towards the people of that countrey , have gained us great reconciliation among them , and would be of singular advantage to us : for the general strictly forbad the rifling of their houses in the country , and the suburbs of lisbon , which he possess'd , and commanded , just payment to be made by the souldiers for every thing they took , without compulsion , or rigorous usage : and this hath made those that stood but indifferently affected before , now ready upon the like occasion to assist us . a voyage undertaken by the earl of cumberland , with one ship royal of her majesties , and six of his own , and of other adventures , anno dom. . ships . commanders . the victory the earl of cumberland the margaret , capt. christopher lister and five other capt. monson , now sir william monson , vice-amiral . as the fleets of sir john norris and sir francis drake , returned from the voyage of portugal , my lord of cumberland proceeded upon his , towards that coast , ; and meeting with divers of that fleet , relieved them with victuals , who otherwise had perished . this voyage was undertaken at his and his friends charge , excepting the victory , a ship royal of the queen's , which she adventured . the service performed at sea , was the taking of three french ships of the league in our channel , and his encountring upon the coast of spain , with thirteen hulks , who made some resistance . out of these he took to the value of l. in spices belonging to portugal . from thence he crossed over to the island of terceras , and coming to st. michaels , with boats he fetched out two spanish ships from under the castle , which the same night arrived out of spain . in this course , from thence to flores , he took a spanish ship , laden with sugars and sweet-meats that came from the maderas . being at flores , he received intelligencence of divers spanish ships , which were in the road of fayal , whereupon he suddainly made from that island , where captain lister and captain monson gave a desperate attempt in their boats upon the said ships ; and after along fight possessed themselves of one of them of tuns burden , carrying eighteen pieces of ordidinance , and fifty men. this ship , with one other , came from the indies , two of the rest out of guiney , and another was laden with woad which that island affords in great plenty ; who putting from thence to sea , and coming to the island of graciosa , after two days fight , yielded us by composition some victuals : off that island we likewise took a french ship of the league , of tuns , that came from new-found-land . afterwards , sailing to the eastward of the road of terceras , in the even-we beheld tall ships of the indies , entring into the said road , one whereof we after took in her course to the coast of spain : she was laden with hides , silver and cochineal ; but coming for england , she was cast away upon the mounts bay in cornwall , being valued at l. two other prizes of sugar we took in our said course to the coast of spain , esteemed each ship at l. and one from under the castle of st. maries to the same value . there was no road about those islands , that could defend their ships from our attempts ; yet in the last assault we gave , which was upon a ship of sugars , we found ill success , being sharply resisted , and two parts of our men slain and hurt : which loss was occasioned by captain lister , who would not be persuaded from landing in the view of their forts . the service performed by land , was the taking of the island of fayall , some months after the surprizing of those ships formerly mentioned . the castle yielded us pieces of ordinance , great and small : we sacked and spoiled the town , and after ransomed it , and so departed . these summer services , and ships of sugar , proved not so sweet and pleasant as the winter was afterwards sharp and painful : for in our return for england , we found the calamity of famine , the hazard of shipwrack and the death of our men so great , that the like befell not any other fleet during the time of the war. all which disasters must be imputed to captain lister's rashness , upon whom my lord of cumberland chiefly relyed , wanting experience himself . he was the man that advised the sending the ships of wine for england , otherwise we had not known the want of drink ; he was as earnest in persuading our landing in the face of the fortifications of st. maries , against all reason and sence . as he was rash , so was he valiant ; but paid dearly for his unadvised counsel : for he was one of the first hurt , and that cruelly , in the attempt of st. maries , and afterward drowned in the rich ship , cast away at mounts bay. sir john hawkins , and sir martin forbisher , their voyage undertaken , anno . ships . commanders . the revenge sir martin forbisher the mary-rose sir john hawkins the lyon sir edward yorke the bonaventure capt. fenner . the rainbow capt. george beeston the hope   the crane capt. bostock the quittance   the foresight capt. burnell the swiftseur .   from the yeear . untill this present year . there was the greatest possibility imaginable of enriching our nation , by actions at sea , had they been well followed ; the king of spain was grown so weak in shipping , by the overthrow he had in , that he could no longer secure the trade of his subjects . her majesty now finding how necessary it was for her to maintain a fleet upon the spanish coast , as well to hinder the preparations he might make against her , to repair the disgrace he received in . as also to intercept his fleets from the indies , by which he grew great and mighty . she sent this year . ten ships of her own , in two squadrons ; the one to be commanded by sir john hawkins , the other by sir martin forbisher , two gentlemen of tried experience . the king of spain understanding of this preparation of hers , sent forth sail of ships , under the command of don. alonso de bassan , brother to the late famous marquess of st. cruz. his charge was to secure home the indian fleet and carrecks . but after don alonso had put off to sea , the king of spain becoming better advised , than to adventure of his ships to of outs , sent for don alonso back , and so frustrated the expectation of our fleet. he likewise made a dispatch to the indies , commanding the fleets to winter there , rather than to run the hazard of coming home that summer : but this proved so great a hind'rance and loss to the merchants of spain , to be so long without return of their goods , that it caused many to become bankrupts , in sevil and other places ; besides , which was so great a weakening to their ships , to winter in the indies , that many years hardly sufficed to repair the damage they received . our fleet being thus prevented , spent seven months in vain upon the coasts of spain , and the islands : but in that space , could not possess themselves of one ship of the spaniards ; and the carrecks , upon which part of their hopes depended , came home without sight of the islands , and arrived safe at lisbon . this voyage was a bare action at sea , though they attempted landing at fayal , which the earl of cumberland , the year before had taken and quitted ; but the castle being re-fortified , they prevailed not in thier enterprize : and thence forwards the king of spain endeavored to strengthen his coasts , and to encrease in shipping , as may appear by the next ensuing year . two fleets , the one by vs , under the lord thomas howard , the other by the spaniards , commanded by don alonso de bassan , anno . ships . commanders . the defiance the lord thomas howard the revenge sir richard greenvile , vice-admiral the nonperil sir edward denny the bonaventure capt. crosse the lyon capt. fenner the foresight capt. vavasor the crane capt. duffeild . her majesty understanding of the indian fleets wintering in the havana , and that necessity would compell them home this year . she sent a fleet to the islands under the command of the lord thomas howard . the king of spain perceiving her drift , and being sensible how much the safety of that fleet concerned him , caused them to set out thence so late in the year , that it endangered the shipwrack of them all ; chosing rather to hazard the perishing of ships , men and goods , than their falling into our hands . he had two designs in bringing home this fleet so late : one was , he thought the lord thomas would have consumed his victuals , and have been forced home . the other , that he might in the mean time furnish out the great fleet he was preparing , little inferior to that of . in the first he found himself deceived : for my lord was supplied both with ships and victuals out of england ; and in the second , he was as much prevented : for my lord of cumberland , who then lay upon the coast of spain , had intelligence of the spaniards putting out to sea , and advertised the lord thomas thereof , the very night before they arrived at flores , where my lord lay . the day after this intelligence , the spanish fleet was discovered by my lord thomas , whom he knew by their number and greatness , to be the ships of which he had warning ; and by that means escaped the danger that sir richard greenvile , his vice-admiral rashly ran into . upon view of the spaniards , which were sail , the lord thomas warily , and like a discreet general , weighed anchor , and made signs to the rest of his fleet to do the like , with a purpose to get the wind of them ; but sir richard greenvile , being a stubborn man , and imagining this fleet to come from the indies , and not to be the armado of which they were informed , would by no means be persuaded by his master , or company to cut his main sail , to follow his admiral ; nay , so head-strong and rash he was , that he offered violence to those that councelled him thereto . but the old saying , that a wilful man is the cause of his own woe , could not be more truly verified than in him : for when the armado approached him , and he beheld the greatness of the ships , he began to see and repent of his folly ; and when it was too late , would have freed himself of them , but in vain : for he was left a prey to the enemy , every ship striving to be the first should board him . this wilful rashness of sir richard , made the spaniards triumph as much as if they had obtained a signal victory ; it being the first ship that ever they took of her majesties , and commended to them by some english fugitives to be the very best she had ; but their joy continued not long . for they enjoyed her but five days before she was cast away with many spaniards in her , upon the islands of tercera . commonly one misfortune is accompanied with another : for the indian fleet , which my lord had waited for the whole summer , the day after this mishap , fell into the company of this spanish armado : who , if they had staid but one day longer , or the indian fleet had come home but one day sooner , we had possest both them and many millions of treasure , which the sea afterward devoured : for from the time they met with the armado , and before they could recover home , nigh an hundred of them suffered shipwrack , besides the ascention of sevil , and the double fly-boat , that were sunk by the side of the revenge . all which was occasioned by their wintering in the indies , and the late disambogueing from thence : for the worm which that country , is subject to , weakens and consumes their ships . notwithstanding this cross and perverse fortune , which happened by means of sir richard greenvile , the lord thomas would not be dismayed or discouraged ; but kept the sea so long as he had victuals ; and by such ships as himself and the rest of the fleet took , defrayed the better part of the charge of the whole action . the earl of cumberland to the coast of spain , . ships . commanders . the garland of her majesties . the earl of cumberland . capt. under him seven other ships of his and his friends capt. monson , now sir william monson . the earl of cumberland keeping the coast of spain , as you have heard , while the lord thomas remained at the islands , and both to one end , viz. to annoy and damnifie the spaniards , though in two several fleets , the earl found fortune in a sort , as much to frown upon him , as it had done upon the lord thomas howard . in his course from england to the spanish coast , he encountred with divers ships of holland , which came from lisbon , wherein he found a great quantity of spices belonging to the portugalls : so greatly were we abused by that nation of holland , who , though they were the first that engaged us in the war with spain , yet still maintained their own trade into those parts , and supplied the spaniards with munition , victuals shipping and intelligence against us . upon my lord's arrival on the coast of spain , it was his hap to take three ships at several times , one with wine , which he unladed into his own ; and two with sugars , which he enjoyed not long : no more did he the spices , which he took out of the hollanders . for one of the ships of sugar , by means of a leak that sprung upon her , was forced to be cast off , and the men , with much difficulty , recovered the shore , and saved their lives . the other being sent for england , and tossed with contrary winds , was for want of victuals forced into the groyn , where they rend'red themselves to the enemies mercy . the spices were determined to be sent for england , and a ship appointed for that purpose , with other ships to guard her ; and captain monson was sent on board her to the islands of the burlings , with a charge to see her dispatched for england . but the other ships , not observing the directions which were given them , and the night falling calm ; early in the morning , this scattered ship was set upon by six gallies ; and after a long and bloody fight , the captain , and the principallest men being slain , both ship and spices were taken ; but whether it was the respect they had to the queen's ship which was admiral of that fleet , or honor to my lord that commanded it ; or hope , by good usage of our men , to receive the like again , i know not ; but true it is , that the ordinary men were treated with more courtesie than they had been from the beginning of the wars . my lord of cumberland considering the disasters that thus befell him , and knowing the spanish fleet 's readiness to put out of harbor ; but especially finding his ship but ill of sail , it being the first voyage she ever went to sea , he durst not abide the coast of spain , but thought it more discretion to return for england , having ( as you have heard ) sent a pinnace to my lord thomas with the intelligence aforesaid . a voyage undertook by sir walter rawleigh ; but himself returning , left the charge thereof to sir martin forbisher , anno . ships . commanders by sea. commander by land. the garland sir walter rawleigh sir john boroughs . the foresight , with divers merchants ships . capt. cross , and others . sir walter went not , but sir martin fobisher .   sir walter rawleigh , who had tasted abundantly of the queen's love , and found it now began to decline , put himself upon a voyage at sea , and drew unto him divers friends of great quality , and others , thinking to have attempted some place in the west indies ; and with this resolution he put out of harbour ; but spending two or three days in fowl weather , her majesty was pleased to command his return , and to commit the charge of the ships to sir martin forbisher , who was sent down for that purpose ; but with an express command , not to follow the design of the west indies . this suddain alteration being known unto the rest of the captains , for the present made some confusion , as commonly it happens in all voluntary actions . their general leaving them , they thought themselves free in point of reputation , and at liberty to take what course they pleased : few of them therefore did submit themselves to the command of sir martin forbisher , but chose rather each one to take his particular fortune and adventure at sea. sir martin , with two or three other ships , repaired to the coast of spain , where he took a spaniard laden with iron , and a portugal with sugar : he remained there not without some danger , his ship being ill of sail , and the enemy having a fleet at sea. sir john boroughs , captain cross , and another , stood to the islands , where they met with as many ships of my lord of cumberland's , with whom they consorted . after some time spent thereabouts , they had sight of a carreck , which they chased ; but she recoverd the island of flores before they could approach her ; but the carreck , seeing the islands could not defend her from the strength and force of the english , chose rather , after the men were got on shore to fire her self , than we the enemy should reap benefit by her . the purser of her was taken , and by threats compell'd to tell of another of their company behind , that had order to fall with that island ; and gave us such particular advertisement , that indeed she fell to be ours . in the mean time don alonso de bassan was furnishing at lisbon of those gallions , which the year before he had when he took the revenge ; he was directed with those ships to go immediately to flores , to expect the coming of the carrecks , who had order to fall with that island , there to put on shore divers ordnance for strength'ning the town and castle . don alonso breaking his directions , unadvisedly made his repair first to st. michaels , and there delivered his ordnance before he arrived at flores ; and in the mean time one of the carrecks was burnt , and the other taken , as you have heard . this he held to be such a disreputation to him , and especially for that it happened through his own error and default , that he became much perplex'd , and pursued the english leagues ; but in vain , they being so far a head. the king of spain being advertised of his two carrecks mishap , and the error of don alonso , though he had much favoured him before , in respect of divers actions he had been in with his brother , the marquess of st. cruz , and for what he had lately performed , by taking the revenge : yet — the king held it for such a blemish to his honor , not to have his instructions obeyed ; and observed , that he did not only take from don alonso his command ; but he lived and died too in disgrace ; which , in my opinion , he worthily deserved . the queens adventure in this voyage , was only two ships ; one of which , and the least of them too , was at the taking of the carreck ; which title , joyned with her regal authority , she made such use of , that the rest of the adventures were fain to submit themselves to her pleasure , with whom she dealt but indifferently . the earl of cumberland to the coast of spain , anno dom. . ships commanders . the lyon the earl of cumberland the bonaventure , and seven other ships . capt. under him , capt. monson sir edward yorke . the earl of cumberland finding , that many of his voyages had miscarried through the negligence , or unfaithfulness of those who were entrusted to lay in necessary provisions ; and yet , being incouraged by the good success he had the last year , obtained two of her majesty's ships ; and victualled them himself , together with seven others that did accompany them ; and arriving upon the coast of spain , he took two french ships of the league , which did more than treble the expence of his voyage . my lord , being one day severed from his fleet , it was his hap to meet with hulks , at the same place where captain monson was taken the same day two years before : he required that respect from them that was due unto her majesties ship , which they peremptorily refused , presuming upon the strength of their ships against one only ; but they found themselves deceived : for after two hours fight he brought them to his mercy , and made them acknowledge their error ; and not only so , but they willingly discovered , and delivered up to him a great quantity of powder and munition , which they carried for the king of spain's service . my lord of cumberland having spent some time thereabouts , and understanding that fervanteles de menega , a portugal , and the king's general of a fleet of sail , was gone to the islands ; he pursued them , thinking to meet the carrecks before they should joyn together . at his coming to flores , he met , and took one of the fleet , with the death of the captain , who yet lived so long as to inform him both where the fleet was , and of their strength : the day after , he met the fleet it self ; but being far too weak for them , he was forced to leave them , and spent his time thereabouts , till he understood the carrecks were passed by , without seeing either fleet or island . sir martin forbisher , with a fleet to brest in brittany , anno . ships . commanders . the vauntguard sir martin forbisher the rainbow capt. fenner the dreadnought capt. clifford the quittance . capt. savil about three years past , anno . the queen sent sir john norris with souldiers , to joyn with the french king's party in those parts . the king of spain , who upheld the faction of the league , sent don john de aquila with the like forces , to joyn with the duke de merceur , who was of the contrary side . the spaniards had fortified themselves very strongly near the town of brest , expecting new succors from spain by sea ; which the french king fearing , craved assistance from the queen , which her majesty was the more willing to grant , because the spaniards had gotten the haven of brest to entertain their shipping in , and were like to prove there very dangerous neighbors : wherefore she sent sir martin forbisher thither in this year , , with four of her ships : and upon his arrival there , sir john norris , with his forces , and sir martin with his seaman , assailed the fort ; and though it was as bravely defended as men could do ; yet in the end it was taken with the loss of divers captains , sir martin forbisher being himself sore wounded , of which hurt he died at plymouth after his return . a fleet to the indies , sir francis drake , and sir john hawkins generals , wherein they adventured deeply , and died in the voyage . anno . ships . commanders by sea. commander by land. the defiance sir francis drake sir tho. baskervile the garland sir john hawkins   the hope capt. gilbert yorke   the bonaventure capt. troughton   the foresight capt. winter   the adventure capt. tho. drake .   these two generals , presuming much upon their own experience and knowledge , used many persuasions to the queen , to undertake a voyage to the west indies , giving much assurance to perform great services , and promising to engage themselves very deeply therein , with the adventure of both substance and life . and as all actions of this nature promise fair , till they come to be performed , so did this the more , in the opinion of all men , in respect of the two generals experience . there were many impediments and let ts to this voyage , before they could clear themselves of the coast , which put them to greater charge than they expected ; the chiefest cause of their lingring , was a mistrust our state had of an invasion , and the danger to spare so many good ships and men out of england as they carried with them . the spaniards with their usual subtilty , let slip no opportunity to put us in amazement , thereby to dissolve the action ; and sent four gallies to bleuret in brittany , from thence to seize some part of our coast , that so we might apprehend a greater force was to follow . these gallies landed at pensants in cornwall , where , finding the town abandoned , they sack'd and burnt it ; but this design of theirs took little effect ; for the voyage proceeded notwithstanding . the intent of the voyage , was to land at nombre de dois , and from thence to march to panuma , to possess the treasure that comes from peru ; and if they saw reason for it , to inhabite and keep it . a few days before their going from plymouth , they received letters from her majesty , of an advertisement she had out of spain , that the indian fleet was arrived ; and that one of them , with loss of her mast , was put room to the island of porto ricom . she commanded them , seeing there was so good an opportunity offered , as the readiness of this her fleet , and the weakness of porto ricom , to possess themselves of that treasure ; and the rather , for that it was not much out of their way to nombre de dois . it is neither years , nor experience , that can foresee and prevent all mishaps , which is a manifest proof , that god is the guider and disposer of mens actions : for nothing could seem more probable to be effected , than this later design , especially considering the ability and wisdom of the two generals ; and yet was unhappily prevented , and failed in the execution : for there being five frigats sent out of spain , to fetch this treasure from porto ricom , in their way it was their hap to take a pinnace of the english fleet , by whom they understood the secrets of the voyage ; and to prevent the attempt of porto ricom , they hastened thither with all speed ( whilst our generals lingred at quadrupa , to set up their boats ) and at their arrival , so strengthened the town with the souldiers , brought in the prigats , that when our fleet came thither , not expecting resistance , they found themselves frustrate of their hopes , which indeed they themselves were the occasion of , in managing their design with no more secresie . this repulse bred so great a disconceit in sir john hawkins , as it is thought to have hastened his days ; and being great and unexpected , did not a little discourage sir francis drake's great mind , who yet proceeded upon his first resolved design , for nombre de dios , though with no better success : for the enemy having knowledge of their coming , fortified the passage to panuma , and forced them to return with loss . sir francis drake , who was wont to rule fortune , now finding his error , and the difference between the present strength of the indies , and what it was when he first knew it , grew melancholly upon this disappointment , and suddenly , and i hope naturally , died at nombre de dios , where he got his first reputation . the two generals dying , and all other hopes being taken away by their deaths , sir thomas baskervile succeeded them in their command , and began now to think upon his return for england ; but coming near cuba , he met and fought with a fleet of spain , though not long , by reason of the sickness and weakness of his men. this fleet was sent to take the advantage of ours in its return , thinking , as indeed it happened , that they should find them both weak , and in want ; but the swiftness of our ships , in which we had the advantage of the spaniards , preserved us . you may observe , that from the year the revenge was taken , untill this present year . there was no summer , but the king of spain furnished a fleet for the guarding of his coasts , and securing of his trade ; and though there was little fear of any fleet from england to impeach him , besides this in the indies ; yet because he would shew his greatness , and satisfie the portugal of the care he had in preserving their carrecks ; he sent the count of feria , a young nobleman of portugal , who desired to gain experience , with ships to the islands ; but the carrecks did , as they used to do in many other years , miss both islands and fleets , and arrived at lisbon safely . the other fleets of the king of spain in the indies , consisted of ships , their general don bernardino de villa nova , an approved coward , as it appeared when he came to encounter the english fleet ; but his defects were supplied by the valor of his vice-admiral , who behaved himself much to his honor : his name was john garanay . the earl of essex , and the lord admiral of england , generals , equally , both by sea and land , anno . ships . commanders . the repulse the earl of essex . capt. under him the ark-royal sir will. monson the mere-honor the lord admiral . capt. under him the warspite ames preston the lyon the lord thomas howard the rainbow sir walter rawleigh the nonperil sir robert southwell the vauntguard sir francis vere the mary rose sir robert dudley the dreadnought sir john wingfield the swiftsuer sir george carew the quittance sir alexander clifford the tremontary , with several others . sir robert crosse   sir george clifford   sir robert mansfield   capt. king. the first of june . we departed from plymouth ; and our departure was the more speedy , by reason of the great pains , care and industry of the captains , who in their own persons , labored the night before , to get out some of their ships , riding at catwater , which otherwise had not been easily effected . the third , we set sail from cansom bay , the wind , which when we weighed , was at west and by south , instantly cast up to the north east , and so continued untill it brought us up as high as the north cape of spain ; and this fortunate beginning put us in great hopes of a lucky success to ensue . we being now come upon our enemies coast , it behoved the generals to be vigilant in keeping them from intelligence of us , who therefore appointed the litness , the true love , and the lion's whelp ( the three chief sailors of our fleet ) to run a head , suspecting the spaniards had some carvels of advice out , which they did usually send to discover at sea , upon any rumor of a less fleet than this , was made ready in england . no ship or carvel escaped from us , which i hold a second happiness to our voyage : for you shall understand hereafter , the inconvenience that might have happened upon our discovery . the th . of june , the said three ships , took three fly-boats that came from cadiz days before ; by them we understood the state of the town , and that they had no suspition of us , which we looked on as a third omen of our good fortune to come . the th . of june , the swan , a ship of london , being commanded , as the other three , to keep a good way off the fleet , to prevent discovery , she met with a fly-boat , which made resistance , and escaped from her . this fly-boat came from the streights , bound home , who discovering our fleet , and thinking to gain reputation and reward from the spaniards , shhaped her course for lisbon ; but she was luckily prevented by the john and francis , another ship of london , commanded by sir marmaduke darrel , who took her within a league of the shore ; and this we may account a fourth happiness to our voyage . the first ( as hath been said ) was for the wind to take us so suddainly , and to continue so long : for our souldiers being shipped , and in harbor , would have consumed their victuals , and have been so pester'd , that it would have endangered a sickness amongst them . the second , was the taking all ships that were seen , which kept the enemy from intelligence . the third , was the intercepting of the fly-boats from cadiz , whither we were bound , who assured us , our coming was not suspected , which made us more careful to hail from the coast than otherwise we should have been : they told us likewise of the daily expectation of the gallions to come from st. jacar to cadiz , and of the merchant-men that lay there , and were ready bound for the indies . these intelligences were of great moment , and made the generals presently to contrive their business both by sea and land , which otherwise would have taken up a longer time , after their coming thither , and whether all men would have consented to attempt their ships in harbor , if they had not known the most part of them to consist of merchants , i hold very doubtful . the fourth , and fortunatest of all , was the taking of the fly-boat by the john and francis , which the swan let go : for if she had reached lisbon , she had been able to make report of the number and greatness of our ships , and might have endangered the loss of the whole design , she seeing the course we bore , and that we had passed lisbon , which was the place the enemy most suspected , and made there his greatest preparation for defence : but had the enemy been freed of that doubt , he had then no place to fear but andulozia and cadiz above the rest , which upon the lest warning might have been strengthened , and we put to great hazard ; he might also have secured his ships , by towing them out with gallies ; and howsoever the wind had been , might have sent them into the streights , where it had been in vain to have pursued them , or over the bar of st. lucar , where it had been in vain to have attempted them . and indeed , of the good and ill of intelligence , we had had sufficient experience formerly , of the good in . for how suddainly had we been taken and surprized when it we lest suspected , had it not been for captain flemming ? of the ill in the year before this , by the spaniards taking a barque of sir francis drake's fleet , which was the occasion of the overthrow of himself and the whole action ? the th . of june we came to cadiz , earlier in the morning than the masters made reckoning of . before our coming thither , it was determined in council , that we should land at st. sebastians , the westermost part of the land ; and thither came all the ships to an anchor , every man preparing to land as he was formerly directed ; but the wind being so great , and the sea so grown , and four gallies lying too , to intercept our boats , there was no attempting to land there , without the hazard of all . this day was spent in vain , in returning messengers from one general to another ; and in the end , they were forced to resolve upon a course which sir william monson , captain under my lord of essex , advised him to , the same morning he discovered the town ; which was to surprize the ships , and to be possessors of the harbor before they attempted landing . this being now resolved on , there arose a great question , who should have the honor of the first going in ? my lord of essex stood for himself ; but my lord admiral opposed it , knowing if he miscarried , it would hazard the overthrow of the action ; besides , he was streightly charged by her majesty , that the earl should not expose himself to danger , but upon great necessity . when my lord of essex could not prevail , the whole council withstanding him he sent sir william monson that night , on board my lord admiral , to resolve what ships should be appointed the next day to undertake the service . sir walter rawleigh had the vaward given him , which my lord thomas howard hearing , challenged in right of his place of vice-admiral , and it was granted him ; but sir walter having order over night to ply in , came first to an anchor ; but in that distance from the spaniards as he could not annoy them : and he himself returned on board the lord general essex , to excuse his coming to anchor so far off , for want of water to go higher ; which was thought strange , that the spaniards which drew much more water , and had no more advantage than he of tide , could pass where his could not : but sir francis vere , in the rainbow , who was appointed to second him , passing by sir walter rawleigh his ship , sir walter the second time , weighed and went higher . the lord general essex , who promised to keep in the midst of the fleet , was told by sir william monson , that the greatest service would depend upon three or four ships ; and sir william put him in mind of his honor ; for that many eyes beheld him . this made him forgetful of his promise , and to use all means he could to be formost in the fight . my lord howard , who could not go up in his own ship , the mere-honor , betook himself to the nonperil ; and in respect the rainbow , the repulse and warspight , had taken up the best of the channel , by their first coming to an anchor , to his grief he could not get higher : here did every ship strive to be the headmost ; but such was the narrowness of the channel , as neither the lord admiral , nor any other ship of the queens could pass on . there was commandment given , that no ship should shoot but the queens , making account , that the honor would be the greater , if the victory were obtained with so few . this fight confinued from ten , till four in the afternoon : the spaniards then set sail , thinking either to run higher up the river , or else to bring their other broad sides to us , because of the heat of their ordnance ; but howsoever it was , in their floating , they came a ground , and the men began to forsake the ships : whereupon there was commandment given , that all the hoys , and vessels that drew least water should go unto them . sir william monson was sent in the repulse boat , with like directions . we posses'd our selves of the great gallions , the matthew , and the andrew ; but the philip and thomas fired themselves , and were burnt down before they could be quenched . i must not omit to describe the manner of the spanish ships and gallies , riding in harbor at our first coming to cadiz . the four gallions singled themselves from out the fleet , as guards of their merchants . the gallies were placed to flank us with their prows before entry ; but when they saw our approach , the next morning the merchants ran up the river , and the men of war of port royal to the point of the river , brought themselves into a good order of fight , moving their ships a head and a stern , to have their broad sides upon us . the gallies then betook themselves to the guard of the town , which we put them from before we attempted the ships . the victory being obtained at sea , the l. general essex landed his men in a sandy bay , which the castle of poyntull commanded ; but they seeing the success of their ships , and mistrusting their own strength , neither offered to offend his landing , nor to defend the castle ; but quitted it , and so we became possessors of it . after my lord 's peeceable landing , he considered what was to be done ; and there being no place from whence the enemy could annoy us , but the bridge of swasoe , which leadeth over from the main land to the island ; by our making good of which bridge , there would be no way left for the gallies to escape us . he sent three regiments under the command of sir conniers clifford , sir christopher blunt , and sir thomas garret to the bridge ; who at their first coming were encountred by the enemy , but yet possess'd themselves of it , with the loss of some men ; but whether it was for want of victuals , or for what other reasons , our men quitted it , i know not , and the gallies breaking down divers arches pass'd it , and by that means escaped . my lord dispatched a messenger to my lord admiral , intreating him to give order to attempt the merchants that rode in port royal , for that it was dangerous to give them a night's respite , lest they should convey away their wealth , or take example by the philip and thomas , to burn themselves . this message was delivered by sir anthony ashley , and sir william monson , as my lord admiral was in his boat , ready with his toops of seamen to land , fearing the lord general essex should be put to distress with his small companies , which were but three regiments , hastened by all means to second him , and gave order to certain ships the next day to pursue him . seeing i have undertaken to shew the escapes committed in any of our english voyages , such as were committed here , shall without fear or flattery appear to the judicious reader . though the earl of essex his carriage and forwardness merited much , yet if it had been with more advisement , and less haste , it would have succeeded better : and if he were now living , he would confess , sir william monson advised him , rather to seek to be master of the ships , than of the town ; for it was that would afford both wealth and honor : for the riches in ships could not be concealed , or conveyed away as in towns they might . and the ships themselves being brought for england , would be always before mens eyes there , and put them in remembrance of the greatness of the exploit ; as for the town , perhaps it might be soon won , but probably not long enjoyed , and so quickly forgotten : and to speak indifferentiy , by the earl's suddain landing , without the lord admirals privity ; and his giving advice by a message to attempt the ships , which should have been resolved of upon mature deliberation , no doubt , the lord admiral found his honor a little eclipsed , which perhaps hastened his landing for his reputation sake , whenas he thought it more advisable to have possess'd himself of their fleet. before the lord admiral could draw near the town , the earl of essex had entred it ; and although the houses were built in that manner , as that every house served for a platform ; yet they were forc'd to quit them , and to retire into the castle . my lord at last , in despite of the enemy , gained the market place , where he found greatest resistance from the houses thereabouts ; and where it was that that worthy gentleman sir john wingfield was unluckily slain . the lord general essex caused it to be proclaimed by beat of drum through the town , that all that would yield , should repair to the town-house , where they should have promise of mercy , and those that would not , to expect no favor . the castle desired respite to consider untill the morning following ; and then by one general consent , they surrend'red themselves to the two lord generals mercies . the chief prisoners , men and women , were brought into the castle , where they remained a little space , and were sent away with honorable usage . the noble treating of the prisoners , hath gained an everlasting honor to our nation , and the general 's in particular . it cannot be supposed the lord generals had leisure to be idle the day following , having so great business to consider of , as the securing the town , and enjoying the merchants ships : wherefore , for the speedier dispatch , they had speech with the best men of the city , about the ransom to be given for their town and liberties , duckets was the summ concluded on ; and for security thereof , many of them became hostages . there was likewise an overture for the ransom of their ships and goods , which the duke of medina hearing of , rather than we should reap any profit by them , he caused them to be fired . we found by experience , that the destroying of this fleet ( which did amount to the value of six or seven millions ) was the general impoverishing of the whole country : for when the pledges sent to sevil , to take up money for their redemption ; they were answered , that all the town was not able to raise such a summ , their loss was so great by the loss of their fleet. and to speak truth , spain never received so great an overthrow , so great a spoil , so great an indignity at our hands as this : for our attempt was at his own home , in his port , that he thought as safe as his chamber , where we took and destroy'd his ships of war , burnt and consumed the wealth of his merchants , sack'd his city , ransomed his subjects , and entred his country without impeachment . to write all accidents of this voyage , wete too tedious , and would weary the reader ; but he that would desire to know the behavior of the spaniards , as well as of us , many confer with divers english men that were redeemed out the gallies in exchange for others , and brought into england . after we had enjoyed the town of cadiz a fortnight , and our men were grown rich by the spoil of it , the generals imbarqued their army , with an intent to perform greater services before their return ; but such was the covetousness of the better sort , who were inriched there , and the fear of hunger in others , who complained for want of victuals , as they could not willingly be drawn to any farther action , to gain more reputation . the only thing that was afterwards attempted , was pharoah , a town of algarula in portugal , a place of no resistance or wealth , only famous by the library of osorius , who was bishop of that place ; which library was brought into england by us , and many of the books bestowed upon the new erected library of oxford . some prisoners were taken ; but of small account , who told us , that the greatest strength of the country was in lawgust , the chief town of argarula , twelve miles distant from thence ; because most part of the gentlemen thereabouts were gone thither , to make it good expecting our coming . this news was acceptable to my lord of essex , who preferred honor before wealth : and having had his will , and the spoil of the town of pharoah and country thereabouts : he shipped his army , and took council of the lord admiral how to proceed . my lord admiral diverted his course for lawgust , alleadging the place was strong , of no wealth , always held in the nature of a fisher-town , belonging to the portugals , who in their hearts were our friends ; that the winning of it , after so eminent a place as cadiz , could add no honor ; though it should be carried , yet it would be the loss of his best troops and gentlemen , who would rather to die , than receive indignity of a repulse . my lord of essex , much against his will , was forc'd to yield unto these reasons , and desist from that enterprise . about this time there was a general complaint for want of victuals ; which proceeded rather out of a desire that some had to be at home , than out of any necessity : for sir william monson and mr. darrel , were appointed to examine the condition of every ship , and found seven weeks victuals ( drink excepted ) which might have been supplied from the shore in water ; and this put the generals in great hope to perform something more than they had done . the only service that was now to be thought on , was to lie in wait for the carrecks , which in all probability could not escape us , though there were many doubts to the contrary ; but easily answered by men of experience : but in truth , some mens desire homeward , were so great , that no reason could prevail with , or persuade them . coming into the height of the rock , the generals took council once again , and then the earl of essex , and the lord thomas howard , offered with great earnestness , to stay out the time our victuals lasted ; and desired to have but ships furnished out of the rest to stay with them ; but this would not be granted , though the squadron of the hollanders offered voluntarily to stay . sir walter rawleigh alleadged the scarcity of victuals , and the infection of his men. my lord general essex , offered , in the greatness of his mind , and the desire he had to stay , to supply his want of men and victuals , and to exchange ships ; but all proposals were in vain : for the riches kept them that got much , from attempting more ; as if it had been otherwise pure want , though not honour would have enforced them to greater enterprises . this being the last hopes of the voyage , and being generally withstood , it was concluded to steer away for the north cape , and afterwards , to view and search the harbors of the groyn and ferrol ; and if any of the king of spain's ships chanced to be there , to give an attempt upon them . the lord admiral sent a carvel of our fleet into these two harbors , and aparrelled the men in spanish cloaths , to avoid suspicion . this carvel returned the next day , with a true relation , that there were no ships in the harbors : and now passing all places where there was any hope of doing good , our return for england was resolved upon ; and the th . of august , the lord admiral arrived in plymouth , with the greatest part of the army : and the lord general essex , who staid to accompany the st. andrew , which was under his charge , and reputed of his squadron , two days after us , the th . of august , where he found the army in that perfect health , as the like hath not been seen , for so many to go out of england , to such great enterprises , and so well to return home again , he himself rid up to the court , to advise with her majesty , about the winning of callis , which the spaniards took the easter before : here was a good opportunity , to have re-gained the ancient patrimony of england ; but the french king , thought he might with more ease re-gain it from the spaniard , who was his enemy , than recover it again from us , who were his friends . my lord admiral , with the fleet , went to the downs , where he landed , and left the charge of the navy , to sir robert dudley , and sir william monson . in going from thence to chatham , they endured more foul weather , and contrary winds , than in the whole voyage besides . a voyage to the islands , the earl of essex general , anno . ships . commanders . the mere-honor the earl of essex . capt. under him after in the repulse sir robert mansell the lyon the lord thomas howard the warspite sir walter rawleigh the garland the earl of southampton the defiance the lord mountioy the mary rose sir francis vere the hope sir richard lewson the matthew sir george carew the rainbow sir will. monson the bonaventure , sir will. harvey the dreadnought sir will. brooke the swiftsuer sir gilly merick the antelope sir john gilbert , he went not . the nonperil sir tho. vavasor the st. andrew capt. throgmorton . her majesty having knowledge of the king of spain's drawing down his fleet and army to the groyn and ferrol , with an intent to enter into some action against her ; and that , notwithstanding the loss of thirty six sail of his ships that were cast away upon the north cape , in their coming thither : he prepared with all possible means , to revenge the disgraces we did him the year last past at cadiz . her majesty likewise prepared to defend her self , and fitted out the most part of her ships for the sea ; but at length , perceiving his drift was more to afright than offend her , though he gave it it out otherwise , because she should provide to resist him at home , rather than to annoy him abroad . she was unwilling the great charges she had been at , should be bestowed in vain ; and therefore turned her preparations another way , than that for which she first intended them . the project of this voyage , was to assault the king of spain's shipping in the harbor of ferrol , which the queen chiefly desired to do for her own security at home ; and afterwards to go and take the islands of tercera ; and there to expect the coming home of the indian fleet. but neither of these two designs took that effect which was expected : for in our setting forth , the same day we put to sea , we were taken with a most violent storm , and contrary winds ; and the general was seperated from the fleet , and one ship from another , so that the one half of the fleet were compelled to return home , and the rest that kept the sea , having reached the coast of spain , were commanded home , by order of the lord general . thus after their return , they were to advise upon a new voyage , finding by their ships and victuals , they were unable to perform the former : whereupon it was thought convenient all the army should be discharged , for the prolonging of the victuals , except a thousand of the prime souldiers of the low countries , which were put into her majesties ships , that they might be the better prepared , if they should chance to encounter the spanish fleet. thus the second time they departed england , though not without some danger of the ships , by reason of the winter 's near approach . the first land in spain we fell withal , was the north cape , the place whither our directions led us , if we happened to lose company ; being there descried from the shore , and not above leagues from the groyn , where the spanish armado lay . we were in good hopes to have enticed them out of the harbor to fight us ; but spending some time thereabouts , and finding no such disposition in them , it was thought fit no longer to linger about that coast , lest we should lose our opportunity upon the indian fleet ; therefore every captain received his directions to stand his course into degrees , there to spread our selves north and south , it being a heighth that commonly the spaniards sail in from the indies . at this time the lord general complained of a leak in his ship ; and two days after , towards midnight , he brought himself upon the lee to stop it . sir walter rawleigh , and some other ships , being a head the fleet , and it growing dark , they could not discern the lord general 's working ; but stood their course as before directed ; and through this unadvised working of my lord , they lost him and his fleet. the day following , sir walter rawleigh was informed by a pinnace he met , that the great armado , which we supposed to be in the groyn and ferrol , was gone to the islands , for the guard of the indian fleet. this pinnace , with this intelligence it gave us , sir walter rawleigh immediately sent to look out the general . my lord had no sooner received this advice , but at the very instant he directed his course to the islands , and dispatched some small vessels to sir walter rawleigh , to inform him of the suddain alteration of his course , upon the news received from him , commanding him with all expedition , to repair to flores , where he would not fail to be at our arrival . at the islands we found this intelligence utterly false : for neither the spanish ships were there , nor were expected there : we met likewise with divers english men , that came out of the indies ; but they could give us no assurance of the coming home of the fleet ; neither could we recive any advertisement from the shore , which made us half in despair of them . by that time we had watered our ships , and refreshed our selves at flores , sir walter rawleigh arrived there , who was willed by the lord general , after he was furnished of such wants as that poor island afforded , to make his repair to the island of fayal , which my lord intended to take . here grew great questions and heart-burnings against sir walter rawleigh : for he coming to fayal , and missing the lord general , and yet knowing my lord's resolution to take the island , he held it more advisable to land with those forces he had , than to expect the coming of my lord : for in that space the island might be better provided : whereupon he landed , and took it before my lord's approach . this act was held such an indignity to my lord , and urged with that vehemence , by those that hated sir walter , that if my lord , though naturally kind , and flexible , had not feared how it would have been taken in england , i think sir walter had smarted for it . from this island we went to graciosa , which did willingly relieve our wants , as far as it could ; yet with humble intreaty to forbear landing with our army , especially , because they understood there was a squadron of hollanders amongst us , who did not use to forbear cruelty wherever they came ; and here it was that we met the indian fleet , which in manner following , unluckily escaped us . the lord general having sent some men of good account into the island , to see there should be no injury offered to the portugals , he having passed his word to the contrary ; those men advertised him of four sail of ships descried from the shore , and one of them greater than the rest , seemed to be a carreck : my lord received this news with great joy , and divided his fleet into three squadrons , to be commanded by himself , the lord thomas howard , and sir walter rawleigh . the next ship to my lord , of the queen's , was the rainbow , wherein sir william monson went , who received direction from my lord to steer away south that night ; and if he should meet with any fleet , to follow them , carrying lights , or shooting off his ordnances or making any other sign that he could ; and if he met with no ships , to direct his course the next day , to the island of st. michael ; but promising that night to send ships after him . sir william besought my lord , by the pinnace that brought him this direction , that above all things he should have a care to dispatch a squadron to the road of angra in the tercera's : for it was certain , if they were spaniards , thither they would resort . whilst my lord was thus contriving his business , and ordering his squadrons , a small barque of his fleet happened to come to him , who assured him , that those ships discovered from the land , were of his own fleet ; and that they came in immediately from them . this made my lord countermand his former direction ; only sir william monson , who was the next ship to him , and received the first command , could not be recalled back . within three hours of his departure from my lord , which might be about of the clock , he fell in company of a fleet of sail , which at the first he could not assure himself to be spaniards ; because the day before , that number of ships was missing from our fleet. here he was in a dilemma and great perplexity with himself ; for in making signs , as he was directed , if the ships proved english , it were ridiculous , and he would be exposed to scorn ; and to respite it untill morning , were as dangerous , if they were the indian fleet : for then my lord might be out of view , or of the hearing of his ordnance : therefore he resolved rather to put his person , than his ship in peril . he commanded his master to keep the weather-gage of the fleet , whatsoever should become of him ; and it blowing little wind , he betook himself to his boat , and rowed up with the fleet , demanding of whence they were : they answered , of sevil in spain ; and asked of whence he was ? he told them of england ; and that the ship in sight was a gallion of the queen 's of england , single and alone , alleadging the honor they would get by winning her ; his drift being to draw and entice them into the wake of our fleet , where they would be so entangled , as they could not escape ; they returned him some shot , and ill language ; but would not alter their course to the tercera's , whither they were bound , and where they arrived to our misfortune . sir william monson returned aboard his ship , making signs with lights , and report with his ordnance ; but all in vain : for my lord altering his course , as you have heard , stood that night to st. michaels , and passed by the north side of tercera , a farther way , than if he had gone by the way of augra , where he had met the indian fleet. when day appeared , and sir william monson was in hope to find the ships promised to be sent to him , he might discern the spanish fleet two miles and a little more a head him , and a stern him a gallion , and a pinnace betwixt them ; which putting forth her flaggs , he knew to be the earl of southampton in the garland : the pinnace was a frigat of the spanish fleet , who took the garland and the rainbow to be gallions of theirs ; but seeing the flag of the garland , she found her error , and sprang a loof , thinkink to escape ; but the earl pursued her with the loss of some time , when he should have followed the fleet ; and therefore was desired to desist from that chase by sir william monson , who sent his boat to him . by a shot from my lord , this frigat was sunk ; and while his men were rifling her , sir francis vere and sir william brook came up in their two ships , who the spaniards would have made us believe were two gallions of theirs ; and so much did my lord signifie to sir william monson , wishing him to stay their coming up : for that there would be greater hope of those two ships , which there was no doubt but we were able to master , than of the fleet , for which we were too weak . but after sir william had made the two ships to be the queen's , which he ever suspected them to be , he began to pursue the spanish fleet afresh ; but by reason they were so far a head of him , and had so little way to sail , they recovered the road of tercera ; but he and the rest of the ships pursued them , and himself led the way into the harbor , where he found sharp resistance from the castle ; but yet so battered the ships , that he might see the masts of some shot by the board , and the men quit the ships ; so that there wanted nothing but a gale of wind to enable him to cut the cables of the hawsers , and to bring them off : wherefore he sent to the other great ships of ours , to desire them to attempt the cutting their cables ; but sir fra. vere rather wished his coming off , that they might take a resolution what to do . this must be rather imputed to want of experience than backwardness in him : for sir william sent him word , that if he quitted the harbor , the ships would tow near the castle ; and as the night drew on , the wind would freshen , and come more off the land , which indeed proved so , and we above a league from the road in the morning . we may say , and that truly , there was never that possibility to have undone the state of spain as now : for every royal of plate we had taken in this fleet , had been two to them , by our converting it by war upon them . none of the captains could be blamed in this business : all is to be attributed to the want of experience in my lord , and his flexible nature to be over-ruled : for the first hour he anchored at flores , and called a council , sir william monson advised him upon the reasons following , after his watering , to run west , spreading his fleet north and south , so far as the eastern wind that then blew would carry them ; alleadging , that if the indian fleet came home that year , by computation of the last light moon , from which time their disimboguing in the indies , must be reckoned , they could not be above leagues short of that island ; and whensoever the wind should chop up westernly , he bearing a slack sail , they would , in a few days overtake him . this advice my lord seemed to take , but was diverted by divers gentlemen , who coming principally for land service , found themselves tired by the tediousness of the sea. certain it is , if my lord had followed his advice , within less than hours , he had made the queen owner of that fleet : for by the pilot's card , which was taken in the frigat , the spanish fleet was but leagues in traverse with that eastern wind , when my lord was at flores , which made my lord wish , the first time sir william monson repaired to him , after the escape of the fleet , that he had lost his hand so he had been ruled by him . being met aboard sir francis vere , we consulted what to do , and resolved to acquaint my lord with what had happened , desiring his presence with us , to see if there were any possibility to attempt the shipping , or surprize the island , and so to possess the treasure . my lord received this advertisement , just as he was ready with his troops to have landed in st. michaels ; but this message diverted his landing , and made him presently cast about for the islands of the tercera's , where we lay all this while expecting his coming . in his course from st. michaels , it was his hap to to take three ships that departed the havana the day after the fleet : which three ships did more than countervail the whole voyage . at my lord's meeting with us at tercera , there was a consultation how the enemies ships might be fetched off , or destroyed as they lay ; but all men with one consent , agreed the impossibility of it . the attempting the island was propounded ; but withstood for these reasons , the difficulty in landing , the strength of the island , which was increased by fourteen or fifteen hundred souldiers in the ships , and our want of victuals to abide by the siege . seeing then we were frustrate of our hopes at the tercera , we resolved upon landing in st. michaels , and arrived the day following at punta delgada , the chief city . here my lord imbarqued his small army in boats , with offer to land ; and having thereby drawn the enemies greatest force thither to resist him , suddainly he rowed to villa franca , three or four leagues distant from thence ; which , not being defended by the enemy , he took . the ships had order to abide in the road of delgada ; for that my lord made account to march thither by land ; but being on shore at villa franca , he was informed that the march was impossible , by reason of the high and craggy mountains , which diverted his purpose . victuals now grew short with us , and my lord general began discreetly to foresee the danger in abiding towards winter upon these coasts , which could not afford him an harbor , only open roads that were subject to southern winds ; and upon every wind , he must put to sea for his safety . he considered , that if this should happen , when his troops were on shore , and he not able to reach the land in a fortnight or more , which is a thing ordinary , what a desperate case he should put himself into , especially in so great a want of victuals : and so concluding , that he had seen the end of all his hopes , by the escape of the fleet , he imbarqued himself and army , though with some difficulty , the seas were now grown so high . by this the one half of the fleet that rid in punta delgada , put room for villa franca , and those that remained behind , being thought by a ship of brazile to be the spanish fleet , she came in amongst them , and so was betrayed : after her there followed a carreck , who had been served in the like manner ; but for the hasty and indiscreet weighing of a hollander , which made her run a shore under the castle ; when the wind lessened sir william monson weighted with the rainbow , thinking to give an attempt upon her , notwithstanding the castle ; which she perceiving , as he drew near unto her , she set her self on fire , and burned down to the very keel . she , was a ship of tuns burden , that the year before was not able to double the cape of bona esperansa , in her voyage to the east indies ; but put into brazile , where she was laden with sugars , and afterwards thus destroyed . the spaniards , who presumed more upon their advantages than valors , thought themselves in too weak a condition to follow us to the islands , and put their fortunes upon a days service , but subtilly devised how to intercept us as we came home , when we had least thought or suspicion of them ; and their fleet , that was all this while in the groyn and ferrol , not daring to put forwards while they knew ours to be upon the coast , their general the adelantada came for england , with a resolution to land at falmouth , and fortifie it , and afterwards , with their ships , to keep the sea , and expect our coming home scattered . having thus cut off our sea forces , and possessing the harbor of falmouth , they thought with a second supply of levantisco's ships , which the marquess arumbullo commanded , to have returned and gained a good footing in england . these designs of theirs were not foreseen by us : for we came home scattered , as they made reckoning , not in number together . we may say , and that truly , that god sought for us : for the adalantada being within a few leagues of the island of silly , he commanded all his captains on board him to receive his directions ; but whilst they were in consultation , a violent storm took them at east , insomuch that the captains could hardly recover their ships , but in no case were able to save their boats , the storm continued so furious , and happy was he that could recover home , seeing their design thus overthrown by loss of their boats , whereby their means of landing was taken away . some who were willing to stay , and receive the farther commands of the general , kept the seas so long upon our coast , that in the end they were taken ; others put themselves into our harbors for refuge and succor ; and it is certainly known , that in this voyage the spaniards lost eighteen ships , the st. luke , and the st. bartholomew , being two and in the rank of his best gallions . we must ascribe this success to god only : for certainly the enemies designs were dangerous , and not to be diverted by our force ; but by his will , who would not suffer the spaniards in any of their attempts , to set footing in england , as we have done in all the quarters of spain , portugal , the islands , and both the indies . the lord thomas howard admiral to the downs , from whence he returned in one month , anno . ships . commanders . the elizabeth jonas the lord thomas howard the ark royal sir walter rawleigh the triumph sir fulke grivel the mere-honor sir henry palmer the repulse sir tho. vavasor the garland sir will. harvey the defiance sir will. monson the nonperil sir robert cross the lyon sir richard lewson the rainbow sir alexander clifford the hope sir john gilbert the foresight sir tho. sherley the mary rose mr. fortescue the bonaventure , capt. troughton . the crane capt. jonas the swiftsuer capt. bradgate the tremontary capt. slingsby the advantage capt. hoer the quittance capt. reynolds i cannot write of any thing done in this year of . for there was never greater expectation of war , with less performance . whether it was a mistrust the one nation had of the other , or a policy held on both sides , to make peace with sword in hand , a treaty being entertained by consent of each prince , i am not to examine ; but sure i am , the preparation was on both sides very great , as if the one expected an invasion from the other ; and yet it was generally conceived , not to be intended by either ; but that ours had only relation to my lord of essex , who was then in ireland , and had a design to try his friends in england , and to be revenged of his enemies , as he pretended , and as it proved afterwards by his fall : howsoever it was , the charge was not so great as necessary : for it was commonly known , that the adalantada had drawn both his ships and gallies to the groyne ; which was not usually done , but for some action intended upon england or ireland , though he converted them after to another use , as you shall hear . the gallies were sent into the low countreys , and pass'd the narrow seas , while our ships lay there , and with the fleet the atalantada pursued the hollanders to the islands , whither he suspected they were gone . this fleet of hollanders , which consisted of sail , were the first ships that ever displayed their colors in war-like sort against the spaniards , in any action of their own : for how cruel soever the war seemed to be in holland , they maintained a peaceable trade in spain , and abused us . this first action of the hollanders at sea proved not very successful : for after the spoil of a town in the canary's , and some hurt done at the island of st. ome , they kept the sea for some seven or eight months , in which time their general and most of their men sickned and died , and the rest returned with loss and shame . another benefit which we received by this preparation , was , that our men were now taught suddainly to arme , every man knowing his command , and how to be commanded , which before they were ignorant of : and who knows not , that sudden and false alarms in an army , are sometimes necessary ? to say truth , the expedition which was then used in drawing together so great an army by land , and rigging so great and royal a navy to sea in so little a space of time , was so admirable in other coutreys , that they received a terror by it ; and many that came from beyond sea , said , the queen was never more dreaded abroad for any thing she ever did . french-men that came aboard our ships , did wonder ( as at a thing incredible ) that her majesty had rigged , victualled and furnished her royal ships to sea in days time : and spain , as an enemy , had reason to fear , and grieve to see this suddain preparation ; but more , when they understood how the hearts of her majesty's subjects joyned with their hands , being all ready to spend their dearest blood for her and her service . holland might likewise see , that if they became insolent , we could be assoon provided as they ; not did they expect to find such celerity in any nation but themselves . it is probable too , that the king of spain , and the arch-duke , were hereby drawn to entertain thoughts of peace : for as soon as our fleet was at sea , a gentleman was sent from brussells , with some overtures , although for that time they succeeded not . however , whether it was , that the intended invasion from spain was diverted , or that her majesty was fully satisfied of my lord of essex , i know not ; but so it was , that she commanded the suddain return of her ships from sea , after they had layn three weeks or a month in the downs . sir richard lewson to the islands , anno dom. . ships . commanders . the repulse sir richard lewson the warspight capt. troughton the vauntguard capt. sommers . the last year , as you have heard , put all men in expectation of war , which yet came to nothing . this summer gave us great hope of peace ; but with the like effect : for by consent of the queen , the king of spain , and the arch-duke , their commissioners met at bulloign in piccardie , to treat of peace ; a place chosen indifferently , the french king being in league and friendship with them all . whether this treaty were intended but in shew only , or , that they were out of hopes , to come to any conclusion ; or , what else was the true and real cause of its breaking off so suddenly , i know not ; but the pretence was but slender , for there grew a difference about precedency , betwixt the two crowns , though it was ever due to england ; and so the hopes of peace were frustrated , though had it been really intended , matters might easily have been accommodated . the queen suspecting the event hereof , before their meeting , and the rather , because the spaniards entertained with the like treaty , in when at the same instant , his navy appeared upon her coast to invade her ; therefore , least she should be guilty of too great security , in relying upon the success of this doubtful treaty , she furnished the three ships before named , under pretence to guard the western coast , which at that time was infested by the dunkirkers . and because there should be the less notice taken , part of the victuals was provided at plymouth ; and sir richard lewson , who was then admiral of the narrow seas , was appointed general , for the more secret carriage of the business ; so as it could not be conjectured , either by their victualling , or by their captain , being admiral of the narrow seas , that it was a service from home . as they were in a readiness at plymouth , expecting orders , the queen beingfully satisfied , that the treaty of bulloign would break off without effect , she commanded sir richard lawson to hasten to the islands , there to expect the carrecks , and mexico fleet. the spaniards on the other side , being as circumspect to prevent a mischief , as we were subtil to contrive it ; and believing ( as we did ) that the treaty of peace would prove a vain , hopeless shew of what was never meant , they furnished eighteen tall ships to the islands , as they had usually done , since the year . the general of this fleet was don diego de borachero . our ships coming to the islands , they and the spaniards had intelligence of one another , but not the sight , for that sir richard lewson hailed sixty leagues westward , not only to avoid them , but in hopes to meet with the carrecks , and mexico fleet , before they could join them : but the carrecks being formerly warned by the taking of one of them , and burning of another , in . had ever since that year , endeavored to shun the sight of that island , so that our fleet being now prevented , as they had often before been , ( nothing being more uncertain , than actions at sea , where ships are to meet one another casually ) they returned home , having consumed time and victuals , to no purpose , and seen not so much as one sail , from the time they quitted the coast of england , till their return , two ships of holland excepted , that came from the east indies ( for then began their trade thither ) which ships sir richard lewson relieved , finding them in great distress and want . sir richard lewson into ireland , anno . ships . commanders . the warsight sir richard lewson the garland sir amias preston the defiance capt. goer the swiftsuer capt. sommers the crane capt. mainwaring in the year . and part of the year . there was a kind of cessation from arms , though not by agreement , for this year gave a hope of peace ; which failing , the former course of annoying each other was revived ; we in relieving the low countries , the spaniards in assisting the rebels in ireland . this was the summer , that the arch-duke besieged ostend , which was bravely defended , but principally , by the supplies out of england . and towards winter , when the spaniards thought we least looked for war , don diego de borachero , with sail of ships , and soldiers was sent to invade ireland . in his way thither he lost the company of his vice-admiral , siriago , who returned to the groyn , which when the king heard , he was much distasted with siriago , and commanded him upon his allegiance , to hasten with all speed for ireland , as he was formerly directed ; don diego , his landing being known in england , when it was too late to prevent it ; yet , least he should be supplied with further forces , sir richard lewson valiantly entred the harbor , drew near their fortifications , and fought the enemy for the space of one whole day , his ship being an hundred times shot through , and yet but eight men slain . god so blest him , that he prevailed in his enterprize , destroyed their whole shipping , and made siriago fly by land into another harbor , where he obscurely imbarqued himself in a french vessel , for spain . all this while was the main army , which landed with their general , don juan de aquila , seated in kinsale , expecting the aid of tyroen , who promised every day to be with him . our army commanded by the lord montjoy , lord deputy of ireland , besieged the town , so that he prevented their meeting , and many skirmishes past betwixt them . the siege continued , with great miseries to both the armies , and not without cause , considering the season of the year , and the condition of the country , that afforded little relief to either : some few days before christmas , tyroen appeared with his forces , which was some little heartning to the enemy , in hopes to be freed of their imprisonment , for so may i call it , they were so strictly beleagured . the day of agreement , betwixt the spaniards and tyroen , was christmas eve , on which day , there happened an earthquake in england ; and , as many times such signs prove aut bonum , aut malum omen ; this proved fortunate to us , the victory being obtained , with so little loss , as it is almost incredible . this was the day of tryal , whether ireland should continue a parcel of our crown , or no ; for if the enemy had prevailed in the battel , and a treaty had not afterwards obtained more then force , it was to be feared , ireland would hardly have been ever recovered . the spaniards in ireland , seeing the success of tyroen , and the impossibility for him to re-inforce his army , being hopeless of supplies out of spain , and their poverty daily increasing , they made offers of a parly , which was granted , and after ensued a peace there : the conditions whereof are extant in print . they were furnished with ships , and secured of their passage into spain , where arriving in english vessels , the ships returned back for england . sir richard lewson , and sir william monson , to the coast of spain , anno . ships . commanders . the repulse sir richard lewson , admiral the garland sir will. monson , vice-admiral . the defiance capt. goer the mary rose capt. slingsby the warspight capt. sommers the nonperil capt. reynolds the dreadnought capt. mainwaring the adventure capt. trevor the english carvel capt. sawkel the last attempt of the spaniards in ireland awakened the queen , who , it seemeth for two or three years together , entertained the hopes of peace , and therefore was sparing in setting forth her fleets . but now perceiving the enemy had found the way into ireland ; and that it behoved her to be more vigilant than ever ; she resolved , as the safest course to infest the spanish coasts with a continual fleet ; and in this year furnished the ships aforesaid , having promise from the states of holland , to joyn to them twelve sail of theirs ; and because this important service required great speed , she had not time enough to man them , or supply them with provisions altogether so well as they were usually wont to be ; but was content with what could be gotten in so short a warning , so desirous was she to see her ships at sea. sir richard lewson set sail with five of them the th . of march , and left sir william monson behind with the other four , to attend the coming of the hollanders ; though within two or three days after , sir william received command from the queen , to hasten with all speed to sir richard lewson ; for that she was advertised , that the silver ships were arrived at the tercera's . sir william monson hereupon neglected no time , nor stayed either to see himself better manned , or his ships better furnished ; but put to sea the th . of march. this intelligence of the queen 's was true : for the plate fleet had been at the tercera's , and departing from thence , in their course for spain , sir richard lewson , with his few ships , met them ; but to little purpose , wanting the rest of his fleet , and the help of the hollanders . we may very well account this not the least error or negligence that hath been committed in our voyages : for if the hollanders had kept touch according to promise , and the queen's ships had been fitted out with care , we had made her majesty mistress of more treasure than any of her progenitors ever enjoyed . sir richard lewson's design against the indian fleet , notwithstanding his renowned valor , being thus frustrated , and by the hollanders slackness crossed , he plied towards the rock , to meet sir william monson , as the place resolved on between them ; but sir william having spent days thereabouts , and hearing no tidings of him , went round to the southward cape , where he was likewise frustrated of a most promising hope : for meeting with certain french-men and scots , at the same instant , he descried three ships of ours , sent by sir richard to look him . these french and scottish ships came from st. lucas , and made report of five gallions , ready the next tide to set sail for the indies : they likewise told him of two others that departed three days before , wherein went don petro de valdes , to be governor of the havana , who had sometimes been prisoner in england . these two later ships were met one night by the warspight , whereof capt. sommers was conmander ; but whether it was by the darkness of the night , or by what other casualty ( for the sea is subject to many ) i know not , but they escaped . this news of the five gallions , and the three ships of the queen 's so happily meeting together , made sir william direct his course into the heighth wherein the spaniards were most likely to sail in ; and coming into that heighth , he had sight of five ships , which in respect of their number and course , he made reckoning to be the five gallions ; and thought that day should fully determine and try the difference between the strength and puissance of the english and spanish ships , their number and greatness being equal : but his joy was soon quailed : for coming up with them , he found them to be english ships coming out of the streights , and bound home ; but yet this did not discourage the hope he had conceived that the spaniards might be met withall ; and the next day he gave chase to one ship alone that came out of the indies , which he took , though he had been better without her : for she brought him so far to leeward , that that night the gallions passed to wind-ward , not above eight or ten leagues off us , by report of an english pinnace that met them , who came into our company the day following . these misfortunes lighting first upon sir richard , and after upon sir william , might have been sufficient reasons to discourage them ; but they knowing the accidents of the sea , and that fortune could as well laugh as weep , having good ships under foot , their men sound and in health , and plenty of victuals , they did not doubt but that some of the wealth which the indies sent forth into spain would fall to their shares . upon tuesday , the first of june , to begin our new fortune with a new month , sir richard lewson and sir william monson , who some few nights before had met accidentally in the sea , were close on board the rock , where they took two ships of the east country , bound for lisbon ; and while they were romaging these ships , they descried a carvel from cape picher bearing with them ; which by signs she made , they perceived had a desire to speak with them . sir richard immediately chased her , and left sir william with the two easterlings to abide about the rock till his return . the carvel being fetcht up , made a relation of a carreck and gallies to be in cisembre road ; and that she was sent by two ships of ours , the nonperil and the dreadnought which lay thereabouts to look out the admiral . with what joy this news was apprehended may be easily imagined : sir richard made signs to sir william to stand with him ; and lest he should not be discerned , he caused the carvel to ply up with him , wishing him to repair to him ; but before they could approach the cape , it was midnight , and nothing chanced all that time , but the exchanging of some shot , that passed betwixt the admiral and the gallies . upon wednesday , the second of june , every man looked early in the morning what ships of her majesties were in sight , which were five in number , the warspight , wherein sir richard was : for the repulse he had sent for england some few days before , by reason of a leak ; the garland , the nonperil , the dreadnought , and the adventure , besides the two easterlings taken the day before . all the captains resorted on board the admiral , to councel , which took up most part of the day . at first there was an opposition by some , who alleadged the danger and impossibility of taking the carreck , being defended by the castle and gallies : but sir william monson prevailed so far , as that all consented to go upon her the next day , and concluded upon this course following , that he and sir richard should anchor as near the carreck as they could , the rest to ply up and down , and not anchor . sir william was glad of this occasion , to be revenged of the gallies , hoping to requite the slavery they put him to when he was prisoner in them ; and singled himself from the fleet a league , that the gallies might see it was in defiance of them ; and so the marquess of st. cruz , and frederick spaniola , the one general of the portugal , the other of the spanish gallies , apprehended it , and came forth with an intent to fight him ; but being within shot , were diverted by one john bedford an english-man , who undertook to know the force of the ship , and sir william that commended her . before i go farther , i will a little digress , and acquaint you with the scituation of the town , and the manner of placing the gallies against us . the town of cisembre lieth in the bottom of a road , which is a good succor for ships with a northerly wind. it is built with free-stone , and near the sea is erected a strong and spacious fort , well replenished with ordnance : above the town , upon the top of a hill , is seated an ancient , strong fryery , whose scituation maketh it impregnable , and able to command the town , castle and road ; close to the shore lay the carreck , like a bullwork to the west side of the castle ; so as it defended both that , and the east part of the town : the gallies had flancked and fortified themselves with the small neck of a rock on the west side of the road , with their prows right forward , to play upon us , every one carrying a cannon in their cruzia , besides other pieces in their prows ; and they were no way to be damaged by us , till our ships came so nigh the town , that all these forces might play upon us in one instant . the gallies being placed to this great advantage , they made account ( as a captain of one of them we took confess'd ) to have sunk our ships of themselves , without any farther help . we saw the tents pitched , and great troops of souldiers drawn together ; which was no less than the whole country in arms against us : the boats pass'd betwixt the shore and the carreck all the day long , which we supposed was to unlade her ; but we found afterwards it was rather to strengthen her with men and munition : here appeared many difficulties and dangers , and little hope of taking her ; but rather of sinking or burning her , as most men conjectured . the danger from the gallies was great , they being flancked with the point of a rock at our entrance , as you have heard , it being likewise calm , and they shooting low : another danger was , that of the wind : for if it had come from the sea , the road being open , and the bay deep , our attempt must have been in vain . and notwithstanding these , and many more apparently seen ; and that there was no man but imagined , that most of the carrecks lading was on shoar , and that they would hale her on ground , under the castle , where no ship of ours should be able to fleet to her ; all which objections , with many more , were alleadged , yet they little prevailed , procrastination was perilous , and therefore with all expedition , they thought convenient to charge the town , the fort , the gallies , and carreck , all at one instant . and they had determined , if the carreck had been on ground , or so nigh the shoar , that the queens ships could not fleet to her , that the two easterlings , the day before taken , should board her , and burn her . thursday the third day , early in the morning , every man commending himself to god's tuition and protection , expected when to begin , according to the agreement the day before . a gale of wind happening about ten of the clock , the admiral weighed ; shot off a warning-piece , and put forth his flag in the maintop : the vice-admiral did the like in his foretop , according to the custome of the sea ; every captain encouraged his men , which so imboldened them , as though they were grown weak and feeble before , they were now revived , and bestirred themselves , as if a new spirit had been infused into them ; the admiral was the first that gave the charge , after him followed the rest of the ships , shewing great valor , and gaining great honor ; the last of all , was the vice-admiral , at whose entrance into the fight , he still strived to get up as near the shoar as he could , where he came to an anchor , continually fighting with the town , the fort , the gallies , and carreck , all together , for he brought them betwixt him , that he might play both his broad sides upon them ; there might be seen the prowess of the gallies , swim by the sides of them , the slaves forsake them , and every thing in confusion amongst them , and thus they fought , till five of the clock in the afternoon . the vice-admiral was anchored to such an advantage , as the gallies rowed from one side to another , seeking to shun him , which sir richard lewson observing , came on board him , and openly , in the view and hearing of his whole company , imbraced him , and told him , he had won his heart for ever . the rest of the ships , as they were directed , plied up , except the admiral , who by the negligence of his master , or some other impediment , when he should have anchored , fell so far to leeward , as the wind and tide carried him out of the road , so that it was the next day , before his ship could be fetcht in again ; whereat the admiral was much inraged , and put himself into the dreadnought , and brought her to an anchor close to the vice-admiral , about two of the clock in the afternoon : there was no opportunity let pass , for where the admiral saw defect in any other ship , he presently caused it to be supplied , and the easterlings , who were appointed to board the carrek , beginning to saint , and fail of observing the directions given them , the vice-admiral perceiving it , went on board them himself , vowing , that if they seemed backward in putting in execution the design of firing the carreck , they should look for as little life from the english , as they could expect from the enemy . whilst the vice-admiral was thus ordering things , sir richard lewson came to him , and would in no case suffer him to board the carreck himself , but carried him into the dreadnought , where they consulted how to preserve the carreck , and enjoy her . the result of this reference was , to offer her parley , which they presently put in practice , and commanded all the ships to leave shooting , until the return of the messenger : the man imployed , was one captain sewell , who had escaped , and swam to us , having been four years prisoner in the gallies , and so did many turks and christians ; the effect of this parley , was to persuade them to yield , promising honorable conditions , and he was to intimate , as from himself , that the gallies , whose strength they presumed upon , were beaten , some burnt , the rest fled ; that we had the possession of the road , the castle not being able to abide our ordinance , much less the carreck , and if they refused this offer of mercy , they were to expect all the cruelty and rigor , that a conpueror could impose upon his enemy : after some conference to this effect , the captain of the carreck told him , he would send some gentlemen of quality , with commission to treat , and desired , that some of the like quality fromus , might repair to him , to the same purpose . these gentlemen came aboard the dreadnought , where the admiral and vice-admiral were , attending the return and success of captain sewell ; after the delivery of their message , they would needs hasten on board the carreck again , for that , as it seemed , there was an uproar and a division in her , some being of opinion to entertain a parley , others to save themselves , and set her on fire : which sir william monson hearing , without further delay , or conference , with sir richard , what was to be done , he leaped suddenly into his boat , and rowed unto the carreck ; when he drew near to her , he was known by diverse gentlemen on board her , he having once been a prisoner among them : they seemed to be very glad of this meeting , and their passed diverse imbracements between them , in remembrance of their old acquaintance : the captain was called don diego de lobo , a gallant young gentleman , of a noble house . he descended down upon the bend of the ship , and commanded his men to stand aside ; sir william did the like to his company , in the boat ; the captain demanded of him , if he had the portugal language ; he told him , he had sufficient to treat of that business ; acquainted him of the place he commanded in the fleet , intimated the affection and respect he bore the portugal nation , and that the treaty which was offered , proceeded out of his motion , and wished him to make his proposals , which were as followeth , the first demand he made , was , that they should be safely put on shoar with their arms. the second , that it should be done the same night : the third , that they should enjoy their ship and ordinance , as appertaining to the king , but we the wealth . the fourth , that the flag and ancient should not be taken down , but worn while the carreck was unlading , his speech being ended , sir william told him , that his demands gave suspition , that under pretence of parley , they meant treachery , or that their hopes were greater , than there was cause ; and , but that he knew it was the use of some men , to demand great things , when less will serve them , he would not lose his advantage , to entertain a parley ; he desired , that what they intended , might be quickly concluded , for night growing on , might advantage them , and for his resolution , he should understand it in few words , viz. to his first demand , he was willing to yeild , that they should be put on shoar with their arms. to the second , that he was contented , that they should be set on shoar that night , except eight or ten of the principal gentlemen ; whom he would detain three days . to the third , he held it idle and frivolous , to imagine , he would consent to separate ship and goods , and esteemed it por cosa de burla . to the fourth , he would not consent , being resolved , never to permit a spanish flag to be worn in the presence of the queens ships , unless it were disgracefully , over the poop . there was long expostulations upon these points , and sir william monson seeing the obstinacy of the captain , offered , in a great rage , to leap into his boat , resolving to break the treaty , which the rest of the gentlemen perceiving , and that he had propounded nothing but what might very well stand with their reputation , they intreated him once more to ascend into the carreck , and they would enter into new capitulations : the effect whereof , as it was agreed upon , were these that follow ; that a messenger should be sent to the admiral , to have his confirmation of the points concluded on ; and that in the mean time the flag and ancient should be taken down ; and if the admiral should not consent to the agreement , they to have leisure to put out their flag and ancient tofore the fight should begin . that the company should be presently set on shore ; but the captain , with eight other of the principal gentlemen three days after . that the ship with her goods , should be surrendered without any practice or treason . that they should use their endeavors , that the castle should forbear shooting whilst we rid in the road ; and this was the effect of the conditions agreed upon . this carreck wintered in mosambicke , in her return from the indies , a place of great infection , as appeared by the mortality among them : for of and odd men , twenty of them lived not to return home . after a great deal of calamity and mortality , she arrived at this port of cisembre , as you have heard , the viceroy of portugal , having sent gallies to her rescue , and mocas de camera , which is a title of gentlemen that serve the king upon any honourable occasion , when they are commanded . that she was brought to this pass , and forc'd to yield on these conditions , sir robert cecil was wont to impute to the gentlemens acquaintance with sir william monson . although three days were limited for setting the captain on shore , yet it was held discretion not to detain them longer than untill the carreck was brought off safely to our ships ; and therefore sir william monson having carried the captain , and the rest of the gentlemen on board him , where they supped , had variety of musick , and spent the night in great jollity ; the morning following , accompanied them on shore himself , whither the conde de vitagera had drawn down all the force of the whole country , amounting to the number of men . i must not omit to describe the behavior of the gallies in the fight , that every man may have that honor that is due to him : those of portugal , being of the squadron of the marquess of st. cruz , betook themselves , with their general , to flight in the middle of the fight ; but frederico spinola , who was to convey his gallies out of spain into the low countreys , followed not the example of the marquess , but made good the road ; which the other seeing , with shame returned ; but to both their costs : for before they departed , they found the climate so hot , as they were forc'd to fly , their gallies being so miserably beaten , and their slaves so pitifully slain , as there wanted nothing but boats to possess them all , as well as the two we took and burnt ; which is a thing hath been seldom seen or heard of , for ships to take and destroy gallies . the number of men slain in the town , the castle , the carreck and gallies , are unknown , though they could not chuse but be many ; the wealth of the carreck could then as ill be estimated , though after found to be great ; the value of the two gallies burnt with their loading of powder , is hard to judge , though it 's known to have been a service of great importance . for our loss , it was not much , only one man killed in the fly-boat , five slain , and as many hurt in the garland , and one hurt in the adventure : sir william monson had the left wing of his doublet shot off , but received no other hurt . the day following , with a favourable wind , we stood our course for england , which brought us into degrees ; and there we met a pinnace , sent with a pacquet from the lords , signifying the readiness of a second fleet to supply us , and the setting out of the hollanders , which were so long looked for ; which fleet of holland was in view of the pinnace the same night ; but pass'd by us unseen . this unlooked for accident made the admiral and vice-admiral consider what to do , and concluded , they could not both appear at home , and have a fleet of so great importance upon the enemies coast without a guide or head ; and therefore they held it fit the vice-admiral should put himself into the nonperil , as the ablest ship of the fleet , and make his return once more to the coast of spain ; but he having taken his leave , and standing his course for the coast , a most violent storm , with a contrary wind took him , which continued ten days , and discovered the weakness of his ship , who had like to have foundered in the deep . the carpenters and company seeing the apparent danger , if he bore not up before the wind , presented him with a petition , beseeching him to have a regard to their lives ; for by keeping the seas they should all perish . thus was he forc'd by mere extremity to bear room for england ; and coming for plymouth , he found the carreck safely arrived , and the fleet he went back to take charge of , not to have quitted the coast of england . though it be somewhat impertinent to this voyage , to treat of more than the success thereof ; yet i will a little digress , and relate the mishap of that worthy young gentleman don diego de lobo , captain of the carreck ; and because his worth will more appear by his answer to sir william monson's offer to him when he was his prisoner ; thus it was : sir william monson told him , he doubted , that by the loss of the carreck , he had lost his best means ; for that he supposed , what he had gained in the indies , was laden in her ; and therefore offered , that what he would challenge upon his reputation to be his own , he should have freedom to carry along with him . the gentleman acknowledged the favor to be extraordinary ; but replied , that what he had , he had gained by his sword ; and that his sword , he doubted not , would repair his fortunes again , utterly refusing to accept any courtesie in that kind : but , poor gentleman , ill fortune thus left him not : for the viceroy , don cristoball de moro , holding it for a great indignity to have the carreck taken out of the port , that was defended by a castle , and guarded with gallies , and especially in his hearing of the ordnance to lisbon , and in the view of thousands of people who beheld it ; some of them feeling it too , by the loss of their goods that were in her , others grieving for the death of their friends that were slain ; but every man finding himself touched in reputation . the names of the carrecks and eleven gallies . the st. valentine , a carreck of one thousand seven hundred tuns . the christopher , the admiral of portugal , wherein the marquess de sancta cruz went. the st. lewis , wherein frederick spinola went general of the gallies of spain . the forteleza , vice-admiral to the marquess . the trividad , vice-admiral to frederick spinola , burnt . the snis , in which sir william monson was prisoner , . the occasion burnt , and the captain taken prisoner . the st. john baptist . the lazear . the padillar . the philip. the st. john. and the viceroy not knowing how to clear himself so well , as the laying it upon the gentlemen he put on board her , the same night they returned to their lodging , he caused the most part of them , with their captain , to be apprehended , imputing the loss of the carreck to their cowardise and fear , if not treason and connivance with the enemy . after some time of imprisonment , by mediation of friends , all the gentlemen were released but the captain , who received secret advice , that the viceroy intended his death , and that he should seek by escape to prevent it . don diego being thus perplexed , practised with his sister , who finding means for his escape out of a window , he fled into italy , where he lived in exile , from . when this happened , untill . his government in the indies , for which he had a patent in reversion , was confiscate , and he left hopeless ever to return into his native country , much less to be restored to his command ; an ill welcome after so long and painful a navigation . having thus spent thirteen years in exile , at the last he advised with friends , whose councel he followed , to repair into england , there to enquire after some commanders , that had been at the taking of the carreck , by whose certificate he might be cleared of cowardise or treason in the loss of her , which would be a good motive to restore him to his government again . in the year . he arrived in london , and after some enquiry found out sir william monson , to whom he complained of his hard mishap , craving the assistance of him and some others , whom sir william knew to be at the taking of the carreck , and desired him to testifie the manner of surprizing her , which he alleadged , was no more than one gentleman was bound to afford another in such a case . sir william wondered to see him , and especially upon such an occasion : for the present , he entertained him with all courtesie ; and the longer his stay was in england , the courtesies were the greater , which sir william did him . sir william procured him a true and effectual certificate from himself , sir francis howard , captain barlow , and some others who were witnesses of that service ; and to give it the more reputation , he caused it to be inrolled in the office of the admiralty . the gentleman being well satisfied with his entertainment , and having what he desired , returned to flanders , where he presented his certificate to the arch-duke and the infanta , by whose means he got assurance , not only of the king's favor , but of restitution likewise to his government . the poor gentleman having been thus tossed by the waves of calamity , from one country to another , and never finding rest ; death that masters all men , now cut him off short , in the midst of his hopes , as he was preparing his journy for spain ; and this was an end of an unfortunate gallant young gentleman , whose deserts might justly have challenged a better reward , if god had pleased to afford it him . sir william monson to the coast of spain , anno . ships . commanders . the swiftsuer sir will. monson the mary rose capt. trevers the dreadnought capt. cawfield the adventure capt. norris the answer capt. brodgate the quittance capt. browne the lions whelp capt. may the paragon , a merchant . capt. jason a small carvel capt. hooper the fleet of sir richard lewson being happily returned , with the fortune of a carreck , as you have heard , and the queen having now no ships upon the spanish coast , to impeach the enemies preparations , she feared , the fleet which was ready at the groyne , would give a second assault upon ireland ; whereupon sir william monson , who by this time was arrived at plymouth , was sent for in great haste , by her majesty , to advise about , and take on him the charge of the fleet , then at plymouth . after a long conference with sir william monson , in the presence of her majesty , her lord admiral , treasurer , and secretary , it was resolved , that sir william should repair to plymouth , and with all speed get forth those ships , and others that were there making ready . his directions were , to present himself before the harbor of the groyne , being the place where the spaniards made their randevouz , and if he found any likelihood of a design upon ireland , not to quit that coast untill he saw the issue , but if he found ireland secure , and the enemies preparations to be intended only for defence of their own coasts , then his instructions led him thence , to the place where the holland fleet had order to attend , and expect him ; and afterwards , the whole carriage of the action was referred to his discretion , but with this caution , that above all respects of other profit or advantage , he attended the affair of ireland . the wind this part of the summer hung contrary , and it was six weeks before he could clear the coast , during which time , he lost his greatest hopes , by the return of the carrecks of the indian fleet , which happened a full month before his arrival : he set sail from plymouth the last of august , with a scant wind , which continued with foul weather , untill he recovered the groyne , choosing rather to keep the sea , then hazard the overthrow of the voyage by his return . he stayed at the groyne , until he understood that the fleet which was suspected to be prepared for ireland , was gone to lisbone , to join with don diego de borachero , who all that summer durst not budge forth , for fear of our fleet , that made good the coast thereabouts : sir william in his way to the rock , commanded his carvel to repair to the islands of bayon , as the likeliest place to procure intelligence of the state of those parts ; as the carvel drew near the islands , he discerned the spanish fleet , consisting of twenty four sail , whose design was , as she understood by a boat she took , to look out the english fleet , whose comming they daily expected upon the coast ; and meeting sir william with this news , he held it a good service to be thus warned of them . here he took two goodly ships of france , bound for lisbone , which harbor he put them from , and took pledges that they should directly return into france , without touching in any harbor of spain , for that he understood , the spanish fleet was ill provided of men , and many other things which these ships could supply . sir william and the dreadnought , were carried with a chase into the road of cisimbre , where the carreck was taken not long before , and after some fight with the castle , who defended the vessel chased , they came to a friendly treaty , and presents past between them . that night , while the admiral rid in the road , a carvel comming in , not mistrusting him , was taken , but dismissed in a friendly manner ; by whom he understood the affairs of lisbone , but could get no notice of the holland fleet , which was appointed to attend at the rock , whither once more he repaired . coming thither the th of september , a light was espied in the night , which the admiral chased , thinking it had been the fleet of st. omer , or brazil , bound for lisbone , where they were expected ; but drawing so near them , that he might hail them , he found them , by the hugeness of their vessels , and the number which answered the relation the carvel made , to be the armado of spain : whereupon he sought means how to clear himself , being ingaged amongst them , and made a spaniard which served him call to them , but they could not hear him ; the adventure only , and the whelp , were left with him , the rest losing company , four nights before in a storm ; the enemy perceiving our lights , and thinking it to be some fleet of flemmings , stood in amongst us , but the adventure being discovered to be an enemy , the alarum was soon taken , and they shot at her , and slew and hurt some of her men ; as soon as the day appeared , the spaniards beheld the three enlish ships a head them , which they chased , and three of them , which were better of sail than the rest , fetcht upon us , and drew near the whelp , who was of small force to resist them . but the admiral resolving , though it was to his own evident peril , not to see a pinnace of her majesties so lost , if so be he could rescue her with the loss of his life , though it was much against the persuasions of his master , and company , he stroak his two sails for the whelp , and commanded her to stand her course , while he staid for the three spanish ships , with hope to make them have little list to pursue us : the admiral of the spaniards perceiving how little he cared for his three ships , in that he lingered for their coming up , took in with the shoar , and shot off a peice for his three ships to follow him . it may appear by this , as by several other expeditions of ours , how much the swift sailing of ships doth avail , being the principal advantage in sea service , and indeed the main thing we could presume upon , in our war against the spaniards . sir william having thus escaped the enemy , in his traverse at sea , there happened , as there doth upon all coasts , where there is plenty of trade , divers occasions of chases ; and one day sir william following one ship , and the adventure another , they lost company for the whole voyage . sir william was advertised by a ship he took , being a frenchman , who came from st. lucas , that the st. domingo fleet was looked for daily , which intelligence made him bear up for the south cape , as well in hopes to meet with them , as to have news of his fleet. he was no sooner come to the cape , but he was informed by some english men of war , that the domingo fleet was past by two days before ; here he met with ships of several nations , some he rescued from pirats , and to others that were in league with her majesty , he gave his safe conduct , for their free passage on the sea ; he kept that coast until the th of october , on which morning he gave chase to a gallion of the king of spain , who recovered the castle of cape sacre , before he could fetch her up ; although he knew the strength of the castle , yet he attempted , and had carried her , had it not been for the fear and cowardize of him at the helm , who bore up , when he was ready to board her : the fight was not long , but sharp and dangerous , for there never past shot between them , till they were within a ships length one of another : the castle plaid her part , and tore his ship , so that a man might have crept through her : between the castle and gallion , they slew in the admiral ten men , and hurt many more , in the view of sireago and his quadron , to the westward , and of divers english men of war , to the eastward , who durst not put themselves upon the rescue of sir william , for fear of the castle : sir william being now left alone , and seeing what head land soever he came unto , he was to encounter a spanish squadron , stood his course that night to sea , thinking to try , if the islands of terceras would afford him any better fortune , but coming within forty or fifty leagues of the islands , he was taken short with the wind , yet still , bearing up what he could for the rock ; but at length finding his victuals grew short , his mast perished , and the dangers he was exposed to , by keeping that coast , he directed his course for england , and came to plymouth , the th of november , where he found the mary-rose and dreadnought , most part of their men being dead or sick . the adventure arrived within an hour after him , who in her way homewards fell , amongst the braizl fleet , and encountring with them , lost divers men , but took none : the paragon was at home long before , with a prize of sugar , and spices , which countervailed the charge of the voyage . the quittance in her return , met two ships of dunkirk , and in fight with them , her captain was slain , but she acquitted her self very well , without further harm . this fleet , as you have heard , was to keep the enemy busied at home , that he might be diverted from the thoughts of ireland ; what hazard it endured by the enemy , the fury of the sea , and foul weather , doth appear ; and no marvel ; for it was the latest fleet in winter , that ever kept upon the spanish coast , as it was likewise the last fleet her majesty imployed ; for in march after she died , and by her death all war ceased . as sir william monson was general of this last fleet , so was he a soldier , and a youth , at the beginning of the wars , and was at the taking of the first spanish prize , that ever saw the english coast , which yet was purchased with the loss of twenty five of our men , besides fifty hurt . this prize was afterwards a man of war , and served against the spaniards , and was in those days reckoned the best ship of war we had ; she was called the commander , and belonged to sir george carew , then governor of the isle of wight . sir richard lewson and sir william monson into the narrow seas , anno . ships . commanders . the repulse sir richard lewson the mere-honor sir william monson the defiance capt. goer the warspight capt. seymers the rainbow capt. trevor the dreadnought capt. reynolds the quittance capt. howard the lyons whelp capt. polwheele sir william monson returning with his fleet , in november , there was a resolution to furnish another against february , which should be recruited with fresh ships , men and victuals in june . sir richard lewson was to command the former fleet , and sir william monson the later : for the queen found it a course both secure and profitable , to keep a continual force upon the spanish coast , from february to november , that being the time of greatest peril to her majesty ; and she was the rather encouraged thereto , by the safty she found the last summer , and the wealth and riches she had from time to time taken from the enemy . the complaint of the ill furnishing out of her ships in other voyages , made it more carefully to be look'd unto now , and there was better choice of victuals and men than usually had been ; but in the mean time , it pleased god to visit her majesty with sickness , which caused a ling'ring , though no absolute dissolving of the fleet ; but when her danger was perceived to increase , the ships were hastened out to sea , it being a point of good policy , to keep our seas guarded from any forreign attempt , untill his majesty should be peaceably settled in england . this fleet departed from quinborough the th . of march , and arrived in the downs the th . of the same , being the day after her majesties death : the news whereof , and commandment to proclaim king james the sixth of scotland , our lawful king , and the rightful inheritor to the crown , arrived both together ; which put us into two contrary passions , the one of grief , the other of joy : grief for the loss of the queen , joy for accepting of the king in that peaceable manner , which was a happiness beyond all expectation , either at home or abroad . as the design of this fleet was to guard and defend our own coasts from any incurison that might be made out of france or the low countreys ; so the commanders were vigilant to appear on those coasts once in two days , to dishearten them , in case they had any such thought ; but the truth is , it was beyond their abilities , whatever was in their hearts to impugn his majesty . and because the arch-duke would make the candidness of his intention apparent to the world , he called in his letters of reprizal against the english ; and published an edict for a free and unmolested traffick into flanders : so that now our merchants might again trade peaceably into those parts from which they had been debarred the space of eighteen years . the king finding , that france neither impeached his right , nor gave any jealousie by the raising of an army ; and that the arch-duke made a demonstration of his desire of peace , his majesty did the like , acknowledging the league he had with those princes , with whom the late queen had wars : for wars betwixt countreys are not hereditary ; but commonly end with the death of their kings : wherefore he commanded his ships to give over their southern employment , and to repair to chatham , giving manifest testimonies , how desirous he was that his subjects should recover that wealth and freedom by peace , which they had formerly lost by war. finis . a true and plain declaration of the horrible treasons practised by william parry against the queens majesty ; and of his conviction and execution for the same , the d . of march . according to the account of england . this william parry being a man of very mean and base parentage , but of a most proud and insolent spirit , bearing himself always far above the measure of his fortune , after he had long led a wasteful and dissolute life , and had committed a great outrage against one hugh hare , a gentleman of the inner-temple , with an intent to have murthered him in his own chamber , for the which he was most justly convicted ; seeing himself generally condemned with all good men for the same , and other his misdemeanours , he left his natural country , and gave himself to travel into forreign parts beyond the seas . in the course of this his travel , he forsook his allegiance and dutiful obedience to her majesty , and was reconciled , and subjected himself to the pope . after which , upon conference with certain jesuites , and others of like quality , he first conceived his most detestable treason to kill the queen ( whose life god long preserve ; ) which he bound himself by promise , letters , and vows , to perform and execute : and so with this intent he returned into england in january ; and since that did practise at sundry times to have executed his most devilish purpose and determination : yet covering the same , so much as in him lay , with a vail and pretence of great loyalty to her majesty . immediately upon his return into england , he sought to have secret access to her majesty , pretending to have some matter of great importance to reveal unto her : which obtained , and the same so privately in her highness's palace at whitehal , as her majesty had but one onely counsellor with her at the time of his access , in a remote place , who was so far distant , as he could not hear his speech . and there then he discovered unto her majesty ( but shadowed with all crafty and traiterous skill he had ) some part of the conference and proceeding , as well with the said jesuites , and other ministers of the popes , as especially with one thomas morgan , a fugitive , residing at paris , who above all others did perswade him to proceed in that most devilish attempt , ( as is set down in his voluntary confession following , ) bearing her majesty notwithstanding in hand , that his onely intent of proceeding so far with the said jesuites , and the popes ministers , tended to no other end , but to discover the dangerous practices devised and attempted against her majesty by her disloyal subjects , and other malicious persons in forraign parts . albeit it hath since appeared most manifestly , as well by his said confession , as by his dealing with one edmond nevil esq ; that his onely intent of discovering the same in sort as he craftily and traiterously did , tended to no other end , but to make the way the easier to accomplish his most devilish and wicked purpose . and although any other prince but her majesty ( who is loath to put on a hard censure of those that protest to be loyal , as parry did , ) would rather have proceeded to the punishment of a subject that had waded so far , as by oath and vow to promise the taking away of her life ( as he to her majesties self did confess ; ) yet such was her goodness , as instead of punishing , she did deal so graciously with him , as she suffered him not onely to have access unto her presence , but also many times to have private conference with her ; and did offer unto him , upon opinion once conceived of his fidelity towards her ( as though his wicked pretence had been , as he protested , for her service ) a most liberal pension . besides , to the end that he might not grow hateful to the good and well-affected subjects of the realm , ( from whom he could in no sort have escaped with safety of his life , if his devilish purpose had been revealed ) her majesty did conceal the same , without communicating it to any creature , untill such time as he himself had opened the same unto certain of her council ; and that it was also discovered , that he sought to draw the said nevil to have been a party in his devilish and most wicked purpose . a very rare example ! and such as doth more set forth the singular goodness and bounty of her majesties princely nature , than commend ( if it be lawful for a subject to censure his soveraign ) her providence such as ought to be in a prince and person of her majesties wisdom and quality . and as the goodness of her majesties nature did hereby most manifestly shew it self to be rare in so extraordinary a case , and in a matter of so great peril unto her own royal person ; so did the malice of parry most evidently appear to be in the highest and extreamest degree : who notwithstanding the said extraordinary grace and favour extended towards him , did not onely perswade the said nevil to be an associate in the said wicked enterprize , but did also very vehemently ( as nevil confesseth ) importune him therein , as an action lawful , honourable , and meritorious , omitting nothing that might provoke him to assent thereunto . but such was the singular goodness of almighty god , ( who even from her majesties cradle , by many evident arguments , hath shewed himself her onely and especial protector ) that he so wrought in nevil's heart , as he was moved to reveal the same unto her majesty ; and for that purpoce made choise of a faithful gentleman , and of good quality in the court , unto whom upon munday the th of february last , he discovered at large all that had passed between parry and him ; who immediately made it known to her majesty : whereupon her highnesses pleasure was , that nevil should be examined by the earl of leicester , and sir christopher hatton ; who in the evening of the same day did examine him ; and he affirmed constantly all which he had before declared to the said gentleman . in the mean time , her majesty continued her singular and most princely magnanimity , neither dismaid with the rareness of the accident , nor appaled with the horrour of so villanous an enterprize , tending even to the taking away of her most gracious life ; ( a matter especially observed by the counsellor that was present at such time as parry , after his return , did first discover unto her majesty his wicked purpose ; who found no other alteration in her countenance , than if he had imparted unto her some matter of contentment ; ) which sheweth manifestly how she reposeth her confidence wholly in the defence of the almighty . and so her majesty , following the wonted course of her singular clemency , gave order that parry the same munday in the evening ( though not so known to him ) should be sent to mr. secretaries house in london , he being then there ; who according unto such direction as he received from her majesty , did let him understand , that her highness ( in respect of the good will she knew he bare unto the said parry , and of the trust that parry did outwardly profess to repose in mr. secretary ) had made especial choice of him to deal with him in a matter that concerned her highly ; and that she doubted not but that he would discharge his duty towards her , according unto that extraordinary devotion that he professed to bear unto her . and thereupon told him that her majesty had been advertised that there was somewhat intended presently against her own person , wherewith she thought he could not but be made acquainted , considering the great trust that some of her worst-affected subjects reposed in him ; and that her pleasure therefore was , that he should declare unto him his knowledge therein : and whether the said parry himself had let fall any speech unto any person ( though with an intent onely to have discovered his disposition ) that might draw him in suspition , as though he himself had any such wicked intent . but parry with great and vehement protestations denied it utterly ; whereupon mr. secretary , the rather to induce him to deal more plainly in a matter so important , declared unto him , that there was a gentleman of quality , every way as good or better than himself , and rather his friend than enemy , that would avouch it to his face : yet parry persisted stubbornly in his former denial , and justification of his own innocency ; and would not in any respect yield that he was party or privy to any such motion , enterprize , or intent . and being lodged that night at mr. secretaries house , the next morning he desired earnestly to have some further speech with mr. secretary ; which granted , parry declared to him , that he had called to remembrance that he had once some speech with one nevil a kinsman of his ( so he called him ) touching a point of doctrine contained in the answer made to the book , entituled , the execution of justice in england ; by which book it was resolved , that it was lawful to take away the life of a prince , in furtherance of the catholick religion : but he protested that they never had any speech at all of any attempt intended against her majesties person . which denial of his ( at two sundry times , after so much light given him ) doth set forth most apparently both the justice and providence of god : his justice , for that ( though he was one of a sharp conceit ) he had no power to take hold of this overture , thereby to have avoided the danger that nevil's accusation might bring him into by confessing the same , as a thing propounded onely to feel nevil's mind , whom before he had reported unto master secretary he found a person discontented , and therefore his confession might to very great purpose have served to have cleared himself touching the intent : his providence , for that of his great mercy he would not suffer so dangerous and wicked a member to escape , and to live to her majesties peril . the same day at night parry was brought to the earl of leicester's house , and there eftsoons examined before the said earl of leicester , master vice-chamberlain , and master secretary : he persisted still in his denial of all that he was charged with . whereupon nevil , being brought before him face to face , justified his accusation against him . he notwithstanding would not yet yield to confess it , but very proudly and insolently opposed his credit against the credit of nevil , affirming that his no was as good as nevil's yea ; and as by way of recrimination , objected the crime to nevil himself . on the other side , nevil did with great constancy affirm all that he had before said , and did set down many probable circumstances of the times , places , and manners of their sundry conferences , and of such other accidents as had happened between them in the course of that action . whereupon parry was then committed to the tower , and nevil commanded by their honours to set down in writing under his hand , all that which before he had delivered by words : which he did with his own hand , as followeth . edmund nevil his declaration the th of february , . subscribed with his own hand . william parry the last summer , soon after his repulse in his suit for the mastership of st. katherines , repaired to my lodging in the white friars , where he shewed himself a person greatly discontented , and vehemently inveighed against her majesty , and willed me to assure my self , that during this time and state , i should never receive contentment . but sith , said he , i know you to be honourably descended , and a man of resolution , if you will give me assurance , either to joyn with me , or not to discover me , i will deliver unto you the only means to do your self good . which when i had promised him , he appointed me to come the next day to his house in fetterlane : and repairing thither accordingly , i found him in his bed ; whereupon he commanded his men forth , and began with me in this order . my lord , said he , ( for so he called me ) i protest before god , that three reasons principally do induce me to enter into this action , which i intend to discover unto you ; the replanting of religion , the preferring of the scotish title , and the advancement of justice , wonderfully corrupted in this commowealth : and thereupon entred into some discourses what places were fit to be taken , to give entrance to such forreign forces as should be best liked of , for the furtherance of such enterprizes as were to be undertaken . and with these discourses he passed the time , until he went to dinner : after which , the company being retired , he entred into his former discourses . and if i be not deceived , ( said he ) by taking of quinborough - castle , we shall hinder the passage of the queens ships forth of the river . whereunto when he saw me use no contradiction , he shook me by the hand ; tush , said he , this is nothing : if men were resolute , there is an enterprize of much more moment , and much easier to perform ; an act honourable and meritorious to god and the world . which seeing me desirous to know , he was not ashamed to utter in plain terms , to consist in killing of her majesty : wherein , saith he , if you will go with me , i will loose my life , or deliver my countrey from her bad and tyrannous government . at which speeches finding me discontented , he asked me , if i had read doctor allen's book , out of which he alledged an authority for it . i answered , no , and that i did not believe that authority . well , said he , what will you say , if i shew further authority than this , even from rome itself a plain dispensation for the killing of her , wherein you shall finde it ( as i said before ) meritorious ? good cousin , said i , when you shall shew it me , i shall think it very strange , when i shall see one to hold that for meritorious , which another holdeth for damnable . well , said parry , do me but the favour to think upon it till to morrow : and if one man be in the town , i will not fail to shew you the thing it self : and if he be not , he will be within these five or six days ; at which time if it please you to meet me at chanon-row , we may there receive the sacrament to be true each to other , and then i will discover unto you both the party , and the thing itself . whereupon i prayed parry to think better upon it , as a matter of great charge both of soul and body . i would to god , said parry , you were as perfectly perswaded in it as i am , for then undoubtedly you should do god great service . not long after , eight or ten days , ( as i remember ) parry coming to visit me at my lodging in herns rents in holborn , as he often used , we walked forth into the fields , where he renewed again his determination to kill her majesty , whom he said he thought most unworthy to live , and that he wondred i was so scrupulous therein . she hath sought , said he , your ruine and overthrow , why should you not then seek to revenge it ? i confess , quoth i , that my case is hard , but yet am i not so desperate as to revenge it upon my self , which must needs be the event of so unhonest and unpossible an enterprise . unpossible , said parry , i wonder at you ; for in truth there is not any thing more easie : you are no courtier , and therefore know not her customs of walking with small train , and often in the garden very privately , at which time my self may easily have access unto her , and you also when you are known in court. upon the fact we must have a barge ready to carry us with speed down the river , where we will have a ship ready to transport us if it be needfull : but upon my head , we shall never be followed so far . i asked him , how will you escape forth of the garden ? for you shall not be permitted to carry any men with you , and the gates will then be locked , neither can you carry a dagge without suspition . as for a dagge , said parry , i care not : my dagger is enough . and as for my escaping , those that shall be with her , will be so busie about her , as i shall finde opportunity enough to escape , if you be there ready with the barge to receive me . but if this seem dangerous in respect of your reason before shewed , let it then rest till her coming to st. james , and let us furnish our selves in the mean time with men and horse fit for the purpose : we may each of us keep eight or ten men without suspition . and for my part , said he , i shall finde good fellows that will follow me without suspecting mine intent . it is much , said he , that so many resolute men may do upon the suddain , being well appointed with each his case of dagges : if they were an hundred waiting upon her , they were not able to save her ; you coming of the one side and i on the other , and discharging our dagges upon her , it were unhappy if we should both miss her . but if our dagges fail , i shall bestir me well with a sword ere she escape me . whereunto i said , good doctor give over this odious enterprise , and trouble me no more with the hearing of that , which in heart i loath so much . i would to god the enterprise were honest , that i might make known unto thee whether i want solution . and not long after , her majesty came to st. james's ; after which , one morning ( the day certain i remember not , ) parry revived again his former discourse of killing her majesty , with great earnestness and importunity perswading me to joyn therein : saying , he thought me the onely man of england like to perform it , in respect of my valure , as he termed it . whereupon , i made semblance as if i had been more willing to hear him than before , hoping by that means to cause him to deliver his minde to some other that might be witness thereof with me ; wherein nevertheless i failed . after all this , on saturday last , being the sixth of february , between the hours of five and six in the afternoon , parry came to my chamber , and desired to talk with me apart : whereupon we drew our selves to a window . and where i had told parry before , that a learned man whom i met by chance in the fields , unto whom i proponed the question touching her majesty , had answered me that it was an enterprise most villanous and damnable , willing me to discharge my self of it : parry then desired to know that learned mans name , and what was become of him , saying , after a scornful manner , no doubt he was a very wise man , and you wiser in believing him : and said further , i hope you told him not that i had any thing from rome . yes in truth , said i. whereunto parry said , i would you had not named me , nor spoken of any thing i had from rome . and thereupon he earnestly perswaded me estsoons to depart beyond the seas , promising to procure me safe passage into wales , and from thence into britain ; whereat we ended . but i then resolved not to do so , but to discharge my conscience , and lay open this his most traiterous and abominable intention against her majesty : which i revealed in sort as is before set down . edmund nevil . after this confession of edmund nevil , william parry the th . day of february last , being examined in the tower of london , by the lord hunsdon , lord governour of barwick , sir christopher hatton knight , vicechamberlain to her majesty , and sir francis walsingham knight , principal secretary to her majesty , did voluntary and without any constraint , by word of mouth make confession of his said treason ; and after , set it down in writing all with his own hand in his lodging in the tower , and sent it to the court the th . of the same , by the lieutenant of the tower. the parts whereof concerning his manner of doing the same , and the treasons wherewith he was justly charged are here set down , word for word , as they are written and signed with his own hand and name , the th . of february , . the voluntary confession of william parry , in writing all with his own hand . the voluntary confession of william parry doctor of the laws , ( now prisoner in the tower ) and accused of treason by edmund nevil esquire , promised by him ( with all faith and humility ) to the queens majesty , in discharge of his conscience and duty towards god and her . before the lord hunsdon , lord governour of barwick , sir christopher hatton knight , vicechamberlain , sir francis walsingham knight , principal secretary , the th . of february , . parry . in the year . i was sworn her majesties servant , from which time until the year . i served , honoured , and loved her with as great readiness , devotion , and assurance as any poor subject in england . in the end of that year , and until midsummer . i had some trouble for the hurting of a gentleman of the temple . in which action i was so disgraced and oppressed by two great men ( to whom i have of late been beholden ) that i never had contented thought since . there began my misfortune , and here followeth my woful fall . in july after , i laboured for licence to travail for three years , which ( upon some consideration ) was easily obtained . and so in august , i went over with doubtful minde of return , for that being suspected in religion , and not having received the communion in twenty two years , i began to mistrust my advancement in england . in september i came to paris , where i was reconciled to the church , and advised to live without scandal , the rather , for that it was mistrusted by the english catholiques , that i had intelligence with the greatest councellour of england . i staied not long there , but removed to lions ( a place of great traffick ) where , because it was the ordinary passage of our nation to and fro , between paris and rome , i was also suspected . to put all men out of doubt of me , and for some other cause , i went to millain , from whence , as a place of some danger ( though i found favour there ) after i had cleared my conscience , and justified my self in religion before the inquisitor , i went to venice . there i came acquainted with father benedicto palmio , a grave and a learned jesuite . by conference with him of the hard state of the catholicks in england , and by reading of the book de persecutione anglicana , and other discourses of like argument , i conceived a possible mean to relieve the afflicted state of our catholicks , if the same might be well warranted in religion and conscience by the pope , or some learned divines . i asked his opinion ; he made it clear , commended my devotion , comforted me in it , and after a while made me known to the nuntio campeggio , there resident for his holiness . by his means i wrote to the pope , presented the service , and sued for a pasport to go to rome , and to return safely into france . answer came from cardinal como , that i might come , and should be welcome . i misliked the warrant , sued for a better , which i was promised : but it came not before my departure to lions , where i promised to stay some time for it . and being indeed desirous to go to rome , and loth to go without countenance , i desired christofero de salazar , secretary to the catholick king in venice , who had some understanding by conference , of my devotion to the afflicted catholicks at home and abroad , to commend me to the duke di nova terra , governour of millain , and to the county of olivaris embi , then resident for the king his master in rome : which he promised to do effectually for the one , and did for the other . and so i took my journey towards lyons , whither came for me an ample passeport ( but somewhat too late , ) that i might come and go in verbo pontificis per omnes jurisdictones ecclesiasticas , absque impedimento . i acquainted some good fathers there , of my necessity to depart towards paris by promise , and prayed their advises upon divers points ; wherein i was well satisfied . and so assuring them that his holiness should hear from me shortly , it was undertaken that i should be excused for that time . in october i came to paris , where ( upon better opinion conceived of me amongst my catholick country-men ) i found my credit well setled , and such as mistrusted me before , ready to trust and imbrace me . and being one day at the chamber of thomas morgan a catholick gentleman ( greatly beloved and trusted on that side ) amongst other gentlemen , talking ( but in very good sort ) of england , i was desired by morgan to go up with him to another chamber , where he brake with me , and told me that it was hoped and looked for , that i should do some service for god and his church . i answered him , i would do it , if it were to kill the greatest subject in england ; whom i named , and in truth then hated . no , no , said he , let him live to his greater fall and ruine of his house : it is the queen i mean. i had him as i wished , and told him it were soon done , if it might be lawfully done , and warranted in the opinion of some learned divines . and so the doubt once resolved ( though as you have heard i was before reasonably well satisfied ) i vowed to undertake the enterprise , for the restitution of england to the ancient obedience of the sea apostolick . divers divines were named . doctor allein i desired , parsons i refused . and by chance came master wattes a learned priest , with whom i conferred , and was over-ruled . for he plainly pronounced ( the case onely altered in name ) that it was utterly unlawful : with whom many english priests did agree as i have heard , if it be not altered since the book made in answer of the execution of the english justice was published , which i must confess hath taken hard hold in me , and ( i fear me ) will do in others , if it be not prevented by more gracious handling of the quiet and obedient catholick subjects , whereof there is good and greater store in england , than this age will extinguish . well notwithstanding all these doubts , i was gone so far by letters and conference in italy , that i could not go back , but promised faithfully to perform the enterprise , if his holiness upon my offer and letters would allow it , and grant me full remission of my sins . i wrote my letters the first of january . by their computation ; took advice upon them in confession of father anibal a codreto a learned jesuite in paris , was lovingly embraced , commended , confessed , and communicated at the jesuites at one altar with the cardinals of vandosmi , and narbone , whereof i prayed certificate , and enclosed the same in my letter to his holiness , to lead him the rather to absolve me ; which i required by my letters , in consideration of so great an enterprise undertaken without promise or reward . i went with morgan to the nuntio ragazzoni , to whom i read the letter and certificate enclosed , sealed it , and left it with him to send to rome : he promised great care of it , and to procure answer : and so lovingly imbraced me , wished me good speed , and promised that i should be remembred at the altar . after this i desired morgan , that some special man might be made privy to this matter , lest he dying , and i miscarrying in the execution , and my intent never truly discovered , it might stick for an everlasting spot in my race . divers were named , but none agreed upon for fear of beraying . this being done , morgan assured me , that shortly after my departure , the l. fernehurst ( then in paris ) should go into scotland , and be ready upon the first news of the queens fall to enter into england with or men to defend the queen of scotland , ( whom , and the king her son , i do in my conscience acquit of any privity , liking , or consent to this , or any other bad action , for any thing that ever i did know . ) i shortly departed for england , and arrived at rie in january . from whence i wrote to the court , advertised some , that i had a special service to discover to the queens majesty ; which i did more to prepare access and credit , than for any care i had of her person , though i were fully resolved never to touch her ( notwithstanding any warrant ) if by any device , perswasion , or policy she might be wrought to deal more graciously with the catholicks than she doth , or by our manner of proceeding in parliament meaneth to do , or any thing yet seen . i came to the court , ( then at whitehall , ) prayed audience , had it at large , and very privately discovered to her majesty this conspiracy , much to this effect , though covered with all the skill i had : she took it doubtfully , i departed with fear . and amongst other things , i cannot forget her majesties gratious speech then uttered touching the catholicks , which of late , after a sort i avowed in parliament : she said to me , that never a catholick should be troubled for religion or supremacy , so long as they lived like good subjects . whereby i mistrusted that her majesty is born in hand , that none is troubled for the one or the other . it may be truly said , that it is better than it hath been , though it be not yet as it should be . in march last , while i was at greenwich ( as i remember ) suing for st. katherines , came letters to me from cardinal como , dated at rome , the last of january before , whereby i found the enterprise commended , and allowed , and my self absolved ( in his holiness name ) of all my sins , and willed to go forward in the name of god. that letter i shewed to some in court , who imparted it to the queen : what it wrought , or may work in her majesty , god knoweth : onely this i know , that it confirmed my resolution to kill her , and made it clear in my conscience , that it was lawful and meritorious . and yet was i determined never to do it , if either policy , practice , perswasion , or motion in parliament could prevail . i feared to be tempted , and therefore always when i came near her , i left my dagger at home . when i looked upon her majesty , and remembred her many excellencies , i was greatly troubled : and yet i saw no remedy , for my vows were in heaven , my letters and promises in earth , and the case of the catholick recusants , and others , little bettered . sometimes i said to my self , why should i care for her ? what hath she done for me ? have i not spent marks since i knew her service , and never had peny by her ? it may be said , she gave me my life . but i say ( as my case stood ) it had been tyranny to take it : and i fear me it is little less yet . if it please her gratiously to look into my discontentments , i would to jesus christ she had it , for i am weary of it . and now to come to an end of this tragical discourse : in july i left the court , utterly rejected , discontented , and as her majesty might perceive by my passionate letters , careless of my self . i came to london : doctor alleins book was sent me out of france : it redoubled my former conceits : every word in it was a warrant to a prepared mind : it taught that kings may be excommunicated , deprived , and violently handled : it proveth that all wars civil or forraign undertaken for religion , is honorable . her majesty may do well to read it , and to be out of doubt ( if things be not amended ) that it is a warning , and a doctrine full dangerous . this is the book i shewed , in some places read , and lent it to my cousin nevil ( the accuser ) who came often to mine house , put his finger in my dish , his hand in my purse ; and the night wherein he accused me , was wrapped in my gown , six moneths at least after we had entred into this conspiracy : in which space her majesty , and ten princes in several provinces might have been killed . god bless her majesty from him : for before almighty god , i joy and am glad in my soul , that it was his hap to discover me in time ; though there were no danger near . and now to the manner of our meetings . he came to me in the beginning of august , and spake to me in this or like sort . cousin , let us do somewhat , sithens we can have nothing . i offered to joyn with him , and gladly heard him , hoping because i knew him to be a catholick , that he would hit upon that i had in my head : but it fell not out so . he thought the delivery of the queen of scotland easie , presuming upon his credit and kindred in the north : i thought it dangerous to her , and impossible to men of our fortunes : he fell from that to the taking of barwick : i spake of quinborough and the navy , rather to entertain him with discourse , than that i cared for those motions , my head being full of a greater matter : i told him that i had another manner of enterprise , more honourable and profitable to us , and the catholicks common-wealth , than all these , if he would joyn in it with me , as he presently vowed to do : he pressed to know it ; i willed him to sleep upon the motion : he did so , ( and belike overtaken ) came to me the next morning to my lodging in london , offered to joyn with me , and took his oath upon a bible , to conceal and constantly to pursue the enterprise for the advancement of religion ; which i also did , and meant to perform : the killing of the queen was the matter . the manner and place , to be on horsback , with eight or ten horses , when she should ride abroad about st. james , or some other like place . it was once thought fit in a garden , and that the escape would be easiest by water into shepey , or some other part : but we resolved upon the first . this continued as agreed upon many moneths , until he heard of the death of westmoreland , whose land and dignity ( whereof he assured himself ) bred belike this conscience in him to discover a treason in february , contrived and agreed upon in august . if it cost him not an ambitious head at last , let him never trust me . he brought a tall gentleman ( whom he commended for an excellent pistolier ) to me to chanon-row , to make one in the match : but i refused to deal with him , being loth to lay my head upon so many hands . master nevil hath ( i think ) forgotten , that he did swear to to me at divers times , that all the advancement she could give , should serve but for her scourge , if ever time and occasion should serve : and that though he would not lay hand upon her in a corner , his heart served him to strike off her head in the field . now leaving him to himself , this much ( to make an end ) i must confess of my self , i did mean to try what might be done in parliament , to do my best to hinder all hard courses , to have prayed hearing of the queens majesty , to move her ( if i could ) to take compassion upon her catholick subjects ; and when all had failed , to do as i intended . if her majesty by this course would have eased them , though she had never preferred me ; i had with all comfort and patience born it : but if she had preferred me without ease or care of them , the enterprise had held . parry god preserve the queen , and encline her merciful heart to forgive me this desperate purpose ; and to take my head ( with all my heart ) for her better satisfaction . after which , for the better manifesting of his treasons , on the th of february last , there was a letter written by him to her majesty , very voluntarily , all of his own hand , without any motion made to him : the tenor whereof , for that which concerneth these his traiterous dealings , is as followeth . a letter written by parry to her majesty . your majesty may see by my voluntary confession , the dangerous fruits of a discontented minde ; and how constantly i pursued my first conceived purpose in venice , for the relief of the afflicted catholicks ; continued it in lions , and resolved in paris to put it in adventure , for the restitution of england to the antient obedience of the see apostolick . you may see withal , how it is commended , allowed , and warranted in conscience , divinity , and policy , by the pope and some great divines : though it be true or likely , that most of our english divines ( less practised in matters of this weight ) do utterly mislike and condemn it . the enterprise is prevented , and conspiracy discovered by an honourable gentleman , my kinsman and late familiar friend , master edmund nevil , privy and by solemn oath ( taken upon the bible ) party to the matter , whereof i am hardly glad , but now sorry ( in my very soul ) that ever i conceived or intended it , how commendable or meritoritous soever i thought it . god thank him , and forgive me , who would not now ( before god ) attempt it ( if i had liberty and opportunity to do it ) to gain your kingdome . i beseech christ , that my death and example may as well satisfie you majesty and the world , as it shall glad and content me . the queen of scotland is your prisoner ; let her be honourably entreated , but yet surely guarded . the french king is french , you know it well enough , you will finde him occupied when he should do you good ; he will not loose a pilgrimage to save you a crown . i have no more to say at this time , but that with my heart and soul i do now honour and love you ; am inwardly sorry for mine offence , and ready to make you amends by my death and patience . discharge me à culpâ , but not à poenâ , good lady . and so farewel , most gracious , and the best-natured and qualified queen that ever lived in england . from the tower , the th of february , . w. parry . after which , to wit , the th of february last past , parry , in further acknowledging his wicked and intended treasons , wrote a letter all of his own hand , in like voluntary manner , to the lord treasurer of england , and the earl of leicester , lord steward of her majesties house ; the tenour whereof is as followeth . william parry's letter to the lord treasurer , and the earl of leicester . my lords , now that the conspiracy is discovered , the fault confessed , my conscience cleared , and minde prepared patiently to suffer the pains due for so heinous a crime : i hope it shall not offend you , if crying miserere with the poor publican , i leave to despair with cursed cain . my case is rare and strange , and , for any thing i can remember , singular : a natural subject solemnly to vow the death of his natural queen ( so born , so known , and so taken by all men ) for the relief of the afflicted catholicks , and restitution of religion . the matter first conceived in venice , the service ( in general words ) presented to the pope , continued and undertaken in paris ; and lastly , commended and warranted by his holiness , degested and resolved in england , if it had not been prevented by accusation , or by her majesties greater lenity and more gracious usage of her catholick subjects . this is my first and last offence conceived against my prince or country , and doth ( i cannot deny ) contein all other faults whatsoever . it is now to be punished by death , or most graciously ( beyond all common expectation ) to be pardoned . death i do confess to have deserved ; life i do ( with all humility ) crave , if it may stand with the queens honour , and policy of the time. to leave so great a treason unpunished , were strange : to draw it by my death in example , were dangerous : a sworn servant to take upon him such an enterprize , upon such a ground , and by such a warrant , hath not been seen in england : to indict him , arraign him , bring him to the scaffold , and to publish his offence , can do no good : to hope that he hath more to discover than is confessed , or that at his execution he will unsay any thing he hath written , is in vain : to conclude , that it is impossible for him in time to make some part of amends , were very hard , and against former experiences . the question then is , whether it be better to kill him , or ( lest the matter be mistaken ) upon hope of his amendment to pardon him . for mine own opinion ( though partial ) i will deliver you my conscience . the case is good queen elizabeths , the offence is committed against her sacred person , and she may ( of her mercy ) pardon it without prejudice to any . then this i say , in few words , as a man more desirous to discharge his troubled conscience , than to live . pardon poor parry , and relieve him : for life without living is not fit for him . if this may not be , or be thought dangerous , or dishonourable to the queens majesty ( as by your favours , i think it full of honour and mercy ) then i beseech your lordships ( and no other ) once to hear me before i be indicted , and afterwards ( if i must dye ) humbly to intreat the queens majesty to hasten my trial and execution , which i pray god ( with all my heart ) may prove as honourable to her , as i hope it shall be happy to me ; who will , while i live , ( as i have done always ) pray to jesus christ for her majesties long and prosperous reign . from the tower , the th of february , . w. parry . and where in this mean time sir francis walsingham , secretary to her majesty , had dealt with one william creichton , a scot for his birth , and a jesuit by his profession , now prisoner also in the tower , for that he was apprehended with divers plots for invasions of this realm , to understand of him , if the said parry had ever dealt with him in the parties beyond the seas touching that question , whether it were lawful to kill her majesty , or not : the which at that time the said creichton called not to his remembrance ; yet after upon better calling it to minde , upon the th day of february last past , he wrote to master secretary walsingham thereof voluntary , all of his own hand , to the effect following . william creichtons letter . february . right honourable sir , when your honour demanded me if mr. parry did ask me , if it was reason to kill the queen , indeed and verity , then i had no remembrance at all thereof . but since , thinking on the matter , i have called to mind the whole fashion of his dealing with me , and some of his arguments : for he dealt very craftily with me , i dare not say maliciously . for i did in no ways think of any such design of his , or of any other , and did answer him simply after my conscience and knowledge to the verity of the question . for after that i had answered him twice before , quòd omnino non liceret , he returned late at even , by reason i was to depart early in the next morning toward chamberie in savoy where i did remain , and being return'd out of the close within one of the classes of the colledge , he proponed to me of the new matter , with his reasons and arguments . first , he alledged the utility of the deed for delivering of so many catholicks out of misery , and restitution of the catholick religion . i answered , that the scripture answereth thereto , saying , non sunt facienda mala , ut veniant bona . so that for no good , how great that ever it be , may be wrought any evil , how little that ever it be . he replyed , that it was not evil to take away so great evil , and induce so great good . i answered , that all good is not to be done , but that onely , quod bene & legitime fieri potest . and therefore , dixi , deum magis amare adverbia quàm nomina . quia in actionibus magis ei placent bene & legitime , quam bonum . ita ut nullum bonum liceat facere , nisi bene & legitimè fieri possit . quod in hoc casu fieri non potest . yet said he , that several learned men were of the opinion , quod liceret . i answered , that they men perhaps were of the opinion that for the safety of many in soul and body , they would permit a particular to his danger , and to the occult judgment of god : or perhaps said so , moved rather by some compassion and commiseration of the miserable estate of the catholicks , not for any such doctrine that they did finde in their books . for it is certain , that such a thing is not licite to a particular , without special revelation divine , which exceedeth our learning and doctrine . and so he departed from me . out of the prison in the tower , the th of february . your honours poor servitor in christ jesu . william creichton prisoner . and where also the same parry was on the same th day of february examined by sir francis walsingham knight , what was become of the letter contained in his confession to be written unto him by the cardinal de como , he then answered , that it was consumed and burnt : and yet after , the next day following , being more vehemently urged upon that point in examination ( because it was known that it was not burnt ) he confessed where he had left it in the town : whereupon , by parrys direction it was sent for , where it had been lapped up together with other frivolous papers , and written upon the one side of it , the last will of william parry , the which letter was in the italian tongue , as hereafter followeth , with the same in english accordingly translated . a mon signore , mon signore guglielmo parry . mon signore , la santita di n. s. ha veduto le lettere di v. s. del primo con la fede inclusa , & non puo se non laudare la buona disposittione & risolutiene che scrive di tenere verso il servitio & beneficio publico , nel che la santita sua lessorta di perseverare , con farne riuscire li effetti che v. s. promette : et accioche tanto maggiormente v. s. sia ajutata da quel buon spirito che l'ha mosso , le concede sua beneditione , plenaria indulgenza & remissione di tutti li peccati , secondo che v. s. ha chiesto , assicurandos si che oltre il merito , che n'havera in cielo , vuole anco sua santita constituir si debitore a riconoscere li meriti di v. s. in ogni miglior modo che potra , & cio tanto piu , quanto che v. s. ùsa maggior modestia in non pretender niente . metta dunque ad effetto lìesuoi santi & honorati pensieri , & attenda astar sano . che per fine io me le offero di core , & le desidero ogni buono & felice suceesso . di roma a di gennaro , mdlxxxiv . al piacer di v. s. n. cardinale di como , al sig. guglielmo parri . cardinal de como's letter to will. parry , january th . by accompt of rome . monsignor , the holiness of our lord hath seen the letter of your signory of the first , with the assurance included , and cannot but commend the good disposition and resolution , which you write to hold towards the service and benefit publick : wherein his holiness doth exhort you to persevere , with causing to bring forth the effects which your signorie promiseth . and to the end you may be so much the more holpen , by that good spirit , which hath moved you thereunto , his blessedness doth grant to you plenary indulgence and remission of all your sins , according to your request . assuring you , that besides the merit that you shall receive therefore in heaven , his holiness will further make himself debtour , to re-acknowledge the deservings of your signorie in the best manner that he can . and that so much the more , in that your signorie useth the greater modesty , in not pretending any thing . put therefore to effect your holy and honourable thoughts , and attend your health . and to conclude , i offer my self unto you heartily , and do desire all good and happy success . from rome the th of january , . at the pleasure of your signorie , n. card. of como . upon all which former accusation , declaration , confessions , and proofs , upon munday the th day of february last past , at westminster-hall , before sir christopher wray knight , chief justice of england , sir gilbert gerrard knight , master of the rolls , sir edmund anderson knight , chief justice of the common pleas , sir roger manwood knight , chief baron of the exchequer , sir thomas gawdy knight , one of the justices of the pleas before her majesty to be holden , and will. perriam , one of the justices of the common pleas , by vertue of her majesties commission to them and others in that behalf directed ; the same parry was indicted of high treason , for intending and practising the death and destruction of her majesty , whom god long prosper , and preserve from all such wicked attempts . the tenour of which indictment appeareth more particularly in the course of his arraignment following . the manner of the arraignment of will. parry the th of february , . at westminster , in the place where the court , commonly called the kings-bench , is usually kept , by vertue of her majesties commission of oyer and terminer , before henry lord hunsdon governour of barwick , sir francis knolles knight , treasurer of the queens majesties houshold , sir james croft knight , comptroller of the same houshold , sir christopher hatton knight , vice-chamberlain to her majesty , sir christopher wray knight , chief justice of england , sir gilbert gerrard knight , master of the rolls , sir edmund anderson knight , chief-justice of the common-pleas , sir roger manwood knight , chief-baron of the exchequer , and sir thomas hennage knight , treasurer of the chamber . first , three proclamations for silence were made , according to the usual course in such cases . then the lieutenant was commanded to return his precept ; which did so , and brought the prisoner to the bar , to whom miles sandes esquire , clerk of the crown , said , william parry , hold up thy hand ; and he did so . then said the clerk of the crown , thou art here indicted by the oaths of twelve good and lawful men of the county of middlesex , before sir christopher wray knight , and others , which took the indictment by the name of william parry , late of london , gentleman , otherwise called william parry , late of london , doctor of the law ; for that thou , as a false traitor against the most noble and christian prince , queen elizabeth , thy most gracious soveraign and liege-lady , not having the fear of god before thine eyes , nor regarding thy due allegiance ; but being seduced by the instigation of the devil , and intending to withdraw and extinguish the hearty love and due obedience which true and faithful subjects should bear unto the same our soveraign lady , didst at westminster in the county of middlesex , on the first day of february , in the th year of her highness reign , and at divers other times and places in the same county , maliciously and traiterously conspire and compass , not only to deprive and depose the same our sovereign lady of her royal estate , title and dignity ; but also to bring her highness to death and final destruction , and sedition in the realm to make , and the government thereof to subvert , and the sincere religion of god established in her highness dominions to alter and subvert . and that , whereas thou william parry , by thy letters sent unto gregory bishop of rome , didst signifie unto the same bishop thy purposes and intentions aforesaid , and thereby didst pray and require the same bishop to give thee absolution ; that thou afterwards , that is to say , the last day of march in the th year aforesaid , didst traiterously receive letters from one called cardinal de como , directed unto thee william parry , whereby the same cardinal did signifie unto thee , that the bishop of rome had perused thy letters , and allowed of thine intent ; and that to that end he had absolved thee of all thy sins , and by the same letter did animate and stir thee to proceed with thine enterprize ; and that thereupon , thou , the last day of august , in the th year aforesaid , at saint giles in the fields , in the same county of middlesex , didst traiterously confer with one edmund nevil esquire , uttering to him all thy wicked and traiterous devises , and then and there didst move him to assist thee therein , and to joyn with thee in those wicked treasons aforesaid , against the peace of our said soveraign lady the queen , her crown and dignity . what sayest thou , william parry , art thou guilty of these treasons whereof thou standest here indicted , or not guilty ? then parry said , before i plead not guilty , or confess my self guilty , i pray you give me leave to speak a few words : and with humbling himself , began in this manner . god save queen elizabeth , and god send me grace to discharge my duty to her , and to send you home in charity . but touching the matters that i am indicted of , some were in one place , and some in another , and done so secretly , as none can see into them , except that they had eyes like unto god ; wherefore i will not lay my blood upon the jury , but do minde to confess the indictment . it containeth but the parts that have been openly read , i pray you tell me ? whereunto it was answered , that the indictment contained the parts he had heard read , and no other : whereupon the clerk of the crown said unto parry , parry , thou must answer directly to the indictment , whether thou be guilty or not . then said parry , i do confess that i am guilty of all that is therein contained : and further too , i desire not life , but desire to die . unto which the clerk of the crown said , if you confess it , you must confess it in manner and form as it is comprised in the indictment . whereunto he said , i do confess it in manner and form as the same is set down , and all the circumstances thereof . then the confession being recorded , the queens learned council being ready to pray judgment upon the same confession , master vice-chamberlain said , these matters contained in this indictment , and confessed by this man , are of great importance : they touch the person of the queens most excellent majesty in the highest degree , the very state and well-doing of the whole common-wealth , and the truth of gods word established in these her majesties dominions , and the open demonstration of that capital envy of the man of rome , that hath set himself against god and all godliness , all good princes and good government , and against good men . wherefore , i pray you , for the satisfaction of this great multitude , let the whole matter appear , that every one may see that the matter of it self is as bad as the indictment purporteth , and as he hath confessed . whereto in respect that the justice of the realm hath been of late very impudently slandered , all yielded as a thing necessary to satisfie the world in particular , of that which was but summarily comprised in the indictment , though in the law , his confession served sufficiently to have proceeded thereupon unto judgment . whereupon the lords and others the commissioners , her majesties learned councel , and parry himself agreed , that parry's confession ( taken the th and th of february . before the lord of hunsdon , master vice-chamberlain , and master secretary , ) and cardinal de como his letters , and parry's letters to the lord treasurer and lord steward , should be openly read . and parry , for the better satisfying of the people and standers by , offered to read them himself : but being told that the order was , the clerk of the crown should read them , it was so resolved of all parts . and then master vice-chamberlain caused to be shewed to parry his said confession , the cardinals letter , and his own letter aforesaid ; which after he had particularly viewed every leaf thereof , he confessed , and said openly they were the same . then said master vice-chamberlain , before we proceed to shew what he hath confessed , what say you , said he to parry , is that which you have confessed here true , and did you confess it freely and willingly of your self , or was then any extort means used to draw it from you ? surely , said parry , i made that confession freely without any constraint , and that is all true , and more too : for there is no treason that hath been sithens the first year of the queen , any way touching religion , saving receipt of agnus dei , and perswading of others , wherein i have not much dealt , but i have offended in it . and i have also delivered mine opinion in writing , who ought to be successor to the crown , which he said to be treason also . then his confession of the eleventh and thirteenth of february , all of his own hand writing , and before particularly set down , was openly , and distinctly read by the clerk of the crown . and that done , the cardinal di como his letter in italian was delivered unto parry's hand by the direction of master vicechamberlain , which parry there perused , and openly affirmed to be wholly of the cardinals own hand writing , and the seal to be his own also , and to be with a cardinals hat on it : and himself did openly read it in italian , as before is set down . and the words bearing sence as it were written to a bishop , or to a man of such degree , it was demanded of him by master vice-chamberlain , whether he had not taken the degree of a bishop ? he said , no : but said at first , those terms were proper to the degree he had taken . and after said , that the cardinal did vouchsafe , as of a favour , to write so to him . then the copy of that letter in english , as before is also set down , was in like manner openly read by the clerk of the crown ; which parry then acknowledged to be truely translated . and thereupon was shewed unto parry his letter of the th of february , written to the lord treasurer , and the lord steward : which he confessed to be all of his own hand-writing , and was as before is set down . these matters being read openly , for manifestation of the matter , parry prayed leave to speak : whereto master vice-chamberlain said , if you will say any thing for the better opening to the world of those your foul and horrible facts , speak on : but if you mean to make any excuse of that which you have confessed , which else would have been and do stand proved against you , for my part , i will not sit to hear you . then her majesties attourney-general stood up and said , it appeareth before you , my lords , that this man hath been indicted and arraigned of several most hainous and horrible treasons , and hath confessed them , which is before you of record ; wherefore there resteth no more to be done , but for the court to give judgment accordingly , which here i require in the behalf of the queens majesty . then said parry , i pray you hear me for discharging of my conscience . i will not go about to excuse my self , nor to seek to save my life , i care not for it ; you have my confession of record , that is enough for my life . and i mean to utter more , for which i were worthy to die . and said , i pray you hear me , in that i am to speak to discharge my conscience . then said master vice-chamberlain , parry , then do thy duty according to conscience , and utter all that thou canst say concerning those thy most wicked facts . then said parry , my cause is rare , singular and unnatural , conceived at venice , presented in general words to the pope , undertaken at paris , commended and allowed of by his holiness , and was to have been executed in england , if it had not been prevented . yea , i have committed many treasons , for i have committed treason in being reconciled , and treason in taking absolution . there hath been no treason sithens the first year of the queens reign touching religion , but that i am guilty of ( except for receiving of agnus dei , and perswading as i have said : ) and yet never intended to kill queen elizabeth . i appeal to her own knowledge , and to my lord treasurers , and master secretaries . then said my l d hunsdon , hast thou acknowledged it so often , and so plainly in writing under thy hand , and here of record ; and now , when thou shouldest have thy judgment according to that which thou hast confessed thy self guilty of , doest thou go back again , and deny the effect of all ? how can we believe that thou now sayest ? then said master vice-chamberlain , this is absurd . thou hast not onely confessed generally , that thou wert guilty according to the indictment , which summarily , and yet in express words doth contain that thou hadst traiterously compassed and intended the death and destruction of her majesty ; but thou also saidst particularly that thou wert guilty of every of the treasons contained therein , whereof the same was one , in plain and express letter set down , and read unto thee . yea , thou saidst that thou wert guilty of more treasons too besides these . and didst thou not upon thy examination voluntarily confess , how thou wast moved first thereunto by mislike of thy state after thy departure out of the realm , and that thou didst mislike her majesty for that she had done nothing for thee ; how by wicked papists and popish books , thou wert perswaded that it was lawful to kill her majesty ; how thou wert by reconciliation become one of that wicked sort , that held her majesty for neither lawful queen nor christian , and that it was meritorious to kill her ? and didst thou not signifie that thy purpose to the pope by lettersand , receivedst letters from the cardinal , how he allowed of thine intent , and excited thee to perform it , and thereupon didst receive absolution ? and didst thou not conceive it , promise it , vow it , swear it , and receive the sacrament that thou wouldst do it ? and didst not thou thereupon affirm , that thy vows were in heaven , and thy letters and promises on earth to binde thee to do it ? and that whatsoever her majesty would have done for thee , could not have removed thee from that intention or purpose , unless she would have desisted from dealing as she hath done with the catholicks , as thou callest them ? all this thou hast plainly confessed : and i protest before this great assembly , thou hast confessed it more plainly and in better sort , than my memory will serve me to utter : and saist thou now , that thou never meant'st it ? ah , said parry , your honours know , how my confession upon mine examination was extorted . the both the lord hunsdon and master vice-chamberlain affirmed , that there was no torture or threatning words offered him . but parry then said , that they told him , that if he would not confess willingly , he should have torture : whereunto their honours answered , that they used not any speech or word of torture to him . you said , said parry , that you would proceed with rigour against me , if i would not confess it of my self . but their honours expresly affirmed , that they used no such words . but i will tell thee , said master vice-chamberlain , what we said . i spake these words : if you will willingly utter the truth of your self , it may do you good , and i wish you to do so : if you will not , we must then proceed in ordinary course to take your examination . whereunto you answered , that you would tell the truth of your self . was not this true ? which then he yielded unto . and hereunto , her majesties attourney-general put parry in remembrance what speeches he used to the lieutenant of the tower , the queens majesties serjeant at law , master gaudie , and the same attourney , on saturday the twentieth of february last , at the tower , upon that he was by them then examined by order from the lords : which was , that he acknowledg'd he was most mildly and favourably dealt with , in all his examinations : which he also at the bar then acknowledg'd to be true . then master vice-chamberlain said , that it was wonder to see the magnanimity of her majesty , which after that thou hadst opened those trayterous practices in sort as thou hast laid it down in thy confession , was nevertheless such , and so far from all fear , as that she would not so much as acquaint any one of her highness privy-council with it , to his knowledge , no not until after this thine enterprise discovered and made manifest . and besides that which thou hast set down under thine own hand , thou didst confess , that thou hadst prepared two scottish daggers , fit for such a purpose ; and those being disposed away by thee , thou didst say , that another would serve thy turn . and withal , parry , didst thou not also confess before us , how wonderfully thou wert appaled and perplexed upon a sudden , at the presence of her majesty at hampton-court this last summer , saying , that thou didst think , thou then sawest in her , the very likeness and image of king henry the seventh ? and that therewith , and upon some speeches used by her majesty , thou didst turn about and weep bitterly to thy self ? and yet didst call to minde that thy vows were in heaven , thy letters and promises on earth ; and that therefore thou didst say with thy self , that there was no remedy but to do it ? didst thou not confess this ? the which he acknowledged . then said the lord hunsdon , sayest thou now , that thou didst never mean to kill the queen ? didst thou not confess , that when thou didst utter this practice of treachery to her majesty , that thou didst cover it with all the skill thou hadst , and that it was done by thee , rather to get credit and access thereby , than for any regard thou hadst of her person ? but in truth thou didst it , that thereby thou mightest have better opportunity to perform thy wicked enterprise . and wouldest thou have run into such fear as thou didst confess that thou wert in , when thou didst utter it , if thou hadst never meant it ? what reason canst thou shew for thy self ? with that he cryed out in a furious manner , i never meant to kill her : i will lay my blood upon queen elizabeth and you , before god and the world : and thereupon fell into a rage and evil words with the queens majesties attourney-general . then said the lord hunsdon , this is but thy popish pride and ostentation , which thou wouldst have to be told to thy fellows of that faction , to make them believe that thou diest for popery , when thou diest for most horrible and dangerous treasons against her majesty , and thy whole country . for thy laying of thy bloud , it must lye on thine own head , as a just reward of thy wickedness . the laws of the realm most justly condemn thee to die , out of thine own mouth , for the conspiring the destruction both of her majesty , and of us all : therefore thy bloud be upon thee ; neither her majesty nor we at any time sought it , thy self hast spilt it . then he was asked , what he could say , why judgment of death ought not to be awarded against him . whereto he said , he did see that he must die , because he was not settled . what meanest thou by that , said master vice-chamberlain ? said he , look into your study , and into your new books , and you shall finde what i mean. i protest ( said his honour ) i know not what thou meanest : thou dost not well to use such dark speeches , unless thou wouldst plainly utter what thou meanest thereby . but he said , he cared not for death , and that he would lay his bloud amongst them . then spake the lord chief-justice of england , being required to give the judgment , and said , parry , you have been much heard , and what you mean by being settled , i know not ; but i see you are so settled in popery , that you cannot settle your self to be a good subject . but touching that you should say , to stay judgment from being given against you , your speeches must be of one of these kinds , either to prove the indictment ( which you have confessed to be true ) to be insufficient in law ; or else to plead somewhat touching her majesties mercy , why justice should not be done of you . all other speeches , wherein you have used great liberty , is more than by law you can ask . these be the matters you must look to , what say you to them ? whereto he said nothing . then said the lord chief-justice , parry , thou hast been before this time indicted of divers most horrible and hateful treasons , committed against thy most gracious soveraign and native country : the matter most detestable , the manner most subtle and dangerous , and the occasions and means that led thee thereunto , most ungodly and villanous . that thou didst intend it , it is most evident by thy self . the matter was the destruction of a most sacred and an anointed queen , thy sovereign and mistriss , who hath shewed thee such favour , as some thy betters have not obtained : yea , the overthrow of thy country wherein thou wert born , and of a most happy commonwealth whereof of thou art a member , and of such a queen , as hath bestowed on thee the benefit of all benefits in this world , that is , thy life , heretofore granted thee by her mercy , when thou hadst lost it by justice and desert . yet thou her servant , sworn to defend her , meant'st with thy bloudy hand to have taken away her life , that mercifully gave thee thine , when it was yielded into her hands : this is the matter wherein thou hast offended . the manner was most subtle and dangerous , beyond all that before thee have committed any wickedness against her majesty . for thou , making shew as if thou wouldest simply have uttered for her safety the evil that others had contrived , didst but seek thereby credit and access , that thou mightest take the apter opportunity for her destruction . and for the occasions and means that drew thee on , they were most ungodly and villanous , as the perswasions of the pope , of papists , and popish books . the pope pretendeth that he is a pastor , when as in truth , he is far from feeding of the flock of christ ; but rather as a wolf , seeketh but to feed on and to suck out the blood of true christians , and as it were thirsteth after the bloud of our most gracious and christian queen . and these papists and popish books , while they pretend to set forth divinity , they do indeed most ungodly teach and perswade , that which is quite contrary both to god and his word . for the word teaches obedience of subjects towards princes , and forbideth any private man to kill : but they teach subjects to disobey princes , and that a private wicked person may kill ; yea , and whom ? a most godly queen , and their own natural and most gracious soveraign . let all men therefore take heed how they receive any thing from him , hear or read any of their books , and how they confer with any papists . god grant her majesty , that she may know by thee , how ever she trust such like to come so near her person . but see the end , and why thou didst it ; and it will appear to be a most miserable , fearful , and foolish thing : for thou didst imagine , that it was to relieve those , that thou callest catholicks , who were most likely amongst all others to have felt the worst of it , if thy devilish practice had taken effect . but sith thou hast been indicted of the treasons comprised in the indictment , and thereupon arraigned , and hast confessed thy self guilty of them , the court doth award , that thou shalt be had from hence to the place whence thou didst come , and so drawn through the open city of london upon an hurdle to the place of execution , and there to be hanged and let down alive , and thy privy parts cut off , and thy entrals taken out and burnt in thy sight , then thy head to be cut off , and thy body to be divided in four parts , and to be disposed at her majesties pleasure : and god have mercy on thy soul. parry nevertheless persisted still in his rage and fond speech , and ragingly there said , he there summoned queen elizabeth to answer for his blood before god : wherewith , the lieutenant of the tower was commanded to take him from the bar , and so he did . and upon his departure , the people stricken as it were at heart with the horror of his intended enterprise , ceased not , but pursued him with out-cryes , as , away with the traitor , away with him , and such like : whereupon he was conveyed to the barge , to pass to the tower again by water , and the court was adjorned . after which , upon the second day of this instant march , william parry was by vertue of process in that behalf , awarded from the same commissioners of oyer and terminer , delivered by the lieutenant of the tower early in the morning , unto the sheriffs of london and middlesex , who received him at the tower-hill , and thereupon , according to the judgment , caused him there to be forthwith set on the hurdel . from whence he was drawn thereupon threw the midst of the city of london , unto the place for his execution in the pallace at westminster : where , having long time of stay admitted unto him before his execution , he most maliciously and impudently , after some other vain discourses eftsoons and often delivered in speech , that he was never guilty of any intention to kill queen elizabeth , and so ( without any request made by him to the people to pray to god for him , or prayer publickly used by himself for ought that appeared ; but such as he used , if he used any , was private to himself ) he was executed according to the judgment . and now for his intent , howsoever he pretended the contrary in words , yet by these his own writings , confessions , letters , and many other proofs afore here expressed , it is most manifest to all persons , how horrible his intentions and treasons were , and how justly he suffered for the same ; and thereby greatly to be doubted , that as he had lived a long time vainly and ungodly , and like an atheist and godless man , so he continued the same course till his death to the outward sight of men . here endeth the true and plain course and process of the treasons , arrest , arraignment , and execution of william parry the traitor . an addition not unnecessary for this purpose . for as much as parry in the abundance of his proud and arrogant humour , hath often both in his confession , and letters , pretended some great and grievous causes of discontentment against her majesty , and the present state : it shall not be impertinent , for better satisfaction of all persons , to set forth simply and truly , the condition and quality of the man , what he was by birth and education , and in what course of life he had lived . this vile and traiterous wretch was one of the younger sons of a poor man , called harry ap david : he dwelled in north-wales in a little village called northoppe , in the county of flint : there he kept a common ale-house , which was the best and greatest stay of his living . in that house was this traitor born , his mother was the reputed daughter of one conway a priest , parson of a poor parish called halkin , in the same county of flint : his his eldest brother dwelleth at this present in the same house , and there keepeth an ale-house as his father did before him . this traitor in his childhood , so soon as he had learned a little to write & read , was put to serve a poor man dwelling in chester , named john fisher , who professed to have some small skill and understanding in the law. with him he continued divers years , and served as a clerk , to write such things , as in that trade which his master used , he was appointed . during this time , he learned the english tongue , and at such times of leasure , as the poor man his master had no occasion otherwise to use him , he was suffered to go to the grammer-school , where he got some little understanding in the latin tongue . in this his childhood he was noted by such as best knew him , to be of a most villanous and dangerous nature and disposition . he did often run away from his master , and was often taken and brought to him again . his master , to correct his perverse and froward conditions , did many times shut him as prisoner in some close place of his house , and many times caused him to be chained , locked , and clogged , to stay his running away . yet all was in vain : for about the third year of her majesties reign , for his last farewel to his poor master , he ran away from him , and came to london to seek his adventures . he was then constrained to seek what trade he could to live by , and to get meat and drink for his belly , and cloaths for his back . his good hap in the end was to be entertained in place of service above his desert ; where he staid not long , but shifted himself divers times from service to service , and from one master to another . now he began to forget his old home , his birth , his education , his parents , his friends , his own name , and what he was . he aspired to greater matters , he challenged the name and title of a great gentleman , he vaunted himself to be of kin and allied to noble and worshipful ; he left his old name , which he did bear and was commonly called by in his childhood , and during all the time of his abode in the country , which was william ap harry ( as the manner in wales is . ) and because he would seem to be indeed the man which he pretended , he took upon him the name of parry , being the sirname of divers gentlemen of great worship and honour . and because his mother name by her father ( a priest ) was conway , he pretended kindred to the family of sir john conway , and so thereby made himself of kin to edmund nevil . being thus set forth with his new name and new title of gentleman , and commended by some of his good favourers , he matched himself in marriage with a widow in south-wales , who brought him some reasonable portion of wealth . she lived with him but a short time , and the wealth he had with her lasted not long : it was soon consumed with his dissolute and wastful manner of life . he was then driven to his wonted shifts , his creditor were many , the debt which he owed great , he had nothing wherewith to make payment , he was continually pursued by serjeants and officers to arrest him , he did often by slight and shifts escape from them . in this his needy and poor estate , he sought to repair himself again by a new match in marriage with another widow , which before was the wife of one richard heywood ; this matter was so earnestly followed by himself , and so effectually commended by his friends and favourers , that the woman yielded to take him to husband : a match in every respect very unequal and unfit ; her wealth and yearly livelihood was very great , his poor and base estate worse than nothing ; he very young , she of such age , as for years she might have been his mother . when he had thus possessed himself of his new wives wealth , he omitted nothing that might serve for a prodigal , dissolute , and most ungodly course of life . his riot and excess was unmeasurable ; he did most wickedly deflower his wives own daughter , and sundry ways pitifully abuse the old mother : he carried himself for his outward port and countenance ( so long as his old wives bags lasted ) in such sort , as might well have sufficed for a man of very good haviour and degree . but this lasted not long ; his proud heart and wastful hand had foon poured out of heywood's wealth . he then fell again to his wonted shifts , borrowed where he could finde any to lend , and engaged his credit so far as any would trust him . amongst others , he became greatly indebted to hugh hare , the gentleman before-named ; who after long forbearing of his money , sought to recover it by ordinary means of law. for this cause parry conceived great displeasure against him , which he pursued with all malice , even to the seeking of his life . in this murtherous intent , he came in the night-time to mr. hares chamber in the temple , broke open the door , assaulted him , and wounded him grievously , and so left him in great danger of life . for this offence he was apprehended , committed to newgate , indicted of burglary , arraigned , and found guilty by a very substantial jury , and condemned to be hanged , as the law in that case requireth he standing thus convicted , her majesty , of her most gracious clemency , and pitiful disposition , took compassion upon him , pardoned his offence , and gave him his life , which by the law and due course of justice he ought then to have lost . after this he carried not long , but pretending some causes of discontentment , departed the realm , and travelled beyond the seas . how he demeaned himself there from time to time , and with whom he conversed , is partly in his own confession touched before . this is the man , this is his race , which he feared should be spotted , if he miscarried in the execution of his traiterous enterprise ; this hath been the course of his life , these are the great causes of his discontentment . and whereas at his arraignment and execution he pretended great care of the disobedient popish subjects of this realm , whom he called catholicks , and in very insolent sort seemed to glory greatly in the profession of his pretensed catholick religion : the whole course and action of his life sheweth plainly , how profanely and irreligiously he did always bear himself . he vaunted , that for these two and twenty years past he had been a catholick , and during all that time never received the communion : yet before he travelled beyond the seas , at three several times within the compass of those two and twenty years , he did voluntarily take the oath of obedience to the queens majesty , set down in the statute made in the first year of her highness reign ; by which , amongst other things , he did testifie and declare in his conscience , that no forreign prince , person , prelate , state , or potentate , hath or ought to have any jurisdiction , power , preeminence , or authority , ecclesiastical or spiritual , within this realm ; and therefore did utterly renounce and forsake all forreign jurisdictions , powers , and authorities ; and did promise to bear faith and true allegeance to the queens highness , her heirs and lawful successors . with what conscience or religion he took that oath so often , if he were then a papist indeed , as sithence the discovery of his treasons he pretended , let his best friends the papists themselves judge . but perhaps it may be said , that he repented those his offences past ; that since those three oaths so taken by him , he was twice reconciled to the pope , and so his conscience cleared , and he become a new man ; and ( which is more ) that in the time to his last travel , he cast away all his former lewd manners : that he changed his degree and habit , and bought or begged the grave title of a doctor of law , for which he was well qualified with a little grammar-school latine ; that he had plenary indulgence , and remission of all his sins , in consideration of his undertaking of so holy an enterprise as to kill queen elizabeth , a sacred anointed queen , his natural and soveraign lady : that he promised to the pope , and vowed to god to perform it : that he confirmed the same by receiving the sacrament at the jesuits , at one altar with his two beaupeers , the cardinals of vendosme and narbonne : and that since his last return into england , he did take his oath upon the bible to execute it . these reasons may seem to bear some weight indeed amongst his friends the jesuits , and other papists of state , who have special skill in matters of such importance . but now lately in the beginning of this parliament in november last , he did eftsoons solemnly in publick place take the oath before mentioned , of obedience to her majesty . how that may stand with his reconciliations to the pope , and with his promises , vows , and oath to kill the queen , it is a thing can hardly be warranted , unless it be by some special priviledge of the popes omnipotency . but let him have the glory he desired , to live and die a papist . he deserved it , it is fit for him , his death was correspondent to the course of his life , which was disloyal , perjured , and traiterous towards her majesty , and false and perfidious towards the pope himself , and his catholicks , if they will believe his solemn protestations which he made at his arraignment and execution , that he never meant nor intended any hurt to her highness person . for if that be true , where are then his vows which he said were in heaven , his letter and promise upon earth ? why hath he stollen out of the popes shop so large an indulgence and plenary remission of all his sins , and meant to perform nothing that he promised ? why was his devotion and zeal so highly commended ? why was he so specially prayed for and remembred at the altar ? all these great favours were then bestowed upon him without cause or desert : for he deceived the pope , he deceived the cardinals , and jesuites , with a false semblance , and pretence to do that thing which he never meant . but the matter is clear , the conspiracy , and his traiterous intent is too plain and evident : it is the lord that revealed it in time , and prevented their malice : there lacked no will , or readiness in him to execute that horrible fact . it is the lord that hath preserved her majesty from all the wicked practices and conspiracies of that hellish rabble : it is he that hath most gratiously deliver'd her from the hands of this traiterous miscreant . the lord is her onely defence , in whom she hath always trusted . a prayer for all kings , princes , countries and people which do profess the gospel ; and especially for our soveraign lady queen elizabeth : used in her majesties chappel , and meet to be used of all persons within her majesties dominions . o lord god of hosts , most loving and merciful father , whose power no creature is able to resist , who of thy great goodness hast promised to grant the petitions of such as ask in thy sons name : we most humbly beseech thee to save and defend all princes , magistrates , kingdoms , countries and people which have received and do profess thy holy word and gospel ; and namely this realm of england , and thy servant elizabeth our queen , whom thou hast hitherto wonderfully preserved from manifold perils and sundry dangers , and of late revealed and frustrated the traiterous practices and conspiracies of divers against her : for the which , and all other thy great goodness towards us , we give thee most humble and hearty thanks , beseeching thee in the name of thy dear son iesus christ , and for his sake , still to preserve and continue her unto us , and to give her long life and many years to rule over this land. o heavenly father , the practices of our enemies , and the enemies of thy word and truth , against her and us , are manifest and known thee . turn them , o lord , if it be thy blessed will , or overthrow and confound them , for thy names sake : suffer them not to prevail : take them , o lord , in their crafty willness that they have invented , and let them fall into the pit which they have digged for others . permit them not ungodly to triumph over us : discomfort them , discomfort them , o lord , which trust in their own multitude , and please themselves in their subtile devices , and wicked conspiracies . o loving father , we have not deserved the least of these thy mercies which we crave : for we have sinned , and grievously offended thee ; we are not worthy to be called thy sons : we have not been so thankful unto thee as we should , for thy unspeakable benefits powred upon us : we have abused this long time of peace and prosperity ; we have not obeyed thy word : we have had it in mouth , but not in heart ; in outward appearance , but not in deed : we have lived carelesly : we have not known the time of our visitation : we have deserved utter destruction . but thou , o lord , art merciful , and ready to forgive ; therefore we come to thy throne of grace , confessing and acknowledging thee to be our only refuge in all times of peril and danger : and by the means of thy son , we most heartily pray thee to forgive us our vnthankfulness , disobedience hypocrisie , and all other our sins ; to turn from us thy heavy wrath and displeasure , which we have justly deserved ; and to turn our hearts truly unto thee , that daily we may increase in all goodness , and continually more and more fear thy holy name : so shall be glorifie thy name , and sing unto thee in psalms , and hymns , and spiritual songs : and thy enemies and ours shall know themselves to be but men , and not able by any means to withstand thee , nor to hurt those whom thou hast received into thy protection and defence . grant these things , o lord of power , and father of mercy , for thy christ's sake ; to whom with thee and thy holy spirit , be all honour and glory for ever and ever . amen . a prayer and thanksgiving for the queen , used of all the knights and burgesses in the high court of parliament , and very requisite to be used and continued of all her majesties loving subjects . o almighty and most merciful god , which dost pitch thy tents round about thy people , to deliver them from the hands of their enemies ; we thy humble servants , which have ever of old seen thy salvation , do fall down and prostrate our selves with praise and thanksgiving to thy glorious name , who hast in thy tender mercies from time to time saved and defended thy servant elizabeth , our most gracious quéen , not only from the hands of strange children , but also of late revealed and made frustrate his bloody and most barbarous treason , who being her natural subject , most unnaturally violating thy divine ordinance , hath secretly sought to shed her blood , to the great disquiet of thy church , and utter discomfort of our souls : his snare is hewen in pieces , but upon thy servant doth the crown flourish . the wicked and bloodthirsty men think to debour iacob , and to lay waste his dwelling place : but thou ( o god ) which rulest in iacob , and unto the ends of the world , dost daily teach us still a trust in thée for all thy great mercies , and not to forget thy merciful kindness shewed to her , that feareth thy name . o lord , we confess to thy glory and praise , that thou only hast saved us from destruction , because thou hast not given her over for a prey to the wicked : her soul is delivered , and we are escaped . hear us now we pray thée , ( o most merciful father ) and continue forth thy loving kindness towards thy servant , and evermore to thy glory and our comfort , kéep her in health , with long life , and prosperity ; whose rest and only refuge is in thée , o god of her salvation . preserve her , as thou art wont , preserve her from the snare of the enemy , from the gathering together of the froward , from the insurrection of wicked doers , and from all the traiterous conspiracies of those which privily lay wait for her life . grant this , o heavenly father , for iesus christs sake , our only mediator and advocate , amen . io. th. a prayer used in the parliament onely . o merciful god and father , forasmuch as no counsel can stand , nor any can prosper , but only such as are humbly gathered in thy name , to féel the swéet taste of thy holy spirit ; we gladly acknowledge , that by thy favour standeth the peaceable protection of our quéen and realm , and likewise this favourable liberty granted unto us at this time to make our méeting together ; which thy bountiful goodness we most thankfully acknowledging , do withal earnestly pray thy divine majesty so to encline our hearts , as our counsels may be subject in true obedience to thy holy word and will. and sithe it hath pleased thée to govern this realm by ordinary assembling the three estates of the same : our humble prayer is , that thou wilt graff in us good mindes to conceive , free liberty to speak , and on all sides a ready and quiet consent to such wholesome laws and statutes , as may declare us to be thy people , and this realm to be prosperously ruled by thy good guiding and defence : so that we and our posterity may with chearful hearts wait for thy appearance in iudgment , that art only able to present us faultless before god our heavenly father : to whom with thée our saviour christ , and the holy spirit , be all glory both now and ever . amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e the indictment . parry's answer to the indictment . parry confesseth that he is guilty of all things contained in the indictment . parry's confession of his treasons was read by his own assent . a letter of cardinal di como to parry , also read . parry's letter of the th of february to the lord treasurer and the earl of leicester , read . the queens atturny requires judgment . parry had for his credit aforetime said very secretly , that he had been solicited beyond the seas to commit the fact , but he would not do it ; wherewith he craftily abused both the queens majesty , and those tw● counsellers whereof he now would help himself with these false speeches , against most manifest proofs . master vice-chamberlains speeches , proving manifestly parry's traiterous intentions . parry reproved of false speeches , and so by himself also confessed . the l. of hunsdon's speeches , convincing parry manifestly of his treason . the lord chief-justices speech to parry . the form of the judgment against the traitor . . martii . william parry the traytor executed . parry condemned for burglary , pardoned of the queen . articles of peace between the two crowns of france and spain concluded at aix-la-chapelle, the second of may, : translated out of french. treaties, etc. spain, may france. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing l estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) articles of peace between the two crowns of france and spain concluded at aix-la-chapelle, the second of may, : translated out of french. treaties, etc. spain, may france. france. treaties, etc. spain, may . p. printed by e. o. for william cook ..., london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng france -- foreign relations -- spain. spain -- foreign relations -- france. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion articles of peace between the two crowns of france and spain , concluded at aix-la-chapelle , the second of may , . translated out of french. licensed june . . roger l'estrange . london , printed by e. o. for william crook , near essex-house without temple-bar . . artcles of peace between the two crowns of france and spain , concluded at aix-la-chapelle , the second of may , . i. first , it is covenanted , and agreed , that for the future , there shall be a true , firm , and inviolable peace , confederacy , and perpetual alliance and amity , between the most christian and catholick kings , their children born , or to be born hereafter , their heirs , successors , and inheritors , their kingdoms , states , countryes and subjects ; and that they shall mutually love one another , as kind brethren , that the one shall promote with all his ability the good , honour , and reputation of the other , really avoiding according to their power , the prejudice of one another . ii. in pursuance of this good re-union , as soon as the ratification of the present treaty shall be exchanged , the peace between the said kings shall be published , and from the time of the said publication , there shall be a cessation of arms , and all acts of hostility , as well by land as by sea and fresh waters , and generally in all places , where their majesties forces wage war , as well among their companies and armies in the field , as in the garrisons : and if the said cessation be opposed by the taking of any place , or places , be it by assault surprize , or private intelligence ; and in like manner , if there be any prisoners taken , or other acts of hostility committed by any accident not foreseen , or of those that cannot prevent it contrary to the said cessation of arms , the departing from the agreement shall be really repaired on either side , without delay or difficulty , restoring without the least diminution , that which they possessed , and setting the prisoners at liberty without any ransom or charge . iii. in consideration of this peace , the most christian king shall keep , remain seized with , and effectually enjoy all places , forts , and posts that he hath gained , obtained , or fortified by armes during the last years campagne : that is to say , the fortress of charleroy , the towns of binch and atthe , the places of doway , the fort of scarpe being comprised , turney , oudenard , lille , armentieres , courtray , bergues and furnes , and all their bailiwicks , castlewicks , territories , governments , provostships , appurtenancies , dependancies and annexations , by what name soever they be called , as far as ever they extend . iv. the said places , towns , and places of charleroy , binch , atthe , doway , fort of scarpe , turney , oudenard , lille , armentieres , courtray , bergues and furnes , their balliwicks , castlewicks , governments , provostships , territories , domains , seignories , appurtenancies , dependancies and annexations , by what name soever they may be called , shall appertain by virtue of this present treaty of peace , to the said lord the most christian king and his successors , having right thereunto , irrevocably and for ever , with the same rights of soverainty , propriety , royalty , patronage , gardianship , jurisdiction , nomination , prerogatives and preheminencies , over the bishopricks , cathedrals and other churches , abbies , priories , dignities , cures , and all other beneficies whatsoever , being within the extent of the said country , places , and bailiwicks granted , of what abby soever the said priories hold land , and have dependance upon , and all other rights that have heretofore appertained to the catholick king , though they be not here particularly recited , without any future trouble to his most christian majesty , by what pretence soever , of right , nor disturbed indeed by the said catholick king his successors , or any prince of his house , or by any person whatsoever , or upon any pretence or occasion that may happen in the said soverainty , propriety jurisdiction , authority , possession and enjoyment of all the said countries , towns , places , castles , lands , seignories , provostships , domains , castlewicks , and bailiwicks , together with all the places and other things thereunto appertaining . and to this purpose the said catholick king , as well for himself , his heirs and successors , having right thereunto , renounceth , quitteth , granteth , and conveyeth , as his plenipotentiary in his name by the present irrevocable treaty of peace , hath renounced , quitted , granted , and conveyed , perpetually , and for ever in favour , and for the advantage of the said most christian king , his heirs , successors , and such as are concerned , all the rights , actions , pretences , royalty , patronage , gardianship , jurisdiction , nomination , prerogatives and preheminencies over the bishopricks , cathedral churches , and other abbies , priories , dignities , cures , and other beneficies whatsoever , being within the limits of the said countries , places , and bailiwicks granted , of what abbies soever the said priories hold lands , and have dependance upon , and in general , without retaining or reserving any thing to himself , all other rights , that the said catholick king , or his heirs , and successors , have , pretend , or can have , and pretend unto , upon what ground or reason sover , over the said countries , places , castles , forts , lands , seignories , domains , castlewicks and bailiwicks , and over all places depending thereupon , as is before mentioned , all the laws , customes , statutes and constitutions to the contrary notwithstanding , on those confirmed by oath , in which , and in the abrogatory clauses of abrogation , it to expresly abolished by this present treaty for the confirmation of the said renunciations , and concessions , which shall stand in force , and take place , insomuch that the particular expression or specification shall not disanul the general , nor the general , the particular ; perpetually excluding all exceptions , upon what right , title , cause , or pretence soever they can be grounded : the said catholick king declares , consents , wills , and intends , that all men , vascals , and subjects of the said countries , towns , and lands , granted to the crown of france , as before mentioned , be , and remain quit , and discharg'd for the present , and for ever , of their faith , homage , service , and oath of fidelity , which all and every of them might have made to him , and the catholick kings his predecessors ; together with all obedience , subjection , and vassalage , that by reason thereof might be due unto him , from them ; the said catholick king requiring , that the said faith , homage , and oath of fidelity , be made null and voyd , as if they had never been made or given . v. the said most christian king immediately after the publication of the peace , shall withdraw his forces from the garrisons of all places , towns , castles , and forts of the county of burgundy , commonly called la-franche-comtè , and shall really , effectually , and bonâ fide restore to his catholick majesty , all the said county of burgundy , without any retention , or reservation . vi. the said most christian king shall make restitution of all the places , forts , castles , and posts , that his forces have , or might have enjoyed , unto the day of the publication of the peace , in what place soever scituated to the catholick king , those places , and forts which ought to remain by this present treaty , with his most christian majesty , as hath been above specified , excepted . and in like manner his catholick majesty shall make restitution of all the places , forts , castles , and posts , which his forces could have been possessed of , to the day of the publication of this peace , in what place soever they be , to his most christian majesty . vii . their majesties agree , that all kings , potentates and princes , that will freely enter into the like obligation , would give their majesties their promises and engagements of warranty , as to all the contents of this present treaty . viii . it hath been consented to , agreed , and declar'd , that hereby there is to be no revocation of the treaty of the pyreneans ( with a reservation as to the portugal , with whom the said catholick king hath since made a peace , ) only so far as it hath been otherwayes disposed of in this treaty , by the concession of the above said places ; so that the parties can acquire no new right , nor receive any prejudice upon their respective pretences in any thing , whereof there is no express mention made in this present treaty . ix . and for the further confirmation of this treaty of peace , and of all the clauses and articles herein contained , the said present treaty shall be published , ratified and registred in the court of the parliament of paris , and in all other parliaments of the kingdom of france , and court of accompts of the said city of paris ; so in like manner the said treaty shall be ratified , published and registred , as well in the great council and other councils and court of accompts of the said most catholick king in the low-countryes , as in the other councils of the crowns of arragon and castile : the whole affair being managed according to the form of the treaty of the pyreneans in the year . the expedition whereof shall be mutually given by each other , within three months after the publication of this present treaty . which clauses and articles above named , together with the contents of every one of them , have been treated of , agreed upon , passed and covenanted between the above said plenipotentiaries of the said most christian and catholick kings , in the name of their majesties , which said plenipotentiaries by virtue of their power , ( the copies whereof shall be annexed unto this present treaty ) have promised , and do promise upon the obligation of all and every the goods , and estates , present , and for the future , of the kings their masters ; that they shall be inviolably kept and performed by their majesties , and to cause them to be ratified , firmly and simply without any addition , and to compleat the ratifications by authentick letters , sealed , where all the present articles shall be inserted verbatim , on the last day of may next ensuing inclusively . first , his most christian majesty at brussels , in the hands of the governour of flanders , and his catholick majesty at saint germains en laye , in the hands of the said most christian king , and sooner , if possibly . furthermore the said plenipotentiaries have promised , and do promise , in the said names , that the said letters of ratification being perfected , the said most christian king , as soon as can be , and in the presence of such person or persons , as the said catholick king will please to delegate , shall solemnly swear upon the cross , the holy evangelists , the canons of the mass , and upon his honour , fully , really , and bonâ fide to observe and accomplish all the contents of the articles in this present treaty , and the same shall be also performed , as soon as it can possibly , by the said catholick king and the queen regent his mother , in the presence of such person or persons , as it shall please the said most christian king to depute . in witness whereof , the said plenipotentiaries have subscribed the present treaty with their names , and caused the seal of their arms to be set thereunto . dated in the imperial city of aix-la-chappelle , the day of may , . and in the name of his holiness , and the said electors and princes of the sacred empire , they have also subscribed these present articles with their names , and caused the seal of their armes to be affixed thereunto , signed augustine franciotti , arch-bishop of trebisond , plenipotentiary to his holiness . the baron of scheneborn in the name of his electoral highness of mayenee . francis egon of furstenberg , in the name of his electoral highness of colen ; and the chevalier semising in the name of his highness of munster . we therefore allowing of the forementioned treaty , in all and every the particulars and articles therein contained , and declared , have accepted , approved , ratified and confirmed , do accept , approve , ratifie and confirm the same , as well for our selves , as for our heirs , successors , kingdoms , countries , lands , seignories , and subjects , promising the performance of the contents hereof , upon the faith and word of a king , and upon the obligation and engagement of all and every our estates for the present and the future , to keep and observe them inviolably , without doing any thing directly or indirectly , in any manner or kind whatsoever to the contrary . in witness whereof , we have signed these presents with our hands , and have caused our seal to be set thereunto . given at st. germain's en laye the th . day of may , in the year of our lord . and of our reign the th . signed lewis , and underneath de lionne . finis . popery truly display'd in its bloody colours, or, a faithful narrative of the horrid and unexampled massacres, butcheries, and all manner of cruelties, that hell and malice could invent, committed by the popish spanish party on the inhabitants of west-india together with the devastations of several kingdoms in america by fire and sword, for the space of forty and two years, from the time of its first discovery by them / composed first in spanish by bartholomew de las casas, a bishop there, and an eyewitness of most of these barbarous cruelties ; afterward translated by him into latin, then by other hands, into high-dutch, low-dutch, french, and now taught to speak modern english. brevísima relación de la destrucción de las indias. english. selections casas, bartolomé de las, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing c estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) popery truly display'd in its bloody colours, or, a faithful narrative of the horrid and unexampled massacres, butcheries, and all manner of cruelties, that hell and malice could invent, committed by the popish spanish party on the inhabitants of west-india together with the devastations of several kingdoms in america by fire and sword, for the space of forty and two years, from the time of its first discovery by them / composed first in spanish by bartholomew de las casas, a bishop there, and an eyewitness of most of these barbarous cruelties ; afterward translated by him into latin, then by other hands, into high-dutch, low-dutch, french, and now taught to speak modern english. brevísima relación de la destrucción de las indias. english. selections casas, bartolomé de las, - . [ ], p. printed for r. hewson ..., london : . translated from: brevísima relación de la destruccíon de las indias. seville, . cf. bm. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng indians, treatment of -- early works to . spain -- colonies -- america. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion popery truly display'd in its bloody colours : or , a faithful narrative of the horrid and unexampled massacres , butcheries , and all manner of cruelties , that hell and malice could invent , committed by the popish spanish party on the inhabitants of west-india : together with the devastations of several kingdoms in america by fire and sword , for the space of forty and two years , from the time of its first discovery by them . composed first in spanish by bartholomew de las casas , a bishop there , and an eye-witness of most of these barbarous cruelties ; afterward translated by him into latin , then by other hands , into high-dutch , low-dutch , french , and now taught to speak modern english . london , printed for r. hewson at the crown in cornhil , near the stocks-market . . the argument of this narrative by way of preface to the reader . the reverend author of this compendious summary was bartholomaeus de las casas alias casaus , a pious and religious person , ( as appears by his zealous transports in this narrative for promotion of the christian faith ) elevated from a frier of the dominican order to sit in the episcopal chair , who was frequently importuned by good and learned men , particularly historians , to publish this summary ; who so prevailed with him , that he collected out of that copious history which might and ought to be written on this subject , the contents of this concise treatise with intention to display unto the world the enormities , &c. the spaniards committed in america , during their residence there , to their eternal ignominy ; and for the author finding that no admonitions or reprehensions , how mild soever could operate upon or sink into these rocky-hearted tyrants in those occidental parts ; he thereupon took up a firm resolution , being then about years of age ( as he himself declares ) to run the hazards and dangers by sea , and the risque of a long voyage into spain , there to acquaint and certifie the most illustrious prince phillip the son and heir of his imperial majesty charles the fifth of blessed memory , with the horrid crimes , &c. perpetrated in those countries , part whereof he had seen , and part heard from such as boasted of their wickedness . whereupon his caesarean majesty moved with a tender generous and christian compassion towards these inhabitants and countries of america , languishing for want of redress , he called a council at valedolid , anno dom. . consisting of learned and able men , in order to the reformation of the west-indian government , and took such a course , that from that time their tyranny and cruelty against those barbarians was somewhat repressed , and those nations in some measure delivered from that intolerable and more then aegyptian bondage , or at least the spaniards ill usage and treatment of the americans was alleviated and abated . this book mostly historical , partly typographical , was published first by the author in spanish at sevil , after that translated into latin by himself ; and in process of time into high dutch , low dutch , french and now english ; which is the sixth language it hath been taught to speak , that every one of what nation soever might in this narrative contemplate and see as in a mirror the dismal and pernitious fruits , that lacquey and attend unlimitted and close fisted avarice , and thereby learn to abhor and detest it , cane pejus & angue : it being the predominant and cheifest motive to the commission of such inexpressible outrages , as here in part are faintly , not fully represented . which sin the pagan indians themselves did exprobrate in the spaniards with all detestation , ignominy and disgrace : for when they had taken some of them prisoners ( which was rarely ) they bound them hand and foot , laid them on the ground , and then pouring melted gold down their throats , cried out and called to them aloud in derision , yield , throw up thy gold o christian ! vomit and spew out that mettal which hath so inquinated and invenom'd both body and soul , that hath stain'd and infected thy mind with desires and contrivances , and thy hands with commission of such matchless enormities . i will shut up all this , being but an extract of what is in the prefatory part of the original . i earnestly beg and desire all men to be perswaded , that this summary was not published upon any private design , sinister ends or affection in favour or prejudice of any particular nation ; but for the publick emolument and advantage of all true christians and moral men throughout the whole world. farewell the cruelties of the spaniards committed in america . america was discover'd and found out an. dom. . and the year insuing inhabited by the spaniards , and afterward a multitude of them travelled thither from spain for the space of nine and forty years . their first attempt was on the spanish island , which indeed is a most fertile soil , and at present in greatest reputation for its spatiousness and length , containing in circumference six hundred miles : nay , it is on all sides surrounded with an almost innumerable number of islands , which we found so well peopled with natives and forreigners , that there is scarce any region in the universe fortified with so many inhabitants : but the main land or continent , distant from this island two hundred and fifty miles and upwards , extends it self above ten thousand miles in length near the sea-shoar , which lands are some of them already discover'd , and more may be found out in process of time : and such a multitude of people inhabits these countries , that it seems as if the omnipotent god had assembled and convocated the major part of mankind in this part of the world. now this infinite multitude of men are by the creation of god innocently simple , altogether void of and averse to all manner of craft , subtlety and malice , and most obedient and loyal subjects to their native soveraigns ; and behave themselves very patiently , submissively and quietly toward the spaniards , to whom they are subservient and subject ; so that finally they live without the least thirst after revenge , laying aside all litigiousness , commotion and hatred . this is a most tender and effeminate people , and of so imbecile and unequal-balanced temper , that they are altogether incapable of hard labour , and in few years , by one distemper or other soon expire , so that the very issue of lords and princes , who among us live with great affluence , and fare deliciously , are not more effeminate and tender than the children of their husbandmen or labourers : this nation is very necessitous and indigent , masters of very slender possessions , and consequently , neither haughty , nor ambitious . they are as parsimonious in their diet , as the holy fathers were in their frugal life in the desert , known by the name of eremites . they go naked , having no other covering but what conceals their pudends from publick sight . an hairy plad , or loose coat , about an ell , or a coarse woven cloth at most two ells long serves them for the warmest winter garment . they lye on a coarse rug or matt , and those that have the most plentiful estate or fortunes , the better sort , use net-work , knotted at the four corners in lieu of beds , which the inhabitants of the island of hispaniola , in their own proper idiom term hammacks . the men are pregnant and docible . the natives tractable , and capable of morality or goodness , very apt to receive the instill'd principles of the catholick religion ; nor are they averse to civility and good manners , being not so much discompos'd by variety of obstructions , as the rest of mankind ; insomuch , that having suckt in ( if i may so express my self ) the very first rudiments of the christian faith , they are so transported with zeal and fervor in the exercise of ecclesiastical sacraments , and divine service , that the very religioso's themselves , stand in need of the greatest and most signal patience to undergo such extream transports . and to conclude , i my self have heard the spaniards themselves ( who dare not assume the confidence to deny the good nature praedominant in them ) declare , that there was nothing wanting in them for the acquisition of eternal beatitude , but the sole knowledge and understanding of the deity . the spaniards first assaulted these innocent sheep , so qualified by the almighty , as is premention'd , like most cruel tygers , wolves and lions hunger-starv'd , studying nothing , for the space of forty years , after their first landing , but the massacre of these wretches , whom they have so inhumanely and barbarously butcher'd and harass'd with several kinds of torments , never before known , or heard ( of which you shall have some account in the following discourse ) that of three millions of persons , which lived in hispaniola it self , there is at present but the inconsiderable remnant of scarce three hundred . nay the isle of cuba , which extends as far , as valledolid in spain is distant from rome , lies now incultivated , like a desert , and intomb'd in its own ruins . you may also find the isles of st. john , and jamaica , both large and fruitful places , unpeopled and desolate . the lucayan islands on the north-side , adjacent to hispaniola and cuba , which are sixty in number , or thereabout , together with those , vulgarly known by the name of the gigantic isles , and others , the most infertile whereof , exceeds the royal garden of sevil in fruitfulness , a most healthful and pleasant climat , is now laid waste and uninhabited ; and whereas , when the spaniards first arriv'd here , above five hundred thousand men dwelt in it , they are now cut off , some by slaughter , and others ravished away by force and violence , to work in the mines of hispaniola , which was destitute of native inhabitants : for a certain vessel , sailing to this isle , to the end , that the harvest being over ( some good christian , moved with piety and pitty , undertook this dangerous voyage , to convert souls to christianity ) the remaining gleanings might be gathered up , there were only found eleven persons , which i saw with my own eyes . there are other islands thirty in number , and upward bordering upon the isle of st. john , totally unpeopled ; all which are above two thousand miles in length , and yet remain without inhabitants , native , or people . as to the firm land , we are certainly satisfied , and assur'd , that the spaniands by their barbarous and execrable actions have absolutely depopulated ten kingdoms , of greater extent than all spain , together with the kingdoms of arragon and portugal , that is to say , above one thousand miles , which now lye wast and desolate , and are absolutely ruinated , when as formerly no other country whatsoever was more populous . nay we dare boldly affirm , that during the forty years space , wherein they exercised their sanguinary and detestable tyranny in these regions , above twelve millions ( computing men , women , and children ) have undeservedly perished ; nor do i conceive that i should deviate from the truth by saying that above fifty millions in all paid their last debt due to nature . those that arriv'd at these islands from the remotest parts of spain , and who pride themselves in the name of christians , steer'd two courses principally , in order to the extirpation , and exterminating of this people from the face of the earth . the first whereof was by raising an unjust , sanguinolent , cruel war. the other , by putting all them to death , who hitherto , thirsted after their liberty , or design'd ( which the most potent , strenuous and magnanimous spirits intended ) to recover their pristin freedom , and shake off the shackles of so injurious a captivity : for they being taken off in war , none but women and children were permitted to enjoy the benefit of that country-air ; in whom they did in succeeding times lay such a heavy yoak , that the very brutes were more happy than they : to which two species of tyranny as subalternate things to the genus , the other innumerable courses they took to extirpate and make this a desolate people , may be reduced and referr'd . now the ultimate end and scope that incited the spaniards to endeavour the extirpation and desolation of this people , was gold only ; that thereby growing opulent in a short time , they might arrive at once at such degrees and dignities , as were no wayes consistent with their persons . finally , in one word , their ambition and avarice , than which the heart of man never entertained greater , and the vast wealth of these regions ; the humility and patience of the inhabitants ( which made their approach to these lands more facil and easie ) did much promote the business : whom they so despicably contemned , that they treated them ( i speak of things which i was an eye-witness of , without the least fallacy ) not as beasts , which i cordially wished they would , but as the most abject dung and filth of the earth ; and so sollicitous they were of their life and soul , that the above-mentioned number of people died without understanding the true faith or sacraments . and this also is as really true as the praecedent narration ( which the very tyrants and cruel murderers cannot deny without the stigma of a lye ) that the spaniards never received any injury from the indians , but that they rather reverenced them as persons descended from heaven , until that they were compelled to take up arms , provoked thereunto by repeated injuries , violent torments , and injust butcheries . of the island hispaniola . in this isle , which , as we have said , the spaniards first attempted , the bloody slaughter and destruction of men first began : for they violently forced away women and children to make them slaves , and ill-treated them , consuming and wasting their food , which they had purchased with great sweat , toil , and yet remained dissatisfied too , which every one according to his strength and ability , and that was very inconsiderable ( for they provided no other food than what was absolutely necessary to support nature without superfluity , freely bestow'd on them ; and one individual spaniard consumed more victuals in one day , than would serve to maintain three families a moneth , every one consisting of ten persons . now being oppressed by such evil usage , and afflicted with such great torments and violent entertainment they began to understand , that such men as these had not their mission from heaven ; and therefore some of them conceal'd their provisions and others their wives and children in lurking holes ; but some , to avoid the obdurate and dreadful temper of such a nation , sought their refuge on the craggy tops of mountains ; for the spaniards did not only entertain them with cuffs , blows , and wicked cudgelling , but laid violent hands also on the governours of cities ; and this arriv'd at length to that height of temerity and impudence , that a certain captain was so audacious as to abuse the confort of the most puissant king of the whole isle . from which time they began to consider by what wayes and means they might expel the spaniards out of their countrey , and immediately took up arms. but , good god , what arms , do you imagin ? namely such , both offensive and defensive , as resemble reeds wherewith boys sport with one another , more than manly arms and weapons . which the spaniards no sooner perceived , but they , mounted on generous steeds , well weapon'd with lances and swords , began to exercise their bloody butcheries and stratagems , and over-running their cities and towns , spar'd no age , or sex , nay not so much as women with child , but ripping up their bellies , tore them alive in pieces . they laid wagers among themselves , who should with a sword at one blow cut , or divide a man in two ; or which of them should decollate or behead a man , with the greatest dexterity ; nay farther , which should sheath his sword in the bowels of a man with the quickest dispatch and expedition . they snatcht young babes from the mothers breasts , and then dasht out the brains of those innocents against the rocks ; others they cast into rivers scoffing and jeering them , and call'd upon the bodies when falling with derision , the true testimony of their cruelty , to come to them , and inhumanely exposing others to their merciless swords , together with the mothers that gave them life . they erected certain gibbets , large , but low made , so that their feet almost reacht the ground , every one of which was so order'd as to bear thirteen persons in honour and reverence ( as they said blasphemously ) of our redeemer and his twelve apostles , under which they made a fire to burn them to ashes whilst hanging on them : but those they intended to preserve alive , they dismiss'd , their hands half cut , and still hanging by the skin , to carry their letters missive to those that fly from us and ly sculking on the mountains , as an exprobration of their flight . the lords and persons of noble extract were usually expos'd to this kind of death ; they order'd gridirons to be placed and supported with wooden forks , and putting a small fire under them , these miserable wretches by degrees with loud shreiks and exquisite torments , at last expird . i once saw four or five of their most powerful lords laid on these gridirons , and thereon roasted , and not far off , two or three more over-spread with the same commodity , man's flesh ; but the shril clamours which were heard there being offensive to the captain , by hindring his repose , he commanded them to be strangled with a halter . the executiouer ( whose name and parents at sevil are not unknown to me ) prohibited the doing of it ; but stopt gags into their mouths to prevent the hearing of the noise ( he himself making the fire ) till that they dyed , when they had been roasted as long as he thought convenient . i was an eye-witness of these and an innumerable number of other cruelties : and because all men , who could lay hold of the opportunity , sought out lurking holes in the mountains , to avoid as dangerous rocks so brutish and barbarous a people , strangers to all goodness , and the extirpaters and adversaries of men , they bred up such fierce hunting dogs as would devour an indian like a hog , at first sight in less than a moment : now such kind of slaughters and cruelties as these were committed by the curs , and if at any time it hapned , ( which was rarely ) that the indians irritated upon a just account destroy'd or took away the life of any spaniard , they promulgated and proclaim'd this law among them , that one hundred indians should dye for every individual spaniard that should be slain . of the kingdoms contained in hispaniola . this isle of hispaniola was made up of six of their greatest kingdoms , and as many most puissant kings , to whose empire almost all the other lords , whose number was infinite , did pay their allegiance . one of these kingdoms was called magua , signifying a campaign or open country ; which is very observable , if any place in the universe deserves taking notice of , and memorable for the pleasantness of its soituation ; for it is extended from south to north eighty miles , in breadth , five , eight , and in some parts ten miles in length ; and is on all sides inclosed with the highest mountains , above thirty thousand rivers , and rivulets water her coasts , twelve of which prodigious number do not yield at all in magnitude to those famous rivers , the eber , duer , and guadalquivir ; and all those rivers which have their sourse or spring from the mountain lying westerly , the number whereof is twenty thousand ) are very rich in mines of gold ; on which mountain lies the province of rich mines , whence that exquisite pure gold of twenty four carracts weight , takes denomination . the king and lord of this kingdom was named guarionex , who governed within the compass of his dominions so many vassals and potent lords , that every one of them was able to bring into the field sixteen thousand soldiers for the service of guarionex their supream lord and soverain , when summoned thereunto . some of which i was acquainted with . this was a most obedient prince , endued with great courage and morality , naturally of a pacifick temper , and most devoted to the service of the castilian kings . this king commanded and ordered his subjects , that every one of those lords under his jurisdiction , should present him with a bell full of gold ; but in succeeding times , being unable to perform it , they were commanded to cut it in two , and fill one part therewith , for the inhabitants of this isle were altogether unexperienced , and unskilful in mine-works , and the digging gold out of them . this cain proffer'd his service to the king of castile , on this condition , that he would take care , that those lands should be cultivated and manur'd , wherein , during the reign of isabella , queen of castile , the spaniards first set footing and fixed their residence , extending in length even to santo domingo , the space of fifty miles . for he declar'd ( nor was it a fallacie , but an absolute truth , ) that his subjects understood not the practical use of digging in golden mines . to which promises he had readily and voluntarily condescended , to my own certain knowledge , and so by this means , the king would have received the annual revenue of three millions of spanish crowns , and upward , there being at that very time in that island fifty cities more ample and spacious than sevil it self in spain . but what returns by way of remuneration and reward did they make this so clement and benign monarch , can you imagine , no other but this ? they put the greatest indignity upon him imaginable in the person of his consort who was violated by a spanish captain altogether unworthy of the name of christian . he might indeed probably expect to meet with a conveninent time and opportunity of revenging this ignominy so injuriously thrown upon him by preparing military forces to attaque him ; but he rather chose to abscond in the province de los ciquayos ( wherein a puissant vassal and subject of his ruled ) devested of his estate and kingdom , and there live and dye an exile . but the spaniards receiving certain information , that he had absented himself , connived no longer at his concealment but raised war against him , who had received them with so great humanity and kindness , and having first laid waste and desolate the whole region , at last found , and took him prisoner , who being bound in fetters was convey'd on board of a ship in order to his transfretation to castile , as a captive : but the vessel perished in the voyage , wherewith many spaniards were also lost , as well as a great weight of gold , among which there was a prodigious ingot of gold , resembling a large loaf of bread , weighing crowns ; thus it pleased god to revenge their enormous impieties . a second kingdom was named marien , where there is to this day a haven , upon the utmost borders of the plain or open countrey toward the north , more fertil and large then the kingdom of portugal ; and really deserving constant and frequent inhabitants : for it abounds with mountains , and is rich in mines of gold and orichalcum , a kind of copper mettal mixt with gold ; the kings name of this place was guacanagari , who had many powerful lords ( some whereof were not unknown to me ) under his subjection . the first that landed in this kingdum when he discovered america , was an admiral well stricken in years , who had so hospitable and kind a reception from the aforesaid guacanagari , as well as all those spaniards that accompanied him in that voyage , giving them all imaginable help and assistance ( for the admirals vessel was sunk on their coasts ) that i heard it from his own mouth , he could not possibly have been entertained with greater caresses and civilities from his own parents in his own native country . but this king being forced to fly to avoid the spanish slaughter and cruelty , deprived of all he was master of , died in the mountains ; and the rest of the potentates and nobles , his subjects , perished in that servitude and vassalage ; as you shall find in this following treatise . the third kingdom was distinguished by the appellation of maquana , another admirable healthful and fruitful region , where at present the most refined sugar of the island is made . caonabe then reigned there , who surmounted all the rest in power , state , and the splendid ceremonies of his government . this king beyond all expectation was surpriz'd in his own palace , by the great subtilty and industry of the spaniards , and after carried on board in order to his transportation to castile , but there being at that time six ships riding in the haven , and ready to set sail such an impetuous storm suddenly arose , that they as well as the passengers and ships riding in the haven , and ready to set sail such an impetuous storm suddenly arose , that they as well as the passengers and ships crew were all lost , together with king canabao loaded with irons ; by which judgment the almighty declared , that this was as unjust and impious an act as any of the former . this king had three or four brothers then living , men of strength and valour , who being highly incensed at the captivity of their king and brother , to which he was injuriously reduc'd , having also intelligence of the devastations and butcheries committed by the spaniards in other regions , and not long after hearing of their brothers death , took up arms to revenge themselves of the enemy , whom the spaniards met with , and certain party of horse ( which proved very offensive to the indians ) made such havock and slaughter among them , that the half of this kingdom was laid waste and depopulated . xaraqua is the fourth kingdom , and as it were the centre and middle of the whole island , and is not to be equalled for fluency of speech and politeness of idiom or dialect by any inhabitants of the other kingdoms , and in policy and morality transcends them all . herein the lords and peers abounded , and the very populace exceled in stature and habit of body : their king was behechio by name who had a sister called anacaona , and both the brother as well as sister had loaded the spaniards with benefits and singular acts of civility , and by delivering them from the evident and apparent danger of death , did signal services to the castilian kings . bebechio dying the supreme power of the kingdom fell to anacaona : but it hapned one day , that the governour of an island , attended by horse , and foot ( now the cavalry was sufficiently able to unpeople not only the isle , but also the whole continent ) he summoned about dynasta's , or noblemen to appear before him , and commanded the most powerful of them , being first crouded into a thatcht barn or hovel , to be exposed to the fury of the merciless fire , and the rest to be pierced with lances , and run through with the point of the sword by a multitude of men : and anacaona her self who ( as we said before , ) sway'd the imperial scepter , to her greater honour was hanged on a gibbet . and if it fell out that any person instigated by compassion or covetousness , did entertain any indian boys and mount them on horses , to prevent their murder , another was appointed to follow them , who ran them through the back or in the hinder parts , and if they chanced to escape death , and fall to the ground , they immediately cut off his legs ; and when any of those indians , that survived these barbarous massacres , betook themselves to an isle eight miles distant , to escape their butcheries , they were then committed to servitude during life . the fifth kingdom is hiquey , over whom queen hiquanama , a superannuated princess , whom the spaniards crucified , did preside and govern. the number of those i saw here burnt , dismembred , and rackt with various torments , as well as others , the poor remnants of such matchless villanies , who surviving were enslaved , is infinite . but because so much might be said concerning the assassinations and depopulating of these people , as cannot without great difficulty be published in writing ( nor do i conceive that one single part of that is here contained can be fully displayed ) i will only add one remark more of the prementioned wars , in lieu of a corollary or conclusion , and aver upon my conscience , that notwithstanding all the above-named injustice , profligate enormities and other crimes which i omit , ( tho sufficiently known to me ) the indians did not , nor was it in their power to give any greater occasion for the commission of them , than pious religioso's living in a well regulated monastic life did afford for any sacrilegious villains to deprive them of their goods and life at the same time , or why they who by flight avoided death , should be detain'd in perpetual , not to be ransom'd captivity and slavery . i adde farther , that i really beleive , and am satisfied by certain undeniable conjectures , that at the very juncture of time , when all these outrages were commited in this isle , the indians were not so much as guilty of one single mortal sin of commission against the spaniards , that might deserve from any man revenge or require satisfaction . and as for those sins , the punishment whereof god hath reserved to himself , as the immoderate desire of revenge , hatred , envy or inward rancor of spirit , to which they might be transported against such capital enemies as the spaniards were , i judge that very few of them can be justly accused of them ; for their impetuosity and vigor i speak experimentally , was inferior to that of children of ten or twelve years of age : and this i can assure you , that the indians had ever a just cause of raising war against the spaniards , and the spaniards on the contrary never waged a just war against them , but what was more injurious and groundless then any undertaken by the worst of tyrants . all which i affirm of all their other transactions and passages in america . the warlike engagements being over , and the inhabitants all swept away , they divided among themselves the young men , women and children promiscuously reserved for that purpose , one obtained thirty , another forty , to this man one hundred were disposed , to the other two hundred , and the more any one was in favor with the domineering tyrant ( whom they styled governor ) the more he became master of , upon this pretence , and with this proviso , that he should see them instructed in the catholick religion , when as they themselves to whom they were committed to be taught , and the care of their souls intrusted to them were , for the major part idiots , cruel , avaritious , infected and stained with all sorts of vices . and this was the great care they had of them , they sent the males to the mines to dig and bring away the gold , which is an intollerable labor ; but the women they made use of to manure and till the ground , which is a toil most irksom even to men of the strongest and most robust constitutions ; allowing them no other food but herbage , and such kind of unsubstantial nutriment , so that the nursing womens milk was exsiccated and so dryed up , that the young infants lately brought forth , all perished , and females being separated from and debarred cohabitation with men , there was no prolification or raising up issue among them . the men died in mines , hunger starved and oppressed with labor , and the women perished in the fields , harassed and broken with the like evils and calamities : thus an infinite number of inhabitants that formerly peopled this island were exterminated and dwindled away to nothing by such consumptions . they were compelled to carry burthens of eighty or one hundred pound weight , and that an hundred or two hundred miles compleat ; and the spaniards were born by them on the shoulders in a pensil vehicle or carriage , or kind of beds made of net-work by the indians ; for in truth they made use of them as beasts to carry the burthens and cumbersom luggage of their journeys , insomuch that it frequently hapned , that the shoulders and backs of these indians were deeply marked with their scourges and stripes , just as they use to serve a tired jade , accustomed to burthens . and as to those slashes with whips , blows with staves , cuffs and boxes , maledictions and curses , with a thousand of such kind of torments they suffered during the fatigue of their laborious journeys it would require a long tract of time , and many reams of paper to describe them , and when all were done would only create horror and consternation in the reader . but here it is observable , that the desolation of these isles and provinces took beginning since the decease of the most serene queen isabella , about the year . for before that time very few of the provinces situated in that island were oppressed or spoiled with unjust wars , or violated with general devastation as after they were , and most if not all these things were concealed and masked from the queens knowledge ( whom i hope god hath crowned with eternal glory ) for she was transported with servent and wonderful zeal , nay , almost divine desires for the salvation and preservation of these people , which things so exemplary as these we having seen with our eyes , and felt with our hands , cannot easily be forgotten . take this also for a general rule , that the spaniards upon what american coast soever they arrived , exercised the same cruelties , slaughters , tyrannies and detestable oppressions on the most innocent indian nation , and diverting themselves with delights in new sorts of torments , did in time improve in barbarism and cruelty ; wherewith the omnipotent being incensed suffered them to fall by a more desperate and dangerous lapse into a reprobate sense . of the isles of st. john and jamaica . in the year . the spaniards sailed to the islands of st. john and jamaica ( resembling gardens and bee hives ) with the same purpose and design they proposed to themselves in the isle of hispaniola , perpetrating innumerable robberies and villanies as before ; whereunto they added unheard of cruelties by murdering , burning , roasting and exposing men to be torn in pieces by dogs ; and finally by afflicting and harassing them with un-exampled oppressions and torments in the mines , they spoiled and unpeopled this countrey of these innocents . these two isles containing six hundred thousand at least , though at this day there are scarce two hundred men to be found in either of them , the remainder perishing without the knowledge of christian faith or sacrament . of the isle of cuba . in the year of our lord . they passed over to cuba , which contains as much ground in length as there is distance between valledolid and rome , well furnished with large and stately provinces and very populous , against whom they proceeded with no more humanity and clemency , or indeed to speak truth with greater savageness and brutality . several memorable transactions worthy observation , passed in this island . a certain cacic a potent peer , named hathney , who not long before fled from hispaniola to cuba for refuge from death , or captivity during life ; and understanding by certain indians that the spaniards intended to steer their course thither , made this oration to all his people assembled together . you are not ignorant that there is a rumor spread abroad among us of the spaniards arrival , and are sensible by woful experience how such and such ( naming them ) and hayti ( so they term hispaniola in their own language ) with their inhabitants have been treated by them , that they design to visit us with equal intentions of committing such acts as they have hitherto been guilty of . but do you not know the cause and reason of their coming ? we are altogether ignorant of it , they replied , but sufficiently satisfied that they are cruelly and wickedly inclined : then thus , said he it is , they adore a certain covetous deity , whose cravings are not to be satisfyed by a few moderate offerings , but they may answer his adoration and worship , demand many unreasonable things of us , and use their utmost endeavours to subjugate and after that murder us . then taking up a cask or cabinet near at hand , full of gold and gems , he proceeded in this manner : this is the spaniard's god , and in honour of him if you think well of it , let us celebrate our arcytos ( which are certain kinds of dances and caprings used among them ) ; and by this means his deity being appeas'd , he will impose his commands on the spaniards that they shall not for the future molest or injure us ; who all unanimously with one consent in a loud tone made this reply . well said , well said , and thus they continued skipping and dancing before this cabinet , without the least intermission , till they were quite tired and grown weary : then the noble hathney re-assuming his discourse , said , if we worship this deity , till ye be ravished from us , we shall be destroyed , therefore i judge it convenient upon mature deliberation , that we cast it into the river , which advice was approved of by all without opposition , and the cabinet thrown into the next river . when the spaniards first touched on this island , this cacic , who was thoroughly acquainted with them , did avoid and shun them as much as in him lay , and defended himself by force of arms , wherever he met with them , but at length being taken he was burnt alive , for flying from so unjust and cruel a nation , and endeavouring to secure his life against them , who only thirsted after the blood of himself and his own people . now being bound to the post , in order to his execution a certain holy monk of the franciscan order , discours'd with him concerning god and the articles of our faith : which he never heard of before , and which might be satisfactory and advantagious to him , considering the small time allow'd him by the executioner , promising him eternal glory and repose , if he truly believ'd them , or otherwise everlasting torments . after that 〈◊〉 had been silently pensive sometime , he askt the monk 〈…〉 spaniards also were admitted into heaven , and he answ●●●● 〈…〉 the gates of heaven were open to all that were good 〈…〉 the cacic replyed without farther consideration , that he would rather go to hell than heaven , for fear he should cohabit in the same mansion with so saguinary and bloody a nation . and thus god and the holy catholick faith are praised and reverenced by the practices of the spaniards in america . once it so hapned , that the citizens of a famous city , distant ten miles from the place where we then resided , came to meet us with a splendid retinue , to render their visit more honourable , bringing with them delicious viands , and such kind of dainties , with as great a quantity of fish as they could possibly procure , and distributing them among us ; but behold on a sudden , some wicked devil possessing the minds of the spaniards , agitated them with so great fury , that i being present , and without the least pretence or occasion offered , they cut off in cold blood above three thousand men , women and children promiscuously , such inhumanities and barbarisms were committed in my sight , as no age can parallel . some time after i dispatch messengers to all the rulers of the province of havana , that they would by no means be terrified , or seek their refuge by absence and flight , but to meet us , and that i would engage ( for they understood my authority ) that they should not receive the least of injuries ; for the whole country was extremely afflicted at the evils and mischiefs already perpetrated ; and this i did with the advice of their captain . as soon as we approacht the province , two and twenty of their noblemen came forth to meet us , whom the captain contrary to his faith given , would have expos'd to the flames , alledging that it was expedient they should be put to death , who were , at any time , capacitated to use any stratagem against us ; but with great difficulty and much adoe , i snatcht them out of the fire . these islanders of cuba , being reduc'd to the same vassalage and misery as the inhabitants of hispaniola , seeing themselves perish and dy without any redress , fled to the mountains for shelter , but other desperado's , put a period to their days with a halter , and the husband , together with his wife and children , hanging himself , put an end to these calamities . by the ferocity of one spanish tyrant ( whom i knew ) above two hundred indians hang'd themselves of their own accord ; and a multitude of people perished by this kind of death . a certain person here in the same isle constituted to exercise a kind of royal power , hapned to have three hundred indians fall to his share , of which in three months , through excessive labour , one hundred and sixty were destroy'd , insomuch that in a short space there remained but a tenth part alive , namely thirty , but when the number was doubled , they all perisht at the same rate , and all that were bestow'd upon him lost their lives , till at length he paid his last debt to nature and the devil . in three or four months time i being there present , six thousand children and upward were murder'd , because they had lost their parents who labour'd in the mines ; nay i was a witness of many other stupendous villanies . but afterward they consulted how to persecute those that lay hid in mountains , who were miserably massacred , and consequently this isle made de solate , which i saw not long after , and certainly it is a dreadful and deplorable sight to behold it thus unpeopled and laid waste , like a desert . of the continent . in the year , a certain unhappy governour landed on the firm land or continent , a most bloody tyrant , destitute of all mercy and prudence , the instrument of god's wrath , with a resolution to people these parts with spaniards ; and although some tyrants had touched here before him , and cruelty hurried them into the other . world by several wayes of slaughter , yet they came no farther than to the sea coast , where they committed prodigious thefts and robberies , but this person exceeded all that ever dwelt in other islands , though execrable and profligate villains : for he did not only ravage and depopulate the sea-coast , but buried the largest regions and most ample kingdoms in their own ruins , sending thousands to hell by his butcheries . he made incursions for many miles continuance , that is to say , in those countries that are included in the territories of darien and the provinces of nicaraqua , which are near five hundred miles of the most fertil land in the world , very well peopled , abounding with villages , cities and towns , and the most opulent for gold of all the regions hitherto discover'd . and although spain has bin sufficiently furnished with the purest god , yet it was dig'd out of the powels and mines of the said countries by the indians , where ( as we have said ) they perished . this ruler , with his complices found out new inventions to rack , torment , force and extort gold from the indians . one of his captains in a certain excursion undertaken by the command of his governour to make depraedations , destroy'd forty thousand persons and better exposing them to the edge of the sword , fire , dogs and veriety of torments ; of all which a religious man of the order of st francis , franciscus de s. romano , who was then present , was an eye-witness . great and injurious was the blindness of those praesided over the indians , as to the conversion and salvation of this people : for they denyed in effect what they in their flourishing discourse pretended to , and declar'd with their tongue what they contradicted in their heart ; for it came to this pass , that the indians should be commanded on the penalty of a bloody war , death and perpetual bondage , to embrace the christian faith , and submit to the obedience of the spanish king ; as if the son of god , who suffered death for the redemption of all mankind , had enacted a law , when he pronounced these words , go and teach all nations that infidels , living peaceably and quietly in their haereditary native country , should be impos'd upon pain of confiscation of all their chattels , lands , liberty , wives , children , and death it self , without any praecedent instruction to confess and acknowledge the true god , and subject themselves to a king , whom they never saw , or heard mention'd before ; and whose messengers behav'd themselves toward them with such inhumanity and cruelty as they had done hitherto . which is certainly a most foppish and absured way of proceeding , and merits nothing but scandal , derision , nay hell it self . now suppose this notorious and profligate governour had bin impower'd to see the execution of these edicts perform'd , to the end they might appear more just and equitable thereby , for of themselves they were repugnant both to law and equity ; yet he commanded ( or they who were to see the execution thereof , did it of their own heads without authority ) that when they phansied or proposed to themselves any place , that was well stor'd with gold , to rob and feloniously steal it away from the indians living in their cities and houses , without the least suspicion of any ill act. these wicked spaniards , like thieves came to any place by stealth , half a mile off of any city , town or village , and there in the night published and proclaim'd the edict among themselves after this manner : you cacies and indians of this continent , the inhabitants of such a place , which they named ; we declare , or be it known to you all , that there is but one god , one pope , and one king of castile , who is lord of these countries ; appear forth without delay , and take the oath of allegiance to the spanish king , as his vassals : so about the fourth watch of the night , or three in the morning these poor innocents overwhelm'd with heavy sleep , ran violently on that place they named , set fire to their hovels , which were all thatcht , and so , without notice , burnt men , women and children ; kill'd whom they pleas'd upon the spot ; but those they reserv'd as captives , were compell'd through torments to confess where they had hid the gold , when they found little or none at their houses ; but they who liv'd being first stigmatized , were made slaves ; yet after the fire was extinguisht , they came hastily in quest of the gold. thus did this wicked man , devoted to all the infernal furies , behave himself with the assistance of profligate christians , whom he had listed in his service from the th to the . or . year , together with his domestick servants and followers , from whom he received as many portions , besides what he had from his salves in gold , pearls , and jewels , as the chief governour would have taken , and all that were constituted to execute any kind of kingly office followed in the same footsteps ; every one sending as many of his servants as he could spare , to share in the spoil . nay he that came hither as bishop first of all did the same also , and at the vory time ( as i conjecture ) the spaniards did depraedate or rob this kingdom of above ten hundred thousand crowns of gold : yet all these their thefts and felonies , we scarce find upon record that three hundred thousand castilian crowns ever came into the spanish king's coffers ; yet there were above eight hundred thousand men slain : the other tyrants who governed this kingdom afterward to the three and thirtieth year , depriv'd all them of life that remain'd among the inhabitants . among all those flagitious acts committed by this governour while he rul'd this kingdom , or by his consent and permission this must by no means be omitted : a certain cacic , bestowing on him a gift , voluntarily , or ( which is more probable ) induced thereunto by fear , about the weight of nine thousand crowns , but the spaniards not satisfied with so vast a sum of money , sieze him , fix him to a pole ; extended his feet , which being mov'd near the fire , they demanded a larger sum ; the cacic overcome with torments , sending home , procur'd three thousand more to be brought and presented to them : but the spaniards , adding new torments to new rage and fury , when they found he would confer no more upon them , which was because he could not , or otherwise because he would not , they expos'd him so long to that torture , till by degrees of heat the marrow gusht out of the soles of his feet , and so he dyed ; thus they often murder'd the lords and nobles with such torments to extort the gold from them . one time it hapned that a century or party of one hundred spaniards making excursions , came to a mountain , where many people shunning so horrid and pernicious an enemy conceal'd themselves , who immediately rushing on them , putting all to the sword they could meet with , and then secur'd seventy or eighty married women as well as virgins captives ; but a great number of indians with a fervent desire of recovering their wives and daughters appear'd in arms against the spaniards , and when they drew near the enemy , they unwilling to lose the prey , run the wives and maidens through with their swords . the indians through grief and trouble , smiting their breasts , brake out into these exclamations . o perverse generation of men ! o cruel spaniards ! what do you murder las iras ? ( in their language they call women by the name of las iras ) as if they had said : to slay women is an act of bloody minded men , worse than brutes and wild beasts . there was the house of a puissant potentate scituated about ten or fifteen miles from panama , whose name was paris , very rich in gold ; and the spaniards gave him a visit , who were entertained with fraternal kindness , and courteously received , and of his own accord , presented the captain with a gift of fifteen thousand crowns ; who was of opinion , as well as the rest of the spaniards , that he who bestow'd such a quantity of money gratis , was the master of vast treasure , their sole aim and design , and the solace of their labours ; whereupon they conterfeit a pretended departure , but returning about the fourth night-watch , and entring the city privily upon a surprize , which they thought was sufficiently secur'd , consecrated it with many citizens to the flames , and robb'd them of fifty or sixty thousand crowns . the dynast or prince escaped with life , and gathering together as great a number of men as he could possibly at that instant of time , and three or four days being elapsed , pursued the spaniards , who had depriv'd him also by violence and rapine of a hundred and thirty or forty thousand crowns , and pouring in upon them , recover'd all his gold with the destruction of fifty spaniards , but the remainder of them having receiv'd many wounds in that rencounter betook them to their heels and sav'd themselves by flight : but in few days after the spaniards return , and fall upon the said cacic well-arm'd and overthrow him and all his forces , and they who out-liv'd the combat , to their great misfortune , were expos'd to the usual and frequently mention'd bondage . of the province of nicaraqua . the said tyrant an. dom. . proceeded farther very unfortunately to the subjugation or conquest of this province . in truth no person can satisfactorily or sufficiently express the fertility , temperateness of the climate , or the multitude of the inhabitants of nicaraqua , which was almost infinite and admirable ; for this region contain'd some cities that were four miles long ; and the abundance of fruits of the earth ( which was the cause of such a concourse of people ) was highly commendable . the people of this place , because the country was level and plain , destitute of mountains , so very delightful and pleasant , that they could not leave it without great grief , and much dissatisfaction , they were therefore tormented with the greater vexations and persecutions , and forced to bear the spanish tyranny and servitude , with as much patience as they were masters of : add farther that they were peaceable and meek-spirited . this tyrant with these complices of his cruelty did afflict this nation ( whose advice he made use of in destroying the other kingdoms ) with such and so many great dammages , slaughters , injustice , slavery , and barbarisme , that a tongue , though of iron , could not express them all fully . he sent into this province ( which is larger than the county of ruscinia ) fifty horse-men , who put all the people to the edge of the sword , sparing neither age nor sex upon the most trivial and inconsiderable occasion : as for example , if they did not come to them with all possible speed , when called ; and bring the imposed burthen of mahid ( which signifies corn in their dialect ) or if they did not bring the number of indians required to his own , and the service , or rather servitude of his associates . and the country being all campaign or level , no person was able to withstand the hellish fury of their horses . he commanded the spaniards to make excursions , that is , to rob other provinces , permitting and granting these thieving rogues leave to take away by force as many of these peaceable people as they could , who being iron'd , ( that they might not sink under the burthen of sixty or eighty pound weight ) it frequently hapned , that of four thousand indians , six only returned home , and so they dyed by the way ; but if any of them chanced to faint , being tired with over-weighty burthens , or through great hunger and thirst should be siezed with a distemper , or too much debility and weakness , that they might not spend time in taking off their fetters , they beheaded them , so the head fell one way , and the body another : the indians when they spied the spaniards making preparations for such journeys , knowing very well , that few , or none returned home alive , just upon their setting out with sighs and tears , burst out into these or the like expressions . those were journeys , which we travelled frequently in the service of christians , and in some tract of time we return'd to our habitations , wives and children : but now there being no hope of a return , we are for ever depriv'd of their sight and conversation . it hapned also , that the said president would dissipate or disperse the indians de novo at his own pleasure , to the end ( as it was reported ) he might violently force the indians away from such as did infest or molest him ; and dispose of them to others ; upon which it fell out , that for the space of a year complete , there was no sowing or planting : and when they wanted bread , the spaniards did by force plunder the indians of the whole stock of corn that they had laid up for the support of their families , and by these indirect courses above thirty thousand perished with hunger . nay it fortun'd at one time , that a woman opprest with insufferable hunger , depriv'd her own son of his life to preserve her own . in this province also they brought many to an untimely end , loading their shoulders with heavy planks and pieces of timber , which they were compell'd to carry to a haven forty miles distant , in order to their building of ships ; sending them likewise unto the mountains to find out hony and wax , where they were devour'd by tygers ; nay they loaded women impregnated with carriage and burthens fit for beasts . but no greater pest was there that could unpeople this province , than the license granted the spaniards by this governour , to demand captives from the cacics and potentates of this region ; for at the expiration of four or five months , or as often as they obtain'd leave of the governour to demand them , they deliver'd them up fifty servants , and the spaniards terrified them with menaces , that if they did not obey them in answering their unreasonable demands , they should be burnt alive , or baited to death by dogs . now the indians are but slenderly stor'd with servants ; for it is much if a cacic hath three or four in his retinue , therefore they have recourse to the subjects ; and when they had , in the first place , seized the orphans , they required earnestly and instantly one son of the parent , who had but two , and two of him that had but three , and so the lord of the place satisfied the desires of the tyrant , not without the effusion of tears and groans of the people , who ( as it seems ) were very careful of their children . and this being frequently repeated in the space between the year , and , the kingdom lost all their inhabitants , for in six or seven years time there were constantly five or six ships made ready to be fraighted with indians that were sold in the regions of panania and perusium , where they all dyed ; for it is by dayly experience prov'd and known , that the indians when transported out of their native country into any other , soon dye ; because they are shortned in their allowance of food , and the task impos'd on them no ways diminished , they being only bought for labour . and by this means , there have been taken out of this province five hundred thousand inhabitants and upward , who before were freemen , and made slaves , and in the wars made on them , and the horrid bondage they were reduc'd unto fifty or sixty thousand more have perished , and to this day very many still are destroy'd . now all these slaughters have been committed within the space of fourteen years inclusively , possibly in this province of nicaraqua there remains four or five thousand men , who are put to death by ordinary and personal oppressions , whereas ( according to what is said already ) it did exceed the other countries of the world in multitude of people . of new spain . new spain was discovered anno dom. . and in the detection there was no first or second attempt , but all were exposed to slaughter : the year ensuing those spaniards ( who style themselves christians ) came thither to rob , kill and slay , though they pretend they undertook this voyage to people the countrey . from this year to the present , viz. . the injustice , violence and tyranny of the spaniards came to the highest degree of extremity : for they had shook hands with and bid adieu to all fear of god and the king , unmindful of themselves in this sad and deplorable condition , for the destructions , cruelties , butcheries , devastations , the demolishing of cities , depredations , &c. which they perpetrated in so many and such ample kingdoms , are such and so great , and strike the minds of men with so great horror , that all we have related before are inconsiderable comparatively to those which have been acted from the year to , and to this very month of september that we now live to see the most heavy , grievous and detestable things are committed , that the rule we laid down before as a maxim might be indisputably verified , to wit , that from the beginning they ran headlong from bad to worse , and were overcome in their diabolical acts and wickedness only by themselves . thus from the first entrance of the spaniards into new spain , which hapned on the th . day of april in the said month of the year , to , the space of ten whole years , there was no end or period put to the destruction and slaughters committed by ther merciless hands of the sanguinary and blood-thirsty spaniard in the continent , or space of miles round about mexico , and the adjacent or neighbouring parts , which might contain four or five spatious kingdoms , that neither for magnitude or fertility would give spain her self the pre-eminence . this intire region was more populous then toledo , sevil , valedolid , saragoza , and faventia ; and there is not at this day in all of them so many people , nor when they flourisht in their greatest height and splendor was there such a number , as inhabited that region , which embraceth in its circumference , four hundred and eighty miles . within these twelve years the spaniards have destroyed in the said continent , by spears , fire and sword , computing men , women , youth and children above four millions of people in these their acquests or conquests ( for under that word they mask their cruel actions ) or rather those of the turk himself , which are reported of them , tending to the ruin of the catholick cause , together with their invasions and unjust wars , contrary to and condemned by divine as well as human laws ; nor are they reckoned in this number who perished by their more then egyptian bondage and usual oppressions . there is no tongue , art , or human knowledge can recite the horrid impieties , which these capital enemies to government and all mankind have been guilty of at several times and in several nations ; nor can the circumstantial aggravations of some of their wicked acts be unfolded or display'd by any manner of industry , time or writing , but yet i will say somewhat of every individual particular thing , with this protestation and oath , that i conceive i am not able to comprehend one of a thousand . of new spain in particular . among other slaughters this also they perpetrated in the most spatious city of cholula , which consisted of thirty thousand families ; all the chief rulers of that region and neighbouring places , but first the priests with their high priest going to meet the spaniards in pomp and state , and to the end they might give them a more reverential and honourable reception appointed them to be in the middle of the solemnity , that so being entertained in the appartments of the most powerful and principal noblemen , they might be lodged in the city . the spaniards presently consult about their slaughter or castigation ( as they term it ) that they might fill every corner of this region by their cruelties and wicked deeds with terror and consternation ; for in all the countries that they came they took this course , that immediately at their first arrival they committed some notorious ●utcheries , which made those innocent sheep tremble for fear . to this purpose therefore they sent to the governours and nobles of the cities , and all places subject unto them , together with their supream lord , that they should appear before them , and no sooner did they attend in expectation of some capitulation or discourse with the spanish commander , but they were presently seized upon and detained prisoners before any one could advertise or give them notice of their captivity . they demanded of them six thousand indians to drudge for them in the carriage of their bag and baggage ; and as soon as they came the spaniards clapt them into the yards belonging to their houses and there inclosed them all . it was a thing worthy of pity and compassion to behold this wretched people in what a condition they were when they prepared themselves to receive the burthens laid on them by the spaniards . they came to them naked , their privities only vail'd , their shoulders loaden with food , only covered with a net , they laid themselves quietly on the ground , and shrinking in their bodies like poor wretches , exposed themselves to their swords : thus being all gathered together in their yards , some of the spaniards armed held the doors to drive them away if attempting to approach , and others with lances and swords butcher these innocents so that not one of them escaped , but two or three days after some of them , who hid themselves among the dead bodies , being all over besprinkled with blood and gore , presented themselves to the spaniards , imploring their mercy and the prolongation of their lives with tears in their eyes and all imaginable submission , yet they , not in the least moved with pity or compassion , tore them impieces : but all the chief governours who were above one hundred in number , were kept bound , whom the captain commanded to be affixed to posts and burnt ; yet the king of the whole countrey escaped , and betook himself with a train of thirty or forty gentlemen , to a temple ( called in their tongue quu ) which he made use of as a castle or place of defence , and there defended himself a great part of the day , but the spaniards who suffer none to escape out of their clutches , especially souldiers , setting fire to the temple , burnt all those that were there inclosed , who brake out into these dying words and exclamations . o profligate men , what injury have we done you to occasion our death ! go , go to mexico , where our supream lord montencuma will revenge our cause upon your persons . and 't is reported , while the spaniards were engaged in this tragedy destroying six or seven thousand men , that their commander with great rejoycing sang this following ayre ; mira nero de tarpeia , roma como se ardia , gritos de ninos y vieyot , y el de nadase dolia . from the tarpeian still nero espies rome all in flames with unrelenting eyes , and hears of young and old the dreadful cries . they also committed a very great butchery in the city tepeara . which was larger and better stored with houses then the former ; and here they massacred an incredible number with the point of the sword , setting sail from cholula , they steer'd their course to mexico , whose king sent his nobles and peers with abundance of presents to meet them by the way , testifying by divers sorts of recreations how grateful their arrival was and acceptable to him : but when they came to a steep hill , his brother went forward to meet them accompanied with many noblemen who brought them many gifts in gold , silver , and robes embroidered with gold and at their entrance into the city , the king himself carried in a golden litter , together ( with the whole court ) attended them to the palace prepared for their reception ; and that very day as i was informed by some persons then and there present by a grand piece of treachery , they took the great king motencuma , never so much as dreaming of any such surprize , and put him into the custody of eighty soldiers , and afterward loaded his legs with irons ; but all these things being passed over with a light pencil of which much might be said , one thing i will discover acted by them , that may merit your observation . when the captain arrived at the haven , to fight with a spanish officer , who made war against him , and left another with an hundred soldiers , more or less as a guard to king motencuma , it came into their heads , that to act somewhat worth remembrance , that the dread of their cruelty might be more and more apprehended , and greatly increased . in the interim all the nobility and commonalty of the city thought of nothing else , but how to exhilarate the spirit of their captive king , and solace him during his confinement with variety of diversions and recreations ; and among the rest this was one , viz. revellings and dances which they celebrated in all streets and highways , by night and they in their idiom term mirotes , as the islanders do arcytos ; to these masques and nocturnal jigs they usually go with all their riches , costly vestments and robes , together with any thing that is pretious and glorious , being wholly addicted to this humor , nor is there any greater token among them then this of their extraordinary exultation and rejoycing . the nobles in like manner , and princes of the blood royal every one according to his degree exercise these masques and dances , in some place adjoyning to the house where their king and lord is detained prisoner . now there were not far from the palace about young noblemen who were the issue of the greatest potentates of the kingdom , and indeed the flower of the whole nobility of king motencuma , and a spanish captain went to visit them with some soldiers , and sent others to the rest of the places in the city where these revellings were kept , under pretence only of being spectators of the solemnity . now the captain had commanded , that , at a certain hour appointed they should fall upon these revellers , and he himself approaching the indians very busie at their dancing , said , san jago ( that is st. james it seems that was the word ) let us rush in upon them , which was no sooner heard , but they all began with their naked swords in hand to pierce their tender and naked bodies , and spil their generous and noble blood , till not one of them was left alive on the place , and the rest following his example in other parts , ( to their inexpressible stupefaction and grief ) seized on all these provinces . nor will the inhabitants till the general conflagration ever discontinue the celebration of these festivals , and the lamentation and singing with certain kind of rhythmes in their arcytos , the doleful ditty of the calamity and ruin of this seminary of the antient nobility of the whole kingdom , which was their frequent pride and glory . the indians seeing this not to be exampled cruelty and iniquity executed against such a number of guiltless persons , and also bearing with incredible patience the unjust imprisonment of their king , from whom they had an absolute command not to take up arms against the spaniard , the whole city was suddenly up in arms fell on the spaniards and wounded many of them , the rest hardly escaping ; but they presenting the point of a sword to the kings breast , threatned him with death unless he out of the window commanded them to desist ; but the indians for the present disobeying the kings mandate , proceeded to the election of a generalissimo , or commander in chief over all their forces ; and because that the captain , who went to the port returned victor , and brought away a far greater number of spaniards then he took along with him , there was a cessation of arms for three or four days , till he re-entred the city , and then the indians having gathered together and made up a great army , fought so long and so strenuously , that the spaniards despairing of their safety , called a council of war and therein resolv'd to retreat in the dead time of night and so draw off their forces from the city : which coming to the knowledge of the indians they destroyed a great number retreating on the bridges made over their lakes in this just and holy war , for the causes above-mentioned , deserving the approbation of every upright judge . but afterward the spaniards having recruited and got together in a body , they resolved to take the city and carried it at last , wherein most detestable butcheries were acted , a vast number of the people slain , and their rulers perished in the flames . all these horrid murders being commited in mexico and other cities ten , fifteen and twenty miles distant . this same tyranny and plague in the abstract proceeded to infest and lay desolate panuco ; a region abounding with inhabitants even to admiration , nor were the slaughters therein perpetrated less stupendious and wonderful . in the same manner they utterly laid waste the provinces of futepeca , ipilcingonium and columa , every one of them being as large as the kingdoms of leon , and castile . it would be very difficult or rather impossible to relate the cruelties and destruction there made and committed , and prove very nauseous and offensive to the reader . 't is observable , that they entred upon these dominions , and laid waste the indian territories , so populous , that it would have rejoyced the hearts of all true christians to see their number upon no other title or pretence , but only to enslave them ; for at their first arrival they compel'd them to swear the oath of obedience and fealty to the king of spain , and if they did not condescend to it , they menaced them with death and vassalage , and they who did not forthwith appear to satisfie the unequitable mandates , and submit to the will and pleasure of such unjust and cruel men were declared rebels , and accus'd of that crime before our lord the king ; the blindness or ignorance of those who were set over the indians as rulers did so darken their understanding that they did not apprehend that known and incontrovertible maxim in law , that no man can be called a rebel , who is not first proved to be a subject . i omit the injuries and prejudice they do to the king himself , when they spoil and ravage his kingdoms , and as much as in them lies , diminish and impair all his right and title to the indies , nay in plain english invalidate and make it null and void . and these are the worthy services which the spaniards do for our kings in those countries , by the injust and colourable pretences aforesaid . this tyrant upon the same pretext sent two other captains , who exceeded him in impiety and cruelty , if possible to the most flourishing and fertil ( in fruits and men ) kingdoms of guatimala , situate toward the south , who had also received orders to go to the kingdoms of naco , honderae , and guaymura , verging upon the north , and are borderers on mexico three hundred miles together . the one was sent by land the other by sea , and both well furnished with horse and foot. this i declare for a truth , that the outrages committed by these two , particularly by him that went to guatimala ( for the other not long after his departure died a violent death ) would afford matter sufficient for an entire volume , and when completed be so crouded with slaughters , injuries , butcheries and inhuman desolations , so horrid and detestable as would ague-shake the present as well as future ages with terror . he that put out to sea vexed all the maritime coasts with his cruel incursions ; now some inhabitants of the kingdom of jucatan which is seated in the way to the kingdoms of naco and naymura , to which places he steered his course , came to meet him with burthens of presents and gifts : and as soon as he approacht them , sent his captians with a party of soldiers to depopulate their land , who committed great spoils and made cruel slaughters among them ; and in particular a seditious and rebellious officer who with three hundred soldiers entred a neighbouring country to guatimala , and there firing the cities and murdering all the inhabitants , violently deprived them of all their goods , which he did designedly , for the space of an hundred and twenty miles ; to the e●d that if his companions should follow them , they might find the countrey laid wast , and so be destroyed by the indians in revenge for the dammage they had received by him and his forces which hapned accordingly : for the chief commander whose order the abovesaid captain had disobey'd and so became a rebel to him , was there slain . but many other bloody tyrants succeeded him , who from the year to . did unpeople and make a desert of the provinces of naco and hondurae ( as well as other places ) which were lookt upon as the paradise of delights , and better peopled then other regions ; insomuch that within the term of these eleven years there fell in those countries above two millions of men , and now there are hardly remaining two thousand , who dayly dye by the severity of their slavery . but to return to that great tyrant , who outdid the former in cruelty ( as is hinted above ) and is equal to those that tyrannize there at present , who travelled to guatimala ; he from the provinces adjoyning to mexico , which according to his prosecuted journey ( as he himself writes and testifies with his own hand in letters to the prince of tyrants ) are distant from guatimala four hundred miles , did make it his urgent and dayly business to procure ruin and destruction by slaughter , fire and depopulations , compelling all to submit to the spanish king , whom they lookt upon to be more unjust and cruel then his inhumane and blood-thirsty ministers . of the kingdom and province of guatimala . this tyrant at his first entrance here acted and commanded prodigious slaughters to be perpetrated : notwithstanding which , the chief lord in his chair or sedan attended by many nobles of the city of vltlatana , the emporium of the whole kingdom , together with trumpets , drums and great exultation , went out to meet him , and brought with them all sorts of food in great abundance , with such things as he stood in most need of . that night the spaniards spent without the city , for they did not judge themselves secure in such a well-fortified place . the next day he commanded the said lord with many of his peers to come before him , from whom they imperiously challenged a certain quantity of gold ; to whom the indians return'd this modest answer , that they could not satisfie his demands , and indeed this region yielded no golden mines ; but they all , by his command , without any other crime laid to their charge , or any legal form of proceeding were burnt alive . the rest of the nobles belonging to other provinces , when they found their chief lords , who had the supreme power were expos'd to the merciless element of fire kindled by a more merciless enemy ; for this reafon only , because they bestow'd not what they could not upon them , viz. gold , they fled to the mountains , ( their usual refuge ) for shelter , commanding their subjects to obey the spaniards , as lords , but withal strictly and expresly prohibiting and forbidding them , to inform the spaniards of their flight , or the places of their concealment . and behold a great many of the indians addrest themselves to them , earnestly requesting , they would admit them as subjects , being very willing and ready to serve them : the captain replyed that he would not entertain them in such a capacity , but instead of so doing would put every individual person to death , if they would not discover the receptacles of their fugitive governours . the indians made answer that they were wholly ignorant of the matter , yet that they themselves , their wives and children should serve them ; that they were at home , they might come to them and put them to death , or deal with them as they pleas'd . but the spaniards , o wonderful ! went to the towns and villages , and destroy'd with their lances these poor men , their wives and children , intent upon their labour , and as they thought themselves , secure and free from danger . another large village they made desolate in the space of two hours , sparing neither age , nor sex , putting all to the sword , without mercy . the indians perceiving that this barbarous and hard-hearted people would not be pacified with humility , large gifts , or unexampled patience , but that they were butcher'd without any cause , upon serious consultation took up a resolution of getting together in a body , and fighting for their lives and liberty ; for they conceiv'd it was far better , ( since death to them was a necessary evil ) with sword in hand to be kill'd by taking revenge of the enemy , then be destroy'd by them without satisfaction . but when they grew sensible of their want of arms , nakedness and debility , and that they were altogether incapable of the management of horses , so as to prevail against such a furious adversary , recollecting themselves , they contriv'd this stratagem , to dig ditches and holes in the high-way into which the horses might fall in their passage , and fixing therein purposely sharp and burnt posts , and covering them with loose earth , so that they could not be discern'd by their riders , they might be transfixed gored by them . the horses fell twice or thrice into those holes , but afterward the spaniards took this course to prevent them for the future ; and made this a law , that as many of the indians of what age or sex soever as were taken , should be cast into these ditches that they had made . nay they threw into them women with child , and as many aged men as they laid hold of , till they were all fill'd up with carkasses . it was a sight deserving commiseration , to behold women and children gauncht or run through with these posts , some were taken off by spears and swords , and the remainder expos'd to hungry dogs , kept short of food for that purpose , to be devour'd by them and torn in pieces . they burnt a potent nobleman in a very great fire , saying , that he was the more honour'd by this kind of death . all which butcheries continued seven years , from , to . i leave the reader to judge how many might be massacred during that time . among the innumerable , flagitious acts done by this tyrant and his co-partners ( for they were as barbarous as their principal ) in this kingdom , this also occurs worthy of an asterism in the margin . in the province of cuzcatan in which s. saviour's city is seated , which country with the neighbouring sea-coasts extends in length forty or fifty miles , as also in the very city of cuzcatan , the metropolis of the whole province , he was entertain'd with great applause : for about twenty or thirty thousand indians brought with them hens and other necessary provisions , expecting his coming . he , accepting their gifts , commanded every single spaniara to make choice of as many of these people , as he had a mind to , that during their stay there , they might use them as servants , and forced to undergo the most servile offices they should impose on them . every one cull'd out a hundred , or fifty , according as he thought convenient for his peculiar service , and these wretched indians did serve the spaniards with their utmost strength and endeavour ; so that there could be nothing wanting in them but adoration . in the mean time this captain requird a great sum of gold from their lords ( for that was the load-stone attracted him thither ) who answered , they were content to deliver him up all the gold they had in possession ; and in order thereunto , the indians gathered together a great number of spears gilded with orichalcum , ( which had the appearance of gold , and in truth some gold in them intermixt ) and they were prefented to him . the captain ordered them to be toucht , and when he found them to be orichalcum or mixt metal , he spake to the spaniards as followeth . let that nation that is without gold be accursed to the pit of hell. let every man detain those servants he elected , let them be clapt in irons , and stigmatiz'd with the brand of slavery , . which was accordingly done ; for they were all burnt , who did not escape with the king 's mark. i my self saw the impression made on the son of the chiefest person in the city . those that escap'd , with other indians , engaged the spaniards by force of arms , but with such ill success , that abundance of them lost their lives in the attempt . after this they return'd to guatimala , where they built a city , which god in his just judgments with three deluges , the first of water , the second of earth , the third of stones , as big as half a score oxen , all concurring at one and the same time , laid level with its own ashes . now all being slain who were capable of bearing arms against them , the rest were enslav'd , paying so much per head for men and women as a ransom ; for they use no other servitude here , and then they were sent into pecusium to be sold , by which means together with their slaughters committed upon the inhabitants , they destroy'd and made a desert of this kingdom , which in breadth as well as length contains one hundred miles ; and with his associates and brethren in iniquity , four millions at least in fifteen or sixteen years , that is , from , to were murdered , and dayly continues destroying the small residue of that people with his cruelties and brutishness . it was the usual custom of this tyrant , when he made war with any city or province , to take along with him as many of those indians he had subjugated as he could , that they might fight with their country-men ; and when he had in his army twenty , or sometimes thirty thousand of them , and could not afford them sustenance , he permitted them to feed on the flesh of other indians taken prisoners in war ; and so kept a shambles of man's flesh in his army , suffered children to be kill'd and roasted before his face . they butcher'd the men for their feet and hands only ; for these members were accounted by them dainties , most delicious food . he was the death of many by the intolerable labour of carrying ships by land , causing them to transport those vessels with anchors of a vast weight from the septentrional to the mediterranean sea , which are one hundred and thirty miles distant ; as also abundance of great guns of the largest sort , which they carried on their bare , naked shoulders , so that opprest with many great and ponderous burthens , ( i say no more than what i saw ) they dyed by the way : he separated and divided families , forcing married men from their wives , and maids from their parents , which he bestow'd upon his marriners and soldiers , to gratifie their burning lust . all his ships he freighted with indians , where hunger and thirst discharg'd them of their servitude and his cruelty by a welcome death . he had two companies of soldiers who hackt and tore them in pieces , like thunder from heaven speedily . o how many parents has he robb'd of their children , how many wives of their husbands , and children of their parents ? how many adulteries , rapes , and what libidinous acts hath he been guilty of ? how many hath he enslav'd and opprest with insufferable anguish and unspeakable calamities ? how many tears , sighs and groans hath he occasion'd ? to how many has he bin the author of desolation , during their peregrination in this , and of damnation in the world to come , not only to indians , whose number is numberless , but even to spaniards themselves , by whose help and assistance he committed such detestable butcheries and flagitious crimes ? i supplicate almighty god , that he would please to have mercy on his soul , and require no other satisfaction than the violent death , which turn'd him out of this world. a farther discourse of new spain : and some account of panuco and xalisco . after the perpetration of all the cruelties rehearsed in new spain and other places , there came another rabid and cruel tyrant to panuco , who acted the part of a bloody tragedian as well as the rest , and sent away many ships loaden with these barbarians to be sold for slaves , made this province almost a wilderness , and which was deplorable , eight hundred indians , that had rational souls were given in exchange for a burthen-bearing-beast , a mule , or camel. well , he was made governour of the city of mexico , and all new spain , and with him many other tyrants had the office of auditors confer'd upon them : now they had already made such a progress toward the desolation of this region , that if the franciscans had not vigorously opposed them , and that by ( the king's council , the best and greatest encourager of vertue ) it had not speedily bin prevented , that which hapned to hispaniola in two years , had bin the fate of hispania nova , namely to be unpeopled , deserted , and intomb'd in its own ruins . a companion of this governour employed eight thousand indians in erecting a wall to inclose his garden , but they all dyed , having no supplies , nor wages from him , to support themselves , at whose death he was not in the least concern'd . after the first captain before spoken of had absolutely profligated and ruin'd the panuconians , fifteen thousand whereof perished by carrying their bag and baggage : at length he arriv'd at the province of machuacan , which a forty miles journey from mexico , and as fertile and populous : the king to honour him in the rencounter , with a multitude of people , marcheth toward him , from whom he had received one thousand services and civilities very considerable , who gratefully requited him with captivity , because fame had nois'd it abroad , that he was a most opulent prince in gold and silver ; and to the end he might extort from , and purge him of his gold , he was cruciated with torments after this manner ; his body was extended , hands bound to a post , and his feet put into a pair of stocks , they all the while applying buring coals to his feet at a tormenting distance , where a boy attended , who by little and little sprinkled them with oyl that his flesh might roast the better : before him there stood a wicked fellow , presenting a bow to his breast charged with a mortal arrow , ( if let fly ) behind him , another with dogs held in with chains , which he threatned to let loose at him , which if done , he had bin torn to pieces in a moment ; and with these kind of torments they racked him to extort a confession , where his treasures lay ; till a franciscan monk came and deliver'd him from his torments , but not from death , for he departed this miserable life not long after : and this was the severe fate of many cacics and indian lords , who dyed with the same torments which they were expos'd to by the spaniards , in order to the engrossing of their gold and silver to themselves . at this very time , a certain visiter of purses rather than souls hapned to be here present , who ( finding some indian idols which were hid ; for they were no better instructed in the knowledge of the true god by reason of the wicked documents and dealings of the spaniards ) detain'd grandees as slaves , till they had deliver'd him all their idols , for he phancied they were made of gold or silver , but his expectation being frustrated , he chastised them with no less cruelty than injustice ; and that he might not depart bubbled out of all his hopes , constrain'd them to redeem their idols with money , that so they might , according to their custom , adore them . these are the fruits of the spanish artifices and juggling tricks among the indians , and thus they promoted the honour and worship of god. this tyrant from mechuacam arrives at xalisco , a country abounding with people very fruitful , and the glory of the indians in this respect , that it had some towns seven miles long ; and among other barbarisms equal to what you have read , which they acted here , this is not to be forgotten , that women big with child , were burthen'd with the luggage of wicked christians , and being unable to go out their usual time , through extremity of toil and hunger , were necessitated to bring them forth in the high-wayes , which was the death of many infants . at a certain time a profligate christian attempted to devirginate a maid , but the mother being present , resisted him , and endeavouring to free her from his intended rape , whereat the spaniard enrag'd , cut off her hand with a short sword , and stab'd the virgin in several places , till she expir'd , because she obstinately opposed and disappointed his inordinate appetite . in this kingdom of xalisco ( according to report ) they burnt eight hundred towns to ashes , and for this reason the indians growing desperate , beholding the dayly destruction of the remainders of their matchless cruelty , made an insurrection against the spaniards , slew several of them justly and deservedly , and afterward fled to the insensible rocks and mountains ( yet more tender and kind than the stony-hearted enemy ) for sanctuary ; where they were miserably massacred by those tyrants who succeeded , and there are now few , or none of the inhabitants to be found . thus the spaniards being blinded with the lustre of their gold , deserted by god , and given over to a reprobate sense , not understanding ( or at least not willing to do so ) that the cause of the indians is most just , as well by the law of nature , as the divine and humane , they by force of arms , destroying them , hacking them in pieces , and turning them out of their own confines and dominions , nor considering how unjust those violencies and tyrannies are , wherewith they have afflicted these poor creatures , they still contrive to raise new wars against them : nay they conceive , and by word and writing testifie , that those victories they have obtain'd against these innocents to their ruine , are granted them by god himself , as if their unjust wars were promoted and managed by a just right and title to what they pretend ; and with boasting joy return thanks to god for their tyranny , in imitation of those tyrants and robbers , of whom the prophet zechariah part of the fourth and fifth verses . feed the sheep of the slaughter , whose possessors slay them , and hold themselves not guilty , and they that sell them say , blessed be the lord , for ye are rich . of the kingdom of jucatan . an impious wretch by his fabulous stories and relations to the king of spain was made praefect of the kingdom of jucatan , in the year of our lord ; and the other tyrants to this very day have taken the same indirect measures to obtain offices , and screw or wheedle themselves into publick charges or employments , for by this praetext , and authority , they had the greater opportunity to commit theft and rapine . this kingdom was very well peopled , and both for temperature of air , and the plenty of food and fruits , in which respect it is more fertile than mexico , but chiefly for hony and wax , it exceeds all the indian countries that hath hitherto bin discover'd . it is three hundred miles in compass . the inhabitants of this place do much excel all other indians , either in politie or prudence , or in leading a regular life and morality , truly deserving to be instructed in the knowledge of the true god. here the spaniards might have erected many fair cities , and liv'd as it were in a garden of delights , if they had not , through covetousness , stupidity , and the weight of enormous crimes rendred themselves unworthy of so great a benefit . this tyrant , with three hundred men began to make war with these innocent people , living peaceably at home , and doing injury to none , which was the ruine of a great number of them : now because this region affords no gold ; and if it did the inhabitants would soon have wrought away their lives by hard working in the mines , that so he might accumulate gold by their bodies and souls , for which christ was crucified : for the generality he made slaves of those whose lives he spared , and sent away such ships as were driven thither by the wind of report , loaden with them , exchanging them for wine , oyl , vinegar , salt pork , garments , pack horses and other commodities , which he thought most necessary and fit for his use . he proposed to them the choice of fifty virgins , and she that was the fairest or best complexioned he bartered for a small cask of wine , oyl , vinegar or some inconsiderable quantity of salt pork , the same exchange he proffered of two or three hundred well-disposed yound boys , and one of them who had the mind or presence of a princes son , was given up to them for a cheese , and one hundred more for a horse . thus he continued his flagitious courses from to , inclusively , till there was news brought of the wealth and opulence of the region of perusia , whither the spaniards marcht , and so for some time there was a cessation of this tyranny ; but in few days after they returned and acted enormous crimes , robbed and imprisoned them and committed higher offences against the god of heaven ; nor have they yet done , so that now these three hundred miles of land so populous ( as i said before ) lies now uncultivated and almost deserted . no solifidian can believe the particular narrations of their barbarism , and cruelty in those countreys . i will only relate two or three stories which are fresh in my memory . the spaniards used to trace the steps of indians , both men and women with curst currs , furious dogs ; an indian woman that was sick hapned to be in the way in sight , who perceiving that she was not able to avoid being torn in pieces by the dogs , takes a cord that she had and hangs her self upon a beam , tying her child ( which she unfortunately had with her ) to her foot ; and no sooner had she done , yet the dogs were at her , tearing the child ; but a priest coming that way baptiz'd it before quite dead . when the spaniards left this kingdom , one of them invited the son of some indian governour of a city or province , to go along with him , who told him he would not leave or desert his native countrey , whereupon he threatned to cut off his ears , if he refus'd to follow him : but the youth persisting resolutely , that he would continue in the place of his nativity , he drawing his sword cut off each ear , notwithstanding which he persever'd in his first opinion , and then as if he had only pincht him , smilingly cut off his nose and lips. this rogue did lasciviously boast before a priest , and as if he had merited the greatest applause , commended himself to the very heavens , saying , he had made it his chief trade or business to impregnate indian women , that when they were sold afterward , he might gain the more money by them . in this kingdom or ( i 'm certain ) in some province of new spain , a spaniard hunting and intent on his game , phancyed that his beagles wanted food ; and to supply their hunger snatcht a young little babe from the mothers breast , cutting off his arms and legs , cast a part of them to every dog , which they having devour'd , he threw the remainder of the body to them . thus it is plainly manifest how they value these poor creatures , created after the image of god , to cast them to their canibal-curs . but that which follows is ( if possible ) a sin of a deeper dye . i pretermit their unparallel'd impieties , &c. and only close all with this one story that follows . those haughty obdurate and execrable tyrants , who departed from this countrey to fish for riches in perusia , and four monks of the order of st. francis , with father james who travelled thither also to keep the countrey in peace , and attract or mildly perswade by their preaching the remnant of inhabitants , that had outlived a septenisial tyranny , to embrace the knowledge of christ . i conceive these are the persons who in the year , travelling by mexico were sollicited by several messengers from the indians , to come into their countrey , and inform them in the knowledge of one god , the true god , and lord of the whole world : to this end they appointed assemblies and councils to examine and understand what men they were , who called themselves fathers and friers , what they intended and what difference there was between them and the spaniards , by whom they had been so molested and tormented : but they received them at length upon this condition that they should be admitted alone , without any spaniards , which the father 's promised ; for they had permission , nay an express mandate from the president of new spain to make that promise , and that the spaniards should not do them the least detriment or injury . then they began , to preach the gospel of christ , and to explicate and declare the pious intention of the king of castile , of all which they had notice by the spaniards for seven years together , that they had no king nor no other but him , who oppressed them with so much tyranny . the priests continued there but forty days , but behold they bring forth all their idols to be committed to the flames ; and then their children which they tendred as the apple of the eye , that they might be instructed . they also erected temples and houses for them and they were desired to come to other provinces and preach the gospel , and introduce them into the knowledge of god , and the great ( as they stilled him ) king of castile : and the priests perswasions wrought so effectually on them , that they condescended to that which was never done in india before ( for whatsoever those tyrants who wasted and consumed these large kingdoms and provinces , did misrepresent and falsifie , was only done to bring an odium and disgrace upon the indians ) . for twelve or fifteen princes of spatious and well-peopled regions assembled , every one distinct and separate from the rest , with his own subjects , and by their unanimous consent upon council and advice , of their own accord submitted themselves to the government of the castilian kings and accepted of them as their prince and protector , obliging themselves to obey and serve them as subjects to their lawful liege lord. in witness whereof i have in my custody , a certain instrument signed and attested by the aforesaid religioso's . thus to the great joy and hope of these priests reducing them to the knowledge of christ they were received by the inhabitants of this kingdom , that surviv'd the hear and rage of the spanish cruelties : but behold eighteen horse and twelve footmen by another way crept in among them , bringing with them many idols , which were of great weight , and taken out of other regions by force . the commander in chief of these spaniards summoned one of the dynasta's or rulers of that province which they entred into , to appear before him , and commanded him to take these idols with him , distribute them through his countrey and exchange every single idol for an indian man or woman , otherwise he would make war against him . the abovesaid lord compelled to it by fear did so accordingly with a command , that his subjects should adore worship and honour them , and in compensation send indians male and female into servitude . the terrified people delivered up their children , and by this means there was an end made of this sacrilegious merchandize , and thus the cacic satisfied the greedy desires of the ( i dare not say christian ) spaniards . one of these sacrilegious robbers was john garcia by name , who being very sick and at the point of death , had several idols hid under his bed , and calling his indians that waited on him , as a nurse , commanded her not to part with those idols at a small rate for they were of the better sort , and that she should not dispose of them without one indian , for each idol by way of barter . thus by this his private and nuncupative last will and testament distracted with these carking cares , he gave up the ghost : and who is it that will not fear his being tormented in the darkest and lowest hell ? let us now consider what progress in religion the spaniards made , and what examples of christianism they gave , at their first arrival in america , how devoutly they honoured god , and what expence of sweat and toil they were at to promote his worship and adoration among these infidels . let it be also taken into serious consideration , whose sin is the greater , either joroboam's , who made all israel to sin , and caused two golden claves to be erected , or the spaniards who traffick and trade in idols like judas , who was the occasion of such great scandals . these are the good deeds of the spanish dons , who often , nay very often to feed their avarice , and accumulate gold have sold and still do sell , denied and still do deny jesus christ our redeemer . the indians now finding the promises of the religious , that the spaniards should not enter into this countrey , null and void ; nay that the spaniards brought idols from other places to be put off there ; when as they had delivered up their own to the priests to be burnt , that there might be one only worship of the true god established among them ; they were highly incensed against these friers , and addressed themselves to them in these words following . why have you deceived us , binding your promises with false protestations , that the spaniards should not be admitted to come hither ? and why have you burnt our gods , when others are brought from other regions by the spaniards ? are the gods of other provinces more sacred than ours ? the friers as well as they could ( though they had little to return in answer ) endeavour'd by soft language to appease them ; and went to these thirty spaniards , declaring the evil actions they were guilty of , humbly supplicating them to withdraw themselves from that place . which they would by no means condescend to , and what is most flagitious and wicked perswaded the indians , that they were introduc'd by those priests ; which being made known to them , these indians resolved to be the death of these monks , but having notice thereof by some courteous indians , they stole away from thence by night , and fled ; but after their departure the truth of the matter and the spanish malice being understood ; they sent several messengers who followed them fifty miles distant beseeching them in the name of the indians , to return and begging pardon for that ignorant mistake . the preists relying on their words , returned , and were caress'd like angels sent from heaven ; and continued with them , ( from whom they received a thousand kindnesses ) four or five months . but when the spaniards persisted in their resolution not to quit the place , although the vice-roy did use all endeavours and fair means to recall them , they were proclaim'd traitors , guilty of high treason ; and because they continued still exercising tyranny and perpetrating nefandous crimes , the priests were sensible they would study revenge , though it might be some considerable time before they put it in execution , fearing that it might fall upon their own heads , and since they could not exercise the function of their ministry securely and undisturbed by reason of the continual incursions and assaults made by the spaniards , they consulted about their departure , and did leave this kingdom accordingly which remain'd destitute of all christian doctrin and these poor souls are at this day involv'd in the obscurity of their former misery and ignorance , they being deprived by these accursed spaniards , of all hopes of remedy , and the irrigation of divine knowledge , just like young withering plants for want of water : for in that very juncture of time , when these religioso's took leave , they embraced the doctrine of our faith with the greatest fervency and eagerness imaginable . of the province of st. martha . the province of st. martha was rich in the neighbouring golden mines , and a fruitful soil , nay the people were very expert and industrious in those mine-works : upon this account , or temptation it was , that from the year , to , abundance of tyrants sailed thither , laying waste the whole country by their depredations , slaughtering the inhabitants at a prodigious and bloody rate ; and robbing them of all their gold , who dayly fled to their ships for refuge , moving sometime to one place , and sometime to another . and thus these provinces were laid waste , the greatest outrages being committed on the sea-shore , which lasted till the year , whither the spaniards then came to seat themselves , and fix their intended habitation . and because it is a plentiful region and opulent withal ; it was subjected to several rulers , who like infernal fiends contended who should obtain the palm , by out-staining the sword of his predecessor in innocent blood ; insomuch , that from the year to this very day , they have wasted and spoiled as much good ground as extended five hundred miles , and unpeopled the countrey . if i design'd to enumerate all the impieties , butcheries , desolations , iniquities , violences , destructions and other the piacula and black enormities committed and perpetrated by the spaniards in this province , against god , the king , and these harmless nations ; i might compile a voluminous history , and that shall be compleated , if god permit my glass to run longer , in his good time . it may suffice for the present to relate some passages written in a letter to our king and lord by a reverend bishop of these provinces , dated the th of may. an. dom. . wherein among other matters he thus words it . i must acquaint your sacred majesty , that the only way to succour and support this tottering region is to free it from the power of a father in law , and marry it to a husband who will treat her as she ought to be , and lovingly entertain her , and that must be done with all possible expedition too , if not , i am certain that she will suddenly decay and come to nothing by the covetous and fordid deportment of the governours , &c. and a little after he writes thus , by this means your majesty will plainly know and understand how to depose the prefects or governours of of those regions from their office if they deserve it , that so they may be alleviated and eas'd of such burthens ; which if not perform'd , in my opinion , the body politick will never recover its health . and this i will make appear to your majesty that they are not christians , but devils ; not servants of god and the king , but traitors to the king and laws , who are conversant in those regions . and in reality nothing can be more obstructive to the preservation of peace , and the conversion of those that live peaceably , then inhumane and barbarous usage , which they , who lead a quiet and peaceable life , too frequently undergo , and this is so fastidious and nauseous to them , that there can be nothing in the world so odious and detestable among them , as the name of a christian : for they term the christians in their language yares , that is , devils ; and in truth not without reason ; for the actions of those that reside in these regions , are not such as speak them to be christians or men , gifted with reason , but absolute devils ; hence it is , that the indians perceiving these actions committed by the heads as well as members , who are void of all compassion and humanity , do judge the christian laws to be of the same strain and temper , and that their god and king are the authors of such enormities : now to endeavour to work upon them a contrary perswasion is to no purpose ; for this would afford them a greater latitude and liberty to deride jesus christ and his laws . now the indians who protect and defend themselves by force of arms , think it more eligible , and far better to dye once , than suffer several and many deaths under the spanish power . this i know experimentally , most invincible caesar , &c. and he adds farther , your majesty is more powerful in subjects and servants , who frequent these kingdoms , then you can imagin . nor is there one soldier among them all , who does not publickly and openly profess , if he robs , steals , spoils , kills , burns his majesties subjects , 't is to purchase gold : he will not say that he therein does your majesty great service , for they affirm they do it to obtain their own share and dividend . wherefore , most invincible caesar , it would be a very prudential act for your majesty to testifie by a rigid correction and severe punishment of some malefactors , that it is disservice to you for your subjects to commit such evil acts , as tend to the disobedience and dishonour of the almighty . what you have read hitherto is the relation of the said bishop of st. martha , epitomized and extracted from his letters , whereby it is manifest , how savagely they handle these mild and affable people . they term them warlike indians , who betake themselves to the mountains to secure themselves from spanish cruelty ; and call them country indians , or inhabitants , who by a dreadful massacre are delivered up to a tyrannical and horrible servitude , whereby at length they are become depopulated , made desolate , and utterly destroy'd ; as appears by the epistle of the praemention'd bishop , who only gives us a slight account or essay of their persecutions and sufferings . the indians of this country use to break out into such words as these , when they are driven , loaded like brutes through the uncouth wayes in their journeys over the mountains , if they happen to faint through weakness , and miscarry through extremity of labour , ( for then they are kicked and cudgel'd , their teeth dasht out with the pummels of their swords to raise them up again , when tired and fallen under weighty burthens , and force them to go on without respiration , or time to take breath , and all this with the following increpation , or upbraiding and taunting words , o what a wicked villain art thou ? ) i say they burst out into these expressions , i am absolutely tir'd , kill me , i desire to dye , being weary of my life as well as my burthen and journey : and this not without deep heart-breaking sighs , they being scarce able to draw or breathe out their words , which are the characteristical notes , and infallible of the mind drowned in anguish and sorrow . may it please our merciful god to order the discovery of these crimes to be manifested to those persons , who are able and oblig'd to redress them . of the province of carthagena . this province is distant fifty miles from the isle of st. martha westward , and scituated on the confines of the country of cenusia , from whence it extends one hundred miles to the bay of vraba , and contains a very long tract of land southward . these provinces from the year to this present time were most barbarously us'd , and made desert by murder and slaughter , but that i may the sooner conclude this brief summary , i will not handle the particulars , to the end i may the better give an account of the detestable villanies that ruin'd other regions . of the pearl-coast , paria , and trinity-isle . the spaniards made great spoils and havock from the parian coast to the bay of venecuola , exclusively , which is about two hundred miles . it can hardly be exprest by tongue or pen how many , and how great injuries and injustices , the inhabitants of this sea-shore have endur'd from the year , to this day . i will only relate two or three piacular and criminal acts of the first magnitude , capable of comprehending all other enormities that deserve the sharpest torments , wit and malice can invent , and so make way for a deserved judgment upon them . a nameless pirate in the year , accompanied with a parcel of sixty or seventy , arriv'd at trinity-island , which exceeds sicile , both in amplitude and fertility , and is contiguous to the continent on that side where it toucheth upon paria , whose inhabitants , according to their quality , are more addicted to probity and vertue , than the rest of the indians ; who immediately published an edict , that all the inhabitants should come and cohabit with them . the indian lords and subjects gave them a debonair and brotherly reception , serving them with wonderful alacrity , furnishing them with dayly provisions in so plentiful a manner , that they might have sufficed a more numerous company ; for it is the mode among indians of this new world , to supply the spaniards very bountifully with all manner of necessaries . a short time after the spaniards built a stately house , which was an appartment for the indians , that they might accomplish their praemeditated designs , which was thus effected . when they were to thatch it , and had rais'd it two mens height , they inclos'd several of them there , to expedite the work , as they pretended , but in truth that they who were within , might not see those without ; thus part of them surrounded the house with sword in hand that no one should stir out , and part of them entred it , and bound the indians , menacing them with death , if they offered to move a foot ; and if any one endeavoured to escape , he was presently hackt in pieces ; but some of them partly wounded , and partly unwounded getting away , with others who went not into the house , about one hundred or two hundred , betook themselves to another house with bows and arrows ; and when they were all there , the spaniards secur'd the doors , throwing in fire at another place , and so they all perished . from hence they set sail to the island of st. john with near upon one hundred and eighty slaves , whom they had bound , where they sold one half of them , and thence to hispaniola , where they dispos'd of the rest . now when i taxed this captain with wickedness and treachery in the very isle of st. john , he dismist me with this answer ; forbear good sir. i had this in commission from those who sent me hither , that i should surprize them by the spetious pretense of peace , whom i could not sieze by open force ; and in truth this same captain told me with his own mouth , that in trinity-isle alone , he had met with a father and mother in civil usage , which he uttered to his greater confusion and the aggravation of his sins . the monks of our order of st. dominic on a certain time held a consult about sending one of their fraternity into this island , that by their preaching they might instruct them in the christian faith , and teach them the way to be sav'd , of which they were wholly ignorant . and to this end they sent thither a religious and licentiate in theolgie , ( or doctor in divinity , as we term it among us ) a man famous for his vertue and holiness with a laic his associate , to visit the country , converse with the inhabitants , and find out the most convenient places for the erection of monasteries . as soon as they were arriv'd according to custom , they were entertain'd like coelestial messengers , with great affection , joy and respect , as well as they could , for they were ignorant of their tongue , and so made use of signs , for the present . it hapned that after the departure of that vessel that brought these religious men , another came into the port , whose crew according to their hellish custom , fraudulently , and unknown to the religious brought away a prince of that province as captive , who was call'd alsonsus , ( for they are ambitious of a christian name , ) and forthwith desire without farther information , that he would baptize him : but the said lord alphonsus was deceitfully overperswaded to go on board of them with his wife and about seventeen more , pretending that they would give him a collation ; which the prince and they did , for he was confident , that the religious would by no means suffer him to be abus'd , for he had no so much confidence in the spaniards ; but as soon as they were upon deck , the perfidious rogues , set sail for hispaniola , where they were sold as slaves . the whole country being extreamly discompos'd , and understanding that their prince and princess were violently carried away , addressed themselves to these religioso's , who were in great danger of losing their lives : but they being made to understand this unjust action , were extraordinarily afflicted , and 't is probable would have suffered death , rather than permit the indians to be so injuriously dealt with , which might prove an obstruction to their receiving of , and believing in god's word . yet the indians were sedated by the promises of the religious ; for they told them , they would send letters by the first ship that was bound for hispaniola , whereby they would procure the restitution and return of their lord and his retinue . it pleased god to send a ship thither forthwith , to the greater confirming of the governours damnation , where in the letters they sent to the religious of hispaniola , letters containing repeated exclamations and protestations , and protest against such actions , but those that received them denyed them justice , for that they were partakers of that prey , made of those indians so injustly and impiously captivated . but when the religious , who had engag'd to the inhabitants , that their lord alphonsus should be restor'd within four moneths , and found that neither in four , nor eight moneths he was return'd , they prepar'd themselves for death , and to deliver up their life to christ , to whom they had offer'd it before their departure from spain : thus the innocent indians were revenged on the innocent priests ; for they were of opinion , that the religious had a hand in the plot , partly , because they found their promises that their lord should return within four moneths , ineffectual , and partly because the inhabitants make no difference between a religious frier and a spanish rogue . at another time it fell out likewise , through the rampant tyranny and cruel deeds of evil-minded christians , that the indians put to death two dominican friers , of which i am a faithful witness , escaping my self , not without a very great miracle , which transaction i resolve silently to pass over , lest i should terrifie the reader with the horror of the fact. in these provinces , there was a city seated on the bay of codera , whose lord was call'd higueroto , a name , either proper to persons , or common to the rulers of that place . a cacic of such signal clemency , and his subjects of such noted vertue , that the spaniards who came thither , were extraordinary welcom , furnished with provisions , enjoying peace and comfort , and no refreshment wanting : but a perfidious wretch got many of them on board , and sold them to the islanders of st. john. at the same time i landed upon that island , where i obtained a sight of this tyrant , and heard the relation of his actions . he utterly destroy'd that land , which the rest of the spaniards took very unkindly at his hands , who frequently playd the pirate , and rob'd on that shore , detesting it as a wicked thing , because they had lost that place , where they use to be treated with as great hospitality and freedom , as if they had been under their own roof : nay they transported from this place , among them , to the isles of hispaniola and st. john two millions of men and upward , and made the coast a desert . it is most certainly true , that they never ship off a vessel freighted with indians , but they pay a third part as tribute to the sea , besides those who are slaughter'd , when found in their own houses . now the soarce and original of all this is the ends they have propos'd to themselves . for there is a necessity of taking with them a great number of indians , that they may gain a great sum of mony by their sale , now the ships are very slenderly furnished with provisions and water in small quantity , to satisfie few , lest the tyrants , who are term'd owners or proprietors of ships should be at too great expence in victualling their vessels , nay they scarce carry food enough with them to maintain the spaniards that manage the vessel , which is the reason so many indians dye with hunger and thirst , and of necessity they must be thrown over-board : nay one of them told me this for a truth , that there being such a multitude of men thus destroy'd , a ship may sail from the isle of lucaya to hispaniola , which is a voyage of twenty leagues and upward , without chart or compass , by the sole direction on observation of dead fluctuating carkasses . but afterward , when arriv'd , and driven up into the isle whither they are brought to be sold , there is no person that is in some small measure compassionate , but would be extreamly mov'd and discompos'd at the sight ; viz. to spie old men and women , together with naked children half starv'd . then they separate parents from children , wives from their husbands , about ten or twenty in a company , and cast lots for them , that the detestable owners of the ships may have their share ; who prepare two or three ships , and equip them as a fleet of pirates , going ashore ravaging and forcing men out of their houses , and then robbing them : but when the lot of any one of them falls upon a parcel , that hath an aged or diseased man ; the tyrant , whose allotment he is , usually bursts out , as followeth . let this old fellow be damm'd , why do you bestow him upon me ; must i , think you , be at the charge of his burial ? and this sickly wretch , how comes he to be one of my allotted portion must i take care for his cure ? not i. hence you may guess what estimate and value the spaniards put upon indians , and whether they practise and fulfil that divine and heavenly precept injoyning mutual love and society . there can be nothing more cruel and detestable then the tyrannical usage of the spaniards towards indians in their pearl-fishing ; for the torments undergone in the unnatural exenteration and tearing out with paracidal hands the richer bowels of our common mother , or the inward cruciating racks of the most profligate , heaven daring desperado can admit of no comparison with these , although the extracting or digging for gold is one of the sharpese subterranean drudgeries , they plunge them down four or five ells deep under water , where swimming about without breathing , they eradicate and pull up oisters , wherein the pearls are engendred . sometimes they rise up to the superficies of the water with nets full of oisters for respiration and air , but if these miserable creatures stay but a little more then is ordinary to rest themselves the hangman is immediately upon them in a canow or small boat , who beating them with many stripes drag them by the hair of the head under water , that they may drudge again at their expi●cation or pearl fishing . their food is fish , and the same which contains the pearls and cassabus made of roots with a few mahids , the bread of that countrey ; in the former there is little or no nutriment or substance , and the other is not made without great trouble , nor for all this have they a sufficient allowance thereof to support nature . their lodging or bed is the earth confined to a pair of stocks , for fear they should run away : and it frequently happens that they are drown'd with the toil of this kind of fishing and never more seen , for the tuberoms and maroxi ( certain marine monsters that devour a complete proportioned man wholly at once ) prey upon them under water . you must consider withall , that it is impossible for the strongest constitution to continue long under water without breathing , and they ordinarily dye through the extream rigor of the cold , spitting blood which is occasioned by the too great compression of the breast , procreated by a continued holding breath under water , for by too much cold a profluvium of blood follows . their hair naturally black is changed into a combust , burnt or sun-colour like that of the sea wolves , their shoulders and backs covered , or overspread with a saltish humor that they appear rather like monsters in humane shape then men. they have destroy'd all the lucayans by this intolerable or rather diabolical exercise , for the accustomary emolument or gain of lucre , and by this means gain'd to the value of fifty , sometime one hundred crownsof every individual indian . they sell them ( though it was prohibited ) publickly ; for the lucayans were excellent swimmers , and several perished in this isle that came from other provinces . of the river yuya pari. this river washeth the province arising from its head or fountain in another region , two hundred miles off and better , by this a wretched tyrant entred it and laid waste the land for the space of many miles , and murder'd abundance of them by fire and sword , &c. at length he died violently , and all his forces moldred away of themselves , many succeeded him in his iniquity and cruelty and 〈◊〉 dayly destroy them , sending to hell the souls redeemed by the blood of the son of god. of the kingdom of venecuela . our sovereign lord the king in the year , over-perswaded by fallacious appearances ( for the spaniards use to conceal from his majesties knowledge the dammages and detriments , which god himself , the souls and state of the indians did suffer ) intrusted the kingdom of venecuela longer and larger then the spanish dominions , with its government and absolute jurisdiction to some german merchants , with power to make certain capitulations and conventions , who came into this kingdom with three hundred men , and there found a benign mild and peaceable people , as they were throughout the indies till injured by the spaniards . these more cruel then the rest beyond comparison , behav'd themselves more inhumanely then rapacious tygres wolves and lyons , for they had the jurisdiction of this kingdom , and therefore possessing it with the greater freedom from controul ; lay in wait and were the more vigilant with greater care and avarice to understand the practical part of heaping up wealth , and robbing the inhabitants of their gold and silver , surpassing all their predecessors in those indirect ways , rejecting wholly both the fear of their god and king , nay forgetting that they were born men with reasonable faculties . these incarnate devils laid waste and desolate four hundred miles of most fertile land , containing vast and wonderful provinces , most spatious and large valleys surrounded with hills , forty miles in length , and many towns richly abounding in gold and silver . they destroy'd so many and such considerable regions , that there is not one supernumerary witness left to relate the story , unless perchance some that lurkt in the caverns and womb of the earth to evade death by their inhumane swords embrew'd in innocent indian blood , escaped . i judge that they by new invented and unusual torments ruinated four or five millions of souls and sent them all to hell. i will give a taste of two or three of their transactions , that hereby you may guess at the rest . they made the supream lord of the province a slave , to squeeze his gold from him , racking him to extort his confession who escaping fled into the mountains , their common sanctuary , and his subjects lying absconded in the thickets of the woods , were stir'd up to sedition and tumult or mutiny . the spaniards follow and destroy many of them , but those that were taken alive and in their power were all publickly sold for slaves by the common crier . they were in all provinces they came into entertained and welcomed by the indians with songs , dances and rich presents but rewarded very ungratefully with bloodshed and slaughter . the german captain and tyrant caused several of them to be clapt into a thatcht house , and there cut in pieces ; but some of them to avoid falling by their bloody and merciless swords , climb'd up to the beams and rafters of the house , and the governour , hearing it ( o cruel brute ? ) commanded fire to be put to it and burnt them all alive , leaving the region desert and desolate . they also came to another stately province , bordering on st. martha ; whose inhabitants did them many egregious and notable services , bestowing on them innumerable quantities of gold besides many other gifts , but when they were upon departure , in retribution of their civil treating and deportment the german tyrant , commanded that all the indians , with their wives and children if possible , should be taken into custody : inclosed in some large capacious place , and that there it should be signified unto them , whosoever desired to be set at liberty should redeem himself at the will and pleasure ( as to price ; ) of the unjust governour , or at a certain rate imposed upon himself , his wife and every childs head ; and to expedite the business prohibited the administration or allowance of any food to them , till the gold required for redemption was paid down to the utmost grain . several of them sent home to discharge the demanded price of their redemption , and procur'd their freedom , as well as they could by one means or other , that so they might return to their livelihood and profession , but not long after he sent other rogues and robbers among them to re-enslave those that were redeemed . to the same gaol they are brought a second time , being instigated or rather constrained to a speedy redemption by hunger and thirst ; thus many of them were twice or thrice taken , captiv'd and redeemed ; but some who were not capable of depositing such a sum , perished there . farthermore this tyrant was big with an itching desire after the discovery of the perusian mines , which he did accomplish . nay should i enumerate the particular cruelties , slaughters , &c. committed by him though my discourse would not in the least be contrarint to the truth , yet it would not be beleived and only stupifie and amaze the reader . this course the other tyrants took who set sail from venecuela and st. martha ( with the same resolution of detecting the perusian golden , consecrated houses as them they esteemed ) who found the fruitful region so desolate , deserted , and wasted by fire and sword , that those cruel tyrants themselves were smitten with wonder and astonishment at the traces and ruins of such prodigious devastations . all these things and many more were prov'd by witnesses in the indian exchequer , and the records of their testimony were entred in that court , though these execrable tyrants burnt many of them that there might be little or nothing prov'd as a cause of those great devastations and evils perpetrated by them . for the minister of justice who have hitherto lived in india , through their obscure and damnable blindness , were not much sollicitous about the punishment of the crimes and butcheries which have been and are still committed by these tyrants , only they may say possibly because such a one , and such a one hath wickedly and barbarously dealt with the indians , that is the reason so great a summ of crowns in money is diminished already or retrenched from his majesties annual revenue , and this general and confused proof is sufficient ( as they worthily conceive ) to purge or repress such great and hainous crimes . and though they are but few , are not verified as they ought to be , nor do they attribute and lay upon them that stress and weight as they ought to do , for if they did perform their duty to god and the king ; it could not be made apparent as it may be , that these german tyrants have cheated and rob'd the king of three millions of gold and upward ; and thus these enemies to god and the king began to depopulate these regions and destroy them , cheating his majesty of two millions of gold per annum , nor can it be expected , that the detriment done to his majesty can possibly be retriev'd , as long as the sun and moon endures , unless god by a miracle should raise as many thousands from death to life , as have bin destroy'd . and these are the temporal dammages the king suffers . it would be also a work worthy the inquiry into , to consider how many cursed sacriledges and indignities god himself hath been affronted with to the dishonour of his name . and what recompence can be made for the loss of so many souls as are now tormented in hell by the cruelty and covetousness of these brutish german tyrants . but i will conclude all their impiety and barbarisme with one example , viz. that from the time they entred upon this country to this very day , that is , seventeen years , they have remitted many ships fraighted with indians to be sold as slaves to the isles of st. martha , hispaniola , jamaica , and st. john , selling a million of persons at the least , i speak modestly , and still do expose to sale to this very year of our lord , the king's council in this island seeing and knowing it , yet what they find to be manifest and apparent they connive at , permit and countenance , and wink at the horrid impieties and devastations innumerable which are committed on the coasts of this continent , extending four hundred miles in length , and continues still together with venecuela and st. martha under their jurisdiction , which they might easily have remedied and timely prevented . of the provinces of florida . three tyrants at several times made their entrance into these provinces since the year , or , to act those crimes which others , and two of these three made it their sole business to do in other regions , to the end , that they might advance themselves to higher dignities and promotions than they could deserve , by the effusion of blood and destruction of these people ; but at length they all were cut off by a violent death , and the houses which they formerly built and erected with the cement of humane blood , ( which i can sufficiently testifie of these three ) perished with them , and their memory rotten , and as absolutely washed away from off the face of the earth , as if they had never had a being . these men deserted these regions , leaving them in great distraction and confusion , nor were they branded with less notes of infamy , by the certain slaughters they perpetrated , though they were but few in number than the rest . for the just god cut them off before they did much mischief , and reserv'd the castigation and revenge of those evils which i know , and was an eye-witness of , to this very time and place . as to the fourth tyrant , who lately , that is , in the year , came hither well-furnished with men and ammunition , we have received no account these three years last past ; but we are very confident , that he , at his first arrival , acted like a bloody tyrant , even to extasie and madness , if he be still alive with his followers , and did injure , destroy , and consume a vast number of men ( for he was branded with infamous cruelty above all those who with their assistants committed crimes and enormities of the first magnitude in these kingdoms and provinces ) i conceive , god hath punished him with the same violent death , as he did other tyrants : but because my pen is wearied with relating such execrable and sanguinary deeds ( not of men but beasts ) i will trouble my self no longer with the dismal and fatal consequences thereof . these people were found by them to be wise , grave , and well dispos'd , though their usual butcheries and cruelties in oppressing them like brutes , with heavy burthens , did rack their minds with great terror and anguish . at their entry into a certain village , they were welcomed with great joy and exultation , replenished them with victuals , till they were all satisfied , yielding up to them above six hundred men to carry their bag and baggage , and like grooms to look after their horses : the spaniards departing thence , a captain related to the superiour tyrant returned thither to rob this ( no ways diffident or mistrustful ) people , and pierced their king through with a lance , of which wound he dyed upon the spot , and committed several other cruelties into the bargain . in another neighbouring town , whose inhabitants as they thought , were more vigilant and watchful , having had the news of their horrid acts and deeds , they barbarously murdered them all with their lances and swords , destroying all , young and old , great and small , lords and subjects without exception . the chief tyrant caused many indians ( above two hundred as 't is noised abroad ) whom he summon'd to appear before him out of another town , or else , who came voluntarily to pay their respects to him , to have their noses and lips to the very beard , cut off ; and thus in this grievous and wretched condition , the blood gushing out of their wounds , return'd them back , to give an infallible testimony of the works and miracles wrought by these preachers and ministers baptized in the catholick faith. now let all men judge what affection and love they bear to christianity ; to what purpose , or upon what account they believe there is a god , whom they preach and boast of to be good and just , and that his law which they profess ( and indeed only profess ) to be pure and immaculate . the mischiefs acted by these profligate wretches and sons of perdition were of the deepest die . at last this captain devoted to perdition dyed impenitent , nor do we in the least question , but that he is overwhelmed and buried in darkness infernal , unless god according to his infinite mercy and boundless clemency , not his own merits , ( he being contaminated and poison'd with execrable deeds , ) be pleas'd to compassionate and have mercy upon him . of the plate-river , that is , the silver-river . some captains since the year or undertook four or five voyages to the river of plate , which embraceth within its own arms great kingdoms and provinces , and is peopled by rational and well-temper'd inhabitants . in the general we are certified , that they were very injurious and bloody to them ; but they being far distant from those indians , we frequently discourse of , we are not able to give you a particular account of their transactions . yet beyond all controversie , they did , and still do go the same way to work , as others in several regions to this present time do , and have done ; for they are the same , ( and many in number too ) spaniards who went thither , that were the wicked instruments of other executions , and all of them aim at one and the same thing , namely to grow rich and wealthy , which they can never be , unless they steer the same course which others have followed , and tread the same paths in murdering , robbing and destroying poor indians . after i had committed to writing what i have prementioned , it was told me for a great truth , that they had laid waste in those countreys great kingdoms and provinces , dealing cruelly and bloodily with these harmless people , at a horrid rate , having a greater opportunity and convenience to be more infamous and rigid to them , then others , they being very remote from spain , living inordinately , like debauches , laying aside , and bidding farewel to all manner of justice , which is indeed a stranger in all the american regions , as is manifest by what hath been said already . but among the other numerous wicked acts following this is one that may be read in the indian courts . one of the governours commanded his soldiers to go to a certain village , and if they denyed them provisions , to put all the inhabitants to the sword : by vertue of this authority away they march , and because they would not yield to them above five thousand men as enemies , fearing rather to be seen , then guilty of illiberality , were cut off by the sword. also a certain number of men living in peace and tranquillity proffered their services to him ; who , as it fell out , were call'd before the governour , but deferring their appearance a little longer than ordinary , that he might infix their minds with a remark of horrible tyranny , he commanded , they should be deliver'd up , as prisoners to their mortal indian enemies , who beg'd with loud clamours and a deluge of tears , that they might be dispatcht out of this world by their own hands , rather than given up as a prey to the enemy ; yet being resolute , they would not depart out of the house wherein they were , so the spaniards hackt them in pieces limb by limb , who exclaim'd and cryed aloud , we came to visit and serve you peaceably and quietly , and you murder us ; our blood with which these walls are moistned and sprinkled will remain as an everlasting testimony of our unjust slaughter , and your barbarous cruelty . and really this piaculum or horrid crime deserves a commemoration , or rather speak more properly , the commiseration of all persons . of the vast kingdoms and spatious provinces of perusia . a notorious tyrant in the year , entred the kingdoms of perusia with his complices , upon the same account , and with the same pretences , and beginning at the same rate as others did ; he indeed being one of those who were exercised , and highly concern'd in the slaughters and cruelties committed on the continent ever since the year , he increased and heightned the cruelties , butcheries and rapine ; destroying and laying waste ( being a false-hearted faithless person ) the towns and villages , and murdering the inhabitants , which occasion'd all those evils , that succeeded in those regions afterward ! now to undertake the writing of a narrative of them , and represent them lively and naturally to the readers view , and perusal , is a work altogether impossible , but must lie concealed and unknown until they shall more openly and clearly appear , and be made visible to every eye , at the day of judgment . as for my part , if i should presume to unravel , in some , measure the deformity , quality and circumstances of those enormities , i must ingenuously confess i could by no means perform so burthensom a task , and render it compleat and as it ought to be . at his first admission into these parts , he had laid waste some towns , and rob'd them of a great quantity of gold , this he did in the infancy of his tyrannical attempts , when he arriv'd at pugna a neighbouring isle so called , he had the reception of an angel ; but about six moneths after , when the spaniards had spent all their provisions , they discover'd and opened the indians stores and granaries , which were laid up for the sustenance of themselves , wives and children against a time of death and scarcity , brought them forth with tears and weeping , to dispose of at pleasure : but they rewarded them with slaughter , slavery and depopulation as formerly . thence they betook themselves to the isle tumbala , scituate on the firm land , where they put to death all they met with . and because the people terrified with their abominable sins of commission , fled from their cruelty , they were accused of rebellion against the spanish king , this tyrant made use of this artifice , he commanded all that he took , or that had bestowed gold , silver and other rich gifts on him , still to load him with other presents , till he found they had exhausted their treasures , and were grown naked and incapable of affording him farther supplies , and then he declared them to be the vassals and subjects of the king of spain , ●●attening them , and proclaiming twice by sound of trumpet , that for the future he would not captivate or molest them any more , looking upon it as lawful to rob , and terrifie them with such messages as he had done , before he admitted them under the king's protection , as if from that very time , he had never rob'd , destroy'd or opprest them with tyrannical usage . not long after atu●●ba the king and supreme emperour of all these kingdoms , leading a great number of naked men , he himself being at the head of them , armed with ridiculous weapons , and wholly ignorant of the goodness of the spaniards bilbo-blades , the mortal dartings of their lances , and the strength of their horse , whose use and service was to him altogether unknown , and never so much as heard of before , and that the spaniards were sufficiently weapon'd to rob the devils themselves of gold , if they had any , came to the place where they then were ; saying , where are these spaniards ? let them appear , i will not stir a foot from hence till they give me satisfaction for my subjects whom they have slain , my towns they have reduc'd to ashes , and my riches they have stoln from me . the spaniards meet him , make a great slaughter of his men , and seize on the person of the king himself , who was carried in a chair or sedan on mens shoulders . there was a treaty had about his redemption , the king engaged to lay down four millions of crowns , as the purchase of his freedom , but fifteen were paid down upon the nail : they promise to set him at liberty , but contrary to all faith and truth according to their common custom ( for they always violated their promises with the indians ) they falsly imposed this upon him , that his people were got together in a body by his command ; but the king made answer , that throughout his dominions , not so much as a leaf upon a tree durst move without his authority and pleasure , and if any were assembled together , they must of necessity believe that it was done without his order , he being a captive , it being in their power to deprive him of his life , if any such thing should be ordered by him : notwithstanding which , they entred into a consultation to have him burnt alive , and a little while after the sentence was agreed upon ; but the captain at the intreaty of some persons commanded him first to be strangled , and afterward thrown into the fire . the king understanding the sentence of death past upon him , said ; why do you burn me ? what fact have i committed deserving death ? did you not promise to set me free for a sum of gold. and did i not give you a far larger quantity than i promised ? but if it is your pleasure so to do , send me to your king of spain , and thus using many words to the fame purpose , tending to the confusion and detestation of the spanish injustice , he was burnt to death . and here let us take into serious consideration the right and title they had to make this war , the captivity , sentence , and execution of this prince , and the conscience wherewith these tyrants have possessed themselves of vast treasures , which they have surreptitiously and fraudulently taken away from this king , and a great many more of the rulers of these kingdoms . but as to the great number of their enormities committed by those who stile themselves christians in order to the extirpation of this people , i will here repeat some of them , which in the very beginning were seen by a franciscan , confirm'd by his own letters , and signed with his hand and seal , sending some of them to the perusian provinces , and others to the kingdom of castile : a copy whereof i have in my custody , signed with his hand , as i said before ; the contents whereof follow . i frier marcus de xlicia , of the franciscan order , and praefect of the whole fraternity residing in the perusian provinces , one of the first among the religious , who arriv'd with the spaniards in these parts . i declare with incontrovertible and undeniable testimony , those transactions , which i saw with my own eyes , and particularly such as relate to the usage of the inhabitants of this region . in the first place i was an eye-witness , and am certainly assur'd , that these perusians are a people , who transcend all other indians in meekness , clemency , and love to spaniards ; and i have seen the indians bestow very liberally on them gold , silver , and jewels , being very serviceable to them many other wayes . nor did the indians ever betake themselves to their arms in an hostile manner , till by infinite injuries and cruelties they were compell'd thereunto : for on the contrary , they gave the spaniards an amicable and honourable reception in all their towns , and furnished them with provisions , and as many male and female servants as they required . i can also farther testifie , that the spaniards , without the least provocation on their part , as soon as they entred upon these territories , did burn at the stake their most potent cacic ataliba , prince of the whole country , after they had extorted from him above two millions of gold , and possessed themselves of his province , without the least opposition ; and cochilimaca , his captain general , who with other rulers came peaceably into them , follow'd him by the same fiery tryal and death . as also some few days after , the ruler of the province of quitonia , who was burnt , without any cause given , or crime laid to his charge . they likewise put schapera , prince of the canaries to the same death , and in like manner , burnt the feet of alvidis , the greatest of all the quitonian lords , and rackt him with other torments to extract from him a discovery of ataliba's treasure , whereof as appear'd after , he was totally ignorant . thus they treated cocopaganga , governour of all the provinces of quitonia , who being overcome with the intreaties of sebastian bernalcarus , the governours captain , went peaceably to pay them a visit ; but because he could not give them as much gold as they demanded , they burnt him with many other cacics and chief persons of quality . and as i understand , did it with this evil intention , that they might not leave one surviving lord or peer in the whole countrey . i also affirm that i saw with these eyes of mine the spaniards for no other reason , but only to gratifie their bloody mindedness , cut off the hands , noses , and ears , both of indians and indianesses , and that in so many places and parts , that it would be too prolix and tedious to relate them . nay , i have seen the spaniards let loose their dogs upon the indians to bair and tear them in pieces , and such a number of villages burnt by them , as cannot well be discover'd : farther this is a certain truth , that they snatched babes from the mothers embraces , and taking hold of their arms threw them away as far as they would from them : ( a pretty kind of barr-tossing recreation . ) they committed many other cruelties , which strook me with terror at the very sight of them , and would take up too much time in the relation . i likewise aver , that the spaniards gathered together as many indians as fill'd three houses , to which , for no cause , ( or a very inconsiderable one ) they set fire , and burnt every one of them : but a presbyter , ocana by name , chanced to snatch a little boy out of the fire , which being observ'd by a spaniard , he tore him out of his arms , and threw him into the midst of the flames , where he was with the rest , soon burnt to ashes , which spaniard the same day he committed that fact , returning to his quarters , dyed suddenly by the way , and i advised them not to give him christian burial . farthermore i saw them send to several cacics and principal indians , promising them a protecting passeport to travel peaceably and securely to them , who , no sooner came , but they were burnt ; two of them before my face , one at andonia , and the other at tnmbala , nor could i with all my perswasions and preaching to them prevail so far as to save them from the fire . and this i do maintain according to god and my own conscience , as far as i could possibly learn , that the inhabitants of perusia never promoted or raised any commotion or rebellion , though as it is manifest to all men , they were afflicted with evil dealings and cruel torments : and they , not without cause , the spaniards breaking their faith and word , betraying the truth , and tyrannically contrary to all law and justice , destroying them and the whole country , inflicting on them great injuries and losses , were more ready to prepare themselves for death , than still to fall at once into such great and irrecoverable miseries . nay i do declare , according to information from the indians themselves , that there are to this day far greater quantities of gold kept hid and concealed than ever were yet detected or brought to light , which by means of the spanish injustice and cruelty , they would not then , nor ever will discover so long as they are so barbarously treated , but will rather chose to dye with the herd . whereat the lord god is highly offended and the king hath very ill offices done him , for he is hereby defrauded of this region , which was sufficiently able to furnish all castile with necessaries , the recovery whereof can never be expected without great difficulty and vast expenses . thus far i have acquainted you with the very words of this religious franciscan , ratified by the bishop of mexico , who testifieth that the srid ftier marc did affirm and maintain what is above-mentioned . here is to be observ'd what this said frier was an eye-witness of ; for he travelled up in this countrey fifty or a hundred miles , for the space of nine or ten years , when as yet , few spaniards had got footing there , but afterward , at the noise of gold to be had there in great plenty , four or five thousand came thither , who spread themselves through those kingdoms and provinces the space of five or six hundred miles , which they made wholly desolate , committing the same , or greater cruelties than are before recited ; for in reality they destroyed from that time to these very days , above an hundred thousand poor souls more than he gives an account of , and with less fear of god and the king , nay , with less mercy have they destroyed the greatest part of mankind in these kingdoms , above four millions suffering by violent death . a few days after they darted to death with arrows made of reeds a puissant queen , the wife of a potentate , who still sways the imperial scepter of that kingdom , whom the spaniards had a design to take , which instigated him to raise a rebellion , and he still continues a rebel . they seized the queen his consort , and contrary to all law and equity murdered her , as is said before , who was then , as reported , big with child , only for this reason , that they might and fresh affliction and grief to her husband . of the new kingdom of granda . many tyrants there were , who set sail from venecuela , st. martha , and carthagena , hastening to the conquest of perusia , anno dom. . and they accompanied with many more going farther from this region , endeavoured to penetrate into the heart of this countrey , where they found about three hundred miles from carthagena and st. martha , many admirable provinces and most fruitful land , furnished with an even-tempered or meek-spirited people , as they are in other parts of india ; very rich in gold and those sorts of precious stones known by the name of emralds : to which province they gave the name of granada , upon this account , because the tyrant who first arrived in these regions , was born in the kingdom of granada belonging to these parts ; now they that spoiled these provinces with their rapine being wicked , cruel , infamous butchers , and delighting in the essusion of humane hood , having practically experimented the piacular and grand enormities perpetrated among the indians ; and upon this account their diabolical actions are so great , so many in number , and represented so grievously horrid by circumstantial aggravations , that they exceed all the villanies committed by others , nay by themselves in other regions , i will only select and cull out a few out of so great a number , which have been transacted by them within these three years , for my present purpose . a certain governour , because he that went to commit depredations and spoils in the kingdom of granada , would not admit him , as a companion in his robberies and cruelties , set up an inquisition , and produced proofs confirmed by great evidence , whereby he palpably lays open , and proves the slaughters and homicides he committed , and persists in to this very day , which were read in the indian courts of judicature , and are there now recorded . in this inquisition the witnesses depose , that when all these kingdoms enjoy'd peace and tranquillity , the indians serv'd the spaniards , and got their living by constant day-labour in tilling and manuring the ground , bringing them much gold , and many gems , particularly emeralds , and what other commodities they could , and possessed , their cities and dominions being divided among the spaniards , to procure which is the chiefest of their care and pains ; and these are the proper measures they take to obtain their proposed ends , to wit , heaping and treasuring up of gold and riches . now when all the indians were under their accustomed tyranny : a certain tyrant , and chief commander , took the king and lord of the whole country , and detain'd him captive for six or seven moneths , demanding of him , without any reason , store of gold and emeralds . the said king , whose name was bogota , through fear , promised him a house of gold , hoping , in time , to escape out of his clutches , who thus plagu'd him , and sent some indians for gold , who frequently , and at several times , brought him a great quantity of gold , and many jewels ; but because the king did not , according to promise , bestow upon him an appartment made of pure gold , he must therefore forfeit his life . the tyrant commanded him to be brought to tryal before himself , and so they cite and summon to a tryal the greatest king in the whole region ; and the tyrant pronounced this sentence , that unless he did perform his golden promise he should be exposed to severe torments . they rackt him , poured boiling soap into his bowels , chain'd his legs to one post , and fastened his neck to another , two men holding his hands , and so applyed the scorching heat of the fire to his feet ; the tyrant himself often casting his eye upon him , and threatning him with death , if he did not give him the promised gold ; and thus with these kind of horrid torments , the said lord was destroy'd ; which while they were doing , god being willing to manifest how displeasing these cruelties are to his divine majesty , the whole city , that was the stage on which they were acted , was consumed by fire ; and the rest of the captains following his example , destroy'd all the lords of that region by fire and faggot . once it fell out , that many indians addressed themselves to the spaniards with all humility and simplicity , as they use to do , who thinking themselves safe and secure , behold the captain comes into the city , where they were to do their work , and commands all these indians , sleeping and taking their rest , after supper , being wearied with the heavy drudgery of the day , to be slain by the sword : and this stratagem he put in practice , to make a greater impression of fear on all the minds of the inhabitants ; and another time a certain captain commanded the spaniards to declare upon oath , how many cacics and indians every individual person had in his family at home , who were presently lead to a publick place , and lost their heads ; so there perisht , that bout , four or five hundred men. the witnesses depose this of a particular tyrant , that by beating , cutting off the hands and noses of many women as well as men , and destroying several persons in great numbers , he exercised horrid cruelties . then one of the captains sent this bloody tyrant into the province of bogota , to inquire who succeeded that prince there , whom he so barbarously and inhumanely murder'd , who traveling many miles in this country , took as many indians as he could get , some of which , because they did not tell him who was successor of this deceased prince , had their hands cut off , and others were exposed to hunger-starv'd currs , to be devour'd by them , and thus many of them perished miserably . another time about the fourth watch , early in the morning he fell upon several cacics , noblemen and other indians , who lookt upon themselves to be safe enough , ( for they had their faith and security given , that none of them should receive any damage or injury ) relying upon this , they left the mountains their lurking places , without any suspition or fear , and returned to their cities , but he seized on them all , and commanding them to extend their hands on the ground , cut them off with his own sword , saying , that he punished them after this manner , because they would not inform him what lord it was , that succeeded in that kingdom . the inhabitants of one of these provinces , perceiving that four or five of their governours were sent to the other world in a fiery vehicle or chariot , being terrified therewith , took to the mountains for sanctuary , there being four or five thousand in number , as appears by good evidence ; and the aforesaid captain sends a tyrant , more cruel than any of the rest after them . the spaniards ascend the mountain by force ( for the indians were naked and unarm'd ) proclaiming peace , if they would desist and lay down their arms , which the indians no sooner heard , but quitted their childish weapons ; and this was no sooner done but this sanguinary spaniard sent some to possess themselves of the fortifications , and they being secur'd , to attaque the indians . thus they , like wolves and lyons , did rush upon this flock of sheep , and were so tired with slaughter , that they were forced to desist for a while and take breath , which done , the captain commands them to fall to it again at the same bloody rate , and precipitate all that survived the butchery , from the top of the mountain , which was of a prodigious height ; and that was perform'd accordingly . and the witnesses farther declare upon oath , that they saw the bodies of about seven hundred indians falling from the mount at one time , like a cloud obscuring the air , who were all broken to pieces . this very tyrant came once to the city cota , where he surprized abundance of men , together with fifteen or twenty cacics of the highest rank and quality , whom he cast to the dogs to be torn limb-meal in pieces , and cut off the hands of several men and women , which being run through with a pole , were exposed to be view'd and gaz'd upon by the indians , where you might see at once seventy pair of hands , transfixed with poles ; nor is it to be forgotten , that he cut off the noses of many women and children . the witnesses farther depose , that the cruelties and great slaughters committed in the aforesaid new kingdom of granada , by this captain , and other tyrants , the destroyers of mankind , who accompany him , and have power still given them by him to exercise the same , are such and so hainous , that if his majesty does not opportunely apply some remedy , for the redress and prevention of such mischiess for the future , ( since the indians are daily slaughtered to accumulate and enrich themselves with gold , which the inhabitants have been so rob'd of , that they are now grown bare , for what they had , they have disposed to the spaniards already ) this kingdom will soon decay and be made desolate , and consequently the land being destitute of indians , who should manure it , will lye fallow and incultivated . and here is to be noted , how pestilential and inhumane the cruelty of these tyrants hath been , and how violently exercised , when as in two or three years space , they were all slain , and the country wholly desolate and deserted , as those that have been eye-witnesses can testifie ; they having acted like merciless men , not having the fear of god and the king before their eyes , but by the instigation of the devil ; so that it may well be said and affirmed , not one person will be left alive , unless his majesty does retard , and put a stop to the full career of their cruelties , which i am very apt to believe , for i have seen with these very eyes of mine , many kingdom laid waste and depopulated in a small time . there are other stately provinces on the confines of the new kingdom of granada , as popayan and cali , together with three or four more above five hundred miles in length , which they destroyed , in the same manner , as they have done other places , and laid them absolutely waste by the prementioned slaughters , who were very populous , and the soil very fruitful . they who came among us from those regions report , that nothing can be more deplorable or worthy of pity and commiseration , then to behold such large and great cities totally ruinated , and intombed in their own ashes , and that in a city adorn'd with or fabricks , there are hardly now to be seen standing , the rest being utterly demolished , or consum'd and levelled to the ground by fire and in some parts regions of miles length , ( containing spacious cities ) are found absolutely destroyed and consumed by fire . finally many great tyrants who came out of the perusian kingdoms by the quuonians travelled to the said new kingdom of granada and popayan , and by carthagena and the vrabae , they directed their course to calisium , and several other tyrants of carthagena assault quito , who joyn'd themselves in an intire body and wholly depopulated and laid waste that region for the space of miles and upward , with the loss of a prodigious number of poor souls ; nor as yet do they treat the small remnant of so . great and innocent a people with more humanity then formerly . i desire therefore that the readers who have or shall peruse these passages , would please seriously to consider whether or no , such barbarous , cruel and inhumane acts as these do not transcend and exceed all the impiety and tyranny , which can enter into the thoughts or imagination of man , and whether these spaniards deserve not the name of devils . for which of these two things is more eligible or desirable whether the indians should be delivered up to the devils themselves to be tormented or the spaniards ? that is still a question . nor can i here omit one piece of villany , ( whether it ought to be postpon'd or come behind the cruelty of brute animals , that i leave to decision ) . the spaniards who are conversant among the indians bred up curst curs , who are so well instructed and taught that they at first sight , fly upon the inhabitants tearing them limb by limb , and so presently devour them . now let all persons whether christians or not consider , if ever such a thing as this reacht the ears of any man , they carry these dogs with them as companions where ever they go , and kill the fettered indians in multitudes like hogs for their food ; thus sharing with them in the butchery . nay they frequently call one to the other , saying , lend me the fourth part of one of your slaves to feed my dogs , and when i kill one , i will repay you , as if they had only borrowed a quarter of a hog or sheep . others , when they go a hunting early in the morning , upon their return , if you ask them what sport had you to day at the game ? they will answer , enough , enough , for my dogs have killed and worried or indian vassals . now all these things are plainly prov'd upon those inquisitions and examinations made by one tyrant against another . what i beseech you , can be more horrid or barbarous ? but i will desist from writing any longer at this time , till some messenger brings an account of greater and blacker impieties ( if greater can be committed ) or else till we come to behold them again , as we have done for the space of forty two years with our own eyes . i will only make this small addition to what i have said that the spaniards , from the beginning of their first entrance upon america to this present day , were no more sollicitous of promoting the preaching of the gospel of christ to these nations , then if they had been dogs or beasts , but which is worst of all , they expresly prohibited their addresses to the religious , laying many heavy impositions upon them , dayly afflicting and persecuting them , that they might not have so much time and leasure at their own disposal , as to attend their preaching and divine service ; for they lookt upon that to be an impediment to their getting gold , and raking up riches which their avarice stimulated them so boundlesly to prosecute . nor do they understand any more of a god , whether he be made of wood , brass or clay , then they did above an hundred years ago , new spain only exempted , which is a small part of america , and was visited and instructed by the religious . thus they did formerly and still do perish without true faith , or the knowledge and benefit of our religious sacraments . i frier bartholomeas de las casas or casaus of the order of st. dominick , who through they mercy of god am arriv'd at the spanish court , cordially wishing the expulsion of hell or these hellish acts out of the indies ; fearing least those souls redeemed by the pretious blood of christ , should perish eternally , but heartily desiring that they may acknowledge their creator and be saved ; as also for the care and compassion that i ever had for my native countrey castile , dreading least god should destroy it for the many sins committed by the natives her children , against faith , honour and their neighbours : i have at length upon the request of some persons of great quality in this court , who are servently zealous of the houour of god , and moved with pitty at the calamities and afflictions of their neighbours ( though i long since proposed it within my self , and resolved to accomplish it , but could not , being distracted with the avocations of multiplicity of constant business and employment , have leisure to effect it ) i say i have at length finished this treatise and summary at valencia , deceinb . . an. dom. , when they were arrived at the height , and utmost degree of executing violences , oppressions , tyranny , desolations , torments , and calamities in all the aforesaid regions , inhabited by the spaniards ( though they are more cruel in some places than other ) yet mexico with its confines were more favourably treated than the rest of the provinces . and indeed no man durst openly and publickly do any injury to the inhabitants ; for there some justice , ( which is no where else in india ) though very little is done and practised ; yet they are grievously opprest with intolerable taxes . but i do really believe , and am fully perswaded that our sovereign lord charles the fifth , emperour and king of spain , our lord and prince , who begins to be sensible of the wickedness and treacheries , which have been , and still are committed against this miserable nation , and distressed countries contrary to the will and pleasure of god , as well as his majesties that he will in time , ( for hitherto the truth hath been concealed and kept from his knowledge , with as great craft , as fraud and malice ) totally extirpate and root up all these evils and mischiefs , and apply such proper medicines an may purge the morbifick and peccant humours in the body politick of this new world , committed to his care and government as a lover and promoter of peace and tranquillity . god preserve and bless him with renown and a happy life in his imperial state , and prosper him in all his attempts , that he may remedy the distempers of the christian church , and crown him at last with eternal felicity , amen . after i had published this treatise , certain laws and constitutions , enacted by his majesty then at baraclona in the month of december , an. dom. , promulgated and published the year ensuing in the city of madera , whereby it is provided , ( as the present necessities requir'd ) that a period be put to such great enomrities and sins , as were committed against god and our neighbours , and tended to the utter ruine and perdition of this new world. these laws were published by his majesties order , several persons of highest authority , councellors , learned , and conscientious men , being assembled together for that purpose , and many debates made at valedolid about this weighty affair , at lenght by the unanimous consent and advice of all those who had committed their opinions to writing , they were made publick who traced more closely therein the laws of christ and christianity , and were judged persons pure , free from and innocent of that stain and blemish of depriving the indians of their treasures by theft and rapine , which riches had contaminated and fullied the hands , but much more the souls of those who were enslav'd by those heaps of wealth and covetousness , now this obstinate and hot pursuit after wealth was the original of all those evils committed without the least remorse or check of conscience . these laws being thus promulgated , the courtiers who promoted these tyrants , took care that several copies should be transcribed , ( though they were extremely afflicted to see , that there was no farther hopes or means to promote the former depredations and extortions by the tyranny aforesaid ) and sent them to several indian provinces . they , who took upon them the trouble and care of extirpating , and oppressing by different ways of cruelty , as they never observed by method or . order , but behav'd themselves most inordinately and irregularly , having perused these diplomata or constitutions , before the new made judges , appointed to put them in execution , could arrive or be landed , they by the assistance of those ( as 't is credibly rumour'd , nor is it repugnant to truth ) who hitherto favour'd their criminal and violent actions , knowing well that these laws and proclamations must necessarily take effect , began to grow mutinous , and rebel , and when the judges were landed , who were to execute these mandates , laying aside all manner of love and fear of god , were so audacious as to contemn and set at nought all the ●●verence and obedience due to their king , and so became traytors , demeaning themselves like blood-thirsty tyrants , costitute and void of all humanity . more particularly this appear'd in the perusian kingdoms , where an. dom. , they acted such horrid and stuendous enormities , that the like were never known or heard in america , or throughout the whole world before that time . nor were they only practised upon the indians , who were mostly destroy'd , but upon themselves also , god permitting them by his just judgment to be their own executioners , and sheath their swords in one anothers bowels . in like manner the other parts of this new world being moved by the example of these rebels , refused to yield obedience to those laws . the rest pretending to petition his majesty turn rebellious themselves ; for they would not voluntarily resign those estates , goods and chattels they have already usurped , nor willingly manumit those indians , who were doomed to be their slaves , during life ; and where they restrain'd the murdering sword from doing execution , they opprest them gradually with personal vassalage , injust and intolerable burthens ; which his majesty could not possibly hitherto avert or hinder , because they are all universally , as well those of high , as low degrees ; some more , some less , some publickly and openly , others clancularly and secretly , so naturally addicted to rob , thieve and steal ; and thus under pretext of serving the king , they dishonour god , and defraud his imperial majesty . here the author having finished the matter of fact in this compendious history , for confirmation of what he has here written , quotes a tedious and imperfect epistle ( as he styles it ) beginning and ending abruptly and anonymous withal , contanining the cruelties committed by the spaniards , the same in effect as our author has prementioned , now in regard that i judge such reiterated cruelties and repeated barbarisms are offensive to the reader , he having sailed already too long , and too far in an ocean of innocent indian blood : i have omitted all but two or three stories not taken notice of by the author . one of the tyrants , ( who followed the steps of john ampudia , a notorious villain ) gave way to a great slaughter of sheep the chief food and support of the spaniards as well as indians , permitting them to kill two or three hundred at a time , only for their brains , fat , or suet , whose flesh was then altogether useless , and not fit to be eaten ; but many indians , the spaniards friends and confederates followed them , desiring they might have the hearts to feed upon , whereupon they butchered a great many of them , for this only reason , because they would not eat the other parts of the body . two of their gang in the province of peru kild twenty five sheep , who were sold among the spaniards for twenty five crowns , merely to get the fat and brains out of them : thus by the frequent and extraordinary slaughter of their sheep above a hundred thousand head of cattel were destroy'd . and upon this account the region was reduced to great penury and want , and at length perished with hunger . nay the province of quito , which abounded with corn beyond expression , by such proceedings as these , was brought to that extremity that a sextarie or small measure of wheat was sold for ten crowns , and a sheep at as dear a rate . this captain taking leave of quito was followed by a poor indianess with loud cries and clamours , begging and beseeching him not to carry away her husband ; for she had the charge of three children , and could not possibly supply them with victuals , but they must inevitably dye with hunger , and though the captain repulsed her with an angry brow at the first ; yet she approacht him a second time with repeated cries , saying , that her children must perish for want of food ; but finding the captain inexorable and altogether unmov'd with her complaints , and her husband not restor'd , through a piquant necessity wedded to despair ; she cut off the heads of her children with sharp stones , and so dispatcht them into the other world. then he proceeded farther to another city , and sent some spaniards that very night , to take the indians of the city of tulilicui , who next day brought with them above a hundred persons ; some of which ( whom he lookt upon to be able to carry burthens ) he reserved for his own and his soldiers service , and others were chain'd , and perished in their fetters : but the little infants he gave to the cacic of tulilicui , abovesaid to be eaten up and devoured , whose skins are stuft with ashes & hang up in his house to be seen at this very day . and in the close of this letter he shuts up all with these words , 't is here very remarkable and never to be forgotten , that this tyrant ( being not ignorant of the mischiefs and enormities executed by him ) boastingly said of himself , they who shall travel in these countreys fifty years hence , and hear the things related of me , will have cause to say & declare , that never such a tyrant as i am marched through these regions , and committed the like enormities . now not to quit the stage without one comical scene or action whereon such cruelties have been lively personated , give me leave to acquaint you with a comical piece of grammatical learning in a reverend religioso of these parts , sent thither to convert the west-indian pagans , which the author mentions among his reasons and replications , and all those i pass by as immaterial to our purpose , many of them being repeated in the narrative before . the weight and burthen of initiating the indians into the christian faith lay solely on the spaniards at first ; and therefore joannes colmenero in sancta martha , a fantastic , ignorant , and foppish fellow , was under examination before us ( and he had one of the most spatious cities committed to his charge as well as the care and cure of the souls of the inhabitants ) whether he understood how to fortifie himself with the sign of the cross against the wicked and impious , and being interrogated what he taught , and how he instructed the indians , whose souls were instrusted to his care and conduct ; he return'd this answer , that if he damn'd them to the devils and furies of holl , it was sufficient to retrieve them , if he pronounced these words , per signin sanctin cruces . a fellow fitter to be a hogherd than a shepherd of souls . this deep , bloody american tragedy is now concluded , and my pen choakt up with indian blood and gore : i have no more to say , but pronounce the epilogue made by the author , and leave the reader to judge whether it deserves a plaudite . the spaniards first set sail to america , not for the honour of god , or as persons moved and incited thereunto by fervent zeal to the true faith , nor to promote the salvation of their neighbours , nor to serve the king , as they falsely boast and pretend to do , but in truth , only stimulated and goaded on by insatiable avarice and ambition , that they might for ever domineer , command , and tyrannize over the west-indians , whose kingdoms they hoped to divide and distribute among themselves . which to deal candidly is no more nor less intentionally , than by all these indirect wayes to disappoint and expel the kings of castile out of those dominions and territories , that they themselves having usurped the supreme and regal empire , might first challenge it as their right , and men possess and enjoy it . finis . a journey into spain brunel, antoine de, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a journey into spain brunel, antoine de, - . aerssen, françois van, - . [ ], p. printed for henry herringman, london : . a free and abridged translation of "voyage d'espagne curieux, historique, et politique." the authorship has been attributed to françois van aerssen, - , and to his grandson françois van aerssen, - . the latter was the traveler, accompanied by antoine de brunel, who seems to have been the author (cf. foulché-delbose. bibl. des voyages en espagne et en portugal, p. - ). reproduction of original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by 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and travel. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a journey into spain . nec ille qui voluptatem probat sine contemplatione est ; nec ille qui contemplationi inservit sine voluptate est ; nec ille cujus vita actioni destinata est sine contemplatione est . sen. de vita beata . london , printed for henry herringman , and are to be sold at the sign of the blew anchor in the lower walk of the new exchange , . to the reader . i present you the vast body of the spanish monarchy , which , though it hath spread its roots into many and distant provinces , is but of late growth , having but little before the last age first aspired , not only to a competition with the two antiently ballancing powers of christendom , england and france ( for two they were when france depended not on england ) but the empire of the world. our near concernments either in peace or war with it , rendring it very necessary to be known to us , i am willing to shew it you in such particular remarks of the people and countrey , as i think you have not yet seen , with something of observation on its sodain advance , and almost as sodain decay ; so that it is no longer a competitor with the other two , but so much fallen from it , it could scarcely any longer subsist , did not the moderation and justice of one of those monarchs , oblige him rather to joyn in supporting its throne , then enjoy his share of the many advantages , his maritime power and scituation of his dominion , might reasonably promise by the fall of it ; especially in regard by sending abroad he shall not need to fear such a depopulation as it suffers under , when his doors shall be opened by acts of naturalization and registers , to admit and secure such as ( out of consideration of the fertility of his countrey , temperature of its air , and convenience for trade ) will abundantly supply what may be so exhausted . the time of taking this survey sufficiently discovers it self in it , and though some years since relates to several very modern transactions of christendom of the highest concern , as the english rebellion , renunciation of the queen of sweden , and imprisonment of the duke of lorrain ; neither have any changes very considerable since happened to spain , either in its government , customs , or negotiations . you have in it a clear prospect of decay of power , with increase of wealth , which shews you are not undone by scarcity ( whether real or pretended ) of those adored metals for which this people have sold themselves and abandoned their countrey , whilest you abound in all things else that contribute either to use or pleasure , and they ( though masters of the fountains of them ) are indeed as indigent and miserable as you fancy your selves to be in the want of them alone . it makes no less evident that when a nation ( especially its nobility and gentry ) contemns or neglects arms , it is at the highest , if not declining . if it be a little satirical as to the haughtiness and singularity of that people , it hath also something of panegeric as to several of their virtues , without which yet i suppose it might be tolerated , our press having formerly made as bold with most of the other nations of europe , as they with us . a journey into spain . when we left italy , we resolved for spain ; but because m. p. intending his son should take that journey with us , had ordered him to expect us at monpellier , whither he had commanded him to repair , from the house of a gentleman of xaintonge , where he had resided some months , we were obliged to tarry for him . he came not till the later end of december , the extremity of which season pressing us to spend the winter there , we deferred our departure till the spring : and the weather in languedoc being pleasant in march , we went away the th of that month . i shall not concern my self in describing what we saw in that most agreeable province , nor in repeating what we learned that was considerable , whilst we traversed it almost from one end to the other ; nor yet say any thing of gascony , through which we passed ; nor of bayonne , where we took our leaves of france . having travail'd those parts only as they lay in our way to spain , i shall reserve all my curiosity for it , and not charge my table-book with any observations till i come to the frontiers of that kingdom . that i may not neglect many particulars i learned of the government , customs , and present condition of the imperious nation that inhabits it , i will here make an extract of what i scattered in several papers during our abode at madrid : to put which into method , were to unravel confusion it self ; every thing shall therefore have its place , as i saw or heard it ; and if some be repeated more than once , it is because i design not a polished work , but to give liberty to my discourse according to time , place , persons , companies , and entertainments , and such reflections as have presented from them ; not confining my self to what i saw , or happened to me , or my company , but enlarging to what was told us , having ever endeavoured to get the best informations possible . it ought not to seem strange if in some places i happen to speak untruths without lying , and in others to wander without knowing i am out of the way , and devoting my book to those only that have seen its foundations laid , and materials gathered together , to serve us as memorials of part of that time which for six years we employed in studying the world in its great school , which is travail : the mistakes and errors made either by me , or such as i conversed with , will not to them appear very considerable or uneasie to be effaced as soon as discovered : and if it accidentally happen into other hands , they may make choice of what is weighty and certain , leaving what seems light and doubtful , without any just cause of complaint against me on account of that which i write not for their sakes . i have nevertheless endeavoured to make as few errors as possible , and what i set down at night according to the several objects and companies of the day , i overlook'd next morning , and made farther enquiry of such persons as i thought likely to disabuse me if ill informed , and give me clearer light if what i had received were imperfect . according to this method i have ( better or worse ) satisfied my curiosity in examining this grave and haughty nation at its own home , since it seldom goes abroad unless to command others , and secure its king of their obedience by garrisons and colonies sent into all parts of his dominions in the new and old world , and by the governments and magistracies he bestows upon it , with an intire exclusion of the inhabitants of those countries to which he distributes them . resolving to enter by way of st. sebastian , which is the most easie , we lodged at the last town of france called st. john de luz . it is the seat of commerce between the two frontiers , and may pass for a good city , being large , well built , and rich : its mariners are esteemed and employed in fishing for cods , and whales ; and we found dutch men there that had hired fifty to be made use of at new-found-land . as soon as we had passed baione we perceived the humour of the people to incline to that of their neighbourhood , being insolent and little complying with strangers : the women in passing the streets cast their coats over their heads , and so to cover their cheeks discover their buttocks . the next day we wanted but two leagues to the spanish dominion , and at a good distance discerned fontarabia , a fort at the falling of bidassao into the sea : this river , or rather torrent , separates the two kingdoms ; it is pretty broad at the ferry , the country thereabouts being fenny , and ebs and flows with the sea : at low water it is in many places fordable . andaie a little town or village is seated on its bank , right over against fontarabia , and separated from it only by that stream : but we were fain to go higher to seek the ferry-boat , and were troubled how to find it , having been wrong directed by the post-master , who does all ill offices he can to those that travail on their own horses : the toll paid by the boats goes half to the french , and half to the spanish , one of them receiving it of such as pass into spain , and the other of those that travail into france , but both of them equally squeezing the passenger . these frontiers have no less communication than if there were no war between the two nations ; and it is well for them it is so ; for otherwise an universal desolation would follow . the country is barren and mountainous , producing nothing but iron , as well that which belongs to france , as that which is possessed by the spaniard , which is the greatest part ▪ it is called biscai : the language is understood only by the inhabitants , and so poor that one word hath diverse significations , so that it cannot without difficulty be made use of in commerce : none write it , and the children at school learn french or spanish , as they are subject to either king. it does not a little surprise , when having passed bidassao , one is no more understood without speaking spanish , when a moment before french was intelligible . half a quarter of a league further is iron , the first town belonging to the king of spain ; they neither demand passport nor account of any's business ; and one would think there were neither warr nor distrust ; only the alcalde came for two reals as a due belonging to him : but such as return and pass into france are not used with the like indifference : we were entertained at the posthouse , much as we had formerly been in italy on the way to naples , but more slenderly : little dishes with little bits of meat , made us despair of filling our bellies ; but at last one after another enow were brought to satisfie us . when the reckoning came they fleeced us , and we were forced to give four crowns for a meal that was not worth one . over several mountains , and by a way very rough and stony , we got that night to lye at st. sebastians , where we arrived before we were aware , it being covered by a great bank of sand , which passed , the town appears at the foot of a mountain that keeps off the sea , though she embraces it almost on all sides , and enters far enough to make a haven ; but for greater safety to ships , there is a redout in form of a basin , they riding at the town side , and foot of the mountain , where they seem secure from storms , though we were told some have risen to that height that they have broken in pieces such as anchored there . greater vessels cannot enter , the water serving only for barks and shallops : ships of warr ride a quarter of a league lower , towards fontarabia , where is the arsenal for the oceans fleet , at present in no very good condition . it returned from bourdenux much weather-beaten , and for want of money nothing is done towards refitting it . before st. sebastian there is a great ship on the stocks intended for admiral : it will be a stately vessel if ever finished : we were told it had been long in the condition in which we saw it , and that more money had been spent about it than would have served for a dozen such fabricks , of which the greatest part became a prey to the overseers . bilbo and st. sebastian are the principal havens the king of spain hath on the ocean ; corugna also is spoken of , where the marquis of st. cruz tarried somewhat too long , whilest revolted bourdeaux , for want of his succors , was ready to return to its kings obedience : he could not have chosen a fitter place to refresh his fleet , none on that coast abounding more with limons and oranges , which from thence are transported into england , france , and holland ; and if he was better pleased there than he should have been in fighting , monsieur de vendosme , he payed dear enough for it , having been detained prisoner ever since his return from so famous an expedition . st. sebastian is seated in a very little province called guipuscoa ; trafick draws to it a great concourse , though the town be but small , it is very compact , and extremely populous , one house containing several families . a merchant stranger is there forced to lodge with some citizen , it not being permitted him to be a house-keeper : many dutch men are obliged to live in this manner . the custom was thus introduced ; strangers at the first settling of trafick out of meer liberality gave their landlords as a gratuity one in the hundred of all the commodities they sold ; and the inhabitants to preserve this profit made such an order , which hath caused some that would not observe it to be sued at law. that which most pleased me in this town , was , that the streets are wide , streight , and very well paved with a broad stone , like that of florence . the principal revenue of the country is drawn from iron-mills , some of them of a very pure mettal , and so rich they may furnish all europe : wools of old castile are also shipped here , sent in good quantity by the merchants of diverse places . the baron of batteville , a gentleman of the franch contie ( who was then present ) is governor , and with it of all guipuscoa . though he hath rendered very many good services to spain , particularly in the troubles of gasconie ) and so seaseasoned himself with spanish customs , that he hath forgotten his own language and country ; this employment , to which that of admiral is joyned , draws on him no little envy . we waited on him , and he received us well , but returned not our visit , and we went away without bidding him adieu . here we stayed three dayes , and kept our easter : we had been recommended to a worthy merchant , who after dinner carried us to a nunnery , where we heard most pitiful musick . this cloister is on an eminence , from which the town that is overagainst it may be very well battered ; and the castle or citadel which is on the top of a hill , at whose foot the town stands , seems rather a sentry-house to watch , than a fortress to defend it . on tuesday in easter-week , having been treated by our merchant , we took the way of madrid , leagues distant . the country we passed through is mountainous and barren , and we perceived that we traversed the tops of the pirenean , which almost divide spain , as the apenine italy . necessity quickly taught us the mode of the country , which obliges travailers to buy in several places all accommodations necessary . we tarried a while at st. sebastians , partly to provide us a moco de mulas , that is a servant or guide , to bring us to madrid , to whom it belongs to buy victual , and carry other provisions : forty crowns were demanded of us for the attendance of one of those rascals , which being so dear , we resolved not to take any , and to guide our selves as well as we could . the part of moco de mulas fell to my share : i shall give you the particulars of this imployment , and of travailing in spain . at the first arrival at an inn you ask for beds , which being provided , you either give the meat you bring raw with you to the host to be dressed , or go your self and buy it in the market : if you find any capon , pullet , or partridge you seek to make sure of them . we were told we should meet plenty of the last , fatter , larger , and better than those of france ; but in all our journey we found but one , neither had it all those advantages . the best way is to carry your provision along with you in wallets , and provide what you find on the place to be made use of the next day . coming to your inn , you go abroad to buy bread , wine , and eggs ; for something of those is usually to be had , but none allowed to sell them except such as farm that priviledge : excise goes so high , that the king hath a quarto upon every egge . these inns are sad spectacles , and the sight of them gives one a belly full . the fire is made on a hearth in the middle of the kitchin , choked with so thick a smoke , that you would think your self in the kennel of a fox that the hunters would drive out ▪ a man or woman all in rags like a begger , and no less lowsie , measures the wine to you , which is drawn from a hogs , or goats skin , in which it is kept , and which is to it both barrel and celler : the best wine out of these is a very unpleasant liquor , having a most abominable taste of the pitched hide . the white-wine is as fiery as aqua-vitae , yet bears not water , the least drop being mixed with it , becoming insipid and without spirit . by what i have said may be gathered how ill living is in spain ; yet i found it not so bad as i expected , especially in biscai , though a country less fertile then castile . it is true indeed , that being a frontier , it is not so much taxed , and the people enjoy greater liberty , and some provisions may be found in the inns , but at double their value . about a day and a halfs journey from st. sebastian we passed over a pretty high mountain called st. adrians ; it is none of the steepest or craggiest , but that which i found most remarkable , is that on the top of it runs a ridge of rock , which hinders passing ; one would think it placed there by nature , as a fixed and insurmountable separation between biscai and old castile , in such a manner , that they have been fain to open a way with much difficulty ; for the rock is cut thorough thirty or forty paces : in this there is one house , which must needs be very well roofed , having so great a mass of the quarry to cover it . freed from this wonderful passage , we descended into old castile , something more plain , though not much more fertil . we found here no less trouble than on the alpes at the mountain of st. godard , night surprising us in the middle of the descent , and for increase of our misfortune , we could get no lodging at the next village : this the more incommoded us in regard one of our horses had lost both his shoes before : notwithstanding which we were forced to seek entertainment in another miserable village ( to which the host was our guide ) which afforded us only bread and wine , and two wretched beds , whose sheets and matresses could not oblige us to put off our cloths . we began now to approach the heart of spain , having entred the old castile , where stands the city of valladolid , for a long time the seat of its kings , the country is all sand , and little hillocks of unfertil earth , often interrupted by mountains hooded with rocks , unless in some few places where small plains and valleys appear , that afford the inhabitants such provisions as sustain them . but never did i see any country less beautified with gardens : i know not whether by reason the soil affords them not , or that the people are not industrious enough to take care of them . coming near vittoria , the first city of castile , we passed through the fairest and best cultivated plain we had till then seen : that little city is seated at the end of it , as seemed to us , very pleasantly : we rested there half a day , as well to shoe our horses , as to deliver a letter we had for the master of the custom-house , from whom we hoped addresses necessary to continue our journey securely . we heard rumours of theeves , and beyond burgos a great robberie had been lately committed . this letter was very useful to us , for till then we had not been any wayes molested about our horses or baggage , but we were assured , that had we only passed the gate without a ticket from the custom-house all had been confiscated . it fell out very luckily for us to have a letter to him that is the kings farmer , who as soon as he had received it , visited us , and not only caused a sufficient passport to be given us , but made us a present of wine , capons and neats-tongues , with which furnishing our knapsacks , we had recourse to them in case of necessity . the civility of this spaniard was very pleasing to us , and made us judge this nation more generous then the italians , though they be equally for their particular interests , and one of them as little communicable as the other . the first of april we dined at pancorbo , and lay at miranda , and the next day did the like at barbiesca and monasterio de rodillas ; the third we arried at burgos , the chief city of castile , and so considerable in both castiles , that it possesses the first place , though disputed by toledo : we were not at all troubled with heat on our way , but not a little that day with cold ; a sharp wind caused a hoar frost , and in some places ice : burgos is the coldest city of spain , being seated at the foot of a high mountain ; it hath formerly enjoyed a considerable trade , which of later days is almost lost ; it is not very great ; and the most remarkable things in it are the church and arch-bishops palace , admirable fabricks for spain , where generally they build ill ; in some places because they are poor , and in others for want of lime and stones , so that in every part , and even in madrid it self , many houses are made of earth ; and the best fabricks cimented with clay instead of mortar . another ornament of burgos , is a large and very convenient bridge , passing from the suburbs to the city : its inhabitants are thought to speak the best castilian ; this territory , of a certain breeds the best soldiers , and very few afford the king a greater number ; we received extraordinary civilities from a merchant , to whom we were recommended by the customer of vittoria . he did not only inquire us out company for our journey to madrid , because of the danger of thieves ; but finding us in a lodging where we could not be well entertained , after shewing us the town , carried us to his house , where he treated us at dinner with a frankness , much more valuable then his good cheer ; it was served in dish after dish , and began by a slender potage , with two or three slices of bread in it ; every one of us had an earthen porrenger of it presented him , but the saffron and pepper gave such a hogo , it could hardly be eaten . it was on a saturday and according to the custom of that countrey to eat on such days , the heads and intrails of sheep and oxen , we had such meats , so that we fared much better then we should have done by hunting among the taverns and victualing houses to make our own provision : besides , the gallantry of his manner of treating , surprzed us , conducting us with a great deal of freedom into the chamber where the cloth was laid , and his wife lay sick abed of a quartane ague ; that day i spurred up my memory to furnish me with all the spanish , had lain dormant there , since i studied it at florence , and lighting on any expression of civility , repeated it so often , that it was very evident , compliments were scarce with me ; m. p. spoke now and then a word , and m. s. was continually silent , so that the burthen of the entertainment lay all on me , who knew not very well how to acquit my self , especially , when the wife began to speak from the bed ; i knew not whether i was to treat her with vuestra merced , or vuestra sennoria , which so confounded me , that often supposing , the first belonged onely to men , i blushed as if i had committed some hainous crime , and recalling my self , brought out the second , due only to persons of eminent quality , for vuestra merced is of all genders , and so common , that grooms and footmen honour one another with it : to bring my self off , i drank her good health , saying , sennora a la salud de xxxx and there was gravell'd , not knowing which word to chuse , and i think i made use of both , que dios le dia prompta guarison , i cannot tell whether she understood me , for i have since been told , the last word is not spanish ; but this i am sensible of , that i committed a great incivility by putting off my hat , which is never done there at table : having made better use of our teeth then tongues , it was at last , time to be gone ; the master of the house , according to the custom of the countrey , leading the way , for as they button contrary to other nations , they are also contrary in this particular ; and they say , that in accompanying the stranger , the master of the house goes first to leave the other in possession . i forgot to give the woman a parting compliment . coming back to the inn , where we alighted , we found the widow that kept it , drunk , on which i must take occasion to say , that i never saw so many women drunk in germany , as on this side the pireneans ; this was the second that gorged with wine , which they send for to taverns , came to piss before us all in the stable . though we had almost resolved to lie at burgos , as soon as we had left our merchant , our minds alter'd , because we were told that three leagues from thence we should find a very good inn , but our servants being walked abroad , had like to have hindred our putting this in execution . one of them having enter'd a church with spurs on , the gates were shut upon him , till he payed money exacted as on shipboard , but at last he freed himself ; we presently took horse , and as soon as out of town , missed our way ; after which , making use of a priest we met with for our guide , we happened to be very ill lodged : the next day cold and rainy , we dined at lerma , where having lit on a good inn , we continued till the morning after ; we went to see the palace of the lord of it , next the escurial , esteemed the fairest in spain , it is a vast fabrick , but ill contriv'd , without either garden or plantation for walks : being holiday , the inhabitants were together , drinking in a large hall , into which , as soon as we enter'd , they very civilly presented us wine , and the corrigidor , or chief officer of the place , entertained and shewed us several rooms of the palace . leaving lerma the th , we arrived at madrid the th . where we were very glad to be , as well to rest our selves as to enjoy a milder climat , for in castile we were tormented with continual cold wind and rain , and a countrey so steril , that we could not but rejoyce to approach one something less savage . an inexpressible number of french pilgrims pass to and from st. james in galicia , the occasion of the spaniards calling them gavachos , this makes evident that france abounds in people , and those very idle , in such a manner to pester the roads of spain . ignorance , poverty and abuse in matters of religion , cause this disorder , and that a great many poor pilgrims ( not entertain'd here as in italy , the hospitals affording only house-room ) die every year in spain . the best town we saw on the way was aranda de duero , where we provided our selves to pass the th the mountain of samosierra , which separates old castille from new , in which madrid stands . these passages are called ports , as if there were rivers to be forded or ferried over , and at first deceived us with the expectation of some rapid and difficult torrent . this day we suffered by rain , hail , snow , and wind , and found not spain hotter then other countreys , being almost frozen in so advanced a season , and between the two castiles . we were not free from the mountains , till within three or four leagues of madrid , the snowy tops of which are discerned at it : the plain in which it is seated is somewhat uneven , rising and falling every halfe quarter of a league : it is not adorned by any one tree , the land on that side by which we went towards it is tilled , yet seems very barren , consisting onely of sand and light earth , unless some few eminences ; no wood , and abundance of stones : the way all along is good , as is usual where land is bad ; and when we enquired after it , we were answered with a spanish rhodomontado , that we could not possibly miss it , because the greatest high-way in the world . on the side we enter'd it appears not much , but on that where buon retiro stands , gives a very agreeable prospect . it is not walled , the streets are large , but foul , and stinking they which calculate all the ordures cast into them , say they are daily perfumed by above a hundred thousand close-stools ; the pavement is so defective , and the coaches so ill hung , that to ride in them over so uneven ground is to be broken on the wheel . houses ( as well as all things else ) are very dear here . they build only with brick and clay , having little lime , and no stone but what is brought seven leagues from about the escurial . a house that in another place were very inconsiderable is sold here for or thousand crowns . whoever builds is concluded to have a purse very well lined . they which return from governments beyond sea , demolish their houses and build palaces , which make appear they have either been viceroys of naples , or governors of flanders or milan . in this manner this town , which is new , and the greatest part very slightly built , according to the abilities of the inhabitants , becomes every day more beautiful , as the better part of the kings revenue , is appropriated to those that have the managing of it . la placa major is very fair , something more long than large , the houses on all sides uniform , and the highest in madrid . they are all encompassed by two or three ranks of balconies , which serve to see the feasts of bulls , the famousest ceremonies of spain . report speaks this divertisement to have been derived from the moors , and indeed it savours not a little of their brutality : it suits so strangely with the genius of this people , that no town is so mean but it hath its peculiar feasts , and think a curse would follow should they omit solemnise them . the king cannot absent himself from those of madrid without the murmurs of the people . his palace is at one end of the town , on an almost indiscernable rising , that side on which we went to it enjoys the prospect of a little river , and part of a valley in which are some trees : by it he can pass to la casa del campo , a wretched house of pleasure , without other ornament than a few walks in a wood. on this brook , rather than river , philip the second built a very great and broad bridge , some of its arches not touched by any water : and i believe it was rather made for a more commodious passing the descent of the valley , than to be a great bridge to little or no river . the kings house hath nothing magnificent , yet is not so mean as was reported to us . there is a very fair piazza before it , to which it represents no unhandsome frontispice , were the building higher , and a defective tower finished . it hath two quadrangles very large : all councils meet in the palace , and the king by private galleries can go to any of the rooms where they sit . there is a great concourse , and no less noise , when any of them are assembled : but in the kings apartment all is very still , and no body appears till he goes to mass , the only time of seeing him : his halberdiers are then drawn out on each side the gallerie , by which he passes ; these are germans , burgundians , and spaniards , about two or three hundred , wearing all liveries of yellow trimmed with red velvet . when he comes from his apartment the captain of the gard goes before him , and he is followed only by two or three persons . passing between these halberdiers he receives such petitions as are presented him . one day as he went to chappel we would have gone in before , the better to view him , but a door-keeper ( as formerly happened at ratisbone on such an occasion ) told us , that none were to enter unless clothed in black . i liked no house in this town so well as the prison , where yet i would least desire to lodge : it is a massie solid building , the windows fortified with great barrs of iron , as much for ornament as security : they are artificially wrought and guilded , so that my mistake will not seem very strange , who at first thought it the habitation of some grandee of spain . all agree that no city of spain is so populous as this , and excepting london and paris i never saw so many coaches in any ; they are drawn by mules only , and none but the kings and the masters of his horse with more than four : they are no wayes magnificent but in some slight guildings of the iron-works , and about the boots : the greatest part of them are covered with waxed cloth . on one side of the town is the prado , a large walk made use of for the tour ; near it is a great fabrick , but low , called buen retiro . the duke of olivares , during his administration , spent many millions on a structure that is not very considerable : i saw but part of it , where a comedy was preparing with scenes , that would amount to a great expence ; a florentine was the undertaker . for ordinary comedies here are two theaters , where they act every day : the players have to themselves not above three half pence for every person , the hospital as much , and as much the town-house ; to set down it costs seven pence , the whole amounting to fifteen pence . i can say little to the lines or plots , not being skilful enough in the language to understand poetry , nor the figurative fashion of speaking that belongs to it : but know they play their parts ill , few or none having either the meen or genius of true actors . they present by day-light , so that their scenes appear not with advantage : their clothes are neither rich , nor appropriated to their subject ; and the spanish habit serves where the scene is greece or rome . the playes i have seen have but three acts , called jornadas : they usually begin by a prologue in musick , but sing so ill , that their harmony resembles little childrens whinings : between the acts there is some little farce , dance , or intrigue , the most diverting of the whole piece : the people are so taken with them it is hard to get place , the best being bespoken , and the excessive idleness of this country , as that of england , is made evident in that in paris it self , though there are not playes every day , there is no such crowding to them . having with some exactness reported the particularities of such places as we saw , i will now acquaint you with what i in general observed of the spanish humor and government . this nation is thought to be very proud and disdainful , but is really neither so much as it seems : its meen doubtlesly is deceitful , and they which frequent it find not all the vanity imagined , and may perceive it to be a vice proceeding rather from erroneous morals than an insolent temper . to hector it both in words and gestures , seems to them a symtome of a great soul ; and visiting other countries , little or not at all they discover not this defect , derived to them from the first milk they suck , and the first sun gives them light . some spaniards are so ignorant that they believe not there is any other country than spain , other city than madrid , or king than their own . when i speak of ignorant spaniards , i mean those meer castillians who never having quitted their threshold , know not whether amsterdam be in europe , or the indies . the nobility and grandees go little out of madrid , neither as soldiers nor travailers , unless commanded and employed . they have no information either by gazetts or other news written or printed , and i never more admired any thing than that this nation we esteem so politick , and imperious , masters of the secret of the universal monarchy , and capable of imposing fetters on the rest of christendom , hath so very few able heads , amongst whom it is thought the earl of castriglio , viceroy of naples is none of the meanest : pignoranda , don lewis de haro , and don fernando de contreras govern all . the earl of ognate is a great head-piece , but the favourite is jealous of him , and as much as possible keeps him from affairs . the grandees of spain appear such only at a distance : here they seemed to me very little , and without any other advantages than to put on their hats , and sit down in the kings presence ; in other particulars i never observed less inequality in the most popular republick . a shoemaker when he hath laid aside his awl and last , and hung his sword and dagger by his side , will hardly give the first salute to him he wrought for in his shop a moment before . you cannot speak to one of the most inferior of the rabble without giving him titles of honor ; and they treat one another with senores cavalleros . if a beggar seeks an alms , and you refuse him , it must not be without a compliment , pardone vuestra merced , no tengo diveros : pardon me sir , i have no money . no other prince lives like the king of spain , his employments are continually the same , in such a manner , that he at all times knows how every day of his life is to be passed over : you would think some indispensable law prohibited his omitting to do according to custom ; so that neither weeks , months , years , nor hours change any thing of his manner of living , nor present him any thing new . as soon as he rises and recollects what day it is , he knows what businesses he is to dispatch , or what pleasures to enjoy . he hath certain hours for forain and domestick audiences , and for signing all that tends to the expedition of his affairs , dispos ▪ d of his treasure , meals , and devotions . and i have been assured that whatever happens he continues firm in such a manner of acting . every saturday he goes to a church at the farther end of the old pardo called at●cha , where he hath a most particular devotion to the holy virgin , saying it is from her he hath received so great favours , and admirable assistances in his greatest extremities . france also imputes all its successes to her mediation , and the advantages of these potent kingdoms , having been so long diametrically opposite , it seems something inconsistent , that ( little happiness coming to one without the others misfortune ) they can both boast to have her propitious . every year at the self same time he goes to his houses of pleasure , and they say nothing but sickness can prevent his retiring to aranjuez , pardo , or the escurial in the months he had wont to enjoy the air of the country . in a word , they which have spoken to me of this humor , tell me it is very conformable to his meen and port , and they that are near him assured me , that when they speak to him he changes neither look nor posture , but receives , hears , and answers them with the same countenance , nothing in all his body being moveable but his lips and tongue . this gravity , whether natural or affected , is in this country so essential a part of majesty , that we were told that the queen one day , transported at dinner to a more than ordinary laughter , at the ridiculous postures and discourses of a buffoon , was put in mind , that to do so became not a queen of spain , who ought to be more serious at which surprised , being young , and but newly come out of germany , she said she could not help it unless that fellow were taken away , and that they should not have brought him thither if they would not have had her laugh at him . two dayes in the week he gives publick audiences , principally to receive petitions and memorials of such as beg any favour of him . he answers not immediately , but causes them to be all carried into a certain place , where they are perused by a secretary of state , who distributes them to such of the several councils , as their contents relate to ; after which he that would be dispatched , must enquire at the secretaries office what answer is returned , but seldom finds any , especially if the pretence be arrears or reward ; and when he hath lost all hope of hearing what is become of his petition , it is permitted him to present as many more as he pleases , but to little purpose , for the king seldom sees any , and all are carried to the council that received the first , which having no intention to satisfie him , returns neither petition nor answer : for this reason madrid is ever full of pretenders , who with the attendance of whole years , lose their ink and paper . his majesty hath also certain hours in which he signs all expeditions of state , and of his treasurie ; so that nothing is done , nor one penny given out without an order signed by him , whereas in france the secretaries of state have the seal and signature of the king in their power , which would give them oppportunities of doing many things on their own accompt , should they abuse it . it is true yet , that neither here nor there the secretary signs or presents any thing to be signed , but by consent of the favourite or chief minister : and don fernando de contreras , principal secretary , who with pigneranda , and don lewis de haro governs all , causes nothing to be signed but what is approved by the later , and the king intirely confiding in him , signs all he presents without reading it : for never any prince was more easie , nor put greater confidence in his ministers : when delivred from olivares , he was no longer without a favourite then till the queens death , which happened very sodainly after the disgrace of that chief minister : then he received into his privacy ( as they call it here ) the nephew of the former , at present the most powerful in this court : he is also one of the richest , and possessing the great wealth he inherited from his uncle , contents himself to enjoy his fame , and neglect his maximes , which would probably be attended by the publick hatred , his politicks having been thought very corrupt and biassed . it is believed this favourite makes no use of his masters coffers ; and it is but necessary he spare them , they having never been so exhausted ; for besides the monthly pensions of the prince of conde , and those that follow him , which are very ill paid , this court is obliged to an extraordinary charge in catalonia , and its forces being very weak there , to treat for three or four thousand wallons and germans , of which the poorest foot souldier will stand it in six score crowns . the marquis serra a noble genouese ( who on that condition returned to barcelona ) is promised a hundred thousand crowns a month to maintain that army , and to resist the french. the indian fleet was expected , which brought but thousand crowns on the kings accompt the last year ; what it would then bring was very uncertain , thought it was given out to be very rich , and that it had aboard it two years revenue . before the king went to aranjuez , he assembled the estates of both castiles , which consist of the deputies of towns , each town sending two . such assemblies are called las cortes . the king made them a speech , and told them , that of the ten millions of gold , his kingdoms yearly supply him with , not above three came into his coffers , and necessities of state considered , it was his pleasure they should consult of wayes to bring the entire sum into his hands . that to this purpose every town and province should take care themselves to bring their proportion into his exchequer , where he willed them to suppress many of the officers that managed his revenue , and devoured the greatest part of it : after this he also demanded some augmentation . the cortes met , and laboured in this affair , but it was much feared they would not consent to such a suppression , which would undo many , and some of their relations , for the augmentation , it was believed they would not think the people able to pay any more , the miserie and poverty of the country considered . in the mean time this king , ( his ten millions of crowns excepted ) draws little or nothing from the people ; and navarre , arragon , and the kingdom of valentia , ( not united to the castiles ) are not thought to bring up above two millions . the great expences to which his warrs oblige him , are known to all the world , but some nearer home consume the best of his revenue : these are many pensions , there being hardly any grandee of spain , duke , earl , marquis , or knight that hath not something from the publick : not in recompence of service in war ; but because the most of them are extremely necessitous , in so much that i have been assured that many of them compounding with their creditors , have assigned them their pensions , reserving only some small sum towards a wretched subsistance . neither are any accompted rich ( the three favourites above-mentioned excepted ) but the duke of alva , the marquis of leganes , the earl of ognate , and two or three others whose names i have forgotten ; the rest of the nobility wanting wherewithal to supply their ordinary expences . but did the king allow no pensions to them , he payes enow to others to divert a very considerable part of his incom . his armies abound with reformadoes , who receive pay as if actually in service : it is true indeed that these are so il paid , that i connot imagin how they subsist , and i spoke with an alfieres that came from portugal , whose pension is twelve crowns a month , that protested he had not recived six in six year . the jesuits have of late been obliged to bring sixty thousand crowns into the kings coffers , which very much disgusted them , and allayed their zeal in these quarters for the house of austria . this sum was shipped by them on the indian fleet , without registring it , and upon discovery confiscated according to the law. the jesuit to whose care it was entrusted , playd his part so well that the kings officers could not find it , but that which belonged to other cloysters , being seised , they peached , and it became the kings , notwithstanding the good fathers alleged it designed to build a church in navarre , in the town where the saint the founder of their order was born . this king spends nothing either in buildings or gardens . much of ornament might be added to his palace , and its height require a wall in form of a terrass , to support its declining , that increases daily . a wood below it , that serves only for a shelter to rabbits , and a nest for crows , brought by charles the th out of the low countries , might be converted into a fair garden . the river that passes by it is called maucanarzes , not so broad as its name is long ; its channel is gravelly , and it self in summer so low , that in june and july coaches at the tour go through it . the bridge , or rather causey , by which it is passed , is both long and large , and cost i know not how many thousand ducats ; and he was no fool , that being told that philip the second bestowed so much cost on so poor a river , said it was fit either to sell the bridge or buy water . gentlemen here contrary to the customs of england , france and germany live in cities ; few of them having any priviledges for hunting or hawking , neither mannors or vassals as with us , where they are most of them lords of the parishes they dwell in : and indeed the quality of a private gentleman is here scarcely intelligible , the people having respect only for orders of knighthood , and such as are titulados , which comprehends dukes , marquisses , and earls . here are yet some families whom they call solariegas or de solar conocido , who alone are true gentlemen , and can derive pedigrees , of which they may have testimonies , called cartas executorias , and on accompt of them , enjoy some inconsiderable priviledges . the most antient of their titles , was that of riccos hombres , very different from hombre ricco , which last implies no more but a rich man , but the othet antiently were the great lords of spain , before dukes , marquisses and earls were heard of : they were covered in those days in presence of their king , and alone had deliberative voices in assemblies . neither governments , nor military , nor civil charges are here sold , which is not altogether so commendable as it seems at first sight ; for ununworthy persons ( if well looked on by favorites ) may more easily attain them then if they paid for them , and several of antient extraction and great abilities are willing to lay out their money to put themselves in a condition to serve their king with honour : neither in countreys where charges are most vendible , are they so to all chapmen ; but to gentlemen only , and such as are qualified for them . all the while olivares was in favour , he caused an ill understanding between the king and his wife , elizabeth of bourbon . in order to which ( as some report ) he sought to corrupt his master with an abominable opinion of certain graceless people who in madrid joyned together in a sect , and called themselves alumbrad●s , as much as to say illuminated , or ( if you please ) phanaticks ; these seeking to countenance themselves in their villanies , that they might commit them with the greater liberty , held it out as a maxim , that part of the gospel was mis-understood , and that it was an error to believe copulation with a woman ( on what account soever ) could render a man blameable before god. this king is supposed to have had natural issue by several , but none is owned but don john of austria , whose mother was a comedian . of legitimate children none grew up but the prince and the infanta , the rest dying very young . the prince seemed couragious , but , as was conjectured , of a nature violent and cruel . some report he was taken from so many kingdoms ( as whose sole heir he was considered ) by an accidental connivence of don pedro de arragon first gentleman of his chamber , who one night giving way to his lying with a curtezan , he so overheat himself that next morning he fell into a violent feavour ; and the physitians ignorant of what had passed , by letting him blood so extremely exhausted his spirits , whose dimunition was the only cause of his disease , that they hastened his death . don pedro either for not preventing or not discovering this to the physitians , continues in disgrace , and though brother of the favorite , may not yet return to court : permission only being given him to dwel at one end of the town , where he neither receives nor returns visits with any splendor . the fall of olivares hath been very publick in europe , and made appear that favour , which hath no other foundation than the princes affection , nor supports it self otherwise than by the dexterity of him that possesses it , cannot be so durable , as his that established on the basis of his good service , renders him necessary to whom he is agreeable , and it is reported that this man did sometimes buoy himself up in the kings good affection and opinion , by the very same inconsiderable artifices , that at last sunk him . amongst other inventions this is discoursed ; complaint having been made that bread was very dear , and so scarce it could hardly be had in madrid , because he had taken money of all the neighbouring villages , to exempt them from an obligation lay upon them , to bring a certain quantity every day to market , he gave order that all that was in the town dispersed among several bakers , should be brought and exposed in the street , by which the king was to pass to our lady of atocha . they to whom he gave this command performed it so well , that the shops and stals were loden . the king at sight of such plenty said he perceived that they which had told him of scarsitie of bread were impostors and lyers : for better confirmation the conde duke ordered they should bring every day into the publick market place all the bread , they were obliged to , notwithstanding the exemptions , upon which the complaints ceased , and the king a long time believed that what had been told him was an effect of the malice , of such as emulated and envied his favourite : but the queen by her wisdom and patience , at last ruined him , and by degrees entred on part of the government , from which his ambition and jealousie had so long excluded her . as soon as she had gotten credit with the king her husband , she made him understand the disorder of affairs , and danger of the crown by his favorites ill conduct : and this with so much prudence that he was banished the court ; and at last preparations made to bring him to this trial . the queens chief councellour on this extraordinary occasion , was the earl of castriglio , a very near kinsman of him she designed against . they could not without great difficulty bring the king to condescend , but at last the inquisition concerning it self , and charging him with that accurs'd doctrine of the alumbrados , and an endeavour to corrupt the king with it , he was very neer being abandoned to it , but this was prevented by his death , suspected to have been hastened by poison , and that good turn done him by his relations , that they might the sooner possess his wealth . don lewis de haro inherited the best part of it , and to so great a value that i was told , by one that had it from his own mouth , his yearly revenue amounts to thousand crowns : it is not therefore to be wondered if he contents himself with the quality of favorite , or chief minister , without a greedy hunting after all advantages he might acquire by it : but though by this he exempt himself from the clamors raised against his uncle ; he is yet supported by very few creatures , not endeavouring to make any , according to the pasquil , comparing him with his predecessor . two persons have ruined spain , one by doing ill to all , the other by doing good to none . before he came into favour , he was in the coach with villa medina , when he was poniarded . this gentleman was the gallantest courtier , and greatest wit of spain : the curious relate many of his reparties , of which this is none of the worst ; coming into a church , a bason was presented him , the usual receptacle of money to redeem souls from purgatory ; and he ( demanding what sum served to deliver one , and being answered , what he pleased ) put in two pistols ; withal , desiring to know if the soul were free , which the other assuring him , he took again his two pistols , telling him he had done enough ; the soul being in no danger of returning . of all his gallantries , none cost him dearer then that of a mask : he was in love with the queen , which he mannaged with so little caution ; it occasioned him to be censured rash and indiscreet ; the goodness of this princess inclining her to favour men of parts , caused her ( altogether ignorant of his folly ) to look well on him . this hastened his fall , for besides that he could not forbear to mention his mistress , which terms better becomming a gallant then subject , he appeared in a mask , in a suit embroidered with pieces of eight , with this word mis amores son reales . this , though equivocal , gave occasion of discourse to all the world , because it was very evident , that he rather designed the eminent object of his love , then the avarice of which he accused himself . the violence of his passion , made him provide a comedy with scenes , in which he spent thousand crowns , which ( to gain an opportunity of embracing the queen , whilst he carried her out of the danger ) he set on fire , and with them burnt almost all the house . subjects that incite their masters jealousie , stand on precipices . this man was stabbed in his coach at noon-day : when accompanied by don lewis de haro . one may very reasonably inquire the occasions of the great expences of spaniards , and how they undo themselves , little of pomp or luxury appearing amongst them , and few of them going into the wars . they which are well acquainted with madrid , assure , that most families are ruined by women : every man keeps a mistress , or is besotted on a curtisan ; who ( none in the world being more witty , impudent , or better skilled in that accursed mistery ; ) as soon as they ensnare any , plume them to the quick ; they must have robes of pistols price , which they call gardepies , other accoutrements answerable , jewels , housholdstuff , and coaches . to deny any thing to that sex , is accounted dishonourable . i was assured that the admiral of castile ( none of the richest ) gave at once to one of these cattle , fourscore thousand crowns . one of the palavicini of genoua , told me , that not long before , an inclination cost him two thousand crowns , and finding himself delayed by the baggage to whom he made his addresses , he abandoned her , without obtaining any thing . here are four processions without the town , whereas at so many solemn rendezvouses they endeavour to set out themselves . all gallants then present them , which if any neglect , they are lost , and no more thought persons of honour ; this makes all with emulation strive to adorn these infamous creatures , and glory not a little in it . no town in the world offers so many to publick view ever at all hours of the day , all streets and walks are full of them ; they wear black vails with which they hide their faces , but discover one eye . they accost all men boldly , being no less impudent , than dissolute . in italy they are more modest , not seeking men as here ; and as the disorder is universal , so the mischief caused by it is almost infallible , these sinners yet enjoy alone all the liberty of madrid , for ladies of quality , and honest women , scarce ever go abroad , neither by coach , nor otherwayes , to take the air. most of them hear mass in their own houses , and excepting some few visits , never appear in publick , and then in sedans . it must needs be granted , that this sex hath here a great deal of wit , exercising it self in reparties ; and this with much liberty , one i have heard of , that seeing on a wall the figure of what women are so careful to conceal , with this inscription , without bottom ; with a coal instantly added , for want of line . nothing is so frequent , as the alterations love is pleased to make in the inclinations of those he inflames , liberal men by them becoming prodigal , and avaritious liberal ; and he whom he inspires not to spend all for the sakes of ladies , hazards here to be esteemed a beast the rest of his dayes , and persons of a parsimonious humor , and sordid thrift , how high soever their birth be , shall be thought base , and the infamy of this defect follow them to their graves . at the tour , the curtains of their coaches are usually drawn close , and if a man be in their company , none speak to them , otherwise they may be discoursed with very freely ; they all paint , and lay on the ceruse and vermillion so grossely , they disgust the beholders . in short , they ae generally unhandsom and unwholsom , and paint as much to hide the symptoms of the ●ocks in their faces , as to beautifie them . husbands that desire to have their wives live honestly , begin so arbitrarily , that they treat them almost like servants , lest by a handsom liberty , they should pass the limits of chastity , little understood , and worse observed by this sex. in andalusia , they say , the husbands are yet more violent , using them like children or slaves . if at meals they suffer them to approach the table , it is not to eat , but serve them ; with which if the more civil dispence , they give them meat from the table on the ground , where they sit on carpets or cushions , like turks or taylors ; in which manner , they also sit in churches , and in most houses , instead of chairs , you see only a few cushions set one on another , by the walls side . the tour of coaches when in town , circulates in the high street , otherwise in the prado , near de retiro , or by the rivolet below the palace . the greatest lords appear with little splendor above the rest , only their coaches are drawn by four mules , and attended by some few footmen more than ordinary ; the pages have place in the boots of the coaches . they wear not liveries ; but most commonly are cloathed in black ; scarce any of them have coloured lace , except on the sleeves : the kings are still worst clad , and worst paid . in all great mens houses , they every night eat up all that remains , and burn all the candles , consuming also the oyle and salt , the servants otherwise taking it as va●●s . grandees of spain are of two sorts , this honour being sometimes personal , sometimes hereditary . the first , the king bids be covered themselves ; the second , themselves and heirs for ever . this is all the ceremony in making a grandee , neither do any other priviledges belong to it ; so that it is but a chimerical and airy honour , without any profit ; they which marry the heiress of a family of a grandee of spain , that is such hereditarily , become grandees in right of their wives . this is all i could learn concerning grandees , but spanish books mention three sorts , one of which the king commands to be covered before they speak to him , another after they have spoken , but before he answers ; and the last cover not , till they have spoken and he answered . when the king creates a duke , he is also a grandee , and the consequence is good ; he is a duke , therefore a grandee ; but not he is a grandee , therefore a duke ; many marquesses and earls being also grandees . their wives sit in the queens presence , and she rises at their coming in . the king in all edicts and letters calls them princes : in his chappel , they have a seat called the grandees bench , where , without regard to antiquity , they sit as they come promiscuously . the title of sennioria belongs to them by patent of philip the third . these are , in a manner , all the advantages they have above other gentlemen , who , as well as they , are exempted from all taxes , unless when the publick is in danger ; at such times , they have been so heavily burthen'd , that they have paid near half their revenue . they are not oblieged to quarter , unless when the court goes a progress ; but to speak in general of the spanish nobility , they have a very considerable priviledge ( at least if it be made good to them ) which is , that how great soever their debts be , the revenue only can be attached , the rest being in mayorazgo ( as i understand it ) entailed , which goes farther ; so that when the revenue is seized on , the judges will appoint the gentleman , whose quality oblieges him to keep servants , horses , coaches , &c. a stipend sufficient to support him according to it ; and though he owes as much as a revenue of thousand crowns can be worth , and hath but , his creditors can pretend to no more , than the overplus of what is ordered for his subsistence . here are very few knights of the golden fleece , nor many pretenders to that honour , because difficult to be obtained , and bringing no profit . it was lately sent to the archduke leopold , eldest son of the emperour ferdinand the third . the other orders are calatrava , known by a red rose worn on the cloak , and alcantara by a green one , st. jago wears a sword gules or an arrow , these are near of an equal esteem and dignity ; these knights have sometimes profit by the commands they now and then obtain by the kings favour . a great number of them were slain before lerida , since which time it is not believed there are above in all the three orders , whereas before there were above . alcantara is most esteemed , which they that pretend to , must prove themselves gentlemen of four descents , two being sufficient to either the other . in the second court of the palace , are chambers for several councils . the council of state assembles under the kings apartment , where the welfare of all his dominions is consulted . there is also a council of war , where the wayes of executing what hath been resolved in the council of state , are taken into consideration : near these is the council of castile , called roial ; it is very powerful , and consists of seventeen counsellors and a president . many affairs of the other councils are referred hither , especially of the council of the indies , in which the people of both castiles are very much concerned . arragon hath also its council , italy and flanders theirs . the council for the indies , and the kings revenue called de la hazienda , sits in another place ; so doth that de las ordenes , which determines the differences of the orders of knighthood , and judges of the proofs of gentry of such as pretend to them . all these are within the palace walls . that of the inquisition hath its tribunal in the house of the president of that holy office : that of the cruzada , which gives dispensations to eat flesh on saturdayes , and some other priviledges granted by popes to the king , is also held at the presidents . none of these pretend to be so absolute , as the inquisition . i have been assured , that it is not alwayes in the kings power to free those that are accused there : and though this jurisdiction derives its authority from the pope , in some conjunctures it hath had no regard to his orders . it extends not only to those which in matters of religion go contrary to the church , but is a sharp curb to all whose temper gives jealousie to the state , and dispatches them without noise , as was intended against antonio perez , and the duke of olivares , had he not dyed . all resolutions of these several councils , pass through that of state , before put in execution , which examines whether there be any thing in them , contrary to the general good of all the members of the crown . a mornings , because then all the councils assemble , there is a great crowd in the palace , yet only below in the two courts , whither they which have business or suits ( as they say here , para pretensiones ) come to follow them . amongst others , you may see many undertakers of levies of souldiers , solliciting their disbursments . when horse are raised , all the horses are brought into the piazza before the palace , where one ear of each of them is cut off . by this mark they are made known to be the kings , and a trooper selling one of them , or one of them being sound in the possession of a man that serves not the king , he may be seized , and carried away without any formality of law ; but the troopers sometimes cut off the other ear , and then presenting the captain some dollars , oblieged him to depose before the commissary , that the horse is dead , after which he is sold without difficulty . this is one of the greatest profits of captains of horse in catalonia , as they which have served there informed me . it is not only very difficult to raise men for catalonia , but to maintain them , when brought thither : enduring much hardness , they quickly die , flemings and germans especially ; castilians and neopolitans disband and run away , the latter getting into france , present themselves there to the general , who usually gives them a piece of money to bear their charges to their country , the other coasting to the pireneans on the side of languedoc , return into castile by navarre or biscai . old soldiers , of what nation soever , know the country , and will certainly escape , young ones , besides that they are of little use , last not , as being unaccustomed to so great fatigue . the war here is more troublesome to the king of spain than any where else , and more important , being in a part of his dominion , of which he is very jealous , and where he would redeem any loss by twice the value in italy or flanders . they which penetrate into the secrets of this court , assure that it hath a kind of contempt for losses in other places , but those in catalonia touch to the quick , and are as so many wounds the state seems to receive in its heart , by which it appears , that they which have concluded the certain way of shaking the spanish monarchy , to be by making war upon it in its own countrey , have doubtlesly very well discovered where it is weakest . to defend it self , it must be at a vast expence , for very small forces , because in great want , not only of victual and amunition , but much more of men in this it is become defective but in this last age ; for by what cicero said of it , we find it otherwise in time of the romans , who giving the epethite of couragious to england , gave that of populous to spain , reserving to themselves that of piety only . this alteration is easily understood by those that consider , how the falling of the gothes and vandals into this country , with the irruption of the moors , that immediately followed it , scattered the greatest part of the inhabitants : and when these strangers had so well settled themselves , that the cities again abounded with people , ferdinand of arragon , that conquered all spain , destroyed a great many , and exiled more . the discovery of the west-indies , that happened soon after , drew away great colonies , and peopled the new world with the spaniards , as well by the great concourse of such as ( finding it a better country than that they abandoned ) seated themselves there , as by a necessity of furnishing navies , and transporting soldiers to form an army , and garrison forts and cities ; and this in such manner , that the best of spain is now in the indies , the kings wants having obliged him to sell his subjects for gold , though neither the mines of potosi , nor all peru , are able to supply the expence he is fain to be at for want of men ; neither do the gallions ever bring wealth enough to discharge the states debts ; for besides that the greatest part of it belongs to particular persons of flanders , holland , genoua , and france , that which comes on the kings account is due to several that have assignations upon it : so that spain is no more than the channel by which the gold of the indies passes to discharge it self in the vast ocean of other countries : and therefore in that similitude , where the world is compared to a living body , spain is the mouth , which receives , chaws , and prepares the nourishment , but immediately conveys it to other parts , retaining nothing to it self but the savour alone , or the little that accidentally sticks between the teeth . and he had reason , that considering spain , where little gold appears , all other nations abounding with her pistols , said she serves them as the damnati ad metalla did the ancient emperors ; or else that she is like the ass of arcadia , that laden with gold , fed on thistles . but that which compleated her desolation , was the general expulsion of the moors . there were many reasons for the quitting her self of so cursed a generation , and impoisoning the waters thereby to destroy all the christians , having been imputed to them , and their continual correspondencies with the africans , turks , and other enemies of the kingdom discovered , philip the third possibly could not have taken a better resolution , than at once to free himself from the continual apprehension of them : though it may well be objected , that a good polititian ought as little as may be to make use of such universal punishments , by which a state is more enfeebled , than amended ; and that when with the dagger at the brest , we go about to free our selves from some ill we apprehend , we act rather as desperate then as couragious and prudent : that it is ignorance of lenitives that forces so soon to cut and cauterise : that it is a greater vertue to instruct the vicious , and convert them , then to drive them from their homes , and shut the doors against them : in a word , that we may oppose errors without destroying persons . it is very certain that this edict cost the king of spain a great many rich and good subjects , of no turbulent principles , and that with time might have been made sensible of the truth , and profession of christianity . but they were altogether deprived of the means of it ; for if they embraced christianity , dssimulation was objected against them ; and that it was only to avoid the rigour of the edict . this gave opportunity to the avarice of those that executed it to play its game , passing by without molestation such as bribed them , and suffering them to continue quiet in their houses . what discourses soever are made on this extraordinary rigour , which some have admired as a policy very high and generous , and others blamed as a most unnatural cruelty , it having deprived a king of his subjects , and almost a nation of its native country : it is very certain , that since that time spain hath been a desert , and could never recover the loss ( as is reported ) of some millions of people : but besides this her voluntary depopulating her self , the indies prevailing either on the necessity or inclination of her subjects , draw them still away , by frequent and numerous colonies , in such manner that it is believed more people have left spain than at present remain in it . after these misfortunes ( at first looked on as incomparable felicities by those which boasted the possession of the west-indies , and expulsion of the moors ) wars arose , and so violent , that it is computed , that in twenty years they consumed a million and a half of inhabitants , and that the plague , which often afflicted this country , carried away near another million ; so that ever since philip the third , spain hath extremely wasted both in men and money : this is very true , and in so extraordinary a manner , that if its enemies had understood it , and those that were left behind had not after their separation differed amongst themselves , the spaniards would have been altogether unable to have resisted them . besides this great ambiguity of good or evil , which they which judge according to the event or their own sense , observe in the discovery of the indies , and expulsion of the moors , another policy is spoken of , which not directed against the kingdom in general , attacques only that part of it which is most noble and illustrous . philip the second , styled the solomon of his age , apprehending that the grandees and nobility might at some time or other make use of their wealth and power against his authority , or that of his successors ; and remembring that they had discovered their turbulent inclinations under charles the fifth , in such a manner , as had like to have given him great troubles , thought he could not better secure himself against such of them as meant ill , than by the weakness of that whole body ; to which purpose he cast the seeds of vanity and envy amongst them , increasing the number of grandees , dukes , marquises , and earls . the smoke of this drove from their families all thoughts of profit , and their honours , redoubled their expenses , by every ones endeavouring to surpass his companion . when he saw them deeply engaged , he gave way to attacquing their lands , and deprived them of the priviledge of mayorasgo , the most considerable that belonged to them ; and that they might not have in their hands any places of strength , or houses to retire to when they had a mind to be troublesome , he forbad them to repair their castles : and such as have travailed between valentia and madrid , observe many ancient castles advantagiously scituated for commanding the country , that decay and fall to the ground . thus by heaping honours on them he took away their power , and obliged them to a greater charge ; and by sparing them that of keeping up their castles , deprived them of the submission and respect their tenants formerly had for them : since this they have lost daily , and complain that that prince did not only clip , but cut off the wings of their predecessors , reducing them to that inconsiderable condition they are in at present ; which , like original sun , so closely follows , that it destroys such of them as find not remedy , by obtaining some employment at a distance from the court , by means of which the publick treasure may pass through their hands . then they neglect not to fill their baggs , and inrich themselves and posterities . it is reported , that besides those which endeavour to repair their fortunes in italy and flanders , by some employment suitable to their birth , many return rich from the indies . i speak not of viceroys , who are canged every years , and lay up millions , it being sufficiently known , that very many officers under them make great advantages , and that in madrid they hide the treasures they bring home even from the sun that gave them birth , lest their discovery cause an account of their administration to be demanded , or they be obliged to lend the king a good part without any hope of ever being paid : so that they neither dare put their mony to use , nor buy land with it , but choose rather to eat up the main stock than to hazard it : thus by little and little they consume what they so sodainly amassed , of which their family sometimes enjoys nothing beyond the second generation . they which are employed in the kings councils or treasurie , have a certainer and securer way of enriching themselves , because seated at the helm of government . these men thriving without any apprehension of being molested , and demanding account of others , themseves not obliged to render it to any ; make use with splendour of what they have acquired , building palaces of extraordinary expence in a countrey where stone and mortar are excessive dear . their plenty alone is with ostentation , that of others so reserved , and as it were bashfull , that it often pretends necessity that it may avoid being really reduced to it : and some dutch inhabitants in madrid told us , that some few years before , a tax had been laid upon them , only because they were thought to be rich and at their ease : the manner of doing it seems very severe . a rich merchant being sent for to a committee of the council , was told that the king commanded him to bring three or four thousand crowns into his exchequer ; if he went about to excuse himself as unable , or by reason of mony due to him from the king , it signified nothing ; and he was sent away with notice , that if he paid it not in three dayes he must go six leagues from madrid in custody of the ministers of justice on his expence . that time expired without paying , he was sent leagues from the court. they which paid at first freed themselves from this charge and trouble ; they that were obstinate against what appeared so unjust to them , suffered both , and were at last constrained to pay what had been imposed before they were permitted to return to their houses . gown-men and pen-men are here the richest , and none spoken of but councellors , senators , and secretaries , who from very poor beginnings sodainly become wealthy : they which manage the affairs of the indies are thought to surpass all others : and the earl of pigneranda , who served his master so well in the negotiations of munster and the low-countries , and is the favourites favourite , chose rather to be president of the council of the indies , than of that of flanders , which questionless had been more proper for him than any other . that council advantages it self as well by the employments of which it hath the disposal , as by all merchandise that passes to and again : amongst which wine makes a very profitable and speedy return , none but spanish being suffered to be transported , which is sold with so great gain , that that which in andalusia , or other part where it grows , costs one crown , is worth or there . that this may be continued , planting vines is there prohibited on pain of death , though that soil would as well bear them as any part of spain . traffick in general ( as i before observed ) is not equal to what it hath been ; for which ( amongst many other pretended here ) this reason may be given , that the profit made on occasion of it by the king and his ministers hath discouraged merchants , to the loss of a very great revenue to the crown : whatever is shipped for the indies must be registred , and pay the tenth penny for fault of which it is confiscated . by this the wealth of the fleet is known to a farthing , as well what belongs to the king as to particular persons . some years since his catholick majesty ( wanting money ) laid hands on that which appertained to merchants , under the notion indeed of borrowing , but ( besides that such forced lones suit not well with merchants affairs ) it was never returned : for which reason many do not register their gold and silver , but chuse rather to combine with the captains ( though it cost them more ) than to abandon all for fair words . before the fleets arrival at cadis , english or holland ships meet it either near that port , or that of st. lucar , and receive there from such captains as they correspond with , that which is on account of those that send them , and carry it away before it enters any spanish haven ; and even the merchants of sevil and other spanish cities send their money into those countries , where they may freely dispose of it without fear to have it seised on . it is said that the fleet comes this year more rich than usually ; but that the wealthiest ship is stranded , and uncertain whether the silver all saved . but they which will have nothing lost report that more gold and silver hath been recovered than was registred , if so the king will have the advantage of it by confiscation . if we consider the general government of these kingdoms , it seems to move so steadily , that it declines not at all from those bold politicks which are never disturbed , and that trample on the sharpest thorns as resolutely as if they walked on roses : but going to particulars we shall discover , that the spaniards who give much to appearances and the exterior , use no fewer meens and grimaces in their publick affairs , then in their particular comportment . in the streets , at the tour , and in the theaters , where many eyes are upon them , they seem very grave , serious , and reserved : but in private , and to those that are familiarly acquainted with them , they act in a manner so different , you would not take them for the same persons , being as vain , wanton , and humorous as other nations . the politicks of every country are of a temper and genius like that of the people that inhabit it ; and the spanish considered by an unbiassed judgement are so as well as the rest . at first view they seem firm , constant , resolute , and entirely swayed by reason and judgment ; but coming nearer , and examining them , piece by piece , we may discover weaknesses we could not have imagined them capable of . their pace is sometimes so unsteady they stumble in the smoothest way , and sometimes so positive , on account of reputation and interest , they haz●rd all for trifles ; but always so flow , that of a thousand of their artifices , scarce any one succeeds : i shall not give such examples as i might of this truth in times past , particularly , in the revolutions of flanders under philip the ii. and what happened during the league in france in the same kings raign , being provided of later in the insurrection of catalonia , and revolt of portugal , both foreseen , without application of necessary remedies , not only , because of obstinacy , but of irresolution and slowness . i will mention no more here then what is disc●u●sed of at madrid : opinions very much differ about sequestration of the goods of the genoueses , some declaring it to have been very just and prudent ; others the contrary : but all agreeing , that having been so vigorously begun , it ought to have been continued in the same manner , and being an affair of reputation and interest , that so great a monarch should not have boggled at going through with it , or an accommodation appearing necessary , by reason of the prejudice this rupture gave to affairs , they should not have moved so heavily towards it , because in that interval they suffered for want of returns from genoua , which during such a suspension they could not supply with the money they had seised . they which negotiated in this court for that republick , endeavoured to make understood that the siege of arras failed the year before , because the merchants recalled the bills of exchange they had drawn on antwerp ; but the spanish ministers would not acknowledge this , though it was evident they began to have some light of it . in the mean time , punctilios only span out a year before matters could be accommoded , though the spaniards were no less desirous of it then the genoueses ; though these many demurs had no other end but to save the spanish reputation , they failed peradventure of that effect ; what had passed was nullified by the agreement ; what had been seised , released , and the dispute about final , which had caused it , referred to arbitration . they had long been agreed of all that was substantial ; but a punctilio of honour caused the execution to be delayed , it was this : the republick would not set at liberty the prisoners taken before finale , unless the king asked them to do it , and the king would have them sent home before he made any proposal : all being like to break off an expedient , was found ( by means of marquis serra , brother of him that commands in catalonia ) that the ambassador should visit the earl of ognate , and ask him , if he thought the republick might oblige his majesty by setting the prisoners at liberty , and the other answering yes , all should be ended ; but they add , that this earl , who is both high and crafty , and that at his return from naples had been the first cause of the misunderstanding , soundly ratled the ambassador : in this proceeding , appears to me a very great zeal in the spanish ministers , in resenting the affront done them by the republick , but it continued not , and the honour of it was blemished by useless delays , all at last being concluded on conditions , that might have been obtained at first . the good understanding that hath continued several years between the french and genouses , caused the first of these to offer their assistance to the other towards righting them against the spanish violence ; on account of which the republick held it self so much obliged to the french king , that it sent lazaro spinola , a noble citizen , in quality of extraordinary ambassador , to return thanks for the assistance and protection offered ; that difference gave the genoueses such distaste of the spanish alliance , that it moved them to do this to those they had formerly looked on as the greatest enemies of this liberty . if we except such in genoua as by alliance and interest are bound to the spanish party , the rest of their inclinations are very contrary to what they were in their fathers days during the reign of francis the i. of france , and the genoueses have at present no other kindness for the spaniards , then a creditor for a debtor , out of whose hands he would fain recover what belongs to him ; after which they would little value them : but however the genoueses comport themselves , their patience will never oblige their debtors to satisfie them , who think they do enough when they pay the interest without any longer considering the principal , which the spaniards are well enough content to be thought unable to discharge , whether it be so to free themselves from being demanded it , or that the necessity of their affairs obliges them to it . this in the mean time is a good caution to the genoueses , by little and little to free themselves from the spanish clutches . all strangers , what services soever they may have done them , ought to fear them , they considering themselves and interests only , , in such manner that the italians and flemings that are this kings subjects , are used no more favourably then if born under another master : if they pretend to imployments , either at court or in the armies , they are told they are not natural spaniards , who engross all , as well to keep up the glory of the nation , as out of diffidence of others , whom they in a manner declare incapable of all trust because not born in spain : this countrey are nevertheless abounds in strangers , but they only artificers and mercenaries invited by gain , and that meddle with nothing but their pedling traffick . it is thought that there are above thousand french in madrid , who wearing the spanish habit , and calling themselves burgundinians , walloons and lorrainers , keep up commerce and manufacture ; it concerns them to conceal their countrey , for if it be discovered , they are obliged to pay a daily pole-money of about a penny to the town , and , any bad success happening to the publick , appearing in the streets , are liable to a thousand insolencies , even to blows . they that know what number of strangers are in this town report , that would they undertake it , they might make themselves masters , and drive out the spaniards . such as have business , or intend to stay any time , habit themselves after the manner of the countrey , which we must have done had we been para pretensiones ( as they call it ; ) we must then have put on the cassock and all the rest of the castilian harness , none being welcome to the court without it : nor can any speak to the king unless clothed in black , in which they are so punctual , that an envoye from the prince of conde was fain to wait till he suited himself in that colour before he could have audience ; even women , and of those the loosest , least desirous to appear such , immediately solicite strangers to quit the habit of their countrey , which causes them to be the more observed when they make their visits . the spaniards wear a cassock with deep skirts which sits very close to the body from the neck to the hanches , a black leather girdle , which buckles on the breast , or toward the navil ; their breeches are so streight , that for more easie putting them on and off , they are buttoned at the sides towards the bottom ; their shooes are shaped exactly to their feet , with narrow soles ; and a little foot and large calf of the leg , are in such request , that gallants bind their feet about with riband , to their no small torment , whilst by quilted stockins they put themselves perfectly in the mode : their silk stockins are knit very open , almost like net-work , which they stretch very streight upon white , that is seen through them ; they wear no longer broad brimmed hats , but very narrow ones lined with taffata ; they esteem it very gallant , and of more then ordinary magnificence , to wear hatbands of many broad black bone-laces , which doubtlesly cost as much as plumes , they sending for them to france or flanders : they are not curious in their linnen , using little bonelace on it . the reason of their beginning to dress themselves from above , and to button from below , is not to be contrary to other nations in all they do , but because the air is so penetrating , that if they be not very careful to keep their breasts warm a mornings , they hazard sickness ; many for neglecting this , having suffered terrible accidents , and lost the use of their members ; this hath also happened to others by leaving their windows open a nights : black bays and rattin is their winters wear ; in summer they use taffata suits , but leave not off the baise cloak and cassock . the first of may we saw the tour of coaches without the gate of toledo , this is one of the most celebrated , and at it appear many of all sorts , some drawn by four mules , if dukes or great lords , with a postillion , and the former mules fastened by long harness ; such as have six mules , you may conclude belong to persons very eminent , who are not allowed this magnificence but without the town , which prohibition was occasioned by the kings being told that the tour was little frequented , by reason of the vanity of such as unable to appear with six mules , forbore it , that they might not seem less then those with whom they pretend equality . no coachman sits before the coach , but on one of the foremost mules ; this having been forbidden by the conde duke , who had a secret revealed by the coachman : they almost all use mules , since the coach-horses were either effectually taken away , or threatened to be sent into catalonia . the breed of horses is by this means so neer lost , that if something be not done to prevent it , spain will be entirely disfurnished , the greatest part of mares being reserved to bear mules , the profit of them being great by reason of a quick and advantagious market . the king of portugal hath remedied this , by forbidding the use of mules , and the clergy refusing to obey under pretence of certain priviledges , he gave them exemption , but on pain of death forbad the farriers to shooe any mule , by which means he easily reduced them to observance of his order . the glory of this solemnity principally consists in the bravery of the ladies , who are extraordinarily industrious to appear with splendor , putting on their richest accoutrements , they forget not ceruse and vermillion : they are seen in divers postures in their servants coaches , some making a half discovery of themselves , others with open curtains , exposing their gallantry and beauty ; such whose servants cannot or will not accommodate them with coaches , stand in the streets that pass to the place where the tour is made , or at one end of it . part of their liberty , or rather licentiousness consists in an indifferent demanding of any to pay for lemons , wafers , sweet-meats or perfumes , which are carried up and down to be sold ; they give intimation of this by those that sell them , and it is accounted a great incivility to refuse , though for six penny worth of ware one pay a crown . here appear also many fair horses with rich saddles , and their mains and tails tied with ribbands ; the riders are either such gallants as have lent their coaches to ladies , or such others as having no coaches , are willing on horseback to enjoy the pleasure of the tour. after many circuits , and the view of the several files of coaches ; evening coming on , all make a stand , and in their coaches eat such provisions as they have brought with them . this custom is not peculiar to this solemnity , but almost every day , especially sundays , you walk amongst bevers and collations ; so much the spaniards are pleased to feast in the field , though but on an onion , a salad , or a few hard eggs. hither also come some women of quality with their husbands , and gallants with their mistresses , who being under their eye comport themselves so modestly , they hardly looke on any , or return a salute . ordinary citizens are dispersed about the fields , or sit on the river side , or some corner of the medow or green corn : they feast on very slender provision with much majesty and jollity , accompanied by some friend , or their wives and families . i have been assured , that besides these slight debauches , the spaniards in their houses seldom or never treat one another : and they which have been at their feasts add , that the dishes , assoon as set on the table , vanish , each guest seising one with this word con licentia , to send it to his mistriss , in such manner that the company is sometimes without any meat , and almost ever without so much as tasting the best . at this time the king is usually at aranjuez , from whence he often comes to view the tour , and having ridden about , returns without entring the town , which at first seemed to me but a poor diversion , it being seven long leagues from aranjuez to madrid ; but considering how swiftly he passes them , with six mules , ever driven at their best speed , and changed at half way , i could neither think it tedious nor inconvenient , the seven leagues being dispatched in little more then three hours ; but i could never apprehend what pleasure he can take at the tour , since as he passes by , all curtains out of respect , are drawn , so that he sees nothing but the coaches , though the design of it is only to appear with splendor , and enjoy the view of all that is gallant : respect here questionless destroys the pleasure it augments in other countreys , where at the princes approach , all make a stand , and women unmask , the th of may we went to aranjuez to see the court ; this pleasant seat where the king every spring resides a moneth , is certainly very agreeable , and the spaniards that see nothing equal to it , mention it no otherwise then as the elisian fields : their poets call it the metropolis of floras kingdom , and her treasury ; in the way to it we passed the river tagus by a wooden bridge , which hath a gate at one end of it , that is shut when the court is not there , then people ferry over , paying some duties , which are part of the rents of aranjuez . the first thing presents it self is a park with earthen walls , called tapia , it is large , and beautified by divers allies ; in the heath on each side the passage to it , are cony-warrens : by the park side is a very large walk , from which several others like it ; extend to the right and left , it leads to a gate at the end of a bridge over a canal , drawn thither from the river ; this forms an island in which the garden is , very fair and neatly kept , its entrance is from the palace , and as soon as the bridge is passed , two statues of brass appear , from the cut off arms of one of which , water distils ; hard by these is the cistern of the fountain of diana , which stands in the middle of a mount raised of stone , wood , moss and earth ; many figures of several creatures are joyned to it , who pleasantly spout out water as they receive it by pipes from the river ; in all this garden i saw not any fountain that derives its stream from a spring ; round about the cistern stand eight ships ( if i mistake not ) of mirtle , whose branches are so accommodated , that the poops , prows , and all the rest of the hulks are well shaped ; on each of these is a little statue that spouts water against the beasts that are on the top of the mount. we came next to the fountain of ganimed , who is mounted on an eagle at the top of a pillar ; at the cistern side stand mars and hercules ; a little from it is the fountain of the gelosia , or small lattice , so called , because at the top of it , the water represents the form of one of those lattices or gelosias that are usually set before windows : neer it is another , called the golden rowel ; and at the entrance of the middle ally , that of the harpies , the fairest of all ; its cistern is square , and at the four corners on four pillars , stand those monstrous creatures , vomiting water against the statue of a man , that sitting on one of the middle columns , seeks a thorn in the sole of his foot : in the same ally not far from the end of the garden is the fountain of don john of austria , whose statue is placed on the top of it , water distilling from his hair ; it is made of a stone that was found in a turkish ship after the battle of lepanto , it hath two cisterns , and below four cupids with several emblems : this garden is very pleasant , as well in it self , as by reason of its particular ornaments which are not yet equally taking ; the walks are almost all too narrow , and one would think they had been niggards of ground for the parterres ; the arbors are low , and upheld only with laths instead of deal spars , which would not have been spared by a rich private person ; round about the isle by the river and canals side is a large walk , well kept and swept , shaded by tall elms ; this is the fairest , and in which their majesties most delight , in it is one arbor , looking into the highway of madrid , in which the queen was the day the bulls were fought , to see them pass by , after the king and his court had brought them from the heard from which they had separated them : the day of this sport is made a great secret , the king never declaring it till the night before he sends away the herradores , or markers of the bulls , then also giving notice to the countrey people to bring them in : we had the first news of it in the great walk , of which i will speak anon , where we met the queen going to take the air ; as soon as her coach and that of her maids of honour were passed by , a man on horseback , said to be the guardian or overseer of that sex , taking us for dutchmen , calling to us told us , that one of those ladys or maids of honour had a cousen married in the low-countreys , and would be glad to enquire of him , we turned back and after some short discourse , she acquainted us , that possibly the sight of bulls might be the next day , not daring positively to declare it : this caution is to prevent too great a concourse : immediately the ladies guardian interrupted our small entertainment , bidding us go off from the coach , having talked long enough with the ladies ▪ we returned , admiring no less his incivility , then the impertinence of the queens buffoon , presenting one of us a pipe of tinn to speak to him with , because deaf as he feigned ; this great walk is beyond the village of aranjuez , so wretched , it scarcely affords any lodging , so that at our arrival there we were fain to go farther , and though the moon shone , and we had guides , lost our way ; in the place where we stayed we had much ado to get stable-room for our horses , and shelter for our selves , and were very well contented to sleep on chairs and benches . this is not occasion'd by reason of a great court , for almost all the officers are lodged in the kings house , though very small ; but the village affords but one inn , which was taken up by the emperours ambassadors , so that we could have no place there till next morning . that day we resolved to make an end of seeing aranjuez , and when we had been where the camels are kept , where there was only one female , and a young one , the rest being abroad to carry wood , as we returned by several f●ir allies , our guide told us , that after a birth the females are two years before they again bring forth : he said also , that they sometimes bait them with dogs , and that it is very pleasant to see how dexterously those ill shaped creatures defend themselves against mastiffs ; and that their fury sometimes break through the rails and discharges it self on the spectatators : coming near our lodging , he mentioned a rare waterwork with so many circumstances , that he incited our curiosity to go and see it , by we discovered his simplicity , it being nothing but a mill to saw boards . this confirmed our opinion that what is very common in other places , passes often here for miraculous : in the afternoon we went to see the great and magnificent walk at the end of the village , neer the way to alcala de henares : on each side it is a double row of fair young elms , towards whose better growth , they can at pleasure let in water between the ranks : it is very long and large , and in two or three places are wide circles where coaches may wheel about as at our tour in hidepark : at the end of it is a bridge over tagus with a door , in such manner , that the king when at aranjuez , either without guards , or only with or halberdiers , is as within an entrenchment , not to be passed but by these bridges ; on the right hand is another walk leading to a grange where three asses are kept to cover mares for production of good mules ; in my life i never saw any so big , the youngest being as high as any mule , the two other not much lower ; the first cost two and twenty thousand reals , which amounts to l. sterling ; they are exempted from duty but two days in the year , that is , on corpus christi , and the feast of the ascension ; at other times , as we were told , the male caresses the female twice a day , by this appears that most of the mares being made use of to bear mules , the breed of horses will by degrees be lost here , and they would have much ado to raise cavalry , were there occasion for it . rumours have been spred that mules should be prohibited , but this was found difficult ; i know not whether by means of the clergy , if so , it had been easie to have applied the remedy made use of by the king of portugal ; though above the folly of those travailers , that mind no more of the courts of the countreys they pass thorow , then to see the princes diss or ride . our little stay in spain , and difficult access to the court , by reason of its great privacy , obliged us to amuse our selves with what takes the eyes , but little satisfies the intellect . on ascention day by means of sir benjamin wright , we were permitted to stand in a corner of the chamber where the queen dined ; she is of a middle stature , rather inclining to be low ; over against her stands a lady that presents the dishes , and doth the office of carver ; on each side of her stands another ; she on the right , presents the glass , she on the left , the napkin ; she drinks very little , but eats well ; she was served with many dishes , but as we thought , few good ones ; she hath a buffoon that talks continually to endeavour to divert her ; four or five youths of the best families in spain bring in the meat out of the next chamber , these are called meninos , all habited in gray , yet with difference in the colour : we wondred to see the spanish gravity suffer such neglect of majesty ; these meninos using very little respect in the queens presence , they often prated and shared a dish of apples with the buffoon , and some of them at the door pushing one another , made a great noise , without any reprehending them ; none are admitted to see the infanta dine , and upon our expressing a curiosity for it , it was rumoured that the duke of savoy was incognito at aranjuez : an honest spaniard after the fight of bulls , brought me into a garden where i saw her take coach : she is low , of a sprightly meen and quick eye , her face rather long then round . it is pity the custom of the countrey obliges her to paint , for with less red she would certainly appear more lovely , though the queen and she seem less inflamed then the rest of the court , whose cheeks are scarlet , and that so grosly laid on , it seems rather to aim at disguise then beauty ; and indeed the most of them are so ill favoured , that all the paint in the world made use of with the greatest art , cannot help them . the maids of honour take the first three or four coaches : and the duenas : ( who are old women clothed in white , and almost covered with vails ) the last ; the queen and infanta follow in a coach with six horses , an old lady sitting in the boot ; their wide farthingales extreamly fill the coach , and one would take their thick and knotty elflocks for hempen stuffing , broke out of an old pack-saddle . their whisks or rather cravats are made of great points , which doubtlesly cost a great deal , though unhandsome : almost all of them have looking-glasses , watches or pictures hanging at their girdles ; i saw none court them but the marquis of aytona , who walked by a coach side talking with one that sate in the boot ; but i was told this is done with freedom enough in the queens withdrawing room ; and whensoever they appear at windows by signs agreed on between them and their servants in order to so gallant a conversation . when they marry , the queen adds fifty thousand crowns to their portions , which are very will paid ; besides these ladies and some querries , the queen hath no attendance at her going abroad but her buffoon , with some mean officers and footmen : she hath no guards , and i admired her being publick with so little state . the king hath about a dozen firelocks that wait daily at his stair-head ; these are either flemings or burgundians , the duke of arcos is their captain . on the guard they wear the kings livery ( which at other times they lay aside ) and an odd kind of sword or hanger called cuchilla : they are in all . there wait also daily sixteen spanish , and as many high-dutch halbardiers . this guard was first introduced in spain by the house of austria : and we were told there are besides these two old companies of spaniards formerly the guards of the kings of castile , which are but ill payed , and the rest not much better . the morrow after ascention day dom lewis de haro arrived , the king having sent for him to the solemnity of the herradura or marking of bulls : a little after which his majesty took horse at the point of the island of the garden , and having commanded the people to go without the rails , went with all his court to the end of a great alley , to drive the bulls into that part of the field that is inclosed : men on horseback with great cudgels enrage them , whilst others behind drive them forward with shouts and blows . then comes the king with his court , and the sport is at an end . their majesties having heard mass , the governor of aranjuez , the best torreador , that is champion against bulls , of all spain , begins the second hunting of these beasts , to drive them into the innermost partition , where they are to be marked with a hot iron : there they remain till . in the afternoon , at which time all windows and scaffolds abounding with spectators , their majesties take their seat , and give order to begin : within the barricadoes stand several young country fellows ( whom they call herradors ) expecting the bulls to grapple with them , and two or three being let loose , the bravest run and seise their horns , or tails , and seconded by the rest endeavour to cast them on the ground , whilst others with hot irons mark them on the thighs , some the mean while slitting their ears . much agility is necessary in this action , as well in performing it as afterwards , the bulls being very furious . to deceive them , the assailants present each a cloak or hat , and the beast shutting his eyes when he gores , one of the boldest leaps upon his neck , and catches hold of his horns , the rest doing the like to such other parts as they can light on , but he overthrows and hurts many , and it is strange that he kills not the most , for oftentimes running right upon them , he casts them down and passes over them , but those one would think dead ( i know not how ) sodainly rise again . they are indeed very nimble in avoiding their horns , and ready in falling to let them go by . this sport may be very pleasant , but not to the actors , and i admire so great a king vouchsafes to look on it , and conceive he does it rather out of policy to comply with the custom , then invited by any delight , he takes in it ; but that something extraordinary might be done for his diversion ; don lewis de haro caused his fool or buffoon to enter the lists , who clad in all manner of colours , and mounted on a white steed , was with it tossed into the air , and afterwards trampled on the ground : twenty two or twenty three of the bulls were marked , which will be made use of at the festivals of madrid , amongst which we hope to see that of st isadore , the patron of the town . a while after we went to the escurial , which to give it no less then its due , may in spain pass for an admirable structure , but where building is understood , would not be looked on as very extraordinary . in a general consideration , it seems a mass of stone of great perfection , but going to particulars , scarce any of them but falls very short of the magnificence imagined , and that so much , that if philip the second who built it , and was called the solomon of his age , did no more resemble that wise king then this edifice does his temple , to which it is often compared ; the copy comes very short of the original : in the mean time to stretch the comparison they please themselves in saying , that charles the fifth like another david only designed this holy work , which ( being a man of war and blood ) god reserved for his son. ignorant strangers are entertained with this tale , but such as are versed in history tell us , that after the battle of st quentin , philip the second made two vows , one never to go in person to the wars , the other to build this cloyster for the order of st hierom instead of that which had been burnt , it cost him neer six milions of gold , though out of consideration of parsimony and convenience of bringing stone , he made choice of the worst scituation in nature , for it is at the foot of a barren mountain , and hard by a wretched village called escurial , that can hardly lodge a man of any fashion ; this may seem very strange to those that know the court is there twice in a year : the place it stands on , is by transcendence called the seat , because it was levelled in order to build on . the fabrick is very fair , with four towers at the four corners , but coming to it , one knows not which way to enter , for as soon as out of the great walk , in a kind of piazza , you see only little doors , which when you are over it , lead into two pavilions that contain offices and lodgings for some of the court ; when you have well viewed this side of the square , you come to that which is towards the mountain , where is a very large magnificent portal , on each side beautify'd with pillars ; by this stately gate you enter a quadrangle , where right over against it stands the church , ascended to it by a stair of five or six steps , as long as the court is large , extending from one side of it to the other : very fair columnes support the porch , and on the top of the wall stand six statues , the middlemost of which are david and solomon , by whom they would represent charles the fifth , and philip the second . about the church are many pavillions , all comprehended in the exact square which environs that building . report mentions many bascourts , but we could not reckon above or . that this is a very fair cloyster for friers cannot be denied , neither can it be allowed to be a pallace magnificent enough for such a monarch as philip the second , who having built it in one and twenty years , and enjoyed it twelve or thirteen , boasted , that from the foot of a mountain and his closet , with two inches of paper , he made himself obeyd in the old and new world . the king and queens apartment have nothing in them that appears roial , they are altogether unfurnished , and they say , when the king goes to any of his houses of pleasure , they remove all to the very bedsteds : the rooms are little and low ; the roofs not beautiful enough to invite the eyes to look up to them : it s many pictures of excellent masters , and especially of titian , that wrought a great while there , are very much vanted , yet there are not so many as report gives out . the spaniards have so little understanding of pictures , they are alike taken with all , and the marquis serra a genouese that accompanied us sufficiently , laughed at the foolishness of a castillian , who willing to have us admire the slightest and wretchedst landskips of a gallery where we were , told us nothing could equalize them , because in a place where their king sometimes walked . there are yet in the vestry some good pieces , especially a christ , and mary magdalen ; and in the church , others very estimable . for paintings in fresco , the quire done by titian is doubtlesly an excellent work , and so is the library , i think by the same hand , where amongst the rest is represented the antient roman manner of defending criminals , who stand by bound hand and foot ; cicero is also there pleading for milo , or some other , i not being sufficiently acquainted with his meen , to be positive and without apprehension of mistaking : this library is truly very considerable , as well for its length , breadth , height and light ; the pictures and marble tables that stand in the midst of it ; as for its quantity of choice and rare books , if we may beleeve the monks ; they are certainly very well bound and guilded , and if i mistake not , but seldom read . in the vestry they shew priests copes , where embroidery and pearl with emulation contend , whither art or matter renders them more rich and sumptuous ; they shewed us a cross of very fair pearl , diamonds , and emeralds ; it is a very pretty knack , and would not become less such if it changed countreys ; i would willingly have undertaken for it if they would have suffered it to pass the pyreneans , had it been only to shew my friends a hundred thousand crowns in a nutshel . the library i have spoken of ; the high altar and monument of their kings , which they call pantheon ( though i know not why , unless because a single round arch like the pantheon at rome ) are certainly the best pieces of this magnificent fabrick . the high altar is approached by steps of red marble , and invironed by sixteen pillars of jasper , which reach the top of the quire , and cost only a matter of or thousand crowns cutting , between these are niches with statues of guilded brass , and so there are on the side of the tables , and praying places ▪ the pantheon is under the altar , and descended by stairs , though narrow , very light ; at the entrance of this rich chappel , a marble shines , whose luster is heightned by reflexion of the gold , with which , all the iron work and part of that fair stone are overlaid : in the middle of it , and right against the altar is a fair candlestick of brass , guilded , and in six several niches , sepulchres of black marble to receive as many bodies : above the gate are two more . this stately monument is small , but sumptuous , it was finished by the present king , who about six months since placed there the bodies of charles the v , philip the ii , and philip the iii. the first was most intire ; in the niches on the left , lie the queens , and the last of them queen elizabeth of burbon . he that preached the day that these seven tombs or sepulchres had bodies laid in them , began by his apprehension to speak in presence of so many kings who had conquered the world , and expressed himself so well , and so highly pleased the king that he got a yearly pension of a thousand crowns . nothing attaining such perfection as to secure it from the teeth of criticks , the three pieces i have now mentioned , have been attacqued by them . it is objected against the library , that its entrance suits not with its magnificence and grandeur , and that it stands as if stoln in , and not of the same piece with the rest . over against the great altar , where all is so well proportioned , they wish away a silver lamp , whose size corresponds not with that of the place it burns in , which is vast and large . in the pantheon they find great fault , that all the steps by which it is descended are not marble , and that the sides of the walls are not incrusted with it , the chappel being all so , and a like magnificence requisite every where : in the brazen candlestick , the inner part which is not guilded is discerned amongst the black and foul branches that extend from it . it cost thousand crowns , which is ten times more then it is worth ; but it is common in this countrey to boast things of excessive price , which they would have admired on that account , as if because they are foolish merchants , the ware they buy too dear , were therefore the more valuable . these are my observations of the so famous escurial , adorned only by some smal parterras and fountains ; one side of it affords a handsome prospect , but the ground near it is the greatest part rock or heath ; some walks and groves are planted about it , but being cold and windy , trees thrive not . there are some deer in a kind of park , ill designed , and with very low walls ; the way to it is nothing pleasant , and the king who goes thither thrice every year , one of which times is in the winter , cannot certainly find any great diversion in those journeys , for during three months , all is covered with snow . i have no more to say of these two wonders of the world , the escurial for art , and aranjuez for nature , the paralels of the son of austria , ( as is here said , ) according to times and fancies . the twentieth of this month , all madrid assembled in the great piazza to see the bulls fought ; they mention this solemnity so advantagiously , as if it were to be compared to the noblest spectacles of the antients : every town of spain hath several days set apart for it , and not any one of them but enjoys this pleasure about midsummer . the people have so great an esteem for it , that they think you extreamly injure them if you prefer it not to all others , and if you seem not to admire all its circumstances , you may as safely deny their king to be the greatest in the world . the prospect of the piazza this day must needs be very agreeable : people of the best quality adorn all the windows and balconies , hung with silks and tapestrys of divers colours , with the greatest ostentation possible : each council hath its balcony hung with velvet or damask , with a scutcheon of the arms belonging to it . the kings is guilded , and under a state ; the queen and infanta sit by him , and the favorite or chief minister in a corner of it ; on his right hand is another great balcony for the ladies of the court , the rest are promiscuously taken up by others . both men and women set out themselves to all advantage possible , paying very dear for the balconies ; those on the first and second stories cost twenty or five and twenty crowns , though the first rank cannot contain above five or six persons : the king pays for those of such as are considerable to him , as ambassadors and envoies of forreign princes . before the balconies are scaffolds that extend some feet into the piazza ; they are extreamly crouded , all the people taking places dearer or cheaper according to the posts they make choice of . though these solemnities are very frequent , three or four being yearly celebrated in madrid , the meanest citizen will not once neglect to see them , and rather pawn his goods then fail for want of money . this takes its name of distinction from st isidore , protector of the town , which therefore bears the charge ; the reason it passes not for a royal spectacle ; it costs the king nevertheless something , and i was told , he gives every council that day three thousand crowns : those at midsummer and september are most esteemed , when several enter the lists a horseback , whereas at this of st isidore all do it afoot . there are four passages to the piazza , which is strewed with sand , and freed from those moving shops or booths that at other times pester it ; some ride , others walk about it till the king appears , then his guards break through the croud , and place themselves on each side to attend him : as soon as their majesties are seated in their balconies , all go out of the piazza , which being cleared , fully discovers its beauty . at the same time four or five alguazils well mounted , and better then becomes ordinary catchpoles , attend bare-headed , and as soon as the king gives the word , he of them that hath authority over the waggons , causes them to move from the place they stand ranged in , and the barrels and sheep-skins that are in them , distil water so artificially , that the whole piazza is equally bedewed : after which , they immediately depart by the four gates , which are shut as soon as they which are to fight the bulls are entered ; amongst these gallant champions was a fellow of valladolid , mounted on a bull , he had mannaged and accustomed to bridle and saddle ; one a foot carrying his lance by him : he rid streight up to the king , and after a profound obeisance , endeavoured to shew his own and his bulls address ; he caused him to trot , gallop , and turn every way , but that undisciplinable creature , weary at last of the tediousness of the mannage , fell a kicking and bounding so fiercely , he threw the poor peasant , who not at all daunted at his misfortune , ran after his bull that made away , attended by the hooting of all the assistance till he had retaken him ; but these quickly began again , for as soon as an alguazil had received the keys of the place where the bulls were inclosed , which don lewis de haro threw to him in observence of the custom , which requires the kings giving them to his favorite , and his casting them from the balcony to the alguazils ; and that those wild beasts were let loose , and furiously attacqued one another ; his , though so well mannaged and harnassed , set on a running without regard either to spur or bridle , making it impossible for his master to engage , who stood prepared to that purpose with his lance in rest ; so without any other effect then the laughter of the assistants , after several attempts , he retreated without striking stroke , though his bull and he had received many from those that avoided not the shock , but ran to it . at the beginning of this sport they usually let one bull loose after another , who according to his greater or lesser fury with precipitation attaques such as are within the lists , whom he soon drives away ; but such as are slower then the rest , when they can no longer avoid him , fall flat at their lengths , or present him their hats or cloaks ; he passes by those that lie on the ground without hurting them , because when he gores he shuts his eyes , and commonly strikes nothing but the air ; they which present their cloaks or hats , by them , put a stop to his rage , which lighting on any thing , is satisfied . what i have hitherto mentioned , is but the farce ; the serious part , and that in which the activity consists , is the darting certain arrows or little javelins , which the skilful fix between the bulls horns , with admirable dexterity , without which they would be torn in pieces . a barber signalized himself , the bull feeling the smart of these little javelins , ( which for their better support through the air are winged with red paper ) grows to a higher rage , whilst by his strugling and tormenting himself , the iron heads piercei farther . it is said , that between the horns of these creatures is a little place , so very tender and delicate that the smallest wound there is mortal ; at which some of the champions can aim so well , that they kill a bull at the first stroke ; when he seems almost tired and spent , the trumpets sound , the signal to hamstring him : then with swords and hangers they endeavor to cut the sinews of his hinder legs , after which , thrusts and slashes which they call cuchilladas showre on the poor beast . in this the common people make their bloody inclination apparent , for such as can come at him , would scarcely think themselves sons of honest mothers , did they not plunge their daggers in his body , after which , quasi re bene gesta , they march off triumphantly : when he moves no more , mules come a gallop to draw him out of the lists , and another is let loose . about a score were killed that day , the skins so pinked , they could be of no use but to make sives ; dogs are sometimes set against them when it is too troublesome and dangerous for men to joyn them , and the pleasure would sure be greater , if when the dogs have fastened on them , they forbore wounding them on all sides : the only horseman that appeared this day , was the buffoon of don lewis de haro , the same that shewed himself at aranjuez ; he made one carrier with his lance handsome enough , but the king unwilling he should get mischief , caused him to retire . this manner of fight is to be performed with short stirrups , otherwise a leg may be easily spoiled ; not with mannaged horses , but such only as are fleet , and have tender mouths : when the bulls are to be attacqued on horseback , such as have horses proper for it , cannot handsomly refuse to lend them , nor with honour pretend to any satisfaction , if ( as it often happens ) they be spoiled in the service . this days sport properly belonging to peasants , one such , in affront to cavaliers , came in mounted on an ass , which the bull at first overthrew , but the fellow having recovered his courage , and silly animal , attacqued the bull with so good success , that he gave him a great wound between the horns , which bled extremely : after so gallant an exploit , he begged the bull of the king , which being given him he went away with his famous prize , better satisfied then if crowned with laurel . the bull oftentimes falls upon the guards , who stand ranked on one side of the piazza with darts and halbards ; if they kill him he is theirs ; he twice charged them through , and overthrew some of them , nothing of gallantry appearing on their side , who suffered the bull to trample on their bellies , instead of killing him at their feet . the alguazils or serjeants are very conspicuous , with fair embroidered saddles , and their horses adorned with ribands , and tassels ; they were very nimble in quitting all places the bulls approached , and it had been the best of the sport to have seen them charged home , at least this was most wished , but by the readiness of their flight , they escaped these horns , though probably not those which are so common in madrid . the grand solemnity begins not till the afternoon , but five or six bulls are attacqued in the morning , for the sakes of such as cannot be present afterwards : at this , order is not so well observed , which sometimes occasions mischief . i was told that this day in the morning several were hurt , and one kill'd by a horn that entred by his eye . they end not but with day-light , and every gallant gives his mistriss a balcone and collation . in all the circumstances of this diversion , a certain inveterate cruelty derived from africk , and hat forsook not this countrey with the moor● is very remarkable : for the pleasure of ordinary spaniards is not fighting the bulls , the rabble delighting in nothing so much as shedding his blood . at tunis and algier are the like solemnities , but ( as they say ) with greater splendor . as the publick sports , the moors introduced in spain ; whilst they possessed it , continue after their exile ; the church also retains something of their superstition , especially on corpus christi day . the twenty seventh of may we saw all its ceremonies , which are many , and last long ; they begin by a procession , whose first ranks are intermixed with several hoboies , tabors , and castanettas , a great many habited in party coloured clothes , skip and dance as extravalantly as at a morrice . the king goes to st maries church not far from his palace , and after mass , returns with a torch in his hand , following a silver tabernacle , in which is the holy wafer , attended by the grandes of spain , and his several councils . this day to avoid dispute , they observe not order , so that the counsellors de la hazienda , joyn with those of the indies ; before these counsellors and certain other persons , move machines , representing giants ; these are statues of pasbord carried by men concealed under them : they are of several shapes , some very hideous ; all of them represent femals , except ths first , which is only the figure of a great head painted , within which is concealed a little man that gives it meen and motion : it being a colossus over the body of a pigmie . amongst these chimerical monsters , there is one which represents two giantesses , moors , or aethiopians , such having really been if we may beleeve the vulgar , who call them hios de vicinos , that is , neighbors children . the people are so taken with these gothick figures , that there is scarce any village without them . they report the giantesses to have lived in the time of king mammelin , and on that account sometimes call them mammelins , after the name of that gothick or moorish king , who once reigned in spain . i was told of another terrible pageant which they call tarasca , from a wood that was formerly in province , where at present stands the city of tarascon on the banks of rosne , over against beaucaire . they fancy that in this place was once a serpent ( no less enemy of mankind , then that which seduced our first ancestors in paradice ) called behemoth , and report that st martha by oraisons triumphed over it , leading it prisoner in her apron strings . be this history or fable , the tarasca is a serpent of enormous greatness , in form of a woman , moving on wheels , the body covered with scales , a vast belly , long tail , short feet , sharp talons , fiery eyes , gaping mouth , out of which extend three tongues , and long tusks . this bulbegger stalks up and down and they which are under the pastboard and paper , of which it is composed , by certain springs , cause it to move so dexterously , that it puts off the hat to the sots that stare at it , and sometimes lays hold on countrey fellows , whose fright moves laughter amongst the people . such as please themselves in telling wonders of this foppery , relate that a certain town having sent to some of its neighbors six of these paper giants , two pigmies , and the tarasca to be made use of on corpus christi day , they which give them their motion being entred , to divert themselves in the passage , caused them to dance as at processions by couples : they were met by certain muliters or carriers , who ( moonshine discovering at a distance , these imaginary monsters , ) marching with a great deal of prattle and loud laughter , for their merrier passing two or three leagues ) not recollecting what was to be done the day after , were so affrighted , that the terror still augmenting , by their contemplating those fantasmes , they at last run away with all their might . the conducters of the monsters perceiving this , casting off their vizards , went out of the machines to disabuse them , running after them to cause them to come back to their mules and charges ; this increased their astonishment , and hastened their pace , which aided by the wings of fear , soon transported them cross the fields to a village , which they allarmed to free the countrey of high-way men , so hideous , they could be little less then devils : the other in the mean time slipping their cases , and perceiving themselves masters of the the spoils , the muletiers had abandoned , began to visit the baggage , and finding wine , drank so much they fell fast asleep till morning . the muletiers after their raising the village , and bringing the justice to the place , perceived their mistake , and the countrey fellows laughing heartily at them , drank the remainder of the wine in recompence of their trouble . the village of the solemnity , a great while waited for those grim puppets , which came too late , and by their excuse and relation of what had happened , disordered the whole procession , changing it into a ring of such as abandoned the cross and banner , to hearken to their story . the pleasantest posture of these mammelinas that i saw was , when they made their salutes before the queens balcony , besides some seats of activity by address of those that dance them . the king passing by it , salutes the queen with a smile , and the queen and infanta rise a little before he comes at them , to return his compliment ; the procession having filed to the piazza , returns by the high street or calle major , adorned by many tapestries waving on the balconies , filled with men and women of all conditions : the croud is so great , one cannot pass without difficulty , and we had much ado to return to st maries church where the procession ended . as soon as free from it we went to the palace , and there saw the king , queen , and infanta , return with all the court ladies : i think i have mentioned all that is worth notice , unless it be that as on this day all the men put on summer cloaths , so do all the ladies , and those new and very rich , of several fashions and colours . in the afternoon about five a clock , autos are represented : these are ghostly comedies , with interludes , very ridiculous to give rellish to what is serious and tedious in the pieces themselves . the two companies of players that belong to madrid at this time , shut their theaters , and for a month represent these holy poems : this they do every evening in publick on scaffolds erected to that purpose in the streets before the houses of the presidents of several councils . they begin at court the day of the solemnity , where a seat under a state is provided for their majesties : the stage is at the foot of these scaffolds , and little painted booths rowled to it , environ it , and serve as tiring houses . this is continued certain days , every president having one , and a stage and scaffold erected before his house : before these autos begin , all the foppery of the procession dances , and the gigantine machines make the people sport ; but what i most admired in that which i saw at a distance in the old prado , is , that in the streets and open air they use torches to those pieces , which in the daily theaters , and within doors , they represent without other light then that of the sun : all these antick ceremonies appeared much more ridiculous to those that beheld them , then they can possibly do in my describing them , and confirm me in what i often observed , that the spaniards , and other wise and grave nations seem fondest in their diversions , as misers at their feasts sometimes become most prodigal . the next day the alguazils came to the house where we lodged to demand account of our hoste of his provision of victuals and what poultry he fatted . they were very inquisitive , what he did with such abundance , and where and why he had bought it ; he told them we gave him money to be our caterer , but this would not serve his turn , because so great store is forbidden by law , and gives a jealousie that the master of the house keeps an ordinary or pension , which is not allowed : besides all which certain witnesses deposed that he sent victuals abroad to some of the company that lay sick , and that he bought some at the private kitchins of don lewis de haro and others , all very streightly prohibited . the reason why neither ordinaries nor pensions are allowed in madrid , nor any part of spain , seems very strange , when they tell you that consideration of the sterility of the countrey , gives apprehension of famine , and an entire disfurnishing the markets by those that keep such houses ; for it appears to me , that liberty being left to every one to buy what he pleases , and as much as he pleases , provided it be by his domestick , the same inconvenience will no less follow . however , it is good to keep out of the laws clutches in spain ; especially , in occasions where the catchpoles interpose ; for , for a matter of nothing , they seize and carry away all , and the master to prison , from whence he escapes not without the aid of money , be his cause right or wrong ; especially , if he be thought rich : false witnesses are never wanting , and here the neighbors had deposed against our hoste out of envy ; but his good luck was to be tenant to an alguazil ; this serjeant mediating with his comrades , assisted by four pistols , the information was cancelled , and our host not carried to prison as they had intended : by this , all here appears vendible , though had this cheat of the alguazils been complained of they had run hazard of being sent to the gallies . this was almost the only punishment inflicted in those times by reason of want of men to be employed at the oar. an assentista , that is a patentee or farmer of levies of soldiers , or of the kings revenue , was a little before assaulted in his chamber by theeves , one of which being taken , discovered his confederates ; amongst whom , ( though they set daggers at his throat , and wounded him in the head ) was a frier ; the first with his comrade was whipped and sent to the gallies , and the frier condemned to pass the remainder of his days between four walls with bread and water . this man being a stranger , little befriended , and ignorant of the customes of the country , had much ado to obtain this justice . he was born at st. omer , but resides ordinarily at london , from whence he sends irishmen to serve in catalonia . such french as they take at sea are in like manner sent to the gallies , from which none can be freed , without putting one in his place , which costs dear , there being no other way but to find out some negro slave . the commerce of the indies hath restored rights of servitude in these countries , and in andalusia there are few other servants . the greatest part of these are either moors or perfect blacks , which gives occasion to the proverb , no assi tratan los hombres blancos : white men are not be so used . christianity requires , that such as embrace it be enfranchised , but this is not observed in spain , and those wretches are not made freemen by becomming christians . they are much more cruelly used in the indies , where inhumanity hath so long prevailed , that all imaginable rigor is exercised on those unhappy creatures , who are only such by occasion of their mines of gold and silver , to which their masters owe all their fortune and greatness . an incredible number of them found their graves , whilest they digged for those metals , so that scarce any remain to pursue that fatal imployment . besides this destruction made by the mines , it is said the wine sent thither , occasions so many diseases , that the greatest part of the indians die . they are passionate lovers of this liquor , and spare nothing that may obtain it ; and the spaniards to discover the treasures they may have concealed , sell it them , to the ruin of their goods , health , and strength for labour ; and i remember to have read a book intituled las excellentias del espannol , in four or five chapters where the author makes appear the prejudice the king and traffick of the indies , receive by the vines planted in peru ; and often repeats , that the vice of the west-indians being drunkenness , many of them perish by wine , not like their chica , made of maiz and more agreeable to their constitutions ; besides that , the spaniards to get more , and by selling it cheap , to make quicker returns , falsifie it , in such a manner , it is little better than poison . on these occasions the indians are so much wasted , that for some years there have not been enough to work in the vine-yards nor mines of peru. negro's are therefore made use of , bought in guine , or the kingdom of angola ; by which means the profit is much lessened , a negro costing or crowns , and since portugal hath re-established their true king , and that all those countries of the indies that are strongest in colonies , have acknowledged him , negro's are not had so cheap ; for besides the pieces of eight they cost , the king of portugal hath laid an impost equal to the price , so that a negro comes not to carthagena , where they land , till he stands the spaniards in above crowns . the profit the king of portugal makes by this , is incredible , those that understand trade , assuring it amounts yearly to some millions of gold. the consideration of this and some other things before mentioned , make evident to me what i was often told at madrid , that the great wealth of the indies belongs more to particular persons and strangers , than to the king of spain , and that at this time when the gallions are expected richer than in many late years , because of the return of the viceroy , it is thought quarters of what it brings is on account of merchant strangers , and that there will not come to the king and natural spaniards above three millions of gold. they which manage the affairs of that countrey , very prosperously advance their own , and the earl of pigneranda president of its council , draws vast sums for licences to french merchants ; one i knew , that for leave to bring a hundred hides from st. domingo by the gallions , gave ten pistols . notwithstanding all which , much deceit is used in that particular , and the greatest part of the french that trade into spain , import and export at their pleasure all manner of commodities , by pretending to be walloons , burgundians , lorrainers , or flemings . for this reason the king was counselled to give freedom to trade , and to abolish the fees of licences , and impost of the tenth peny on all french merchandise ; representing that his profit would be greater , because the usual duties would be paid without any fraud ; whereas to avoid this tenth , the merchants combine , and they that have french goods , get one or other to attest they are english or flemmish , and so ( at most ) pay but the ordinary custom , of which also they are sometimes crafty enough to deceive him . the commerce of these is principally in andalusia , where they have found a place of freedom as convenient as cadis ; this is the haven of santa maria , a little town belonging to the duke af medina coeli , who protects them , and draws great trade to the prejudice of cadis and sevil. when spain and france were at peace , traffick was more difficult then at present , little merchandise arriving that was not confiscated under pretence of coming from holland . there never wanted two or three knights of the post to swear this , but time and care have given remedy to this mischief , and false swearers escape not , merchants by presenting a bever , or some other knack , putting themselves under the protection of some grande . by this is evident that spain cannot well be without commerce with france , not only on the frontiers of biscai and arragon , where it hath been almost ever permitted , but through the whole countrey where it is prohibited , for provence hath ever had correspondencies in the kingdom of valentia , by its necessity of the others commodities ; and for the same reason britaign , normandy , and other parts on the ocean have continually sent theirs to cadis and bilbo . i speak not of corn and stuffs of all sorts brought from that country , but even of iron-work and sword ; by which it appears a mistake to think that in these dayes the best come out of spain . no more being now made at toledo , few but forrain are used , unless a very small quantity that come from biscai , which are excessivly dear . it is moreover hard to imagine how much spain suffers for want of manufactures : so few artificers remain in its towns , that native commodities are carried abroad to be wrought in forrain countries . wools and silks are transported raw , and being spun and weaved in england , france , and holland , return thither at dear rates . the land it self is not tilled by the people it feeds . in seed-time , harvest , and vintage , husbandmen come from bearn and other parts of france , who get a great deal of money by sowing and reaping their corn , and dressing and cutting their vines . carpenters and masons are ( for the most part ) also strangers , who will be paid treble what they can get in their own countrey . in madrid there is hardly a water-bearer that is not a foreigner , such are also the greatest part of shoomakers and taylors , and it is believed the third of these come only to get a little money and afterwards return home , but none thrive so much as architects , masons , and carpenters . almost every house hath wooden windows ( here being no glass ) and a balcony jutting into the street . once in five years all fabricks are re-builded , of which the frontispiece only is done with lime , the sides and back-parts , being usually earth . every house in madrid pays duties to the king which mount high , the first floor of every one is his , which if not redeemed , he may sell at his pleasure ; this the proprietors usually buy , to do which if they be not able they build no more but it alone . this is the reason there are so many little houses in madrid , with only one stair to get up to the garret . the most considerable architecture is that which is adorned with some tower , only one of these is allowed , and he that will build more , must have permission to do it : a fellow that thought he should have much ado to obtain this , begged leave but for one , which being easily granted , he built one on account of the permission , and another because one had never been prohibited . nothing is more notorious , then that madrid wanting both some rivolet to void its filth and vault to receive it , casts all into the street ; but it is admirable to see that by vivacity and penetration of the air , all is consumed in a moment , it being as drying and corrosive ( if one may so call it ) as lime that devours a body before the corruption discovers it self , and i have found dead dogs and cats in the streets that smelt not , by which we may perceive they had reason that chose this place for the seat of their kings , the air being not only hard to corrupt , but takes away even the cause of corruption , by dissolution of elementary qualities as sudden as imperceptible . in antient times their queens repaired hither to lie in , that the princes might at their births breath an air whose purity is not to be equalized . the waters of this place have been weighed against several other , and none have been found so light . the cardinal infant had them carried with him into flanders , and great care was taken to ship for him tuns of the same the king drinks , the fountain of which is a little without the town . the streets here being common shores , one ran great hazard , were it allowed at all hours to cast out at window what the people will no longer keep in their houses ; but from day break til ten at night this is forbidden under a pecuniary mulct . once i remember i saw a woman that had forgot this , whom the serjeants , that wait on such little advantages , immediately caused to pay the fine , which is sixty rials , about s. of our money . they which walk a nights , carry neither torch nor lantern , which i never saw born before any , whether in coach , a horsback , or a foot ; ladies of quality only make use of these , such as belong to the court especially , who then muster all their footmen . women here go abroad with much more splendor than their husbands , for besides a great number of servants about their sedans , a steward or master of the horse still follows them on horseback : in great houses , footmen neither enter their lords chamber , nor yet his apartment , they being served by their gentlemen , pages , and other officers ; when called , they kneel , receiving their commands ; this custom hath gone higher in the favourites family , for i have been assured , that when don lewis gives audience , and his secretary serves as interpreter , he kneels ; and what is stranger , that fernando de contreras ( none of his domestick , but the kings servant , and the most considerable of his secretaries of state , as having charge of the despecho universal ) pays him that honour . for what concerns the respect due to the king and all such as are near him ; they have many little customs very extraordinary ; amongst others , that no man ever mounts a horse the king hath once made use of : and they say , that after the taking of barcellona , in the cavalcade his majesty made to atocha ; the duke of medina de los torres , sent to present him his most beautiful horse that was so famous in madrid ; but the king returned him saying , scrina lastima , that is , it were pity , since by that means he would become useless , and rid only by querries : and indeed no horses are so little rid as the kings , who almost burst with fat , acquired by continual standing in the stable , which is not very well furnished , because he gives away the best ; he lately sent the queen of sweden twelve of the greatest value ; the wars have made horses very scarse and dear in spain , especially in the beginning of winter , when all provide themselves to ride about the streets of madrid , whose dirt is so troublesome , it can neither be avoided nor got out of any thing it lights on . they are cheaper in june , people going afoot during the fair weather , which lasts till the end of september . we were told of another custom , no less extraordinary , that no natural son of the king , owned to be such , may enter madrid ; and that don john of austria , who at present , commands in catalonia , was never there , he was bred at ocanna , some leagues from the court where the king sometimes visited him , and not long since he was within a league of this town where he also met him . it is believed this king hath more such issue , but being by ladys of quality , he owns them not ; he seldom attempted any without success ; yet a certain lady of madrid , is reported to have been inexorable to him , though she was not so to all the world ; she still excused her self with protestations of as much esteem as respect for his person , but that she could not without horror apprehend to become a whore of history . i enquired the reason why the kings natural issue may not come to madrid , but found none could satisfie me ; for that which is generally received , that it is to avoid disputes of the precedence between them and the grandes of spain , is of no validity , since i have seen a letter of don lewis de haro to don john of austria , which treats him , not only with highness , but most serene highness ; but whatsoever the cause may be that the gates of the court are thus shut against them , and of the jealousie real or imaginary , might be occasioned by their presence there ; it is most certain that this nation hath a great deal , for whatsoever in the least concerns it in love or honour , of which , many little stories of daily passages in madrid are related , where the extravagance of women produces various passions in the commerce of criminal gallantry , which hath its punctilios of honor as well as a knot of high-way men , its justice within it self ; they which keep amancebadas ; that is , mistrisses maintained at their charge , are more jealous of them then of their wives ; and such of these as have a servant that ordinarily visits them , call him infidel and traytor , if they ever know he goes to others , and to this purpose i have been told that the king himself being with a lady the admiral of castille kept , that young lord transported by jealousie , forgetting all respect and consideration , having knocked violently at the door , gave the mother of that wench who opened it , many boxes on the ear , saying , jade , thou makest me cuckold , but if i could get up , i would strangle both thee and thy daughter , were it in the kings presence . though the profession of curtisans admits no conceptions but of interest and design for rapine , they are sometimes excellent counterfeiters of passion , and borrow the transports of real affection . the earl of fieschi , who at his first arrival at madrid , passionately attacked that sex , tells as a gallantry , his usage by one of those cattle , who openly at the tour fell upon him with reproaches of infidelity , calling him traidor and picaro , because she had heard he had a new mistress . and mr. de mogeron was not a little surprized , by a womans treating him in the same manner one evening , pulling him by the hair with reproaches and injuries ; because he had not visited her according to a promise made her at the tour , where he met her the day before . they do a thousand such extravagances , and are really mistresses of the epithite bizarre , which in their language is understood in so good a sense . they are ridiculous in their habit , and wear their richest accoutrements under others very homely , so that you would not take any of them to be braver than the rest , unless you see them at some festival , or that as they pass by , they let the clinquant of their wastcotes appear ; their linnen is cambrick most generally used and best esteemed in spain : they paint not their faces only , but change also the colour of those parts that least appear . their smocks are also laid with bonelaces , where visible only to their gallants , indeed of those slight ones that are made in provence or lorrain , those of flanders being unknown to them , unless when they force some bits of them from strangers , tearing their bands or cuffs . besides the great numbers of loose women that are to be found up and down madrid , there are others in certain fixed quarters , countenanced by publick authority , for accommodation of any that will go to them . these are called cantonera's , perhaps bulkers . they have a salary from the town , for which cause so infamous an imployment is sought after , and when one of the jades dies or is disabled by the pox , the magistrates are sollicited for the vacancy . what their pension is i could not learn , but those which assured me of this beastly establishment , told me that every one that visits them is obliged to pay them quarto's , about pence of our money . physitians are fee'd by the publick , to take care they be free from those pestilential diseases that are gained by so honourable a profession . a matron also belongs to them , who is obliged to advertise the magistrate or physitian , as soon as she discovers any thing amiss . they which described to me the lives of these miserable creatures , told me that when they are accompanied , a second man is never admitted , on which account there never happens any disorder ; the first enterer leaving his sword and dagger at the door , which when they which come after perceive , they retire without more ado . sinning thus with impunity and toleration of publick authority ▪ they seldom forsake the vice they so openly professe , though one day in the year is devoted to exhort them to repentance : on a friday in lent , they are by an alguazil or two conducted to the church of penitents , and there seated near the pulpit , where the preacher does his best to touch their hearts , but seldom with success ; after many vain exhortations to amend their lives , descending from his pulpit , he presents them the crucifix , saying , behold the lord , embrace him ; which if any does , she is immediately taken away , and shut up in the cloister of penitents ; but usually they only hang down their heads and shed a few tears , without laying hold on what is offered , and after their grimaces continue their deboshed life ; neither can the story of st. mary magdalene so often inculcated to them , move them to imitation of her . in this antick of remarques which i have daubed with so many colours , i must not forget what concerns the imprisonment of the duke of lorrain . he failed but very little of an escape , and that news had not come of his being entered the frontiers of portugal when he was thought still in the heart of castille . as soon as he arrived in spain he was confined to toledo , without being admitted to the kings presence . when misfortunes of war of state cast one soveraign into the hands of another , methinks he ought not to be treated altogether as a prisoner , but that his captivity should be made use of , to work upon him and gain his affection by offices of honour and civility . of the two french kings that were taken prisoners , it is notoriously known that francis the first left spain intirely possessed by thoughts of hatred and revenge on account of his ill usage by charles the fifth : and that john returned from england so well satisfied , that he was ever afterward careful to live with edward as with a friend and brother : but the spanish austerity suffers not a maxime that may be deceitful , and graspes hard whatever it laies hold on to prevent escape : she would never let duke charles taste the air of her court , and notwithstanding his many instances , ever treated him as a simple prisoner of state , though she suffered him to go abroad under good guard both to church and to take the air , which incited him to attempt greater liberty . thus he laid his design , one of the kings coaches was appointed to attend him , whose coachman happened to be a lorrainer , and consequently his subject . he supposed this mans affection to his natural prince , would oblige him to be assisting towards his liberty , and resolved to have him sounded . i could not learn whom he made use of to engage him , nor in what manner he set it a foot , but it is said , that having gained him , he several times left tickets under the cushions of the coach , and the place he sate on , which the coachman very carefully took away ; and by means of a lorrain embroderer , sent to those that had the principal management of the affair . this went so far before its discovery , that the coachman had received instructions to drive the duke very often beyond a ruinated building that was near the part he usually frequented , and one day , when least suspected , horsmen were appointed to lie concealed behind it , who having killed his guards and set him at liberty , were to convoy him to the frontiers of portugal , where horse should be ready to receive him . a ticket , and perhaps the last that was necessary to this negotiation , discovered it ; for whether it were that it was not handsomly enough conveyed under the cushion , or whether the captain that then commanded the guard , and was in the coach with him , observed better what was done than others , or that he was more jealous , going out of the coach , searching the cushion , he found the ticket ; upon this the duke was more straitly shut up , the coachman imprisoned , and the ticket sent to madrid , where the dukes secretary and the embroiderer were secured ; the last of these was racked , but the particulars of what he deposed never published the light that appeared at the bottom of this affair , moved the spaniards themselves to say , that to hold the duke faster at the very time his liberty was most earnestly sollicited , they perswaded him he would have made an escape : whatever may be of it , it is certain the duke was not afterwards allowed to go out of toledo , and that this unfortunate prince might justly complain , that if the french neighbourhood was a smoke that drove him from his house with tears in his eyes , the spanish friendship was a fire that burnt him alive . which if we may believe publick report , was his own expression to the captain that guarded him . all that hath been given out of the causes of his imprisonment hath divulged but part of the mistery , and i sought at madrid to inform my self of the real motive . they which speak and judge most solidly say , that this was rather done on account of reason of state , and to spare money , than that he had indeed be●raied his party ; and truly the taking quarters in the land of liege that winter , rendred him no more culpable that year , then his seeking them at his swords point had done in those that went before : but the conjuncture differed , and the elector of cullen , who had made himself absolute master of that people , desirous to give them a more powerful protection , clamored much at the diet of ratisbonne , from whence , as misfortune would have it , he retired dissatisfied with the emperour , for having decided to the advantage of him of mentz , the dispute that was between them about the function of crowning the king of romans . as soon as he arrived at cullen , he wrote to the emperour , that without speedy succors , according to the laws of the empire , to free his countrey from the devastations of the lorrainers , he must have recourse to the protection of some foraign prince . this affair being taken into consideration , the emperour only wrote about it to brusselles and madrid . the elector in the mean time took heat , and resolving no longer to expect the event of those delays , raised forces , treated with france , and gave her opportunity of re-assuming the black eagle in her colours , and renuing the title of preserver of the german liberty . cardinal mazzarin , who during his retirement had been so well received by this elector , lost not the opportunity of making his acknowledgments , and sent him troops under the command of monsieur faber , which joyned to his own , forced the lorrainers to discamp , whom it was resolved to pursue even into brabant , to revenge the havock they had made in the land of liege , and assist the french in some conquest . i his bold proceeding , awaked the emperors jealousie , who perceived that in that very moment he had re-established his authority in the empire , and when he had given an end to a diet , in which he had caused his son to be crowned king of romans , one of the powerfullest princes of germany , sought other protection than his , and gave example to all his neighbours to do the like , as often as they should be oppressed by troops entertained by spain . these considerations obliged the emperour to send the earl of furstemberg to the elector of cullen , to work him , and prevent his going farther in the treaty with the french , promising him an effectual and real satisfaction for what was passed , and for the future to establish such order , he should no more need to apprehend the like visits . at the same time he wrote to madrid and brusselles , with all possible efficacy , to represent the dangerous consequences of this affair , how prejudicial it was to him , and necessity of the remedies he proposed , which were to satisfie the elector of cullen with money , so to oblige him to lay down arms and dismiss the french , to make sure of the person of the duke of lorrain , that he might be no less so of his conduct , the cause of all these inconveniences , and to use his brother duke francis for continuing the army in the spanish service , which he thought might easily be prevailed upon , by giving it a head of the same family , and presenting the chief officers with money . these reasons and expedients were the better rellished by the spanish ministers , out of apprehension of the storm that began to gather against them . the great services the duke had rendered the house of austria , were of no advantage to him in their council , nor any thing examined but his avaritious and unequal politicks , his irresolutions alone were represented , and the times in which he had declined their service , when they might have obtained great advantages , if he would have acted with his forces . the accompt was also cast up of the great sums he had cost the king of spain yearly , by a crafty selling him his army as if at an outcry , so that if they would make use of it in the beginning of a campagne , or continue it at the end of it , he must be paid at his own rates . it was at last concluded as well at madrid as brusselles , that for a certain remedy to all these mischiefs , to prevent falling again into the like inconveniences , and put a stop to the preparations making at liege , the elector was not only to be indemnified , and the protection of the duke of lorrain abandoned , but his person to be seised on and sent into spain . thus this prince saw himself treated as a soldier of fortune , and not like a soveraign , by a family whose friendship caused the loss of his countrey , and reduced him to the sad necessity of living like a vagabond at the head of an army that subsisted only by his industry . if what hath been reported of the first heats of his youth be true , and that he then lamented he was not born a private gentleman , to try how far his wit and courage could carry him ; one would think he had devested himself of his dominions , only to shew what he could do without them . that he had very eminent parts , is undeniable , but overshadowed by such uncouth policies , and in such a manner intermixed with humor and vanity , that one would think he had but one maxime sacred and inviolable to him , to prefer what was profitable above what was honourable or honest . it is not therefore strange that he built his ruin on so bad foundations , nor that after his imitation of that crafty lewis the moor duke of milan , and all his shifts and slights of hand , he is caught in a trap , from whence his deliverance is very incertain , and whether he end not his dayes in the castle of toledo , as the other did in the tower of loches ; though it is believed here , that were his army disbanded , his liberty might be obtained without much difficulty , because the spaniards are confident they need apprehend nothing from this prince , who loves his money too well to employ it in his revenge , and the thousand livres a year he is reported to have within the dominions of the king of spain to forfeit them . to which they adde , that were he desirous to take arms , he needs the support of france , which he will probably fail of obtaining , without an entire giving up lorrain , which they will either keep still , or restore on conditions but little better , and such as he will never accept , for fear of depriving himself of what belongs to him for so small an advancement towards his particular satisfaction . on these grounds they adde , that even the ministers of spain wish the destruction of his army , which in the fashion it subsists and is disciplined , costs them very dear , but they would gladly gather together its ruins , and incorporate them with their other troops , that their enemies might not profit by them , the fear of which hinders their undertaking it . this makes evident that princes are incommoded by auxiliary forces that serve in a body , and under a head they own as their absolute master , for it is alwayes hard to oblige them to do well , and no less difficult to disband or be quit of them , and therefore the wisest princes , that have been necessitated to make use of such , have at first endeavoured to separate and mix them with their own , to prevent their correspondence , and diminish the authority of those that brought them . the venetians once endeavored to deal in this manner with the marquis of roquelaure , and the prince of orange , at relieving berghen ap zome , would have obliged mansfelt to suffer such a separation : but neither of them would consent , but made appear that this is not to be propounded or obtained , but of a soldier of fortune , that hath drawn together forces he is not able to make subsist . the most publick curiosity , whilst we were in spain , was to divine the designes of that fleet cromwel sent into the indies , and at our arrival at vittoria , being saluted by a man of good presence , who enquired what was spoken of it in the parts we came from , when we told him it was believed those great preparations were made to subdue the isle of hispaniola , he assured us that if the english began there they would fail of success , that he knew that country very well , having lived some time in it , and that this island was one of the strongest and most populous of america . that after the year , in which st. domingo ( its capital city ) was sacked by sir francis drake , it was put in such a posture as could no more apprehend the like misfortune , and a very fair citadel raised adjoyining to it , whose scituation is so advantageous , it seems , destined to command the neighbouring sea. when we came to madrid , i found that those little cabals , as well of spaniards as strangers , that met a mornings in the first court of the palace , usually entertained themselves with the assurances cromwel had given the spanish ambassador , that the fleet he had sent into the indies should attempt nothing against his king : that they therefore made no question but it was to drive the french out of what they possessed in new france , and that it was there he would begin a warre against them , and break that treaty of peace from which he had often declined , and again complied with , the better to amuse them . but the clear sighted easily judged so considerable preparations aimed not at so slight a conquest . computing his charge , they found that all the french possessed , whether islands or continent in those quarters was not equivalent to any considerable part of his expences , and therefore concluded he had some vaster and more important design . these men seemed to me to flatter themselves least , and to be most reasonable , for i had often heard such as had negotiated with cromwell say , that if they had any judgement , they assured themselves they mistook not in this observation , that he had a particular passion for some great enterprise in the indies . after he had made all europe admire and fear his naval power by a war against holland , which yet was more glorious than profitable to his country , it is probable he contrived how to imploy his arms in some part where he might reimburss part of his charges . although of all his neighbours he at that time used the french worst ; yet it may easily be judged it was not his interest to come to an entire rupture with them ; because their traffick for the most part making use either of english or holland vessels , he should by that means displease either his own merchants , or those with whom he had lately made peace , besides that the french had for some years been masters at free-booting against whom if he sent a fleet , they would easily avoid it , their design being only to pillage ; so that he should be at a great charge against them that would alwayes flye from him , and waiting for his merchants , oblige him to convoy's ; unless he would lose all the trade of the mediterranean , and part of that of the ocean . cromwels interest therefore requiring a war , and a war by sea , that may yield him profit proportionable to the great equipage of men , arms , and ships he is obliged to maintain , to make himself feared , by which he hath obtained the command of both seas , he will not attaque france , who having all within her self , waits till strangers bring home to her that she can be without , and fetch from her that which is absolutely necessary to them . for it hath been observed that her greatest and wealthiest cities are not scituated near the sea ( though two wash her coasts ) but in the middle of the country . by this appears that her stock of wealth is within her self , and that ( according to the polititians rule ) she is rather vendax than emax , selling more than she buys . her soil being so rich and fertil , it is no wonder she hath in all times abandoned the ocean to be plough'd by her neighbours , who employ a great part of their art and labour to send her as tribute the fruits of it . to make a war therefore against france with profit , it must most certainly be done by land ; but if we consider the present condition of england , a war of this nature seems not to agree with it ; for we may easily judge that englands design now aims at no more then to maintain her self in her present posture , and to become redoubtable to all the princes of europe by a power suitable to her scituation , which hinders their attempting any thing against her , and obliges them ( though against their wills ) to approve what hath passed , by owning her republick . to this purpose she resolves to be continually potently armed both at home and abroad , one of which puts her in a condition to concern her self in all the affairs of her neighbours , without their interposing in hers , whilst she is invironed by a prodigious number of invincible moving castles , which when she pleases she joyns for her defence , and causes to fly for her advantage to what part soever seems good to her ; by the other she thinks securely to fix her innovated tyranny , in continual danger of an insurrection of the people , to restrain whom her militia is a curb , as it is lightening to destroy those that attempt to war upon her . in fine she can make use of these winged coursers both near hand and at a distance , and nothing confining them to her coasts , where there will always remain enow ; for guards and rounds exact enough to justifie her media insuperabilis unda , the rest may seek their fortune abroad , and either wait for the indian treasures in their way to spain , or seize them in their mines . but it is not thus with her land-forces ▪ who must ever be at home to keep up her usurped power , which will be hazarded by the first shock she receives from the many male-contents that have much ado to suffer her . a war by land must needs therefore be prejudicial to england in the present conjuncture , and with france destructive , it being the most potent nation of christendom in this age , its forces the most united , and that may with the greatest ease be drawn to any part where there shall be occasion for them , so that it cannot be attacqued , but by great and courageous armies ; of which if this pretended republick make use , she must disfurnish her self of her trustiest commanders , and stoutest souldiers , which she cannot do without danger of losing her new form of government . neither is it very much to the purpose to say , that for securing it she can make new levies , to supply the places of the old ones she sends abroad ; for to an unsettled power , supported only by the boldness of the usurpers that raised it , such a change is very dangerous . it cannot be denied that england uniting with spain would turn the ballance that way ; but besides that , to do so would be of little advantage to her , there would be an incounter of the same inconveniencies . for she must either joyn her forces to theirs , and then france that is so great a nursery of souldiers , having put an end to its civil warre , minding only that which is forraign , would not need much to strain it self to oppose armies belonging to several masters , and of divers interests , which seldom succeed in any thing they undertake ; or else send an army of her own , against which france would immediately unite all its power , and be the mean while only on the defensive against spain , who to make a thrifty use of such a conjuncture , would move but slowly and weakly to assist her . however she might proceed , this is most certain , she would be constrained to weaken her land forces , the only supporters of that new republick . should she act only by sea , and furnish the spaniards with money , to recruit their armies , it hath been already shewed she would make no advantage by the former , and that a war attended by such booty and conquest as may countervail the charge and labour is only proper for her : for the second , it is sufficiently known that the treasure of england is much exhausted , and that she owes large sums both to her land and sea forces ; and that to prevent her over-charging her people , by the great expence she is obliged to , the gold of peru is more necessary to her , then to supply from her own treasury those that are masters of it . during these discourses , letters came to madrid that cleared all doubts , for after a long amusing the world with expectation of the fleet and the great treasure it was to bring with it , and after knowledge that what was on the principal gallion , which had been wracked , was for the most part saved , a rumor arose that it had been met with by the english , who made no difficulty of attacquing it , but that after a vigorous defence , in which it sunk two or three of their ships , it had retired into the havana , the chief city of the isle of cuba . i know not whether this particular was true , but am certain it was written from cadis and sevil , and from that time believed that cromwell intended to have his share of the treasure of the indies . more to confirm this , the english merchants that resided in spain , began to send away , and as well as they could to conceal their goods , fearing a confiscation in case of rupture ; a little after which it appeared that this pre-caution was not useless , for admiral blake who had passed the spring and part of the summer in the mediterranean , returned into the ocean just at the time the gallions were expected . it is said he desired to careen , which not being permitted , but on certain conditions , he seemed offended ; and having taken aboard him several english merchants with their consul , put out to sea , and scouted about cape st vincent . it was then quickly understood that he looked for the gallions , with intention to fight them if they escaped pen and venables , who were in the indies ; this caused several advice boats to be dispatched from cadis by order of the council in madrid , to give notice to the gallions that they should not leave the haven they were retired to , till farther order : at the same time a resolution was taken to fit up some ships , partly at the kings charge , and partly at that of the merchants , that were concerned to watch the motions of this admiral . great part of the traffick of europe depending on the arrival of the gallions , many ships are ever about cadis at the time it is expected . of these and some others a fleet was quickly made ready , and sent to anchor near blake , yet without hostility , if the other began not , and only to endeavour ( in case the gallions had not received the advice sent them ) to secure them from him . these two fleets contemplated one another two or three moneths without any act of hostility , either general or particular , and whilest one of them thus waited for his prey , and the other to secure it from him , news came that the spanesh fleet was advertised of the design against it , and would not leave the haven it had retired into without express order . at the same time also it was said that pen and venables had attacqued st. domingo , but with so bad success , that after loss of many of their men , they went off for the island of jamaica and conquered it . this proceeding of cromwell changed the discourses of those that looked on him as one of the nearest and faithfulled allies of spain , who had first of all acknowledged him : for as soon as an execrable party of the scum of this nation , violating all laws divine and humane , had possessed themselves of its government , and ( by an attempt so horrible it cannot be paralelled in foregoing times , nor scarce mistrusted in the worst that shall succeed ) at one stroke deprived their king of his crown and head , the spanish ambassador received order from madrid to endeavour to make advantage by it , and court the friendship of that new republick for his master , by giving it in his name all such titles and rights of a legitimate power as it should desire : it was very likely he might succeed in this , there being probability enough of a league against france , who not only received the exiled family of the king of england , and refused to own cromwell , but seised all his ships , and gave freedom of his havens to those that remained faithful to their king. the hopes of so advantageous a treaty increased in madrid , not only by englands giving letters of reprisal against france , and landing forces hostilely in bretaigne , but by her being so kind to spain , that she caused her fleet to take those ships france sent to succour dunkirk besieged by it . all these fair appearances of amity proved insignificant , and the usurper that governs in england , who seems no less crafty than bold so well understands the interests of his infant republick , that he by degrees accommodates all to them . she is mistriss of many strong and populous isies scituated on the passage to the indies , and that are keys to to the gates that may lay open a way to so rich a conquest , by means of which , she may surprize its treasures as they pass by , if she will not take the pains to dig them out of the mines , of which she may certainly make her self mistriss : she knows that all the great extent of land the spaniards possessed there , adheres to their dominion , more out of apprehension of their violence , and because none hath vigorously attempted to deprive them of it ▪ then by any real power they have established , capable of preventing this , england thus understanding the advantages she hath towards getting her share of the new world , with the weakness of those who pretend it discovered for them alone ; it is not strange if she endeavor to profit by both of them ; especially in a time , where they which sit at helme are obliged to be powerfully armed , and to employ their many fleets in some profitable war , that may make them subsist without the peoples murmuring at their great charge in entertaining them : and the spaniards , as quick sighted in their politicks , as slow paced in their enterprizes , very well foresee , that if the french negotiations with cromwel effect a peace between them , he will pursue his interest , and forget all advances spain hath made to gain his friendship , this they think they ought the firmlier to believe , when they remember they could never get satisfaction for several prizes taken by the english , especially , for the money designed for a whole campagne which they sent by sea to flanders , not knowing how to make it over by bills of exchange , by reason of their difference with genoua : however , that they might not in so considerable a conjuncture , be wanting to themselves , and out of consideration of the advice , philip the ii gave his son at his death , to be in peace with england , that he might be able to make a war with all the world ; they neglected nothing that might oblige cromwel to a good understanding with them . alfonso de cardenas their ambassador in england , and who having resided there since the beginning of the troubles , is looked on as very able in manageing those affairs , endeavoured all means of a good understanding , and to thwart the french treaty ▪ but his politicks being apprehended at madrid , to be less undertaking then those of de bourdeaux the french ambassador ; a resolution was taken to send thither out of flanders the marquis of leda , governour of dunkirk , as extraordinary ; these two persons joyned all their adress to bring cromwel to some friendly composure of differences about the complaints the spaniards made against him , and his against them ; but finding no favourable audience of their many proposals , the last of these resolved to be gone , with regret , to have done nothing for his masters service , but to have given him clearer light of cromwels bad intentions against him : it therefore began to be more publickly discoursed in madrid ; that the many delays in his negotiation with france , were but tricks to lull the spaniard asleep , whilst he sent to attacque his indies ; and that the treaty which he sometimes seemed ready to break off , and again to renew , had been agreed on , and privately signed three moneths before . spain now beleeved england intended a breach with her , and though the passion of the castilians , inveighed sharply against the avarice and ambition of cromwel , which moved him to invade their treasure ; the moderate sort reasoned otherwise , and in what was passed , sought the causes of what was present and to come . but by such discourses , one could not judge of the whole secret , or entire cause of the war they apprehended ▪ the thoughts of such as sit at the helme of government being covered with a cloud of appearances , which disguise them even to those that have the nearest prospect ; for the most part discovering nothing but the pretences ; their actions being like great rivers , of which , though the streams are viewed by all , the heads are invsiible . they yet at last easily perswaded themselves , that whilst their king had so many irons in the fire , that he knew not where to find either wood or coals to heat them , cromwel would make use of the occasion to attacque him both in the new and old world , where expecting little resistance , he needed not doubt of a certain profit , more considerable to him then the jealousie of the french progressions or cautions given by the maxime , decreseat iberus nec crescat gallus . on these grounds they concluded , that cromwel fearing a peace between france and spain , and standing in need of an advantagious war to justfy his continuing in arms , would attacque the weakest , and let the future safety of his estate giue way to the present necessity , and on that account agree with france , that he might share in her victories by leaving land enterprizes to her , and applying himself to those of the sea , which better suit with his affairs and the support of his power . but if all this discourse be grounded on conjectures , by which they which are curious in madrid , seem to divine of the future , and fancy reasons perhaps very different from the english councils ; it is not so where it concerns what they say of the right the english may have to attempt the indies . such amongst them as are most reasonable and least scrupulous freely confess , that by the law of nations , countreys that have made no treaty or compact , may be assaulted by them that on other accounts are in peace with those which appropriate them : so that the king of spain having , in all treaties he ever made with the kings his neighbors , declared , that whoever goes to the indies , either to settle or traffick , not being natural spaniards , shall be used as enemies , cannot complain of such acts of hostility , as are made by other nations , since himself hath chosen a perpetual state of war , owning neither friend nor ally beyond the line , especially in america . to this purpose the answer of a great spanish minister is remarkable , rallying on two healthes were drank to him , one to his masters wife , the other to his mistress : america says he , is my masters wife , and the east-indies his mistress ; for the later he is not so jealous as to think himself concernin honor , if any of his friends too freely caress her ; but his wife he would keep chaste and rereserved , without suffering any to court her . questionless when he called america his masters wife , he alluded to the popes bull , which gave him power and propriety in this intended marriage ; but it is generally said that a rape merits not such a benediction , since he possesses america without either her own consent , or that of her relations , europe , africa , and asia . to speak seriously , the popes donation is a ridiculous title to those that own not his authority ; besides , that a great number of those that do , believe not that it extends to things of this nature ; so that if spain have no other right than what is derived from rome , she is not well invested in the possession of the new world , neither can they which dispute it against her be accused of injustice , since some of them say they owe him no obedience , and others that he cannot dispose of that which belongs not to him . nothing then appropriates it to spain but the first discovery , to have landed colonies here and there , to have built cities and forteresses , subdued the barbarians , and given names to rivers and havens : but all this cannot have acquired a possession absolutely general , and without exception ; and since it made its seisure by the law of such things as are nullius & quae fiunt primi occupantis , it hath right to no more than it inhabits , cultivates , and hath entirely conquered . any nation may with justice take his part of the remainder , and ( spain going about to hinder ) make use of force , and by force drive away him that hath settled himself only by force . when philip the second fortified himself by the popes bull , for invading england , he added to that title the most considerable forces that had ever appeared on the ocean : what is spiritual thus stands in need of what is temporal , one of them well seconding the other , without which admirable conjunction it is very hard to seise what belongs to others . the spanish council spared neither wit nor industry , nor the wealth of the whole kingdom for this redoubted fleet , in which they neglected not to send fetters to enslave the inhabitants of great britain : but their forces both spiritual and temporal had very ill success , and that prodigious navy which could hardly be compleated in two years , was lost in two hours ; part of it the sea swallowed , and the rest fell into the hands of those it went to subdue , and of all that proud armado , scarse any escaped to carry the sad news into their country : by which it is very discernable that heaven does not alwayes correspond with the visible head of the church . if he disposes of what belongs to the indians , because barbarians , one would think it ought to be restored as they become christians ; but their conversion is to little purpose as to recovery of their country ; and the spaniards very exactly imitate ecclesiasticks in their acquisitions , like so many dismembrings of the patrimonies of the laity , from whom whatsoever is taken returns no more ; and if they well keep what they have once laid hands on , they can as well cause themselves to be obeyed . their empire is formidable , and he that doubts of this truth , may be convinced of it in their cloysters , where such religious persons as have neither dignity or parts to set them out , are rather slaves than brothers in christ to the other . if within their walls they exercise so absolute a power , on those which are as it were their fellow prisoners , and make the same profession , what will they not do to such as are of a different condition , if they obtain the authority they desire , and which some of them know so well how to make advantage of under pretence of religion and directing consciences , without fear of punishment , forsaking the functions of legitimate confessors , to creep into families , and make themselves arbitrators of their affairs and interests . but to return to this papal donation , it is very clear , that this imaginary propriety of a world as yet not well known , and of which probably not so much is hitherto discovered as we are ignorant of , cannot , nor ought not to hinder other people from trafficking there , because it belongs to the first finder , and that the spaniards acquired those parts of it they possess , without any consent of other nations to enjoy the propriety and soveraignty of the whole as heirs of it . if then the english now attacque the spaniards in the indies , such as are just acknowledge that this is not so much to begin as to continue a war , since they alwayes ( more or less ) molested them there , and that no formal treaty concerning that country was ever made with them . i have heard some very curious persons examine what good or evil might by it accrue to either of these potentates ; and they hold that the spaniards would be the first gainers , by an immediate seising all that belongs to the english in their dominion . they would find considerable summs in the hands of merchants of that nation , as well at bilbo , cadis , and sevil , as in many other of their port towns , which might assist them towards the first charge of the war. for we may remember that england hath for many years been possessed of all the trade of spain , hollanders , during their war , and the french , since their breach , trafficking only by her interposal . so that the english have established themselves very considerably , and possessed themselves of much wealth in a country that abounds in money , and is poor in commodities , and that cannot receive from its neighbours what is necessary for it but by their hands . we cannot oppose against this confiscation of the goods of english merchants in all parts of the spanish territories , the like to be done to the spaniards in england ; for as they never go abroad to serve any forrain prince in his wars , they have a maxim for security of their commerce , not to exercise it but in countries where their king is master . they go not therefore abroad how great soever their trade be , but content themselves to deal at home with merchants strangers , who for want of correspondence are forced to settle amongst them , which they do the more willingly , because having to deal with people not very well understanding their commodies they make the greater profit . we see now the king of spain without danger of a retaliation of his subjects ▪ when he shall seise what belongs to those of england , inhabiting here and there in his dominion : but this small and inconsiderable advantage , prejudicial only to private persons , is not to be compared to that the english will obtain , by cruising in both seas , and attacquing what ever is sent to spain from its neighbours , without which it cannot without difficulty subsist . genoua , naples , amsterdam , and antwerp , whose comerce with it is so great , will then be able to send little or nothing that shall not run hazard of falling into their hands ; and if they ever make conquests in america , or take the plate-fleet ( to which it seems they are forward enough ) the thames will be covered with the spoils of both worlds . to all these considerations of particular loss one of state is to be added , which is , that by a war with england , the vast and scattered body of the spanish monarchy will lose its ligaments , and all communication with its remoter members . france leaves her little liberty but by sea , of which this potent nation , that attributes to it self the empire of it will deprive her . it is true , some object that shift will be made to open a passage as was done in her war with holland , but others observe great difference between those powers , for besides that england is so advantageously scituated , that it can without difficulty break all correspondence between spain and flanders , the hollanders naval power appeared not at its height , till the war was grown old , and the first animosity decayed , where as now spain will have to do with a nation , that does not raise forces to fight , but fights to employ those that are already raised . besides all which , the king of spain was not then so drained of men and money , as at present , but could set out considerable fleets to oppose the hollanders , who making traffick alone the end of their navigation , rather sought for themselves free passage through all seas , then to deprive their enemies of communication by them ; and this so much , that though they have sometimes attempted the spanish fleets , and taken some of them , we may perceive they were not very greedy of such conquests , because their own merchants were concerned , and received almost as much prejudice as those of cadis or sevil. it is well known that at the same time their ships cruised up and down to interrupt the spanish traffick , their merchants passed and repassed between flanders , genoua , and naples in favour of it , and carried thither the secretest intelligence , and best ammunition , whereas in a war with england all will go in a more serious and real manner , and cromwell little caring to advance his nations trade , will vigourously fall on , and aiming directly at conquest of the indies , endeavor every where to incommode spain in order to it . about this time two books were published in madrid , which clearly and ingenuously discovered the great exigencies of the state. this was admired by such as could not imagine a natural spaniard would ever own its spirits spent , and it in a languishing condition . the author of the first was one don philippo antonio alosa , a knight of the order of calatrava , of the kings council , and his secretary in the council general of the holy inquisition . it contained an exhortation to ecclesiasticks to supply the king by voluntary contributions , in the so very pressing necessity of his kingdom ; of which having first declared the causes , which he derived from the time when philip the second engaged almost all his revenues , for aiding the french league and building the escurial , and represented how under philip the third his son , occasions of expence augmented , by reason of the wars of italy and flanders , removal of the court from valladolid to madrid , with his great charges in entertaining the princes of savoy , and reception of the english and french ambassadors ; and that which compleated the ruin of the state , and drew on it the extremest misery , the raising the value of copper money , by which sajavedra says more mischief happened to spain , than if all the serpents and monsters of africk had attacked it : he makes out , that the present king at his succession received the crown so poor , it was admirable there could be found wherewithal to resist so many enemies as at once proclaimed war against it ; and concludes , that after the many shocks it hath sustained , it will hardly any longer prove able to defend it self , without recourse to some sudden supply , though it be useless to fancy new imposts , or augmentation of the old ones , there being a general incapacity in the subjects to pay what is already laid upon them . this pre-supposed , he continues that applications ought to be made to the clergy only , who have ever kept their doors open to all manner of acquisitions , and closely shut against the least alienation , and who with little or no expence possess the greatest wealth of the kingdom , till a more learned pen make evident , they may justly be compelled to contribute to the kings urgent occasio●s , he declares his design to be no more but to oblige them to a voluntary loane , which he shews will be to their advantage ; because if the kings necessities force him to press the laity with rigor , they will abandon tillage and the country , in such manner , that ecclesiastical rents , deduced only from the hands of the other by tythes , and the like , will fail . going on he adds that such a liberality is more especially due to the most catholick king , who aims only at the churches good , and requires assistance for continuing the war only in order to an advantageous peace , neither does he demand any thing that he first gave not , all of them having received their benefices and dignities from his majesty as their patron : that they need only spare part of their plate , jewels , and rich moveables , abating something of their great trains , entertained questionlesly by them , shew that grandeur , they will more handsomly make appear by assisting their king : afterwards he sayes that to give this greater efficacy , the king may please to make choice of one of his great ministers of state , to whom the clergy have some kind of obligation on account of their preferments , and from whom they may reasonably expect more , by his report to the king and council of their forwardness and liberality : he advises farther , that addresses be not made to the body or convocation , but to particulars , and an exact register kept of the willingest , which will on all occasions be useful to them , towards acquiring greater favors . by this method , which is nothing else but a collection of state , he supposes the king may amass a considerable sum towards paying his troops , that perish for want , and re-establishing his affairs , which the same necessity hath so much disordered . the second book was a memorial drawn up by a certain captain called joseph puteol , in which he represented to the king , that by easing his people he would be the better enabled to make war , como assistiendo à todos se pue da lograr el hazer mejor la guerra . the expedients he propounded , spoke him a man of parts to such as knew him not , but in others prejudice , raised a contempt of his reasons because he was not in an eminent condition ; as if the validity of a medicine depended on the quality of the physitian , & aliquando etiam olitor commode potest esse locutus , &c. but passing by these , i will here recount what the former look on as most judicious in his book , which will also very much tend to the better understanding the condition in which i shall leave spain . after particulars of all the revenues his king draws from his kingdoms of castille and the indies , ( which in gross amount to no more than eighteen millions of gold , and of which philip the fourth when he came to the crown found but eight millions two hundred seventy four thousand crowns without incumbrances , which to supply his wars against france , he was immediately necessitated to engage , and afterwards to alienate , ( for reducing catalonia , appeasing the troubles of naples and sicily , defence of the dutchy of millain , recovery of portolongone and piombino , and many towns in flanders ; besides assisting such princes as had sided with him in the french revolutions : ) he concludes a very exact and parcimonious oeconomy for the future to be the only means of replenishing the kings coffers . the wayes he proposes for this , seem so many remarques of the former ill dispensation and administration of the publick treasure . in the first place he sayes , that what is necessary to the subsistance of their armies , fails of being supplied , not only by reason of the engagement of the principal revenues of the crown to such as have furnished the king in his necessities , but no less by the prodigious cheats of an infinite number of officers employed towards their recovery ; which gave the king just cause to complain to the cortes , that of ten millions paid yearly by castille , six stuck to the fingers of under treasurers , secretaries , receivers , tellers , and other exchequer men , that subsist only by rapines exercised on the king and his people . then he desires that difference be made between monopolists and farmers of customs , as well old as new , and that such of them as have dealt franckly , without making malicious advantage of the necessity of affairs , may be distinguished from those that have thriven by craft and design , in purchasing or renting the kings duties . with the first he holds it but reasonable to make a fair composition , and afterwards that they be permitted the enjoyment of what they acquired with so great equity : the other he would have treated with all possible severity , and compelled to refund with no less rigor than sorcerers are burnt and theeves hanged . for what concerns rewards , he allows it just to recompence all such as have done the crown service , be its necessities never so great ; but even for this he would not have the king draw any thing from his own purse , nor pretend to liberality at a time when he hath not wherewithal ; he therefore advises ( since high birth is not ever the source of eminent actions , neither do children alwayes inherit the prudence and vertue of their parents ) not to continue in the same families , ● commanderies , which the eight orders of spanish knighthood possess , worth above a million of gold yearly ; but instead of bestowing them out of favour for the most part to persons unworthy and useless , hereafter to distribute them to such as either have preserved or extended the limits of his monarchy , or at least by an honourable profession of arms are in a capacity to do it . and if he ever suffers any of them to be diverted from the advantage of soldiers , to whom only they of right appertain , that it be to some able statesman or dextrous ambassador , who without drawing sword , hath saved some town or countrey , surprized an enemy , broken in pieces his levies , cut off ammunition and victual from his armies , drawn in neighboring princes to unite against him , obliged some of them to quit a neutrality , succored some ally , or confirmed some other that wavered ; in a word , to such a person whose industry and prudence hath been highly advantageous to his king and countrey . he no less complains , that instead of giving what is substantial in these orders to persons of merit , the very badges of them , which are only superficial , are for the most part refused . he instances in mr de st maurice , a gentleman of burgundie , who after very good service , pretended several years without obtaining this , though marquis caracene writ in his favour , and attested his valour and eminent merit . this takes away his admiration , that in all the troops that serve in the dutchy of millain , there are but eight knights that have this honour , the peculiar recompence of soldiers , being frequently bestowed on pen-men , or such as depend more on the gown than sword , though they wear the later , as a mark of what they ought to be , rather than of what they really are . after this detection of abuses in manageing his kings treasure , he passes to the wayes of increasing and better securing it . towards increasing it , he would have taken into consideration that spain is inhabited by some persons that are very rich , others indifferently so , the rest very poor , which is the greatest number , and that in raising contributions neither of these three can be favoured , without prejudice not only of the other two , but of the soveraign himself : such a geometrical proportion is therefore to be observed , as considers the means and faculties of each , and prevents that inconvenience in the state that often afflicts our bodies , when all the ill humors fall on the part that is weakest . after so good a foundation , he attacks those that possess most and pay least , and makes appear that the spanish clergy , being very wealthy , pays the king but four hundred forty seven thousand crowns , a trifle compared to its ability , and concludes that an augmentation of the kings revenue might in so pressing a necessity be charged on it with all justice and reason imaginable . he thinks it not fit to impose more on the nobility and gentry , who ought to be in a continual posture to do the king personal service , but upon citizens and farmers , and concealed treasure for the greatest part in the hands of persons faulty or disaffected , and that this might bring up a considerable aid , were the sources of their abundance well examined . for such taxes as are settled ill , he says that which is imposed on the eighth part of flesh , oil , and wine , is the worst of all others , giving occasion to a thousand cheats , as well by the officers , as by such as endeavour to bring those provisions into madrid and other towns without paying duties . to which i can adde , that i have been assured , an infinite number live only by that imployment , in so much that not only some poor gentlemen and ranting hectors that will live on nothing , and without doing any thing , with whom courts and great cities ever abound , concern themselves in it ; but even churchmen and the greatest noblemen , that are weakly revenued . for this cause guards have been appointed to attend the collection of these ●mposts , on condition that what they can seise of goods that have entered without paying duties , shall be their own . but this which was established , to redouble their diligence , they have turned into small politicks , that causing them to consider the kings interest , if vigorously pursued , as that which would put an end to their profits , they are not very exact , perceiving that should they not sometimes connive , they which busie themselves in stealing customs , would give over the trade , finding no effect but confiscation of their goods , after which the kings duties would be well paid , but they get nothing . they therefore correspond with them , and seise not their goods , till so much hath entered , as will make them more than savers . this confederacy against the king , is maintained at his charge , and drones suck the blood of the poor people , the effects of so great a disorder falling on their heads . amongst other impositions he thinks ill laid , and which i will not give my self the trouble of reciting ▪ he mentions seal'd paper , and says it is a ●ery incertain revenue , because founded on ●aw suits , to which the folly and obstinacy of humane nature alone gives being ; it is true that in england , madder in this particular than spain or any other part of the world , more profit might be derived from this , than in a countrey where that infamous imployment is not so much in request ; whereas in england it is exercised with such avarice , rapine , and so prodigious delays , that this horrible pestilence which feeds it self fat by means of infinite numbers of vile insects , attorneys , solicitors , attorneys lieutenants and sub-solicitors , it must needs pass for one of the heaviest scourges of the nation , and plagues of its best families . to conclude , he implores his king to cast off all those ill designed impositions , that will be destructive both to him and his subjects , and to lay the burthen more equally , which will make it light , and his people bear it chearfully , when free from vexations , that tend more to the advantage of pettifoggers , than of his revenue . if what he proposes may be endeavored , he doubts not but his king will vanquish all his enemies , there being already so many victories that testifie his valour , and so many books that publish his prudence , besides so much gold and silver stamped with his effigies , currant thorow the world , though spain admits none that is foreign ; an invincible demonstration of its inexhaustible treasure . whilst these two books were subjects of our discourse , by reason of their surprizing novelty , the genius of that nation considered , which seldom discovers where the shoo wrings it , and whose constancy is so admirable , it alwayes sets a good face on an ill game ; we received letters for some of the principal ministers of the catholick king : had they come to us at our first arrival at madrid , they would have introduced us to a nearer speculation of that court , but arriving in june , and we being resolved , for avoiding the great heats , to repass the pyreneans before they began , we had but little time to continue in a countrey , where the sun is something too prodigal of his beams . to make use therefore of all advantages possible , and that according to formalities , which are here essential , i addressed my self to don martin secretary of the earl of pigneranda , desiring him to give his lord the letter of recommendation we had for him . i acquainted him with the qualities of my lord b. and a. and inquired at what hour we might have access , least we should apply our selves to him when he gave not audience . such precautions are necessarily to be observed in this court , by all strangers , who without any to introduce them , desire to be particularly admitted to a principal minister of state : by means of which they escape being exposed to that dry gravity which receives strangers with a leaden austere fore head , close and reserved , all such whom they apprehend they may mistake in its civilities , for want of knowledge of their quality ; besides that , generally speaking , such as understand the world , ought never themselves to deliver such letters , which serve only to make them known to those they never saw before ; for if they be read in their presence , they suffer some time of vexatious incivility , and if the reading them be deferred till after their departure ; at the first visit they have but a cold reception , the complements faint and confused , directed more to him that sent the letter , then to those that bring it , and for whose sake it was written . this we avoided , for the earl having been informed , as well by the letter of dom estevan de gamarra , as report of his secretary , who we were , received us as well as we could wish : and to speak truth of him , none in this court understands civility and the world better . his first presenting himself is graceful and winning , and makes appear , that with the severity of his countries customs and imperious gravity of his nation , he hath mixed a certain forain air , that takes off from the austerity , and makes him so agreeable , that if the address and gallantry of the first of the tarquins caused it to be said , graecum ingenium miscuerat italicis artibus , he had added the complacency of greece to the arts of italy . we may conclude that those of this great man make evident , hispanicum supercilium potest moribus exteris & comitate exotica dilui . that spanish severity may be moderated by forain civility . his wit and judgement appeared in his embassy as plenipotentiary to munster ; and when news came to madrid of the promotion of cardinal chigi to the pontifical chair , and the great desire he expressed for peace between france and spain , this man was spoken of to be sent to rome with the embassy of obedience : though indeed he was chiefly designed to that employment , because it was hoped that by reason of the great friendship he had contracted with the new pope when he was nuncio in germany , he might do his master good service in all manner of negotiations . many advantages are also reported to have been offered on behalf of the king to oblige him to accept this , besides a considerable sum of ready money , particularly three thousand ducats a moneth , his son to be made an earl , and himself continued president of the council of the indies , and that the golden key he carried only as a badge of honour , should be conferred à exercicio , that is to be made use of , with all priviledges belonging to it : but nothing of this is yet effected , and they which understand the confidence of don lewis de haro in his fidelity and capacity , assure he will not remove him from the council where he is now president , till needs must . having thus received all manner of satisfaction in our first visit , to so accomplished a person , who omitted nothing that might assure my lord b. of the esteem he had for his quality and merit , at the very first sight remarkable to him by that vivacity which is so natural to extraordinary persons , they need not speak twice to those to whom they would make themselves known : we thought our selves very forward on our way , to obtain the like from don lewis de haro , when we should wait on him : for besides the letter we had for him , we doubted not but the earl would acquaint him with the visit we had made him ▪ and with all that could oblige him to receive us well . besides our letter for don lewis de haro , we had another for a gentleman called alonzo vercoca , cosin to dom stephen de gamarra the catholick kings ambassador in holland , who , we were assured was very well with this favorite . we therefore thought best first of all to visit seignior alonzo , that he might deliver our letter , and present us when it should be seasonable . we were not a little troubled in inquiring after his loding , but at last learned that he was usually resident in the countrey , and only a son of his who was one of don lewis de haro's gentleman lived in madrid . enquiring for him at the palace of this chief minister ▪ i was told he had a chamber in the town , and came not thither whilest his master was with the king at buen retiro ; the civility of the officers of whom i enquired his lodging , extended not so far as to send some body to shew it me , and he being seldom at home , i was either to seek him very early in the morning or late in the evening . at last i found him just out of bed , no less troubled how to enquire after us , because he had received a letter from the ambassador to his father , by which he reiterated his request for doing us all manner of good offices in that court. some dayes passed , in which he neither visited us nor returned any answer . this made me imagine that eithet he did not much value the ambassadors letter , or else had not sufficient access to his master to perform what was recommended to him . as soon as we thought of leaving spain , i began to consider how we might obtain an authentick passport , being sufficiently informed of the insolence and impudence on the passes called puertos , as well by the farmers of the customs as such as are there in guard . on which account many formalities are necessary to be observed in the passes , that they may be effectual enough to check the importunity and knavery of those harpies that lie in expectation of travailers , especially strangers , to put all imaginable affronts upon them . i made very solicitous enquiry of all circumspections necessary , and the earl of pigneranda having told my lord b. that not to leave spain without carrying along one of its greatest rarities , he should do well to take some horses ; to which purpose he would provide him all sufficient passports ; we did not in the least distrust , obtaining them as advantagious as we could wish : they which have no friends in court , are obliged to petition a certain council , whose secretary is called carnero : the petition considered on , if the pass be granted , the result goes from thence to the kings council , from whence it is returned sometimes confirmed , sometimes annulled , and often limited or amplified , according to the petitioners success in his solicitations . indeed , though either by favour or bribe , authentick passports are sometimes obtained , and that without delay ; such as are unknown and unfriended , find this trifle become a troublesome and tedious negotiation . ours was not so , for having drawn up a very exact memorial , and according to the sense of those that understand the form of a passport , to go out of spain without lett or molestations : i carried it to don martin , the earl of pigneranda's secretary : he read it , and told me so many particulars were not necessary ; and that our passport being to come immediately from the kings council , there needed no more but to translate into spanish , that we had brought from the arch-duke ; the like whereof , which would be every where respected , should be dispatched us ; i acquiesced in this , and went with him to geronimo de la torre , one of the secretaries of state , to whom he delivered a memorial for the said passport , recommending it to him in the name of his master ; he promised to carry it to the council of state that very day , using us with great civility , and accompanying us to the bottom of his stairs . our passport being in this forwardness , mr. b. and i , went one morning to visit segnior versosa , by it the better to understand the nations humour , and whether negligence or want of credit had caused his failing in what the ambassador desired of him : he instantly excused his not having waited on us , and told us he had delivered the letter to don lewis de haro , who had commanded him to accompany us to audience ( such is the manner of speaking in this court ) which he would give us the next day . this discovered that his slowness in returning us answer , was rather an effect of the humor of his nation , ( not very punctual nor forward in its civilities , no more then in its affairs ) then of his negligence or little power to perform what had bin recommended to him ; being a kin to the secretary geronimo de la torre , who had received our memorial , he would needs go along with us to him , and recommend it in our presence ; but i was strangely surprized to see this man in this visit we made in company of his kinsman , so different from what i had before found him ; for instead of our former civil reception of which i spoke but now , he would scarcely move from his table and papers , entertaining us with interrupted sentences , whilst he ranged the writings he held in his hand . i was scandalized at such an inequality , and the favourablest judgement i could make , was ( whilst i considered him to be of that nation which is esteemed so unvariable in its humor and actions ) that his thoughts were that day entirely possessed by something very important and vexatious . this prevented not our repairing next morning according to our appointment to visit the chief minister of so superbe a court. he is not difficult of access , nor environed with the pomp and splendor usually affected by such as possess the place next their master : he is not courted , nor his withdrawing room crouded with any that have not business with him ; none are refused admittance , but every man in his turn brought into his chamber , where having spoken , he retires and gives place to others ▪ to such as are not admitted , if they have formerly moved him in their concerns ; he signifies his pleasure by his secretary , which ( if they have nothing new to offer ) must of force content them ; such as have never opened their affair , or have any thing to add , are referred to the next day or another hour : so that few go away without some kind of satisfaction or hopes to receive it , at least , in obtaining audience . in other places , favourites or chief ministers seldom are accessible , and never till after many refufals ; and not content to participate of the soveraigns authority , pretend to a degree of adoration above it : and we may assure our selves , that though this quality occasions in most of these , pride , vanity , and pleasure ; it gives don lewis ( as he makes use of it ) trouble alone , and that amongst all that are in publick employment he is not only first in rank , but in attachment and subjection to the service of his king ; to which , to speak the truth , he intirely resigns himself : for in the morning immediately after his devotions , and visit of the kings apartment , about seven a clock he sits down in his chamber of dispatches , where he continues till one ; giving order to his secretaries in all that is to be done , and hearing such as are to speak with him , preented by order as hath already bin said : after dinsner he reposes , or retires some hours ; and about four or five , returns to the same chamber , and like imployment till seven . two days in the week he , as well as the king , gives publick audience ; then all enter , and i have seen there of all qualities , even lame and naked soldiers , who amongst others present themselves and pretences , without any other difference , then obliging them to advance with discretion and respect , if perhaps they observe it not . to all this is to be added , his care of the court , he being master of the horse , with his hours at both councils of state and privy , besides audiences of ceremony , and affairs of ambassadors , and agents of forreign princes ; so that i can imagine no life more agitated nor busied then his . i shall say nothing of his parts , which the spaniards hold not equal to those of his predecessor ; the other having bin quick and active in the most eminent degree ; but they add that they were not therefore more succesful , either in publick or particular ; and that the great moderation and good nature of this man , is equivalent to the heat and zeal of the former , who to attain his ends , suffered none to enjoy quiet : so true is that of the politians , that the greatest intellects are not most proper to govern states and kingdoms ; and that they look so far before them , they often stumble in such a manner as casts them into extremities , from whence all their dexterity hath much ado to free them , and the height of their good fortune to secure them from ruine ; whereas the middle sort by moving softly are not subject to those politick transports , which often toss interest of state into the air with the sublimest maximes of him that governs . as soon as we came to don lewis his lodging , which was then at the hermitage of buen retiro , we were received by don christopher his secretary . he is a little man , of address and subtilty beyond what is usual in his nation , being a german , of which countrey he hath so little the meen and presence , one would rather take him to have been born at the foot of the apennine or pyreneans , then on the banks of rhine or danube . he takes care of all forreign affairs , and serves his master as interpreter ; we were immediately presented to him , and thus he received us : he sate in a chair at the end of a table , with his cloak on his shoulders , and his sword by his side ; he rose up at our entrance , and after we had saluted him , caused seats to be presented us ; and immediately don christopher placed himself on his knees , on the carpet that was between his chair , and that of my lord b. who having spoken , don lewis answered by interpretation of don christopher , as obligingly as was possible . after the first compliments , he enquired after our journey , and continuance at madrid , and finding us inclined to leave it , asked , if we would not pass by sevil ; and we excusing our selves , by reason the summer was so far advanced ; he replyed , our time indeed pressed us , if we desired to be out of spain before the great heats ; but not visiting andalusia , we lost the sight of the pleasantest countrey in the world ; he afterwards made us many offers of service , and when we acquainted him that we desired to pass through arragon , and , if possible , enter france by catalonia ; he promised us two letters of recommendation ; one to the duke of monteleon , viceroy of arragon , the other for don john of austria . he asked us if we would kiss the kings hands ; but our time for leaving the countrey being so near , we thought it unnecessary to give him the trouble of obtaining that honour for us , having so often seen his majesty . in a word , he omitted nothing that was obliging , or might render our visit satisfactory ; he is indeed of a humour to discontent no body , and never favorite did less hurt : he suffers to live at court , not only such as envy him , but his professed enemies , as the duke de medina de los torres , and goes abroad with so small pomp , that his train little or nothing exceeds the meanest grand of spain : he is not crouded after , but observed to follow much better then his predecessor , the advice of a favourite of the same nation , who after his fall admonished all of the like condition , themselves to put a spoke in the wheel of fortune , when by too great an elevation she almost equalized them to the king , adding , that he which thinks himself advanced highest , is often nearest his ruine , and therefore ought never to be transported to receive such honours and attendances , as his fall cannot deprive him of , without shame ; on occasion of which i must needs mention , what was reported to me to have been spoken by a great statesman of this court : that a favorite ought to have the moderation and prudence of that angel before whom st john prostrated himself with adoration , and refuse some kind of respects that may be rendred him with a vide ne feceris , conservus tuus sum : for if god in that immensity of glory and power he possesses to reduce the universe to nothing , admits no companion in his adorations : kings whose authority is limited , and whose might only weakly imitates that which is infinite , will much less endure it . such boundless ambition , and excessive thirst of grandeur , in two years time strangely shook cardinal spinola , one of the greatest favorites of philip the ii. and at last overthrew that famous conde duke olivares , whose place is at present possessed by don lewis . besides what i have touched concerning his ministry , the curious find a considerable difference between the favors of the uncle and nephew , as well in the foundation as managements of them ; they consider that of the former was derived from his conformity of manners ( real or affected ) with those of his king ; and from the care he took to second his inclinations , and make himself a necessary instrument of his satisfaction in pleasures , perhaps contrary to his greatness and condition : but that of the second had its source from the kings obligations to him , for services rendred him in encounters where his life and crown were concerned : that the first had his good will and affection , which are but as blossoms that a thousand accidents blow away , whilst the other is established in the intellect , having been fixed there by experience , the true and only root of favour , proof against time and humor ; that the first arrived at so eminent a degree almost at the same time and the same manner as the duke of luines rose near lewis the xiii of france , and the later by a way very like that ascended by cardinal richlieu : the nephew had time to make use of the faults and misfortunes of the uncle , as well as the cardinal of the failings of his predecessor . but for what concerns the exercise of his authority , they observe it is very different from the other three . the duke de luines , and the conde duke olivares disturbed the quiet of their masters dominions ; the first , that he might make use of the sword of constable he had newly received , and the other to make ostentation of the vast capacity he pretended to above all mankind . richlieu , who succeeded the first of these , though with very different maximes , thought nevertheless he was to continue the war he found begun , to gain him reputation , and remove all obstacles that might prevent such a one as was more the interest of france , and would give him opportunity of entring the lists with that ambitious conde duke . don lewis was no sooner infavour , and entred on business , but he endeavoured to make understood , that the whole world and especially the house of austria , suffered by emulation of those two ministers . he well foresaw 〈◊〉 the condition of the spanish monarchy , attacqued in trunck and branch , considered ) that ●peace , ( the least dishonourable that could be obtained ) was necessary to prevent final destruction . it is said , he effectually represented to the king and his council the faults of his predecessor , and made it appear , that the universal desire of all the lesser potentates of europe , who wish equality amongst the greatest , as ballances where every one may find his counterpoise is very suitable both to the inclinations and interests of france and spain ▪ though not often so to the ambition of their kings , and vanity of the ministers that serve them ; and that which soever of them gains upon the other , would acquire most enemies , were not europe by artifice of their favorites ( who set their masters together by the ears to make ostentation of their own address during the combat , as pilots their skill in the height of a tempest ) divided into leagues , and almost all of it in arms in favor of one or other of these crowns ▪ that whilst war continued , the allies of france would never forsake her to become neuters , or turn their swords against her , but that in the mean time the dangers into which they precipitated themselves , were to be represented to them , with a great inclination to peace , even so far , as to purchase it at what price soever . that experience in all ages had made evident , they recovered by treaties what they had lost that by wars . that in germany even they were to be incited to cry up peace that were confederates with france and sweden , to oblige them to which , they should have intimation , that nothing was taken into greater consideration , then their satisfaction ; and that it was high time to divert the jealousie of their liberty against two forraign potenthtes , more ready to invade it , then ever the emperor was to impose fetters upon it . that in italy , flanders , and all other parts where there were leagues against france , the like was to be done ; and at the general treaty of peace , all desirable conditions given to their weakest enemies , to enfeeble the more potent by depriving them of the others assistance . thus the beginning of his ministry , ( if what hath been informed me , and i have here represented be true ) was not to cry up war in his masters ears , out of consideration only , of what might augment his own power , as is done by such epicures of favor as turn it to their particular advantage : he would neither seem idolatrous in his politicks , by giving no council but such as was to his masters advantage ; nor atheistical in valuing nothing but the good of the people , but with respect to both of them , shewed himself a good statesman ▪ dealing with them like husband and wife , and concluding that for their living happily together , they should admit no friend that might separate their interests . i had bin made acquainted with some of these particulars before i visited don lewis , and could set down more , were not a great part of the remarques as well effaced from my tablebook , as vanished from my memory : if it be expected , i say something of his person ; i must add , it is sufficiently taking , and that i was told , his wit was neither of the finest or grossest temper , not extravagantly high , nor insipidly low ; his countenance neither very airy nor excessively serious . nothi●● 〈◊〉 be discovered in his eyes , either too he●●● or too light , his make and posture of body is neither eminently heroick nor contemptibly vulgar , vt staturae & oris non est plus quam heroici , ita nihil in eo quod nimium vulgare sit . and he is looked upon to be no ways incommodious , either to prince or people ; and as he charms not the first by extraordinary endowments either of mind or body ; neither does he disgust the later . and a spaniard one day told me , en el semblante mismo este privado no enfada por lo atrevido , in desluce por l● disanimodo : to which i will give no other english , but , the meen of this favorite is neither insolent nor abject . the great revolutions in the affairs of this monarchy since don lewis had the managing of them , present me a vast field to expatiate on what seems vigorous or weak in his conduct ; for some particulars are observable , in which , nothing more could be wished then what he did , and others as discernable , in which he seems not to have made use of all advantages that presented themselves . the peace concluded at munster with the hollanders , is thought a masterpiece , they having received as an eternal maxime , never to have it with his king ; and the miracle became greater , not only in that he disarmed them by a particular treaty , under no other garranty , but that seal and oath they had so many years protested never to confide in ; but made use of the family of orange , which seeming no other way 〈◊〉 in the affairs of the world , then in 〈◊〉 it great captains , could not act towards 〈…〉 , without setting a knife at the throat of its own glory and reputation . after so politick an atchievement , he might have effected another little less considerable , if we may credit such as determine the affairs of princes , according to their particular capacities , had he ( during the troubles of france ) endeavoured a peace with that crown , which in such an extremity must needs have accepted it , on conditions , more advantagious to spain , then the towns retaken by it , because giving way to her intestine commotions , by removing the forraign object that might divert her dissentions and civil enmities , her fury would have rebounded on her own bosom , and she like a good mother have abandoned the greatest part of her conquests , to gain more leisure and better opportunity to chastise her disobedient children : here it is that considering affairs by their event , and seeing france again in as good a way as ever to pursue her victories , the spanish councils are blamed for neglecting that opportunity of putting such a stop to them , as should have prevented their progression . instead therefore of treaties with the city of paris , siders with the princes , and the princes themselves , it is said , spain ought to have negotiated with the court alone , from which , as is believed , it might have had good terms for abandoning the seditious , and their endeavors to encourage the rebellion , in which interim , the catholick king might probably have succeeded beyond the pyreneans , in reducing the catalonians , and recovering portugal , much more considerable to him , because very certain , that the revolt of the former , and separation of the later , are the greatest mischiefs , that have attacqued that monarchy during the whole war ; for remedy of which , it should have neglected some slight bruises in other places , and applyed it self only to the cure of those two wounds so near its heart . the ways of doing this , had bin more easie , more safe , and of less expence then those which recovered barcelone ; they which examined the affairs of that time , were of opinion that the spaniards lost more by retaking that town , and neglecting to relieve bourdeaux , then they would have done by some condiscentions to france in order to peace . for it was freely discoursed in that court , that the siege of barcellone cost so dear both in men and money , that so great a failing of spirits followed , that all the repose obtained by the french disorders , was not sufficient to their restoration , and that neglecting to relieve bourdeaux , gave the french opportunity of freeing themselves from the difficulties of appeasing their civil war , and almost at the same time of re-beginning an offensive one against the forraigners with vigor equal to their former . in the judgement therefore of these criticks , the spaniards could neither make all the progressions , might have been expected from them in such a conjuncture , notwithstanding their recovering three or four of the principal places they had lost , nor embrace the opportunity of the peace , to which france seemed necessitated , nor yet supply the flames of civil discord already so well kindled , but after so great charge and small profit , they looked on them as negligent merchants that had let slip the best time of the fair , and perhaps brought but one commodity from it , that will never sell for what was laid down in ready money , and is hereafter to be paid for it : i mean the prince of conde and rest of the french that are at present only a charge to them , and whom deceased quevedo , were he now alive , would joyn to the late queen mother of france and duke of — for that new kind of stratagem by which the king of france may batter by disgusting all his family , who repairing in discontent to the spaniard , will oblige him in assisting them to consume that which is designed to maintain his armies . now the prince of conde is retired to them , and hath no more places nor troops in france , they seem to understand this , and notwithstanding the miracles he did at the rout before arras , and on occasion of which it is reported , the king writ to him in these terms . mi primo , he intendido todo estava pardido , v. a. ha conservado todo ; cosin , i looked on all as lost , your highness hath preserved all ; they complain of the large pensions they allow him , though they pay them ill . in a word , some observe , that whilst they consume their treasure in entertaining him , and such as have followed him , the profit of those great pensions accrues to france , as well as the confiscation of his vast estate , by means of which she may well support the loss of some regiments to the weakening her own and strengthening her enemies army . their esteem for his person is indeed equal to his merit , and his name is in such veneration both amongst nobility and people , that he is looked on as the greatest captain that europe hath seen in many ages , and to be above all encomiums due to the highest courages ; his actions surpassing all that can be imagined ; notwithstanding which they consider him to be a stranger , and prince of the blood of a crown that is enemy , which makes the establishment of an entire confidence between him and spain , very difficult , but to prevent all appearance of such distrusts , which they have much ado to disguise , they have made use of an artifice , that hath been well enough discovered by his agents ; which is , that such of them as cannot be concealed , are imputed to the misunderstanding between him and fuensaldaigne , master of the intrigue of flanders , whilst to content him , they find expedients that rather amuse then satisfy him ; to take away which the prince hath declared against fuensaldaigne , and caused his calling home to be sollicited in court , with protestation , that as long as he continues in the low countreys , with the present power , he will not only ruine his affairs , but the kings his masters . monsieur de mazecolles his agent told me , he had made them sufficiently sensible of all the mischiefs occasioned by this mans conduct , but the kindness don lewis hath for him , prevails against any remedy . that the arch-duke had given the same advice , all which could not prevent their obstinacy in continuing him , grounded perhaps on this maxim , which requires ( as well in kingdoms as families ) to nourish dissention amongst those which serve , lest they conspire to betray us , or are not exact enough in observing the comportments of one another , nothing being so industrious or penetrating , as envy and animosity , which prie not only into what the master would not be ignorant of , but into such things of which he cares not for getting information . in the mean time let politick censors , who often judge of counsels and resolutions , rather by the events , and what is discernable , than the inductive reasons of which they are ignorant , please themselves in discoursing according to their fancies of this great intrigue of state , the effect of the french troubles : they shall not yet hinder my observing , that in consideration of several successes caused by them , as well in germany , where a king of romans was chosen , as in italy , where the affairs of the dutchy of milan were secured ▪ casal changed master , piombino , and portolongone were retaken , the rebellion of naples severely punished , and that furious courser reduced to curb and cavison , the spaniards are generally pretty well satisfied , with little other displeasure than that by not succouring bourdeaux , they suffered the french civil flames to be too soon extinguished ; so that they cannot without indignation mention the negligence of the marquis of st. cruz , when he endeavoured with the fleet under his command , that had been fitted up at st. sebastians , to open the passage of the river to the besieged . he was encharged with this employment , because not having comported himself satisfactorily in one like it , it was believed he would strive to make amends by some very eminent action in so pressing a necessity : but he failed even at his first setting out ; for having received his orders at madrid , where the earl of fiesque arrived to hasten him , he went away in a litter , with all the conveniencies of one that had time enough before him , and as if he had not had a commission that required the most extraordinary diligence . his delays were the same in embarking , and having shewn himself at sea ▪ and scarcely taken view of the enemy , he retreated to la corugna in gallicia , where amongst the delightful limon and orange-trees , that grow there abundantly , he let the bad weather pass over , and with it the opportunity of securing bourdeaux , whose loss was the intire ruine of the disaffected party in gasconie , and of the treaty of the prince of conti. his manner of proceeding astonished all that were concerned , though some suspected his orders required no more but to make a shew of relieving the place ; whether it were that the spaniards would hazard nothing in a war that could not last long in that part , or whether there were an understanding ( according to the ravings of such as on all occasions vent their imaginations ) by the return of bourdeaux to its kings obedience , to obtain the like for barcelona . whatever may be of this , he was secured and confined to a castle where he still remains , as is thought , more on accompt of reason of state then of his guilt . to conclude , the french troubles presented great speculations to the chief minister and other wits here , how far they ought to concern themselves in them : but those of naples which happened a little before , and which the king of spain beheld as a fire kindled in a corner of his dominion , he most valued , and distrusted were no less subjects of the discourse of such as had curiosity for the affairs of either crown . all agree that france drew not so great advantages from them as she might have done , had she more streightly embraced the neopolitan interests , and such as have discoursed with me about it , have made it evident , that spain in no occasion ever judged more solidly , or acted more effectually . at the first advice of that revolution she was not deceived in taking her measures , and the earl of ognate giving his sense of it , made the mischief and its remedy so intelligible , that he was employed to administer the later . i saw an extract of his letter , which represented that the fury of that people could not last , having at first declared open war against the nobility and all that were powerful . that such commotions ( the better part of the state being contrary to them ) bring forth only confusion and disorder , without any possibility of erecting a true form of government , which must be done ( if at all ) in a moment , and that a multitude that had neither feet nor wings proportionable to mounting so high must necessarily fall of it self , being imprudent in its councils , rash in its designes , and slow and timerous in its executions . that the people of naples went very aukwardly about forming them-themselves into a republick , beginning by desolation of the richest families , which could not be so totally ruined , but they would retain power to joyn with the offended prince in the publick revenge ; and that that which would be imposed on this enraged multitude would be the more advantageous , in that it would give opportunity of drawing the reins of government streighter , and binding them so fast , that notwithstanding their former several bloodlettings , a vein should then be opened , by which should be drawn the greatest part even of that which was best , provided all that was corrupted came away with it . his council was followed , and his hand employed in the execution , whilest he doubtlesly played the part of an able surgeon , the whole body of the rebels suffering his lancet , and the ringleaders his saw and rasor . all the world is witness of his admirable conduct in so dangerous a malady . i shall only add that he is looked on here as the ablest and zealousest polititian of spain ; and it is not doubted but if he had employment suitable to his wishes , he would add something of vigor that in several mens opinions is wanting . but his parts being apprehended he is kept at the greatest distance possible from the intrigue ; and setting aside what he must necessarily be made acquainted with by reason of his employments , little is communicated to him . he therefore passes his time in building , and employing part of the great treasure he amassed in naples , on a pal●ce that will be one of the fairest and vastest of madrid . among the great affairs and eminent negotiations of dom lewis , was one from the north , whose interest was at first well enough understood : for none admired that spain kept an ambassador at stockholm for facilitating the election of the son of the emperor to be king of romans . the swedes were judged to have great credit in the empire , and known to have too long opposed the house of austria , to look well on its elevations ; a man of parts might sound their intentions , discover their designes , and by dexterity allay their greatest animosity against the emperor , if not obtain something really favourable in his behalf . piementelli , chosen for this imployment , had success beyond what was expected , quickly possessing himself of the good opinion of that queen , ever charmed by novelty ; for amongst the great affluence of strangers she drew to her court , the last comer still carried it from all the rest . she was so much pleased in a spaniard , having never yet received any respects from that nation , that it was not difficult for him to make himself acceptable without taking pains to corrupt any of her council . such as understood how matters passed in swede were not suprised at her letters during the diet of ratisbone , as well to the emperor , as to the electors and other princes about election of a king of romans . they easily perceived that the counsellors of the kingdom and ablest heads had not contributed to so open and authentick a declaration in favour of the king of hungary . during her fathers reign , and in her minority , they had been otherwise inspired ; and if their opinions might have prevailed , doubtlesly the party of the princes and towns had rather been supported , who demanded a making good of all that had been agreed on by the peace of munster before they would proceed to th●t election . this makes easily comprehended that an ambassador from this court was necessary during all that time , but that he should be continued after the resignation of this princess , and that when she had left the kingdom ●iemente●●● should every where follow her under that character , is a mystery , of which no reason can be imagined , that seems not too flat and feeble to be real . for why should the spaniards be at such cost to keep in with this princess after she had dispossessed her self of her dominion , or court her then , their enemies having received all her favours whilst she sate on the throne ? the spaniards , i say , that never do any thing , where that interest , that as much governs kings as kings do subjects , is not exactly observed : that repine at the entertaining the many discontented princes that have sided with them , and that seldom abandon what is solid and necessary , for what is plausible and superfluous . notwithstanding all which they not only caused her to be attended by an ambassador , when she had no right to one , and who ( her prerogative being gone with her soveraignty ) must needs appear rather a gentleman usher than publick minister , but omitted not to complement and present her from madrid it self , with of the beautifullest horses of the kings stable . what is rumored here that she hath still the disposal of forces , and that koningsmarc by her order marches to assist the arch-duke with an army of twelve thousand men , is a meer raillery . her resignation was doubtless a secret of state , spun and wove with more art than is imagined , and nothing less than what it seemed ; she retained neither credit nor authority to make her mistress of any thing more than her pensions ; and though because the pill was very well gilt , the world believed she swallowed it willingly , and tasted nothing bitter , a person of as great judgment as curiosity , told me , that as the palatine appeared a great captain when generalissimo in germany , he no less approved himself an able polititian , in a quiet possessing himself of the crown of the great gustavus his uncle , even in the life-time of his daughter and only heir : the manner of doing this seems very subtle , for after he was declared her successor ( partly on occasion of the over-heroick inclinations of that princess , who seemed amorous only of her own wit , and more ambitious to be thought a woman learned and liberal , than a queen prudent and capable of governing partly by reason of the inclination of the counsellors and states of the kingdom , who grew weary of obeying a maid , more sollicitous to be the miracle of her sex than of her dignity ) and a resolution taken that if she should marry , it must be with none but him , all his endeavors tended to make known he was fitter to espouse the kingdom than queen : in effect he quickly appeared equal to the former , and ( were it naturally or artificially ) so well acted the part of a king , that it was very apparent that whilest he fell back from probability of being such by means of the later , he advanced in hopes of it , by the general inclination of the people , and interest of state. his conformity of humors and manners with those of that countrey , opened him so fair a way to the throne , that the queen ( whose customs were directly contrary ) became jealous , with such an aversion for his person , as she could not sufficiently conceal . this obliged him to retire to an island , part of his inheritance , leaving all to time and the queen her self , who confirmed the people in their dislike of her . she continued to value less than she ought the most considerable persons , and most important affairs . her vast fancy and ardent thirst after curious sciences , joyned to that extraordinary manner of conduct that possessed her , made her flie from thought to thought , and from employment to employment , without ever fixing on the duties of her charge , and care of her crown and subjects . one while she was entirely taken up by letters with des cartes , salmasius , and bouchard , whom she had sent for , with the first to engage her self in the labirinth of his modern philosophy , with the other to trace the antiquities of rome and greece , and with the last to penetrate the mysteries of the catholick and protestant faith. sometimes she abandoned both books and scholars , calling all the first bawbles , and the last pedants . at the time of this gay humor , crowds of young people that swarmed about her , p●ssed their time very agreeably . masks , balls , plays , collations , huntings , tours , with all the little pleasures that are the principal ragouts of the idleness of courts , were then alone in request . wit and fancy , with all that boundless and extravagant jollity can produce , then displayed themselves with the highest advantages , and his parts were most applauded , that seemed capablest of these fond diversions which lead from pleasure to pleasure and pastime to pastime , without knowing what they seek , or on what to settle . in these several manners of living she equally scattered the crowns revenue amongst strangers , by whose counsel she governed her self in many things , and by her own head in all the rest . this gave occasion to one missenius , a physitian or historian , if i mistake not , that had been advanced by her , to publish a book little to her advantage . he highly extolled the prince palatin , then declared heir of the crown , addressing himself to him and the kingdoms senators , for remedy of the disorders he observed . his stile discovered him , and the queen made appear very great moderation on occasion of his ingratitude , and the prince no less address and judgment , in satisfying her that he too much detested the crime of that unworthy fellow , to have contributed any thing towards it . all this while a secret aversion for the queen insinuated it self amongst the greatest part of the senators and people . some said they must have a soldier to command them , others lamented the poverty of their country , and that rixdollers were so scarce amongst them . that peace suited ill with a countrey that produced nothing but iron , which they ought to truck for the ducats of poland or patagons of germany . that an occasion of rupture with one of these could not be wanting , that the truce with poland was almost at an end , and that they stood in need of nothing but a king , either a charles or another gustavus . that all that was defective in his daughter abounded in his nephew ; notwithstanding all which their respect to the next blood of that great king , suffered them not to open their mouths wide , nor to speak publickly ; but whether it were that the senators had more particularly expressed themselves to the queen in private , or that of her self she well understood , by the conjuncture of affairs and inclination of the people , that she had not long to raign , or else by some transport of heroick fancy , or were it that all these things together contributed to her renunciation , it at last became publick to the admiration of all the world . this change was the discourse of all europe , and as there had not happened any thing in many ages so suprizing , every man endeavored to find the causes of it in a thousand chymerical reasons . this great queen was so unfortunate , she escaped not the teeth of satyrists on occasion of it . they began by a bad opinion of her understanding , and jealousie of ill guided morals ; her affections and judgment seemed very unstable , and her enemies reported she quitted not a crown and scepter on a principle of vertue to live to her self , and in a solitude where she might the better cultivate her mind and exalt her faith , but out of of an inclination to wander , and expose to fame that prodigy of the north she had so highly vaunted . this so feeble motive of so great an action made some conjecture it was not her choice , but that her descent from the throne might be glorious , she was permitted or advised to cover with the mantle of generosity and austere vertue , the necessity to which they reduced her of resigning the crown to her cosin before her death . that great soul and vigorous intellect she ever pretended to , on this occasion doubtlesly furnished her with such maximes , it represented her resigning the soveraiguty as much better than its forsaking her , and that by anticipation of her defeat she should triumph in it : that a timely retreat is oftentimes better than an obstinat combat . that a good horseman alights , when he perceives his horse will not carry him to his journeys end . that she should do well to imitate that illustrious roman that vaunted to have been employed before himself desired it , and to have quitted before it was desired by others ; by the first designing the effect of his good fortune , and by the second giving testimony of his good conduct . the event shews she yielded to these reasons , and the better to disguise all appearance of constraint , omitted nothing that might conceal her displeasure . piementelli her favorite wrote in such terms to this court , clearly discovering the bottom of this affair and humor of this princess , with which he had order to comply , and offer her all manner of honour and good reception in the dominion of the king his master . he effected this without difficulty , because so well with her that all was acceptable from him . having entirely resigned her self to his counsel and conduct , she had no sooner cast off the royal robe , than she left swede in the equipage and habit of a modern amazon . she did not only in her actions retain nothing of the customs of her sex , whose weakness was so contemptible to her , but avoided all conversation with it , her attendants and servants were all men , scorning to use women either at her rising or going to bed . her own habit was mixed of what is used by both . a loose coat reaching to the middle of her leg , and under it a kind of vest almost to her heel , a handkerchief like a cravat about her neck , a black periwig , though her own hair was flaxen ; with a hat and feather , were her ordinary accoutrements , or rather her disguise , whilest she travailed : nay at antwerp and brusselles , where she continued some time , she changed nothing ; and they which have written of her , represent her in a dress very little different . humor or aversion made her alwayes ( as much as possible ) avoid the visits of women , and as thalestris for alexander , so she at first expressed a great impatience and extraordinary passion to see the prince of conde . she publickly said , she was sorry there was no house in brussels large enough to lodge them both ; that he was her hero , and the only man she admired . he was at that time at the siege of arras , whither she writ to him she would come , and after his example make no difficulty of wearing the spanish colours . this prince having augmented his glory , though by an unfortunate conclusion of that enterprise , her desire of seeing him was redoubled ; to testifie how much she was concerned in the honour he had acquired by a retreat that had equalized the defeat of the spaniards , to the victory of their enemies . after so handsom advances and obliging addresses for an interview she passionately desired , one would hardly believe she could become cold , and change so many evident testimonies of impatience , to as visible ones of indifference . one of that princes agents told me , that out of an humor very extraordinary and surprizing , she studied punctilio's on the form of his reception , when he was even ready to make his visit . the arch-duke after the rout before arras , went to see her at antwerp , and she received him with excessive respects and honours ; for not satisfied to attend him at her stair-foot , she passed over a great court , and met him at her outer gate . the prince of conde , whose courage may justly equalise him to what is greatest , and whose birth yields to few that wear not crowns , desired to know how she would comport her self towards him ; those he employed in this could never obtain any satisfactory answer , and therefore doubting she might make some difference between him and the archduke , he resolved not to see her : but because he was already on his way , and importuned not to come to an open rupture , he resolved of an expedient to see her incognito . he therefore sent his train to attend her as if himself were gone back , and that he might see her unknown to her , resolved to enter her chamber when full of his people , and to appear no otherwise than as one of those that waited on her on his account . at first she knew him not , but at last discovering him , when he went away she would have accompanied him ; but he told her he must have all or nothing , and without staying for an answer went as he came . it is most certain that he whom she looked on as the hero of this age , at that interview lost the opinion that she was the heroine . her resolution yet , that hath on so many occasions been remarquable , was not the principal cause of her inequality towards him : it was a trick put upon her by the spaniards , contrived by piementelli at instigation of the earl of fuensaldaigne , that was very ill with him : for though the king of spain had expresly ordered that he should be treated equally with the archduke , and the same honors paid him , this was not the first time that more had been promised at madrid than performed at bruxels , she who is entirely devoted to the spaniards , and governs her self by their councels only , did nothing on this occasion that was not agreed on with them : and most certain that the prince of conde made appear such a contempt of their vanity , and indifference for her , that they were ashamed as well of their own as his proceeding : this obliged the spaniards to endeavour their reconciliation , and to find a neutral place where they might accidentally meet : which happened in the pall mall , where a game was agreed on , in which both of them were on the same side ; but this had no effect , and they parted with the same indifference as at first . what i have observed of the humour and comportment of this princess , is but the sum of what i have heard from those that discourse of the designe of this court in its many caresses to her : of which publick curiosity hath gained so little light , we may conclude that nothing is so certain as the uncertainty of it . some will have that no northern puissance having been so fatal to the house of austria as that of the kingdom she abandoned , the chief minister aimed at acquiring her affection , and making use of her animosity against her country for discovering its greatest secrets . to this fancy they add , that it being improbable that the king that succeeds her should continue long in peace with the emperor , her councils and creatures that continue in swede , may be useful as most proper against all correspondence he may have in germany , for thwarting the election of the king of the romans , and forming a party capable of recalling him , with another manner of power then what he had before prague , when he retired with so great regret , and discovered that if he had not so strong a hand , nor so long an arm as the great gustavus his uncle ; he had no less thirst after victory . others as ridiculous , imagine that a principle of generosity and bounty obliges the king to maintain an ambassador with this queen , to comfort her in her eclipse of dignity , by continuing such an acknowledgement of power and honour ; and that to mitigate her resentments , he will in time make her vice-queen of naples , or some other realm , where though she command not over so largely extended a dominion , nor with a power so ablolute , as when she sate on the throne , she will have the satisfaction to enjoy a pleasanter climate . there are that when they must needs acknowledge they cannot comprehend to what purpose the chief minister is so solicitous in cultivating this queens good graces , have recourse to zeal for religion ; and that he proposeth to himself no other end nor other glory , then to cause an abjuration of her faith , to follow the renunciation of her crown , and to send her to rome as his triumph for so great a work . whatever it be that moves the spaniards to a negotiation , that to most wits seems very useless ; this is most certain that if they have complacency for this princess , she hath no less for them . for besides what i have already said , i have had advice that at her arrival at antwerp , she extolled the beauty of that city with such excess , she made no difficulty of preferring it before the kingdom she had quitted ; nor of saying , she had rather be marchioness of antwerp then queen of sweden . it is most certain , that in stockholm it self , in her familiar discourse she made it manifest , she had no great value either for her countrey or subjects , whither this were a designe and foresight , that as she should not long command the latter , so she would soon quit the former , or an effectual aversion for her people , caused by frequentation of strangers , and contempt of her countrey by reason of the relations they made her of the benignity of the air they breathed in the parts where they were born . besides all this , it is well known , that after she had testified a desire to become mediatress of a peace between france and spain , about which she had discourse with mr chanut , when he was to see her , ( assuring him that the spaniards wished it , and would put their concernments into her hands , if france would do the like ) she was angry when she knew her interposal was not accepted , and writ to him in terms very different from the former , and more advantagious to spain : amongst her respects for all that comes to her in the name of that king , might be reckoned her manner of living with antonio piementelli , were it believed she had the same value for his character as for his person : she hath an extraordinary propensity to all he propounds , even to a forcing her own inclinations to a compliance with his . she is known to be learned , and to love books and schollars , yet busies her self in trifles to suit his genius , in such a manner , that if any learned men visit her whilst he is present , she avoids such discourses as may discover his weakness , be tedious to him , strike him dumb and constrain that gay humour is reported to be so natural to him . having reported all that the spanish criticisms informed me in those matters of state , ( whether catholic or paradoxical ) which because of freshest date are their most usual entertainments , and having mentioned their opinions of those that manage them , or that are or have bin their principal or accessary objects ; it is time to say something of such ministers of forreign princes as i had the honour to be acquainted with in this court , the first of these was the earl of fieschi , agent for the prince of conde ; he was very kind to us , and being as well one of the greatest wits as gallants of the french court ; it is pity he hath engaged himself in a party and employment that hath so much altered his constitution , and changed his humor , so that he is hardly to to be known by those that have been most particularly acquainted with him : he is fallen into a sickness that by intervals makes him pale , disorders his pulse and disables him for company or discourse . he keeps a good table , the countrey he is in considered : when we eat with him , it afflicted us to see him in the middle of a meal rise from his seat and cast himself on a bed . at access of the fit , he sodainly changes colour , and one would think him fainting : this is supposed to be the effect alone of melancholly and displeasure caused by the troubles in which he is engaged , which have separated him from his relations , estate , and tranquility of the life he had wont to lead . he took the prince of conde's party out of inclination and generosity only , for it is said , he had not the least cause of discontent either from the court or chief minister , and his interest would rather have led him to have followed the duke of orleans and madamoiselle then any other , his wife relating to that princess ; but he thought he was to go on , and not boggle when he had once chosen a master . after serving him well at bourdeaux , and several rencounters , he was sent hither to give greater reputation to the affairs of that prince , managed by st agolin , in quality of gentleman of his chamber . at first he endeavoured to divert himself by all the recreations this place afforded , besides which , he enjoyed one peculiar to himself by reason of the excellent verses he composed : he was pleased to repeat to us some sonnets he had made in praise of the prince of conde , and almost a whole scene of a piece he begun in imitation of senecas medea : but neither love nor the muses had charms powerful enough against that discontent and melancholly , which reduced him to the lamentable condition in which we lef him ; his health being disturbed by so frequent and sodain alterations as neither himself , his friends , nor physitians could understand . he therefore forsook all pleasures , for devotions , and instead of seeking company that might divert his thoughts from contemplating his affairs and infirmity ; he made la casa del campo , his hermitage , whither he often went , either alone , or accompanied by one friend , whom he tired with silent walking . the king allowed him a coach with four horses , neither good nor bad ; but the coachman and footman very ill cloathed for servants of so great a king. besides this equipage which he commands whensoever he pleases ; he hath his particular train which consists of some footmen , a secretary , a master of the horse , a page , and some other officers ; to maintain himself and them , the king allows him crowns a month and pays his house-rent : he wears the spanish habit , and seems so far concerned in the interests of that court , whither really , or to justify his engagement with it , that he speaks of it with passion , and will allow nothing to be comparable to the manner of living in it ; this is not because without cause of complaint ▪ but , ( as is supposed ) obliged by prudence : he medles with little at present , as well by reason of his indisposition , as that the prince of conde sometime since , sent one of his counsellors , who seems to have the intrigue and principal affairs in his hand ; he is called mazeroles , and well qualified : he hath as much learning as is necessary to manage the affairs of the time ; he perfectly understands this court and nation ; his wit is solid , yet quick and supple ; his judgement exquisite , and in the affairs he handles there needs be no distrust of his mistaking the shadow for the substance , nor the point for the hilt ; his conversation is both agreeable and serious in such a manner , that none go from him without satisfaction , and instruction of many things remarkable in themselves or circumstances . in a word , one may say of him that his parts are solidly established , both by art and nature , were he not tormented by an astma , that gives him little repose . this indilposition was acquired by riding post on his masters occasions , and it is so violent , that for some years he hath not slept but in a chair , not daring to lie in a bed , for fear of being suffocated by a defluxion and shortness of wind . the king of spain allows him also one of his coaches , drawn by as many horses as that which attends the earl of fiesque . in the palace which is called conde house remain still some of those that followed that princes party , and accepted not the amnesty ; the chief of these is monsieur de trincars , counsellor in the parliament of bourdeaux , he is a man of parts and honour , and that was very well with monsieur d' espernon , but that carried with the stream , abandoned himself to follow the fortune of the prince of conde , when he came to possess himself of the government of gascone ; that party declining , the prince of conti sent him into england to solicite succors , whilst he was there , they of bourdeaux returned to their kings obedience , which exposed him to a great deal of rigor , the effects of which , would have been sensible to his estate , had it not been secured as his wives dowry . that his person might be in no less safety , he retired to this place ; after which , the prince made him intendant of his army , but he cannot obtain from these ministers pistols the prince gave him to be paid out of his pensions ; neither doth he solicite them longer , nor press any thing but his discharge , which he knows they will not grant without the pistols , lest his arrival with the prince , give him a new subject of complaint by so much the more just , in that this counsellor , whom he summons to an imployment , in which he will be necessary to him , demands not any gratification or ajuda de costa , as it is here called , but the payment of part of a sum that is due to him ; by what i guessed , the difficulty lay not in the expedition of the pasport , but of the money , without which they would not have him go away . in the same house lives also an agent of monsieur de marcin who solicits his masters pensions ( which amounts to crowns a year ) as general of the kings armies ; besides the assignation the prince of conde gives on the money he draws from hence ; all these and some others that are in this house , live on the hundred crowns a month that are given the earl of fiesque ; it is true , that by the death of st agolin who was the princes first envoye ; this charge will be somewhat eased : st agolin was a gentleman of auvergne that lay sick long , and was at last killed by hot medicines ; they speak very pleasantly of his doctors , who after six months application of all manner of cold remedies , told him , that since those availed not , they must try hot ones , and so brought him to his end , in which he was happier then in so crasie a life : i saw his grave , and was pointed out one of the sumptuosities of this countrey , which requires persons of quality to have crimson velvet or red sattin nailed to their coffin , adorned with gold and silver lace , at least on the seams , if not covered over . the second agent or ambassador of forrain princes , was the dukes of florence ; he is a clergy-man that wants not wit , of good meen , and free and affable conversation . his brother , whom we knew at the great dukes court , where he is very considerable , had given us a letter for him , which we delivered quickly after our arrival at madrid : he received us well , and made many offers of service to my lord ..... but gave us occasion to observe that the study of spanish and its near relation to the italian , made it very difficult for us to use the latter without mixture of some words of the former : nay some italians could scarcely avoid this , nor speak their own languaage with purity after acquisition of some little of the castillian . no prince in italy being more streightened by the spaniards than the great duke , he alwayes keeps an ambassador in this court to get intelligence of whatever passes : for besides that which this king possesses in the isle of elba , he is master of the best havens in toscany that belonged to the republick of sienna , and therefore much concerned in the affairs of this crown particularly in those that belong to it in italy . seignior encontri , of whom i now speak , is very intelligent in these matters , and too active and quick-sighted to be ignorant of what passes here . he discovered the treaty of the genoueses with this king for acquisition of pontremoli ; and as soon as he had vented the mine , and recived the great dukes orders to act with all his might towards gaining a place so advantagious to him , he so well thwarted the genoueses in their bargain , he broke it off , and struck up for his master . in acknowledgment of which that prince a little after sent the ambassador a horse of massie gold , made sometime before for henry the fourth , or lewis the thirteenth of france , and removing the effigies of one of those kings which was of the same mettal , there needed no more but to place in its stead that of philip the fourth , to be presented to don lewis de haro , who accepting it , declared to do so on no other termes , but to bestow it in his masters cabinet , where , as was reported , he effectively placed it . my lord ..... made many visits to this ambassador , who also came twice or thrice to see him ; being an ecclesiastick he only wore along robe , without taking the habit of the country . the third forrain minister was seignior quirini , ambassador for the republick of venice : he is very magnificent and splendid , and of a meen altogether suitable to the majesty of that august senate : whose dignity yet he better supports by an acquired knowledg of all that belongs to a person of quality , accompanied by a judgment whose solidity incomparably moderates the exuberance of his memory in such a manner , that the promptitude of the one never clashes against the maturity of the other . a gentleman of piedmont called ranusio , who had been sent by the duke of savoy to the dutchess of mantua , his aunt , made us known to seignior ..... secretary of the embassy , who presented us to that excellent person . he received us perfectly well , and assured my lord ..... that the memory of his grandfather was dear to the senate , to whom he had been ambassador , and that they which then governed saw so many excellent qualities in that great personage , they mentioned him to their children ▪ as one of the ablest headpieces had ever appeared before them ; after this he discoursed with us about the troubles of england , and the war between cromwell and holland then lately ended , and told us that the seigniory of venice , who was the first that sent ambassadors to henry the fourth of france , before seated on his throne , which the league with great might and fury disputed against him , and that had made no difficulty of acknowledging the states of the low-countries when they had freed themselves from the spanish obedience , had not as yet sent any ambassador into england to own that republick or protector . the reason he gave us was , that that prudent senate would do nothing it might be forced to revoke ; and though these later might seem ( however so sodainly ) better established than the former , they could not subsist long , and would therefore wait till their power were better settled , less tumultuary and precipitous than as yet : that it would see what time would do with them , lest with other soveraigns it might suffer the displeasure to have adressed it self to mushrums , who started up in a night , and might vanish in the morning ; for though the forces and industry of the king of great britain had till that time failed of restoring him to his throne , it was probable enough he might recover it by means of internal revolutions , and such flowings of state , as return what the like ebbs have carried away . visits and acquaintance of this nature give a soul to travail , when a moment presents one part of what great personages resident , in the country where he is , have been long acquiring . and as such men observe all with great exactness , and have opportunity to do so , their discourses are sometimes more instructive than some years residence , they being usually most open to strangers . the three ambassadors i have mentioned were all we knew here , though there was also one on accompt of the emperor ▪ called comte lambert , who succeeded the comte of grain ; but we never visited him . at our being at antwerp he was also there with all his family ; his wife is daughter to compte wallenstine , lord high chamberlain of his imperial majesty . he received the collar of the golden fleece from the kings own hands , and went away no less satisfied than we , by vacancy of several chambers in the inne , for want of which we did little less than camp the night before his departure . he is a tall man , thin-faced , and of no extraordinary meen . they say he agreed better with this court than the earl of grain , a bold wit , that made himself more feared than loved , that spoke free truths to the king , and medled in more than belonged to his charge : he slighted the order , that no coach , except the kings and masters of his horse should be drawn with six mules or horses in the town . he did not think himself obliged to observe this , and still went through the streets as formerly : he was once in a passion against those that admonished him of it in the kings name , whereas the last complies and uses but four like other ambassadors . the king of denmark hath also an agent here , but we had no acquaintance with him ; he lives privately , and the people one day as he passed called him lutheran ; the king himself ( on occasion of a difference he had ) not using terms more favourable . besides some small interests of state of his masters in this court i think his residence is only to facilitate the commerce of his subjects and allies , he was upon his departure , and staid only for a pass from france , that he might not be arrested on the frontier . an envoy of the landgrave of armstadt was also upon going with more satisfaction , ( as i found by his discourse ) as well that he was no longer to trouble himself with ineffectual solicitations , as that he had obtained ( as he thought ) something for his masters interests . he came to demand the pensions the spaniards ought to pay him according to treaties made with him in germany , and of which the arrears mounted very high , but he carried away nothing but paper with assignations very incertain ( as i was told ) and no ready mony , besides aynda de costa , that is something to bear his charges . we saw also the popes nuncio who was likewise on his departure , for which he had long prepared , but , because he that was to succeed him , called seignior massimi ( if i mistake not ) had at his landing in the kingdom of valentia been arrested in the kings name , with prohibibition to go forward , he was fain to stay till that difference was accommoded , which arose from innocent the tenth's sending him that was to succeed , without having first given the court advice of it , and known whether it were acceptable ; and since the french had on the same occasion arrested the nuncio in provence , it was thought spain might do the like ; besides that , this came charged with some instructions relating to portugal and this court , which in the kings opinion were not sufficiently catholick , who possessed of that title with precedence of all others , required them after his own fashion . these difficulties , and such other as concerned his reception , being at last removed , after his passing sometime as a private person in the kingdom of valentia , he was permitted to come to this town , and exercise his function : he arrived on the eve of corpus christi , or a little before it , and saw the solemnity through a grated window , not appearing because not received ; and he in whose place he came ( doubtlessly not a little troubled to be removed from so profitable an employment ) did that day his last office in attending the king in that ceremonie . now i am speaking of the ambassadors and ministers of forrain princes , i will not omit what i have to say of margarite of savoy dutchess of mantua , who prepared to leave the court , and pass the rest of her life in the dutchy of millan , where the king had assigned certain lands for her entertainment . she is daughter of an infanta of spain and of charles emanuel duke of savoy : she was married to duke ferdinand , the last duke of mantua of that line , and had but one daughter during the life of her father married to the duke of rethel , son of the duke of nevers , to secure to him the succession of those estates as nearest heir ; but spain resolving to dispute it with him ; this woman , whose inclinations were totally spanish , sided with the house of austria against her own daughter ; the commotions that were consequences of this in italy , are known to all the world , it is enough that i remember here that this princess being retired to this court , for which she had so openly declared , was well received , and to employ her wit and zeal made vice-queen of portugal ; where , to speak truth she comported her self prudently . but the insolence and avarice of the ministers imposed to act under her , seconded by the countenance and approbation of the condeduke , at that time favorite , was so great she could not prevent their driving the people to dispair , discontenting the grandes , and wronging the clergy , giving occasion to all of them to take arms for reestablishng their liberty . these things she often wrote both to the king and his chief minister , particularizing all exorbitancies committed , and danger of a general revolt : but the favourite caused little regard to be given to her advice , ever crying out she was a woman , and all she writ trifles , more crediting the letters of the ministers he had sent with the intrigue than hers ; on which accompt after affairs in lisbonne had changed face , and a short exile that permitted her not to come to court was passed over , at her return from that lost kingdom , getting opportunity to speak with the king , she assisted towards ruining the duke of olivares in his opinion . she was afterwards entertained at madrid by his majesty , who now at last gave her permission to retire to her native country , there to lay her bones , being very aged . some nevertheless suppose her sent into italy , to be a means of inticing the duke of savoy her nephew ( now of age ) from the french alliance , and of continuing the duke of mantua her grandchild in the spanish interests , into which he entred after the taking casal , and from which they distrust he may be biassed by his great engagements to france , as well on accompt of his birth as of the estate he possesses there . during our stay at madrid we had many faithful companions of our travails monsieur ...... in whom to the desire of knowing things that are considerable , is joyned such a comprehension of them , he is become capable of signalizing himself in service of his country , as soon as he shall attain the rank his own merit , and his deceased fathers services seem to have acquired him . i will say nothing of his other vertues , that have made too deep impression in my memory , to believe they can ever be effaced , i had the happiness to know him in florence , where mr. ..... and he renewed the friendship they had contracted in their tender years , when they bore arms together in holland under prince william of orange . coming out of italy he landed in the kingdom of valentia , and from thence went streight to madrid in hope of meeting us , but having continued there sometime , despairing of our arrival , he resolved to be gone : when he least thought of us , and could not expect at madrid in the middle of the spring those that should have passed the winter there ▪ four horse-men passed by his lodging , whose habit and horses discovered them to be of the other side the mountains , his curiosity obliged him to follow them to the place where they ●●●ghted , not a little surprised to find those he had so impatiently expected : he was then in such an equipage , that i must confess at first i knew him not , he wore the cassock , rocket , thin and streight stockings , with pumps and breeches like holsters , which so strangely diguised him he seemed not the same person we had been acquainted with in florence ; his mustaches or whiskers grown long and turned up with irons , made me more a stranger to the air of his face , he not a little resembling the king of spain , of whom he hath more of the meen in that habit , than of himself , when clothed after the fashion of his countrey . after mutual expressions of our joy , we acquainted him with the delayes of our journey , and he told us the successes of his , and having passed three moneths in madrid , during which we failed not one day of seeing one another we resolved to pass together into france by way of arragon : but before we put this in execution , a troop of illustrious strangers , whom we were very glad to see arrived in madrid : amongst them were two gentlemen whose perfections of mind and body made evident , that if heaven hath given them great advantages by eminent birth , their education and docility have contributed no less to that virtue and prudence which surpasses their age . they brought many letters from the earl of fuensaldaigne , dom stephen de gamarra , and other of the king of spains ministers in the low-countries , to the best of this court , who received them very well , but wanting the language they took along with them a burgundian doctor called rognar , imployed in the businesses of several officers that serve in the kings armies , and other persons of his nation that are concerned in this court to be their interpreter , they were caressed by all , especially by don lewis and the earls of ognate & pigneranda : though they resolved to stay at madrid no longer then midsummer day to see the fight of bulls , they habited themselves according to the mode of the country , and intending within two moneths to leave it for portugal , they began at first to provide horses , and solicit the expedition of a pass to make the tour of spain , notwithstanding the excessive heat of those regions . as soon as we got our pass we prepared to be gone , it was in the same form as that we brought out of flanders from the arch-duke , very ample and unlimited , as well to time as persons . having taken our leaves , and besides the nags we brought out of france furnished our selves with some spanish horses , we left madrid the th of june , taking the way of arragon ▪ in the forenoon we rid six leagues , the country very dry , which continued to be so till we came to the river de los henares , on which stands the city of alcala , in latin called complutum . it is very famous for its university , founded ( as is reported ) on the model of that of paris , and like it divided into several colledges , every one provided of professors called cathedraticos . divinity and philosophy florish more here than in any other university of spain , and salamanca in the kingdom of leon most for students in the civil law , alone equalls it . the town is long but narrow , having little more than one fair street , in which the scholars lodge . here , as i was told , cardinal mazarin was a student , sent by cardinal colonna when legate in spain : the little river of henares that passes by it makes the land about it fertil , and renders it more agreeable than the rest of the country , where for want of water there are neither trees nor grass : leaving here the poste rode , and taking the shortest way that led to arragon , we lay at marcamalo ▪ about leagues distant ; this is a little village without any thing remarkable . the th we dined at hita , a small town seated on the top of a little hill shadowed by a greater : that night we lay at cadadra a pretty town in a valley : from hence we went the next morning early , and dined at saguença ; we inned in the suburbs , where we drunk wine esteemed the best of castile ; but it is like aquavitae , not only strong but fiery , yet bears not water . having refreshed our selves , for we had a very cool chamber , and plenty of snow , we went to lodge at fuente caliente : or rather to do penance there for the pleasure we enjoyed at noon . it s name ( interpreted , the hot fountain ) is not given it without reason ; we suffered here very much , not only by heat , but bad accommodation on all accounts ; the host was rude and barbarous , suitable to so savage a habitation . the th over a very barren countrey and hot mountains we came to arcos , the last town of new castile , where consequently is a puerto or customhouse : it was a sunday and holiday , and the people all at mass when we passed ; we traversed it very leisurely without any one's saying any thing to us ; but as soon as we were beyond a certain gate , by which we went from the village to the high-way , in that part very streight by reason of the brook and mountain , and had gotten about paces beyond all the barricado's , we perceived people running and calling after us ; i staied to know what they would have , and when they overtook me , they told me the puerto or custom-house was in that town . i replied we we were not merchants , nor had any obligation upon us on that account , having sufficient passports from the king , and that if they had had any thing to say to us , they ought to have done it in the town , and there have acquainted us that there was a custom-house , we having no moco de mulas , or guide to inform us . they desired that one of us would go back to shew our pass , which i did , though unadvisedly ; for i have been told since we might have gone on , and gained arragon , and so have avoided the cavils and impudence of those harpies . when i shewed my pass they said they must call a council to consider if it were valid , and that therefore i should send to the company to return . which being done they told us we might go a la posada , e que toda la nuestra ropa estava descaminada ; that we might go to the inn , for all our baggage was confiscated : then guessing they intended by terrifying to get money of us , i bid them read our pass , which was in these termes . it having been represented to me in the names of ..... and ..... at present in this court on occasion of business very much importing them , that being to return to their countrey , they desire i would please to order them a pass : i have condiscended , and therefore command all my viceroys , captains general , governors , corrigidors , alcades , and other judges and justices of my kingdoms and dominions of what degree or quality soever , where the above-mentioned persons with four servants and eight horses , their arms and baggage shall pass , not to give them any lett , impediment or disturbance whatsoever ; but on the contrary , all assistance and favour they may stand in need of , for such is our will and pleasure , i the king , and underneath geronimo de la torre . i thought this pass sufficient to prevent these publicans detaining us , but thirst of gain in which , on several other occasions they had had success against all justice and reason , made them obstinate by expectation of the like . i asked the cause of their disrespect to his majesties passe ? sometimes they said it was shewd too late , and otherwhiles that it was not on sealed paper ; by which i perceived they designed to bring us to a composition of or pistols . finding us not at all compliable , and that i caused a certificate to be made by a publick notary ; that francisco salazar , alcalde of the place , stayed us contrary to the kings passe , ( having plotted together to that purpose ) they began to talk high , hoping so to terrify us , and the alcalde seising our valises , caused them to be carried to the custom-house , where opening them he took an inventory of all , and not only of such money as we had in them , but in our pockets , and forming an accusation , obliged us to put in our answers ; in which they endeavoured to circumvent us , but i looked so near to what they writ , i suffered nothing to pass i had not spoken , otherwise protesting against signing it : these many formalities were made use of to fright us with the name of justice , of which , all their noise and scribling coming short , a priest that belonged to them and another fellow that did the office of a secretary , told me in private , that giving pistols we might go freely ; i slighted this , but told them , i cared not if i gave them patagons , though their insolence did not deserve it . and such indeed it was , particularly on the part of the alcalde salazar , a knight of st jago , but an arrant rascal as well as the customer nicholas lopes de cordoua that had the meen of a jew ; at last they became impudent and desperately outragious when they saw they could not effect their design of plundering us ; and perceiving it , resolved that i should return post to madrid , to complain of them and desire justice ; they also provided one to carry their justification to the receiver-general of the customs , and sent him away afoot : the remainder of the day was spent in such contestations with them , but at last they suffered me to go about eight in the evening ; their messenger being first dispatched : my lord — writ all to the earl of pigneranda . i was imposed upon by them at my first mounting , in the prices of the horses ; no posts in the world furnisht with better then those of spain , nor that are less ridden ; for , excepting such as carry letters and some extraordinary couriers that are sent to court from several parts , especially st sebastians and catalonia , this way is little made use of , they preferring hackney mules : which indeed are more commodious , as i found by experience on this occasion , for though the horses be good , one is tormented by wretched saddles , with very narrow seats , high pummels , and extraordinary hard . so that to be mounted in such a manner , one is little more at ease then on a rack . at the d stage , the horses for all furniture had only pannels with wooden stirrups hung in ropes . finding fault with such equipage ; the postmaster told me , it was not strange he had no saddles , and that i should find the pannel easier , i complied , and at first was in a great deal of disorder , because i could not settle on the stirrups , and by reason of the extraordinary breadth of the pannel ; but this passed over , i liked their pannels better then their saddles , and called for one at the next stage , but could not have it , and took a saddle , not so convenient as the pannel i was so unwilling to ride on . at the d stage they took me for the express of catalonia , carrying some good news to the king , which i did not much contradict , because i found my self better used on account of it ; they demanding for each horse but four rials , about s. d. of our money . few post-masters keep above two or three horses ; neither are they obliged to more , they have salaries of or crowns ; nay some , for the keeping only of two horses and a post-boy . the earl of ognate is post-master-general , which is very profitable to him ; my horses were every where very good , and galloped all the way , but the postilions often stopping to give them breath , which they call rezelar , is very troublesome : besides , that at changing horses , especially in the night , they are very tedious . the post way is not the same we passed in going to arcos , but over a very fertile plain , watered by the river de los henares ; or leagues are often rid on the same horses , because the posts are not established as they ought to be at every two leagues . arriving at madrid , after some repose , and dining with monsieur de mogeron , i was forced to stop till the heat of the middle of the day passed over , before i could endeavour any thing in my business , for all here sleeping after dinner , i could not see the earl of pigneranda ( with whom i resolved to begin , and for whom i had a letter ) till about five a clock ; and therefore in the interim , went to consult of my business with some friends , and meeting in the calle major , a very honest fleming , called don pedro , that understood this court well , and spoke excellent spanish , giving him account of our accident , he drew a memorial to be presented by the earl of pigneranda to the council royal , not doubting of my success , but advising me not to be impatient of delays , it being most certain , that this people as much observe formalities in the slightest affairs , as in those of the highest concernment , and withal letting me understand there was great indulgence for farmers of customs , because the kings principal revenue , rising from it , their exactions are sometimes connived at . indeed , taxes on land bring up little or nothing in spain , because the countrey is not sufficiently manured , and were husbandmen burthened , would be less so , even to a want of necessary sustenance . he told me more , that when the customs are farmed , it is done in so absolute a manner , that nothing p●sses , not for the kings own use , without paying ; and if he give any exemptions , they are deducted from the rent the farmers agreed for . those fellows therefore make use of a hundred cheats ( too tedious to be here related ) in order to confiscation , which if they cannot effect with justice , they forge false suppositions , and under pretence of the kings rights , exercise their rapine with soveraignty , and are so insolent , that on all occasions they vaunt themselves to be the kings servants ; and a wretched waiter or other spawn of a publican , will sometimes be fancy enough to threaten an honest man to beat him , or break open his trunk if he be slow in delivering the key . in france one suffers no less by the extravagant greediness of this kind of cattle ; and i cannot forget the pains they took at diep , to send an army of guards aboard the vessel i arrived in , to visit my valise , tossing up and down my cloaths , annd taxing a bit of cloth that remained of a suit i had made at london two crowns ; so that if princes or their ministers limit not their exactions , travailers are miserably exposed to them , and this is their great scourge , the more to be apprehended , because seldom or never punished : the greatest part of those fellows in spain are thought to be jews , and when their plunderings have gorged them with wealth , the trap of the inquisition is set for them . going at nine a clock to the earl of pignerandas , he was not returned , but i acquainted his secretary don martin with my business , desiring him to move it to his lord , and to give him the letter i brought from my lord — with the memorial : the next day about the same hour i went again , and found that lord very much troubled at what had happened to us , who after , offering me a coach , money , and all else in his power , desired me to have a little patience , and told me he was very sorry my lords — and — were in so bad a place , and arrested by the insolence of those picaros , who should be exemplarily punished , and we receive all manner of satisfaction : the like i did to don lewis de haro , and found the like civility . to make short , my solicitations had such effect , that the king appointed a commission to be dispatched by the council of castille for an alguazil de corte , and a secretary to go along with me to arcos and bring francisco salazar to the publick prison of madrid in order to his punishment , and an ampler passport was given me that we might no more apprehend the like inconvenience . the alguazil and secretary that were appointed to go with me , refused to travail by night , or to ride post , so that i was fain to tarry till the th of june , and then return by mule. experience taught me , that this way of travailing , is very inconvenient ; for , besides that , for more expedition , the mules always trot , one cannot express how much their hard mouths press and weary the hand , nor what a torment it is , going down hill to suffer their slow progression . being thus excellently mounted , and in this honourable company ; i neglected nothing towards my speedy arriving at arcos , whither i came the th of iune , and found the lord — and — already advertised of the success of my journey by a letter from madrid ; i immediately carried the alguazil and secretary to execute their commission ; the alcalde was much surprized , but making use of his priviledge , as knight of the order of st iames , refused to obey without a mandate from the council of the orders . my alguazil who was of the higher order , and one of those that are called alguazil de corte , often summoned him to go along with him to madrid as his prisoner , but he still refused to obey , of which the alguazil took witness , saying ; he could not use force , because that town belonging to the duke of medina celi , there was no corrigidor above the alcalde , but that this would undo the alcalde , and that he doubted not to return from madrid with power to carry him thither bound hands and feet ; and we heard afterwards , that ( as spanish justice never pardons ) he was punished according to his deserts ; the rest of the officers of the custom-house seeing the bad condition of their protector , were as compliable and civil as they had been arrogant and insupportable : they returned all that belonged to us without the least diminution , and they which before pretended to plunder us , and threatened that we should pay for the tedious writings they had drawn , desired now nothing more then to be quit , not only of us , but of the prey we had redeemed from their clutches : we had no less impatience to get from amongst such rascals , which that we might the sooner do , we contented our selves , to recommend the punishment of them to those other harpies , who seldom suffer such as they seise on to escape , giving them all damages and costs we might pretend the more to incite them to our revenge . as soon as freed from those troubles , we made all haste towards arragon . several parts of this province are very agreeable , and when we had left the mountains that inclose arcos , we came to very pleasant vallies , and the th of iune in the evening , entred erizza or herizo , the first town on that side of that kingdom : the next day we dined at texa , that hath nothing remarkable , and lay at callatajud ▪ one of the principle cities of the kingdom , seated at the end of a very fertile plain , but in nothing considerable , unless in giving birth and abode to lorenzo brachian infanzon , a modern writer , very famous amongst the spaniards ; he hath published several treatises of morality and policy , amongst which , one is called el criticon , of which , two parts only are printed , a kind of satyr , very ingenious in imitation of barclais euphormio : in this piece his stile differs much very from those small treatises in which he is so concise , abrupt , and strangely laconick , one would think he had made it his business to be obscure ; the reader must often divine his sense , which found , he perceives an enigma hath been made of something not very extraordinary . seneca and tacitus are very short of him in this manner of writing , and if it be said of the former , that his stile is sand without lime , and that the second is so mysterious , he contains more then he expresses : we may conclude that of gracian , hath so little connexion in its periods and so much restraint in its words , that the conception is like a diamond ill set , whose flame and luster appear not so that it looses the esteem of the better half of the work . there lives in the same kingdom another virtuoso , affecting like him the lacedemonian eloquence , he is called vincencio ivan de lastinosa . by whose means most of the works of gracian are printed . this lastannosa is looked on as the most curious person of spain ; he dwels at huesca , the second city of arragon , where he is reported to have collected a cabinet that is a very agreeable theatre of grecian and roman antiquities ; there are many statues , vases , urnes , arms , precious stones , antient moneys , medals and rings ; in which he is so well studied , that he hath written a treatise of the antient moneys of spain , which passes for exquisite in its kind , and rare in its observations . the first of july having dined at ofranco we lay at almunia , seated in a fruitful valley , and yielding a fair prospect on which side soever it is beheld : saragosa is but nine leagues from it , and we intended to dine the next day at la muela , and to arrive before the heat , but unhappily lost our way on a great heath , without house , tree , bush , or water ; it extended even to the walls of saragossa , without giving any opportunity to refresh , or to avoid the suns beams for or leagues . it fell out well for us , that the day was not excessively hot , so that our sufferings were not extreme , though some of the company were in no little choller , to ride so far without drawing bit , and complained no less then if they had traversed the sands of libia , but it is folly to be troubled where no remedy can be had , and before our patience was quite tired , half a league short of saragosa we came to a brook , where we all alit to refresh our selves , and as nothing seems hard to a sharp hunger , our vehement thirst made that water ( none of the best ) to be drunk with pleasure : we came at last to sarragossa the capital city of arragon , seated in a largely extended plain ; it is divided by the river ebro , but the greatest part of it on the side where we arrived . a little short of it is an old castle called alta feria ; with a pitiful graft about it , we were told it had formerly bin a palace of their kings , and was then of the inquisition . the farmer of the customs had guards at the gate , who hearing that our servants followed with our baggage , detained us not long : we desired notice might be given them , that they should know where we lodged at the house of one redmondon a merchant , for whom we had letters of credit ; we alit at his house and found him at dinner , he presented us very good wine , which refreshed us , and restored the vigor the long journey and excessive heat had deprived us of ; he afterwards brought us to the best inn in the town , where we had a fair and cool room , and to prevent our valises being detained at the custom-house , whither they must of necessity be brought ; i went to speak with the arrendador-general , and shew him our pass , which obliged him to be civil and to send us our baggage as soon as it came to him ; we tarried here all day to repair our loss of baiting at la muelan ; some of the company went to bed , others only casting off their clothes , shifted their linnen . monsieur — who arrived last , was the most thirsty , though not the most weary , therefore he lay not down ; but at his first coming in , drank so much water , and afterwards so much wine to correct its crudity , he became sick , besides too suddain an attempt to quench his thirst ; he walked long unbuttoned , and almost naked , not only about the house , but came to us in slippers and without doublet , where we were on the banks of ebro that ran behind the inn , where we sucked a gentle gale that came down the river ; on the morrow a feavor took him which continued or days , and obliged us to tarry in that city : soon after our arrival we visited the duke of monteleon , viceroy of this kingdom ; he is one of the greatest noblemen of naples , of whom in the last revolution of that city , the spaniards became jealous , though he had served them advatagiously in the former : that they might no longer fear him they sent for him into spain , and that they might disguise their distrust , made him viceroy of arragon . this charge is honourable , but not profitable , the king allowing but little , and the kingdom bringing in less , neither is any thing splendid in his family ; we delivered him the kings letter , and that of don lewis ; having read them in our presence , he made us offers of all that lay in his power : he seemed not to us of a genius much elevated , whither his resentments of the spaniards ill usage have dejected it , or whither he conceals a part , least ostentation of the whole might be prejudicial to him . besides the viceroy , whose charge ceases every three years ; here is a governour of the city , or rather of the countrey , since his power is reported principally to extend over it ; this charge is the more considerable because for life . though the viceroyalty and government of saragossa are the two great charges of this kingdom , yet no authority is equal to that of the chief justice , called el justicia , to shew that he is to do justice in all and above all : so that he determines of what concerns the king , kingdom , subjects , laws and priviledges : but for the better understanding this , and that which i shall hereafter observe touching the great contestation here between high powers : it is necessary that i set down what i have been told concerning the priviledges of this kingdom . after the moors had entred spain , on occasion of the injuiry done by don rodrigo to comt don julian in person of his daughter , called la cava , whom he ravished , arragon was the first province that freed it self from the yoke of the infidels , and that finding not only the race , but memory of its ancient kings totally extinct , by it self , made a recovery of its self , to it self , without owning any soveraign . but lest they should be a body without a head , and that they might enjoy secure repose in their new liberty , they soon after deliberated of electing a king , and cast their eyes on a private gentleman called garcia ximenez . it must yet be acknowledged that they made him rather prince or president of their state than their soveraign ; and in imitation of the spartans , so much limited his authority , that that of theopompus was not more streightned by the ephori , than that of this king by the rules imposed upon him : and it being very easie to violate the most fundamental laws of a state , when the supreme power is concerned so to do , if there be none with hazard of his life obliged to watch for their preservation , they established el justicia , a magistracy of which i have spoken , that who might fear nothing in the vigorous executing his charge , they ordered he should not be liable to condemnation either in person or goods on what accompt soever , but in the general assembly of estates called las cortes , that is the king and kingdom . having thus bound up him they should elect for their king , they made a law called de la vajon , which imported that as soon as the king infringed their priviledges , it should be in their power to elect another , though a pagan ; and in case of wrong to any vassal or subject , the nobility and most considerable of the realm might assemble to protect him , and hinder any duties to be paid the king , till the party injured were indemnified , and the priviledge re-established in its former validity . they erected el justicia as gardian of this law , ( with several others , ) who for greater authority sate in a chair with his hat on his head , whilst the king bare and on his knees swore their priviledges between his hands : afterwards they owned him as their king , but in a very grange fashion ; for instead of vowing fidelity , they told him nos que valemos tanto como vos os hazemos nuestro rey y sennor , con tal que guardeis nuestros fueros y libertades , sino , no : that is , we that are equal to you make you our king and lord , on condition that you preserve our laws and liberties , and if not , not . this detestable fashion of owning a king so much disgusted don pedro , surnamed the dagger , that partly by intreaty , partly by intrigue , and offering other priviledges in the place of it , he caused it to be abolished in an assembly of the estates , and as soon as he got the parchment in which the law for it was written , voluntarily cutting his hand , he said ; that a law which imported that vassals might elect and limit their king , was to be effaced with the blood of a king. ley de poder elegir rey los vassallos sangre de rey avia de costar , these are reported to be the very words he pronounced , on which occasion the surname of the dagger was given to him : his statue is yet to be seen in saragossa , in the hall of deputation , with the dagger in one hand , and the priviledge cancelled with his blood in the other . and indeed the sacred blood of kings can on no accompt be better employed ( no not against a forain enemy ) then in suppressing such exorbitant priviledges of subjects as destroy the very foundation of monarchy . besides the two priviledges i have mentioned , not at all regarded by later kings , there is another still in force called the law of manifestation : by this every subject that thinks himself injured either in goods or person , by what tribunal soever , may complain a el justicia , who is obliged to make an exact enquiry , and cause the judge that hath given a corrupt sentence to be punished . this city at our being there was much discontented , because endeavours were used to violate this law. teo judges were accused for a sentence by which a certain woman thought herself injured , who , according to custome , deputed crowns , and complained of the judges . the king , the tribunal d'el justicia , the viceroy , the governor , and some others that sought to augment the authority of the prince , and lessen the kingdoms priviledges , took these judges into their protection . the party grieved finding she could get no remedy , for the wrong she pretended done to her self and the law , had recourse a las cortes , or the states of the kingdom , who ( though the inquisition favoured the judges that were accused ) deputed commissioners called here judicantes . these are persons drawn from the four bodies of arragon , that is the higher nobility intituled sennores , the clergy , the gentry called hidalgos , or cavalleros , and the cities . from the first of these bodies three are taken , and from each of the other two they usually make choice of the most illiterate to judge gown-men , whether that it may be done without partiality , or that their laws ought to be so plain , that even peasants and others the most ignorant may understand their equity , and judge if it hath been observed . these deputies or commissaries condemned the judges of injustice , and ordered them to be banished , and their estates confiscated . this sentence made great noise , and the viceroy and governor by order of the court did their best to hinder its effect , nay the king himself writ to the justicia . the people concerned themselves in the business , and pasquils and libels were every where cast abroad with menaces , should it not be put in execution . countrey people flocked to the town , entertaining themselves only with the violation of their priviledges . doubt that this affair going to extremity might cause great disorders , in a time when the war of catalonia made the people of arragon more fierce and hardie , caused the viceroy and other favourers of the judges , without any farther unseasonable mention of the kings pleasure to suffer them to be dismist from their charges , and banished the town . were the like practised in all places , there would not be so many sentences given out of favor , passion , and interest , rather than according to law and equity , not distinguishable but in this one part of europe , where the judges are reported to tremble when they give sentence , fearing it may be their own condemnation , either as to body or goods , if unjust or erroneous in the least . notwithstanding all this , justice here is soveraign ; for though the judge that hath determined amiss be punished , the sentence he hath pronounced remains in full efficacy : so that he which accuses his judge hath only the satisfaction of revenge , and serves the publick rather than himself , by preserving the peoples priviledges , in prosecuting him that hath done wrong , and putting other judges in mind of their duties . he that is found to have accused his judge without cause only loses the crowns he depositated , and though it appear he have reason , recovers little more , which in that case is levied on the estate of the unjust judge . the banishment of those two judges freed saragossa from apprehension of troubles , the people , by execution of the sentence , satisfying themselves , that at that time no attempt would be made upon their priviledges . had we continued longer at sarragossa we might have seen a ceremony observed in beheading murtherers ; for he which hath slain a man face to face , receives the stroke that beheads him before ; but such as treacherously came behind him are punished in the same manner : this is only for distinction sake , for probably the blow behind gives less pain to the criminal than that before . whilst we sojourned in this town we received many civilities from dom pedro miranda , born at oleron in bearn , and one of the richest bankers of this town . we had letters of credit to him , of which though we made no use , he did us all manner of good offices , every day sending us his coach , and sometimes accompanying us to what was most remarkable . the buildings here are large and high , and generally fairer than in madrid : there is one long and broad street where the tour is made as at madrid in the calle major . the most considerable house belongs to the duke of villa hermosa , who pretends to descend from the ancient kings of arragon , and thinks they which enjoy the crown do him wrong . to speak generally of the humor of the people of arragon , they are no less proud than the castilians , and value themselves above them and all other of spain ; and it must be granted that they are equal to , and sometimes surpass the most of them in wit , whether applied to good or evil . their soil is barren , and , excepting some valleys and such parts to which the waters of ebro are conveyed by cut channels to moisten it , all sand , heath and rock , so that it hardly affords corn to sustain its inhabitants . though so little fertil in fruits it hath ever produced gallant men , and from their first king to ferdinand they reckon not one that made not himself considerable to his neighbours , either by his wit or courage : that last above all other was so prodigious in the art of reigning , and vast ambition ill suited to the narrow limits of his little kingdom , that he endeavoured to extend them , and did so even from the foot of the pireneans to the streights of gibralter . that success with some other put him upon the design of an universal monarchy , and his successors are still accused to retain the intrigue and model of it , which he then imparted to his grandchild , who was to be heir of so many provinces , and in his own person unite the many dominions , that when single had been so formidable to their neighbours : besides which he had the wealth of a new world to facilitate his enterprise , and assist towards establishing so vast an empire , as had never been known before . it is true , some of the curious say , that to pretend he had a thought of this , is to accuse him of a chimera ; but that famous arragonian , who hath given us a contracted draught of his politicks , tells us parecieronle a ferdinando estrechos sus hereditarios reynos de arragon para sus dilatados desseos , y assi anhelo siempre a la grandeza y anchura de castilla , y de alli a la monarquia de toda espanna y aun a la universal de entrambos mundos ; which is to say , the vast designs of ferdinando being too much confined in his hereditary realms of arragon ; he first aimed at castille , then at the monarchy of all spain , and at last of both worlds . he was not for all this any great captain ; neither was this ambition the effect of valor , living in a time when wit and policy bore more sway then courage . he made use of the politicks of lewis the xi . of france , the industry of pope alexander the vi. the subtilty of lodowick storza , duke of milan , the vigilance of henry the viii . of england , and prudence of the emperor maximilian the i. all their dissimulation and all their cunning the put into so good a cruicible , that he separated what was solid from what was airy , discovering what was strong and what weak in them , and extracting such an establishment for himself and successors , that philip the ii had great reason , when looking on his picture , he said ; we owe this man all . spanish writers are transported when they speak of the grandeur of their royal family , some of them even to impiety , and a modern author says of it , casa que escogio dios en la ley de gracia , assi como la de abraham en la escrita , para ll●marse dios de austria , dios de rodolpho , de philippo e de ferdinando . a family elected by god in the new law , as the seed of abraham in the old , that he might call himself the god of austria , the god of rodolphus , of philip , and of ferdinand . but to return to the people , amongst whom this dextrous prince was born , and whom the polititians equalize to tiberius and lewis the xi of france , for a third idol of their ragione di stato ; i must add , that they are nothing hospitable nor civil to strangers . their lofty humour is not allaied with so much affibility as that of the castilians , and it is from this province , that the highway-men they call vandaleros spred themselves even into castille , making the roads very unsafe ; perhaps , by reason of its being so near a neighbor to the war , its inhabitants incline more to arms then other spaniards ; the gentry certainly pretends to an effectual gallantry , by continual protestations , they are ambitious of nothing so much as drawing their swords in their kings service : neither are they free from the rodomontados natural to all spaniards , and i was told that a young gentleman having mounted himself , with all advantages his purse would reach to , to go into to cat●lonia , and serve a campagnia , pleased himself above a month in riding about the streets of saragossa , sometimes on one horse , sometimes on another ; and meeting any that commended his horses , his arms , or his own activity ; he asked whither with such an equipage and arms as his , it were not easie to draw the frenchmens teeth : con estas armas y esto brao no se sacaran las muelas a los gavachos ? he no sooner arrived in catalonia , but he met an opportunity of shewing his courage , but was so unfortunate , he was at first wounded both in his arm and leg , which last was for ever lamed , and he ever since called the tooth-drawer . in the mean time if the war have in some manner incomoded this kingdom , it hath made it richer , for the passage of the forces and rendezvous of ammunition have caused the kings money to roll up and down in its chief cities ; and having particular priviledges , and not governing it self according to the courts orders , but it s own customs , notwithstanding the war with france , it ever kept up a trade beyond the mountains ; and the merchants of oleron , tholouse , and other parts of bearn and languedoc , pass and repass freely , as well to saragossa as the adjacent quarters , nay the greatest part of the banquiers of saragossa are of those countries . it is true they are concerned to make no noise of this , nor to do any thing that may give the least occasion of f●lling upon them ; for being known to be rich , justice looks on them as a prey she would be glad to have pretence to seise on . don pedro miranda is one of the most splendid of these , and best supported , having married a wife very well allied in this country . he is the most curious person in saragossa , and by every ordinary receives the gazets of paris , and other written intelligence , but communicates them not except to particular friends . he told us that at the time of the siege of arras , there came an order from madrid to the magistrate of this town , to make preparations for a publick rejoycing for taking a place of so great importance . none doubting to hear very sodainly of its surrender , scaffolds were begun to be erected for a fight of bulls ; before which were half finished , miranda by a particular letter understood that arras had been relieved : but not daring to publish such bad news , he ( with admiration ) saw that work go on , yet could not imagine but the viceroy and other of the principal inhabitants had the same intelligence with him , though they prepared for a triumph before a victory . a while after , and when all was ready for the festival , the viceroy received a letter from madrid that the siege of arras had failed , who sending for the governor and magistrates of the town , when he shewed them his letter , they were not a little surprised , and for their better satisfaction summoned miranda , who acknowledged that besides that one of his correspondents in paris had acquainted him with it eight dayes before , he had then with the gazets , received a print which gave all the particulars . one of the magistrates grew very angry and ready to affront him , that he had not advertised them to prevent the unnecessary charge , and their being laughed at by the people , threatning that he should be made to pay the four or five hundred pound it had cost the town . but the viceroy , and such as were more moderate , pacified that man , and sent away miranda without ever after troubling him about it . the people in the mean time seemed more concerned for pulling down the scaffolds erected for the festival , than for the failing in recovery of arras . after we had sojourned eight dayes at saragossa and resolved to return into france rather by navarre than catalonia , where , as was reported , was neither safety nor convenience for travailers , we took leave of the duke of montelion , who gave us a letter for the earl of st. stephen , viceroy of navarre : the th of july we went away , and lodged at halagon , a poor village . a factor of miranda called bertrand served us as guide in this journey , and we had in our company a spaniard , a man of parts and good fellow according to that countries mode . he travailed in a very pleasant equipage ; according to the faishon of spain ; his valisa he carried before him on the pummel of his saddle , leaning upon it , at each side and on his thighs hung his wallet of provisions , instead of holsters two leathern cases contained two bottles of wine , cooled by ice he put in every time he filled them : for which reason such cases of leather are called refread●res . every league or half league he drew out a bottle , and very civilly invited us to refresh our selves with his wine , which when we excused he made use of bertrand ( better accustomed to such debauches than we ) to bear him company . he told us many pleasant stories , but i have forgot all but two gallantries of the duke of ossuna , so famous for wit and humour , when viceroy of naples . one day , he said , to revenge himself of a widow that had been something cruel to him , and who , he yet knew , was not so to every body , he caused a certain frier suspected to be well with her , and that was believed the consolation of her widowhood , to be watched : as soon as he knew he was in her house , he came , and with his gards invested it , commandding the door to be opened , for a search that was important to the kings service : it was late in the night , yet the servants were so much surprised , that they let him in whilest the monk was with their lady , without giving her any notice . he tarried rallying with her all night , and about in the morning caused the reverend frier to be taken up behind a trooper , a trumpet going before , which was to make a stand at every turning , and after sounding to point him out and say : whoever stand in need of a frier to comfort widows at midnight , let them address themselves to this gallant , and they shall be accommodated ; afterwards he sent from cloyster to cloyster to enquire which of them had lost a frier , and when discovered , returned him to his abbot , who was to be intreated at his going to bed to take with him the key of that good fellows cell , least he might wander another time . his other story was , that three curtesans living at naples so excessively proud they hardly bowed when they met him , he caused them one day to be invited to a collation ; they failed not to come drest to all advantages , but with difference , as well in that as in their beauties , though alike proud ; so that they played the queens with this viceroy , who received them very civily ; but perceiving they became nothing more humble , be obliged them to undress themselves on pretence of heat , and being two much streightned in their clothes , afterwards causing many comfits to be scatte●ed in the chamber , he made them gather them up without quitting their chioppins , whilst with a trunck he shot the sugar pellets sometimes at one , sometimes at another . the father of this spaniard had been the dukes servant , and he told us many such tales , which i shall not trouble my self to repeat , they not deserving it no more then these , which i have set down only to discover the genius of this nation , very much taken with trifles and frothy relations . besides such gallant stories which they call dounosas , or conceits , they have others that they stile heroick , amongst which are reckoned all the sentences of ferdinand , apothegms of charles the fifth , and reparties of philip the second : those of charles the fifth they say imply courage , of philip the second prudence , of philip the third piety , and of philip the fourth love ; but their greatest esteem is for those of philip the second , whom they take to have been a prince of the quickest and sublimest fancy : amongst many other testimonies of which , they with admiration report this of his wit and liberality . a certain portughese having brought to his court a diamond of great value , immediately looked on by the courtiers as the richest miracle the east had ever produced , he not at all moved , beheld it with indifference , which the portughese perceiving , said , sennor setenta mille ducados que abrevie en este digno nieto del sol no son de asquear : sir , seventy thousand ducats which i have contracted in this worthy ofspring of the sun are not contemptible ; the king pleased in his confidence , asked what he thought when he laid out so much upon it , and the crafty portughese answered . that there was a philip the second . this sublety or flattery was so agreeable , that gracian who relates it in his hero , adds that the king immediately not only paid for the diamond ▪ but gave him more . ostendando ( sayes he ) la superioritad de su gusto en el precio y en el premio , manifesting the height of his satisfaction in the price and in the reward . the jollity of this spaniard , who travalled to biscai , hath made me forget to follow my own way ; but having omitted nothing of what i saw or heard , the follies i have now set down may pass amongst the rest . he will give me no farther occasion of digression ; for we parted at tudela , a pretty town , but as standing on the frontiers of castile , arragon , and biscay , a nest of rogues and banditi , that have forsaken their country to escape the punishment due to their crimes ; yet in some parts of it there are fair buildings , which makes us believe it is inhabited by some people of quality amongst the exiles . at our going away the guards pretended to stop us , but seeing our passport durst not persist . we were told that the cardinal de rets , after he had escaped out of france , passing from st. sebastians to the kingdom of valentia , where he intended to embark for italy , was stayed and very streightly garded in this city . he came in a litter with a small train , and the alcalde who was then walking on the bridge , sent to demand who he was , but he unwilling to be known , refused to tell his name and quality , upon which the alcalde set a guard upon him in the inn where he alighted . this surprised him , and he knew not what to think of such usage in a countrey where he thought he had secured the liberty lately recovered , and that he should not have lost it as soon as he began to rellish it : he therefore dispatched one of his servants to pampeluna , with a letter of his arrival to the viceroy , desiring him to punish the insolence of that judge , and deliver him out of his hands : the alcalde in the mean time sent to the viceroy and council of navarre a formal narrative of what he had done , according to the duty of his place , hoping so to avoid the blame might be laid upon him ; for having acted rather on account of humor and curiosity , then reason and judgment : then he had no other advantage by his letter , than the preventing the cardinals enlargement one day , because the viceroy was obliged to assemble the council of navarre , where the punishment of the alcaldes insolence was resolved on , and he turned out of his place , and for some time banished the town , where the cardinal as soon as known received many civilities , and at his going away was attended by the principal inhabitants with all respect and honour . at that time came news that the french had stormed the lines , and beaten the spaniards from before arras , but he maintained so effectually that this was impossible , that he left in all places where he came a contrary impression , which continues still amongst those people . pedro miranda , or some that belonged to him , being then at tudela , shewed him letters of it received from paris , but he persisted . one may easily perceive he endeavoured to cajole the spaniards by this flattery , not at all concerned that time would destroy it ▪ provided it obtained him the better reception in his passage , and made them sensible that he had intirely engaged himself in their interests . the th of july we dined at laborosso , and traversed olitor , where the antient kings of navarre kept their court and something of their palace still remains , though the town be now a miserable place , ruined by warrs between the true inheritors of the crown , and such as invaded them : we lay at tessalia , a good town , and its territory more fertil than the rest we had passed . next day we came to pampeluna , the capital city of that kingdom , it stands at the end of a large plain that seems but barren ; it is near the pireneans , yet out of command of any eminence . it s citadel , so famous in the world , looks towards the plain , and is on one side environed by a great marais . the town is not considerably fortified , and the ground it stands on hath many little risings and descents scarcely perceptible : there is a large piazza where the bulls are fought . the people are clownish , much addicted to small traffick , which they freely enough exercise with france , and as if there were no war between the two crowns : we arrived at the end of a fair , and met many french merchants : we tarried here three dayes as well because of the indisposition of my lord — not well recovered of the fevor he got at saragossa as that one of our horses were lame . the mean while we visited the earl of st. stephen , viceroy and captain general of this kingdom ▪ and delivered him the letter we brought for him ; he is a little man very civil , and no less curious of all rarities . he received us well , and ordered the captain of his guards to shew us the citadel in the afternoon . between the town and citadel is a spacious place set with trees for walks : it hath five bastions , and was built by philip the second with a great deal of consideration , as a strong rampier against france : the bastions are covered with stone , the grafts large , in most parts of them water ; it hath no outworks , neither doth it need any , because of the marais on that side where it may most easily be attacked : it stands on a rock , but though the most important place of the kingdom , and the only one that can hinder the french from marching to madrid , after they have passed the pyreneans , it is not well looked after . the works in many places want reparations , and the garrison is very inconsiderable , there being few souldiers , for want of which the country people are to come in on the first summons : of whom they then had sent for a good number , and mixed them with the souldiers , that we might not perceive that want : but we could easily distinguish , so little had they the meen of sword-men , some of them not wearing any , and parading with a musket only , or an old pike , which they handled so ill , it appeared they were more accustomed to the pitchfork . the body of the place is well designed , for in the middle of the bracks where the souldiers lodge , there is a great round place to draw up in battaglia , from whence by five broad streets they may march streight to the five bastions . they shewed us the magazins not very well furnished either with ammunition or victual , and a very fair towr built to keep powder , of which it is altogether unprovided , and serves for a prison for greatest criminals ; they shewed a very fine handmill for turning which they may also make use of horses . it is the best engin in its kind that i have seen , it hath or wheels and as many bins , in each of which they said they could in one day grind load of corn : but this i thought impossible . i told them that so great a body composed of so many different pieces , could hardly move long without being disordered , and consequently uselese , and that unless the artist that made it lasted as long as the mill , nothing amiss in it could be amended , because i took it to be a particular invention , and that none but himself knew the fabrick , and all the springs , so as to set them right when broken ; but they replied they successivly kept one that understood it , who , that they might never be destitute , still taught some apprentice . here are two or three ponds , as they say , derived from springs . there were not many sentries on the rampart , nor at the canon . it hath a particular governor , that immediately depends on the king : he was absent , but we were very civily received by his lieutenant , who after he had led us about the walls gave us a collation ; his frankness pleased us , and we perceived that as by degrees we got farther from the gravity of castile , and severity of arragon , as little open to one another as to strangers , we approached a more sociable country . nothing else being to be seen in the castle , that we might not trespass on the lieutenants civility , nor tire that of the viceroys captain of his gard , we took leave of the first , expressing our satisfaction in his reception , and went with the other to our coach. next day we returned thanks to the viceroy , and finding him at leisure , had opportunity to discourse with him more particularly than at our first visit . being a knowing person , and one of the councils of state and warre , he presently fell upon the government of the low-countries , making it appear he understood those affairs very well . he told us afterwards that the earl of pigneranda was his near kinsman , and we could do no less than express the esteem we had for so accomplished a person one of the ablest ministers of spain , and to whom we had especially been recommended ; so we took our leaves . the th in the morning when we were about to take horse , that we might get that night to the last village of the king of spains dominions in the upper navarre , a servant of the viceroys captain of his guards came to enquire , if his masters gloves , which he thought he left in our chamber the day before , had been found : we ordered search to be made every where , and sent him with my lord — s valet de chambre ; but having long looked for what had never been lost he went away , and by his meen and comportment made us well enough comprehend , he came not on that account , but to try , if we would send him some pairs of those perfumed ones we had in our valises , and that were mentioned in our passes : but none being deafer than they which will not hear , we let him go , without seeming to understand him . but this served not our turn ; for thinking we were not ingenious enough to do so , he sent back his man with a very bad compliment , in plain terms to beg de los nostros guantes de ambar . we were amazed at this , and our valises being on the horses , and our selves ready to mount , let him see how troublesome it would be to take them off , and open them , but that if he pleased we would write to our merchant in madrid to send him as many pair as he desired . we thus freed our selves with all dexterity possible , not thinking we had done any thing contrary to civility , since he that demands too boldly , and without consideration , ought to take to himself the greatest part of the shame of a refusal having thus got out of pampelone , we took the great road of the pyreneans that leads to france . we were not far from the town ere we began to ascend a hill , and before we came to the next village met some souldiers that belonged to the garrison of the castle , who begged , which surprised me , for though the king of spain wants money , yet he never meddles with the forty thousand crowns they say the kingdom of navarre brings up , and i have been assured that all that is levied , though it exceed the sum i have spoken of , remains in the country to pay the viceroy , who hath a salary of thousand crowns ( though he of arragon hath but six ) for the entertainments of a president and six counsellors , and maintaining his forts and garisons . they which know this kingdom , averr that the king of spain receives no advantage from it , besides the securing and extending his frontiers , even to the pyreneans , the true and natural barricade god hath placed between france and spain : yet were the taxes levied here as in castille , he might draw something . but the priviledges the people of navarre reserved to themselves , and the consideration that if they should rebel , they might possibly return to the obedience of their natural prince , for whom yet they have inclinations , son is the reason they are not pressed with taxes ; so that the certainest leavies for support of the publick charge come from the custome , and are reported to be thousand crowns ; but the avarice and deceit of those that finger the money , raised there for maintaining the garisons that ought to be better paid then any others in spain , reduce the poor soldiers to beggery , and cause the kings service to be so much neglected , that were an army sent thither , it would probably make very great progression . it is true , that if we except the inconveniences they would give the king of spain , there is not expectation enough of advantages from that quarter to cause the best troops to be sent thither , which might more profitably be imployed in flanders , milan , or catalonia . before our arrival at burguette , we rather baited then dined at a pitiful village , where the guardian looked on our passes with a great deal of civility , and discoursed with us of the times in which he had served in flanders un-marquis spinola . having traversed woods , hills , and valleys with sometimes good sometimes bad way ; we arrived in the evening at the plain of roncevalles , famous for the great battle charlemain , fought , and lost in it , against the sarazens . my lords — and — spurring on , got to burguette before it was dark : they had much ado to find lodging , and were fain to adress themselves to the justice , who ordered them to be entertained in the house where we passed the night . the next day being the th of iuly , without much suffering by heat in so wide a plain , encompassed by the pyreneans , we traversed it , and by some merchants of oleron that often pass it , were shewed the place where the battle was fought ; here said they roland was killed , notwithstanding the force of his lance ; where this cross stands , died the brave renaldo , and had we been curious of all that tradition , true or false , had taught them , i believe they would have pointed out to us where every one of the peers of france fell , and perhaps have shewed us some of their blood , for that of hero's never perishes , and they went about to perswade us , that one place is still red with it ; but we , whose curiosity never went so low as to busie it self about dumb objects , looked on those things only as we passed by , and went not a step out of our way to taste the air where they said so great persons had rendred , or vomited , the prodigious souls that animated bodies ranked amongst the antient giants . spurred on by impatience to be quickly beyond the pyreneans , we hasted over this romantick or historical valley ; coming to the end of it , we found a mountain , to whom it gives the name of roncevalles ; we were told this was the highest of the pyreneans , yet there was no snow on the top of it , though most of the other on our right hand had hoary heads ; but notwithstanding this , it seemed to approach nearer heaven then those that wore its livery ; and that it changed colour betimes , and in the beginning of the summer , by reason of the seas neighbourhood ; the acrimony of whose vapors aids to melt and dissipate its snow sooner then that of such as are more remote . when we were at the heighth of the mountain of roncevalles , egregia contemplatione pavimus animum ; and we paused to consider , on the one hand spain , that we had just then abandoned , and on the other france , which we were about to enter . the first seemed a scorched campania , where the bald mountains discovered only naked rocks , and concealed few plains or vallies that bore grass , or any thing else that is useful . the later on the contrary presented us a garden , where nature had disposed eminencies and depressions , plains , hills , woods , and valleys , to boast variety on a fair theater of universal fertility , so plentiully sowed , that the land we saw , though none of the best of france , was surprizingly delightful , as soon as compared with that we had left . to conclude , without hyperbole or exaggeration , and in a plain manner of describing things as they really are , i must declare , that contemplating two so different objects ; me thought that in the one the day of judgement would find little unburnt ; and that in the other ▪ the flames which shall celebrate the worlds funeral , would be last extinguished , because it seemed the fire of heaven had already fallen on the first , and almost rosted it ; and that to the other , it had imparted only a cherishing warmth to animate it : and the italian perhaps had reason , who vexed at the doctors that disputed about the seat of purgatory , said , he wondred men of learning should be so ignorant , for had they understood maps , they would have placed that of europe in spain , and that of africk in lybia . i shall not determine whither he spoke sense , or raved , but only add , that what i have said of the difference of these two prospects ; takes not off my esteem for spain , nor hinders my admiring the wisdom , temperance , prudence , and other moral and political virtues , that are eminent in the greatest part of the men it produces : it is not therefore out of contempt of the one , or too elevated an idea of the other , that i register the difference i observed : i know very well that the fattest soils are not ever most beneficial , neither do they always produce the greatest personages . the ablest of all the grecians was born amongst the rocks of ithaca ; and in provence there is a certain nook , called la crau , covered with flint , whith its lord will not exchange for any other that abounds with fruits and flowers , because in that very seat of barrenness there grows an herb of such virtue , that one twig of it is worth many handfuls of those of the most luxurious meddows ; this makes appear , that fruits of perfectest savor often abound in the defectiv'st foils , and that though spain be lean and dry , she is yet strong and vigorous : and experience teaches , that the spaniards are stouter and more capable of great fatique , then such as are born in more pleasant and plentiful countreys , and even amongst themselves , the most couragious races flourish amongst rocks and mountains , and in the sandiest provinces ; the other being inhabited by persons neither of so warlike spirits , nor elevated fancies , pusillanimity being almost always the companion of fertility ; and the romans were scarce ever more put to it , then in the conquest of this nation ; its invincible courage , the difficulty of passage , scarsity of provisions , and excess of heat , predominating , almost through the whole peninsula , resisted them sixscore years ; neither could it in less time be overcome in our age , were it still as populous as formerly . but ere i give over , and that i may do spain right before i loose the sight of it ; i must observe that this sterility and penury objected against it , is not caused so much by the default ( if i may so speak ) of the countrey , as by that of its inhabitants ; were they more industrious , and instead of feeding themselves with smoak and vanity in their wretched cabins , tilled better their land , and contemned not mechanick arts , she would be a liberal mother of all things necessary for life , whither to cloath or feed them , and they might have corn , wine , oyl , and all manner of fruits , to suffice them , without being beholding to their neighbors ; and did they understand husbandry , or would apply themselves to it , it would maintain them in such abundance , that not only the more fertile provinces would supply the sterility of some that are barrener , but they might vent part to forrainers , wools of segovia , silks of grenada , cordovans of ciudad rodrigo ; the flax and hemp of andalusia ; the iron and copper of biscai , with many other rich dispoils of its cattle , land , and mines , might croud its cities with artificers , and fill them with the best manufactures of europe ; but they send these abroad unwrought , which when forrainers have metamorphosed and disposed to humane use , part return to them from those who double the money they first paid for them . i have now passed the pyreneans , and top of the high mountain that separates france from spain , and whilst i contemplated those two great kingdoms , having ventured to compare their climates , and contract as in one mass all the remarks of my journey ; i will conclude by setting against each other the customs and politicks of this neighbouring people ; no less contrary then the motions that cause fire to mount and earth to descend . whilst i stayed at madrid i used my utmost endeavor to discover ; if the antipathy reported to be so natural and reciprocal , were really and substantially as strong as it seems , and is imagined ; but i found that the contrariety attributed to their humors , and comportment , whither publick or private , proceeds rather from several tempers and genius's , then any true and real antipathy that renders the french more incompatible with spaniards , then with englishmen , germans , italians , or any other nations every one of which hath its particular character and specifick impression , as well in body as mind , which may ( if i be permitted the expression ) be called its principle of distinction . if besides this common and general variety , proceeding from the air we first breath , there be any more express and formal between one people and another ; it is caused by some accidents , conjunctures or other circumstances , which as to contempt and hatred have the same influence on nations as on particular persons , who ( that excepted ) have no more of contrariety then two rivers that run different courses , and ever follow their channel with equal inclination , though not always with the same impetuosity . this granted , i averre , that besides competition of power and state of rivalship , in which these people have so long continued , and which have been animated by many wars and differences not yet reconciled or ended , no antipathy can be observed between them , more then each of them hath with all others : and when these considerations have bern removed , and the causes of aversion of state for state , and publick animosities have ceased they have lived as well one with another , as either of them hath done with other forrainers . my self have seen very many french inhabiting madrid , and saragossa , who not concerning themselves in the interest of their countrey , agree very well with the spaniards ; and the catalonians and portugueses give convincing testimonies of this verity ▪ all the world knows that these renouncing the catholick kings dominion , and abjuring , with the fealty they owed him , all the misteries of the spanish monarchy , there followed so great confidence and correspondence between them and france , that notwithstanding difference of humors , they have reciprocally been as well received and looked upon at paris and lisbon as they could be at stockholme or warsovia , where i suppose no man will imagin any antipathy for either of them : the former of these wheeled a little more , and cast themselves into the arms of france , the difference of customes and inclinations not preventing their corresponding as well as spaniards , neapolitans and flemings . it is only since that emulation of glory , which beg●n with the advancement of the spanish empire under ferdinand , increased under the charles the fifth , and continued under his successors , that these people cannot brook one another either in publick or particular , and that have added to the difference of their tempers and natures , a spirit of envy , hatred , and contempt , which make them incompatible . for one of them is not only reserved and speculative , but impatient of the gay and sociable humor of the other ; one of them is not only slow and dilatory , but cannot suffer the others activity and brisk temper ; one of them is not only satisfied to walk as if he counted his steps , but cannot abide the others negligent and interrupted gate : one of them does not only salute by leaning backwards , but scoffs at the other when he bows to do it . in a word one of them hath neither humor nor custom that displeases not the other , and which he blames not out of the principles of jealousie and ambition i have formerly mentioned . these different qualities caused and heightened by that emulation of grandeur , and thirst of precedence , that hath so long tormented them , and cost christendom so much blood , are the sourses of the diversity of their politicks . notwithstanding all which one of them sometimes borrows something of the nature and qualities of the other , and imitates some of its most subtil tracings ; but the hand and pencil ever differ : neither is it possible so to settle other mens clothes on our own backs , that it will not be discovered they were not made for us . there is ever something in their manner of acting , which makes apparent its principles are no more the same then its agents . they which have read the famous contest between pope paul the fifth and the venetians , and observed the forms and ends of those great potentates , for glory and interest , may find a manifest proof of this verity . it is most certain that in their politicks they now and then tread in one anothers footsteps ; but it is more so , that their pace is never equal which way soever they go . spain is represented in a chariot , seated on a throne of tortois-shell , drawn by remora's , who in tedious traversing vast spaces of time , lose many opportunities : yet her extraordinary patience and close application to the game , with her skill in packing the cards , oftentimes disturbs the designes of the craftiest gamesters . when at more violent exercises she never stumbles by too much haste , she waits the rebound of the ball , and if she misses it , is satisfied to have judged it well , and not to have lost her stroke by precipitation , and giving it before it came to ground . by a vast speculation she embraces the whole extent of an object , discovers the most minute parts of it , all its joynts and muscles ; and if she makes not her self mistress of it , it is never because she mistook the most advantageous part of lay hold on , but because too intent in studying the hour and moment , which either passes over , or is snatched away whilst she waits for it , or deliberates on it . it must be acknowledged that this misfortune doth not often happen to her in her council-chamber , nor in such affairs as depend on negotiations only . of all parts of the art of governing she succeeds best in this , where her considerations fixed on all circumstances are very happy , here she makes appear the ingenious fabrick of those artificial springs which give motion to a slow and circumspect proceeding , that secures her of a good effect in what ever she hath leisure and time to manage . but in the field , and affairs of warre , where she hath neither time nor liberty to comply with a long and mature deliberation , such occasions as cannot easily suffer this , and where opportunity must be anticipated , and more usually left to hazard and fortune , than to prudence and reason , she hath not the like advantage , and often comes so short in her reckoning , that she sees her most important designes perish because begun too late , and her self deceived in the hour she destined for their bringing forth . i will not be busie about examples of this truth ; for , besides the siege of mastricht , ( the opportunity of raising which she lost by delaying to undertake it as soon as it was begun , and where she pretended so much to force and council , that she at last employed neither the one nor the other , but in order to receiving a more publick affront ) the late warrs might furnish us testimonies so well known to all the world , that it were to no purpose to insert them here . but i will add that this gravity , and two great circumspection , which sometimes makes the spaniards fall by endeavouring to fix their feet more steadily , is in a manner recompensed by a very considerable quality , which is an extraordinary constancy after misfortunes that have been almost destructive to her , and an incessant perseverance with indefatigable vigor to pursue all advantages after good success . if we consider the rude trials of this to which she hath been exposed by insurrections of so many people , revolt of one of her richest provinces , and separation of a kingdom ; if we observe the great shocks she hath received both by land and sea , from the armies of so many princes allied against her , and examine the many battails she hath lost , we shall find cause enough of admiration that she is still on her feet , and that it is a grandeur altogether peculiar to that nation , to endure , so much without fainting , and that no other stomach could digest so many hard morsel without loss of appetite : that any thing of which remains is alone to be imputed to that gentle and natural heat which acts without precipitation , and suffers without alteration what it can neither concoct nor evacuate , casting it on time and a more favourable conjuncture : i mean that her policies are so pliable and constant , that if her expedients and power often fail , her heart never does so , though contemplating her condition , she hath nothing many times to comfort her , but patience , and such other vertues as she ever makes use of both in field and cabinet , how low soever . neither hath she been wont to give ove a loser , how unfortunate soever , seldom abandoning the gave and hope of revenge . though she lately consented to the liberty of the united provinces , and renounced her right to dispute it , it was not till after a war of fourscore years , nor without that absolute necessity which obliges of two evils to choose the least , so that we cannot inferre from it she was sick at heart , nor that she often regorges what she hath once swallowed . and perhaps if she ever disengages her self from the many tyes that restrain her , and gets leisure to make a free use of her power and wisdom , it will appear she laied not aside the cards , but because she had too many gamesters upon her hand , and that she will reassume them with this protestation , that there is no prescription to soveraigns ; and that the solemnest othes , if contrary to those of their coronation oblige them not , and that there may as well happen to them as to the honest casuist , a certain apprehension that may dispense with their making good their promise . if we consider on the other side ( to return to what i have said of the equality of their vigour in prosperity ) how we● the spaniards understand to make use of the favours of fortune , and all their advantages , when heaven hath complied with that circumspection and remote foresight according to which they act , we must needs acknowledge all other policies come short of theirs , being boldest , activest , and most vigilant after good success , that best pursue the gain of a battail , and carefullest secure a town after its surrender , that most aptly impose fetters on people they have conquered , or reduced to their ancient subjection , if straied from it ; and that better than any other accommodate to their own interests , those of the princes allied with them ; ( in a word ) that after victory are more solicitous to gather all the fruits that can be derived from it , and draw all the good consequences it can possibly afford . others in prosperity languish , and their industry stackens after conquest , chusing rather to enjoy the fruits of their good fortune , than to make an advantageous use of it , and to lose the honor and profit of their greatest actions , then not to repose and take breath at the end of the course . such politicks belong only to those that have better arms then heads , and that value not the prise so much as the race , nor crowns and triumphs as battails and victories ; i mean that preferre the way before the end , and great actions above the felicities they lead to . to the two high advantages i have mentioned of the spanish politicks , derived from the great circumspection that attends them , a third may be added , which is that whensoever they have any design in hand , they can so secretly give it maturity , that nothing is discovered of it till at once it surprises and ashonishes . they work under ground , and with much care that nothing of their design takes vent , least which may be discovered by their meen & countenance they counterfeit sleep when most awake , at sentry , and ready to discharge , and ( though at other times very jealous of reputation ) are not then displeased to have their power decried , nor to be accused of weakness , that such erroneous judgment may cause their enemies so much to neglect standing on their gard , they may take them unprovided and overthrow those that think them to be in a condition neither to attacque , nor defend themselves . shadowed by such secresie , and secured by such artifice , they have sometimes very sodainly advanced , and passing by the conquest of all sicilia , it is known that in our daies they have successfully done this , and when least apprehended appeared before tarragon and lerida with more forces then they were thought to be masters of . in a word they have ever been secret to admiration and so excellently practised in that politick dissimulation , so usefull in governing , and that can so well aid it self with disguise , that they have often by it obtained such effects , as by force they could never have arrived at . and when these little maxims fail of success in warr , they have recourse to treaties and conferences , where they so dexterously make use of them , that in one maner or other they gain all advantages can be expected from them . on account of which i must needs take notice , that they obtain the better in negotiations , by means alone of that flegmatick and extraordinary patience , that tires and quenches the heat of other people , leading them about through so many labyrinths , that at last weary of conferring so long , and concluding nothing , they comply with part of what is desired , and perhaps in conclusion yield to the rest , so to purchase that repose spain seems so unwilling to grant them , because sensible of their weakness , and that they pursue with impatience whatsoever they have once hoped for . thus by a judicious obstinacy they oftentimes overcome the greatest opposition against what they design , and by compliance possess themselves of what they cannot obtain by contestation . but to stay no longer on consideration of policies that have within themselves turnings and windings very particular , i will only add that it is conceived something might be amended in their catholicon , i mean in that excess of zeal , real or pretended , they make appear in matters of religion . it is very evident that this fire sometimes warms spain to its prejudice , and may sooner consume her , than convince those she would by it win to her interests : and no less known that the popes are not kinder to her on this account , but suspect her passion for the church of an humane infirmity , that stretches toward heaven only to grow higher upon earth : and that she gains no friends intirely , but a share only of their inclinations , by those wayes that make her real enemies , that have a perfect hatred and aversion for her . in a word her constant designe , and to which she seems engaged as by oath not to suffer protestants in her dominions , and to persecute them in their own , is a state secret that hath been so well examined by catholicks , that its true price and value is sufficiently understood by them , and no less by those against whom it is directed , which causes them to apprehend , that on such specious principles , she engages to their ruine , to satisfie her ambition , and that high aim of which she is accused , by uniting in one body so many different dominions , to become head of christendom . in the mean time the present composure of europe , and form of the establishment of christianity considered , she ought to cast off this thought , and recollect that the two parties into which it is divided , are almost equal , and if they should come to a shock with the body of their forces , victory would a long time hover incertain which side to take , and perhaps not hers , though seconded by all the roman legions . she ought to understand her catholicon to be but a thin visard to her ragione di stato that it hath often discovered the secret , which hath been known every where ; and to examine how small the advantages are of following maxims that exasperate one party , and gain not the other . my meaning , is she should confine her self within the limits of temporal interest , without mixing religion with it , which descended not from heaven to destroy society , and that it will nothing avail her to make so many signes of the cross , against protestants . let her therefore permit them to live , and living with them make them understand , she hath absolved her self from that vow ( at least if there were any such ) which obliged her on all occasions to endeavour their destruction and that of their church . from such a change of conduct she would derive two great advantages , for she would be more considerable at rome by seeming less attached to the interests of that court , and more redoubted by france , by diverting part of the inclination of those of the reformed religion , which it believes it self alone possesses , with exclusion of all other catholick princes , never giving testimonies of open hatred , nor persecuting with fire and fagot , that which ought to be the object only of prayer and perswasion . having drawn some lines of the nature and qualities of the spanish policies , it remains that i give such a draught of those of the french , as may discover part of their extent and forces , that by comparing them we may judge which is likely to get the better of its rival : the later are so variable , and of a form so transient , that hours and moments , which ever fly , have no swifter revolution ; and the former are as contrary , and appropriated to fixation ; it is very difficult to paint the one because of the rapidity of its course , and no less so to determine which of the two is more potent , by reason of the continual conflict they have so long strugled in , without yielding on either side . one would think they had divided between them all the skill of the fencing-school , and that the one comes on with better grace , and hath its arm more supple , but that the other reaches farther , and makes its thrust more home : thus heaven to preserve the power of these nations near an equality , hath opposed to the vivacity and spirit of one of them the prudence and constancy of the other , that what the last comes short in agility , may be recompensed by its attention to all it undertakes ; and what the first wants of circumspection and patience may be supplied by incredible diligence . it is yet probable that the french fire so allayed , as not to dasle the judgment , produces greater effects than the spanish ●●eam , how considerable soever . it is capable of all that is heroick even to miracle , it forces an alteration in the face of affairs , and chains fortune and victory to attend its banners ; when they seem inclining to forsake it . it is as quick in discovering and preventing mischiefs as in applying remedies to those that surprise it . it s eye , hand , and heart are continually directed to what may help or hurt it ; the first is usefull to embrace or avoid , the second to seise whatever is advantagious , and repel all that may be fatal , whilst the last animates to support all burthens , and often attains what its strength could not extend to , whilst with all three it on one side levels a way for misfortune , and banishes it , and on the other opens a door to success and meets it : whereas the profound intellect of the spaniards , by means of frosty irresolution and tedious deliberation , suffers the fruits of its best enterprises to be nipt in the blossom , because not so diligent to execute as subtle to invent them . i could draw examples from our present times conclusive enough of this truth , if i were not desirous to make an end . i will therefore only add that that i am not unsensible , that the french airiness often causes their designes to miscarry , that their diligence is not alwayes joyned with prudence , and that it sometimes hastens with so little discourse and reflexion , it observes nothing , and as if it had no other members but hands and feet , violently plunges into confusion , and falls headlong into misfortune , by reason of that precipitation which often astonishes , and puts it besides it self , so much that its great courage abandoning it , it retreats in disorder . the reproach of this is nevertheless much out of date , by reason of many modern great and couragious actions and enterprises , where it hath made appear a diligence in executions , as little destitute of judgement as courage . this was long ago , when experience had not purified their fire , nor moderated that excess of it which made them begin well and end ill , on which account all they did was attributed to furie and a blind transport , that after the first attempt was changed into fear : but they are no more the same men , neither , after going on like lions , do they come off like hares ; and when their enterprises fail of success , they many times retreat with honor , and without confusion . and certainly the greatest promptitude when accompanied by reason and judgement is as often the mother as stepdame of good fortune . alexander conquered all because he would leave nothing for the morrow ; and caesar allowed but a moment between deliberation and action , apprehending that either the greatness of the design might discourage it , or the opportunity be passed if he took time to examine it : but as the celerity of these two heroes was ever fortunate , by reason of their prodigious capacities in all they undertook , and the circumspection and delays of fabius maximus and the great gonsalvo re-established empire , and conquered kingdoms , we may say that each of these nations , according as their predominant humor is allaied by prudence , and illuminated by reason , can disgest the toughest morsels , and difficultest thwartings of fortune , though one of them hath defects of stomach , that sometimes cause vomitings , and the other is now and then afflicted with megrims that oblige it to repose . augustus had felt the pulse of both of them when he pronounced his festina lente : and we may infallibly conclude that a third constitution participating of the french promptitude and spanish solidity , were alone capable not only of conquering the world but governing it . and a great and wise frenchman having owned l interest d' angleterre estant bien suivi establira dans la chretientè vne troisiem puissance : that england pursuing her true interest will become a third power , equal to france and spain ( and this meant in regard of her scituation & strength alone ) i think i may modestly enough add , that the equality and harmony of her temper ( which neither heavily slumbers away opportunities , nor rashly snatches at them before maturity ) considered , did not some mistaken principles , introduced by a fond doting on such a liberty as is inconsistent with government , make the subordinate wheels too heavy , and the spring ( that is the supreme power ) too weak to produce regular and vigorous motions in them , by a perfect submission to her soveraign , she might under his conduct be able to make a farther progression towards giving laws to mankind than any other people ever arrived at . finis . the history of the administration of cardinal ximenes, great minister of state in spain written originally in french, by the sieur michael baudier of languedoc ... and translated into english by w. vaughan. histoire de l'administration du cardinal ximenes, grand ministre d'estat en espagne. english baudier, michel, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the history of the administration of cardinal ximenes, great minister of state in spain written originally in french, by the sieur michael baudier of languedoc ... and translated into english by w. vaughan. histoire de l'administration du cardinal ximenes, grand ministre d'estat en espagne. english baudier, michel, ?- . vaughan, walter. [ ], p. : port. printed for john wilkins ..., london : . translation of: histoire de l'administration du cardinal ximenes, grand ministre d'estat en espagne. errata: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng jiménez de cisneros, francisco, ?- . spain -- politics and government -- - . spain -- foreign relations -- - . spain -- history -- ferdinand and isabella, - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion francis cardinal ximenes great minister of state in spaine . cross sculpsit the history of the administration of cardinal ximenes , great minister of state in spain . written originally in french , by the sieur michael baudier of languedoc , councellor and historiographer to his most christian majesty ; and translated into english , by w. vaughan . london , printed for john wilkins at the sign of the maiden-head in new cheap-side in moor-fields . . to the honourable sr. henry herbert knight , master of the revells . sir , true gratitude abhors the prostitute forms of verbal thanks , as a vertuous lady the dress of a curtezan ; and since men practise the art to make false glosses on the text of their thoughts , to personate gratitude , and render these words meer colours of ordinary civility and complements to fill up the vacuity of discourse ; which in the first use , were faithful interpreters of the affections they represented : since false tongues are as modeable as false locks , and grateful language ( like excellent fruit grafted on a crabstock ) usurped by those who take not any impression from the favours their speech pretends engraven in their hearts , which remain unaltered from their innate ingratitude , as the crab-root retains his sowre nature , though his boughs are adorned with golden apples . since men have learnt to give thanks by rote , as parrots do goodmorrows ; to reduce the expression of gratitude to lip-labour , is to offer sacrifice on a polluted altar ; to prophane that which is holy , and to pay a debt in brass money , which may have the stamp , but not the value of currant coyn. large professions of thankfulness having by general abuse degenerated into pure impostures and vizzards of hypocrisie , or ( at best ) empty sounds , which naturally inferr the hollowness of the vessell they proceed from . my obligations to you are many and great ; justice returns quid pro quo , something equivolent to what is received ; but gratitude obliges reddere cum foenore ; a duty i am so far from being capable to satisfie , that i confess my self bankrupt by your favours : and for laying out kindnesses where they were not deserved , nor can be requited , you might have repented your self of ill husbandry , equall to his , who sowed wheat on the sands ; but that bounty to an undeserving person , resembles so nearly that archetype of goodness , whereby providence obliges the universe without its merit ; that my want of desert , and disability of retribution , will intitle your beneficence the more divine ; and be arguments of your prudence , in doing good for ends whereof you cannot be disappointed : that is , like solomon's good man , of being satisfied from your self ; a design not to be frustrated : and carries in it the comfort of being conformable to his precept , who commands to give without hope to receive again . — licet exemplis , in parvis , grandibus uti . it was the saying of a great man roan iesuis , roy ie ne puis , prince ie desdayne : to apply it to the present purpose . your favours , sir , i am heartily thankfull for ; actually to requite them is beyond my power ; and ( though i do not scorn verball acknowledgements , yet , i ever thought words ( which are but wind ) as unfit representatives of the deep characters of gratefull thoughts , as ordinary table-books , or chartae deletiles , to hold matters of record . and conceived it proper to transcribe the impressions my heart hath taken from your favours , into monuments that may remain to perpetuity ; and not only proclaim to the present age , but transmit to posterity a publick testimony of your goodness in my gratitude . and though herein i do no more than the insolvent person , who by the writing he owns himself a debtor , publishes only his obligation and disability to pay : yet the freeness of those favours whereby you have engaged me , makes me confident of your acceptance of this address , as my declaration in print of the duties i owe you ; and particularly my obligations for the opportunities had for this translation of the life of ximenes : wherein if any crudity appears , you will wink at it as a thing incident to the first fruits of mens labours . this being such , and humbly presented to you , by him who is heartily as actually , your servant , walt. vaughan . to the reader . this book contains vertue in effigie drawn to the life , beyond the artifice of picture or sculpture ; for ( what appelles and lysippus could not shadow ) the life of ximenes presents conspicuous as the light , the progress and ascent of vertue , from the obscurity of a private condition , to the illustrious dignity of a governour of kingdoms : and in one piece hath exprest its infancy , growth and maturity . 't is exposed to view in a fryars frock , and the pomp of a cardinal ; in the solitary retirements of an ermitage , and attended with legions of armed men : praying in a cloister , and judging on a throne ; begging alms , but withall bestowing provinces , and relieving princes in distress : dead to the world , to live in it with content ; and buried in a monastery , to obtain a glorious resurrection into the theatre of action , and the prime dignities of church and state. fortune the mistris of other mens vertues , waited on ximenes , as a page errant through the desart solitudes of covents and cloysters , into the glorious splendour of palaces and soveraign courts : like a wanton lover , she pursued him who fled from her , and courted him , who slighted her . his merit had preference to the prerogative of royal birth , when queen isabell unasked , promoted him to the archiepiscopal chair of toledo , which the charms of conjugal affection , assisted with the powerfull influence of majesty in the intercessions of ferdinand her king and husband , laboured in vain to perswade her to grant to don alonzo his son , then suitor for that great dignity of prime prelate and first grandee of spain , who mist his mark , though he was born a prince , and had a king for his advocate to plead in his behalf : the success justified the wisdom of queen isabels choice . for the vertue of ximenes , was proof against the charms of romish greatness : and continued humble and pious in pontificalibus ; not fortunes slave , but mistris : gained vast revenews , to appear prodigiously liberal ; and soveraign honors to grace his magnificence ; filled his soul with zeal for conversion of infidels , and his heart with courage to conquer oran . managed the generals staff , and swayed the scepter with the same dexterity he handled the breviary : the head of an army in a cardinals cap , and governour of spain in the purple of the church ; a courtier and patriot in one person ; the darling of his prince , for fidelity and zeal to promote the interest of the crown ; the favourite of the people , for easing their grievances , procuring immunities , erecting and endowing colledges , hospitals and granaries ; wherein he expended the vast profits of his benefices , like the ocean returning the tribute of the lesser waters , he receives in showers of beneficence on those who paid it . when he retired from the presidents chair in the councel royal , he went to assist at conferences of divinity , to demonstrate the consistence of piety ( to canonize him a saint ) with policy , which gained him the title of great minister of spain . and that the distractions of government , could not disorder the harmony of his soul into an incapacity to perform exercises of devotion , when tost with the tempests of a turbulent state. he was humble in his personal carriage and private concerns , but haughty in his conduct , and heroically magnanimous in his publick capacity . his gratitude to his benefactors was generous and exemplary ; but usque ad aras , confined within the limits of justice , from which he was inflexible , though tempted by the highest obligations , which occasioned his contest with his good master ferdinand , and the pope ; when the former denyed him what in justice was due ; and the other would have usurped a power to unlock at pleasure the treasuries of the church of spain , with the keyes of st. peter . but blind obedience was not an article of the cardinals creed , who reverenced the pope as pastor of the flock ; but would not admit him lord of the heritage . he slighted mean exercises of vertue , as born only for arduous attempts : annulled contracts made by the high treasurer don manuel in deceit of the king , and tore in pieces the fraudulent lease drawn by collusion with the farmers of granada . made judges examples of his justice , and feel the severity of the laws they had corruptly abused , to colour their sale of the right of the poor to the purse of the rich . reformed the exchequer and counsel royal , as well as the retinue of the court : laid prostrate three of the greatest grandees of spain , who had vilified his person , and contemned his authority : forced the councel royal to pay him the respects they had neglected : obliged prince ferdinand brother to charles the fifth then king of spain , to obey the orders he threatned to break : reduced the rebell cities of spain to obedience by arms , and mutineers by the sole majesty of his looks , and the silent authority of his great conduct ; opened ( as generall ) a passage to the catholick king ; and ( as archbishop and cardinal ) to the catholick faith into africk . was a president of piety , to fryars ; of charity , magnificence and zeal , to prelates : of courage and conduct to commanders of armies : of royal justice , prudence and magnanimity to princes : and shines a constellation of publick and private , moral and politick , civil and theological vertues , that moved successively in the several orbs of religious , military and politick government : was a glorious luminary in each , and made it appear , that neither religion , military discipline , nor civil government , but a transcendent eminency in every of them , was his proper sphere . these are the lineaments of that vertue , the following story presents in lively colours ; and renders as lovely , as that in plato's fancy , whose idea of vertue was more amiable than venus . but plato's idea's were held paradox in former dayes , and platonick love is a chimaera in ours . sense is the ascendant of the age , the sole in let of modern affection and knowledge ; and vertue so great a stranger , that she will scarce be known by her effigies : her natural form will be a disguise when she appears amongst them , who adore the pourtrait of a mistris , but scorn idolatry to the image of vertue , and prefer the pictures of aretine , before the tables of cebes . yet to please the reader , whose wit lyes in his fingers ends ; who knows no pleasure , but what is palpable , and will rather deny the being , than admit the love of invisible things ; cujus migravit ab aure voluptas omnis ad incertes oculos & gaudia vana . the book invites him not to a dull entertainment of dry precepts of morality ; but a fine shew of the vertue of ximenes , a new and strange sight come from spain , seen in france , newly shifted into an english habit , and more worthy admiration than pusionelle and the butterfly . a proteus in the several shapes of lawyer , fryar , archbishop , cardinal , general , minister of state , and governour of spain ; retaining a divinity in all forms . if you slight it as vertue , it may deserve your sight as a monster : a strange form whereof , you cannot discover the least resemblance in your self . and though vertue be a contemptible thing in your judgement , the dress and pomp it appears in , may satisfie your fancy : as you visit the theatres for the scenes , not the playes ; the painters pencill , not the pen of the poets . but these are reflections on a french vanity and lightness of spirit which the english reader may think himself unconcerned in . for ximenes appears among us , in confidence the sole greatness of his vertues , will effectually recommend him to a kind entertainment , from the gravity of the english ; who though they have excluded cardinals from their countrey , retain respect for cardinal vertues . the book ( like the pack of ulysses , made up of toyes for women , and arms for a heroe , ) though checquer'd with a pleasing variety of accidents to tickle the fancy of the lightest wits , consists chiefly of generous examples of solid vertue , to kindle emulation in the bravest spirits : and doubts not of a candid reception , the genius of the english ( though the humour of the times may countenance the contrary assertion ) being really more inclined to imitate the heroick actions and sound discourses , than the trifling vanities and fantastick capricchio's of forreigners : as achilles in petty-coats , was better at handling a sword , than a distaff ; and though drest like a lady , thought the spear and the target , fitter for him , than ear-knots and patches . errata . pag. . l. . dele too : p. . l. . r. master : p. . l. . r. nocturnal : p. . l. . r. san : p. . l. ult . r. cady , or : p. l. . r. for defraying : p. . l. , . r. formidable by : p. . l. . r. calumniate : p. . l. . r. thanked them : p. . l. . r. rights : p. . l. . r. purple : p. . l. . r. to : p. . l. . r. velasco : p. . l. . r. stranger : p. . l. . r. rid : p. . l. . r. triumvirat : p. . l. . r. di●●o his : p. . l. . r. attaque : p. . l. . r. i 'le . besides mis-pointings and other less material faults , which the reader may easily discover , and is desired to correct . the contents . chap. i. the birth and education of ximenes . his journey to rome . he is robbed by the way . his return to spain , and imprisonment by order of the archbishop of toledo . his enlargement and retirement into the diocess of siguenza . he is made vicar-general thereof , and administrator-general to the earl of cifuentes , and takes on him the order of st. francis , pag. . chap. ii. ximenes interrupted in his devotions by crowds of visitants , retires into the monastery of castanet ; is made warden of the convent of salceda ; and in . confessor to isabel queen of spain . he is chosen provincial of his order for three years ; leaves the court , and visits the religious houses under his charge : his design for passing into africk , to propagate the faith there , diverted by rouys , his companion : he travels on foot , and beggs . pag. . chap. iii. vpon the death of cardinal mendoza , king ferdinand endeavours the promotion of his natural son , the archbishop of saragosa , to the chair of toledo : but queen isabel prefers ximenes to the dignity . he withdraws from court , to avoid the investiture ; but upon the popes mandate returns and accepts it . his declaration not to admit of any pension to be charged on the revenue of the archbishoprick . he continues the plainness of a religious life : mends with his own hands the frock of his order , with other evidences of humility : is complained of to the pope , who commands him to live more splendidly : ximenes obeyes ; is envied by the monks of his order : their generals extravagant address to the queen . his brother bernardin endeavours to stifle him in his bed , and leaves him for dead . ximenes recovers , and perswades the king , to ease his people of a heavy tax called alcabala , and erects a colledge at arcala . pag. . chap. iv. the zeal of ximenes for propagating the faith. he converts three thousand moores in one day : the manner of their baptism . the new converts present him with five thousand volumes of the alcoran , and glosses thereon ; he burns most of them . the revolt of granada charged on ximenes by his enemies : the miscarriage of the courrier he imployed . the king expresses great displeasure against ximenes ; but he retrives all , and obtains thanks from the king. pag. chap. v. ximenes falls sick , and is cured by a morisco woman . bestows four thousand crowns on seven hebrew copies of the bible . his great care and charge , for a correct impression of the scriptures . he obtains great immunities for his colledge of arcala , and pardons a malefactor led to execution : he builds another colledge . pag. chap. vi. the death of queen isabel . ximenes executor of her last will and testament . the extraordinary honors done him by the king. the dexterity of his conduct , in preserving castille under the obedience of his master ferdinand . the arrivall of philip , ferdinand's son-in-law , in spain . the enterview of ferdinand and ximenes's advice to philip. he attends them in their conference ; and shuts out don philip's favorite . ferdinand's speech to philip : his commendation of ximenes . his haughty conduct , in the affairs of the farm of the revenews of the silks of philip's death . ximenes , the constable of castille , and duke of najar , undertakes the government in ferdinand's absence . vpon ferdinand's letter , ximenes resolves to govern alone : is chosen sole guardian of the state. the distracted vagaries of queen joan. the troubles in medina and granada appeased by ferdinand's return . ximenes made cardinal , and inquisitor-general of castile : the honour done his colledge of arcala , by francis the first of france ; and charles the fifth , emperor of germany , pag. chap. vi. the cardinal's design to invade africk , proposed to ferdinand , who excuses the enterprize for want of money . the cardinal furnishes money . mersalcaber is taken by surrender . the punishment of a spanish souldier , for breach of the articles . diego ferdinando is made governour of mersalcaber , and deiasio his lieutenant : his extraordinary value , pag. . chap. vii . ximenes resolves to pass in person into africk in the head of an army : the raillery of the court thereupon . the earl d' olivarez by advice of the great captain , made lieutenant general . the officers of the army retard and obstruct the expedition . the cardinal complains to the king ; and if the army should disband , desires leave to retire into his diocess . the king gives new orders , for the army to attend the cardinal . they mutiny : the cardinal employes villaroel to advise virnelli from his rigor against the mutineers . viaanell's proud answer : villaroel wounds him . the campmaster salazars device to appease the mutineers . the army lands : they engage the moores and after a stout resistance , prevail ▪ oran is taken : the cardinal enters oran in triumph ; divides the spoil amongst the officers and souldiers : founds and endows an hospital . de veras neglect in carrying the king news . the earl of olivarez insolent carriage against the cardinal ; his submission . the cardinal's return into spain , and the occasion . captain arias's exemplary familiarity with death , pag. . chap. viii . the cardinal demands payment of the moneys he advanced for the war ; the grandees and officers strong opposition , and arguments against payment . the cardinal's defence . he prevails ▪ lewys william made bishop of oran by the pope , is opposed by the cardinal ; who makes fair offers of accommodation ; which are refused by william in hopes of sentence against the cardinal : his designs frustrated , and he slighted . the cardinal prefers his friend rouys to the bishoprick of avilas . the cardinal's advice to his friend before the promotion . he disposes of his nephew in marriage . his advice hereupon . his niece is married to a nephew of the duke d' infantado . the cardinal breaks the marriage . the reason . the cardinal's respect to the great captain . extraordinary honor done the cardinal by ferdinand . the cardidinal's generous offer , to assist pope julius the second . pag. . chap. ix . a peace with africk . new honors done the cardinal . a war with france . the cardinal's advice for the management . his discovery of the secret league between france and navarr . the cardinal's liberality , in order to the king's health . he builds several publick granaries , and a magnificent church and monastery . his famous aqueduct , which cost a million of gold. the pope demands contribution from spain towards building of st. peter's in rome : the king consents , but the cardinal opposes and hinders it . king ferdinand's sickness and frowardness . he alters his testament made at burgos ; and why : rejects the proposal of ximenes for governour of the kingdom after his decease : the reason . he declares ximenes governour , and dyes . the cardinal enters on the government : his excellent conduct . pag. . chap. x. the dean of lovain by patent from charles king of spain , claims the government . the cardinal opposes him . reduces porto carrero , and his rebellious forces in portugal to obedience . charles declares the cardinal governour : is opposed in the new title he assumed of king of spain , till address to the cardinal : who in spight of the grandees opposition , caused charles to be proclaimed king of spain in madrid and toledo . peter giroim takes up arms , but defeated by the cardinal . the duke d' infantadoes extravagant speeches and manifests against the cardinal : his submission . the cardinal's forces . the grandees stirr up the people to rebellion . valladolid , leon , burgos , &c. revolt : complaints to charles against the cardinal ; but frustrated by his prudence . pag. . chap. xi . the cardinal's settlement of the maritine affairs of the kingdom . he relieves the islanders against the tyranny of the spaniards . his advice to charles thereupon rejected , but to the dammage of the crown . he stops the french : and reduces navarr to an entire obedience to spain . malaga in arms , but reduced by the cardinal's forces . velasio high treasurer of spain seizes arevale and fortifies it ; but upon the cardinal's summons , opens the gates , and is pardoned , pag. chap. xii . the exemplary justice of the cardinal , in punishing corrupt judges and their officers . he regulates the exchequer , and orders of knighthood : reforms the councel royal , and the retinue of the court. his taking away the pensions of peter martyr , and gonsales d' oviedo , censured . he annulls a gift of three millions , made by ferdinand to three grandees . the king of tunis expelled his dominion , is royally entertained by the cardinal , pag. . chap. xiii . the cardinal by edict commands all the genoese to depart spain within dayes : the reason of the edict . charles accepts of the genoese submission by their embassadors , and revokes the edict . the cardinal refuses to publish the revocation , till further satisfied . his advice to charles in the affairs of italy . the jews offer charles eight hundred thousand crowns for liberty to judaize or turn christians at their pleasure : the councel of flanders advises charles to accept the offer : the cardinal disswades him : his prudent disposal of the government of provinces . he promotes dean adrian , and others . his constancy : pag. . chap. xiv . the grandees procure laxaus to be sent joint-commissioner for the government with the cardinal and dean adrian . the cardinal slights him . he tears the patents signed by adrian and laxaus in the more honourable place : and signs new patents to the same effect alone , and executes them . the great chancellor savage sent into spain : his corrupt proceedings : the cardinals generous and discreet complaint against him . an ordinance past at rome , to levy the tenths of the clergy of spain : they are in discontent . the cardinal defends and pacifies them . pag. . chap. xv. the duke infantado's contempt of justice : the cardinal threatens him : the dukes extravagant message to the cardinal : he repents , and is reconciled : the manner of it . the cardinal's severity against peter gironne for not obeying the decree of the court of valladolid : the grandees procure a prohibition from charles to stay the cardinal's proceedings : the cardinal and councel inform charles of the truth of the fact : have liberty to proceed . the judgement of the court is executed : giron submits . the duke d' alva fortifies casabrona against the cardinal : the cardinal besieges it : the resolution of the besieged : the duke submits and surrenders : the cardinal 's great affection for the monastery of castanet : his inclination to religious solitude . charles embarkes for spain : the cardinal advances to meet him : is poisoned : advises the remove of two principal domestiques of prince ferdinands : his haughty conduct in their remove , though threatned by ferdinand : his resolute answer to ferdinands threats : and the grandees demand of his commission . his advice to charles upon his arrival in spain . charles by an express thanks the cardinal : the councel of spain advance to meet charles without the cardinal's leave , and were commanded to return : the cardinal's harbingers mark a lodging for him : the marshalls of the kings lodgings mark the same for the queen : the cardinal carries it : charles his letter of dismission to the cardinal : the cardinal 's pious death : his epitaph and character . pag. . to his eminence the cardinal duke of richlieu . my lord , among the gifts of nature god hath not imparted to man a more admirable , than that of reason ; which is that to the soul , that the soul is to the body . and amongst those of fortune , he hath not given him a greater , than the crosses of life ; which render his vertues eminent and conspicuous , in procuring him palms of victory , and crowns of immortal glory . the present i make your eminence , of the crosses and oppositions cardinal ximenes encountred and surmounted , in the government of a kingdom , i dare affirm , the greatest and most considerable , the treasures of past ages can afford . but i fear , my lord , i may appear as ridiculous in offering it , as he that carries water to the sea. since the esteem and repute you have this day , of the prime person of our age , is no less grounded upon your incomparable constancy , in ore coming all obstacles that oppose your vertue ; then your admirable conduct in affairs of state. the painter certainly commits no crime , who figuring out the battels of other men , delineates the combates of some great captain , which were not designed the subject of his pencill . and if my pen innocently mention any action , that may correspond , and run parallel with yours ; i conceive it merits neither blame , nor contempt on that accompt . for , my lord , what minister of state is there , who hath not resembled others in some traverses of fortune , and cross occurrences in his administration , it being impossible to govern men , without opposition from men ? the platonick philosophers held it an undoubted truth , that the world is a temple built by god , who hath impressed his visible image in the body of the sun , to act in his stead . what the sun is in the universe , that a minister of state is in the government under his care ; the great representative of the soveraign authority . the sun is the eye of the world ; and the minister of state , in the persian phrase , the eye of the king. yet this glorious luminary hath its eclipses , and aspiring mists and clouds interposing between us and him , to the obscuring of his light. the ancient fiction of the suns rising out of the sea , and setting there , without diminution of his lustre ; presents to us in him , the lively picture of a minister of state in the government of the world ; and intimates those troublesome and disastrous occurrences , that frequently infests the beginning and end of his administration ; but cannot impair the rayes of his glory . cardinal ximenes who by his good conduct , rendred spain happy ; had notwithstanding a whole order of religion to decry his politick actions . and besides them , the grandees , the people , cities and intire provinces , banded against him ; and at last all that was powerful and considerable , in the court and countrey he had so worthily served , abandoned and forsook him . but he who had a breast prepared , amidst the courtly smiles of prosperous fortunes , to resist the storms and tempests of adversity , hath left us a grand example and famous instance , to confirm the truth of that assertion , which holds constancy one of the principal qualities requisite in a minister of state ; that a stout resistance against the ills that encounter him , is the buckler that secures his vertues ; and to turn his back to the assaults of fortune , an act misbecoming and altogether unworthy that man , who has the conduct of others . behold him 〈◊〉 ( having surmounted all obstacles 〈◊〉 in his way , to stop or disturb the ●●urse of his vertue ) arrived in france ; where he may see practised the rules of excellent government ; and hopes to acquire a second glory , if , my lord , you permit and allow his name to live with yours . the age wherein he governed spain , and that which your actions have filled with wonder and astonishment , immediately succeed one the other ; and may dispute with the ages past and to come , the honour and esteem , of being the happiest of ages , as having produced two men , who have been the oracles of good conduct , and politick administration . if you grant him this favour , my lord , i hope for my part , that in recompence of my studies , and in consideration of my joint travel with him , in this commentary of his administration , i may with your consent , obtain and carry the title i desire , of my lord , your most humble and most obedient servant , baudier . the preface . it is a custome received in all ages , and approved by the practice of the whole world , to expose to publick view the effigies and statues of men who have surpassed others by the greatness of their vertues , lived the glory of their times , and rendered themselves recommendable to the imitation of posterity . to these figures of their corporal lineaments and resemblances of the external forms of their persons , some have added tables and memorials , as monuments of their heroick and magnamimous actions in presiding o're councills , and publick assemblies , appeasing popular seditions , and restoring quiet and tranquility to a disordered city , countrey , or state , or the like . i have proposed to my imitation , this latter way of representing illustrious personages , and here present to the publick , the pourtraict of the greatest minister of his time , that europe could then boast in all the states she contains : i have drawn him active in war , a counsellor in peace ; extending the borders of spain beyond the seas ; advertising his master of the disorders of the court ; and giving him his counsells and sage advice . i have described him appeasing the tumults and factious disorders of cities , of provinces , of a whole realm ; advancing vertue , rewarding merit , punishing vice , and establishing a general felicity in the whole body politick . the work is composed with that candor , that liberty , and truth , ( which ought to animate , and are the principal ornament of history ) that the end and design of it , will easily appear to have been not the pleasing of any particular person , but the profit of the publick , and the good of the common-wealth . which i have observed in that of the administration of the cardinal d' amboyse , already published ; and some others that may follow this , wherein my only design is truth , which alwayes tends to the publick good . but the actions of this great minister , being far above those of other men , who have managed the affais of monarchs , i thought it my duty to consider some of them apart , and to make particular reflections thereon , for the delight of those that shall take the pains to read them . the crosses he met with in the government of spain , were almost infinite ; and the power of the enemies that attacqued him , very remarkable ; but his constancy , in the resistance admirable . as a couragious pilot forsakes not the helm in tempestuous weather , but perishes gloriously with his hand upon it : so hath he left us this instruction , that a minister should never endure disorders tending to the vilifying and contempt of the supream authority , ( which his represents ) or to the oppression of justice ; but choose rather to lye buried in the ruines of the one and the other . his actions in the armies when seventy years old , demonstrate that men who wear a robe , as well as those who wear a sword , have their vigour and activity to encounter enemies , perils and difficulties . and though their condition exempt them from corporall labours , yet they remain subject to those of the mind ; whose cares are more weighty , and pains more considerable and important . all that fight have their share in the victory , but the general who conquers by his good conduct and prudence , merits all the glory . therefore the spartans for a victory gain'd by force of arms , sacrificed only a bird ; but a whole oxe fell victim for a victory obtained by the prudence of their general . cardinal ximenes in attacquing oran in the face of the sun , contrary to the design of his captains , who would have expected the advantage of the night , to carry on the assault ; seems to have revived the generosity of alexander , who refused to set upon darius by night , as scorning to steal a victory ; but desiring the sun might testifie he owed it to his valour . moreover his good conduct in all the war of africk , where his age and quality forbad him the bearing of arms , justifies the opinion of the great roman captain , that conquest by counsel , is not less honourable , than that by the sword. 't is a great instance of the excellency of his conduct , that he brought learning and military valour , to esteem and reputation in spain ; that the state received thereby the means , not only to defend , but render it self illustrious . nor was he ever subject to the reproach of extinguishing the sparks of vertue in the breasts of youth , by depriving gallant actions of their due recompence of just rewards ; but exercising with courage and integrity , both commutative and distributive justice , dispensing rewards to the good , and inflicting punishment on the bad ; he raised his condition to that pitch of highest perfection ; which induced the sage politician to affirm , that nothing in the world is so like god , as a just man. the government of provinces , and principal charges of state , were not given to those who were most in favour , but to those who had most merit . 't is true , he preferred persons of quality , but such as were also men of fortune and estate ; least their necessities might incline them to peel and oppress the people : nor had he less regard to their integrity . and in preferring gentlemen of integrity and worth , before other persons of equall vertues ; he seems to have imitated the order of the heavens , which are guided by intelligences , whose nature is more excellent and pure , than those forms which derive their grosser essence from the elements . and as by the ordinances of nature , we do not only receive light immediately from the sun the fountain of it , but from the lesser stars , whose bodies nature hath disposed and adapted to a capacity of receiving light from the sun , and reverberating the same to us by reflection : so the governours of provinces , and places of importance should keep up and maintain the splendor of majesty in the absence of their prince ; as the starrs by night ( which is the absence of the sun ) shew us part of the brightness of that glorious luminary . and , besides that the people honour and reverence men of eminent quality , and are more propense and ready to yield them obedience , than to men raised from a mean condition ; gentlemen together with their blood , derive from their parents the seeds of generosity ; and have commonly the advantage of better education , and the memory of the illustrious acts of their ancestors , is ordinarily a spurr to vertue , a strong motive and powerful incitement to good actions . but cardinal ximenes , though where he found equall vertue in two persons of unequall birth , he did , ( as reason would ) prefer the noble ; yet was he far from abandoning or slighting vertue , from which nobility is derived , and by which it is maintained . the gifts and largesses he bestowed out of his proper stock on particular persons and the publick , are worthy remarque : his advancement of an infinite number of persons of integrity and merit to the offices of magistrature , the dignities of the chureh , and charges of war , preserve to this day in spain , the memory of the grandeur of his spirit , and will remain an everlasting monument of glory and benediction to his name . the hospitals built at his charge in spain , and endowed by him with revenues ; the religious houses remaining there for durable works of his piety and bounty ; the publick granaries stored with corn for relif of the poor , filled out of the rents setled by him to that purpose ; the seminaries and publick nurseries of vertue for the common-wealth , where he provided for the education of youth of both sexes , left destitute of necessaries in that behalf declare and will record to perpetuity , that the grandeur of ximenes consisted not so much in his eminent and great employments , as in his transcendent liberality and extraordinary bounty . the temples of the graces in the cities of the levant , were by the ancients built in publick places , as in their markets , or near their cirques and amphitheaters , to signifie that the benefits and good actions of great men , ought to be not only open to private persons , but communicated to the publick . a minister of state is a publick person constituted in the most eminent dignity of a kingdom , next the royal : and if it be true , that a good king is the father of his people ; the minister of state who is his assistant , ought to be a faithful steward to dispence his favours , and afford ready helps to the wants and necessities of the publick . when cinon the athenian was grown rich , he caused the fences and inclosures of his gardens to be laid open , that the poor might have free ingress to gather the fruits ; he kept an open house and table for all that were in want ; and sent his servants loaded with garments through the streets of athens , to be distributed amongst them that were in want ; holding himself unworthy to possess a great estate , without imparting of it to others . in like manner , had cardinal ximenes , when seised of that great benefice , ( whereby was vested in him the largest revenue of that kingdom , ) filled his coffers with treasure , and locked up there the gold destined for other uses , he had condemned himself as guilty of embezling and converting to his private benefit , what ought to have been laid out in the redemption of slaves , enlargement of prisoners , cures of the sick , comfort of the afflicted , and sustenance of the poor . but he made liberal destribution thereof suitable to the necessities of the several objects of his bounty . certainly some good kings are publick springs , whence the people have right to draw ; that is , to have recourse to their beneficence ; and good ministers of state ought to be the pipes to those royall fountain , to convey to the people the water of relief . the greatness of his vertues , could not so exempt ximines from envy , but that in his life time it attacqued both his name and his conduct , though his death put a period to detraction , and procured reverence to his name , honour to his memory , and elogies for his government . and 't is observable , men never behold the sun so earnestly , as when he is ecclipsed . innocence , of all places of the world , makes least residence at court , where ambition alwayes wars against eminent vertues . this concludes it necessary for a minister of state , to fortifie himself with constancy and resolution , to resist their malignity , who would call him to account ; and charge him as answerable for all the sinister accidents that fall out : as if the events of affairs , depended only on him . cardinal ximenes had this vertue in the superlative ; alwayes like himself , alwayes aquanimous , alwayes firm , stout and resolute , in the beginning , progress and end of his administration , that he might have said of himself , what the roman camillus once of himself in another sense ; that neither the dictatorship had elevated , nor exile abated the height of his spirit . that neither the archbishoprick of toledo , the primacy of spain , the cardinals cap , nor the authority of governour of a kingdom , had given him courage , nor the crosses and misfortunes of court taken it from him . these great and heroick vertues have rendered him the compleat original and architype of a perfect minister of state : which i propose to thir view , who govern the world under the authority of soveraign princes ; that they may imitate his zeal for the publick good , his fidelity to his prince , his affection to persons of worth and wel-deserving , his strong inclinations and vigorous actions for the good of the people , and increasing the glory and grandeur of the state ; being the ends and principal marks aimed at in all governments , managed with wisdom , and crowned with success . the history of the administration of cardinal ximenes , prime minister of state in spain . kings , who are masters of the goods of this world , advantage men in their fortunes , and improvement of their estates ; but 't is the sun , that king of starrs , and first of all second causes , that enriches them with the gifts of nature ; so that those regions which are blest with the more favourable aspect of this eye of heaven , produce things of greater excellency than other countreyes , and give birth to men of more eminent parts , and endowed with the rarest qualities in natures gift . spain , by the happy advantage of her scituation , lyes so full and open in the eye of that great luminary , that , as enamoured of her beauty , he vouchsafes her the light of his countenance , and by the large measure of his irradiation , afforded her , contributes to her production of eminent persons . in her was born francis , cardinal ximenes , of the noble family of the cisneres , who deduce their original from the suburbs of villaizar , in the diocess of toledo . his father was alphonso , receiver of the tenths of the clergy granted by the pope to the king of spain ; who , taken with the beauty of a young maid of an honest family and the same place , married her , and had by her several children , whereof ximenes was the eldest . at the font he received , with the graces of heaven , the name of his father alphonso , which he after changed , in the cloister , into that of francis. in his infancy , he had his education in the town of areula d' henares , where he learnt the principles of the latine tongue , and of good manners : from thence he was removed to salamanca , to study those laws which regulate the estates and possessions of men : where , by the advantage of his pregnant wit , he became so great a proficient , that in a short time he was capable to instruct others . his family was reduced to so low an ebb of fortune , that his father was put to his shifts to furnish him with necessaries requisite for his study ; and could not well spare him sufficient to bear his charges . this obliged ximenes to bestir himself , as having no means of livelihood , but what he could get by his wit and industry : therefore he read the laws in his chamber to several students , who contributed to defray his charges . but his genius aspired higher ; and the honest gains he made in his chamber , he employed in the study of divinity . and having finished the course of that study , returned to his countrey , where his father practised as an attorney in the court of justice of that place . some moneths he spent at home , but finding no imployment there , worthy his abilities , he obtained his fathers leave , to go to rome to seek a better fortune ; but was unfortunately robbed by the way , and reduced to extream necessity . this disaster occasioned his stay at aix in provence , till brunet , a young gentleman of spain bound for rome , ( who had been his school-fellow at salamanca ) passing that way , happily relieved him by taking him into his company , and bearing his charges to rome . being arrived at rome , he became advocate for such of his countrey , as had suits depending in the ecclesiastical jurisdiction ; till the news of his fathers death ; and his good nature carried him back into spain , to succour his mother now a widow , and afford his helping hand to the orphan state of his younger brothers . but before his departure from rome , he obtained from the pope ( those they call ) spectative bulls ; whereby he was provided of the first prebend should be void in his native countrey ; which happened to be that of the archpriest of the borough of vceda . the revenue of it was mean , but the conveniency of having it at his door , invited him to take possession . the granting of such bulls , gives great offence to the bishops of spain , as retrenching their power in collating benefices . alphonso carilla , archbishop of toledo , bestowed the same prebend on his almoner . ximenes opposes it ; the archbishop resents the resistance , as a high contempt , and presumptuous obstruction of his authority ; resolves to suppress it by force , and claps up ximenes in the tower of vceda , where he kept him close prisoner under hard and rigorous usage , in a place which ximenes after his promotion to the archbishoprick of toledo , made the repository of his riches ; teaching us , that great souls make the disgraces of the world a treasury of vertue . the miserable entertainment and rude usage of this place afflicted his spirit to so extream a degree , that it clearly appeared ; there is nothing in the world more insupportable , than trouble and slavery to men of letters , whose genius requires liberty and repose . the loss of both drew sighs and groans from the heart , and loud complaints from the tongue of ximenes , which an old priest his fellow prisoner , and companion in misery , endeavouring to allay , bespake him thus : a wise man , ximenes , is alwayes free ; and vertue which believes no other slavery but that of vice , loses not her liberty in chains and irons . cease then to complain , and put an end to your lamentations ; endure with patience the lot befallen you : suffering is often the way to preferment . in the very place you are in , was heretofore locked up john zerervella , brother to that great constable of castile alvarez de luna , with no other advantage than that of closer imprisonment and heavier irons than yours ; yet he was afterwards archbishop of toledo . great miseries usher in those persons into great prosperities , who by patience triumph over their calamities . zerervella in the course of his felicities , drew the comfort of his life from the memory of his imprisonment . the innocence of your visage and majesty of your countenance , are , in my judgement , presages of the like fortune to you . he was removed from the tower to st. jorquats , a prison for priests lying under accusations of crime . his innocence was so apparent and conspicuous , that his deteinure there , was so long only , as might serve for the execise of his vertue . the countess of bondiano , sister to the archbishop , obtained his liberty . ximenes , fearing a second loss of it , resolves to enjoy it at distance from the violences of a prelate , who so ill understood the vertues and merits of men . and therefore quitting the diocess of toledo , he retires into that of siguenza , where he changed his prebend for a chappelleny with a small pension . here that noble affection of the best spirits and most excellent temper , the love of learning , made him withdraw from the conversation of the world , to follow his studies ; where he learnt the hebrew and chaldee languages . but though his life was retired , his reputation increased . the rayes of vertue discover the owner at distance , though he seem to lye hid in obscurity . peter gonsalve , cardinal mendoza , bishop of siguenza named ximenes his vicar general , and in a manner forced him to take the office , and with it , the care of his diocess : the same time alphonso de sylva earl of cifuentes , taken prisoner by the moors in the wars of granada , was induced , by the repute of his honesty and abilities , to constitute ximenes administrator general of all his demeans , during his imprisonment . thus fortune began to follow him , when he fled from her , and sought an employment more agreeable to the tranquillity of his spirit , than was to be found in the troubles of secular affairs . he held the world a sea , where some are wrecked , but all without exception are tossed with winds , and subject to the agitation of the waves : the object of his desires and end of his designs , being a port to secure him from the one and the other ; he made choice of a cloister , as most suitable to his purpose ; and took on him the order of st. francis , in order to the enjoyment of god and himself in prayer and contemplation . here he changed the name of alphonso into that of francis , and resigned his benefices to bernardin his youngest brother ; lest necessity that obstructs the vertues of the bravest spirits , and often proves an ill counsellor to them , should engage him in ill courses for gaining a livelihood . cap. ii. when ximenes had thus quitted the world for a cloister , the world went in search of him into the cloister ; the gravity of his manners , and holiness of his life , invited those of best quality in toledo to visit him , for receiving his directions for guidance of their souls in the way to heaven . even the ladies resorted to him for instructions to order their devotion ; some with resolution to practise them , others to satisfie their curiosity , in seeing a man to famed for sanctity . the crowds of people that flocked daily to him , interrupting him in the performance of his religious exercises , and wearying him by importunity , obliged him to quit toledo , and seck out a more retired solitude in the monastery of castanet ; so called , from a grove of chestnut-trees which in a large circumference encompassed it round , the monastery being the center . a year was scarce elapsed , but he was drawn out thence , to take on him the charge of warden of the covent of salceda , where he kept the fryars within the rules of their order , more by the example of his good life , than the commands of a superiour . but 't is the priviledge of courts to enter into cloisters , and take thence such men , whom fortune hath designed to partake of their grandieurs . isabel queen of spain calles him to court in the year . and by the advice of cardinal mendoza , archbishop of toledo , makes him her confessor . in this eminent place , he gave proofs of great vertues , without any exception , but that of intermedling with matters of state , wherein he exceeded his call , and strained beyond his charge and his frock . this perhaps , gave those of his order occasion to draw him back from court to a religious imployment , by choosing him their provincial for three years . and here he gave a most pregnant proof of the indifferency of his spirit for the affairs of court , and of the great love he bore his order , by going from court more willingly , than he had come into it , and imploying his time in visiting the religious houses under his charge . coming to gibraltar , moved with a charitable zeal for the salvation of the infidels , he designed a voyage into africk , at the peril of his life to instruct the moors there in the christian faith : but a fryar of his order , and in great esteem for piety , disswaded him ; assuring him , god had prepared him a great imployment in spain . he travelled on foot , and begged , but was such a bungler at the trade , and begged so untowardly , that he seldom carried any but an empty bagg ; which made franeis rouys his companion tell him , he must give over begging ; for that no man was more certainly born to give to all , and begg of none , than he . and had not the care of rouys stood him in more stead than his begging alms , he had made more fast-dayes , than the rules of his order required . so unfit to begg are great spirits , being naturally disposed to give , not to ask. cap. iii. fortune , which had designed him for the prime prelate of spain , took care soon after , to furnish his strong inclinations for the good of mankind ; with means competent to express his good nature in acts of benificence , answerable to the greatness of his soul. cardinal mendoza , archbishop of toledo , laboured under two maladies , the one incurable , the other dangerous , age and a feavour ; which induced him to go to guadalfayre , to take the benefit of that ayre , he drew at his birth . ferdinand and isabel , king and queen of spain , went thither to visit him ; this honour had saved the cardinals life , if death had regarded the presence of kings , who are themselves his homagers . mendoza now drawing near to his end , gave his master these three sage counsels . . to make peace with the king of france , and keep it inviolable when made . . to marry the infant john , designed successor of their crowns to joan , since the wise of alphonso king of portugal , pretendant to the kingdom of castile . . to conferr the archbishoprick of toledo , on a person of mean condition , but of great integrity , and extraordinary capacity : that these qualities were apparently eminent in the person of ximenes ; that the grandees of spain , proud enough of the titles they are born to , become intolerably insolent , by the addition of those of great dignities . these princes slighted the first advice , to the prejudice and notorious damage of christendom , which smarted for their contempt of it , as the spanish histories ingenuously confess . the third they embraced , which coming to the knowledge of ximenes , he remonstrates to them , that the dignity of the archbishoprick of toledo being the prime of the state , as well spiritual as temporal ; which gave the person invested in it , the priviledge of speaking next the king , in the council-royal ; ought to be given to the most illustrious , and ancient gentry of the kingdom . cardinal mendoza quitted his life , and the archbishoprick together , in the year . ferdinand would have preferred his natural son don alphonso , archbishop of saragosa , to this great benefice : but isabel , who had right of presentation to it , as queen of castile , preferred the vertue of ximenes , before the birth of don alphonso , and the intreaties of the king her husband : the year ensuing , they presented ximenes to succeed in this grand prelature , no less in dignity than revenue ; which amounts to two hundred thousand ducats a year . ximenes forced by express mandat from the pope , accepts it : at his first nomination he left the court , and fled on foot to a covent of his order a great way from madrid , to avoid investiture in the archbishoprick : but returning in obedience to the pope , he declared to ferdinand and isabel , that he would never consent that this rich benefice should be charged with one farthing pension , as prejudicial to the dignity and liberty , of the prime pastor of spain . now hath he just cause to meddle in affairs of the state , as being one of the most considerable members thereof : this sudden change of fortune , shook not his constancy , nor altered his setled resolutions of adhering to vertue ; yet was he as free from mean , and base actions , as from the corruptions that usually attend great fortunes ; he made it appear that no dignity could be so great , as to exceed his capacity , no grandure in the gift of fortune , to which his soul was not commensurate ; though in his plenty of fortune , and eminence of place , he continued the plainness of a religious life : piety hath brought plenty , and abundance of riches into the church ; and by the disorders of the world , the daughter hath devoured the mother ; so that there are more ecclesiasticks rich , than pious : ximenes was not of their number ; for amidst the treasure of that great revenue , he kept inviolable that poverty that exalts great personages above the height of fortune , and consists in the contempt , and sober use of these perishing enjoyments ; and , as if he had been afraid to lose the least part of it , he continued the practises of that poverty , which the rules of religion exact from its strictest votaries . the pomp of a cardinal , and attendance of the prime prelate of spain , could not keep him from retyring into a private place , from the eyes of his domestiques , to mend with his own hands , the frock he had wore among those of his order ; so that after his death , in a box , whereof in his life-time , he constantly kept the key ; there were found needles , thred , and pieces of gray cloth , of the colour of his frock , which he laid up for that use . he slept on a friers pallet , which he had hid in his chamber , where stood his bed of state ; and that his family might not perceive it , he made it his custom to go to bed , and rise alone , without attendants , and his door shut . when he was first made archbishop , he rid into the country upon an asse attended by a troop of monks of his order ; his house , his family and his table were so ordered , as not to be inconsistent with his vow of poverty ; the great revenue of the primate of spain , was imployed in works of piety , the poor receiving a moity of it for their sustenance , whom he called , the lords and proprietors of his revenues . the bishops of spain , instead of imitating the good example of his simplicity , were offended at it , and complained of him to pope alexander the sixth , who sent him a brieve , advising him to change that mean fashion of life , into a more splendid , and becoming his dignity ; telling him , it was not only convenient , but necessary to maintain with some external pomp and lustre , the dignities founded in a holy simplicity : ximenes obeys the pope , his table is better covered , his beds more sumptuous , his utensils of earth are changed into plate , and all the ornaments of prelature more splendid and magnificent : but his golden cross made him not a woodden bishop ; he continued his conferences in divinity with the priests , and his sermons to the people : and it is remarkable , he admitted no man into his family , but upon the commendations of honesty and vertue . but can it be expected , ximenes should quietly enjoy a dignity so eminent , a benefice of so vast revenue ? since 't is the course of the world , that , as roses have their prickles growing up with them ; so crosses are inseparable companions of great fortunes . the first that attacqued him , were the monks of his order , who were at court with him , and offended that he kept them in his house to the austere rules of their order , and forbad them to intermeddle with any thing but their beads , and that being lately made president of the kings council , he procured not for them the prelatures of spain ; spread ill reports of his person , and made their sermons invectives against his conduct ; turning the pulpit , which ought to be the oracle of truth , into a theatre of envy ; they rested not there , but sent for their general from rome , and armed him with calumnies against ximenes . the general , arrived in spain , and hurried with faction and insolence predominant in him ; goes to the queen , and addressing himself with little respect , accused ximenes of ignorance , of pride , and of hypocrisie : blaming the queen for permitting such a man , to fit in her council , and in the prime chair of prelature in the kingdom . isabel well assured of the integrity , and merits of ximenes , and moved at the palpable rudeness , and irregular passion of this general ; asked him if he were in his wits , and knew whom he spoke to . yes madam ( saith he ) i am so well in my wits , as to know i speak to queen isabel , who is but a heap of dust as i am ; and suddenly withdrew from the presence of the queen , more like a fury than a rational creature . but the accusations of these monks , having no other foundation , but envy , hatred and untruths , were easily dissipated by the patience of ximemes , to their shame , but his glory . thus these ambitious men , who went out of the world upon design , to return with greater advantage , attacqued his reputation : but bernardine his brother , attempted his life . ximenes when he took the habit of st. francis , resigned to him his benefices , and was soon after followed by this young man ; who too , became of the same orders ; and afterwards tracing the steps of his brothers fortune , went to court , in hope of a bishoprick : but the success not answering his designes , he imputed the cause to ximenes , and resolved to be revenged of him , for the refusal or delay of his preferment . ximenes lay sick at arcula d'henares , in latin complutum ; bernardine was in his house , and finding his brother one day in his chamber , without any attendant , threw himself on the bed where he lay , and pressing the bolster hard on his neck , endeavoured to choke him , and thinking it done , went out of the chamber : ximenes not quite dead , was helped by his servants who came in , and having acquainted them with bernardines villany , commanded them to apprehend him ; they search , and having found him hid in a cave , drag him out , and bring him to ximenes , who took no other revenge , than that he sent him bound to the monastery of torrice to learn more wi●t . having recovered his health , he spent some time in reforming the conventuals of the order of st. francis , called cordeliers ; whom he reduced under the rules of the observantins , to live without revenews , as children of providence , and upon the alms they receive . his pains , and the cordeliers oppositions and complaints in this affair , almost exceed expression . but by the end of the year . his constancy surmounted all difficulties raised by them , and afforded him opportunity to employ his thoughts , towards redress of the peoples grievances . it troubled him to see the kingdoms of castile and leon oppressed by a heavy tax called alcabala , which forced them to pay the king the tenth part of all they sold or exchanged . this imposition was first laid , towards defraying the charge of the wars of granada , against the moors ; but continued to the grievance of the people , after the war ; though ended to the great advantage of ferdinand and isabel . ximenes remonstrates to them , that god had made them pastors , not tyrants over the people ; that by the favour of heaven , they had obtained victory over the moors ; that it was an ill acknowledgement of the mercy , to continue in time of peace and triumph , that subsidy which was intended only for the maintenance of the war. his advice was taken , and the people discharged of the tax . this gained him great reputation all over spain ; so that he never entred the palace royal , but the people attended him with joyful acclamations , saying publickly , he never went to council , but for the good of the commonalty . a wise minister of state designs no less the good of the publick , than the honour of his prince . the disorders of war had banished good literature from the territories of spain ; ximenes desires ardently to see it brought back and replanted : causes a colledge to be built at arcala , and the seventh of march . 〈…〉 stone himself , endowed i● with revenu●● 〈◊〉 furnished it with regents ; which render● it one of the best academies of spain . certainly , the happiness of a kingdom , consists in the observance of the laws , which is better effected through careful education , than fear of punishment . vertuous actions are derived from good habits , acquired by practice and exercise of the wholsome rules of good education : where this is wanting , the severities of magistracy are too weak , to contain men within the limits of obedience to law ; there being nothing so difficult , as to subdue our passions , when by long custom and continuance in vice , they have got such head , as to master our reason . hence that maxim of the wise man , that prudent education added to the gifts of nature , renders men vertuous and obedient to the laws ; and that nothing is more necessary for the common-weal , than good institution and vertuous education of youth . cap. iv. ximenes had not only a real affection for learning , but a high esteem for its faithfull attendants , honesty and integrity ; though his affection to the one , and esteem for the other , terminated in religion , as the ultimate object of his best affections ; the ascendant of his soul , and lady paramount of his passions . to which he was so entirely devoted , as to take the measure of his affection and esteem for learning and honesty , from their usefulness to the advancement of religion . the zeal he had to propagate christianity , made him labour willingly , and much for the conversion of infidels . about the end of this year he attended the king and queen in their kingdom of granada , newly recovered from the moors ; to give advice , how this new conquest might be best maintained : and found time to preach so fervently to the moors , that in one day , he converted three thousand of them to the faith of christ . and the multitude of the converts , making it impossible to baptize them all in the usual form , within the compass of a day , using aspersion instead immersion , he sprinkled them all with baptismal water , and so initiated them all the same day in the christian religion . in memory whereof , that day being the th of december , was long kept festival in spain . the archbishop of granada in his harangue to the cardinal , upon the triumphs of that kingdom , amongst others hath this expression ; sir , i may say without incurring suspicion of flattery , that your victories surpass the king's ; for he gained stones , but you have gained souls to god. the greatest part of the unconverted moors followed the example of a prince of their sect , of the royal family of the kings of granada , who became christian ; and drew them with him , to the knowledge of the true religion . these new converts , by the light of truth began to discover and detest their former errors ; and of their own accord , laid at ximenes feet five thousand volumes of the alcoran , or glosses and explications of it ; all curiously bound , neatly trimmed , and exquisitely adorned with claspes and knots of silver , gold , and precious stones , which made out the esteem that people had , for the lying impostures of their prophet . many grandees of spain became suitors to ximenes , for one of those books to adorn their libraries : but he refused , and causing a great fire to be made , exposed them all to the fury of the devouring flames , except few that treated of physick , and had been found among the alcorans . taking from these new converts those objects which might renew the memory of the errors in which they had lived most part of their time . so frail , and so fickle is our nature in good actions , that our progress in the way of vertue , is like that of boats against the stream of a rapid torrent , which fall back in one hour more than they advance in a whole day : this was not enough to contain them within the bounds of their duty , some sighed for their lost liberty , others relapsed into their old superstitions , and taking up arms , resolved to force their way to both , by fire and sword . ximenes who was yet in granada , stood the shock , and bearing up bravely in a sea of troubles that surrounded him , sends an express to the king : and for better dispatch , a gentleman of quality of the same city offered him an ethiopian slave , so nimble and swift of foot , that he would travell fifty leagues a day . but the brutish sot having received the pacquet , instead of making haste , overcharged himself so with wine and victuals at the second inn he met with by the way , that he slept there till the morrow after : and he , who should have been in two dayes at sevil , where the court then was , made it five ere he arrived there . in the mean time , the king had intelligence of the revolt of the moors of granada from them , who envying the greatness of ximenes , took care to send better courriers than the ethiopian : and informed the king , that ximenes , who through a rash and undiscreet zeal , would have converted to christianity in a moment , men who were not only born and had lived , but were for the most part grown old in the profession of mahometism , had lost the realm of granada : that he was utterly incapable to manage matters of state , who proposed and made use of no other allurements , to win over his converts to submit their necks to the yoke of a new government , than the headstrong capricchio's of his violent fancy , and the rigorous austerities he had practised in a cloister . ferdinand believes them , and remembring ximenes had been introduced into court , and his conduct extolled by the queen his wife ; goes to her lodgings , and all in a flame . see now , madam , ( sayes he ) ! the triumphs of our ancestors , and our own , purchased with the blood of the nobles of spain , ruined in a moment , by the humoursome follies of your ximenes ! ximenes by this time , had intelligence from his friends of the negligence of the ethiopian , and the sense of the court ; he acknowledges his fault to entrust the sottishness of such a brute , with an affair of so great importance : and resolved for the future , never to send courriers on the like occurrences , but such as were persons of integrity and honest repute ; which he observed , making it his custom , to honour and load with presents , such whom he imployed in dispatches of consequence . to retrive this miscarriage , and remedy the present disorder of his affairs , he dispatched roiiys his companion of the order , to inform their majesties of the causes of the revolt , and the remedies he had applyed . the good estate of granada , quenched the fire of ferdinands anger and displeasure against ximenes , and drew from him letters of thanks to ximenes , for his great expence for the good of the publick , in restoring peace to granada ; and the dangers he exposed himself to , to save his cities from ruine , and the kingdom from destruction . a minister of state who labours with integrity to serve his majesty , ought by good actions and patience , to overcome the envy and calumnies of his enemies , which like thin mists are easily dissipated ; and being built on the sandy foundations of falseshood , and lyes , are soon shaken and moulder to nothing . cap. v. the watchings and labours ximenes underwent , to suppress the tumults of granada , had impaired his health into a hectick feavour ; so malignant , that the physitians could find no remedy for it . a moriseo-woman converted by him , hears of this , and sends him another woman of the same nation , to desire permission to cure his feavour ; which being granted her , within eight dayes by the use of oyntments , and some words she recited , she restored him to perfect health . this enabled him to go to toledo , to salute the princess joan , daughter and heiress of ferdinand and isabel , together with philip of austrich her husband , and son to the emperour maximilian , who were lately come to spain . and thence to visit that glorious temple of the muses , his colledge of arcala , the love of learning being inseparable from his soul : insomuch that in the year . in order to the explication and imprinting of the holy scriptures in latine , greek , hebrew and chaldee , by persons of knowledge and skill in those tongues at his charge in that city ; he bought up all the manuscript bibles he could hear of ; and caused most exact and correct impressions to be made thereof in those languages . seven hebrew copies cost him four thousand crowns ; the latine and greek manuscripts , being eight hundred years old , amounted to a greater summ : besides a vast expence for maintenance and salaries of professors of those languages , and correctors and printers for fifteen years . his design was to instruct the priests in the truths of the two testaments , and to leave the church these lights of the holy scriptures in their original purity . as if he had foreseen , that a few years after the perfection of this work , heresie would arise , by false interpretation of scripture ; to attacque the purity of christian doctrine . and therefore he provided this impression , as a well furnished armoury , to defend the church against the malice of her enemies . this great and painfull work being finished ; and the printer presenting him with the first copy of it ; with eyes and hands lift up for joy to heaven , my god , said he , i return thee immortal thanks , for granting my desires of good success to this work . then turning to his domestiques who were most familiar with him ; 't is true , said he , my friends , that god hath been pleased to crown my labours with success , in many important affairs for the good of the state ; but there is not any thing , in which ye ought to rejoyce with me more , than for the happy accomplishment of this impression and explication of the bible in the four languages . he had designed also a translation of aristotle's works , and to adorn them , suitable to the dignity of the subject . and certainly , since he thus revived good literature ; 't is but just , learning should raise him to life again ; and that the muses give immortality to his name : for he who labours for them , ought in recompence of his travels , to receive from them the auguste priviledge of never dying . much about this time , joan heiress of spain was delivered of her second son at arcala . ximenes layes hold of the opportunity , for the glory of his colledge : and by the favour of this birth , obtained for that city ( which he had made an habitation of the muses ) exemption from taxes and all manner of impositions . the inhabitants of arcala in memory of the favour , keep to this day , the cradle of that prince ; and bless the name of ximenes , who procured it . as he went out of his lodgings the same day , he met the officers of justice leading a malefactor to the gibbet ; he stops them , and grants the wretched criminal , pardon . telling them , that though it was an action beyond his authority , yet so much ought to be allowed his dignity , to hinder that day of general joy to all spain , from being capital to an inhabitant of arcala . after this , he built a colledge for maids of honest families , whom poverty kept in ignorance : and adjoyned to it a nunnery for the entertainment of such , who were inclined to bid farewell to the world ; with provision , that none should be taken into it , but such as came voluntarily ; and as for those who desired to continue secular , besides the vertuous breeding of the colledge , he gave them honourable portions , and disposed of them in marriage according to their conditions . these works of piety , and the war against the moors , were the treasury , where he laid up those riches fortune cannot destroy . cap. vi. being at medina , jerome vianelli a venetian , ●ffered him a jewell at . crowns , and pressed him much to buy it ; though the price put upon it , exceeded far the value of the stone . ximenes liked well the neat glittering and sparkling brightness of the jewel ; but i know , sayes he , to bestow the money better : for in an urgent necessity i can relieve . souldiers with crowns apiece ; his levies for the wars of africk being then afoot . the year spain had great loss by the death of queen isabel , the most illustious princess of her age ; no less eminent for acquired habits of goodness , than royal extraction ; being as worthily adorned with the crowns of vertue , as legally crowned with the diadem of spain ; a princess of knowledge , piety and generosity above the usual capacity of her sex. she who had observed in ximenes the eminence of rare conduct , attended with singular integrity , made him executor of her last will and testament : which was but a drop of that ocean of honour those qualities procured him , which rendered him so venerable in the state , that never minister was so much honoured in his life , so much desired and missed after his death . every time he came to wait on his master ferdinand , the king went out of his chamber to meet him , and at parting , brought him to the chamber-door : nor would he si● , till a seat were given ximenes . so powerful are great vertues , as to obliege even the scepters of the world to reverence them . that minister who is prudent and generous , whose designes tend only to the glory of his master , and good of the publick , deserves the surname of guardian-angel of the state , and ought to be honoured as such by every one . the death of isabel gave ximenes occasion to do ferdinand good service in spain , and to give new proofs of the greatness of his conduct : isabel who was queen of castile , had by her testament made ferdinand her husband , ( who was only king of arragon ) administrator general of the kingdom of castile : philip his son in law , husband , as was said , of the sole heiress of that kingdom , had other designes ; and by the instigation of some grandees of spain , and presuming upon the amity of france , intended to dethrone his father in law , and take possession of castile as the inheritance of his wife . he was at that time in flanders with joan , about whom ximenes had placed some persons of trust , by whom she informed him of the designes of her husband to trouble spain : and the ill usage she had from him ; for his love to the flemmish ladies had divided the husband and wife , and filled their breasts with jealousie and hatred of each other : joan writes to her father the threats of philip , to drive him out of castile , contrary to the testament of the queen her mother ; philip surprizes fernand's embassadour , with several letters about him ; and without respect to his person , caused him to be imprisoned . ximenes advertised of these threats and violences , advises the remedy , for ferdinand's service ; he knew philip had negotiations afoot in france to sollicite the aid of that court against his father in law. ximenes steps in , and prevents it , advises ferdinand to a strict alliance on that side , and to take to wife germain de foix , niece to lewis the twelfth . the marriage was accomplished , and philip surprized to see himself abandoned by them from whom he promised himself the greatest succour , was forced to a treaty of accommodation with ferdinand , and agree to him the administration of the kingdom of castile , reserving to himself the honour only of being named joyntly with ferdinand in all letters patents . this agreement quieted the affairs of spain , though not long . philip comes thither with joan his wife , visits the cities of the kingdom , and acts as sole master of it without seeing ferdinand , or permitting his wife to see him : ferdinand though his father in law longs to see philip , and follows him from place to place , but philip flees from him , till ximenes by his prudence procured an interview . philip instigated by the great ones , desirous of novelties , and envying the authority of ximenes , appeared at the enterview in the equippage of conquest and triumph , not like a son to meet his father , but marching with six thousand warriers at his heels ; ferdinand had only two hundred men of his houshold and retinue , and mounted on mules . but this flemish bravado lasted not long ; the sage advice of ximenes made it vanish ; he goes to philip at burges , shews him the injury he did himself to sow division in a state belonging to him ; that to raise warr in spain , was to assault his own house ; that ferdinand had only the administration of castile , and served only to keep it , and improve it for him ; that the counsels given him , tended to his ruine ; that don john manuel his great confident and prime man of his council , was a person interessed , and for his own advantage fomented divisions between him and his father in law ; that it concerned him in point of interest , and for his own good to remove manuel by some honourable employment ; that an embassy to rome would be very fit for the purpose . to remove from a prince a pernicious favourite , is to rid a sick man of his disease . and because this enterview is a principal piece of our story , i thought fit to give you the most remarkable particulars . philip going to meet ferdinand , had on his right hand ximenes ( who went to him at burges ) and on his left don manuel his high treasurer ; those of his court were in armour , and marched in a posture of warr ; ferdinands followers ridd on mules , as men of peace , with cloaks and swords only ; the principal courtiers having forsaken him to attend philip , verified the old observation , that courtiers adore the rising sun. ferdinand meeting the troops of his son in law , made a halt on a little rising ground to give them way : this place he chose as fittest in his judgement , ( one of the sagest of his time ) to view and contemplate the disloyalty of the court , having of purpose taken up his standing in a narrow place , where all those who had abandoned him to go to philip , must of necessity pass close by him : and of them the duke of najar first presented himself , mounted in armour on a spanish jennet , as for a day of battel ; his page carryed his lance , and one of his captains led a troop of men at arms behind him : duke , sayes ferdinand , you are ready for a combat , you alwayes carry a spice of the captain . it is , answered the duke , to serve the king our soveraign lord , and your majesty . the next that came up , was garcia de la vega lord of cnerva , who had been embassadour from ferdinand at rome , and graced with his favours in a large measure ; ferdinand , a perfect master of the art of dissimulation ( commonly called the art of reigning ) perceived by the bunching of his cloaths that he wore close armour underneath , and embracing him said , garcia , you were not so gross a few dayes ago , you are grown fat on the sudden . these embraces and courtesies , were smart reproofs , and cutting exprobrations of their ingratitude ; and ferdinand experimented in them , that if the good fortune of the court hath few sure friends , the ●ll fortune of it hath much fewer . philip upon the fight of ferdinand , would have alighted , but ferdinand spurting his male , prayed him not to dismount ; philip with hat in hand , desired ferdinands hand to kiss ; ferdinand spreads his armes and embraces him . spain is so stored with castles and fair countrey-houses , that in all that road there was not one fit for the conference of the two kings which forced them to entertain one another in an ermitage ; ximenes followed them in , and so did don manuel , philips favourite . ximenes seeing him enter , sayes to him ; don john , their majesties would be private , let 's withdraw , i will be porter , and keep the door for this time . manuel goes out somewhat displeased ; ximenes re-enters , and having shut the door , sits down with the kings : ferdinands counsels to philip were the only entertainment of the princes , which were to this effect . my son , the weight of a crown is so great , that a good king cannot bear it without help ; and the government of people requires such continual care and incessant travels , that a prince hath need of ease by persons of fidelity , and capable to manage publick affairs ; and herein the unhappiness of princes is remarkable , that they find few who mind more the honour of the state than their own profit , or study the interest of their master , more than their own private advantages . take heed therefore , my son , that you grant not to them you honour with your good will , ( commonly called favourites ) any thing to the prejudice of the people over whom god hath invested you with soverain authority , whereof you must make good use , and render him one day an account , and undergo the sentence of an exact impartial justice , and abide the severity of its judgement . think not that such men are called without cause , the leeches of the court , who hanging still at the eares of their prince , yet ungrateful to their benefactour , have by their insatiable avarice , base flattery , and monstrous ingratitude merited those names of infamy and reproach of the vices they are infected with . i had designed to have assisted you in the discharge of your office , knowing your youth unexperienced in the government of kingdoms ; but since the great ones of castile have perswaded you to the contrary , i will retire , and confine my cares to the governmens of the states , subject to the crowns god hath given me : but shall make it my prayer to god to give you the graces , and forces necessary for great kings ; and during my absence from you i leave you another father , who will be of no less use to you , than if i were with you in person , i mean my lord arch-bishop of toledo here present ; the many proofs , and evident testimonies i have had of his fidelity and experience give me cause to assure you that a king cannot be wrecked in the government of his state , where he sits at the helm . may you believe his sage advice , and gather the same fruits from his conduct as have given my name and that of queen isabel the reputation and glory of having happily governed spain ; and to the inhabitants of these kingdoms the felicity they enjoy . after this enterview , the kings parted . philip went to dinner at bimo , ferdinand at remefid , and simenes at requete , three little villages within half a league of the ermitage ; but the advantage of accommodation , was on philip's part , as feasted before dinner with the royal collation of ferdinands entertainment : for the sage advice , for the government of a kingdom , is a true aliment of prince's spirit . the affairs of castile , were at this time carried according to the passion of the high treasurer don john manuel , philips favorite ; and the revenue of the kingdom which is the blood of the people squandered away by him ; which highly displeased ximenes : it hapned one day that bertrand de salto one of the kings treasurers , who had formerly treated with ximenes about several affairs , in respect to him came to let him know , that the king by advice of don mannel had farmed out the revenue of the silks of granada for ten years at a price ; and that he had the charters in his hand ready drawn , to be delivered to the seal ; ximenes reads them , and observing that they were much to the damage of the king , tore them in pieces ; and gave the pieces to a page of his chamber , who stood behind him , which are kept to this day among the records of arcala , for a monument of the couragious liberty of this minister : then turning to the treasurer , salto , said he , were you not one of my friends , the king should cause your head to be taken off : dare you make grants so prejudicial to the state ? then going to the palace , he informed philip of this disorder , and forced him to confess , they had surprized him . this prince began to relish the excellency of ximenes counsels and fully resolved to live for the future in better correspondence with ferdinand , but was suddenly taken with a great sickness which with his life ended his troubles . ferdinand was then in his voyage for naples his new conquest ; the grandees of spain assembled in ximenes chamber to consult about the government of castile : divers opinions were hotly proposed . the constable , the admiral , and the duke of alva , advised to send speedily after king ferdinand then at sea , and to desire his return into spain to take the government upon him . the earl of benevent , the marquess of villena , and the dukes of infantado , and najar , contradicted this advice with so much passion , that they came to high words with those that proposed it . ximenes who had been all this while silent the better to discover the intention of both parties , to prevent danger to the state by this rupture , and divorce of opinions , and by amusing the passion of the four last to divert and frustrate their designs of trouble , spake as followeth ; my lords , king ferdinand hath ruled these kingdoms above forty years , 't is now high time he should govern his own ; since god hath given castile men capable to govern it ; and such as can give a good account of their actions . the assembly by common consent chose ximenes , the constable of castile , and the duke of najar , as a triumnivat to govern the state , to be guardians to the queen , and tutors to prince charles , afterwards charles the fift . ximenes informs the king of these passages ; and believing him to be then at barcelona , beseeches him to return into castile . but the courrier sound him at the isle of isbice ; and that having given italy advice of his voyage he held himself obliged to perform it . but in truth his vehement desires to see gonsalves outed from naples , being the main occasion of the voyage , would not permit him to return till he had seen it done . therefore he writ to ximenes to govern spain in the mean time with the fidelity and integrity he alwayes found in him . now ximenes resolves to sit alone at the helm ; and notwithstanding the resolutions of the aforesaid assembly is by the council-royal chosen sole guardian of the state , the queen and the infant charles : he puts himself immediately into the posture of governour of the kingdom , raises and armes regiments of horse and foot for the guards of the princes and his own : the grandees of spain astonished to see a man bred in a cloyster use force , and have recourse to armes for authorising his conduct , blamed him as a light spirited person ; but he who knew of what importance it was to awe the factious , and have forces in readiness to suppress innovations gave them leave to talk , but prosecuted his design . queen joan by the travails of child-birth , or rather ( as 't is said ) by the charmes , and inchantments with some poysonous druggs given her by a flemish lady , king philips mistress had a great weakness in her senses , and was much disordered in her rational faculty . this made her wander up and down the countries , quitting b — burgos ; and great with child taking a journey to the burrough of benferriale where she was delivered of the posthumous princess catharine afterwards marryed to the king of portugal . while she lay in , the citizens of medina took up armes , and being divided into two parties , had brought the city to the brink of destruction : the province of granada was up in armes at the same time , and the guards of the sea-coste , from guards to defend were become enemies to assault the countrey : ximenes by his prudence opposed the one , contented the other , and made all quiet again . yet he was not in quiet , for the queen after child-birth having recovered her strength , but not her senses , made him follow her through the countrey to his great inconvenience by the incommodities he underwent , in an age fitter for repose , than the fatigues of the court. this princess could not be perswaded to lodge any where but in the fields , with the whole court in tents or in the countrey villages . ximenes put her in mind how incommodious this was for her , and and what disorder she put the whole court in for want of lodgings ; she answered , a widdow ought not to go into towns , but wander in the fields , and live in villages . thus she past from one village to another , carrying with her the body of her dead husband philip embalmed , fancying she enjoyed his person by the sight of his carcase , and causing it to be laid in the parish church of every village she lodged in , with a guard to keep constant watch at the coffin , under a strict charge not to permit a woman to approach it . so jealous was she of a body without life , and incapable then to raise these passions in the beholders which he had caused in his life time , being possessed of those natural beauties , and endued with goodness so excellent , which charmed ladies affections into a passionate longing , and men into an intire love for him . this princess fool'd with the love of a lump of dead flesh , would by no means part with it till ferdinand her father returned from italy , caused it to be taken from her , and buryed privately . the journeys she made were noctural , by torch-light ; which occasioned many inconveniences by sickness amongst her retinue ; loss of her baggage and falls of those on horse-back . ximenes threw himself at her feet and begged on his knees that since she was resolved to make the court errant and itinerary , she would at least travel by day , but she wedded to her folly , answered , that a woman having lost her husband , which is her son , ought to avoid the light of the sun in the firmament , and make no journeys , but by night . the art of a skilful pilot is often of no use amidst the fury of the windes and waves : and the prudence and conduct of a minister of state are thrown away upon such soveraings as are incapable of good advice . during these extravagancies of queen joan , ferdinand returned from italy with germain de foix his new wife ; and tooke a voyage by sea , to savona , to see his wives uncle king lewis the twelfth ; while he staid in italy he obtained of pope julius the second a cardinals cap for ximenes , with the tytle of cardinal of spain ; formerly given to peter , cardinal triasio , under henry the third , and then to peter gonsalve cardinal mendoza , under ferdinand , in token of the popes especial favour . so that in the sequel of our story we shall call ximenes by the name of cardinal . together with this dignity he received that of inquisitor general of castile : for the inquisition had of long time got firm footing in spain , having been introduced by ferdinand and isabel , in the year . by reason of the mixture of moors with christians , and the superstitions of the former , deeply rooted in the heart of that kingdom . the rigour of this ecclesiastical justice struck terrour into ill christians , but was so far from making them better , that it rendred them only more subtle and refined hypocrites . cardinal mendoza was his immediate predecessour in that office , and thomas torquemata superiour of the covent of st. dominick at segovia the first that bore it . these new honours altered not the manners of ximenes ; the love of learning and advancement of vertue had still the same place in his soul , and were continued in their former station . he finished his colledge of arcala , constituted laws and made statutes for the regulation of it , filled it with able professours drawn from the famous universities of paris , salamanca , valadolid , bologina , admitting none from meaner places ; endowing it with great revenues , adorned it with a rich library , and brought it to such perfection that francis the first of france passing that way ( when the fortune of warr made him experimentally know good luck doth not alwayes attend the valorous ) and seeing this admirable colledge , said , that his university of paris was the work of many kings ; but ximenes alone had compleated a royal work : charles the fifth king of spain , and emperour being one day to hear mass in the colledge at arcala , quitted the chair , and cloth of state provided for him at the high altar , and took his place in the quire , in the ordinary seats of the priests of the colledge being for the most part publick professours ; and all of them learned men , telling them ; he would not lose the glory of sitting that day among men of so great learning , and making one of the quire with them . such are the fruits of great ministers , labours for vertue and the publick good ; future ages reverence their names ; the greatest kings of the world admire their glory , and think themselves honoured to be sometimes of the number of those who possess the offices of learning , they have founded . such is the liberal return of gratitude vertue makes to those who enlarge her kingdome . cap. vi. the spirit of ximenes was not only great and high , but comprehensive and capable of all affairs , those of warr as well as peace found it a proper receptacle to entertain them both together : the same time that his thoughts were busily taken up with impression of books founding monasteries building colledges , endowing them with revenues , and furnishing them with regents and students he had in prospect the warr of africk , formed designes and made preparations for it . when the kingdom enjoyed a secure peace , and flourished in a deep repose , and undisturbed tranquility , he levied soldiers , issued commissions , and provided moneys for the better assurance of the state. it was his maxime that the spirits of men being naturally free , cannot endure servitude and subjection ; but of force , and compelled by necessity ; and he would often say , that never prince was feared abroad , or honoured at home that had not levyed an army , and at least made all the preparatives requisite to carry on a warr. the desire of extending christianity into africk , and to free spain from the incursions and robberies of the pyrats of that countrey who were grown so bold as to enter the spanish ports to spoil and carry away the vessels of traffick engaged him in the enterprize of a warr of such consequence . there was at that time in the court of ferdinand a venetian named jerome vianelli well versed in the voyages of africk , having often sailed those seas , that he knew perfectly all the ports , and safe landing places on the coast ; this man had intelligence of ximenes design , goes to him , informs him of all the avenues of the coast , and particularly the great port of mersalcabir near oran , capable to receive a very great fleet : ximenes hearkens to him , and finding him serviceable for his designes , prayed he would see him often , and commanded his porters to admit him at all times , and give him entrance as often as he desired it . by the constant mode of courts , it hath been alwayes difficult to get entrance to great ministers of state ; which custome , as it preserves them from an infinite trouble of importunate persons ; so it deprives them of the knowledge of many persons of merit and worth , whose generosity will not permit them to begg admittance from servants , and leave to enter from grooms and porters : and 't is seldome seen that the persons imployed in these services either keep out the former , or admit the latter to their masters presence . vianelli having the priviledge of free access to ximenes , visits him often , and acquaints him with what he had seen in africk : ximenes the better to comprehend what he said , commands him not only to make a draught in paper , but to imprint in wax the figures of the places . by this representation he saw a castle scituate on a rock almost inaccessible , having a lanthorn on one of the towres , not unlike the grecian phares to serve marriners for a mark of direction how to steer their course in dark nights , to safe harbour . this castle had on one side the port of mersalcabir , and on the other , the city oran ; called by the moors guharran , which in their languge signifies a high place , and exposed to the windes . the etymology may be derived from the greek verb oran , which in that language signifies to see : the height of the scituation gives an excellent prospect . it was in ancient time a little burrough , but by frequency of commerce and traffick of merchants , was now grown to the greatness of a city , enclosing within the walls , six thousand houses , several mosques and colledges , some hospitals , and a great number of publick baths . the sea washes it on one side , the other side affords an excellent prospect over delicate gardens , and pleasant fountains , so plentifully embellishing the countrey thereabouts , that it courts the spectators to taste of its pleasures . by the draught and representations of vianelli , ximenes found it necessary in order to an attempt on africk to make himself master of mersalcabir , as the safest port for entrance . having thus projected a design for the good of religion , and liberty of spain , he proposed the execution to ferdinand , advising him to undertake the warr , as an enterprize he made appear no less profitable then glorious . ferdinand answered , that the interest of religion was so inseparable from that of his crown , that if there had been no consideration to incline him to ingage in this warr , but the sole advantage to accrew to religion , the piety of the design was motive enough to prevail with him to undertake it ; but that the vast charges he had been at , in the warrs of granada , and his great expences in italy , had emptyed his coffers , and exhausted his treasures , which are the sinnews of war ; and without which it cannot be maintained . ximenes offers him money , and promises to pay the soldiers , and victual the army for six moneths ; so great a mass of treasure had this generous prelate by frugal parsimony heaped up together from the revenues of his bishoprick : upon this offer , the warr against africk was resolved on ; a naval army prepared , and diego fernand de cordova , made captain general , who took with him several old , experienced commanders ; particularly raymond cordon vice-admiral of the fleet , and diego de vera , master of the artillery ; vianelli was a principal person amongst them , as a guide to the rest . the fleet set sail from malaga the fifth of september , and about the fifteenth arrived at mersalcabir ; the moors advertised by their spyes , were upon their guard , attending the appearance of the fleet : they discover it , and repair to the port to hinder their landing ; the conflict was sharp , and disputed hotly on both sides ; but maugre all the resistance the africans could make , the spaniards landed , and went to besiege the castle , which a●●●nds the port , ( being that we spake of before in 〈◊〉 draughts ) with a little town , well peopled , environed with the sea on all sides , except the south . the king of tremesen sent them a succour of moors and numidians to raise the siege , but they were defeated by the valour of the spaniards : those of the castle made stout defence , till an unlucky accident quailed their courage : the captain of the garrison , a man of valour and repute among his souldiers , going round the works to give orders where necessary , was struck dead upon the place , with a musquet shot out of a spanish ship. the loss of this man astonished the garrison , and brought them to a parley , and promise of surrender , if they received not a more powerful succour from tremesen in three dayes : three dayes passed , but no succour came ; they desired three dayes more , which was granted , but no succour appearing , they yielded upon terms of safety for the lives of men , women and children ; and liberty to enjoy what they could carry on their backs ; which being agreed to by the spaniards , they opened their gates . diego fernand a religious observer of his word and promises , to see the articles of the capitulation performed , stands at the gates where the moors passed out of the castle . a soldier casting his eye on an african woman in the crowd laden with the riches of fortune and nature being extreamly handsome and carrying with her the most precious of her goods , was violently hurryed by the blind passions of avarice and love to rob and ravish her ; diego forthwith seized him , and caused him immediately to be killed with push of pike . thus the spaniards became masters of the fort within fifty dayes after their leaving malaga , and sent a gally to spain , to carry ferdinand and ximenes the joyful news of their victory which was gladly received by the whole court , especially by ximenes who caused publick thanks giving to god to be continued for the victory eight dayes together . the designes of warr and of armies , depends on kings , but 't is god alone who gives the victory . the taking of the castle of mersalcabir strook such terrour into the inhabitants of oran , that many left the city and retyred to tremesen : but oran continuing for some time free from the assaults of spain they took the resolution to return ; and being on their way near the town , they met a moor of the best quality and state in oran , on his way from thence to tremisen , with a camel laden with gold upon sight whereof they were seized with such a panique fear , that they turned again for tremisen ; so powerful are riches to attract men to the place of their residence . the spaniards wanting money to carry on the warr , had other designs ; for diego fernando having picked out the best of the soldiers for the garrison of mersalcabir sent the rest back into spain , holding it vain to attack oran without greater forces . the town being almost impregnable by the strength of its scituation , arms and men. at the return of the army into spain , peter lopez h●rosio , a man of valour , and one of the captains in the warr , presented ximenes with a staff of ebony accurately turned , and curiously polished which the cadyor , judge of the fortress , used to carry as the mark of his soveraignty . ximenes for some time carryed it in his hand , but afterwards dedicated it to his academy of arcala , in memory of so important a victory , and with good reason ; for if letters give life to the brave actions of men , 't is just the trophies and monuments of those actions be consecrated to them . diego fernando was recalled into spain , received graciously by the king , and praised openly by ximenes in his masters presence from whom he had a grant by patent of the government of mersalcabir , as conquered by his valour and good conduct : the lieutenancy was given to driasio a person of great courage , whom the king sent into africk , retaining diego at court. no sooner was this lieutenant arrived at mersalcabir , but he made the moors sensible of his valour , making daily inrodes upon them , and carrying rich booties of horses , cattle , and corn from the countrey thereabouts ; so that provoked by these incursions and the miseries he reduced them to ; they resolved to destroy him , or perish themselves in the attempt ; and to that purpose laid an ambuscade for him ; driasio seeing himself in the midst of his enemies , and over-powred , his passage to the garrison stopped , resolves to dye as he had lived , a valiant man : exhorts his soldiers to sell their lives dearly to their enemies , and not cowardly give them away . they obey and follow him ; and roderich driasio with his men hewes his way through the moors , beats , defeats and routes them , leaving a notable example of his courage and strength remaining fresh in memory with the moors to this day , for pursuing with javelin in hand , a moor on horseback who fled from him , he violently darted the javelin with such force and vehemence , that at one blow it pierced through and through the body of the horse-man , the bow of the saddle , and the neck of the horse ; which hath begot a proverb among the moors , who when they curse one another in the warrs , to express their cholar in a phrase of superlative bitterness , pray the blow of the captain of mersalcabir light on them . all this was done before philips arrival into spain , and is transposed hither to preserve the past pieces of this story intire without mangling it by interruption by the recital of this . cap. vii . the same year that ferdinand returned into spain , and ximenes received the cardinals cap , the moors not tamed by the loss of mersalcabir came a cruising on the coasts of spain , took a strong town , put to the sword men women and children ; and elevated with this success at their return into africk , threatned to besiege roderich , and hew him pieces in his castle . cardinal ximenes fully resolved to continue the warr , and to expedite the prosecution , designed to go in person if ferdinand refused it , and made overtures and proposals in council to that effect . this awakened the envy of his enemies , and afforded all spain matter of discourse as various the passions of men . the great ones in council were of contrary opinions ; and said abroad that the ambition of the cardinal was immense and extravagant ; that his condition suited not with armes , but peace ; that nothing could be more abominable then for a priest , a monk , an arch-bishop , a cardinal , to breath nothing but war and blood-shed , and desire to embrew his hands in the blood of slaughtered men . that the exchange would be no less ridiculous than strange for him instead of lifting his cross , to trayle a pyke ; and laying aside his mitre to put on a helmet ; gonsalve who had gained the name of great , in the conquest of naples , was then in spain , brought thither by ferdinand , by reason of the authority his actions had acquired him , which was so great that it created jealousies and suspicions in the breast of the king against gonsalve for his valour and victories . so dangerous is the nature of the affairs of fortune , and of court ; ill service deserves punishment , and good service by the envy of the great ones , and jealousie of the master . gonsalves was then at valladolid , under an ostracism in his ow● countrey . but the name of great men cannot dye , and his hath gotten immortal glory abroad , and a singular reverence in the territories of spain . the histories of spain afford frequent instances of respect to gonsalve's from the spaniards in general , and the particular honours done him by the cardinal . but amongst others , 't is remarkable that after the warrs of granada , a prince of the blood-royal of the moors named zegri , neer kinsman to the famous king abenamar having forsaken the errours of mahomet , and by the pains of the cardinal , embraced the faith of christ ; when he came to the font , prayed his god-fathers to give him the name of gonsalve fernando zegri , telling them he desired with the spiritual grace of baptism to receive that of the name of the great captain gonsalve , whose valour he had so frequent experience of in the warrs of granada against this nation . to resume our discourse of the cardinals enemies , they were very comical in the expressions of their envy , saying at court that the great captain was busie turning over his beads at valladolid , while the cardinal was commanding armies . that gonsalves did the cardinals business , and the cardinal gonsalves . the more moderate said , that in warrs for religion the arch bishops of toledo had alwayes taken care of the armies imployed against the enemies of the faith . and that 't was no new thing to see priests on horse-back in the head of an army : others who pretended to a clearer insight into th' affairs of court , and used to comment upon the news of the time , said , it was the cardinals design to send away all the nobles of spain , into the warrs of africk , that he might govern at home without contradiction . that he could not be better fitted for punishment than to grant him his desire of being general of the army , and sending him over into africk , and so remove him from court , for then out of sight out of mind . the business of government is very painful and difficult , that great ministers besides prudence in conduct have need of a generous patience to resist the envy and calumnies of the court. ferdinand who knew the integrity of the cardinal ( better than all the world beside ) judged more equitably , heard his advice , weighed , received and embraced it , gave him thanks that for the good of religion , and service of his kingdoms , he would expose himself to the toyles and hazards of warr in an age that required nothing more than the repose and quiet of peace ; the cardinal being then seventy years old : ferdinand commands the captain of the gallies , and the admiral , to fit up the gallies and vessels of the kingdom , to be ready at malaga , or nova carthagena ▪ as the cardinal should direct . the captains of the ships , the officers of the marine , the commissaries of victuals , and of the army betake themselves every man to the duty of his charge , with great diligence and expedition to fit and make ready the vessels , men , victuals and ammunition . the great gonsalve advised the cardinal to imploy in this warr peter of navarr earl of olivarez a person of quality , valour and experience , and to make him his lieutenant general of the army : the cardinal upon his recommendation calls navarr to him ; and makes him lieutenant general . on the other side the commissaries for victuals , and those of the navy , the treasurers and paymasters of the soldiers , either guided by the cardinals enemies , or loving spain more than voyages into africk , slacken their former diligence , and to their utmost power retard the fitting of the fleet , by diverting the soldiers pay to other uses and consuming the bisket provided for the ships : the counsellors of state opposed the cardinal in his discourses of the warr , and advice for setting out the fleet , alledging the winter season was too rigorous and not yet over ; when winter was past , they said the heat of summer drew on , and would be more insupportable to the soldiers , than the assaults of the moors : the army this while mouldred away , and was like in short time to come to nothing . the cardinal had beat his drumms throughout spain , and made europe and africk ring of his design . the preparations he had made were great , and if not attended with effects suitable , would have proved the travels of the mountains that brought forth a mouse . all the world was against him , only the king had not declared himself upon the advices given him . he addressed himself to the king by a letter from carthagene , intreated him by the many travels and great labours he had endured in the administration of the affairs wherewith he had honoured him , for the interest of religion and the love of god , that he would not suffer so compleat an army , and so great preparations for warr to perish unprofitably ; that the designes of those who envyed him , tended to the diminution of his royal glory , only to make him incurr the blame of temerity ; he declared to him the facility of the enterprize , and the treasure he had provided for it , that he had of his own sufficient to pay the army three moneths : and if it should be his ill fortune to see his designes shamefully frustrated , and the army disbanded , that his majesty would be pleased to grant him leave to retire to his house at toledo , where he would endeavour by exhortations and sermons to make warr against vice in his diocess . the king who had a value for his person , and judged him necessary for spain , gave him the satisfaction he desired , slighted the counsels of his enemies , gave him order to set sail , and commanded the whole army to attend him the next spring , being the year . but though these obstacles were overcome by the courage of the cardinal , and authority of the king , there sprung up new to retard his designes and stay him at carthagene . for just as he was to put his men on board , the soldiers mutinyed , fled from their colours , and drew to the hills neer the sea : the occasion was this : the cardinal had ordered that the muster of the army should be in africk at their first landing : and to prevent the pilleries practised by the captains on their companies that every soldier should receive his pay immediately from the treasurers . peter of navar accustomed to the rapines of the warrs in italy , liked not this order , and gave notice thereof under hand to the captains , who disguising the matter , and setting it out to disadvantage before the soldiers , caused them to disband . vianelli who was of authority in the army , instead of appeasing the sedition , inflamed it ; holding close intelligence with navarr , and having resolved with him to drive on the mutiny to the last point of despair . in order to this he caused all the mutineers he he could light on to be presently hanged up ; and by colour of doing justice put those on the hills in a desperate fury : the cardinal seeing the remedy worse than the disease sends villaroel governour of castocle to command vianelli to proceed with more gentleness , and not destroy those men who were necessary for the warr they were to make . vianelli's pride made him take this in ill part , and answer , he knew better than the cardinal or him how the mutinies of soldiers were to be appeased . villaroel layes his hand on his sword , strikes , and wounds him in the head ; and retires into the citadel of carthagene , under the command of his kinsman . this delay'd the setting out of the fleet ; for vianelli being the principal guide of the voyage , it was necessary to attend his cure , as to appease the mutiny of the soldiers . to effect this the cardinal employes captain salazar campmaster of the regiment of toledo , a great warrier , eminent in soldierly eloquence and powerful in military perswasion . he goes to the soldiers , tells them the muster was to be taken aboard the gally-royal , perswades them to come to it , shews them baggs of money , crowned with green boughes carryed in their fight on the shore at some distance from the hill towards the gally : the mutineers at sight of the money haste down as hawkes to the lure . by this artifice they were imbarqued , and set sail from carthagene the th . of may with ships , ten gallyes , and a great number of smaller vessels . the army was composed of ten thousand foot , and four thousand horse . on ascension eve they came happily to anchor on the coast of africk . at their landing the cardinal was cloathed in a long vest of the habit of his order , with a cross of silver carryed before him by a cordelier of a monstrous stature , mounted on a white beast , his sword by his side , girt upon his robe . others of the older who accompanied the cardinal , were habited alike with long robes and swords . with this retinue he retires into the castle of mersalcabir , to rest and refresh himself . news was brought him that navarr had landed the foot , but left the horse on board as useless on this coast being full of hills and rocks . the cardinal goes to the port , and commands all the cavalry ashore : to this act the whole army owed their safety in several engagements with the moors wherein the cavalry sheltered the foot from ruine and defeat . the army was drawn no in four batallions , and the soldiers commanded by the cardinal to fit themselves for fight , by taking their repast before they engaged : their provision of victuals consisted most of bread , bacon and salt meats , and the cardinal dispensing with the abstinence of the day , being friday , gave them liberty to eat thereof ; and after their repast exhorted them to fight couragiously for the service of god and their king. this done , the principal officers intreated him to withdraw into the fortress , the feebleness of his age inclined him to consent , and being conducted into the castle he retyred into st. michaels chappel to fight against the moors by prayers to god being disabled by age for manual combats . the infidels discovering the approach of the army were ready for battle , and for better advantage had possessed themselves of a little hill where the army must of necessity have passed to attaque oran ; peter of navarr seeing this post taken by the enemy was in doubt what to do , and goes to the cardinal for advice , who having heard him , answered in short , fight , god will be your leader ; with this answer he returns , and sets upon the hill , where in effect he made no progress but in the loss of his men , and those , the flowre of his troops , whom the moors slew in great numbers ; cut of their heads , and sent them to oran to be carryed in triumph through the streets ; where women , and children , who seldome fight but with the dead , exprest their joy over them by songs and dances . lewis contreras captain of the slain , had but one eye , and partaking the fate of his fellow soldiers , had his head cut off , and dragg'd in the streets of oran ; some of those many old women that pretend to divination , among the moors , saw it ; and having attentively viewed its physiogmony , suddenly cryed out , an ill omen , our town is near destruction . the people insolent and senseless in such occurrences , cease not to dragg it along the streets , saying it was the head of the alfaqui of the christians , meaning the cardinal whom they knew to be general of the army , and dragged it on to the prison of the christians , made slaves at the taking of mersalcabir by diego fernandez . the fight in the mean time continued at the hill where at last the spaniards beat off the moors , and having enclosed them in the midst between the body of the army , and some troops navarr had commanded to advance , they put them almost every man to the sword , as they fled towards the city . the christians advance to the walls of oran ; sosa captain of the cardinals company , first mounts the wall ; and having planted there his masters colours , cryes out , victory ; the rest followed his example , and some of the soldiers getting into the town open the gates and give the army entrance , who put all to the sword . the mosques were filled with the blood of the moors , who retyred thither in great numbers , and the streets paved with dead bodies , ran down with the blood of the slain ; the victors killing all , without pitty of age or sex , till the miserable spectacle of a sucking child , playing with the breasts , and labouring with fingers and mouth , to get the teat of his dead mother to suck , staid their fury , and melted their relenting hearts into compassion to a creature senseless of his misery ; the poor infant smiling at the massacre of his mother . two dayes after he was sold among the captives to george baracald the cardinals secretary , and happy in the ignorance of his misfortunes was carryed into spain , where he continued without trouble for the ruine of his countrey , or grief for the massacre of his kindred . 't is some kind of happiness to the miserable , that they have been so in their cradles . the spaniards having made themselves masters of oran , navarr sent the news to the cardinal , who passed that night without sleep in chanting hymnes of praise to god for so important a victory . the day following he went aboard the gallies , and came by sea to oran , to avoid the hill that lay in the way by land. the greatest part of the army then marched to meet him , received him in triumph , and with joyful acclamations saluted him conquerour of barbary , the keyes of the town were presented to him , which he afterwards sent to the colledge of arcala , with some standards and armes of the turks . all the booty was laid at his feet ; navarr having caused it to be carefully locked up by the cardinals order ; part was disposed afterwards defraying the charge of the army ; some rare pieces of value sent to ferdinand , and the rest distributed among the captains and soldiers according to their respective valour and merit : the cardinal for his share taking that which is most acceptable to generous spirits the pleasure of giving to others . after this he caused the town to be cleansed and what might prove infectious to be carryed out , and in memory of the taking of the town sounded an hospital , and ordained in the church he built there , an annual service for the of may to perpetuity with prayers to be made for him , for which he gave thirty thousand crowns . alvarez gomez who writ more of the actions of the cardinal , then any author come into my hands observes that he held intelligence in oran before he left spain with two jews , acmat alcanixe the prime man of the town and catorre . these perswaded the townsmen to deny entrance to the succours from tremisen , sent by that king to maintain the siege , suggesting he designed by those succours to take the town for himself . and when the spaniards entred the town , those two men broke the keyes of a gate where the people might have fled and escaped the massacre . the houses of these jews were exempted from pillage , and their persons from violence , they passed afterwards into spain , and had pensions from the king , during their lives : yet the same gomez , and most of the spanish historians forbear not to say that the arrival of the army the siege , and taking of the town were all miraculous , that a cross appeared to them at their landing , that the sun stopped his course hours , adding so much length to the day , to give light to the combat . those of tremesen made the taking of oran fatal to the christians and jews trading there , puting them all to death upon the news ; while spain on the other shore celebrated the success with joy. the cardinal had sent ferdinand the news by fernand de vera , son to diego master of the artillery in this expedition , who had desired the employment for his son , but fernand being young and careless , made slow haste , sleep and play took up the best part of his time : this occasioned a soldier desirous to make advantage of the voyage to follow him privately , and knowing the softness of his temper he robbed him off his letters to the king in the first journey he made by land , and arriving at court , ere fernand was half way thither , received of the king , the gifts usually bestowed on courriers that bring such happy news . this new instance of negligence in vera , confirmed the cardinal in his resolution taken on the ethiopians miscarriage mentioned above , never to send a courrier on affairs of importance , but such as should be a person of judgement and merit , whose good address may advance the honour of the prince and reputation of his ministers . the cardinal had many crosses in the beginning , nor had he fewer in the end of this warr : for as fortune labours to obstruct vertuous actions , so envy strives to obscure their glory : peter of navarr was preferred by the cardinal to be lieutenant general of the army , and received from his hand the authority and honour he stood possessed of ; but made so ill acknowledgement of the favour that he employed them against the person of his benefactor . a soldier had killed a domestick of the cardinals , who commanded justice to be done thereupon : navarr not only opposed it , but upheld the criminal , and bespoke his general and benefactour in this arrogant language : if there be disorder and insolency among the soldiers ; the cause is from you alone : they never knew two masters in warr : had i the sole command of the army , i durst undertake in few moneths to subdue africk . return when you please into spain to attend your charge of prelate , and know that from henceforth you shall be no otherwise treated then as a private person : these are not yours , but the kings armes . i know the king gave you the charge of generalissimo , but it was only for the siege of oran : your power is determined with the siege : i will instantly cause the kings name to be proclaimed throughout the army without mention of yours , which he did the same day : to 〈…〉 offer reasons to a mad-man , is to imitate him . nor was he daunted it this insolent proclamation that destroyed his authority , and annulled his command . but some dayes after , with the generosity and gravity natural to him , he sent for navarr , gave orders , and commanded him to do what was necessary and fit to be done . navarr obeyed him , acknowledged his fault , begg'd his pardon , and was reconciled to him . the cardinal embraced him , commended him in publick , and told him he deserved worthily the name of captain : but after their arrival in spain , he set forth his humours and extravagancies to the king , and advised him not to give him the government of oran , nor any authority in the affairs of africk , that the haughtiness of his nature , rendred him unfit for such imployments , and was proper only for the command of armies , wherein he behaved himself as a man of valour and great undertaking . the cardinal had in the mean time commanded the guards of the port of africk to send him all the letters that came from spain , without any respect to their address to others ; they send him a packet directed to navarr , he opens it where he finds the kings command to navarr , that if the cardinals presence were requisite in africk , he should keep him there as long as he could , and disswade him from crossing the sea. the cardinal being of a temper ( natural to all great spirits ) melancholick and suspicious , imagined the king had written this with design to ruine him , and that supposing the strength of his aged body , much impaired by the toiles of the warr , he gave this command in hopes he would soon pine away , and end his life there . this hastened his return ; so that about the end of may , he went on board , and soon after arrived at carthagene . the first action he did after his arrival in spain , was to execute an article of his testament , whereby he appointed that in case the warr of africk brought any damage to the villages of the diocess of toledo , by reason of the great number of peasants he had imployed in the warr ; reparation should be made out of his estate , which he did himself in all places where he held it necessary . a vertuous man ought not to leave that good undone till his death , which he can perform in his life . the cardinal arrived at court continued his good counsels for the advancement of the state : he proposed to ferdinand to change the residence of the knights of saint james , from the monastery of volsan in spain , into the city of oran in africk ; and that to merit the commanderies they should serve twenty years , without parting thence , that so many years elapsed , they should succeed in the commanderies by their seniority and services . this ( said he ) will strengthen your militia in africk , and render it formidably a number of gentlemen who commonly exceed others in valour : this advice if embraced had been attended with great advantages , but the king refused it , only to reserve in himself the power to preferr whom he pleased to these commanderies . the year following in the beginning of january , the army led by the cardinal into africk , continued their progress , and advanced farther into the countrey : peter of navarr took the town of bugia , and about the end of july following , that of tripoly , but relapsing into his vice of ingratitude against the cardinal , he joyned with vianelli , who followed his passion in endeavouring to rend in pieces the cardinals name , and destroy the reputation of him who had advanced him to the prime offices of the warr. but as great men prosper by their generosity , so unthankful wretches perish by ingratitude : vianelli having abused an ensign in africk , was by him betrayed to the moors , who stabbed him in his sleep . peter of navarr soon after on change of fortune changed his party , and sideing with the french in the wars of italy , was taken and imprisoned by the spaniards , where the miserable incommodities of a prison , brought him to that height of despair , that the spaniards say he attempted his own life , and in hope to end his miseries , ended his dayes by his own hand , so tragical was the catastrophe of these two men signal for their envy , and remarkable for their enmity to the glory of the cardinal their benefactour . peter arias a valiant captain , famous for many gallant actions in the same warr of africk , hath merited eternal praises for his constant payment of the respect and acknowledgements due to the cardinal who imployed him . this recommended him to the favour of the court where he obtained the charge of general of the fleet , to the west-indies , against the savage cannibals feeding on humane flesh . there he became famous for his remarkable familiarity with death , for being taken with an incurable malady , that sensibly threatned to bring him lingeringly by degrees to his grave , and finding himself past hope of remedy , he caused a grave to be digged in a church where he went every day to hear mass , which being ended , he went to his grave , and lay along in it , celebrating in his life his own funeral . as he lay in this posture the priest with his laver sprinkled holy water over him , and chanted a libera where it needed not . this done , he rose again before death , went out of his grave , and made to his lodgings . his wife and friends imputing this action to melancholy more than vertue or devotion , endeavoured to divert him from it . but he seriously answered , i do this to accustome my self by little and little to an habitation where i must long abide . and though dead men need no accustomance to their long home , yet such was the meditation of this gallant captain arias upon death , which though a stranger to his mind in the warrs where he had it daily in his eye , he practised in peace in all its parts and circumstances . man better thinks of his end in repose and tranquility of spirit , than in the troubles of affairs , and passions that distract him . the envy that attaqued the cardinal in the beginning and progress of the warr of africk , could not hinder him from obtaining ( over and above the glory of having planted the cross there , and extended the limits of spain , to the other side of the sea ) the reputation of a captain fit to command armies , generous in enterprize , prudent in conduct , and hardy in execution . order and discipline the soul of warr , as well as other affairs of the world was wisely established , and carefully kept during his command , insomuch that the old spanish soldiers long after his death , gave this testimony of his conduct in warr , that captains and soldiers were never in greater honour and esteem , nor the musters better paid than in his time : 't is admirable that a man bred in a cloyster , having never made profession of armes , imployed to the age of seventy years in ecclesiastical functions became capable in a moment to command an army like him in former ages of whom it is observed that he went from the republick less than a soldier , became by the way an excellent captain . ministers of state endued with an excellent vivacity of spirit and solid judgement , learn by little exercise the business of a captain . the cardinal attained it so , quickly and happily that had he lived in those great republicks that triumphed over the best parts of the world , they had to his name ximenes , added the sirname of african . cap. viii . upon the first design of the warr of africk , the cardinal furnished the king with money toward the charge thereof on condition of re-imbursement , or case oran were taken , the king should grant it to the arch bishop of toledo , unless he chose rather to pay the money ; the voyage of africk being generously accomplished , and the spaniards masters of oran , the cardinal demands the money he advanced . this gave his enemies fresh occasion to attacque his reputation , and calumniated his integrity ; the grandees of spain who had designed to trouble the state after isabels death , and to take from ferdinand the administration of castile saw their designs defeated by the counsels of the cardinal , and themselves reduced to a private life in their houses with as little authority as the meanest burgesses of madrid . see here an opportunity of revenge , to out the cardinal from court , and soon after with ease to remove ferdinand from the administration : they lay hold on 't , and remonstrate to ferdinand , that the cardinals avarice was insatiable ; that there was no reason he should demand the money advanced , having made vast gains by the richest part of the booty of oran which he had reserved for himself , in recompence of his loans , that the bravest warriers having lost their blood in battel , returned with no greater felicity than that of being loaden with glory and booty ; that the more generous contented themselves with the glory , leaving the booty to the soldiers . but the cardinal who had seen no field but st. michaels chappel , nor handled other weapon than his breviary , while others with their swords in their hands , lay weltred in blood in the midst of their enemies , is not satisfied with the glory of conquest , and spoils of a city , but must empty the kings coffers on pretence of a lone , which the king was not obliged to pay . the king unwilling to drain his treasures ( as what king is willing to do it ? ) approves of these discourses . so easily do monarks believe what they desire : the kings officers spake almost to the same effect : the cardinal never daunted by the crosses and troubles of court , makes a generous defence ; alledges the services he had done in the warr , that besides the money furnished to levy the army , he had conducted them to the place , established order amongst them , prevented the frauds and pilleries of the captains at musters , which often proves the destruction of armies ( for where the soldier is not paid , he must of necessity starve or disband ) that but for him navarr had left the cavalry useless in the ships , that the combat had not been undertaken if not counselled yea commanded by him . as to the booty of oran he took only some arabick volumes for the library of alcala , where they were bestowed . that even that small parcel of the booty was not for him alone , but for the benefit of the whole kingdom of spain , for whom he had founded the colledge and library ; and therefore he prayed his majesty to pay him the money advanced , or grant the city of oran to the church of toledo , according to promise . some of the councel held this proposal reasonable and useful to the king in saving him the charge of a garrison at oran ; others had more generous sentiments , and said that fear of expence ought not to ravish the crown of spain , of so important a place , that the cardinal in offering to maintain a garrison there , acted as a king ; and the king by refusing it to save his money should act as a private person , and in derogation to his royal condition ; that honour is the true patrimony of kings , to which money ought to be subservient to preserve and increase it . that by the laws of the state , no private person can hold a place of strength upon the frontiers of the kingdom that agrede had been , heretofore taken from the earles of montacute , because it was scituate on the confines of arragon , and the village of b●z● , on the sea side , over against africk , from the arch-bishops of toledo . that in affairs of this nature , the history of spain gives no encouragement to trust priests more than men of other quality : oppo arch-bishop of toledo assisted count julian governour of granada to introduce the moors into spain , who for many ages shed the blood of the people , pulled down the altars , destroyed the temples . and in several places established the abominations of mahomet . the cardinal patiently heard these several opinions , and saw they tended all to his ruine , but had before his eyes the example of the great captain gonsalves who having conquered the kingdom of naples , and made it subject to the crown of spain , had no other recompence but that of banishment in his own countrey , as living there without office , without imployment , without any acknowledgement turning over his beads at valladolid , or sometimes at court where he was as inconsiderable ; for men , how great soever their vertues be are oftentimes in the hands of fortune and of kings , as counters in the hand of a banker , where that which now stands for a thousand presently signifies no more than one . yet reason and justice carryed the day , the cardinal had them on his side , and the king caused payment to be made him of the moneys he advanced , his vertue which before defended his authority against envy , and obloquy preserved it still and triumphed over both : and the cardinal gave his majesty thanks for altering those opinions which the envy of the grandees his enemies had once infused into his majesty against him . but this was not the only trouble that sprung from the taking of oran to the vexation of the cardinal . for among the conditions agreed on before the warr ; one was that the church of oran should depend on that of toledo in the quality of an abby to which the arch-bishop of toledo , and not the king of spain should present lewis william a cordelier obtains a grant thereof by bull from the pope with the title of a bishoprick , which he assumed , but was hindred by the cardinal from taking possession ; this man who leaving his cloyster , proposed to himself the glory of appearing in the world with the mytre and revenue of a bishop , frames a process in the council , exclaims in the court , complains of the cardinal , protests against his violence , and proclaims to all the world , that by the force of his great authority he had ravished a bishoprick from him . the cardinal to stop the mouth of this impudent monk , who cared not what he said , thought it prudence to propose a fair accommodation , makes him understand the right accrued to the arch-bishoprick of toledo , over the church of oran , that he was obliged to maintain and consecrate it to the dignity of the arch-bishoprick in memory of the warr of africk , not out of any covetous designs to draw profit thence to enhance his revenues , nor ambition to joyn it to the cross of the arch-bishoprick , offers it to him with the title of abbot of oran , and a seat in the quire of the great church of toledo , with the dignity and revenue of a canon , besides the dignity and revenue of abbot of oran ; nothing but a bishoprick could satisfie the cordelier ; he refuses the offer , the cardinals enemies bear him in hand , he should overthrow the cardinal , and obtain sentence from the king against him , he believes them and continues obstinate . ferdinand dying soon after , the cardinal receives the intire government of spain , slights the cordelier , who continued , as before , a monk ; and it may be , an ill one . francis rouys bishop of ciudad roderigos , the cardinals companion in the order of st. francis , followed his fortune , and had negotiated for him at court in several affairs of importance : he not content with his bishoprick , his cross seemed too small , and his revenue far short of his desires ; he presses the cardinal to procure him the bishoprick of avilas then vacant : the cardinal answers , if my advice might prevail with you , you would value your repose above dignity and revenues . you live happily in the condition you are in : let me perswade you to keep you so , and not seek troubles , and inquietudes elsewhere . the time of our acquaintance cannot but have furnished you with clear experience by your knowledge of my affairs , how many cares and troubles are hid under the fair appearances of great offices , and eminent dignities . nevertheless to satisfie the desires of his person who was knowing and vertuous , he made him bishop of avila , though he was ever averse from bringing his friends into offices which might break their repose , or endanger their consciences , and very loath to draw out of monasteries to the great dignities of the church , those men who were consecrated to god in the tranquility of holy solitude . to draw a good fryer from the cloyster , when he loves his profession , is to take fish out of water , which is his proper element . the cardinal had laboured with great care and vigilance in peace and warr for the state of spain , and now pressed with age , which sliding away like the current of a rapid stream , brings a man to his end sooner than he is aware of , casts his thoughts towards the advancement of his house ; marries one of his brothers to great advantage into one of the noble families of spain , where vertue the mother of nobility was as eminent as the blood illustrious ; he made it a condition in the marriage , his brother should not come to court , where vanity and luxury ( whose vassals are the basest of slaves ) bear a soveraign sway , introducing into their dominions all sorts of corruptions . he enjoyned him to reside in the place of his nativity to live nobly there in a vertuous tranquility . some years after he marryed joan cisnere his niece to peter gonsales mendoza nephew of diego mendoza duke of infantado , a name and family of the first rank of the nobility of spain , he gave him for portion the marquisat of val suilian : the marryed couple were both in their minority , which soon after served the cardinal for a pretence to annul the marriage , though really the true cause of the rupture was the cheat and deceit of mendoza's kindred , who thinking that having given the cardinal a man of their name and family , they had sufficiently obliged him to provide him a fortune , performed not the promises they had made in behalf of their kinsman in point of estate . for his mother in confidence the cardinal would provide enough for peter , left by her will , her whole estate to roderick gonsales her younger son , but the cardinal who loved solid honour , scorned to be baffled , and broke the marriage , maugre all the opposition of the duke of infantado : yet afterwards he marryed her into the same family to alfonso mendoza , son and heir to bernardo mendoza earl of clung : such was the care he had of his kindred . nor is it forbidden that a minister of state should impart to this kindred the fortune he possesses , if done with moderation , and that by his alliance he cover not , nor uphold the violences of others . this natural affection is an evidence of his goodness , and sets of the glory of his actions with greater advantage . the naval army soon after sent for the conquest of africk , had not the good success of that led by the cardinal . don garija son to the duke of alva , commanded it , and had the misfortune to see it defeated by the turks and moors at gerbes : ferdinand designes to set out another fleet , and the rendezvous to be at cadiz , but would not resolve till advice with the cardiin this as other matters , a courrier is dispatched to him at toledo to command his attendance at sevil : the cardinal set out , and drawing neer to guadalquana expresses a desire to lodge in the inn of saja vedra and sends his harbingers to take it up , the harbingers find it marked for gonsalve the great captain , and advise the cardinal accordingly , take another ( sayes the cardinal and leave that to him who deserves all manner of honour . so propense was the cardinal on all occasions to honour persons of eminent vertues : great men naturally love those that resemble themselves when the concurrence of offices or jealousie of dignities do not intetpose . when the cardinal drew neer to sevil , the king with all the court went four leagues to meet him ; the cardinals enemies being part of the retinue , and thus forced to honour him , they envyed and hated . the king at their meeting alighted and reverenced that head whence issued those counsels that gave happiness to spain . this honour wrought two different effects , of humility in the cardinal and rage in his enemies . at sevil a vessel arrived from the indies , brought the king and cardinal advice that the spaniards in the west indies abusing the advantages they had received from god above the people of that countrey , tyrannized over those new subjects of god and the king , and sacrificed the lives of the indians to their avarice , murdering them first , and then robbing them of the gold amassed in their grounds , and laying all desolate , without pi●ty , without mercy , without justice . the cardinal advised his master to send thither some men under the rules of religion , who dead to the world , and wholy dis-interessed from secular concerns might oppose their charity to the violence of the governours . the advice was embraced ; many men of his order , embarqued for the voyage ; and among them three of the cardinals companions , whereof francis rouys was one ; but the ayre of india , not agreeing with his constitution , forced him to return to madrid , six moneths after his departure : at his arrival he presented king ferdinand with a box full of idols worshipped by the indians , and a wedge of gold weighed above a thousand ducats which doubtless had been an idol to which they who tormen●ed the indians paid their devotions . at sevil proposal was made for raising another army to recover the honour lost by the defeat of the former , some preparations were made , but the affairs of pope julius the second put a stop to the proceedings . this prelate who troubled all europe sent his nuncio into spain to desire aide from ferdinand against the council of pisa , ( where the cardials had chosen another pope ) and to demand vengeance against bernardine cardinal caruajale a spaniard whom he had struck out of the catalogue of cardinals as author of that council , and prayed the king to devest him of the bishoprick of siguenza which he held in spain : ferdinand to please the pope , took the bishoprick from bernardine , and gave it frederick of portugal ; but the storm being over , bernardine was afterwards restored to the bishoprick , that he might end his life with some kind of dignity : in the affair of julius the second the generosity of the cardinal in acknowledging the fauours of those who had obliged him was remarkable : he writ to this pope who had sent him the cardinals cap , that he would return him to rome four hundred thousand crowns when he pleased , that he would levy an army at his own charge if the pope needed it , and would in person lead them into italy against his enemies . the fruit of a good office is never lost , where it is sown in a generous spirit . cap. ix . soon after the affairs of africk put on a better face , the kings of tremesen and tunis sent their embassadours with presents to ferdinand to treat of peace , which was concluded , and free commerce established between the moors and spaniards of oran : this peace with africk pleased the cardinal exceedingly , who having been the first author of the warr of africk , rejoyced beyond measure , to see the fruits of his lab●urs in a happy peace . the affairs of europe rann a course quite contrary ; julius the second increased the trouble , he makes a league with ferdinand and the venetian against the french ; and he who ought to have been the father of christians , laboured nothing more than to set his children by the eares : ferdinand to prepare himself for this league , sent for the cardinal to burgos to advise with him ; the cardinal came thither , and for his lodging they had marked the count of salines house , where prince ferdinand brother of charles afterwards sirnamed the fifth was lodged : the king his grand father commanded him to remove , but the cardinal would not by any means accept of that lodging , and when the king would have forced him by absolute and express commands to that purpose , be excused himself saying , the countess of salines with her ladies were lodged there , and that by the institution of his order , he was prohibited to lodge with women , which he religiously observed both at court , and in his journeys : the day following the cardinal walked with prince ferdinand into the palace gardens : the king spies them from his window , and calling to the prince , bespeaks him aloud in these words , son , you are in very good company , and if you take my advice , will never part from it . knowing he was with a man who could make princes such as they ought to be wise , religious , and generous : from the garden the cardinal attended the young prince to the palace where he took leave of him to retyre to his lodgings , the prince offered to bear him company , the king coming upon them in the complement advised him to it , but the cardinal thanked for the honour and obtained permission to go alone . the resolutions taken in the assembly at burgos by the advice of the cardinal were , that the king should not hasten the warr , but choose any way rather than that of armes to bring affairs to a solid peace : but this advice was soon changed : the cardinal receives advertisement of a secret league between the kings of france and navarr , thereupon he prepares for warr , advises his master to it : and presseth him to hasten the raising of an army : the discovery of the league was thus : the king of navarr was passionately in love with a lady of the court , whose beauties had charmed his reason ; this love by the prerogatives of the crown which few women know how to deny , was come to enjoyment . a secretary of state , and prime confident of this prince took part in this affair of love , as if it had been a matter of state , visits the lady , declares his affection , beggs her savour ; she who had as great need of this mans pen as the liberality of the king , grants his desire ; the king surprizes them together , and stabbs the secretary : for kings can no more admit partakers of their loves , than of their scepters : a priest of pampelune called to confess the dying secretary , having cleared his conscience , ransacked his pockets ; there among other things he finds this secret treaty , which he gave or sold to the spanish embassadour resident in the court of navarr : they sent it to the cardinal ; the tenour of the league was that the king of navarr should refuse ferdinand passage through his countreys when he marched in the aide of julius the second . that he should enter spain with an army when required by france . that for this , restitution should be made him by france of his patrimony , than in the poss●ssion of the duke of nemours , father of germain then queen of spain , and of all the rites and possessions of the house of albret detained by france . that he should receive from france an annual pension suitable to his royal dignity . that france should by negotiation or armes procure restitution to be made him of that part of the estate of queen catherine his wife about burgos then detained from him : the cardinal having read those conditions , levyed an army and carryed things to that point , that the spaniards attribute to him the warr of navarr , as the author of it , though in truth the violence of julius the second , and ferdinands ambition caused that warr memorable in history for the blood shed therein , which hath afforded us this observation , that warr is a bloody burying place or caemitere of mankind . the year . being the next after the trouble of navarr , carryed julius the second , out of the world to prevent his spreading of further mischiefs : soon after , ferdinand fell sick of the malady whereof he dyed : this affected him with extraordinary sadness . to make him merry the whole court turned revellers : the ladies endeavoured to please him by their divertisements of balls and dances ; the gentlemen by justs and turnaments . alfonso mendoza husband of the cardinal niece was of the party and expended seven thousand crowns to fit himself for the solemnity a great expence in those times ; this was to be paid out of the cardinals purse who used to reject and disallow all vain expences , but paid this cheerfully , telling those who spoke to him of it , that these turnaments were the remedy for recovery of the kings health which he should buy very cheap since his nephew had expended no more . so willing was he to part with his estate for the good of his prince or relief of the people . 't was at this time he made provision against that publick exigency to which spain is often reduced for want of corn : at toledo , arcala and torrelaguce , he built publick granaries , and filled them with corn. the senate of toledo , in acknowledgement of the benefit , hath consecrated the memory thereof to perpetuity , by an inscription engraven in the midst of the palace ; and the people preserves the memory of it by a marble table , which to this day shews the character of his liberality in the great market of the city ; and yearly on the fifth of october , they celebrate their grateful acknowledgements in an harangue made of the vertues and merits of this great man. soon after he erected a magnificent monastery and church at torrelagave for the perpetual celebration of his praises , whose bounty raised him to the height of his fortunes : he adorned the church with sacred vessels , and vestments , and furnished it with all necessaries for the service of god , and ornament of religious worship . for the convenience of this holy place and the publick , he clave rocks , and boared through mountains to make aqueducts for conveyance of water thither from a spring at great distance from the church ; the aqueducts were arched and wide , and cost him by the computation of the spaniards , no less than a million of gold , this place to this day testifies the generosity of this cardinal in his affections to the publick ; for great edifices without flattery , report to posterity the grandeur of the builders . but though he built of his own for the publick good , yet would he not permit others to be magnificent at the spaniards charges . pope leo the tenth , who succeeded julius the second , had a design at this time to build at rome , a temple to st. peter , suitable to the dignity of the first church of christendome ; and because the charge of such a building amounted to vast summs of money , he sent his bulls into spain , to demand contribution from the spaniards . king ferdinand consented , but the cardinal being a severe man , and inclined to ease the people , though he commended the popes design , approved not his exacting money by his bulls , but with all his power hindered the execution thereof ; and with a generous liberty writ his thoughts thereupon to rome , and told them his mind . ferdinand approached the end of his reign , and his life , by the malady before mentioned , which handled him so rudely at burgos , that he left that place , imputing to the ayre the cause of that distemper he carryed within him . when he came to arand , he sent for the cardinal , who set out to attend him , and drawing neer to the court , the king went in his litter to meet him , to the astonishment of all that were about him , his disease having so weakened him that he could hardly stand , and in a few dayes after was laid on his death-bed . the cardinal was very desirous to wait on his master to the last moment of his dayes , but thought fit to withdraw , to avoid the suspicion his attendance might occasion , if he were appointed governour of the kingdom , which would be attributed more to the ambition of the cardinal , than the judgement of the king or the advice of his council . this was the reason of his retiring to arcala d' henares , while god disposed of this prince according to the decree of his will. ferdinand in the mean time felt himself dying , yet could not believe he should dye of this sickness . the holy women of avila had deluded his reason by her pretended prediction , that he should out-live the violence of his distemper : he was so possest with conceit of the truth of her assertions , that he rejected and put off matreuse the cordelier his confessor who came to dispose his conscience to part with this world , and appear before him who judges kings without respect to their crowns , and said , that man came to see him , not out of zeal , of piety or devotion , but ambition , and in hopes to obtain some gift . prince charles his young son , sent dean adrian of vtretcht to visit him in his sickness , but he could not get audience ; and when the secretaries of state , moved in his behalf , and were urgent with the king to admit him to his presence , he refused answering them in spanish , what comes he for , it may be to see whether i am dead or not . however he admitted him afterwards , and received the complement of charles : the great ones of the world can hardly part with it , nor is there any place men are more loath to leave , than a throne : but death is as inexorable as necessary ; she respects not scepters , nor fears crowns . the physitians , and principal councellors of state advertise ferdinand , he was arrived at the last hour of his life , that he had but a short time left to think of the affairs of his conscience and kingdom this made him resolved to admit his confessor and believe , the saint of avila had not received from heaven the advice she gave in the affairs of his kingdom : he told them that by his secret testament made at burgos , he had ordered ferdinand his younger son , brother of charles to be governour of spain , and appropriated to him as a peculiar legacy the grand master-shipps of the three principal orders of spain , those of st. james , calatrave and alcantara . the councellors remonstrate to him the injury he did the crown in the alienation of those three orders which himself had judged necessary to be kept alwayes annexed to it : that he gave them to a prince who might when he pleased make use of them against the crown , that the best and surest inheritance he could leave ferdinand was the love and good will of his brother charles . that it was dangerous to leave the government of spain in the hands of ferdinand whose youth made him sussceptible of ill impressions from the great ones to the ruine of the state : upon these remonstrances he altered his resolutions and appointed charles governour during the life of the queen his mother , sole heiress of that kingdom . but in the absence of charles , there wanted an administrator to manage the publick affairs , with prudence , integrity and generosity : laurence galinda caravegal , one of the counsellors proposed the cardinal as eminently endued with all these qualities . ferdinand turns his head , and answers , know you not the severity of ximenes his spirit , no wayes fit to treat with men ? thus did he reject him whose conduct he admired , whose person he honoured going to meet him every time he came to do him service , such was the inconstancy of this great king. but there was some ( though a very light ) cause for this disdain of ferdinand against the cardinal . the king wanted a great summ of money , and would have borrowed it of the cardinal , but he refused to lend it , telling him boldly , the moneys arising from his ecclesiastical revenues , were neither his , nor his majesties , but belonged to the poor of the arch-bishoprick of toledo , whose necessities could not give way to the loan he proposed : nevertheless the cardinals merit prevailed more with ferdinand than the memory of this refusal : having mused awhile ; his mind altered , and he tells the councellors , were it possible to frame a person of purpose fitted with vertues proper for the government of my kingdoms , he could not be more capable than the cardinal to discharge it , if we could mitigate the excessive severity of his nature , and temper it with some sweetness of disposition : he hath to this time acknowledged queen isabels favours and mine , and will certainly retain a grateful memory of them for the future : with that , he declared him administrator general of spain , and presently after breathed his last . this change of the testament at burgos alarm'd the governours of prince ferdinand , they perswaded him to take on him the government of the kingdom , and dispatch patents in his name to the councellors of state , requiring their attendance to advise him in the government . one of them upon receipt of his letters made answer , we will go to the prince to pay him our respects but we know no king but caesar : which allusion to that piece of holy scripture proved prophetical ; charles then king , being afterwards emperour . the cardinal in the mean time enters on the government of spain , where he was so absolute that having long since the purpose of the church , he wanted only that of a monarch , and the name of a king , he held the government two years , which he managed with prudence , integrity , and magnanimity inseparable from his actions : he bore up couragiously against the disturbers of the publick peace , and wisely appeased the troubles of spain , checked and suppressed the boldness of the great ones ; and plucked out of their hands the estates of the meaner sort , ravished from them by violence and injustice : insomuch that spain did then acknowledge , and confesses to this day , she never enjoyed so perfect repose , so secure a peace , as under the conduct of the cardinal ; who made it appear that the happiness of the people is so far from being inconsistent with the glory of administration , that the direct way for a minister of state to acquire glory and honour is , by imploying his cares with prudence and generosity to procure and promote the good of the people . cap. x. the first action he did after opening king ferdinand's testament , which declared him regent of spain , was , the taking of prince ferdinand into his care . and having given him a retinue befitting his birth , he kept him alwayes neer him , to prevent the great ones of spain , from drawing him to their party , and making him their head , to follow the motion of the members , and to be at the discretion of his pretended vassals . after this he took order for performance of the honours due to queen germaine , and the maintenance of her family , suitable to her dignity . the crosses that rendred his conduct more illustrious , attacqued him early : adrian of vtrecht , dean of lorain , was sent by charles into spain in ferdinand's sickness , with patents for the government of spain , in case ferdinand dyed : after his death , adrian declared his charge , published his patents in full council ; and would have taken upon him the soveraign administration of affairs . the cardinal opposed it , and remonstrates , that by the testament of queen isabel , king ferdinand was made regent of the kingdom , untill charles should have attained the age of twenty years , that , ferdinand being dead before that time , he was by his testament to succeed in his room . and therefore the regency belonged to him alone . moreover , that by the laws of the kingdom it was prohibited that a stranger should govern the state ; and that adrian , being a fleming , his birth excluded him from what he pretended to . this contest had abettors and maintainers on both parts : the cardinal had the good patriots on his side ; and adrian was upheld by the ambitious grandees , who desired nothing more than trouble to gain by , charles who was in flanders must determine the difference : but while his judgement was expected , the cardinal and adrian governed joyntly , and both signed all orders and commands ; though adrian was but the shadow to follow the motions of the cardinal as the substance acting in the publick affairs . the first that by armes disturbed the publick peace was peter porto carrero , brother to the duke of ascalon , whose successours , are , at this day , marquesses of villa-nova . this man , of great power among the portuguese beyond the river guadiana , stirred up the people on that side the river to take up arms , and set all in confusion throughout that province : his design was to possess himself , by force , of the great mastership of st. james , which the great gonsalve pretended to ; and attended so long , till death put an end to his pretensions , his hopes , his life , and his displeasures : porto carrero had obtained the pope's bulls to succeed ferdinand , in case he survived him . on the other side , prince charles who was in flanders had the pope's bulls for the three great commanderies of spain : the cardinal upon the first news of carrero's arming , without more ado , sent towards him some troops of his men at armes , under the conduct of ville fanno who restored peace to the province , and beat the feeble mutineer , into more wisdom for the future : the best remedy for troubles raised by particular persons , is the publick force . this first cloud thus dissipated , the cardinal brought the court and council to madrid , as a place where the liberty of the regency would be more absolute against the grandees of spain . a courrier arrives there from charles with letters to queen germaine , the council , and grandees ; containing his promise of coming into spain the next summer ; with order to all that owed him obedience , to pay it in the mean time intirely to the cardinal . these letters came attended with private instructions to adrian to found their opinions of the new title of king of spain , which he had assumed on the death of ferdinand , adrian speaks of it to the cardinal and council ; they wonder at the novelty , and answer , that by ferdinand's death , charles had acquired nothing in spain ; that the queen his mother lived there sole heiress of the kingdoms . in their letters to charles , they remonstrate that his assuming the quality of king , might cause trouble in the state , by furnishing seditious spirits with a pretence to take up arms ; and declare , that it was not just to suffer the usurpation of the royalty , during the life of their natural queen . charles answered , that having taken upon him the quality of king at the request of the pope , and by advice of the emperour ; it would not become him to quit it , but would be of prejudice to his authority , and derogatory to his honour . he writes to the cardinal to imploy his credit to procure him the continuance of the name of king , and to proclaim him king throughout spain . the cardinal sitts about it , and plyes it closely ; called an assembly of the notable persons of the realm composed of prelats , grandees of spain , and counsellors of state , and causes overtures to be made , and the affair proposed to them by laurence galiud counsellor of state , his confident , a man of great learning and eloquence . who declared to the assembly the pittiful condition , and miserable estate of queen joan now besides her self , and uncapable to govern ; shews them the necessity of having a prince , who might , at least in name , fill up what she could not indeed possess : that authority was the soul of the kingdom ; and since it could not be found in the person of joan , they must seek it in that of charles : that it was no new thing for the infantes of spain to bear the title of kings in their parents life-time . he cited presidents in the reign of the goths and their successours . in the close of his discourse , he drew out of his bosome the prince's letters , not demanding advice , but commanding obedience ; and concluded it better , by unanimous consent to gratifie him in his desires , with congratulation to him for the title he had assumed , than to refuse him that he had already taken , and was resolved to keep . the bishops , and councellours of state , were of his opinion : the grandees , of the contrary . henry almirante , and frederick d' alva , swore before the assembly , they would never endure such an usurpation . the cardinal turns to them , and with a face and voice full of severity sayes , king charles has no need of your votes for the quality he assumes ; nor did i assemble you , to desire them : but of my free inclinations for your good to give you this occasion by the freeness of your suffrages and cheerful consent , to merit the good-will and favour of our prince . but since you conceive that to be due to you of right , which was done you of courtesie ; i 'le make you know , you are not so necessary in this business as you mistake your selves to be . and going out of the council he sent for the governour of madrid , and commanded him to cause charles of austria , to be proclaimed king of castile by sound of trumpet in every street of the town ; which was solemnly done the same day . toledo followed the example of madrid , and joyfully made the like proclamation : such was the fruit of the cardinals severity , that the grandees durst not attempt any thing to hinder it . where a minister of state sees , discourse and perswasions too feeble to prevail , he must use severity and force to back his authority . the kingdom of arragon , followed not the example of castile . alfonso of arragon , bishop of saragosa , was governour there by the testament of ferdinand . the arragonois , wonderful jealous of the laws of their state , refused to give charles the title of king , during his mothers life : and , to second the refusal with violence , peter gironne , eldest son of the earl of vrenne , takes up armes , attacques the dutchy of medina , sedonia pretending a right to 't ; and besieges luzerre on the sea side . the cardinal sends against him a light army under the conduct of anthony fonseca , and with him a minister of justice to punish the rebells with the axe and rope ; fonseca goes directly to luzerre , raiseth the siege , and puts the rebells to flight ; who not long after came from those parts to increase the troubles raised by the duke of infantade on his side : who keeping in mind the offence given by the cardinal , by breaking off ( as he said ) the marriage between his niece , and the duke's nephew , exclaimed against him in words and writing ; publishing in his manifestoes , that the nobility of spain were oppressed by the cardinal ( whom he called an unfrock'd monk ) ; that the grandees of spain had ever defended the crown ; that it was more reasonable the cardinal should obey them as protectors of the state , than that they should submit to the cardinal , who had nothing worthy the taking notice of , but the quality he owed to the gift of blind fortune ; and knew no more than the severities and humoursome vagaries the monks practise in their cloysters , when they persecute one another . the cardinal who was excellently judicious slighted these rodomantadoes , knowing that choler without force , is a wind that makes a noise but cann●● 〈◊〉 . that the grandees of spain , spend their revenues on their vanity and luxury , to the last farthing ; having nothing left but noise and exclamations , the feeble support of their huffing and pride ; when he could pay an army with the revenue of his benefices . and leaving them thus to champ on the bit , he gave them leisure to acknowledge their fault and feebleness , and by the experience of his powerful authority to come to themselves , and return to their duty ; which most of them did , and among others the duke of infantade , who , after so many sallies , and freaks , sent him letters of submission and testimonials of his affection and obedience . for they saw this man intirely fix'd and resolute in his designs ; when just then he had rendred himself capable to command armies , learning daily the theory and practick of the art of warr , entertaining himself with discourses of all points thereof , amongst the sagest and most ancient captains . besides , he had a standing army of thirty thousand men , raised out of the cities and burroughs of spain , who had no other pay than franchises and immunities ; these forces made him formidable to his personal enemies , and to the disturbers of the publick peace . as wings carry the eagle to the glory of combat ; so armies , the wings of royal authority , carry it against the enemies of the state , to their ruine and confusion , but to its own certain victory and triumph . the next year being . the cardinal sent to charles in flanders , diego lopez ajala , a person in whom he reposed much confidence , to procure letters patents to confirm ferdinands testament , which gave him the regency ; to approve his conduct ; and to give him full authority over the council , the tribunals of justice , the governours of towns , and the receivers and treasurers of the finances . diego had in his instructions , to let the king know , that the grant of these things by letters missive to the council , was not sufficient . this he did to take away all pretence from the grandees for stirring the people against him , on colour that his actions were not approved of by the prince . for upon his setting a foot thirty thousand men of the militia of the towns and cities which received immunities only , for pay ; the great ones of spain gave out that these violent courses tended to the subversion of the state that he armed the people against them , and with design first to destroy them , and then to ruine the people ; that his irregular ambition , and exorbitant pride had transported him into a fantastick extravagancy of acting the captain , who had never handled any arms but a breviary ; nor worn any armour but a frock . insomuch that when he sent japie of segonia to make levies of the militia at valladolid , the inhabitants , instigated by henry almirant and others , ran to their arms , imprisoned japie , fortified the town ; and rolling the cannons to the ramparts , cryed openly in the streets , this is against ximenes the tyrant of the people . the like fury was practised in the towns neer valladolid ; and passing forward , like fire in a forest , drew the cities of leon , burgos , and many more , into the like revolt . the cardinal was of opinion that violent remedies would heighten the disease , and inflame the more ; and inclined to reduce the mutineers to their duty by the wayes of sweetness and gentleness . hence it was , that he writ to them of valladolid that had begun the disorder , that he never intended to infringe their priviledges , or violate their immunities : but that , if they had any to exempt them from the levies of the militia , they ought to make them known to the council ; where he would protect them to the utmost of his power . but reason and gentleness are sometimes encouragements to greater insolences in the people : they of valladolid sent the cardinal an arrogant answer , that they had nothing to do with him , nor the council , for the preservation of their priviledges ; but knew well enough how to maintain them by their armes against his manifest tyranny ; and yet doubtless this was the language of the great ones in the mouth of the people . they send into flanders a solemn embassy to charles against the cardinal , to represent the peril he put the state of spain in . the cardinal , whose prudence and courage crowned all his enterprizes with good success , sent also into flanders ; and by the negotiation of his diego lopez , a man of judgement and dexterity , prepossessed charles and made it appear to him , that the revolts in spain were effects of the envy and malice of the great ones . moreover , he ordered him to press for the confirmation he desired , and to declare that if it were not sent him , he would quit the management of affairs , and go to toledo to enjoy there that repose which is not to be found at court. the business of the militia was for some time interrupted and laid aside , till these seditious were banished spain . but ( as the institution thereof by the cardinal was upon grounds of prudence , and very necessary to the kingdom ) philip the second , a judicious prince , re-established it in the year . long after the decease of ximenes . the training of the people to warr , is the fortifying of the state. and the prudent counsels of a minister of state , who designs the good of the publick , are durable ; and time , the father of truth , dissipating the factions and fictions of those that envy him , give them the glorious advantage to serve after his death , for the rule of good conduct . cap. xi . the affairs of the marine , claimed no less share in the cares of the cardinal , than the other affairs of spain . the death of ferdinand , the malady of queen joan , the absence and immaturity of charles had made way for disorders to creep in , to their ruine . the cardinal re-establishes at sevil the ancient methods for regulating the maritine affairs , re-fitts the number of men of warr necessary for defence of the coast ; and chasing pyrats , manns and furnishes them with cannon , powder , bullets , and victuals . diego columbo the admiral , son of the great christopher columbo who filled the new world with the reputation of spain , and spain with the treasures of the new world , addresses himself to the cardinal as regent of the kingdom ; beseeching him to extend his compassion and justice to the isles of the ocean depending on the crown of spain , where the merciless spaniards treated the natives ill , committing inhuman cruelties and using them worse than mules or asses , forcing them to carry burdens , and to undergo labours and toyler intolerable ; that these poor islanders were men , and carryed in their faces the image of god as well as the spaniards ; that if they were duller and more ignorant than the spaniards , they were also better and more innocent than they . the cardinal sent thither judges of known integrity and sufficiency to end the differences which avarice and fury had sown in the islands , and in order to the relief of the islanders , of whom some were killed daily by the spaniards in their sugar-works , sent dispatches to charles on that subject , desiring him to do therein as he thought fit . charles , by advice of the flemings , and without the privity of the cardinal , commanded moors brought from the land of negroes into portugal , to be sent into the islands to labour in the sugar-works , and ease the islanders , who were naturally weak and feeble . the cardinal , advertised of this order , dispatched a courrier to charles to put him in mind of the inconveniencies might ensue upon the introduction of these negroes who were a strong and warlike people , and would questionless teach the islanders the use of armes , and the art of warr , which would one day cause a notable revolt . charles communicates to his council the advices of the cardinal ; the flemings divert him from following them ; and perswade him , this advice proceeded from the cardinals ambition because he was not consulted with in the affair : but in . ( years after the cardinals death ) charles felt to his cost the peril the islands were in , occasioned by the flighting of that counsel ; for the moors , taking up arms at the isle of st. domingo , attacqued the town of that name , and had put all to fire and sword , if not prevented by the valour of melchior castre , and francis d' avila , who forced them to retreat and flee to the mountains ; and being beaten thence by the admirals army , they had the deserts of their rebellion in the punishment of the axe and the rope inflicted on them . the warr of navarr which happened in the time that the cardinal ordered the affairs of the marine , was an evidence of his courage and the haughtiness of his conduct : he sent an army which stopped the progress of the french more by the advantage of narrow and difficult wayes , than their valour and arms : and , to deprive the navarrois of occasion to take up armes again , and recalling home their ancient and lawful lords , he pulled down the walls of all their places of strength , except pampelun , and demolished all their castles and forts : which was afterwards of great advantage to spain , which possessing navarr without just title , kept it by the force of the garrisons placed there , and the weakness of the inhabitants . great states are subject to revolts , as gross bodies to feavers . malaga , a martine town of spain takes up arms , and cryes liberty , on this occasion . complaint was made , that no punishment was inflicted on robbers taken in the city , though justice had been demanded ; for the criminal , by appeal from the sentence of the judges of the city to the admiral of castile , the soveraign judge in places neer the sea , oft escaped the punishments due to his misdeeds : the people in armes ran into the places subject to the admiral 's jurisdiction , demolish the tribunals of his officers of justice , beat down the racks and gibbets set up for marks of their soveraignty , and , to maintain the sedition , roll the cannons off the ramparts , shut the city gates , and declare , that if the cardinal would use his ordinary violences to the prejudice of their liberties , they knew how to defend them by force . the inhabitants brought into one place all their utensils of brass and copper , and having melted them down , cast new cannons , with the armes of the city , and these words atop , the defenders of the liberty of malaga , caused these cannons to be cast . the flemmings in charles's court , thinking to draw the envy and blame of the rebellion of malaga , on the cardinal's conduct , who , they said , was too harsh , and rigorous for the people of spain ; encouraged those of malaga by letters , to defend themselves against his violence , promising them their assistance with charles . but the cardinal , slighting the threats of the flemmings , carryed on his affairs with courage and prudence ; and like a sage pilot , who scorns to forsake the helm in a tempest , continued his conduct ; and applyed the remedies he thought proper for these popular commotions , by sending foot , and horse of the militia of spain , under the command of anthony cueva , directly to malaga ; with order to use the inhabitants as enemies of the state. cueva marches with these forces ; and being within two dayes march of the city , the citizens , better advised , sent their deputies to tender him obedience . he goes thither , and enters the city , disarmed the rebels , and hanged five only , for an example , and terrour to others . thus , without expence , without spilling the blood of the subject , whereof a minister of state ought to be alwayes sparing ; the cardinal quenched the fire of rebellion , kindled in a place from whence it might have easily dilated to the utter consumption of the soundest parts of the state. of so great importance it is , that the authority of a minister be intire , and like that of the soveraign's it represents . the flames of rebellion were no sooner quenched in one part of spain , but the grandees blew them up in another ; and alwayes with design to charge the cardinals conduct with the blame of the confl●gration . they set up velasio cuellar , high treasurer of spain , and superintendant of the finances , against the cardinal ; and , to engage him to arm with more ardour and eagerness , they make mary , velasio his wife , of the party : who perswaded him to seize arevale , which he did , and cantoned it with his forces , whom he disposed into several quarters , fortified by him in that countrey . the admiral of spain was the principal boutefeu , and main incendiary , and ringleader of this new commotion ; he foments it , goes by night to the duches of the place , speaks to the inhabitants , encourages them to hold out stifly ; promising them succours of men , and supplyes of money , in case they were assaulted ; and that he would come in person to defend them from the violences of the regent , till the arrival of charls into spain , for their deliverance . the cardinal knew of these troubles , and the abettors thereof ; and fearing to lose velasio , a person of quality , he tryed every way before that of force to reduce him : he writ , exhorted , intreated , and threatned if he obeyed not , but all to no purpose : this obliged him to send thither some regiments of horse , and foot , with a train of artillery , under the command of cornelius . the forces arrived at the place , and the captain summoned velasio to render himself , declaring that in case of disobedience , he would put all to fire and sword , and him to death by the hand of a hang-man , and transmit to his posterity the infamy of his crime . velasio , seeing himself deceived by the admiral , and other grandees , who had made him promises of forces and other succours they could not perform , consulted his own safety , obeyed , opened the gates ; and received grace and pardon , instead of the punishment he deserved . the cardinal having appeased this sedition also , without charge or blood , gave charls advice thereof , and intreated him to cause the admiral to be punished , as the author of all those troubles that arose in spain ; whose proceedings confirm , by a pregnant instance , that th' obedience due to kings is a very brittle and frail thing , if not upheld by fear , and the reverence of majesty . to preserve which , the cardinal instituted the militia in the kingdom , that he might have armes ready at hand to resist the motions of insurrections , and suppress them in the birth , without giving them time of growth and increase . and , to render the strength of the militia more considerable he caused a great quantity of artillery to be made : and filled arsenals with it in the four corners of spain , for the conveniency of drawing them where it should be necessary for defence of the royal authority , with these fulminous engines . the cannon is the last reason of kings , and , if not the best , yet certainly the best able to defend them . cap. xii . thhough the cardinal , regent of spain after ferdinands death , had in his hand the regal authority , yet hitherto you have seen him exercise only the office of a physitian to cure the distempers of it ; but now that he hath restored it to health and peace , he bends all his thoughts to the exercise of justice , the principal business of kings . he began with the governours of towns and cities , sending judges impartial and not subject to corruption , to inquire into their demeanour , and inform him of their deportment and behaviour in their places ; and where he understood they were tyrannical to the oppression of the poor , who groaned under their violences , he deposed them from their dignities ; and having made their names infamous , left them more miserable than those they oppressed . he of toledo was the first example of his justice . the officers of justice who behaved themselves ill , had the punishments they deserved : some of them who had been more covetous than just , having sold the right of the poor to the purse of the rich , were whipped through the streets of those towns where they had been in commission ; with a hang-man at their backs , and before them , a trumpet who proclaimed their shame in the enormity of their crime . the like usage had they who in places of judicature had exacted sees that were not due . the greater gentry who were justices in the countreys whereof they were lords : those eagles which break through the spider-webb , could not escape the punishment due to their violences , by being exempt from the jurisdiction and power of the judges : for the cardinal caused them to be handled with the rigour they deserved . arrojou a knight of the order of calatrava , acted in his commandery of zoritan like a tyrant in the countrey he usurpes . the maids and women whom nature had made most beautiful , and vertue most amiable , he sacrificed to his extravagancies : and what love could not obtain , force ravished from them : those were taken from their parents , and these from their husbands , to serve the pleasure of this beast ; the cardinal sent a power competent to attaque him , but by flight to flanders he changed his place , but escaped not his punishment : the cardinal by letters signifies to charles the exorbitances and enormities of this ruffian , and the punishment due to his crimes , and prayed him to make him an example of his justice by severity answerable to the heinousness of his actions . the treasurers of the finances who had embezelled the publick moneys ( which are the blood of the people ) were strictly examined and narrowly sisted , nor were these spunges squeezed only , but punished for their rapines . these actions of justice drew an universal love to the cardinal from the people of spain , who reverenced his name ; and most of the grandees sought his friendship , with oaths and protestations to defend his authority as their lives ; and not without reason . for , justice the mother of other vertues , being the daughter of heaven and queen of the earth , gains them that exercise it the savour of god , and good will of men . the happiness of the kingdom was this great mans aim ; and in order to attaining a compleat felicity he continued the exercise of his justice in reducing every part of the state into their proper bounds . the military orders of knights in spain are divers , and of great latitude ; the greatness of their power made them usurp on others within their jurisdiction , and abusively assume priviledges not due to them : but the cardinal forced them to make restitution of what was not theirs , regulated their jurisdictions , and abrogated the priviledges they had arrogated to themselves . the favour of court having introduced more members into the council of state , than merit or vertue , had filled it with persons unworthy that place . but he who knew that the ministers who serve in this sacred temple of policy ought to be persons of the greatest experience and singular integrity , purged it of all those who were unfit for that dignity , and filled their places with better men . having reformed the council he turned to the train , and attendants of the court ; where the importunity and impudence of the mean , and the recommendations of the great ones , had introduced a multitude of men who had no other vertue to boast of than a confident miene , a proud gate , and vain discourse . he resolved to cashiere these dronish lurdanes , and stop those unprofitable mouths that ate the kings bread , but did him no service : which he did with one dash of his penn , crossing out the allowances made them , who were so leight in their vanities , that they were blown away with a feather . that monarch wants a guardian to order his affairs , who by the pensions he bestows , feeds with the bowels of his people , such men as are neither necessary for him , nor serviceable to the publick . this retrenchment was just : but his taking from two famous historians of that time , the pensions given them as due to their labours , is marked as unjust in the history of his administration . peter martyr , and gonsales d' oviedo were crossed out amongst the retainers ; but revenged , with their penns , the loss of their pensione ; staining his name with spots of so black a dye , as the whole series of the past age hath not been able to wash out . but it may be he was forced to this ; by their example , to take from others all cause of complaint . but what an example is this to robb them of their reward who deserve it , and take away the pensions of two learned men who served the publick . or if he thought this necessary to be done , he should have made up their pensions out of his own fortunes , and paid them out of that estate which was sufficient to pay an army . peradventure 't was charls his pleasure it should be so . had he so little credit with charles whose 〈◊〉 he preserved for him , as not to prevail with him to continue the pensions of two historians , who could have given charles and his name immortal glory ? this seems sufficient to condemn his severity , and call it inconsiderate . but the greatness of his conduct in other matters , his excellent justice , and singular favour and propensity to oblige men of vertue , make it hardly credible that so great a person , who had done so much for learning , should commit so gross a sault ; but give cause to impute it to some other minister , whose enmity against these historians , might have engaged him in so foul a fact . thus alvarez gomez in the history of his life excuses him ; and observes that he lamented several times , that occasion was often given him to exercise just severities in taking from men what they unjustly possessed ; and not to express his liberality , in giving unto them those largesses he esteemed due from him to vertue . to do good to men of merit , is to pour oyle into lamps , which proves no less usefull to others in the light they receive from them , than beneficial to them in enabling them to impart it . that the exchequer be full , and the treasury of the prince abound in cash , is certainly one of the things most necessary for the state ; this defends it , this augments its grandeur , and renders it formidable to its enemies : the cardinal who harboured in his heart as one common center , an extraordinary zeal for the service of his master , and no less affection for the good of the people ; designed to fill the treasuries of spain , to serve the glory of his master ; but without any intention to inrich his king by the impoverishment of his people ; saying , thrift and frugality , parsimony and good husbandry , were great revenues to a monyed king , as the king of spain . and that gifts made without reason and against justice , are the moths that eat through his baggs , and the thieves that empty his coffers . charles , in four moneths of his reign , gave away to his courtiers ( or rather leeches of his court ) two millions of gold : this he said , with grief , to see so prodigious an excess , of profuseness and lavishment : not but that he allowed liberality place among the vertues of a prince , but that he would have it exercised with moderation and justice . henry the admiral , pacieco d' ascalone , and henry fortune , had obtained of ferdinand , a million a piece of lievres of gold , charged on the revenue of peru ; and should have received it at the return of the plate-fleet . the cardinal made void , and annulled these gifts ; and though fortune was of kin to his good master ferdinand , he took from him his million as well as from the others . kings , said he , ought to dispense the effects of their justice , indifferently to persons of all sorts ; but those of their liberality to them only , who serve their persons or the publick ; advantage others by their labours , and excell them in the fidelity of their services , and the dignity of their vertues . the revenue of princes , though great in it self , is alwayes too little for the necessities of state , and passing through many hands , is much diminished ere it arrive at their coffers . the cardinal to provide against this inconvenience , gave the offices of the finances , to men fit for them ; persons under no necessity to tempt them to rapine . and chose for surintendant of the kings moneys , a lord by birth , one of the noblest of spain , and in estate the richest in the kingdom . spunges full of water , take in no more , though steeped in it . great buildings , without good foundations , swagg and come to ruine . the cardinal laid three foundations necessary for royalty , whereon , as on firm pillars , the authority thereof relies : the first is justice , when the king dispenses it to his subjects impartially , and without respect of persons ; when the scepter affords relief to the poor and the weak , against the injuries of the rich , and the powerful . the second , when the king hath a respect , and good value , for the men of warr , that give proofs of their experience , and valour , in the service of his warrs . the third , when the king doth not squander away his revenue , but , by thrift and parsimony , keeps a good stock in reserve for royal enterprizes , which ought to be his ordinary exercises ; who , that he may be great , must do great things . experience had taught the cardinal the truth of this sage maxim ; for in four months of his regency under charles , by help of his treasure , he had compassed his designs , ended a warr of great importance , calmed the commotions of spain , made sure of navarr , reduced malaga to obedience , maintained strong garrisons on the frontiers , assured the sea-coast , made incursions into africk , sent a naval army against algiers , and delivered bugie , pignon , and melillo , from the siege of barbarosse , great admiral of the turks . if i ( said he ) have done all these things , notwithstanding the oppositions of my enemies , what cannot a king do , by his absolute power , if he leave in his treasure a stock for royal undertakings . money being the sinews of warr , and the object of mens affections , the monarch who is rich , becomes puissant in the one , and absolute master of the other . the glory the cardinal had acquired by his prudent management of the state , and his good actions to private persons , was greatly augmented by the violences of the turks , and misfortunes of africk , which brought a stronger king at his feet , to implore his assistance . the king of tunis , son and heir of jabet albuzen , was guilty of the crime of being neighbour to a monarch , more powerful than he , and possessing a crown convenient for the ottoman . this brought a warr upon him ; barbarosse who had command from the turk his master to oute him from his throne , was the more willing to attacque him , in that he had obtained from the ottoman poste , a promise to succeed in the throne and title of the king of tunis , in case he conquered him ; on condition nevertheless to hold it of the crown imperial of the turks . the corsayre undertakes it ; and , over-powering tunis , enters the city , and drives out the king ; who dispoiled of his estate , embarks for spain , to seek relief in christendome for his disasters : in his passage he was set upon with tempests and storms ; which , though less than those he met with at land , put his vessel in danger ; but he escaped a wreck at sea , being reserved for a greater at land , which had already deprived him of his crown , his estate , his repose , and reputation , and had more miseries in store for him during the rest of his life , which the sea might have swallowed up , and therein all his losses and calamities . he arrived in spain , and threw himself into the cardinals arms , who received him , gave him retinue befitting a king , comforted his miseries with kind entertainment , and promises of re-establishment in his throne . the minister that represents a king , and holds his scepter in his absence , ought to do royal actions ; and , to reach forth a helping hand to distressed princes , is one of the greatest of these ; for if , the man that helps a man , is a god to that man , the king who is a god on earth , and his minister in his stead , succouring a persecuted king , is a god to a god. cap. xiii . the same year john rio , a spanish pyrate , returned from his course , having taken many genoa-vessels , and rich in booty and prizes , and at anchor in the port of carthagena nueva , where he enjoyed other mens goods , by the laws of pyracy : when some ships of warr , arrived from genes , attacqued him in the harbour ; and , being well armed , and fighting for the interest of their republick , they took this sea-robber , and carryed away his person , and vessels . but this action done within a port of spain , was an offence against the majesty of the king : the cardinal resents it as such , and publisheth an edict , commanding all the genoese in spain , to depart the kingdom within fifteen dayes , upon pain of confiscation of their goods , and of their lives ; and in the mean time caused seizure to be made of their goods , wherever they could be found ; this alarum'd the republike , seeing their commerce , to which they owe their maintenance and grandeur , broken on that side , and their allyance much altered : they betake themselves to their remedy , and send ambassadours to charles in flanders , to disavow the boldness of those ships which in the port of carthagene , had violated the respect due to his crown , which had met by the way the punishment they should have received from the republick , had they arrived at genes , which the tempest prevented , in taking from them both their ships and their lives : therefore , they implored his majesty not to impute that to their state , which was the act of two or three private persons ; charles was satisfied with this submission , and revoked the edict published by the cardinal . but he being jealous for the honour of his master , which had a greater share in his thoughts , than the care of his own life , holding the genoese to be very cautelous people , and desirous to penetrate the depth of their intentions ; upon information received , that they held intelligence with the french about the kingdom of naples , deferred the publishing of the revocation , and restitution of the genoese goods , till he had sent ambassadours to genes to clear the doubt ; but the ambassadours finding the genoese sincerely inclined to keep good correspondence with spain , he made restitution to the genoese of their goods , and their liberty of commerce . the honour of kings is their true patrimony , preferrable to their estates . their ministers ought carefully to preserve , and couragiously defend it ; for as bodies without souls , which give them life , are easily corrupted , so monarchies without honour and reputation decline and come to ruine . spain had long since laid the foundations of dominion over italy ; and the house of austria , now entred into spain , carryed on the building . maximilian , grand-father of charles passed the mountains on that design . charles dispatched a courrier to the cardinal to demand his advice in the affairs of italy : the cardinal sent it him , and advised to divert maximilian from the siege of breseia then in design , and to turn his forces against milan ; for that city being once taken , the other would be easily conquered ; that , to render himself yet more considerable in italy , he must gain the popes affection , and make use of him upon occasion ; to quiet the troubles of the countrey , and to serve himself of his authority , as a new peru to furnish moneys for the warr , by obtaining crusadaes for spain , which ( as usual ) would bring a cross on gold and silver , and raise him a considerable revenue : he advised maximilian to threaten the pope into fear , to force his condescension to what he would not willingly grant ; and counselled charles to make choice of a person generous , vigilant , and of great authority , to be ambassadour at rome , and to gain from the pope a person of innocent manners , and of a gentle and tractable disposition to be nuncio in spain ; for on this depends the good of all great affairs , and the peace of the nation . these counsels the princes of the house of austria did then make use of to their great advantage , and pursue the same to this day : for the sage answers of a great minister consulted with in affairs , whose like do often fall out in a state , are the voice of an oracle , which foresees things to come , and guides the designs of posterity . the kingdom of spain , had been long infected with the falsity of religions , contrary to the christian ; the moors preached there the errours of the alcoran ; and the jews the sopperies of their talmud ; and though they had woon the one and the other to the faith of christ , yet the jews whose religion is obstinacy , relapsed often to their former worship , apostatizing from the faith they came to profess . this exposed them to the rigours of the inquisition , being daily dragged before that severe tribunal . to deliver themselves from the pains they deserved , they deputed the principal amongst them , to attend charles in flanders , and beseech him to permit them to enjoy that which god gave man when he sent him into the world , the liberty of choice in a free will ; that religion could not be imposed by force , but instilled by discourse ; and that he would grant them who were born in judaism , liberty to judaise as their fathers had done , or become christians at their pleasure : in acknowledgement of this favour , they offered him eight hundred thousand crowns of gold : charles assembles his council to advise on this proposal , they give their opinions in favour of the jews , and that in the necessity he was reduced to , he should accept the eight hundred thousand crowns : the cardinal , advertised by his agent in his masters court of the counsels of the flemmings , sent a courrier to charles , advising him not to meddle with gods right , that religion was above crowns , that heaven knew to maintain its interest against his incroachments , that he ought rather to imitate the piety of king ferdinand , his grand-father , who in the necessities of the warrs of navarr , had refused six hundred thousand crowns of gold offered by the jews for the like indulgence : charles followed the cardinals advice : that king is unworthy the assistance of heaven , for preserving his estate , who despises the estate of god , which is religion ; and god who expelled out of the temple , the tradesmen , who made it a place of merchandise , outes those monarchs from the throne who sell for money the respect due to divine worship . the interest whereof a good king and his ministers , preferr before the reason and interest of state. ill customes never dye , or grow old at court , though good ones presently make their exit . the government of provinces and towns in spain , was heretofore committed to the persons best qualified , and of greatest integrity in the kingdom ; time which carries away the best of things abolished this custome , and made it absolete ; favour brought in such men whose faults and defects the blindness of court discovers not . the cardinal resolved to re-estabish what he found just in the ancient customes of spain , bestowed the same governments on men whose nobleness of blood and integrity of life rendred them the most considerable in the kingdom . but that the puissance of their families , and support of their kindred , being persons of quality , might not debauch their integrity , and encourage them to violence , he removed them to places distant ; imploying them in governments of towns and provinces , where they could expect no support but from their vertue . he who adds greatness of dignity , to that of birth and quality , tempts vertue , and needs a bridle to retain it within the bounds of justice . these eares of the cardinal tended to the glory of vertue ; the aime and mark of his designs , being the advancement of vertuous persons , whose fortunes he raised in his administration by his own beneficence , or the kings , by his procurement . he gave adrian florent , of vtricht , dean of lovayn , and his companion in the government of spain , the bishoprick of tortosa , with the office of inquisitor general of spain , which was an advantagious step for him to a cardinalship ; and to mount him thence to the papal chair . he preferred alfonso manriquez to the bishoprick of cordova . and the sieur motta of burgos , a person well verst in theology , and secretary to charles , to that of badacos ; the advancement of motta was great in appearance , but in effect mean ; his vertue and learning had rendered him considerable in the court of charles , and that of rome ; after the death of ximenes , the king gave him the archbishoprick of toledo ; and the pope , a cardinals cap. but these gifts were made him , when he could not enjoy them ; and fortune gave him only a view , but no livery and seizen of the grandeurs of the world. the letters of the king , and those of the pope , which conveyed to him those eminent dignities , sound him on his death-bed ; so that seeing himself on the brink of the grave , he took the letters out of a box , and gave them one of his principal domesticks to read. having heard them , he discoursed of the vain pretensions of court , and the cheating hopes of the world , that the sutest course for a vertuous man to steer , is to conform to the will of god , and condoled their misfortune to see their expectations fall with him into the dust . but this care of the cardinal to advance persons of merit , evinces he was not guilty of retrenching the pensions of the two historians afore mentioned ; but rather that of learned men , the most knowing and laborious for the publick , are not the greatest favourites of fortune , whether it be for want of importunity in pursuing it , or of friends to introduce them into the theatre of preferment ; so that their vertue continues indigent , like the sick man on the brink of the pool , which makes poverty often the sister of wit. these things happened in . the following year will be the last of the administration , and life of the cardinal : in the moneth october this year , he entertained himself one evening with some divines of repute ; and their discourses being of matters of holiness advanced far in the night . one of the domesticks tells the cardinal , a courrier from africk , then at the door , desired to speak with him ; he commanded them to admit him , the courrier delivered his letters , the cardinal read them to himself ; and then turning to them that stood by , with a composed and serene countenance told them , the news is , that the moors and turks have beaten us at algiers , and our army defeated . but the loss is not great , for spain is delivered of a multitude of malefactours . vagabonds , and assasines , whereof our army was composed . it was my master ferdinands maxim , that 't is necessary to send 〈◊〉 abroad to purge the realm , of murtherers , thieves , robbers , and other-ill livers . having said this , he continued his theological discourse with admirable vigour of spirit , and force of wit : the prudence of a governour ought to be attended with constancy in publike misfortune , that the serenity of his countenance , and alacrity of discourse , may extenuate and lessen the ills that befall ; and that minister deserves well of the publike , who bears up in good hopes of the state , notwithstanding the losses and calamities that seem to discourage him . cap. xiv . 't is natural to the spaniards , to pursue their resolutions with a settled and unmoveable constancy ; so that 't is equally difficult to divert them from pursuing their designes as to extort from them what they are possessed of by their atchievements . the grandees of spain envying the cardinal's authority had resolved his ruine , as appears before ; and what demonstration soever they made of amity , yet the leaven of jealousie remaining in their hearts , set them on afresh to carry on their design , and endeavour the destruction of his , by establishing of another's authority ! they prevail with adrian his associate in the government , to write to charles in flanders , that the cardinal was a proud man , impatient of a companion , and did all after his own humour and fancy , without consulting him ; that he wanted strength to resist the sallies of his daring and hardy spirit : and therefore became his humble suppliant for a second to assist him in the government ; and , by their joynt-authority , to balance the excessive power of the cardinal , which might otherwise prove in time prejudicial to his majesty's . charles sent laxaus a flemming , and of his council , to make up the triumviral in the government of spain . the grandees who knew that what is divided , is of less force , rejoyced to see the cardinal's authority in that predicament ; and went all to meet laxaus with great demonstations of honour : the cardinal staid in his lodgings to attend his coming ; and as laxaus was conducted to him , he came no farther to meet him , than to his ante-chamber , where he received him with a gravity befitting his person , and dignity . and as it is a principal part of the dexterity of a minister of state , to know men , he studied the temper and humour of laxaus ; and finding him a downright flemming , more enclined to pleasures and jollity , than serious affairs ; he thought his enemies made choice of a weak rival to confront his authority : and , to let them know he slighted him , shewed greater respect to adrian , than him . yet adrian , led by the nose by the cardinal's enemies , made use of the occasions they offered him to attacque his authority . letters patents were to be dispatched and published in some affairs of importance ; the grandees advise adrian and laxaus to sign them first , and to take up the most honourable place of signature : they did so , and then sent the letters to the cardinal to be signed . who having courage answerable to the grandeur of his spirit , observed this flemmish bravado of ambition , and slighted it ; causing the letters to be torn in pieces by his secretary in his presence , and ordered others to be made ready , which he signed alone , and caused them to be executed as effectually , as if signed by all three ; and , during the course of his administation , continued it thence forward , though before he shewed adrian the respect of sending them to him to be signed ; which he forbore after this time , that the contempt he had designed for him , might fall on himself . the flemmings durst not resist his authority , fearing his anger ; and that , by provoking him , they might prejudice charles , who would impute to them the disorders that might follow ; ferdinand , brother to charles , being then in spain , under the guard and conduct of the cardinal . nevertheless , to destroy this great authority , by more powerful means ; they proposed to charles , to put the scepter of spain in his absence , into the hand of a prince of his house , and advised him to intreat maximilian th' emperour , his grand-father , or lewis count-palatin , his cousin , to come into spain for that purpose . some were for making ferdinand governour , others for the high chancellour savage , but all for outing the cardinal . maximilian was busie in italy : the genius of spain , is so far above that of alemain , that the count palatin was not likely to bear up to the height , requisite for the government ; and , if the absolute power were committed to ferdinand , it might be feared he would not quit it when desired . so that of all the persons proposed in council , the chancellour only stood . the cardinal had intelligence of all transactions in charles his councils , and desired him by letter , to grant him leave to quit the government , and retire to his diocess , rather than send him a new companion , with whom he must renew the contests with the former . that the nature of government is such , that , to carry it on with authority , it must be given to one alone . notwithstanding this , savage came into spain , with the title of governour , as well as the cardinal : but made no other progress in the state , than to establish there , venality of offices in judicature , council , and court ; to banish vertue ; and fill his purse . for it is observed , that in his four moneths stay in spain , he drew away five hundred thousand crowns , which he carryed into flanders : the cardinal vexed to see those excellent orders his care and pains had established in the state , ruined in a moment ; and that offices formerly the rewards of vertue and merit , were now put to sale by the avarice of this flemming ; and possessed by them who had more money to buy , than capacity to mannage them ; complained to charles , and with a liberty full of respect writ him his mind ; remonstrating to him , that great kings obtain from god the enjoyment of their crowns , and from men the reverence due to them , so long as they govern the people with justice and integrity ; that in respect of the great weight of the government , god allowed them to call assistants for their ease and support in the management of great estates ; that their justice and vigilance ought to be as conspicuous in the choice of their assistants , as in the government of their subjects : that a prince is responsible for his ministers , and chargeable with the crimes they commit in the state , if he knows and suffers them . he prayed him in all humility , that he would come into spain , to establish there by his presence , that order which the strangers he had sent thither , had destroyed ; and to keep the people within the bounds of their duty , who were now apparently raised to a boldness that tended to the subversion of the state ; being so licentious that every one not only said , but printed what he pleased ; and attacqued his authority by publishing and justifying their complaints against him . this couragious liberty of advertising charles of the disorders and misdemeanours of the flemmings in spain , drew on the cardinal the hatred of many to such a degree as obliged him to provide for the safety of his life ; his guard was more strictly and constantly kept , his meat watched to prevent poison , and this care extended to his bed , and tryal made of the water that was sprinkled in his chamber . but all this caution could not save him from that lingering poyson , which , the spaniards write , destroyed his health , and at last his life : whereof you shall hear in due time . the court of spain was at this time full of infamous libells , against the flemmish-ministers ; and against xeures , of the house of croy , favourite to charles , whom lewis the . of france having the gard-noble of his person , gave charles for his conduct ; the libellers spared not the cardinal ; nor his confident , francis rouys ; the flemmings were highly incensed at the libels and obloquy of the people ; this obliged the cardinal to make search for the authors ; but so lightly , that neither author nor seller was punished for writing or publishing . for as for him , though he writ of this matter to flanders , yet he was ( sayes gomez ) of opinion , that , inferiours should have the liberty to avenge their grievances by words and writings , which endure no longer than while you are offended at them ; that to slight them was the only way to suppress them , and , to be angry at them , was to acknowledge them true . alphonso castilla , governour of madrid , brought adrian , and laxaus , some copies he had recovered of the libells against them . they , not used to such satyrs , as things not accustomed in flanders , resented them highly , and specially adrian , to whom injuries of this kind were like fleas in his ears , or snuff in the nose , to discompose and inflame the levity of his temper ; insomuch that being afterwards advanced to st. peters chair , under the name of adrian the . the satyrical reflections , and tart animadversions published by the roman witts on the statues of pasquin , and morphorio , were so offensive to him , that he commanded the statues which had stood there many ages , to be digged up , and thrown into tyber . the count de sessa , being present when this order was given , told him , holy father , if you cause these libel-carryers to be cast into tyber , the froggs will croke out their verses ; and what two stones whispered to men , many mouths will proclaim to the river : 't is a hard matter to take from men that liberty of their spirit which god hath allowed them , which they will find means to make known to the world : adrian followed his advice , and left pasquin , and morphorio standing in the place they possess at rome to this day . certainly they are much deceived , who think by power to bury in oblivion the ill actions they are guilty of , or to keep from posterity the knowledge of their vices : the severities they exercise against the writers thereof , give credit and authority to the relation ; and procure as much glory to the historian , as shame to the criminal : 't is a good rule for great ones , to live so as they would be represented to posterity in the stories of their lives , that , by their good actions , they may obtain the glory of an immortal name . the troubles which before had disquieted the court , and raised the people to armes , were now entred the churches , and got up to the very altars : the priests of spain had taken the alarm , and published grievous complaints , and loud threats in defence of their revenues , and the liberty of their dignities ; for selim , emperour of the turks , having carryed his arms into aegypt , taken from tomombey his crown and his life , and triumphed over the whole nation ; resolved , after this notable conquest , to turn his victorious arms against italy , to add that countrey to the rest of his triumphs , to enter rome by a breach , and feed his horse on the altar of st. peter . these barbarous threats obliged the princes of italy , to provide for the security of their estates . pope leo the tenth , then in the chair , imployed his care to preserve the patrimony of the church ; and for the guard of the sea-coast , an ordinance was past in the lateran-council to levy the tenths upon the clergy of spain . this put them in an uproar : the cardinal used his best endeavours to appease them , and to restore peace to the church , the house of god , as he had done to cities the habitations of men : he dispatched a courrier to rome , and ordered arteagua his agent in that court , in his name , to make the pope an offer , not only of the tenths of the arch-bishoprick of toledo , but of all its revenues , his money , his moveables , all that he had of rich or precious in the treasure of his church ; if the necessity of a holy warr required it for the defence of the altars of god in italy . but , to declare , that , without such a necessity he would never be the author of those new impositions , nor consent that the priests of spain should be made tributary to strangers ; with a strict charge to send him the resolutions of the lateran council hereupon . arteagua understood by the pope's nephew , the cardinal de medicis , that the council had not ordained the levying of these dismes , but in case of extream necessity , and that the enemies were within the state of the church , or upon the borders of italy ; and it appeared , the source of this trouble about the benefices of spain arose from the pope's nuncio in that kingdom , engaged therein by his desires to finger the moneys , or his imprudence in management of affairs . thus the cardinal protected the interest of the church , and calmed the commotion . priests have in their persons a kind of spiritual royalty , whereof their miters are marks . to protect and defend them is to pass to glory , by the way of piety . cap. xv. though the cardinal had surmounted the opposition of the flemmings against his authority , triumphed over the envy of the court , and the threats of the greatest part of the grandees of spain ; there remained an important victory to be gained over three potent enemies , who like a triple-headed monster stood up against him , with a boldness he was obliged to humble , and bring to the ground : the first was mendoza duke of infantado , his capital enemy for the rupture of the marriage between his nephew and the cardinal's niece : this hatred was inflamed by the loss of a cause at law , whereby a burrough of the duke's demeans , was rejoyned to the church of toledo , from which it had been dismembred . and as the syndic of the church went to take possession of it , the duke himself gave him the bastonado . this outrage offended the cardinal at madrid , who told many . he would teach the duke more reverence to justice , make him loose his dukedome , and undergo the punishment he deserved . the duke was netled to the quick at these threats , and , to declare his resentment , sent to the cardinal one of his attendants to tell him , that he was a dissembling monk , meanly born , and raised to the fortune he possessed by the subtlety and hypocrisies natural to his frock . this envoy arrives at madrid , goes to the cardinal , and shews him that he was a domestick of the dukes , received wages from him , and ate of his bread , and therefore subject to his commands ; that he had given him one to tell him such words which peradventure would anger him , and therefore before he spoke them , he desired his leave to do it ; and that he would not impute the offenee to him : the cardinal gave him leave to deliver his message , which he did word by word as the duke had commanded : the cardinal nothing moved , made answer ; my friend , you are employed in a very foolish embassie : return to your master , and i am perswaded you will find him wiser than when you left him , and repenting his follies . which was true ; for the duke much troubled that passion had so far blinded his reason , sharply rebuked his principal domesticks , that they had not withstood his choler , and prevented the sending of that message to the cardinal . velasco constable of castile , who knew the inconsiderate rashness of the duke , advised him to a reconciliation with the cardinal ; returned to madrid ; and intreated the cardinal to pardon the duke , and impute these words to the blindness of passion , and not esteem them the sense of his mind . the cardinal answered , that when mendoza would in person begg pardon , and confess with his own mouth he deserved punishment , he should not find him inexorable . velasco disposed the duke to do it : a day and place were appointed for the enterview . fountain caralla , within two leagues of madrid , was chosen for that purpose ; where the cardinal came attended with some of his domesticks : the constable and the duke came also . but being upon the place , the duke forgot the conditions of the enterview ; and , instead of performing them , with a bold countenance , and haughty expression , having saluted the cardinal , told him , provided i violate not the laws of religion , and pay the king the obedience i owe him , i little value the displeasures of others , slight their checks , and scorn their affronts . these words of pride , sounded strange in the cardinal's ears , who expected a better temper , according to the constable's promise ; and , made this answer : mendoza when you fail in the one or other , you shall know me to be the grand inquisitor of spain , and the king's lieutenant general in all his estates ; and in these qualities , i will cause you to be punished according to your demerits . the constable , seeing their hatred inflamed , not reconciled ; and troubled at the huffing of the duke , reproved him sharply for it ; and having brought him by discourse to an acknowledgement of his fault , inclined him to expiate it in the instant he had committed it , making him cast himself at the cardinals feet , and begg his pardon , whereupon the cardinal embraced him , and took him up . the very instant this was doing , they heard a noise of soldiers , and a volley of muskets , shot at the door of the house . horrour seized the constable , and the dukes pride was turned into fear . both apprehended a train laid for their liberty or lives : but 't was a pannick fear , and the cause appeared to come from john spinosa campina of the regiment of guards , who having understood that the cardinal was with two grandees of spain , without any guard to attend him , rann thither with the guards under his command . the cardinal reproved him for comming without order , and having taken leave of the constable and duke , with a countenance full of respect and friendship , returned for madrid . the second of the three powerful grandees , whose boldness and envy the cardinal was to grapple with , and overcome ; was giron , lord of vienna , who was alwayes of the contrary party , and ringleader to those that opposed his authority : giron was of a lively spirit , bigg words , bold in his raillery , smart and cutting in his reparties : coming one day to the cardinal's chamber-door , he asked the usher , friend , what is king - ximenes a doing ? spain had been governed by a king of that name , who was so dull and sottish of spirit , and so grosly vitious , that no day passed without some instances of his extravagancies ; which gave his subjects cause to ask one another often , what is king ximenes a doing ? another time , this lord having been in treaty with the cardinal , about some affairs of importance , and taking his leave , the cardinal scarce moved his cap at parting , giron turn'd about and asked the servants , whether their master had a scalded head : these flights added to many attempts against his authority , provoked the cardinal to resentment upon occasion , which fell out patly : for giron was in suit against gutterio quixada for the burrough of villas hermanos , which giron had usurped ; in the suit the weakest went to the wall , and suffered under the oppression of the greater ; giron having drawn it at such length that quixada's purse being too shallow , could not have justice : he complains to the cardinal , telling him , that , as the king ought to do justice to his people , so ought the king's lieutenant : the cardinal did it , and , by judgement of the court of valladolid , giron was enjoyned to restore to quixada , the burrough of villas hermanos : a senator of valladolid went upon the place to execute the judgement , and put quixada in possession : giron makes up a party , sends his son and servants to the place ; where they received the commissioner , and gave him the bastonado . an information was drawn up of this insolent rebellion , and sent to the cardinal and council , who decreed the offendours to be arrested ; cited them by sound of trumpet to appear , and proceeded against them as traytors : the grandees of spain , who saw giron in the high way to destruction , sent two gentlemen of note to the cardinal , to intreat him , not to ruine a person of giron's quality : that it was his interest to preserve the grandees ; and , to destroy them , as he did was to destroy himself , as being by his dignity of arch-bishop of telodo , as primate of the prelates , so first of the grandees of spain , and having precedence of all ; the cardinal's answer was , he would protect honest men , and punish the wicked contemners of justice , and disturbers of the publick peace . when they saw the cardinal inflexible , they sent to charles in flanders , mis-represented the matter , and obtained a prohibition to stay execution of the judgement , till he came into spain : upon receipt of the prohibition , the cardinal and council , sent to charles , informed him of the truth of the crime , sent him the process , and remonstrated to him , that having been appointed by god the guardian and preserver of the laws , he ought to give justice liberty in her functions and freedom , and to do her duty ; intreated him to consider the consequence of this affair , that if such enormities were tolerated , there should not be one king only in spain , but as many kings , as there are puissant great ones : charles , in answer to the cardinal and council , writ , he had been mis-informed , and that it was his intention , justice should be done : the judgement against the offenders was executed . the cardinal sending regiments of horse and foot , against villas hermanos , where giron's son , and several young lords of his quality , sons of the grandees of spain , were assembled with some forces , and had added new insolences to the former rebellion , having caused the effigies of the cardinal to be drawn through the streets in his pontifical habit , with a trumpet before it , to publish the ignominy : but when they saw the assailants , they left their sport , and betook them to their heels : the walls of the town were beaten down to the foundations , and they plowed up , the houses fired , and the places they stood on , sowed with salt , in token of malediction . seven men of the place , who had said they knew no lord but giron , were whipped by the hangman ; and with them some of giron's domesticks on a holy day , that so important an execution might not be retarded : to make quixada amends , and repair his damage in the loss of the town , they adjudged him giron's estate , and proceeded further against his family and person . to take from the rebels all hopes of mercy , this execution was confirmed by letters patents from charles in flanders . this brought giron to reason : he humbles himself to the cardinal and desires mercy ; and to make his prayers more effectual , all the grandees of spain joyned with him : the cardinal by letter interceded to charles for a pardon ; that in bringing him to an exemplary humiliation , and forcing him to begg pardon in person , he had sufficiently punished him ; that the grandees acknowledging their faults , and truly humbled , were not to be treated with the severities usual in other mens cases . the third puissant enemy of the cardinal , among the grandees of spain , was the duke of alva , of great authority , of a great family , illustrious in blood , abounding in riches , powerful in friendship and allyance : the cardinal had his opportunity to bring him to reason , as well as the others . the duke of alva , in king ferdinand's life time , in whose favours he had a great share , obtained for diegolus third son , the priory of st. john in spain , of the order of knights then at rhodes , now at malta ; a dignity of great revenue , and equal authority in the kingdom : antony alstuniga of an illustrious family , was at that time in legal possession ; but the duke of alva , upheld by the authority of the king , and the great master of rhodes , took it from him by force , contrary to right , and the laws of spain , and setled his son there ; who enjoyed it peaceably for six years , till ferdinand's death : astuniga seeing the duke's credit buried with that prince , had recourse to justice , and summons the usurper to a legal tryal : the process was decided at rome , and diego enjoyned to make restitution of the benefice . astuniga returns into spain with the decree , implores the cardinal's protection , whom he knew to be the defender of justice , and obtains it : charles in the mean time , informed of this difference , looked upon it as of importance to the state , writes to the cardinal and council , to put the benefice in a third hand till farther order . the duke of alva refuses to obey his command , believing it an invention to outt him from the priory , calls the other grandees of spain his friends to his assistance , and fortifies consabrona the principal place of the priory : the cardinal seeing him act the king in spain , resolved not to endure it ; he commands forth a thousand horse , and foot of his guards , in the suburbs of madrid ; but at the instant falls sick to the danger of his life : madrid , and all the realm of castile made publick prayers for his recovery , on which , as then , depended the peace of spain . he recovers , and finding the duke of alva unwilling to obey , resolves to force him , but , by the way , proposed him a fair accommodation : and it is remarkable , this great minister never took the way of rigour , till he had first tryed that of sweetness , and found it ineffectual to perform the duties of justice , in his administration : he proposed to the duke , that he should give the king a gentleman of his family , to be answerable to his majesty for the places of the priory that should be put into his hands , and to surrender them to the king if there should be cause , when he had declared his judgement ; by which means the duke might have remained master of the priory , and the revenue . the duke stormed at this proposal , and thinking that to accept it , would have been to part with his own , rejected it . the cardinal sends a leight army to besiege casabrona ; the duke also sent thither a thousand foot , and some horse with victuals and money : the cardinal's troops met them by the way , engaged , and defeated them , took their money and victuals , and marched to the place they were to invest . the duke of alva's son was within , with a great number of young men of his age , most of them sons of the grandees of spain ; all the nobles of toledo , that had attained the age of years , assisting in the defence . the herald summoned them to open their gates , and obey the king ; their answer was high , though not a word spoken ; for they set on the walls of the place , biers covered with black , to signifie tacitly their resolution , rather to dye than yield . the duke of alva this while was anxiously distracted in his thoughts . on the one side , he saw the shame that would attend his suffering a piece of such convenience and profit to his family , to be wrested out of his hands , and that his labours and great preparations would end in affronts and greater disgraces : on the other side , he beheld the thunderbolt hanging over his head , ready to fall upon him to the ruine of his person and his house . his estate was already confiscated by decree of the council , which gave him fearful apprehensions of the cardinal's severity , as a man whom he knew intire and immoveable in his resolutions . the example of villas hermanos , was fresh in memory , and the image of it in his thoughts troubled him ; representing him as miserable as his friend giron . he resolved to bow , rather than break ; goes to madrid , humbles himself , makes means of reconcilement to the cardinal , causes his son to obey , renders the place , and obtains of charles the moiety of the priory for his son , the other moiety being left for astuniga , and enough for both . another difficulty arises in the enjoyment of the benefice : the great master of rhodes who had unjustly outed astuniga , to invest diego in the place , would not acknowledge any prior but diego , gave him all the authority of grand prior , and sent him orders for a general assembly of all the knights of the order in spain ; diego summons them , and would have had them assembled without other authority than his ; the cardinal hinders it , sends for him , and tells him , if you were in the isle of rhodes , you might do your pleasure ; but in spain where i command , know , you must come to me and have my permission . thus he reduced to reason the three grandees of spain , who had most opposed his authority ; who having made a great noise , had experience to their shame of the greatness of his judgement , the height of his courage , and his marvellous address , being compelled to throw themselves at his feet , whose head they slighted , and had in contempt . the fable of the giants destroyed by thunderbolts , and buried under the mountains they had accumulated , instructs a minister of state , sometimes to use force and severity against potent men , who , to trouble the publick peace , would by destroying his authority attain the king 's . these crosses , and the unwillingness of the great ones , to acknowledge the honour he had acquired in spain , with the ingratitude of the people , whose ease he affected , and procured the happiness they enjoyed ; gave him sensible displeasures , and made him call to mind the tranquillity and sweetness of his religious life in the monastery of castanet . neer which , there was in view a little hill covered with trees , where he often went to search , under their shadows , the light of truth in holy-writt , and after some hours reading , kneeled , and with hands and heart lift up to heaven , conversed with god in prayer and meditation ; then retiring immediately into a little cabbin , made with his own hands , in imitation of , those angels of the desart , the ancient hermits , he fed his body with bread and water , but his soul with plentiful repasts of spiritual delicacies : the holy pleasures of this solitude he panted after , amidst the crosses and oppositions he encountered in the state ; saying often to his greatest confidents , if i might obtain leave , how willingly would i change this palace for my cabin at castanet ; the authority of governour of spain , for the silence of that solitude ; and my mitre of toledo , and cardinals cap , for the habit of that poor place . a minister of state , hath not in the troubles of affairs , a more solid comfort than that of piety , which is the policy of heaven ( if any be exercised there ) as well as part of the politicks of this world. charles , often advised by the cardinal to come into spain to enjoy his crown , and dissipate by his presence the troubles that daily grew up , at last leaves flanders , and by an express to the cardinal , gives him notice he was embarqued ; the cardinal goes from madrid , and advances with the whole court to meet his master , making choice of the burrough of alcande , scituate on the banks of the river guadalayer to attend his coming ; and taking with him prince ferdinand under a strong guard , on which depended the peace and safety of spain ; in his journey he passed through b●zeguillas , a village on a hill , and dined there ; but the worst dinner he ever made : ( for there the spaniards generally believe ) he had that venomous dose of lingering poison which destroyed his life ; which is the more probable , for that the provincial of the observantines of st. francis , being on his way with some of his order , to go to the cardinal , a man on hors-back came to them with his face muffled up in a hand-kerchief to prevent their discovery , and said ; fathers , if your business be to the cardinal , make haste to him before he dines , and advise him , not to eat of a pigeon that shall be served in to him , for 't is poysoned ; marquine the provincial arrives at bozeguillas , and recounts to the cardinal , what the strange gentleman told him . the cardinal having thanked him for his care of him , made him this answer ; father , if i have been poysoned it was not this day , but a while ago reading at madrid , a letter from flanders , when me-thought i drew in poyson by my eyes ; since which , i protest , i feel my self dye every day : nevertheless i am not so well assured of this , as to exclude all doubt of the truth thereof ; we are all under the conduct of gods providence , which takes away , and restores our health , as he judges most necessary for our salvation . let 's obey then those holy decrees that are irreversible . but when his malady came on him , he returned to his former opinion , telling his physitians , that he should perish by the treason of those wretches , that attempted his life . the spaniards write , that after dinner at bozeguillas , his malady heightned so apparently , that putrified matter broke out under his nails ; yet this could not hinder him from imploying the small portion of life that remained , in the service of the state. he had written to charles , that it concerned him to command from his brother ferdinand , alvarez osorio , the dominican , bishop of astozia , the prince's tutor ; and peter gusman , grand prior of the order of calatrave his governour , who apprehending the arrival of charles in spain , might give the young prince counsel to the disservice of the king , it being long reported that these men would never brook the flemings whom they hated , and to avoid a meeting would retire to arragon with ferdinand , and cause him to be crowned king of that kingdom : but he was designed by heaven for greater fortunes , and was emperour after his brother charles the fifth , and had the royal crowns of hungary and bohemia , in right of queen anne his wife , heiress to ladislaus , and lewis , her father and brother , kings of those kingdoms ; he had four sons , and eleven daughters , of whom joan d' austria was marryed to francis de medicis , great duke of tuscany ; of which marriage was born , mary de medicis , queen of france and navarr , wife of henry the great , and mother of lewis the thirteenth late regnant ; a princess of eminent vertue , singular goodness , and incomparable magnanimity , maternally descended from the houses of france and austria , as well as those of hungary , and bohemia : for , the emperour ferdinand her grand-father , was younger son to mary of burgundy , only daughter of duke charles , and isabel of b●urbon . charles judging the remove of osorio and guzman , necessary for his service , commanded it , and writ to the cardinal to that purpose ; the master of the courriers , who received the dispatch , instead of delivering it ( as addressed ) to the cardinal , carried the pacquet to dean adrian , who opened it , though not directed to him , and gives to ferdinand his brother's letter , where the young prince saw the king his brother's command for removing osorio and guzman ; he went to the cardinal , and with tears in his eyes entreated him not to make any change in his family , till his brother's arrival in spain ; that guzman and osorio were very faithful to him , and had great affections for him , that they were given him by the hands of king ferdinand his grand-father , and his grand-mother queen isabel ; that to take them from him , were to condemn the judgement , and vilifie the memory of two princes whom the whole world had honoured : the cardinal though surprized , as not knowing of the affair ( which adrian had discovered ) to remove the odium from himself , exhorted the young prince to obey the king his brother , on whom depended his fortune and grandeur , that he ought to preferr the interest of charles , before that of his domesticks , and to conform to his will. ferdinand seeing that he gained nothing on the cardinal's spirit , gave him in choler this reparty ; since you are resolved to destroy me and mine , when you might have pleasured me in forbearing a little while to execute what is writ to you from flanders , i will take order , my servants shall not be ruined , as you have designed . the cardinal was moved at his threats , but being resolute and couragious to maintain the interest of his master , told him , sir , you may do what you please ; but before the sun set to morrow , though all spain stood against me , the king shall be obeyed , and you shall obey him the first of any . ferdinand ne●●ed at these words , retired towards aranda ; the cardinal sent after him , and gave the charge of his person , and of the town to cabanilla and spinosa captains of the guards , commanding them to be up all night with their troops , and not permit a person of the princes family to go out of the town : they obeyed him , and on the morrow osorio and guzman were dismissed , and the will of charles was executed with fidelity and courage ; the principal qualities of a minister of state , in affairs which concern the interest of the king with the princes of his blood . some grandees of spain seeing the cardinal proceed with absolute authority against the infant ferdinand and themselves , demanded of him a fight of his commission ; the cardinal pointed to the soldiers of his guards , and told them , those folks there with the will of the king , are the power i have to command castile : then twisting on his finger the cord of his order wherewith he was girt , this , said he , is sufficient to chastise proud vassals , and bring them to reason . a little after , he caused some cannons to be discharged , and a volley of musquet-shot , which was the last answer , but more terrible than the first : this stopped their mouths , and struck fear into these men who had been more curious than wise . scarce had the cardinal ended this important affair of ferdinand's family , when a courrier brought him news , medina sedonia was taken by peter giron , son of giron , lord of vienna , who took up armes , made himself master of the field , and siezed that place into his hands in revenge of the injury of villas hermanos : the cardinal sent against him some troops of the militia then afoot under the command of count quignonio de luna , with order to take the rebel and bring him alive or dead . another courrier at the same time arrived from charles , to inform him of a design of the turks against oran ; for having set sail from flanders , the ninth of september , . he met with some corsayres by the way , who informed him that an army of turks were upon their march to oran : this obliged him to advertise the cardinal , praying him to provide for the safety of that place with all diligence possible , as a piece of great convenience for the rendevouz of the forces he designed to send to africk , for extending christianity unto those pagan countries . the cardinal by the same courrier assured him of his best care for preservation of oran , commended his design , and advised him to pursue it ; that of so many monarks who in past ages had worn the crown of spain , they only added a constant felicity to a long reign who had laboured most in the propagation of religion : but oran for this time had only an apprehension of the turkish armes : for the moors of africk , fearing the violences of the turks , obstructed their passage , and defeated their army . in the mean time charles after a happy voyage came to villadichosa in spain , with the princess elenor his sister , afterwards queen of portugal , and since that queen of france by marriage with francis the first : he gave the cardinal notice of his arrival , and demanded his advice about his entry into the kingdom , that he might make it like a king , and be received of his people according to his desires and dignity . the cardinal advised him to receive courteously such as came to meet him , to compose his countenance , and order his discourse and habit , suitable to the mode of spain ; to send his brother ferdinand into germany , for that his presence in spain was useless to his person , and might prove prejudicial to his authority ; that it concerned him to use his utmost dexterity in executing this resolution ; to impute the cause to maximilian his grand-father , and to appear much displeased at the separation ; the people of spain having a passionate love for ferdinand , as bred amongst them , and a perfect spaniard in language , behaviour and inclinations : that he would not come to any resolution against the sicilians , who had massacred their senators , till he had first weighed the condition of his exchequer , and the forces of his kingdom . that he would advance further into spain , and make haste to madrid . as to this last point , the flemmings relished it not , but resolved to retain charles in the remote parts of the kingdom , till the cardinal's death , which they were advised must shortly follow : they desired nothing less than that this man should come to speech with the king , apprehending a discovery of their rapines by his generous liberty and integrity to the king. but charles received those counsels , as lights for his conduct , and sent an express to convey his thanks , confessing himself much obliged by his cares , his prudence , and fidelity . the cardinal by the same envoy returns answer , that the services he had done him , were of duty ; that he esteemed it his glory to have sustained the envy of almost all the world in serving him ; that the predominant passion of his soul was his desire to see his majesty , and to put into his hands the kingdom more sound and intire , than he had received it , at the beginning of his administration . all spain went to meet their new king : the constable velasio was attended with seven hundred horse ; the council made haste to tender him their duty , and thinking they had no more to do with the cardinal , now charles was arrived in spain , they took their journey without advertising the cardinal . but he out went them by his courriers , whom he sent to the king , desiring his majesty not to suffer a disorder of so ill example in the state ; that the council the principal body of it should thus separate from their head , and intreating him to command them back to aranda : charles did so , commanding the council to return the way they came , and go to the cardinal ; that it would be more acceptable to him to see them together with him . this put them in great disorder ; for , having with them their wives and children , they could not return without much inconvenience : they sent to the cardinal , entreated him he would be pleased to permit them to attend his majesty in the place the courrier found them . the cardinal impatient of contempt , and highly offended at the slight offered him , made no shew of resentment , but resolved not to bate them a step of their return to aranda ; answers them , that he was glad they were all in health , that they all knew how punctual he had alwayes been in causing the obedience due to the king to be exactly performed . and since his majesty had advised them to return to aranda ; it was his advice , they should obey him with all the diligence in their power . they , as they parted rashly , returned shamefully : the respect due to a minister of state is to be preserved even to jealousie , as that that maintains his authority which slights and neglects destroy . at this arrival of the king in spain , the people were much moved , and hotly demanded an assembly of the states of the realm . the cardinal was of opinion it ought not to be granted so soon , but that the king must be first received , and affairs setled in a quiet posture , saying , it was of great concernment that kings at their coming to the crown should be received of their people with extraordinary reverence as a matter of great importance to their authority : this advice was slighted , but the neglect cost spain dear . all the kingdom was in trouble and the state in danger by the contests that arose about the place where the estates should convene ; at last it was agreed , the king should come to valladolid for holding the assembly . there the envy of the cardinal's enemies mustered all its force to affront his person , and attacque his authority . the harbingers of this great minister having taken up a house for him , the marshals of the kings lodgings , being flemmings , set on by the grandees , took it from them , and for reason told them , this lodging must be marked for queen germain ; the cardinal jealous of his authority , and impatient of affronts , having discovered the practises of the flemmings , disputed it with them , and carryed the lodgings . but he must shortly dislodge from the court , and the world , though with the same honour he had lived there : the flemmings enter into a cabbal , to outt him the court. mota bishop of badaos , a dignity he owed wholly to the cardinal's favour , to please xeures , the kings favourite , ( as the spaniards say ) and his own interest , advised charles to remove the cardinal from court into his diocess of toledo . charles who was no less obliged to the cardinal than to him who gave him the crown of spain , forgot the services of this grand minister , followed mota's advice , and by his inconstancy confirmed the proverb , that services of great ones are no inheritance ; having sent a letter to the cardinal the tenour whereof was this . my lord cardinal , i hold on my journey by jurdefillas ; whereof i thought fit to advertise you , that you may come to m●jados the bishop of segorges house , where i desire to see you , and to receive your good counsels , not only for the conduct of my estate , but the ordering of my family , which i will regulate according to your sage advice . this is the last help i can receive of you in my affairs ; for , your long services deserve repose , and your age requires it ; and i grant it willingly , and advise you to retire to your house , to enjoy it with more pleasure . god alone can give you a just recompence for your long travels in the conduct of this kingdom ; as for me i shall never forget them , and will ever pay you the respects due from a good natured child to a careful and bounteous father . this letter of dismission by the trouble it gave the cardinal cast him into a feaver which brought him to his grave , though some spanish historians say , that the courrier who carryed it , finding the cardinal desperately sick delivered it not , but that ( the feaver holding him eighteen hours after , whereas the physicians advertised him , he could not live above six hours ) he brought back the letter to the council , and delivered it to adrian . others write , that he received it on his death-bed , and called for pen , ink , and paper to answer it ; but that , having written three or four lines , his strength failed him , the pen dropt out of his hand , and he soon after breathed his last . these lines , or piece of a letter were never published , as if fate had been unwilling to discover to the world any thing imperfect to which this man had put his hand . certain it is , the cardinal perceiving he must shortly dye , made an end worthy his good life , mustering up the force of his spirit , in the weakness of his body , and discoursing piously and learnedly of the mercy of god , the inconstancy of the world , and the vanity of the court ; imbracing the crucifix , bedewing his face with tears , he begged pardon from god for his sins , and having protested he had not laid out one rial of the revenues of his benefices for the advancement of his kindred , he received the christian - viaticum , the holy eucharist , repeating often those words of david , my god , in thee have i put my trust , and went to enjoy in heaven those crowns which god gives them , who govern people with prudence , integrity , and piety . this happened on sunday the ninth of november , . in the th . year of his age , having worn the mytre of toledo . years , and governed spain , as many , under ferdinand , isabel , joan , philip and charles : his body was interred in the colledge of st. idelphons in alcala d' henares , which he had built ; his tomb of white marble , and his effigies of the same are to be seen at this day , with this epitaph worthy his illustrious actions , which comprehends in short , both what he did before his glorious administration , and his acts in the state , condideram musis franciscus grande lycaeum , condor in exiguo nunc ego sarcophago . praetextam junxi sacco , galeamque galero , frater , dux , praesul , cardineusque pater . quin virtute mea junctum est diadema cucullo , cum mihi regnanti paruit hesperia . he was tall , and streight of stature , of a serious look , carrying in his face natural gravity , his voice was masculine and firm , his visage long and meagre , his forehead large and without wrinkles , midling eyes somewhat deep set in his head , but very lively ; his nose long and aquiline ; his teeth jutting out a little toward his lipps , which gave the courtiers occasion in raillery to call him , the elephant : a piece of buffonnery wherein they spoke more truth than they were ware of ; for an elephant must he needs have been in strength , who carryed the weight of so many affairs , and so great crosses . twenty eight years after his death , as they were digging the grave his body lay in , they drew out his bones , and his head , once the palace of the greatest judgement that ever appeared in spain , the scull whereof was all of a piece , without suture , the mark of a strong brain ; but withal the cause of the continual head-aches he was subject to , by the vapours wanting vent . this is the pourtrait of his body : that of his mind is already drawn in those many illustrious actions , and sage counsels it produced : yet like the painters finishing touches , we 'll add some observations to the body of our past story . he expressed himself in few words , but handsome and very significant , his answers were clear and very intelligible ; and when he discoursed of any business , he never went from the point ; his entertainments were serious , saying often with the roman orator , we were not born to trifle away time , in sports and playes , but to imploy our selves in serious matters and affairs of weight . his study was his pleasure ; and discourses of divinity his recreations after meat . true it is melancholy was his , as most great mens predominant humour : but when it troubled him , he retired from business , and appeared not to any but his most intimate familiars . this discovered it self in some notable passages of his life , as the baptizing the moors of granada , with the laver , and his design to conquer africk . what he had once resolved on , he executed with incredible promptitude : salust had taught him that lesson which he would often repeat , that nimble execution ought to tread on the heels of deliberate resolutions . no man more impatient of contempt and slights offered against his authority , none more apt to endure liberty of speech . a priest of osma desired of him a judge extraordinary to determine a suit he had depending , and pressed him earnestly , as the chief of the council , to grant it ; the cardinal answered , the ordinary judges should do him right , that he must content himself with them , and abide satisfied with their decree , that he knew not where to find better in all the cities of spain . is it possible ( said the priest ) that the pittiful burrough of torrelagine should give a primate to all spain , and so many cities not afford a competent judge for a small suit ? the cardinal finding him so free in his expression , thought he had belonged to some grandee , who had set him on to speak these words , and asked him , who was his master ? my self , said the priest , and i be , no other : you say well , replyed the cardinal , you cannot have a better ; and having given a judge as desired , dismissed him . contrera a spanish priest preached one day before the cardinal , and , with more zeal than discretion , inveighed against rich habits , not considering how necessary they are to procure reverence from the people to persons in authority and eminent dignity ; and turning to the cardinal , he reproved him in the face of the congregation for wearing a robe lined with rich furrs . the cardinal took this reprimande very patiently , and after sermon invited the preacher to dinner , and commended his sermon . some write that after sermon he took the preacher aside into the vestry , and having opened his bosome , shewed him a hair cloth under his robe ; but i dare not affirm it , lest i seem to condemn the most solid judgement of that age , of levity . time was one of the things most in his esteem , and knowing that the loss of it was irreparable , he was a very niggard of it , and loath to lose a moment : he was alwayes trimmed by night , for fear of spending any part of the day on the necessities of his person , which might be dispatched another time . and as he was trimmed , it was his course to have some serious book read to him . he took an ineffable delight to bestow benefices in his gift , on persons capable , who sought them not , nor knew of the vacancies ; and severely rejected such as begged them of him , as failing in the respects due to his person . the way to miss a promotion from him , was to begg it of him . one of his almoners had advice of a vacancy very convenient for him ; and , knowing that if he moved not the cardinal for it , he might bestow it on one he never thought of ; and that to begg it , was to lose it ; he presented himself to his master , and bespoke him thus : my lord , such a benefice is void , to desire it of you , were to violate your laws , and the prohibitions you have made in that behalf , which i will never do , nor came i to that purpose , but humbly to crave your directions how to obtain it . the cardinal liked his address , and answered , you shall have it with a good will , get the writings dispatched , and the benefice will be yours ; and instantly commanded his secretary to provide them . but as he was severe in rejecting the importunate requests of his domesticks , he was no less ready to acknowledge their services , but would have his favours prevent their demands , to engage them with more grace , and stronger obligation . 't is observed of this great minister , that never man served him in or out of his family , who was not largely rewarded . god made man free-born : fortune hath robbed him of that liberty , by reduceing him under servitude of great ones , who are guilty of ravishing from him , what is most precious , his liberty , and his time ; unless they restore them the fruits of the one , and the other by way of recompence in ample rewards , which alone can repair the loss of this letter , being otherwise irrecoverable . the cardinal was apt to resent injuries , and affronts , but no man more thankful for pleasures done him , which he never forgot . brunet the spaniard , mentioned in the beginning of this story who assisted him in his voyage to rome when the robbers had left him only his tongue to begg , is a pregnant instance : this man came to see him in the time of his greatness . the honours , the familiarity , and intimate privacy the cardinal afforded him , put the court into admiration . no person in spain , the king only excepted , having received so much respect from him : he laboured to retain him neer himself , he sent him presents , promised him what entertainment , offered him what preferment he pleased , courted his acceptance of bishopricks , and great offices ; ●or raising his fortune : but brunet , who pre●erred the repose of a mean condition , before ●he troubles of the great dignities of the world , ●aving thanked the cardinal for the honours he ●id him , the offers and promises made him , ●etyred home to enjoy there that tranquillity he ●esired , in those conveniencies whereof he had ●●fficient to satisfie him . monsieur xeures , who envyed the reputation ●f this great minister , and feared his liberty of ●peech to king charles against him ; and after him , ●●e cardinal granvel , on consideration of the ●randeur of his actions , averr the cardinal ●●●ued of royal-blood , though time , which no ●●ss conceals , than discovers the best of things ●●th hid his extraction , it being in their opini●● impossible a private man should be capable of 〈◊〉 great things , unless he had in him the seeds of ●●ose vertues which are proper to monarks , ●●d were descended of mighty potentates . but such was the life , and such were the actions of francis ximenes , surnamed , for the effects of his prudence , the cardinal of spain , whose counsels are to this day observed in that kingdom , and his vertues serve the world for directions in the conduct of state. for if the pourtraicts of great persons have the property to make the spectators to imitate their qualities , their vertues are excellent guides to lead us aright by their illustrious splendour in the wayes of this world. the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e j. caesar . plato . notes for div a -e scipio . the present estate of spayne, or a true relation of some remarkable things touching the court, and gouernment of spayne with a catalogue of all the nobility, with their reuenues. composed by iames wadsworth, gent. late pensioner to his maiesty of spayne, and nominated his captaine in flanders. wadsworth, james, - ? approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc a estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the present estate of spayne, or a true relation of some remarkable things touching the court, and gouernment of spayne with a catalogue of all the nobility, with their reuenues. composed by iames wadsworth, gent. late pensioner to his maiesty of spayne, and nominated his captaine in flanders. wadsworth, james, - ? [ ], p. by a[ugustine] m[athewes] for ambrose ritherdon, at his shop, at the signe of the bull head in pauls-church-yard, imprinted at london : . printer's name from stc. a variant of the edition with imprint giving richard thrale and ambrose ritherdon as publishers. reproduction of the original in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery. some print faded and show-through; some pages stained. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database 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where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng spain -- social life and customs -- early works to . spain -- nobility -- early works to . spain -- court and courtiers -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the present estate of spayne , or a true relation of some remarkable things touching the court , and gouernment of spayne , with a catalogue of all the nobility , with their reuenues . composed by iames wadsworth , gent. late pensioner to his maiesty of spayne , and nominated his captaine in flanders . imprinted at london by a. m. for ambrose ritherdon , at his shop , at the signe of the bull head in pauls-church-yard . . to the right honourable the nobility , and gentrie of england , addicted to history , or trauaile . it is not the worth of the booke , that hath made mee presume so far , as to dedicate it to your honours seruice , supposing it a worke , worthy of your patronage : for it is your strong defence that can ouersway the calumnious obloquies of detractors , as also the worlds malignitie , so as it may take no iniury . that hath made mee beseech you , to shadow it vnder your wings , not esteeming the value of the thing , but the good mind , and meaning of the giuer , who is willing to doe as eschines did to socrates , who hauing nothing meete to gratifie him withall , gaue euen himselfe , whom you shall alwayes finde ready , your deuoted seruant , iames wadsvvorth . the index . a relation of all the dukes grandes of spayne . page . the grandes of italy . p. . marquesses grandes of spayne . p. . earles grandes of spayne . p. . marquesses of spayne which are not grandes . p. . earles of spayne which are not grandes . p. . the high counstables of spayne . p. . the admiralls of spayne . p. . the lords lieutenants of spayne . p. . vicounts of spayne . p. . archbishops and bishops of spayne . p. . knights of the noble order of the golden-fleece in spayne . p. . knights of the order of saint iames in spayne . p. . knights of the order of calatraua . p. . knights of the order of alcantara . p. . knights of the order of christ in portugall . p. . knights of the order of montesa in valentia . p. . knights of the order of saint iohn . p. . a scedule of the offices of which the king of spayne allowes his priuie councell to dispose of as in their owne donation . p. . his embassadours abroad . p. . councels of spayne . p. . priuiledges of the nobility of spayne . p. ● . priuiledges of the constables of spayne . p. . the order which the king of spayne obserues in his chappell , and the gouernment thereof . p. . the state of the king and queene at meales . p. . the order and manner of the kings and queenes going abroad in their coach. p. . the manner of the kings riding foorth on horse-backe , to any publicke actes . p. . a scedule of the parish churches , and monasteries of friars in madrid . p. . certaine other speciall briefe obseruations concerning the king and state of spayne . p. . the kings audience to embassadours . p. . the demeanor of the spaniards in these times . p. . the king of spaynes reuenues , and his forces at sea and land. p. . cities in spayne . p. . ports and circuit . p. . the brasse-coynes . p. . errata . pag . line . read gacasa for gacara . barrameda for barameda . pag . line . read velascos for vecascos . pag . line . read pentaranda for peniferanda . pag no. read ●elues for lelues . for other faults i int●eat the reader to correct . a relation of all the dvkes , grandes of spayne , marquesses , earles , knights of seuerall orders , together with the arch-bishops , and bishops , their seuerall titles , dignities , offices , priuiledges and yeerely reuenues . atedious preamble or a prolix exordium is oftentimes rather offensiue , then any way delectable to the reader : therefore to auoyde occasion of distaste in this kinde , i will briefely betake my selfe to the relation of those particulars which shall in due order present themselues to the readers view and aspect , and first . of the dukes grandes of spayne . the first is the duke of san lucar the maior , or of alpechin , earle of oliuares , lord high steward to his maiesty of spaine , sumiller du corps , or chiefe squire to his body ; the said office belongs to the house of burgundie , of which the king himselfe is chiefe . the said dukes mansion or dwelling house is in siuill , his estate and reuenues are in andalusia , valued at sixescore thousand duckets a yeere , besides offices . he is lineally descended from the house of the guzmanes , whose sonne in law ( the marques of torall ) is head of the said house , and also one of the grandes of spaine , and master of the kings horse . this said marques of torall his ancestors did always heretofore refuse all offices , and places of dignity in court , being expressely forbidden by their progenitors success●iely , holding and accounting it an indignity to their noble pedegree ; this being their motto in their scutcheons . reyes de nos , y nos node reyes , ( kings come from us , wee not from kings ) his house or mansion of antiquity , is in the kingdome of leon ; his reuenues , in former times were not aboue eight thousand , but now valued at sixty foure thousand duckets a yeere beside offices . the duke of medina sidonia , marques of san lucar of basrameda , of cacara in affrica , and earle of niebla his house and estate are in the kingdome of siuill , his yeerely reuenues with his fishing of tunnie , are valued at three hundred thousand duckets a yeare . he is one of the prime branches of the house and family of gusmanes . this duke ( being once enstalled in his dukedome ) frequents not the kings court , but liues in courtlike state within his owne precinct at san lucar of barrameda : his father was generall of the fleete , anno dom. . the sonne of this great duke ( by vertue of a dispensation from the pope ) hath married his aunt , both by father and mother , and t is doubtfull , whether her beauty or riches had greatest power in this vnnaturall coniunction . the duke of medina caeli , marques of cogolludo , earle of the port of saint mary : is chiefe of the familie of cerdas : his mansion or dwelling house is in cogolludo : his estate in the kingdome of toledo , and siuill ; and by estimation worth foure and forty thousand duckets a yeere . this duke is of the blood royall of castilla , and layes claime to the kingdome of castilla , and his accustomed manner is euery yeere vpon twelfe-day to deliuer a petition to his maiesty by right of priuiledge in that behalfe , which petition the king fauourably receiues , and withall answeres in these words , nos lo oymos , we heare you : and so referres it to the councell royall where it ceaseth for the present without any further proceedings in this case . the duke of lerma , marques of deniae , earle of ampudia , lord of the house of sandubal , and rojas ; his houses and mansions are in lerma and denia , his estate and reuennewes in castilla and valentia , and are worth two hundred and threescore thousand duckats a yeare . this said duke and his eldest sonne , ( the duke of vceda , ) heire apparant to the dukedome aforesaid , are both dead and the duke of cea ( grandchild to the duke of lerma aforesaid , and lord lieutenant of castilla , enioyeth all the aforesayd estate which ( with his owne ) amounteth to three hundred and fourty thousand duckets a yeare . the said lerma , perceiuing himselfe disfauoured by the king , procured a cardinals hat for his owne safety . and the said dukes fauourite , marques of siete , yglesias , don rodrigo calderon ( captaine of his maiesties guard ) being attainted of high treason ; ( according to the accustomed manner of spayne , for execution of such malefactors ) had his throat cut in the open market place at madrid , and all his goods confiscated to the king : amounting to the summe of three millions of duckets , or rather more . moreouer his children and successors of his linage were proclaimed ignoble , and neuer afterwards hereditarie to the aforesaid demeanes . this marques as hee was going to the place of execution , had one going before him with a bell and a dish in his hand , begging money for masses to be said for his soule ; saying these words . doc good for the soule of this man , who the other day was so rich , and now in so poore and lamentable estate . the duke of feria , marques of safra , earle of villa alba , chiefe of the family of feigueroas ; his house is in safra , his estate in estremadura , his rents are fifty thousand duckets a yeere . this dukes grandmother was of the house of the dormars , heere in england , and a lady of honour to queene mary , who was married to king philip , the second of spayne , and the sayd lady was married to this dukes grandfather , at that same time and so went ouer into spayne . the duke of infantado , marques of cenete and santillana , earle of saldana , lord of the royalty of mansanares , chiefe of the house of mendosas ; his mansion or dwelling house is in the citty called guadalaxara , and his estate lies in the kingdome of toledo , and the mountaines of old castilla : his rents are a hundred thousand duckats a yeere . the old duke is dead and now the young heire enioyes the dukedome , being some twenty yeeres of age , this is one of the prime dukes of spaine . the duke of frias , marques of berlanga , earle of haro , and lord of the house of the seuen infantes of lara , constable of castilla , and iustice maior of spayne : hee is chiefe of the house of velascos : his house is in the citty burgos , and his estate in old castilla , in the mountaines of biscay , and the hilles of soria , his rents are fourescore thousand duckats a yeare . the duke of medina riosecco marques of modica , earle of melgar , vicount cabrera , in catalunia and esterlin ; admirall of castilla , and chiefe of the house of enriques . his mansion or dwelling house is in vallodolid , and his estate in the province of campos , catalunia ; and sicilia , his rents are sixescore thousand duckats a yeare . the duke of alba and guesca , marques of cori● , earle of saluatierra , vicount of saldices , and lord of valde corneja , of the family of the toledos , counstable of nauarre by inheritance , his mansions or dwelling houses are in salamanca , and alba : and his estate in old castilla , nauarre and andalusia : his rents are a hundred thousand duckets a yeare . the duke of alcada , ( of the house of gansules , marques of tarifa , earle of hornos , lieutenant or lord president of andalusia , and lord chiefe notarie of the same . he is chiefe of the family of riueras , his mansion or dwelling house is in the citty of siuill , and his estate in the same kingdome ; his rents are fourescore thousand duckets a yeare . the duke of alburquerque , marques of guelma , and culiar , earle of ledesma , chiefe of the family of the cueuas . his house is in culiar , and his estate in old castilla , his rents are fifty thousand duckets a yeare . the duke of escalona , marques of villena , earle of santistc●an , lord garganta , chiefe of the family of pachecos , his houses are in toledo and escaloni● , and his estate in the prouince of the m●ncha in the kingdome of tolledo . his rents are worth a hundred thousand duckets a yeare . the duke of osuna , marques of penafiel , earle of vrenia , head of the family of girones , lord chiefe notarie of castilla : his house is in osuna , his estate in andolusia and old castilla : his rents are fourescore thousand duckats a yeere . the duke of arcos , marques of cades and lara , earle of marchena , chiefe of the family of the ponces of leon : his house in seuill , and his estate in the said kingdome ; his rents are fifty thousand duckets a yeare . the duke of bei●r , marques gibraleon , earle of benalcasar ▪ chiefe of the house of the sunigas and soto maior ▪ his mansion or dwelling house is in seuill , and his estate in the said kingdome : his rents are threescore and ten thousand duckets a yeere , this duke is of the blood royall . the duke of gandia , marques of lombay , earle of oliba , head of the family of the borjas : his house is in valentia , and his estate in the same kingdome : his rents are fifty thousand duckets a yeare . the duke of cesa , balna and soma , marques of poca , earle of cabra , palamos , and oliueto , vicount of disnacar , admirall of naples ; high constable of the castle of ferxo : he is head of the house of cordobas ; his mansion or chiefe dwelling house , is in cordoba , and his estate in the kingdome of naples , and catalunia . his rents are sixescore thousand duckets a yeare . the duke of maqueda and naxera marques of elche , earle of valentia and triuinio , chiefe of the house of the manrriques de lara , and cardenas . his houses are in toledo , and naxera : and his estate in the kingdome of leon and estremadura : his rents are fourescore and ten thousand duckets a yeare . the duke of segorbe and cardona , marques of comares , lord of lucena , earle of pradas , constable of arragon , head of the arragones and cardonas ; of the blood royall of arragon : his house is in valentia , his estate in the said kingdome catalunia and andalusia : his rents are sixescore thousand duckets a yeare . the duke peniaranda , marques of banesia , earle of miranda , chiefe of the family of the auellanedas , and likewise allied vnto the house of s●niga , his house is in peniaranda , and his estate in old castilla : his rents are yeerely fourty thousand duckets a yeere . the duke of yjar , his house is in saragosa , and his estate in arragon ; his rents are twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the duke of villa hermosa , earle of ribagosa , of the linage of arragones , his house is in saragosa , and his estate in arragon : his rents are foure and twenty thousand duckets a yeare . the duke of beraguas , marques of iamayca , admirall of the indies , allied to the house of toledo : his house is in saragosa : and his estate in arragon , and the indies , estimated to be worth thirty thousand duckats a yeare besides his admiralls place , which is worth twenty thousand duckets a yeere more . the duke of pastrana , prince of eboli , of the house and family of siluas in portugall : this house is in pastrana ; his estate in the prouince of alcarria , his reuenues are worth forty thousand duckats a yeare . the duke of villa franca , is of the house of tolledo , but being not desirous to reteine the title of a duke , assignes it to his sonne , and is only contented with the name don pedro of toledo . his sonne is duke of fernandina , marques of villa franca , prince of montalban ▪ and earle of peniramiro . this don pedro , was he that was taken prisoner comming for england , in the yeare . and his sonne did lately take saint christophers iland . their mansions or chief dwelling houses are in toledo and villa franca : and their estates in naples and galisia , valued at sixecore thousand duckets a yeare . all these are dukes grandees in spayne , and hold their priuiledges and dignities successiuely by inheritance , and so doe the constables and admirals , within the king of spaynes dominions . now for their estates & yerely reuenues , none of them can sell , but may ( if necessity and occasion require ) morgage the same for the payments of their debts ( by yearely portions ) till satisfaction bee made , and then the right owner , or his suruiuing heire , must repossesse the same without any impediment or contradiction . another obseruation concerning these grandees is , that none of them must be married without the kings leaue and licence : which if they doe obtaine , and are married , their espoused ladies must not loose their virginity within sixe miles of the kings court , the first night after they are married . furthermore no grandee , nobleman or gentleman of worth , may be arrested for debt , but must pay their debts as the abouesaid grandees . neitheir can any stranger be arrested for debt if he can but produce two witnesses , that will be deposed and take their oath , that he is descended from the loynes of gentle-parents in his natiue countrey . also no souldiers can be billeted vpon any of the nobility , nor gentry of spayne . the grandees of italy which may at their owne pleasure bee covered before the king. the duke of paliano , prince of sonino , counstable of naples ; of the house and linage of colona romana : his mansion or dwelling house is in rome , his estate and reuenewes are in the adiacent borders called campana roma , and are valued at a hundred thousand duckets a yeare . marques spinola , chiefe campmaster of the armies in flaunders and generall in the palatinate ; now gouernour of millain : generall of the king of spaynes forces there , knight of the noble order of the golden fleece : his house is at gen●ua , some estate of land he hath in spayne , but his gre●test reuenewes are in money ; by relation two or three millions ; but not certainely know●n . his sonne for the reward of his ser●ice at the palatinate , was made a cardinall commonly called cardinall spinola . the duke of braciano , lord of the house of vrc●●● romana his house is in rome ; his estate in the aforesaid ●ampana roma●ia and tuscana : and is worth fourescore thousand duckets a yeere . the prince of bisiniano , had a faire estate and many titles , but now all are come to nothing but a bare title ; although hee was heretofore head of the house of saint seberina : he is called by the name of don tiberio carasa . the prince of malfeta , of the house of gonsaga , graund iusticer of naples , earle of guastala , and campo bassa : his house is in guastala ; his estate in naples and lombardie : his rents are seuenty thousand duckets a yeare . the prince of melsi , of the house of oria , great protonotario or pronotarie of naples ; his house is at genoua , and his estate lyeth in the kingdome of naples : his rents are two hundred thousand duckets a yeare . the prince of asinly , lord of the house of leyba ; his house is at naples , and his estate in the said kingdome : his rents are fourty thousand duckets a yeere . the duke of montalto , prince of paterno , is of the family of moncada and arragon : his house is at palermo , and his estate lyes in the kingdomes of naples and scicilie : his rents are a hundred and fourty thousand duckets a yeare . the duke of terra noua , prince of gastelbitrano , is of the house and family of zallauia and arragon , his house is at palermo , and his estate in the kingdome of scicilie : his rents are seuenty thousand duckets a yeere . the marques of pescara and vasto , is of the house and family of a●alus , his house is at naples , and his estate in the same kingdome : his rents are thirty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of sexto , of the family of spinola , his house is at genoua , his estate in the kingdome of naples : his rents are seuenty thousand duckets a yeare . the duke of monteleon , is of the house and family of pinatelo , his house is in the city of naples , and his estate in the same kingdome and calabria : his rents are fourty thousand duckets a yere . the prince of castillon , of the house and family of gonsaga , his house is at castillon , and his estate in lombardie : his rents are twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the duke of salmoneta , is of the family of gaetana , his house is in rome , and his estate neere thereunto adioyning , his rents are thirty thousand duckets a yeare . the prince of butera , is of the house of brangifort , his house is in palermo , and his estate not farre distant from it : his rents are fourescore thousand duckats a yeare . the prince of sulmona , is of the house of burgense ; his house is at rome , and his estate in the kingdome of naples , his rents are twenty thousand duckets a yeare . marquesses grandes of spayne . the marques of astorga , earle of trastamara and santa maria , of the house of villa lobos , head of the linage of osorios , hee hath his house in astorga , and his estate in the kingdome of leon , and in the prouince of campos : his rents are fourty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of aguilar , earle of casteneda , is of the house of manrriques of lara : his house is in aguilar , his estate in leon ; and his rents are foure and thirty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of mondesar , earle of tendilla , of the linage of mendosas ; his house is in mondesar and his estate in the prouince of alcarria : his rents are thirty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of pliego , is of the house of aguilar , hee holdes his mansion or dwelling house in cordoba , and his estate is in alcarria and andal●si● , his rents are a hundred thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of veles and molina adolantado , or lieutenant of murcia , is of the house of fajardos ; his house and his estate are in murcia , and his rents are sixe and fourty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of santa cruz or the holy-crosse , is of the house of bacan : his mansion or dwelling house is in the viso , his estate in andalusia : and his rents are thirty thousand duckets a yeare . the marques of velada , of the linage and house of toledo and auila , his house is in auila , his estate in the kingdome of toledo : his rents are thirty thousand duckets a yeare . of the earles grandes of spayne . the earle of benauente , duke of villaon , earle of luna and mayorga . he is of the house of pimentele and holds his mansion or dwelling house in valladel●d ; his estate is in campos in the kingdome of estremadura : and his rents are a hundred thousand duckets a yeare . the earle of lemus and andrada marques of sarria , earle of villalba of the house of the castres : his mansion or dwelling house is in monforte delemus , his estate in galisia : his rents are fifty thousand duckats a yeere . the earle of oropesa , and deloptosa marques garandilla lord of cebolla : hee is of the house and linage of toledo , his mansion or chiefe dwelling house is in oropesa , his estate lyeth in the kingdome , of toledo , his rents are seuentie thousand duckets a yeare . the earle of albadelista is of the linage of the enriques ▪ his mansion house is in camora , and his estate in old castilla , his rents are thirty thousand duckets a yeare . the earle of altamira , is of the house and linage of moscoso : his mansion or dwelling house is in altamira : his estate in galisia , his rents two and twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of monterry , is of the house of sunigas , his house is in salamanca , his estate in galisia , his rents are thirty thousand duckats a yeare . marquesses of spayne , which are not grandees . the marques of ayamonte , of the linage of sunigas , and soto maior ; his house and estate are in siuill : and his rents six and twenty thousand duckats a yeere . the marques of tauara , of the house of pimenteles , his house is in valladolid ; his estate in old castilla : and his rents sixeteene thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of carpio earle of armuz of the house of haro ; his mansion or dwelling house is in carmona : his estate in andalusia , and his rents are foure and twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of camarasa , earle of ricla , of the house of cobos ; his house is in valladolid , and estate in arragon : and his rents are fiue and fourty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of cortes , of the linage and house of toledo , his house is in cortes , his estate is in navarra ▪ his rents are fifteene thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of montemayor , of the linage and stocke of silhas , he hath his house in monte-mayor ; his estate in the kingdome of toledo , and his rents are eighteene thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of montesclaros of the linage of mendosas he holds his chiefe house for residencie in guadalaxara : his estate lyeth in the prouince of alcarria , and his rents are sixeteene thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of nauas , earle of risco , is of the house and linage of auilas , hee hath his mansion or chiefe dwelling house in auila , and his estate is in aquella comarca : his rents are sixe and twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of stepa , of the centurions of genoua , hath his house in siuill , and his estate in the same kingdome : his rents are fifty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of caracena , of the linage of carillos and toledo ; holds his house in caracena , and his estate in castilla : his rents are sixeteene thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of malpica , of the linage of the riveras , holdes his house in madrid , and his estate in the kingdome of toledo : his rents are fourty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of ladrada , of the linage and house of cuebas , holdes his house in ladrada , and his estate in the kingdome of murcia : his rents are twelue thousand duckats a yeare . the marques caniete , of the linage and house of mendosas ; holds his house in cuenca , and his estate in aquella comarra : his rents are thirty foure thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of falces , of the house of peralta , hath his mansion house in mansilla , and his estate in nauarra : his rents are eight thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of aytona , of the house of moneada and cardona ; holdeth his chiefe mansion in valentia , and his estate in the said kingdome , his rents are thirty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of delualle , of the house and family of fernan cortes , his house is in mesico , in the west indies , and his estate lyeth in noua hispania , new spaine , his rents are seuenty thousand duckats a yeere . the marques of fromista , of the linage of enrriques ; his house is in fromista ▪ his estate in campos ; his rents are ten thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of cerralbo , of the house of toledo , and pachecos , hath his mansion house in cerralbo , and his estate in old castilla : his rents are ten thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of ardales and algaua , of the house of guzmanes , hath his house and estate in seuill : and his rents are thirty fixe thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of p●obera , of the house of sandas , hath his mansion house in salamanca , and his estate in old castilla , his rents are sixe thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of veteta , of the house of cardenas his house is in lerena , and his estate in estremadora : his rents are fifte●ne thousand duckets a yeare . the marques of alcanisas , of the house of manrriques and almansas ; hath his house in alcanises , and his estate in old castilla : his rents are fifteene thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of auila-fuente , of the house of cunigat , hath his house in auila-fuente , and his estate in old castilla ▪ his rents are eighteene thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of mota , of the house of v●●oas , hath his house and estate in toro , and his rents are sixteene thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of villa manrriques , of the house of sunig●s , his whole estate is in old castilla : and his rents are twelue thousand duckats a yeare , the marques of lansarote , lord of fuerte-ventura , of the house of roj●as and herreras his house and estate are in the canarias : his rents sixe thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of aum●n , of the house of velascos and herrer●● , hath his house in aunion , and his estate in castilla , his rents are two and twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of guadalcazar , of the house of cordouas , hath both his house and estate in andalusia : and his rents are ten thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of ynojosa , of the linage of the mendosas , hath his house in madrid , and his estate in gastilla : and his rents are twenty thousand duckets a yeare . the marques of villar , of the linage of pimenteles and suniga , hath his house and estate in gast●lla : and his rents are sixe and twenty thousand duckets a yeere . the marques of iodar , of the house of carana jales , he hath his house in iodar , and his estate in andalusias : his rents are ten thousand duckets a yeare . the marques of salinas , of the house of velascos , hath his house in madrid , and his estate in the indies : his rents are fifty thousand duckets a yeare . the marques of the valles , of the house acunia , hath his house and estate in old castilla , and his rents are sixeteene thousand duckats a yeere . the marques of flores de auila , of the house of cunigas , hath his house in salamanca , and his estate in old castilla : his rents are eight thousand duckets a yeare . the marques of pobar , of the house of auilas and guzmanes , hath his house and estate in andalusia ▪ and his rents are sixteene thousand duckets a yeare . the marques of pardos , of the house of cerdas , hath his house in toledo , his estate in castilla , and his rents are thirty thousand duckets a yeare . the marques of mirabel , of the house of auilas , hath his house in placencia , and his estate in placencia : his rents are foureteene thousand duckats a a yeare . the marques of guardia , of the house of meijas , his house is in guardia , and his estate in andalusia : his rents are thirty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of almacan , earle of monteagudo , hath his house in almacan , and his estate in olde castilla : his rents are thirty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of moya of the house of pachecos , and lord of the houses of the soid ▪ hath his house in valentia , and his estate in cuenca : his rents are sixeteene thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of fuente , of the house of sandobal , hath his whole estate in andalusia : and his rents are ten thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of laguna , of the house of cerdas , hath his whole estate in leon ; and his rents are twelue thousand duckats a yeare . the marques calanda , of the house of alasones , in arragon : his rents are foure thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of nauarres , of the house of borjas , hath his house and estate in valentia : and his rents are twelue thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of almenara , earle of cocentana , his house and estate are in valentia and castilla : his rents are twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of villamicar , of the house of rojas , and sandobal , his rents are twelue thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of loriana , his house is in auila , and his estate in castilla , and his rents are worth ten thousand duckets a yeare . the marques of orani , of the linage of silu●● , his whole estate is in cardena , and his rents are tenne thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of tabara , of the house of pimenteles , hath his house in valladolid , and his estate in castilla : his rents are worth sixeteene thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of ielbes , of the house of pimenteles , his whole estate is in castilla ▪ and his rents are twelue thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of malagon , earle of villa lonso , of the house of vlloas , his house is in zero , and his estate in castilla ▪ his rents are sixe and thirty thousand duckats a yeere . the earles of spayne , which are grandes . the earle of salinas and ribadeo , duke of villa , franca , of the linage of silbas : hath his house in madrid , and his estate in galicia , vizcaya and naples : his rentes are thirty thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of aguilar , lord of cameros , of the house of arelanos : hath his house in aguilar , his estate in rioja , and his rents are fifteene thousand duckats a yeare . the earle aranda , of the house of burrcas , hath his house in saragosa , and his estate in aragon : his rents are thirty thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of almenara , in valentia , his rents are sixe thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of alcaudete , of the house of cordouas , hath his house in alcaudete , and his estate in the kingdome of cordoua : his rents are eighteene thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of alba●da , of the house of milanes , in valentia , his rents are sixe thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of aymon , of the house of cordouas and leon , hath his house in cordoua , and his estate in granada : his rentes are sixe thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of debelchite , of the house of ysares , hath his house in valentia , and his estate in arragon : his rents are eight thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of castellar , head of the house of sahabedras , his house and estate are in seuill : and his rents are sixeteene thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of castro , of the house of mendosas , hath his house in castro , and his estate in old castilla : his rents are twelue thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of cifuentes , of the house of siluas , hath his house in toledo , and his estate in alcarria : his rents are eight thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of chi●chion , head of the house of bouadillas , hath his house and estate in tolledo : and his rents are forty thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of corunina , of the house of mendosas , hath his house in guadalaxara , and his estate in alcarria : his rents are tenne thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of fuensalida , marques of val●arrota , of the house of ayalas , hee hath his house in toledo , and his estate in that kingdome estremadura and andalusia , his rents are seuenty thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of gelbes , of the house of portugals , hath his house in seuill , and his estate in castilla : his rents are ten thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of gomera of ayales , suares , and castilla , his house and estate are in the canaries : his rents are fourteene thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of guirra , of the house of pachecos and castillas , hath his house and estate in new castilla : his rents are sixe thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of villamediana , of the house of tarsis , correo mayor . hath his house in valladolid , his estate in andalusia , and his rents are fourescore thousand duckats a yeare with his office . the earle of fuentes , of the house of heredias , his house is in caragosa , and his estate in arragon , his rents are eight thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of medillen of the house of portocarreros , hath his house in medillen , and his estate in estremadura : his rents are thirty thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of ciruela , of the house of velascos hath his house in rea , his estate in old castilla , and andalucia : his rents are foureteene thousand duckats a yere . the earle of morata , of the house of lunas , hath his house in caragosa , his estate in arragon : his rents are eight thousand duckats a yeere . the earle of casarubios of the house of chazones , hath his house and estate in toledo : and his rents are sixeteene thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of onate , of the house of guebaras , hath his house in onate , and his estate in guipuzcoa : his rents are eighteene thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of puebl● , of maestre , of the house of cordonas , his house is in lerena , and his estate in estremadura : his rents are sixteene thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of orgaz of the house of ayalas and mendosas , hath his house in san-tollala and his estate in the kingdome of toledo and vizcaya : his rents are eighteene thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of palma , of the house of portocarreros hath his house in hecija , and his estate in the kingdome of cordeba : his rents are fourteene thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of pliego , of the house of carrillos , hath his house in guadalaxara , and his estate in cuenca , his rents are eight thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of punio en rostro , of the house of arias , hath his house in madrid , and his estate in the kingdome of toledo : his rents are twenty thousand duckets a yeare . the earle of paredes , of the house of manrriques , hath his house in paredes , and his estate in old castilla : his rents are sixeteene thousand duckats a yere . the earle of salazar , of the house of relascos , hath his whole estate in old castilla ; and his rents are twelue thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of ribadabia , of the house of mendosas , hath his house in valladolid , and his estate in galicia : his rents are ten thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of sastago , of the house of arragon , hath his house in caragosa , and his estate in arragon : his rents are sixeteene thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of santisteuan , chiefe of the house of venauides , hath his house in vbeda , and his estate in gaen : his rents are fifteene thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of galues , of the house of cerda● , hath his house and his estate in galicia : and his rents are sixe thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of varajas , head of the house of sapatas , hath his house in madrid , and his estate in aquella-comarca : his rents are thirty thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of nieua , of the house of enrriquez , hath his house in nieua , and his estate in old castilla : his rentes are twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of ayamor and fernandina , duke of villa real in the kingdome of naples : and of the house of diaquez : hath his house and his estate in vizcaya : and his rents are twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of lodosa , of the house of mendozas and nauarros , hath his whole estate in nauarra : and his rents are nine thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of cantillana , of the house of vicentelos , hath his house in ceuill , and his estate in andalusia : and his rents are twentie thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of aninober , of the house of leyuas , hath his mansion or chiefe dwelling house in toledo , and his estate in old castilla : his rents are eight thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of castrillo , of the house of abellanedas , hath his house in aranda , and his estate in old castilla : and his rents are ten thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of villa-nueua of anuedo , of the house of vlloas , hath his whole estate in old castilla : and his rents are eight thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of arcos , of the house of figueroas and mendosa , hath his whose estate in that kingdomes of toledo and andalusia , his rents are twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of puebla and montalban , of the house of telles and girones , hath his house in puebla , and his estate in toledo : his rents are twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of baylen , of the house of ponces of leon , hath his house in baylen , and his estate in andalusia : his rents are twelue thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of osor●● , of the house of manrriques , hath his house in osorno , and his estate in old castilla : his rents are sixeteene thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of graxal , of the house of vegas , hath his house in graxal , and his estate in campos : his rents are twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of villamor , of the house of albarados , hath his house in madrid , and his estate in castilla : his rents are two and twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of villauor , of the house of guzmanes , hath his house and estate in castilla : and his rents are twelue thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of villaflor of the house of enriques , hath his whole estate in castilla : and his rents are eight thousand duckets a yeare . the earle of fuenti-duenia of the house of lunas , hath his house in fuenti-duenia , and his estate in olde castilla : his rents are twelue thousand duckets a yeare . the earle of fuensaldana , of the house of viueros and lunas , hath his house in valladolid : and his estate in old castilla : his rents are ten thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of mayalden , prince of esquilache , of the house of borjas , hath his whole estate in the kingdome of naples : and his rents are thirty thousand duckets a yeare . the earle of fuente elsauco of the house of dezas , hath his house and estate in toro : and his rents are twelue thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of salba-tierra of the house of ayalas and sarmientos ; hath his whole estate in galicia : and his rents are sixeteene thousand duckets a yeare . the earle of villa-alba of the house of ayalas , hath his house and estate in toledo : and his rents are twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of gondomar , of the house of sarmientos and acunia : hath his house and estate in galicia , and his rents are nine thousand duckats a yeare . the earle of penaranda , of the house bracamonte ; hath his house in penaranda , and his estate in old castilla , his rents are eight thousand duckets a yeare . the earle of villa-longa , of the house of franquesa ; hath his house in villa-longa , and his estate in old castilla ; his rents are sixe thousand duckets a yeare . the earle of villar , of the house of torres , and portugall : hath his house in ia●n , and his estate in the same prouince : his rents are nine thousand duckets a yeare . the constables of spayne . . the constable of castilla , the duke of frias . . the constable of arragon , the duke of cardona . . the constable of nauarra , the duke of alba. . the constable of naples , earle of paliano . the certainty of their meanes , in respect of their offices and priuiledges is not knowne and therefore cannot well bee truely determined ; but they are thought to exceed the admiralls in all respects both of dignities , priuiledges and reuenewes of their offices . the admiralls of spayne . the duke of medina of rioseco , admirall of castilla , his reuenewes of office are fiue and twenty thousand duckats a yeare . . the brother to the duke of infantado , bishop of siguen●a , is admirall of aragon , his office is valued at eighteene thousand duckats a yeare . the admirall of valentia , his estate and reuenues by office are valued at sixteene thousand duckets a yeare . the duke of beraguas , admirall of the indies , his estate and reuenues by office are valued at twenty thousand duckats a yeare . the lords lieutenants or presidents of spayne , commonly called adelantados . . the duke of lerma and zea adelantado , or lord lieutenant of castilla , his reuenues of office are worth sixe thousand duckats a yeare . . the duke of alcala-adelantado of andalusia , his office is valued at eight thousand duckats a yeare . the marques of velez-adelantado of murcia , his office is worth seauen thousand duckats a yeare . the cardinall and arch bishop of toledo-adalantado of cacorla , his reuenues are included in his arch-bishoppricke , as appertaining to the same . the adelantado of galicia , his reuenues by office are sixe thousand duckats a yeare . the prince of asculi , adelantado of canuria his place by office is valued at foure thousand duckats a yeare . vicountes of spayne and the value of their lordships , of which they are vicounts . of toriza , at foure thousand duckats a yeare . of peralta , at foure thousand duckats a yeare . of rosa , and earle of aranda , at sixe thousand duckats a yeare . of sol , vicount of castros , at eight thousand duckats a yeare . of disnajar , and duke of sesar , at eight thousand duckats a yeare . archbishops and bishops of spayne , and their yearely demeanes . first , the infanto don ferdinando ; third brother to the king of spayne , is cardinall of toledo , primate and metropolitane of all spayne , and next vnto the pope , thought to bee the greatest prelate in all christendome for wealth and dignities : insomuch that his reuenues are thought to bee worth not so little , as foure hundred thousand duckets a yeere . don alphonso , in his time of reigning did conquer toledo , with the sword from the moores , in the yeare , and was the first king that established this a●ch-bishoprick , in this great state and estate ; and since his time , it hath beene much inriched by the large bounty of kings and many noble men of spayne , insomuch that now besides the primacie , and chauncery of castilla ; it hath beene in great credite and authority throughout all europe , and is serued with foureteene dignities and channons , with prebends : fifty portionists and other extraordinary channons , besides chaplaines , priests , clearks , chaunters , and other officers that haue stipends or fees , at the least sixe hundred . besides it is exceeding rich in plate . the archbishop of seuill , his estate is valued at a hundred thousand duckats a yeare . of sant-iago , at fourescore thousand duckats a yeare . of valentia at fifty thousand duckats a yeare . of granada , at seuen and twenty thousand duckats a yeare . of burgos , at forty thousand duckats a yeare . of saragosa , at thirty thousand duckats a yeare . of taragona , at fiue and thirty thousand duckats a yeare . bishops within the precincts and iurisdiction of toledo , their yearely reuenues . the bishop of guenca is worth in estate fifty thousand duckats a yea●e . of siguenta , at fifty thousand duckets a yeare . of osma , at thirty thousand duckats a yeare . of cordoba , at fourty thousand duckats a yeare . of iaen , at twenty thousand duckats a yeare . of segou●a , at sixe and twenty thousand duckets a yeare . of auila , at foure and twenty thousand duckats a yeare . of seuill . the bishop of malaga , his estate is worth thirty thousand duckats a yeere . of cadiz , at fifteene thousand duckats a yeare . of canar●a , at twelue thousand duckats a yeare . of granada . the bishop of almeria , is worth sixe thousand duckats a yeare . of guadix , at eight thousand duckats a yeare . of valentia . the bishop of cartagena , is worth tenne thousand duckets a yeare . of origuela , at eight thousand duckats a yeare . of segorbe , at tenne thousand duckats a yeare . of balbastro , at sixe thousand duckats a yeare . of burgos . the bishop of caloborra , is worth twenty thousand duckats a yeare . of palentia , at sixeteene thousand duckats a yeare . of pamplona , at thirty thousand duckats a yeare . bishops within the precincts and iurisdiction of san-diago , their yearely reuenues . the bishop of coria , is worth foure and twenty thousand duckats a yeare . of astorga , at twelue thousand duckets a yeare . of samora , at twenty thousand duckats a yeare . of salamanca , at twenty thousand duckats a yeare . of oriense , at eight thousand duckats a yeare . of tuy , at foure thousand duckets a yeare . of vadajoz , at sixe thousand duckats a yeare . of lugo , at eight thousand duckats a yeare . of ciudad-rodrigo , at twelue thousand duckats a yeare . of taragona . the bishop of lerida , is worth tenne thousand duckats a yeere . of tortosa , at foureteene thousand duckats a yeare . of barcelona , at eight thousand duckats a yeare . of girona , at twelue thousand duckats a yeare . of vrgel , at seuen thousand duckats a yeare . of viqui , at fiue thousand duckats a yeare . of caragosa . the bishop of taragona , is worth sixe thousand duckats a yeare . of iaca , at eight thousand duckats a yeare . of guesca , at ten thousand duckats a yeare . of valuastro , at nine thousand duckets a yeare . of albacarin , at sixe thousand duckats a yeare . these following are exempted and free of themselues . the bishop of leon , is worth fourteene thousand duckets a yeare . of obiedo , foure and twenty thousand duckats a yeare . of vallodelid , at foureteene thousand duckets a yeare . the bishoppricke of placentia although it fall vacant in the popes moneth of election , yet not withstanding it is at the kings disposure : where yee are to note that the king of spayne , and the pope , doe diuide the yeare b●tweene them by monethly course , for the donation of bishoppricks and other spirituall liuings : but yet this of all the rest is excepted to bee only in the kings gift , although it happen to fall voyd in the popes moneth . now vpon the election of any bishop , either by the king or the pope , the sayd bishop must enter into bond to pay such yeerely pensions as hee shall be appointed by the king or the pope , which of themsoeuer giue his bishoppricke . these pensions doe most commonly amount vnto a third part of the bishops yerely reuenues , and must bee payd to such persons as they shall thinke fitting to receiue the same . these pensioners must be apparrelled in blacke , and vnmarried , and so must continue : some of them are of gentle birth , and education , and must ●e well disposed to pie●y , and religion , vpon which approbation they are admitted . knights of the noble order of the golden-fleece . philip , duke of burgundie , and earle of flaunders , was the first institutor of this order , in the tenth yeare of his dukedome , vpon an oath which he had taken to wage war with the infidells of siria , and to conquer iury. this said order had ( for patron and protectour ) saint andrew ; and the remembrance of this order was and is to bee solemnized for the space of three dayes together once euery yeare . the first day of which solemnity the knights of that order were to be apparelled with scarlet , or red coloured robes , in token that heauen is purchased by effusion of blood and martyrdome . the second day they were to bee clothed in blacke , representing mourning for the defunct , which haue dyed in the warres . the third day they were to be clad with white vestures , in honour of the purity of the virgine mary . these knights ( to shew that they are distinguished from other orders of knighthood ) doe weare a chayne of gold made after the fashion of fuzells , with a fleece ramme , hanging at it . the king of spayne , is chiefe of this order , as he is head of the house of burgundie . there are foure and twenty knights in number of the said order , which are princes of the most noble families , in burgundie , spaine , flaunders and netherlands . in spaine , charles the kings brother and the duke of alba , the duke of osuna , the duke of arcos , the duke of escalona , the duke of medina , sidonia , the duke of b●jar , the duke of cardona , and the marques of pescara and bastos . in italy , marques spinola , and other noble princes . in germanie , diuerse of the house of austria , and other princes , as the duke of bauaria , and the duke of nubourke . in flaunders , the duke of ascott , and some others . knights of the order of saine iames. the master and chiefe of this order , is the king of spayne , as annexed to his crowne , and hee is the onely perpetuall gouernour and administrator of the same order . the originall cause of the institution of this order , was , to secure those which went in pilgrimage to santiago in galicia , who in former times had beene much oppressed and molested by the moores . also the nobility of spayne , did ioyne with the monkes of saint augustine , for the establishing of that order : and they did get it confirmed by pope alexander , anno. . the principall agent for the obteining of this confirmation was pedro fernandes de puente o fuente calada , who afterwards was master of the said order . this order hath ninety foure lord-ships , or dignities belonging to it of different reueneues , but in all they are worth three hundred thousand duckets a yeare . these dignities are bestowed ( vpon certaine knights of the said order ) ( by the king ) according to his fauour , and their desertes . the patron of this order is santiago , and they are gouerned by the rule of saint augustine . the badge by which the knights of this order are knowne , is a crosse made of red veluet in the fashion of a sword . when any knight of this order , is enstalled , it is performed with great solemnity ; the master of the order , inuesting him with a white robe ( or his deputy in his absence ) and giuing vnto him a sword , the rest of the knights alwayes giuing their attendance at the performance of such actes . this is done at some church or religious house , belonging to the patron of the same order . these knights ( in case of necessity ) are bound to serue their king in the warres seuen yeares , vpon his maiesties commaund , and so are the knights of all other orders . knights of the order of calatraua . of this order his maiesty of spayne is head , as he is of the order aforesaid . to this order , doe belong fifty lordships or dignities : but in regard some of them are but of small alowance , two of them are ioyned together , so that now they are bestowed but vpon fiue and thirty persons : the yearely reuenewes of all doe amount vnto a hundred and twenty thousand duckets a yeare ; and they obserue the rule of saint benedict as their patron . this order had its beginning , anno , in the time of the king don sancho the desired . the badge whereby these knights are knowen , is a red crosse with a wauing or cheuerne circle about it . knights of the order of alcantara . the king is likewise master of this order and vnto it are belonging eight and fifty lordshippes and dignities : but because some of them are vnited two in one , there are but one and fourty of them : they are worth a hundred thousand duckats a yeere : and they doe also obserue the order of saint benedict as their patron . this order had its beginning in the yeare , . when the king of leon , did win the city of alcantara , from the moores , he gaue it to the knights of this order to defend the same . this order had its adoption or filiation from that of calatraua , but since they were exempt from it by a bull , from po●e iulio the second . the badge whereby these knights are distinguished from them of calatraua , is , in that these weare a greene crosse in fashion , but not in colour like to that of calatraua , because that is red . his maiesty of spayne , is perpetuall administratour of these three aforesaid orders . now the benefit of these three mastershipps of the aforesaid orders , the king often lets them to the fucares , ( the great marchants of spayne , ) for three hundred thousand duckats a yeare , which goes into his owne purse . moreouer , these said fucares , are to pay vnto those which are professed knights of these orders and haue no dignity , to each of them twelue thousand marauedis yearely , to buy them bread and water . this authority is confirmed to the king by the popes apostolicall bull. knights of the order of christ the king himselfe and the duke of beragansa , are the chiefe heads of this order , vnto which belong fourteene lordships or dignities , by estimation worth foure and twenty thousand duckats a yeare and more . this order had its beginning in the yeare . and was both approoued of , and established by the authority of pope iohns bull , and in the yeare . the demeanes and reuenues thereof were increased and bettered by the king don manuel . the knights of this order , doe acknowledge onely christ , to be their supreame patron and protector : but vnder him the pope , and the king as his vicegerent . the badge these knights weare , is a red crosse , with a white line , drawne through the middle of both parts of it . knights of the order of montesa in valentia . the chiefe of this order , is the marques of nauarres : and vnto this order belong thirteene lordships or dignities , which are estimated to be worth twenty thousand duckats a yeare . this order is much decayed in respect of what it hath beene : thy follow the rule of saint benedict , and it was confirmed by pope benedict the thirteenth . knights of the order of saint iohn . the chiefe of this order , is the great master of the iland of malta , and the knights of this order haue for their reuenues ( with the priorates ) eight hundred thousand duckats a yeare , in demeanes vnto them apperteining , their lordshipps are , . a scedule of the offices of which the king of spayne allowes his priuie counsell to dispose of , as in their owne donation . the viceroy of naples . the viceroy of sicilia . the viceroy of arragon . the viceroy of valentia . the viceroy of portugall . the viceroy of nauarra . the viceroy of sardinia . the viceroy of peru. the viceroy of mexico . the viceroy of the east indies . the viceroy of catalunia . generalissimo of the sea. generall of the gallies of naples . generall of the gallies of genoua . generall of the horse of spayne . generall of the artillery of spayne . generall of the horse of flaunders . generall of the artillery of flaunders . generall of the horse of millan . generall of the hombres , or men at armes of millan generall of the plate galleones . generall of the fleetes . admirall of the fleets . generall of the gallies of sicilie . generall of the gallies of portugall . generall of the gallies of catalunia . campmaster generall of spayne . campmaster generall of flaunders . campmaster generall of portugall . gouernour of millain , with the title of generalissimo . gouernour of galicia , with the title of generall . generall of the forces of the lower palatinate . gouernour of oran , in affrick . gouernour of alarache . gouernour of mammora . gouernour of brasi●l . gouernours of diuers places in the east and west indies , and ilands , in the ocean and mediterranean sea , and other frontiers in barbarie . gouernours of the strong castles of the spaniards in flaunders viz. antwerp , gaunt , and cambray , with diuers other petty gouernments throughout the king of spayne his dominions . embassadours . the king of spayne his embassadour at rome . the embassadour in germany . the embassadour in england . the embassadour in fraunce . the embassadour in flaunders . the embassadour in venice . the embassadour in genoua . the embassadour in sauoy . the embassadour in florence . besides these embassadours hee hath diuers others agents in germany , and elsewhere . also the councell haue the choosing of spia maior , or grand spie , which is a place of dignitie in spayne . all these places and offices of worth , dignity , and eminence , are ( by the kings permission ) in the power and donation , ( vpon consultation ) of the councell of state : but the rest which doe not principally concerne the state , they are referred to the councell of warre , to the councell of italy , the councell of the indies , the councel of portugall , the councell of nauarre , the councell of arragon , the councell of galicia , which are all depending on the councell of state. there are certaine other councels , which are not subordinate to the councell of state , but are absolutely subsisting of themselues , by vertue of their owne authority , as first , the councell of inquisition . the president of which is called the grand inquisitor , and most commonly is the kings confessor , and by his order a dominican friar . this councell is rather superior then inferiour , to the councell of state for they determine matters of themselues ( concerning matters of religion ) without imploring the assistance of the kings prerogatiue ) only acknowledging the popes supremacie as christs vicar-generall . next vnto this is the councell royall of castilla , on court royall of iustice : the president of which court in many respects ( as the equity of causes requires ) is equall with the king. he hath continuall insight , into the gouernment of spayne , and hath full power and authority in himselfe to rectifie and reforme by iustitiary correction , any delinquent that shall transgresse against the lawes of the kingdome . moreouer if any magistrate , or any others that beare office in the kingdome ( vpon complaint made vnto him , and sent for by vertue of his warrant ) bee found faulty in the administration of iustice ; it is in his power to punish the magistrate , or officer according to his delict and offence in that behalfe . there are subordinate to this counsell , the chaunceries of valladolid and granada , and the audi●ncia , or court of iustice in seuill : and moreouer it hath the ordination of threescore and odde corrigidores , or gouernours of prouinces , cities , and townes in spayne . in a word , it is a councell of the greatest priuiledge and authority in spayne , and therefore the king preferres none to bee president of that councell , but such a one as he is well assured of his loyall allegiance to himselfe ; and his fidelity and vprightnesse of conscience in the administration of iustice , for the good and tranquillity of his common weale . the next is the councell of camera , or the kings priuie-chamber , which councell by the kings speciall direction and licence withall , haue the priuiledge to dispose of , and bestow all church-liuings , which are in the kings gift , as arch-bishopricks , bishopricks , denaries , rectories , &c. the king himselfe hauing the same authority from the pope of rome . also the councell of orders , which doe onely treate of the seuerall orders of knighthood , and their priuiledges , and likewise haue power and authority to question and decide controuersies , if there bee any such occurrences betweene the said knights of orders . next is the councell of hacienda , commonly called the kings exchequer . next the councell of accompts , which doe onely meddle with the kings r●uenues , rents , and subsidies . also the councell of crusada , commonly called the popes bull , by vertue of authority whereof , in the popes name the king of spayne , do●h yearely send out a priuiledge throughout his kingdome of spayne , that the inhabitants therein from the age of seauen yeares to threescore , shall haue free leaue and liberty to eate grossura , that is grosse meates , viz. liuers , lights , necks , and such like partes of any kinde of flesh ; on saterdayes all the yeare long , and likewise whitemeates in lent , as butter , cheese , milke , egges , and the like ; and vpon all fasting dayes throughout the yeare : also by vertue of the said bull they obteine diuerse pardons , indulgences , ●nd grace● from the pope , for one whole yeare : and so from yeare to yeare : paying for the same dispensation yearely to the king , one shilling in siluer : all this the pope giues to the king , as an extraordinary token of his louing fauour to him : the summe in all amounting to aboue two millions of duckats a yeare . all this the aforesaid councell doth order ; and receiue the sayd moneys from the collectors thereof to the kings vse . lastly , the councell of descargos called the councell of discharge , doth at the death of any king of spayne , treate of the kings debts ( if hee oweth any ) and likewise , they doe take care to see the last will and testament of the said deceased king performed . priuiledges of some of the nobility of spayne . the duke of igar , doth euery new-yeares day dine with the king , by vertue of his priuiledge graunted to that posterity , by the former kings of castilla ; as a requitall of their good seruice done in the warres against the moores : and likewise hee is to haue the same sute of apparrell that the king weares the same day . the duke of arcos , is to haue the same sute the king weares vpon our lady day in september , although he be not that day at the court. the marques of villena , is to haue the cup the king drinkes in euery twelfe day , if he be then at court. the countesse of cabra , as customary and by right of priuiledge due vnto her , is to haue yearely the same apparell that the queene weares vpon easter day : or else fifty thousand marauedis in lue of it . the countesse of palma , hath the same priuiledge vpon our lady day in september . the earle of oropesa , by his place is to beare the kings naked sword before him throughout all the kingdome of castilla , vpon occasion of parllaments , publique actes or meetings : and in the kingdome of arragon , the earle of sastago enioyes the same priuiledge : but in their absence , the master of the kings horse is to performe the same office . amongst the grandes of spayne , there is no precedency of place in publique actes , but only the constable of spayne is to haue the first place , and next vnto him the admirall , and the rest ( according to our english prouerbe ) first come , first serued . the admirall of castilla , ( when he hath any occasion to goe to the councell royall ) hath his sword by his side ; which is not lawfull for any of the grandes to doe besides himselfe , and the president of the said councell placeth him on his left hand . the duke of medina-coeli , his priuiledge is euery yeare vpon twelfe day to petition to the king by way of clayming right and title to the kingdome of castilla , as heire apparant to the same , which his maiestie gratiously receiues , and giues answere in these words , wee heare you : and so referres it to the councell royall of castilla , where it rests without any further proceedings . the libertyes of the prouince of biscaj , haue this priuiledge that when the king in progresse , or vpon any other occasion commeth into the same , he is to haue one foote bare , and his only stile of that prouince is lord of biscaj , and not king. likewise the nobility and gentry , of the said prouince , are not to be a●tainted nor attached vpon any crime , or default , but by vertue of a warrant vnder his maiesties owne hand . the priuiledges of the constables of spayne are these . if in former times there happened any difference betwixt party and party , either concerning religion , or publique affaires , the parties at controuersie were to try themselues in the cause by dint of sword ( the king himselfe being present ) and the constable was only to bee iudge in the cause , as it happened in seuill , in the time of the catholicke king ferdinando and elizabeth his queene , betwixt two in combate : of which don ferdinandes of vellasco was iudge . also when there is any open warre in spayne , and that the king giues battaile , the constable in his owne person is to bee in the for front of the armie , and to lead them in the field , and vpon a retreat hee is to bring off the reare , although in former times the lords of biscaj had the same place : and after them the masters of santiago , bu● now it only and properly belongs to the constables of spayne . moreouer the constable in time of warre is to quarter the armie for their lodging , and likewise to prize the victualls for the campe ; for assistance wherein hee is to appoint certaine marshalls and other officers to see the same performed . also all proclamations doe issue foorth in the name of the king and his constable , which priuiledge none of the nobility haue but himselfe . also the said constable in time of warre hath his kings at armes , heraulds , and sargeans at armes ; and he himselfe may weare an estoque or tucke , which none else weare but the king : and for his fee he is to haue one dayes pay in a moneth throughout the whole armie of souldiers : and this money is payd by the king out of his owne purse , and not by the souldiers . also ▪ the constable although hee bee neither duke nor earle , yet he may weare a coronet in his scutcheon of armes , by vertue of the priuiledge of his place . lastly , oliuares the kings fauourite hath this by right of priuiledge from the king , that if any of his maiesties seruants haue any occasion to speake with him , they must kneele ; and most commonly they haue accesse to him as hee lyeth in his bedde . the order which the king obserues in his chappell , and the gouernement thereof . none are to sit with their hatts on in the kings chappell but grandes , bishops , embassadours of kings : and of sauoy and venice ; together with the chaplaines of honour , and his maiesties preachers . at the right hand of the high-altar , there is a bench couered with carpets , standing close to the wall , which affronts the body of the church , vpon which forme or bench the bishops haue their places when they are present at seruice . neere vnto the altar ( on the same side ) is placed a faire cannopie with curtaines , in which the kings chayre is set , hauing a short forme or stoole before him , with a cusheon to leane vpon , as also vpon the ground to kneele vpon , but first there is a carpet spread vpon the ground , which are all sutable to the colour , of the colour of the altar , vnlesse the king mourneth . next to the kings curtaine is set a stoole couered with veluet , whereon the lord high steward of the kings house sits , ( with his hat on ) although he be no grande : and behind him doe stand two archers of the guard. a little lower on the same side is a long bench couered with veluet or tapestrie for the grandes to sit vpon . on the left hand of the high-altar standeth a cathedrall chayre for the kings chiefe chaplayne , which chayre also serues for ●he bishopps ( which celebrate masse ) to be inuested in . right ouer against the kings feate is a rich chayre of state , placed for the popes nuncio if hee be a cardinall : if he be none then either cardinall sapata , or cardinall spinola , possesse that place being present . next vnto this is a long forme couered with veluet for the popes nu●tio , ( if he be not a cardinall ) and the embassadours from other countreys , and before them is set another forme couered with veluet for them to leane vpon when they kneele . below this are two long formes standing one before another , and reaching almost to the end of the chappell ; and these are also couered with veluet for the chaplaines of honour to sit vpon with their surplesses , and the kings preachers to sit vpon with their heads couered . behind these formes next to the wall stand the nobility ( which are not grandes ) and gentry with their heads vncouered , amongst whom do stand the reteiners to the embassadours . neere vnto the kings canopie , doe stand two deanes of the chappell , and masters of ceremonies ; who are to giue notice to the dignity that celebrates masse ; to carry the gospell and pax to the king to kisse , which when they are brought , the curtaines are drawne : and before the dignitie ( which bringeth these to the king ) doe walke foure stewards or controulers , with their staues in their hands , and so conducting him in the same maner to the altar againe , returne to their places behinde the embassadours where they stand . the king doeth oftentimes giue way to his brother to sit with him vnder the canopie : and also to some one of the bloud-royall , who is neere allied vnto him to sit in a backe chayre behind his : who also hath the honour of kissing the gospell and pax , with the king and his brother . at the lower end of the chappell ●ight against the high-altar are foure tribunalls or casements one aboue another in order . in the lowest the queene sits to heare masse being accompanied with her children , infantes of spayne , the ladies of honour , and others her attendants . this her casement or tribunall is made so close that shee may see , and yet not bee seene as shee sits in it . in the second tribunall next aboue the queenes , made in forme and fashion like to the first , there are certaine formes on which the nobility and gentry take their places , where they may sit couered , because it is not accounted as part of the chappell . in the other two aboue these , doe sit the ladies and others of the queenes seruants , where also strange ladies and gentlewomen , which come to heare masse may take their places . there is no passage to the two vppermost tribunalls , but through the queenes quarter . yearely vpon twelfe day ( in memoriall of the three kings of the east ) the king offers at the high-altar , three siluer challices gilt with gold : of which one is dedicated to the escuriall , the second remaines in the chappell , and the third is giuen to some poore parish church at his maiesties pleasure and direction . likewise it is a custome in spayne , for the king after the first yeare of his coronation , yearely to offer at the high-altar so many crownes as he is yeares old , which money is distributed to the poore by his maiesties almesmoner . when the king goes to the chappell , his guard of spaniardes , and germanes ▪ with their holberts in their hands do make a guard for his person , from the presence to the chappell : the spaniards taking the right hand file as the king goes to the chappell , and the germanes at his returne backe . now for his order of going to the chappell , first goe the deanes of the chappell , and masters of the ceremonies : next vnto them the gentrey of the court : then the titulars , and after them the stewards and controwlers with staues in their hands , next againe vnto them goe the grandes two and two together , then next ( if there be any ) some of the bloud royall , then the king and his brother , or if his brother be absent , and a cardinall present , hee goes on his left hand . now in order follow the popes nuntio , and the embassadours : and after them the master of the horse , the lord high steward , and captaine of the guard : and last of all the guard of archers , or pentioners , follow without obseruing any order . in the same manner likewise the king commeth from the chappell , only the king ( as hee comes out ) hath his hat in his hand , till hee commeth to the middest of the chappell , and then puts it on : which done stepping two paces forward , speakes to those of the bloud royall ( immediately going before him ) to be couered , and going forward two paces more , turnes about and biddeth the embassadours be couered , so going to the chappell doore beckens to the next grande vnto him , to be couered ; which grande beeing obseruant with low obeysance puts on his hatt , and after him all the rest of the grandees . and so the king goes to dinner . the state of the king , and queene , at meales . alwayes at festiuall times they vse to dine in publicke . first , for the queenes seruice , her table is placed at the vpper end of the presence , the place being a boarded ascent a foote higher , then the other part of the floore ; and ouer the table hangs a rich cannopie of state. this table is couered with a carpet , vpon which a cloath is layd , and vpon this a leather carpet , and also a cloath vpon that : at the vpper end of the table a seruice is layd for her maiestie , vpon the first napkin are two loaues set , one white , and another somewhat courser , which most commonly she eates of . these two loaues are couered with a napkin , and a plate dish vpon that , and then all is againe couered with a wrought tablecloath of needleworke , her meate is brought vp in this manner ; first , goe before three corporalls of the three guards of the spaniards , germanes and burgundians : after them two seargeants at armes , with their mases of siluer , and gilt , in which are ingraued the armes of castilla and leon : next vnto them goe foure stewards or controulers with staues in their hands , and then the lord high-steward with his hatt on ; now the first course is brought vp by the guard , and being brought to the queenes table the lord high-steward placeth it thereon : which done the queene commeth out herselfe , and sitting downe one of the chaplaines sayes grace , and heereupon there is accesse graunted to all strangers into the presence , to see her dine , whilest shee is at dinner there are three ladies of honour attending vpon her person , as they all doe in their dayly courses . one of these ladies vncouering of the meate dishes , deliuers them to a second , who presents them to the queene , and if the queene bee silent thereat , the second layd deliuers the dish of meate ( and so one after another in due order ) vnto the third who carues thereof to the queene , and so giues it to a minino a noblemans sonne , though somewhat lesse in person , yet in degree aboue the pages , who carrieth away the same out of the presence , which first and second dishes are most commonly for the chaplaine of honour , who doeth weekely waite in his turne . these ladies are richly attired , with towells vpon their shoulders . now if the lady aforesaid presenteth a dish of meate to her maiestie , which she doeth not desire to eate of , shee lifteth vp her head , in token she likes it not , and thereupon it is taken away . for euery dish of meate that the queene doth taste of , she hath a cleane trencher and napkin deliuered vnto her : and the number of dishes doth not exceede aboue twenty vpon a feastiuall day . when her maiestie hath any desire to drinke , she beckeneth with her head to one of the three ladies then attending , who ( vnderstanding her meaning by the signe ) beckens to one of the mininos to goe for it : who presently goes , being conducted by one of the controulers , or stewards , to the presence doore , where hee departs from him ; and then a yeoman-vsher attends him to the plate-cubboard , where he takes a glasse or cup of water , ( with a bearing plate whereon it stands ) and returnes backe to the aforesaid lady in the same maner that hee went from her ; and then the lady and he doe both kneele downe to the queene ; and the lady taking the bearing plate and cup in her right hand , and vncouering the cup with her two middle fingers of her left hand : and the bearing plate with her fore-finger and thumbe of the same hand , holds the cup or glasse still in her right hand , powring foorth a little water out of the cup into the bearing plate ; which she doth taste of , and then presents it to the que●ne , who drinkes thereof which done the lady with due obey san●● rising , takes the cup from the queene , couering it in the same manner as before she did vncouer it , and she so d●liuereth it to the minino , who carrieth it backe in the same manner hee brought it . the second course is brought in as the first ; with which when the queene hath ended , her fruite and banquet is in like manner serued in by the mininos , who deliuer it into the ladies hands to place vpon the table , of which when the queene hath with content tasted , the mininos take it away . then the ladies and mininos take away all but the first cloth that was layed , and then a bason and ewre is brought by one of the ladies , who powreth out the water while the queene washeth , and one of the grandes attending with a towell , doth cast one end of it to the queene , and so departes , and thus dinner being ended , all depart to their owne repasts , or dinners . but we must note that all the while the queene is at dinner all the grandes ( then present ) do stand couered with their backes against the wall , and so doe the ladies on the other side , which doe not for the present attend the queenes person , each lord in the meane time courting and conferring with his beloued ladies : and likewise the ladies with their affected lords ; and so the ladies that waite , doe sometimes take occasion to greet and salute their louers , whom they intend to make their lords and husbands . now all this while drummes are beating , trumpets sounding , and lowd musicke playing below in the great court. the king is serued in the same manner of state , ladies attendants only excepted , in whose place the gentiles hombres de la boca , or gentlemen-tasters , doe performe their offices : but if the king and queene dine together then the attendants waite on both sides . the order and manner of the kings and queenes , going abroad in their coach. first a little before they goe to their coach , the drummes beate and trumpets sound to giue notice to the nobility , and gentrey at court , to be ready with their attendance , then not long after the king and queene goe to their coach in this manner . the queene goes on the kings right hand , and before them go the groomes of his maiesties bed-chamber , and the gentiles hombres de la boca , or tasters to the king , with the stewards , controulers , and the rest of the officers of his maiesties house-hold with the mininoes and pages . after them , next follow the lord and lady hie chamberlaines , and the ladies and maides of honour , and at their going into the coach , one of the quirries puts down the boote , & then going to the coach side , the king himselfe armes the queene into the coach , and placeth her on his right hand ; and after going in himselfe , is helped in by the chiefe sumillier du corpes , gentleman , or squire of his body . sometimes the kings brothers & sisters ( being present ) and the kings chiefe fauourite doe ride in the coach with them : and the boote of the kings coach being put vp againe by one of the quirries : they which before did attend the king and queene ( going into their coach ) take another coach by themselues and ride next before the king ; and after the kings coach , doth ride the ladie high-chamberlaine , and other ladies , and maides of honour in other coaches , those noblemen which are the best beloued friends affording them their willing and ready assi●●ance vpon such occasions , which at other times is not vsuall with them , neither permitted : after they are all setled in their coaches , this order is obserued . first , rides the captaine of the guard , with a truncheon in his hand and often without his cloake . then follow the two guardes of spaniards and germanes , after them the stewards , and masters of the horse in their coaches : and next to them the kings coach with sixe horses , and his footemen on both sides ; and his pages with their hats in their hands , en querpo or without cloakes next to the boote of the coach of each side : and oftentimes with their hands vpon the same . after the kings coach ride some of the mininoes on horsebacke without cloakes also , some two of them each carrying a piece of taffata for the kings hat , and some things of the queenes . after these follow the lady chamberlaines and other coaches of ladies , with their guardians or keepers ( which are old men on horseback by them ) and so the rest of the attendants as they follow . the manner of the kings riding foorth on horsebacke , to any publicke actes , meetings and assemblies . first , warning giuen of his going abroad as before , his horse is brought from his stable to the court gate in this manner . first of all before the horse , goe all the masters , groomes , lackies and other officers of the stable on foote , and vncouered , in number about a hundred persons . next is the kings horse led by a lackie , and on each side two quirries bare headed . after the horse next followes the master of the kings horse , well mounted , and hauing his head couered : and after him followeth his lieutenant with his hatt off , and then the three guardes , of spaniards , germanes , and burgundians . when his maiestie is on horsebacke he goeth out of the court in this manner . formost of the company goe all the subordinate or inferiour officers on foote , and vncouered ; and if it bee to any feasts ( as iuego de zor●s and iuego de cauias , as the baiting of bulls , and dar●ing of reeds ( on horseback ) there ride before him trumpeters and drummers , with kettle drums vpon mules . at such times and vpon such occasions the queene rides abroad with him : both of them being royally a●tended with the p●●●es and gentrey belonging to the court. but if hee goeth to any other publicke meetings , then attend vpon him all the gentlemen of his house and court. the magist●●●e of the town●●●th●ll the titulars , burgesses of parliament ▪ ( w●i●● in castilla , are but sixe and thirty ) kings at armes , mace-bearers , with the armes of castilla and leon : the lords stewards or controulers , next after all these the lord-high-steward with his ensignes : next to him the earle of aropesa ▪ ( who still beares the naked sword before the king ) last of all follow the grandes accompanying his maiestie , his querries going along by his stirrope vncouered . after the king , rides the master of the horse , then next the councell royall of castilla , and if there are any more councells ( then present ) they ride before amongst them of the nobility , according to their places . also at this time two of the guards , viz. the spanish and germans , do walke with their ●alberts on both sides of the kings coach , and the guard of burgundians on horsebacke with ●hei● petternels . when the king goeth not to any of these p●blicke actes or meetings , he rides more priuately and lesse attended . a scedvle of the parish-churches , and monasteries of friars , in madrid . saint maries the prime church . saint saluador . saint iohns . saint nicholas . saint michell . saint iuste . saint fines . saint lewis chappell of ease to saint fines . saint martins a parish and conuenticle of benedictine friars . saint placedo a chappell of ease to it . santa cruza . saint seb●stians saint andrewes . the parish of the passion , chappell of ease to the same . saint peter . the conuenticles of friars , or monasteries . saint ierems . saint bernards . saint martines . saint nonuerto . our ladies of atochia . saint thomas his colledge . the colledge of donia maria of arragon . the colledge of the iesuites , casa professa of the iesuites . the nouiciade of the iesuites . the monastery of saint philip. the monastery of saint frauncis . the caputchins . sandiego . de mercede . santa barbara . the recolets . the carmen which goe not barefooted . the carmen which goe barefooted . saint basil. the holy-trinity . the recolett trinitarians . the victoria . besides diuers chappels or cells , and almost as many monasteries of nunnes . certaine other speciall briefe obseruations concerning the king and state of spayne . first the king of spayne , ( for his priuacie and secret ouerseeing the councell , and hearing of their particular allegations , determinations , and censures , concerning matters in causes brought and discussed before them ) hath his priuate window where he may see and heare , yet neither be seene nor heard , the cause of which first inuention was imagined , and likely to be in the king for the vpright administration of iustice. also his maiestie reserueth two dayes in the weeke , to receiue petitions with his owne hands , from the petitioners in his chamber of presence : and on those dayes any one may more freely haue accesse to his royall person then to his fauorite . also there are petitions to bee deliuered to the councell of state , which are not first deliuered to the king : but receiued by the secretary of state , and so read to the councell to consider of : but if any petitions concern a weighty cause , appealing to the kings examination and censure , then the councell make referment therof to his maiestie , who calleth vnto himself foure more ( with his fauourite ) & so giue satisfaction to the petitioners as the equity of their causes requireth . now the councell themselues seldome giue an absolute deniall to any petitioners but hold them in suspence with demurres and procrastinations . the kings audience to embassadours . vvhen any embassadour commeth with an embassage to the king of spayne , hee is brought to the court by some noblemen , ( as it shall please the king to giue direction ) and so to haue accesse to his presence where he sits in his chayre of state , and his grandes only standing on both sides of him : now vpon the deliuery of the embassage and the kings approbation thereof , his maiestie graceth the embassadour with a seate neere himselfe , or some such like not ordinary fauour . now the consideration of the embassage is referred to the councell of state , or to such amongst them as his maiestie shal be pleased to nominate and appoint , and vpon his dispatch , the king gratifies him either with a chayne of gold , or some such like free gift . the demeanour of the spaniards in these times . these generally are of an apt and quicke apprehension , soone comming to maturity of pollicie : their allegiance to their king is faithfull ; are sober and vigillant , but miserable and couerous : yet both temperate and hardie in time of warre . they desire much to be curiously apparelled in blacke , and their chiefest delights for recreation and pleasure are feates of armes and horses for seruice . they vse often to stand much vpon and boast more of their gentilitie , and pedegree , otherwayes very ciuill in their conuersation . they in no wise affect a countrey life , but are much addicted to courtlike re●idency and habitation . also they are full fraught with complementall verbositie : they hate duells , but often vse priuate quarrelling in the st●eets , and are much giuen to suddaine desperate stabbing : as also to venery and women . nothing is more fearefull to them then the terror of the inquisition , and nothing almost more desired by them then a king of a blacke complexion . their women are sober , and of a decent proportion , but of a swarthie complection : amiable , and louing to their husbands , and kinde to their friends , in doing good vnto them , according to their ability . they are stately in carriage , and much addicted to painting and perfuming of themselues . neither they , nor their children , drinke any wine , but water . the purest and best language is in castilla , which comes very neere to the latine . they of the prouince of biscaj , doe still retaine their old accustomed language or speech : so doth portugall , galisia and catalunia . the language of the kingdome of seuill , murcia , valentia , and granada are much corrupted with the atabian , and moriscos speech , but chiefely , by the common sort the king of spaynes reuenues , and his forces at sea , and on land. the king of spayne , his reuenues ( within his dominions ) are esteemed to be no lesse worth then twenty millions of duckats a yeare : but in regard of the long continuance of warre in flaunders , ( which since the beginning thereof hath cost the king more then threescore millions ) and the continuall charge he is at of garrisons in affrica , besides his sea forces and sundry great enterprizes , hee is much impouerished and indebted : for hee oweth aboue twenty millions of duckats to the genouesses , besides diuers other seuerall ingagements , for which he payeth yearely interest : so that most commonly hee is so much behind hand as the full value of his plate-fleete comes to , if it returne safe home to him , now the kings part of that fleete commeth not to aboue seuen millions , or thereabouts , the rest being the merchants , amounting to so much as the kings share or rather more . the kings part is most commonly transported for payment of his debts to genoua , so soone as it is brought home . his reuenues of estate doth more consist of customes and taxes , then crowne land or proper meanes of his owne . the taxes and impos●s , are more heauy leuied vpon castilla , then any other part of his dominions , and some prouinces are free by right of priuiledge , as biscay , valentia , arragon and catalunia . in portugall the king hath giuen ( for tearme of some liues ) most part of his reuenues to reteine their fidelity to his crowne . for the kingdome of naples , the king doeth yearely giue vnto the pope on good friday ( for his absolution from excommunication ( on the same day ) which is customarie ) a iennet ( most commonly of colour white ) which is taught to kneele downe , and the same ienner in the same manner vpon the said day is presented to the pope with a purse of gold about his necke : which the pope accepts as a token of his maiesties . fealty to his holynesse : but the king of fraunce doth not acknowledge any such matter , but do●h lay clayme to the kingdome of naples , as heredi●ary to his crowne . this kingdome of naples for wealth ( in respect of the continent do●h exceede most kingdomes of christendome . for this kingdome with sicilie , millane , sardinia , majorca , minorca , ●launders and burgundie doe yeeld the king aboue eight millions a yeare , none of which is put into the kings cofers except a little from naples and sicilie● the rest and more is disbursed for the maintenance of his viceroys , gouernours , captaine● , garrisons , officers , and other charges in th●t behalfe . the kingdome of spayne in imposts , bulls of crusada , and ecclesiasticall first fruits , doth yeeld vnto the king at the least sixe millions of duckats a yeare : which are disbursed for the maintenance of his court , payment of pentions , and defraying of charges in martiall affaires . for men at armes the king is able to furnish , and hath ready vpon very short warning ( if there should happen any suddaine inuasion ) fifty thousand foote , and twenty thousand horse or rather more , all which haue continually compleate armes in a readinesse as they themselues are , to serue the king in land seruice . for sea forces besides the plate fleete ( which most commonly with merchants shipps are threescore sayle ) he hath at cales and gibraltar , sixeteene stoute men of warre to maintaine the streights and cleare the coasts . also at lisborne , for the maintainance of the coast of portugall , he hath twelue men of warre , the admirall of which is of a thousand tunne burthen . likewise in biscaj , he maintaines ten men of war more , for the safegard of those parts and galicia . now besides all these hee hath some foure and thirty gallyes for clearing of his coasts , in the summer time especially . in the kingdome of naples , his maiestie hath nine or tenne great shipps for sea seruice , besides foure and twenty gallies , and fifteene more in the kingdome of sicilie , besides those of genoua . now as the marriners are not very skilfull so they most commonly take with them no more prouision for anchors , cables , and tacklings , then need requires for the present , and few good gunners they haue of their owne nation , but are beholding to english , and other strangers . indeed few doe desire to be saylers or mariners , in regard the land souldiers , haue alwayes the preheminence ouer them , and their shipps are full furnished wi●h them . now when there is any doubt of the safety of the plate fleete , most of the aboue said kings shipps goe to meete them for their safe conduct , and conuoy home . the seuerall kingdomes or prouinces in spayne , are these , toledo , seuill , cordoua , iaen , leon , nauarre , valentia , gibraltar , granada , murcia , castilla , galicia , arragon , catalunia , portugall the segniory of biscaj , the algarues of algezira . when any proclamation issueth from his maiestie vpon any publique occasion , his titles prefixed are these . philip by the grace of god , king of castilla , leon , arragon , the two sicilies , ierusalem , portugall , nauarre , granada , toledo , valentia , galisia , majorca , seuill , sardinia , cordoua , corcica , murcia , iaen , the alga ues of algezira , gibraltar the canarie-ilands , the east and west indies , and all the ilands , and firme land of the ocean sea ; arch-duke of austria , duke of burgandie , brabant , and millane , earle of asbourg , flaunders , tiroll and barcelona , lord of biscaj , molina , else now after these titles , and proclamation expressed , he in spayne , only vseth , i the king. but when vpon any occasion hee writeth to the states of flaunders , he writes , i philip earle of flaunders . the cities in spayne are these , seuill , granada , guenca , soria , auila , cordoua , iaen , toledo , guadalajara , segouia , salamanca , camora , vallodolid , burgos , toro , leon , murcia , all these are to tender their seruice to his maiestie vpon any occasion of parliament , being thereunto called , and also madrid , although it bee no citty , but the only place of the kings residence in court. cities in galisia . compostella . tuie . in austria of ouiedo . mondenedo . leon. pomperado . in austria s. ellene . s. ellene . in biscaj . victoria . in nauarre . pampelone . in catalunia . barcelona . tarragone . mouson . seguenca . in andalusia . seuill . cadiz . medina sidonia . esica . iaen . mallega . zxeres . cordoua . vbeda . bacca . adujar . in the countie . aymonte . in castilla . burgos . taragone . guadalajara . segouia . calohorra . zamora . toro . medina del campo . salamanca . in arragon . saragosa . tarrell . durago . valentia . in valentia . cuenca . segoruia . oraguella . in mancha . alacantie . segure . in granado . granado . almerie . carthagena . murcia . gudix . in toledo . cuidad royall . alcala de he●ares . toledo . in estremadura . placenta . auyla . badajos . merida . in portugall . lisbone . euora . coimbra . porto . braga . bragance . cuidad roderigo . beiria . cono. oliuensa . eluas . guarda . settuuall . lelues . leria . a note of all the hauens , portes and fishing townes , vpon the coast of spayne , from fontarabie in biscaj , to barcelona in the mediterranian sea. in biscai . fontarabie , a bard hauen . passage and rend●rie , an open hauen . s. sebastians , a bay hauen . suinaj and guittari● , bard . montrica and deua , fishing townes . mondac and alequito , fishers . vermeo and placentia , fishers . bilbao and portugalete , bard . in asturies . aluredo a key hauen . s. ander an open hauen . s. vincent de la barkera fishers . ariba de sella fishers . villa vitiosa fishers . chinchon a key . torre fishers . peua fishers . loarca bard . auiles bard . in galicia . riba deo bard . vuiero and sidera fishers . farroll open . the gr●yne open . m●ngea bard . corcauiaua bard . muros bard . porta vietra bard . vigo and bajone open . in the countie . aymonte a bard hauen . selua and palos fishers in andaluzia . s. lucar de barameda , stands in the entrance of the riuer guadalquiuir , which goes vp to seuill , and doth consist most of fishers . seuill a bard hauen . rota a key . cadiz open . s. marie port bard . streits toward barcelona . gibraltar an open rode and key . grand malega a key rode. maruela an open rode. velez malega a key rode. almerie fishers . carthagena a hauen . in valentia . alicante the port of valentia a hauen . velentia a creeke . empullas . taragona . all fishers . palamos . all fishers . empurias . all fishers . rosas . barcelona an open hauen . in portugall . camina bard . viana bard . villa de gonde bard . auero bard . porto de portugall bard . caso●is fishers . lisbone open . sensembrie ●ard . setun open . lagos a key . villa-nouas bard . farouillas bard . figera . fishers . tauilla . fishers . castromariti . fishers . i onely touch the great inconuenience that bra●●e coynes , hath and doeth daily produce in spayne . philip the second being straitned in moneys , to supply his present necessities in warre , gaue birth to this monster , in coyning fiue millions of brasse in seuerall pieces , the greatest peeces are called quartillos , of the which eight and a halfe make two royalls , which is tweluepence english , one pound of brasse makes threescore and odde of them . since which time they haue beene coyned by philip the third , and philip the fourth now reigning , aboue eight m●llians more . the easterlings discouering the benefit and profit thereof , haue at seuerall times fraughted the king of spaynes dominions with thirty millions more being brought in vnder hand . at the first it past as currant as their siluer , onely one royall in a hundred royalls abared : but since ( to the great detriment of the subiects ) it hath raysed to two , and so to sixty in the hundred exchange , which occasioned the state of spayne , to search into the secret , and to redresse the error , the care as dangerous as the sore . for the better sort of people hauing go●ten ( through the scarcity of siluer which hath beene in spayne this seauen yeares ) the most part of this brasse coyne into their hands , which caused his maiesties treasury to receiue their rents in brasse in stead of siluer . now for the preuention of future inconueniences , and to frustrate the easterlings , the state of spayne haue decreed that this coyne shall passe currant but for halfe the value , which losse falling vpon the better sort of people , they to saue themselues haue inhaunsed their commodities to the double value thereof , so that the poorer sort of people are not onely depriued of all commerce , but straytned in their prouision of dayly sustenance , to the hazard of their liues , the exchange holding still to twenty in the hundred . the circuite of spayne , is fiue hundred and forty leagues by sea , and fourescore by land , in all aboue eighteene hundred english miles , many more particulars i could heere recite , as of their customes , and transportable commodities which the kingdome affords , but i presume they are already divulged , and therefore i will not trouble the readers patience with any more at this time . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e a duccate is fiue shillings sixepence of our money . this duke of alba , riding a hawking in the mountaines of toledo , by salamanca discouered a valley amongst the hills , inhabited by heathenish people , called patuecos and before not knowne which valley was given to him by the king , about twenty yeares since , and these people did adore the sunne-rising . the reuenues of the nobil●tie were greater in substance vntill philip , the third banished the moriscoes out of spayne , which moriscoes were the most industrious people in spayne , and by reason of their banishment the kingdome is much dispeopled they being in number above a hundred thousand . this marques is commander maior of the knights of santiago in castilla : 〈◊〉 of the counsell of state and warre . this marques was lately made a grand● late ambassador in england lately dead . this marques is now a grande and the cheife of the order of montessa . or chiefe post master . the earle is now a grande of spayne . thirty foure marauedis , makes sixepen●● english. next vnto the president of castilla , who takes his place alwayes next to the king. which none hath but himselfe . viz : wild bulls . there are other houses of pa●●●ament viz , arragon , portugall , valentia and catalunia , &c. there are onely two parliment men chosen in euery city which stand for the whole pr●uences . the brasse coynes of spayne . the general history of spain from the first peopling of it by tubal, till the death of king ferdinand, who united the crowns of castile and aragon : with a continuation to the death of king philip iii / written in spanish by the r.f.f. john de mariana ; to which are added, two supplements, the first by f. ferdinand camargo y salcedo, the other by f. basil varen de soto, bringing it down to the present reign ; the whole translated from the spanish by capt. john stevens. historiae de rebus hispaniae. english mariana, juan de, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing m estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the general history of spain from the first peopling of it by tubal, till the death of king ferdinand, who united the crowns of castile and aragon : with a continuation to the death of king philip iii / written in spanish by the r.f.f. john de mariana ; to which are added, two supplements, the first by f. ferdinand camargo y salcedo, the other by f. basil varen de soto, bringing it down to the present reign ; the whole translated from the spanish by capt. john stevens. historiae de rebus hispaniae. english mariana, juan de, - . camargo y salgado, hernando, - . varen de soto, basilio, d. . stevens, john, d. . [ ], , [ ], , [ ], - , - , [ ] p. printed for richard sare ... and thomas bennet ..., london : . reproduction of original in library of congress. some pages stained with loss of text in filmed copy. pages - and pages -end in supplement photographed from cambridge university library copy and inserted at end. index: p. [ ]-[ ] of both supplements. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to 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at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng spain -- history. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the general history of spain . from the first peopling of it by tubal , till the death of king ferdinand , who united the crowns of castile and aragon . with a continuation to the death of king philip iii. written in spanish , by the r. f. f. john de mariana . to which are added , two supplements , the first by f. ferdinand camargo y salcedo , the other by f. basil varen de soto , bringing it down to the present reign . the whole translated from the spanish by cap t john stevens . london : printed for richard sare at grays-inn-gate in holbourn , francis saunders in the new-exchange in the strand , and thomas bennet at the half-moon in st. paul's church-yard . . to the right honourable charles , earl of dorset and middlesex , &c. my lord , mariana's history of spain has been an offering worthy the acceptance of two kings . its first appearance in the world was in latin , in the reign , and under the patronage of the mighty monarch philip ii. of spain , from whom it met with so favourable a reception , as encourag'd it , when made spanish by the same hand , to aspire to no less protection than the same great prince's son , philip iii. then sovereign , not only of all spain , but of the east and west-indies . this same history now first brought to speak english , i presume to present your lordship , as the worthiest patron i could make choice of , for a work , that has hitherto been thought , deserving the acceptance of kings . nor do i think my choice inferiour to my authors , not that i mean to bring the dignity of crown'd heads into a parallel with other honours , but because kings , tho' they are above all other men , as to their character ; yet they may be , and are often inferior to many in the beauties and accomplishments , both of body and mind . philip ii. was more a politician than an historian , and philip iii. had more of the saint than of the scholler ; the father made it his only study to over-reach other princes , and gain some advantage upon them , the son rather aim'd at heavenly than worldly learning . thus it appears neither of them had those parts your lordship is possess'd of , to render you , if not so powerful , yet a more worthy patron . their power might shade their ignorance , but your lordships judgment and learning will exert it self even above their power . they might receive the fawning flatteries of their subjects ; but your lordship is so far above being flatter'd , that it would be a very difficult task to give a true estimate of your real abilities . i will refrain enlarging upon this subject , lest malice or envy , should interpret that a reflection upon others , which is only a faint expression of what is your lordships due . i must desist from all that looks like praise , as well , because i can't in a small compass express so much as is known to the world , as because it is an undertaking much above my reach to give a character of your lordship , or to express the worth of your noble ancestors . persons so truly great , are above all flattery , and mean objects are rather expos'd to scorn than extoll'd by it . your lordship stands highly visible among the first , among those i mean , who having attain'd to the utmost pitch of honour , can receive no addition of glory from the best of pens . this makes my task in approaching so able a judge , the more easie , which others , perhaps , may think the greatest difficulty . much study and accurate language , they say is requisite to express our selves duly to persons of eminent parts , who are able to discover the least imperfections , and expect to be treated according to their merit . i confess , the ablest pen can never exceed where there 's true worth ; but at the same time , it must be allow'd , that those who deserve most , are generally contented with least . thus we see the greatest and best of men are nothing pleas'd to hear their own commendations , because , tho' never so real , modesty makes them look like flattery in their eyes , and they easily connive at faults , which are not willful , because the sweetness of their temper makes them rather commiserate then expose the failings of others . this is a generosity , without which , no man can be call'd truly good , and he that is not good , can never be truly great . tyrants , and others , rais'd by infamous means to mighty titles , may according to the mistaken vulgar sense of the world , be call'd , and look'd upon as great , in respect of their power or riches ; but only those are really so , and will transmit that name to posterity , who either rise by noble and vertuous actions , or being nobly born , preserve that nobility unblemish'd . your lordship has worth to be above flattery , generosity not to be puff'd up with due praises , and goodness to overlook faults . i am too sensible of my own weakness , not to think so able a judge may discover many in this work , for of this epistle i do not speak , it being only design'd to beg pardon for the rest . the work i own deserv'd an abler undertaker ; but there is something of glory , even in attempting great things , tho' the success don't answer , and it is honourable to favour and encourage such attempts . scipio deserv'd no less commendation for favouring ennius , than augustus did for encouraging virgil , and your lordship in patronizing this translation , tho' it prove inferior in value , will do no less than the two great monarchs i mention'd at first , in giving their protection to the originals . the less my merit appears , the greater will be the demonstration of his goodness , who supports my weakness . the mighty artaxerxes accepted of water a country-man brought him in his hands , and stoop'd to drink of it . history ought to be pure as water , without any partiality to disturb , or discolour it , such has my author been generally accounted , if the course way of presenting of it in the hands of my unpolish'd stile make it appear the less valuable , your lordship will be pleas'd to consider it was the best vessel i had to serve it up in , and to look upon it as the best mark i was able to give of the profound respect i owe , as my lord , your lordships most faithful and most devoted humble servant , john stevens . the preface . the learned part of the world is so well acquainted with the value of this history , that it will seem superfluous to give any character of it ; so that whatsoever i can say in its behalf , must fall short of what it deserves in the opinion of those who are judges of its worth , and sach as have no knowledge of it , may be apt to think me partial , as a translator , should i offer any thing in commendation of it . mariana needs no apology , having establish'd an unblemish'd reputation ; and that particularly , as to the best of qualifications requir'd in an historian , which is , being impartial . i will not go about to prove him so in the strictest sense , for that were to make him more than man , since we know there is none absolutely such , because nature inclines all mortals to affect one party more than another , and we should look upon him as stupid and insensible , that had not some love for his country above another . for this reason , i do not pretend to affirm , that my author is absolutely impartial , being a spaniard ; but i dare confidently aver , he is so , far beyond all that have undertaken to write history in that nation , and perhaps , should i say in any other , it might be no more than he deserves . our english histories are very well known to carry too much byass ; those of france are no more exempt from it , nor do i think any other nation free from the vanity of extolling its own actions . if all the world be guilty of the crime , he that has least of it , must doubtless , be accounted the most vertuous , and such i look upon mariana to be , which i think as great a commendation as can be given an author . the fabulous stories of antiquity he lightly runs over , being unwilling , as he says , wholly to omit that which others have treated of at large , or to impose fictions upon his reader as truth . this , as to what hap'ned in spain before the coming of the romans and cathaginians ; for of their times we have good lights in latin authors , and there is as much said here , as can well be made out of them , peculiarly relating to the country , without straying too much into foreign affairs , of which , still there are sufficient hints , as far as they are requisite for making those of spain the more plain and intelligible , and even at times , they are enlarg'd for the instruction of the reader , who has not seen them in other authors . the gothish times are again dark , because the barbarous nations breaking into spain , so oppress'd the natives , that all learning was almost lost , as may appear by the profound ignorance that reign'd for many years . this continu'd till the conversion of the goths , when receiving the faith , they began to be civiliz'd , and by degrees , apply'd themselves to profitable studies . but being conquerors of so great a nation , and having no body left to oppose them , they gave themselves wholly up to pride and luxury . god , as may well be believ'd , permitting them to fall into such heinous sins , that he might at once punish their nation for the inhumane barbarities their forefathers had committed throughout the greatest part of europe . and indeed so heavy a judgment fell upon them , that the very name of them was almost obliterated by the invasion of the moors , who in about eight months space over-ran the greatest part of so vast a dominion as spain is , leaving the distressed natives nothing they could call their own , but the barren , uncoth mountains in the northern parts , where they liv'd in caves and dens , like wild beasts , rather , because the infidels contemned , than that they wanted power to subdue them . yet this handful of men , breaking out by degrees from those wild places , when god's mercy began to take place of his justice , in time grew formidable to the moors , and erecting several petty kingdoms , went on , enlarging their borders almost insensibly , till in near . years they recover'd that , which , as was said before , they lost in months . this second inundation of barbarians again bore down all that had been set up towards restoring of learning , and no remains of literature seem'd for many years to be left among the christians , those who were subject to the moors , groaning under the heavy yoke of oppression , and those that had asserted their liberty making it their only study to handle the sword , without finding leasure to think of the pen. for this reason , doubtless , many considerable actions have been bury'd in oblivion , and others , which in part were true , have been deliver'd to us with such a mixture of fables , that there 's no possibility of separating the wheat from the tares , tho' i believe , f. mariana has labour'd as much , and perhaps more successfully , than any other in this particular , as being intent upon discovering the truth , and not fond of the vanity of honouring his country with fictions . the latter ages , which draw near to us , furnish much matter for history , as well because the kings of spain , extended their dominions , and carry'd their arms beyond the limits of their owncountry , as because there were able men , whose care it was to transmit to posterity the actions of their princes . this may suffice as to the history . as to the author , i think something ought to be said of him , tho' i say the less of his history , because it will speak for it self ; and having consider'd what account to give of him in few words , i have found none so succinct and full , as that he gives of himself in ten lines , at the end of his latin supplement to his history , which are these . elbora me genuit , compluti mystica cepi , romae & lutetiae dogmata , quae docui . sed fractus caelo duro , atque labore , toletum , conscripsi hesperiae tempora prisca , redux , pondera , de rege , & scaena , de morte , jacobo , pascha , egira , nummis , inque libros biblicos . est mariana domus , jesu inter vita sodales , multiplicis sophiae cultus , amica quies . an dabis extinctus tarda ut post fata quiescam , octo novemque deus quem fere lustra premunt . these are his own words , which for the satisfaction of the english reader , who is not acquainted with latin , i had put into english verse by an ingenious friend , who in compliance to my desire , has translated them almost verbatim , and confin'd himself to a narrow compass , in these words . elbora gave me birth , complutum fraught , my mind with sacred knowledge , which i taught at rome and paris , till th' inclement air , and broken health constrain'd me to repair back to toledo , where i first compos'd spain's history , from ancient times disclos'd weights , coins , t' hegira did my pen engage , kings , death , st. james , the paschal feast , the stage , and books of sacred writ , my dwelling wears the virgins holy name , where free from cares among the tribe of jesus , in the chase of various truth , i pass my quiet days , give me , good god! at length to sleep in peace , whom more than fourscore years with weighty age oppress . elbora , where he says he was born , is a town now call'd talavera , upon the river tagus , in castile ; complutum , where he study'd , is the vniversity of alcala de henares , betwixt madrid and toledo . he taught divinity some years at rome and paris , and then , as appears by his own words , return'd into spain , and setled at toledo , where he compos'd all those works he mentions , which are , his weights and measures ; that is , those of the hebrews , greeks and romans , reduc'd to those then us'd in spain ; a treatise concerning the stage , another pious , upon death and immortality ; one to prove the coming of st. james the apostle into spain ; one of the day on which christ dy'd , which is that he calls pascha , as being the rule of keeping easter ; one of the hegira , or moorish computation of years from mahomet ; one about the change of coins ; and one in defence of the vulgate edition of the bible . but that which has made most noise in the world , and particularly in england , is his book de rege & regis institutione ; for some years since , there was scarce a cobler , tho' he knew not so much as the title of the work , but quoted mariana 's treasonable doctrines to authorize otes 's narrative , insomuch , that had it not been for the former , the reputation of the latter had been in some danger . however , this book , tho' so much talk'd of , is known but to few , being very scarce , and one reason of it may be , that as it contains many treasonable propositions , most monarchical governments have doubtless endeavour'd to suppress it , because destructive to kings . and yet tho' so much rail'd at once , even by those who never saw , or were capable of understanding it , of late , it finds good approbation among many , who keep and read it with satisfaction , but such it is , as well deserves the sentence past and executed upon it , at its first coming into the world , for both at rome and at paris , it was publickly burnt by the hand of the common hangman , a sufficient testimony of the abhorrence these places had of the opinions it teaches . and perhaps , had the author been at either of them at that time , he had not found much better quarter then his book did ; but he came not off scotfree , for by express command from rome , he was kept a close prisoner for above years , and only releas'd by death . i have made so much mention of this book , because that imprisonment , which was the consequence of it , was improv'd by mariana for composing of this present history , which now i present the world with in english . in that consinement , as sir walter rauleigh , is said to have compos'd his history of the world , in the tower , did mariana compile his history of spain . he writ it first in latin , and then , as he says himself , fearing lest some unskilful pen translating it into spanish , should fully its reputation , he undertook the work himself , not as a translator , but as he says , with the liberty of an author , altering and adding , as he found convenient , upon further search into records and ancient authors . yet neither the latin nor the spanish , came lower than the end of the reign of king ferdinand , grandfather to the emperor charles v. where mariana concluded his books , being affraid to come down nearer to his own time , and this , because he could not speak with that freedom and impartiality , which he had us'd throughout this work , by reason , that either the persons themselves , or else the children of those who had acted in those latter reigns being living , it took away that liberty of laying-open ill actions , and exposing the crimes of those , who in themselves , or their off-spring , were still in being . this made him rather chose to give over at that distance , that by proceeding , to oblige himself to swerve from that ingenuity he had us'd till ●●en , and deviate from truth . however , at the instigation of friend , lest his history should seem an imperfect work , he writ a supplement to it , short , for fear of offending ; but bringing it down to the year . when king philip iii. dy'd , and philip iv. came to the crown . thus far went f. mariana , after whose death , f. ferdinand camargo y salcedo , of the order of st. augustin , carry'd on another supplement , from the year . where mariana left off , till . inclusive , where f. basil varen de soto , of the regular clergy , took it up , and went on till the year . being the th of the reign of this present king of spain , charles ii. having said as much , as i think , requisite , in relation to the author and his work , it only remains now , that i add a few words as to the translation , wherein , i will be as brief as possible , because i don't affect swelling a volume with my own notions , and this being my own labour , as no man will imagine i can say any thing to lessen it ; so neither am i so vain as to commend it . if bad , the world is not so charitable , as to connive at my faults , and if it has any thing good , it will recommend it self . there are in the original many fictions , which mariana mentions after other authors , and these being allow'd of by him as fables , i have inserted , with as much brevity as i could , thinking it needless to insist much upon those things , which no reader could be pleas'd with , as being rather romantick than historical , as he that writes them sufficiently proves . in the next place , as there is no spanish history but swarms with lives of saints and miracles , so this could not but have its share of them among the rest . now this sort of legend , tho' very acceptable to spaniards , is not at all taking among us , nor to say the truth , any way pertinent in profane history ; therefore , these things i have much retrench'd , not that i have wholly omitted them , for that i would not do , for fear of being thought vnfaithful ; but i have reduc'd them into a narrow compass , that the reader may have a taste of , and not be cloy'd with them . this , and the irregular method of mariana in his chapters , has forc'd me not to make so great a number of them as he has done ; but i have put two or three into one , as i found most convenient ; yet so , as the reader , who shall have a mind to compare the translation with the original , may easily do it , because every break in the english , is a chapter in the spanish ; by which they are easily to be found . the reason of translating it from the spanish rather than from the latin , is because the former , as was hinted above , is the perfecter work ; being compos'd after the other by author , and much improv'd . the names of persons i have kept as they are in the spanish , where they are such , as can't be found in english , such as ordon̄o , nun̄o , sancho , and the like . these i say , we have not in english , and therefore i would not alter them at all , as some have done , turning them into latin , which is as odd to us as the spanish , and calling them ordonius , nunius , sanctius , and so forth . others there are , which the spaniards have corrupted , being names us'd in other nations , tho' perhaps , not among us , these generally , i write after the manner of spain , but upon the first coming to mention them , do explain and setthem down , as they are call'd where they are in use , an instance of these , are ramon , in english , raymund , brunechilda , whom the french call brunchault ; pelayo , in latin pelagius , bermudo , more properly veremundo , or veremundus . those names which are commonly in use with us , i generally call as we do , tho' i have seen the contrary practis'd ; yet i know no reason why , since the history speaks english , the names of those it treats of , should not be made as intelligible to us as their actions . for example , the wife of king ferdinand , who united castile and aragon , is generally call'd queen isabel , which is no other than elizabeth in spanish , and i think there is no more reason for us to call her isabel , when we speak english , than there would be in writing of queen elizabeth of england , to call her elizabeth in spanish . the same happens when generally we write of any spaniard , whose name was peter , we call him d. pedro , as if peter were not the true english of pedro , and elizabeth of isabel . those names that in spanish have an n with a dash over , as in ordon̄o ; nun̄o , and many more , i have caus'd to be so printed , to give the reader them as true as possible , which was never done before , for some write ordonno and nunno , others ordonio and nunio , which are both false , for tho' a dash seems to imply an n , yet it does not so absolutely in these cases , because a doubleth n among us will only put a strong emphasis upon that part of the word , which the spanish has not ; and if we substitute an i , then it makes two syllables of one , for no ' or n̄a is but one syliable , and adding an i , either of them makes two ; but the way to pronounce it is , to suppose it a dipthong , where retaining something of the i , the a makes the greatest sound , and both but one syllable . it is true , the thing being wholly new● and cast on purpose for this work , they are not to be found of all sorts , for they are only ●● the italick ; the printers having yet got none in the roman letter . the next thing to be observ'd , is the o's , which have a dash at the bottom , as thus ç , for such a c in all places , whatever vowel follows it , is pronounc'd like an s , only rather somewhat softer , as zarago ça , there the syllable ça is pronounc'd as if it were sa ; but this they that are vers'd in french are not unacquainted with ; yet it is not impertinent to mention it , because 't is suppos'd , that many may read this history who have no knowledge of that tongue . one word more , as to another error in pronouncing of sancho , sancha , and other names ending in that manner , which are universally by learned and vnlearned spoken as if they were written sanco and sanca , a thing never known in spanish , where every letter has its full sound , and so it has in these words , and all that end in cho , which is to be pronounc'd as we do those three letters in the word chosen . i must also inform the reader , that mariana has been nothing curious in dividing his books , which has made me in some few of them take : the liberty of borrowing a little from one to add to another , to bring things to a more compleat period , as they ought to be at the end of a book . as for instance , to my first book i have added the first chapter of the second , as it is in the spanish , because that breaks off in the middle of the relation of hanno and himilco 's travels , and begins again with their return home , which i thought more proper to put together , and finish the book with the conclusion of their labours . so in the th and th books , i have borrow'd somewhat from the th and th because they did not come to so good a conclusion in the original . these are small things which i hope none will find cause to blame me for , nor will it be any argument against me to say so great a man as mariana , was not to be corrected by me , for the greatest men are guilty of oversights , and its visible , he rather labour'd to deliver a good history to posterity , than to seek the embellishment and forms that might set it off . i think i have said enough , both as to the author and my self ; for i am not ambitious of a gaudy preface , it will be more satisfaction that the history be approv'd of , tho' the preface pass unregarded , than that the latter should prove the only thing good in the book . since they come into the world , i don't doubt , but they will find enough to censure , and perhaps , but few to defend them ; yet the best judges are usually most favourable , and don 't delight to make faults where they don't find them , and for those that do , their reflections at the long run , may light on themselves , such may be the fate of all that read , only to carp and rail at what they don't understand . a great deal of care has been taken to correct the press ; yet in so great a work , some few errata's have likely escap'd , which if they have , i hope they are inconsiderable , and only litteral . i had almost forgot to let the reader understand that d. stands as well for don̄a , as for don , according as the name it is prefixt to , is either a man's , or a womans , tho' in some few places the woman is distinguish'd thus , da , but i could not get it so carry'd on throughout the whole work. table of chapters to mariana . the first book . chap. i. of the first peopling of spain by tubal , of the fruitfulness of the soil , its situation and circumference , and of its principal mountains and rivers . page chap. ii. of the ancient and modern division of spain , of the languages used there , and of the customs of the spaniards . p. chap. iii. of the fabulous kings of spain , of the geryons , of king hispalus ; and the death of hercules and of hesperus , atlas and siculus , kings of spain . p. chap. iv. of the coming of several nations into spain , as the celtes , rhodians , carthaginians and phenicians , also of abides , and a wonderful dearth . p. chap. v. of the age of argantonius . the phenicians attempt to subdue all spain , but being repulsed , send for aid to the carthaginians , who ravage the country , but sustain great loss from the natives . p. chap. vi. the carthaginians make war upon the phenicians ; peace made , in which , the latter become subject to the former . sappho comes into spain . discoveries made by himilco and hanno . p. second book . chap. i. the actions of the spaniards in sicily . the government of hanno . an embassy sent to alexander the great . the first roman and carthaginian war. p. chap. ii. the second coming of hamilcar . asdrubal succeeds him . his preparations for the roman war , and death . p. chap. iii. the beginning , progress and end of the saguntine war , with the utter extirpation of that city . p. chap. iv. the beginning of the second roman and carthaginian war. hannibal marches thro' france into italy . some of his actions there , and of the scipio 's in spain . p. chap. v. asdrubal designing to march thro' france into italy , is defeated by the two scipio 's , who after that overthrow mago , and rout the carthaginians a third time at bigerra ; but are at last themselves vanquish'd and slain . p. chap. vi. lucius marcius checks the progress of the carthaginians , and gives them a great overthrow . first nero , then publius scipio comes into spain , and takes carthagena . p. chap. vii . publius scipio routs asdrubal , and drives the carthaginians quite out of spain , other notable actions of his there . cornelius lentulus and lucius manlius , succeed him , and overthrow the spaniards that had revolted . p. chap. viii . the spaniards revolting , are again subdu'd by the romans . cato being consul , comes into spain . several pretors succeed him . their government and actions . p. the third book . chap. i. the first war of numantia , and peace concluded with that city . the war in lusitania , and other parts ; and treachery of the pretor sergius galba . p. chap. ii. viriatus 's original and actions against the romans . the government of several roman generals , and among them , of metellus and pompey , and death of viriatus . p. chap. iii. the second war betwixt rome and numantia . the consul mancinus , concludes a dishonourable peace with that people , and is therefore delivered up to them . scipio africanus sent against them . the city destroy'd . p. chap. iv. other occurrences in spain after the war of numantia . the beginning of the war of sertorius . his actions , defeat and death . p. chap. v. pompey appeases the tumults in spain . julius caesar comes into spain . the beginning of the civil wars there . pompey 's general defeated , the whole country reduc'd by julius caesar , who returns to rome . p. chap. vi. longinus governs spain . his actions . the war betwixt caesar and pompey 's sons . the famous battle of munda . caesar returns victorious to rome . p. chap. vii . other commotions in spain after the death of caesar . the beginning of the empire of augustus , and war of cantabria . p. the fourth book . chap. i. the birth of christ our lord. the death of augustus , and reigns of the emperors , tiberius , caligula and claudius , with an account of the coming of st. james the apostle into spain , and first preaching of the gospel . p. . chap. ii. the reigns of the emperors nero , galba , otho , vitellius , vespasian and titus . with an account of the colonies , free-towns , and courts of judicature then in spain . p. chap. iii. the reigns of the emperors domitian , nerva , trajan , adrian , antoninus verus , marcus aurelius and commodus ; the persecutions under them . the building of the city leon , and rise of the heresie of the gnosticks . p. chap. iv. the reigns of the emperors pertinax , severus , caracalla , macrinus , heliogabalus , alexander severus , maximinus , gordianus , philip , decius , tribonianus gallus , and aemilianus . p. chap. v. the reigns of the emperors valerianus , galienus , flavius aurelianus , tacitus , flavianus , probus , carinus , dioclesian and maximian , constantius and galerius , maximinus and licinius . p. chap. vi. the reign of the glorious constantine the great , the first christian emperor . the arian heresie . the first general council of nice . p. chap. vii . the reigns of the emperors constantine , constantius , and constans , julian the apostate , jovianus , valentinian and valens . p. chap. viii . the reigns of the emperors gratianus , valentinian , theodosius , arcadius and honorius . p. the fifth book . chap. i. the coming of several barbarous nations into spain , as the vandals , alans , suevians , silingians and goths . their original , and where they setled . p. chap. ii. the goths vanquish and subdue all the other barbarous nations in spain . the vandals after this , successful , go over into africk . the rise of the kingdom of the suevians . p. chap. iii. the reigns of the kings theodoredus , torismund and theodorick . attila , king of the huns , twice routed . the general council of chalcedon . p. chap. iv. the death of king theodorick , and reigns of euricus and alaricus . the goths twice overthrown by the franks . p. chap. v. the reigns of the kings gesaleycus , theodorick and amalaricus . several spanish synods . defeat of the franks . and tryal by ordeal . p. chap. vi. the reigns of theudiselus , agila and athanagildus . a great plague . the th general council : an interregnum . and the conversion of the suevians . p. chap. vii . of the two sisters galsuinda and brunechilda . the reigns of the kings liuva and leuvigildus . this last , makes his two sons his companions in the throne . p. chap. viii . ermenegildus , son to leuvigildus , marries the lady ingundis , is converted to the catholick faith ; is besieg'd by his father in sevil , and put to death by him . p. chap. ix . the remaining part of the reign of king leuvigildus . he persecutes the catholicks . subdues the suevians , his death , and causes of his conversion . p. chap. x. the reign of recaredus , his and peoples conversion . conspiracies against him detected and punish'd . he overthrows the franks . the third council of toledo . p. the sixth book . chap. i. the remaining actions of king recaredus , he marries clodosinda , sister to childebert king of lorrain . his death . original of dukes and counts . p. chap. ii. the reigns of the kings liuva , witericus , gundemarus , sisebutus and recaredus ii. several synods ; the jews banish'd spain . p. chap. iii. the reigns of the kings suinthula , rechimirus , sisenandus and chintila . the romans quite expell'd spain . three synods at toledo . p. chap. iv. the reigns of the kings tulga , chindasuinthus and recesuinthus . several synods of toledo . increase of the mahometan power . the election and coronation of king wamba . p. chap. v. the war with the rebels in gallia gothica , paul , wamba 's general joyns with them . the king marches against them , and reduces all the country to his obedience . p. chap. vi. wamba returns into spain . punishes the heads of the rebels . his publick works . eleventh council of toledo . a great fleet of sarazens destroy'd . wamba depos'd . ervigius vsurps the crown . p. chap. vii . the reigns of the kings ervigius and egica . p. chap. viii . the reign of king witiza , roderick ascends the throne , ravishes count julian 's daughter , and breaks open an old castle at toledo , said to be inchanted . p. chap. ix . the first coming of the moors into spain . they prove successful , and flock over in great multitudes . king roderick overthrown in a great battle . his death . the moors over-run the greatest part of spain . p. chap. x. the moor muza comes over with supplies . his actions . the moorish computation of years , call'd hegira . abdalasis , son to muza , his actions . end of count julian and his family . deplorable state of spain . p. the seventh book . chap. i. prince pelayus , or pelagius , takes up arms against the moors . is declar'd king , and miraculously vanquishes the infidels . the death of muza . alahor governs spain . p. chap. ii. pelayus 's power increases , he takes several towns. his death . the short reign and death of favila . several moorish governours in spain . actions of the infidels in france . p. chap. iii. the reign of d. alonso the catholick . his conquests and death . several moorish governours in spain . affairs of the mahometans both in spain and africk . p. chap. iv. the reigns of the kings froyla , aurelius , silon , alonso , mauregatus and veremundus , or bermudo . monarchy of the moors erected in spain by abderhaman . his death , and wars among his sons . p. chap. v. the reign of d. alonso the chast . the nestorian heresie reviv'd . the kings sister debauch'd , he takes lisbon . wars among the moors . invention of the body of s. james the apostle , and defeat of charlemaine . p. chap. vi. the remaining part of the reign of king alonso . rebellion among the moors . alhaca , the moor dies , and abderhaman succeeds him . the reign of king ramiro , he overthrows the moors in a great battle . his death and invasion of the normans . p. chap. vii . the persecution rais'd by the moors at cordova . the reign of d. ordonno over the christians , and mahomet over the moors . p. chap. viii . the reign of king alonso the great . he is expell'd , and restor'd . his brothers conspire against him , and are punish'd . the church of st. james the apostle made an archbishoprick . mahomet the moorish king dies . p. chap. ix . the death of king alonso the great . the reigns of d. garcia and d. ordonno ii. of oviedo ; and of almundar , abdalla and abderhaman of cordova . p. the eighth book . chap. i. the original of the kingdoms of navarre and aragon , and earls of barcelona , with their succession and actions , down to the time of king ordonno ii. of leon. p. chap. ii. of the earls of castile . the reigns of d. fruela ii. king of leon. fictions concerning the kings of navarre . the reign of their king d. sancho abarca . p. chap. iii. the reigns of alonso iv. and ramiro ii. kings of leon. sancho abarca , king of navarre slain by fernan gonzalez , earl of castile . several defeats of the moors . agreat eclypse . p. chap. iv. the reigns of d. ordonno iii. d. sancho the gross , kings , of leon , and of garcia sanchez , king of navarre ; and actions of fernan gonzalez , earl of castile . p. chap. v. the reign of ramiro iii. king of leon. death of earl fernan gonzalez . normans infest the coasts of spain . divisions among the moors . rebellion against the king of leon , and his death . p. chap. vi. the reign of bermudo ii. call'd the gouty , king of leon. discord betwixt him and the earl of castile . leon and barcelona taken by the infidels . garcia , king of navarre , dies . his son garci sanchez , succeeds him . p. chap. vii . the death of king bermudo the gouty , and beginning of the reign of d. alonso v. king of leon. many troubles among the moors . the earl of castile slain by the infidels . p. chap. viii . continues the mighty revolutions among the infidels ; with the dismembring of the mighty kingdom of cordova , and erecting of several other little sovereignties in the chief cities of spain . p. chap. ix . the last actions of d. alonso , king of leon , and his death . the reign of d. bermudo iii. his son sancho , earl of castile , poisons his mother . his son garcia murder'd . p. chap. x. the remaining part of the reign of sancho the greater , king of navarre . wicked contrivance of his sons against their mother . he settles religious affairs ; rebuilds palencia , and is murder'd . p. the ninth book . chap. i. the posture of affairs in spain . actions of d. berenguel , earl of barcelona . kingdoms of the moors . wars betwixt the kings of castile and leon. ferdinand crown'd king of leon. p. chap. ii. ferdinand , king of castile and leon , the most powerful king of spain , overthrows the moors , takes several towns , and ravages the territories of the infidels . ramiro , king of aragon , wars on his brother of navarre . p. chap. iii. s. isidorus 's body translated to leon. conversion of two moorish princesses . garcia , king of navarre , kill'd by his brother ferdinand . ramiro , king of aragon , recovers his dominions . p. chap. iv. the manner how spain came to be exempted from the roman empire . the famous roderick diaz de bivar , commonly call'd cid . his extraction , and first actions . three synods held in spain . p. chap. v. the remaining part of the reign of ferdinand , king of castile and leon. his dominions divided amongst his children . of d. ramiro , king of aragon . perpignan built . p. chap. vi. the progress of the war d. sancho made upon his two brothers . he expels alonso , king of leon , first , and then garcia , king of galicia , lays siege to the city zamora , and is there murder'd . p. chap. vii . king alonso returns from among the moors , and recovers his brothers kingdoms . the first part of his reign . actions of roderick de bivar . king sancho of navarre , murder'd by his own brother . p. chap. viii . the death of almenon , king of toledo , and of d. ramon , earl of barcelona . the conquests of the moors in italy . the conquest of toledo resolv'd upon . ramon , earl of barcelona , murder'd . p. chap. ix . the famous city toledo closely besieg'd and surrendred ; many other places taken . king alonso stiles himself emperor . p. chap. x. the election of the new archbishop of toledo . the abolishing the old missal and breviary . the original of the archbishop of toledo . his spiritual jurisdiction over all spain . king alphonso's wives and children . new wars break out in spain . p. the tenth book . chap. i. the moorish family of the almoravides comes into spain . king alonso twice overthrown by them . several strangers come out of france to serve under him , he bestows three of his daughters on them . the holy war in the east . p. . chap. ii. the great actions of d. sancho ramirez , king of aragon . he is kill'd at the siege of huesca . his sons continue the siege , rout a great army of the moors and christians that come to raise it , and take the place . p. chap. iii. great preparations thro' christendom for the holy war. valencia taken by roderick de bivar , other actions of his , suspected to be fabulous . his death , and that of joseph , the moorish monarch . p. chap. iv. the death of sancho , prince of castile , and of the two kings , peter i. of aragon , and alonso iv. of castile . the moorish king of zaragoça . of two holy men. p. chap. v. the reign of queen urraca . her lewdness . she is divorc'd from her husband , depos'd from the government . her son alonso proclaim'd king of castile . p. chap. vi. the wars of majorca and zaragoça . the schism of burdinus . peace concluded betwixt the crowns of castile and aragon . the original of the kingdom of portugal . p. chap. vii . a schism in the church , on account of the antipope . peace betwixt castile and aragon . war with the moors . original of the kingdom of portugal . p. chap. viii . the war betwixt the king of castile and the moors . the death of king alonso of aragon , and revolutions of that kingdom , and navarre . the former choses ramiro , a monk , the latter , garcia for their king. p. chap. ix . the king of castile aspires to the crowns of aragon and navarre . stiles himself emperor . ramiro , king of aragon resigns , and his son-in-law , raymund , earl of barcelona , assumes the crown . p. chap. x. d. alonso of portugal , takes the title of king. his wars with the moors . war betwixt the christian princes , and peace concluded . baeça and almeria taken by the king of castile , and lisbon by him of portugal . p. the eleventh book . chap. i. the coming into spain of the moors , call'd almohades . the death of d. garcia , king of navarre , by a fall from his horse , his son sancho succeeds him . king alonso and his daughter both marry'd . many places taken from the moors . p. chap. ii. king luis the younger of france , comes into spain . alonso of castile and leon , call'd the emperor , dies . his sons sancho and ferdinand , inherit the crowns of castile and leon. original of the knights of calatrava . p. chap. iii. the death of sancho , king of castile . the great commotions that ensu'd . the death of raymund , prince of aragon , his issue . alonso , his eldest son succeeds in his dominions . p. chap. iv. alonso , the young king of castile , takes upon him the government , recovers most of his dominions , joyns in league with the aragonian , and marries ellenor , the daughter to henry ii. king of england . some actions of ferdinand king of leon. p. chap. v. the league made against peter ruiz de açagra . the original of the knights of santiago . the taking of cuenca by the christians . increase of the knights of santiago , or s. james the apostle . several places in navarre taken by the castilians . p. chap. vi. rebellion in the kingdom of leon suppress'd . alonso , king of portugal , taken by ferdinard of leon , and set at liberty . being besieg'd in santarem , by the moors , is reliev'd by him . he vanquishes the infidels . actions of his son sancho . p. chap. vii . the death of the kings of leon and portugal . alliances betwixt the kings of spain . the defeat of the christians at alarcos . sancho the wise , king of navarre , dies . sancho i. king of portugal . alonso ix . of leon. p. chap. viii . king alonso of aragon dies , and his son peter succeeds him . the king of leon divorc'd . castilians and aragonians over-run navarre . alonso , king of castile 's two daughters marry'd to the kings of england and leon. plague and famine in spain . p. chap. ix . the marriage of the king of aragon , and death of some persons of note . peace concluded , and alliance betwixt all the christian kings of spain . the beginning of the war with the moors . a vast multitude of foreigners comes to the assistance of the christian kings of spain . p. chap. x. the further progress of the christian army , which obtains a most signal victory over the infidels , of whom are slain , and this call'd the battle of navas de tolosa . many towns taken after this success . p. the twelfth book . chap. i. the original and growth of the heresie of the albigenses , which spread all over france , and some part of spain . preaching against them unsuccessful , war is resolv'd upon . p. chap. ii. the death of peter , king of aragon , and of alonso , king of castile . simon , earl of montfort , general of the catholicks . overthrows the hereticks , and takes the towns they had possessed themselves of . p. chap. iii. disorders in castile and aragon , under the two infant kings . sancho , king of navarre , altogether decripid . the lateran general council . honours done there to the archbishop of toledo . p. chap. iv. the family of lara take the government of castile into their hands . they commit many insolencies , and oppress the nobility . young king henry marry'd and divorc'd . the king of aragon escapes from his keepers . p. chap. v. great disorders in castile rais'd by the family of lara . young king henry kill'd by the fall of a tile . ferdinand , prince of leon , succeeds his mother berengaria , renouncing her right . orders of s. dominick , s. francis and la merced instituted . p. chap. vi. the marriages of two kings , ferdinand of castile , and jayme of aragon . king ferdinand quells many commotions . death of the kings of france and portugal . p. chap. vii . king ferdinand of castile 's great success against the moors . king jayme of aragon seiz'd by some rebellious nobles , makes his escapes , and commences war against the rebels . p. chap. viii . the war with the moors renew'd . the island of majorca conquer'd by the aragonians . the popes legate disanuls the marriage of king jayme , on account of consanguinity . raymund , earl of toulouze , a heretick , reduc'd . p. chap. ix . alonso , king of leon , defeats the moors , takes merida and badajoz , and dies . crowns of castile and leon united under ferdinand . sancho , king of navarre , dies , theobald succeeds him . interviews of several kings . p. chap. x. the beginning , progress and end of the war against cordova , with the conquest of that noble city . p. chap. xi . a moorish king baptiz'd . description of valencia , its siege , and surrender to the king of aragon , who is wounded before it . theobald , king of navarre , goes with others to the holy-war . p. the thirteenth book . chap. i. the taking of many towns by the christians . the kingdom of murcia surrendred to king ferdinand . his marriage . salamanca made an vniversity . moors defeated by the christians . p. chap. ii. a defeat of the christians , who recover , and are successful , take jaen , and many other places . the king of granada made tributary . king sancho ii. of portugal expell'd by his rebellious subjects . p. chap. iii. the beginning of the war against sevil. aragon under a general interdict . the siege and surrender of sevil. carmona and several other places . p. chap. iv. s. luis , king of france , sends presents to the church of toledo , and makes an unfortunate expedition to the holy-land . aragon embroyl'd king ferdinand of castile , after gaining much from the moors , dies p. chap. v. the beginning of the reign of king alonso , he is chosen emperor by part of the electors , and richard , duke of cornwal , by the rest . theobald i. king of navarre , dies ; his son theobald ii. succeeds him . p. chap. vi. aragon and castile at variance , and reconcil'd . sancho , king of portugal , dies in exile . death of the queen and prince of aragon . portugal under an interdict . marriages of the king of of navarre , and prince of aragon . p. chap. vii . the family of the merines obtains the empire of africk . the war against the moors renew'd in spain . cuidad rodrigo built . troubles in aragon . the city murcia taken , and the king of granada made tributary . p. chap. viii . the kingdom of the normans in sicily , extinguish'd by the french. the empress of constantinople comes into spain , and jayme , king of aragon , to toledo . p. chap. ix . the king of aragon 's expedition for the holy-land . the kings of france and navarre , and the eldest son of the king of england , move upon the same enterprize . the nobles of castile revolt . troubles in aragon . p. chap. x. rodulphus of ausburg , chosen emperor . henry , king of navarre , dies . his daughter joanna inherits . alonso , king of castile , agrees with his nobles , then goes into france to plead for the empire , before the pope , and returns re infecta . p. the fourteenth book . chap. i. the king of morocco passes over into spain . the war with the moors . the christians twice defeated . death of prince ferdinand , the heir of castile . troubles in navarre betwixt the natives and the french. p. chap. ii. three popes die in one year . prince sancho of castile contrives to vsurp that crown from his nephews . the death of jayme , king of aragon , and of alonso of portugal . peter succeeds the first , and denis , the latter . p. chap. iii. the practices of prince sancho . he rebels against his father . the king of morocco comes to aid king alonso ; returns home , leaving horse to serve under him . king alonso disinherits , and curses his son prince sancho . p. chap. iv. the conspiracy of john prochita , in sicily , against the french , and slaughter of them , call'd the sicilian vespers . kings of france and aragon at war about sicily . castile and aragon under an interdict at the same time . p. chap. v. the death of alonso , king of castile . the beginning of the reign of king sancho iv. the defeat of the french fleet on the coast of italy . albarazin taken by the king of aragon . p. chap. vi. the french invade catalonia , take girona , and retire back to france with loss . the king of morocco besieges xeres , and is repuls'd . the death of the four kings of france , aragon , naples and morocco . p. chap. vii . the kings of castile and portugal meet d. lope de haro flies to navarre . a treaty in order to release the two princes of castile . charles , prince of salerno , set at liberty . france and castile joyn against aragon . denis , king of portugal 's issue . p. chap. viii . troubles in castile . the rightful heirs to that crown , before prisoners in aragon , set at liberty . wars on that account betwixt the two crowns . badajoz mutinies , and is reduc'd . an interview betwixt the kings of france and castile . p. chap. ix . the revolt of d. john nun̄ez de lara . the death of the king of aragon . his brother jayme succeeds him . matches betwixt the three kings of spain . defeat of the moors at sea. original of the dukes of medina sidonia . p chap. x. alcala de henares made an vniversity . tarifa besieg'd by the moors . a brave action of the governour . sancho , king of castile , dies . ferdinand iv. succeeds . peace betwixt france and aragon . p. the fifteenth book . chap. i. new troubles and wars in castile , where prince henry takes the government from the queen . prince john proclaimed king of leon and galicia . castile invaded by the moors , portugueses and aragonians . p. chap. ii. peace betwixt castile and portugal setled by means of the double alliances betwixt those princes . the progress of the wars in sicily . the jubilee first instituted . bilbao built ; and prince john reconcil'd to the king. p. chap. iii. of raymundus lullus , and the master of calatrava . the marriage of king ferdinand . peace concluded betwixt the kings of sicily and naples . a synod of bishops . troubles in castile . pope boniface dies . benedict xi . succeeds him . p. chap. iv. the differences betwixt the kings of castile and aragon reconcil'd . after which , they joyn in league against the moors , but to no considerable effect . death of roger lauria , the great admiral of aragon ; and divisions among the moors . p. chap. v. the king of granada depos'd . the king of castile 's sister marry'd to the duke of britany . the extirpation of the knights templers . the death of ferdinand iv. king of castile . p. chap. vi. the beginning of the reign of alonso xi . king of castile . the many confusions in that kingdom , by reason of his infancy . the moors of granada expell their king. the turks , their original and growth . p. chap. vii . the actions of the catalonians in greece . the war in andaluzia . death of luis hutin , king of france . philip the long , succeeds him . john xx. chosen pope . defeat of the moors by prince peter of castile . p. chap. viii . institution of two new orders of knighthood in aragon and portugal . peter and john , princes of castile , kill'd by the moors . the government of that kingdom in confusion . a great overthrow given the navarrois , by the biscainers . p. chap. ix . king alonso . xi . of castile , takes upon him the government . the conquest of sardinia by the aragonians . the death of king denis of portugal . his son alonso succeeds him . jayme ii. king of aragon , is succeeded by his son alonso iv. p. chap. x. the wars betwixt the christians and infidels . rebellions in castile . aragon , castile and portugal joyn in league . the king and queen of navarre , come into that country , and return again to france . p. the sixteenth book . chap. i. the king of granada goes into africk . abomelique passes over into spain . the war with the moors . a truce concluded . alonso de la cerda rightful king of castile , submits to king alonso the possessor . p. chap. ii. the moors of granada murder mahomet , their king. wars among all the christian kings of spain . alonso , king of aragon , dies . fresh rebellions in castile . the portuguese fleet beaten by the castilians . p. chap. iii. the death of frederick , king of sicily . a truce betwixt castile and portugal . the death of abomelique , and defeat of his army . peace betwixt castile and aragon . a synod at barcelona . p. chap. iv. a new invasion of spain by albohacen , king of morocco , with moors ; he besieges tarifa , is there routed with the loss of men , by the kings of castile and portugal . three defeats of the infidels at sea. p. chap. v. the siege and surrender of algezira . the infidels attempt to murder king alonso of castile . the earls of derby and salisbury , come to his assistance out of england , and the earl of faux out of france . robert , king of naples dies . p. chap. vi. the king of aragon conquers majorca , and all its dominions . great troubles in aragon . the rebels suppress'd . an vniversal plague . the knights of calatrava at variance , at length reconcil'd . p. chap. vii . the siege of gibraltar ; the king dies , and the siege is rais'd . king peter succeeds him . the lady ellenor de guzman kill'd . some nobles rebel , and are subdu'd . biscay annexed to the crown of castile . interviews of kings . p. chap. viii . embassadors sent by king peter into france , to obtain for his wife , blanch , daughter to the duke of bourbon , who is brought into spain , and marry'd to the king ; but he being before in love with the lady mary de padilla , slights and forsakes his queen . p. chap. ix . king peter of castile , removes his officers , punishes some rebels , and reduces several towns. the war of sardinia , where diseases rageing in the aragonian army , that king claps up a dishonourable peace , and returns to aragon . p. chap. x. the nobility of castile , particularly the king's bastard brothers in rebellion ; they treat with the king without success , the queen mother joyns them ; the king gets the better , and executes many of them . p. the seventeenth book . chap. i. the beginning of the war in aragon . many rebellious nobles in castile put to death . the war betwixt castile and aragon carry'd on by sea and land. p. chap. ii. the kings of castile and aragon , both call the moors to their assistance . the war is carry'd on vigorously on both sides . the castilians treacherous to their king. he punishes many of them . the computation of time in aragon altered . p. chap. iii. the death of queen blanch , and d. maria de padilla . peace betwixt castile and aragon . the war with the moors , and death of their king. the king of aragon 's daughter marry'd to the king of sicily . p. chap. iv. castile and navarre joyn in league . the war is carry'd on successfully against aragon , by king peter of castile , who declares the lady mary de padilla , to have been his lawful wife . the death of john , king of france , and constance queen of aragon . p. chap. v. count henry proclaim'd king of castile . king peter expell'd the kingdom ▪ refus'd entertainment in portugal , gathers a fleet in galicia , and flyes into france to the protection of the english . p. chap. vi. the war betwixt france , navarre and aragon . king peter of castile , supported by the english in france , is brought into spain by the prince of wales , with an army . overthrows henry , the vsurper , and recovers his kingdom . p. chap. vii . king peter excommunicated and absolv'd . count henry returns into spain , is again receiv'd by many places . toledo opposes him , and is besieg'd . king peter comes to its relief , is overthrown , betray'd to , and murder'd by henry the bastard . p. chap. viii . several foreign princes pretenders to the crown of castile . war with aragon , portugal and granada . affairs of aragon , sardinia and navarre . the league betwixt portugal and aragon . p. chap. ix . the siege of carmona . the king of portugal marries the lady ellenor de meneses . peace betwixt castile , portugal and navarre . p. chap. x. peace concluded betwixt castile and aragon . several matches of princes . french and spaniards besiege bayonne in vain . the papal chair restored to rome . death of frederick , king of sicily . p. the eighteenth book . chap. i. the wars of navarre . matches of some of king henry 's children . the schism in the church , caused by the election of the two popes , urban and clement . the death of the king of castile , and of mahomet , the moorish king of granada . p. chap. ii. king john succeeds his father in the throne of castile . charles , king of france , dies . charles vi. succeeds him . pope clement own'd in spain thro' the french interest . p. . chap. iii. charles , duke of durazzo , crown'd king of naples . the war with portugal . peace concluded . the king of portugal dies . actions of the aragonians and catalonians in greece , and of the former in sardinia . p. chap. iv. portugal full of divisions about the succession to the crown . king john of castile , having been proclaim'd at lisbon , enters that kingdom , has many places deliver'd to him . besieges lisbon , but is forced to raise the siege , and return to castile . p. chap. v. john , the bastard , master of avis , proclaim'd king of portugal . king john of castile , sends his fleet , then enters portugal himself with an army . the famous battle of aljubarrota , and rout of the castilians . p. chap. vi. the portugueses make an inroad into castile , and defeat a body of castilians . the duke of lancaster lands at corun̄a , and takes several towns. the death of the kings of naples , aragon and navarre . p. chap. vii . peace concluded with the english . the heir of castile in imitation of the prince of wales in england , is created prince of asturias . a truce with portugal , and the moors . king john of castile , kill'd by a fall from his horse . p. chap. viii . john , king of aragon , upon complaint of his subjects , complies with their demands . irruptions of the french into aragon . henry iii. proclaim'd king of castile . the form of government appointed there , during his minority . p. chap. ix . the contentions betwixt the nobility of castile about the government . they agree on a settlement , then alter it . the affairs of the moors at granada . war renew'd with portugal . king charles vi. of france , runs distracted . p. chap. x. the divisions among the nobility of castile , continue . a truce betwixt castile and portugal for years . the nobility at length pacify'd . sicily brought under the aragonian yoke . p. the nineteenth book . chap. i. king henry takes upon him the government . the cortes at madrid . discontents among the nobility . the death of the master of alcantara . the biscainers invade the canary-islands . the plague at madrid . p. chap. ii. another rebellion in castile quell'd by the king. pope clement dies , and benedict xiii . is elected , which continues the schism . the strange death of john , king of aragon . p. chap. iii. the queen of navarre , returns to her husband . the earl of faux invades aragon . the war betwixt castile and portugal renew'd . joseph , king of granada dies . mahomet his second son vsurps . the turks come over into europe . p. chap. iv. two franciscans preaching to the moors of granada , suffer martyrdom . the truce with portugal renew'd . two great plagues in spain and france . the year of jubilee . p. chap. v. the death of the queen of sicily . of tamerlan and bajazet . pope benedict again receiv'd in castile . the king of castile has a son born . pope boniface dies . innocent viii . chosen at rome . p. chap. vi. great tumults in aragon appeas'd by the cortes . a battle betwixt the castilians and the moors . the cortes of castile meet at toledo , and king henry dies there . a notable action of his . p. chap. vii . the crown offer'd to prince ferdinand , be refuses it . john ii. proclaim'd king of castile . the death of the queen of aragon . the war of granada . several places taken by the christians , who also obtain a victory at sea p. chap. viii . the murder of the duke of orleans , by him of burgundy . the war carry'd on with the moors , and a truce concluded . original of d. alvaro de luna . continuation of the schism . p. chap. ix . the death of martin , king of sicily . several pretenders to the crown of aragon . their several claims . martin , king of aragon , prefers that of his nephew prince ferdinand of castile , tho' unjust . p. chap. x. the moors having done much harm in the christian territories , prince ferdinand marches against them , defeats them , and takes antequera , and other places . martin , king of aragon dies . a love adventure . p. the twentieth book . chap. i. the state of christendom . nine judges appointed in aragon to decide the dispute about the succession . arguments us'd by each of the candidates . the government of king john of portugal . p. chap. ii. ferdinand , prince of castile , declar'd king of aragon by the judges , and afterwards proclaim'd at zarago●a . he settles the kingdom , besieges and takes the earl of urgel , who aspir'd to the grown . p. chap. iii. the christian princes all combine with the emperor to put an end to the schism in the church . in order to it , king ferdinand of aragon , has a conference with pope benedict . the council of constance . the two popes , john , and gregory , abdicate . p. chap. iv. the portugueses pass over into africk , and take ceuta . all endeavours us'd to move pope benedict to resign the papacy prove vain . ferdinand , king of aragon 's death . the council of constance puts an end to the schism in the church . p. chap. v. the death of the queen of castile . marriages of princes . prince henry of aragon , seizes the king of castile . tumults in that kingdom . strange prodigies . many colleges built in castile . p. chap. vi. original of the portuguese discoveries . king alonso of aragon , adopted heir to the crown of naples . the king of castile escapes from his confinement , and suppresses many of the rebels . d. alvaro de luna made an earl. p. chap. vii . the death of the moorish king of granada . a truce betwixt castile and portugal . the interest of the aragonians decays at naples . the death of the pretended pope benedict . p. chap. viii . the pretended pope benedict dying , another is supported by the king of aragon , who plunders marseilles , prepares to make war upon castile ; but comes to an accommodation , yet loses all his interest at naples . p. chap. ix . the death of king charles of navarre . king john proclaim'd . d. alvaro de luna banish'd the court of castile . villanous practices of the nobility . the king of granada depos'd . p. chap. x. d. alvaro de luna returns to court greater in the kings favour than ever . the banish'd king of granada restor'd . some affairs of france , and final end of the schism in the church . p. the twenty first book . chap. i. the war betwixt aragon and navarre on the one side , and castile on the other . the king of navarre crown'd . john , king of castile , breaks into aragon with a powerful army , and does much harm there . p. chap. ii. actions of the aragonians against castile . several assemblies of the cortes . the estates of the princes of aragon in castile , confiscated . a truce concluded with that crown for years . war with the moors . p. chap. iii. the death of pope martin v. eugenius iv. succeeds him . the moors of granada overthrown in battle . peace concluded with portugal . a truce with the moors . prince peter of aragon made prisoner . p. chap. iv. the declining posture of the aragonians at naples . yet that king is again invited thither , and adopted anew by the queen . he agrees with castile . king john of portugal dies . edward , succeeds . p. chap. v. the council of basil . the affairs of naples . and death of the duke of anjou , and queen of naples . the nobility of that kingdom incline to favour the aragonians . the pope expell'd rome , and restor'd . p. chap. vi. mighty inundations throughout spain . a great victory over the moors . the further actions of the aragonians at naples . the kings of aragon and navarre , taken by the genoeses , and set at liberty by the duke of milan . p. chap. vii . the affairs of italy , after the king of aragon , was releas'd . peace concluded betwixt castile and aragon . the prince of castile marries the princess of navarre . the portugues loss in africk . p. chap. viii . the state of spain , and of the catholick church , under great apprehensions of troubles . actions of the argonians at naples . king edward of portugal dies . the rebellion in castile . p. chap. ix . the king of castile and the rebels agree . the rebellion breaks out again . the king taken prisoner . blanch , queen of navarre dies . her son charles succeeds . the council at basil deposes pope eugenius , and choses felix . p. chap. x. the progress of the aragonians in naples . that city taken by them . new disorders in spain . the archbishop of toledo dies . of some men famous for learning p. the twenty second book . chap. i. the success of the aragonians in italy . the rebellion in castile . the death of the queens of portugal and castile . the battle of olmedo ; and death of prince henry of aragon . p. chap. ii. the marriage of ferdinand , bastard son to the king of aragon , and appointed heir to the kingdom of naples . mahomet , king of granada , depos'd . d. alvaro de luna , chosen master of the order of santiago . p. chap. iii. disorders continue in spain . the florentine war. pope eugenius dies . nicholas v. succeeds him . the breach betwixt castile and aragon continu'd . several noblemen of castile apprehended . others fly . p. chap. iv. the earl of benavente escaping , raises new tumults . the affairs of portugal . the mutiny of toledo . fresh tumults among the nobility of castile . the mutiniers of toledo punish'd . p. chap. v. the mutiny of segovia . the affairs of the crown of aragon . the civil war in navarre . the factions of the agramonteses and biamonteses there . the emperor frederick marries ellenor , sister to the king of portugal . the moors twice defeated by the christians . p. chap. vi. d. alvaro de luna , the king of castile 's great favourite's character , and fatal end . mamet the turk , takes constantinople . mahomet , king of granada , depos'd . cruzadoes coin'd in portugal . p. chap. vii . the designs , and death of king john of castile . discoveries of the portugueses along the coast of africk . prince henry proclaim'd king of castile . peace concluded betwixt castile , aragon and navarre . the character of henry the new king of castile . p. chap viii . the great league made in italy . the death of pope nicholas . calixtus succeeds him . war of granada . king henry of castile marries joanna , sister to the king of portugal . earthquakes in italy . p. chap. ix . the prince of viana flies to naples . the kings of castile and navarre meet , and conclude a peace . the war with the moors . the death of alonso , king of aragon . his character and will. john king of navarre , inherits the crown of aragon . p. chap. x. the new war at naples , upon the death of king alonso , and succession of his bastard son ferdinand . pope calixtus dies pius ii. succeeds him . alcazar on the coast of africk taken by the king of portugal . prodigies in spain . p. the twenty third book . chap. i. the council of mantua . beginnings of tumults in castile . war at naples , betwixt the aragonians and house of anjou . scanderberg , prince of epirus , comes to the assistance of ferdinand , king of naples . p. chap. ii. war renew'd with the moors of granada . the prince of viana imprison'd and releas'd . his death . the rebellion of catalonia ; also in navarre . the kings of france and castile meet . p. chap. iii. the catalonians send for peter , constable of portugal , and proclaim him earl of barcelona . the kings of castile and portugal meet . the rebellion in castile . d. beltran de la cueva , great favourite to king henry of castile , created a duke . p. chap. iv. proceedings and defeat of the rebels in catalonia . death of ismael , king of granada . progress of the rebellion in castile , and most villanous action of the rebels , who proclaim prince alonso , king. the king and they disband . p. chap. v. peter , constable of portugal dies . the rebels in catalonia chose the duke of anjou for their king. the battle of olmedo . the death of the queen of aragon , and prince alonso of castile . the king recovers toledo . the rebels of castile affront the pope's legate , and are excommunicated . p. chap. vi. john , duke of lorrain , supports and heads the rebels in catalonia for his father . ferdinand , prince of aragon , declar'd king of sicily . the crown of castile offer'd to the princess elizabeth , she refuses it . peace betwixt the king and nobles . p. chap. vii . the marriage of ferdinand , king of sicily , with the princess elizabeth of castile , and of the duke of guienne with the princess joanna , who is sworn heiress of castile . differences betwixt the knights of alcantara and their master , and troubles in biscay . the portugueses take arzila and tangier in africk . p. chap. viii . the tumults and confusions in aragon , sardinia and navarre . the king of castile labours to reduce his rebels . pope paul ii. dies . sixtus iv. chosen . king alonso of portugal , takes arzila and tangier in africk . p. chap. ix . catalonia reduc'd . charles , duke of guienne dies . cardinal borgia , the pope's legate , comes into spain . interview of the kings of castile and portugal . the master of santiago strengthens himself against his enemies . barcelona surrendred to the king of aragon . p. chap. x. the pope's legate's practices against king henry of castile . massacre of the jews . signal loyalty of peter de peralta . traiterous practices of elizabeth , sister to king henry of castile . a synod at aranda . p. the twenty fourth book . chap. i. the princess elizabeth pretends to be reconcil'd to her brother , and openly aspires to the crown upon his indisposition . d. john pacheco , master of santiago , dies . differences betwixt the french and aragonians . king ferdinand goes to barcelona . jews massacred in sicily . ferdinand and elizabeth proclaim'd king and queen of castile . the king of portugal undertakes the protection of the princess joanna , his niece . p. chap. ii. the death of henry , king of castile . ferdinand and elizabeth vsurps the crown of castile from joanna , the rightful heiress , and are proclaim'd king and queen . the king of portugal undertakes the protection of the rightful heiress his niece . p. chap. iii. the king of portugal calls himself king of castile , and is assisted by many of the nobility ; being contracted to joanna the rightful heiress . he takes several places in castile . the french make peace with england , and engage to assist portugal against ferdinand . p. chap. iv. prince john of portugal comes into castile with forces to his father's assistance . the battle of toro , betwixt king. ferdinand and him of portugal . the latter defeated . the castilian nobility forsake him , and he returns home . p. chap. v. the tumults of navarre . the king of portugal 's zoyage into france . toro recover'd by the castiliano from the portugueses . several other places retaken . charles the bold , duke of burgundy , and galcazzo , duke of milan , murdred . p. chap. vi. king ferdinand possesses himself of the mastership of santiago in trust , which has ever since continued in the kings of spain . war with the moors of andaluzia . the king of portugal , after having abdicated his crown , returns home , and is restor'd by his son. p. chap. vii . sardinia entirely reduc'd . the birth of john , prince of castile . the inquisition first setled in spain . peace concluded betwixt france and castile . the death of king john of aragon . p. chap. viii . ellenor , queen of navarre . the troubles of that kingdom , and her death . the countess of medellin raises tumults in castile . portugueses overthrown by the castilians . heretical opinions started , and condemned in spain . king ferdinand goes into aragon . p. chap. ix . peace concluded betwixt castile and portugal . the turks get footing in italy , and are again expell'd . king alonso of portugal dies . henry , the late king of castile 's grants vacated by the cortes , prince john , son to king ferdinand , sworn heir of castile . p. chap. x. francis , king of navarre , comes out of france , is crowned , and soon after dies . a conspiracy against the king of portugal punished , and the conspirators punished . peace betwixt castile and portugal ratified . luis xi . king of france dies . p. the twenty fifth book . chap. i. the beginning of the war with granada . king albahazen surprizes zahara . alhama taken from the infidels , and in vain besieged by them again . p. chap. ii. preparations for carrying on the war against the moors . loxa in vain besieged , and that war laid aside for some time . some tumults in galicia . a great slaughter of christians on the mountains of malaga . p. chap. iii. the moors defeated , and boabdill , their king taken , and afterwards released . the affairs of navarre . pope sixtus dies . innocent viii . succeeds him . marquess del gasto and pescara , from whom descended . p. chap. iv. alora , and other places taken from the moors . albohardil vsurps the crown of granada , and defeats the earl of cabra . the rebellion in naples . birth of the princess katherine of castile , afterwards wife to henry viii . king of england . p. chap. v. the tumults in aragon and catalonia . several towns taken from the moors . a sedition in galicia . king albohardil attacks the castle , called albayzin in granada , and is repulsed . azamor on the coast of africk delivered to the portugueses . p. chap. vi. king ferdinand takes malaga , and other places from the moors . albohardil , king of granada , having been defeated by the christians , is expelled by his subjects , and boabdil proclaimed king. mighty discoveries made by the portugueses in the east . p. chap. vii . tumults in aragon ; the cities associate there . the war with the moors renewed , and several places taken from them , which they with the same facility recover . maximilian , king of the romans , aims to marry the princess elizabeth of castile . p. chap. viii . the masterships of all the military orders in spain , annexed to the crown for ever . three cities , and other places taken from the moors . elizabeth , princess of castile , married to alonso , prince of portugal . his , and his father's death . p. chap. ix . the war with the moors now effectually renewed . the description of the city of granada . king ferdinand lays siege to it , and builds a town for his army to quarter in during the siege , to shew his resolution not to depart without being master of that city . p. chap. x. a mighty mutiny raised in granada by a phanatick moor. the city surrendred to king ferdinand . the character of king ferdinand and queen elizabeth . their triumphal entry into granada , and vniversal joy for their success . p. the twenty sixth book . chap. i. the affairs of britany . the jews expelled spain . pope innocent viii . dies . alexander vi. succeeds him . navarre pacified . roussillon and cerdagne restored to king ferdinand . p. chap. ii discoveries and conquests of the spaniards in the west-indies . controversies arise betwixt the crowns of spain and portugal , concerning their discoveries . roussillon and cerdagne restored to king ferdinand . p. chap. iii. palma , one of the canary-islands conquered . the mastership of the three military orders annexed to the crown of castile . the original of the neapolitan war. the death of ferdinand , king of naples . p. chap. iv. the french invade the kingdom of naples . an account of luis sforcia , duke of milan . the french king at rome . alonso , king of naples abdicates . the french possess themselves of the kingdom of naples . p. chap. v. the league against the french carried on with wonderfull secrecy . the french king returns home . the venetians overthrown by the french. king ferdinand of naples , successful against them , and recovers that noble city . p. chap. vi the death of john ii. king of portugal . the french quite expell'd the kingdom of naples . ferdinand , king of spain honoured by the pope with the title of catholick king. the posture of affairs in portugal under emanuel , the new king. p. chap. vii . the death of ferdinand , king of naples . the emperor passes into italy . the popes forces defeated by the ursini . the death of the duke of gandia . the marriage of prince john of spain . proposals concerning setling the kingdom of naples . p. chap. viii . progress of the portugueses discoveries in the east . peter covillam , and alonso de paira sent to india by land. vasca de gama sent to discover india by sea with four ships . his voyage till he came to calicut . p. chap. ix . a short , but particular account of india , what happened to vasco de gama at calicut . his bold enterprize there , and a relation of his return to portugal . p. chap. x. an account of the navigation of vasco de gama , and of all the coasts of africk , as they lay in his way . of the island of zocotora , and of all the coast of asia , as far as china ; and the method observed by the portugueses in sailing thither . p. the twenty seventh book . chap. i. the death of the prince of castile . of charles viii . king of france . matches of two daughters of spain . the prince of salerno expelled naples . france and spain agree . hierom savonorola burnt at florence . p. chap. ii. the king of portugal sworn heir to the crown of castile . elizabeth his queen , delivered of a son , dies . the duke of milan expelled his dominions . vniversity of alcala founded . rebellion of the mountain moors . p. chap. iii. the birth of the emperor charles v. the french possess themselves of the state of milan , and take the duke , and his brother , the cardinal . the great year of jubelee . the league betwixt france and spain . cefalonia taken from the turks . p. chap. iv. king ferdinand 's double dealing . the princess mary of castile , marry'd to the king of portugal . the french and spaniards jointly subdue the kingdom of naples . actions of the great captain . p. chap. v. the french and spaniards fall at variance about divideing their conquest . the description of the kingdom of naples . frederick , king of naples , puts himself into the french king's hands . french perish by pestilence and stress of weather . the coming of the arch-duke into spain . p. chap. vi. further actions of the great captain at naples . the duke of calabria , contrary to articles , sent into spain . the french and spanish generals consult their kings , and have a conference to adjust differences in the division of naples . the beginning of the war betwixt them . p. chap. vii . the arch-duke of austria , and princess his wife , sworn heirs of aragon . he goes away for flanders . the spaniards offer battle to the french ; several small actions betwixt them . the spaniards decline in calabria , are defeated . p. chap viii . great booty taken by the spaniards ; as also the sieur de la palisse . a combat betwixt , french and as many italians . several losses of the french. the marques del gasto comes over to the spaniards . p. chap. ix . the peace concluded by the arch-duke with france . it takes no effect . succours from spain arrive at naples . the lord aubigni defeated and taken . p. chap. x. the battle of cirinola , and great overthrow of the french. almost all the kingdom of naples subdued by the great captain . his reception into that noble city . p. the twenty eight book . chap. i. the siege of gaeta . the death of pope alexander vi. pius iii. chosen . practices of the spaniards . the french invade roussillion . p. chap. ii. the french besiege saulses , or as the spaniards call it , salsas . the siege raised . nineteen sail of infidels destroyed . pope pius iii. dies . julius ii. chosen . the french army marches thro' italy . two defeats given them . p. chap. iii. the city gaeta surrendred . a truce betwixt france and spain . the prefect of rome submits to spain . the nobility of naples swear allegiance to spain , and several cities of italy sue for its protection . truce for years betwixt france and spain p. chap. vi. perfidiousness of duke valentine , who is as perfidiously sent into spain by the great captain , contrary to his promise , and he ill represented to the king. projects of peace betwixt france and spain come to nothing . p. chap. v. the league betwixt the emperor , the arch-duke , and king of france . the league against the venetians . the death of king frederick of naples , and queen elizabeth of castile . contention about the government of castile , betwixt king ferdinand , and king philip. treaties with france . p. chap. vi. king ferdinand becomes odious to his people . the posture of affairs in italy . the emperor , and king philip of castile , ratifie the peace with france . king ferdinand agrees with the french king. p. chap. vii . mazalquivir in africk taken from the moors . the nobility of spain divided , for and against king philip. the agreement made betwixt the two kings , ferdinand and philip . the latter in england . p. chap. viii . the affairs of portugal . a bloody mutiny at lisbon . king ferdinand marries queen germana , king philip comes into spain , and declares against the treaty with king ferdinand . death of christopher columbus . p. chap. ix . the spaniards and flemings at variance upon their first meeting . king ferdinand raises forces , pretending to rescue his daughter . many forsake him , and he is forced to quit castile . an interview of the two kings . p. chap. x. the two kings of spain agree , and join in league . joanna , king philip 's queen , distracted thro' jealousie . troubles in castile . king ferdinand and his queen go to zaragoca . jealeusie started against the great captain . king philip dies . p. the twenty ninth book . chap. i. the settlement made by the nobility of castile after the death of king philip. the catholick king goes over to naples . his reception in that city . no settlement in the government of castile . amidst their confusions , duke valentine makes his escape . p. chap. ii. queen joanna departs from burgos . is wholly incapable of having any part in the government . the affairs of naples . queen joanna brought to bed of a daughter at torquemada . great disorders in castile . p. chap. iii. the death of duke valentine , and troubles in navarre . the treaty betwixt the emperor , and king ferdinand . the great captain courted to command the venetian and pope's forces . king ferdinand settles the affairs of naples . p. chap. iv. the king of france enters italy with an army to reduce genoa , has an interview with king ferdinand , who returns to castile . the spaniards defeated in africk . the emperor offended at king ferdinand . p. chap. v. the designs of bringing prince charles into spain . king ferdinand in andaluzia to settle that country . penon in africk , taken by the spaniards . the portugueses loosers at azamor , in that part of the world , yet relieve arzila . p. chap. vi. discovery of conspiracies in spain . the soldan 's fleet worsted in india . death of henry vii . of england , henry viii . succeeds him . p. chap. vii . the cardinal of spain takes oran in africk . the war against the venetians , and their losses . they recover padua , and other places . p. chap. viii . the accord betwixt the emperor and king ferdinand . bugia and tripoly , in barbary , taken by the spaniards ; and goa in india , by the portugueses . p. chap. ix . the war in italy . the pope grants the investiture of the kingdom of naples to king ferdinand . d. garcia de toledo defeated and kill'd at gelves . p. chap. x. some cardinals revolt from the pope . bolonia taken by the french. the revolted cardinals summon a general council . p. the thirtieth book . chap. i. affairs of india . the pope summons a council to meet at s. john lateran . the league betwixt the pope , king of aragon , and the venetians . the war in italy . p. chap. ii. the siege of bologna . the king and queen of navarre excommunicated . the venetians recover bergamo and bressa , and are overthrown by the french. p. chap. iii. the famous battle of ravenna . that city surrendred to the french. scandalous proceedings of the mutinous cardinals , and opening of the lateran council . p. chap. iv. the war in navarre . king ferdinand possesses himself of that kingdom . the affairs of italy , the great captain stopp'd from going thither . p. chap. v. the siege of pamplona . the viceroy of naples takes the city bressa . duke maximilian sforcia recovers milan . king ferdinand falls sick. p. chap. vi. pope julius dies . leo x. succeeds him . the truce betwixt spain and france . the war in navarre , and revolutions at genoa . p. chap. vii . the defeat given the french by the swisse , near novara . the viceroy vanquishes the venetians , near vincenza . actions of the english and portugueses . venice canonaded . p. chap. viii . the death of the queen of france . truce betwixt france and spain prolong'd . the affairs of portugal . p. chap. ix . the kingdom of navarre united to that of castile . the affairs of the portugueses in india . their defeat on the coast of africk . p. chap. x. the king of france recovers milan . the swiss overthrown . death of the great captain , and of ferdinand , king of spain . p. the history of spain . the first book . chap. i. of the first peopling of spain by tubal , of the fruitfulness of the soil , its situation and circumference ; and of its principal mountains and rivers . tvbal , the son of japheth , was the first man that peopled spain after the flood . many grave authors testify that he planted several colonies in this part of the world , and governed spain with piety and justice . the motive of his coming was this . in the year . ( according to the best computation ) after the deluge , the sons of adam , having , at the instigation of the haughty nimrod , attempted to build the famous tower of babel in contempt of god's omnipotence , were dispersed and scattered over the face of the earth . one language being before common to all , through the just judgment of the almighty , there arose among them such a confusion of tongues , that not able longer to converse or understand one another , they were obliged to part companies , and spread abroad into several countries . the world was divided among the three sons of noah , after this manner . to shem was allotted all asia beyond euphrates eastward , as also the country of syria and palestine . to ham was assigned from babylon westward , the three arabia's , egypt , and all africk . the portion of japheth , and his posterity , was that part of asia which lies north of the mountains taurus and amanus , and all europe . the earth being thus divided , the children of japheth setled themselves in several provinces , and tubal who was his fifth son , was sent to the farthest regions westward , that is , to spain , where he founded the spanish monarchy , which continues to this time . this is that empire which in all ages has afforded men famous , both in peace and war , which has been blessed with plenty and prosperity , and which has always furnished extraordinary matter to imploy the greatest pens : and yet it has ever wanted writers to celebrate the great actions and heroick atchievements performed by its people . this defect has given many the boldness to write romances and poetical fictions rather than true histories ; and has moved me with that little learning , and small talent i have attained , to attempt this great work , rather for the sake of truth than in hopes of any honour or reward , which i expect not from man , nor can any be proportioned to the labour of this undertaking . i will not fill a volume with preambles ; but fall to the real matter i have in hand ; and in order thereunto , it will be convenient in the first place to give some account of the soil and product of spain , of its situation , extent , division , mountains and rivers , as also of the language and customs of the inhabitants . the country of spain is no way inferiour to any of the best in the world , either in regard of the climate , or of the plenty of all things necessary for life , which it abundantly produces ; or of the great quantity of gold and silver , and other metals , and precious stones ; which are found in it . it is not scorched with the violent heat of the sun as africk , nor so subject to stormy winds , frost , and damps as france , but being seated between both enjoys a greater temperature than either , so that the heat of the summer and winter , frosts and rain , renderit so fruitful , that it not only abundantly supplies the natives , but also furnishes other countries ; its product being whatever is necessary for the support of human life , and satisfaction of man's pride and ambition . the fruit is most delicious to the tast , the vines exuberant , and the wines generous . the plenty of corn , honey , oyl , cattle , sugar and silk , is extraordinary ; but the quantity of wooll is beyond measure . there are mines of gold and silver , and veins of iron ; transparent stones like looking-glasses , as also many quarries of rich marble of several colours . no country yields more vermillion , especially about amaden , a town antiently called sisapone , among the people formerly known by the name of oretani . the soil in several places varies , some produces woods , some corn , and some is bare ; for the most there are but few rivers and springs , but the ground is of that goodness it commonly yields twenty or thirty for one increase , some good years eighty for one ; yet this is but very rare . in many parts of spain , there are barren mountains , and some bare and stony hills , which have something of deformity . this is mostly in the northern parts , for the southern are fruitful and pleasant . along the sea-coast there is plenty of fish , which is very scarce in the inland , by reason there are but few rivers , and fewer lakes . nevertheless there is no part of the country that is wholly fruitless . where no corn grows there is plenty of grass to feed cattle , of small rushes whereof cordage is made for shipping ; and of large rushes to make mats , and for other uses . the horses are so fleet , that it gave occasion to the poets to feign they were ingendred by the wind. in fine pliny himself testifies , that all near the sea-coast , spain is the best and most fruitful of all countries , except italy , which it exceeds in the temperature and pleasantness of its air , and doubtless were there not want of rain some summers , it were far beyond all the provinces of europe and africk . now in our age , that the spaniards have made their way to the east and west-indies , it abounds in all manner of riches , and may be said to exceed all other nations . the quantity of gold , silver , precious stones , and other things of great value , that have been brought hither is so great , if related , it would seem incredible ; yet which is much to the honour and advantage of our nation , and the no small benefit of others who are partakers of our riches and plenty . spain is the most western part of europe , it is divided from france by the pyrenean hills and from africk by the narrow streights of gibraltar . the form of it is that of an oxes hide extended ( as represented by geographers ) encompassed on all sides by the sea , except on the side of the pyrenean mountains which run from sea to sea , and expire in two promontories , one upon the ocean , or bay of biscay , called olarso , near fuenterabia , the other in the mediterranean , formerly called veneris promontorium , from a temple of that goddess that stood there ; now the christian name is cabo de cruces , or cape crosses . from this cape , which is the limit of gallia narbonensis , the coast runs south-west along the mediterranean , and makes one of the sides of spain , the length whereof is . leagues coasting , for taken in a streight line it is less . note that i allow four italian miles to each spanish league . on this side of spain is colibre , an ancient city of gallia , at present more noted for its antiquity and the conveniency of its harbour , than for the number of its inhabitants , which is but inconsiderable , or for its value being extreamly poor . after cape venus , or cruces , which is near colibre , follow the two capes , called formerly lunarium , and ferrarium , or tenebrium ; making the mouth of the river ebro . in this interval is the mouth of the river lobregat , which runs red into the sea , and thence was called by the ancients rubricatus , that is ruddy . on this same side stand the cities bercelona , tarragona , tortosa , and monviedro , the formerly famous saguntum : the goths , by reason of its ruins , called it murvetrum , that is old wall , a place well known for its fidelity to the romans , and for its destruction . after monviedro follows valencia , the mouth of the river xucar , denia , and cape gatas , so called from the many agates there found . the greeks called it promontorium charidemum , which signifies gracious , believing those stones did win the good will of men , and made them friends . next is almeria , which some believe to be built out of the ruins of the ancient abdera , others are of opinion it is the ancient vrci , seated among the bastetani in the territory of baça still running along that coast there follows malaga , and then the mouth of the streights , formerly called heraclea , or calpe , now gibraltar . peter mantuanus in his annotations upon the history of mariana , proves out of strabo and other authors , that tarifa was not called tartessum , but that this name was given to cadiz the city of carteia , and another city that stood in an island made by the mouths of the river betis . next is tartessum , ( commonly known by the name of tarifa ) whence once the whole streight was called tartessiacum . this streight was also called herculeum from hercules , who is reported to have endeavoured to stop it up , and join the two continents . it is also called gaditanum from cadiz , in latin gades , an island on the right hand coming out of the streights . this name was given to cadiz from a carthaginean word , signifying a fence ( as does the hebrew word gheder ) because it stands as a bank to bear off the swelling waves of the sea. this island was formerly . paces distant from the coast of spain , and had . leagues in circumference ; at present it is but three leagues in length , and is joined to the continent by a bridge , so little is the distance . from the mouth of the streights to cape finisterre ( formerly nerium promontorium ) sailers reckon . leagues , because cape st. vincent ( formerly promontorium sacrum ) which is opposite to the pyrenean mountains , and makes the greatest distance in spain , running far out into the sea stretches out the extent of that coast much longer than if it could be gone in a strait line . on this coast facing the ocean are seated sevil upon the banks of the river guadalquivir , and lisbon on the tagus , cities not inferiour to many of the best of europe for greatness , populousness and trade . the third side of spain lying east and west , contains . leagues , not in a strait line , as pomponius mela thought , but full of creeks and bays . the chief ports in that part are corun̄a , bilbao , laredo and santander . the length of the pyrenean mountains which form the fourth side of spain , bending in towards it , and running from the ocean to the mediterranean n. w. and s. e. is leagues . such as have passed over the highest mountain of cantabria called st. adrian , report that from thence both seas may be seen , but they may take their own fancies and imaginations for truth . between biscay and navarre at the place called roncesvalles , ( famous for the great slaughter of the nobility of france made there when charlemaign invaded spain ) a ridge of hills springing from the pyreneans runs to the westward , and leaves on the right hand the cantabri and province of asturias , then cuts gallicia in the middle , and forms cape finisterre butting out far into the sea. by this mountain are divided the vltramontani from the citramontani , or those beyond from those on this side the mountains . from these mountains springs that formerly called idubeda , now oca , taking the name of the ancient city auca , whose ruins are to be seen near villafranca , about leagues from burgos . this mountain rising near the spring of the river ebro , on the borders of asturias , where is a town called fontibre , or the fountains of ebro , and running down by bribiesca and the arevaci , near mount orbion and moncayo passes along between calatayud and daroca , and ends in the mediterranean not far from tortosa , from which city , that part of these mountains takes name . from this mountain idubeda or oca , begins that of orospeda , which at first rises so leasurely it is scarce perceivable , but further on lifts its head , and forms the mountains of molina , then those of cuenca , where on the left-hand are the springs of the river xucar ? and on the right those of tagus , both noted streams . next follow the mountains of consuegra , near which in the plains , formerly called laminitani , now of montiel are the fountains of guadiana . hence it goes on to alcaraz and segura , where in different places spring the rivers of segura , ( formerly tader ) guadalquivir running towards different seas . at caçorla this mountain orospeda divides it self into two branches , one of them opposite to murcia , expires in the sea near muxacra , or murgis ; on the right-hand whereof are the bastetani , so called from the city basta , now baça , on the left are the contestani , ancient people of spain , whose metropolis now is murcia . the other stretches it self towards malaga , and joyning to the mountains of granada , runs beyond gibraltar and tarifa as if it designed to pass the streight into africk . from orospeda near alcaraz , rise the mountains mariani , vulgarly called sierra morcna , the foot whereof all along almost as far as the ocean , is washed by the river guadalquivir , which at anduxar cuts andaluzia in the middle , runs by cordova , italica , and sevil , and falls into the ocean near the place formerly called templum luciferi , now to st. lucar . at present this river has but one mouth , in ancient times it is said to have had two ; for nebrixa and asta which the ancients placed on the island of guadalquivir , are now two leagues from the mouth of it . not far from the rise of orospeda , and near moncayo , in the midst of a great plain other mountains lift up their heads , which no doubt are branches of the pyreneans , as all others that cross spain are . the rise of this is scarce perceivable at first , but for the fall of several waters , and because the river duero , whose source is in the pelendones , and whose course is southward as far as soria , it is there by them turned away to the westward . among ancient authors i find no mention of these mounts , at present they have several names , taken for the most part from the neighbouring cities , as of soria , segovia , and avila . castile the greatest province of spain , is by these mountains divided into the old and the new. hence they run on near coma and placentia , are watered on the left by the river tagus , and passing on , part portugal into two almost equal portions . they expire at sintra , which is on mount tagrus , seven leagues to the northward of lisbon , where they form in the ocean the cape called by solinus , promontorium artabrum . chap. ii. of the ancient and modern division of spain , of the languages used there , and of the customs of the spaniards . spain was divided by the romans into three parts , lusitania , betica , and tarraconensis . the lusitani inhabited the farthest parts of spain westward ; their limits were the rivers duero on the north , and guddiana on the south , and a line drawn from that part of duero which is opposite to simancas to puente del arçobispo , and thence through the oretani , which was that part where almagro now stands , to the banks of guadiana ; which line parted them from the province tarraconensis in such manner , that within lusitania was comprehended the country about avila , salamanca , soria , and other places now belonging to castile . betica or andalusia , is shut in on three sides by the river guadiana and the sea , as far as murgis or muxacra , a town near the promontory charidemum , or cape gatas , from whence a line drawn to castulon and the oretani , where stands the rich town of almagro makes the fourth side towards the east . all the remaining part of spain was included in the province tarraconensis , so called from the noble city tarragona a colony of the scipio's , which for many years was the metropolis of the roman empire in spain , where they kept their courts , and the majesty of their government resided . st. isidorus following the division made by constantine the great , which is to be seen in sextus rufus , subdivides this province into tarraconensis , carthaginensis and gallicia ; but does not assign the limits of each ; and it is no wonder , for these provinces were often lessened or enlarged , according to the will of those who commanded . all this province tarraconensis is also known by the name of hispania citerior , that is the hither spain , as also lusitania and betica , are comprehended within the vlterior or further ; for pliny and other learned men oppose that opinion which assigns the river ebro for the bounds of the two spains , tho' doubtless once it was so . both these provinces at present have several new names , which it would be troublesome to reduce to any certainty , but may all be comprehended under five kingdoms , which were erected as the moors were driven out of spain . the kingdom of portugal was founded by the french , and their chief henry , who was of the house of lorrain , tho' born at besançon in burgundy . peter mantuanus says he was of the house of burgundy . his father-in-law , king alonso the vi. of castile , gave him in dower with his daughter teresa , the city of porto at the mouth of the river duero , and some other towns. and some authors are of opinion , that the name of portugal was then compounded of porto and gallia ; others , and those more learned , say it came from the place called cale , now caya , and porta . portugal reaches farther in length than the ancient lusitania , for taking in the river duero , it contains the fruitful fields as far as the river minho , and its length along the sea-coasts is no less than leagues ; but it is less in breadth than the ancient lusitania , and beginning towards the east a little above bragança , in the north it reaches to the city beja on the banks of guadiana , which river shuts it in on the south . to the n. e. part of portugal joyns the kingdom of leon , the second of the six provinces spoken of . this kingdom takes its name from the city leon the head and metropolis thereof ; it contains all galicia and asturias de oviedo , which reach from the river mearo , and town of ribadeo , to the port of llanes . moreover , there belongs to the kingdom of leon all that part of old castile , which lies between the wood of pernia , and the river carrion till it comes to pisuerga , and falls into duero , then passing duero , another river called hera and regamon , that falls into it make the bounds of this kingdom . lastly , a line drawn betwixt salamanca and avila over the tops of the mountains to the borders of portugal . these were formerly the limits of the kingdom of leon. in process of time there was added to it all the province of estremadura , so called , because for many years it was the extream or farthest part of what the christians possessed . sometime this kingdom reached as far as merida in lusitania , and badajoz in betica . the kingdom of navarre , the third of the five in order , is among the people formerly called vascones . this kingdom on one side is bounded by the pyrenean hills , and part of that which runs to cape finisterre , on the other sides by the river aragon , or arga towards the south , and on the west , by another small river that falls into ebro below calahorra , and by part of the river ebro ; this is to be understood of that part beyond ebro , for the kings of navarre possessed by way of dower , the town of tudela of navarre , and other places adjacent . tho' this kingdom be small , and so ill peopled , that at present it contains not above families , i thought fit to name it among the principal parts of spain , because the ancient vascones , inhabitants thereof , by their own valour , without any assistance , recovered that country from the moors , and erected a kingdom , which lasted till the memory of our fathers , and often so enlarged their territories , that sepulchres of their kings are still seen in the city najara , and in many places far distant from navarre are still the monuments of their sovereignty . some derive this word navarre , from another like it , which is navaerria , which being made up of the biscain and spanish languages , signifies , a plain country . the castilians call plains , navas ; the cantabri call the land , erria , which put together , signifies , plain land ; this is a witty , and not contemptible fancy . we in this history call the people and kingdom of navarre , vascones in latin. it is divided into six parts or liberties , which are that of pamplona , of estela , of tudela , of olite , and of sanguessa . the first called vltrapuertos , the chief town whereof is called st. john de pie de puerto , is the only one that remains united to the lordship of bearn . the kingdom of aragon is divided into catalonia , valencia and aragon , properly so called ; on the south , east , and north , it is encompassed by the mediterranean sea , that part of the pyrenean mountains where formerly inhabited the ceretani , now cerdania , and the borders of navarre . on the west it is divided from navarre by the river ebro , and from thence forward , by a crooked line drawn by tarraçona , daroca , hariça , tiruel , xativa , and origuela , to the mouth of the river segura , which is between alicant and carthagena , where it reaches to the sea , and parts the dominion of aragon from the rest of spain . the people of aragon enjoy privileges , and are governed by laws far different from the other people of spain , most tending to curb the excessive power of their kings . the name of aragon is derived from tarraco , which is tarragona , or what is most likely , from the river aragon , now arga , which runs through that part whence first the borders of this kingdom began to be enlarged . under the kingdom of castile , ( so called from its many castles , and which is not only the largest , but most fertile and beautiful of all spain , and inferiour to no other province ) is comprehended that part of asturias , called de santillana , and all cantabria , formerly a small province , as not reaching to the pyreneans , but afterwards inlarged , as appears by the city called cantabria , which its supposed was betwixt logron̄o and viana , on the banks of ebro , upon a high clift , to this day called cantabria . besides , st. eulogius martyr , speaks of the river cantaber , which is believed to be ega or ebro , into which falls the river aragon , which proves that cantabria was once larger than ptolemy makes it , and than that part we now call biscay is . the lordship of biscay is divided into biscay , guipuscoa , alaba , and the mountains , in biscay which stretches along the sea from portugalete to hondarroa , are the towns of bilbao and bermeo . the sea-coast of guipuscoa reaches from biscay to fuenterabia , within its liberties , besides st. sebastian , and the port of guetaria are salinas , tolosa , the city vitoria , and mondragon , towns of alaba . in castile , we call all that are of that lordship and use that language , biscainers , as we do all the subjects of the house of austria in gallia belgica , flemings , though flanders be but a small part of that dominion . besides this , the kingdom of castile comprehends many cities of old castile , among them burgos , segovia , avila , soria and osma . the kingdom of toledo is also part of it , and is now called new castile , formerly carpetania ; through it runs the river tagus , the most noted of spain for its golden sands : the sweetness of the water , fruitfulness and beauty of the fields it washes , it runs towards the west , but turns somewhat southward , as do also the rivers duero , guadiana and guadalquivir ; tagus runs by toledo , a city seated in the midst of spain , the ornament and fortress of it , strong by nature , remarkable for its beauty , and the wit of its inhabitants , famous for its zeal in religion , and learning , and happy for the serenity of its air. and tho' the ground it stands on be barren and rocky , it is abundantly provided from the neighbouring country ; the river almost girds it about , being penned in betwixt two high mountains , which is a wonderful work of nature ; only on the north side there is left open a steep and rough way into the city . beyond toledo ; on the bank of the same river is talavera , by ptolemy called libora , a populous and plentiful town ; then running on tagus cuts lusitania in two , and being increased by many rivers falls into the sea near the city of lisbon . within this same part of spain is included the province carthaginensis , in which are carthago spartaria , ( now called carthagena ) murcia , cuenca and the celtiberi , whose metropolis was numantia , besides the mancha of aragon , or the contestani . moreover , to the kingdom of castile belongs the province betica , now andaluzia , in which are sevil , cordova and granada , formerly iliberis , or at least iliberis was very near it , as appears by one of the gates of granada , to this day called elvira , and a mountain hard by of the same name . all the spaniards at present use one language , which we call castillian , and is compounded of many other tongues , especially the latin , which appears by the name it bears , being called romance , and it s so great affinity , beyond the italian , for that latin and spanish either in prose or verse , agree in the very words and manner of composition . the portugeses have a language peculiar to themselves , being a mixture of the french and castillian . the people of catalonia and valencia , use a distinct language , very like that of languedoc . only the biscainers still retain their mother and barbarous tongue , void of all elegancy , totally different from any other in spain ; but the ancientest , and that which was formerly used throughout the kingdoms before the coming of the romans , who spread their language where-ever they conquered . others affirm the language of biscay was always peculiar to that province , and strabo says , it was not one tongue , or one sort of character that was used throughout spain . it is not material to dispute which of these opinions is best grounded . the manners and customs of the spaniards in former ages were rude and barbarous , their nature seemed to have more of wild beasts than men. they were remarkable for secrecy , no rack being of force to draw a secret from them ; their inclinations were restless and propense to novelty , of body they were active and nimble , given to superstition , and the worship of their false deities , averse to learning , tho' of sharp wits ; so that when improved by seeing other countries , they made appear they were inferiour to none for clear judgments , excellent memories , or elegancy and copiousness of words . in war they were more couragious than politick , their habit plain and course , their diet much in quantity , but free from delicacy ; they commonly drank water , and but little wine ; they were rigorous with malefactors , kind and loving to strangers ; this was in former ages , for at present there is as great an increase of vices as vertues . learning flourishes as much as in any part of the world ; no country affords greater rewards of vertue . the spaniards are great lovers of justice , the magistrates supported by the power of the laws , bind together , and unite the greatest , and the meanest and middle sort , by a certain temperature of justice , which has put a stop to thefts and robberies , and restrains men from murder , and offering violence ; for none is allowed to transgress the divine laws , or oppress the meanest of the people . what is most glorious , is that it has always preserved the true religion against all heresy and error . the spaniards after expelling the moors , have discovered and conquered a great part of the world , with incredible valour and labour ; they are naturally very patient of hardship and hunger , which has carried them through great difficulties by sea and land. it must be allowed in our days they are degenerated , and grown more effeminate , through excess of plenty , and costly eating , drinking , cloathing , and all other extravagancies ; our vast commerce with other nations , who resort on account of our riches , is the cause of this mischief , our strength being decayed , and our manners deprav'd by the communication of foreigners , and the connivance of princes , and dissoluteness of the people ; so that many live to the height of luxury without putting any measure to their profuseness . hence we may expect a great change of fortune , and a mighty fall of our grandeur , which ever threatens all great empires , and ours more especially , as having provok'd many by the pride and arrogancy of our governours . chap. iii. of the fabulous kings of spain , of the geryons , of king hispalus , and the death of hercules , and of hesperus , atlas , and siculus , kings of spain . it is agreed on of all hands , and beyond dispute , as was said before , that tubal came to spain , but it is hard to guess , much more to decide what part of spain he first planted , or where he made his abode ; some say his first footing was in lusitania ; others , that among the vascones , now navarre . the portugeses bring setubal , the vascones , tudela , as arguments of his coming into their countries , from the likeness o● the names of those places with his . but these are ridiculous and shameless impositions , as if setubal could take name from coetus and tubal , whereas coetus is a latin word , never heard in portugal till the time of the romans , many hundreds of years after tubal . others say , tarragona and saguntum were built by tubal , but this is no better than the other , and authors knowing nothing of these antiquities , have pleased themselves by imposing their fictions on their posterity for history ; some have done this to honour their country with such reverend antiquity ; but these fictions only serve to take off the credit of the real chronicles , which would much more illustrate those places than all their dreams and chimera's . the fables of noah's coming into spain , and founding the cities noela and noega , and his son iberus giving his name to the river ebro , and the province of iberia , are pleasant , but not credible ; that river and province , it is more likely , took their names from the iberi , a people about pontus euxinus , who came into spain , and after mixing with the celtae of france , that part of the country came to be called celtiberia . there are many more inventions of this sort , as that the mountain idubeda was so called from a son of iberus . that brigus son of idubeda , sent colonies into several parts , one whereof was brigia , afterwards called phrygia in asia , that his son tagus gave his name to that river ; as did , say they , his successor betus to the province betica , now andaluzia . doubtless , the province took the name from the river , and the river , i believe , had it from the hebrew word beth , which signifies a house , because of the many buildings that were upon the banks of it . thus much may suffice for the fabulous kings , of whom no author of credit has made mention ; but as i have rejected these fictions , so i will not wholly forbear making some mention of others , which , though scarce credible , some grave authors have spoken of . geryon was the first that may be accounted king of spain , of whom much mention is made by the greek and latin authors . he was no native , for geryon in the chaldean language , signifies a stranger ; he was the first that discovered the value of gold there , which before lay about unregarded , and heaped great treasures , as also he kept great herds and flocks of cattle ; for which reasons , he was by the greeks called chryseas , that is golden . he was the first that lorded it over that people , who before lived dispersed without any governours , in the manner of wild beasts ; being settled in his dominion , he is said to have built a fort near cadiz , called gerunda , and a city of the same name in catalonia , now gïrona ; this in order to secure himself in his government , his power lasted till osiris the egyptian , by some called bacchus , and dionysius , after traversing ethiopia , india , and all asia , where he taught the planting of vines , and sowing of corn , came into spain , and in a bloody fight defeated geryon's forces , and slew him . geryon was buried near the mouth of the streights , and after worshipped as a god , as appears by the temple of osiris , built in sicily by hercules , and his famous oracle at padua , which princes often visited , as suetonius affirms . osiris having thus rescued spain from the tyranny of geryon , thought not fit to punish the crimes of the father in the children , which were three beautiful sons ; to these therefore he gave the kingdom , appointing who should govern during their minority , and then returned into egypt . these geryons being come to age , did not only tyranize over their subjects , but meditating revenge for the death of their father , induced typhon to murder his brother osiris , which he performed , and seated himself in the throne of egypt . orus the son of osiris who then governed scythia , understanding what had passed , hasts into egypt , and in revenge of his fathers murder slew typhon ; then gathering a great army , he passed into spain , and drove the geryons into the island of cadiz , where they fortified themselves . fearing lest so great an army should suffer want , if the war were protracted , and desiring to avoid the great bloodshed that must ensue if they came to a battle , he offered to decide the quarrel by his own person , and sight the three brothers ; they accepted of the challenge , and were all slain by him . their bodies were buried in the island , and from thence forward it was called erithrea , of some people that came with orus , or hercules from the red sea , who , with the approbation of their general , planted there . this done , hercules caused vast stones and other materials to be cast into the sea , at the mouth of the streights , and raised the two mounts , so famous by the name of hercules's pillers ; that on the west of spain is called calpe , the other in africk , abyla . all things being settled to his mind , he chose hispalus , one of his companions , of whose good conduct he was fully satisfied , to govern and reign in spain , and then went over by sea to italy . it is agreed on all hands , that hispalus reigned in spain . from him justin affirms , it took the name of hispania , only one letter being changed . others say , he built sevil , in latin hispalis . st. isidorus says it was built by julius caesar , and called julia romana ; perhaps it was then enlarged and beautified . plutarch affirms , spain took its name from pan , a follower of the second hercules ; and was first called pania , then spania , others say it was from hispanus the son of hispalus . these are all bare surmises ; our historians write many things of this hispalus of their own invention to beautifie their works ; but their being no certain account of such antiquity , it is better to pass it by in silence than impose upon the readers . authors do not agree about the time of the death of hispalus ; but after his days hercules returned into spain , where having governed with moderation , and built ( as some will have it ) the towns of julia lybica , vrgel , barcelona , and tarragona ; he departed this life , being of a very great age. the spaniards consecrated him a god , and payed him divine honours , raising a temple where his body was buried , and placing priests therein . hispalus and hercules dying without issue , the latter before his death , appointed hesperus , brother to atlas , and one of his compauions , to succeed him . the fame of this hesperus's valour and vertue gained him such credit among the people , that of him some greek and latin authors say , spain was afterwards called hesperia : tho' others are of opinion it was from hesperus the evening star. the good fortune of this king was not lasting ; for his brother atlas offended that he should be preferred before him , came over into spain , and having gained the good will of the soldiers , soon possessed himself of the kingdom . hesperus thus forsaken , fled into italy , where he was friendly entertained , and soon after constituted tutor to the young king coritus , called by others janus , or jupiter ; wherein he behaved himself so well , that having gained the affections of that people , he gave his name to italy as he had done to spain , and it was called hesperia . atlas jealous of his brother's greatness , and fearing he might in time recover his kingdom , resolved to prevent him . in order hereunto , he raised a mighty army , and under colour of honouring them , took the chief men of spain along with him into italy ; but his design was to keep them as hostages , lest the people in his absence , should endeavour to cast off a foreign yoke . at sea a violent storm scattered his fleet , and instead of landing in italy , he was forced into sicily ; that island being exceeding rich and fruitful , he left a considerable number of spaniards to plant there . this done , he put to sea again , and arrived in italy , where he found his brother hesperus was dead ; so that there was no difficulty in seizng coritus king of tuscany , and making himself master of the country . atlas had two daughters ; one of them called electra , was married to coritus , and had issue jasius and dardanus , of whom more hereafter . that his other daughter called rome , built the city rome , looks more like a fiction of our historians than a true history ; therefore i will make no further mention of it , no more than of sicorus , sicanus , sicceleus and lusus , whom our modern writers reckon among the kings of spain ; whereas among the ancients there is not the least account of them , nor of morgetes the son of atlas giving his name to the people of italy , called morgetes , for which there is no other authority but framed likeness of words . philistius siracusanus's authority is sufficient to believe that siculus , the son of atlas , governed spain in his father's absence , and succeeded him in the kingdom after his death . in his time the two brothers jasius and dardanus being at variance about the kingdom of tuscany , by reason of the death of their father coritus , siculus their uncle went over with an army to pacifie them , and by the way landing in sicily , is said to have given his name to that island , till then called trinacria , of the three great promontories that run out into the sea. thence passing over into tuscany , he endeavoured to reconcile the brothers ; but dardanus dealing treacherously , murdered jasius , and siculus in revenge drove him out of italy : dardanus with a great number of the aborigines who followed his fortunes , fled into asia , where he built the famous city of troy. siculus having settled the affairs of italy , and seated the son of jasius on the throne of tuscany , returned into spain ; and from this time we find no account of any other actions of his , unless we should write the dreams and ravings of modern authors , who also forge other kings of spain upen as vain grounds as the former . one of these is testa , who , they say , built a town of his own name , and from him the people of that part of spain were called contestani . another is romus , to whom is assigned the building of valencia . the third is palatuus , from him they write the palatui , and the city palencia took their names . such another is erithrus , feigned to have come from beyond the red sea. lastly , among these is melicola , called also gargoris , of whom , justin makes mention . i would not wholly omit the names of these kings , such as they are , because learned men as well as the ignorant , have stumbled upon them , tho' they are to be looked upon no better than old women's tales . i suppose , justin calls siculus , sicorus , which i note , that none may be deceived and imagine , they are two distinct kings . chap. iv. of the coming of several nations into spain , as the celts , rhodians , carthaginians , and phenicians , also of abides , and a wonderful dearth . it is impossible particularly to assign the time that each of the above-mentioned kings reigned , or in what year of the world. the nearest we can guess , is , that the geryons lived about the th or th century after the deluge , and siculus above years before the destruction of troy. in his time , or not long after , a great fleet sailed from zant , an island in the ionian sea on the west of peloponnesus , or morea , and landing in spain , they built a strong town , which they called zazynthus of their own country , afterwards , saguntum , now monviedro , these people in process of time gathering strength , spread farther along the coast , and at length built the most famous temple of diana , from which the promontory diaium , now denia , took name . in this temple they placed idols and priests , and offered great sacrifice , to the admiration of the ignorant natives , who looked upon them as something more than men. all the timber-work was of juniper , a sort of wood sweet and incorruptible , in so much , that pliny affirms it was standing in his time without the least sign of decay . after the coming of the zazynthians , authors say there came another dionysius , or bacchus , who was the son of semele , about years before the trojan war , and in the farthest parts of spain , betwixt the two mouths of guadalquivir , founded nebrixa , so called from nebridae , which in greek , signifies , deer-skins , worn by dionysius and his followers , especially when they offered sacrifice . the name veneria was afterwards given to nebrixa . diodorus siculus writes , there were three dionysii or bacchi . the first son of deucalion or noah , the same , above called ostris ; the second , son of proserpine or ceres , who was painted with horns , to show he was the first that yoak'd oxen to plow the land ; the third , the son of semele , bornin adultery in the city meros , which signifies , a thigh ; whence the poets feign that jupiter bread him in his thigh . of him 't is said , in imitation of the first dionysius , he travelled the world , gained many victories , and delivered spain from tyranny and oppression . about this same time milico , the son of mirica , is said to have had great power and authority among the spaniards ; and that his successors not far from the place where baeça now stands , built castulon among the oretani , formerly one of the noblest cities in spain , now no other memory of it is remaining but in the cottages of gazlona . dionysius at his departure , left two of his companions behind , the one lusus , of whom the lusitani took name ; the other pan , whom the ignorant people worshiped as a god , and from him ( as varro and plutarch will have it ) the country was first called pania , and after by the addition of one letter , spania ; jason the thessalian desiring to gain honour , and enrich himself , built a great ship , and taking into it hercules the thèban , orpheus , linus , castor , and pollux , and many more , after pillaging all the coasts of asia , came as far as the mouth of the streights , where hercules built a fort called heraclea , now gibraltar ; whence they made incursions , robbing the country , and had several encounters with the natives ; thence they sailed about to saguntum , and were well received , as being all greeks . from saguntum they went over to majorca , and took bocorris the king of that island ; but understanding there was no gold there , having taken in provision , and some large oxen , they passed into italy , where hercules slew cacus , and then returned into greece . hecateus denies that ever this hercules came into spain ; but diodorus , and all other authors testifie the contrary . to him it is that virgil attributes the killing of the geryons ; but this is a poetical licence , and great mistake of times . after the coming of hercules , and death of milico , gargoris reigned in spain , and was called mellicola , being the first that found out the taking of honey . in this king's time hap'ned the famous trojan war ; which ended , the remainders of the greeks and trojans spread themselves , and planted in several parts of the world , and among the rest , in spain . the first reckoned among those that came , is teucrus , the brother of ajax , who not being permitted by his father telamon to return home alone , went first to cyprus , where he built the city salamina , now famagosta , and thence passed into spain , and is there said to have erected another city called teucria , in the place where carthagena now stands . justin and st. isidorus , both mention his coming to spain , but not his building any city . but all agree that he passed out of the streights , and sailing along the coast , landed in galicia , where he founded the city helene , now pontevedra ; and add that he erected another called amphilochia , by the romans called aquae calidae , by the suevi , auria , now orense . next , tydeus is said to have attempted several parts of the spanish coast , but that meeting opposition , he sailed on to the northern coast of portugal , where betwixt the rivers minho and lima , he founded the city tuy , in latin , tude or tyde . strabo writes , that mnesteus the athenian with a fleet came to the mouth of the river belon , now guadalete , where he built a city of his own name , and is the same that is now port st. mary ; and besides , a temple between the two branches of guadalquivir , which was called oraculum mnesteum . to conclude , strabo and solinus affirm , that vlysses came into spain , and built the city of lisbon , from him in latin called vlysippo ; but others reject this opinion , in regard the ancient name was olysippo , not vlysippo , and because there are no grounds to believe that ever vlysses was there . about this time ( according to justin ) gargoris reigned over the curetes , and resided in the forest of the tarresii , where ancients feigned the titans waged war with the gods. this king stained all the virtues with which he was endowed , with the cruelty he used towards his grandson abides . this child was born of his daughter out of wedlock ; the grand-father to hide this shame , caused him to be exposed to wild beasts , who forgetting their fierceness , nursed him with their milk. gargoris no way mollified , caused him to be laid in a path where cattle was to pass , to be trod to death ; and having escaped this danger , cast him to dogs that had been kept hungry on purpose that they might devour him ; in fine , he was thrown into the sea , which laid him again on the shore , where he was suckled by a doe . being grown up , abides of the nature of his nurse , became so nimble , that he out ran the swiftest beasts , and withall so wild , that he lived on the mountains by rapine . the neighbouring people having suffered much laid a toil , into which he fell , and was by them carried to his grandfather ; gargoris by some natural instinct , as also by marks that had been observed in the body of him when a child , discovered who he was , and changing his severity into love , named him abides ; kept him as long as he lived as became his grandson , and at his death appointed him his heir . abides being seated on the throne , surpassed all his predecessors in the administration of the government ; he persuaded his subjects who before lived dispersed , to gather themselves into towns and cities , whereby the wildness of those people was much polished , he restored the use of wine , and manner of tilling the ground , which had been long forgot ; the people living upon such things as nature produced . he instituted laws , erected tribunals , and named judges and magistrates . by these means he gained the good will of his subjects , and purchased great renown among strangers ; and having lived to a great age , departed this life , leaving behind an immortal fame . he was contemporary with king david ; but justin will have it , that he lived at the same time with the geryons , and was king only of some part of spain . it is said his progeny reigned for many years after him , but none of their actions , or so much as their names can be found , nor any other remarkable occurrence for a long tract of time ; only a most wonderful dearth that hap'ned , which lasted years , so that all the rivers , except ebro and guadalquivir were dryed up , and the earth gaping , the rich people who stay'd longest , were deprived of means to fly to other countries , the poor having at first withdrawn themselves to the neighbouring provinces . thus the greatest part of spain , especially the inland was not only strip'd of all manner of trees , but totally unpeopled , and left desart . this season being past , and the land again moistened with rain , the natives that had escaped , mixed with other nations , returned , and restored the spanish race , almost extinct . most of our authors agree in this account , but others , and those very learned , will no way allow of it , and the reasons they give , are , that no greek nor latin author makes any mention of it , and so remarkable a transmigration could not have escaped their knowledge ; that it is impossible ebro and guadalquivir could have preserved any moisture during so many years , if we consider how many great rivers are almost dryed up in one hot summer ; that such a drought would not cause the ground to open , but rather fall away all to dust ; as may be seen in libya , and other parts of africk , because moisture unites , and driness dissipates bodies . this is what our historians write ; my opinion is , that as things at a great distance , are always represented greater than really they are , so it hap'ned in this dearth , which doubtless , was much less than it is made ; and it is probable it rained sometimes , and so much as might unite the earth , and preserve the rivers , yet not enough to produce any sort of grain or fruit. the fame of this desolation being spread , moved many of the neighbouring people once it was past , to come over with their stocks and families to re-people the country ; every one possessed himself of that part he liked best , and multitudes resorting from all parts , thro' their industry and the great number of their off-spring , the beauty of spain was again soon restored , the land improv'd , and many towns and cities built . the celtae , a people of france passing the pyrenean mountains , possest themselves of all that part of france which lies on the north of ebro , and east of the river idubeda , a fertile and pleasant country , where is now the city tarracona , and formerly those of netobriga and arcobriga . from these celtae , and the native iberi , great part of spain was called celtiberia . these people increased and spread far southward , as appears by segobriga , belsino , vrcesia and other towns , reckoned among the celtiberi ; on the northern borders of the celtiberi were the arevaci , where are now osma , and agreda , the duraci , neritae , pelendones , presamarci and cileni , all included under the general name of celtiberi , and joyned to them by affinity . it is a received opinion , that the rhodians , who were great sailers , built rhodope or rhoda , now roses , upon a large bay near the foot of the pyreneans , which in the time of the goths , was a great city and bishoprick , tho' now small and inconsiderable . the rhodians are said to be the first who taught the spaniards to make cables , and weave rushes for many uses , and also to make horse-mills to grind their corn ; they were also the first that taught them the use of copper coin , which then appeared very ridiculous to the spaniards . in process of time , they built a temple to diana , and another to hercules . about miles from roses , is empurias , at the foot of the pyreneans , at which place , about this same time , the mountain was fired , whether accidentally or by design , is not known ; but certain it is , these hills by the greeks were called pyr , that is , fire , either by reason of this accident , or for the great lightning that is often on the tops of them . this great fire melted the veins of gold and silver , which were very plentiful there , and in many other parts of spain , in such manner , that those metals ran down the sides of the mountain , to the great surprise of the inhabitants , who admired the beauty , but understood not the value of them . but the fame hereof being spread abroad , induc'd foreigners to flock thither , in hopes to gather that neglected treasure , or to purchase it of the natives for things of small value . the phenicians are esteemed the first that durst venture out with great fleets into the open sea , and steer their course by the north star. these having gained the sovereignty of the seas from the rhodians , and phrygians , are said to have set out from the famous city of tyre , in quest of the riches of spain . what part of spain they first landed in , authors do not agree . aristotle says , the phenicians were the first , who coming to the streights-mouth , purchased of the people of tartesso , or tarifa , for oil , more silver than their ships could carry away . it is more likely , this was about the pyreneans , as being nearer to them , and the silver , to be some of that melted by the great conflagration abovementioned . our historians relate , that sicheus commanded one of their fleets , and got here , those great riches , which tempted his brother-in-law pygmalion , to murther him . this voyage being for some time laid aside , by reason of the death of sicheus , pygmalion set out with a fleet from tyre , and landed among the turduli , that is , in andaluzia , at the place where now stands almun̄ecar ; he built a town for the security of trade , calling it axis , or exis ; and returning home with much treasure , made afterwards several voyages , till he came as far as cadiz ; which island before called erythrea , from that time was known by the name of gadira , that is , a bulwark , either in respect it is the bulwark of spain against the swelling sea , or in regard of the fortifications raised by the phenicians . they also built a temple to hercules , on that point of land which is opposite to the continent , and is thence called promontorium herculeum . the phenicians grown rich with the trade of spain , and having built malaga and abdera , thought of nothing less than possessing themselves of the whole country . at this same time the foundation of the city of rome was laid ; hezekiah reigned in jerusalem , after salmanasar king of the assyrians had extirpated the kingdom of israel . this is the same salamanasor , who laid siege to jerusalem , and designing to conquer the whole world , went with a mighty army into egypt , where he was overthrown by taracho , king of egypt and aethiopia . taracho after that victory , subdu'd many kingdoms ; strabo testifies , he passed over into europe ; and our historians say he came into spain , where not far from the river ebro , he built the city tarragona , which the scipio's long after rebuilt , and made the metropolis of the roman empire in spain ; which gave occasion not only to the ignorant , but to learned authors , and among them , pliny and solinus , to attribute the foundation of it to them . after the death of queen dido , the power of the carthaginians increased by sea and land. their chief aim was to extend their empire in europe , to this end , they attempted sicily , sardinia , and corsica ; but being repulsed by the natives , thought fit to try their fortune upon lesser islands ; in order hereunto , directing their course towards spain , they possessed themselves of iviça , which is an island girt with rocks , and difficult of access , unless toward the south , where is a large and spacious harbour . this island is opposite to cape denia , about miles distant from the coast of spain ; it is small , being not above miles in circumference , at that time it was wild , and covered with woods of pine-trees , whence the greeks called it pytuissa . it produces great plenty of salt , the air is temperate . and the nature of the soil such , it does not only breed no vermin or venomous creatures , but if any are brought thither , they presently die . this is the more wonderful , for that as ancient cosmographers affirm , near it was another island , not habitable , by reason of the multitudes of snakes and poisonous animals , whence it was called ophiusa , that is , island of snakes . we cannot certainly determine which island this should be , at present ; some say it is formentera , because but two miles from iviça ; others will have it to be dragonera , by reason of the likeness of the names . the most learned are of opinion , that a mountain called colubre , joyning to the continent , and opposite to pen̄iscola , was called in greek ophiusa , and in latin colubraria ; notwithstanding , ancient geographers place their ophiusa near to iviça . the carthaginians being possessed of iviça , and having built there a city of the same name , resolved next to attempt majorca , and minorca , distant miles from one another , and from the coast of spain . the greeks sometime called them gynesiae , by reason the inhabitants went naked , and other whiles , baleares , for their skill in casting stones with slings ; but in particular , the greatest was called clumba , and the lesser , nura , as antoninus testifies , and from him florian. before they would attempt to land , the carthaginians went round these islands to view all their creeks and harbours , and being terrified by the fierceness of the inhabitants , having lost some of their forwardest men that durst go a shore , they despaired of success there , and stoodover for the coast of spain , with a design to make discoveries , and gain some footing there . but with little success , for the people of saguntum foreseing the danger of such neighbours , persuaded the natives to have no commerce with them ; which together , with the distress of their own country , at that time labouring under civil broils , and set upon by the neighbouring africans , obliged the carthaginians to return home . where to appease their gods , they instituted an inhuman sacrifice of young-men , which was afterwards used in spain , with such rigour , that in their greatest distress , they thought none a sufficient sacrifice , but the king 's eldest son ; a custom taken from the moabites , and sometimes practised by the idolatrous jews . chap. v. of the age of argantonius , the phenicians attempt to subdue all spain , but being repuls'd , sent for aid to the carthaginians , who ravage the country , but sustain great loss from the natives . about the year before the birth of christ , and after the building of rome , was the age of argantonius , king of the tartessi , who , according to silius italicus's account , lived years . pliny out of anacreon , assigns him . to him , for his great skill in war , and long experience , the people committed the government , hoping by his courage and conduct , to be able to oppose the designs of the phenicians , who had now laid aside their mask , and openly aimed at the sovereignty of all spain ; having to this effect , passed over from cadiz to the continent . they used policy as well as strength , sowing dissention among the natives , and by that means , had possessed themselves of several places . the natives gathering under the conduct of their king argantonius , not only check'd the phenicians , but , as some will have it , drove them out of all the province of betica , or andaluzia , and even out of the island of cadiz ; a thing the more likely , for that many were gone before to the relief of their own country , the city of tyre being then besieged by the mighty king nebuchadnezzar , after he had taken jerusalem . this relief that went from cadiz , getting into tyre , was the cause it held out four years , and nebuchadnezzar being called away into egypt , rais'd the siege ; and having subdu'd the greatest part of africk , resolved to pass over into spain , as well to possess himself of the riches of that country , as to take revenge for the relief sent thence to tyre ; he landed his army near the pyreneans , and from thence , without any opposition , rang'd all the country over till he came to cadiz . josephus says , he conquered all spain . the natives taking courage , began to make head ; the king fearing to tempt fortune , and satisfied that he had stretched his empire to the utmost limits of the earth , loaded with riches , returned home , in the year . after the building of rome . this comming of nebuchadnezzar , is much spoken of in the hebrew books , and this gave occasion to affirm , that many towns in andaluzia , and the kingdom of toledo , which have hebrew names , were then built by the jews that were in his army . among those places are reckoned toledo , escalona , noves , maqueda , yepes , and others of less note ; which they say , took their names from ascalon , nobe , mageddo , and joppe , cities of palestine . toledo , they say , is derived from toledoth , which in hebrew , signifies families , that gathered to build that place . i will not approve or reject these opinions , but only note that no ancient author makes mention of any such thing . our historians add , that after the expulsion of the phenicians , and return of the babylonians , the phocenses , inhabitants of a city so called , in ionia of the lesser asia , tired with the cruelties of harpalus cyrus's lieutenant in those parts , sailed to italy , france , and spain , in a fleet of galleys , whereof , they were the first inventers . these people landed first in italy , in the farthest part of lucania , now called basilicata , opposite to sicily , where they built a city called velia , and thought to settle , but the air being unwholsom , the land barren , and the natives opposing them , part put to sea again to find a more convenient habitation . having toucht at corsica , they pass'd into france , where they built the city of marseilles . another part of them continued their course along spain , and beyond the mouth of the streights , planted in certain islands , called aphrodisiae , opposite to tarifa , where they built after the manner of greece ; but all these islands are lost , except one , that was called junonia . after this , followed the death of argantonius , much about the year . after the building of rome . for his greater honour , they raised a magnificent sepulcher with as many pyramids about it , as enemies he had slain with his own hand ; for this , aristotle says , was the manner of the spaniards burying their dead . great revolutions hap'ned after the death of argantonius , and spain like a ship without a rudder , or pilot , was tossed by every wave . the fortune of war at first variable , afterwards wholly averse to the spaniards , deprived them of their liberty . the coming of the carthaginians to spain was the cause of all these mischiefs , the occasion of their coming shall be related . the phenicians being increased in power and riches , returned to spain , and repossessed themselves of the island of cadiz , designing upon the first opportunity that should offer , to pass over into the continent . they wanted a pretence , and thought none so good , as that of religion . they asked leave of the natives , to erect a temple to hercules , feigning , he had appear'd and order'd them so to do . having by this fraud obtained their desires , they built a temple in the nature of a fort ; many under colour of devotion resorting thither , in a small time it grew to the grandeur of a city ; which is supposed to have stood , where now medina sidonia is ; which the name sidon , seems to confirm , and the small distance of only miles from the coast of cadiz . besides this , they became masters of other smaller towns , some built by themselves , others taken by force from their neighbours . from these places , they made in-roads into the country , carrying away men and cattle , and in a short time possest themselves of the city turdetum , which stood between xcres and arcos . of this city , the turdetani , an ancient people of betica , that extended from the river guadiana to the ocean , took name . the bastuli reach'd from tarifa , along the coast of the mediterranean to a town then called barea , now supposed to be vera. the turduli began at the port of , mnesteus , now port st. mary , and ran north and east , as far as sierra morena , and the farthest part of the province betica . livy and polybius , make the turduli and turdetani the same ; and most authors confound the limits of these people , therefore it will be needless to labour to fix their bounds , no more than those of the massieni , selbisii , curenses , lignii , and others , whose names are found in approv'd authors : but what places particularly they inhabited , can not be assigned . but to return to the matter in hand , the natives provok'd by the wrongs they receiv'd from the phenicians , and growing jealous of the increase of their new city , held a great consultation , in which they treated of the injuries they had received , and dangers that might ensue from the growing power of those stranges . baucius capetus , prince of the turdetani , was there present , he took upon him with wise words to raise their drooping spirits , and did it so effectually , that they all presently voted the war against the phenicians . they appointed officers , and gave them power to raise men , withal , recommending to all , to be private , that so they might surprize their enemies . to baucius for his great experience , and the love all the people bore him , they assigned the whole management of the war. thus having gathered a mighty army , they fell upon the phenicians , who where wholly unprovided , and in a short time , took all the cities they had built , and those they had conquered , giving the plunder of all their riches to the soldiers . the city medina sidonia , whither the remainder of the phenicians fled , confiding in the strength of the temple , soon follow'd the fate of the rest , and all within it were put to the sword. such was their desire of revenge , that laying aside all thoughts of compassion , and zeal of religion , they fir'd and laid the temple level with the ground . thus all the riches they had been many years heaping , and the stately buildings they had with great cost erected , were destroy'd , and nothing left the phenicians on the continent , except some few small towns , which escap'd unregarded , and not because they could make any opposition . those of cadiz , despairing of accommodation with the natives , found they must either resolve to quit spain , or send for succours from abroad . to expect relief from tyre in that distress , was too tedious , therefore , they agreed to call to their assistance , the carthaginians , to whom , they were allied , as descended from the same original , and otherwise united by continual commerce and amity . the embassadors being admitted to audience in the senate , laid before them the extream danger those of cadiz were in , that they sought not to recover what they had lost , but to preserve their liberty and lives ; that the opportunity they had so long desired of entring into spain , now offered it self very honourable , in defence of their allies , and in revenge of the religion profaned , in the destruction of the temple of hercules , whom they chiefly worshiped . the senate of carthage bid them be of good heart , and make good their ground , till a sufficient fleet could be fitted out to be sent to their relief . the carthaginians at this time , were masters of the sea , had great fleets abroad , as well of merchants , as ships of war , and were possest not only of all the coast of africk , but of several islands in the mediterranean . till this time , they could never get footing in spain , which made them the more eager to fit out this fleet , the command whereof , they gave to maherbal ; who passing along by the islands baleares , and touching at iviça , arrived at length at cadiz , in the year after the building of rome , . others say , it was but a small time before their first war with the romans ; whensoever it was , from that time forward , they ravaged the coast of spain , taking the spainish ships , plundering along the shore , and raising forts in several parts . the spaniards provoked by these injuries , met again in the city turdetum , and again appointed baucius their general . he getting together what men he could , by night surpriz'd one of their forts that was nearest to turdetum , and put all that were in it to the sword , except maherbal , and some few that escaped privately a by-way . this done , baucius pursu'd his good fortune , and vanquish'd , and made great slaughter of the enemies , in several places . the carthaginians perceiving they were not like to prevail by open force , had recourse to policy and artifice , they proposed an accommodation with the spaniards , with great shows of amity , and the better to convince them of their sincerity , offered to withdraw their garrisons out of all the forts they still held . to this the turdetani gave a resolute answer , concluding , they should give credit to the carthaginians , when their actions were suitable to their words . still the carthaginians under shadows of a truce , fortify'd themselves on the coast , and sometimes made inroads , which , when any danger appear'd , they excused , blaming the insolency of the soldiers , and so deceiving that ignorant people ; they continued their robberies in other parts . those of cadiz , were pleased with this success of their allies ; the spaniards made no great account of it , for men little value publick losses , in which they are not particularly concerned ; and the carthaginians daily increased in power , which was the more advanc'd by the death of baucius , which hap'ned about this time ; but whether he left any successor , is not known . chap. vi. the carthaginians make war upon the phenicians ; peace made , in which , the latter become subject to the former . sappho comes into spain ; discoveries made by himilco and hanno . after the death of baucius , the carthaginians aiming at the sovereignty of all spain and forgetting that the phenicians were their friends and allies , and had invited them into spain , resolved to expel them the island of cadiz . to compass their design , it was requisite to make use of fraud and deceit ; therefore , they began to sow discord betwixt the phenicians and the natives , and by cunning insinuations , gain'd the love of the latter , and made the others odious . the phenicians complained of the unjust proceedings of the carthaginians ; but words being of no effect , they had recourse to arms , and falling unexpectedly upon them , slew many , and obliged the rest to fly for shelter , to a fort they had built in the farthest part of the island , opposite to the cape called cronium . this done , they turned all their fury against the houses and lands of the carthaginians , which they burnt and plundred ; these losses no way grieved the carthaginians , but they rather rejoiced they had now the opportunity they had so long sought after . having gathered forces from all their garrisons , they took the field ; and because the phenicians refused to come to a battle , sate down before the city , of which , after a siege of some months , they made themselves masters . at this siege , some authors will have it , that one pephasmenus a tyrian , invented the engine called aries , or the battering-ram . this injury done to the phenicians , rendred the carthaginians odious to all the neighbouring people ; but more especially , those of the port of mnesteus , who were great friends to the phenicians , and threatned that so great wickedness should not pass unpunished . from words they passed to action , and great numbers were drawn together on both sides , but before they came to blows , some accommodation was endeavour'd , and chiefly , by the carthaginians , who fear'd to commit the fate of their acquired dominion to the fortune of a battle , and therefore , were the first at offering conditions of peace ; which was concluded without any difficulty . it was agreed , that trade should be re-establish'd , prisoners restor'd , and reparation made of damages , and a general amnesty passed . hence it is believed , the river guadalete that falls into the sea , at the port of mnesteus , had the name lethe signifying , forgetfulness , given it . i do not believe all i write , but will not reject what others relate , nor confirm what they say . great joy was at carthage at this treaty , because they were not in a condition to relievé cadiz ; and the phenicians , tho' they lost the sovereignty , were content with the trade , which brought them great riches . about this time , being years from the building of rome , hap'ned a great drought and famine in spain , and many earthquakes , which occasioning the earth to open discover'd vast treasures of gold and silver ; and thence follow'd a great resort thither of sundry nations . after this , a fleet was set out of carthage , for spain , under the command of asdrubal and amilcar , but asdrubal being killed in a descent they made by the way , in sardinia , and other dangers pressing carthage , the design was then laid aside . in the year of rome . those dangers being blown over , the senate of carthage sent men , drawn out of the garrisons of sicily , in four ships , to the relief of cadiz , with a promise of greater succours . by the way they touch'd at majorca , and minorca , but were repulsed by the natives , with the slings they made use of , and forc'd to put to sea in great confusion ; and at length , arriv'd at cadiz . at this time , 't is reported , a colony was sent from tarifa , under the command of capion , to plant in the island made by the two mouths of the river guadalquivir . certain it is , that those of tartessum built near the oracle of mnesteus , a city call'd the mouth of the cartesii , to distinguish it from other cities in spain that formerly bore the same name , for even tartessum , was formerly named carteia ; and on the mouth of the guadalquivir , was built a tower nam'd capion . when this hap'ned , is not certainly known ; but this is the time , some wits have allotted it . all africk now joyn'd in a league against the carthaginians . and among them , the mauritanians , who endeavoured to draw the spaniards into the confederacy . the senate of carthage , foreseeing the storm that threatned them , sent sappho , the son of asdrubal , to govern what they held in spain , that he might at once encourage their people against all that might happen , and endeavour to disswade the spaniards from joyning with their enemies . he play'd his part so dexterously , that the spaniards were not only diverted from assisting the africans , but gave him leave to raise men , with this proviso , he should make use of them only to oppose the enemies of carthage , but not to invade the mauritanians , their ancient friends and allies . sappho kept these spaniards at the mouth of the streights , in hopes the mauritanians would forbear assisting the other people of africk ; but perceiving they did not , he passed over , burning and destroying all the towns and country , plundering the houses , and carrying away slaves all the people that came within his reach ; complaint hereof , being made by the mauritanians , the spaniards sent embassadors to carthage ; where it was agreed , that sappho should withdraw his forces out of africk , and the mauritanians theirs , giving aid against the carthaginians . notwithstanding this agreement , the mauritanians continued their hostilities , whereupon , sappho , who had return'd into spain , repassed the streights again , doing much greater damage than the first time ; till the spaniards again interposing , with much difficulty obtain'd , sending him fresh supplies of men , that he should pass farther into africk , beyond the limits of the mauritanians , against the other enemies of carthage . by these means , the africans being inclosed by those that came out of carthage , and those that passed out of spain , were entirely defeated , and so that war ended , the year of rome . seven years after , sappho having settled the affairs of spain , was recalled home , and himilco , hanno , and gisgo , his three cousins , sent in his place . himilco and hanno set sail with a fleet for their new government , and touching by the way at majorca , and minorca , obtain'd leave of the natives to raise forts there , which after , served as steps to the inslaving those people . in minorca , they are said to have built three towns , jama , magon , and labon . hanno no sooner arrived at cadiz , but being ambitious of glory , and desirous to discover something new , he sailed along those coasts as far as promontorium sacrum , or cape st. vincent , and sent notes of all he had observ'd , to the senate , promising great advantages if two fleets were fitted out , the one to discover the coast of africk , the other those of spain and france . it was ordered by the senate , that himilco should undertake the discovery of europe , and hanno , that of africk ; leaving gisgo to govern in spain . all things being provided , about the year of rome . the two brothers set out several ways . himilco kept close to the coast of spain , and passing cape finisterre , ran to the eastward till he came to the gallick shore ; and so is said , to have gone thro' the british sea , and even as far as the baltick , and having spent two years in his voyage , returned . hanno with a fleet of great galleys , in which were men and women to plant where he thought convenient , sailed from cadiz , and having passed hercules's pillars , on a great plain , built a city , which he called thymiaterion . arrianus says , he discover'd as far as certain islands , which are supposed to lie under the equinoctial , and then return'd ; but pliny affirms , he passed the cape of good hope , and even into the red sea , whence he sent an account of all he had done , to carthage . all agree that he was five years abroad , and return'd home in the year of rome . hanno and himilco being return'd into spain after these long voyages , hasted away to carthage , where they were receiv'd with great honour . gisgo , who had been left to govern spain , soon after obtain'd leave to follow them . hannibal and mago were next appointed to command in spain . mago made some stay on the islands baleares ; and is therefore supposed to have built the town of his name in the island minorca : but this is only a bare surmise , without any authority to back it . hannibal being arrived at cadiz , gisgo loaded his fleet with the treasure he and his brother had heaped , during his government ; and in his return home , was cast away with all his riches , in the year after the building of rome . hannibal is said to have built a town not far from cape st : vincent upon a good port , which was formerly call'd portus hannibalis , now albor , near lagos , once lacobriga . the tartesii built a fort at the mouth of guadalquivir , and a temple to venus ; and because that star is also called lucifer , it was named templum luciferi , now st. lucar , a most noted town for the trade of the west indies . about this same time , our historians say , began a bloody war betwixt those of the province betica , and the lusitani , nations divided by the river guadiana . this war , they say , had its beginning from small quarrels betwixt the shepherds ; the carthaginians sided with the lusitani , a great neighbouring city , supposed to be iberia , assisted those of betica ; their rage on both sides was so great , that the very women are said to have taken arms. they came to a battle , which was very bloody , and lasted the whole day , till night parted them . in it men were slain , and among them , the commander in chief of the carthaginians , supposed ( if this matter be true ) to be hannibal . mago hearing the news of this battle , came from the islands baleares to the assistance of his country-men , and oblig'd the people of the city , who had sustain'd great loss in the fight , to fire it , and seek new places to inhabit . the same year , a great revolution hap'ned in carthage ; for asdrubal , and sappho , hannibal's brothers , being dead , hanno's authority after his defeat in spain was wholly overthrown by his enemies , the whole power of the government , was put into the hands of an hundred men , who were to inspect into the actions of all generals , when they return'd from the war. by them , hanno was try'd , and condemn'd to perpetual banishment . the principal crime laid to his charge , was , that he was a man of too great parts and ability , to live in a free-city , being the first that had ever tamed a lion , and therefore might be likely to prove dangerous to the liberty of men , since he could overcome the savage nature of beasts . but it is the fate of common-wealths to hate the best of men. the history of spain . the second book . chap. . actions of the spaniards in sicily . the government of hanno . an embassy sent to alexander the great . the first roman and carthaginian war. we have no account of any thing remarkable that hap'ned in spain , for some time , till the year of rome . which was the time of the peloponnesian war. in the second year whereof , a terrible plague rag'd all over the world ; it began in aethiopia , and thence running thro' several countries , at last came into spain , where it swept away vast multitudes of men and cattle . thucydides , livy , and dionysius halicarnassaeus , make mention of this plague ; and our authors say , it proceeded from the great dryness of the air ; but hippocrates , who lived at that time , says , that to free thessaly , his country , from it , he caused all the woods and forests to be fired . in sicily , at this time , the carthaginians were possest of some towns near the promontory libybaeum , not far from trepana , which was a great eye-sore to the people of agrigentum , now gergento . it hap'ned , the carthaginians went out into a wood , near the city minoa , to offer sacrifice , which the agrigentines , who watch'd their opportunity , laying hold of , fell upon , and slaughter'd all , but some few that fled , and lurk'd about the woods . this news being come to carthage , the people resolving to take revenge , sent over carthaginians , a like number of spaniards , and mallorquines with slings . with these supplies the carthaginians took the field , and coming to a battle , not only vanquished their enemies , but besieged them in the city agrigentum , whither they were fled ; and after a siege of two years , made themselves masters of it , in the year after the building of rome . the end of this war , was the beginning of a greater ; for dionysius the tyrant of syracuse , taking into his protection those that fled from agrigentum ; and on the other side , the carthaginians having to do with so powerful an enemy , raised an army of african foot , and horse , besides spaniards ; to oblige whom , they restor'd cadiz , and withdrew all their garrisons , except from the temple of hercules , and some other small forts . himilco cipo , was appointed general of these forces , who , at his first landing in sicily , took the city camarina , which he burnt , and put all the inhabitants to the sword. the people of gela terrifi'd at this cruelty , abandon'd the town . dionysius was not idle , but having gather'd a great force , meets the carthaginians , and at first put them so hard to it , that their horse began to give way , till himilco coming up with a reserve of fresh men , obliged the sicilians to betake themselves to flight . night prevented the pursuit ; but morning being come , himilco attacks the enemy in their camp , and after a great slaughter , makes himself master of it , dionysius saving himself by flight . but to see how uncertain humane prosperities are , after all this success , so violent a plague rag'd among the carthaginian forces , that himilco returned home with a very small number , where , for grief of this loss , he slew himself . after this , some will have it , that dionysius endeavour'd by his embassadors to withdraw the spaniards from siding with the carthaginians ; but they with kindness , and all manner of courtesie , kept them in their friendship . about the same time , certain carthaginians sailing from spain , whether designedly , or forced by bad weather , is not known ; having travers'd the vast ocean , discover'd a large , rich , and beautiful island , which being uninhabited , some of those people stay'd , and planted there ; the rest return'd , and gave an account of what they had seen , to the senate ; where , as aristotle says , it was agreed , this discovery ought to be conceal'd ; and to that purpose , the discoverers put to death , lest the citizens allur'd by the riches of the island , and weary of war , should abandon the city . some are of opinion , this island was one of the canaries , others , that it was hispaniola , or some part of the continent of america . the carthaginians burning with the desire of renewing the war in sicily , raised men in spain and africk ; but the spaniards were averse to the war , by reason of the distance , because of the two great losses sustain'd there , and for that , as they said they , had received no wrong from the sicilians . this oblig'd the carthaginians to lay aside that design till a fitter opportunity , which was soon offered ; for a great famine hap'ned in spain , and after it , as usual , a plague ; the spaniards became more inclinable to take up arms , to fly from the miseries of their own country . spanish foot , horse , and sling men of majorca were raised . hanno was appointed general for this war , who with these forces ; and africans sailed over into sicily . dionysius , who was then in italy , at the siege of cotron , a greek city , having received intelligence of the storm that threatned him , was forced to haste back , to secure his own . his fleet which served to transport his army from rhegio into sicily , was defeated by the carthagians , and several ships taken , in which was his own equipage . among the other things taken , were found some letters , written in greek , by one sunniatus , a carthaginian ; giving dionysius an account of the preparations made against him ; which he did in revenge , for that he had not been appointed general ; but it cost him his life , and it was enacted , that for the future , no carthaginian should ever learn the greek language , that they might not have the opportunity of conversing with an enemy , without an interpreter . after this victory at sea , many places submitted themselves to hanno ; and the war was continu'd with various success , till the sixteenth year thereof ; which , according to eusebius , was from the foundation of rome . or rather , according to others , the second of the th olympiad , which was of rome . then dionysius the elder dying , dio , who govern'd the young dionysius , made a truce with the carthaginians ; yet the quiet of sicily lasted not long ; but it is time to return to spain . it has been already said , how the carthaginians at the beginning of the war of sicily , in part , restored those of cadiz to their liberty . this war being ended , they sent bostar to govern the balearick islands , with orders to endeavour to gain the good will of the people of saguntum ; but they fearing all his fair words tended to deprive them of their liberty , would never entertain any correspondence with him . hanno was sent to govern cadiz , but he being covetous , oppress'd the natives , and by violent means seiz'd upon all the treasure as well of private persons , as what belong'd to the publick , which provok'd the spaniards to conspire against the carthaginians . all on a sudden , they appear'd in arms , slew many of their enemies , and plundred their goods . hanno having lost many of his men , and being forsaken by his allies in spain , sent into africk for succour . these auxiliaries committed great cruelties , and made havock in that part of spain , now called andaluzia . what had hap'ned , being known at carthage , they sent another to succeed hanno ; but we have no account of his name , or any thing , he did in that government , his coming , was about the year of rome . the war which employed the carthaginians in sicily , gave peace to spain for some time ; but the joy and satisfaction of this tranquility , was allayed by great floods , which destroyed infinite numbers of cattle , and bore down many buildings . the year following , the earthquakes were so violent , that many cities on the coast of the mediterranean , suffered extreamly , more especially saguntum , by how much it exceeded all the others in beauty and grandeur . the third year , which was . after the building of rome , was noted for mighty storms at sea , which caused extraordinary shipwracks . the governour that succeeded hanno , dying , one boodes was sent in his place , and after him , maherbal , but no account can be had of any actions of theirs , or what governour followed . it is agreed by all , as certain , that the inhabitants of marseilles in france , being grown too numerous , in the year of rome . sent a colony into spain , and inhabited that part of the city empurias , which was next the sea , at the foot of the pyreneans , opposite to roses , in latin called emporia . tho' small , it was divided from the rest of the city by a wall ; whence in greek it was formerly call'd palaeopolis , that is , old town , signifying the oldest part of it , and also diospolis , that is two towns. another part of the fleet from marseilles , passed cape denia , and built a town near the temple of diana . three remarkable things were made known in spain by the coming of this fleet , the first , the great power of the romans , and how religiously they assisted and supported their allies ; the second , that the syracusans after recovering their liberty , contriv'd to expel the carthaginians out of sicily ; and the third , that alexander of macedon , sirnam'd , the great , had vanquished darius , conquered the empire of the persians , and subdu'd more countries than another man in that time could have travelled through . this mov'd the spaniards inhabiting along the coast of the mediterranean , to send an embassy to him , to desire his protection against the carthaginians , who aim'd at the enslaving of all that province . paulus orosius says , maurinus was chief of this embassy , who joyning by the way with the embassadors of france , went in their company to babylon , where they found those of all other provinces , that were there by alexander's appointment , expecting his coming . alexander being come to babylon , they gave him an ample account of their commission , received a favourable answer , with promise of his protection ; and having been richly presented , returned home well satisfi'd . no doubt , but this embassy was very displeasing to the carthaginians , but it was no time to take notice of it , they being then employed in the war in sicily , whence they were totally expell'd by agathocles . not long after , ensu'd the first war betwixt rome and carthage ; and at the same time , our authors say , spain suffered by civil war , without naming the parties or places , only express that it was carried on with the greatest cruelty , killing , plundering , and burning on all hands , without mercy . much about this time , which was the year of rome . the mallorquines revolted from the carthaginians , and having put their garrisons to the sword , oblig'd the fleet that lay in the harbour with showers of stones , to put to sea ; and at last , there being no hopes of appeasing those people , to return to carthage . to retrieve this loss , the senate sent hamilcar barchinus , who with great prudence , by courtesie and address , reduc'd those islanders to obedience without using any force or violence . the year , of rome , and last of the first punick war , was fatal to spain , for a great drought and violent earthquakes , by which , part of the island of cadiz was broken off , and sunk in the sea. chap. ii. the second coming of hamilcar . asdrubal succeeds him . his preparations for the roman war , and death . no sooner did the carthaginians begin to breath after their unfortunate war with rome , and other disasters which followed it , but they cast their eyes upon spain as the most proper place to make up their losses . hamilcar was appointed to command there with an absolute power . he at his setting out from carthage , according to custom , sacrific'd and offered up his vows . his son hannibal then but nine years of age , being present , he caused him to touch the altar , and swear , that when he was of age he would revenge his country against the romans . besides him , hamilcar had three younger sons , asdrubal , mago , and hanno . being arriv'd at cadiz , he receiv'd embassadors from the turdetani , who had always continued in amity with carthage , offering their forces , if he had occasion for their service . with their assistance hamilcar not only recover'd that part which had been lost , but possest himself of all the province of betica , either by force , or the submission of the natives , and this was the year of rome . strabo says , the spaniards at that time were so rich , that their mangers and water troughs were made of silver . hamilcar coasting along the mediterranean , ran up the river ebro , where he built a town formerly call'd old carthage , supposed to be now cantavecha , distant ten leagues from tortosa to the north-west , among the people then called ilercaones . the following year he subdu'd the coasts of the bastetani and contestani , where , now are the cities baça and murcia , and not far from where saguntum once stood , and whence embassadors came to hamilcar , bringing presents , and congratulating his success ; but not with any intention of submitting themselves to him , hamilcar receiv'd and dismiss'd them with kindness , yet he earnestly desir'd to be master of that city . it was requisite to have some colour or pretence for that undertaking , in order to it , he persuaded the turdetani to build a town upon the lands of the saguntins , which was call'd turdetuni , and some will have it to be terud , leagues distant from saguntum . this bred a difference betwixt those two cities , which was it hamilcar aim'd at , and they understanding his design , resolv'd not to move , or take up arms against the turdetani . at the mouth of the river ebro , the carthaginians celebrated feasts for the victories they had obtain'd , as also for the marriage of himilce , daughter of hamilcar , with his kinsman asdrubal , this was the year of rome . while these feasts were kept , hamilcar was not idle , but sent embassadors into france to gain the good will of the principal men there , believing their friendship might be advantageous towards carrying on the war he design'd against rome , when he had once subdu'd spain . he won them with gold , of which , they were covetous , and spain yielded plenty . the year following he advanced to the pyreneans , conquering all from tortosa to the river lobregat , then call'd rubricatus . now it was that he built the famous city barcelona , capital of catalonia , and gave it that name from that of his family , to wit , the barzini . his designs were laid against roses and empurias , which he thought obstructed him , as being confederates with saguntum , when death surprized him among the edetani , whither he was returned in order to pacifie some disturbances in the province of betica . he was slain in a battle against the natives about the ninth year after this his second coming into spain . this fight was so bloody , that of above men he had in his army , two thirds were slaughtered , the rest of them under the favour of the night escaped to the neighbouring towns that held for them . livy says , this battle was fought near a place called castrum altum . after this signal defeat , the carthaginian forces were turned against the province betica , or andaluzia , where they totally subverted a colony of the phocencians , the name of it is not known , but it was the first that raised the commotions in that province , as also the first that suffered for them . at carthage , upon the news of the death of hamilcar , the city was divided betwixt the edi and barcini , about naming him a successor ; but at last , by the interest of hannibal , asdrubal was appointed for that command , in the year of rome . asdrubal having settled the affairs of spain , the year following returned to carthage , hoping to get the whole government of the common-wealth into his own hands ; but being disappointed , was glad to reassume his command in spain . he found the province in peace , and therefore resolved to build in the province of the contestani on the sea-coast , a city which was called new carthage , to distinguish it from that founded by hamilcar , on the river ebro . this city has a good harbour , secured from all winds by high hills which encompass it round , leaving only a narrow channel to pass into it ; opposite to which , is a small island , first called herculea , then by the latins scombraria , of a certain sort of fish , whereof there is great plenty thereabouts ; formerly the city was inferiour to none for the strength of its walls , beauty of the buildings , nobility and riches of the citizens ; at present , it is reduc'd to a small number of inhabitants , yet retains some footsteps of its grandeur , and is called carthagena . the romans understanding what was doing in spain , and being jealous of the carthaginians , endeavour'd by means of the people of marseilles , to settle some alliances in spain . it was no difficult task for them to compass their design , all the people being jealous of the proceedings of the carthaginians ; ampurias was the first city that made a league with the romans , it is seated among the people then called indegetes , that bordered on the laletani on the one side , and the ceretani on the other , and reached from the river , then sameroca , now sambucha , to the ryrenean hills . at the instance of those of ampurias , saguntum , and denia came into the league , which gave occasion to the bloody war that soon after ensued between the romans and carthaginians . asdrubal was not ignorant of these proceedings , but he thought fit to wink at them , till all things were ready for the war he designed , in order to which , tho' with much difficulty , he obtain'd of the senate to send hannibal into spain . at his arrival , the soldiers and his friends received him with great demonstrations of joy , and asdrubal declared him his lieutenant , in the year after the building of rome . at this time came into spain embassadors from rome , who proposed , that whereas the romans and carthaginians were friends and confederates , and that there was of late alliances between the said romans and some of the people of hispania citerior , therefore to prevent all misunderstandings , and that neither might incroach upon the territories of the other , the river ebro should be the bounds of the carthaginian province , and that notwithstanding saguntum was on the other side of that river , they should not intrude upon their liberties . in fine , that none should offer any wrong to the friends and allies of the other . this embassy was very ungrateful to the carthaginians , thinking it too great a presumption in the romans to give laws to the conquerors in their own province . however , they thought fit to submit to the necessity of times , till they were better provided to carry on a war , and therefore agreed to all the embassadors demanded , and the more , because they understood the gauls had been defeated by the romans , and of them slain in the battle , besides taken . the embassadors being gone , asdrubal spent three years in providing all necessaries for the war he designed . but death put a stop to his proceedings , for he was kill'd by a slave ( in revenge of the death of his master , whose name was tagus , a noble spaniard that had been slain by asdrubal ) the second year of the olympiad , and . of the building of rome . so great was the satisfaction this slave receiv'd in killing of asdrubal at the altar as he was offering sacrifice , that tho' he was taken , and put to exquisite torments , he never expressed the least sense of pain , but bore all with a chearful and smiling countenance . chap. iii. the beginning , progress , and end of the saguntine war , with the utter extirpation of that city . asdrubal being slain , as above , the government of spain by the general consent of the soldiers , and approbation of the senate and people , was conferred upon his brother-in-law hannibal . he was then in the prime of his youth , being years of age , of great courage and resolution , endow'd with excellent natural parts , but no less inclin'd to vice , of body hardy , as inur'd to labour , his mind generous , and more covetous of honour than ease , his boldness was extraordinary , his prudence and secrecy nothing inferiour . all these virtues were darkned by his treachery , cruelty , and irreligion , yet was he esteemed , and generally beloved by all . being possess'd of the government , and fearing lest death should cut him off as had hap'ned to asdrubal , his only study was how to carry on a war against the romans . it was requisite to find some colour and pretence ; and therefore he resolv'd first to break with saguntum , to revenge some injuries done to his allies . before he entred upon this great undertaking , he thought fit to celebrate his nuptials with himilce , a native of castulon , then a noble city , where now stand the poor cottages of cazlona , not far from the city baeza , where are still some footsteps of its greatness . this lady was of the race of milico , an ancient king of spain ; and it was said , that cyrrheus the phocensian , from whom also she was descended , had founded that city , and given it the name of his mother castulona . her dower was very great , and the power of hannibal hereby much increased , because the people look'd upon him as their country-man and friend . in his time also , and by his order , were discover'd several mines of gold and silver , which were call'd hannibal's wells . we may guess at the treasure these mines yielded , by one of them call'd bebelus , out of which it is recorded , there was dayly taken pound weight of pure silver . hannibal's first war was against the carpetani , that is , the kingdom of toledo , a fierce and warlike nation , and which in number of men , exceeded any other in spain . of these the olcades , where now ocan̄a stands , ( tho' stephanus places them near the river ebro ) were the first subdu'd . then near unto tagus was fought a bloody battle , in which , the natives were defeated . at the same time there arose differences among the people of saguntum , which serv'd to make way for their enemy , who let slip no opportunity . to quell these tumults , the wiser sort had recourse to rome , whence at their request , embassadors were sent , who appeasing some , threatning others , and punishing the most faulty , quieted those disturbances ; by which it was fear'd , the weakest party would have call'd hannibal to their assistance . he grown proud with success , having subdu'd all the country on that side the river ebro , thought of nothing but carrying on the war against saguntum . to give a colour to this breach , he persuaded the turdetani to fall out with those of saguntum about the bounds of their lands , and to make war upon them ; hoping this would be ground sufficient for him to undertake what he desir'd , and begin the war with the romans . the saguntines having more confidence in the friendship of the romans , than in their own strength , which was but small , dispatched their embassadors to the senate , who represented the danger that threatned them from the malice of hannibal , the small hopes they had , unless in the roman protection , their resolution to stand firm to their alliance , the danger of delays , and dishonour of exposing them to the fury of the enemy . this affair being debated in the senate , some were for declaring war immediately ; however , the more moderate counsels prevail'd , and embassadors were immediately sent to hannibal . they landing at carthagena about the end of the summer , deliver'd their message from the senate , requiring him not to infringe the peace , nor offer any violence to the saguntines , or other confederates of rome , nor to pass the river ebro ; which in case he did , the people of rome would stand by , and protect their friends and allies . hannibal answer'd , that the romans did no justice , having murdered many of the chief of their friends at saguntum , and now conniving at the injuries they had offer'd to the turdetani ; that as it was but reasonable the romans should stand by their allies , so it was equitable he should support his confederates . having thus dispatch'd the embassadours , to gain the forehand of the romans , he immediately march'd , and sate down before saguntum with men , in the month of september , and first year of the olympiad . he ravaged all the country , plundring many neighbouring towns , only denia was spared , on pretence of respect to the temple of diana . saguntum was seated among the editani , four miles from the sea , in a plentiful country , the town rich , by reason of its trade by sea and land , well fortified with ramparts and bulwarks . no sooner had hannibal intrench'd himself , but he began to make ready his engins , and to batter the lowest part of the wall , which lay in a valley , and seem'd the weakest with his rams . this place prov'd stronger than was expected , and the townsmen defended themselves with much courage and resolution , so that hannibal coming near to view the wall , was struck thro' the thigh with an arrow from the works . so great was the consternation among his men , by reason of this wound , that they were near quitting all their engins , and the battery ceased for some days whilst he was in cure. the saguntines having taken an account of what stores were in the town which could last but a few months , sent again embassadours to rome to press the senate for speedy relief , before necessity cast them into the hands of their mortal enemies ; and as soon as they had dispatched these messengers , they fell to work to strengthen such places as were weakest , or had received most damage . no sooner was hannibal recovered of his wound , but he apply'd his engines , and beat down three towers , with all that part of the wall that lay between them . things being in this readiness , the assault was given with great fury , and with no less resolution sustain'd by the besieged , who seeing , that beyond their own hopes they were not vanquish'd , fell on with such fresh vigour , they not only drove the assailants from the breach , but pursu'd them to their own works , which they had difficulty to maintain , so great was their consternation . this success was fatal to saguntum , for hannibal in a rage resolv'd to leave no way unattempted that might make him master of the town ; and therefore refused to give audience to the roman embassadours that came to treat about that affair ; the romans being resolved to use the utmost means of accommodation before they would break out into open war. from spain , the embassadours , as they had it in their instructions , passed over into africk , where , in the senate of carthage , they complain'd of the wrongs done by their army in spain , and demanded that hannibal should be delivered to them to be punish'd as he deserv'd , that being the only means to preserve the peace . when the embassadours had made their demands , hanno said , they desired nothing but justice , and that hannibal ought to be banish'd to the farthest part of the world as a common disturber . but the faction of the barchini prevailing , the senate answered , that the saguntines , and not hannibal , were too blame for the war , and the romans much in the wrong to side with them . hannibal in the mean while gave some rest to his soldiers , wearied out with continual labour , and at the same time , his wife himilce was brought to bed of a son , called aspar , to the great joy of him and all his army . whilst they were employ'd in sports and pastimes upon this occasion , the besieged lost no time , but provided all necessaries for their defence , and repair'd that part of the wall which had been beaten down . this precaution prov'd fruitless , for the enemy from a wooden tower which they had apply'd to the wall , beat off all the defendants with showers of darts and arrows . besides , africans with pick-axes cast down a great part of the wall ; which was the easier , because it was not built with lime , but clay . this done , the soldiers encourag'd with the promise of the plunder , entred the city by force of arms , whilst the besieg'd not able to withstand that force , retir'd to the further part of the town , which they joyn'd to the castle with a wall they cast up in that little time ; this was but a weak defence , and all their hopes lay in the relief they expected from the romans . some breathing time they gain'd by the departure of hannibal , who was call'd away to appease the carpetani and oretani , that were in arms , by reason of the too much severity of the carthaginians , in raising men among them . maherbal , the son of himilco , was left to command the siege as hannibal's lieutenant . he very much streightned the besieged , preventing their excursions , and gain'd another part of the city , so that they were reduc'd to the utmost extremity . hannibal having quell'd those commotions , return'd to the siege , and possess'd himself of part of the castle ; so that those miserable people had no hopes of defence left them ; despair only supported them , an evil incapable of receiving advice , and the inlet to utter destruction . halcon , a citizen of saguntum , taking compassion on his people , stole out of the town , and of himself set on foot a treaty . but no other condition being granted , only that the townsmen might depart with their wearing apparel , and build a town where the conqueror should appoint ; he return'd , not despairing that such hard terms would be admitted by the besieged . alorcus , a spaniard , that serv'd in hannibal's army , taking compassion of the saguntines , by whom he had before been well entertain'd , got into the town , and taking aside some of the principal men , began to advise them to make a virtue of necessity , and accept of hard terms , rather than expose themselves to certain destruction . this discourse of alorcus was received with great indignation of the commonalty , which gathered to hear what he had to offer ; and many of them bringing out their gold , silver , and other riches into the market-place , set fire to it , and then cast their wives , children , and lastly themselves into the flames . at the same time , a tower which had long sustain'd battering , fell down , and gave an open way for the enemy to enter the city , then all on fire , kindled by the citizens themselves , whilst the soldiers endeavour'd to quench it . such is the chance of war , that it inverts the very laws of nature : all the inhabitants , without any regard of sex or age , were put to the sword , many of them to avoid captivity , ran upon their enemies weapons , others setting fire to their houses , were burnt in them ; few were taken , and those , the best part of the soldiers booty , tho' some plunder was sent to carthage ; for the townsmen could not burn all . this siege lasted eight months , and that most noble city was destroy'd in may , and the th year of rome , some say ; but all agree it was when publius cornelius , and titus sempronius were consuls . chap. iv. the beginning of the second roman , and carthaginian war. hannibal marches through france into italy . some of his actions there , and of the scipio 's in spain . the news of the destruction of saguntum , and the embassadors that had been sent to hannibal , and went from him to carthage came to rome at the same time , to the unspeakable grief of the senate and people . hereupon war was immediately declared against carthage , and all things with diligence provided for the carrying of it on . nevertheless five embassadors were sent to carthage , to know whether saguntum , had been destroyed by authority of that senate , but receiving no satisfactory answer , they passed over into spain , where they drew to their side the bargusii , a people in the utmost part of spain , near the ceretani ; but were rejected by the volciani , and upbraided with their neglect of saguntum . these volciani , were doubtless near about that same part of the country , tho' some will have them to be about villadolce not far from the springs of the river guerva , which town they say was formerly called volce . this answer being spread abroad , all the other cities thereabout , dismiss'd them with the like scorn . thence they pass'd over into gallia narbonensis , where , in a great assembly , they demanded of those people in the name of the senate of rome , that they should not give passage to hannibal , into italy , thro' their country , but were no better received here , than they had been in spain . thus without any success in their negotiation , they return'd by the way of marseilles to rome . hannibal was not idle , but having dismiss'd his soldiers , with leave to return to their houses ; provided , they all met again the beginning of the spring at carthagena , he himself went to cadiz , to offer his vows to hercules , sending away his wife and son into africk , or to castulon . next he gathered spanish foot , called cetrati , of the targets they us'd , horse , and mallorquins , whom he sent to carthage , and in return , in the same fleet , came from thence africans , to which he joyned ligurians , and gave them to his brother asdrubal , for defence of spain . besides , he left him a sufficient fleet to secure the sovereignty of the sea. all the hostages given by the cities , which were sons of the principal men were left in the castle of saguntum , under the care of a noble carthaginian , called bostar . when all things were disposed according to his mind , he set forward with an army composed of several nations , in which were foot , and horse , polybius assigns a much less number . having pass'd the river ebro , he gained the good will of a spaniard , of the greatest note in those parts , called andubal , with him he left all the heavy baggage of the army , that they might be the fitter for so long a march , and hanno was appointed with a good body of men , to stay and secure that country . being entred upon the pyreneans , of the carpetani , or kingdom of toledo deserted him , which he not daring to punish for fear of offending the others , voluntarily dismissed more that seemed to go against their wills . by this policy , the rest of the soldiers were perswaded the first had been also freely dismiss'd , and that they might all have leave to return home , whensoever they pleased . thus he passed on through all france , but what he did there and in italy , does not appertain to this history . this same year spain was very plentiful of corn and all provisions , but very sickly , there was plague , earthquakes , storms at sea , and apparitions of armies fighting in the sky , certain omens of the evils that followed this war. hannibal being marched into italy , there overthrew the romans in two battles at ticinus , and at trebia . mean while gneius scipio , passed through france into spain , where at his first coming he subdu'd all that part of the province that lies upon the sea , from the lacetani , and cape creus , to the river ebro , those people easily submitting by reason of the ill will they bore the carthaginians . the roman fleet winter'd near tarragona , i suppose in the port of salu , which rufus festus calls solorius four miles west of that city . scipio still advancing , met hanno , whom , as was said , hannibal had left to govern the province . both sides being eager to fight they came to a battle , near a town then called cysso , supposed to be now sisso or salde , the victory fell to the romans , who slew of their enemies , took prisoners , and among them hanno and anubal , who as was said had taken part with the carthaginians , but so wounded , that in a few days he dyed . asdrubal who was marching to joyn hanno , hearing of this defeat , turned off short towards the sea , where he slew many of the roman seamen by surprize , and then with the same celerity , for fear of meeting the roman army , that was in pursuit of him , repassed the river ebro , and marched his army , consisting of foot , and horse , into places of safety . from ampurdan , whither he was gone after the flight of the carthaginians , scipio was forced to return back upon the ilergetes , or people about lerida , for that after his departure , they were revolted to the carthaginians . being come among them he pardon'd all , except the town of athanagia , which he fin'd , and obliged to increase the number of their hostages . thence he mov'd towards the accitani , inhabiting near the river ebro ; who still continued firm to the carthaginians . others say they were the ausetani , where now vique and girona stand . certain it is that , having besig'd acete , the capital of that country , the lacetani ( where now jaca stands ) coming by night to the relief of the besieged , and hoping to get into the town , they fell into an ambush , that was laid for them , where were slain , and the rest put to flight . the besieged being destitute of all hopes , especially for that amusitus , their chief stole away to asdrubal , after they had held out thirty days surrendred . the town was fined talents of silver , and then the romans took up their winter quarters at tarragona , sending the spaniards that serv'd under them to their own homes . great prodigies are said to have been now seen in the skyes in italy , africk , and spain , for which reason extraordinary sacrifices were used to appease the wrath of heaven . especially at carthage , they returned to the old custom of the phenicians , of offering the sons of the principal men , among which it is reported , the senate appointed aspar the son of hannibal should die . but this sounds more like an invention of our historians , than a true relation . winter being pass'd , hannibal , after recruiting his army in the country about genoa , march'd over the appennine , with better success than he had done before . yet in his passage over the lakes , made by the swelling of the river arnus , he lost one of his eyes , through the excessive cold and moistness : besides many men and beasts dy'd , and almost all his elephants . notwithstanding all these difficulties he advanc'd , and near the lake thrasimenus , which is in tuscany , near the city perousa , of which now it takes name , defeated the consul flaminius , killing of his men , and this done never ceased spoiling and ravaging all the country about , till a stop was put to him , by the dictator q. fabius maximus . in spain , asdrubal sent himilco with a good fleet , to scour the coast , and at the same time march'd forward himself with an army of men. scipio being in no condition to oppose both these powers at once , resolv'd to preserve the sovereignty of the sea , and fitting out ships at tarragona , surprized the carthaginian fleet , which lay at the mouth of the river ebro , took sail in the face of their commander , the rest were either sunk or stranded , most of the men being ashore , as little thinking of any such accident . to make this success the compleater , they took great ships at sea , entred and plundered the city honosca , pillaged the country about carthagena , and burnt the suburbs . asdrubal followed the track of the romans as far as cadiz , rather as a witness , than revenger of the harm they did . after these fortunate atchievements the romans attempted the island iviça , and above towns in spain , submitted to them , among which were the celtiberi , a powerful and great people , in whose territories were the towns now called , segorve , calatayud , and medina celi , as also veles , cuenca , huete , agreda , and the ancient numantia , as far as the tops of the mountain moncayo . this addition of strength rendered the roman general much more formidable ; who gathering a great army , marched as far as the woods of castulon , but was forced to return and repass the river ebro , without having perform'd any memorable action , being inform'd that mandonius a great man , rais'd commotions among the ilergetes , which occasioned a lasting war. asdrubal was sent for by the mutiniers , to oppose a body of the romans , that coming to appease , had put many of them to the sword. at the same time the celtiberi mov'd thereto by scipio , took three cities belonging to the carthaginians , which oblig'd asdrubal to leave the ilergetes , to be able to stop that growing evil . the armies met , and the celtiberi in two battles slew of the carthaginians , towards the end of autumn . this same year was very remarkable in spain , for the great abundance of corn , and all sorts of provisions . the affairs of spain , being in this posture , gneius scipio writ to the senate , for recruits of men and supplies of provision and other necessaries . p. cornelius scipio , was sent by the senate to the assistance of his brother . he landed near tarragona , the beginning of the year following , which was . from the building of rome . his fleet consisted of galleys , his army men ; with great store of provision , and power equal with his brother . the brothers being joyn'd at the request of the saguntines , that were dispersed and banish'd , and desir'd to return to their country , and revenge the injuries done them , they sate down with their armies before saguntum . bostar the governour kept in this city the spanish hostages , with but a small garrison , and this hindred many cities from joining with the romans , least their revolt should cost them their lives . acedux , a noble man among the saguntines , and a friend to the romans , desir'd to gain their good will , by some signal service , to this effect he spoke in private to bostar , and perswaded him , it would oblige the spaniards if he restor'd their hostages and rely'd on their fidelity to him . bostar suspecting no fraud was easily perswaded , and acedux undertook to conduct and deliver the hostages . he gave an account of his design to the romans , and setting out at mid-night carry'd them to their camp. thus the romans restoring the hostages , gain'd the affections of all the natives . the joy of all these prosperities , was much abated by the news of the fatal battle at canna , in which were slain foot , and horse , as also the consul aemilius , and taken prisoners . this loss was so great that had hannibal pursu'd his victory , the roman empire had then been extirpated , the principal romans being about to fly out of italy , all the cities thereabout submitting to the victor , and many in spain that were well inclin'd , deferred declaring themselves . however through the care and vigilance of the scipio's , no disturbance ensu'd , but on the contrary , at the same time they beautify'd the city tarragona , rebuilt and enlarg'd its walls , and made it a roman colony . at carthage , notwithstanding the instances of hanno , who advis'd to make peace with the romans , now they had a good opportunity , least their joy should be turned into sorrow , the senate resolv'd to send succours to hannibal , and asdrubal of men , money , and ships , africans , and arabs were rais'd , of these foot , and horse , were first sent to asdrubal , where the danger was most pressing . mago who commanded these succours , had orders to raise both horse and foot in spain , to maintain and enlarge that province . chap. v. asdrubal designing to march through france , into italy , is defeated by the two scipio 's , who after that overthrow mago , and rout the carthaginians a third time at bigerra , but are at last themselves vanquish'd and slain . about the same time the tartessii , upon the streight of gibraltar , a fierce and resolute people , taking arms , chose one galbo for their leader , and seized the city asena , where the carthaginians had laid up much corn and provisions . asdrubal , soon quelled these commotions , and understood by letters from carthage , that he was ordered to pass over into italy , to the assistance of his brother hannibal . this command was no way pleasing to him , and gave occasion to many to take part with the romans , but it was absolutely necessary to obey . himilco the son of bomilcar , was appointed his successor ; to him he disclos'd the secrets of the province , advised him in what manner he was to carry on the war , and having made great levies of men , and gathered much money to pay them , he set forward with his army , in the year of rome , . the two scipios , foreseeing the danger their country would be in , if asdrubal pass'd into italy , ( which would be oppress'd with two armies , and was not in a condition to oppose one ) resolv'd to stop , or at least divert him , by falling upon those people that sided with the carthaginians . to this purpose they laid siege to iberia , a city near the river iberus , or ebro , from which it took name , but asdrubal , had timely fortify'd it , and then sate down before another town , that was in alliance with the romans , which oblig'd them to quit their enterprize , and come to the relief of their friends . both armies drawing together , there happen'd several skirmishes , till at last the signal being given , the main bodies met with great fury and resolution . they fought as if the empire of the whole world , had depended upon the success of that battle , but the romans , in parcular signalized themselves , as if they had stood under the wall , and before the gates of rome , in such manner that they forced their enemies to give way , and gain'd an absolute victory . the first that fled were the spainards , who for the hatred they bore the carthaginians , who would force them upon an expedition so far from their country , were more inclinable to the romans . the carthaginians , and africans , thus forsaken , were slaughtered and put to flight , the horses and elephants escap'd best , and asdrubal , with a very few got into carthagena . the news of this victory was received with great joy at rome , not so much for the victory it self , as because it hindred asdrubal from passing into italy . this year was fatal to spain , for scarcity , and a plague , which destroyed multitudes , and among them ( as some will have it ) the wife and son of hannibal . for this reason , the roman senate sent provisions to their army in spain , and for this purpose borrow'd money of the merchants , because the treasury was exhausted . asdrubal's defeat being known at carthage , mago the brother of hannibal , was order'd for spain , with the fleet he had in readiness , to have passed into italy . he arrived at carthagena , with galleys , and men in them , where he found himilco , who came not long before with succours from carthage . mago's arrival caus'd a great alteration of affairs , for they who after their defeat had scarce any place of safety durst now take the field . they laid seige to the city illiturgum , which had before belonged to them , and was revolted to the enemy , placing their army of men , about it in three bodies . the two scipio's desiring to relieve it , mov'd thither with a convoy of provisions guarded by men. on the other side the carthaginians advanc'd , to prevent their design , and the romans not flinching , they came to a battle , in which not only asdrubal , but mago , and himilco , who came to his aid , were defeated . the slaughter was greater than the number of the conquerors , horse were taken , and horses more in the camp ; besides , five elephants killed ; after this the carthaginians , having gathered and recruited their forces , attack'd a town called incibile , miles west of tortosa , which the romans coming to relieve there ensued another fight , in which of the carthaginians were slain , and as many taken ; besides , that among the dead was himilco , an officer of great esteem . some will have it , that incibile , is that which is now called cheloa , in the kingdom of valencia . iliturgum is supposed to be andujar in andaluzia , or lietor , a town not far from alcaraz . this happen'd in autumn , when the news that came from rome , added no small joy to the success in spain , it was that hannibal had been defeated , at nola , by marcus marcellus , that spaniards had deserted him , that asdrubal , sirnamed , the bald , passing from italy into africk , was routed and taken by t. manlius torquatus , in sardinia , and that hierom the grandson of hieron , had succeeded him in the kingdom of syracuse . the two scipio's encouraged by these news , resolved to take the field as soon as the weather would permit ; and therefore , presently put their soldiers into quarters , resolving to winter themselves at tarragona , during which time , the wall of that city was finished ; as appears by an inscription on a stone which was preserved in the time of king alonso xi . king of castile , as may be seen in his history . tarragona is seated on a small plain , which is on the top of a round hillock , steep of ascent , the sea within a stones throw of the foot of it ; that side of it towards the east , very rocky and uncouth . on the west , runs a fruitful plain , above miles in length , covered with vines , olive , and quince-trees , abounding in cattle and corn enough to maintain the inhabitants . a mile from this city , thro' the midst of those fields , runs a river , now called francolin , formerly tulcis , whose water is more useful for working of hemp and flax , whereof there is plenty , than for drinking . now , whereas before that time there was great scarcity of sweet water in this city ; the scipio's after the roman manner , made a high aqueduct , which conveys part of the river gaya into it , tho' miles distant . this aqueduct was demolished ( as florian says ) by the people of germany , that made war in spain , in the year of our lord . and the city suffered much again for want of water , till in the time of our grandfathers , they dug a deep well , which plentifully supplies the natives ; who in our days , amount to the number of about families ; the space within the walls , being capable of containing about houses , and no more . no sooner was the winter over , in the year of rome . then the two brothers , mago and asdrubal , gathering all the forces they could , of strangers and natives , took the field , with a resolution to use their utmost endeavours to drive the romans out of all the province of spain , called vlterior , or the farther , whereof they possest , a great part . publius scipio , the better to oppose their designs , passing the river ebro , broke in upon the vectones , and planted his camp near a town called castrum altum , a place ominous to the carthaginians ; for that hamilcar , the father of hannibal , was there slain . roman soldiers were here killed about the country , which caused them to remove into another part that was at peace with them . scipio fortified his camp on the mount victoria , supposed to be moncia , near the sea , some few miles beyond ebro , thither resorted gneius scipio to strengthen his brother , and asdrubal , the son of gisgo , to attack him . this general was newly come over out of africk with a recruit of men. both camps lying very near , publius scipio went out to take a view of the enemy , and was beset by such a number of them , that he had certainly been lost , but that his brother came in and rescued him . nothing else of note was done here , but both armies marched into hispania vlterior , and into andaluzia , where the city castulon was revolted from the carthaginians , and had forced out their garrison . the carthaginians upon the first advice hereof , marched to suppress this commotion in the beginning , and by the way , laid siege to illiturgum , designing to chastize that city first , as the cause of the revolt of the other ; gneius scipio also advanced to succour the besieged , and with only one legion , broke thro' the enemies , who were divided in two parts , and making a great slaughter , got safe into the place . next two following days he made such vigorous sallies , that of the enemy were slain , and taken , with colours . thus the carthaginians were obliged to raise the siege ; but sate down again before bigerra , a city of the bastetani ; whither being pursued , they retired to aurigis , supposed to be jaen , or arjona , the romans still pursuing at their heels . here again they came to a battle , and the carthaginians , were again put to the rout , of them killed , and taken , besides colours , and elephants that were cut in pieces ; gneius , tho' he had sustained some loss , and was himself run thro' the thigh with a spear , yet he pursued the enemy in a litter as far as monda , where the fight was renewed with the same success as before , tho' not above half the slaughter , the woods and mountains affording shelter to those that fled . the affairs of the carthaginians in spain , being brought to the worst condition they had ever been in , mago was sent into gallia , to induce menicatus and civismatus , two great men , with whom hannibal had settled an alliance , to pass into spain to their assistance . they consented without any difficulty , and of those people came by sea to carthagend , where asdrubal was providing to renew the war. gneius tho' joyful with his victories , wintered in betica , or andaluzia with great caution and vigilance . at the very beginning of the year of rome . both armies took the field , and came to a battle in andaluzia , with the same courage and resolution as before . the success was still the same , the execution greater ; for of the carthaginians , of the gauls almost the whole number , with their commanders civismarus and menicatus perished . after this fight , the romans brought their army before saguntum , and at length took it by force , the sixth year since it was taken and destroyed by the carthaginians . some of those that had been banished , and fled from thence , being still alive , they were restored to their country ; the city turdetum , which had caused all that mischief , was demolished , and laid level with the ground , their lands were given to the saguntines , and their people were sold in open market ; which was some comfort and revenge to the saguntines , for the losses they had sustained . now also came news into spain , that the city arpos in apulia , that had revolted to hannibal , was taken by the consul quintus fabius , and spaniards had deserted to the romans , which gave them no small hopes of greater advantages ; and therefore the senate ordered the two scipio's to send some spaniards of note to rome , who might induce their country-men to forsake the service of the carthaginians . winter drawing on , the carthaginians resolved against the next year to draw over to their party the celtiberi , a fierce , and warlike people , by offering them great pay ; but the two scipio's understanding their design , prevented them , by bidding more , and by way of honour permitting them to serve under the roman standards , not in distinct bodies , as was used before . moreover , to oblige all the spaniards to forsake hannibal , they sent of them to rome , who arriv'd there the beginning of the year of rome . four ships sent from rome with provisions and money , relieved their army that began to suffer want ; but their joy was much greater when they understood that hanno , sent to the relief of hannibal , with great forces from carthage , and others raised in gaul and liguria , was defeated before he could joyn him . at the same time , the city of syracusa in sicily , which after the death of hierom , and his grandson hierome , had sided with the carthaginians , after a siege , which lasted three years , was taken by marcus marcellus . in africk , syphax , king of the numidians , and confederate with the romans , had been twice routed by massinissa , whose kingdom lay between that of syphax and carthage , and who had entred into the confederacy with carthage . massinissa having no enemy left to oppose him in africk , this same summer landed at carthagena with african foot , and numidian horse . indibilis , also the brother of mandonius , had raised men among the suessetani , and was in a readiness to march and joyn them upon the first advice . some are of opinion , these suessetani , were people of that part of navarre , where now synguessa stands , on the banks of the river aragon ; a town , as appears by charters of kings , once called suessa , as is believed , from the latin word sues , because the country thereabouts , has always abounded in excellent swine . with these great supplies , the carthaginians being put in heart , were the first that took the field , and marched into the country in two bodies ; one was commanded by asdrubal barchinus , the other , by mago , massinissa , and the other asdrubal . the two scipio's having likewise received supplies from italy , and being increased by the addition of celtiberi , mov'd forward to fight that enemy they had so often defeated . gneius with the celteberi , and the third part of the roman soldiers undertook asdrubal , and to this purpose , encamp'd near the enemy , and not far from the city anatorgis , a river running betwixt the two armies . publius moved towards the other carthaginian generals , to the intent that asdrubal being defeated , ( which he questioned not ) the others might not save themselves in the neighbouring woods and forest , but be hemmed in on all sides , and all destroy'd . all this design was disappointed , for asdrubal being well acquainted with those people , easily prevail'd with the celtiberi to forsake the romans , and return home . the better to colour this treachery , a report was industriously spread abroad , that the spaniards , who sided with the carthaginians , were plundering the houses of those that follow'd the romans ; gneius having lost so great a part of his army , resolved to retire . another misfortune disappointed this his resolution ; for publius being streightned by massinissa's horse , which continually were skirmishing before his intrenchments , and fearing if indibilis joyned the enemy , he should not be able to withstand so great a force , he resolv'd upon a dangerous remedy , which was to meet indibilis , and prevent his joyning the other forces . he left a small guard in the trenches , and by night marched out to put in execution what he had designed . this was not done so secretly but the enemy having notice of it , massinissa came up with his horse at such time as the romans were engaged with the suessetani , and began to have the better , and by his unexpected arrival , putting them into confusiom , obtained a perfect victory . many were slain in the fight , and among them , publius their general , many more in the pursuit ; some few under the shelter of the night , retired to the neighbouring roman garrisons , others to the city iliturgum , and the rest to their camp. after this victory , that part of the carthaginian army joyned asdrubal ; which made gneius conclude his brother was killed , for that he being safe , the enemy durst not have joyned their bodies ; besides , a sudden sadness had seized him , which seem'd to forebode some great misfortune , and therefore he quitted his camp by night , without the least noise . morning discovering that the romans were gone , asdrubal order'd the numidian horse to pursue , and keep them in play till the body of his army could come up . gueius perceiving no prayers nor exhortations , were of force to encourage his men , resolved to gain the advantage of a hill that was near him ; which was easily performed , but the ground being hard and stony , their was no conveniency for casting up a trench . to supply this want in some measure , he caused the carriages and waggons , to be drawn up round his men ; a slight defence , but that for a while put a stop to the enemy , who admired the valour and industry of the romans failed them not , even in that desperate estate . the carthaginian generals coming up , blamed the backwardness of their men , and thus at length the poor fence being broke , they entred , and with their multitude , soon slaughtered that small number . gneius himself , having played the part of a wise general , and valiant soldier , was killed ; a person of great worth , that had governed spain several years , and was the first that by his courtesie and address , gained the affections of the natives . some few , thro' the woods escaped to publius's camp , whom they supposed to be safe , but found it was kept by titus fonteius , his lieutenant , with only a small garrison . this battle was fought near the river segura , and a town called ilorcis , supposed to be lorquin in the kingdom of murcia . the people of tarragona hold , that a tower which stands near that city , with two statues of marble on it , is the sepulcher of the two scipio's . chap. vi. lucius marcius checks the progress of the carthaginians , and gives them a great overthrow . first nero , then publius scipio comes into spain , and takes carthagena . the unfortunate end of the two scipio's , caused a great alteration , and the power of the romans in spain , had been utterly overthrown , but that the valour of marcius at first stay'd , and the courage of scipio , after raised it up again . all men forsake the unfortunate , so it hap'ned in spain , for those of castulon were the first that shut their gates upon the romans , those of iliturgum did worse , first admitting , and then murdering them ; and many other places revolted . those that were left in the camp with titus fonteius , and the others that had resorted to them , being surrounded with so many misfortunes , with all possible speed marched away , and re-passed the river ebro . lucius marcius , the son of septimius , a roman knight , a youth of much courage , who had been a tribune in gneius scipio's army , gathering a good body out of the roman garrisons , and of those who after the rout had resorted to him , joyn'd , and gave new life to those under fonteius . so great was the joy of the soldiers for his coming , that they chose him their general ; but their mirth was shortned , by reason of the news , that asdrubal having passed the river ebro , was marching to fall upon them , and mago follow'd at his heels . so great was the consternation among them at those tidings , that they gave themselves over for lost , and took no notice of marcius , who encouraged and persuaded them to re-assume their former valour , and all would succeed according to their wishes . by this time the enemy was not only in sight , but came up to their trenches , then their fear turning into despair , they ran like lions to the works , and not satisfied with repulsing their enemies , sallied out after them . the carthaginians security , as coming to a certain victory , was the life of the romans ; for being now astonished at this unexpected boldness , they turned their backs and fled . marcius would not suffer his men to pursue , for fear of some ambush , but being satisfied with that success , sounded a retreat ; at which the soldiers were so offended , they threatned they would not follow him upon another occasion . this retreat of the romans was wondred at by the carthaginians , but attributing it to fear , they encamp'd without intrenching . marcius let not slip so good an opportunity as offer'd it self , but communicating his intention to the soldiers , and biding 'em take their rest , and be in a readiness , drew them out at the fourth watch , much encouraged , because they saw a light about his head , which was receiv'd as a good omen . asdrubal's camp was but six miles from the roman's , and between them a valley cover'd with trees , where marcius left three companies of foot and some horse , as a reserve . the romans marched silently , and there being no guards upon the carthaginian camp , they were easily surpriz'd ; great was the slaughter , all the army being unarmed and asleep . few escaped , for those that thought to save themselves in the other camp , fell into the ambush , and were put to the sword. asdrubal's forces being thus destroyed , the romans with the same resolution and celerity marched against mago , who knew nothing of the disaster that had befallen the others , just at sun rising they fell in upon mago's camp , and entred it with the same ease and facility they had done the other , but the fight held till the carthaginians perceiving by the blood on the roman armour , what had hap'ned to their fellows , lost courage , and fled . in both these rencounters were killed , near taken , and a great booty . all that made this success inferiour to the former losses , was , that the carthaginian generals saved themselves by flight . marcius sent an account of this victory to the senate , where many were offended that he called himself propretor ; but promised to send corn and cloaths for the soldiers . claudius nero was appointed as soon as the war of capua was concluded , to go over into spain with foot , and horse . nero landed near tarragona , and having joyned marcius and fonteius , marched with speed towards andaluzia , in quest of asdrubal , who was incamped at a wood between illiturgum and mentisa , supposed to be montizon , or cazorla , where he possest himself of the passes , thro' which , of necessity the enemy was to retire . asdrubal had recourse to policy , and feigning he would take conditions , gained so much time , that his army by night stole away over the mountains , and the roman general too late , discovering the cheat that had been put upon him , offered the carthaginians battle , which they cautiously avoided . at the same time in rome , publius cornelius scipio , a youth of years of age , but of great hopes , was chosen to go proconsul into spain , with foot , and horse . sillanus was appointed propretor in the place of nero ; and scipio chose his brother lucius , and caius lelius for his legats , or lieutenants . this is that lelius who was thought to govern all the actions of scipio , and of whom it was commonly said , that he composed the play , and scipio acted it . he landed in spain about the end of the year ; he commended the soldiers for what they had done ; honoured marcius as he deserv'd , and ever after , made great account of him . at the beginning of the spring , in the year of rome . scipio took the field with his own , and the forces of his confederates , resolving to pass the river ebro , and possess himself of carthagena , a city opposite to africk , the strongest the enemy held , and where they kept the spanish hostages , and laid up their magazines . his design was well grounded , for , that there was but a small garrison in the town , and the carthaginian generals were at a distance , mago near cadiz , asdrubal the son of gisgo , at the mouth of guadiana , and the other asdrubal , in carpetania , or the kingdom of toledo . to lelius was given the command of the fleet , with orders , that he should steep near to the land army , which in all , consisted of foot , horse . in seven days scipio came before carthagena , and resolv'd to attack it the next day by sea and land. mago , who commanded in the town , was not idle , but provided all things for his defence . this city is seated on a rising ground , over the harbour , opposite to which , is an island , which secures it against all winds ; it is encompassed by the sea on three sides , and that which is on the land side looking towards the north , is of difficult ascent , and was fortified with a good wall. scipio's men attempted to scale this wall , but the spaniards that defended it , did not only make good their post , but sallying , obliged them to retire in disorder , till fresh supplies coming to their relief , the spaniards were forced to take to the shelter of the wall. this caused so great a consternation in the town , that many quitted their posts , and the besiegers laying hold of the opportunity , laid their ladders to the wall by sea and land. the besieged perceiving the danger that threatned them , took heart again , and throwing showers of stones , and all other weapons , again repulsed the enemy . on the west side of the town was a shallow , which the fisher-men said a man might walk over at low water . tho' the soldiers had taken no rest after the other attacks , scipio orders them to assault the wall in two places , to the end that the townsmen being all bent upon the defence of those parts , his men might enter at that third , which by reason of the water was weaker , and unregarded . his orders were punctually obeyed , and all things succeeded according to his wishes ; for the soldiers entering on that side , open'd a gate , and let in their companions . thus the romans in a moment were possess'd of the city ; and mago having no hopes of maintaining himself , delivered the citadel . the booty was great , many engines of war , colours , great ships that were in the harbour laden with provision and ammunition , and prisoners , besides slaves , were taken . all the citizens of carthagena were set at liberty , and the more to oblige them , their goods restored . part of the hostages were deliver'd to the embassadors of their cities , the rest honourably entertain'd , and among them , the wife of mandonius , and the children of indibilis . moreover , a beautiful young maid being brought to scipio by the soldiers , he would scarce see her , to avoid temptation and suspicion , but commanded , her to be taken care of , and restor'd to luceyus , a noble celtiberian , to whom she was betroth'd , giving her in dower the gold her parents offer'd for her ransom . this goodness and liberality so highly oblig'd that youth , that soon after , he return'd to serve the romans with horse , and continu'd in the service with great zeal and affection . the soldiers that first entred the town , were rewarded according to their merits ; and because there arose a dispute betwixt sextus digitius , and quintus trebellius , about the mural crown , each pretending he was the first that mounted the wall ; and the army was divided about it , the general decreed that both should have it , which gave full satisfaction to all men. to lelius was given a crown of gold , and oxen for sacrifice ; and he was sent to carry the news to rome , in a galley of five slaves to an oar , and with him , mago , and five senators of carthage . next , the walls of the city that had been damag'd were repair'd , all which being perfected , scipio at the end of the year , returned with great honour and reputation to tarragona , where he had appointed an assembly of the confederate spaniards . lelius being come to rome , laid before the senate the great advantage that had accru'd to them , by the taking of carthagena . but their satisfaction was much abated by the news brought them , that numidian horse , and other african forces were ready to be sent from carthage into spain ; besides great recruits that asdrubal barchinus was bringing into italy to reinforce hannibal , who had lately in the territory of the samnites , now part of abruzzo , routed the roman army , killing the pretor genius fulvius , and twelve tribunes , with men , as some will have it , or according to others . chap. vii . publius scipio routs asdrubal , and drives the carthaginians quite out of spain ; other notable actions of his there . cornelius lentulus , and lucius manlius succeed him , and overthrow the spaniards that had revolted . the taking of carthagena changed the face of affairs in spain , and many inclined to the roman interest ; for most men follow the greater power . among the rest , edeseus , a man of great note , came over to the romans , because they had restored his wife and children that were among the hostages . mandonius , and indibilis , princes of the celtiberi , obtain'd pardon for the late miscarriages , and were receiv'd into grace . asdrubal barchinus was quarter'd about betulon , a city supposed to be in andaluzia , where now are vbeda , and baeça . , as soon as the season of the year , which was of rome . would permit , scipio advanced from tarragona towards him ; but he having notice of it , and suspecting the courage of his men , as well as the fidelity of the spaniards that were with him ; by night mov'd his camp to an eminence , the greatest part of the foot whereof , was encompass'd by a river , supposed to be guadalquivir . upon this hill were two plains , on the lower , asdrubal planted the numidians , africans , and mallorquins ; on the upper , he encamped with the gross of the army . neither the roughness of the way , nor the steepness of the ascent deterred scipio from attacking the enemy , who had more confidence in the strength of the place , than in the courage of his men. all the difficulty was in mounting , and nothing that the enemy cast down fell in vain ; but as soon as they reached the first plain , and came to their swords , the defendants fled to the upper . the ascent thither , was more craggy than the other ; and therefore they were obliged to go about and divide the army into two parts . scipio marched towards the left , and lelius towards the right ; no sooner had they mounted , and fallen on , on both sides , but the enemy fled ; for they had neither room to draw out , nor time to place their elephants in the front , were slain , foot , and horse taken , and among them , massiva , a youth , nephew to massinissa , lately come over from africk . scipio gave him a horse , clad him richly , and sent him away without ransom , to his uncle . asdrubal having sent the money and elephants before , made no stay till he came near to the alps , where asdrubal , the son of gisgo , and mago joyn'd him . having held a consultation , it was resolv'd , that asdrubal , the son of gisgo , should go into lusitania , and massinissa with horseshould infest the province of hispaniaciterior ; but that both of them should by all means avoid coming to a battle . mago was sent to majorca to raise sling men in those islands . lastly , it was thought expedient , that asdrubal barchinus should march into italy , as well in obedience to the commands of the senate , as to secure the spanish soldiers that began to be inclinable to the romans , by removing them so far from home . thus the cartbaginians ; on the other side , scipio , because the summer was almost spent , returned to tarragona thro' the woods of castulon , and part of sierra morena , where he spent all the next year , which was . without doing any thing remarkable , the forces of the carthaginians being much broken . from carthage , instead of asdrubal barchinus , came hanno to govern spain ; by the way , he took up mago in the island of majorca , and landed in spain in the year of rome . and immediately went to raise men among the celtiberi . scipio sent syllanus against him , who coming to a battle , first routed mago , and then took hanno , who was marching to relieve him . next , scipio resolved to move towards asdrubal the son of gisgo , who was encamp'd near cadiz ; but he having notice of it , divided his forces among the garrisons , despairing of being able to keep the field . this news coming to scipio , he turned back , only sent his brother lucius to take oringe , a city of the milessi . pliny places oringe , in the province of betica , near where jaen now stands . this enterprize was succesful , for the town was entred by storm , all the carthaginians , and of the townsmen that shut the gates against the romans , were made slaves , the rest were set free , and their goods restored to them . winter drawing on , the army was sent into quarters , and lucius to rome , with hanno and other prisoners , where he gave an account of what had been done in spain . the year following which was the of rome , asdrubal the son of gisgo , gathered a mighty army which with the auxiliary spaniards amounted to foot , and horse , and incamp'd in the province betica , or andaluzia , near the city of silia , scipio having intelligence hereof , took only spanish foot , and horse , being warned by the fate of father and unkle not to place much confidence in them ; with these auxiliaries , and the romans legions , he marched towards asdrubal . some day swere spent in skirmishes , and then both armies drew out in order of battle , but neither car'd to give the first stroke . between the two armies was a valley , and each expected the other should pass it first , to keep the advantage of ground on which they stood ; at length scipio adventured early one morning to attack the enemy in their camp. asdrubal surpriz'd at this unexpected boldness , plac'd his horse in front to check the adverse cavalry that gave the first charge ; whilst he drew the rest of the army into the field . the horse stood to it so couragiously , that the fight a for long time was doubtful , scipio withdrew back his cavalry into the center of his battle , and stretched out and advanced the wings in which the roman legions fought . thus before the main bodies joyn'd , he made the enemies wings give way , as being compos'd of mallorquins , and spaniards , both raw and unexperienced soldiers , and that came out fasting , whereas the romans were better provided ; tho' the enemy at first retired in order and after fled outright ; yet the romans could not enter their camp by reason of some rain that fell . asdrubal terrify'd with this misfortune , and fearing least all his allies should desert him , as some had already done , the following night quitted his camp , designing to get away by long marches . but in the morning scipio perceiving he was gone , sent the horse to fall upon his rear , and keep them in play till the legions coming up , put them all to the rout ; great was the slaughter this day , for of all that vast army scarce escaped with their general , who climbed a very craggy mountain , a place naturally strong . hence asdrubal stole away privately to cadiz , and scipio with part of his army return'd to tarragona , leaving syllanus with the rest to besiege them on the hill . among the carthaginians was massinissa who perceiving the affairs of carthage totally declin'd , resolv'd to side with fortune , and accordingly had a private interview with syllanus , in order to come over to the romans , which is all that was remarkable in that siege ; this happen'd in the beginning of summer , and so ended the power of the carthaginians in spain , which then fell into the hands of the romans , in the th year after hannibal destroy'd saguntum , and the th after scipio , took upon him the government of spain . this tedious and dangerous war in spain , being in a manner brought to a conclusion , scipio bent his designs against africk , and carthage , and in order to them , treated with massinissa , and sent him over into africk , to dispose his people to leave the friendship of the carthaginians . this done he sent lelius to treat with syphax king of the masessali in africk , who refusing to harken to any proposals , unless made by the roman general himself , scipio went over himself to his city , then call'd siga , suppos'd to be now aresgol , because pliny says , it was opposite to malaga . asdrubal came at the same time to secure the friendship of that king ; who made some overtures of peace betwixt those two powerful enemies ; but scipio saying , he had no instructions concerning that affair , that project took no effect , and yet he compass'd what he came for , which was to gain the friendship of that king. no sooner was scipio return'd into spain , but he possessed himself of illiturgum , and castulon , cities that had held out for the carthaginians , rather because they despair'd of pardon , than for any affection ; illiturgum was destroy'd , castulon was spar'd because least guilty , and also for that it submitted . after this marcius was order'd to subdue some other places , and scipio went to carthagena , to celebrate the funeral rites , of his father and unkle ; which were perform'd with great pomp , and several sorts of sports ; particularly gladiators . among the rest that fought were two brothers call'd corbis , and orsua , who were at variance about the sovereignty of the city iba , the younger of them , who confiding in his great strength , had refus'd to stand to judgment , was kill'd ; many cities submitted themselves to marcius , only astapa having highly provok'd the romans , and despairing of pardon , endur'd a tedious siege , in which many of them perished , as also in a battle they ventured to fight in open field ; at length there being no possibility of holding out , or hope of relief , they slew their wives and children , burnt all their goods in the market-place , and then kill'd themselves . the ruins of this city are still to be seen on the banks of the river xenil , not far from ecija , and antequera . lelius , and marcius were sent to cadiz , in hopes they might make themselves masters of that island , by means of intelligence they held with certain out-laws belonging to it , but were disappointed , mago having discover'd the contrivance , and taken the necessary measures to prevent it . it happen'd also that scipio fell dangerously ill , which gave occasion to many to think of raising commotions . particularly mandonius , and indibilis , revolted . it grieved them to be disappointed of their hopes , hauing flattered themselves with the thoughts of becoming sovereigns of all spain , if the carthaginians were expelled . moreover romans , that were quartered along the river xucar , mutinied for their pay. mago thinking he might make his advantage of these troubles , writ to the senate of carthage , desiring they would send him considerable supplies . all these designs were disappointed by the recovery of scipio . the mutinous soldiers having receiv'd a promise of pardon , and their pay , went to carthagena , where they were severally reproved by scipio , and only the heads of the mutiny punish'd , mandonius , and indibilis , being among the illergetes , were defeated and forced out of their intrenchments , the fight lasted two days , yet after all , upon their submission were admitted to grace , only a mulct laid upon them , to pay the soldiers . massinissa was now again return'd out of africk , to cadiz , with a good number of numidian horse , having not yet declared for the romans . scipio sent marcius before , and design'd to follow thither in person , which massinissa understanding , he came over to the continent upon pretence of making an inroad , but in reality to treat with scipio ; where he settled that friendship which lasted as long as his life , mago despairing of any success in spain , by order of the senate , shipped all the gold and silver , belonging to the publick , and to private persons , and sailed with it for carthage . by the way , he fell upon the mallorquins , because they had revolted to the romans , and easily made himself master of minorca , whence he sent sling men , and autumn being passed , stayed to winter there . cadiz was delivered up to scipio , who about the same time founded italica , a roman colony , in a place called before sancii , afterwards the country of three emperors , trajan , adrian , and theodosius the great . this done , he returned to rome in a fleet of ten sail , after he had governed spain five years . the senate receiv'd him in the temple of bellona ; and tho' his actions had deserv'd it , they granted him not the honour of a triumph , because till then it had not been allow'd to any proconsul . scipio being gone , the following year , which was of rome , mandonius and indibilis , either to deliver their country from a foreign yoke , or in hopes to make themselves kings , revolted again . at first the war was carried on , not only among the illergetes , where their dominion was , but among the ausetani , that is , the country about vique , and then passed on to the neighbouring parts , and the sedetani , as livy says ; i rather believe it was the ceretani , that reach to the pyreneans . those that had taken arms amounted to foot , and horse . lucius cornelius lentulus , and lucius manlius acidinus , who had succeeded scipio , as proconsuls , marched against them . they came to a battle in which of the mutineers were kill'd , the rest fled to the woods and mountains . indibilis was slain in the fight , mandonius deliver'd up , by his men , to purchase their own pardon , because the proconsuls had declared , they would not hearken to peace till the authors of the revolt were given up . the next year , which was of rome . the spaniards were quiet , being spent , and worn out , with so many years war. but the foregoing year at rome , publius cornelius scipio , and p. licinius crassus , were chosen consuls . scipio had sicily for his province , with power , if he thought it convenient , to pass over into africk ; which he did , with a powerful army and fleet. there he first overthrew hanno the son of hamilcar ; but made no other great progress that year . in the beginning of the next , being strengthned with recruits out of italy , he twice routed asdrubal and syphax , killing of their men. to conclude , hannibal himself being call'd out of italy , to defend his own country , was defeated and drove out of africk ; whereupon ensu'd a peace betwixt those two mighty contending nations ; much to the honour of the romans , and dishonourable to the carthaginians . thus ended the second punick war , in the year of rome . scipio triumphed at rome , and had the title of africanus confer'd on him . this succinct relation may suffice of things so remote . chap. viii . the spaniards revolting are again subdu'd by the romans . cato being consul comes into spain . several pretors succeed . their government and actions . nothing of note happen'd in spain till the year . when l. cornelius lentulus , being gone to rome , c. cornelius cethegus succeeded him as colleague to l. manlius accidinus . the spaniards now at length , to their great grief perceived , that the war the romans had undertaken , was not upon account of restoring them to their liberty , but of enlarging their own empire . this gave them occasion to conspire , and take up arms among the ceretani , but cethegus coming upon them with speed , slew , and so quelled that commotion . the following year cornelius lentulus , and l. stertinius , were sent to govern spain , in the place of cethegus and acidinus . this and the following year there was no action of note in spain , only that by order of the senate , spain was divided into two provinces , or governments , and distinguished by the names of citerior and vlterior ; the latter comprehending lusitania and betica , or portugal and andaluzia , and the former , all the other part to the pyrenean hills . in the year of rome . gneius sempronius tuditanus , obtain'd the government of hispania citerior , and m. helvius of the vlterior ; against whom the spaniards took up arms in several parts . the chief heads of this revolt were colca and luscinon ; and the motive that encourag'd them to it was the dismissing of the old souldiers , whereby they thought the roman forces so weakned , as not to be in a condition to withstand them . acidinus adventuring to fight with part of them was defeated , and receiv'd some wounds , of which soon after he dyed . this disaster being known at rome , put the senate into much fear , least it might produce a dangerous war ; the forces of spain being united . therefore in the year . they sent q. fabius buteo into hispania vlterior , and q. minucius thermus into the citerior ; but these during the year of their government , did nothing remarkable , save that thermus cut off spaniards near the city turba . this nothing abated the senates care , and therefore they order'd , that the succeeding consuls should cast lots for the government of spain , and the let fell upon m. porcius cato , who accordingly sailed thither in the year . with two legions and twenty five galleys . he was the first consul sent into spain , and nevertheless it was order'd , that publius manlius should command in hispania citerior , and appius claudius nero in the vlterior , with the title of pretors . cato landed near roses , whence he drove the spanish garison , and then went on to ampurias . that part of the city which the greeks inhabited received him with joy , but this was the lesser , as not above paces in circumference , whereas the other in which were the spaniards , divided from it by a wall , was three miles round . there was only one gate in this wall , which the third part of the greeks always guarded , and by that means preserv'd their liberty till the coming of the romans . the spaniards abhor'd the power of the romans , and relying on their multitude , and hope of speedy relief , resolv'd to stand it out . cato as soon as he encamped before the city , dismissed all the commissaries of provisions , and sent the galleys away to marseilles , thereby to oblige the souldiers to live upon the spoil of the country , and take away all hopes of a retreat . at the same time helvius came out of hispania vlterior , to attend the consul , and by the way , recovered iliturgum , which had revolted , and overcame a great body of celtiberi that came upon him ; both which actions he perform'd with only the guard of souldiers his successor nero had given him for the security of his person . beligastes , a powerful man among the ilergetes sent embassadors to the consul , begging assistance against the revolted spaniards , by whom , he was much streightned , only for his fidelity to the romans , and showed that . men would be a sufficient relief . cato excus'd himself to the embassadors , representing the small number of his forces , and great power of the enemies that was advancing to relieve ampurias , which he besieg'd ; withal incouraging them to hold out couragiously for some time and their reward should be the greater . at this answer the embassadors fell down before him , begging he would not forsake the friends and allies of rome in so pressing a necessity . cato mov'd at their intreaty , and considering , that in war policy often goes as far as strength , promis'd the embassadors the relief they demanded should be sent next day ; and the more to perswade them , caus'd the third part of his men to be shipp'd in their sight , ordering them to go before to carry the news , and thereby encourage their people . no sooner were the embassadors gone , but he unships his men , being resolv'd to give the spaniards battle , who were come in sight of the city . to this effect , at the third watch of the night , he caused all his army to march , and come upon the back of the enemies intrenchments , which were vigorously , attacked by three cohorts by break of day . the spaniards , tho' surpriz'd that the romans , who the day before fronted them , should fall now upon their rear , furiously fell on them without any order . nevertheless , their charge was so violent , that they broke the roman horse , and put the foot into some confusion , but they soon rallying , checked this fury of the enemy . for some time the success was dubious , till the reserve of the legions coming on fresh , made the spaniards at first give way easily , and then to fly outright to their works ; of them , are said to have been slain . after the romans had taken some rest , they went out , ravaged all the country about ampurias , which moved the citizens , having now no hopes of relief , to surrender . cato treated them courteously , and dismissed the garrison without any ransom . all the country from thence to the river ebro , being secured by this success , the consul departed for tarragona ; but the bergistani laying hold of this opportunity , revolted , and were as soon subdued , and still offering to mutiny , they were all sold as slaves ; a severe punishment , but necessary example to terrifie others . some place the bergistani near the city tiruel ; others , near huesca , where now is a town called bergua . cato designing to march towards the turdetani , a people of andaluzia , ( as has been said ) who , after they had been defeated by manlius and nero , intended to renew the war , with the assistance of the celtiberi , to secure the province behind him ; he resolved to disarm all the people beyond ebro . this was so grievous to many of them , that they slew themselves rather than deliver their weapons ; whereupon , the consul altering his resolution , sent his orders to all parts , for demolishing the walls of towns , which was put in execution ; and at the same time , news was brought , that manlius the pretor , had appeased the commotions among the turdetani . hereupon , the consul marched up the country , and having passed the river ebro , stopped not till he came before segoncia , now siguença , where the celtiberi confiding in the strength of the place , had laid up all their riches . the booty was great , but there being little hopes of taking the town ; he marched on to numantia , as appears by aulus gellius . nothing of note was done in those parts . about the pyreneans , the ceretani , ausetani , and suessetani , submitted themselves ; the lacetani , who lay farther off , were also brought under . thus all things being quieted in spain , the roman revenues increased by the improvement of the gold and silver mines ; and new pretors coming from rome , cato returned thither , and was received in triumph , in which , he carried pound of silver , and pounds of gold. to each foot soldier , he gave seven asses , and three times the sum to the horse . after this , as long as he lived , he took spain into his protection , and defended it against all wrongs . after this , many pretors came from rome to govern spain . the first were lucius digicius , for hispania citerior , famous for the mural crown he gained at carthagena ; and publius scipio nasica , the son of gneius , adjudged by the senate , the holiest man in rome . these , were succeeded by manius fulvius nobilior , who took toledo , then a small , but a strong town ; and caius flaminius . this flaminius was continued , and instead of fulvius , came l. aemilius lepidus , afterwards called macedonicus , for overcoming perseus king of macedon . next came l. paulus hypseus into hispania citerior , and l. bebius dives into the vlterior ; but the latter being killed in liguria , pub. junius brutus was sent in his place . lucius manlius acidinus governed hispania citerior the space of two years following , and caius catinius , the vlterior ; during which time nothing of note hap'ned . caius calpurnius piso , and lucius quintius crispinus , succeeded them in the year . which same year , catinius was killed in a battle in lusitania before his successor arrived . two years after , aulus terentius varro took upon him the government of the province citerior , and paulus sempronius longus , of the vlterior . publius manlius , he that was pretor in the time of cato , succeeded the former of those two , and q. fulvius flaccus the latter . this flaccus overthrew a great multitude of the celtiberi , in a battle fought near a town called ebura , which i believe ptolemy calls libura , and is now talavera . these pretors governed spain two years , and then came in the stead of the first , l. posthumius albinus , and of the other , tib. sempronius gracchus . by the valour of this gracchus , many victories were obtained , and numantia became confederate with rome , as plutarch tells us . besides , he either built , or beautified the city , of him called gracchurris , near numantia , where now agreda stands . there is a coin to be seen in spain with the name of gracchiorris and albinus , both together . in the year . m. titinius curvus , was chosen pretor of hispania citerior , and quintus fonteius of the vlterior . they continued three years , and it is not known what pretors succeeded them ; but we have an account that in the year . appius claudius centho , had the honour called ovatio granted him , for a victory obtained over the celtiberi . in the year . came servilius cepio to the province citerior , and furius philo to the vlterior . their successors were m. marcienus , and gneius fabius buteo . but because buteo died by the way at marseilles , furius continued his command , till in the year . spurius lucretius was sent to succeed him , and marcus junius the other . after this , the two provinces were again incorporated , and the government of all spain committed to lucius canuleyus , as pretor . before he set out of rome , he was constituted judge between the spanish embassadors , and the former pretors , who were accused of receiving bribes , and defrauding the country . the pretors were cleared , because the roman senators used great severity towards others , but winked at faults among themselves , to the great dissatisfaction of the people , and loss of their own reputation . however , to please the natives , it was granted , that the roman governours should not sell corn at rates set by themselves ; and that the spaniards should not be obliged to farm the imposition ( called vicesima ) at the pretor's will ; and that there should be no farmers of the revenue , but that the care of receiving and improving it , should be committed to the corporations . another embassy was sent from spain , to know what should be done with the bastards , called hybridae , that were the sons of roman soldiers , and spanish mothers , desiring lands might be assigned them . it was agreed to by the senate , that lands should be given to those whom canuleyus the pretor thought fit to deliver out of slavery ; for they were sold as slaves , and that he should carry them to carteia , and that it should be deemed a roman colony , which was the first in spain , and called colonia libertinorum . canuleyus having governed two years , marcus marcellus succeeded him in the year . strabo says , he was the founder of cordova ; but silius italicus , makes mention of it in the time of hannibal ; whence it may be concluded , he only inlarged and beautified it , giving it the name and title of a roman free-town . fonteius balbus succeeded marcellus . after him spain was again divided into two provinces , and so governed by gneius fulvius and c. licinius nerva , in the time of judas the machabee , that most renowned general of the jews , who settled friendship with the romans . thus i will conclude the account of the pretors , which would not be pleasing , if continued ; nor is it easie to perform , or proper to fill up the breaches of the spanish history with the grandeur of the roman . the end of book ii. the history of spain . the third book . chap. i. the first war of numantia , and peace concluded with that city . the war in lusitania , and other parts , and treachery of the pretor sergius galba . in the year of rome . were sown the seeds of a lasting and bloody war in spain , which for a long time was carried on with various success , and at last proved fatal to the spaniards . the first beginners of this war , were the inhabitants of numantia , a fierce and warlike people , grown weary of the roman yoke , and provok'd by the wrongs they sustain'd . the city numantia , once the terror of rome , and glory of spain , was seated on the utmost northern border of celtiberia , among the arevaci , a league above soria , on the ground where now is the bridge of garay , not far from the springs of the river duero , where some footsteps of it are still to be seen . it was stronger by nature than art , being built on a hill not steep , but difficult of access , by reason or the mountains that encompass it on three sides . on the south side , is a beautiful and fertile plain , which runs along the banks of the river tera for the space of three leagues , till it mixes with the river duero . after the manner of the lacedaemonians , it was neither girt with a wall , nor strengthened with bulwarks or towers but for the conveniency of cattle grazing , it stretched out farther than was convenient to encompass with a wall. however , there was a fort , or citadel , capable of opposing any enemy , where , in time of war , they used to secure all their riches . the number of the citizens was small , not exceeding men fit to bear arms ; others double this number . their manner of life being constantly inured to labour , made them hardy and bold ; they were couragious in undertaking a war , and prudent in managing of it . sempronius gracchus , when he govern'd spain , made peace with the numantians , and other neighbouring people , upon these articles , that they should neither found , nor fortifie only towns , or erect forts without consent of the people of rome ; that they should pay their tribute at such time , and place as should be appointed , and that they should repair to the roman standard whensoever call'd upon . among the arevaci , was also another city , call'd segeda , furlongs in compass . appianus places it in the extremity of celtiberia , among the beli ; perhaps , where is now the city osma . this city , and the neighbouring places , privately made a league , and began to fortifie and provide themselves for war , having received commands from the roman senate to desist from those preparations , to pay their tribute , and repair to the roman camp ; they still delay'd time upon several pretences , and framing excuses . hence sprang that war in which numantia , as being near , and allied to them , was also involved ; and the romans fearing , unless speedily remedy'd , that evil might grow to a greater head , had immediately recourse to arms. at the same time , the war was carried on against the romans , in lusitania , by cesaro , who , by the consent of the people , had taken upon him to restore them to their liberty , and was successor to another commander called africanus , that was killed with a stone at the siege of a town . these commotions were looked upon at rome to be of such dangerous consequence , that after lucius mummius had been appointed pretor of hispania vlterior , it was thought fit to send one of the consuls with a consular army to the war against the celtiberi . and , whereas the consuls used to be chosen in december , and enter upon their command in march , it was now anticipated , and they commenced from the first of january , which was afterwards continued . into spain , was sent the consul q. fulvius nobilior , with considerable forces . the segedani knowing all these preparations tended to their ruin , sent their wives and children to the arevaci , and chose for their commander one carus , a man of great experience in warlike affairs . this man thinking to perform some remarkable act whereby he might at first gain reputation , laid an ambush for the consul , who was marching with men. his design succeeded so far , that he slew of the enemy , and put the rest to flight ; but pursuing his victory too far , the roman horse , who were in the rear , came up , killed him , and made great havock among his men. this battle was fought on the th of august , on the day the romans celebrate the feast of vulcan , called vulcanalia . so great was the dread conceived on both sides , that for several days they avoided meeting one another . on the same night , the arevaci met at numantia , which was near the field of battle ; and there instead of carus , chose haraco and leucon for their leaders ; the numantians named one lintheus to command them . three days after the fight , the consul encamped within four miles of numantia . in his army , besides the other forces , were elephants , and numidian horse , sent not long before by massinissa out of africk . he provok'd the enemy , and they again resolved to try their fortune ; in the heat of the battle the romans opening their ranks , the elephants advanced thro' , which struck such terror into the celtiberi and their horses , that they fled into the city . the romans pursuing close , thought to have entred with them , and had done it , but that an elephant being wounded on the head with a stone , grew enraged , and turned back upon his own men , which the other elephants seeing , did the like , disordering the roman battle , and killing all that stood in their way . at the same time the numantians laying hold of this opportunity , rallied , and drove the romans into their camp. of the latter , were killed in two engagements ; of the former , . not far off was a city called axenia , a place much frequented by merchants . after the battle , the consul thought to have possessed himself of that city , but was repulsed with great loss and shame . upon the news of these defeats , the city ocile , where the romans laid up magazines , and left their baggage , revolted to the celtiberi . the consul terrified hereat , and fearing , left other places might follow the example , fortifi'd his camp near numantia , and wintered there with great loss of men , thro' the violent cold , and want of provisions . this was what happened in hispania citerior . in the vlterior , at the same time , mummius waged war with the lusitani ; at first with various event , but in the conclusion with success . in the first fight the romans pursuing the enemy too violently , gave an opportunity to cesaro to rally , and wrest the victory out of their hands . of the romans were slain , their camp taken ; and the lusitanians shewed their booty in all parts , as trophies of their valour . success made them negligent , and mummius , who was retired with about men , taking the advantage , fell upon them as they were celebrating feasts for joy of their victory , easily put them to the rout , and recovered several colours he had lost before . cesaro it seems , died in this rencounter ; for in his stead was chose cantheneus , who took cunistorgis , a city belonging to the romans , among the cunii , in that part of andaluzia , where now niebla stands ; thence he marched to cadiz , and so with part of the army over into africk . that part which remained , was in several battles weakned by mummius , and at last , a body of them cut off so entirely , there was not one left to carry home the news . thus the lusitani were subdu'd , and brought under command ; for which , the year following , . mummius obtain'd a triumph at rome . m. claudius marcellus was sent with foot , and horse to succeed fulvius . the government of hispania vlterior , was given to marcus atilius . the first thing marcellus undertook , was to reduce the city ocile , which having compassed , tho' their crime was great , he would not destroy it , but caused them to give hostages , and pay talents for the charge of the war. not far from thence was nertobriga , as may be guesed by ptolemy , little distant from tarragona , and calatayud . embassadors came fromt hence , offering up the town to the consul , he ordered them to send him horse . afterwards , because some few of them fell upon the baggage in the rear of his army ; he would admit of no excuse , but sold their horse-men , destroyed the country , and laid siege to the city . they again sent embassadors , excusing themselves , shewing they had been sufficiently punished , and praying they might not be forced to desperate courses . still the consul persited he would not hearken to peace , unless the arauci , beli , and tithii , who had began those commotions , entred into the treaty . those people were willing to make peace , provided , it were upon the same articles they had made with gracchus . marcellus , would comply ; but the roman allies withstood it , saying , it was not reasonable those who had done so much harm , should be admitted to the same articles they had made before the offence committed . hereupon , the consul being doubtful what course to take , agreed both parties should send embassadors to rome to treat of their affairs , and the mean while granted a truce . fulvius nobilior being then at rome , opposed the embassadors of those that had revolted , exaggerating their perfidiousness , and the harm they had done to the romans . so they were sent back without concluding any thing , and were again referred to marcellus for an answer , which cut off all hopes of any accommodation . about the same time , marcus atilius in hispania vlterior , subdu'd the lusitani , and had many towns surrendred to him . the following year sergius galba was sent to succeed atilins , and the consul l. licinius lucullus in stead of marcellus ; with him came as legate , or lieutenant , pub. corn. scipio , called the lesser , who afterwards , destroyed carthage . before lucullus's arrival , marcellus ambitious of the honour of ending that war , drew his men out of their winter-quarters . nertobriga to provide against this storm , took arevaci within the walls . numantia made no less preparation , against which , as the head of the war , marcellus being bent , he march'd and encamp'd within five miles of it . nevertheless , at the instance of lintheus , the peace was concluded , upon condition the numantians should forsake the beli , the tithii , and arevaci . the design of the consul , was , that those people being thus forsaken , should be obliged to submit , which accordingly fell out , and they were all received into grace , giving hostages , and paying talents , as strabo tells us . lucullus came into his province with a desire and resolution of making spoil ; but finding the war of celtiberia was at an end , he marched towards the carpetani , thence he passed tagus , and came to the vacei , now , part of old castile , where he designed to attack the city caucia , now coca . to justifie this war , he pretended , it was upon account of wrongs done to the celtiberi by those people ; but in truth , it was avarice that mov'd him , being a man of a small fortune . the inhabitants of coca met him in open field , but were overcome , and drove into the town ; hereupon , they surrendred , delivered hostages , were obliged to furnish a certain number of horse , and to pay talents of silver . upon these conditions they admitted the garrison that was appointed by the consul , to enter the city , which was no sooner within , but the signal being given with a trumpet , all the inhabitants were put to the sword , without sparing sex or age. an inhumane barbarity , which mov'd all the neighbouring people , no longer relying on the strength of their walls , or the roman faith , to fly with their families and goods into the woods and mountains , burning all they could not carry with them . lucullus , whom poverty made covetous , and avarice , cruel , despairing of having any share in those treasures , marched to besiege the city intercasia , which was formerly about the midway betwixt valladolid and astorga . first he summoned the town , but they answered , in case they should surrender , he would keep his word with them , as he had done at coca . then he drew out his army to provoke them to a battle , which they refused , resolving to make good their works . some few sallies they made , but nothing of note hap'ned , only that scipio overcame a mighty spaniard that challenged all the romans , when no other durst encounter him . in the army there was great scarcity of provisions ; so that the soldiers fed upon boil'd wheat and barly , which , together with the thinness of the water , caused many to fall sick of the flux . yet still the hope of taking the town , made 'em hold out . having cut wood , and made engines , they cast down a great part of the wall , and adventuring to give an assault , in which scipio first mounted the breach , and gain'd a mural crown ; they were repuls'd , and fled in such confusion , that many were drown'd in a lake that was hard by . at night the besieg'd repair'd the breach , and the consul had been forc'd to raise the siege , but that hunger oblig'd the townsmen to surrender . the conditions were tolerable , that the besieg'd should furnish coats , a number of beasts for carriage , and give hostages . no money was demanded because they had none , as being a mountain people , that only minded tillage and cattle . hence the consul marched to palencia , but could not enter it . some authors say , that from old castile he traversed all andaluzia , as far as cadiz ; where was presented to him a monstrous head of a fish . sergius galba , who as was said , commanded in hispania vlterior , was not idle , but oppos'd the lusitani , who made inroads into andaluzia , and infested the confederates of the romans . he adventuring to fight the enemy when his men were tir'd , was put to the rout ; lost men , and was forc'd , with the rest , to fly to carmena , as appianus calls it , i rather believe it to be carmona , then the strongest town in those parts . here he winter'd , using all possible diligence to recruit his forces , and raise new supplies . in the spring , being desirous of revenge , he broke into lusitania , plundering , burning , and destroying , all that came in his way . the people mov'd by these losses , sent embassadors to him ; he excused what they had done , saying , it was the barrenness of their country oblig'd them to intrude upon their neighbours , in consideration whereof , he would assign them better lands to inhabit . he appointed them a day to come to him in three bodies ; which they , suspecting no falshood or treachery , readily obeyed . but the pretor was so far from keeping his word , that he put them all to the sword , a cruel butchery and barbarous deceit . part of the booty was given to the souldiers , the rest the general kept to himself ; by which means it is believed , he became the richest citizen in rome . chap. ii. viriatus his original and actions against the romans . the government of several roman generals , and among them of metellus and pompey , and death of viriatus . this cruelty of galba instead of terrifying , so far incensed the people against the romans , that it occasion'd the war of viriatus , which lasted fourteen years , during which time the romans sustain'd many and very great losses . viriatus was a native lusitania , of mean parentage , as being in his youth a shepheard . leaving that course of life he fell to robbing , and having by degrees got together a good number of men , made excursions into the neighbouring country subject to the romans , about the mouth of the river guadiana . marcus vitellius , succeeded galba , in his command the year of rome . his first care was in time to suppress viriatus , who leaving lusitania pass'd the streight of cadiz , and kept himself in the fastnesses resolving not to come to a battle . on the other side the pretor , having beset those places , so streightned the mutiniers , that they began underhand to treat of submitting . vitellius willingly gave ear to them , but viriatus understanding what was in hand , disswaded his men , and having brought them to his beck , drew out as if he intended to fight . he plac'd his cavalry in the front , while the foot stole away thro' the woods , and then they all made to tribola , a city where viriatus hoped to make good his ground , and protract the war. the romans pursuing , near the city he laid an ambush , where of them were killed together with the pretor , the rest fled to tarifa , whence offering again to hazard a battle , with the assistance of the celtiberi , they were all cut off . in the year . caius plaucius succeeded vitellius , as pretor of hispania ulterior . at the time of his coming , viriatus ravag'd the lands of the turdetani , and carpetani . as soon as the romans came in sight , he made show of flying , and they pursuing him without order , he fac'd , and cut off of the foremost . the pretor rather mov'd by desire of revenge , than any hope of victory , still follow'd the enemy , as far as the mountain of venus , whither viriatus after passing the river tagus , was retir'd . here again they engag'd , and no less number of the romans was slain than before , which so terrifi'd the pretor , that tho' it was the midst of summer , he shut himself up within the strong towns , as if it had been in the dead of winter . this battle , is by some believ'd , to have been fought in lusitania , near the city ebora , by reason of a tomb preserv'd there to this day , with a latin inscription , to this effect . i lucius silo sabinus , being struck thro' with many darts and arrows , in the war against viriatus , in the territory of ebora , in the province of lusitania , and carry'd off upon the soldiers shoulders , ordered caius plaucius the pretor , to build this tomb , at my cost , and therein , would i have no other laid , whether free , or a slave . if the contrary should happen , i desire the bones of any other to be taken out of my tomb , if my country be free . this is the ancientest roman inscription to be found in spain . mean while , galba was impeach'd at rome , for his perfidiousness towards the lusitanians , and being the cause of all the misfortunes that had befallen the romans upon that account ; but the great riches he had gather'd in that province , brought him off , tho' cato , and scribonius the tribune , accus'd him . after this , in the year . claudius vnimdnus was sent from rome , to the war against viriatus , and was by him vanquish'd , himself slain , great part of his army slaughter'd , and the fasces , which were ensigns of his dignity , set up as trophies on the mountains of lusitania . this battle was fought near the town of vrique , in portugal , as appears by a stone there , which is one of the most notable roman monuments in spain ; and andrew requesendius in his antiquities of portugal , makes mention of it , the inscription it bears , only supplying the defect of a few letters , is as follows . i caius minucius , son to caius lemonia lubatus , tribune of the legion decima gemina , whom the general claudius unimanus , left for dead , because senseless with my wounds , being preserv'd by the care of ebutius , a lusitanian soldier , and dress'd , liv'd some days , and died with sorrow , for not gratifying after the roman manner , him that had well deserv'd it . the following year , which was . caius nigidius pretor , was sent in stead of him that was kill'd . he fought with viriatus near the city viseo , in lusitania , or portugal , and with the like success to the former . after nigidius , c. lelius , sirnam'd , the wise , came into spain , and was the first that broke the forces of viriatus , being a man that rely'd more on policy , than open force , and hereby obtain'd great renown . in the year . q. fabius maximus aemilianus , being consul , came into spain , and the senate , there being a scarcity of old soldiers , made new levies , and raised foot , and horse . these forces landed at orsuna , supposed to be ossuna in andaluzia . here the consul kept his army for some time , the better to train and exercise his new soldiers . he himself in the mean time went to cadiz , to offer sacrifice , and make his vows in the temple of hercules . on the other side , viriatus having intelligence of the preparations made by the romans , resolv'd to meet them . his coming was unexpected , so he surpriz'd , and slew the roman foragers , and their guards . the consul being return'd from cadiz , notwithstanding , viriatus offer'd him battle , for some days refus'd it , only skirmishing , to try his men , and show them the enemy was to be overcome . at length , he drew out , and in a pitch'd battle put viriatus to flight . winter then drawing on , the roman army march'd to cordova , where they winter'd ; but viriatus took up in the mountains , his men being more hardy , and inur'd to the cold . thence he sent to all parts for succours , but particularly , to the arevaci , beli , and tithii , exhorting them to take up arms for their own liberty , and the publick good. those people willingly gave ear to these propositions , which gave occasion to the second war of numantia ; as shall be related , when we have done with viriatus . lucius hostilius mancinus was consul with this aemilianus , of whom , we have now spoken , and he might be believ'd to have come into spain , and there to have overcome the people of galicia , if credit could be given to the inscriptions of anconitanus , which , he brings to this purpose . others may judge of the credit that is due to him ; but by some learned men , he is look'd upon , as no better than a meer inventor of ill contriv'd fables , and lyes . at rome in the year . the two consuls servilius sulpicius galba , and l. aurelius cotta , contended for the government of spain , the senate could not agree about it ; and scipio being ask'd which of them he thought fittest , answer'd , neither , for the one has nothing , the other never has enough . hereby shewing , that neither a poor , nor a covetous man is fit to govern. whereupon the pretor popilius was sent . to him , pliny says , viriatus delivered the towns that were in his possession ; which , if so , is a sign he was much streightned by him . after popilius , in the year . the consul q. cecilius metellus , sirnam'd , macedonicus , came to govern hispania citerior , in order to quiet the celtiberi , who , at the instigation of viriatus , were raising commotions . there is an account of one quintius , who prosecuted the war against viriatus , but whether as pretor , or by commission from the consul , does not appear . certain it is , that this quintius , at the foot of mount venus , near ebora , in portugal , gave viriatus a great overthrow ; but he gathering his forces , returned upon him with such vigour , that the victors having receiv'd much damage , tho' it was the middle of autumn , were glad to retire to cordova , as if it had been winter , where they fortified themselves , without taking any care of the spaniards their confederates , or the other romans , who were in weak garrisons , and left exposed to eminent danger . metellus subdu'd the celtiberi . pliny says he overcame the arevaci ; nevertheless , he was continued in his command the year . and the consul q. fabius servilius , was sent against viriatus with foot , and horse . besides those forces micipsa the son of massinissa sent him elephants , and horse out of africk . notwithstanding all this mighty army joyn'd to what was before under the roman pay , viriatus who lay hid in the mountains of andaluzia , with frequent excursions did great damage , and obtain'd many advantages , till the romans remov'd their camp to vtica , formerly a city of andaluzia . then viriatus for want of provisions , retir'd with his army into lusitania . the consul being rid of that danger , marched to the cunei , where he overcame two captains of robbers , call'd curio , and apuleyus , and carried some towns by force that were held for viriatus , with strong garrisons . a great booty was taken , and a multitude of prisoners , whereof , that were found most guilty , he put to death , more were sold as slaves . metellus at the same time gain'd much honour by entirely reducing the celtiberi , and taking the famous cities contrebia , versobriga , and centobriga . then hearing that the consul quintus pompeius was appointed to succeed him , he was so offended at it , that to weaken his forces , he dismissed the soldiers , neglected the magazines , and starved the elephants ; for which reason , the triumph he had otherwise well deserv'd , was refus'd him at rome . q. pompeius came to spain in the year . servilianus was continu'd by order of the senate , in his command , where he receiv'd into favour canoba , a captain of robbers , who submitted himself , and forced viriatus , who lay before the city vacia , to raise his siege , and fly away ; whereupon many neighbouring towns submitted themselves to him . as he was active and vigilant , so was he no less severe , or rather cruel ; for he cut off the hands of all canoba's men , and other prisoners , because they had deserted from his camp. this action in stead of terrifying the natives , put them upon desperate counsels . the romans laid siege to the city erisana , viriatus without being discovered , got in by night , and the next morning made such a furious sally , that he put the enemy to flight , killing many of them ; those that escaped , drew up in a place of no strength , where they were in great danger of perishing ; but viriatus laid hold of this opportunity to obtain an advantageous peace , which was concluded , and by virtue thereof , the romans sav'd their lives ; viriatus was called a friend of the people of rome , and all that his men had plunder'd , was allow'd them . a great shame and dishonour to the majesty of the roman empire . quintus pompeius held the government of hispania citerior two years ; but because the province was in peace , and metellus had left all things in disorder , had not the opportunity of doing any action of note . on the contrary , servilius , who by order of the senate had vacated the peace he made before , near the city arsa put viriatus to the rout , and pursu'd him into carpetania , where , by a stratagem , he got away . he drew out his men , as if intending to give battle , placing his horse in the front , and whilst the romans were forming their body , caused his foot to slip away thro' the woods that were near ; that done , the horse with the same swiftness , got off . the consul despairing of taking so subtle an enemy , marched to the vectones in estremadura , and thence without stopping , into galicia , where all was in disorder , and full of murders and robberies . viriatus tired with so lasting a war , and fearing his men should make their peace with the price of his head , sent three embassadors to treat with the consul . the means he chose to secure himself , prov'd his ruin ; for servilius corrupted the embassadors , who , at their return , murder'd viriatus as he lay sleeping . his funeral was honour'd with the tears of his soldiers , afterwards with sports , and the sacrifice of much cattle . the murderers petitioning the senate at rome for a reward of their service , receiv'd answer , that the senate and people of rome , did not approve of soldiers killing their general . to viriatus , succeeded in the command , one tantalus ; but he not being of equal authority , valour , and conduct , soon submitted himself to the consul , and was receiv'd to grace . these , and the other lusitani were disarm'd , and lands allotted them , to the end , that being employ'd in tilling , and the care of their cattle , they might , be more inclinable to live in subjection , and want the power of revolting . chap. iii. the second war betwixt rome , and numantia . the consul mancinus , concludes a dishonourable peace with that people , and is therefore deliver'd up to them . scipio africanus sent against them . the city destroy'd . the very year that viriatus was , murder'd by his own men , which was of rome . the numantians again revolted . the occasion of it was thus , metellus having subdu'd the celtiberi , there remain'd only the numantians , and termestini , who by former treaties were declar'd friends , and allies of the people of rome , and consequently , preserv'd their liberty . the termestini , are suppos'd to be about nine leagues from numantia , where now stands a chappel , call'd of our lady of tiermes . pompey intending to bring them under subjection , took for a pretence to fall out with them , that they had receiv'd into their city the segedani , who had sided with viriatus . segeda is reckoned to be among the beli ; and at this day there is a town betwixt soria , and osma , believ'd to be the remnant of that city . this crime was not great , yet the numantians sent embassadors to excuse it , whom , pompey turned back with disgrace . still the numantians sent others , renouncing their friendship with the segedani , and desiring to renew the peace , and alliance they had made with gracchus . pompey reply'd , it was in vain to treat of peace , unless they laid down their arms. all hopes of an accommodation being thus out off , the numantians provided for war , and to this effect , raised foot , and horse ; a small number , but of great courage and resolution . megara , a man of great experience , was appointed to command these men. pompey was not idle , but incamp'd near numantia with foot , and horse . the numantians kept them in continual alarm , yet so , that they always avoided coming to a battle , which pompey perceiving , sate down before termancia , whence he was also forced to retire in great disorder , by a sally the besieged made . next day they came to a battle , the event whereof , was dubious , but that pompey marched away to the city manlia , which was delivered to him , tho' there was a numantian garrison in it . there is at present in that neighbourhood , a town call'd mallen , perhaps the remains of that city . then he returned upon termancia , and took it . now , only numantia remain'd ; before pompey mov'd towards them , he slew tanginus , a captain of robbers , with all his men , in that part of the country , where were formerly the edetani , and now is zaragoza . this done , he marched again to numantia ; and because the siege was like to last long , endeavour'd to turn away the river duero , that no provisions might be brought into the town , but was forc'd to desist , having lost many men by a sally the besieg'd made . besides , they kill'd a tribune , and all his men , that guarded the victualers and foragers . pompey warn'd by these losses , kept his men within their works , during the hardest season of the year , which caused many to die of sickness , besides what were cut off by the besieg'd . hereupon , tho' the winter was far spent , pompey was forc'd to raize the siege , and disperse his army among the neighbouring towns. in the year . the consul m. popilius lenus was appointed to succeed pompey . but he either for being blamed at rome , or that his successor might not reap the benefit of his labours , in the beginning of summer , concluded a peace with the numantians . this treaty being dishonourable to the romans , was manag'd in private , and pompey to avoid signing of it , feigned himself sick. popilius as soon as he came , began to examine that affair , pompey deny'd he had consented to it , the numantians call'd the principal romans in the army to witness in their behalf . at last , the business was referr'd to the roman senate , where passion being more prevalent than justice , it was decreed , the war against numantia should be continu'd . whilst these things were debated in rome , popilius made war upon the lusones , a people near numantia , but without success , for , in the year of rome . the time of his command having been prolong'd , he was overthrown by the numantians . in hispania ulterior , the government whereof fell to the consul decius brutus . viriatus's old soldiers , who had lands assign'd them , built the city valencia . it is doubtful what valencia this was , some say , it was valencia de alcantara , others , valencia de min̄o , and some will have it to be the great valencia ; but that cannot be , because it is in another province . to return to what is more material , the year following , which was of rome . brutus was continu'd in his command , and the consul c. hostilius mancinus succeeded popilius . no sooner did he take upon him the command , but he sate down before numantia , where , after receiving several overthrows , hearing that the vacei , and cantabri , were marching to relieve that place ; he was so terrifi'd , that he stole away by night , to that part of the country which was not in arms. his departure was not known at numantia till two days after , the townsmen being taken up in sports and pastimes , without any regard , or care of the war , it was discover'd by two young men , who being at variance about marrying a maid , agreed , that he , who first brought the hand of a roman , should carry her . they going out upon this design , and finding the roman camp abandon'd , return'd with the news . hereupon , the numantians following the tract , overtook the romans before they were well fortifi'd , and hem'd in those , who before besieg'd them . the consul despairing of his safety , set on foo● and concluded a treaty with the numantians ; by which , they were restor'd to their liberty , and stil'd , friends , and confederates of the people of rome . and this peace he obtained by the means of tib. gracchus , who was belov'd in spain , for the sake of his father sempronius . as soon as this shameful peace was known at rome , mancinus was summoned to answer for himself ; and the consul aemilius lepidus was sent in his place , to revenge that disgrace . the numantians sent their embassadors with the articles to the senate , that in case they did not ratifie them , the army might be deliver'd into their hands , since they escaped under colour of peace . the senate resolving not to stand by so dishonourable a peace , decreed , that mancinus , who was the author of it , should be delivered up to the numantians . gracchus , tho' concerned in the treaty , escaped unpunished , because , what he did , was by command ; but the commonalty said , it was by the interest of scipio , who had married his sister cornelia . marcus lepidus without staying to hear what the senate would decree , fell upon the vacei , which is a part of old castile , upon pretence , that they had been assisting to the numantians . after plundering and burning all that plentiful country , he attempted to possess himself of the city placencia , notwithstanding , he had received orders from rome to commence no new war with the spaniards . lepidus having been worsted by those of placencia , and wanting provisions , marched away silently by night , which those people perceiving , they pursu'd , and cut off no less than of the romans . this was so highly resented at rome , that lepidus was summoned to appear , and answer for himself , as a private man , and condemned of male-administration . these losses were in some measure , made easie , by the success in the other province , under the good conduct of brutus , who quieted the commotions in lusitania , and galicia , and subdu'd the labricani . he ordered them to deliver up all fugitives , and themselves to appear before him without their arms ; which , when they perform'd , he drew his army about them , and reprov'd them so severely , they thought they should all have been put to the sword ; but he only imposed a fine , and took away their arms. for this reason , brutus had the sirname of gallaicus given him . the following year , which was of rome . brutus was continu'd in his command , and the new consul p. furius philo , had the government of hispania citerior , and charge of delivering up mancinus to the numantians , assigned him . q. metellus , and q. pompeius , the most powerful citizens of rome , opposed furius's going , as to a war where great honour and riches were to be purchased ; but he with a wonderful resolution using his authority , as consul , commanded them both to go along with him , as his legates , or lieutenants . being encamp'd before numantia , he caused mancinus , naked , and his hands bound behind him , ( according to the roman custom of delivering up their generals ) to be left early in the morning at the gate of numantia . but he having stood there all the day , forsaken by the romans , and not regarded by the enemy , was again at night received into the camp. we have no account of any thing else done by furius in spain . the following year , which was . brutus was again continued in his command , and q. calpurnius piso succeeding furius , as consul , fought with the numantians , sustain'd a great loss , and was in imminent danger of having all his army cut off . the senate , and people of rome being extreamly perplexed at this misfortune , chose p. scipio africanus to command in that part of spain ; and it is believed , still continued brutus in the other province . youths of the roman nobility , and others , that had been sent by several princes to be brought up in rome , follow'd scipio , and all the rest had done the same , but that the senate forbid them . the army in spain was quite debauch'd for want of discipline . to remedy this evil , scipio left marcus buteo , his legate , in italy , to follow with the recruits , and he himself with all possible speed passed over into spain , where , with much care and industry , he soon reform'd the army . first , he turned out of the camp strumpets , then a great number of sutlers , and others , that only served to make the soldiers lewd and vicious . besides , he caused every soldier to carry upon his back days provision of corn , and stakes to drive into the ground for making their trenches , and often removed his camp , still fortifying every where , that the soldiers might be inured to labour . the generals good example was of more force than any thing else ; for scipio was the first at the work , and the last that went from it . having spent a good part of the year in this manner , summer being come , scipio advanced towards numantia . he thought not fit at first to hazard a battle , because his soldiers were not yet fully returned to their former courage ; so he rang'd about , plundering and destroying all the country . thence he mov'd to the vacei , designing to revenge the affront the consul lepidus received from the palentini . here scipio had like to have been drawn to a battle , thro' the rashness of rutilius rufus , who advancing too far to repress the insolence of the palentini , that kept them in continual alarm , was just falling into an ambush , had not scipio understanding the danger , commanded the whole army to make up to him , and the horse to surround the place of the ambuscade , and skirmish with them , whilst the others drew off . in this march , scipio saw the city caucia destroyed by the treachery of lucullus , and being moved to compassion , made proclamation , that all such as would rebuild , and inhabit it , should be free from all manner of taxes . this is as much as was done that summer . about the beginning of winter the roman army encamped near numantia , and continued all that season , plundering and destroying the country round about . near to the camp was a village , for the most part encompassed with a morass , not far from which , certain high clifts lifted themselves up , very opportunely for to lay an ambush . there a great number of numantians lying in wait , had certainly cut off a party of the romans that were pillaging , but that scipio perceiving the danger , gave the signal for them to repair to their colours . at the same time , he sent horse to rescue them , whilst he followed with the gross of the army . whilst the numantians had to do with an equal number , they maintained their ground , and pressed their enemy ; but when they saw the standards of the legions advance , they betook themselves to flight , to the great joy of the romans , who a long time had not seen their backs before . jugurtha , the grandson of massinissa , was now sent by his uncle micipsa , to serve under scipio , with elephants , and a good body of horse , and foot. the following year , which was of rome . scipio was continued in his command , which proved the ruin of numantia . he as soon as the winter was over , having by often skirmishing , encouraged his men , divided his army into two parts , q. fabius maximas had the command of the one part , and the other , he kept to himself . others say , he formed four several bodies , and so as to the number of his men , some write he had , others , only . the numantians proud with their former victories , tho' they exceeded not , drew out , and offered battle , resolving rather to die , than endure the miseries of a tedious seige . on the other side , scipio was positive to avoid fighting , and therefore designed to cast up a trench round the city , to curb the boldness of the besieged . he ordered the cities that were in amity with the romans , to send supplies of men , ammunition and provision . a trench was cast up about the city , with towers , parapets , and loopholes ; it was ten foot high , and five foot in thickness . no access was left to the city , but by the river duero , and there were roman guards upon both the banks ; yet the besieged could send out , by the means of their divers , and brought some provisions in light boats , whose swiftness secured them from harm . but even this small comfort was not lasting , for the romans raised two castles , one of each side the river , and fastned beams across , in the nature of a chain , with large hooks fixed to them , so that nothing could pass . the numantians were nothing dismayed at this , but often attacked the roman outguards ; yet were still repulsed , others coming to their relief , tho' few were killed , the romans sparing them , that their provisions might be the sooner consumed , and they thereby necessitated to surrender . being in this condition , one retogenes caravinus with four others , broke thro' where the roman works were weakest , and made their way to the arevaci . there having convened the principal men , they used all their rhetorick to perswade them to take up arms , and relieve numantia . all their endeavours proved successless , and it is not known what became afterwards of this retogenes and his fellows . certain it is , that the people of lucia , a town a league distant from numantia , attempted to relieve the besieged , but were repulsed by scipio , who caused the right hands of of them to be cut off , which terrified all others from being concerned in the like rash enterprize . thus the numantians having lost all hopes of relief , and being reduced to great extemities by famine , sent embassadors to scipio to make their submission , and sue for peace . his answer was , that they must expect no conditions , but surrender upon discretion . the numantians having received this answer , in a rage slew the embassadors , and making themselves drunk with a liquor made of corn , called celia , salli'd out , and assaulted the roman works , where they killed many , till fresh supplies coming in , and their drunkenness wearing off , they were drove back into the town . after this , they are said to have fed some time upon the bodies of their own dead , and then again made an attempt to break thro' the romans , and get away . nothing succeeding according to their desire , mad with rage and despair , they slew their wives and children , set fire to all their goods , and houses , and then cast themselves into the flames . thus was numantia destroyed a year and a quarter after the coming of sciplo into spain . such buildings as escaped the fire , scipio caused to be cast down ; the lands he divided among the neighbouring people ; and having settled all things according to his mind , returned to rome , where he triumphed as his great actions had deserved ; and to the rest of his titles , added that of numantinus . not long before , decius brutus had triumphed over the gallaici , and as was beforesaid , obtained the name of gallaicus . chap. iv. other occurrences in spain after the war of numantia . the beginning of the war of sertorius . his actions , defeat , and death . the war of numantia thus happily concluded , there ensued a lasting peace , and tranquility in spain . for some time after , it was governed by ten legates ; every one of which , had his particular province . the mallorquins were become pirates , and committed rapine all along the neighbouring coasts . the consul q. cecilius metellus , subdued them in the year . and thereby , gained the sirname of balearicus . caius marius , who at the same time governed hispania vlterior , mended and cleared the roads , then much infested by robbers . he also put the laws in execution , and supported the authority of the judges . twelve years after , that province revolting , calpurnius piso first , and then sulpicius galba appeased those commotions . much coin is often found in spain with the name of piso stampt upon it . peace being restored by the conduct of piso , and galba , the government was again committed to ten legats , at the time that the cimbri , a northern people , like an impetuous torrent , having spread themselves thro' many provinces of the roman empire , passed over into spain . here by the valour of the romans , and natives , they were obliged to turn back again into france , and italy , in the year . this same year , q. servilius cepio , gave the lusitani a great overthrow ; in what quality he commanded , does not appear ; but certain it is , that three years after , the same cepio being consul , the lusitani were revenged of the romans , giving them a greater defeat than that they had received . two years after this , being . after the building of rome , the cimbri , mixed with the germans , broke into spain a second time , and were again repulsed by the celtiberi , and drove back into france , lucius cornelius dolabella being proconsul in that province , quieted the lusitani , in the year . no sooner was that province appeased , but the following year another war broke out among the celtiberi , the consul titus didius was sent to command there . the armies met , and came to a battle , which lasted the whole day , till night parted them , without deciding the success , the loss being equal on both sides . the consul made use of policy , and caused all his own dead to be taken up , and buryed by night . next day the spaniards imagining all the loss had fallen on their side , despairing of success , submitted themselves upon such conditions as the romans would impose . in that war of the arevaci are said to have been slain ; a great number , if authors mistake not . because the termestini often revolted , confiding in the strength of their city , it was ordered to be destroyed , and laid level with the ground , and the inhabitants to come down into the plain , and live in villages , without presuming to fortifie them . an entire company of robbers submitted themselves , and upon promise of pardon , delivered themselves up to the consul , with their wives , children and goods , all whom , nevertheless , he put to the sword. a base action , yet it seems not much disapproved of at rome , since for his other actions they allowed didius to triumph . quintus sertorius served in this war as a tribune , or colonel , and gained great honour , by saving the romans that were in garrison at castulon , from being all murdered , as was agreed betwixt those citizens , and the geriseni , supposed to be the people of jaen . sertorius hearing the uproar , for they had began to put their design in execution , ran out , and gathering such as had escaped the slaughter , fell upon the townsmen , and revenged the death of those that had been slain . thence he marched to the geriseni , who being deceived , by the cloaths of the people of castulon , which he had caused his soldiers to put on , received him with joy , a great number of them were killed , the rest sold as slaves . all these things happened in hispania citerior , during the five years government of didius . for in the year . the consul publius licinius crassus came into hispania vlterior , and in the sixth year of his command obtained a triumph at rome , for the actions he had performed there . it is thought , there he gathered those riches which made his son marcus crassus the richest citizen in rome . during the time that crassus was in spain , fulvius flaccus by his good conduct , quieted some stirs that happened among the celtiberi , in the year . at which time , italy was all in a flame with the civil wars kindled by marius and cinna , against sylla , and many of the nobility were by them put to death . marcus crassus , whose father and mother had been put to death , fled into spain , where he had many friends , on account of favours they had received from his father ; but most towns being of marius's faction , he durst not appear in publick , and therefore hid himself in a cave , which was in the land of one vibius paciecus , an intimate friend of his . who being informed of his coming , lest his going to see him might cause some suspicion , ordered a slave every day to leave such provision as he would give him , upon a certain rock , threatning him with death , if he durst go to see who it was for , or disclose the secret . in this manner crassus lived for some time , till the news was brought , that marius and cinna , were overthrown by sylla . then coming out of the cave , by fair means , he drew to his party , many cities of spain , and among them , malaga , which , nevertheless , was plundered by the soldiers , against his will , as he pretended , but perhaps , he only counterfeited , and had permitted it to gain the good will of the army . the cave where crassus lay hid is shown to this day , betwixt ronda , and gibraltar , near a town , called ximena , in which , 't is said , are all the marks that plutarch gives of it . from those civil wars at rome , sprang another in spain , which , tho' at first it appear'd inconsiderable , yet for the space of nine years it withstood , and often foiled the roman power ; but at last ended to their satisfaction . quintus sertorius was the man that managed it , he was by birth an italian , of mean parentage , at narsium , a town near rome . his valour was great , as has before been hinted . in the civil wars of italy , he sided with marius , lost an eye , and was by sylla proscribed , which is the same as outlawed . to save his life , and believing , that in this confusion , every one would keep whatever he could possess himself of , he being well beloved , both by the soldiers , and natives , fled into spain , resolving to make good his party there . to this intent he secured the ports , and left one salinator with a sufficient force to guard the passes of the pyrenean mountains , whilst he himself went farther into the country , raised men , and gathered store of arms , and provisions . all his designs were nipt by caius annius , who routed the guards upon the pyreneans , and slew salinator , by means of one calpurnius lanarius , his intimate friend , that basely murdered him . sertorius was so dismayed at this misfortune , that he fled from carthagena into africk , where fortune being no kinder to him than before , he suffered much , yet passed over , and possessed himself of the island iviça . thence also he was expelled , and designing to fly from his enemies to the canary islands , was called upon by the lusitani , who being desirous of recovering their lost liberty , thought this a fit opportunity . sertorius readily embraced their offers , and as he was a man no less versed in the arts of peace than war , by his affability and courtesie , soon gained their affections . for the greater show of majesty , he erected a senate of spaniards like that of rome , with all the honours and dignities belonging to it . he honoured all men , but more especially the romans , as his country-men , and those he could best confide in . the fame hereof being spread abroad , he not only became sovereign of hispania vlterior , but gained the love of the citerior ; all the spaniards being persuaded by his means , they might cast off the roman yoke . to settle this affection the more , he caused masters of all arts and sciences to come from italy , and founded an university at osca , persuading the chief men to send their children thither to study , upon pretence of improving them ; but in reality , to keep them there as hostages , without giving offence to their parents . as the surest tye , he made use of religion , feigning , that diana had given him a doe , which told him in his ear all he was to do ; and therefore had one bred to hand , that when he stooped , clapp'd her mouth to his ear , as if she spoke ; by which means , the ignorant natives were persuaded he knew all that was done abroad , and received directions from heaven how to act. there are pieces of coin to be seen in spain , with the effigies of sertorius on the one side , and the doe on the other ; there are also two stones at ebora in portugal , that show sertorius resided long in that city . besides , it appears by pliny , and ptolomy , that formerly there were two towns in spain , that bore the name of osca , one among the ilergetes , betwixt aragon and catalonia , and the other in andaluzia ; but which of these was the university , is uncertain , some think it was huesca in aragon ; but i rather think it was the other huesca among the bastetani . at his first coming out of africk into lusitania , sertorius brought over with him romans , and africans ; besides these in spain , he gathered foot , and horse . with this small number , he first vanquished cota , a commander of the enemy , in a sea fight near gibraltar . afterwards on the banks of guadalquivir , he defeated the consul didius , and slew of his men. these successes gained him much credit among his own people , and struck a terror into his enemies . this moved sylla , in the year . and his second consulship , to send q. metellus pius , his colleague into spain . with him went the pretor lucius domitius toranius , who , at the very entrance into spain , and foot of the pyrenean mountains , was slain by hirtuleyus , one of sertorius's commanders , and his army defeated , which misfortune moved manilius the proconsul of gallia narbonensis , to pass over into spain ; but he fared not much better than the other , only that he saved his life , being overthrown , and forced to fly with precipitation to lerida , by the same commander . metellus with his army peirced thro' the country as far as andaluzia , where he was often worsted by sertorius , and obliged to fortifie himself in the strong towns , trusting rather to their walls , than his own strength . yet he adventured to sit down before the city lacobriga , now lagos , near cape st. vincent , the forces of sertorius being at that time divided ; but his attempt proved in vain , for sertorius's men , encouraged by the reward he promised , put into the town skins of water , which was the only thing they wanted , their conduits being cut off , and a well they had , not being enough to supply all . the romans having but five days provision , and understanding this relief was put in , were constrained to raise the siege . as they drew off , sertorius kept close in their rear , cutting off many ; for now the spanish soldiers were not inferior to the romans for discipline , but obeyed command , and fought in good order ; besides that , they had armed themselves with the weapons of the romans they had slain . thus the fame of sertorius was not only spread throughout spain , but reached into asia , whence mithridates , then in war the second time with rome , sent embassadors to him , offering supplies of money , and a fleet , intending by that means to divide the forces of the romans , for the greater granduer , sertorius received the embassadors in the senate , and agreed to all they had to propose , granting that they should carry along with them , marcus marius , with a number of soldiers to introduce the roman discipline among that king's forces . but sertorius was now streightned by the coming of lucius lelius out of france ; who joyning with metellus , so encreased his forces , that sertorius durst not give them battle , which before , he endeavoured , yet made frequent excursions , and kept them in continual alarm . in this manner , he kept himself for two years , till pompey the great , at the request of metellus , was sent as his colleague , to command with equal power . for his questor , or pay-master came l. cassius longinus , of whom , more will be said hereafter . pompey made haste to joyn metellus , resolving not to fight the enemy till all the forces were come together . sertorius at this time , lay before the city laurona , with his own , and the forces m. perpenna brought him out of sardinia after the death of the consul aemilius lepidus , who having revolted from the senate , and being therefore driven out of italy , had possessed himself of that island , where he died of sickness , and therefore , those who had followed him , passed over into spain . perpenna thought to have lorded it himself over that province , but either because his soldiers mutinied , or that he considered better of it , he joyned sertorius . as soon as pompey and metellus had joyned their forces , they marched towards the enemy , to raise the siege of laurona , supposed by some to be the city liria in the kingdom of valencia , four leagues from the city of that name , near the river xucar . their design was disappointed , for romans , who advanced to guard the foragers , falling into an ambush , were all cut off , and with them , decius lelius , pompey's legate , or lieutenant . thus the besieged having lost all hopes of relief , were forced to surrender , upon condition their lives should be spared , and they might carry away their goods . this being performed , the city was fired , rather in scorn to the roman generals , who looked on , than thro' malice orosius says , pompey was gone before laurona was taken ; that the townsmen were either put to the sword , or sold as slaves , and the town plundered . moreover , it is said , the roman army consisted of foot , horse , whereas , sertorius had double the number of foot , and horse . nothing more was done this year . metellus and pompey went to winter near the pyrenean mountains ; sertorius returned to lusitania , where his greatest strength lay . as soon as the season would allow it , in the year . both armies took the field . the romans divided their forces , pompey took the city segeda by storm ; metellus fought with hirtuleyus , sertorius's general , killed of his men , and he himself escaped by flight . metellus was so proud of this success , that he wore embroidery at feasts , and at his entry into any city suffered incense to be offered to him as a god. some imagine , that one of the two bulls at guisando , that are cut in stone , was set up in memory of this victory , because it has this inscription in latin. to q. metellus conqueror , twice consul . pompey , after taking segeda , adventured to give the enemy battle , which was very bloody , and he had certainly been lost , but that metellus , who was near at hand came in , and rescued him ; so the armies parted with equal loss on both sides , and no visible advantage , as to point of honour . after this battle , sertorius for some time , was extreamly melancholy for the loss of his doe , which , he feared was taken by the enemy , and he looked upon as an ill omen ; but she on a sudden again appearing , he resumed his usual mirth , and applyed himself to the care of the war. another battle was fought about the same place , near the river turia , which runs thro' the country of valencia , and is now called guadalaviar . both parties fought with great resolution , but pompey got the day , and sertorius's army was entirely defeated , hirtuleyus , and his brother , as also caius herennius , were killed . in the heat of this fight , one of pompey's men slew his own brother , that served on the other side , which , when he found , as he was about stripping of him , it so sensibly touched him , that after sheding many tears , and laying the dead body on the funeral pile , he fell upon his own sword. sertorius was at calahorra , gathering new forces , which , when pompey understood , he marched to besiege him in that place ; but he broke thro' , and escaped , tho' with the loss of men ; and having got together a mighty army , offered his enemy battle , which he avoided , and marched into winter quarters . metellus beyond the pyreneans , and pompey in old castile . sertorius was naturally of a sweet temper , had not jealousies altered his good inclinations , and prevailed with him to slight the romans , who were disobliged , for that he committed the guard of his person to the celtiberi . besides , he became cruel , and killed several of his friends , and some of those youths he had sent to osca to study , the rest he sold as slaves ; and thus he alienated the affections of the natives , which , were his only support . metellus in the spring took in several towns. on the contrary , pompey was forced by sertorius to raise the siege he had laid to valencia ; but having increased his forces , constrained the enemy to retire , and pursued him as far as cape st. martin , near denia , formerly , called prom. hemeroscopeum , where there happen'd a skirmish betwixt them , and nothing else considerable , both parties being unwilling to come to a battle , by reason of the smallness of their forces . in short , the affairs of sertorius went to decay , till at length all fell to the ground by his death . he was killed at osca , by one anthony , a man of note , who stab'd him as they sate together at a feast . this design was laid by perpenna , and tho' in part discovered ; for which , some were put to death , yet that very thing hastned the others to put it in execution . this was the end of sertorius , by the spaniards , called the roman hannibal . he left no children , and died in the year . it is supposed , his body was buried at ebora , because a tomb was found in that city , as they were digging the foundations of st. lewis's church , with an inscription in latin to that effect ; but for this , we have no authority , but that of ambrose de morales , our spanish antiquary , besides whom , no author of credit mentions any such thing , nor is any such inscription to be heard of , tho' it was inserted in my latin history , upon the bare authority of the aforesaid morales . chap. v. pompey appeases the troubles in spain . julius caesar comes into spain . the beginning of the civil wars there . pompey's generals defeated , and the whole country reduced by julius caesar , who returns to rome . the death of sertorius being known , caused great grief among his men , and they were highly enraged , when they understood perpenna had been the author of it , and that he was by sertorius's will appointed one of his heirs , and sole successor in the government . perpenna what with gifts , and what with fair promises , soon appeased them ; which was the easier , because the fear of the romans tyed the hands of many that meditated revenge . perpenna being possessed of the command , and still suspecting the fidelity of his soldiers , carefully avoided coming to a battle with pompey , who laboured to put an end to that war , metellus being gone to rome . but the conduct of pompey , out-did the wariness of perpenna , for he fell into an ambush , where many of his men were cut off , the rest put to flight , and he himself was taken out of the bushes , where he had hid himself . he begged to be carried to pompey , having still some hopes in the roman mercy ; but was deceived in his expectation , for he caused him presently to be killed ; as is thought , for fear he should make any discoveries , whereby others might suffer ; for which same reason , he burnt the letters of those that invited sertorius into italy . sertorius , and perpenna , being dead , the troubles of spain were soon appeased . huesca , valencia , and the termestini , presently submitted to the conqueror . osma offering to stand out , was taken by storm , and destroyed . afranius kept such a streight siege upon calahorra , that the townsmen lived for some time , upon the flesh of their wives , and children ; which gave occasion to the romans , to call any great famine , fames calagurritana . in conclusion , it was entered by assault , the town demolished , and the inhabitants put to the sword. all the other towns terrified by this example , submitted themselves . the war being ended , pompey raised many trophies upon the pyrenean mountains , in memory of the victories obtained , and towns he had taken , which were above , as well in spain , as that part of france he passed thro' . in the valleys of andorra , and altavaca , betwixt the pyrenean mountains , towards sobrarve , are to be seen to this day , certain iron rings fixed to the rocks , with lead above ten foot in circumference each ; which are supposed to be remains of pompey's trophies ; because such used to be fixed to triumphal arches to fasten the trophies to them , as is still to be seen in the city merida . among the vascones , in the kingdom of navarre , he founded the city pamplona , by some in latin , call'd pompeyopolis . then returning to rome , he triumphed , together with metellus , over spain , in the year . about the year . julius caesar came into spain the first time , with the pretor antistius , as his questor , or pay-master ; but having at the sight of alexander the great 's statue at cadiz , conceived greater thoughts , he obtained leave to return to rome , before his appointed time was expired . after his departure , gneius calpurnius piso , who governed hispania citerior , was killed by certain spaniards , in the year . either in revenge of some affront offered them , or to oblige pompey , who sought his ruin . four years after , which was in . marcus pupius piso , and m. valerius messala being consuls , caesar came the second time into spain , with the character of pretor . his first action was , to oblige the inhabitants of the mountains herminii , which are betwixt duero and min̄o , to leave their habitations , and come down to the plains , in regard that many companies of robbers sheltered themselves in those places , and from thence , infested the provinces of lusitania , and betica . some of the neighbouring people offended at it , designed to pass the river duero , and seek new seats , but were prevented by caesar , who fell upon , and routed them , so they submitted themselves . the herminij revolted again , and being overthrown , fled to an island that was upon that coast . this perhaps , was one of those islands that lye off of bayona in galicia , and are known by that name ; formerly , they were called cinciae , in particular , one was called albiano , and another , lacia . caesar sent an officer to subdue those people , his name we have not , but dio relates the passage . he , by reason of the ebb , could not land all his men ; so those that landed , were easily cut off by the herminii . publius sceva signaliz'd himself in this action , who , tho' much wounded , swam away to the ships . to revenge this loss , caesar having gathered a greater fleet , went over in person , and easily made himself master of the island , the herminii being out of heart , and wanting provisions . thence sailing over to the coast of galicia , he took the port brigantinum , now corun̄a . those people easily submitted , being frighted at the greatness of his ships , as those who were only used to see , and use small boats ; the lower part whereof , was made of light timber , the upper of wicker covered over with hides , to keep out the water . this done , he prescribed laws to the province ; to those of cadiz , he allowed such as they themselves had chosen , and enacted laws against usurers , in such manner , that the debtor should enjoy the third part of his estate , the rest to go to the creditor till the principal was paid . then he returned to rome without waiting for a successor , and refused the triumph the senate offered him , for fear of slipping the opportunity of being chosen consul ▪ he carried out of spain a colt , whose hoofs were cloven , which diviners said , betokened to him the sovereignty of the world. only he could ride this colt , and when it died , he caused a statue to be erected to it , in the temple of venus . caesar after this , making war in france , sent crassus to subdue the gauls that bordered upon spain , who called the spaniards to their assistance ; and orosius says , of the cantabri , or biscainers , went over to them ; but with bad success , for spaniards are said to have perished in that service . strabo adds , that crassus sailed to the islands 〈…〉 , opposite to prom. cronium , or cape finisterre , and easily brought them under , the people being lovers of peace , and their ease . in the year . the proconsul q. cecilius , came to govern spain , and continued two years . he fought a battle with the vacel , near clunia , the ruins whereof , are to be seen not far from osma , and was overthrown ; whereat , the senate was so much concern'd , that they resolved to send pompey into spain , which was accordingly done , in the year . giving him that command for the term for five years , as well in regard he was well beloved there , as of the good service he had done before . he came not himself , being kept back by the charms of julia , caesar's daughter , to whom , he was newly married , but sent three legates , or lieutenants to govern in his name ; these were petreyus , afranius , and m. varro . to afranius , he committed hispania cit●●ior with three legions ; to varro , that part which lies betwixt sierra morena , and guadi●●● now called estremadura ; and to petreyus , all the rest of lusitania , and betica , and the vectones , with two legions . these forces curbed the fierce spirits of the natives ; so that spain enjoy'd peace , at least , there was no trouble of moment . in italy , began a furious and bloody war , which soon involv'd spain . julia , caesar's daughter , and pompey's wife , dying , that knot which held them together , was untied , and each strove for the sovereignty of the world ; whence ensued that civil war , the effects whereof , were felt throughout the roman empire . it will be enough here , to relate so much as appertains to spain . pompey being gone into macedonia to gather the forces of the east , sent bibulius rufus into spain , with orders to petreyus , and afranius , that they should joyn their forces , and by all possible means , hinder caesar from getting any footing there . they instantly obeyed , and leaving varro to command in hispania vlterior , with their united forces , and companies they raised among the celtiberi , incamp'd upon the river segre , near to the city lerida . this town is seated on a high ground , towards the north is another hill that commands it ; on the east it is watered by the river segre , which , a little lower , mixes with cin̄ga , and both a little farther fall into ebro . caesar having settled all things to his mind in rome , resolved to pass over into spain . by the way he was stopped at the siege of marseilles , which refused to receive him , and theretore sent caius fabius with three legions before . he having defeated pompey's forces that guarded the pyrenean mountains , stopped not till he incamped in sight of the enemy . there three legions more , and foot , with horse out of france joyned him . all these preparations were making , because it was reported , that pompey would very speedily come into spain , by the way of africk . caesar finding he could not so soon as he desired , put an end to the siege of marscilles , came away to lerida . at first , they spent their time in skirmishes , which always proved advantageous to caesar . soon after , the rains falling , and snow melting , the floods were so great , they carried away two bridges caesar had upon the river segre , above lerida , over which , his foragers passed . on the other side there was no relief , because the river cinga ran no less impetuous , and swollen . the army was reduced to great streights , and suffer'd much want of provisions . fame soon carried about this news , and the letters of pompey's officers so heightned it , that in rome they gave caesar for lost ; whereat there was great rejoycing , and many , that till then had stood neuters , went over to pompey . but all their ill grounded hopes vanished like smoke , for caesar with great diligence , laid a bridge over the river miles above lerida , by which , he was abundantly supplied with provisions , and the forces that came out of france , joyned him ; so was he delivered from that danger . besides , many towns declared for him , and among them , calahorra , huesca , tarragona , the ausetani , lacetani , and ilurgavonenses . for this reason , because caesar cutting several channels , had made the river segre fordable ; pompey's generals fearing caesar's horse , which was stronger than theirs , might cut off their provisions , they passed the river segre at lerida , and the ebro at octogessa ; supposed to be mequinencia , with a design to retire farther into the country . but they being forced to take a great compass about , caesar was beforehand with them , and secured all the passes of the mountains , thro' which , of necessity they must make their way . thus without a stroke , or shedding one drop of blood , they were forced to submit themselves . caesar pardoned , and gave leave to the soldiers to disband , and return to their homes ; and the more to gain their affections , restored to them , all that his men had taken from them , paying for it with his own money . some would have it , that pompey's generals had sold spain ; and cato , after his snarling manner , at pharsalia , upbraided afranius with it . varro in the farther spain , at first , had seemed inclinable to caesar's party , but hearing what streights he was reduced to at lerida , cast off his mask , and began to make all manner of preparations against him , raising men , bringing together galleys at cadiz , and sevil , and gathering money from the natives , without sparing the temple of hercules , which he robbed of all it s . treasure , tho' then esteemed one of the most sacred places in the universe . caesar , after he was delivered of afranius , and petreyus , with his usual celerity , put a stop to varro's proceedings . besides , near sevil , most of his men deserted , and went over to caesar ; so that he was also constrained to surrender himself up , and had his life granted him upon delivering to the conqueror , his ships , money , corn , and all other stores . at cordova , caesar held an assembly of the chief of all that country , restored the treasures varro took from the temple , and made the people of cadiz free denizons of rome , for having sided with him , and expelled pompey's garrison . the government of the farther province , he gave to q. cassius longinus , who was then tribune of the people , and had been before questor under gneius pompeyus , then went himself by sea to tarragona , thence by land to france , and so to rome . from rome , he sent m. lepidus to govern hispania citerior , in regard he being pretor at rome , had declared him dictator . the following year . was famous for the victories obtained by caesar at pharsalia , over pompey , and in egypt over ptolomy , thence he returned to rome , and posted over into africk , where he vanquished king juba , and the romans that adhered to him . chap. vi. longinus governs spain . his actions . the war betwixt caesar , and pompey 's sons . the famous battle of munda . caesar returns victorius to rome . at the same time , there were great commotions in the farther spain , caused by the avarice , and cruelty of the governour longinus , who continued his wickedness , which in the time of pompey , had like to have cost him his life , insomuch , that he came off wounded . caesar had ordered him to go over into africk , against king juba , a favourer of pompey's party . upon pretence of this expedition , he gathered great sums of money , as well by new impositions , as by selling licences to those that were desirous to stay in spain , and not go over to the war in africk . these extortions provoked the natives to conspire his death . of these , the chief were lucius recilius and annius scapula . one minucius sylo , upon pretence of delivering a petition , was the first that wounded him , then the others coming on , threw him down , and struck at him , but the guards coming to his rescue , took sylo , and carried longinus to his bed. the wounds were slight , so he escaped with life . sylo being put to the rack , discovered his accomplices , whereof , some were executed , others fled , and others being imprisoned , bought themselves off ; longinus's avarice exceeding all his other vices . by this time , he had an account of caesar's victory , and yet under colour of passing over into africk , caused the army to march before him to cadiz , and being well recovered of his wounds , went to see the fleet. at sevil he understood that the army had mutinied , and chosen one titus thorius for their chief ; therefore he sent m. marcellus , his questor to cordova , to quiet those people , and defend the town , supposing thorius would march thither . marcellus joyned with thorius , who was content , that he as being in the greatest post , should have the supreme command . longinus finding every body was against him , after encamping in sight of his enemy , suspecting his men , retired to a town , then called vlia , now montemayor , seated on a hill five leagues from cordova . his army lay at the foot of the hill , the enemy coming on , and he refusing to give battle , they encompassed his camp on all sides with intrenchments . longinus had before , sent to bogud , king of mauritania , and to marius lepidus , who governed hispania citerior , for aid . bogud came first , and having increased his forces with others that joyned him in spain , had some ren-counters with marcellus ; but could never deliver longinus from the siege , till lepidus coming quieted all things ; for marcellus referred the determination of all their differences to him , which longinus refusing , he was permitted to go whither he would . marcellus , and lepidus , marched to cordova . longinus understanding trebonius was come to succeed him , set sail from malaga for italy , and was cast away near the mouth of ebro , with all the money he had gathered by bribery , and extortion . the following year . lepidus triumphed at rome , for having quieted the commotions in spain , and those raised against longinus . marcellus was banished for having mutinied ; but was soon pardoned thro' the mercy of caesar . spain was divided into factions betwixt caesar , and pompey ; many cities sent embassadors into africk , to scipio , then head of pompey's party , desiring to be received into his protection . gneius pompey , the eldest son of pompey the great , in his way to spain , took the islands of majorca , and minorca ; but was forced by sickness , to stay some time at iviça . in the mean while , annius scapula , he that conspired against longinus , and q. aponius , by force of arms , drove the proconsul aulus trebonius out of all the province , and held it for pompey , till he recovered , and came into spain , as did his brother sextus , after being defeated in africk by caesar , and with him , accius varro , and titus labienus , with the remains of their army and fleet. gneius having taken many towns , and among the rest , cordova , left his brother sextus there , and went to besiege vlia , which held out for caesar . quintus pedius , and quintus fabius maximus , caesar's lieutenants , resorted thither ; but refused coming to a battle , and protracted the time till his coming . he being taken up in celebrating four triumphs at rome , and settling the common-wealth , delayed his coming till the beginning of the year . when setting out from rome , he made such hast , that he came to saguntum , now monviedro , in days , and in more to obulio , now called porcuna , betwixt cordova and jaen ; just at the time that a battle was fought at sea betwixt didius , caesar's admiral , and varro , who commanded for the enemy . the loss was equal , but varro show'd he had the worst ; by putting into the port of tarifa , and drawing a chain cross the mouth of it . the people of cordova being inclined to caesar , sent embassadors to him , shewing they were forcibly , kept under by the enemy , and advising , the town might easily be surprized by night . those of vlia also sent embassadors , acquainting him , they were reduced to great streights , and could not long hold out , unless relieved . caesar being thus divided , sent lucius junius paciecus with six cohorts to assist vlia . he got into the town in a stormy night , thro' the midst of the enemies , saying , he was sent by pompey . this , and the hopes of being relieved , incouraged the besieged to hold out . this done , to give a diversion to those that lay before vlia , caesar having ordered his lieutenants pedius , and folius to repair to him by a certain day , himself encamped before cordova . sextus surpriz'd hereat , sent immediately to his brother to quit vlia , and come to his relief ; which he accordingly did , and encamped near caesar ; but refused to give battle , and some time being thus spent , on a sudden caesar fell so sick , that he marched away silently by night to attegua . this town was four leagues from cordova , where there still appear footsteps of ancient buildings , by the name of teba the old . in this town , the two pompey's had laid up their treasure and stores , which moved caesar to sit down before it ; either to draw them to a battle , or by taking the town to weaken their force , and lessen their reputation . on the other side , gneius being resolved not to fight , marched to two towns , now called castroelrio , and espegio , formerly castra posthumiana , places of strength , where he might lie secure . thence he passed over the river guadaxoz , that ran down near attegua . having been there worsted in some skirmishes , and no hopes left of relieving the besieged , he returned to cordova . the inhabitants of attegua , sent commissioners to treat of a surrender ; but upon such haughty terms , that nothing was concluded . this put the garrison into a rage against the townsmen , that favoured caesar's party ; and such was the cruelty of numantius flaccus , their governour , that he killed all the inhabitants who bore any affection to caesar , and threw them over the walls , the same he did with their wives and children . notwithstanding all this , the townsmen surrendered on the th of february . after this , caesar burnt attubi , and took many other towns , and then sate down before munda , a town seated on a hill , five leagues from malaga , and near a little river that waters a rich , and beautiful plain . at that time , it was a considerable place , now small , but still retains its name . near this place they came at last to a battle , caesar was stronger in number , and goodness of men ; gneius had the advantage of ground , being encamped on the side of a hill. the battle was fought with great courage and resolution on both sides , both left wings were overthrown , and put to flight , the main battles stood long , without giving any tokens of yielding the victory ; much , blood was spilt , and the fields covered with dead bodies . at last , caesar by his own valour , purchased success , for alighting from his horse , and taking a target , he fought at the head of his men , and stopt several of them that were about to fly . on pompey's side , foot , and horse were slain ; among the rest varro , and labienus . thirteen eagles belonging to the legions , which were their chief standards , were taken . of caesar's men were killed , and wounded . two african kings served under caesar , the one called bochius , the other bogud . the latter of these had the chief honour of the victory ; for he in the heat of the action breaking into the enemies camp , was the cause that labienus hastily drew thither , and the rest of the army thinking he had fled , and despairing of the victory , turned their backs . this battle was fought on the th of march , on which day the festival of the god bacchus , was celebrated at rome . caesar speaking of this action , used to say , he had often fought for honour and glory , but that day he fought for his life . some will have it , that gneius pompeius being wounded in the shoulder , fled to tarifa , and endeavoured thence to escape by sea , but was forced , by reason his wound festered , to land the fourth day , and being discovered in a cave , was there slain . florus says , he was killed fighting near laurona , now liria ; or according to others , laurigi . his fleet was partly taken , and partly burnt by didius . sextus the younger brother , fled into hispania citerior , where he had many friends . scapula after the battle , returning to cordova , made a feast , at which all drank plentifully , and then he caused his own slaves to kill him . munda still holding out , caesar left fabius to carry on that siege , with part of the army , and went himself to cordova , which being taken by assault , he put to the sword of those citizens that had followed pompey's faction . thence he marched to sevil , by the way he had the head of gneius pompey presented to him , and with his usual good fortune , possessed himself of the city , which again revolting , was reduced the second time , on the th of august . other towns in that neighbourhood , following the example of sevil , submitted themselves ; and among the rest , the city asta , situate two leagues from xeres , now a desert place ; but still retains the ancient name . fabius on the other side , so streightened those of munda , that after a siege of some months they surrendred , and then he took ossuna , but whether by force or upon submission is not known . all things being settled with a wonderful celerity , caesar having gather'd vast sums of money , to which effect he spared not the temple of hercules , departed for rome , where he arrived in october . asinius pollio was left to govern hispania vlterior , and marcus lepidus the citerior , together with gallia narbonensis . about this time some guess cordova had the name of colonia patricia given it , and several other towns , to flatter the conqueror chang'd their names , as attubis , which was call'd claritas julia , ebora in portugal , liberalitas julia , calahorra , also took the name of julia , sexi , that of firmum julium , iliturgi which is anduxar , that of forum julium . those of ampurias laying aside the distinction , there was betwixt greeks , and spaniards , receiv'd the roman custom , language and laws , with the name of a colony . there are many monuments of this war remaining in spain , and particularly at talavera , a town well known in the kingdom of toledo , on that part of the wall which is opposite to st. peter's church , these words are to be seen cut in the stones . to gneius pompey , the son of pompey the great . the remaining part is worn out , and not legible , but suppos'd to be set up in memory of some great action . chap. vii . other commotions in spain after the death of caesar , the beginning of the empire of augustus , and war of cantabria . the power of julius caesar was at its greatest height , when the senators conspiring against him as a tyrant , slew him in the senate on the of march in the year , giving him wounds . from that time some begin the computation of the years of augustus his reign , but the most commence from the following year , when on the of september , according to dio , he was chosen consul in the place of c. vibius pansa , slain near modena . in spain pollio attended to suppress the robbers , that thro' the confusion of the times were grown very numerous about sierra morena . when the news of julius caesar's death was brought to him , he assembled the principal men at cordova , and there protested before them that he would in all things submit to the authority of the senate of rome . this seem'd to promise some settlement of affairs , but it prov'd otherwise ; for sextus pompey appear'd about jaca , formerly the lacetani , thinking to make his advantage of the times . he set up his standard , made levies , and some men resorting to him , form'd a legion , with which he took a town near carthagena , call'd vergi , now vera , or as others will have it verja . this small beginning chang'd the face of affairs , and pompey's party which seem'd to be quite forgot was revived , and grew the more formidable , for that he having in a pitched battle defeated pollio , possess'd himself of all that province of betica , or andaluzia . the upper garment of pollio falling , or being by him cast off , was a great cause of this victory , for the soldiers imagining thereby , that their general was kill'd , dismay'd and soon fled . marcus lepidus soon quieted these troubles , and perswaded sextus with the money he had got to go to rome , whereby he might recover his father's inheritance . italy was no less embroil'd in civil wars at the same time , the senate setting up octavian , julius caesar's nephew , to oppose the designs of marc antony , whom he defeated at modena , where he had besieged decius brutus the consul elect , for the ensuing year . marc antony fled into gaul , where he agreed with lepidus , and both of them soon after with augustus . this was the beginning of the triumvirate , which divided the roman empire into three parts . lepidus had gallia narbonensis , and all spain , antony the rest of gaul , and augustus italy , africk , siclly , and sardinia . the provinces of the east were not divided , because brutus , and cassius , the murderers of caesar , were possess'd of them . there follow'd a great butchery of the nobility , call'd the proscription , whereby many suffered , and among the rest , the famous m. tullius cicero . thus the city of rome again lost its liberty . there ensu'd other wars , first with the murderers of caesar , then with lucius antonius , brother to marc antony . after which follow'd a new distribution of provinces , which was in the year after the building of rome . in this division spain fell to octavian , and hence it is the common and much us'd computation of years , called aera caesaris takes its beginning . but the most usual now commences from the birth of christ , which was the of the other computation , according to the best accounts . in spain that computation continu'd till the year of our lord , when king john , the first of castile in an assembly of the states , or parliament , order'd that for the future all computation of years should commence from the birth of christ . the same had been done not long before at valencia , and was follow'd soon after in portugal . but to return to the affairs of the government . domicius calvinus , in the year before the birth of christ govern'd spain as proconsul , and afterwards obtain'd a triumph in rome , for having subdu'd the ceretani , at the foot the pyrenean mountains , in that part where cerdania now stands . new divisions hap'ned betwixt the triumphirs , part of the evil consequences whereof fell upon spain . octavian being at variance with lepidus , soon made himself master of africk , which was his lot in the distribution of provinces . marc antony who had the eastern provinces , thought much that octavian should seize upon all without allowing him any share . hence sprang that war betwixt them , which ended in the ruin of antony , and so consequently octavian remain'd sole lord of all the roman empire , in the th year before the birth of christ . he took the name octavius in memory of his father , and that of caesar in honour of his unkle , that of augustus was given him by the senate , as to a man sent from heaven to restore peace to the world. during this last war , bogud king of mauritania , came over into spain , in favour of antony , but was defeated and sustain'd great loss . not long after in the eighth consulship of augustus years before christ , the great road in andaluzia , that ran from cordova to ezija , and thence to the ocean was pav'd , as appears by a marble column that is in the monastery of st. francis at cordova , on which is an inscription signifying it was set up in the eighth consulship of augustus , and that from the temple of janus on guadalquivir , to the ocean were reckoned miles . this temple is suppos'd to have stood in or near cordova . after this there ensued some commotions among the cantabri , asturiani and vacei , about old castile . statilius taurus appeas'd them , it is suppos'd as lieutenent to caius norbanus , who about this time triumph'd over spain . about the same time , the form of the government of spain was chang'd , for instead of pretors , and proconsuls , it was under legates with consular power , as began then to be us'd in other provinces . besides the provinces of the empire were divided betwixt augustus and the senate , so that in spain only betica or andaluzia fell to the senate . hereupon hispania vlterior had two governous one over betica appointed by the senate , the other over lusitania chosen by augustus . thus the greatest part of spain being in peace , many roman colonies were founded , which gave occasion to the natives to change their manners and language for those of the romans , as strabo witnesseth . in the heighth of this prosperity , when spain flourish'd with riches and plenty , there broke out a new war , which proved more fierce and bloody than was imagin'd . this war was begun by the cantabri a fierce people , till then not intirely subduced by the romans , as being the stubbornest nation of spain , and protected by the harshness of the country they inhabited . ptolemy says , the cantab. i border'd on the east upon the antigones , on the west upon the lungones , on the south they were bounded by the river ebro , and on the north by the cantabrian-sea , or bay of biscay . their principal towns were juliobriga , and vellica . others , and with reason , extend the bounds of cantabria , as far as the pyrenean mountains . at that time the cantabri , were a rude and fierce people , and had no use of gold or silver . the women as well as the men were of large stature , on their heads they wore a dress like a turbant , and not unlike to what the women of biscay now use . the women tilled the land , and when they were deliver'd of their children , the men lay in and they tended them , as is used now in brasil . in their dances they made a noise with their fingers and castanets . the men brought the portion when they married . they had always poison prepared to kill themselves rather than suffer any violence . in order to commence the war , they stirr'd up the people of asturias , and gallicia to take up arms , and that done made incursions into the neighbouring country that was subject to the romans . this did not only strike a terror into the natives , but perplex'd the emperor augustus , fearing it might be the beginning of a more dangerous war than others expected . augustus being come into spain , forces resorted to him from all parts , so that he gather'd a formidable army . they march'd towards biscay , and incamp'd near segisama . suppos'd to be that now call'd brisama , in guipuscoa , betwixt aspeitia and tolosa . then being divided into three parts , they soon subdu'd all the neighbouring country . the cantabri not trusting to their own strength to avoid coming to a battle , withdrew with their goods and families unto the mountains , which prolong'd the war , and made it be feared it would last long . augustus what with vexation , and what with the unwholesomeness of the air fell sick , and was carry'd away to tarragona . caius antistius , and pub. firmius , were left to prosecute the war in galicia , pub. carisius in asturias . m. agrippa was left with the supreme command . he was then the emperor's favourite , and afterwards marry'd his daughter julia. agrippa gathered a fleet from britain , to furnish him with provisions , and at the same time to straiten the cantabri by sea. hunger pressing the cantabri , they resolv'd to try the fortune of a battle , but being a rude people under no command , and without sense of honour they were easily put to the rout . upon the coast of the ocean near to segisama , rises the mountain hirmius , by the latins called vinius , of difficult ascent , where many of them that fled sav'd themselves . the romans to avoid encountring with the strength of the place , and with men that were desperate drew a trench quite round and fortify'd it . so those miserable people were reduc'd to such extremity , they being obstinate , not to surrender , and the romans not to quit them , that the greatest part perished . a town near brisama , then called aracil , now arraxil , after a long siege was taken and destroyed by the romans . mean while antistius and firmius , were not idle in gallicia , but drew a trench about the mountain midulia , leagues in compass , where a great number of those people were retir'd , and after suffering the utmost extremities ( like the cantabri ) part of them slew themselves with their swords , and others drank the poisonous juice of a tree that grows there . in asturias the war was carry'd on with the like success ; for those people thinking to surprize carisius , who had divided his army into three parts , their design being discover'd by the tregeceni their confederates , were themselves oppress'd by carisius , who came upon them when they least expected it . such as escaped , fled to the city lancia , now oviedo , where they fortified themselves , and held out a long siege , but were at last forc'd to surrender , and submit to the conqueror . thus galicia , asturias , and cantabria , were reduc'd into the form of a province . augustus , the war being ended , returned into cantabria , where he pardoned the multitude ; but lest the roughness of the mountains might again encourage them to rebel , he caused them to come down , and live in the plain country ; and also to give a certain number of hostages . many of the most obstinate , were sold as slaves . great was the joy at rome at the news of this success . it was decreed , that augustus should triumph , for having intirely subdu'd spain , in the th year after their first entrance into it under the command of gneius cepius calvus , which was a longer time than they spent in conquering any other province . augustus would not accept of the triumph , but sports were celebrated in the camp ; and the temple of janus at rome , was now the fourth time shut . the soldiers that had serv'd their appointed time , according to the roman laws , were discharg'd , and lands given them , in that country we now call estremadura , then a part of lusitania , where on the banks of guadiana , they founded a colony , for that reason , call'd emerita augusta , now merida , in its time one of the principal cities of spain . rasis the arab , relates things almost incredible , of its grandeur ; and farther says , it was destroyed by the moors at their first coming into spain . on the banks of the river ebro , where before stood a town called salduba , was founded a colony , nam'd caesar augusta , now zaragoça , the capital of the kingdom of aragon . another city was built on the borders of portugal , and called pax augusta , now corruptly , badajoz . braga , before known by the name of bracara , had that of augusta given it . at the same time , another city was founded among the celtiberi , by the name of augustobriga , where now is a village , called muro , a league from agreda . another of the same name , not far from guadalupe , where is now villar pedroso , and many monuments of antiquity . augustus returned to tarragona , where , he was the eighth and ninth time appointed consul ; there he received embassadors from india and scythia ; so far was the fame of his actions spread . thence he returned to rome , in the fifth year after that war was began . he carried some spanish soldiers of the cohort of calagurris , for his guard. no sooner was he gone , but the cantabrians , and asturians , were again in arms ; but these efforts being without strength , were ineffectual ; for l. aemilius , and pub. carisius first , and afterwards caius furnius , having slain many of the revolters , appeased the rest . many , rather than submit , killed themselves ; others went singing , and full of joy to execution . some of those that were made slaves , conspired together , and killing their masters , fled to the mountains ; whence , they made excursions into the neighbouring country , inticing the people to take up arms. to appease these troubles , m. agrippa , then son-in-law to augustus , came out of france , and in some rencounters he had with those obstinate people , was worsted , which moved him , as a punishment to a legion that had been the most faulty , to deprive it of the title of augusta , which before , it enjoy'd . this disgrace was a warning to the other soldiers to behave themselves better ; so that at last , agrippa was victorious . all that could bear arms , were put to the sword , the rest forced to come down , to live in the plain country , and their weapons taken from them . some say , there were other commotions after these among the cantabri ; and that the embassadors sent to rome to treat , despairing of ever returning home , killed themselves . among the illiterate and rude spaniards , some about this time , were famous for their learning , as caius julius higinus , and porcius latro , a great rhetorician , and friend to seneca , the father of the philosopher . those books that are extant under the name of higinus , are by most men attributed to another of the same name , a native of alexandria . but suetonius seems to be of another opinion , saying , some called him an alexandrian , others , a spaniard ; and he is of the opinion of the latter ; and adds , that he was library-keeper to augustus , and familiar with ovid. besides , the honour spain received from these men , it was illustrated by cornelius balbus , a native of cadiz , who having been consul , triumphed at rome over the garamantae , years before the birth of christ . he was the first stranger that obtained that honour , and the last of subjects ; for from that time forward , only the emperors , or at most , their nearest kindred triumphed . all others , were rewarded with the triumphal ornaments ; which were a long costly robe , a garland of laurel , a chair called curulis , and an ivory rod. here let us conclude this book , and the computation of time from the building of rome ; being to begin the next , with the birth of a god incarnate , and from thence to date the following years . the end of book iii. the history of spain . the fourth book . chap. i. the birth of christ our lord. the death of augustus , and reigns of the emperors tiberius , caligula , and claudius . with an account of the coming of st. james the apostle into spain ; and first preaching of the gospel . we are now come to the most happy times , when the son of god , as was requisite , for fulfilling the promises of the holy prophets , appeared to men , himself made man , and with the new light he brought into the world , show'd and made easie the way of salvation to mankind , till then wandring , and astray . he restored justice , before fled from earth , and obtaining by his death , remission of sins , erected to his eternal father a holy temple , after the model of the heavenly one , and establish'd it for ever upon earth , under the name of the church . of this church we are all members , who , thro' the goodness of the same god , have throughout the world , received the christian religion , and preserve it with a true and constant faith. now , for as much as spain was one of the first that receiv'd this divine faith , and most firmly adhered to it ; therefore it will be necessary to relate how much it suffered in those primitive times on that account ; and at the same time , to set down the new form , and method that was establish'd in the secular government ; as also the lives and actions of the roman emperors , as sovereign lords of spain ; the combats and strifes of the first christians , and the triumphs , and victories of the holy martyrs , who , in defence of the truth , spilt their blood , and lost their lives . most happy and truely renowned souls ! our brevity in this matter , shall be particular ; for we shall rather hint at , than enlarge upon the ecclesiastical affairs , that this work may not exceed bounds . may the divine light from heaven guide and direct our pen and intention ; may it change our ignorance into a higher wisdom , and cause our words to equal the greatness of the subject . the birth of christ , the son of god into the world , was on the th of december , in the year . after the building of rome , and d of the reign of augustus ; the consuls then , being octavian augustus , the thireenth time , and marcus claudius silvanus . from this number of years some authors deduct one , and others two ; neither do they all agree , who were then consuls ; which disagreement , was in the time of st. augustin , as he himself mentions . we have herein , after considering all opinions , adhered to that which seem'd to us most likely , and which grave authors follow ; but laying aside this , and the like debates , not to be certainly decided , we will return to the affairs of spain , tho' at this time , scarce any thing occurs worthy the relating ; besides , the matter of greatest moment , which is , that all the provinces being reduc'd under the power and government of one monarch , the spaniards , as well as all other nations , enjoy'd the happiness of a blessed peace , and quiet repose ; being wearied out with such tedious wars , which , like links of a chain , hanging one by another , continu'd for so many years , that so the author of eternal peace , christ , the son of god , might either find peace , or bring it into the world. for this reason , few things of note happen'd in spain , during the reigns of augustus , and tiberius . however , some few shall be related , rather to continue the series of history , than for that they are remarkable in themselves . dion alone , among all historians , without fixing the time , or place , relates , that a captain of robbers , called corocota , after whom , great search had been made , of his own accord , presented himself to the emperor , who not only pardoned , but gave him the reward that had been promised for taking of him . augustus dy'd at nola in campania , on the th of august , in the year of christ . at the age of . he was the second of the roman emperors , and possest the empire alone , for the space of years . he appointed tiberius nero , his son-in-law , to succeed him ; being overcome by the importunities of his wife livia ; whereas germanicus , and his children had the better right . tiberius governed the roman empire years , months , and some days . he was of double inclinations ; some good , but more bad. at first , he gained credit by his good government , and soon lost it , by his excessive luxury , cruelty , and avarice . in his time germanicus waged war in the farthest part of france ; and it being known in spain that he suffered great want of all necessaries , they sent him arms , horses , and a great sum of money , which last , he refused , but accepted of the rest , returned thanks to the spaniards for their affection to the people of rome . this hap'ned in the second year of tiberius , at which time also , leave was given to the embassadors of hispania citerior , to build a temple in honour of augustus . those of hispania ulterior , that they might not be behind hand with the others in flattery , begged leave to build a temple in honour of tiberius , and his mother livia , a thing never used whilst princes were living , and therefore it was denied them . the cantabri at the same time revolted , and infested the neighbouring country , which oblig'd the romans to place several garrisons in that province , whereby their insolency was curbed ; and those barbarous people , by conversing with the romans , grew more civiliz'd . gneius piso , who had govern'd spain , and was suspected to have poison'd germanicus , kill'd himself at rome . vibius serenus , who had been proconsul of hispania ulterior , accused his own son of taking bribes in that province ; and he being convicted , was banished to amorga , one of the islands in the aegean sea , reckon'd among the cyclades . l. piso , who was pretor in hispania citerior , by laying new taxes and impositions , so far incens'd the natives , that they conspired against him , and he was kill'd by a country-man , among the termistini . he endeavoured to make his escape , but having tir'd his horse , was taken , and put to the rack , to draw from him a discovery of the other conspirators , but all in vain ; for the day after , being again brought out to be tormented , he slipt from his guards , and ran his head against a rock with such force , that he fell down dead . so great was the fidelity , secrecy , and regard of friendship in a clown . this hap'ned in the year of christ . as tiberius advanced in years , so he grew in avarice , and all manner of wickedness , a just judgment of heaven , for that he did not punish the cruel executioners of our lord christ , the son of god , who suffered in his time . the emperor tiberius dy'd on the th of march , in the th year of his age , which was of christ . gneius acceronius proculus , and c. porcius niger , being consuls . caius , the son of germanicus succeed him in the empire ; and of a certain sort of buskin he wore , called in latin caligae , he had the name of caligula . he was only remarkable for madness , which lasted all his life , and for the manner of his death , being killed by cherea , one of the captains of his guards . aemelius regulus of cordova had attempted the same before , but failed of the execution , and suffered death . his power lasted but three years , ten months , and eight days , which were spent in extravagant vices , and enormities . caligula being dead , caius claudius , his uncle by the father , who lay hid for fear of being killed , was brought out , and proclaimed emperor , in the year of christ . this emperor was wholly adicted to vice , but above all , his carelesness was such , that his wife messalina durst presume publickly , and almost in his sight , to marry a young noble man , called silius . it is true , she was at length , tho' with much difficulty , executed for it . this set him at liberty to commit another enormity , for he marry'd agrippina , his niece , daughter to his brother germanicus . such marriages were forbid among the romans ; but he made a law which declared it lawful for uncles to marry their nieces . he held the roman empire almost years . in his time drusilaus rotundus govern'd hispania citerior , and vmbonius silus betica . now , also christianity was first preach'd , and began to take root in spain ; for james , the son of zebedee , sirnam'd the greater , after preaching in judea , and samaria , came into spain , as isidorus witnesseth . he first spread the light of the gospel , in zaragoca ; where at his instance , was built a church of the invocation of the blessed virgin , now called of the pillar , as it is receiv'd by a constant tradition among those people . afterwards having suffered martyrdom at jerusalem , in the year of christ . his body was taken up by his disciples , and put into a ship , and after coasting about the greatest part of spain , they landed it in the farthest parts of galicia , in the city iria flavia , now call'd el padron ; whence it was translated to compostela , a place held in veneration throughout all the christian world , on account of that holy body lying there . the body of this apostle , for several ages was lost , and forgot , till in the reign of king alonso the chast , about the year of our lord . it was miraculously discovered , and a church built in the same place , where it has been highly reverenced . this devotion was much increased , when d. ramiro , who reigned soon after alonso , with the assistance of this saint , won the famous battle of claviso , fought against the moors ; whereby , he delivered the christians of a most heavy imposition , by which , they were oblig'd to deliver yearly to those infidels chosen maids . hence the custom used by the spanish soldiers , of calling upon st. james in battle , had its original . and from this time , the spaniards oblig'd themselves by a vow , to pay a certain measure of corn out of every acre of arable land , yearly , to the church of st. james , which custom having suffered many changes , has been renewed by several popes , who have issued out their bulls to that effect ; and it is still preserved in a great part of spain . st. james had but very few followers in spain , whereof , some reckon up nine chosen disciples ; which others say , were sent into spain by the apostles st. peter , and st. paul ; which controversie being altogether impossible to be decided , i think fitter to pass it by , than to take up the reader 's attention , with what is altogether uncertain . chap. ii. the reigns of the emperours nero , galba , otho , vitellius , vespasian , and titus , with an account of the colonies , free towns , and courts of judicature then in spain . claudius the emperour was poison'd by an eunuch , or as others have it , by his wife agrippina , to the intent her son domitius nero might obtain the empire ; which prov'd fatal to her . certain it is , he dyed in the year of grace . nero , his son-in-law , and successor , held the empire years ; the first he govern'd well , as trajan used to testify , after that he sunk into all manner of vice and debauchery , like a wild beast , that breaking loose from its confinement , bears down all before it . to such a degree did his cruelty rage that he kill'd his own mother , of whom he would first have had carnal knowledge ; he also slew his aunt , his two wives , octavia and popea , his master seneca , the famous poet lucan , and a great number of men of quality . his lust was so extravagant , that he publickly married a young man , and caused a boy to be cut , that he might make use of him as a woman . he used to sing in the theatre like a player ; for his sport set fire to rome , and then to appease the raging people , charg'd it upon the christians , against whom , upon that score , he raised the first persecution . on the one hand he profused the publick revenue , and on the other , by all unlawful means , seiz'd the riches of private persons . in his time liv'd the famous apollonius thyaneus ; and in his travels came into spain . the same is said of the apostle st. paul , but other authors de●y his coming hither ; and for st. peter's ever being in spain , as metaphrastes affirms , there is but little ground to believe it . servius sulpicius galba had govern'd spain the term of eight years , he was very old , being above years of age , when julius vindex , who govern'd gallia narbonensis , astonish'd at the cruelties , and other brutalities of nero , by letter invited him to put a stop to all those evils , by accepting of the empire . but galba excusing himself on account of his age , and the danger of such an undertaking , vindex declared himself , and took up arms against nero. this news being brought into spain , galba in an assembly of the chief men of all the country , whom he had called together to carthagena , declar'd the cause , why all men were oblig'd to put their hand to redress so many grievances , and relieve the commonwealth . he inveighed against the cruelty and vices of nero , showing the mischiefs he had already done , and what they might expect from him . there happen'd to be there present a child banished by nero into majorca , which so heightned the indignation of all there present , that with loud acclamations they proclaimed galba , augustus , and emperour . he would not accept of that title , but offered himself to be general of the romans , and lieutenant for the senate against nero , which was an extraordinary token of his modesty . otho silvius , then governour of lusitania , was a great instrument in forwarding this work , for he resolv'd to follow galba , and to that purpose coin'd a vast quantity of gold and silver , he had gathered . upon this account otho was prefer'd to the new emperour's favour , and had the first place about him , which t. junius his lieutenant aimed at , but neither could he attain , or was he acceptable to the people , as one that sold the favour of his prince ; whereas otho espous'd the pretensions of the needy , without any prospect of advantage . julius vindex being betrayed in france , where he had declar'd against nero , kill'd himself . virginius rufus who vanquished him , would not accept of the empire , but left all to the disposal of the senate , which was a singular moderation . the misfortune of vindex so startled galba , that he retir'd almost in despair to the city clunia , but the news of nero's death being soon after brought to him , he reviv'd and took heart again . the manner of nero's death was thus . as soon as the senate understood what vindex had done in france , and galba in spain , they conceiv'd hopes of destroying the tyrant , and in order to it , they declar'd him an enemy to his country . immediately his guards , and servants forsook him , and he fled to the country house of one phaon , a freed man of his own , where despairing of making his escape , he kill'd himself in the th year of his age. thus ended the crimes of this prince , and in him the family of the caesars and claudii . galba understanding what had happen'd , resolv'd to march with all speed to rome ; for his guard he carry'd with him a legion of the choicest soldiers in all spain . with him also went fabius quintilianus , a native of calahorra , the famous rhetorician . when nero dy'd silius italicus was consul at rome , which was the year of grace . galba being come to rome enjoy'd the empire but months , and was then slain by the pretorian bands in a mutiny they raised , because he gave them not the donative he had promis'd , and kept a strict hand over them , which they being us'd to liberty , could not brook ; as also because he was heard to say , he chose , but did not buy soldiers . but the greatest promoter of this mutiny was otho , who offended that galba had adopted one piso , a youth , of great hopes , and thereby cut him off the reward he expected for the assistance he had given him ; caus'd himself to be carry'd in a chair to the pretorian bands , who saluted him emperour , and murder'd galba ; together with piso , and titus junius . his ill gotten power was not lasting , for he was emperour only the space of days . the german legions , in imitation of those of spain , declar'd their general aulus vitellius emperour , and france join'd with them . spain seem'd to stand neuter , therefore otho to gain the affections of that people , gave them jurisdiction over mauritania tingitana , whence is ensued that the people of that province long after repaired to the roman courts at cadiz , to determine their law suits , and were subject to the goths , as long as they held the sovereignty of spain . however lucius albinus governour of mauritania , came over into spain , the more to strengthen other parts , but was defeated by cluvius rufus , left there by galba , that had now declared for vitellius . otho being vanquished in lombardy , killed himself , and vitellius entred rome armed , and beset with soldiers , as if he had triumphed over his country . this , and the manner of his government , not unlike to the beginning , made him odious to all men , besides that , having spent the former part of his life in disorderly vices , now , with the increase of power , he gave himself the greater loose , and so became contemptible , which gave occasion to the legions that were in the east , to try their fortune in choosing an emperor , as they did with much better success than any of the others . flavius vespasianus the chief of the most noble family of the favij , in the time of the emperor claudius , made war in britain , and subdu'd the isle of wight . the many victories gain'd there made him famous , but by reason of the confusion of those times he retir'd to a private life , whence he was call'd the last year but one of nero's reign , to command the army , that was sent against the jews . he had almost subdu'd that province , when his soldiers declar'd him emperor , and mucianus who govern'd siria on the one side , as also tiberius alexander , that commanded in aegypt , on the other , invited and perswaded him to accept of that title . this being concluded and agreed upon , they caus'd their legions to take an oath of fidelity to him , their example was soon follow'd by the other provinces . the particular account of their actions belongs not to this history , but in conclusion vitellius was slain at rome , in the ninth month of his reign , and th year of his age. vespasian leaving his son titus , to command in asia , came by the way of alexandria into italy , and so to rome , in the year of our lord , and was receiv'd with the general applause and satisfaction of the senate and people . he govern'd the empire ten years with such prudence and virtue , that he seemed to want nothing but the knowledge of the christian faith. titus having subdu'd the jews , and destroy'd hierusalem , triumph'd with his father at rome , and having brought over with him a vast number of captive jews , part of them were sent into spain , where they setled in the city merida , as their writers affirms . at his first coming to the empire , vespasian granted to the spaniards the priviledges of latium , or italy , the more to incline them to his party , they at that time favouring vitellius . licinius larius , now governed hispania citerior as pretor , a man given to learning , and great friend to pliny then questor there , for whose natural history , and some other works , he offered a great sum of money . this licinius is supposed to have built the bridge of segovia , a work so lofty and wonderful , that the commonalty are perswaded , it was built by the devil . others attribute the building of this bridge to the emperor trajan , but there are no sufficient grounds to assert either opinion . it is much more credible , that the town in galicia , now called betanços , formerly flavium brigancium , the other now called padron , then iria flavia , also the town municipium flavium axaritanum , now lora , and other places of that name , were built by the family of vespasian , who were all called flavij , or else they took those names in honour of the emperor , or one of his sons . the emperor vespasian lived to be years of age , and then dyed at rome , on the th of june in the year of our lord . he was as happy in his death , as his life , for that he left behind his son titus , to succeed in the empire , who equal'd his father in all his virtues , and far exceeded him , in affability , sweetness of temper , and liberality , to which he was so inclin'd , he was used to say , none ought to go from his princes presence dissatisfyed , and remembring one night that he had bestowed no favour that day , said to those about him ; my friends we have lost a day ; these good qualities gained him the affections of all men so intirely , that he was called , the ornament and delight of mankind . but death cut him off very untimely , for he was not above year of age , reigned only two years , two months , and twenty days , and deceased on the th of september , in the year of christ . nothing of note appears to have hap'ned during this time in spain . it was governed by three pretors , in the three provinces , tarraconensis , betica , and lusitania . in betica there were eight roman colonies , and as many municipiums , which enjoyed less priviledges than the others , and four courts to determine law suits , that were held at cadiz , sevil , ezija , and cordova . in lusitania were five colonies , one municipium , which was lisbon , called by another name felicitas julia , and three courts at merida , badajoz , and santaren , then called scalabis . in hispania , citerior , or tarraconensis , there were fourteen colonies ( some say more ) thirteen municipiums , and seven courts at cartagena , tarragona , zaragoça , clunia , now corun̄a , astorga , lugo , and braga . the pretors , now when the time of their command was expired , and they waited for one to succed them , called themselves legates , or lieutenants , and not propretors , as was used before . chap. iii. the reigns of the emperors , domitian , nerva , trajan , adrian , antoninus verus , marcus aurelius , and commodus , the persecutions under them , the building of the city leon , and rise of the heresie of the gnosticks . the virtues and good qualities of titus , were set off and received the greater luster , by the disorders , and extravagancies of his brother and successor domitian , a man so vicious he rather resembled the neros , than the flavij . his madness was such that he caused his wife , to be called augusta , which none of his predecessors had done , and himself to be stiled lord and god. he persecuted the christians , banished st. john the evangelist to the island pathmos , killed marcus aelius glabrio , and flavius clemens , who had both been consuls , and banished flavia domicilla wife to the latter , into the island ponza , without regard to the kindred he with had both of them . this his cruelty to the christians , is thought to have shortned his days , his death being foretold by flashes of lightning , that continually fell for the space of eight months . his avarice made him the more odious , for he seized upon the estates of the martyrs , therefore some , to please him , accused domicilla's steward , that he had concealed her riches . the steward whose name was stephanus , having notice of it to avoid that danger ventured upon a greater , for with some others he conspired to kill the tyrant , which he put in execution , within his own palace on the eighth of september in the year . he dyed at the age of having reigned years and months , his death was pleasing to all men except the soldiers , to whom he denyed nothing that they might stand firm to him . in spain he put out an edict by which it was forbid to plant any more vines . about the same time eugenius , disciple to dionysius areopagita , sent by him to preach in spain , and first archbishop of toledo , shed his blood in defence of the faith of jesus christ , in france , whither he went to visit his master . at this time three famous spanish poets flourished at rome , viz. m. valerius martialis born at bilbilis , now calatayud , caius canius , at cadiz , and decianus at merida . the senate upon the death of domitian chose caius nerva emperor . he was a person of great authority , but very ancient , and therefore the more exposed to contempt , which he being sensible of adopted m. vlpius trajanus a spaniard born at italica near sevil a man much in esteem and of great parts , and appointed him his companion and successor . he repeal'd all the decrees and edicts made by domitian , whereupon many returned from bannishment , and among the rest st. john the evangelist from the island pathmos , to his church at ephesus . nerva was emperor only sixteen months , and then upon his death , m. vlpius trajanus , his adopted son undertook the government in the month of february , and the year of grace . his great virtues were answerable to the hopes had been conceived of him . his good natural parts being much cultivated by the instructions of so good a master as was the great philosopher plutarch . trajan built two bridges of wonderful structure ; the one in germany over the danube the greatest river in europe ; the other in that part of spain , we call estremadura , over the river tagus , and is known by the name of the bridge of alcantara . by an inscription that is still to be seen on that bridge , it appears that many towns of the neighbourhood contributed to the charge . this is one of the most remarkable pieces of antiquity in spain . in a town of andaluzia , called aragua , belonging to the knights of the order of st. james , on the wall of the palace , are two stones which were once the pedestals of two statues erected in memory of matidia , and marcia sisters to trajan , as appears by the inscription upon them . at the same time the soldiers of the seventh legion called gemina , quiting the city sublancia in asturias , because it was seated on the ridge of a hill , two leagues , below it founded a town which from them was called legio , now the city leon , and but slenderly peopled , yet was once the court of the kings of leon , when after the destruction of spain , the christians began to gather strength , trajan governed the empire the space of ninteen years and a half . in the third year of his reign , he raised a more cruel persecution against the christians , than could have been imagined from a prince esteemed as he was , mild and prudent . this fury was in some measure abated five years after , at the instance of pliny the younger , then proconsul of bithynia , who in a letter advised him , that the christian superstition ( as they termed it ) ought rather to be suppressed by art than force , because it was spread abroad in the country , as well as in cities , and that the christians could not be convicted of any crimes , only that they had meetings before day , where they sung hymns in honour of christ . upon this trajan answered , that no search should be made after the christians , but that if accused they should be punished . an infinite number of christians suffered in this persecution . spain was not exempted from its share of blood . among others mantius first bishop of ebord was martyred . there is a rich monastery within a league of medina de rio seco of his invocation , and therefore called villa nueva de s. mancio . at this time also macarius , justus , and rufinus suffered ; trajan dyed in cilicia , at a place then called selinunte , afterwards trajanopolis , or trajans town , in his return to rome from the parthian war ; nevertheless his ashes were received into that city with triumph for having vanquished his enemies . a thing never granted to any before or after him , that they should triumph after death . aelius adrianus appointed by trajan his successor , as soon as he entred upon the government , intending to visit all his provinces , set out from rome , and through germany passed into great britain ; thence he went over into spain , so to africk , and into the east , his head always bare and often afoot . in this long journey he is said to have narrowly escaped an eminent danger at tarragona , where a slave ran at him with a drawn sword , but being supposed to be mad , he delivered him up to the physicians , to be cured without any other punishment . sextus aurelius victor says , he divided spain into six provinces , viz. betica , lusitania , carthaginensis , tarraconensis , galicia , and mauritania's tingitana . it appears by some inscriptions of those days , as also by justinians laws , that the governours of betica , and lusitania were consular legates , those of the other four provinces were only presidents . this emperor having no children chose ceionius commodus verus for his successor , and gave him the title of caesar , reserving to himself that of augustus , and this was the original of the custom , of calling the emperors children , or successors caesars . in the eleventh year of his reign , adrian ordered that none should be punished meerly for being a christian , unless he were convicted of some crime , and was so well inclined towards the christians , that he designed to place christ among his other gods , and caused temples to be erected without any idols . fearing that the greateness of the roman empire might cause it to sink under its own weight , he set bounds to it , to which purpose the bridge built by trajan on the danube was demolished , and in the east he ordered the river euphrates , should be the utmost limit , quitting what was conquered beyond it . he was very sickly , and being tired with the continual dependance on physicians , at bayae to avoid having more to do with them , he abstained from meat and dyed , having reigned twenty one years . in the days of this emperor , basilides in aegypt , and saturninus in syria spread the sect of the gnosticks , which confounded the divine persons , and subjected the free will and its operations to the force of destiny , and the stars . besides , they affirmed that christian justification depends only upon faith. a disciple of basilides , called marc , came into spain , and there sowed his wicked doctrine . among others there followed him a woman called agape , and the rhetorician helpidius . from these ashes and embers priscillian afterwards raked a fire which spread a mighty flame , as shall be observed in its place . commodus verus died soon after his adoption , and in his place was substituted titus aelius antoninus , who succeeded adrian in the empire in the year . during the term of twenty two years and seven months , that his reign lasted , he maintained all the provinces of the empire in such peace and tranquility , that he was compared to numa . all men strove to please and obey so good a prince , and he laboured to gain the affections of all men. his most peculiar virtues were clemency and meekness , which gained him the titles of pious , and pater patriae . under him the christians suffered no persecution as under the other emperors . it does not appear that he did any thing remarkable in spain , but his name is to be seen in some roman inscriptions . he dyed near rome in the year , and left m. aurelius antoninus , and antoninus verus to succeed him in the empire . this was the first time that two emperors were seen in rome with equal power and authority . verus lived but nine years , he renewed the persecution against the christians , quieted the east where the persians had raised commotions , and is believed to have been the first that gave the title of comites , or counts to the governours of provinces . by his death the whole charge of the government was devolv'd upon m. aurelius antoninus , a prince of great goodness , the sirname of philosopher , given him is a sufficient testimony of his learning , as is the learned book of his still extant . he reigned nineteen years and one month , and dyed the th of march in the year . aelius aurelius commodus antoninus , succeeding his father , by the vileness of his actions much obscured the glory of his family . it was supposed one of his concubines named marcia , had distempered his brain with some potion she gave him ; certain it is she was the cause of his death , for finding her own name in the list of those that were to be slain , she conspired with the eunuch narcissus , and they gave him a dose of poison , but finding it did not work fast enough , they stifled him . he lived but thirty two years , whereof he reign'd twelve , eight months and fifteen day . it is reported he kept three hundred concubines , and a like number of the beautifulest youths , that could be found to satisfy his beastly lust . some authors say , it was at this time , that the holy martyrs facundus , and primitivus suffered at the banks of cea , a river that runs down from the mountains of asturias , into old castile . here the christians built a church in honour of them . in the time of the moores , they were remov'd into asturias , and thence returned to the same place , and a monastery of benedictine monks built there , near that of sahagun , and is one of the chiefest places of devotion in spain . chap. iv. the reigns of the emperors , pertinax , severus , caracalla , macrinus , heliogabalus , alexander severus , maximinus , gordianus , philip , decius , trebonianus gallus , and aemilianus . the emperor commodus was killed in the year . helvius pertinax born of a libertine , or which is all one , descended from slaves , succeeded him , and ruled only two months and twenty eight days . the murderers of commodus procur'd him the crown , for his approved goodness , and the pretorian soldiers deprived him of it and his life , within his own palace . no sooner was pertinax murdered , but sulpicianus , and didius julianus , repaired to the pretorian bands , like merchants to buy the empire , as if it had been exposed to sale . julianus carryed it , by promising each soldier twenty five sestercies , which amounts to crowns , an extravagant sum , and not being able afterwards to pay it , the souldiers forsook him , and he was killed by the contrivance of septimius severus , six months after he undertook the government . for this good service severus was declared emperor , by the legions of sclavonia . he was born at leptis , or tripoli , in barbary , punished the pretorian bands for the murder of pertinax , by disarming , and banishing them a hundred miles from rome , vanquished pescennius niger , who called himself emperor in the east , destroyed the city bizantium , because it shut the gates against him , defeated albinus , that was revolted in france , then passed over into great britain , appeased the commotions that were raised there , resolved to build a wall betwixt england , and scotland , to curb the incursions of the scots , but was cut off by death , which seized him in the city of york , when he had reign'd seventeen years , and eight months and three days . in the ninth year of his reign , he raised a persecution against the christians , in which much blood was spilt . severus , left two sons by two wives . aurelius antoninus caracalla the eldest , at his first coming to the crown , slew his brother gela , by the father's will , appointed his companion in the empire . this bloody action made him odious to the people , and he increased their hatred by marrying julia , geta's mother , and as some will have it , his own . he stopped not here , but put to death all that were any ways inclined to his brother . but his barbarities could not be lasting , for he was stabbed by one marcialis , a soldier , as he sate easing his body , when he had reigned six years , two months , and five days . opilius macrinus , commander of the pretorian bands , by the free consent of audentius a noble man , whom the soldiers would have preferred , was declared emperor . he did nothing of note , and his time was so short he can scare be counted in the number of emperors . mesa , the sister of julia , prevailed with the soldiers to kill him at chaleedon , together with his son diadumenus , on the th of june . his power lasted but three months and twenty eight days . aurelius antoninus varius , who was priest of the sun in phaenicia , as is signifyed by the name heliogabalus , and for the beauty of his person , and gracefulness which seemed to be the tokens of a fair soul , and above all by the help of his mother mesa , was by the unanimous consent of the soldiers saluted emperor . his life and manners were vicious beyond measure , so wholly addicted to lust , that he acted and suffered things not to be named , and raved to that excess of brutality , that he endeavoured to change his sex , to the shame and disgrace of the roman empire , and of all mankind . the world could not endure such a monster , his own guards killed him , on the tenth of march , in the year of our lord , the eighteenth of his age , and when he had reign'd three years , nine months , and four days . alexander severus , cousin-german to heliogabalus , succeeded him in the empire ; his virtues equalled the vices of the other , and he had proved one of the most glorious emperors , had he not been cut off by death . he was so far a favourer of christians , as to cause the image of christ to be placed among those of his other gods , he overcame the parthians , and then waging war in germany , was basely murdered by maximinus , in the twenty ninth year of his age , when he had reigned thirteen years , and nine days equal to the best , for justice , clemency , prudence , and meekness . there is no memory of any thing remarkable that happen'd in spain , in the days of these emperors . at guadix , is the pedestal of a statue erected in honour of mammea , the mother of alexander the emperor , the inscription of it is as follows . to julia mammea augusta , mother to the emperor caesar marcus aurelius severus alexander , pious , happy , augustus , mother of the army ; the colony julia gemina accitana , devoted to her deity and majesty . this lady is supposed to have been a christian , at least she was familiarly acquainted with origen ; about this time , pope anterus , who then governed the see of rome , writ a letter to the bishops of andaluzia , and kingdom of toledo , in which among other things , he tells them that bishops cannot lawfully be translated , from one see to another , for their own ease , or advantage . julius maximinus , born in thracia of base parentage , remarkable for his extraordinary stature of body , strength and swiftness , passed thro' all the degrees from a private soldier , till by force he possessed himself of the empire after the death of alexander severus , in the year of grace . after quieting the revolted germans , he prepared to make war upon samartia , ( now poland ) when news was brought him to the city sirmo , that the soldiers in africk had saluted gordianus , the governour of that province , emperor , and the senate approved of their choice . inflamed with the desire of revenge , he marched towards rome ; but stopp'd at aquileia , that city having shut the gates against him . here he was inform'd , that gordianus , and his son of the same name , had been killed in africk , and that the senate had in his stead , chosen balbinus and pupienus . great was the danger that threatned , had not the soldiers weary of the tyrant , killed him in his own tent ; which delivered rome from slavery , and the christians from the fear of the persecution he had raised against them . the emperors balbinus and pupienus , were killed by their own guards , within the first year of their reign . gordianus , grandson to the other of the same name , was before saluted caesar , and appointed their successor ; and notwithstanding , he was yet scarce years of age , without any opposition declared emperor . after putting an end to the persian war with the wish'd for success , he was basely murdered by philip , the captain of his guards , in the th year of his reign . the empire was the reward of marcus julius philippus's treason . he was by birth an arab , of mean extraction ; but a good soldier , which raised him to several commands ; and at last to the empire , in the year . which he held above years . he made a dishonourable peace with the persians . the goths at this time infesting the province of thrace , one marinus sent by him to oppose them , took upon him the title of emperor ; but was vanquished , and slain by decius , whom philip had intrusted with an army to suppress him . this done , the same decius was saluted emperor by his legions : and philip marching to oppose him , was killed in a mutiny of his own men at verona . as soon as decius was possessed of the empire , which was in the year . he persecuted the christians with the utmost cruelty . he waged war with the getae , and overthrew them in the first battle ; but in the second , by the treachery of trebonianus gallus was vanquished and killed , together with his son , when he had ruled the space of two years . this traytor , according to the custom of those times , usurped the empire , and held it months . he made peace with the getae , and agreed to pay them a sum of money yearly ; a thing very dishonourable to the roman empire , whereby he became contemptible to his soldiers , and gave occasion to aemilianus , his own general , an african of mauritania tingitana , after having defeated those people in a great battle , to revolt ; and gallus being slain , to seize upon the empire . his power lasted but . months , his own soldiers killing him as soon as they heard of the election of valerianus ; and therefore some do not reckon him in the number of the emperors . chap. v. the reigns of the emperors valerianus , galienus , flavius , aurelianus , tacitus , florianus , probus , carus , carinus , dioclesian , and maximian , constantius , and galerius , maximinus , and licinius . licinius valerianus , was years of age when the legions in gallia saluted him emperor , in the year of our lord . having reigned years , he was taken prisoner , in a battle he fought with the persians , and liv'd above a year in slavery . his son galienus , thought of nothing less , than relieving his father , and regaining the lost honour of the empire ; and indeed , he was distracted on all sides by the persians , goths , and germans , and by generals , who in several places , had taken upon them the title of emperors . it would be endless to relate what each of them did , it only makes for our purpose , that one tetricus possessed himself of spain , and had recourse to the germans for aid . they passed thither thro' france , and like a barbarous people , for the space of years , destroyed all that was in their way with fire and sword. it appears by some stones found in spain , that the emperor galienus's wife was called cornelia salolina , and decius's empress herennia . about this time , pope lucius governed the church , who in an epistle to the bishops of spain , and france , exhorts them to hold frequent synods , determines the power of metropolitans o●er their suffragan bishops , forbids communication with hereticks , and encourages them to bear patiently with the lasting calamities of the times . lucius's successor , was stephanus , in whose time , the bishops of spain , in a council they held , degraded martial , bishop of merida , and basilides of astorga , as libellatici ; so they called those that gave it under their hands , they renounc'd the christian religion ; for those , who proceeded so far as to offer sacrifice to idols , were termed sacrificati . basilides had recourse to rome , as to the head , was absolved by pope stephen , and ordered to be restored to his church and dignity . the bishops of spain offended at it , consulted with st. cyprian , bishop of carthage ; who taking the advice of others , answer'd , that those , who forsake the church , could not be restor'd to the honours they before enjoy'd in the church ; that upon doing pennance suitable to the crime , they might be again received into the number of the faithful ; but not replaced in the sacerdotal dignity , as had been determined by pope cornelius ; and that if pope stephen had ordered otherwise , he had been imposed upon , as being so far off . therefore pope sixtus ii. successor to stephen , in his epistle to the bishops of spain , tells them , the decrees of the fathers are not to be altered , nor bishops depos'd without acquainting him of rome . how this difference ended , is not known ; but certain it is , all these three popes suffered martyrdom under valerianus , as did st. laurence , the honour of spain , born at huesca , and also orencius and pacientia , both accounted saints . the emperor galienus besieging milan , his soldiers weary of the war , mutinied , and killed him , in the year of grace . when he had governed years . the empire being thus without a head , flavius claudius , a noble man , and great general , took upon him the title of emperor in the year following . the beginning of his reign was fortunate , for he killed the tyrant aureolus , overcame the goths and germans ; but as he was preparing to march , either against tetricus in spain , or queen zenobia in the east , death cut him off at sirmo , a city of hungary , when he had reigned one year , ten months , and fifteen days . his death being known , the senate in his place , chose quintilianus , his brother , a man of so poor a spirit , that he killed himself days after his election , upon the news that claudius's legions had saluted lucius domitius aurelianus emperor . this might have been counted among the best of princes , had he not defac'd the lustre of his martial exploits with moroseness , and the hatred he bore to christianity . he subdued dacia , vanquished all the tyrants that had possessed themselves of several provinces , took queen zenobia prisoner , and led her into rome in triumph , which was the last celebrated in that city after the ancient manner . returning into the east , to make war upon the persians , he was treacherously murdered by his favourite mnestheus , when he had reigned years , months , and days . in his days , narcissus and felix , suffered martydom at girona , on the borders of spain . after the death of aurelianus , a new and unusual contention in point of civility hap'ned betwixt the senate and army , each referring the choice of an emperor to the other . six months were spent in agreeing the point , at length , the senate overcome , by the modesty of the army , named claudius tacitus , a man of great ability , but years of age. so his command prov'd but short lived ; for he governed only months , and days , and dy'd at tharsus in cilicia . florianus , his brother , who was there present , caused himself to be proclaimed emperor ; but repenting , ordered his veins to be open'd months after , and bled to death . the reason was , he thought he had not force enough to withstand the legions of the east , which had nam'd m. aurelius probus emperor . he , tho' by birth a sclavonian , was a person so well versed in civil , as well as martial affairs , and of such known vertue , that had not the name probus belong'd to him by his family , he had deserv'd it for his good life and behaviour . his reign lasted but years , and months ; at the end of which , he was killed by his own soldiers , who , in his place , chose m. aurelius carus , in the year of grace . and he named his two sons carinus and numerianus , his companions in the empire . carus was killed by a thunder-bolt , or flash of lightning , near the river tigris , in the second year of his reign ; and numerianus murdered in a litter , in which he was carried , because of his sore eyes , by his father-in-law aper , in hopes of making himself emperor . hereupon , the army chose dioclesian , who overthrew and killed carinus , that pretended to the whole empire by right of succession . at this time , a prefect , called m. aurelius , governed hispania citerior , as appears by certain inscriptions upon stones , still preserv'd in spain ; by which , it also appears , that the emperors , besides all their other titles , used the name of proconsul ; as may be seen upon a stone preserved to this day in the market-place of monviedro . dioclesian was a native of sclavonia , descended from slaves , and nevertheless , was made emperor of rome , in the year of christ . he was not inferior to the greatest princes for warlike exploits ; but blemished all the actions of his life with an insatiable thirst of christian blood . in the second year of his reign , he declared maximianus herculeus his companion in the empire , and soon after , gave the title of caesars to galerius maximinus , and constantius clorus . galerius was married to valeria , dioclesian's daughter . constantius by his cammand , was devorced from helena , the daughter of a king of britain , and mother of constantine the great , and married to theodora , the daughter-in-law of maximian . during the whole reign of these two emperors , the persecution against the christians , was so violent and bloody , as it never had been before , or was after in any part of the world. many suffered in spain ; but especially after the coming of the president dacianus , no corner of it was free from the blood of martyrs . dioclesian grown weary of the govenment , and despairing of ever being able utterly to extirpate the christian religion , as he had designed , renounced the empire at milan , after he had held it years , and retired to a private life . maximian by his perswasion , did the same at nicomedia ; an example rarely to be seen . by this means , constantius and galerius , were left absolute , in the year of christ . constantius for his part , chose france , spain and britain . he was a prince of that moderation , that the service of his table was earthen ware ; a great friend to the christians , as appeared upon several occasions . the other provinces of the empire fell to galerius , who , the more to strengthen himself , declared his two nephews , severus and maximinus , caesars . to maximinus , he gave charge of the east , to severus , of italy and africk ; he himself took care of sclavonia and greece . death put an end to the actions of constantius ; for he dy'd at york , in the year . having reigned only year , months , and days . about this time lived prudentius , bishop of tarraçona , born at arnencia , a town in biscay ; formerly an episcopal see , now only a scattered village , since the collegiate church was removed from thence to vitoria , by the bull of pope alexander vi. in these days also , flourished rufus festus , the famous writer of the roman history , and a noted poet. the year after constantius dy'd , maxentius , son to maximian , possessed himself of rome , and assumed the title of emperor . severus marched against him , but was defeated and slain by the tyrant . maximian hearing hereof , repaired to rome , either to be assisting to his son , or in hopes to recover the empire . ambition observes no respect of persons , his son turn'd him out of rome , and he fled to the protection of constantine , then residing in france , who understanding that maximian without regard to their kindred , or the rites of hospitality , contrived his death , ordered him to be killed at marseilles , where he then was . galerius having constituted licinius , caesar , in stead of severus , marched himself into italy , to suppress the tyrant ; but fearing his army would mutiny , returned into sclavonia without effecting any thing . there he began to vent his rage upon the christians ; but death put an end to his designs , for he dy'd of an imposthume in the groin , years after he was raised to the empire . at that time melchiades was pope , who in an epistle to marinus , leontius , benedictus , and the other bishops of spain , aduises them to take warning from the shortness of humane life to govern their flocks with moderation . that among the apostles , tho' equal in the vocation , there-was a difference in the power , which st. peter had above the rest . he also treats of the sacrament of confirmation . this epistle is dated in the consulship of rubrius and volusianus , which is in the year of our lord . chap. vi. the reign of the glorious constantine the great , the first christian emperor . the arian heresie . and first general council of nice . the romans weary of the tyranny of maxentius , and reposing no confidence in the caesars , maximinus and licinius , sent for aid to constantine , then residing in france . he readily condescended to their request , and marched with his army to milan , where to secure licinius , he gave him in marriage his sister constantia . that done , he advanc'd towards the tyrant . being near rome , his thoughts fully bent upon the business in hand , in a bright sunshine day , he saw the sign of the cross in the sky , with this inscription , in hoc signo vinces . highly encourouraged by this miracle , he ordered that the imperial standard , call'd labarum , should be made in the figure of a cross , in the manner as represented in the margent . hence some are of opinion , sprang the custom in spain of w●●ting the name of christ with x. p. which was the form of the labarum . this is proved by a stone found at oreto , near almago , of the time of the emperor valentinian ii. where it appears , the name of christ was then writ in that manner . constantine advanc'd , and in vertue of the cross , in sight of rome , vanquished his enemy , who flying over a bridge of boats he had made upon the river tiber , fell in , and was drowned . thus rome was delivered from tyranny , and constantine entred the city in triumph that way , where now stands the most beautiful triumphal arch , erected in memory of this victory . at the same time ceased the cruel persecution raised against the christians by the tyrant . it was then also , that maximin in the east profusely spilt the blood of christians ; and so great was his desire of extirpating christianity , that he ordered throughout all the provinces under his command , children should be taught to read in , and get by heart a book , in which , what passed betwixt christ and pontius pilate , was falsely , and scandalously represented , on purpose to make the sacred name of our saviour odious and contemptible . it is true , not long before his death , he repealed all those edicts ; not so much of his own inclination , as for fear of constantine , whose power daily encreased , also of licinius , by whom , he had been lately overthrown in battle . licinius soon changing his mind , began to declare against the christian religion , which drew constantine upon him . they came to a battle , first in hungary , where licinius was vanquished ; but pardoned at the intercession of his wife constantia ; then again in bithynia , and being again defeated , constantine spared his life , yet reduced him to live as a private person ; but because afterwards , he endeavoured to revolt , caused him at last to be killed . he was of such an extravagant humour , that he used to say , learning was the poison of the common-wealth ; and no wonder , since he was so ignorant himself , he could not write his name . thus all commotions and broils , being appeased , as well at home , as abroad , all the empire was brought under one head ; who so far favoured christianity , that it daily encreased , and still flourished more and more . the emperor constantine was baptized in rome , and by vertue of the baptism delivered of a leprosie he languished under , as some authors will have it ; but the most received opinion is , that this must be understood of the spiritual leprosie of paganism . a beautiful font in the church of st. john lateran , of curious workmanship , and adorned with large columns of porphyry stone , is a testimony of his being baptized at rome . as soon as baptized , he began to cultivate the religion he had embraced , building churches in several places , enacting many holy laws and stirring up all people with his good example . great was the prosperity of the christian church . but all this glory suffered some eclipse by the obstinacy of arius of alexandria , who taught and maintained , that christ , the son of god , and the eternal word , was not of the same substance with his father . this was the founder of the famous sect and heresie of the arians . the holy martyr st. lucianus , was master to arius , but not in this madness ; his fellow disciples , friends and assertors , were the two eusebii of nicomedia , and caesarea . ambition was the principal motive of his fall , being offended that after the death of st. peter , bishop of alexandria , alexander was promoted to that see , without any regard had of him . from hence sprang that division betwixt christians , which spread over almost all the world , and seemed to threaten destruction . for many men of note , as well of the clergy , as laity , followed the new opinion , without giving ear to the advice and persuasions of those that continued firm in the true faith. the emperor was highly concerned at this schism , and sent hosius , bishop of cordova , to alexandria to compose those differences , as being the most famous man of that age for learning , prudence and authority . he handled that affair with much circumspection ; and for the better reconciling the matters in dispute , is said to have been the first that invented the words ousia , which signifies essence , or being , and hypostasis , which is the suppositum , or person . nothing was of force to convince the obstinate arius ; whereupon , he was banished alexandria ; and afterwards being summoned to appear at constantinople , he there going to ease himself , voided his entrails , and so made a miserable end ; as st. athanasius , who lived at that time , testifies . the evil still encreasing , and taking root , the emperor resolved to have recourse to the last remedy , which was to call a general council . nicea , a city in bithynia , was the place appointed by constantine for the bishops to meet , and thither , by his order repaired from all parts . in this council , arius and his doctrine were condemned . meletius was also deprived of his bishoprick , because he too hotly reproved the easiness of peter , bishop of alexandria , in reconciling , and admitting to the church such as had fallen from the faith ; and by this his zealotry , had bred divisions in the churches of egypt . there were great disputes about the time of celebrating the feast of easter ; that also was settled , and ordered to be kept at one and the same time throughout the world. the eastern clergy were grown very loose and disorderly in their lives ; particularly , in what related to living chastly ; and it being thought hard to reduce them to the rules observed before , therefore by the advice of paphnucius , the fathers condescended to allow them to keep their wives . all persons were forbid keeping the books of arius , upon pain of death ; the said books were all ordered to be burnt . some say , the manner of reckoning by indictions , was first brought up in this council , and that it commenced in the year of grace . because in that year , the emperor constantine saw the sign of the cross in the sky . the great hosius was present at this council ; and some will have it that he presided in it for pope silvester , together with the two priests , vitus and vincentius , sent from rome to that purpose . at the same time , or soon after , was held in spain , the council called iliberitanum , of the city iliberis which stood in that part of the province betica , where now is granada ; as appears by a gate of that city , still called elvira , and a hill near it of the same name . they mistake , who hold that this council was held near the pyreneans at colibre , then called eliberis ; because the difference betwixt the names of those two cities , still continues , and no bishop of france , or the adjacent country , was present at this synod , except valerius , bishop of zaragoça . this is one of the ancientest synods , and in which , several weighty matters were handled . in it mention is made of virgins consecrated to god. the bishops here dispensed with the fasts of the months of july and august , a custom before received in france , tho' not in spain , where there was more need of it , because of the great heat . they forbid married women writing and receiving letters , without the knowledge of their husbands ; and also the painting of saints on the walls of churches , that they might not be defaced by the decay of the walls . they likewise mention metropolitans , before called bishops of the first chair . to return to constantine , he rebuilt the city bizantium , destroyed by the emperor severus , and removed the imperial court thither , calling it of his own name , constantinople . he instituted four praefecti pretorii , two to command in the east , and two in the west , one of these over italy , the other over france and spain ; the residence of the latter , was in france , and under him a vicar governed spain . constantine having settled all things to his mind , dy'd in the year of our lord . having reigned years , months , and day . his putting to death his son crispus , and wife fausta , gave occasion to some to slander this great monarch , and many other calumnies have been raised to deface the memory of his glorious actions . but many learned pens have writ of him in particular , and it belongs not to us to enlarge upon this subject . chap. vii . the reigns of the emperors , constantine , constantius , and constans , julian the apostate , jovianus , valentinian , and valens . constantine left three sons by his second wife , to wit constantine , constantius , and constans , all three at several times during his life named caesars , and at his death he divided the empire among them in this manner . to constantine the eldest , he assigned the west beyond the aples , to constantius , the second son the east , and to constans , the youngest italy ; africk , and sclavonia . the same he confirmed by his last will and testament , and ordered moreover that dalmatius , cousin-germain to the emperors , should have the title of caesar in the east . him constantius , caused tobe killed in a mutiny of the soldiers , in the first year of his reign . constantine , the eldest of the three brothers , the third year after the death of his father , was treacherously slain near aquileia , having marched so far in order to deprive his brother constans of the empire , upon pretence it all belonged to him , and that he had been wronged in the distribution of the provinces . some have writ that constantine was an arian , but the contrary appears in that , through his means his brother constantius , recalled st. athanasius from banishment . the emperor constans , was a great support to the catholicks , and they soon found a great miss of him , for he ended his days on the way to spain , at the city erna , in the county of roussillon . he was killed by magnentius , who was in rebellion , and possessed of france , and spain . constantius resolving to revenge the death of his brother , before he set out named gallus , his cousin , caesar . both armies met near the city murcia , in sclavonia , where they came to a battle , which proved very bloody , for of the usurpers side men were killed , and of constantius , yet he got the day , but the forces of the empire where much weakned by so great a slaughter . the tyrant after the fight fled to lions , in france , there he and his brother decentius , by him appointed caesar , despairing of making head again killed themselves . by this victory , all the provinces of the empire were again brought under one monarch . nevertheless the germans broke into france , doing great harm there . the emperor , besides his other faults was jealous of all men , and gave ear to court-whisperers , the plague of all courts , whereby he had been prevailed upon some time before in the east , to kill his cousin gallus . notwithstanding that he might at once oppose the persians , and quiet france , he took gallus , his own brother julian , out of a monastery , and declared him caesar , and to bind him the faster to his interest , marryed him to his sister helen . julian was sent into france , whilst the emperor prepared for the war against the persians . at this time st. athanasius , for fear of being kill'd absented himself again , and lay hid till the death of constantius , which hap'ned in this manner . the event of the persian war was unfortunate , and met with several disasters , at which the emperor was highly concerned . at the same time the soldiers in france pleased with the conduct of julian , saluted him emperor at paris . this was a fresh cause of grief to constantius , who resolved to march against him , but was prevented by death , which overtook him at antioch . there he was baptized after the manner of the arians , either that he had deferred it till then , or that he was rebaptiz'd at they also used . his death hap'ned on the d of november . in spain about the same time , certain pages bringing lights at night , came in saying , let us conquer , let us conquer ; whence it may be supposed the custom of saluting one another , when lights are brought in , had its original among us . a certain roman that was present imagining this word had carryed some farther meaning , drew his sword and kill'd the master of the house with all his family . this ammianus marcellinus relates without any other circumstance . about this time also flourished clemens prudentius , a soldier , and lawyer in his youth , in his riper years a poet , famous for the verses he writ in praise of the holy martyrs . also juvencus a spanish priest , writ the like of christ in heroick verse , and pacianus , bishop of barcelona , employed his talent in writning against the novatians . the emperor constantius left never a son , and therefore appointed him , he would have persecuted whilst living , his successor at his death , that is his cousin julian , a man of learning and good natural endowments , that might have been compared to the best of emperors , had he still adhered to the true religion , and not suffered himself to be perverted by his master libahus , so as to forsake christianity , by which he got the name of apostate . as soon as possest of the empire to gain the good will of all men , he gave full liberty to every one to follow the religion they pleased . he revoked the sentence of banishment , that had passed against catholicks , excepting athanasius , whom because after the death of constantius , he returned to his church he ordered to be apprehended , and so forced him again to abscond . to the jews he gave liberty to rebuild the temple of jerusalem , but such flames issued out of the foundations they were oblig'd to desist . the gentiles were permitted to open their temples , shut up since the time of constantine . his hatred to the christians was great , yet he thought better to weaken them by policy than open force , and therefore forbid their being admitted to any places of honour or trust , or their childrens to be taught in the greek schools , which stirred up many christians to write learnedly in verse and prose , particularly the two apollinarii , father and son , persons of great learning . this emperors end was suitable to his beginning . he undertook the war against the persians , was at first successful , but thereupon advanced so far , that all his army was in danger of perishing , and he himself slain with a dart , as some say accidentally , thrown by his own men , or the enemies , others say he was struck by the martyr , st. mercurius with a spear , which was then found bloody upon his tomb. he lived years , and reign'd one year , months , and days . the whole army upon his death offered the empire to flavius jovianus , a person of very excellent parts , who refused it saying , he was a christian , and would not govern those wh owere not such , but they all declaring themselves to be christians , he condescended to their request . being invested in the imperial dignity , he made peace with the persians , tho' not advantageous , yet such as was requisite to deliver himself and army , from the danger into which the rashness of julian had run them . catholicks were restored to their honours and dignities , the revenues to churches , st. athanasius , and others recalled from banishment , and all things seemed to be again in a flourishing . condition , but this happiness was not to be lasting , for the emperor in his way to rome , betwixt galatia , and bithynia , was stifled to death , by a pan of coals that was left in the room where he lay , which was newly whitened . he dyed at the age of years , and reigned only months , and days . by him it was made death to offer wrong to any virgin consecrated to god , tho' upon pretence of matrimony . flavius valentinianus , an hungarian succeeded jovianus . his first education had been mean , but being wise and valiant , he ran through all commands in the army , at length , attained to be prefect of the pretorian bands , was by the army chosen emperor , and proved always a zealous christian , as appeared in the time of the emperor julian , when for refusing to deny his religion , and giving a box on the ear to a pagan sexton , that sprinkled him with their lustral , or cleansing water , he quitted the ●ngulum , which was laying down his . commission . as soon as elected , he appointed his brother valens , his companion in the empire to govern the east , and went away himself to italy , where with much zeal he quieted the city or rome , than in an uproar , about choosing a pope . for the electors being divided upon the death of liberius , one party had named vrsinus , but the more numerous and better made chose of damasus a spaniard ; some will have him born at egita , now guimaraens in portugal , betŵixt the rivers duero , and min̄o , others at tarragona , and others at madrid . certain it is he was a spaniard , and a person , excellently qualifyed . upon this occasion there hap'ned so great a mutiny that ( as ammianus marcellinus , a heathen author who lived at that time relates it ) men were killed one day , in the church of sicininum ; and the same author blames the popes , for going in coaches , and making more than kingly banquets . the emperor quieted this tumult , sending vrsinus to be bishop of naples . yet the contrary party desisted not , but accused damasus of adultery , and obliged him to call a council of bishops to clear himself . he declared the council of ariminum , to be void and of no force , as gathered without the consent of the pope , deposed auxentius bishop of milan , as being an arrian , ordered the psalms of david , should be song in churches , with the verse gloria patri , &c. at the end , instituted saying the confiteor , at the beginning of mass , built two churches at rome , the one in honour of st. laurence , the other of st. peter and paul , ad catacumbas , in the via ardeatina , where he buryed his mother and sister , and was a great friend to st. hierom , whom he much resembled in his life and learning . the empire was not altogether in a peaceable condition , for in the east one procopius , a kinsman of julian , called himself emperor , and raised new troubles . valens presently moved towards and overcame him in phrygia , where he was deliver'd up to him by his own men. at the same time valentinian was succeessful in the war against the germans , and saxons , which is the first time , any mention is made of the latter in the roman history . besides , he drove the goths out of thracia , and persians out of siria , checked the scots , who made iucursions into england ; and the sarmatians , who infested pannonia ; he was an excellent emperor , had he not sullied his fame , by marrying justina , a lady belonging to his wife severa , she being still alive , and what is worse , made a law by which all men were permitted to have two wives . marcellinus says , he gave liberty of conscience to all men , to live in what religigion the pleased . he dyed at brigecium , a town in germany , where he was busy , making war upon the quadi , having reigned years , months , and days , his death was on the th of november . by his wife severa , he left gratianus , and valentinian , by justina . valens , in the east persecuted the catholicks , his wife dominica , and eudoxus , bishop of constantinople , by whom he was baptized , after the manner of the arrians , distracted him to such a degree , that he had resolved at the city edessa , to enter the church with armed men , to disturb the people that were there celebrating the divine service . but , modestus governour of the city , diverted him from putting it in execution , for he told him that upon the rumouring of this his intention , more people than ordinary were gathered in the church , with such a resolution to suffer death for their religion , that a woman half undrest for hast , led a child , she had thither least , either herself , or he might miss the opportunity of sheding their blood for the faith. hereupon valens gave over that design , but banished many priests , among others eusebius , bishop of caesarea , in cappadocia , as famous for his resolution and constancy , as the other of caesarea , in palestine , for his learning and writings ; the great st. basil , succeeded him of cappadocia , in the bishoprick , and had enough to do with the emperor . jamblichus , the master of proclus , had great influence over valens , he taught him the way to find out the name of him that was to succced in the empire , which the emperor much desired . the manner was thus , they writ all the letters of the alphabet upon the ground , and placed on every one a grain of corn , then turning loose a cock , whilst the diviner muttered some words , they observed which letters the cock eat the corn off first , and those they supposed to express the name sought for . another way was to blind a man and observe the letters he pointed to . foolish and vain inventions . however by those means they found out the name theodosius , whence the emperor valens took occasion to persecute , and kill all those whose names began with the same letters , as theodotus , theodorus , and theodulus . among the rest was slain honorius theodosius a spaniard , born at italica , of the family of the emperor trajan . this gentleman had appeased certain tumults in africk , and was therefore raised to be general of horse , and received baptism before death . no human policy is of force against the divine decrees , so it hap'ned this great man by his wife termancia , left two sons , theodosius the great , and honorius . at the same time vast multitudes of the goths broke into the imperial provinces , under the command of fridigernus , and athanaricus . discord arising betwixt them , as is usual among persons in equal power , valens made his use of one party to overcome the other . to those that follow'd athanaricus , by contract he gave the province of mesia to plant in upon condition they should be baptized , which they did , but after the manner of the arrians . then it was that vlfila , a bishop among that people invented the gothick characters differing from the latin , and translated the holy scripture into their language . this agreement , nor the late defeat were not of force to restrain that furious and warlike people , but they broke into thracia . valens coming to oppose them was overthrown , and himself slain , for retiring into a cottage and refusing to surrender , they set fire to it , and he was burnt in it . this hap'ned four years after the death of his brother valentinidn . valens left never a son , and had well deserved this misfortune for persecuting the catholicks , and refusing to wait for his nephew gratianus , who was marching to his assistance . fridigernus , was commander of these goths , who after his defeat had gathered new forces , with hopes of revenging the affront he and his people had received . chap. viii . the reighs of the emperors , gratianus , valentinian , theodosius , arcadius , and honorius . before his death the emperor valentinian , had declar'd his son gratianus caesar , and appointed him his heir and successor in his last will , which was punctually obeyed , only the army would have his brother valentinian , be his companion in the empire , and such he was declar'd tho' then but very young. the victory obtain'd by the goths , over valens made them so insolent , that all the east was in danger of being lost . it was requisite to find out some person of extraordinary valour and conduct , to whom the charge of curbing them should be committed as general . such was theodosius , who after the death of his father liv'd retir'd at italica , the place of his birth in the farthest part of spain . thence as soon as called upon he came , and taking upon him the command checked the forwardness of the goths , and humbled their pride , which had carryed them so far , as to lay siege to constantinople , then the head of the world. in conclusion he press'd them so hard , they were forced to sue for peace , and had lands allotted them to plant in , delivering up athanaricus , the son of fridigernus , as an hostage for performance of articles on their part . great was the honour theodosius gain'd by this action , and so great the satisfaction of gratianus , that he thought as a reward of his good service ; and for the security of the east , he could do no less than constitute him a third emperor . besides , his worth and other good qualities in which he surpassed all men , he was very religious , as appears by a law by him establish'd , in his first , and gratianus his fifth consulship , which commands all persons to follow the doctrine of pope damasus , and peter , bishop of alexandria . three years after , which was of christ , on the th of january , theodosius , named arcadius , his eldest son , his companion in the empire . it hap'ned that amphilochus , bishop of iconium , in lycaonia , visited the emperor theodosius , at such time as his son and companion in the empire , was sitting by his side . the bishop designedly made his obeysance to theodosius , without taking notice of arcadius . being asked the cause of that oversight , or distrespect , he answer'd ; do not wonder at it , o emperor , for you do the same with god , since you permit the arrians to despise his son. at the same time was also held a council at constantinople , reckoned the second of the general councils . there theodosius by his face knew meletius , bishop of antioch , tho' he had never seen him in his life , but only in a dream thought he put a crown upon his head. constantinople was then in disorder , and without a bishop , because gregory nazianzen , on account that some bore him ill-will , had of his own accord resigned that church . the emperor caused nectarius , a senator , not yet baptized , to be chosen bishop . in this council all heresies were condemned , particularly that of macedonius , who had been bishop of constantinople , and held a false opinion concerning the holy ghost ; saying , he was a creature . pope damasus approved all the decrees of this council , and more especially their creed ; in which , as i find it in the council forojuliense ; they expresly declare , that the holy ghost proceeds from the father and the son. damasus ordained this creed should be used in the mass , in stead of the nicene . he dy'd the year after this council was celebrated , and siricius succeeded him . france and spain were in rebellion , for clemens maximus , by birth a spaniard , after stiling himself emperor in britany , had seized those provinces ; gratian the emperor marched against him . they came to a battle near paris , where the tyrant got the victory , and gratian at lions , whither he fled after the fight , was murdered by the treachery of andragacius . he reigned years , months , and days after the death of his father , left no children , and was the first of the roman emperors that would not accept of the pontifical stole , which was offered to them as high-priests by the romans , when pagans . leta the wife of gratian , and pisamena , his mother-in-law , lived in rome with the state of queens , till that city was destroyed , on revenues assigned them by theodosius , in acknowledgment of the empire he had received from gratian. at the same time spain suffered in point of religion ; for priscillianus raked up the embers that had remained of the gnosticks , since mark , the disciple of basilides , as was said before , sowed his false doctrine . priscillian was a noble and powerful man , born in galicia , had good natural parts , was watchful , and could endure hunger and thirst , but had other vices , which blemished all ; for he was proud , and unsettled , and his learning made him bold . by these means , he drew over to his party two bishops , whose names were instancius and salvianus . idacius , bishop of merida , opposed them , at the instance of algidinus , bishop of cordova . the harshness of these men , caused the sore to rankle , which , if gently handled , might perhaps , have been healed . recourse was had to the last remedy ; which was to cite the hereticks to appear before a synod at zaragoca , there to answer for themselves . they appeared not , whereupon , the bishops instancius and salvianus , as also elpidius and priscillianus , who were lay-men , and with them algidinus , bishop of cordova , who of an enemy , was become an asserter of their doctrine , were all excommunicated . itacius sostubensis , as severus sulpicius has it , but it should be ossonovensis , that is , bishop of estombar in portugal , had the charge of publishing and notifying this sentence to them . st. isidorus only says , he was a spanish bishop , and sigibertus , that he was of lamego . he was a passionate and talkative man , reproved those that fasted , and was much given to read the holy scripture . this itacius and idacius , obtained an edict from the emperor gratian , then living , whereby those hereticks were ordered to be expelled all churches and cities . instancius , salvianus , and priscillian , then by the assistance of his adherents made bishop of avila went to rome to answer for themselves ; but could not obtain audience of pope damasus , they returned to milan , where the emperor gratian was . st. ambrose would not give ear to them , for all men were offended at that new doctrine . yet they were no way dismayed , but bribed macedonius , the emperor's steward , and by his means the former edict was vacated , and priscillian , and instancius restored to their churches , for salvianus dy'd at rome , in this manner they returned to spain so encouraged , that they accused itacius as a seditious person . volventius the vicar , caused him to be apprenhended ; but he appealed to france . thence , being not well received by gregory the prefect , he went on to treves to seek favour with clemens maximus , who stil'd himself emperor , with whom , he so far prevailed , that the business was again referred to a council of bishops , who , by his command met at bourdeaux . priscillian and instancius , appearing , the latter was deposed , the other appeal'd to maximus . the appeal was allowed of , so the cause of the hereticks was again put into the hands of lay-men ; a thing then very new . the cause being try'd at treves , and managed by itacius , priscillianus was convicted of sorcery , and of entertaining scandalous meetings of men and women by night , under colour of religion ; for which crimes he received sentence of death , and was executed ; and with him felicissimus , armedius and latronianus , who is reckoned among the poets of that age. instancius submitting to the judgment of the bishops , was banished into an island on the north of england . st. martin , bishop of tours , opposed all these proceedings , saying , that hereticks ought not to be put to death , especially at the instance of bishops . a meekness perhaps , suitable to those times , but , which experience has taught is not at all agreeable with ours . these evils did not cease by the death of priscillian , the dead bodies were brought to spain , and by the followers of that doctrine , honoured as martyrs ; among whom , it was held the most sacred oath to swear by the name of priscillian . on the other side , itacius , and idacius , ( isidorus calls him vrsacius ) were accused of what they had done , and condemned to banishment . these hereticks , not to speak of the corruptness of their lives , confounded the divine persons , allowed of divorces , held it a crime to eat flesh , said that the souls proceeded from the divine essence , and descended thro' seven heavens by the help of certain angels , as it were by steps to the combat of this life , and there fell into the power of the prince of darkness , the maker of this world. they made men wholly subject to the stars , and taught they were governed by the signs . pope siricius , who succeeded damasus in the government of the church , wrote a letter to himerius , bishop of tarragona , in answer to many questions he had put to him concerning baptism , matrimony , virgins and men consecrated to the service of god and holy orders . he commands him to communicate it to the bishops of the provinces carthaginiensis , betica , and galicia . in the fifth year after the election of siricius , theodosius and maximus came to a battle near aquileia . the tyrant lost the day , and soon after was taken and killed . thus valentinian the younger , who was fled for fear into the east , again recovered the empire of the west . the beginning of this war was good , and god prospered them accordingly ; for on the th of june , theodosius being consul the second , and cynegius the first time , in stobis , a city of macedonia , they enacted a law , forbiding hereticks to have meetings , or communicate out of the church ; and on the th of august the same year , was gained that remarkable and important victory . thus far the emperor theodosius showed himself very religious , but used great cruelty at the city thessalonica , where , because in a mutiny the citizens had killed butercius , an officer in the army , and some others , of the emperor's servants , he caused of them to be slain . ambrose , bp. of milan , having notice of it , shut the church doors upon theodosius , excommunicated and reproved him severely for what he had done , and shewed him there was no way to appease god but by penance . theodosius took all with as great patience , as ambrose did it with resolution . he returned home , and some months after , thro' the persuasions of his favourite rufinus , returned to try if the bp. would admit him , it being then the feast of christmas . ambrose again received him at the door with no less severe language than before ; but being sensible of his repentance , admitted him , upon condition , that for the future , none should be put to death till days were passed after the sentence . he also enjoyned him , whensoever he was angry he should not speak one word till he had run over the greek alphabet ; all this tended to gain time , that the heat of his passion might cool . these instructions were soon after of great use , for what hap'ned at antioch . the emperor's officers had laid some new and heavy tax on that city , the people mutinying , raged to such a degree , that they dragged a statue of the empress placilla about the streets . theodosius resented this affront in the highest degree , as well in regard his wife was dead , as because she had been so holy and virtuous , that she used with her own hands to feed the sick in hospitals ; and put her husband in mind of what he had been , that he might not grow proud . for these reasons , he had inflicted a most exemplary punishment on that city , had not the advice of ambrose softned his heart , together with the coming of embassadors from thence , who , whilst the emperor was at dinner , caused certain children to sing a song made for that purpose , set to a doleful tune , whereby he was moved to compassion . theodosius now returned into the east , which gave arbogestes an opportunity to drown the young emperor valentinian , at vienne in france , and with his assistance , eugenius of a school-master presumed to take upon him the style of emperor , in the year . this looked rather like a jest ; yet was a great affront to the empire , and so far was theodosius concerned , that he had recourse to the holy hermits in the desarts , to beg they would be mindful of him in their prayers . one of those fathers , called john , by letter , gave him assurance of the victory , and at the same time acquainted him he should never return from italy . he marched towards the enemy , who was not unprovided ; at the foot of the alps the two armies met , the battle was bloody , and obstinately fought . on a sudden there arose a storm of wind , rain , thunder , and lightning , which drove so upon the rebels , that they could not weild their weapons , as claudian , a famous poet of those times relates it . goths , who served under the emperor's pay , since the death of athanaricus , did great service , and thus at length , theodosius having made a great slaughter , became master of the field . eugenius after the fight was killed by his own men , and arbogestes made away with himself . this battle was fought on the th of september . the same year theodosius , named his younger son honorius , his companion in the empire , and soon after , dy'd of a dropsie , at milan , on the th of january , in the following year , at the age of , having reigned years , and days . he was twice married : by placilla his first wife , he left the two emperors arcadius and honorius ; by galla , the daughter of valentinian and justina , he had only one daughter , named galla placidia . st. ambrose and st. hierom , in particular sermons to that purpose , spoke the praises of this excellent prince . aurelius victor says , he well deserved the name theodosius , which signifies , given by god , for his great actions and virtues , tho' it had not been given him by his father . it was a sufficient demonstration of his zeal for religion , that he caused the pagan temples which constantine had shut up , to be utterly demolished . after the death of the great theodosius , his sons took upon them the administration of the government , arcadius had the east , and honorius the west . they were more religious and virtuous than fortunate ; for in their time the majesty of the roman empire , which from a small beginning , was raised to such a height , that it laboured under its own weight , began to fall , and never more recovered it self . by the death of pope siricius , anastasius was promoted to the government of the church , in whose time , the first council of toledo was held in spain , and commenced on the first of september , in the year . this synod condemned the heresie of priscillian , and reconciled to the church the two bps. simphosius and dutinius , and a priest called comasius , who all abjured it . the government of the empire was divided in this manner . gildus commanded in africk , rufinus in the east , and stilico in the west . this last , was a person of greater authority than the other two , as being allied to the emperors , for serena his wife , was daughter to honorius , the brother of theodosius the great , and he was father-in-law to honorius the emperor . theodosius had thus ordered , that these three might be in the nature of tutors to his sons , and ease them of the burden of the government , but they giving way to ambition , and forgetting their duty , attempted to usurp the power and so destroy the empire . gildus was the first that rebelled in africk . his own brother mazecel was sent to suppress him , who vanquished and slew him , and then himself usurped the name of emperor , and came to the same end . rufinus , by birth a britain , or french-man , stirred up the goths , and other barbarous nations , but the treason being discovered , lost his head. these examples were not of force enough to deterr traytors , for stilico intending to make his own son eucherius emperor , and destroy the children of theodosius the great , invited several nations to invade the empire , and particularly , made a private agreement with the alans , a fierce people , and the vandals , of whose country he was . the goths were the first that appeared in arms , offended that their pay was kept from them , which was done designedly . after over-running all thracia , and the neighbouring countries , they broke into italy in two bodies . radagasius , one of their chiefs , without any opposition , pierced as far as tuscany , and there , near florence , was slain with all his men by stilico . he might have destroyed alaricus , who commanded the other party , but would not , to keep the emperor still in awe , but worsted him , and then assigned his men places to inhabit in the farthest part of france . stilico was unwilling they should leave italy , and therefore sent one saul a jew , to fall upon them who was killed , and his forces routed , and the goths provoked by this injury , returned into italy , where they stayed some years . the treachery of stilico was not suspected at first , but being discovered soon after , his head was cut off in the year . his wife serena , and son eucherius were also executed , and honorius put away his wife in hatred to her father stilico . great was the mischief , the goths did throughout all italy , and never ceased till they sate down before rome the head of world , which after a long siege they entred , putting all within to fire and sword. rome was taken in the year according to the best computations . placidia , sister to the two emperors , was there taken , and marryed to ataulfus brother-in-law to alaricus , and soon succeeded in the kingdom , he dying at cosencia , a city of the brutij , now calabria . by means of placidia , ataulfus , and honorius agreed , and the goths went to inhabit those parts of france , and spain , which lie next the pyrenean mountains . hence they took occasion to make themselves masters of all spain , and a good part of france , as will appear in the following book . the history of spain . the fifth book . chap. i. the coming of several barbarous nations into spain , as the vandals , alans , suevians , silingians , and goths . their original , and where they settled . we shall now treat of a mighty power of sundry , fierce , and barbarous nations , which like an inundation , spread themselves through all parts of spain , these were the vandals , alans , suevians , and silingians . but above all the goths , who having quitted their ancient seats and habitations , after filling all from east to west , with the terror of their name and actions , and over-running all italy , at last settled in spain , and there having partly expell'd , and partly subdued the other nations , for above years maintained their sovereignty . there is no doubt but all these people and others like them , at several times came from the north , and entred the provinces of the roman empire , their own native countries , being overstocked with multitudes of people , and the barrenness of its soil obliging them to seek more plentiful and pleasant seats . as this in general is certain , so is it no less doubtful from what particular parts or provinces each of these nations came , there is great variety of opinions , and the ignorance of those times gives us but little light to discover the truth . pliny places the vandals in that part of germany , about pomerania , tho' dio says , the springs of the river albis , or elbe , are in the mountains of vandalia . the burgundians , are to be reckoned among the vandals , taking their name from burgs , signifying villages , in which they lived dispersed , and after settling among the hedui , gave their name to that part of france , now called burgundy . dionysius , who writ geography in verse , places the alans , near dacia , and the getes . marcellinus places them in scythia . the silingi came into spain with the vandals , and settled in andaluzia , without having any particular king of their own . it is uncertain what part of the north they came from , some believe them to have been part of bavaria , where formerly was a town called salingostadium , near the danube , three miles from ingolstad . grave authors affirm , the suevians , had formerly their seats near the river elbe , but strabo places them near the springs of the danube , about the city ausburg . it remains to speak of the goths , whose origin , because they gained and maintained the sovereignty of spain for many years , we will look into more exactly . some were of opinion , the goths where the same with the getes , who pliny , and herodotus place about the mouth of the danube . most and the best authors are of opinion , that the goths came from the province called scandia , or scandinavia , formerly basilia , or baltia , a large country north of germany , and poland , joining on the east to finland , and encompassed on all the other sides by the baltick , and frozen sea. scandia , altogether is a large peninsula , longer than it is broad , and divided into norway , sweden , lapland , and gothland . the south-east part of this great peninsula forms , another lesser , which is called gothia , or gothland , and is subdivided into ostrogothia , and visogothia , or westrogothia , that is the eastern and western goths . among the visogoths , the balti , which in their language signifies bold , and among the ostrogoths , the amali , so called of a famous king , and leader of theirs , were the two most noble and kingly families . the goths , for the most part have red hair and beards , their complexion fair , like the other people of germany , their language not unlike , nor much differing from those other nations , that about this time broke into spain . only the alans are said to have used the language of scythia , but this is rather a surmise than a known truth . as to religion all these nation had then , or soon after did imbrace christianity , for before they were given to idolatrous superstition . particularly the goths , believed they should have no success in war , unless they sacrificed human blood , and therefore offered up the prisoners of war to mars , whom they chiefly honoured , and dedicated the best of their booty , hanging the skins of those they slew on trees ; before the battle they sacrificed horses , and carryed their heads on spears , with the mouths open before them . they believe the immortality of the soul , and that there was reward and punishment after death . when it thundered they cast darts up towards heaven , thinking to assist god against those that endeavoured to force him out of heaven . they sung the praises of their forefathers , to musick , as is now used in spain . some say the arms of the goths were , wavy a lion regardant ; others will have them to be three lions like those of england . but it is to no purpose to insist upon these uncertainties , let us see the occcasion that brought so many and so barbarous nations into spain . in the height of that confusion , into which the roman empire was fallen , and was related in the last book , one marcus , in britany , was saluted emperor by the legions , and soon after by them killed . in his place they chose gracinus , whom also they slew within months . next they proclaimed constantine , for no other merit but the sake of his name , which was looked upon as fortunate . this hapned in the year , theodosius the younger being then emperor of the east , his father arcadius being dead three years before . a great part of france , and spain , declared for constantine , yet some adhered to the true emperors . among these didimus , and verinianus , raising an army , indeavoured to secure the passes of the pyrenean mountains against constantine , but were discomfited and slain by constans the tyrants son , whom he had taken out of a monastery , declared caesar , and sent before into spain . the army of constans , was for the most part made up of those people that came out of germany , into france , and by reason of an agreement they had made with honorius , were called honoriaci . these by consent of constans , spoiled all the country of spain , as far as palencia , for he designed to purchase the good will of those barbarians , with the ruins of others . to these at his return into france , he committed the care of guarding the passes on the pyrenean mountains . the spaniards were offended at it , and threatned some sudden change , which soon after hapned . for the honoriaci invited the vandals , alans , suevians , and silingians to come into spain , and agreed to give them free passage . the occasion that moved them to quit france , where they were settled , is supposed to be the fear they had conceived of the goths , whom , being then joyned with honorius , they thought they should be in no condition to resist . no less was their dread of constantine , who having subdued great part of france , aspired to be master of all the rest . hermenericus was king of the suevians , ataces of the alans , gundericus of the vandals , and silingians . the coming of these barbarous nations was the ruin of spain , for they seized indifferently as well what belonged to spaniards , as romans , and destroyed the towns and open country , whereupon ensued such a famine , that the natives fed upon human flesh , and the wild beasts ranged abroad to devour men. next followed a plague , and raged to that degree , that betwixt both evils , great part of the country was left wast , and so the barbarians seated themselves where they best liked . the sùevians , a part of the vandals , possessed galicia , then larger than it is now , as containing all old castile . the alans planted in lusitania , and the province carthaginensis , except the kingdom of toledo , and the celtiberi , who continued in the roman subjection . betica , fell to the other vandals , and silingians . having thus divided the country , they agreed with the romans , and then began again to till the land , the spainards looking upon this slavery , as more tolerable than the romans . yet some few preserved their liberty , especially in galicia , among the suevians . in hispania citerior , one maximus was saluted emperor , by the procurement of geroncius a count , who did it in hatred to the tyrant constantine , tho' he had once been of his party . his chief aim was under the shadow of the other to make himself absolute . therefore leaving maximus at tarragona , he marched with an army into france , took the city vienne , and slew constans the caesar ; but hearing constantius was coming upon him , returned into spain , where the spaniards set fire to his house and burnt him . maximus having lost geronoius , who was his support , laying aside the imperial robes , fled , and led the rest of his life in misery , which lasted till the time of paulus orosius , as he himself testifies . mean while the tyrant constantine , and his son julian , as also jovius and sebastianus , who had rebelled in france , were killed by constantius , and all france reduced under the obedience of honorius , in the year . two years after , by the emperor's consent , the goths possessed themselves of the country about the pyrenean mountains , and chose narbonne for the court of their kings , in the year . whence that part of the country came afterwards to be called gallia gothica ; the bounds whereof , were often changed , according to the various success they had in their wars with the neighbouring franks and romans . chap. ii. the goths vanquish and subdue all the other barbarous nations in spain . the vandals after this successful , go over into africk . the rise of the kingdom of the suevians . spain was divided into several kingdoms , differing in laws , customs , and religion . the romans and spaniards , were catholicks , the goths , arians , the other barbarous nations had not yet embraced christianity , but follow'd the superstitions of their fore-fathers . each desiring to secure to themselves that part they had seized in the time of confusion , laboured to settle peace and amity with the romans . godigisius , king of the vandals , was the first that concluded an agreement upon these terms . that his people should live peaceably in spain without wronging the natives ; and should at no time plead prescription of years , to retain what they had unjustly and violently taken from the romans . the alans being a more sierce people than the others , assaulted the vandals and silingians , obliged them to quit all the province betica , and retire into galicia , that with the assistance of the suevians , they might be inabled to recover their lands from whence they were drove . but the alans turned their fury against celtiberia and carpetania , and took many towns from the romans . the goths also , the next year after they had settled in france , passed over into spain . ataulfus their king , either weary of the war , or being better affected towards the romans , as being the emperor's brother-in-law inclined to peace . this no way suited with the furious nature of the people , who hereupon conspired and murdered him at barcelona , by the means of one vernulfus , his favourite . in the place of ataulfus , they chose sigericus , a man of known courage and conduct ; but he also following the footsteps of ataulfus in his inclination to peace , was killed by his own people within the first year of his reign . walia , a restless and turbulent man succeeded him . he at the beginning of his reign gathered a great fleet , in order to pass over into africk , which was so shattered by a storm in the narrowest part of the streight , that he was forced to return into spain , and come to an agreement with constantius . the conditions were , that he should deliver up placidia , the widdow of ataulfus , that by her brother the emperor , was promised to the said constantius . and that the goths should make war upon the other barbarous nations in spain , all that they gained to belong to the roman empire , and they to be content with what was assigned them upon the borders of france and spain . this was concluded in the year . according to paulus orosius , priest of tarragona , well known for his learning , who lived at this time , and writ the roman history , which he continued to the following year . honorius besides marrying constantius to his sister , made him his companion in the empire . to walia , he freely added the dominion of guienne ; for having subdued , as was agreed , the barbarous nations . for the goths having taken in hand that war , fell upon the alans , who proud with their late success , aspired to the sovereignty of all spain , slew their king ataces , and a great number of them in battle , and forced the rest to quit lusitania , and fly into galicia , where mixing with the suevians , the name of their nation and kingdom , was quite lost . the silingi were also defeated , in a battle near tarifa ; and so entirely brought under , that they received gothish governours . the vandals and suevians , terrified at this success , submitted themselves to the romans , in whose name the war was made , tho' at the expence , and danger of the goths . the suevians offered to serve under the romans , but they refused , lest being in arms , they might have power to mutiny . walia having concluded so great a war , and pacified spain , returned into france , where he dy'd , in the year . having reigned only years ; in which small time he performed actions that added much to his own , and his nations honour , and increased their territories with the addition of guienne . after the death of walia , two things fell out very fatal , one , that the new emperor constantius returning into italy after quieting spain and france , dy'd at ravenna , in the year . leaving by his wife placidia a son , an infant , named valentinian , whom his uncle honorius took care to see educated as his successor in the empire . the other was , that the barbarous nations in spain began again to revolt , and resumed their former authority , especially the vandals , whose king gundericus , designed to possess himself of all spain . to this effect they fell upon the suevians , and forced them to retire to the mountains ervasi , supposed by some , to be those now called arvas , betwixt leon and oviedo . but because they refused to come to a battle , the vandals despairing of doing any good upon them , gathered a great fleet , and passed over to the islands mallorca and minorca , which they destroyed with fire and sword. returning thence to the continent , they utterly demolished carthagena , some time before taken from the alans , and restored to the romans . it continued in ruins a long time , till at length for the conveniency of the port , it began to be rebuilt , and in our days scarce contains families . this destruction hap'ned years after it was built by the carthaginians . gundericus , king of the vandals , after taking carthagena , assaulted the silingi , who were subject to the romans , wasted the country and having entred sevil by force , and plundred it , offered to rob the church of st. vincent , a place of great devotion and riches ; but was by a just judgment of god , struck dead at the very door . his bastard brother gensericus , by others called guntharis , succeeded him . all this hap'ned the same year the emperor constantius dy'd ; at the same time also , jovinus and maximus , called themselves emperors in spain , which obliged honorius to send castinus , an able commander , with fresh forces , as well to suppress those usurpers , as to quell the vandals . jovinus and maximus were soon taken , and put to death ; but to subdue the vandals , was more difficult . castinus therefore not confiding in his own strength , called over into spain the earl bonifacius , a man much known for his great abilities in peace and war , as also for his friendship with st. augustin . he came over from africk , where he was governour ; but divisions falling out among them , as is usual , where the power is equal , returned again into africk , and castinus deprived of his assistance , being in no condition to oppose the vandals , went away into italy , in the year . this same year , the emperor honorius dy'd , on the th of aug. having reigned years , months , and days . he was no less famous for his zeal in religion , than for the decay of the roman empire , which began in his days . valentinian iii. son of constantius , a child , succeeded in the empire ; which gave occasion to flavius joannes to attempt to usurp the empire , but two years after , he was vanquished and slain . placidia the empress , governed for her son. bonifacīus , who governed africk , thinking to make his advantage of the times , called over genserius , king of the vandals , into africk , who resolved , not to slip so fair an opportunity of gaining so great a dominion , and therefore immediately passed over with fighting men. the silingi staid in spain , especially in that part of the province betica about sevil ; upon which account , they being mixed with , and esteemed part of the vandals , the country losing its former name of betica , was called vandalosia , now andaluzia ; notwithstanding , the bounds of betica and andaluzia , do not exactly agree . by reason of the departure of the vandals , the power of the suevians began to grow formidable throughout all spain . hermenericus was their king , and he dying of a tedious sickness , in the year . and the d of his reign , rechila his son , a hot and fiery youth , following his father's footsteps , near the river xenil met ardebotus , sent by the emperor into spain , overthrew and killed him in battle . the booty was such , as left him rich enough to support the charge of the war. after this victory he conquered all betica , and took sevil , a city then , by reason of the wars , not so considerable as it was before , or is at present . thence he turned into lusitania , and took merida , whereby , what remained of the alans , was wholly brought under . it was no small help to the suevians , that at that time the country was naked , and without defence ; for sebastian the roman general , was gone over into africk , to oppose the vandals , where he was by them slain , as paulus diaconus relates it . wherefore the suevians went on , and subdued carpetania , or the kingdom of toledo , and the province of carthagena ; but soon after agreeing with the romans , they restored these two provinces . rechila dy'd in the year . and left his son recciarius to succeed him , who was the first of the suevian kings that received the faith of christ , and propagated the true religion among his people in spain . thus much of the suevians . chap. iii. the reigns of the kings theodoredus , torismund , and theodorick . attila king of the huns , twice routed . the general council of chalcedon . the goths and their king theodoredus , kinsman and successor of walia , possessed but a small part of spain , to wit , only that which is now catalonia ; but in france they flourished both in riches and honour . for this reason , and because they were used to make the end of one war , the beginning of another , they broke the peace with the romans , and began to spread a terror . theodoredus's numerous issue much encreased his power ; for he had six sons , torismundus , theodoricus , euricus , fridericus , reccinerus , and himericus ; as also two daughters , one married to hunnericus the vandal , son of gensericus , who persecuted the catholicks in africk , and upon a groundless suspicion sent her home , after cutting off her nose . the other , to recciarius , king of the suevians in spain . about this time , the huns , led by attila , commonly called , the scourge of god , had entred france , after burning rome , and laid siege to orleans , which moved the romans , franks , and goths , to join in a league in order to oppose them . theodoredus , king of the goths , fearing that barbarian might fall into guienne , was the first that made head against the common enemy , and oblig'd him to raise the siege , and draw off into the plains called catalaunici , by others , marochii , and maurisii , near toulouse . aetius , valentinian's general , and meroveus , king of the franks came up now , and joyned the goths . the forces being come together , they ordered their battles . theodoredus commanded the right wing , aetius the left , the franks and sanguibanus , king of the alans that inhabited about orleans , were placed in the center . on the other side , attila made up his wings , which extended along those vast plains , of his auxiliary forces , posting the ostrogoths on the left against the visogoths , the huns , where he was in person , made the main battle . betwixt both armies was a rising ground , very advantageous to those that should possess themselves of it . both parties strove for it , but the romans gained it . this somewhat dismay'd attila's men , but being encouraged by him , the huns gave the onset with great fury , and were received with no less resolution . the bodies closing , there was a great havock , both sides fighting obstinately for the empire of the world , men were killed in this fight ; which gave occasion to frame some lyes , as that a rivulet which ran hard by , overflowed with blood , and that the noise of arms was heard in that place three days after , as if the ghosts of the dead had continued the action ; meer fables to express the greatness of the slaughter . king theodoredus was killed at the beginning of the fight , being trod to death by his own men , by reason of his age and weakness ; tho' some will have it , that he was slain by an ostrogoth , called andages . what would have discouraged others inraged his men , for torismundus and theodoricus , his sons , with a strong body furiously charged , and broke the enemy , and forced their general to fly , after he had done all that could be expected from a wise commander and brave soldier . the two brothers went so far in the pursuit , that at night they passed near the enemies camp , where they were in some danger , torismundus was beat off his horse , wounded in the head , and brought off by the valour of his men. attila who had before thought the world too little for his conquest , retired to his camp with a resolution if he were pressed , to kill himself , having to this purpose , kindled a great fire . the carts he had drawn up about his camp , and night that came on , saved him , which he foresaw , and therefore began the fight after noon . aetius spent the night with no less fear under arms , having made a trench of the dead horses and armour . but the next day finding the enemy refused to give battle , he besieged him in his camp at first , and when he could with ease have destroyed him , suffered him to march out of france , and return into pannonia . the joy of this victory was much abated by the escape of attila , and death of theodoredus ; yet it was believed , the death of so powerful a king was not displeasing to the romans and franks . this battle was fought in the consulship of martianus augustus and clodius adelphius , in the year of christ . and the st of the reign of theodoredus . some are of opinion that recciarius , king of the suevians , was in this battle , upon account of his affinity with the king of the goths . certain it is , that after over-running the vascones , who inhabited that part of spain , now called navarre , and still were subject to the romans , he passed into france to visit his father-in-law , and then assisted by the goths , wasted the country of carthagena , and carpetania . at last , having made peace with the romans , he returned into his own dominions in betica , lusitania , and galicia , still aspiring to the sovereignty of all spain . theodoredus's funeral rites being perform'd by the goths , and torismund succeeding in the kingdom , by the advice of aetius , he forbore pursuing attila , till he had settled his own affairs , that his brothers might not have the power to raise any commotions . this done , he marched after attila , and overtaking him near the river loire , where he was subduing the alans that had settled there , gave him a mighty overthrow , whereby he was obliged to quit all france . but he recruiting himself in pannonia , and marching towards italy , the emperor valentinian caused aetius to be killed , for having suffered him to escape at the catalaunian plains . at this time st. leo was pope , he , who by the strength of his eloquence persuaded attila to turn back when he was marching to rome , and gensericus the vandal from burning of it . toribius , bishop of astorga , was familiar with pope leo , and by his advice , gather'd a synod of spanish bishops at gelenis , in galicia , where the heresie of priscillian , then again revived , was condemned . let us return to torismund , who , because he governed with more severity , and rigour than that fierce people could bear , was murdered by the contrivance of his two brothers theodoricus and fridericus , and by the hand of ascalernus , his great favourite , as he lay sick in his bed , in the first year of his reign . in the ensuing year , which was of christ . thrasila , a souldier of aetius's , killed the emperor valentinian , in revenge , as some will have it , of his generals death ; but in reality , at the instigation of maximus , who upon it usurped the empire , and the better to secure himself therein , marry'd eudoxia , valentinian's widow . by the death of valentinian , the empire of the west fell quite to ruin , for nine usurpers , or unhappy emperors that succeeded one another afterwards , scarce deserve to be named . marcianus , who succeeded theodosius the lesser , in the east , assembled a general council of bishops at chalcedon , in which , was double the number of prelates that had been at nice . they condemned the wicked opinions started by dioscorus and eutyches , concerning christ . theodoricus began his reign over the goths with singular prudence and moderation , and might have been reputed an excellent prince , had he not been infected with arianism , and blemish'd his life with the blood of his brother . sidonius apollinaris , bp. of arvernum , or clermont , in an epistle to agricola , highly extols the virtues of theodoricus . avitus resided at the court of theodoricus , as embassador from maximus augustus , him the king persuaded , upon the news of his master's death , to possess himself of the empire of the west , and assisted him with his counsel and forces . in requital for his service , it was agreed , the goths should enjoy all they could gain of the suevians in spain , who incroached upon the roman territories , and aimed at the sovereignty of the whole . it was convenient before the war was declared , to find some plausible colour for it . to this purpose , an embassy was sent to recciarius , advising him not to invade his neighbours , without provocation given , and withall threatning , in case he proceeded , that the goths would not be wanting to assist their friends and confederates , the romans . recciarius haughty with his late success , answered , he would soon be at toulouse , where the matter in debate should be try'd in battle . theodoricus having received this answer , resolved to be beforehand with him , and having raised a great army of his own , with supplies of franks and burgundians , passed the pyrenean mountains , and near the river vrbicus , which runs betwixt iberia and astorga , in galicia , after a bloody fight overthrew and put to flight his enemy . great was the slaughter made of the suevians . recciarius himself was wounded , and not thinking himself safe in any part of spain , attempted to pass over into africk , but was forced back by a storm to the city porto in portugal , at the mouth of the river duero , where , by command of the conqueror he was kill'd , in the year . according to ado viennensis . braga was plundred , but no blood of the citizens spilt ; the booty was rich , by reason , as is supposed , it was the seat of the suevian kings . after the battle , theodoricus having subdued galicia , placed one acliulphus of the family of the varni , not of the gothish nobility , and a disloyal person , governour there . next , he entred lusitania , where , at the request of s. eulalia protectress of merida , he forbore plundring that city . this done , ceurila with part of the army was sent into andaluzia , nepocianus and nericus to galicia , against acliulphus , who forgetting his duty , had rebelled , and kept that province to himself . theodoricus returning to france , took up arms against the romans and majorianus , upon account that they had forced avitus to renounce the empire , and as was said before , avitus and this king were friends . he wasted the country of france , plundered the towns , and passing on as far as the river rhosne , sack'd and destroy'd lions . thus much in france . in spain , ceurila unexpectedly entred andaluzia , the people sent embassadors to him , offering to submit themselves to the goths , saying , they had not joined with the suevians against the romans , and were ready to give hostages , and obey whatever other commands should be laid upon them . all towns received him peaceably , and furnished his army with corn , and all other necessaries . thus andaluzia without any bloodshed was brought under the power of the goths . in galicia the war was carried on with more vigour ; but at length acliulphus , who stiled himself king , was in a battle near lugo , taken , and lost his head. the suevians sent holy men with the vestments of churches , and other sacred things to theodoricus , to implore mercy , and he not only forgave , but allowed them to gather the remains of their nation , and choose a king. the electors being divided , one party elected franta for their king , and the other , masdra . this last , within two years was killed by his own people . remismundus , his son and successor , in the year . making a league with franta , and joyning his forces , entred lusitania , putting all to fire and sword ; yet could not wholly subdue it . majorianus , who deposed avitus , and made himself emperor , came over into spain , and having settled affairs , provided a fleet at carthagena to pass over into africk to subdue the vandals ; but was disappointed , part of his ships being burnt , and part taken by the enemy . hence he went into france , and recovered all the goths had taken from the roman empire ; but was at length killed at detrona in italy , in the year . vibius severus with the assistance of recimer the murderer of majorianus , and imperial general , succeeded in the empire . during these troubles , theodorick recovered the city narbon deliver to him by rabenius , whom , with mighty promises he withdrew from the emperor severus . let us now return to galicia . chap. iv. the death of king theodorick ; and reigns of euricus , and alaricus . the goths twice overthrown by the franks . at this time the suevians were embroiled in war among themselves . for franta dying , one of the factions before mentioned , chose frumarius to succeed him ; but remismundus before the new king could be well settled , designed to make himself sole sovereign of the suevians , which he compassed the easier , frumarius dying of sickess . nevertheless iria flavia , a city belonging to remismundus , was destroyed by the other faction , then not entirely subdued . all the nations of the suevians being thus brought under one head , great levies were made , and remismundus with a mighty army entred lusitania , where he took first coimbra , and then lisbon delivered to him by lucidius the governour . the power of the romans was not looked upon , but the goths were feared . therefore to appease theodorick , the suevians sent him an embassy , promising to be faithful to him , and obey his commands . the goths gave ear to this embassy , and to bind the friendship the faster , remismundus marryed theodorick's daughter , who was sent into spain , and with her , salanus , a noble man , to attend her , and ajax a french man , who to gain his king's favour , was some time before turned arian . this man's business was to pervert the suevians , that the difference of religion being taken away , the amity might be the firmer . he performed what he was sent for , being introduced to the king by the queen . salanus after the marriage returning into france , found theodorick was killed by the treachery of his brother euricus , in the year of our lord . and ther th after he in like manner had destroyed his brother torismund . the kingdom of the goths , as a reward of his treason fell to euricus . he was active and resolute , only feared remismund would revenge the murder of his father-in-law , and desired to expel the suevians out of lusitania , and the romans out of all spain , to become absolute there himself . spain then was divided into three parts , the suevians possessed galicia , and part of lusitania , the goths , betica and catalonia , and the romans all the rest of spain . euricus having made peace with leo , emperor of the east , entred spain with a powerful army , and over-running all to the farthest parts of it , subdued lusitania . from thencce he sent part of his forces to take pamplona and zaragoça , still subject to the romans . he with the prime of the army also marched towards hispania citerior , and there , because the famous city tarragona held out a long siege , laid it level with the ground . this was the end of the roman empire in spain , which had lasted almost years ; and thus all the country , except galicia , which the suevians held , was brought under the dominion of the goths . all the provinces of the roman empire were filled with confusion , which euricus making his advantage of , and being invited by arvandus first , and next by seronatus , who governed france for the emperors , he invaded that province . besides , gensericus , king of the vandals in africk , to divert the power of the romans from himself , stirred up the ostrogoths and visogoths , to fall into their provinces . arvandus and seronatus their treason being discovered , lost their heads . gensericus's project succeeded better , for theodemire king of the ostrogoths in pannonia , having recovered his son theodorick , who had been long a hostage at constantinople , and to whom heaven had decreed the empire of italy , sent his brother vindemirus to carry on the war in italy . he overcome by rich presents sent him by nepos augustus , leaving italy , passed into france , and joined his forces with euricus , to the great terror and destruction of that province , the open country being by them wasted , and the towns put to fire and sword. epiphanius , bishop of pavia , a man then in great esteem , sent by nepos augustus to treat with these people , had no success ; but as soon as he was gone the countries of limoges , quercy , and roverge , were subdued by the goths . besides , clermont , after a long siege , was forced to surrender . to oppose the goths , now possessed of a great part of france , the emperor nepos sent his general orestes with a considerable force . this man was himself a goth , and according to the use of those times turned the power he was intrusted with , against his master , whom he deposed , and raised his own son , commonly known by the name of augustulus to the throne . orestes's return left the province exposed to the goths , who extended their empire without any opposition . they took marseilles , and many other places along the river rhosne . in conclusion , euricus puffed up with success , as if he had no enemies left , placed his royal seat at arles , and being an arian , fell to persecuting the catholicks , banished the bishops , the priests fled , and the churches were left desolate . his reign lasted years , after which , he dy'd at arles , in the year . simplicius , bishop of rome departed this life this same year ; there is still extant an epistle of his to zeno , bishop of sevil , commending his zeal , and prudent government in those times of affliction , and constituting him his vicar general in spain . felix was successor to simplicius ; there is also an epistle of his to the same zeno , but nothing in it remarkable . euricus's funeral rites being performed , his son alaricus was proclaimed king. during his reign the affairs of the visogoths in spain , continued in a settled and peaceable condition . not so in france , which being divided betwixt the goths , franks and burgundians , could not be long quiet . the franks , who not long before had embraced the catholick religion , with their king clodoveus , hated the visogoths , as being arians , and each desiring to enlarge the bounds of their kingdoms , it was plain a dangerous war must ensue . theodorick , king of the ostrogoths in italy , interposed his authority to bring them to an accommodation , but all in vain . the war was declared , both parties took the field , and advancing towards one another , met in the country of poictiers . neither thought himself inferior to the other , either in conduct , valour , or experience ; and therefore presently ordered their battles with great resolution . for a long time the fight continued very bloody , and the event dubious . alaricus omitted not any thing that belonged to an expert captain , or courageous soldier ; but seeing his men terrified with the great slaughter turn their backs , encouraged , called upon , and endeavoured to rally them . he himself being distinguishable by his horse and armour fought among the foremost , and appeared where the greatest danger was . exhortations and examples were of no force , his men all fled ; he remained among the last , and seing no hopes left , try'd to make his escape , when clodoveus , or clouis , who charged at the head of his men , bore him down with a shock of his lance. alaricus striving to rise was killed by a french foot soldier . two noble goths thinking to revenge their king , ran at clouis , who was saved by the goodness of his armour , and by the assistance of a youth , called clodoricus , that came in to his rescue . alaricus being dead , the goths dispersed themselves into all the neighbouring towns , in such manner , that no considerable body remained together to oppose the franks ; whereupon , they presently possessed themselves of the city angouleme . but those goths who had not been in this battle , assembling themselves , had the courage to try their fortune near bourdeaux . they proved no more successful than the others , and the slaughter of them was so great , that from that day the country they fought in , changed its name , and was called the arian fields , from the religion of the goths . after these two mighty victories , many places submitted to the franks , as bourdeaux , the vesates , cahors , rhodes , and those of albernia . even the city of toulouse , where the goths kept their court , was taken , and nothing considerable left them in france . among the treasures of the gothish kings , were found the vessels and instruments belonging to the sacrifices at the temple of jerusalem , which had been taken by alaricus , the first king of those people when he sack'd rome , left by him to his successors , and now fell into the hands of clouis . alaricus dy'd in the year . his reign , which lasted years , he supported by falshood and cruelty , which made his end the less pity'd , all people saying , he had well deserved it . yet he was the first king of the goths that made use of written laws , and publish'd those of theodosius the same year he was slain . before his time , the goths , like other barbarous nations , were governed by the ancient customs of their forefathers . to these laws of alaricus , succeeding kings added many others , of all which together , was composed that volume the spaniards call fuero jusgo , whereof we shall speak in a more proper place . chap. v. the reign of the kings gesaleycus , theodorick , and amalaricus . several spanish synods . defeat of the franks . and tryal by ordeal . alaricus left two sons , one by his wife theudicoda , call'd amalaricus , and one by another woman , nam'd gesaleycus . the principal men among the goths chose the latter for their king , by reason the other was but five years of age. this offended the king of the ostrogoths , who sent men under the command of ilba , as well to suppress the franks , and restore the kingdom of the visogoths , then at the point of destruction , as to re-inthrone his grandson amalaricus . gesaleycus fearing so great a power , as also because the king of the burgundians had taken narbonne , not thinking himself secure in any part of france , retired to barcelona . he was naturally a coward , and consequently cruel , which moved him with his own hands , and in his palace in that city to kill goericus , a man of note . ilba , in france , assisted by the visogoths , overthrew the franks , with the slaughter of of them . by this means the visogoths recovered guienne , the ostrogoths possessed themselves of provence , took narbonne from the burgundians , and were about passing the pyrenean mountains . hereupon gesaleycus not trusting to his own people , knowing the hatred they bore him for his cowardize and cruelty , went over into africk , thrasimundus king of the vandals , tho' marry'd to the sister of theodorick , received him friendly , and relieved him with money . having received this aid , he returned into france , and after lying hid a year , raised an army , with which he durst venture to give a battle near barcelona , but was vanquished by ilba , and flying into france , soon after dy'd with grief , in the year of christ . when he had reigned years . authors do not agree who succeeded gesaleycus , most of them affirm , that theodorick the ostrogoth , from thence forward called himself king of the visogoths . this opinion is confirmed by the synods then held in spain , in which is seen the name of theodorick , and year of his reign . others say , amalaricus succeeded , and theodorick only acted as his tutor . i can no way give credit to what spanish authors write , viz. that theodorick came into spain , married a wife of the old spanish race at toledo , and at her request , restored them to their ancient liberty , since no foreign writer makes mention of any such journey of his , especially cassiodorus , and others , who writ his actions very particularly . certain it is , that theudius , or theudis , who had served theodorick as his esquire at arms , was by his favour appointed to govern , during the minority of the young king , which was the first step by which afterwards he ascended to the throne . in the year . a council of bishops was held at tarragona ; here we find the first mention of any monks in spain . here it was ordain'd , that ( after the manner of the jews sabbath ) sunday should begin to be observed on saturday evening , whence remains still the custom among spaniards of keeping holyday , and rejoycing on the saturday night . another council was held at girona the following year . pope hormisda about the same time , writ a letter to john , bishop of tarragona , commanding him yearly to hold synods of bishops ; a thing used in those days for reformation of manners . after the death of hormisda , in the time of his successor , john i. who was elected in the year , two other synods were celebrated , one at lerida , the other at valencia . theodorick the ostrogoth , dying in italy , amalaricus began to take upon him the government of the visogoths in spain , from which time , some begin to reckon the years of his reign . as soon as amalaricus commenced his reign , he made peace with the franks , and to bind it the faster , marry'd crotilda , their king's sister , and daughter to clouis . in dower with her , the country of toulouse was restored to the goths . crotilda was a person of singular piety , and had been religiously educated in the true faith by her mother , who was of the same name . this highly offended her husband , who was an arian . when she went to church , the rabble did not only revile , but would often throw dirt at her . her husband did not only wink at it , but when she came home , frown'd , gave her ill language , and at last proceeded to blows , insomuch , that several times he made the blood gush from her . long she endured , hoping with patience and meekness to soften his cruel heart , but finding there was no hopes of mollifying him , at last she writ to her brother childebert , and together with the letter , sent him a handkerchief dipt in her own blood. she complained of her ill usage , and implored his assistance towards her relief . the kingdom of the franks was then divided among the sons of clouis . childebert had paris ; clotarius , soissons ; clodomirus , orleans ; and theodoricus , metz in lorrain , who all called themselves kings . they all inraged against the visogoth , for the wrong he did their sister crotilda , joyn'd their forces , and with much speed marched towards him . amalaricus was wholly unprovided , besides , his ill conscience terrifying him , he resolved to fly . god , who had decreed his punishment , blinded him ; for , whereas he might have escaped , he returned to save part of his treasure into the city , supposed to be barcelona . in this distress , he thought to have taken sanctuary in a catholick church ; but in the way was killed by a soldier . st. isidorus writes he was killed in a battle , fought near narbonne . but i rather believe gregory of tours , who lived before him , and relates the passage in this manner . ado viennensis says , the franks overran all spain , destroy'd the city toledo , after a long siege , and took many other places . procopius says , they took from them all that the goths possess'd in france ; yet this , no other author speaks of , and we find the dominion of the goths in the following reigns extended as far as the river rhosne . besides , it appears that amalasiuntha , after the death of her father theodorick , gave provence to k. theodorick of lorrain , that he might not be dissatisfied that the ostrogoths possess'd some part of france , the rest she left to the visogoths , contenting her self with the dominion of italy . amalaricus dy'd in the year . having reigned five years , unless we commence from the death of gesaleycus , and then it will extend to years . his wife crotilda dy'd in her return to france . in the th year of his reign , was held the second council of toledo . montanus , archbishop of toledo , presided in this council , of whom , st. ildefonsus writes , that being accused of incontinency , to clear his innocency , he held burning coals of fire in his bosome all the time of mass , and yet neither his linen nor flesh were damaged thereby , tho' they were taken out afterwards light as they were put in . hence it is supposed , the custom afterwards received throughout all spain of pur●ing common offenders to the tryal of red hot iron , or boiling water , took its original . ●ide manner of it was thus . the criminal having confessed his sins , they brought him a red hot iron , or a cup of boiling water , which being blessed by a priest after mass ; if the party accused , handled the one , or drank the other , and escaped unhurt , he was acquited . this custom was used in many places , till pope honorius iii. forbid this way of compurgation . about this time flourished in spain four bishops famous for their learning , these were justus vrgelitanus , justinianus valentinus , nebridius agathensis , and elpidius ; besides these , aprigius , bishop of beja in portugal , renowned for his commentaries upon the revelation . chap. vi. the reigns of theudis , and theudiselus , agila , and athanagildus . a great plague , the th general council . an interregnum . and the conversion of the suevians . a malaricus dying without issue , the whole line of the visogoth kings was extinct , and the crown devolved upon theudis , by descent an ostrogoth . he was chosen by the unanimous consent of the nobility of the visogoths , for his singular prudence , experience and knowledge ; besides that he had gained their good will whilst he governed during the minority of amalaricus . his wife , who was of the prime nobility of spain , as a portion , brought him an estate able to raise fighting men. all these circumstances concurring , advanced him to the throne . theodorick , king of the ostrogoths , had endeavoured to draw theudis into italy ; but he still kept off . during the reign of theudis , in the year . ended the form of government by consuls in rome , basilius , junior , without a colleague being the last consul . in the following year , childebert , king of the franks , and clotarius , his brother , not satisfied with what they had done before , again made war upon spain , and after wasting all the province of tarragona , laid siege to zaragoca . the citizens had recourse to their patron st. vincent , whose garment they carry'd in procession about the walls , imploring his assistance , whereof childebert being informed , he took compassion , and desisted from doing 'em any farther harm . at his request , the citizens gave him that garment , which he carry'd to paris , and there built a church in the suburb , of the invocation of this saint , now called st. germain . as he was to return into france he was in great danger ; for theudis not being able to meet him in open field , had sent theudiselus to secure the passes of the mountains , which he did so successfully , that the franks were distressed , and forced to purchase their passage with money . after the war followed a plague , for the space of two years , wherein , innumerable people dy'd in spain . theudis passed over into africk , and laid siege to ceuta , but whilst he kept the sunday , the besieged sallying , put to the sword all that were in the trenches . the king , with part of his army got aboard the fleet , and returned into spain . this hap'ned at the same time that belisarius , general for justinian , emperor of the east , subdu'd the vandals in africk , after they had been possess'd of it years . justinian not only recovered africk , but expelled the goths out of all italy , killing several of their kings successively ; and in great measure restored the majesty of the roman empire . it was he also , that reduced the civil law into method , and composed that small , but most excellent book , well known by the name of , the emperor justinian 's institutions . not long after these things had hap'ned , follow'd the death of theudis , in the year . when he had reign'd years , and months . a certain man , whose name is not known , nor upon what provocation , resolved to kill this king , and to that purpose feigned himself mad. being permitted to come into his presence , he furiously ran at , and struck him thro' the body with a sword. in this his last agony , the king confessed this was a just judgment of god , for that he had formerly murdered a general under whom he served , and to whom , he had taken an oath of fidelity ; and so great was his repentance , that he charg'd all there present , they should do no harm to his murderer . this is an example of mercy much to be commended in this prince , as also , that being himself an arian , he permitted the catholick bishops to hold a council at toledo , theudis being dead , theudiselus was by the nobility chosen king , as well in regard of his valour , whereof , he had given good proof in the war with the franks , as of his high birth , being nephew by a sister , to totila , king of the ostrogoths . the great hopes that had at first been conceived of him , were soon disappointed ; for he entirely gave himself up to sensuality . many of his people were privately murthered , and others upon forged crimes , publickly condemned and executed , only that he might take their wives to satisfie his lust . hereupon he grew so hateful to his people , that they conspired , and killed him in his own palace , as he sate at dinner , when he had reigned months , and days . the nobility upon the death of theudiselus an chose agila for their king. at his first coming to the crown , he laid close siege to cordova , which refused to acknowledge him . the besieged making a furious sally , put his army to flight with much slaughter , killed his son , and took the baggage ; whereby he was oblig'd to quit the siege , and retire to merida . this was looked upon as a judgment from heaven , for his profaning the church of the martyr asciselus , into which , he had put his horses . after this misfortune he began to be less looked upon by his people , and at length grew so much into contempt , that one athanagildus openly rebelled . he the more to secure and strengthen himself , sent embassadors to the emperor justinian , offering to restore a considerable part of spain to the empire , if he would assist him . in pursuance of this embassy , liberius was sent out of france to his aid , and their forces being joyn'd , the battle was fought near sevil , where the rebellion is supposed first to have broke out . athanagildus obtained the victory , and agila was slain by his own men , in the year . when he had reign'd years , and months . they killed him to put an end to the civil wars , fearing lest the power and riches of the goths , being weakned by their own divisions , the romans might again recover all spain , as they had done italy and africk . in the same year . by order of the emperor justinian , was held at constantinople the th general council , in which were bishops , who condemned the opinions of origen . jornandes , a gothish bishop , continued the history of that nation , till the time that athanagildus having killed his enemy , was without farther opposition acknowledged king of the goths . this king had his hands full during his whole life , being always ingaged in wars , the success whereof proved various . the great cause of these troubles was , that forgetting his promise , he endeavoured to expell the romans all spain . on the other side , they as well by contract , as force of arms , had possess'd themselves of so much , that their dominions reached from sea to sea. by his wife gosuinda , he had two daughters , the eldest , galsuinda , marry'd to chilperick , king of soissons in france , and brunechilda the youngest , to sigebert , king of metz in lorrain , the brother of chilperick . these two ladies were by the french bishops converted from the sect of arius , which they had been bred in ; and some will have it , that athanagildus was in private a catholick , but durst not openly profess it , for fear of the people . he reign'd years , and months , and dy'd at toledo , in the year . after his death followed an interregnum of five months . d. lucas de tuy , says , it lasted five years , and five months . the reason of it was , that the gothish nobility could not agree , or pitch upon any one person capable of supporting the kingdom of the goths , then in danger of sinking , and none minded the publick calamities , studying to indulge their private humours . at this time , john iii. governed the see of rome . it was now also , that the suevians , who possess'd galicia , returned to the catholick church , renouncing the heresie of arius , which they had follow'd almost years , and grievously persecuted the catholicks . martinus dumiensis , was a great instrument of their conversion . he was an hungarian , had travelled throughout the east , and was a person of singular learning , at last he was archbishop of braga , and after his death esteem'd as a saint , in galicia and portugal , where they celebrate his feast on the th of march. when the suevians embraced the catholick religion , theodemirus reign'd over them . what kings reign'd betwixt remismundus , of whom we spoke before , and this theodemirus , is not known , the histories of those times being imperfect . the cause of the conversion of the suevians was this . theodemirus's son and heir lay dangerously sick , and the fame of the miracles wrought by st. martin of tours , being spread throughout the world , his father sent embassadors to the saints tomb , with the youths weight in gold and silver , to be offered for his health . but the success not answering , the king believed it proceeded from the difference of religion , and his being an arian . he sent again , and the embassadors brought a piece of the saints cloak , and in the mean while the prince recovered . hereupon , the king in pursuance of a vow he had made , erected a church in honour of st. martin ; and caused the suevians publickly to embrace the catholick religion . for the better confirming them in the faith , and by the advice of st. martin dumiensis , he caused a synod of the bishops of galicia to be held at braga , in the third year of his reign , and of our lord , . this was the first council of braga , and lucretius , archbishop of that city , presided in it . chap. vii . of the two sisters , galsuinda and brunechilda . the reigns of the kings liuva and leuvigildus . this last , makes his two sons his companions in the throne . it was said above , that galsuinda and brunechilda , the two daughters of athanagildus , were marry'd in france , to two kings ; both which matches in the end proved unfortunate . the one soon dy'd miserably , the other lived long , and always in trouble . galsuinda the eldest , wife to chilperick , after suffering much , thro' the insolence of fredegunda , his mistriss , was at last found dead in her bed , and left no issue . sigebert , the husband of brunechilda , was murdered by two ruffians , employed by the same fredegunda , and she sent prisoner to roan , where meroveus , the son of chilperick , admiring her beauty , marry'd her ; but she having been wife to his uncle , the marriage was void . he might have hoped for pardon from his father , in regard to his youth , but by the procurement of fredegunda , his mother-in-law , he was first forced into a religious order , and then killed . brunechilda having the tuition of her two grandsons , theodebert , king of metz , and theodorick of burgundy , made war upon clotarius , as the french historians have it , only to prefer protadius , an italian , for whom she had , a more than lawful affection . besides , they add , that thro' her instigation , the brothers made war upon one another , that theodebert was killed , and his two sons and daughter being taken , she murdered the sons ; and because theodorick designed to marry the daughter , poison'd him . after all these cruelties , brunechilda being taken by clotarius , was four times whipped , and then dragged to death by the hair of her head at a horses tail , without any compassion shown by the people , in regard , they said ten kings , and a vast number of men had dy'd by her wicked machinations . i 'm apt to believe , this is all a * mistake in those authors , who have attributed the crimes of fredegunda to brunechilda ; for st. gregory writ a letter to her , full of her praises ; besides , there are many churches in france built by her , and many captives were redeemed . much more might be said , both for and against her ; but it is not our business to reconcile the different opinions of historians , in a matter of so small moment to the history in hand . after the death of athanagildus , who deceased at toledo , as was said before , liuva , ( so his name is writ upon ancient coins ) a powerful man , who , till then , had been viceroy of gallia gothica , was proclaimed king of narbonne . this was in the second year of the emperor justin , the younger , who was the first that sent longinus with the title of exarchus , to govern italy . liuva , began his reign in the year . nothing of note is found in history , of this king , save , that in the second year of his reign , he declared leuvigildus , his brother , his companion in the kingdom , with equal power to himself . he continued in gallia gothica , as being the place he had most been used to ; and d. lucas de tuy , says , he reigned in france years , before he was king of spain . all the other provinces that were under the dominion of the goths , he left to his brother's charge , hoping by his care , they would be restored to their former grandeur . for at that time , they were at war with the romans , who possess'd a great part of spain , and maintained it not only with their own power , but the assistance of many goths , who put themselves under their protection . leuvigildus had two sons by his wife theodosia , the daughter of severianus , duke and governour of the province of carthagena ; their names were ermenegildus and recaredus . after the death of theodosia , leuvigildus marry'd gosuinda , the widow of athanagildus , at the same time that he was called by his brother to be his associate in the kingdom . as soon as he came to the crown , being a man of great courage , he made war upon the romans . they came to a battle among the bastetani , where now stands the city baça ; the romans were defeated , and by that means expelled the whole province . the country about malaga , was laid waste with fire and sword. medina sidonia , near the streights mouth , was taken by night , being betrayed by framidancus . cordova was in rebellion , and would own no superior , since the defeat of king agila . thither leuvigildus marched , and brought it under , with many other places in the neighbourhood , and great destruction of people , and the country . the neighbourhood of sabaria , ( not knowing in what part of spain it lay ) was also ravaged and spoiled . whilst leuvigildus was thus employed , his brother liuva dy'd in france , in the year . having reign'd but years , some say , only . all the province of andaluzia being brought under , and the romans totally expelled , leuvigildus returned towards biscay , where he took amaya by assault ; others call it aregia , and others , varegia , a city as is supposed , betwixt burgos and leon. all the rest of that country was pillaged and spoiled , and many that were in arms killed . hence he passed over into aquitain , where he took aspidius , who was revolted in the city agen , with his wife , children and riches . the same year that liuva dy'd , myrus , or as others call him ariamirus , was king of the suevians by succession , his father dying two years before . at the same time , was held the second council of braga , by which , the suevians were confirmed in the catholick religion . leuvigildus having quieted the affairs of aquitain , returned into spain , with a resolution to destroy the kingdom of the suevians , which had lasted so many years . mirus fearing the power of the goths , who began to break into galicia , sent embassadors to sue for peace , but could only obtain a cessation of arms for some time . the goth was the more willing to condescend , because he had no just cause to make war upon the suevians ; unless their change of religion for the better , as also , for that he was to oppose a roman army , sent by justin the emperor , upon the frontiers of spain . at first , leuvigildus marching thro' the mountains of orospeda , which rise at the foot of moncayo , and passing by molina , cuenca and segura , end near cadiz , subdued certain mountain people , who confiding in the strength of the country , refused to obey him . thus the power of the goths was increased , and that of the romans diminished ; for they had left them only a small tract of land , near the sea , as i suppose , the mediterranean . before leuvigildus undertook this war , to take away the custom the great ones had instituted , of chusing their kings , and to secure the succession in his own family , he declared his two sons , ermenegildus and recaredus , his companions in the royal authority , and to this purpose , divided the kingdom into three parts . to ermenegildus , he assigned sevil , tho gregory of tours , says , it was merida . to the city reccopolis , he gave that name , being the first founder , in honour of his son recaredus : this was in that place , where the river guadiela falls into tagus , not far from pastrana , as the moor , rasis testifies . this city was founded in the year . others will have it , that reccopolis was in celtiberia , and is the same with almonacir , commonly called zorita . leuvigildus chose the city toledo for to keep his own court in , and so did the kings of the goths , his successors ; whereas , till then , it had been kept at sevil. from this beginning , that city by degrees , came to be the metropolitan see of all spain , as shall appear in its place . pope benedict , successor of john iii. now governed the church , and tiberius ii. the roman empire . about this same time , mirus , king of the suevians , made war upon the people of rioja , upon what occasion is not known ; but it appears that he overcame and subdued them . these people were formerly called ruccones , at least , the archbishop d. rodrigo calls them so . the country is fruitful and pleasant , so proper to bear corn , it often yields twenty for one . chap. viii . ermenegildus son to leuvigildus , marries the lady ingundis , is converted to the catholick faith , is besieg'd by his father in sevil , taken prisoner , and put to death by him . ingundis , daughter to sigibert king of lorrain , and brunechilda his queen , was married to ermenegildus in the year . she was grandchild to athanagildus , and gosuinda , by these means those two royal families were united , and levuigildus thought thereby to secure the kingdom to his posterity . ingundis came out of france with a great retinue . her grandmother gosuinda for some time used her with all possible kindness , in hopes to prevail with her to forsake the catholick religion , embrace the sect of arrius , and be rebaptiz'd . she gave no ear to these perswasions , but continued firm in the faith , which so far provok'd gosuinda , being a haughty and ill-natur'd woman , that she gave her very despightful language , and at length one day , laid hands upon her , dragging her by the hair of the head , till the blood ran from her ; nay another time made her fall into a fish-pond , with eminent danger of her life . this cruel usage no way mov'd ingundis to alter her resolution , but on the contrary it is believ'd , that through her means , ermenegildus then began to think of becoming a catholick . st. leander , bishop of sevil , was very instrumental in this good work , for finding him well inclin'd , he instructed him in all matters of faith. they had the better opportunity to do this , because leuvigildus was gone to toledo . ringundis the daughter of chilperick king of france , and fredegunda , was about this time contracted to recaredus ; and was on her way to spain to her husband . being come as far as toulouse . she receiv'd the news of her father's death , who was murder'd by candricus his constable , and thereupon she suddenly return'd home . recaredus having lost this match , afterwards married the lady bada , whose country and family are not known . some say she was of the noblest blood of the goths , as being daughter to fontus count of the partimonii . whilst leuvigildus was busy making up these matches , his son ermenegildus compleated the work of his conversion . this princes conversion was the cause of a tedious and bloody war , betwixt the father and the son. gosuinda , who ought to have appeas'd her husbands passion , and labour'd for an accommodation , being her self naturally obstinate , and a mother-in-law , blew the coals , and stir'd up the king , who was sufficiently provok'd upon that score . before they broke out into open war , the father indeavour'd , by fair means , to bring his son to complyance , and to this purpose , sent embassadors , and writ a letter to him , the substance whereof was to this effect . that he had rather have treated with him face to face than by letter . that he had bred him with all the tenderness of a father , and when grown up made him his companion in the throne . that if he desir'd more , or resented his brothers having a share in the kingdom , he ought to have made his complaint to him . that it was only ambition which mov'd him to despise his father , and forsake the religion of his ancestors . to conclude , perswades him to take wholsome advice , and submit himself to his father , from whom , so doing , he might hope for forgiveness , or if he persisted , expect to find no mercy . ermenegildus was much troubl'd at this letter , but being resolv'd not to alter his opinion , he answer'd his father , acknowledging the favours he had done him to be beyond his merits , protesting he desir'd nothing more earnestly than to appear grateful , and express his utmost duty to him as a father ; but withal shewing how his first duty ought to be to god and his own soul , in taking care of which he thought he had offended no body . he ends , praying to god to direct his father for the common good of his sons and people . the kingdom was divided into two factions . the catholicks , who were numerous , but not in power , either openly , or underhand , favour'd ermenegildus , the arrians , who were more powerful , followed leuvigildus . gregory of tours says , that ermenegildus , when he was confirm'd , and receiv'd into the church by the arrians , took the name of john. this seems to be contradicted by the gold coin stamp'd in the heat of that war , as is suppos'd , which on the one side bears the name and effigies of ermenegildus , and on the reverse the image of victory , with this inscription , man fly from the king. the catholicks sought for aid from far countries , and to this purpose leander was sent , by sea , to constantinople , where tiberius augustus resided . this leander , of a benedictine monk , was preferred to the bishoprick of sevil ; he was a person of singular learning , great sanctity , a sweet conversation , and much eloquence , a wonderful thing in those days . his embassy took no effect , but he was present at a synod held in that city , and there contracted friendship with st. gregory sirnam'd the great , who was then legate at constantinople , from pope pelagius the second . the war in fine broke out in the year , a year unfortunate to christendom , for in it was born in arabia the false prophet mahomet , afterwards the founder and head of all the mahometan sects . ermenegildus fortify'd sevil and cordova , laying in store of corn and other necessaries , either to hold out a siege , or supply him if the war were portracted . he made a league with the roman commanders , and delivered up to them , his wife , and son , newly born , that those he loved best , might be out of danger , in case things succeeded not according to his desire . on the other side , leuvigildus finding no perswasions . or fair promises prevailed with his son , made all necessary preparations to reduce him by force . to this purpose , with much gold , he drew over the romans to his party , as men that without regard of promises or engagements , follow'd that side which was strongest , and where the greatest gain was ; and therefore forsook his son. this done , he endeavoured to reconcile the differences betwixt the catholicks and arians ; being sensible , that division in point of religion , was the chief cause of all those mischiefs . to this purpose , he held a synod of arian bishops at toledo , where it was determined , the custom of re-baptizing such as fell from the church into arianism , should be abolished . it was also agreed , that the person of the son was equal to the father ; but all this was only in outward appearance . nevertheless , this fiction succeeded so well , that many left ermenegildus , the difference of religion , being as they thought , taken away ; and others were not so zealous as they had been in his cause . the greatest part seeing how great the danger was like to be , thought better to stand neuters , than expose their lives and fortunes to eminent peril . three years being thus spent in preparing , leuvigildus with mighty forces he had raised , moved towards his son. he marched to the farthest part of andaluzia , and laid siege to sevil , a noted , large and rich city . there being no hopes that the besieged would surrender , as those who were well inclined to ermenegildus , and prepared by their bishop leander , he resolved to make use at once both of strength and policy . guadalquivir runs thro' that city , carrying so much water as suffices to bear great ships . the king , to hinder carrying any relief into the town , resolved to turn the river out of its channel . this was a work that required much time and labour . for this reason , a league above sevil , to secure their camp , they rebuilt the walls of the ancient italica , whose magnificence , in the time of the romans , was singular , as appears by the ruins that still remain about the place , where now stands the monastery of st. isidorus . myrus , king of the suevians , tho' a catholick , brought forces to the assistance of leuvigildus , but dyed during the seige . eboricus , his son succeeded him ; gregory of tours says otherwise , to wit , that he sided with ermenegildus ; that the war ended , he made peace with leuvigildus , and returning home , dy'd of a sickness he had contracted during the siege . the river was turned another way , which brought the besieged into extreme want . ermenegildus after holding out a year , there being no hopes of withstanding any longer , fled to the romans , not knowing they had forsaken his interest , and joyn'd with his enemies . ermenegildus being gone , the city was delivered up to his father , in the year . this did not satisfie leuvigildus , nor did he desist , till he had got his son into his power . authors do not agree in the manner of taking him . some say , that being ill treated by the romans , he went away to cordova , and was by the people of that town delivered up to his father . gregory of tours says , he was taken at ossetum , whither he had retired , the place being strong , and the inhabitants well affected towards him . into the town he took men , leaving the rest incamped hard by , intending , in case his father attacked him , to fall on him in front and rear ; he reckoned without his host , and therefore was deceived . for leuvigildus having intelligence of his design , countermined all his contrivances , and falling furiously upon that town , entred , and set fire to it on all sides . ermenegildus despairing of making his escape , took sanctuary in a church , hoping to appease his pathers anger . recaredus , the younger brother , a person of great generosityand prudence , was with his father leuvigildus . he asked his father's leave , and brother's consent , to speak with him , and there advised him to have recourse to his father's mercy , with assurance of pardon , and all friendly offices from his own part . these promises were confirmed by oath , leuvigildus was called , and being come , ermenegildus with a sorrowful countenance cast himself at his feet . he received him with exterior signs of joy , and kiss'd him in token of forgiveness ; but he had other things in his heart , for having caused him to go to the camp , he soon after was stript of the royal robes , and sent prisoner to sevil. the abbot bicliarensis says , he was banished to valencia , and dy'd at tarragona . at sevil , near the gate called of cordova , there is still to be seen a tower , well known upon account of ermenegildus's imprisonment , which is very high , narrow and dark . it is commonly received ; that he lived there with bolts on his feet , and his hands ty'd behind him , and that , not satisfied with those hardships , he used great austerity in his dyet , lying upon hair-cloth , and spending his time in contemplation . in this manner he continued till the feast of easter , which fell upon the th of april , in the year . then leuvigildus sent an arian bishop to him , to give him the blessed sacrament , after the manner of the arians . ermenegildus turned him away with contempt , which his father took so hainously , that he caused his head immediately to be cut off . pope sixtus i. canoniz'd this saint , and ordered his feast to be kept throughout spain on the th of april . his prison was afterwards converted into a chappel ; and he was formerly held in great veneration , so that from him many , as well women as men , are supposed to have taken the names of ermenegildus , ermesinda , ermenesinda , ermegildez and ermildez . where his body lies is not known , nor have we any account how he was buryed . gregory the great relates the death of ermenegildus , lib. . dial . cap. . and says musick was heard near the dead body , and lights were seen over it at night . about this time pelagius the second , governed the catholick church . st. gregory the great , was his successor . chap. ix . the remaining part of the reign of king leuvilgildus . he persecutes the catholicks . subdues the suevians . his death , and causes of his conversion . no sooner hand indegundis received advice of her husband's imprisonment and death ; but she went over into africk , overwhelmed with sorrow and tears ; the roman officers , in whose custody she was , designed to send her , and theodorick her son , to the emperor mauricius . on the other side the kings of the franks , childebert brother , and guntrandus , unkle to indegundis , resolved to revenge the wrong done her , and death of ermenegildus . recaredus having intelligence of it , and intending to be beforehand with them , broke into frane , plundered and wasted all the country , and took a strong castle , in the territory of arles , called vgernum . great was the havock he committed , and greater the terror he spread , whereupon a treaty of peace was set a foot , and leuvigildus sent his embassadors to assist at it . nothing was concluded , for besides the former wrongs , the goths at that time took certain french ships , on the coast of galicia , with all the men and merchandize in them . this action so far incensed the franks , that tho another embassy was sent , their kings , and chiefly guntrandus , would give no ear to the proposals of the goths . authors say , recaredus the second time from narbonne , made roads into the country of the franks , and did great harm . childebert who was most exposed to the danger , and concerned for the injuries done to his sister , and brother-in-law , the better to secure his revenge , invited mauricius the emperor ( whose offers before he had slighted ) to joyn his forces with him , in order to oppose the longobards , who had possessed themselves of italy , and the goths in spain . this alliance being concluded , he marched into italy with a great army . the enemy at first avoided coming to a battle , whereupon the franks growing secure and despising them , they fell upon them by surprize , and put their whole army to the rout , with the greatest slaughter that had been known of that nation . this disaster doubtless made childebert more complying with the goths , besides ; that the emperor being otherwise employed , assisted his confederates , rather with his name than power , and indegundis , the cause of this war , was now dead , some say in africk , others in sicily , for authors do not agree about it , neither is it known what became of her son. there is an account that he was carryed to the emperor , and is supposed to have dyed soon after . maximus says the mother dyed at palermo , and the son was long after her at constantinople . leuvigildus desiring to extirpate the catholick religion in spain , for that as he thought it had been the cause of all past misfortunes , banished all the best and holyest men , as those that supported and maintained it . among the rest were leander bishop of sevil , and fulgencius of ezija , and mausona of merida . the king seized upon the revenues of the churches , abolished all the ecclesiastical priviledges , and put to death many men of note , some on just causes , others upon false informations , and enriched the crown with their estates . his chief aim was so to weaken all other families that none might aspire to the crown . many not only of the commonalty , but even the nobility terrified with these proceedings , submitted themselves to the king's will , and embraced the arian heresie . among others , vincencius bishop of zaragoca , turning arian , by his ill example drew many into the same ruin . severus bishop of malaga , and licinianus of carthagena , his contemporaries writ against him . the kingdom of the goths , which by these practices seemed to increase in power , was at the same time augmented by the additions of the dominions of the suevians in spain , which hap'ned in this manner , king eboricus , the son of myrus , was outed that kingdom by andeca , a noble man , who was marryed to sisegunda , eboricus his mother-in-law . not content with usurping the crown , he forced him to enter into a monastery , and change the royal robes of a religious habit. eboricus was a friend and confederate of the goths , for which reason leuvigildus appear'd in arms against the tyrant . him he overthrew in battle , took prisoner , and having stript him of the regalia , shaved his head , which according to the custom of those times , was degrading , and making him incapable of being a king , and after all banished him to beja , a city in portugal . these disorders gave opportunity to one malaricus to rebel , and being assisted by the people to take upon him the title of king. leuvigildus soon quieted this rebellion , and made himself master of all galicia . eboricus 't is supposed , continued as a private man in the monastery , and the goth had no inclination to restore him . thus the kingdom of the suevians , that had long flourished and possessed a considerable part of spain , for the space of years , was totally extinct in the year . this same year leuvigildus dyed at toledo , in the th year after he began to reign , with his brother . many authors testify , that before he dyed , during his last sickness , he abjured the arian heresie , and recommended the catholick religion to his son recaredus . our historians relate , that tho' leuvigildus in his heart was a catholick , yet he did not publickly abjure arianism , but temporized for fear of his subjects . maximus , says he , was present at the king's death , and saw signs of his repentance and tears . he places his decease on the second of april in the year . leuvigildus his conversion , is related to have been forwarded by several miracles . among others it is said , that in the war against his son , the soldiers plundering a monastery of the invocation of st. martin near carthagena , the monks fled into an island , and one of the soldiers pursuing the abbot fell down dead , whereupon the king caused all that had been taken from the monastery to be restored . another time in a dispute that was held about religion , the catholick , in testimony of the truth he maintained , took a burning ring out of the fire , with his bare hand , and received no harm , which the arian durst not do . these and other miracles caused the king to waver in his mind . he asked of an arian bishop , why they did not work such wonders in defence of faith. he replyed , he had often given sight to the blind , and restored their hearing to the deaf , but did it not publickly to shun ostentation , yet since it was requisite , he would do it in sight of the world. soon after the king and bishop being together , an arian , who at his instigation had feigned himself blind , called upon him earnestly to restore him his sight . all men expected to see the miracle which hap'ned , contrary to what they thought , for no sooner did the bishop touch his eyes but he was struck blind , which that wretch being sensible of , he openly confessed the whole contrivance . these things caused the arian heresie to be much slighted , and the more , for that during four years , continually all spain , but especially the kingdom of toledo , was wasted by locusts , which the commonalty said , was a judgment of god for the death of ermenegildus , and for persecuting the catholicks . by the testimony of st. isidorus , this commendation may be given to leuvigildus , that he corrected the laws of the goths , at that time much corrupted , abolishing some and enacting others . paul deacon of merida , who then lived , writes , that nunctus an abbot of great sanctity , coming out of africk to merida , to visit the sepulcher of st. olalia , went soon after into the desart , to shun the sight of women , where he was maintained by the king , till the country people of the neighbourhood killed him ; upon what account is not known . the king did not punish this crime , but god almighty did , for all the murderers were possessed with devils . to conclude with luevigildus , he was the first king of the goths , that wore garments different from the rest of the people , the first that took upon him the grandeur of a king , and made use of a crown and scepter . chap. x. the reign of recaredus , his and his peoples conversion . conspiracies against him detected and punished . he overthrows the franks . the third council of toledo . the funeral rites being performed to leuvigildus , with that state and magnificence that was requisite , recaredus bent his thoughts upon the setling his court , and the government of his kingdom . his first care was to appease the kings of france , and in order to it , his first wife bada , being dead , he indeavoured to contract an alliance with childebert king of lorrain , by marrying his other sister clodosinda . the better to effect this , he sent to excuse himself of having had any hand in the death of ermenegildus , but that on the contrary it had grieved him to the heart . the time of concluding so important an affair was not yet come , but it was near at hand . by the advice of the two brothers , leander and fulgentius , he being already a catholick in his heart , began to think of establishing the true religion in spain , yet for the present was forced to dissemble , rather than mistime such an undertaking . he weighed the humour of the commonalty , which in matters of religion is better managed by art than force . therefore he resolved to use his utmost industry , cherishing some , bearing with others , and bestowing great favours upon others , to gain the affections of all men. all things succeeded as he desired , for the king's will being made known , as well the nobility as commonalty consented to it , and what at first appeared so difficult , was performed with more ease than could have been imagined . thus all the goths , and such of the suevians , as had till then persisted in their former errors , by a general consent embraced the catholick religion , and at the same time hoped to gain the favour of their sovereign , who besides the good endowments of his mind , was of a graceful countenance and stature , which conduced much to gain him the respect and love of his subjects , wherefore living , he was held in great veneration , and when dead , his memory was grateful to succeeding ages . it is impossible but such a change in religion should cause some commotions , yet recaredus , his good management , caused them not to be lasting , or dangerous during his reign ; besides , that the severity he used in punishing offenders being absolutely necessary , was so far from being odious , that it met a general approbation from both great and small . the first that opposed the king's designs was the bishop athalocus , in gallia narbonensis , who was so addicted to the arian heresy , as to suffer himself commonly to be called arius . in the same province the two earls , granista and bildigernus , joined with him . this storm was not lasting for athalocus soon dy'd with grief to see his party decay , and , for that the generality of the people being well inclined to the catholick religion , he could not persuade them to revolt . the two earls were overthrown in battle by the forces of recaredus , and all the harms they had done to the catholicks reveng'd on them . this revolt hap'ned , and was queil'd in gallia narbonensis , in the th month of the king's reign , at such time as he publickly abjured the arian heresie , and embraced the catholick religion . to the churches , he restored all their revenues and possessions , whereof they had been deprived by his father , and built , and endow'd many churches and monasteries with royal magnificence . many subjects he restored to their lands and honours , of which , they had been stripp'd by his father , whose severity , he out-did in goodness . thus the king was employed , and god prospered his affairs . king guntrandus had sent his general desiderius with a great army to revenge the harms done him by the goths , on their lands in france . recaredus's forces drew together , and gave them battle near the city carcassonne . at first , the goths were worsted , and fled into that city , but rallying , and drawing up there , they sallied out a fresh upon the franks , who pursued in disorder , with such resolution , that the fortune of the day was changed , their enemies totally routed , and they obtained a compleat victory . the general of the franks was killed , and more of his men remained in the field dead , than escaped . this was in the first year of the reign of recaredus , which was of christ . as appears by an inscription on a stone found lately in toledo , and set up in the cloister of the cathedral ; the words on it are these . in nomine domini , consecrata ecclesia sanctae mariae in catholico , die primo idus aprilis , anno feliciter primo regni domini nostri gloriosissimi fl. recaredi regis , era dcxxv . that is , in the name of the lord , the church of st. mary , in the catholick quarter , ( or after the catholick manner ) was consecrated on the th of april , in the happy first year of the reign of our lord , the most glorious king flavius recaredus . era , which is the year of grace . exactly . the year following , was discovered a conspiracy against the king , upon account of the change in religion ; in this manner mausona , the catholick bishop , before banished , upon this revolution , returned to his bishoprick of merida . sunna , the arian bishop , who was to fall from that dignity , contriv'd with some of his own party to murder mausona . the attempt was desperate , because , duke claudius , governour of lusitania , a zealous catholick , resided there with a strong garrison . whereupon , the conspirators being sensible of their danger , resolved to kill claudius , as well as mausona . witericus , a noble youth , who was bred in the house of claudius , and came afterwards to be king of the goths , was employ'd to put this in execution . it was requisite to find some good opportunity to perform this wicked act. in order to it , sunna desired to have a time and place appointed , where he might visit mausona , who suspecting the arian , desired claudius to be present at their meeting , thinking his power and authority might prevent any evil design . this , the conspirators thought a proper opportunity to execute their design in . the appointed time being come , after the first salutations , the plotters made a sign to witericus , who stood behind claudius : but notwithstanding , he endeavoured it , he could never draw his sword. however , they were no ways dismay'd , but resolved at a publick procession that was to be made to the church of st. eulalia , in the suburbs , to kill the bishop , and all that accompanied him . to this effect , they hid a great number of swords in certain carts they brought in loaded with corn. providence prevented the execution , for witericus altering his mind , discovered the whole contrivance . claudius immediately fell upon sunna and his party , killed such as made resistance , secured the rest , gave the king an account of what he had done , and by his order , banished the offenders , and confiscated all their goods . sunna , tho' undeserving , having his choice given him , either to depart spain , or abjure his heresie ; being obstinate , went over into africk . witericus was pardon'd for discovering . vacrila , one of the conspirators having taken sanctuary in the church of st. eulalia , was condemned to serve there as a slave all his life time . count paul sega , another of the principals , had his hands cut off , and was banished to galicia . these examples quelled that commotion , and tho' they were sufficient to terrifie others , yet a greater storm ensued . queen gosuinda at first , in compliance with her son-in-law , feigned she embraced the catholick religion , and proceeded so far , as to spit out the blessed sacrament she received in the church , the same was done by the bishop vldida , her great favourite . this could not be long hid , therefore , they resolved to murder the king , which being discovered , vldida was banished , and gosuinda soon after , dy'd a natural death . about the same time , being the year of our lord . king guntrandus sent an army of men , under the command of his general bosus , to break into gallia gothica , in revenge of the death of desiderius . against him , recaredus sent duke claudius , of ancient roman extraction , who passing by the pyrenean mountains , met the enemy near carcassonne . in that place he resolv'd to give battle , as being of good omen , for the late victory obtained there . the fight was bloody , but the goths at last were victorious , a vast number of franks were slain , and their camp taken . in the following year , another conspiracy against the king was discovered , contriv'd by argimundus , his chamberlain , the accomplices were apprehended , and after being rack'd , put to death ; the principal had first his hair shav'd off , which was a token of degrading him from the nobility , then his right hand being cut off , he was carried about the streets of toledo upon an ass , a pleasing spectacle to all good people , who intirely loved the king. some time after , his head was chopt off . after montanus , julian , bacauda , peter , and euphimius , were successively archbishops of toledo . the king desiring to settle the catholick religion he had embrac'd , and re-establisht the church discipline , then much depraved , consulted with leander , archbishop of sevil , and by his advice , called a council of all the bishops under the dominion of the goths , to meet at toledo , the royal city , for so it was called , on account , that the kings had there fix'd their residence . this council was opened , and held their first session at the beginning of may in the year . it consisted of archbishops , and bishops . at the second session , the king presented the prelates a profession of the faith , and abjuration of the arian heresie under his own , and queen bada's hand , containing the heads of the true faith , and particularly , according to the constantinopolitan creed , a confession that the holy ghost proceeds from the father and son. after the king , bishops , and noblemen , presented a like profession and abjuration . this done , the prelates proceeded to publish canons for correcting , and establishing the ecclesiastical discipline . particularly , they ordained , that none should receive the blessed sacrament , unless they , with all that were present during the mass , publickly repeated the constantinopolitan creed . hence might proceed the custom used in our days , of repeating the articles of faith , and apostles creed , before the holy communion . the king by edict , confirmed all the decrees of this council , ordering them to be punctually observed in all points . the abbot biclarensis , who continued the chronicon of his times , till this year , affirms , that leander , bishop of sevil , and eutropius abbas servitanus , were the principal men that regulated all the decrees of this council . d. lucas de tuy , adds , that leander was primate of spain , and had here the power of legate apostolick ; but this agrees not with the acts of the council it self ; by which it appears , he had the third place among those prelates , euphemius , bishop of toledo , the second ; and mausona of merida , the first . which places , i believe , were given by seniority , and so mausona , as the eldest bishop , preceeded all the others . the king confirmed the decrees of this council , a thing new , and never before used ; for the roman emperors , in general councils , used to consent and agree to the acts of the fathers , but never confirmed , or determined any thing , as not extending their power to ecclesiastical affairs . the history of spain . the sixth book . chap. i. the remaining actions of king recaredus . he marries clodosinda , sister to childebert , king of lorrain . his death . original of dukes and counts . a new light of glory seem'd to spread it self over all spain , after dispersing the former darkness , perfect peace was restor'd , the preceding commotions and troubles being appeased , and nothing but mirth , and publick rejoycing , was seen in all parts . it was a blessing to behold those , who were before divided , and distracted by their various opinions in religion , so that they agreed in nothing but the tongue , which was common to all , now again united into one body , and reconcil'd , as to their sentiments in the holy faith of the church . this was a singular mercy of god , not only in respect to their present felicity , but even in the assured hopes of a lasting happiness . forreign princes congratulated the king upon his great success , and each offered his assistance to carry on so good a work. pope gregory the great , successor to pelagius ii. in the year . at the beginning of his papacy , sent a letter to leander , congratulating the king's reconciliation to the church , and telling how happy he will be , if he perseveres to the end . the king also understanding that gregory was elected pope , sent an embassy to him , of which , provinus the priest was chief , and with him went some abbots , with them he sent presents of gold , and suits of cloaths for the poor of st. peter , in rome ; for then it seems , the poor , and the hospitals , were maintained upon the revenues of the church . one thing designed by this embassy , was to obtain of the pope to confirm and ratifie the decrees of the council of toledo . there are extant three letters of pope gregory , dated the ninth year of his papacy , by which it may be concluded , the embassadors were forc'd back into spain by storms , and long detain'd there , as also that they made a long stay at rome . the first letter is directed to duke claudius of merida , the principal man in spain , next to the king , recommending to him the abbot cyriacus , then going into spain . the second to leander , condoling his sufferings , by the gout . the third is to the king , encouraging him to continue firm in the faith he had receiv'd , and commending his good actions . with this letter he sent him a piece of the holy cross , some hairs of st. john baptist , a key touch'd to the body of st. peter ; and some silings of the same saints chains . to saint leander he sent the pall. for at that time the jews having offer'd large summs of money , that a law pass'd against them might be repeal'd , the king had refus'd to grant it . there is a common received opinion among spaniards , tho' no author mentions any such thing , that the spanish embassadors returning into spain , among other presents they had for the king , and the bishop leander , brought an image of our b. lady , carv'd in wood , sent by the pope to the latter , and that it is the same which many years after was found in a cave ; together with the bodies of st. fulgencius , bishop of ezija , and st. florentina his sister ; and which at this time is held in great veneration at guadalupe , one of the chief monasteries of the order of st. hierome in all spain . whilst the embassadors resided at rome , several synods were held in spain , according to a decree of the late council of toledo , as is suppos'd , which ordain'd there should be yearly provincial synods held , for the reformation of manners , and the good of the church . one of these synods was held by leander at sevil , another at narbonne , in gallia gothica , others at zaragoça , toledo , huesca , and barceiona ; whose acts are not here set down , as belonging more properly to the ecclesiastical history . let us return to the king , who after the death of his queen bada , being desirous to conclude a peace with the kings of france ; and in order to it , laying aside all former resentments , sent embassadors to childebert king of lorrain , to ask his sister clodosinda in marriage , as was before hinted . this marriage was at last concluded , recaredus protesting to those kings , he never had any hand in the death of ermenegildus , but had been very sensibly touch'd with his brothers misfortunes . clodosinda was before promis'd to anthari king of the longobards , but recaredus was prefer'd before him ; both in regard of the pressing instances he made , as also because he was a catholick , and the other a pagan . authors do not agree as to the time of the celebration of the nuptials ; but it is certain , that the alliance with the franks was setled in the latter days of recaredus . about the same time such of the romans as had remain'd in spain , were defeated upon several occasions , and brought under by the coths . the vascones likewise , that is navarre being revolted , were pacify'd and subdu'd . for these , and the other glorious actions perform'd during his reign , the king gain'd immortal renown . he was endu'd with a singular greatness of mind , much wit , prudence , and a pleasing person and nature ; but what most gloriously shin'd in him , was his great zeal for the catholick religion . his death was in the year of grace , having reign'd years , one month , and days . st. isidorus says , that being near his death , at toledo , he did publick pennance for his sins , as was us'd in those days . he left three sons , the eldest called liuva , the others suinthila and geila . the first is suppos'd to be by his first wife , he being of age to govern at his fathers decease , on whom the other two were got is not known . certain it is , the present kings of spain are lineally descended from these princes , and particularly from recaredus their father . for the better understanding whereof , it will not be amiss here to insert their genealogy . gosuinda the wife of athanagildus , had by him two daughters , galsuinda and brunechilda . also clodoveus , or clovis , king of the franks , had three grandsons , which were guntrandus , chilperick , and sigebert , all sons of clotarius the son of clovis . gassuinda was married to chilperick , who perish'd by the fraud of fredegunda , as was hinted before . sigebert married brunechilda , and by her had childebert , ingundis , and clodosinda . leuvigildus , successor of athanagildus , by his first wife , theodosia had ermenegildus , and recaredus , before he was king , and being come to the crown marry'd gosuinda the queen dowager . ermenegildus married ingundis , and recaredus clodosinda . it is to be observ'd in the history of recaredus , and the ensuing kings , that whereas mention is made of dukes , and counts , or earls , those names signify offices and dignity of command , and not bare titles as at present ; for counts or earls , were governors of provinces ; the dukes were generals , and had the power of coining money , for payment of their souldiers ; and hence the crown piece in spain came to be called ducado , or a ducate : not only the governours of provinces were call'd counts , but such as had any remarkable office at court , or command in the army ; so in military imployments , we find comites cataphractariorum , clibanariorum , and sagittariorum . at court there was comes stabuli , now the constable , and so others in imitation of the roman emperors . from them also it is supposed recaredus first took the sirname of flavius , as did the ensuing kings after him . besides toledo was stil'd a royal city , which was the very title the greeks gave to constantinople , the seat of the empire . thus we see that in those days , dukes , and counts , or earls , were persons of command ; and those names were not barely titular , as at present , kings having of later years made them hereditary , assigning them certain revenues . chap. ii. the reigns of the kings liuva , witericus , gundemarus , sisebutus , and recaredus the second ; several synods , the jews banish'd spain . liuva being scarce twenty years of age when his father dy'd , was immediately proclaim'd king , but by reason of his youth , lay the more expos'd to the insolencies of rebellious spirits . wherefore it followed that tho' he was a prince of excellent qualities and like his father , he was treacherously murdered by witericus , before spoken of , when he had reigned only two years , during which time he did nothing remarkable , save , that by the beauty of his person and gentle behaviour , he had gained the affections of all men , and left his subjects in extream grief for that he was cut off in the flower of his years . there are pieces of gold found in spain , with his name on the one side , and on the reverse , these words , hisp ali pivs , that is , pious at sevil , which is a token of his goodness . these medals cannot be attributed , to the other liuva , because there is a crown on them , which in the times of the former was not in use among the goths . by this means the traytor possessed himself of the kingdom of the goths , and held it six years , and ten months . he was fortunate in war , for tho' in some rencounters with the romans , still remaining in spain he had the worst , yet at last his forces gave them an entire overthrow in a pitched battle fought near siguença . childebert king of lorrain dying , his two sons divided his dominions , theodobert was king of lorrain , and theodorick of burgundy . theodorick marryed the daughter of witericus , but she was sent back into spain a maid , some said that theodorick was bound with spels and witchcraft by the concubins he kept , so that he could not have carnal knowledge of her . others are of opinion , it was done by the procurement of her mother-in-law brunechilda . however it was , witericus stirred up theodobert of lorrain , king clotarius , and agilulphus of the longobards to join in a league against theodorick . he finding himself in no condition to oppose such a power , bought his peace with his brother theodobert , whereupon the other two princes desisted from attempting any thing against him . this disgrace made witericus grow contemptible to his subjects , and their hatred began to break out which had long lain hid . but what incensed the people most , was that it was rumoured he designed to restore the arian heresie . the people were so moved at this report , that taking up arms , they broke in the palace and killed the tyrant as he sate at dinner . nor did this satisfy their rage , so they dragged his body about the streets , and then buried it in an infamous place . this divine vengeance , tho' late , overtook him for the murder of king liuva . gundemarus was immediatly proclaimed king , either for that he had been head of that mutiny , or by the choice of the nobility , in regard of his great wisdom and abilities , both in civil and martial affairs . he began his reign in the year of our lord . and if it be lawful to conjecture at history , i suppose the franks assisted him in obtaining the crown , for as appears by the letters of count bulgaranus , governour of gallia gothica , which are still preserved among the antiquities of the university of alcala de henares , and the church of oviedo , gundemarus payed a certain yearly acknowledgment to the franks . those letters also give us to understand , that gundemarus his embassadors sent into france , were contrary to the law of nations , affronted by those kings , and tho' he sent other embassadors to complain of that ( wrong ) they could not be admitted to audience . for this cause bulgaranus would not suffer theodorick his embassadors to pass into spain , and at length broke out into open war , and took two forts called jubinianum , and corneliacum . count bulgaranus attacked these two places , upon account they had been given by king recaredus to brunechilda , who dying soon after , and her sons , and grandsons being also extinct , it is supposed for that cause the french kings did not attempt to recover them . thus much in france . in spain , king gundemarus made war with success upon the people of navarre , who again had revolted , he had also some rancounters with the romans , that maintained that part of spain , which still acknowledged the roman empire ; all which , and his death , which fell out at toledo , was in the year . when he had reigned one year , ten months , and thirteen days , the queen his wife was called hilduara , but it is not known that he left any issue . at the same time heraclius who succeeded phocas , was emperor in the east , and bonifacius the th , governed the catholick church after gregory the great , sabinianus , and bonifacius the third . aurasius was bishop of toledo , his predecessors were euphimius , tonancius , and adelphius . in his time a synod of bishops from several parts of spain was held at toledo , upon account that several bishops of the province of carthagena , would not acknowledge the superiority of the see of toledo , for which this synod unanimously gave judgment . about this time flourished the famous poet draconcius , who put the beginning of genesis into verse . gundemarus was interr'd with great pomp , and what made it the more remarkable , was the sorrow and tears of all the people for the loss of so excellent a prince . next , the nobility meeting made choice of sisebutus to succeed him , who being a person no less qualify'd than the other , very zealous of the catholick religion , and what in those days was rare , learned , and skilled in the latin tongue , the grief conceived for the former loss was in some measure allayed . the hopes conceived of sisebutus proved not vain , for he soon quelled the asturians and people of rioja , who relying upon the strength of their mountainous country , refused to acknowledge the new king. in this war he made use of suinthila son of the good king recaredus , a youth of great courage , and that afterwards made this a step to ascend the throne . that country being subdued , the king increased suinthila's army , with addition of many new levies made throughout his kingdom , in order to go himself in person against the romans , who still held some part of spain about cadiz , and along the coast of the ocean in andaluzia , and portugal . having entred that country , he defeated the enemy in two battles , took from them many towns , and scarce left the romans a foot of land in all spain . what was most commendable he made use of his success with great moderation , setting at liberty a great number of captives taken by his soldiers , in respect that they were catholicks , and to take away all cause of discontent , paid their ransoms to the owners out of his own coffers . caesarius , a patrician , who governed for the emperor in spain , moved by the goodness of sisebutus , and despairing of being able to withstand him , being so far from relief , was willing to set a treaty of peace on foot . a fit opportunity offered it self , for cecilius bishop of metensa , being desirous of a more quiet life , quitted his bishoprick , and retired to a monastery within the precincts of the romans . the king cited him to appear , and answer for what he had done . caesarius , tho' some persons opposed it , caused him to be delivered to the king by ansemundus , whom he sent as his ambassador with orders , if he found a fit opportunity to treat of peace . this embassy was pleasing to sisebutus , being himself inclinable to an accommodation , and therefore he sent an ambassador of his own called theodorick to caesarius , who sent him with others to the emperor heraclius , to ratify the conditions of the treaty . the emperor gave much credit to an astrologer , who told him the christian empire would be in great danger from the circumcised people , which being meant of the moors and saracens , he misapplyed to the jews , and therefore used all possible means to oppress them . now he easily was prevailed upon to ratify the peace the ambassador had concluded ; only earnestly recommending it to the king sisebutus , that he would banish the jews out of all his dominions , which was granted , and such rigor was used towards them , that many against their wills were forced to be baptized , a thing forbid among christians . among the ancient laws of the goths called fuero jusgo , are two to be seen , to this effect , established by sisebutus in the th year of his reign . hereupon a great number of jews went over into france , whence not long after they were also expelled together with the native jews , by dagobert king of the franks , at the request of the same emperor heraclius . king sisebutus taking , great liberty in relation to the ecclesiastical affairs , deposed eusebius , bishop of barcelona , and gave that see to another , as appears by his own letters . the pretence for so doing was , that certain actors had been permitted by the bishop to represent some things relating to the superstition of the heathens , and offensive to christian ears . by the king's order a synod of bishops was held at sevil , in which the sect of the acephali , formerly condemned in the east , and now brought into spain , by a bishop that came from syria , was anathematized , and he obliged to abjure it . the king being thus employed , was snatched away by death , in the year of grace . having reigned eight years , six months , and sixteen days . several stories have been spread abroad relating to his death . some said the physicians gave him a purge , good as to its quality , but that the quantity was too great ; others that instead of a purge they poisoned him . it is certain , many falshoods are always spread abroad upon the death of princes . his funeral was performed with great pomp , and many tears , expressing the great esteem he was held in by all men. in the plain near toledo , upon the banks of tagus , stands an ancient church dedicated to s. leocadia , which threatens ruin , and is generally supposed to have been built by sisebutus . it is also attribued to sisebutus , that he extended the dominion of the goths upon the seas , either to secure their conquests on the land , or with a design to extend them into africk . some of our historians write , that mahomet the founder of that wicked sect , after he had subdued part of asia , and africk , came over into spain , and fled from cordova for fear of st. isidorus . but this relation is wholly to be rejected as fabulous , and not agreeing with chronology and foreign histories . to sisebutus succeeded his son recaredus , too young to take upon him so great a charge ; he reigned but three months , and then dyed , without leaving any memory of what hap'ned in his time . chap. iii. the reigns of the kings suinthila , rechimirus , sisenandus , and chintila . the romans quite expell'd spain . three synods at toledo . upon the death of the two kings , father and son , the nobility made choice to succeed him , of suinthila , a person who had given good proofs of his courage and conducts in the late wars ; besides , that the memory of his father , king recaredus , gain'd him the affections of all men , and made him be thought worthy that dignity . he was not only couragious and prudent , but so bountiful towards the needy , that he was commonly called , the father of the poor . the people of navarre , again rebelled upon this change of government , and over-ran the province of tarragona with fire and sword ; but the new king appearing , quieted them , only with his presence , and pardoned them , only upon condition they should build and fortifie the city ologito , which might serve as a bridle to curb them , since they made such ill use of their liberty . this city is supposed , to be that , now called olite , rather for the likeness of the names , than any other concluding reason . at length , the romans , after this war of navarre was ended , were oblig'd to quit all spain , after having for above years maintained themselves in part of portugal and andaluzid . there are authors of opinion , the goths fortify'd ebora , to be a check upon the romans , some testimony whereof , are two towers there , said to be built by sisebutus . the romans had maintain'd themselves so long in those parts by the nearness of africk , whence they received supplies , and being now cut off those aids , the false prophet mahomet making war there , they were easily expell'd . the government of that roman province , was divided betwixt two patricians , one of them the king corrupted , the other , he subdued by force ; and thus they both were brought under . all these remarkable things were concluded by king suinthila , in the th year of his reign● which was of christ . which same year , he to secure the succession in his family , declar'd his son rechimirus , tho' very young , his companion in the throne . yet , tho' the youth gave good hopes that he would imitate the virtues of his father and grandfather ; the goths were much dissatisfied , that the crown should be made hereditary , which before was elective . from this time forwards , they were so far incens'd , that they never gave over till both father and son were cast down from the regal dignity . what was most blameable in suinthila , is , that after he had subdued his enemies , he suffer'd himself to become a slave to his vices . theodora , his wife , and geyla , or aguilanus , his brother , who govern'd him and the kingdom , in a great measure , procur'd him the ill will of his subjects , and raised those enemies , who at last wrought his downfall . at this time helladius , successor to aurasius , was archbishop of toledo , and he dying , justus was preferred to that see. the ruin of suinthila was contrived and executed by sisenandus , a bold and powerful man , who thinking , the hatred the king had incurr'd , offer'd him a fair opportunity of raising himself , prevailed with dagobert , king of the franks , to assist him . having agreed upon terms , abundantius and venerandus , the burgundian generals , entred spain , and advanced with their forces as far as zaragoça . the nobility , who before , durst not declare themselves , then taking arms , did not desist till they had expelled suinthila , his wife , and son rechimirus . this is more certain than what others have written , viz. that suinthila and his son dy'd at toledo . it appears by the french histories , that the goths gave a sum of gold ( as supposed , toward the charge of the war ) to king dagobert , which he apply'd to build the church of st. denis , two leagues from paris , which was of his foundation . suinthila reign'd years , and was deposed in that of our lord . sisenandus , having as he wished , ascended the throne of the goths , and being a prudent man , perceived he was not well fixed , especially in respect , many still adhered to the contrary party ; therefore , to secure himself , he thought nothing could be more efficacious than religion . hereupon , under pretence of reformation of manners , he gathered a council of about bishops , at toledo . but in reality , his chief design was , to obtain of those prelates , that they would declare suinthila incapable of the crown ; that so all those who were of his party might desist . their first session was held in the church of st. leocadia , on the th of december , in the year . and third of the reign of sisenandus , who appeared there in tears , and full of hypocritical words . they regulated the manner of holding the provincial yearly synods , and made several other acts relating to the ecclesiastical government . but the strangest is , they decreed , that none should seize the crown , unless chosen by the nobility ; that the oath made to sisenandus , should be valid , and suinthila's wife , children and brothers excommunicated . a hard strained point for bishops to dispose of crowns . king sisenandus departed this life in the year of our lord . having reign'd three years , eleven months , and sixteen days . according to what had been decreed in the synod , the nobility and prelates met , and by them , chintila was elected king. in the place of justus , archbishop of toledo , who dy'd about the same time , succeeded eugenius , second of the name , a man famous for his learning and virtue . some authors are of opinion , that chintila was brother to sisenandus , and both sons to suinthila ; but this seems to be contradicted by the fourth council of toledo , where many reproaches were cast upon suinthila , and it is to be supposed , the sons would never suffer that to have been done in their presence . as soon as chintila was chosen , he called a council of bishops to confirm his election . it was tedious to stay for all the bishops of the kingdom , therefore , most of the province of carthagena , met , in the first year of his reign , and of christ . the prelates met in the church of st. leocadia ; and among other things , confirmed the election of the king , forbiding any , after his death , to offer any wrong to his children . they declar'd , any excommunicate , that usurped the crown , without being legally chosen , and prohibit any making of voices before the king's death . this was the th council of toledo , and eugenius , archbishop of toledo , presided in it , and confirm'd its acts. to make ●●e decrees of this synod the more binding , another of bishops , all within the 〈…〉 of the goths , met the year following , which was the th held at toledo . in it were ratifyed all the acts of the former , particularly , in relation to the king and his children ; and they added , that their crown should not be conferred on any man , who did not before swear he would no way be favourable to the jews , nor suffer any , that was not a christian , to live with freedom within the kingdom . these councils were all that is remarkable in the reign of chintila ; it is supposed , the people being inclined to peace , and all foreign enemies remov'd , there hap'ned no war , at least none of note . the good government of the king , and authority of the bishops , kept the subjects from offering at any revolt . chintila dy'd in the year of our lord . when he had reign'd three years , eight months , and nine days . chap. iv. the reigns of the kings tulga , chindasuinthus , and recesuinthus . several synods of toledo . increase of the mahometan power . the election and coronation of king wamba . instead of chintila , by the unanimous consent of the nobility , was chosen tulga , young in years , but old in virtue , particularly justice , zeal for religion , prudence , military experience , and bounty towards the needy ; a quality most requisite in kings , who ought to think they were intrusted with the treasures of kingdoms , to relieve the wants of such as are in distress . his perfections seem'd still to be in their increase , when death cut him off at toledo , in the year . when he had reign'd only two years , and four months . sigibertus gemblacensis says , tulga was a debauch'd youth , and on that score , deposed by his own people ; but it is more reasonable to believe st. ildefonsus , who writes as an eye witness , than a stranger , that either writ maliciously , or was imposed upon . after the death of tulga , flavius chindasuinthus , who being general of the army , was before in rebellion against the king , with the assistance of the soldiery , mounted the throne , none of the nobility daring to oppose him , that had all the standing forces of the kingdom on his side . it must be granted , that tho' he usurp'd the crown tyrannically , yet afterwards , he governed with great moderation , as if he design'd that way to make good his bad title to it . the first thing he did , was to settle the common-wealth , by establishing wholsome laws and ordinances , for the better administration of justice , and the publick good. in the th year of his reign , he called together to toledo , all the bishops in his kingdom , whereof , met , on the th of october , and this is counted the th council of toledo . before this time , the king had banish'd theodiselus , archbishop of sevil , for that he sow'd scandalous doctrines , and to gain himself the greater authority , had corrupted the works of his predecessor , st. isidorus . theodiselus went over into africk , and there turn'd mahometan ; so blind is man when once he strays from the right way . those authors that write in favour of the see of toledo , and particularly , the archbishop d. rodrigo , will have it , that upon this occasion , king chindasuinthus made toledo the metropolitan see of all spain ; whereas before , sevil had enjoy'd that preheminence , but they have not the testimony of any ancient writers to confirm their opinion ; and therefore , we shall not lay much stress upon it . about these times , theodorus , and his successor , martin i. govern'd the catholick church . chindasuinthus being desirous to enrich spain with good books and learning , sent tajus , bishop of zaragoça , to rome , to obtain of theodorus , then pope , st. gregory's books upon job ; which are full of allegories , and excellent morality , and to bring them into spain . the king thought those books would be useful to propagate , and confirm the catholick religion , and be a great addition to the ecclesiastical library , as believing now he had peace on all sides , nothing could add more to the glory of his kingdom , than the increase of religion and learning . tajus having delivered his embassy , the pope was very willing to oblige the king. but those books , thro' the ignorance and negligence of the times , were so hid among other papers , that it was hard to find them . much time was spent in searching , and the bishop seeing little hope of success , had recourse to god , and spent the night in prayer , begging of god not to suffer the good intentions of the king to be frustrated . he fail'd not of success , for that night , god revealed , or as he says in a letter , st. gregory appear'd to him , and discover'd where those books were . now it was that fructuosus began to be famous in spain , he being of the royal blood of the goths , left the world to go live in a desart , and in time , at his own expence , near coplutica , at the foot of the mountain irago , in the place now call'd vierço , built a monastery of monks of the invocation of the martyrs , justus and pastor . the king was assisting to him in building of this monastery ; and afterwards , the number of monks being too great , not far off , in a rough and uncouth place , founded another , dedicated to st. peter . fructuosus founded a third convent in the island of cadiz , and a fourth on the continent , nine leagues from the coast , besides many others , as well of men as women . this was the posture of affairs in spain , in the latter years of chindasuinthus , at which time , he to secure the succession of the crown , he had obtained by force in his family , chose his son flavius recesuinthus his companion in the throne , in the year of our lord . after he had reigned alone years , months , and days . it is true he lived three years after , but that time is allotted to the reign of his son , because by reason of his great age , he left the whole charge of the government to him . chindasuinthus dyed at toledo , according to some , of sickness , but as others will have it , was poisoned . his body , and that of his wife riciberga , were buryed in the monastery of s. romanus , now called de hormisda , betwixt toro , and tordesillas , on the banks of the river duero , founded by himself for his place of burial , as was accordingly performed . in the reign of recesuinthus , eugenius the third , was archbishop of toledo , a person of great learning , as appears by many of his works still extant , and by some reckoned among the number of saints . in his time , and by his procurement bishops met at toledo , which is counted the eighth council held in that city . this was rather a parliament than synod , all the nobility of the kingdom being present , at it , and signing to all the decrees , which rather respected the temporal than spiritual power . two years after , by the king's order , there met bishops , who celebrated the th council , and published acts upon several articles . the following year . bishops met again in the same city , and this is reckoned the tenth council of toledo . the acts of all these councils , as also the lives of st. isidorus , and st. ildefonsus , whereof f. mariana here treats at large , i thought would not be so acceptable to most readers , nor so pertinent in this , as the ecclesiastical history , which i do not pretend to write , and have therefore purposely omitted them . in the year twelve bishops of portugal held a synod at merida , and published decrees , most relating to the celebration of divine service . at the same time the power of the mahometans grew formidable in africk , for abdalla , duke of moabia , the fourth from the false prophet mahomet ; in a great battle , overthrew gregory the roman general and governour of africk , for the romans , and by that means possest himself of all that vast province . the goths of old were masters of mauritania tingitana , and particularly of ceuta , and the country about it . all the rest except this part fell into the hands of the mahometans , who proud with success , from that time founded a new empire in africk , whose kings , in whom , according to the custom of those people , was the spiritual , as well as temporal power , were called miramamolines , which signifies princes of the faithful . as those of the same people in asia , stiled themselves caliphs . spain is divided from africk , only by the narrow streight of gibraltar . many were of opinion , this rise of those people threatned spain , and their fear was much increased by an extraordinary eclipse of the sun , which hap'ned in the reign of recesuinthus , so great that the day was totally darkned , as the archbishop d. rodrigo affirms , which they interpreted as an omen of great mischiefs to ensue . recesuinthus quelled the people of navarre , who were in arms and made incursions , wasting the country about them . besides he corrected the laws of the goths , abolishing some , and instituting many new ones , the number whereof , as appears by the book called fuero jusgo , is no less than that of all the others published by the kings his predecessors . by these actions the king was advanced to the highest pitch of honour , respected by his people , and well esteemed abroad , when death took him away , on the first of september in the morning , and in the year of our lord . having reigned , from the time his father declared him his companion in the throne , years , months , and days , after the death of his father years , and months . two leagues from valladolid , ( formerly , as some think , called pincia ) is a town named wamba , before called gerticos ; here the king dyed , having been removed from toledo , to try it the change of air would do him good . his body was buryed in the church of that town , where his tomb is still to be seen , but the bones were removed by king alonso , the wise , to toledo , and lay'd in the church of st. leocadia , according to a received tradition in that city , near the high altar , on the right side . philip the second of spain , in the year . caused the said tomb to be opened in his presence , as also another on the left side of the altar , no inscription was found within , only the bones wrapped in cotton , and laid in wooden chests , but learned men that were present , believed that on the right hand to be the tomb of recesuinthus , as being the ancientest , and the other that of king wamba , which was also translated to toledo , by the same king alonso . near duen̄as , which is beyond valladolid , on the banks of the river pisuerga , is an ancient church dedicated to st. john baptist , the workmanship gothick , adorned with marble and jasper-stone . in it is an inscription in six lines , which declares it was built by king recesuinthus , and finished in the year . whence some learned men infer the patrimonial estate of those two kings , was near about that place . in the time of recesuinthus , constantine was emperour of the east , and adeodatus govern'd the church of rome . upon the kings death there ensu'd a new and bloody war in that part of the dominion of the goths , that lay in gallia narbonnensis . ambition was the cause of this evil , which bred great distractions in the gothish kingdom , when they were in fullness of peace , after having vanquish'd all foreign enemies . king recesuinthus leaving no issue to succeed him ; his brothers , either for their age , or some other reasons , were not thought fit to inherit . hereupon the nobles met , and by common consent , made choice of wamba , a man of quality , who had been the chief favourite to the late kings ; besides , he was a good soldier , very discreet , and so modest , that he refus'd to accept of that mighty honour , excusing himself on account of his great age , and begging they would not lay so heavy a burden upon him . he persisting firm in refusing , an officer of note , with his drawn sword , threatn'd to kill him , unless he accepted of the crown . wamba submitted to these threats , but so , that he should not be anointed , as the custom was , before he came to toledo , reserving this honour for that city , and by that means gaining time , that those who were for him might alter their resolution , or at least such as oppos'd him be brought over , and so no dissention might ensue . he set out for toledo , where he was anointed on the th of september in the church of st. peter and paul , near the royal palace . in express terms he swore to observe the laws of the kingdom , and procure the wellfare of the people . quiricus archbishop of toledo , successor to st. ildefonsus , perform'd the ceremony . julian archbishop of toledo writes , that when king wamba was crown'd , there rose from his head a cloud in the form of a pillar ; and a bee was also seen to mount on high from his head. it may be said , that the people often fancy or imagine such things , but the authority of the author is of great force . all the nobles did their homage to the new king , and among them paul , a kinsman ; as some imagine to the late kings : but the name of paul not used among the goths , and his disloyalty , make the opinion of others more likely , who say he was a grecian . wamba was born in that part of lusitania , formerly called igeditania , where is now a town known by the name of idania la vieja , or old idania ; and near it a farm , with a fountain , which retains the name of wamba . the people of those parts are perswaded , as having receiv'd it from their forefathers , that this same farm was part of wamba's estate , before he came to the crown . chap. v. the war with the rebels in gallia gothica . paul wamba 's general joins with them . the king marches against them , and reduces all the country to his obedience . the beginning of wamba's reign was full of commotions and troubles , the subjects growing insolent , as believing him not well establish'd in the throne . the people of navarre , being of an unsetled temper , revolted . wamba raised men in cantabria or biscay , to be the nearer to oppress those rebels , when at the same time news was brought him of more dangerous tumults in gallia gothica . many of that country were dissatisfied at his being elected , and refus'd to acknowledge him as their king. they conspir'd together , and resolv'd to have recourse to arms. hilperick earl of nismes in france , was the first that declar'd himself , confiding in the great distance he was at from the king , and his own extraordinary power . gumildus , bishop of magalona , and an abbot , whose name was remigius , join'd with him . they labour'd to bring aregius , bishop of nismes , to their party ; but not being able to prevail , banish'd him to the inward part of france , and set the abbot remigius in his place . all things were carry'd on violently , and without regard to equity or justice ; so they call'd out of france to their assistance , the jews , who had before been banish'd the dominions of the goths . paul being a man of great wisdom and experience , was appointed general to quell this rebellion ; with such forces as were thought sufficient to oppose the revolters . all fell out contrary to expectation , for paul being false in his heart , march'd slowly , and gave the rebels time to grow strong ; and at the same time , he contriv'd how the chief of the goths might fall off from the king. by the way he agreed with ranosindus duke of tarragona , and hildigisus gardingus , which was a dignity like to a lord lieutenant of a county . both of them were men of note , and by their means he possess'd himself of barcelona , girona , and vique , cities in catalonia . their forces being thus increas'd they resolv'd to march into france , and join hilpericus , not doubting they should be then in a condition to make head against the king. argebaudus archbishop of narbonne , thought to have kept the rebels out of that city , but they were so quick upon him , that he was forc'd to temporize , and seemingly join with them , rather through fear than affection . paul having enter'd the city , call'd together the citizens and souldiers , and after reproving the archbishop for having offer'd to keep him out ; condemn'd the election of wamba as illegal , and advis'd to proceed to a new one . ranosindus , with a loud voice , cry'd out , he knew none so fit , and deserving to be a king , as paul himself . this was only executing in publick what they in private had before contriv'd . all that were of his party being mix'd with the croud , approv'd of what had been said , with great acclamations , whilst the wiser sort were silent , not daring to gainsay . thus paul was declar'd king , and a crown which king recaredus had offer'd to st. felix , put upon his head. so far had the spirit of rebellion transported them , that they seiz'd not only the riches of the publick , but laid their sacrilegious hands upon the treasures of the church . hilperick earl of nismes , the first that rais'd this rebellion , consented with the others , and so all the cities of gallia gothica ; besides a great part of the province tarraconensis , which follow'd the example of their duke ranosindus . paul grown proud with this success , sent a challenge to the king , full of bitter invectives and reproaches ; upon which i believe that vulgar error was grounded , which makes wamba of base parentage , as if he had been rais'd to the throne from the plough , which is certainly a great mistake , for he was of the chief nobility of the goths , and one of the greatest favourites in the courts of those kings . wamba understanding what paul had done , called a council of his nobles , to consult whether it were better immediately to advance with what force he had , or return to toledo to increase his power . the more resolute were for losing no time , but oppressing the enemy before they were grown stronger ; the more cautious , advised to gather new forces , and leave all things setled in spain . the king having weighed the arguments on both sides , resolved to make up by celerity , what he wanted in number of men , and having exhorted his nobles to stand by him , and relieve their friends in distress , his words were so efficacious that all men taking new courage , the war of navarre was concluded in seven days , which was a good omen of future success . the army was impatient to meet their enemies , so they marched towards calahorra , and huesca , and came upon the frontiers of catalonia , with incredible speed . here the army was divided into three parts , one marched to castrolibya , the chief town of cerdania , the second to vique , and the third to the sea-coast to wast that country . the king himself followed with the flower of the army . he punished many soldiers , for offering violence to the country people , and forcing of women ; for which crimes he caused them to be circumcised , as a punishment to them , and example to others . being come to barcelona , the metropolis of catalonia , he easily made himself master of it , and secured the heads of the rebels to be punished according to their crimes . thence he marched to girona , which was delivered to him by the bishop called amador , whom not long before paul thought to have secured to his interest , by a letter in which he directed him to deliver the city to the first that came . here the army rested two days , and passed the pyrenean mountains without meeting any opposition . beyond the mounts they took and plundered three towns , caucoliberis , that is colivre , vultuaria , and castrolibya , beside another shutup betwixt the hills , and therefore called clausura , in this they took ranosindus , and hildigisus two heads of the rebels . witimirus was with a garrison in a town called sosdonia , but not thinking himself safe fled to narbonne , where paul still lay contriving how to hinder the king from passing the mountains . finding his forces too weak he left that city to witimirus , and retired to nismes , where he expected succours , from france , and germany . wamba having passed the mountains , and incamped in the plain , stayed there two days , till his other forces that were dispersed several ways came up , and thence sent four officers with a considerable body of men , to take narbonne , a noble city on the frontiers of france . these forces being come before the city sent in , to summon it , they within answered with scorn , which so provoked the soldiers , that they gave a furious assault that lasted three hours , at the end of which , having drove the defendants off the walls , they fired the gates , apply'd scaling ladders , and so entred the city . witimirus took sanctuary in a church , but was nevertheless drawn from our ladies altar and secured . argebaudus the archibishop , and galtricia the dean , were also taken and wounded by the soldiers in their fury . after the taking of narbonne , the rebels began to go down the wind , and the loyal party to increase . the loyalists pursued their success , and with the same ease took the cities , magalona , agatha , and beziers , where many chief of rebels were taken , and among them , remigius bishop of nismes . gumildus the bishop magalona fled to paul , at nismes , a city in those days , for the number of the inhabitants , beauty of buildings , and strength of walls , inferior to none in gallia narbonensis . against this city the king sent four resolute generals , but they wanted conduct and engines for battering the walls . with them went men. being come in sight of the town , they furiously charged the enemy that came out to meet them . the fight was bloody , and lasted all day till night parted them , each side boasting of the victory , but the king's men were the first that sounded the retreat . it hap'ned that during the ingagement , one of the rebels cryed out , great numbers of french and germans , will soon come to our aid , and cut you all to pieces . the king , with the rest of the army , was not far off , therefore advice was given him of what that soldier had said , and he sent men under the command of wandemirus to reinforce the others . these were so eager to ingage , that marching all night , they reached the town by break of day , before the assault began . at the sight of such a multitude paul was dismayed , yet endeavoured to hide it , and putting the best countenance upon it , he incouraged his men. the assault was given , and lasted most part of the day , till the besieged , being quite spent with labour , and over-powered , gave way , and suffered the king's men to come up to the wall. then some fired the gates , others with crows , and other instruments , beat down the works . having made a breach , they entred the town , killing and destroying all that stood in their way . the citizens and french soldiers fancying that the spaniards , who were in the town , in hopes of obtaining their pardon , had let in the enemy , in a rage fell upon , and slew a great number of them , and among the rest , one of paul's servants by his own side . it was a miserable sight to behold the rebels attacked on all sides , and put to the sword by their own party , as well as by the enemy , and all the streets strewed with dead bodies , and running down with blood. paul himself seeing all lost , confessed he had erred in every thing he had undertaken , and taking off his royal helmet , retired with his family and guards to the theater , which being very strong , he hoped tho' it could not be maintained , he might there obtain conditions . some observed that paul stript himself of the ensigns of royalty on the same day twelve-months , on which wamba had ascended the throne , which was the first of september . the king's army was possessed of all the city , except the theater and another small part , and therefore lay still , that and the following day , reserving the honour of ending the war to the king , and perhaps in hopes he would pardon the offenders , they being all of one nation , and some of their kindred . to this purpose they made choice of argebaudus bishop of narbonne , to send to the king , who coming to his presence , about four miles from the town , alighted off his horse , and kneeling with tears in his eyes , begged for the rebels . the king who was no less merciful than brave , promised a general pardon to all , except the heads , of whom alone he designed to make an example . but argebaudus still pressing that there might be no exceptions , wamba with an angry countenance , bid him be satisfyed with what was granted , and think all was favour that extended not to the lives of the least offenders . chap. vi. wamba returns into spain . punishes the heads of the rebels . his publick works . eleventh council of toledo . a great fleet of sarazens destroyed . wamba deposed , ervigius vsurps the crown . the king marched to the city with the strength of his army . at his arrival all that held out before submitted , and paul delivered up the theater , where were with him gumildus the bishop , and other heads of the conspirators , who were all secured , and paul himself led by the hair of the head , betwixt two officers , to the king's presence . all the criminals cast themselves at the king's feet , who giving thanks to almighty god , gave them their lives , yet so that they should remain in custody till he determined what should be done with them . some french and saxons , that were found in the town , part as hostages , and others who came to serve , were well treated and sent home . this was the end of those great commotions which threatened destruction to the dominions of the goths . many thought this a judgment of god upon those people , for robbing the churches , and wamba , after making a strict search , caused all that could be found to be restored . he ordered the city walls to be repaired , the dead bodies to be bury'd , which took up three days . then the rebels were brought into the king's presence , and sentence passed upon them . after the king had set his foot upon their necks , and other formalities , paul and all his adherents were condemned to death , and to forfeit their estates , yet in case the king should pardon their lives , at least they should have their eyes put out . the hair was a mark of nobility , therefore wamba to be thought merciful , was content only to have their heads shorn . now news was brought that chilperick , the second king of france , drew near with his army in battalia . wamba having taking the field , and waited four days , thought he had done enough , as unwilling to break into the territories of france , and make himself the aggressor , and therefore resolved to return into spain . at the same time he was informed , that lupus , a french general , wasted and destroyed all the country of beziers . he moved towards him , but the frenchman thinking himself too weak to withstand , retired to the neighbouring mountains , leaving all the baggage , behind , so that it looked more like flight than a retreat . with this and the other booty got in france , the king's army was enriched , and returned to narbonne , whence the greatest part was dispersed into the neighbouring garrisons in france . others at canaba , a town in the country of narbonne , had leave given them to return home and enjoy the fruits of their labours . a great number stayed with the king , who from thence returned into spain . at toledo he was received in manner of a triumph , as was due for having performed such great actions in only six months , which was the time since he set out from that city . the order of it was thus . in the first place went the rebels upon camels , their heads and beards shorn , barefooted , and ill cloathed . paul , in derision , had on his head a crown of black leather . then followed the soldiers in their best attire . last of all came the king , whose venerable gray hairs , and the memory of his exploits , added to the majesty of his countenance and person . all the city went out to meet him , withloud acclamations , wishing him long life and prosperity . to conclude , the criminals were confined to perpetual imprisonment . thus spain , by the valour of wamba , began to flourish with a lasting peace at home , and recover'd its ancient honour abroad . next , the king apply'd himself to adorn and beautifie his kingdom . in particular , he enlarged the city toledo , and for its security , raised a new wall , with towers , parapets and battlements , reaching from one bridge to the other , along the suburb of st. isidorus . three parts in four of toledo , are encompassed by the river tagus , which coup'd up betwixt high banks , runs in very narrow chanels among the rocks . the other part , which is upon a high and steep ascent , was enclosed by an ancient roman wall , not so large as that of wamba ; the ruins of it still are to be seen in the market-place of zocodover , and at the gate del hierro . wamba , the more to strengthen the place , and bring the suburbs within the city , added a wall lower . stones were brought for the work from all parts , and particularly , as is supposed , from an old roman fabrick , like a circus , which they had formerly raised there , with marble stones in it , and figures like roses , or wheels carved on them . the common sort are persuaded , those were the arms of wamba ; but those very stones prove the contrary , because , they are laid without any order or method ; but just as they were brought , so they were placed by the work-men . grave authors affirm , that in memory hereof , he caused two verses to be carv'd on the principal towers , in unpolished latin , such as was used in that age , the sense of them , is , with the help of god , the mighty king wamba raised the beautiful wall to his city , for the honour of his nation . besides , on the upper part of the towers , he placed the statues of those saints held in greatest veneration in the town , of white marble , and under them , other two verses , to this effect , ye saints , who are honour'd here , keep this city and people , and avert , as you can , all sickness . these statues being fallen , and the inscriptions worn out by time , king philip ii. caused them to be restored anew . in the fourth year of wamba's reign , which was of our lord . he caused a synod of bishops , and abbots , to be held at toledo . this is counted the th council of toledo . about the same time , another synod was celebrated at braga , and was the third of that city . we have no account of any other councils in the reign of wamba ; but it 's supposed , there were more , both in regard that the former councils had ordained the keeping of yearly provincial synods , and , because grave authors affirm , that by a council held at toledo , in his time , the bounds of each bishoprick were assigned ; and this could not be done without the concurrence of all the bishops of spain . wamba instituted many laws for the better administration of justice , whereof , there was great defect . in particular , he corrected the military discipline . he ordained , that when forces were raised , all should repair to the standard that were not over or under age , or hindred by sickness . also , that every one should send to the army the twelfth slave , with such weapons , as are there specify'd , differing from the rest . even the bishops and priests , were commanded to march with their people miles , in case of invasions , or inroads made by the enemy . by the prudent conduct and management of king wamba , the goths obtain'd a memorable victory at sea. the saracens were possess'd of all africk , along the coast of the mediterranean , from the mouth of the streights , to that of the river nile , and designing to pass over into europe , had set out a fleet of sail , with which , they ran along the coast of spain , putting all to fire and sword. the goths fitted out another great fleet , and coming to a battle , utterly destroy'd the enemy , burning and taking most of their fleet. there are authors that say , the fleet of the saracens came into spain at the instigation of ervigius , who being a man in great power , of the family of king recesuinthus , aspired to the crown ; but being disappointed this way , found means to give the king a poisonous potion , with which he presently sickned , and on a sudden , lost all his senses , in such manner , that it was thought , he could not live beyond the first hour of the night . they shav'd his beard , shore his head like a priest , and put him on a monks habit , as was used in those days . all this was done , as supposed by the contrivance of ervigius , that in case he recovered , he should be incapable of reigning , as was decreed by the th council of toledo . being , as was thought , at the last gasp , tho' he was not in his senses , they caused him to declare ervigius , his successor ; and having drawn a form of renunciation , forc'd him to sign it . all this hap'ned on sunday the of october , as is supposed , in the year . notwithstanding , wamba the day following , came to himself , yet he would not recall what he had done . thus a mighty king was on a sudden made a monk and resolving to forsake the world ( for ervigius the same day had caused himself to be crown'd , and taken upon him the government , tho' the anointing was deferred till next sunday ) immediately went to the monastery of pampliega , seated , according to some opinions , in the valley of munon , where he spent the residue of his life ; which , according to some , was years , and months , and more , according to others . he reign'd years , month , and days , was buried in that monastery , and thence , by king alonso the wise , translated to toledo , and bury'd in the church of st. leocadia ; where lies also king recesuinthus . julian , arch-bishop of toledo , anointed the new king , whence it is inferred , that quiricus , his predecessor dy'd about that time , if it was not that he renounc'd the dignity , seeing the wrong that was done the good king wamba . chap. vii . the reigns of the kings , ervigius , and egica . flavius ervigius by wicked means ascended the throne , as has been said , yet he governed well . the better to secure himself in his ill gotten power , he made use of the show of religion , calling together all the bishops of the kingdom . thirty five met at toledo , on the th of january . and this is counted the th council of that city . many acts were passed in this synod , but the two most remarkable were . the first approving the election of ervigius , because they durst do no otherwise , and declaring the subjects free from their oath of allegiance , on account of wamba's resignation . the second , was giving the arch-bishop of toledo power to create bishops throughout spain , in the king's absence , and of confirming those made by him . two years after this , there met in the same city , by the king's order , bishops , vicars of absent bishops , and abbots , who , together , with many of the nobles , then present , celebrated the th council of toledo , on the th of november . and the th year of the reign of ervigius . in this council , the chief acts were , a pardon to those that had followed paul's party , abatement of taxes , and a law to protect queen leubigotona , and her children , in case of the king's death . the following year , by command of pope leo ii. was held the th council of toledo , in order to their receiving the decrees of a council , celebrated not long before at constantinople , at which , were prelates , and it is reckon'd the th of the general councils . only bishops , and deputies assisted at this synod , and approv'd , and receiv'd the council of constantinople , condemning , as that had done , the monothelites and apollinarians , who ascrib'd to christ but one will ; this council they counted the th , and placed it next to that of chalcedon ; for it was a common error thro' spain , africk and illyricum , not to admit of the th general council , held in the time of the emperor justinian . ervigius , notwithstanding all the means he had used to secure himself , and please the people , was much perplexed , fearing , their hatred did not abate , and might in time , light upon his children . to prevent any such disaster , he marry'd his daughter cixilona , to a powerful man of wamba's family , called egica , making him swear he would protect and defend his mother and brothers-in-law . after this , having repealed some of wamba's laws , too severe for that corrupt age , and particularly , that relating to soldiers ; he dy'd at toledo , upon friday , the th of november . having reign'd years , and days . in this king's reign there hap'ned a great famine in spain , and the bridge and walls of merida , were repair'd with great magnificence . ervigius the day before he dy'd , nam'd his son-in-law egica , to succeed him , and that the nobility might without any scruple , swear allegiance to him , he absolv'd them from the oath they had taken to him . the ceremony of anointing , was performed days after , at toledo , in the church of st. peter and paul. this king soon made it appear that the memory of injuries is more lasting than that of benefits ; for , at the very beginning of his reign , in hatred to his father-in-law , he put away his wife cixilona , notwithstanding , he , had by her a son , called witiza . some are of opinion , he did it by persuasion of wamba , who , under the cloak of religion , concealed his hatred to ervigius , to the end of his life . besides , he punished some of the nobles , who had a hand in the deposing of wamba . this is what some blame in egica ; for the rest , he was not inferior to the best kings , in justice , piety , meekness and prudence in governing . he convened the th council of toledo , at which , were present bishops , who held their first session on the th of may , . one of the principal points decided in this council , was , that the oath egica , and the nobility had taken , to protect the widow and children of ervigius , did not extend to maintain 'em in the possession of what they had wrongfully taken from others . here also , julian , the archbishop , composed a new apology in vindication of that sent by the last council to pope benedict ; in which , he found fault , that they had said , the will proceeded from the will , and the wisdom from the wisdom . pope benedict was dead , when this second apology came to rome , and sergius , his successor , approved and highly commended it . this julian is reckoned in the number of saints . the faults of his successor , made him the more admired . sisbertus was the man , who after presuming to put on the vestment which was brought to st. ildefonsus , from heaven , ran from one crime to another , till he raised a rebellion against the king , and , as is believed , stirred up strangers to invade the country . three battles were fought with the franks , in all which , the goths were defeated ; yet we have no particulars of any of these actions . the king by his prudence , quell'd the rebellion in its first rise . sisbertus , the causer of all these mischiefs , was first banished by the king , afterwards , he was deposed and excommunicated by the bishops , who to the number of , celebrated the th council of toledo , . here was made a confession of faith , which expresses , that in god , the will proceeds from the will , the wisdom from the wisdom , the essence from the essence , and , that christ our lord descended into hell. such jews as should sincerely embrace christianity , were declared noble , and free from all taxes . the laws of the goths were corrected , and it was ordained , that prayers should be daily offered for the health of the king , his children , and grandchildren , which custom , still continues in spain , in the mass , only some few words altered . the following year , on the th of november , was celebrated the last council of toledo . the number of bishops , is not know ; but very few came from gallia gothica , as well , because the plague raged there , as for that the country was infested by the neighbouring french. the bishops , in order to root out the jews , who , it was said , had held correspondence with the moors in africk , inviting them over into spain , condemned them all to be slaves , all their goods confiscate , and their children ordered to be taken from them at years of age , and bred christians . a law was also made to protect the queen cixilona , and her children , after the king's death , notwithstanding as was said , he was divorced from her . three years before this , in a council held at zaragoça , it was enacted in general , that every queen , after the death of her husband , should become a nun , that so none might offend her . egica having reign'd alone years , made his son witiza , whom he had by the queen cixilona , his companion in the throne , as appears by the coin of those times , on which , are the names of both those princes . near the city tuy , in a pleasant valley adorned with springs and trees , are to be seen to this day old walls , the ruins of a house built by witiza , to divert himself , whilst he resided in that city ; for his father , to prevent tumults and disorders , sent him to galicia , where the kingdom of the suevians had been . egica dy'd at toledo , years after , which was the year of our lord . about the month of november . his son coming from galicia , was proclaimed king , without any opposition , and anointed , according to the custom of the goths , on the th of the same month of november . chap. viii . the reign of king witiza . roderick ascends the throne , ravishes count julian 's daughter , and breaks open an old castle at toledo , said to be inchanted . witiza's reign was disorderly and infamous , in all respects , but particularly , noted for cruelty , impiety , and contempt of the church . true it is , at first he gave hopes he would prove a good prince , and protect the innocent ; for he recalled those , who had been banished by his father , and restored all their estates . besides , he caused all the records to be burnt , that there might remain no memory of the crimes that had been falsely charged upon them . these were good beginnings , had they been follow'd ; but it is hard to curb extravagant youth and great power . his first false step was , giving ear to flatterers , at whose instigation , he fell into all manner of lewdness ; a thing natural to him , but which he had concealed , for fear of his father . he kept a great number of concubines , with the same state , as if they had been queens ; and the better to colour this impiety , committed a greater , giving leave to all men to do the like , and particularly , to ecclesiastical persons to marry . another law was also established , disowning the pope . to give the greater force to these laws , a council of bishops met at toledo , but the decrees of it , are not placed among those of the other councils , as being contrary to the canons of the church . from this time , all things began to fall into confusion ; for tho' many were pleased with libertinism , yet some were zealous for the observation of the laws and ancient customs , and began to think of restoring the family of king chindasuinthus , as the only remedy against so many evils . witiza was not ignorant of it , and from it took occasion to prosecute what he had began in his father's days , which was to embrue his hands in the blood of that family . there were living two sons of chindasuinthus , brothers to k. recesuinthus , the one called theodofredus , the other favila . thedofredus was duke of cordova , where he built a palace , then , and long after , very famous . he had resolved not to go to court , as being jealous of the king. favila , was duke of cantabria , or biscay ; and whilst witiza in his father's time resided in galicia , had bore him company , with the charge of captain of his guards , which the goths , then called protospatarius . witiza slew him with a stroke of a club , as some think , on account of his wife . these were the first works of his cruelty , and hatred to that noble family , before he came to the crown . favila left a son , called pelayus , or pelagius , who afterwards , began to restore spain after its general desolation , and at that time , was lieutenant to his father , but upon his death , retired to his estate in cantabria ; and count julian marry'd to witiza's sister , had the charge of protospatarius . witiza being come to the crown , turned his rage against pelagius , and his uncle theodofredus . the latter , he caused to have his eyes put out . pelagius escaped out of his reach , as did roderick , son to theodofredus , who was afterwards king. it is said , pelagius went in pilgrimage to jerusalem , as a testimony whereof , the staves used by him and his companion , were shown long after at arraria , a town in biscay . these cruelties , and his other vices , made witiza odious to his people , he despairing of gaining their affections , resolved to keep them under by terror , and to this end , caused the walls of almost all the cities in spain to be demolished . i say almost all , because some were exempted , as toledo , leon and astorga . besides , he destroy'd all the arms of the kingdom , pretending it was to secure the peace . he persecuted gundericus , the archbishop of toledo , and some priests , that still preserved their innocence , and would not approve of his enormities . sinderedus , successor to gundericus , overcome by witiza's cruelty , comply'd with him , and consented that oppas , his brother , or as some will have it , his son , should be translated from the archbishoprick of sevil , to that of toledo . the death of witiza was suitable to his life . yet authors differ in the manner of it . d. roderick , the archbishop says , he was killed by the contrivance of roderick , whose father ended his days at cordova , in perpetual imprisonment and darkness . other good authors affirm , witiza dy'd a natural death , at toledo , in the th year of his reign , which was of christ . he left two sons , whose names were eba and sisebutus . some people favouring these two youths , and others their adversary , there arose great contests and confusions , which ended in a greater destruction than could have been imagined . since the division of the goths , about these two families , brought on their total desolation , it will not be amiss to declare the descent of them both . chindasuinthus , by his wife riesberga , left recesuinthus , who succeeded him in the crown , theodofredus , favila , and one daughter , whose name is not known . recesuinthus dy'd without issue , therefore the nobles chose wamba to succeed him . chindasuinthus's daughter was marry'd to ardebastus , who tho' a greek , for his valour and birth , merited the king's daughter , and had by her ervigius , he that was the beginner of all those calamities , usurping the kingdom , and deposing wamba by wicked means . ervigius by his wife liubigotona , had a daughter , called cixilona , marry'd to king egica , a kinsman of wamba ; this marriage being designed to cut off all animosities , by uniting these two houses . of this marriage , were born witiza that was king , oppas , bishop of sevil , and a daughter , as grave authors say , marry'd to count julian . witiza , as was said above , had two sons , eba and sisebutus . theodofredus , the second son of chindasuinthus , by his wife ricilona , a noble lady , had roderick , the plague and ruin of spain . favila , the third son of chindasuinthus , had pelayus , no way like his cousin , for by his valour , the christians in spain began to make head , after they had been cast down , and oppress'd thro' the madness of roderick . spain being in this condition , roderick excluding the sons of witiza , ascended the throne of the goths , by choice , as is believed , of the nobles . the kingdom was full of distractions , by reason of the several interests , the people were grown effeminate , giving themselves up to feasting , drink , and lewdness ; the military discipline was quite lost , and the kingdom of the goths was now running headlong to destruction . the new king had good natural parts , and seemed to be well inclined . he was hardy , resolute , bountiful , and had excellent ways of gaining of men. such he was before his accession to the crown , but no sooner put into possession of it , than he sullied all these vertues with no less vices . above all , he was implacable when offended , wholly given up to lust , and had no discretion in his undertakings ; and in fine , was more like to witiza , than to his father , or grandfather . there are pieces of money of his to be seen , with his name , and effigies armed , and with a stern countenance , on the reverse , these words , igeditania pius , a motto he merited not ; but was given to flatter him . king roderick enlarged , and beautified the palace built by his father near cordova , which the moors afterwards , called roderick's palace . he called home his cousin pelayus , and made him captain of the guards , the greatest trust at court. witiza's sons he treated so ill , that they , for fear of worse consequences , fled into that part of barbary that was subject to the goths , called mauritania tingitana . at that time , count requila governed that province as lieutenant , i believe to count julian , a man in such power , that besides it , he had the government of that part of spain about the streight of gibraltar , whence , is a short cut into africk . besides all this , he held a great estate of his own , about consuegra , inferior to none in the kingdom . hence sprung all the mischiefs that ensued , for witiza's sons before they went over into africk , had sowed the seeds of a rebellion , and were assisted by oppas the bishop , who was of the blood royal , and very powerful . these beginnings , which ought to have been suppressed , were heightned by another accident . it was the custom of spain , for the sons of the nobility to be bred up at court , and attend upon the king , and their daughters upon the queen : among the latter , was a daughter of count julian , called cava , of singular beauty . as she played with her equals , it fell out she discovered some part of her body , which the king from a window perceiving , was so taken with her , he could think of nothing else . the continual sight of her , blew the coals , and having used all possible means to gain her consent , without any success , at last he ravished her ; and by that act , cast himself , and his kingdom , headlong into destruction , as a dissolute man , and one wholly abandoned by god. count julian was at that time in africk , his daughter in a rage , wrote to him , lamenting her misfortune , and stirring him up to revenge . the count having received this news , resolved to hasten the execution of the treason he had till then been hatching . therefore putting an end to his affairs in africk , he came over into spain , being well skill'd in the art of dissimulation . being come to court , both in regard of his good service , and for the sake of his daughter , he was highly honour'd and intrusted . the better to carry on his design , he persuaded the king , since spain was at peace , to send all the forces he had towards the frontiers , to oppose the moors and french , who committed some hostilities on the borders , by this means to leave the kingdom naked and defenceless . this done , he gave the king to understand , that his wife being sick in africk , nothing could be so great a comfort to her as the sight of her dear daughter . the request was so reasonable , and he urged it so , that the king could not deny it . at malaga there is a gate called de la cava , at which , there is a tradition , she went out to take shipping for africk . at the same time , the king is said to have committed another great error , which was , that he caused to be broke open an old castle at toledo , said to be enchanted , locked up with many locks and bolts , it being a received opinion , that whensover it was opened the ruin of spain was at hand . this the king imagined , was only a report spread abroad , to conceal some treasures hid there , but being within found none , only a chest , and in it a picture , on which were drawn men of strange faces and habit , with a latin inscription to this effect , by these people spain shall soon be destroyed . the countenances and habit were like the moors , whence it was inferred all the mischief would come from africk . the king too late repented his rashness . some look upon this as a meer fiction , i will give no judgment upon it , the reader has his liberty to believe , or disbelieve . i would not totally omit it , because grave authors relate it , tho' not all in the same manner . chap. ix . the first coming of the moors into spain . they prove successful , and flock over in great multitudes . king roderick overthrown in a great battle . his death . the moors over-run the greatest part of spain . the power of the saracens , was at this time grown to a wonderful height , from the small and deceitful beginning of mahomet their false prophet , for they had not only subdued and conquered , a great part of asia , but had over-run all africk , from aegypt , along the mediterranean to the ocean . vlit was sole sovereign of all those people , and called himself miramamolin , a title denoting absolute sovereignty . muza , a man of great courage and conduct , governed africk as his lieutenant . count julian , in his way to africk , had a meeting with the heads of the conspirators , on a mountain near consuegra , called calderino , which in arabick signifies , mountain of treason , there it was agreed , to invite the moors into spain . being come into africk , he repaired to muza , complained of the wrongs king roderick did his subjects , shewed how easy it would be to conquer spain , and the probability there was from thence of spreading over all europe . muza did not mislike the proposal , but doubted of the counts sincerity , and therefore resolved to do nothing without consulting his master . the result was , that a small body should first be sent , to make tryal of the force of spain , and see whether the counts actions were suitable to his words . muza being a cautious man , at first sent but horse , and foot , in four ships , who landing on the islands , and along the coast , about the streights mouth , many christians came over to them . this encouraged him , to send men under the command of tarif abenzarca , a man of great note , but blind of one eye . the better to keep the design private , no fleet of war was provided , but they passed over in merchant ships . first they possessed themselves of mount calpe , and the city heraclea , afterwards called gibraltar , from gebal , in arabick signifing a mountain , and tarif the general , from whom also tarifa , is supposed to take name . king roderick , having advice of what was doing , sent a cousin of his own , called sancho , or according to others in̄igo , to oppose the moors . his army consisted of raw and undisciplined men , bad horses , and worse arms , so after several skirmishes , in which they always had the worst , coming to a battle , they were totally routed , and the general killed . the barbarians encouraged , by this success advanced into the country , wasted part of andaluzia and lusitania , and took sevil , it being then open and ungarrisoned . this first disaster hap'ned in the year . all things having succeeded according to their wishes , tarif and count julian returned into africk , to obtain of muza , more forces for carrying on what they had so well begun . count requila was left with him , as a hostage , and a greater number of horse and foot was sent to the new conquest . the moors encouraged by their success , and the addition of these fresh forces , resolved to offer the king battle . he on the other side had set up his royal standard , commanding all persons of age to repair to it upon severe penalties . a great number was by this means gather'd , they who speak least say fighting men. but they were quite unfit for service , being effeminate , undisciplined , cowardly and ill armed ; the most part having only clubs and slings . with this army the king marched into andaluzia , and came as far as xeres , where the enemy lay . he incamped and fortified himself in a valley near the river guadalete . both sides were eager to come to a battle , yet the goths felt a heaviness , that seemed to presage the misfortune was like to fall upon them . the king himself was perplexed with heavy thoughts in the day , and terrified with dreams at night . eight days continually they fought in the same place , the seven , as i suppose were spent in skirmishing to try their men , and make them more expert . there is no account of the success of each day , likely it was various , for on the eighth day they resolved to give a general battle , which was upon sunday , the th of the month , the moors call xavel , or sceval , that is about june , according to the reckoning of the arabs , as the archbishop d. roderick will have it . but i rather believe it was on st. martins day , being the th of november , in the year of our lord . as may be gathered from the chronicon alveldense . both armies being drawn up , the king according to the custom of the gothish kings , when they went to battle , appeared in an ivory chariot , cloathed in cloth of gold , encouraging his men. tarif on the other side did the same . the armies thus prepared , waited only for the signal to fall on , the goths gave the charge , their drums and trumpets sounding , and the moors received it with the noise of kettle-drums . such were the shouts and cries on both sides , the mountains and valleys seemed to meet . first they began with slings , darts , javelins and lances , then came to the swords . a long time the battle was dubious , but the moors seemed to have the worst , till d. oppas the archbishop , having to that time concealed his treachery , in the heat of the fight , with a great body of his followers went over to the infidels . he joyned count julian , with whom was a great number of goths , and both together fell upon the flank of our army . our men terrified with that ●● parallelled treachery , and tired with fighting could no longer sustain that charge , but where easily put to flight . the king performed the part not only of a wise general , but of a resolute soldier relieving the weakest , bringing on fresh men in place of those that were tired , and stopping those that turned their backs . at length seeing no hopes left , he alighted out of his chariot , for fear of being taking , and mounting on a horse , called orelia , he withdrew out of the battle . the goths who still stood , missing him , were most part put to the sword , the rest betook themselves to flight . the camp was immediately entred and baggage taken . what number was killed is not known , i suppose they were so many it was hard to count them , for this only battle robbed spain of all its glory , and in it perished the renowned name of the goths . the king's horse , upper garment and buskins , covered with pearls and precious stones , were found on the banks of the river guadelete , and there being no news of him afterwards , it was supposed he was drowned passing that river . but years after , in a church of the city viseo in portugal , there was found a stone with a latin inscription to this effect ; here reposeth roderick the last king of the goths : whence it is believed , he fled into portugal . those soldiers that escaped , dispersed themselves throughout the neighbouring towns. pelayus or pelagius , who some think , was in this battle , retired to his own estate in the farthest part of biscay . this victory cost the moors almost men. spain for some years before , had suffered much by plague and famine , which had weakned , and laid them the more open to their enemies , but above all the vengeance of god , for their vices brought on these calamities . a great number of those that escaped , out of the late unhappy fight , repaired to ezija , and there joyning with the citizens , had the courage to take the field , and give the enemy battle , but with no better success than before . the city being left defenceless , was taken by the moors and destroyed . after this , by the advice of count julian , the infidels divided themselves into two bodies . one under the command of magued a renegado , marched towards cordova , and surprized it by night . but the governour defended himself three months in the church of s. george , and then endeavouring to escape was taken , the church entred by force , and all in it put to the sword. tarif with the other body , destroyed the rest of andaluzia , and took mentesa , malaga , illiberis and granada . murcia surrendred upon articles , by the industry of the governour , who being defeated , in the field , made the women stand upon the walls , in mens apparel , so the moors thinking , there was a great garrison within , granted their conditions . toledo remained a city placed in the heart of spain , and by situation impregnable , yet vrban the archbishop , was retired to asturias , carrying with him all the holy relicks , least they should be burnt , or profaned by the indels . with him , as grave authors testify , went pelayus , and for the more security hid those holy things in a cave , in the farthest part of spain , two leagues from the place where the city oviedo was afterwards built , and from that time , that hill is called the holy mountain . with pelayus , and the archbishop , went the principal men of toledo . the moors joyning their forces again , easily made themselves masters of that city . authors do not agree about the manner . the archbishop d. roderick says , it was at first , betrayed by the jews . d. lucas de tuy affirms , it held out several months , before it was betrayed by them . i am more apt to believe , those who write , it was surrendred upon articles after a long siege . toledo being taken , the other cities of spain either submited , or were carried by force . leon surrendred for want of provision , guadalaxara was taken . at medina celi , formerly called segoncia , was found a table of emeraud , as i believe of green marble , of inestimable value , for which reason the moors called that town medina talmeyda , that is the city of the table . the booty taken at amaya in old castile , forced by hunger to surrender , exceeded that of all other places , because many confiding in its strength , had fled thither with all their riches . that part of castile was then called campos de los godos , or the fields of the goths , and still retains the name of campos . astorga in galicia was burnt , gijon a strong place in asturias taken . tarif having placed garrisons in most convenient places , returned with the rest of the army to toledo , to reap the fruits of his victories . all this hap'ned in the year . which same year , i find they also took narbonne , vast numbers of moors flocking out of africk , at the fame of their success . the natives dispersed and terrified , could not relieve their country , having no army to make head against their enemies , but every city that held out chose a governour , whose power being absolute , as depending of none , some historians have given them the title of kings . chap. x. the moor muza comes over with supplies . his actions . the moorish computation of years , called hegira . abdalasis son to muza , his actions . end of count julian , and his family . deplorable state of spain . whilst these things were acti●● in spain , muza was much perplex'd ; on the one side he rejoyc'd that so noble a province as spain was subdu'd , and on the other it griev'd him that tarif had gain'd all the honour and profit of that expedition . he pass'd over into spain with men , and tho' some advis'd to join his forces with tarif , in order to subdue what still remain'd , he took the councel of those wicked christians , who held their interest in more esteem than conscience , and promis'd to assist him in reducing such places as held out . count julian , either in hope of greater rewards , or disgusted at tarif , repair'd to muza . from algezira , where these infidels landed , they march'd to medina sidonia ; which after a siege of some days they took by assault . next carmona having made a good defence was entred by stratagem ; some of count julian's souldiers either feigning to desart , or being receiv'd as merchants ; for in this authors vary , having possess'd themselves of one of the gates . many of the goths resorted to sevil , but upon the approach of the enemy fled , and the moors gave liberty to the jews to inhabit it , mixt with their own people . beja in portugal had the same fortune , but the people of merida , tho' much weakned before , had the courage to try their fortune in the field , and being over-power'd , having lost and killed many , were forc'd to take the shelter of the walls . muza taking a view of the city , said , it look'd as if people had been gather'd from all parts of the world to build it ; that he would be a happy man that were master of it . inflam'd with this desire , he sought means to possess himself of that place . not far from the city was a quarry , in which he laid an ambush that night . next day the townsmen sallying were hemm'd in , and only a few fought their way back , the rest perish'd . this made them cautious for the future , and they resolv'd only to defend their walls . muza seeing the siege was like to be tedious , apply'd all engines then in use for battering the walls , which the besieg'd us'd all diligence to oppose ; but they were few in number , and spent with labour . whereupon they offer'd to treat , but upon such high terms , that muza rejected them , and the commissioners believing him so old he could not outlive the siege , would abate nothing . the moor finding in what they grounded their confidence , black'd his grey hairs , and sending for them again , they were so surpriz'd , not understanding the reason of his sudden change , that they immediately submitted to such articles as he would allow . at the same time the people of beja and ilipula , surpriz'd sevil , and put to the sword the garrison the moors had in that city ; yet this avail'd them little , for soon after the enemy came upon them , and again brought them into subjection . the manner of it was thus . abdalasis , the son of muza , who came over into spain with him , complain'd to his father , that he had not given him an opportunity of signalizing himself . his father finding he was in the right , gave him the command of a strong body of moors , with whom he broke into the country of valencia , had several encounters with those people , and took the cities of denia , alicant , and huerta , upon articles , which were , that he should not profane the churches , that the people might live peaceably in the christian religion , and only pay certain taxes agreed upon . these things being perform'd in the year . he return'd to sevil , slew those that had revolted , then took ilipula , and it may be imagin'd destroy'd it : for whereas it was then a populous city , it is now only a small town called pen̄aflor , situate betwixt cordova and sevil. from merida muza , went away for toledo ; tarif , for the more honour , came out as far as talavera to meet him . they met with great demonstrations of friendship and affection , but all counterfeit . tarif was fearful of being call'd to an account , and muza envious of what he had done . being come to toledo , tarif his accounts were call'd for , as well in regard to the charge of the war , as to the treasure that had been taken . he endeavour'd with submission and friendly offices , to appease the old man. at length being reconcil'd , they set forwards together towards zaragoça , which city , and many others , too tedious to relate , they took without any trouble , they all surrendring themselves . thus all spain seem'd to be subdu'd the third year after the first army of moors came over out of africk . true it is , the farthest parts could not be brought under without much difficulty , as being defended by high , and almost inaccessible mountains . vlit the miramamolin , understanding the success of his arms , and the differences that were betwixt his generals , order'd them both to appear before him . muza being about to depart , appointed his son abdalasis to govern in his absence ; having first oblig'd the moors to swear they would be obedient to him . this done , muza and tarif , the two famous generals , prepar'd to imbark ; carrying with them all the treasures the goths , in so many years , had heap'd up . from this time forward , the old computation of years used in spain , beginning at the birth of christ , or the julian account , was quite laid aside , and that used by the moors , and called hegira , that is , an expedition , was taken up , which begins from the time that mahomet first took upon him the title of king at damascus . in what year of our lord this hap'ned , authors do not agree , and this difference arises from that betwixt the years of the arabs and ours , theirs being days and hours less than ours , as consisting of only days . in my opinion , the account of the arabs ought to commence in the years of our lord . on the th of july , as appears by the annals of toledo , composed above years ago . abdalasis for some time governed the province he had received of his father , with prudence and wisdom . great multitudes resorted out of africk , to plant and people that vast country , left almost waste by the late wars . they had lands assigned them , and sevil was appointed to be the metropolis of the new empire , in respect to its greatness , strength and commodious situation . egilona , king roderick's queen was among the other prisoners , she was young , beautiful and comely . the governour caused her to be brought to his presence , and at first sight fell in love with her to such a degree , that he took her to wife , without debarring her the exercise of the christian religion . he held her in great esteem all his life-time ; for besides her beauty , she was discreet , and in all his affairs he was directed by her , to that degree , that by her persuasion , he took upon him the state of a king , and was crowned . in the country of antequera , where it borders upon malaga , there is a mountain , called abdalasis , perhaps , it took the name from this prince . some also believe , that almaguera , a town belonging to the knights of st. james , had the name of magued the moorish general , who , 't is said , used to drink the water of a fountain hard by it ; and in the arabick , alma , is water , from which word and magued , they suppose the name almaguer was compounded . at present , there are no fountains in that town , but all the people make use of wells . there is no doubt but there has been as great a change in the names of places , as in other things , which causes great confusion ; for the moorish generals , to perpetuate their memory , gave their own names and sirnames , to towns. there is no certainty of what became of count julian , but it is a received opinion , without the testimony of any author to back it , that his wife was stoned to death , a son of his cast headlong from a tower at ceuta , and that himself was condemned to perpetual imprisonment by the moors , he so much laboured to serve . in a castle called loharri , near the city huesca , is shown a stone tomb without the church of the castle , where it is reported he was bury'd . the archbishop d. roderick , and d. lucas de tuy , affirm , that both he , and the sons of king witiza , were deprived of all they possessed , and he put to death . certain it is , spain was now in a deplorable condition , almost all brought under the dominion of the moors . there was no sort of misery but the christians endured , women were ravished from their husbands , children from their parents , and all they possessed , taken from them , without any redress to be hoped for . the country yielded not its usual product , both in regard of the unseasonableness of the weather , and for want of labourers . the churches were prophaned and burnt , dead bodies lay about the streets and high-ways , and nothing was to be seen or heard , but sighs and tears . nor was there any calamity , but what spain groaned under , god permitting the innocent to suffer with the guilty , to punish the horrid wickedness of those times . nevertheless , in some part of biscay , navarre , galicia and asturias , the christians still held out , rather , because the places were almost inaccessible ; and the moors sleighted them , than that they had any sufficient force to make head . those who were subject to , and mixed with the moors , began to be called mixti arabes , and afterwards , corruptly mozarabes . they had the free exercise of christian religion , with churches , and monasteries of men and women , as before . the bishops , lest they should be scornfully treated , retired with many of the clergy into galicia , and the bishop of iria flavia , that is , el padron , assigned many of them tyths , and other ecclesiastical revenues to live upon . thus spain was destroy'd , and thus ended the kingdom of the goths . the kingdom and nation of the goths were thus subverted , in my opinion , by a peculiar providence , that out of their ashes might rise a new and holy spain , greater in strength and dominions , to be the defence and bulwark of the catholick religion . this was the opinion of f. mariana , and not without reason ; for he writ when philip ii. of spain was lord of the east and west-indies , by the addition of the kingdom of portugal , as he mentions in this place . to what a low ebb the affairs of spain are reduced since , will appear by the sequel of the history , when we draw near our times . let us conclude this book , to begin another with the resurrection of spain after these mortal calamities . the end of book vi. the history of spain . the seventh book . chap. i. prince pelayus or pelagius takes up arms against the moors . is declared king , and miraculousty vanquishes the insidels . the death of muza . alahor governs spain . two years were not quite elapsed since the africans had commenced the war , and desolation of spain , when a numerous army of moors passed over the pyrenean mountains , which pàrt france and spain , and broke into that province , with a resolution to conquer all that was subject to the goths in france . the miserable remains of the goths that had escaped into asturias galicia and biscay , and reposed more confidence in the natural strength of those places , than in any force they had ; the infidels being employed in the war in france , had now time to consult about recovering their lost liberty . nothing was wanting but a general , who with the hazard of his life , and good example , would stir up the christians that remained in spain , to attempt so great an enterprise . most of the nobility of the goths had perished in the war , only prince pelayus , as descended of the royal family , was known and applauded for his great valour and magnanimity , and looked upon by all men as the only person capable of such an enterprize . it fell out opportunely that he came out of biscay , whither he withdrew , after the loss of the kingdom to asturias . whether he was called , or came voluntarily , to be ready upon any occasion that should offer for the publick good , is not known . perhaps there was some dispute about the lordship of biscay , for i find three dukes of that province mentioned in the records of those times , which were eudo , peter , and pelayus . no sooner was he come to asturias , but all men cast their eyes upon him , as the only man that could relieve them in that distress , if he would take upon him to be their chief and protector . many weighing the greatness of the danger , and their own weakness , were terrified ; but what fear disswaded , an accident forced them to attempt . pelayus had a sister in the prime of her age , and of an extraordinary beauty . munuza , who , tho' a christistian , was governor of gijon for the moors , passionately loved that lady , and desired to obtain her for his wife ; but being too mean , could not so much as hope to gain the consent of pelayus . therefore under colour of friendship , he sent him to treat about important affairs with the moorish general tarif , who was not then gone into africk , and during his absence , easily compassed his ends . pelayus returning , and understanding how his family was disgraced , was incensed to a high degree ; but nothing so much afflicted him as the difficulty of compassing his revenge against a man in so great power . he thought it the best way for the present , to dissemble , and seem pleased at what was done . by this means he found an opportunity of recovering his sister , and fled with her to the neighbouring parts of asturias , where he had many friends , and the generality were well affected towards him . munuza frighted at this accident , and fearing the consequences might prove more dangerous than as yet appeared , gave advice to tarif of what had hap'ned . tarif sent a party from cordova , who had infallibly taken pelayus , then wholly unprovided , if he , understanding the danger , had not fled in haste , and clapping spurs to his horse , forced him to take the river pionia , at that time much swollen , and very rapid , which sav'd his life ; for they that pursued him at the heels durst not , or thought it not worth while to expose themselves to such eminent danger to apprehend him . in the valley now called cangas , then canica , he set up his standard , and beat a drum. poor banished people resorted to him from all parts , many voluntarily took up arms for the love of their country , others for fear of the enemies , and even of their own people , who threatned them , if they forsook the common cause . the asturians in general , all appeared . pelayus calling together the heads of them , made a speech , exhorting and encouraging them to behave themselves manfully , and repulse their cruel enemy . whilst he spoke , the sighs of his auditory were so loud , they often interrupted him ; but being somewhat animated with his words , they all swore to stand by one another , and expose themselves to all dangers in opposing of the moors . then they consulted of choosing a chief , and by the unanimous consent of all , pelayus was pitched upon , and proclaimed king of spain , in the year . some to this number add years . thus at the time that impiety and tyranny were predominant in spain , a new and lasting kingdom was erected , and a standard was set up for relief of the oppressed natives . the people of galicia and biscay , who like those of asturias , in some measure , preserved their liberty , were invited to joyn in this enterprize . the same was done underhand to the neighbouring towns that were subject to the moors . some people resorted to pelayus , but many despising the new king , would not leave their houses , nor expose themselves to such eminent danger . pelayus understanding how necessary it is to settle a good reputation at first , wasted the frontiers of the moors , destroying all that stood in his way . he visited the towns of asturias , encouraging the fearful , and commending the resolute . besides , he laid up stores of all things necessary for his defence , with great labour and industry , as knowing it would not be long before the insidels would be upon him . he was active and courageous , his age fit to endure hardship , his presence not gay , but such as became a soldier . one of the most noted commanders that came out of africk , with tarif , was alcama , who was in the nature of a major general . this man understanding what passed in asturias , speedily repaired thither , from cordova , with a good army of moors and christians , and carried along also d. oppas , the bishop of sevil , hoping he might be instrumental in persuading pelayus , and his party , to desist from what they had undertaken . at the news of alcama's coming , the christians dismay'd , and it was thought , they would never sustain so much as the sight of the enemy . in this confusion , nothing , but the special hand of god , and the valour and prudence of pelayus , could have protected those people , wholly for saken by themselves . it were a madness to oppose a handful of unarmed , heartless men , against a disciplin'd and furious enemy . therefore pelayus having dispersed most of his men into the neighbouring towns , he , with of the choicest , betook himself to a large cave , on the mountain ausena , now called the cave of st. mary de cobadonga . he laid in provision for a long time , and furnished arms offensive and defensive , either to make good his ground , if attack'd , or sally out , if occasion offered . the moors pursued him to the very mouth of the cave , and being desirous to prevent bloodshed , for they must expect in those narrow places to receive much damage , resolved to try whether persuasions and fair promises could prevail to reduce those people . d. oppas took this employment upon him , and having obtained liberty to speak with pelayus , used all his rhetorick to bring him to an accommodation , but understanding by his answer , he and all his men were resolved to die in defence of their liberty , the event was remitted to the decision of the sword. the insidels attack'd the mouth of the cave , powring in a shower of stones and darts . here the hand of god appeared in defence of the christians ; for all the weapons cast against them , flew back upon the moors , with great slaughter of them . at this miracle the insidels stood astonished , and the christians taking heart , rusht out upon them , the fight was disorderly , but the enemy amazed at what they had seen , turned their backs and fled . were killed in the battle and pursuit , the rest , after halting upon the top of mount fusena , fled to the field libanensis , thro' which runs the river deva . there another miracle was wrought , which was , that near a farm , called causegadia , part of a mountain , with all that were upon it , fell into the river , by which a great number of barbarians perished . for many years after , bones and pieces of armour were dug out of that place , especially when the floods wash away the banks . few of all that army escaped , alcama was killed in the fight ; d. oppas , the bishop being taken , it is supposed , was put to death , tho' historians do not relate it ; for they make no farther mention of him . munuza not thinking himself safe in gijon , attempted to make his escape , but was killed by the country people , near the village oralie . this battle was fought in the year of our lord . at the same time , muza in africk , was impeached before the miramaniolin , by tarif his enemy , and being called to account , could not well clear himself : whereupon , a great fine was laid upon him , for grief of which disgrace , he soon after dy'd . his son abdalasis having governed spain three years , became odious as well to the natives as his own people , for that he ravished their daughters , and was therefore killed in a mosque , in the year . some say , he was killed by procurement of his wite egilona , on account that he was kinder to other women than to her ; others say , the cause of his death , was his pride , and his taking upon him the regal authority by her persuasion . the chief of the murderers was his kinsman ajub , who took upon him , and held the government of spain the space of month. d. roderick the archbishop , says , it was he that built calatayud , a noted town a little beyond the borders of aragon . vlit dying , his brother zuleyman succeeded him in the empire of the moors . by him , instead of abdalasis , the government of spain was given to alabor , a man fierce and cruel , no less to the moors than christians , for he took their goods from the inhabitants of cordova only to satiate his avarice . he proceeded against all the moors that came first into spain , only upon pretence they had wrongfully taken to themselves all the riches of the country . this is he that translated the seat of the moorish empire in spain , from sevil to cordova , and is said to have put to death count julian , and the sons of witiza , imagining , the disaster that hap'ned in asturias , had been contrived by them . a just judgment of god , that traitors to their country should be thus used by those they served , and had called to their assistance . chap. ii. pelayus his power increases , he takes several towns. his death . the short reign and death of favila . several moorish governours in spain . actions of the infidels in france . pelayus having obtained that glorious victory , did not only fix himself in his new kingdom of asturias , but descended into the plain , wasting all that belonged to the moors . his forces dayly increased with the fame of his actions , so that he took the city leon , at the foot of the mountains , that part galicia and asturias , in the year of our lord . some will have it , that from this time pelayus stiled himself king of leon , but it appears none of his successors called themselves by any other title than kings of oviedo , till the time of ordonius the second , who first called himself king of leon , yet it is to be believed , that upon the taking of that city , the ancient arms of the gothish kings , were changed into argent , a lion rampant gules , which continues to this day . and the reason of it , doubtless was because the word leon in spanish , is the name of that city , and signifies a lion. the valour of d. alonso , he who , when king was called the catholick , contributed much towards advancing the affairs of the christians . he was son to peter duke of biscay , descended of the royal family of king recaredus . in his youth he bore great commands under the kings egica and witiza , and now desiring to promote the common good left his country and parents . a good number of biscainers followed him , which much encouraged the asturians , and was a great addition to their strength . to bind him the faster he was marryed to ormisinda , the daughter of pelayus : from these princes , the succeeding kings of spain are descended . with the assistance of d. alonso , gijon , astorga , mansilla , tineo , and other towns in galicia , and asturias were taken from the moors . it was easie to expel the moors out of these towns , by reason the inhabitants being christians , killed their garrisons , and submitted themselves to pelayus . besides , that the infidels were diverted by wars , that broke out , one upon the neck of another in several parts of spain . zuleyman , the miramamolin dying , left his two nephews homar and izit the sons of vlit , his successors in that empire . homar dy'd in the first year of his reign , and thus izit remained sole lord of all . he gave the government of spain to zama , a wise man and a good soldier , but no less covetous than the others , for he imposed new taxes , upon all that were under his command . he put a garrison into narbonne , and laid siege to toulouse . eudo duke of aquitain coming to the relief of the besieged , overthrew and slew the barbarian , with most of his army . those who escaped the slaughter , made choice of abderhaman to govern till another were sent out of africk . the news of this defeat being carryed into africk . izit sent . aza , ( whom some call adham ) to the government of spain . this man reduced the province , already wasted with so many calamities , into a worse condition , imposing new taxes , obliging the towns that had been taken by force , to pay the th part of their income , and those that had surrendred , the tenth . on these terms the christians enjoy'd their lands , rather as farmers than proprietors . the moor rasis says , he obliged the moors to pay the th part of what they were worth , on pretence of relieving the poor , but indeed to keep them under , that they might not have courage to mutiny . he caused the bridge of cordova , over guadalquivir to be built , and took some cities that held out , at the foot of the mountain moncayo , and among them taraçona , which was laid level with the ground . having performed these great actions , in two years , and a half , that his government lasted , he was murdered by his own people at tortosa . his successors were ambiza , odra and jahea , according to d. roderick the archbishop ; i judge the government was divided into three parts , or else each of them held it but a few months . in asia the emperor izit dying , left the crown to his brother , ischam upon condition he should adopt his son alulit , which he performed . ischam began his reign , in the year . and held it years . in his time spain was governed by odayfa , himen , autuma , alhaytan , and mahomet , each of these held it not a year entire , especially the last continued but two months . for we find that in the year abderhaman , doubtless the same we mentioned above , had the government of spain . the actions of this governour were remarkable , and the end of them fortunate to the christians , therefore it will be convenient to speak of them in particular . the severity and rigor abderhaman used towards the moors made him odious . upon this muniz , a powerful man , who governed gallia gothica , revolted , and the province of cerdania in spain joyned with him . besides eudo duke of aquitain , made a league , and gave him , his own daughter in marriage . abderhaman having advice of what was doing , marched with his army to the frontiers of spain , and besieged the city cerdania . muniz having lost all hopes of holding out , escaping , or obtaining pardon , threw himself down a precipice . his wife and head were sent into africk to the emperor of the moors . abderhaman , proud with this success , broke into france , marched along the coast of the mediterrean without opposition , as far as the river rhosne , and besieged the city arles . eudo coming to the relief of it was vanquished , and so great a slaughter made of his army , as had not been seen that age. hence the conqueror turned towards the left hand , and traversing a great part of france fell into aquitain , passed the river garonne , destroyed the noble city bourdeaux , and ravaged all the country . here eudo again trying the fortune of battle , had the same fate as before . angoulesme , perigeux , xantonge , and poictiers soft the fury of this war. charles martel , at that time great seneschal of france , moved by the publick calamities and general danger , raised a mighty army , and advanced with it , as far as tours . he intrenched himself on the farther side of the river loire , on which that city is built , that the enemy with their multitude might not surround him . here eudo , laying aside former animosities , joyned him with the forces he could gather . the infidels advanced with great boldness , as to a certain victory , and were received with no less resolution , whereupon ensued one of the bloodiest and most obstinate fights , that has been seen in the world. of the moors there were , with their wives and children , as designing to plant in france , the number of the christians was much less , but they were superior in valour , discipline , and the justice of their cause . it was a long time before the victory seemed to incline , to either side , but at length true valour prevailed against the multitude . the slaughter was incredible , moors were killed , and among them abderhaman . of the christians only were missing , but many of them of note . by the confession of martel , eudo signalized himself particularly in this battle ; for in the heat of it , as had been before agreed , he took a great compass , with the light-horse , and before he could be discovered , fell upon the enemy in the rear , which put them all into confusion . this fortunate battle was fought in the year of our lord . one and twenty after the destruction of spain . abdelmelich succeeded abderhaman , and governed the moors in spain , and its dependencies , the space of four years , without being remarkable for any thing , but his cruelty and avarice . he had orders to invade france , but was forced to turn back after losing many men , in attempting to pass the pyrenean mountains . at the same time , which was in the year of our lord . pelayus the first king of spain , after its desolation , being of a great age , and renowned for his exploits , departed this life at cangas . his body was buryed in the church of saint eulalia velaniensis , which he himself had founded in the country of cangas . there also his wife , queen gaudiosa was interred . his son favila , by consent of all the people succeeded him , and reigned two years , being more famed for his unfortunate death , and dissolute life , than for any good actions he performed . for notwithstanding , the mighty war he had in hand , and that his kingdom was still tottering , as subsisting rather by the confusion of the times , than the strength of the christians , yet he apply'd himself , not to the cares of the government , but was wholly devoted to his pleasures , neglecting the publick good . particularly he was addicted to hunting , and at this sport pursuing a bear , was killed by it ; inglorious both in his life and death . his body was interred , in the church of the holy cross , built by himself in the territory of cangas , in which formerly was to be seen the tomb of his wife froleud . about this time one julian a grecian and deacon , learned in the greek and latin tongues , wrote the antiquities of spain , and actions of pelayus at toledo . vrban bishop of toledo , evancius archdeacon of the same church , and fredoarius bishop of guadix , men of singular sanctity , and learning flourishing in those days , of darkness and ignorance . john archbishop of sevil , was their contemporary , he translated the bible into arabick , for the good of the christians and moors , because latin was then little used , some copies of that translation are to be seen to this day in spain . chap. iii. the reign of d. alonso the catholick . his conquests and death . several moorish governours in spain . affairs of the mahometans , both in spain and africk . favila dying without issue , d. alonso and ormisinda his wife , ( as pelayus had ordained in his will ) were proclaimed king and queen , with great satisfaction of the people , and to the great good of the kingdom . d. alonso was equally qualified in the arts of peace and war , of a wonderful constancy in adversity , fortunate in all his undertakings , and so very religious , that on that account the title of catholick was given to him , as had been before to king recaredus , by the third council of toledo , when renouncing the heresie of arius , he was reconciled to the church . this title was afterwards laid aside , till pope alexander the sixth , bestowed it on ferdinand of aragon king of spain , to be perpetuated in his successors . spain at that time enjoyed the fruits of peace , africk and france were consumed with civil wars . charles martel , upon the death of eudo , seized all his dominions in france . eudo's three sons , aznar , hunnoldus , and vayferus , sought to , maintain their right by arms. aznar in that part of spain , which lies near navarre , took from the moors , the city jaca , with many other towns and castles , and became the founder of the kingdom of aragon , a name taken from the river aragon , which runs through that country , and together with the river ega falls into ebro . hunnoldus and vayferus did great harm , and spread their terror throughout france . the moors desiring revenge for their late overthrow , and being invited by maurice , earl of marseilles , and hunnoldus and vayferus renewed the war in france . at this time aucupa governed spain ; at his first coming , he put abdelmelich upon his tryal , and pretending , he could not clear himself , laid him in prison . aucupa was of noble extraction , and so zealous in his superstition , that he punished no crimes so severely as those that related to it . having agreed with maurice , earl of marseilles , and the sons of eudo , with their assistance , and his own forces , he pierced so far into france , as to take avignon , a noble city upon the river rhosne , burning and pillaging all the country about . all this hap'ned five years after the famous battle of tours , that is , in the year . which was the first of the reign of d. alonso . but the valour of martel relieved france , for he drove the enemy over the pyrenean hills , and took avignon , and narbonne , so that nothing was left either the goths or moors in all france . in africk , the war continued more obstinate ; for belgius , abenbexius , a famous commander among the moors , rebelled against the emperor ischam . several battles were fought , for the most part with success to the rebels ; whereupon belgius resolved to pass over into spain . abdelmelich was then again possessed of the government , for aucupa dying , ordered he should be taken out of prison , and restored to his command . this was his ruin , for abderhaman sent before by belgius with a great army , took him in cordova and put him to death with all manner of torments , in the year of our lord . the same year dy'd the emperor ischam , and alulit the son of izit , succeeded in the empire , as had been agreed . we must not run too far into the affairs of africk . alulit at his accession to the crown , sent albuelcatar , a noble and wise man to govern spain , who by his good management , and sending the mutinous to the war in africk , appeased the tumults in spain . soon after , he was killed by the contrivance of zimael and roba , zimael's companion , and the head conspirator took upon him the government , and usurp'd the crown of spain without any opposition , for the emperor alulit dy'd in the second year of his reign , which was of our lord . ibrahim his brother , succeeded him , and was no longer liv'd nor fortunate ; for matoan , tho' his kinsman , and of the most noble family of the humeyas , killed him in his palace the second year of his reign , and made himself absolute lord of all . in this emperor's time , roba being killed in a battle , toba governed spain , and he also dying within a year , juseph , a man of great parts , was sent out of africk to succeed both . tho' of a great age , he was much addicted to women , but made some amends for this fault , by his great valour , and the fame of his exploits , whilst he governed spain , abdalla , of the noble family of the alavecines , killed matoan in africk , in the year , usurp'd the crown , and the better to secure himself , destroyed most of the family of the humeyas . in spain , in the year . at cordova , three suns were seen at once , and people with the fright , imagined they saw several apparitions of men going in procession with lighted torches . the terror was the more encreased , by a great famine which ensued , caused by the drought spain is subject to . mean while king alonso laying hold of the opportunity that offered of enlarging the bounds of his kingdom , now the moors were at variance among themselves , gathered the greatest force he could , and broke into the enemies country with mighty success . for in galicia , he took lugo , tuy and astorga ; in lusitania , the city porto , at the mouth of the river duero , beja , braga , viseo , flavia , bletisa and sentica . besides , he recovered simancas , duenas , miranda , segovia , avila , and sepulveda at the foot of the mountain orospeda , on the banks of the river duraton , a place naturally strong , formerly called segobriga , and after , sepulveda . then he turned his victorious arms to the country of bribiesca and rioja , and possessed himself of those territories . rioja lies on one side of the mountain idubeda , about the river ogia , which falling from that mount , runs into the river ebro . the country is pleasant and fruitful . he also took pamplona in navarre , and that part of biscay , now called alava . it is true , many of these places were afterwards lost , the power of the moorish kings of cordova daily encreasing , to the great detriment of the christians . king alonso placed bishops in the cities he gain'd , to instruct the christians , and restore religion , he built churches , and caused those that were prophaned to be reconciled , providing them with vestments , and other necessaries , the best the poverty of that age would permit . after performing these great actions , he dy'd at cangas , in the th year of his age , and of grace . he was a prince of great renown , reign'd years , some say but , and left sons , by his wife ormisinda , which were froyla , bimaranus , aurelius and vsenda . by a slave he had mauregatus . his funeral was not so remarkable for the greatness of the expence , as for the tears and grief of his subjects , and the voices of angels said to be then heard , singing these words of the scripture , ecce quomodo moritur justus & nemo percipit corde , à facie iniquitatis sublatus est justus , & erit in pace memoria ejus . this king and his queen were buried at cangas , in st. mary's monastery . d. alonso had a brother called froyla , more known by his two sons , aurelius and veremundus , or bermudus , than for any action of his own . let us return to the affairs of the moors , which being so intermixt with our own , ought not to be forgotten . it will not therefore be amiss to say something of the great discord that about this time hapned among those people ; on which were laid the foundations of a mighty kingdom of theirs in spain . mahomet the founder of the sarraçen empire , at his death left never a son , but three daughters , fatima , zeinebis , and imicultis , all married to principal men. upon the death of mahomet , first abubacar , and after him homar , whose daughters he had married , succeeded in the empire . after them , autuman , husband to fatima , the eldest daughter , ascended the throne ; and of them descended the mighty family of the alavecines . mohabia , husband to the other sister zeinebis , succeeded autuman , and of him came another powerful family called the humeyas . his successors were izit his son , and maula his grandson ; after whose death , the moors were divided , some following maroan , and others abdalla , who dying , all was again reduc'd under abdelmelich the son of maula ; then vlit son of abdelmelich , next zuleyman , brother to vlit , and after him homar and izit the sons of vlit . their successor was iscam , a third brother , and his was alulit the son of izit , then ibrahim his brother . maroan , though of the same family of the humeyas , slew ibrahim , and usurp'd the crown . abdalla , a wise and resolute man , of the family of the alavecines , descended from fatima , kill'd maroan , and step'd into the throne , the better to secure himself in which , he indeavour'd to extirpate the whole race of the humeyas . abderbaman , who was of that family , for his own safety , was forc'd to fly into spain ; where the moors being all well affected to the benhumeyas , with their assistance , he erected a new kingdom , independent of the miramamolins of africk , or caliphs of asia . he chose the city cordova for the metropolis of his new acquir'd dominion , as will further appear hereafter . chap. iv. the reigns of the kings , froyla , aurelius , silon , alonso , mauregatus , and veremundus , or bermudo . monarchy of the moors , erected in spain , by abderrhaman , his death , and wars among his sons . upon the death of king alonso , his eldest son , called froyla , or fruela , succeeded in the throne of the christians in spain , in the year of grace . he reigned eleven years , and three months , his government was a mixture of good and evil , being of a harsh temper , rather inclined to cruelty than mercy . some actions of a good prince he did , for he built the city oviedo in asturias , and made it a bishoprick . besides , he forbid priests marrying , a custom introduced by witiza , and confirmed by the example of the greeks , which in the opinion of the wiser sort , had provoked god's wrath , and brought so many misfortunes upon spain . this action , as it gained him the esteem of the better sort , so it drew on him the hatred of the commonalty and priests , by which his memory was stained more than he deserved . besides , his other good qualities , he follow'd the example of his father , in making war upon the moors , and in the second year of his reign overthrew juzeph , who then governed spain for the infidels , and had entred galicia , killing of his men. this loss was the ruin of juzeph , who for the space of four years had opposed abderhaman , and now being oppressed by the humeyas , he fled from cordova , but was taken by his enemies at granada , and making his escape thence to toledo , was there killed by his own people . from this time , which was the year of our lord . and according to the account of the arabs , all the moors in spain were again united under one head. abderhaman abenbumeya , who after took the sirname of adahil , founded a new kingdom of his own nation , independent of the moors in africk or asia , as has been hinted before . only the city valencia held out some time , but after a long siege was forced to submit and joyn with the rest . such was the hatred this prince bore the christian religion , that the christians of that city were forced to depart thence , and setled in the farthest part of lusitania , about promontorium sacrum , carrying with them the body of st. vencent , from which that cape now takes its name : a moor of fez , some time after , hunting about that place , slaughtered these people , and carryed over their children into africk , from whom the place was afterwards known , where the holy body had been buryed . abderhaman , proud with his great success , made war upon galicia , and at the same time besieged beja in portugal ; but was repulsed in both places , by the valour of king fruela , who with the same felicity , not only defended his dominions against the infidels , but subdued his rebellious subjects of galicia and navarre , in the year of our lord . in this expedition he marryed menina , or momerana , daughter of eudo , duke of aquitain , according to f. mariana , but the bishop sebastian , who lived years after , and wrote the history of those times , only says , she was a captive taken there , the archbishop d. roderick , and d. lucas de tuy say , she was of the blood royal of navarre . by her the king had d. alonso , who was afterwards king , and sirnamed the chast , and da. ximena , well known for her incontinency , and for being mother to bernard del carpio . king fruela might have been reckoned among the best princes , had he not blemished his reputation , by killing , with his own hands , his brother bimaranus , doubtless upon suspition , that he designed to rebel , yet the act was no way justifiable . however to allay the hatred , he had incurred by this action , he adopted and named for his successor , bermudo , the son of bimaranus , which availed him not , for his brother aurelius , and other conspirators , murdered him at cangas . the king and his queen menina , were buryed in the cathedral of oviedo . the murderer of fruela , and revenger of bimaranus , brother to both , tho' some will have him to be their cousin-german , and son to fruela , the brother of king alonso , was inthroned in the year . d. alonso the son of fruela , was not regarded , as being a child , and by reason of the general hatred conceived against his father . aurelius reigned six years and a half , during which time he did not any thing worthy of commendation , unless it were the quelling a rebellion , raised by the slaves in hopes of recovering their liberty . but the honour gained by this action was quite blotted out , by the dishonourable agreement he came to with the moors , obliging himself every year , to deliver to them a certain number of young maids , as an acknowledgment . the christians were jealous of the mighty power of abderhaman , and feared he might oppress their new kingdom . therefore aurelius to provide against that storm , marryed his sister adosinda , to silon , a man in great esteem , that he might be assisting to him while living , and succeed in the throne after his death , for that he had never a son , nor does it appear that he was marryed . king alonso the great , his chronicon says , aurelius was interred in the church of st. martin , in the valley of jagueya . d. lucas de tuy writes it was at cangas . it is hard to reconcile these differences , some will have jagueya and cangas to be the same , others that jagueya is the town now called yanguas , and that under the church of st. michael , in it there is a vault dedicated to st. andrew , where are two tombs , which those people affirm to be of the kings favila and aurelius . after the death of aurelius , silon and his wife adosinda , were proclaimed king and queen at paiva , and reigned nine years , one month , and one day . at the beginning of his reign he subdued the people of galicia , that had revolted about the mountain ciperius , now called cebreros . silon being of a great age , and naturally given to his ease , resolved to lay aside all care by parting with the government , and accordingly , by the advice of his queen , named d. alonso the son of fruela his companion in the throne , and gave him the absolute power of peace and war. it was the misfortune of those times , that when there was most need of active , and heroick kings , they proved soft and effeminate . from this time d. alonso had the title of king , as appears by a grant of his , the antientest now extant in spain , of several lands to the church of st. mary de valpuesta , then a monastery of nuns , now collegiate . this grant bears date according to the julian account the year . which is of our lord . authors vary about the burying place of silon , some say it is at oviedo , where there is a long inscription at the entrance of the church of s. saviour , with his name in the nature of a cypher , and it is repeated times , that he built the church , besides under that inscription is another signifying , here lies sylon , may the earth be easie to him . others say , he lies at paiva , in the church of st. john the evangelist , which he built from the ground , and where without doubt is the body of his wife adosinda . silon's funeral rites being honourably performed , d. alonso , who had been his companion , to the great satisfaction of the nobles , remained sole monarch , in the year . the hatred conceived again his father was forgot , and the virtues that shined in him reconciled the subjects affection . only his uncle mauregatus , tho' illegitimate , pretended a right to succeed his brothers , and was put upon it by some turbulent persons , but finding little help in the christians , he begged the assistance of the moors , and obtained it , upon condition he should every year deliver them maids of the nobility , and of the commonalty , an infamous article , yet nothing can curb the inordinate ambition of a crown . the moors above all men are given to venery . this allurement , and the commands of abderhaman , prevailed with many to follow mauregatus . king alonso being unprovided to meet this storm , retired into biscay , where he had many powerful allies . he was only years of age , when he was deposed in the beginning of his reign . mauregatus reigned years , and months , and was remarkable for nothing but his cowardise , baseness , and falshood to his country . he dyed in the year and was buryed in the church of st. john at pavia . this same year dyed abderhaman , the king of the moors , having reigned years , he deceased at cordova , where he had fixed his residence , and adorned that city with many royal works , as the gardens then called rizapha , now arriçafa , and the now cathedral , one of the sumptuousest buildings in spain . he left daughters , and son ; and appointed zuleman the eldest , then governour of toledo , his successor . issem the second son , taking the advantage of his brother's absence , and being well beloved , usurped the crown , and coming to a battle with zuleman , drove him to murcia , where upon payment of crowns , he renounced his right , and went over into africk . next abdalla , another brother , raised some tumults , but was forced to compound and quit spain . bermudo , sirnamed the deacon , as having received that order , succeeded mauregatus . historians do not agree whose son he was , nor is it easie to reconcile them . some say he was son to bimaranus , others to d. fruela , brother to king alonso . he reigned about years alone , according to garibay his account , for f. mariana is not intelligible in this place , and had two sons , d. ramiro , and d. garcia , by his wife ninilon , or vrsenda , to whom he was unlawfully married , tho' afterwards he left her , and lived chast the rest of his life . in other respects , he was modest , and temperate , a lover of his ease , and averse to business , yet did one thing very pleasing and commendable , which was , declaring of d. alonso , who had been depos'd by mauregatus , his companion in the throne , which according to isidorus pacensis , who then liv'd , was in the year . after this bermudo reign'd four years and six months . this prince was very remarkable for his continual prosperity , good conduct , liberality , piety , the love of his people , and terror of his enemies . by his valour the affairs of the christians , almost sunk , were re-established ; for in the third year of his reign , alonso his companion , vanquish'd mugayo , general of the moors , who had broke into asturias , upon the account that the king refus'd to pay the tribute of the young maids . the battle was fought near a town call'd ledas , the victory one of the greatest obtain'd in spain , for . infidels were kill'd , by which the christians were deliver'd from a great oppression , and the moors diverted with other wars , could not revenge this loss . about the same time , many towns about the pyrenean mountains were taken from the moors , by the kings of navarre and charlemaigne , the famous king of france and emperour . here again i am forced to follow the authority of garibay , my author being ill printed , the fate of many books printed in spain . issem , king of cordova , sent a good army , under the command of his general abdelmelich , to put a stop to these proceedings , who retook girona in catalonia , and narbonne on the borders of france . from hence the bishop d. roderick says , the moors caus'd christians to bring earth on their shoulders , ( which i suppose was sand to bind their mortar ) for to finish the great mosque at cordova . this king also built another bridge at cordova , near the pallace , and was the first of the moorish kings that took a guard of strangers , which were . renegado christians , besides , he entertain'd . eunuchs , as his menial servants . he dy'd in the year . having reign'd years , months , and days ; and leaving behind the name of a wise , just , and bountiful prince , and his son alhaca to succeed him . chap. v. the reign of d. alonso the chast . the nestorian heresy reviv'd . the king's sister debauch'd , he takes lisbon , wars among the moors . invention of the body of st. james the apostle , and defeat of charlemaigne . during these last reigns , felix , bishop of vrgel , and his disciple elipandus , archbishop of toledo , reviv'd the false doctrine of nestorius , condemn'd at the council of ephesus . they affirm'd , that christ our lord , as man , was only the adoptive son of the father ; and endeavour'd to spread these their opinions , but were condemn'd by councils held at reginum of bavaria , now ratisbon , and at francfort . felix , dy'd obstinate at lions in france . what became of elipandus is not known . some years after claudius , a spaniard , disciple of felix , and bishop of turin , who lived in the emperour ludovicus pius his court , with great opinion of learning , among other things , to the opinions of the others , added a new extravagancy , saying , that holy images ought to be cast out of the churches . jonas aurelianensis , his contemporary , wrote learnedly against him . king bermudo was bury'd at oviedo , where formerly his and his wives tombs were to be seen . thus d. alonso was left to govern by himself . it is a receiv'd opinion , that he aiming at a greater purity of life , never had carnal knowledge of his wife berta . he is said to have built the cathedral of oviedo , but others write it was d. bermudo who began it , and the inscription at the entrance , as was said above , attribute it to king sylon . perhaps all three had a hand in the work , and he who finish'd , had all the honour of it . certain it is , king alonso enrich'd it with many gifts , and particularly with a curious gold cross set with stones , made by the hands of angels , as the people imagin'd , because after it was done they were never seen more . the glorious beginnings of this princes reign were somewhat eclyps'd by a misfortune that hapned in the royal family , which was , that da. ximena , the kings sister , ( was privately marry'd , according to our author , but that had been no such mighty disaster ; and all other historians write , she ) was debauch'd by sandia , or sancho earl of saldan̄a , and by him had bernard , call'd carpensis , or del carpio , much fam'd for his exploits in spanish history . the earl being convicted , had his eyes put out , and was condemn'd to perpetual imprisonment , which he accordingly suffer'd , in the castle of luna . da. ximena was shut up in a monastery of nuns , and yet care was taken to have the child bred up in asturias , as if he had been the king 's own . the moors at this time were not idle , for zulema , and abdalla , the new king's unkles , who till then had liv'd in africk , came over into spain . abdalla , who was the boldest , came first and possess'd himself of the city valencia , deliver'd to him by the inhabitants . zulema , who was ready at the first call , pass'd over to his brothers assistance , and both together , after wasting all the country , adventur'd to give king alhaca battle . it was fought obstinately on both sides , and much blood spilt , but at last zulema , and many more being kill'd , abdalla fled to valencia , where he came to accommodation with the king , and had a revenue assign'd him , to live upon , according to his quality , delivering up his sons as hostages , whom the moorish king treated , as became his cousin-germans ; and marry'd his own sister to one of them . this discord among the moors was advantagious to king alonso , for he took the city of lisbon ( as many foreign authors write , tho' ours make no mention of it , ) and sent a solemn embassy to charlemaigne , to whom fruella and basilicus , the principal embassadors , of the booty taken in that city , carried a rich present from the king , of arms , horses , and captives ; besides a moorish tent of wonderful greatness and workmanship . after this there ensu'd so great a rebellion in his kingdom , that he was forc'd to retire for safety to the monastery abeliense , situate in the most uncouth part of galicia . thence , by the help of theudius , a man of great power , he recover'd all his dominions with more honour than if that misfortune had not befallen him . but in my opinion , nothing was more honourable , in the reign of this king , than the invention of the body of the holy apostle st. james . which as is generally related , happen'd in this manner . theodomirus bishop of iria flavia , hearing great lights were seen in a wild part of a mountain , went thither , and causing the bushes and briars to be cut down , and digging up a heap of earth , found the holy body in a marble sepulcher . overjoy'd at this , he went to court to acquaint the king , who in person repair'd thither , and caus'd a church to be erected in that place , dedicated to st. james , but mean , as having only mud walls . he also instituted benefices belonging to it , and assign'd them revenues . the fame of it being spread abroad , brought people from all parts of christendom ; and to this day it is one of the most frequented pilgrimages in the world. some grave and learned persons have made a doubt , whether st. james the apostle ever was in spain , and consequently of the invention of his body . i will not undertake to discuss the point , but must confess , i think the general consent of all christendom , in this behalf , appears to me more convincing than all the arguments they can bring to oppose it . all historians agree , that charlemaigne was in spain , and some will have it , he came more than once ; among the rest , our author , f. mariana , is of this opinion , and relates his coming twice ; but both times with the very same circumstances , which makes me of the opinion be mistook , and made two expeditions of one ; for the best , as well spanish as french authors , make mention of no more . the histories of these two nations absolutely disagree in their account of the famous battle of roncesvalles , and even the spaniards themselves vary much in their relations , many of which are very fabulous ; for which reason , i am more inclinable to give credit to the french , as the most probable . i will therefore , in a thing so dubious , not spend much time , but in few words set down what our author says of it , and then briefly touch upon the more likely account given by the french. f. mariana says , that the emperor charlemaigne was invited into spain , by king alonso , to assist him in driving the moors out of all that kingdom . as a recompence for this service , he was to inherit the crown . this treaty being made known in spain , the nobility would no ways consent to be brought under the dominion of the french , and bernard del carpio , a hot youth , offer'd to head those that would oppose them . king alonso himself repented , and marsilius the morish king of zaragoca join'd with him , as fearing the emperor , whom he had offended , by usurping the dominions of ibnabala his confederate . all these forces possess'd the passes of the pyrenean mountains , and at the place called roncesvalles , the two armies met . rutlandus , commonly called orlando , earl of britany , anselmus and eginardus led the van , the spaniards falling furiously on them , before they could put themselves into order of battle , slew rutlandus , of whom so many fables are written , both by the spaniards and french. the emperor seeing the great slaughter of his men , indeavoured to bring up the rest of the army to their relief , but finding no hopes of success , was himself forced to make away . this is in short the account f. mariana gives , but einhardus chancellor to charlemaigne , and his son-in-law , in the life of that emperor , which he writ , says , that charlemaigne came to restore ibnabala , expelled by marsiluis , that he passed the mountains and subdued all that part of the country , but in his return , the vascones fell upon the rear in the narrow passes of the mountains , slew all that were parted from the main body , among them eghartus , anselmus and rutlandus , and that this could not be revenged , because the vascones on a sudden were all dispersed and not to be found . all the french authors agree in this account . besides it appears ( if ever there was such a man as bernard del carpio , which is doubtful ) that he could not then , according to the time assigned for his birth , be above years of age , and therefore unfit for such great undertakings . much more might be said to this purpose , but i rather choose to adhere to certainties , than fill paper with not only doubtful but romantick stories , framed to swell volumes , and please the ignorant . let us therefore return to king alonso . chap. vi. the remaining part of the reign of king alonso . rebellion among the moors , alhaca the moor dies , and abderhamen succeeds him . the reign of king ramiro , he overthrows the moors in a great battle , his death and invasion of the normans . all things during king alonso's reign , succeeded fortunately for the christians , and he not only applyed himself to the business of the war , but laboured to improve the civil government , and above all , was zealous for propagating religion . as soon as the cathedral of oviedo was finished , to increase the devotion of the place , he caused it to be consecrated by seven bishops , in the year of our lord . he also erected , in the same city , another church , dedicated to our blessed lady , with a cloister for the interment of kings , because then they were not bury'd in the church ; besides this , a third church to st. thyrsus martyr , and a fourth to st. julian ; as likewise a royal palace . thus contenting himself with indifferent dyet , and rayment , all his care was to beautify and adorn that city , by him first made the capital of the kingdom . the moors were now in rebellion against their king , and particularly those of toledo . plenty and ease were the cause of these distractions . king alhaca being a person subtle and deceitful , sent ambroz , the governour of huesca , a friend to the people of toledo , to them , with fawning letters , laying all the blame upon the magistrates , and courting the citizens to be pacify'd . the people of toledo are naturally open-hearted ; therefore suspecting nothing , they admitted him into the town . not long after ambroz feigning some discontent , perswades the people to mutiny again , and builds a strong castle , where now stands the church of st. christopher , into which he puts a good garrison . abderhaman , the king's son , came to quell this rebellion , and deceiving the people , as the other had done , was admitted . therefore the better to put his design in execution , he invites the best of the town into the castle , and there massacred . of them in the year of our lord . this cruel execution quieted toledo , but not so at cordova , where the inhabitants of the suburbs mutinying , abdelcarin , who had gain'd fame at the siege of calahorra , reduc'd them , and hang'd along the river . by the christians two armies of infidels , that broke into galicia , were overthrown , and forc'd to withdraw with great loss in the year . ores , governour of merida , laid siege to benavente , but upon the approach of king alonso , was forc'd to quit it and retire . in the same manner , alcama , governour of badajoz , was drove from before camora . soon after , mahomet a noble moor , upon some discontent , put himself , with a good body of men , under the protection of king alonso , and had a place assign'd him in galicia to inhabit . the moor desiring to regain his princes favour , seizes upon a town call'd st. christina , two leagues from lugo . king alonso was immediately upon him , and coming to a battle , slew him and of his men. in the mean while dy'd alhaca , king of cordova , in the year of our lord , of the arabs , of his reign . he left sons , and daughters . his son abderhaman succeeded him , being years of age , and reigned . about this time , says zonaras , the moors of spain pass'd into candia , and planted there . much is now spoke of the prowess of bernard del carpio , and his rebellion ; but these are things more like romance than history , and therefore i pass them by . the king being very old , and upon his death-bed , appointed d ramiro , the son of d. bermudo , to succeed him , and dy'd aged . years , having reign'd years , five months , and thirteen days , and in the year of our lord . according to the chronicle of king alonso the great , and the most ancient records . he deceas'd at oviedo , and was buried in the church of st. mary , in that city . the reign of king ramiro , as to time , was short , but glorious , and full of honourable exploits . for to him , under god , is due the honour of restoring the spanish monarchy to its former lustre . his government , in all respects , was excellent , but above all in martial exploits . wizards and conjurers he caus'd to be burnt , and robbers , that then were in great numbers , to have their eyes put out . at the time of king alonso his death , d. ramiro was among the varduli , a part of old castile , or biscay . his absence gave an opportunity to count nepotianus , to possess himself of asturias , and assume the title of king. all mutinous and turbulent persons follow'd him , and he rais'd a considerable army . king ramiro was not idle , but met him with an equal force ; the battle was fought in galicia , near the river narceya , where nepotianus being forsaken by his army , was forc'd to fly , but in the flight taken by two of his own chief officers , called somna and scipio , and deliver'd up to the king. after these civil dissentions ensu'd the war with the moors , at first terrible , but in the conclusion most fortunate to the christians . abderhaman was king of the moors , a prince fierce by nature , and haughty with his continual success ; for he had not only expell'd his uncle abdalla , who endeavour'd to recover the kingdom , but had taken the city barcelona . this done , he resolv'd upon the war against king ramiro , and upon this account , sent to demand of him the tribute of young maids mauregatus had formerly consented to pay . his embassadors were dismissed with scorn , and protected only by the law of nations from suffering for their presumption . next , all that were of age in the kingdom , except some few left to till the ground , for fear of a famine , were listed ; the very bishops , and persons consecrated to god , follow'd the christian camp. to gain a reputation , and be thought the aggressors , they broke into the territory of rioja , then possess'd by the moors . abderhaman on the other side having made mighty preparations of all things necessary , advanc'd towards the christians . the two armies met near alvelda , or albayda , a town then of strength , now almost unpeopled , but famous once for a monastery built there by sancho king of navarre , of the invocation of s. martin , the revenue and library whereof was afterwards translated to the church of st. mary the round , in the city logron̄o , two leagues distant from alvelda . in that place the battle was fought , and prov'd one of the bloodyest of that age. our army being compos'd of men gather'd in hast was no way to compare to the enemy for discipline . all must have been lost had not the commanders still appear'd where the danger call'd , encouraging the men , not only with words but their example . night put an end to the battle . the smallest accidents in war , often prove of the greatest consequence , so now the approach of the night saved the christians from utter destruction . the king retired to a rising ground , that was near with his broken forces , fortified himself the best the time would permit , and caused the wounded to be taken care of , whilst all the army almost despairing of their safety , offered their vows and tears to heaven . sorrow and care so oppressed king ramiro his thoughts , that he fell into a slumber , in which he thought he saw the apostle st. james , bidding him be of good heart , and assuring him of the victory . this vision or dream so revived him , that he started up , and calling into his presence all the prelates and chief men of the army , related at large what he had seen , and exhorted them , to put their confidence in god , and not doubt of the victory . this done he , ordered his battle and gave the signal to fall on . our men encouraged with what they had heard , attack the enemy furiously , calling upon s. james , whence sprang the custom to this day , in use among spaniards , of invoking that saint , when they charge . the infidels surprized at the boldness of our men , whom they thought vanquished , and struck with terror from heaven , could not bear the brunt of that charge , but fled , and were so sharply pursued , that of them were killed . it was said , the apostle st. james , was seen in the heat of the fight , leading our men , upon a white horse , in his hand a white banner with a red cross in the middle . after this victory , the christians regained many towns , among them clavijo , from which this battle took name , alvelda and calahorra . this memorable battle was fought , in the year . being the second of the reign of king ramiro . having returned thanks to almightly god , the victorious army , by vow obliged all spain , tho' the greatest part was subject then to the moors , to pay for ever yearly a certain measure of wine or corn for every akre of land , as also that whensoever any booty was divided , st. james should have his share as a horse man. of the spoils taken this war , the king caused a stately church to be built , in honour of our blessed lady , which is to be seen to this day , half a league from oviedo , on the side of mount naurancius , and near it was built another dedicated to st. michael . the queen , whom some call vrraca , others paterna , mother to d. ordon̄o and d. garcia , furnished those churches with all things necessary , for she used to spare all that was possible of her own expence , and lay it out upon churches , especially that of the apostle st. james . the joy and advantage of this great victory , was not lasting or considerable , as might have been expected , by reason of another war that ensued . our nation had scarce began to shake off the yoke , laid upon them by the moors , who came from the south , when it laboured under another plague , sent from the north. such were the normans , who drove by necessity , or rather , the desire of doing mischief , now ranged the seas under the command of their general rollo . at first they had wasted and destroyed all the coasts of france , till the emperors ludovicus pius , and carolus crassus , gave them the province of neustria , from them afterwards called normandy , to hold in feof of them . these same people gathering a vast fleet in france , now grew very obnoxious to the christians of spain . they over-ran and pillaged all the coast of galicia , till near corun̄a , king ramirus overthrew and put to flight all that had landed of them . besides , in a sea fight of their ships were either taken or sunk by ours . those that escaped turning cape finisterre , came to the mouth of the river tagus , and distressed lisbon at that time , in the hands of the moors . the year following , which was of our lord . having gathered news forces , they laid siege to sevil , plundered the territories of cadiz , and medina sidonia , taking great numbers of men and cattle , and putting many moors to the sword. in fine , after spending much time in that neighbourhood , understanding that abderhaman , was fitting out a powerful fleet against them , they left spain , having gained much honour and great riches . now followed other commotions among the christians . count alderedus and piniolus , two powerful men , one after another revolted , but were soon defeated , alderedus had his eyes put out , piniolus , and seven sons he had , were executed by the king's command , in the th year of his reign . two years after he dyed at oviedo , having reigned . he and his wife paterna , were buryed in st. maries church of that city , where the king's tomb is still to be seen , with an inscription to this effect , ramiro of happy memory dy'd on the first of february , i desire all that shall read this , to pray for his rest . d. ordono son to d. ramiro the late king , succeeded his father , in the year of our lord . chap. vii . the persecution raised by the moors at cordova . the reign of d. ordonno over the christians , and mahomet over the moors . a mighty persecution was now raised against the christians , and much blood shed at cordova . when first the moors over-ran spain , they allowed the christians the free exercise of their religion , whereupon in all cities , and especially at cordova , as the metropolis , there were priests , nuns and monks , publickly in their habits . they had also their churches and monasteries , and the people were called to divine service by ringing of bells , as formerly , without receiving the least affront or molestation . all the restraint laid upon them , was , that they should not offer to revile mahomet , nor enter into the mosques . by degrees the moors began to lay new taxes upon the christians , to revile them , and by all means find out ways to extirpate their name . this made the christians uneasie , so that first they complained , then fell to railing , and inveighing against the moors , and their superstition . hereupon , king abderhaman , many christians siding with him in condemning their brethren , as was done by a synod of bishops that met at cordova , put to death , during the space of years , great numbers of christians , who are reckoned as martyrs , for that their greatest crime , was the profession of the true faith , and their perseverance in the same . in the year . dy'd king abderhaman . the christians said , it was a just judgment of god for the blood he had spilt , and it was the more likely , because he fell down , and dy'd suddenly , without speaking one word , as he stood looking upon the bodies of the martyrs that hung rotting on gibbets . this hap'ned the beginning of the d year of his reign . he left sons , and daughters . in his time the streets of cordova were paved , and water brought to the city from the mountains in leaden pipes . by him it was first established as law , that the sons should inherit , without any regard of the other kindred , which was not till then , punctually observed . in pursuance of this law , his son mahomet succeeded him , and reign'd years and an half . in the first year of his reign , he banished all the christians from court , and not so satisfied , the second year raged against their lives , which he continued to the end of the years above-mentioned . after the solemnity of the interment of d. ramiro the late king , his son d. ordon̄o entered upon the government . he was mild , affable and modest , which gain'd him the affections of all men ; but being very zealous for justice , some ill-designing men made of this vertue , a bait to draw him into some miscarriages . four slaves belonging to the church of compostella , accused their bishop athaulphus , of a grievous sin ; the history of compostella says , it was sodomy . being sent for to court to answer for himself , he first said mass , and went to the king in his pontifical robes . at which instead of being appeased , the king was so incensed , that he caused a wild bull , anger'd by the dogs , to be let lose at him . the bishop making the sign of the cross , the bull came tamely , and suffered him to lay hold of his horns , which dropt off into his hands . at this sight , the king and nobles were so astonished , that they fell down at his feet , begging pardon for the wrong they had done him , which he most readily granted . some write , he excommunicated his accusers , and retired to asturias , where he led a most holy life , having resigned his bishoprick . the horns hung for many years on the roof of the church of oviedo , as a memorial of this miracle . this f. mariana says , was at the beginning of the reign of king ordonno . others will have it to have hap'ned above years after , in the time of king bermudo ii. it is hard to decide which is in the right , as to point of time ; for since they vary in that point , it is no good authority to oblige us to believe there ever was any such passage . in the second year of this king's reign , one muza , of the blood of the goths , but by profession a moor , well skilled in warlike affairs , stirred up against himself the arms of both christians and infidels , for he openly rebelled against the king of cordova , and with incredible celerity possessed himself of toledo , zaragoça , huesca , valencia , and tudela . then he over-ran the frontiers of france , where he took two generals that offered to oppose him . this struck such a terror in that country , that the king of france , charles the bald , thought fit to gain his friendship with presents . proud with success , he turns his force against king ordon̄o , with whom , and the king of cordova , he called himself the third king of spain . breaking into the territory of rioja , he took alvelda , and fortify'd it . king alonso's chronicle says , he built and called it albayda . d. ordon̄o gathering his forces , left a part before that town , and with the rest marched towards the enemy , who , he was informed , lay upon mount latursus . at the first sight the two armies encountred , casting their darts and javelins , and that done , fell to their swords . the christians fought resolutely for their country and religion , and tho' the battle was obstinately maintained , they remained victorious , killing of the enemies , among them many of note , and particularly , one garcia , son-in-law to the tyrant . muza escaped with difficulty , being much wounded , whereof , i suppose , he afterwards dy'd . all the camp of the moors , with a rich booty , fell into the hands of the christians . at the same time , mahomet , king of cordova , was making preparations against the common enemy , and resolved first to attack toledo , as being the first that had revolted , and might be a means to reduce the rest . lupus , the son of muza , held that city for his father , and understanding the defeat of his army , to prevent farther mischief , entred into a league with king ordono , to the end to be supported by his forces . the king sent him a number of soldiers of navarre and asturias , under the command of his brother d. garçia . mahomet not relying on open force , had recourse to stratagem . he lay encamp'd near the city , and therefore lays an ambush at guadacelete , a brook near villaminaya . this done , he in person , with a small party , came up to view the city . the besieged seeing that small number , rushed out as if they went to a certain booty , not to fight ; and so were easily drawn into the ambush , where being charged in front and rear , many of them were lost , the rest fought their way thro' to the town . moors , and christians were slain in that action . only the natural strength of the place sav'd it from falling into the hands of the victors , after such a loss . for two years after , the enemy wasted the country about toledo , and burnt all the corn upon the ground . the townsmen desirous of revenge , marched as far as talavera , but were worsted by the commander there , and drove back with loss . at length , tired with so many sufferings , they submitted to mahomet , in the year of our lord . this same year , the normans with a fleet of sail , ran round the whole coast of spain , doing much harm ; but particularly , the islands of majorca and minorca , they destroy'd with fire and sword , in hatred of the moors , for they were better affected towards christians , by being continually among them , tho' they were heathens themselves . thence they sailed over into africk , and did no less harm there . in spain , mahomet made an incursion into navarre , towards pamplona , and that part of biscay called alava , but nothing was done worth relating . merida in estremadura , rebelled against the king of cordova , for which fault , by his order , it was dismantled . in the mean while , king ordon̄o enjoying peace , without sparing any cost or trouble , rebuilt several cities , ruined and destroyed by the wars , such were tuy , astorga , leon and ainaya . the moors after the late civil wars , were divided into factions , whereupon , many governours of towns presumed to revolt , and stile themselves kings ; which was of great advantage to the christians , who could not so well have dealt with the power of the infidels , if united . reith had possessed himself of coria , mozara of talamanca , or as others say , salamanca , both of them were vanquished by king ordon̄o , their cities taken , the garrisons put to the sword , and all the inhabitants sold for slaves . this great success was check'd by the king's death , which happened in the th year of his reign ; some authors add years to this number . he dy'd at oviedo , of the gout , and was bury'd in st. mary's church , then the burial place for the kings . this king was successful in all his undertakings , except the loss of his men at toledo . by his queen munia , a person of high birth , he left d. alonso , the eldest son , d. bermudo , d. nun̄o , d. odoario , and d. fruela . some write , his death was on the th of may , there is no doubt it was in the year . as appears by the inscription of a beautiful cross , which his son d. alonso , presented to the church of oviedo , the words of it , are these . may this gift be acceptable to the honour of god. given by the prince alonso , servant of christ , and his wife ximena . may any that presumes to take away these our gifts , perish by god's lightning . by this sign the religious is defended , by this sign the enemy is overcome . this work was finished , and delivered to s. saviour , the cathedral of oviedo . it was made in the castle of guazon , in the th year of our reign , and of the aera of augustus , . thus it appears , the year . was the th after the death of king ordon̄o . the same d. alonso being at compostella , confirmed a grant made by his father , by a new one , which extends the territory of santiago to miles about , whereas before it was but three . let us go on to his other actions . chap. viii . the reign of king alonso the great . he is expell'd and restor'd . his brothers conspire against him , and are punish'd . the church of st. james the apostle , made an archbishoprick . mahomet the moorish king dies . d. alonso who for his excellent natural parts , and the many victories he obtained over his enemies , was called the great , immediately upon the news of his father's death , for he was then absent , repaired to oviedo to perform the funeral rites , and take possession of the kingdom . for good inclinations , he was inferior to none of his predecessors ; of body tall , his countenance pleasing , very affable , merciful , valourous and meek . in warlike exploits , he was singular , and very liberal to the poor , spending upon them not only what his father left him , but what he got himself . he was zealous of religion , and beautified churches , but particularly , that of st. james the apostle , which had only mud walls , he built from the ground of free-stone , with marble pillars , a thing in those days wonderful , as well for the want of curious workmen , as of money . he reign'd years , according to sampyrus asturicensis . the beginning of his reign was somewhat troublesome , for d. fruela , son to king bermudo , usurped the title of king in galicia . d. alonso being as yet wholly unprovided to withstand him , thought fit to retire to that part of biscay , called alava ; but the usurper making use of the power he had to oppress the people , was killed by the citizens of oviedo . hereupon , d. alonso returns to asturias , is received with the good liking of all the people , settles his affairs , and punishes the guilty . that part of biscay , called alava , was subject to the kings of oviedo , the rest to zenon , the chief of the family of eudo , late duke of aquitain . eylon , a kinsman of zenon , governed alava for the king. he relying upon the confusion of the times , or the assistance of zenon , revolted against his master , who came in person from leon , to appease those commotions , which he did without bloodshed , took eylon , and kept him prisoner at oviedo as long as he lived . not long after , he overthrew , and took zenon also , and put him into the same prison . this zenon , is said to have left two daughters , one called toda , was wife to yn̄igo arista , king of navarre , the other married zuria , who was afterwards lord of biscay , from whom , some will have it , the following lords of that country descended till it was incorporate in the crown of castile . the punishment of these two , was an example to terrifie others from attempting the like . after this , alava was given to a nobleman , called count vigila , or vela . the lordship of castile was in the possession of the count d. james porcellos ; all this was in the first year of the reign of d. alonso . the following year began more hot , for imundarus and alcama , moorish generals , sate down before leon , but the king obliged them to raise the siege , with great slaughter of their men. to strengthen himself the more against the infidels , he made a league with the french and navarrois , and the more to bind this alliance , married a lady of the blood royal of france , called then , amelina , afterwards da. ximena . by her he had d. garçia , d. ordon̄o , and d. fruela , all three successively kings , and d. gonçalo , archdeacon of oviedo . the broils among the moors offered the christians a fair opportunity of carrying on some enterprize . the people of toledo provoked by the cruelty of the kings of cordova , and relying on the strength of their city , rebelled , and chose mahomet avenlope for their king ; but were soon subdued , and avenlope , with his brothers , fled to the protection of king alonso , who received and entertained them favourably , believing they might be useful to him in his wars against the moors . soon after , taking these along , and aided by french , navarrois and biscainers , he entred the country of the moors , plundering and destroying all he met , and without doing any thing more considerable , dismissed his army , rich with the booty they had taken . in the following year , which was the people of toledo , as is supposed , to oblige their king , made an inroad into the lands of the christians , as far as the river duero ; but the king unexpectedly coming upon them , near a town called pulviraria , upon the river vrbicus , now orbigo , killed of them , and soon after , destroyed an army that followed the others from cordova , in such manner , that only of them were found alive among the dead . almudar , son of the king of cordova , followed with the main body of the moorish forces , but understanding the great slaughter of his people , durst not advance to sublancia , where the king was , and therefore marched back again by night . a treaty was now set on foot , by means of abubalit , who had been taken in galicia , and was well affected towards the christians , the conclusion was a truce for three years . this time being expired , the king broke into the country of the moors , and passing the river tagus , advanced as far as merida , and thence returned loaden with spoils , having met no opposition . bernard del carpio , is said to have had a great share in all these actions , and that as a reward of his services , he begged his father's liberty , which the king refusing , he rose in rebellion , and built the castle of carpio , from which , he took name . besides , the moors at his instigation , infested the lands of the christians . after this , he delivered up his castle upon condition his father should be released ; but the king not performing , he fled to france and navarre , and there dy'd in banishment . all these transactions have no good authority to back them , and have much of romance in them , therefore it is better be succinct in relations of that nature . d. fruela the king's brother , on what account , is not known , conspired to kill him , but being discovered , was condemned to lose both his eyes , and live in perpetual imprisonment , the same punishment was inflicted on d. nun̄o , d. bermudo , and d. odoario , all his brothers , for conspiring with d. fruela . this punishment being thought too cruel , caused some new broils . for d. bermudo escaping out of prison , took astorga , and fortified it , then coming to a battle with the king , was overthrown , and fled to the moors . this moved the king to make the greater havock on the lands of the infidels , particularly , he so harrassed the country of toledo , that some years after , they were forced with great sums of money to purchase a truce for three years , to the great honour of the christians , and disgrace of the moors . about this time dy'd athaulfus bishop of compostella and sisenandus , a person of great piety and learning , succeeded him . in his time the church of st. james was made an archiepiscopal see ; and the said church then newly finish'd , consecrated by certain bishops that held a synod there . it was not lawful , without the consent of the pope , to call a council of bishops , therefore severus and desiderius , were sent embassadors to rome , and obtain'd the consent of pope john the eighth , and his bull , constituting the church of oviedo a metropolitan see. together with the kings embassadors the pope sent one called reginald . there met at compostella bishops , who consecrated the church of st. james the apostle with great solemnity , on the th of may in the year . eleven months after this the same bishops , by the king's command , met at oviedo , and decreed in pursuance of the pope's order , that that see for the future should be archiepiscopal , and ermenegildus was chosen for that dignity . for some years the moors were quiet , and nothing hapned worthy of memory . only in the year . there were earthquakes throughout all spain , which destroy'd many buildings . king mahomet being at his devotions , a flash of lightning kill'd two that stood next to him in the mosque , to the great terror of the rest . the year following abdalla the son of lope , forgetting the favours he had receiv'd from the king of leon , and envying his uncles , in whom the said king repos'd so much confidence , that he entrusted them to breed his son d. ordon̄o , was reconcil'd to the king of cordova , and gathering forces broke into the lands of the christians , doing great harm , till king alonso met , and worsted him at cillorico ; then drove him from pancorvo , whence passing by leon , and through portugal , he return'd to cordova . next winter abdalla overthrew the two zimaels , his brother and uncle , and sent them in fetters to the castle of recaria . this action brought upon him the forces of both the kings , as well of the christians as moors , though at the same he endeavour'd to excuse himself to both . d. vela , and d. james , the two earls of biscay and castile , also entred into a league against him , as the common enemy . almudar , son to the king of cordova , and abuhalit were sent to besiege zaragoça , but to no effect , by reason it was strong , and well provided with necessaries . in their return they made an inroad into the territories of biscay and castile ; but were by the earls drove out again . king alonso waited for them at sublancia , which they understanding return'd home , only destroying by the way the famous monastery of sabagun . nevertheless , abuhalit sent underhand to treat of peace , and dulcidius was sent by the king on the same score to cordova , about the end of the year . in the mean while a great fleet of moors was gather'd at sevil , to destroy the coast of galicia , the greatest part whereof perish'd by storms . a truce was concluded with the moors by dulcidius for six years . presently after follow'd the death of mahomet in the year . he left sons , and daughters . chap. ix . the death of king alonso the great . the reigns of d. garcia , and d. ordonno , the second of oviedo , and of almundar , abdalla , and abderhaman of cordova . a lmundar , the son of mahomet , succeeded his father . he was generous and mild , and therefore at his accession to the crown , abolish'd an imposition of the tenths , the people of cordova used to pay . they forgetting his favour mutiny'd , and he being about to suppress them , dy'd before he had reign'd full two years , leaving behind him six sons , and seven daughters . nevertheless abdalla his brother was chosen king by the souldiers in the year , and reign'd years . the beginning of his reign was full of trouble , by reason that homar , a turbulent moor , revolted , and drew to his party lisbon , astapa , sevil , and other towns. yet this was soon over , for homar , of his own accord , submitted , and was reconcil'd to the king. this ease in obtaining pardon encourag'd him to rebel again , and the moors being divided into factions , betwixt the families of the humeyas and alavecins , there never wanted some to side with any turbulent spirit . abdalla pursu'd homar so close he was forc'd to fly to the christians , and there receiv'd baptism ; tho' not with a good intention as afterwards appear'd . the biscainers , under the conduct of zuria , thought to be of the blood royal of scotland , and son-in-law of zenore , before-mention'd , revolted from king alonso . d. ordon̄o , sent by his father to reduce them , was overcome in battle , whereupon zuria was declar'd lord of biscay . this battle was fought hear a place then call'd padura , but afterwards ariogorriaga , which in the language of biscay signifies bloody stone . the natural strength of that country hindred the king from taking revenge , besides his great age , which made him now study to govern in peace ; building churches , forts and cities , for the safety and conveniency of his subjects . at the beginning of his reign he rebuilt sublancia and cea , near leon , and the castle guazon , on the sea coast , betwixt oviedo and gijon . afterwards the cities porto , viseo , chaves , oca , and zamora : to his son d. garcia he recommended the building of toro . he took from the moors coimbra , simancas , duen̄as , and all the territory of campos . besides , he rebuilt the monastery of sahagun , destroy'd by the moors , one of the greatest in all spain . his revenues were too small for these mighty expences , he was therefore obliged to raise new taxes , at which the subjects being disgusted , the queen persuaded her son , d. garcia , to lay hold of that opportunity , and rebel against his father . d. alonso , tho' old and decay'd , presently repaired to zamora , took his son , and caused him to be confined in the castle guazon . this did not put an end to the troubles , for nun̄o hernandez , earl of castile , a powerful man , and father-in-law to d. garcia , made war upon the king , which lasted two years , at the end of which , the rebels prevailed , and the king weary of trouble , and coveting repose , resigned the crown to his son d. garcia , and to his other son d. ordon̄o , gave the lordship of galicia , in the year . the following year , d. alonso , after going in pilgrimage to santiago , and making an incursion into the country of the moors , with the consent of his son , dy'd at zamora . his body , and that of his queen , were first buried at astorga , and thence translated to oviedo . at the same time dy'd at cordova , abdalla , king of the moors , aged years , leaving sons and daughters . abderhaman , the grandson of abdalla , and son of mahomet , succeeded his grandfather ; a thing not usual , for the grandson to be preferred before the sons of the deceased . at his accession to the crown he was years of age , and enjoy'd it years . to his name was added the title of almanzor ledin alla , that is , defender of the law of god ; as also that of miramamolin , or prince of those that believe . abderhaman may be counted among the greatest of the moorish kings . he spent all his life in reconciling the differences betwixt his people , adminstred justice impartially , built a castle near cordova , took ceuta in africk , and beautified many cities of his kingdom . power ill gotten , for the most part is not lasting . so d. garcia enjoyed the kingdom , he took by force from his father only three years . during that time , he made war upon the moors , wasted their country , plundred their towns , overthrew and took prisoner ayola , a noble moor , that offered to oppose him , yet through the neglect of his keeper , he made his escape , near to a town called tremulo . the king dy'd at zamora , in the year . he left no children , whereupon d. ordon̄o his brother succeeded him , and had been reckoned a good prince , had he not imbrued his hands in the blood of the earls of castile . his reign lasted years and a half . at first to gain reputation and humble the moors , he broke into the kingdom of toledo , and laid siege to talavera , a pleasant and strong city . an army was sent by the king of cordova , to relieve the place , but it was defeated , the town taken , plundred and burnt , because it could not be maintained , being encompassed on all sides with garrisons of the moors . the governour and many more were taken , and the christian army returned home victorious , and loaded with spoils . the king of cordova fearing this beginning might be an introduction to worse consequences , sent to desire assistance of the king of mauritania , who sent him a considerable body of men , under the command of his general almotaraf . to these was joyned the army of the moors in spain , commanded by avolalpaz , and thus they overran the lands of the christians , as far as the river duero . here the king met and gave them battle , near to the town of santistevan de gormaz , which was very bloody , and for a long time the event seemed dubious , till the two moorish generals , and a great number of their men being killed , the rest fled . that the advantage of this victory might be the greater , they wasted all the country of lusitania , as far as guadiana , but above all the territories of merida and badajoz suffered . this struck such a terror into those people , that they bought a peace . it happened in the fifth year of d. ordon̄o , which was of christ . after these great exploits , the king returning was received in manner of triumph into the city leon , which he designed for the seat of the kings , and therefore enlarged and beautified it , removing the cathedral , which before was without the walls , to his own palace , formerly built with much magnificence by the moors for baths . to add to the honour of the new church , he caused himself to be crowned in it by the bishop , a thing not used before , and thus those kings before called of oviedo , came afterwards to be called of leon. from henceforward the city oviedo fell so much to decay , that it not only lost the title of an archbishoprick , but in our days it has no vote in the states general or parliament . mean while abderhaman almanzor king of cordova , meditating revenge for the losses sustained , through lusitania broke into galicia , and came as far as a town called rondonia , sampyrus names it mindonia . there the armies of christians and moors met , and fought resolutely with great loss on both sides , till night parted them , without any visible advantage on either side , tho' both boasted of the victory , our side as having drove the infidels out of galicia , they , for that they had sustained the fight till day , left them . not long after the king of cordova , having received supplies from africk , wasted the lands of navarre and biscay . the king of leon , marched to the assistance of d. sancho abarca king of navarre . they came to a battle in the valley juncaria , now junquera , in the year . it was disperately fought on both sides , yet the moors got the day , for the count of aragon was killed , two bishops dulcidius of salamanca , and hormogius of tuy taken prisoners , and that part of biscay called alava , was possess'd by the moors . the ransom of the bishops being agreed upon , they were set at liberty , giving hostages for the payment . pelayus a beautiful youth , and nephew to hermogius was left for him . his beauty and modesty were equal , for the barbarous king lusting after him , used all possible means to bring him to consent to his beastly appetite , first by kindness , and then by force , at which the youth being provoked , struck him on the face . lust turning into rage upon this disappointment , the youth was torn to pieces , and cast into the river guadalquivir , in the year . in the reign of d. ordon̄o came to spain , a priest called zanelus , sent by pope john the th as his nuncio ( some say he was a cardinal ) to enquire into matters of religion , and particularly the ceremonies of the mass , the romans being persuaded that the divine office , according to the gothish form , was erroneous and that false doctrines were taught . zanelus found all things conformable to the truth , only some small difference in the ceremony , not the essential part of the mass , which he reported to the pope in a great congregation of prelates , who all gave thanks to almighty god. to return to the king , the fortune of war , seemed wholly changed after the battle of junquera . nevertheless the two kings of leon and navarre , made an incursion into the country of the moors , and wasted the territory of rioja , after which d. ordon̄o returned to zamora . in the midst of this joy dy'd the queen munina elvira , a lady of great worth , and left these sons , d. sancho , d. alonso , d. ramiro , and d. gracia , and one daughter da. ximena . after her death , the king marryed the lady angonta , a woman of high birth in galicia , and in a little time put her away wrongfully , as appeared afterwards . instead of her , he took santiva daughter of d. garci in̄iguez , king of navarre , with the consent of king sancho her brother . the two kings joyning their forces , broke into rioja again , where they took najara , and another town called vicaria . thus far there was more to praise in king ordon̄o , than to discommend , the untimely death he brought the earls of castile to , darkened all his glory . but before we enter upon the relation of that affair , i will give a short account of the rise and increase of some of the chief sovereignties of spain . the history of spain . the eighth book . chap. i. the original of the kingdoms of navarre , and aragon , and of the earls of barcelona , with their succession and actions , down to the time of king ordonno the second of leon. after that memorable disaster brought so fatal to spain , which the greatest part of it under the subjection of the moors , out of the ruins of the gothish empire were raised several sovereignties , at first small and inconsiderable , yet such as in time recovered the liberty of the country , and re-established the common-wealth . to treat of them all would be endless , yet it is necessary to give an account of the original of the chief , whose affairs are often intermixed with those of the kings of leon , such are the principalities of navarre , aragon , barcelona , and castile . part of the spaniards that escaped the general ruin of their country , retired to asturias , whence the kingdom of leon , hitherto spoken of , had its beginning . another parcel shut themselves up in the pyrenean mountains , along the borders of biscay and navarre , about those parts now called sobrarve , vrgel , and cerdania . these not content with preserving their own liberty , attempted to relieve the rest of spain . the motive that induced them at first to attempt so great an action , was but small . a certain religious hermit , called john , on mount vruela , built a small chappel of the invocation of st. john the baptist . the fame of his sanctity brought him four companions , and many came dayly to visit him . he dying , all the inhabitans far and near came to his funeral , in great numbers , and among them of the chief of the people . the solitariness of the place , gave them opportunity to consult how to shake off the yoke of the moors , the natural strength of the country encouraged them , and they doubted not of assistance from france , besides , the example of the asturians egged them on . after a long consultation it was resolved to choose a head , and by consent of all , the choice fell upon garci ximenez , a man of a noble spanish family , lord of amescua and aberfusa . his wife was d. iniga , of no less noble descent . authors do not agree about the title given the new king , or time of his election , his arms were only a red shield without any bearing , he took some towns from the moors , and among them infa the capital of sobrarve . the hermits chappel enlarged , became a royal structure , and the burial place of kings . this king dyed in the year . his son garci iniguez succeeded him , a prince very fortunate , for by him navarre , that lay in dispute betwixt the french and moors was subdued , and left in perpetual possession to his heirs , and he carryed his victorious arms , as far as that part of biscay called alava . in this king's time , were erected the earldoms of aragon and barcelona . that of aragon thus . aznar , son of eudo the great , coming to that part of the country , through which run the rivers aragon , or arga , and subordan , and having gained some towns from the moors , by consent of king gracia called himself earl of aragon , and was then subject to the kings of navarre , afterwards independent , as shall appear in its place . this first earls son was also called aznar , his grandson galindo , of whom there is nothing memorable . after galindo succeeded ximeno aznar . ludovicus pius , during the life of his father charlemaigne , took bercelond , and left one bernard a frenchman to govern there , in the year . whence sprang the earls of barcelona . in the following year dyed garci iniguez king of navarre . his successor was his son fortun garcia , of whose exploits the historians of navarre , relate things incredible . it is not doubted , he was in the famous battle of roncesvalles , before spoken of , in which ximeno aznar earl of aragon was slain , whose sister teuda was married to king fortun. ximeno aznar's successor , was his unkle ximeno garcia , or garces . king fortun dyed in the year . sancho garcia his son succeeded him . by this king the people of valderroncal were exempted from all taxes , for their good service against the moors , as appears by his grant still extant , bernard , earl of barcelona , being accused of treason , for having to do with the empress , wife to ludovicus pius , for shame of this slander , returned to spain , where he had many friends , and dy'd in the year . after his death , ludovicus pius bestowed that earldom on wifridus , for it was not hereditary , but the free gift of the emperor , during pleasure . garcia aznar , son of ximeno aznar , was now earl of arragon . at the same time , d. sancho garcia infested the people of navarre beyond the pyrenean hills , that were subject to the french , and never desisted till they swore to maintain perpetual amity , with the kings of sobrarve . this king is said to have been slain in the war against that muza , who , as was said , rebelled against the king of cordova , that is about the year . next to this king , a certain author , names ximeno garcia , no other history makes mention of him ; but here the royal line expired , whereupon , there ensued an interregnum for four years . during which time , the historians of navarre say , they consulted the pope , the french , and the lombards , by whose advice , they took the best of the laws of those nations , ( called the charter of sobrarve ) towards preserving their liberty . all their aim was to tye up the king's hands , and to this effect , they instituted a magistrate in the nature of the roman tribunes , commonly called the justice of arragon . many of these privileges , and others , granted by k. alonso iii. were repealed by the states-general , or parliament , in the reign of d. peter , the last of aragon . all things being thus setled , in̄igo sanchez , earl of bigorre in aquitain , for his swiftness sirnamed , arista , was chosen king , by the vote of nobles , and having sworn in the church of s. victorianus of pamplona to maintain the laws , the power of government was put into his hands . all these , and many other , the like relations , are by many esteemed fabulous , and they believe that king arista succeeded his father in the throne . certain it is , that in̄igo arista about this time , reign'd near the pyrenean mountains , and was married to d. in̄iga , daughter to the earl gonzalo , of the blood royal of oviedo . he also married teuda , the daughter of zenon , lord of biscay , and had only one son , ( not known by which of the two ) called garci iniguez , who inherited the kingdom . the monastery of s. salvador de leite , seated among the pyrenean mountains , and remarkable for the beauty of its structure , and greatness of revenue , is supposed to have been founded by king arista . this prince extended the bounds of his kingdom , adding to what he had before , the plains of navarre ; whereas the former kings had contented themselves to live within the mountains . pamplona and alava , fallen again into the hands of the moors , were by him recovered ; whereupon , he stiled himself king of pamplona , as appears by grants of those kings . at the same time , wifredus the son of the other wifredus , obtained of the emperor charles the gross , the earldom of barcelona hereditary , only reserving the right of appeals to be made to the emperor ; this was in the year . afterwards , on account of wifredus's tender age , by order of the emperor lewis ii. solomon , count of cerdania , governed that principality the space of years , wifredus , among other sons , left myrus earl of barcelona , and seniofredus earl of vrgel , after their father's decease . near the same time dy'd garcia aznar , earl of aragon , and his son ximeno garcia succeeded him . it is not to be found in what year king arista dy'd , the most probable opinion is , it was about the year . garci ximenes , his son , succeeded him at the age of , but was not inferior , either for warlike exploits , or civil government to any of his predecessors . for being come to riper years , he gained much reputation by many victories he obtained , too tedious to be here inserted . his wife's name was da. vrraça , sister to fortun ximenez , earl of aragon , or as some will have it , his kinswoman , grandchild of galindo , and daughter of endregotus , from whom , his uncle ximeno garcia usurped the earldom of aragon . this king had two sons , fortun and sancho abarca , and a daughter called sanctiva , married to d. ordon̄o , king of leon , when he was old , and had had two wives , as has been said before . he was killed by the moors , in a battle he fought with them in the valley of ayuar , the archbishop d. roderick calls it larumbe , for he often made inroads into the country of the moors , being desirous to enlarge his kingdom , and extirpate all the race of the moors in spain . his death was in the year . as appears by the chronicon alveldense . his two sons succeeded him , first fortun , and then sancho , in whose time , as is before related , the christians lost the great battle of junquera the monastery of s. salvador de leite , pretends the body of king garci iniguez lies there , that of s. john de la pen̄a contradicts it ; because there is to be seen there , among the tombs of the kings one with the name of king garci iniguez upon it . these disputes are not to be decided , but i suppose , the reason of them is , that many tombs were erected to the memory of kings in several places , by those that had received favours from them , tho' they had not their bodies , as is used even in our times . thus , much at present of the original of the kingdom of navarre , and earldoms of arragon , and barcelona may suffice . chap. ii. of the earls of castile . the reign of d. fruela the second , king of leon. fictions concerning the kings of navarre . the reign of their king d. sancho abarca . most part of that province , which we call old castile , the romans named the vacei , it is divided from leon by the rivers carrion , pisuerga , heva and regamon ; on the other side it borders on asturias , biscay and rioja , on the south , its bounds are the mountains of segovia and avila , which , about the same time we are speaking of , were the limits of the dominions of the moors and christians . the country is plentiful of corn and wine , but scarce of oil , and better watered than other parts of spain . in this province , tho' at first they did not possess it all , some powerful men began to defend themselves against the moors , and enlarge their territories . they took the stile of counts or earls , by consent of the kings of oviedo , whom they were obliged to assist in their wars , and to come , when called to their general-assemblies , or parliaments . in former times , as we have before more particularly related , counts or earls were only governours of provinces for a time , afterwards they were made so for life , and at last , the title became hereditary . yet even to this day , many dukes , marquesses and earls in spain , after the death of their fathers , do not take upon them the title till they have obtained the king's leave . it is not known for what term the first earls of castile enjoyed that honour : but it may be imagined , they had the same beginning as all others in christendom . the first of these counts , is d. roderick , who lived in the time of king alonso the chast . next to him , the best authors place d. james porcellos , his son , as the chronicon alveldense has it . this earl lived in the time of alonso the great , king of oviedo . he married his daughter sulla bella , to nun̄o belchides , a german , that came in pilgrimage to s. james . this gentleman being thus allied to d. james , together with him , built the city burgos , that the people , who before , lived dispersed in villages , might form one body of a city , and it took the name from burg , the german word for a town . besides d. james , there were at the same time other earls of castile , for the province was divided , as were ferdinand anzules almondar , and his son d. james . but the greatest of them all , was nun̄ez fernandez , who had for his son-in-law , d. garcia , brother to d. ordon̄o ii. king of leon , afterwards king himself . upon this account , and because he had forced king alonso the great to resign the kingdom , he was grown more insolent than d. ordon̄o cared to bear ; besides , many underhand , blew the coals they saw begin to take fire . the king thus incensed , sent for the earls to court , upon pretence of consulting with them about most important affairs . the place appointed for the meeting , was a town called regular , upon the mid-way , on the borders of castile and leon. the earls came without any guard , and were apprehended by the king's order , and sent prisoners to leon. soon after , they were also put to death , to the great grief of the people of castile , who had been concerned at their imprisonment . king ordon̄o was making all necessary preparations for war , as fearing the revolt of that province , when death took him off . he dy'd at zamora , in the year . and was buryed at leon , in the church of our blessed lady , which he had caused to be consecrated . his funeral was performed with great solemnity . nun̄o belchides , by his wife sulla bella , had two sons , nun̄o rasura , and gustio gonzalez . nun̄o rasura was grandfather to the earl fernan gonzalez , whom , our historians extol , and raise to the skies for his great exploits . the infants , or princes of lara , were grandsons to gustio . thus the blood of d. james porcellos mixed with the royal family , is derived to many noble houses , in spain and abroad , and its succession has not fail'd even to our days . d. fruela ii. succeeded his brother d. ordon̄o in the throne of leon , not by right , but force . such as the beginning was the end , and his power lasted not long ; for he reign'd only months . he was remarkable only for baseness and cruelty , and therefore was called the cruel . the sons of a nobleman , called osmundus , were by him put to death , and his brother fruminius , bishop of leon , banished ; for that he durst not lay violent hands upon him , being an ecclesiastical person . by his wife munia , he had d. alonso , d. ordon̄o and d. ramiro ; and out of wedlock , d. fruela , father of d. pelayus , called the deacon . to whom was afterwards marry'd da. aldonca , or alfonsa , grandchild to king bermudo , sirnamed the gouty . d. fruela was buryed in leon ; his fame and memory are stained , not so much for his dying of the leprosie , as for his cowardize , and the rebellion that in his time cut off castile from the crown of leon. the people there were offended at the death of the earls killed by d. ordon̄o's command , this disgust was heightned by forcing them to come to leon , to all law suits , and the parliament . they had no fair opportunity of revolting before , and therefore did it in the time of d. fruela . for their governors they chose two nobles , with only the title of judges . the first named , was nun̄o rasura , and lain calvo , men in great power at that time . lain was the youngest , and married to nun̄a bella , his colleague's daughter . to him for his valour , was given the charge of martial affairs . nun̄o rasura , being a person of known prudence and experience , was to take care of the civil government , and admistration of justice , which he commonly performed at burgos , and sometimes in other parts of the province . two leagues from medina de pomar , is a town called bijudico , and in it an ancient judgment seat , on which , the people there have a tradition these two judges used to sit and hear causes . they were governed by the ancient laws of castile , which continued till king alonso the wise abrogated them , and instituted those called las partidas . it is not known how long these two judges lived , or what acts they performed . from them descended very notable and brave men , for lain calvo was th grandfather to the famous cid ruy diaz . gonzalo nun̄o , was son to nun̄o rasura , and held the same employ with no less honour . his wife was da. ximena , daughter to the earl nun̄o fernandez , who was put to death among the other earls of castile , by kind ordon̄o . of her was born the earl fernan gonzalez , a person inferior to none of the ancient heroes , for virtue , valour and constancy ; we shall speak of him in its proper place . let us return to the kings . it is most certain , that the histories of navarre , are full of fables , and lies , insomuch that they look more like romances invented to divert idle persons , than true relations , and records of antiquity . this appears plainly throughout all ages , but particularly in this we now write of . they say that king garci in̄iguez , being slain in a battle by the moors , his wife da. vrraca , then great with child , was also killed , that d. sancho de guevara , passing by where she lay , saw the child put out its arm at one of the wounds , the mother had received , and therefore ripping her open , took out the infant , and bred him privately , till he came to age. that after an interregnum of years , this child was brought to the parliament , and being there made known , was proclaimed king. it is needless to show how incongruous and ridiculous the story is , the weakness of the fiction is too obvious . the records of the monastery of s. salvador de leyte , tell us , that fortun the elder brother of d. sancho , reigned for some time , and then being weary of the world , took the religious habit in that convent . this we are assured of , that d. sancho , by his wife teuda , had four sons , garci sanchez , ramiro , gonzalo , and ferdinand , and five daughters , vrraca , teresa , mary , sancha , and blanche . the last of these , some authors say , was marryed to d. nun̄o lord of biscay , but no lord of that name can be found to have been about that time . this prince was fortunate , not only for the many children he had , but for his success in war. by his valour , all that had been lost in sobrarve and ribagorza , was recovered from the moors , and not content with that , he added biscay to his dominions , and all the country along the river duero , till the fountains thereof , and the mountain doca , and as far as tudela and huesca . nay , that he came as far as zaragoça , appears by a castle seated near that city called of sancho abarca . besides he passed the pyrenean mountains , and subdued that of part navarre lying on the other side those hills . whilst he was busie in this war , the moors thinking he could not pass the mounts in winter , laid siege to pamplona . d. sancho having notice of it , furnished all his army with buskins , to endure the cold , and this is the true reason he was called abarca , signifying a buskin . it was easie for him that had conquered nature , to overcome his enemies , they were forced to raise their siege . much mention is made in these wars , of one centullo , an officer of great courage and conduct . d. sancho by these actions had gained immortal glory , but he cast a blemish upon it , by making war against castile , which besides , the disgrace turned to his loss , as will appear hereafter . chap. iii. the reigns of alonso the fourth , and ramiro the second , kings of leon. sancho abarca king of navarre slain by ferman goncalez earl of castile . several defeats of the moors . a great eclypse . d. alonso the fourth , called the monk , by the death of d. fruela , recovered the kingdom , which had been wrongfully taken from him , in the year . john archbishop of toledo dying , the moors would not suffer any to be chosen in his place , therefore the clergy to prevent all disputes , gave the supreme authority to the curate of st. justa , and obeyed him as bishop , which custom was observ'd till toledo was regained by the christians . at this same time the fame of fernan gonzalez earl of castile , spread through all spain . whether he had the title of earl from the king of leon , or took it by consent of the people is not known . the virtues that made him famous , were justice , meekness , zeal of religion , and his great experience in warlike affairs . by which means , he not only defended his own territories , but reduced those of the kingdom of leon , to the farther side of the river pisuerga . from the moors he took several towns , and curbed the insolency of the navarrois killing their king d. sancho abarca . the people of navarre did much harm on the frontiers of castile , and not content with that , affronted the embassadors , sent to demand satisfaction , so the matter came to be decided by arms. the earl broke into the country of navarre , driving all before him , the enemies army met him near a town called gollanda . great was the slaughter on both sides , before it could be decided who had the better , till in the heat of the action , the generals challenged one another . they met so violently with their lances , that both fell off their horses , the king mortally wounded , the earl hurt , but not dangerously . this put such life into the soldiers of castile , that giving a fresh charge , they soon became masters of the field . at this time the count of toulouse , came in with fresh supplies to assist the navarrois , who thereupon renewed the fight , but with the same success ; for the two earls meeting , he of toulouse was killed , and the navarrois totally defeated . the bodies of the king and earl were carryed home , and honourably buryed . there is a dispute betwixt the monasteries of s. salvador de leyte , and s. john de la pen̄a , both pretending they have the kings body . he dyed about the beginning of the reign of alonso the great , in the year of our lord and the of his reign . his son garci sanchez succeeded him , and took the name of king of pamplona and najara . he reigned forty years , his wife's name was da. teresa . thus much of navarre . d. alonso king of leon , was more like his predecessor , d. fruela , than to his own father . we have no account of any vertue he was endued with , or any action he perform'd , or victory he gain'd . for this cause he became so odious to his people , that in the year , having reigned six and a half , he sent for his brother d. ramiro , and resigned the scepter to him , resolving to retire , and become a monk. he took the habit in the monastery of sahagun , upon the river cea , without any regard to his reputation , or provision made for his son d. ordon̄o , got upon his wife da. vrraca ximenez , daughter to d. sancho abarca , king of navarre , whom he left in his infancy exposed to all misfortunes . da. teresa , sister to queen vrraca , was married to the new king d. ramiro , by her he had d. bermudo , d. ordon̄o , d. sancho and da. elvira . d. ramiro being seated on the throne , soon apply'd himself to renew the war upon the moors ; but the inconstancy of d. alonso put a stop to his good designs ; for the same inconstancy that led him to take up that course of life , made him quit it , and call himself king again . d. ramiro to prevent the ill consequences that might follow , immediately repaired to leon , where his brother then was , and obliged him , pressed with famine , and want of all necessaries to surrender , and kept him prisoner in that city . the sons of d. fruela were in arms at that time in asturias , which obliged d. ramiro to repair thither . d. fruela's sons pretended to be offended because they had not been called to parliament when d. alonso resigned the crown ; the people revolted because he had done so , and chose those sons of d. fruela to head them . yet understanding their danger , they sent to offer all submission , provided , he would come without an army , which he looking upon as an insolence that they should prescribe rules to their sovereign , entred with a powerful army , and vanquished his enemies . the multitude was pardoned , only the heads punished . d. fruela's sons , as soon as taken , had their eyes put out , the same was done to d. alonso the king's brother . not far from the city leon , is the monastery of st. julian , there they were all kept as long as they liv'd , and bury'd when dead , as was da. vrraca , the wife of d. alonso . these troubles being thus over , the king bent his force against the moors , and entring the kingdom of toledo , took the great town of madrid , plundred and burnt , and then threw down the walls . at the same time , the moors desirous of revenge , breke into the country of the christians , and first entred into castile . the earl being weakned by the late war of navarre , sent a submissive embassy to d. ramiro , begging his assistance , and excusing himself for what was past . it was easie to appease the king in that time of danger , therefore he marched and joyned the earl. near osma they came to a battle , many of the moors were kill'd , the rest put to flight ; and the christian army returned home loaded with precious spoils . from this time , some are of opinion , the earls of castile became again feudataries to the kings of leon ; for it is thought d. ramiro would not have pardoned past injuries upon other terms . d. ramiro ardently desiring to extirpate the moors , marched towards zaragoça . abenbaya held that city of abderhaman , king of cordova . with the king went the earl fernan gonzalez . the moor finding himself unable to oppose so great a power , submitted himself to the king , with a promise of tribute . no faith is observed by moors longer than they are forc'd , so this infidel , as soon as our army was departed , joyning with abderhaman , broke into the christian borders , and advanced as far as simancas . the king marched towards the enemy , and gave them battle , which was one of the bloodiest of those days , for moors were kill'd , others say . fernan gonzalez , who had not been in the fight , falling upon those that fled , made no less slaughter , as appears by an ancient grant in the monastery of st. millan de la cogulla , in the mountains of oca , in which all the neighbourhood are commanded to supply that monastery with all necessaries , as the earl had vowed when he went to this war. all the army was persuaded that two angels on white horses fought at the head of them , and obtained this victory . the chief alfaqui , who is like a bishop among the moors , was taken , and thus the province was deliver'd from the terror they had conceiv'd , on account of those mighty preparations . in the year . which was the same in which this battle was fought , on the th of july , there hap'ned so great an eclypse of the sun , that for the space of an hour the day was turned into perfect darkness . again on the th of october , the light of the sun became came yellow , a great opening appear'd in the sky , wonderful comets were seen towards the south , and all the fruits of the earth were blasted ; besides other tokens of god's wrath. these prodigies perplexed the people , but after the battle , it was supposed , they threatned the infidels . about this time dyed miron , earl of barcelona , leaving sons under age. seniofredus who succeeded him , oliva sirnamed cabreta , who was lord of basalu and cerdania , and miron , afterwards bishop , and earl of girona . by reason of the young princes infancy , the government was long in the hands of his unkle seniofredus , earl of vrgel , which was a step for his heirs to possess themselves of that principality . whilst this seniofredus governed , a synod of bishops was held at a town called fuentecubierta in the territory of narbonne . seniofredus , earl of barcelona , dying without issue , tho' marryed to mary , the daughter of king sancho abarca , borello , earl of vrgel , son to the other seniofredus , by force possessed himself of the principality of barcelona , for he could have no right to exclude oliva , brother to the deceased . king ramiro growing ancient , began to give his mind to peace , and apply himself to religious exercises , therefore with the spoils of the moors , he built a monastery for nuns at leon , of the invocation of s. saviour , where he caused his daughter da. elvira to take the habit. besides this , he built four other convents , and when he was busied about these affairs , civil broils obliged him again to unsheath the sword. fernan gonçalez , and james nunez , two men of note , rebelled , and finding themselves too weak , called the moors , and their general accipha to their aid . first they destroyed the territory of salamanca , upon the river tormes , then the country of aamya , and part of asturias were wasted . d. ramiro drove the moors out of all the country , took the promoters of this sedition , yet soon after set them at liberty , only upon taking the oath of allegiance over again , a great demonstration of the king's mercy . fernan gonzalez , earl of castile , by his wife da. vrraca , had a daughter of the same name , whom he marryed to d. ordon̄o , son to the king of leon. after this the king , tho' aged , being an enemy to idleness , made another incursion into the enemies country , as far as talavera in the kingdom of toledo , and overthrew an army of moors that came to oppose him , killing . and taking prisoners . this victory supported his reputation , which often decays as kings grow old. being returned home , he dismissed his army , loaded with the spoils of the enemy , and went himself in pilgrimage to oviedo , to visit the many bodies of saints , that were there , and give thanks to almighty god for so many blessings . at oviedo , which is an unhealthy place , he fell sick , yet returned to leon , and there resigned up the crown to his son. then having received the sacraments of penance , and the holy eucharist , at the hands of the bishops , and abbots there present , he dyed in the year of our lord . on the th day of january , and was buried in the monastery of s. saviour , which himself had built . this year was very remarkable , for the many towns that in it were either built or repaired , which were osma , roa , riaça , and clunia among the arebaci , now called corun̄a . fernan gonzalez , earl of castile , much about this time , also built sepulveda in a place naturally strong , and by his valour , the christian cause was not only kept from decaying , but was daily advanced , and increased in honour . chap. iv. the reigns of d. ordonno the third , d. sancho the gross , kings of leon , and of garci sanchez , king of navarre , and actions of fernan gonzalez , earl of castile . by the death of d. ramiro , his son d. ordon̄o inherited the crown of leon. he was a man of great courage , expert in warlike affairs , and had prudence to govern , but the shortness of his reign which last but years , and months , gave him not time to exercise his many virtues . at his first accession to the crown , d. sancho his brother stirred up d. garci sanchez his unkle king of navarre , and the earl fernan gonzalez against him . the forces of both those nations , at once entred the territories of leon , and the king being unprovided , and not yet secure of the affection of his subjects , resolved to fortify himself , and not come to a battle . his enemies reaping no benefit by this attempt , returned home to their own countries . but he to be revenged of the earl , for joyning with his brother and unkle , without any provocation given him , presently was divorced from da. vrraca the earls daughter , and marryed da. elvira , such was the practice of that age. by this wife he had d. bermudo , who in process of time , after many changes came to be king of leon. the tumults raised in galicia , for the love that people bore d. sancho , were soon appeased by the king , who to make the greater advantage of this success , entred that part of lusitania subject to the moors , plundering all the country as far as lisbon , whence he returned home . about the same time the earl of castile , took from the moors the castle of carranço . abderhaman king of cordova , tho' now very aged , gathered a mighty army to the number of fighting men , the command of them he gave to almanzor alhagib ( that is viceroy ) a general of great note , with orders furiously to over-run the lands of the christians . such extraordinary preparations startled the earl , he listed all that were of age to bear arms , and finding his army yet too small for so great a danger , held a council of war at mun̄on , to consult what was best to be done , opinions , as is usual in such cases varyed , some were for putting all to the hazard of battle , others for gathering up all provisions into places of strength , that so the first fury of the barbarians might be quelled before they came to blows . gonzalo diaz , a man of quality , without respect to honour , was for buying a truce of the moors . the earl knew well that many there spoke by the mouth of gunzalo diaz , but honour prevailed , therefore he gravely discoursed them upon the subject , extolling the valour of his people , advising to rely on the assistance of the almighty , and not to blemish their good name with the infamy of cowardice . all agreed to him , and having offer'd up their vows to god , moved towards the enemy , who lay incamped near lara . they came not immediately to a battle , and the earl the mean while going out a hunting , pursued a wild boor , up a difficult ascent to a little hermitage , where a holy man called pelagius , had a small chappel dedicated to st. peter . the earl moved to devotion spared the beast , and fell to his prayers , and pelagius coming , he stayed there all night . in the morning pelagius told him , he should be victorious , and that in token thereof a prodigy would happen before the fight . then the earl return'd to his people who were in care for him , and gave an account of what had befallen him . the souldiers took heart , and the army being drawn up , before they engag'd , a gentleman , by some call'd pero gonzalez de la puente de fitero , rode out before the rest , and the earth opening swallow'd him , so that he was never seen more . this terrify'd the army , but the earl told them it was the sign of victory , the hermit had spoken of , and since the earth was not able to bear them , much less would the enemy . at these words all reviv'd , the onset was given , and that vast multitude vanquish'd by a handful of christians . this victory re-establish'd the tottering affairs of the christians , and the souldiers return'd home loaded with spoils of their enemies . part of the booty was given to the holy man pelagius , and afterwards the earl built a monastery , dedicated to st. peter , upon the river arlançd , where were interr'd the bones of d. gonzalo , his father . in our days the cell of pelagius is shown on a rock , near that monastery . the moors nothing daunted at this loss , prepar'd again to fall upon castile , and on the other side king ordon̄o , after the incursion he made into portugal , desirous of revenge , resolv'd to make war upon the earl. a mighty danger threatned , but the king was easily appeas'd , by an embassy the earl sent , begging pardon for what was past , and that he would not prefer his private animosities before the publick good of the christians , when they were threatned with the extraordinary preparations made by the moors . therefore the king not only forgave , but sent him sufficient supplies to make head against the moors , who were advanc'd as far as santistevan de gormaz , ravaging the country . as soon as the two armies met the battle was given and well fought on both sides , but ours obtain'd the victory , with a mighty slaughter of the enemies . king ordono joyful for this success , provided to fall upon the moors again , when death prevented him at zamora in the year . his body was buried with great pomp and solemnity in the monastery of st. saviour at leon , where his father also had been interr'd . our historians do not mention where d. sancho the king's brother was during his brothers life , or whether ever they were reconcil'd ; but all agree , that after the kings death , he was by the unanimous consent of all men , proclaim'd king. he was call'd the gross , for his mighty bulk of body , unfit to endure fatigue ; yet he was good condition'd , show'd much constancy in adversity , and had a generous disposition . in the second year of his reign , which was of our lord , by reason of a mutiny in the army , not being well assur'd of the affections of his people , because many were inclinable to d. ordon̄o , son to d. alonso the monk , he left his kingdom , and fled for refuge to his uncle , the king of navarre . d. ordon̄o , easily stept into the throne , and the more to secure himself , married da. vrraca , that had been divorc'd from his cousin king ordon̄o , with the consent of the earl her father . this d. ordon̄o , was so perversly inclin'd , that he was call'd the wicked , and giving way to his base temper , became odious and contemptible to the people . d. sancho watch'd all opportunities , and mean while went to cordova , where it was reported there were very able physicians that could bring down his fat . abderhaman receiv'd him with courtesy , and being undertaken by the doctors , his bulk was reduc'd to a moderate size . to make his favours the more compleat , abderhaman gave him considerable supplies of men to recover his kingdom . at his first approach d. ordon̄o his adversary fled to asturias , and thence to his father-in-law the earl , who despising him for his cowardice , took away his wife . thence he put himself into the hands of the moors , among whom he liv'd poor and banish'd ; and at last dy'd in cordova . at the same time castile was divided with civil broils . d. vela , grandson to the other d. vela , who we said was lord of alava , had great power there , and in the adjoining part of castile ; and being a hot youth , took up arms against the earl fernan gonzalez . the earl lost no time , but put him and his allies to the rout , pursuing them so close they were forc'd to take into the country of the moors , which was the occasion of great troubles and misfortunes . almanzor alhagib , either at the instigation of these outlaws , or to revenge the affront he had receiv'd , rais'd a powerful army , and furiously invaded castile . the earl marching to meet him , by the way went to visit pelagius the hermit , but finding he was dead , and being troubled in mind , the said pelagius appear'd to him in his sleep , assuring him of the victory . the two armies ingag'd near piedrabita , and the dispute was hotter than ever it had been before ; tho' the multitude of enemies was great , and the christian army exceeded not horse and foot. it is said the fight lasted three days , only ceasing at night , upon the last day st. james the apostle was seen at the head of the christians , and gained them the victory . a greater number of the infidels was slain than in any other battle , our forces pursuing them two days . after this victory embassadors came from all the cities of castile , and the neighbouring parts , to congratulate with the earl. above all , d. sancho , king of leon , sent a splendid embassy , enviting the earl to be present at the cortes , or parliament , he designed to hold in leon. this a little perplex'd him , fearing some design was hid under that show of friendship ; but having no lawful excuse to absent himself , he came on the day appointed , accompanied with the nobility . the king went out to meet him , and the parliament was held in the year . but what their business was , is not known . authors relate , that the earl sold the king a stately horse and a hawk , for a great sum , upon condition , if not paid at the time perfixed the price should be doubled every day after . besides , by the policy of da. teresa , the queen dowager , who desired to revenge her father's death , it was contriv'd , that da. sancha , her sister , should be marry'd to the earl ; she was then with her brother d. garcia , king of navarre , and da. vrraca , the earl's first wife , was dead . it was resolv'd to lay a snare against the earl , because down right force would not prevail , and k. sancho was unwilling to break his word openly , therefore it was agreed to work underhand , and make use of the perfidiousness of the navarrois . garci sanchez was ignorant of d. sancho's designs , and therefore to revenge past wrongs , continually infested the frontiers of castile . after the earl had complained by his embassdors , they broke out into open war , and came to a battle , in which the earl obtained the victory . our historians write , that lope diaz , lord of biscay , assisted the earl upon this occasion , and say he was son to in̄igo ezquerra , great grandson to zuria , formerly lord of that country . after this victory , a peace being concluded , the earl in pursuance to the articles thereof , went to navarre with a good retinue unarmed , as to a wedding ; however , he was taken prisoner by the king , who was at the place appointed , with armed men. hence he was delivered by the love of da. sancha , for whose sake he fell into that misfortune , and with her escaped to his own country . on the frontiers of castile , about rioja , he was met by the forces of castile , that had vow'd , not to return till he were set at liberty . great was the joy on both sides . at burgos the nuptials were celebrated . the king of navarre , deceived by his sister , prepared for war , and the earl not being backward , they engaged on the frontiers of castile and navarre , the king was overthrown , and taken prisoner , in the year . the same year dy'd abderhaman , king of cordova , being of a great age. not long before his death , the king of leon sent him a solemn embassy , desiring the body of the martyr pelayus , which was not granted by him , but was soon after , by his son and successor alhaca , who reign'd years and months , and being inclinable to peace , endeavoured to oblige all the neighbouring kings . d. garcia king of navarre , was set at liberty , after he had been months a prisoner at burgos , the tears of da. sancha , and the intreaties of other princes having appeased the earl. queen teresa , a woman of a fierce and restless spirit , being so far disappointed in her design against the earl , laid other snares for him . she persuaded her son , the king of leon , to call him to the parliament . he went , tho' with a jealousie , the king came not out to meet him as before , but when he came to kiss his hand , ordered him to be cast into prison . this was a great affliction to the earl's people , da. sancha , his wife , a lady of a masculine temper , and ready wit , designing to rescue him , feigned she would go in pilgrimage to the church of st. james the apostle . her way was thro' the city leon , the king went out to meet and entertain her friendly , as became a person of her quality , and his aunt . with much intreaty , she obtained leave to visit her husband , and having stay'd all night together , he went out in the morning in her cloaths , and got safe to his country . the king understanding the fraud , was somewhat concerned , but thinking better of it , sent her home honourably to her husband , who over-joy'd at her coming , would not make war upon the king , but demanded what was due to him for the horse and the hawk he had sold him . no payment was made , for the sum , by reason of the delay , was greater than the king could pay , and the earl made waste upon the lands of the kingdom of leon. whereupon , they agreed , that in satisfaction for the debt , castile for the future , should owe no subjection to the crown of leon. this agreement , they say , was made in the year of our lord . the same year a powerful army of moors breaking thro' the kingdom , laid siege to the city leon , but by the valour of the garrlson and townsmen , were repulsed with great loss . vast flames of fire rising out of the sea , spread over the country , destroying many towns , even as far as zamora , which beside the present loss , was look'd upon as an omen of future ills. d. garci sanchez , king of navarre , dy'd the ensuing year of , leaving by his queen two sons , d. sancho and d. ramiro , and three daughters , da. vrraca , da. ermenesilda and da. teresa . his son d. sancho inherited the crown , joyntly with his brother d. ramiro . the latter reign'd years , and it is thought , dy'd without issue . d. sancho , who , as appears by his grants , rul'd years , stiled himself king of pamplona , najara and alava . he increased his dominions by the addition of the lordship of biscay , and city of najara , the chief of that principality . his piety and liberality appears by the lands he gave to the monastery of s. salvadot de leyte , s. millan de najara , s. john de la pen̄a . his wife was da. vrraca , by whom , he had d. garci sanchez , called the trembler , because he used to quake at the beginning of a battle , for which defect , he made amends by his great courage and conduct , when heated in fight . thro' the neglect of the historians of that age , nothing else of note appears in the life of d. sancho . in galicia , there broke out new commotions , that country being full of factions at a very unseasonable time , when they had enough to do against the moors . the cause of these tumults is not known , but it appears , they were soon appeased by the king 's good management . some of the mutiniers were executed , others banished to that part of portugal which was under the king , upon the frontiers of the moors . that province was govern'd by an earl , called gonzalo , a man of wicked principles , who , in defence of those banished persons , they being of his faction , rebelled , and broke in as far as the river duero . there not confiding in his strength , he had recourse to fraud , and with much entreaty , obtain'd pardon . he had formerly been in great esteem and favour with the king , and was now restored to the same honour , whereby he found means to give the king a poisoned apple . as soon as he had eaten it , the violence of the poison spred it self thro' all his veins , and seized the vitals ; he ordered himself to be carried to leon , tho' given over by the physicians , but dy'd before he could reach the city , the third day after he was poisoned , in the . having reign'd years . his body was bury'd in the church of st. saviour at leon. chap. v. the reign of ramiro the third , king of leon. death of earl fernan gonzalez . normans infest the coasts of spain . divisions among the moors . rebellion against the king of leon , and his death . it is a thing beyond all dispute , that king sancho was marry'd to da. teresa , and that d. ramiro was but years old when his father dy'd . he reign'd years ; but by reason of his tender age , the government was in the hands of his mother , and of da. elvira , his aunt , whom others call geloyra , both ladies of singular prudence , and extraordinary qualities ; yet because the king was little , and they women , there hap'ned many broils . sisnandus , the successor of ermenegildus , bishop of compostella , and son to the earl menendus , was deposed and imprisoned by king sancho , for that he lived a dissolute life , and spent the revenue of the church profusely , and in his stead was chosen rodesindus , who was first bishop , and after a monk of the order of s. benedict , in the monastery of celanova ; he was besides of the blood royal , as son to the earl gutierre arias , and his wife aldara . sisnandus upon the death of the king , being set at liberty , took possession of the bishoprick of compostella , forcing rodesindus , for fear of death , to resign , and return to his monastery , where he spent the rest of his life , well pleased to be rid of that charge . there was peace betwixt the kingdoms of leon and cordova ; for alhaca , king of cordova , to gain the good will of the new king , sent him the body of the martyr pelayus , which was laid in the monastery built at leon by king sancho , who desired to enrich it with those reliques . this monastery was formerly called of s. john baptist , afterwards of st. pelagius , or pelayus , now of st. isidorus . the cause of changing the names , was the translation of the bodies of those saints at several times . the peace was now disturbed at the persuasion of that d. vela , who we said above fled to cordova , and at his instigation , the moors inclined to make war upon castile , to revenge the great losses they had sustained by means of that earl , king alhaca tho' of himself more addicted to peace than war ; yet overcome by the importunity of his people , he gathered a powerful army , and breaking into castile possessed himself of sepulveda , gormaz , simancas and duen̄as . encouraged with this success , he broke the peace that was between him , and the king of leon , and invading his dominions , took zamora , and levelled it with the ground . the great grief the earl fernan gonzalez , conceived for these losses , was the cause of his death , which hap'ned the ensuing year . he dy'd at burgos , and was bury'd near the river arlança , in the monastery of s. peter , near the high altar , where are to be seen his and his wife's tombs , with inscriptions , declaring whose they are . his funeral was no less remarkable for the tears of the people , lamenting the loss of so good a prince , by whose valour , the christian cause had been so long supported , than for the grandeur and magnificence of the ceremony . by two wives he had these sons d. gonzalo , d. sancho , d. garci fernandez ; others add peter and baldwin . he had also one daughter , called da. vrraca , of whom , we have spoken before . garci fernandez succeeded his father , either because the others were dead , or if alive , he was preferred before them for his good inclinations , and the early hopes he gave of his future vertues , which soon increased , and grew to a mighty head . at the same time the normans inhabiting that part of france , formerly called neustria , now normandy , who , some years before , were converted to the christian faith , by herveus , bishop of rheims , being accustomed to rob upon the coast of spain , gathered a numerous fleet , and wasted all the coast of galicia , burnt villages , castles and towns , took the men , and carried away all that was in their way . this plague lasted years . the king by reason of his tender years , could not defend his people . sisnandus bishop of compostella , a man fitter to be a souldier than a prelate , gathering a number of the natives , and charging the enemy near a town call'd fornellas , was kill'd with a dart , on the th of march . what was commendable in him is , that he indeavour'd to wall the town of compostella , that so holy a place might not be expos'd to the insolency of the enemy . the earl garci sanchez , being chosen to command on that side behaved himself better , for surprizing the normans near the sea , as they marched loaded with plunder , and out of order he made a great slaughter of them . this captain gunderedus was killed , the booty and prisoners recovered , and of their ships not one escaped being taken or burnt . thus spain after long suffering by those cruel and barbarous people , was at length delivered from that calamity , by so total an overthrow of them , as they had scarce received the like in any other country . let us now see what was doing among the infidels , whom ambition often distracted to the advantage of the christians . in the year dyed alhaca king of the moors at cordova . the same year , the moor rasis sent his commentaries , writ in arabick , of the affairs 〈…〉 , to balharab miramamolin of africk , by whose order they were composed . alhaca left eight sons , all very young , and the moors not agreeing which of them should succeed , referred it to the miramamolin of africk , who appointed hissem , tho' not above ten years of age. he reigned years , only in show , for all the power was in the hands of mahomet alhagib , that is the viceroy , who took the name of almanzor for the many victories he obtained . hence sprang civil wars among those people , as is usual when kings give themselves up to their ease , and so far they went , that hissem lost the crown . our affairs were in no better posture , for the king being bred among women , was effeminate , besides that his queen da. vrraca managed him as she pleased , without any regard to the prudent advice of his mother , or his aunt . he seldom gave ear to his subjects , and for the most part returned harsh answers , which highly offended the nobility of galicia , a people naturally fierce , who finding all the commonalty dissatisfied rebelled . d. bermudo the kings cousin , and son to d. ordon̄o the third , headed the rebels , in hopes to recover his fathers kingdom , which he pretended was wrongfully kept from him . this danger awaked the king out of his lethargy . the war was begun , and lasted two years , with various success , the people being divided betwixt the two parties . at length a battle was fought , near a town called portela arenaria , many were killed on both sides , and they parted upon equal terms . after this fight d. bermudo , remained master of galicia , and placed his court at compostella . pelayo , the son of earl roderick , was made bishop of compostella , but for his wicked life deposed , and peter mansorius a monk , and abbot of approved vertue , put in his place . earl roderick to restore his son , brought in the moors , who took the city compostella , and threw down one side of the church of s. james . this sacrilege went not unpunished , for the greatest part of that army perished by the flux . almançor himself , asking the cause of this distemper , and being told by a moor , that one of the disciples , of the son of mary was there buryed , resolved to desist from that enterprize , but dyed in his return home at medina celi , upon the borders of aragon . on the other side also , the moors took many towns , as guzman , atiença , and simancas , where d. ramiro who came to relieve it was defeated . never was spain in a more desperated condition . after the departure of the moors , by the industry of the king and archbishop , the wall of s. james his church was repaired , and the church reconciled , for it had been profaned by the infidels . pelayo , a wicked prelate succeeded peter , and he for his scandalous life being depos'd , his brother wimara was substituted , who prov'd no better , and was drown'd in the river min̄o . in those days the clergy was very debauch'd , not only in spain , but most parts of christendom . in rome there was a schism , boniface , benedict and john striving for the chair . let us return to d. ramiro , who spent his life in ease and idleness . thus death seiz'd him at leon in the year . his body was interr'd in the monastery of destriana , built by his grandfather d. ramiro , in the valley ornensis , by the invocation of st. michael . thence years after , by order of king ferdinand the second , he was translated to the cathedral of astorga . sampyrus , bishop of astorga , of whom we have made much use hitherto , ended his history in this place . pelagius bishop of oviedo goes on , he lived in the time of d. alonso the emperor . the credit of both these authors is great , because they write of things they were eye witnesses to , but sampyrus is most esteemed , and looked upon as the gravest author . chap. vi. the reign of bermudo the second , called the gouty , king of leon. discord betwixt him and the earl of castile . leon and barcelona , taken by the infidels . garcia king of navarre dies . his son garci sanchez succeeds him . upon the death of d. ramiro , the crown fell to d. bermudo , as well in regard to his right , being the king 's cousin-german , as that he possessed himself of it by force of arms. he reigned years , was sickly , and subject to the gout , for which reason he was called the gouty . by him the laws of the goths , were confirmed , and the canons , and decrees of the popes ordered to be of force in secular causes . before we treat of this king , it is requisite to speak of the earl garci sanchez of castile . at his first accession to the government , he fought a battle with the moors near santistevean de gormaz , on the banks of the river duero , and killed a great number of them , putting the rest to flight . in this battle there hap'ned a wonderful accident . fernan antolinez was hearing of mass when the fight began , and being loath to leave his devotions , stayed it out . then fearing to be shamed as a coward , kept close in his house . but whilst he was in the church , one like him , doubtless , his good angel , was seen in the heat of the battle , behaving himself so bravely , that it was believed , through his means the victory was obtained . to confirm this , fresh bruises and spots of blood were seen upon his horse and armour , by which his credit was miraculously saved . authors say , the earl garci fernandez had two wives , the one called argentina , a frenchwoman , with whom he fell in love , as she went in pilgrimage to compostella . six years after she ran away with a frenchman , whilst her husband , ●●● sick , but he recovering , followed her into france , and being admitted into the house by a sister-in-law of hers called sancha , in hopes to marry the earl , he killed argentina and her gallant in bed , and then returning with sancha into spain , was marryed to her , with great pomp and solemnity at burgos . many look upon this story as romantick , and affirm the earls wife was called on̄a , and that the monastery of s. salvador de on̄a , built by him , had the name of her . others say her name was abba , as appears by their tombs , at arlança and carden̄a . there is also another relation , which says , that during the earls absence in france , the moors pierced as far as burgos , and destroyed the monastery of s. peter of carden̄a , killing all the monks , which others say was years before this time , unless the same thing hap'ned twice . at this time the moors , put to death many for the faith ; and there wanted not some examples of divine justice on them for their cruelty , whereof alcortexi king of sevil was one . he in the time of d. burmudo , breaking into galicia , destroyed the city compostella , but his impiety passed not unpunished , for such a violent plague raged in his army , that few of them returned home to carry the news , and be witnesses of the divine vengeance . this danger being over , other new troubles hap'ned in spain , as great as any had been since it began to lift up its head. these were caused by the discord betwixt the king of leon , and the earl d. garcia , who ought to have joyned their power for the publick good . mahomet governed the kingdom of the moors , in the name of hissem the king , his greatest aim was to destroy the christians . d. vela , he that we said , in the time of the earl fernan gonzalez , fled to the moors , now blew these coals . the moors joyning their forces with a body of christians that followed d. vela , entred the territories of the christians , and passing the river duero , which for many years had parted the two nations , incamped on the banks of the river astura , or estola , that runs by leon. king bermudo , tho' inferior to the enemy , gathering what forces he could , surprized them and entered their camp , where they fought in disorder , all in confusion . many of the infidels were killed at the first on-set , some gathering in small bodies defended themselves , other fled , till the moorish general getting together all he could , drew them up without the camp , then charged the christians , who being but few in number , and tired , could not stand that shock . in an instant the fortune of the day was changed , the victors were over-come , and being closely pursued , few of them got unhurt to leon , but many wounded . the town had been taken , but that the winter coming on , obliged the enemy to depart , having gained much honour and plunder , and resolving to return as soon as the season would permit . d. bermudo , because the city was weak , caused the bodies of the saints and kings , to be translated to oviedo , and removed thither himself . the care of fortifying and defending of leon , was committed to the earl guilien gonzalez . this disaster hap'ned in the year . in which miron bishop of girona , son to miron earl of barcelona dyed . in that country a body of moors , near the castle of moncada , overthrew borello , cousin to the bishop miron . above christians were slain , the rest , with the earl borello , fled to barcelona . the following year was remarkable for destruction of the two famous cities , leon and barcelona . on the first of day of july , the moors laid siege to bercelona , and took it on the th day of the same month , many of the citizens were carryed away into slavery to cordova , but the city was soon recovered by the christians . before it was taken , borcello got out to gather forces to relieve it , and having mustered a good body at maresa , and other neighbouring places , regained the city . the earl borello dyed eight years after , leaving by his two wives , ledgardi and aymcrudi , two sons , raymund and armengauds , the eldest earl of barcelona , the other of vrgel , and was head of the noble family of the armengauds , or armengols in catalonia , of which in process of time , there were many brave commanders . in the other part of spain , mahomet , proud with his last success , gathering a powerful army , besieged leon. the city held out almost a year , tho' continually battered with all sorts of engines . earl guillen gonzalez made it appear , of how great consequence it is to have a brave commander . being sick in bed , with the continual fatigue of so many months , he was told the town was in great danger , by reason of a furious assault that was then given , he then caused himself to be carryed in a chair , to the place where the greatest danger was , and so effectually encouraged his soldiers , that they made good their ground for three days . then seeing the town was entred , he cast himself into the midst of the infidels , and dyed with his sword in his hand . the barbarians inraged for the loss they had sustained , put to the sword all sexes , and ages indifferently , men , women , and children , and after plundering the city , cast down the walls , and all other works about it . the same disaster befell astorga , valencia del campo , the monastery of sahagun , gordon , alva , luna , and other towns , and villages which were taken , plundered and burnt to the ground . next breaking into castile , they took , plundered and burnt osma , berlanga , and atiença , without meeting any opposition . nevertheless such was the madness of the christians , that not regarding the publick calamities , they destroyed one another upon private feuds and animosities . for the year following , seven most noble brothers , called the infantes de lara , were slain by the treachery of their unkle ruy velasquez , without any regard of consanguinity , they being the sons of his sister da. sancha , and by the fathers side , descended from d. james porcellos , earl of castile . these brothers have been very famous , no less for their noble actions than unfortunate death . it fell out that ruy velasquez lord of barcelona , solemnizing his marriage with da. lambra , cousin to the earl garci fernandez at burgos . a great concourse of people was at the wedding , and among the rest the earl garci fernandez , and the seven brothers with their father . a dispute arose betwixt gonzalo the youngest of the brothers , and alvar sanchez , a kinsman of da lambra , yet so that no harm was then done , yet da. lambra taking it upon herself , to wreak her revenge in the town of barbadillo , whither the brothers out of respect went to accompany her , she caused a slave to throw a wet cowcomber at gonçalo , which according to the custom of spain was a hainous affront . the slave fled for shelter to da. lambra , but it availed him not , for in her very arms they killed him . ruy velasquez who was then absent , as soon as he came , in a rage for the affront given his wife , studyed how to revenge himself upon the seven brothers . he thought it best to ensnare those he design'd to destroy with the show of friendship , and therefore contrived that gonzalo gustio , should be sent to cordova , upon pretence of receiving some money of that king , but in reality to have him destroyed , to which effect he had writ a letter in arabick to the king , who pitying the noble persons grey-hairs , only caused him to be imprisoned . his confinement was not so close but the king's sister could come at him , and on her 't is said , he got mudarra gonzalez , the founder of the most noble family of manriquez . ruy velasquez his rage was not appeased with the harm done to gonzalo gustio . near to almenara , in the territory of arausana , at the foot of the mountain moncayo , he laid the seven brothers in ambush , pretending to make an incursion into the country of the moors . the brothers suspected no harm , but nun̄o salido their tutor , endeavoured to disswade them , as fearing some treachery , yet his words were in vain . with them were horse , a small number for the multitude of moors , that fell on him . the treason being discovered , the brothers fought desperately , not so much for any hopes of victory , as to revenge their own deaths . they were all killed , and with them their tutor salido , the heads being sent to cordova , afforded a pleasant spectacle to the king , but a sad one to their father , to whom , tho' wounded and disfigured , they were shown . this misfortune moving the king to compassion , he freely dismiss'd gonzalo gustio . mudarra begoten on the king's sister , being years of age , was by her sent to his father , and afterwards revenged the death of his brothers , killing ruy velasquez . da. lumbra his wife , the cause of all these mischiefs , was stoned to death and burnt . mudarra by revenging his brothers , gained the love of his mother-in-law , and all the family , to that degree that he inherited his fathers estate . besides , da. sancha adopted him , after this strange , yet remarkable manner . the same day he was baptized and knighted , by the earl garci sanchez , his mother-in-law resolving to adopt him , put over him the sleeve of a very large smock , and his head coming out at the top of it , she kissed him , and thus he was received into the family , and looked upon as her son , ordon̄o was son of mudarra , his grandson was james ordon̄ez de lara , he that fought the sons of arias gonzala , who defended their country from the infamy of having killed king sancho , slain by vellido dolphos , as shall be related in its place . this james ordon̄ez was father to earl peter , well known for the love queen vrraca showed him , and grandfather to amalaricus de lara , lord of molina , from whom is descended the family of manriquez , and even that of the kings of portugal , by the mother's side , for mafalda daughter of amalaricus , was marryed to d. alonso the first of the name , and first king of portugal , tho' some will have it , that mafalda was of the house of savoy . but , more shall be said of this hereafter . the tomb of mudarra is to be seen in the cloister of the monastery of s. peter de arlanza . that monastery and the other of s. millan de la cogulla , are at variance about which of them has the seven brothers . spain was now at peace , after so many combustions , and there rather wanted the power , than the will to raise new ones . this quiet lasted till the th year after the death of the seven brothers , which was the year of our lord . when the moors wasted the country of portugal , and breaking a new into galicia , again took and burnt the city compostella . nor had they spared the apostles sepulcher , but that a sudden light which appeared over it terrifyed them . the bells , as a trophy of their victory , they caused to be carryed on the backs of christians to cordova , where for many years they served instead of lamps in the mosque . divine vengeance pursued them , many dyed of the flux , many of the plague , and many at the hands of the christians , the king keeping close in their rear , and doing them great harm . few returned home . one of them was mahomet the general . this same year dyed d. garcia king of navarre , his son garci sanchez called the trembler , as was said before , succeeded him . he reigned years , was very famous for many victories obtained , liberal , or rather prodigal , which drained his treasures , and obliged him to lay new taxes . in the monastery of s. millan̄ , there are grants of this king ; let every one judge what credit is to be given to them . in them 't is specified , that he had a brother called gonzalo , and that he with his mother vrraca , had the kingdom of aragon ; which , if true , either that dominion lasted not long , or he dying without issue , it fell again to his brother . king bermudo joyful with his success against the moors , began to consider , that if the forces of the christians were united , it were easie to gain upon the infidels , and keep them under . hereupon , he sent embassadors to the king of navarre , and earl of castile , to invite them , laying aside all animosities , to enter into a league with him , for the common good. those princes readily agreed to such advantageous proposals , and a powerful army was formed of the three nations . the king of navarre came not in person , being , as is supposed , busie in setling his new acquired kingdom . king bermudo , tho' sick of the gout , was carried in a litter , and with the earl of castile , moved towards the moors , of whom , they were informed , that having raised new forces , and plunder'd great part of galicia , they now marched towards castile . near a town called calacanaçor , on the frontiers of castile and leon , the two armies met , and came to a battle , which was obstinately fought till night parted them , without discerning which side had the better , only , that the moors marched away in silence by night , which show'd they had got the worst of it . besides , it was more like a flight than retreat , for they left much of their baggage in the camp , and for haste droped no less along the way they marched . it is said , this misfortune went so much to the heart of the moorish general mahomet , that he dy'd in the valley of begalcorax , refusing to take any sustenance , in the year of our lord . this man managed the government of the moors years for his king , who minded nothing but his ease . he was a man of great courage , an enemy to idleness , and entred the territories of the christians several times , coming off very often victorious . the same day the battle was fought at calacanaçor , one in the habit of a fisherman was seen at cordova , on the bank of the river guadalquivir , singing in arabick and spanish metre , at calacanacor , almanzor lost the drum . it was believ'd the devil in humane shape proclaimed their defeat , because the people of cordova endeavouring to lay hold of him , he vanished like a shadow . the dead general 's body was carried to medinaçeli . chap. vii . the death of king bermudo the gouty , and beginning of the reign of d. alonso the fifth , king of leon. many troubles among the moors . the earl of castile slain by the infidels . after the death of mahomet , his son abdelmelic took upon him the government of that kingdom , the same year his father dy'd , and continued in that command years , and months . from this time forward , the kingdom of the moors , which had been supported by the valour of mahomet , began visibly to decline . civil discord , the bane of all empires , and bad government , were the cause of its decay . abdelmelic who was more inclinable to peace than war , took little notice of the first eruptions of those tumults , which ought to have been suppressed in their first rise . true it is , immediately after his father's death , he entred the teritories of the christians , spreading a great terror , and threw down to the ground all that had been built since the city leon was last destroyed . yet the beginning of this war was more successful to the moors than the end , for the earl of castile falling upon them , put them to flight , and but a small number returned home . this struck so great a terror into those people , that they never attempted to make war again as long as abdelmelic ruled . the joy of this victory was drowned in the scarcity of provisions , caused by a great drought . gudésteus , bishop of oviedo , had been kept three years in prison by the king , who was subject to give ear to the whispers of wicked men. the people , and among them , some of note said , the famine was a judgment of god for the wrong done the bishop , and that unless reparation were made him , there was cause to fear a heavy plague might follow . there was danger of a mutiny , for the multitude when they take religion for their pretence , sooner obey the priest than the king , therefore gudesteus was discharged out of prison . this same year of our lord , in which hap'ned the famine , was remarkable for the death of king bermudo , who dy'd of the gout , with which he had been long troubled , in a town called berit . his body was interred at villabuena , or valbuena , whence years after , it was translated to the church of s. john baptist in leon. he had two wives , one called velasquita , the other da. elvira . from the first he was divorced , rather thro' the corruption of those times , than for that it was lawful . by her he had a daughter , called christina . by da. elvira , he had d. alonso , and da. teresa . besides , on two sisters he had to do with in his youth , he got d. ordon̄o , da. elvira , and da. sancha . christina , the king 's eldest daughter , was married to d. ordon̄o , called the blind , who was of the blood royal ; they had issue , d. alonso , d. ordon̄o , d. pelayo , and da. aldonza , marry'd to d. pelayo , called the deacon , grandson to king fruela , by d. fruela , his bastard son. d. pelayo , and da. aldonça , had issue , peter , ordon̄o , pelayo , nun̄o and teresa , from whom descended the earls of carrion , men of great wisdom and valour , as will appear in its place . pelayus ovetensis , and d. lucas de tuy , attribute to king bermudo that passage of ataulphus , bishop of compostella , and the wild bull that was let lose against him , which was spoken of before . in this particular , i give more credit to the history of compostella , which relates it as i have done , and it is a sufficient proof of their mistaking the time , that about this , there is no bishop of compostella , called ataulphus , to be heard of . king bermudo appointed melendo gonzalez , earl of galicia , and his wife d a. mayor , to be tutors to his son d. alonso , the young king , during his minority . these , because d. alonso was but years of age , by the consent of the cortes , or assembly of states , and in pursuance to the will of the deceased , governed the kingdom with great prudence and integrity . the king being of age , as a reward of their fidelity , and to make their authority the greater , married their daughter da. elvira , by whom he had d. bermudo , and da. sancha . he reign'd years . in the second year of his reign , which was of our lord just . d. garci sanchez , the trembler , king of navarre , dying , his son d. sancho , whom he had by his wife da. ximena , ( not elvira , or constantia , or estephania , as some will have it ) succeeded in the throne . this prince in his youth was under the care and tuition of sancho , abbot of s. salvador de leyte , who bred him vertuously , and taught him all that is fit for a prince to know . he reigned years , was so remarkable for his vertue , that he gained the name of the greater ; and so fortunate , that he got under his dominion almost all that the christians possessed in spain . but it was no good advice to divide it , as he did among his children , thereby weakning the forces of the kingdom . as the two christian kingdoms about this time enjoy'd peace ; so castile first , and then the moors fell to war among themselves , both of them by their civil broils hast'ning their ruin . d. sancho garcia rebelled against his father , the earl d. garci fernandez ; perhaps , thinking he lived too long , and being impatient to wait the few years he had to live . both sides had recourse to arms , and the subjects being divided , the strength of that principality was weakned . the moors were not ignorant of these distractions , and therefore resolved to make their advantage of them . accordingly they destroyed avila , that had been rebuilt not long before . corun̄a , and santistevan de gormaz , in the territory of osma , suffered the same fate . the affairs of the christians were in great danger , and yet the foreign danger did not appease their domestick tumults , only kept them from coming to blows . earl garci fernandez being much concerned at the harm the moors did , with what force he could gather , went out to meet them . the fight was bloody , but the earl having but a small number of men , was defeated , and himself taken so desperately wounded , that he dy'd in a few days . he governed castile about years , some say . was nothing inferior to his father , and tho' the enemy had power to take away his life , the fame of his actions will last for ever . his body being ransom'd for a great sum of money , was bury'd in the monastery of s. peter de carden̄a . this unhappy battle was fought in the year . the earl left a daughter , called da. vrraca , who was a nun , in the monastery of s. cosmus and damianus , in the town of covarravias . this monastery was built by the earl her father , and endowed with great revenues , besides many rich gifts , upon condition , that if any maid of his family would not marry , she should be maintained with the revenue of that monastery . d. sancho succeeded his father in the earldom of castile , much blemished for rebelling against him , and having thereby been the cause of his death . in all other respects he was good and vertuous , and had very commendable parts . about the same time dy'd at cordova , the alhagib , or viceroy abdelmelic . abderhaman , a base , and cowardly fellow , in scorn , called sanciolo , succeeded him . but he dying within months , mohomet almahudi , who , i suppose , was of the race of the abenhumeyas , by force of arms possessed himself of king hissem , who being given wholly to his pleasure , was only supported by others . mahomet gave out he had killed the king , beheading one like him , and keeping him privately , to make use of him , if needful . a kinsman of hissem's , called zulema , came over out of africk , who gathering what forces he could , and joyning with those of d. sancho , earl of castile , overthrew the tyrant in battle , near cordova . in this battle were slain moors , which was the very flower and strength of that kingdom ; so that for the future , they decayed the more sensibly . d. sancho gave great tokens of his courage and conduct , and was the principal instrument of gaining the battle . after the fight , mahomet shut himself up in the city , and as he had designed , against the greatest danger , took out hissem from the place where he had kept him prisoner . being brought out to the people , he advised them to prefer their own natural lord before a stranger . but the people for fear of the victor , giving no ear to his words , he was forced to fly to toledo , carrying hissem with him , or else hiding him again . almario was alhagib , or viceroy to mahomet , who to strengthen his party against the enemy , and obtain aid of the christians , went into catalonia , where he made great offers , and proposed mighty advantages to those princes , if they would assist him . d. ramon , earl of barcelona , and armengol of vrgel , at the persuasion of this infidel , joyned their forces to those mahomet had gather'd in and about toledo . they all made up christians , and moors . near acanatalbacar the two armies met , and ingag'd with such fury , that both left wings were victorious , and both the right put to flight . the bishops arnulphus of vique , aecius of barcelona , and otho of girona , were here kill'd ; a shame that such men should be seen in arms for the moors . besides , the earl of vrgel was slain . mahomet , by his own valour , retriev'd the victory . zulema seeing himself thus vanquish'd fled first to açafra , and not thinking that place secure , went farther off . all this was in the year of our lord . chap. viii . continues the mighty revolutions among the infidels , with the dismembring of the mighty kingdom of cordova , and erecting of several other little sovereignties in the chief cities of spain . zvlema being overthrown , as was said in the last chapter , mahomet almahudi , the conqueror , remained sole monarch , but according to the custom of those deprav'd times , his viceroy govern'd all , insomuch , that after the departure of d. ramon , he murder'd his master ; and thus hissem the true king , was restor'd to the crown . mahomet's head was sent to zulema , who stayed at a town call'd citavan , to see what would be the end of all those mighty revolutions . it was the design of the moors to bring zulema to submit himself to hissem , as his lawful prince , and for whom at first he seem'd to have taken up arms ; but he gathering what forces he could , wasted the neighbouring country . the faction of the abenhumeyas , which was still in cordova , was inclin'd to zulema , and for his sake design'd to murder hissem , but he having notice of it , was upon his guard. zulema being disappointed this way , sollicited the earl of castile d. sancho , on account of their late friendship to assist him again . d. sancbo considering better of it , made a league with hissem , more to his own advantage ; for by it six castles , taken from the christians by mahomet alhagib , were restor'd to him . mean while obeydalla the son of mahomet almahudie , with the assistance of his friends , made himself king of toledo . other authors call him abdalla , and affirm he took to wife d a teresa , the sister of d. alonso king of leon , with the consent of her brother . this alliance tended to secure both kingdoms , and there was a farther prospect of converting the moor. the maid being thus deceiv'd was carry'd to toledo , where the wedding was kept with great solemnity , and the supper was protracted till a great part of the night was spent . after supper the lady was conducted to take her rest , and the moor coming hot with desire , she bid him forbear her unless he were baptiz'd , but his passion gave him not leisure to consider , so by force he had his will. divine vengeance soon overtook him , for he fell dangerously ill , and understanding the cause of his sickness , sent d a teresa to her brother with rich presents . she spent the rest of her life in the monastery of st. pelagius in leon. obeydalla his reign was but short , being vanquish'd and taken prisoner by the forces of hissem . the troubles and confusion among the moors in all parts of the kingdom continu'd , and offer'd the christians a fair opportunity of making their advantage ; but that private grudges always are fatal to the publick . not only discord , but famine also , raged among the moors , by reason they had neglected tilling . zulema finding the earl of castile would not assist him , confederated himself with the moorish kings of zaragoça and guadalajara . with their aid he took cordova and hissem flying into africk , he was left sole lord of that kingdom . among those that follow'd hissem , there was a principal man call'd haytan . this man possess'd himself of origuela , a city on the mediterranean sea , and invited hali abenhamir , governour of ceuta , for hissem into spain , upon pretence of making him king. zulema being inferior in strength to them both , was overthrown near cordova , deliver'd up to the conquerour by the citizens , and kill'd with hali's own hand , after he had upbraided him with being the first that rebelled against his natural lord hissem . there is no faith betwixt companions in sovereignty . hayton complain'd that the new king did not perform what he had covenanted with him , and therefore joyning with mundar the son of hiaya king of zaragoça , they gathered forces on both sides , and came to a battle near zaragoça , in which haytan was vanquished . hali pursuing haytan came to guadix , and was there killed by his own eunuchs as he was bathing . by the votes of the soldiers cazin , brother to hali was brought from sevil , and made king of cordova . he reigned three years , four months , and twenty six days , in much trouble , for abderhaman almortada , with the assistance of haytan , possessed himself of murcia , and took the title of king. almortada was a haughty man , and by his pride so far disobliged the people , that he was killed by them at granada . cazin thought himself secure in his kingdom , by the death of almortada , and the more for that the people of granada , sent him the spoils of his dead enemy , but he was soon undeceived . for the people of cordova , cazin being gone to sevil , enthroned hiaya his nephew , son to his brother hali , a meek and bountiful man , which is very pleasing to the multitude . this man going to malaga , whereof he was lord before , cazin again by force of arms made himself master of cordova . his re-establishment was not lasting , for the insolency of the soldiers having caused a mutiny in the city , he was forced to fly to sevil , at the end of only seven months , and three days . neither could he stay long there , his adversary having gained the affections of the people , so was obliged to wander like a vagabond , till taken by hiaya , and put in prison . most of these king were of the race of the alavecines , a faction then in great power . the other party of the abenhumeyas taking arms , chose for their king abderhaman , son of mahomet ( i suppose that mahomet almahudie , who first rebelled against hissem ) but with the same inconstancy killed him within two months . his severity and the mutability of those people caused his ruin . one mahomet was put into his place , and reigned one year , four months , and twenty two days , and then was killed by the citizens . the same befell hiaya , the son of hali , who was of the other faction , and had been before proclaimed king , he was in the same manner slain at malaga , whither , as was said , he had retired , when he had reigned in cordova , only three months , and twenty days . after this idric , brother to hali , and unkle to hiaya , was sent for out of africk , where he was lord of ceuta , to take the crown . this man being come into spain , what on account of his kindred with the other two , and what by force of arms , possessed himself of the kingdom of granada , sevil , almeria , and other neighbouring cities . the inland continued under hissem , for after the death of hiaya , the people of cordova had reinthroned him , unless it was another of the same name , those citizens made choice of , for these affairs are very dark . the extravagancies of ministers , commonly turn to the ruin of their masters , as hap'ned to hissem , for his alhagib , or viceroy , being cruel and covetous , was killed , and the king expelled his city . in that confusion , a youth , of the family of the humeyas , being assisted by a company of wild young fellows entred the palace , and desired of the soldiers to proclaim him king. they excused themselves with the disloyalty of the citizens , and advised him to take warning by so many as had perished before him , to this he answered , call me king to day , and kill me to morrow . such is the inordinate desire of reigning . nevertheless this man , and hissem with all the abenhumeyas , as the causers of all these confusions , were turned out of the town by the citizens . hissem tired with so many changes of fortune , at last came to zaragoça , where he was well received by zulema abenbut king of that city , who gave him a castle called alçuela , where he spent the rest of his life as a private man. d. roderick the archbishop , who gives this account of the last kings of cordova , somewhat more obscure , than it is set down here , does not mention what became of idric . how is it possible in such confusion to be plain . we can only add , that from this time forwards the kingdom of the moors , which for so many years had mantained it self , in great power and splendor in spain , so visibly decayed that it was divided into many sovereignties , for every one that could possess himself of a city , called himself king of it . jahuar seized cordova , albudazin , sevil. haytan , he that at first assisted hissem , and then became his enemy , secured toledo . some will have the kingdom of toledo to be more ancient , because that city often rebelled against the kings of cordova . other kingdoms , were erected in other cities , too long and confused to insert here . it will suffice to know that these sovereignties continued , till the powerful family of the almoravides came into spain , with their king thesephin , which was in the year of our lord . let us turn back now to the affairs of the christians , under the earl d. sancho , and king alonso . chap. ix . the last actions of d. alonso king of leon , and his death . the reign of d. bermudo the third . his son sancho earl of castile , poisons his mother . his son garcia murdered . d. sancho earl of castile , desiring to revenge the death of his father , with the assistance of the kingdoms of navarre , and leon that were his allies , entred the kingdom of toledo , putting all that stood in his way to fire and sword. the same havock was made in the territory of cordova , whither our forces advanced , incouraged with their success . in both places a great booty of captives and cattle was taken . tho' the harm was great , much more was the terror this struck into the infidels , who being embroiled in civil wars , could not oppose the enemy , so that they , who not long before kept the christians in continual fear , were now forced to buy a peace at a dear , sepulveda a town on the frontiers , also osma , santistevan de gormaz , and other towns taken by the moors , in the last war , were now recovered . from this time some anthors write , the nobility of castile , were exempted from following the wars , at their own cost , only upon the hopes of booty , and it was ordained they should receive pay , as was used in all other countries . d. sancho in a great measure blemished the honour gained in this expedition , by the death he put his mother to . she fell in love with a lewd brawny moor , and durst not marry him , not so much for any scruple of conscience , as for fear of her son , and therefore resolved to murder him , by that means to make way to her infamous wedding . the dose was prepared to poison him , but the earl having intelligence of it , forced his mother , by way of respect , to drink first of the cup she offered him . hence some think , sprang the custom used in some parts of spain , to make the women drink before the men. other authors write , that a lady belonging to the countess , having seen her prepare the dose , gave notice to her husband ( whom some call sancho del valle de espinosa ) and he to the earl , and thereby obtained that privilege , enjoyed to this day , by the family of monteros de espinosa of guarding the king's person by night . true it is , i find no good grounds to believe this relation , but it is so recorded , and the people of that town affirm it as a certain truth . they add , that the earl to atone for this fault , and allay the hatred the people had conceived against him , built a monastery for nuns , and in honour of his mother gave it the name of on̄a , which monastery sancho the greater , king of navarre , gave to the monks of cluni , and in our days , is the chief in that country . d. sancho by his wife da. vrraca , had d. garcia , da. nun̄a , da. teresa , and da. trigida . the two eldest daughters were marryed to great men , trigida was abbess in the monastery of on̄a . about the same time d. sancho , made a new way for strangers to travel to the church of st. james the apostle , through navarre , rioja , briviesca , and the country of burgos . before this time the christian dominions being of a smaller extent , the pilgrims that came out of france , used to travel with much difficulty through biscay , and the mountains of asturias , where the ways were uncouth , and there was a general want of all necessaries . king alonso enjoying a perfect peace , by reason of the civil wars among the moors , and the league that was between the christian princes , gave his mind wholly to the civil government , and held an assembly of the states or parliament at oviedo , in the year of our lord . in this parliament the ancient laws of the goths were corrected . the king at his own cost and charges rebuilt the city leon , that had been ruined by the moors , and in it erected a church dedicated to s. john the baptist . thither the bodies of his father d. bermudo , and the other kings of leon were translated , which before had been carryed about for fear of the moors . the monastery of s. pelagius was also rebuilt , in which da. constança the king's sister who had consecrated her virginity to god , lived long . it has been above related how d. vela studyed , and contrived his revenge upon the earls of castile for wrongs , and injuries he pretended to have received from them . d. sancho the earl , not only pardoned , but restored to their father's honours , three sons of d. vela , which were roderick , james , and inigo . yet they soon fell to their wonted treachery , and leaving the earl , went over to d. alonso the king of leon , because there was little hope to be placed , in the moors , by reason of their distractions , and the change of so many princes among them . d. alonso received them friendly , and gave them a considerable estate at the foot of the mountains . thus they seemed to be setled and quiet , but they only waited an opportunity to make their disloyalty the more notorious , as appeared soon after , and we shall shortly show . king alonso desiring to extend his dominions broke into lusitania , and laid siege to viseo . it happ'ned , he went out without his armour , and approaching too near the town , they threw a dart at him from the wall , and killed him . upon this misfortune his army quitted the siege , and the bishops that went with him to the war , accompanyed the dead body to leon , where it was buryed in the church of st. john , which he had built for to fix the tombs of his forefathers . his death hap'ned in the year of grace . he left one son called d. bermudo who succeeded in the throne , and a daughter named da. sancha . in his time flourished in sanctity of life , the bishops froylanus of leon , and atilanus of zamora . froylanus was born at lugo , atilanus at tarragona , both monks of st. benedict , and taken out of their monasteries to be prefered to those bishopricks . a son of d. ramon , called d. berenguel , and sirnamed borello from his grandfather , was now earl of barcelona , and better known for his idle life , than any virtuous action . bernard tallaferre earl of besalu , made some amends for the neglect of that prince , by valiantly opposing the moors . he being drowned in the river rhosne in france , his place was supplyed by wifredus earl of cerdagne , who so curbed the insolency of the moors , that they ceased making any further incursions into those parts . d. berenguel at his death , left three sons , d. ramon earl of barcelona , d. guillen earl of manresa , by his father's will , and d. sancho a monk of the order of st. benedict . d. bermudo the third , tho' very young when his father dyed , was crown'd king in the presence of all the nobility and clergy , in the year . the same year dy'd d. sancho earl of castile ; having govern'd that province years . in the monastery of on̄a , which , as was said , he built from the ground , are still to be seen three tombs on the left hand of the high altar , with inscriptions , one of d. sancho , another of his wife , and the third of d. garcia his son ; who succeeded him in that earldom . his virtues made all men conceive early hopes of him , but all vanish'd , and was blasted in the bud ; for he was treacherously kill'd , in the very first year of his government , by those who had least reason so to do , and in the midst of his marriage solemnity . d. garcia had two sisters , d. nun̄a , and da teresa . da nun̄a was marry'd to d. sancho king of navarre , who had by her at this time , d. garcia , d. ferdinand , and d. gonçalo . da teresa was wife to d. bermudo king of leon , and of her was born d. alonso , who dy'd a child . d. garcia earl of castile , tho' but years of age , was contracted to da sancha , sister to king bermudo ; by this means to bind their interests the faster together , and unite them against the common enemy . the city leon was the place appointed for celebrating the nuptials . d. garcia went with a mighty train of people of note , as well his own subjects as those of the king of navarre . king sancho himself , with his sons d. ferdinand , and d. garcia , for the greater honour bore him company ; with such a retinue as appear'd like a good army . by the way they took monçon , and some other towns from the earl fernan gutierrez , who despising the new princes youth was in rebellion ; yet because he submitted without making any considerable opposition he obtain'd pardon . they made but small journeys , by reason of the great number of people . d. garcia desiring to see his bride , left the king of navarre at sahagun , and he with a small retinue not suspecting any thing put forward . this seemed a good opportunity , to the sons of d. vela , to revenge the wrongs they pretended had been done them , by the earl d. sancho . they were men of experience in mischief and subtle , and therefore communicated their design to other wicked persons like themselves . having laid their plot , they went out to meet their prince , who little suspected them , kneeling , they kissed his hand , as was usual , and showing tokens of repentance , begged pardon of their crimes . who could have thought , that after obtaining forgiveness , they would not have strove by fresh services , to appear worthy of it ? on the contrary they hastned to murder that innocent prince . he went to hear mass , at the church of st. saviour , and at the very church door , the traytors assaulted him , with their drawn swords . roderick the eldest of the brothers , notwithstanding he was his godfather , gave him the first wound , then the others seconded it , till he fell down dead . da. sancha , now a widow , before she was marryed , fainted away at this dismal news , and as soon as she came to herself , ran to the place , where imbracing the dead body , she wasted herself in sighs and tears . the body was deposited in the church of s. john , and thence afterwards translated to the monastery of on̄a . in both places his sepulcher is to be seen to this day . this accident changed the whole face of affairs in spain . d. sancho the king of navarre , who lay in the suburbs of leon , in tents after the manner of a camp , inherited the earldom of castile , to which he gave the title of a kingdom , whereby his power began to be terrible to the king of leon. the traitors fled , and got into monçon , hoping perhaps that fernan gutierrez , offended at the late earl , and the king of navarre , for the towns they had taken from him , would joyn them . but by the industry of king sancho , they were taken and burnt . king bermudo , warned by his father's death , was inclinable to peace , and being made sensible of the inconstancy of human affairs , by the misfortune of the earl , applyed himself to the care of religion , and the civil government . in the first place , being desirous to reform the depraved manners of those times , he provided that justice should be impartially administred to all , and to this effect established new laws . next with great penalties , and using the utmost severity , he freed the kingdom from robbers . thus he gained the affections of his people , and seemed to flourish under a setled peace . no prosperity is lasting , d. sancho king of navarre , led by ambition disturbed his quiet . d. bermudo had no issue male , and therefore the crown must of course fall to his sister da. sancha . the subjects feared by her means a forreigner might be brought to reign over them . both the king and people , sought some remedy against this danger that threatned . the king of navarre being sensible of it , gathered a powerful army , and entred the kingdom of d. bermudo doing great harm . he possessed himself of all the country beyond the river cea , and by his success it was likely , he would subdue all the dominions of the kingdom of leon. d. bermudo warned by these losses , with the consent of the nobility , who were more inclinable to peace than war , thought best to agree the difference , upon these conditions ; that da. sancha , should be marryed to d. ferdinand , the king of navarre's second son , that she should receive in dower for the present , all that had been taken during the war , and he declared heiress of the kingdom . these were terms disadvantageous to the crown of leon , but produced a firm peace betwixt the christians in spain , and almost all they possessed fell into the hands of one family . moreover it was remarkable , that at the same time both the dominious of castile and leon , fell to women , and consequently into the hands of strangers , a thing odious to all people , but that had several times before , hap'ned to the crown of leon. it is not our task to decide , whether it be safe or otherwise . some nations have never allowed of women to inherit . chap. x. the remaining part of the reign of sancho the greater , king of navarre . wicked contrivance of his sons against their mother . he settles religious affairs , rebuilds palencia , and is murdered . king sancho began to be in years when he got for himself the sovereignty of castile , and made way for his son ferdinand to obtain the crown of leon. the renowned actions he performed , did not only purchase him the name of the greater , but the stile commonly given him , of emperor of spain ; a custom of all people to flatter their princes with mighty titles . he setled his court at najara , as being on the frontiers of castile and navarre , and there so managed the civil government , as never to neglect carrying on the war. therefore taking the advantage of the discord that reigned among the moors , he marched against them , well furnished with old soldiers , and stores of provisions , and wasted all their lands , even as far as cordova , whither he advanced without meeting any opposition . but at the same time that he was striking a terror into his enemy , plundering the country , and taking towns and castles , a disaster , that fell out in his family , called him home ; which was thus . when he went to the war , he particularly recommended to the queen a horse of great value he had . in those days the spaniards valued no thing so much as their horses and arms. d. garcia , the king 's eldest son , asked that horse of the queen , and she was about granting his request , but that peter sesse , the master of the horse , told her , the king would be offended at it . d. garcia in a rage for being deny'd , either that he believed the words of peter sesse , had too much force with the queen , or only mov'd with the desire of revenge , resolved to accuse his mother of adultery . he carried it not on rashly , but with deliberation and cunning , drew his brother ferdinand to be of his side . at first , d. ferdinand thought that too wicked an undertaking , yet afterwards so far consented , as to swear he would stand neuter , without inclining to either party . the king was much surprized , when he heard of d. garcia's accusing his mother , and thereupon returned home . on the one side , the queen 's known vertue and integrity pleaded for her ; and on the other , he could not be persuaded his son could have taken such a matter in hand , without sufficient grounds . d. ferdinand being asked his opinion , made the case the more suspicious by his doubtful answer . in fine , the queen was secured in the castle of najara , and it was thought fit to have this business debated by the nobility . the result was , that unless the queen could find one to combat in defence of her honour , she should be burnt . the king had a bastard son , called ramiro , by a noble woman of navarre , some call her vrraca , others , caya . he taking compassion on the queen , and having discovered the falshood of d. garcia , challenged him , as was then used among the spaniards , and went out , to combat in defence of the queens honour . whatever party should prove victorious , it was a great misfortune to the king. but god in the utmost extremity prevented the mischief , for a holy man , by his persuasions , reduced the two brothers to confess their crime ; and casting themselves at the king's feet to beg his pardon . the king having reproached them with the hainousness of their guilt , turned them over to receive their doom from the queen , to whom alone , he gave the power of passing judgment on so hainous a fact. she overcome by the intreaties of the nobility , and submission of her sons , pardoned them , upon condition d. ramiro for his loyalty and good service , should have the kingdom of aragon secured to him . the defect in his birth being sufficiently made amends for , by his valour and vertue . d. garcia , the eldest son , was hereby cut off the inheritance due to him from his mother . king sancho consented to all that the queen had ordain'd . some authors scruple the truth of this relation , and say , the kingdoms were divided by the last will of d. sancho , whose example , was afterwards followed by his son d. ferdinand , who also divided his kingdoms among his children . it is hard to determine who is in the right , but indeed , that story about the queen , has the air of a romance . it is also said of d. garcia , that either to obtain pardon for that fault , or upon account of some vow , he went to rome to visit the holy places there . king sancho after all these troubles were over , gave his mind to religion . at that time , the monastery of cluni , in burgundy , was famous for having reformed the rules of s. benedict . thence he caused monks to come to instruct the monasteries of s. salvador de leyte , that of on̄a , and of s. john de la pen̄a , and to reduce them to the rigour of their foundation . besides , finding that lay-men , had thro' the confusions of the times , possessed themselves of the revenues of several churches , he caused them to be all restored . to the monks of the monastery of st. salvador de leyte , he gave the privilege of choosing the bishop of pamplona , as appears by his grant , bearing date in the year . the continual incursions of the moors , had caused the seat of the bishoprick of pamplona , to be removed from that city to the monastery of leyte , as the securer place , being seated on the top of the pyrenean mountains . now peace being established thro' the valour of king sancho , a synod was held at pamplona , at the request of sancho , abbot of leyte , and bishop of that city , in order to restore the see thither . for the present , it was deferred , but agreed to in the time of his successor , d. peter de roda. in his last days , the king caused the city palentia to be rebuilt . the occasion that moved him it to , as related by some , if ever there was any such , was in this manner . that city , during the wars was totally ruined , so that nothing remained but some old walls , and a church , dedicated to s. antholin . thither , the king being a hunting , pursued a wild boor , which took shelter in the very church by the altar , and the king lifting his arm to strike in that holy place , found it became on a sudden numb'd , and without motion . whereupon , invoking the saint , the use of his limb was again restored , and the king , as an acknowledgement of the relief received , caused the town and church to be rebuilt , making it an episcopal see. methinks i am writing fables or romances , but many of this nature are recounted in the chronicles of spain , which i will neither condemn , nor approve of ; let the reader judge of them as he shall think most agreeable to reason . let us conclude with this king , who by his great actions , both in peace and war , gain'd to himself immortal renown , and large dominions to his posterity . his life was glorious , but his death unfortunate ; for on the way to oviedo , whither he was going to visit the bodies of the saints that make that place famous , he was treacherously murdered by assassines that way-laid him . who the contrivers of that base action were , is not known , nor perhaps , was it then . it is suspected , some one of the princes that envy'd his greatness , was the cause of taking him off . his body was buryed at oviedo , with royal solemnity . some years after , his son d. ferdinand , king of castile , caused him to be translated to leon , and interr'd in the church of s. isidorus , where , upon his sepulcher is this inscription . here lieth sancho , king of the pyrenean mountains , and of toulouse , a catholick prince that stood by the church . he was killed on the th of october . to his children , he left great cause of debates , and much unhappiness to his kingdoms , by dividing them as he did , without any occasion . commonly the subjects pay for the sins and extravagancies of their princes . the history of spain . the ninth book . chap. i. the posture of affairs in spain . actions of d. berenguel , earl of barcelona . kingdoms of the moors . wars betwixt the kings of castile , and leon. ferdinand crowned king of leon. the mighty wars that hap'ned in spain , the great calamities and desolation thereof , and the irreconcilable enmities betwixt near relations , and even brothers , may be a sufficient warning to sovereigns not to divide their dominions , especially when their limits are but narrow . it is a certain maxim , that sovereignty admits of no fellowship , and ambition is not curbed by any ties , tho' never so sacred . hence may be inferred how much king 's err , who misled by fatherly affection , rend their kingdoms to raise many monarchies to their children . d. sancho , king of castile and navarre , whose life was related in the last book , has left us an example of that fatal policy . the christian dominions , then well extended in spain , were for the most part reduced under one head , as if heaven had purposely contrived it for the extirpation of the moors , who thro' their own distractions , were evidently tending to ruin . but this king , by dividing his dominions , caused that opportunity to be lost . we now enter upon more variety of matter , and consequently shall not be so concise as hitherto . therefore in the first place , it will be requisite to lay down the posture the affairs of spain were in , after the death of king sancho . he divided his kingdoms among his sons , in this manner . d. garcia , the eldest , had navarre , and the dominion of biscay , with all the country that lies betwixt the city najara , and mountains doca . d. ferdinand , the second son , during his father and mother's life , was put in possession of castile ; the title of earl thereof , being changed into that of king. to d. gonzalo , the youngest of the legitimate sons , was given sobrarve , and ribagorça , with the castles of loharri , and s. emeterius . d. ramiro , the bastard son , had the kingdom of aragon given him by his father , saving some castles , which were adjudged to his brother d. garcia . they all stiled themselves kings , and assumed regal honours , whence ensued dangerous and bloody wars . each looking back upon his father's grandeur , aspir'd to equal it , and repined that his dominions should be confined to such a narrow compass . at the same time d. bermudo , brother-in-law to ferdinand , king of castile , reigned at leon. under the crown of leon were comprehended the provinces of galicia and portugal , and part of old castile , as far as the river pisuerga . d. ramon , called the old earl of barcelona dy'd the same year as d. sancho , which was of grace . d. berenguel borello , his son succeeded him , who , tho' little in body , was not inferior in valour to any of his ancestors . he recovered from the moors , by force of arms , manresa , a place called prados del rey galafre , tarragona , cervera , and other neighbouring towns. besides , he subdued several moors who possessed lands thereabout , and obliged them to pay him tribute . he had two wives , called ramalduri and almadi . the first brought him two sons , d. peter and d. berenguel ; the second had only d. ramon berenguel , commonly nick-named cabeca de estopa , that is , flaxen head , from the colour and softness of his hair. this was the posture of the affairs of the christians in spain . the moors , as was said above , had as many kingdoms as capital cities . nevertheless , the kingdom of cordova , as the ancientest , was still the most considerable , as to extent of territory , but weak , thro' intestine broils . the next , was that of sevil , then toledo , zaragoça , huesca , and several other inferior kings , who might easily have been over-run , had the christians been united . that discord which hap'ned betwixt the princes , tho' near relations , and brothers , prevented the execution of so holy an undertaking . d. garcia , king of navarre , at the time of his father's death , was gone to rome to visit the churches of st. peter and paul. d. ramiro , his brother , thought good to lay hold of the opportunity his absence offered for enlarging his dominions . for the more security to his designs , he entred into league with the kings of zaragoça , huesca , and tudela , tho' moors , and joyn'd his forces with theirs . with them he broke into navarre , and laid siege to tafalla , a town of note . it hap'ned d. garcia at the same time , returned from his pilgrimage , and gathering what strength he could on a sudden , fell upon his brother with such fury , that he forced him to fly out of aragon , without stopping till he came to sobrarve . his flight was with such precipitation , that he was obliged to leap upon the next horse that came to hand , without saddle or bridle . these were the beginnings of greater troubles that ensued . the nobility of leon were offended at ferdinand , king of castile , and stirred up their king , d. bermudo against him . d. bermudo himself , was dissatisfied , for that the other had marry'd his sister against his will , and conquered a considerable part of his dominions , as was said in the last book . there was a fair opportunity of taking revenge , the brothers being at variance , and king ferdinand's force , but very small . wherefore d. bermudo gathers an army , and enters castile . d. ferdinand called upon his brother d. garcia for aid , who came speedily to his relief . their forces being joyn'd , they advance towards their enemy , and encamp'd in sight of him , on the banks of the river carrion , in the valley of tamaron , near a town called lantada . both sides were eager to fight , so there was no time lost , but they presently came to a battle , which proved very bloody , and great numbers were slain . in the heat of the action d. bermudo resolutely broke into the midst of the enemies , designing to single out king ferdinand , but was wounded with a spear , whereof he fell down dead . his death put an end to the war , for king ferdinand , after this victory , entred the kingdom of leon , which then belonged to him of right , and easily possessed himself of it , notwithstanding , some opposition was made only in hatred to the government of a stranger . but courage without strength , is useless . the city of leon at first , shut its gates against the conqueror , but being wholly unprovided of all necessaries to hold out a siege , soon surrendered . the citizens conducted the king with great joy to the church of s. mary de regla , where he was proclaimed and crowned . servandus , bishop of leon , performed the ceremony , in the year of grace . d. ferdinand , reign'd in leon years , months , and days , and years more in castile , part before , and part after the death of his father . chap. ii. ferdinand of castile and leon , the most powerful king of spain . overthrows the moors , takes several towns , and ravages the territories of the infidels . ramiro , king of aragon , wars on his brother of navarre . by the addition of this new kingdom , d. ferdinand became the most powerful king in spain . his zeal for religion , and many vertues , which were no way inferior to his power and warlike atchievements , caused him to be called the great , and the flattery of his people extended so far , as to stile him emperor . besides , he was fortunate in a numerous issue . his first child , before he came to the crown , was d. vrraca , next , d. sancho , who succeeded him , then d. elvira , who was married to the count de cabra , after her , d. alonso , who at last , became sole sovereign of all those dominions , and lastly , d. garcia , the youngest , all of them by one wife . these children were educated with that care as became their dignity . d. ferdinand having setled his government , enjoyed a perfect peace ; but thought nothing could gain him more reputation among his people , or be more pleasing to god , than to make war upon the moors . that part of the country lying betwixt the rivers guadiana and tagus , and along the river duero , being then the frontiers of the moors , was called estremadura , and still retains the name . having raised a considerable army , he marched towards those borders , as being the nearest , and because the moors then had made an inroad into the country of the christians , and taken a great booty . the king marched with such speed , that he put them to flight , and recovered all the prey . then encouraged with success , he marched into their territories , wasting all the country about merida and badajoz , without sparing any thing that came in his way , but driving a vast number of cattle and prisoners . besides , he took two towns , the one called sena , and the other , gani. in portugal , after a long siege , and vigorous resistance made by the moors , the city viseo surrendered . the taking of this city was most grateful to the king , not only in regard of its great importance , but also because in it he found the moor , who , as was said before , killed his father-in-law d. alonso , with a dart he threw from the wall. his death the king now revenged on the infidel , putting out his eyes , cutting off both his hands , and one of his feet . at this time also , were taken from the moors the castles of s. martin and taranço . hence the king went to the church of s. james the apostle , to pay his vows made , and offer new ones , to obtain that saint's assistance for the future , as he had till then . this hap'ned the second year after he was possessed of the crown of leon. the following year , which was of our lord . he commenced the war with greater heat than before , by the siege of coimbra , which at length was surrendred to him upon discretion . want of all necessaries obliged the besieged to submit , after enduring a siege of seven months , which some authors mistake , and would make seven years . at that time it was one of the most famous cities in portugal , now much more renown'd for learning , having been made an university by king john iii. of portugal , who assigned great revenues to it , and it is one of the chiefest in spain . it is said , the monks of a monastery called lormanus , ( or rather lorvao ) were a great help towards carrying on the siege , by relieving the king's army with great store of provision they had laid up unknown to the moors . what return the king made , is not known . by the taking of this city , the territories of the kingdom of leon were extended to the river mondego , which runs thro' it , and is called in latin , monda . the king gave the government of this city , and adjacent country , to one sisnandus , a man well skilled in the manner of fighting with the moors , having served benabet , king of sevil , in his wars against the christians ; such was the corruption of that age. after setling his conquest , the king again returned to visit the church of st. james , and offered part of the spoil in acknowledgment for his success past , and to beg a continuance for the future . this done , he took a progress to the principal cities of castile and leon , in manner of triumph , administring justice , and levying money , in order to carry on the war the next year against those moors , who lived along the banks of ebro , in great security , being grown rich in cattle they had taken from the christians . that conquest more properly appertained to the crowns of navarre and aragon ; but they being at war among themselves , had not leisure to think of any other business . d. ramiro had encreased his dominions with the addition of sobrarve and ribagorça , which fell to him by the death of his brother d. gonzalo . some authors will have it , that d. gonzalo dy'd before his father ; others say , he was treacherously killed by one ramonette , of gascogne , who way-laid him , near the bridge of montelus , as he returned from hunting . certain it is , his body was buryed in the church of s. victorianus . king ramiro , being thus encreased in strength , made war upon him of navarre , who with-held from him part of his kingdom of aragon . he was inferior in strength ; but besides , being a very expert soldier , he had succours from france , being married to gisberga , or as others call her hermesenda , daughter to bernard roger , earl of bigorre , by his wife garsenda . by this gisberga , or hermesenda , the king had d. ramiro , d. sancho , d. garcia , and d. sancha , married to the earl of toulouse , and d. teresa , wife to beltran , earl of provence . illegitimate , he had a son called d. sancho , to whom , he gave ayvar , xabier , latres , and ribagorça , all which , he dying without issue , returned to the crown of aragon . d. ramiro's arms were azure , a cross argent , afterwards changed by his successors , as shall be told in its place . let us return to king ferdinand , who entring the country of the moors , took santistevan de gormaz , vadoregio , aguilar , and valerancia , now called berlanga , then destroyed the territory of taraçona , and wasted the country as far as medina celi , throwing down all the beacons used by the moors to raise the people against the christians . thence he turned back , and passing the mountains , entred the kingdom of toledo , ravaging all about salamanca , vzeda , guadalajara , alcala , and even as far as madrid . almenon , king of toledo , moved by these losses , and fearing greater , bought a peace of king ferdinand , for a great sum of money . the same was done by the kings of zaragoça , portugal and sevil , and they promised to pay tribute yearly , to the great honour of the christians , and shame of the moors , who were now subject to those they had not long before lorded it over . these were special blessings of god for the good lives the christians then led , following the example of their king , whereby , many moors were converted , and the bodies of saints held even by them in great veneration . chap. iii. s. isidorus his body translated to leon. conversion of two moorish princesses . garcia king of navarre , kill'd by his brother ferdinand . ramiro king of aragon , recovers his dominions . there was a church dedicated to st. john baptist , the ancient burial place of the kings of leon , much decay'd , by reason of the wars , and with age. d. sancha the queen , perswaded her husband to repair it ; and order'd himself and posterity to be there inter'd . the more to increase the peoples devotion towards this church , the king thought good to enrich it with the bodies of some saints ; and therefore made war upon the king of sevil , to obtain that of s. justa , which that prince was willing to give to purchase peace ; but the people mutinying at such time as it should have been carryed away , those that were sent for it , in place of it , took the body of s. isidorus , formerly bishop of that city . this holy body was conducted in great state to leon , and there plac'd in the church of st. john baptist , which from thence forward lost that name , and was call'd of st. isidorus . in the year . was held a synod at coyança , now valencia , in the country of oviedo , at which were present the king , queen , nobility , and nine bishops . about the same time two daughters of moorish kings were converted and baptized ; the one was casilda , daughter to almenon king of toledo , the other zaida , daughter to benabet of sevil. the cause of their conversion was thus . casilda was very compassionate , and us'd to relieve the captive christians , which much offended her father , who met her one day carrying meat to them , and asking what it was , she said , they were roses , and uncovering found the meat converted into those flowers . this miracle mov'd her to embrace christianity , and soon after being sick , she was advis'd to bath her self in st. vincent's lake , which is in the territory of briviesca , where she soon recover'd her health , was baptiz'd , and continu'd in the same place the rest of her days , leading a very holy life ; insomuch , that she is reckoned in the number of saints . zaida , either by her example , or some other motive , was inclin'd to become a christian , and st. isidorus appear'd to her in a dream , perswading her to put in execution so good a purpose . she acquainted her father with it , and he being unwilling to oppose her , yet fearing to displease the people if he consented , agreed with d. alonso , king ferdinand's son , that he should force her away from a place where he would leave her , which was accordingly perform'd , and she carryed to leon , there instructed and baptiz'd . some say she was call'd elizabeth , others mary , so many affirm , she was after marry'd to d. alonso , when he was king of castile ; yet pelagius bishop of oviedo , says , she was not his wife , but mistress . these contradictions , and many other that occur in this history , are hard to be reconcil'd . in the year of grace . d. garcia , king of navarre , was kill'd in the wars , being a couragious and wise prince , no less a souldier than a general . those seeds of discord that some years before had been sow'd between the brothers , now grew up to the ruin of d. garcia . d. ferdinand pretended a right to the territory of briviesca , and part of rioja . on the other side d. garcia complain'd , that wrong had been done him in the division of the kingdom , and pleaded right of inheritance against his father's will. d. garcia fell sick at najara , d. ferdinand coming to visit him , he resolv'd to secure him ; but d. ferdinand having notice of his design fled . d. garcia to take off the hatred conceiv'd against him for that falshood , seem'd much concern'd that his brother should suspect him , and hearing he was sick at burgos , went thither to visit him . this satisfy'd not d. ferdinand , for he seiz'd his brother , and sent him , with a guard , to the castle of ceya . he corrupting his keepers , fled to navarre , with a resolution to take revenge . having gather'd all his own , and the forces of the moors his confederates , he entred castile , and after passing the mountains doca , committed great havock . king ferdinand was not idle , but mov'd with an army of experienc'd souldiers towards his brother . they came in sight of each other near a town call'd atapuerca , about four leagues from burgos ; there incamp'd , intrench'd first , and then drew out in order of battle . these two brothers differ'd much in conditions . d. ferdinand was affable , courteous , meek , and withal , the best souldier of his time . d. garcia was fierce , hasty and talkative , which made him odious to his souldiers ; besides , that he had wrongfully depriv'd many of their estates , of which before the battle he was desir'd to make restitution ; but he refus'd to give ear to so reasonable a request . many fear'd god would punish him for this unjustice , and chiefly an antient man , whose name is not known ; but that he had been his tutor ; he made some overtures for an accommodation . d. ferdinand was willing , but d. garcia could not be mov'd by any perswasions , or intreaties ; his sins making him deaf to all wholesome advice . in fine , the signal being given , both armies met with great fury . d. garcia , his tutor , seeing his party bore down , rush'd into the midst of the enemy , and was there kill'd . the navarrois could not withstand the fury of d. ferdinand's charge , and two souldiers that had feign'd to desert to them , breaking through the guards , kill'd the king with their spears ; who being down , his men soon fled . king ferdinand being no less troubled for the death of his brother , than he was joyful for the victory , order'd the christians that remain'd to be spared , which was perform'd , and in the pursuit only , the moors were put to the sword , and made prisoners . the body of d. garcia , with the consent of the victor , was carry'd by his souldiers to najara , and there buryed in the church of s. mary which he had built from the ground . by his wife d. stephania , a french-woman , he left four sons , and as many daughters , which were d. sancho , who succeeded in the crown , d. ramiro , to whom he gave calahorra , taken from the moors , d. ferdinand , and d. ramon . the daughters were , d. ximena , d. erriesinda , d. mayor , and d. vrraca ; this last marry'd to the earl d. garcia , of whom we shall have occasion to speak hereafter . the king being thus kill'd , his dominions were wasted and divided among them by his brothers . king ferdinand , without any opposition , took to himself those places the dispute had been about , which were , briviesca , montes doca , and part of rioja , through which runs the river oja , that gives its name to the country . this river has its springs in the mountains of santo domingo de la calçada , and falls into ebro , near the town of haro . the other part of rioja , navarre , the dukedom of biscay , najara , logron̄o , and other places remain'd to d. sancho the son of d. garcia . d. ramiro laying hold of this opportunity recovered aragon , and was in hopes to make himself master of navarre , his deceased brothers kingdom , for it appears by ancient records , that at this time he called himself king of aragon , sobrarve , ribagorça , and pamplona . besides , he recovered from the moors , who had entred ribagorça , a town called benavario . at length , after much bickering , d. sancho , and d. ramiro concluded a peace , each giving and receiving certain castles for their security . d. sancho had ruesta and pitilla , d. ramiro sanguessa , lerda and ondusio . both unkle and nephew were jealous of king ferdinand , and feared he might make his advantage of their discord , therefore they concluded a league defensive and offensive among themselves . chap. iv. the manner how spain became exempted from the roman empire . the famous roderick diaz de bivar , commonly called cid . his extraction and first actions . three synods held in spain . at the time that spain wasted it self with intestine wars , henry the second who translated the empire out of france into germany , was emperor . the church was governed by leo ix . and after him by victor ii. this last desiring to reform the clergy grown very dissolute , called a council to florence , in the year . thence he sent hildebrand , a monk of cluni , who for his learning and ability , had been created cardinal , to move the emperor , to reduce the clergy , to their primitive purity of life , as also to suppress the heresie of berengarius , then breaking out at tours in france . our historians add , that at his councel there were embassadors , from the same emperor , who among other things complained to the pope and fathers , that ferdinand king of castile , had not only disowned the emperors authority , but proceeded so far in his arrogancy and pride , as to usurp the stile and title of emperor . whereupon they exhorted the council to stand up for the honour of the empire , and in return the emperor would espouse the cause of the church , otherwise if they refused , he should be obliged to take up arms in defence of the imperial honour and authority . the fathers answered , they would indeavour to give the emperor content , and declared themselves for him , asserting the justice of his demands . embassadors were sent to king ferdinand , to warn him in the name of the council , to submit himself to the empire , and not presume for the future , to stile himself emperor . they had orders in case he refused , to excommunicate him . the king having heard their embassy , was perplexed , and knew not what answer to return , and therefore resolved to convene his states or parliament , that it might be there debated , what was best to be done . opinions there varyed , the most consciencious were for obeying the pope , the bolder were positively against submitting to that heavy yoke . at that time roderick de bivar , afterwards called cid , was in the prime of his years , being not above , in high esteem for his great valour , wisdom and conduct . not long before he had fought d. gomez earl of gormaz , and killed him , whereupon he marryed d. ximena , daughter and heiress to the said earl , at her request , she having moved it to the king , that he should either marry her , or suffer according to law. by the addition of her estate , to that he had as his own , he became so rich and powerful , that he adventured with his own forces , to make excursions into the territories of the infidels , and in battle overthrew five moorish kings , who having passed the mountain doca , infested the lands of rioja . he recovered the booty , and took them prisoners , but released them upon condition , they should pay him a yearly tribute . at this time king ferdinand was busie , in rebuilding the city zamora , which had not been repaired since the moors destroyed it , in the reign of king ramiro . he granted that such as would inhabit there should be governed according to the ancient laws of that city , which were those of the goths . it hap'ned whilst the king was there , the moors came to pay the tribute , they had agreed upon to roderick diaz , and called him cid , which in arabick signifies lord. all this was done in the presence of the king and his courtiers , whence many took an occasion to envy and hate him . yet the king admiring his worth , ordered that for the future he should be called cid , which was done accordingly , so that his own name was almost forgot , the new title being given him , as long as he lived . our historians add , that the kings ferdinand of castile , and ramiro of aragon , being at variance about the right to the city calahorra , they agreed to put the decision of that controversy , to the issue of a combat to be fought by two persons , one appointed by each king : he of aragon chose martin gomez , and he of castile took roderick diaz for his champion , who slew gomez , supposed by some to be the stock from which is descended , the noble family of luna in spain . the most learned look upon all this as fabulous , by reason that d. garcia king of navarre , took that city from the moors , and therefore the king of aragon could pretend no right to it . roderick diaz being newly married , was not in the assembly of the states at such time , as the emperor and popes demands , touching the kings submiting himself to the empire , were heard and debated . the king was more inclinable to peace , yet feared the ill consequences of condescending to own a foreign superiority . therefore he would resolve upon nothing , till roderick was called , and consulted about this affair . he being come , and asked his opinion , replyed , it was no matter of dispute , but that the liberty of spain , ought to be asserted by force of arms , it being unreasonable that those who had not helped to relieve them , from the tyranny of the moors , should pretend to any power over them , that he was resolved to stand up for the honour of his country , and would look upon all as cowards and traytors , that were not of the same opinion . this reply of his , confirmed those who before were dubious and fearful , and a suitable answer was sent to the pope . in order to oppose the emperor , levies was made throughout the kingdom , and men raised , besides the auxiliary forces of the moors , who were subject to the christians . roderick diaz was appointed their general , who to gain the greater reputation passed the pyrenean mountains , and marched as far as toulouze , which city ( i suppose ) was then subject to spain , as appears by the inscription on the tomb of king sancho the greater above mentioned . thence he sent embassadors to the pope , desiring him to depute commissioners , to hearthe reasons , the spaniards had to offer in their own defence . the principal men sent were count roderick , not he that was called cid , and d. alvar yan̄ez minaya , who prevailed with the pope to send rupertus cardinalis sabinensis his legate , and certain embassadors from the emperor , before whom the case might be argued and decided . mean while king ferdinand returned out of france into spain . the legate and embassadors stayed at toulouse , where the whole matter having been debated , judgment was given in behalf of spain , and it was declared the emperors for the future , ought not to pretend to any right over it . and from that time , it has ever been the opinion of all civilians , that spain owed no acknowledgment to the empire . popes have also pretended to receive tribute from spain , as appears by a bull of gregory vii . directed to the king and lords , in which he says , such tribute used to be payed before the moors possessed themselves of the country . but this took no effect , and it appears that spain has never since been tributary to any foreign prince . roderick diaz was descended from lain calvo , who as we said above was judge of castile , for this judge by his wife d. elvira nun̄a bella , had fernan nun̄o . this nuno by his wife d. egilona , had lain nun̄o , who had a son called james laynez , the husband of teresa nun̄a , and father of roderick diaz , commonly called cid . he by his wife d. ximena , had a son called james rodriguez de bivar , killed whilst the father was yet living , in the wars with the moors , and two daughters , which were d. elvira , and d. sol , of whom we shall speak hereafter . about this time some synods were held . the first at compostella , in the year . here it was ordained that bishops and priests should say mass every day , and that the canons should wear hair cloth on the fasting days , and at all times when the litanies were said upon account of any publick necessity . another synod was held at jaca , of the dominions of aragon , in the year . two years after this , another was celebrated at s. john de la pen̄a . near this same time , tho' authors do not agree upon the year , cardinal hugo , the popes legate in spain , in an assembly of nobility and clergy , held by consent of ramon earl of barcelona , in that city , abrogated the laws of the goths , till then in use among the catalonians , and instituted others , which are in force to this day . this cardinal hugo , i suppose is the same , that had the sirname of candidus , and came legate into spain , in the year . at such time as there were two pretenders to the papacy , and both stiled themselves popes . one called himself alexander ii. the other honorius ii. the kings of spain adhered to alexander , whose legate this was , and who seemed to have the better title . chap. v. the remaining part of the reign of ferdinand , king of castile and leon. his dominions divided among his children . of d. ramiro king of aragon . perpignan built . the late troubles caused by the emperors pretensions , gave the moors an opportunity of casting off the heavy yoke king ferdinand had laid on them . at the same time , as it were by common consent , they all appeared in arms , but chiefly in the kingdom of toledo , and among the celtiberi , which is part of aragon . the king was old , and tired with continual wars , besides the revenues were exhausted , and the subjects wasted with heavy taxes . queen sancho , a woman of a masculine spirit , being desirous to advance christianity , offered towards the charge of the war , all the money , plate , and jewels that belonged to her . this supply so incouraged the king , that raising a powerful army , he attack'd the moors about the river ebro , and made a great slaughter of them . thence he advanced as far as catalonia , and valencia , and returned loaded with booty . he had the same succeess against the kingdom of toledo , and obliged them all to swear , they would punctually pay the tribute imposed on them . this done he returned home in triumph . some authors write , that near valencia , s. isidorus , to whom he had always a particular devotion , appeared to him , bidding him to prepare for he should soon die . his sickness , which presently followed , confirmed this opinion , wherefore having settled all things with the moors , he returned towards leon , being carryed in a litter upon mens shoulders , the soldiers and officers striving who should carry him . on the first of january . he entred the city of leon , and as he was used , visited the bodies of the saints , prostrating himself on the ground , begging a happy death , and tho' the disease increased , stayed at matins , heard mass and received . the day following he returned to the church of s. isidorus , and three days after dyed . this is what the archbishop d. roderick , and d. lucas de tuy write , yet others say , he dyed at cabeçon , a town near valladolid , neither do authors agree in the time of his death . king ferdinand's life was so holy , that his feast is celebrated at leon as a saint . he built many churches , and repaired others . queen sancha was not inferior to her husband in vertue , she dyed two years after him , and was buryed by the king , in the church of s. isidorus . garibay says , king ferdinand dyed in the year , and quotes many authors , who all vary in the time , as they do in the place of his death , so that these things are very uncertain . king ferdinand , by his last will , divided his kingdoms among his three sons . to d. sancho the eldest , he left castile , extending from the rivèr ebro , till that of pisuerga , for all that was taken upon the death of d. garcia was added to castile . the kingdom of leon , fell to d. alonso , with the territory of campos , and that part of asturias , that reaches to the river deva , running by oviedo , as also some towns in galicia . d. garcia the youngest , had the remaining part of galicia , and as much of portugal , as had been recovered from the moors . all three called themselves kings . besides , king ferdinand left the city zamora , to his daughter d. vrraca , and that of toro to d. elvira . these cities were then called infantado , which is as much as the principality , signifying thereby , the estate left for support of the younger children . spain being divided , it was impossible it should enjoy peace , all people were in suspence , expecting great revolutions upon the king's death . to prevent these misfortunes , many of the nobility had endeavoured to disswade him from this resolution , and the matter had been handled in parliament . arias gonzalo , an ancient , wise , and experienced man , had stirred most in this affair , but fatherly love , suffered not his prudent advice to take place . d. sancho , became the throne , as being a comely and graceful youth , better versed in war than in state affairs , and therefore called the strong . pelagius ovetensis says , he was very beautiful and expert in martial affairs . he was naturally mild and affable , if not provoked , or incensed by false friends . upon the death of his father , he openly complained of the wrong had been done him , by dividing the kingdom . yet his mother whilst she lived , restrained him from falling upon his brothers , especially for that after the king's death , the crown of leon devolved upon her , as being her own dower . d. sancho reigned years , months , and days . at the beginning of his reign , he had war with the moors , and soon after with the king of aragon . king ramiro of aragon , desiring to enlarge his territories , laboured successfully , to expel the remainder of the moors out of that kingdom . he obliged almugdadi king of zaragoça , and almudafar king of lerida , to become tributary , and overthrew the king of huesca . those about zaragoça , having been subdued by king ferdinand , were become tributary to him , but now upon the change of kings , and relying on the assistance of d. ramiro , they resolved to fall off . king sancho having speedily gathered an army , marched against them . those of toledo immediately submitted , but the aragonians stood out . hereupon having wasted all the country , he layed siege to zaragoça , and press'd it so vigorously , it was surrendred to him upon condition , he should be obliged to support the city against all enemies , as well christians as moors . this capitulation seem'd directly levell'd against the king of aragon . d. sancho was offended that the king of aragon join'd with the navarrois , who often made inroads upon the dominions of castile ; and besides , that he receiv'd tribute from those aragonians that were his subjects . the aragonians had then laid siege to the castle of grados , built by the moors , on the banks of the river esera , to curb the christians . king sancho , in pursuance of his capitulation with the moors , marched to raise that siege . the army of aragon being surpriz'd , and attack'd in front and rear by the christians and insidels , was easily routed ; some fled , others were kill'd , amongst which number was the king himself . this was much about the year . d. ramiro of aragon had reign'd years , his body was bury'd in the church of st. john de la pen̄a , where many of his predecessors lay . d. sancho ramirez , his son , succeeded in the throne at the age of . a prince not unlike to his father in virtue . in this princes time , and in the year of grace . guinard earl of russillon , built the town of perpignan , on the borders of france , not far from the antient city russillon ; the name of perpignan was taken from one bernard perpignan , who kept two inns in that place . this king sancho is said to have abrogated the laws of the goths , as the catalonians had done before , and established the imperial civil law. he was married to d. felicia , daughter to armengaud earl of vrgel , by whom he had three sons , d. peter , d. alonso , and d. ramiro , who were all successively kings of aragon . a bastard son of his called d. garcia , was afterwards bishop of jaca . at the same time there reign'd in spain three kings , who were cousin-germans , tho' not equal in power , yet all alike in the manner of their death . d. sancho king of castile was the greatest ; he had blemish'd the beginning of his reign , by killing his uncle , king ramiro , and growing fierce with success , was daily driving at greater mischiefs ; his strength being terrible to the others . d. sancho , king of navarre , maintain'd his small kingdom , by making a league with him of aragon , to secure both against castile . he of castile understanding their design , thought to be beforehand with them , and broke into navarre , without stoping , till he came in sight of viana . there the two kings met him , and they came to a battle , in which the castilians were defeated ; and their king having lost many men , return'd into his own country . the victors resolving to make use of their success , broke into the territories of rioja , and briviesca , where they recovered all that king ferdinand had taken . thus were those three princes destroying one another , without reflecting upon what they might expect from the moors . the king of castile could not at that time take revenge of his cousins , being ingaged in a new war against his brothers . he was ambitious , rash , and hot , and pretended a right to all that had been his fathers , and did not want other grounds to raise a quarrel upon . his brothers , tho' weak , could not be perswaded to unite their forces against their common enemy . d. sancho having gathered a powerful army , resolved to carry on his designs . on the other side , d. alonso , whom that storm threatned first , having sent embassadors to procure assistance from his brother and cousins , gathered a number of good soldiers , and marched toward the enemy . both armies met near a town called piantaca , where was fought a bloody battle , both sides for a long time resolutely maintaining their ground , but at length , d. alonso was discomfited , his army put to the rout , and he forced to fly to the city leon. chap. vi. the progress of the war d. sancho made upon his two brothers . he expels alonso , king of leon , first , and then garcia , king of galicia , lays siege to the city zamora , and is there murdered . king alonso after the defeat above-mentioned , having with all possible speed recruited his army , met the enemy again near a town called golpelara , ( according to pelagius , bishop of oviedo , the archbishop d roderick , calls it vulpecularia ) on the banks of the river carrion . here the fortune of the day was changed , and the castilians routed . roderick dyaz , who accompanied . king sancho in all his wars , guessing that success would produce security to the victors , rally'd his scattered soldiers , and by break of day fell upon the enemy in their camp , as they lay buried in sleep and wine . in this confusion some fled , others stood to their arms , all commanded , and none obeyed . thus in a short time were they overthrown ; d. alonso retired to the church of carrion , which he had garisoned . there he was taken , and sent prisoner to the castle of burgos . the princess vrraca , sister to both kings , who loved d. alonso , and the count d. peranzules , who never forsook him , interposing , king sancho consented that his brother should go to the monastery of sahagun , on the banks of the river cea , and there renouncing the world , took upon him the religious habit. he took the habit in the year . but after some time , at the persuasion of those that brought him thither , fled , and put himself into the hands of almenon , the moorish king of toledo , who had been a great friend to his father . the moor received him with joy and affection , gave him a house near the palace to live in , and assigned him a pension . on the other part , d. alonso swore to be true and faithful to that king , and to be ready upon all occasions to serve him . he being of a graceful , comely person , modest , discreet , liberal and affable , soon gained the affections of those people . d. vrraca , his sister , sollicited for him ; she obtained leave of king sancho , for count peranzules , and his two brothers , gonzalo and ferdinand , to go wait upon d. alonso . with those three went many others , all whom , the moorish king received into pay , that they might not want subsistance , and might be serviceable to him in his wars against the neighbouring moors . thus that banished prince spent his time , when the wars ceased , he gave himself to hunting ; and for the greater conveniency , built a country-house , whither others resorting , and building , it became a noted place , now called brihuega , a town not obscure , in the kingdom of toledo . his ordinary residence was in toledo , where he often conversed with the k. who was very much taken with him . it hap'ned they went out one day to recreate themselves to a garden , near the city , now called the king's garden , where d. alonso fell asleep . the king and his courtiers , who lay hard by , under a tree , began to discourse of the great strength of toledo . one among the rest , said there was but one way to take the city , which was by famine , keeping it block'd up seven years together . d. alonso , who was not quite asleep , or else wakened , was pleased to hear this discourse , and charged his memory with it . another day he being with the king , his hair stood up an end , and tho' the king stroked it down two or three times , still it rose again . the moors , who are very superstitious , said that was an omen he would possess himself of that kingdom , if they did not prevent it by killing him . but who can prevent the decrees of the almighty ? the king , who was compassionate , could not be persuaded to break the laws of hospitality ; but was satisfied with d. alonso's oath , that he would ever be a true friend to him . this is what hap'ned at toledo . king sancho grown haughty with success , possessed himself of all the kingdom of leon , some places submitting , others being taken by force , as was the city leon , after holding out a long siege . all being reduced , he advanced into galicia , against his other brother , who was in a very weak condition , his kingdom being all divided into factions , and full of mutinies , by reason of the heavy taxes he laid upon the people , as also , because he put the government of himself and his kingdoms into the hands of a servant , who was his favourite . the nobility offended at this , killed that servant in his presence , and not so satisfied , took up arms , and put the whole kingdom into an uproar . this was the condition of galicia , when king sancho invaded it . d. garcia finding it impossible , his subjects being in rebellion , to withstand his brother , fled with only men to the moors in portugal , and there endeavoured to stir them up to espouse his quarrel , and so to revenge their own ; but all his persuasions were of no force , and he obtained nothing . being disappointed in that part ; yet he resolved to try his fortune , with such as resorted to him , some of whom came out of hatred to king sancho , others in hope of plunder , and were of both sorts , as well moors as christians . thus entring his kingdom , the towns of portugal easily submitted to him . king sancho marched to quench this flame that began to blaze , before it could grow to a head . he marched as far as santarem , formerly called scalabis , there the two armies met , and came to a battle , in which , the castilians were victorious . great slaughter were made of the enemies , many of them were taken , and among the rest d. garcia himself , who was kept prisoner in the castle of luna , in galicia , all the remaining part of his life . he was naturally sloathful and negligent , talkative , and unsit to weather such great storms as were raised against him . d. sancho having striped his brothers , and being now possess'd of all his father's dominions , grew more haughty , and made no reflection upon the inconstancy of humane felicities . having despoiled his brothers , nothing remained , but his sisters , whom also he designed to deprive of the lands their father had left them . the city zamora was well fortify'd , had a strong garrison , and store of arms and provisions . the inhabitants were faithful and resolute , always ready to oppose any that should assault them . arias gonçalo , an ancient , experienced , and discreet gentleman , was their commander , and by his advice , the princess vrraca was governed . the king seeing there was no hopes that they would submit to him by fair means , sate down with his army before that city , with a resolution not to desist till he was master of it . the siege was carried on with vigour , and all sorts of engines then in use , apply'd against the works ; so that the citizens being streightned , began to waver , and think of a surrender . such was the condition of the town , when a treacherous fellow , called vellido delphos , ( whether of his own design , or by advice of others , is not known ) resolved to murder the king , and by that means , put an end to the siege . he got admittance to the king , upon pretence of discovering the designs of the besieged , and showing him the weakest part of the wall. men easily believe what they desire , so the king went out with only that man to view what he promised to show him ; but when he least thought of it , velledo dolphos threw a spear he had in his hand at him , which pierced thro' his body . no sooner was this done , but the murderer fled to the city , pursued by several of the king's soldiers , who being at some distance , could not overtake him , the guards letting him in at the gate . this gave occasion to the besiegers to believe , all , or most of the townsmen had consented to the murder . the troops of leon and galicia , who were not well affected to the king , immediately quitted the field , and returned home . those of castile , being the ancienter subjects , divided themselves , part went to carry his body to the monastery of on̄a , where it was bury'd without any pomp , the greater number stay'd to carry on the siege , and revenge his death . they threatned to subvert the city , and put all the inhabitants to the sword , as traitors . particularly , james ordon̄ez , of the family of lara , a youth of great strength and valour , appeared before the city , armed at all points , and a horse-back , and standing on a high ground , to be the better heard , rent the skies with loud cries , threatning ruin and destructions . the citizens between fear and shame , durst not open their mouths only arias gonzalo , tho' he might well have been excused by his great age , offered himself , and his sons to fight that gentleman , for the honour of his country . it was the custom of castile , that whosoever charged a city with treason , was obliged to fight five , one after another to make good his charge . the three sons of arias gonzalo , peter , james , and roderick , entered the lists one after another , and were all three killed by d. james ordon̄ez . yet the last , tho' mortally wounded , striking at his enemy , wounded his horse , and cut his reins , so that the horse affrighted , carryed d. james out of the lists , which , according to the law of arms , was a token he was beaten . the judges could not determine the case , one side insisting upon the custom and law of arms , and the other pleading , this was meer accident ; and thus ended that much celebrated dispute . chap. vii . king alonso returns from among the moors , and recovers his brother's kingdoms . the first part of his reign . actions of roderick de bivar . king sancho of navarre murdered by his own brother . d. vrraca being in care for her brother d. alonso , sent away a messenger to him to toledo , acquainting him with the unfortunate death of his brother , and advising him to come away with all speed , and take possession of the crown . the moorish king wanted not intelligence , having spies in the christian army . at length , the messenger from the princess arrived , and gave d. alonso an account of all that had hap'ned . count peranzules advised him to get away privately without acquainting the moorish k. for fear he should stop him ; yet d. alonso acquainted the king with the news he had received , and desired his leave to go take possession of the kingdom that was fallen to him . the moor was pleased with this sincere dealing , assured him the ways were laid , in case he had attempted to steal away , caused him to renew his oath , to be a friend to him and his son hissem ; and that done , not only lent him money for present use , but accompanied him a considerable space . this i look upon to be more likely than what d. lucas de tuy writes , that he was let down over the walls , and made his escape , having horses provided for that purpose . being come to zamora , he consulted with the princess what was best to be done , and dispatched expresses to all parts , to give notice of his being there . the people of leon , without any difficulty , admitted and proclaimed him king. galicia was dubious , d garcia upon this revolution having broke prison , and endeavouring to recover his crown . d. alonso sent persons of note to treat with him , and he being fair conditioned and easie , was easily prevailed upon , so that without any further security asked , he came away to his brother , not doubting to obtain what he desir'd . but he was deceived , being presently seized , and sent back to prison , where he continued the rest of his life with good usage , if any could be thought such , where a crown and liberty were lost at once . thus galicia was brought under . the nobility of castile being assembled at burgos , agreed to admit d. alonso for their king , if he would first swear he had no hand in the murder of his brother . d. alonso hearing of it , went thither , and every body fearing to tender him this oath , roderick diaz , called cid , undertook it . the oath being solemnly taken , he was proclaimed with great joy. for the present , he connived at this affront , but reserved a grudge in his heart against roderick diaz . d. alonso was years of age when he returned to his crown ; and for his military exploits , was called the brave . besides , he was prudent , temperate , modest , and bountiful . the death of d. sancho , and restauration of d. alonso , hap'ned in the year . at this time , gregory vii . was pope , and the same year dy'd in spain s. dominick de silos , a monk of cluni , famous for sanctity of life . the beginning of d. alonso's reign was not free from some troubles , which were soon appeased , and ended well . in the second year of his reign , which was . the kings of cordova , and toledo were at war , about the limits of their kingdoms . d. alonso , as being so much obliged to him of toledo , gathered a good army to assist him . king almenon , at first , feared this preparations was against him , but being better informed , both kings joyn'd their forces , and in that manner entred the territory of cordova , where they wasted all the country , and brought away great numbers of cattle and prisoners . no battle was fought , because the king of cordova shunned it . about this time dy'd the first wife of d. alonso , her name was agnes . he married a french lady , called constantia , by whom he had one only daughter , whose name was vrraca , and who afterwards inherited all her father's dominions , as shall be seen in its place . at the instance of this queen , ( as i suppose , ) an embassy was sent to rome , to desire the pope to send a legate into spain , with full power to reform the clergy , grown very dissolute . richard , cardinal and abbot of s. victor of marseilles , was the legate , who , in the year . called a council of all the bishops in spain , to burgos . in this council it was ordained , that the roman ministry should be in force , which ( i believe to be ) the forbiding of priests to marry . here also , as had been done before in aragon , the gothick breviary and missal , were abolished , and the roman ordered to be used . thus much as to ecclesiastical affairs . roderick diaz , was now sent into andaluzia , to oblige the moorish kings of cordova and sevil , to pay the usual tribute . the kings of granada and sevil were at war , and the former had the better , by reason some christians served under him . roderick diaz endeavoured to bring them to an accommodation , but he of granada refusing , was overthrown , and forced to accept of the conditions offered at first . in fine , peace was established betwixt those moors , and the christian army returned loaded with booty , and carrying home the tribute they had received . for the many victories he gained the soldiers and people , called roderick diaz , cid campeador , which is as much as , lord of the field . this raised the envy of the nobility and gentry , who used all means to lessen and destroy him . this was the easier to perform , because the king was before offended at him , and a new occasion of reflecting on him offered it self . the moors of andaluzia had revolted , and the king went in person to subdue them . at the same time , a number of infidels out of aragon , broke into castile , wasting the territory of santistevan de gormaz , roderick diaz , who lived retired upon his estate , knowing the king was then absent with the forces of the kingdom , gathered what men he could , and therewith not only expelled the moors , but pursuing them , entred the kingdom of toledo , without stopping till he came in sight of that city , destroying all the country , taking a great booty , and slaves , men , women and children . his enemies represented this to the king , as a breach of the peace with the king of toledo , and said , there was no reason to suffer a mad-man to commit daily extravagancies . this affair being debated among the nobility , it was resolved he should be banished , and only days given him to depart the kingdom . he not daring to stand this shock , recommended his wife and children , to the care of the abbot of s. peter de carden̄a , a monastery he had a particular devotion for , and then set out with a good retinue , resolving not to be idle during his exile , but to do all the harm he could to the moors . the number of those that went with him , was not great ; but they were chosen men , with them he entred the kingdom of toledo , and going along up the river henares , pierced into that part of aragon , where is alhama , and the river xalon , that waters much of the country , being drawn out in small chanels . he took from the moors the strong castle of alcozer , seated on a hill , and thence infested all the neighbouring country , having defeated two captains , sent by the king of valencia , to oppose him . the booty he took , was extraordinary rich , of which , he sent horses , led by as many moors , and scymiters of a present to king alonso , who received it with great signs of satisfaction . all the people extolled his goodness and merit , comparing him to the heroes , antiquity has so much boasted of . king alonso gave a courteous answer to the messengers that brought the present , but would not recall their master , lest the moors should be offended , if he forgave him so soon ; but leave was given to all those who desired it , to follow and serve under him . this was not done only to oblige him , but to rid the country of many troublesome people , who being bred in arms , knew not how to be idle . tho' these things happened in several years , we have put them together for the ease of the memory . let us now turn back to the year . d. sancho , king of navarre , had a brother , called d. ramon , these , tho' sons of one father and mother , differed much in nature and inclinations . d. ramon was turbulent , without regard of justice , and many like himself followed him , with whose assistance , he aimed at the crown . the king was very religious , and had by his queen d. placencia , a young son , called d. ramiro ; some authors say he had two other sons . d. ramon stiled the king's bounty , prodigality , and finding him old , and his sons in their infancy , with the help of his friends , seized on some strong-holds , in order to carry on his wicked designs , the king endeavoured to reclaim him , but seeing all fair means were of no force , caused him to be impeached , and absent as he was , to be declared a publick enemy , and condemned to death . thus they became open enemies , and each sought the death of the other . wicked men are generally more cautious , and designing , whereas the just , relying on a good conscience , are more open . the king being in the town of rhoda , the traytor surpriz'd and murder'd him there , d. ramiro , the eldest son of the deceased , fled for protection to roderick diaz , the two others to d. alonso , king of castile . the nobility of the kingdom meeting , resolved not to submit to the murderer , but because the princes were young and absent , offered the crown to d. sancho , king of aragon , cousin-german to the deceased . he lost no time , but embracing the offer , secured the greatest part of the kingdom . that part ●●ich is about bribiesca and rioja , submitted to alonso , king of castile , who pretended a better right to navarre , in regard that d. ramiro , father to the king of aragon , was a bastard . particularly , the city najara was surrendred to him , where , in the church of s. mary the royal , were buried the bodies of the dead king and his wife . the king of aragon , rather than break with him of castile , agreed to pay a certain acknowledgment yearly for navarre , as appears by ancient records of d. sancho , and d. peter . the murderer seeing how the new king was received , and having lost all hopes of being able to oppose him , fled to zaragoça , where the moorish king gave him a house , and certain lands , to support the remainder of his miserable life . chap. viii . the death of almenon , king of toledo , and of d. ramon , earl of barcelona . the conquests of the normans in italy . the conquest of toledo resolved upon . ramon , earl of barcelona , murdered . in the year of grace . dy'd two famous princes . these were almenon , king of toledo , and d. ramon , earl of barcelona , sirnam'd the old , which was the most remarkable thing that happened that year . hissem , son to the late king , succeeded his father in the throne of toledo , and during the short time of his reign , which was but one year , kept up the amity betwixt king alonso of castile , and himself , as he had been charged by his father . after the death of hissem , reigned his brother hiaya aldirbil , much unlike to his father and brother . he was a coward , and unfit for government , lewd in his life , and spar'd not the wives and daughters of his subjects , whereby he became odious as well to the moors as christian inhabitants of toledo . upon the death of hissem , d. alonso was discharged of the oath he had taken at toledo , to be friend to the father and son. both moors and christians , weary of the tyranny of that new prince , solicited king alonso to free them from that slavery , and possess himself of that city . these were the first inducements to undertake the conquest of that most noble city , the metropolis of all that kingdom . d. ramon , earl of barcelona , dy'd in that city , and was bury'd in the cathedral thereof , which he had built from the ground , with all suitable pomp and grandeur . he divided his dominions betwixt his two sons , d. berenguel , and d. ramon , called cabeça de estopa , or flaxen-head . this last , ( according to mariana the younger , but according to several testimonies brought in opposition to him by peter mantuanus , in his animadversions on his history , the elder brother ) marry'd a vertuous lady , daughter to robert guiscard , a norman , but then very powerful in italy , as zurita , lib. . cap. . relates . at this time the normans were possessed of the extreme parts of italy and sicily . this lady built two monasteries , one of the invocation of s. daniel , in the valley of s. mary , in the territory of cabrera , the other near girona , where , after the death of her husband , she spent the remainder of her life in much sanctity . both monasteries were given to the nuns of s. benedict . d. ramon arnaldo , or berenguel , who succeeded his father in that earldom , was son to this lady . about the same time armengaud , earl of vrgel , made war upon the moors in those parts , and william jordan , earl of cerdagne , prosecuted the arian hereticks , who now began again to appear in those parts , after having been so long suppressed . he banished them , confiscated their goods , made them infamous , and put the obstinate to death . thro' the valour of armengaud , many towns along the river segre , were taken from the moors , and particularly , the city balaguer , the metropolis of the earldom of vrgel . since we have above mentioned the normans , it will not be amiss to add a few lines in relation to them , their conquests in italy being parts we shall have much occasion to speak of in this history . it has been already said , how they being a northern people , possess'd themselves of that part of france , before called neustria , and from them , normandy . this they did under rollo , their chief , and general . the th duke from him , was william , called the conqueror ; for that having defeated , and slain harold , he made himself king of england . another army of normans went thro' france into italy , which was then divided into several small principalities , and much wasted with intestine wars . here , they first served in the wars of lombardy and tuscany , then passing into the kingdom of naples , where they received pay of the prince of capua , and soon after , for better pay , went over to him of salerno , who , with their assistance , obtained the victory over his enemy . this war being ended , thro' the persuasions of maniacus , governor of apulia and calabria , for the grecian emperor , they undertook the conquests of sicily , then possess'd by the moors . their success was such , that in a short time , they drove the infidels out of the island , then falling at variance with the greeks , expelled them also . thus they laid the foundations of a mighty monarchy in italy and sicily , for at the fame of their success , many more resorted to them out of normandy . all that was taken , was divided among the conquerors , but the others soon dying , all was devolved upon robert guiscard and roger. robert , called himself duke of apulia and calabria , roger was earl of sicily . robert by two wives , had these children , boamundus , roger , and one daughter , who ( if what the catalonians say , be true ) was married to d. ramon , earl of barcelona , as has been above related . roger had a son also called roger , wh●● hanged the title of earl , for that of king ; and at last became sole lord of all that the normans held both in italy and sicily . besides , italy and greece , were tributary to him . this is taken out of gaufridus , the monk , who writ the actions of the normans , in italy , at the request of the said earl roger. but let us leave italy , and return to spain . the citizens of toledo ceased not to sollicite , the christians to undertake the conquest of that city , exaggerating the calamities they endured , begging relief , and protesting if they were not speedily delivered from the tyranny of their king , they must have recourse to other moors for assistance . king alonso was perplexed , and knew not what to do , fearing on the one hand , what might be said of him , and considering on the other , the great advantage of gaining that city . therefore he resolved to put it to the votes of the chief nobility and persons of most understanding . opinions , as is usual in such cases , were various . the most bold and daring , were for undertaking that war , shewing the great advantage that would accrew to the king , and to christianity in general . others more wary , said there could be no reason to attempt such a conquest , it being contrary to conscience and honour , to break the peace established with those kings , where the king had received such obligations . the king having heard all their opinions , at length , yielded to the desire , he had of conquering that noble city , and having positively declared his intention to be such , the whole council easily agreed to it , and it was unanimously decreed to make war upon the moors . this being resolved , the king applyed himself to gather store of arms , provisions , horses , and all other necessaries . he made new levies , and offered rewards to such of the old soldiers who were dispersed about the kingdom as would serve . all things were furnished with the more speed , because news was brought that the moors , having called the king of badajoz to their assistance , he was preparing to relieve them . such was their expedition , that both armies arrived together in sight of toledo ; but the moors perceiving king alonso had a gallant army , returned without attempting any thing . yet the city could not be taken at that time , for that the king of it was well provided against a siege , and the natural strength of the place deterred all men. the christians wasted the country , burnt the corn , drove the cattle and many prisoners , and then returned home . this destruction was began in the year . and continued the next , and several years afters . canales and olmos , two towns near that city , were taken , well garrisoned , and thence all the country continually infested . thus by degrees the city began to be straitned , and suffered much want . toledo is for the most part furnished with provisions brought from afar , because the country about it is barren , being sandy and stony , there is also much scarcity of springs , and it rains but seldom , it being very remote from the sea , and the highest land in spain . only along the meadows , through which tagus runs , the land is fruitful and pleasant . at the same time the conquest of toledo was undertaken , roderick diaz continued the war in aragon , with great success , taking several strong holds from the moors , and wanted nothing to perfect his happiness , but to be restored to his prince's favour which he much desired . it fell out very opportunely , that in the year . the moors of andaluzia fell at variance , for that a man of note among them had seized the castle of grados . adofir the rightful owner , had recourse to king alonso for assistance to recover his castle . the king finding it advantageous to himself , granted the moors request , sent a body of troops before , and followed with a greater force in person , but the enemy being subtle protracted the war , so that the king feared slipping the season of going to toledo . this moved him to send for roderick diaz , who was then in aragon , and to whom he gave that command , having received him with great affection , and the more to oblige him , ordained that for the future , no gentleman should be obliged to go into banishment under thirty days warning , whereas before they had but nine . the king marched to toledo , and roderick diaz put an end to the war in andaluzia , recovering the castle of grados , and taking the moor that had seized it , whom he sent to the king. thus much in andaluzia this year . the next which was . d. garcia , the king's brother departed this life , having caused his veins to be opened in the prison , where he was kept , so highly did he resent the loss of his kingdom and liberty . his body was carryed to the city leon , and there honourably buryed , in the church of st. isidorus , his two sisters , many bishops , and nobles attending the solemnity . he dyed ten years after he had been a prisoner , and fifteen after his first accession to the crown . roderick diaz having settled andaluzia , returned to the war in aragon , where in battle he overthrew the moorish king of denia , and d. sancho , king of aragon , who assisted him . this victory was so considerable , that king alonso sent for him , did him much honour , and gave to him , and his heirs , the three towns of briviesca , berlanga , and arcejona . alfagio , the moorish king , having recruited his forces after the defeat entred castile , wasting the country , as far as consuegra . tho' king alonso was then busy before toledo , he ●●eedily marched to oppose the infidel . both armies met , a great number of moors was slash , and their king escaped by flight to a castle . the joy of this victory was much allayed , by the unfortunate death of james rodriguez de bivar , son to roderick diaz , a youth of great hopes , who began to follow his father's footsteps . his body was buryed in the monastery of st. peter de carden̄a , where his tomb is still to be seen . alfagio the moor , tho' twice defeated , gave not over , but still gathering a fresh army , broke into castile , without stopping till he came to medina del campo . alvaryanez minaya , a brave man , related to roderick diaz , met , and defeated him the third time . this hap'ned in the year of our lord , at which time d. ramon earl of barcelona was basely murdered , near a town called percha , betwixt ostalric and girond . his brother berenguel was the contriver of his death , and was therefore so hated by the people , that he went away to the holy war , and at jerusalem is said to have lost his speech , and there dyed . his body was buryed in the cathedral of girona . his son d. ramon arnaldo succeeded him , being not full a year old , but famous for the time he enjoy'd that principality ; for the greatness of his actions , inferior to none of his predecessors , and for that he enlarged his dominions , not only by the addition of besalu and vrgel , which for want of heirs , devolved to him , as feifs of the earldom of barcelona , but also by marrying d. aldonça , whom others call dulcis , daughter and heiress of gilbert , earl of provence , with whom he had that large province in dower . by her he had two sons , d. ramon and d. berenguel , and three daughters , one called d. berenguela , or berengaria , marry'd to d. alonso , stiled the emperor . the names of the others are not known , but both were marry'd in france . this prince was long at variance , and held war against alonso , earl of toulouse , and after much contention , they agreed among themselves to adopt one another's families ; so that whichsoever was first extinct , the other should inherit . but this hap'ned long after the time we are now writing of . let us return to the war of toledo . chap. ix . the famous city toledo closely besieged , and surrendred ; many other places taken . king alonso stiles himself emperor . the continual waste the christians made in the country about toledo , burning , plundering , and driving all before them , had reduc'd the moors of that city to great streights . the christian inhabitants ceased not to press king alonso to sit down before it , promising , they would soon open the gates to him . that lasting war had exhausted the subjects , yet the king's resolution overcame all difficulties . great levies were made , and all things provided with a full design never to desist till the city were taken . it is naturally strong , and so seated , that there was a necessity of dividing the army into several bodies , and consequently , a greater force was requisite . it is a matter of great consequence to have the good will of neighbouring princes , as appeared in this war , for besides the king 's own subjects of castile , leon , biscay , galicia and asturias . sancho , king of aragon and navarre , brought a good body of men to the siege , supplies also came from italy and germany , and the french , as being nearer , came in greater numbers . because the latter served well in this war , and upon other occasions , great privileges were granted to such of them as would stay in spain ; whence , as i suppose , such as are free from taxes are among us called franc. of all these nations was formed a mighty army , which marched without delay towards toledo , full of hopes of speedy success . the moorish king made all the necessary preparations to endure a siege , but most of all rely'd on the natural strength of the place , encompassed with high and craggy rocks , thro' which the river iagus in a wonderful manner breaks his way , and runs almost round the city , except on the north side , where is a steep and difficult ascent , defended by two strong walls , one above the other . to besiege this place , the army was divided into seven brigades , which took up all the avenues , so that no relief could be carried in . the king , with the best of the army , encamp'd and entrench'd himself in the meadows , at the foot of the hill on which the town stands . some skirmishes hap'ned near the wall , but nothing remarkable in them , except that it was observed the christians were the better foot , and the moors the experter horse . towers of wood were made , and all other sorts of engines apply'd to the wall , which , tho' they beat down part of it , yet it availed not , because the ascent was difficult , the streets narrow , the houses high and strong , and the defendants numerous . thus the siege was protracted , provisions were scarce , the country about being wasted , the heat of the summer came on ; and the army began to be sickly . all these things caused the soldiers to wish for some honourable accommodation . at this time , cyprianus , bishop of leon , acquainted the king that s. isidorus had appeared to him , assuring the city would be taken in days . the besieged suffered great want , having spent all their provisions . whereupon , gathering in a body , they repaired to the palace with clamours , requiring the king to capitulate . he having endeavoured to appease them , affirming they should be speedily relieved , and finding they persisted in their demands , sent out commissioners to treat . some day s●●eing spent in expostulating , and debating the matter , at length the treaty was concluded upon these articles . that the palace , city gates , bridges , and king's-garden , be delivered up to king alonso . that the moorish king may go to valencia , or where he shall think sit . the same liberty to be allowed the moors that will bear him company , and they may carry their goods and moveables . such as will stay in the city , shall not be molested in their persons or goods . the chief mosque shall continue in their possession . no other taxes shall be imposed on them , but such as they paid to their own kings . they shall be try'd by judges of their own nation , and no others . these articles were solemnly sworn to on both sides , and hostages given for performance ; which done , king alonso , with great joy , in the nature of a triumph , entred the city on the th of may , being the feast of s. vrban , pope and martyr , in the year of our lord . some authors say . that city was in the hands of the moors about years , julianus says . and that the moors took it in the year . on s. vrban's day , during which time , the moors being nothing curious in building , it lost much of its former beauty . the streets were narrow and crooked , the houses ill contrived , the very palace was of mud-walls , and stood where now is a great hospital , founded by d. peter gonzalez de mendoza , cardinal of spain , and archbishop of toledo . in the midst of the city stood the chief mosque , on a rising ground , the building at that time nothing sumptuous . soon after , it was consecrated , and in process of time built from the ground , very large and beautiful . the fame of this success was soon spread abroad , and embassadors came to congratulate with the king from several princes . the moorish king , according to the capitulation , went away with a good guard to valencia , which was his own , where he preserv'd the title of king. on the other side , many brigades of christians were dispersed throughout the kingdom of toledo , to reduce all that remained in the possession of the moors , which proved no difficult task , they being terrify'd at the loss of so great a city . many towns were taken , the most noted were , maqueda , escalona , illescas , talavera , guadalajara , mora , consuegra , madrid , berlanga , buytrago , medinaceli , and coria , many of them ancient towns , not far distant from toledo , strong and seated in a pleasant and fruitful country . some of the moors of toledo accompanied their king , but the most staid behind . their number being great , there was danger they might upon the first opportunity revolt . to prevent this evil , the king resolved to settle his court there , till such time it was better peopled with christians , and new fortifications raised to secure it . houses and lands , were by proclamation offered to all such as would come and inhabit there , which drew a great number of people . among the rest , we have an account of one peter , a grecian , of the imperial family of the paleologi , of constantinople , who is said , to have served during the siege , and therefore the king , the town being taken , gave him a house , and lands of inheritance . from this gentleman , the great family of toledo pretend to be descended . from this time , 't is said , the king's quarter in toledo , was so called , because the king gave that part of the city to the new inhabitants that resorted thither . a new palace was began to be built in the highest part of the city , all to the intent the better to curb the moors . after this , we find king alonso began to stile himself emperor , whether he had reason so to do , we will not dispute . he was puft up with the conquests of that new kingdom , and being sovereign of the greatest part of spain , and the king of aragon , and moorish kings being his tributaries , he thought no titles too great . his joy was somewhat allay'd , by the death of his sister d. vrraoa , whom he respected as a mother , and she deserved it for her singular vertues . his other sister , d. elvira , was married to the count de cabra , to whom , he gave her to appease him , having provoked him by some rash words , as is related in the general history of d. alonso the wise . chap. x. the election of the new archbishop of toledo . the abolishing the old missal and breviary . the original of the archbishop of toledo . his spiritual jurisdiction over all spain . king alphonso's wives and children . new wars break out in spain . in the year . the city of toledo , being well inhabited with christians , and the moors kept under , the king convened a synod of bishops , at which , many of the nobility were present . the cause of their meeting was to chose an archbishop of toledo , and by the unanimous consent of all , bernard , abbot of sahagun , was elected . he was a man of a vertuous life , a ready wit , sound judgment , very learned , and upright , which good qualities moved them to prefer him before all others , tho' a stranger , as being a natural born french-man , of the city of agen , in the province of aquitain , or guienne . in his youth he was a soldier , at riper years took the habit of a monk , at aux , and was sent thence into spain , by hugo , the abbot , at the request of king alphonso , to reform the monastery of sahagun , which he design'd to be the head of all the benedictines in spain . after he had been their abbot some time , he was promoted to the high dignity of archbishop of toledo . that his honour and authority might be the greater , the king freely gave to him , and his successors , archbishops of that see , many towns , lands , mills , and houses . in memory whereof , an anniversary is celebrated for king alphonso , every year in that church in june . this done the synod broke up . having setled the affairs of the city , the king went away to leon , leaving queen constance , and the archbishop there with a good garrison . there was but a small number of christians , in regard of the moors ; yet all things seemed to be well secured . however , the rashness of the new prelate , put the city in danger of being lost . our ladies church , which , as curious persons have observ'd , is now a monastery of carmelites , was then the cathedral , the great church being in the hands of the moors . it seemed not decent , that in a city taken from the moors , they should possess the best church , this might in time have been regulated , but the archbishops hast , had like to have ruined all . he agreed with the queen to take it forcibly , from them by night , and accordingly breaking open the doors , cast out all that belonged to the mahometans , erected altars , and hanging a bell in the steeple , called together the christians to assist at divine service . this alarm'd the infidels , so that they could scarce refrain from revenging themselves , and only forbore in hopes the king would do them justice . when the news of what had been done was brought to the king , he was greatly inraged , and posted away to toledo , with full resolution to punish this breach of articles , with the utmost severity . all the principal inhabitants of toledo , knowing his design , went out in mourning to meet him , and the clergy in procession , and being come to his presence , prostrate on the ground , begged pardon . their intreaties were of no force , for he persisted inflexible . god almighty in an unexpected manner , put a stop to the evil that was feared , for the chief of the moors , their passion being over , considered , if the king used any severity on their account , it might after his days turn to their ruin , went out of the city , and meeting the king , begged he would forgive the queen , and archbishop , so they might for the future , be secured in their possessions . this request , made by the infidels , was so surprizing , that he not only pardoned those they begged for , but promised that he would ever remember that day , and be favourable to them for the love they had shown him . all the city rejoiced , and it was ordained , that the memory of this day , being the of january , should be for ever preserved , making it a festival under the name of our lady of peace . it was said above that richard abbot of marseilles , was sent by pope gregory vii . as his legate into spain , and that in a synod held at burgos , he had established the roman ceremonies , and form of prayer . this legate abused his power , committing many insolencies , without regard to any thing but gain , which scandaliz'd the people so , that they railed not only at him , but at the pope himself . bernard the archbishop , was troubled at these miscarriages , but had not the power to redress them . it was then the custom of spain , in pursuance of a decree , of the eighth general council , which was the last of constantinople , that no metropolitans should be consecrated , or exercise their function , till their election was confirmed by the pope , and he had sent them the pall. this process of time was extended to bishops . upon these two motives the archbishop resolved to go to rome , but before his departure , with the king's approbation , he gathered a synod of bishops , and consecrated the cathedral of toledo , under the invocation of st. mary , st. peter , st. paul , st. stephen , and the holy-cross . vrban ii. being pope , in the year . bernard the archbishop being at rome , obtained all he desired , to wit , the recalling of the legate , and the confirming of himself primate of all spain , and that part of france called gallia gothica . by this authority , being returned from rome , he called a synod of the neighbouring bishops to toulouze , where he prevailed to be received as their metropolitan . before the return of the archbishops to toledo , the legate had attempted to abrogate the gotbick missal , and breviary , and introduce the roman . this had been often endeavoured , but the people tenacious of old customs still opposed it . now the queen , the primate , and the legate used such means that at length they prevailed , yet so that in the ancient churches , the ancient form should still be continued . which is observed to this day ; and that service is still used on certain festivals in those churches ; besides , in the cathedral there is a chapel , to which belongs a number of chaplains called mocarabes , or more properly mixtiar abes , who still use that massal and breviary . this name of mixtiarabes , corruptly moçarabes , was given to the christians , that in the time of the moors , lived under their government , and mixed with the infidels . all the new churches in toledo , were ordered to say mass , according to the roman liturgy . this debate being ended , the city began to flourish , beautiful new buildings were erected , many of the moors went away , and their places were filled by christian inhabitants , to whom were granted priviledges and immunities , as appears by the royal charters , still preserved among the records of toledo . in the year . bernard the primate , who studyed nothing but the publick good , gathered a synod at leon , at which was present cardinal raynerius , the pope's legate , who succeeded richard the cardinal . many decrees were here made for reformation of the clergy , at that time grownivery corrupt . it was also ordained , that for the future , in all publick writings the gothick character should be no longer used , but instead of it the french. it will not be amiss in this place briefly to show how the archbishops of toledo , came first to be primates and metropolitants of all spain . some will deduce it from the time of the apostles , and pretend , that s. eugenius the martyr came to spain , and was the first archbishop of toledo , but we have only the authority of modern authors for it . by the ancient councils it appears , that their authority is not so long a standing , since they sign not to any of them , in the first place . there were formerly in spain archbishopricks , viz. tarragona , braga , merida , sevil , and toledo , and none of these acknowledged any superior but the pope , and each took place in councils according to the seniority of his consecration . now the goths , who at first possessed themselves of the kingdom of toledo , having subdued all other barbarons nations in spain , and made themselves masters of the whole country , hence this city being the court of those kings , began to assume a superiority over all the rest . this authority took its first force in the seventh council of toledo , which ordained , that all the neighbouring bishops , should in their turns , being called by him their primate , repair to that city , and there attend on the king and archbishop for the space of a month. the archbishops superiority being thus far established , was much advanced in the twelfth council of that city , which decreed that the election of all the bishops in spain , should be confirmed by him of toledo , as had till then been done by the king , from that time forwards , all the other bishops allowed him precedence , and he signed first to the acts of councils . this was all the priviledge those prelates then injoy'd above others . when spain had fallen under the slavery of the moors , for a long time that city had no bishops . at length when it was recovered by the christians , the archbishops were not only restored to their former dignity , but made primates of all spain . pope vrban the second , was the first that gave them this prerogative , and it was afterwards confirmed by pasqualis gelasius , honorius celestinus , innocent , lucius , eugenius iii. adrian iv. alexander iii. vrban iii. honorius iii. gregory ix . and many others , whose bulls are preserved to this day , among the records of the cathedral of toledo . many archbishops have had their cross carryed before them , throughout all parts of spain , yet at several times have met with some opposition . at present they exercise no jurisdiction , over the other provinces , but only enjoy the title , and have precedence . it was said above , that king alonso had two wives , agnes , and constance , by the latter , he had the princess vrraca . constance dy'd , after the taking of toledo , and at the same time , her sister-in-law d. elvira , the king's sister ; she was bury'd at leon , with her sister d. vrrdca . after the death of constance , the king marry'd the daughter of benabet the moorish king of sevil , she being converted , and changing her name of zaida for that of mary , or , as others will have it , elizabeth . of her was born d. sancho , a prince of great hopes had he lived . the king after this marry'd a fourth , fifth , and sixth time , with berta of tuscany , elizabeth of france , and beatrix , whose birth is not known . by elizabeth , he had two daughters , sancha marry'd to earl roderick , and elvira wife to roger king of sicily . king alonso had besides , by a mistriss called ximena , two daughters , elvira marryed to raymund earl of toulouse , and teresa , wife of henry of lorrain . d. vrraca the king's eldest daughter was marry'd to raymund , brother to the earl of burgundy , they had issue first d. sancha , and then d. alonso , who for the many kingdoms he united , was called the emperor . thus much is collected out of very grave authors , yet pelagius bishop of oviedo , who lived about that time , and in the very close of his history says , king alonso had but five wives , and that zaida , the daughter of the moorish king , was his concubine . the history of spain . the tenth book . chap. . the moorish family of the almoravides comes into spain . king alonso twice overthrown by them . several strangers come out of france , to serve under him , he bestows three of his daughters on them . the holy war in the east . among the moors the family of the almoravides having got the better of the alavecines , who till then held the empire of africk , settled their kingdom at first in that part of mauritania , which stretches along the ocean , and mediterranean sea. thence they pass'd over into spain , and spread themselves through a great part of it . the occasion of their coming was thus : king alonso had marry'd the daughter of the moorish king of sevil , and therefore at his request , sent to invite joseph tephin king of the almoravides out of africk , to assist his father-in-law , towards the reducing all that the moors possessed in spain under his dominion . joseph would not let slip so fair an opportunity of invading spain , but not being able to go inperson at that time , sent a good army under the command of hali abenaxa , a famous commander . hali having join'd the king of sevil , their friendship was not lasting , and their differences increasing , they came to a battle , in which the king was defeated , and killed by one abdalla . this victory made hali master of all the dominions of the deceased , in the year . all the other kings of the moors were reduced , or submitted themselves to him . hali , proud with this success , rebelled against his master , and called himself miramamolin of spain , a name denoting regal authority among the moors . now the kings of the moors , who were subjects , and paid tribute to king alonso , thinking this a fit opportunity to recover their liberty , cast off their obedience , and refused to acknowledge him . never was spain in greater danger , for those barbarians grown fierce with so many victories obtained over their own people , turned the course of their arms against the christians . their first attempt was against the kingdom of toledo , where they over ran the country , putting all to fire and sword , and recovering some towns given in dower with his daughter , by him of sevil , which were cuenca , veles , and huete . king alonso sent an army to oppose the moors , under the command of two earls , d. garcia , who had married his sister , and d. roderick , who coming to a battle with the moors , were overthrown , near rhoda , a town between the river guadalquivir , and the ocean . this loss having shown the king the error he had committed in calling the moors out of africk , he made new levies , gathered a mighty army , and was again defeated near caçalla , a town not far from badajoz , with the loss of a great number of men. however he no way dismay'd , but recruiting his army , broke into the enemies country , as far as cordova , destroying all that stood in his way . hali mistrusting his own strength , fortify'd himself within cordova , where some skirmishes happen'd . abdalla by night made a sally , and most of his men being kill'd , was himself taken ; and the day following , in the sight of the moors , who stood upon the walls , torn to pieces and burnt , for the murder of his sovereign the king of sevill . hali , weary of the seige , accepted of such conditions as were offer'd him , which were to pay down a great summ of money , and a yearly tribute . andaluzia being setled , the army march'd into aragon , where they besieg'd zaragoça . the besieg'd offer'd to pay tribute , and put themselves under the king's protection ; but he hoping to become absolute master of the city , lost both the one and the other . for joseph having gather'd a mighty army , pass'd over out of africk , with a design to punish hali for revolting , and then to invade the christians . this being known in the city and camp , the besieg'd took heart , and the besiegers for fear of what might happen , were forc'd to quit their enterprize and depart . joseph was so successful he entred sevill , where he beheaded hali , then cordova was surrendred to him , and soon after , all that the moors held in spain was brought under his dominion , either by force , or their own voluntary submission , those that were subject to the christians revolting from them . king alonso thought not this a time to be idle , when the moors of africk were joyned with those of spain , and therefore resolved to be before-hand with them . to this purpose , he made all necessary preparations , gathering arms , horses , provisions and money . not only the laity , but the clergy were obliged to take up arms , old and now soldiers raised , and supplies sollicited from abroad . many strangers moved by the great danger spain was in , and desiring to serve in that war , came over , especially out of france . among these , raymund , earl of burgundy , and his kinsman henry , who was born at besançon , was of the house of lorrain , and in process of time , the founder of the kingdom of portugal . besides these , there came raymund , earl of toulouse . with them came a good number of brave and experienced french soldiers . d. sancho , king of aragon , was not wanting , he tho' very ancient , yet had the vivacity and courage of youth , and was an excellent commander , having gain'd experience in the continual wars he had with the moors . all these forces made up so great an army , that they resolved to invade the enemies country . they entred andaluzia , plundring and wasting all where-ever they came . it was no time for the moors to be idle , both armies came in sight of one another , near a town called alagueto , but joseph finding himself inferior to the christians , shunn'd sighting . his retreat was more like to a disorderly flight , for he lost great part of the baggage . king alonso thought it better to content himself with the honour gained , than to tempt fortune ; besides , that his army , being composed of so many different nations could not long hold together . thus he returned home , his army loaded with spoils , and pleased with their success . after this for some time , the almoravides attempted nothing farther , for joseph was forced to repair to africk , to setle his new acquired kingdom . mean while , king alonso slept not , expecting the war would soon break out again . therefore he resolved to strengthen himself with fresh allies abroad . in the first place , he gave three of his daughters in marriage to those three lords that came to his assistance out of france . raymund , earl of toulouse , marry'd d. elvira , henry , of lorrain , d. teresa , both illigitimate , raymund , of burgundy , had d. vrraca , got in wedlock . this prince is said to have rebuilt salamanca , by the king's order . moreover , sancha , the king's daughter , was marry'd to earl roderick . from him , some will have the noble family of giron to be descended . to henry was given in dower , all that had been recovered from the moors , in portugal , with the title of earl , yet as a subject of castile , to be obliged to come to the parliament , and serve in the wars . this was the original of the new kingdom of portugal , which stile it afterwards assumed , and continued in the line of this prince above years . raymund , of burgundy , had the government of galicia , with the title of earl , then usually given to the governors of provinces , yet the best of his portion , was the hopes of succeeding in the throne , if sancha , the king's son dy'd . the earl of toulouse , received his portion in money and jewels , but no lands in spain , because he resolved to return to france , where he had large possessions of his own . there are authors , who write , that the city of lisbon was taken by king alonso , in the year . but this is doubtful , for it was often taken from the moors , and lost again , till some time after this , it was gain'd by the christians , and has ever since remained in their hands . much about this time began the holy-war in the east , carried on by most of the christian princes , for recovery of the holy-land . peter , a hermit , who travel'd into palestine , was the first promoter of it , for he making his observations there , discoursed simon , bishop of jerusalem , about it , and having received letters from him , moved the same thing to the pope . vrban who then sate in s. peter's-chair , ordered a council of bishops to meet at clermont , in france , to promote the carrying on of this war , and the mean while , by his legates , stirred up all the princes of christendom to share in so glorious an undertaking . his endeavours prov'd so successful , that all countries sounded of nothing but warlike preparations , most princes aimed to signalize themselves , by showing their zeal in so pious a war , and thousands of private persons voluntarily enrolled themselves to serve upon their own cost . but we must not stray too far into affairs so foreign . let us return to what hap'ned in spain . chap. ii. the great actions of d. sancho ramirez , king of aragon . he is killed at the siege of huesca , his sons continue the siege , rout a great army of moors and christians , that come to raise it , and take the place . in the year . was born d. alonso , son to henry of lorrain , and his wife teresa , who by his valour made the name of portugal famous , extended his dominions , and was the first of those princes that assumed the title of king , which he maintained in opposition to the kings of castile . the same year was unhappy for the unfortunate death of d. sancho i. king of aragon , who merited the esteem of his subjects , not only for having governed and maintained his kingdom as well as any of his ancestors , but for enlarging and extending its limits . he was the first that came down from the high mountains , where his predecessors maintained themselves by the natural strength of those places , into the plains , where he took many cities and towns. he had continual wars with the moorish kings of balaguer , lerida , monçon , barbastro , and fraga , and obliged them to pay him tribute . then after a long and tedious siege , took barbastro , a noble city on the banks of the river vero , in a delightful country . tho' the strength of the walls was great , yet the king's constancy and indefatigable labour of his men , overcame all difficulties ; so that it was entred by assault , and plundered . from that time barbastro was annexed to the bishoprick of rhoda . at this siege armengaud , earl of vrgel , was slain , and thence called armengaud of barbastro . he being the king's father-in-law , and father to his queen felicia , his death was revenged with great slaughter of the townsmen . bolea , a town on the borders of navarre , upon the river cinga , after a long resistance , was taken from the moors . so also monçon , a strong town in that territory , with many other towns and castles , too tedious to rehearse . estela , then a small town in navarre , now a famous city , was built at this time . king sancho having a design upon zaragoça , raised a castle , called castellar , five leagues beyond that city , on the banks of the river ebro , to bridle the moors , and waste the country about , in which , that garrison was so successful , that the city was often reduced to such want , as if it had been besieged . in that part of the country where were formerly the vascetani , was built the town of luna , remarkable for nothing more than for being the original of the noble family of that name , in aragon . the king who was much given to piety , obtained a grant of pope alexander ii. by which , the monastery of st. john de la pen̄a , and others in his kingdom , were exempted from the jurisdiction of the bishops . this was done under colour , that the bishops thro' covetousness took to themselves the revenues of the monasteries . certain it is , in those times the monks aspired after too much liberty , which made their abbots obtain the privilege of using the miter and crosier , to betoken episcopal power , by which means they cast off the subjection due to their ordinaries . the principal vice the king himself was taxed with , was avarice ; for he made use of the ecclesiastical revenues , and treasures of the churches . this seemed excusable , on account of the general poverty , and extraordinary charges of continual wars . besides that , he obtain'd a bull from pope gregory vii . by which , he had full authority given him absolutely to dispose of the tenths of all such churches as were erected of new , or regained from the moors . nevertheless , some years before his death , in the church of st. victorian of rhoda , he publickly asked pardon of that offence , promising amendment . raymundus dalmachius , bishop of that city , was present , to whom , he caused restitution to be made of all that had been taken from him . the king never ceased infesting the moors , and was particularly bent against abderhaman , king of huesca . he had already possessed himself of all the neighbouring towns , and fortify'd montaragon , that it might curb that city . at length he sate down with his army before it , secured all the avenues , and placed his head-quarters on a hillock , which ever since , is called poyo de sancho . the city was very strong , and the chief bulwark of the moors dominions on that side , therefore the siege was protracted , there being no possibility of forcing it . the besieged sued to alonso , king of castile , for relief . kings for the most part have more regard to their particular interest , than the publick good. it was scandalous , openly to side with the moors , therefore he thought it a good expedient to invade navarre , by the way of biscay , and so to give a diversion . count sancho was sent to put this in execution , who being met by the princes of aragon , d. peter and d. alonso , sent by their father to that purpose , was oblig'd to turn back without effecting what he came fo● every day the siege was streightned , and king sancho tir'd with lying there so long , was viewing the walls , when finding a place he thought fit to be attacked , he lifted his arm to show it to those that were with him , and an arrow , shot from the wall , hit him under that arm , so that the wound proved mortal . he dy'd on the th of june , his body was carried to montaragon , and deposited in the church of jesus of nazareth , which he had built . thence it was translated to s. john de la pen̄a , where is to be seen the tomb of his queen felicia , who dy'd some time before . nevertheless , his sons , as had been ordain'd by their father , continued the siege , resolving not to stir till they had destroy'd the city . d. peter , whilst his father was yet living , called himself king of ribagorça and sobrarve , and had by his wife berta , or agnes , a son of his own name , or as others will have it , called sancho . this peter inherited all his father's dominions . d. alonso had some lands assigned him , and the youngest brother , called d. ramiro , was a monk. the siege of huesca lasted no less than months , others say above two years . at length , the besieged tired with want , called to their aid almoçaben , king of zaragoça , d. garcia , earl of cabra , and another great man , whose name was d. gonzalo , for in those confused times , it was held no shame for christians to assist infidels against christians . d. gonzalo went not himself , but a body of men sent by him and d. garcia , joyn'd the moorish king , who had raised a great power , and they marched together from zaragoça . things being in this posture , d. garcia , whether out of good will , or deceitfully , is not known , advised the new king peter , to raise the siege , and hast home . honour , and the promise made to their father at the hour of his death , prevailed with the brothers . near the city is a large plain , called alcoraz , famous for this battle , where the christians resolved to meet their enemies . the night before the fight , the king in a vision , saw a more than humane person that assured him of the victory . prince alonso led the van , the king brought up the rear , the main body was under the conduct of two famous commanders , lisana , and bacalla , men of known valour and worth. the horse were placed in the front , and began the battle , then the foot fell in , the numbers of infidels filled all the neighbouring fields . both bodies being come to close , the fight was desperately maintained . nothing could be heard but dying groans , acclamations of those that fought , and the noise of arms. night put an end to the battle , without deciding which side had the better . our side had the advantage in valour and conduct , the enemy in number . all night the christians stood to their arms , morning discovered the moors and their king almozaben , retired with all speed to zaragoça . being closly pursu'd , of them were put to the sword. scarce christians were lost , and none of note . d. garcia was taken , the booty was great , and all the fields were covered with weapons , blood , and dead bodies . some say , s. george was seen fighting , and by his help , the victory was obtained . others affirm , that a gentleman of the family of 〈…〉 who at that time was in the holy land , appeared a horse-back in this fight . it is 〈…〉 ●●crease the fame of a victory to feign miracles . authors agree , that from 〈…〉 arms of the kings of aragon , were argent a cross , the colour is not named , 〈…〉 the quarters of the escutcheon , being the heads of as many kings , or gener●● 〈…〉 battle , which was fought on the th of november , and the th day after , 〈…〉 having lost all hopes of relief , was surrendred . on the th of december 〈…〉 great mosque was consecrated . in the field of battle the king built a church o● 〈…〉 ●●cation of st. george . at the same time , the cathedral of pamplona was founded , some foo● steps whereof are still to be seen . it was ordained , that the canons should observe the rule of s. augustin . chap. iii. great preparations thro' christendom for the holy war. valencia taken by roderick de bivar , other actions of his , suspected to be fabulous . his death , and that of joseph , the moorish monarch . whilst these things hap'ned in spain , all the rest of christendom sounded of nothing but preparations for the holy war. pope vrban , at the general council he held at clermont , in france , and by his legates at the courts of all christian princes , stirred them up to undertake this religious work. many bishops , princes , and men of note , listed themselves , and wore the cross , then the mark of being engaged in that war. among the rest , bernard , archbishop of toledo , having setled the government of that church , and constituted canons , and as many half-canons , taking up the cross , departed towards the holy land. no sooner was he gone , but the canons he had appointed , met , and chose another archbishop , expelling those that opposed this unlawful proceeding . d. bernard understanding what had been done , returned to toledo , and expelling all that had a hand in that disorder , put monks of the monastery of sahagun , in their places . this done , he sets forward again , and being come to rome , was obliged by the pope to return home againe as believing his presence was necessary at toledo , being a place but lately recovered , and unsetled . he absolved him of the vow he had made , to go to the holy-land , upon condition he should lay out the money he had designed for that expedition , in rebuilding of tarragona , a city then newly taken from the moors , by the earl of barcelona . in the time of the romans , it was a noble city , and the seat of their empire in spain , since , reduced to a small number of poor houses . d. bernard repaired it , and translated berengarius , bishop of vique , thither , with the dignity of archbishop . yet the new archbishop forgeting this favour , afterwards contended with bernard about the right of the primacy . pope vrban put an end to the strife , assigning the supremacy of all spain , to bernard , and his successors . bernard , the archbishop , in his way thro' france , brought along with him many learned and pious men into spain , who were afterwards promoted to great dignities . among them also came burdinus , not worthy to be named among them , for he afterwards made himself anti-pope , and caused a schism in the church , as shall be hinted in its place . roderick diaz , sirnamed cid , or the lord , was not idle all this while , but having obtain'd leave of the king , who was busie in andaluzia , with a choice band of his own forces , fell upon the moors that dwelt upon the borders of aragon and castile . all the moorish princes strove to gain his friendship . the first he agreed withal , was the lord of albarrazin . then he went to visit the king of zaragoça , who received him with great signs of affection , hoping with his assistance to make himself master of valencia . this city is seated where formerly were the editani , near the sea , in a very pleasant country , and has always been a place of great trade , and very rich. hiaya , he that had been king of toledo , was then in possession of it , having inherited it of his father almenon , to whom it belonged . the lord of denia , xativa , and tortosa , laid close siege to it . the king of zaragoça thought to raise himself upon the ruins of others ; for the besieged having sent to him for relief , he hoped under that colour to subdue both them , and the besiegers . he agreed with roderick diaz , and both marched thither . the lord of denja knowing himself inferior to them , made peace with valencia , and raised the siege . nevertheless , the king of zaragoça , would have possessed himself of valencia , had not roderick diaz opposed him , for that it was under the protection of the king his master . hereupon , that king returned home . roderick diaz , under colour of assisting the king of valencia , made his own advantage , obliging all the moors thereabouts to pay him tribute ; with which , and the booty , he maintained the charge of the war. king hiaya , before grown odious to his subjects , encreased their hatred , by being a friend to the christians , so that they called in the almoravides , then grown powerful , who killed hiaya , and gave the sovereignty of the city to abenaxa , the contriver of that revolution . roderick diaz desiring to punish their treachery , and rejoycing that an opportunity was offered him of taking that noble city , resolved to lay siege to it . valencia was well stored with provisions , warlike ammunition , a good garison , and a great number of resolute citizens ; yet his constancy overcame all those difficulties . he laid close siege to it , which lasted a long time , till the besieged wanting provisions , and seeing no hopes of relief , surrendred . not so satisfied , tho' it seemed a rashness , he resolved to maintain that city , and in order to it , made one hierome , a companion of the archbishop of toledo , bishop of it . moreover , he brought thither his wife and daughters , whom , as was said above , he had left in the custody of the abbot of s. peter of carden̄a . to the king , for that he had favoured his designs , he sent a present of choice horses , with as many scymiters hanging at the saddles . such was the posture of roderick diaz's affairs , when two young lords , called earls of carrion , their names , james and ferdinand , men of great birth , but mean degenerate souls , having obtained the king's recommendation , marry'd his two daughters at valencia . it hap'ned soon after , that a lion breaking lose , they both hid themselves in an undecent place ; and at another time , in a skirmish with the moors they fled . these things made them grow contemptible to their father-in-law , who reproached them , and they study'd revenge . suero , their uncle , who ought to have given them better advice , heightned their malice . having resolved upon the villany they were to act , they prepared to return home . their father-in-law having accompanied them part of the way ; returned to valencia , and they prosecuted their journey , till they came to a wood , on the frontiers of castile , after they had passed the river duero . there sending away most of their retinue , they took the two ladies into the wood , and having strip'd them naked , whipped them till they lay for dead , wallowing in their blood . in this manner they were found by ordonius , sent after them , by their father , who suspected some ill design . he carried them to the next village , where they were dressed , and taken care of . this villainous act brought upon the husbands the hatred of all men. roderick diaz seeking revenge , had recourse to the king at such time as a general assembly of the states , or parliament , was held at toledo . judges were appointed to determine what was to be done , the chief whereof , was raymund of burgundy , the king's son-in-law . after a full hearing , it was decreed , that those two lords should restore all that they had received with their wives , and that they and their uncle suero , should combat with three others , appointed on his part by roderick diaz . three men of note , whose names were bermudo , antolin , and gustio , undertook his quarrel . the young lords endeavoured to evade the combat , by gaining time , so roderick diaz went away to valencia , and they to their estate . but the king not satisfied , obliged them to fight at carrion , where they were all three overcome . roderick diaz's two daughters were marry'd again , d. elvira to d. ramiro , son to d. sancho garcia , king of navarre , who was killed by his brother raymund , as was said above , d. sol , to d. peter , son to the king of aragon , of the same name ; both which , sent to demand them in marriage . d. ramiro had by d. elvira , garci ramirez , who was afterwards king of navarre . d. peter dy'd before his father , and left no issue . two several times king bucar , who came out of africk , was overthrown in sight of valencia , by roderick diaz and his forces , who kept that city as long as he lived , which was five years after the taking of it . he was near his death when the same bucar came again before the city , and perceiving it could not be maintained after his death , ordered in his will , that they should all in a body quit the place , and return to castile . the moors believing it was a powerful army , that designed to give them battle , drew off . those christians marched without ceasing till they came to castile , and valencia being left without any garison , fell again into the hands of the moors . they that came from valencia , brought with them the body of roderick diaz , which was bury'd with great magnificence , in the monastery of s. peter of carden̄a , near burgos , k. alonso , and roderick diaz's two sons-in-law being present . many look upon most of this relation as fabulous ; and i write more than i believe , because i would not wholly omit what others affirm . in the church of s. peter of carden̄a , are to be seen five tombs , that of roderick diaz , that of his wife , and those of his son and daughters . perhaps , they are only empty monuments , such as are called cenotaphia , erected in honour of such people . the death of roderick diaz de bivar , was a great loss to the christians for his extraordinary valour , conduct and prosperity . authors do not agree about the year in which it hap'ned , the most likely opinion is , that it was in the year of our lord . about this time , pope vrban translated the bishoprick of iria , to compostella , at the request of dalmachius , who was the first bishop of that city , and made it independant of the see of braga . king alonso , tho' very ancient , never neglected the affairs of war , but made several incursions into andaluzia , which was the more easie to be done , for that joseph , the moor , was returned into africk . this gave the christians some time of breathing , which the king made use of to encrease the religious worship . he built a monastery of benedictines at toledo , of the invocation of s. servandus and s. german , others say , he only repaired it . besides , he erected two monasteries of nuns , the one dedicated to s. peter , the other to s. dominick of silos . at burgos , without the walls , he founded another convent , now called s. john of burgos . the year following , which was . was remarkable for the death of pope vrban , and the taking of jerusalem by the christians . cardinal raynerius , who had been legate in spain , a person of great worth and experience , succeeded vrban , by the name of pasqualis ii. he in the time of his papacy , granted a privilege to the church of s : james the apostle , that after the manner of the church of rome , it might have seven canons cardinals , and that the bishops of that see might use the pall , an ornament betokening greater authority , than that of common bishops . the next ensuing year , which was . proved no less pleasing to the christians , by reason of the death of joseph , who was sovereign of all the moors in spain , during the space of years , and of those in africk , about , than it was at last unfortunate for the untimely end of d. sancho , prince of castile , which will be seen in the next chapter . chap. iv. the death of sancho prince of castile , and of the two kings , peter the first of aragon , and alonso vi. of castile . the moorish king of zaragoza . of two holy men. d. garcia earl of cabra , was tutor to d. sancho , king alonso's son , and the heir apparent of the crown , but death snatched him away , and with him , the great hopes had been conceived of his virtues . hali , successor to joseph , desiring to commence his reign with some memorable action , passed over into spain with a powerful army , and having encreased it there , entred the kingdom of toledo , wasting all the country till he came in sight of the city . king alonso , by reason of his great age and sickness , could not go out in person to oppose him . he gave the command of his army to the earl d. garcia , and for the greater honour , sent his son d. sancho , tho' very young , with him . near veles , the two armies met and engaged . in the heat of the fight , the prince was struck down , d. garcia covered him with his shield , and with his sword kept off the moors that assailed him on all sides . long he kept them at a distance , till being weakned by many wounds , he fell down dead upon him he defended . this disaster made the infidels victorious . it is needless to relate how grievous this loss was to the king ; he asked what might be the reason of being so often overthrown by the moors , and a wise man answered , that the soldiers were debauched with ease and luxury , which made them unfit for service . hereupon , the king ordered all incentives of luxury to be taken away , and among the rest , caused the baths , then much used in spain , after the manner of the moors , to be destroy'd . some hope remained in d. alonso , the king's grandchild , by d. vrraca , his daughter , but he was very young , and a womans government seem'd not seasonable . the continual good fortune of the king of aragon , diminished the joy of the moors for their success in castile . of late , the infidels went down the wind in aragon , for the christians had taken from them the castle of calasanz , the town of pertusa , on the river canadre , and the city barbastro , whither the bishoprick of rhoda was translated . now the aragonians bent all their strength against the city zaragoça , which the almoravides had possessed themselves of , having expelled the ancient kings . these that follow , were the kings that had reigned in that city . the first was mudir , then hiaya , next almudafar , after him began another race in zulema , to whom succeeded hamas , then joseph , then almazazin , then abdelmelich , and then hamas , sirnamed almuçacayto , whom the almoravides deprived of the kingdom . at this time , in france , atho , who after the death of raymund , earl of barcelona , father of arnaldus , had usurped the sovereignty of the city carcassonne , where he had been governour , was expelled the place by the inhabitants , and it restored to its lawful prince , in the year . this same year , armengaud , earl of vrgel , was slain by the moors in the island of majorca , whither he went to show his valour , and was therefore called balearicus . armengaud , was marry'd to a daughter of peranzules , a great man in castile , and lord of valladolid . by her he left a young son , during whose minority , the grandfather governed , and afterwards marry'd him to a lady , called arsenda . the year of our lord . was unfortunate for the death of three great persons . peter , son to the king of aragon , and his sister elizabeth dy'd upon the same day , and the king himself , whither for grief , or thro' some other distemper , is not known , departed this life the month following . he was bury'd at s. john de la pena . pope vrban , at the beginning of the war in the holy-land , granted to this king the tenths of all churches that should be new built , or taken from the moors , excepting only cathedrals . alanso , brother to the late king , succeeded him in the throne . his reign was long , and his actions great , by which he much extended the dominions left him by his ancestors . in the second year of his reign , he married d. vrraca , daughter to king alonso , of castile . this match was made by the king , contrary to the desires of all the nobility , who would have had her marry'd to d. gomez , earl of candespina . none of them durst open this to the king ; therefore they charged a iew , who was the king's doctor , upon the first opportunity to acquaint him with their thoughts . this jew , as the king was one day diverting himself , broke the business to him . it highly offended the king that the nobles should presume to dispose of his daughter , therefore he for ever forbid the physician coming into his presence ; and then hastned the marriage of his daughter , which was performed with great state at toledo , in the year . king alonso somewhat eased with the satisfaction of this match , and desiring to revenge the death of his son , tho' very ancient , took the field again , and entring andaluzia , destroyed all the province with fire and sword , sparing neither man nor beast . this done , he spent the remainder of his days in quiet , not only forbearing from martial affairs , but easing himself of the government as much as could be . yet he took care that salamanca , and segovia , which had been ruined by the wars , should be repaired , fortified and embelished . peranzules , a man at that time in great vogue , who had been tutor to the princess vrraca in her minority , and was now the king's favourite , had the whole management of publick affairs , and by his prudence and vertue , seem'd to support the government . the king now quite spent with age , for he lived years , grew sickly , and was languishing a year , and seven months , yet by the advice of the physicians , he rode out daily ; but the natural warmth being decay'd , at length , he dy'd at toledo , on thursday , the first of july . as pelagius of oviedo , who lived at that time testifies . he reign'd years , was modest in prosperity , and undaunted in adversity . after the death of king alonso , the inhabitants of toledo , in a consternation , were about abandoning the city . the king's body was kept there days , till this pannick fear was over , then it was carry'd to the monastery of sahagun , and there bury'd with great pomp ; the greatest , that of the tears of his subjects , who lamented so great a loss , as they had in him . these tears seemed to forbode those calamities that ensued , and the very stones at leon , presaged this general lamentation . at the foot of the altar , where the priest uses to stand at mass , in the church of s. isidorus , in leon , the stones shed water , not where they joyn'd , but in the very middle , for the space of three days continually , which were thursday , friday and saturday , according to pelagius , who then lived . this hap'ned days before the king's death , and betokened the tears of all spain . the bishops and clergy , hereupon , made processions , to appease god's wrath. in this king's reign , one lesmes , a french-man , lived in great opinion of sanctity at burgos , his chief business was entertaining of pilgrims . his memory is still celebrated in that city , and his feast yearly kept in the church of his name . four leagues from najara , lived another holy man , a spaniard , or as others say , an italian , who used the same charity , and repaired the ways thro' which the pilgrims went to visit the church of s. james the apostle ; and therefore , he is commonly called s. dominick de la calçada , that is , of the cunsey . i suppose king alonso made use of him , in building the bridges that are between logron̄o and santiago . about the end of the reign of king alonso , one moses , a learned jew , and a great linguist , was converted , and writ against the jews and moors so effectually , that many of both nations were converted . chap. v. the reign of queen urraca . her lewdness . she is divorced from her husband , deposed from the government , her son alonso proclaimed king of castile . at the time when king alonso dy'd , his daughter d. vrraca , heiress of the kingdom was absent with her husband . he had no great confidence in the nobility of castile , who had opposed his marriage , and therefore would not venture among them without a good body of his own subjects . this kept him back from taking possession of that large kingdom . the queens lewdness , which was great for a person of her rank , was concealed and hid . garrisons of argonians were put into many cities and castles , to keep the castilians in subjection . peranzules having great alliances in both kingdoms , was entrusted with the government , and kept all things in good order . his power lasted not long , for the queen , a turbulent woman , being sent before by her husband , instead of honouring him , as became his great merit , treated him ill , not only removing him from the government , but seizing upon his estate . all the pretence she had for this rash action , was because in his letters , he stiled her husband king of castile . this is what was given out , but in reality , she was sorry she was marry'd , because her husband curb'd her lewdness , and as i am apt to believe , that discreet man reproved her scandalous life . the king was concerned so great a man should be so ill treated , and restored all his estate . he fearing the queen's displeasure , withdrew to the earldom of vrgel , whereof , as was said above , he had the charge . a new war now broke out in andaluzia . hali , king of the moors , hearing king alonso was dead , broke into the christian territories , and in sight of toledo demolished the castle of azeca , and destroy'd the monastery of s. servandus , whilst all the country about was in a flame . not content with this , he laid siege to the city , and for the space of days battered it with all sorts of engines . it s own natural strength , and a wall built at the bottom of the city by king alonso , saved it . alvar fan̄ez , a great man in those days , by his valour contributed much to the safety of the city . all hopes of prevailing being lost , the moors raised the siege , and in their way home plundered madrid and talavera , threw down their walls , and departed with a mighty booty . in aragon , the king was successful against the moors , and took exea , a town of note in navarre , in the year . near valterra , he overthrew abuhafalem , king of zaragoça in battle . after this , he assumed the title of emperor of spain , as his father-in-law had done before him . having at length setled the affairs of aragon , he came to castile in the year . his principal study was to gain the affections of the people , and to that end , he honoured the nobility , relieved the distress'd , protected the weak , and was affable to all people ; insomuch , that he got the good will of all men. only the queen 's hard heart was inflexible . he ordered villorado , berlanga , soria , and almaçan , towns ruined by the wars , to be peopled , and then returned to aragon , resolving to carry on the war against the moors . king alonso , was third cousin to the queen , his wife , for d. sancho the greater , was great-grandfather to them both . it was not then usual for the pope to dispence in those cases , and therefore many princes had been divorced . for this reason , i suppose , king alonso is not reckoned among the kings of castile . besides , the queen for her dissolute life was imprisoned in the castle called castellar , whence she made her escape into castile . she found not the reception she expected , for the nobility sent her back to her husband , who again put her in prison . mean while , the nobles of galicia , where d. alonso , and d. vrraca's son was bred , held consultation to oppose the designs of the argonians . they were glad they had found a flaw in that match , which they had so much opposed , and therefore gave out , that the people were not obliged to own him that was not their lawful king. hereupon , they sent an embassy to pope pasqualis ii. who committed the examination of that affair to james gelmirek , bishop of santiago . what he determined , is not known ; but it is certain , that from that time forwards king alonso began to bear the bishops ill will. those of burgos and leon , were expelled their diocesses , he of palencia imprisoned , the abbot of sahagun was deposed , and d. ramiro , the king's brother , put in his place . bernard , the archbishop of toledo , was two years banished his diocess , notwithstanding his legantine power , and his being primate of all spain . during this time he held a synod at palencia , the acts whereof are extant to this day . another synod he held at leon , at which besides , many bishops and nobles , james gelmires of santiago was present . their chief care was to establish peace , for the forces of aragon and navarre , marched against galicia , and had taken the castle of monteroso by storm . yet the king of aragon , at the instance of some holy men who interpos'd , desisted . all things were done disorderly , without regard to justice , and both parties sought to strengthen themselves , for carrying on of their designs . it seemed hard to the castilians , and galicians , to be governed by the aragonians , the king of aragon , right or wrong would keep the kngdom he was possessed of . such as opposed him were displaced , and their estates taken from them . the galicians , being delivered of their first fear , made a league with henry earl of portugal . this gave them courage to proclaim prince alonso king , tho' very young. he was anointed in the cathedral of compostella , by james gelmirez bishop of that see , a coremony not used till then in spain , but brought up to authorize that act the more . peter earl of trava , tutor to the prince , was the chief contriver of all these proceedings . this action offended the king of aragon , he was divorced from the queen , and set her at liberty , she having been prisoner in the castle of soria . nevertheless he would not quit the kingdom , that was her dower . the governours of places , tho' not absolved from the oath they had taken to him , revolted to the queen , and swore allegiance to her . perancules , a man of unblemished reputation , did the same , yet having a scruple for that he had sworn fidelity to the king of aragon , he surrendred himself up to him , with a halter about his neck , that he might punish his breach of faith. at first the king was surprized , but being perswaded that the gentleman , had in all things acted honourably , and that his loyalty ought not to be hurtful to him , he forgave and treated him very courteously . all the nobility of castile , joyned to preserve the liberty of their country , resolving to undergo all hazards , rather than submit to the government of the aragonians . d. gomez earl of candespina , who before had aimed at marrying the queen , and being then in the flower of his youth , was greater with her , than became the regal dignity , and the modesty of a woman , seem'd the most zealous in defence of the country , and for making war upon the aragonians . d. peter earl of lara , and his rival , with the queen , held the next place , in power and authority . commanders being divided among themselves , neither could peace be setled , nor the war carryed on as it should be . d. alonso king of aragon , with a powerful army entred castile , by the way of soria , and osma . the nobles , with the army of castile , marched to oppose him . both armies encamped near sepulveda , and there formed their battles . peter earl of lara , led the van of the castilians , earl gomez the rear , the main body was commanded by other nobles . the king of aragon , drew up all his army into one square body . the signal being given , they fell on , in the field called de la espina , this was one of the most famous battles of that age. peter earl of lara , not able to stand the first charge fled to burgos , where the queen was in care for the event of that action . d. gomez stood his ground better , till his forces being vanquished ; he dy'd honourably , without turning his back . his standard-bearer , a gentleman of the house of olea , was not inferior to him , for his horse being killed , and both his hands cut off , he fell down dead , embracing the standard with his arms , and often repeating olea . henry earl of portugal , made the victory easier to the aragonians , by going over to them rather in hatred , to the lewdness of the queen , than any kindness he had for king alonso . this success so encouraged the aragonians , that passing the river duero , they advanced as far as the city leon , wasting all the country . the nobility of galicia , having recruited their army , try'd their fortune again , and had the same success , being defeated by the aragonians , between leon and astorga . in this battle was taken peter , earl of trava a powerful man , who was marry'd to d. mayor , daughter to armengaud earl of vrgel . young king alonso , was not in the fight , after it he went to the castle of orsilon , where his mother was . no battle in that age was so fatal to castile , as this . the cities of najara , burgos , palencia , and leon , submitted to the conqueror . he wanting money to pay his army , laid hold of the treasures of churches , which proved his ruin , for the people generally exclaimed against him , and from that time forward his fortune changed . after ransacking the kingdom of toledo , the aragonians marched to besiege the city astorga , having received intelligence that the queen resolved to make her last effort on that side . martin mun̄o , coming to the king of aragon with horse , fell into an ambush , where most of his men being killed , and the rest put to flight , he was himself taken . king alonso finding himself weakned by this loss , the many men that had dy'd , and the garrisons he had placed , retired to carrion , confiding in the strength of that place . there he was besieged by the enemy for some time , till the abbot clusensis , sent by the pope to compose those differences , came and obtained of the queen a truce for some time , and soon after prevailed to have the siege raised . the soldiers of castile being raw and undisciplined , could not be long kept together . after this the aragonians , bent their forces against the lands belonging to the house of lara . on the other side the queen , after a long siege , recovered the castle of burgos . peter earl of lara , thinking to marry the queen , carryed himself like a king , at which many were offended , and his name , and the queen's , were publickly in lampoons and ballads . at length , he was secured , and put in prison , by gutierre fernandez de castro , but escaped , and fled to barcelona . he was the son of that james ordon̄ez , who charged the city zamora with treason , and upon that account fought the three sons of arias gonzalo . after this prince , alonso was proclaimed king of castile . his mother d. vrraca , fortified herself in the castle of leon , but he besieging it , they agreed , that she should resign the crown to him , and have revenues assigned her for her maintenance . it is impossible exactly to reconcile the times , when all these things hap'ned , authors varying so much , even in this , that is no considerable antiquity . it is not known in what year queen vrraca dy'd , the most say , she lived about years , after her father . certain it is she was very lewd . some say she dy'd in child-bed , at the castle of saldan̄a , others , that she burst at the church door of leon , having taken away the treasure of st. isidorus . grave authors affirm , that the earl of candespina , had a son by her , called fernan hurtado , which signifies stollen , because he was a bastard , and that the noble family of that name in spain descends from him . they also say , that peter earl of lara , had to do with her . chap. vi. the wars of majorca , and zaragoca . the schism of burdinus . peace concluded betwixt the crowns of castile , and aragon . the original of the kingdom of portugal . whilst what was said in the last chapter hap'ned in castile , the moors of majorca , and zaragoça , were beset by the power of several nations , conspiring against them . gilbert earl of provence , and aimillan in france dying , his dominions fell to his only daughter , called dulcis . raymund berengarius earl of barcelona , husband to the said dulcis , a prince powerful , as well in his own dominions , as the great addition of his wife 's , resolv'd with the united forces of his subjects , to possess himself of the islands of majorca and minorca , from whence the moors infested the coast of spain and france . it was requisite to gather a great fleet. he got together all he could of his own , which was the beginning of the great power the catalonians had afterwards by sea. but his fleet not being sufficient for this undertaking , he went himself to genoa and pisa , cities at that time powerful by sea , and prevailed with those people to joyn with him in the expedition . at the time appointed the catalonians and genoeses joyned , and passed over to the islands . the war proved tedious and difficult , for the moors misdoubting their own strength , would not hazard a battle , but taking up all the provisions in the country , kept the passes of the mountains , and fortified themselves in the towns and castles . the resolution of the christians overcame all difficulties , and the chief city of majorca , was taken by assault , in the year of our lord . here dyed raimund bishop of baroelona , to whom succeeded oldegarius , who soon after was translated to the archbishoprick of tarragona . after the taking of the city , the rest seemed easie , when on a sudden news was brought that the moors , landing on the coast of barcelona , had struck a general terror into all the country , and besieged the city . the earl was forced to go over to the continent , leaving the genoeses charge to secure the islands . at his first approach the infidels raised the siege , he pursued , and overthrew them near mortorel . this action was tumultuary , and disorderly , the battles not being formed . two accidents concurred to lessen the joy of this victory . one was that the genoeses bribed by the moors went away , and quitted the islands , as the writers of catalonia affirm , for in the histories of genoa , there is no mention of this expedition . the other was the loss of the city carcassone in france . atho , as was said before , possess'd himself of that city , and ruling tyrannically , was expelled by the citizens , who returned to their lawful sovereign , the earl of barcelona . with the assistance of william earl of poitiers , atho recovered the city . roger atho's eldest son , caused all the townsmen to deliver their arms , and that done , ordered them to be put to the sword. many that escaped , fled to barcelona . at their instance , the earl raimund arnaud berengarius entred france with an army . some religious persons interposing , the matter was adjusted in this manner . that atho should possess the city , but to hold it , of the earl of barcelona , whereas he had promised , to hold of the earl of poitiers . this william of poitiers , was a man that only studyed to enlarge his dominions , tho' never so wrongfully . so when raimund earl of toulouze , was gone to the holy-land , he seized upon all the possessions of that prince . bertran the son of raymund , returning from the holy-land , where his father was killed , and he had got the lordship of tripoli , found no hopes of doing any good , upon the earl of poitiers . he began to treat with the neighbouring princes about recovering his patrimony , but to no effect , and therefore had recourse to d. alonso , king of aragon , who received him with marks of affection at barbastro . here it was agreed that the earl of toulouze , should do homage to the king of aragon , for his dominions in france , in case he was restored to them by his means . this was done in the year . but it came to nothing , for the earl was not restored , he of poitiers being very powerful , and the forces of aragon , at that time divided against castile , and the moors . yet some years after d. alonso jordan , brother to bertrand , was taken out of the castle of toulouze , where he had been kept prisoner , and the possession of that city , restored to him by the citizens , when they had expelled william morelle , who held it for the earl of poitiers . d. alonso his heirs , kept that city till the fourth generation , and were all called raimunds , the last of which left but one daughter , marry'd to the earl of poitiers , who had no issue by her , whence it followed that the earldoms of poitiers and toulouze , were annexed to the crown of france , the holy king s. luis , brother to that earl , being the rightful heir . the territory of zaragoça , a strong , rich , and populous city , extended to the borders of the king of aragon's dominions . from thence the inhabitants used to make frequent incursions into the lands of the christians , doing all the harm that can be imagined from such a barbarous people . king alonso , notwithstanding the war with castile , was not ended , resolved to overcome all difficulties , and ●ay siege to that city , tahuste , a town of note , on the banks of ebro , was now taken by the valour and conduct of bacalla , a great man. borgi , on the borders of navarre , magalona , and other towns , and castles , were also taken . the alniogaraves ( so they called the choice old soldiers ) were put into castellar , a strong hold , on the eminence above zaragoça , as was said before . they were furnished with provisions and all manner of stores , either to infest the country , or endure a long siege . these were preludes to the conquest of zaragoça , the same whereof brought thither many persons of note , among the rest the earls gaston of bearne , rotron of perche , and gentulle of bigorre . thus having gathered a mighty army , they sate before the city , in the year . on the eighth day they gained the suburb , that lies beyond the river . rotron , earl of perche , whilst the siege went on , with a body of horse , took tudela , a considerable town in navarre , and kept it as a reward of his valour . the moors knowing of what consequence zaragoça was , gathered in great numbers to relieve the besieg'd . besides , temin , a famous commander had joyned them , with a good number of barbary moors , he brought out of africk . all these encamped on an advantagious ground , on the banks of the river guerba , above zaragoca , near the castle of mary , then held by the moors , but perceiving the christians exceeded them in number and experience , they drew back . in the city , there began to be want of provisions , and what was worst , no hope of relief . delay was troublesome to the besiegers . things being in this posture , advice was brought to the king , that a nephew of temin , others say , he was son to the king of cordova , was marching with a resolution , to force his passage into the town . king alonso knowing if the moors succeeded , he must be obliged to raise the siege , marched out , and met him at cutanda , near daroca . a great number of the moors was killed , the rest put to flight , and their general taken . the besieged having notice hereof , and despairing of any relief , surrendred upon articles , on the th of september , after a siege of eight months . our men were so assured of success , that they had beforehand consecrated peter librana bishop of that city , and he consecrated the church . to the earls gaston of bearne , and rotron of perche , the king gave for their good service two quarters in that city for them , and their heirs . on the banks of ebro , nine leagues from zaragoça , was formerly a colony of the romans , called julia ceisa , now a desert place , but about a league from it , is a town at present called xelsa , the only remaining monument of that piece of antiquity . thither the king marched , as soon as the season would permit , wasting all the country of the moors about . thence he advanced into the province formerly called celtiberia , where all things succeeded according to his desires , all places submitting to him . this season he took taraçona , alabona , epila , calatayud , ariza , and daroca . beyond this last place , the king built a town , to which he gave name of monreal , in a convenient place , to check the parties of valencia , that used to ravage that country . at this time the carthusians and cistercian monks , newly instituted , grew famous for sanctity of life . at jerusalem , the knights templers , and hospitalers , gained fame by their actions , against the insidels . the templers wore a red cross on a white garment . the hospitalers called also of st. john , wore a white cross on a black cloak . s. bernard who lived at that time , was founder of the cistercians , and came into spain where he perswaded the king to give the new town of monreal , to the knights templers , which was done accordingly , a monastery was built , and revenues assigned them , particularly the fifths of all booties were given them , for their maintenance , that they might infest the moors on that side . this was the first entrance of the knights templers into spain , and this the original of the vast revenues they afterwards possessed , which doubtless in the end proved their ruin . chap. vii . a schism in the church on account of an antipope . peace betwixt castile and aragon . war with the moors . original of the kingdom of portugal . in the year guido , a burgundian , unkle to alonso king of castile , was chosen pope , and took the name of calixtus ii. henry iv. then emperor , being excommunicated , caused burdinus archbishop of braga , by the name of gregory viii . to take upon him the papal dignity , which produced a schism in the church , that lasted three years . at the end of which the lawful pope prevailing , burdinus was taken , and shut up in the monastery of the trinity of cava , where he dy'd . the promotion of calixtus to the papacy , was very pleasing to his nephew , the king of castile , and very advantagious to all spain in general . at that time the chief cities and castles of that kingdom , were held by garrisons of aragonians , without any other right than that of arms. the castilians , either that they were habituated to obey , or for kindnesses received of the aragonians , were not concerned at the loss of their liberty . tho' young , the king of castile had a great spirit , and could not put up the wrongs done him , by his father-in-law . embassadors passed betwixt them , he of aragon neither flatly refused , nor yet performed what was required , but still delay'd and framed excuses . at length , it came to the point that heraulds , were sent to demand restitution of the places with-held , or if refused , to declare war. these threats made no impression upon the king of aragon . great armies were rais'd on both sides , but the aragonian being best furnish'd , took the field first , breaking into the territory of rioja , on the side of navarre . great mischiefs were like to ensue , whoever had the better , therefore several godly prelates of both kingdoms interposed , labouring for an accommodation . their success was better than had been hoped at first , for both kings suffered themselves to be persuaded , and each yielding something , they agreed upon these conditions . that all the country betwixt villorado and calahorra , should remain to the crown of aragon ; that king pleading a right to it as a dependance of the kingdom of navarre . that in biscay , the king of aragon should possess guipuscoa and alava , provinces not long before taken by king alonso vi. from the crown of navarre . that the king of aragon should withdraw his garisons from all other cities and castles belonging to castile , and particularly , from toledo . i know not which of these princes deserves the greatest commendation ; both of them gave a great example of moderation . he of aragon , in parting with what he had in possession , and he of castile , in quitting his title to part , that he might obtain the so much desired peace . after this agreement , which was in the year ( some authors say later ) these two kings continued in real amity , as if they had been brothers , or father and son. all things being thus setled between the christians , they bent their force against the moors . the king of aragon broke in upon that side which is encompassed by the rivers cinga and segre , where the town of alcolea , which had been taken by the moors , was recovered . thence he advanced into the kingdom of valencia , and passing the river xucar , entred the territory of murcia , where he attempted the city alcaraz , but was repulsed . rising thence , he turned into andaluzia , where all places submitted to pay tribute , provided , the country might not be wasted . near a town called arenzon , he came to a battle with the king of cordova , and ten other great men of the moors , and overthrew them , in the year of our lord . the following year , he took medina celi , a town seated on a hill , betwixt the confines of the celtiberi and carpetani . in this manner succeeded the affairs of aragon . on the other side , the king of castile entred the province of estremadura . there he recovered the city coria , which had been lost after the death of king alonso , grandfather of him then reigning . thence the army over-ran all the country that lies between the rivers guadiana and tagus , carrying away great numbers of men and cattle , and then they returned home , loaden with booty . these beginnings gained the king much reputation , and gave proof of his vertues . he bore great affection to s. bernard , then abbot of claravalle , by whose advice , he erected many monasteries of cistercians , most of which , still flourish in that part of spain , and enjoy great revenues . at first , these religious men professing the contempt of the world , were satisfied with little . soon after , many bountifully heaping charity upon them , they grew rich. besides these foundations , the king very liberally encreased the revenues of several churches and monasteries . he obtain'd of his uncle , the pope , the erecting of the city zamora into a bishoprick . at the same time , and at the king's instance , the church of s. james the apostle was made an archiepiscopal see , the privileges of the city of merida , then in the hands of the moors , being translated thither . twelve bishopricks were assigned to the province of this new metropolitan , which were salamanca , avila , zamora , cuidad rodrigo , coria , badajoz , lugo , astorga , orense , mondon̄edo , tuy , and placencia , some time after . this was about the year of our lord . that same year dy'd pope calixtus , and honorious ii. succeeded him . the following year , alonso , earl of toulouze , and the earl of barcelona , made war upon each other , in france ; the former pretending a title to the earldom of provence , possessed by the latter , in right of his wife . after much strife , it was agreed between them , that argence and belicadre , two towns , about which , the chief dispute lay , with that part of provenee which lies between the rivers durence and liserre , should remain to the earl of toulouse , all the other part , and avignon , a city on the river rhosne , was adjudged to the earl of barcelona . moreover , they reciprocally adopted one another , that if either dy'd without issue , the other might be his heir . a new kingdom began at this time to be erected in that part of spain , ●ow called portugal , small in extent , as to time , the last that took that title in spain ; yet in great exploits fortunate , and renowned for valour ; since they not only drove the moors out of all that country ; but in process of time , with extraordinary bravery , discovered ways to the unknown parts of the world , and conquered many kingdoms and provinces in asia and africk . this province of portugal lies along the western ocean from north to south , between the rivers guadiana and min̄o , above leagues in length , the breadth where most is , about leagues , the least . it is divided into three parts , on this side , and beyond tagus , or cistagana , and transtagana , and that between the rivers duero and min̄o , or interamnensis , which is the most fruitful , and where stands the city braga . on the one side of tagus is lisbon , and on the other ebora , all three archiepiscopal sees . for the most part , the country is dry and barren , the people ambitious of honour , and brave . a small part of this province , which the kings of castile had taken from the moors , was given to henry of lorrain , in dower with his wife teresa , bastard daughter to alonso vi. by her , he had d. alonso , d. elvira , and d. sancha . henry , after he had these children , went to the holy-land , to assist baldwin , king of jerusalem , but returned without doing any thing of note . at his return , he treated with bernard , archbishop of toledo , and primate of all spain , about restoring the cities of braga , viseo , coimbra , lamego and porto , to their ancient authority , and placing bishops in them . henry dy'd at astorga , a city of galicia , whither he went to compose the differences betwixt castile and aragon . his body was bury'd at braga , in a small chappel ; for the grandeur , or rather madness of erecting costly tombs , now in use , was not then brought up . after his death d. teresa , his wife , had no more regard to her reputation than her sister d. vrraca . she marry'd fernan paez , earl of trastamard , a match much below her , if not altogether unlawful , as being clandestine . she is said besides , to have had too much familiarity with d. bermudo , brother to the earl , and that nevertheless , she marry'd him to her daughter d. elvira . her other daughter d. sancha , was wife to ferdinand de meneses . perhaps , some of these things might be maliciously imputed to this princess . yet certain it is , that ferdinand paez , was very intimate with the countess , and governed all things absolutly , according to his own will. he made war , and ruled in time of peace , without taking any notice of his son-in-law . in his tender years d. alonso was forced to bear with this affront , and wink at the disgrace of his family ; but afterwards , many in hatred of his mother's vicious life , adhering to him , he resolved to take up arms. his father-in-law was not backward . both levied forces , and their armies meeting , a battle was fought in the plains of santivan̄ez , near guimaraens , a town seated at the conflux of the rivers avo and visella . d. alonso got the day , and by that means his mother , and fernan paez , fell into his hands . his father-in-law he released , upon promise he would depart portugal , his mother he kept close prisoner . she in a rage for this usage , sent to beg the king of castile's assistance against her son , promising to resign to him the earldom of portugal , which her son had forfeited by his disobedience . king alonso of castile , condescended to the intreaties of his aunt , either for that he commiserated her condition , or that he desired to possess that earldom . having gathered an army , he entred portugal . his cousin met him , and they came to a battle in the plain of valdeves , betwixt moncon and ponte de lima. the fight was very bloody , and the castillians being overthrown , were forced to fly to leon. this victory so puffed up the portugeses , that without considering their own weakness , or the variety of fortune , they vaunted they were no longer subject to castile king alonso studying revenge , gathered a greater power than before , and returned into portugal with double fury . the portugeses , not able to withstand him , retired into guimaraens , where the castilians besieged them , with a resolution not to stir till they had revenged their late affront . egas nun̄ez , the young earl's tutor , a man of singular prudence , by consent of his master , went out to treat with the king , and managed his business so well , that having pacified him , he raised the siege . the portuges historians , from whom we have taken this account , add , that some years after , d. alonso of portugal , refusing to perform the articles concluded by his tutor , the said egas nun̄ez , went to toledo , and surrendred himself to the king of castile , with a haulter about his neck , to be punished for the breach of those articles he had made . king alonso forgave , but would not employ him , least there might be some design lie hid under that specious pretence . chap. viii . the war betwixt the king of castile and the moors . the death of king alonso of aragon , and revolutions of that kingdom , and navarre . the former choses ramiro , a monk , the latter , garcia , for their king. in the year , and much about the same time dy'd queen vrraca , and bernard , archshop of toledo . the queen , as has been said , departed either in the castle of saldan̄a , or burst at the church of leon. her body was honourably interred at leon. bernard , the archbishop , dy'd at toledo , of great age , and famous for many memorable actions . he was buried in the cathedral of that city , with an inscription on his tomb , that begins with these words . bernard was the first venerable primate here , true it is , the archdeacon of alcor says , he lies in the monastery of sahagun , near the tomb of king alonso vi. he was years archbishop . twelve years before his death ( the annals of sevil say but eight ) with forces maintained at his own expence , he took from the moors the town of alcala , seated at that time on a steep hillock beyond the river henares . the archbishop incamped on another hill that commands it , now called vera cruz , and thence so awed the moors , that they were forced to abandon the town , tho' very strong . for this reason , from that time the archbishop had the temporal as well as spiritual jurisdiction thereof . after bernard , raymund , from the bishoprick of osma , was translated to toledo . in his time , and in the year . was held a council of bishops at palencia , in which james gelmirez , archbishop of compostela , presided as apostolick legate . the king , queen , and many of the nobility , were present at it . among others two remarkable acts passed in this synod . one that no tyths or offering , should be received from persons excommunicate . the other that lay-men should not enjoy benefices upon any pretence whatsover . soon after cardinal humbertus , who came into spain with the legantine power , assembled another synod of bishops at leon , to consider of the kings marriage , which some pretended was null , king alonso , a year after his mothers death , had marry'd berengaria , the daughter of raimund berengarius , earl of barcelona . the nuptials were celebrated at saldan̄a in november , and he had afterwards by her four children , sancho , ferdinand , elizabeth , and sancha . it was well known , that the queen berengaria was related to her husband , but the point being discussed , the bishops declared it was not within the degrees of consanquinity , which are forbid by the church . alonso was great-grand-son to king ferdinand of castile , berengaria , third grandchild to his brother ramiro , king of aragon . after this the king bent his force against the moors , entred their territories adjoyning on the kingdom of toledo , and sate down before calatrava , the inhabitants of which place , used to do great harm in the neighbouring country . it endured a long siege , but was taken , and given by the king , to the archbishop of toledo . at this time the fame of the knights , templers , was spread through the world , for which reason the archbishop gave the town to them . so say our authors , yet some are of opinion , that those knights were not the templers , but others who in imitation of them , had taken the cross to make war upon the moors . now also were taken the towns of alarcos , caracuel , mestança , alcudia , almodovar de campo , and pedroso on the mountain sierra morena . what remained thereabouts might easily have been brought under ; such was the consternation the infidels were in , but the season of the year would not permit any further action . winter being passed , the king ●ed his army through the deserts of cazlona , a part of sierra morena , into andaluzia , burning and plundering all he came near . jaen was close besieged all the winter , yet such was the strength of the walls , and valour of the inhabitants , it could not be carryed . albohali , the son of hali , and grandson of joseph , was sovereign of the almoravides , in africk and spain , his power inferior to his predecessors , by reason of the civil wars among the moors . this was therefore a fit opportunity to make war upon him . king alonso's father-in-law , the earl of barcelona dy'd in the year . he left bercelona in spain , and carcassonne , and rodes in france , to the eldest son raimund . to berengarius his second son , he gave the earldoms of provence and aymillan . his daughter cecily , was marry'd to bernard earl of faux , another , whose name is not known , to aimerick earl of narbonne . the other daughters were left to the care of the brother berengarius , and marry'd to the great men in france . in the following year there hap'ned nothing remarkable , save that king alonso raised the siege of jaen , and returned home , where he knighted d. sancho his son , arming him at all points , and girting on his sword with great ceremony , as was usual in those days . by this was signified , that they so knighted were at age , and it was a means to spur them on to imitate the virtues of their forefathers . in this manner proceeded the affairs of castile and portugal , whilst in aragon , all things succeeded with the christians . all that part , formerly called celtiberia , was brought under our dominion . molina , which before payed tribute , surrendered ; to the city pamplona was added , the suburb of s. saturninus , which the french peopled , and had all the priviledges of free citizens granted them , and the immunities of jaca , according to which they were constituted , a particular government among themselves . the moors possessed the sea coasts , about the mouth of the river ebro , and from thence did much harm in the neighbouring country . there was need of a fleet to curb them , therefore the king caused a great number of vessels to be built at zaragoça , and we read , that in the time of vespasian the emperor , that river was navigable , as far as logrono leagues from the sea. mequinencia , supposed to be the same caesar calls octogesa , a strong town seated where the rivers cinga and segre met , was now taken by the king of aragon . all this joyful success was turned into sorrow , in this manner . fraga , a town among the ilergetes ( by ptolomey , called gallica flavia ) better known , by the disaster that now hap'ned , than any thing remarkable in it , is seated on a rising ground , which being washed away by the river cinga , is difficult of access , and may be easily defended by a few against a greater number . on the back of the town are hillocks all filled , which lie so close to the place , that no engines can be brought to batter it . after taking mequinencia , the king resolving to carry on his conquests , entered the country that lies up the river segre , which was very well fortified , and great numbers of moors had fled thither for security . this concourse made the kings of lerida and fraga grow powerful . the king of aragon , invested fraga in the year . his preparations were greater than the success , for winter coming on , and the rains falling , he was obliged to put his army into quarters , resolving to return early in the spring . about february , the siege began , and lasted all march and april , without any effect , the besieged being furnished with all things necessary to hold out a long time , and encouraged with the hopes of relief . abengamia king of lerida , came to raise the siege with a good army . the battle was fought near fraga , the christians were but few in number , and those tired , many of them were killed . nevertheless this loss did not oblige them to quit the siege , because the loss sustained by the moors was not inferor to theirs . however the king fearing what might follow , went away towards the frontiers of castile , to gather more forces in the territory of soria . by the way he wasted the enemies country , as far as monçon . the king with horse following the main body , was on a sudden beset , by a great number of the enemy . seeing the danger , with few words , he encouraged his men , who fell on , and fought as could be expected in such a desperate exigency . above all the king signalized himself , being well known by his garment , and bright armour , so that all the moors bending their fury against him , he was at length kill'd . having lost their king , some of his men dy'd bravely , others escaped by flight . this is the truth of that king 's unhappy end , tho' several other false rumours have been spread among the ignorant people . some would have it , that after this defeat , he went to jerusalem , and dy'd there . others write , that his body was bought of the moors , and bury'd at montaragon . my. opinion is , that his body was not found , which gave occasion to invent many fables about him . certain it is , that misfortune hap'ned near the town of sarin̄ena , on the th of september , in the year . this prince was a person of singular valour and conduct . an ancient author affirms , he fought . battles , and was in most of them victorious . he reigned years . his will was made three years before his death , when he besieg'd bayonne , which our histories say he took , and that at that siege peter earl of lara , fought with alonso earl of toulouze , and was by him slain . this will was very remarkable , and caused great troubles and confusion . by it he left many towns and castles , to several churches in spain , and because he had no children , he made the knights templers , the hospitalers , and those that kept the sepulcher of jerusalem , heirs of all his dominions . it concludes with many heavy curses , upon such as shall presume to infringe any part of it . yet the aragonians , and navarrois assembled at borgie , a place on the frontiers of navarre , in order to choose a king. peter atares , a noble man , as some imagine , rather than prove of the blood royal , held that town by gift of the deceased king. he was a person of great merit , and had doubtless been declar'd king , had not his extraordinary pride prevented it . thus the assembly broke up , without coming to any resolution . the navarrois , hated the government of the aragonians , and thought it was lawful at all times when occasion offer'd , to cast off the yoke that had been violently forced upon them . hereupon they had a meeting apart , and at the perswasion of sancho rosa bishop of pamplona , proclaimed d. garcia king. he was descended of their ancient royal family , for he was son to d. ramiro , and grandson to d. sancho , who as was said , was killed by his brother raimund . on the other side , the aragonians assembling at monçon , proclaimed d. ramiro , brother to the late king , notwithstanding he was a monk , abbot of sahagun , and elect bishop of burgos first , then of pamplona , and lastly of roda and barbastro . there is yet extant an original instrument , dated at barbastro in october , in which he stiles himself king and priest . nor was this all , for tho' he had been above . years a monk , they obliged him to marry , having to that purpose , obtained a dispensation of . pope innocent ii. so that he was at once a monk , a priest , a bishop , a marry'd man , and a king. he marry'd agnes , sister to william earl of poitiers and guienne , who dy'd two years after at santiago in galicia , whither he went in pilgrimage . his eldest daughter ellenor , was marryed to luis the young king of france , from whom , after having two daughters , she was divorced by command of pope eugenius iii. on account of consanguinity . after that divorce , the king of france marry'd elizabeth , the daughter of alonso vii . king of castile . ellenor was marry'd to henry duke of normandy , and anjau , afterwards king of england , by this match poitiers , and guienne , or aquitain , were annex'd to the crown of england , whence ensu'd bloody wars betwixt those two nations . chap. ix . the king of castile aspires to the crowns of aragon and navarre . stiles himself emperor . ramiro king of aragon resigns ; and his son-in-law , raimund earl of barcelona , assumes the crown . these elections brought great troubles upon the kingdoms of aragon and navarre , and the more for that d. garcia was weak , and d. ramiro old . the king of castile , pretended to have a better right than either of them , as being descended from d. sancho the greater of navarre , and he had the greatest power on which king's ground their chiefest right . as for the military orders , appointed by the late king to inherit , no body took notice of them . that he might not seem careless in seeking his advantage , the king of castile entred the territory of rioja , and recover'd all that his father-in-law , king alonso of aragon , had taken from him by force at first , and afterwards upon capitulation . then he laid siege to victoria in biscay , but could not carry it , tho' he had all the towns about . thus the river ebro came to part the dominions of castile and navarre . many great men , as well as of the clergy , as laity , follow'd and assisted the king , who had no sooner regain'd rioja and biscay , but he bent his force against aragon , so effectually , that by the month of december , he was possess'd of all that part of the kingdom which lies on this side ebro . king ramiro being wholly unprovided , and not well assur'd of the affections of his people , retir'd to sobrarve , hoping the natural strength of that country might protect him till fortune chang'd , or some composition could be made . oldegarius , archbishop of taragona , went betwixt both parties , labouring to bring them to an accommodation , but his endavours seemed fruitless , neither competitor contenting himself with part , as aspiring to the whole . garcia king of navarre , being resolved to condescend to some agreement upon safe conduct given him , came to castile , where in a general assembly , or parliament , at which were present , king alonso of castile , berengaria , his queen , sancha , his sister , and garcia , king of navarre , besides a great number of nobles ; it was resolved that the king of castile should take the title of emperor . accordingly , on whit-sunday in the year . ( as an author then living writes , and it appears by the acts of that assembly ) he was crowned in the city of leon , by the hands of the archbishop of toledo , the king of navarre standing on his right hand , and the bishop of leon on his left. our historians say , pope innocent ii. consented to this act , but it is scarce credible he would do that affront to the emperor of the romans . after this , the new emperor was again crowned at toledo . these two coronations gave occasion to the dispute there is about the place where that ceremony was performed . an author then living says , he was crown'd three times , in imitation of the german emperors , first at toledo , then at leon , and lastly , at compestella , with a crown of gold. the other kings of spain before this , assum'd the title , only this preserv'd it , and is call'd alonso the emperor . besides , it is manifest , that from his time , the city toledo began to use the arms it still retains , which are , an emperor in his robes on a throne , the globe in his left hand , and a naked sword in his right . the arms of that city before , were first two stars , and after that , a lion rampant . hence also it took the stile of the imperial city . as soon as the new emperor had taken upon him that title , he nam'd his two sons kings , sancho , the eldest , of castile , and ferdinand , the youngest , of leon. the nobility and clergy labour'd to compose the differences above-mention'd . no good could be wrought upon aragon ; therefore the two kings of castile and navarre , had another conference at paradilla , on the river ebro . here it was agreed , that d. garcia should possess navarre , and all that part of aragon that had been conquered ; but should do fealty and homage to the crown of castile for the same ; and also , that both kings should joyn their forces against him of aragon . thus the argonians and navarrois , were intangled in war , till some bishops interposing , they appointed three arbitrators on each side , by whom it was decreed , that the bounds of navarre and aragon , should be the same they had been in the time of d. sancho the greater ; but that the king of navarre should hold his dominions of the crown of aragon ; which was the same thing he had promised to castile . so little did they regard promises . to ratifie this contract , the two kings met at pamplona , but he of aragon being inform'd the navarrois design'd to kill him , fled , and thus the breach was made wider than at first . d. ramiro , for his great age and weakness , being grown contemptible to the commonalty , as well as the nobility , in revenge , call'd together all the great men to huesca , upon pretence of consulting with them about weighty affairs , and there put to death of the chief of them , in the year . many things are reported of his insufficiency scarce credible ; but there is no doubt , he was not fit for such a troublesome government . he himself at length , growing weary of so many cares , and resolving to ease himself of them , having now a daughter , call'd petronilla , declar'd his intention at that meeting at huesca , and admonish'd all there present , that their chief study ought to be to establish friendship with d. alonso the emperor , without thinking of any revenge against the navarrois . raymund , earl of barcelona , was the chief instrument in concerting matters betwixt castile and aragon , as being ally'd to both those princes , and having some intimation that he should marry the princess petronilla , and be declar'd king of aragon . at alagon , a town three leagues above zaragoça , on the river ebro , the two kings met , and agreed that zaragoça should be restored to the crown of aragon ; calatayud , alagon , and the rest on this side ebro , should remain to castile . king ramiro's daughter was given as an hostage , for performance of articles ; but they could not agree about her marrying d. sancho , the emperor's eldest son , for that she was promised to the earl of barcelona . so far were both parties from having any regard to their alliances made with navarre , that they articl'd to joyn their forces against that king. he having notice of it , and being a man of great spirit , provided to meet that storm , and durst not only make good his own , but endeavour'd to enlarge the narrow bounds of his dominions . he marry'd margaret , daughter of rotron , earl of perche , and had the city tudela with her in dower . the records of those times mention , that he reign'd over pamplona , najara , alava , biscay , and guipuscoa . he was supported by the french , luis their king , looking upon it as a thing honourble to protect this new prince . the armies of castile and navarre encamp'd near and towns of galur and cortes , but came not to a battle , both sides being unwilling to hazard all ; for this is more likely than that they forbore in respect to the feast of easter . the marriage betwixt the earl of barcelona , and the princess petronilla , was agreed upon on the th of august , that same year . this done d. ramiro laying aside the care of the government , withdrew to the church of st. peter at huesea , still retaining the title of king and power of resuming that authority when he should think fit . all officers were order'd to take the oath of fidelity to the earl of barcelona , and because the nobles on account of service in that time of need , had obtain'd grants of many towns and castles from the king , all such grants were made void , especially those that passed since the king chose the earl for his son-in-law . as to navarre , it was ordain'd , the bounds of the kingdoms should be the same that had been agreed upon at pamplona and valdoluengo . as soon as raymund entred upon the government , he had a conference with the emperor d. alonso , at carrion , where he obtain'd all the lands that had been taken from the crown of aragon on this side ebro , should be restor'd , but only to be held of the crown of castile . this done , he made his entry into zaragoça , and was receiv'd with great applause , having establish'd peace . william raymund , seneschal , or high-steward of catalonia , had a great hand in all these affairs , and as a reward , had the town of moncada given him ; from him descends the noble family of moncada in that country . chap. x. d. alonso of portugal takes the title of king. his wars with the moors . war betwixt christian princes and peace concluded . baeca and almeria taken by the king of castile , and lisbon by him of portugal . these confusions we have spoken of , gave the portugueses an opportunity of enlarging their dominions , and rendring their name famous . d. alonso , prince , or as some call him , duke of portugal , being a man no less renowned in peace than war , ceased not enlarging and beutifying his dominions . at coimbra he built the monastery of santacruz , a stately structure , which he chose for his place of burial , and endow'd it with the town of leyra , then taken from the moors . this was but an introduction to greater exploits , for in the year . he broke into the territories of the infidels with a powerful army , and passing the river tagus , made war upon ismar , the moorish king in those parts . in this expedition dy'd egas nun̄ez , d. alonso's tutor , by whose wise councels he had till then been govern'd . in the city porto , there is a monastery of benedictive monks , founded by d. egas , in which are to be seen , his and his children tombs . that of his wife d. teresa , is in the monastery of gereceda of cistercians , built by her , two leagues from lamego . ismar understanding of d. alonso's design , gather'd all the forces he could , and four other moorish kings joyning him , compos'd a formidable army . the two bodies had sight of one another in a plain , then call'd vrichio , now cabeças de ryes , or king's-head , a place fit to give battle . that country is water'd by the river palma , which about beja , where it springs , has little water , but other streams falling into it , gathers such a body , that near alcaçar do sal , where it falls into the sea , it is navigable . d. alonso was surpriz'd to see so great a number of enemies , but honour prevailing above fear , and the more , for that two days before , that is , on the th of july , being the feast of s. james the apostle , his soldiers had saluted him king , he resolv'd to put all to the hazard of a battle . having in few words , encourag'd his men , he order'd to sound a charge , the enemy did the same , and there ensu'd a most obstinate battle , both parties fighting for honour , for their lives , and for the dominion of all portugal . after a sharp dispute the multitude of moors gave way to the valour of the christians , many of them were kill'd , and many made prisoners . the standards of the kings were taken , and from them the portugue arms , which are azure , five escutcheons . others will have it , that they signifie the five wounds of our saviour ; but i see no authority for it . in the time of sancho ii. king of portugal , there was added to the ancient arms , an orle of castles , the number not fix'd then , now they use seven . this is the famous battle , so much , and so justly extoll'd by the portugues writers , after which the strength of portugal increased in an extraordinary manner . all the glory of the king's actions was sully'd by the imprisonment of his mother , which pope innocent ii. understanding , sent the bishop of coimbra to treat with him about restoring her to her liberty . but the king was deaf to all advice , therefore the bishop leaving the city under an interdict , departed out of portugal . a cardinal being also sent from rome upon the same account , had no better success , but was oblig'd by the king's threats to take off the interdict he had laid upon the whole kingdome , king alonso now marry'd the lady malfada , some say she was daughter to amalaricus , lord of molina , others , to amadeus , earl of savoy . by her he had d. sancho , d. vrraca , and d. teresa . the last marry'd afterwards to philip , earl of flanders . besides these , the king had a bastard son , call'd peter . after the nuptial solemnities , the portugueses applyed themselves again to the war. santaren , a town of note , seated on the banks of tagus , was surprized and the moors expell'd . with the booty taken in this action , the king founded the monastery of alcobaça , of the order of st. bernard , as he had vowed to do , if he took that town . there was great strife betwixt albohali , head of the family of the almoravides , and abdelmon of the almohades , a new rising family among the moors , about the empire of africk . this gave the christians an opportunity of subduing the moors in spain , and indeed nothing supported them , but the wars we had among our selves . such was the peace the moors injoy'd in some places , that they gave themselves to study , and several learned men flourished among them , especially at cordova . in this number some reckon anicenne , tho' others affirm , he was never in spain . averroes , now ●● fit commentaries on aristotle , and avenzor was famous in mathematicks , especially astrology . thus much of cordova . in portugal the christians took by force of arms the town of sintra , seated near the promonrtor● , by the ancients called artabrum , and not far from the mouth of tagus . this was a convement place to receive foreign succours , and fleets arriv'd there from england , france and flanders , bringing such considerable supplies ; that the king resolved to lay siege to lisbon , the metropolis of portugal . but before we treat of that famous siege , let us look back upon what we left behind . whilst these things hap'ned in portugal , the aragonians and navarrois were at war. both strove to bring d. alonso of castile to their part , but raymund earl of barcelona , having got the government of aragon into his hands , prevailed and made a league with him , as we have already declared . in that treaty , no mention was made of d. garcia king of navarre , notwithstanding he infested all the country betwixt tudela and zaragoça . but two years after , which was the year of our lord . raymund had another conference with king alonso at garrion , where a league was concluded betwixt the castilians , and aragonians against navatre , upon these conditions ; that such towns as the navarrois wrongfully held , and belong'd to the crown of aragon , should be restored ; that such as they had appertaining to castile on this side ebro , should return to the king's possession ; that one third of the kingdom of navarre should fall to the emperor , the other two thirds to the earl , to hold them of the crown of castile , they fold the skin before they had killed the bear. after this agreement , both parties provided for war. earl raymund had other things upon his hands . therefore d. alonso the emperor was the first , who with a powerfully army broke into the country of navarre , by the way of the mountains doca . the terror he spread was greater than the harm he did , for at the sollicitation of prelates , peace was concluded betwixt those two kings to which purpose they had an interview on the bank of ebro , betwixt calaborra and haro . here they not only concluded a peace , but it was agreed , that d. sancha , the emperors eldest son , should marry blanch , daughter to the king of navarre , and tho' was young , she was delivered up then to her father-in-law . earl raymund , had no leasure to attend the war of navarre , being encumbred with many troubles at home . in the first place , he had much to do against the moors , from whom the commanders on the frontiers of aragon , took the towns of calamera and alcolea , on the river cinga . besides this , the knights of jerusalem , still pretended right to the kingdoms of aragon , by the will of the last king d. alonso , and it was but reasonable to give them some satisfaction , raymund the gyeds master of the order of s. john , being come into spain to that purpose . at length , by the mediation of pope adrian 〈◊〉 they agreed in this manner , that the knights of jerusalem , shall in zaragoca , calatayud , huesca , barbastro , daroca , and such other towns as shall be taken from the moors , have a townsman of each nation , viz. a christian , a jew , and a moor for their subject , to pay them tribute , and carry arms under them , whensoever they shall command , that they shall have revenues assigned them throughout the kingdom ; that in jaca , and other places , they shall have ground given them to build monasteries . that the king dying without issue , the crown shall devolve to the knights . some years were spent in concluding this agreement , which was sign'd by william , patriarch of jerusalem , and all the knights concerned in the year . earl raymund , had a particular esteem for the knights templers , ( who were included in this treaty ) because his father had been of their order , and therefore he honour'd them above the rest , and gave them the town of monçon , and other places , also the tenth of the revenue of the crown , and a fifth of all that was taken from the moors . in fine , all the knights were to be free from taxes , and the king swore , he would never make peace with the moors , without their consent . this was concluded at girona , in the presence of cardinal guido , the popes legate in the year . after this , there ensued a war in france , for raymund bauce , having marry'd the younger daughter , of gilbert earl of provence , pretended a right to part of that earldom . raymund earl of barcelona , seeing his nephew raymund berengarius earl of provence , was too young to defend himself , undertook his protection . he succeeded so well , that raymund bauce was expell'd all his own dominions , and forc'd to come to barcelona , and there submit himself to the earl. they concluded a peace , bauce was restor'd to all he had lost , and had the town of trencataye given him , to hold of the earl of provence . these were the difficulties that intangled the earl of barcelona , so that the king of navarre , had leasure to strengthen himself , and the more to bind the emperor alonso to his interest , his wife mergerina dying , he marry'd , his bastard daughter called vrraca . the nuptials were celebrated at leon , with great pomp , in the year . d. vrraca's mother was called gontroda , a woman of a noble family in asturias , her to●● is to be seen in a monastery of nuns , called of vegua at oviedo , which she built , and where she ended her days , king garcia by d. vrraca , had d. sancha , who was twice marry'd ; first to gaston viscount of bearne , and he dying without issue , to peter earl of molina , who had by her aymerick , afterward lord of narbonne . africk was now embroiled in civil wars . in spain , the moors , were divided into three factions . zedofala lord of rota , a town at the mouth of guadalquivir , tho' of the ancient blood royal of the moors , for his private interest , favour'd the christians , who with his assistance made an inroad , till they came in sight of sevil. azuel , governour of cordova , and abengamia of valencia , were at variance , but abengamia being more powerful , expel'd azuel out of that city . among the christians only the kings of navarre and aragon were at odds . at the instance of the emperor alonso , all these three princes met at santistevan de gormaz , in the year . where tho' they could not settle a peace , yet a truce was concluded on , between those two kings . it was also agreed , that the emperor designing to carry on the war against the moors , the king of navarre should assist him by land , and the earl with a good fleet of his own , and the genoeses , by sea. in the spring , the three kings began the war in andulazia , burning and plundering all the country , as far as cordova , a noble city , seated in a plain , on the banks of guadalquivir . abengamia govern'd that place for the king of morrocco , he not daring to withstand so great a power , delivered up the city , offering provisions and money . raymund archbishop of toledo , consecrated the great mosque , which was the most beautiful structure in all spain , but they were too forward in this action , for they departed without leaving any garrison in the place . it was large , and required a great number of men , and the king durst not divide his forces . he contented himself with making abengamia swear , he would hold that city for him , and behave himself as a true subject . scarce was the army gone , when the moor broke his oath . the christians marched to baeça , whether the moors had assembled all their forces . by break of day , the armies ingaged , the moors were vanquished , the city surrendred , and a garrison was put into it , least like cordova it should revolt . roderick de açagra , lord of estella in navarre , signalized himself at the taking of this city , he was father to peter de açagra , the first lord of albarazin of that family . s. isidorus is said , to have appeared to king alonso before the fight , and assured him of success . almeria , anciently called abadera , a city seated on the coast of the mediterranean , between the borders of andaluzia and murcia , was then a place of great strength , and a receptable of pyrats . thither the christian army marched , and encamped before it , at such time , as the fleets of barcelona and genoa , according to what had been agreed , having coasted along , lay in sight of the port. the city was attacked by sea and land , and having made a breach , and possessed themselves of certain towers , it was at last taken by storm , on the th of october , in the year . moors , who had retired into the castle , were forced to buy their lives for a sum of money . thus was that nest of pyrats , that infested the coasts of spain , france , and italy , taken away . the plunder was given to the soldiers . to the genoeses , was given a dish , made of an emraud , which they valued above all the booty , and preserve to this day , in their treasury . others say , that jewel was found at the taking of cesarea in siria . winter drawing on , the army returned home , loaded with riches . raymund earl of barcelona , not to let slip this opportunity of the genoese fleet , agreed with them to assist him in the expelling the moors , from part of aragon , and the islands of majorea and minorca . in return they were to have the third part of all that was taken in that war. in all towns recovered from the moors , they should have a church , and a tribunal of of their own , and that all their merchants should be free from customs and taxes . these conditions being accepted of , they stood along the coast of catalonia , and with their united forces took the city tortosa , seated at the mouth of ebro , and therefore a proper place for traffick . this was done in the year . the following year lerida and fraga , two towns of note were taken by the christians . lerida , was given to the earl of vrgel , in reward of his great services during that war. william peroz bishop of roda , was appointed to the see of lerida , still retaining the cities of roda and barbastro , to be included in that diocess , and some bishops of lerida , long after this time , continued to stile themselves bishops of roda and barbastro . the affairs of the moors in spain , went very much down the wind , and the christians grew daily stronger . many castles , towns , and cities , were taken from the infidels . almost in the middle of portugal , on the coast of the ocean , the river tagus forms a capacious harbour , the entrance or bar is somewhat dangerous , but the port within large and secure . on the northern shore of this port , is seated the city lisbon , the noblest and richest in portugal . at the back of it are certain hills of easie ascent , and the tops of them covered with buildings . the breadth of the city is not so much as the length , the ancient circumference of the walls is not very great , but the suburbs are large , and still increase . most of the streets are narrow , and crooked , and in some places very steep , but what is new built , much surpasses the old in beauty . about it are many villages , and good country houses , and a soil beautified with vineyards and orchard , of orange and lemmon trees . d. alonso , ardently desired to make himself master of this important place , which served as a bulwark to all that the moors held in those parts . his own force was not sufficient for such an undertaking , and the kings of spain had their hands full in other places ; for which reason , as soon as he had taken sintra , he made advantagious proposals to the english , flemings , and french , to induce them to assist him with their fleets . these fleets kept the mouth of the harbour , that no relief might come to the city by sea. the forces of the natives encamp'd where now is the monastery of s. vincent , the foreigners in the place where that of s. francis was since built ; both places are now within the city . they batter'd the walls for many days , and on the day of s. crispin and crispinian , gave a general assault , the king himself standing by , and encouraging his men. here the service was desperate , the christians striving to gain the breaches , and the moors powring showers of weapons and stones upon them in such manner , that scarce any fell without doing execution , our men thronging upon one another . at length , having broke open the gate call'd of alfama , the city was entred , much blood spilt , and all that submitted made slaves . all the plunder was given to the soldiers , and prov'd greater than had been imagin'd . gilbert , a person of great learning and vertue , was chosen bishop , tho' a stranger , and consecrated the principal mosque . in the very place where the king had encamp'd , he built a monastery of the invocation of s. vincent , and plac'd therein canons regulars . many of the foreigners being taken with the pleasantness of the country , resolv'd to stay , and inhabit there , and are said to have built almada , villaverde , arruda , zambruia , castan̄eda , and other . towns in that neighbourhood . after this , the king following his good fortune , with wonderful success , took from the moors alanquer , obidos , ebora , yelves , mura , serpa , beja , and many other towns and castles in that part of the country . all things submitting to his great valour and conduct . true it is , the greatest part of these actions fell some years later . let us return to the course of our history . at this time eugenius iii. govern'd the church of rome . the affairs of the christians in the holy-land went to decay . to remedy this misfortune , the pope went into france , thence to excite all christian princes to the relief of those holy-places , and to this purpose , he held a general council at rheimes , in the year of our lord . raymund , archbishop of toledo , going to this council , is said by the way , to have visited the church of s. denis , two leagues from paris , where on a stone , he found this inscription . here lies eugenius martyr , first archbishop of toledo . at his return home , he endeavour'd to have the relicks of that saint translated to toledo ; but this design was prevented by his own , and queen berengaria's death , which hap'ned near about the same time . the queen dy'd in the year . and was bury'd in the church of s. james the apostle . this year was very remarkable , for that it rain'd blood in part of portugal , and the dominions of the moors . the following year . dy'd raymund the archbishop . john , bishop of segovia , a man of singular piety , succeeded him . this in castile . on the other part , pope eugenius confirm'd the title of king of portugal to d. alonso , afterwards alexander iii. did the same . for this grace , they order'd him to pay a yearly acknowledgment to the popes . eugenius appointed four pounds of gold , alexander two marks . whether the kings of portugal then paid it , is not known ; of late ages that crown had deem'd it self free from any such imposition . the history of spain . the eleventh book . chap. i. the coming into spain of the moors called almohades . the death of d. garcia , king of navarre , by a fall from his horse , his son sancho succeeds him . king alonso , and his daughter , both marry'd . many places taken from the moors . let us being this book with another invasion of spain , made by the cruel and barbarous family of the almohades , who about this time erected to themselves a new kingdom in africk and spain . great revolutions ensu'd , and great calamities threatn'd the christians , till the forces of the moors were at last crush'd by one of the most famous victories that has been heard of , obtain'd over them . albohali , of the family of the almoravides , was emperor of the moors , in africk and spain , at has been said before , in his time , a learned man , and great astrologer , call'd tumerto , seeing a ●usty , proper youth , whose name was abdelmon , the son of a potter , he prognosticated to him , that he should be king of his nation . at the same time , one almohades , a mahometan preacher , held by the multitude for a saint , distracted the multitude , ready to run a mading after every extravagant novelty , with a new interpretation of their law. to him tumerto discloses what he had found by his science , and he either believing , or seeming to believe it , they both consulted how to over-turn the government of the kingdom . there is nothing so pernicious , as the pretence of religion , when us'd to cover rebellion . almohades making use of the reputation he had gain'd , persuaded his followers to take up arms under abdelmon , and destroy the race of the almoravides , as usurpers , that had wrongfuly possessed the crown , by extirpating the alavecines , a family descended from fatima , mahomet's eldest daughter . besides that , they must cast off the yoke of the almoravides , to make way for those new opinions in religion , which they had embrac'd . hereupon , the multitude took up arms , but being unskill'd in the use of them , were easily overcome by albohali . yet assembling in greater numbers , they never ceased till they had overthrown the almoravides , and kill'd albohali , the king. abdelmon succeeded in the throne , and then the followers of almohades , who from him were also call'd almohades ; being possess'd of the government , chang'd the ancient laws and customs . having setled africk , they began to look towards spain . tumerto was left to keep africk under , whilst abdelmon and almohades , with a great force pass'd over into spain . at first they did no harm , hoping to attract the people by kindness , and they succeeded therein ; for all the moors in spain , easily embrac'd their new opinions , and their former superstition became no less odious to them than christianity . being possess'd of all , they fell to persecuting of the small remains of the christians that liv'd mix'd with the moors , putting 'em to all manner of torments . many fled to the christians dominions , others were overcome , and yielded to the infidels ; so that from thence forward , few christians were left among the moors . the almohades contenting themselves with the sovereignty of africk , and so much of spain as was under the moors , thought not fit at that time to make war upon the christians , who were powerful both by sea and land , but return'd into africk . soon after , their prophet almohades dy'd , and the king caused a magnificent sepulchre to be erected for him , near morocco , the metropolis of that kingdom , whither the ignorant multitude began to go in pilgrimage . the almohades entred spain in the year . roderick , the archbishop , says years sooner . the same year that alonso , the emperor took cordova , which , i suppose to be after abdelmon return'd into africk . d. garcia , king of navarre , was kill'd by a fall off his horse on a rock , as he was hunting , near lorca , a town in his dominions . his death was on the st of november . he was going from estella to pamplona , to punish that city for their disobedience , but this misfortune prevented his designs . he reign'd years , and left these children , d. sancho , who succeeded him , and was crown'd in the cathedral of pamplona , where he bury'd his father , blanch , marry'd to the emperor alonso's son , and marguerite , to william , king of sicily , call'd the wicked . besides these , he had alonso ramirez , lord of castro viejo , and sancha marry'd first to gaston , viscount of bearn , and afterwards to gonzalo , earl of molina . the death of the king of navarre produc'd new troubles ; for alonso , the emperor , and raymund , earl of barcelona , had an interview upon this occasion , at tudelin , a town of navarre , near the baths , at which sancho , now declar'd king of castile , by the emperor his father , was present . here they articled , that all that part of the dominions of navarre , which had belong'd to castile , should be restor'd to the emperor ; and what had appertain'd to aragon , to the earl , that the ancient kingdom of navarre should be equally divided betwixt them ; the earl to hold his part of the crown of castile . in regard of the moors , they agreed , that when valencia , and all that lies between tortosa , and the river xucar , as also murcia were taken , they should be deliver'd to the aragonians , so as they should do homage for them to the crown of castile . hereupon they shook hands , a ceremony then used to confirm promises , and resolv'd to commence the war against navarre , when the month of september was over . all this league fell to nothing , for the new king strengthen'd him self with supplies from abroad , and gain'd the love of his subjects , which his father never had done . other cares diverted the emperor and earl , so that nothing was done , only some inroads on both sides , which were not of moment . the earl went into france , against trencavelle , viscount of carcassonne , with whom , he at last agreed , that he should do him homage for the towns of carcassonne and rhodes . alonso the emperor , was taken up in concerting of marriages ; for leuis , king of france , being divorc'd from ellenor , countess of poitiers , after he had two children by her , marry'd the emperor's daughter , some call her elizabeth , others canstance . at the same time , the emperor himself marry'd rica , the daughter of vladislaus , duke of poland . amidst the nuptial joys the noise of arms could not take place . besides , navarre was in league with france , which might , perhaps , appease the emperor . besides , sancho , the king was generally belov'd , and the emperor himself was a lover of justice , all which motives induced him to forbear from war. of his justice he gave a most pregnant testimony in the following action . a man of birth that had serv'd in the wars , such as spain call'd infanzones , living in gallicia , took away by force all that a farmer had . being warn'd by the king and governour , to make restitution , he did not obey . hereupon the king in disguise , for the greater secrecy travelled from toledo , to the farthest part of gallicia , and seizing that soldier , caused him to be hang'd before his own door . this action gained him great reputation . in the year . he lay'd siege to jaen , and the following to guadix in andaluzia , but took neither . d. petronila queen of aragon , was delivered of a son , who during his father's life , was called raymund , and after his death alonso . it is remarkable , that before her labour , this lady made her will , by which , in case she were delivered of a son , she left the crown of aragon to him , but if it proved a daughter , she bequeath'd it to her husband . all that the moors possessed along the rivers segre and cinga , was now taken from them by the aragonians . besides , that many castles between tarragona and tortosa , in places naturally strong , and almost inaccessible , were recovered , also the town of miravete , on the banks of the river ebro , which was given to the knights templers . the king bought the third part of tortosa , which according to contract at the taking of it , belonged to the genoeses , for a sum of ready money . these actions made the name of the earl raymund famous , not only in spain but in foreign countries , yet such was his modesty , tho' he would never take the title of king , tho' he had a crown in the right of his wife , but stiled himself prince of aragon . from this time the arms of aragon , were chang'd for those of catalonia , which are barry of eight pieces , or and gules . sancho , who afterwards succeeded his father alonso king of portugal , was born on the th of november . in the city coimbra . the birth of this prince , and coming of lewis king of france into spain ; were the most remarkable things happ'ned this year . chap. ii. king luis the younger of france comes into spain . alonso of castile and leon call'd the emperor dies . his sons sancho and ferdinand , inherit the crowns of castile and leon. original of the knights of calatrava . lvis king of france , call'd the younger , being suspicious , that the empress his wife , was not lawfully begotten , resolv'd to come into spain , to be better inform'd , but that the design of his coming might not be known , pretended to go on pilgrimage to the church of s. james the apostle in galicia . his father-in-law , the emperor alonso , with his two sons , and the king of navarre , went as far as burgos to meet him , and thither resorted all the nobility , in their greatest splendor , to shew the riches of spain to the french. in this manner they travelled to compostela , and having performed their devotions , returned to toledo , where a general assembly of the states , or parliament , as well of the moors subject to the emperor , as the christians , was by him called , the more to manifest his power and grandeur . among the rest , came raymund earl of barcelona , with a very splendid retinue . king luis considering the grandeur of this assembly , confessed he had not seen any to compare to it , and praised god that he had to wife , the daughter of alonso the emperor , and neice to the prince of aragon . all sorts of sports were exhibited with great magnificence , and rich presents offered to the stranger , but he would accept of nothing , save only a rich carbuncle , and thus he returned home well pleased . raymund of aragon , bore him company as far as jaca , where they were received with much grandeur . on the th of august dy'd the earl of vrgel , grandson to peranzules , for distinction sake , he was call'd armengaud of castile . upon friday the th of november . blanch , wife to sancho , king of castile , was deliver'd of a son , called alonso , who came to inherit his father and grandfather's dominions . it had been proposed in the treaty of tudelin , to have this lady divorced as being under age , but justice , the love her husband bore her , and her own innocence , prevailed . hugh bauce , and his brothers the sons of raymund , and grandsons of gilbert , grounding their right on a priviledge of the emperors granted to them , strove to possess themselves of all provence , but the earl of barcelona , marching with a powerful army to protect his nephew , they were soon reduced . at the same time jacintus , the popes legate , settled the affairs of the church in spain , giving judgment for the archbishop of toledo , against those of santiago , and braga , who contended for the primacy . luis king of france , at the instance of his father-in-law , now sent an arm of s. eugenius the martyr , spoken of before , which was received without the city , by the emperor , his sons , and all the clergy , and carry'd on their shoulders , in procession to the cathedral , in the year . the rest of the body was brought to spain , in the time of philip ii. and placed in the same church . raymund prince of aragon , could not brook the cutting off the kingdom of navarre from that of aragon . hereupon he solicited alonso , the emperor , to put in execution the league concluded at tudelin , and with joint forces , to invade navarre , and the more to strengthen this agreement , a match was proposed betwixt sancha , the emperors daughter , by his wife rica , and the son of raymund , but both being infants , nothing more was done , but signing the treaty . sancho and ferdinand , the emperor's sons , were included in this alliance . nevertheless the emperor would rather have been mediator for peace , with the king of navarre , hoping to marry his daughter beatriz , whom he had by his wife berengaria , to that king. this took effect afterwards . in the mean while , he indeavoured to delay joyning with the aragonians , under colour of making war upon the moors , before the empire of the almahodes , was quite setled in spain . for now abdelmon dying , his son and successor jacob , or as others call him joseph , a warlike man , was come over out of africk with horse , and much greater number of foot. this perplexed the emperor , who thereupon earnestly intreated the prince of aragon , now ready to enter navarre , with a powerful army , that he would not commence the war till after the feast of s. martin . that enterprize was accordingly put off , but the confederacy renewed at toledo , in february . this delay was the more tolerable to prince raymund , for that he was obliged to repair to narbonne . hermengada , viscountess of that city , was forced thence , and obliged to fly to his protection . berengarius the archbishop , who gave her the advice , accompany'd her to perpignan , where all things were setled . alonso , the emperor , with a mighty army broke into andaluzia , burning and destroying all before him . he recovered bacça , which had been lately lost , took andujar and quesada , and the heat of the summer coming on , left his son sancho the greater part of the army , to secure those conquests . his son ferdinand and he returned with the rest of the forces , but by the way at the wood of cazlona , in sierra morena , the emperor fell sick , and near the town of fresneda , he dyed in a tent , on the th of august , he lived years , months , and days , was king years , and had , the title of emperor years and a half . a prince worthy of a longer life , pious in his youth , brave and modest in his riper years , always a pattern of virtue , and famous to posterity , for his zeal to the christian religion . he had three wives , berengaria , beatrix , and rica . the second had no children , the last was mother of sancha . berengaria brought him sancho and ferdinand his successors , also elizabeth and beatrix . besides these , alonso , and another ferdinand , who dy'd young , and was bury'd in a monastery of nuns , of the invocation of s. clement , built by his father , with this inscription on his tomb , here lies the most illustrious d. ferdinand , son to the emperor ; d. alonso , who built this monastery , he laid him here to honour it . sancho and ferdinand , the emperor's sons , divided his dominions as he had ordered . ferdinand had the kingdom of leon and galicia . sancho the elder castile , with all it dependencies . both were good and virtuous princes . sancho was best beloved , as being the more affable , and dying soon , was called the desired . ferdinand was jealous , and gave ear to court-flatterers , therefore , before his father's funeral rites were perform'd , he repaired to leon , to take possession of his kingdom . on the contrary , sancho understanding his death , made hast to frensneda , and thence conducted him , with all the nobility to toledo , where he was buryed with great pomp , in the cathedral of that city . sancho king of navarre , for his learning , age , and exploits , called the wise , saying hold of this opportunity , over ran all the lands of castile , as far as burgos , and with the same celerity , return'd into his own country . the moors finding those places they had lost , forsaken by the new king , easily recovered them . it was requisite to check both those enemies , but it was thought fit first to move against navarre . it hap'ned that ponze earl of minerva , one of the chief among the nobility of leon , being wronged by king ferdinand , fled to castile . he being a person of known valour and conduct , was favourably received by king sancho , and appointed general of the expedition against navarre . having taken charge of the army , by the way of briviesca , he entred the territory of rioja , and incamped in a plain called valpiedra , near the town of ban̄ares , where both parties ordered their battles . d. lope de haro led the van of the navarrois , d. ladron de guevara the rear , and the king the main body . the castillians being the more numerous and resolute , were not backward . at the first charge the castillians gave way , but recovering themselves , put the navarrois to flight , but made no great slaughter ; most saving themselves in the neighbouring castles and towns. supplies coming up now out of france , the king adventured a second time , to fight in the same place , but with no better success . many of the nobles being taken , were generously treated by d. ponze , and afterwards set at liberty . after this victory , he returned to burgos , where the king having commended and rewarded the soldiers , above all honoured d. ponze , and that to such a degree , that he marched as far as the monastery of sahagun , resolving to make war upon his brother , if he did not condescend to restore him to his possessions . king ferdinand perceiving the danger he was in , came to his brother unarmed , where all differences were agreed , and he promised not only to restore d. ponze , but to bestow fresh honours upon him . besides , he offered to do homage to his brother , which king sancho , with great courtesy , refused to accept of . calatrava , a town seated on the banks of guadiana , not far from almagro , when taken from the moors , was given to the knights templers , but they understanding the infidels made great preparations to besiege it , and despairing of holding out , restored it to the king. no body would undertake to defend it , only two cistercian monks , who came to court upon business , offered themselves . these were raymund abbot of fitero , near the river pisuerga , and his companion james velazquez , who having been a soldier , was become a religious , but still had a great spirit , and perswaded the abbot to undertake the maintaining of that place . this offer was very grateful to the king , and to john archbishop of toledo , who were before much concerned for the danger which threatned that place . the archbishop , because calatrava belonged to his diocess , advanced a sum of money , and in his sermons , stirred up the people , to contribute towards the defence of that town , either by adventuring their persons , or laying out their money , since they were all concerned in the preservation of it , as being the bulwark of the christian borders , which once lost ruin and desolation , would soon come upon every particular man's estate . this was at the beginning of the year . the king freely gave the town of calatrava , to the order of the cistercians for ever . fame , which commonly surpasses truth , is of great moment in all worldly affairs , as it appeared now , for the moors hearing of the mighty preparations , that were making to defend that city , came not before it . this was the original of the knights of calatrava , for many soldiers followed the abbot , and took the habit he gave them . being returned to toledo , he brought a great number of cattle from his monastery , and from the neighbourhood about people , to whom he gave the lands about calatrava , which before lay wast for want of inhabitants . thus the town was secured against any danger . abbot raymund dy'd , some years after at ciruelas , a village where he was also buried , and is honoured as a saint . thence in the year . he was translated to our lady of mount sion , a monastery of bernardines , near toledo , james velazquez lived many years after , and dy'd in the monastery of s. peter , at gumiel , where he is buried . from this beginning the military order of calatrava rose to the greatness it is now arrived at . pope alexander iii. confirmed it by his bull , in the year the convent at first , setled in calatrava , was thence removed to ciruelos , then to buxeda , to corcoles , salvatierra , and lastly , to covos there are other lesser convents of the order in other places , but that is the principal . this order in process of time grew rich , and had the lordship of many towns , for their good services , and thro' the bounty of kings . formerly , the revenues of such towns , were given to old knights of that order , for their maintenance , during their own lives only , and not for their heirs . now they serve only to support the prodigality of courtiers . thus , for the most part , good institutions are perverted . chap. iii. the death of sancho , king of castile , the great commotions that ensued . the death of raymund , prince of aragon , his issue . alonso , his eldest son succeeds in his dominions . raymund , prince of aragon , believing the capitulation , in vertue of which , he held that part of aragon which lies on this side ebro , was void by the death of the emperor , had a conference with king sancho , at naxama . there the business was debated , the aragonian ) pretending that zaragoça , calatayud , and other towns , were now exempted from the jurisdiction of castile . this would not be allow'd , yet they agreed that the king of castile should not be possess'd of any towns , or castles in that country ; but that the kings of aragon should do homage to them for the same , and be oblig'd to come to the cortes , or parliament of castile , when call'd . moreover , the league against navarre , was again renew'd , but to as little effect as at other times . after this interview , the argoniam commenc'd the war against navarre ; but the forces of castile could not do their part , being prevented by the death of the king and queen . the queen dy'd on the th of june , in the year . and was bury'd at najara , in the royal monastery of s. mary , the burial place of the kings of navarre . on the last of august following , the king being busie , preparing for the war against the moors , departed this life at toledo , and was interr'd in the cathedral , near his father . he reign'd only year , and days ; and had he liv'd longer , might have equall'd the glory of any of his ancestors . notwithstanding the king's death , his army , in which , every man wore the cross , entred andaluzia , and in battle overthrew jacob miramamolin , who was marching towards sevil. a great slaughter was made of the moors ; yet jacob , their king , having recruited his army , fell upon such moorish kings as refused to submit to him . his first attempt was upon the king of valencia and marcia , but it succeeded not , for raymund , prince of aragon , defended him , as being his ally . then he bent his force against alhagius , king of merida , whom he subdu'd , after this , fadala and omer , two sons of alhagius , joyning theirs with some of jacob's , entred the christian territories as far as placencia and avila , and bending their course towards talavera , were on their return to merida with a great booty . but the people of avila , under the command of their captains , sancho and gomez , overtaking them near sietevados , totally routed them , and recover'd all the prey . four years after this , the same commanders breaking into estremadura , defeated the moors that came to oppose them , and brought away a rich booty of cattle . from these gentlemen , are descended the lords of villaroro , and marquesses of velada . at the time of his death , king sancho , recommended his son alonso , then but four years of age , to the care of gutierre fernandez de castro , who had been his tutor . he order'd the rest of the nobles should still keep in their hands those places they were in possession of , till the king was years of age , which prov'd very fatal , and gave ill men an opportunity of disturbing the peace of the kingdom ; the nobility taking it ill , that the king and his authority , should be put into the hands of one single person . among the nobility of castile , the two most powerful families at this time , were those of castro and lara . these for a considerable time , had the first vote in the cortes , or parliament . d. gutierre , who had the charge of breeding the young king , for his great age and experience , was highly esteem'd among the castro's . he had no children . his younger brother roderick , had four , viz. ferdinand , alvaro , peter and gutierre , and a daughter , called sancha , marry'd to alvaro de gusman , so that her power was as great as her brothers . the family of lara , consisted of three brothers , henry , alvaro and nun̄o , who had great possessions along the river duero , and were sons of earl peter of lara , kill'd at bayonne , as has been said . their mother was a lady , call'd aba , who had been first marry'd to d. garcia , earl of cabra , by whom she had d. garcia acia , the heir of that estate , which added much to the power of the three brothers . they resented that the house of castro should be preferr'd before them , and carry'd it so high in their discourses , it appear'd they would come to blows rather than quit their pretensions . d. gutierre , to secure the publick peace , was easily persuaded to put the king into the hands of d. garcia acia , a modest man , but of too much sincerity for those times . in so much , that upon pretence of the expence he was at with the king , the revenues of the crown being intangl'd , he deliver'd him up to d. manrique de lara , his . brother by the mother's side , which was all he had strugled for . d. gutierre complained this was a breach of faith , and would again have recovered the charge of educating the king , but his adversaries mock'd at him , and thus all things seemed to tend to confusion and war. ferdinand , king of leon , pretending most right to the breeding his nephew , entred castile with an army , wasting the lands of the family of lara , who remov'd the king to soria , from the danger of the war. at this time dy'd d. gutierre de castro , and was bury'd in the monastery of s. christopher , at encas . d. manrique de lara grown more insolent , requir'd the heirs of the deceased , to resign such towns and forts as were in their hands . they excus'd themselves , pleading the late king's will , by which , they were not to resign them till the young king were at age. hereupon d. manrique caused the body of d. gutierre to be taken up , as if he had been guilty of treason . the case being put to tryal , judgment was given for d. gutierre , and his body order'd to be bury'd . mean while , king ferdinand rang'd all the country , there being no army to make head against him . d. manrique dispairing he should be able to resist , was forced to engage himself to king ferdinand , that he would deliver up the king and government to him , to hold for years . to this purpose , the cortes , or parliament was summoned to soria , where the young king was . here , one nun̄o almexar , seeing the king carried away to be deliver'd to his uncle , snatch'd him from those that led him , and carried him away to santistevan de gormaz . thence with consent of the brothers of lara , he was carried to atiença , and after many removals to avila . there the townsmen loyally defended him till the th year of his age , and were therefore commonly call'd the faithful . king ferdinand in a rage for being disappointed , accused nun̄o and manrique de lara with breach of faith , and thereupon , sent to challenge them ; but they only answer'd , that whatsoever others thought , their consciences were satisfy'd they had done their duty to their king. all the kingdom rejoiced the king was deliver'd from his uncle , but their joy was not lasting , for he wasted all the country , most of the cities submitted to him , or were taken by force , and toledo it self did not escape , for it appears , that city submitted to king ferdinand , so that a very small part remain'd to the young king. on the other side , the king of navarre , thinking this a good opportunity to recover his losses , having first made peace with aragon , broke into the dominions of castile , and possess'd himself of logron̄o , entren̄a , briviesca , and other towns. thus all the country was filled with confusion . whilst castile was thus rent with intestine divisions , the moors of andaluzia enjoy'd perfect peace . only the forces of portugal and aragon kept them in aw . raymund , prince of aragon , was in great renown for his perpetual good fortune , which was such , that lope , the moorish king of murcia , was subject to him , and in france , he had taken above strong-holds , and the town of trencataye , which he destroy'd , from the family of beauce , who invaded provence . the emperor frederick , who had favoured his enemies , sought his friendship , and a league was concluded betwixt them . raymund had brought out of castile , rica , the widow of the emperor alonso , and his daughter sancha , contracted to his own son. at the instance of the emperor frederick , it was agreed , that rica , who was his kinswoman , should marry raymund berengarius , earl of provence , who thereupon should possess all the said earldom of provence , and the city arles , with its territory . to ratifie this agreement , it was resolv'd both raymunds should meet the emperor at turin , on the first of august , in the year . on the way thither , at s. dalmacius , a town at the foot of the alps , raymund , prince of aragon , fell sick and dy'd the th day of the same month. notwithstanding his death , raymund , earl of provence , obtained of the emperor all he desired . prince raymund's body was brought to his country , and buried in the monastery of ripoli , as he had ordered . cortes , or a parliament , being held at huesca , raymund's last will , left by word of mouth , was repeated , whereby he declared his son raymund , his successor , who took possession of his father's principality , by the name of alonso . to peter , his second son , he left cerdagne , carcassonne and narbonne . sancho , the youngest , was to succeed peter , in case he died without heirs . he made no mention of his daughter dulcis , who was after , queen of portugal , nor of his bastard son berengarius , who was bishop of taraçona and lerida , and abbot of montaragon . the king's minority ( he being but years old ) gave an opportunity to turbulent spirits to raise commotions . an impostor now openly affirmed he was king alonso , who , as has been said , was killed years before , at the battle of fraga . he said he had been till then in asia , serving against the infidels in the holy-land . his age and features , but most of all , the love the multitude has for novelties , gained him some reputation . great mischiefs might have ensued , had not the impostor been taken at zaragoça , and put to death in the very beginning of the tumult . in the year . the assembly of states , or parliament of aragon , was held at barcelona . the queen petronilla , by the advice of the nobility , resigned over the crown of aragon , to her son , then years of age. raymund , earl of provence , who had some time governed catalonia for his cousin , returned home ; and died in the year . king alonso receiving the news at girona , by advice of the nobility , called himself marquess of provence ; for they pretended by the emperor's grant , that country was not only given to the late earl of provence , but to raymund , prince of aragon , and his heirs , which occasioned wars in france . chap. iv. alonso , the young king of castile takes upon him the government , recovers most of his dominions ; joins in league with the aragonian , and marries ellenor , daughter to henry ii. king of england . some actions of ferdinand , king of leon. in castile , the people growing weary of the king of leon , invited their young king alonso , to take upon him the government , promising , all would declare for him . these invitations , and the persuasions of the nobility , prevailed , and he resolved to depart from avila , and visit the principal places of the kingdom . this was in the year . as some write , i rather believe two years sooner , by the computation of time ; for when his father died , he was years of age , and at this time . he was not deceived , for many cities received him with joy , and furnished all necessaries for him , and his retinue , which at first , consisted of only a few nobles , and a guard of horse , furnished by the city avila . this was a small force to recover so many places as the king of leon held with strong garisons . the king encouraged by success , resolved to try toledo , but feared ferdinand ruiz de castro , who held it , would not be prevailed upon to deliver that city . stephen illan , a citizen of note , had built the church of s. romanus , in the highest part of the city , and adjoyning to it a tower , which served as well for strength as an ornament . he was an enemy to ferdinand de castro , and therefore getting privately out of the city , he conveyed the king , disguised , into the tower. then setting up the royal standard , he gave notice the king was there , whereupon the citizens running to arms , ferdinand de castro , fled to huete , a town then very strong , as lying upon the frontiers , exposed to the moors . the people of toledo , as well those who had been against admitting the king , as the most loyal , expressed great joy , and nothing resounded but , god save the king. stephen illan , for his good service was much honoured , and made governour of the city . after his death , the citizens caused his picture on horse-back to be drawn on the roof of the cathedral , behind the high altar , where it is still to be seen . the king entred toledo , upon friday the th of august . on michaelmass-day following , died john , archbishop of toledo , when he had governed that church with much applause years . cerebrunus , or cenebrunus , succeeded him , a man grateful to king alonso , having taught him the first rudiments of learning . he had been arch-deacon of toledo , and bishop of siguença , and it is thought , was a frenchman . the king , after securing toledo , at the instigation of manrique , earl of lara , his general , marched against ferdinand de castro , who refused not to meet him , being supported by the people of huete , that stood firm to him . two leagues from that town , at a place called garcinaharro , they came to a battle . ferdinand de castro , fought in a disguise , d. manrique with all his might charged a gentleman that was armed like a general , and killed him , believing it had been ferdinand , but was himself soon after slain by one of the said ferdinand's followers . the general being killed , the king's forces were put to flight . nun̄o , brother to manrique , understanding the deceit used by ferdinand de castro , laid treachery to his charge , and challenged him , as was then usual ; but some persons of piety interposing the business was mitigated ; yet the hatred betwixt those two families , could not be rooted out . many towns and places of strength , adhered to ferdinand de castro , therefore the king forbore for the present contending with him , and bending his force another way , recovered many places that were not garrisoned . it was thought convenient to try the castle of zurita , seated on a hill , at the foot whereof , runs the river tagus , lope arenas held it as lieutenant to ferdinand de castro . being summoned , he excused himself , saying , the king was not yet at the age appointed by his father's will , and that he was but lieutenant , and could not surrender without leave of his lord. no hopes remaining of a surrender , it was resolved to use force . d. lope de haro came from the farthest part of biscay , to serve at that siege . provisions growing scarce , the besieged resolved to use fraud ; and therefore , upon pretence of capitulating , getting d. nun̄o , and suero de lara , into the castle , kept them prisoners , believing , the king to save them , would raise the siege . there was one dominick in the camp , who had deserted from the castle , this man offer'd for a reward , to make them masters of the fort. upon promise of what he demanded , he wounded one peter ruiz , who was consenting to it , and flying , was admitted into the castle , and to the favour of the lieutenant , whose servant he had been . he watched his opportunity , and kill'd the lieutenant ; whereupon , the castle was immediately surrendred . the king caused dominick's eyes to be put out , as an example of treachery , yet allowed him a maintenance , which was afterwards taken away , and he put to death , for that he boasted of his wickedness . the army was dismissed , and d. lope de haro much commended , return'd home , having refused presents that were offer'd him , because the king's treasury was exhausted . this gentleman is said to have built the town of haro , not far from the river ebro . the king went to toledo , whither he had summon'd the general assembly , call'd cortes , or parliament , and there it was consulted how to settle the kingdom , and recover those places that would not submit . this year was remarkable for great rains and floods , particularly , at toledo , the river tagus swelled till it came to the church of s. isidorus . the following year , on the th of february , there was an earthquake in that city , a thing not usual , and therefore thought to presage more troubles . ferdinand , king of leon , had marry'd vrraca , the daughter of alonso , king of portugal , by whom he had alonso , who succeeded him , notwithstanding he was divorc'd from the queen , on account of consanguinity . this divorce produc'd enmity betwixt the kings , and much harm was done on both sides . king ferdinand was busie , repairing the towns ruin'd by the wars , and building others . by the advice of a banish'd portugues , he built cuidad rodrigo , on the borders of portugal , to be a check to those people . hence arose disgusts , which ended in open enmity . king ferdinand , tho' affable and courteous , was brave and resolute , and feared not at once to engage both the kings of castile and portugal . king alonso of castile , in the beginning of the year . held the cortes , or parliament , at burgos , where it was enacted , that since he was at the age of , appointed by his father's will for delivering all cities , towns and castles into his hands , there should be war declared against all such as withheld any from him , not excepting king ferdinand , who still was possess'd of a considerable part of the kingdom . that war , many difficulties intervening , was deferr'd for some time . the great men , lest they should be reputed traitors , now no excuse was left , obeyed . among the first , was ferdinand de castro , who fearing his enemies , and the king's displeasure , renouncing his country , as the custom was then , went over to the moors , whence he ceased not to do harm upon the lands of the christians . it was also proposed in the cortes , or parliament , to set on foot a treaty of marriage between the king , and the lady ellenor , daughter to henry ii. king of england , and duke of normandy , and aquitain . after this , alonso , king of aragon , had an interview with his cousin , the king of castile , at sahagun , where a league was concluded between them . thence the two kings , about the beginning of july , went to zaragoça . from thence an embassy was sent to treat about the king's marriage . cerebrunus , archbishop of toledo , was principal of the embassy , with him went raymund , bishop of palencia , and other prelates , and noblemen . at bourdeaux the treaty was concluded , whence the lady came into spain , attended not only by those that went for her , but by bernard , bishop of that city , and many other persons of note . mean while , the kings of castile and aragon , had made a league offensive and defensive against all princes , except the king of england , in respect to the marriage in hand . for the more security , cautionary towns were given on both sides ; the king of aragon , had najara and biguerra , he of castile , ariza and daroca . the bride being come to taraçona , there the nuptials were celebrated with great pomp , in the month of september . the king of aragon gave her . her joynter was a great part of castile , burgos , medina del campo , and many other towns , and half of all that should be taken from the moors . for the king ravished with the beauty of his bride , endeavour'd to exceed all his predecessors in liberality . lope , the moorish king of murcia , was doubtless , in league with the king of castile , for i find he went to toledo about this time . king alonso of aragon , was about making war upon him , on account that he refused to pay the tribute he paid to his father ; but they agreed , and he consented to pay , upon condition , king alonso should not uphold the maçemutes , his enemies . all the solemnities being perform'd at taraçona , the two christian kings parted , and publick rejoicings were again celebrated at burgos . after that , the troop of avila , which till then , had attended the king , was dismiss'd . great privileges were granted to the city avila , for its fidelity to the king in the worst of times . then the king and queen , set out for toledo . at the same time , the king of aragon , with the consent of the bishop of rhoda , had the head of valerius , bishop of zaragoça , translated to that city , from rhoda , where it had been till then . garsendis , princess of bearn , by the death of her father and brother , did homage to the king of aragon , and confirmed the contract made , that she should not marry without his leave . some are of opinion , she was marry'd to william of moncada , a nobleman , and seneschal of catalonia , of which there is no proof , and therefore i thought better to leave it dubious , than attempt to decide it on either side . chap. v. the league made against peter ruiz de azagra . the original of the knights of santiago . the taking of cuenca by the christians . increase of the knights of santiago , or st. james the apostle . several places in navarre taken by the castilians . the moors were so pressed by the aragonians , that they had no place of safety . along the river alga , the towns of favara , maella , fresneda , and others , were taken from them . on the river ebro the strong town of caspe . a great number of them had retired to the mountain idubeda , thinking the natural strength of the place would secure them , but thence also they were driven by the valour of the christians . so that from this time , the dominion of the moors extended no farther than the borders of the kingdom of valoncia . at the same time peter de açagra , son to roderick de açagra , before spoken of , and lord of estela , for some signal service done to lope king of murcia , had the strong town of albarazin , seated on an uncoth mountain , near the springs of tagus , given him . this place was soon after made a bishoprick , and annexed to the province of toledo . both the kings of castile and aragon , were offended at peter de açagra , the latter pretending that city was within the limits of his conquest , whereas peter would do homage for it to no man. the other complained he had taken some castles belonging to him , and therefore both agreed with their joint forces to destroy albarazin . for the more strengthening of this league , cautionary towns were given on both sides , the king of aragon had agreda , cervera , and aguilar , he of castile , aranda , borgia , and arguedo . it was also concluded that hariza , and its castle , should be delivered to the king of castile , in pursuance of the former capitulation . but because nun̄o sanchez delivered it without a special order , the two kings fell at variance , which yet went no further than words . this discord gave peter de açagra time to strengthen himself , for neither of the kings attack'd him . he of aragon despising the match that had been made by his father , with the daughter of castile , sent embassadors to emanuel commenus , emperor of constantinople , to desire his daughter in marriage . some troubles were at this time in aragon , on occasion that william aguillon lord of tarragona , had killed hugo bishop of that city , for maintaining the priviledges of his church . the death of hugo fell on the th of april , in the year . which year was also remarkable , for the death of thomas archbishop of canterbury in england , who was murdered on the same score , afterwards canonized by pope alexander iii. and soon honoured as a saint in spain . lope king of murcia dy'd in the year . the king of aragon thought this a fit opportunity to make his advantage of , and entring the kingdom of valencia , obliged that king to buy a peace , and promise for the future to pay double the tribute he had payed before . thence the aragonian pass'd into the country of murcia , and lay'd siege to the city xativa , which he was forced to quit , when it was upon the point of surrendring , being called away to defend his own country against the navarrois , who made war upon him . hereupon a truce was concluded with the king of murcia , upon condition he should pay the same tribute his father had agreed to . this done , the king marched towards navarre in a rage , yet they came not to a battle , but he wasted that country on the side of tudela , and took the town of argueda . this hap'ned towards the end of the year . in the beginning of the next , being . the war was continued , and the aragonians utterly destroy'd the town of milagro , betwixt calahorra and alfaro , from whence much harm had been done in the lands of aragon . petronilla , mother to the king of aragon , dy'd on the third of october the same year at barcelona . on the th of january . the marriage was at last consumatted at zaragoça , betwixt the king of aragon and sancha , sister to him of castile , as had been agreed long before by their parents , the king of aragon , now upon second thoughts , perferring the alliance of castile before that of a foreign and remote emperor . at the same time the grecian emperor's daughter , arrived at montpellier in france , where understanding how she was disappointed , she marry'd the lord of that city . about this time the order of the knights of santiago , or st. james the apostle , began first to be taken notice of , and by degrees , from a small beginning , are now risen to a regal grandeur . when the sepulcher of st. james the apostle was first discovered , the devotion of the place drew many pilgrims , and many were deterred by the badness of the ways , and danger of the moors . for taking away these obstacles , the cannons of st. eloy built many hospitals on the road , and one to be the chief of the rest at leon. this at first mov'd many good people to bestow great riches upon them . afterwards some that had served in the wars joined their stocks , and lived under certain rules , like religious men. these by the industry of cardinal jacintus , the popes legate , joyned with the canons of st. eloy , who had a convent without the town of compostella , and sent commissioners to rome , to pope alexander , for the obtaining his approbation of their new institution , which was to be regulated , according to the rule of st. augustin , observed by those canons . pero fernandez de puente encalada , was the chief of these commissioners , who obtained the pope's bull , approving their design , and assigning them rules to observe . the bull bears date july the th , pero fernandez himself was constituted the first great master of the order . the badge of the knights is a white cloak , with a red cross , made in the manner of a sword. the hospital of st. mark at leon was assigned them for their monastery . their possessions in castile were very large , among others they had the towns of vcles , mora , estriana , almodovar , larunda , and santa cruz de la zarça , near ocen̄a . in the year . king alonso of castile being of age , and resolving to be revenged on the kings of leon , and navarre , for the wrongs they had done him in his minority , before he took the field , made his vows to god in toledo , and gave the towns of illescas and hazan̄a to that church . this done he entred the territory of rioja , as far as ebro , and having wasted the borders of navarre , turn'd back , and bent his force against the kingdom of leon , where he burnt and plundered all the country , the king his unkle being too weak to withstand him . the king of leon vented his anger upon the new knights of st. james , supposing they favoured their old master the king of castile , and therefore drove them out of his dominions , and obliged them to fly to castile for protection . soon after king ferdinand repented , but it was too late , however by the mediation of prelates , a truce was concluded betwixt those two crowns . thus much concerning the original of this order of knighthood . i know some will have king alonso , the chast , and others king ramiro , to be the founders of it , long belong this time , but they have no grounds for it . in france , after much trouble , peace was concluded , betwixt the king of aragon and earl of toulouze , who was dissatisfied , for that the king obstructed the marriage of his son , with the daughter of the late earl of provence . the king gave him marks of silver , to quit his pretensions , and his son married the sister of trencavelle viscount of carcassonne , her name was beatrix . hugo , great master of the templers , was very instrumental , in making this accommodation . castile , after a long oppression , began now , through the valour of its king d. alonso , to lift up its head . at the same time the power of the moors declined . the almohades wholly taken , up with the affairs of africk , had not leasure to mind spain . besides , aven jacob successor to abdelmon , tho' of sufficient valour , yet equalled not his father in good fortune . the king of castile being now at age , resolved not to let slip so good an opportunity of inlargeing his territories . having therefore taken his revenge on navarre and leon , he consulted with the king of aragon , about carrying on the war against the moors , and it was determined to begin by the conquest of cuenca . this city was built by the moors , on a high and craggy hill , shut up on two sides , by the rivers xucar and huecar , so that it is naturally impregnable . the ascent is difficult , the streets narrow , so steep that horses cannot go in many of them . in those days it had no spring , nor wells at present , water has been brought to it from other hills , so that it was easie to keep the town from water , but not practicable to assault it , by reason of the cragginess of the ground . great preparations were made in both kingdoms , and many captains of note and prelates attended the kings in this expedition . among them peter de açagrd , being now reconciled to the kings , was the first that took his post before the city . the siege was begun with the year , and there being no possibility of battering or assaulting the town , lasted long , the moors defending themselves in hopes of relief . provisions grew as scarce in the camp , as in the town , and they lived only upon plunder . besides , there was no money to pay the soldiers , and invite vivandiers . these difficulties moved the king of castile , to go to burgos to raise money . the cortes , or parliament being assembled , it was proposed , that not only the commonalty , but nobility and gentry , who used to be free from taxes , should pay to the king five maravedies of gold a head , for that the populace was before wasted with taxes . this advice was given by d. james de haro , lord of biscay , whose sister was marryed to the king of leon , and brought him two sons , sancho and garcia . peter earl of lara opposed it , and a great number of nobility joyning him , left the assembly , resolving to maintain their priviledges by force of arms. the king moved by this danger gave over that tax . it was agreed among the nobles to make an annual feast to peter of lara , and his successors , in memory of this mutinous exploit . whilst these debates were at burgos , the siege having lasted nine months , cuenca was at last taken , in the month of september . this same year was fortunate to navarre , in the birth of ferdinand , of whom the fruitful queen beatrix was delivered , after she had brought sancho , raymund , berengaria , teresa , and blanch. for the greater honour of the city cuenca , it was by consent of the pope made a bishoprick , the priviledges of valera an episcopal see in the time of the goths , being translated thither . to the citizens was granted the priviledge of sending representatives to the cortes , or parliament . in reward of their good service , the aragonians were freed from the homage they ow'd to castile . a league was concluded betwixt the two kings , against all princes ; except him of leon , who was exempted in respect to his kindred . after cuenca , the war continuing , alarcon , a place of no less strength , was taken . also the town of iniesta , better known for its salt-pits , the salt whereof is like transparent stone , than for the goodness of the soil . the knights of st. james , that they might be nearer the moors , were ordered to settle their monastery at vcles , whence king ferdinand of leon repenting what he had done , would have had them return to their first habitation . after much debate , it was agreed that four priests of that order , should be sent to leon , who should still be subject to the monastery of vcles , which they afterwards refused , and pope vrban i. ordered the monasteries should be independent of one another , only subject to the great master of the order . not long after these knights were admitted to portugal , and had large possessions given them . they for many years obey'd the great master of the order , till king denis assigning them a head of their own , withdrew them from any dependance on castile . tho' these things fell out in several years , they are put together to ease the memory . let us return to the series of the history . the king of castile now built the city plasencia , on the borders of his kingdom , and made it a bishoprick . the walls of toledo were repaired , and the town of alarcos rebuilt . all this hap'ned in the year of our lord . at the same time , alonso king of aragon , upon the death of giraldus earl of russillon , who dy'd without issue , seized upon that earldom , and from thence forward stiled himself , king of aragon , earl of barcelona , and russillon , and marquess of provence . on the th of march . he set out from perpignan towards cazola , where he was to have an interview with the king of castile . here it was agreed , that valencia , xativa , denia , and their dependancies , should belong to the conquest of aragon . all the other towns in the kingdom of murcia were assigned to castile . they also made a league against sancho king of navarre , to his great loss , for the castillians took from him the towns of briviesca , cerezo , logron̄o , and all that lies between the mountains doca and calahorra . to these roderick the archbishop adds navarrete . thence the army of castile marched towards leon , where they plundered and wasted all the country . the king of leon being too weak to defend himself , sollicited him of aragon , putting him in mind , this was a breach of the confederacy made at cuenca . there only wanted a pretence for the kingdom of aragon to break with castile , therefore he sent to demand restitution of hariza , and its castle , and in case of refusal , to declare war. great were the apprehensions of a bloody war , yet the king of castile's modesty prevented it , for he restored hariza , and forbore carrying on the war against leon , thinking the wrongs done him had been sufficiently reveng'd . chap. vi. rebellion in the kingdom of leon suppress'd . alonso king of portugal , taken by ferdinand of leon , and set at liberty . being besieg'd in santarem by the moors , is relieved by him . he vanquishes the infidels . actions of his son sancho . the people of leon bore ferdinand their king no affection , some pretending heavy taxes , others that he was austere , and the city salamanca complained that he had taken part of their territory to add it to ledesma , which he rebuilt . hereupon they rebelled under one nun̄o rabia , whom d. lucas de tuy says , they called king. the town of avila sent them supplies , but king ferdinand coming upon them overthrew the rebels , took their captain , and caused him to be executed . salamanca was easily reduced , and zamora , before mutinous , by this example , was pacified . these troubles being over , the king was perplexed how to relieve cuidad rodrigo , besieged by ferdinand de castro , with a great number of moors . s. isidorus patron of leon , is said to have assisted him in vanquishing them , as he did , and grown proud with this success , entred portugal , and plundered the frontiers . d. ferdinand de castro , was prevailed upon by the king , to quit the service of the moors , and ingage under him against castile , whose territories he immediately entred with the forces of leon. near lubrical in the country of campos , he overthrew a body of the enemy that came to oppose him , took many prisoners of note , and among them d. nun̄o de lara his mortal enemy . he treated them all courteously , and gave them their liberty , only exacting an oath of them , that they would be his true friends . then putting away his first wife , he marryed d. estephania , king ferdinand's sister , by whom he had peter de castro , of whom we shall speak hereafter . alonso king of portugal , tho' of a great age , had warlike thoughts , and resented that cuidad rodrigo , was a curb and inlet to portugal . wherefore , having gather'd a powerful army , he gave the command of it to his son sancho , ordering him to besiege that city , being persuaded , the king of leon , now ingaged in war with castile , could not have leisure to relieve it . king ferdinand , with part of his forces , met the portugueses , and near the town of arraganal , overthrew them , taking many prisoners , whom he presently set at liberty . king alonso , after this loss , recruiting his army , entred galicia , where he took limia , turonia , and some other towns. then having encreased his army , he attack'd badojoz , which , tho' it belong'd to the moors , was under the protection of king ferdinand , who immediately came to its relief . the portugues had already taken part of the city , but portugal taken by king ferdinand of leon , and set at liberty . daring to give battle , was vanquish'd , and forc'd to retire into the very town . that was no place of safety , for the moors press'd him on the one side ; and the christians on the other . attempting to escape , he was struck down by the bolt of the gate , and so taken . king ferdinand having entertain'd him with all manner of civility , and caused his wound to be dressed , gave him his liberty . this courtesie so oblig'd the portugues , that he offer'd to submit himself and kingdom to king ferdinand , which was refused , and nothing demanded of him , but the restitution of the towns he had taken in galicia . the following year being . on the first of october , dy'd luis vii . king of france , and philip augustus succeeded him . about the same time sancho king of navarre , built the city victoria , in that part of biscay called alava , it is the head of that province , and stands where formerly was a village called gasteiso . at tarragona a synod was held , where among other things it was decreed , that for the future the catalonians , in the publick writings , should forbear naming the kings of france , and the year of their reigns , as had been used till then . in the year . dy'd cerebrunns archbishop of toledo . gonzalo the first of this name , a man of great piety and learning succeeded him . some name peter de cardona , before d. gonçalo , some after him , perhaps he was elect , and not consecrated , most authors make no mention of him . king ferdinand of leon , now made himself master of badajoz . that city was altogether inhabited by moors , and he could neither people it with christians , nor leave a sufficient garrison . therefore he gave the government of it to abenabel , a moor , who soon rebell'd , and called the almohades to his assistance . not content with this , he gathered an army , wasted the frontiers of leon , and then marching into portugal , besieg'd king alonso in santarem . king ferdinand assembling his forces , marched with all speed to the relief of his father-in-law , but the moors not daring to stand the power of both kings , fled . at first the king of portugal was jealous of king ferdinand's designs , being as much afraid of him , as of the moors , but being better assured , took courage . king ferdinand returned home , with great honour and a rich booty . this same year pope lucius iii. entred upon the papacy . he sent a legate into spain , to settle peace betwixt the christian princes , for the better prosecuting the war against the moors . the king of aragon , being resolv'd to go in pilgrimage to the shrine of st. james , bore the legate company into castile . by their mediation peace was established , the bounds of each kingdom assigned , and how much of what the moors possessed , should belong to the conquest of each appointed , wherein the king of aragon , gain'd great reputation for his modesty , having no further assign'd him than to valencia , but afterwards his son peter being dissatisfy'd , had it extended to alicant . only the king of navarre , could not be perswaded , to admit of this pacification , being highly offended at the king of castile , for the great harm he had done him . however for some time peace continued among the christans , or at least no considerable hostilities were committed . the war was carryed on against the moors , chiefly by the king of portugal , who in the year . caused the bones of s. vincent , to be brought from the cape of his name , to the cathedral of lisbon . he sent his son sancho , to the other side of tagus , to secure the frontiers , and observe the moors . sancho being young , and ambitious of honour , with a good force entred andaluzia , and ravag'd all the country as far as sevil. those people daring to come out , and give him battle , he overthrew them , and laid siege to ilipa , now called niebla , but could not take it , being forc'd to raise the siege , upon news brought him , that the moors had attacked beja , on the frontiers of portugal . them also he put to flight , and entred santarem in triumph . at the same time intelligence was brought that the almohades , with their king abenjacob , gather'd mighty forces against portugal , but they were so quick , that before it was expected they sate down before santarem . king alonso , tho' very aged , and lame , since his hurt at badajoz , in so much that he could not ride , having assembled all the force of his kingdom , marched to santarem . he charged the moors in the front , and his son sallying out of town upon the rear , they were easily put to flight ; great slaughter was made . the moorish king mortally wounded , endeavouring to pass the river tagus , which is there deep and rapid , was drown'd . this victory was obtained in the year . abenjozeph , brother to abenjacob , succeeded him in the empire of africk and spain . chap. vii . the death of the kings of leon and portugal . alliances betwixt the kings of spain . the defeat of the christians at alarcos . sancho , the wise , king of navarre dies . sancho the first king of portugal . alonso the ninth of leon. the death of armengaud earl of vrgel , somewhat abated the joy all spain conceived for the victory of the portugueses over the moors . he was son of armengaud of castile , earl of barcelona , marryed to a sister of the king of aragon , and had not only great dominions in catalonia , and aragon , but was also lord of valladolid in castile , as being great grandson to peranzules , before spoken off . this prince to advance the christian cause , with his own forces broke into the territory of valencia , and after some successful exploits , was killed in an ambush laid by the moors , near the town of requena . others will have it , that he was slain by the castilians , but that is not so probable . he left a son of his own name , who inherited his dominions . on the other side , the king of navarre entred castile , plundering all the country as far as atapuerca , where the abbot of s. peter de carden̄a , met him with the standard of roderick diaz , sirnam'd cid , begging he would restore the booty . the king not only condescended to his request , but accompanied that standard back to the place whence it was brought . these things hap'ned in the year . at the same time , the king of portugal and his son , went to coimbra , and thence to porto , where the marriage betwixt teresa , the king's daughter , and philip , earl of flanders , was celebrated ; the flemings call her maud. after the solemnity , they return'd to coimbra , there the king , worn out with age and diseases , dy'd on the th of december , being years old . his body , as he had ordered , was bury'd in a mean tomb in the church of santa cruz , built by him , and thence remov'd by king emanuel , to a stately sepulchre of marble . he was a man accomplish'd in all manner of virtue , the founder , and conqueror of the kingdom of portugal . his zeal for religion , appears by the many churches and monasteries he founded , in lisbon , ebora , and other places . his queen malfada , was not inferior to him in piety , and perform'd many like acts of christian generosity . spain enjoy'd peace after the late agreement among the christian princes , and death of abenjacob , the moorish king. peter ruiz de açagra , lord of albarazin , was willing to assist the christian kings in their wars , but would not be subject to any of them ; and therefore stiled himself the vassal of s. mary . the strength of his city , and the emulation of the kings , each striving to draw him to himself , secur'd his possession . in the year . in january , the kings of castile and aragon , meeting at agreda , by mutual consent , banish'd out of their dominions all the kindred of the said peter de açagra , that were of his party . no more was done at that time . at the beginning of the year following , gaston , viscount of bearn , did homage to the king of aragon , at huesca , as his predecessors had done . this year was unfortunate for the taking of jerusalem , baldwin , king of that city , and the great master of the templers , by saladin . in castile , king alonso regulated the order of calatrava . in the year . dy'd frederick , king of leon , at benavente , having reign'd years , and was bury'd in the royal chappel at santiago . he was judg'd more fit for war than peace , immoderate in the desire of ruling , but brave and generous . martin , a priest of leon , at that time writ many books , and is said to have attain'd all his learning in a vision , in which s. isidorus appear'd to him , and gave him a book to eat ; whereas before he was very ignorant . sancho succeeded king alonso , of portugal , and alonso ix . his father ferdinand , in the kingdom of leon. upon the death of his father , alonso turn'd back , being then on his way to portugal , whither he was going only to shun his mother-in-law , who accounted him a bastard , and could not endure that he should take place of her children . hence arose continual disgusts , and tho' the new king allowed her the joynter setled by his father ; yet at last she was oblig'd to retire to najara , where she spent the remainder of her days . in the monastery of s. mary royal , in that city , are the tombs of that lady , and her brothers , d. lope , bishop of segovia , and d. martin de haro . alonso , king of leon , was twice marry'd , first with teresa , daughter of king sancho of portugal , by whom he had three children , sancha , ferdinand , who dy'd young , and dulcis ; then being divorc'd , by reason of consanguinity , he marry'd berengaria , daughter to alonso , king of castile , his cousin-german . sancho the first of the name , king of portugal , call'd the peopler , and the fat , was marry'd to aldonça dulcis , sister to the king of aragon . by her he had many children , which were alonso , the eldest , ferdinand , peter , and henry , who dy'd young , and daughters , teresa , malfada , sancha , blanch and berengaria . after the death of the queen , he had many children by two mistresses ; by the first , call'd johanna , he had vrraca and martin ; by the other , whose name was mary , teresa , egidius , constance and roderick . teresa was marry'd to alonso tello , who founded the town of albuquerque . alonso , king of castile , by one wife , had eleven children , whereof blanch was the happiest , for that being marry'd to luis viii . king of france , she was mother to s. luis . after blanch , follow'd berengaria , sancho , vrraca , and ferdinand , born in the year . then malfada and constance , then two or three sisters , whose names are not known , and lastly , ellenor and henry , the youngest , who came to succeed his father , as shall be shown in its place . the king of castile was the greatest potentate in spain , and consequently , terrible to the others , which mov'd them to joyn in a league offensive and defensive . they endeavour'd to draw the king of leon into this confederacy , but he was more inclinable to his cousin , the king of castile ; and therefore as soon as setled in the possession of his kingdom , he went of his own accord to carrion , where the cortes , or parliament of castile was held , in the year . there he was knighted by the king , and kissed his hand ; a submission misbecoming the regal authority . conrad , son to the emperor frederick barbarossa , who was going a pilgrimage , and raymund , earl of toulouze , were present at that assembly , and knighted by the king , according to the custom of spain . a match was also agreed upon , betwixt conrade and berengaria , the king's daughter ; but at last it took no effect . the kings of aragon and navarre , in the month of september . had a conference at borgia , and there concluded a league against castile . afterwards leon and portugal , were drawn into the confederacy at huesca , where the embassadors of those two crowns met the king of aragon . there to the former articles , it was added , that none of those princes should make peace , or truce , or declare war , without the consent of the others . the treaty was signed in may . this same year pope clement iii. departed this life at rome , and celestin iii. succeeded him , gonzalo archbishop of toledo , dy'd in august the same year . in his time , king alonso gave the towns of talamanca and esquivias to that church . martin lopez , for his extraordinary actions , and generosity , call'd the great , succeeded him . this same year the river tagus was frozen at toledo , a thing very rare in that temperate climate . james lopez de haro lord of biscay , the greatest among the nobility of castile , and governour of briviesca , najara , and soria , perswaded the king to assemble the cortes , or parliament at carrion , in the year . for carrying on the war against the moors . least the kings of leon and navarre , with whom castile was at variance , should take any advantage , while the king was employ'd against the infidels , a peace was concluded with those princes . then martin archbishop of toledo , was ordered to commence the war , as a prelude to what follow'd . in aragon , the earl of vrgel , who since his father's death , had been out of the kingdom , upon account of the enmity betwixt him , and ponce de cabrera , a powerful man , now at length came , and submitted himself to the king. gaston earl of bearne , marry'd a daughter of bernard earl of cominges , and with her had in dower , the lordship of bigorre , in feof of the king of aragon . berengarius bishop of tarragona , was kill'd on the th of february . by michael de moncada , as is reported , but the cause of their enmity is not known . on the th of june following dy'd at pamplona , sancho king of navarre , for his more than ordinary learning , sirnamed the wise . his body was bury'd with great pomp in the cathedral of that city . he reign'd years , months , and days . by his wife sancha , aunt to the king of castile , he left ferdinand , ramiro , berengaria , teresa , blanch , and the eldest of them all that succeeded him , was sancho viii . king of navarre , who for the greatness of his spirit , and warlike actions , obtained the title of the strong . he was also called the confin'd , for that towards his end he was long shut up in the castle of tudela , by reason of a cancer he had , and would suffer no body to see him . there remain many footsteps of his magnificence , and particularly , he turned the channel of the river erbo , to bring it to tudela , and built a bridge over it . he founded two monasteries of cistercians , called fitero and oliva , and a church of the invocation of st. mary at roncesvalles , for himself and his successors to be bury'd . his wife was clemencia , daughter to raymund iv. earl of toulouze , by her he had ferdinand , who dy'd before his father , of a fall he had from his horse in hunting , and was bury'd in the church of s. mary at tudela . at the time of d. sancho's accession to the crown , all spain was under the apprehension of a bloody war. martin archbishop of toledo , had broke into andaluzia , and made great havock , putting all the country to fire and sword , and no body attempting to oppose him , returned with a rich booty . the moors incensed at this loss , gathered all their forces , and abenjoseph mazemute miramamolin of africk , came into spain with a vast multitude of men , for not only the almohades , but the arabs and ethiopians follow'd him . this inundation pass'd over sierra morena , and incamped near alarcos , a town built not long before by the christians . king alonso was no ways daunted , but having sent to the kings of leon and navarre for aid , advanced to alarcos , and pitch'd his camp near the enemy , whose multitude fill'd all those hills and plains . some advised to wait the coming of the two kings , others more hot , would not give them any share in the honour of that action . the worst advice took place , both armies drew out , and a battle was fought near alarcos , upon wednesday the th of june . great bravery was shown on both sides , but the multitude of the enemy prevailed , our army was put to flight , great numbers slain , and among them martin martinez great master of calatrava . some say , martin archbishop of toledo was in this fight . james de haro , the principal promoter of this war , behav'd himself ill , and withdrew at the beginnig of the battle to alarcos , either despairing of success , or as some will have it , being disgusted with the king , for comparing the gentry of andaluzia to the nobility of castile in bravery . the moors after the victory , not only took alarcos , but entred the kingdom of toledo , as far as yevenes , which is six leagues from that city , and then turned back . in our days there remain only some ruins of alarcos , and a church of our lady held in great veneration , it is supposed the infidels destroyed that place . this misfortune was deem'd a judgment of god on the king , for that neglecting his wife , he was fallen in love with a jewish woman , whom the nobility in scorn caused to be killed . the king being in a rage for the loss of her , an angel appeared to him in the same form , he had one painted , and with threats oblig'd him to give over that fondness . in the church of illescas , on the right hand of the high-altar , is a chapel called the angel , with an inscription signifying that to be the place , where the angel appear'd to king alonso the good , so he is stiled . the kings of leon and navarre , hearing of the disaster befallen at alarcos , drew back their forces . he of leon , visited king alonso , but he of navarre , returned without so much as saluting him , which affront the king of castile highly resented , and resolved to take revenge , not only of the moors , but of the navarrois . chap. viii . king alonso of aragon dies , and his son peter succeeds him . the king of leon divorc'd . castilians and aragonians over-run navarre . alonso king of castile 's two daughters marry'd to the kings of england and leon. plague and famine in spain . the following year being , . dyed king alonso of aragon , the second of the spanish kings in power , in valour inferior to none . he breath'd his last at perpignan , at a time his kingdom enjoy'd plenty and peace . his son peter succeeded him , and was the second of the name . to alonso he left provence and its dependencies , to ferdinand the monastery of poblete of cistercians , founded by his father , and finished by himself , betwixt tarragona and lerida . his three daughters , constance , ellenor , and dulcis , were appointed to succeed in the throne , in case their brothers dy'd without heirs . this year was also unfortunate for plague and famine , which raged most in catalonia . the moorish king also made an incursion , took caceres and plasencia , destroyed the country of talavera , but could not enter the town , and demolished santolalla and escalona . toledo was ten days besieged . in the year ensuing which was . there were great revolutions in catalonia , the people being divided in factions , some followed armengaud earl of vrgel , other roger earl of faux , who prevailed and subdued the other party . abenjoseph the moor flushed with succeess marched again to toledo , but despairing of taking that city , ravaged all the country about madrid and alcala , then turning off to the left , did the same about ocan̄a , vcles , huete , and cuenca . king alonso not able of himself to withstand so great a power , thought of foreign aids , there was no hopes in leon and navarre , who at the same time wasted his dominions , the one entred at soria , the other the country of campos . no hopes remained , except peter called the catholick king of aragon , who readily condescended and they joyn'd their forces . it was resolved first to take revenge on the king of leon , from whom were easily taken the towns of bolanos , castroverde , valencia and carpio . navarre was designed to suffer next , but it was not effected , for that abenjoseph prepared again to invade castile , however the christians again , in the year turned their fury against leon , ravaged all the territory of salamanca , and took alva and monterey , with other lesser places . such was the blind passion of the two kings , that to be at leasure to invade navarre , they concluded a truce for ten years , with the moor abenjoseph . at this time sancho king of portugal , was busie repairing many towns as valencia de min̄o , montemor o novo , vallelas , penamacor , sorrella , penella , and others , which he gave some to the knights of santiago , some to those of avis , who then first began to be known . with the assistance of a fleet of english , french and flemmings , he took the city silves , near cape s. vincent . his brother-in-law philip earl of flanders , sent ships , and a good body of choice soldiers . authors do not agree about the time of this action , some say it was the year . others years before . many prodigies seen about this time , terrfied all men , especially the vulgar , who are more superstitious . in portugal there was a raging plague and famine at once , which the commonalty attributed to gods vengeance , for that alonso king of leon , and teresa princess of portugal , were not divorc'd , as the pope had expresly commanded , by reason of their consanguinity , so that portugal was under an interdict , and all persons who opposed that separation excommunicated . to add to these misfortunes , the city silves was recover'd by abenjoseph the moor. at length in the year . the king of leon was divorced , and immediately began to treat of marrying berengaria , daughter to king alonso of castile , with whom he had as near kindred as with the former ; but state policy bears down conscience and religion . it appears by an epistle of pope innocent iii. to the archbishop of compostella , that he refus'd to give a dispensation for this marriage . alonso king of castile , ardently desired to be reveng'd of navarre , but the king of aragon could not join him presently , as had been agreed , being then at variance with his mother queen sancha , of whom he was suspicious , and therefore seiz'd upon her jointer lands . the two kings met at hariza , and there matters were adjusted betwixt the aragonian and his mother . peter ruiz de açagra , lord of albarazin , being reconcil'd to both kings , was at this congress ; and here was concluded a stricter alliance on the th of november . this same year , according to our historians . richard king of england married berengaria the daughter of sancho king of navarre . english authors say it was a year sooner , and that he dy'd this same year . king alonso of castile , by the benefit of the truce with the moors , repair'd all the places they had demolish'd ; and at the same time ceas'd not to press the king of aragon to join his forces against navarre , as had been agreed . at last both armies entred navarre . sancho king of navarre , despairing of any succour from christian princes , and finding himself too weak to withstand so great a power , went over into africk , not doubting of assistance from abenjoseph miramamolin . he being gone , the kings of castile and aragon rang'd that country , without any opposition . aivar , and the country of valderroncal , were given to the king of aragon ; he of castile had miranda and insula , and lay'd siege to vitoria , head of the province alaba . the siege growing tedious , the king left james de haro to command there , and went himself to the province of guipuscoa in biscay , which submitted to him ; the people being offended at the government of the navarrois . vitoria was also surrendred , and after it all the fortresses in alaba . yet they capitulated , that the king should impose no new laws or governours on them , except in vitoria and trevin̄o , where he might place whom he pleas'd . nothing could withstand the two kings , the country being altogether forsaken . a report was also spread , that king sancho had an incurable cancer in one of his legs , which proceeded from melancholy for his misfortunes . the sea-coasts of biscay were now fortify'd , some towns repair'd , as s. sebastian , fuenterrabia , guetaria , and motrico ; and other new ones built , which were laredo , santander , and st. vincent . mean while king sancho having met with no success , return'd home with shame , and found his kingdom diminish'd on all sides . he sent submissive embassies to both the kings , but they obtained nothing , for neither of them would part with what he had gained by the sword , besides they had other pretensions of right to palliate their ambition . whilst these things hap'ned in spain , john king of england , being hard pressed by philip augustus king of france , concluded a dishonourable peace , by which he restored many towns to the french , and the better to colour this condescention gave them in the nature of dower , obliging the king of france , to marry one of the daughters of alonso king of castile , and neices to john. king alonso had four daughters , three of them marriageable , which were berengaria , vrraca , and blanch. berengaria , about the same time was marryed to the king of leon , the french had their choice of the other two , and pitched upon blanch. she was contracted at burgos , and thence convey'd to guienne , then in the hands of the english , from whence the nobility of france conducted her in great state , to her husband . these things were done in the year . much about the same time berengaria , the king of castile's other daughter was marry'd to alonso king of leon , at valladolid , where the two kings met to that purpose . her dower was only those towns her father had taken from her husband . alonso earl of provence , and william earl of focalquer , being at variance , the king of aragon took a journey into france , and composed their differences . thence he went by sea to rome , designing to make use of the interest of pope innocent iii. for obtaining the assistance of the fleets of genoa and pisa , towards the conquest of majorca . the pope received him with great magnificence , caused him to be anointed , and himself put on his crown , ordaining , that for the future , the kings of aragon should be crown'd by the archbishop of tarragona , as the popes vicar . in return , the king made his kingdom tributary to the pope , which was highly resented by his subjects . chap. ix . the marriage of the king of aragon , and death of some persons of note . peace concluded , and alliance between all the christian kings of spain . the beginning of the war with the moors . a vast multitude of foreigners comes to the assistance of the christian kings of spain . king peter of aragon , being returned home from rome , incensed the minds of his subjects , by imposing a tax called monetal , from which even the nobility were not exempted . pope innocent indeavoured to make a match betwixt the king , and the lady mary , daughter to elizabeth queen of jerusalem , by that means to ingage him in the holy war. conveniency prevailed , and he marryed the lady mary , daughter and heiress to william lord of montpellier , vrraca , the king of castile's youngest daughter , was marry'd to alonso , the king of portugal's eldest son in the year . this year there was so great an eclipse of the sun , that the darkness lasted six hours , as if it had been the dead of night . the floods were so great , that the river tagus swell'd the height of a man above the gate of almofala at toledo , as the annals of that city inform us . it is likely this gate of almofala was the same , is now call'd of st. isidorus . king alonso made martin archbishop of toledo , high chancellor of castile . no hopes being left , the king of navarre of recovering his losses , he had a conference with him of castile at guadalaxara , where a truce was concluded for five years , and cautionary towns given on both sides , for security of performance . in the year . dy'd martin archbishop of toledo , roderick ximenes , a navarrios succeeded him . in november departed his life , sancha mother to the king of aragon . on the same day as the archbishop , dy'd also stephen illan governour of toledo , who , as was said , recovered that city for the king. also the earl of vrgel , leaving one only daughter , who being oppress'd by gerard de cabrera , son to ponce , before mentioned , surrendred her earldom to the king of aragon , and put herself under his protection . here ended the dominion of the heirs of the great borello , formerly earls of barcèlona and vrgel over that city , tho' her father , by will , left the half of his city of valladolid , to pope innocent , that he might protect his daughter in the remaining part , but i do not find that ever the pope had possession of this legacy . the truce with the moors was near expiring , and great danger threatned , unless the christian princes would unite their forces for the publick good . alonzo , king of leon , disturbed the peace , by seizing upon his mother-in-law's joynter-lands . james de haro , her brother , opposing the king , drew upon himself the forces of leon and castile , and not able to defend his own , was forc'd to fly to navarre . thence , he infested the frontiers of castile , but being defeated by the two kings , retired to estela , a strong town . the four kings of castile , leon , aragon , and navarre , met at alfaro , and concluded a peace . hereupon james de haro , forsaken by all , fled to valencia to the moors . soon after , the king of aragon entring the kingdom of valencia , had his horse kill'd under him in fight , and must certainly have been taken , but that james de haro mounted him . this made him so odious to the infidels , that he was oblig'd to go over to africk to clear himself before the miramamolin . afterwards , having made his peace with the christian kings , he return'd to castile . in the year . the two kings of aragon and navarre , had another meeting , in a plain , near a town call'd mallen . here all differences were adjusted , and the king of navarre lent him of aragon daccats , for which , he was to deliver four towns in pawn to d. ximeno de rada , who , if the money was not repaid on the day appointed , was to surrender them up to the king of navarre . king alonso of castile , hop'd to draw succours out of france , but the wars betwixt the french and english , hindred . whereupon , he entred guienne , resolving to fall upon either of the two that should refuse to hearken to peace . his labour was lost , for the enmity was irreconcileable , and the preparations made by the moors , oblig'd him to return into spain . whilst the truce with the moors lasted , an university was founded at palencia , at the king's charge , and by the persuasion of roderick , archbishop of toledo , and professors of all sciences brought out of france , upon promise of great salaries . at huelgas , near burgos , the king also built a great monastery for the burying of kings , and an hospital adjoyning to it . constance , sister to the king of aragon , and dowager of hungary , by whom she had a son call'd ladislaus , by persuasion of pope innocent iii. marry'd frederick , king of sicily . the alliances establish'd betwixt the christian princes fill'd all people with hopes and joy . yet at this time the king of leon , by command of pope innocent , was divorc'd from his queen berengaria , upon account of consanguinity , and she sent to her father . mahomet , who had succeeded his brother abenjoseph , in the empire of the moors , made great preparations to invade the dominions of the christians , who on their part , were not idle . peter , king of aragon , took adamuz , and other towns in the kingdom of valeneia . to the knights templers , he gave the town of tortosa for their good service perform'd in the late wars . ferdinand , son to the king of castile , entred andaluzia , and plundred all the country about baeza , anduxar and jaen . about the same time , mahomet , king of the moors , call'd the green , from the colour of his turbant , took salvatierra , part of the inhabitants were put to the sword , the rest made slaves . it was besieg'd in june . and taken in september . king alonso was marching to relieve it , but at talavera his son ferdinand met , and assur'd him there was need of a greater army to engage the enemy . prince ferdinand dying in october , the following year , put a stop to the king 's further proceedings for the present . his body was carried from madrid , where he dy'd , to huelgas , and there bury'd . however , the cortes , or parliament , was held to furnish supplies for the war. embassies were sent to obtain succours of other princes , and the archbishop of toledo , to rome , to obtain the croisade for all that should serve in that war. on the other side , the moors diligently fortified their frontiers , and sent for recruits out of africk . alonso , king of castile , the more to terrifie the enemy , broke into their territories , and took some towns along the river xucar . then returning to cuenca , met the king of aragon there , and had assurance of assistance from the king of navarre , by his embassadors . the archbishop of toledo , stirr'd up all sorts of people in france and italy , to take upon them the croisade , and succeeded so well , that authors affirm , there were got together horse , and foot of foreigners . a great number , and scarce credible . however , by others , i find they amounted to horse , and foot. these strangers were order'd to encamp in the king's orchards , near toledo . they began to repair thither in the month of february , . a mutiny was raised in the city by the soldiers and rabble , against the jews , and much mischief might have been done , had not the nobility protected those unhappy people . peter , king of aragon , came to toledo , and was received with great joy ; he brought with him foot , and horse . sancho , king of portugal , was prevented from coming by death , which overtook him at coimbra , where he was bury'd in a mean tomb , and thence remov'd to a better , by king emanuel . his son alonso ii. of the name , succeeded him , and had already two sons , call'd sancho and alonso , by his wife vrraca . ferdinand , uncle to the new king , and brother to the deceased , had the year before marry'd joanna , countess of flanders , daughter and heiress to baldwin , emperor of constantinople . nevertheless , a good body of men came from portugal . king alonso assign'd pay to all that multitude of souldiers , and made presents to the great men according to their quality . all necessaries were provided for so great an army , insomuch , that there were carts only to carry the baggage , as roderick the archbishop testifies , who was an eye-witness , and writ all the particulars of this expedition . yet others say , there was that number of beasts for carriage . they marched from toledo , on the th of june . james de haro led the van , which consisted of the strangers . in the center was the king of aragon , and he of castile brought up the rear . the horse amounted to , the foot not to be number'd ; for all that were of age in castile , were oblig'd to carry arms. on the d day they came to malagon , a town belonging to the moors , leagues from toledo . the inhabitants quitted the place , and retired to the castle , which was taken by the strangers , and all the infidels put to the sword. calatrava on the st of july surrendred , and was restor'd to the knights of that name , from whom the moors had taken it . all the booty was given to the argonians and foreigners , many of whom not able to endure the great heat , and want of all necessaries , were forc'd to return home . then the army advanc'd to alarcos , which town having the foregoing years been ruin'd by the moors , the few inhabitants that were left , abandon'd to the christians . here d. sancho , king of navarre , with a good body of men joyn'd the army , and made amends for the strangers that were gone . some castles were taken by storm . near salvatierra , they made a general muster , and then mov'd to the foot of sierra morena . the moorish king being inform'd hereof , marched to baeza , resolving by carrying away all provisions , to secure the passage of those mountains , and chiefly , to make good the pass of losa , which was the only way our army could go . if our army advanc'd , the moor doubted not of the victory ; if they staid , they must perish for want ; if they turn'd back it was a great loss of reputation . a council of war being held , many were of opinion to turn back , and taking a greater compass , enter andaluzia , a plainer way . but the king of castile would not hearken to it , believing it would make the enemy bolder , and discourage his own men. therefore it was resolv'd to advance . d. lope , son to james de haro , sent before by his father with a strong party , possess'd himself of ferral , on the top of the mountains , and made the moors give back . yet he durst not attempt the pass of losa , thinking it a rashness at once to encounter the enemy in such a difficult place . chap. x. the further progress of the christian army , which obtains a most signal victory over the infidels , of whom are slain , and this called the battle of navas de tolosa . many towns taken after this success . all multitudes are subject to violent motions , and sudden apprehensions , as it hap'ned now , for the soldiers were all ready to disperse , and shift for themselves , believing the danger equal either in advancing or retiring . god provided a remedy in this extremity . a shepheard , who had long used those mountains , and knew them throughly , ( some say it was an angel , for that after he had shown the way , he was never seen more ) promised the kings , if they would rely upon him , he would lead the whole army thro' by-ways he well knew , to recover the tops of all those mountains . it was not safe , wholly to trust to a person unknown , nor prudent to slight that proffer , in such an exigency . james de haro , and garci romero , were sent to view what the shepheard said . the way seem'd to lead quite from the enemy , so that the moors thought they retir'd for want of provisions . all the ascent was difficult and craggy , yet the men refused no labour , being assur'd of the victory , if once they gain'd the top of the mountain . their chief care was to lose no time , lest the enemy should be before-hand with them . having surmounted all difficulties , the kings fortified their camp. the enemy prepar'd for fight , and drew up their forces in four bodies . but the christians tir'd with their march , would not give battle that day , nor the next , which so puffed up the moors , that their king sent advice to several parts , that within three days , he should have the three christian kings prisoners , having already got them in a toil . on munday , the th of july , all the army having confess'd and receiv'd , drew out in order of battle . james de haro led the van. gonzalo nun̄ez with some templers , and knights of other orders , commanded the middle battle . in the rear was king alonso , the archbishop of toledo , and other prelates . the kings of aragon and navarre upon the wings , he of navarre , on the right , and he of aragon , on the left. on the other side , the moors drew up in the same manner they had done before . that part of their camp where the king's tent stood , was hem'd in with chains of iron , and guarded by the bravest and noblest moors . the number of the others was so great , that they cover'd all the hills and plains . on both sides , the generals encourag'd their men , and our bishops went thro' the batallions , stirring up the soldiers to gain the indulgence granted by the pope . this done , both parties charged with great resolution . no signs of victory appear'd on either side for a long time , every man fought with such resolution , as if he had contended for empire . our main battle engaged first , then the navarrois and aragonian̄s , without gaining a foot of ground , but rather after three charges seem'd to give way . then king alonso would have cast himself into the heat of the fight , but that roderick the archbishop stopp'd him . the rear , or reserve , advancing the fight , was renewed , and those that seemed to waver before , fell on with greater fury . at length the moors tired with sustaining the brunt all day , and not able to withstand our reserve which power'd in fresh upon them , fled , and a mighty slaughter of them was made . are said to have been slain , half of them horse , others write but half the number in all . it is more wonderful that of the christians , only were kill'd , as roderick the archbishop then present testifies . others affirm dy'd , both small numbers for so great an action . the archbishop also asserts , that tho' so great a number of moors was slain , there was not one drop of blood to be seen in the field . by the advice of zeit his brother , the moorish king fled without stopping , only to change horse , till he came the same night to jaen . about sun-set their camp was entred , and plundered by the aragonians , for the others followed the chace . all the moorish kings equipage which only was preserv'd , james de haro , equally divided betwixt the kings of aragon and navarre , particularly his tent , which was of red and crimson-silk , was by king alonso's special command , given to the aragonian . for king alonso coveting nothing but honour , freely resigned all the booty to his companions . it was not thought fit to have the other prey equally divided , for fear of a mutiny , but every man was allowed to keep what he had got . some say , that a cross seen in the air , contributed much towards the gaining of this victory , but neither the archbishop who was present in his history , nor the king in his letter to the pope , mention any such thing . yet all agree , that pascualis , then a canon of toledo , and who carry'd the archbishops cross before him , broke twice through the enemies battle with it unhurt , tho' they all aim'd at him , and many darts thrown at him , stuck on the staff of the cross . so great a number of lances and darts was found , that tho' the christians during two days they stay'd there , used no other fewel , they could not consume them all . fame first , and then messengers sent on purpose , soon spread the news of this victory through all parts . great was the grief it brought to the moors , and no less the joy , it spread through all christendom . in memory of the action , this king of navarre , to the arms of his ancestors , which were only a red shield , added chains and an emraud in the middle , as is used to this day , in token that he was the first who broke the chains that defended the enemies camp. some will have it , that king alonso of castile , now took the castle for his arms , but it appears to have been in use long before . from this time , there are those who write , the spaniards took the custom of abstaining from flesh upon saturdays , the contrary custom having been introduced by the goths , who doubtless learn'd it in greece , when they were converted . this great victory was doubtless obtained by the prayers of the christians , who in all parts , and particularly in rome , the pope himself promoting it , made processions , and offered up their vows to heaven for this purpose . many bishops , and a great number of nobles , whose names it is tedious and needless to repeat , were present at this battle . but in fine , the third day after the fight , the christians moved their camp. they recovered ferral , and took bilche , ban̄os and tolosa , from which last place this action was nam'd . the battle of navas de tolosa . baeça was abandon'd by the inhabitants , and entred by our forces , which set fire to , and burnt a number of infidels , who thought to defend themselves in the great mosque . vbeda , the eighth day after the victory , was taken by assault , most of the inhabitans put to the sword , the rest made slaves , which strook a terror into the moors , and the plunder being given to the army , encouraged the soldiers , almost spent with labour . sickness , and the badness of the season , obliged the kings to turn back to a more temperate country . on their return near catratrava , they were met by the duke of austria , who brought horse to serve in that war. the king of aragon being his kinsman , accompany'd him back to the borders of spain . in recompense for his assistance , the king of castile , restored to him of navarre , towns he had before taken from him , and then having taken his leave of both kings , entred toledo in triumph . first he gave thanks to god for this so signal providence , and order'd the th of july to be kept for ever as a holy-day in memory of it , by the name of the triumph of the holy-cross . at the beginning of the following year , the king pursuing his success , took from the moors the town of duen̄as , which he gave to the knights of calatrava , and the castle of eznavejor , to those of santiago . alcaraz , a little town in the mountains mariani , seated on a rising craggy hill , having endured a siege of two months , was taken on the th of may , so several other places of less note . this done , king alonso , loaded with honour , returned to toledo , where he was receiv'd with great joy , by ellenor his queen , berengaria his daughter , his son henry , and all the inhabitants . this was a very scarce year of provisions , for authors affirm , it rain'd not in the kingdom of toledo , for the space of nine months , so that the country people were forced to abandon their lands , and go to other places for sustenance . the end of book xi . the history of spain . the twelfth book . chap. i. the original and growth of the heresie of the albigenses , which spread all over france , and some part of spain . preaching against them being unsuccessful , war is resolv'd upon . after so notable a victory gain'd over the moors , the affairs of spain were in a prosperous condition , for the almohades , oppress'd by so great a loss , stir'd not , and the christians were encouraged to conquer , all the infidels were still possessed off . but at this same time the kingdoms of france and aragon , fell into great confusions , and suffered much detriment . these disorders had their beginning in toulouze , a noted city of france , and not far from the borders of spain . the occasion of them was certain new opinions , in matters of religon started in those parts , which embroiled the french and aragonians , and cost them much blood. in former times all nations agreed in point of faith , and all follow'd , and profess'd the same doctrine . there was no difference betwixt the german and the spaniard , the frenchman and the italian , the englishman and the sicilian , as to their belief touching god , the immortality , and other misteries , all of them had as it were one head , and spoke as with one tongue . the waldenses , a wicked and abominable people , began some years before this , to disturb the peace of the church , teaching new and extravagent opinions , and now the albigenses or albienses , a sect no less odious , and a name hateful to the ancients , follow'd their footsteps , to the great desturbance of the christian world. they taught that the priests , gods and the churches ministers , had no power to forgive sins . that the true body of jesus christ , is not in the most holy sacrament of the altar . that the water of baptism , has no vertue to cleanse the soul from sin. that the prayers used for the dead do not avail them . all new and false opinions , never heard of by the ancients . they also utter'd blasphemies , and reproaches against the blessed virgin , which are not set down , for fear of offending the christian reader . william nangiaçus , a frenchman , who liv'd not long after , has left them all in writing . their madness extended even to reflect upon the familiarity , that was betwixt our saviour and st. mary magdalen . so says peter , a cistercian monk , in the history he writ of the albigenses , dedicated to pope innocent the third , where he speaks as an eye-witness of things that pass'd in his presence . it would be tedious to particularize all the ravings of this sect and heresy ; for so it is , that falshood is manyfold , truth one and simple . in that part of france where is the famous city cahors , is another call'd albis , once known by the name of alba augusta , and it is suppos'd that caesar in his commentaries , call'd the inhabitants of that province helvii . the river tarris waters the country , which is one of the fruitfullest in france , producing much corn , wine , wood and safforn ; whereby the bishop of that city has one of the best revenues of france . the cathedral which is large and beautiful , is adjoining to the wall of the city , and dedicated to st. cecilia . the inhabitants of the city and country , are open-hearted , peaceable and quiet ; virtues that may prove dangerous , without the necessary circumspection ; in avoiding being corrupted and perverted by wicked people . they generally live upon their own product . the trade is but little , as lying in the inland of france , and far from the sea. from this city , where this new sect and madness were first broach'd , it took the name of albigensis , and from thence spread it self through all france , and part of spain . but this flame blaz'd more in toulouze than in any other place ; and thence it was that some deduc'd the original of this sect and error from that city . others say , it had its first rise in provence , which is a part of gallia narbonensis . d. lucas de tuy , who for his devotion , and to improve himself in learning , went to rome , and thence to constantinople and hierusalem , returning to his country ; among other his no less learned than pious writings , publish'd a large disputation against all these errors ; wherein he sets down , as an eye-witness , what happen'd in the city of leon , so well known in spain , and capital of the kingdom of the same name . it will not be amiss , for the better understanding of it , to set down his own words ; also the better to demonstrate the nature , contrivances , and inventions of hereticks . after the death of the reverend d. roderick , bishop of leon , the clergy could not agree about chusing his successor . which opportunity , the hereticks , who are enemies to the truth , and delight in such discord , laid hold of , to get into that city , then without a pastor , and to assail the flock of christ . that their designs might succeed , they arm'd themselves as they us'd to do with inventions . they gave out that miracles were wrought in a certain filthy place , that serv'd as a dunghil . in it were bury'd two criminals , one of them a heretick , another , who for murdering his uncle , was sentenc'd to be bury'd alive . in that same place there was a spring , which the hereticks discolour'd with blood ; that the people might look upon it as a miracle . the fame hereof , as is usual upon light occasions , was spread abroad . they underhand had corrupted some persons to counterfeit themselves blind , lame , possess'd and afflicted with several diseases ; and that having drank that water , they were healed . from these beginnings the cheat was carry'd on , till they dug up the bones of the heretick , whose name was arnaldus ; and he had been years bury'd in that place . they gave out those were the bones of a most holy martyr . many of the ignorant clergy , under the cloak of devotion , forwarded the laity herein . the fraud proceeded so far , as to raise over the spring a strong house , and it was intended to place the bones of the infamous murderer on a high place , that the people might worship them ; it being given out that he had been a very holy abbot . in short , when the hereticks had brought things to this pass , they own'd the deceit among themselves , and so made a scoff at the church , as if the other miracles perform'd by holy bodies were of the same stamp , and there were some that gave credit to them , and forsook the true belief . at length the fraud came to the knowledge of the fryars preachers ( that is , the dominicans ) who in their sermons labour'd to undeceive the people . the franciscans , and such of the clergy as had not been drawn into that foul worship , join'd with them . but still the more the minds of the multitude were bent upon that diabolical superstition . insomuch , that they call'd the fryars hereticks for opposing and contradicting them . the enemies of truth rejoyc'd and triumph'd ; they declar'd publickly , that the miracles wrought in that dunghill , were more certain than all the rest , perform'd in the church by the bodies of saints , held in veneration by christians . the neighbouring bishop declared all those excommunicate , who frequented that cursed worship , but their care was of no use , for that the devil had full possession of many , and had secur'd to himself , the disobedient children . a deacon who abhorr'd the heresie heard at rome , what happ'ned at leon , at which he was much concern'd , and resolv'd to return speedily to his country , to oppose that mighty evil. being come to leon , he enquired further into the business , and begun passionately , both in publick and private , to condemn so ill a thing , reproving his townsmen , and accusing them as favourers of hereticks . tho' his friends advised him to to be more moderate , he could not restrain himself , as believing the city was departing from the law of god. he went to the common-council , and told them , that accident was an affront to all spain , that where formerly , just laws and constitutions were enacted , as being the head of a kingdom , there at present unheard of villanies and heresies were invented . he added , god would not give them rain to bless the fruits of the earth , till they had cast down that church , and thrown away those bones they worship'd . for so it was , that ever since that superstition began , which was now ten months , it never rain'd , and there was a dearth in the country . the judge , in the presence of all the assembly , said to the deacon . do you assure us , that the church being cast down , god will give us rain , and water the country . the deacon , full of faith , answer'd . give me leave to demolish that house , and i promise in the name of our lord jesus christ , upon forfeiture of life and goods , that within eight days , our lord will send the necessary rain in abundance . the company gave credit to his words . he repair'd to the place with labourers appointed , and many of the citizens , levelled the church , and scatter'd the bones about the dung-hills . it hap'ned , to the great astonishment of them all , that as the church was pulling down , among the timber was heard a noise , as it were of a trumpet , to show the devil forsook that place . the next day , a great part of the city was burnt down , for the wind being very high , the fire could not soon be stop'd from spreading far . the multitude mutiny'd , and ran to find out the deacon , with a design to murder him , saying . that instead of rain , he had been the cause of that great fire . the hereticks appear'd , scoffing at the clergy , and said . the deacon deserv'd death , and that what he had promised , would not come to pass . but the almighty had mercy on his people , for at the end of the eight days appointed , he sent abundant rain , so that the fruits of the earth recover'd , and there was a plentiful harvest that year . the deacon encourag'd by this success , went on prosecuting the hereticks , till he oblig'd them , to quit the city . thus far are the words of this author . by which it appears , that this pestilential heresie spread in spain , but it s greatest fury fell upon toulouze , whence ensu'd great mischiefs , and the unhappy death of the king of aragon , who would uphold it , as shall appear in the sequel . the sect of the albigenses grew formidable , and daily gathered strength , not only by the number of the commonalty that adhered to it , but also by means of the princes and persons of note that supported it , without regarding the pope's authority , or their own reputation . these were the earls of toulouze , faux , besiers and cominges . in like manner , the king of aragon supported them , because these cities were feofs depending on him , as has been said before . besides he was nearly ally'd to the earl of toulouze , whose third wife was the king of aragon's sister . and the earl's son and heir , whose name as well as his father's , was raymund , had taken to wife another of the same king's sisters , called sancha . this was the true cause of his declaring for the albigenses , and taking up arms for them . otherwise , he was a truely catholick prince , as may be inferred , by his delivering his son d. jaime , or james , to simon , earl of monfort , to be bred up and instructed , which simon was general of the catholicks , and a scourge to the hereticks . such was the posture of affairs , that it much troubled the catholicks of france ; but above all , the pope , who apprehended , lest that evil , should daily take a deeper root , and gather strength by so many favourers . the more for that the multitude , who love novelties , being deceived by the sleights of those hereticks , easily forsook the faith of their ancestors , and embraced those extravagent opinions . some remedy was sought to put a stop to this growing evil. mildness was thought at first most expedient , to try whether by the care of good teachers those that had stray'd might be brought back . d. james , bishop of osma , in his way to rome , whither he was sent by the king of castile , went thro' that part of france , and seeing the condition of affairs , and danger those towns were in , unless some speedy remedy were apply'd , gave a full account to the pope of the whole mischief , and where the greatest danger appeared . with him went the glorious father , s. dominick , then a canon regular of the order of s. augustin , and afterwards on this account founder of the order of preachers . he was born at calervega , in the territory of osma , of a noble family . the pope understanding how the matter stood , resolved to give a check to that spreading evil. he dispatch'd the bishop and his companion , with full commission to quench that flame . he also appointed one of the cardinals , his legate , with ample power . being come into france , they chose abbots of the order of s. bernard , to be their associates , that being natives , they might by their preaching and example , bring back those that had gone astray . but whatever was gain'd by this means , many being converted from their errors ; chiefly by the preaching of s. dominick , and miracles he wrought in several parts , no less was the number of those perverted by the hereticks . for who can reduce an incens'd rabble to reason ? who can restore to their wits , men lost and hardned in error ? a limb that cannot be healed , must be cut off , and the safest method is , in such cases , to use rigour in time . this moved the pope and catholick princes to alter their methods , and since no peaceable means were of force , to resolve upon war , and open force , as we shall show in the following chapter . chap. ii. the death of peter , king of aragon , and of alonso , king of castile . simon , earl of monfort , general of the catholicks , overthrows the hereticks , and takes the towns they had possess'd themselves of . it being now resolved to decide these matters of religion by arms , a great number of soldiers were assembled out of italy , germany and france , hoping to gain the indulgence granted by the pope , to such as took up the cross on such occasions . these first possess'd themselves of the city besieres , and in it put to the sword of the mutiniers . this struck such a terror into the people of carcassonne , that they surrendred the city to the catholicks , and the ringleaders were punish'd . these prosperous beginnings encourag'd the catholicks , who wanting a general , made choice of simon , earl of montfort , a town of note in the territory of chartres , as being an experienced soldier , and of known zeal for the catholick religion . he having taken upon him that charge , and gather'd his forces , gain'd from the hereticks the castle of minerva , the city albis , a town call'd vaure , near toulouze , and many other places . this done , he laid siege to toulouze , but could not enter it , by reason the earls of toulouze , faux and cominges , were within , and defended it with great resolution . therefore raising the siege , he bent his force against the earldom of faux . the king of aragon was in care for those his friends and allies , and fear'd , lest simon of montfort , under the specious pretence of religion , should endeavour to enlarge his own dominions . therefore immediately after the famous battle of navas de tolosa , he imploy'd his thoughts on the affairs of france with so much application , that it appears , he was at toulouze in the month of january , in the year . in may following , he raised men at lerida , and other places , to carry on that war. being returned to france , all those princes joyn'd him with their forces , which together , are said to have composed an army of men , a number scarce credible . simon of montfort , provided to oppose so powerful an enemy , and in order to it , fortified the castle murelle , on the banks of the river garonne . the confederates marched to besiege it , and montfort with a small number , but chosen men to defend it . with him were seven bishops , s. dominick , and three abbots . these endeavour'd to disswade the king from supporting the hereticks , but he was deaf to their advice . the catholicks were not above horse , and foot , a small number to the multitude of the enemies . however relying on the justice of their cause , they engaged , and it was resolutely fought on both sides . at length , thro' the special providence of god , and valour of the catholicks , the enemy was put to flight , the earls escap'd , but the king was kill'd upon the place , with several argonians of note ; yet the number of the dead was not great . every body said the king had deserved that end for favouring of hereticks , ( tho' in other respects , he was so true a son of the church , that he got the name of peter the catholick ) and also for his lewdness , which transported him so far as to put away his queen , a woman of singular virtue , upon pretence of consanguinity , and that she had been marry'd to the earl of cominges , tho' that marriage had been declared invalid . this lady was now at rome , and daily expected judgment should be given for her , when the news of the king's death was brought . his body was buried by the knights of s. john , in the monastery of ximena , where queen sancha his mother lies . he left only one son , called jayme , or james , but four years of age. there were yet living , ferdinand , brother to the deceased , and abbot of montaragon , and consequently , a professed monk , and sancho , earl of roussillon , his uncle , of a great age , as being uncle to the late king. these two , notwithstanding the profession of the one , and the age of the other , had thoughts of usurping the crown . to this purpose , they endeavoured to gain the nobility and people , giving out that d. jayme was a bastard , and they consequently next heirs . this design was no way pleasing to the prelates and nobles . especially peter fernandez de açagra , lord of albarazin , was concerned there should be any talk of excluding the child , and that he should be then as a prisoner in the hands of simon of montfort . having therefore consulted the other nobles , they sent an embassador to pope innocent , desiring he would command montfort to deliver up the child , whom all acknowledged as their king. the pope readily condescended , and sent orders to his legate , the cardinal of benavente , then in the war against the hereticks , to give all satisfaction to the argonians , if what they demanded , were just . mean while , montfort had taken toulouze , the nest , and chief recepticle of the hereticks . the legate gathered a synod at montpelier , where it was unanimously agreed to give all that had been taken in war , to simon of montfort , as a reward for his good service . the bishop of embrun , was sent to the pope , to obtain a confirmation of this their decree . this was the posture of affairs in france . in spain , a violent famine rag'd , by reason of the drought . after the famine , as is usual , follow'd the plague , caused by the unusual things eaten for want . many towns were quite unpeopled , especially in the kingdom of toledo , where this calamity was most destructive , as being the highest part of all spain . roderick , archbishop of toledo , was a great help to the poor , giving extraordinary alms , and stirring up others to do the like . whereupon king alonso , afterwards at burgos , gave him villages , and the chancellorship of castile , the highest dignity next the king , to him , and his successors , the archbishops for ever . this office , the archbishops exercised by themselves , or their deputies , till the time of the archbishop giles de albornoz , when by reason of his absence , and the confusion of the times , it was given to others ; and now those prelates retain nothing but the bare title . king alonso being at burgos , desired to be reconciled to the king of leon , with whom he had been offended ever since he put away his daughter berengaria . both kings met at valladolid , where all differences were composed , and particularly , they agreed , that carpio and monterey , should be demolished , because there arose debates about them . this done , the king of leon returned to his country , taking along with him , by the consent of the king of castile , james lopez de haro , to employ him in his wars against the moors . james de haro , was then in great repute , so besides his son , a good number of men follow'd him , desiring to serve under so experienced a general . the king of castile , tho' old , would not slip the opportunity of making his advantage of the moors , under a consternation for their late losses . the king of leon began the war in that part of old lusitania , now called estremadura , where having plundred and wasted all the country , he took from the moors , a town of alcantara , seated on the banks of tagus , which he gave to the knights of calatrava . this was the original of the knights of alcantara , at first subject to the order of calatrava , now independant of them , having obtained a bull from pope julius ii. to that effect . the habit of calatrava formerly was a scapular , with a hood over their cloths , like the fryers ; since pope benedict xiii . changed it , and instead of the hood , they wear a red cross fleury . those of alantara wear the same form of cross , but green on a white cloak . both observe the rule of s. bernard , and are subject to the order of cistercians . alonso , king of castile , advanced with his forces as far as baeça , which the moors had again recovered , and laid siege to that city , after ravaging all the open country . jame lopez de haro , the war of estremadura being ended , came thither . tho' they made their utmost efforts , yet could they not take that city , for want of provisions . a truce was therefore concluded with the moors , and the army drew off to furnish themselves with necessaries . but for the scarcity which was that year , it had been a good opportunity of subduing the moors , they being then divided among themselves and distracted with intestine wars . mahomet , sirnamed the green , king of the moors , after the loss of the memorable battle of nabas de tolofa , went over into africk , to recruit his forces . in his absence , his brother zeit abenzeit , possessed himself of valencia and monviedro , with all their dependencies . mahomet zeit , his cousin , did the same with the cities of cordova and baeça . abobali , another moor , following their example , secured to himself , sevil , ecija and xeres . thus the force of the moors was divided , and consequently weakned . a fit opportunity of subduing them was offer'd , but king alonso , the most powerful prince in spain , could not make use of it , by reason of the scarcity of provisions , as also , because he was about to relieve the english , then too hard set in france . at the same time , alonso ii. king of portugal , sirnamed the fat , was busie , taking away by force of arms from his sisters , the towns left them by his father . princes never want pretences to put in execution their designs . those ladies had recourse for protection , to the king of leon , their kinsman , who went not in person , but sent his son ferdinand , by whom many towns were taken from the portugueses , but afterwards restored , at the request of pope innocent , who interposed to adjust those differences . the king of castile desired to commune with his son-in-law , the king of portugal ; and to that purpose , sent embassadors to invite him to plasencia ; but understanding his coming would not be so soon , went to burgos , thence to send supplies to the english . death prevented all these designs . in his return from burgos , earnestly desiring to meet the king of portugal , he fell sick at garcimun̄os , where he was given over by the physicians . roderick , archbishop of toledo , administred the sacraments to him , and caused him to make a will. that done , he expir'd upon munday the th of october , in the year . this was the end of king alonso , the most renowned prince of that age , who did many great things by himself , yet the other kings of spain did nothing considerable without him . he lived years , and days , and thereof reign'd . i should think but , since at the beginning of his reign , our author says , he was years old when his father died . his body was bury'd at huelgas , near burgos . this same year died ellenor , queen dowager of castile , ferdinand , eldest son to the king of leon , by his first wife ; also james lopes de haro , and peter de castro , son to ferdinand de castro , all persons of great note . the queen departed this life on the last day of october , of grief for the loss of her husband , and was bury'd by him . ferdinand of leon , was a very hopeful youth , had he not been untimely cut off by death , he was interr'd at santiago , in galicia . a brother of his of the same name survived , being born of berengaria , his father's second wife , and inherited both the crowns of castile and leon , as shall be shown in its place . peter de castro , ended his days at morocco , the cause of his going thither , is not known . chap. iii. disorders in castile and aragon , under the two infant kings . sancho , king of navarre , altogether decrepid . the lateran general-council . honours done there to the archbishop of toledo . after the death of peter , king of aragon , and alonso of castile , there ensued great troubles in both kingdoms , by reason of the tender age of the two kings , jaime and henry , when they ascended those thrones . all the nobility was more intent upon their private , than the publick interest . in castile , many strove to possess themselves of the government in the king's name . some in aragon not so content , endeavoured to usurp the crown , these were sancho and ferdinand , before-mentioned . both pleaded that the young king jaime was not got in lawful wedlock . sancho urged against his competitor , that he was a profess'd monk , and therefore incapable of reigning . ferdinand brought ramiro for a precedent , who , tho' ancient , and a monk , had inherited the crown , and therefore that impediment being removed , pretended most right , as the next of the collateral line . thus was the kingdom divided into factions . the least number , but most considerable for power , stuck to the true king. the multitude was for the fairest bidder . embassadors being sent , as was said above , to pope innocent , they were remitted to france , with orders , that what had been taken from the hereticks , should be delivered to simon of montfort , upon condition he should restore the young king of aragon to his subjects . these commands were punctually obey'd , and the young king conveyed to narbonne , together with raymund , earl of provence , his cousin-german , and a child of the same age , to be bred in aragon , whilst the wars lasted in france . at narbonne many of the nobility of aragon received their king with much joy , and the people wherever he passed , offered up their vows for his safety . the child had a graceful presence , and was somewhat bigger than is usual at that age. montfort returned to prosecute the war. by the legates procurement , the cortes , or parliament was assembled at lerida , where all that were present , took the oath of allegiance to the new king , a thing not before used in aragon , but continued ever since to this day . william monredon , superior of the templars in that kingdom , was appointed the king's tutor , and the chief of the embassadors that had been sent to the pope , joyned in commission with him . monçon was assigned for the king to keep his court at , till the troubles were over , and the king came to age. at this time commerce was restored betwixt zaragoça and navarre , which had been long interrupted , by reason of the wars . sancho , king of navarre , lay in the castle of tudela , without attending to the government , by reason of his great age and sickness . this same year was fought the famous battle of bovines , near tournay , in flanders , betwixt otho , the emperor , and philip , king of france . ferdinand , prince of portugal , who had married the countess of flanders , took the emperor's part , and the imperialists being defeated , was taken , and continued a long time prisoner in france . in the year . the aragonians endeavouring to settle the kingdom , and satisfie sancho , earl of russillon , committed to him the care of the government ; but he being ambitious of the crown , made use of his power to raise greater commotions , as shall be told hereafter . castile was in no better condition . henry the new king , was but years of age , when he inherited that crown . his mother took upon her the administration of affairs , but that lasted not long , by reason of her death . in her will she appointed her daughter berengaria , queen of leon , tho' divorc'd from her husband , to succeed in the government , as being a woman of a manly spirit , and in great power , for that when she returned to castile ; her father gave her the towns of valladolid , munon , curiel and santistevan de gormaz . this lady not only bore this great burden , but out of her own revenue supply'd the wants of the crown . her vertues can never be too much extoll'd , her prudence , devotion , justice , and care of the government , were not to be parallell'd . yet multitude of business , and the love of retirement , made her uneasie . some who make their own ends by diving into the affections of princes , soon discovered this failing . particularly , the three brothers of the family of lara , alvaro , ferdinand and gonzalo , sons to d. nun̄o , earl of lara , who being used to rule , would not let slip this opportunity of seizing upon the government . they valued not the king , as being an infant , nor his sister , because she was a woman . their resolution was to compass their ends , tho' the means were never so foul . two things concurred towards forwarding their purposes . one was , that a private man , called garci lorenço , a native of plasencia , had great interest with the lady berengaria . he being a subtle fellow , they promis'd him the town of tablada , which he much coveted , as a reward of his good service , in case he forwarded their project . the other , was the absence of roderick , archbishop of toledo , who only by his prudence and authority , was able to disappoint all these contrivances . he was gone to rome , to be present at the lateran council assembled by pope innocent . thither resorted prelates , of which were archbishops , besides the patriarchs of jerusalem and constantinople . those of antioch and alexandria , came not themselves , but sent their deputies . the number of other priests , is not to be reckon'd . many matters of great moment were handled in this council ; but the chief were the renewing the war in the holy-land , and quieting france , then embroil'd by the hereticks . this council was open'd in the month of november , and in the church of s. john lateran . among all the prelates , roderick , archbishop of toledo , signaliz'd himself , making a latin speech , so set off with variety of other languages , that the fathers in admiration , said , the like had not been heard since the time of the apostles . here the jurisdiction of the church of toledo was debated , for that the archbishops of taragona , braga , santiago and narbonne , would not acknowledge its supreme authority . on the behalf of toledo were produced bulls of former popes , their determinations , decrees of councils , and many arguments deduc'd from antiquity . much also was said by the other party , but the case was left undetermin'd , because some of the parties concern'd , were absent , and it was fit they should be heard . yet the pope granted to roderick the archbishop , the legantine power for ten years ; and also , that in case the city sevil were taken from the moors , as was hop'd , by reason of the small power of the almohades , it should be subject to the archbishop of toledo , as its primate , and no appeal to lye from this decree . besides , he gave him power to legitimate bastards , and to place bishops in all such towns as should be taken from the moors . the archbishop gain'd great reputation , in that council , not only for his knowledge in many languages , but for his extraordinary learning , not usual in that age. he writ the history of spain , another of the moors , and a treatise of the jurisdiction of his church of toledo . touching the holy-war , it was decreed , that all church-men should contribute towards it , part of their revenues . with this subsidy , recruits were sent over , and the town of damiata , in aegypt taken . as to the affairs of france , the two raymund's , father and son , earl's of toulouze , appear'd in the council against simon of montfort , who had despoil'd them of their dominions . the result was , that they were condemned as hereticks , and toulouze , with all other places he had taken , adjudg'd to simon of montfort . whereupon , montfort did homage to the king of france for those places , and setled an alliance with him . yet not relying on the fidelity of those people , he caused toulouze , carcassonne and narbonne , to be dismantled , which , together with the heavy taxes he laid on the subjects , rendred him so odious , that many towns along the river rhosne , revolted from him to raymund the younger , and not long after , he lost the city of toulouze . notwithstanding the decree of the council , many nobles of france assisted the abandon'd princes ; yet simon of montfort had regain'd toulouze , but that he was unfortunately kill'd before it , by a stone shot from an engine . a man worthy of a longer life for his valour , and zeal for religion . he left two sons , aymerick and simon . aymerick upon the death of his father , raised the siege , and dispairing of being able to withstand all those princes that joyn'd against him , resign'd his right to all those towns , to the king of france , who in return , made him lord high-constable . these things fell out three years later than this time . let us return to the place whence we digress'd . chap. iv. the family of lara , take the government of castile into their hands , they commit many insolencies and oppress the nobility . young king henry marry'd and divorc'd . the king of aragon escapes from his keepers . the family of lara , ceased not to solicite garci lorenço as was said before , and he tempted with their promises , undertook to bring about their desires . he only waited a fit opportunity , and at length having found one , when the queen regent , little thought of any such contrivance , he told her . the burden of the government was too weighty for a woman's shoulders , and withal exaggerated , the difficulties of pleasing where interests were so different , and affections so various . the queen who coveted nothing more than her ease , ask'd on whom she might repose that great trust of ruling the kingdom , and breeding up the king. then he reply'd , none in the kingdom so fit as the family of lara , being the most powerful , and therefore best able to awe such as should aim at any commotions . this advice was approved by the queen , who thereupon assembling the prelates and nobles , ask'd their advice , and they either not understanding the drift , or being before secur'd , or else hating the government of a woman , agreed that the queen should resign the government to the three brothers of the family of lara . roderick the archbishop , returning at this time from rome , lik'd not these proceedings , but the thing was too far gone to be recalled . all he could do , was to oblige those brothers , to take an oath , that they would in all things study the interest of the people and crown , that they would give no commands without the queen's approbation , that they would not make war , nor impose new taxes , and in fine , that they would bear the respect due to the queen , as the daughter , sister , and wife of king's . this seemed some security , for their impartial administration of the government , but no bonds can contain ambitious spirits . as soon as they were put into power , d. alvaro the eldest of the three brothers , departed from burgos , where this act of renunciation was perform'd . the first thing he did , was to banish certain noblemen , then he seized upon all publick revenues , and spar'd not those of the church . from lay patrons , who had the right of presenting to benefices , he took that priviledge , upon pretence of restoring the immunities of the church . he did all things by open force , without any regard to the laws , or good of the publick . his extravagancies were such , as oblig'd roderick dean of toledo , and the archbishop's vicar to excommunicate him . this check drew him back a little , and he made some reparation of damages , yet his mind was not alter'd . he summoned the cortes , or parliament to valladolid , whether resorted for the most part , such as were of his faction , who in the name of the whole kingdom , only study'd to secure him the government . many of the nobility were offended , that d. alvaro should thus usurp all the power , particularly lope de haro , son to james de haro , and d. gonzalo ruiz giron , the lord high-steward , resented this disorderly proceeding , and having consulted together , had recourse to queen berengaria , complaining against her for resigning the government , and advising to reassume it , before all things were brought to destruction . their words mov'd the queen , yet being a woman , she durst not oppose so great a power , as theirs was , who had the command of all the forces in the kingdom . therefore fearing least violent councils might produce greater mischiefs , she thought it the best expedient , to put the three brothers of lara , in mind of the oath they had taken , when they entred upon the goverment , which they had much infringed . this admonition , only served the more to provoke d. alvaro , who thereupon not only seiz'd upon the queen's lands , but commanded her to depart the kingdom . the queen to prevent further mischief , with her sister ellenor , retired to the strong castle of otella near palencia . many of the nobility declar'd for her , and continued firm , till the death of the king her brother . all this tended to an open breach , and to increase the division , the office of high-steward was taken from d. gonçalo giron , and given to ferdinand de lara , d. alvaro's brother . the king , tho' young , lik'd not these proceedings , and studied how to make his escape to his sister , but it was in vain , for d. alvaro kept strict watch upon him . besides , the more to gain his favour , he allured him with pleasures , and talk'd of marrying him . to this purpose , embassadors were sent to conclude a match for him , with malfada , sister to king alonso of portugal . the nuptials were celebrated at palencia . queen berengaria , was much concern'd at it , because the king was so young. therefore she writ to the pope , informing him , how near of kin the marry'd couple were . the pope upon this information , appointed tello bishop of palencia , and maurice of burgos , commissioners to examine that affair , and in case they found it , as the queen said , to disannul the marriage . as soon as the bishops received the pope's bull , they examined the affair , and finding the kindred to be as had been said , order'd them to be divorc'd . thus the bride , still a virgin , as is believ'd , return'd to portugal , where in the monastery of rucha , built by herself , she spent the rest of her life , much afflicted , not only for that disgrace , but because d. alvaro , had presumed to offer to marry her himself . this in castile , in the year of grace . in which dy'd pope innocent iii. inferior to few of his predecessors , for piety and learning . honorius iii. a native of rome succeeded him , in whose time dy'd in that city mary queen of aragon , mother to king jaime . her body was bury'd in the vatican , near the tomb of st. petronila . in her will , she recommended her son and kingdom to the pope , as universal father . that kingdom being divided into factions , and the king being so young , stood in need of such protection , which that pope afforded it , as long as he liv'd . at this time , raymund earl of provence , being invited by his subjects , made his escape from the castle of monçon , where he was kept as a prisoner , with the king of aragon , and getting safe into his country , appeased many differences that were among the nobility for want of a head , every one striving to have a hand in the government . thomas , earl of maurienne , of the house of savoy , had a daughter called beatrix , who was marry'd to this raymund , earl of provence . by her he had four daughters , three of them marry'd to kings , and the fourth to an emperor . raymund's escape was the cause the king of aragon was set at liberty . william monredon , master of the templers , fear'd the king might in like manner be taken from him , and then others would reap the benefit of setting him at liberty , whilst he should undergo the blame of having kept him confin'd . he therefore consulted with peter de açagra lord of albaracin , and with peter ahones , both men in great power , who joyn'd with themselves aspargus archbishop of tarragona , and william of taraçona . these in the month of september , resolved to set the king at liberty , and commit the government of the kingdom to him , notwithstanding he was but nine year of age , and took an oath to bind themselves to the performance hereof . this was not done so privately , but that sancho the king's unkle , who then governed the kingdom , had notice of it , and in a rage , threatned to wash the way the king was to go with blood. with this resolution , he march'd with a good body of men to selga , a town on the road , the king was to take . this being known affrighted the king , so that tho' in that tender age , he put on a coat of mail , to fight if there were occasion . d. sancho , tho' he could not have failed of success , there being so small a number with the king , durst not attack them , and the king having escap'd that danger , went on to huesca , and thence to zaragoca . there , and in all places he was received with great joy , all men hoping his liberty , would put an end to the publick calamities . for the establishing of good order , it was requisite to raise money , the revenues being wasted in the late troubles . this want was supply'd by the catalonians , who raised the tax called bovaticum , because it is laid on oxen and other cattle . it is rare that this tax is laid , and notwithstanding king peter had levy'd it three times , yet it was now granted to his son jaime , in the year of grace . by these means a sufficient fund of money was furnished to supply the king's wants , and raise forces to quell any insurrection . chap. v. great disorders in castile raised by the family of lara . young king henry killed by the fall of a tile . ferdinand prince of leon succeeds , his mother berengaria renouncing her right . orders of s. dominick , s. francis , and la merced instituted . the enmity betwixt d. alvaro de lara , and queen berengaria , put the kingdom into confusion , and was the cause that many murders , robberies , and other villanies were committed . d alvaro added one fraud to the perfecting of all his projects . the king being at maqueda , a town not far from toledo , queen berengaria , sent a man privately to advertise him how affairs stood . d. alvaro having notice of it , seized the messenger , and counterfeiting the queen's hand and seal , produced letters as from her , directing the king to be poisoned , and the more to credit his invention , caused the messenger to be strangl'd . this imposture being known , incensed all men against d. alvaro , and the inhabitants of maqueda had slain him , but that he withdrew with the king to huete . thither the queen again sent one roderick gonzales de valverde , to consult with the king , how he might make his escape to her . this man also was taken , and sent prisoner to alarcon , but was not put to death , for fear of the people . all the storm fell upon such nobles as adhered to the queen . the king kept his lent at valladolid , thence d. alvaro , sent forces to besiege montalegre , where was d. suero tellez giron , a man of note , well provided to defend himself . he had two brothers ferdiand ruyz , and alonso tellez , that might have relieved him , but would not out of respect to the king. d. suero , being summon'd in the king's name , tho' he could long have held out , surrendred the fort. after this the country was wasted , and the king in person sate down before carrion . thence he moved to villalva . d. alonso de meneses who held it , being then out of the town , was forced to make his way in with his sword , not without danger , being himself wounded , and many of his servants kill'd . nevertheless he held out so long , that the king was glad to quit that enterprize , and return to palencia . at the same time the war was carry'd on against roderick and alvaro cameros , who held the city calaborra . the king going thither , soon made himself master of that city , garci zapata the governour , delivering up the castle to him . after the taking of that city , they marched against d. lope de haro , lord of biscay . that country is mountainous , and the people very true to their lords , for which reason , the war was protracted , and the king return'd home . as soon as the king was gone , d. lope entred his territories as far as marcanda de ebro , where gonzalo , brother to d. alvaro , the governour met him . they came not to a battle , because religious persons interposed . thus d. gonzalo went away to the king , and d. lope to otella , where the queen , was not without apprehensions that the king would besiege her . there are those who write , that a marriage was treated of betwixt the king of castile , and sancha , the king of leon's daughter , by his first wife , upon condition she should inherit the crown , excluding ferdinand , the son of queen berengaria . but it is hard to find out the truth of these affairs ; for the history of those times is no less confuss'd than were the times . in this , historians agree , that the king being at play with others of his age , in the court of the bishop's palace , where he then lay , a tile falling from the top of the house , broke his head in such manner , that he dy'd days after , on the th of june , in the year . his body was afterwards bury'd near his brother ferdinand , at huelgas , by burgos . he liv'd not full years , reign'd , and months . this same year the portugueses took from the moors a considerable town , call'd alcazar de sal. matthew , bishop of lisbon , was the chief contriver of this enterprize , for he raised considerable forces , and persuaded the knights templers to be assisting to him . but the chief force consisted in sail of english , french and flemings , who on their way to the holy-land touch'd at lisbon , and were persuaded by that bishop to put their hand to the reducing of that town . a multitude of moors from sevil , cordova , and other parts , coming to the relief of that place , was overthrown , and of them were killed . the battle was fought on the th of september , and the place taken on the th of october . henry , the late king , had two sisters , both elder than he . these were blanch , marry'd to luis , eldest son of philip augustus , king of france , and berengaria , who before she was parted from her husband , alonso , king of leon , brought him four children , to wit , ferdinand , alonso . constance and berengaria . blanch was the eldest sister , and by right , ought to inherit , had not force , and the hatred of a stranger taken place of justice . many of the nobility meeting where queen berengaria then was , declared , the crown to appertain to her . it was convenient that all things should be setled , before the king of castile's death came to the ears of the king of leon , lest he should pretend to that crown , in right of his wife , tho' parted from her . accordingly , embassadors were sent to him , to request he would send his son ferdinand , to protect his mother , which they obtain'd before ever that king had notice of the death of king henry . this was the easier to do , for that d. alvaro de lara , carry'd the dead body with him to tariego , giving out he was still living , and dispatching business in his name . prince ferdinand being come to otella , where his mother was , she made over her right to the crown to him . at najara , under an elm-tree , the ceremony of proclaiming him king , was perform'd , so little state was used in those times . from najara , he went to palencia , designing to take a progress thro' the kingdom . that city , at the persuasion of the bishop , received him with great joy and magnificence . then he went to duenas , which shut the gates against him , but the town being small , and not strong , was entred by force . here the nobility began to treat of an accommodation with the family of lara . d. alvaro was not averse to it ; but being used to rule , he had the presumption to ask to be tutor to the new king. king ferdinand was at that time years of age , tho' some say but . thus the posture of affairs seem'd to threaten a war. the king and queen went to valladolid , a great and plentiful town in castile , where the cortes , or parliament met , and determin'd that berengaria was the rightful heiress of the crown , as had been twice declared whilst her father lived . so roderick the archbishop , who says , she was the eldest daughter , but other authors are of another opinion . the queen here again resign'd her right to the crown , and her son was the second time proclaim'd king , in a great open place , in the suburbs of that town . thence he was carry'd to the cathedral to take the usual oath of maintaining the privileges of the subjects , and receive homage of the nobility . the king of leon , his father , offended that he had been so imposed upon , sent before his brother sancho , to invade castile , and followed himself soon after , doing much harm in the territory of campos . queen berengaria sent two bishops to appease him , but to no purpose . d. alvaro de laro , seem'd to side with him ; whereupon , the king ravag'd the country , and was in hopes to have taken burgos , yet d. lope de haro , and others , made him draw back with more speed than he came . segovia and avila being before secured by d. alvaro , had not submitted to the new king ; but now they sent embassadors to the queen , excusing themselves , and promising for the future a constant fidelity , which they perform'd . now d. alvaro consented that the dead king's body , which till then , he kept at tarriego , should be bury'd . the queen and some bishops accompanied it to huelgas , where it was interr'd , as was said before . king ferdinand , at the same time , besieg'd and took munon , a strong town , and then went with his mother to burgos , to hold the cortes , or parliament they had summoned thither . after this , they took lerma and lara , all things submitting to the new king , except the family of lara and their party , who had the boldness to take up at herreruela , a town in the king's way as he was going to palencia . most of his men quartered in the town , and he in a farm hard by . the king's forces having intilligence hereof , unexpectedly fell upon him , and tho' he endeavoured to defend himself , took him prisoner . here an end might have been put to all the troubles , but the king thought himself too secure . thus d. alvaro having delivered up to the king all the towns that belong'd to the crown , was not only set at liberty , but received into favour . his brother ferdinand refusing to deliver castroxoriz and orejon , was permitted to hold them as the king's lieutenant . this peace was not lasting , for those men being used to rule , could not be content with a private life , but gathering forces , spoiled the country of campos . king ferdinand soon drove them out of his dominions , and they fled to leon , where they stirr'd up that king , who was preparing for it , to invade castile . some gentlemen of castile broke into leon , and that king coming down , besieged them in castellon , betwixt salamanca and medina del campo . men flocking on the one side to relieve , and on the other , to press the besieged , at last a treaty was set on foot , and a truce concluded betwixt the father and son. d. alvaro de lara , being at that time sick , caused himself to be carry'd on mens shoulders to the city toro , and there dy'd , having at the time of his death taken the habit of santiago , as was then used , to obtain the indulgencies granted to that order . he was bury'd at vcles , the head monastery of that order . his brother ferdinand , who had fled to africk , liv'd in a town called elbora , near morocco , where he also ended his days , having taken the habit of s. john. the death of these turbulent men raised the hopes of all men , that a lasting peace might now be concluded with leon. thus all were bent upon carrying on the wars against the moors ; the pope granted indulgencies , great numbers of men were raised , rather in hopes of plunder , than to get any pardon of their sins . they ransack'd all estremadura , and laid siege to caçeres , but were forc'd to quit it , by reason of the great rains , which oblig'd them to break up , and go into quarters , in the year of our lord . whilst these confusions reigned in spain , the neighbouring countries were no less consumed with intestine broils . war is the nursery of all sort of vices , which now , consequently were at their full growth . in the midst of this darkness , god enlightned the world with the example of many virtuous men , who taught the way to salvation . neither wanted there many that followed them . among them all , one of the chiefest , was the holy father s. dominick , born at caleruela , betwixt osma and aranda . he was first a canon regular , then laboured much to root out the heresie of the albigenses , as was said before , and instituted the holy order of preaching , confirmed by pope honorius . he founded several monasteries in spain , and returning into italy , dy'd at bolonia . the same year another order was instituted in spain , called de la merced . it was first thought of by jaime , king of aragon , and perfected by peter nolascus , a frenchman . this order was instituted for the redemption of captives . their habit is white , as also their hood ; on the former , the arms of aragon , and a cross in a red field . next was s. francis , born at assis in italy , founder of the order of his name , and s. anthony of padua , of the same order . in castile , the war was renewed against the moors , at the instance of roderick , archbishop of toledo . men were gathered in the year . they plundred the country , took some places of no note , and laid siege to requena , but were forc'd to quit it . in fine , the success was not answerable to the preparations , for only a rich booty was taken , and the army dismiss'd . chap. vi. the marriages of two kings , ferdinand of castile , and jayme of aragon , king ferdinand quells many commotions . death of the kings of france and portugal . this year of our lord . there hap'ned a great famine and mortality in spain . at the same time jayme , king of aragon , was about removing his uncle sancho from the government , but upon his promise of acting better for the future , forgave him . the king , tho' but years of age , began to give tokens of valour , and take delight in arms , and martial affairs . one roderick de lizana , a man in great power , was at variance with a kinsman of his own , called lope albero , and of great friends , they were become mortal enemies . roderick watching his opportunity , seizes his adversary , and carries him prisoner to his castle of lizana . the king commanded him to use no further violence , but be content with what he had done , but he refused to obey . this so offended the king , that gathering a body of men at huesca , he marched to albero , a town lizana had possess'd himself of , and in two days recover'd it . thence he came before the castle of lizana , the patrimony of that rebellious gentleman ; and because the garison refused to surrender , caused a famous engine to be brought from huesca , which would cast stones in hours . with this the wall was shaken , many men killed , and the garison obliged to surrender . albero was restored to his liberty , and his adversary having lost the castle , fled to albaracin , where peter fernandez de açagra was his great friend . thence having according to the custom of those times , in writing , renounced his country and allegiance , he infested the borders of aragon . the king flush'd with his former success , marched to albarazin , a small , but very strong place , being encompassed with rocks , and almost surrounded by the river turia , commonly called guadalaviar . two months in the heat of summer , the king lay before it , and was forced at last to raise the siege . nevertheless , peter fernandez de açagra , was soon after restored to the kings favour . all the nobility interceded for him , his own services were a great recommendation , and the king was willing to gain so considerable a man. these things were done in aragon , in the year . in castile the same year , on s. andrew's day , the marriage of king ferdinand , with beatrix , daughter to the late emperor philip , was celebrated . embassadors had been sent to treat of this match , to the emperor , frederick ii. after four months delay it was concluded . in france the bride was entertained by king philip with great liberality . queen berengaria , went as far as the borders of biscay , to receive her , and at the end of a whole year spent in this negotiation , they all arrived at burgos , the place appointed for this solemnity . maurice bishop of that city perform'd the ceremony , and the day before had said mass in his pontificalibus , during which the king knighted himself , there being none worthy to perform that act , as was the custom of those times . this match prov'd fortunate in a numerous issue , for they had seven children , viz. alonso , ferderick , philip , sancho , emanuel , ellenor who dy'd young , and berengaria who was a nun , in the monastery of huelgas near burgos . at the same time the aragonians , desiring to secure the succession of the crown , sent embassadors to queen berengaria , to treat of a match betwixt their king , and her sister ellenor . this proposal being very advantagious to her , was easily accepted , and the town of agreda , on the bordors of castile and aragon , appointed to celebrate the nuptials . queen berengaria came first with her sister , and soon after king jaime , with a noble retinue . the marriage was celebrated in the year . yet the bride , the king being yet very young , continued a maid a year and half after , as he himself relates in the history , he writ of his own life . on the th of june , roderick archbishop of toledo , consecrated the church of s. romanus , in the highest part of that city . upon the d of november , was born king ferdinand's eldest son , called alonso . about the beginning of december , a great earthquake shook many buildings , and mighty floods , and winds following upon it , part of the walls , and many houses fell down . these things were the more terrible , because the city being high , and built upon rocks , seem'd the safer against such disasters . navarre , portugal , and leon , now enjoy'd peace . the moors wasted themselves with civil wars . in castile and aragon , there were some commotions , but not considerable . roderick lord of cameros , a man in great power , confiding in his strength , presum'd to pillage the country about him . being summon'd by the king , to answer for himself , he answer'd , he had taken the cross , in order to go to the war in the holy-land . this was a common excuse in those times , the pope's among other priviledges , having granted , that such as wore the cross , should not be try'd before the civil magistrate , but in the spiritual courts . but that shift availed him nothing , for he was constrained to appear at valladolid , whither the court was remov'd from burgos , and being accused of many crimes , he fled . he was attainted , and his estate confiscated . yet being a resolute man , he fortified himself , in the strong holds he had , wherefore to prevent a war , he was not only pardon'd , but duccats given him , to quit those towns he held for the king. after this follow'd another revolt . d. gonzalo nunez de lara , who only remained of the three brothers , perswaded d. gonçalo perez lord of molina , to invade the neighbouring country about him , hoping by these troubles to be restor'd to his country , for he was in barbary , ever since the death of his brother ferdinand , having gone thither with him . some action there was , but not considerable , for the lord of molina , perceiving the danger he was in , begg'd pardon , and obtain'd it , through the intercession of queen berengaria . thus d. gonzalo de lara despairing of succeess , went into andaluzia , where among the moors , at baeça he ended his days , neither godly nor honourably . such was the end of those three brothers , from whom is descended the family of manriquez , well known in spain . it was now the year . when the king of leon , gathering a great army , as well of soldiers in pay , as those who taking the cross , served upon their own expence , entred estremadura , and laid siege to caceres . the moors to raise the siege , promised a great sum of money , they expected out of africk , but having obtained their ends , performed not , and we were not in a condition then to force them . about this time maurice an englishman , and bishop of burgos , laid the foundation of the cathedral of that city , and finish'd it . many other churches , and stately buildings were erected in several parts of spain . eleven years before this , we now write of roderick archbishop of toledo , built the great church of talavera . d. john chancellor to the king , erected two churches , one at valladolid , and the other at osma , when he was bishop of that see. d. nun̄o bishop of astorga , raised the bishop's palace in that city . d. laurence bishop of orense , built a bridge over the river min̄o , the cathedral and episcopal palace . stephen bishop of tuy , and martin of zamora , spent their revenues in such like works . the king and the queen his mother , liberally adorned those churches , and by their example stirred up the prelates , to lay out the profits of their benefices in the service of the church . let us return to the course of the history . in july dy'd roger earl of faux , his son roger bernard succeeded him . in august following , raymund earl of toulouze , departed this life , both favourers of the heresie of the albigenses , and therefore excommunicated , for which reason the son and heir to the earl of toulouze , could never obtain leave to bury his father's body in hollow'd ground . in aragon , the king on the th of december , pardoned gerard viscount cabrera , who during the troubles , had possessed himself by force of the earldom of vrgel , spoiling aurembiasse of the patrimony left him , by his father armengaud . this was done upon condition , he should stand to the judgment , that should be given betwixt that lady and him . sancho earl of russillon , the king's unkle , was still living . his son nun̄o governed that country , with whom william of moncada , lord of bearn , tho' they were before great friends , being offended , he entred the lands of russillon , doing great harm . nun̄o not able to oppose him , had recourse to the king of aragon , offering to stand to arbitration , and make reparation of any damage should be laid to his charge . the king warn'd mancada to forbear violence , and stand to judgment , and he refusing , invaded his lands so furiously , that he took from him towers and castles , and the town of cervellon near barcelona . the castle of moncada being strongly fortified , and william himself in it , could not be so easily carry'd . thus much in the year . in which on the th of july dy'd philip king of france at medun . his son luis viii . husband to blanch of castile , and father to s. luis succeeded him . the year following , alonso ii. sirnamed , the fat king of portugal , deceased at coimbra , and was buryed in the monastery of alcobaça , near his wife d. vrraca , in a mean tomb , as was used in those days . he left three sons , sancho , sirnamed capelo , his successor , alonso who marry'd maud countess of bologne in france , and ferdinand lord of serpa , who marry'd sancha , the daughter of ferdinand de lara . he also left one daughter called ellenor , marryed to the king of dacia , as the histories of portugal say , i will not dispute the truth of it . chap. vii . king ferdinand of castile , his great success against the moors . king jaime of aragon seized , by some rebellious nobles , makes his escape , and commences war against the rebels . the tumults in castile being over , king ferdinand granted a general pardon . he chose the wisest and most virtuous persons , to commit the government of the cities to , and was a mortal enemy to hereticks , for some of the albigenses , had crept into spain . these good qualities had gained him the love of his subjects , and he to improve it , resolved to make war upon the moors . the people of cuenca , huete , moya , and alarcon understanding his design , assembl'd together , and entring the kingdom of valencia , brought thence a rich booty . on the other side , the king marched towards andaluzia , and when he had passed sierra morena embassadors met him , from mahomet king of baeça , offering to surrender the city , and furnish provisions , and money . having signed articles , the army moved to quesada , a town of note , now in the government of caçorla . at first the inhabitants , relying on the strength of their walls , defended themselves , but the place was taken by assault , all that could bear arms put to the sword , and the rest to the number of made slaves . this slaughter was a terror to others . it were tedious to relate the particulars of this expedition . in short , many towns were abandoned by the moors , many surrended . of them some were destroyed , others garrisoned . d. lope de haro , and the masters of the military orders , attacked a town called mivoras , and took it , notwithstanding it had a garrison of arabs , whereof part was slain , the rest fled . thus the summer and autumn were spent , and in november the season growing bad , they returned to toledo , where the queens waited the coming of the king , in the year of our lord . some days were spent in publick rejoycing and thanksgiving , after which , as soon as the weather would permit , the king ordered the army to march towards cuenca , designing to invade the kingdom of valenca . zeit , the king of that place , terrified with his former losses , came to cuenca , submitting himself to the will of king ferdinand . the aragonians pretending valencia , fell within the limits of their conquest , sent embassadors to complain , and at the same time to show their resolution , made an inroad into castile , by the way of soria . new troubles arising in aragon , they could not then push on that undertaking . william of moncada , peter ahones , and ferdinand , the kings unkle , had a consultation at tahuste , where it was resolved to seize the king's person , on pretence of removing evil councellors , but in reality to make their own advantage of him . moncada was offended for the lands he had lost , ferdinand , tho' a monk , still aspired to the crown , and ahones could not bear to be removed from the government . to strengthen their party , they resolv'd to gain nun̄o , son to prince sancho earl of russillon . all things being thus . order'd , they went to aragon , where the king was , and coming together upon him , advised him to go to zaragoca , there to settle the important affairs of the kingdom . the king , tho' he saw into their drift , was obliged to condescend . they conducted him to his palace at zaragoça , and plac'd guards upon him , that he might converse with , nor write to no body . william boy , and peter sanchez martel , were captains of this guard , and for the greater security , lay at night by the king's bed-side . in this manner , they kept him days , till he condescended to all their demands . particularly , he caused all that had been taken from william de moncada , to be restored , and promised to pay him ducats for damages . prince ferdinand still kept the government in his hands , and the king had no hopes of relief , but in god. in castile all things succeeded prosperously . in the year . as soon as summer came on , king ferdinand having recruited his army , entred andaluzia . the king of baeça relieved them with provisions , and received them into the city . andujar and martos were taken , the last was given to the knights of calatrava . besides , the town of jodar was gain'd , and the army return'd home loden with plunder . the same was continued the following years . the affairs of aragon began to mend , and the king departed from zaragoça towards tortosa , a city at the mouth of ebro . he resolved to rid himself and the kingdom of that oppression ; and therefore privately made his escape to huerta , a town belonging to the knights templers . thence he sent circular letters to summon the nobility to the city teruel , in order to invade valencia . they look'd upon this as a childish heat ; yet some few aragonians , and more catalonians , came at the day appointed . with this small body he broke in on that side where were before the ilergaones , and sate down before peniscola , a strong place on a rock , opposite to majorca . zeit , the king , was so terrified , that he sent to beg peace , and agreed to pay the fifth part of the revenues of valencia and murcia . this done , the aragonians return'd to tervel , and thence to zaragoça . by the way , at a village called calamocha , they met d. peter de ahones , and his brother the bishop , leading a party , raised at their own cost , to make an incursion into valencia . the king would not have him proceed , because of the peace he had made with the moors ; but ahones excused himself with the charge he had been at in raising those men. whereupon , the king endeavouring to have him apprehended , he was killed by the soldiers . his death was so grievously resented , that except calatayud , which continued loyal to the king , all the other cities declared for his uncle ferdinand . fair means failing , the war broke out , and was continued in the year . this same year luis , king of france , made war upon the albigenses , and having taken avigron from them , dismantled it , that they might have no shelter there . he dy'd in november following , at montpelier . the dominion of the moors in spain was now going to decay , and king ferdinand being sensible of it , resolved to push on its ruin . therefore he invaded their teritories , took some small places , and besieged jaen , but could not take it , because , besides a strong garison of infidels , alvaro perez de castro , having renounced his country and allegiance , was within with perfidious christians that followed him . this alvaro , was son to ferdinand de castro , who dy'd at morocco . thence the king removed to priego , a town so strong , that the moors had carried all their goods thither for security . yet it was taken by assault , and all within put to the sword , except a few , who retired to the castle , and capitulated to march away . next , he sate down before loxa , which was also taken by storm , as was the castle , all the inhabitants slain , and the walls demolished for a terror to other places . this had so good effect , that the people of alhambra , a strong place , not far from granada , abandoned it , and fled to that city , leaving much provision , and part of their goods behind ' em . these people were assigned the upper part of the city to inhabit , and from them it was called alhambra , or as some will have it , from the red earth so named in arabick . our forces pursued then to the city , destroying all the gardens and orchards about it . this boldness so terrified the town , that they sent to sue for peace , which was granted them , they setting at liberty christian captives . d. alvaro de castro , who was one of their embassadors , was here reconciled to the king. this done , the king took and raz'd montejo , as not tenable , being too remote . we also find capilla , a town in estremadura , was now taken , but it soon after fell again into the hands of the moors . summer being spent , the king returned to toledo , leaving the guard of the frontiers , to the master of calatrava , and alvaro perez de castro . those soldiers that remain'd in the garisons of andaluzia , plundred and burnt all that country even to the walls of sevil. abuli , king of that city , marched out with a great force to oppose them , but was routed , and of his men killed . nevertheless , the moors took the castle of garces . when king ferdinand , after the winter was over , marched again into andaluzia ; the king of baeça , met him with horse , and a great body of foot , offering his service . he granted that christian garisons should be put into salvatierra , capilla and burgalhemar , and delivered up the castle of baeça , to be held by the master of calatrava . capilla being a strong town , the inhabitants would not receive the garison , and therefore king ferdinand laid siege to it . he had but a small army , and therefore , leaving it there , went himself to raise more forces . being in doubt whether to carry on the war in andaluzia , or march into france to the relief of his aunt , queen blanch , who was slighted by the nobility because the king , her son , was very young ; two things happen'd that made him lay aside all thoughts of moving towards france . one , that his army had taken capilla , and it was requisite to secure it . the other , that his own people killed the king of baeça , because he was so great a friend to the christians , and thereby the garison in that castle was in danger . all these things were acting in the year . in which the foundation of the cathedral of toledo was also laid . other churches may exceed this in grandeur of building , but none in christendom can equal it in costly ornaments , and greatness of revenue . on the th of july dy'd pope honorius iii. gregory ix . succeeded him . at this time flourished d. lucas , bishop of tuy , famous for virtue and learning . he writ a history of spain , the life of s. isidorus , and a great book of miracles , in which , he also confutes the errors of the albigenses . he composed these books , as he himself testifies , by order of queen berengaria , a very devout lady , and great favourer of virtuous and learned men. thus it appears those hereticks had at that time crept into spain . chap. viii . the war with the moors renewed . the island of majorca conquered by the aragonians . the pope's legate disanuls the marriage of king jayme , on account of consanguinity . raymund , earl of toulouze , a heretick reduc'd . the citizens of baeça besieged the castle , which , as has been said , was in the hands of the christians . they , tho' few in number , being furnished with provisions , held out till king ferdinand coming with a great army , the moors not only raised the siege , but abandoning the city , retired further into andaluzia . d. lope de haro for his good service , was appointed governour of that city . martos was given in charge to alvaro perez de castro , and tello de meneses . nothing more of note was done this campaign . after the king's return to toledo , d. tello with the forces under his command , made an incursion as far as sevil . to divert him , and at the sollicitation of the moors that abandoned baeça , the king of sevil advanced as far as that city , but finding he had not a force to make head against the christians , he concluded a peace , promising to pay maravedis yearly . the moors of murcia proclaimed one abenhut , of the blood royal of zaragoça , and an utter enemy to the almohades , their king. a vast number of people resorted to him , he palliating his ambition with religion , and giving out , that all the losses sustained , were a punishment for the new opinions introduc'd by the almohades . this was the posture of affairs in spain , in the year . in france , this same year , raymund , earl of toulouze , being hard pressed by king luis , was reconciled to the church , and obtained peace upon those conditions , that he should labour to extirpate the heresie of the albigenses . that his daughter should marry one of the king's brothers . that if he dy'd without issue , the earldom of toulouze should be annex'd to the crown of france . that he should maintain at his cost a college for instruction of his people , and that he should serve five years in the holy-land . for security of performance , he deliver'd up to the king five castles , and his daughter . now dy'd in spain among other persons of note , d. ramiro , bishop of pamplona , of the blood royal of navarre . peter ramirez succeeded him , in whose time pope gregory ix . took that church and its prelates under his protection , which was the same as exempting 'em from the jurisdiction of the spanish metropolitans . in aragon , the king by policy reduc'd the factious nobility . his uncle ferdinand , he again took into favour , upon condition he should promise that the conspirators would quit the engagements they had made to one another . d. sancho , bishop of zaragoça , press'd to have those towns that belong'd to his brother peter de ahones , and had been seized by the king when he was kill'd , restored to him . it was agreed to stand to judgment , and the result was , that such places as he held as the king's lieutenant , should remain to the king ; but what was his own by inheritance , should be restored to the bishop . thus call animosities seem'd to cease , but that the family of cabrera was not yet quell'd . aurembiasse , the daughter of armengaud , earl of vrgel , demanded to be restored to her father's dominions , according to sentence of law. those gentlemen being in possession , made no account of that lady ; but the king who protected her , by force of arms recover'd many towns , and among them balaguer , the head of that earldom . this done , he married that lady to prince peter of portugal , his father 's cousin-german , who at that time was in aragon , having fled from his own country . gerard cabrera , who lost the earldom , took the habit of the templers . some years after , his son ponce recovered the earldom of vrgel , the lady aurembiasse dying without issue . both castile and aragon , at one time made war upon the moors . the aragonians advanced their affairs much , but the castilians at present , made no great progress . abenhut , the new king of the moors , being possess'd of the noble city of granada , was an eye-sore to king ferdinand , who marched with his army up to the walls of that city , and even as far as almeria . yet nothing of moment was done , for the moors would not hazard a battle . thus this , and the following year . were spent . at this time the knights of the toutonick order , who had served well in the holy-land , having lost ptolemais , return'd into germany , and setled in prussia , where they grew so strong , as to conquer livonia , where they maintain'd themselves many years . let us return to aragon , where the king having appeased all tumults , now bent his thoughts upon carrying on the war against the infidels . it hap'ned one peter martelle invited the king to dinner . the windows of his house look'd upon the sea , and thence , the island of majorca was in sight . this gave occasion to discourse of that and the adjacent islands , and peter martelle much commended their fruitfulness , and magnified the damage done from thence on the coasts of catalonia . but a few days before , those moors had taken some vessels of the catalonians and retabohihes , the moor that took them , when restitution was demanded in the name of jayme , king of aragon , proudly answer'd , what king is that you speak of ? the embassador reply'd , he is son to that king of a ragon , who at nabas de tolosa , overthrew a mighty army of your nation . these words so incens'd the moor , that he scarce forbore offering violence to the embassador ; yet caused him immediately to depart the island . this mov'd the king to undertake that war , and in order to it , held the cortes , or parliament , at barcelona , where his design met with such approbation , that they again gave him the tax called bovaticum , which used to be given but once in a reign . he sent out his orders for all the forces to rendezvous by the middle of may , at salu , near tarragona , where the fleet was fitting , and all provision making to pass over to majorca . at this time , john , cardinalof s. sabina , came as the pope's legate to aragon ; the king went to meet him at calatayud . thither resorted zeit , king of valencia , expelled his kingdom by a moor , called zaen . his love to the christians , and a report that he design'd to be converted , brought this disaster upon him , for which reasons the king resolv'd to protect and restore him , which he afterwards perform'd . the legate's business was to examine whether the marriage of the king were valid ; tho' he had then a son by the queen , it was declared null , by reason of consanguinity , ye so , that the son should inherit the crown . the queen went away to her sister berengaria , yet her jointure was not taken away , and she carry'd with her many jewels and other riches . after this , the king went to tarragona , where he spent the summer , preparing all things for the enterprize in hand . all necessaries being in a readiness , he set sail in september . his fleet consisted of vessels , whereof great ships , galleys , the rest brigantines and small vessels , to carry horses . the land forces were foot , and horse . in sight of majorca , a sudden storm put the whole fleet in great danger , but that ceasing , they arrived all in safety . majorca is square , the four angles pointing to the four parts of the world. in the west side , is the port palumbaria , and opposite to it , the island dragonera . cape salinas looks towards the south , and in the mid-way betwixt it and the port , is seated the principal city , called as well as the island , majorca . the capes piedra and s. vincent , point to the east and north. near cape piedra , is a small town , but safe harbour , called palencia , formerly a roman colony . the king would have entred this port , but the contrary winds forc'd him to palumbaria , miles distant from that city . the admiral galley , in which the king was , entred the port first , and after it , all the fleet , not one vessel being lost . a multitude of moors opposed their landing , which oblig'd them to pass on to the port s. poncia , where , notwithstanding all resistance , they gain'd the shore . some skirmishes hap'ned , in which , the christians had always the better , and therefore they marched towards the city , which being once taken , the rest of the island would soon be reduc'd . the moorish king encamp'd on mount portopi , in sight of the city , with a great body of men , and laid an ambush among the rocks and woods . his design took effect , the christians marching as if no enemy had been near , and the moors seeing them in disorder , charg'd furiously . among many others , william de moncada , viscount of bearn , and raymund de moncada , two men of great note , were kill'd , being in the van. great numbers of moors came down from the hill to second their companions , and the christians were in great danger , but the king's valour and fortune , overcame all difficulties . his men encouraged by his example , put the infidels to flight , and forc'd their camp , yet pursu'd no farther , because the city was near . they encamp'd in sight of it , and immediately fell to work , fixing their engines , and making their approaches . the ditch , tho' very deep and wide , was soon fill'd . many sallies were made by the moors , but for the most part , they return'd with loss . at length the christians lodg'd themselves under the wall , and undermin'd four towers , which they propped with timber , then setting fire to it , all those towers fell , and left a wide breach . this mov'd the inhabitants to treat of a surrender , upon condition , to be transported into africk with their goods . some were for admitting this offer , others cry'd out for revenge of so many gentlemen as had been lost . dispair made the infidels furious , insomuch , that many on our side repented they had opposed their surrender . an assault must be given , and many advised to do it by night ; but the king to avoid the confusion that is common in the dark , drew out by break of day , in order to storm , causing all the avenues to be guarded , that none of the enemy might escape . three times the sign was given to fall on , and the soldiers stirred not , till the king calling upon them , as it were wak'd them out of a heavy sleep . then with a terrible shout they gave the assault . the moors with great courage ran to meet the danger , but being over-power'd and born down , the city was entred , and plundred , and the people put to the sword. the moorish king was drawn out from a private place , where he lay hid , and king jayme took him by the beard , having sworn so to do , yet comforted him with good words and promises . after taking the city , the castle soon surrendred , where was found a son of the king 's years of age , who was afterwards baptiz'd by the name of d. jayme , and had an estate given him , which was the town of gotor , in the kingdom of valencia , whence his successors , gentlemen of note in that country , take their name . majorca was taken on the last day of december preceeding the year . this city was made an episcopal see , notwithstanding the canons of barcelona pretended a right to it , but could make no good proof . all the rest of the island was easily brought under , which done , most of the soldiers return'd home , and the king to catalonia . this year the order of mercela , instituted some time before , was confirm'd by pope gregory ix . as appears by his bull dated at peroza , in tuscany , the th of january . chap. ix . alonso , king of leon , defeats the moors , takes merida and badajoz , and dies . crowns of castile and leon united under ferdinand . sancho , king of navarre , dies , theobald succeeds him . interviews of several kings . whilst the forces of aragon conquer'd majorca , alonso king of leon again entred the territories of the moors , and took the town of caçeres , in estremadura , where he had before been repulsed . this success encouraged him to besiege merida , a great city , once the chiefest in those parts . abenhut , the moorish king , thinking to establish a reputation , marched to relieve that place . king alonso was much inferiour to him in number , and therefore being dubious what was best to be done , he held a council of war , in which , most were for drawing off . yet honour prevailing , the king resolved to give battle , and accordingly drew up his army . the moors were not backward , and the signal being given , both parties charged with great resolution . long the fight continued very bloody , but at length , the valour of the christians overcame the number of infidels . this victory and slaughter , were so great , that many of the neighbouring towns were abandon'd by the inhabitants . it was reported , that the apostle s. james , and other saints , were seen in this fight encouraging the christians ; as also that at zamora , s. isidorus , and others , had appeared , as preparing to go aid the faithful . but who can assert the truth of this ? great victories often cause any sort of miracles to be believed . after this defeat , no other hopes of relief remaining , merida was surrendred . badajoz , a city on the borders of portugal , estremadura and andaluzia , also submitted . king alonso , who was the ninth of that name , the season being unfit for action , dismissed his army , resolving as soon as the weather would permit , to carry on the war with greater forces . death prevented his designs , which cut him off at sarria , about the end of this year , as he was going to pay his vows at santiago . his body was bury'd in that church . by d. teresa , his first wife , he had two daughters , sancha and dulcis ; by queen berengaria , he left ferdinand , already king of castile , and alonso , lord of molina , and berengaria , marry'd to john , king of jerusalem . he had besides , a bastard , son , call'd roderick de leon. he reign'd years , was valiant in war , and a great lover of justice ; wherefore he assigned salaries to the judges , that they might take no bribes , and punished them severely , if faulty . his hatred to his son ferdinand was such , that in his will he appointed his two daughters to succeed him . king ferdinand had besieged jaen , and not being able to carry it , was remov'd to daralherça , where the news of his fathers's death was brought to him . he was very intent upon the war of andaluzia ; but the necessity of securing the crown of leon , drew him away . at orgaz , five league from toledo , his mother met him , and they resolv'd with all speed to move towards leon. all things there prov'd easier than had been imagined . most places received him with great joy and tokens of love. he was crown'd at toro , which had first by letters sent to invite him . some great men sided with the princesses , which might have proved of dangerous consequence , had not the prelates interposed , and reduc'd them to submit to him , who had the most right . teresa , mother to the princesses , came out of portugal to their aid , but considering it was best to compound with her son-in-law , she met queen berengaria at valencia , in galicia , where it was agreed the princesses should quit their claim to the crown , and in lieu thereof , the king should allow them ducats a year for life . this done , the king set forwards towards valencia , by the way at bonavente , the princesses met him . to the archbishop of toledo , for his indefatigable services the king gave the town of cascata in that country . thus the kingdom of leon was again united to castile , after it had been separated from it years , and this union has continu'd to our days . d. sancho , king of navarre , who in his youth , was call'd the strong , liv'd now retir'd in the castle of tudela , without attending to the government . this his retirement , gave his subjects opportunity to mutiny , which pamplona in particular , did several times . besides , lope diaz de haro , lord of biscay , entred the territories of navarre , and took some towns and castles . king ferdinand was suppos'd to have some hand in this affair . yet the worst was , that theobald , earl of champagne , the king's nephew and heir , impatient of delay , contriv'd with the nobility to depose him . king sancho no way able to oppose so many enemies , sent to invite jayme , king of aragon , newly return'd from the conquest of majorca , to the castle of tudela , there to consult about affairs of the highest nature . king jayme being then at zaragoça , set out immediately , as was desired , without asking any further security for his person . both the kings expressed much affection at their meeting , and the ceremonies being over , he of navarre complain'd of the evil practices of his nephew theobald , of the ambition of king ferdinand . at the same time , he declar'd he had resolved to make use of the king of aragon for regaining what he had lost about biscay , and in return , would immediately adopt him his son and successor king jayme accepted of the adoption , which was there instantly perform'd , and for the better colour , it was reciprocal , so that whoever dy'd first , the other was his heir . on the th of april this contract was sign'd , such of the nobility of both kingdoms as were present , confirming it . besides , the navarrois lent the aragonian a great sum of money towards the charge of the war , and had some towns given him in pawn for the same . news being brought that the king of tunez was equipping a great fleet to recover majorca , king jayme was forced to make short , and return to zaragoça . at this time dy'd the lady aurembiasse , and appointed her husband her heir , whence ensu'd new troubles , for d. ponce de cabrera would not quit the old pretensions of his family . the king prevented the mischiefs that might have follow'd , giving the earldom to the new pretender , except the city balaguer , which he kept himself ; and to the prince he gave the command of the island majorca , for life . this done , he sail'd over to majorca , and understanding the king of tunez could not come that year , return'd home . king ferdinand being taken up in setling his new kingdom , gave the charge of carrying on the war against the moors , to roderick , archbishop of toledo , and for his encouragement , assign'd him the town of quesada , if he could retake it from the infidels , who of late had possessed themselves of it . as soon as summer came on , the archbishop having spoiled all the country , and burnt the corn on the ground , took not only quesa and caçorla , but also cuenca , chelis , niebla , and other towns of less note thereabouts . this was the original of the government of caçorla , which for many years was in the hands of the archbishops of toledo , who appointed a lieutenant to act there in their name . quesada being again taken by the moors , and recovered by king ferdinand , remain'd in propriety to the kings of castile . about this time , john , king of jerusalem , having lost most of his kingdom , went into italy . he was by birth , a frenchman , and now solicited the christian princes to assist him in recovering his dominions . in the mean time he marry'd his only daughter violante , to the emperor frederick ii. who for that reason , took the title of king of jerusalem , from him his successors , the kings of sicily had it , and so it was continu'd in the kings of aragon , and of spain successively . after this marriage , king john came into spain , and landed at barcelona , in the year . was nobly entertain'd by the king of aragon , the same by king ferdinand , in his way to santiago , whither he was going to pay his vows . at his return , he married berengaria , the daughter of the king of castile , then went back into italy , hoping with the succours of christendom to conquer the holy-land , but the success answered not his expectation . the annals of toledo say , his coming into spain was eight years before this time . having lost all hopes of regaining his kingdom , by the pope's command , he took upon him the charge of the empire of constantinople , during the minority of the emperor baldwin , who in recompence for his good services , afterwards marry'd mary , his daughter , by the lady berengaria . in castile , the soldiers of the military orders joyning with the bishop of plasencia , took from the moors the town of truxillo , in estremadura , on the th of january . king jayme went over the third time to majorca , and conquer'd the island minorca . yvica , one of the pituissae , was subdu'd the following year . by and at the charge of william , bishop of tarragona , and therefore that island was added to his bishoprick . this year , on the th of april , dy'd at tudela , king sancho of navarre . his body was bury'd at our lady of roncesvalles , a monastery of canon regulars , built by him . as soon as he was dead , the navarrois sent for theobald , earl of champagne , as being the next of the blood , and crown'd him in may , at pamplona . an author writes , that the king of aragon winked at it , perhaps out of scruple of conscience , as having no right ; but the war he made afterwards , shows it was rather the necessity of the times that made him lie still for the present , till he was in a better condition to pursue his pretensions , tho' there seem'd to be little hopes , because the people bore him no affection . he was besides , taken up with the thoughts of marrying violanto , daughter to the king of hungary , which king ferdinand labour'd to hinder , hoping to reconcile him to his aunt ellenor , from whom he was divorc'd some years before . embassadors had passed betwixt them upon this subject ; but nothing being concluded , the two kings had a meeting at huerta , on the borders of both kingdoms , upon the th day of september . nothing was done as to the main business , for strong reasons the aragonian urged . but besides the towns she had before , he gave to queen ellenor , heriza to live in , and condescended that for her satisfaction , her son might stay with her till he grew bigger . this lady spent her time and revenue in pious works . particularly , near almaçan , at her own cost , she founded a monastery of premostratenses , an order not long before instituted by humbertus , a native of lorrain . the name of premostratenses , these religious took from the first monastery they had , which was built in the wood of premostre . chap. x. the beginning , progress , and end of the war against cordova , with the conquest of that noble city . after the interview between the two kings of castile and aragon , they both return'd to the war against the moors . the aragonians incourag'd by their success in majorca , and offended at zaen , who after usurping the crown of valencia , had entred the territories of aragon , burning and destroying many towns and villages , as far as amposta and tortosa , were resolv'd to invade valencia . the castilians advanc'd still in andaluzia . the distractions that were among the infidels promis'd success to the christians ; for they were at that time divided into the factions of almohades , almoravides , benamarines , and benadalodes . such confusion was among them , that tho' no body had lent a hand to pull it down , their kingdom must have fallen of it self . in catalonia the tax called bovaticum was again rais'd . many incursions were made into the territories of the moors , particularly d. blasco de alagon , took from them the strong town of morella . it somewhat offended the king that any private person should commence that war before him ; therefore he took that town from d. blasco , and in lieu of it gave him the town of sastago . this is the original of the earls of sastago , a noble family in that kingdom . after the taking of morella , another town called burriana , having held out a siege of two months , surrendred to the king , upon promise of life and liberty ; . men and women march'd out of the place . this loss was so much the more considerable to the moors , for that the territory of those two towns maintain'd many other castles which were now necessitated to surrender . among these were peniscola , castellon , and bun̄ol . d. ximeno de vrrea took alcalaten , which was therefore given to him and his heirs , the most noble family of the vrreas , and continues to this day . farther on , upon the banks of the river xucar , our forces by night surprized almazora , the moors flying without offering to resist . king ferdinand having setled the kingdom of leon , left the queen there to gain the affections of those people ; and gather'd a powerful army in castile to prosecute the war in andaluzia ; which had been of late interrupted . he laid siege to vbeda , which being a great city , and but a league distant from baeza , was very strong , well garrison'd , and stor'd with provisions ; yet the kings resolution made all easy , and it was surrendred to him , the inhabitants articling only for life . on the other side the military orders took medellin , alfanges and santacruz . this joy had some allay of trouble for the death of the queen , who departed this life at toro , and was bury'd at huelgas . her body was afterwards translated to sevill , where she lies by her husband , with whom she had lived lovingly . vbeda being taken , the king return'd to toledo , resolving again for leon , to secure the affections of those people . the garrison of vbeda making an incursion into the territory of cordova , took some of those old souldiers , that are appointed to keep garrisons , whom the moors call almogaraves . these gave intelligence , that then was a fit opportunity to take cordova . that part of the suburb called axarquia , joins to the wall , and those sort of souldiers had the guard of it , who suffer'd the christians to scale the wall , and enter the city , on the d of december , in the year . it was but a small number that undertook this great action , therefore they only possess'd themselves of a few towers , and secur'd the gate of martos , hoping they should soon be reliev'd ; and therefore sent messengers to all parts , to carry the news of what they had done , and the danger they were in , if not speedily succour'd . as soon as it was day the moors prepar'd to expel those new guests . d. alvaro perez de castro , whose loyalty was very remarkable , since his reduction was the first that brought relief to cordova from martos , where he was at that time . scarce had the king receiv'd the news when he set forwards from leon , and tho' the distance was great , and the season unfit for action , he march'd with what men he could gather , leaving orders every where for the gentry to follow him . by the way he summon'd the castle of bienquerencia ; the commander whereof gave the king provisions , and promis'd to surrender , if cordova were taken . therefore leaving that place the king advanc'd , and found many soldiers resorted to him from all parts , yet not enough to compose a sufficient army . king abenhut was then ready at ecija , with a great power . d. lorenzo suarez being banished , followed that king. the moor knew not whether to relieve cordova , or valencia first , both places being in equal danger , and equally pressing for aid . the king of aragon had attempted cullera , but was obliged to forbear , because there were no stones near to cast out of the engines , however the castle of moncada was taken , and demolished for a terror to the infidels . king abenhut , being advertised of all , and not knowing which way to turn , sent d. lorenço suarez to get intelligence . he desiring to return into favour with king ferdinand , underhand gave him notice of the posture of affairs , and having received instructions , how to behave himself , went back to the moorish king , and with feign'd tokens of fear , magnified the forces of king ferdinand . this artifice diverted him from thinking of the relief of cordova , to the great joy of the christians , which was increased by the news brought a few days after , that he had been killed by his own people at almeria . his death fell out very fortunately for us , because he was an active , wise , and valiant prince , and might have contributed much towards re-establishing the dominion of the moors in spain . cordova , is seated almost in the midst of andaluzia , in a plain , at the foot of sierra morena . on the left hand it is watered by the river guadalquivir , which having received many other streams is there navigable . the city lying along the bank of the river makes a long square . whilst the moors possessed it , much of its beauty was lost , they being not at all curious in architecture . formerly it had gates , now . the suburbs are as great as a good city , especially that we said was called axarquia , on the bank of the river , without the east gate , which is encompassed with a wall , and joins to the city . the king's palace is on the west side , shut up within a particular wall. on the river is a beautiful bridge , the foot whereof reaches to the cathedral . it was formerly called colonia patricia , because of the great number of nobility that liv'd there . all the country about is fruitful and pleasant , and even the mountains bear vines , olive , and other sorts of trees . on the mountains about a league from the city , is a monastery of fryars of s. hierome , where there are still to be seen some ruins of the ancient cordova , either built , or repaired by marcus marcellus , when he was praetor in spain . part of the walls of this city being already possessed by the christians , king ferdinand laid siege to the rest , in the year of grace . the moors being numerous , and expecting relief , defended themselves with much bravery . many bloody skirmishes hap'ned in the very streets . some time was spent in this manner , till fame , and some prisoners they took , informed the besieged , that abenhut king of granada was killed , and d. lorenço suarez had returned to the christians , and lay with them before the town . thus all hopes of relief being taken away , they resolv'd to surrender , and after much time spent in treating , obtained no better conditions , than to have leave to depart , where every man pleased . the town was delivered upon the th day of june , being the feast of st. peter , and st. paul , and immediately the cross , and royal standard were set up , in the steeple of the great mosque , which was consecrated by several bishops , who followed the army . f. lope , a monk of fitero , near pisuerga , was the first bishop of that see. because the moors years before , had caused the bells from santiago in galicia , to be brought to this city , on the shoulders of the christians , he now caused them to be carryed back , in the same manner by moors . all the infidels departing , the city was left desolate , which obliged the king to grant extraordinary priviledges , to such as would come and inhabit there . great numbers resorted , to whom lands and houses were given . alonso de meneses was appointed governour , and d. alvaro de castro general of the frontiers . to his other titles the king added , that of king of cordova and baeça . at this time the episcopal see of calahorra , was translated to st. domingo de la calçada , but those two cities disputing the right , they were at length both made bishopricks . chap. xi . a moorish king baptized . description of valencia , its siege and surrender to the king of aragon , who is wounded before it . theobald , king of navarre goes with others to the holy-war . the king of aragon ceased not to press the moors of the kingdom of valencia . zeit their king was banished thence , and being well affected to the christian religion , was at length baptized , by the name of vincent . this was done privately , that the moors might not know it , he still entertaining hopes of recovering his kingdoms . his conversion had been foretold by two fryars , john and peter , whom for that reason , he caused to be put to death . d. sancho ahones archbishop of zaragoça , laboured to have him marry , because his life was scandalous , he indulging his former libertinism . his wife's name was dominga lopez of zaragoça . by her he had alda hernandez , marry'd to blasco ximenez lord of arenos , who inherited many other towns of his father-in-law , and from him came the family of arenos . in prosecution of his design , the king of aragon wasted the territory of exerica , burning the ripe corn on the ground . bernard william the king's unkle , by the mother's side , was appointed general of the frontiers to oppose the moors , he being famous for martial exploits . in october following , the cortes , or parliament was held at monçon , where it was resolved to carry on the war , and besiege valencia . it was also determined , that a certain coin called jaquesa , which had much mixture of brass , should not be called in , because it would be a great loss to those who had any quantity of it . on this account they ordered that every house should pay to the king one maravedis in seven years . bernard william repaired the castle called poyo de s. maria , destroy'd by the moors , and kept a good garrison in it . zaen , king of valencia resolved to besiege this castle , with horse and foot. the christians , tho' nothing equal in number , drew out to fight them in the field , and were reduced to the utmost peril , but at length , their valour overcame the multitude , and the infidels were put to flight . it was given out , that st. george assisted the christians in that fight . when success is beyond expectation , men are apt to attribute it to miracle . it is also said , an image of our lady was found under the bell in the castle , to which the neighbouring people erected a church . this battle was fought in the month of august of the year . king jaime hearing of the victory , and being informed , tho' it proved a false report , that the moors were returning with a greater force , he with more courage than discretion , having in his company only horse , advanced beyond poyo and monviedro . there a strong squadron of moorish horse met him , under the command of d. artal de alagon , son to d. blasco , then in banishment . the danger was great , but the king 's good fortune , and above all god's special providence brought him off , for the moors marched off another way , without offering to charge the christians . it was very dangerous , and expensive to keep the castle of poyo , which lay near valencia , and far from aragon , but chiefly for that bernard william the king's unkle , who commanded there was dead , which was the cause that the king set out from zaragoça , where he had passed the winter , and exposed himself to that danger . he bestow'd on william entença , son to the deceased , all the honours and places of trust his father had possessed , which were justly due to him , for that gentlemans good service . berengarius entença , was made governour of the castle , notwithstanding the most were for abandoning of it , yet the king would not consent , because it stood opportunely to forward the taking of valencia . understanding the soldiers designed to make their escape thence , and forsake it , he gathered them in the chapel of the castle , and there upon the altar , took an oath solemnly , that he would never return home without being master of valencia . this his resolution so encourag'd the soldiers , that they willingly stayed there , and so dismay'd the infidels , that their king zaen sent to sue for peace , offering to deliver up several forts , and pay a considerable yearly tibute . yet the king , contrary to the advice of most men , refused these conditions , not doubting of the conquest of that city . he was the more incouraged , for that almenara , betera , bulla , and other places were surrended to him . with the king at this time , there were only foot and horse , a small force for so great an undertaking . with this handful , he durst pass the river guadalaviar , and lay siege to that great and populous city . he intrenched himself in the mid way , between valencia and the grao , which is the shore so called , for that it rises as it were by steps , a mile distant from each place . valencia is seated in that part of spain formerly called tarraconensis , in the territory of the edetany . the country about it is fruitful and pleasant , but is supplyed with corn from abroad . it was furnished with good soldiers , rich in merchandize , and so pleasant , it neither felt the sharpness of winter , nor extream heat of the summer . its buildings are stately , its gardens and orchards replenished with all variety of trees , in some places cut in various shapes , in others , so intermixing and intangling their boughs , they make a continued arbour , always green and pleasant . such were the elysian fields , feign'd by the poets . such the beauty of this city , which may compare with the pleasantest in europe . on the left side it is watered by river guadalaviar , which runs between the wall and the royal palace , and on the east joins to the city by a bridge . many small chanels are drawn from this river to water the orchards . three miles off , near the sea , is albufera , a place not very wholesome , but where great plenty of fish is taken . at that time the walls of the town were round , containing paces in circumference , and had four gates . the first called boatelana towards the south east ; the second baldina towards the north ; the third templaria ( so called of a church built there by the templers ) towards the east ; the fourth xaraena , betwixt which and boatelana , the king incamped , that being the best place for battery , by reason of a sort of angle the wall made there . great diligence was used by the christians , in fixing their engines for battery . king zaen , the first day before they could intrench , drew out to give battle , but the christians would not be drawn to fight , because their number was yet small , and supplies came in daily to them . many prelates and other persons of note were at the siege . a body of frenchmen , came under the command of aymilius bishop of narbonne , also succours out of england , drawn by the fame of the enterprize . in several skirmishes the enemies were worsted , which made them more cautious how they sally'd . the christians lodging themselves under the walls , in three several places , lay'd open , as much of them as for one man to pass . mean while the besieged were not idle . peter rodriguez de açagra and ximeno de vrrea , at the same time took the town of cilla , on the other side of valentia . yet the moors gain'd courage at the arrival of the king of tunez , his fleet consisting of ships and gallies . this availed them nothing , for the africans understanding a fleet was furnishing against them at tortosa , sailed away without relieving the city , or taking pen̄iscola on that coast as they had designed . now the besieged began to dismay , not only for this disappointment , but also because provisions began to grow scarce , and they feared greater want . on the contary , the christian camp was full of hopes , and had plenty of all things , notwithstanding they were so increased , that now they amounted to foot , and horse . the king gave great demonstrations , as well of his valour as conduct , and acted the part not only of a general , but of a soldier upon occasion , insomuch , that approaching too near the wall , he was wounded with a dart in the forehead . for five days he could not go abroad . on the th of june , this year . he received embassadors in the camp from the pope , and cities of lombardy , offering to put themselves into his hands , if he would assist them against the emperor frederick ii. by the advice of his queen violante , who had great power over him , and by whom he had a daughter of the same name , he accepted of their offers , but could not perform as to succouring them , he being so engag'd in the wars of spain ; besides , that the emperor was reconciled to the pope , tho' but superficially . the besieged having lost all hopes of relief , resolved to surrender . haliabata , the king's favourite , and after him , abulhamaler , his nephew , were sent out to treat . after many debates , both parties being eager to come to a conclusion , the capitulation was sign'd , and the principal articles were . that the moorish king deliver up the city valencia , and all other towns and castles on this side the river xucar . that the moors be safely conducted to cullera and denia . that they have liberty to carry along with them as much gold , silver , jewels , or any other goods , as they can , without being searched . that a trūce be inviolably observed betwixt the two kings for the term of years . five days were allowed for the performance of articles , but the moors before the time was expir'd , quitted the city to the number of men , women and children . they march'd thro' a lane made of the christian army . on michaelmass-eve , the victors took possession of that city and kingdom , consecrated the churches , and chose ferrer de s. martin , some say he was a dominican , the first bishop . people resorted to inhabit there , chiefly out of catalonia , from tarragona , girona and tortosa . the country about the city was equally divided among the prelates , gentlemen , and councils of such cities as were assisting in carrying on the siege . also the knights of s. john , and the templers had their quota , to horse , was assign'd a particular share , on account that they should defend the frontiers , of 'em doing duty every four months . because the city was not naturally strong , and the walls were batter'd , the king raised a new wall larger than the former , and square , with gates , towards each quarter of the world. new laws were also given to the inhabitants . thus zaen , the moorish king , lost the kingdom he had wrongfully usurped ; for no power unjustly acquir'd can be lasting . great was the joy for this success throughout all spain , and it was the greater , for that scarce any gentleman of note was lost in the expedition . only d. artal de alagon , who seeing the moors go down the wind , had return'd to his allegiance , and together with raymund folch , viscount of cardona , took villena , in a skirmish with the moors , near saix , was killed with a stone . this was the conclusion of the conquest of valencia . whilst the aragonians were busie in this war , the navarrois committed not the least hostility . theobald , earl of champagne , was their king , as has been said above . this king being ambitious of honour , and zealous of god's glory , and his kingdom enjoying peace , agreed with the earls , henry of bari , peter of berteigno , and aymerick of montfort , to go over with their forces to the holy-land . all things being in a readiness on their part , the genoeses failed sending a fleet to transport them . they took their journey by land thro' germany , hungary , and thracia , and passed over the streight of constantinople . in cilicia , about the passes of mount taurus , they were in great danger , being attack'd by vast numbers of turks , so that scarce the third part of the army that set out , reach'd the city antioch , and those that did , sick and worn out with their long march . their success in palestine , was answerable to the beginning , very few return'd home . the french historians place this expedition of king theobald , years later , when s. luis , their king , went to the holy-land . but that cannot be , because roderick the archbishop , mentions this action of theobald , and his history reaches but five years after the conquest of valencia ; besides that , he was dead before s. luis set out for the holy-war . the history of spain . the thirteenth book . chap. i. the taking of many towns by the christians . the kingdom of murcia surrendred to king ferdinand . his marriage . salamanca made an vniversity . moors defeated by the christians . the two kings of spain , jayme and ferdinand , tho' they were before famous for their valour , and other vertues , became now much more renown'd , for the taking of cordova and valencia . several embassies were sent them by foreign princes , congratulating their success , and exhorting them to root out the moors , now reduced almost to extremity . nevertheless , the war ceased for some time , for the king of aragon had made a truce , and soon after , went to montpelier . king ferdinand was celebrating his nuptials at burgos . queen berengaria his mother , had concluded a match for him , with the lady joanna , daughter of simon , earl of poitiers , and adeloyde his wife , grandchild of luis , king of france , and elizabeth , the daughter of alonso the emperor . by her the king had issue , ferdinand , sirnamed poitiers , luis and ellenor . after the solemnities were perform'd , both king and queen took a progress thro' the kingdoms of leon and castile . he used to give access to all men , and hear their business , not only in publick audiences , but even in his closet , which gain'd him the affections of all his people . being come to toledo , he sent a great sum of money to cordova , to relieve the inhabitants , who suffer'd want , the country about them lying still waste . a bushel of wheat was worth maravedies , and a bushel of barly , which in that age was an extrordinary rate . in the following year . we find there were two eclypses of the sun , one on the d of june , being friday , when the sun at noon day was so darkned , as if it had been night . the other on the th of the same month , as bernard guido , an aragonian historian writes . but there must be some mistake in this last , for there could not be a conjunction of the sun and moon at that time , and nothing else can cause an eclypse of the sun. pliny affirms , the eclypse of the moon cannot return till the th month , and that of the sun till the th . that year was unlucky to castile for the death of two notable men. these were d. lope de haro , to whom succeeded his son james , and d. alvaro de castro , who made good our party in andaluzia . this gentleman perceiving the evil posture of affairs , went to toledo to acquaint the king with it , and being upon his return , dy'd by the way at orgaz . during his absence soldiers , under the command of alonso de meneses , d. alvaro's kinfman , went out of the castle of martos , to plunder . albamar , chosen king of arjona , in the place of abenhut , having notice of that advantage , laid siege to the castle . d. alvaro's lady caus'd all the women to arm themselves , and cast stones from the wall , making show as if they had been soldiers . thus they defended themselves till d. alonso and his company having intelligence of their danger , return'd , and being encourag'd by one james perez de vargas , of toledo , fought their way thro' the enemy . they being entred , the moorish king raised the siege for want of provisions . the loss of those two great men not a little perplex'd the king , who upon it set out from burgos , travelling with all speed towards cordova . with him went his two sons , alonso and ferdinand , princes excellently qualified , and now at age to bear arms. at the same time , king jayme went to montpellier to try if he could raise some money in that city , which he stood in need of , no less than he of castile ; besides , he design'd to quiet that city , then divided into factions , and punish the mutiniers . he compassed both his designs . albamar , the moorish king , to his other dominions , by the consent of the people joyn'd the famous city granada , and this was the beginning of that kingdom , which lasted till the age of our grandfathers . at murcia , the citizens in hatred to alhamar , chose for their king one humiel , which gave occasion to the mortal enmity that continu'd many years betwixt those two cities . the moors of andaluzia tired out the christians with false alarms and ambushes , but would never come to a battle . on the contrary , the king's forces took from them many towns , cities and castles . among these were of note , ezija , estepa , lucena , porcuna , marchena , cabra , ossuna and vaena . places of less note are not worth nameing , some of them were given to the knights of santiago and calatrava , and some to the prelates and nobles , who serv'd the king in those expeditions . these losses put the moors into the greatest consternation imaginable . one of the family of the almohades , whose name is not known , came now over out of africk , hoping to raise himself a kingdom , by revenging the harm done his nation by the christians , but by some policy he was taken , tho' the manner , or place where it was done , is not set down in any history . king ferdinand having concluded a truce for one year , with albamar , king of granada , after he had spent months in this expedition , return'd now to toledo , where his wife and mother receiv'd him with great joy for his many victories . thence he went to burgos , and translated the university of palencia , founded by his grandfather king alonso , to salamanca . he was induc'd to make this change by the conveniency of this city for schollars , the river tormes coming up to it , and supplying it with all necessaries . besides this , he had another reason , which was to oblige the kingdom of leon , within whose limits salamanca stands . his father alonso , king of leon , had there laid some small foundation of an university , that his subjects might not be oblig'd to go for learning to castile . now thro' the bounty of his son ferdinand , and afterwards of his grandson alonso , a great favourer of learning , it so increased , that no place in the world affords greater rewards of learning , or has better salaries for the professors of arts and sciences . d. james de haro , lord of biscay , about this time revolted twice , the cause not known , the goodness of king ferdinand , and care of his son alonso , still reduc'd him , bestowing greater favours on him than before . respect was had to the services of his ancestors , and it was of evil consequence to be imploy'd in civil broils , when there was so fair an opportunity of extirpating the moors . these things hap'ned in the year of our lord . the same year , in the king's absence , the garison of valencia , under the command of william de aguillon , and other men of note , plundred the territory of xativa , took rebolledo by surprize , and besieg'd the castle of chjo , which stands on the mountains , and is an inlet to a delightful and pleasant plain . moors came to the relief of it , who charg'd the christians with great resolution , but were overthrown , and put to flight . after this victory the castle was taken , and demolished . at the king's return , the moors complained of this breach of truce , and reparation was made them . no sooner did that truce expire , but the king entring their country , took the castle of bayren , seated in a valley that bears sugar and rice , as does all the territory of gandia . villena was also taken , and castillon , but xativa , tho' besig'd , held out . in the midst of these actions , the king was called away to affairs of greater moment in france . each having setled his kingdom in the best manner time would permit . the king of arragon prepared to depart into france , and he of castile into andaluzia . a dangerous sickness detain'd king ferdinand at burgos . alonso , his eldest son , was sent before to carry on the war , because the truce was almost expired , and the frontiers must be reliev'd , lest they should be in danger . alonso being come to toledo , there met him embassadors from hudiel , king of murcia , offering him that kingdom upon these conditions . that hudiel being taken into the protection of the kings of castile , should by them be defended from all domestick and foreign enemies , and particulary , against alhamar , king of granada , whom of himself he was not able to withstand . that during his life , he should enjoy half the revenues of that crown . these conditions were very advantagious . it was requisite to use diligence , lest the minds of those people should alter , for the moors are very inconstant . therefore the prince set out after the embassadors , without staying to consult his father . at his arrival all places submitting , he put garisons into them , particularly into the castle of murcia . revenues were assign'd all the chief of the moors . only the cities lorca , formerly call'd eliocrota , cartagena and mula , would not submit to the christians . it was tedious to force them , and prince alonso had not a sufficient power ; therefore he returned with all speed towards his father , who being recover'd , was come as far as toledo , and desiring to gain the affections of the moors , resolv'd to visit that new kingdom . there is extant a grant sign'd by the king of murcia , to the church of s. mary of valpuesta . thence the king , and his son alonso , were called away upon urgent affairs to burgos . at the same time , berengaria , the king's daughter , became a nun at huelgas . jayme , king of aragon , having recommended the government of his kingdom to d. ximeno , bishop of taraçona , was now at monpelier . thither the earls of toulouze and provence , came to visit him , on pretence of friendship , but in reality , to treat about a divorce betwixt the earl of toulouze , and his wife sancha , king jayme's aunt . the reason was , because joanna , that earl's daughter , and heiress , he having no issue male , would convey her father's dominions to her husband , alonso , earl of poitiers , brother to luis , king of france . king jayme , lest so considerable a principality should fall into the hands of the french , sought some colour for a divorce , that the earl of toulouze marrying again might have issue male. this was contrary to the agreement we mention'd above , was made at paris . therefore , in order to oppose the power of france , these three princes concluded a league on the th of june , in the year . the same year dy'd pope gregory ix . celestin iv. succeeded him , and he dying within days . innocent iv. was chosen , after the chair had been void six months . in the time of these popes , hugo , a dominican , and cardinal , famous for his great learning , writ large commentaries on the holy scripture . he was the first that attempted to write the concordance of the bible , a work almost infinite , yet he compassed it by the help of monks . the like was afterwards imitated by the hebrews and greeks , and is a great help to learned men. chap. ii. a defeat of the christians , who recover , and are successful , take jaen and many other places . the king of granada made tributary . king sancho ii. of portugal , expell'd his kingdom by his rebellious subjects . the war in andaluzia was not prosecuted with any vigour , king ferdinand being full of other cares . roderick alfonso of leon , the king's bastard brother , making an incursion into the territory of granada , was defeated by the moors . several persons of note , and a great number of soldiers being kill'd in the action . this success encouraged the moorish king to waste our frontiers , no body offering to oppose him . king ferdinand being advertiz'd hereof , order'd his son alonso speedily to secure the kingdom of murcia , resolving himself to march for andaluzia . being come to andujar , he ravaged the territories of arjona and jaen , then in the hands of the moors . arjona soon after , was taken from them , and other towns of less note in that neighbourhood . thence the king sent his brother , alonso , lord of molina , with a good army , who plundred all the lands of granada , and encamped before the city . king ferdinand believing the moors would gather from all parts to relieve that place , marched thither with greater forces . a mighty army of infidels was there put to the rout. yet the city could not be taken , for that it was strongly fortisied , well provided , and had a great multitude of inhabitants . besides , that at the same time advice was brought , that the gazules , a powerful party among the moors , had besieged martos . this mov'd the king to send his brother alonso , and the master of calatrava , before , with part of the army to relieve the besieged , but the moors staid not for their coming . thus much the king thought might suffice for the present , and therefore he returned to cordova , with his army entire , in the year . prince alonso his son , was no less fortunate in murcia , and of the three cities we said before would not submit , he took mula by force , and then wasted all the lands of carthagena and lorca in such manner , that they meditated a surrender . to sancho maçuelos , for his good service in this war , the prince gave the town of alcaudete , near bugorra . from him descends the noble family of the earls of alcaudete , in castile . winter drawing on , the king went to poçuelo , where his mother expected him , to treat about important affairs , she being now near the end of her days . he spent days with her in that town , after which , the queen returned to toledo , and the king to anduxar , at the beginning of the year . the queen consort remained at cordova . all the lands about jaen and alcala , sirnamed bençayde , were wasted by the king in person . illora was burnt , and he marched in sight of the city granada . d. pelayo correa , master of santiago , who had done good service under prince alonso , in murcia , came now to andaluzia , and persuaded the king to lay siege to jaen , which had been often attempted , and always without success . great difficulties seem'd to obstruct this undertaking , as the greatness of the garison , plenty of provisions within , and natural strength of the place , which hindred the applying of engines for battery . that city is seated at the side of a craggy mountain , stretching out in length betwixt the east and south , not so broad as long , is plentifully supply'd with water of several springs , and the river guadalquivir runs three leagues distant from it . it was stored with all necessaries , and well garison'd , besides its natural strength . pelayus's constancy prevailed beyond all these difficulties . all things were provided , and the siege opened , yet many days were spent , and no advance made . it fell out that the faction of the oysimeles , at granada , mutiny'd , which brought that king into great danger of losing his kingdom and life . in this condition no refuge was left him , but among the christians ; wherefore having obtain'd a pass , he came to the camp of king ferdinand . he offered to serve him faithfully , if he would take him into his protection , and in token of submission , kissed his hand . a league and friendship was established betwixt them upon the following articles . that jaen be immediately delivered . that the revenue of the kingdom of granada be equally divided betwixt the two kings ; it was then valued at ducats a year . that the moorish king , as homager , be obliged , when summoned , to come to the cortes , or parliament . that this league be offensive and defensive . thus the treaty being concluded , the city was surrendred , and the king entred in solemn procession . he caused the walls to be repaired , the church to be consecrated , and made the city a bishoprick . authors do not agree about the time when this city was taken , the most learned affirm , it was in the year . the annals of toledo say three years later . the siege lasted eight months , and our men kept the field , tho' the winter prov'd very hard . here roderick the archbishop of toledo concludes his history , and says it was the d year he had enjoy'd that dignity . the following year there were tumults betwixt the catalonians and aragonians , each side pretending that lerida was within their limits . the aragonians said their borders extended to the river segre , and the catalonians affirm'd that the river cinga parted those dominions . king jayme was more inclinable to the catalonians , designing to divide his dominions , and leave aragon to alonso , his eldest son , and the principality of catalonia to peter , whom he lov'd most , tho' the youngest , born of violante , his second wife . in fine , the case being put to arbitration , the king gave judgment for the catalonians , to whom he assign'd all the country betwixt the rivers segre and cinga . this resolution of dividing his kingdom , offended not only prince alonso , but most of the nobility of aragon and catalonia . upon this the prince withdrew to calatayud , with such as were of his party , the chief whereof , were ferdinand the king's uncle , abbot of montaragon , d. peter rodriguez de aragon , peter infante of portugal , and other persons of both nations , who disliked the king's designs . portugal was now in an uproar , and full of tumults . sancho ii. called capelo , of the form of his cap , then reigning , at the first govern'd not altogether ill , for we find he made war upon the infidels , and gave mertola , and other towns , taken from them , to the knights of santiago . in other respects , he was of so easie a nature , it almost came to be an infatuation . mencia his queen , and daughter to lope de haro , lord of biscay , had so intirely gain'd the ascendant over him , that she seem'd to be king , and he only the instrument of her will. her favourites were of the worser sort , and at their will honours were bestow'd , crimes pardon'd , and punishments inflicted . this prov'd the king's ruin , for the noblity offended to see the government in the hands of mean people , first endeavoured to have the king divorc'd , upon account of consanguinity , and the queen's barrenness . the business was mov'd to the pope , and to the king , who was consciencious enough , yet it availed not ; it being hard to prevail with the pope , and the king being so in love with the queen , that the people said , she had bewitch'd him . but love is witchcraft enough of its self . king sancho had a younger brother , called alonso , marry'd to the countess of bologne , in france . the nobility sent the bishops of braga and coimbra , to pope innocent , who then held a general council at lyons , in france , to obtain his consent for deposing of their king , and enthroning his brother ; but the pope could not be brought to it , only granted that alonso should take charge of the government . d. alonso having first been with the pope , at paris took an oath , that he would have regard , above all things , to the publick good , then went into portugal . it was no difficult matter to seize upon the government , the nobility being all for him ; yet many troubles ensued , in which ferdinand , and alonso his son , kings of castile , bore a part . at first , king sancho withdrew into galicia , whither the queen had before fled . afterwards he went to toledo , to king alonso , then reigning , hoping to regain his kingdom with the forces of castile . but his brother alonso prevented him , by offering to put away his wife , and mary beatrix , bastard daughter to king alonso ; and moreover , to do him homage , and pay tribute for the kingdom of portugal , as had been done originally . interest bore down honour , and the pope declared the first marriage void . thus the nuptials were celebrated . certain towns near the mouth of the river guadiana , taken by the castilians , which the portugueses pretended to belong to their conquest , were given in dower . hence some believe the kings of portugal took occasion to add an orle of castles to their former arms. king sancho having lost all hopes of regaining his kingdom , spent the rest of his days at toledo , living upon revenues assigned him by the king of castile . after his death he was honourably bury'd in the cathedral , near to alonso the emperor . authors do not agree about the time of his death , some say it was years after this we now write of , others but , and that he reigned years . at the time that king sancho dy'd , his brother alonso besieg'd coimbra , which still continued loyal to the king , tho' the inhabitants suffer'd great hardships . freitas the governour , being inform'd the king was dead , yet not giving credit to the report , desir'd leave to go to toledo to be satisfy'd . leave was granted , and a truce concluded betwixt the besieged and the besiegers for that time . freitas being come to toledo , and understanding the truth , caused the king's tomb to be open'd , and put the keys of the city into his hands , saying , my sovereign lord , and king , whilst i thought you liv'd , i endured all miseries , eat hides , drank vrine , and encourag'd the townsmen to do the like . i have done all that could be expected of a loyal and dutiful subject . now you are dead , i deliver up the keys to you , which is my last duty , and with your leave , will advise the citizens , since they have discharged their duty , that they submit to your brother alonso . an example of loyalty that well deserves eternal praise . chap. iii. the beginning of the war against sevil. aragon under a general interdict . the siege and surrender of sevil , carmona , and several other places . the league made with the king of granada , put king ferdinand in hopes of subduing sevil. light-horse were sent before , under the command of the king of granada , to waste the lands of carmona , formerly a considerable town . alcala guadayra , thro' that kings persuasions , surrendred . thence a good body marched towards sevil , and fired the ripe corn , the vines , olive-trees , and all the country-houses . d. pelayo correa , master of santiago , commanded this party . another under the king of granada , and master of calatrava , did the like harm in the territory of xerez . king ferdinand himself was at alcala guadayra , providing all necessaries that the war might be carry'd on before the enemy had time to gather strength . now dy'd queen berengaria , the kings mother , and soon after roderick , archbishop of toledo . as to the year authors vary , some say it was . others . and this agrees with the inscription upon his tomb. the queen was very ancient ; the archbishop , besides his great age , was worn with continual labour , and had been lastly at the council of lyons , among other things to reduce the aragonians to submit to the jurisdiction of the see of toledo . the prelates of that country in a provincial synod held at valencia , had decreed , that the archbishop of toledo should not have his cross carry'd before him in that province , and interdicted any town that should permit him to do it . d. roderick happening to be there , continu'd to have his cross carry'd as usual , for which , d. peter de alvalete , the chief fomenter of that contention , declar'd him excommunicate . they had recourse to pope gregory ix . who gave judgment in favour of toledo . yet the aragonians not submitting , d. roderick now undertook this journey to secure his prerogative . he dy'd in france , being upon his way home . his body was brought into spain , and bury'd at huerta , a monastery of benardine monks , on the borders of aragon . near to the high altar is to be seen his sepulchre , with an inscription in unpolish'd latin suitable to that time , to this effect , birth navarre gave , castile me bred , and paris taught , huerta my bones receiv'd , my soul heaven sought . his body dy'd , but the fame of his vertue will last for ever . john ii. of that name , by some called of medina , succeeded him in the archbishoprick . about the same time dy'd raymund , earl of provence , leaving four daughters , margaret marry'd to s. luis , king of france , ellenor , to henry , king of england , sancha , to richard , the brother of the said henry , and beatrix , to charles , earl of anjou . this earl , tho' his wife was the youngest , by the assistance of king luis , and consent of that people , inherited the dominions of his father-in-law . mean while king ferdinand staid at cordova , resolving to lay close siege to sevil. he sent raymund boniface , a native of burgos , and well versed in maritime affairs , to fit out a fleet in biscay , that country being stor'd with wood , and the people good sea-men . whilst the fleet was providing , the king laid siege to carmona , in the year . or thereabouts . the town was well fortified , had a strong garison , and plenty of provisions , for which reasons , it could not be entred , yet it submitted to pay down a great sum of money , and a yearly tribute for the future . constantina , reyna , lora , cantillana , and guillena , were all taken , some by assault , others surrendred ; reyna was given to the knights of santiago , constantina , to the council of the city cordova , and lora , to the knights of s. john. all things succeeded prosperously , only it was fear'd lest the king of aragon should be some hindrance to the affairs of castile ; for that king was displeased with prince alonso , upon pretence that he did not keep within the limits assign'd by agreement , to the conquest of each crown . it was fear'd this might come to a breach , and therefore some persons employ'd to adjust these matters , sought means to reconcile all differences . nothing appear'd more effectual than a match betwixt prince alonso and violante , king jayme's daughter , which might be advantagious to both kingdoms . this was no sooner proposed , than agreed to by both parties , and the marriage was celebrated with all magnificence , at valladolid , in the month of november . king ferdinand was not present at the solemnity , being wholly bent upon the siege of sevil ; for now raymund boniface , with a fleet of sail , had coasted about by cape finisterre , and lay before the mouth of the river guadalquivir , where he vanquisht the enemies navy . the moors of tangier and ceuta , fitted out a fleet of ships and galleys for the relief of sevil , and meeting with our squadron , there ensu'd a desperate fight . those africans were experienced seamen , and being so much superior in number , would not give way to the biscainers , who with the lightness of their vessels had the advantage to shun the enemy when there was occasion , and to lay them aboard when they found it for their purpose . three ships of the moors were taken , two sunk , one burnt , and the rest fled . aragon was now under an interdict , and all the churches shut up . the occasion was , that the king in his youth had familiarity with d. teresa vidaura , who now challenged him for her husband before the pope , pleading a verbal contract . she having no witness , sentence was given against her . after this , the bishop of girona , to whom some say , the king had revealed the secret , acquainted the pope with it , upon which , the pope was inclinable to call the cause over again . this being known to the king , in a rage he sent for the bishop , and caused his tongue to be cut out . if the bishop revealed a secret told him in confession , he well deserv'd that punishment . as soon as pope innocent , who then held the council at lions , as has been said , heard what had been done , he laid an interdict on the kingdom , and excommunicated the king. hereupon , the king submitting , begg'd absolution , which was granted , and the pennance imposed on him , that he should finish the monastery of benifacianum , begun years before , in the mountains of tortosa , and assign it revenues to the yearly value of marks of silver , also marks yearly to the hospital at valencia , and that he should erect a chapellany in the cathedral of girona , where prayers should be perpetually offered up for himself and successors . this account is taken out of the records of the monastery benifacianum , and tho' most authors make no mention of it , i would not wholly omit it . the reader may give credit to it as he thinks the thing deserves . in the utmost part of spain , towards the west , stands the city of sevil , the metropolis of andaluzia , and for riches may be reckoned among the chiefest in europe . it s strength consists not only in the walls , but the number of inhabitants , its beauty in the numerous , stately buildings , and splendour of the people . betwixt this city , which is on the left hand , and a suburb called triana , on the right , runs the river guadalquivir , hem'd in with high keys , and carrying water enough for ships of great burden , which renders it commodious for the trade of the ocean and mediterranean . a bridge of wood built upon boats joyns the suburb to the city . in the city is the old palace inhabited by the ancient kings , in the suburb facing the east , is another stately royal house . near the river stands a tower , for the excellency of its workmanship , commonly call'd the golden tower. near the cathedral , is another tower of brick , exceeding all the others , being yards in breadth , and four times that height , upon it another little tower , now white-washed , and painted with sundry figures wonderfully beauteous . it would be too tedious to relate all that is great and extraordinary in this city . there were in it at this time families , divided into parishes . the first and chiefest , is s. mary , and is the cathedral , none in spain compares with it for greatness . it is a common saying of the churches of spain , that of toledo is rich , that of salamanca strong , that of leon beautiful , and that of sevil great . the revenue of the church is ducats , the archbishops , the canons , and other dignities proportionably . the country is plain , pleasant and fruitful . a great part is planted with olive-trees , which produce large and pleasant fruit , thence sent to other parts . it has so great a trade , and the farmers are so numerous and rich , that in the time of the moors , in olive-orchards call'd axarase , there were cottages and oil-mills , which number , tho' it seem incredulous , we have the authority of king alonso the wise's history to testifie it . the concourse of strangers is greater than could be imagin'd , especially since the trade with the west-indies . all these things stirr'd up king ferdinand to undertake the conquest of so important a place . axatafe , king of sevil , was not unprovided , but gather'd forces , not only of his own , but out of africk , and laid in great stores of arms and provisions . all things being plentifully provided for the carrying on a long siege , king ferdinand mov'd from alcala guadayra , where he had spent some time , and sate down before sevil , on the th of august , in the year . the king himself encamp'd on the bank of the river , below the city , by the fields of tablada . d. pelayo perez correa , master of santiago , took his post on the other side the river , in a village called aznalfarache , to oppose abenjafon , king of niebla , who was possessed of all the towns in that neighbourhood . many sallies were made by the moors , to obstruct carrying on the works , but no consiedrable action hap'ned . it was the chief care to guard all the avenues , as well the river as the land , and the soldiers ceased not to plunder all the country . carmona streightned with these losses , surrendred . nothing was omitted by the besieged that might endamage the christians , especially they attempted several times with artificial fire-works to burn our fleet , but the great vigilance of the admiral boniface , disappointed all their designs . d. pelayo correa , master of santiago , and d. lorenco suarez , did great service during the siege . above all , things incredible are related of garci perez vargas of toledo , and being such , they are not worthy to have a place here . mean while prince alonso the king's son , being invited to it by the townsmen , design'd to possess himself of xativa , in the kingdom of valencia , and did actually take enguerra , a dependance of xativa . the king of aragon justly provok'd by these proceedings , took villena , and other towns , in the limits of castile , having brib'd the governours . besides , at the beginning of the year . he took from the moors , a town called bugerra , in the same territory . these misunderstandings seem'd to threaten greater and worse consequences , therefore prince alonso , who was inclin'd to moderation , resolv'd upon a conference with the king of aragon , and accordingly they met at almizra , a town belonging to that king. there by the mediation of the queen of aragon , and d. james de haro , with other great men , all matters were adjusted , the towns wrongfully taken , restor'd on both sides , and the limits and conquests of each party assign'd . by this contract , almansa , sarasulla , and the river cabriolo , were allotted to murcia ; to valencia , biara , saxona , alarca and finestrato . all things being setled , the princes parted . king jayme laid siege to xativa , and had it surrendred to him towards the end of the summer . this city stands in a pleasant country , near the mouth of the river xucar . prince alonso , and d. james de haro , made hast to the siege of sevil. alhamar also , king of sevil , joyn'd king ferdinand with a good body of men , and that so opportunely , that the christian soldiers weary of so tedious a siege , were about abandoning the camp , sickness that began to spread among them , greatly discourag'd them . winter was spent , and no great advance made , king ferdinand himself tired with so many difficulties was dubious whether to raise , or continue the siege , the besieged in a sally , having burnt our engines , and overturn'd the works , now scoffed at our men from the walls . nevertheless , the siege was continued with so much the more resolution , because fresh supplies came daily into the camp. thither repaired the bishops d. john arias of santiago , but falling sick , made no stay , d. garcia of cordova , d. sancho of coria , also the masters of calatrava , and the princes frederick and henry , besides a great number of nobles . it was hard , by reason of the greatness of the city , to secure all the avenues , tho' they were strictly watched . boniface the admiral desiring to destroy the bridge , provided two great ships , which with the flood , and a strong westerly wind , with full sails so violently bore upon it , that the chains which held the boats could not withstand the force of the shock . thus the bridge was cut off on the d of may , to the great joy of the army . flush'd with this success , the soldiers on a sudden gave an onset on all sides , labouring to make a breach with all sorts of instruments , so resolutely , that the besieged were in great danger , their resolution , and the strength of the walls , overcame the labour of the christians . provisions beginning to fail , and no hopes of relief appearing , the citizens at first in whispers began to talk of a surrender , soon after , it became the publick discourse , and at last they demanded a parly . the commissioners sent out to treat , were for submitting to any conditions , except delivering the city , and the king would hearken to nothing less than a surrender . whilst the treaty lasted , a truce was concluded upon . at first they offer'd to pay the same they had always done to the miramamolines . this offer being rejected , they proposed to deliver the third part , and then half the city , to be separated from the rest by a wall , over and above those revenues . king ferdinand admitting of no proposal less than the surrender of the city , at last they came to this conclusion . that the moorish king , with all the inhabitants , carrying all their goods might freely depart whither they pleased . that excepting sanlucar , aznalfarache and niebla , all other towns and castles depending on sevil , should be delivered up . a month was allow'd for performance of articles . the castle was presently deliver'd up , and on the th of november , moors , men , women and children , marched out of the city . some went over into africk , the rest were dispersed into other towns and cities in spain . this siege lasted months , during which time , the camp was like a city , all things being there plentifully sold in shops regularly disposed , and smiths , carpenters , and other necessary trades continually working . on the d of december , the king in great state entred the city , and heard mass in the cathedral , which to that purpose had been blessed by gutierre , late elect , archbishop of toledo , in the place of john , who dy'd on the d of july . raymund de losana , was chosen archbishop of the new city . sevil was then quite destitute of inhabitants ; but the king promising that all such as would come and inhabit there , should be exempted from taxes , it was soon peopled , and regain'd its former lustre . chap. iv s. luis , king of france , sends presents to the church of toledo , and makes an unfortunate expedition to the holy-land . aragon embroyl'd . king ferdinand of castile , after gaining much from the moors , dies . whilst sevil was besieged , s. luis , king of france , enrich'd the church of toledo with many holy relicks , which much encreased the devotion to that church , and gain'd him the esteem of the people of spain . those relicks are preserv'd to this day , and shown in the treasury of that church , with the original letter sent by s. luis upon that occasion . after that , king luis sailed from marseilles to the conquest of the holy-land ; but his success was not answerable to the piety of the undertaking . for after reducing the city damiata , in aegypt , robert , the king's brother , was killed in a battle , alonso and charles , his two brothers , together with the king himself , were made prisoners , in the year . their liberty cost dear , and little was done in the holy-land , except the taking of joppe , sidon and cesarea , by the french , in the year . this same year d. gutierre , archbishop of toledo , dying at atiença , on the th of august , as appears by the annals of toledo . d. sancho , son of king ferdinand , was promoted to that dignity . some call him peter , and others john , but doubtless , both names are mistaken . roderick the archbishop , by order of queen berengaria , bred her two grandsons , philip and sancho , at toledo . he made them both canons of that church . both of them study'd at paris , particularly , philip was disciple to albertus magnus , that great philosopher and divine . his learning , and the interest of his father , preferred d. sancho to the archbishoprick . pope innocent iv. approved the election , but he was not consecrated , because he was not of age , being the youngest but one of all his brothers . for his sake , the king gave vzeda and iznatoraf , to the church of toledo , in lieu of baça , which he had given when jaen was taken . about this time lived a famous man called pero gonzalez , who leaving the court , where he had a considerable employment , spent the rest of his life in instructing the people of galicia and asturias , and was a famous preacher . his cotemperary bernard , a canon of santiago , thro' his great knowledge of the canon-law , became familiar with pope innocent , and writ the comments upon the epistolae decretales . at the same time , the aragonians divided into factions , consumed themselves with civil wars . king jayme by his queen violante , had these sons , peter , jayme , ferdinand and sancho , and as many daughters , violante , constantia , sancha and mary . the queen , who govern'd the king , persuaded him to divide his dominions among his sons , an advice destructive to the kingdom , and unjust in regard to alonso the eldest son. for this reason , most of the nobility revolted from the king , and openly sided with the prince , who countenanc'd them . in order to compose these differences , which threatned greater mischiefs , the cortes , or parliament , was held in february at alcanizes , a town in aragon . judges being appointed to determine betwixt the father and son , they gave judgment against the son. this avail'd little , the subjects being dissatisfied , and the king persisting in his resolution , insomuch , that even before his death he gave the principality of catalonia to his son peter , which incens'd the other party the more . this in aragon . king ferdinand's affairs were in a much better posture , for having setled sevil , where he intended to reside , he took xerez , medina sidonia , begel , alpechin and aznalfarache . besides , about the sea coast he forc'd and demolish'd many forts . the lands of nebrixa were wasted ; yet some towns of the moors being well fortify'd , resolv'd to endure a siege , either for that they thought it more honourable , or more safe . there were thoughts of carrying on the war into africk , and to that purpose a great fleet was providing in biscay . death put a stop to this design , which seiz'd king ferdinand at sevil , on the th of may , in the year . he reign'd over castile years , months , and days , over leon , about years . he was endew'd with all good qualities , his life was such , that it purchased him the title of the saint . it is doubted whether his valour , piety , or good fortune excelled most . in fine , he acted the part of a good man , and a just prince . no time made his piety so visible as the hour of his death . raymund , archbishop of sevil , administred the blessed sacrament to him ; at the time it came into the room he fell upon his knees , with a halter about his neck , like a criminal , with great humility , begging pardon of his sins , and at the last gasp asked forgiveness of all that were present . taking the candle in his hand , with eyes lifted up to heaven , he said , lord , the kingdom which you gave me , and all the honour i could merit , i restore to thee . naked i came from my mothers womb , and naked i resign my self to the earth . receive o lord my soul , through the merits of thy holy passion , and vouchsafe to place it among thy servants . this said , he order'd the clergy to sing the litany , and psalm . te deum , and then yielded up the ghost . a little before his death , he gave much good advice to his son alonso , whom he appointed his heir , and recommended to his care his queen , and his other sons , of which frederick , henry and philip , elect of sevil , were present at his death , d. sancho , elect of toledo , was then at his see. the next day the obsequies were perform'd with much grandeur . his body was bury'd in the cathedral of sevil. this king is said to have instituted the council of state , which to this day has the supream authority in determining causes . he appointed judges as a higher court , whither all appeals from inferior tribunals should be brought , so that he , who appeals deposites pistols , and in case judgment be given against him , forfeits them . the number of law suits increasing , and the malice of the times still producing new frauds , it was necessary to erect this tribunal ; for before each city was content with the determinations of their judges , or only appeal'd to the provincial courts , looking upon it as superfluous to have recourse to the king. besides , this he gave men of learning the care of inventing new laws , and gathering the old into one volume , now call'd partidas , which work begun in his time , was perfected and publish'd under king alonso his son. d. lucas de tuy , brought his history down to the death of king ferdinand , and no farther . chap. v. the beginning of the reign of king alonso , he is chosen emperour , by part of the electors , and richard duke of cornwall by the rest . theobald , the first king of navarre dies , his son theobald the second succeeds him . king alonso the tenth of the name , as was of right , succeeded his father ferdinand . his reign for the strange variety of revolutions that happen'd , prov'd much more wonderful than glorious . for what can be more admirable than to see a prince bred in war , and so learned , that few private persons could compare with him ; reduc'd to that unfortunate state , he could neither obtain the empire , offer'd him by strangers , nor secure the kingdom left him by his father ; but to be reduc'd almost to the state of a private man. he sully'd the title of the wise , purchas'd by his learning , by not knowing how to foresee and prevent the calamities that fell upon him . at sevil , where he was when his father dy'd , he was proclaim'd king. his first action was to renew the league with the king of granada ; and he remitted him the sixth part of the tribute he us'd to pay . this was done in respect to his good services , and to encourage him to continue faithful . that prince was so great an admirer of king ferdinand , that , tho' a moor , he sent yearly wax torches to sevil , for that kings anniversary . there was great scarcity of money , to relieve which want , it was thought fit , that instead of pepiones , a coin so call'd , that was made of pure metal , there should burgaleses be us'd , which were base , and full of allay . this was no relief to the king's wants ; for all things grew dear , and he was forc'd to raise the salaries of all officers . but the people were much more inrag'd , when another sort of money was invented , call'd black , because it had much copper ; pieces of this money were worth a crown , one burgales was worth two pepiones . this method of raising money has often been found very prejudicial , and soon made king alonso odious to his subjects . king alonso was troubled for the barrenness of his queen violante ; flatterers advis'd there might be a divorce obtain'd , and the king was easy to be perswaded . he sent to conclude a match with christina daughter to the king of denmark , and she was brought into spain . king jayme of aragon indeavour'd by fair means to alter this resolution , but those failing , had recourse to arms. thus the war broke out , incursions were made on both sides , and the frontiers plunder'd . theobald king of navarre dy'd , now on the th of july , . as he was worthy of praise for his zeal towards the holy land , so he was blameable for invading the rights of the church , on which account it is said , that kingdom was for the space of three years under a general interdict . after that time was expir'd peter remigius , or gaçoliz bishop of pamplona , who had been banished was reconciled to the king , and return'd to his church . theobald was honourable for other good qualities , and especially for his learning . he had three wives , by the first who was daughter to the earl of lorrain , he had no children . being divorc'd from her , by the pope's command , he marry'd sibila , daughter to philip earl of flanders , by whom he had blanch , marry'd to john duke of britanny , called the red. by his third wife , the daughter of archimbaud earl of faux , he had theobald , henry and ellenor . theobald succeeded his father , being then not years of age , but of an excellent temper , and promising hopes . queen marguerite , his mother , fearing alonso king of castile , being eas'd of the war with the moors , would again set up his pretensions to that crown , had recourse to the king of aragon , with him , she had a conference at tudela in august , and they concluded a league offensive and defensive . it was also agreed , that theobald should marry one of king jayme's daughters , and that neither of them should be given to any of the king of castile's brothers , without the consent of queen marguerite . however the king of aragon sav'd to himself , his pretensions to that crown , on account of the adoption of king sancho . that this league might be the firmer , they had it confirmed by the pope . it aim'd directly at castile . the apprehensions of a war , caus'd the king of aragon , and his son to be reconcil'd . thus i find that alonso the eldest son , confirm'd under an oath , what his father had given to peter and jayme , the two younger brothers . a new war ensued . alasarcho , a designing moor , promis'd to deliver up the castle of reguara , king jayme being a forward prince , easily gave credit to him , and was on the way with a small handful of men. he had fallen into the snare , and been taken , but that he had intelligence of the design . the moor thus disappointed perswaded those of valencia to revolt , thither the king hasted , and it was debated to expel all the infidels . interest sway'd the nobility to oppose this advice , but the prelate , and commonalty prevail'd , so the moors were commanded to depart valencia , and all its territory within a time prefixt . they tho' . strong and in arms , obey'd , and dispersed themselves into the country of murzia and granada . a considerable number also setled in that part now called la mancha de aragon , formerly montaragon , of a town of that name . at that time it was not tilled nor improved , at present yields corn that supplies many places . ferdinand , brother to king alonso , made a considerable profit of the moors , for being governour of villena , through which they were to pass , he obliged every one to pay a crown of gold. these affairs hindred the king of aragon from falling upon castile , and this delay proved fortunate . at the same time that christina , after her long voyage , came to toledo , which was in the year . it appeared that the queen was with child . the king moved , at so unexpected an accident , changed his hatred into love , and those who before perswaded a divorce , now pleaded for the queen . such is the custom of flatterers . philip , the king's brother , notwithstanding he was abbot of valladolid , and elect archbishop of sevil , renounced the priestly function , and with the king's consent , marry'd christina , who dy'd soon after . queen violantes barreness , was chang'd into fruitfulness , and she bore many children . these were berengaria , beatrix , ferdinand called de la cerda , that is , of the hair , because of long hair that grew on his back , sancho , peter , john , james , elizabeth , and ellenor . by a woman of mean extraction , the king had alonso fernandez , by d. mayor , daughter to peter de guzman , he had beatrix , both illegitimate . in the following year . edward the eldest son , of henry king of england , came into spain , the cause of his coming is not known , unless , it were on account of christina , who was his cousin-german . he was honourably received by the king at burgos , and by him knighted , according to the custom of those times . honours directed to appease the fierce youth . king alonso had not the same character in all parts . in spain , he was hated by his subjects , and not much beloved by the neighbouring princes . abroad , the fame of learning gained him renown . this moved the electoral princes of germany , after the death of the emperor william , to choose him his successor . but they did not all consent , for the archbishops of cologne and mentz , and the count palatine , elected richard duke of cornwal , brother to henry king of england . this election was made on the th of january in the year , some say two years later . the archbishop of treves , and duke of saxony looking upon the other as invallid , on the last day of march following made choice of king alonso . embassadors were sent to them both , and both took the title of emperors , but richard had so much the advantage , that he immediately went over into germany , and was crowned the first time at aquisgran , by the archbishop of cologne . king alonso was hindred by his domestick troubles , and forced to put off his departure . this delay gave time to his party to cool in their affections , and the other to strengthen it self . richard seemed to have the better title , being chosen within the year , after the death of his predecessor , and on the day appointed for the election , and also , for that within the space of another year , he was crowned at aquisgran , by the archbishop of cologne , and seated in the chair of charlemaigne , in token of possession . besides , the princes and governours did him homage . all these circumstances pleaded for richard's right , whereas king alonso had performed none of the usual ceremonies . both the elector palatine , and king of bohemia , who are the umpires , when there is any thing depending , had declared for richard. on the other side , king alonso pleaded , that he was elected according to custom , within the city walls . that the archbishop of cologne , and the palatine came with great military power , as it were to force the others , and had made a separate election without the town . that the princes in the city , had waited so long to reduce them to observe order , and at length , the archbishop of treves , with the duke of saxony , who had also the marques of bradenburgh's voice , had elected king alonso , the king of bohemia's embassador joining with them . besides , these formal reasons , they exprobrated crimes to each other , one side said , the archbishop of treves , was excommunicated for oppressing his subjects with taxes . the other objected he of cologne , had wounded the pope's legate , and stricken a bishop , and that the elector palatine abused the churchmen , and in the late confusions had joyned with the emperor against the pope . king alonso , being far off , was detained by many troubles at home , besides , that he was naturally unconstant , and hoped by some artifice , to put an end to that debate . richard was hindred by the wars at that time , betwixt england and france , and dy'd the th year after , he took the title of emperor . the end of this contest shall be told in its place . chap. vi. aragon and castile at variance and reconcil'd . sancho king of portugal dies in exile . death of the queen and prince of aragon . portugal under an interdict . marriages of the king of navarre , and prince of aragon . king alonso was naturally mild , had a great spirit , sought glory rather than pleasure , addicted himself to learning , yet was very inconstant and covetous , which drew upon him the hatred of the people , and he neglected to gain the love of the nobility . to shun idleness , the ground of all intestine troubles , he invaded andaluzia , his army divided into several bodies , the better to recover divers places , the moors still possessed . he in person took xeres , his brother henry , arcos and nebrixa , a town near the mouth of the river guadalquivir . d. nun̄o de lara , was appointed governour of xerez . now might the moors have been expell'd , all that country , had not another war called away the king. theobald the second king of navarre , being come to age , with the assistance of the king of aragon , with whom he had renewed the league before made , resolved to invade castile , pretending that guipuscoa , alava , rioja , and briviesca , belonged to his crown , and had been wrongfully taken from his predecessors . many nobles of castile , went over to aragon and navarre , having first by a publick instrument , renounced their country , which was the custom used then , not to be thought traytors . these stirred up , and incensed that young prince . among them the chief was james de haro , who soon dy'd at ban̄ares , whether he went to be cur'd . yet his son lope de haro , with a great retinue went to estela , where the king of aragon then was . the same did prince henry , being much disgusted with his brother . these princes made a league among themselves . the people of castile , tho' they had not declared , were of the same opinion . they were offended at the baseness of the coin , which caused all things to grow dear , and the king having set rates upon all things there , ensued a great scarcity , because those who had stocks , would not sell at that rate . king alonso , understanding his danger , began to treat of some accommodation , with the king of aragon , who was not averse to it , being again , tho' old , entangled in the love of d. teresa vidaura , to such a degree , that he seemed infatuated . at soria , the two kings met , and concluded a peace , in the year . at the same time marguerite , mother of theobald king of navarre , dy'd in champagne , whether she went to settle the affairs of that earldom . she was buryed in the monastery of claravelle , then famous for the sanctity of its monks . the following year dy'd at toledo , sancho capelo king of portugal , as garibay in his history relates , but duarte nun̄ez , will have his death to have happen'd in the year . his brother alonso , who had governed the kingdom thirteen years , only as regent , now took the title of king. he had by beatrix , daughter to the king of castile , denis his eldest son , alonso earl of portalegre , blanch who lies bury'd at huelgas , where she was long abbess , and constance who dy'd young. at this time henry the king's brother , stirred up both the moors and christians at nebrixa ; whether he was withdrawn to rebellion . d. nun̄o de lara having notice of it , repaired thither from sevil , and prince henry not being able to oppose him , fled by sea to valencia . the king of aragon , at first received him favourably , but for fear of infringing the treaty , concluded with his brother , obliged him to take his flight into africk . thence after four years spent at tun̄ez , he went over poor , and miserable into france , and so into italy , desiring to make war on his brother , if any prince would support him . the king of aragon , having setled valencia , passed over to mompellier , designing to meet the king of france . on the th of may in the year . they met at carbolio , and were perfectly reconciled , both parties freely resigning what had been before taken , on either side . catalonia and barcelona , were also declared wholly independent of the crown of france , for till that time they had acknowledged a certain dependance , tho' it was only in form . to make this alliance the firmer , a match was concluded betwixt philip , the king of france his eldest son , and elizabeth , the king of aragon's youngest daughter , he giving her the towns of carcassonne , and bezieres for a portion . this year there hap'ned extraordinary floods , which continued from august , till the th of december , the rivers swelling beyond their banks , and doing infinite harm . many bridges were carry'd away , and among them that at toledo , called of alcantara . but the following year it was rebuilt , as appears by the inscription on the first arch of the bridge . spain was now somewhat quiet , considering how many diffierent princes ruled it . yet some misfortunes hap'ned . d. violante , queen of aragon , and her son-in-law alonso dy'd . the king's extravagancies seem'd to have shortned both thier lives . prince alonso was troubled that his father showed him no affection at present , and by dividing his dominions had lessen'd his inheritance for the future . this was not only grievous to the prince , but to all the nobility , who publickly espous'd his quarrel , and the king , not long before his sons death , to pacify them , deliver'd up valencia to him , ordaining it should be always annex'd to the crown of aragon . the queen was offended that d. teresa vidaura , after she had been some time laid aside , was now again so great with the king , that he did nothing without her . he was so infatuated , that he kept her as well before as after the queen's death , with all the state due to a queen . she twice challeng'd the king for promise of marriage before the pope . by her the king had peter lord of ayerve , and jaime lord of exeriça . queen violante was bury'd at valbuena in catalonia , prince alonso in the cathedral of valencia . zurita , a noble historian of aragon writes , he was interred in the monastery of viruela of cistercians . theobald king of navarre , after the death of his mother , valiantly maintained the earldom of champagne , against many princes of france , who sought to make themselves masters of it . this done he marry'd elizabeth , the youngest daughter of luis , king of france . the nuptials were celebrated at melun , but prov'd not fortunate in the end , by reason of the queen's barrenness . this king had a bastard daughter , by d. marquesa de rada , and marry'd her to peter , the king of aragon's bastard son. maud countess of bologne , understanding the death of king sancho of portugal , went thither by sea to plead her right of marriage with alonso the present king , and try whether he could be moved to do her justice . she came to cascaes , not far from lisbon , but the king being nothing concern'd at her misfortunes , or at a letter she sent him , was forc'd to return without seeing him . the king boasted , he would marry again the next day , if he thought it were for the good of his kingdom . maud , went herself to complain of the wrong done her , to s. luis , then king of france , and sent embassadors to the pope . that king was too far from portugal to relieve her . the pope sent to warn king alonso , of the wrong he offered that lady , and how hainous an offence it was to god ; but he gave no ear to his advice . at length , he refusing to obey , the pope excommunicated him , and laid an interdict on the whole kingdom , which is said to have lasted years , because that king would not mend , nor the succeeding popes abate any thing of their rigour . in other cases king alonso was of a good temper , and a great lover of justice . he clear'd the kingdom of robbers , which were grown numerous , through the ill government of king sancho . he also establish'd wholesome laws , and carry'd an even hand between the nobility and commonalty . in war-like affairs , his government was not inferior to the civil , for he enlarg'd his dominions , taking from the moors , faro , algezira , albufera , and other towns in the territory of silves . castro , estremoz and portalegre , were founded by him , and the city beja , ruin'd by the wars , was rebuilt . in lisbon , there is a stately convent of dominicans built by him , and another of poor clares at santarem . his liberality towards the poor was such , that having exhausted his treasures , he often pawn'd his jewels to relieve them . at this time , the fame of king alonso of castile , his learning being spread throughout the world , there came to him embassadors from the soldan of aegypt , bringing presents of rich germents , carpets and tapistry , as also several strange beasts , never before seen in spain . this was in the year . this same year a town of guipuscoa , then called arrasata , chang'd its name for that of mondragon , as appears by a charter of king alonso , the ancientest extant in spanish ; for he was the first king of spain , that caused all publick acts to be writ in spanish , whereas before they were all in latin. on the th of october . dy'd d. sancho , archbishop of toledo . pascualis , or pascasius dean of that church , who had carry'd the cross before roderick the archbishop , at the battle of nabas de tolosa , succeeded him . doubtless he was very old , and dy'd only elect , in june following . his tomb is in the chapel of st. lucy in that cathedral . frederick , the emperor dying , his son conrade succeeded him , who also four years after ended his days in sicily , either of a natural death , or as some would have it , poison'd by his bastard brother manfredus . this manfredus ( notwithstanding conrade had appointed a son , then a child , which he left in germany to succeed in all his dominions ) by force of arms possess'd himself of sicily , and the kingdom of naples . the popes whose feof those countries were , admonish'd him to desist , but he taking no notice of the ecclesiastical censures , made war in tuscany , where the guelphs , a faction that favoured the pope , were very powerful , and overthrowing them , soon became absolute master of that province . the pope us'd all possible means to overturn that new kingdom . charles earl of anjou , and brother to luis king of france , was invited into italy , upon hope given him of being made king of sicily . on the other side manfredus , sought to obtain aid from all parts , and therefore had recourse in the first place , to jayme king of aragon , offering his daughter constance for wife , to his eldest son peter . this match was not displeasing to the aragonians , for besides ducats , that he offer'd down with her , she was heiress to the kingdom of sicily , manfredus having no heirs male. all points being agreed upon , he sent f. raymund de pen̄afuerte of the order of s. dominick , embassador to the pope , to indeavour to compose the differences betwixt him and manfredus . the pope gave no manner of ear to f. raymund , but utter'd threatning speeches against manfredus , accusing him of many crimes , and affirming , he would never treat with him , unless he laid down arms , and came submissively to him . at the same time he advis'd , and warn'd king jayme , not to ingage himself with so wicked a man , least he should draw some judgment upon himself . this answer put the king of aragon to a stand , but at length interest prevail'd . the marriage was solemniz'd at monpellier in france , in the year . the king returning to barcelona , divided his dominions among his sons . to peter , the eldest , was assign'd all aragon , catalonia and valencia . to his son jayme , he gave russillon , cerdagne , colibre , conflens and valespira ; yet so as that he should do homage for them to the king of aragon . they were also to be govern'd by the laws of catalonia , and not to have authority to coin money . besides those dominions , he gave him majorca , with the title of king , and also montpelier , in france . thus the father reconcil'd the two brothers , who began to be at variance about their inheritance , the nobility heightning their divisions , without regard to the publick , every one of them striving to make his own advantage . chap. vii . the family of the merines obtains the empire of africk . the war against the moors renew'd in spain . cuidad rodrigo built . troubles in aragon . the city murcia taken , and the king of granada made tributary . a new and more dangerous war than any of the former , seem'd now to threaten spain , from a new empire lately erected in africk . the family of the merines having overthrown and destroy'd the almohades , reviv'd the former valour of that nation , and purpos'd to march over into spain to restore its empire there . after the death of mahomet , called the green , who lost the famous battle of nabas de tolosa , arrasius , his grandson , and son of bussafo , who dy'd before his father , succeeded him . when the empire of the almohades extended from the ocean as far as aegypt , the government of tremecen , a city on the shore of the mediterranean was given to a moor , call'd gomarança , of the family of the abdalueses , which is very noble and rich. this man was the first that offer'd to revolt from his prince . arrasius coming to suppress him , was treacherously murder'd . no enemy is so dangerous as a false friend . a kinsman of gomarança pretending to desert from him , slew the king. he being dead , his forces were easily vanquish'd by the rebel , who sally'd out of the castle tremesessir , where he was besieg'd . such as escap'd the slaughter fled to fez , which is near to that part of africk call'd algarve , or the plain country . bucar merin , governour of fez , under pretence of revenging his master , gather'd these broken forces , overthrew the rebels , and then , as a reward of his victory , laying a side the title of governour , assum'd the stile of king , securing the empire of africk to himself and his successor . thus , only the usurper being chang'd , bucar merin founded a new empire in africk . for almorcanda , who was of the family of the almohades , and had succeeded arrasius at morocco , designing to subdue bucar , was by him defeated , in a battle fought near a town call'd merquenosa , a days journey from fez. by this means , that which before made one empire , was divided into two , which were fez and morocco , and so continu'd some time . hiaya , the son of bucar succeeded him . he dying young , his uncle jacob abenjoseph , who govern'd in his name , and was a warlike and wise man , not only secur'd to himself the dominion of fez , but with wonderful ease conquer'd the empire of morocco , and almost all africk , which he left to his heirs . no people under the sun are more inconstant than the africans , which is the reason that no dominion is lasting among them . budebusio , a powerful moor , of the family of the almohades , offended that almorcanda , who was not so near related to the kings of morocco as himself , should be preferred before him , offer'd jacob , king of fez , all the lands from that city to the river nababo , if he would assist him to recover his right . almorcanda , by their joynt forces was easily drove from morocco , yet budebusio , not only refused to perform his promise , but threatned the king of fez. after three years spent in war between them , budebusio was despoiled of all his dominions , and the king of fez , taking morocco , became absolute monarch of all africk , except the cities of tremeçen and tunez . during these confusions , two of the almohades secur'd those places , and kept them with the title of kings , tho' of no great power . from this family , without any interruption , descended muleasse , king of tunez , who being banished his kingdom by the famous pyrate , barbarossa , was restored by the emperor charles v. these were the families that rul'd in africk . in spain , mahomet almahar , was king of granada ; and hudiel of murcia , both weak and tributaries to king alonso of castile . these two grown weary of their subjection to the christians , and hoping to be reliev'd by jacob , king of africk , who began to gain great renown , agreed among themselves to revolt . tho' before they were mortal enemies , yet their hatred to the christians , and hope of casting off their yoke , made them friends . they carry'd their designs very private , lest being too soon discover'd , they might accelerate their ruin. king alonso , either that he had knowledge of these practices , or else desiring utterly to expel the moors , had no other care but of renewing the war against them . some cities in andaluzia refus'd to submit to him , which he thought to reduce by force . to this effect , pope alexander iv. granted the croisade to all that would serve in that war at their own cost and charges . embassadors were sent to the neighbouring princes to obtain supplies , particularly it was demanded of the king of aragon , that he would give leave to his subjects to take arms in that holy war , as had been agreed by the treaty at soria . the king of aragon neither flatly deny'd , nor fully granted , for he excepted all the nobility , who either depended on him for their estates , or receiv'd his pay ; but he allow'd , that their vassals , and others of the commonalty , might take arms. this old king design'd by these means to secure the nobility , of whose loyalty he was not fully satisfy'd , if they should get into castile . this answer so provok'd king alonso , that he once design'd to turn his forces against aragon , but at last the publick good prevail'd . having taken this resolution , he deliver'd up the castles that had been agreed at soria , to be put into a third hand , by way of caution or security . they were put into the hands of d. alonso lopez de haro , for him to hold in trust , and that he might perform it with freedom , he was absolv'd of his allegiance to castile . the castles were cervera , agreda , aguilar , arnedo and autol. whilst the christians were taken up with these debates , the moors understanding all these preparations were level'd against them , not to lose time , took the castle of murcia , and other places in that neighbourhood , in which were christian garisons . next , they brib'd the moors in sevil , to murder the king , but that design failing , having gather'd forces from all parts , they invaded the christian territories with such fury and success , that on a sudden they recover'd xeres , arcos , bejar , medina sidonia , rhoda and sanlucar . garci gomez , commander of the fort of xerez , gave a most notable testimony of his valour and loyalty , for when all his garison was kill'd or wounded , he could not be prevail'd upon to surrender upon any conditions , tho' there was no hope of relief . the moors admiring so much bravery , even in an enemy , and desiring to save his life , contriv'd with a great iron hook to draw him off the wall , had his wounds carefully dress'd , and gave him his life . king alonso , who was gone to the inward parts of spain to raise men , the following year came down to put a stop to the current of the enemies success . by the way , not far from the ruins of alarcos , where there was a village call'd poçuelo de s. gil , about a league from the river guadiana , in a pleasant and fruitful plain , he founded a large town , and called it villa real . king john ii. of castile , afterwards chang'd it to that of cuidad real , which it still retains . the intent of building this town was to repress the incursions of the moors , and thence to ravage their lands . thence he advanc'd into the enemies country , doing much harm whereever he came . the damage the moors sustain'd in the year . is not to be computed . this year a great number of voluntiers came to the camp , induc'd by a grant from the king , which made all such as serv'd three months every year with horse and arms at their own cost , free from a tax call'd martinjega . the moors perceiving they were no way able to withstand so great a force as was that of the christians , made fresh instances to the king of morocco , pressing hard for relief . their embassadors declared to him the great danger they were in , if not speedily succour'd . that king having heard them , granted their request . he sent them light-horse , who mutinying , put the affairs of the infidels into a worse condition than they were before , to such a degree , that xerez , and all the other towns lately taken by the moors , were again recover'd by the christians . near port s. mary , ( formerly call'd portus muestus ) was built a town of the same name upon the old ruins , which show'd the footsteps of its former grandeur and beauty . in toledo , also the king built the church of s. leocadia , behind the pallace . these things being perform'd in the year . the king return'd to sevil , part of the army was put into winter-quarters , and the rest dismiss'd . fame , which magnifies all things , now gave it out , that the enemy did not only sollicit for supplies and auxiliaries , to be sent them out of africk , but for a compleat army to regain their empire in spain . these rumours perplex'd the castilians and aragonians , who lay most expos'd , and on whom , of necessity that storm must first fall . king alonso fearing the dangerous consequences of this war , sent peter yanez , master of calatrava , his embassador to the king of aragon , to propose to him the joyning of their forces against the common enemy , urging the publick danger , the kindred that was between them , and the honour of the christian religion . the affairs of aragon were not in a peaceable posture , nor had the king's sons laid aside their animosities , the nobles were divided into factions , and the commonalty followed their example . these distractions produced robberies , murders , and all sort of crimes , insomuch , that the cities of aragon , which stand in the mountains , were obliged to institute brotherhoods to supress those out-laws , and by framing new and severe laws , to terrifie those wicked men. the greivousness of the punishments were terrible . indifferent crimes were chastized with death , the least with whipping , or some other shameful penalty . the minds of the nobility were wholly alienated from their king. they complained all honours were bestowed on strangers , or mean people . that their liberties were infringed , and the authority of the justice of aragon , who is to secure the franchises of the people , was diminished . that not only the commonalty , but the nobility were oppressed with taxes . these were the publick complaints . besides these , every man had his private grievance . therefore the king at barcelona , desiring to raise the tax called bovaticum , raymund folch , viscount of cardona , obstinately oppos'd him , affirming , unless the king altred his method of government , he would never give over . he had not stopped here , but that some other men of quality told him it was an unfit season to stir up the people to mutiny , that it was better to wait a fitter opportunity , and not oppose the publick good . at zaragoca , the cortes , or parliament was held , in order to raise money , but most of the nobility oppos'd the king. fernan sanchez , his own son , and simon de vrrea , his father-in-law , were most remarkable in heading the mutiniers . they carry'd it so far as to depart the assembly , and make a league among themselves at alagon , in order to oppose the king. war must have decided these controversies , had not some religious persons interpos'd , and prevail'd with both parties to stand to arbitration . the king himself being a politick prince , refus'd not to redress all that was amiss . a truce was concluded , and the bishops of zaragoca and huesca , were appointed judges , who wisely compos'd all those differences . these tumults appeas'd , forces were rais'd in order to commence the war on that side , in the year . king alonso , with a powerful army , entred the territories of granada . king jayme undertook murcia . all things prov'd easier than had been expected , for i don't find that any succours came over to the infidels out of africk . king jayme entring by the way of valencia into the limits of castile , took villena from the moors , and restor'd it to emanuel , the king of castile's brother , who was his son-in-law , having marry'd his daughter constance . after that he had made himself master of elda , orcelis and elche , and many other towns in that neighbourhood . then passing the river segura , he intercepted a convoy of load of provisions that was going to murcia , under a strong guard. mean while king alonso prosecuted the war so vigorously in granada , that he oblig'd those moors to make humble suit , that the former capitulation might be re-establish'd . the two kings , alonso and jayme , the better to consult about the future operations , had an interview at alcaraz , queen violante was at this conference . after some days spent in taking the necessary measures , they both return'd to the war. the aragonians being provided with all necessaries , march'd from orcelis towards murcia , and invested it in january . that city is seated in a plain , thro' which the river segura runs , the country about is very delightful . the river drawn into small chanels waters the fields and city , which is full of mulbery , citron , orange , and other sorts of trees , which make it look like a terrestial paradise . in our days , the principal trade of that city is silk . at that time it was well fortify'd , and had a strong garison . some sallies were made at first , in which , the besieg'd came off always with loss . in conclusion , the siege had not lasted long before the moors capitulated , and surrendred the place . on the other side , king alonso , at alcala de bençayde , came to an accommodation with the moors of granada , upon the following conditions . that the king of granada break the league with hudiel , king of murcia . that he pay ducats yeatly , as was done before . that king alonso on his part no longer protect the moors of guadix and malaga , provided the moorish king grant them a truce for a year . that the king of murcia , if taken by the christians , have his life spar'd . these articles being sign'd , king alonso hasted to take possession of murcia , after the surrender whereof , king jayme was return'd home . at the town of santistevan , hudiel , king of murcia , met king alonso , and falling at his feet , begg'd pardon for what was past , which was granted , upon condition he should no longer use the stile of king , but be content with such revenues as were assigned him . the title of king was given to mahomet , the brother of that abenhut , who we said above , was kill'd at almeria . only the third part of the king's revenue was allotted him , the rest to be paid to the crown of castile ; this was the end of the war which had held most people in suspence . chap. viii . the kingdom of the normans in sicily , extinguish'd by the french. wars in italy . the empress of constantinople comes into spain . and jayme , king of aragon , to toledo . whilst the war was in andaluzia and murcia , the other parts of spain enjoy'd peace , or there were no considerable troubles , a thing rare among so many princes , and in such a time of popular liberty . only gonçalo yanez baçan , a nobleman of navarre , having by a publick instrument renounc'd his country , with the king of aragon's consent , built a castle he call'd boeta , whence he infested the lands of navarre . s. luis , king of france , at the same time sent to pamplona a piece of the crown of thorns , which was put upon our saviour's head. baldwin , the emperor of constantinople , had pawn'd it to him for a sum of money . in italy , charles , brother to the king of france , slew king manfredus , possess'd himself of all his dominions , and at rome was crown'd king of sicily and naples . the battle was fought near benavente , which put an end to the dominion of the normans , when it had lasted many years in those parts . the new king oblig'd himself to pay ducats every year to the church of rome , as an acknowledgment for that feof , and engag'd not to accept of the empire , tho' offer'd him , without his procurement . king jayme much concern'd at the misfortune of his ally manfredus , study'd how to retrieve that loss . as soon as the war was concluded in murcia , he went to the farthest part of catalonia , to be ready , if there were any means left to restore the remainder of the normans , and possess himself of that kingdom , which he pretended belong'd to his son , in the right of his wife , the only daughter of manfredus . mean while king alonso was busie in setling the affairs of murcia , gathering people to inhabit that country , and building castles for its security . castile could not furnish a sufficient multitude , therefore he brought many out of catalonia to settle there . tho' contrary to the late capitulation , he ceas'd not to relieve the moors of malaga and guadix . the king of granada came himself to murcia , to complain of this wrong , and receiving no satisfactory answer , return'd home worse offended than he came . some nobles , who before were disgusted at king alonso , laid hold of this opportunity , and advis'd the moor to take arms. the chief of these was d. nun̄o gonzalez de lara , a rich and powerful man , who pretended the king had much wrong'd his father d. nun̄o , and d. john , his brother . this was the beginning of new troubles , at such time as the king promising himself a lasting peace , was gone to view the building of villareal . thence he sent embassadors to s. luis , king of france , to demand his daughter blanch in marriage for his eldest son , prince ferdinand . this done , he went to vitoria , where the king of england had appointed to meet him , upon affairs of high concern , yet came not . nevertheless , he sent edward , his son , at such time as king alonso was gone back to burgos . at the same time , the empress of constantinople being drove from her empire , came to confer with the king. baldwin , her husband , and justinian the patriarch , being expell'd greece by michael paleologus , were taken by the way , and fell into the hands of the soldan of aegypt . the empress , whose name was martha , agreed to give marks of silver for his ransome . to gather this great sum , she had recourse to the pope , and king of france , and lastly , coming to burgos , in the year . made her address to the king for only the third part of that sum. the king gave her the whole , which was profuseness rather than liberality , at a time when the royal treasures were quite exhausted . some historians reject this relation , and say baldwin was never taken by the soldan of aegypt . in this , i have follow'd the authority of our histories , tho' i know fame often exceeds the truth . baldwin , the emperor , having recover'd his liberty , and lost his empire , went into france , and thence to namur , which city was his own , where he spent the residue of his life . by a grant made to the knights of calatrava , in the year of our lord . it appears the see of toledo was then vacant , unless , as it often happens , the years therein be mistaken . either this year , or rather some time sooner , sancho , son to jayme , king of aragon , succeeded pascualis , archbishop of toledo . i imagine the new prelate being under age , staid some time in aragon before he came to his church , which might give occasion to some to write that the see was vacant . his father lov'd him tenderly , and therefore about this time came to toledo to see him , as shall presently be related . great wars and confusions were now in italy , for conradin , the suevian , strove by force , and against the will of the pope , to recover his father's dominions . frederick , duke of saxony , accompany'd him out of germany , and henry , brother to the king of castile , went to him from rome , where he was a senator , his birth , as i suppose , supplying his defects . besides these , all the gibellins of italy took up arms for him . with these forces conradin broke into naples , and in abruzzo , near the lake taliacoso , came to a battle with king charles , who was there ready to receive him . the french obtain'd the victory . frederick and henry , were taken in fight , conradin in the pursuit , which was very bloody . conradin and frederick , had their heads cut off at naples ; a hard judgment upon such great princes . at this time another debate arose in aragon , gerard de cabrera pretending to the earldom of vrgel , pleading that his brother alonso's children were not legitimate . raymund folch , their uncle by the mother's side , and other men of note supported them . king jayme seem'd to espouse gerard's quarrel , and that the more , for that he had made over his right to the king , as not able to carry it off himself . the king of granada prepar'd to make war upon guadix and malaga , and was offended that king alonso , contrary to what had been agreed , did underhand support them . d. nun̄o de lara , and d. lope de haro , being disoblig'd by the king , blew the coals . they promis'd the moor , if he would take up arms , not only they , but many other men of note would go over to him . there was some rumour spread abroad of these practices , but there wanted witnesses to prove the fact. this mov'd the king to go into andaluzia . this year the king chang'd the name of the village call'd s. peter de ariznoa , in guipuscoa , into that of vergara , and made it a market-town . the affairs of andaluzia being setled , and winter coming on , king alonso return'd to toledo to entertain his father-in-law , the king of aragon , who came to be present at the first mass of his son d. sancho the archbishop , which was to be celebrated on christmass-day . d. sancho accordingly said mass that day , the two kings of castile and aragon , the queen , and prince ferdinand , being present . king jayme of aragon , staid but days at toledo , being resolv'd , tho' very old , to go over to the war in the holy-land , inflam'd with the desire of restoring the ancient glory of the christians in those parts . a great and valiant prince , worthy to have succeded better than he did in that expedition . chap. ix . the king of aragon 's expedition for the holy-land . the kings of france and navarre , and the eldest son of the king of england , move upon the same enterprize . the nobles of castile revolt . troublesin aragon . the affairs of the christians in the holy-land , were reduc'd to the last extremity now unexpectedly a fair opportunity of restoring their losses offer'd it self , and stirred up at one-time england , france and spain , to take arms. whilst pope innocent iv. held the general council at lyons , in france , he sent four preachers of the holy order of s. dominick , among the tartars , to try whether that barbarous people could be reduc'd to embrace christianity . those preachers were so successful , as to gain reputation among the barbarians , who began to show some affection towards the christian religion . these people had now invaded that part of syria which was under the saracens , and the great cham , their king , sent embassadors to invite most princes of europe to share in that conquest . particularly , he sent embassadors to the king of aragon , with john alaricus of perpegnan , whom the king on account of an embassy , receiv'd before , had sent into tartary . the tartar embassadors staid ar barcelona . alaricus went to toledo , where , in an assembly of the nobles he gave an account of his embassy . king jayme resolv'd to go in person to that war , without regard to his great age , or the intreaties of king alonso , and queen violante . king alonso seeing he was not to be disswaded , promis'd him ducats towards the charge of the war. some nobles of castile offer'd to bear him company , and among them , the master of the knights of santiago , and d. gonçalo pereyra , grand prior of s. john. from toledo , he went to valencia , where he gave audience to the tartars , and also to another embassador from the emperor paleologus , who promis'd to furnish provisions , and all other necessaries . after all things were in readiness , at the request of queen violante his daughter , he went as far as huerta , and there took his leave of her , his sons and grandchildren . on the th of september , in the year . he set sail with a fleet of great ships , and some galleys . the season was not fit for such expeditions . in three days they had sight of minorca , where a violent storm dispers'd the whole fleet , which was drove to several ports . the king was put in at marseilles , and thence remov'd to the gulph of agde , some ships , and among 'em that in which went fernan sanchez , the king's son , weather'd the storm , and arriv'd at acre , in the holy-land . after refreshing himself at montpelier , the king now repenting that he had undertaken that expedition , return'd to catalonia . in castile , king alonso , with edward , son and heir to the king of england , went as far as logrono , to meet his daughter-in-law , who was coming out of france thro' navarre to her husband . this marriage was solemniz'd with greater splendour than was ever seen before , for there were present at it jayme , king of aragon , grandfather to the bridegroom , peter , his eldest son , philip , eldest son to the king of france , edward , son and heir to the king of england , the king of granada , king alonso , his brothers , sons , and uncle alonso , lord of molina . a great number of french , italian and spanish nobility was there , and among them william , marques of montseratte , who , jovius says , was son-in-law to king ferdinand . sancho , archbishop of toledo , was also present , some say he marry'd them . this match was contriv'd that the king of france might quit the pretensions he had to castile , as being the son of blanch , eldest sister to king henry . after the solemnity , king alonso accompany'd the king af aragon as far as tarraçona . the english and french went further than the aragonians in the expedition of the holy-land , but without much success . edward , eldest son to the king of england , with a good fleet arriv'd at ptolemais , and escap'd himself the danger of the assassins . s. luis , king of france , set sail from marseilles on the first of march . theobald , king of navarre , having committed the government to his brother henry , accompany'd s. luis . after a storm they landed at tunez , invested the town , overthrew the infidels twice in the field , and continu'd the siege the space of months . the great heat caus'd the plague , whereof vast numbers dy'd , and among them prince john , the king's son , and lastly , the king himself on the th of august . charles , king of sicily , landing at this juncture , the besieg'd agreed to pay him ducats a year , and then the army went over into sicily . theobald , king of navarre , dy'd there , in the city trapana , on the th of december . the body of s. luis was carry'd to s. denis , near paris ; that of the king of navarre , to champagne . queen elizabeth , his wife , dy'd on the th of april the year following at hiere , in provence , let us return to castile . king alonso at this time was perplex'd with many cares . the ambition of taking upon him the empire of germany had not ceas'd . his nobles were mutinous , and there was a report that the moors of africk made greater preparations against spain than they had ever done before . yet peter martinez the admiral , the last year had taken cadiz from the moors by surprize . there was some difficulty in maintaining that island , and therefore it was restor'd to the king of morocco , whose it was before , by that means to oblige him . king alonso of portugal , sent his son denis , then but years old , to his grandfather the king of castile , to obtain of him that portugal might be independant , he quitting his claim to any homage from that crown . this was propos'd in an assembly of the nobility , and oppos'd by none but d. nun̄o gonzalez de lara , the chief of the malecontents . nevertheless , the king carry'd it , and portugal was made independant . d. nun̄o worse offended than before , conspir'd against the king with d. lope de haro , and prince philip , the king's brother : finding themselves too weak to carry on a rebellion , they sollicited prince henry , who then govern'd navarre , to joyn with them , but he excus'd himself with the absence of the king his brother . being disappointed there , those great men sollicited the kings of portugal and granada , and even the emperor of morocco , to joyn with them in making war upon castile . king alonso was a man of great sence , but more fit for a scholler than a king ; for whilst he study'd the heavens and stars , he lost the earth , and his kingdom . understanding what was in hand , by the information of fernan perez , whom the conspirators endeavour'd to engage to their party ; he was much surpriz'd , and apply'd his thoughts to prevent the mischiefs that threatned . to this effect from murcia , where he then was , he sent henry de arana , his embassador , to endeavour some accommodation with those nobles , who had then assembled themselves at palencia , to prepare for war. he , with the queen , went to valencia , to confer with the king of aragon . that prince , like a wise man , having forseen the storm that threatned castile , had at burgos advis'd king alonso not to proceed in making himself odious to his subjects , and that if he could not reconcile the nobility , he should gain the commonalty and prelates , with whose assistance he might baffle all the designs of the others . at this conference nothing of moment was done . king alonso , nevertheless , was forc'd the next year to return to alicant , to see the king his father-in-law , and desire he would withhold the nobles of aragon from joyning with the rebels of castile , as they intended to do . he also ask'd his advice , for that the king of granada made war upon guadix , and malaga , which affair he ought first to take in hand . king jayme advis'd to observe the treaty made with the moors , but that avail'd nothing , for the king of granada invited by the rebels , entred the christian territories , burning and destroying all before him . a body of african horse , sent by jacob abenjoseph , king of morocco , followed him . hereupon , king alonso orders his son ferdinand , then at sevil , with all the force he could make , to oppose the moors . he himself went to burgos , to try if there were any means left to reduce the rebels . in that city the cortes , or parliament met , all those mutiniers being summoned upon security of their persons , and for their greater safety , the hospital royal without the city , was appointed for that assembly . after several conferences , they were further from any accommodation than before . their passions swel'd to that height , that many renouncing their allegiance , went away to granada , in the year . d. nun̄o de lara , d. lope de haro , and prince philip , were the chief of the conspirators . next to these , ferdinand de castro , lope de mendoça , giles de roa , roderick de saldan̄a , besides a vast number of inferior persons . at their departure they burnt towns , and wasted the country in token of their malice . the king made hast to toledo , thence to almagro , and despairing of reducing the rebels , endeavoured to appease the king of granada . it this did not succeed , he resolved to make war upon him with the greatest force he could gather . whilst these things were acting in castile , philip , king of france , son to s. luis , added poitiers and toulouze to his crown by inheritance . not long after , he expelled roger bernard , earl of faux , because he would not stand to judgment . this had like to have caus'd a war betwixt france and aragon , because that earldom was a feof of the latter . the wisdom of king jayme prevented it , for he persuaded the earl to submit himself to the king of france , and so the dispute ended . there were some apprehensions of troubles within the kingdom . peter , the king 's eldest son , being offended at ferdinand sanchez , his bastard brother , for that in his return from the holy-land , he had been nobly entertain'd by charles , king of sicily , and he suspected they had contriv'd something prejudicial to the kingdom . ferdinand was at burriana , thither peter came with a number of soldiers , and ransack'd the whole house . mean while ferdinand , and his wife aldonça , made their escape . from this beginning , greater troubles arose , the nobility being divided between the two brothers , with such heat , that ferdinand's party doubted not to raise war against the king himself . all the effect was that the viscount of cardona , and other great men , lost their estates . ferdinand sanchez being taken by his brother in the castle of pomar , was strangled , and cast into the river cinga . the head being taken off , the other conspirators were soon subdued . but the death of fernan sanchez hap'ned three years later . he left a young son , from whom the family of castro , in aragon descends . to roger lauria , king jayme gave an estate in valencia , because he had accompany'd his daughter-in-law from the furthest parts of italy . this gentleman proved a great commander , especially by sea. a truce was concluded for many years with henry , now king of navarre , his brother theobald dying without issue . the king of aragon pretended a right to navarre , but finding his own subjects inclinable to rebel , thought good to agree with the foreigners , lest they should joyn with his people against him . chap. x. rodulphus of ausburg , chosen emperor . henry , king of navarre dies , his daughter joanna inherits . alonso , king of castile , agrees with his nobles , then goes into france to plead for the empire , before the pope , and returns re infecta . king alonso ardently desired to go over into germany to take possession of the empire , and the more , for that richard , his competitor being dead , the electors were about choosing another . this moved him to prepare for that journey . the wiser sort said , it were better to settle the kingdom at home . vain men advised to carry an army to subdue all that should oppose him in germany . being resolved upon this expedition , he determined at any rate to compound with the moors of granada , and his own nobles . mean while , alhamar , king of granada , died , at the beginning of the year . he was a man of courage and conduct . some differences arose about the succession , but that party prevail'd with which the outlaws of castile joyned , and mahomet miralmutio leminio , eldest son to the deceas'd , was proclaimed king. tho' this prince was naturally an enemy to christians , and many advised him to war ; yet because he was not well setled in his kingdom , king alonso hop'd to conclude a peace . besides , several of the revolted nobles began to slacken in their demands , particularly , ferdinand de castro , and roderick de saldan̄a , upon a safe-conduct , came to the cortes , held at avila . at the same time in germany they proceeded to an election , and rodulphus , earl of ausburg , was by the unanimous consent of the electors chosen emperor . all the opposition king alonso's embassadors , then at francfort , could make , availed nothing . the cortes at avila being broken up , king alonso went to requena , to consult with the king , his father-in-law , about the carrying on the war against the moors . there he was seized with a dangerous sickness , and because nothing succeeded to his mind , thought good to try whether a peace could be concluded by the means of the queen , and d. sancho the archbishop . they two went immediately to cordova to set the treaty on foot . to pope gregory x. the king sent aymarus , a dominican , and ferdinand de zamora , his chancellor , who before the pope , pleaded the illegality of rodulphus's election . ferdinand , bishop of oviedo , was sent to the electors upon the same errand . all these embassies took no effect . but in the following year . the pope holding a general council at lyons , fredulus was sent with the legantine power into spain , and orders to offer king alonso the tenth of the ecclesiastical revenues , for carrying on the war against the moors , provided he would give over his vain pretensions to the empire , and not disturb the peace of the church . mean while , king henry of navarre , overgrown with fat , died at pamplona , on the d of july . by his wife joanna , daughter to robert , earl of artois , the brother of s. luis ; he left one only daughter , called like her mother , joanna , who succeeded him in the kingdom , tho' but three years of age. this was the original of new troubles , and the cause that the kingdom of navarre was annexed to france . fredulus , his embassy was not ungrateful to king alonso , who answered he would entirely refer himself to the pope . whereupon , his holiness in open consistory , confirmed the election of rodulphus , and wrote accordingly to all christian princes . he also ordered rodulphus to prepare to go into italy , in order to be crowned . king jayme , tho' old , went to the council at lyons , and returned thence dissatisfied with the pope , because he refused to crown him , unless he would pay the tribute agreed by his father , king peter , as has been said before . mean while , the king of granada , and rebellious nobles of castile , by the queen's mediation were reconciled to king alonso . all their demands were granted to the nobles the king of granada was ordered to pay maravedies of gold yearly , and a great sum of ready money . besides , because king alonso had taken guadix and malaga , into his protection , a truce for a year was concluded between them , and the king of granada . gonzalo ruys de atiença , was then a great man , and the king's favourite , who had a great hand in this accommodation . the king of granada , and the nobles , with prince ferdinand , set out from cordova , and were kindly received by king alonso , at sevil. things being thus setled , the army of castile , under the command of prince ferdinand , and by his father's order , moved towards navarre , to conquer that kingdom . king jayme having made over his title to that kingdom to his eldest son peter , sent him to gain the good will of the people of navarre , who naturally were more inclinable to the aragonians than the castillians . neither the policy of aragon , nor the arms of castile prevailed , for the queen , retired into france with her daughter , under the protection of that king. prince ferdinand attacked viana , and being repulsed , took mendavia , and other small towns. all things proved more difficult than had been expected , notwithstanding no army appeared to oppose him , and the nobility of that kingdom was divided into several factions . most inclinable to the aragonians , but chiefly armengaud , bishop of pamplona , and pero sanchez de montagudo , governour of the kingdom . peter , prince of aragon , came as far as sos , a town on the borders of both kingdoms , there he pleaded his title to the crown , or at least demanded marks of silver , which king theobald not long before had agreed to pay . a treaty being set on foot , the nobility proposed a match betwixt the young lady heiress of the crown , and prince peter , who was to have the kingdom in dower with her . in case that match should be disappointed , they engaged to pay the prince marks towards the charge of the war they were to make with joynt forces against castile , in case that king persisted to molest them . these articles were agreed on at olite , in november . king alonso being resolved to take a journey into france , held the cortes , or parliament at toledo , that all things being setled , he might set forwards . the government of the kingdom he left to his son ferdinand , to several noblemen he gave posts of honour , and made d. nun̄o de lara , general of the frontiers against the moors . the cortes breaking up , the king and queen , their younger children , and emanuel , the king's brother , about the end of the year set forwards . their journeys were short , by reason of the greatness of the retinue . they went to valencia , then to tortosa , then to tarragona , where king jayme waited to entertain them . they kept christmass at barcelona , and there began the year . both kings were present at the funeral of f. raymund de pen̄afuerte , a dominican , and person of singular piety . this same year died d. pelayo perez correa , master of the knights of santiago , very aged , and famous for his great exploits . his body was buried at talavera , in the church of s. james the apostle , which is in the suburb , as the people of that town affirm . others say at s. mary de tudia , a church built by him at the foot of sierra morena , in memory of a great victory obtained there by him over the moors . which was so remarkable , that the people gave out the sun had stood as at joshua's command . they also say , that church at first was called of tentudia , from the words the master said to the mother of god , which were sen̄ora ten tu dia , that is to say , lady hold thy day . fear makes one hour look like many , and many things are feigned , or fancied in danger which never hap'ned . king jayme no way approved of his son-in-law king alonso's journey , and endeavoured all he could to dissuade him from prosecuting of it . king alonso would not give ear to any advice . therefore leaving his queen and children at perpignan , in the spring he passed thro' france as far as belcayre , in provence , where the pope having dismissed the council , had appointed to meet him . there the king on the day appointed , before the pope and cardinals , made a long harangue in vindication of his right to the empire . the pope in few words answered to all his pretensions , intreating him , if still he thought himself any way wronged , for the love of god , and for his sake to put it up , since it concerned the peace and quietness of all christendom . then the pope being a meek man , and understanding how to appease generous spirits , embraced and kissed him . thus that pretension was given over . yet he set up other new ones . he pleaded a title to suevia , since the death of conradin , as being descended by the mothers side from the princes of that country , and said rodulphus , besides taking the empire from him , did him wrong in usurping that country . besides , he urged , that he had an ancient right to the kingdom of naples , and that the french acted unjustly in seizing that kingdom , which they could pretend to title to , but that of a forcible possession . to conclude , he demanded that the pope would order his brother henry to be set at liberty , because charles , king of sicily , excused himself , pretending it was not the will of the pope that he should be released . the pope and cardinals being deaf to all these , as he thought just demands , he stormed with passion . in fine , towards the end of summer , and beginning of autumn , he departed out of france much offended at the pope . being returned into spain , he ceased not to take the title of emperor , and use the imperial robes , till the archbishop of sevil , by order from the pope , obliged him with ecclesiastical censures to desist . the tenth of church revenues was granted him towards carrying on the war against the moors . this was the original of the custom of making use of the church revenues in castile . and this was all that king alonso profited by that troublesome journey , made in hopes of obtaining the empire . the end of book xiii . the history of spain . the fourteenth book . chap. i. the king of morocco passes over into spain ; the war with the moors , the christians twice defeated , death of prince ferdinand the heir of castile , troubles in navarre betwixt the natives and the french. jacob abenjoseph king of morocco having now obtain'd the empire of all africk , and understanding andaluzia was left defenceless by king alonso's departure into france , was dubious whether he should invade spain , and revenge the losses sustain'd by his nation , or whether he had not better stay at home and settle his new accquir'd dominions . an embassy that came to him out of spain , soon put him out of this doubt . mahomet king of granada having more regard to his profit than the oath he had taken , was no sooner gone from sevil , but he began to meditate how to possess himself of all andaluzia . considering of himself he was not able to deal with the christians , notwithstanding the absence of king alonso , he resolv'd to invite the king of morocco , then a famous and potent prince , to his aid . the king of morocco overcome by the perswasions of the spanish-moor , resolv'd upon the war in spain . he rais'd men , gather'd ships , horses , and arms ; and made all manner of preparations throughout his dominions . nothing troubl'd him so much as want of money , and the care of keeping his design private , lest the christians being inform'd thereof should be provided to receive him . to remedy his want , and colour his intentions ; he sent embassadors to the king of aragon to borrow money of him , upon pretence of making war against a powerful moor , who had rebell'd at ceuta . fame spread abroad what he endeavour'd to conceal : therefore neither the king of aragon sent him mony , nor did the castilians neglect providing to oppose him . true it is , things were carry'd on slowly because king alonso was absent , and prince ferdinand stay'd at burgos , after taking a progress through the kingdom . the african moor sent officers to take possession of algezira and tarifa , which as had been agreed between them were to be deliver'd to him by the king of granada , as cautionary towns. there he landed a vast number of africans . the horse are said to be , the number of foot not known ; but proportionabe to so great an undertaking . the first care was to reconcile the moors among themselves , so those of malaga and guadiz came to agreement with the king of granada . at malaga they held their council of war , where it was resolv'd to divide the army into two parts , that the multitude might the better subsist , and the christian territories be the more endamag'd . thus the king of morocco undertook the country about sevil , he of granada that of jaen . d. nun̄o de lara was general of the frontiers , who with all speed sent to prince ferdinand for supplies , whilst he gathering what forces he could , put himself into ezija , a strong place , by which the king of morocco must of necessity pass . a great number of gentry resorted to him from the neighbouring parts ; whereby finding himself strong , lest the enemy should take courage at his shunning them , he resolv'd to hazard a battle : at first the christians seem'd to have the better , but the multitude at last prevailing , were put to flight . d. nun̄o himself with horse , and foot were slain in the fight . those that escaped fled to the city which was near . d. nun̄o's head was sent of a present to the king of granada , which was not very pleasing to him , remembring his former friendship , and how by his means he had obtained the crown . therefore he sent it to cordova to be buried with the body . this misfortune which happen'd in may , struck a great terror into all the kingdom . some comfort it was that the enemy , tho' victorious , could not enter ezija ; yet another disaster follow'd . sancho arch-bishop of toledo , having heard this sad news , gather'd all the gentry he could about toledo , madrid , guadalaxara , and talavera and march'd in all hast towards andaluzia . the moors of granada destroy'd all the lands of jaen , without sparing man or beast . these the arch-bishop attacks with more heat than prudence , contrary to the opinions of the wisest , who advis'd to expect d. lope de haro , who was upon his march to joyn them with a good body of men. near martos on the st of october , they fought and were easily vanquish'd , not only by reason of the disparity of number , but also because the christians were raw , and the infidels disciplin'd souldiers . the rout was shameful , the dead but few for so remarkable a victory . d. sancho the arch-bishop was taken , and the two moorish kings being at variance about which of them he belong'd to , atar lord of malaga run him through with his sword , saying , there was no reason such men should fall out about that dog. the arch-bishop's head and left hand , were cut off . this disaster was so much the more to be lamented , for that the enemy in that fight might have been utterly overthrown had the christians expected till d. lope de haro could joyn them ; for he coming up soon after with only his own forces oblig'd the moors to retire ; but could not totally defeat them , because night came on . the body , head , and hand of the arch-bishop being ransom'd at a great rate , were bury'd in the royal chappel of toledo , where lay alonso the emperour , and his son sancho . ferdinand abbot of covarrubias succeeded in the archbishoprick , and he having after six months resign'd it , because the pope would not confirm his election , the pope made choice of d. gonzalo , the second of the name , who had been bishop of cuenca first , and then of burgos . he is said to have been a cardinal , and dyed in the year . this unhappy year we now write of , was yet more remarkable for the death of prince ferdinand . he dyed at villareal where he had appointed the rendezvous of all the forces . his body was bury'd at huelgas , and his death caus'd no less grief at present , than it afterwards produc'd troubles , his brother sancho pretending the crown of right appertain'd to him , as second son to king alonso then living , notwithstanding prince ferdinand by his wife the lady blanch , left two sons call'd alonso and ferdinand , whom at the time of his death , he recommended to d. john de lara eldest son to d. nun̄o de lara . prince sancho being a youth of good conduct made head against the moors and put a stop to their proceedings . he garison'd all strong places , and avoided giving battle , by that means gaining time for the fury of the infidels to spend it self . the moors of valencia encouraged by the success of the others , and despising king jayme who was grown old , revolted , notwithstanding prince peter was upon the borders of murcia wasting the lands of almeria with a good body of men. navarre was no better setled at that time . philip king of france , having contracted joanna the heiress of navarre to his son philip who succeeded him , and was called the fair , made stephen de belmarc a french-man viceroy of navarre , taking that imployment from peter de montagudo . a stranger , had not sufficient authority to quell the tumults that then were in the kingdom , and peter de montagudo offended that he had been removed from that post joyning with garcia almoravides who had always favour'd the castilians , they both headed the mutineers . within the city pamplona the two factions came to blows . such was their cruelty that they burnt the ripe-corn , and dash'd out the brains of children , but the french had the worst of it . peter de montagudo inclining afterwards to the french party , either for the sake of peace or some other cause , was kill'd by his own people . a man unworthy that hard fate for his many virtues . chap. ii. three popes dye in one year . prince sancho of castile contrives to vsurp that crown from his nephews . the death of jayme king of aragon , and of alonso of portugal . peter succeeds the first , and denis the latter . the following year was remarkable for the death of three popes , which were gregory the xth , innocent the vth , and adrian the vth. innocent held it but five months and two days , and a●rian only thirty seven days . john the one and twentieth succeeded him , he was born at lisbon , and a great scholar as appears by his writings . in the ninth month of his pontificate he was kill'd at viterbo by the fall of the roof of the room where he was ; nicholas the iii. was his successor . at this same time in castile were sowed the seeds of a civil war , which prov'd lasting and destructive . prince sancho us'd all means to gain the affections of the nobility and people , which the king his father had utterly lost . his journey into france had increas'd their discontent . the people was desirous of novelties , and the nobles were well dispos'd to rebel . d. lope de haro , a man in great power was reconcil'd at cordova to prince sancho . a truce was concluded with the moors for two years . this done the king of morocco pass'd over into africk . prince sancho with great speed went to toledo upon pretence of visiting his father , then newly return'd from france . his chief design was to have the succession settled upon himself with the consent of the king and nobility . d. lope de haro undertook to propose this affair , which highly displeas'd king alonso , both for that they urg'd the succession whilst he was yet living , and because he thought it a great wrong to exclude his grand-children . however by the advice of his brother prince emanuel , then a great friend to prince sancho , it was resolv'd the cortes or parliament should meet at segovia to determine this affair . their judgment was given in behalf of prince sancho , in which doubtless regard was had to the peace of the kingdom which he would otherwise never have ceas'd to disturb . in aragon king jayme us'd all his endeavours to quell the moors by policy , or if that fail'd , to apply force . to this purpose he march'd through valencia , and in several rencounters , sometimes the one , sometimes the other party had the better . whilst the king was at xativa his forces were so intirely cut off at luxen , that from that day which was tuesday , the people began to account tuesday an unlucky day . garci ruiz de açagra , son to peter de açagra lord of albarazin was slain in that fight , and the head-commendary of the knights templers taken . the king griev'd at this loss and being very much broken with continual labour left the charge of the war to his son prince poter and was carry'd away sick to algezira a town in valencia . there being given over by the physicians , he resign'd up the kingdom to his son giving him much wholesome advice . then he put on the habit of s. bernard , intending to spend what remain'd of life in the monastery of poplete , where he would also be buryed . his sickness gave him not so much leisure , he dy'd at valenica on the th of july . his fame will be immortal not only for his great war-like exploits , but also for his piety , since authors assirm that he built churches , i suppose he caus'd most of them to be consecrated , having taken them from the moors . for martial affairs he may be compar'd to the most renowned antient commanders , having fought thirty pitched battles with the moors , and been victorious in them all , whereby he obtained the name of conquerour . he reigned sixty three years , and somewhat blemish'd his good name by his incontinency . by queen violante he had , peter , jayme , sancho the arch-bishop , elizabeth queen of france , violante queen of castile , constance marryed to prince emanuel , and mary and elenor who dyed young . this was his lawful issue . by d. teresa egidia vidaura he had , d. jayme lord of exerica , and peter lord of ayerve , both whom at his death he declared legitimate , and appointed to succeed in case queen violante's children left no heirs . by another woman of the house of antillon he had fernan sanchez , who we said above was killed by his brother . by berengaria fernandez , he had another son called peter fernandez , to whom he gave the house of ixar . from them all are descended noble families in the kingdom of aragon . it is remarkable that after his four sons which he declared legitimate , he appointed the heirs male of his daughters violante , constance and elizabeth to succeed , excluding the mothers themselves and all other women from ever inheriting the crown of aragon . he charg'd his son to expel all the moors the kingdom , as being a people never to be trusted . prince peter tho' his father were dead took not immediately the name of king , but stil'd himself heir of the kingdom till such time as he was crown'd at zaragoça , which was on the th of november after the troubles of valencia were appeas'd . the queen also was crown'd , and the nobility took an oath to prince alonso the new king's son as heir apparent of the crown . to d. jayme the late king 's younger son were given the islands of majorca and minorca , with the title of king as his father had order'd . he had also the earldom of rusillon and mompellier in france . this prince had three sons , sancho , ferdinand , and philip. the division of the kingdom caus'd disgusts between the two brothers which at length broke out into open war. d. jayme complain'd that the kingdom of valencia had been taken from him , and he left a homager to his brother , thus his ambition push'd him on to his ruin , and he never gave over till stripp'd of all his dominions . navarre was nothing quieter than the rest of spain . philip king of france having taken upon him the charge of that kingdom resolv'd to go thither in person , with a sufficient army to compose those distractions . the weather was unseasonable , the pyrenean mountains cover'd with snow , and great want of provisions . which difficulties caus'd him to return home himself ; yet he sent forward charles earl of arras with the most and best of the army . this was a person of great authority as being uncle to queen joanna , and therefore his presence was of great use . the contrary faction being worsted by the french near a town call'd reniega , retir'd to that quarter of pamplona call'd maverreria , the french still pursuing and pressing upon them . therefore garcia de almoravides the head of those people with all his friends and kindred in the dark night got through the enemies centinels and fled out of the kingdom . some of them setled in cerdagne , where their posterity remains to this day . pamplona was taken and fired . such as remain'd terrify'd with this punishment submitted themselves ; others that were fled being summon'd to appear and answer for themselves , upon contempt were in absence attainted of high treason . the french general having quieted the kingdom , went into castile and was nobly entertained by king alonso , with whom being somewhat familiar , the king said , he wanted not intelligence from the french court of such as were near about that king and revealed his secrets . this , whether true or false brought broquiol the french king's chamberlain into suspicion , which was increas'd by letters of his to king alonso written in cyphers , intercepted by his enemies , and at last cost him his head. da. violante queen of castile seeing her grand-children slighted , and prince sancho prefer'd before them , and not thinking her self safe resolv'd to fly , and to that purpose perswaded her brother the king of aragon to come to the monastery of huerta upon pretence of visiting him there . with the queen were her grand-children , and all together went into aragon . king alonso when he understood her design indeavour'd to prevent it , but too late . no misfortune could have troubled him more than this did , therefore he vented his passion upon those he thought had any hand in the queens departure . he caus'd his brother prince frederick and simon ruiz de haro lord of cameros to be apprehended . the court was full of discord and many favour'd the king's grand-children . simon ruyz was burnt at trevizo by prince sancho his order ; he also caus'd prince fredrick's head to be cut off , which drew on him much hatred , especially for that they were executed without being try'd . embassadors pass'd between the two kings . he of castile demanded his wife should be sent back , and the election of d. sancho allow'd . the king of aragon excus'd himself saying , that business was not yet fully determin'd , and that all persons found protection in his kingdom , much more a sister . these differences were so heightn'd , that it was thought the king of aragon would have made war upon castile , had not the moors of valencia rebell'd and taken montesa , relying upon the king of morocco . but those tumults were quell'd sooner than was expected , for the moors seeing no succours came from africk delivered up to the king montesa and many other castles they had , in the month of august . now king alonso was come from burgos to sevil and thence sent a great force to besiege algezira by sea and land. prince peter the king's son undertook to subdue that city , but he return'd with shame having lost many men , and our fleet being ill mann'd was destroy'd by the king of morocco . our army dispers'd . some say the king of morocco then built another algezira , not far from the former . the body of king jayme of aragon was deposited near the high altar of the cathedral church of valencia , and thence in the summer translated to the monastery of poblete . both the kings of castile and france , were equally concern'd about the departure of qu. violante , he of castile fearing lest the children should be carryed into france , where they were sure of protection , and he of france lest they should fall into the hands of their uncle , where their lives were in danger , or at least , their liberty was certainly lost . solemn embassies were sent from both princes upon this score to the king of aragon , who at length resolv'd that queen violante should return to her husband , and that the two princes should remain in aragon , where they were secur'd in the castle of xativa . this resolution troubled the lady blanch their mother , seeing them depriv'd of liberty , where she expected they should have been protected . hereupon she went away to aragon , and not obtaining any thing of that king pass'd over into france to perswade the king her brother to make war upon castile and aragon , unless they comply'd with her reasonable demands . the kingdom of navarre which the french then possess'd , lying so opportunely to infest castile and aragon mov'd that king and prince sancho to appoint a conference at a place between requena and bun̄ol . there they met on the fourteenth of sept. , and laying aside all former animosities concluded a league . after the conference the king of aragon went away to catalonia , then in an uproar caus'd by the nobility . armengaud de cabrera , son to alvaro de cabrera , to whom the king not long before had given the earldom of vrgel , was the great incendiary . the king besieg'd balaguer , the chief city of that earldom , and in it took armengaud himself , and his uncle roger bernard , and some other lords , whom he long kept prisoners , especially the earl of faux , who had rebell'd several times . thus the troubles of catalonia ended , prince sancho of castile went to badajoz , whither his father was gone from sevil , to endeavour to make peace between his grandson , denis king of portugal , and alonso that kings brother , whom he labour'd by force to deprive of the possessions his father had left him . king alonso of portugal , father to denis , dyed at lisbon the beginning of this same year . he liv'd years , reigned . and was buried in the monastery of s. dominick , built by himself in that city . prince sancho having seen his father , was sent away to make new levies throughout the whole kingdom , in order to march against the king of granada , who was then taken up in building the palace of that city call'd alhambra , an excellent structure , which cost much mony , that king being no less skill'd in works of that nature than in military affairs . what pretence there was for this war , i know not , but suppose he was not included in the late treaty made with the king of morocco . denis the king of portugal , either that he confided not in his grandfather , or fearing he was more inclinable to his brother , tho he came as far as yelves , which is but three leagues from badajoz , on a sudden turn'd back and went away . king alonso in a great rage , to be so disappointed , return'd to sevil. at this time conrade lança admiral of aragon , with a fleet of ten galleys , scour'd the coasts of africk , particularly of tunez and tremezen , because they refus'd to pay the tribute agreed upon some years before . a certain author affirms , this expedition was undertaken to restore mirabusar , expell'd his kingdom of tunez by his brother . all agree , a great booty was taken by the aragonians ; and that at the streights of gibraltar they defeated ten galleys of the king of morocco , taking some , and sinking others . the king of aragon at valencia , where he commonly resided , gave a grant of the lordship of segorve to his bastard son d. jayme about the month of november . chap. iii. the practices of prince sancho . he rebels against his father . the king of morocco comes to aid king alonso : returns home , leaving a thousand horse to serve under him . king alonso disinherits , and curses his son prince sancho . in castile the affection the people bore prince sancho daily increas'd , and many believ'd when he was once well rid of his nephews , he would ease his father of the burden of the crown . his father suspected nothing less than such a design . prince sancho in the spring of the year . march'd with the army he had rais'd , to the frontiers about jaen , and being there recruited with forces sent by his father from sevil , entred the territories of granada , where he burnt all the country as far as that city , and then return'd with a great number of cattle and captives to cordova , and thence bore his father company to sevil. this success endear'd him more to the people , which was what he chiefly aim'd at , to secure the succession to the crown . philip k. of france sent embassadors to demand , that his nephews should be set at liberty , and deliver'd up to him ; and in case fair means would not prevail , to threaten war. nothing being concluded , it was agreed the three kings upon sufficient security given , should meet , and commune together . all the kings set forward , but they met not ; for prince sancho cunningly broke off that interview , fearing his father , who was inclinable to his grandchildren , might conclude something that might be prejudicial to him . however it was agreed , that charles prince of taranto , son to the king of sicily , should carry the messages between the kings ; yet all came to nothing , prince sanoho undermining their designs . the french only ask'd , that prince alonso should have the city jaen given him with the title of king , and to hold of the crown of castile . after this disappointment the kings of aragon and france met about the same affair , and with the same success , only the king of france took an oath , he would resign the lordship of mompellier , to which he had pretended a right , to jayme king of majorca . prince sancho was extreamly pleas'd that he had disappointed all the designs of those kings , yet fear'd his fathers love towards those children ; and there wanted not some , who incensed king alonso against his son. therefore the prince resolv'd to strengthen himself with foreign aids , and to that purpose procur'd an interview between his father , the king of aragon and himself at a town call'd campillo between agreda and taraçona on the th of march . at this conference a league offensive and defensive was established between the two kings , upon penalty of pound weight of silver to him that first broke it . palaçuela , teresa , xera , and ayola were now given to the king of aragon , and in lieu of them to prince emanuel the king's brother , whose those places were , escalona was given . this is what was publickly acted : in private they concluded with jont forces to invade navarre , and agreed what part each was to have when conquer'd . prince sancho obtain'd , that the young princes his nephews , should be secur'd in the castle of xativa ; and the more to oblige the king of aragon , he promised after his fathers death , to yield him up all the kingdom of navarre ; and to give him in castile , the town of requena , with all its dependencies , which lies on the borders of valencia towards murcia . he valu'd not what promises he made to secure his power . d. john nun̄ez de lara , a powerful man , was then lord of albaracin , having marry'd the daughter and heiress of d. alvaro de açagra , the son of peter rodriguez de açagra , both lords of that city . thence he made inroads into both the kingdoms of castile and aragon , carrying away much booty , and gave protection to all those that fled to him on account of any crimes whatsoever . particularly d. lope diaz de haro a mighty lord , being offended at king alonso and prince sancho for the death of prince frederick and the lord of cameros , was retir'd thither . the king of aragon and prince sancho consulted at taraçona about taking that city , and expelling d. john de lara . king alonso went to burgos to celebrate the neptials of his two sons peter and john. peter marry'd a daughter of the lord of narbonne , and john the daughter of the earl of monferrat . spain at present seem'd quiet , but a great storm hung over it . the jealousies between king alonso and his son prince sancho , at length broke out into open war. it troubled the king to see himself slighted by reason of his age , and his subjects gaping after innovation . therefore to gain reputation , he gather'd forces ; and tho weak with age and troubles , ravag'd all the country of the moors . nothing perplex'd him so much as want of mony : to redress this he coin'd a new sort , not so weighty nor pure as what was in use . this increas'd the hatred of the people , who gave out , that he had no regard to justice ; and that many had their estates confiscated upon forg'd crimes . fredulus bishop of oviedo , a french man by birth , was now sent by the king embassador into france ; the pretence was , to visit king philip , and by his means obtain of the pope the croisade , for all such as would serve against the moors at their own cost . but the real design was to treat about setting the king's grandsons at liberty . prince sancho was not ignorant of this practice , and therefore to secure himself , went away to cordova , and made a league with the moorish king of granada , remitting him two thirds of the tribute he paid , the more to gain his good will. besides , the nobility of spain before disgusted with the king for his great severity , declar'd for the prince . these things were in hand about the beginning of the year . the same year in august , the marriage between king denis of portugal , and elizabeth , eldest daughter to the king of aragon , was solemnized at the town of trancoso . this is that queen elizabeth , who for her great virtue is enrolled among the saints , and her feast celebrated in that kingdom . king denis without respect to his uncle , openly made a league with prince sancho . king alonso , to the end he might quiet his son , and the nobility , without bloodshed , summon'd the cortes , or parliament , to toledo ; and to prevent disorders , provided sufficiently for his own safety . prince sancho on the other side , summons them to valladolid ; and thither the greatest number resorted . here he marry'd mary the daughter of alonso , lord of molina , his third cousin , and by her had ferdinand the eldest , and other children . every thing was done in that assembly that the nobility desir'd ; for prince sancho to oblige them refus'd nothing , but promis'd much more . new employments were constituted , and new laws enacted . by these means , not only the nobles , but the commonalty were drawn into rebellion , and some in that confusion saluted prince sancho king , calling him father of his country , and all other names given to sovereigns . he positively refus'd that title whilst his father liv'd , and nevertheless the heat was such , that prince emanuel d. sancho's uncle , in the name of all the nobility publickly in open assembly , depos'd king alonso from the government . this was a just judgment of providence for his presumption , in daring to find fault with the works of god , as has been deliver'd to us by tradition . he is also said to have foreseen by his skill in astrology this misfortune ; and that this foresight made him cruel , which hasten'd what he apprehended . king alonso thus forsaken by his subjects , apply'd himself to the king of morocco for supplies of men and mony , sending him his crown , which was of great value , in pawn . alonzo de guzman lord of sanlucar , was at that time in morocco , and much in favour with that prince ; to him king alonso writ a very submissive letter , desiring he would intercede with the moorish king to grant his request . that king hoping to make his advantage of the discord among the christians , did more than was ask'd of him . he came over to algezira , and had a meeting with king alonso at zahara . great compliments passed between them , and king alonso had the upper hand given him , not only as a stranger , but because he was descended from kings , whereas the moor had gain'd his kingdom , as he himself urg'd . here they consulted how to carry on the war , since there were no hopes of peace . sevil held for king alonso , cordova for prince sancho his son. this city the moors undertook to besiege , and king alonso joyn'd them with what forces he had ; but the place being well provided with all necessaries , after days spent before it , they rais'd the siege . thence at the instance of king alonso , the moors pass'd sierra morena , advanc'd as far as montiel , and having plunder'd all the country , return'd with their booty to ezija . thither king alonso came , but went away privately , being inform'd the moor designed to secure him , whether true or false , is not known . certain it is , that king highly resented his honour should be brought in question , and so went over into africk . yet he left king alonso horse that had long serv'd him . hernan ponce commanded this body , and 't is said of them , that meeting of the enemies horse near cordova , they charg'd so furiously , that they broke , and put them to flight . such was their extraordinary valour . at sevil king alonso in a solemn assembly , disinherited his son sancho , and pour'd out many curses upon him . that prince regarded not his fathers curses , but renew'd the league with the king of granada , and made all manner of preparations about cordova , putting the army into winter quarters in that neighbourhood . chap. iv. the conspiracy of john prochita in sicily , against the french ; and slaughter of them call'd the sicilian vespers . kings of france and aragon at war about sicily . castile and aragon under an interdict at the same time . this year was memorable , not only for the wrongs done to king alonso , but also for the famous conspiracy of john prochita . he had been lord of the island prochita , on the coast of sicily ; a man of great parts , much a friend to king manfredus , and since his overthrow , fearing the french , fled to aragon . there he was honourably entertain'd by the two kings , jayme and his son peter , and had large revenues given him . the gibellines at that time oppress'd by the french , had cast their eyes on the king of aragon for protection . charles , king of sicily and naples , kept all italy , and even the city of rome , in subjection , and refus'd to release beatrix , the daghter of manfredus , and sister to constance queen of aragon . john prochita laid hold of these disgusts between those princes and great men , and hoped to improve them to the recovering of his estate . in order to it , he went in disguise to constantinople , and inform'd the emperor paleologus , how charles king of sicily , with the power of the french , intended to deprive him of the empire , and restore baldwin , whose daughter he had marry'd . the emperor , tho convinc'd that what prachita told him was true , would not openly declare himself , but promis'd under-hand , to assist the king of aragon in his pretensions , with a great sum of mony. this done , prochita returns into italy , where he gave the pope an account of his negotiation , and then went into sicily , to stir the people there to rebel . such was the security of the french , and the secrecy of the conspirators , that nothing was discover'd . at this time dy'd pope nicholas , and martin the ivth native of tours , succeeded him . this pope was wholly devoted to king charles , and to oblige him , excommunicated the greek emperor . besides , he refused to canonize raymund of penafuerte , which the king of aragon solicited for , pretending that nothing ought to be granted him , whilst he refused to pay the tribute he ow'd to the church of rome , but instead thereof he recall'd the grant of the tenths of ecclesiastical revenues , which his predecessors had made to king jayme , father to him now reigning . what might have terrify'd the aragonian , made him the more eager ; and therefore he furnish'd a mighty fleet on the coast of aragon , giving out , it was to go over into africk , where two sons of the king of tunez , who was deposed by conrade lança , were at variance about the cities of constantina and bugia . this was given out , but his real design was against sicily . the popes and king of france's embassadors , pressing to know the intent of those preparations , as being both concern'd for king charles , the king of aragon in a passion answer'd , if he thought his shirt knew his design , he would take it off and burn it . the grecian emperor according to promise , sent a considerable sum of mony. the conspiracy of the sicilians was put in execution at the holiest time of the year , to wit , on the st . of march , being easter tuesday , when the french were most secure , being wholly bent upon sports and pastimes . at the time when the bells rung to vespers or evensong , all the french throughout the whole island were massacred ; and thence came the proverb of the sicilian vespers . besides , the sicilians seiz'd upon all the fleet provided in the ports of that island against the grecian emperor , then declar'd an enemy by the pope . this is the most receiv'd relation of that memorable action . yet others affirm , it began at palermo , where a french man offering to search a woman for arms , the people laid hold of that occasion to rise , and kill all the french in the city , castle and country , without sparing either age or sex , insomuch that they slew such women as they thought to be with child by them , that none of the race might remain . the city of palermo was plunder'd , as if an enemy had entred it . all other towns follow'd the example of palermo . only mecina was some time quiet ; because herbertus aurelianensis governour of the whole island for the french , was there , yet soon after the mecineses expell'd the governour and garrison . william porcelotte a provençal , who was governour of calatafimia , in the heat of that confusion was permitted to depart peaceably , the general opinion conceiv'd of his goodness and modesty , protecting him . this was the event of that most famous conspiracy of john prochita . the sicilians after their fury was over , reflecting on their danger , and resolving rather to dye than fall again into the hands of the french , thought fit to have recourse to the ring of aragon for protection . whilst this was doing in sicily , he was at tortosa , with his fleet in a readiness , and thence went over into africk ; where having plunder'd and ruin'd the sea coasts , on a sudden he sail'd over to corsica . there he was inform'd of what had been done in sicily , and that king charles was gone in great haste from tuscany , and had laid siege to mecina , battering it with the greatest fury imaginable . the french acted with rage , seeking to revenge the slaughter of their country-men , and the besieg'd defended themselves with such resolution , that the women and children were not exempted from the labour or danger . now the king of aragon arrived at palermo , where the more to tye him to the interest of the island , he was crowned ; and there his fleet was increas'd with the addition of the ships taken by the sicilians , and provided by the french against the grecian emperor . hope of speedy relief encourag'd the besieg'd , and king charles was forc'd to quit the siege , and with shame return into italy . the two kings sent one another letters full of reproachful language , and declar'd open war. the king of aragon expected supplies from spain , king charles from france and marseilles . the later incamp'd with his army near the streight of mecina , in sight of sicily . king peter had distributed his forces in garrisons . he finding the enemy was strong , and that his own recruits were to come from far off , thought good to make use of policy . king charles was brave , and valu'd himself much upon his strength and skill at all weapons . king peter sent him a challenge to fight hand to hand , and decide the quarrel without the effusion of so much blood , as must of necessity be shed in a battel : so say the french historians . but the aragonians affirm , that king charles challeng'd king peter , and that simon leontius a dominican , brought the challenge . certain it is , the challenge was accepted ; and they agreed to fight with gentlemen on a side . a dispute arising about the place of combat , bourdeaux was agreed upon as an indifferent place , being then in the hands of the king of england . they appointed the day , and swore to the conditions of the combat . the pope knowing what had been done in sicily , charg'd the king of aragon to desist , and not disturb the publick peace ; but he refusing to obey , on the ninth of november was excommunicated . he also sent to the king of england to forbid him permitting the battel in his dominions , yet that avail'd not . queen constance by her husband's order went to sicily that the sicilians might not revolt , she being their natural sovereign . she arriv'd at mecina on the th . of april . and with her , her son jayme , to whom his father design'd to give the kingdom of sicily . both kings prepar'd for the challenge . king charles went over into france , and he of aragon , with his fleet , into spain . on the first day of june , the day appointed for battel , king charles with his troop of gentlemen , appear'd at bourdeaux . king peter came not . the french authors attribute this to cowardize and falshood ; for at the same time the king of aragon was making warlike preparations . our historians excuse him , saying , he was warn'd by the governour of bourdeaux , to have a care of treachery , for that the king of france was marching that way with a powerful . army , so that his aragonian horse were to encounter with the whole power of france . this gave occasion to every one to make reflections according to their inclination , and was the ground of a lasting war. as soon as the king of aragon return'd home , he took in hand two several affairs . one was to drive d. john nun̄ez de lara out of albaraçin , since relying on the strength of that place , he made incursions upon the frontiers of aragon . the other was to appease the nobility of aragon and catalonia , who were then mutinous , and stirr'd up the people to rebellion upon the usual pretences of liberty and property . to this effect the cortes , or parliament , met first at taraçona , then at zaragoça ; and lastly at barcelona , where the king gave orders for the redressing all grievances ; and so the people were pacified . the war he had in hand with the french made him condescend , lest whilst he was busie in sicily , or italy , the aragonians should revolt . besides , he was perplex'd ; for that the pope had not only excommunicated , but deposed him of his fathers dominions , and given the conquest thereof to charles de valois , the king of france his younger son. no less troubles were at the same time in castile , caus'd by the discord between king alonso and his son. the greater number follow'd prince sancho . king alonso being forsaken by his own people , had again recourse to strangers , and brought the king of morocco the second time into spain , giving out , it was against the king of granada , who was in league with the prince . this expedition produc'd nothing remarkable , because both christians and moors were better provided than had been expected ; and the king of granada having put strong garrisons into all his towns , would not hazard a battel ; and so the king of morocco return'd into africk , without doing any thing remarkable . this design failing , king alonso solicited the king of france to make war upon his son ; and at the same time to have the zeal of religion make for him , accus'd his son before the pope of disobedience , impiety and ingratitude , in usurping his crown before he was dead . the pope gave ear to this complaint , and excommunicated all those that adher'd to prince sancho . he also appointed judges to hear both parties ; and they laid an interdict upon all towns that were for the prince , so that at one time , both in castile and aragon , tho for different reasons , the churches were shut up ; yet the rebellion continu'd , the prince threatning death to the popes commissioners if they fell into his hands . however , the dread of ecclesiastical censures caus'd many to fall off from him . among the first , his brothers peter and john began to take compassion on their father , which prince sancho understanding , he detain'd his brother peter , with the promise of the kingdom of murcia ; but john withdrew privately ; and through portugal , got away to his father at sevil. many towns repenting their disloyalty , sought how to obtain the king's pardon , and clear themselves of the excommunication they lay under ; and having obtain'd both , presently submitted themselves . agreda and trevin̄o were of this number . many men of note , as d. john nun̄ez de lara , d. john alonso de haro , and prince james , joyn'd the army of philip king of france , then marching to the assistance of king alonso ; and with him entred castile , plundering all the country as far as toledo , without meeting any opposition . chap. v. the death of alonso king of castile . the beginning of the reign of king sancho the ivth . the defeat of the french fleet on the coast of italy . albarazin taken by the king of aragon . king philip of france had a son of the same name , distinguish'd by the title of the fair ; who this same year ( others say the next ) marry'd joanna queen of navarre , with whom he had that kingdom . this prince , now began to plead the rights of his predecessors , and by that means sought to extend the borders of his kingdom ; which his design was not a little forwarded by the discord at that time in castile . prince sancho did as much as could be in such a time of confusion . he quell'd the city toro which was about revolting , and went out to meet d. john nun̄ez de lara , who wasted the territories of calahorra , osma and siguença , and made him retire with more speed than he came . after this it was agreed , the father and son should have a conference , in order to which king alonso came as far as constantina , and prince sancho to guadalcanal . great hopes were conceiv'd of an amicable accommodation ; yet by the perswasion of some of the princes familiars who hated his father , or rather , because many hop'd to make their advantage of the publick calamities : they met not , but the king return'd to sevil , and the prince to salamanca . by consent of both parties , beatrix , queen dowager of portugal , and the prince his wife mary , who was then deliver'd of a daughter , met at toro , and labour'd all that might be for an accommodation , but to no effect ; for the enmity daily increas'd , and with it the misery of the kingdom . this was the posture of affairs , when king alonso dy'd at sevil , some say on the th , some the st day of april , without doubt it was in the year . in his will sign'd the foregoing november , he appoints d. alonso first , and then ferdinand , his grand-children to succeed him ; and in case they dye without issue , then philip king of france to be next heir , as descended from the king 's of castile , being grandson to queen blanch , and great grandson to king alonso , who won the battle of navas . he made no mention of his sons and brothers , in hatred to prince sancho , but hop'd to bring the power of france upon him . yet at the hour of death , at the suit of his son prince john , he bequeath'd to him sevil , and badajoz ; and to his brother james , the kingdom of murcia , with the title of kings , but so as to hold of the crown of castile . he order'd his heart should be bury'd on mount calvary , and his body in sevil , or murcia , but it was not perform'd ; for the heart and bowels are at murcia , and the body at sevil. he was a great and wise king , had he made use of his knowledge , to his own advantage , and had he not blemish'd his good qualities with avarice , and overmuch severity . it was he who first ordain'd , that all contracts , and publick instruments should be writ in spanish , and caus'd the holy bible to be translated . so that the latin being no more us'd , produc'd a profound ignorance , as well in the clergy , as laiety . king alonso being dead , tho' his son sancho's title was not good , yet he succeeded him without any opposition . he was at that time at avila , scarce recover'd of a sickness , in which he had been almost given over by the physicians at salamanca , and strength of youth help'd the medicines to take effect : here he took upon him the title of king , which he had forbore during his father's life . the title of the brave he gain'd by his great spirit , and actions , till then more successful , than honourable ; for glorious titles are generally obtain'd by the favour of fortune , rather than by merit . he was doubtless bold , subtle , and industrious in all his undertakings . his reign lasted years and a few days ; his memory defac'd with the wrongs he did his father , yet the kingdom he unjustly usurp'd , he govern'd prudently . at avila he perform'd his father's exequies with magnificence , and at toledo laying aside his mourning , put on the royal robes . the gentry who had been against him , now throng'd to make their court , either in hopes to appease him , or else to hide what was conceal'd in their hearts . the new king at present dissembl'd , yet resolv'd as soon as setl'd to vent his rage : all the nobility and commons swore allegiance to him and his daughter elizabeth , as heiress in case he had no issue male. this was done to exclude the two brothers his nephews , whose just cause many yet favour'd . king sancho resolv'd to gain the good will of the king of aragon , who had those young princes in custody , and was then preparing to besiege albarazin , being no longer able to bear with the insolencies of d. john nunez de lara . therefore king sancho because he could not go in person , sent a good body of men to the assistance of the king of aragon against that common enemy . this done he went away for sevil , because prince john his brother endeavour'd to possess himself of that city by virtue of his father's last will , but the citizens oppos'd him , and were headed by d. alvar nun̄ez de lara . these disputes ceas'd upon the coming of the new king , who caus'd his brother to desist . to this city came ambassadors from the king of morocco to settle peace , but were sent away with scorn , which provok'd the moors to invade spain again . king sancho to oppose them provided a great fleet. at that time the genoses were famous for their skill in navigation ; thence the king sent for benedict zacarias , who brought with him twelve galleys , was created admiral , and had the town , port s. mary given to him and his heirs , upon condition they should always maintain a galley at their cost . the cortes or parliament met at sevil , their business was to redress grievances , and to make void many grants forc'd in time of necessity , from the present king and his father . that assembly breaking up , the king return'd to castile , where some conspir'd to restore his nephews , but he coming upon them , some submitted , and others were put to death . at this same time roger lauria , general of the aragonians in sicily , having near malta defeated french galleys , killing their general , william cornutus , sailing towards naples , offer'd battle to charles the lame , prince of salerno , and son to king charles , who was ready with a mighty fleet , to pass over into sicily . many , and particularly the pope's legate advis'd the prince not to fight , but he gave no ear to them . the battel was bloody , but in conclusion the french were beaten , and prince charles taken . authors differ about the number of vessels on each side ; the most receiv'd opinion is that the aragonians had galleys , and the french . this battel was fought on the d of june , and the aragonians making use of their victory , took several towns in italy . three days after the defeat , king charles arriv'd at gaeta , with galleys from provence , and there understood how his son was condemn'd to death at mecina , by the sicilians , in revenge of the death of conradine , executed by the french , after he was taken in battel . the queen sav'd him on pretence of acquainting her husband , yet such was the fury of the people , that they broke the prisons , and put to the sword other prisoners . the king of aragon , as if he had no war abroad , now lay'd siege to albarazin , and furiously batter'd it . the city was naturally strong , well fortify'd , and had a good garrison of hardy souldiers ; yet provisions falling short , d. john nun̄ez de lara resolv'd to make his escape , but advis'd the garrison to hold out whilst he went to navarre , where he was sure of succour . after his departure , the city held out a few days , and then desparing of relief , surrendred on michaelmas day . the garrison consisted of french and navarrois , who were all dismiss'd , and people brought from the neighbourhood as well to inhabit the place , as till the land. the king had a bastard-son by the lady agnes zapata , to him he had before given algezira and liria , in the kingdom of valencia , and now gave him the city albarazin . this was the end of that principality , for many years possess'd by the noble family of the açagras . chap. vi. the french invade catalonia , take girona , and retire back to france with loss . the king of morocco besieges xeres , and is repuls'd . the death of the four kings , of france , aragon , naples , and morrocco . after the taking of albarazin , a greater storm threatn'd the king of aragon from france . the aragonian alone was not able to withstand the french , and therefore had recourse to forreign aids . he sent embassadors into germany to the emperors rodulphus , who being a cautious man , and at that time in war with the switsers , gave only good words . king sancho at the instance of the king of aragon , had conferences with him at ciria and borobia , two towns about soria , where they made a league , and promis'd to assist one another . the king of morocco design'd to make war in andaluzia . the french wasted the frontiers of aragon , and jayme king of majorca sided with them . moorish horse besieg'd xerez de la frontera , and made incursions as far as sevil. king sancho went with speed to toledo , where charles earl of artois , embassador from the king of france expected him . his chief business was to procure the liberty of the king 's two nephews , and perswade king sancho not to have to do with the king of aragon , who was excommunicated by the pope . the king's answer in publick was , that he would send embassadors to adjust all things in france , and privately he declar'd himself much the king of france his friend . the king of aragon lay'd siege to tudela in navarre , by that means to divert the french , who design'd to pass into aragon , through russillon . that city was bravely defended by d. john nunez de lara , who lost albarazin , and was more successful in the affairs of others , than his own . all the country about was wasted , and the frontier towns of aragon strongly garrison'd to oppose the enemy . this done , because winter came on , the king of aragon return'd to zaragoça . there he spent the remainder of this year , and beginning of the next , which was , in which on the th of january , charles king of naples departed this life at fogia , a town of apulia , being worn out with misfortunes , and griev'd at the imprisonment of his son. this prince had been famous , as well in peace as war , had the end of his life been suitable to the beginning . age made him feel the inconstancy of fortune , as it has happen'd to many . besides the vigour of the french was decay'd , and they debauch'd with ease and pleasure , and their governours made the king odious through their avarice and exactions . the death of the king of naples was equally pleasing to the king of aragon , and grievous to him of france . to divert his melancholy by offending his enemies , he made great levies . his land army amounted to horse , and foot , and at the same time he provided a fleet of sail , between great ships , galleys , and other smaller vessels . he resolv'd to go in person to this expedition , and with him philip and charles his sons , and jayme king of majorca , who follow'd the french , being highly offended at the aragonian his brother . with them also was cardinal gervasius sent by pope martin the th , as his legate . that pope dying at perosa , on the th of march , honorius the ivth a citizen of rome , of the family sabela was chosen in his place , and took the part of the french no less than his predecessor had done . the army rendevouz'd at narbonne , and thence march'd towards perpignan . this town was surrendred to king jayme , and admitted the french. the example was followed by all the towns of russillon , and that neighbourhood , except one call'd genova , which in hatred to king jayme , and hoping to be speedily reliev'd , held out . they were deceiv'd in their expectation ; for the town was taken by assault , and all the inhabitants put to the sword , without sparing the very buildings , which were all burnt and destroy'd . the bastard of russillon , a man of great courage , who was in the town , got into the tower of the church , where king jayme's intercession sav'd his life , rather than the strength or holiness of that place . yet he show'd his gratitude to the french , for the king of aragon being possessed of all the passes on the pyrenean mountains , so that there was no hopes of getting by , he conducted them through by-paths known to him , till they reach'd the tops of those hills , and encamp'd above the aragonians . thus the two kings advanc'd as far as the territory of ampurias . there they easily took several towns , particularly peralada and figueras , without meeting any opposition till they sat down before girona , a great and noble city ●●sting the people , formerly called ausetani . it is seated on the side of a hill , at the foot whereof runs the river , antiently called thici , now tera , which has so wash'd away the banks next the city , that they and considerably to its strength . the walls are well built , the towers of stone , and strong ; in the highest part of the city stands the cathedral , and bishop's house , a large and beautiful fabrick . above the cathedral is a large tower call'd gironela . raymund 〈◊〉 cardona , 〈◊〉 governour of that city , had added new works , and throw down all the suburbs , only 〈◊〉 the church of s. felix , for the great devotion of the place , and it's antiquity . his valour and industry was great , so that he several times but 〈…〉 of the french , 〈…〉 mind their works . the king of aragon was not far off ; but being too weak to give the enemy battel , sought some opportunity of gaining an advantage and putting relief into the town . it had been three months besieg'd , when sancho king of castile sent martin , bishop of calahorra , and gonuz garçia de toledo , abbot of valladolia , his embassadors to compose these differences . they were sent back with many reproaches , having scares seen the king of france . it was reported king sancho wanted not good will to assist the aragonians , but that he was taken up with the war in andaluzia , where 〈◊〉 moors , as was said before , had ●●y'd siege to xerez de la frontera . king sancho was my of putting all to the hazard of a 〈◊〉 , and therefore only pass'd between sevil and nebrixa , always in a readiness to cut off the parties of moors that made incursions into the country . thus after a siege of months , the moors raised their camp from before xerez , being i●●ent of all necessaries , and fearing lest king sancho should offer them battel . after they had pass'd the river guadalete , rather in the nature of flight , than a retreat , one ask'd of the moorish king the reason why he show'd so much 〈◊〉 , and he answer'd : i am the first that rais'd the family of bar-ameda to the regal dignity ; my enemy is descended from above kings , which in battle would have been a great terror to me , and a mighty incouragement to him . this seem'd to be a good opportunity to pursue the infidels , but king sancho was for the safest , rather than dangerous counsels . therefore having repair'd , and revictuall'd xerez , he return'd 〈◊〉 , notwithstanding the souldiers muttered they lost a great opportunity of destroying ●● enemy . embassadors pass'd betwixt the two kings , and at last they had a meeting of the banks of guadalquivir , others say at r●●aserrada . there it was agreed the king of morocco should thy of maravedies , ( a 〈…〉 that had not always the same value ) towards the charges of the war , and thus it ended . many persons of note were disgusted at this peace , particularly prince john , the kings brother , and d. lope diaz de haro , who both withdrew out of sevil , and went away to their own lordships . not long after dy'd the king of morocco , and left his son joseph to succeed him . let us return to the siege of girona . the king of aragon desiring to cut off the provisions that were brought to the french army from the port of roses , resolv'd to lay an ambush in a convenient place by the way . this design being discover'd by spies , rodulphus , 〈…〉 france , and john marshal de harcourt , with the earl of marche , went to the place where the ambush was lay'd , with only horse . on the th of august the parties met , and there ensu'd a desperate fight . the aragonians were the greater number , but the french , made the 〈…〉 bravery , and dexterity . the king did all that could be expected of a wise commande● and resolute souldier . he was hurt in the head , and endeavouring then to get off , a 〈◊〉 man seized his horses reins , and had taken him , had he not with his sword cut the r●ins and fled . this writes villancus , who gave occasion to others to commit the same error . for all the 〈◊〉 of aragon affirm the king came off without hurt , that the number of the stain was 〈◊〉 both sides , tho' the french were masters of the field . thus 〈…〉 authors to vary . the season being very hot , brought the plague into the 〈…〉 camp , and yet the besieg'd hearing of this defeat , and having no hopes of relief , 〈…〉 condition they should be suffer'd to depart whither they pleas'd , and to take 〈…〉 as much of their goods as they were able to carry . much cruelty was us'd 〈◊〉 them that surrendred , and even the churches were profan'd . the sepulcher of s. narcissus , who is patr●● of that city , and the● reverenc'd with singular devotion was spoil'd of all the riches belonging to it , which were very considerable , and carry'd away . the plague increas'd , which was look'd upon as a judgment for that sacriledge ; and 〈◊〉 the french resolving to return into france by land , about autumn , dismiss'd many hir'd ships they had i● the 〈◊〉 roses , to 〈…〉 charges . mean while roger lauria , admiral of aragon , having take● the 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 part of italy , came with great speed to relieve the king of aragon , being come upon the coast of spain , he fell upon the french fleet , then out of port , consisting of few ships , and those unprovided , and so easily overthrew them . john sco●us the french ●dmiral was 〈…〉 with galleys , others fled to the port of roses , whence they had 〈◊〉 . their 〈…〉 burnt , not only them , but the very . town , such was their conste●nation , and fled to the camp , whither they carry'd the news of their defeat . the king of france finding all things more difficult than he had expected , and much griev'd with sickness , repair'd 〈…〉 , and leaving a strong garrison in it , march'd with the remainder of his army towards roussillon . on the pyren●an mountains the whole army was in great danger , the aragonians having secur'd all the passes , in hopes to take the king of france , who by reason of his indisposition was carry'd upon men's shoulders . great loss was sustain'd , much baggage lost , and what was worst of all , the king fatigu'd with the journey , d●'d at pe●pignan on the th of 〈◊〉 . his body as he had order'd was carry'd to the church of ●● . denis , near pari●s . his son philip the fair , or the beautiful , succeeded him , being before that king of navarre . upon the departure of the french , all the ●had taken was recover'd by the 〈◊〉 . besides prince alonso s●nt over by his father to that effect , took all the island of majorca , in 〈…〉 that the king of it had joyn'd with the french. 〈…〉 his own brother . the king of 〈◊〉 design'd to pursue his good fortune , and had new design● 〈…〉 to strengthen himself , when death put a period to all his resolutions . he dy'd at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 th . day of november , in the prime of his age , being but 〈…〉 six years old , 〈…〉 the height of his glory . he was call'd the great , for that 〈…〉 sicily to his dominions and for his other memorable exploits . he was an 〈…〉 , being of ●● only presence , presence , of large stature , a generous spirit , well skill'd at all weapons , especially in wielding a pole-ax . he had a particular way of ●●ining peoples affections with good words , courtesey and liberality : he le●t no other reflection on himself , but his lying under an excommunication till the end of his life , the thoughts whereof often perplexed , him , and particularly at the hour of his death . he was resolv'd of that scruple in the last ag●ny , by the arch-bishop of tarragona having exacted to oath from him , that he would for the future be obedient to the church . his body was buried in the monastery of santa cruz , which is near that place . his children went d. alonso the eldest , whom in his will he appointed heir of his kingdoms , without making particular mention of sicily ; then jayme , 〈◊〉 , peter , elizabeth , and the 〈◊〉 constance , all born of queen constance his wife . arnaldus de vallanova , a most famous 〈◊〉 of those times , was with the king when he dy'd . this man and all his works , were afterwards condemn'd by the inquisitions . tostatus affirms , he attempted with humour , 〈◊〉 and other 〈◊〉 to form a man , and that tho' it took not effect , he went a great way towards it 〈…〉 is not our business to argue the truth of this assertion . chap. vii . the king of castile and portugal meet . d. lope de haro flies to navarre . a treaty in order to release the two princes of castile . charles prince of salerno set at liberty . france and castile joyn against aragon . denis king of portugal his issue . this year unfortunate in the death , of so many princes , was in some measure bless'd with the birth of prince ferdinand , son to the king of castile , and born at sevil , while his father was gone to badajoz , to appease some troubles that were in those parts . the care of his education was committed to hernan ●once ●● leon , a man of great note , and zamora was appointed for his residence , as being a place 〈…〉 and pleasant . moreover the following year , which was , in the cortes or parliament , he was sworn heir to the crown● which was his father's chiefest ca●e both in respect he fear'd his nephews , as also because his marriage with the queen was illegal upon account of consanguinity . he endeavour'd to obtain a dispensation , but could never prevail with the popes , the king of france always opposing it in favour of the two excluded princes , his near kinsmen . king sancho labour'd by all means to gain his good will , and to that purpose sent the same embassadors , who went to him the year , 〈◊〉 , and were the bishop of calaherra , and abbot of valludoli● , philip the 〈◊〉 king of france , was crown'd at rheimes , on the th of january . in sicily prince jayme , as soon as he neard of the death of his father , took upon him the title of king of sicily , and prince of apulia and 〈◊〉 as being possess'd of a good part of the kingdom of nap●●● and hoping in a short time to be master of all that remain'd . yet all places were well fortify'd and provided to oppose the sicilia●● , though the valour and industry ●● robert earl of arras , to whom the king of france , after the death of king charles , had committed the care of the kingdom of naples , 〈◊〉 the iii. king of aragon , being sometime taken up in fitting out a fleet to invade majorca and minorca , as was left him in charge by his father delay'd his coronation ●● the th of 〈◊〉 being easter sunday . he was crown'd at zaragaca by the bishop of 〈◊〉 , the see of tarragona , whose that honour was , being then vacant , and took the usual oath to preserve the liberties of the people . the expences of the royal family were retrench'd and at the cortes or parliament held at huesca , the king granted that valencia , sometime before annex'd to the crown of aragon , should be govern'd according to the law● 〈…〉 that kingdom . gonçalo archbishop of toledo , a person of great esteem with the king , here him company to s. sebastian , in order to a conference between him and the king of france ; but they met not . however , the arch-bishop was sent by king sancho , and the duke of burgundy by him of france , to bayonne , where a treaty of peace was earnestly labour'd upon . the french would give ear to no proposals unless king sancho would put away his wife , to whom he was illegally married by reason of their consanguinity , and marry one of the king of france his sisters , which were 〈…〉 , after wife to edward king of england , and blanch marry'd to the duke of austria . king sancho would hot be perswaded to putaway a virtuous wife by whom he had a son and ● daughter , so the treaty broke off and he return'd to the queen to vitoria . the king was highly affended at the abbot of valladalid , for that it was he who started that discourse and consulted with the queen how to be reveng'd . they thought fit to call him to a●●ount for the administration of the royal revenue which , he had charge of , and the business was committed to the arch-bishop of toledo . king sancho went away to santiago in 〈◊〉 , and by the way in the monaster● of sahagun finding that the bonca of king alonso the vith and his two queens elizabeth and mary , were meanly laterred , he ●●us'd them to be put into decent tombs with 〈…〉 . being return'd to vallad●lid , he honour'd d. lope diaz de haro ●●rd of biscay , to whom chiefly he 〈…〉 crown , with the place of lord steward of his household , and his standard hea●ery . besides , he made him governour of many forth , and on the st of january gave him the title of an earl , all these honours in remainder to his son james lopez de haro . 〈…〉 de haro brother to d. lope , was made general of 〈…〉 . thus that family increas'd riches and power , and d. lope became the king 's favouri●● , all things were govern'd according to his will , in so much that the other nobles complain'd he tyranniz'd in the name of king sancho . paticularly the people of leon and g●●cia found fault that he bestow'd all 〈…〉 upon his own creatures . d. lope great y●t more hanghty , having marry'd his daughter mary to prince john , and endeavour'd to have the king put away his queen , that he might marry his consin gulielma , daughter to ●ast●n earl 〈…〉 . this was not at all pleasing to the king who had now by the queen another son call'd alonso , and therefore sought an opportunity to ●ake off d. lope , yet fearing some rebellion , kept him close about his person in the same h●●●ur ; whilst he visited the kingdom of toledo , and went to 〈◊〉 . the design of this burney was to 〈◊〉 the people of galicia , who had revolted , and put a stop to the incursions of the 〈…〉 prince alonso the king of portugal's brother , and d. alvar nun̄oz de lara , son to d. john de lara , a restless man and us'd to live upon rapine . prince alonso was possess'd of the 〈◊〉 of pertaleg●● and ronca● on the frontiers of castile and portugal 〈◊〉 lope de haro was lest to reduce the rebels of galicia . the affair of portugal was 〈◊〉 of between that king and him of castile , and they agreeing , with joynt forces laid siege to ronca , destroy'd all the country and oblig'd it to surrender . the two kings being together at this siege the portuguese advis'd the castilian to take d. alvar nun̄ez de lara into favour , that his greatness might serve as a check to d. lope de haro , which was done accordingly . d. lope diving into that design upon pretence of visiting his cousin the viscount of bearne withdrew into navarre . the navarrois were of themselves inclinable to make war against castile , and therefore upon his coming took up arms. clement luna a frenchman was then viceroy of navarre . many incursions were made by the navarrois as well into castile as aragon , but nothing of note was done , except taking the town of salvatierra from the later . the aragonians made war into italy with better success . roger lauria a brave commander , and famous for his late victories , surpriz'd a mighty fleet of the enemy near naples , and after a sharp dispute obtain'd a compleat victory , taking sale and prisoners , among which were many of note . most of them were ransom'd ; only guido de montfort was not releas'd , the kings of england and aragon being his 〈…〉 enemies , because this man was great grand-son to simon earl of montfort , who as has been said , overthrew and kill'd peter king of aragon in the war of toulouze . and simon grand-son to the other simon took richard , brother to king henry of england , prisoner . guido also cruelly murder'd henry the son of that richard the emperour , in the cathedral of viterbo , at man , in revenge for his father kill'd in battle , by edward king of england . the french and english historians affirm 〈◊〉 guido was deliver'd up to the king of england . a sicilian writer of that age , positively says , he 〈…〉 sicily of a disease which could not be cur'd , without having to do with a woman , which he absolutely refus'd , because he would not wrong his wife margueri●e , who after his death behav'd not her self so well as she ought to have done . the aragonians were now at peace , and famous for their riches , strength , and the memorable action they had perform'd . only , the king of majorca ●●●ested the coast of ●●●alonia , but ●● nothing remarkable . alonso king of aragon was renowned , and had the ballance of peace and war in his hands , keeping the two rightful princes of castile , prisoners in aragon , and him of saler●o in sicily . these princes growing weary of their confinement , inclin'd to admit of any 〈…〉 so they might be enlarg'd , and great kings interceded for them . many 〈…〉 sent from france and castile upon that affair ; but the authority of edward king of england was of most weight , because the aragonian sought to marry his daughter ell●●or . ●●ose kings resolv'd to meet at the city oloron , in the province of bearne ; and there 〈…〉 of the king of england it was agreed , that the prince of salerno should be set at liberty , within a year , upon these conditions . that the kingdom of sicily should remain to d. jayme . that he should prevail with the pope to give his consent , and take 〈…〉 censures under which the kingdom of aragon lay . that he should pay marks of silver . that charles of valcis should quit his pretensions to the crown of aragon given him by pope martin . and that if all this were not perfor 〈◊〉 within the term of three years , that prince should return in prison , and in the mean while , should give his three sons , robert , charles and luis , and sixty men of note , of 〈…〉 , as hostages . charles prince of 〈◊〉 being set at liberty , went over into france , and thence into tuscany , and after having appeas'd the tumults , rais'd by the 〈◊〉 in rod● , was at last by pope 〈◊〉 the iv th . declared king of apulia and sicily , and accordingly 〈…〉 pope pretended the late agreement was invalid , being made without his consent that kingdom being an antient fle● of the church . this highly perplexed the king of aragon , and the word● for that he understand that sancho king of castile was 〈…〉 to break 〈◊〉 him , and joyn with the king of france , the queen and arch-bishop of toledo favouring the french , and many others oppos'd . he ●● many troubles ensu'd , and d. lope de haro dying ●● shall be related , but friends and 〈…〉 fled to aragon , and were the 〈◊〉 of new wars . this 〈…〉 speedily with the french. the embassadors of both kings and the popes 〈…〉 at the ●●ity lyons in french , and ●here they agreed , th●● king sancho should give to d. alonso de la cerda the kingdom of m●●c●● , upon condition he should not assume the title of king of castile , and ●●ould hold that crown of him , and do him 〈◊〉 for it . that if d. alonso dy'd without 〈◊〉 , his brother ferdinand should 〈…〉 . that the king of castile should send ● horse to the assistance of the king of france , to make war upon aragon , but give 〈◊〉 army free passage through his dominions , if there was occasion . that the two princes then prisoners , being by the two kings set at liberty , should be deliver'd to the king of france . this agreement was so displeasing to blanch , the mother of ●●● princes , that leaving her brother , she went away to portugal . she labour'd with a 〈◊〉 spirit to get assistance against 〈◊〉 but the success answer'd not the pains she took . denis king of portugal having 〈◊〉 the moors his dominions ●njoy'd perfect peace , and would by no 〈◊〉 be perswaded to hazard his own quiet for the good of others . this king had good natural parts , and who happy in a numerous ●●ue . by his queen elizabeth he had two daughters , elizabeth and constance , and one son called alonso , who 〈◊〉 him . by other women he had alonso de albuquerque , from whom descends a noble family in portugal , peter given to 〈◊〉 , as appears , by a book he wrote of the nobility of spain 〈◊〉 , and ferdinand ; 〈◊〉 two daughters , one marry'd to d. john de la cerda , the other to 〈◊〉 . chap. viii . troubles in castile . the rightful heirs to that crown , before prisoners in aragon , set at liberty . wars on that account betwixt those two crowns . badajoz m●tinies and is reduc'd . an interview betwixt the kings of france and castile . castile was at peace with the moors , amity being establish'd with the king of granada , and a truce with the king of morocco . a civil war was fear'd by all men. these troubles were occasion'd by the death of d. lope de haro , kill'd in the court , and even in the king's presence in this manner . d. alvar nun̄ez de lara dying soon after he was reconcil'd to the king , his competitor d. lope de haro return'd to court , hoping to recover his former favour . but no sooner was d. alvar dead , than d. john his brother , was rais'd to the same degree of esteem , to the great satisfaction of the people , and no less grief of d. lope de haro , who so highly resented it , as to complain to the king himself . prince john , d. lope's son in law , 〈…〉 incursions far as guidad 〈◊〉 . the king complain'd thereof to d. lope , who had the boldness to say 〈…〉 by his consent , and added , that if the king went to valladolid , his son in-law would come to ●igules , a town 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 which was threatning of him . the king tho inrag'd at this affront , diss●●●'d it at present , and going to valladolid , spoke with d. john his brother , ●o those troubles ●●as'd for some time . from valladolid the king 〈◊〉 to roa , thence to 〈◊〉 , then to soria , and then set forward towards taragona to meet the king of aragon and treat about delivering the two princes his nephews . this meeting of the two kings was prevented by the policy of d. lope de haro , who pass'd betwixt them , and made proposals to each of them , which the other never thought of . his design was by 〈◊〉 of these two princes to pull down king sancho , from whom he was wholly 〈◊〉 . therefore nothing being concluded , king sancho return'd to alfaro a town , or 〈◊〉 , on the borders beacon and navarre . prince john , and d. lope de haro came thither to attend him , without a sufficient retinue to guard them . there were 〈◊〉 at that 〈…〉 arch-bishop at toledo , the bishops of plasencia , callahorra , osma and tuy , besides the 〈…〉 . lord 〈…〉 , and the abbot of valladolid , all summon'd to a council . prince 〈◊〉 , and d. lope , being come into the kings presence , he commanded them immediately to deliver up all the 〈◊〉 they held of the king , and they excusing themselves , he order'd them to be apprehended d. lope 〈◊〉 hand on his sword and wrapping his cloak about his arm , call'd the king tyrant , gave him much more opprobrious language , and stepp'd forwards to kill him . all that were by 〈◊〉 , and falling upon him , first out off his right hand , and soon made an end of him . prince john after wounding some of the king's servant , seeing his father in law dead , fled to the queen's chamber , who stood before him to stop the king , that follow'd with his drawn sword , and by her intreaties sav'd his life . however he was put in prison , to stand tryal for his offences . it would be tedious to relate all the particulars of this treason , and the confusion in the royal family . these heads being taken off , all tumults ceased for the present , and the example terrifyed others from attempting just then to rebel . but when the terror was somewhat abated , that action of the king 's began to be openly censur'd : the friends and kindred of those two great men withdrew from court , and many got out of the kingdom . thus a mighty storm seem'd to threaten , and therefore the king , as was said , made hast to conclude the league with france . joanna wife to the late d. lope de haro , daughter to d. alonso , lord of molina , all clad in mourning , went to see the queen her sister at santo domingo de la calçada , where the court then was , and prevail'd so far with her tears ; and the queens intercession , that the king was appeased , and granted her son should not be depriv'd of his lord-ship of biscay , as had been design'd , the town of haro and castle of trevin̄o being already seiz'd . moreover the queen promis'd her sister , that if her son would be quiet and submit himself to the king , he should be restor'd to his father's honours . the lady joanna , like an unconstant woman , thinking this proceeded from fear , incens'd her son against the king , and perswaded him to cast off his allegiance and go over to aragon . mary , wife to prince john , then a prisoner , fled to navarre , and with her many of her friends ; but others better advis'd stay'd to see the event of things . gaston viscount of bearne came speedily to aragon , resolving to hazard his person and estate in defence of his kindred . at the request of all these nobles , the king of aragon releas'd the two brothers princes of castile , and the more to incense king sancho , in the month of september at jaca , saluted alonso , the eldest , king of castile and leon. this was the foundation of new wars , which presently broke out between castile and aragon . the commonalty of castile were for a change ; the gentry for the most part stood by king sancho . he about that time went to vitoria in the province of alava , and there the queen was deliver'd of a son , who was call'd henry . this journey was undertaken in order to meet the king of france at bayonne , as had been agreed , and to subdue biscay . this war prov'd more difficult than was expected , by reason of the natural strength of the country , want of provisions , and the resolution of that people . some hopes there had been of gaining d. james de haro brother to d. lope , by the means of ruy perez ponce , master of calatrava , and the lord-ship of biscay was partly offer'd him ; but he chose rather to retire into aragon , resolving to stand by his nephew . all things were disposed for a rupture , when d. james de haro , son to d. lope , dy'd very fortunately for king sancho . his death caus'd the affections of his followers to cool , and all biscay , which till then held out , to submit to the valour of james lopez de salzedo , a man in great esteem , to whom that affair was committed . king sancho having settled biscay , and put off the interview with the king of france , left his brother prince john prisoner in the castle of burgos , whence he was remov'd to curiel , and he himself being perplexed in mind about the war with aragon , went to sabugal , a town on the frontiers of portugal . there he concluded a league with that king , against the aragonians , and the out-laws of castile , who prepar'd for war under colour of restoring d. alonso de la cerda , who stil'd himself king of castile , to his grand-father's kingdom . these things concluded , king sancho march'd with all the forces he could gather to meet the aragonians at almaçan . the two armies met in the month of april , but nothing remarkable was done . only moron was taken by the aragonians , and almaçan besieg'd . on the other side , king sancho entring the frontiers of aragon , destroy'd all the open country , and burnt many towns. d. james lopez de haro in the same manner , wasted all the territory of cuenca and huete , and defeated a party of the enemy near pajaron , killing redorick de sotomayor , commander of the castilians . d. james sent the colours taken , to the city tiruel . one misfortune still follow'd upon the neck of another , and the innocent people suffer'd for these quarrels of the great ones . most cities sided with king sancho , but at badajoz there happen'd a great tumult . that city of old , was divided into two factions , the bejarani , and the portugueses . the bejarani being expell'd the city by their enemies , apply'd themselves to the king for redress , he order'd they should be restor'd , but the portugueses obey'd not . hereupon the bejarani having gather'd a good force , kill'd many of their adversaries , and forc'd the rest to quit the place . this done , they fortify'd themselves in the upper part of the city , and proclaim'd d. alonso de la cerda king. king sancho highly offended hereat , laid siege to the town , which presently surrender'd , having articled only for life . contrary to agreement , men and women were put to the sword. the same happen'd to talavera , a considerable town in the kingdom of toldo , upon the same account , of the principal inhabitants were publickly quarter'd at the gate , which for that reason , was ever since call'd the gate of quarters . this the inhabitants have by tradition , tho no author makes mention of it . these two towns serv'd for an example to all others . the following year , it was again agreed the kings of france and castile should meet . they both accordingly came on the day appointed , to bayonne . the chief points agreed upon at this interview were , that the king of france should desist giving any farther protection to the two princes of castile , that he should renounce all claim and title to that crown , as great grandson to queen blanch. and that both kings should make war upon aragon . at the same time tolosa , segura , and villafranca , which began to be rebuilt in biscay , in the time of king alonso , were now finish'd by king sancho , as appears by publick instruments sign'd at vitoria and valladolid , whither the king went from bayonne . the king of aragon finding himself too weak to make head against france , castile , and italy , inclin'd to peace , notwithstanding charles king of naples did not perform his promise , at which the king of england , who had procur'd his liberty , was highly offended . all parties had recourse to the pope , laying their case before him . he answer'd he would send legates , who having heard them all , should endeavour to reconcile these differences . benedict colona , and gerard de parma , two cardinals , were sent into france to this purpose . mean while charles king of naples , and the king of aragon , upon security given on both sides , met at junquera , a town in catalonia . there they concluded a truce for some months , whilst the cardinals could settle a peace , which both earnestly desir'd ; king charles that he might recover sicily , and the aragonian to take off that long interdict , under which his kingdom lay , and put an end to the war with france , that he might be at leisure to bend his force against castile . chap. ix . the revolt of d. john nunnez de lara . the death of the king of aragon : his brother j●●me succeeds him . matches betwixt the three kings of spain . defeat of the moors at sea original of the dukes of medina sidonia . d. john nun̄ez de lara , began again to incline to take part with the aragonians , either out of his natural inconstancy , or because some overtures were made of restoring albarazin to him . king sancho understanding of what consequence his stay or departure might be , did all he could to oblige him , and therefore made him general of the frontiers of aragon , and bestow'd other favours upon him . all prov'd ineffectual , and the more , for that at burgos , where the court then was , letters were brought him , intimating some design against his person , whether true or false , is not known . d. john who was naturally jealous , gave credit to those letters , and withdrawing from court , went away nastily through navarre to aragon , notwithstanding the queen us'd means to stop him , and the king himself went after him as far as valladolid . as soon as d. john had joyn'd the other conspirators , he enter'd castile , and did all the harm he could as far as cuenca and alarcon . a body of king sancho's forces coming to oppose him , was defeated , and many colours taken , after which he forc'd the town of moya , and return'd to valencia with a great number of prisoners and cattle . from thence the king of aragon , d. james de haro , and d. john de lara made an incursion by the way of molina , signença , berlanga , and almaçan , and destroy'd all the country without meeting any opposition . king sancho endeavour'd to put a stop to this mischief ; but an ague kept him in such a condition he could neither act , nor give the necessary orders , insomuch that he was given over by the doctors . the queen who was lately deliver'd of a prince call'd peter , tho' not perfectly recover'd , set out to see the king. her presence was comfortable to him , and produc'd good effect . she reduc'd d. john de lara , who now repented his change , being disappointed of recovering albarazin . it was agreed that elizabeth , daughter to the lady blanch , and the queen's brother , should be marry'd to d. john de lara's son. her portion was the lordship of molina , her father having no issue-male . the marriage was solemniz'd at cuenca ; thence the king , queen , and d. john went to toledo , the latter took up his lodging in the monastery of s. paul of dominicans without the city , on the banks of tagus . being at dice late at night with a rich jew , on a sudden a servant of his call'd nun̄o churuchao advis'd him to make his escape , for there was a design to kill him , and in order to it , arms had been carry'd into the court. he credited the intelligence , but could not get away , for that the city gates were shut , and his servants and horses within . he spent the night in fear , and having call'd his servants at break of day , they perswaded him not to stir , for that there was not the least ground for any suspicion . the king was much concerned that he should be suspected , and the more he endeavour'd to satisfy d. john , the more jealous he was . at this time the league with the king of granada was renew'd , upon condition he should pay the usual tribute ; for that king was before wavering . hernan ponce de leon , who commanded upon the frontiers was the chief instrument of continuing this good understanding betwixt the two kings . from toledo the king and queen went to burgos , and thence to palencia , where was held a general chapter of the order of s. dominick . d. john de lara could not be oblig'd by any favours , but endeavour'd to stir up the nobles to revolt . to oppose him , prince john the king's brother , who was belov'd by all men , was taken out of prison , and took the oath of fidelity to the king and his son ferdinand , as heir apparent , kissing his hand according to the custom of castile . by his means many were reduc'd to the king's service . the king also going to santiago of galicia , under colour of devotion perswaded d. john alonso de albuquerque , a man of great power , who at the instigation of d. john de lara had revolted , to lay down his arms. these things happen'd in castile , in the year of our lord , when in the month of february the pope's legates in france at tarascon compos'd the differences betwixt the kings of france and aragon . charles king of naples was present with the embassadors of the other two kings . peace was concluded upon the following conditions ; that the king of aragon send embassadors to rome , humbly to beg pardon of his past contumacy and disobedience ; that he pay the yearly tribute of ounces of gold to the church , as was promis'd by his grandfather . that he go with a powerful fleet to the service of the holy land. that at his return he advise his mother and brother to quit sicily . that he publish an edict , commanding all aragonians under severe penalties to depart that island . that charles of valois resign his claim to the crown of aragon , on account of the gift of the pope . that his holiness shall receive the aragonian into favour , and send a prelate to take off the interdict from his kingdom , to whom the king shall deliver the hostages he has from the king of naplas . at the concluding of these articles , the embassadors of sicily were not present , by the contrivance of the king of aragon , knowing they would break all these measures , at which king jayme and all the sicilians were highly offended . they complain'd he who ought to have protected , had deceiv'd and forsaken them , yet resolv'd rather to dye , than return under the dominion of the french , and they obtain'd their ends. the french were disappointed of recovering sicily , and the king of aragon's voyage to the holy land was prevented , the city ptolemays , the last that remain'd in the hands of the christians being taken , and utterly subverted by the infidels . the kings of aragon and naples met a second time at junquera , in order to establish a lasting peace ; both of them being weary of the war. therefore as soon as they parted king charles marry'd his eldest daughter clemencia , to charles of valois , giving her in dower the earldom of anjou , and province of main , upon condition he should quit all pretensions to the crown of aragon . the king of aragon was resolv'd to fullfil all that had been agreed upon when death cut him off at barcelona , in the midst of his preparations to receive the princess ellenor his bride . he dy'd in the flower of his youth , being but years of age , and on the th day of june . his body was bury'd in the monastery of s. francis in that city , with the habit of that order . upon the news of the king of aragon's death , his brother jayme presently came over from sicily to take possession of that crown which appertain'd to him , as next of blood , his brother dying without issue , and having in his will appointed him his successor . he was receiv'd without any opposition , and crown'd at zaragoça , with the usual solemnity on the th of september . he would not allow of that clause in his brother's will , which appointed prince frederick his younger brother king of sicily , but resolv'd to keep and maintain that kingdom . alonso de la cerda , who had only the title and right to the crown of castile , and was then present , and king sancho who was in possession of the kingdom , both strove for his friendship . the aragonian was more inclinable to the fortune of king sancho , than the justice of d. alonso , whose strength decay'd , especially since the queen politickly drew away d. john nun̄ez de lara from his party . besides , king sancho to strengthen himself , had made a league with the king of portugal , and concluded a match betwxit his son and heir prince ferdinand , and constance , that king's daughter , giving some towns in castile , to secure the performance . the kings of castile and aragon at length concluded a peace , and for the ratification of it agreed to meet at montagudo , a town on the borders of the two kingdoms . there on the th of november they made a league defensive and offensive , and articled , that neither should protect the others rebels , but deliver them up . moreover , for that the king of morocco , notwithstanding the truce had lay'd siege to beja , the aragonian oblig'd himself if it were requir'd to send galleys to relieve it . to make this agreement the sirmer , it was resolv'd the aragonian should marry elizabeth the daughter of the king of castile , tho' but years of age , hoping the pope would dispense with the consanguinity , and accordingly they were contracted at soria , on the first of december . the child was deliver'd to her husband , and then the two kings went to calatayud , where there were great entertainments of all sorts . the nobility of aragon for some years had been very mutinous , and in the reign of king alonso they endeavour'd to retrench the king's houshold , and still labour'd to alter the laws , and erect a new form of government . now by means of king sancho they were reconcil'd and pardon'd . the kings parted about the end of the year , when he of morocco rais'd his siege , and returu'd to africk , fearing benedict zacharias , who was equipping a great fleet upon the coast of galicia ; besides the town was strong , and bravely defended . these things concluded , spain at length was restor'd to peace , both at home and abroad . only d. john de lara could not be pacify'd , therefore king sancho bent his force against him , and took the towns of moya and canete , which he had given him when he return'd from aragon . d. john having no refuge left in spain , fled to france . after him went the arch-bishop of toledo , sent by king sancho to appease that king , and continue the amity that was betwixt them , excusing the league made with aragon , as of absolute necessity to prevent civil-wars . the king of france answer'd , he was no ways displeas'd at it , but that his brother charles would freely renounce his claim to aragon , provided that king would restore sicily to the see of rome . while these things were in agitation , at the beginning of the year . benedict zacharias , admiral of castile , on the coast of africk , fought galleys of the moors , and took of them . this loss prevented the king of morocco from passing over to spain again , as he had intended , having a great army ready for that purpose at tangier . king sancho was encourag'd by this success , to set down before tarifa , which after a long siege , he took on the st of september . the king of portugal tho it was ask'd , sent no succour . at the same time the queen of castile at sevil was deliver'd of a son call'd philip. at first roderick , master of the knights of calatrara was made governour of tarifa , afterwards alonso perez de gusman offer'd to defend it for one third of what was given to other governours . he had gather'd much mony , not only in spain , but in africk , while he serv'd the king of morocco . with it he bought several towns in andaluzia , and added them to his paternal estate . he also gave great alms , and was therefore call'd the good , which name his family still keeps up . from him are descended the dukes of medina , sidonia . d. alonso had a son call'd john , and a grandson by him , of the same name , marry'd to beatrix , bastard daughter to king henry the ii. who gave him the town of niebla , in dower with the title of an earl , and therefore he call'd his son henry . john the son of henry , was by king henry the fourth created duke of medina sidonia , which title continues in the family . let us return to the kings . chap. x. alcala de henares made an vniversity . tarifa besieg'd by the moors : a brave action of the governour . sancho king of castile dyes . ferdinand the fourth succeeds . peace betwixt france and aragon . pope nicholas the fourth , and sancho king of castile earnestly endeavour'd to compose the differences betwixt france and aragon . the pope sent to this purpose , boniface calamandra , a knight of s. john , into aragon ; but death put a stop to his good intentions . the sea of rome was vacant two years , the cardinals not agreeing . king sancho , as to the affairs of aragon , made amends for the want of a pope ; for having receiv'd a favourable answer from the king of france , he invited the aragonian to guadalajara , hoping they would terminate that affair . they met , but nothing was concluded ; only they agreed upon another conference at logron̄o , and invited charles king of naples thither , who came not , the reason is not known ; but the aragonian restor'd him his children as had been promis'd by his brother . the following year . the kings of castile and aragon met at logron̄o ; all the fruit of the conference was , that they grew jealous of each other . the father in law treated the son harshly , and wrested all things to his own advantage . from that time the aragonian began to have no kindness for the lady elizabeth , and to think of another match , and to this purpose pleaded consanguinity and want of a dispensation . by the means of calamandra he had a conference with the king of naples at junquera , where they treated of contracting an allyance by marriage , but very privately . time , that discloses all secrets , made it appear , they consulted about the restitution of sicily , and marrying the king of aragon to blanch , the daughter of king charles . at this time king sancho , by a special charter granted there should be publick schools at alcalà de henares , with the same priviledges as at salamanca . elizabeth , wife to d. john de lara the younger , dying , the lordship of molina return'd to the king , as next of blood. d. john de lara the younger , and prince john the king's brother began to raise tumults . the king to prevent a war , reduc'd them by fair means . d. john de lara , and his father , who now return'd from france , were reconcil'd to the king. prince john the king's brother retiring to portugal , thence together with d. john de albuquerque made incursions into the country of leon. the king sent d. john de lara , the elder , with forces to oppose him , but he was overthrown and taken . being set at liberty , he came to toro , where the king was very joyful , for that he had a daughter born there call'd beatrix . there was a report that the king of granada design'd to make war , and he of morocco to return into spain , therefore the king sent d. john de lara with his two sons , d. john , and d. nun̄o to the frontiers of andaluzia . but all this came to nothing , for the moorish kings were quiet , and d. john de lara dy'd at cordova . this storm being blown over , prince john the king's brother rais'd another ; for he being commanded by the king of portugal , lest he should seem to infringe the peace , to depart his kingdom , went over to tangier . the king of morocco thinking he might be of use for carrying on the war in spain , entertain'd him honourably , and sent him with horse to attack tarifa . passing over into spain he batter'd that place with all manner of engines , and the besieg'd encourag'd by their commander , alonso perez de gusman , and the strength of their wall , defended themselves as resolutely . it happen'd the governour 's only son was taken , whom the moors presented to the view of the besieged , threatning to cut off his head , unless they surrendred . the father not the least daunted answer'd , if he had an hundred sons , they should all dye sooner than he would stain his honour , by delivering that place he had been entrusted with ; and to shew his resolution threw a sword down from the wall for them to execute him with . this done he went away to dinner . soon after he return'd , call'd by a great shout the souldiers gave , seeing those bloody barbarians execute the innocent child . the fact was more hainous , because done by the command of prince john. the father understanding the cause of that shout , calmly said , i thought the enemy had entred the city , and so return'd to dinner with his wife , without the least sign of concern . the moors desparing of success since they could not move the governour by the death of his only son , return'd into africk . besides they restor'd the city of algezira to the king of granada , to the great satisfaction of the christians , who fear'd that might serve as an inlet to the african moors . about this time prince henry the king's uncle , who had been long a prisoner at naples , arriv'd in spain , was received with much joy by the king , and they both went together from burgos , into biscay , to oppose d. james de haro , who with assistance out of aragon endeavour'd to recover that province . having expell'd him the country , they return'd to valladolid , and thence to alcalà de henares . there the king receiv'd the news of what had happen'd at tarifa , whereupon in the month of january , . the king wrote a letter to alonso perez de gusman , extolling his loyalty and bravery , comparing him to abraham in sacrificing his son , giving him the title of the good , to be annex'd to his sirname , and inviting him to court. the original letter is preserv'd to this day , by the dukes of medina sidonia . three months after on the th of april the king dy'd at toledo . he fell sick at alcala , and was carry'd on mens shoulders to toledo , to see if change of air would contribute to his recovery , but nothing avail'd . he reigned years and days , was resolute , wise , subtle , and not a little cruel . he appointed his son ferdinand , the th of the name to succeed him , and the queen to govern during his minority , notwithstanding she was not his lawful wife , by reason of consanguinity , there being no dispensation granted them . next to the queen d. john de lara had all the power , which was done to oblige him , and prevent troubles . the king's body was bury'd in the royal chappel of the cathedral . in the time of king sancho two famous civilians flourish'd , who were william galvan̄ in aragon , and garcia hispanus in castile . at this time boniface the viii . sat in the chair of s. peter , being successor to pope celestile the v. he who being brought from the desert , and appointed to govern the church after months abdicated the papacy , an example extoll'd , and admir'd by many , but imitated by none . therefore the more was his successor to blame , who brought him back when he was returning to his solitude , and cast him into prison , where he dy'd a year and half after , and was canonized by pope clement the vth. boniface this same year also canonized luis king of france . now by the industry of pope boniface , who was a great scholar and states-man , that was brought to pass , which had been labour'd for so many years in vain , which was the peace betwixt france and aragon . to effect this , there met at agnanl the pope , charles king of naples , and the embassadors of france and aragon , men of the first quality . the conditions were these , viz. that the king of aragon marry blanch , the daughter of the king of naples : that her portion be pound weight of silver : that sicily and all the aragonians are possess'd of in calabria , be restor'd to the see of rome : that if the sicilians shall refuse to submit , the king of aragon be oblig'd to furnish such a number of troops , as shall be appointed by arbitrators , towards subduing of them : that charles of valois renounce the title he pretends to have to the kingdom of aragon . that the pope absolve all that lye under any ecclesiastical censures , upon account of these differences : that the hostages be set at liberty . at the instance of the pope and king of france , it was granted the king of majorca should be restor'd to his kingdom . this is what was spoken in publick . in private the pope gave a hint of delivering the islands of sardinia and corsica to the king of aragon , as lying opportunely for him , being near to spain . there is still a bull of pope boniface extant to this effect , dated the th of june . the news of this treaty being spread abroad , fill'd all christendom with joy. only the sicilians were griev'd at it , for they look'd upon it as the greatest of misfortunes to return under the subjection of the french. prince frederick to whom his brother at his departure had left the government of the island , and with him roger lauria , john prochita , and manfredus lança , all men of great note , went to attend the pope at rome by his order , because they were concern'd at the late agreement . the pope promis'd to marry prince frederick to catharine , daughter to philip , and grandchild of baldwin the emperor of constantinople , and offer'd the empire of greece , which he hop'd to regain as a portion , provided he would not oppose what had been capitulated . the offer was not contemptible , had the effect been suitable to the promise . after the sicilians had with repeated instances implor'd the assistance of the king of aragon without any success , in a general assembly , held at palermo , they proclaim'd prince frederick king. nevertheless his brother king jayme marry'd his new bride at villabeltran , in october . the lady elizabeth to whom he was before contraction was sent back to castile . he also publish'd a proclamation , commanding all the aragoniant that were in sicily to return home . thus those troubles were compos'd , peace was restor'd to aragon , and sicily was not quite lost , against which a great storm was gathering navarre was quiet under the dominion of france . hugo de constens , marshal of champagne , a frenchman , was viceroy . honours and employments were indifferently given to the natives and frenchmen , which somewhat mitigated the dislike of those people , since tho they were govern'd by strangers , they did not take to themselves all employments of profit and trust . the end of the fourteenth book . the history of spain . the fifteenth book . chap. i. new troubles and wars in castile ; where prince henry takes the government from the queen . prince john proclaim'd king of leon and galicia . castile invaded by the moors , portugueses , and aragonians . the affairs of castile , were now in a very unsetl'd posture , the nobility being divided , each striving to exert his authority , according to his power , and the commons in confusion gaping after novelties . robberies , murders , and all sorts of crimes were committed . the queen was slighted by reason of her sex , and the king was not regarded because of his age ; notwithstanding he had been proclaim'd the day after his father's death , with all the solemnity usual in like cases . the queen immediately caus'd the excise upon provisions to be taken off . this excise had irritated the people against her husband king sancho , and now oblig'd them being taken off , so that they continu'd firm to their prince . all the neighbouring princes were in a readiness to make their advantage of the king's minority . d. john nun̄ez de lara , tho he had an obligation laid upon him to continue loyal , favour'd the enemy . prince henry grown peevish by his long imprisonment , and us'd to evil practices , studied how to get the government into his hands , and look'd upon it as an affront , that the late king had made no mention of him in his will. he first held private cabals at berlanga , then beginning to act more openly , many towns declar'd for him ; and particularly the royal city burgos . the cortes , or parliament , assembled at valladolid , where the nobility declar'd so much in favour of prince henry , that tho' the king and queen 〈◊〉 thither , they would not admit them into the city till it was late , and they had left their retinue behind . here it was resolv'd , that prince henry should govern the kingdom , and the queen have the education of the king , to whom , nevertheless , they all again took the oath of allegiance . king sancho by his will , left the lordship of biscay , as gain'd in war , to his son prince henry . james lopez de haro broke into that province by the way of navarre , and made himself master of all places , except balmaseda and ordun̄a . the two brothers of the house of lara , laying aside their enmity with the house of haro , joyn'd with him in hatred to prince henry , who they could not endure should govern the kingdom contrary to the king's will , which nam'd one of them . prince john , the king's uncle who had stay'd till then in africk , came into the kingdom of granada , aiming at the 〈◊〉 of castile , thinking he had a better title than his brother king sancho ; for that the present king ferdinand was not born in lawful wedlock . it was wonderful , to see how many revolted upon this account ; which gave him an opportunity of seizing alcantara , and other places on the borders of portugal . king denis of portugal was so earnest for him , that at the time the cortes were held at valladolid , he sent to declare against castile . a great storm threatned on that side , but no less was on the other ; for at bordalva in the territory of hariza , the king of aragon , and d. alonso de cerda , who stiled himself king of castile and leon met . there on the th of january they agreed upon the following articles . that they joyn their forces in order to restore d. alonso to his grandfathers kingdom . that the kingdom of murcia be given to the king of aragon , the kingdom of leon , galicia and sevil , to prince john , cuenca , alarcon , moya and can̄ete , to prince peter of aragon , for his service as general of that expedition . in this league were included queen violante , grandmother to d. alonso , the king of france , portugal and granada , and soon after d. john de lara in hopes of recovering 〈…〉 . on the other side , through the queens industry , d. james de haro was reconcil'd the king , and all the estate of d. john de lara , who was gone to the aragonians added his lordship of biscay . by these means other great men were gain'd , particularly d. john alonso de haro , giving him cameros , which he had a right to . the army of aragon under the command of d. alonso de la cerda , and prince peter of aragon , entred castile in april , at baltanas ; prince john , and d. john nun̄z de lara joyn'd them . they march'd without any lett as far as the city leon , formerly great and rich , then poor and unprovided , and therefore was easily surrendred ; the sooner , for that some citizens held correspondence with the enemy . there prince john was proclaim'd king of leon , galicia , and sevil. soon after d. alonso de la cerda was in the same manner , proclaim'd king of castile at sahagun . thence they march'd , and laid siege to mayorga , which is five leagues from sadagun ; the town being strong , and well garrison'd , defended it self bravely , and the siege lasted till august : mean while the cortes or parliament , was summoned to meet at valladolid . the first that appear'd was prince henry , who as soon as he alighted , without changing his riding apparel , went to the queen then at mass in the castle . after the usual reverence , with a feign'd sorrow , he laid before her the danger of the kingdom , and urg'd , how little defence there was in a woman , a child , and an old man : then advis'd her to marry the prince of aragon , by whom she might be protected , and the crown defended . the queen put him away with signs of displeasure , affirming , she would rely on god , and not use any dishonourable means for her preservation . thus prince henry's design fell to the ground . about horse were levy'd , but prince henry could not be prevail'd upon to march with them , and raise the siege of mayorga , excusing himself with the war in andaluzia . yet they march'd to zamora to settle that place , then wavering in it's duty to the king. the length of the siege allay'd the fury of the besiegers ; and the heat of the weather , together with the want of all necessaries , caus'd much sickness among them . these things , and the death of their general , prince peter of aragon , oblig'd them to return home much weaker than they set out . at their first entring castile , they consisted of men at arms , and souldiers . the king of aragon at the same time , had better success in murcia ; for he took the city of that name , and all other places about it , except the towns of lorca , alcala and mula , which held out for king ferdinand . in all these dangers and troubles prince henry , who govern'd castile , acted nothing for either side , but seem'd to stand neuter , so that he oblig'd not the enemy , and drew on himself the hatred of all men , who laid the blame of all the loss sustain'd , to his charge . the queen wink'd at these practices of the prince ; but some men of note did not spare to upbraid him therewith . the chief of these was alonso perez de gusman , who bravely defended the frontiers of andaluzia , and more than any , oppos'd the designs of prince henry . with a body of men he gather'd , the prince march'd to andaluzia , lest he should be thought altogether idle ; and in a skirmish he had with the moors near arjona , was defeated , and in great danger of being taken , his reins being cut , so that he could not guide his horse . alonso perez de gusman in that danger furnish'd him with another horse , on which he escap'd . after this rencounter , a treaty of peace was propos'd to the moors . the king of granada demanded tarifa , offering in lieu of it , castles , crowns in ready mony , and to advance the usual tribute of four years . prince henry approv'd of these conditions , because of the present necessities , and want of mony. alonso perez de gusman violently oppos'd it . this difference was heighten'd to such a degree , that the moors being joyn'd by some christians , laid siege to that city . alonso de gusman had not a sufficient force , his men deserted , and those were his enemies , who ought to have protected him . in this condition , he resolv'd to have recourse to foreigners . the king of portugal was a declar'd enemy of castile , therefore he resolv'd to try whether the king of aragon would relieve him . to this purpose he wrote to him , begging his assistance ; and pondering how great a service it was to christendom , and how much honour would redound to him by so noble an action . the king of aragon answer'd , extolling his loyalty , but as to relief said , he could send none ; for that he had but just before concluded a peace with the moors , and could not in honour break his word . another war broke out at the same time from portugal . that king march'd with his army as far as salamanca ; prince john , king ferdinand's uncle , and d. john nun̄ez de lara joyn'd him , after the aragonian army return'd home . having consulted what was best to be done , it was thought expedient to besiege valladolid , where king ferdinand was . with this resolution they advanc'd to simancas , within two leagues of that city . there many gentlemen deserted the portuguese camp , looking upon it as a shameful thing , that a king should be besieg'd by his subjects . the king of portugal fearing lest the rest should do the same , and securing the passes , he might find it difficult to return home ; besides winter drawing on , march'd hastily to medina del campo , and thence to portugal , dismissing his army . the forces the queen had prepared for this war , went by her order to besiege the town of paredes . nothing was done there , for that prince henry with the forces he had gather'd in castile , and the kingdom of toledo , prevented their design . he pretended it was not proper to disturb the cortes , or parliament then sitting , by bringing the war so near to them ; but in truth , he was disgusted with the king , and favour'd his enemies . the queen dissembled , and endeavour'd to gain him by favours , giving him at that same time , the towns of santisleva● de gormaz , and 〈…〉 . by the same means she drew to her d. john nun̄ez de lara , tho' no confidence ●ould be reposed in him ; for he would have gone over to the aragonians , had they given him the town of albarazin . the cortes were held at valladolid , in the beginning of the year . and there being great scarcity of mony , all places promis'd to furnish a great sum , which they afterwards perform'd . at the same time , by the valour of john alonso de haro , the navarrois were put to flight , who had surpriz'd part of the town of najara , designing to recover those parts they had old pretensions to , and particularly the territory of rioja . d. jayme king of aragon at rome , whither he was call'd by the pope , was proclaim'd king of sardinia , and corsica . thither went from sicily , constance his mother , violante his sister , roger lauria the admiral , and john prochita . a match was concluded betwixt the lady violante , and robert duke of calabria , heir to the kingdom of naples . the nuptials were perform'd with great state , pope boniface himself officiating . king frederick prepar'd to defend the kingdom which had been given him by so general a consent of the people . war was declar'd against him , as the disturber of the peace of christendom , and his brother the king of aragon appointed generalissimo . all things being thus order'd , the king of aragon return'd home to prepare for the war. rogor lauria was sent to naples to serve that king. queen constance and john prochita , weary of so many troubles , and pitying the unfortunate state of sicily , stay'd at rome . some say they both dy'd there , but most authors agree , she ended her days five years after at barcelona , and was buried in the monastery of st. francis , where there is a tomb to this day , with an inscription , and her name . chap. ii. peace betwixt castile and portugal setled by the means of double allyances betwixt those princes . the progress of the wars in sicily . the jubilee first instituted . bilbao built ; and prince john reconcil'd to the king. the king of aragon being return'd home , the towns of lerida , vlia , filera , and salvatierra , were restored to the crown of navarre , in pursuance of the articles made at agnani , not fulfill'd till then . alonso ronco , a frenchman , was viceroy of navarre in the year . the city albarazin was taken from the king of aragon's bastard brother , and restor'd to d. john de lara , on pretence of doing him justice , but indeed , to draw over that powerful man. d. john took the oath of fidelity to the king at valencia , on the th day of april . this the king of aragon did to strengthen himself , to invade at once castile and sicily , attempts too great for his power . the king of sicily forsaken on all sides , was most exposed to ruin. he of castile was reconcil'd to the king of portugal , by the means of two matches that were concluded . the one was betwixt king ferdinand , and constance the daughter of king denis , tho' she was under age. they were contracted with great solemnity at alcaniz , a town on the borders of portugal ; and the publick joy was the greater , for that blanch , king ferdinand's sister , was marry'd to prince alonso , son and heir to king denis , tho' but eight years old , which was the other match . the bride was deliver'd to her father-in-law , and carry'd to portugal . so eager were the castilians upon securing of peace , that tho' nothing was given in dower by the portuguesse with his daughter , king ferdinand with his sister gave the towns of olivença , conguela and campo de moya , which was no small disgrace to castile ; but the necessity of the times excus'd it . all the king of portugal did , was to send chosen horse , under the command of d. john de albuquerque , to serve the king of castile against prince john his uncle , who stil'd himself king of leon ; but all this came to nothing , and those horse return'd to portugal as they came . d. alonso de la cerda on the other side , had taken almazan , and other towns upon the frontiers of aragon , and garrison'd them . siguença was attack'd by d. john de lura , but defended by the valour of the citizens . the conspirators wanted mony , and therefore lest provisions , and the souldiers pay should fail , they coin'd some ; but of base allay . denis king of portugal , at the request of his son-in-law , brought a good body of men to his assistance , by the way of cuidad rodrigo , but being more inclinable to peace than that time would bear , he return'd to portugal dissatisfy'd . the reason of his disgust was , that he would have the province of galicia given to prince john , who call'd himself king , and to his heirs ; and that he should keep the city leon during his life . the queen and nobility of castile , would not consent to those conditions , as dishonourable and prejudicial . upon the king of portugal's return , some nobles of castile , whom fear before aw'd , began to revolt . but the great wisdom of the queen pacify'd them , giving every one as much as he could expect to gain by rebelling . sicily was now distress'd with war. roger lauria serv'd the french , and fortune seem'd to incline to the side he took . many towns in italy were taken by his conduct , whereupon in sicily he was attainted of treason , and a great estate that had been given him for his good services , was confiscated . soon after having taken the city cantazara in calabria , and besieging the castle , he was overthown in battel by a much less number of the enemy , many of his men slain , and the rest escap'd by the favour of the night . his too great contempt of the enemy , and fighting with the sun in his face , are said to have been the causes of this misfortune . roger lauria himself being wounded , lurk'd about some time till he made his escape into aragon , meditating revenge ; being the more sensible of this disgrace , for that it was the first that befell him . from aragon , the king and roger lauria , set sail with a mighty fleet , in which were no less than galleys . they went directly to rome , where the pope blest their standard , and gave them his benediction . at naples , robert duke of calabria , joyn'd them with another squadron . they scour'd the coast of sicily , where at first they found less opposition than had been expected . the city patti , and some other places about it , were taken ; then turning cape milazzo near mecina , and passing the streight , they came to the city siracusa , and laid siege to it . whilst the forces of aragon were employ'd at that siege , the people of patti ran to arms , expell'd the garrison , and besieg'd the castle , which was possess'd by the aragonians . john lauria was sent by the king with galleys , to relieve the besieg'd , and furnish'd them with provisions , and all other necessaries ; but as he return'd , was beaten by the mecineses , who lay in wait for him with a squadron , in the streight , and he with of his galleys taken . the occasion of this disaster was thus , the sicilians were better acquainted with that swelling , and rapid streight where they fought , which is betwixt italy and sicily . siracusa held out bravely , being encouraged by king frederick , who lay not far off , waiting to lay hold on any advantage that should offer . thus the aragonians were constrain'd to raise the siege , having lost men by sickness . at mecina , john lauria was try'd , and condemn'd as a traytor , and had his head cut off . roger lauria rav'd with passion , knowing that affront was offer'd to him ; but could not then seek revenge , being gone into spain with the king of aragon . as soon as the winter was over , they both return'd to sicily , with a greater fleet than before . robert and philip , the king of naples his two sons , joyn'd them by the way . they sail'd together to cape orlando , near the city patti , the fleet consisting of galleys , and a great number of other vessels . king frederick finding his men in heart since their last success , tho' inferiour in strength , not having above galleys , resolved to fight , but was defeated , several of his galleys taken , and the rest put to flight . roger lauria in revenge for his cousin , us'd great cruelty towards the prisoners , killing many of them , and among others , conrade lança a man of note ; which drew the catalonians into great hatred . king frederick himself was in great danger ; for after a brave defence , he fainted away , and yet his men brought off his galley ; which with a few others , got into mecina . the king of aragon return'd into spain , being call'd by his people ; but the pope and king of naples were offended at him . that memorable battel was fought on a saturday , being the th of july , . the same year dy'd at rome , gonçalo cardinal and archbishop of toledo , as appears by the inscription on his tomb in the church of st. mary the greater , in that city . d. gonçalo the iiid . his nephew , succeeded him . the french who remain'd in sicily , to prosecute their victory , divided their forces . robert and roger lauria laid siege to rendazzo , a strong place in the mid-way between patti and catanea . philip duke of taranto went with part of the fleet to scour the coast about cape trapana . king frederick came upon him so unexpectedly , that he was defeated , and taken prisoner ; which occasion'd a treaty of peace ; and those two nations concluded an allyance as fortunate , as the war had been destructive . it was now the last year of this century , viz. . remarkable for the jubile first instituted by pope boniface ; who ordain'd , that every hundred years there should be a full remission of sins to all those that visited the churches of rome . clement the vith reduc'd it to every years ; and afterwards sixtus the ivth , considering the shortness of man's life , to . in biscay , this year was built the famous city bilbao , on the bank of the river ibaisebolo , two leagues from the sea ; a place of great trade , and therefore the inhabitants of bermeo all remov'd thither . the king of aragon founded an university at lerida . navarre enjoyed a perfect peace under the government of the viceroy alonso roleedo , who sent embassadors to the queen of castile , then at valladolid , to demand restitution of all the country as far as atapuerca , a town near burgos , alledging it appertain'd to the crown of navarre , and had been wrongfully possess'd by the kings of castile . the queen entertain'd the embassadors nobly , but gave them no satisfactory answer ; whereupon they repair'd to d. alonso de la cerda , , and d. john nun̄ez de lara , who having in vain attempted valencia , were retir'd to duen̄as . d. alonso having heard the embassadors , easily granted what he had not , and d. john de lara was sent to france to desire succours . little was done in that matter , tho' d. alonso de la cerda , and his brother , both follow'd d. john into france ; for they got nothing but good words , and leave to raise men in navarre ; the king of france being engaged in a war in flanders . they accordingly form'd a body in navarre , and making an incursion into the territory of calahorra , were routed by d. john alonso de haro lord of cameros . d. john de lara was taken , and could not be releas'd , till he deliver'd up all the towns he held , for the king , and took the oath of allegiance . the king of aragon made use of this occasion , to take from him the town of albarazin , he had before given him . prince john the king's uncle , submitted himself in the year . upon these conditions ; viz. that he should forbear stiling himself king , and restore all places taken during the war , that he should leave the lordship of biscay , to which he pretended a title by his wife , to d. james lopez de haro ; that in lieu thereof , the towns of medina de ruyseco , castronun̄o , mansilla , paredes and cebreros , be given him to support his dignity . chap. iii. of raimundus lullus , and the master of calatrava . the marriage of king ferdinand . peace concluded betwixt the kings of sicily and naples . a synod of bishops . troubles in castile . pope boniface dyes . benedict the eleventh succeeds him . at this time dy'd raimundus lullus , born in the island majorca , who being bred a merchant , retir'd to the desert , where he , tho ignorant even in the latin tongue , wrote several books of all arts and sciences , and even of divinity , but so obscure they are scarce intelligible . he affirms he had it all by revelation from our saviour , who appear'd to him crucify'd . what is most to be commended in him is , that he went over twice to bugia in africk , where not ceasing to instruct that barbarous people , he was the first time imprison'd , and the second stoned to death . his body carry'd to majorca , is there held in great veneration , tho not canoniz'd as a saint . his books are variously spoken of , some condemn , and others highly esteem them , but propositions taken out of them , were condemn'd at avignon by pope gregory the xith . thus much of raymundus lullus . garci lopez de padilla , master of the knights of calatrava , by his great severity and harsh temper , had offended his knights , who endeavour'd to cast him off . it happen'd under the present confusions , the christians were not able to make head against the moors , who the last year took from those knights the town of alcaudete , attempted vaena , and tho they entred it , were repuls'd by the garrison , and now lastly they lay'd siege to jaen . the blame of all these misfortunes was lay'd upon garci lopez , and besides they accus'd him of keeping private correspondence with d. alonso de la cerda . this was what they pretended , but in reality they hated him for his severity , and envy'd his valour . the knights held a chapter , and depos'd garci lopez de padilla their master contrary to equity , as was afterwards determined by the cistercian monks constituted judges in that case by the pope . in this place d. aleman , commendary of zorita , was chosen master . garci lopez , about the end of the year was restored to his dignity , and govern'd those knights a long time , yet their hatred not ceasing in his old age , they charg'd him with fresh articles , and having again wrongfully depos'd him , chose d. john nun̄ez de prado in his place . he being past service , voluntarily left the mastership to his competitor , only reserving to himself some towns in aragon for his maintenance . pope boniface being well affected to spain , the kings of spain and portugal had a meeting at plasencia , where they agreed to send an embassy to him , as they did , and obtain'd a dispensation for consummating the marriages betwixt those kings and their queens ; he also dispens'd with the marriage of the late king sancho , tho then dead . as soon as the dispensation came , the nuptials were celebrated betwixt king ferdinand , and the lady constance at valladolid , having been put off till this time , as well in regard to the king 's tender age , as the consanguinity . the king setled his houshould , and took upon him the government . d. john nun̄ez de lara was made steward of the houshould . prince henry the king's uncle had atiença and santistevan de gormaz given him in lieu of the government he lost . all these favours could not overcome his wicked inclination , for still he held correspondence with the aragonians and moors , and caus'd the siege of almaçan , which place held for d. alonso de la cerda , to be rais'd , and the forces to be sent to other parts . at hariza he had a meeting with the king of aragon . that king held lorca , a strong place in the kingdom of murcia besieg'd a long time , and at last it was surrendred to him at the beginning of the year . on the first day of april , a synod of the province of toledo was celebrated at pen̄afiel , a city in old castile , at which gonçalo arch-bishop of toledo presided . the third canon of this council forbids the clergy keeping of concubines openly . the sixth , upon pain of punishment , ( such was that age , they thought it enough to punish publick sins , ) ordains that any priest who reveals what he hears in confession , be kept in perpetual imprisonment , and fed with only bread and water . many other constitutions were made , relating to ecclesiastical affairs . in may following dy'd mahomet king of granada . his son mahomet almahor succeeded him , but he being blind , his brother in law farraquin , lord of malaga had the administration of the government . at the same time in sicily , after those tedious wars spoken of , peace was establish'd . the sicillian fleet near the island ponça was overthrown , and their admiral conrade doria , a genoese taken prisoner . the french immediately lay'd siege to mecina , which was bravely defended by the townsmen , and the great care of king frederick . queen violante bore her husband company in that expedition , and was then at catanea . through her procurement the two kings met upon the coast of siracusa to treat , and tho they could not conclude a peace , yet a truce was agreed on . two accidents happen'd that might have cut off all hopes of a peace ; one the death of queen violante , at termini , a town possess'd by the french near palermo . the other the coming of charles of valois into sicily , as he was going to recover the grecian empire . king frederick to avoid coming to a battle , caus'd all provisions to be convey'd into places of strength , and what could not , to be destroy'd . this oblig'd the enemy to make overtures of peace , in order to which those three princes met between jaca and calatabelota , where after much contesting , they agreed upon these articles . that philip prince of taranto , and all prisoners on both sides be set at liberty . that king frederick quit all the places he is possess'd of on the continent , and the french , all they have in sicily . that the lady ellenor , sister to robert , be married to king frederick , and retain sicily as her portion , till such time , as with the popes leave and assistance sardinia , or some other kingdom be conquer'd . if this succeed not , king frederick's heirs shall be oblig'd to quit sicily , upon receiving crowns of the king of naples . that deserters on both sides be pardon'd . these conditions were sign'd the last day of august , and all hostilines ceas'd . this year there was great scarcity of corn , especially in spain ; because , as grave authors affirm , the fourth part of the country people was consum'd during the troubles . about this time d. jayme eldest son to the king of majorca , resigning his right to that crown , became a franciscan friar , and his father dying , sarcho the d son succeeded , who did homage , and swore fidelity to the king of aragon for his dominions . in castile all was not very quiet , and there was great want of mony. the cortes or parliament was held at burgos , and zamora , where publick expences were retrenched , and a great sum of mony rais'd . besides , pope boniface by his bull , granted to queen-mother , a remission of all the thirds of ecclesiastical profits which the kings , alonso , sancho , and ferdinand had receiv'd without leave till then , and gave them to her for three years longer . the nobility was dissatisfy'd with the queen mother , and the princes , john and henry the king's uncles , with d. john , son to prince emanuel , d. john de lara , d. james de haro , and other great ones endeavour'd to estrange the king from her . to this effect they call'd the abbot of santander , who was chancellor and treasurer to account for the revenue , because he was preferr'd by the queen , but he being clear'd with honour , that design fell to the ground . philip king of france at the beginning of the year . sent embassadors to demand those towns the navarrois pretended to belong to them , but they obtain'd nothing . the king of aragon made overtures of peace , which were also rejected . he offer'd to restore all the kingdom of murcia , if they would only deliver alicant to him . the queen lik'd not the proposal . she remov'd d. john de lara , who began to be great with the king , and made prince henry lord steward , but he held it not long , and these beginnings produc'd jealousies betwixt the king and his mother , and disorders among the nobility . prince john , and d. john de lara laying aside their former grudges , had great power over the king. prince henry , d. john son to prince emanuel , and d. james de haro , could not endure to see the queen mother slighted , for that they ow'd her obligations . this disgust had such effect , that they sent for d. alonso de la cerda in order to agree with him . gonzalo ruiz was sent to almazan , to set this affair afoot , and perswade the aragonians to march into castile . whilst these things were in agitation in castile , pope boniface was made prisoner in the city agnani , by a party of horse that broke in upon him , being rais'd by the cardinals of the house of colonna . whom he had depos'd , and not without consent of the king of france , whom he excommunicated . three days after the citizens of agnani rescu'd him from the conspirators , and he return'd to rome , where he dy'd of a disease caus'd by grief , conceiv'd for this affront on the th day of october , and the th after his imprisonment . nicholas , general of the dominicans , was in the next conclave chosen pope , and took the name of benedict the xith . chap. iv. the differences betwixt the kings of castile and aragon reconcil'd : after which they joyn in league against the moors , but to no consider able effect . death of roger lauria , the great admiral of aragon ; and divisions among the moors . spain weary'd out with long troubles , enjoy'd some peace ; but there rather wanted power than will to disturb it . the differences betwixt the princes were great , and it was requisite to compose them . castile and aragon were at variance about the kingdom of murcia . d. alonso de la cerda itil'd himself king of castile , but had no power . the king of granada invaded the territories of the crown of aragon and took bedmar , a town not far from baeca . prince john , the king's uncle , and the family of haro were enemies ; the former pretending to the lordship of biscay , in right of his wife , and hoping to prevail by his interest with the king. the family of haro , for the same reason was discontented , and ready to take up arms. king ferdinand earnestly desir'd to put an end to all these contentions ; to this purpose he sent prince john his uncle embassador to the king of aragon , whose power and authority was then great . in the month of march at calatayud after much debate , it was agreed that arbitrators should be chosen , to whom the whole affair should be referr'd , and a truce was concluded till judgment should be given . time and place were also appointed for the kings to meet , mean while king ferdinand being careful for andaluzia , set out from burges , and in april came to badajoz to meet his father in law , the king of portugal , of whom he expected to recover certain towns pawn'd to him , during his minority . this enterview produc'd discontents , and nothing was done , but only that the portugues sent his son in law some mony , with which he went away for andaluzia . no action happen'd , but a peace was concluded , the moor promising to pay the same tribute his father had done , and so both armies broke up . prince henry dy'd about this time very aged , at roa , and was bury'd in the monastery of s. francis at valladolid . he was ever of a restless spirit , and ambitious of command . his death was pleasing to all the kingdom , for they fear'd he would disturb the peace that was afoot ; and because he left no issue , his estate was divided among several noblemen , the best part falling to d. john de lara , who held the first place in the king's favour . in pursuance of the agreement at calatayud , denis king of portugal was chosen arbitrator to decide the differences betwixt castile and aragon , and for his associates , prince john for the former , and d. ximeno de luna , bishop of zaragoça for the latter kingdom . the two kings met at torrellas , a town on the frontiers of aragon , where the judges decreed that the river segura should part the dominions of castile and aragon , which was what the aragonian had strugl'd for . judgment was given on the th of august , and the next day the three kings met at campillo , and ratify'd the decree . thence they went to agreda , and so to taraçona , and were receiv'd with great joy ; for besides the kings , there were as many queens , the mother and consort of castile , and elizabeth of portugal famous for sanctity , besides elizabeth , sister to king ferdinand , who had been contracted to the aragonian . the retinue was great , especially that of the portugues , who brought with him out of portugal horse , and by the way would never lye in towns , but in tents set up in the fields . as to the pretentions of the two brothers cerdas , the kings of aragon , and portugal as judges , decited that d. alonso should no longer take the title of king , but restore all the towns he had been , and that alva , bejar , valdecerneja , gibraleon , sarria , and some other towns should be setl'd upon him . a small recompence for so many kingdoms . this judgment was so grievous to d. alonso , that he would not appear , but went away heartily cursing the kings . it remain'd only to adjust matters betwixt prince john , and d. james de haro . therefore as soon as the conference was dissolv'd , king ferdinand summon'd d. james to appear at medina del campo , where the cortes were to meet . judges were appointed to hear their pretentions , and determine the cause , but d. james fearing the king favour'd his adversary , withdrew . after the cortes broke up , judgment was given in favour of prince john , but the execution of it deferr'd in hopes some means might be found of adjusting that matter . this was the posture of affairs in castile , in the year . on the th of january dy'd roger lauria , the famous admiral of aragon , who gain'd sicily for king peter , perform'd many brave exploits by himself , and those kings did none without him . his body was bury'd in the monastery of santa cruz , near unto the tom● of king peter . on the th of april dy'd joanna , queen of navarre , at paris , and was bury'd in the monastery of s. francis. luis call'd huttin succeeded his mother in the kingdom of navarre , and afterwards his father in that of france . the queen left two other sons , philip the long , and charles the fair , who all came to be kings of france and navarre . she left also two daughters , one dy'd young , the other call'd elizabeth was marry'd to edward king of england , and was the beautifullest lady of her time. benedict sat in the papal chair , but months , and days ; and he dying it was vacant months , and days . after long debates betwixt the french and italian cardinals , clement the vth. was chosen and proclaim'd on the th . of june . he was before arch-bishop of bourdeaux , and is said to have promis'd many scandalous things to the king of france , before he would permit him to pass towards rome . he was crown'd on the th . of november , at which time a wall falling as the procession was going , did much mischief , and struck the tyara off his head , out of which a great carbuncle was lost , which things were look'd upon as ill omens ; and the rest of his life was not unlike to this beginning , but those things do not belong to this history . at the same time troubles began again to break out in spain . d. john nun̄ez de lara declin'd in the king's favour , who took from him the office of lord steward , and confer'd it on d. lope , son to d. james de haro , on pretence that d. john de lara being general of the frontiers , could not serve both places , but in reality to oblige the family of haro , and divide it from that of lara . those families understanding the design , knit their interests the closer together , and seem'd to threaten a rebellion . alonso perez de guzman and the queen interpo●'d , and restoring each of those gentlemen their honours , pacify'd them . besides , the dispute betwixt prince john , and the house of haro was reconcil'd upon these conditions . that d. james de haro during his life should possess the lordship of biscay , and after his death it should fall to prince john. that orduna and balmaseda , should be intail'd ●●on d. john , d. james his son and his heirs , and in lieu of what he was to lose , miranda de ebro and villalva de losa were given him . all men rejoyc'd to see these differences compos'd , except d. john de lara , who in a rage that he had not been consulted , in the affair of d. james de haro , and studying to make his advantage of the publick calamities , renouncing his oath of fidelity , withdrew with his followers to tordehumos , a strong p●ace , where he hoped to be able to withstand the king , whom he had hainously offended . the king's forces laid siege to that place , but many favouring d. john , it was protracted to a long time . some overtures of accommodation were made , and because the king would not harken to them , his army broke up of it self and disbanded . among others , prince john favour'd d. john de lara , and the business was carry'd to such a beight that the king was forc'd to pardon him , only taking from him the towns of moya and canete , the gift of king sancho . nor was the peace lasting , for both those gentlemen imagining the king had a design to take away their lives , openly rebell'd again . prince john was soon appeas'd , but it was not so easy to reduce d. john de lara . d. alonso de la cerda forsaken of all men , and seeing no hopes of obtaining the crown , sent martin ruiz to take possession of the towns assign'd him by the arbitrators , and was ever after call'd d. alonso the disinherited . the moors of granada about this time began to mutiny , for that their king was blind , and his brother-in-law the lord of malaga , govern'd the state with the same grandeur as if he had been another king. the nobility were not wanting to incense the commons . among them aborrabes , a gentleman descended from the kings of morocco , seiz'd almeria , and call'd himself king of that place , most of the people favour'd mahomet azar the king's brother , and were for putting the crown upon his head. aborrabes was expell'd almeria by the contrary faction ; and he designing to seize upon ceuta , a city on the coast of africk , belonging to the kingdom of granada , thought to obtain aid of the christians . this seem'd a good opportunity to drive the moors quite out of spain , and in order to it the two kings of castile and aragon met at the monastery of huerta , upon the borders of both kingdoms , at the beginning of the year . there , and at monreal whither they remov'd , it was agreed , first , to pacify d. alonso de la cerda , somewhat mollifying the decree of the arbitrators , lest whilst they were busie in the war with the moors , he should raise tumults in castile . next to make war upon the moors with two armies , and at once besiege almeria and algezira . besides , it was resolv'd prince jayme , the king of aragon's son , should marry ellenor the sister of king ferdinand , her dower to be the sixth part of what was gain'd in war , and particularly the city almeria . after the interview broke up , great preparations were made . king ferdinand went away to toledo , to see the body of his father king sancho translated to a stately tomb built by the queen . this king was naturally meer and merciful , and of body comely and well shap'd . he advis'd a gentleman to whom he had given the government of galicia , not to put to death some men of note that had rais'd rebellion in that country , but to send them to him , which prov'd very advantagious , for they to blot out the shame of their crimes , did extraordinary service against the moors . the army march'd into andaluzia , and the castilians laid siege to algezira on the th of june . about the middle of the next month the king of aragon set down before almeria . gilbert viscoune castelnovo with part of the aragonian-fleet sail'd to ceuta in africk , and took it . the plunder was given to the souldiers , the city to aborrabe , as had been agreed . the moors of granada with all their forces march'd to relieve almeria , but were so bravely receiv'd by the aragonians , that after a sharp dispute they fled , and a great slaughter was made , tho the woods which were near sav'd many . whilst the aragonians were busy in the pursuit , the besieged fallying entred their works , but the christians returning victorious , soon drove them back into the city . on the th of october moors again assauited the aragonians in their works , and met with the same success they had done before . no'less valour and industry was us'd by the castilians at algezira ; but the place being strong and well garrison'd , they advanc'd but little : because the siege seem'd tedious , the arch-bishop of sevil , and d. john nun̄ez de lara , were sent with some forces to attack gibraltar . alonso perez de gusman so much spoken of , was kill'd by the way , in a skirmish with the moors , to the great grief of all the kingdom . gibraltar surrender'd to king ferdinand , who came thither to that purpose . the moors were permitted to go over into africk , and carry their goods with them . winter and other hardships made the souldiers before algezira steal away from the camp , and many men of note went off , as well as the meaner sort , and among them prince john , and d. john manuel , and d. james lopez de haro dy'd before the town ; and by his death the lorship of biscay , as had been agree'd , fell to the lady mary , wife to prince john. in fine , the siege was rais'd , the moors delivering up the towns of quesada and bedmar . the aragonians did the same at almeria , only upon having the captive christians restor'd to them . this was all the fruit of that mighty expedition . chap. v. the king of granada depos'd . the king of castile's sister marry'd to the duke of britany . the extirpation of the knights templers . the death of ferdinand the ivth , king of castile . during the late war , the blind king of granada was depos'd by his brother azar , kept sometime prisoner at almunecar , thence carry'd back to granada , and there murder'd . d. john nun̄ez de lara had been sent embassador into france , and having dispatch'd the business he went about , return'd to the king then at sevil. his embassy was to the pope , to obtain of him a grant of the tenth of ecclesiastical revenues , which was done , and to advise him not to lay any , blemish on the memory of his predecessor , pope boniface , at the instance of the king of france . in guipuscoa , the town of azptitia was now founded . from sevil , the king went to burgos , to assist at the marriage of his sister elizabeth , that had been contracted to the king of aragon , and was now given to john duke of britany . d. john manuel was made lord steward of the houshold , prince peter from whom that employment was taken , shewing no discontent . d. john was also general of the frontiers in murcia , and peter lopez de ayala executed that command as his lieutenant . all this was done to oblige that gentleman , who was a man of great interest , and so fortunate , that constance his daughter by the first wife was queen of portugal , and joanna , whom he had by blanch , the daughter of ferdinand de la corda , queen of castile . the king in his way to burgos , pass'd through toledo , at the time when d. gençalo the arch-bishop dy'd . d. gutierre the iid . then archdeacon of that church , succeeded him . thence the king went to burgos , where the marriage was solemniz'd with all imaginable grandeur . there was no confidence to be repos'd in prince john the king's uncle , and therefore there was a design of making away with him at burgos , whither he went to the wedding . d. john nun̄ez de lara understanding the design , indeavour'd to disswade it , and the prince getting some intelligence stole away , and many men of note without respect to the king follow'd him . the queen mother made up all these breaches , and reconcil'd the prince to the king her son. at palencia , a violent sickness put the king's life in danger , but he remov'd to valladolid and recover'd . blanch queen of aragon dy'd at barcelona , on the th of october . she was a lady endu'd with all virtues , and left a numerous offspring , viz. the princes james , alonso , john , peter and raymund berengarius . her daughters were mary , constance , elizabeth , blanch and violante . blanch was abbess of xixena , the others were marry'd to several princes . the queens body was bury'd with pomp , in the monastery of santa cruz , in catalonia . a general councel was now assembl'd by pope clement , at vienne in dauphine . among other things intended to be brought before the council , was the case of the knights templers , who were accus'd of most hainous , and unhear'd of crimes . and indeed such were the articles said to have been preferr'd against them , as by their absurdity seem to prove the innocency of those gentlemen , and to convince the whole matter was an imposture ; for it is beyond all belief , that so many men of quality , parts , and honour throughout the whole world , should be entangled in such follies and enormities . to shew somewhat of the haniousness of the crimes imputed to them , we will set down the heads of the articles exhibited against them , which were ; that when first they were admitted into the order , they recounc'd christ , the blessed virgin , and all the saints . that they deny'd salvation through c●●st , and his divinity . that they said he suffer'd on the cross for his own sins . that they spit upon , trampl'd and defil'd the cross , and image of christ , and that particularly in the holy week , when christiens celebrate the memory of his passion . that they deny'd the real presence in the eucharist , and rejected that , and the other sacraments of the church . that the priests of that order did not pronounce the words of consecration in the mass , as reputing them meer inventions of men. that they held the great master , and all who presided in any house or convent of their order , tho no priests , had the power of remitting sins . that a cat us'd to come to their assemblies , which they reverenc'd as coming from heaven . that they had an idol , sometimes with three , and sometimes with one head , and othertimes a dead man's skul , and cover'd with the skin of a man , of whom they acknowledg'd all benefits receiv'd . that they touch'd certain cords to this idol , which they wore superstitiously about them . that they committed the sin of sodom , and many other things , most horrid to relate . the reader may judge whether these do not sound more like imposture , than true crimes . villaneus , s. antonine and others , vindicate the knights , tho the generality condemns them . their vast riches , were doubtless the cause of their ruin ; thence proceeded the hatred of the people towards them , and princes laid hold of the opportunity , to seize upon their estates and treasure . sixty two knights of the order , are said to have been examin'd before the pope , and owning their crimes , to have beg'd pardon . their first accusers were two of the order , to wit , the prior of montfalcon , in the territory of toulouze , and nofus an out-law of florence ; witnesses scarce allowable in a matter of such moment . others came in to them , and among the rest the pope's chamberlain , who took that habit at eleven years of age. the heads of these accusations were sent to the king of france , then at poitiers with the pope . by their order all the knights throughout the kingdom were apprehended , on the th of october , . they were all put to the rack , where some through excess of pain , said any thing they would have them , yet many dy'd with resolution . the great master of the order , james de mola , as he was led to be burnt , being proms'd his life if he would confess , openly protested the innocency of his order , declaring he had falsly charged them with those crimes , at the instigation of the pope , and king of france , for which he beg'd forgiveness of god. many others did the like . the following year pope clement by his bulls , appointed the arch-bishop of toledo and santiago , with other prelates judges over the knights templers in castile , the bishops of valencia and zaragoça , for aragon , and so in all other parts of spain , and throughout christendom . they had all orders , after examining the case , to give sentence in the provincal synods . in aragon those knights stood upon their defence , in several strong places , but particularly at monçon ; yet the king's forces coming upon them , they were all taken . in castile , the king summon'd them to appear before the arch-bishop of toledo , and at the same time caus'd them to be apprehended , and their estates to be put into the hands of the bishops , till such time as they were try'd . a synod met at salamanca , where after a full hearing , the templers were acquitted ; yet the final determination was referred to the pope , whose decree superseded the opinions of all those prelates , and the whole order was abolish'd . by virtue of this decree , king ferdinand seiz'd upon all they possess'd , as well in lands as goods . in galicia , they had the towns of ponferrada and faro . in lean , balduerna , tavara , almansa , alcanizes . in estremadura , valencia , alconita , xeres de badajoz , fregenal , nertobriga , capilla , and caracuel : in andaluzia , palma : in old castile , villalpando : in the territory of murcia , caravaca , and alconchel . in the kingdom of toledo , montalvan : besides , s. pedro de la zarça , burguillos ; and many other towns , and houses too tedious to repeat . they are said to have had twelve monasteries in spain . they were summon'd before the arch-bishop of toledo , in the year . in a synod held at munster in germany , the templers were declared innocent . at last the council of vienne was open'd upon the th of october . here it was decreed that pope boniface should not be condemn'd . some discourse there was about renewing the war , in the holy land , but to no effect . as to the knights , templers , it was ordain'd their order should be totally abolish'd , their goods to be given to the knights of s. john , who had then taken the island of rhodes . only spain allow'd not of that decree , by reason of the war , with the moors , which it was thought would prove dangerous . all the world was astonish'd at the ruin of the templers . castile was full of joy for the birth of prince alonso , of whom the queen was delivered on the d of august , and he soon after succeeded his father ferdinand . the joy was the greater because , the queen had never before been with child , and was thought to be barren . a match was agreed betwixt prince peter , king ferdinand's brother , and mary daughter to the king of aragon . the two kings met at calatayud with a great court , and there the marriage was celebrated with extraordinary pomp. ellenor the sister of king ferdinand , before contracted to prince jayme , the king of aragon's son , was now marry'd and deliver'd to her father in law. some discourse there was about carrying on the war against the moors in the spring . there was a difference betwixt the kings of castile and portugal , about the towns of mora and serpa , near cape s. vincent , which had been deliver'd to the portugues contrary to equity , during king ferdinand's minority . the king of aragon was chosen umpire in this difference . this done , prince john the king of aragon's brother was sent into portugal about that affair . king ferdinand went to valladolid , where he assembl'd the cortes or parliament , and demanded mony for carrying on the war , which was readily granted , in hopes of driving the infidels quite out of spain . prince peter the king's brother being made general in the spring of the year . march'd and lay'd siege to alcaudete , which as was before said , the moors had taken . the king follow'd to martos , there a very strange accident happen'd . two brothers , peter and john carvajal , were apprehended for the murder of a gentleman , of the family of benavides , kill'd at palencia . many had been troubled for this fact , but it could not be prov'd upon any body . lastly these two gentlemen were condemn'd for it , without being sufficiently convicted or confessing . they were adjudg'd to be cast headlong off from a rock , and no intercession could mitigate the king , for he was inexorable . as they were led to execution , they call'd god to witness their innocency , and appeal'd to his tribunal , before which they summon'd the king to appear within days . these words at first look'd upon as vain , were afterwards much reflected on . the king little regarding them , went away to the camp before alcaudete , there a violent sickness forc'd him to return to jaen , not withstanding the moors were upon surrendring . his disease increas'd , so that he could not attend any business , and one day being somewhat joyful with the news brought him , that the moors had surrendred , he retir'd after dinner to sleep , and was found dead . his death was upon a thursday , the th of september . he was taken off in the flower of his youth , at the age of years , and months , when he began to know somewhat of happiness . he reign'd years , months , and days , and was the fourth of the name . some said excessive eating and drinking caus'd his death , others that it was a judgment , for that he dy'd exactly the th day after he was summon'd . for this reason he was call'd king ferdinand the summon'd . his body was deposited at cordova , because by reason of the great heat of the weather , it could not then be carry'd to sevil or toledo , the burial places of the king. it was the more confidently believ'd he dy'd in pursuance of the summons , because the same happen'd at the same time to the pope , and king of france , who were also cited by several knights templers , as they were led to execution . what the king of aragon decreed , as to the difference betwixt castile and portugal is not known , but it was visible he favour'd the portugues , and king ferdinand dying , he still kept those towns which remain to that kingdom to this day . chap. vi. the beginning of the reign of alonso the xith king of castile . the many confusions in that kingdom , by reason of his infancy . the moors of granada expel their king the turks , their original and growth . great troubles ensu'd upon the death of king ferdinand , because the new king was but a year and days old . as soon as the king dy'd , prince alonso his son was proclaim'd by the means of prince peter his uncle , who came to jaen as soon as alcaudete was taken , and by this loyal action gain'd the love and applause of all the people . the young king was at avila . vataza a noble lady , grandaughter to theodorus lascarus , emperor of greece , who came from portugal with queen constancy , was appointed his governess . she afterwards return'd to portugal , dy'd there , and lyes bury'd in the cathedral of coimbra , as appears by the inscription on her tomb. queen mary the king's grandmother liv'd a retir'd life at valladolid . queen constance , who had follow'd the king her husband , was at martos overwhelm'd with sorrow . prince john was gone to valencia , and d. john de lara to portugal , both in disgrace with king ferdinand . every body strugl'd to have a share in the government , chiefly d. alonso , lord of molina the queen's brother , prince philip his uncle , and d. john manuel labour'd hard , but underhand , and modestly . prince john , and prince peter , uncle and nephew aspir'd more openly ; prince peter being the nearest of kin to the king , and most in the favour of the people , stood fairest . prince john was of riper yeas , but restless and inconstant , so that he seem'd to be born only to embroil kingdoms . prince peter had charge of the affairs of andaluzia ; and concluded a peace with the moors , which was convenient for both parties , for the prince could not follow the war , being taken up with his pretensions at court ; and among the moors , farraquin , lord of malaga sought to revenge the murder of the late king. queen constance , and prince peter having conferr'd together , resolv'd to go to avila , where the king was hoping the townsmen would not oppose them , or if they should , to prevail by force . on the other side prince john , king ferdinand's uncle , and d. john de lara joyn'd in a league , the likeness of their inclinations , and their common danger made them unite . they labour'd to draw queen mary to their party , giving her hopes she should have the education of her grandson . d. john de lara came first to avila , but could not lay hold of the king , for d. sancho the bishop convey'd him into the cathedral , and there made himself strong , and defended him . next came queen constance , and prince peter , but the same thing happen'd to them . means of accommodation were propos'd , and it was agreed the king should be deliver'd to none but such as the cortes or parliament should appoint , and the citizens of avila made an association in order to see this perform'd . d. john de lara gave this advice , hoping to exclude prince peter . the cortes met at palencia in the beginning of spring , where much bribery was us'd . the better sort were for queen mary and her son prince peter . others preferr'd prince john , and queen constance , who was subtilly drawn away by the adverse party from prince peter . hence sprang new fumults and confusions . prince peter confiding in his own power , and the affections of the people , as also hoping for aid from abroad , agreed with d. john manuel upon condition , that if he obtain'd his ends , he would give him the government of the kingdoms of toledo and murcia . at the beginning of the year . he met his father in law , the king of aragon at calatayud , to whom he urg'd how much he was oblig'd to favour his pretentions , and prevent a war which might otherwise ensue . therefore by consent of both , michael arbe was sent embassador to portugal , to try whether that king could prevail with the mutineers to desist from their pretensions , and leave the government of the kingdom to prince peter , allowing queen constance the charge of educating the king. the people of avila were not zealous for either party , but at last joyn'd with prince peter , and queen mary his mother , yet upon condition they should not carry the king out of the city . at this time azar king of granada was forc'd to retire to the alhambra , a strong pallace in the highest part of the city , because ismael the son of farraquin had caus'd the townsmen to rebel against him . prince peter who was then at sevil , march'd thither to relieve that king , who was his friend and ally , but came too late , for he had already agreed to quit the fitle and authority of a king , and remain content with only the city guadin , seated in the pleasant plains of the antient turduli . tho' the prince could not relieve , he endeavour'd to revenge him ; for he took from the moors a strong castle near granada , call'd rute , and made great spoil throughout the country . azor had reign'd four years , and seven months when he was deposed . ismael his competitor and nephew , being the son of farraquen , and his sister , succeeded him . the taking of rute gain'd prince peter great reputation ; for that in three days he did that which several kings had attempted in vain : but the war was not carryed on , because of the intestine divisions . the cortes met in the monastery of sahagun , to endeavour to compose those differences . whilst they were sitting , queen constance departed this life , for grief that her son was kept from her ; and that she was reduc'd to such poverty , that all her jewels would not pay her debts ; as she her self declar'd at her death . the queens death made things easier to be compos'd ; for prince john having lost that support , apply'd himself to queen mary , and prince peter . they agreed that the queen should have the breeding up of the king , and the princes should joyntly govern the kingdom , each in that part which had voted for him in the cortes or parliament , held not long before at palencia . the king was carry'd to toro , a healthy and pleasant place ; but the main design was to get him out of avila , and revenge the affronts receiv'd of that people . it was now the year . when new tumults broke out in the kingdom of toledo , and all manner of crimes were committed . in order to settle a better form of government , the cortes met at burgos , where it was enacted , that the supream authority and management of affairs , should be in the council of state ; that the said council should attend the king and queen where-ever they went ; that the two princes should determine all smaller affairs but have no power to alienate the revenues of the crown nor to appoint another in their stead , in case any of them , or the queen , should dye . at the same time dyed three persons of great note , peter the queens brother , d. tello his son , and d. john de lara lord steward . that place was given to d. alonso prince john's son. d. john de lara had a sister marry'd to d. ferdinand de la cerda , of whom was born blachs , and d. john de lara who took that sirname , because he inherited the estate of the family . this in castile . in aragon the king , in november sent his daughter elizabeth to germany , she being contracted to frederick duke of austria , who was now chosen king of the romans , by the three electors of cologne , saxony , and the palatine ; the other three elected lewis of bavaria , and wenceslaus king of bohemia joyned with them . this last overthrew his competitor in battel , and took him prisoner . at this time andronicus , a wicked prince , was emperor of constantinople . now it was also that the turks , a people before scarce known , began to grow ●●mous . they came originally from that part of scythia next the river volga , and having broke into europe in the year . were overthrown by the hungarians , and retir'd into asia , invited by the richness of the country , and cowardize of the people . there they made themselves strong in the mountains , which for a long time defended them more than their own valour . they were not any thing famous , or had any noted general , but liv'd by rapine , and serv'd the neighbouring princes in their wars , according as every one bid most ; but they most especially fav●●●●d the soldun of egypt . in the war godfrey of ballogne made in the holy land , they began to gain reputation for the many overthrows they gave , and receiv'd of the christians . they were divided under several commanders , till in the time of andronicus , one call'd ottoman , the son of zicus , having kill'd many of those petty l●rds , and worsted the rest , became absolute over all the turks , who then liv'd dispers'd like the arabs . this was the first founder of the ottoman empire , from whom that family takes name and from him are descended all their emperors to this day . orcanes the son of ottoman , succeeded him in the empire , then his son amurat , next bajazet son to amurat , famous for the overthrow given him by tanerlan . bajazet had a son called calapin , who succeded him , and two sons called moyses and mahomet , who both regin'd . then amurat the son of mahomet , who weary of the world in the best of his age , and greatest exaltation of his empire , abdicated the crown , and retired to live a quiet life ; by which he gain'd more renown , than by all his other actions ; which were great . after amurat reign'd his son mahomet , who took constantinople . then bajazet , next selim , after him soliman , then another selim , amurat , another selim ; and lastly , mahomet : and so from father to son , to him that now reigns . and thus the empire of the turks has from time to time , extended it self to the grandeur it contains at present ; and all through the negligence of the christians , or rather , their divisions among themselves , which have always hinder'd them from joyning their forces against the common enemy . chap. vii . the actions of the catalonians in greece . the war in andaluzia . death of luis hutin , king of france . philip the long succeeds him . john the xxth chosen pope . defeat of the moors , by prince peter of castile . when the turks had possessed themselves of a great part of asia , they began to cast their eye towards thracia , and for some time the narrow streight that parted those countries , was the only lett that hinder'd them . andronicus the emperor being sensible of his danger , thought fit to have recourse to foreign aids . the catalonians after peace was setled in sicily , fell to pyracy . roger de brindez , their chief commander was invited to greece with mighty promises from the emperor . this man had gain'd great fame by his exploits , was originally a german , his father serv'd the emperor frederick , and had a great estate about brindez . the son was first a knight templer , and had afterwards serv'd king frederick in the war of sicily , and gain'd much reputation . having obtain'd his king's leave , he went to constantinople with a fleet of sail , in which were galleys , horse , and about foot , a small number , but all of try'd valour . at constantinople , roger marry'd the emperor's neece , and had the next place to him , with the title of magaduke , that is , great general . this done the catalonians pass'd over into asia , where in the first ingagement they slew turkish horse , and foot. then advancing near to philadelphia , they fought again with the same success , and no less slaughter . lastly , on the streights of mount taurus , call'd the iron gate , they gave the enemy a third overthrow , nothing inferior to any of the former . great hopes were conceiv'd upon these prosperous beginnings ; but roger was now call'd back by the emperor andronicus to settle some disorders at home , which succeeded accordingly . berengarius entença , a gentleman of catalonia , was very serviceable in this war , for he brought over horse , and foot. hereupon he had the title of great general conferr'd on him , and roger was saluted cesar , which is the highest dignity . thus far things advanc'd successfully , but fortine was now to change . the grecians began to hate the catalonians , as well through envy , as because those that were in garrison at gallipoli , mutiny'd for their pay , and spreading themselves through the country , committed all sorts of enormities . the emperor in a rage sent for roger de brindez to adrianople , on pretence of business , and caus'd him to be kill'd . a multitude of greeks besieg'd gallipoli , where the catalonians not only defended themselves , but after several successful sallies , at last in one 〈◊〉 slew of the enemy's horse , and foot , the rest fled , leaving the victory and 〈◊〉 camp to the catalonians . this seems incredible , but raymund montaner who was present , in his history affirms it as an eye witness . berengarius entença being resolv'd to revenge the death of roger de brindez , sail'd to constantinople , burnt and destroy'd all the coast , even to the city walls , and in battle defeated the emperor's son , who came to oppose him . at this time a fleet of genoeses commanded by edwand doria , ar●●'d in those parts , and under show of friendship secur'd the catalonian fleet , and took their general entenga . robert rocafort was in garrison at gallipoli , under whos● conduct the catalonians spoiled the country , and often defeated the greeks and genoeses . rocafort puft up with this success would acknowledge no superior , but committed all manner of crimes without the least ●●●●osition . entença having at length obtain'd his liberty return'd to catalonia , where selling a good estate , he fitted out auother fleet and went back again to greece . rocafort 〈…〉 to acknowledge him as his superior , and thereupon they fell at variance , and study'd the ruin of one another . frederick king of sicily , by whose order they went , sent ferdinand the younger son of the king of majorca , to reconcile them . he could not prevail , but perswaded them , since the country about gallipoli was ruin'd , they should remove to napoli , a city on the borders of thrace and macedon , very plentiful and rich. by the way , the two commanders fought , and entença was kill'd , with many others . prince ferdinand in his return towards sicily , was taken by the french near negropont . rocafort setl'd friendship with those french , expecting no pardon from the aragonians or sicilians , but carrying himself haughtily was taken by them , with his brother , and deliver'd to robert king of naples his mortal enemy , who secur'd them at aversa . there they were till both dy'd with hard usage . prince ferdinand of majorca was not kept to strictly , and was soon after releas'd . at mecina , he marry'd elizabeth , the grandchild of luis the last prince of the morea , a frenchman , who dy'd not long before without leaving any heir-male . after the departure of the french from the levant , those catalonians that remain'd there destroy'd all wherever they went. gualter de brena , duke of athens being then at war , entertain'd them , and they soon mutiny'd , kill'd him and plunder'd the city , but reserv'd the title of duke for frederick king of sicily , in hopes he would relieve them . king frederick accepted of the title , and sent governours and officers , under whom the war was continu'd with various success . this dukedom he left to his younger son william , and he to his brother john ; then succeeded frederick his son , who dying without issue , that title fell to frederick king of sicily , great grandson to him that first sent the catalonians to greece . hence the kings of aragon , as kings of sicily stil'd themselves dukes of athens and neopatria . luis hutin king of france dying on the th of june , . philip the long his brother succeeded him , joanna his daughter being excluded by the salique law. but she could not be excluded from the crown of navarre , because her grandmother not many years before had inhen●●'d that crown . pope clement dying at avignon , the see of rome was vacant two years and four months , through the divisions among the french and italian cardinals ; at last john the xxth was chosen on the th of august , . he made zaragoça an arch-bishoprick , to whose jurisdiction he subjected pamplona , calahorra , huesca , and tarraçona , all which and zaragoça it self were before subordinate to tarragona . in castile things were very much unsetled , and yet they made war upon the moors . azar not brooking his fall , contrary to agreement , assum'd the title of king , and being of himself too weak , us'd the assistance of the christians . it was not fit to let slip so good an opportunity of extirpating the moors . prince peter was appointed general against them both , because of his age , and because he had many friends among the infidels . as also because his uncle , prince john , was then afflicted with the death of his eldest son , d. alonso , who dy'd at morales , near toro , and was bury'd at leon. about this time prince ferdinand of majorca dy'd in the morea , whither he went to recover his wife's dominions . his body was brought to spain , and bury'd at perpignan . he left a son call'd d. jayme . prince peter in andaluzia provided a great convoy for guadix , which suffer'd want , and the enemy lying in the way he march'd with it himself . near alaten a great number of moorish horse commanded by ozmin , a brave souldier , met him . after a sharp ingagement the moors were put to flight , of them kill'd , and among them of the noblest of granada . guadix was reliev'd , and two forts call'd gambil and algabardos taken . this success which ought to have gain'd him the love of all men , rais'd emulation , and many sought his ruin , whom his uncle prince john incens'd . it was propos'd the governours should deliver up some towns of their own for security , that they would govern uprightly . this business was mov'd in the cortes at burgos first , and then at carrion , where prince peter to his great honour comply'd with all their demands . mony was wanting , and the people would not hear of taxes ; therefore upon suit made to him the pope granted the tenth of ecclesiastical revenues , for the war and the cruzade to all that serv'd upon their own cost . besides the country rais'd some mony. thus our army being increas'd , wasted all the country as far as the walls of granada , the moors refusing to hazard a battle . the infidels designing to besiege gibraltar , it was provided with all necessaries , so they desisted , and at the same time the castle of belmes was taken from them . it was now the year , in which rocaberti arch-bishop of tarragona dying , the chapter elected prince john the king of aragon's d son , but the pope could never be brought to confirm the election . therefore they were forc'd to proceed to a new choice , which fell upon d. ximeno de luna arch-bishop of zaragoça , d. peter de luna succeeded him in that see , and prince john was made abbot of montaragon , vacant by the promotion of d. peter to the archbishoprick . chap. viii . institution of two new orders of knighthood in aragon and portugal . peter and john princes of castile kill'd by the moors . the government of that kingdom in confusion . a great overthrow given the navarrois , by the biscainers . in the year , the king of aragon obtain'd leave of the pope to institute a new order of knighthood out of the ruins of the templers . that they should be of the cistercian order , subject to that of calatrava , but to have a particular master of their own . their badge was a plain red cross , on a white cloak . their principal seat montesa , whence they took their name . they did as good service against the moors , who infested the coasts of valencia , as any other order . soon after in portugal by permission of the same pope , was instituted another order call'd of christ , the chiefest in that kingdom . their badge a red cross , with a white twist in the middle . to them also were given the lands of the templers , their chief seat is at tomar . the portugueses had long enjoy'd peace , which was now disturb'd by civil discord . prince alonso was displeas'd with his father , the true cause was ambition , and the desire of ●●igning before his time ; but he pretended his bastard brother alonzo sanchez had too much power , and more interest with the king than was reasonable . many forsook the king and follow'd the prince , who seiz'd upon the cities of coimbra , and porto . the king endeavour'd to appease him by fair means , and us'd all possible methods to prevent a war. mean while in aragon dy'd queen mary , sister to the king of cyprus , whence she came the year before , and was marry'd to the king of aragon . the marriage was celebrated at girona , and she was bury'd at tortosa , where she ended her days in the year . the following year , was remarkable for two extraordinary accidents . one , the unfortunate death of the two princes , john and peter . the other , the voluntary resignation made by d. jayme , heir to the crown of aragon . prince john envy'd the honour and esteem his competitor prince peter acquir'd , and prince peter was a man would take no wrong . it was fear'd these differences might break out into open hostilities ; for prince john , under colour of the war with the moors , had rais'd great forces in old castile . the queen made up these breaches at valladolid , where the cortes tha●● sat , and it was agreed , both princes should command severally against the moors , and ea●●●● have the payment of his own army . in this assembly the archbishop of santiago in the pope's name , propos'd the business of d. alonso de la cerda , threatning to proceed to ecclesiastical censures if he were not satisfy'd . d. alonso now demanded those towns , which he refus'd when offer'd him . the nobility excus'd themselves , saying , it was against the oath they had taken , to lessen any thing of the king's patrimony during his minority . all that could be obtain'd was , that ferdinand , d. alonso's younger brother , should be made lord steward of the houshold . the queen went to cuidad rodrigo , to reconcile her son-in-law prince alonso , to his father , but all in vain . the two princes john and peter , went several ways to andaluzia . ismael king of granada , to obtain succours out of africk , gave the king of morocco , algezira and ronda , with all their dependencies . prince peter took tiscar , a strong and populous town . mahomet andon , whose the town was , surrender'd the castle . prince john , extravagantly ambitious of honour , resolv'd to march up to the walls of granada ; a rash design , considering the great heat of the season . at alcaudete the two princes joyn'd their forces , which consisted of horse , and a great number of foot. they march'd into the enemies country , destroying all before them . prince john led the van , and prince peter brought up the reer . they took the town of alora , but being in great haste , did not make themselves masters of the castle . on a saturday , being the eve of midsummer-day , they appear'd in sight of granada , and rested there the next day . the d day ; perceiving what difficulties surrounded them , they began to retire , prince peter in the van , and prince john in the reer with the baggage . the moors hearing of their retreat , sally'd out of granada , to the number of horse , and a multitude of foot , under the command of ozmin . their design was only to stick upon our reer , without hazarding a battel . in the heat of the day our men were far from the river , and wanted water . hereupon the moors charg'd them with great fury , and hideous cries . prince peter hearing the noise , fac'd about to succour those that fought . the soldiers were dispers'd , and fainting with the heat , whom the prince endeavouring to encourage and bring on , opprest with labour , and the fury of the scorching sun , he fainted away , and dy'd , without any assistance . the same befell prince john , who yet sensless , liv'd till night . this news being spread abroad , the soldiers drew themselves into a close body , and the moors having plunder'd the baggage retir'd . night sav'd many of the christians . the bodies of the princes were bury'd at burgos . prince john left a son of the same name , call'd also one-ey'd , because he was really so : his inclinations were no better than his presence . mary wife to prince peter , was deliver'd at cordova of a daughter , call'd blanch ; the education of whom , and the care of her estate , garcilasso de la vega , a great friend of her fathers , took upon him . new troubles ensu'd in castile upon the death of the princes , every one striving to have the greatest share in the government . at the same time aragon was disturb'd upon a very extraordinary occasion . d. jayme the king's eldest son , had resolv'd to renounce and resign his right and title to the inheritance of that crown . his father us'd all possible arguments to disswade him , but all to no purpose . therefore on the th of november , before the cortes or parliament then assembled at tarragona , he made a publick act of resignation . that done , he took the habit of calatrava , and soon after that of montesa . the lady ellenor , who had been contracted to him , was sent back a maid into castile . his loose manner of life was a sufficient proof , that it was not virtue , but weakness and inconstancy , that mov'd him to refuse a kingdom . d. alonso his second brother , succeeded in the title to the crown , and had at ●●●t time by his wife the lady teresa , a young son call'd peter , born the th month. this ladys portion was the earldom of vrgel , left her by her great uncle armengaud , brother to her grandmother . the moors incourag'd by their last success , took huescar , orles , and galera , towns belonging to the knights of santiago . besides they made themselves masters of martos , a very strong place where they spar'd neither sex , nor age ; some christians sav'd themselves upon a rock , near the town , and in the castle . castile was full of confusion , caus'd by the many competitors to the government . queen mary according to what had been agree'd some years before , pretended it belong'd to her alone , and sent her letters to all places , exhorting the people to stick by her . being a wom●● she was look'd upon as too weak to undergo so great a burthen , and many strove to raise themselves to the supream power . among these the chief was prince philip , the king's uncle , d. john manuel , and the other d. john who had but one eye , and was lord of biscay , all powerful men , of the blood royal . these were all put into power , not by publick consent , but in part , as every ones interest lay . several assemblies of provinces were held , the result was that andaluzia chose prince philip for their governour . the kingdom of toledo and estremadura , elected d. john manuel , most part of old castile stood by d. john , lord of biscay . these things were not lasting , but at every foot the governours were chang'd , as the peoples minds alter'd , which caus'd an unspeakable confusion . d. ferdinand de la cerda had no great interest , and was suspected by all men ; he resolv'd to joyn with d. john , the lord of biscay . this was the condition of castile in the year . the same year prince john the king of aragon's third son , was consecrated arch-bishop of toledo , at lerida . queen mary was somewhat jealous of that prince , but the pope by his letters , assur'd her he would do all things in her favour . the new arch-bishop had great disputes with the prelates of that kingdom about carrying his cross through their diocesses , and he persisting to do so , the arch-bishop of zaragoça excommunicated him , and shut up all the churches . this he did , relying on a decree of the prelates of that kingdom , by which they declare any bishop excommunicate , that shall carry his cross in the diocess of another . the king of aragon was highly offended at it , and wrote to the pope letters , full of passion and threats , and had perhaps gone farther , but that he was disswaded by his friends . the pope's answer was ambiguous , for he blam'd the arch-bishop of zaragoça , yet order'd him of toledo to be absolv'd of the excommunication , lest it might have been just . the new prelate being come to toledo , behav'd himself in such manner towards d. john manuel , who was marry'd to his elder sister constance , that all apprehensions of his favouring him ceas'd . he would by no means suffer him to receive the king's revenue in his arch-bishoprick , whence there ensu'd a mortal enmity betwixt them . at the same time the navarrois still subject to france , sustain'd a great loss in biscay . philip the long , king of france dying without heirs , on the second of june , his brother charles the fair , succeeded him , and equall'd his brothers in liberality , valour , and beauty . in his time the biscainers seiz'd the castle of gorricia , in guipuscoa , pretending the navarrois withheld it from them wrongfully . men-march'd out of navarre ( if the numbers are not mistaken ) and came to botivara on the th of september . biscainers having secur'd the passes of the mountains , from thence roll'd down barrels full of stones , and bodies of trees , on the navarrois , which broke and put them to flight , with greater slaughter than could be imagin'd , from so small a number . giles oniz commanded the biscayners , and ponce morentaina a frenchman , and viceroy of navarre , those people . the pope sent cardinal william of bayonne his legate , into castile , to endeavour to put an end to the distractions of that kingdom . he procur'd the cortes or parliament should meet at palencia , at the same time that queen mary the protectress of three kings , and honour of castile , worn out with age and troubles dy'd at valladolid , on the first of june . she built the monastery of huelgas in that city , where she order'd her self to be bury'd , another at burgos , a third at tore , and others in several parts of the kingdom . the cortes at palencia it seems , took no effect . a synod of all the bishops or castile was held at valladolid by the legate . there on the d . of august , many wholsom constitions were enacted . among other things , those that shall eat flesh , or sell it publickly in lent , or the ember-days , are excommunicated . such as are not christians are forbid to be present at divine service ; yet if baptiz'd , they are allow'd to be capable of benefices . the common way of purgation used in spain is condemned . the decrees of d. john archbishop of toledo , publish'd at that time , are preserv'd to this day . he ordains , that divine service do not go forwards till the jews or moors , go out of the church . that monies gather'd upon the croisade , be deliver'd to the prelate for redemption of captives , and relief of the poor . that priests say mass at least four times a year ; and that after they have said mattins . that what is gotten by the church shall not be left to children , tho' got in wedlock . this same year , ismael king of granada , was kill'd in the alhambra by his own people , stirr'd up against him by the lord of algezira and ozmin ; the first was offended at him , because at the taking of martos , he took from him a beautiful captive ; the other , because he lost a nephew he dearly lov'd there . scarce was his death known abroad , when his son mahomet but years of age , was carry'd on a chair on men's shoulders through the city , and proclaim'd king. by this means the governour of the city manifested his loyalty , and prevented the designs of the conspirators , who intended to have set up a king of their own making , but were now forc'd to quit the city , and to fly to several places . chap. ix . king alonso the th of castile , takes upon him the government . the conquest of sardinia by the aragonians . the death of king denis of portugal . his son alonso succeeds him . jayme the d , king of aragon , is succeeded by his son alonso the th . upon the death of queen mary , the disorders of castile were doubl'd . no hopes of remedy remain'd , but in the king 's coming to age to take upon him the government . there were great tokens to be seen of his prudence and virtue . at last being arriv'd at the age of fifteen , tho' so young , the necessity of the times oblig'd him to take up the government of his kingdom . besides the subjects press'd him , and particularly garcilasso de la vega , and alvar nunez ossorio , men of great note , who labour'd to get into the king's favour , thereby to obtain pardon of the crimes they had committed during his minority . he admitted them into his family , and they grew so great , that he was chiefly govern'd by them . one joseph a jew of ezija , a very rich man , and chief of the farmers and managers of the revenue , had the next place to these two gentlemen . the king sent letters of summons to the governours of the kingdom , who presently came to him to valladolid , each striving to be first in gaining his favours , tho' their hearts were not sincere , as soon appear'd ; for only prince philip stay'd with the king. d. john manuel , and d. john lord of biscay , withdrawing privately from court. their pretence was as usual , evil counsellors . they joyn'd their forces , and made a solemn league at cigales . the form of covenant formerly us'd among the nobles of castile was thus : having read the articles of agreement , one of the gentlemen concern'd , in the name of all the rest said : i swear by almighty god , and by his most glorious mother , that every one of us will perform all that has been read in this publick instrument , without fraud or deceit . that we will not go one without the other against our enemies , nor in any manner act contrary to what has been here establish'd . whosoever shall first violate it , that very day do thou , almighty god , in this world take away his life , and torment his soul in the other , with cruel and everlasting torments ; let his strength and his speech fail him ; and in battel his horse , arms and spurrs ; and his vassals when he has most need of them . then all present answer'd , amen . other times they divided the consecrated host into two parts , and each took one ; then follow'd the curses and imprecations . this is the solemn manner of associating themselves long us'd in castile . this union was dangerous to the king , and therefore to break it , he agreed to marry d. john manuel's daughter , who thereupon came to pen̄afiel , submitted himself to the king , and deliver'd him his daughter , as yet too young to be marry'd . the other d. john seeing himself forsaken , thought of marrying blanch the daughter of prince peter , kill'd in andaluzla , for her great portion , she being lady of almaçan , alcocer , and other towns upon the borders of aragon , which lay opportunely to forward his designs . to prevent him , the king was advis'd to seize upon all the lady blanch's patrimony . garcilasso forgetting his obligations to prince peter , was the chief man that gave this advice . d. john manuel being restor'd to the king's favour , meditated revenge against the archbishop of toledo . hereupon some hard words passing betwixt them in the king's presence , the king depriv'd the archbishop of the chancellorship , whereat he being offended , withdrew into aragon , and there exchang'd churches with d. ximeno de luna , archbishop of tarragona , with the additional title of patriarch of alexandria . garcilasso was made chancellor , and from that time the office fell to nothing , tho' afterwards for some years the archbishops appointed deputies to execute it , and now they have only the bare title of lords chancellors of castile . d. john the archbishop , increas'd the number of poor , maintain'd at the house of those prelates , to ; which holds to this day . the king of aragon in persuance of the popes grant , was resolv'd to possess himself of the island of sardinia , then subject to the republick of pisa . to this purpose he sent his son d. alonso , who in the term of two years conquer'd it , defeating those of pisa , in several encounters . yet most of the aragonians dy'd through the unhealthfulness of the country . prince peter , younger brother to alonso , mov'd by the fresh example of castile , and the favour of many nobles , hop'd , if his brother dy'd in that expedition , to exclude his sons , and inherit the crown , which he understanding , soon concluded a peace with pisa in the month of june . upon these conditions , that prisoners on both sides be set at liberty ; that trade be restor'd ; that the castle of caller , with all its territory , remain to the people of pisa ; that all the rest of the island belong to the aragonians . this done , he came over into spain , and prevail'd with his father , to declare his sons heirs of the crown , notwithstanding he should dye before them , in the cortes at zaragoça , and there the oath of fidelity to them as heirs , was accordingly taken . the following . in january , and at santarem , dy'd denis king of portugal , a prince famous for the long time he reigned , which was years , months and days , as also for his continual prosperity till the latter end of his reign , when it was disturb'd by his son. he was bury'd in the monastery of st. bernard , built by himself , a league and half from lisbon . queen elizabeth his wife , liv'd years after him , and dy'd on the fourth of july . she was afterwards canonized for her extraordinary virtue , and acts of piety . alonso , king denis his eldest son , succeeded him , and was call'd the brave , for his love to martial affairs . of six children he had , three dy'd young , which were alonso , denis , and john ; mary , peter , and ellenor outliv'd their parents . this year dy'd sancho king of majorca at cerdagne ; and because he had no children , appointed d. jayme his brother ferdinand's son , his heir . the king of aragon pretended it belong'd to him by his grandfather's will , who was the first that erected that kingdom . jayme had the possession , but the aragonian was powerful ; therefore at the instance of philip the late king's brother , by him appointed governour during the minority of d. jayme , it was agreed , that d. jayme should marry constance , grandchild to the king of aragon , who should give her in dower , the right he pretended to that crown . castile was not yet quiet , which caus'd king alonso , tho' naturally merciful , to punish some heads of mutineers , whence he got the name of the revengeful . d. john the lord of biscay , who aspir'd to marry the lady blanch for her great estate , and design'd to call d. alonso de la cerda out of france , to stir up new troubles , was the first that suffer'd . the king upon pretence of making war against the moors call'd d. john to him , and made some overtures of giving him his sister ellenon in marriage . he came to court on the day of all saints in the year , and being invited to a feast , was there put to death by the king's order . one only daughter he had then at nurse , was carry'd to bayonne , then in the hands of the english . mary his mother , who was in the monastery of perales , sold all the lordship of biscay to garcilasso de la vega. yet the king being afterwards appeas'd , the heiress of that estate , was marry'd to d. john de lara , and had the lordship of biscay restor'd to her . the towns and forts d. john had by inheritance , which were above . were either taken by force , or surrender'd , and annex'd to the crown . d. john manuel commanded in the frontiers against the moors , and tho he did not much confide in the king , yet he carry'd on the war vigorously . the infidels had not long before surpriz'd the castle of rute , and design'd an incursion into andaluzia , under their general osmin then reconcil'd to the king. d. john ingag'd them near the river guadalhorça , routed them , and killed a great number . after this victory he retir'd to his estate much discontented , for that the king put away his daughter constance , and marry'd mary . daughter , to the king of portugal . this was highly resented by d. john , and the king of aragon , uncle to the lady constance . alonso the ivth at this time was king of aragon , his father king jayme the iid . dying at barcelona , where he was bury'd , the day after , d. john the lord of biscay was put to death in castile . the lady teresa the king's daughter in law dy'd days before him at zaragoça , and was there bury'd in the monastery of s. francis. d. alonso who succeeded king jayme , had by his wife the lady teresa these children ; peter , jayme , and constance , for four others dy'd in their infancy . king jayme ordain'd that the principalities of drago , catalonia , and valencia should never be parted . he was so great an enemy to law-suits , that he for ever banish'd ximeno rada , a great lawyer , by whose contrivance many had suffer'd in their estates . charles the fair , king of france and navarre , dy'd at bois de vincennes , on the first of february , . his queen months after his death was deliver'd of a daughter call'd blanch. by the laws of france she could not inherit the crown , therefore a son of charles de valois ( who dyed two years before the king ) call'd philip , cousin german to the three late kings on the one side , and edward king of england , as son to the lady elizabeth , sister to those three kings on the other , pretended to that crown . the states of the kingdom according to the salique law , proclaim'd philip de valois , whence ensu'd bloody wars betwixt those two nations , and the kings of england took the title of kings of france , and quarter'd the flower de luces in their arms. navarre was more fortunate , for it was deliver'd from the dominion of france . joanna the daughter of king luis hutin marry'd the earl of eureux , call'd philip , and they were proclaim'd king and queen of navarre at pamplona , by the general consent of all people , that lady having the undoubted right to the crown by her mother . the king of france made no opposition , as well in regard to her title , as because the earl was his near kinsman , being great grandson to s. luis king of france . before the government was well setled , the people of navarre mutiny'd , and were so outragious against the jews , that in only the town of estela are said to have been kill'd ; perhaps there may be a mistake in the numbers . chap. x. the wars betwixt the christians and infidels . rebellions in castile . aragon , castile and portugal joyn in league . the king and queen of navarre come into that country , and return again to france . at the same time in castile great preparations were made for the war with the moors . the moorish king 's tender years , and the distractions among the infidels offer'd a good opportunity of making some considerable advantage . besides that a son of ozmin , call'd abraham the drunkard , because he drank much wine , had deserted to the christians . with him came a good body of men. king alonso went to sevil , and from thence made incursions , wasting the enemy's country . he took from them olivera , pruna and ayamonte . thus the summer was spent , and winter coming on , the souldiers return'd rich with plunder , to quarter in sevil. d. alonso jofre the admiral , brought thither the news to the king , that he had defeated galleys of the moors , taken , and sunk . some of these belong'd to granada , the rest were of asrick . above moors were kill'd and taken . embassadors were sent to treat about the king's marriage . d. john manuel seeing the king resolv'd to put away his daughter , publickly renouncing his allegiance , joyn'd in league with the kings of aragon and granada . besides he made inroads from chinchill and almansa , two strong places wasting all the country . at the same time the king at sevil gave the title of earl of trastamara , lemos , and sarria to alvar nun̄ez osorio his great favourite , an honour had not been given in castile for many years past . the ceremony was very odd . three sops were put into a cup of wine , and set before them ; the king and earl complimented one another three times about taking the first ; at last the king took one and the earl another . the earl was allow'd in the camp to keep a kitchin apart for his company , and in the army to have colours with his own devise and coat of arms. his patent being sign'd and read , all that were present cry'd , let the earl live. this was the manner of creating an earl in those days . at cordova the king caus'd john ponce to be beheaded , for that he had not obey'd his orders in restoring the castle of cabra to the knights of santiago , from whom he took it during the late troubles , besides he was accus'd as a seditious person . many citizens of cordova suffer'd the same punishment for the same , or other like crimes . garcilasso de la vega was murder'd at soria in the church at mass , by the contrivance of the nobility . the king was much concern'd , and had sent him not long before from sevil to thwart the designs of d. john manuel . escalona a small town in the kingdom of toledo mutiny'd , and was for joyning with the rebels . in castile there were uproars , particularly toro , zamora , and valladolid had reyolted . the chief contriver of this rebellion was hernan rodriguez de balboa , grand prior of the order of s. john. his pretence was the greatness of the new earl , alvar osorio and joseph the jew . the king lay'd siege to escalona , but hearing the news of castile , was forc'd to quit it . he came to valladolid , where they would not admit him unless he cast off the earl osorio , which was accordingly done . this affront was so hainously resented by osorio , that he rebell'd and joyn'd with d. john manuel , which prov'd his utter ruin. ramiro flores de guzman counterfeiting he fled from the king , gain'd his friendship , and finding an opportunity , stabb'd him . the king presently seiz'd all his lands and treasure , and declar'd him a traytor , no body appearing upon summons to vindicate him . joseph the jew was protected by his meanness , and general contempt of that nation . the king was married at cuidad rodrigo , where with him of portugal he contriv'd to draw away the king of aragon from the interest of d. john manuel . to this purpose they offer'd him ellenor the king of castile's sister in marriage , which he accepted of , and the lady was sent into aragon , his first wife teresa being dead before . d. john the patriach , and arch-bishop of tarragona went as far as alfaro to meet her . the ceremony was perform'd at taraçona , the king of castile being present with him of aragon ; this was at the beginning of the year . to make this league the firmer , blanch the daughter of prince , peter who was kill'd by the moors , was contracted to peter the king of portugal's eldest son. the three kings agreed with joynt forces to make war upon the moors , till they had totally driven them out of spain . also that none of them should shelter or protect the rebels to any of the other . d. john manuel having thus lost the protection of aragon , to make the best interest he could , marry'd the daughter of ferdinand de la cerda . d. john de lara likewise marry'd mary the daughter of d. john , lord of biscay , hoping with their joynt forces to recover that province which the king had taken from that lady . d. john de lara , and d. john manuel were in open rebellion , others consented underhand , as d. peter de castro , and d. john alonso de albuquerque , son to hernan sanchez , and grandson to king denis of portugal . the greatest of all was d. john de haro , lord of cameros . great part of the kingdom follow'd these rebellious noblemen . this year the new king and queen of navarre came to pamplona , and were receiv'd upon these conditions . that no mony should be coin'd during the term of years , because if was then usual to stamp base metal ; that foreigners should not be put into places of trust ; that it should not be in their power to sell or change the kingdom , or alienate the revenue ; that their first son , as soon as he came to age should be king , and take upon him the government , and his father philip should allow crowns for his expences . the king and queen swore to the performance of these articles , and were thereupon crown'd in the cathedral on the th of march. great joy was express'd by all sorts of people ; for that the kingdom was restored to princes of their own , after it had been years subject to foreigners . these princes had sons , charles , philip , and luis , who had all great possessions , and as many daughters , joanna , mary , and blanch , who also were well marry'd . at this time the flemmings were in rebellion , and had imprison'd luis their earl , who getting loose was by them besieg'd in gant , whence he fled to the king of france for protection . that king sent embassadors to flanders , but they proving unsuccessful , he had recourse to arms. many princes went to that war , and among them philip king of navarre . the two armies met near cassel . after some skirmishes , one day in august , in the heat of the day , the flemmings surpriz'd the french camp , gain'd their works , and came to the king's tent , killing many before they could defend themselves . the king himself was in danger , till the forces gathering from the other part of the camp , the flemmings spent with the heat were put to the rout . after this victory , the earl was easily restor'd . king philip return'd to his kingdom , which he found full of robbers , and other outlaws . hereupon new laws were enacted , which are commonly call'd fuero nuevo , that is , the new charter . the affairs of the kingdom being setled , the king and queen return'd to france , upon pretence of assisting the french king , their kinsman in his wars against the english , but in reality the love of their country and riches of france drew them , which caus'd them to despise the poverty of navarre . henry soliberte a frenchman was left to govern the kingdom . castile was ingag'd in civil discord , and the war with the moors at the same time , besides great want of mony. the cortes or parliament met at madrid , where it was enacted , that no man should have more than one employment in the king's houshold ; that no new taxes should be rais'd without the consent of the cortes ; that no benefices should be given to foreigners . mony was easily granted , because the moors had taken priego , a town belonging to the knights of calatrava , the governour delivering it up without bloodshed . to pacify d. john manuel , his daughter constance till then kept in the nature of a prisoner at toro , was deliver'd up to him . joseph the jew being call'd in question for the king's revenue , whereof he was treasurer , could not make good his accounts , and was therefore depriv'd of that place . it was ordain'd , that none who was not a christian should for the future enjoy that imployment . also that the treasurer should not be call'd almojarise , a word odious , because moorish , but for the future should have no other name but that of treasurer . the king of portugal sent horse for the war against the moors . the king of aragon , and d. john manuel promis'd to invade them with forces of their own . d. john had the command of the frontiers of murcia , and peter lopez de ayala was his lieutenant . the king of castile march'd into the kingdom of granada , and lay'd siege to tebas de hardales , a strong town , in the year . ozmin lay with horse at turon , leagues from tebas , and did great harm to the christian forragers , but durst not hazard a battle . mean while the christians took the town of pruna . ozmin sent horse to the river , which runs near , to engage the christians on that side , whilst he made himself master of their camp. the king having notice of it , sent a strong body to meet the moors at the river , and stay'd himself with the rest in the camp. the moors being put to flight , our men pursu'd them so furiously , they entred their camp , and plunder'd all their baggage . thus the people of tebas having no hopes of relief , surrendred in august , articling only for life . canete and priego , and many other places did the same . these actions were the more honourable to the king , for that neither d. john manuel , nor the king of aragon assisted him , the one not being well pacify'd , and the other alledging for his excuse , that the genoeses infested his coasts ; besides the portugues horse were return'd home . this was new cause of offence against d. john manuel , and therefore peace was concluded with the moors , upon condition they should pay ducats yearly . that done trade was restor'd . all things were the sooner agreed because the king at sevil began wholly to devote himself to the lady ellenor de guzman , and treated her as if she were his wife . this lady was happy in birth , riches and beauty , she was the daughter of pero nun̄ez de guzman , and wife to john de velasco lately deceas'd . by her the king had many children , but particularly one who came to be king. ozmin the moorish commander dy'd at granada , leaving two sons , abraham , and abuzebet . the moorish king went away into africk to bring over forces , with which he began the bloody war we shall soon speak of . the end of the fifteenth book . the history of spain . the sixteenth book . chap. i. the king of granada goes into africk . abomelique passes over into spain . the war with the moors . a truce concluded . alonso de la cerda rightful king of castile , submits to king alonso the possessor . africk is the third part of the formerly known world. it is bounded on the west with the atlantick ocean , on the east , by egypt and the red sea , on the north , by the mediterranean , where it is broadest , and from thence running towards the south , groweth still narrower , in the nature of a pyramis , till it ends in the cape of good hope . the inhabitants differ in laws , customs , religions , habit and colour . the inner parts are inhabited by the ethiopians and blacks . next is lybia , then numidia , divided by mount atlas . along the coast of the mediterranean , are the people peculiarly call'd africans , and moors , which is barbary . the country bears corn , and feeds cattle , but has little wood ; it seldom rains there , and there are but few rivers and springs . the people are healthy , laborious , and active . in war they are more successful by their numbers , than valour their chief strength consists in horse . here alboacen the ixth ; king of morocco , of the family of the merines , posses'd a mighty empire , having subdu'd all the neighbouring princes , and was the only prince that could aspire to the crown of spain , being terrible to the christians , a man of noted valour , and endu'd with many other good natural parts . he was at war with botexesin , king of tremecen , which war he had as an inheritance from his father . this was the only thing that hinder'd him from invading spain . mahomet king of granada being of himself too weak to withstand the christians , sail'd into africk , to perswade alboacen to joyn with him in the attempt of conquering spain . at fez he was nobly entertain'd by the african king , and all former animosities laid aside , for he was a mortal enemy to ozmin and his family . both kings strove to out-do one another , in courtesy and liberality . after these formalities being come to treat of their affairs , the king of granada earnestly press'd the african to joyn with him , that they might restore the honour of their fore-fathers , in spain , and offer'd freely to yield him all that should be taken , contenting himself only with the pleasure of revenge . alboacen promis'd , as soon as the wars in africk were ended , to go over in person , and the mean while was willing to send his son abomelique with a good body of horse , as a pledge that he design'd to follow . while these things were contriving in africk , the moors of granada , under the command of reduan , and abucebet , made an incursion into murcia , wasted all the country , carri'd away captives , and burnt the town of guardamar so call'd , because it lies upon the mouth of the river segura . king mahomet being come to granada . d. john manuel and the other rebels , enter'd into a league with him , which was concluded by peter carillo , who pass'd between them . their hearts were so full of venom , that they had no respect to loyalty or christianity . elizabeth queen of portugal was still living , and tho very aged , spar'd no labour that might conduce to the publick good. she prevail'd with the king of castile to meet her at badajoz , but the interview prov'd fruitless . as the king return'd from this city , d. alonso de la cerda who had so long with undoubted right , strugl'd for the crown , met him unexpectedly at burgillos , and kiss'd his hand in token of submission . the king was extreamly pleas'd , and assign'd him lands to live upon . d. alonso in france had marry'd a lady of the blood royal , call'd madelfa , by whom he had two sons luis and john. luis the eldest , came with him into spain ; john , on account of his kindred with the king of france , was by him created duke of angoulesme , and constable of france , which was the next dignity to the king , in martial affairs ; now in spain it is but a bare title . the king came to talavera , in the kingdom of toledo . santollala was a town half way betwixt toledo and talavera ; it belong'd to d. john manuel , and thence some wicked men us'd to break out and commit murders and robberies . these being apprehended by the king's order , were put to death . such another example was made at toledo , whence the king went to madrid , segovia and valladolid . here the lady ellenor was brought to bed of a son , who was call'd peter , to whom the lordship of aguilar del campo was given . there being great scarcity of mony , a base sort of coin was then stamp'd , call'd cornade , which caus'd all provisions to grow excessive dear , and trade to cease . at burgos , embassadors came to the king from that part of biscay , call'd alava , offering him the lordship of that country , which till then was free , and govern'd by its own laws excu●● vitoria and trevin̄o , that were subject to castile . in the plains of arriaga , where they us'd of old to hold their assemblies , they made their submission to the king , 〈◊〉 themselves up voluntarily to him , and were allow'd the charter of logron̄o , and all their ancient priviledges , which are in force to this day , so that they enjoy a sort of liberty , and are ex●●ipted from all taxes . publick instruments of these acts , are preserv'd under king alonso's hand , dated at vitoria on the second of april , . here the king intistuted a new order of knighthood , call'd of the belt , from one those knights wore , about four fingers broad , of colour red or crimson on the right shoulder , and falling under the left arm. none were admitted to this order , but men of noble extraction , who had serv'd years in the court or army . the king himself was master of the order , which was long held in great esteem , but in time fell to nothing : so that only the bare memory of it remains . the king visited the church of st. james the apostle at compostela , was there knighted , and at burgos both he and the queen were crown'd . the queen for modesty sake was not anointed ; besides , that she was with child . many gentlemen arm'd , capape were knighted , and it was ordain'd that for the future , all persons should receive that honour , in that posture . two things disturb'd the publick joy , one was , that prince peter of portugal began to talk of putting away the lady blanch. the other , that he was about marrying constance the daughter of d. john manuel . the lady blanch was sickly and barren . fernan rodriguez de balboa great prior of s. john , was the promoter of this design , advising the queen to forward it in revenge , because her husband was wholly devoted to other women . at this time the king had by the queen his son ferdinand , who if he had liv'd had been king , and by his mistress the lady ellenor , he had d. sancho , to whom he gave the town of ledesma . both were born at the same time in valladolid . abomelique the king of morocco's son , as had been agree'd with him of granada , pass'd the streights of gibraltar , and at algezira , took the title of king of that place , and ronda . he brought out of africk horse . at the beginning of the year , d. ximeno de luna arch-bishop of toledo , held a synod at alcalà de henares . abomelique in february laid siege to gibraltar , and storm'd it with all manner of engines . the king made some stay in old castile , an appease the tumults there , but sent before godfrey tenorlo , the admiral and the masters or the military orders , to relieve the besieg'd , who were in great want , for vasco perez the governour , through covetousness , was unprovided of all necessaries . the king of granada made an incursson into the territory of cordova , wasted the country , took cabra , ras'd the castle , and carry'd away all the inhabitants into slavery , they having been betray'd to him by their governour . 〈◊〉 after suffering great hardships was surrender'd , upon condition the garison and townsmen might march away . vasco perez the governour , fearing his king's displeasure , went over into africk . the king having pacify'd the mutineers , march'd to sovil , but too late to relieve gibraltar ; which he understood at xeres , was surrendred ; yet he resolv'd to attempt the recovery of it before the moors could victual and repair it . d. jayme de exerica was here with a body of aragonians . near gibraltar there happen'd several skirmishes , but neither side was for hazarding a battle . provisions growing scarce among the christians , many deferted and were taken by the moors , who laid wait in the passes . the king of granada joyn'd abomelique , who being thus reinforc'd , and finding the enemy much weaken'd , drew out twice , and offer'd battle . but the king intrench'd himself before the town strongly , drawing a line quite round , which ended upon the sea. mean while d. john manuel , and d. john de lara with their followers , having made a league with the king of aragon , did great harm in castile . d. john de haro lord of cameros , had joyn'd them . these things oblig'd the king to desist from his enterprise upon gibraltar , and conclude a truce with the moors for four years , the king of granada being still oblig'd to pay the usual tribute . chap. ii. the moors of granada murder mahomet their king. wars among all the christian kings of spain . alonso king of aragon dies . fresh rebellions in castile . the portugues fleet-beaten by the 〈…〉 . the kings of castile and granada , after concluding the truce , dined together , and strove to outdo one another in making rich presents , which prov'd the ruin of the later . the king of castile went to sevil , abomelique to algezira , and he of granada to malaga . there the sons of ozmin , hating the king for his entertaining friendship with the christians , conspir'd with one abmar of the antient blood royal of granada , and murder'd him on the th of august . reduan a gentleman of great note , who had been governour of granada , and had no hand in this treason , set up joseph bulhugia , brother to the deceas'd , which displeas'd many , because there was another brother elder than he , call'd ferrachen . thus the moors were in confusion , d. gonçalo and ferdinand de aguilar , two brothers , lords of montilla and aguilar , went over to the new king , being disoblig'd by their own . incursions were made upon the borders , and the truce lately concluded , violated . more mischief had ensu'd , but that abomelique was call'd into africk by his father to serve against tremeçen . he being gone , a truce was again concluded in the beginning of the year . with the new king for four years ; yet so that the moors were freed from the tribute they used to pay , the king of castile being wholly bent upon subduing his rebels . at this time the lady ellenor de guzman the king's mistriss , was brought to bed of two sons at a birth , which were henry and fredrick , of whom we shall have much occasion to speak . in the spring the king return'd to castile , was at segovia , and thence went to valladolid . the rebellious nobles not being able to maintain a war , were hard press'd , and most of the towns belonging to them taken , the greatest part of biscay submitting to the king , to whom they swore fidelity under an old tree at guernica , as is their custom . some few places impregnable by nature , still held out for d. john de lara . d. john de haro was beheaded as a traytor in his own town of agoncillo , and his estate confiscate , except the town of cameros , given to his brothers d. alvaro and d. alonso , that so noble a family might not wholly perish . the governour of the castle of iscar shut the gates against the king , and being taken , lost his head for the same . about the end of august the queen was deliver'd of a son at burgos , who was call'd peter ; and his brother ferdinand dying , came to be king of castile . by the lady ellenor the king had another son call'd ferdinand . in aragon two brothers of that king dy'd one after another , one was d. jayme master of the knights of montesa , who had renounc'd his right to the crown , and d. john archbishop of tarragona , in whose place arnaldus cascomes bishop of lerida succeeded . the king of aragon by reason of his indisposition , committed the whole care of the government to his eldest son prince peter . queen ellenor who govern'd the king , through her importunity obtain'd of him several towns for her sons ferdinand and john , to the prejudice of prince peter , and as was said , contrary to the king's oath , who had sworn not to alienate any thing belonging to the crown . this was the ground of great hatred betwixt the mother and son-in-law , which caus'd many tumults in the kingdom . the queen had a meeting with her brother of castile , and he promis'd to support her , as did d. john de exerica , and his brother peter , who were both of her party . at the beginning of the year , d. john manuel , terrify'd by the example , of d. john de haro and d. john de lara , was reconcil'd to the king , to the great joy of all people ; for which there were publick sports , and particularly a notable turnament . but this joy was not lasting ; for the king of portugal was resolv'd to put away his wife blanch , and marry the lady constance , and rathe● hazard a war , than not have his will. the king of aragon's eldest son was contracted to mary , daughter to the king of navarre , she ●eing preferr'd before her sister joanna the elder , to inherit the crown , in case that king dy'd without issue male. henry viceroy of navarre contriv'd these affairs , which were very displeasing to the king of castile , against , whom they seem'd to be levell'd ; for the prince of aragon made this league with navarre in hatred to his mother-in-law . the navarrois surpriz'd the monastery of fitero , appertaining to castile . complaint being made to the king of aragon , he answer'd , by reason of his indisposition , he could not govern his son. thus the war broke out . martin portocarrero was sent with a great army into navarre . they came to a battel near tudela , which was very bloody ; but the navarrois were defeated , and a great number of them drowned in the river ebro . d. michael zapata the aragonian general , was absent , fortifying fitero , but appear'd on the neighbouring hills when the battel was almost over . his coming caus'd the navarrois to raily , and the battel was renew'd ; yet the aragonians , tho' they came in fresh , were put to flight , and their general taken by the castillians . the slaughter was not so great as expected , because the castilians were tir'd , and night drew on ; besides that , the enemy differ'd not in language , which sav'd many . on the other side , the biscayners under their general lope de lescan̄o , having destroy'd all the territory of pamplona , took the castle of vnsa . thus the insolency of the navarrois was check'd . at that time the king of castile lay sick of an ague at palencia , and taking compassion of the navarrois , order'd his general to march out of that country ; who brought with him prince peter of aragon's royal standard . gaston earl of faux , march'd to the assistance of navarre ; and their forces being joyn'd , they laid siege to logron̄o , the chief city on the frontiers . the neighbouring people , and inhabitants of that place , gave the enemy battel , but were defeated , and forc'd to retire into the city , ruy diaz de gao●●● ●●●mander , and a native of logron̄o , with only three soldiers , made good a bridge against the whole army of the enemy , left they should enter the town together with the citizens . he was kill'd , his companions came off , and defended the town ; for the navarrois finding great opposition , rais'd the siege , and return'd home . john archbishop of reimes going on pilgrimage to santiago at this time , in his way made a peace betwixt these two crowns . three embassies came at once to the king of castile , from the kings edward of england , philip of france , and alboacen of morocco . the last sent rich presents , and desir'd to have the truce renew'd . the english offer'd a wife for prince peter , which was refus'd by reason of his tender age. this in the year . soon after at the beginning of the following year , d. alonso king of aragon dy'd at barcelona . he was a just , merciful and religious prince , and was therefore call'd the pious . he was more fortunate during his father's reign than his own , and that by reason of his continual indisposition . to d. jayme his youngest son , by his first wife he left the earldom of vrgel , and prince peter was heir to the crown . to his sons by the d wife he left other possessions , as has been said above . queen ellenor fearing her son in law , went away to albarazin , being a place of great strength , and near the frontiers of castile . d. john , and peter de exerica follow'd her . a storm threatened castile from portugal , and no great confidence could be repos'd in the loyalty of d. john manuel , and d. john de lara ; the former was much troubl'd at the delays of the marriage with portugal , but fear'd to stir in it without the king's leave lest he should seize his great patrimony in castile . d. peter fernandez de castro , and d. john alonso de albuquerque openly rebell'd and solicited the king of portugal to make war in castile . the king took several places belonging to d. john de lara , and besieg'd him in the city lerma , all possible means were us'd to enter the place or bring the townsmen to deliver up d. john , but they stood firm to him . d. john manuel in order to relieve the place , went to pen̄afiel a town of his own , and narrowly escap'd being taken by the king. d. john albuquerque submitted himself . the king of portugal sent embassadors to perswade him of castile to raise the siege , but they did nothing , and their king assembling his forces , lay'd siege to badajoz . alonso de sousa sent by him with a party to plunder the country , was routed and many of his men kill'd and taken , which mov'd the portugues to raise the siege , and return home . lerma having lost all hopes of relief was surrender'd . nevertheless d. john de lara was restor'd to the king's favour , and to all his estate in biscay . only lerma was dismantled , as a punishment for its rebellion . this year the king of morocco added the kingdom of tremeçen to his dominions , having overthrown and kill'd that king , which rais'd the hopes of the moors , and was a new terror to the christians . the king of castile labour'd in vain to gain his nobles by fair means . he kept his christmas in the year . at valladolid . there he made d. john de lara his standard-bearer , and pardon'd d. john manuel a false man , who treated with both the kings of castile and aragon at once , that he might always have one to fly to . the enmity betwixt the king of aragon and his mother in law continu'd , and tho he was solicited by an embassador , to an accommodation , he only gave fair words . the king of castile met his sister at ayllon , and there at her request , order'd d. james de haro to make an incursion into aragon , with the forces of soria , molina , cuenca , and that neighbourhood . queen ellenor went to meet the king at madrid , he having appointed a great rendezvouz of his forces at badajoz , in order to make war upon portugal . now was born to the king , by the lady ellenor , another son call'd d. tello . by the way of badajoz , the castilians broke furiously into portugal , and harrass'd all the country , but the king falling sick of a fever at olivença , was oblig'd in june to return to sevil. about the same time godfrey , admiral of castile having scour'd all the coast , not far from lisbon , fought the portugues fleet , commanded by pecanus , a genoese . at first the portugueses had the best , and took two castilian galleys , but their admiral being soon after taken , and his flag lower'd , the enemy was soon put to flight , of their galleys sunk , and taken , with their admiral and his son charles . this victory was so great , that the king himself went out to meet the admiral at his return to sevil . the arch-bishop of reims , embassador from the king of france , and the great master of rhodes , from the pope were here endeavouring to conclude a peace , but effected nothing , and the king of castile being recover'd , broke into portugal again through algarve , where formerly were the turdetani , whilst the portugues with whom his subjects were highly offended , made the war upon galicia . the king of castile having met no army of the enemy in autumn , return'd to sevil. chap. iii. the death of frederick king of sicily . a truce betwixt castile and portugal . the death of abomelique , and defeat of his army . peace betwixt castile and aragon . a synod at barcelona . on the th of june , dy'd frederick king of sicily , of a great age , and famous for the war , he long maintain'd against powerful princes . he lies bury'd at catanea . his son peter succeeded him in the throne . the dukedoms of athens and neopatria , he left to his d son william , and other legacies to his d son john. his four daughters he totally excluded from inheriting the crown , contrary to what had before , and was afterwards us'd in that kingdom . d. ximeno de luna , arch-bishop of toledo dy'd on the th of november , and was bury'd in his own cathedral . giles alvarez de cuenca , otherwise call'd albornoz , at the instance of the king was chosen to succeed him . this prelate was famous for his learning , piety , and virtue . being created cardinal , he was very serviceable to the popes . he founded a college at bolonia , in lombardy , for chaplains , and students , all spaniards . besides he left to the chapter of toledo the town of paracuellos , with an obligation of paying a pension to the church of villaviciosa , built by himself . the arch-bishop of reimes , and great master of rhodes went from place to place exhorting the kings of spain to peace . it was agreed he of castile should go to merida to treat , there a truce was concluded for one year , in the beginning of that which was of our lord , but no peace could be established . great preparations for war were now making in spain , and it was much labour'd to settle a general peace in the country , because fame which always is greater than truth spread it abroad , that albohaçen king of morocco design'd to land in valencia with an innumerable multitude , bringing over their wives and children , in order to settle in spain . the king of aragon entertain'd the english embassadors , who came to settle peace , with ambiguous , yet fair words . on the th of july he marry'd mary , daughter to the king of navarre , having deferred it so long , by reason she was not of age. an embassy was sent to the pope , begging he would order the tenths of ecclesiastical revenues granted for carrying on the war against the moors to be paid according to the full value , because they were worth little as they were in the ancient records . this in aragon . the king of castile was gone to burgos to hold the cortes or parliament , where laws were established to regulate excess in dyet and cloathing . godfrey tenorio the admiral was sent to the streights , to obstruct the passage of the moors . from burgos at the request of his sister , the king went to cuenca , and with him d. john de lara , and d. john manuel , who were now reconcil'd to him . thither came d. peter de açagra from the king of aragon , to propose an allyance against the moors , and offer the d part of the fleet that should be requisite to hinder their passage . the castillian answer'd , that the friendship of the aragonian would be very grateful to him when he had given satisfaction to his sister ellenor , in the complaints she had against him . in the cortes of aragon held at daroca , prince peter the king of aragon's uncle , and d. john manuel were chosen arbitrators to decide these differences , and they agreed that d. john de exerica should be pardon'd , and all that had been granted to the queen and her sons by the late king confirm'd to them . it happen'd fortunately , that d. peter de luna , arch-bishop of zaragoça was then at rome , who might have obstructed this agreement . the king of castile sign'd these articles at madrid , and queen ellenor with her children return'd to aragon , where they were receiv'd with great pomp. the arch-bishop of reimes , the great master of rhodes , and arch-bishop of braga , embassador from portugal , were dismiss'd because they demanded constance the daughter of d. john manuel , for the prince of portugal . vasco rodriguez cornade , master of the knights of santiago dying , his nephew vasco lopez , was by the knights chosen to succeed him , at which the king was offended because he design'd that honour for his son frederick . many objections were made against the new master and his election , whereupon he fled to portugal , and was therefore depos'd , and d. alonso melendez de guzman , uncle by the mother's side to frederick the king's son chosen master . d. ruy perez master of alcantara was also depos'd , and d. gonçalo martinez elected in his place . a mighty army was gathering about sevil , for the war with the moors . the king of castile us'd all expedition , because he understood abomelique was come out of africk with horse , and the time of the truce was now expir'd . all the territory of antequera , archidona and ronda was wasted , and a great multitude of moors who came out of the last , and fell upon our rear , routed by d. john de lara , d. john manuel , and the master of santiago , who commanded there . in the pursuit , many moors who had fled to the ridges of the mountains , cast themselves headlong for fear of the christians . this done the army return'd to sevil , and was dispers'd into garrisons to guard the frontiers . at this time came gilaberto admiral of aragon , with galleys to joyn the fleet of castile , and guard the mouth of the streights . there was great want of mony. in september the king went to the cortes he had summon'd to meet at madrid , leaving the master of santiago to command as general , and other noblemen in other posts . great store of corn was lay'd up at nebrixa , near the mouth of guadalquivir , which the moors , knowing the king was gone , thought to make themselves masters of . our men tho' it was the dead of winter , drew out of their garrisons . abomelique incamp'd near xerez , and sent horse to nebrixa . the town defended it self , but all the country was destroy'd . fernan perez portocarrero , alvar perez de gusman , and d. peter ponce de leon , with a small party march'd day and night , and near arcos overtook the moors , who mov'd slowly by reason of their great booty . they charg'd them so furiously , that few escap'd being kill'd or taken , and the whole prey was recover'd . incourag'd with this success , they resolv'd to fall upon abomelique , and the main army of the moors . abomelique was marching towards arcos in great disorder , without any advanc'd parties . the christians at break of day , fell on with extraordinary bravery , moors made some resistance upon passing a river , but our men being over the infidels soon fled and were entirely overthrown . abomelique in the confusion flying afoot was kill'd in the croud , his cousin aliatar dy'd in the battle , and moors were slain , as the report went. the christians having taken all the enemie's tents , and baggage , return'd joyful , and with honour , after obtaining two victories to their quarters . this year the arch-bishop of tarragona held a provincial synod at barcelona , and the body of saint eulalia was in solemn procession translated to a more honourable tomb. the king of aragon went to avignon to do homage to the pope for the islands of sardinia and corsica . chap. iv. a new invasion of spain , by alboacen king of morocco , with moors ; he besieges tarifa , and is there routed with the loss of men , by the kings of castile and portugal . three defeats of the infidels at sea. the death of abomelique was much lamented in africk , and stir'd up an earnest desire of revenge . great levies were made throughout all that empire , in order to invade spain . thus horse , and foot were rais'd , the greatest army ever yet enter'd spain . besides the moors fitted out ships , and galleys . whilst the king of castile was afflicted with the thoughts of making head against that multitude , another misfortune increas'd his trouble . d. gonzalo martinez or nunez , master of calatrava was impeach'd of several hainous crimes , and being summon'd to appear and answer for himself , fled to the king of granada . besides the admiral of aragon making a descent near algezira was kill'd in a skirmish with the moors . nevertheless in the spring the king went into andaluzia , and besieg'd the master of calatrava in valencia , a town within the bounds of the antient lusitania . he was taken , condemn'd as a traytor , beheaded and burnt for a terror to others . d. nun̄o chamizo , a man of known-worth was chosen in his place . alboacen began to send over his army into spain , and had landed horse , who made an incursion into the territories of xerez , arcos , and medina sidonia . as they return'd loaded with booty , and fearing no danger , the garrison of xerez fell upon them unexpectedly , recover'd the prey , and kill'd . five months being spent in passing over all the moorish army , at last they randezvouz'd near algezira . the people lay'd the blame upon tenorio the admiral of castile , and said he might have hinder'd their passage , which reflection his great spirit disdaining to bear , he adventur'd to fight the enemy's whole fleet , but was overthrown , all his squadron lost , himself kill'd , and only galleys escap'd to tarifa . the king much perplex'd about the dangerous posture of affairs in spain , assembled all the prelates and nobility at sevil , where he was making preparations for the war , lay'd before them the condition of the kingdom , the greatness of the danger , and want of mony , and then withdrew that they might debate with more liberty . some were positive for making peace with the moors at any rate , being in no condition to withstand them . others resolutely oppos'd that opinion , and would hear of nothing but carrying on the war , since no peace could be then honourable or secure . this advice prevail'd , and it was resolv'd to sollicite the kings of aragon and portugal to joyn their forces with castile . the fleet was refitted at sanlucar , and the command of it given to d. alonso artiz calderon , great prior of s. john. the king of aragon sent his fleet , commanded by peter de moncada , galleys came from genoa , at the charge of the king of castile . john martinez de leiva went embassador to the pope , and obtain'd the croizade for all those that serv'd three months at their own expence . to oblige the king of portugal he of castile consented that the lady constance , daughter to d. john manuel , should be sent to portugal , and marry'd to prince peter , which was accordingly perform'd at ebora . her portion ducats . besides mary queen of castile went by the king her husband's order to portugal , to intreat the king her father to joyn his forces with those of castile , against the common enemy . her father promis'd to go in person , and immediately sent galleys , commanded by the admiral peeano , who was now releas'd . the two kings of castile and portugal had a meeting at jurumen̄a , a town on the banks of the river guadiana , and parted good friends , laying aside all former grudges . forces from all parts march'd to sevil , and still they were hasten'd , because news was brought that alboacen and the king of granada had lay'd siege to tarifa . they sat down before it on the d of september , and batter'd it furiously , applying great wooden towers to the walls , for the more terror . tho the garrison was numerous , it was fear'd they could not long hold out , and therefore the king still gave them fresh assurances of relief , and provided for it with all possible diligence . the king being come back to sevil , and the king of portugal soon following him with horse , more valuable for their bravery than number , they both instantly set forward from sevil , where the rendezvouz was , resolving to relieve the town , or hazard a battle for it . the number of the christians was not to compare with that of the moors , for they had but horse , and foot , yet with that force they march'd to tarifa . the moorish kings understanding the resolution of our army , burnt their engines , and possess'd themselves of certain hills near their camp. they intrench'd not , believing the victory secure . our army being come to a village call'd la pen̄a del ciervo , there discover'd the enemy , and held a council of war. here it was resolv'd that at midnight horse , and foot should be put into tarifa , who when they saw the armies ingag'd , were to sally and flank the infidels upon the hills ; the rest of the army was order'd to refresh themselves , and be ready for the fight at break of day . great joy was among the christians that night , they offer'd up their vows to heaven , and swore to stand by one another , and never to return home , unless victorious . at break of day , the kings and others by their example receiv'd the holy communion , and then the army was drawn out : d. john de lara , d. john manuel , and the master of santiago commanded the van , d. gonzalo de aguilar the rear , and d. pero nun̄ez , a reserve of foot. the main body was headed by the two kings , and with them the arch-bishop of toledo , and many prelates and nobles . a french gentleman call'd jugo , by the popes appointment , carry'd the standard of the croizade , and all the souldiers wore a red cross on their breasts , in token they fought for the faith. the king of portugal undertook to charge him of granada , and had with him , besides his own people , the masters of calatrava and alcantara . the king of castile , just as the armies were ready to fall on , encourag'd his men ; and then the signal being given , they mov'd towards the enemy . betwixt the two armies was a river call'd salado , which not far from thence , falls into the sea ; from this river the battle took name , and was ever called of salado . whoever first pass'd seem'd to have gain'd some advantage , therefore the moorish king sent horse to guard the passage : mean while he not doubting of the victory , rode among his battalions , exhorting and animating them . d. john de lara and d. john manuel were the first of the christians that came to the river , and made a stand , which caus'd many to believe they acted treacherously . the two brothers gonzalo and garcia lasso passing over a small bridge ; were the first that ingaged . they were in great danger , being overpower'd by numbers , when alvar perez de guzman reliev'd them , and then all the rest follow'd . the king of portugal march'd on the left , along the hills ; he of castile taking a circuit by the shore , fell furiously on the enemy . both sides rent the skies with hideous cries , and being come to handy-strokes , stood their ground without giving way , the generals causing the standards to be advanc'd where the greatest danger was . certain bands of christians , through by-ways , got to the enemies camp , which they plunder'd having slain those that were left to guard it . they that fought understanding what had happen'd , were dismay'd , and soon after fled . a mighty slaughter of them was made . are said to have been kill'd , and a great number taken . only christians are reported to have perish'd , which seems absolutely incredible . those soldiers that belong'd to the fleet did no service , for all the aragonians remain'd aboard . navarre sent no succour , that king being taken up in the wars of france . reginald poncius a french-man govern'd that kingdom . the arch-bishop of toledo never stirr'd from the king of castile's side , during the battle , and hinder'd him from casting himself desperately among the enemy , being almost forsaken by his men. this battle was fought in the year of grace . authors vary about the day , but i look upon the most certain account to be , that it was upon a munday the th of october , as it is set down in the kalendar of the church of toledo , where according to antient custom , a thanksgiving day is kept on this account . the routed moors fled to algezira , and thence fearing a siege , the king of granada withdrew to marbella , albohacen to gibraltar , and that same night sail'd over into africk , fearing lest his son abderhaman hearing of his defeat should rebell against him . in this fight , fatima , daughter to the king of tunez , albahacen's chief wife , and three other of his wives , as also his son abohamar were taken . two other sons of his were kill'd . in the moorish camp , vast riches were found , of all sorts , but particulary , so much gold and silver , that it caus'd the value of mony to fall in spain , and all commodities to rise . our victorious kings return'd at night to the camp ; those that pursu'd the enemy came back , tir'd with killing , and such as lov'd profit more than honour loaden with plunder . next day they furnish'd tarifa with all necessaries , and order'd the breaches to be repair'd . it had been expedient in that consternation of the moors , to besiege algezira , but the army being unprovided for a siege , provisions growing scarce , and winter drawing on , they return'd to sevil. there they were receiv'd in triumph , and great rejoycing was throughout all spain , with publick thanksgivings . the king of portugal of all the booty , took only some horse-furniture and cimiters , to keep as a trophey of that victory . some slaves also were given him , and he return'd home with great honour , the king of castile bearing him company , as far as caçalla de la sierra . a present was sent to the pope then at avignon , of horses , each carrying a cimiter and buckler , hanging at the pummel of the saddle , colours taken from the moors , the royal standard , and the horse upon which king alonso charg'd . the cardinals came out of town to meet john martinez de leyva , the embassador . the pope himself after saying a thanksgiving mass , spoke much in commendation of king alonso . the king of castile appointed giles bocanegra a genoese admiral , giving him in charge , to secure the streights mouth , lest the moors should return . this was done to oblige the genoeses , that they might not recal their galleys as the aragonians and portugueses had , tho they soon after sent them again more in number , than at first , it being fear'd the moors having recruited their army , would return in spring . this danger being over , all mens thoughts were bent upon wholly driving the moors out of spain . it was requisite to raise mony , for all that was taken had been expended in gratifying and paying the souldiers , and the king was in great want . only the merchants were rich ; the rest of the kingdom being exhausted with taxes . at ellerena and madrid an extraordinary subsidy was granted , but it was small in regard of the pressing necessities of the crown . however , at the beginning of the year , , the army having rendezvous'd at cordova , enter'd the kingdom of granada . some ships were sent loaden with provisions to divert the enemy , as if it were design'd to besiege malaga . the moors supply'd that place with all necessaries , and the king on a suddain set down before alcalà la real , which surrender'd on the th of august , upon condition the inhabitants might freely depart . after this , priego , rute , benanècir , and several other towns and castles were taken . then the army was sent into winter-quarters , leaving sufficient garrisons upon the frontiers . all the kings thoughts were fixed upon besiegeing algezira , and raising mony. he was advis'd to lay a duty upon merchandize , which then seem'd easy , yet afterwards was found to be attended with some inconveniencies . this advice being approv'd of , the king went away for burgos , leaving the care of the frontiers to the master of santiago . he kept his christmas at valladolid . in the beginning of the year the king summon'd many prelates and nobles to burgos , particularly , the arch-bishop of toledo , the bishop of burgos , and d. john de lara , that they might gain the others . at theirs , and the kings instance , the people of burgos granted the king the th part of all things that should be sold , towards the war against the moors , but this only during the siege of algezira . this example set by burgos , was follow'd by leon , and most of the towns in the kingdom . this new imposition was call'd alcavala , a word taken from the moors . the people were not a little encourag'd to grant this new duty , by the news brought that the moors had been defeated at sea. at ceuta on the coast of africk , there lay galleys in order to renew the war ; and more in the port of bullon . these last were destroy'd by of ours that surpriz'd them , before they could joyn the main fleet. afterwards the whole fleet of the infidels was overthrown , at the mouth of the river guadameçil ; after a bloody fight , galleys were taken and sunk , and both the admirals of africk and granada kill'd . the galleys of aragon were not in this action , but they coming from home , defeated galleys of the enemy , laden with provisions , near estepona , took four , and sunk two of them , the rest fled into africk . both sea and land favour'd the christians . the victory at guadameçil had been greater , had the moors been assail'd by sea and land , and the king hasted towards xerez , in order to it : there the news of the victory overtook him . an accident caus'd the battle to be given so soon , for three of our ships being left aground upon the ebb , the moors attack'd them , and the christians coming up to rescue them , that bloody battle ensued . chap. v. the siege and surrender of algezira . the infidels attempt to murder king alonso of castile ; the earls of derby and salisbury come to his assistance , out of england , and the earl of faux , out of france . robert king of naples dies . the late successes made all things appear easy . our fleet lay in the port of xatarez , near tarifa . thither the king went to take a view of algezira by sea , and finding it a beautiful and spacious city , the captives also affirming it was ill provided with corn , he resolv'd to lay siege to it . his forces we 〈◊〉 ●ut small , and he had no store of provisions . nevertheless he call'd together all the garisons of the neighbouring places , and summon'd many of the nobility to attend him . the councils of andaluzia furnish'd more than their usual quota towards the war , and the king went away to sevil , to provide magazines . horse , and about foot being gather'd , he set down before algezira , on the third of august . the galleys of castile and aragon were to guard the sea , for those of portugal after the victory of gaudameçil , return'd home . in the town were horse , and archers , a force great enough to have given battle in open field . they made often salleys , and skirmish'd with various success , yet the tower of cartagena near the city , was taken from them . one day the king was in great danger of being kill'd by a captive who struck , at him with a dagger , he snatch'd out of a souldier's hand , but such as were near interpos'd . it was believ'd the siege would last long , and therefore trenches were ●●ast up . mean while to the king 's great dissatisfaction , in september the fleet of aragon went away , on pretence of the war with majorca . yet soon after , upon the king of castile's pressing instances , galleys were sent him under the aragonian , viceadmiral mathew mercero , and again more under jayme escrivia . at this time died the master of santiago , a man of great worth , and much in the king's favour . that honour was given in the camp , to frederick the king's son , tho under age . in october fell such great rains , that all that was in the camp was spoil'd . the army labour'd under many hardships , especially want of mony , and the kingdom being exhausted , the king was oblig'd to borrow of pope clement the vith , and the kings of france and portugal . the king of france lent ducats , down , and the rest upon bills at genoa . the pope gave the d part of ecclesiastical revenues . these were but small sums yet the king's resolution overcame all difficulties . the besieg'd promis'd great rewards to any that would undertake to murder the king , and a moor blind of one eye was taken and confess'd he and several others were out upon that design . soon after two others being put to the wrack confess'd the same . both the moorish kings desir'd to relieve the town . he of morocco durst not leave ceuta , for fear his son abderhaman should rebel , who about this time was put to death for attempting it . the king of 〈…〉 durst not alone hazard a battle ; but lest he should be thought to be idle , sent part of his forces to over-run the country of ezija , whilst he burnt palma , a town seated upon the conflux of the rivers xenil and gaudalquivir . he durst not garrison it , nor make any stay there , hearing the country was gathering to make head against him . his other forces were defeated by ferdinand de aguilar , who took from them all the booty they had gather'd . it was now the beginning of the year , and nothing considerable was done at algezira , only some works were carry'd on by in̄iga lopez de horosco ; wooden towers were apply'd to the walls , and other engines play'd , but all was destroy'd with stones cast by the defendants . the place was unfit for advancing of works , or for the men to ascend . in the streight of gibraltar , there are two bays of the same form , but one bigger than the other . tarifa stands upon the lesser ; and algezira over the greater , upon a steep and craggy hill. it is divided into the new and old , each encompass'd with a wall , like two distinct towns. this was then the seat of the african empire in spain . no provision could be convey'd into the town except a few boats that stole in by night , which was a small relief , where hunger began to pinch . it was now doubtful , whether in were not better to raise the siege than continue it , for the mony sent by the pope and king of france was spent , and he of portugal had contributed nothing . some overtures of peace were made , but took no effect . therefore the king of granada advanc'd with his army , as far as the river guadiarro , leagues from algezira . in ceuta a great fleet was ready with the power of africk , to pass over into spain . these were fresh , and the christians harrass'd , yet the king's resolution and good fortune overcome all difficulties . considerable succours came to him at the same time from england , france , and navarre . from england the earls of derby and salisbury . ( this earl of derby must doubtless be john of gant , d son to king edward the iiid . for it was he had the title at this time ) from france the earl of faux , with his brother , and some others . king philip of navarre , having sent before great store of provision by sea , and order'd his army to follow , hasted away himself , to come time enough for the battle , which was expected would be fought . d. john de lara , and d. john manuel came before , and daily fresh forces arrived from all parts . this increase of the christian army terrify'd the moors , and they propos'd a truce . notwithstanding the treaty , the town was batter'd , and the besieg'd did great harm among the christians with iron bullets they shot . this is the first time we find any mention of gun-powder and ball in our histories . in the month of august , in the county of vrgel , a child was born with two heads , and four legs . the superstitious people bury'd it alive , and the parents suffer'd death for consenting to that act. this year also dy'd robert king of naples . at algezira , when autumn came on , the foreign souldiers went away , the english pretended they were call'd home by their king , the earl of faux said his men complain'd of the pay. but sickness was the chief motive of their departure , and the earl of 〈…〉 dy'd at sevil , king philip of navarre at xerez , both in the month of september , their 〈…〉 were carry'd into their countries . the departure of those princes encourag'd the 〈…〉 hazard a battle galleys of theirs , which in october had anchor'd at estepona , pass 〈…〉 to gibraltar . the river palmones parted the two armies ; both parties several times meeting in that river , at last they came to a battle , in which the moors shew'd no bravery , but presently fled . hunger press'd in the city , for our fleet had taken two galleys of theirs carrying in provisions . five barques got in at the beginning of the year , and they returning to africk , gave an account that the besieg'd could hold out no longer . presently after a treaty was set on foot , and on the th of march the city was deliver'd upon the following conditions . that the king of granada pay the usual tribute : that the besieg'd have leave to depart , and carry away their goods : that there be a truce for the term of ten years . many of the moors went over into africk : the king enter'd the city in solemn procession on the th of march ; the great mosque was consecrated , and the country divided among the souldiers who were willing to live there . this done the king went to sevil , where he receiv'd an embassy from king edward of england , offering his daughter joanna in marriage to france peter , the heir of castile . this offer was then accepted of , yet afterwards took no effect . in the late battle of tarifa , two daughters of albohacen were taken prisoners , and now sent to him without any ransom , but he return'd rich presents , great rejoycing was throughout all spain , and the churches resounded with thanksgiving . chap vi. the king of aragon conquers majorca , and all its dominions . great troubles in aragon . the rebels suppress'd . an vniversal plague . the knights of calatrava at variance , at length reconcil'd . during the time of the war in andaluzia , the king of majorca was depriv'd of his kingdom , by peter the ceremonious , king of aragon , who ought chiefly to have protected him . the city montpellier in france , was subject to the kings of majorca , for which place the kings of france pretended the others ought to do them homage , they having bought it of the bishops of magalone , to whom of right it belong'd ; but those kings refusing , the french by force made themselves masters of many towns , subject to montpellier , and put garrisons into them . the king of majorca being a dependant on the crown of aragon , begg'd assistance of that king. the aragonian cunningly temporiz'd with the king of france , and gave the other nothing but good words . at length they met , and the aragonian promis'd to aid his kinsman , in case the king of france should refuse to put the difference between them to judgment . embassadors were sent on this message ; but this was only to gain time , or mean while the king of majorca was charg'd with many crimes , whether true or false , is not known , but such as serv'd for a pretence to deprive him of his crown . the pope and queen of naples labour'd in vain to compose these differences ; the mallorquines wasted with heavy taxes , were willing to change their master . at length the war broke out , peter moncada the admiral was call'd from the siege of algezira , and a fleet of sail fitted out . the king of aragon landed in majorca , where the islanders had assembled horse , and foot , but all raw undisciplin'd souldiers . they were easily overthrown , and their king fled to the city poncia , and thence , desparing of better fortune , over to the continent . those people being before well affected to the aragonian , soon took the oath of fidelity to him , and he return'd to barcelona , leaving arnaldus de eril , viceroy of the islands . russillon and cerdagne on the borders of spain were infested , and some towns there taken , belonging to the king of majorca . a cardinal was now sent by the pope as his legate , to reconcile these kings ; his coming , the approach of winter , and want of engines to batter walls , made the war cease for sometime , but his embassy took no further effect . in the month of april , the war was renew'd with more fury than at first , all the open country destroy'd , and the places of strength taken . some perswaded the king of majorca to put himself into the power of the aragonian . others more fierce , said it was better to dye than trust him . nothing was left the king of majorca but the town of perpignan , therefore he sent by d. peter de exerica to acquaint the king of aragon he would put himself into his power , upon promise of life and liberty . having receiv'd that promise in july , he came from perpignan to elna , where the camp of aragon then was . being come before the king of aragon he kiss'd his hand , and with submissive words begg'd pardon . the aragonian receiv'd him with feign'd friendship , and promis forgiveness , but his actions were not answerable to his words . soon after in an assembly of nobility at barcelona , he depriv'd him of the regal title , and asign'd him some estate to live upon . finding himself deceiv'd , the king of majorca fled into france , designing to renew the war , and seeing there was little help in the pope , cast himself wholly upon the king of france , to whom he sold the lordship of montpellier for crowns in gold. the war was again commenc'd in the island , cerdagne and russillon , which prov'd fatal to him , for he was years after overthrown and kill'd in a battle in majorca by the aragonians . his body was deposited in valencia , his sons and nephews liv'd poor and in bannishment . the same year that algezira was taken , and the king of majorca depos'd , there was a mighty earthquake at lisbon , which shook all the buildings , and threw down the steeple of the cathedral , and was look'd upon as an omen of ensuing misfortunes . constance the daughter of d. john manuel , and wife of prince peter of portugal , dy'd in the year . her death was the less grievous to him because he was in love with the lady agnes de castro , and kept her in as great state as his wife . the lady constance left two sons , ferdinand and mary . after the war with the moors was ended , the king of castile labour'd to punnish the disorders that had happen'd in that turbulent time , and to perswade the kingdom of toledo and andaluzia , to grant him the same duty on merchandize , as burgos and leon had done . in aragon new troubles began to break out , for the king endeavour'd by all means to increase the grandeur of the crown by recalling many grants of his predecessors , and oblig'd his brother d. jayme to quit the place of vicar general of the kingdom . in the year , dy'd the queen of aragon , a most virtuous lady . she was bury'd at valencia . to the intent the king might have issue male , a match was presently propos'd with the lady eillenor , daughter to the king of portugal . ferdinand the aragonian's brother thought to marry that lady , but the king prevail'd , chiefly by the assistance of d. john manuel , whose son ferdinand marry'd joanna cousin german to the king of aragon . the nobility and commous of aragon rebell'd upon pretence that wrong had been done to d. jayme the king's brother , and that several publick acts were made in the name of the lady constance , as heiress of the crown . ximeno de vrrea , peter coronel , blase de alagon , and d. lope de luna were appointed conservators of the liberties of the people . d. jayme earl of vrgel , was ch●●en for their chief . his brothers ferdinand and john were call'd out of castile . the king assembl'd the cortes at zaragoça , and to please th●●eople , restor'd the vicarship to his brother d. jayme , and declar'd him heir of the crown . thus all people were pleas'd , but d. jayme soon dying , their joy expir'd . the king went to barcelo●● , whither he had order'd his queen to be conducted from portugal , and here it was the earl of vrgel dy'd , about the end of the year . his brothers ferdinand and 〈◊〉 ●●aded the mutin●ers , being assisted by the king of castile with horse . the king of aragon was marry'd without any pomp , by reason of the publick sorrow , for the death of d. jayme , as also because of the troubles of the kingdom . the two brothers ferdinand and john , who had been in castile , to consult with their mother and the king their uncle , headed the rebels , being assisted with horse from castile . ferdinand went 〈◊〉 to valencia , and john , to zaragoça . their mother resided at cuenca and requena . fernan perez portocarrero was sent from castile , and mun̄on lopez de tauste from aragon , to reconcile the brothers of that crown , and procure that no aid might be given to the rebels . alvar garcia de albornoz , was allow'd to raise horse in castile , to serve the king of aragon , who put himself into the hands of the rebels , at valencia . here the people mutinying , assaulted the palace , and the king was forc'd to ride out among them , and grant that d. ferdinand should be vicar of the kingdom , and heir to the crown , excluding the king's daughters . after the king's departure d. lope de luna who was reconcil'd to the king , was very severe towards 〈◊〉 conspirator . he encamp'd about daroca . prince ferdinand march'd against him with horse and foo● ; they came to a battle in which the rebels were routed , 〈…〉 prince ferdinand himself taken ; but alvar garcia de albornoz who was intrusted to 〈◊〉 him , suffer'd him to make his escape into castile . the king to reward d. lope , created him earl of luna ; a thing not much us'd in aragon . after this victory all submitted to the king. yet prince ferdinand was again declar'd heir , and the power of the high justice of aragon was increas'd , that the king might not oppress the people . this in aragon in the year . this year a destructive . plague spread it self first in the east , then into italy , sicily , majorca , and spain ; where no city escap'd it , and the mortality was so great , that only in the city zaragoça in october dyed in one day . the infection was so great , that nobody would look to the sick , or bury the dead . ellenor the new queen of aragon dy'd about this time at exerica , whither the king retir'd for fear of the plague . the king having overcome the rebels of valencia , made severe examples of them to terrify others . the knights of calatrava , of castile and aragon were at variance , and had chosen two masters , one at calatrava , the other at alcanizes . garci lopez , who was master of the order , years before this time , being accus'd of nations crimes , and summon'd to appear before the king of castile , to answer for himself , fled to aragon and garci lopez protected by the king of aragon resided at alcanices , a town belonging to the order , and there supported his authority ; tho condemn'd as a rebel , by the king of castile and depos'd from his mastership , yet he exercis'd that power . john nun̄ez de prado , who was reported to be bastard son to the lady blanch , aunt to the king of portugal and abbess , of the monastrey of huelgas , was chosen in his place . the ●●stercian abbots confirm'd this election , yet the aragonians would not admit of it , but garci lopez dying , made choice of alonso perez de toro , and he was confirm'd by arnoldus , abbot of morimonte in france . it was often indeavour'd to reconcile the ●●ights , but could never be effected till now ; alonso perez dying , they of alcanizes elected john rodrigues . before this last election was confirm'd the kings of castile and aragon , caus'd the two masters of the order to meet at zarago●a , where their case being refer'd to the king of aragon , he gave uudgment in favour of castile , and john rodriguez was depos'd , but had the chief commend●●● of alcanicez given him , with jurisdiction over all the knights of that kingdom , during by life . at this time luis earl of clermont , son to d. alonso de la cerda , call'd the disinherited , was fitting out a fleet in catalonia , the pope having two years before given him the conquest of the canary , or fortunate islands , with the title of king of them ; upon condition he should cause the gospel to be preached to the barbarous inhabitants . these islands lie in the great atlantick ocean , westward of africk . they are in number , and in the latitude of degrees north. the 〈…〉 called ganaria , whence the others take name . they are very fruitful , but were once almost destroy'd by rabbits , which carry'd from the continent increas'd beyond measure . the island call'd hierro , has no other water than what distils from the leaves of one tree ▪ d. luis by reason of the wars in france , and the loss of the battle o● cressy , in which philip of france was defeated by the english , never went forward with this conquest . about years after this time the biscainers and andaluzians set out a fleet to plunder these islands , and having brought a great booty from that call'd lançarote , the kings of spain had a desire to conquer them , but were diverted by other things . some years after john betancour a french-man , with permission of henry the iiid . of castile , undertook ▪ the conquest , upon condition he should hold them off the crown of castile . he subdu'd the lesser islands , but could not conquer the two greater . a bishop call'd mendo was sent thither . ● menaut● heir to betancou● and this bishop were at daggers draw , the former regarding nothing but his interest , and the latter not enduring to see the poor islanders oppress'd . the king of castile hearing of these disorders , sent one peter ba●●● who possess'd himself of the islands , and sold them to a gentleman call'd por●ca , from 〈◊〉 one 〈◊〉 had them , and stil'd himself king of canaria . but not being able to conquer grand canaria , he sold four of the islands to the catholick king ferdinand , and retained gomera , stiling himself earl of it . king ferdinand conquer'd and annex'd all those islands to the crown of castile . let us return to spain . in the year the lady ell●nor eldest sister ●o lu●● king 〈…〉 ▪ was marry'd to the king of aragon , with great pomp , at valencia . chap. vii . the siege of gibraltar ; the king dies and the siege is raised . king peter succeeds him . the ●●dy ell●nor de guzman kill'd . some nobles rebel and are subdu'd . biscay annex'd to the crown of castile . interviews of kings . great confusions arose in africk , about this time ; for abohacen the son of albohacen , rebell'd against his father , and possess'd himself of the kingdom of fez in africk , and of gibraltar , ronda and all other places , subject to the african crown in spain . he blam'd his father for all the losses sustain'd in spain , promis'd to reestablish the honour of the people , and the giddy multitude easily gave ●ar to these speeches , and adher'd to him . these bro●●s among the 〈◊〉 , seem'd ●o offer the christians an opportunity of making their advantage , but th● 〈…〉 they ●●d made for ten years obstructed it : yet some pleaded that ●●ey were ab●● 〈◊〉 from that oath , because he was dead to whom they made it . interest is always more powerful than conscience . mony was wanting . the cortes or parliament were summon'd to alcalà de henares , and many towns were now allow'd to send their representatives , that had never that priviledge before . andal●zia and the kingdom of toledo us'd ●o be free from taxes , because they were at great expence in making good the frontiers against the moors ; it was now labour'd they should pay the duty that castile and l●on did , for all things that were sold . in this assembly there rose a contest betwixt the representatives of toledo and burgos , about precedency . many arguments were brought on both sides , and the nobility were divided , yet at last it was agreed that burgos should have the upper seat , and rote first , but that toledo should have a seat apart from the rest , directly opposite to the king , and be first nam'd by the king , after this manner , i speak for toledo , which will do whatsoever i shall order , let burgos speak first . thus that difference was compos'd , and the same method is us'd to this day . eighteen towns , and cities have ancient priviledge , to send their representatives to the cortes . burgos , soria , segovia , a●●la and valladolid , in old castile . leon , salamanca , z●mora and toro , in the kingdom of leon. toledo , cuenca , guadalajara and madrid , in the kingdom of toledo . sevil , granada , murcia , cordova and jaen in andaluzia . among these burgos , l●●n , granada , sevil , cordova , murcia , and jaen , have precedence according to this order , ●s being the heads of kingdoms ▪ toledo is apart , as has been said above . all other towns and cities sit promiscuously as they come . at these cortes of alcala , many other places had their representatives , the king bestowing that honour 〈◊〉 many , to oblige the people . here the king demanded the alcavala , or duty upon all things sold , which tho with difficulty was granted , and the war with the moors voted . accordingly preparations were instantly made throughout the kingdom . the army being assembl'd march'd into andaluzia ▪ and laid siege ●● gibraltar , casting up great works about the town , and applying their engines . the ●own was well provid●● strongly fortify'd , and had a good garrison . as soon as the town was invested , all 〈◊〉 country about was laid waste , and presently the walls began to be batter'd . the siege lasted long , notwithstanding the townsmen abated of their heat , seeing no hope of suc●●●r , yet the garison held out resolutely . during the siege , the embassadors sent by the 〈◊〉 of castile , to establish peace , and desire succours of the king of aragon , return'd to the camp , and with them bernard de cabrera , a man of great parts , and therefore brought to the court by the king of aragon , from his retirement ▪ ●nd employ'd in the most important affairs of the government . he came to the camp on the ● th of august , and establish'd a league betwixt the two kings upon these conditions : that queen ellenor and her children shall peaceably enjoy all that was given them by her husband , and their father . that the king of castile shall not give them any assistance , if they raise commotions in the kingdom . after this , the king of aragon sent cross-bow-men , and galleys under the command of raymund villano . joanna queen of navarre , who after the death of her husband philip , resided in france , at the town of conflans , seated at the meeting of the rivers seyne and oyse , dy'd on the th of october , and was buried in the church of st. denis , near her father king luis hutin . she was a most virtuous lady , and had a numerous issue . charles her son succeeded her at the age of . she had two lesser sons , philip and luis , he who had the seignory of durazz● in dower , and these daughters , joanna , mary , bl●●●h and agnes , who were all marry'd to great men , the first to the lord of roan● the d to the king of aragon , the d , to philip de valois , king of france , and the last to the earl of faux . mossen john de conflans a frenchman was now vicer●y of navarre . let us return to the siege of gibraltar . the moors of granada always laid ambushes about the christian cam●●●nd pick'd up all straglers . the besieg'd made often sallies , and did some execution . but what was worst , a violent plague rag'd in the army , and great numbers dy'd ▪ most men , and particularly d. john de lara , and d. ferdinand manuel who had succeeded his father in the lordship of villena , were for raising the siege . these things somwhat mov'd the king ●et his resolution prevail'd unfortunately to him ; for the infection seiz'd him , and he dy'd on the th of march . this was the first year in which pope clement allow'd the jubilee to be gain'd every th year , which before was every century . it was also remarkable for the death of philip king of france . his son john succeeded him . this was the end of king alonso the xith of castile , in the th year of his age , and 't is thought had he liv'd longer , he would have drove the moors out of spain . he might have been compar'd to the best of princes ▪ had he not ●●emish'd his virt●es by much inconstancy . his severity in executing justice gain'd him the name of the vpright . immediately upon his death the siege was rais'd . his body was carry'd to sevil , and bury'd in the royal chappel . in the reign of his son henry , he was translated to cordova , as he had order'd it in his will. d. giles de albornoz , archbishop of toledo , was created a cardinal by pope clement , on the th of december ▪ laurence de padilla , says this was the cause why he quitted the archbishoprick , for in those days two such dignities were incompatible , and that d. gonçalo the ivth succeeded him , and govern'd that church but years . mighty troubles and confusions follow'd in castile . most men lay all the blame on the new king , and therefore call him the cruel ▪ 〈◊〉 authors attribute it to the pride and ambition of the nobility , who 〈◊〉 the king to make 〈◊〉 ●ere examples . as soon as king alonso dy'd , his lawful son peter was proclaim'd king 〈◊〉 the camp , tho he was but years of age , and then at sevil with his mother . his age was unfit for government , but his forward ▪ wit promis'd well . he was fair of complexion , had an agreeable face , with much majesty , a great heart for difficult attempts , and would undergo any labour . he lov'd 〈◊〉 king above other sporst , and was rigid in administring justice . among these virtues some vices began to appear , as pride and passion in his youth ; afterwards he added avarice and incontinency . these natural imperfections were increas'd by the ill government of his ▪ tutor , d. john de albuquerque , who gave him his will in all things , and by that means rose to the great favour he had with him . the new king had these bastard brothers , henry earl of trastamara , frederick master of santiago , ferdinand lord of ledesina , and tello lord of aguilar , these the sons of the lady ellenor de guzman . besides these the lady joanna marry'd to ferdinand and philip de castro , sancho , john , and peter ; for another peter and sancho dy'd young. these bastard brothers had not much confidence in the king , who was wholly govern'd by his mother queen mary . the lady ellenor de guzman f●●ring the queen dowager , set out from the camp with the dead king's body , but by the way changing her resolution , left it and went to medina sidonia , a strong town of her own . here she was some time dubious what to do , but at last resolv'd to put her self upon the king's goodness . having fix'd this resolution , she went away to sevil , her sons and other great men of her kindred went to algezira and other strong places . the king yielding to his mother's passion , the lady ellenor was cast into prison . her son henry being expell'd algezira , upon a safe conduct came to the king , and hastily concluded a match with the lady joanna ▪ sister to d. ferdinand manuel , to be 〈◊〉 condition to oppose the king. the king fell so desperately sick , that he was given over by all the physicians . every one named a successor according to his fancy ; but the king soon recovering , this only serv'd to discover the inclinations of the people . d. john de lara , envious of the great power of d. alonso de albuquerque , went away for castile , designing to raise a rebellion , which was easy , because of his great possessions in that country . his designs were prevented by death , which took him away at burgos , on the th of november . his body was bury'd in the monastery ▪ of st. paul of the domini●ans in that city . he left a 〈◊〉 nun̄o de lara , but two years old. almost at the same time dy'd his brother in law , d. ferdinand manuel , leaving only a daughter call'd blanch. the death of these two great men was very pleasing to d. alonso de albuquerque , who hop'd they being remov'd to be absolute without controul . the king upon the first news set out from sevil , hoping to seize upon their estates , and gave by the way some signs of his severity ▪ d. frederick his bastard brother met him at ellerena , and was receiv'd with exterior tokens of affection , but it appear'd afterwards they were counterfeit . at the same time he order'd d. alonso de olmedo to put to death the lady ellenor de guzman , then a prisoner at talavera in the kingdom of toledo . this town being part of the queen's dower , was from that time call'd talavera de la r●yna . garcilasso de la vega was kill'd in the palace at burgos , his chief crime was the affection he bore to d. john de lara . garcilasso was lieutenant of castile . garci manrique succeeded him in that post . it was consulted how the king might get the young child , d. nuno de lara , lord of biscay into his power : but d. mencia , who had the care of him , fled with him into biscay , hoping that people would defend him . the king pursu'd , and they narrowly escap'd , but the child soon dying he easily subdu'd all that lordship , and annex'd biscay , lerma , and lara , with other places , to the crown , having before secur'd joanna and elizabeth , sisters to the child deceas'd . these things were acted in the year of grace . great rejoycing was 〈◊〉 in aragon for the birth of prince john , which put an end to the strife there had been about the succession . bernard de cabr●ra was appointed his tutor , and the young prince was created duke of girona . from this time forward the eldest son to the king of aragon was always duke of girona . both the kings of castile and aragon endeavour'd to make a 〈◊〉 with charles king of navarre , who the year before was crown'd at pamplona . this king thought it convenient to entertain both those kings with fair promises . yet at the request of the castilian he came to burgos , where they both labour'd to out-do one another in civility and gallantry . being almost of the same age and natural inclinations , they became great friends . this king charles was by some call'd the wicked , by others the cruel , because 〈◊〉 punish'd with severity a mutiny that was rais'd at his first accession to the crown . after some days spent in mirth at burgos , the king of castile went away to hold the ●●rtes or parliament at burgos , and king charles returned to ●amplona . thence , desiring to be gone into france his native country , he first went to moblanco in aragon , to meet that king. there two marriages were propos'd , one for king charles , with the sister to the king of sicily , and the other with blanch , widow of philip king of france ; but nothing was concluded , because he hop'd to marry joanna the king of france's daughter . chap. viii . embassadors sent by king 〈◊〉 of castile into france , to obtain for his wife , blanch , daughter to the duke of bourbon , who is brought into spain , and marry'd to the king ; but he being before in ●ove with the lady mary de padilla , slights and forsakes his queen . some towns in old castile had an antient inmemorial privilege of chusing their lords , and were therefore call'd beh●trias , from the greek word hetera , signifying a company . d. alonso de albuquerque in the cortes , labour'd that it should be establish'd , for the future the king should appoint those lords , but it could not be obtain'd . the next thing propos'd was to marry the king ; and to that purpose john de roela● bishop of burgos , and alvor garcia de alb●rnoz , a gentleman of cuenca , were sent embassadors into france , to ask one of the six daughters of the duke of bourbon , the most powerful prince of the blood royal in france , which they should most approve of for the king. the duke having shew'd them his daughters , they made choice of the lady blanch , and she was contracted to the king by proxy . this lady was bless'd with all perfections of soul and body ; but unfortunate in her marriage , which ought to have been the complement of all her felicity . henry earl of trastamara after the death of his mother , and gareilasso , fled out of asturias to portugal , fearing the king , whom he was not able to oppose . the king of portugal taking compassion on the earl , and fearing le●t any misfortune might befall his grandson the king of castile , his people being incens'd against him , met him at c●idad rodrigo . there he perswaded him to pardon count henry ▪ in the beginning of the year . discontents began to break out in andaluzia , asturias , and murcia . d. alonso fernandez coronel , a powerful man in andaluzia , was possess'd of aguilar by the king's gift , and had long been at 〈◊〉 with berna●●de cabrera about that town . he was ●ealous of the king , for that during his sickness at sevi● , he had let fall some words signifying , that d. john de lara ought to succeed him ; which the king heinously resented . this gentleman confiding in the strength of aguilar , stor'd his other towns , and made an alliance with other mutinous nobles . he rais'd men , and ask'd aid of foreign princes . particularly he sent d. john de la cerda son to lewis , and his son in law , to the moors . neither the king of granada , nor the african● would give him any succour ; but it is said , he serv'd albohacen in a battel , in which he overthrew his father albohacen . thence he return'd to portugal , and there continu'd in banishment . his wife the lady mary coronel , not able to endure the absence of her husband , or resist her unchast desires , rather than yield to them , is said to have put burning coals into that part which molested her . the king of castile having taken several towns in andaluzia , prepar'd to besiege aguilar , when news was brought him , that count henry had rebell'd at gijon in asturias , and his brother d. tello committed many outrages , making incursions from montagudo on the frontiers of aragon . this oblig'd him to march to asturias , where gijon surrender'd , upon promise of pardon for themselves and count henry , who lurk'd in the mountains . in this march it was , that the king fell in love with da. maria de padilla ▪ a young maid that was bred in the house of d. alonso de albuquerque . their familiarity began at sahagun , which prov'd fatal to the king and kingdom . john de hinestrola the ladies uncle , was the manager of the unhappy bargain . the king march'd to montagudo and took it , with several other towns ; for d. tello had abandon'd it , and was fled to aragon . the two kings of aragon being so near one another , set onfoot a treaty of peace ; they met not themselves , but their embassadors d. alonso de albuquerque , and bernard de gabrera , concluded a peace at taraçona . a league offensive and defensive was establish'd ▪ and they agreed the one should pardon d. tello , and the other d. ferdinand de aragon . then ●ing peter return'd into andaluzia , and after a siege of four months , took aguilar in february . d. alonso coronel being taken , was executed as a traytor , with five of his companions , the town was dismantled , and the king pardon'd the multitude . on the th of the same month dy'd d. gonçalo archbishop of toledo . d. vasco , or blas then bishop of pal●ncia , succeeded him . from aguilar the king went to cordova , at such time as d● . maria de padilla was brought to bed of ● daughter call'd beatrix . thence he return'd into the kingdom of toledo . at torrijos five leagues from toledo , in a turnament made for joy ▪ of his success , and birth of his daughter , the king receiv'd a wound in his hand , which had like to have cost him his life ; fo● that the surgeons could find no means to stop the blood. to this town came d. alonso ●● albuquerque , who had been on an embassy in portug●● ▪ and brought with him d. john de la 〈◊〉 ▪ whom the king receiv'd into favour with demonstrations of affection ; but could never ●● prevail'd upon to restore him his father in laws lands , for he now began to be positive ▪ about this time the lady blanch of borbon came to valladolid accompany'd by the viscount of narbonn● , and d. frederick the master of santiago , who went out to meet her ▪ d. alonso de albuquerque was for having the marriage ▪ solemniz'd immediately . he then was so absolute , that at times he spoke disrespectful words to the king , and hastned his marriage lest , da. maria de padilla's relations , should work him out of favour ; and so it fell out . yet the marriagew as solemniz'd on the d. of june . at the same time in france , another more fortunate marriage was consummated betwixt charles king of navarre , and the lady ▪ joanna , eldest daughter to the king of france . a match i say more happy for the 〈◊〉 they always had to one another , and their issue . they had three sons ▪ ●●arles , 〈◊〉 and peter , the second dyed young ; and three daughters , mary , bla●ch and jo●●n● : 〈◊〉 liv'd 〈…〉 years , the other two were match'd to great princes . before he was marry'd king charl●s had a bastard-son called leo , of whom are descended the marqueses of cortes in navarre . the marqueses of falces in that kingdom say they are descended from peter the kings lawful son. scarce was king peter married when he began to slight the bride , being wholly devoted to da. maria de padilla . two days after he prepar'd to go to the castle of montalvan , on the banks of tagus , where he had left his minion . the queen his mother , and his aunt queen ellenor conjur'd him not to forsake his queen , and give himself up to his lust , but he nothing mov'd said , he did not design any such thing , yet immediately took horse and rode away without speaking to any body . count henry , d. tello , and the princes of aragon went with him , for now the nobility study'd to please and flatter him . only d. giles de albornos the cardinal , who had been . arch-bishop of toledo , ceas'd not to reprove him , till he became hateful to him . then with leave he retir'd to cuença , and thence went into france to pope innocent , who had succeeded pope clement the last year . the king and lady mary padilla , from montalvan went to toledo . at valladolid it was consulted how to bring him back by force , which he understanding , was so offended at d. alonso de albuquerque the first mover of that design , that he was forc'd to appease him , to deliver up his son giles as an hostage . at length through much intreaty of the nobility , he was perswaded to return to valladolid to see the queen , but stay'd with her only two days . it was given out he was bewithc'd by a jew , with a ribben so charm'd that it appear'd to the king like a snake . some believ'd the king did not so suddenly quit his ●●een without cause , but because he discover'd treachery in his brother , frederick , which i suppose is ment in regard to her honour . but all these are surmises , for there needs no stronger witchcraft , nor other offence to draw a man away , than love. from valladolid the king went away to olmedo , a town in that neighbourhood . thither by his order came the lady mary de padilla from toledo , and he never more had compassion , or so much as thought of the queen , his unfortunate wife . chap. ix . king peter of castile removes his officers , punishes some rebels , and reduces several towns ▪ the war of sardinia , where diseases raging in the aragonian army , that king clap● up a dishonourable peace , and returns to aragon . d. alonso de albuquerque being in disgrace spent some time upon his own estate , and then fearing the king would pursue him , fled to portugal . d. frederick master of santi●go had been discontented , ever since the king caus'd his mother to be put to death ; but being now reconcil'd , came to cuellar , where the court resided . d. tello his brother , at segovia , marry'd joanna , daughter to d. john de lara , and had with her the lordship of biscay . the kindred of da. maria de padilla promoted this match , to oblige the king's brothers who were enemies to d. alonso de albuquerque . queen blanch resided at medina del campo with the queen her mother-in-law , living like a widow , and spending her time in modest recreations . thence she was by the king's order , remov'd to arevalo , and forbid conversing with her mother-in-law , or any of the nobility . peter gudiel bishop of segovia , and tello palomeque a gentleman of toledo , were appointed to guard her . the king chang'd the officers of his houshold , and made james gar●●a ●● padilla , brother to his mistress , lord chamberlain , alvaro ●● alborn●z cup-bearer , and peter gonzalez mendoça taster . these changes were made in hatred to d. alonso de albuquerque , who had before many of his creatures at court. in autumn the king went to andaluzia , and displac'd many great men , preferr'd by alonso de albuquerque . the king was wholly govern'd by d● . maria de padilla , and her kindred ; and 〈…〉 nobility , even his brothers , made their court to her . this winter the great rains caus'd mighty floods , especially at sevil , where they made up all the gates of the city lest it should break in . at the beginning of the year . d. john nun̄ez de prado , master of cal●●r●●a , who had fled to aragon , came to almagro , the chief town of that order , being invited by the king 's kind letters . there d. john de la cerda , who was in favour , made him priso●● ▪ his greatest crime was , being a friend to d. alonso de albuquerque , and having perswaded the king to return to the queen ▪ d. james de padilla was immediately chosen master , and john nunez put to death at maqueda . the king seem'd sor●y for hi●●●ath ; but no body ▪ being question'd , it was concluded to be done by his com●●●d . n●●●●he king invaded the inheritance of d. alonso de albuquerque , in which were man●●●rong ●●aces . mede●●●n was besieg'd , and the governour not able to defend it , surrender'd , having first obtain'd his master's consent . the town of albuquerque tho' besieg'd , held out ; and d. frederick and count henry were left at badajoz to blockade it . the king went to c●cer●s , and thence sent embassadors to alonso king of portugal , who at that time was at ebora , cel●●ratin● the marriage of 〈◊〉 his grandchild with ferdinand prince of arag●●● ▪ ●●e●e the embassado●●●e●an● 〈…〉 d. alonso de albuquerque should be deliver'd up , 〈…〉 ●cco●nt of the 〈…〉 had th● management of . d. alonso answer'd , h●●as ready to account in 〈…〉 ▪ and ●●●lleng'd any body that should lay any disloyalty to his charg●● th●s 〈…〉 were dismist . the king's bastard brothers made an association with d. alo●●● d●●●●●querque , a●d othe●●obles , and would have drawn in the prince o● portugal , 〈◊〉 him the crow●●● castile ; but the king of portugal was offended at the 〈◊〉 , and so the design ●e●● . ●ow the king o● castile committed a crime not excusab●● if the rest of his life ●●●re such . d● . ●oanna de castro , widow to the late d. james de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 〈…〉 . the king fell in love with her , and knowing he 〈…〉 ●●●ain her 〈…〉 ●●fer'd to marry her . to this purpose he undertook to prove he 〈…〉 be●●re , and putting it to the judgment of the bishops of avila and sala●●●●● , they ▪ declar'd he was no ●ays ty'd to the first marriage . as soon as this was declar'd 〈…〉 ●h●r● the king was , the ●●●●tials were perform'd in hast . having obtain'd his desires he w●● soon weary ▪ ●t is ●●●●rted , he stay'd with her but one night , and then left her , upon pretence that the nob●●●ty revolted , and he must put a stop to their proceedings . d● . jo●nna de castro withdrew to d●●●as , where she cover'd her disgrace with the title of queen ▪ and had a son call'd d. ●●hn , at present her comfort ; and afterwards the scorn of 〈…〉 ▪ whilst the rebellion was cont●●●ing at castroxeriz in old castile , elizabeth second d●●●●●er ●● d. john nun̄ez de lara , was marry'd to d. john prince of aragon , and had with her the lordship of biscay taken from ▪ d. tello the king's bastard brother , who had it in r●●ht of his wife , being ●●e eldest sister , and lost it for conspiring against the king. da. maria 〈…〉 was now dellyer'd of a daughter call'd constance , afterwards marry'd in engla●● ●●●he duk● of lancaster . still other nobles joyn'd in the association , particularly d. fer●●●● de cast●●● to revenge the affront put ▪ upon his sister by the king. the same was done by the cities of toledo , cordova , jaen , cuenc●● and talavera ; and lastly , the princes of aragon . queen mary and queen ellenor favour'd the rebels ; and thus way was made to a bloody civil war , which long harassed spain . let us leave the troubles of castile a while , to speak of the other provinces of spain . joseph bulhagix king of granada , having reign'd years , was murder'd this year by his subjects . mahomet lagus uncle to joseph , and chief contriver of the treason , usurp'd the kingdom , and held it as long as he liv'd , tho' incumber'd with many contentions and broils . this same year the king of aragon founded an university at huesca . this was done at such a time as all that kingdom resounded ▪ with warlike preparations for the island of sardinia . the arag●nians , as was said in its place , had conquer'd that island ; but the people were given to change . the family of the orias of genoa were possess'd of some towns in sardinia . these relying on the affections of the people , and the assistance of genoa , attempted to expel the aragonians . the pretence they made use of was , that the aragonians had taken from them sacer and caller , two strong towns. war being declar'd , they took alguer , and laid siege to sacer , but could not enter it ; for the townsmen bravely defended it , till the king of aragon sent his fleet to their relief ; which for some time supported the war with various event . the venetians , always enemies to the genoeses , made a league with the king of aragon against them . three years before this we now write of , the fleets of aragon and venice near pe●a , which is a league from constantinople , and was then subject to the state of genoa , fought the genoese fleet , tho' the sea was at that time rough , and took of their galleys ; many were also drove ashore . twelve galleys of aragon , and their general ponce de santapan , were also lost . yet both parties pretended to the victory . the popes clement & innocent labour'd to reconcile these nations , but all in vain . marianus judge of arborea , an antient prince of sardinia , and a powerful man sided with the genoeses , and joyn'd mathew doria their chief . thus they soon possess'd themselves of all the island , except the two towns of sacer and caller , which always continu'd firm to the aragonians . the dangerous posture of their affairs , being known in aragon , a fleet was fitted out consisting of a sail , among which were galleys . in it were men at arms , light horse , and about foot , all of known bravery . great stores of provisions were also laid up , and many souldiers and persons or note came to serve the king of aragon , out of england , germany and navarre . all the nobility of aragon , strove to go upon this expedition , and bernard de gabrera was admiral of the fleet , which rendezvous'd at roses , and set sail thence about the middle of june . prince peter , the king's uncle , was left to govern the kingdom . they had a good voyage , in days arriv'd at sardinia , anker'd within three miles of alguer , and landed the army . presently the army march'd towards the city , and bernard de cabrera follow'd with the fleet. the ●ing at the head of his men , and shun'd no danger to encourage them : about forty genoese galleys appear'd in the sea , rather to shew their swiftness than valour . the lord of arborea incamped in sight of the aragonians with horse , and foot , but durst not give battle , because they were raw undisciplin'd men. whilst the aragonians batter'd the town , the weather being had , and the country unhealthy , the aragonian army sicken'd , and the king himself was diseas'd , wherepon a treaty was set afoot . peace was concluded upon dishonourable conditions for the king of aragon ; which were that the judge of arborea and mathew doria should be pardon'd , and keep what they had . besides , the king 〈◊〉 the former several towns in gallura , a province of that island . thus 〈…〉 stead of punishment , the enemies grew more fierce . alguer was deliver 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 the inhabitants had leave to depart , and many old catalonian souldiers setled there . the queen who was there present , being earnest to return home , and several noble men dying , caus'd this treaty to be hastily concluded , in november . yet the king stay'd seven months longer in sardinia , settl'd the island , punish'd some offenders , reducing the judge of arborea and mathew doria , who again were about to revolt . olfo prochita being left viceroy there , the fleet return'd to aragon , having perform'd little for so great preparations . chap. x. the nobility of castile , and particularly the king's bastard brothers in rebellion , they treat with the king without success , the queen mother joyns them , the king gets the better , and executes many of them . after the king of castile had reduced most of the towns belonging to d. alonso de albuquerque , being about to set out to besiege his bastard brother frederick , who made himself strong in the castle of segura , he sent john fernandez de hinestrosa into old castile , to bring queen blanch and secure her in the pallace of toledo , on pretence of the rebellion that was in the kingdom . being come to toledo , she went directly to the cathedral , under show of devotion , but when there , would not come out , expecting to be defended by the sanctuary . the king understanding what had happen'd , in a passion return'd to ocan̄a . there he caus'd john de padilla , to be chosen master of callatrava , ●● stead of his bastard-brother frederick , notwithstanding he was a marry'd man , and 〈◊〉 such had ever had that honour before . this was the beginning of admitting marry'd men to be masters of that order , in favour of da. maria de padilla , whose brother this man was . mean while the power of the rebellious nobles increas'd , d. john de la cerda joyn'd them . the king wanting forces , went into old castile to raise men , and came to tordesillas , where the queen his mother was . the people of toledo sent for d. frederick , who came with horse , and the other nobles flocking together , kept the king besieg'd in tordesillas . ellenor queen of aragon was sent by them to propose to him , to banish da. maria de padilla , and remove her kindred , and they would all submit to him , but she prevail'd not . the queen mother and the king her son departing from tordesillas , the rebels march'd towards valladolid , thinking to surprise that place , but being disappainted , remov'd to medina del campo , and took it without bloodshed . thither came the bastard d. frederick , and there dy'd john alonso de albuquerque , poyson'd by one paul a roman doctor , brib'd by his enemies . his body as he order'd it in his will , was embalmed and carry'd about by those his fellow-conspirators , till the end of the war. after this , the nobles sent some men of note to treat with the king , the result was ; that they agreed upon a time to meet at a village near toro . on the day appointed , they met with horse equally arm'd on each side , where they receiv'd one another with the usual respect , the nobles according to custom kissing the king's hand . this done , gutierre de toledo by the king's order told them , the king was much concern'd to see so many men of quality in rebellion , indeavouring to bring him to their beek . that he forgave them all , provided they would submit and disband their forces ; and that as to what they desir'd in relation to queen blanch , it should be done , provided their demands ended there . ferdinand de ayala being appointed by the nobles to speak for them with , very submissive words excus'd their coming arm'd into his presence , extoll'd the virtue of queen blanch , represented the danger that threaten'd her from da. maria de padilla , and begg'd of the king to comfort and protect her , and prevent the ruin that threaten'd the kingdom . the matter was too weighty to be concluded in so short a time , therefore four gentlemen for each side were appointed to agree upon articles of peace . thus they parted , and the king us'd such delays , that all hope of adjusting affairs vanish'd , especially because he went away from toro to meet his mistress . the queen mother hereupon joyn'd with the rebels , and deliver'd the city toro up to them . the king startled at the news , return'd to toro with john fernandez de hinestrosa , and samuel levi a jew , who was his treasurer . the queen mother receiv'd him with great affection , and he told her he came to put himself into her power and do whatsoever she would have of him . those who came with him were secur'd , and the officers of his household chang'd . d. frederick was made lord chamberlain , prince ferdinand of aragon chancellor , d. john de la cerda standard-bearer , d. frederick de castro lord steward , and he marry'd joanna the king's bastard-sister , but was divorc'd as being her second cousin . these were rather spies to secure , than servants to attend him . this done they bury'd the body of alonso de albuquerque , thinking the war at an end . the king had liberty to hunt , and having gain'd some of the nobles , fled to segovia , and with him samuel levi , who was out upon bail , and d. tello , to whom the king shew'd some affection , but it lasted not long . this was the beginning of new uproars . the princes of aragon and their mother queen ellenor , went to roa , given them by the king whilst at toro . d. john de la cerda went to segovia to the king , d. frederick to his forces at talavera , d. ferdinand de castro to galicia , d. tello to biscay , count henry and queen mother stay'd at toro . these things happen'd at the end of the year . in the beginning of the year , the cortes or parliament was held at burgos . there the king complain'd of the insolency of the nobility , and desired to be assisted against them . an extraordinary subsidy was granted him . at the same time in france the king of navarre murder'd the constable , d. john de la cerda , younger son to d. alonso the disinherited ; at which action the king of france was highly offended , for the love he bore the constable . the cause of his death was , that the king gave him the earldom of angoulesme , which the king of navarre pretended a right to , as also to those of champagne and brie . in a rage because the king of france refus'd him those lordships , he caus'd the constable to be murder'd in his castle of aygle in normandy , on the th of january . the king of france was not seen in four days after he heard of this mischance ; and causing the business to be inquir'd into , summon'd the king of navarre to answer for himself . he appear'd having first receiv'd luis the king's son as hostage for his safety . he could not clear himself , and the king order'd him to be apprehended , but upon the intercession of the queen , and his sister pardon'd him . we said above , that prince peter of portugal had long to do with the lady agnes de castro ; her he privately marry'd the last year . the king his father to remove this stain from the royal family , caus'd her to be kill'd at coimbra . an unjust severity , when she had born him four children , d. alonso who dy'd young , d. john , denis and beatrix . in july dy'd luis king of sicily . his brother frederick call'd the simple , being naturally so , succeeded him . the reigns of both those kings were tempestuous , which open'd the way to the king of aragon , to recover that island . but let us leave that a while to go on with the affairs of castile . the cortes at burgos being broken up , the king went to medina del campo : there he put to death peter ruiz de villegas , lieutenant of castile , and sancho ruiz de rojas two men of note . some others he imprison'd . john fernandez de hinestrosa , was let out of prison at toro , up-upon parole that he would return if he did not appease the king ; but he broke his word . henry and frederick the king's bastard-brothers , seiz'd the city toledo , rob'd all the jews , and murder'd about of them , but the king coming upon them before they were provided to make resistance , they were forc'd to fly for their lives . the king reveng'd himself upon the town , executing some gentlemen , and twenty two of the commonalty . among those condemn'd was a goldsmith eighty years of age , a son of his of eighteen years old offer'd to die for him , and the king accepted of the exchange . peter gomez barroso bishop of siguença , was imprison'd for favouring the towns-men , and queen blanch sent to the castle of siguença . toledo being subdu'd , the king went about to reduce the other cities . cuenca shut the gates against him , and being a strong place he would not use violence . d. sancho another bastard-brother of the kings was bred there , under the care of alvar garcia de albornoz , who fled with him into aragon . toro was besieged , within it were the queen mother , d. henry , d. frederick , d. peter estevanez carpintero who call'd himself master of calatrava , with the best forces of the association . during the siege da. maria de padilla was delivered at tordisillas of a third daughter , call'd elizabth . d. john de padilla master of santiago , was kill'd in a skirmish with a party of rebels . the king would not bestow that honour , leaving it as a bait to attract d. frederik to his service . pope innocent sent the cardinal of bolonia to compose the differences , but he effected nothing , only obtaining that bishop peter gomez barroso should be released . count henry fled from toro to galicia . d. frederick went over to the king. lastly on the th of january , one of the towns-men who had the guard of a gate , gave the king entrance . the king being master of the city , caus'd peter estevanez carpintero , ruy gonzalez de castan̄eda , and other great men to be put to death in the queen's presence : she fainted away at the sight , and coming to her self , loudly curs'd the king her son , and soon after with his leave went away into portugal , where she liv'd as lendly as she had done before . there having an intrigue with d. martin tello , a portugues gentleman , she was poison'd by the king her brother . some say it was by her father king alonso the ivth . the king of castile went to tordesillas , and there had a turneament for joy of his success . next morning he caus'd two of d. fredericks followers to be put to death , which terrify'd their master , but no harm was done him . this year there was a great earth-quake , which did most harm to the maritmie towns. at sevil the iron apples that were upon the steeple fell down , and the chappel-royal newly finish'd by king alonso at lisbon , was destroy'd . this was look'd upon as ominous , and processions were made to appease the divine wrath. after the taking of toro , count henry fled into biscay , to his brother tello , who made his party good , and twice defeated the king's forces . thence he went by sea to rochel in france . at the same time the king of france surpris'd , and made prisoner him of navarre , as he was at a feast with the dauphin at roan in normandy . he was accus'd of treason for favouring the english , being a subject to france . thus the spaniards residing in france were divided . count henry receiv'd pay of the king of france , and philip the king of navarre's brother joyn'd withe english in normandy . the earl of faux did the same , offended at the wrong done to that king his brother-in-law . thus great revolutions and bloody wars threaten'd france and spain at the same time . the end of the sixteenth book . the history of spain . the seventeenth book . chap. i. the beginning of the war in aragon . many rebellious nobles in castile put to death . the war between castile and aragon carried on by sea and land. vve shall now write of a war betwixt two kingdoms ally'd by several marriages . a war bloody and destructive , which consum'd many noble persons ; and lastly him that began it , giving a new race of kings to castile , and restoring peace . the motives of this war consider'd singly and apart , were inconsiderable ; but concurring all together , made a mighty flood of discontents . both the kings of castile and aragon were princes of high spirits , alike in conditions and harshness of nature ; yet he of castile as the younger , was hottest . the aragonian complain'd , that the castilian countenanc'd his brothers in raising seditions in his kingdom , and was offended that his brother ferdinand had put castilian garrisons into his forts of alicant and orihuela . the king of castile was incens'd ; for that the galleys of aragon had taken certain ships laden with corn at the mouth of guadalquivir , which made the want there was before more grievous ; besides that , the out-laws of castile were protected in aragon ; and also , that the aragonian knights of calatrava and santiago , would not obey their masters in castile . another new complaint was added to all these , which was , that the king having reduc'd castile went to sevil , and thence for his diversion , in a galley to ●ee the fishery at almadravas , near s. lucar . two ships lay then at anchor in that port : ten galleys of aragon bound to the assistance of the french , against the english , coasting that way , spy'd those two ships , and carry'd them away before the king's face . this was a hainous affront , and gutierre de toledo was sent to demand satisfaction . the aragonian commander answer'd , that those ships belong'd to genoeses , with whom they were then at war , and might therefore lawfully be made prize . having receiv'd this positive answer from the admiral , the king of castile sent giles velazquez de segovia embassador into aragon , to demand restitution of the ships taken ; and that the commander of the galleys should be deliver'd up to him . at that time the king of aragon was fitting out a fleet at barcelona , to subdue the rebels of sardinia , and therefore return'd a favourable answer , saying , he would give satisfaction to the king of castile , would banish his fugitive subjects out of aragon , and punish the admiral at his return . but as for the knights of santiago and calatrava , that they being religious men , he would stand by whatsoever the pope should decree in that case . giles velazquez was not satisfy'd with this answer ; and therefore in his king's name , declar'd war. the king of aragon reply'd , he thought there was no sufficient ground for a war ; and therefore would not commence it , but did not doubt , if invaded , to repulse it . thus the war broke out . many catalonian merchants resided at sevil , in a moment they were all secur'd , and their effects seiz'd upon . both kingdoms made preparations , and endeavour'd to obtain foreign aids . particularly luis brother to the king of navarre , then a prisoner in france , was solicited by both parties , but he would declare for neither , tho he rather inclin'd to the aragonian . incursions were made three several ways , into the kingdom of valencia . prince ferdinand of aragon hoping that kingdom would rebel , but he was deceiv'd , for they were terrify'd with punishment . thus the war was carry'd on at the end of august , with great desolation of the country . near the same time was the memorable battle of poitiers in france , in which the whole power of that kingdom was discomfited by a small number of english , the king of france , and his younger son philip taken , and a great number of nobility slain . that famous battel was fought on the th of september , . upon occasion of this defeat , the king of navarre broke prison , and getting to paris , headed the people against the dauphin . there in a great assembly he complain'd of the wrongs done him , and pleaded his right to the crown , as grand-son to king luis hutin , whereas the king of england was son to the lady elizabeth that king's sister . this had been a ground of new confusions , but that the king of navarre wanted power . however he prevail'd so far as to have all that was his own restor'd to him , with an addition of the lordships of mascon and bigorre . yet he could not obtain the earldoms of champagne , brie , and burgundy , to which he pretended to have right . heny earl of trastamara , escaping from that fight , fled to the king of aragon , being invited by him . this was the first step he rose towards obtaining the crown of castile . it was agree'd betwixt the king of aragon and him , that count henry should renounce his country , and take an oath of fidelity to the aragonian , and that the king should give him pay for horse , and as many foot , who were to serve under him . at the beginning of the year , the war went on with various success on the frontiers of castile and aragon . the arigonians took alicant , the castilians embite and bordalva . chief commanders for the king of aragon were count henry , d. peter de exerica , and count lope ferdnandez de luna . for the king of castile d. frederick master of santiago , the two princes of aragon , and d. john de la cerda . those of aragon serv'd their master with greater fidelity than those castile , who at last were all drawn over by the enemy . d. john de la cerda , and alvar perez de gusman were the first that deserted the king of castile , remembring the death of d. alonso coronel whose daughters they had marry'd , and who was kill'd by the king's order , as also fearing the king had a mind to da. aldonça , wife to alvar perez . they fled to andaluzia , hoping to raise a rebellion there . at this time the king of castile , laid siege to a castle on the borders of castile and aragon , call'd tebat , or as others write silamo , there he receiv'd the news that those gentlemen were fled into andaluzia : he pursu'd them a while , but finding it impossible to overtake them , return'd to the war with more fury than before : he took some towns of small note , and with the same violence enter'd taraçona , a noble city near navarre , on the th of march. the citizens seeing the upper part of the town lost , surrender'd upon promise of life and goods , and were suffer'd to depart to tudela . it was said , this city was lost through the cowardise of the governour michael de guerrea , who not knowing how to answer it , withdrew with his family to navarre . the king peopled the town with castillian souldiers , dividing the houses and lands among them . this city being lost , the king of aragon thought not himself safe in zaragoça , especially for that , at the same time d. john de la cerda was defeated and kill'd , by the forces of the council of sevil , commanded by d. john ponce de leon , lord of marchena , and gilos bocanegra the admiral . from france came the earl of faux with many gentlemen of note , to serve the king of aragon . his enemy the lord la brie came with a number of lances to king peter . pope innocent's legate , the cardinal of bolonia sent to that purpose labour'd much to bring them to peace , and at last obtained a truce for months . mean while bernard de cabrera , and john fernandez de hinestrosa were appointed commissioners , the first for aragon , the other for castile , to treat . all places taken on both sides were deliver'd in trust to the cardinal legate , who excommunicated him that should offer to break the truce . this agreement was made on the th of may. this month dy'd alonso the iiid , king of portugal , aged years and a half. he reign'd years , months and days , and was buried by his queen beatrix , in the cathedral of that city . his son peter call'd the cruel , succeeded him . about a month before he had a son born to him of da. teresa gallego , whom he kept after his father , caus'd the lady agnes de castro to be put to death . she was graceful , but had no other good quality , her son was call'd john , to whom heaven had reserv'd the crown of portugal , as shall appear in its place . the truce concluded betwixt the crowns of castile and aragon , the aragonian deliver'd up to the legate the places he had taken , being but few , but king peter could never be induc'd to draw the souldiers out of taraçona , to whom he had given houses there . he went away to sevil , to settle andaluzia , and set out a fleet to infest the coast of aragon , for he neither expected nor desir'd peace . at sevil he was so taken with the lady aldonça coronel , that he made no account of da. maria de padilla . the legate offended at his course of life , excommunicated him , and laid an interdict upon all castile . this was an extravagant action of the legate , therefore the pope call'd him out of spain . all was contriv'd by the king of aragon to make king peter odious . another displeasure befel him . the lady joanna . wife to count henry , was convey'd into aragon , to her husband by peter carillo , a servant of his , which cut off all hope of peace . the other brothers frederick and tello were willing to rebel , but fear'd they could have nothing in aragon equivalent to the estates they must leave in castile . prince ferdinand of aragon kept the town of jumilla taken from the aragonians , he dealing underhand with bernard de cabrera , went over to the king of aragon upon conditition to be made vicar of the kingdom , and have all his estate restor'd . the revolt of count henry , and prince ferdinand , as it was the life of aragon so it prov'd fatal to their brothers , as shall be seen here after . mathew doria dying in sardinia , advanc'd the king of aragons interest , for tho marianus of arborea was not quiet , his power alone was inconsiderable . luis of naples was possess'd of the greatest part of sicily . frederick call'd the simple , who two years before , succeeded his brother luis , was young and weak , as well in judgment as forces , and preserv'd the title of king in the city catanea . the power of the french daily increasing , he was so dismay'd , that he freely made over all his dominions of sicily , athens , and neopatria to his sister ellenor , wife to the king of aragon , to whom he sent a publick instrument of this donation , to oblige him to send forces to his aid , but the aragonian had his hands so full at home , that he could not relieve his brother-in-law . the affairs of sicily reduc'd to this miserable condition , were up-held by the valour of d. 〈◊〉 de aragon , earl of mistreta , and lord justice of sicily , who overthrew the enemy in battel , punish'd some rebels , and redu'd others . chap. ii. the kings of castile and aragon both call the moors to their assistance . the war is carry'd on vigorously on both sides . the castilians treacherous to their king. he punishes many of them . the computation of time in aragon alter'd . revenge carry'd the king 's of castile and aragon headlong to their ruin , and so blinded them , that they call'd the moors to their assistance . the king of granada sent a body of horse to the service of castile , as was agreed betwixt them . the king of aragon call'd over the king of morocco . pope innocent by letter grievously complain'd of this action , but in vain . the nobles of castile were wrought upon by the aragonians , and forsook their prince . the first was prince ferdinand of aragon , as was said above . yet jumilla by him betray'd , was retaken at the beginning of the year , by d. frederick master of santiago . this done he went away to the king then at sevil , who caus'd him to be put to death in his presence , by his guards , understanding he dealt underhand with the aragonians . from sevil the king went with great speed to biscay , designing the same fate for the other brother d. tello , who suspecting it fled by sea into france , and thence into aragon . d. tello being gone , prince john of aragon begg'd of the king he would put him into possession of the lordship of biscay , to which he had right by his wife the lady elizabeth , daughter to d. john nun̄ez de lara . the king knowing he was associated with the rebellious peers , caus'd him to be slain by his guards in his presence , and his body to be thrown out at a window , and say'd to some biscayners that look'd on , behold him that would have been your lord. his body was carry'd to burgos , there cast into the river , and never after seen . queen ellenor that prince's mother and the lady elizabeth his wife , were sent prisoners from roa to the castle of castroxeriz . six heads of men of note were brought to him to burgos from several places . he had resolv'd to execute others at valladolid , but was prevented by the incursions , count henry and prince ferdinand made into his territories , the former wasted all the country of campos , soria and almaçan , the other , the kingdom of murcia . from osma the king went to burgos , to provide against these irruptions . thence he sent to complain to the king of aragon , that he had broke the truce . that king answer'd , the truce had been broken in retaking jumilla , and calleng'd him to decide the quarrel with , , or men of a side . king peter made small account of his challenge , but sent d. gutierre gomez de toledo , lately made great prior of st. john to secure the kingdom of murcia , others had other commands given them . he himself went away to sevil , where he had fitted galleys , which were joyn'd by from genoa , with which he design'd to scour the coast of valencia , and attempt the maritime towns. these galleys took the town of guardamar , belonging to prince ferdinand , but were prevented from taking the castle , by a suddain storm in which they all perish'd , except two that were out at sea. this loss no way discourag'd the king , who burnt the town , and march'd away to murcia . thence he sent his favourite martin yanez to sevil , to equip another fleet , and he having gather'd an army from all parts , march'd away to almaçan , and thence into the enemies country , where he took several towns. winter drawing on , he return'd to sevil , resolving to fit out a great fleet , to which purpose the king of portugal his uncle , sent him ten galleys , and he of granada three . this year was remarkable for the birth of the lady ellenor , daughter to peter king of aragon , and of d. john son to count henry , whom heaven had decreed should be marry'd together , and inherit the crown of castile . this year also it was ordain'd in the cortes of valencia , that the computation of years should no longer be taken from the era of cesar , but from the birth of christ . at the beginning of the year , the king of aragon laid siege to the strong town of medina celi , but it being well defended , return'd to zaragoça without any success . the king of castile being on the way to relieve medina celi , understood the cardinal of bolonia , the pope's legate , was arriv'd at almaçan . in that place the legate had audience , and earnestly exhorted the king in the pope's name , to incline to peace with the christians , and employ his arms against the infidels . the king answer'd he had been already impos'd upon by the king of aragon , under pretence of peace , and therefore was resolv'd to give no more ear to it , unless the aragoman would banish the out-laws of castile , restore the towns wrongfully taken , during his grand-fathers minority , and pay florins for the charge of war. with this answer the legate went to the king of aragon who excus'd himself , and laid the blame upon his enemy , as is usual . the time was spent in messages to and fro , and yet not so much as a truce could be concluded . all hopes of peace being laid aside , the king of castile at almaçan , declar'd prince ferdinand and the two brothers count henry and d. tello traytors . queen ellenor was put to death in prison , and soon after the lady joanna de lara . her sister the lady elizabeth was sent with qu. blanch from the castle of siguença to xerez de la frontera . this done the king imbarqu'd aboard a fleet of galleys , and ships , so well stord , and carrying so powerful an army , that they were provided for any great enterprize . by the way he took a mighty venetian garack , only because it resisted ; it was carry'd to cathagena , and all its rich lading secur'd . the fleet sail'd to guardumar , and took both the town and castle by storm . alicant was abandoned by the aragonians . d. gutierre de toledo was left with a good force to secure the towns taken . the king with the rest of the fleet sail'd to tortosa , at the mouth of the river ebro . there the legate came aboard his galley , and again made some overtures of peace , but in vain . thence he sail'd to barcelona , where he found galleys of aragon , which he twice attempted to carry off but could not , because they lay near the shore , and were bravely defended by the catalonians . thus disappointed he sail'd for the opposite islands . he landed at yviça , and tho he assaulted the town of that name , could not take it . mean while the king of aragon having gather'd galleys sail'd over to majorca , designing to fight the castilian fleet. the king at the request of his people stay'd in the island , and sent the fleet under the command of bernard de cabrera , his admiral , and the viscount to find out the enemy , who leaving yviça were come to calpe with the same resolution . the aragonian fleet lay at the mouth of the river that falls into the sea , neat denia , both parties seem'd desirous to ingage , yet both were cautious , so all this threaten'd storm vanish'd . the aragonians put into barcelona , and the king of castile from cartagena sent his fleet to sevil , and went by land himself to tordesillas , to see da. maria de padilla , who was there deliver'd of a son call'd alonso . the king's joy for his birth was not lasting , for he dy'd soon after . in the fields of araviana , at the foot of the mountain moncayo , count henry and his brother d. tello with aragonian horse charg'd a party of castile , and overthrew them , killing about , and taking many men of note . among the rest was killed john fernandez de hinestrosa , the commander in chief . the king of castile in a rage caus'd two bastard brothers he kept prisoners to be put to death , which were john and peter . it is likely they were convicted of keeping correspondence with the rebels , yet this action terrify'd the whole kingdom . all the great ones trembled , but doubtless it was their guilt made them do so , for many men of quality not thinking themselves secure in castile fled into aragon . the king was charg'd with cruelty , but the subject consider'd not how many frequent rebellions oblig'd him to make examples of justice . having intelligence that venetian galleys were ready to pass out of the streights , the king sent to intercept them , but a storm disappointed the design . this is represented as a hainous crime , without reflecting that is was say'd before the venetians were in league with aragon , and might therefore be justly looked upon as enemies to castile . but it was the misfortune of this king to have all his actions misrepresented , and to have those things call'd cruelty in him , which were but just punishment of rebels . yet because a bastard prevail'd against him , that bastard was applauded as lawful king , and the true king stiled a tyrant . such is the judgment of the world , that misfortunes make the best king a tyrant , and success crowns the vilest vsurper with the name of a lawful prince . the cardinal legate took much pains to set on foot a treaty of peace , which he compass'd at the beginning of the year . embassadors were sent on both sides with full power , and the king was near a conclusion . yet neither at tudela , nor at sadua , where the treaty was renew'd and continu'd , could any thing be brought to perfection ; for the aragonians were incourag'd with their late success , and the king of castile after so many disappointments would not yield the least point . yet finding so much falshood among his people he knew not who to trust , and therefore every day chang'd the officers of his household and army . this was the unhappy condition of king peter . chap. iii. the death of queen blanch , and da. maria de padilla . peace betwixt castile and aragon . the war with the moors , and death of their king. the king of aragon 's daughter marry'd to the king of sicily . the treaty of peace was so carry'd on , that still fresh preparations for war were made on both sides . the king of castile went from sevil towards leon in speed to apprehend peter nun̄ez de guzman lieutenant of that kingdom , but he having notice of the king's approach fled to portugal , a sign he was not innocent . peter alvarez osorio being at dinner with d. james garcia de padilla master of calatrava was put to death by two of the king's guards . from leon the king went to burgos , where he put to death , james arias maldonado the archdeacon , for keeping a correspondence with count henry . many others sav'd their lives by the sudden irruptions of the aragonians under count henry , d. tello , and the count de osona , into the territory of rioja , where they took the town of haro , and city najara , killing a great number of jews , and making great slaughter and destructions . in this heat they advanc'd as for as pancorvo . gonzalo gonzalez de lucio , governour of taraçona for the king of castile deliver'd it up to the aragonians . the king of castile march'd towards the enemy then at najara , and encamp'd near a small town call'd azofra . here a priest came to tell him he had a revelution that his bastard brother , count henry would kill him unless he mended his life ; but the king for his intelligence caus'd him to be publickly burnt in the camp. from azofra the king march'd towards najara , and there totally routed the aragonians , who fled to the city , which might have been taken , but the king could not be perswaded to besiege it . within two or three days the aragonians abandon'd haro and najara , and the king put garrisons into them . having secur'd the frontires he return'd to sevil , and there agreed with the king of portugal , that each should deliver up the out-laws that fled from the other . the king of portugal put to death one peter coello , and another because they had murder'd the lady agnes de castro . james lopez pacheco , who had a hand in her death fled to count henry , who afterwards for his good service gave him an estate in castile , and he was the founder of the noble family of pacheco . others were deliver'd to the king of castile , who put them to death at sevil. one of these was peter nun̄ez de guzman , the lieutenant of leon. another was gomez carillo beheaded in a galley , as he was going by the king's order from sevil to algozira , upon pretence of being governor of that place . gutierre fernandez de toledo was put to death at alfaro , for favouring the party of count henry . gutierre gomez and toledo , and james gomez brother to the deceas'd , understanding he was executed , fled to aragon . d. vasco , arch-bishop of toledo was banish'd the kingdom without allowing him time to change his cloaths . he went to coimbra , where in a monastery of dominicans he ended his days holily . some years after his body was translated to the cathedral of toledo . many call this archbishop blase . it is suppos'd d. vasco resign'd the archbishoprick as soon as he was banish'd , for the same year we find d. gomez manrique succeeded him . whilst these things happen'd in castile , the king of aragon sent galleys well equipp'd , to the assistance of the king of tremecen his ally . they met galleys of castile , which took and carry'd them to sevil , there many of them with their commander mathew merzero were put to death by the king's order . samuel levi a jew was the king's treasurer , and had the diposal of all the revenue , whereby he gather'd great riches , which now prov'd his ruin. he was accus'd of many frauds , and being put to the wrack dy'd upon it . the king seiz'd upon his estate , valu'd at ducats , others say more , besides moveables and jewels . at the end of this year mahomet lagus was expell'd his kingdom by his own subjects . mahomet aben alhamar was set up in his place , and from the colour of his hair , and beard , call'd the red. they said the crowa appertain'd to him as being descended of the antient kings of granada . hence ensu'd new wars , for the king of castile was a friend to him that was depos'd , who fled to ronda , a town belonging to the king of morocco . the king of castile resolv'd to stand by his old friend . on the other side the new king to strengthen himself sought the friendship of the aragonian , which , and calling king abohanen out of africk , cost him his life . at the end of this year , the lady constance , daughter to the king of aragon was sent into sicily to be marry'd to king frederick . olfo prochita , governour of the island sardinia commanded the fleet that carry'd her . the marriage was celebrated on the th of april , at catanea . from that time the affairs of the island began to be more successful ; the neopolitans being vanquish'd and expell'd the kingdom . of this queen was born the lady mary , who was afterwards queen of aragon , and had in dower the kingdom of sicily . at length by the industry of the cardinal legate , peace was concluded in castile , yet so that none thought it would be lasting . the articles were , that all places taken on both sides should be restor'd , and that the out-laws of castile should be expell'd aragon , provided the king pardon'd them . on the th of may the peace was proclaim'd at deza , where the king of castile was then encamp'd . this peace was forwarded by the fear of the war the king of granada then made upon castile . for the greater security it was agreed that cautionary towns on both sides should be put into the hands of king charles of navarre , who was then coming out of france into spain very joyful , for that his queen had brought him a son call'd charles . mean while his brother prince luis govern'd the kingdom . peace concluded , the king of aragon went away to zaragoça , and he of castile to sevil , count henry and his brothers into france , hoping to renew the war. many nobles of castile were ready to take up arms upon pretence of protecting queen blanch ; which heightned the king's hatred towards her . it was said he caus'd her to be poison'd in the prison where he kept her . she was doubtless the most unfortunate queen of spain . there is a report that the king being a hunting near medina sidonia , there met him a shepherd of a terrible aspect , threatning him if he had not compassion of queen blanch , and that the king sending presently to see whether it was not some body employ'd by her , she was found at prayers , and closely guarded . the shepherd being releas'd out of prison , was never after seen . doubtless were this a vision , he had never been put into prison . the lady elizabeth de lara , daughter to d. john de lara , was also poison'd in prison at xerez . an historian who stiles himself head caterer to queen ellenor of castile , in certain commentaries he writ upon what happen'd in his time , says , queen blanch dy'd at vren̄a near the city toro in old castile . this uncertainty as to the place of her death makes it appear , the manner of it is not so certain , tho the malice of authors , who all humour'd the success of henry the bastard , caus'd all crimes to be laid to his predecessor peter , because he was unfortunate . the publick grief for so many calamities was somewhat asswag'd by the death of da. maria de padilla , who ended her days at sevil in july . a woman , laying aside her incontinency , in all other respects worthy to be a queen . her funeral-rites were perform'd throughout the kingdom , with the same magnificence as if she had been queen . she was bury'd in the monastery of s. mary de estudilla , which she built in old castile . the body of queen blanch was deposited in the cathedral of tudela , by some french gentlemen , who came to the assistance of count henry , in order to carry it into france . in the monastery of dominican nuns at toledo there are tombs , one of the lady teresa , by whom king peter had a daughter called mary , who was many years prioress in that monastery , and lies in the d tomb. in the d are d. sancho , and d. james , sons of king peter , by the lady elizabeth . at this time the king of portugal solemnly declar'd in lisbon , that the children he had by the lady agnez de castro , were born in lawful wedlock , and as such capable of inheriting the crown , and as witnesses of his marriage , he produc'd giles bishop of guardia , and stephen lovata his master of the robes . the king and witnesses made oath of the truth of their assertion , in the presence of all the nobility , and of john alonso tello the year before created earl of barcelos , and was the first that obtain'd that honour in portugal . mean while the war of granada was carry'd on with great heat . the forces of castile ravag'd the territories of the moors , and laid siege to antequera , formerly call'd syngilia , a strong and well garrison'd town , whence they were repuls'd . having wasted the plain of granada , they return'd home without performing any memorable action . soon after moorish horse , and foot broke into the lieutenancy of caçorla , and took a great booty of cattle . the gentry of jaen , and the neighbouring places assembling recovered the prey , killing many of the enemy , and putting the rest to flight . a more dangerous war was expected from france ; which the cardinal legate endeavour'd to prevent , and to that effect spent the summer at pamplona . he labour'd to perswade king peter to pardon the out-laws of castile , and reverse their attainder of treason . the king would not hear of it , therefore the cardinal at the solicitation of the king of aragon took upon him to declare their attainder void . this provok'd the king of castile , who resolv'd to take revenge as soon as he had put an end to the war with the moors . on the th of february , the moors obtain'd a notable victory over the christians near guadix . d. james garcia de padillu , master of calatrava , and henry enriquez , lieutenant of the frontiers of jaen , with other gentlemen entred the moorish territories , with horse , and foot , designing to attack guadix . a great number of men was put into that place unknown to the christians , who sent some troops to plunder the fields , call'd val de alhama . the moors perceiving they were divided , fell upon those with great fury that remain'd behind . the fight lasted all day , but the number of moors prevailing , many of our men were kill'd , many taken , and among them the master of calatrava , who was carry'd to granada , and that king being desirous to appease king peter , sent him away without any ransom . king peter believing this courtesy proceeded from fear , assembling his forces , enter'd the kingdom of granada , took several towns , and return'd to sevil with a rich booty . to this misfortune of the moorish kings another was added , which was , that many men of note forsook him , and favour'd his adversary , mahomet lagus , who was in banishment . the king fearing he should be expelled the kingdom , consulted with his friends what was best to be done , and by the advice of one edriz a constant follower of his fortunes , having obtain'd a pass , came away to sevil with horse , and foot , to put himself under the protection of the king of castile . the king receiv'd him honourably in the palace of sevil , and having heard him , promis'd all should be well . then he was sent to sup with d. garcia de toledo , the master of santiago ; whilst they were at supper the moorish king was apprehended , and a few days after being cloath'd in his royal robes , which were scarlet , was carry'd out upon an ass , with of his gentlemen , to the publick place of execution , which is near the city , and is call'd tablada . there they were all put to death . it was given out their riches were the cause of their death , and some authors say king peter himself slew the moorish king with a spear . his body was sent to his competitor , mahomet lagus , who immediately recover'd his kingdom , and sent away all the christians taken at the fight of guadix , without ransom . chap. iv. castile and navarre joyn in league . the war is carry'd on successfully against aragon , by king peter of castile , who declares the lady mary de padilla to have been his lawful wife . the death of john king of france , and constance queen of aragon . the war with the moors being ended , the king of castile bent his thoughts against aragon , but gave out that the preparations he made were to defend himself against france . he resolv'd to make a league with england , fearing the king of france would take revenge for the wrongs done his neece , queen blanch. at soria he had a meeting with the king of navarre , and they made a league against aragon , the navarrois pretending to take revenge , for that the aragonian being his brother in law and ally , had not assisted him when he was prisoner in france . having therefore assembl'd all the force of his kingdom , he lay'd siege to the town of sos in aragon , and took it after a vigorous resistance made . at the same time the king of castile with an army of horse , and foot entred aragon , resolving to besiege calatayud . by the way he took hariza , ateca , cetina , and alhama , and in june sat down before the strong city of calatayud , within it was a numerous and resolute garrison . the king of aragon considering the danger the besieg'd were in , sent the count de osona , son to bernard cabrera , d. peter de luna , his brother d. artal , and other gentlemen to attempt getting into the town , that they might encourage the besieg'd till he could send them relief . they being come to miedes , a town near calatayud , king peter who had notice of it surpriz'd the place , and carry'd them away prisoners to the camp. the king of aragon being unprovided sent to desire aid in france , and to call count henry and his brother d. tello to his assistance . relief was long a coming , and the city no longer able to hold out , was surrendred upon the th of august , upon condition the inhabitants should remain free in their persons and estates , as they had been under the crown of aragon . this city being taken , and a good garrison put into it , under the command of the master of santiago , the king return'd to sevil. here before he went to calatayud he had held the cortes or parliament , in which he publickly declar'd and vouched that da. maria de padilla had been his lawful wife , he being privately marry'd to her long before queen blanch came into spain , which made his marriage with that lady void . that he had not discover'd it before , fearing the malice of the nobility ; but thought himself now oblig'd in conscience to do it , as also for the sake of the children he had by her . he order'd she should for the future be call'd queen , and bury'd among the kings . on the th of october following dy'd his son alonso , whom he design'd his heir . on the th of november the king made his will , in which he orders himself to be bury'd with the habit of s. francis , betwixt da. maria de padilla , and his son alonso . it appears he was not so remote from godly thoughts as his enemies represent him , tho his violent nature often transported him . by this will he appoints his daughters by da. maria de padilla successively his heiresses , and after them his son john , by the lady joanna de castro . the witnesses of the marriage produc'd , were of undoubted reputation , such as d. garcia de padilla , master of calatrava , john fernandez de hinestrosa , one john alsonso de mayorga , and john perez a priest , who all made oath upon that matter . in one article of his will , he forbid his daughters on pain of incurring his curse , and forfeiting the crown , marrying of prince ferdinand of aragon , or count henry , or d. tello his bastard brothers ; but order'd beatrix the elder to marry ferdinand prince of portugal ; and that the crown of castile should be her dower . d. garci alvarez de toledo , master of santiago , was appointed her tutor . he also ordain'd that d. james de padilla , master of calatrava , and d. suero martinez , master of alcantara should be supported in their estates , honours , and dignities . having setl'd all things in the dead of winter , being the beginning of the year , the war was carry'd on with great vigour . levies were made throughout the kingdom , and a league with the king of england . malvenda , aranda , and borgia , with other towns of less note were taken , and taraçona besieg'd . on the other side the king of navarre made an incursion into aragon , and destroy'd all the country wherever he came . luis , brother to the king of navarre , giles fernandez carvallo , master of santiago in portugal , with horse , and some french gentlemen came to serve the king of castile . the king of aragon courted him of granada to make war in andaluzia , but he refus'd , acknowledging the favour lately receiv'd . he also solicited the african moors , and excus'd himself for so doing , by the example of the king of castile , whom farax reduan serv'd with moorish horse , sent by the king of granada . count henry was daily expected out of france with lances , yet all the power of aragon was inferior to that of castile , wherefore taraçona , tervel , segorbe , exerica , and many other places surrender'd . the castilians without opposition peirc'd into the heart of the kingdom , and took monviedro . on the th of july they besieg'd valencia . in aragon they gave themselves for lost , when count henry arriving reinforc'd their army , so that they durst advance towards the enemy . but the army of castile being much weaken'd with garrisoning the towns taken , the king would not hazzard a battel , and therefore retir'd to monviedro . the aragonian perceiving he could not draw the enemy to a battel , retir'd to burrlanna a strong town . horse were sent by the king of castile to disturb their march , but they did nothing worth taking notice of . whilst these things were in agitation in spain , king john of france dy'd at london , whether he went to ransom the hostages left there when he was releas'd . his son charles the vth. succeeded him . charles the new king was an utter enemy to him of navarre , therefore as soon as he was possess'd of the kingdom , he sent bertran claquin , a famous general with an army to invade his territories in france . this general took several towns , and overthrew in battle philip the king's brother , who soon after dy'd . his death mov'd the king of navarre to propose a peace betwixt the kings of spain . besides , he began to pity his kinsman , the king of aragon , and was envious of the success of the castilian . hereupon luis the king of navarre's brother , and the abbot of fuscan , the popes nuncio , went to treat with the king of castile , and found with him the count de denia and bernard de cabrera , embassadors from the king of aragon . these gentlemen mollify'd the king of castile's heart , especially by proposing two matches , one for him with joanna daughter to the king of aragon , the other for his daughter beatrix , with john duke of girona , heir of that crown . this is what was propos'd publickly . underhand the death of henry earle of trastamana , and prince ferdinand of aragon were contriv'd , but the king of aragon was unwilling to condescend . nevertheless whether it was to please the king of castile or for any other reason , prince ferdinand was put to death at castellon , a town near burriana . the old animosities were reviv'd , and he was about making his escape into france , with some castilians that follow'd him . his wife flying towards portugal , was taken by the way , and afterwards sent to her father . count henry was not a little pleas'd at the death of prince ferdinand , as being thereby deliver'd of a powerful competitor in his pretensions to the crown of castile . but his joy had like to be but short , for the next day he was in evident danger of his life , without knowing any thing of it . the kings of aragon and navarre had agreed to meet together , with count henry , in the castle of vncastel , belonging to the aragonian , on the borders of navarre , and there to kill him . the count tho ignorant of the design was jealous , and would not go into the castle . to satisfy him , john ramirez de arellano was made governour of the place , in whom doubtless the count had some confidence , and went thither upon his patole . some say this meeting was at sos , on the frontiers of navarre . this caution sav'd count henry's life , for the kings could not prevail with the governour to suffer him to come to any harm . he said the count was his friend ; and besides , he had ingag'd his honour to him , and therefore on no account would blast his reputation , with the name of treachery . about this time constance queen of sicily , ended her days at catanea . she left one daughter called mary , who afterwards inherited her father's kingdom , which in her right came to martin her husband , the son of another martin duke of monblanc , and lastly , king of aragon . the treaty of peace being broke up , the king of aragon went to catalonia , to provide for his defence . he of castile return'd to sevil with such eager desire of renewing the war , that about the end of the year , he enter'd the kingdom of valencia , took the towns of alicant , muela , gallosa , denia , gandia and oliva , and in the month of december laid siege to valencia the metropolis of that kingdom . chap. v. count henry proclaimed king of castile . king peter expelled the kingdom . refus'd entertainment in portugal , gathers a fleet in galicia , and flies into france to the protection of the english . the king of aragon who kept his christmas at lerida , was much surpris'd at this advance of the castilians . on the d of february , he had a conference with the king of navarre at sos. count henry was there , being reconcil'd to the two kings , or what is likelyest , not knowing what had been design'd against him . they make a confederacy which was not lasting . castile they divided among themselves : the king of navarre was to have biscay , and old castile ; he of aragon , the kingdoms of murcia and toledo , count henry all the other parts . only bernard de cabrera lik'd not these proceedings , therefore they resolv'd to kill him , which was not so private , but he had some notice of it , and fled to navarre . count henry sent some officers after him , by whom he was apprehended at carcastillo , and deliver'd to the king of aragon . that king having gather'd his forces , march'd to raise the siege of valencia . the castilians would not come to a battel , but kept within their intrenchments , and so the aragonians got into valencia . the fleet of castile consisting of galleys , and ships sail'd to monviedro , there they understood that the viscount cardona was with galleys of aragon , in the river of cullera . the king of castile made thither resolving to take them , but at the mouth of the river , a sudden tempest forc'd him back to the port from whence he set out . the king himself was in great danger , and therefore as soon as he landed went in pilgrimage to the church of our lady del puch , to give thanks . he is said to have done this barefoot and in his shirt , which shews he was not so ungodly as he is represented . after this , the king of aragon return'd to barcelona , he of castile to murcia , and thence to sevil , in the heat of summer . on the th of july , bernard de cabrera was publickly put to death at zaragoça , the king himself giving sentence against him , and consiscating all his lands . this was doubtless a cruel act , for he had serv'd well , was innocent , and had been the king's tutor , all his crime was speaking the truth to the king's advantage ; but kings love flatterers . the queen , the king of navarre , count henry , and count de ribagorça contriv'd his death . the war continu'd hot . ayora in the kingdom of valencia was taken by the king of castile . d. gutierre de toledo master of calatrava , leading a convoy to monviedro , was defeated and kill'd by the aragonians . martin lopez de cordova , succeeded him . the king of castile thought to make himself master of orihuela , but the aragonian offering him battel , and he refusing , the place was relieved , and the aragonian return'd home . at the beginning of the year , the king of aragon besieg'd monviedro , and had it surrender'd to him . on the other side the castilians after a long siege took orihuela . d. gomez de porras prior of st. john , either because he fear'd king peter , for loosing monviedro , or to curry favour with count henry , deserted to the aragonians with horse that were in that town . from this time the forces of castile began to decrease , and there being peace betwixt france and england , many french came to serve the king of aragon . these were no better than common robbers , to whom the pope and king of france gave great summs of mony to purchase their absence . they were invited into spain by count henry . this body was made up of english and germans , as well as french , to the number of : frossarte a french historion says . bertran claquin and hugo carbolaye were their chief commanders . on the first of january their advanc'd parties came to barcelona , the rest of them soon after . the king of aragon receiv'd them joyfully , distributed a summ of mony among them , and promised much more . bertran claquin he made earl of borgia . the king of castile held his cortes or parliament at burgos , and demanded supplies of mony. monsieur de la brie who came out of france to serve him ; advis'd to buy off the strangers that follow'd count henry , and undertook to manage that affair , but king peter being a man without fear , gave no attention to his counsel . count henry and the king of aragon met at zaragoça where the foreign forces were . there the league betwixt them was renew'd , the limits of their dominions in case they succeeded determin'd , and it was agreed that d. john the count's son should marry ellenor the king's daughter . this done the king stay'd at zaragoça , and count henry having assembled all his army enter'd castile by the way of alfaro . ynigo lopez de horosco was governour of that town , which was very strong , therefore the army stay'd not to besiege it , but march'd towards calahorra , the chief city in those parts , seated on the river ebro . ferdinand bishop of that place , and fernan sanches de tovar the governour open'd the gates to the count on the th of march. here a councel was held to consider how to proceed . some were for marching directly to burgos , the chief city of castile . others advis'd count henry to take the title of king , that so there might remain no hope of reconciliation , with king peter of castile . bertran claquin spoke much to this purpose , and all the chief officers of the army siding with him , they easily perswaded him to accept of the title , and immediately proclaim'd him about the streets . the new-made king was bountiful of what was not his own , giving towns and cities to all present . to bertran claquin he gave trastamara , and to hugo carbolaye carrion with the title of earls . to his brother d. tello he restor'd biscay , to d. sancho he gave albuquerque , the master-ship of santiago to gonçalo mexia , that of calatrava to peter muniz , to d. alonso de aragon that king's uncle , the marquisate of villena , and all that belonged to d. john manuel , and as much more to many others . thus castile was divided betwixt two kings striving for the crown . nothing kept the people in their obedience to king peter but fear , tho his was the undoubted right , the other being a bastard . henry advanc'd towards burgos , leaving logron̄o as believing it in vain to attempt it . navarrete and bribiesca surrendred . king peter was at burgos , doubtful that course to take , as confiding but little in his people . at length he resolv'd to go to sevil , for there were his children and treasure . the people of burgos offer'd to stand by him , he thank'd them , but would not then make use of their zeal , and absolv'd them from their oath of fidelity , that if they were put to streights , they might receive count henry without being look'd upon as rebels . before his departure he put to death john fernandez de tovar , brother to him that deliver'd up calahorra . on the th of march he set out from burgos , sending orders by the way to the commanders of the conquer'd places in aragon to burn them , and with all speed march to meet him at toledo . thus all he gain'd in some years , was lost in one day . he stay'd some time at toledo to secure that city , and left d. garci alvarez de toledo master of santiago , to command there . no sooner was king peter gone from burgos but the citizens sent to invite count henry thither . they stil'd him count , but offer'd him the crown , if he would take it in that city , according to ancient custom . he accepted their offer , march'd thither and was crown'd in the monastery of huelgas . after the example of burgos , most cities in that kingdom within days submitted to him . thus his power became equal to his adversary , the nobility and commonalty striving to gain the favour of the new king. the affairs of castile and leon being setled , he remov'd to toledo , where he was receiv'd with joy . garci alvarez de toledo , resign'd the mastership of santiago , in lieu thereof , and for deserting his master , had oropisa and valdecorneja given him . count henry being posses'd of toledo all the rest was easy , so that king peter durst not stay longer in the kingdom , but imbarq●ing his children and treasure aboard a galley , fled to portugal . the king of portugal would not receive him . ferdinand his son favour'd count henry , and kept correspondence with him . yet king peter had no wrong offer'd him , but was suffer'd to pass quietly through that kingdom into galicia , where he design'd to gather a fleet in order to sail to bayonne . at compostella he caus'd d. suero arch-bishop of that see , and the dean to be put to death . having got together twenty two ships and some smaller vessels , he set sail for france , carrying with him his son d. john , and two daughters , for beatrix the eldest was dead tho polydore writes she dy'd at bayonne . there he arriv'd safe ; that place being then in the hands of the english , with a considerable part of his treasure , for the rest which his treasurer martin yanez had in a galley , was taken by the people of sevil to please count henry , who after the surrender of cordova was expected at sevil. the new made king henry being come to sevil , concluded peace with the kings of portugal and granada . that done , as if nothing more remain'd to do , he disbanded his army , retaining only lances of the foreignes , under the command of bertran claquin , and bernal son to the earl of faux . his wife and daughter-in-law , the princess ellenor came to him but of aragon , and with them d. lope fernandez de luna , arch-bishop of zaragoca , and several other men of note . it was requisite to settle the kingdom and raise mony , for it was not doubted but a storm threaten'd from france . therefore the cortes were assembled at burgos , and there john the son of the new king henry was sworn heir to the crown , after his fathers decease . the tenth of all things sold , was here given him without any limitation of time . their hatred to king peter binded them , so as not to reflect how heavy a burden they lay'd upon the country . king henry gave to the city burgos , for their service at his coronation , the town of miranda de ebro . d. dominick was at this time bishop of burgos , who election was remarkable . his predecessor ferdinand dying , the chapter could not agree who should succeed . it was therefore resolv'd to stand the decision of this dominick , being then one of the canons . he without regarding the competitors said , since there must be a bishop let dominick himself be bishop . all the chapter rejoye'd at his choice , and he was accordingly consecrated . about this time d. lope de luna the archbishop , came again into castile , being sent embassador by the king aragon , to demand performance of covenants , and a great summ of mony he had lent count henry . the new king acknowledg'd the debt and all that was demanded to be due , but said the kingdom being not yet setled , he could not alinate so great a part of it without exposing himself to extraordinary danger , yet assoon as he were well fixed , he would perform all articles , and in the mean while look'd upon the king of aragon as his father and preserver . this he said to amuse that king , be-being resolv'd to part with nothing . thus princes devote themselves to their interest without regarding promises or oaths . chap. vi. the war betwixt france , navarre , and aragon . king peter of castile supported by the english in france : is brought into spain by the prince of wales with an army ; overthrows henry the vsurper , and recovers his kingdom . the war commenc'd three years befor this , betwixt france and navarre , still continu'd with disadvantage to the latter , who lost several towns. at toulouze a league was concluded betwixt the kings of france and aragon , wherein it was agree'd that the aragonian should make war upon navarre , to which effect the king of france was to assist him with lances maintain'd at his own cost . this being known to the king of navarre , he stay'd in spain , to make head against the aragonian , by whose command luis coronel was already wasting the frontiers of that kingdom . he sent the queen his wife , tho with child , into france , to try if she could bring that king her brother to composition . her journey proved in vain for the king of france was resolv'd to seize all that the navarrois possess'd in france . at evreux in normandy , the queen was brought to bed of her second son call'd peter , who was earl of mortaine . with him in the heat of summer , she return'd to navarre , not liking her entertainment in france . it was requisite for the king of navarre to seek some new allyes ; he thought it convenient to joyn with king peter then in banishment , who made him great offers , as men commonly do in distress . king peter of castile was then busy soliciting for succours to recover his kingdom , and particularly apply'd himself to edward prince of wales who then govern'd guienne for his father . they met at cabreron , a town not far from bayonne ; king charles of navarre was with them . the prince invited them to dinner , king peter was seated on the right hand , and the prince next to him ; on the left sat king charles by himself . there they swore to the articles of allyance made betwixt them , which were , that king peter should be restored to his kingdom : that the prince for his service therein should have biscay , the king of navarre logron̄o ; and , that king peter should leave his daughters in guienne , as hostages for performance of articles , and payment of mony , lent him to defray the army . the king of aragon renew'd his league with france . he of navarre fearing all the burden of the war would fall upon him , chang'd his mind , and meeting henry , the new-made king of castile at campeio , concluded a league with him by which it was articled , that the king of navarre should not give passage to the english through his dominions : that he should assist henry against them , and deliver up certain towns for security of performance : that henry should give him the town of logron̄o , promis'd to him not long before by king peter . about this time luis , brother to the king of navarre marry'd joanna , dutchess of durazzo in macedonia , as eldest daughter and heiress to duke charles , to whom pope vrban the vith some time after gave the investiture of the kingdom of naples . because there is generally a mistake made in the genealogy of these princes i thought good to set it down here . charles the iid , king of naples was father to john duke of durazzo ; john had charles and luis . charles was father to john and margarite . luis the other son to john had charles that came to be king of naples , and joanna who we said marry'd luis , brother to the king of navarre . on the th of january , ( some authors say a year later ) king peter of portugal dy'd at estremoz . he liv'd years , months , and one day ; and reign'd years , months , and days . his body was bury'd with great pomp at alcobaça near to the lady agnes de castro . he left a revenue for chaplains to pray for his soul , and those of his predecessors , was a rigorous observer of justice , and much lamented by his people . he order'd that nothing should be taken up for his use upon trust , but paid for at the full value with ready mony ; made wholsome laws to curb the avarice of judges and lawyers , was most severe against malefactors , particularly for adultery , insomuch that he is say'd to have struck the bishop of porto on that account , and us'd yearly to distribute a considerable sum of mony among his servants according to the merits of every man. his son ferdinand succeeded him , who concluded a peace with the king of aragon's embassadors . this king kept the lady ellenor de meneses , whom he took from her husband laurence vasquez de acuna , who therefore fled to castile , and is said always to have worn in his cap a pair of silver horns denoting the king's lust , and his own shame . all france and spain resounded with warlike preparations . henry the new-made king was at burgos gathering an army to oppose the enemy , who had passed the mountains at ronoesvalles , and without meeting any opposition advanc'd to pamplona , that king being detain'd a prisoner at burgid , by oliver de mani , who held that place for bertran claquin , and took the king as he was hunting . from burgos henry set out with a great number of foot , and horse compos'd of all the gentry of castile , with the french and aragonians that came to his assistance . at the wood of ban̄ares he held a council of war. the french embassadors , and bertran claquin were against fighting , and gave several reasons for this their opinion . others more hot would not hear of delays . the worst advice was taken and the army march'd towards alava to oppose some parties of horse that spoil'd that country . near saldrian they encamp'd in sight of the enemy upon an advantagious ground , the rear cloas'd up with mountains . the english perceiving that advantage , march'd away towards logron̄o , which was for king peter , resolving to draw the enemy to a battle , or else to pierce into the heart of the kingdom . henry understanding their design mov'd backwards towards najara , made famous by the battle fought there . some letters pass'd betwixt the princes , but the difference being a crown , it was impossible to reconcile them , and therefore they order'd their battles . on the right henry plac'd the french , and his brother sancho with most of the nobility of castile , on the left his brother d. tello , and the earl of denia : he and his son d. alonso commanded the main body . on the enemies side who consisted of about horse , and as many foot , the duke of lancaster led the van , with hugo carbolaye , who was gone over to the english ; the count de armagnac , and monsieur de la brie , commanded in the body ; the rear was brought up by king peter , the prince of wales , and jayme son to the king of majorca , who after he escap'd out of prison had marry'd joanna queen of naples . charles king of navarre sent horse under martin enrique to serve king peter . henry had pass'd a river that ran between the two armies , and drawn up his beyond it . here both armies met with great fury . the right of henry's army where claquin commanded , stood firm , and seem'd to have the better , but d. tello on the left fled without so much as giving a charge . thus bertran , and d. sancho being encompass'd on all sides , were easily overthrown , with a great slaughter of the nobility and commanders . henry did all that could be expected , to stop and rally his man , but seeing all lost , fled to najara , and thence into aragon , with a few men of note that follow'd him . he made no stay , fearing that king , but went quite through into france . his army was so dispersed , that no one body was to be found in any place . after the fight , king peter put to death some of the prisoners , others were protected by the english , and the prince of wales is say'd to have blam'd him for that severity . peter lopez de ayala , who writ the history of king peter , was one of the prisoners , and therefore deserves little credit ; having writ maliciously , as being attainted of treason at alfaro . this battle was fought upon a saturday , being the d of april . d. tello carry'd the news of the defeat to burgos , and the lady joanna , wife to henry , with the archbishops of toledo , and zaragoça , fearing king peter , fled to aragon , where they were not well receiv'd for that king was resolv'd to side with the conqueror . to that purpose hugo carbolaye was already in aragon , and because it requir'd more time to settle a peace , a truce was for the present concluded . king peter with all his army march'd to burgos , where he apprehended the arch-bishop of braga for s●ding with his enemy , and put him into a dungeon . the king was perplex'd about performing what he had covenanted : it was hard to deliver up biscay to the prince of wales , because that people would never condescend to be subject to a stranger , and it was no less difficult to raise so great a sum of mony as was due to the english . in order to raise the mony , he went to toledo , and thence to cordova , where he caus'd men of note to be executed , for admitting his enemy . others were executed at sevil. among them da. vrraca de osorio was burnt , and a maid of hers is said to have cast her self voluntarily into the fire . the king of navarre after the fight came from borgia , where he had been prisoner to tudela , and kept mossen oliver prisoner , till he deliver'd him his son prince peter , left as a hostage for performance of what was agreed betwixt them . this same year , on the th of august dy'd the cardinal d. giles de albornoz , a man of great parts , and much in favour with popes . he recover'd the patrimony of the church , from those that had usurp'd it , and by that means made way for the popes to return to rome . his body was deposited at assis , and thence translated to the cathedral of toledo . the pope granting indulgence to such as should carry him upon their shoulders . people came flocking out of the towns that lay in the way , and in that manner he was carry'd to toledo . chap. vii . king peter excommunicated and absolv'd . count henry returns into spain , is again receiv'd by many places . toledo opposes him , and is besieg'd . king peter comes to its relief , is overthrown , betray'd to , and murder'd by henry the bastard . the author we have above spoken of , who calls himself q. ellenor's caterer , make smention of the master of s. bernard taken in the battle of najara , and put to death by king peter . no other historian mentions it , nor have we any the least memory remaining of such a dignity . this master must needs have been a churchman , for on his account , king peter was excommunicated . pope vrban the vth , because the king had killed that master , and bannish'd the bishops of culahorra , and lugo , sent an archdeacon to notify the sentence of excommunication to him . this archdeacon fearing to trust to the mercy of king peter , came up the river to sevil in a swift galliot , and waited there till the king coming that way , he asked if he would hear some news from the levant . the king drawing near to hearken to him , he pronounc'd the sentence of excommunication and immediately , fled down the river . the king in a rage spurred his horse into the river , and went so far , he had been drown'd , had not a boat brought him off . he vow'd to be revenged of the pope , and immediately gave orders for fitting out a great fleet , and raising a powerful army . the pope dreading the anger of king peter , sent the cardinal of s. peter his nephew to appease and absolve him . they were reconcil'd by the legate upon these conditions , that the dignity of master of s. bernard being extinct , all the towns belonging to it should as before be call'd behetrias , and be annex'd to the crown , so as never to be alienated : that the d part of ecclesiastical revenues then pay'd to the pope should be given to the king towards the charges of the war with the moors : that the pope without the king's consent , should not in his dominions dispose of bishopricks , masterships of military orders , the grand priorship of s. john , or other considerable benefices . count henry was well receiv'd and entertain'd in france , by the count de faux , yet not without apprehensions of the english . thence he went to villeneufe , near avignon , where luis the king of france's brother lent him mony , and advis'd him to send an embasly to the king , begging his assistance for recovering of castile . that king easily condescended to favour , him in hatred to the english , and king peter . he gave him the castle of perapertuse , on the borders of russillon , for his wife and children , who were fled from aragon to live in , and the earldom of sesene to subsist on till he receiv'd the crown . many prisoners who were ransom'd , and had been protected by the english came daily to him . among them was bernal , son the earl of faux , whom afterwards king henry created earl of medina celi ; he marry'd the lady elizabeth de la cerda , daughter to luis , and grandchild to d. alonso de la cerda , from whom king sancho usurp'd the crown , from them the present dukes of mc-dina celi are lineally descended . it happen'd well for count henry , that the prince of wales return'd to guienne much offended at king peter , for that he neither gave him the lordship of biscay , as had been agreed , nor pay'd him the money lent , or the army their arrears . besides in castile many great men declar'd for him , as did the provinces of guipuscoa and biscay , and the towns of segovia , avila , palencia , sulamanca , valladolid , and others in the kingdom of toledo . henry having gather'd an army , enter'd aragon , at the pass of the pyreneans call'd valdeandorra , and march'd with such swiftness that he was in castile before the aragonian could stop him , tho he endeavour'd it . on the banks of ebro he ask'd whether that were the dominion of castile , and being told it was , that a solemn oath never more to go out of castile , but rather to die . then he mov'd to calahorra the first city of castile , and was receiv'd there with great joy. from calahorra he went to burgos , where the bishop , clergy , and townsmen met him in procession . he releas'd d. philip de castro a nobleman of aragon , marry'd to his sister joanna , who was prisoner in the castle , and put into his place d. jayme king of naples , and son to him of majorca , left there with the governour alonso fernandez , by king peter . many other places follow'd the example of burgos , and henry march'd to leon , which was surrender'd to him upon the last day of april . in toledo some were for henry , but the greater part for king peter . in the city was a good garrison of crossbow-men , and men at arms under the command of the governour ferdinand alvarez de toledo . henry's army consisted of men , at arms , and a great number of foot. he laid siege to toledo believing nothing would withstand him , that city once taken . he incamped on the plain , that lies on the north side , and secur'd the passes beyond the river tagus which encompasses the city on three sides . to secure the communication he built a wooden-bridge , which prov'd very useful . the townsmen held out couragiously dreading king peter , who had carry'd away the principal men as hostages . cordova had now rebell'd , and king peter ask'd aid of the king of granada to besiege it . mahomet sent a good body of horse , with whom , and his own forces he laid siege to that city , and press'd it so hard , that the moors scal'd the walls and took the old palace ; but the citizens dreading the king if the town were taken , fought so desperately , they again drove out the moors , killing many ; the very women assisting the men. the two kings despairing of success rais'd the siege . king peter went to sevil to provide for the war , meeting with greater difficulties than he had imagin'd . the king of granada plunder'd jaen and vbeda , which were in rebellion ; he also wasted all the country of andaluzia , carrying away a vast multitude of captives , in so much that it is said above souls were taken , in only the town of vtrera . king peter in cave for the city toledo , resolv'd with what forces he had to give the enemy battel ; the people of sevil advis'd him to stay till his army was recruited , and his friends could joyn him , but he was running to his ruin ; at this conjuncture another misfortune befel him , which was that vitoria , salvatierra , and logron̄o , that had adher'd to him were taken by the king of navarre , being assisted by d. tello , who tho an enemy to king peter , was at variance with his brother henry , and therefore kept in biscay . the siege of toledo continu'd , and the citizens being divided , the faction that was for henry , attempted to secure a tower opposite to the camp , and being disappointed , thought to give the enemy entrance over s. martins bridge ; the other party having notice of it , they came to blows , and many townsmen were kill'd . king peter hearing of these tumults , made the more hast to relieve the city . his sons sancho and james , with all his treasure , he put into carmona a strong town near sevil. then gathering his army , he prepar'd to march to toledo . he had horse , but half of them were moors , and therefore no great confidence was repos'd in them . at the time of his departure he is said to have consulted a moor call'd benagarin , who foretold his death , out of merlin's prophecy , but these prophecies always come to light , after the event . king peter march'd to montiel a strong town in that part of spain , call'd la mancha . henry being inform'd of his approach , left gomez manrique arch-bishop of toledo , to continue the siege , and march'd away in hast to meet king peter , without expecting the foot. at orgaz five leagues from toledo , bertran claquin joyn'd him with foreign horse , a considerable reinforcement , they being old try'd soldiers . several noblemen came thither to him . with this body henry march'd all night , and at break of day discover'd the enemy , who knew not that they were remov'd from toledo . this caus'd a great consternation among them , but the officers gather'd their men , who were dispersed in the villages about montiel , and at sun-rising both parties form'd their battels , and encourag'd their soldiers . the first onset was furious ; but king peter's moors betaking themselves to flight , the castilians could not stand it long , but retir'd with king peter into the castle of montiel . many of the moors were kill'd , of the christians only one gentleman . this battel was fought on wednesday to th of march , . henry perceiving king peter had shut himself into the town , immediately encompass'd it with a dry wall , of stone , without mortar , that he might not escape . want pinch'd the besieged , and the king began to study how to make his escape . men roriguez de sanabria a very loyal gentleman of trastamara was with him , this man was employ'd to offer bertran claquin many towns , and castilian doubles , to leave the service of henry , and carry the king off . bertran refus'd , but being press'd consulted with some friends , who advis'd him to acquaint henry with the proposal . he did so , and henry thanking him for his fidelity , perswaded him to carry on that design , and secure king peter at his quarters . king peter accordingly came with only a few gentlemen to bertran , and said it was time to be gone . at the same time henry enter'd the tent , and stood some time as it were astonish'd , at the sight of the king , till a frenchman pointing at him , said to henry , take notice , that is your enemy . king peter with his natural fierceness , answer'd , i am , i am . then henry taking out his dagger , wounded him in the face , they clasped one another , and both fell to the ground , but henry was undermost , till bertran turning them , henry got uppermost , and then stabb'd the king several times till he dy'd . a horrid sight to behold , a lawful king descended of kings murder'd by a bastard . frossarte a french historian , writes that as henry enter'd the place , where the king was , he said , where is this jewish son of a where who calls himself king of castile ? and at that the king answer'd , then art the son of a where , for i am the lawful son of king alonso . king peter dy'd on the d of march , in the flower of his age , being but years and months old ; he reign'd years lacking days . his body was carry'd without any pomp to alcoçer , and there deposited in the church of s. james . afterwards he was translated by king john the iid , to the royal monastery of dominican nuns at madrid . after the king's death , several of his followers were apprehended . chap. viii . several foreign princes pretenders to the crown of castile . war with aragon , portugal , and granada . affairs of aragon , sardinia , and navarre . the league bewixt portugal and aragon . montiel immediately submitted , and toledo upon the news of the king's death was surrender'd . among foreign princes there arose a dispute , concerning the succession of the crown . all agreed that henry being a bastard , could have no right , and every one strove to make his advantage of the troubles of castile . the king of navarre , as has been said , had already taken several good towns belonging to castile . molina , can̄ete and requena were betray'd by their governours to the aragonian . the king of portugal call'd himself king of castile and leon , being great grandson to king sancho , and grandson to beatrix his daughter . he was already possess'd of cuida rodrigo , alcantana , and tuy . the king of granada , always a friend to king peter , hop'd to make his advantage . yet the greatest storm was threaten'd from england and guienne ; for john duke of lancaster , brother to the prince of wales , had marry'd constance daughter to king peter , and the earl of cambridge another brother , had to wife elizabeth the younger sister , both daughters to da. maria de padilla . the only remedy against all these evils that hung over the new king henry was to secure the affections of the nobility , and commons of the kingdom . therefore he immediately went away to sevil , where he was receiv'd with the usual joy of the rabble ; thither all the cities of andaluzia sent to make their submission , except carmona , where king peter had left his children and treasure , under the care of martin lopez de cordova , master of calatrava , who still continu'd faithful to his dead master . at sovil king henry not without infamy endeavour'd to settle a truce with the king of granada , but could not obtain it . therefore having secur'd the frontiers , he went to toledo , knowing his wife and son were come thither from burgos . here it was taken into consideration how to raise mony , to pay the arrears due to the foreigners , and what was promis'd to bertran claquin at montiel , for his good service , or rather infamous treachery . all that could be gather'd of the king's revenue was but a small summ , towards satisfying the foreigners , who boasted they had put the crown upon henry's head. to supply this want two new sorts of base coin were invented , the one call'd cruzados , the other royals , which caus'd all things to grow excessive dear . the kings of aragon and portugal at this time infested the frontiers . pero gonzalez de mendoça , and alvar garcia de albornoz were sent with an army to oppose the aragonians , and recover'd requena from them . henry himself march'd towards galicia , where he heard the portugueses did much harm : by the way he attempted zamora , yet stay'd not to take it but enter'd portugal between the rivers duero and min̄o , burning and destroying all the country , and taking braga , and bragança . this done he return'd into castile . his brother sancho was with him , having been ransom'd from the english , who took him at the battel of najara . the king of portugal was too weak to give battel , and henry drew off with much hast , upon the news that the king of granada wasted all andaluzia , having taken algezira , and so demolish'd it , that it was never after rebuilt . besides , he was forc'd to return to castile , to raise mony for payment of the foreign souldiers , and discharging of bertran claquin , who was courted by the king of aragon to go over into sardinia , against marianus the judge of arborea , who had again rebell'd and taken many towns. d. peter de luna had been sent against him before , who reduc'd him to secure himself in the city oristan , whence watching his opportunity he sally'd , and surprising his besiegers , put the whole army to flight , killing the general and his brother philip. some days after brancaleon doria who was of the lord of arborea his party , was reconcil'd to the king , but the rebels made even for this loss , by taking the city sacer the capital of the island . berengarius carroz , earl of quirra , was sent as general to put some stop to the proceedings of the rebels , and bertran claquin was sollicited to accept of that command . bertran was about to accept of that offer , when another more important war drew him away . the people of guienne weary of the english government , sollilicited the king of france to assist them in their rebellion . he gladly condescended , and sent for claquin to command his army in that expedition . at the same time he desir'd the king of navarre to assist him . that king resolv'd to go into france , tho he had but then sent john cruzate dean of tudela , into aragon to settle a confederacy . he left his queen to govern navarre , and went to his own estate in normandy , resolving not to trust the king of france , but to make his advantage of those wars . the king of france sent embassadors to him , and at last they had a meeting at vernon , on the seine . here they agreed the navarrois should deliver up mante , meùlan , and the county of longeuville , about which they were at variance , and in lieu thereof should have the lordship of montpelier . these things were done later in the year , therefore let us return to castile . king henry's joy for his success was somewhat abated by the many enemies he had yet to deal with , for still king peter's party was not extinct . the portugueses had a strong garrison in cuida rodrigo , and thence infested all the neighbouring country . this place king henry laid siege to at the beginning of the year , but the portugueses defended it so bravely that he was forc'd to quit that design for the present , and march away to medina del campos . here he held the cortes or parliament . the chief thing done at this meeting , was the granting of an extraordinary subsidy towards the war. there was due to bertran claquin doubles promis'd him for betraying of king peter at montiel ; this was a vast summ in those days . jayme king of naples was deliver'd to him as payment of , the queen his wife offering so much for him , the rest was paid down in gold. besides the king gave him the towns of soria , almaçan , aciença , montagudo , molina , and seron . this done he return'd into france where he was made constable , and serv'd well against the english . in july the aragonians and navarrois concluded a league only defensive as was given out , but in reality design'd against henry of castile . then the towns of salvatierra , and la real formerly belonging to aragon , were restor'd to that crown by the queen of navarre . in castile , peter manrique lieutenant of that kingdom , and peter ruiz sarmiento lieutenant of galicia , were order'd with some forces to defend galicia , where the portugueses had taken compostella , tuy , and the port of corun̄a . d. tello king henry's brother was also commanded thither . this done king henry went away to sevil with the best of his army , for there was the greatest need of it , because the moors made war on that side . carmona still held out , and the portuguese fleet , kept the mouth of the river gaudalquivir , henry was much pleas'd that the masters of santiago and calatrava concluded a truce with the king of granada ; for he could not have withstood so many enemies , at once . the portuguese fleet consisted of galleys , and ships . king henry order'd galleys to be lanch'd , but they could not all be fitted , because king peter had laid up the tackling at carmona ; therefore a fleet was order'd to come from biscay , which the portuguese understanding , durst not stay to give them battel , but return'd to portugal , having lost three galleys and two ships . the portuguese fleet was at that time weaken'd , having sent some galleys to barcelona , to carry the embassadors , who went to make a league with the king of aragon . they concluded the confederacy upon these terms . that the kingdom of murcia , and city of cuenca , with all its dependencies should belong to the crown of aragon , all the other dominions of castile , should fall to the king of portugal , who already called himself king of castile . that the king of portugal should marry the lady ellenor , daughter to the aragonian , her dower to be florins . this contract came to nothing , for the king of portugal fell in love with , and marry'd the lady ellenor tellez de meneses , daughter to alonso tello count of barceols , and the aragonian , taken up with the war of sardinia , had no leisure to attend that of castile . on the th of october dy'd d. tello king henry's brother , lord of biscay . some say he was poison'd ; others deny it . the king gave the lordship of biscay and lara , belonging d. tello , to his own son john , and ever since they have been annex'd to the crown of castile . the body of d. tello was bury'd with great pomp in the monastery of s. francis at palencia . chap. ix . the siege of carmona . the king of portugal marries the lady ellenor de meneses . peace betwixt castile , portugal and nevarre . king heny eas'd of two great troubles , by the truce made with the moor , and the removal of the portuguese fleet , laid siege to carmona , the only refuge of king peter's friends , in the spring of the year . this siege lasted long , and many notable exploits were perform'd by the besieged , who kept their gates always open , making continual salleys . one day just at noon , the heat being very great , the besieged observ'd the enemy to keep very close in their tents , and thereupon sallying furiously enter'd their trenches , and went directly to the king's tent , resolving by his death to put an end to the war. he was in extream danger , but that some gentlemen came to his rescue , and stop'd the fury of the besieged , till the army gathering , they were repuls'd with considerable loss : after this king henry attempted by night to scale the walls ; about men at armes got up , and secur'd a tower , but the townsmen taking the alarm , fell on them with such bravery , that the ladders not able to bear them , going down broke , and those that were in the tower were left behind . martin lopez de cordeva the governour , who was out of the town that night , returning caus'd them all to be put to death . provision failing , the governour was at last forc'd to surrender upon articles , which were basely broken , and the brave governour martin lopez de cordova , publickly put to death , or rather murder'd at sevil by the king's command . the treasure and innocent children of king peter fell into the hands of king henry , who kept those guiltless persons in perpetual imprisonment . this done king henry caus'd the bones of his father king alonso to be translated to the royal chappel of the cathedral of cordova . at the siege of carmona he receiv'd the news that peter fernandez de velasco had taken the city zamora from the portugeses , and his liuetenant , peter manrique , and peter ruiz sarmiento pacify'd galicia , having defeated d. ferdinand de castro , the chief man that favour'd the portugeses , who having lost the battle fled to portugal . king ferdinand of portugal discourag'd at these losses gave ear to peace propos'd to him on the behalf of king henry , by alonso perez de gusman , chief alguazil of sevil. the treaty was concluded on the st day of march , upon these articles , that the king of castile restore the towns taken , during the war : that the king of portugal marry . ellenor , daughter to him of castile , whose dower was to be cuidad rodrigo , valencia de alcantara in estremadura , and monreal in galicia . the love the portuguese bore the lady ellenor de meneses ( as has been said before ) prevented this match , and he sent an embassy to excuse himself , and deliver'd up all the places he had belonging to castile . his excuses were easily allow'd , and he publickly marry'd the lady elenor de meneses , which prov'd an unhappy match , and produc'd wars betwixt castile and portugal . before the king was marry'd his design being known at lisbon , the people mutiny'd to prevent it , but the king stole away privately to porto , and was there solemnly marry'd . he setl'd on her many towns , and commanded the nobles there present to kiss her hand , as their queen , which all did , even the king's brothers , except only denis , who refuss'd , which at the king was so incens'd , that he ran at him with his dagger . d. denis fled and absconded for some time , till he got into castile , where he serv'd that king. from this time the queen govern'd the kingdom absolutely . the gentlemen of the family of vasquez de acun̄a fled , knowing she bore them a grudge , for the mutiny of lisbon , whereof they were the authors . her kindred and relations were all preferr'd and honour'd . the king and queen's greatest favourite was d. john fernandez de andewo , a nacive of galicia , who in the wars of that country came over to the king , and was created earl of oren. the queen was very familiar with this gentleman , and us'd to be alone with him in private , for which reason it was suspected their friendship was dishonest , and it was publickly say'd , the children she had were not got by the king , but by d. john. these were the malicious suggestions of the multitude . at the end of this year king henry held the cortes at toro , where it was decreed the army should be sent to recover the places taken by the navarrois , since the portuguese had restor'd those in his possession ; it was also order'd , that the jews who liv'd intermix'd with the christians should wear a mark of distinction . the cruzados and royals coin'd before , were cry'd down to a lesser value , but not quite forbid to pass , because the treasury was exhausted . the king would have had those towns call'd behetrias , which did not belong before to the master of s. bernard , given to some great men , but he could not carry it . when the cortes broke up , king henry sent his army into navarre , where after a few days it was agreed with the queen regent , that those towns about which they were at variance should be put into the hands of pope gregory the xith , who this year was elected in the place of vrban the vth. this pope restor'd the apostolick see to rome . the first cardinal he created was , peter gomez barroso , archbishop of sevil , who dy'd years after at avignon . d. peter de luna , a noble and learned aragonian was made cardinal by him . it was agreed that the pope's legate who was daily expected , should be arbitrator betwixt castile and navarre . these towns were put into the hands of john ramirez de arellano , a navarrois , made lord of cameras by king henry , for that he would not deliver him up at the congress of vncastel , or sos. this gentleman took an oath to hold them for his holiness , and to deliver them to whom they should be adjudg'd by him . thus for the present the war betwixt castile and aragon ceas'd , yet soon after king henry sent his army contrary to what had been agreed , and to ●● salvatierra and santa cruz de campezo . no faith is to be had in usurpers , for they can never be true to strangers , who are false to their sovereign . logrono and victoria continu'd firm to the king of navarre . a more dangerous war was fear'd from aragon , that king being offended upon many accounts , and particularly for that d. jayme , king of naples had been releas'd , contrary to what he had sent the archbishop of zaragoça to desire . that king fear'd he should endeavour to recover the island of majorca taken from his father . therefore a league was design'd with the duke of lancaster against king henry , but it came to nothing , because the english were engag'd in a war with france , and the aragonian was in care for sardinia , besides he fear'd the prince of majorca would invade russillon with french forces , as was confidently reported . pope gregory the xith sent the cardinal of cominges to compose these differences . he prevail'd with them to ratify the promise they had made to one another , and threaten'd severe penalties to him that should break the truce concluded on the th of january . yet king henry fearing the pope , would favour the aragonian , delay'd the conclusion of this affair , hoping to find some other means of accomodation . about this time king henry besieg'd and took the city tuy ; which men rodriguez de sanabria , and other banish'd men of castile held for the king of portugal . he also sent galleys , under the command of micer ambrosio booanegra his admiral , to the assistance of the king of france . these having join'd the french near rochel , defeated the english , took several ships , and the earl of pembrook , with many other men of note , and much mony. all was sent to the king then at burgos . from this ambrose bocanegra , are descended the earls of palma . the king of aragon had children by his wife queen ellenor , daughter to the king of sicily ; these were prince john the heir of the crown , martin and constance , who as has been said , was marry'd to frederick king of sicily . in june prince martin marry'd the lady mary de luna , heiress to the earl d. lope de luna , her dower was the earldoms of luna and sogorve ; the king gave him the barony of exerica made an earldom , and soon after appointed him constable of the kingdom . prince john marry'd martha , sister to the earl of armagnac , and had with her francs . of them was born the princess joanna , marry'd afterwards to matthew earl of faux . on the d of august d. bernardine de cabrera , grandson to bernard de cabrera was restor'd to all his grandfather's estate , except the town of vique , and the country a league about it . the war broke out again betwixt castile and portugal , on account that the portugueses took certain ships belonging to biscay . king henry was then at zamora , whence he sent embassadors to demand reparation of dammages , and in case of denial to declare war. d. alonso king henry's bastard-son was sent to make war in portugal , on the side of galicia , and to besiege viana . bocanegra the admiral was order'd to equip galleys at sevil , and scour the coast of portugal . king ferdinand of portugal was at variance with his subjects , therefore king henry laying hold of this opportunity , enter'd portugal with a great power , burning and plundering all the country , and took the towns of almeyda , panel , celorico , and linhares . this was about the end of the year . he now receiv'd letters from guido , cardinal of bolonia , sent by pope gregory to fettle peace betwixt him and portugal . king henry sent to desire him to expect his coming at guadalajara , where the queen was . the cardinal answer'd it was not fit for him to neglect what he came about , which was putting an end to the war , and therefore made hast to cuidad rodrigo designing to speak with both kings . mean while portugal was consum'd , for at the beginning of the year , king henry took the city viseo , march'd in sight of coimbra , but would not stay to besiege it , resolving to advance towards his enemy , who was incamp'd at santaren . the king of portugal being too weak for his enemy kept himself within the walls , and king henry march'd away to lisbon . at his first coming he enter'd and burnt the suburbs , but the city being strong and well defended , could not be taken . however some ships were burnt in the river , and others taken by the fleet of castile , a great number of prisoners , and a rich booty was carry'd away . mean while the legate ceas'd not to labour for peace , and at last brought the two kings together into a boat upon the river tagus , on the th of march , and they agreed to these conditions , that the king of portugal by a certain day should banish his kingdom the gentlemen that fled from castile , who were about in number : that all places taken during that war should be restor'd on both sides : that beatrix , sister to the king of portugal should be marry'd to d. sancho , brother to king henry , and earl of albuquerque , and elizabeth , bastard daughter to the king of portugal , to alonso the bastard of king henry . king ferdinand gave hostages for security of performance . d. sancho , and the lady beatrix were presently marry'd at santaren . the lady elizabeth being but years of age , was delivered to king henry , and then the two kings parted . king henry march'd directly against navarre , but the pope's legate reconcil'd those two kings also . the navarrois restor'd the towns of victoria , and logron̄o . charles his son was contracted to ellenor , daughter to the king of castile , her portion crowns of gold. the kings met at briones , a town on the frontiers , where the princes were marry'd , and the king of navarre gave his younger son peter to him of castile , as a hostage . when the king of navarre return'd out of france , he found that bernard bishop of pamplona , and cruzate dean of tudela , whom he had joyn'd in commission with the queen , had not discharg'd their trust faithfully . they understanding the king's displeasure fled , the bishop got to avignon , but the dean was kill'd by the way , as was suspected by the king's order . the bishop went on to rome , where he dy'd . chap. x. peace concluded betwixt castile and aragon . several matches of princes . french and spaniards besiege bayonne in vain . the papal chair restor'd to rome . death of frederick king of sicily . from briones the king of castile return'd to the kingdom of toledo , he of navarre to his court , whence he sent the queen into france to appease that king , who was highly offended suspecting the navarrois had employ'd people to poison him . then the king of navarre went in person to madrid to perswade king henry to forsake the french , and side with the english ; offering if he would pay the arrears due to the prince of wales , and his army from king peter , that the english would quit their claim to the crown of castile , and lay down all other animosities . king henry answer'd he would never depart from the interest of france , where he had found relief in his distress ; but that if the english would make peace with france , he would join in it , and pay them as much as should be adjudg'd by impartial judges . thus nothing was concluded , and the navarrois return'd to pamplona , the castilian to andaluzia . the lady mary , daughter to d. ferdinand de la cerda , marry'd in france to the earl of alençon , sent to demand of king henry the lordships of biscay and lara , as of right appertaining to her : he reply'd if she would send two of her sons to reside at his court , they should be put into possession ; but having better estates in france they never came . in october , balthasar spinola , a genoese , came into aragon as embassador from the english , to conclude a league against castile . they offer'd him if the kingdom were conquer'd , the cities of murcia , cuenca , and soria , with all their dependencies , but the king of aragon could not be prevail'd upon . in february happen'd a great earthquake in the earldom of ribagorça , in which many towns were wholly swallow'd up . luis duke of anjou came to carcassonne to endeavour to settle a peace betwixt castile and aragon , fearing lest the english , the mortal enemies of france should become masters of castile . after much debating it was resolv'd to referr the dicision of their differences to guido , cardinal of bolonia , the pope's legate . on the th of october pope gregory the xith confirm'd the order of the fryers of s. hierome , first invented by certain italian hermits , near the city toledo . some years after the order of the isidorians was taken from this same . in december , tho peace could not be concluded , a truce was agreed upon till the feast of pentecost . in the year , john duke of lancaster landed with an army at calis , and being join'd by the duke of britany , march'd across the country to bourdeaux , with a design to conquer castile . he sent embassadors to the kings of aragon and navarre , to ask supplies , but they thought it safest to look on as neuters . king henry fearing this storm , went to burgos , where he made all possible preparations to withstand it . d. sancho his brother endeavouring to appease a sedition among the souldiers , was wounded in the face with a spear , and dy'd . the lady beatrix his wife left with child was deliver'd of a daughter called ellenor , who was marry'd to prince ferdinand , afterwards king of aragon . king henry near ban̄ares made a review of his forces , and found horse , and foot , a small number , but good men. the english forces consum'd by their long march , when they came to bourdeaux were not above strong , and therefore had lay'd aside the design of entring spain . luis duke of anjou thinking this a good opportunity to expel them france , advis'd king henry to joyn his forces with him , and besiege bayonne . king henry took his advice and besieg'd the place , but was forc'd by the rains and want of provisions to quit it . beltran de guevara , lord of on̄ate , did good service in this expedition , for which the king at his return gave him the valley of leniz . in august the prince of majorca enter'd the country of russillon with a powerful army , yet did nothing considerable . on the other side the lord of bearne and godfrey recco a breton , made an incursion into the territory of borgia , and destroy'd all they came near . the king of aragon sent francis de perellas , viscount roda to conclude a league with the duke of lancaster . a violent storm cast him upon the coast of granada , where he was made prisoner by that king in revenge for certain vessels of his taken by the aragonians , and to please the king of castile . a new embassy was sent by king henry to barcelona , to establish peace with the aragonian . on the d of november dy'd in normandy , joanna , queen of navarre at whose request her brother the king of france often pardon'd her husband . she now dy'd of grief , because he refus'd her . her body was bury'd among the kings at s. denis . the king her husband made himself odious by persecuting the kindred of those who had been against him . aragon besides the wars this year suffer'd by famine , which was somewhat abated , by bringing corn from africk , and did some good by forcing the enemy to depart the kingdom . jayme king of naples , who marched into castile with his army to look for provisions dy'd there at the beginning of the year . his sister elizabeth , who was with him led the army back into france , there she resign'd all her claims against the house of aragon to luis the king of france his brother , which caus'd new troubles . now the peace betwixt castile and aragon was concluded on the th of april , the conditions were , that the lady ellenor before promis'd to prince john should be marry'd to him , her dower florins lent by the araganian to king henry , at the beginning of the civil wars : that molina should be restored to castile , and , that the aragonian should pay florins towards the charge of the war. this agreement was celebrated with great joy in both kingdoms . this year was fortunate to all christendom , as well as spain , because pope gregory the xith return'd to rome , after the popes his predecessors had resided years at avignon . bertran claquin having for his good service got the earldom of longueville in france ● sold his lands in spain to king henry for doubles . at soria on the th of may ; prince charles of navarre marry'd ellenor , king henry's daughter , and on the th of june prince john his son took to wife ellenor , daughter to the king of aragon . news was now brought that d. ferdinand de castro , who the last year fled to portugal , was dead in england . also that ferdinand de tovar , admiral of castile had done much harm along the coasts of that island . from soria king henry went to burgos . he design'd to assist the french with all his power against the english . his son alonso earl of gijon , to avoid marrying elizabeth , daughter to the king of portugal fled into france , but was soon brought back by his father . at the end of this year dy'd d. gomez manrique , arch-bishop of toledo . the chapter having chosen two to succeed him , the decision of the controversy was left to the pope , who allow'd of neither of them , but gave that dignity to peter tenorio , then bishop of coimbra . about this time dy'd some men of note of navarre : particularly d. roderick vrriz , a man of a great estate and interest , was by the king's command apprehended , and beheaded in pamplona , at the latter end of march . some private correspondence he held with the king of castile was the cause of his death . it was reported he intended to betray the castles of tudela , and caparroso , but it is not likely they should so soon design to disturb the peace . d. bernard folcaut , bishop of pamplona dy'd on the th of july , in banishment at agnani in italy . d. martin calva , a most learned man , was chosen to succeed him . frederick king of sicily departed this life at messina , on the th of july . his daughter the lady mary was left sole heiress of that kingdom , and the dutchies of athens and neopatria , which produc'd differences betwixt several princes aspiring to marry her . this also administred to the aragonians a fair opportunity of enlarging their dominions . the end of the seventeenth book . the history of spain . the eighteenth book . chap. i. the wars of navarre . matches of some of king henry's children . the schism in the church , caus'd by the election of the two popes , urban and clement . the death of king henry of castile , and of mahomet the moorish king of granada . spain now enjoy'd a perfect peace , all its kings being ally'd by marriages , and grown weary of the long wars . with the moors there was a truce . the duke of lancaster ingag'd in the wars of france , could not apply himself to the conquest of castile . king henry having thus put an end to all the wars , apply'd himself to the civil government , and reformation of many abuses , crept in by the liberty of the times . only aragon was under the apprehensions of a war ; for luis duke of anjou , to whom jayme prince of majorca had made over his title to that kingdom , began now to set up his pretensions . the king of aragon assembled the cortes at monçon , where new impositions were laid upon the jews and moors only , for none would be allow'd upon the christians ; yet they offer'd to defend the country at their own charge . great preparations were made for that war. it is reported that galleys were fitted out on the coast of france , and men at arms gather'd , and it was fear'd in aragon , that peace being concluded with the english as was expected , the pope interposing , all the power of france would fall upon that kingdom . besides a matter of small moment had like to have produc'd another war. d. john ramirez de arellano returning from rome through aragon , at barcelona was challeng'd and call'd traitor in the king's presence , by the viscount de rota , for that he had entic'd d. jayme prince of majorca to invade aragon . the challenge was accepted and the time fix'd for fighting days after . king henry labour'd to prevent the combat , but the king of aragon favouring the viscount , they could not agree . the king of castile hereupon said , they should fight , but he would send horse to see justice done , which was as good as declaring war. this mov'd the aragonian to desist . a treaty of peace was set afoot at bruges in flanders first , and in the year at bologne in picardy , betwixt the english and french , the embassadors of castile being present , in order to have their king comprehended , but nothing was concluded . the death of the prince of wales and his father king edward the iiid . broke all their measures . richard the king's grandchild , and son to the black prince , succeeded king edward . the duke of burgundy after the treaty broke up came into spain , to pay a vow he had made , to visit the body of the apostle s. james in galicia . in his return home he was nobly entertain'd by king henry at segovia . the rest of the summer the king spent at leon , and the winter at sevil. all the warlike preparations made in france , fell upon the king of navarre's dominions ; charles , peter and mary , princes of navarre were in france . with charles went baldwin , who was governour of several strong holds in normandy , and jaques de la rue his favourite , who had orders to propose to the english , that the king would make war upon france , if they would give him the dutchy of guienne , to be held in feof of them . the french having intelligence of this design , secur'd rue , put him to the rack , and he confessing was executed at paris . baldwin was commanded to deliver up all the towns in normandy he held for his king. charles the heir of navarre was confin'd to the court , and his brethren , peter and mary were imprison'd at bretol . all the dominions of the navarrois in france were taken from him , except two towns , and cherbourg which was pawn'd to the english . not content with this , the french labour'd to induce the king of castile to invade navarre , and he wanted not the will , only look'd for some specious pretence to declare war. it happen'd opportunely that the king of navarre complain'd that the mony agreed to be paid him in gold , was paid partly in silver coin , which had much allay , and was under value . to revenge this wrong he dealt underhand with peter manrique lieutenant of castile , and governour of logron̄o , to deliver up that city to him . the governour gave his king an account of it , who order'd him to carry on the plot , and secure the king of navarre . he did so , and that king coming with horse , sent part of them to the city , suspecting some treachery , and therefore would not go himself . those sent being admitted into the place , were most of them taken and stript , only a few escaping . among these martin enriquez the king's standard-bearer , defended himself with only his sword , against a great number , and at last sav'd himself and the standard , leaping off the bridge into the river ebro . this was the beginning of the war. king henry gave the command of his army to his son prince john , who enter'd navarre plunder'd the country , took guardia and viana , and burn't 〈◊〉 , and artaxond . thus navarra was wasted by two powerful kings , neither of whome alone it was able to withstand . this in the year . the king of castile resided at burgos , where the marriage of his bashard son d. alonso earl of gijon , with elizabeth the bastard-daughter to the king of portugal was solemniz'd . he also contracted two bastard-daughters to the two sons of d. alonso de aragon , earl of denis , and marquis of villena . peter the younger son , presently marry'd joanna the eldest , and had by her henry and alonso . ellenor the youngest was contracted to d. alonso , who was then as a hostage in the hands of the english for his father's ransom , yet afterwards the match broke off . another match was concluded betwixt beatrix legitimate daughter to the king of portugal , and frederick bastard to king henry . pope gregory the xith dy'd at rome , on the th of march. the conclave meeting to elect a new pope , after many intreaties , and threats of the people and senators of rome , chose bartholomew-butillius a neapolitan arch-bishop of bari , who took the name of vrban , the vith . this done , some of the cardinals withdrew to the castle of ● . angelo , others fled , yet they all assisted at the coronation : nevertheless they met afterwards at fundi , and elected another pope , who was robert cardinal of geneva , and took the name of clement the viith . this was the beginning of the schism that follow'd . pope vrban in one day created cardinals all men of note . clement went away to avignon , and all christendom was divided , not knowing the true pope . the english , italians , and germans follow'd vrban , the french and scotch , supported clement . the spaniards at first stood neuters , tho courted by both . whilst the church was thus divided , portugal enjoy'd perfect peace , yet , as it is usual , the people was discontented for that the queen manag'd all things , and bestow'd all honours upon her own friends and relations ; besides , she was suspected of entertaining a scandalous familiarity with d. john fernandez de andeyro , earl of dren . denis and john the king's brothers being disgussed fled to castile . john their bastard-brother and master of avis , was cast into prison , but submitted to the queen , and appeas'd her . the lower part of the city lisbon , towards the sea was wall'd in , because that side had receiv'd most harm , in the last siege . both the popes sent their legates to court the kings of spain to declare for them . the aragonians resolv'd to stand neuter , tho offended at vrban , who went about to take sicily , and sardinia from him , yet he would not suffer the edicts of clement , to be read in his kingdom , but order'd all the ecclessastical revenues , appertaining to the pope , to be deposited in a third hand . pope vrban's legates found king henry at cordova , and press'd him to declare against clement , but he would not give any answer till the case was debated by learned men at toledo . prince john being return'd from the war in navarre , was in that city , as also the french embassadors who came to sollicit for clement . an assembly of bishops and learned men was held , who declar'd it was not their part to judge of that controversy , but would stand by him that should be own'd pope by the church , and that till it were decided the ecclesiastical revenues should be deposited for the true pope . this was the answer given to the embassadors in the year : hence king henry went away to burgos , to prepare for the war with navarre , and there met him embassadors from that king , to treat of peace , which was concluded upon these conditions . that the english soldiers should depart navarre . that strong places , and among them estela , tudela , and viana , should admit castilian garrisons for years . that the king of castile should lend the navarrois ducats as soon as the peace was ratify'd . this done , the two kings met at santo domingo de la calcada with great retinues , and strove to outdo one another in grandeur and courtesy . the king of granada having always favour'd king peter , fear'd king henry now at leisure would take revenge . not finding himself able to withstand his power , he employ'd a moor to murder him . this moor endeavour'd to gain king henry's favour by continual attendance , and many presents . among other things he gave him a pair of moorish buskins , as grave authors affirm they were poison'd , but this is a fabulous conceit taken up , because he fell sick the day he put them on , and dy'd ten days after in the city of santo domingo . his death happen'd on the th of may. good writers affirm he dy'd of the gout . he liv'd years and months , and reign'd after he was call'd king at calahorra , years and months . his body was carry'd to burgos , his son john now king accompanying it , and was deposited in the cathedral . thence he was translated to valladolid , and lastly to toledo . he order'd himself to be buried in the habit of s. dominick , for the particular devotion he had to that saint , of whose order the kings us'd to choose their confessor . about the same time dy'd the king of granada , mahomet , call'd of gaudix for his curiosity in beautifying that city . he may be esteem'd more fortunate than all his predicessors , having had no civil broils during his whole reign . the king of aragon tho very antient , took to wife sybila fortia a widow lady of great beauty , which made him prefer her before joanna queen of naples who was offer'd to him . by this lady he had two sons who dy'd young , and a daughter call'd elizabeth , afterwards marry'd to the earl of vrgel . chap. ii. king john succeeds his father in the throne of castile . charles king of france dies . charles the vith succeeds him pope clement own'd in spain through the french interest . king john having bury'd his father was crown'd together with his wife queen ellener , in the monastery of huelgas at burgos . he knighted young gentlemen , according to the manner of those times , and gave the town of pancorvo to that city in payment of the expence it had been at , and to reward its loyalty . the cortes or parliament was held in that city , where several laws were enacted . one was , that a man who had receiv'd the lesser orders if he marry'd , should pay taxes , but if he liv'd single , was shorn and were the habit of a clergy man , he should be priviledg'd as a church man. great rejoycing was throughout the whole kingdom for the king's coronation . the joy was the greater , for that it was hop'd he would prove an excellent prince , being generous , sharp witted , mild , religious , and not conceited , but always inclinable to be advis'd . of stature he was low , yet with majesty . the first thing he did after his accession to the crown was to express his affection to the french , and therefore immediately fitted out a fleet , and sent it against john de montfort duke of britany , whom , because he sided with the english , the king and counsel of france had declar'd an enemy to the crown , and confiscated his estate . the fleet scower'd the coast of britany , and took there the fort , they call'd gaye . the king spent the summer at burgos . two things concurred , the one to increase , the other to lessen the publick joy. the first was , that one joseph pico a rich and famous jew was kill'd by his own people . he was receiver general of the revenue , which rais'd him to a great height . some jews of note bore him ill will , the reason of it is not known , and they contriv'd to make him away . to this purpose they deceitfully obtain'd an order of the king , for putting of him immediatly to death , and finding out the executioner prevail'd with him to kill the jew without delay . the fraud being discover'd , the contrivers of it were punish'd , and that people were debarr'd the power they had before of judging their own members , a liberty till then allow'd by the kings , forc'd by their wants , because the jews have extraordinary methods of raising mony. the subject of joy was , that on the th of october the queen was deliver'd at burgos of a son call'd henry , in honour of his grandfather , this child came afterwards to inherit the crown . about the end of this year , and beginning of the next , which was , the rains were so great , and continu'd so long , that all the rivers overflow'd , and all the low lands were under water . particularly the river ebro , near zaragoća broke down it's banks , and ran a new way , so that it cost much mony and labour to bring it back into it's own channel . from burgos king john went to toledo , where he again repeated his father's exequies , and plac'd his body in the tomb built for him . then he set out for andaluzia , resolving to aid the french against the english . at sevil he fitted out galleys , with which fernan sanchez de tovar , having coasted along spain and france , came to the english shore , and ran up the river thames , destroying all the country , and burning the villages . the difference about the two popes was now hotter than ever , and each of them had powerful supporters . pope vrban meditated revenge against the queen of naples , the chief causer of the schism , whom her wicked life had rendred infamous . he invited charles duke of durazzo , descended of the kings of naples into italy , intimating he would conferr that crown upon him . on the other sid'e the queen having no children adopted luys duke of anjou giving him the title of duke of calabria appertaining to the heirs of that crown ; not doubting by that means to be supported by the arms of france . this is all the title the dukes of anjou have to that crown , which was the occasion of tedious and bloody wars betwixt them and spain ; tho at this time the design was only to support the queen and pope clement . on the th of july dy'd the famous bertran claquin , at the siege of chasteauneuf in britany , and on the th of september following charles king of france departed this life at bois de vincennes . his son charles the vith succeeded him . the king of portugal was concern'd about the succession , be being old , and having never a son. beatrix his daughter by the queen , whose birth was afterwards call'd in question , was contracted to frederick duke of benavente , and bastard son to king henry . after the death of henry the portuguese would not stand to that match , but sent embassadors to the new king , to offer her to his son prince henry , then a child but a few months old . king john hoping to joyn the kingdom of portugal to castile admitted of the proposal . the articles of marriage were agreed upon at soria where the cortes met , but at last they came to nothing . peter manrique , leiutenant of castile was apprehended , being accus'd of holding a treasonable correspondence with d. alonso de aragon , earl of denia . he dy'd in prison without leaving any children . james manrique his brother inherited his estate and honours as he well deserv'd for his good service in navarre . luis duke of anjou govern'd france , for king charles who was under age. the king of aragon fear'd lest he should lay hold of that opportunity to conquer the kingdom of majorca , to which he pretended a right as has been said , but he had bent his thought upon securing the crown of naples to himself and his heirs . however king john of castile sent embassadors into france to accommodate that affair , and it was agree'd he should sell the title he had bought . king john advanc'd a good summ out of kindness to his father-in law , and to secure the peace of spain . he also sent embassadors to the soldan of egypt , to sollicite for the liberty of leo king of armenia , whose wife and daughter had dy'd in prison . the barbarous king granted his request , and releas'd the prisoner , sending him into spain with letters , full of pride and arogancy in relation to himself , but honourably writ in regard to king john , whose power and valour he extoll'd desiring his friendship . three years after that unfortunate king came into france , and thence into spain , where the king entertain'd him honourably , and gave him the towns of madrid and andujan , with a competent revenue for his maintenance . he stay'd not long in spain , but return'd into france , designing thence to go into england , to perswade those kings to make peace , and unite their forces against the enemies of the gospel in asia . death cut him off without doing any thing of what he intended . in the church of the celestines at paris , there is to this day an arch in the wall of the great chappel , with a curious marble tomb , and an inscription signifying , leo king of armenia lies there . the christian princes were weary of hearing the legates of the two popes . the king of castile resolv'd to hold the cortes at medina del campo , to decide this debate in castile . the legates of both popes labour'd hard to be receiv'd , believeing all spain would follow , whatever was decreed there . opinions differ'd , some were for the one , some for the other ; but the wiser sort were for standing neuter , as if there were no pope , till a general councel had determin'd that controversy . mean while the queen on the th of november was deliver'd of a son , who was call'd ferdinand , exceeded all the princes , his contemporaries in greatness of spirit , and good fortune , and at length came to be king of aragon . a great number of benedictine monks came to the cortes , complaining that the noble men who were their patrons did them signal wrongs , whereupon it was order'd that the king alone should be their protector , which lasted during his reign . d. peter de luna was one of the cardinals that favour'd clement , who at the beginning of the year , sent him as his legate into spain , to draw those kings to his party . in aragon he effected nothing , but in castile the cortes which had been adjourn'd to salamanca , on the th of may , acknowledg'd pope clement who resided at aivignon . the interest of france sway'd more with them , than equity and justice . many look'd upon it as a judgment for this wrongful decree , that queen joanna the king's mother a most pious woman and of so great charity , that she was call'd the mother of the poor , dy'd soon after . during her widowhood she wore the habit of a nun , and was bury'd with it at toledo near her husband henry . chap. iii. charles duke of durazzo crown'd king of naples . the war with portugal . peace concluded . the king of portugal dies . actions of the aragonians and catalonians in greece : and of the former in sardinia . charles duke of durazzo call'd by pope vrban , came out of hungary into italy . the florentines gave him a great summ of mony that he might not enter tuscany in warlike manner . at rome the pope gave him the title of senator of that city , and crown'd him king of naples . all things succeeded better than he had expected , for all places even the city of naples , receiv'd him joyfully . the queen fortify'd herself in castel nuovo . otho her husband was defeated and taken , whereupon she deliver'd her self up to the victor . soon after she was hang'd in the same place , where she had strangl'd her husband andreasso . otho was set at liberty . thus pope vrban was successful . the duke of anjou had enter'd italy , with a powerful army , but he dy'd in apulia . prince luis of navarre , and the new king charles had married two sisters , but that prince was not with him in this expedition , being ingag'd in a war for recovering of athens and neopatria , on the account of the antient title the kings of naple had to those dominions . the chief of that country being descended from catalonia , ceas'd not to invite the king of aragon to take possession of those dutchies , as at last he did . a new storm broke out betwixt castile and portugal , which reduc'd the country to great streights , and put king john in danger of losing his kingdom . the english and portugueses entred into a league , and joyn'd their forces against castile . the english pretended a right to the crown of castile , because the duke of lancaster had marry'd the eldest daughter of king peter , and the king of portugal was not pleas'd to see his title laid aside . besides , he look'd upon john as an excommunicated person , for adhering to clement , whereas portugal was for pope vrban . alonso earl of gijon laid hold of this opportunity to mutiny . king john hasten'd to oviodo , the capital city of asturias to reduce him , and at the same time order'd levies to be made , and a fleet equip'd against portugal . the earl easily submitted , but whether sincerely will appear hereafter . the rendezyouz of the army was appointed at simancas . assoon as all things were in readiness , the king repair'd thither , march'd directly into portugal , and laid siege to almeyda , a town not far from badajoz . the place being strong and bravely defended , the siege went on slowly . at sea galleys of castile met with of portugal . they fought and the castilians obtain'd a memorable victory , taking of the enemies galleys , and in them their admiral d. alonso telez earl of barcelos . this victory had been more advantagious , if well prosecuted , but the admiral of castile fernan sanchez de tovar satisfy'd with what he had done , return'd to castile , which gave the portugueses time to recover themselves , and the english fleet to come to lisbon , which was the greatest damage . nevertheless , king john encourag'd by that success , sent a formal challenge to the enemy by a herauld , offering as soon as almeyda were taken , to advance two days march to meet him . the english being hot and resolute were for fighting , but they wanted horse , having brought none in the fleet , and it being difficult to raise them in portugal . therefore the herauld contrary to justice , was secur'd . winter drawing on , the king of castile withdrew without doing any thing of moment , but resolving to return with a greater power at the beginning of the spring , of the following year . the earl of gijon again rebell'd , and fled to bragança , but his friends forsaking him , and the marques de villena interposing , he again submitted , and was the second time pardon'd by the king. the marques for his good service , was created constable , an honour new in castile , tho long us'd in other countries . fernan alvarez de toledo , and peter ruiz sarmiento , were made mareschals , equal to our major-generals . winter being spent , the randezvous was again appointed at simancas , that country being plentiful to supply the army . as soon as all was in a readyness , the king set out for badajoz , being inform'd that the enemy design'd to invade castile that way , and were already advanc'd as far as elvas , which is but three leagues from badajoz . the portugues forces were horse , and a great number of foot ; the english horse , and as many archers . in the army of castile , were horse , and a much greater number of foot , all old soldiers and eager to fight . yet the king of castile rather than put all to the hazard of a battel , thought good to make overtures of peace . d. alonso de castro was sent to make the proposals . the english were inclinable to harken to peace , being sorry , they had undertaken a trouble some war so far from home , notwithstanding their title to castile , and that the king of portugal offer'd to marry his daughter beatrix , the heiress of that crown , to edward the son of edmund earl of cambridge . a treaty being set afoot , the following articles were agreed upon . that beatrix the daughter of portugal should be contracted to ferdinand , younger son to the king of castile , that so portugal might not be united to castile . that the prisoners and galleys taken in the sea fight should be restor'd to the portugues . that the king of castile should furnish the english with a fleet to return home . these were hard terms for the king of castile , but the desire of peace overcame all difficulties , and he gave hostages for the performance of those conditions . thus the battel was prevented , and the war ended . the joy conceiv'd , for this peace was interrupted by the death of some eminent persons . king john return'd to the kingdom of toledo , and lay sick at cuellar , when his wife queen ellenor dy'd in childbed of a daughter that liv'd not long . her body was buried in the royal chappel at toledo . her death mov'd the king of portugal to alter the first article of the late treaty , and he sent to offer his daughter to the king , thinking by that means to secure the succession of the crown of portugal , it being tedious to expect , till prince ferdinand were grown up . they easily agreed , and one of the articles was that in case king ferdinand dy'd , the queen dowager should govern portugal , till the princess had a child of age. the city elvas was the place appointed for the marriage . these things happen'd in spain , about the end of the year . at the same time in greece the aragonians and navarrois were at war , about the dutchess of athens and neopatria . philip dalmao , viscount rocaberti , admiral of the aragonian fleet , subdu'd those dominions , for he expell'd the navarrois , put garrisons of his own into the towns , leaving romanus de villanucva , governour and return'd home himself . sicily was also in confusion , for artal de alagon , count de mistreta being a man of great power , would marry the queen to his own liking , and bestow the crown on whom he pleas'd . to this purpose he call'd out of lombardy , john galeazzo who was not yet duke of milan , but he would not go because the aragonians had taken his fleet in the port of pisa some time before . the nobility of sicily were offended that d. artal should pretend to the whole power of government . william raymund de moncada , having communicated his design to the king of aragon , enter'd catanca , seiz'd the queen , and convey'd her away to augusta , a strong fort of his own , on the sea shore , into which he had put a good garrison of catalonians , sent him by the king under the command of roger de moncada . d. artal seeing himself disappointed , lay'd siege to augusta . dalmao in his return out of greece , touch'd in sicily , and understanding how affairs stood , forc'd the enemy to raise the siege , and convey'd the queen safe into spain . the queen afterwards marry'd in aragon , and by that means the kingdoms of aragon and sicily were united with a stronger and more lasting band than they had been before . charles the heir of navarre was still detain'd a prisoner in france . the king of castile interceding for him , he was set at liberty , which 〈…〉 oblig'd him , that he ever continu'd firm to the interest of castile . he came to 〈◊〉 at the beginning of the year , and was receiv'd with joy. his father grown old corrected his course of life . the marriage of the king of castile , with the princess of portugal was solemniz'd with great pomp , at the place appointed . her father could not be present being then sick. d. alonso earl of gijon again rais'd uproars in asturias . some forces were sent which easily reduc'd him to his duty , and the king went to hold the 〈◊〉 at segovia , where nothing memorable was done , but altering the common account , as had been done before at valencia , of reckoning from the aera of cesar to begin at the birth of our saviour on the th of october after a languishing sicknels , ferdinand king of portugal dy'd at lisbon . he liv'd years , months , and days , and reign'd years , months , and days , and may be reckon'd among the good princes for his meekness , learning , and sweetness of temper . his body was bury'd in the monasters of franciscans of santarem , near to his mother queen constance . sardinia was not yet free from tumults . hugh arborea , son to marianus aim'd as well as his father at a crown , but being of a cruel and haughty temper , was murder'd by his own people . it was hop'd his death would put an end to those troubles : therefore brancalcon doria , who had serv'd the king faithfully repair'd to aragon to regulate the affairs of the island , but was secur'd because his wife ellenor arborea , a masculin woman attempted by force of arms to revenge her brother's death , and recover her father's estate , and took several strong holds . her husband brancalcon was carry'd under a strong guard to pacify her , but could not prevail , wherefore he was long in custody at caller , and the interest of aragon went down the wind , the king being wholly taken up with other cares which touch'd him nearer . chap. iv. portugal full of divisions about the succession to the crown . king john of castile having been proclaim'd at lisbon , enters that kingdom , has many places deliver'd to him , besieges lisbon , but is forc'd to raise the siege , and return to castile . the king of portugal's death was the cause of bloody wars betwixt that crown and castile . the people would not hear of submitting to a stranger ; all were for electing a king of their own . a meeting of the nobility was held at lisbon , but nothing concluded . some of the great ones underhand invited king john of castile to take possession of the kingdom . among these was d. john , the master of avis , who dealt subtilly because he had not yet gain'd the affections of the people . time was spent in castile consulting the affair till the opportunity was lost never to be recover'd . at last it was decreed the king should go before in peaceable manner , and the army follow to subdue , if there were occasion , such as offer'd to oppose him . the bishop of guardia , which is on the borders of portugal , offer'd to deliver up that city to the king. before he set out upon this expedition it was requisite to put a stop to the wicked designs of some men in castile . d. john , brother to the late king of portugal , who had fled to castile , was imprison'd at toledo for no other crime but because he might pretend a right to that crown , being brother to the late king. the earl of gijon was secur'd in the castle of montalvan , because after he had been pardon'd so often he still kept correspondence with the portugueses . all his estate was consiscated , and he left in charge with the arch-bishop of toledo , who kept him long at almonaçir , three leagues from that city . this done the king and queen went to plasencia , and thence set out for portugal . the clergy of guardia , as had been promis'd by the bishop , came out to meet them with crosses , wishing them joy of their accession to that crown . the governour of the castle held out , not knowing what party to take . before the king 's coming he was proclaim'd at lisbon through the persuasions of d. henry emanuel , earl of sintra , and uncle to the late king ferdinand . ellenor the queen dowager consented to it , knowing her self too weak to oppose the designs of the great ones . yet the people began to be divided , and many lives were lost . the first kill'd was the count john fernandez de andeyro , whom the master of avis stabb'd in the very palace . the popular fury stopp'd not here for they murder'd d. martin bishop of lisbon , in the tower of the cathedral , whither he fled for sanctuary , only because he was a castilian , and seem'd to favour king john. the queen fearing some outrage with the consent of the master of avis , withdrew from lisbon to santarem . only passion and madness seem'd now to reign . the master of avis was handsome , generous , familiar , and had many other good qualities which seem'd to make amends for the fault in his birth . on the other side king john , tho mild unless provok'd , was reserv'd and of few words , so that tho some places submitted to him upon his first coming , he gain'd not the affections of the portugueses , who expect to be familiarly treated by their kings . at the beginning of the year , the king went from guardia to santarem to visit the queen dewager his mother in law , and consult with her what method was to be taken . with him went horse ; a sufficient number in time of peace , but too small to quell rebels . the governours of the kingdom of toledo ceas'd not to make new levies , and send them towards fortugal . the greatest want was of mony , the treasury and country being exhausted with the last wars . they therefore took to the value of marks of silver out of the treasury of the church of our blessed lady of guadalupe , which the people look'd upon as an ill omen , 〈…〉 war began with sacriledge . charles prince of navarre , that he might not be thought ungrateful was gathering a good body of men to assist king john. the king of aragon thought it safest to look on . in portugal after much consultation it was resolv'd the queen dowager should resign the government of the kingdom to the king her son in law. this which was look'd upon as the means to appease the people , provok'd them the more to mutiny . they hated the government of castile , and upbraided the queen with parjury , and breach of trust ; yet many of the nobles who had much to lose , were concern'd at these confusions , and favour'd king john. these were henry emanuel , earl of sintra , john texeda who had been lord chancellor , d. peter pereyra , grand prior of portugal , who was afterwards master of calatrava in castile , and his two brothers james and ferdinand , with many more . besides these many of the commonalty , especially in the province between the rivers duero and minho , where one lope de leyra , born in galicia was governour . alonso pimentel deliver'd up bragança , he being governour there . john portocarrero and alonso de silva did the same by other places , where they commanded . thus far the pretensions of castile went on successfully , and it was thought the whole kingdom united , could not oppose them , much less being divided . but their hopes soon vanish'd . d. john brother to the late king being detain'd prisoner in castile , the people fixt their eyes upon the master of avis , bastard son to king ferdinand . he laying hold of the opportunity , offer'd to expose himself for his country . yet the people at that time did no more but name d. john that was prisoner in castile their governour . the more to incense the people , he was painted upon their colours in irons . the command of the army was given to the master of avis . they said queen ellenor was not lawfully marry'd to the king , and therefore queen beatvix was a bastard . this was done in lisbon which had declar'd against castile , and was supported by many of the nobility , particularly by nun̄o alvarez pereyra , son to the grand prior , tho his brothers sided with castile . this gentleman was the founder of the house of bragança , the most powerful in portugal . nun̄o pereyra was sent with a body of men to wast are frontiers of castile . some forces sent by king john to oppose him were routed with great slaughter , and much greater disgrace . d. gonçalo , brother to the queen dowager , was in coimbra with a good garrison . thither king john went with the two queens , believing he would have receiv'd him , but was disappointed . this was the more grievous to king john , for that peter , earl of trastamara , son to d. frederick deserted from him , and fled to that city . it was suspected that queen ellenor weary of favouring castile , knew of his flight . therefore the king sent her to tordesillas in castile with a great retinue , where she afterwards dy'd . she lies bury'd at valladolid , in the cloister of the mercenarians . this done a council of war was held about besieging lisbon the metropolis of the kingdom , whither the principal people were withdrawn , with the best of their goods . opinions vary'd . some were for dividing the army , and securing the country . others said all would be easy lisbon once taken . this advice prevail'd , and the army march'd to the siege . by the way they wasted the country , burnt the villages , drove the cattle , and took several towns. they incamp'd and intrench'd themselves before that part of the city , where now is the monastery of all saints . to secure the sea as well as the land , galleys , and ships came from sevil , and anchor'd before the city , to hinder any resort of provisions , which soon grew scarce , for the multitude of the besieg'd was great . to remedy this want galleys , and ships came from porto , which with the help of the wind and tide , tho they lost ships , supply'd the distress'd city . this relief chang'd the face of affairs , for autumn coming on , the army in the field sicken'd and therefore king john made some overtures of peace . peter fernandez de velasco , for the castilians and the master of avis for the portugueses were commission'd to treat . the master of avis positively affirm'd they would accept of no conditions unless he were left to govern the kingdom till such time as queen beatrix had a son of age to take the administration upon him . this he would not depart from having , already conceiv'd some hopes of obtaining the crown for himself . sickness dally increas'd , and many men of note dy'd , of the common sort perish'd in one day . this made the great men waver , and grow weary of that unfortunate war. they wish'd for any manner of composition , and at length the mortality was so great , that the siege was rais'd with much loss and dishonour , and the army march'd away . james sarmiento was made marshal de camp in the place of his brother deceas'd , and had the government of santarem given him . other officers were put into garrisons about the country , the king designing to recruit his army , and return as soon as possible . this done the fleet and army mov'd towards sevil. much harm might have been done them , had the besieg'd pursu'd , but they were glad to be rid of them at any rate . processions were made at lisbon , and throughout the kingdom for this deliverance . at this time the king of aragon shew'd no kindness to his two sons by the first wife , the princes john and martin . the blame was laid upon the mother in law , but prince john had offended his father by marrying privately the lady violante , daughter to the duke of berri , not regarding the queen of sicily , which was much the better match . the king vented his passion upon john earl of ampurias , in whose dominions , and under whose protection they were marry'd , for as soon as his son return'd home and was pardon'd , he seiz'd the greatest part of the earl's estate . the earl himself fled by sea to avignon , resolving to make use of the forces of his friends for recovering of his dominions . chap. v. john the bastard , master of avis proclaim'd king of portugal . king john of castile sends his fleet , then enters portugal himself with an army . the famous battle of aljubarrota , and rout of the castilians . at the beginning of the year , the king of castile was employ'd in raising land-forces , and had fitted a fleet of galleys , and ships . yet all things went on slowly , because he fell sick , and was in danger of death , yet as soon as recover'd he forwarded all preparations . news was brought that the garrison of santarem had taken the master of 〈◊〉 , and grand prior of s. john , but this prov'd false , and the joy conceiv'd was turn into sorrow , for it was certainly known that the portugueses in coimbra had proclaim'd the master of avis king , which was engaging themselves so far , that there was no way to go back again . the chief of the rebels in that city had consulted together , and agreed it was absolutely necessary to choose them a head , and that for the greater authority he ought to be declar'd king. some thought this too bold an attempt , and were against excluding queen beatrix , whose right it was , or so far provoking the anger of castile . others favour'd prince john , tho then a prisoner at toledo , but this was wholly rejected , he being in no condition to assist them . therefore they all voted for the master of avis who was present , and proclaim'd him king on the th of april , at the monastery of st. francis in coimbra , where that consultation was held . all that were present , even those that had before oppos'd it kiss'd his hand , and did homage to him to express their zeal . prophesies were then invented to justify their choice , and they gave out , that at the beginning of these troubles , a child in the cradle had three times with a loud voice cry'd out , d. john king of portugal . which they attributed to the master of avis , for men are apt to fancy every thing as they would have it . from that day the portugueses despairing of pardon , became more resolute and bold . the province between the rivers , duero and min̄o , soon declar'd for the new king. this joy was somewhat abated by the arrival of the fleet of castile , on the coast of portugal , which meeting no body to oppose it ravag'd all the sea coasts . the king of castile was at cordova , and thence at the beginning of summer sent his queen to avila , since she could be no longer useful , her subjects having wholly cast her off . about the beginning of july d. peter tenorio , archbishop of toledo made an incursion into the country of viseo , destroying all the country , and sparing neither sex nor age , but at their return they were met with and overthrown by the portugueses . many other encounters happen'd with various success , but all prov'd ruinous to the natives , for both parties liv'd at discretion . the army of castile randevouz'd at guidad rodrigo , when the summer was well advanc'd . only prince charles , son to the king of navarre , was expected with a good body of men. a council of war being held , the wiser sort were against fighting , and only for wasting the country , and wearying out the rebels : but their opinion prevail'd , who being young were hottest , and magnify'd the strength of castile , despising the enemy , as a raw and undisciplined rabble , and therefore were for putting an end speedily to the war. this advice the king follow'd , tho the other was the safest . the castilians were overseen in many things , and they ought at least to have expected the succours that the prince of navarre was to bring . having fix'd this resolution they enter'd that part of portugal call'd be●ra , and took cillorico . thence they advanc'd and burnt the suburbs of coimbra , and attempted to take leyria , which held for queen ellenor . during the siege of cillorico , the king being unhealthy , and considering the danger of the war , made his will upon the st of july . in it he ordain'd that the lordships of biscay and molina his mother's inheritance should for ever be annex'd to the crown , and belong to the eldest sons of the kings of castile . he appointed tutors for his son and heir henry , and governours of the kingdom during his minority . the queen his mother in law , the princes john and denis of portugal , the children of king peter , and son of d. ferdinand de castre , who were all prisoners in castile , he order'd should have justice done them . the shortness of his life gave not leasure to make it known , whether he design'd to put to death or release them . many other things he ordained in his will , which being made without deliberation was the cause of many troubles and confusions . the portugues army was advanc'd to tomar with a resolution to try their fortune . the castilians march'd to meet them . they discover'd one another about the mid-way , and there intrench'd themselves . the portugueses were in a narrow place , having a plain on the front , and deep morasses on each side , which secur'd their flanks , they were horse , and foot. the castilians being much more numerous encamp'd in an open plain about a league and half from them , and being confident of their strength , advanc'd and offer'd battol on the eve of the assumption . the king of castile led the main battel , and some of the nobles the wings , which in the time of need were useless by season of the streightness of the ground . d. gonzalo nun̄ez de guzman , with a body of 〈◊〉 was order'd through . by ways to fall upon the enemies rear , that none might escape being taken or kill'd . the portugueses kept their ground because it was advantagious , and drew their army into two bodies . nun̄o alvarez pereyra created constable by the new king , led the van , the main body the king himself headed . both parties advanc'd somewhat , but the portugueses not above a stones throw , to avoid coming out to the plain . then the new constable demanded a conference , at it were to make some overtures of peace , but tho some men of note were sent to him they only spent time in fruitless debates . mean while the castilian commanders consulted whether it were better to give battel or delay it till the next day . the more prudent were against attacking the enemy in that advantagious post , but the younger sort thought they had got them in a pound whence none could escape . john de rio the french embassador being ask'd his opinion , earnestly disswaded giving battel , and the king was inclinable to take his advice , when some young noblemen without expecting the signal furiously charg'd the enemy , then the others rather than leave them in the danger advanc'd . first the darts and arrows flew , then they came to their swords , and the horse and foot fought desperately mixt without any order . every man stood his ground , resolving to kill or be kill'd . the king of castile by reason of his indisposition was carry'd about upon mens shoulders , and thence encourag'd his men. the first body of the enemy began to give way and was ready to fly , when their new king advanc'd with his party , loudly calling upon the souldiers and encouraging them . thus animated they rally'd , and the fortune of the day was soon chang'd . the castilian commanders were slain in their king's sight , without turning their backs , and great numbers of souldiers were slaughter'd being depriv'd of their officers . the king fearing to fall into the enemy's hands mounted on horseback and fled , the rest follow'd his example . men were slain , and among them many of great quality , as two cousin germans of the king , the lieutenant of castile , the admiral , a marshal de camp , and the french embassador . night which came on soon after the fight , sav'd ●any . some of these joyned the body commanded by the master of alcantara , which notwithstanding the rout held together . others went to meet charles , son to the king of navarre ; who had enter'd portugal another way , but came too late for the fight . the greatest numour having lost their arms fled into castile . it was no cheap victory to the portuguesess , there are those who write they lost men. the king of castile , fear being more prodominant than his weakness , travell'd all night , without stopping till he came to santarem , which was leagues distant . thence he went down the river tagus in a boat , and getting aboard his fleet which lay before lisbon , sail'd away for sevil. thither he came cover'd with mourning which he wore some years . that city receiv'd him with joy and tears mixt , lamenting that great loss , but glad their king had escap'd the danger . this is the memorable fight in which the portugueses triumph'd over the power of castile , and was call'd of aljubarrota , because fought near the village of that name a place only famous for this overthrow . this day was kept every year by the portugueses as a holy day , and the preachers from the pulpits extoll'd the valour of their nation , reproaching the cowardize of the castilians with language misbecoming that place , the people resorting to hear them as it had been to a play. after the victory all portugal submitted to the conqueror . sant arem , braganca , and all other places surrender'd , and thus the new king secur'd to his posterity the crown he had wrongfully obtain'd . at this time the king of aragon was very ill at figueras , he was worn with age and troubles . as soon as recover'd he shew'd himself dissatisfy'd with his son prince john. the people laid the blame upon the queen , saying she had bewitch'd the king. prince john in discontent withdrew from court , and call'd the earl of ampurias , who had been outed his estate , with forces from france to his assistance . for this reason the king depriv'd him of the vicarship of the kingdom , an honour peculiar to the eldest son of those kings . in aragon , as has been said heretofore , they have a magistrate call'd the justice of aragon , who is a sort of moderator betwixt the king and the people in the nature of the roman tribunes of the people . to him the prince had recourse to support him against the wrongs offer'd him by his father openly , and by the queen under hand . that justice supported him in the possession of his employment , as having been arbitrarily depos'd , till the case were brought to judgment . the debate began this year and was ended the next ensuing . let us see what happen'd in castile and portugal after that memorable battel . chap. vi. the portugueses make an inroad into castile , and defeat a body of castilians . the duke of lancaster lands at corunna , and takes several towns. the death of the kings of naples , aragon and navarre . the portugueses resolving to prosecute their victory and make the most of their success , sent a solemn embassy into england to joyn in league with the duke of lancaster , the old pretender to the crown of castile , in right of his wife . whilst that business was in agitation , to avoid lying idle and hinder the enemy from recovering themselves , the new king of portugal travers'd all the country , recovering entirely all that was possess'd by the castilians . his constable nun̄o pereyra , made an incursion into andaluzia pillaging and wasting all that province . peter nun̄ez master of santiago , gonzalo nun̄ez de guzman now master of calatrava , and the earl of niebla , with what forces had escap'd the late rout , went out to meet the portugueses who were less in number , and inclos'd them as it were in a net , near a town call'd valverde . they seeng their danger offer'd to capitulate , but fortune still favour'd them , for at the first onset , the master of santiago's horse , and then he himself was kill'd . his men taking this for an ill omen , drew off , and the portugueses return'd home with a rich booty . nun̄o pereyra the constable , for his good service was by the new king created earl of barcelos . garci fernandez de villagarcia , was by the king of castile made master of santiago , in stead of peter nun̄ez . that king was concern'd how to defend himself against the english . he went away from sevil to valladolid , to hold the cortes or parliament . charles son to the king of navarre , a brave prince and grateful towards his brother-in-law , met him at that city . it was resolv'd to levy greater forces than had been in arms till that time . that all subiects should arm themselves according to their power . that publick prayers should be made to appease god. that foreign succours should be procur'd , as well of mony as men , for there was great scarcity of it . france was judg'd the most likely place to find relief , and a solemn embassy was sent thither . the embassadors having laid down the miserable condition of their king ; made humble suit for assistance , and all the nobles of france unanimously agreed the king ought to be supported . it was resolv'd horse should be sent into castile , under luis de bourbon the king's uncle by the mothers side , and florines for their pay . they promis'd if this relief prov'd too small that the king himself would march in person , with all the power of france , and esponse the quarrel of castile . pope clement from avignon , wrote a letter to king john comforting him in his adversity . peter earl of trastamara the king's cousin , who deserted from his army to coimbra , and thence went over into france , being pardon'd return'd now into castile . these helps were small , but the slowness of the english prov'd the safety of castile . the king of portugal besieg'd coria , but could not take it because some fresh forces got into it , therefore he return'd home with much booty . the corses met again at segovia , in order to lay taxes for raising of mony. here the king publish'd a manifesto to prove his title to the crown against the duke of lancaster : but what just title could the son of a bastard have , where there were so many of the true line living ? the duke of lancaster accepted of the offers made by the portugues . he endeavour'd to obtain passage through aragon , and the king of castile to hinder it . both parties sent their embassadors to that king upon this account . passage being refus'd , the duke came over from england into spain by sea , and landed at coruna , on the th of july . in that port he took galleys of castile . fernan perez de andrada governour of the town , defended it with such bravery , it was not taken . the english were only horse , and the like number of expert archers , a small body , but might have done great harm , had they immediately joyn'd the portugueses . the time they lost before corun̄a gave a great advantage to their enemies : nevertheless , they took several towns in galicia , and even the city of santiago the metropolis of that kingdom . some men of note of that country went over to the english . the duke of laucaster at length sail'd for portugal , and anchor'd at the mouth of the river duero . the king and duke met at porto . with the duke came his wife constance , his daughter catherine , and philippa and elizabeth , two daughters by his first wife . it was resolv'd they should joyn their forces . that the duke should have the kingdom of castile , and the portugues certain cities and towns. they agree'd the new king should marry the dukes daughter philippa , in case the pope would dispense with his vow of chastity , as master of avis . the king of castile was at zamora making preparations to defend himself , and gathering the forces that came from france and castile , he publish'd an edict by which all were ennobl'd who should serve two months with horse and arms at their own cost and charge , d. john garcia manrique arch-bishop of sevil , was sent with a good body of men to secure leon. all things succeeded better than was expected . the third part of the english not us'd to that climate was consum'd by sickness . besides , many ranging the country disorderly , were cut off by the boors . thus nothing remarkable was done that summer , only some messages pass'd betwixt the kings . the duke sent to challenge the king of castile , and require him to resign up that crown to him . the king also sent persons of note to justify his title , but underhand to propose a match betwixt his son and heir henry , and the dukes daughter by the lady constance . this proposal was no way displeasing to the duke , yet in publick he answer'd , he would hear of no terms but delivering up the kingdom . near about this time , tho far remote as to place dy'd three kings . on the th of june , charles king of naples was kill'd in hungary , his head being cloven with a partesan . on the first of january following , which began the year . charles the iid . king of navarre ended his days at pamplona . some say it was the year before : his body was buried in the cathedral of that city . four days after peter the ivth . king of aragon , departed this life at barcelona . he liv'd years , and reign'd , wanting days . of stature he was small , not healthy , very quick , a great lover of honour , and of making a show of majesty , in so much that he was call'd peter the ceremonious . he maintain'd war against powerful princes , without foreign aids only by his own valour and conduct , was a lover of learned men and particularly addicted to astrology and chimistry . his body was first bury'd at barcelona , and thence translated to poplete , as he had ordain'd . charles king of naples upon the death of luis king of hungary , had that crown offer'd him by the nobility ; he went thither and being entertain'd at dinner by the queen , was murder'd by her order . he left a son and a daughter , which were ladislaus and joanna , they both reigned in naples . successively , and the one being a child , the other unfit for government , they were the cause of bloody wars in italy . the king of navarre had long been troubled with a leaprousy . it was commonly reported he was burnt to death , for that by the advice of phisitians , he us'd to be wrap'd in cloaths dip'd in brimstone , on which a spark of fire accidentally falling , is said to have consumed the bed and him. this was the more easily believed , because he was cruel , covetous , and lascivious . joanna his youngest daughter was married to john de montforte duke of britany , who had by her four sons , and three daughters . charles the son of him deceased , friend and brother-in-law to the king of castile , inherited the crown of navarre . he return'd out of castile , and in the cortes caus'd pope clement to be own'd , as had been done in castile , for till then navarre as well as aragon had stood neuter . this was thought to be done , rather to please the french and castilians , than out of respect to justice . the king of castile to oblige the new king withdrew his garrisons out of several . towns in navarre , which he held by contract , and forgave him a great summ of mony his father ow'd . thus the new king was encourag'd to attempt the recovery of many towns taken from his father in normandy , by the french and english , and sent embassadors to them accordingly . this king was mild , liberal and generous , whence he came to be call'd the noble . by his wife the lady ellenor , he had the princesses joanna , mary , blanch , beatrix and elizabeth ; his sons charles and luis died young. illegitimate , godfrey marques of cortes , the founder of that family , and joanna marry'd to in̄igo de zuniga . in aragon king john was crown'd , after the death of his father . he was a meek prince if not provok'd . he could not be present at the enterment of his father , being then sick at girona , nor attend the government then in confusion , the queen dowager , her brother , and many men of note being imprison'd , they endeavour'd to fly for fear of the new king. the queen was accus'd by a jew , of having given her husband some bewitching potion ; severals were tortur'd and put to death , on this account , and the queen condemn'd to the wrack , but it was not put in execution , yet all her estate was seiz'd , and she only allow'd a pension to live on the first thing the king did , was the submitting his kingdom to pope clement , as castile and navarre had done before . john earl of ampurias being at barcelona , in hopes to be rewarded for his services to the new king , while prince , was cast into prison upon pretence that he had call'd in the french , to recover his estate . d. ximeno peres de arenos the king's lord chamberlain , was sent to compose the affairs of sardinia . he agreed with the lady ellenor arborea , in behalf of her son marianus , whom she had by her husband brancaleon doria. that the judicature of arborea should remain to them and their heirs . that for other towns they pretended right to they should be left to arbitration . that all places taken during the war , should be restor'd . both parties having sign'd these articles , the war ceas'd . chap. vii . peace concluded with the english . the heir of castile in imitation of the prince of wales in england , is created prince of asturias . a truce with portugal and the moors . king john of castile kill'd by a fall from his horse . the treaty of peace with the english was still afoot , and yet the war was vigorously prosecuted . english horse and as many archers , for the rest were consum'd with sickness , sat down before benavente , whith them portuguese horse , and foot. alvaro osoiro the governour , defended the place bravely , and did the enemy some harm . the king of castile was unwilling to hazard a battel , which gave the enemy the opportunity of taking some towns in that neighbourhood . yet their loss was greater than the advantage , they could propose to themselves , for the flague rag'd among the foreigners , and famine consum'd them all . therefore after two months spent in the siege , they return'd into portugal . the treaty of peace drew near to a conclusion , therefore the king of castile sent back the succours , that came to him from france . he also sent embassadors to the duke of lancaster , with power to conclude . the duke was at trancoso , a town in portugal , there he receiv'd the embassadors . the articles agreed upon were , that the king's son and duke's daughter should immediately be contracted . that the bride by way of joynture should have soria , atiença , almaçan , and molina . that the dutchess her mother should have gaudalajara , medina del campo and olmedo . that the duke should have florines paid him at certain times appointed , and yearly during his life , and the life of his wife constance . these are the heads of that agreement . the king of portugal storm'd , not thinking himself secure as long as he of castile reign'd . on the other side , the duke complain'd that the king had consummated the marriage with his daughter , before the dispensation came , and therefore from porto , sail'd directly for bayonne in france . upon his departure , the towns in galicia that held for the english , submitted to their king , as did the gentry that sided with them , having obtain'd pardon . the king of castile commonly resided at salamanca or toro , to be at hand upon all occasions . he sent embassadors to bayonne , to ratify what had been concluded . the greatest difficulty lay in raising the mony to pay the duke of lancaster . to this intent the cortes met at briviesca , about the beginning of the year . to oblige his subjects the king granted all their requests . it was design'd to lay the tax upon estates , without exempting the nobility or clergy , but the great ones opposing it , as a breach of privilege , other methods were found out . after the cortes broke up , the kings of castile and navarre met first at calahorra , then at navarrets , where they renew'd their antient friendship . queen ellenor bore her husband company , and with his consent stay'd in castile to try whether her country air could cure her , as she pretended , but in reality to be parted from him , as afterwards appear'd . after this interview the king of castile appointed the city of palencia , for the cortes to meet , because the plague was still at burgos . here his son was with great pomp marry'd to the duke of lancaster's daughter . their ages were not answerable , the prince being but years of age , the lady catharine . the eldest sons of the kings of england , are call'd princes of wales . in imitation of them , the king of castile created his son prince of asturias , and gave him the lordships of bijar and andujar , which custom has continu'd to our days , and so we shall hereafter call the heir of the crown . the chief thing done at the cortes , was setling how the mony for the duke of lancaster should be rais'd . that done , and peace concluded , constance the dutchess , king peter's daughter laying aside the title of queen , came in august to medina del campo , to see the king , who entertain'd her nobly , and gave her the city huete . betwixt the king and the duke rich presents pass'd , particularly , the duke sent the king a very curious crown of gold. the dutchess went to guadalajara , and took possession of that place , about the beginning of the year : the king stay'd at madrid , thither came embassadors to him from the duke of lancaster , desiring they might meet on the borders of guienne and biscay . he set out in order to it , but fell sick by the way at burgos , yet went on as far as victoria , where he took leave of the dutchess , sending some persons of note to bear her company , and excuse him to her husband , on account of his indisposition . in reality he fear'd meeting the duke , left he should endeavour to take him off from siding with the french , and he was unwilling to disoblige the duke , or break with france . the duke thus disappointed , communicated his design to the embassadors , who answer'd they had no orders about that affair , and so return'd to victoria . on the th of march as they were digging a foundation in some part of the church of s. engracia , at zaragoça , they found two tombs with inscriptions , the one of s. engracia , the other of s. lupercius . among the articles made with the english there was one , that any of the allyes of either part should be admitted into that treaty . the cortes of castile met at segovia , and sent embassadors to portugal , to try whether that king would come into the league . he puss'd up with success , had resolv'd to continue the war , and invade galicia , yet by the industry of f. ferdinand de illescas , one of the embassadors , he agreed to a truce for months . on the th of october dy'd at rome , pope vrban the vith . in his place the cardinals of that faction , soon chose the cardinal peter tomaçello of naples , who was call'd boniface the ix . no sooner was the term of the truce expir'd , but the portugues sat before tuy , a city in galicia , plundering all the country about it . the king of castile was afraid to hazard a battel , but sent the arch-bishop of toledo , and master of alcantara , to carry relief to the besieg'd . they came when the city was taken , but lost not their labour , for they concluded a truce for years upon condition tuy and all other towns taken , during the war , should be restor'd on both sides . the year was very remarkable in castile for the cortes then assembl'd , and the important affairs in them debated . first the king offer'd to resign the crown to his son the prince , hoping that done , the portugueses would easily admit of his wife's title . neither the nobility nor commons would upon any account consent to it , because the prince was under age. next it was consider'd what should be done with those who during the war , had deserted the king. a general pardon was decreed for all excepting only the earl of gijon , who had often relaps'd , and was still a prisoner , and doubtless the k. if he durst , would have made an end of them . it was enacted that the kingdom should furnish a sufficient sum of mony to pay the standing forces , which then us'd to live upon discretion , and ruin the farmers . to this purpose a reform of the troops was made , so that only men at arms , light horse , and archers were left on foot , who were to be ready upon all occasions , and live upon their pay. all subjects were forbid serving any foreign prince , which was afterwards strictly observ'd . the popes us'd to give benefices in spain to foreigners , whence it follow'd that those benefices were not serv'd , and the natives wholly neglected learning . it was therefore made a request to pope clement , that he would remedy that abuse . besides the great men in the times of confusion had seiz'd the church-livings , and put in such priests as they pleas'd , allowing them small stipends , and kept to themselves all the rest of the profits . the bishops of burgos and calahorra , who were most concern'd sought for redress , and the king favour'd them , but seeing those great men concern'd oppos'd it , he would proceed no farther , fearing to disoblige them more than he had done by a decree which allow'd all vassals of lords to appeal from their courts to the king 's . king henry by his last will had recall'd many grants made during his life , and now the nobles strugl'd to have them put in force again , the king in outward appearance seem'd willing , but he had other thoughts in his heart , as appear'd by his actions . at this same time embassadors came to that city from the kings of granada and navarre . those of navarre demanded that since queen ellenor left in castile for recovery of her health , was now perfectly well , she should return to her husband . the king thought this a just request , and therefore order'd his sister to prepare for her journy . she excus'd her self , alledging the hatred that people bore her , who had endeavour'd to poison her , by the hand of a jabish physician . the king would not force his sister , yet oblig'd her to restore her daughter joanna to her father , since they had no issue-male . thus the king of navarre being forsaken by his wife , was crown'd by himself with much pomp in the cathedral of pamplona . he was anointed , lifted upon mens shoulders , and all there present saluted him king. from the moorish king came the governour of malaga embassador to castile , to renew the truce then ready to expire , which was granted him , he bringing great presents of horses , furniture , and rich cloth. this truce was sign'd by the kings and their eldest sons . d. peter tenorio , archbishop of toledo , at his own cost built a beautiful bridge over the river tagus at that city , which to this day is call'd the archbishop's bridge . near the bridge were some few houses or cottages , and the king pleas'd with that seat to encourage people to live there , granted a charter of priviledges , and call'd it villa-franca . to prince ferdinand his younger son , besides the lordship of lara which was his already , he gave the town of fen̄afiel , with the title of duke . in token of this dignity a plain crown was put upon his head without flowers , to distinguish it from the regal . his arms were those of castile and aragon quarter'd by way of distinction from the prince , and because he was descended from both those houses . the cortes held at guadalajara broke up when the summer was well advanc'd . in june the truce with portugal for years was concluded . the power of portugal daily increas'd , and they adher'd firmly to the popes of rome . therefore boniface the ixth who , as has been said , succeeded vrban , made lisbon a metropolitan see. segovia is a city seated on the mountains that part old and new castile , its chief support is the woollen-manufacture . winter there is very sharp by reason of the mountains , the summer temperate , the hills being always cover'd with snow . there the king resolv'd to spend the summer , and by the way to see the monastery of paular , which he was building at rascasria , not far from that city , and is the beautifullest the carthusians this day possess in spain . at valladolid he gave to the benedictine monks the old-palace to convert it into a convent , where they now hold their general chapters . besides he had before given the church of guadalupe then possess'd by secular priests , to the hieronimites . these are three monuments of this king's piety , besides certain religious laws which he establish'd . particularly at the cortes at briviesca , three years before this he forbid bringing out the cross at the reception of kings , and weaving it on carpets or other things where it might be trod upon . summer expiring he sent the prince and princess to talavera , he himself went to alcala designing for andaluzia to regulate some disorders there . christian souldiers who had serv'd the king of morocco , and were call'd farfanes came to alcala . these were expert in the moorish manner of exercise , which those people perform dexterously on horseback . the king upon sunday the th of october went out to see these men exercise . he was mounted on a mettlesom horse , and having a mind to gallop some way clapt spurs to him , he ran into the plow'd lands , and stumbling in the furrows came down with such violence that he kill'd the king. he liv'd only years , and reign'd years , months , and days . to stir up his subjects to honourable emulation , he invented an order , or brotherhood , who were to wear a collar of gold , with a pidgeon hanging at it , and instituted rules for this order ; but death put an end to this , and all other his contrivances . chap. viii . john king of aragon upon complaint of his subjects complies with their demands . irruptions of the french into aragon . henry the iiid proclaim'd king of castile . the form of government appointed there during his minority . john the first , the new king of aragon acted nothing like his father , who was an active man , warlike and ambitious of enlarging his dominions . king john was meek and affable , unless provok'd , more inclin'd to his ease than warlike affairs . he lov'd hawking , hunting , musick , and poetry , and all things that represent grandeur , so that the revenue was too small for his expence . the queen was in all things like her husband , so that the court was full of foosting , balls and pleasure . great rewards were given to poets , and so fond was the king of them , that he sent an embassy into france only to have some choice ones sent him . the nobility of aragon offended at the king's extravagancy , met at calasanz , at the same time the cortes sat at monçon . they sent their complaints in writing to the cortes , which where chiefly the extraordinary expences , the lewdness of the court , and that the kingdom was govern'd by a woman . this was meant of da. carroça de villaragur favourite to the queen , who entirely rul'd the king. messages pass'd to and fro , and at length the king being of an easy nature , comply'd with their demands , retrench'd his expences , set out proclamations for restraining the disorders of the people , banish'd that lady , and for bid the queen intermedling in the government . thus those discontents were lay'd , when at the same time a war seem'd to threaten from france . bernard de armugnac broke into catalonia with a body of bretons , yet made more noise than he did harm . soon after he was follow'd by his brother the earl of armagnac with greater forces . tomich a catalonian historian writes he had horse ; a falshood which yet shews their number was great . there was no cause to make war , but the desire of robbing . they burnt some towns and farms , and carry'd away a great number of prisoners and cattle . this mischief fell heaviest upon the territories of ampurias and girona . the forces of aragon assembl'd and had several rancounters with them . in one , bernard de cabrera overthrew companies of french near navarre . in another , raymund bages near cavan̄as defeated a good body of them , and took their commander call'd martin . the king set out from girona to oppose them , but they return'd into france by the way of russillon , where they did much harm . the king of aragon had stir'd up arigotte of auvergne to make war upon the lands of armagnac , which mov'd the earl to return to defend his own . luis the son of luis duke of anjou , who dy'd in the conquest of naples , and stil'd himself king of hierusalem and sicily , marry'd violante , the daughter of the king of aragon at barcelona . the end of this match was that the aragonian should assist his son in law in the conquest of naples . d. martin lord of exerica the king of aragon's nephew , as being the son of his brother martin , with the king's consent marry'd mary queen of sicily , the pope also agreeing to it because that kingdom is a feofe of the church . sardinia was again in an uproar , for that brancaleon . doria not regarding the late settlement , and the pardon he had receiv'd , took up arms again at the beginning of the year , on pretence of asserting the peoples liberties . with this specious pretence he drew to his side the genoeses , and many of the islanders , so that he took sacer the capital city of the island , and many other towns and forts . to crush this rebellion the king rais'd men , and set forth a proclamation commanding all that had lands in the island to go over to defend it . at this same time pope clement created martin bishop of pamplona cardinal , who was the first of those prelates that obtained that honour . when king john of castile fell with his horse , as has been said , the arch-bishop of toledo who was by , caus'd a tent to be set up in that place , and guarded with trusty persons concealing the king's death , and sending out several messages in his name . but this fiction could not hold long . the first that resorted to behold this miserable spectacle , was queen beatrix , before despoil'd of her father's kingdom , and now of her husband , being left without any children to be a comfort in her widowhood . prince henry surpriz'd at his father's death , set out from talavera , and stopp'd at madrid with his brother ferdinand . there the arch-bishop caus'd him to be proclaim'd king , he was the third of the name , and commonly call'd the sickly , for his want of health . all the great men of the kingdom flock'd to kiss his hand , and offer their persons and estates . d. alonso de aragon marques de villena dissatisfy'd with the late king , was withdrawn into aragon . he offer'd to return to castile provided he might be restor'd to the office of constable . the king and queen condescended to his request , and yet he came not , being detain'd for certain reasons in aragon . the ceremony of proclaiming the king being perform'd , he went to toledo to bury his father in the royal chappel , as he had ordain'd . next the cortes assembl'd at madrid , and took in hand to settle the government , the king being but years of age. ellenor the only daughter to the earl of albuquerque , for her great fortune commonly call'd the rich female , was then at court. many courted her , and among them her cousin the duke of benavente ; but prince ferdinand was preferred before him , and they were contracted , yet so that the match should not go forwards till the king was years of age. this was that in case the king dy'd before that age , the prince might marry queen catherine , the duke of lancaster's daughter as had been agreed . the bride swore to the contract , being years of age , but the prince was too young to swear . when the cortes were about setling the government they understood by peter lopez de ayala , that the late king had made a will. this will being found and read , rais'd variety of opinions . they were chiefly offended at one clause which appointed for the young king's tutors , till he was years of age , d. alonso de aragon the constable , the arch-bishops of toledo and santiago , the master of calatrava , the earl of niebla , and peter de mendoça , the lord steward , and with them citizens , one of each of the cities of burgos , toledo , leon , sevil , cordova , and murcia , to be chosen by the counsels of those places . every one that was not of the number was offended . the affair was long debated . some few were for fulfilling the will , but the greatest number were for cancelling it . the arch-bisop of toledo would not suffer it to be burnt , because there were certain legacies nam'd in it for his church , which he would have valid , tho the rest were not . the will laid aside , the government of the kingdom was committed to the duke of benavente , the marques de villena , the earl of trastamara , the archbishops of toledo and santiago , and the masters of santiago and calatrava . of the representatives of cities , eight were appointed by turns for three months at a time to joyn with the others . the majority of votes among them to be of force in any affair . the arch-bishop lik'd not this method thinking his share in the government too little , tho he pleaded the greatness of the number would cause confusion ; yet he was forc'd to yield to the importunities and threats of the nobility , a certain sort of base mony call'd agnus dei's , was here regulated how it should pass . the archbishop of toledo kept the earl of gijon prisoner , but fearing some change of times , labour'd to be discharg'd of him . he was therefore remov'd to monterrey , and committed to the care of the master of santiago , till his case was adjudg'd . at sevil and cordova the rabble in a riotous manner , fell upon the jews , plunder'd their houses , and offer'd them many injuries , the magistrates not being able to prevent it . ferdinand martinez arch-deacon of ecija , with seditious speeches made in the streets stirr'd up the people . this example was follow'd in sundry parts of spain . on the th . of august the following year , the like was done at toledo , logron̄o , valencia and barcelona . many jews to save themselves , pretended to turn christians , but this happen'd later . chap. ix . the contentions betwixt the nobility of castile about the government : they agree on a settlement ; then alter it . the affairs of the moors at granada . warrenew'd with portugal . king charles the vith . of france rus distracted . it was the custom of the states of the kingdom to meet in a certain church of madrid . the duke of benavente and earl of trastamara came arm'd into that assembly , leaving guards about the church , as if it were besieg'd . the arch-bishop of toledo was so affronted at this action , that he left the court and went away to talavera , from which place by his letters he stirr'd up the people , to rise in arms and deliver the kingdom , from those who under the title of governours were become tyrants . these same complaints he sent to pope clement , and to the kings of france , and aragon . soon after the duke of benavente being disgusted withdrew to his town of benavente , without taking his leave of the king. he presently joyn'd with the arch-bishop of toledo , and the marques de villena , tho then absent , being out of castile sided with them . those that remain'd of the governours sent abroad their letters , requiring all such as were members to be present at the cortes . they excus'd themselves upon several accounts . pope clement sent f. dominick of the order of preachers , and bishop of ponce , his nuncio with two letters , the one directed to the king , the other to the governours . both of them tended to express his sorrow for the death of king john , and exhorted them to unity in then proceedings . the nuncio labour'd to reconcile the nobles , but all in vain . embassadors came from france and aragon to the same effect , all they could do was to renew the former alliances . from navarre also came embassadors to condole upon the king's death , with orders to endeavour queen ellener should return to her husband , promising her all manner of kind entertainment . the queen excus'd herself , and the young king could not have more power over his aunt than her brother had . mean while the arch-bishop of toledo , gather'd forces upon pretence of freeing the kingdom from slavery , but it was generally look'd upon as only the effect of his ambition . endeavours for an accommodation betwixt the nobles were us'd , but to as little purpose as before . the citizens that had a share in the government , not thinking themselves safe at madrid ; remov'd with the king to segovin . the earl of trastamara one of the governours aspir'd to be constable of gustile , pretending the late king had signify'd he design'd him that honour . it was not thought convenient to incense the marques de villena who was then in possession of it , therefore maravedies of the marques his sallery were assign'd him yearly for the present , with a promise of the place , in case the marques would not comply . besides those mention'd , there joyn'd with the arch-bishop of toledo , the master of alcantara , and james mendoça , from whom the dukes del infantado are descended . they gather'd horse , and foot. with this force they march'd to valladolid , where the king was , and encamp'd on the banks of the river pisuerga , which runs by that city and soon after falls into the river duer●● ; ellenor queen of navarre , after much labour spent therein , prevail'd with the two parties to have a conference . deputies met accordingly at the town of perales . thither came the queen and pope's nuncio as mediators . the chief dispute was whether king john's will ought to be valid or not . the arch-bishop of saniago cunningly demanded of him of toledo , whether he should have that will allow'd in all its articles . he of toledo made some hesitation , fearing to be entrapp'd , and particularly to disoblige the duke of benavente , who was not nam'd in it . at last he answer'd craftily , he would , provided the duke of benavente , the earl of trastamara , and the master of santiago might be added to the number of governours , it being so requisit for the publick peace . the other party tho against their wills , as fearing to provoke those great men , consented . it was agreed the cortes should meet at burgos , to ratify what they had resolv'd upon mean while considerable hostages were given on both sides . thus those commotions ceas'd for that time . by this new settlement the arch-bishop of toledo became so powerful , it was fear'd he alone would sway more than all the rest in the government . therefore the arch-bishop of santiago and his associates thought it convenient to procure the releasment of the earl of gijon , that he might be a foil to the other . accordingly , they took him out of prison , and brought him to kiss the king's hand , who order'd him to be restor'd to his estate . the cortes met at burgos of had been agreed . the settlement made , being brought upon the stage , the arch-bishop of santiago said he would not stand to it , unless the earl of gijon were admited as well as the other three noblemen , since he was inferiour to none of them for birth , or estate . it troubl'd the arch-bishop of toledo to be taken in his own snare , and the case came to be hotly debated , so that to prevent further mischief , it was consented to by both parties , that it should be left to arbitration . d. gonzalo bishop of segovia , and alvar martinez , both well vers'd in the civil and canon law , were appointed judges . they could not agree , but continu'd divided till the beginning of the year , when at last it was decree'd the earl should be admitted . the management of the revenue was distributed among them , and it was order'd that five should govern one half of the year , and five the other . this settlement it was hop'd would end all debates , but it was soon broken by an accident . two of the duke of benavente's servants kill'd one belonging to the earl of gijon , as was suspected by their master's order , whereupon looking on him as fierce , and ill princip'd , the cortes alter'd the form of government , and ordain'd that the king's will should be fulfill'd , yet so that till the marques of villena , and count neibla being sent fo by the king , came to court , the arch-bishop of toledo should act for them , and have votes among the governours . two millions of marauedies were allow'd the duke of benavente and earl of gijon yearly , during their lives , in lieu of the government . besides , it was granted to the arch-bishop , that he alone should have the management of half the revenue . the truce with portugal was upon expiring , and it was no time to renew the war. the king being in his minority , and the kingdom exhausted , embassadors were sent to renew and proloug the truce . john allonso de guzman earl of niebla , left his house to attend the government , whereupon ensu'd a great mutiny at sevil , james hurtado de mendoça being great with the king , aspir'd to be made admiral , which could not be done without disobliging alvar perez de guzman , who had some time been in possession of that command . the earl of niebla favour'd the new pretender , whereupon the other joyning with peter ponce lord of marchena , secur'd sevil and turn'd out all the earl's adherents . at segovia the embassadors return'd to the king from portugal , with news that that king would not hear of prolonging the truce . the duke of benavente being ill look'd upon at court , and depriv'd of the government , withdrew to his estate , and it was reported he held intelligence with portugal , and had agreed to marry that king's bastard-daughter beatrix . he understood what was given out , justify'd himself by pleading the wrong done him , in depriving him of the lady ellenor de albuquerque , and over'd if he might have her , to break off the other match . the governours considering the state of affairs , consented and appointed the place for celebrating the mariage , but the duke immediately recanted , and pursu'd the match in portugal . the arch-bishop of toledo to prevent any mischief might ensue , went to confer with the duke , and offer'd him in mariage a daughter of the marques de villena , with as good a portion as he expected from portugal , but the duke would not harken to it . seeing nothing would content him , the arch-bishop return'd to zamera , to prevent the governour of the pallace who held the tower of s. saviour , from delivering it up to the duke , as was suspected he would , and the city was in arms upon that score . all things were compos'd , and the governour deliver'd up that tower , according to the arch-bishop's order . it was now the heat of summer when news was brought , that the embassadors again sent to portugal , could not obtain a prolongation of the truce . the portugueses were resolv'd to make use of that advantage and enlarge their dominions . the first that took the field was the duke of benavente , who with horse , and a great number of foot incamp'd near pedrosa , a town not far from the city toro castile was reduc'd to great streights . at granada the moors mutiny'd . about the beginning of this year king mahomet , always a friend to the christians , dy'd . his son joseph succeeded him , and was of the same temper , for he freely releas'd many christians during his father's life . this his goodness was prejudicial to him . he had four sons , joseph , mahomet , hali , and hamet . mahomet was ambiti●●● and having no hopes of obtaining the crown by fair means , us'd craft , giving out that his father was a moor only in name , but in his actions a christian . many upon this account sided with him , and the business was brought to that height , that the city was in danger of falling together by the ears . an embassador of the king of morocco , who was there at that time , interpos'd , and in an assembly of the principal men of the city represented to them the mischiefs of discord , and the advantage might then be made upon the christians , if they were united . this he did so effectually , that all the rebels were pacify'd , and mahomet promis'd to submit himself to his father . after this they gather'd horse , and foot , and making an incursion into the kingdom of murcia , took a great booty of cattle , and carry'd away many captives . alonso fajardo the lieutenant of that country pursu'd them with only horse , yet charg'd them so furious , and fortunately , that he routed them , kill'd many , and recover'd the prey . thus spain was deliver'd of a great danger that threaten'd on that side , which was such that the king of aragon who was least concern'd , that he might be the more at leasure to oppose the moors , lay'd up a great fleet he had fitted out against brancaleon doria , who again revolted in sardinia . this defeat so terrify'd the moors that they sent to beg a truce of the king of castile , which was easily granted , in regard to the war that was expected with portugal . the portugues king was puff'd up with his success seeing himself so setled in the throne , and having in the space of four years , as many sons by his wife , the lady philippa . the st was alonso , who dy'd young ; the d edward , who succeeded his father ; the d peter , created duke of coimbra ; and the th henry , duke of viseo , and master of the order of christ , and much given to the study of astrology , by the help of which , and the greatness of his spirit , he first attempted to coast along the vast and unknown shore of africk , by that means opening the way to those , who after him discover'd the remotest countries of the east , to the great honour and profit of the portugues nation , as shall be shown in its place . this king's youngest children were john and ferdinand . this same year charles the vith king of france ran distracted . the constable of france was murder'd by a gentleman , who immediately fled to the duke of britany . this action so inrag'd the king , that because the duke refus'd to deliver up the murderer , he march'd against him in person , and one day being upon his march at noon when the heat was most violent , he suddenly drew his sword kill'd two that were next him , and wounded another , raging in that distracted manner till he fell from his horse . he was carry'd back to the city , where he recover'd his senses , yet so that he was ever after craz'd . john juvenal bishop of beauvais says , that in his fits nothing so much enrag'd him as hearing the english nam'd , and that he abhorr'd a red-cross , because born in the english colours . chap. x. the divisions among the nobility of castile continue . a truce betwixt castile and portugal for years . the nobility of castile at length pacify'd . sicily brought under the aragonian yoke . the obstinacy of the duke of benavente troubl'd all castile , especially those who had the charge of the government . they were desirous of appeasing him , but could find no means to effect it . the arch-bishop of toledo who labour'd all ways for the publick , resolv'd to undertake another journey to treat with him . he hop'd by his authority and offering more advantagious terms , to content him . at the beginning of the year they met . he perswaded him to proceed slowly in his match with portugal , and see whether the truce which was again in agitation was concluded . it could not he obtain'd of him to disband his forces and return to court. his excuse was that he had many powerful enemies at court , and could not be safe during the king's minority , besides that it was not becoming a person of his rank , to appear at court without any post . the archbishop departed from him at such time as the city zamora was the second time in danger of being betray'd to the duke of bonavente , the alcayde or governour villaiçan holding correspondence with him in order to deliver that castle to him . the city was in an uproar , but the archbishops of santiago and toledo , with the master of calatrava coming , prevented the danger , and quieted the people . the duke with his forces came up in sight of the city , relying on the promises of the governour with whom , as was said , he held intelligence , but finding himself disappointed fell upon mayorga , a town belonging to prince ferdinand , and had the castle deliver'd to him by the governour john alonso de la cerda . this man was disoblig'd , for that king john by his last will depriv'd him of the place of the princes steward , and for this reason he betray'd the castle . villaiçan , who govern'd at zamora was disgusted because he had not the place of chief alguazil as his father had before him in that city . it was contriv'd to secure that city by fair means , and to this effect villaiçan , was allow'd all the profits of the place , and deliver'd up the castle to gonçalo de 〈◊〉 of ledesma , the son of that men rodriguez de sanabria , who accompany'd king peter when he came out of montiel , and after the king's death remain'd a prisoner . king henry remov'd his court to zamora , as lying near to portugal , the better to carry on the treaty that was then on foot for a truce . this caus'd the duke of benavente's forces to grow thin , many coming over daily to the king. at length the castilians and portugueses came to a conclusion upon these terms . that sabugal and miranda should be deliver'd up to the portugueses , whose they were before : that the king of castile should not support either queen beatrix , or the princes john , and denis of portugal , then prisoners in castile , in their pretensions to the crown of portugal : that the king of portugal should do the same in regard of any that should lay any claim to the crown of castile : that prisoners on both sides should be releas'd . for security of performance , sons of noblemen of castile were to be deliver'd as hostages to the portugues . this article was chang'd into two sons of eminent citizens of each of the cities of sevil , cordova , toledo , burgos , leon , and zamora . thus about the middle of may the truce for years was proclaim'd at lisbon and burgos , in which cities the kings at that time were . these articles were advantageous for portugal , and no less scandalous for castile . but it is prudence to comply with the times , which were then very troublesom in castile , and the part of good men to bear with some loss of reputation when necessity requires it . the joy conceiv'd by all castile , for the truce concluded with portugal was much abated by the imprisonment of the arch-bishop of toledo . that prelate acted for the duke of benavente , and endeavour'd to have john de velasco chamberlain to the king , restor'd to part of his pension , cut off by the late king 's will. tho he labour'd much , yet he could not prevail , and therefore in a passion resolv'd to withdraw from the court. it was fear'd by the other governours that his absence might cause new discord , he being very powerful , haughty , and ambitious . a consultation being had before the king upon this matter , it was agreed to arrest him , which was accordingly executed together with his friend john de velasco in the palace . this gentleman was considerable of himself , and had not long before the town of villalpando in dower with his wife . his father was peter hernandez de velasco , who dy'd with many more at the siege of lisbon , and was the founder of the noble family in which the honour of constable of castile continues to this day . d. peter de castilla , bishop of osma , and john abbot of fuselos , two great friends of the arch-bishop were also apprehended . it was look'd upon as a great disrespect to apprehend such eminent churchmen , but the pretence of the publick good excus'd it . zamora , palencia and salamança were put under an interdict , the king and all the nobles concern'd were excommunicated . but the prisoners were soon releas'd , giving sureties . the archbishop gave four of his kindred as hostages , and put his towns of talavera and alcalà into a third hand . john de velasco deliver'd the castle of soria , which he held for the king. absolution from ecclesiastical censures was begg'd of the pope , which he impower'd his nuncio dominick , bishop of s. ponce , and of albi in france , to grant . the king in the cathedral of burgos on his knees swore to be obedient to the church , and make satisfaction to the arch-bishop , restoring him his towns , and then was absolv'd on the th of july . the interdict was taken off , and to make this joy the more compleat , the duke of benavente through the good management of the arch-bishop of santiago , who did all , disbanded his forces , and submitted to the king. in lieu of the portion , he was to have from portugal he was allowed florins , and to have liberty to marry where he pleas'd , except in portugal . besides a pension was setl'd upon him , and then he came to court without demanding any security for his person . the king receiv'd him with affection , and as soon as he took the government upon himself , treated him with great respect . thus the kingdom began to breath after so many troubles . this action gain'd the arch-bishop of santiago great reputation , but his satisfaction was not lasting , for soon after the king took upon him the government , and the arch-bishop of toledo being taken into favour his interest declin'd . the english restor'd to the king of navarre the town of cherbourg in normandy , which had been mortgag'd to them for a sum of money . martin de lacarra was made governour of that place . the marriage of d. martin of aragon , with the queen of sicily , was at length consummated , the king of aragon , and the pope consenting to it , as has been hinted before . in sicily the barons continu'd in rebellion , and had secur'd a great part of the island . no hopes remain'd of reducing them by fair means . therefore the king and queen , with the duke of monblanc the king's father , went over with a good fleet to subdue the rebels . at first the aragonians were successful , but afterwards the fortune of war was so chang'd , that the king and queen were forc'd into the castle of catanea , and there besieg'd . d. bernard de cabrera , a man then of great note had been upon that expedition , but return'd into aragon being appointed admiral of a fleet that king had fitted out to subdue sardinia . this gentleman knowing what had happen'd in sicily , resolv'd to remedy it . he gather'd a good body of catalonians and gascons , and for their pay mortgag'd all his estate . he set sail , and landed in sicily , when all was reduc'd to extremity . by his conduct the success was soon chang'd , for in several rencounters he overthrew the enemy , by which means the island was reduc'd , and against the will of many return'd under the dominion of aragon , as it has ever since continu'd to this day , and in all probability is like to continue much longer . the end of the eighteenth book . the history of spain . the nineteenth book . chap. i. king henry takes upon him the government . the cortes at madrid . discontents among the nobility . the death of the master of alcantara . the biscainers invade the canary islands ; the plague at madrid . castile after so many violent sorms of discord , was at length somewhat calm . all these confusions proceeded from the many hands employ'd in the government . to prevent these mischiefs for the future , the king resolv'd to take upon him the administration of his affairs , tho as yet he wanted two months of years of age ; the time limited in his father's will. many perswaded him to take this resolution , some hoping to make their advantage of his youth , and others because they were weary of the present government . at the beginning of august , the king assembled the nobility and prelates , in the monastery of huelgas , where the kings of castile us'd to be crown'd . there he spoke to the whole assembly , signifying that he now took upon him the government , praying to god it might be for the good of the kingdom ; that he desir'd they would help his youth with their advice , and that he there discharg'd the governours of their employment . all the commons as well as noblemen and prelates applauded his resolution with great expressions of joy and satisfaction . the arch-bishop of santiago made an oration , declaring how much all men were delighted to see the king at age to govern , and how justly the governours had behav'd themselves in their charge . to this the king answer'd , he was well satisfy'd of their fidelity , and would always make use of their advice . many strangers aspir'd to ecclesiastical preferments , and the popes bestow'd them on several , without regard to learning or merits . it had been often propos'd in the cortes to remedy this evil , and as has been said , it was in some measure regulated in the session at guadalajara . yet still the popes continu'd to use there power , as before . this affair was now again debated , in the cortes assembled for the coronation of the king , yet nothing could be determin'd for the present ; but that it might be settled with more deliberation , the cortes were again summon'd to meet at madrid . mean while at the earnest request of the biscainers , the new king went in person to take possession of the lordship of biscay . in an assembly of the principal men , the king granted that after the manner of castile , they might decide controversies by combat , for still that ill custom was in use . this year was remarkable , for that the enterprise of the canaries was again taken in hand . the biscainers fitted out a fleet , and took a survey of all those islands , learning their names , pr●duct , and value . then landing at lançarote , one of the islands , they overthrew the islanders , took their king and queen , with of their subjects . this done , they return'd into spain , the vessels loaden not only with captives , but with goat skins and wax , wherewith those islands abound , to show the habits , fruitfulness , and riches of those islands , and the profit might be made of them if conquer'd , as afterwards they were . mean while the cortes met at madrid , and the king repair'd thither in november . the first day of the session in few words , he told them he had good examples of his progenitors to govern by , that during his minority , civil discord had almost ruin'd the nation , and he design'd with their advice to remedy those disorders ; that he would take care mony should not take place of merit , and to see the laws effectually put in execution ; that the revenue was exhausted , and either new taxes must be laid , or the grants made in his nonage vacated . his well fram'd speech was pleasing to them all , tho they perceiv'd he only spoke what his favourites had put into his mouth , and many were offended they were not in the same post . the men most in the king's esteem were , john hurtado de mendoça , lord steward of the houshold , james lopez de zun̄iga , chief justice , and ruy lopez davalos , lord chamberlain . they agreed among themselves , a thing rare among court favourites . their chief aim was to curb the king 's tender years , to take care or the government , and to protect the weaker against the great ones . it being propos'd to supply the king's wants , the commons answer'd , the people were so exhausted they could bear no more taxes , yet they would grant the th penny of all merchandize , and it were requisite to lessen the number of standing forces , or at least their pay , as also to retrench the pensions of great men. this was look'd upon as the b● advice , and all pensions granted during the king's minority were struck out of his books . many concern'd , in private resented this reform , but in publick all men spoke well of it . after this the king being now at age , was marry'd to queen catherine , as was also prince ferdinand his brother to the lady ellenor , countess of albuquerque . there was great rejoycing , and thus the cortes of madrid broke up . at the beginning of the year , the plague being at madrid , the king remov'd to illescas , a pleasant and healthful place in the mid-way betwixt madrid and toledo . hither the arch-bishop of toledo , the town being his came , to pay his respects to the king , who receiv'd him graciously , and he soon recover'd the favour and authority he was in before , being excellently qualify'd to gain the affections of princes . his competitor the archbishop of santiago , was so offended at the honour done him , that he withdrew from court to his town of hamusco in old castile , meditating revenge if an opportunity were offer'd . these prelates were the most remarkable men of that age , but their ends were very different . their birth , age , eloquence , and greatness of spirit were almost equal , but their practices were nothing alike . he of santiago us'd craft , fawning and liberality , he of toledo depended upon his integrity and other good arts. the former endeavoured to please and attract the great ones , the other was grave , and austere . the one gave , the other had more to give ; the first protected criminals , the latter was for punishing offenders . the one was always watchful to serve his friends , and deny'd nothing he could perform , the other pursu'd a strict reformation of abuses , and lov'd virtue . the one resented that he had , as he thought , been wrongfully put by the archbishoprick of toledo , the other was esteem'd for having obtain'd it without making any interest for it . besides he was honour'd and fear'd by his adversaries , and tho often undermin'd by them , yet he always triumph'd over all their contrivances in the end . it was grievous to the great ones to have their pensions retrench'd , and therefore some rais'd tumults in old castile . the duke of benavente went away from madrid in a passion , and seiz'd upon the king 's and church's revenues wherever he could . garzi gonçalez herera the marshal was sent to reduce him by fair means . he had also orders to treat with the queen of navarre , and earl of gijon and trastamara , who design'd to join their forces on the same score . the duke of benavente answer'd , he had left the court because he could not endure to see men rais'd from nothing to have all the power , and would not return unless the children of the three favourites , were given him as hostages . much to the same purpose was the answer of the other mutiniers . james lopez de zuniga was sent by the king to order the archbishop of santiago to court , for it was suspected he held correspondence with the others . he answer'd , his antient enmity with the arch-bishop of toledo would not permit him to come to court whilst he was there . the king of navarre understanding the confusions of castile thought this a good opportunity to recover his wife . his embassadors propos'd their business to the king of castile at atcala de henares , yet tho the king was displeas'd with the queen , he would not use any force towards her , she excusing her self as she had done before . then the embassadors propos'd at least that she should send two daughters she had with her to their father , but neither was this obtain'd . this affair being over , there came embassadors from portugal , demanding to have the capitulations of the truce sign'd by certain noblemen who had refus'd to sign before . these were the marques de villena , and the earl of gijon . he of villena said he would not sign because he had no hand in the treaty . he of gijon before he sign'd , demanded to have certain towns in portugal assign'd as his wifes portion , deliver'd to him . thus the embassadors return'd re infecta , not without jealousy of a breach . a new accident of great concern which happen'd caus'd the danger that threaten'd from portugal to be forgot . d. martin yanez de la barbuda , who in portugal where he was born , was deputy to the master of the knights of avis , left his employ to side with castile , where he serv'd , and in requital for his service was made master of alcantara . he was rash and inconsiderate . john sago a hermit held in the reputation of sanctity for his retir'd life , told him by way of revelation , he should grow famous and great if he challeng'd the moors upon account of religion . he was easily perswaded , and sent to granada to challenge that king to combate in person , or if he refus'd to offer , or , or christians should fight double the number of moors , and that religion should be esteem'd truest whose party was victorious . the moors affronted his messengers , and sent them away with scorn . he incens'd at it , and relying on the words of the hermit , gather'd horse , and about foot , all raw men and ill arm'd , the king knowing of it endeavour'd to disswade him , as did the brothers , alonso and james de cordova , lords of aguilar , who went out to meet him on his march , and labour'd to put him off from that mad enterprize . he was nothing mov'd , but broke into the territories of the moors on the th of april , and besieg'd the tower of egea on the very frontires . on a sudden the moorish king came upon him with horse , and foot. at the sight of this multitude the christians dismay'd . most of the foot being parted from the horse , were cut off , only a few who fled at first , escaping . the horse stood together long , and above all , the master signaliz'd himself ; but the number of the enemy prevailing he was kill'd with all his men , none offering to turn his back . with the moors permission the body of the master was convey'd to alcantara , and there bury'd in the cathedral with this insoription on the tomb which he had order'd to be carv'd himself , here lieth he into whose heart fear never 〈◊〉 : this inscription being told to charles the vth , he answer'd . doubtless that gentleman never snuft a candle with his fingers . ferdinand rodriguez de villalobos , an antient and b●●re man was deputy to the master of calatrava . the knights meeting to choose a master the king prevail'd to have him elected , tho he was a bastard , which was much refented by many , but the king's will , and the merit of the elect prevail'd . the moors tho offended at this breach of the truce , before they would openly declare war sent an embassador to complain , who found the king at st. martin de valdeiglesias . the king answer'd that only the master was to blame for that attempt , and that the death of him and his men was sufficient satisfaction . thus the moors were appeas'd . chap. ii. another rebellion in castile quell'd by the king. pope clement dyes , and benedict the xiiith is elected , which continues the schism . the strange death of john king of aragon . the nobility of old castile were discontented , and made levies of men , on pretence of serving the king in the war , that , as has been said was fear'd from granada , but in reality to carry on a rebellion . at the same time the king came to illescas with a great retinue ; thither the master of calatrava brought the marques of villena to reconcile him to the king , and with him came many men of note from aragon . he was receiv'd by the king with great tokens of affection , and presently ask'd to be restor'd to the honour of constable conferr'd on him by king john , and taken away during the present king's minority by the governours . the king having taken advice upon it , answer'd he was pleas'd to grant his request provided he would bear him company into old castile , whither he was going to reduce the rebels . he excus'd himself saying , he was not provided for such an expedition , and return'd dissatisfy'd to aragon . in castile the tumults continu'd , and consequently the poor people suffer'd . but the king raising forces , such of the noblemen , as were not strong enough to oppose him submitted . upon security given for their persons , there came first to court the archbishop of santiago , and after him the duke of benavente . they pleaded in their own defence the great power of their enemies , and promis'd to make amends for their faults by their future fidelity . both were pardon'd by the king , and the more to oblige the duke he had a pension of maravedies allow'd him , and the town of valencia in estremudura given him in lieu of the portion he was to have from portugal , but upon condition he should be accountable , for as much of the king's revenue , as he had receiv'd the last years . to add to the joy of the reduction of these great men. d. alonso enriquez prevail'd with his brother the earl of trastamara to submit himself . a pension of maravedies was also assign'd him , and that he might be equal to the duke of benavente , the town of paredes wrongfully detain'd from him by the earl of gijon was restor'd . only the earl of gijon remain'd , who being ill inclin'd was not to be reduc'd by fair means , and the king prepar'd to subdue him by force . at that same time came embassadors from the king of navarre upon the old account of having the queen return to live with her husband . what justice could not effect in so long time , an accident brought to pass . the queen had retir'd from madrid , offended that part of her pension was cut off , and kept correspondence with the mutinous noblemen . for this reason the king of castile was displeas'd , and this was the occasion of the embassy . it happen'd the earl of trastamara under standing what was design'd against the queen , went away from court to roa where she was , to assist her that no violence should be offer'd her . his departure troubled the king , fearing new tumults , and the more for that it was suspected he had communicated his designs with the duke of benavente , who was therefore sent for to court , and being come was arrested and secur'd on the th of july . this done , lest the queen and earl should grow strong , the king with the forces he had prepar'd against the earl of gijon march'd hastily to roa . the earl fled in time to galicia . the queen understanding the danger she was in went out with her children in mourning to appease the king , and excus'd her self , saying she had no hand in the earls escape , and could do no less than receive her brother , who came to comfort her . these excuses seem'd to satisfy the king , yet he secur'd the town , leaving her the revenue , and carry'd her to valladolid , where she was kept under a guard that she might not fly . mean while the earl of gijon fortify'd himself in that place , and the king march'd speedily for asturias . he took the city oviedo , which held for the earl , and then advanced , and incamped before gijon . the place could not be taken by force , because of its natural strength , and the coldness of the season , and sickness in the army would not allow to lye long before it . yet the labour was not quite lost , for the earl of trastamara submitted , was pardon'd and came to the camp. it was also concluded betwixt the king and the earl of gijon , that the king should put garrisons into all towns of his estate , except only that . also that the earl should appear in person before the king of france , who by both parties was appointed umpire betwixt them , and should stand by his judgment . for security to performance 〈◊〉 earl deliver'd his son henry as a hostage to the king of castile . thus they lay'd down 〈◊〉 and the kingdom was eas'd of a great trouble . this was the posture of affairs in castile , when pope clement dy'd at avignon on the th of september . all the christian princes by their embassadors requir'd the cardinals not to proceed rashly to another election , but find out some method to put an end to the schism which so long disturbed christendom . they resolv'd not to delay the election , but to show they in some measure comply'd with those princes , ordain'd that every cardinal should positively swear that in case he were elected , he would abdicate the papacy whensoever the pope at rome would do the same , which they look'd upon as the best expedient to unite christendom . by the unanimous consent of cardinals , who were present at the election , d. peter de luna , cardinal of aragon was ●●osen . his birth was well known , his learning famous in the civil and canon law , besides many embassies in which he had been employ'd . he was very dexterous in gaining the good will of all men. in his papacy he was call'd benedict the xiiith . on 〈◊〉 chosen he began to think of removing his seat into italy without remembring the oath 〈◊〉 taken , or considering of means to abdicate the papacy . this much surprized the french. an assembly of nobles and prelates was held at paris , and there in order to curb the aspiring thoughts of the new pope , who they knew was a man of a high spirit ▪ as he sufficiently testify'd afterwards , they resolv'd to send some eminent persons to represent to him the desires of france , and the church in general . the dukes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and bo●rges were appointed embassad●●● . these being come to avign●● requir'd him to restore ●eace to christendom , to 〈◊〉 the calamities c●●s'd by that division in the church , to remember his oath , and particularly press'd him to call a general council , in which the prelates might determine what was fit to be done in that case . he answer'd he would upon no account for sake the church of the living god , and quit the helm of s. ●eter's ship put into his hands . this answer was no way pleasing to those princes , but seeing they could prevail no f●rther upon him , they return'd home much offended , as was their king and all the nation . to appease the king , the pope granted him the tenths of all eccles●●stical revenues for one year . this happen'd in may , and the year of grace , in which the new pope's prosperity began by degrees to d●cline , and was converted into misery . the governour of avignon by the king's order with french forces besieg'd him in his palace . an 〈◊〉 was also publish'd forbidding all persons to have recourse to him upon ecclesiastical affairs ; all his cardinals forsook him except only he of pampl●na , who continu'd with him till death . in fine he was so streighten'd he was forc'd to fly in a disguise to c●●alonia . but this happen'd somewhat later . many embassies pass'd betwixt the christian princes about this affair . the king of france labour'd to draw those of castile , aragon , and navarre , from the obedience of that pope . they were hard to be perswaded , especially the king of castile ▪ who sent the bishop of c●enca embassador into france to reconcile that king to the pope , believing he was displeas'd on some private account , but this em●●ssy avail'd nothing . a great number of french enter'd aragon by the way of russ●●●● to rob and plunder the country . queen violante who by reason of her husband's carelesness govern'd the kingdom , sent an embassador to complain to the king of france , and her uncles 〈◊〉 dukes of burg●ndy , beri , and or●●ans , whereupon the french return'd home , at such time as king john of aragon was taken away suddenly . he went a hunting on the mountain of foxa , near the castle of mongriu and vrriols in the f●●thest part of 〈◊〉 . he rous'd a she wolf of a prodigious size , or whether he only imagin'd it , for with the surprize he fell down and gave up the ghost , on the th of may. he was more remarkable for his lazy life , than for any virtue . his body was bury'd at p●blet● the common place of burial of those kings . he left no issue-male , but two daughters by two wi●es , call'd jo●●●na and violante . the first was marry'd to mathew earl of f●●x , the latter contracted to 〈◊〉 duke of anjo● . in his will he appointed his brother martin duke of 〈◊〉 his successor , which was approv'd of ●● all the kingdom to avoid falling under a 〈◊〉 , if the daughters inherited . martin was busy subduing of sicily , mary his wife supply'd his place , taking the title of queen , and ●●acing guards to look to queen violante , who say'd she was with child , to prevent any frand . the earl of 〈◊〉 pretended to the crown in right of his wife , because the females had always been allow'd to inherit . yet notwithstanding his just ●laim , the cortes which met in july at zaragoça una●●mously adjudg'd the crown to martin then absent . they also treated of the preparations it was requisite to make to repulse the war which was expected from france . chap. iii. the queen of 〈◊〉 ●●turns to her ●●●band . the earl of faux invades aragon . the war bet●●●● 〈◊〉 and portugal renewed . joseph king of granada dies . mahomet his d son usurps . the turks come over into europe . the kingdom of aragon labour'd under the apprehensions of a war , and all the country was full of martial preparations . castile was at peace , the nobility being reduc'd , the earl of gij●n gone to france , as had been agreed . the queen of navarre , tho against her ▪ will was at 〈…〉 to return to her husband . to make her easy he made oath he would treat her 〈◊〉 a queen , and the daughter of kings , and the king of castile bore her company to 〈◊〉 , a town on the boders of navarre . her husband receiv'd her at tudel● with all possible expressions of affection , and there was publick thanksgiving in all places for her return . john hu●tad● 〈◊〉 mendoça , the lord 〈◊〉 was much in the king of castile's favour , who for his good service gave 〈…〉 of agreda , ciria , and boravia . this bounty of the king's 〈◊〉 envy in the 〈◊〉 , and those of agreda would not admit him as their lord , but 〈…〉 to stand upon their defence . the king went thither , and being receiv'd into 〈◊〉 town was prevail'd upon not to alienate that place from the crown , and in lieu of it gave d. john the towns of almaçan and santistevan de gormaz . king 〈◊〉 embassadors into france 〈◊〉 the earl of gijon , and they came to paris at the time appointed , but the earl appear'd not yet as they were up●● returning they understood he was arriv'd at rochel in the provin●● 〈◊〉 . they impeach'd him before the king , and after a full hearing he was declar'd 〈…〉 , and commanded to submit himself to the king , of whom he might hope for pardon ▪ ●o obtain which the king of france offer'd his intercession . in case he refus'd to put himself upon his king's mercy he was given to understand he must expect no shelter or assistance in france . orders were sent to britany and all other ●rates dependant on the crown of france , not to give him any s●ccour or relief . the 〈◊〉 of castile knowing what judgment had been given demanded the town of gijon should 〈◊〉 surrender'd to him , but the earl's wife who was in it refus'd . whereupon he laid ●lege to it , and having taken it cast down not only the walls but the houses . her son henry was delivered to the countess upon condition she should depart the land. this done the king return'd to madrid intending to visit and●luzia , and in order to it went to talaver● , where in november he receiv'd the embassadors , who came from the king of granada to renew the truce . they were order'd to follow the king to sevil , where he was receiv'd with the usual joy. he caus'd the archdeacon of ezija to be apprehended as a mutineer and promoter of all the harm done to the jews . the truce was renew'd with the moors , and thus the whole kingdom was restor'd to peace . great hopes were conceiv'd of king henry , but all vanish'd away , for he became sickly which continu'd all his life time , and his judgment fail'd , so that nothing hardly remarkable is recorded during the rest of his reign . some attribute this to the defect of our histories , and others say the profound peace he enjoy'd , gave him no opportunity of acting any thing worthy of note . the duke of benaven●e was kept prisoner at monterrey , in custody of the master of santiago , and thence remov'd to alm●d●var . this offended the arch-bishop of santiago , upon whose word he came 〈◊〉 court. besides that prelate would not own the popes of avignon ; on these distates he withdrew into portug●● ▪ there he was first chosen bishop of coimbra , and afterwards archbishop of braga . 〈◊〉 this time john de castro was bishop of palencia more famous for his loyalty to king peter , than any other thing . this prelate fled into france , and was restor'd when queen constance came to the crown . he is 〈◊〉 to have writ the be●● and truest chronicle of the life of king peter , but it is not extant ; doubtless suppress'd by the prevailing enemies of that unfortunate king. in aragon the people were indifferent peaceable , tho where a prince's right is disputable , it commonly causes troubles . d. john earl of ampuria● was secur'd for favouring the earl of faux his claim . a war threaten'd from france . on the d of october the cortes met at st. francis in zaragoça , in a very full assembly , it was there resolv'd to raise an army , and give the command of it to peter earl of vrgel . it was not without cause they made these preparations , for the earl of faux , having pass'd the pyr●nean hills with a mighty army , wasted all the country along the river s●gre , and at last in november lay'd siege to the city barbastro with horse , and a great number of foot. in the camp he caus'd himself and his wife to be proclaim'd king and queen of aragon . about the middle of december there was an earthquake at val●ncia , which threw down many buildings , and shook others . this the commonalty look'd upon as an ill omen , foreboding future calamities . these fears vanish'd , the earl of faux raising the siege of barbastro , and marching away through navarre in such hast , it rather look'd like a flight than a retreat . the cause was , that the people had carry'd all provisions into strong holds , and the earl of vrgel sticking upon his skirts , he was forc'd to leave part of his baggage in several places . this was about the beginning of the year , at which time martin the new king having receiv'd these good news , and subdu'd the rebels in sicily resolv'd to return into spain . by the way he touch'd in sardinia , and pacify'd that island , and thence went up the river rosne in provence , to the city avign●n , to see pope benedict . the pope gave him a rose of gold , and the investiture of sardinia and corsica with the title of king , but to hold them of the 〈◊〉 . thence he came to barcelona , and was receiv'd in triumph . in a great assembly o● 〈◊〉 nobility he took possession of the crown , and declar'd the earl of faux and his wi●e traytors , for having assum'd the regal title and invaded the kingdom . the eastern empire through intestine divis●ons , and the perpetual felicity of the ottom●ns was now tending to ruin. that ▪ party of the greeks which was weakest call'd over amurat ▪ emperor of the turks to their assistance , and he passing the hellespont seiz'd g●llipoli , adrianople , and many other places . sig●smund king of hung●ry dreading so dangerous a neighbour , begg'd succour of charles the th king of france who sent him a good body of horse , under the command of john , son to the duke of bur●●●dy . these forces being come into hungary , it was resolv'd to give the enemy battle . the french naturally eager , advancing too far before the hungarians were most of them kill'd , and the duke of burgundy's son taken , whom his father ransom'd for a great sum of mony. thus the whole army was overthrown , and king sigismund escap'd by flight . at granad● king joseph dy'd , as was suspected poison'd by the king of 〈◊〉 who sent him a rich coat , which as soon as he put on he fell into violent torture , and expir'd days after , his flesh f●lling off by piecemeal . a wonderful thing , if true . after his death mahomet his d son surnam'd balva ▪ usurp'd the crown , excluding . joseph the elder . he had secur'd the affections of the people , and only fear'd lest the king of castile should take 〈◊〉 part of his brother . to prevent which he went away to toledo to gain the good will or the king and his courtiers with rich presents . his designs succeeded well , for he renew'd the truce made with his father . at this time the 〈◊〉 s●●ting at toledo , an edict was publish'd excluding all strangers excepting a few particular persons , and the whole portugues nation whom they thought by this means to oblige , from enjoying ecclesiastical benefices . it was also ordain'd that none should keep a saddle-mule who had not a good horse , to encourage the breed of horses . on the th of october at sevil dy'd john de guzman , earl of niebla ; his son henry succeeded him , and was father of john de guzman , who was afterwards created the first duke of that noble family . the portugueses to make their advantage of the king's want of health , resolv'd to take up arms , and gave out to colour this breach , that it was be 〈◊〉 some of the nobility of castile had not sign'd the late treaty . their army at first onset took badajoz , a city on the frontiers . from this beginning the war was afterwards continu'd the term of three years . the king of castile having assembl'd his forces gave the command of them to ruy lopez davalos , not long before made constable of castile . james hurtado de mendoça the admiral was sent to look to the mari●ime affairs . on may , galleys of castile met of portugal coming from gen●a laden with arms and ammunition . these they assail'd so desperately that four were taken , one sunk , the other two fled . it was a great piece of cruelty , that after quarters given in cold blood they threw men into the sea. the admiral coasting along portug●● burnt several towns , and plunder'd the country without opposition . many portugueses of note came over to the king of castile ; and serv'd him well . the chiefest of them were , martin , giles , and lope de a●una , three brothers , also john and lope pacheco brothers . all these gentlemen had good estates given them by the kings of castile for their good services , and were the founders of several noble families . in gal●cia the port●●ueses took the city tuy . in estr●●adura they lay'd siege to al●●●tara , but the constable of castile coming down in time , not only rais'd the siege , but entring portugal ravag'd the country and took several ▪ places of small note . the master of alcantara , the admiral and chief justice of castile besi●g'd miranda de duero , and the constable coming to joyn them , the besieg'd were forc'd ▪ to surrender . thus the damage being equal on both sides , it was hop'd a peace might ensue betwixt the two nations . chap. iv. two francis●ans 〈◊〉 to the moors of granada suffer martyrdom . the truce with portugal 〈◊〉 two great plagues in spain and france . the year of jubilee . at the beginning of this war two franciscan fryars , whose names are not known , zealo●s for the ●ropagation of the faith adventur'd to preach publickly to the moors in granada , and many people flock'd to hea● them : being warn'd to desist , and they still going o● , the 〈◊〉 by the king's order apprehended and beheaded them , and they are reverenc'd as martyrs . 〈◊〉 benedict , as has been said before , was forsaken by all his cardinals at avignon , the ki●● of france press'd , and only those of spain own'd him . a great assembly of prel●●es and other learned men was held betwixt the french and spaniards about him , but nothing was resolv'd upon , only they agreed both popes should recal the ecclesiastical ●ensures they had thunder'd one against the other , and appoint a place of meeting to compose those differences . in pampl●na great ●●rt of the cathedral had fallen seven years before , and neither the ●ro●●ts of the church ▪ 〈◊〉 private contributions were sufficient to repair it , therefore the king assign'd the th part of his revenue for years to carry on that work. this king desiring to recover the county of eureux , and his possessions in normandy had sent an embassy to that effect into france , but that not succeeding went thither himself to as little 〈◊〉 , the king of france not being recover'd of his ●●disposition . thus without doing any thing he return'd home in september ▪ being come home he caus'd his son charles , but a year old , to be sworn to as heir of the crown . the joy of this solemnity was ●●ort , for the prince dy'd soon after . the portugueses humbled by their late disappointments sent embassadors to treat of peace . king henry answer'd he neither began the war nor would obstruct the peace , provided it were honourable . after much debating , not being able to agree upon articles of peace they confirmed the former truce . castile was jealous of a breach with aragon . the marques de villena would not come to court , and had a great estate on the borders of valencia , he was much suspected to s●ir up the arag●nians to war. a new occasion offer'd it self to deprive him of his estate . alonso and peter , two sons of the marques had marry'd two of the king of castile's aunts , and had ducats with each of them , which mony was pay'd down to ransom the marques taken by the english , as has been said . peter dy'd in the battle of aljubarr●●a , and was father to the famous d. henry de villena , who desirous of knowledge study'd negromancy . d. alonso never consum●ated the marriage , excusing himself with the ill reputation of his bride . king henry as nephew to these ladies took their business in hand , and demanded to have their portions restor'd , since the one was left a widow , and the other never consuminated the marriage . the marques his sons would give no ear to these demands . upon this account king henry invaded the marques his estate , and easily made himself master of all ▪ except villena and almansa , in which were strong garrisons of aragonians . contemporary with d. henry de villena , and not unlike to him in learning was d. paul de cartag●●a . he was born a jew , and by his great insight in the scripture converted , and writ several notable books . for his learning and to encourage other jews to embrace the faith , he was first made archdeacon of trevin̄e , then bishop of carthagena , and lastly of burg●s . he was also chancellor of castile , and tutor to king john the iid . before his conversion he had four sons . gonçale the eldest came to be bishop of plasencia first ▪ then of siguença . alonso the d succeeded his father in the see of burgos , and writ the anacephal●osis of the kings of spain , also d●fensorium fidei , and defensorium catholitae unitatis . the two younger sons were peter and alvaro . some think this alvaro writ the chronicle of king john , but it was his uncle alvar garzia de san●a maria , and others had a hand in it , particularly f●rnan perez de gusman carry'd it on to the end , and writ the lives of the famous men of his time , and other works . the discord betwixt the two popes , and the little prospect there was of reconciling it , and uniting the church , perplex'd ●●l christendom . in spain the last year the plague began to rage , and continu'd spreading it self particularly along the coast from barcelona , as far as avignon in france . besides , the 〈◊〉 were so violent that there ensu'd mighty floods , and particularly the rivers ebro and vrba overflowing their banks , carry'd away multitudes of men and cattle , destroy'd the corn , and overthrew many buildings . as soon as the season would permit , the king of aragon went from barcelona to zaragoça to hold the cortes there , which sat on the th of april in the church of s. saviour . there the king being seated in his royal throne made a learned speech , extolling the bravery and loyalty of the aragonians , showing how thereby they had enlarg'd their dominions , recommending to them to continue such for the future , and lastly requiring them to do their homage , and take the oath of allegiance to him and his son. all the king had demanded was perform'd with much satisfaction of the whole body . the publick joy conceiv'd on this account was somewhat abated by the apprehensions of a war that threaten'd from france . the bastard of tardes passing the pyrenean mountains , possess'd himself of termas , a town on the frontiers of aragon towards navarre , which extreamly alarm'd all the kingdom . giles ruyz de lihorri , governour of aragon march'd thither with a good body of souldiers , and some men of note . the french exp●cted not his coming , but abandoning the place retir'd to france , to theirs , and the 〈◊〉 of the earl of ●aux , who sent them . sicily was not wholly pacify'd . some hopes of a settlement appear'd , the queen being deliver'd of a son call'd peter , on the th of november , who if he had liv'd would have inherited that crown , but he and his mother soon after dy'd , and all these hope 's vanish'd . not long after in april ▪ ; 〈…〉 queen 〈…〉 were crown'd at zar●goça by the arch-bishop of that pla●● . 〈…〉 of villina , was allow'd to add the regal arms to his own , and was created duke of gandia in requital for what he lost in castile . at the same time pope 〈◊〉 being forsaken by the gardinals was much press'd by his enemies who besieg'd him . the king of aragon sent two embassadors to him , who treated with him about finding out some 〈◊〉 of putting an end to the schism and uniting the church . he answer'd he would commit that affair to those princes that had own'd him , and particularly those of france and aragon . but his meaning was not the same , for he charg'd them under colour of peace not to depart from justice , which he said was wholly on his side , but that he coveted nothing more than to pu● an end to those divisions . the aragonian embassadors 〈…〉 give an account of their negoc●ation to the king of france . in an assembly held 〈…〉 upon this affair , it was resolv'd to send to require the pope to put a speedy end to the schism , and to that purpose he should wholly refers his case to a council of bishops that was to meet , and the king of france would engage 〈◊〉 the security of his person , and furnish him with a sufficient guard. whilst these things were in agitation , d. peter t●n●rio , arch-bishop of toledo dy'd in castile . he was a man of judgment and resolution , fit either for peace or war. he was first bishop of 〈◊〉 , and thence without any solicitation on his part preferr'd to toledo . in his expences at home he was frugal , and spent the great revenues of his church in publick buildings , and relieving the poor . the bridge of s. martin at toledo , a castle near to the monastery of s. servandu● , the cloister that joins to the cathedral , with a chappel in it and his own tomb are all his works . that chappel he endow'd with revenues to maintain chaplains to pray for his and the souls of his predecessors . at alcala real , on the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 he built a high tower , where a light was kept every night to guide the christians that made their ▪ escape from the moors . at talavera he founded a s●●tely monastery of the invocation of s. catherine , design'd for the canons of that church , but they refusing to live as regulars , he gave it to the hieronimites . the arcbishop's bridge was also of his foundation . after the death of the arch-bishop , the chapter chose d. guti●rre de toledo , archdeacon of 〈◊〉 . the king offer'd the archbishoprick to ferdinand yan̄ez a canon of that church of the order of s. hierome , but he refus'd it . pope benedict gave it to his nephew , p●t●r de luna , but the king not approving of him , the bishop of siguença , vicar of the archbishoprick had charge of it for some years , till the popes election took place . the joy and devotion of the great year of jubilee , was much lessen'd by the schism in the church , tho the christian princes us'd all possible means to put an end to it . to this purpose for the humbling the obduracy of pope benedict the king of castile at the perswasions of d. peter hernandez de 〈◊〉 , cardinal of spain , publickly disown'd him . yet the king of aragon interposing three years after he submitted to him again . from lag●●doc and catalo●●a the plague spread over all spain with such a mighty mortality , that it oblig'd the king of castile to give leave to widows to marry the same year their husbands dy'd , which before was forbidden . the king generally resided at sevil , that being a pleasant and healthy place , and he very ●ickly . in july the first clock was fixing in the steeple of the cathedral ( for there were no such clocks before in spain ) and a great bell to it , the king , noble● ▪ and a multitude of people being present , when on a sudden a storm rising , a flash of lightning kill'd several men. this being taken as an ill omen , processions were made to appease god's wr●th . near the town of nieb●● , leagues from segovia , an image of our blessed lady was 〈◊〉 and many people devoutly resorting thither to visit it . queen cath●rine built there a church for it , with a monastery of dominican● adjoyning to it , which drew many 〈◊〉 and settle there , so that in our days it is grown up to be a pretty considerable 〈◊〉 . ●●●p . v. the death of the 〈…〉 sicily . of tamerlan and bajazet . pope ▪ benedict again received in castile . the king of castile has a son born . pope boniface dies . innocent the vii●● chosen at ro●● . the lady violante , daughter to john king of aragon , was during her father's life contracted to luis 〈◊〉 anjo● , as was said before . her marriage was delay'd , because she 〈◊〉 under age , and 〈◊〉 year it ●●s concluded upon . she was to have florins portion , and he to swe●● never to lay any claim to the crown of aragon in her right . this done she was nobly conducted into france to her husband . in the month of march , the king of castile assembled the cortes at tordesillas , where many good laws were enacted , particularly to restrain the avarice of the farmers of the revenue and officers of justice . in the month of may , mary queen of sicily dy'd at catane● , as was thought of grief for the death of her son , who ended his days at 〈◊〉 age of years . both the mother and son were bury'd in that city . however her 〈◊〉 next of blood remain'd king , and all the nobility aim'd to marry their daughters 〈◊〉 to him . he marryed blanch , third daughter to the king of navarre , who afterwards inherited her father's kingdom . the kings of aragon and nava●●● met upon this account on the frontiers , there the 〈◊〉 deliver'd his daughter to the 〈◊〉 in law , who sent her from valencia to sicily in a ●●eet commanded by d. bernard de cabrera , but her departure and marriage was in the year . in november the same year the queen of castile was deliver'd of a daughter call'd mary , who was afterwards marry'd to her cousin german alonso king of aragon and naples , but they had no issue for she prov'd barren . after the defeat of the french and hungarians at nicopolis , bajazet emperor of the turks lay'd siege to constantinople . at the same time tamerlan the tartar with an incredible army , as is reported of horse , and foot , overran all the east . his custom was when he sat down before a city , the first day to put up white colours in token of mercy , the second day they were red , to denote he would shed the blood of the inhabitants , and the third black , which signify'd the utter desolation of the place . it happen'd the city berytus did not surrender before the second day , and then sent out their women and children cloath'd in white with boughs in their hands to appease him , but he nothing mov'd caus'd his horse to trample them to death . a genoese who follow'd his camp took the boldness upon this occasion to put him in mind he was a man , and he with a furious countenance answer'd . dost thou think i am a man ? i am no such , i am the scourge of god , and plague of mankind . baj●zet seeing all asia was in danger of being lost , rais'd the siege of constantinople and pass'd over into asia . on that part of mount taurus call'd stella they came to a battle , and after a mo●● bloody dispute men being slain , bajazet was overthrown and taken . him tamerlan put into a cage , and in that manner carry'd him about asia , treading on his shoulder every time he mounted a horse-back , and feeding him like a dog with bits thrown from his table . king henry of castile , though sickly , attended the affairs of the government , and sent embassies to all parts ; and particularly to the levant he sent pelayo de sotomay●● , and ●●●dinand de palaçuelos , who were present at that famous battle between the turks and tartars . tamerlan treated them courteously and at their return to spain sent along with them an embassador of his own to settle peace and unity with the king of spain . he having concluded his negociation return'd home accompanied by three spanish embassadors , who writ a journal of that embassy , which is still extant . tamerl●n's glory was not lasting . at his return home he built a beautiful city which he called mercanti . he left two sons , who differing about the inheritance tore in 〈◊〉 the empire purchas'd by their father . this year was unhappy to the portugueses and navarrois , for the heirs of both kingdoms dy'd . d. alonso eldest son to the king of portugal was but years of age. he was bury'd in the cath●●ral of braga . this loss was the more tolerable , for that there were several brothers besides , as the princes edward , peter , henry , john and ferdinand , and two sisters ; blanch and elizabeth . at painplona dy'd the princes charles years , and l●●ys , but months 〈…〉 were bury'd in that cathedral . the grief of the navarrois was the more inconsolable , for that there remain'd never an heir-male , and the crown must of course fall to the female . this wi●●er at the end of the present year , and beginning of that of our lord , the rains were so great in spain that most rivers overflow'd , doing great harm , particularly guadalquivir swell'd , above the wa●●s of sevil , and came as far as the church of st. michael . alonso perez , then governour , by his industry prevented much mischief that might have been done . the see of toledo was vacant since the death of the late archbishop ▪ d. peter t●●orio . this was caus'd by the discord betwixt the popes , for castile had in such manner disown'd pope benedict , that it did not submit to the other . to remedy this evil the cortes assembled at valadolid . thither the aragonian embassadors repai●'d in favour of pope benedict , who after he had continu'd two years at avignon , in the nature of a prisoner , made his escape in a disguise down the river rosne . his interest was so well manag'd by the king of a●●gon , that on the th of april he was again solemnly acknowledged by the king , nobility ▪ 〈◊〉 ●●●rgy . the same was done in france on the of may , but this was not lasting . h●wever ▪ by virt●●●●● this submission , pope benedict , as he had design'd two years before , gave the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 to d. peter de luna his nephew , who yet made some stay in arag● ●●on other affairs . pope benedict was withdrawn to seillon , a town in pro●●●ce , by reason of the plague that rag'd ; there martin de salua , cardinal of pam●lona dy'd . ●●●he pope gave ●●th his ▪ archbishoprick and cardinal's cap to michael de salua his nephew . mathew earl of faux departed this life , and with him dy'd his pretensions to the crown of arago● 〈◊〉 he left no heirs , and the lady joanna his wife compounded with the king her un●●●●●he had florins a year assign'd her , a small recompence for a kingdom wrongfully taken from her , but necessity took place of right . this done she spent the rest of her ▪ life in aragon . spain enjoy'd peace , intestine broils having ceas'd , and its en●mies abroad being tyr'd with long wars . only the king of navarre was dissatisfy'd for having lost his great possessions of evreux , bri● , and champagne in france . many embassies were sent in to france about this affair , and he himself went thither twice , but all to no effect . his right was indisputable , therefore he resolv'd ▪ the 〈◊〉 ●●ime to try whether he could obtain by presents and courtship what had been bef●●● 〈…〉 him . he left the queen to govern in his absence , and departed for france . there●●●er much debating of this affair , it was at last agreed he s●ould quit those pretensions and withdraw his garrison out of ch●rbourg , which still held 〈◊〉 him , and in lieu thereof should have the ci●y n●mo●●● in the province of beance in france , ●●th the title of duke , also a pension of florins , and a great sum of ready mony. this was concluded at paris on the th of july . it is reported that with this mony king charles built two stately palaces at olit● and tafalla , towns of navarre about a league distant from one another , and that if death had not prevented him he intended to joyn those two towns by a continu'd gallery built betwixt them . the kings of castile and granada seem'd to vie with one another in sending rich presents , and other acts of courtesy . it was convenient for the moors to support that friendship , because they were weak , and to the king of ●astile by reason of his continual indisposition . one rich present the moo●ish king made of jewels and rich garments ; that it might be the more acc●●●●bl● , he sent it by one of his wives , for the moors especially the kings have many . ●●t not long after the war broke out betwixt these two kings . of the first of october pope boniface the ixth dy'd at rome . his cardinals immediately assembled and chose cos●●●● me●●orato an italian , who took the name of innocent the viith . he enjoy'd that dignity only two years and twenty days . the christian princes lay'd hold of this opportunity to unite the church , but all in vain , for both popes pretended there was no place of security for them to meet . in truth neither car'd to hazard losing that high dignity , particularly pope ●enedict , who was crafty and subtle . yet many persons esteem'd for sanctity of life ad●er'd to him , and among them the holy f. vincent ferreriu● , of the order of s. dominick , famous for the gift of miracles , and for th●●ast n●mbers he converted , of which moors , and jews are reckoned , besides the christians he reclaim'd from their wicked lives . the general joy conceiv'd throughout the kingdom upon this account was increas'd by the queens being deliver'd at toro on the th of march , of a son ▪ call'd john. it ●●s a great addition to the publick satisfaction , that all men had despair●● of it , because of the delay and the king's infirmit● . there was publick rejoycing at home , and emba●●●●● ▪ came to ●ongratulate from abroad . the queen lay'd hold of this opportunity to 〈◊〉 pardon for d. peter de castilla , son to d. john , and grandson to king peter , whose only crime was to be descended from that king. he was not only pardon'd , but had a pe●sion allow'd him , left several children , and of him is descended the family of castilla no●●n being . at guadalujara dy'd d. james hurtado de mendoça , admi●●l of castil● . 〈◊〉 ●on in̄igo lopez de mendoca , afterwards created first marques of santi●●●● inherited his estate . d. alonso enriquez , younger brother to the earl of trastamara 〈◊〉 made admiral . chap. vi. great t●mults in aragon appeas'd by the cortes . a battle betwixt the castilians and the moors ▪ the cortes of castile meet at toledo , and king henry dies there . a notable 〈…〉 his . aragon at this time was full of tumults . at zaragoça there were two factions , the heads of them were martin lopez de 〈◊〉 ●●●za , and peter cerdan two powerful men. at valencia there were also two factions , that of the s●leres , and that of the centellas . they decided all their differences by dint of sword , 〈◊〉 and plundering , the officers of justice not being able to curb them . the king assembl'd the cortes at maella , a town in aragon to put a period to these troubles . there many good laws were enacted . it was also ordain'd that martin king of sicily should 〈◊〉 as soon as possible into spain , that he might learn to observe the pri●●l●dges of 〈…〉 , and not endeavour afterwards to govern that kingdom arbitr●●● 〈◊〉 ▪ he understanding this was the desire of his father and all the kingdom , fitted out 〈…〉 , and set 〈◊〉 from trapana , a city in sicily . by the way he touch'd at nice in pi●●●●● to visit pope benedict , who was there at that time , pretending to agree differences with his competitor . 〈◊〉 duke ●● an●o● who call'd himself king of naples , and in right of his wife clain'd th●●●own of 〈◊〉 , was there at that time , and by the pope's mediation that affair was compos'd . the king of sicily departing thence on the d of april landed at ba●●●●●a . great rejoy●●ng was throughout the kingdom for his arrival , hoping his stay wo●●● be long , but th●● were deceiv'd , for he pretending the islanders were not fully ●●acify'd , and that d. bernard de cabrera govern'd in his absence too absolutely , leaving affairs but half compos'd in aragon , but to sea ▪ ●●ain on the th of august in the same fleet that brought him , and pass'd over to sicily . as soon as arriv'd he banish'd d. bernard the court , and soon after commanded him to depart the island , and go over to answer before his father to such things as should be lay'd to his charge . he obey'd and came to barcelona about the beginning of no●●●ber , at which time there were brought ●●●ther four statues of silver hollow within , and 〈…〉 precious stones , sent by pope benedict , that the relicks of the saints , vale●●● , vinc●●● 〈◊〉 ●●●aurence , and engracia , which were at z●ragoça might be put into them , and so carry'd about in great processions . in castile the conversion of the jews was carry●d on ▪ and to humble those obstinate peo●● 〈◊〉 was ordain'd they should not put 〈…〉 use , and that to be known they should 〈◊〉 a round of red cloath on their right shoulder three fingers broad . three years 〈…〉 was ordain'd that the moors should wear a larger round of bl●w cloath in the shape of a half moon . years before this king john the first in the cortes enacted , that the mistre●●●s of priests should be distinguish'd from honest women , by wearing a piece of cloath 〈◊〉 fingers broad on their head cloaths . what relates to the jews wa● now establish'd in the cortes assembl'd at valladol●d , to swear allegiance to the new-born prince john , and was proclaim'd at madrid on the st of december . the king was gone that way to prepare for the war against the moors , because that king notwithstanding their late friendship and allyance had taken the town of ayamonte at the mouth of guadian● from alvaro de g●zman whose it was and refus'd to pay the usual tribute . nevertheless before he proceeded farther the king sent embassadors to see whether he would make satisfaction for those wrongs . the moor gave no ear to them , but at the beginning of the year , sent a considerable body to invade the territory of ba●za , where they did great harm . peter manriques who commanded that part of the frontiers , james benavides , and martin sanchez de rojas gathering what force they could , overtook them near quesada . they fought with equal courage till night parted them . the christians standing close together , brok● through the moors to gain an advantagious post on a hill , which shew'd they had the worst , and indeed they had lost several men of note . this is call'd the battle of collejares . king henry tho indispos'd neglected not the 〈◊〉 . he summon'd the cortes to meet at toledo to provide for that war. the king of navarre having setl'd his affairs in france , as has been say'd , in his return pass'd through nar●ome , and traversing catalonia in march met the king of arag●● at lerida , and was honourably entertain'd by him there and at za●●●●ça . at length being come to pamplona he there celebrated the marriage of his younger daughter be●●rix , with james of bourbon , earl of march , a man noble and admirabl● qualify'd ▪ to wh●m she had been long before contracted . this was in september , in 〈…〉 michael de s●●●● , cardinal of pamplona dy'd near monaco on the coast of genoa , of th●●●ague . he was bury'd at nice . lancelotte of navarre succeeded him in the see of pamplona , at such time as france tyr'd with the delays made by pope benedict , in abdicating the papacy and uniting the church , again disown'd him , and 〈◊〉 to give him obedience . the cortes were held at toledo , and prov'd very remarkable , as 〈…〉 their fulness , as for the death of the king which happen'd in that city , and at that time . at the very opening of this session the king's sickness so increas'd , that he could not attend it . his brother ferdinand supply'd his pl●ce . there was great want of mony for carrying on the war against the moors . it was propos'd to raise such a sum as would maintain horse , and foot , fit out galleys , 〈◊〉 ships , and furnish great guns , which our historians call lombards , i suppose because they first came out of lombardy into spain , and lesser , with all other necessaries proportionable , believing this necessary to extirpate the moors in spain . the commons were against raising ●o great a sum , and the more for that the clergy refus'd to contribute towards it . after much contesting , 〈◊〉 ●●●nted ● million of gold , a great sum in that age , and the more considerable beca●●e it was allow'd in case that fell short , that new taxes might be levy'd without the consent of the cortes . in those days the pay of a horseman was maravedles , and half as much to a foot ●●●ldier . on the th of november dy'd at rome , 〈◊〉 innocent , and the cardinals immedia●●●●elected angelu● corari●● of v●nice , who took the name of gregory the xiith . on the ●th of december king henry also dy'd at toledo . 〈◊〉 was years of age , and reign'd years , ● months , and days . he left issue by the queen , prince john , and the princesses m●●y and catherine . he was bury'd in the royal chappel of toledo . great was the grief conceiv'd for his death , he being a hopefull prince , and the kingdom by his death left expos'd to all the calamities that generally 〈…〉 left to a child . as to his parts he was affable , and liberal , eloquent , and crafty , on countenance graceful , especially before his sickness dissigur'd him . of his prudence and resolution , 〈…〉 as an instance . at his first accession to the crown he generally resided at burgos , and was chiefly delighted in catching of quails . returning one day somewhat late from his sport , he found hothing provided for dinner , and asking the reason , 〈…〉 there was neither mony nor credit to buy meat . he was surpriz'd at this answer ; yet said no more , only orderd that a coat should be pawn'd to buy some mutton to be dress'd with the 〈◊〉 for his dinner . whilst dinner lasted the discourse was how the nobility liv'd , much after another manner , for they made banquets , and treated one another in their turns . that day the arthbishop of toledo treated the rest . at night the king in disguise went to view them , and having soen the splendout of their entertainment , found the discourse was what estate every man had , and what sension from the king. he having heard all , resolv'd to be revern'd , and to that purpose the next morning feigning himself sick , gave out he would make his will. immediately all those lords repair'd to the castle where the king was . he had order'd that as every one of them came their serva●● 〈◊〉 retinue should he turn'd out . all things were perform'd as he had directed , and all 〈◊〉 nobles waited a long time in a great hall. at noon the king came in arm'd , and with his sword drawn . all were supriz'd at that sight , and they standing up the king sat down with a storn countenance , then turning to the archbishop ask'd him how many kings he had knownin 〈◊〉 . the same he ask'd of all the rest . 〈◊〉 said they had known three , some four , and the eldest said five . how can that be ( reply'd the king ) whereas , i that am so young have known . they admiring at it , he added , you are those kings , to the ruin and shame of the crown , but i will make your reigs short . this said he call'd in the executioners , and souldiers he had in a readiness . all were astonish'd , but the archbishop of toledo fell on his knees begging pardon , and all the rest follow'd his example . seeing them at his feet , the king pardon'd them , but kept them two months prisoners in the castle , till they deliver'd up all the towns they held , and refu●●ed what they ow'd to the crown . this example made the nobility more submissive than ever they had been . he us'd greater severity at sevil , for he 〈◊〉 men to be executed for being guilty of the tumults ●ais'd by the earl of niebla , 〈◊〉 peter ponce . he advanc'd his own and the prince his brother's revenue , so that great 〈◊〉 were every year lay'd up in the palace of madrid , to which he added those towers that are still standing , for its greater security . his is that saying , i fear the curses of the people more than the enemy's weapons . thus without oppressing his subjects he gather'd great treasure , only by looking after his revenue . chap. vii . the crown offered to prince ferdinand , he refuses it . john the iid proclaimed king of castile . the death of the queen of aragon . the war of granada . several places taken by the christians , who also obtain a victory at sea. after the 〈…〉 of the king's interrment were perform'd with the pomp and majesty that was becoming , the nobility met , as the rebellious custom was , to appoint a successor , and do their homage to him . this was in the beginning of the year . their opinions vary'd , and every one spoke according to his inclination . many thought it hard to stay till a prince then but months old came to age. the late king's will was read in which he ●●dain'd that the queen and prince ferdinand should govern the kingdom , and 〈◊〉 ●lectors to the young king. james lopez de zuniga , and john de velasco were appoint 〈…〉 guard and educate him , and the bishop of carthagena , lord chancellor to be his preceedor , till he was years of age. these three were commanded only to attend to the education of the child without intermedling with the government . some said no part of this will ought to be observ'd , as being made but the day before the king dy'd , when he was not absolutely master of his reason , but his brain disturb'd , and that it was not reasonable to expose the kingdom to so many confusions as might arise upon this account . this was not only discours'd in private , but in publick meetings , and about the streets . every one condemn'd the will , and yet none car'd to expose himself too much by opposing it . they 〈…〉 prince ferdinand as the only man that could deliver them from the misfortunes they apprehended , yet they feard he would not consent to it , because he was naturally very meek and modest , which some call'd fear , some laziness , and others meanness of 〈…〉 . the absence of the queen , her 〈◊〉 , and being a foreigner made men bold . she 〈◊〉 then at segovea with her children , over wholm'd with grief for the death of her husband , and in care for the event of those practices at toledo . the nobility having consulted together , resolv'd to try prince ferdinand , and in the name of them all ruy lopez davalo● made a long harangue , offering him the crown , and pressing him to accept of it at their hands . after ruy lopez had done , 〈◊〉 the other nobles begg'd the same of him , and there wanted not some who pretended 〈…〉 and revelations to justify their request . the prince with wonderful modesty answer'd , that a crown was not so much to be coveted as to become infamous for the sake of it , by wronging an innocent child , and a widow queen , whom all ought protect . besides , that of necessity wars must ensue . that he thank'd them for their good will , and in requital would give them a king , which was his brother's son , and his own nephew , and ●n his 〈…〉 would spare no labour or danger for the publick good , but take upon him the government as his brother ordain'd . soon after he assembl'd the 〈…〉 and prelates in the chappel of d. peter tenorio which is in the cloisters of the cathedral● . there ruy lopez the constable thinking his mind might be alter'd , publickly ask'd him , whom he would have proclaim'd king : the prince with some marks of displeasure , answer'd aloud , who but my brother's son ? then the standards were display'd as the custom of spain is in the name of king john the iid , and the kings at arms proclaim'd him first in the assembly , and then in all publick places of the city : prince ferdinand by this action purchas'd an immortal renown , and his moderation and loyalty were highly extoll'd , even by those that advis'd him to accept of the crown , and thus he made himself way to obtain other 〈…〉 ; which heaven for his virtue had reserv'd for him . his glory was so much 〈…〉 , for that his brother for some time before his death had bore him ill-will , giving ear to the insinuations of some court parasites . true it is he was 〈…〉 concil'd and agreed that his daughter mary who might come to inherit the crown 〈…〉 marry'd to d. alonso the prince's eldest son , which was advantagious to both brothers , and for the common good of the kingdom . queen mary of aragon dy'd on the th of december at villareal , a town near valencia , to the great grief of the king her husband , and all that country , for her extraordinary parts . her body was bury'd with the usual magnificence at poblete , the burial place of those kings . of four children she had three dy'd young , which were james , john , and margaret . only martin was left , then king of sicily , who applying himself wholly to the affairs of that island without regard to his health , as being young , and offering himself freely to all dangers as being of a great spirit , soon after was snatch'd away and left his subjects overwhelm'd in troubles . prince ferdinand having setl'd 〈◊〉 at toledo , on the st of january , went thence to segovia to visit the queen , and take 〈…〉 in all things relating to the administration of the government . that all things might be done with the greater majesty and authority he summon'd thither the cortes , and accordingly the nobles , prelates , and commons met there . several affairs were consider'd of by them . particularly the education of the young king was committed to the queen , she pressing for it ; tho it was contrary to the will of the late king henry . to john de valasco , and james lopez de zuniga , in lieu of that employment taken from them , they gave the sum of florins each . a small recompence for so great a trust , but necessity oblig'd them to comply with the will of the queen and prince , nor was it safe to oppose them , who had the power of the government . the 〈◊〉 design'd against the moors was also taken into consideration , and in february the christians made an incursion into their territories by the way of murcia . they lay'd siege to vera , but could not carry it , being unprovided of all necessaries for such an undertaking , besides that a great body of moors was marching to the relief of the place . therefore raising the siege they advanc'd to meet the infidels , and 〈◊〉 xuxena engag'd and overthrew them . the slaughter was not great because they had a ●etreat near at hand ? yet they took and plunder'd the town , but the moor 〈…〉 this success made so great a noise , that the cortes hoping it was a good omen of future advantages granted the supplies that were requir'd of them by the queen and prince . they also , as was but reason , appointed prince ferdinand general , betwixt whom and the queen there began to be some misunderstandings . malicious persons , such as are always encourag'd in courts heighten'd those discontents , and said , one day prince ferdinand would perplex the queen and her children . many lay'd the blame on a woman call'd ellenon lopez , for that she bred ill blood betwixt them , and was greater with the queen than became her majesty , or was for the good of the kingdom . these differences increasing , it was contriv'd the government should be divided , so that the queen should have old castile , and the prince the new , with some towns of the old. this ●one the prince sent his wife and children to medina del campo , and set out himself from sagovia for villareal , designing that the general randezvouz of the forces . mean while the commanders on the frontiers ceas'd not to make incursions into the country of the moors , wasting their lands , and driving great booties of cattle and captives , yet sometimes they came off with 〈◊〉 worst . a moor inclin'd to christianity , came over from them , and being carry'd before laurence suarez de figueroa , master of santiago , who commanded on the frontiers , and was then at ezija , said to him , i am not ignorant how odious the name of ●● deserter is to all men , yet i resolv'd to come over to you , being mov'd to it from heaven●● 〈◊〉 my 〈…〉 testify the sincerity of 〈◊〉 words . first let me be buptiz'd and i will give you instances of my real fidelity . being 〈◊〉 he inform'd them he would shew them a way ●o surprize pruna , a considerable town of the moors . they gave credit to his words , and the chief commendary of santiago went with him . the moor perform'd his promise , and the town was taken on the th of june . thus the moors lost that nest , whence they continually infested the christian territories . prince ferdinand went to cordova , and thence to sevil , 〈…〉 fell sick , at such time as there came to that city the earl of marche , son in law to the king of navarre , of the best blood of france , of a graceful presence , and so courteous , that he gain'd the affections of all men. he brought with him horse to serve in that war , which was expected would prove long and dangerous . the moors were not idle , but first assaulted lucena , a great town , and finding they could not carry it , they march'd away ●o baeça . their numbers were great , for it is lay'd they amounted to horse , and foot , an incredible multitude ; but such it was as put the whole kingdom into a consternation . nevertheless they could not take the city , for it was bravely defended , but they burnt the subarbs . all the christians far and near took the alarm , and gather'd to relieve that important place , which the moors understanding rais'd the siege and departed loaded with booty , and with many captives taken in that country . on the other hand alonso enriquez the admiral obtain'd a considerable victor● over the infidels on the sea near cadiz . the kings of tunez and tremezen had fitted out galleys to scour the coast of andaluzia , at the request of their confederate the king of granada . the admiral when he discover'd them had but galleys , yet attacked them with such fury that he 〈◊〉 eight sunk some , and put the rest to flight . mean while prince ferdinand recover'd to the sickness , and being joyful for this success march'd from sevil on the th of september . he had not fix'd what enterprize to take in hand , therefore a council of war being call'd , it was resolv'd to enter the territory of ronda , and lay siege to zahara a town of note in that country . this was put in execution , and they began to batter it with great pieces of cannon day and night , yet the harm they did was inconsiderable , because the gunners in those days were not expert at playing and levelling their pieces . for this reason the siege might have prov'd difficult , if the besieg'd beginning to feel want , and fearing they should have no quarter had not made hast to surrender , capitulating only for their persons and estates , and delivering up their arms. other small towns follow'd the example of zahara and submitted . septenil , a town strong and well garrison'd refus'd to submit , it was therefore besieg'd and batter'd , at such time as peter de zuniga recover'd ayamonte from the moors , as had been given him in charge by prince ferdinand . the moorish king was unwilling to hazard a battle , and therefore govern'd himself by policy , endeavouring to live his enemy some considerable diversion . he gather'd his forces , which are said to have amounted to horse , and foot , but they were a meer rable without discipline or sense of honour . with this army he sat down before jaen , but sailed it , for our army march'd thither with speed , and oblig'd him to retire with shame . some harm he did in the country , but that was retaliated by wasting all his territories 〈…〉 . besides , several parties spread themselves over all the dominions of the moors , so that they had no place of safety . it was some disappointment that 〈◊〉 was not taken . autumn was advanc'd and the usual great rains began to fall . therefore prince ferdinand rais'd the siege on the th of october , and returning to sevil , restor'd to its place the sword with which the holy king ferdinand took that city , which is there kept to this day , and us'd then to be taken out by generals , when they went upon any considerable enterprize . this done he put his forces into quarters in sevil , cordova , and other places , and went away himself to toledo to raise more men , and make other provision ●● continue the war. chap. viii . the murder of the duke of orleans by him of burgundy . the war carry'd on with the moors 〈…〉 concluded . original of d. alvaro de luna . continuation of 〈…〉 schism . 〈…〉 time dy'd at calahorra , peter 〈◊〉 ayala , chancellor of castile , a man 〈…〉 for many things , and particularly for the chronicle he wrote of the kings , peter , henry the iid . and jo●● the i st , tho it is generally believ'd he wrong'd king peter magnifying his vices , and said more than was true in commendation of king henry , france was in confusion , for that john duke of 〈◊〉 had caus'd luis duke of orleans to be murder'd in 〈◊〉 as he went from court late at night . the assassine's name was ottonville . the cause was suppos'd to be , to 〈…〉 of such a competitor , the duke burgundy aspiring to the 〈…〉 of the kingdom by reason of the king's weakness in his understanding . as soon as the murder was discover'd , the duke fled to his country to stand upon his guard. at the suit of the dutchess dowger he was summon'd to appear and answer for him 〈◊〉 which he relying upon 〈…〉 interest and riches accordingly did . john pettite , a divi● 〈…〉 in his sermons 〈…〉 this action , saying it was lawful to kill a tyrant , and such a 〈…〉 he accounted the duke of orleans . the judges also clear'd the duke of burguidy , whence there 〈…〉 and bloody wars in france , which consum'd its riches , and much diminish'd its glory . the question was whether it be lawful for a private person to kill a tyrant , was long disputed among the divines , and the council of constance which met not long after , gave their judgment and 〈◊〉 decree in the negative . luys duke of orleans was brother to the king of france , and the duke of burgandy's cousin german . prince ferdinand kept his christmas , and began the year at toledo . the king and queen mother resided at guadalajata , it being a temperate and healthful place . thither the cortes were assembled to grant supplies for carrying on the war. all were willing to forward so good a work , but it was hard to find ways to raise mony , the country being exhausted . however the pressing instances of the prince , and other great men prevail'd so far that . ducats were granted , but upon cohdition an account should be kept how it was lay'd out , that it might not be misapply'd . whilst the cortes were sitting , the king of granada lay'd siege to alcaudete , with a prodigious army of horse , and foot. the town was in danger , and all andaluzia alarm'd , being in no condition to oppose so great a power , because the forces were dispers'd , and winter season was not fit to take the field . however the besieg'd held out bravely , and the christians made incursions into the enemy country three several ways , as a diversion , ravaging all their territories in revenge for the harm they had done on our frontiers . the moors discourag'd by so many losses sent to treat of concluding a truce . the prince oppos'd it , hoping to gain some advantage upon the moors , but the queen 〈◊〉 it should be agreed to for eight months . the country would have the tax remitted since the war ceas'd . the prince would not consent , saying it was necessary to be provided for the next year ; however the fourth part was abated . to these cortes came d. peter de luna , the pope's nephew , and arch-bishop of toledo . he brought along with him his nephew , alvaro de luna , a youth 〈◊〉 years of age , bastard son to alvaro de luna , lord of can̄ete and juhera , and of mary de can̄ete , a woman so leud , she had four bastards by four several fathers , one , him we have spoken of , another call'd john de cereçuela , by the governour of canete , martin the third by a shepherd call'd john , and the fourth called also martin by a farmer of canete . the two last in respect to their brother , took the name of luna . from so base an origin sprung this youth , who in time rose so high as to overtop the greatest nobles of spain , and was unfortunately cast down again . he was christen'd by the name of peter , and pope benedict taken with his person and wit , caus'd him at his confirmation to take the name of alvaro in respect to his father . being come into castile he was made one of the king's bedchamber , in which employ he so behav'd himself that he gain'd his affection , and had the ascendent over him . on the th of may dy'd mahomet king of granada in that city , which gave occasion to hope there would ensue a lasting peace . he is said to have been kill'd by a poison'd shirt he put on . his brother joseph then a prisoner at salobren̄a was brought out and proclaim'd king. as soon as joseph came to the crown , he sent embassadors to the king of castile with rich presents of horses , furniture , cimiters , rich silks , raisins , figs , and almonds , the chief dainty among those people . they had other things given them in return , but obtain'd not what they desired , which was to prolong the truce . pope benedict having tir'd the world with his double-dealing , which was now discover'd was forsaken by his friends , and knew not what course to take to support his authority , which was his main design . from avignon he was come to marseilles , and thence sent to his competitor , pope gregory , to make some overtures of an accommodation , which he pretended he had always desir'd . to this effect he said it were convenient they should meet in some proper place , because affairs could not be so well setl'd by a third hand . embassadors were sent by pope gregory to agree upon the place of meeting , and after much contesting , concluded upon savona , a town in the territories of genoa , they also articl'd that neither pope should create cardinals till they had conferr'd together . after this pope benedict immediately imbarqu'd for the place appointed , that the world might believe he desir'd to compose matters . pope gregory thought not that place secure , as favouring his adversary , yet came as far as luca , and pope benedict advanc'd to portovenere to be the nearer to him . all he acted was deceitful , and even pope gregory contrary to what had been agreed created three new cardinals , which disgusted those of his faction , and they withdrew to pisa . pope benedict sent thither four of his cardinals , and three arch-bishops , who had a conference with the other cardinals , and they agreed to call a general council . it was given out they intended to apprehead the two popes , whereupon benedict fled out of italy , having before his departure summon'd a general council to meet at perpignan . on the d of july he landed at colivre , and thence went to perpignan to influence the council . the king of navarre visited the pope there , in his way to france , whither he was going in hopes to recover part of what he had lost , during those troubles , but he did no more this journey than he had done the former . at perpignan & bishops met , most of spain and france ; the business was to put an end to the schism , and finding no likelihood of success , most of the unprivately got away . only bishops remain'd , who petition'd the pope to restore unity to the church , tho it were by renouncing the papacy . it was not likely he would condescend , yet he sent persons of note to pisa ●● on pretence of treaty , 〈◊〉 reality as spies . in that city besides many bishops there were as cardinals , of them of pope benedict's faction , they all sommon'd both popes to appear before them , and make good their claims , and seding neither appear'd , by common . consent on the th of june , they elected a third pope , who was peter philargus , a native of candia , of the order of fryers minors , and archbishop of milan . in his papacy he took the name of alexander the vth. his reign was short , and extended not to a year . this which was looked upon as a remedy , only serv'd to increase the disease , for instead of two , now there were three popes , each pretending to be the right . so weak is all humane policy . chap. ix . the death of martin king of sicily . several pretenders to the crown of aragon . their several claims . martin king of aragon prefers that of his 〈◊〉 prince ferdinand of castile , tho unjust . prince ferdinand govern'd the kingdom of castile prudently , yet let slip no opportunity of advancing his family , and increasing his estate . for this reason some persons spar'd not to set the queen against him , which was easy , as she was a woman , and naturally jealous . there is nothing more uncertain than the favour of princes . they said the excessive power of prince ferdinand might prove dangerous to the crown , for that too much grandeur is seldom attended with loyalty . james lopez de zun̄iga , and john de velasco whose interest was great at court , were the men that chiefly heightned these jealousies . frederick ●●rl of trastamara , the son of peter , constable of castile , advis'd the prince to secure them , but they having notice of the design fled . the queen when she knew it was offended and grew more suspicious than before , saying that affront was offer'd to her , and design'd to deprive her of their advice , and assistance . besides the other blessings which heaven and nature had plentifully bestow'd on prince ferdinand , in which no prince of that age surpass'd him , he had a numerous issue , viz. sons , alonso , john , henry , sancho , and peter , call'd afterwards the princes of aragon , and two daughters , mary and ellenor . about this time dy'd ferdinand rodriguez de villalobos , master of the order of alcantara , and prince ferdinand obtain'd that honour for his fourth son sancho , the pope dispensing with his age. henry the third son was in the like manner , soon after made master of the order of santiago upon the death of laurence suarez de figueroa . many were offended that the prince not content with the government ▪ bestow'd all perferments upon his sons . at this time the duke of austria , and earl of luxembourg sent to offer supplies of men to carry on the war of granada , charles duke of orleans promis'd french horse , and made suit to have to wife queen beatrix the widow of king john the ist of castile , who had the right to the crown of portugal . neither was his offer accepted of , nor his request granted , for the queen would not marry again , or leave spain , and the truce was continued for months ▪ longer at the suit of joseph king of granada . yet soon after the moors making an attempt upon priego gave a sufficient occasion to the christians to break with them , but the king of granada ●ent to excuse that action as done without his consent , and offering to make reparation of damages ▪ such as judges appointed on both sides should decree . this year betwixt salamanca and cuidad rodrigo was found an image of our blessed lady held in great veneration , and call'd de la pen̄a de françia , very famous for a monastery of dominicans , built in that place , and for the great concourse of people that resorts thither . the same year was unfortunate to the aragonians to the death of martin king of sicily only son and heir to the king of aragon , who departed this life at caller in sardinia , on the th of july , in the flower of his age , and the promising hopes conceiv'd of him . his father had sent him into that island to suppress brancaleon doria , and aymerick viscount narbonne , who having marry'd two daughters of marianus , judge of arborea , lay'd claim to and endeavour'd to possess themselves of it . they were grown strong , because the power of the aragonians was small and the islanders rather favour'd them than strangers . the king 's coming chang'd the face of affairs . both parties assembl'd their forces , and met near a town call'd luri . there they engag'd , the isanders were overthrown , and brancaleon their general taken . death prevented the kingdom making his advantage of that victory , and putting an end to the war. but peter de torrellas , the mareschal that prince's favourite , and some other men of note with the forces that remain'd , for some time made good the aragonian party . the king's body was bury'd in the cathedral of caller . by his wife blanch he had one son , who dy'd not long before him . he had also two bastard sons by two sicilian women , one was 〈…〉 , whose mothers name was teresa , and by agathusa he had the lady violante , afterwards marry'd to the earl of niebla . it was reported the cause of his death was his too much familiarity with a young woman of sardinia , before he was perfectly recover'd of a sickness he had . in his will he constituted his father heir of the kingdom of sicily , and ordain'd his wife 〈◊〉 blanch should continue in the government thereof as he left her at his departure then ●● several persons of note were nam'd to be assisting to her with their advice . the loss of this prince was much lamented throughout the kingdom of aragon , and many contests arose about the right of succession . it is in vain to relate how grievous this misfortune was to his father , every one may judge●● himself . yet he monerated his sorrow , and having perform'd the funeral rights to 〈…〉 apply'd himself to setling of the kingdom . his favourites advis'd him to marry , 〈…〉 was 〈…〉 might have children , and by that means settle the 〈…〉 prevent many mischiefs , which must otherwise follow . he approv'd of the●● 〈…〉 beautiful lady , and of the blood royal of aragon . the marriage was solemniz'd at burcelona , on the th of september . the king was but ● years of age ; but sickle and extreamly fat , those very medicines or provocatives he made use of for getting of children , wasted him inwardly and hasten'd his death . luis duke of anjou , being inform'd of the death of the king of sicily , was the first that reassum'd his hopes of inheriting that crown . he sent the bishop of conserans , to desire the king to declare his son luis , whom he had by the lady violante , daughter to king john , 〈◊〉 to the crown , as being the next of blood ; the eldest sister joanna being dead two years before . he also ask'd leave for the mother to come to aragon , to breed up her son according to the custom of the country . it was look'd upon as an ill omen , that the king during the solemnity of his marriage should he pressed to declare an heir . the people thought the earl of vrgel to have a better right , but it was only to please their own inclin'd out for all nations would rather have a king of their own country than a stranger . the earl's descent was from king alonso ivth , who was his great grandfather , his son jayms being father to peter , and grandfather to the present earl. besides he had to wife king martin's sisters , the daughter of king peter by queen sibila . d. alonso de aragon , marques de villena , the earl of deni● , had also a title to the crown , but it was farther remov'd , yet at the perswasion of his friends , tho very old , he set up his title among the rest , as being lineally descended from jayme the iid king of aragon . the king of aragon gave audience to the french bishop , harkened to his demands , and the reasons on which he grounded his claim . after that was over , retiring to his apartment , those that were about him continu'd the discourse , and at length came to argue the case in form before the king. william de moncada pleaded for the duke of anjou , whose doubtless the right was , as may appear by his descent set down before . bernard de centellas argu'd for the earl of or●el , and bernard villalice for the marques de villena , who was the remotest . when they had all done , the king have his opinion , which agreed with none of theirs , for he positively affirm'd prince ferdinand of castile had the best title , as being his nephew the son of his own sister ellenor . in reality he was himself but an usurper , the duke of anjon having a better right than he , but he resolv'd to cut him off , and continue the crown in his own family . this discourse of the king 's being made publick , first at barcelona , where it was spoken and afterwards through all christendom , much advanc'd prince ferdinand his pretension , and avail'd him to be preferr'd before his competitors . this was the common discourse of the town , and even in the king's presence , ●● which he seem'd to be pleas'd , yet in his heart he was more inclined to his grandson 〈◊〉 , bastard son to the late king of sicily , whom he had already created earl of luna , and in order to make him capable of inheriting the crown , treated with pope benedict about his legitimation . if this succeeded not , he preferr'd his nephew prince ferdinand before all others , his valour and virtue , and his despising the crown of castile , having render'd him worthy of another kingdom . nevertheless upon the pressing instances of the earl of vrgel , the king constituted him vicar , and governour of the kingdom ; an honour usually given to the heir of the crown , and might have been very prejudicial to the other pretenders , had he not underhand given orders to the vrreas and herias , two powerful families in zaragoca not to admit him into that city , or suffer him to exercise that office , notwithstanding his letters patents . this doubl● dealing highly offended the earl of vrgel , and was the cause of great troubles . chap. x. the moors having done ma●●h harm in the christian territories , prince ferdinand marches against them , defeats them and takes antequera and other places . martin king of aragon dies . a love-adventure . the truce with the moors was now expir'd , and their boldness provok'd and oblig'd the christians to renew the war for they 〈◊〉 the town of zahara , ravag'd all the country and drove the cattle . to put a stop to their fury , and revenge the wrongs receiv'd , prince ferdinand having made the necessary provision of men , mony , ammunition , and victuals , in the month of february of the year , march'd with his army towards cordova , at such time as the infidels being disappointed of taking the castle of zahara abandon'd the town , and our forces speedily repair'd the walls , and put the place into a posture of defence ▪ prince ferdinand's army consisted of foot , and horse , the very flower of the castillian forces , all brave and resolute souldiers . with him were sancho de rojas , bishop of palencia , alvaro de guzman ▪ john de mendoça , john de velasco , d. ruy lopez davalas , and other towns and men of quality . with these forces the prince sat down before the city antquera , on the 〈…〉 till he had made himself master of that 〈…〉 sent horse , and foot 〈…〉 . they march'd up to the city , and 〈…〉 they rang'd their battles and engag'd . the 〈…〉 of 'em kill'd in the fight and pursuit 〈…〉 and their camp plunder'd . this victory was so 〈…〉 the more remarkable , 〈…〉 of the christians only were lost . prince ferdinand 〈…〉 thanks to almighty god , 〈…〉 great success , and sent expresses to convey the good news to 〈…〉 . the more 〈…〉 the besieged , he caus'd a deep and large . trench to be 〈…〉 with a good breast work , and forts at convenient distances , to hinder the 〈…〉 , and all manner of provision or relief from coming to them . this 〈…〉 necessary , his forces , at that time being weak , because several parties were abroad by 〈◊〉 order plundring and destroying all the country , which was done 〈…〉 to the walls of malaga . great harm was done , but the terror spread abroad was much greater . the moorish king commanded all that were of age without exceptions 〈…〉 and appear in arms , by which means he gather'd a 〈◊〉 multitude 〈…〉 not to hazard another battle , and only shew'd himself to terrify the christians , 〈…〉 kept on the hills and in the woods . the besieged began to be strenghten'd 〈…〉 most perplext them was , that they had no hopes of relief . it was as bad as death to surrender , and they had no means to hold out . it happen'd horse of the garrison or jaen made an incursion into the territories of the moors 〈…〉 orderly that they were surpriz'd and all cut off . this small success encourag'd the besieged to hope that some misfortune might befall the besiegers . whilst these things were acting at 〈…〉 the new pope dy'd at bolonia , on the d of may. his body was bury'd in the church 〈…〉 of that city . the cardinals of his party met , and on the 〈…〉 month , cota deacon-cardinal born at naples , who was then legate 〈…〉 himself in his papacy john the xxiiid . he was bold , subtle , 〈…〉 made of good or bad practices as the occasion requir'd , or was 〈…〉 . purpose 〈…〉 happier in the time of his predecessor , when he govern'd all things than in his own , being cast down , and depriv'd of the tiara . soon after follow'd the death of the king of aragon , who dy'd of a stoppage in his head , on the last of may , at valdoncellas , a monastery of nuns adjoyning to the walls of 〈…〉 . his body was 〈◊〉 at poplete with very little pomp , the people being affirmed at their present loss and apprehenst●● or what was like to follow . the cortes of that principality were 〈…〉 not without some 〈…〉 of troubles likely to break out . 〈…〉 that all the states should depute certain persons of note to 〈…〉 king in his 〈◊〉 and intreat him that to prevent ▪ disorders he would appoint who was to succeed him . this , was accordingly put in execution , and by consent of all the deputies , f●rrer head of the council of that city was appointed to speak to the king. he asked of him , whether it was his will that he should succeed him who had the best title . the king bow'd his head to denote he comented to what was said . to other questions which were put to him , he return'd no manner ●● answer . in him ended the male-line of the earls of barcelona , whilst had continu'd 〈…〉 then in aragon the space of years . the good fortune 〈…〉 an eclipse . many lifted up themselves to 〈…〉 crown 〈…〉 that 〈…〉 , if we may so call it . upon such occasions 〈…〉 of great moment . prince ferdinand for whom heaven had reserv'd that crown , was 〈…〉 with the war in andaluzia , he made a publick act of accepting of the inheritance and crown which no body offer'd him , and at the same time sent ferdinand 〈…〉 and d. john gonçalez de azevedo● men of address and parts , his 〈…〉 his interest in aragon . he himself would not quit the siege , being in hopes 〈…〉 master of the city very speedily , and his hope was increas'd by a skirmish which 〈…〉 hear archidona , betwixt a party of his and the moors , who were worsted . of which action , and the manner how it came to pass , it will not be amiss to give a full accounts taken out of the learned history which laurence valla wrote of the life and 〈…〉 of his prince ferdinand , afterwards king of aragon . the christians made themselves masters of several towns , as goza , sebar , alzana and mara , some were taken by storm ; others terrify'd with their example surrendred . the moors fear'd lest the same fate should befall arch●dona , a considerable town two leagues distant from antequera . to secure this place the w●nt into it a strong garrison with store of provisions and ammunition . this done they wasted all the neighbouring country , and destroy'd or carry'd away all sorts of provisions , that the army which lay before antequera might be reduc'd to want . they had more horse than the christians , which facilitated their carrying on their designs . being inform'd that our horses were every day carry'd to grass down to the river corza , which runs near that place , with only a small guard , they resolv'd to surprize and drive them away . a centinel that stood on a hill call'd pen̄a de los end●●rades , or the lover's rock , made a smoak to give notice of the danger the horses and vivandiers were in unless reliev'd in time . the christians immediately march'd out of their trenches and charg'd the infidels so vigorously that they oblig'd them to retire towards archidona . they were too hard press'd to get into the town , in sight whereof above were kill'd , many taken , and the rest entirely dispers'd and routed . of the christians only two were slain , and a few ounded . on account of this victory we may give the reason why that hill is call'd the lover's rock , since this action happen'd so near ●● it : the hill stands betwixt archidona and antequera . a certain christian youth was a slave among the moors : he was so well accomplish'd , so industrious , obliging and careful of his business , that his master trusted him with all his affairs both at home and abroad . a daughter the moor had fell in love with the youth . she being marriageable , and he a slave their amours were hard to conceal , and dangerous if discover'd , for if her father and his master had understood any thing of that affair it would cost them their lives . they 〈◊〉 to make their escape to the country of the christians , which was most agreeable to the youth , as returning home , and perhaps not so much to her , unless she design'd to become a christian , which i scarce believe . they set out very privately , and travell'd as far as the hill we now speak of , where the young woman sat down to rest . they had not been long there before they discover'd the father , who pursu'd them with a party of horse . what could be done in that case ? they resolv'd to climb up to the top of the rock , which was but a poor defence . the father with a stern countenance commanded them to come down , threatning if they refus'd , to put them to a cruel death . those who came with him advis'd the same , saying it was the only way left them to obtain pardon , and move him to compassion by coming down , and casting themselves at his feet . they refus'd to obey , and the moors alighting off their horses attempted to climb the rock , but the young man kept them down with stones and staves , the only weapons the place and his despair furnish'd him with . the father perceiving their resolution sent to the next town for some cross bow-men to shoot them , and they seeing no way to escape resolv'd death should free than from the reproaches and torments they fear'd . it is needless to repeat the lowing expressions that pass'd betwixt them , but in conclusion embracing one another , they cast thmselves off the roo● on that side where the stern father stood looking on them . thus they dy'd before they came to the bottom , moving the beholders to compassion with that dismal spectacle , and there against the father's will they were bury'd in the same manner as they fell . a happy end had it been for the sake of religion and virtue , and not to satisfy their inordinate desires . let us return to the siege of antequera , where after the fight of archidona , they ceas'd not with their artillery to batter the walls , and made several breaches , the besieged by night making up all that was beaten down in the day . thus much labour was spent , and yet the siege advanc'd but slowly . prince ferdinand observ'd that all the top of one of the towers was quite beaten down , that he judg'd a proper place to be assaulted , and order'd scaling ladders to be apply'd , and the souldiers to mount . his commands were resolutely put in execution , tho with great danger and difficulty , for the moors defended the place with extraordinary bravery . at last the christians mounted , and oblig'd the moors to retire into the castle , hoping to maintain themselves there , or at least to obtain advantagious conditions . next day there arose a dispute among the souldiers about who was the first that mounted the wall. many claim'd that honour , and it was hard to decide , every one having friends , relations , or country men to back his pretensions . it was 〈◊〉 some mutiny might be rais'd on that account . the judges appointed to decide this controversy gave their judgment , that gutierre de torres , sancho gonçalez , serva , 〈◊〉 , and baeça were the first who attempted to mount , but that john biscaino who was kill'd upon the tower got before them all , and after him john de s. vincente had the chief honour assign'd him . the prince commended and rewarded them all as they well desery'd for taking so considerable a place . antequera was entred on the th of september . those who retir'd to the castle surrendred eight days after , having capitulated for their persons and goods , and we●● conducted to archidona . the victors gave thanks to almighty god for this success , and consecrated the great mosque . roderick de narvaez was left governour of the city and castle , and took his oath accordingly . some other small towns and castles were taken , and all the country of the moors wasted . then autumn being near stept the army return'd to sevil and was receiv'd with great demonstrations of joy. the end of the nineteenth book . the history of spain . the twentieth book . chap. i. the state of christendom . nine judges appointed in aragon to decide the dispute about the succession . arguments us'd by each of the candidates . the government of king john of portugal . not only spain , but all christendom was afflicted with bloody wars , civil discord , and such confusions as made even peace it self dangerous and destructive . italy was consum'd by the schism that had continu'd so many years , and the unlimited ambition of three popes , each pretending a right to s. peter's chair . this was in a great measure the fault of the emperors , who ought to put a stop to those growing evils . ladislaus king of naples on the one side supported pope gregory the xiith . on the other luis duke of anjou favour'd the popes of avignon . galeazzo duke of milan made his advantage of these confusions to enlarge his dominions , and had taken b●lania . abortus the emperor dying , the empier of germany was in an uproar . wencestan● king of bohemia by his neglect of the government gave occasion to john hus , and hierome of prague to start new opinions and raise tumults . the eastern empire since tamorlan overthrew the turks , enjoy'd some peace ; but they having somewhat recover'd themselves it was fear'd they would again pass the helespent and subdue greece . to provide against this storm emanuel pal●●ogus the emperor went to venice , and thence pass'd into france to obtain succours , but his labour was lost , for that kingdom was involv'd in war , and full of distractions since the duke of burgundy murder'd the duke of orleans . in aragon since the death of king martin , the people were divided and could not agree who should inherit that crown . a civil war was much fear'd , the all possible means were us'd to adjust that affair by the sentence of the laws . many meetings were held upon this account , and at first nothing was concluded . these troubles caused the interest of aragon to sink in sardinia , notwithstanding peter torrellas did what he could to support it , tho with small hopes of success , his forces being inconsiderable , and no supplies coming to him from spain . in sicily bernard de cabrera committed many insolencies , and at last presum'd to besiege the queen dowager in the castle of syracusa . the king of navarre understanding her danger in his return from france took barcelona in his way , and arriv'd there on the th of december preceeding the year , to sollicit that the queen his daughter might return home , for that since she had no children , it was not reasonable she should govern that kingdom , exposing her self for the advantage of others . the government of castile was divided betwixt the queen mother , and prince ferdinand , a dangerous method , especially for that some ill-meaning people ceas'd not to incense the queen against the prince , but his prudence and patience defeated all their contrivances . he had happily concluded the war with the moors , and made a truce with them for months , then having setl'd the affairs of andaliza he return'd to castile . new troubles were now fear'd , for frederick duke of benavente , who had been long prisoner at mom●al , having kill'd the governour of that place made his escape . this accident much perplex'd the prince , fearing lest he being a powerful man , and of the blood royal should disturb the peace , wherefore he caus'd all the ways towards portugal to be guarded . this availed nothing , for the duke either by chance , or relying upon the friendship that was betwixt him , and his brother in law the king of navarre , fled thither . he took the wrong course , for prince ferdinand sent embassadors to demand him , and he was deliver'd up , and secur'd in the castle of almodovar in the territory of cordova , where he ended his days . only portugal enjoyed a lasting peace , and the new king by his good actions made some amends for the fault in his birth . he built a monastery of dominicans at aljubarrota , called batalla , or the battle , in memory of his success over the castilians in that place . on the banks of tagus he founded the town of almerin , at sintra erected a royal palace , besides many other stately works . he was remarkable for administring justice , to such a degree , that he caus'd ferdinand alfonso de santarn his vice-chamberlain to be taken out of the church and burnt , for having to do with d. beatrix de castro , one of the queen's ladys , and turn'd her out of the court. the portugueses were so rich and powerful , that they resolv'd to undertake new conquests , and pass over into africk , which was the first step they advanc'd towards mighty undertakings . this was the general posture of affairs in christendom . the schism in the chuch perplex'd all people considering what might be the end of it . but the succession to the crown of aragon was more hotly debated in spain . the aragonians , catalonians , and valencians , three nations comprehended under the crown of aragon , assembl'd every one apart to determine what ought to be done in relation to the succession of the crown . their opinions and inclinations could not be reconcil'd . each of the candidates had friends , whose chief aim was to oblige the new king they thought to set up , and drove their own interest rather than his . most of the catalonians favour'd the earl of vrgel , and among them , particularly the two noble families of cardona and moncada . those of alagon and luna among the aragonians sided with them , and that so passionately , that antony de luna to carry on his design caus'd d. garcia de heredia , arch-bishop of zaragoça to be murder'd , way-laying him near almunia , for no other reason , but only that he was the chiefest that oppos'd the earl of vrgel . this was a hainous action , and accordingly resented . the actors were excommunicated , and the earl's cause suffer'd by in for many dreaded a king who us'd such horrid means to obtain a crown . the nobility of aragon had recourse to arms , some to revenge the death of the archbishop , others to protect the murderer . it was requisite for these reasons to come to some determination , and the more for that a war was expected from france , and the troops of castile appear'd on the frontiers , both sides threatning force if the crown was not given them by fair means . the three provinces having consulted what was to be done , after much contesting agreed that judges should be chosen , of each province . these were to meet at caspe , a town in aragon , there to hear and determine betwixt the candidates . whatsoever of them agreed to , was to stand good , provided one of each province were of the number . having ratify'd this agreement , the aragonians on their side chose dominick bishop of huesca , francis de aranda , and berengarius de bardax . the catalonians appointed for them sargarida , arch-bishop of tarragona , william de valseca , and bernard gualbe . for val●ncia were nam'd f. vincent ferrer , of the order of s. dominick , his brother boniface ferrer a carthusian , and peter beltran . these judges immediately met and sent their summons to the candidates to appear , warning such as refus'd that their pretensions should be utterly lay'd aside . prince ferdinand sent james lopez de zuniga , lord of bejar , and d. sancho de rojas bishop of palencia , who is said by this and the like negociations to have obtain'd the earldom of pernia , which the bishops of palencia possess to this day . for the earl of vrgel came ximeno a franciscan bishop of malta . they were oblig'd to take an oath that they would stand by the decision of the judges . luis duke of anjou refus'd to appear , resolving to make use of force . besides , he excepted against of the judges , as partial . among the candidates no account was made of frederick earl of luna , because he was a bastard , and had no great interest . d. alonso de aragon dy'd in the heat of this dispute , and his son alonso , as also his brother john , earl of prades were easily put by , being not so near of kin to the late kings , as the other pretenders . on the behalf of the earl of vrgel , it was pleaded , that according to antient custom , females ought wholly to be excluded from any pretension to the crown , and if that were allow'd their sons could not pretend to the right their mothers had not . besides , that king martin in latter days had constituted the earl governour of the kingdom , and constable , a certain sign he thought the inheritance appertain'd to the said earl and no other . prince ferdinand's agents , as they were instructed by vincent arias bishop of plasencia , and the most famous civilian of that age , made no mention of the prince's right by the female line , but pleaded , that the crown is inherited by right of blood , therefore when the immediate line fails , and it must fall to one of the collateral branches , there must respect be had to the sex and age if they be within the same degree of consaguinity , so that the male take place of the female , and the elder of the younger , without regard to the stock from which they proceed . chap. ii. ferdmand prince of castile declar'd king of aragon by the judges , and afterwards proclaim'd at zaragoca : he settles the kingdom , besieges and takes the earl of urgel , who aspir'd to the crown . when the judges had heard what each of the competitors had to say , and the case had been thoroughly argu'd they clos'd the informations and conferr'd together about the judgment they were to give . they kept their opinions private , and held the people in suspence , as desirous to see the end of that debate . to give judgment with the solemnity that was requisite , and to the satisfaction of all men , they caus'd a large scaffold to be erected before the church , so high that they might be seen all round . mass was said by the bishop of huesca , as is usual in such casts . then the judges came out of the church , and seated themselves at the upper end of the scaffold , and in another place the embassadors of the candidates . pope benedict was present and had a great hand in the affair . f. vincent ferrer for his great sanctity and paticular skill in preaching , was employ'd to make a speech to the people , and pronounce the sentence . his hara●gue being ended , all men were attentive to hear the new king nam'd . then f. vincent with a loud voice read the decree of all the judges which he had in writing . when he came to name ferdinand the shouts and acclamations were so great they seem'd to rend the skies , and nothing else could be heard for a long time . after they had somewhat ceas'd , the musick there ready sang the te deum . this remarkable act was perform'd on the last day of june , which ended , immediately embassadors were sent to give notice thereof to prince ferdinand , and hasten his coming . he was then at cuenca in care for the event of that affair . embassadors came from all parts to congratulate with him , some out of love , others to temporize . particularly sigismund the new emperor , elected the last may , a prince more fortunate in peace than in war , and famous for restoring unity to the church by putting an end to the schism that had so long continu'd , sent to give him joy of his accession to that crown . prince perdinand as soon as he had setled his private affairs went away to varag●\l = c ; \a , in which city he was proclaim'd king on the d of september . the nobility did homage and took the usual oath of allegiance to him and his eldest son prince alonso , whom they acknowledg'd true heir of the crown after the death of his father , giving him the title of prince of girona , in imitation of castile , whereas till then the eldest sons of the kings of aragon were call'd dukes of that city . of the competitors to the crown there came to that solemnity frederick earl of luna , and d. alonso de aragon the younger , duke of gandia . the earl of vrgel to excuse himself pretended sickness , but in reality thought to possess himself by force of arms of the crown , which he said was wrongfully taken from him . of himself he was but weak , nor had he any allies to support him , and therefore resolv'd to make use of the assistance of the duke of clarence , son to the king of england . 〈…〉 great power at that time . these practices perplexed the new king , considering 〈…〉 times a small spark not quenched raises a great flame . however as soon as the solomnity was over , he thought fit in the first place to apply himself to the affairs of sicily and sardinia , which were in danger of being lost . the genoeses , tho they aim'd at the conquest of sardinia , yet mov'd by the fame that was spread abroad of the new king , sent baptista gigala , and peter perseo , embassadors to congratulate with him . by their means a truce was established betwixt those two nations for five years . in sicily bernard de cabrera was prisoner , being surpriz'd by his enemies at palermo , and put into the castle of mota , near tavormina . he was kept more strictly than became his quality , or suited with his former services , but as he deserved for his insolent design of marrying the queen dowager , without considering her dignity , or his own age , which was far advanc'd . sancho ruyz de l●horri , admiral of the sicilian sea , was the chief man that oppos'd , and brought him to this condition : the new king order'd the should be set at liberty upon condition he immediately departed out of sicily , and as soon as possible appear'd before him to answer to such things as should be lay'd to his charge . this was done , tho with some difficulty , and thus at length after so many revolutions that island was pacify'd . sardinia was also brought under , by an agreement made with william vincent narbonne , in virtue of which he was to deliver up to the king the city sacer , which he was then possess'd of , and all his other lands and possessions in that island , and in lien thereof to have certain towns and a sum of mony in spain . this was the posture of affairs in aragon . in france about this time dy'd archimbaud earl of faux . he left sons , john who succeeded him in the earldom , gaston the iid , archimbaud the iiid , peter the ivth , who became a priest , and was cardinal of faux , and the youngest matthew earl of cominges . john the eldest marry'd the princess joanna , daughter to the king of navarre , and she dying without issue , he took to wife mary , daughter to charles d' albret , by whom he had two sons , gaston the eldest , and the youngest peter viscount lautrec , the founder of the family of that name in france , which has produc'd many famous men , and continu'd very renown'd till near our days , the peace the kingdom of aragron enjoy'd abroad could not influence the earl of vrgel to desist from his wicked machinations . in castile the truce concluded with the moors at their instance the foregoing april was prolong'd for months more . for this reason the mony that the country had rais'd to carry on the war against the moors , and amounted to the sum of ducats , was by the general consent and approbation of the whole kingdom , given to the new king ferdinand for his present expence , besides a good body of horse and foot , that attended him . a very opportune supply to settle him in his new acquir'd kingdom , and curb the wicked designs of ill-meaning men. his greatest recommendation was his courteous and loving disposition , which gain'd him the good will of all men , and yet the aragonians were dissatisfy'd that he kept about him a guard of strangers , and pretended by that method to secure to himself the crown they had of their own accord given him . they complain'd it was a reflection upon the loyalty of the natives , and the fidelity they had inviolably observed towards their kings , since that kingdom was first 〈…〉 king with 〈…〉 what he could gather in aragon march'd after 〈…〉 punish him . the earl had but a small power to 〈…〉 thought to make use of policy . therefore he sent embassadors to 〈…〉 to do homage to him , which accordingly they 〈…〉 october . all this was only to amuse the new king , to the 〈…〉 his army and send back the troops of 〈…〉 greatest part of them . the king and pope benedict 〈…〉 upon there , the pope gave the king the investiture 〈…〉 , and corsica , as was of custom , they being feo●es of 〈…〉 the kings of aragon . after this interview , at the end of 〈…〉 the next , which was , the cortes of catalonia met at 〈…〉 to pacify the earl of vrgel , that he might not disturb the peace 〈…〉 to which purpose they granted all he sent to demand , and particularly that prince 〈◊〉 should marry his daughter and heiress . all these condescentions did not satisfy him , but 〈…〉 correspondence with england and france to procure assistance 〈…〉 . the king having notice of it , to ●●●sh him in time rais'd all the forces he 〈…〉 sent him horse out of castile , but they 〈…〉 joyning him . the king of navarre offer'd his 〈…〉 subjects should take it ill if he made use of many 〈…〉 of ●ortes , bastard son to that king , came with a good 〈…〉 . with this force he broke into the country of the earl of vrgel , 〈…〉 till he s●t down before ●alaguer , the chief town of that dominion , in which 〈…〉 confiding in the stren●●● of the place , was . the siege was tedious and difficult , but whilst it lasted all the rest of the earldom submitted to the king. at this time came 〈…〉 embassadors from the kings of france and naples . he of france advertiz'd him ▪ 〈…〉 the insolency of the ●●●ke of burgundy , and the rebellious practices of the 〈…〉 as in great danger , being in a manner a prisoner with his son , and 〈…〉 , and therefore earnestly intreated he would assist him . king ladislaus 〈…〉 their forces against the duke of anjo● , his competitor in the kingdom 〈…〉 might prove a dangerous enemy to aragon , having also 〈◊〉 to that kingdom . to the king of france he answer'd he was much conce●●● 〈…〉 misfortunes , and would as soon as his affairs did permit , assist him with his utmost ●ower . the answer to ladislaus was ▪ that he thank'd him for his offer of friendship , but that there had been an uninterrupted friendship betwixt him and the duke of anjon , which he could not violate ▪ and therefore would rather chuse to be a mediator betwixt them , 〈…〉 part with either against the other . the embassadors being dismiss'd , the siege was 〈…〉 observ'd , 〈…〉 began to want provisions , and desir'd to article . elizabeth th● countes● to prevent further 〈◊〉 with her husband's leave , and the king's permission , 〈◊〉 out to endeavour to app●●● him . all she could obtain of the king was the earls ▪ 〈…〉 he would surrender ▪ himself . the case was desperate and there was no way 〈◊〉 ●o submit to necessity . on the last day of october the earl came to the camp , and ●●lling at the king's feet begg'd pardon , promising to behave himself better for the future ▪ all the king answer'd was , that tho he had deserv'd death , he gave him his life ▪ y●● made ●o 〈…〉 his liberty or estate , but order'd him to be secur'd at lerida . after the 〈…〉 and that earldom pacify'd , the earl was convicted of high treason and 〈…〉 was confiscated , and he condemned to perpetual imprisonment 〈…〉 many friends in that kingdom , and therefore was sent to castile , where 〈…〉 castle of vren̄a , next in that of mora , and lastly dy'd a prisoner at 〈…〉 of valencia . antony de luna , who held the castle of lohorri , for the earl , seeing that had befallen him , left that castle and his own estate and fled . thus those troubles concluded with more ease than had been expected . chap. iii. the christian princes all combine with the emperor to put , an end to the schism in the church : in order to it king ferdinand of aragon has a conference with pope benedict . the council of constance . the two popes john and gregory abdicate . whilst what has been related happen'd in aragon , all the princes of christendom sent their embassadors to sigismund the emperor , desiring him to find out some means to restore the unity of the church by putting an end to the schism which had lasted so many years . he having consulted with the embassadors about that affair , sent to require those who call'd themselves popes to consent to the calling of a general council , where they should all freely renounce the papacy , and stand to the determination of the fathers . hitherto their condescention was fegn'd , and they had far different thoughts . now the popes , john and gregory gave ear to this request . only pope benedict persisted obstinately , and would hear of no proposals of peace . it was given in charge to the king of aragon to reduce him to reason . he and the king of france sent embassadors to him upon that account . at the same time the king of aragon having subdu'd vrgel , and establish'd peace in his kingdom return'd to zaragoça , and enter'd that city in triumph . there he was crown'd on the th of february , that ceremony having been deferr'd till then for several reasons , and was now perform'd by the arch-bishop of tarragona , as primate of all that kingdom . the king was crown'd with the crown sent him by his sister in law , catherine queen dowager of castile , the value of its workmanship , being equal to that of the matter , tho made of gold set with precious stones . several embassadors of forreign princes were present , as also the prelates and nobles of that kingdom , particularly d. bernard de cabrera , earl of osona and modica , now restor'd to the king's favour , and d. henry de villena , a man no less remarkable for his extraordinary learning , than for the misfortunes he underwent , and was at that time depriv'd of his inheritance , and the mastership of the order of calatrava . the manner of it was thus . d. gonzalo de guzman dying , d. henry de villena through the favour of king henry the iiid obtained that dignity . many of the knights objected that he was marry'd , and therefore according to the constitutions of the order could not be master . his ambition was such , that he resolv'd to be divorc'd from his wife the lady mary de albornoz , tho her portion was great , she being lady of alcoçer , salmeron , valdolivas , and the other towns of the infantado . to carry on this divorce he own'd himself naturally impotent , and to the end his own estate might not fall to the order , made over to the king the towns of tineo and cangas , and his right to the marquisate of villen̄a . the commendaries of the order easily perceiv'd this was all fraud . they assembled again , and having taken this affair into consideration depos'd d. henry as illegally elected , choosing d. luis de guzman in his place . this election caus'd disputes , which lasted years . all the knights of that order did not agree , some were for the first , some for the last master . in conclusion , the cistercian monks by order of pope benedict , having hear'd both parties gave judgment in favour of d. luis de guzman . thus he who valu'd himself upon his great learning , was found not to understand his own interest , and taking his wife again , spent the remainder of his days in poverty ; for tho the mastership was taken from him , the patrimony of his ancestors was not restor'd him . after the solemnities at zaragoça were perform'd , the new king bent his thoughts to the affairs of the church , as all christian princes desir'd . having signify'd so much to pope benedict , they agreed to meet at morella , a town in the kingdom of valencia on the borders of aragon and catalonia . the king signaliz'd himself in treating the pope with all manner of respect . for first he led the horse on which he rode to the church , and thence to his lodging , carry'd his train ; next day he waited upon him at table , and prince henry did the office of cup-bearer . his service , which was of pewter , he chang'd into silver and gold , all to soften his obdurate heart . they met several times to treat of the affair in hand . the pope would not yield to lay down that dignity , and his followers obstructed it : days were spent and nothing concluded . at the same time came news from italy of the death of ladislaus king of naples , who was reported to be poison'd in the height of all his prosperity , when he might have hop'd to make himself master of all italy . he had no issue , for which reason that crown fell to his sister joanna , widow of william duke of austria , not above years of age , and no less leud than the other queen of naples of the same name , we have before mentioned . many princes considering a kingdom was her dower were ambitious to marry her , and she was contracted to john , second son to the king of aragon , who on that account went over to sicily , and yet the match was broken off , and that queen marry'd to james of bourbon , earl of marche , a comly youth . pandolphus alopus was greater with the queen than became the regal dignity , which was censur'd by the people , and resented by the nobility . all hopes of reducing pope benedict being lost , the christian princes still continu'd their resolution of assembling a general council , and appointed the city constance in germany to be the place of meeting . the bishops of italy and france came first . pope gregory sent his embassadors with full power to renounce the papacy for him , if requir'd . pope john came in person , relying on his friendship with the emperor . king ferdinand ceas'd not to press pope benedict to comply as well as his competitors . after much contesting they sent an embassy to the emperor , desiring they three might meet in some convenient place . the prelates continued to assemble at constance , and about met . the council was open'd on the th of november . at the same time in aragon a great number of jews was converted by s. vincent ferrerius . to facilitate the conversion of the rest several severe laws were enacted against them . at constance on christmas night which preceded the year . pope john and the emperor went together to matins , two chairs were set for them , the pope's somewhat above the emperor's . after the divine service they began to discourse of the affair in hand , and it was agreed by all the prelates that the three popes should freely abdicate , to which pope john , tho with some reluctancy , condescended . on the th of march he said a solemn mass , and that ended , promis'd in publick to renounce the papacy , which gave great satisfaction to all men. this was but counterfeit , for not long after he fled away by night , with a design to keep that division afoot . some persons were sent after him , who apprehended and brought him back to constance , where he was forc'd to resign the papacy , and given in custody to the count palatine ; yet three years after he escap'd , and to pacify him had his cardinals cap restor'd , and dy'd at florence , where he was also bury'd . the treasures he had heap'd whilst pope were left in the hands of cosmo de medices , a noble citizen of that place , which is said to have been the first step he ascended by , and his family afterwards to be princes of that dominion . the joy conceiv'd for the deposing of pope john was redoubl'd days after , when charles malatesta , pope gregory's commissioner made a solemn act of renunciation in his name . only pope benedict remain'd , of whose obstinacy they fear'd he would continue the schism , should they elect another before he resign'd . there was but one way left , which was that the emperor , pope and king of aragon should meet as had been propos'd . to this effect embassadors were sent to the two last , and the city nice on the coast of piemont , appointed for their conference . still it was hop'd benedict would follow the example of his competitors , and submit to the resolutions of all nations . chap. iv. the portugueses pass over into africk and take ceuta . all endeavours us'd to move pope benedict to resign the papacy prove vain . ferdinand king of aragon his death . the council of constance puts an end to the schism in the church . whilst these things were in agitation at constance , the king of aragon at valencia with all majesty solemniz'd the marriage of his son alonso , with the princess mary , sister to king john of castile . to honour the solemnity , pope benedict came thither , as did all the nobility of the kingdom . with the princess came from castile d. sancho de rojas , then translated from the see of valencia to the archbishoprick of toledo , upon the death of d. peter de luna , who departed this life at toledo , on the th of september , and was bury'd in that cathedral . d. sancho was promoted at the instance of the king of aragon , and he well deserv'd it for his good parts , and the signal services he had done to the crown . prince alonso was marry'd on the th of june . her father left the princess the marquisate of villena for her dower , but it was taken from her , and in lieu of it she had ducats , because the castilians would not allow that estate to be given to the aragonians , it lying on the borders of both those kingdoms , very opportunely to make incursions in time of war. the king of portugal since the last year was fitting out a powerful fleet. all the neighbouring princes , as is usual in such cases , were jealous lest it might be design'd against them : particularly the king of aragon was concern'd , because it was reported the portugues design'd to undertake the protection of the earl of vrgel , which would disturb the peace of aragon . they were all deceiv'd , for the designs of the portugues were of another nature , to wit to pass over into africk and make new conquests there . his good fortune which had gain'd and fix'd him in that kingdom , to which he had no right , encourag'd him , and he sought new conquests to bestow on his many children , because the limits of portugal were but very narrow . by the queen his wife he had the princes , edward , peter , henry , john , and ferdinand , and the princess elizabeth . besides them a bastard son call'd alonso , afterwards earl of barcelos . he fitted out great ships , galleys , galliots , and many other small vessels , which in all made up sail. with this fleet the king set sail towards africk , notwithstanding that at the same time queen philippa dy'd , whom he caus'd to be bury'd in the new monastery of batalla at aljubarrota . at his first landing on the d of august he took the city ceuta , seated upon the sreights of gibraltar by storm . the first that mounted the wall was a souldier call'd cortereal , another call'd albergueria was first at entring the gate . both were rewarded by the king as they deserv'd , and others were honour'd according to their merits . of the moors , some were put to the sword , others fled , and others were made slaves . this lucky beginning put the portugueses in hopes of subduing large territories in africk . this same year they also alter'd their manner of computation from the era of cesar , and began to reckon from the birth of our lord , as all other countries did . the council of constance still labour'd to settle the affairs of the church . king ferdinand could not go to nice by reason of sickness , and therefore it was resolv'd the emperor should come as far as perpignan , in the county of russillon : pope benedict and king ferdinand being nearest came thither first . on the th of september came the emperor with men at arms on horseback , a splendid retinue . his habit was plain , and the service of his table of pewter , in token of mourning for the unhappy state of the church . thither resorted embassadors from france , castile , and navarre . all the world was in expectation what this meeting would produce . king ferdinand by reason of his indisposition could not attend the conferences . yet from his bed conjur'd pope benedict to restore the peace of the church , and to remember the promises he had formerly made . he urg'd the example of his competitors , and shew'd how short a time he could expect to live , being of a great age. pope benedict was resolv'd not to agree to any composition , and therefore only study'd to protract or delay time . both princes press'd him to come to some resolution . one day he made a long harangue in defence of his right , alledging , that if ever there was any doubt of the dueness of his election it had now ceas'd by the resignation of his competitors , he only being left as sole governour of the church ; that the older he was the more cause he had to fear offending god , by timorously yeilding to quit his charge . he spent whole hours in this discourse without the least sign of weariness , tho he was years of age , and the auditors tir'd slip'd away one after another . at last he urg'd , that in case he were not the true pope , yet the choosing of another appertain'd to him alone , as being the only cardinal left alive of those promoted before the schism by a pope , whose right was indisputable . much time was spent in these debates , and no hopes of any conclusion . the emperor weary of these delays departed from perpignan , threatning pope benedict to make use of force , since he could not be reduc'd by fair means . yet he made some stay at narbonne , to see whether king ferdinand could work upon that hard heart ; but all was in vain , for pope benedict fled to piniscola , hoping to maintain himself there , it being seated on a rock encompass'd almost on all sides by the sea. at length the only remedy remaining was made use of , which was to disown him in aragon , as was done by edict , and all persons forbid to acknowledge him as pope . f. vincent ferrerius , who had always adher'd to him , was the man that now advis'd to cast him off . some persons still retain'd a scruple , but the generality easily consented . benedict himself was so offended , that he say'd , he who was most beholding to him was his chief enemy , and he hop'd god would for his ingratitude deprive him of the kingdom which he had given him . whilst these things were hottest in debate , ellenor queen of navarre dy'd on the th of march at pamplona . she lies in an alablaster tomb in the cathedral of that city , with an inscription signifying the time of her death . king ferdinand's disease continu'd , and he earnestly desir'd to return to castile , to try whether his native air would recover him . sickly persons , especially at the point of death , fancy whatever they desire . besides he was solicitous to promote the interest of castile on account of his kindred with that king , and as governour to him during his minority . he also was desirous that kingdom should cast off pope benedict , as aragon had done . to this purpose he return'd from perpignan to barcelona , and at the beginning of the summer set out for castile . travelling increas'd his distemper , and he was forc'd to take up at igualada , leagues from barcelona . there the physicians gave him over , and having receiv'd the sacraments , he dy'd like a good christian upon the d of april . he was a prince endu'd with excellent perfections , of a graceful presence , and dextrous at gaining the good will of all men. some accuse him of being very slow , for abandoning pope benedict , for making his advantage of the revenue of castile , for being lavish of his own , and covetous of what belong'd to others to supply his extravagances . he reign'd years , months , and days . his body lies at poblete in a very mean tomb. by his will made some months before at perpignan , he provided for his children in this manner . to prince john he gave the estate of lara , and medina del campo , also the town of monblanc , with the title of duke in catalonia , and several other towns. to prince henry he left albuquerque , and to d. sancho montalvan . he appointed alonso his eldest son , heir to the crown . in case all the brothers should die without issue , he order'd the sons and grandsons of his daughters , mary and ellenor , should succeed , yet excluded the mothers . king ferdinand's death was the cause that castile for some time continu'd to give obedience to pope benedict . he had many friends , whom he had oblig'd in castile , and particularly the arch-bishops of toledo , and sevil , d. sancho de rojas , and d. alonso de exea stickl'd for him . fresh tumults began in castile , which shew'd how necessary the prudence and valour of king ferdinand had been for the peace of that country . queen catherine immediately entred upon the whole government of the kingdom . she committed the education of the king to the arch-bishop of toledo , and joyn'd with him john de velasco , and james lopez de zuniga , the chief justice . many complain'd they had no share in the preferments given , and among them were d. alonso enriquez the admiral , and d. ruy lopez davalos the constable . at the beginning of the year , a truce was concluded with the king of granada for two years , by which he was oblig'd every year to release christian slaves . the prelates at the council of constance attended to all that was for the advancement of the church . to pacify the rebellion in bohemia , and reduce the hereticks , they brought their heads , john hus , and hierome of prague to that city , having obtain'd them a safe conduct from the emperor . heresy once fix'd , is hard to be rooted out . they both fled from the city , and being apprehended by parties sent out after them , were publickly burnt . the hereticks being punish'd , and their heresy condemn'd , the bishops again apply'd themselves to make up the divisions in the church . on the th of july they excommunicated pope benedict , who only remain'd of the three , and depriv'd him of any right he could pretend to s. peter's chair . this sentence being made publick , they proceeded to the election of a new pope . there were present cardinals of those that had follow'd the three popes ; to these were joyn'd other electors , some of them bishops , the others men of note , all which were shut up in the conclave . all of them to a man agreed to the election of the cardinal , otho colonna , a native of rome . this was done on the th of november , and he took the name of martin the vth. the joy for this choice was universal , for all nations laying aside former prejudices submitted to the new pope . only the king of scotland , and earl of armegnac with some few cardinals for a while stuck to pope benedict , but they also in a short time forsook him . soon after the council was dissolv'd , but it was decreed they should meet again within years , and the second time years after that , and then at the end of years , and that for ever after there should be a general council once in years . the new pope sent two cistercian monks to advise benedict to submit to the decree of the council , and admonish his cardinals to leave him . they prevail'd not upon benedict , but his four cardinals who were spaniards , and whom he had retain'd upon promise of preferment left him , and repair'd to the new pope at florence . this year was unhappy to france , and no less fortunate to castile for the renewing of the voyage to the canaries , by consent of the queen of castile , by which means john de betancour , a french man , who undertook this expedition , subdu'd of those islands . menante his kinsman succeeded him . pope martin gave the bishoprick of those islands to a fryer call'd mendo. these two fell at variance , and peter barba was sent by the king to compose them . he bought the islands for a sum of mony of menante , and sold them again to peter peraça , a considerable citizen of sevil , whose heirs possess'd them till the time of king ferdinand the catholick , who intirely subdu'd and annex'd them to the crown of castile . this is what relates to spain . the misfortunes of france happen'd in this manner . henry the vth king of england demanded of charles the vith of france his daughter catherine in marriage , which he refusing king henry sail'd over into normandy , overthrew the french army , took the dukes of orleans and bourbon prisoners , and after a troublesom siege made himself master of roan , the metropolis of that province . this was not all , for elizabeth queen of france left her husband , and with her daughter catherine , fled to tours , whence she sent to the duke of burgundy , who not only secur'd the queen and her daughter , but also the king and city of paris . charles the dauphin made what head he could against the english and burgundians . the dauphin and duke of burgundy agreed to have a conference upon a bridge over the seine , on the middle of which was a strong barrier ; the dauphin invited the duke to come over to him , and some words arising kill'd him . whether his life or death were most fatal to france is doubtful , for his son philip to revenge the death of his father deliver'd up the city of paris with the king , queen and princess catherine to the english , whence ensu'd innumerable calamities which happen'd later , and are forreign to our purpose . chap. v. the death of the queen of castile . marriages of princes . prince henry of aragon seizes the king of castile . tumults in that kingdom . strange prodigies . many colledges built in castile . queen ellexor of aragon after the death of the king her husband retir'd into castile , and there spent the time of her widowhood with her children . a motion was made that the king of castile should marry her daughter the princess mary . queen catherine approv'd not of that match . to prevent it she pleaded the king was too young , whereas in reality she was rather inclin'd to match him in portugal with the princess ellenor , who was her neece , and not only she , but most of the court thought that match would unite the two kingdoms in a lasting knot of amity . death prevented those designs , which suddenly took away queen catherine at valladolid , upon thursday the d of june , in the year , at the age of . of body she was large and gross , somewhat free in drinking as is the custom of her country ; open hearted , and bountiful , which virtues some made use of to advance their interest , and slander others . most of her counsellors and ministers were mean persons , which is very dangerous for princes . she was bury'd in the royal chappel of toledo in a particular tomb , where she had given a revenue for chaplains to pray for the souls of her and her husband . the queen's death produc'd great alterations . the king notwithstanding his tender age came out of that profound ignorance in which his mother had kept him , and began in some measure to govern the kingdom , assisted with the advice of some persons about him . among them the chiefest was the arch-bishop of toledo , who being of a haughty spirit , ambitious of honour , and a busy man , seiz'd the government into his own hands , so that under the shadow of the king's name he turn'd all things which way he pleased . two embassadors came from france to sue for some succours in that time of need . they were put off with an excuse grounded on the king's minority , the late troubles , and new ones that were fear'd . it was again propos'd to marry the king. the archbishop ow'd all his preferment to the crown of aragon , and therefore prevail'd the match with aragon should be preferr'd before that of portugal . on the st of october the king and princess were contracted at medina del campo with great pomp. one of the articles of marriage was that the princess catherine , younger sister to king john should be marry'd to one of the princes of aragon . none was particularly nam'd because prince john the eldest was unresolv'd where he should take a wife . first he was contracted to elizabeth , daughter to the king of navarre , and broke off in hopes of marrying joanna , queen of naples , as was said before . he spent some time governing sicily , instead of queen blanch , whom her father the king of navarre caus'd to return home , she being the eldest sister , and heiress of that crown . many princes made suit to her for her great fortune , but her father preferr'd before them all this prince john for his good qualities , and because he hoped aragon and navarre might come to be united , king alonso his brother having no issue . her dower for the present was florins . it was also articl'd , that in case queen blanch should die without issue , her husband after the decease of his father and mother in law should during his life stile himself , and be actually king of navarre . they were marry'd by proxy at olite . the prince's commissioner was james gomez de sandoval , nephew to the archbishop of toledo , lieutenant of castile , and steward to the prince , with whom he afterwards was in the highest favour , and at last was cast down , as shall be shewn in its place . this contract was made in the year . this same year the admiral vincent ferrerius of the order of s. dominick chang'd this life for a better at vannes in britany , and was afterwards for his virtue and the miracles he wrought , put into the number of the saints . his body was bury'd in the cathedral of that city . let us return to king john of castile . castile began to be disturb'd , the nobility being at variance . the king was too young and weak to curb them . many envy'd the arch-bishop of toledo , and were offended that a priest should have more power than all the nobility . the king was advis'd to take upon him the government , since he was years of age. to this purpose the cortes met at madrid , to which all persons of note resorted . on the th of march all that assembly being together in the palace of that town , the archbishop made a study'd speech , declaring to them how the king intended to take the government upon himself , and lay aside his tutors . d. alonso enriquez the admiral in the name of all there present approv'd of his resolution , and they altogether applauded it . it was requisite the king 's tender years should have some support , therefore he admitted to his council all those who had been of it in his father's time , and during his nonage . the arch-bishop of toledo , the admiral , the constable , peter manrique , lieutenant of leon , and john hurtado de mendoça the lord steward , were appointed commissioners to consider of all grants , and bestow preferments . gutierre gomez de toledo , arch-deacon of guadalajara , was appointed to draw up and register all orders . this the arch-bishop took ill , pretending it belong'd to him as chancellor of castile : among others the princes of aragon , john , and henry , master of the order of santiago were then at court ; them the arch-bishop endeavour'd by all means to draw to his party , that they might support him against his enemies , and he continue fixt in the government . from madrid the king went to segovia , where a dispute happening betwixt the courtiers and townsmen , they were very near coming to blows . the princes of aragon did not agree among themselves , both aspiring to possess themselves of the king and government , and admitting of no competitor . the nobility was divided , d. ruy lopez davalos the constable , and peter manrique favour'd prince henry , ferdinand earl of trastamara , and the arch-bishop of toledo sided with prince john. the king was young and changeable , soon angry , and as soon pleas'd . his stature was large considering his age , his complexion clear , but withal he was weakly , and had no good face , yet of temper was mild and tractable . he delighted in hunting , justs , and turneaments , lov'd learning , and could himself make indifferent spanish verses . these virtues which shew'd themselves in his childhood , in his riper years spread more and grew to perfection . yet all this was defac'd by his love of ease , and neglect of the government . he gave little attention to business , and that always in hast ; in short he was not fit to rule a kingdom . this it was that put his courtiers in the way of obtaining great preferments , especially alvaro de luna , who began already to be more in his favour than any other . queen mother some years before to obstruct his unreasonable advance in the king's esteem , had prudently forbid him the court , ordering him to return to aragon . yet she acted very indiscreetly , in keeping the king as she did till her death , which was for above years lock'd up at valladolid in a house near the monastery of st. paul , without suffering him to go abroad , or permitting any body to visit him , but his menial servants . this she did that the nobility might not seize him , and disturb the peace of the kingdom . a miserable sort of education for a prince , so that afterwards he knew not the noblemen that came to visit him . the riper years are for the most part answerable to the education , as appears by this prince . for after the queen's death , as if he had been kept in a dark place , or were just come from his mother's womb , he always behav'd himself like an utter stranger to the affairs of the government . business perplex'd and troubl'd him . this is the reason he was always govern'd by his courtiers and favourites , which was the cause of great and continual troubles . at the beginning of the following year which was , the king went to tordesillas , a town in old castile . prince henry , master of the order of santiago , either to facilitate his marriage with the princess catherine , or to get the upper hand of his adversaries , came to that town with a party of his followers , secur'd john hurtado de mendoça , lord steward of the houshold , and others belonging to the court , and took the king himself , not permitting him to go any whither , or to dispatch any business . a great disgrace to the kingdom , that the king should be detain'd prisoner by his own subjects . this affront mov'd the nobility to take up arms. prince john of aragon headed them , who having spent but four days in celebrating the solemnity of his marriage at pamplona , set out immediately for castile , moved to it by the report of what had happen'd , and the letters of many that invited him thither . at avila the king of castile was marry'd without any magnificence , or demonstrations of joy , by reason most of the nobility were absent , and he himself no better than a prisoner . prince henry for his own security , and to strengthen his party , kept horse in that city . his brother prince john was at olmedo , and had an equal number of horse canton'd in the neighbouring towns. to him resorted all sorts of people from all parts of the country , designing to revenge the affront done to the king and kingdom . it was endeavour'd to have the two brothers meet , but it was prevented , nor would they suffer prince john to speak to the king. prince henry tho he had all the power in his own hands , yet to provide for the future contriv'd to have the cortes meet in that city . no body had liberty of speech , or durst utter his thoughts , the town being full of souldiers , and the place where they met surrounded with armed men. thus prince henry was by those cortes clear'd of any thing that might be lay'd to his charge till that time . no man durst oppose this resolution , or mutter , in so much , that as it were to reward that exploit by the king's consent it was obtain'd of pope martin the vth , that the mastership of the order of santiago should be setl'd hereditary upon prince henry and his heirs , which had prov'd a new plague to spain , had not the king when he came to riper years cancell'd that decree . the princess catherine openly oppos'd prince henry . she said plainly she would not have a husband , who aimed by force of arms to take what he ought to hope for as the reward of his good service . however her weak resolution was vanquish'd , and they were marry'd at talavera , a great town near toledo , whither the king went from avila . he had with her the lordship of villena , with the title of a duke . to alvaro de luna the chief of the courtiers for being instrumental in this affair , was given the town of santistevan de gormaz . this was the first step he advanc'd towards the great preferments and riches he afterwards acquir'd . about this time every day there were earthquaks , and noises under ground in catalonia from tolosa to perpignan . near girona was a town call'd amer , where the earth gap'd in two places and cast out fire that burnt all that came within two stones throw of them . out of another mouth near those of fire gush'd black water , and half a mile from thence mixt with a river ( which i suppose to be sameroca ) so that that town was destroy'd , and all the fish in the river dy'd . the stench of the water was such , that the birds clapt their wings as they flew that way , and it extended as far as girona , tho at four leagues distance . james de anaya arch-bishop of sevil built the college of st. bartholomew , at salamanca , and endow'd it with revenues to maintain a good number of scholars , in imitation of the colledge built at bolonia by the cardinal giles de albornoz . this good example was afterwards follow'd by several persons of quality , who built other colleges , which have brought forth many men famous for learning . three other colleges were built at salamanca , and call'd the great ones , a fourth at valladolid , a fifth at alcala , and many others of less note . chap. vi. original of the portugues discoveries . king alonso of aragon adopted heir to the crown of naples . the king of castile escapes from his confinement , and suppresses many of the rebels . d. alvaro de luna made an earl. now it was that the two nations of the aragonians , and portugueses made themselves way to obtain new dominions . henry son to the king of portugal , being much addicted to the study of astrology , imagin'd unknown countries and islands might be discover'd in the vast ocean . to this purpose he fent out several ships , and in the way betwixt lisbon and the canaries found a small , but fruitful island , so full of trees that they call'd it madera , that is to say wood. thus coasting along africk this prince and the kings of portugal after him at length came to the coasts of asia , india , and china to their no less honour than profit . luis duke of anjou had besieg'd joanna queen of naples within that city . the cause of making war upon her was the antient hatred he bore to that crown , and the leudness of the queen , whose husband no longer able to bear with her , returned to france , and became a franciscan fryar . the queen being reduc'd to great streights , sent to invite alonso the th king of aragon , famous for his valour , and the conquest of sardinia , to her assistance , promising to adopt him as her son , and leave him the kingdom of naples . he sail'd from sardinia to naples , and rais'd the siege , in recompence of which service he was adopted heir to the crown , and the pope approved of that act. it is needless to dispute the legality of that adoption , but certain it is it was the cause of tedious and bloody wars betwixt spain and france , which have lasted till our days . king alonso having subdu'd sardinia and abandon'd corsica to the genoeses , sail'd with speed to palermo in sicily , hoping to secure the succession to the new kingdom , and was the more bent upon it , for that a certain mathematician five years before told him , that heaven promised him great things , that he should be master of naples , that he should have many subjects , and heap mighty riches , whereupon he encourag'd him boldly to pursue his fortune . the depriving the king of castile of his liberty caus'd great commotions , and the imprisonment of several persons of note . the court was at talavera , as has been said , and the king , as if he minded not the wrong done him , diverted himself in hunting . this gave him an opportunity on the th of november , to make his escape to montalvan , a castle seated upon an eminence almost in the mid-way betwixt talavera and toledo , on the banks of tagus . alvaro de luna his great favourite advis'd him to fly . prince henry gathering his forces besieg'd the place , but would not batter it , in respect to the king. prince john , the archbishop of toledo , d. alonso enriquez the admiral and other nobles assembl'd to revenge this affront . hunger began to pinch in the castle , and they eat their horses and other filthy beasts . at length the siege was rais'd by them that came to relieve the place , and prince henry went away to ocana , a town of his own as he was master of santiago , resolving to stand upon his guard. after his departure the king return'd to talavera , and was met upon the way by the princes john and peter of aragon . great demonstrations of affection passed betwixt them , and the king by the advice of alvaro de luna , who rose apace to give the greater fall , commanded them to return . this alter'd the posture of affairs : the king kept his christmas , and the beginning of the year at talavera . thence he went to old castile , where he had more forces , and the people were better affected towards him . prince henry had the marquisate of villena given him with his wife , which those people resented , because it had been purchas'd for a sum of mony of the king of aragon , and ought not to be alienated from the crown . prince henry seiz'd and garrison'd all the towns of that dominion , except alarcon , which being naturally strong held out against him . the king commanded him to disband his forces , and he refusing to obey , that estate was taken from him by force . besides the king recall'd his patent which made the mastership of santiago hereditary to the heirs of prince henry . this so provoked him that he set out from ocan̄a after the king with horse . he passed the mountains , and without making any stop came to arevalo , where the king was . there was danger of a battle , and therefore queen ellenor in care for her son prince henry endeavour'd to lay that storm that threatn'd . the archbishop of santiago did the same . they perswaded the prince to lay down his arms , and thus , for that time war was prevented . blanch daughter to the king of navarre on the th of may was brought to bed at arevalo of a son , who was call'd charles , as his grandfather by the mother's side . the cortes were summon'd first to toledo , and then to madrid , and in order to meet them the king and queen set out towards new castile . on the d of october they came to toledo . prince henry of aragon , ruy lopez davalos the constable , and peter manrique the lieutenant being summon'd excus'd themselves , saying , they had powerful enemies at court. mean while alonso king of aragon , and luis duke of anjou contended for the kingdom of naples . king alonso kept in that city . aversa , a town near it was held by the french , and excursions were made by both parties . cerra , a town four miles from naples , was besieg'd by the aragonians and taken after a vigorous defence . prince peter of aragon being call'd by his brother , with the consent of the king of castile went away to serve in that war , at the beginning of the year . the cortes sat at madrid , prince john of aragon and other great men were present . the archbishop of toledo was not , being then sick . prince henry and his adherents , because the king would oblige them to come , resolv'd the prince and garci fernandez manrique , afterwards earl of castan̄eda , should go , but the constable and peter manrique should stand upon their guard in places of safety . on the th of june the prince and garci fernandez came to madrid , were kindly receiv'd , but the next day apprehended . prince henry was sent prisoner to the castle of mora , and the care of him committed to garci alvarez de toledo , the earl of vrgel , who had been some years a prisoner there , being remov'd to madrid . an impeachment of high treason for corresponding with the moors was brought into the cortes against those lords . letters written by the constable to king joseph of granada were produc'd and read . therefore the estates of prince henry , and garci manrique were confiscated , and the same was decreed against peter manrique , who having notice of what was in hand fled to taraçona . the like sentence was given against the constable , who with the lady catherine prince henry's wife , fled first to segura , a strong place towards murcia , and thence to valencia . he left a mighty estate in castile ; for arcos , arjona , ossorno , ribadeo , candeleda , arenas , and many other towns were his , so that the house davalos began to decay . several other noble families , as the fajardos , enriquez , sandovals , pimenteles , and zunigas rose out of the ruins of the davalos . it was then whisper'd that those letters of the constable were forg'd , and afterwards his secretary john garcia confess'd he had counterfeited them , and was put to death ; yet because the king and others were concern'd the constable was not restor'd . now the king created alvaro de luna earl of santistevan de gormaz , and made him constable . gonzalo mexia commendary of segura was impower'd to act as master of santiago . these things being concluded , the king went away to alcala , and at the same time the queen was deliver'd of a daughter at illescas , on the th of october ; she was call'd catherine . this caus'd great joy , being an argument the queen was not barren , as had been fear'd . the archbishop of toledo after a tedious sickness dy'd at alcala de henares , and was put into a curious marble tomb , built by himself in the parish church of st. peter . d. john martinez de contreras , dean of toledo , by the king's interest was chosen archbishop . the chapter rather favour'd the school-master , john alvarez de toledo , but the king's recommendation prevail'd . the elect archbishop went away to rome to be confirm'd by pope martin the vth , as was then the custom , and spent two years in that journey . chap. vii . the death of the moorish king of granada . a truce betwixt castile and portugal . the interest of the aragonians decays at naples . joseph king of granada dies . mahomet succeeds him . at toledo ( whither the king of castile went , as soon as the cortes broke up ) the form of government was alter'd , the town being before divided into factions , and subject to mutinies . it was the custom every two years to choose officers , somewhat in the nature of aldermen , of the commonalty , and of the gentry . these with the two alcaides , who are not unlike to our sheriffs , and the chief alguazil , made up a court , or council , and govern'd all the affairs of the city . all men were free to come to their consults , and vote with them , which occasion'd disorders . the king regulated this affair , and order'd as king alonso had before done at burgos , that there should be regidores or aldermen , chosen half of the gentry , and half of the commonalty , who were to continue for life , and the most votes among them should take place . when any of these dy'd the king was to name another . this caus'd another inconveniency for those places were expos'd to sale . at pamplona , the government of that place which was divided betwixt three governours , was afterwards also reform'd . one of these governours had charge of the suburbs , another of the city , and the third of a certain quarter call'd navarreria , which often caus'd disputes about the extent of their jurisdiction . king charles ordained there should be but one governour , and with him aldermen , who should have the whole power in their hands , and that all the city should compose but one body and be subject to one tribunal . john earl of faux had now a son born to him call'd gaston , who in time through strange revolutions came to be king of navarre , prince charles son to prince john of aragon , and the lady blanch his wife dying . he ought to have inherited his grandfather's crown , and his father sent his mother with him to be bred in her father's court. as soon as the prince came to court he was created prince of viana , and several other towns , particularly corella and peralta given him , a thing new in navarre , but done in imitation of the neighbouring kingdoms . it was enacted that those dominions should for the future ever belong to the heir of the crown . this law passed on the th of january . five months after to satisfy the desires of the people , the oath of allegiance to the prince , as next heir was taken by the three estates , at olite , where the king being very antient , commonly resided , by reason of the pleasantness of the seat , and the beauty and magnificence of a palace , he himself had built . ever since his minority , the king of portugal had pressed him of castile to settle a lasting peace , and enter into a league , both nations being wasted with tedious wars , and desirous to put an end to the miseries it occasin'd . so far the portugues was comply'd with , that a truce was concluded for years , and it was also agreed that after the expiration of that time neither party should commit any hostility upon the other , without declaring war a year and a half before such breach made . this truce was proclaim'd at avila , where the king then was , to the great joy and satisfaction of the people . processions of thanksgiving were made , and all manner of sports to express the publick satisfaction . in certain justs that were kept at court , ferdinand de castro , the portugues embassador , was challenger , and all others refusing to run against him , roderick de mendoça , son to john hurtado de mendoça , threw him out of the saddle at the first shock , and had like to have kill'd him . the king comforted , and presented him , and as soon as recover'd sent him home well satisfy'd . embassies pass'd now betwixt the kings of castile and aragon . john hurtado de mendoça sent to the latter at naples , gave him the reasons why prince henry was confin'd , and demanded in his king's name to have catherine the prince's wife , ruy lopez davalos the constable , and the other fugitives of castile deliver'd up . dalmatius archbishop of tarragona was sent by the king of aragon to castile , to shew that the reason why he did not grant what that king requir'd , was , that it was contrary to the antient liberties of the kingdom of aragon , not to protect any that sled thither for shelter , besides that he had given them a safe conduct , which according to the laws of nations could not be violated . he also declar'd to the king the posture of affairs at naples , how many jealousies arose betwixt the king and queen , whereupon the country was divided into factions , and that the fortune of the aragonians began to decline , it being much fear'd they would come to blows : the queen complain'd that king alonso took more upon him than was his due . that he bestow'd all places of trust , chang'd garrisons , and made the souldiers take an oath of fidelity to him : in fine that he turn'd all things which way he listed , and incroach'd upon the laws and liberties of that kingdom . these things she lay'd to the charge of her adopted son king alonso , as an inconstant and changeable woman grown weary of him , and now she was deliver'd of fear , prov'd as ungrateful as she had been liberal in her distress . king alonso fear'd the inconstancy of the queen , and could not bear with her open leudness , therefore he order'd a fleet to be fitted out in order to send her away to catalonia . this was not carry'd so privately , but the queen had notice of it , and from that time the friendship betwixt those two nations began to grow cold . both parties complain'd that their adversaries dealt not ingenuously , but lay'd snares to intrap them , and it was true enough . the king kept at castelnovo , the queen at porta capuana , a strong place . from this beginning sprang two factions in naples , one of the aragonians , and the other of the andegavenses , or anjovines , names odious in that kingdom , and which lasted till our days . the enmity and contrivances went on . king alonso feign'd himself sick . john caracciolo the seneschal , came to see him . he was great in the queen's favour , and that more than became her modesty , therefore he was secur'd at this visit , and the aragonians immediately repair'd to porta capuana . the queen's party shut the gates , and drew up the bridge , so that king alonso was forc'd to go off not without some danger ; for they cast darts at him from the walls . thus by degrees they came to sight in the very streets . at first the aragonians got the better , possess'd themselves of the city , and having plunder'd and burnt several houses , besieg'd the queen in her strong palace . it s own strength , and the resolution of the garrison defended it against all the attempts of the aragonians . sforcia , who lay near at hand , came to relieve the queen , and bernard de cabrera came out of sicily to reinforce the king , as did a fleet of galleys , and large ships from catalonia . this fleet arriving at naples , on the th of june , recruited the aragonians , who were now grown weak and declin'd . encourag'd with this relief they again fought in the city , many were kill'd and several houses plunder'd . the queen went away to aversa , and sforcia with her , as also a good garrison , and citizens , who offer'd to stand by her . prisoners on both sides were exchang'd , and thus caracciolo recovered his liberty . at length on the st of june the queen at nola recall'd , and made void the adoption of king alonso , as an ungrateful and unworthy person . in his stead she adopted and appointed her successor , luis duke of anjou , the third of the name , and son to the d . to this effect she sent for him from rome , and created him duke of calabria , a title usually given to the heir of the crown . sforcia , and caracciolo , who were most in favour , gave the queen this advice . from this time the good fortune of the aragonians began to change and decline . king alonso sent for braccio de monton , out of abruzzo , where he was besieging aquila , a great city , designing to set him up against sforcia . but he excus'd himself , either not liking the party , or because he hop'd to make himself master of that city , and all its territory . for this reason king alonso was oblig'd to resolve upon returning to spain to settle his affairs and gather new forces to carry on the war , tho he gave out it was to set at liberty his brother prince henry . he left his other brother prince peter his commissioner with full power to command in his absence . with him stay'd james caldora , and several other considerable officers of both nations . antony de luna , son to antony de luna , earl of calatabelota was appointed governour of gaeta . at the same time the king of castile took a progress to plasencia , talavera and madrid , and his queen was brought to bed on the th of september of another daughter , call'd ellenor . joseph the moorish king dy'd at granada , and mahomet his son , called the left-handed , succeeded him . he was afterwards famous for being three times depos'd , and as often restor'd to his kingdom , and for his many misfortunes rather than any great actions . at first he observ'd the peace with the king of castile , and oblig'd muley king of tunez . thus he endeavour'd by the friendship of these princes to secure himself against his enemies , but took no care to gain the affections of his people , the surest prop of princes . so that he appears to have been as imperfect in his judgment , as he was in his body ; and fortune prov'd his enemy . chap. viii . the pretended pope benedict dying , another is supported by the king of aragon , who plunders marseilles , prepares to make war upon castile , but comes to an accommodation , yet loses all his interest at naples . d. peter de luna , who during the time of the schism , call'd himself benedict the xiiith , as long as he lived , kept at peniscola relying on the strength of that place , and persisted in calling himself pope . he dy'd in that town on the d of may , being whitsunday , at the age of years , a wonderful thing that he should live so long amidst so many troubles . luis pançan a citizen of sevil , and follower of d. alonso carrillo , cardinal of s. eustachius in a commentary he writ of some remarkable occurrences in those times , affirms positively , that benedict was poison'd in some wafers he us'd to eat after meat , by a fryar call'd thomas , who was very familiar with him , and that he being afterwards by his own confession found guilty of the fact , was torn in pieces by four horses . he further adds that the cardinal of pisa sent to aragon to apprehend benedict , gave this advice , and that it being put in execution , he fled from tortosa , where he had stay'd to see the event , fearing d. roderick , and d. alvaro , who resolv'd to revenge the death of their uncle benedict , by killing the legate , if he had not made his escape , having perform'd what he came for , but not wholly put an end to the schism . for by two cardinals that remain'd of the faction of benedict , one giles mun̄oz a canon of barcelona was set up in his place . he was a man of no note , and the election of so little value , that he himself was dubious whether he should accept of it , till king alonso of aragon encourag'd and perswaded him to take upon him the papacy by the name of clement the viiith . this the king did to be reveng'd of pope martin the vth , who favour'd the party of the anjouins , and oppos'd the aragonians , insomuch that he had of late created luis , duke of anjou , king of naples , and had approv'd of the new adoption made by the queen , joyning his forces with hers . a general council which began to assemble at pavia , in pursuance to the degree of the council of constance , was by reason of the plague , which rag'd in that city , removed to siena in tuscany , and thither the bishops and embassadors repair'd from all parts . king alonso sent his , with orders to justify pope benedict , and complain of the wrong done in deposing of him . this struck a terror into pope martin , and made him slacken in favouring the faction of anjou ; so he speedily broke up the council , proroguing it to a farther time . he fear'd lest the schism should again be reviv'd , and christendom farther involv'd in difficulties . d. john de contreras , arch-bishop of toledo took place of all the spanish arch-bishops at this council , by order of pope martin , as appears by two bulls of his still extant among the records of the church of toledo . but these things happen'd somewhat later . king alonso having resolv'd to pass over into spain , imbark'd on a fleet of galleys , and ships . about the middle of october he sail'd from naples . the weather being bad the fleet was dispers'd , but as soon as it clear'd up they joyn'd again , and sail'd together to marseilles , on the coast of provence , a city belonging to the duke of anjou . having broken the chains , they entred the port and assaulted the city . the service was hot , and lasted till night , when folch earl of cardona , who commanded the ships , advis'd to desist , because they knew not the streets , and in the dark , tho the gates had been open the confusion would be great , and the townsmen have a considerable advantage over them . john de corbera on the other side affirm'd the townsmen were now in a consternation , and ought to be press'd before they had time to recover themselves . this opinion was approv'd of by the king , the assault was renew'd , and the city enter'd . night and darkness gave the souldiers an opportunity to commit all manner of insolences , but the king shew'd himself religious , for he order'd that no wrong should be offer'd to women who had taken sanctuary in churches , nor any thing that they carry'd with them taken from them . this order was proclaim'd and punctually observ'd . they ship'd the booty , and left the city about the end of the year . among other things the bones of s. luis bishop of toulouze , son to charles the d king of naples , were carry'd into spain to the city of valencia , where the king landed . the king of castile hearing of his arrival sent embassadors to him at the beginning of the year , to congratulate with him upon his safe arrival , and the victories he had obtain'd , as also again to demand the fugitives and out-laws should be deliver'd up to him , to answer to such things as should be lay'd to their charge . these embassadors had audience at valencia upon the d of april . at the same time the affairs of aragon declin'd apace in naples , and no hopes remain'd of retrieving them , notwithstanding that sforcia the famous general marching to raise the siege of aquila , was on the th of january drown'd passing the river averno , then much swell'd with the winter rains. his death was no way advantagious to the aragonians , for francis sforcia his son supply'd his place . pope martin , and philip duke of milan joyn'd with the faction of anjou . the duke fitted out a fleet at genoa , and sent it to the relief of the queen , under the command of guido taurello . this fleet and the army by land besieg'd gaeta . it might well have been defended , but was soon surrender'd , only upon condition the aragonian garrison should have liberty to depart . from gaeta the army and fleet mov'd towards naples . james caldora to whom that city was committed , agreed with the enemy who promis'd him the arrears due to him from the aragonians , and he open'd the gates to them . he pretended to justify himself that prince peter design'd to kill him , whereas in truth he was a faithless and changeable man. on the of april the city of naples was lost , but still the aragonians kept two castles there , viz. castelnovo , and that called del ovo , which is very little , but strong , being seated on a rock encompass'd by the sea. after the taking of naples all other towns surrender'd to the victors . the king of aragon was much concern'd that the king of castile imprisoning his brother had oblig'd him to quit naples , which was the cause it was lost . he meditated revenge , yet resolv'd to try all ways rather than declare war. dalmao de mur , arch-bishop of tarragona , sent embassador upon this account , deliver'd his message before the king of castile and nobles at ocan̄a . he demanded the prince's liberty , saying if he were guilty of any crime his long imprisonment was punishment enough , and he ought to be forgiven , being so near of kin to the king of castile ; besides that his brother the king of aragon , would never desist till he had obtain'd his demand . there were many about court who had advis'd the prince's imprisonment , and fear'd if he were releas'd they should suffer . others were apprehensive of losing what they had got of the banish'd person 's estate . these oppos'd the releasing of the prince , and alvaro de luna , proud with his vast preferment , sided with them . thus nothing was concluded , and the embassadors departed . the king of castile went away to burgos at the same time that his daughter catherine dy'd at madrigal , a town in old castile , on the th of august . she was bury'd in the monastery of huelgas . soon was the grief conceiv'd for her death converted into joy , the queen being deliver'd on the th of january , at valladolid of prince henry . in april the three estates took the oath of allegiance to him , as heir to the crown . the king of aragon was making all necessary preparations for war at zaragoça . at valladolid a council was held to make the necessary provision to oppose him . opinions vary'd , as is usual in such cases . some were for declaring war immediately ; a hot sort of people , where there is no danger . others more prudent said , all possible means ought to be us'd to prevent a breach . the king was doubtful , and knew not which advice to take . charles king of navarre fearing this dispute might be destructive to spain , sent peter peralta his steward , and garci falces his secretary , embassadors to castile , to offer himself as mediator . when this proposition was ready to be embrac'd , it was obstructed by letters from the king of aragon , requiring prince john his brother to repair to him immediately . he having obtain'd leave of the king of castile , set out for aragon , and had commission to treat with that king of an accommodation . the army of aragon , lay at taraçona , ready to break into castile , and the king was so intent upon this expedition , he seem'd to have lay'd aside all thoughts of naples . and yet he had receiv'd intelligence that braccio who besieged aquila , was overthrown and killed before that place on the th of may. james caldora general of the pope's forces in the service of the queen obtain'd this victory , being assisted by john and sancho carrillo , nephews to the cardinal of that name . they in pursuance of the victory soon made themselves masters of marca de ancona , which braccio had before taken . the body of braccio was carry'd to rome , and bury'd before the gate of s. laurence , he being an excommunicated person . in the time of pope eugenius the iv , he was translated to a beautiful tomb at perosa , by nicholas fortebrachio , who took rome , and did this honour to his uncle by the mother's side . in may at florence dy'd d. peter fernandez de frias , cardinal of spain ; his body was brought over and bury'd in the cathedral of burgos . he was of a mean extraction , but his good parts obtained him that preferment , together with the favour of the kings , henry and john. his life was scandalous for avarice and leudness . having some words at burgos with the bishop of segovia , a servant of his cudgell'd the bishop , which render'd the cardinal very odious , tho afterwards the servant confess'd he had done it without his master's knowledge . yet many saying he ought to be punish'd , he was forc'd to withdraw into italy , the king seiz'd upon all the mony he had gather'd , which was a great sum. he was governour of marca de ancona for the pope , and in castile built the monastery of espeja of the order of s. hierome . prince john was nobly receiv'd by his brother at taraçona . whilst the said prince john made proposals for an accommodation , and expected a more ample commission from the king of castile to determine the points in debate , the two brothers march'd into the territories of navarre , but without doing any harm , and encamp'd near milagro , the heat of summer being then over . the commission being come from castile , certain persons of all three kingdoms met at aruel , and on the d of september came to this conclusion : that prince henry be immediately set at liberty , and all his honours and estate restor'd him , as also the arrears of the profits thereof which had been deposited during his confinement . the same was decreed in favour of peter manrique , who was also banish'd . this resolution appear'd very hard on his side to the king of castile , but it was natural for prince john to favour his brother ; besides that the king of aragon would hear of no conditions without the prisoner were releas'd , which made the king of castile and his nobles to condescend . chap. ix . the death of king charles of navarre . king john proclaim'd . d. alvaro de luna banish'd the court of castile . villanous practices of the nobility . the king of granada deposed . upon saturday the th of september , being the feast of the nativity of our blessed lady , dy'd charles the noble king of navarre , at olite , of a sudden fit that seiz'd him , and no remedy could be found for it . his body was bury'd with great pomp in the cathedral of pamplona . his daughter blanch was with him at his death , and had been not long before deliver'd of a daughter called also blanch , who prov'd very unfortunate . as soon as her father was dead she sent her husband the royal standard in token of his accession to the crown , and he was proclaim'd king of navarre in the camp. some blamed this action as precipitate , and said they ought first to have taken the usual oath of preserving the liberties of the people . the news of prince henry's being set at liberty reach'd his brothers in a day and half , it being so order'd that the beacons should be fir'd , whereof there is a great number in castile . hereupon the forces of aragon return'd to taraçona , and in november following were dismiss'd . prince john went as far as agreda to meet his brother henry , and conduct him to the king of aragon . it was a joyful day for the three brothers not only for the liberty prince henry had obtain'd , but because it was a sort of victory to have reduc'd castile to complyance . about the same time at valencia , on the th of november dy'd d. alonso the younger duke of gandia , without issue . his dominion of ribagorca was given to prince john at this time king of navarre . d. henry de guzman , earl of niebla after many disputes was parted from his wife the lady violante , daughter to martin king of sicily , to the great regret of her bastard brother d. frederick earl of luna . it griev'd him to see his sister so wrong'd without any fault committed on her side , only for the extravagant amours of her husband , and therefore endeavour'd to gain the affections of the nobility of castile , hoping that way to secure his revenge . prince henry's liberty reduc'd the affairs of castile to a worse condition than they were in before . till this time the kingdom was divided into three factions , that of d. alvaro de luna , and those of the two princes , john and henry of aragon . the rest of the nobility according to every man's inclination adher'd to some one of these parties . now the two princes being reconcil'd , the three factions were reduc'd to two . most of the nobility conspir'd against d. alvaro . it griev'd them to see him and a few creatures of his ingross all the king's favour , and envy push'd them on to contrive his ruin. but he relying on his prince's favour , with whom he had been familiar from his tender years , despis'd them all , insomuch that it was given out , and great men affirm'd , he had the boldness to make love to the queen , but this could never be prov'd , and it is to be believ'd that many things were wrongfully lay'd to his charge through the envy of his adversaries . this conspiracy was first begun against him at taraçona when the three brothers of aragon met . it was brought to perfection the following year . the king of castile kept his christmas , and new year at segovia , and john the new king of navarre at medina del campo with his mother , having not long before met the king of castile at roa . prince henry was gone to ocan̄a , being forbid coming to court , or intermedling with the government . the king of aragon resided at valencia at such time as the lady constance , daughter to the constable ruy lopez davalos was marry'd to luis massa a noble and rich youth , the king paying the greatest part of her portion . this prince was so generous , he not only supported the father , but afterwards when he recover'd naples gave great possesseions to his son d. in̄igo davalos , and to his grandson call'd d. in̄igo de guevara . the queen dowager of aragon with her daughter the princess ellenor went to valencia , at the request of the king her son , but soon return'd to medina del campo . she was unwilling by her long absence to offend the king of castile , who had now sent the earl of vrgel from castrotaraf , whither he had been remov'd from the castle of madrid , into the kingdom of valencia , supposing he might be useful in aragon by reason of the troubles that threaten'd castile . he was put into the castle of xativa , where he ended his days , and tedious imprisonment . at toro the cortes met , where it was propos'd to retrench the king's expences , because they exceeded the revenue . therefore the guards that consisted of horse were reduc'd to , and d. alvaro de luna made their captain , which increas'd his power , and the envy conceiv'd against him . at this same time dy'd john de mendoça , steward of the houshould , and alonso enriguez the admiral fell sick of a disease that carry'd him off three years after , their employments were given to their sons . the great men by letter , that their meeting might not cause suspition , associated themselves . the chief of them were the masters of the orders of calatrava and alcantara , peter velasco lord chamberlain , the king of navarre and his brother prince henry . they took a solemn oath to stand by one another , and with regard to the king's majesty use all means that the publick might not suffer by evil counsellors . this association was concluded about the beginning of november , at the hermitage of orçilla in the territory of medina del campo . from toro the king of castile went to zamora , at the beginning of the year . prince henry of aragon , tho forbid the court , mov'd from ocan̄a towards old castile with a great retinue well arm'd . the king was gone to simancas , and the princes of aragon with the competitors stay'd at valladolid . such of the nobility as were not in the association stood neuters . his people being divided the king was weak and naked , besides his natural inclination to ease . a petition was presented by the conspirators , representing what they found fault with in the king's family , and the crimes of d. alvaro de luna . having consider'd this affair , judges were appointed to regulate it , most of them were in the association , viz. the admiral , the master of calatrava , peter manrique , and ferdinand de robles , who tho of mean extraction was very rich and high treasurer . these were commission'd to examine into the crimes imputed to d. alvaro de luna , and to them was joyn'd the abbot of st. benedict , that in case they were divided , the most votes should decide the matter . they having consulted together decreed , that the king should remove to cigales : that the princes of aragon should have leave to visit him , and that d. alvaro de luna should be banish'd the court for a year and half . i know not whether it was more shame to the king or kingdom , that the king should be commanded by his subjects . the king , as had been ordain'd , went to cigales , where the conspirators visited him , and among them prince henry , who kneeling shed tears in token of repentance . such is the power of dissimulation . d. alvaro went to ayllon , a town of his own , many nobles bearing him company . after his removal the nobles fell at variance , every one striving to gain the king's affection , because he was intirely govern'd by his favourite . ferdinand alonso de robles had got the start of all others , for having been in favour before , now his competitor was remov'd , he grew still greater , insomuch that upon pretence he was indispos'd , the king and nobles often went to council to his house . it rais'd envy in many to see a mean person lifted up to that height , and the king was displeas'd at him for having rashly given judgment against d. alvaro de luna to whom he ow'd many obligations . his enemies making use of the king's displeasure , prevail'd with the king of navarre to accuse him of many crimes , as that he was a seditious person , kept correspondence abroad , and conspir'd with the nobility against the king , and often spoke irreverently of him . his case being hear'd he was secur'd at segovia , and at last dy'd a prisoner at vzeda , leaving an example of the uncertainty of court-favour . this year the king of granada was by his subjects expell'd his kingdom , and went over in a miserable condition to beg the king of tunez his assistance . mahomet call'd the little , as soon as he was seated in the throne persecuted all the other king's friends , putting some to death , banishing others , and seizing their estates , which he prodigally gave away . one joseph of the noble family of the abencerrages , who was governour of the city , seeing no hopes of prevailing against the usurper , fled to murcia , hoping to bring the forces of castile upon the new tyrant before he was well fix'd in the government . at the same time two remarkable things happen'd in castile . one was that the king obtained of pope martin the thirds of ecclesiastical revenues for ever . the other , that the order of st. hierome was divided into two branches . one f. lope de olmedo , who was familiar with pope martin , was the author of this separation . near sevil he founded a monastery of the invocation of st. isidorus , which was the head of his reformation , and of it the fryars were called isidorians . this division lasted till king philip the ii again united the whole order under the antient rule of st. hierome . let us return to the troubles of castile . chap. x. d. alvaro de luna returns to court greater in the king's favour than ever . the banish'd king of granada restor'd . some affairs of france , and final end of the schism in the church . some natural sympathy , or other extraordinary hidden cause it was doubtless , that so link'd together the affection of the king of castile , and d. alvaro de luna , that they could not live asunder , notwithstanding on that account they both became odious , but particularly d. alvaro to such a degree , that it exceeded all the malice the antient romans ever bore sejanus , or any other the favourites of their emperors . they were so blind in their affection that neither the king took notice how prejudicial that familiarity was to him , nor d. alvaro was sensible that he was driving headlong to his ruin. nothing pleas'd the king , nor was his countenance ever smooth or serene since d. alvaro was remov'd from him . of him he commonly spoke in the day , and thought of him at night . the courtiers perceiving that of necessity , d. alvaro must shortly be restor'd , and that then his power and interest would be much greater than before , as having overcome the malice of his enemies , and conquer'd his ill fortune , made all their efforts to gain his favour . even the king of navarre , being envious that his brother prince henry should have a greater interest in the king of castile than himself , began to favour d. alvaro , and sollicit he might return to court. on the th of january dy'd d. ruy lopez davalos at valencia , where the king of aragon then was . this gentleman was more fortunate in his issue , than in his life . by three wives he had seven sons and two daughters . from them in italy are descended the earls of potencia and bovino , the marqueses del vasto and pescara , and many other honourable families in spain . his body was deposited at valencia , thence afterwards translated to toledo , and bury'd in the monastery of st. augustin . he us'd to give ear to astrologers , being himself much addicted to that vain science , yet he could never foresee his own fall. when he dy'd he had not altogether lay'd aside the hopes of recovering his estate . prince henry of aragon began to labour to bring it about , but fortune and all his friends fail'd the unfortuate ruy lopez . only alvar nun̄ez de herrera , a citizen of cordova , his steward in the time of prosperity continu'd faithful to him till the last , and was cast into prison as accessary to the crime his master was accused of . as soon as discharg'd he never gave over prosecuting john garcia , the forger of that contrivance , for perjury , till he was executed on that account . to relieve his master he sold all he had got under him , and gather'd florins in gold , which he put into the timber of a loom , that it might not be discover'd , and loading it upon an ass , sent his son a foot in a disguize with it to him . a wonderful act of fidelity well deserving a particular encomium . his death secur'd d. alvaro de luna in the ministery . the king of castile resided at segovia , his thoughts taken up in disappointing the designs of the nobility , and breaking their cabals . he publish'd an order , commanding them to release one another of the solemn promises they had made to stand together , and granted a general pardon for all past faults . to the princess catherine , wife to prince henry , in lieu of villena , he gave the cities of truxillo and alcaraz , and some lesser towns in the kingdom of toledo near gaudalajara , as also florins , which was a prodigious portion . at the instance of prince henry the king also revers'd the attainder of ruy lopez davalos , but his estate and honours were not restor'd to his children , as of right they ought to have been . after this the king went to turuegano . thither by his order came d. alvaro de luna , with a great and splendid retinue , and joyful for the victory he had obtain'd over his enemies . he advanc'd daily in the king's favour , and his interest alone was greater than that of all the nobility . the lady ellenor , sister to the king of aragon was contracted to edward prince of portugal , who was years of age , the marriage by proxy was solemniz'd at a village call'd ojos negros in the territory of daroca , the king of aragon being present . her portion was florins . the lady constance de tovar , d. ruy lopez davalos his widow , was appointed her first lady of the bedchamber . this princess from valencia travelled through castile , and at valladolid the king entertain'd her nobly , and thence she went on richly presented towards portugal to meet her husband . the joy for this match was the greater , because that prince had so long put it off , and it was fear'd he would not marry . at the same time peter , brother to prince edward , after his long travels , in which he visited the emperor sigismund and tamerlan the tartar , return'd to spain , and many fabulous stories are writ of his peregrination . he landed at valencia in june , and in september marry'd elizabeth the eldest daughter of the earl of vrgel , who was in prison . by her he had elizabeth , afterwards queen of portugal ; philippa who became a nun ; peter constable of portugal ; james a cardinal and bishop of lisbon ; john king of ciprus , and beatrix , wife to adolphus duke of cleves . prince peter after his marriage visited the king of castile at aranda , and came safe to portugal . whole towns went out to meet him , admiring him as if he had dropp'd from heaven , the ignorance of that age making his travels appear supernatural . the king of castile having setled old castile , and releas'd garci fernandez manrique , who as has been said , was apprehended at the same time with prince henry of aragon , and restor'd him his estate , return'd towards the end of this year to the kingdom of toledo , and having spent some time at alcalá , went thence to illescas . thither came to him joseph abencerrage , who fled from granada to espouse the depos'd king's quarrel . the king treated him generously , and sent along with him alonso de lorca to the king of tunez , to exhort him to take compassion on that injur'd king , and assist him with his forces to recover his crown , promising not to be wanting on his part . the king of tunez encourag'd by this embassy sent king mahomet into spain with a good fleet , and horse . he landed at vera , and immediatly a wonderful change appear'd , for all places submitted to him , and even the city granada was deliver'd up at the beginning of the year . the usurper retir'd to the castle call'd alhambra , where he was soon after taken and put to death , leaving the crown he had unjustly possess'd to the rightful owner . thus much in spain . france could hardly be in a worse condition , the english being masters of paris , and the greatest part of that country . charles the vii , king of france in that distress , sent embassadors with great submission to beg assistance of several princes , and among them of the king of aragon . mathias rexaque sent on this embassy , came to barcelona in april . at that time the king of aragon was bent upon two several wars . that of naples troubl'd him most , prince peter his brother being return'd thence into spain , having lost all hope of success . dalmatius sasera was left in his place to preserve what remain'd in the hands of the aragonians . besides , the king of aragon was making great preparations for a war with castile . for these reasons the french embassy had no success : but the affairs of france were recover'd out of that desperate condition by a wonderful providence . the english had besieg'd orleans seven months , and hunger began to pinch the besieg'd , when on a sudden a maid about years of age , whose name was joan , and is commonly called the maid of orleans , persuaded the french she was sent from heaven to relieve orleans . she gain'd credit , and put relief into the town , and at lengh the siege was rais'd . from this time the english lost many towns , this maid encouraging and leading the french. at last she was taken by the english , carry'd to roan , where she was tryed , condemned , and burnt for a witch . many have been of opinion she was wrongfully put to death , and the french to this day reverence her as a saint . her statue is upon the bridge of orleans , kneeling on the left hand of a great crucifix , and the king on the right . but these things belong to the histories of france and england , where they are handl'd at large . peter cardinal of faux , legate from pope martin the v , assembled a synod of the bishops of the province of tarragona in that city . what acts pass'd in that synod is not known . but the matter of greatest concern there brought to perfection was , that they prevail'd upon the canon giles mun̄oz to resign the title of pope , and the cardinals that follow'd him were depriv'd of that dignity . this was done by the king of aragon's order to oblige pope martin , whom before he kept under by terror , and now endeavour'd tō oblig'd by this courtesy . peniscola which before belong'd to the knights of st. john was now annex'd to the crown . giles mun̄oz , in requital for his resignation , was made bishop of majorca . alonso de borgia was also chosen bishop of valencia in recompense of the pains he had taken to reduce giles mun̄oz and his companions to complyance , and this was the first step borgia made to attain the highest dignities . all this was done at tortosa in august . this was the end of that schism which lasted longest , and was hottest maintain'd of any that has been in the church . processions and all manner of devotions were perform'd in thanksgiving for this blessing , and to implore the mercy of god , that such judgments might be averted for the future . it will be well we conclude this book with peace , to begin the next with a bloody war betwixt the kings of spain . the end of the twentieth book . the history of spain . the one and twentieth book . chap. i. the war betwixt aragon and navarre on the one side , and castile on the other . the king of navarre crowned . john king of castile breaks into aragon with a powerful army , and does much harm there . spain had of late years enjoyed peace , the kings there of being tyr'd with the former wars , and now ally'd to one another in a very strict degree . with the moors of granada there was a lasting truce , or if there happen'd any breach it was of no great moment . true it is , the christians wanted not the will to extirpate that perverse nation , and a good opportunity seem'd to offer it self , the moors being divided into several factions among themselves . but these thoughts were lay'd aside , by reason of a new war that broke out betwixt the king 's of aragon and navarre on the one side , and him of castile on the other , and yet the noise prov'd much more than the execution . we shall now relate the cause of this war , and its event , as also the rise and fall of d. alvaro de luna , who now the second time began to tend to his utter ruin , perswading the king at his return to court , to command all the nobility to retire from court to their own houses , which advice was bad in it self , and prov'd fatal to him that gave it . peter fernandez de velasco , peter de zun̄iga , d. roderick alonso pimentel , earl of benavente , and the masters of the orders of calatrava and alcantara understanding the king's pleasure , immediately retir'd to their own houses . there only remain'd the princes of aragon , who seem'd too great to be turn'd off ; but d. alvaro was so bold he doubted not to ingage them . he first attack'd the king of navarre , whom all the world blam'd for neglecting his own , to apply himself to the business of another . this censure of the world was pleasing to the king and d. alvaro , and some persons of note were sent to signify the king's pleasure to him . queen blanch his wife foreseeing the danger , sent to invite him home in the name of all the people of navarre . king john was offended at these contrivances of d. alvaro , yet seeing he must submit to necessity , he had a conference with the king at valladolid , where the cortes then sat . here the league before made betwixt castile , aragon , and navarre was renew'd and sworn to by the two kings . dr. james franco was sent embassador to get the ratification of the king of aragon , who was not present at the treaty . these things being thus concluded the king of navarre went away to his kingdom . he of aragon after many delays at barcelona , told dr. james franco he did not approve of many of the articles , which ought to be alter'd , and believing this embassador a fit man for his purpose , he sent by him a private message to d. alvaro , acquainting him that peter manrique was the man who blew the coles , and sow'd discord betwixt his brothers . that he was a double-dealing person , and therefore ought to be expell'd the court. the cause why the king of aragon was displeas'd with peter manrique is not known . at the same time the archbishop of zaragoça was cast into prison , where he dy'd . the manner of his death is variously reported , some say he was strangl'd , others that he was cast into the river . several citizens of zaragoça were also executed . they were accus'd of keeping private correspondence with d. alvaro ; the truth is , they were too free in speaking of the king , saying he ought to be oblig'd to observe the peace made with castile , lest the whole kingdom should suffer for his miscarriages . francis clement bishop of barcelona succeeded the archbishop . the two brothers , kings of aragon and navarre , plotted to joyn their forces to ruin d. alvaro de luna . he of aragon call'd to him his brother prince henry at the beginning of april . they met at tervel , and resolv'd upon the war with castile . the king of navarre was not present at this interview , being then busy about the solemnity of his coronation which was perform'd at pamplona on the th of may. the king and queen in their royal robes , and their crowns on their heads , after the manner of the goths , were lifted up on the shoulders of the nobility , the royal standards were display'd , and they proclaim'd by a herauld . presently after levies of men were made underhand in both kingdoms . it was given out those preparations were to assist the french , but in truth they were design'd against castile . this could not be so secret but the king of castile understood it . embassadors pass'd betwixt them , but to no effect . then the two kings advanc'd as far as hariza , upon the borders of aragon , designing to break into castile on that side . to this purpose james gomez de sandoval put a garrison into pen̄afiel , and prince peter of aragon came to the camp from medina del campo . the king of castile made great levies , and commanded all the nobility to assist him , particularly prince henry of aragon , and frederick duke of arjona were summon'd . besides he oblig'd the three estates to take an oath they would serve him faithfully in that war , and discover any designs against him , making a vow if they fail'd to go bear-footed to hicrusalem , without ever desiring to be absolv'd of that vow . this was done at palencia at the beginning of may. d. alvaro de luna , the admiral , peter manrique , and peter fernandez de velasco were appointed to guard the frontiers with horse , no sufficient force to oppose the aragonians . james lopez de zun̄iga was order'd to follow them , as a reserve with another body of horse . the king himself with part of the army undertook the siege of pen̄afiel . he encamp'd before it , and summon'd the inhabitants to surrender upon pain of being us'd as traitors . the townsmen immediatly surrender'd and were pardoned . d. peter de aragon , and james gomez de sandoval earl of castro retir'd to the castle , which was not besieg'd because it would require much time . the kings of aragon and navarre enter'd castile by the way of cogolluda , and encamp'd in an open plain . the castilians on a hill a league and half distant . the forces of aragon and navarre consisted of horse , foot , all well armed and old soldiers . in the camp of castile there were but horse , and foot. both parties being eager to fight mov'd forwards on the first of july , the generals exhorting their men. d. alvaro de luna , when the enemy came in sight perceiving the greatness of the danger , order'd the carts to be drawn up about his men in the nature of a trench , resolving not to fight unless he had some advantage , or were forc'd . prince henry for the one side , and the lieutenant peter manrique for the other met , and concluded nothing , having only affronted one another . some skirmishes pass'd betwixt them , but the cardinal of faux , the pope's legate in aragon interposing , the battle was deferr'd till next day . that delay prov'd advantagious , for the queen of aragon , a woman of a manly spirit came and pitched her tent betwixt the two armies , and manag'd the affair so discreetly , that peace was concluded , and as soon as the castilians had sworn to observe it hostilities ceas'd . the castilians stay'd in the same place , but the kings of aragon and navarre returned home without doing any harm to the country . prince henry was of late very near surprizing the city toledo , but failing a little before the skirmish , went and joyn'd his brothers . now relying on the articles of peace , he went by the way of siguença to veles , resolving if what had been agreed upon in relation to him were not observed to raise new troubles . nevertheless the king of castile advanc'd with horse , and foot. his sister the queen of aragon , and the cardinal of faux told him what had been agreed , and advis'd to lay down his arms. but he desirous of revenge said , that treaty was concluded without his consent , and that it was but reasonable to chastize the insolency of the two kings . he lay near balmaçan , a town on the banks of the river duero . thither came frederick duke of arjona , and earl of trastamara , who was immediately apprehended and sent prisoner to the castle of pen̄afiel , now in the king's power , where he dy'd the following year . thence the king of castile mov'd into the dominions of aragon striking a mighty terror into that country . the country people with what they could save fled to places of strength , whilst the soldiers burnt and plunder'd the desolate villages . hariza is a strong town seated on an eminence , thither the army came , and because the townsmen retir'd into the castle the town was plunder'd , and great part of it burnt . at the same time peter velasco , who commanded upon the frontiers of navarre , enter'd that country with a body of castilians . they took and burnt the town of st. vincente because the castle was not tenable . the bishop of calahorra , and james de zun̄iga his nephew took the town and castle of guardia . besides d. roderick alonso pimentel , earl of benavente , with other forces possess'd himself of the towns and forts belonging to prince henry in castile . he forsaking ocan̄a , the head of his patrimony , withdrew to segura , a castle on the borders of portugal upon the banks of the river guadiana . there he left the princess his wife and return'd to truxillo , to endeavour since he had lost the rest , to do some harm on that side . thither came to him his brother prince peter , a youth of a great spirit , and who had learn'd experince in the wars of naples . chap. ii. actions of the aragonians against castile . several assemblies of the cortes . the estates of the princes of aragon in castile confiscated . a truce concluded with that crown for five years . war with the moors . castile was now successful , had gain'd reputation , and chastiz'd the insolency of its enemies . it was tedious to besiege the castle of hariza , and the advantage when taken , small ; therefore the king of castile return'd to medina celi , where having dispos'd good garrisons along the frontiers , he dismiss'd the rest of his army . about the end of autumn the king went away for medina del campo , where he had appointed the cortes to meet him . his absence encourag'd the enemy . the king of navarre was gone to defend his own . the aragonian gathering his forces enter'd castile by the way of soria , took the town of deça , and the castles of ciria , and borovia : bozmediano was sold to him by the governour . thus having taken a great booty of corn and cattle , and many prisoners , they return'd without any loss to calatayud , whence they set out . on the borders of portugal next the river guadiana , the princes of aragon did greater harm , that country of estremadura , being plentiful of cattle . nor could the earl of benavente , sent thither to that purpose , make head against them . therefore d. alvaro de luna , and by his order peter ponce , lord of marchena , repair'd thither . they sent to demand the booty of the king of portugal , because it was convey'd into that country , but obtain'd nothing . for the king of portugal was glad of the troubles of castile , which gave him an opportunity of fixing himself in that kingdom he had usurp'd . the princes of aragon finding themselves too weak to withstand d. alvaro , burnt the suburbs of truxillo , and fortify'd the place , putting a good garrison into the castle . they themselves surpriz'd albuquerque , a strong town on the frontiers of portugal . this loss was the more resented by the castilians , because they were jealous that the portugueses might secure that town . by the advice of d. alvaro the king went thither in person , that his presence might influence , and the success might be attributed to him . truxillo and montanges were taken , but albuquerque could not be reduc'd . the king and d. alvaro return'd to medina del campo , leaving the master of alcantara , and d. john , son to peter ponce , to command upon the frontiers . at the taking of truxillo there happen'd a remarkable passage . d. alvaro the constable was in the town , and the castle held out for prince henry . one garci sanchez de quincozes , who had great influence over the garrison , hinder'd the governour from treating of a surrender . d. alvaro with much difficulty obtain'd to speak with him at a wicket , which look'd towards the camp , to which there was a steep ascent . they met , and garci sanchez giving no ear either to threats or promises , the constable clasp'd him in his arms , and both roul'd down the hill , so that before he could be reliev'd from the fort , he was taken by men lay'd in ambush to that purpose , upon which the castle immediately surrender'd . at the same time the forces of castile receiv'd a defeat in the plains of arabiana , that lie at the foot of the mountain moncayo . ruy diaz de mendoça call'd the bald , tho born in sevil commanded horse of navarre . he defeated yn̄igo lopez de mendoza , lord of hita , who ventur'd to fight him with a lesser number . few were killed , for the commander perceiving his men to give way retir'd to a rising ground which he made good with a few that stood by him . the most fled and escap'd because the enemy knew not the country , and night came on . at the beginning of the year the cortes of castile assembled at medina del campo , and those of catalonia at tortosa , both kings being present at their respective assemblies . mony was the common want of both , and both complain'd of the perfidiousness of the nobility . the king of aragon would fain have reduc'd frederick earl of luna , who favour'd castile , but could not prevail , nor lay hold of him , therefore he confiscated all his estate , which was very great . he of castile did the same by the princes of aragon , and that they might have no hopes of being restor'd , divided all their possessions among other great men. several noble families rais'd out of the ruins of those princes , are still great in castile . to frederick earl of luna , who fled out of aragon and came to medina del campo , were given the towns of cuellar , villalon , and arjona , with other revenues to support his grandeur . queen ellenor of aragon was put into the monastery of s. clare at tordesillas , and had three castles taken from her , that she might not be in a condition to assist her sons . yet soon after she was set at liberty , and her castles restor'd to her upon promise that she would not be aiding to them in that war. an embassy came from portugal about concluding a truce betwixt castile and aragon till they could agree upon articles of peace , but prov'd unsuccessful . some authors write , that this year on palm-sunday a most fragrant smell issu'd from the tomb of pope benedict at pen̄iscola ; i cannot give much credit to this particular , but this report was the cause why his nephew john de luna translated him thence to illueca , a town of his own , betwixt tarraçona and calatayud , having obtain'd leave for so doing conditionally he bury'd him not in hallow'd ground , as being excommunicate when he dy'd . the king of castile having gather'd his forces , march'd to osma in order to enter aragon , having order'd frederick enriquez the admiral with the fleet to do all the mischief he could upon the coasts of that kingdom . both the kings of aragon and navarre prepar'd for war , but advanc'd little , their subjects looking upon that as very unfortunate . on the th of june embassadors from the king of aragon arriv'd at osma to treat of peace . being admitted to audience they cast all the odium of that war upon the king's favourites , whereupon d. alvaro and the earl of benavente spoke for themselves and others , which rais'd some hard words among them . raymund perellos one of the aragonian embassadors offer'd to make good what had been say'd by combat , but the king being present the dispute ended . afterwards the embassadors spoke with all the castilian noblemen apart and inclin'd them to peace . the army of castile lay incamp'd at the bridge of garay , suppos'd to be the place where numantia stood : thence the king march'd to majano . there a truce was concluded for years , upon these conditions ; that commerce should be restor'd : that the princes of aragon should deliver albuquerque , and not come into castile during the time of the truce ; that the king of castile should not take from them the other towns they were then possess'd of ; and lastly , that frederick earl of luna , and godfrey marques of cortes , who were then fled into castile should not be wrong'd by the kings of aragon and navarre . to agree other differences seven commissioners should be appointed on each side , with power to determine . immediately this truce was proclaim'd in the camp , and soon after in all other places , to the great satisfaction of the people . expresses were sent to carry the news , and particularly to portugal , where that king then celebrated the nuptials of his daughter elizabeth with philip duke of burgundy . of her was born charles the bold , duke of burgundy , no less famous for his great exploits , than for his unfortunate end. the king of aragon sent a fleet to bring his brothers from portugal , designing to employ them in the war of naples , upon which he had bent all his thoughts , but they came not then . the army of castile broke up at osma , with orders to be in a readiness the next spring to make war upon the moors of granada . all the rest of that summer the king spent at madrigal , where the queen then was . the end of the war of aragon was the beginning of two others , viz. that of naples , and that of granada . mahomet the left-handed being restor'd to his crown , as has been said , refus'd to pay the usual tribute . yet he desir'd a truce which was neither granted nor deny'd whilst the war of aragon was in hand , but an embassador was sent to amuze the moor. now another embassy came from him to the same effect , it was answer'd nothing could be concluded till he pay'd what was due . alonso de lorca sent to the king of tunez with rich presents to acquaint him how ungratefully the king of granada acted , prevail'd with him to send mahomet no relief out of africk . the cortes met at salamanca , and granted a greater supply than had been ask'd , because the war was against the infidels . d. gonçalo bishop of jaen , and james de ribera lieutenant of andaluzia , with horse , and foot enter'd the plain of granada , where they lay'd two ambushes . horse advanc'd to draw out the moors , who pursu'd them cautiously till they saw the first ambush fly , as had been order'd . then the moors thinking the danger over follow'd disorderly , and fell into the other ambuscade , where of them were kill'd , and taken , the rest knowing the country escap'd . ferdinand alvarez de toledo with a party made an incursion towards ronda , but was forc'd to retire with some loss . soon after roderick perez lieutenant of cazorla , making another inroad was surpriz'd , most of his men cut off , and he had much ado to escape . garcia de herrera in the night surpriz'd the town of ximena . at this time the floods were great , and particularly the river aragon in navarre carry'd away great part of the town of sanguessa . the king of castile summon'd james gomez de sandoval , earl of castro , and d. john de sotomayor , master of alcantara to appear before him , but they favouring the princes of aragon refus'd to obey . at the same time d. alvaro de luna , his first wife dying , marry'd joanna , daughter to the earl of benavente at palencia , but without much solemnity , because the brides grandmother dy'd then . the king and queen honour'd the wedding . this was at the beginning of the year . chap. iii. the death of pope martin the v. eugenius the iv succeeds him . the moors of granada overthrown in battle . peace concluded with portugal . a truce with the moors . prince peter of aragon made prisoner . on the th of february the same year , tho some will have it to be the year following , dy'd pope martin the v. at rome of an apoplexy , being now reconciled to the aragonians , whose king alonso he had invited to italy . eugenius the iv. succeeded him on the d of may. cardinal jordan vrsinus was very instrumental towards his promotion , therefore he favour'd the family of vrsini , and perfecuted that of colonna their adversaries , and joanna queen of naples in imitation of him took the city salerno from antony colonna . the king of castile resolving to go in person to the war against the moors , appointed peter manrique to govern castile in his absence . then from medina del campo he went to toledo , where in the cathed ral he spent all night in armour , as those that were to be knighted used to do . in the morning he caus'd his colours to be bless'd and set out . cuidad real is in the mid-way , where he made some stay , and on the th of april at two in the afternoon there was such an earthquake that many buildings were shaken , and some battlements of the castle fell down . the king was forc'd to fly into the fields , and all was in a great consternation for fear of him , but not a man was kill'd . in aragon , catalonia and russillon the damage was great , several towns being wholly overthrown , and others suffering much by earthquakes . soon after at granada , and in the camp which lay near it , the armies being ready to engage , the earth shook , which both parties look'd upon as an ill omen to themselves . all spain was in a consternation , apprehending fatal consequences . at barcelona dy'd now queen violante , being of a great age , she was wife to king john the . and grandmother to luis duke of anjou , with whom the aragonians were now at war about the crown of naples . in may the king of castile came to cordova , and from thence sent d. alvaro de luna before him with a good body of men , who wasted all the country , and destroy'd the very orchards in sight of granada , without sparing a beautiful palace that king had there . yet neither this damage nor the challenges sent by d. alvaro could draw the moors out to fight . a council of war being held at cordova , some advis'd only to pillage and wast the country , others to undertake some considerable siege . at length it was resolv'd to march to granada and try the fortune of a compleat battle , as one gilairo advis'd , who having been taken by the moors young , had renounc'd the faith , but not from his heart , and was therefore now return'd to cordova . he assur'd that as soon as they should appear before the city , joseph benelmao , the grandson of mahomet the red , who was kill'd at sevil , would come over with a good body of men. this being resolv'd , the queen who till then accompany'd the king , departed for carmona , and the army march'd on . the king halted at alvendin till all the forces were joyn'd . men randezvouzed there , and among them many of note . james ribera , and john de guzman , had the 〈◊〉 of major generals , which before was executed by the marshals . advancing thence , of the d day they came into the country of the moors , marching in order as if the enemy were in sight . d. alvaro de luna led the van , in which were men at arms. in the main body was the king with many nobles . in the rear came the courtiers , and a great number of church-men . the flanks were secur'd by several great men. the two major generals march'd before with a forlorn of light horse . these began the battle , which was fought on the th of june , in this manner . the moors march'd out of granada with mighty shouts , but the christians were the first that gain'd a rising ground , which began the fight . great was the number of the infidels , who were still relieved by fresh of ●oops from the city . our forces also advanc'd . peter velasco gave such a charge as made the moors give way . yet they retir'd orderly to the city , so that for that day none turn'd his back . the moors being retir'd , the king encamp'd and intrench'd himself at the foot of the mount elvira . of the moors there were horse , and about foot , part quarter'd in the town , the rest under the walls . on sunday following the infidels drew out to fight . the master of calatrava was with a number of pioniers levelling the ground which was all enclos'd . upon him and his pioniers fell the first fury of the moors . henry earl of niebla , and james de zun̄iga , who were nearest , came to his relief . the heat of the fight and on the day increas'd , for it was now about noon . the king in a passion , because he design'd not to have fought that day , sent d. alvaro de luna to command the men to retire , but they were so far ingag'd it was impossible . this being told the king , he drew out all his army , and having encourag'd them , gave the sign to fall on . they were vigorously receiv'd by the moor ●● and great cries rais'd on both sides . for some time the battle stood firm , so that no advantage appear'd on either side . the king was among the foremost ranks , which greatly encourag'd his men , and made them charge with fresh fury . then the moors gave way , some retur'd to the city , others fled to the mountains , our men pursuing till the darkness of the night parted them . it is not exactly known what number was kill'd , but it was suppos'd to be about . d. john de cereçuela bishop of osma gain'd the enemy's camp , which was among the vineyards and olive gardens , the other church-men went out with their crosses to meet the king as he return'd to the camp. there the army continu'd ten days . no proposals of peace were made by the moors , tho they durst not so much as come out to their vineyards . all the country about was wasted without any opposition . this done the king return'd . the command of the frontiers was given to the master of calatrava , and the lieutenant james de ribera . benalmao was left with them , and had the title of king given him , that if his party prevail'd it might be a means to take granada . this was the success of this expedition , and of the famous battle called de la higuera , or of the fig tree , because one stood in the place where they fought . few christians were kill'd in this expedition , and of those none of note , which made the joy of the victory the more compleat . d. nuno alvarez pereyra , constable of portugal , and earl of barcelos and oren , who had long liv'd retir'd in the monastery of carmelites , built by himself in lisbon , dy'd now in the year of his age , and of his constableship . he also founded two other monasteries , one of st. george , at aljubarrota , and another of st. mary at villaviciosa . the king honour'd his funeral with his presence , at the said church of the carmelites . he left one only daughter , called beatrix , who was marry'd to d. alonso , duke of bragança , bastard son to the king of portugal . all his estate he divided among his grandchildren , born before his death . the king of portugal warn'd by the death of his friend , who was of the same age with him , that he had not long to live , resolv'd to use all his endeavours to conclude a peace with castile . king john had departed out of the kingdom of granada very hastily , whereby many said a good opportunity of gaining some advantage was lost . it was reported that d. alvaro was brib'd to give this advice by a great sum of gold sent him in a present of dry figs , and this was the more easily credited , because all things were done by his advice . from cordova they went to toledo , and thence to medina del campo , whither the cortes were summon'd . in them nothing remarkable was done , except the changing the truce with portugal into a perpetual peace , which was proclaim'd on the th of october at medina and lisbon . the earl of castro was attainted of high treason . the towns belonging to the master of alcantara were confiscated and garrison'd by the king. peter fernandez de velasco earl of haro , ferdinand alvarez de toledo , and d. gutierre de toledo bishop of palencia were apprehended , their charge was favouring the princes of aragon , and contriving to kill d. alvaro . these things much incensed the nobility , some of whom resolv'd to take up arms. particularly yn̄igo lopez de mendoça fortify'd and garrison'd the town of hita . mony was rais'd for carrying on the war against the moors , which was now well advanc'd , the lieutenant and master of calatrava having taken meros , ronda , cambil , illoro , archidona , setenil , and other places of less note , and also the city loxa , tho very strong , was gain'd . our forces besieged the cittadel into which the citizens were retir'd . joseph abencerrage came from granada to relieve them , but was overthrown and kill'd . the moors being ill affected to king mahomet , and favouring benalmao , mahomet fled to malaga , and benalmao was receiv'd into granada on the first day of the year . in january the same year , edward prince of portugal had a son by his wife the lady ellenor , called alonso ; afterwards famous for the misfortunes that befel him . all the people of granada endeavoured to signify their affection to the new king. he took an oath to be always a friend to castite , and justly pay the tribute agreed upon . but he was of a great age , and therefore his reign very short , for he dy'd the th month after his accession to the crown , on the th of june . thus mahomet the left-handed was again call'd from malaga , and restor'd to his kingdom . as soon as restor'd he made one andilbar governour of granada instead of joseph abencerrage , who was kill'd , as has been say'd . he concluded a truce for a short time with castile . the princes of aragon ceas'd not to disturb the peace on the borders of portugal , and the king's treasure being exhausted he could not withstand so many enemies , which oblig'd him to agree to this truce . besides he was willing to oblige the king of tunez , who interceded for that king d. alvaro de isorna bishop of cuenca was sent to endeavour to reduce the master of alcantara , who sided with the princes of aragon , but could not prevail upon him . yet soon after some signs of repentance appearing , dr. franco was sent on the same errand : but he on a sudden deliver'd the castle of alcantara to prince peter , and the doctor himself to prince henry , which render'd him incapable of the king's mercy , and also made him odious to the people , as a man who violated the publick faith. d. frederick the admiral , and peter manrique the lieutentant with a good force were order'd to besiege albuquerque , and manage the war against the princes of aragon . gutierre de sotomayor , chief commendary of alcantara , on the first of july at night surpriz'd prince peter in his bed , and deliver'd him up to the king , who in reward for this good service made him master of alcantara in the place of his uncle . the commendaries of the order met and condemn'd d. john de sotomayor , whereupon d. gutierre was chosen master . all the nobles of castile that had been imprisoned were discharg'd . chap. iv. the declining posture of the aragonians at naples ; yet that king is again invited thither and adopted anew by the queen . he agrees with castile . king john of portugal dies . edward succeeds . alonso king of aragon returning into spain ( as has been said ) his party wholly declin'd in naples . his adversaries grew strong , most of the nobility sided with them , and but few inclin'd to the aragonians . yet , they tho too weak to maintain that war , undertook another . the family of fregosa very powerful at genoa being expell'd thence by philip duke of milan , had recourse for succour to prince peter , who then supported the interest of the king his brother in naples with a very small power . he hoping to make himself master of that city , or at least to be reveng'd on the duke of milan for the wrongs done during the late war , joyn'd his forces with the fregosos and fliscos , and recover'd several places along the coast of genoa . the duke fearing to lose genoa , sent embassadors to spain , promising the king to deliver to him the city bonifacio , the capital of corsica , for which island the aragonians and genoeses had long contended . the king lik'd the proposals , and sent an embassador into italy to conclude the peace . bonisacio could not be deliver'd , the senate of genoa opposing it , but instead of it they gave portovenere and letici . prince peter came from sicily , whither he had return'd , put garrisons into those places , and leaving galleys with duke philip to guard the coast , sail'd away with the rest of the fleet. then having plunder'd an island on the coast of africk , call'd circina , now charcana , and setled the affairs of sicily and naples , he return'd to spain to assist his brothers without any hopes of recovering the kingdom of naples . king alonso however despair'd not , believing the forces of the enemy would decay , the minds of the natives would alter , and the queen her self grow weary of those guests . nor was he deceiv'd ; for the duke of anjou was sent by the queen into calabria with orders to apply himself to the military affairs without concerning himself with the government . caracciolo , seneschal of naples , gave this advice , hoping to draw all the power into his own hands , and perceiving he was thereby grown odious , he invited the king of aragon into the kingdom , promising to stand by him . antony vrsino prince of taranto , a noble person , and ambitious of honour , sollicited the return of the aragonians . these advices mov'd the king of aragon , tho he did not wholly conside in those men , nor would he utterly reject their offers . therefore having fitted out a fleet of galleys , and great ships , and left the government of the kingdom to his brothers , he resolv'd to sail over to africk , there to gain reputation , and be the nearer to his friends . with this design he set sail from valencia , and after touching in sardinia , arriv'd in sicily . the french had besieg'd the strong castle of trupia in calabria , and reduc'd it to such extremity , that the besieg'd promis'd to surrender if not reliev'd in days . storms hinder'd the king from coming in time , and the place was deliver'd in his sight . at messina sail joyn'd the fleet of aragon , and they altogether steer'd their course for gelves , an island on the coast of africk . it is near to another island call'd sitre the lesser , and is encompassed with dangerous movable sands , being but four miles from the continent , full of inhabitants and a delightful place . on the west it draws nearer the continent , to which it is joyn'd by a bridge a mile in length . this enterprize was difficult , the place being strong and well guarded , for bofferriz king of tunez having intelligence of the design was come thither to defend it . at first landing the aragonians took the bridge , and overthrew the moors , forcing them to retire to their camp , which also they enter'd , and after a hot dispute near the king's tent put them again to flight . the slaughter was not great , nor the booty , but pieces of cannon were taken . nevertheless they could not make themselves masters of the island , for the islanders spent much time in capitulating , till , as they had design'd , the fleet for want of provisions was forc'd to return to messina . there it was consulted how to recover naples . to forward this design it happen'd that john carracciolo was murder'd by the contrivance of corbella rufa , wife to antony mariano , duke of sessa , she being the next to him in the queen's favour , and hating him mortally . the king , who let slip no opportunity to advance his interest , sent immediately embassadors to the queen , and went over himself to the island ischia , to be the nearer to her . most of the summer was spent in treating , but at length the queen disannull'd the adoption of the duke of anjou , and renew'd that of king alonso . this was all privately transacted by the advice of corbella , by whom the queen was wholly directed . whilst these things were in agitation at naples , the princes of aragon were in great danger , peter being a prisoner , and henry besieg'd in albuquerque . a greater war was fear'd , because the articles agreed on before had not been observ'd , whereof the embassadors of castile complain'd to john king of navarre , who was lieutenant to his brother of aragon . at length it was agreed that the two princes should deliver up albuquerque , and all other places they held , and so depart castile . this being concluded by the mediation of the king of portugal , the two brothers , and catherine , wife to prince henry , with the master of alcantara , and bishop of coria embarked at lisbon , and went thence to valencia , designing to try their fortunes again in spain ; or if that fail'd to go over into italy , which was what their brother desir'd , being resolv'd to conquer the kingdom of naples , as knowing well the queen was more inclin'd to his competitor , and only study'd to amuze him . frederick earl of luna kept up his intelligence with castile intending to betray taraçona and calatayud , towns on the frontiers of aragon , to king john. this seem'd the more easy , because at the same time there arose a dispute about the jurisdiction of the church of toledo . d. john de contreras , archbishop of toledo with six others was appointed by the king of castile to compose the differences betwixt him and the crown of aragon . d. john as primate of all spain carry'd the cross before him , which the bishop of taraçona first , and then the arch-bishop of zaragoça as metropolitan complain'd of . this dispute betwixt the prelates hinder'd the most important affair of the peace , which was the general concern from being brought to an issue , and it was fear'd the truce being expir'd the war would again break out . both parties prepar'd for it , and both were streighten'd for mony , but chiefly the aragonians exhausted with such lasting wars . several strange apparitions in the sky terrify'd the spaniards already alarm'd with the apprehension of a new war. particularly at cuidad rodrigo , where the king of castile then lay , there was seen for a long time a flame moving about , which ended in a terrible clap of thunder that was hear'd above miles from thence . at the beginning of the year , it snow'd in aragon and nevarre for the space of days continually , which destroy'd vast numbers of cattle and fowl. the very wild beasts came from the woods to the towns forc'd by hunger to seek food . from cuidad rodrigo the king of castile went to madrid to hold the cortes . thither resorted so great a multitude that the town tho large could not contain it , and many were forc'd to lodge in the neighbouring villages . here it was consulted how to carry on the war of granada , the truce being expir'd . ferdinand alvarez de toledo was sent to begin the war. he took some strong holds from the moors . all the rest of spain enjoy'd peace this year . the nobility of castile strove to out do one another in the splendour of their retinues and expences , spending the time in running at tilt and such sports to delight the king and people , without any care of the war. at lisbon this year the plague carry'd off great numbers of people . king john of portugal dy'd on the th of august , at the age of , months ; and days , and having reign'd years , months , and days . he is famous for having in such a confusion of times secur'd that kingdom to his posterity . his son edward succeeded him , and was declar'd king in a great assembly of the nobility , being then years , months , and days old . besides his other felicities king john was happy in a numerous issue , by his wife philippa , daughter to john duke of lancaster . first he had blanch , who dy'd young ; dly alonso , who liv'd but years ; dly edward , who succeeded him ; thly peter duke of coimbra , thly , henry duke of viseo , thly john constable of portugal , thly ferdinand master of avis , and thly elizabeth marry'd to philip earl of flanders and duke of burgundy . on the day of king edward's coronation , it is reported that a jewish physician call'd gudiala advis'd to put off that ceremony till the afternoon , else it would be unfortunate , but his council was slighted as superstitious . as soon as the king took upon him the government , he order'd the funeral of his father with greater pomp than had been till then , he with all the nobility accompanying the corps to the church of batalla at aljubarrota , built by the deceas'd king , as was said before . all the rest of this king's reign was answerable to this pious beginning . chap. v. the council of basil . the affairs of naples , and death of the duke of anjou , and the queen of naples . the nobility of that kingdom incline to favour the aragonians . the pope expell'd rome and restor'd . pope martin the last year of his life had summon'd all the christian prelates to hold a general council at basil , in order to reform the universal corruption of manners , and to 〈◊〉 to the true faith the bohemians , then tainted with new heresies . cardinal julian cesarinus went from rome to be present at the opening of the council eugenius successor to pope martin endeavour'd to remove the council into italy , but sigismund the emperor oppos'd it . other princes were courted to joyn with each of them . the king of aragon thought fit to be of the emperor's party , hoping he would be the surer friend to him towards obtaining the kingdom of naples . for this reason he sent his embassadors to basil , as did all the other princes of spain mov'd by his example . at the beginning of the year dy'd at basil cardinal alonso carrillo , a person of great learning and wisdom , and protector of spain . d. alonso carrillo his nephew succeeded him in the bishoprick of siguença , and came at last to be archbishop of toledo . sigismund the emperor answer'd not the expectations of the king of aragon , but as soon as he was crown'd at rome , as if the crown had chang'd his nature , he made a league with the venetians , florentines , and philip duke of milan for expelling the aragonians out of all italy with their joynt forces . this he did rather to comply with the pope , than out of any particular prejudice . but all things happen'd otherwise than they expected , as shall appear hereafter . frederick earl of luna added one crime to all his former extravagancies , which brought him to his ruin. he was bold and restless , had left a great estate in aragon , and sold the towns given him in castile . being by his prodigality reduc'd to poverty , he resolv'd to plunder the rich city of sevil. he was offended at the earl of niebla , who had great power in that city , and design'd by the way to be reveng'd on him . so great an enterprize was not to be undertaken without company . to this purpose he drew together many whom their leud lives had reduc'd to want , and among them two considerable men call'd regidores , of sevil. a secret could not be kept among so many . the plot was discover'd and d. frederick secur'd at medina del campo , whither the king went at the beginning of the year . thence he was carry'd to vren̄a , and afterwards to a castle near olmedo , where he ended his days , pitied by no man , the castilians hating him as a deserter from his prince . his companions were all put to death . violante countess of niebla , his sister , who would have interceded for him , was not permitted to speak to the king , but sent away to cuellar , with orders she should not stir from thence without leave , it being suspected that the earl had undertook that desperate enterprize relying on her assistance . the punishment of the earl no way discouraged the princes of aragon from proceeding in their wicked practices after they were expell'd castile . the king of castile complain'd that they violated the conditions of the truce agreed upon not long before , and therefore said it was requisite to secure the publick peace they should be sent out of spain . the king of navarre having hear'd the embassadors , perswaded the princes his brothers to go over into italy , whither he would soon follow them , telling them the kingdom of naples once conquer'd it would be easy to recover their estates in castile . they went over to sicily , where king alonso then was endeavouring to gain the affections of the neapolitan nobility , and to settle a peace with the princes of italy in order to possess himself of naples . above all he labour'd to reconcile pope eugenius whom he knew to be his enemy . a fair opportunity seem'd now to offer it self , the queen having been long sick , and the nobility at variance , and a great misfortune befalling the pope in this manner . antony colonna prince of salerno coming to rome , the people mutiny'd and expell'd the pope , being inrag'd for that he persecuted the family of colonna , and because through his fault francis sforcia with some forces of the duke of milan had wasted the territory of rome . the pope fled down the tiber in a boat , the people throwing stones at him , and in the galleys he found at ostia , went away into tuscany . this affront offer'd the pope variously affected several princes . some of them said he had well deserv'd it for provoking the people , and opposing the council of basil . the news of this accident reach'd the king of aragon at palermo on the th of july . he hop'd this might be a means to gain the pope to his interest . therefore he sent embassadors to condole , and offer his assistance for vanquishing his enemies , and pacifying the people . the pope accepted not his offer , for within the th month the tumults of rome ceas'd , and the citizens submitted themselves to him admitting a garrison into the capitol , which done they were absolv'd of the censures they had incurr'd by affronting the pope . on the th of september dy'd d. john de contreras archbishop of toledo at alcala de henares . his body was bury'd with pomp in the cathedral of toledo . the chapter was divided about choosing one to succeed him ; some were for vasco ramirez de guzman archdeacon of toledo , others for the dean ruy garcia de villaquiran . this disagreement gave the king an opportunity to intrepose , and by his procurement d. john de cereçuela archbishop of sevil was elected . at the same time that the king was at madrid , d. henry de villena dy'd there . he sustain'd the loss of his vast fortune with great patience , living to a great age , and wholly devoted to his study . his inclination to learning was such , that he study'd magick , and some of his books were afterwards burnt by the king's order . the nobility of naples weary of the government of a woman , and of her extravagances inclin'd to favour the king of aragon . he drew to his party with great promises , nicholas picinus then a renouned captain in italy , and kinsman to braccio . at palermo he also joyn'd in league with the prince of taranto , and all his adherents , who being injur'd by the duke of anjou and james caldora , had recourse to the king of aragon for relief . it was agreed they should espouse the quarrel of the aragonian , he assisting them with horse , and foot , which they judged a sufficient force to oppose the enemy , but it prov'd otherwise . for the prince of taranto was soon stripp'd of all his possessions , which were great , except some few small places of very great strength . the war seem'd to be near an end , when the duke of anjou worn with fatigue , and overcome by the unhealthiness of the air dyed in calabria about the middle of november in the flower of his age , and the height of his prosperity , being almost possess'd of the kingdom , and then newly marry'd to margaret , daughther to amedee duke of savoy . the queen of naples also departed this life in that city , at the beginning of the year . her body was bury'd with little ceremony in the church annunciada . the death of the queen and duke advanc'd the interest of aragon , and weaken'd that of the french. yet the people of naples without any order , or consulting the nobility proclaim'd renee , brother to the late duke their king , as the queen had order'd in her will. but there was little help to be expected from him , being then a prisoner . he had marry'd the daughter of the duke of lorrain , and he dying without issue-male possess'd himself of that dukedom . antony earl of vaudemont , brother to the deceas'd , overthrew , took him prisoner , and deliver'd him up to the duke of burgundy . orin carracciolo , george alemani , and baltasar rata , the most noted men of the french faction were appointed governours at naples . in spain d. roderick de velasco , bishop of palencia was unfortunately kill'd by his own cook , who being distracted and going about with a club in his hand , was ask'd what he design'd to do with it , he answer'd , kill the bishop , but being a forreigner and not well understood , because he spoke not plain was laugh'd at , yet presently after he came upon the bishop and beat out his brains . chap. vi. mighty inundations throughout spain . a great victory over the moors . the further actions of the aragonians at naples . the kings of aragon and navarre taken by the genoeses , and set at liberty by the duke of milan . this prov'd a dangerous winter in castile , by reason of the great rains. the roads were so deep there was scarce any travelling . many buildings were carry'd away by the floods at valladolid , and more at medina del campo . in days no corn was ground , so that the people fed upon the grain . boil'd for want of bread. at sevil the river guadalquivir swell'd within a yard of the top of the walls . some of the inhabitants liv'd aboard ships for fear of being drown'd , others day and night were repairing the walls , and cauking the gates . these rains and storms began on the th of october , and continu'd without ceasing till the th of march. mean while the war with the moors was carry'd on with various success . james de ribera the lieutenant at the siege of alora was kill'd with a dart from the wall. at another place in a skirmish the moors slew john faxardo , son to alonso faxardo the lieutenant . perafan son to james ribera , tho but years of age succeeded him , in recompence for the good service done by his father . these losses were in some measure made up by the taking of huescar , a very strong town , by assault . roderick manrique , son to the lieutenant peter manrique , took it . besides , a great body of moors that was marching to the relief of it was overthrown by the lieutenant of caçorla , and the lord of valdecorneja , whereupon the castle , which still held out , surrendred . but another misfortune soon allay'd the joy of this victory . d. gutierre de sotomayor , master of alcantara made an incursion into the lands of the moors with horse , and foot to attack archidona . the moors gave the alarm , firing their beacons , upon which about men got together arm'd with darts and slings , and securing the passes kill'd most of the christians , so that he escap'd with a very few . this misfortune mov'd the lord of valdecorneja to raise the siege he had lay'd to huelma , tho it was near surrendring , fearing the moors , encourag'd by this success , would come to relieve it . he soon gather'd more forces , and joyning with the bishop of jaen wasted all the territory of guadix , burning the corn which was fit to cut . his force was horse , and foot. a great number of horse , and foot march'd from granada to oppose him . nothing daunted at that multitude he engag'd , and put them to flight , killing , the night hindring the pursuit . this day the lieutenant perca signaliz'd himself , for his horse being kill'd , and he wounded in the leg , he still fought so bravely afoot that the moors were glad to leave him . in the kingdom of murcia , not far from huescar , there are two towns , call'd velez el roxo , and velez el blanco . the lieutenant faxardo lay'd siege to , and had them both surrendred . these things we have related are what happen'd in three years against the moors ; we have put them together to avoid confounding the memory . this year we now write of was remarkable for the peace concluded betwixt france and burgundy , which prov'd very advantageous to france , but this belongs to their histories . in spain the queens of aragon and navarre , whilst the kings their husbands besieg'd gaeta , as shall be related , obtain'd of the king of castile ( who was going from madrid to buitrago to be entertain'd by in̄igo lopez de mendoça ) that the truce should be prolong'd till the first of november . john de luna lord of illueca sent embassador on this account , obtain'd this of d. alvaro de luna , who then manag'd all things , and was joyful for that he had a son born at madrid , who was call'd d. john. the king express'd great satisfaction for it , and the nobility feign'd it to gain his favour . the death of the seneschal , john carracciolo , the duke of anjou , and queen joanna , seem'd to have made way for the king of aragon to obtain the crown of naples . many of the nobility having consulted together , seiz'd the city and castle of capua , and sent thence reginald de aquino into sicily to offer their service to the king of aragon , provided he would immediately come to their aid , before the enemy gather'd strength . with the king were his three brothers , all of age , fit for war , and well inclin'd to it . prince peter was left in sicily to gather the fleet. the king with his brother of navarre , and prince henry set sail from messina only with galleys . he touch'd at the island ponça , then at ischia , and lastly came to sessa , whither a great number of noblemen was come from capua to meet him . the chief of them was antony marsano , duke of sessa . here they consulted about carrying on the war , and it was resolv'd to besiege gaeta . on the th of may it was invested by the neapolitan forces at land , and the fleet of aragon at sea. the prince of taranto came thither with his forces . the king of aragon possess'd himself of mount orlando , which overtops the city , whereby great hope was conceiv'd it would surrender , the townsmen being in a consternation , and wanting provisions . but the genoeses , who were numerous there by reason of their great trade , resolv'd to defend the city . they chose francis spinola , a man of note , who chiefly encourag'd them , for their commander , and then turn'd all useless people out of the city , whom the king of aragon reliev'd and sent to the neighbouring villages , which gain'd him the affections of the besieged , and of all the country . the senate of genoa understanding the danger their people were in by the duke of milan's order , sitted out great ships , galleys , and a galliot , manning them well , and putting in store of provisions . blas assareto was appointed to command this fleet , a notable souldier , who had rais'd himself from a very mean condition to that height by his valour . the king of aragon set out to meet this fleet with ships , and galleys . with him went most of the men of note , not doubting of the victory . the aragonians anker'd at the island ponça , and the genoeses on the coast of terracina . thence they sent a herauld to acquaint the king of aragon they came not to fight , but only to carry provisions to their countrymen . this message was much ridicul'd by the aragonians , and both parties made ready to fight . before they ingag'd , genoese ships were order'd to stand out to sea , that when the dispute was hottest they might fall upon the enemy's rear . the aragonians believing they fled , fell on without any order . the king attack'd the genoese admiral . the genoese bringing his ship about poured abundance of darts and stones into the king's poop . in the same manner the other ships grapl'd and fought as if they had been on land. the aragonians had the advantage in numbers , but that caus'd confusion among them , and many were sea-sick , whereas the genoeses had the odds of being expert mariners , and us'd to that sort of fight . the galleys were of no use , the ships being ingag'd together , and so much higher above the water than the galleys . it was now late when the genoese ships , which at first were thought to fly , fell athwart the aragonians , and gain'd the victory . the enemy enter'd the king's ship , and he finding it made much water , say'd he yeilded himself prisoner to the duke of milan , tho not present . in the same ship were taken the prince of taranto , and duke of sessa . other ships were taken , and in them many prisoners of note , among them the king of navarre , whose life roderick robolledo sav'd at the beginning of the fight . prince henry of aragon was also made prisoner . authors do not agree about prince peter . some say he escap'd by night with galleys out of the fight . others that he arriv'd with the rest of the fleet from sevil at ischia , at the time of the battle . besides those mentioned , raymund boil , viceroy of naples , james gomez de sandoval , earl of castro , with his two sons , ferdinand and james , d. john de sotomayor , in̄igo davalos , son to the constable . d. ruy lopez davalos , and a grandson of his called d. in̄igo de guevara , fell all into the hands of the enemy . after this famous victory the people of gaeta sallying routed the aragonians , enter'd their camp , and plunder'd all the baggage of those great men. many were taken prisoners , the rest of the army was dispersed . this battle was fought on the th of august near the island ponça . who would not have thought this overthrow had quite defeated the hopes of the aragonians ? and yet contrary to all humane probability , this very misfortune was the best step towards their gaining the kingdom of naples . after the fight the victorious genoeses return'd home , where they secur'd the greatest number of persons to pay the charge of the fleet. the kings , with about men of note , were carry'd to milan , where the genoese admiral made his entry in the nature of a triumph , and such a one as had not been seen in many ages . all italy was in suspence , considering what advantage that duke would make of his victory , and fear'd he would improve it to subdue all that country . he himself was dubious whether he should impose some hard conditions upon them , or put them to ransom , but fear'd when at liberty they would seek revenge . at length honour prevail'd , and he resolv'd to discharge them gratis , sending them back with rich presents . he therefore receiv'd the king of aragon with much honour , and they discours'd largely of the danger of suffering the french to take footing in italy . whilst these things were in agitation at milan , the lady elizabeth , by order of her husband the duke of anjou , who as has been said was prisoner , went by sea to genoa , thence to gaeta , and lastly coming to naples on the th of october , much encourag'd those that were of her party . pope eugenius assisted her with forces , and she being a woman excellently qualify'd purchas'd the love of the people . many councils were held in spain to consider what could be done for the kings . the cortes of aragon met at zaragoça , and it was agreed to equip a fleet to secure sicily and sardinia , for all thoughts of naples were given over . at soria the king of castile , and queen of aragon prolong'd the truce for months longer . queen ellenor , mother to the kings that were prisoners , dy'd suddenly at medina del campo , and was bury'd at s. john de las duen̄as , a monastery she built . at milan the duke and his prisoners concluded a league offensive and defensive . the king of navarre went into spain with full commission to govern aragon , and raise mony. the prince of taranto , and duke of sessa went to naples to encourage their party , and order prince peter with the fleet to assist them . the king's orders were obey'd , and immediately the city gaeta was deliver'd up to him on christmas day . soon after the king of aragon being set free by the duke , came to protovenere . some will have it that there were signs which foretold the king's imprisonment , as that an arch of the bridge that was then building at zaragoça over the river ebro , fell and kill'd five men. nine leagues from zaragoça , on the banks of ebro stands a town called villilla , where there is a bell , which those people are perswaded rings of it self before any extraordinary accident . this bell is said to have rung without any humane help the day before the kings were taken , also on the th of october , and again on the th of january following , which was the year , and was the day the king was set at liberty . i do not pretend to justify these things , or so much as to plead for them . it is enough that grave authors mention them , and quote eye-witnesses for the truth of them . let the reader make what judgment of it he pleases . chap. vii . the affairs of italy after the king of aragon was releas'd . peace concluded betwixt castile and aragon . the prince of castile marries the princess of navarre . the portugues loss in africk . the peace concluded at milan was the cause of a bloody war , for the genoeses openly revolted against the duke of milan , complaining he reap'd the fruit of their victory by releasing the kings , whilst they lay under the odium of having made them prisoners ; besides that the duke had chang'd his protection they had implor'd in time of need , into absolute tyranny . thus having underhand made a league with pope eugenius , and the duke of anjou , they declar'd war. paccio alciato , governour of the city for the duke , was kill'd and many others . the chief contriver of this revolution was francis spinola , who had gain'd reputation by defending gaeta , and was therefore puffed up with pride , besides that he did it in hatred to the family of the fliscos and fregosos , who favour'd the aragonians . many other towns follow'd the example of genoa , and expell'd the milanese garrisons . they kept the spanish prisoners they had , for whose ransom the king of aragon was forc'd to pay them crowns . the sicilians , on account of antient friendship , were releas'd gratis . only sons of john de vintemilla remain'd long prisoners at genoa , the cause of detaining them is not known . the king of aragon at the request of duke philip endeavour'd to pacify the people of genoa with the fleet his brother peter sent him from gaeta , but desisted for fear of losing time in reducing those people when the affairs of naples call'd upon him . from porto venere he sent his brother henry into spain , and gave him the territory of ampurias , ordering him to be assisting in the war against castile , in case that king did break , as was fear'd he would when the truce expir'd . the king himself set sail , and arriv'd at gaeta on the d of february . mean while prince peter his brother had taken terracina , to the great regret of the pope , to whom that city belong'd . upon the king's arrival the neapolitan nobility repair'd to gaeta . he appointed francis picinino general , to oblige duke philip , whose greatest favourite the father of this francis was . all italy was alarm'd , and many cities combin'd to drive the aragonians out of italy , and particularly the venetians , florentines and genoeses joyn'd in a league at the sollicitation of pope eugenius . at the same time the war with the moors went on in spain . peace was like to be establish'd betwixt the other kings at the procurement of the king of navarre , who design'd to bend all his forces against italy . two castles , the one call'd galea , the other castilleja were taken from the moors by roderick manrique , who was abroad with a party . soon after henry de guzman , earl of niebla , having besieged gibraltar at the mouth of the streights , was drown'd with men , the boat he was in oversetting being too full , and the sea running high . d. john de guzman his son despairing of success after that misfortune rais'd the siege and return'd to sevil. this gentleman was the first duke of medina sidonia , king john honouring him with that title to comfort him , for the loss of his father , and reward his signal services . the king was come to toledo , after having been at alcala and madrid . nothing was seen at court but sports and pastimes , without any regard of the war. in this city the peace betwixt castile , aragon and navarre , was concluded on the d of september , to the great joy of all people . these were the articles agreed upon . that henry prince of castile should marry blanch , eldest daughter to the king of navarre : that medina del campo , olmedo , roa , and the lordship of villena be her portion : that in case they have no issue , those places shall remain to the crown of castile , upon paying to the king of navarre a sum of mony agreed upon : that all places taken during the war by either side be restor'd : that all deserters and fugitives on both sides be pardon'd , excepting the earl of castro , and master of alcantara , on the part of castile , and godfrey marques of cortes , on the part of navarre . thus the truce was chang'd into a league defensive and offensive against all princes whatsoever , excepting the kings of france and portugal on the part of castile , and on the part of aragon , the duke of milan , and gaston earl of faux , whose father dy'd not long before . gaston inherited the earldom at years of age , and was contracted to ellenor the younger daughter to the king of navarre . great joy , and publick thansgiving was throughout all spain upon the proclaiming of this league . the earl of castro soon after obtain'd his pardon and return'd to castile , where for the future he behav'd himself better , being humbl'd by his long banishment . what is said relating to the earl of castro is taken out of the chronicles of castile . those of his family produce original writings sign'd by kings in vindication of him , and promising restitution of the estate taken from him during the troubles . it were well the case were decided , that we might know what to give credit to . mean while the king of aragon ceas'd not to oblige the neapolitans , and endeavour to subdue them by policy as well as force . balthasar rata , earl of caserta , one of the governours appointed by the people embrac'd his party . raymund vrsin , earl of nola did the same . to oblige and attract him he was promis'd to wife the lady ellenor , of the blood royal , daughter to the earl of vrgel , who not long before dy'd at xativa . this done the king took the field , and soon made himself master of the valley of st. severino , the city salerno , and coast of amafil , into all these places he put garrisons of aragonians , which secur'd his interest and weaken'd the party of anjou . naples , the chief city , remain'd to gain , which was not much doubted of , the people being well-inclin'd to the aragonians , and they still possess'd of two castles there notwithstanding all their late misfortunes . this proved a very sharp winter for frost and snow , insomuch that the oldest men did not remember to have seen the like . at guadalajara , where the king was on the first day of the year , men going out to cut wood were all frozen to death . many people dy'd through the extremity of the cold. in this hard weather the king would go into old castile , and the snow lay so deep on the passes of the mountains , that he was forc'd to send before pioniers to clear the ways . from roa he went to osma in march , and thence sent prince henry his son to alfaro , a great town on the borders of navarre . most of the nobility went with him , and he who appear'd above them all was d. alvaro de luna , who not long before by meer importunity had obtain'd of the queen the castle of montalvan , being before possessed of that of escalona near toledo . two days after the prince arriv'd at alfaro , the queen of navarre came thither with her children , and a great train of nobles . the prince and princess were marry'd with extraordinary pomp , both of them being then at the age of years . four days were spent in rejoycing , and then the queen with the bride return'd to her country . the king of castile and the prince his son went to medina del campo . there by advice of d. alvaro de luna , and the earl of benavente , the lieutenant peter manrique was apprehended and sent to the castle of fuentiduen̄a , which caus'd mighty tumults and troubles in the kingdom . his crime was conspiring with others to pull down d. alvaro , de luna . this year was fatal to the portugueses for the slaughter made of them in africk . five brothers , the king of portugal being desirous of honour , and of enlarging their dominions , had resolved to attempt it in africk among the enemies of christianity . mony was wanting , for remedy whereof they obtain'd of pope eugenius the croifade for all that would serve in that expedition . hereupon a great rabble of people gather'd together . prince ferdinand , master of avis being the hottest of the brothers , offer'd to command the forces . this affair being debated in a grand assembly , prince john the master of santiago in portugal , who was more cautious and discreet , affirm'd that africk ought not to be invaded unless with the united force of the whole kingdom . all wise men approv'd of what he said , and among them the princes peter and alonso . only prince henry favour'd ferdinand's design , and he being a person in great repute for his learning , the 〈◊〉 advice prevail'd , so that it was resolv'd to proceed in that enterprize . a fleet being ●●gg'd soldiers were shipp'd aboard it , which were given out to be . on the th of august they set sail , and in days arriv'd at ceuta , where they anker'd and held a council of war. it was resolv'd to besiege tangier , at the mouth of the strelghts opposite to tarifa . accordingly the siege was lay'd , and the town batter'd the space of days , the inhabitants defending themselves with great resolution , as those that were assur'd of relief . to raise the siege came the kings of fez and morocco , with several princes of africk , foot , and horse , a wonderful number if true . but fame for the most part ●●ceeds truth . it was impossible for such a handful to oppose that multitude , yet they behave themselves with much bravery , intrench'd their camp , and were beset on all sides . nothing but despair appear'd in their looks . they would have fled , but the field was cover'd with enemies . they offer'd to capitulate , but were answer'd no articles should be allow'd unless they would deliver up ceuta , and so quit africk . these were hard terms , and not in their power to grant , yet to save their lives , they condescended , deliver'd up prince ferdinand the general , and several persons of quality as hostages . the rest in a miserable condition went away to ceuta , and thence at the end of the year to portugal . a great council was held at ebora to consider of the articles made in africk , and it was unanimously agreed they ought not to be perform'd , being made without the king's knowledge or consent , and therefore no way obliging him . prince ferdinand remain'd in perpetual slavery , and suffer'd great hardships . his tomb is to be seen at fez , standing on a very high place , as a trophy of the victory gain'd . chap. viii . the state of spain , and of the catholick church under great apprehensions of troubles . actions of the aragonians at naples . king edward of portugal dies . the rebellion in castile . spain was now under great apprehensions of new troubles , the nobility of castile being incens'd against the king , for the unjust imprisonment ( as they term'd it ) of peter manrique . among the clergy was no less contention , because pope eugenius labour'd to dissolve the council of basil , which was only a design to lessen the authority of general councils , because they alone were a check upon popes . yet he desisted , being warn'd so to do by the emperor sigismand , and cardinal cesarinus his own legate . the bishops at basil summon'd the pope to appear there in person , and he refusing to obey , threaten'd to depose him . the christian princes agreed not what was best to be done , but sigismund the emperor fearing a schism , tho he lov'd not the pope , oppos'd the deposing of him . his authority soon ceas'd , for he dy'd on the th of december . his son in law albertus , duke of austria , then king of the romans , succeeded him , and was crown'd on the first of january . this year at maderuelo , a town in old castile belonging to d. alvaro de luna , there fell stones as big as small cushions , which yet did no great harm , being very light . john de agreda carry'd some of them to roa , where the king then was . about the same time huelma , a strong town and well garrison'd was taken from the moors , by in̄igo lopez de mendoça , lord of hita , who then commanded on the frontiers about jàen . soon after roderick perea , lieutenant of cagorla , making an incursion with men , was kill'd , and of all his party , only escap'd , the enemy being very numerous , and yet bought not this victory cheap , for many of them were slain , and among them the governour of granada . the king of aragon being offended at pope eugenius , favour'd the fathers at basil , and the more now , because john vitelesco , patriarch of alexandria with forces of the popes enter'd the kingdom of naples , which gave many of the natives occasion to change their affections . particularly the prince of taranto , and earl of caserta , men of little faith went over to the pope . on the other side antony colonna was reconcil'd to the king of aragon , being put in hope he should be restor'd to the principality of salerno . the patriarch was overthrown by the aragonians , and drove out of the kingdom of naples . the nobility was soon reduc'd . at the same time renee , duke of anjou having been ransom'd arriv'd with his fleet at naples on the th of may. his arrival produc'd no great effect , because he brought no mony to defray the charge of the war-ye●●● several places it broke out anew , and chiefly in abruzzo , where james caldora , a renowned captain supported the interest of anjou . renee to gain reputation challeng'd the king of aragon , and sent him his gauntlet ; the aragonian accepted the challenge , but it came to nothing , for they could never agree upon the time and place . at bourges the king of france by proclamation approv'd all the acts of the council of basil , whereupon pope eugenius order'd the council to remove to ferrara in italy . cesarinus the legate , and other cardinals immediately repair'd to that city . it was given out that the cause of removing the council was to unite the eastern and western churches , the emperor john palcologus , and the 〈◊〉 of constantinople being come into italy to that purpose . from ferrara the council remov'd to florence , the plague being in the other city . here the affair of the union was long debated to little purpose . the fathers at basil would have the greeks go thither , but they refus'd . for this reason , and because the pope had dissolv'd that assembly they grew into heats , and began to assume more than belong'd to them . in italy whilst renee was busy reducing some castles in abruzzo , the king of aragon resolv'd to besiege naples then weak , because most of the youth had follow'd renee , and provisions were scarce . in the aragonian army there were men , and the fleet consisted of galleys , great ships , and many small vessels , fit to hinder any supplies from coming to the city . with this force he lay'd siege to naples on the d of september . he fortify'd his camp and prepar'd all things to give an assault , when an unexpected misfortune overthrew all his designs . on the d of october prince peter going out to view the city was kill'd by a cannon ball from the church of the carmelites . the ball rebounded times , and at the th dash'd his head to pieces . his body was carry'd to the church of st. mary magdalen , where the king came and wept over him . he dy'd in the prime of his age , being but years old , a batchelor , and had gain'd honour in war. his body was deposited in the castle del ovo . the soldiers took his death as an ill omen , and believ'd it the more because the rains hinder'd carrying on the siege , which was rais'd , and the army retir'd to capua . john vintemilla , marques of girachi , who had been sent to meet renee then marching to the relief of naples , falling upon him unexpectedly in the valley gardano , took many prisoners and forc'd him to return towards nola. this done vintemilla return'd to the siege of naples . king alonso intending to take the field as soon as the season would permit , sent for his other two brothers out of spain . he was so bent upon the conquest of naples that he seem'd not to regard the kingdom left him by his father , which was now infested by a body of french , who being us'd to live upon plunder under the command of alexander de bourbon , bastard son to john duke of bourbon , had broke into aragon by the way of russillon . the q. of aragon , and k. of navarre were much alarm'd , but this storm soon vanish'd , for the weather drove the french another way , without doing any considerable harm . this year was unfortunate to portugal , not only for their loss in africk , but for the plague which rag'd throughout the kingdom , and destroy'd great numbers of people . also king edward dy'd of a fever at the convent of tomar , whither he withdrew for fear of the plague . his reign was short ; for it lasted but five years and thirty seven days . he writ a book of the government of a kingdom ; and ordain'd , that for the future the king 's eldest son should be call'd prince , as was the custom in castile . he had issue alonso , who succeeded him , and was the first that had the title of prince in portugal . ferdinand duke of viseo , master of the orders of christ and santiago , constable of portugal , who was father of ellenor queen of portugal , elizabeth dutchess of bragança , james , kill'd by his brother-in-law king john , and emanuel that came at length to be king of portugal . ellenor the empress , wife to frederick the iii. and mother to maximilian , was also daughter to king edward . besides , he had catherine , contracted to several princes , yet never marry'd ; and joanna wife to henry iv. king of castile . the late king order'd the queen should govern during the minority of his son ; but the nobility mutiny'd , and chose peter duke of coimbra the new king's uncle . the queen complain'd of the wrong done her , but to no purpose . in august peter manrique the lieutenant , with his wife and two daughters , let themselves down by ropes out of the castle of fuentiduen̄as , where he was prisoner , and escap'd by the assistance of some servants of the governour gomez carrillo ; and this occasion'd new troubles . many noblemen associated themselves with him , in order to pull down . d. alvaro de luna ; which was a difficult task , his power being very great . at medina de ruysico they made all manner of warlike preparations . in february . the king went from madrigal to roa , to prevent their designs , carrying along with him his son prince henry , d. alvaro de luna , and several other nobles and prelates . the conspirators sent a letter to the king full of submissive language , protesting they were ready to obey him , or his son ; and that they had taken up arms to defend themselves against the favourite . the king return'd no answer . roderick de villandrando was then come from france , bringing with him horse to serve the king , upon promise of being created earl of ribadeo . prince henry of aragon , and his brother the king of navarre , entred castile with horse , hoping during those tumults , to recover the lands that had been taken from them . both parties sent to court them , neither knowing what they design'd . they agreed among themselves , that the king of navarre should go to cuellar , where the king of castile then was , and prince henry to pen̄afiel , a town which had been his . their design was to look on till they found which side was likeliest to restore them to their estates . mean while in̄igo de zuniga , brother to the earl of ledesma , with a party of horse secur'd valladolid , a large , rich , and plentiful town . immediately a great number of the conspirators repair'd thither . the king of castile fearing these beginnings might produce greater mischiefs , went to olmedo , to be the nearer in order to appease those commotions , and to bring prince henry over to his party . they had several conferences to this purpose , but all without success ; for the prince after amusing both parties for some time , at last joyn'd with the rebels . this was suppos'd to be done with the advice of the king of navarre , that he might have a sure stake , whoever was uppermost . the whole kingdom was under great apprehensions of a new war. therefore some religious , pious , and learned persons interpos'd . they spoke to those rebellious noblemen , and represented to them the miseries of a civil war , advising to compose differences before any blood was spilt . they labour'd so much , that they perswaded both parties to meet at castro nun̄o , there to treat of some amicable accommodation . chap. ix . the king of castile and the rebels agree . the rebellion breaks out again : the king taken prisoner . blanch queen of navarre dyes . her son charles succeeds . the council at basil deposes pope eugenius , and chooses felix . on the th of august , castelnovo in naples having endured a tedious siege , notwithstanding the king of aragon was preparing to relieve it , was deliver'd up to the enemy . yet the king of aragon made amends for this loss , by recovering the city salerno , and several other places . at castro nun̄o the king of castile and his nobles , at last agreed upon these articles : that d. alvaro de luna be six months from court without being allow'd to write to the king. that their estates be restor'd to the king of navarre , and prince of aragon , or in lieu of them , such a revenue as shall be adjudged by arbitrators . that all forces be dismissed . that the conspirators withdraw their garrisons out of the towns they have seized . that no man be punish'd for having formerly sided with aragon , and now with the conspirators . hereupon the mastership of santiago was restor'd to prince henry , and the town of cuellar to the king of navarre . d. alvaro de luna in lieu of it had sepulveda . this done , the king went to toro . there he receiv'd the news , that the lady cathorine , wife to prince henry of aragon , dy'd at zaragoça without issue , on the th of october . d. alvaro de luna in pursuance of the late capitulation on the th of october , went away to sepulveda , so highly offended he could not concea● it . with him went jonntile silva chief standard-bearer to the king , peter de acun̄a , gomez carrillo , and many other men of quality who were beholding to him , or hoped to be so . the council of basil at last deposed pope eugenius , and in his place chose amadec on the fifth of november , by the name of felix v. he had been forty years earl and duke of savoy , and then abdioating his dukedom , and renouncing the pleasures of the court , liv'd a solitary life , aiming at perfection , accompany'd only by six antient men of quality . it was happy for pope engenius that the christian princes made no account of that election , not even the king of aragon , and duke of millan , tho enemies to eugenius , and higher offended at him . the authority of the fathers at basil declin'd , yet they broke not up till the year of this century , at which time they dissolv'd , and return'd home , being terrify'd by luis dauphin of france , who was marching to break up their assembly , by a decree of frederick the emperor . felix the new pope , upon better advice , soon after said aside the pontifical robes , and was by pope nicholas , succeslor to engenius , made cardinal , and legate of savoy . castile seem'd to be restor'd to perfect peace by the banishment of d. alvaro de luna , but ambition the bane of kingdoms , soon disturb'd it . the king was not of judgment sound enough to govern without the help and advice of another . this was well known to the nobility , and every one strove to gain his favour , in order to become first minister of state. d. frederick the admiral , a bold man , and of a ready wit , stood fairest , being particularly recommended to the king by d. alvaro de luna at the time of his departure . the princes of aragon were enrag'd , that all their contrivances fall'd them . at toro the servants of the several factions quarrell'd , and were like to come to blows about taking up their lodgings . the king knew not how to pacify the nobles , and therefore by the advice of d. alvaro's ●●ads , under colour of hunting , fled to salamanca , at the beginning of the year . after him went the princes of aragon , the earls of benavente , ledesina , haro , 〈◊〉 , valencia , and in̄igo lopez de mendoça , with horse , resolving to use violence if oppos'd . the king being inform'd of their coming , remov'd to bonilla , a loyal and strong town . thence he sent to the princes of aragon , who under a safe conduct came first to salamanca , and thence to avila , whither the mutinous lords were come , designing to secure that city . the archbishop of seviil who then sighaliz'd his loyalty , was the chief man that passed between them , but without success . yet the nobles made use of him to write to the king , giving him grave advice , and charging d. alvaro de luna . he return'd no 〈…〉 . they went the earls of haro and benavente to him , who prevail'd to have the 〈…〉 at valladolid . yet those lords were so far from restoring the towns they had serz'd and their hands , that they secur'd leon , segovia , zamora , salamanca , valladolid , avila , burgos , placencia , and guadalasara . besides prince henry had toledo deliver'd to him by peter lopez de ayala , who was governour of the town and castle for the king. at the cortes which sate at valladolid in april , the first thing consider'd upon , was to give satisfaction to d. alvaro de luna , and bring him back to court. to this effect letters were sent to him from that assembly , yet he came not for the present . soon after , all the revolted cities return'd to their 〈…〉 had particularly toledo . prince henry at this time rebell'd against his father , being 〈…〉 that d. alvaro should return to court. john pacheco , son to alonso giron lord of 〈…〉 had the same influence over the prince , that d. alvaro had over the king , and endeavour'd by supplanting d. alvaro , who had preferr'd him to rise to his grandeur . prince henry of castile withdrew from court , giving out , that he would not return till some of the king's counsellors , with whom he was displeas'd , were remov'd ; yet he came back late at night at the perswasion of his father-in-law the king of navarre . to pacify him , his wife was brought from navarre to valladolid , where on the th of september , the nuptials were celebrated with great pomp , and there was a feast of tilting in which some nobles were kill'd , because they ran with sharp-pointed spears . the bride remain'd a maid , which was at first conceal'd , but afterwards became publick , to the great grief of all people . at the same time that the publick rejoycing was for the marriage of prince henry , the lieutenant peter manrrique dy'd . he was a man of a mean stature , a great spirit , subtle and bold . his son james manrique , who was also earl of trevin̄o , succeeded him in his 〈◊〉 d. alvaro de lara , tho absent from court , govern'd the kingdom , which inrag'd the 〈…〉 have all , 〈…〉 son , who left his father , and went away to segov● declaring for the princes of aragon . john pacheco his favourite , neightned his discontent . toledo was again'd deliver'd up by the same peter lopez de ayala , to prince henry of aragon . the citizens provok'd the king by securing his messengers sent to complain of their disloyalty which mov'd him with a small retinue , the hast thither , believing they would respect his person . he stopp'd at the hospital of saint lazorus , which is in the road to madrigal . prince henry of aragon came out of the city with two handred horse : those with the king being fe● in number , fortify'd themselves where they were ; but prince henry fearing he should become yet more odious than he was if he offer'd violence to the king , return'd into the city . roderick de villandrando signaliz'd his zeal and legality for the defence of the king in this place , in recompense for which he had a priviledge granted him , that the earls of ribadeo his successors should always upon new-years day dine with the king , and serve him in the bed-chamber . for it was on the first of january , that the king was in danger in the hospital . the king went away to torrijos , and leaving pelayo de ribera , lord of malpica with horse to secure that place , remov'd to avila , whither d. alvaro came to consult about carrying on the war they had in hand . his coming more incens'd the mutineers . most of them were at arevalo , and the queen her self favour'd her son and brothers against the king her husband . the king sent the bishops of burgos and avila , to try if there were any way of composing differences , but they could not prevail . james de valera , a gentleman who follow'd the prince , wrote a letter to the king , advising him to incline to mercy rather than severity . it being read in council , no body said any thing to it but the archbishop , d. gutierre de toledo , who answer'd , let valera give us assistance , for advice we want none . this valera was a man of very good natural parts , was twice embassador in germany , and writ a short history of spain , of him called valeriana . but there is another valeriana writ by an archdeacon of murcia , and quoted in this work. prince henry being sent for by his father to treat of peace , came to avila , but nothing was concluded . the prince being return'd to segovia , desir'd the two queens , his mother , and mother in law then in castile , to go as far as santa maria de nieva , to endeavour to appease those commotions . in that town blanch queen of navarre dy'd on the first day of april , and was bury'd in the famous church of that place . this grave authors affirm , but there is no sign of it in the church . charles prince of viana , her son , inherited the crown , but took not the title of king out of respect to his father . this prince charles was very studious , and there are some works of his extant , as aristole's ethicks translated into spanish , a short history of navarre , and many compositions in verse which he us'd to sing to the guitarre . a youth deserving of a better fortune , and a more peaceable father . he was years of age when his mother dy'd . her death put an end to the treaty of peace , and the queen of castile return'd to arevalo , where she was before . war broke out in several places at the same time . the chief heads of the rebellion were prince henry of aragon , the admiral , and the earl of benavente . d. alvaro de luna , and his brother the archbishop of toledo bravely made head against the rebels . in̄igo lopez de mendoça escap'd being kill'd very narrowly , with a very few of his men , all the rest being cut off by john carrillo , lieutenant of caçorla , who lay'd an ambush for him . at the same time another party of the malecontents was defeated by the forces of d. alvaro , near a town call'd gresmonda . in this action was kill'd laurence davalos , son to the constable d. ruy lopez davalos . john de mena a famous poet in those days lamented his death in elegiack verse . at the same time the king of navarre came into new castile with a good body of men in favour of the rebels , because the royalists were too hard for them , and being dispersed about the country plunder'd it , and ravish'd the women . in old castile the king took medina del campo , and arevalo from the king of navarre . at a village call'd naharro in that neighbourhood , he had a conference with ellenor , queen dowager of portugal . nothing was concluded touching the rebels , but the king sent embassadors to advise peter , duke of coimbra to do the queen right . the king of aragon also sent an embassy from italy to portugal to the same effect , but nothing was done , for that prince would not quit the government , and the kings were not at leasure to use force . so that queen ellenor ended her days in castile . the princes of aragon hasted out of the kingdom of toledo to old castile to secure their interest there . arevalo open'd the gates to receive them , and thence they went to medina del campo and sat down before it . some skirmish happen'd , but the siege lasted not long , for some of the townsmen by night gave entrance to the rebels . the king had dispos'd his forces about the streets , and publick places . the townsmen kept close in their houses . d. alvaro de luna , his brother the archbishop of toledo , and the master of alcantara in disguize escap'd through the midst of their enemies , being advis'd so to do by the king , knowing their lives were in danger , if taken by the rebels . they came and kissed the king's hand , conducting him to the palace with feign'd respect . the queens and prince henry hearing what had happen'd came thither , and after a long consultation in hatred to d. alvaro , all the officers of the king's houshold were remov'd . others that had adher'd to the king were turn'd out of the city . it was propos'd to compose differences , the king being then a prisoner , and judges were appointed to decide all controversies . d. alvaro was commanded not to depart out of such towns of his own as should be assign'd during the term of years , and that he should not write to the king , unless the letters were first perus'd by the queen and prince henry . moreover that he should not make any new alliances , or maintain soldiers , and for security that he would perform all this he should deliver his son d. john as hostage , and nine castles within days . these things much afflicted d. alvaro , who yet ceas'd not to study new ways to rise . but all men shun him that is falling , and the rebels strengthned their party by fresh allyances . joanna , daughter to the admiral was contracted to the king of navarre . beatrix , daughter to the earl of benavente , to prince henry of aragon . these matches were contriv'd by james gomez de sandoval , earl of castro , who sought by that means to unite the malecontents , and ruin d. alvaro de luna . chap. x. the progress of the aragonians in naples . that city taken by them . new disorders in spain . the archbishop of toledo dyes . of some men famous for learning . the civil war in spain seem'd to be at an end ; but italy was all over in a flame with the war of naples . the forces of renee wasted with delay , and his wife and children being sent to marseilles , seem'd to denote there remain'd but small hopes . besides , james caldora the great prop of that party , dy'd suddenly as he was going to plunder circaslo , a town of the pope's jurisdiction , and the rest of his family after his death joyn'd with the aragonians , whose interest daily advanc'd . they took the city aversa , subdu'd all calabria , and defeated the forces of francis sforcia in apulia . pope eugenius made a league with the venetians , florentines , and genoeses , to expel the aragonians out of italy . to this purpose the cardinal of trent entred the kingdom of naples with men ; but they being raw soldiers did no great matter . the army of aragon march'd directly to naples , and sate down before it , renoe not daring to come into the field . some provisions and recruits were brought to the besieg'd by the genoeses . these were small helps ; for the multitude within was great , and began to suffer much want , corn being excessive dear . some advis'd to surrender upon any terms , but that not succeeding , one anello and his brother , both bricklayers , fled to the camp , and offer'd to shew , how the city might be taken without much danger ; so they were well rewarded . their design was to convey men into the town through an aqueduct that carries the water into the city . men were chosen for this purpose , and order'd to obey the two brothers . the way was so difficult , that most of them were left behind , and only went through , and came to the wall of a private house , where a woman cry'd out , and had betray'd them , had they not soon stopp'd her mouth . much time was spent in getting through ; the sun was up , and no sign made to give notice they were within . it was fear'd they were all cut off ; and yet the forces appointed to give the assault , apply'd the scaling ladders but faintly , hearing no noise within . the soldiers hearing the noise seiz'd a tower upon the walls call'd sophia . thither the king of aragon made , to relieve them , and renee to drive them out ; and there follow'd a hot dispute ; but at length , the aragonians having forc'd some of the gates , enter'd the city . renee , after having done all that became a good commander , and brave soldier , retir'd to the castle . some houses were plunder'd , but no body kill'd . thus the aragonians made themselves masters of naples upon saturday the d . of june , . the soldiers were publickly commended , and rewarded according to the merit of every man ; and particularly peter martinez , commander of those who came through the aqueduct . the two bricklayers receiv'd more than could be expected by such mean persons . some curious men observ'd , that belisarius took that city from the goths by the same stratagem . renee having no hopes left , capitulated to deliver up all places that held out for him , upon liberty to depart freely . this done , he went to florence to see pope eugenius , and thence into france . after his departure , abruzzo , apulia , and all other places , submitted to the aragonians ; and thus italy was in part pacify'd . in spain the troubles did not cease , the nobility slighting the government . d. luis de guzman , master of calatrava , lay desperately sick , and was given over . john ramiroz de guzman , chief commendary of that order , and ferdinand de padilla , the master's deputy , contended who should succeed him . the latter had secur'd the votes of the chapter that was to elect. therefore d. john resolv'd to obtain that dignity by force , securing the towns that belong'd to that order . d. ferdinand with horse met him at barajas , defeated , and took him prisoner , with his son and two brothers , and by that means obtain'd the mastership ; which yet he enjoy'd not long : for the king design'd that dignity for alonso , bastard son to the king of navarre , who besieg'd calatrava . there the new master was unluckily kill'd by a stone , one of his own men was throwing at the enemy . after his death , d. alonso was made master of the order . in biscay tumults were rais'd upon two accounts : one was , that certain societies that had been confirmed by the king , fell upon the estates of the nobility . among the rest , peter de ayala was besieg'd in his town of salvatierra , and reliev'd by his cousin the earl of haro , who having receiv'd a letter in which he begg'd his assistance , swore he would not enter into a house till he had reliev'd him . another cause of these troubles was , the wicked heresy of the fratricelli , newly started at durango . many were put to the wrack upon that account , and others burnt . alonso mela a franciscan fryar , the ring-leader of them , fled to granada with several young wenches , where they liv'd lewdly among the moors ; but at last he was put to death by them . this man had a brother call'd john mela , then bishop of zamora , and afterwards a cardinal . in portugal about the end of october , dy'd prince john , the king's uncle , aged years . he was constable and master of santiago . by his wife the lady elizabeth , daughter to his brother d. alonso duke of bragança , he left a son called james , who inherited his honours , and three daughters , elizabeth , beatrix , and philippa , from whom sprang great princes . d. alvaro de luna resided at escalona , and contriv'd to regain his former power . his brother the archbishop of toledo dy'd at talavera on the th of february , which was a great loss to him . there only remain'd d. roderick de luna his second cousin , whom afterwards he promoted to the archbishoprick of santiago . in that confusion of times every noble man seized upon what he could get , and among them peter xuarez secur'd talavera , scarce admitting the king , who came to quel those disorders . the archbishop was bury'd in a beautiful chappel of the cathedral , built by d. alvaro . after much contention , d. gutierre de toledo , archbishop of sevil was promoted to the see of toledo . he was a man too upright for those times , and enjoy'd that dignity but three years . the bishop of oviedo was translated to sevil , he of orense to oviedo . to conclude , the bishoprick of orense was given in commendam to john de torquemada , a dominican , afterwards cardinal of s. sixtus , a person of great learning , as appears by his works . his contemporary was alonso tostado , born at madrigal , renowned for his many writings . he came in process of time to be bishop of avila . at siena in tuscany he put up several propositions in divinity , offering to defend them in the schools . some of them were dislik'd , and the cardinal torquemada writ against him . tostado answered him , not sparing the pope's authority to defend his opinions . he dy'd on the d of september . the end of the one and twentieth book . the history of spain . the two and twentieth book . chap. i. the success of the aragonians in italy . the rebellion in castile . the death of the queens of portugal and castile . the battle of olmedo , and death of prince henry of aragon . the affairs of the spaniards succeeded better in italy than in spain . there was no great difference betwixt the castilians and aragonians , but their fortune was different according to the quality of them that govern'd . the king of aragon was an active and ambitious prince , and spar'd no labour to advance his glory . besides , his goodness and bounty gain'd him the affections of all his subjects , as well italians as aragonians . in castile the power of d. alvaro continu'd , tho his person was remov'd . the king of navarre endeavour'd net to redress what was amiss , but to make himself master of the king , who always left the government to another . the king of castile had some good qualities , but the bad were more prevalent . he was addicted to poetry and musick , and had a genius that way , lov'd hunting and sports , but could not endure business , and therefore gave little attention to it , and answer'd short . his first minister did what he would in his name . the king of aragon having taken naples , and subdu'd all the faction of anjou , on the th of february , entred that city in triumph after the manner of the antient romans , on a chariot drawn by white horses , another of the same sort being led before him . all the nobility and gentry of the kingdom follow'd the chariot afoot , and the clergy went before singing praises to almighty god. the people with loud acclamations wished him a long and happy reign . he would not be crown'd , saying , that honour was due to the saints , who assisted him to gain the victory . all the streets were strew'd with flowers , and richly hung , and all places full of sweet odours . it only remain'd to gain pope eugenius , with whom a treaty was set afoot at siena , where he then was . on the th of july they agreed upon these articles : that the kingdom of naples should remain to the king of aragon , and after him to his son ferdinand , whom , tho illegitimate , he appointed his heir , as to that crown only : that the king of aragon should pay yearly to the pope ounces , a sort of coin then in use : that he should endeavour to quel francis sforcia , who , proud that he had marry'd the duke of milan's daughter had gain'd a great part of marca ancona . the king perform'd more than he had promis'd , for he in person recover'd all sforcia had taken in marca ancona , and restor'd it to the pope . peace was also concluded with the genoeses , they promising every year whilst the king liv'd , to present him with a great bason of gold. but because this act was perform'd in the sight of the people , as a memorial of his victory they continu'd it but years . in castile the king of navarre using immoderately the power he had unjustly acquir'd , enjoy'd it but a short time . he kept the king of castile prisoner placing people to watch his words and actions . the admiral and earl of benavente , nay the prince of castile , and queen had a hand in this practice . f. lope barrientos , bishop of avila , mov'd by the wrong done the king , and desiring to restore d. alvaro , discour'd john de pacheco seriously upon the point , and they resolv'd to try whether some of the nobles had courage enough to oppose the princes of aragon . to the end their designs might be the better conceal'd , they advis'd the prince , who was of council with them , to go from tordesillas to segovia , upon pretence of hunting . thence they sent letters to d. alvaro , giving him an account of what they had done . at the same time the earls of haro and ledesma meeting at curiel , had consulted about setting the king at liberty , which oblig'd the prince to return to tordesillas to see what could be done . but the princes of aragon prevented their designs , and forc'd them to fly , whence ensu'd new troubles . the king of navarre was marry'd at lobaton , on the st of september , and prince henry at cordova , where he was fixing the interest of his party . james valera was sent embassador into france to obtain liberty for the earl of armagnac , secur'd by the dauphin , and for martin , son to d. alonso , earl of gijon . he was accus'd of holding correspondence with the english , and set at liberty upon condition , that if ever he was found faulty , he should forfeit the towns of ribadeo and cangas in asturias . besides , the king of castile oblig'd himself in such case to make . war with the forces of biscay , that bordered on his dominions . at the same time some dealt with henry prince of castile about destroying of d. alvaro , and others about restoring him . bishop barrientos , and john pacheco thought fit to dispatch before they were discover'd , and to that purpose held the king of navarre in hand , as if they design'd to joyn with him . mean while prince henry return'd to segovia , and thence sollicited the earls of haro , plasencia and castaneda to unite their forces with his . besides them the earl of alva , the archbishop of toledo , and lord of hita took party with them . this done , thinking themselves strong enough for the princes of aragon , by the prince's order they all went to avila . they had horse , and d. alvaro de luna came to them . their greatest want was of mony. thence they went to burgos , where the other nobles their associates were . the aragonians sent the king to the town of portillo with the earl of castro to guard him , and the king of navarre gather'd horse . with this force he march'd towards the confederate nobles , who daily grew stronger , and near pampliega in the territory of burgos the two parties drew up . some religious persons endeavour'd to compose differences , but a light skirmish that happen'd drew them to a battle , which was parted by the night . the king of navarre finding himself too weak retir'd in the dark to palencia , a strong city . another misfortune was added to this which was , that the king of castile under colour of hunting made his escape to his son. his liberty chang'd the face of affairs . the king of navarre went to his kingdom to raise forces , and carry on what he had begun , all the other great men of his faction went each to his own lands . thus the towns belonging to the princes of aragon fell into the hands of the king , particularly medina del campo , arevalo , olmedo , roa , and aranda . prince henry of aragon return'd to his town of ocana in andaluzia . henry prince of castile , and d. alvaro march'd after him , but he fled to the kingdom of murcia , there alonso faxardo , lieutenant of that kingdom receiv'd him into the strong city of lorca , he being a favourer of that party . this was about the end of the year . on the th of july , the same year dy'd ferdinand , uncle to the king of portugal at fez , where he was bury'd . two years after his body was translated to aljubarrota , his father's burial place . the portugueses account him a saint , and say he never had to do with women , nor ever told a lye. castile seemed to be in a better condition since the princes of aragon were expelled , but still a war was fear'd . the cortes met at medina del campo , and order'd some mony for the war , but not enough . thither came the prince of castile , and d. alvaro de luna after they had taken from prince henry several towns belonging to him , as master of the order of santiago . warlike preparations were made . the king of navarre made an incursion into the kingdom of toledo , with horse , and foot by the way of atiença , in which he had a garrison . this number , tho small , was formidable , because some of the people were for him , and others stood neuters , so he easily made himself master of torija , alcala de henares , and other places . the king of castile gathering what force he had , march'd to espinar , to wait there till other troops joyn'd him . soon after this on the th of february dy'd queen ellenor of portugal at toledo , and a few days after mary queen of castile follow'd her , ending her days at villacastin near segovia . it was suspected they were poison'd , because both dy'd so near the same time , and suddenly , also because queen mary's body was full of spots . this report was the easier credited , because they lived a loose life . from espinar the king went to madrid , and soon after to alcala , being invited thither by the inhabitants . the king of navarre lay with his forces thereabouts , and being joyn'd by his brother henry , was now horse strong . with this body he kept himself in the mountains of old alcala , resolving not to fight without the advantage of ground , he being too weak in numbers . thence he sent ferrer de lanuza , justice of aragon , to his brother the king of aragon , to desire him since the war of naples was ended to come into spain , either to attend the war , or compose the differences . the king of castile also sent to complain to him of his brothers . there was no action at alcala , and the princes of aragon by the way of tablada hasted away to arevalo . the king of castile follow'd close at their heels , so that both came the same day to arevalo . the king of navarre took olmedo by force , and put to death the loyal party that had shut the gates upon him . about half a league from olmedo , near the mills call'd de los abades , the king of castile intrench'd with horse , and the like number of foot. there his son henry , d. alvaro , john pacheco , in̄igo lopez de mendoça , the earl of alva , and bishop barrientos joyn'd him . on the other side the admiral , the earl of benavente , the brothers , peter , ferdinand , and james quin̄ones , the earl of castro , and john de tovar brought a horse to the aragonians . by the contrivance of bishop barrientos , a treaty was set on foot to amuse the rebels till the master of alcantara joyn'd the king. he being come the king's forces offer'd battle , but the aragonians were too weak to fight , and too ill provided to endure a siege . therefore they sent commissioners to inform the king they were ready to submit to him , provided d. alvaro were remov'd . the king only answer'd he would consider of it . whilst they were treating of peace they came accidentally to a battle , upon wedensday the th of may. henry prince of castile being a hot youth , advanc'd with horse to draw out the enemy to skirmish . a like number came out of the town , but back'd by men at arms. those with the prince seeing a great number , fled , the aragonians pursuing them up to their very trenches . upon this the royalists drew out , d. alvaro led the van , the bishop of siguença , peter de acun̄a , in̄igo lopez de mendoça , and the earl of alva commanded the men at arms upon the flanks . in the main body was prince henry with men at arms , under the command of the master of alcantara . the king , the archbishop of toledo , and other noble men brought up the rear . in this order they stood most part of the day , no body coming out of the town . two hours before sun set , orders were given to return to the camp. then the aragonians sally'd out with great shouts , thinking the night would shrowd them if worsted , and could be no hindrance to them if victorious , because they knew the country . the light horse gave the first charge and then all the rest fell on . the body commanded by prince henry of aragon charg'd d. alvaro , that which the king of navarre led , attack'd henry prince of castile . both sides fought resolutely , but the aragonians were inferior in number , and began to give way . night drew on , and the princes of aragon having done all that could be expected from brave commanders , seeing their men fly , retir'd to olmedo . the admiral and earl of benavente took another way . the earl of castro , henry , brother to the admiral , and ferdinand de quin̄ones were taken with more . only were kill'd in fight , but many wounded . the princes of aragon the same night fled towards that kingdom , the king of navarre unhurt . prince henry dy'd soon after at calatayud of a wound he receiv'd in his left hand , a gangrene striking into his arm. he was a man of a great spirit , but restless . his body was bury'd in that city . he left one son of his own name by his second wife , who in time to come prov'd as turbulent as his father . after the victory the king sent expresses to all parts to give notice of it , and built a chappel in the place where the battle was fought . chap. ii. the marriage of ferdinand , bastard son to the king of aragon , and appointed heir to the kingdom of naples . mahomet king of granada depos'd . d. alvaro de luna chosen master of the order of santiago . continual success attended the armies of aragon in italy . king alonso in favour of the pope had recovered marca ancona from francis sforcia . yet his party ceased not to raise commotions , whereupon the king of aragon at the pope's instance returned thither , and being come to fontana del populo , a town not far from the city teano , summoned the nobles to attend him there . among the rest came antony centellas , marques of girachi with horse , he had done good service during the late war , and sold part of his estate to pay his men. the king desired to marry enricosa rufa , daughter and heiress to the marques de croton to in̄igo davalos as a reward for his good service , and recommended this affair to antony centellas . he liking her fortune marries her himself , by which his power was increased , and consequently his boldness . at first this was connived at , but soon after he payed for all . he was charged with contriving the death of a certain favourite of the king 's , whereupon he fled from the camp to catançaro , a town of his own . the king moved at this returned to naples , and sent messengers to reduce centellas by fair means , but he would not give ear to them . therefore the king himself marches into calabria , and having taken several towns came before cataniçaro . centellas seeing no hope of relief , surrendred upon promise of pardon . he was ordered to deliver up that city , and the castle of turpia , and he with his wife and children was sent to naples . great rejoycing was throughout the kingdom , as well for restoring of peace to it , as on account that ferdinand the king's son was on the th of may married to elizabeth de claramonte , to whom he was before contracted . this was contrived to oblige the prince of taranto , whose neece she was . in the midst of all his joy came the sad news of the death of the two queens , the king's sisters , and his brother prince henry , and the king of navarre's being expelled castile . that king's embassador pressed king alonso to return into spain : he answered when the wars of marca ancona were ended he would go , that the mean while the king of navarre should govern aragon , and raise forces in both kingdoms for the war with castile , and also that a truce should be made with the moors of granada for a year . that city about this time changed its king. mahomet the left-handed during the rebellion in castile enjoy'd peace , which caused him troubles at home . the moorish king had two cousin germans , one of them called ismael , being fearful of his uncle , fled to the king of castile . the other , called mahomet the lame , because he was so , associated himself with some moors of quality at almeria . with their assistance he seized the castle of granada called alhambra , took the king and cast him into prison . this done he usurped the title of king. on this occasion the moors were divided into factions . andilbar , governour of granada , seized the strong castle of montefrio near alcala real , and having no hopes of restoring the old king , offered the crown to ismael : he having received supplies of men and mony from the king of castile , hasted to possess himself of a kingdom . these things happen'd at the end of this year , let us return to what is behind . after the battle of olmedo a council was held in d. alvaro de luna's tent , he being wounded in the left leg. there it was resolved that all the rebels estates should be confiscated . cuellar was taken , and simancas besieged . prince henry was for pardoning the admiral , the others opposed it . therefore the prince went away to segovia , and the king his father fearing fresh tumults left peter sarmiento to reduce the other towns , and went himself to nuestro sen̄ora de nieva to reduce his son. before he would submit he demanded jaen , logrono and caceres for himself ; barcarroto , salvatierra , and salvaleon , towns on the borders of portugal , for john pacheco . the king condescended , and thus they received a reward , whereas they deserved punishment . moreover at medina de rioseco the admiral was pardoned , provided he came in within months , and that the mean while his daughter joanna queen of portugal should remain in castile as a hostage . this done the castle of that town which held for the admiral surrendred , as did all the towns of the rebels in old castile . at the beginning of the war by the advice of d. alvaro , tho contrary to the opinion of the earl of haro and other noblemen , the king of castile sent to portugal for supplies . peter duke of coimbra the governour sent foot , and horse , under the command of his son peter , who tho but years of age , upon the death of his uncle prince john was constituted constable of portugal . they came to the king at mayorga at such time as the war was ended . however all the officers were splendidly entertained and presented . d. alvaro underhand , and without the king's knowledge , as was said , made up a match for him with the lady elizabeth , daughter to d. john , master of santiago in portugal , with whom he had special friendship . the portugueses being dismissed the court went to burgos . there , contrary to expectation , the earls of benavente and castro were pardoned , conditionally that the latter should not in two years go out of lobaton , nor the other out of benavente . other noblemen were highly rewarded , and even above their deserts . d. inigo lopez de mendoça was created marques of santillana , and earl of mançanares . john pacheco was made marques of villena . d. alvaro de luna at avila , was by the knights of that order chosen master of santiago . d. peter giron in favour to his brother john pacheco , ( for he had been of the aragonian party , ) was chosen master of calatrava , d. alonso de aragon being deposed on account that he followed his father in the late wars . some men would not allow those two elections to be legal , whereupon ensued much strife . d. roderick manrique , supported by the prince , opposed d. alvaro . d. john ramirez de guzman , the chief commendary , who pretended some right on account of his former election , and had now some votes for him , stood up against d. peter giron . albuquerque still held out for the aragonians , but the king going thither in person it was delivered up by the governour ferdinand davalos . thence the king went back to toledo , and at the suit of the citizens took that government from peter lopez de ayala , giving it to peter sarmiento , which proved afterwards of ill consequence , and at present offended the prince , who favoured ayala . at the end of this year , and on the th of december dyed d. gutierre , archbishop of toledo at talavera . his body was certainly bury'd in the cathedral . there is a dispute whether it was afterwards removed or not : but it matters nothing . d. alonso carrillo then bishop of siguença was preferred to the see of toledo at the beginning of the year . he was a man of a haughty and restless spirit , as appeared by the disorders he afterwards caused in the kingdom . only atiença and torija held out for the king of navarre , but they were well garrisoned and provided . besides it was reported that the king of navarre was preparing to return to castile . the moorish king also at the instigation of the aragonians , entring the frontiers of andaluzia , took benamaruel , and bençalema , two strong towns. it was not practicable to oppose both enemies at once , therefore the king's forces marched against the aragonians in may , and having besieged atiença three months , they began to treat of surrendring . it was agreed that town and torija should be put into the hands of queen mary of aragon to hold them in trust , till such judges as should by consent of both parties be appointed , decreed to whom they should be delivered . this done the king was received into the town on the th of august . he caused part of the walls to be cast down , and some buildings to be fired . the townsmen looking upon this as a breach of articles , refused to admit him into the castle , which oblig'd him to return to valladolid , without doing any thing to the purpose . chap. iii. disorders continue in spain . the florentine war. pope eugenius dies . nicholas the v. succeeds him . the breach betwixt castile and aragon continu'd . several noblemen of castile apprehended . others fly . at his departure from atiença the king left the archbishop of toledo , and d. charles de arellan̄o to observe the aragonians , and seize upon that town and torija if an occasion offered . from those towns the aragonians sent out parties as far as guadalajara , where the archbishop and arellan̄o resided . some ill affected persons sowed sedition through all those parts , which the king of navarre had more confidence in , than in his strength . besides d. alvaro , and d. john pacheco to advance their own interest , put the king and prince at variance , to such a degree that both parties raised men. in a treaty betwixt the king and his son , i find the king pardons the earl of castro and his children , and orders them to be restored to their estates . d. roderick manrique without any other right than what he grounded on these confusions , called himself master of santiago , at the instigation of pope eugenius and the king of aragon , without any consent of the knights . by this means he hoped to seize the towns belonging to that order , but d. alvaro opposed him , and there ensued much mischief . mean while the moors at the beginning of the year , having wasted all the country took the towns of arenas , huescar , velez el blanco , and velez el roxo in the kingdom of murcia , these places being ill provided . it will not be amiss briefly to give some account of the florentine war. blanch , daughter to philip duke of milan was married to francis sforcia . her portion crowns , for which cremona a rich town in that dutchy was mortgaged to him , and he , tho his father in law tendred the mony , refused to restore it , hoping to secure the succession to the dukedom by the help of the venetians , florentines , and genoeses , with whom he was in league . duke philip sent the bishop of novara to perswade king alonso to make war on the florentines , whilst he recovered cremona from his son in law , whom the venetians favoured . pope eugenius being an enemy to the venetians stirred up king alonso , but it was needless ; his own obligations moved him to do more than was asked . he sent raymund buil , an excellent commander , to milan , and went himself to tibur near rome , where whilst the florentines made overtures of peace , the venetians possess'd themselves of a great part of the dutchy of milan , which obliged the duke to be reconciled to his son in law. king alonso at his suit did the same , and lent the duke mony. this was the posture of affairs , when on a sudden the duke changing his mind sent for king alonso to resign that dukedom over to him . the king refused , and messages past to and fro . the mean while pope eugenius dyed at rome on the d of february . within days the conclave elected thomas sarzana of luca , who took the name of nicholas the v. a good and virtuous pope , a great favourer of learning . still the war continu'd in milan , and duke philip was earnest with king alonso's embassador to resign that dutchy to him ; resolving to live a private life , so he could first be revenged of his son in law. whilst messengers passed betwixt them , duke philip dyed in the castle of milan on the th of august . that same month the king of castile married the lady elizabeth , but without much pomp , by reason of the tumults raised by the nobility . immediately the king and queen began to contrive the ruin of d. alvaro de luna , which was the reward of his making that match . king alonso of aragon was by duke philip appointed his heir in his will. in pursuance hereof raymund buil , the king's commissioner , caused all the officers in the castle of milan to take the oath of fidelity to him as duke ; but the rabble soon made themselves masters of both castles , and rased them . king alonso could not repair thither , being employed in the war with the florentines , from whom he had taken ripa , maranica , and castellon de pescara . the florentines implored aid of frederick , lord of vrbino , and malatesta , lord of arimino . the king besieged piombino , and took an island near it called lillo . the people of piombino articl'd to pay yearly as an acknowledgment , a gold cup with crowns . the florentines also came to agreement with the king , who went away to sulmona , leaving garrisons in the island lillo , and castellon de pescara . next king alonso marched towards milan , but francis sforcia prevailed and wrested that duchy from him . in him began a new race of dukes , as also an hereditary war betwixt france , italy , and spain , which has lasted to our days , as will appear in the proper places . castile enjoyed no peace , for the moors pressed on the one side , and on the other the king of navarre waited to make his advantage of the discord betwixt the nobles of that kingdom . after a long siege torija surrendred to the king , but at the same time the aragonian garrison in atiença surprized the castle called pen̄a de alcaçar in the territory of soria . this moved the king to march to soria with horse . at the same time the cortes of aragon sat at zaragoça to make preparations for war , and ordered that every tenth man by lot should be listed . however they sent embassadors to the king of castile to know what his design was , and advise him not to break the peace . the king answered he always used to go well attended , but that the aragonians had done ill in assisting the king of navarre , and if they did not forbear he would take other measures . he also sent heraulds to make his complaints in the cortes , and the aragonians sent back another embassy . whilst these messages passed betwixt them , a party of castile surprized the castle of verdejo , in the territory of calatayud . thus all treaty of peace ceased , and they had soon come to blows , but that a conspiracy of the nobles in castile obliged the king to return to valladolid . there he kept his christmas , and began the year . at the same time a party of navarre , took the town of campeço , and the governour of albarrazin huelama , a town on the borders of castile . the chief care was to reduce the nobility and reconcile the prince to his father , for he was a restless and inconstant youth , never fixed . the ambition of d. alvaro de luna , and john pacheco hindred any agreement , each of them striving to ruin the other . d. alonso de fenseca , bishop of avila , a person of great judgment endeavoured to reconcile them . to disappoint the designs of the nobility it was resolved on a day appointed to apprehend many of them . in order to put this design in execution , the king and prince met betwixt medina del campo , and tordesillas , on the th of may. as it had been agreed it was performed . the earls of benavente and alva , henry brother to the admiral , the two brothers , peter and suero quin̄ones were apprehended and sent prisoners to several places . it was layed to their charge that they design'd to bring the king of navarre into castile , but the people said this was meer invention . the admiral and earl of castro fled to navarre , and their estates were seized upon , the towns being unprovided , which were medina de ruyseco , lobaton , aguilar , benavente , mayorga , and many others . james manrique voluntarily delivered up the castles of navarrete and trevin̄o as a pledge of his loyalty to the king. the cortes still sat at zaragoça , and a truce for months was concluded betwixt aragon and castile . the earl of castro after he fled from castile remained in navarre , the admiral came to zaragoça on the th of may. there he consulted with the king of navarre , and agreed to go over to italy to give the king of aragon an account of affairs . at that time the king of aragon lay before piombino , as has been said , thither came to him at the same time the admiral , and garci alverez de toledo , son to the earl of alva . they were graciously received , and the king promised to assist them . in castile some months were spent in seizing the towns belonging to the nobility , the king and prince having consulted together agreed to garrison the frontiers , especially against the moors . alonso giron , kinsman to john pacheco was appointed to command the frontiers about hellin and humilla with horse , and foot , with which forces he overthrew a body of moors that made an incursion on that side , but his men falling to plunder , the infidels rallyed and charging them afresh cut off most of them , the commander with a very few escaping . prince henry again offended at d. alvaro de luna withdrew from madrid , where he was with his father , to sagovia . this perplexed the king , and he resolved to summon the cortes to meet at valladolid to seek some remedy for these evils . prince henry by his father's command came to tordesillas , the king before he met him having declared in publick that he was resolved to be reconciled to his son , and to reward or punish the rest as they deserved , and particularly that he would divide the estates of the rebels , among those that had continued loyal . all the representatives of cities that came to the cortes commended the king's resolution , only james valera , who was for cuenca , advised not to proceed against the nobles . ferdinand de ribadeneira , told him what he had said would cost him dear , but the king going away seemed not to approve of ribadeneira's boldness . chap. iv. the earl of benavente escaping raises new tumults . the affairs of portugal . the mutiny of toledo . fresh tumults among the nobility of castile . the mutineers of toledo punish'd . the imprisonment of those great men , and flight of the others caused great troubles in castile , and all the discourse was of restoring them . the earl of benavente made his escape out of prison by the assistance of alonso de leon , whom he bribed , and the governour of the castle trusted . horse were hid in a wood , and with them the earl fled to benavente , where as soon as he came the townsmen turned out the king's garrison . then marching out relieved alva de liste besieged by the king's party , and took some small towns. the king alarmed at this news , left d. alvaro at ocana to make preparations for war , and went himself in great haste to benavente , but that town being well provided he passed into portugal . that kingdom was then full of joy for the marriage of the king with elizabeth , daughter to prince peter the king's uncle , and governour of the kingdom , to whom he had been years contracted . this lady was very virtuous and beautiful . of her was born d. john , who dyed a child , and joanna , who also dyed , and another d. john who lived many years , and succeeded his father . the king was young , and prince peter had the whole power of the government , which some great men highly resented . among them the chiefest was d. alonso , earl of barcelos , the prince's brother , and by him created duke of bragança . he perswaded the king to take upon him the government , and put to death his uncle for the wrong done to his mother , in depriving her of it . the king contrived how to put this advice in execution , and prince peter having notice of it , fled and made himself strong in coimbra . from thence he held correspondence with some of the citizens in order to possess himself of lisbon . having layed his design , which could not be kept secret , he set out , but being attack'd in the way by a party that lay in wait for him , was killed with most of those that attended him , in the year . authors do not agree in what month. he was a man of a great spirit , and very wife . it is said the king was much concerned at his death , but that is not likely , since he lay long unburyed , but at last was honourably interred at aljubarrota , the burial place of the kings . his son james was taken , went afterwards to flanders , and his aunt , the dutchess elizabeth , made interest at rome to have him chosen a cardinal . his sister beatrix went also to flanders , and was married to adolphus , duke of cleves . after this portugal enjoy'd peace a long time , and the king being come to age governed prudently , but was more fortunate in the war he made with the moors whilst young , than in that with castile in his latter years . he spent much of his treasure in redeeming of captives that were in africk , and is only censured for having been too much governed by his courtiers and favourites . d. alvaro being left at ocan̄a , as has been said , to make the necessary preparations for war , found himself much streightned for mony , and therefore by way of loan demanded a million of maravedles of toledo , a rich and large city . alonso cota , a considerable citizen was employed to collect this mony , but the citizens opposed him , saying , it was contrary to their charter . d. aloaro being informed of it , order'd the collection of the mony to go on . hereupon the town mutiny'd , and gave the alarm with a bell from the great church . john alonso , and peter galvez , two canons , were they that stirred up the people . a fellow that made skins to carry wine , whose name is not known , headed the rabble . they fired the house of alonso cota , and the flame spreading , all the quarter of st. mary magdalen was consumed , where most of the rich merchants lived , whose houses were plundered . this happen'd on the th of january . the greatest sufferers were those they call new christians , because descended from jews . peter sarmiento the governour , and his lieutenant marcos garcia , whom in contempt the people to this day call marquillos de maçarambro● , that ought to have quell'd the mutiny , encouraged the rabble . this done , fearing the punishment they had well deserved , they shut their gates , and their joy was soon turned into sorrow . d. alvaro of himself not being strong enough to appease those tumults , because peter sarmiento was his enemy , gave advice to the king , who having taken benavente repaired to toledo , and the gates being shut against him took up his quarters in the hospital of s. lazarus . several cannon-shot were made at him from the city . peter sarmiento put some citizens upon the rack , plundered their houses , and executed them for corresponding with the king. the king removed to torijos , thither came deputies to him from toledo , to tell him if he did not remove d. alvaro de luna , and preserve their franchises , that and other cities would proclaim prince henry king. these deputies were dismissed without any answer . the king besieged the city , but prince henry coming to its relief the siege was raised , yet the people would not deliver the keys of the city or castle to the prince . on the th of june , the citizens made an order that none descended of jews should be capable of any publick employment . a dean of toledo writ a treatise to shew the illegality of that ordinance , and offered to defend his opinion by publick dispute . he also writ largely about it to the bishop of cuenca , shewing that many very noble families were related to jews . so far he proceeded herein that pope nicholas by his special bull condemn'd that act or ordinance . this bull bares date september the th . two years after he put out another bull to the same effect . the archbishops of toledo , d. alonso carrillo , and the cardinal d. peter gonzales in two synods , one held at alcala , the other at vitoria , condemned it also . our historians have omitted this tumult of toledo , as i suppose , for fear of making themselves odious , but i would not omit it , having found it in very authentick manuscripts . the king of navarre ceased not to stir up the nobility of castile to rebellion . the cities of murcia and cuenca were ill affected towards the king , which was no small encouragement to the navarrois and his adherents . many incursions were made by the aragonians into castile . and they took a great booty of cattle about requena , defeating a body of the townsmen , who ventured out to recover it . nevertheless their design of securing murcia failed them . cuenca was attempted by the aragonians , invited thither by the governour of the castle , which was then in the highest part of the city , now only the ruins of it remain . here also they were disappointed , for bishop barrientos defended the city with great resolution . in aragon the admiral of castile being returned out of italy , the king's orders were read in a full assembly of the states and some were for raising forces and declaring war with castile . but the commons oppos'd it , and therefore other methods were thought of . it was propos'd to marry the prince of viana with the earl of haro's daughter . it was also laboured that the nobility of castile should have a conference , and chiefly that the prince of castile should joyn with the malecontents . this they durst attempt because prince hemy had then possessed himself of toledo in opposition to his father . those who had raised the tumult were for submitting to the king , they were apprehended in the cathedral where they took sanctuary . the two mutinous canons were sent to the close prison at santor caz , their lives being spared in regard they were churchmen . mark garcia , and ferdinand de avila were dragged about the streets , and after much ill usage , as they deserved , put to death . mean while the moors , there being no body to oppose them , ravaged all the frontiers of andaluzia on that side next to them . they took much booty , and came up to the very walls of jaen and sevil. so great was the confidence of the moorish king , that he assured him of navarre , that he would not doubt of taking cordova , provided he would make a diversion on the side of aragon . the king of navarre returned thanks for that offer , but the putting it in execution was delay'd for some time . on the th of july many nobles of castile met at corun̄a near soria . some will have it that henry prince of castile was in this assembly . they complained of d. alvaro de luna , who was the cause that many noblemen lived in banishment , and others in prison , and therefore encouraged one another to stand together . it was resolved that every one should gather the greatest force he could till the middle of august , and joyn prince henry . yet tho they met at the time appointed near pen̄afiel in old castile , many noblemen slunk away without regard to their ingagements . every one suspected the other , but above all they were jealous of prince henry , because he was very uncertain in his humour , and no less of the king of navarre , who had much business to mind of his own at home , and in france . this king had a castle in guienne called maulisson , delivered to him by the english , and had given charge of it to his constable . this castle the earl of faux besieged with foot , and horse , entrenching his army and battering the walls . the king of navarre repaired thither with what forces he could gather in haste , and encamping near the enemy , they had an interview , in which nothing was concluded , the earl affirming he could not depart without taking the castle , having promised it to the king of france . hereupon the king of navarre returning to spain , the besieged were obliged to surrender only upon liberty for the garrison to march whither they pleased . the delay of the king of navarre , and slowness of the nobility gave time to reconcile prince henry to his father . the agreement being well advanced both dismissed their forces the king stayed in old castile , and the prince returned to toledo , where he was received with all manner of expressions of joy. there at length peter sarmiento designing to deliver up the city to the king , and putting no end to his robberies and extortions , was deprived of the government of the city and castle at the beginning of the year . he complained and put the prince in mind of his promise ; nevertheless he was forced to depart the city , carrying with him horses and mules loaden with riches he had plundered . the people was not permitted to take any thing from him , he having the prince's pass . yet he was robbed of part by the way , and the rest when he came to gumiel was seized by the king's order . sarmiento himself fled to navarre , and having obtained pardon of his crimes , lived miserably the rest of his days at bastida , a town in the territory of rioja , that place alone being left him of all his possessions . his confederates were more severely punished . they were taken in several places , and put to death with exquisite torments . the punishment seemed cruel , but it was designed to terrify others from committing the like violence and extravagances for the future , and to warn those that were in power , not to make use of it to the destruction of those committed to their charge . chap. v. the mutiny of segovia . the affairs of the crown of aragon . the civil war in navarre . the factions of the agramonteses and biamonteses there . the emperor frederick marries ellenor , sister to the king of portugal . the moors twice defeated by the christians . scarce was the mutiny at toledo quelled when another broke out at segovia , whither the prince was gone . peter portocarrero , who began to be great with the prince , accused john pacheco , marques of villena , of a crime for which he ought to be apprehended . the bishop of cuenca , john de silva the king's standard-bearer , and the marshal pelayo de ribera attested the same thing . they all advised the prince to make him an example , and it was resolved to secure him . it was not easy to do it by reason of his great power , and also that he having notice of the prince's displeasure , made himself strong in a quarter of the city . lest much blood should be shed in forcing him , he was permitted to go away to turuegano , a town of his own . there , to gain peter portocarrero , he gave him to wife beatrix his bastard daughter , and with her the town of medellin in estremadura near guadiana . thus his enemies were weakened , and the prince began to be appeased . the war with the aragonians continu'd , but not very hot . bordalva , a castle on the frontiers of aragon was taken and lost again . the king of aragon was worse looked upon , as being the chief contriver of all the troubles , and an opportunity was now offered of being revenged on him . many advised the prince of viana to take upon him the crown and government , since his father had no right to it , and this was the beginning of great disorders . the king of navarre was at zar agoca , where the coxtes of aragon met in summer . they limited the power of the deputy justices of aragon , and decreed that all goods upon which there depended any law-suit , should be deposited in the hands of an officer appointed for that purpose , that the judges having such goods in their power might not delay deciding of causes . the king of aragon sent embassadors to exhort the princes of spain to peace , resolving if there were war to stand by his brother and subjects . in all other respects he seemed to have forgot spain , taken up with the pleasures of italy , having gained much reputation , and enjoying peace , the fruit of his great labours . the grecian emperor oppressed by the turks , sent embassadors to him to desire his assistance against them . the same did demetrius paleologus , prince of attica , and peloponnesus , or morea , brother to the emperor constantine , offering him great territories when the war was ended . aranitus , earl of epirus , or albania did the like . but above all we must not omit the embassy sent by george castriot , commonly called scanderbeg , the turks having given him that name , signifying , the lord alexander . he was given up a hostage to amurat the turk , but making his escape with a handful of men held out for several years in epirus , and overthrew great armies of turks . but finding himself too weak alone to oppose that great power , he laboured to get forreign aids , and to this purpose made a league with the venetians , implored the favour of the popes , and sent a solemn embassy to the king of aragon at the beginning of the year , offering if he relieved him with men and mony , that after the war was ended , that province should pay the same tribute to him , it used to pay to the turk . the king sent some supplies , but too small to oppose the vast power of the enemy . this year was fortunate to spain , for the birth of the princess elizabeth , for whom heaven design'd the crown of castile , her brothers dying . she was an incomparable princess , and the glory of spain . she was born at mndrigal on the d of april . henry , brother to the admiral , who had been taken up with the other noblemen three years before , made his escape out of the castle of langa , near santistevan de gormaz . he had a clew of thred sent him , and laying his cloaths in the bed with the night-cap , as if he had been there , went up to a tower , where with the thred he drew up a rope that some of his friends had ready below for him . the rope was knotted , and so he let himself down . mean while the governour looking into his room and seeing something in the bed thought he slept and went away satisfyed . it portugal , ellenor the king's sister was contracted to the emperor frederick at lisbon on the th of august . soon after the bride was sent by sea to pisa , and went thence to siena in italy . the nobility of castile falling off from him , and the prince of viana revolting the king of navarre's interest declined both at home and abroad . all this was the contrivance of d , alvaro de luna to secure himself , but it turned to his ruin. by his advice there was a sort of an accommodation made betwixt the kings of castile and navarre . it was agreed that the admiral and earl of castro , and other noblemen should be pardoned and restored to their estates , as also that d. alonso , son to the king of navarre should again have the mastership of calatrava . but this succeeded not , for peter giron who was in possession made himself strong in the town of almagro resolving to stand upon his guard. so d. alonso was forc'd to return to aragon as he came , which highly offended the king of navarre . to add to his trouble , prince henry was by the means of d. alvaro entirely reconciled to his father . but the most grievous thing of all was , that a tedious and bloody civil war broke out in navarre . that nation had been long divided betwixt two factions , the biamonteses , and the agramonteses , headed by the earl of lerin , and marques of cortes , and much blood had been spilt . the agramonteses were for the king , the biamonteses inticed the prince to take up arms against his father , who they said wrongfully with-held the crown from him . in the first place they made a league with castile and france . the king of castile promised to assist the prince , provided he would declare and take up arms. the king of france did the same , being then in a condition to do it , having recovered all guienne from the english . as soon as the civil war broke out in navarre , the biamonteses seized several towns and cities , and among them pamplona , the metropolis of the kingdom , olite and aivar . yet the greatest part of the kingdom and the principality of viana remained in the king's power , he having in time put garrisons and given the government of towns to men of approved fidelity . prince henry , and soon after his father the king of castile came and layed siege to estela , where the queen of navarre was . the king her husband speeded from zaragoça to her relief , but bringing small force with him , and the agramonteses not being yet able to oppose the enemies , he was forced to return to zaragoça designing to raise men in that kingdom . as soon as he was gone the king and prince of castile as it the war were ended , tho they had done nothing , at the request of prince charles returned to burgos . his mild nature was hurtful to prince charles , for his father having raised an army , tho small in number , yet composed of old soldiers lay'd siege to ayvar , a well fortify'd town . his son came to relieve the besieged , and on the d of october both armies drew out . some religious persons laboured to reconcile the father and son. prince charles was willing to lay down arms upon condition all that had followed him should be pardoned ; that the principality of viana , and half the revenues of the crown should be given to him , and that the king of castile , without whom he had sworn he would make no peace , should approve of these articles . the king of navarre allowed part and rejected part of the conditions , whereupon the signal for battle was given on both sides . at first the biamonteses made their enemies give way , but roderick rebolledo the king's lord chamberlain stood his ground with such bravery , that he gave time for those who had not engaged to come up , and then they that fled before rallying endeavoured to blot out the shame of having turned their backs . thus the prince's forces being an undisciplined multitude , not able to bear the charge were put to flight . the first that ran were the horse of andaluzia . but a few were killed , many taken . the prince himself being beset delivered his sword and gauntlet to his brother alonso . authors do not write what numbers fought , or what were killed , nor give any particular account of the battle . the prince was sent prisoner to tafalla , and thence to monroy . it is reported he was always suspicious of being poisoned , and therefore when taken would not eat till his brother had tasted . the king of navarre after this victory returned to zaragoça with his wife , who proved soon after with child . yet the biamonteses were no way dismayed at this loss , especially because prince henry came to their assistance . besides , the nobility of aragon favoured prince charles , and plotted how to release him . navarre was in a miserable condition , the country plundered by soldiers , and the towns divided into factions , which often fell to blows . in andaluzia the affairs of the christians succeeded better . on the th of february , a much less party of christians routed moorish horse , and foot , who wasted the country about arcos . d. john ponce , earl of arcos , and lord of marchena commanded this party . in march horse , and foot of the infidels were overthrown with great slaughter , by christian horse , and foot near lorca , in the kingdom of murcia , and a booty of head of cattle they had gathered , recovered . this victory was obtained by alonso faxardo , lieutenant of murcia , garcia manrique his son in law , and james ribera , governour of the civil affairs in the city murcia . thus the moors were checked and began to be mutinous among themselves , grown weary of the government of mahomet the lame . nothing remarkable happen'd this year in spain , but that the queen of navarre on the th of march at a town called sos , on the borders of aragon and navarre , was delivered of a son called ferdinand , to whom heaven had alotted vast kingdoms , and immortal renown for his extraordinary actions both in peace and war. at siena in tuscany the emperor frederick met the lady ellenor his bride , who came thither by sea from portugal . there they ratifyed the contract ; at rome they were marryed and crowned by the pope , and at naples the marriage was consummated . the feasts and publick expressions of joy were so great as no man living had seen the like . chap. vi. d. alvaro de luna the king of castile 's great favourite , his character and fatal end. mahomet the turk takes constantinople . mahomet king of granada deposed . cruzadoes coin'd in portugal . let us now come to the unhappy death of d. alvaro de luna , constable of castile , and master of santiago , who from a low condition ascended to the height of worldly happiness , whence he was cast headlong by an unbrideled ambition . he had good natural parts , and no less good qualities , a ready wit , a piercing judgement . his words were always premeditated , but sharp , tho he had an impediment in his speech . his cunning and art of dissembling were great , his pride and ambition nothing inferior . of body he was little , but it was strong and enured to labour . the features of his face were pleasing , and withal majestick . as he grew in years he also grew in haughtiness , was difficult of access , spoke harshly , and suffered himself to be swayed by passion , never putting any mean to his revenge . he had been often impeached upon several articles , as that he had gathered more treasure than suited with his quality , and ceased not still to heap up more . that he had disgraced the nobility . that he had the king in his power and governed absolutely , wanting himself nothing but the name of a king , having gain'd the affections of the people , and being possest of many strong holds , and vast riches drawn out of the king's coffers . these things the king was sensible in part were true , and yet he only durst sometimes complain to the queen , till at length a fair opportunity of destroying him was offered . d. peter de zun̄iga , earl of plasencia was withdrawn from court to bejar , and d. alvaro believing it was in hatred to him , resolved to do him all the harm he could . near bejar is the castle of piedrahita , whence d. garcia , son to the earl of alva ceased not to do much harm in revenge that his father was kept in prison . d. alvaro advised to besiege this castle , hoping to surprize at the same time the earl of plasencia . the earl of haro , and marques of santillana agreed with the earl of plasencia to send horse to valladolid , where the court was , to murder d. alvaro , but he having timely notice of the design perswaded the king to remove to burgos . in̄igo de zuniga was governour of the castle of that city . the king being now weary of d. alvaro , sent the countess of ribadeo , neece to the earl of plasencia , to advise him to come speedily to court to secure his enemy d. alvaro . the earl being then sick could not go himself , but sent his eldest son d. alvaro , who stopped at curiel , near burgos , to gather some horse . the king advised d. alvaro de luna to retire to his estate , but he refused unless the archbishop of toledo were left in his place . d. alvaro de luna suspecting some design against him , caused alonso de vivero an officer of the revenue to be mudered in his chamber and thrown out of the window into the river , without respecting the king , or the holiness of the day , it being good fryday the th of march . this crime hastned his ruin , for the king sent to call d. alvaro de zuniga . he came to the city in disguize , about horse following him in small parties at distances . it being then night they sent for some of the townsmen to the castle , and advis'd them to guard the streets . this could not be done so privately , but that it was noised about , that d. alvaro de luna was to be apprehended the next day . no body offered to give him notice of it but one james gotor , his servant , who advised him to fly to his own lands , but he refused to stir as undervaluing his enemies . on the th of april the house where he lodged was beset , and after some messages had passed to and fro he surrendred himself , having first received a promise under the king's hand , that no wrong should be done to him . he was secured in that same house , and thither the king came to dine after hearing mass . d. alonso de fonseca bishop of avila came by the king's side . d. alvaro spying him , laying hold of his own beard said , by this thou shalt pay for thy advice little priest . the bishop answered , sir , i call god to witness i have no more hand in this business than the king of granada . after dinner d. alvaro asked leave to speak with the king , and being denyed sent him a letter to this effect . it is years since i came into your service , and confess my reward has been greater than i could have hoped for . there wanted nothing to compleat my happiness , but that i had retired in time . i might well have withdrawn as other great men have done , but chose rather to serve still and discharge my duty , which proves my ruin. it is a great grief to be deprived of my liberty , having ventured my life and fortune to obtain it for your highness . i know i have offended god , and shall think it a happiness if my troubles serve to appease him . my riches have brought me to this pass , and i would willingly resign them were they not in your hands already . i am sorry it is not in my power to shew to the world that i can despise as well as gather them . i only beg that in regard my conscience is troubled about or crowns which i have unjustly gathered to supply the wants of the exchequer , they may be refunded out of my own treasure , which if i have not deserved by my service , at least it ought to be granted , because the request is just in it self . the king answered , " that he had received more than ever prince bestowed on a subject . that as to assisting him in recovering his liberty he was also the cause that he lost it . and as to the wants of the exchequer , since he had made them it had been reasonable he had supplyed them out of his own fortune , yet justice should be done . it is a wonderful thing , that none of all those d. alvaro had raised now , appeared for him . he was sent prisoner to portillo , in keeping of james de zuniga , son to the marshal in̄igo de zuniga . this year so remarkable in spain for the death of this great man , was fatal to christendom , for the loss of the city constantinople , taken by mahomet the great turk , after a siege of days . great cruelties were committed in it when entred , and it has ever since been the metropolis of the turkish empire . charles prince of viana was carryed to zaragoça , and there at the request of the aragonians pardon'd and set at liberty on the d of june . the prince promised obedience for the future , and to withdraw his garrisons out of all places that held for him . for security of performance he delivered luis de biamonte , earl of lerin , and constable of navarre , and his children , with other noblemen as hostages . the joy for this agreement was not lasting , for new tumults began soon after . the father's covetousness , and son's impatience for a long time consumed the kingdom of navarre , as shall be related in its place . whilst the king of castile seized upon d. alvaro de luna's lands and treasures , he prepared in prison to clear himself of the crimes lay'd to his charge , but there was no likelyhood he should be cleared , the king being his enemy . the judges appointed to examin his case gave sentence of death against him . from portillo he was carryed to valladolid to be executed . having confessed and received the sacrament , he was led out to execution , a cryer proclaiming before him in manner following ; our sovereign lord the king commands this cruel tyrant to be executed , for that he with extraordinary pride and presumption , to the great abuse of the royal majesty , which is the image of god upon earth , made himself master of the king's court and palace , usurping the place that did not belong to him , and committed many great crimes , extortions , rapines , violences and tyrannical actions to the hainous offence of god , and our faid lord the king , the disgrace and lessening of his person , crown and dignity , the impairing of his revenue , and obstructing of justice . for which his offences he is to be beheaded , that the justice of god and the king may appear , and he be made an example to deterr others from committing the like crimes . to such actions such a reward . in the market-place was erected a scaffold with a crucifix , and two flamboys on the sides of it . being upon the scaffold he bowed to the cross , and going forward gave his ring he used to seal with , and his hat to his page , saying , this is all i have lest to give you . this moved him to weep , and many followed his example . barrasa , master of the horse to prince henry being present , d. alvaro called and said to him , go warn the prince from me , not to follow this example of his fathers in rewarding his servants . then seeing a high iron hook , he asked the executioner what it was for , and being told it was to fix his head upon , answered , when i am dead do as thou wilt with my body , for to a brave man neither is the manner of his death disgraceful , nor can it come too soon to him that has attained such high honours . this said , he opened his garment , and without the least mark of fear bowed down his head , which was cut off on the th of july . he was a man in all respects great , who for the space of years absolutely governed the king , and directed all his actions . alonso de espina , a franciscan fryar accompanied d. alvaro de luna to the place of execution . this fryar wrote a book called fortalitium fidei , an excellent work. the dead body remained three days on the scaffold with a bason by it to gather alms to bury him , that not long before was equal to some kings . he was interred at st. andrews , the common burial place of persons executed , thence removed to st. francis in that town , and lastly to his own chappel in the cathedral of toledo . it is reported an astrologer told d. alvaro his death would be at or on cadahalso , which he supposed to be meant of a town he had of that name , and therefore never went thither , but cadahalso in spanish is a scaffold . but these are vain observations . the king besieged escalona , which place after the death of d. alvaro was surrendred by his wife , upon condition , his treasure should be equally divided betwixt the king and her self . all the rest was confiscated except the town of santistevan left to his son d. john , whose daughter and heiress married james the son of john pacheco , and so the earldom of santistevan and marquisate of villena were united . d. alvaro had a daughter married to in̄igo lopez de mendoça , duke del infantado . also a bastard son and daughter . thus much of d. alvaro . at granada , ismael , with the assistance of the christians , and his party among the moors , wrested the crown from his cousin , mahomet the lame ; but being in the throne soon forgot the obligations he owed to the christians . in portugal a new sort of mony was coined called cruzados , which took that name from the croisade , then granted by pope nicholas the v. to all that went to the war against the moors in barbary , at the request of d. alvaro gonzalez , bishop of lanego . chap. vii . the designs and death of king john of castile . discoveries of the portugueses along the coast of africk . prince henry proclaim'd king of castile . peace concluded betwixt castile , aragon and navarre . the character of henry the new king of castile . the death of d. alvaro de luna no way contributed to alter the posture of affairs for the better , tho the king was resolved ( had he lived ) to take upon himself the government , and follow the advice of the bishop of cuenca , and prior of guadlupe , men of great integrity and piety . to this purpose he sent for them both to come to avila , whither he went from escalona . he designed also to keep horse in constant pay , to be a check to his subjects , and a standing power against forreign enemies . besides he resolved that every city should be impowered to collect the revenue , that there might be no need of farmers or collectors , who oppress the people to enrich themselves . the portugueses at this time began to make vast discoveries along the coast of africk , as far as the cape of good hope . prince henry , uncle to the king of portugal being learned in astrology , and zealous of promoting the christian faith , was the first that undertook this affair . the king of castile pretended that conquest appertained to him , and threatned war in case the portugues did not desist . he answered , he knew no wrong had been done , and hoped the king of castile would not begin a war before that dispute was decided by law. the king of castile went to medina del campo and valladolid , to try whether the change of air would remove an ague that consumed him . there he received the answer from portugal , and the queen of aragon , who came to settle peace betwixt the princes of spain , wherein she was not unsuccessful . notwithstanding there happened a new cause of offence , which was that prince henry was divorced from blanch his wife , pretending that by reason of some witchcraft he could not have to do with her , whereas in truth , his other debaucheries made him unfit to have to do with a maid . the divorce was first granted by luis de acun̄a , administrator of the church of segovia for the cardinal d. john de cervantes , and afterwards confirmed by the archbishop of toledo , commissioned by pope nicholas . but the world was surprized that after this divorce , prince henry should marry again . on the th of november the king of castile had a son born at tordesillas , called alonso , who tho short liv'd was the cause of a bloody war. at the instance of the queen of aragon , a treaty of peace was set on foot betwixt the kings of castile and aragon , as also betwixt the king of navarre , and the prince his son , and for the better carrying of it on , a truce was concluded for the following year . whilst these things were in agitation the king's sickness increased to that degree , that having received the sacraments , he dyed at valladolid on the th of july . for the present he was deposited at st. paul in valladolid , and afterwards , as he had ordered , translated to the carthusians at burgos , built by his father , and given to that order by him . his obsequies were performed in all cities , and even at naples , where the vinetian embassador appearing among the mourners cloathed in scarlet and crimson changed their sorrow into laughter . besides a great part of the mausoleum built of wood in the church was burnt by the great number of lights . in his will the king left the mastership of santiago , and constableship of castile to his son prince alonso , and appointed the bishop of cuenca , the prior of guadalupe , and john de padilla , the lord chamberlain his tutors . it is thought if he had not been so young he would have appointed him his successor , being highly offended at prince henry . to the princess elizabeth he left the town of cuenca , and a great sum of mony , to the queen his wife soria , arevalo and madrigal . four days after the late king's death , prince henry was proclaimed king. immediately the earls or alva and trevin̄o were released out of prison , which made the joy at the coronation the more compleat . all the late king's officers of the houshold were continu'd in their posts . lastly the treaty of peace began by the queen of aragon , was concluded upon these conditions , that the king of navarre , d. alonso his son , and henry son to prince henry of aragon , renounce all their pretensions to any estates or dignities in castile : that in lieu thereof the king of castile pay them yearly certain pensions then agreed upon : that the admiral of castile , his brother henry , john de tovar , lord of berlanga and the rest that took party with the king of navarre , may return to their estates . d. james gomez de sandoval , earl of castro dyed before his cause was determined , and was buryed at borgia . before his death for his great fidelity to the aragonians he had denia in the kingdom of valencia and lerma in old castile given him . these towns he left to his son ferdinand , who with some other outlaws was not comprehended in the pardon , but left to the mercy of the new king. all places taken during the late war on both sides were agreed to be restored . florins were given to the king of navarre , for the town of atiença . next it was attempted to settle the affairs of navarre , but that succeeded not . whilst the princes concerned could ratify the peace already concluded , it was agreed to prolong the truce for a year longer . this done the queen of aragon returned to her kingdom . d. john pacheco , marques of villen̄a was now beyond dispute , the most powerful nobleman in castile as well in respect of his great riches , as the favour of the new king. he and d. ferrer de lanuza , and d. john biamonte , brother to the constable of navarre , being commissioned by their masters the kings of castile and navarre , and charles prince of viana , met at agreda about the beginning of the year , to compose the differences betwixt the king of navarre and his son , but they had no success . it was supposed d. john pacheco underhand obstructed the peace of navarre , fearing it might be a means to lessen his authority . only a truce was concluded to last till the end of april . thus much of navarre . in castile the hopes the people had conceived that the change of government would produce some good effect , now vanished . the new king was as much given to his ease as his father , and in other respects was worse . he had wit enough , but no resolution , was given up to lewdness , and hated business . d. john pacheco governed with more moderation than d. alvaro de luna , or at least was more fortunate , for he held it all his life time . king henry had a great head , a high forehead , cloudy eyes , his nose fallen , not naturally , but by an accident , his hair of a chesnut colour , his complexion ruddy , and swarthy . all his face was disagreeable , his body tall , his legs long , but his limbs strong . he loved hunting and musick , and was not over curious in his dress . he drank water , eat much , his manners and course of life were wholly addicted to debauchery and lewdness . this weakned his body , which was subject to diseases , as his mind was to inconstancy . he was called the liberal and the impotent , this last title from a defect in nature , the other from his great profuseness in giving . he forgot the favours he bestowed , but remembred any service done him . he was extreamly courteous , spoke lovingly to all men , and was merciful to a fault . this strange mixture of different qualities was the cause there never were greater troubles than in his time. he reign'd years , months , and two days . chap. viii . the great league made in italy . the death of pope nicholas . calixtus succeeds him . the war of granada . king henry of castile marries joanna , sister to the king of portugal . earthquaks in italy . three years before this we write of , there began a bloody war in italy . francis sforcia being possessed of the dutchy of milan , demanded of the venetians certain towns belonging to the dutchy , which they held along the river abdua . they refusing he resolved to use force , and to that purpose joyned in league with the florentines . in revenge the venetians commanded all florentines to depart out of their territories , and forbid all commerce with them . besides by the means of leonello , marques of ferrara , they joyned in league with the king of aragon . william marques of montferrat was sent with aragonian horse , and foot to invade the duke's territories on the side of alexandria la palla . ferdinand the king's son , and duke of calabria , who had now children , alonso , frederick , and ellenor , had horse , and foot to make war upon the florentines . he entred the territories of cortona and arezo , wasted the country , burnt the villages , and took the considerable town of toyano . he also overthrew astor de faenca , who came first to the assistance of the florentines , whereupon some other castles were taken . on the other side antony oleina having made himself master of vado , a town in the territory ceased not thence to infest the lands of the florentines . the war went on no less vigorously in the dutchy of milan . francis sforcia endeavoured to draw renée , duke of anjou to his assistance , promising when that war was ended to aid him in recovering the kingdom of naples . renee found the passes on the mountains guarded by the duke of savoy , and marques of montferrat , and therefore came to genoa by sea with only two ships , and a small retinue , which soon rendred him contemptible . luis , dauphin of france , who was afterwards king , came as far a ast with forces to favour the dukes of milan and anjou , but at the end of three months that army returned into france without doing any thing . thus the affairs of the milaneses and florentines were in a dangerous posture , but the ruin of others proved their safety . the loss of constantinople inclined all parties to harken to peace , and the more readily , because it was given out the turk design'd to pass over into italy . simon de camerino , an augustin fryar , a man more active and fit for business , than learned , took such pains , that in april he concluded a league betwixt the venetians , florentines , and milaneses , which was afterwards ratifyed in august . the king of aragon complained of the falshood of the venetians in that they should conclude any confedracy without his knowledge or consent . hereupon he recalled his son from florence to naples . the venetians , florentines , and milaneses , fearing to offend so powerful a king , sent embassadors to him to excuse their hastiness in concluding the league , whereof they still offered to make him the head , begging if still he thought them faulty that he would forgive it . to back them the pope also sent the cardinal of fermo his legate to the king. he in a long harrangue laid before him the danger that threatned from the turks , offered him in the name of the confederates to be head and general of the league , and prayed he would not obstruct the peace of italy . the king answered , he neither began the war , nor would be any hindrance to the peace ; that he forgave the affront done him in making any confederacy without his knowledge , and was ready to take upon him the command against the infidels . after the king had given his answer the articles of the league made betwixt the venetians , florentines , and milaneses were read , and were to this effect . that the venetians , francis sforcia , and the florentines shall inviolably observe what is here agreed unto among the confederates for the term of years , and longer if it shall be so thought fit , and be in perfect league and friendship with king alonso of aragon for the publick peace of italy , and to oppose the designs of the turks : that king alonso shall defend the venetians , milaneses and florentines , as if they were his own subjects against all enemies , either italians , or forreigners : that in time of peace , to be in a readiness for any sudden war , the king , venetians , and francis sforcia be obliged to keep each of them in constant pay , horse , and foot , and the florentines horse , and foot well armed and equipped : that if any war break out , none of the confederates shall make peace without the consent of the others , nor joyn in league with any state in italy without the concurrence of all : that if any of the confederates be invaded , each of the others be obliged immediately to send to their assistance half his horse and foot , which shall not be recalled till the war is ended . that whosoever shall receive such succour be obliged to assign them quarters , and furnish them with provisions and other necessaries at the same rates , as the natives have it : that if any of the confederates shall make war upon another of the allyes , then the others be obliged to send the same supplies to him that is attack'd , as if the other were none of the confederates , and yet the league to stand good in all other respects : that if any of the allyes be invaded , none of the others shall give his enemies passage through his country , or furnish them with provisions , but rather oppose them with all his power . these conditions with only some small amendments were approved of by the king. all the cities and states of italy were included in the confederacy , except the genoeses , sigismund malatesta and astor de faença , who were not admitted by the king. the genoeses , because they observed not the articles of peace , concluded on some years before . sigismund and astor because after receiving mony from the king of aragon , for to pay their men , they went over to the enemy . this league it was generally hoped would advance the publick interest of christendom , but all fell to nothing by the death of pope nicholas , who supported this great colossus , and departed this life on the th of march. within days the cardinals elected in his place cardinal alonso borgia , who had before vowed and given it under his hand , if he were chosen pope he would make war on the turks , calling himself calixtus , so great was his assurance of obtaining that dignity ; it being , as was given out , foretold him when a child , by f. vincent ferrer . to requite whom for that prophecy he canonized him , as he did s. edmund an englishman . this pope was born at xativa in the kingdom of valencia , of mean parentage , but he never did any thing that was little . he proved a constant enemy to the king of aragon , either because he thought it conduced to his grandeur , or that , as it generally happens , he hated him being more obliged than was in his power to pay . thus he could never be prevailed upon to grant a new bull of investiture of the kingdom of naples to the king and his son. he was more studious of advancing his kindred than became him , for in one day he made his two nephews , john mila , and roderick borgia , cardinals . he also constituted peter borgia , brother to roderick , vicar general of all the state of the church . pope alexander , and duke valentine , two persons afterwards odious to the world for their wicked practices , were branches that sprang from this papacy . peace was ratifyed betwixt castile and aragon , and the king of navarre , as had been agreed , ceased pretending to any towns in castile , receiving a pension in lieu of them . the tumults in navarre did not cease , the people being divided into factions . a great number followed charles prince of viana , most men believing he had the best right . his sister blanch espoused his quarrel with all her might , which so highly offended the king their father , that he treated with the earl of faux his son in law about making over the crown to him , and disinheriting charles and blanch. the better to secure their design , they courted the king of france to joyn with them . the king of castile favoured prince charles , and therefore there was danger of a war betwixt france and spain . at the same time king henry was making preparations for the war with the moors of granada , and concluding a new match then in hand . the cortes met at cuellar , where all degrees of people encouraged one another to take arms , and laboured to express their loyalty to the new king. during the king's absence the archbishop of toledo , and earl of haro were left at valladolid joynt commissioners to govern the kingdom . this done , having gathered a powerful army in which were horse , the king entred the territories of the moors , and marched to the plain of granada . soon after he destroyed all the territory of malaga with fire and sword , in so short a time , that a single man a horseback could scarce have overrun it so soon . joanna sister to king alonso of portugal had been contracted to the king of castile by proxy . the marriage was celebrated at cordova on the st of may , with great solemnity and joy , the nobility and commonalty from all parts flocking thither . there was running at tilt , and other sports and shows among the military men. some looked upon it as an ill omen that the marriage was solemnized in the heat of war , and therefore said that joy would not be lasting . they were married by the archbishop of tours , then embassador in castile from the king of france , with whom castile was in amity , and at odds with the english , they being mortal enemies to the french. the fame of the war against the moors brought such numbers of men , that the army consisted of horse , and foot. with these forces three incursions were made into the territories of the moors , firing all the plain even in sight of the city granada . the moors assembled on all sides , but the king thought not fit to come to a battle , having resolved for three years continually to destroy the corn , and by that means reduce them to extream want . this highly offended the soldiers who gaped after plunder , and they threatned since so many opportunities were let pass , they would not fight when their officers commanded . the nobility also conspired to seize the king and carry on the war after another manner . peter giron , master of calatrava , was the chief of the conspirators . in̄igo de mendoça , third son to the marques de santillana , advised the king to return from alcaudete , where that contrivance was hatched , to cordova , without acquainting him what was intended against him . at cordova the king was informed of the conspiracy . for that reason , as also because the season was far advanced , he dismissed his army with orders to be again ready in the spring . the nobility were also dismissed , and their posts given to others , which was a punishment for their disloyalty , and shewed their intrigue was discovered . the king went away to avila , and thence to segovia to hunt , resolving to return to andaluzia very soon , and to express his resolution , took two branches of a pomgranate tree knotted together for the orle of his scutcheon , that being the coat of arms of the kings of granada . this denoted he would not desist till he had quite expelled the moors . in naples at the beginning of the year , d. alonso de aragon , prince of capua , and ellenor his sister both grandchildren to the king of aragon were married to hippolito , and sforcia maria , son and daughter of francis sforcia , duke of milan . pope calixtus was much alarmed at this allyance , it being chiefly designed against him . the king of castile returned to the war with the moors , but without the nobility . he observed the same method he had done before , of wasting the country , and the soldiers being kept from fighting were ready to mutiny . to prevent any tumult , the king called them together , and in few words shewed how much better it was to subdue the enemy without hazarding themselves , than to try the event of a battle which must cost many lives . thus the army was rather appeased than satisfyed , and returned to cordova , where some were dismissed , and others put into winter quarters . about the latter end of the year the king went away to madrid . mean while the king of portugal sent a great fleet towards italy to joyn with the confederates . it arrived there at such time as the heat of the princes of italy was abated , and new commotions began to break out at genoa and siena . thus the portugues fleet returned home without effecting any thing . elizabeth queen of portugal dyed at ebora on the th of december . it was suspected , and even agreed on all hands that she was poisoned . the great love the people bore her whilst she lived made this suspicion the more easily pass for truth , and their tears for her death sufficiently declared their affection . the king tho he was in the prime of his age would not marry for several years . this year was very unfortunate to the city and kingdom of naples for great earthquakes , which overthrew , or at least endamaged many towns and castles . the greatest mischief was done at brindez and isernia . in the farthest parts of italy some buildings were levelled with the ground from the very foundations , others were abandoned , and a town called boyano was swallowed up , a lake remaining in the place of it to this day , as a memorial of that disaster . souls are said to have perished . pope pius the ii. and s. antoninus say , either of them a prodigious number . chap. ix . the prince of viana flies to naples . the kings of castile and navarre meet and conclude a peace . the war with the moors . the death of alonso king of aragon : his character and will. john king of navarre inherits the crown of aragon . spain found no end of its tedious troubles . the tumults in navarre were hotter than ever . their neighbours the biscainers took arms against one another , and many were daily killed . among them the great men and heads of families devoured the people confiding in the strength of their houses , which are like castles . king henry coming in time from segovia with a sufficient force to quell these disorders overthrew many of those houses , which served as an example to others not to commit the like insolencies . this happened in february . upon the way the king received into his family a youth born at darango , his name perucho munzar , who afterwards became his great favourite . being so near navarre the king was willing to assist prince charles his friend and ally , but could not , because that prince being too weak to oppose the aragonians and earl of faux had abandoned the country . besides it was reported , that the king of france was in league with them , which moved him to pass over to france to gain that king , but on a suddain altering his resolution he decreed to go to naples to his uncle the king of aragon , who had sent for him , determining if he would not assist him to spend his days in banishment . by the way he visited the pope , to whom he complained of his father's ambition . he offered to stand to the judgment of his holiness , but all to no effect . at naples he was honourably received , only the king his uncle kindly blamed him for taking arms against his father . the prince in few words excused himself for what was past , and offered for the future wholly to submit to what he should decree . roderick vidal , a man of quality sent into spain to compose these differences , laboured therein with all possible industry . this treaty was interrupted by an unexpected accident , which was , that the prince's faction , tho he was absent , proclaimed him king at pamplona , which cut off all discourse of peace . the king of castile at the request of the king of navarre , who to this effect delivered up his son ferdinand hostage , had an interview with him at alfaro in march. the queens of castile and aragon were there present . peace was there concluded betwixt the two kings . moreover at the sollicitation of luis despuch , master of montesa sent thither embassador by the king of aragon , and at his perswasion the confederacy made with the earl of faux was declared void , and all the differences betwixt the king of navarre and his son , were by consent of both parties referred to the king of aragon as arbitrator . the hopes conceived of obtaining a lasting peace by these means soon vanished , as will appear hereafter . in andaluzia the christians encamped near the frontiers of the moors . thither king henry came after the conference in the month of april . immediately they invaded the territories of the moors , marched in sight of granada , wasted all the country , and destroyed the corn. a party of christians advanced without orders , and ingaged the enemy . they were few in number , and the enemy many , consequently they were easily overthrown , most of them killed , and among the rest garcilasso de la vega , a knight , of santiago , of great renown . this disaster so incensed the king , that he not only burnt the corn , as he used to do , but also fired the vines and orchards , which before he spared . besides , having taken a town , called mena , by assault , they put all the inhabitants to the sword , without sparing women or children . thus the moors were so humbled , that they sued for and obtained pardon . a truce was concluded for some years , by which the infidels were obliged to pay the yearly tribute of ducates , and to release christian captives , which number if they had not , they were to make up with moors . the frontiers about jaen were excepted in this capitulation , where the war was to continue , and d. garcia manrique , earl of castan̄eda was left to command there with horse . to encourage this war , pope calixtus sent at the beginning of this year his bull , granting the croisade to the living and dead , a thing new in spain . f. alonso de espina preached it up , and sent word to the king then at palencia , that the mony collected could not be spent any other way but in the war with the moors . he brought a priviledge , that at the point of death any that went to the war , or advanced maravedies for the expence of it , might be absolved by an priest , tho he had lost his speech , so he could give any signs of contrition . also that such as were killed should be free from the pains of purgatory . this grant was to last four years . it raised almost ducats . very little of it was employed against the moors . after the war was ended an embassador came from rome to madrid , who brought the king a hat and sword usually blessed on christmas night , and sent to great princes , such as king henry was then esteemed . there is no joy in this world perfect . news was brought that the earl of castan̄eda pursuing a party of moors fell into an ambush , was himself taken and most of his men cut off . another commander of more foresight was put in his place . the earl was ransomed for a great sum of mony , and the truce changed into a peace . in italy the city genoa was in arms , being divided into factions . the king of aragon favoured the adornos , and john duke of lorrain , son to renée duke of anjou , who stiled himself prince of calabria the tregosos . mean while the king of aragon fell sick on the th of may . he was very ill at castelnovo in naples , till the th of june . then the disease increasing he caused himself to be removed to the castle del ovo , but nothing availed , for he gave up the ghost on the th of june at break of day . he was a most renowned prince , nothing inferior to any of the antient ones , and the honour of spain . besides his other virtues , he was a great encourager of learning , and very familiar with laurence valla , antony panormita , and georgius trapezuntius , men famous for their knowledge . he was much concerned at the death of barthlomew faccio , who writ the history of this king. hearing that a king of spain had said , learning belonged not to a king , he said , that was an expression of a beast , not of a king. many sharp and witty sayings of this king are related , which i thought needless to insert here . not long before his death a comet appeared betwixt cancer and leo , whose tail was degrees in length . he made his will the day before he dyed . in it he appoints his brother , john king of navarre his successor in the kingdom of aragon . that of naples as won by the sword , he leaves to his bastard son ferdinand , which was the cause of great troubles and wars . he made no mention of the queen his wife . it is reported by grave authors , that he designed to have been divorced from her , and to have married a mistress he had called lucrecia alania . there is still extant a letter of pope calixtus , writ with his own hand to the queen , in which he tells her , she is more beholding to him than to her mother , but that it is not convenient it should be publickly known . that lucrecia came to rome with a royal retinue , but could not obtain what she came about , because he would not have a hand in so great a sin. king alonso's greatest crime was that of incontinency , but at his death he shewed great tokens of repentance and dyed like a good christian . he ordered that his body should be buried without any tomb at the very church door of poblete , the burial place of his ancestors . a great sign of humility and modesty . about the same time dyed d. alonso de cartagena , bishop of burgos , who composed some books , among them a short history of the kings of spain in latin , called anacephaleosis ; his other works are all mentioned in the history called valeriana . d. luis de acuna succeeded him in the bishoprick . chap. x. the new war at naples upon the death of king alonso , and succession of his bastard son ferdinand . pope calixtus dies . pius the ii. succeeds him : alcazar on the coast of africk taken by the king of portugal . prodigies in spain . king alonso's death put an end to the peace of italy , and the kingdom of naple , which seemed to be setled , was again perplexed with new troubles . a new war broke out there in such manner , that it rather seemed conquered anew than preserved . ferdinand king of naples had good natural parts , improved with learning , and no less experience of military affairs . he was inferior to none in all sorts of many exercises , and inured to suffer hardships . in his conversation courteous and affable . all these good qualities could not gain him the affections of the nobility , who bore him perfect hatred . charles prince of viana was perswaded to pretend to that crown as appertaining to him of right . he was willing to harken to these insinuations , and rather wanted strength than will to attempt it . some offered to stand by him , but he durst not rely on them , knowing how much easier it is to promise than to perform . it was impossible these contrivances could be kept private , therefore the prince fearing the new king , sailed over into sicily , there to wait the event of those affairs . whilst he lived there in banishment he had by a mean woman called capa , two sons , philip and john ; and by mary armendaria , the wife that had been of francis barhastre , a daughter called ann , afterwards married to d. luis de la cerda , first duke of medina celi . notwithstanding all his practices king ferdinand payed him a pension of ducats a year , left him by his father . prince charles his departure into sicily did not discourage the nobility of naples . the prince of taranto , and marques of cotron sent to invite king john of aragon to come and accept of that kingdom ; but he content with what he had secure made no account of their offer . he set out from tudela , and having received the news of his brother's death came to zaragoça , where he took possession of the kingdom of aragon , not as lieutenant as he was before , but as proprietor . the storm raised by pope calixtus ( from whom it had been least expected ) was great . he said , that kingdom which was a feof of the church , ought not to have been given to a bastard , and therefore pretended it was again forfeited to the see apostolick . this was believed to be only a colour , and that his aim was to secure that kingdom for peter borgia , whom he had created duke of spoleto , a city in vmbria . an extravagant ambition much misbecoming his age , and the high dignity god had raised him to . this was supposed would prove the cause of a new war , and every body feared the late calamities would again be renewed . king ferdinand desiring to reconcile and appease the pope , wrote a very submissive letter to him , a●cesting his respect to the church , and particularly to his person , putting him in mind that he had been bred under him as his scholar , and came over into italy with him , and therefore prayed to be looked upon as a son , and treated as such , promising on his part to act accordingly . this letter had no effect upon the pope , who began to sollicit all the princes and cities of italy to take arms , but all his contrivances were disappointed by death . he departed this life upon the th of august , happily and in good season for the kingdom of naples . in his place was elected aeneas silvius , a native of siona , of the family of picolomini , who in all respects acted suitable to the name he took , which was pius the ii. for he restored peace to italy , and used his utmost endeavours to renew the war with the turks . he confirmed the kingdom of naples to ferdinand , only adding this provisu , that it should not be found to be done in wrong of any other . he summoned a general council to meet at mantra , in order to treat in it of the expedition against the turk . the neapolitans once having began to raise commotions could not be so easily quelled . the calabrians took arms , and john duke of lorrain being invited from genoa where he then was , arrived on the coast of naples with a fleet of galleys . the chief cause of these tumults was abtony centellas , marques of girachi and croten , who to revenge the wrong he pretended done his father by king alonso doubted not to prefer the dominion of the french before that of the spaniards , tho descended himself from spain . these troubles were very great and lasted long , therefore it would be too tedious to relate all the particulars of them , it will be properer for our history to return to spain . in castile king henry raised mean persons to high posts and dignities . he made michael lucas de trançu , born at belmonte , a town in the country of la mancha , constable of castile , and gave him the town of agreda , and castle of veraton and bormediano . gomez de solis , who took the name of ga●ere● from his country , and was steward of the houshold , was by the knights of alcantara , to please the king , chosen master of that order , in the place of d. gutierre de sotomayor . to the brothers of these two the king gave plentiful estates . to john de valençuela , the grand priorship of s. john. these men he designed should stand by him against the nobility , who were disgusted . his ordinary residence was at madrid , where he wholly gave himself up to pleasure , without applying himself to the government . this extraordinary negligence drew him into great inconveniences , and no less could be expected , since he used to sign all orders or grants without reading , or knowing what was contained in them . the revenue could not answer the vast expence of his houshold , and other prodigalities . james arias his treasurer finding a fit opportunity gave him to understand as much , advising him to retrench the number of his servants , since many of them only wasted the revenue with their salaries , and were of no manner of use . this advice did not please the king , who presently answered . were i peter arias i should have more regard to mony than to generosity . you speak like your self , and i will do as becomes a king without fear of coming to poverty , or having occasion to raise new tares . it is the duty of kings to give , and to measure their power not by themselves but by the publick good , which is the true fruit of riches . to some we give because they are serviceable , to others that they may not be wicked . words well becoming a great prince , had his actions been suitable to them . this popular inclination so entirely gained him the affections of the commonalty , that they were never known to continue more firm to their prince , but it disobliged most of the nobility . john de luna had the government of soria taken from him , and was cast in prison , by the contrivanc of john pacheco , who by these means endeavoured to get into his power a grandaughter of d. alvaro de luna , daughter to his son john de luna , then dead . the young maid was in the custody of that governour of soria , who was her kinfman , and his wife her aunt . this young lady he married to his son james pacheco , and by that means united the farldom of santistevan to his own estate . alonso faxardo , lieutenant of murcia , making his advantage of the confusion of those times , seized carthagena and lorca , with several other forts in that country . against him the king sent gonçalo de saavedra , who took from him not only those places , but all he had inherited of his forefathers , and he thought it a happiness to save his life . at the same time dyed the marques de santillana . he left these children , james his heir , peter then bishop of calahorra , in̄igo , laurence , john , and others from whom some noble families in castile are descended . on the th of september dyed the queen of aragon at valencia , and was buryed in the monastery of nuns in that city called the trinity . soon after the king of portugal passing over into africk with a powerful fleet , on the th of october took from the moors a town called alcaçar near ceuta . his brother ferdinand , duke of visco , and his uncle henry were with him in this expedition . duarte de meneses was left governour of the place . he after the king's departure three several times repulsed great multitudes of moors that attacked him , and made them desist from that enterprize . prince charles sent embassadors out of sicily to his father to beg pardon , and offer his submission . but he dealt not fairly , for at the same time he sollicited the king of france , and duke of britany to joyn in league with him to recover by force what his father would not voluntarily yield up to him . for this reason , and for fear the sicilians should proclaim him king , his father pardoned him , and he came over to spain at the beginning of the year . thence he went over to majorca to wait the event of what his father designed for him , despairing of obtaining his mother's kingdom . his death , which was near at hand , put an end to all his contrivances . his demands were that his father should pardon him and his adherents , and release the constable of navarre , d. luis de biamonte with all others that had been delivered as hostages . that he should cause the oath of allegiance to be taken to him as heir , and give him leave to live quietly in any town except the court : that he should restore to him viana and gandia , which were his own . if this were granted he offered to withdraw his garrisons out of all places that held for him . he also desired that his sister ellenor , wife to the earl of faux might be removed from the government of that kingdom . much time was spent in debate , but at last neither was all he demanded granted , nor what was promised performed . it was the opinion of the vulgar , that this was all the contrivance of his mother in law , who wished his death , fearing if he succeeded his father it would not be well with her self , and her children . the seed , of sedition which had been long sowed in castile at length broke out . the king besides his other faults was wholly devoted to women . first he loved one catherine de sandoval , but left her , because she admitted the courtship of another , yet soon after made her abbess of the monastery of s. peter de las duen̄as at toledo . alonso de cordova her gallant was beheaded at medina del campo . in the place of catherine de sandoval he took the lady guiomar , the most beautiful woman next to the queen . they two as is usual in such cases fell at variance . d. alonso de fonseca , archbishop of sevil favoured the mistriss , the marques de villena sided with the queen . thus the court was divided , and the servant grew so haughty as to cope with her sovereign . it came to that pass that they gave one another ill language , and at length the queen laid violent hands upon the mistriss and treated her severely , which the king highly resented . another scandalous thing happened , which was , that d. beltran de la cueva , lord steward of the houshold , a great favourite of the kings , to whom he had given a plentiful fortune , grew into familiarity with the queen . the people generally judged ill of that freedom , and some were of opinion the king knew they were faulty , and consented to it , to hide his own impotency . it is to be suspected that a great part of this fable was forged in favour of king ferdinand and queen elizabeth , when they came afterwards to the crown . some time after this scandal gathered strength , when upon account of an embassador coming out of britany , d. beltran was challenger in a feast of running at tilt that was in madrid and pardo , and after the sport was over made a banquet greater than was thought could be done by any private person . the king was so pleased , that in the place where the tilting was , in memory of it he caused a monastery of hieronimites to be erected , which because the place was unhealthy was afterwards removed to that where it now stands . the people after the example of the court were addicted to all manner of ludeness and prodigality , and the nobility without any regard of the king combined to raise new troubles . about this time many extraordinary accidents were thought to foretell the calamities that were threatned by these disorders . there appeared in the sky a great flame , which dividing it self into two parts , the one ran towards the east and vanished , the other continued some time . in the territory of burgos and granada there fell a shower of great stones , which killed much cattle . at pen̄alver , a town in the country of alcarria , it was reported , a child of three years of age foretold the troubles that would ensue , unless the people did pennance for their sins . the king's lions at segovia fought , and the little one killed the biggest and eat part of him . the people made processions to appease god , being terrify'd with these strange omens , but they mended not their lives . particularly the clergy was extraordinary depraved , in so much that about this time d. roderick de luna , archbishop of santiago forced away a bride on her wedding day to debauch her , which caused the people to mutiny , being headed by d. luis osorio , son to the earl of trastamara . in revenge of that hainous crime they deposed that bishop , and seized all he had . his end was answerable to his life , the rest whereof he spent in poverty , yet wickedly and hated by all men. thus he soon endured the punishment of his short pleasure , being severely chastized by the hand of god , as he had well deserved . the end of the two and twentieth book . the history of spain . book xxiii . chap. i. the councel of mantua ; beginnings of tumults in castile ; war at naples betwixt the aragonians , and house of anjou ; scanderbeg , prince of epirus , comes to the assistance of ferdinand , king of naples . pope pius the second having appointed a general councel to meet at mantua , a great number of bishops from all parts , and ambassadors of princes , repaired thither , as did the pope himself . his only care was , to stir up all christendom to unite its forces against the common enemy . david , emperor of trebizonde , a city in asia the lesser upon the euxine sea , ussumcassanus king of armenia , and george , who stiled himself king of persia , offered great numbers of horse and foot , and a mighty fleet , but there was little confidence to be reposed in their promises . the western countries were so entangled with broils and confusions at home , that little could be hoped from them . notwithstanding all these difficulties , the pope was not discouraged , but resolved to use his utmost endeavours to promote the holy war , and therefore in a full assembly of those that came to the councel , made a most learned speech , laying before them , how great a reproach to christianity the loss of the eastern empire had been , and how much nearer since that time the danger threatned all the western part of the world. he pressed for some prince to encourage that war , by taking upon him to be general , and then offered to carry the cross before them himself . his words moved the auditory , but the ambassadors of princes wasted the time in private controversies . particularly john duke of lorrain , son to renee duke of anjou , complained that the pope had given the investiture of the kingdom of naples to ferdinand his enemy . thus nothing was done to any purpose , only a verbal decree was made for carrying on the war. the pope published a bull , in which , contrary to his own opinion at the councel of basil , he ordains , that none shall appeal from the pope to a general councel . thus the councel was dissolved the eighth month after the opening of it . the aragonian ambassadors , after the councel broke up , went away to naples , to congratulate with the new king upon his accession to that crown . in̄igo lopez de mendoça , the ambassador of castile , obtained of the pope a jubilee for all that gave certain alms , employed to build at tendilla a monastery of friars of st. isidorus , of the invocation of st. ann. mean while the city guadalajara was taken from his brother james de mendoça , he having possessed himself of it wrongfully . john fernandez galindo , a famous officer , surprized it with horse . this the nobles took for a new cause of discontent , and combined against the king. d. ●●ederick the admiral heightned their discontents . he sollicited his son-in-law , the king of aragon , to join with the seditious nobility , and make war upon castile . with him joined the archbishop of toledo , d. peter giron master of calatrava , and the families of manrique and mendoça . their pretence was to reform the government . d. alonso de fonseca , archbishop of sevil , gave the king an account of these practices . as a reward for this good service , the archbishoprick of santiago , vacant by the death of d. roderick de luna , was given to a kinsman of his , called also alonso de fonseca , who was dean of sevil. d. luis osorio had then possessed himself of the revenues of that church , confiding in the power of his father the earl of trastamara . none but a person of great authority could reduce him , and therefore the two archbishops changed sees by the king's consent . the church of pamplona , upon the death of d. martin de peralta , was given to cardinal besarion , a greek , but very learned , and of a godly life . the troubles of naples were the chief thing that disturbed pope pius , otherwise wholly bent upon the holy war. the war began again to break out betwixt john the son of renee , and the new king ferdinand , most of the neapolitan nobility , as given to change , favouring the house of anjou . the first that appeared in arms , was anthony centellas , marquis of croton , who having got his liberty , meditated revenge ; but the king was too quick , and again laid him in prison . martin marciano , tho married to ellenor the king's sister , headed the rebels ; many joined with him , among whom the chief were , the prince of taranto , anthony cardora , and john paul , duke of sora. francis sforcia , duke of milan , being at the councel of mantua , advised the pope to enter into league with king ferdinand , for that the french being expelled italy , all difficulties that obstructed the war with the turks would be easily surmounted . the pope approved of this councel , but it was not easily to be put into execution , for that king ferdinand was then besieged in barletta , a city of apulia , and knew not well how to defend himself . the pope would send him no relief , because the enemy had secured all the avenues by land : therefore he sent to george scanderbeg , prince of epirus , then a most renowned general , who understanding the pope's will , sent before coicus strosius with albanian horse , and soon after gathering a good fleet , sailed to ragusa , and thence to barleta . immediately upon his arrival , the rebels raised the siege . king ferdinand having joined the succours sent him by the pope and duke of milan , overthrew his enemies in battel , and soon recovered the towns that held for them . scanderbeg having spent a year in this expedition , returned home well satisfied with the king , who gave him and his heirs the city trani , and the castles of st. john and siponto . after this he obtained several victories over the turks , and died at the end of seven years , leaving a son called john under the care of the venetians . nevertheless he ordered him , till he could recover his principality , to live at naples upon what estate that king had given him . from him is descended the most noble family of the castriots , marquisses of civita de santangelo in the kingdom of naples . in spain , charles prince of viana having obtained pardon for himself and his followers , and the promise of a competent revenue for his maintenance , came from majorca to barcelona on the d of march , . it was proposed to marry him with catherine , sister to the king of portugal . when the match was as good as concluded , the king of castile took it off , offering him his sister elizabeth , with assurance of obtaining what he desired of his father with the assistance of castile . hereupon prince charles no farther thought of the match with portugal , and the princess catherine went into the monastery of s' clare at lisbon , where she ended her days , at such time as it was designed to marry her to edward iv. king of england . d. frederick , the admiral , discovered the prince's designs to the king of aragon : he sent for him to lerida ; where the cortes of catalonia then sate , and those of aragon at fraga . he was advised not to go , but resolved to obey , and was received with demonstrations of love , but presently after committed to prison , notwithstanding he loudly complained of breach of faith , and the designs of his mother-in-law . the nobility associated themselves , engaging never to give over till their prince were set at liberty . chap. ii. war renewed by the moors of granada ; the prince of viana imprisoned , and released ; his death ; the rebellion of catalonia , also in navarre ; the kings of france and castile meet . the peace established with the moors having lasted about three years , was now broken . ismael , king of granada , had two sons , albohaçen and boabdelin : albohaçen desiring to exercise his valour , gathered horse , and foot ; with this force he entred the territory of estepa in andaluzia , did great mischief , and drove away a vast number of cattel . roderick ponçe , son to the earl of arcos , being informed hereof , with the assistance of luis pernia , commandant at osuna , mustered about horse , and foot , and marched after the enemy who was going off in disorder , and fearing no encounter . it seemed a madness for so small a number to engage that multitude ; but d. roderick from an eminence observing , that part of the moors with the booty had passed the river called de las yeaguas , and only the horse remained behind , commanded the trumpets to ●and , and his men to fall on . the christians charged the moors , who were divided into three bodies , and received them with resolution . the fight lasted long , but at length the moors were put to the rout , and of them slain . of the christians , horse and foot were killed . our men quartered that night at a place called fuente de piedra , and being next day gathering the plunder , saw the cattel coming towards them in great flocks . at first they imagined the enemy had rallied , but it soon appeared that the cattel being left was returning , as naturally they will , towards their own pasture . the peace thus broken , incursions were made on both sides , but nothing remarkable happened : only d. john de guzman , first duke of medina sidonia , prepared to besiege gibraltar , nothing discouraged by the misfortune of his father . the war , raised against the king of aragon in his own dominions , was more dangerous . the catalonians sent deputies , to beg of him to set at liberty the prince of viana : he refused , and from words they came to blows . a great number of men set out from barcelona , and possessed themselves of fraga , on the borders of aragon . gonçalo de saavedra , sent by the king of castile to the assistance of the catalonians with horse , was a great encouragement to them . d. john de cabrera , earl of modica in sicily , was general of the catalonians . on the other side , d. luis de biamonte was on the frontiers of navarre with a good body , ready to enter aragon if the king would not grant their request . necessity obliged him to set his son free on the first of march , . ordering the queen , his mother-in-law , to conduct him from morella , where he was prisoner , to villafranca . there he was delivered to the catalonians , who nevertheless would not admit the queen into barcelona , tho' they laid down their arms. yet for all this , contrary to his father's will , they swore to him as heir to that principality , obliged his father to declare him governor of all his dominions , a dignity usually given to the eldest sons of those kings , and to consent that he should be absolute in catalonia . these were hard terms ; but there was no other way to appease the catalonians . now again the treaty of marriage between prince charles and the princess elizabeth of castile was hotly pursued , and it was looked upon as good as concluded ; whereupon the prince sent to compliment the princess and her mother . war broke out at the same time in navarre ; for charles artieda , as soon as the prince was at liberty , seized in his name the town of lumbier in that kingdom . d. alonso ( afterwards duke of villahermosa ) sent by the king , besieged and furiously battered that place . the prince's party was weak ; but the king of castile sent roderick ponçe and gonçalo de suavedra with forces , who raised the siege . greater preparations were making to continue that war , when the news was spread abroad that the queen was with child . this pleased some ; yet others gave out she was with child by d. beltran de la cueva ; but it could never be proved whether this were true , or that it was only so allowed afterwards in favour of king ferdinand , when he came to the crown . d. alonso de fonseca the archbishop , was sent from court on pretence of doing him honour , to reside at valladolid , and govern the kingdom , whilst the king was absent at the war he designed in navarre . this was done by the advice of his competitor the marquiss de villena , who removed him from the king , hoping thereby to become absolute in his favour , and promised to reduce the disaffected nobility , particulary the archbishop of toledo , and the admiral ; for the master of calatrava had already submitted , and was raising men for the war in navarre . as soon as d. alonso de fonseca was gone to valladolid , the marquiss de villena went into the kingdom of toledo , and at the same time the master of calatrava came to aranda de duero with horse . with that force the king of castile marched towards almaçan . the aragonians were much alarmed ; but the army marched away towards navarre , and in may came to logron̄o , a great town in the territory of rioja ; there having received supplies from all parts , they advanced into navarre . the town of st. vincent and guardia surrendered . viana was besieged , and at last delivered up by peter peralta , who was governour thereof , and constable of navarre . lerin was very strong , and could not be taken . d. alonso , son to the king of aragon , took the town of arbacuca by assault , all the castillian garison being killed or taken . all these high designs came to nothing , by the death of charles prince of viana at barcelona : it was supposed trouble and toil was the cause of his death ; but the biamonteses could never be persuaded but he had a slow poison given him in prison . he died on the d of september , begged pardon of his father at the hour of his death , and was buried at poblete . he lived years , months , and days , more famous for his misfortunes than any other thing . his device was two fierce mastives fighting for a bone , denoting the kings of france and castile , between whom navarre was consumed . other great men died now , as charles vii . king of france : his son lewis xi . succeeded him . prince henry , uncle to the king of portugal , departed this life on the th of november , having never touched woman , tho years of age. of all the brothers only d. alonso the bastard , duke of bragança , remained , and he also died the next year . by his wife beatrix , daughter to the constable nun̄o pereira , he had a son called ferdinand , from whom are lineally descended the dukes of bragança in portugal . prince charles dying , the cause of discord was taken away ; and yet the effect ceased not . ferdinand , brother to the deceased , was immediately sworn heir to the crown ; first at calatayud for aragon , and then at barcelona for catalonia . nevertheless , the people took arms , the nobility giving it out that the prince was poisoned by his mother-in-law . the chief incendiary was f. john gualves a dominican , who with seditious sermons stirred up the people to rebellion . barcelona being in an uproar , the queen went away thence to girona . the king of aragon perceiving the danger that threatned , sollicited foreign princes , particularly the king of france and castile , to assist him ; or at least that the latter would not offend him , since prince charles was dead . king henry was at madrid , joyful that the queen was with child , having caused her to be brought thither on men's shoulders , that the journey might not do her harm . at the beginning of the year , she was delivered of a daughter called joanna , who was immediately sworn heiress of castile . the people believed her the daughter of d. beltran , and the more because he was then created earl of ledesma . andrew de cabera , his great friend , was made steward of the houshold , which was a step for him to attain vast wealth . the count d' armagnac was then at court , as ambassador from the king of france to settle peace . the archbishop of toledo being reconciled to the king , held the supreme power . on the d of march , the aragonian ambassadors at length concluded a peace between castile and aragon ; and for security , cautionary towns were given to the king of castile , who put others into a third hand , to remain as pledges on his part . on the th of april , the king of aragon made a league with the king of france at olite : it was there agreed , that the king of france should send the aragonian men at arms , and crowns , for which the states of cerdagne and russillon were mortgaged to him , the revenues thereof not to be accounted any part of payment . to ratifie this contract , the two kings appointed an interview at salvatierra , a town in the province of bearne . at the same time the earl of faux had the lady blanch , sister to prince charles , and heiress of navarre , delivered up to him , notwithstanding her grievous complaints of the wrong done her . she was confined to the castle of ortes in the territory of faux , and there soon after poisoned : her body was buried in the city lascar . both the kings of castile and aragon ratified the peace concluded at madrid , on the th of may the catalonians besieged the queen of aragon in girona , forced the city , and had taken the old castle called gironela , where the queen was , but that the french horse coming , obliged them to quit that design and the city . the king of aragon also hasted to the relief of his wife , and having worsted the rebels in several rencounters , and taken many towns , encamped near barcelona at last . the queen of castile miscarried at aranda , with the fright that her hair took fire by the sun shining through a glass . the grief for this loss was soon forgot , by reason of the great joy and festivals at the wedding of the count de ledesma with the younger daughter of the earl of santillana at guadalajara , the king and queen being present . thence the queen went to segovia , and the king to atiensa to hunt. thither came a gentleman , called copones , from the catalonians , to offer him that country , provided he would support them . the king accepting their offer , sent them horse , whose arrival in catalonia animated the multitude , and they presently proclaimed king henry earl of barcelona . this news was very pleasing to the king of castile , but much more to hear that d. john de guzman , duke of medina sidonia , had taken gibraltar from the moors , and the master of alcantara archidona . he ordered gibraltar to be inserted among his royal titles . incursions were made into valencia and aragon ; and that kingdom might have been subdued , had king henry been resolute : therefore the king of aragon laboured to be reconciled with him . to this effect the admiral of france and that king 's ambaslador came to almaçan , where king henry was , at the beginning of the year . he was splendidly entertained , and in a ball danced with the queen ; whereupon he swore never more to dance with any woman . it was agreed the kings of france and castile should have a conference , and accordingly they met near fuenterabia about the end of april . the castilians vied to outdo one another in rich apparel , whereas the french , and particularly their king , were very plain , which caused the castilians to jeer and reflect upon them . the spaniards passed the river videsao , some say by way of acknowledging the king of france to be the greater : our historians say it was because all that river belongs to spain ; and therefore king henry being come to the high-water mark on the further side , side , there were the borders of castile and france ; and that king louis answered , it is true . here the judgment given by the king of france , as arbitrator between castile and aragon , was read ; the heads whereof were , that the castilians should quit catalonia and navarre : that the city estela and its liberty should remain to king henry ; and that the queen of aragon and her daughter should remain at raga , in custody of the archbishop of toledo , as hostages for performance of articles . this judgment offended all the three nations concerned , and nothing more was effected at this conference . philip de comines , a famous french historian , absolutely condemns this , and all such meetings of kings , as the incentives of emulation and discord ; whereas all they can propose to do at an interview , may be as well settled by their ambassadors , without any hazard or discontent to either party . he relates how the spaniards came over into france , and were entertained by the king ; that king henry had an unpleasing countenance , and his garb was disagreeable to the french ; whereas the spaniards attributed the plainness of the french king's habit to covetousness . he adds , the only fruit of this meeting was plots and contrivances among the nobility , which at length proved the ruin of king henry , whom , he says , he saw forsaken by his subjects , and reduced to misery . this year , on the th of november , passed from this life to a better the holy f. james de alcala , in the monastery of franciscans at alcala de heneres , built by d. alonso carrillo , archbishop of toledo : he was born at s. nicholas , in the diocess of sevill . his life , and the miracles he wrought were such , that pope sixtus v. canoniz'd him on the d of july , . garibay , lib. . cap. . says he died in the year . chap. iii. the catalonians send for peter constable of portugal , and proclaim him earl of barcelona . the kings of castile and portugal meet . the rebellion in castile . d. beltran de la cueva , great favourite to king henry of castile , created a duke . two ambassadors from the catalonians were at the conference between the kings of france and castile , to sollicit they might not be forsaken ; but their negociation proved successless . at tolosa , a town in guipuscoa , the rabble killed a jew called gaon , on the th of may , for attempting , whilst the king was at fuenterabia , to collect a certain tax , about which there had been great mutinies before . this murder was not punished . soon after , at segovia , whither the king went , great broils were raised by two friars : one of them in his sermons affirmed , that many christians turned jews ; which was meant to reproach the liberty allowed that people : the other as hotly opposed him . sevill was in an uproar , for that d. alonso de fonseca the elder , sollicited to be restored to that church , which he said he had only given in trust to his kinsman . the nobility and commons were divided between him and his competitor ; but the king coming thither in person , put d. alonso the elder into possession , and caused of the principal mutiniers to be executed . the king of portugal at this time returned into africk with a powerful fleet. prince ferdinand his brother , and d. peter his cousin , bore him company . the catalonians being forsaken by the castilians , and perceiving france and italy were secured by the king of aragon , sent to invite peter the constable of portugal , to come from ceuta , and take possession of that principality , which they said appertained to him in right of his mother , who was daughter to the earl of urgel . he embraced the offer , and arrived at barcelona on the th of january . there he was immediately proclaimed earl of barcelona and king of aragon . this attempt proved unsuccessful for want of strength , and cost him his life , besides other mischiess . the first was , that by the departure of the constable the forces of the portugueses in africk were weakned , which was the occasion they were repulsed with loss from tangier , and the inroads they made into the country were inconsiderable . near mount benasa , being engaged with the enemy , the king was in great danger , and duarte de meneses exposing himself to save his king , was killed , with some others . the earl of villareal that day made good the rear , which gained him great honour , in so much that after the fight the king said to him , by you alone the faith has this day prevailed . the king of castile from sevill went to gibraltar , and having invited the king of portugal thither , entertained him for the space of days , after which he returned to his kingdom . this done , king henry , by the way of ecija , broke into the kingdom of granada , and obliged the moores to pay the tribute before agreed upon , and make him rich presents . thence he hasted back to madrid , designing again to entertain the king of portugal , who came to pay a vow he had made to our lady at guadalupe . the two kings met upon the bridge called del arçobispo , that is the bounds of the kingdom of toledo ; the queen of castile went with her husband to see her brother , the king of portugal . here it was agreed , the king of portugal should marry elizabeth , king henry's sister ; and the prince of portugal , joanna , heiress of castile ; but the wedding being put off at that time , never after took effect . heaven had decreed the aragonians should possess the crown of castile , tho after many troubles , which some prodigies seem'd to foretell . at sevil there happened such a terrible hurracan , that it carried away a yoke of oxen with the plow , and threw a great bell a vast distance from the steeple of s. augustin's church . it also tore up many large trees , and ruined buildings . in the air armies fighting were seen , but this may be doubted of because none but children saw it . lastly , three eagles fought in the air till all three fell down dead . hereupon processions and other acts of devotions were performed to appease gods wrath. king henry began to dislike the archbishop of toledo and the marquiss de villena , suspecting they had not dealt fairly betwixt him and aragon ; for this reason they were not with him in the field , nor at the interview with the portuguese , but went away from madrid to alcala : thither came to them the admiral , the master of calatrava , the family of manrique , d. peter giron , and the earls of alva and plasencia . the king of aragon upon account of great promises made him , joined with them , which was the beginning of mighty troubles . their pretence was , that the princess joanna was not lawfully begotten , and consequently could not inherit the crown . therefore they resolved to seize prince alonso , and the lady elizabeth , the kings brother and sister , who resided with their mother at maqueda . upon hostages given by the king for security of his person , the marquis de villena came to madrid , but with an ill design , which was to withdraw the rest of the nobility from their allegiance . to this purpose he advised the king to secure the archbishop of sevil , and at the same time gave him notice of what was designed , so that he fled , and joined with the other rebels . this success made d. john pacheco so impudent , that he attempted with a body of armed men to seize the king , and broke into the palace , but the king retiring to a part thereof that was strong , he resolved to force it at night ; yet the king having intelligence , he was disappointed . many advised the king to secure the marquis , but he refused , because he had given him a safe-conduct . thus the posture of the kings affairs was daily worse , especially because at that time the popes bull came , which constituted d. beltran de la cueva master of santiago , a thing very offensive to the people , who looked upon that dignity as prince alonso's due . d. beltran was raised in opposition to d. john pacheco , who again attempted to seize the king , perswading him to go to villacastin , but was discovered and prevented . from burgos the conspirators , now in open rebellion , sent a very insolent letter to the king , the heads whereof were ; that the moores had too much liberty at court ; that preferments were sold ; that the mastership of santiago was undeservedly given to d. beltran ; that the princess joanna , as unlawfully begotten , could not inherit the crown ; lastly , that if these grievances were redressed , they were ready to lay down arms and submit . this letter the king received at valladolid , and made no account of it . d. lope de barientas , bishop of cuenca , pressed the king to subdue the rebels by force of arms , but could not prevail , therefore a treaty was again set on foot . the king and d. john pacheco met in the open field between cabeçon and cigales in old castile , there they agreed upon these articles ; that prince alonso should inherit the crown , provided he married the princess joanna ; that d. beltran should resign the mastership of santiago ; that to decide other differences there should be two arbitrators chosen by each party , and f. alonso de oropesa , general of the order of s. hierome , to be the th , all things to be decided by the majority of voices . then prince alonso , being but eleven years of age , was brought to the kings camp , sworn heir to the crown , and delivered to the nobles , which caused new troubles . in lieu of the mastership , the king created d. beltran duke of albuquerque , giving him that town , cuellar , roa , molina , atiença , and other revenues in andaluzia . the rebels chose d. john pacheco , and the earl of plasencia ; the king peter hernardez de velasco , and gonzalo de saavedra , on his part , to be judges of the differences between them . the archbishop of toledo , and the admiral , were reconciled to the king , but their friendship was not lasting , and therefore suspected to be feigned . it was feared if these judges came to give sentence , they would leave the king nothing but that bare title . he therefore ordered the master of alcantara , and earl of medellin , in whom he reposed much confidence , to come to him with what force they could gather , to disappoint the designs of his enemies . gonçalo de saavedra , and alvar gomez , the kings secretary , to whom he had given maqueda , torrejon de velasco , and s. silvestre , in the territory of toledo , were sent for . the rebels perswaded all four , that the king designed to secure them , and therefore their only way was to join with them . the king hearing hereof , protested against the judges , as partial , and ordered peter arias , a citizen of segovia , to take terrejon by sorce , which he did , and left that town to the earls of pun̄onrostro his successors . peter de velasco sided with the rebels , notwithstanding his father , the earl of haro , blamed , and would not supply him with money , which caused him to be but poorly attended among the nobles . on the th of august at ancona died pope pius ii. he was carried to that city , tho then sick , designing to gather the forces of christendom , and go in person against the turks . he held the papacy but years . cardinal peter barbo , a venetian , was chosen his successor on the th of the same month , and took the name of paul ii. he was but forty seven years of age when elected , proved a great friend to spain , and assisted king henry in his troubles . chap. iv. proceedings and defeat of the rebels in catalonia ; death of ismael king of granada ; progress of rebellion in castile , and most villanous action of the rebels , who proclaim prince alonso king ; the king and they disband . peter constable of portugal his coming to barcelona animated the catalonians above their strength . lerida , after a long siege , was forced to surrender to the king. all that province was miserably wasted with the war. d. john archbishop of zaragoça , bastard son to the king of aragon , and fitter for the sword than miter , commanded for his father . philip duke of burgundy sent a small party of his subjects to the assistance of the constable . about catalonian foot , and horse , joined them at manresa . the earl of prades besieged çervera for the king , and the want of provisions had almost reduced the town . d. peter resolved to relieve it . the greatest part of the kings forces were upon the borders of navarre , to reduce that kingdom . prince ferdinand , tho but years of age , was sent with some forces by the king to join the earl of prades . necessity obliged him to take up arms so young , which is the reason he never learned to write well , as appears by his hand . the constables forces marched to a place called prados de rey , with a resolution to fight . prince ferdinand advanced to meet the enemy : he halted on a hill , from whence the catalonians were discovered . the portuguese chose his ground , and intrenched on another hill : he drew out his forces . peter de deça led the van , in which were the burgundians . beltran and john armanderia followed him with the castillians and navarrois . d. peter himself commanded the rear . prince ferdinand had but horse , and foot. the earl of prades led the van , hugo rocaberbi , and matthew moncada , commanded in the wings . henry son to prince henry of aragon , had charge of the reserve . prince henry was in the rear with many noblemen . bernard gascon was ordered with some foot to secure the mountain , that they might not be attacked on that side . before the fight prince henry knighted several men of quality . the signal of battle being given , the catalonians soon gave way , and at last fled , the foot to the mountain , the horse along the plain . d. peter having cast off his upper garment , mixt himself with the victors , and the next day made his escape . most of the burgundians were killed , of the others many taken , and among them the earl of pallas , the chief promoter of this war. this battle was fought upon the last day of february . not one of the aragonians was killed , and but few wounded . d. peter returned to manresa . beltran armendario , with great courage , put part of the scattered army into çervera , and fortified it . thence the sury of the war was carried to ampurias , the aragonians still getting the better . the tumults in navarre were near quelled , the biamonteses being reduced and pardoned . the earl of faux , and eleanor his wife , were also declared heirs of that kingdom . ismael king of granada , died on the th of april ; his son albohazen , a man of great courage and resolution , succeeded him . this king had two wives , one a native moor , mother to boabdil , afterwards called the little king ; the other a renegade christian , called zoroyra , who had two sons , cado and nacre , who when granada was taken by king ferdinand , became christians , as did their mother . in italy king ferdinand of naples having subdued all his enemies , settled his kingdom . he overthrew john duke of lorrain , and forced him to fly to the island ischia , and thence afterwards into france . this done , king perdinand on the th of september came to naples , where he was received with great joy and pomp. queen elizabeth , his wife , visited the churches , paying her vows to heaven , being a very virtuous and devout lady , but died soon after the kingdom was pacified . after this her husband , king ferdinand , reigned above years , always successful in several wars he undertook for his allies . alonso duke of calabria , his son , overthrew the turks , who had possessed themselves of otranto , and drove them out of all the country . prince alonso of castile , being in the power of the nobles , was the cause of greater troubles , which were designed to be quelled by those very means . the king from cabeçon went to the kingdom of toledo , and the nobles to plasencia . d. peter giron , master of calatrava , went away to andalusia , where he had the town of ossuna , designing to stir up that people to rebellion . d. john de valencuela had the grand priorship of s. john taken from him , and the bishop of jaen his goods and revenues , only because they were loyal to their king. besides this , d. peter giron raised men , and endeavoured with large promises to debauch all the nobility of that country . the duke of medina sidonia , the earl of arcos , d. alonso de aguilar , and the councils of sevill and cordoua , resolved to join with the rebels . king henry perceiving the storm gather , assembled a councel at madrid , where he asked what was best to be done in that exigence . all being silent , the archbishop of toledo said his opinion was , the first thing to be procured was , that prince alonso should be put into the kings hands , as the fittest person to secure the pledge of peace ; which if the nobility ●●used , then they ought to be proceeded against by force of arms : that to this purpose the court should remove to salamanca , to be near to the rebels , either to treat of peace , or to carry on the war. these things being thought to be meant as they were said , were easily agreed to . a message was sent to the nobles , and the forces ordered to march to salamanca . the king himself went away to old castile , and with what forces he had laid siege to arevalo , then held by the rebels . thence the archbishop of toledo putting off his disguise , went away to avila , whereof he was made governor by the king : thither the conspirators repaired to him . the admiral , as had been agreed , seized valladolid , where they designed their forces should rendezvous . these sad news having awaked the king out of his lethargy , he is said to have fallen down before a crucifix , and uttered these words ; thy aid i implore , my lord , christ the son of god , by whom kings reign ; to thee i recommend my person and dignity ; i only beg this punishment , which i confess inferior to my deserts , may be for the good of my soul ; lord give me patience to endure it , and permit not the people to suffer for my sake . then he hasted away to salamanca . at avila the rebels resolved upon a most barbarous action , to the eternal infamy of spain ; without the walls of that city they erected a scaffold , and placed on it the statue of king henry in his royal robes on a throne with his scepter and crown . thither the villanous nobles , and a multitude of people , resorted . then a cryer proclaimed sentence against the king , laying to his charge many horrid crimes . whilst the sentence was reading , they leasurely stripped the statue of all its robes , and at last , with reproachful language , threw it down from the scaffold . this villany was acted upon wednesday the th of june . immediately prince alonso , who had been all the while present , was brought upon the scaffold , there lifted upon the shoulders of the nobles , and proclaimed king , the royal standard being displayed in his name , as was the custom at the inauguration of kings . the multitude presently cryed , god save king alonso , which was ingaging themselves in the quarrel . the news of this horrid treason being spread abroad , some approved of , others condemned it . it was easie for the new king to be liberal of what was not his own , to gutierre de solis , at the request of his brother the master of alcantara , he gave the city coria , with the title of an earl. burgos and toledo approved this act of the nobles . on the other side many great men declared for king henry . d. garcia de toledo , earl of alva , being reconciled , came to him with horse and foot. the queen and princess elizabeth were sent to the king of portugal , to beg succours of him : they met him at guardia on the borders of portugal , yet obtained nothing but good words and civil entertainment . the rebels rendezvoused at valladolid , the loyalists at toro , being more numerous than well disciplined . pen̄astor was besieged by the rebels , who because it made a virgorous defence , threw down its walls to terrifie other places . thence they removed to simancas , whither the king sent john fernandez galindo with horse , which so encouraged the besieged , that the rabble formally condemned the archbishop of toledo , and having dragged his statue about the streets , burnt it , in revenge to the affront offered to the king at avila . hereupon the rebels raised the siege , but especially because they heard the king had an army of foot and horse at toro . this army marched to simancas ; by the way , in a skirmish , john carillo , a captain of the rebels , was wounded and taken ; being at the point of death , he discovered a conspiracy , naming the persons concerned in it to the king in private , but the king fearing his discovery might be feigned , concealed their names . he laid siege to valladolid , but could not take it , by reason it had a strong garison , or rather because the kings men had no stomach to fight . there a treaty was again set on foot . king henry and the marquis de villena met again : much was promised , and nothing performed ; yet the king was perswaded , since his revenue could not bear so great a charge , to dismiss his army , and then prince alonso , quitting the title of king , with all the nobility , would submit . thus both sides disbanded , and the noblemen who were with the king , tho they had'done no service , were highly rewarded . the rebels went away to arevalo , and so valladolid returned to its duty . prince alonso was kept in the nature of a prisoner , and they threatned to kill him because he designed to make his escape to his brother . the treaty of peace went on , and the rebels promised to submit , provided the princess elizabeth were married to the master of calatrava . the king consented , and immediately sent the duke of albuquerque and bishop of calahorra from court , because they were enemies to the master . this project afflicted the princess , who wept bitterly , and having told the cause of her grief to da. beatrix de bobadilla , her first lady of the bedchamber , that lady shewing her a naked dagger , promised she would with it kill the master of calatrava rather than he should have her . but god ordered it better , for as he hasted from his town of almagro to celebrate the marriage , he fell sick by the way , and died at villarubia , at the beginning of the year ; he was buried in a private chappel at calatrava . his two sons inherited his estate . d. alonso tellez giron , the eldest , in pursuance of his fathers will , was earl of uren̄a , d. roderick tellez , giron , the younger , had the mastership of calatrava , having before obtained the popes bull to that effect . he had also a third son called d. john pacheco ; all three unlawfully begotten . not long before the masters death , in the territory of jaen , there appeared such a multitude of locusts , that they hid the sun. every one interpreted this and the like prodigies as his fear dictated , rather than according to any reason . at this time roderick sanchez de ●revalo , who commanded the castle of s. angel at rome , wrote in latin a history of spain , more devout than elegant . it is called palentina from the author , who was afterwards bishop of palencia . pope paul ii. gave him that bishoprick at the request of king henry , to whom he dedicated that history . the said roderick sanchez , tho a spaniard , was very familiar with that pope . chap. v. peter the constable of portugal dies ; the rebels in catalonia choose the duke of anjou for their king ; the battle of olmedo ; the death of the queen of aragon and prince alonso of castile ; the king recovers toledo ; the rebels of castile affront the popes legate , and are excommunicated . castile was full of confusion and tumults , nothing but rapine and murders appeared in all places , the government being too weak to punish these insolencies . for this reason the towns and cities associated themselves , and by the kings consent rules were prescribed the heads of the association to be governed by . the people generally feared left the moores should again conquer spain , the kingdom being no less debauched than in the time of king roderick , and the archbishop of toledo was commonly in scorn called d. oppas , which was the name of him that had helped to betray the country to the infidels when they over-ran it . these divisions encouraged the earl of faux to invade navarre , as his wife's dower , not content to expect the death of his father-in-law , tho he had blamed that forwardness in his brother-in-law prince charles . not so satisfied , he resolved to oblige king henry of castile to deliver up those towns of navarre in which he had garisons . at the first onset he took the city calahorra , and laid siege to alfaro . king henry sent james enriquez del castillo his chaplain , who also wrote a chronicle of this king , to treat with the earl , but he finding nothing was to be done by fair means , gathered what forces he could , and drove him out of the country . calahorra was also restored to the king , the townsmen expelling the garison of the earl of faux . in catalonia the aragonians in several places worsted their enemies , and recovered many towns. but what was most considerable , d : peter , the pretended earl of barcelona , died at granobla on the th of june . his body was buried at barcelona . he was thought to be poisoned , as was very usual in those days . in his will he left that earldom , wherein he had so small a share , to john prince of portugal , his nephew . the aragonians using the advantage of his death , took tortosa and other places . to put a stop to all these losses , the catalonians in a great assembly at barcelona , chose renee duke of anjou , the perpetual enemy of aragon , their king. on the other side the king of aragon sollicited the duke of savoy and galeazo , who had succeeded his father francis sforzia in the dukedom of milan , to join in league with him . he also courted the english , and at the beginning of the year , sent peter peralta , his constable , to castile , to join in league with the confederate lords . for the better compassing his ends , he gave commission to treat of matching his daughter joanna with prince alonso , and his son ferdinand with beatrix daughter to the marquis of villena . neither of these marriages had effect . the earl of benavente at this time got prince alonso from the archbishop of toledo , for pretending to entertain him in his castle of portillo ; when he had him in he'kept him , yet not long after , at the perswasion of the marquis de villena , restored him to the rebellious lords . thus all things tended to open war , which king henry earnestly desiring to prevent , condescended again to have two conferences with the marquis de villena , but all to no effect ; notwithstanding the earl of plasencia's lady , a person of great parts , and well affected towards the king , was present , in hopes she would reduce her husband and some others . the marquess de villena was more subtle to gain an advantage , than king henry to disappoint him . another interview was appointed at plasencia , which the loyal nobility were concerned at , saying , it was lessening of the king to have so many conferences with a subject . at the beginning of summer the king removed from madrid to segovia , and the rebels possessed themselves of olmedo . peter de silva , commandant of the garison , delivered it up . mota de medina belonged to the archbishop of toledo , and there was danger it would fall into the hands of the lords . king henry moved by all these affronts , ordered great levies to be made . then he summoned the nobility . there came to him the earl of medina celi , the bishop of calahorra , the duke of albuquerque , who till then had been absent from court ; and peter hernandez de velasco , who being pardoned his former fault , was now sent by his father with horse , and a good body of foot. for this service he had the tenths of the admiralty granted him . so great fear had possessed the king , and he was so desirous to gain the nobility , that to secure the marquis of santillana , he delivered up his daughter joanna to be kept by him in his town of buytrago . every one sold his service the dearest he could . the king having gathered a good army marched towards medina , but being come to olmedo the rebels drew out to hinder his passage . king henry was desirous to avoid fighting , but could not contain his men. upon the th of august the two armies met , and after a sharp engagement parted again upon equal terms , yet both sides pretended to the victory . night separated them , the rebels returned to olmedo , and the king with his forces , which were foot and . horse , marched on to medina del campo . king henry was not in the fight , being advised by peter peralta not to hazard his person . some were of opinion he meant not honestly , being a friend to the rebels . neither was the marquess de villena there , being then at a chapter of the order of santiago , where he was chosen master , which made the nobility very jealous , seeing him preferred and rewarded , when he deserved the severest punishment . ellenor countess of faux governed navarre for her father . nicholas echavaria , bishop of pamplona , recovered urania , which till then was held by the castilians . a son of this ladies called gaston , as was his father , had at this time by his wife magdalen , sister to louis king of france , a son called francis , who for his great beauty had the sirname of phaebeus . his daughter catherine , her brother dying , by marriage united the state of albret and crown of navarre , as shall appear in its place . the king of aragon resided at tarragona , to be near to give orders for carrying on the war in catalonia , and tho very aged , and blind of both eyes , had still a great spirit . in that city , on the th of january , ellenor , his bastard daughter , was married to d. luis de biamonte earl of lerin . her portion was florins , and the design to secure that family so powerful in navarre . the queen held the cortes of aragon at zaragoça for the king her husband . there she died on the th of february , to the great grief of the king , who lamented it the more because he was so aged himself , and his son , to whom she might have been a great support , so young . not long before she met her daughter in law , the countess of faux , at exea on the borders of aragon , and there they concluded a league offensive and defensive . her body was buried at poblete . only one crime was laid to her charge , which was the death of her son in law prince charles , and this they say troubled her conscience at the hour of her death . the news of the troubles in castile was come to rome . king henry sollicited the pope to depose the bishops that were in rebellion , and to excommunicate the nobility if they would not submit . antony venerio , bishop of leon , was therefore sent nuncio into spain . first he waited upon the king at medina del campo . then endeavouring to treat with the rebels , was by them twice put off with reproachful language ; and he threatning to excommunicate them , they answered , the pope had nothing to do with the affairs of the crown , and that they would appeal to the next general councel . another misfortune befell the king , which was , that d. john arias , bishop of segovia , in revenge that his brother peter arias had been wrongfully imprisoned , tho now set at liberty , resolved to deliver up that city to the lords . the place is strong , being seated on the mountains that part old and new castile . the queen and dutchess of albuquerque , who were there , were so surprized at the coming of the rebels , that they could scarce have time to get into the castle , nor were they easily admitted , peter munsares the governor , being of intelligence with the rebels . the princess elizaheth , who knew of the design , stayed in the palace , and then went to her brother alonso , designing to take part with him . this news was soon carried to medina del campo , where king henry was , which troubled him more than any other loss , because he loved that city , kept his treasure there , and it was the place where he diverted himself . from this time forward he seemed disturbed in his brain , trusted no body , was suspicious of all men , and unsettled , sometimes for peace and sometimes for war , but peace was more suitable to his nature . he appointed to meet the marquess de villena at coca , notwithstanding all his friends opposed it , which made many forsake him . nothing was done at coca , therefore they agreed to meet again in the castle of segovia . there they agreed upon these articles , which were no better observed than others had been ; that the castle of segovia be delivered to prince alonso ; that the king have liberty to take out his treasures , which shall be kept in the castle of madrid by peter muncares ; that the queen be left with the archhishop of sevil as an hostage for performance hereof ; that these things performed , the nobles within months restore the king to the government , and submit to him . these were hard conditions for the king. but the worst was , that the queen in the castle of alabejos , whither the bishop sent her , took a liking to a young man , and proved with child by him , which confirmed all the former suspicions of her dishonesty , and made for the rebels . the king distracted with these misfortunes , went from place to place , almost like a private man , forsaken of most men , only attending him . he resolved at last to try the earl of plasencia , and put himself into his power . he was there well received , and lived about months in the castle of that city . the pope sent a new nuncio to persuade the lords to submit to the king , but they persisting obstinate , he excommunicated them . this did not correct , tho it troubled them so much , that they sent deputies to rome , who were not suffered to come within the walls of that city till they had taken an oath , not to give the title of king to prince alonso . the pope severely reproved them in the consistory , assuring them god would punish their disloyalty , and that it was to be feared the young prince would come to an untimely death for the sins of others . this saying of his proved prophetick , and his severity did some kidness to king henry . at the same time the city toledo was restored to the king. peter lopez de ayala was governor of that city . f. peter de silva of the order of s. dominick , and bishop of badajoz , his brother in law , treated with his sister , the governors wife , about delivering up the city to the king. they sent to him , he came from plasencia in two days , and entring the city by night , was lodged in the dominican monastery . his coming being known , a bell was rung , and the people took the alarm . peter lopez advised the king should not shew himself , because the people would not pay him any respect . therefore about midnight he left the city , with him went perafan de ribera , and the two sons of peter lopez de ayala , peter and alonso : at the gate the king found his horse was tired , having travelled leagues that day . he asked one of the company to give him his horse , which he refused ; but the two sons of peter lopez immediately alighted , and on their knees begg'd of the king to accept of theirs , one for himself , and the other for his squire of the body . the king did so , those gentleman followed him a foot : being come to olias , the king gave peter lopez de ayala and his sons , for ever an estate of mervidies a year . the bishop also was forc'd to leave the city ; yet within four days the governors wives tears prevail'd with him to call the king again . he came , and found all things better dispos'd than he expected , and at the suit of the people , confirm'd their charter , granting them new privileges . but peter lopez de ayala was created earl of fuensalida , and continued governor of the city ; then the king went away to madrid , there he secur'd the governor of that place , peter muçares , but soon after dismiss'd him . the loss of toledo so nearly touched the rebels , that they immediately marched from arevalo where their forces were , to besiege that city . in their march near carden̄osa , prince alonso fell sick and died on the th of july , which put a stop to their proceedings . his body was buried in the church of st. francis at arevalo ; thence afterwards translated to the carthusian monastery of miraflores at burgos . some said he died of the plague , which then raged in those parts , others that he was poisoned . alonso de palencia who wrote his history , positively asserts his being poisoned by the marquess of villena : but i cannot find to what purpose that nobleman should undertake such a hainous crime . chap. vi. john duke of lorrain supports and heads the rebels in catalonia , for his father ; ferdinand prince of aragon declared king of sicily ; the crown of castile offered to the princess elizabeth , she refuses it ; peace betwixt the king and nobels . rence duke of anjou , having accepted of the offer made him by the catalonians , because he was himself too old to undertake that expedition , sent his son john duke of lorrain , who we said before was by the aragonians drove out of italy . the king of france not regarding his league with aragon , sent him supplies as soon as he had ended the civil war with his brother the duke of berri , and charles duke of burgundy . john earl of armagnac , between whom and the duke of lorrain there was a professed friendship , brought him some supplies ; with these forces he began the war fortunately , but the end was not suitable . barcelona received him with joy , and it was resolved to carry the war to ampurias . the king of aragon tho' old and blind repaired thither , near roses a party of aragonians was defeated . the body of the french army marched towards girona , resolving if the commandant peter de rocaberty came out , to fight him ; if he kept close , to besiege the place . the aragonians marched out , and in several rencounters worsted the enemy . prince ferdinand came and put his forces into the city , whereupon the siege was raised . soon after , the prince going out with a party , was defeated by the french , and many of his men killed ; roderick rebolledo who had behaved himself bravely in defence of the prince , was taken . it was resolved to wear out the heat of the french , therefore all the frontiers were garrisoned , and duke alonso de aragon left to command there , and observe the enemy . prince ferdinand returned to zarogoza , where the cortes sate , and was present when his mother died ( as has been said above . ) his mother being dead , and his father years of age , all the weight of the government fell upon him , therefore to give him the more authority , he was declared king of sicily . this was about the time that prince alonso of castile departed this life , as we have declared . the death of prince alonso being known at zaragoça , immediately peter peralta was sent to the factious lords of castile to ask the princess elizabeth in marriage for prince ferdinand . his father stayed at zaragoça , and he went away to carry on the war in catalonia . the duke of lorrain desiring to possess himself of girona , raised men in russillon and cerdagne , which with the forces he had before , was a power too great for the aragonians to cope with ; so that they could put no relief into the town , which was closely besieged . nevertheless , through the valour of the bishop , of d. john meliguerite , and other commanders , it held out . mean while , prince ferdinand had a town called verga delivered to him on the th of september . from this time the affairs of the aragonians began to look with a better aspect , and the more for that the king recovered his sight , a thing then thought miraculous : a jew of lerida undertook the cure , and couched a cataract in the right eye on the th of september , when he refused to proceed to the other , saying , there was no favourable aspect of the heavens ; but being pressed by the king , on the th of october he perfected the cure upon the left eye . to add to this publick joy , the weather and want of necessaries obliged the enemy to raise the siege of girona . in portugal , prince john married his cousin eleanor , not regarding the promise he made to marry joanna princess of castile : her mother 's loose life made her birth suspected . ferdinand duke of viseo , father to the lady eleanor , passed over into africk , obtained there some victories over the moors , and returning home , by his wife beatrix , the daughter of d. john master of santiago in portugal , had a son called emanuel , who came in time to be king of portugal . the portugueses talk of strange prodigies seen at the birth of that child , denoting his future grandeur . upon the death of prince alonso , many submitted to king henry ; but the peace was not lasting , and the war that ensued wasted the power of spain . burgos returned to its duty , and at madrid the archbishop of sevill , the earl of benavente , and other noblemen , did homage to the king. the rebels having lost prince alonso , resolved to offer the crown to the princess elizabeth , as they did at avila , the archbishop of toledo making an harangue to persuade her , and railing at the king. she thanked them for their offer , and wishing long life to the king her brother , intreated them to pay to him that duty they offered to her . her modesty surprized them all , and she was thought the worthier to reign . they bent their thoughts upon peace , and the more , because the king had sent commissioners to offer them all his free pardon . at length peace was concluded at avila , by the archbishop of sevill and andrew de cabrera lord steward of the houshold , upon these articles : that the princess elizabeth be sworn heiress to the crown : that the cities and towns of avila , ubeda , medina del campo , olmedo , and escalona , be given to her ; but upon condition she shall not marry without the king's consent : that the king be divorced from the queen , the pope consenting to it : that she and her daughter be sent to portugal : that all the revolted nobility be pardoned and restored to their estates and preferments taken from them during the troubles . four months were allowed for the performance of these articles . these conditions pleased not the marquss de santillana and his brothers , who thought it more for their interest to have the keeping of the princess joanna . the queen , with the assistance of luys de mendoça , was gone away by night , from the castle where she was kept , to her daughter at buytrago . this much troubled the archbishop of sevil , who had the charge of keeping her . during her confinement , she was delivered of two sons , ferdinand and apostol , who it is affirmed were bred in the monastery of s. dominick the royal of nuns in toledo . the monastery of guisando , in the mid-way betwixt madrid and avila , was appointed for the king and the lords to meet : there many conditions were agreed to , and much granted to the nobles , none of them doubting but the king and his sister being weary of those confusions , would refuse them nothing they could ask . it is said the king and marquess de villena had a private conference , the substance whereof is not known ; but by what followed it was supposed it only tended to the securing the marquess and advancing his family . on the th of september , the nobility did their homage to king henry , and swore the princess elizabeth heiress to the crown . immediately , upon the submission of all the cities to the king , he took the government of the city and castle of segovia from the two brothers of the house of arias , and gave it to andrew de cabrera , who afterwards obtained great preferments and riches . about this time , near a town called peromoro , in the territory of toledo , great store of blood ran from the sheaves of corn newly mowed , which then surprized all men , and afterwards was found to denote the great calamity that ensued in spain . the marquiss de villena being restored to his former favour , grew absolute , to the great dissatisfaction of the nobility . he persuaded the king and princess elizabeth to remove to ocan̄a , at the beginning of the year . his design was to marry the princess to the king of portugal ; and to that purpose d. alonso de noguera , archbishop of lisbon , with other men of note , came ambassador from thence . the archbishop of toledo , was for matching her with ferdinand king of sicily , and spoke of it openly , after the departure of peter peralta , the aragonian ambassador : this match pleased her best ; and she had declared she would not marry in portugal . the marquess advised to marry her by force . king henry was dubious ; but at last resolved to dismiss the portuguese ambassador , telling him it was not yet time to treat of that affair . the cardinal of arras came ambassador from luis xi . king of france , to demand the princess elizabeth in marriage for his brother charles duke of berri , which caused more divisions among the nobles . andaluzia was not yet perfectly reduced . john duke of medina sidonia dying , henry his bastard son inherited his greate estate and rebellious spirit . d. alonso de aguilar , and the earl of arcos sided with him , and disturbed the peace of that country in the name of the princess elizabeth . it was thought fit the king should go in person to quell those troubles . the marquess de villena at the same time resigned and made over that marquisate to his son james lopez pacheco , hoping to obtain the confirmation of the mastership of santiago from the king and pope . the princess was left at ocan̄a , being again obliged to swear she would not marry or treat about it , without the king her brother's consent or privity . the earl of benavente and peter hernandez de velasco went to valladolid , to govern the kingdom during the king's absence . chap. vii . the marriage of ferdinand king of sicily with the princess elizabeth of castile , and of the duke of guienne with the princess joanna , who is sworn heiress of castile : differences betwixt the knights of alcantara and their master , and troubles in biscay : the portugueses take arzila and tangier in africk . king henry going into andaluzia , was nobly entertained at jaen by his constable irançu : soon after , he reduced the city cordova , delivered to him upon articles by d. alonso de aguilar , and quelled the tumults raised by that gentleman and d. peter de cordova , earl of cabra . in the summer he went to sevil , and did the same there . the moors did not infest our borders , being closely observed by those that commanded on the frontiers , and divided among themselves . alquirçote , governor of malaga , an able soldier , finding himself master of that city , rebelled against his king albohaçen , many siding with him , who were disgusted by the king , or out of their natural inconstancy . they came to a battel , and alquirçote being the weaker , was overthrown . he proposed a league with king henry , and came to meet him at archidona , on the borders of the kingdom of granada , bringing great presents , and was dismissed with a promise of succour . hereupon albohaçen made several incursions into the christian territories , carried away great numbers of captives and cattel , and burnt all the country . he did much more mischief than had been usually done of late upon the like occasions , yet took never a town of note . many parties of moors over-ran andaluzia and murcia , but rather in the nature of robbers , than in warlike manner . let us return to the princess elizabeth , whom many great princes courted : she was a woman excellently qualified , and virtuous ; but above all , her dower , which was no less than a kingdom , drew so many to pretend to her . at last , ferdinand king of sicily took place of the portuguese , who was a widower , and the duke of berry being too much a stranger . his father the king of aragon left no means unessayed , but gave rich presents , and made large promises . gutierre de cardena was her great favourite , and gonzalo chacon his uncle govern'd him : to the last was promised the town of casarrubios , and that of arroyo molinos ; to the other the town of maqueda , besides rich gifts in hand , and assurances of favours to come . by their means , with the assistance of the archbishop of toledo , the match was made up , and articles agreed upon , which chiefly tended to the giving all due respect to king henry as long as he lived , and after his death that the whole government should be in the power of the princess ; so that the king should bestow no preferments on strangers , nor on others , without her consent . that match was privately concluded . the war in catalonia detained king ferdinand , for girona was again besieged by the enemy , and at last forced to surrender : besides , another storm was raised in navarre . nicholas bishop of pamplona going to tafalla to meet the princess eleanor , was murdered by the procurement of peter peralta . messengers were sent to the king of aragon to demand justice ; they also complained the murderer had possessed himself of tudela , and that the king was too free in giving charters to several towns. they also prayed he would recover estela and its territory , still held by the castillians . the earl of faux was dissacisfied , and seemed to threaten war ; for which reason he was no less hateful to the king his father-in-law than prince charles had been . the king gave these deputies good words ; but peralta was not punished for that heinous crime . the princess elizabeth being uneasie , fled from ocan̄a towards old castile ; and being denied admittance at olmedo , went to madrigal , where her mother was . it was contrived by the master of santiago and archbishop of sevil to seize her ; but they were disappointed by the archbishop of toledo and the admiral , who with a party of horse carried her to valladolid . king ferdinand fearing to be disappointed , leaving the war in catalonia , went away to valencia , to raise the money he had promised his bride to keep house . thence he returned to zaragoça , and so in a disguize , with only four persons attending him , came into castile . at osma he met the earl of trevin̄o , who was privy to the match , and with him and horse removed to duen̄as , a town belonging to the earl of buendia , brother to the archbishop of toledo : there he saluted his bride , and on the th of october they were married at valladolid , the archbishop of toledo pretending he had a dispensation from pope pius ii. but it appears to have been false , by the bull afterwards granted upon that occasion by pope sixtus iv. king ferdinand was but years of age , but proper and strong . the new married couple sent letters to the pope , king henry , and other princes and great men , excusing their being so hasty in marrying . they were forced to borrow money for their expences . about the same time , henry , son to prince henry of aragon , was by the king his uncle created duke of segorve , and alonso the king's bastard-son earl of ribagorça . on the th of december died at rome d. john cavajal , cardinal and bishop of plasencia : he was auditor de rota , legate to three popes , and a man of a good life . he built a bridge over tagus in estremadura , which is still called the cardinal's bridge . whilst king henry was busie settling the affairs of sevil , advice was sent him from cantillana , by the master of santiago , of his sister's marriage : his displeasure was very great . immediately he set out for truxillo , designing to give that town to the earl of plasencia , for his good services during the troubles . the townsmen resolved to oppose it ; and therefore the king , rather than use violence , gave him in lieu of it the town of arevalo in old castile ; and because it was not worth so much as the other , added to it the title of a duke . at truxillo , the master of alcantara , who had sided with prince alonso , was pardoned , and the king gave or restored the city coria to gutierre de caceres and solis his brother . thus many who deserved punishment received rewards . here letters were brought the king from his sister , excusing her marrying , and promising she and her husband would be as dutiful as if they were his children , if he would treat them with the affection of a father . no other answer was returned , but that the king at segovia would consider of that affair . another message was sent to segovia , at the beginning of the year , to press the king to give leave to the prince and princess , that they might pay their respects to him , promising their future behaviour should make amends for the displeasure they had done him . all the answer was , a business of that importance required the advice of the nobility . this was the pretence ; but in reality he was offended at the princess elizabeth , and had fixed his affection on his daughter joanna , whom lewis king of france had sent to demand in marriage for his brother charles , created duke of guienne . besides , he pressed king henry to join with him in calling a general councel , in opposition to pope paul , with whom he was at variance . this request was flatly denied by the king ; the business of the marriage was put off . at the same time . d. alonso de aguilar at cordova , apprehended the mareschal d. james de cordova , who suspected no such design . he was soon released by the king's order ; but thinking he should obtain no satisfaction for that wrong , went away to granada , and thence with the consent of the moorish king , sent a challenge to his adversary to fight upon the plain of granada . on the appointed day , having waited till sun-set , and d. alonso not appearing , he dragged his effigies at his horse's tail : that done , he sent letters to all parts with pictures representing that passage . the knights of alcantara would not submit to their master , and the dispute came to open hostility . the master not being able alone to oppose so many , begged assistance of his brother gutierre de solis . they wanted money , and garci alvarez de toledo , earl of alva , lent them a sum upon the mortgage of the city coria . thus the earls , afterwards dukes of alva , got that city , which being confirmed to them by grants of kings , remains in the family to this day . nothing remarkable hapned between the master and knights , only they hindred his forces passing the river tagus , and soon after they were dispersed . the master being thus outed his estate , died some years after . d. john de zun̄iga , son to the duke of arevalo , succeeded him , and was the last master of alcantara , he resigning up that dignity to king ferdinand . d. john pacheco , master of santiago , lay sick at ocen̄a , being greater in the king's favour than ever , notwithstanding all his misdemeanours ; which occasioned the people to say he had bewitched the king ; and it was given out the court removed to madrid only to be near him . when he returned to court after his sickness , the king went out to meet him , and gave him the town of escalona ; the inhabitants whereof refusing to receive him , the king went thither in person to deliver it to him . the earl of armagnac fled into spain , for fear of being killed , because he privately marry'd the earl of faux's daughter without her father's consent . he was well received by the king , and soon after returned into france , the cardinal of albi in that king's name assuring him his life ; but it proved fatal to him , as will appear hereafter . the biscayners , who had been long divided into the factions of on̄es and gamboas , about this time fell into great confusions : peter fernandez de velasco , earl of haro , was sent by the king to appease them , which he soon did , banishing the two heads of the factions , called peter de avendan̄o , and john de moxica . pope paul ii. granted a jubilee to all that gave alms , two thirds thereof to be employed in rebuilding the church of segovia , and the rest for his own use . king henry went thither from madrid to gain this jubilee . in portugal the duke of viseo died at setuva on the th of september , being years of age : james his second son succeeded him . he was buried in the monastery of s. francis in that city , and thence translated to the church of the conception at beja , which , with the monastery of nuns it belonged to , was built by his wife beatrix . in valladolid the people mutinied , and took up arms against those that were descended of jews , tho christians themselves ; king ferdinand and his queen could not quell them . the party oppressed , implored the protection of king henry , by which means that city was reduced to his obedience . the earl of benavente was left to govern there , and king ferdinand with his wife returned to duen̄as : there that queen was delivered of a daughter of her own name . ambassadors came from france to press the marriage before treated of , and it was now agreed to . all things being concluded , the marquess of santillana brought the princess joanna , for which service , and for having kept her , the king gave him the towns of alcoçer , valdolivas , and salmeron , which belonged to the marquess de villena , in the right of his wife the countess of santistevan , who in lieu of it had the town of requena , with all the duties belonging to it , which are considerable , because that place is near the frontiers of valencia . a monastery of carthusians called paular , between segovia and buytrago , was the place appointed for contracting the princess . thither went the king and queen , with their daughter , and the master of santiago , the archbishop of sevil , the duke of arevalo , the bishop of siguença , and his brothers , there they all publickly renounced the allegiance sworn to the princess elizabeth . on the th of october the ceremony of the princesses marriage was performed . the king and queen swore she was their lawful daughter , and the nobility did homage to her , and she was sworn heiress of the kingdom . after the solemnity , as they returned to segovia , there arose such a storm of wind , rain , and snow , that the french ambassadors were in danger , and some of their servants perished , which some looked upon as an ill omen to that wedding . from segovia the ambassadors returned home , well satisfied with their negociation , the bishop of siguença , by the kings order , accompanying them as far as burgos . this had been the occasion of a bloody war between spain and france , had not heaven prevented it . for the king of france had not long before a son born , which cut off the duke of guienne's hopes of inheriting that crown , and he died two years after , as shall be related in its place . chap. viii . the tumults and confusions in aragon , sardinia , and navarre ; the king of castile labours to reduce his rebels ; pope paul ii. dies , sixtus iv. chosen ; king alonso of portugal takes arzila and tangier in africk . as the power of aragon had been increased by the marriage in castile , so was its quiet much disturbed by the war which still continued in catalonia , and new commotions in sardinia and navarre . leonard de alagon , son to artal de alagon and benedicta de arborea , in her right pretended to the estate of that family , the marquess de oristan salvador de arborea dying without issue . he sought to do himself right by force of arms , and took several towns belonging to the king and other great men. nicholas carros , the viceroy , had not a sufficient strength to suppress him . in navarre the earl of faux , with the assistance of the biamonteses , possessed himself of great part of the kingdom , and laid siege to tudela . the king sent the archbishop of zaragoça before , and notwithstanding his great age , followed him with a good force , which obliged his son in law to raise the siege . a treaty was set on foot , and at length at olite it was agreed , that the king of aragon should still retain the title of king of navarre , but the government should be wholly in the power of the earl of faux and his wife . news was here brought them of a sad misfortune that had happened in france , which was , that at a feast of tilting made by charles duke of guienne for joy of his marriage , a splinter from his own lance broke upon his adversary , struck gaston , son to the earl of faux , through the sight of his helmet , and killed him . this was on the th of november . he was years of age. his body was carried to bourdeaux , and there buried in the cathedral of that city . he left two children by his wife magdalen , a son call'd francis phebus , and a daughter named catherine , who both came to the crown of navarre . this grieved the king of aragon , but above all the danger of his son ferdinand , whom he thought not safe to leave in castile , where he had many enemies , and among them that king , nor yet to call him away unless he had secured his succession to that crown . he was the more perplexed , for that the bishop of toledo , a man of great power , was discontented , and took it ill that king ferdinand was more familiar with , and had more confidence in guterre de cardenas , and the admiral d. alonso enriquez , than in him . besides , that king had let fall a word , signifying , that he would not suffer himself to be governed by any man. this troubled the archbishop , and he resolved to withdraw . the king of aragon being informed of it , endeavoured to appease him , writing a letter to his son , wherein he advised him to prefer the archbishop before all others , and use him as a father . yet this did not fully satisfie the archbishop . the affairs of aragon were in a good posture in catalonia , for john duke of lorrain died at barcelona upon the th of december , and was buried in the cathedral . the rebels were not at all dismayed hereat , but hoping the king of france would stand by them , published an ordinance , enjoining all places that were without governours , not to admit of any , unless renee duke of anjou , or his grandson nicholas , son to the deceased , came to them in person . in castile the king of aragon used all means to oblige the nobility . d. john pacheco was promised his estate should be enlarged , and the archbishop of toledo , that his sons troylo and lope , should be preferred and provided for . many others of the nobility were reduced either by fair promises , or great gifts , yet neither d. john pacheco , nor the archbishop , could be prevailed upon . king henry used the same art , especially towards the archbishop . it was thought he would not be overcome by fair means only , therefore vasco de contreras took from him the town of perales . the archbishop gathering some forces besieged that town , but the king at the beginning of the year , hasted to madrid , and marching thence with men , raised the siege , which done , he returned back to madrid , and the archbishop to alcalà . a new way was found to reduce the rebellious prelates , but especially those of toledo and segovia . the king obtained of the pope two bulls , one whereof cited the bishop of segovia to appear before him at rome within . days after the notification of it . by the other the archbishop was commanded to submit to the king , and in case he was refractory , canons of toledo were empowered to draw up a process against him , and send it to rome . these canons were appointed by the chapter , but through the contrivance of the master of santiago they proceeded not upon that affair . to the master of santiago the king gave the town of alcaraz , and to d. roderick ponce , earl of arcos , the island of cadiz , and the title of a marquess , by way of portion with beatrix daughter to the master of santiago , in order to make an interest against the duke of medina sidonia , who was an enemy to them both . biscay was again in an uproar , avendan̄o and moxica , the heads of the mutineers , being returned from banishment by the help of the earl of trevin̄o , who assisted them in hatred to peter fernandez de velasco , earl of haro , who banished them . both these noblemen marched with forces into biscay , and on the th of april came to a battle near a town called monguia . the earl of trevin̄o was strongest in foot , which were of most use in that uncouth countrey , so that he overthrew his adversary . many were killed , especially of the gentry , and more made prisoners . king henry hearing of it , posted away to burgos , and thence to ordun̄a , upon his coming all was presently quiet . he made a truce between the two parties till such time as they could be fully reconciled , and set all the prisoners free . after this great levies were made throughout castile , and the nobility was summoned , to the end to force king ferdinand and elizabeth his queen , to depart the kingdom ; yet by the advice of the master of santiago this design was laid aside . toledo and sevil mutinied at the same time , both cities being divided into factions . those of toledo were the ayalas and silvas . the earl of cifuentes was head of the silvas , and he of fuensalida of the ayalas . to put an end to these contentions , by the advice of the bishop f. peter de silva , the earl of cifuentes married ellenor , daughter to him of fuensalida . what was designed to produce a peace , proved the cause of greater discord , not only the earl of cifuentes , but john de ribera , his uncle , being admitted into the city against the kings will , one of them coming to be married , and the other to honour that solemnity . the faction of the silvas having got their chief among them , armed against their adversaries with such fury , that king henry was forced to come thither in person , and having appeased the tumult , deprived the earl of fuensalida of the government of the city , which he had held many years , and put garci lopez into that command , with the title of deputy . at sevil the marquess of cadiz was expelled that city by the duke of medina sidonia . hence ensued a formal war , which was ended by d. yn̄igo lopez de mendoça , earl of tendilla , sent thither to that purpose , he using more art than force or severity . medina sidonia was restored to its owner . it was a very great loss for castile , that pope paul ii. died on the th of july . during his papacy he did much for the good and advantage of spain . on the th of august was chosen in his place the cardinal francis de ruvere of the order of friers minors , he took the name of sixtus iv. a man of no less merit than his predecessor , and as well affected towards spain . at the same time a body of moores broke into the inward parts of andaluzia , and made great havock in the territory of alcantara ; the booty they took was so great , they could observe no order in marching . in revenge for this affront , and to divert the enemy , by the king's order , the marquess of cadiz , with his forces , took the town of cardella in the kingdom of granada by force , but he leaving a weak garison in the place , it was soon recovered by the moores . this year was fortunate to portugal . king alonso about the middle of august set sail from lisbon with a fleet , consisting of sail between great and small , resolving to renew the war in africk . with him went prince john his son , that he might learn his first military rudiments in that holy war , and all the flower of the nobility and souldiery of the kingdom . the army consisted of about men. at his first landing he took from the moores the town of arzila , in which above infidels were killed , and sold as slaves , which raised a great sum of money . this success was not bought without blood , for several persons of note among the portugueses were killed , and among them d. alvaro de castro , earl of montesanto , and d. john coutin̄o , earl of marialva , whose dead body the king having seen , turning to his son , he said , god grant you prove so great a souldier . the example of arzila so terrified the moores of tangier , that they abandoned it , the command of which place the king gave to roderick merlo . henry de meneses , earl of valencia , was left governour of arzila and alcaçar . having in so short a time concluded such noble exploits , the king returned with his fleet in safety to portugal . d. alonso vasconcellos was in this expedition created earl of penella , as a reward of his good service . chap. ix . catalonia reduced ; charles duke of guienne dies ; cardinal borgia , the pope's legate , comes into spain ; interview of the kings of castile and portugal ; the master of santiago strengthens himself against his enemies ; barcelona surrendred to the king of aragon . in catalonia the aragonians were now successful , for after the death of the duke of lorrain , girona was surrendred to the king. what remained of the enemy , whose chief commanders were reiner , bastard son to the duke , and james galeoto , were either besieged in a town called s. adrian , on the banks of the river bese , or overthrown by the general d. alonso de aragon , as they marched to relieve that place . the king , tho' so old , ceased not to press the enemy in ampurias . as he lay encamped near torella , he is said in a dream to have seen a notable soldier that died in that war , who advised him not to decamp from thence , because it would prove dangerous to him . the king took no notice of this dream , but moved thence , and having taken roses , and laid siege to peralada , was in great danger of his life by a camisade given at night by the earl of campobaso , who commanded the enemy . he was so surprized , that he fled half naked to figueras . nevertheless next day he returned to the siege , and wasted the country , which obliged the town to surrender . all that country being subdued , he marched with his army and sate down before barcelona , the siege of which place lasted long , he being resolved to carry that town by policy , rather than open force . in old castile , king ferdinand and queen elizabeth laboured to draw the people to their party , some towns surrendred to him , and among them sepulveda . this done , they sent for the archbishop of toledo , resolving to reconcile him at any rate , and being come , went with him to tordelaguna , a town of his , on purpose to oblige him . charles , duke of guienne , not regarding that he was contracted to the princess joanna , as doubting whose daughter she was , was now making a match with the duke of burgundy's daughter . as soon as king henry had notice of it , he went from segovia to badajoz to meet the king of portugal at the beginning of the year . the earl of feria , in whose custody that city was , in hatred to the master of santiago , would not admit the king. between that place and elvas the two kings met , and treated about the king of portugal's marrying the princess joanna , but nothing was concluded . the portugues placed no great confidence in the king , or the master of santiago , beside that king ferdinand and his queen became daily more acceptable to the people . for the present the insolence of the earl of feria was winked at , but not long after king henry went into andaluzia , with a resolution to punish all the mutinous lords . he came to cordova , and would not go on to sevil , because the duke of medina-sidonia was possessed of that city , and had in it a good body of horse , for fear , as he said , of the master of santiago , his enemy . for this reason , as also because toledo was again in an uproar , the king returned without effecting any thing . in toledo , the earl of cifuentes possessed himself of the castle of s. martin , then very strong , and secured the deputy-governor . scarce were these tumults in toledo quelled by the king with the assistance of the canons of that church , when news came from segovia , that that city was all in confusion , which perplexed the king and forced him to speed thither , his treasure being there . great was the misery of those times , as well in ecclesiastical as civil affairs . the money was either counterfeit , or of base allay . many petitions were presented to the king for redress of these grievances , but all in vain . ferdinand del pulgar , a man famous in those days , wrote a pastoral dialogue , being a satyr upon the king and nobles , reflecting severely on the miscarriages and abuses in the government . the same year , on the th of may , died charles duke of guienne at bourdeaux , having then concluded a league with the dukes of burgundy and britany against the king of france . bloody wars followed afterwards between the king of france and duke of burgundy , which we leave to the french historians . gaston , earl of faux , has relation to the history of spain , as pretending to the crown of navarre , in right of his wife ellenor , but death cut him off this year at roncesvalles , in his way from france to navarre . the bishop of siguença aspired with the king's favour to be made a cardinal , and had good pretensions to it for his birth and services , but was so displeased his promotion was delayed , that he would not attend the king in his late journeys to portugal , or andaluzia . means were used to pacify him , because he was a man in great power , and had kindred that were very great . the master of santiago being now a widower , married the daughter of the earl of haro , and the lady mary de mendoça . this match allied him to the velascos and mendoças , and made them of his party : particularly the mendoças forsook the duke of medina sidonia . by this means the master secured himself against the malice of his enemies . the bishop of siguença had fresh assurances given him of obtaining a cardinal's cap , as soon as the cardinal d. roderick de borgia , who was daily expected , arrived , as he did then at the city valencia , his own country , on the th of june . he was there nobly entertained , and went thence by land to tarragona to meet king ferdinand , who having been with his father before barcelona , was returning to his wife . there the cardinal legate gave him the dispensation for his marriage , referred by pope sixtus to the archbishop of toledo . many reasons were given for this journey of king ferdinand . the true one was , to acquaint his mother with the match designed betwixt henry duke of segovia and the princess joanna , which he endeavoured to break off . his father gave little credit to it , besides that he loved his nephew henry , as being his brother's son. in fine , king ferdinand hasted back to valencia , and thence to castile , fearing some revolution there . the cardinal legate came to the king of aragon before barcelona , at such time as the besieged suffered much , yet continued obstinate . they had been many times summoned , but to no purpose . therefore the king wrote a gracious letter to them , advising not to put him upon a necessity of coming to extremities , but rather to make use of his mercy , and promising to use them as his children . this letter softned their hearts , and there being no hopes of relief , they appointed commissioners to treat , and surrendred upon conditions . all the french garrison , with their commander , the son to the duke of lorrain , was suffered to depart in safety . all persons that had been in arms against the king were pardoned , except only the earl of pallas , who from those places he possest on the pyrenean hills , with the assistance of france gave some trouble , and held out for a long time after . all the acts , or decrees made by the citizens for ten years last past , and during the war were confirmed by the king. on these terms the city was surrendred . two matches were agreed upon at naples , one of frederick son to ferdinand king of naples , with joanna daughter to the king of aragon , which afterwards took no effect . the other of the princess elenor with hercules de este duke of ferrara , tho' she was before contracted to galeaço maria sforcia . in navarre the princess elenor resided at sanguessa , and after the death of her husband delivered up the strong holds of that kingdom to the king of france , for security of her grandchildren , whose unckle that king was . this action much offended the king of aragon , who in revenge thereof , and of the succours sent against him during the war of catalonia , resolved to recover russillon and cerdagne . with this resolution , he set out of barcelona on the th of december , preceding the beginning of the year . elna and perpignan immediately opened their gates to receive him , and generally the people were well affected towards him , wherefore it was not doubted the other towns would follow their example . the cardinal legate set out towards castile : at madrid he was received with great pomp under a canopy ; before him went the lords and prelates , and he went upon the kings right hand , the greatest honour according to the custom of spain . it was proposed in the popes name to raise a sum of money upon the revenues of the church , to be employed in the war against the turks . many objections were made , especially the poverty of the clergy , yet the legate prevailed with the assistance of the king. the clergy of spain were so ignorant that few of them understood latin , and besides , they were wholly given up to their ease and luxury : their avarice was such , that they thought all too little for them , and by reason of their ambition , looked upon simony as a lawful purchase . in the synod called by the legate it was proposed to remedy these evils , and to that effect they made application to the pope , that in all cathedrals the bishop and chapter should choose two canons , whereof one should be a canonist , the other a divine . this request being so reasonable was easily granted by the pope , and he sent his bull to that effect . chap. x. the pope's legates practices against king henry of castile ; massacre of the jews ; signal loyalty of peter de peralta ; traiterous practices of elizabeth sister to king henry of castile ; a synod at aranda . all the labour employed by the legate to appease the tumults in spain , proved ineffectual , the inclinations of the people being debauched , and he naturally favouring king ferdinand , and endeavouring to advance his interest . to this purpose he went to alcalà , where king ferdinand and queen elizabeth were , and with them the archbishop of toledo . thence he moved to guadalajara , upon no other design than to gain the famely of the mendoças , and alienate them from king henry , and the master of santiago . at the same time in several cities mutinies were raised to destroy those that were descended from jews . this storm broke out first at cordoua , where the rabble without any fear of punishment , committed great barbarities against those miserable people , robbing and murdering great numbers of them . some said this was a judgment upon them , for that many had fallen from the christian religion after embracing of it . other towns in andaluzia followed the example of cordoua , but the greatest violence was at jaen . irançu the constable , endeavouring to protect those wretches , the rage of the multitude was such , that they murdered him in the church as he heard mass , and the lady teresa , his wife , with her children , had much difficulty to escape into the castle . his honours were given to others , the office of chancellor to the bishop of siguença , that of constable to peter fernandez de velasco , earl of haro , in whose family it has continued to this day , whereas before it went from one family to another . the death of irança was a great loss to the king , for his singular valour and loyalty . this loss d. john pacheco , master of santiago , laboured to make up some other way . to this effect he sent for henry , duke of segorve , out of aragon , upon promise of giving him the princess joanna to wife . with him came his mother , the lady beatrix pimentel . the master himself went as far as requena to meet him . notwithstanding all this , the match was broke off by the contrivance of the same master of santiago , for that the person of the duke did not answer the expectation conceived of him , and particularly because he was haughty , and when the nobility came to pay their respects , stretched out his hand to be kissed . besides , the master was jealous , that if he came to be king , he would recover the towns that had been his father's . these were the true reasons of disappointing him , tho' it was given out , there was need of a more powerful prince to quell all the tumults then in the kingdom . the king was unwilling to break his word , and impose upon that prince , but the master replied , there would be need of much money to carry on the war. this was levelled against andrew de cabrera , who had the keeping of the royal treasure in the castle of segovia . in that city before this time , by the contrivance of the master , and after the example of andaluzia , a mutiny had been raised against those that descended from jews . andrew de cabrera quelled it , but not without much trouble and hazard to his person . an ambassador , sent purposely by the pope , brought the bishop of siguença the cardinal's cap , and gave it him at madrid , the king coming thither to honour him , and granting him the title of cardinal of spain . henry , duke of segorve was not permitted to come into madrid , but ordered to stop at xetafe , a league from that town in the way to toledo . there he spoke to the king in a field , and it was agreed he should remove to odon , another village hard by . for delaying his marriage , they pretended it was necessary to expect the pope's dispensation . thus that prince was imposed upon , who , by reason of this misfortune , was ever after called d. henry fortuna . king henry went away to segovia to get money , because andrew cabrera supplied him slenderly to cross the master of santiago , who he knew aimed at the government of that castle , having before taken from him that of madrid . besides , he favoured king ferdinand , and was married to beatrix de bobadilla , who had served the princess elizabeth . the new cardinal's revenue increased upon the death of d. alonso de fonseca archbishop of sevil , being promoted to that see , and still retaining siguença , a thing then altogether new . an army of french foot and men at arms , under the command of philip , duke of savoy , sate down before the city perpignan , in the county of russellon , on the th of april . the king of aragon threw himself into it , resolving to undergo any danger , rather than quit that place , which is very strong , and seated on the borders of france . to encourage the people , he assembled them in the church , and took an oath never to leave them till the siege was raised . a desperate action at his years , and not to be commended in him on whom depended the welfare of all the country . peter de peralta , constable of navarre , gave a signal demonstration of his loyalty , for being well skilled in the french tongue , in the habit of a franciscan friar , he passed through the enemies army , and got into the town to bear his king company in that danger . of the king of arragon's three sons , d. alonso was with his father , the archbishop of zaragoça with a good body of men threw himself into elna , which is near perpignan , to be ready upon all occasions . king ferdinand marched with horse he gathered in castile , and he gathered by the way : with this force in june he sate down before ampurias , which so surprized the enemy , that they soon raised their siege , concluded a truce till october , and cleared that country . thus the war being ended , the king of aragon made his entry into barcelona in triumph under a canopy , sitting on a chariot covered with cloth of gold , and drawn by four white horses . on both sides of him was the nobility and magistrates , and vast multitudes of people covered the fields and ways . his son was gone to tortosa to hold the cortes of aragon , but was hindred by sickness , and being called back hastily into castile . about this time a certain moor of the city of fez stole away the bones of prince ferdinand master of avis , and brought them to portugal , where they were buried at aljubarrota with great solemnity . all other parts of spain at this time enjoyed peace , except castile , which was under continual alarms , the nobility being always at variance , and the people , led by their example , mutinous . most cities and towns were divided into factions . king ferdinand and queen elizabeth's forces still increased , and many came over to them daily ; whereas on the contrary , king henry's authority was lessened , the people being dissatisfied with him . in commonwealths , as well as in the body of man , those diseases are most dangerous that proceed from the head. in biscay the disorder was great , because the new constable used force to reduce that fierce people who had more than others adhered to king henry . on the other side , the earl of trevin̄o , who favoured the aragonian with all his strength , opposed him , and the biscainers were of old better affected towards his family . thus that country of it self , not very plentiful , was wasted and consumed ; fresh tumults broke out at toledo . the earl of fuensalida confiding in the assistance of the master of santiago , attempted to surprize the city toledo , and turn out the mareschal ferdinand de ribadeneira , who stood firm to king henry . the citizens repulsed him , and the king having notice of that attempt , came himself and quieted the city . all things being reduced to good order , such as had a hand in that uproar were pardoned , which made those disaffected persons the more bold . after this , d. john pacheco , master of santiago , withdrew to pen̄afiel , where his wife was , being desirous at last to live at ease , and fearing he must be odious to many men , having long continued great at court , which he thought his absence would remedy . in his place he sent his son james , to whom , as has been said , he had before resigned the marquisate of villena . the king received the marquess with as great demonstrations of affection , as if his father had done him some signal services . he had a good presence , was in the prime of his youth , and his garb suitable to the greatness of his fortune . from toledo the king returned to segovia , where his affection to him daily encreased to that degree , that he went daily to visit the marquess , who was lodged in the monastery of friars of s. hierom , called el parral . a proposal was made of reconciling andrew de cabrera and the family of pacheco , and that he should deliver up to the king the castle of segovia , and all the treasures in it . in lieu of it , they offered him the town of moya , near the borders of valencia , and not far from cuenca , where the said cabrera was born . he was willing to harken to these proposals , but the townsmen understanding it , mutinied , and brought in an aragonian garrison . john fernandez de heredia brought those forces from valencia , and took possession of the town in the name of the princess elizabeth , which much troubled king henry . the lady elizabeth went from tordelaguna , in the kingdom of toledo , to aranda de duero , being invited thither by the people in hatred to queen joanna , whose that town was , her lewdness being very offensive to the whole kingdom , and most particularly to the king , as who was chiefly concerned . but some men , tho' wickedness displease them , have not resolution enough to punish it , and such was this prince as long as he lived . the queen and her daughter joanna were at this time kept in the castle of madrid by the marquess de villena . agreda followed the example of aranda , near to which it is seated and submitted to the princess elizabeth , which was not only grievous to the king , but more to the earl of medina celi , to whom he had given that town . at this time d. alonso carrillo , archbishop of toledo , who accompanied the princess to aranda . assembled in that town a synod of the bishops of his province . besides the bishops , many other ecclesiastical and secular persons of note repaired thither . it was given out , they were assembled for reformation of manners , but it is rather to be suspected the design was to strengthen the aragonian faction , and gain the affections of those that came thither . on the th of december they published four decrees and no more , which were these : that bishops in publick always wear a surplice . that every priest be obliged at least three or four times a year to say mass . that church-men shall not take service , or receive wages from any man whatsoever , except the king. that no manner of benefice be given to any who does not at least well understand grammar . scarce was the synod broke up , when king ferdinand came to almaçan and berlanga , where the earl of medina celi , and peter de mendoça lord of almaçan , entertained him splendidly . thence he went on to aranda , to give life to his party by his presence . this year died in castile , d. frederick the admiral , and d. gomez de caçeres y solis master of alcantara , to whom succeeded d. john de zun̄iga , as has been said before . in france , nicholas , son to john duke of lorrain , departed this life . his grandfather renee was still alive , whose grandson by a daughter , called also renee , inherited the dukedom of lorrain . this duke was famous for a victory he obtained over the flemmings near to nanci , a city in his dominions . in this fight , charles the bold , duke of burgundy , was defeated and slain . john , earl of armagnac , after his flight into spain , was never looked upon by his king being therefore disgusted , he made war in guienne with forces of the duke of burgundy , and there took peter de bourbon , governor of that province , prisoner , he being betrayed by his own men. this presumption much more offended the king , especially for that he would not release him till his town of lectour , which had been taken from him , was restored . the cardinal albigensis , with some forces he gathered , took lectour and destroyed it , and put the earl to death notwithstanding he surrendred upon conditions . tho' the action in it self were not justifiable , being a breach of faith ; yet most men said , he had well deserved that fate for his many horrid crimes , and particularly for counterfeiting the pope's bull to dispense with him to marry his own sister , which he did , and lay with her . the end of the d book . the history of spain . book xxiv . chap. i. the princess elizabeth pretends to be reconciled to her brother , and openly aspires to the crown upon his indisposition ; d. john pacheco , master of santiago , dies ; differences betwixt the french and aragonians ; king ferdinand goes to barcelona ; jews massacred in sicily ; ferdinand and elizabeth proclaimed king and queen of castile ; the king of portugal undertakes the protection of the princess joanna his niece . there was no end of the discontents of the nobility of castile . the aragonian faction increased daily in strength . the master of santiago ceased not to heap up riches , and only dreaded the aragonians should prevail , which would endanger his estate , great part whereof had belonged to the princes of that house . this made him endeavour to obstruct the mariage of prince ferdinand with the princess elizabeth , and that of d. henry of aragon with the princess joanna . his great aim was to possess himself of the castle of segovia , as well as that of madrid , looking upon them as his greatest security . only andrew de cabrera , who had great interest with the king , and was a man of much forecast , opposed him . this caused animosities betwixt them , and each strove to undermine the other . the master was more powerful , but cabrera more fortunate and politick . he used all his endeavours to reconcile king henry to his sister , the princess elizabeth , which the absence of the master of santiago much forwarded ; and finding the king one day alone , he pressed him hard upon that point , representing to him the danger of opposing the inclinations of the people , and how much to the king's advantage it was to have them well affected towards him . the king being naturally irresolute and inconstant , was easily moved . at several other times cabrera urged the same thing to the king , till he perswaded him to send for his sister . this done , he sent beatrix de babadilla , his wife , in a disguise like a country woman , to aranda , where she advised the princess to go away with speed to segovia , assuring her of her brothers kindness , and that at worst she could be safe in the castle . having agreed upon it , the lady beatrix returned to her husband , and the princess soon followed , and came into the castle of segovia on the th of december preceding the beginning of the year . her coming surprized the town and court , and the marquiss of villena suspecting some design against him , withdrew to ayllon , a town not far from thence . king henry received the news in the forest of balsain , where he was hunting . he immediately returned to segovia , and visited his sister . both testified much joy at their meeting , and spent a long time in private . at parting the princess recommended her affairs to the king , who answered , he would consider of it . next night they supped together in the castle , and the d day the princess appeared a horseback in the streets , the king himself holding her bridle . this was a joyful day to spain , none doubting but it would put an end to so many troubles . to add to the publick satisfaction , king ferdinand , by the advice of his wife , came to segovia . on the day of the epiphany the two kings and queen appeared together in publick , and afterwards dined together in the bishops house , where andrew de cabrera treated them magnificently . james enriquez del castillo writes , that d. roderick de villandro , earl of ribadeo , dined with them , by virtue of a priviledge granted to his father ( as was said in its place ) of dining with the king upon new-years-day . after the dinner there was a ball , and then a collation . but all this joy was allayed by the king's indisposition , who being taken with a violent pain in his side , was carried away to his palace . it was suspected by the people he was poisoned , and their opinion gained credit , because he never after had his health , and died within a year . but these were only surmises , publick prayers were made for his health , and he was somewhat eased . as soon as the king recovered , articles were proposed between him , and his sister . the princess demanded to be sworn heiress of the crown , and promised if that were done , to be always obedient to him , as also to deliver up her daughter as a hostage , to be kept by andrew de cabrera . on the other side , the earl of benavente required the princess joanna should be married to d. henry of aragon , and threatned if it were not granted , to break off any agreement designed betwixt the king and his sister . all the other nobles and courtiers were divided , as their interest led them . the family of mendoça , both numerous and powerful , began to incline to the princess elizabeth . for that very reason , the archbishop of toledo was for siding with the princess joanna . king henry was irresolute . d. john pacheco the master of santiago , advised him by night to secure the city , and apprehend his sister and her husband , promising to assist him in it . this design was discovered , and king ferdinand immediately withdrew to turuegano . the princess elizabeth resolved to keep possession of the castle of segovia , where all the royal treasure lay . after their parting the two kings , henry and ferdinand met again accidentally . the earl of benavente had some time before the town of carrion given him by king henry , which he fortified . the marquess de santillana was offended at it , and perswaded the earl of trevin̄o to surprize it . he did so , and the marquess marched from guadalajara with forces to support him . the earl of benavente moved from segovia , to take revenge of them both , and many of the nobility flocked with forces to favour the party they inclined to . king ferdinand marched with some troops to assist the marquess de santillana , and king henry planted himself between the two armies , to perswade them to an accommodation , which he effected . the earl of benavente wholly referred himself to the king , and consented to raze the castle of carrion , and resign the town to the crown , the archbishop of toledo giving him the town of magan in lieu of it . after this , the marquess saw the princess elizabeth at segovia , whence he returned to guadalajara , with a resolution to change parties . king henry having been at valladolid and segovia , went to madrid at the perswasion of d. john pacheco . he perswaded the king to go to the borders of portugal , to make a match for the princess joanna , with the king of portugal ; but his main design was to take possession of truxillo ; which was given him by the king. gracian de sesse governor of the castle , refused to deliver it up , till what he had laid out upon it was refunded , and his accounts passed . king henry finding his indisposition increase upon him , returned to madrid . the master of santiago being also taken ill , was carried on mens shoulders to truxillo . he designed to perswade the governor to surrender the castle , but died suddenly , of a swelling in his cheek , whence so much blood gushed , that it choaked him . it is said the last words he spoke , were only to ask whether the castle were surrendred . his death was kept private , till the castle was delivered up . in lieu of it the governor had the town of s. felix in galicia , given to him and his heirs ; an unfortunate gift to him , for in a mutiny the people of that town stoned him to death . the aragonians and french were at variance about rusillon , and cerdagne , the former endeavouring to recover those counties , and the latter pleading their rights to them by way of mortgage . thus both parties prepared to renew the war , after the expiration of the truce . nevertheless , john folch earl of cardona , and hugo de rocaberti castellan of amposta , were sent ambassadors to france , with a splendid retinue , to endeavour the composing this affair amicably . they pretended the money was not lent in time , and that contrary to the agreement john duke of lorrain had been supported out of france . as the ambassadors returned without concluding any thing , they were detained at lyons , contrary to all law and equity . those lords being detained in france , the aragonians durst not attempt any thing . yet the beginning of the summer , french horse commanded by john alonso , lord of aluda , entred rusillon , and joyning with the french garrisons , sat down before elna , the lower part thereof as being weak , the citizens abandoned . the king of aragon then held the cortes of catalonia at barcelona , and prepared for war , tho' aged , and sick of a quartan ague . he had no great force , and therefore sought to get supplies from abroad . king ferdinand of naples , sent him horse by sea. ferdinand his son in june possessed himself of tordesillas , a good town in old castile , being invited thither by the townsmen to oppose peter mendavia governor of castro nun̄o , who with a company of robbers did great harm thereabouts . from segovia whither he returned , he resolved to go visit his father , who was sick . by the way at alcalà , he visited the archbishop of toledo , thinking by that civility to gain him to his party . at guadalajara he also visited the marquess de santillana , and so went on to barcelona , where his father lay . in the kingdom of valencia , the towns of segorve and exerica mutinied at the same time , and took up arms. the people of exerica , to free themselves from the tyranny of francis sarsuela , who they pretended oppressed them . those of segorve , to follow d. henry de aragon contrary to the king's will and pleasure . these confusions lasted long , but nothing remarkable hapned in them , only , that at length segorve was confiscate , and exerica restored to its owner . king ferdinand was at barcelona consulting with his father about the war in russillon , when news was brought him from castile , that that d. john pacheco , master of santiago , departed this life on the th of october , upon whose death the nobles were worse divided than before . many aimed at that mastership . the duke of medina sidonia , the marquess of santillana , and the earls of albuquerque and benavente , confided in their riches , and hoped that way to carry it . d. alonso de cardenas , chief commendary of leon , was chosen in that city ; and d. roderick manrique , earl of paredes , at veles . the marquess de villena pleaded , the pope during his father's life-time , had given him that dignity ; but because he produced no bull , it was supposed he only did it to delay time , till he could make an interest with his holiness . as he went towards villarejo de salvanes , to meet the earl of ossorno , he was apprehended , and sent prisoner to fuentiduen̄a . king henry resenting this affront , and believing the earl of ossorno would not obey his orders , sate down with some forces before fuentiduena , tho he was then much indisposed . many lords , as well spiritual as temporal , repaired thither to serve him . delays were dangerous , the king's sickness increasing , and the weather being bad , therefore they resolved to oppose one fraud against another . lope vasquez de acun̄a , brother to the archbishop of toledo , pretending to treat with the earl of osorno's wife , secured her , and a son of hers , and carried them away to huete . this obliged her husband to release the marquess . thus the designs of the earl of osorno were disappointed . king ferdinand being informed what had hapned , left the care of the war in ampurias to his father , and returned to zaragoça . there he thought , if the affairs of castile would permit , to assemble the cortes of aragon in order to raise money , whereof he stood in great want . the more because the french forces daily increased , and they had besieged elna with horse and foot. that place being reduced to great extremity , surrendred on the th of december , upon condition the garrison should march away in safety . it was much feared lest perpignan should be lost , the castle being already in the hands of the french , as were all the garrisons about it . this year was particularly remarkable for the havock made among the jews in all parts of sicily . the rabble without respect to d. lope de urrea , their viceroy , who punished some of them , killed many of those wretches , and plundered their houses . the peace with the moores of granada was duely observed on both sides . in navarre there were tumults between the biamonteses , who took part with the princess ellenor , and the agramonteses , who favoured the king of aragon . chap. ii. the death of henry king of castile ; ferdinand and elizabeth usurp the crown of castile from joanna the rightful heiress , and are proclaimed king and queen ; the king of portugal undertakes the protection of the rightful heiress , his neece . king henry's indisposition , which had held him long , daily encreased , and , being heightned with troubles and the toil of his late expedition , became mortal . the physicians ordered him to be carried to madrid , hoping the air might contribute to his recovery ; but neither that nor any medicines proved effectual . on the th of december , having prepared himself as became a good christian , he gave up the ghost , at the end of the th year of his age , and having reigned years , months , and days . his will was not made in form , but written in haste by john de oviedo his secretary , in whom he reposed great confidence . he appointed the cardinal of spain and marquess de villena his executors . being asked by f. peter de maçuelos , prior of s. hierom in madrid , who confessed him at that time , whom he appointed to succeed him ? he said , the princess joanna , whom he recommended to his two executors , as also to the duke of arevalo , the marquiss of santillana , the earl of benavente , and the constable , in whom he most confided . his body was deposited , without much ceremony , in the monastery of s. hierom at madrid , and thence , as he had ordained , translated to the church of guadalupe . this prince was for nothing so remarkable as for his loose life . he left no issue male , and was himself the last of the male line of king henry the bastard . king henry's death caused a mighty alteration in castile : the greatest number took part with the princess elizabeth ; yet many adhered to the princess joanna ; particularly the marquess de villena and the duke of arevalo , with all their kindred and followers , supported that lady . they expected she should have the title of queen , and they all the power , chusing a husband for her where they thought fit . all the country , from toledo to murcia , sided with these two noblemen , as did all the men of note in galicia , with such resolution , that they took arms against d. alonso de azevedo y fonseca , archbishop of santiago , because he declared for the other side . at segovia , such as were there present , publickly took the oath of allegiance to queen elizabeth , upon a scaffold raised for that purpose . then king ferdinand and queen elizabeth were proclaimed by a herauld , amidst the loud acclamations of the people . all kissed her hand , and conducted her a horseback to church . few lords were then in segovia , and none of them grandees . the first that came to express their loyalty were the cardinal of spain , and earl of benavente ; soon after , the archbishop of toledo , the marquiss de santillana , the dukes of alva and albuquerque , the constable and the admiral . others did their homage , and took the oath of allegiance by proxy . no oath was taken to king ferdinand , till he came and swore to preserve the privileges of the kingdom . he was then holding the cortes of aragon and zaragoça , and endeavouring to raise money ; but as soon as he heard of the death of king henry , he set out for castile . he left his sister joanna , contracted to ferdinand king of naples , then a widower , to preside in the cortes . it was usual with the nobility of castile to sell their loyalty as dear as they could . the king being at almazan , the earl of medina celi sent to acquaint him , that the kingdom of navarre appertained to the lady anne his wife , as lawful daughter to charles prince of viana : he said if king ferdinand would not assist him in recovering his right , he should not want aid elsewhere , meaning from france . having sent away the messenger without any answer , the king went on to turuegano , where he stayed till the city segovia was provided for his reception . he made his entry into that city on the d of january , . and was received with great pomp. all the three estates did homage to him , and kissed his hand . some debate arose about the manner of government : the queen's servants contended king ferdinand ought not to intermeddle in the government , nor so much as call himself king of castile ; to which purpose they brought examples of queens of naples . on the other side the aragonians pleaded , that king henry having left no heirs male , the crown was devolved upon king john of aragon , as head of the family . but this was easily answered by examples of many women that had inherited the crown of castile . at length the king and queen agreed the matter between themselves upon these conditions ; that in all charters , patents , and upon the coin , king ferdinand should be named before queen elizabeth ; that the arms of castile should be on the right of those of aragon ; that all garrisons should be held in the queen's name , and all officers of the revenue take their oath to her ; that grants of benefices should be in the name of both , but only in the disposal of the queen ; that when they were together , both should have equal authority in the administration of justice ; and when in different places , each in that part ; that the affairs of other provinces should be determined by him or her who was nearest to the council , which should be observed in the choice of civil governours . king ferdinand was concerned , that his subjects should prescribe laws to him , but thought fit to wink at it for the present . and the queen is said to have mollified him , promising , that the whole disposal of all things should be in him . this done , king ferdinand applied himself to the care of settling the kingdom , which was much distracted by the late broils . the marquess de villena at the same time held correspondence with king ferdinand , and king alonso of portugal . he was no less politick than his father , and it was not doubted , but he would incline to that side where he expected the greatest advantage . of king ferdinand he demanded , that his two competitors to the mastership should be declared illegally chosen , and he secured in that dignity . this request seemed to the king somewhat harsh , not thinking it safe to add so great a revenue to one so powerful , and in whom he could repose but little confidence : however he gave him a favourable answer for the present , which was to promise , he would favour him in obtaining his desires , provided he would deliver up the princess joanna to a third person . he replied he would not do it , nor should ever be prevailed upon to break his word to king henry , having ingaged to him to take care of his daughter . at the same time he sent persons in whom he confided , to perswade the king of portugal to take upon him the protection of his neece ; since it appertained to him as the next of kin , and as such he ought to take upon him the government of castile . he blamed his fearfulness , and conjured him since he was so powerful a king , not to forsake that innocent lady , assuring he would find many in castile that would appear for him as soon as they had a head to whom they might have recourse . the king of portugal was at estremoz , on the borders of his kingdom , when king henry died . he immediately called a council , and laid before them what was proposed by the marquess de villena . opinions , as is usual in such cases , varied . most were for declaring war , and invading castile without delay , pleading they had great store of treasure heaped up having long enjoyed peace , great numbers of horse and foot , and a powerful fleet at sea. john prince of portugal was the chief promoter of this unfortunate war. only ferdinand , duke of bragança , whom age made more cautious and circumspect , was against ingaging in that affair , which some attributed to fear , and others to affection to queen elizabeth , who was his brothers grandaughter . he urged , the marquess de villena and his party were the same who not long since proclaimed prince alonso king , and declared the princess joanna a bastard ; that they offered no strong holds for security of performing what they promised ; and , that it was hard to perswade a prejudiced people , that the princess joanna was legitimate . these precautions were approved of by the wiser sort , yet the plurality of voices prevailed , the common misfortune of councils , where number takes place of weight . however before they positively declared , lope de albuquerque was sent into castile , to examine into the posture of affairs , and at his return brought an ingagement signed by many noblemen , wherein they promised , that if the king of portugal would marry the princess joanna , they would when it was time appear for him . it fell out very opportunely to advance this design , that the archbishop of toledo being disgusted , withdrew from segovia the th of february , pretending to retire for his ease , having lived long at court. this was the pretence , but in reality he was displeased . he complained , he was kept in hand with specious promises , without receiving any reward for his great services ; or in recompence of spending his paternal estate , to bestow the crown upon those ungrateful princes . above all it grieved him to see the cardinal so much in favour , that nothing was done without him . means were used to appease him , but all in vain . he threatned to make it appear how dangerous a thing it was to provoke the archbishop of toledo . neither were the prayers , mixed with threats , of his brother the earl of buendia , of any force . for he being proud , and lavish of his tongue , grew worse when good advice was given him . besides , one ferdinand de alarcon , who being of the same temper , was his great favourite , still was buzzing in his ears , and inflamed his passion . chap. iii. the king of portugal calls himself king of castile , and is assisted by many of the nobility , being contracted to joanna the rightful heiress ; he takes several places in castile ; the french make peace with england , and ingage to assist portugal against ferdinand . the disgust of the archbishop of toledo did not a little perplex the king and queen , fearing he might cause great revolutions , being rich and powerful . this made them careful to gain what friends they could , and to appease the nobility . the first reduced was henry of aragon , which was done by restoring to him his patrimony of segorve and ampurias , and pardoning all past faults , which highly obliged the earl of benavente his cousin . it was now the easier to content him , because he had lost all hopes of marrying the princess joanna , she being gone from escalona to truxillo , in order to be married to the king of portugal . the town of perpignan being pressed with a long siege , surrendred on the th of march , upon condition the aragonian ambassadors detained in france , should be released , and the townsmen have liberty either to stay there , or depart whither they pleased . a truce for months was concluded between france and aragon . king ferdinand sent an embassy into france to propose a peace , and treat about restoring russillon . the king of france received the ambassadors honourably , and sent one to castile to propose a match betwixt the dauphin and the princess of castile , which if concluded , he promised supplies of men and money to reduce the nobility of that kingdom , and to stand to the judgment of arbitrators as to the affair of russillon . king ferdinand was not averse from this proposal , but the king of aragon resented it , and complained that such important affairs should be managed without his privity . above all , he feared lest the archbishop of toledo should endeavour to set up another king in castile . the king of portugal was ready on the frontiers with an army of horse and foot. thus all hopes of accommodation being taken away , the king and queen prepared for war. andrew de cabrera to make himself the more acceptable , delivered up the royal treasures , for which he was created marquess of moya , earl of chinchon , and hereditary governor of the castle of segovia . medina del campo , a great town of trade , was secured to the kings interest , the castle being delivered up to him by the duke of alva . the rendezvous was at valladolid , whither the king and queen went , and soon gathered an indifferent army . king ferdinand stayed in old castile , where the people were well affected towards him , and queen elizabeth passed the mountains to endeavour to appease the archbishop of toledo ; but he to avoid seeing her , went away from alcalà to brihuega , a strong little town , pretending there was a design to kill him . peter fernandez de velasco , the constable , sent by the queen upon the same errand , could not prevail with him . however the queen's labour was not lost , for she secured toledo , putting a garison into that city , and expelling the earl of cifuentes and john de ribera , who favoured the archbishop . she went not to madrid because the marquess de villena held the castle . this done , she returned to segovia to coin all the silver and gold that was there . king ferdinand secured salamanca , but the houses of such as were of the other party were plundered . zamora opened the gates to him , but alonso de valencia , the governour , would not deliver up the castle , of which he was governour . he thought not fit to attempt reducing it by force , nor to go to toro , fearing john de vlloa , a powerful citizen , who was inclinable to favour the portugueses , having deserved death for several crimes . the king and queen being come to valladolid , the city of alcaraz submitted to them , and the citizens laid siege to the castle . the earl of paredes , the lord of coca , and the bishop of avila , assisted the townsmen , and the marquess de villena came to raise the siege , but finding himself too weak , desisted . this loss moved him by letter to hasten the king of portugal ; that king was on the frontiers near badajoz in may , upon the th day of which month he had a grandson born at lisbon , which was looked upon as a good omen ; he was called alonso , was sworn heir to the crown , but lived not long . the earl of feria , who stood firm to king ferdinand , was in badajoz , and had lately taken a town called xerez . the portugueses ought to have taken the right hand way , and broke into andaluzia , where carmona , ezija and cordoua were for them , so that having secured sevil they had left no enemy behind them . yet they turned to the left , and marched through estremadura to plasencia . in this city the king of portugal was contracted to the princess joanna , and tho they consummated not the marriage , expecting a dispensation because of the near kindred that was betwixt them , yet they were crowned and proclaimed king and queen of castile . here the king created lope de albuquerque earl of penamacor , to reward his labour in gaining the nobility of castile . a manifesto was also published , and sent to all parts , declaring the right of the princess joanna , and reflecting on king ferdinand and queen elizabeth . the war broke out in several parts at the same time . villena , with its dependencies , was infested with forces out of the kingdom of valencia . hereupon the inhabitants of that city , at the perswasion of the earl of paredes , took up arms , and declared for king ferdinand , having first capitulated , that they should for ever be incorporated in the crown of castile . cuidad reall was recovered from the master of calatrava , who had possessed himself thereof without any other right than that of arms. great havock was made by both parties in andaluzia and galicia . peter alvarado saved the city tuy for the king of portugal . the citizens of burgos besieged the castle of that city , which inigo de zun̄iga , the governor , and d. luis de acun̄a , the bishop , held for the portugueses . that king being called upon on every side , knew not whither to go first . the nobility failed in their supplies of men , money , and provisions . the people hated the portugueses , and they themselves began to grow weary of the war , perceiving king ferdinand , who at the time they broke into castile , had scarce horse , now headed an army of horse and foot. the king of portugal marched first to arevalo , a town that was for him , and thence went to take possession of toro and samora . king ferdinand marched after him , and encamped near toro , where the enemy was , designing to relieve that castle , which still held out for him . no action hapned betwixt them . king ferdinand sent a challenge by a herald . the portugues answered his forces were dispersed , yet offered to accept of single combat . therefore king ferdinand not being able to relieve the castle , which was at last surrendered , provision and money growing scarce , returned to medina del campo . the cortes assembled in that city , granted him , towards carrying on the war , half the silver and gold of the churches , provided he engaged to restore it as soon as the kingdom was free from war. then he sent out to besiege the castle of burgos . many said king ferdinand retired from toro through fear , and that it denoted an ill posture of affairs . certain it is , it moved the archbishop of toledo , without regarding the prayers of all his relations and friends , to go away and join the king of portugal with horse . he and the duke of arevalo advised that king to march in person with horse , and a good body of foot , to relieve the castle of burgos ; which he did , and by the way took the castle of baltanas , seated on the mountains between pisuerga and duero , sending the earl of benavente , whom he found there , prisoner to pen̄afiel . the portugues , satisfied with this action , for that he had made a rich booty , and believing himself too weak to encounter king ferdinand , turned back , without attempting the relief of burgos . the princess joanna was at zamora , and queen elizabeth at valladolid , whence she moved with what force she could gather to assist her husband at burgos , if need were . in july the ambassadors of castile and aragon made their submission to the pope , and were favourably received and entertained by him , which offended the portugues ambassadors , who said the pope ought not to receive them , till the right both parties pretended was cleared : therefore the pope said he received those ambassadors from castile , saving still to any others their titles and claims . this year was very remarkable throughout all christendom , for the great jubilee granted by pope sixtus , to be continued afterwards every th year , whereas before it was every th . many resorted to rome to gain this indulgence , and among them king ferdinand of naples , now by reason of his age grown more devout and religious than he was before . at the end of this year , the king of aragon held the cortes of that kingdom at zaragoça , being in care about carrying on the war against portugal and france : and the more , for that one roderick trahiguere not regarding the truce then in being , had with french forces entred catalonia , taken the town of st. laurence , and struck such a terror into all the country , that all such as were of age were by edict commanded to appear in arms , a thing never done but in time of extream danger . in castile , the portugues forces prevailed , and were encouraged by the hopes of succours out of france ; which were reckoned the more secure , because a peace was concluded betwixt the english and french , in which the dukes of britany and burgundy were included . the kingdom of aragon was not able to withstand two such powerful enemies ; therefore in november the king concluded a peace for seven months with the french on the side of aragon . to weaken the portugues , he wrote to the archbishop of toledo in very courteous terms , desiring an interview : but the archbishop was a man too positive to be brought to condescend . his passion was so great , he was often heard to say , i made the lady elizabeth a queen , and i will bring her down to the spinning-wheell . king ferdinand valued not his threats , believing if he were reconciled , the cardinal might be disgusted . the marquis de villena , and master of calatrava , at this time went out of old castile to almagro , designing for baeça , the castle of which city was besieged by their adversaries . hereupon ocan̄a , a town belonging to the marquess , mutinied . the earl of cifuentes and john de ribera , with the forces they carried out of toledo , turned out the marquess's garrison , and left the place to the earl of paredes , who called himself master of santiago . king ferdinand hasted from burgos to zamora , and secured that city , with the assistance of the governour francis de valdes . the castle was besieged , with a resolution not to desist till it were taken . a meeting was proposed betwixt the king of aragon and his son , as also the princess eleanor of navarre , to find some method of settling the disorders in navarre , as also to prevent any succours coming to the portugueses out of france through that country . king ferdinand was busie at zamora , when the castle of burgos , there being no hopes of relief , surrendered to queen elizabeth , at the beginning of the year . james de ribera was appointed governour of it , the queen having an affection for him , because he was tutor to prince alonso . on the th of january died at madrid queen joanna , wife to the last king henry , and mother to the present unfortunate queen joanna . her body was buried in the church of st. francis , in a tomb of white marble , near the high altar . for that end were removed the bones of roderick gonçalez de clavijo , who went ambassador to tamerlan , and after his return , buik the great chapel of that church for himself to be buried in . thus even after death the weakest are wronged . many reports were spread abroad about the occasion of this queen's death , most historians say she was poisoned by her brother the king of portugal . chap. iv. prince john of portugal comes into castile with forces to his father's assistance ; the battle of toro betwixt king ferdinand and him of portugal ; the latter defeated ; the castilian nobility forsake him , and he returns home . john prince of portugal was left at home to govern the kingdom : he being a forward youth , and understanding his father advanced little in castile , raised horse and foot , but ill armed , and undisciplined . with this recruit he set out to join his father . having passed the bridge of ledesma , he attacked the town of s. felices , but was repulsed . on the th of february he came to toro , where he found his father had horse , and foot , in winter quarters . king ferdinand lay before the castle of zamora , with only horse , and double that number of foot ; thence he sent orders to all his forces to join him , being assured the portugueses would oblige him to raise the siege , or come to a battle . the king of aragon advised him not to hazard a battle , as of dangerous consequence if lost , and costly tho gained . with king ferdinand were the cardinal of spain , the duke of alva , the admiral , and his uncle the earl of alva liste , the marquess of astorga , and the earl of lemos . at alahejos lay with a body of men , d. henry of aragon the king's cousin , d. alonso his brother , and the earl of trevin̄o , ready to march to zamora , which is not far distant , queen elizabeth from burgos returned to tordesillas , to be the nearer upon occasion . the king of portugal reinsorced by his son , resolved to relieve the castle , or at least to make a shew of so doing , and accordingly marched out of toro as if he intended to move streight towards the enemy . yet on a sudden , as if he had changed his resolution , passed the bridge , and marched on the other side of the river , encamping over-against zamora , near the monastery of st. francis. he planted his cannon at the foot of the bridge which led from the city to his camp , so that he could not obstruct the battering of the castle , nor was there any access to give him battle . thirteen days were there spent in fruitless disputes . on the first of march , at break of day , he marched back , breaking the bridge that the enemy might not pursue . king ferdinand having spent some time in repairing the bridge , resolved to follow , and sent before d. alvaro de mendoça , with light horse , to engage the enemies rear . thus the king of portugal marching but slowly by reason of his baggage , king ferdinand had time to overtake him , after passing a defile , and entring a large plain about a league and a half from toro . this was about sun-setting , nevertheless the enemy could not avoid fighting ; king ferdinand being so near , and there being no way to escape but over the bridge . hereupon the army halted , and the king drew it up in order of battle . king ferdinand was dubious , but the nobility and officers being all for fighting , the signal was given , d. alvaro de mendoça , with his horse , gave the first on-set . john prince of portugal , who led the van , in which were men at arms , mixed with musqueteers , received them so hotly , they were put to flight . both kings were in the body of their armies , which charged furiously , and the battle stood a long time dubious , both parties being disordered , and fighting confusedly . a hot dispute was about the king of portugal's standard . peter vaca de sotomayor took it from the bearer called duarte de almeida , but others coming on both sides it was torn to pieces . almeida was taken , or as others will have it , killed . his arms instead of the standard hang at this day in the cathedral of toledo . in fine , the portugueses fled , and the king with a few made his way to the mountains , without ever stopping till he came to castronun̄o . night stopped the pursuit , but henry earl of alva liste , who had gone as far as the bridge of toro , was taken by a party of the enemy , under the command of john prince of portugal , who made good his ground upon a hill king ferdinand thought not sit to attack them , because his men were dispersed plundering . both parties stood looking upon one another several hours , but the portugueses stayed last , which action their historians magnifie , and affirm the prince had the victory . king ferdinand returned to zamora , and the portugueses to toro . in this fight the archbishop of toledo never stirted from the prince of portugal's side . few were killed , and fewer taken , but the booty was considerable , most of the portugues baggage being lost . from zamora king ferdinand removed to medina del campo , where at the suit of the constable , whose daughter was contracted to the earl of uren̄a , he pardoned him and his brother the master of calatrava , notwithstanding they and many others only waited to see which party would prevail . this caused great disorders throughout the whole kingdom . particularly at fuenteovejuna , one night in april , the people took arms to kill fernan perez de guzman , chief commendary of calatrava , which he had well deserved for the insolencies committed in that town such was the resolution of those people , that thô many young men and women were put upon the rack to discover the authors of that design , nothing more could ever be got from them , but that fuenteovejuna did it . all manner of crimes were committed , the law being of no force , which moved the towns , as we said had been done before , to associate themselves and raise forces to punish criminals . alonso de quintanilla the king's treasurer , promoted this design . laws were established for the associators to be governed by , which continued in force years , till all the troubles being ended , the kingdom was restored to peace . the stress of the war was now removed to the utmost part of biscay , called guipuscoa , where stands the impregnable fortress of fuenterabia , encompassed with the sea , and strongly fortified to curb the french , who often commit waste in that country . this place the french besiged by way of a diversion to the forces that then lay before the castle of zamora . they battered down a great part of the walls and filled the ditch , which laid the place open , the garrison being weak and harrassed with continual labour . james sarmiento earl of salinas who had the charge of the castle encouraging his men , made a desperate sally and ruined all the enemies works . this good success and the accession of some recruitsthat came to them , gave them courage to fight the enemy in open field , where they parted upon equal terms , but still the siege was not raised . thus much of biscay . peter arias , and peter de toledo raised the people of madrid , and having received some supplies from the queen and marquess de santilla , besiged the castle of that town , which was held by a garrison of the marquess de villena . at the same time truxillo in estremadura , and baeça in andaluzia were besieged by the forces of king ferdinand . chinchilla and almansa , towns in the marquisate of villena , called forces out of valencia to their aid , and revolted from the marquess , but he soon reduced them . in all other things the aragonians were succesful , and the portugueses unfortunate . the castle of zamora surrendred to king ferdinand on the th of march. this loss so discouraged the portugueses , that their prince carried away the princess joanna , on whose account the war was made , to portugal under a guard of horse . with a like number the archbishop returned to his province upon pretence of reducing some persons who favoured king ferdinand , but in reality to retire , being weary of the war , and despairing of success . king ferdinand laid siege to the strong castle of calatapieda , but soon desisted , and concluded a truce for half a year , upon condition the towns of villalva , mayorga , and portillo should be restored to the earl of benavente , they having been lately delivered up by him to purchase his liberty . d. roderick manrique earl of paredes called himself master of santiago , was possessed of vcles , the chief town of that order , and laid siege to the castle which held for the marquess of villena . he and the archbishop of toledo came to relieve the besieged , but were repulsed by d. roderick and his son d. george manrique , a brave youth , tho short lived , of whose parts we shall speak in another place . neither was the sea free from this war. andrew suncer with some gallies of aragon did harm along the coast of portugal . so many losses perplexed the king of portugal , and moved many of the nobility of castile who sided with him to think of making their peace at home . among these , the first was the duke of arevalo who gave the town of pinto to roderick de mendoza for assisting him in his reconciliation . he submitted and did homage to queen elizabeth , whereby instead of punishment he obtained singular favours . in particular d. john de zuniga his son was made master of the order of alcantara , which before was in dispute betwixt him and d. alonso de monroy . soon after the lady beatrix pacheco countess of medellin submitted . on the th of may a match was concluded betwixt ferdinand , grandson to the king of naples , and the lady elizabeth , daughter to the king of castile . the king of naples was to secure her crowns , and her father , in case she had issue male. king ferdinand was won to make this match by a great sum of money offered him , whereof he stood in great need . the king of portugal finding all things combined against him , resolved to leave castile ; but with a design to procure forces out of france to march into spain , since of himself he was too weak , and the nobles that followed his party either could not , or would not support him . before his departure , he proposed a peace , offering to refer himself wholly to the arbitration of the king of aragon and archbishop of toledo . but the war being near ended , it was too late to harken to such proposals . he left the earl of marialva to command at toro , and returned to portugal on the th of june . some gentlemen of castile bore him company , being resolved to stick by him , rather because they despaired of pardon , than out of any affection . chap. v. the tumults of navarre ; the king of portugal his voyage into france ; toro recovered by the castilians , from the portugueses ; several other places retaken ; charles the bold duke of burgundy , and galeazzo duke of milan , murdered . in russillon and cerdagne , the french , notwithstanding the truce , had taken salsas , a strong castle opposite to narbonne , the bulwark of spain , and laid siege to lebia , a strong town in ampurias . besides this , the soldiers under luis mudarra who had served well at the siege of perpignan mutinied for their pay. they took several towns , and made war as if they had been enemies , and it was feared they would join with the french. there was no sufficient force to suppress them , therefore the king's party in lerida gave them security that they should receive their pay , and by that means they were pacified . still they were not strong enough to oppose the french , the king of aragon being then in navarre , where the factions ran as high as ever . the biamonteses had the better , being possessed of pamplona , and having laid siege to estela . king ferdinand also favoured them , which much offended his father , and it was requisite to provide , that the french might not get footing there . those people were perswaded the king of aragon and princess elenor contrived to deliver up the kingdom of navarre to king ferdinand , and exclude francis phebus the son of gaston earl of faux , grandson to the princess ellenor . king ferdinand went to biscay to appease the tumults , and relieve fuenterabia . for the relief of that place , he ordered a fleet to be provided , which he gave in charge to d. ladron de guevera a noble person . to settle the affairs of navarre , he desired his father to give him a meeting at vitoria . queen ellzabeth resided at tordesillas on the river duero , to curb the portugues garison of toro . d. alonso de aragon her brother in law was also there with horse , and despairing now of being restored to the mastership of calatrava , he married ellenor de soto , one of the queens lady's , the pope having dispensed with his vow of chastity . this so incensed his father the king of aragon , that he took from him the towns of ribagorça and villahermosa , and gave them to d. john his bastard son. d. jaime de aragon , pretended these places belonged to him by inheritance , and took up arms to defend his right , but it cost him his life . the citizens of segovia mutinied and besieged the castle , where was the princess elizabeth , and it was given out they had taken it . alonso maldonado raised this tumult in hatred to d. andrew de cabrera , who put him out from being lieutenant . d. john arias bishop of the city , and luis de mesa assisted him . queen elizabeth repaired thither with speed , and pacified that insurrection ; some of the mutiniers fled , others were executed . in august the king of aragon came to vitoria , being detained till then by a sore foot. there with great joy to see his son king of castile , whence he had been himself formerly expelled , he embraced and kissed him . he would not suffer him to kiss his hand , but gave him the right . the princess ellenor was present at this meeting . they consulted about their affairs , and some write that the king of aragon had resolved to resign up that crown to his son , but desisted , because castile was not then entirely reduced , and colora the french admiral was gone with a fleet to portugal , to carry that king into france . he was then preparing for that voyage , and being in a readiness , sailed first over into africk , to secure his conquests there . with him went the duke of bragança , the earl of pen̄afiel his favourite , the prior of ocrato , and d. john pimentel , brother to the earl of benavente . he carried men to reinforce the garrisons of tangier and and arzila . from ceuta he set sail , and landed at colvire in september , whence he went to perpignan and narbonne , and was received magnificently . his coming revived the war in russillon . the aragonians took the town of st. laurence , the french wasted the territory of ampurias . but the worst was , that the natives were in an uproar , and therefore could not oppose the enemy . at the same time the king of aragon returned from vitoria to tudela , being very desirous to put an end to the troubles of navarre . the princess joanna was left to govern catalonia , during her fathers absence . knowing her own weakness , she endeavoured to come to an accommodation , and ambassadors were sent on both sides , but all they could conclude was a prolongation of the truce . the king of portugal made the best of his way to tours , where the king of france was at that time . he was sumptuously received and entertained . after the ceremony of the reception was over , he laid his case before the king of france , declaring the justice of his cause , and imploring his aid . that king promised his labour in coming to him should not be lost , but his actions were not answerable to his words , for at paris , whither the king of portugal followed him , he excused himself upon account that the english and burgundians had again declared war against him . besides he pleaded the king of portugal's marriage with the princess was not lawful , by reason they were too near of kin. the king of portugal thus disappointed , went to meet the duke of burgundy his kinsman and ally , hoping to be a mediator betwixt him and france , but without any success the war that broke out in france , was advantageous to castile ; for the french who besieged fuenterabia concluded a truce with the biscayners for a short time at first , and only by land , but soon after by the solicitation of the cardinal of spain , it was prolonged , and without that limitation . after their parting at vitoria the two kings , father and son met again in october at tudela to endeavour to quell the tumults of navarre . the earl of lerin and the constable peter peralta who were heads of the factions came thither and promised to stand by what the two kings should determine . both parties ingaged to stand to judgment , and within months to appoint arbitrators , who were to decide all controversies . this much offended the lady magdalen , wife that was to the late gaston earl of faux , fearing it was a contrivance to exclude her children their fathers inheritance . berengarius de sos dean of barcelona was sent ambassador to appease that lady , and advise her not to mistrust the kings of castile and aragon , nor join with france . she was then at pau a town in bearne , and answered she thanked them , and would always endeavour rather to promote peace than war. on the th of october , the articles of marriage betwixt ferdinand king of naples and joanna daughter to the king of aragon , were sign'd at tudela . the lady was contracted at cervera , a town in catalonia , and from thence forward she was called queen of naples . beatrix daughter to the king of naples , was at the same time married to mathias king of hungary . she was a virtuous lady , but barren , and consequently had no issue by him , nor by king ladislaus his sucessor , whom she afterwards married . mean while the city toro in castile was surprized in the night by d. alonso de fonseca , bishop of avila , and d. frederic son to d. roderick manrique earl of parades . a shepherd , called bartholomew shewed them how it might be scaled on that side which was least regarded , by reason of a morass that lay before it . having entred the town , they besieged the castle , and queen elizabeth hearing the news , repaired thither with speed from segovia , where she had been appeasing the late tumult . mary wife to john de ulloa surrendred that fortress on the th of october . her son in law the earl of marialva who commanded in those parts , quitted another fort called villalfonso , near toro , and retired into portugal . there remained castronun̄o , from which place peter de mendoza an able soldier did great harm to the neighbouring country . for this reason the kings forces after the taking of toro laid siege to that place , and planted their artillery , which was carried thither with much labour . great application was made at the same time to reduce the marquess de villena and archbishop of toledo . the marquess seemed most inclinable to submit ; but demanded the restitution of villena , and above towns taken from him in that neighbourhood . the archbishop was more obstinate , tho the king of aragon ceased not to advise to compound with him at any rate . but that business was not yet ripe . they began by the marquess de villena , and promised to restore to him his whole estate , provided he surrendred the castles of madrid and truxillo which still held for him . the same offer was made to the archbishop of toledo . d. lope de acun̄a his nephew delivered up the city huete , which had been given him with the title of a duke in the time of his troubles by king henry . at the same time were killed two powerful princes , charles the bold , duke of burgundy , and galeazzo duke of milan , murdered in the church whilst he was at mass . chap. vi. king ferdinand possesses himself of the mastership of santiago in trust , which has ever since continued in the king 's of spain ; war with the moores of andaluzia ; the king of portugal , after having abdicated his crown , returns home and is restored by his son. queen elizabeth wisely put an end to a debate that arose about the mastership of santiago . d. roderick manrique earl of paredes , who called himself master of santiago , and was famous for taking the town of huescar from the moores , died in november at vcles . his son george manrique wrote a learned elegy upon his death . d. alonso de cardenas his competitor being dead , resolved to go to vcles with armed men , and force the electors to chuse him . many other great men aimed at that dignity . the king and queen consulted at toro what was best to be done in that case , and resolved rather to make use of cunning than force . the king staied at toro , but the queen made such haste to vcles , that as ferdinand del pulgar writes , she came to that place in three days from valladolid . she perswaded the knights to go with her to ocan̄a . which being a bigger town and strong , they might with more security proceed upon their election . there by the means of d. alonso de fonseca bishop of avila , and her secretary ferdinand alvarez de toledo she prevailed upon them , that to avoid contention , they should for some time create king ferdinand her husband administrator of that dignity . this was it that first weakened the power of that order , and soon after those of calatrava and alcantara followed their example . yet it was not long before the king and queen conserred that honour upon d. alonso de cardenas , only obliging him to pay a certain pension towards carrying on the war with the moores , which highly offended the other nobles , who thought they had as well deserved as he . king ferdinand having settled the affairs of old castile , and concluded a truce with the enemy , went away to ocana at the beginning of the year . then he again pardoned and received into his favour the earl of uren̄a , who now seemed perfectly reconciled . from ocan̄a he went with the queen to toledo , where in pursuance of a vow made , if they overcame the king of portugal , she ordered to be built the famous monastery of franciscans still to be seen in that city , and called st. juan de los reyes . thence they removed to madrid , and there received advice that the portugueses infested the country about badajor and cuidad rodrigo . d. gomer de figueroa earl of feria was sent before to oppose them , and the queen followed soon after towards the frontiers of portugal . king ferdinand staied at madrid in hopes to reduce the archbishop of toledo , but he was so obstinate he would not see the king. therefore on the th of march the king set out for old castile to endeavour to pacifie navarre , which again laboured under the former factions , the agramonteses having taken estela , and the princess elenor labouring to recover it with her own , and the forces of castile . at the same time the king and queen were surprized with the news that albohacen king of granada , notwithstanding the truce which had lasted several years , had broke into the kingdom of murcia with horse , and foot. this attempt terrified the christians who were wholly unprovided , and the more for that on the th of april he took a little town called ciesa by storm , which he burnt and put all the inhabitants to the sword. besides he took a great booty of cattle , and returned home without any loss , tho peter faxardo lieuteannt of murcia endeavoured to oppose him . the harm done was not so great , but that castile not being yet pacified , there was no hopes of taking revenge . cantalapiedra and castronun̄o two castles that held for the portugueses were again besiged and forced to surrender . the people were so incensed against castronun̄o for the harm had been done them from thence , that they levelled it with the ground . the garrisons of both places according to articles were conducted to portugal . mendavia governor of castronun̄o received florins , and deserves great praise for having so long defended that place against so great a power . the queen was no less intent upon reducing truxillo , the castle of whice place was held for the marquess de villena . peter de baeza the governor being summoned , answered at first , that he would not surrender unless the marquisate of villena were restored to his lord , as had been agreed . the queen offered to put those towns into the power of a third person to be named by the governor , who should deliver them to the marquess at the end of months . but he fearing some fraud would not submit ; at last the marquess to please the queen , went into the castle , and could hardly perswade him to surrender . the governor was so higly offended that he discharged himself from ever more serving the marquess , who had not capitulated for him , and his men. king ferdinand on the one side desired to go to andaluzia , whither the queen his wife called him , and on the other had a great mind to see his sister joanna before she embarked for italy . navarre kept him employed , and he could not well depart thence . that princess sailed from barcelona in august , aboard a fleet brought thither to carry her , by d. alonso her son in law , d. peter de guevara marquess del gasto , and many other persons of quality . she touched at genoa , was there nobly entertained , and lastly arrived at naples . there her marriage was celebrated , with all expressions of joy imaginable . john lopez de medina-celi , archdeacon of almaçan built a colledge at siguença , for collegians , and a monastery of the order of st. hierome , called st. anton. there was no end of the troubles either in castile , or andaluzia , every nobleman possesed himself of what towns he could . the duke of medina sidonia held sevil , the marquiss of cadiz , xerez , d. alonso de aguilar , cordova . their pretence was to secure themselves against their enemies , especially the portugueses , but the real design , to enlarge their estates . those very cities were divided into factions . in sevil some favoured the duke of medina sidonia , others the marquess of cadiz . in cordova were the factions of alonso de aguilar and the earl of cabra . queen elizabeth , tho advised to the contrary , as having no sufficient force , went first to sevil. there she possessed her self of the castle of triana , and the other works belonging to the duke of medina sidonia . king ferdinand leaving navarre , and having in some manner settled old castile , constituted peter de villaldrando earl of ribadeo , governor of galicia , and his own brother d. alonso de aragon with the constable lieutenants of castile . this done he set out towards andaluzia , by the way visited the church of guadalupe and ordered the duke of alva and earl of benavente to bear him company , being suspicious of them , because it was given out they were associating with others of the nobility . on the d of september he came to sevil , there he found the marquess of cadiz was suspected , and it was said of him , that he was inclinable to assist the portugueses , and to that purpose kept a garrison at alcalà de guadaira , under the king's nose . it was proposed to gain and appease him , to this purpose he had a meeting with the king , by himself at night . it was moved that he should deliver up the forts he had taken . he answered he could not do it , unless the duke of medina sidonia at the same time surrendred the fortresses of nebrixa and utrera , and other castles , otherwise it would be only weakening of him , to strengthen his adversary . this demand was thought reasonable , and therefore both of them delivered up their forts to the king. the rest of the lords and nobles were induced to follow their example , especially because at the same time a truce was concluded by d. james de cordova , earl of cordova with the king of granada , in whom they reposed their greatest confidence . the affairs of navarre were in a worse posture , and no hopes of any composition , because the old animosities went on . the princess elenor sought some remedy , and put them in mind that the term of months wherein they had promised to accommodate all affairs , was near expiring . at the same time she protested that since there was no help in her father , or brother , she would have recourse to some other , the blame whereof must lie at their door who were the cause of it ; for if some care were not taken , that kingdom must inevitably run to ruin ; great misfortunes make the afflicted speak boldly . nevertheless all were deaf to these complaints , both kings being far off , and they embroil'd with affairs of their own . besides the affairs of rusillon those of sicily and sardinia perplexed the king of aragon . raimund floch earl of cardona was viceroy of sicily . he went over to naples with queen joanna , and returned thence to his command , at such time as d. john de cabrera dying young , his earldom of modica fell to his sister anne . many aimed at that estate , some would exclude her , others aspir'd to marry her . the king of aragon because it was convenient to find a husband to that great fortune , resolv'd to marry her to d. alonso de aragon , bastard son to his son king ferdinand . this did not succeed , but afterwards frederick son and heir to the admiral of castile , carried her from all his rivals , and by this means join'd that earldom to his own patrimony . in sardinia , leonard de alagon marquiss of oristan mutinied , he had never been thoroughly pacified , and now complain'd of new wrongs done him by nicholas carroz de arborea . neither age nor sickness hindred the king of aragon from attending publick affairs . the marquess of oristan was impeached , and judgment given against him at barcelona on the th of october , by which he was declared to have forfeited his estate . one only ship was sent with recruits , which being a small succour the war lasted long . king ferdinand after reducing andaluzia , was still in care about portugal . he rejoiced that tho' the king of portugal had brought home a dispensation from the pope to marry the princess joanna , yet he had obtained no succours in france . on the other side , he was concern'd because it was reported the archbishop of toledo did court that king to return to castile . that prelate being very old and passionate , scarce knew what he did , and therefore never reflected how weak that king was . it is reported that the king of portugal having lost all hopes of assistance , in despair set out from paris , resolving to go in pilgrimage to rome and hierusalem , and then become a fryar , rather out of disgust to the world , than affection to that life . he went some days journey , and then sent back one of three servants that were with him to open a scrutore he left at paris , where were found two letters , one for the king of france , giving him an account of his design . in the other he advised his son immediately to cause himself to be crowned king. his son having read this letter , was crowned on the th of november , only five days before the arrival of his father at cascaes . for the king of france had immediately sent some persons after him , who forced him to come back . he advis'd him to return to his country , which he accordingly did . the king came to portugal very sad and lean . his son went out with joy to receive him , and restored him his crown and dignity . this was the event of the king of portugals voyage and attempts , which at first were hot , but in the conclusion fell to the ground . the following year , was unfortunate , and remarkable , because on the th of january was born in flanders of the lady mary , heiress to charles the bold duke of burgundy , and maximilian duke of austria , philip who was afterwards happy in the great dominions he acquired , and the successor he left , tho his prosperity was not lasting , death snatching him away in the prime of his youth . in the month of april , in the city of florence , certain citizens conspiring against the brothers of the house of medicis , who they suspected design'd to usurp the sovereignty of that city , till then free , murder'd julian in the church of st. librada , the other called lawrence de medicis saved himself in the sacristy of the said church . hereupon the other citizens ran to arms , and apprehended salviato archbishop of pisa , one of the conspirators in the pallace of the seigneury whither he went to exhort the people to defend their liberty . without farther process he hanged him out of the window . the cardinal of st. george , who was said to favour the conspirators , was in great danger . florence was excommunicated for the murder of the archbishop , but the king of france interposing , the city was absolv'd , rather through fear than for any good-will . the pope and king of naples had also made war upon the florentines , but now also a peace was concluded , and they were left at liberty as they were before . chap. vii . sardinia entirely reduced ; the birth of john prince of castile ; the inquisition first settled in spain ; peace concluded betwixt france and castile ; the death of king john of aragon . in sardinia the war continu'd hot , and both parties looked for supplies from abroad . the genoeses who ought to have assisted the marquess de oristan , as their ancient allie , forbore because they had lately concluded a truce at naples , with the house of aragon . fresh succours came daily to the royallists from aragon and sicily , and at last the earl of cardona viceroy of sicily went over in person . after several skirmishes , the two armies met near a castle called machomera . there the battle was given , in which the marquess was killed , and his army routed . artal his son endeavouring to make his escape in a boat , was taken by two aragonian gallies , and carried prisoner into spain by villamarin the admiral . he was confined to the castle of xativa , and all his estate which was considerable , as well in sardinta , as the continent confiscate . particularly the marquisates of oristan and gociano , were for ever annexed to the crown , and added to the other regal titles . this battle was fought on the th of may. thus that island which had been so long contended for , was at last wholly subdued by the aragonians . king ferdinand of castile , tho the affairs of andaluzia were not altogether settled , and his queen was with child , returned to the kingdom of aragon for two reasons . the first , to reduce the archbishop of toledo , and perswade him not to call in the king of portugal again . the other to revive the association of the towns against robbers and outlaws , which decayed much by reason of the great charge of keeping soldidiers in pay. to this effect the cortes were held at madrid , where the association was continued for three years longer . nothing could be concluded with the archbishop , tho endeavours were used to satisfie him , there had been no design of killing him . after the cortes broke up , king ferdinand returned to sevil , the queen earnestly desiring it , because she was near her time . thither came ambassadors from the king of granada to desire the truce might be renewed , which was refused , unless besides doing homage , he would pay the tribute used formerly . the king sent ambassadors to granada , to treat of it , and the moore answered , that the kings who used to pay that tribute were dead many years before , and that at present in the mint of granada no gold or silver was coined , but instead of it they made spears , darts and cimiters . king ferdinand , tho' offended at this answer , necessity obliging him to it , renewed the truce . on the th of june the queen fell in labour , and was delivered of a son called prince john , who was unfortunately cut off in the flower of his age , as we shall relate in its place . the king of aragon tho tired with age , demanded this child should be sent to him , to be bred up after the manner of aragon . at this time the king of aragon contended for the archbishoprick of zaragoça . his aim was to confer it upon d. alonso bastard son to king ferdinand . the pope was willing to dispence with his illegitimacy , but not with his age , for he was but six years old , and therefore desired to bestow that see upon the cardinal ausias despuch , believing the king would allow it by reason of the great services done by his brother , the master of the order of montesa . it proved otherwise , for the king in a passion seized the cardinals estate , and affronted his kindred . the king of naples interposing , who was great with the pope , the king of aragon obtained his desire , and that dignity was given to d. alonso as perpetual administrator . this was the foundation of a custom prejudicial to the church , ever since in use , and meerly extorted from the pope at that time . it was then the custom in spain that all bishops had their nomination from the king , whence ensued another dispute about the see of taraçoza , for the cardinal andrew ferrer , dying , the pope bestowed it upon andrew martinez . king ferdinand opposed it , designing that church for the cardinal of spain , who at last carried it . such another debate hapned about the see of cuenca , in which the king also prevailed . a bull was also granted , by which the whole power of nominating their bishops was granted to the kings of castile for ever . four years before another bull had been obtained , which excluded for the future all strangers from reversions of bishopricks . james saldan̄a ambassador from king henry at rome procured it . he went to portugal with the princess joanna , and from him is descended a noble family there of his name . f. alonso de burgos bishop of palencia built at valladolid the famous monastery of st. paul , of his own order , that is , the dominicans . it had been began in the time of king alonso the wise . the church was doubtless built lately by the cardinal john de torquemada , who had his education in that house . at this time the holy tribunal of the inquisition was first erected in castile . there were before certain inquisitors of this nature , but they had not the power , nor the method that was now introduced . the principal promoter and founder of this court was the cardinal of spain , moved to it by the great corruption caused by the mixture of christians , jews and moores . many jews who had been converted , relapsed to their former error , and particularly the number was great at sevil , where the inquisition first executed its authority . if their crimes were hainous , they were burnt , if of a lesser hue their goods were confiscate , their persons condemned to perpetual imprisonment , or obliged to wear what they call a sanbenito , that is piece of yellow baise hanging on the breast and back with a red cross upon it , which was a mighty infamy . it was thought too much severity that the children should suffer for the crimes of their parents , that the accuser should not be known nor confront the party accused , as had ever been used in all courts , and lastly , that sins of this nature should be punished with death . some wholly condemned this severity , yet others approved of and defended it . the event has made it appear this court has been very necessary and advantageous to the kingdom . many wholesome laws were at first enacted , and have since been enlarged to restrain the power of the judges , and keep them within the bounds of moderation , that they may not be debauched by avarice . but the greatest security consists in that these imployments are always bestowed on persons of great learning , and known integrity and piety . the first inquisitor general was f. thomas de torquemada , of the order of st. dominick , confessor to the king and queen , and prior of the monastery at segovia . his authority at first extended only to the kingdom of castile , four years after it comprehended all aragon . at first the inquisitor general used to send his commissioners to all parts as occasion required , without having any fixed tribunals . since it is established that the inquisitor general with five of the supream councill determines all the most weighty affairs of religion at the court where the other tribunals are . all smaller affairs are committed to or inquisitors , who keep their courts in several cities . the places where now the inquisitors reside , are toledo , cuenca , murcia , valladolid , santiago , logron̄o , sevil , cordova , granada , elerena , and in the kingdom of aragon , valencia , zaragoça , and barcelona . an edict was published by the inquisitor general , offering a free pardon to all guilty persons who should come in and submit themselves . as well men as women of all sorts are said to have presented themselves . were burnt , and a greater number fled . from this beginning it has rose to be the most dreaded tribunal in the world. a proper remedy against the calamities that soon after ensued , and confounded many other kingdoms . before the king and queen of castile went from sevil , they ordered that neither the duke of medina sidonia , nor the marquess of cadiz should be admitted into that city , so the heats of the factions being taken away , all was in peace . on the frontiers of portugal lope vasco a portugues , governor of the castle of mora , secured that place for king ferdinand , and sent him advice of it that he might be relieved . king ferdinand was very desirous to make war upon portugal in person , thinking it would redound to his honour not only to defend his own , but to invade another . neither his father , nor any of the wiser sort approved of his design , as dangerous and unprofitable . therefore he sent d. alonso de cardenas master of santiago with horse , and foot. nothing of moment was done , for john prince of portugal recovered the castle of mora , which disappointed all their designs . it was more requisite to secure truxillo , thither the king and queen went , taking cordova in their way . mean while at land , a town in the territory of cahors in france , a match was agreed betwixt frederick second son to the king of naples , and anne daughter of amadee duke of savoy . the king of france promised the bride who was his sisters daughter , a great estate in france , and offered to deliver up russillon and cerdaigne , till such time as he performed , or the king of aragon paid the money about which they were at variance . this highly offended the two kings of spain , father and son , who resented that the king of naples without regard to their kindred , should prefer the friendship of france before that of spain , and accept of those places for which they were engaged in war. the truce was near expiring , and there was danger the war would again break out at a very improper time for both nations . the king of france was busie in the conquest of flanders . in castile all was not settled , for the king of portugal prepared to renew the war , and the countess of medellin a masculine woman , with alonso de monroy deputy to the master of calatrava were revolted . for these reasons john de gamboa governor of fuenterabia , and the archdeacon of almaçan by order of king ferdinand began to treat of an acommodation with the french ambassadors , who were at bayonne . they managed this affair so well , that the truce was changed into a peace upon the old conditions that had been betwixt those two crowns , and the king of aragon was included , which was only imposing upon him , since the lands in dispute were not restored to him . however it was agreed , judges should be appointed to decide that difference . the joy conceived in castile on account of this peace , was increased by some concurring causes . one was , that the earl of alva liste , the kings unckle , came to truxillo , having been à prisoner ever since the battle of toro . another , that the archbishop of toledo , drove by necessity , all his revenues being seized , submitted to king ferdinando , and delivered up his strong holds to be held by the king it was given out , he held correspondence with the king of portugal still , nevertheless he was pardoned . moreover , pope sixtus revoked the dispensation he had given the king of portugal , for marrying his neece , the princess joanna , which many thought was too great a compliance with the king of naples , at whose suit it was done , and misbecoming the papal authority . in order to settle all their affairs , and particularly the peace with france , the two kings , father and son designed to meet at molina and daroca . when on a sudden the king of aragon fell sick at barcelona , and died on the th of january . his body was buried at poblete , and he was so poor , that to defray the charge of his funeral , his houshold goods were pawned . he lived years . months and days . of disposition he was robust , and of spirit lively . the latter part of his life was stained with a leud appetite , tho he was past acting , for he fixed his affection upon a handsome young woman , called frances rose , whom he design'd to have formerly married to that d. jayme de aragon , who was executed at barcelona . in his will , made years before his death , he ordained several godly works to be performed . particularly the erecting two monasteries of the order of st. hierome , which are famous at this time . one of them is st. engracia at zaragoça , the other st. mary de belpuch in catalonia , his son exactly performing all that he had ordained . he also ordered that the grandsons of his son ferdinand , tho' by a daughter , should inherit the crown of aragon , and take place of their mothers . chap. viii . elenor queen of navarre ; the troubles of that kingdom , and her death ; the countess of medellin raises tumults in castile ; portugueses overthrown by the castilians ; heretical opinions started and condemned in spain ; king ferdinand goes into aragon . by the death of the king of aragon , his dominions were divided : aragon fell to king ferdinand , and navarre to the princess elenor in the right of her mother . she had been years a widow , and consequently exposed to great misfortunes . that kingdom was still divided betwixt the old factions . the biamonteses , enemies to the new queen were most prevalent . these troubles seemed to be a judgment for the murders committed upon charles prince of viana , the princess blanch his sister , and the bishop of pamplona . queen ellenor reigned not a whole month. she was more fortunate in her issue than in her life , for she had sons , gaston , john , peter , and james , and daughters , mary , joanna , marguerite , catherine and ellenor , we shall briefly speak of them all , great families being descended from them . gaston died , as was said before , and left two children , francis phebus and catherine , who both reigned in navarre successively . john was lord of narbonne , which he bought of his father , and had issue , gaston and germana . gaston was killed at the battle of ravenna , where he was general for luis the th of france . germana married king firdinand after the death of his first wife . peter applied himself to learning and piety , and pope sixtus made him a cardinal . james followed the war , and was never married . mary the eldest daughter was married to william marquess of monferrat . joanna to john earl of armagnac . margaret to francis duke of britany , and had issue ann and elizabeth . ann the heiress being married , first to charles the th , and after his death to luis the th of france , joined that dukedom and kingdom . catherine th , daughter to queen ellenor , married gaston de faux earl of candale , and brought forth sons and a daughter called anne , married to ladislaus king of hungary . ellenor the youngest daughter died a maid . queen ellenor died on the th of february at tudela , where she began her reign . in her will she ordained out of her own money a monastery of franciscans should be built at tafalla , and that her body should be buried there , and the bones of her mother queen blanch be also translated thither , from the monastery of nuestra sen̄ora de nieva in old castile , where they were deposited . the revenue was so exhausted , that she was forced to sell her jewels to live. francis phebus , so called for his extraordinary beauty , being but years of age succeeded her . his mother the lady magdalen , and his uncle peter the cardinal , had the administration of the government till he came to years , and discharged their trust prudently in those difficult times . the late queen during her troubles , had no help from her brother the king of castile , therefore she made no mention of him in her will , but directed the governors to adhere to france , as they did , which was the cause they soon lost that kingdom . thus much of navarre . in castile some new oppinions in matters of religion were broached . one peter oxomensis a professor of divinity at salamanca , was the author . by order of pope sixtus , the archbishop of toledo assembled several persons of great learning at alcala , where he refided , who all condemned those new opinions , and the author was excommunicated , unless he recanted . sentence was given on the th of may , and soon after pope sixtus confirmed it by his bull. john prexanus a famous divine in that age. afterwards bishop of cuidad rodrigo , wrote a book against the said peter . the marquisate of villena was now the seat of war , for the marquess , because covenants were not performed with him , had recourse to arms , and relieved the town of chinchilla , besieged by the king's forces . peter ruiz de alarcon , who commanded a party of the king 's , was defeated near alberca by peter de baeça , and d. george manrique , who in another skirmish with peter de baeça was wounded , of which hurt he afterwards died . a great pitty , that so ripe a wit should be so soon cut off . hereupon the marquess was liable as having been in arms against the king's forces . he excused himself , laying the blame upon the insolency of those officers who forced him to do so , and pleaded he had no dealings either with the king of portugal , or archbishop of toledo . these excuses , whether true or counterfeit , prevented any farther proceedings against him . in this war there happned an extraordinary accident worth relating . the king's party had hanged of the prisoners they took . in revenge , john berrio an officer of the marquess , ordered as many of those he had taken , to be put to death in the same manner . the prisoners cast lots , and among the rest , it fell to the share of one of brothers , that were prisoners , who had a wife and children , to die . the other brother who was a batchellor , begged to be put to death in his place , and so it was done , after they had both long , and with many tears contended about it . king ferdinand and queen elizabeth received the news of king john's death , and their own accession to the crown of aragon , in estremadura , where they were quelling the tumults raised by the countess of medellin , and d. alonso de m●nrey . the countess had a spirit above a woman , for she kept her own son d. john portocarrero , some years a prisoner , and at last turned him out of doors , which was the cause she was in arms , fearing lest she should be obliged to restore the earldom to her son , who laid claim to it as his father's inheritance . she also designed to keep the city merida , in which she had a garison . d. alonso was digusted that the mastership of alcantara was taken from him , and given to d. john de zun̄iga , upon which pretence he seized several towns belonging to that military order . the king provided for the war with portugal , which it was feared would prove more bloody than before ; yet both parties being exhausted , a treaty was proposed . this was the more welcome to the portugueses , because on the th of february they had received a great overthrow near albufera , two leagues from merida , by the forces under the command of the master of santiago . the slaughter was so great that few escaped to merida , which , as was said , held for the countess of medellin . in this battle the master and other officers signalized themselves , and among them james de vera , who killed the portugues standard-bearer , and took the royal standard . as a reward the master had the pension of millions he was to pay out of the mastership , remitted ; and other favours were bestowed upon james de vera , and the rest . the lady beatrix dutchess of viseo , aunt to queen elizabeth , and mother-in-law to john prince of portugal , took upon her to compose differences betwixt castile and portugal . king ferdinand was in haste to take possession of his new kingdom , and the more , for that the aragonians to curb the navarrois , who had taken some strong holds on their frontiers , had assembled the cortes without acquainting him ; which action was contrary to the known laws of that kingdom . therefore the king left queen elizabeth to conclude the peace with her aunt . alcantara was the place agreed upon betwixt them two for their meeting . this done the king went to pay his devotions at guadalupe , and thence by the way of santollalla , heriza , and calataynd , to aragon . he made his publick entry into zaragoça on the th of june with great state , and the general applause of the people , who went out to meet him . next him went luis naya the chief magistrate of the city . the king was richly cloathed , and under a canopy , and the people with loud acclamations wished him a long and happy reign . there he spent some time in hearing the complaints of all that thought themselves aggrieved . soon after he went to barcelona , where he made proposals about recovering russillon and cerdagne , but it took not effect then . yet four judges were appointed to determine all differences betwixt france and aragon , as had been agreed at bayonne . from barcelona the king went on to valencia , there he was splendidly received as in other places , and applied himself to pacifie certain tumults occasioned by d. ximeno de urrea , viscount de viota , who had by force of arms seized d. jayme de pallas , viscount chelva , and his wife , on pretence that chelva and mançanera possessed by the said d. jayme , belonged to him . by the king's command both parties laid down their arms. afterwards when the suit had depended three years , the judges offended at the insolency of d. ximeno , in presuming to use force , gave sentence against him , and adjudged those towns to his adversary d. jayme de pallas . chap. ix . peace concluded betwixt castile and portugal ; the turks get footing in italy , and are again expelled ; king alonso of portugal dies ; henry the late king of castile his grants vacated by the cortes ; prince john , son to king ferdinand , sworn heir of castile . queen elizabeth , and her aunt the dutchess of viseo , met , as had been agreed , at alcantara , and after some days spent in debating , fixed upon these articles . that the king of portugal should not stile himself king of castile , nor give the arms of that kingdom ; and king ferdinand should do the same in respect to portugal . that prince john , son to king ferdinand , as soon as he was of age , should marry the princess joanna . that in case prince john , when at age , should dislike that marriage , then his father and mother should be obliged to pay ducats to the princess joanna . that if she thought the time too long to stay , she might have liberty to become a nun. that the princess elizabeth of castile should be married to alonso , grandson to the king of portugal . that the disaffected nobles of castile should not be protected in portugal . that the conquest and discoveries on the coast of africk , and in the ocean , should entirely appertain to portugal . lastly , that for security of the performance of these articles , the princesses joanna and elizabeth , and prince alonso , should be delivered as hostages to the dutchess of viseo , to be by her kept in the castle of mora , and the king of portugal on his part to deliver up to her four other castles on the borders of the kingdom . this was the end of that tedious and expensive war. great rejoycing and thanksgiving was throughout all spain for the peace . king ferdinand from valencia , where he received this joyful news , returned to toledo about the end of the year . there queen elizabeth , his wife , expected him , and their joy was redoubled by the birth of the princess joanna , whom heaven had decreed to inherit the kingdoms of her ancestors . soon after the other princess joanna , daughter to king henry , perceiving how she was imposed upon , became a nun in the monastery of s. clare at coimbra , where she led a virtuous life , and persevered till her death . nevertheless the princess elizabeth and prince alonso were delivered up to the dutchess of viseo according to articles . the countess of medellin , and d. alonso de monroy submitted , as did other nobles of castile , who had been the chief support of portugal . the marquess of villena , his former articles being somewhat altered , was restored to the king and queen's favour about the beginning of the year . by this new contract the marquess was left possessed of escalona , belmonte , villena , and almansa , the other towns of his fell to the king. necessity obliged him to submit to these hard terms . in january died renee , duke of anjou , in france , a prince no less famous for his ill fortune than long life . till the last he stiled himself king of aragon , sicily , and hierusalem , all empty titles . in his will he appointed his nephew charles his heir . to renee duke of lorrain , his grandson by the mother side , he left the dutchy of bar , which he possessed in france . at toledo the cortes of castile were assembled : great numbers of people resorted thither , and many grievances were laid before them . the country complained that the nobility oppressed the poor , and devoured the revenues of the crown , which was the cause that heavy taxes were daily imposed upon the people . commissioners were appointed to inspect into this affair ; and they having considered of it , declared , that all grants made by king henry , or extorted by force , ought to be void . yet all the power of the laws and magistrates was not of force to curb the insolencies of the nobility . in may all the three estates swore prince john heir of the crown after the death of his parents . now castile being thus settled , the king and queen went first to medina del campo , and then to valladolid , where some noblemen received exemplary punishment for crimes committed , which terrified others . galicia was not perfectly reduced , that being a fierce sort of people . the cities lugo , orense , mondon̄edo , bivero , and corun̄a , would not submit : ferdinand de acun̄a , and a civilian called garcia chinchilla , were sent to pacifie them . these two assembling the people at santiago , and putting to death the mareschal peter pardo , and some other gentlemen , brought the country under subjection . king ferdinand was then gone to catalonia upon this account : mahomer the great turk having in vain besieged rhodes the space of three months , was forced to quit that enterprize . part of his fleet sailed to vallona in albania , opposite to apulia , a province of the kingdom of naples . thence achmet bassa who commanded , passed over into italy , and took the city otranto on the th of august , where he made a great slaughter , sparing neither sex nor age. from this place the turks made incursions into the country , destroying all they came at , to the great terror of all italy . this moved the christian princes to think of joining their forces to stifle that flame . particularly king ferdinand sent gonzalo beteta ambassador to pope sixtus , who was then much displeased with the king , as appeared upon several occasions , and now more especially ; for he constituted the archbishop of toledo his legate in spain , without acquainting the king with his design . the publick danger made private animosities be forgot . the king also sent d. john melguerite , bishop of girona , in the month of february , . to make a league with all the princes of italy . at the same time the king gathered a fleet of sail of all sorts at barcelona . the king of portugal fitted ships for this purpose ; but these succours went on slowly . therefore d. alonso , duke of calabria , with what forces he could gather in italy , at last laid siege to otranto . it fell out happily that mahomet the great turk died at nicomedia in bithynia , on the d of may. news hereof being brought to the turks in otranto , they surrendered that city the th month after it had been besieged , upon condition to depart freely . the duke of calabria retained in his service about turks , designing to make use of them against the florentines . it was the vulgar opinion they well deserved it , because they had called in the turks ; yet many believed this was a policy of the duke , to cast the scandal of retaining those people upon his enemy . the succours of aragon and portugal were of no use , for they arrived in italy after otranto was surrendred . besides the distance , weighty affairs kept those kings employed , and diverted them from sending those succours sooner . king ferdinand held the cortes of aragon at calatayud , whither queen elizabeth by her husband's order brought prince john. d. alonso enriquez the admiral , and peter fernandez de velasco the constable , were appointed commissioners to govern castile . the king's aim was to have his son sworn heir to that kingdom , as had been before done in castile , and was also performed there on the th of may. soon after , the same was done at barcelona for the principality of catalonia . besides these cares , another was added from navarre . peter the cardinal , and james his brother , unkles to the young king , came to zaragoça : there being admitted to audience , in a long harangue they laid before king ferdinand the misfortunes navarre laboured under , the rebels being possessed of the most considerable towns and cities . the biamonteses had pamplona , the others estela , sanguessa , and olite . they represented , that their king had nothing left him but the title : that the earl of lerin ceased not to commit all manner of crimes . therefore they begged king ferdinand to pity that young king , and deliver him from the slavery of his subjects . king ferdinand having heard the two brothers , promised he would stand by king francis ; and to shew his readiness , sent certain persons with the two princes , who from him should advise the rebels to submit to their king. the cortes of that kingdom met at tafalla ; there king ferdinand's ambassadors gave an account of what they had in commission . the navarrois answered , that if the king had not been received as he ought in the kingdom , it was not the fault of them all , but of some few , who disturbed the peace of the country ; yet if he would come to them , no town would be wanting in expressing its loyalty . this answer was satisfactory ; and therefore it was proposed to king ferdinand that king francis should go to pamplona . it was thought sit he should go with a good guard , lest in that time of confusion any affront should be offered him . at this time the king of portugal died at sintra , in the very chamber where he was born , and on the th of august . his body was carried to aljubarrota . his son john ii. for his high spirit and great exploits sirnamed the great , succeeded him . this prince , as well as his father , was always an utter enemy to castile . the father carried it more openly , but the son subtilly and underhand ; and therefore more furiously vented his passion upon some noblemen of his kingdom , whom he suspected of favouring castile , as we shall soon see . for piety , goodness , severity towards crimina , sharpness of wit , and a tenacious memory , he equalled all the kings his contemporaries , and excelled many . he used to say , that a kingdom either found princes wise , or made them so , by their continual conversing with men of great parts , who constantly are about the courts of kings , and use all arts in speech and behaviour to obtain their desires , and discover their ability . chap. x. francis king of navarre comes out of france , is crown'd , and soon after dies ; a conspiracy against the king of portugal discover'd , and the conspirators punish'd ; peace betwixt castile and portugal ratified ; luis the eleventh king of france dies . three princes died successively one year after another about the end of this year departed this life charles duke of anjou . he appointed the king of france his heir , by which means anjou and provence were annexed to the crown of france , besides other pretentions , which served only to intail a war upon that kingdom . on the first of july , in the following year , died d. alonso carillo y acun̄a , archbishop of toledo , a man even when of great age , lively and active . he retired in his latter days rather through necessity , than of his own inclination . he was buried in the monastery of s. francis , built by himself at alcalà de henares ; he also made the church of s. stephen , till then a parish , collegiate . he was addicted to chimistry and died poor , yet is said to have left some money to repair the school at alcala . on the left hand of the archbishop's tomb was buried his son troylus , which the cardinal d. francisco ximenez caused to be removed , looking upon it as a monument of that prelate's incontinency . from this troylus are descended the marquesses of falces in navarre , their sirname is peralta . the cardinal of spain succeeded d. alonso carrille in the archbishoprick of toledo . he was son to yn̄igo lopez de mendoça , marquess of santillana , and brother to james hurtado de mendoça first duke del infantado . this prelate was a person of great virtue and ability , and had this dignity conferred on him as a reward for his good services . d. ynigo manrique , bishop of jaen , was translated in his stead to the archbishoprick of sevil. in navarre a great joy was allayed by a greater sorrow . king francis , who during the troubles of navarre had resided in france , at last , as had been agreed , came to pamplona with his mother , uncles , and a great retinue of nobility of france , and navarre . he was received with great pomp and a general applause , crowned in the cathedral , and proclaimed king on the d of october . he was then in the flower of his youth , being years of age , wonderful beautiful , and well inclined . the first thing he did was to forbid upon pain of death any persons whatsoever calling themselves biamonteses or agramonteses , the hateful names of those factions which had so long distracted that kingdom . he made luis earl of lerin constable , and gave him larraga and other towns to oblige him , because he was powerful . this done he took a progress through the kingdom , punished malefactors , and secured the authority of magistrates . it was proposed to marry him to secure the succession . king ferdinand offered his daughter the princess joanna . the king of france advised him to take to wife the other princess joanna , daughter to king henry , then a professed nun in portugal , thinking by this means to have an opportunity of subduing castile . magdalen the young king's mother , an ambitious woman , was more inclinable to this match , and therefore lest any violence should be offered her son , persuaded him to repass the mountains , where he had large dominions . he was no sooner come to the city pau , or s. paul in bearne , but he fell sick and died on the th of january . his body was buried in lescar , a city in bearn . his sister catherine succeeded him in the throne , as was her due . by her marriage soon after that kingdom fell under the dominion of the french , who enjoyed it not long . in portugal king john punished some of the nobility , who had conspired to murder him , and with their blood revenged their wicked designs against his person . these nobles were offended at the king 's austere temper , his severity in punishing offenders , and for his great freedom in declaring his mind . but above all they resented , that contrary to ancient custom , the king's alguaziles , or officers , by his special command , apprehended and punished malefactors upon their estates . they consulted together , and expecting no redress by fair means , resolved to use force . the heads of this conspiracy were the dukes ferdinand of bragança , and james of viseo , the most powerful men in the kingdom , and of the blood royal. many others joined with them , as the marquess de montemor , the earl of haro , the duke of braganca's brothers , d. garcia de meneses bishop of ebora , his brother ferdinand , and d. lope du albuquerque earl of penamacor . this conspiracy was discovered after this manner . the cortes sate at ebora . some good laws were established , and among other things it was provided , that the nobility should not have the power of oppressing the people . this the duke of bragança complained was a breach of the ancient priviledges of the nobility , and offered to produce the grants of kings to his predecessors . lope de figueredo , his comptroller , searching for these papers , found among them others which made out , that the duke held correspondence with the king of castile , to the prejudice of the crown of portugal . he carried them privately to the king , who having viewed them , ordered him to copy them , and return the originals to the place where he found them . it hapned the queen in the spring of the year , was sick at almarin after lying in . her brother the duke of viseo , and her brother in law the duke of bragança , came to visit her . the king entertained them kindly , desiring to put a stop to that mischief without hazarding a war. at length one morning after hearing mass , he took the duke of bragança aside , there he told him how he was informed of all his designs and treasonable correspondence with castile , that he was with much difficulty induced to believe it , and yet being convinced of the truth , was willing to pardon , and bury it in oblivion , advising him to consider none could be more his friend than he that was so near a kinsman , and that if any thing had been amiss he ought to have advised him better , or winked at any error in the government . this discourse of the king 's surprized the duke . he begged the king would not give credit to informers , who strive to rise upon the ruins of others , assuring him he would not lay the stain of disloyalty upon his family , and affirming with great imprecations upon himself , that all he said was true . the king went away to santarem , the dukes to their estates , no way departing from their designs . mean while f. ferdinand de talavera , prior of prado , a monastery of the order of s. hierome near valladolid , and the king's confessor , was sent to portugal to ratifie the late peace , and propose , that the prince and princess given as hostages , might be restored to their parents , which was accordingly done . only this alteration was made in the former articles , that prince alonso should marry the princess joanna , the youngest daughter of king ferdinand , because they were both of an age. in may the princess elizabeth returned to castile , and prince alonso to his father , the duke of bragança accompanying him to ebora , where the court was . there he was apprehended , upon intelligence given by gaspar jusarte , that he still held correspondece with king ferdinand , by the means of peter jusarte . both brothers were rewarded for the discovery . the duke was impeached of high treason , tried , and condemned to death . his execution was on the th of june . with him suffered other fidalgos or noblemen , found guilty of the same crime . the constable of portugal , the dukes brothers , and others fled . the dutchess , as soon as she received the news of her husband's death , sent her sons , philip , james , and denis , to castile . philip died there a batchelor , james was pardoned , and returned to portugal , denis married the heiress of the earl of lemos in castile . his youth saved the duke of viseo , the king only giving him a reprimand the day after the execution of the other . neither the punishment of the one , nor the mercy extended to the other duke , had influence enough to prevail with the other conspirators to desist . they complained that no man was safe , and that the duke of bragança had been wrongfully put to death . therefore it was resolved the king should be murdered , and the duke of viseo set up in his place . they only waited an opportunity to give the stroke , but before it could be performed all the conspiracy was detected after this manner . james tinoco had a sister who was mistress to the archbishop of ebora : she having found out what was contrived , discovered it to her brother , and he to the king , putting on the habit of a franciscan frier to speak to him at setuval , that it might be the more private . vasco coutin̄o , whose brother gutierre coutin̄o was one of the conspirators , gave the king the same account : he was afterwards rewarded with the earldom of barba and estremoz . the king went out to visit a church near setuval , and with him the conspirators , being resolved to execute their design as he came out of the church . by good fortune one of his bed-chamber , whose name was faria , warned him of the danger he was in . he spoke courteously to the conspirators , which abated somewhat of their rage ; however he got into another church in the suburb of that city , called nuestra sen̄ora la antigua . this he did to gain time till more of his followers could come up , and therefore continued long talking with vasco coutin̄o . this perplexed the conspirators , fearing if that opportunity were lost , some of the number might obtain a reward with the ruin of the rest . the king having escaped that danger , sent , upon some other pretence , for the duke of viseo , who was with his mother at palmela , waiting the issue of the contrived treason . not imaging any discovery , he adventured to obey the king's call. no sooner did he enter the chamber where the king was , but the king himself , in the presence of a few that were there , stab'd him , saying these words , go tell the duke of bragança what all his contrivances are come to . the duke of viseo was about years of age when he came to this end . astrologers had prognisticated he should be a king. all his estate was given to his brother emanuel , with the title of duke of beja . he afterwards came to be king of portugal , and created his tutor james de silva earl of portalegre . some of the other conspirators were taken , as the archbishop of ebora , his brother ferdinand , and gutierre coutin̄o . the rest lived poor , and died miserably in castile . on the th of august died luis xi . king of france , near tours . he ordained in his will that russillon and cerdagne should be restored to the former owner . his son charles viii . succeeded him , being but years of age , sickly and mishapen . his father caused him to be bred at amboise , allowing but a few servants to converse with him . neither would he allow him so much learning as his grammar . he said all the latin he had need of was these words , qui nescit dissimulare , nescit regnare . but we have out-run the time we were upon ; to begin the next book , it will be necessary to turn back to relate the affairs of castile . the end of the th book . the history of spain . book xxv . chap. i. the beginning of the war with granada ; king albohacen surprizes zahara ; alhama taken from the infidels , and in vain besieged by them again . we will begin this book with the famous war of granada , which was begun and carried on by king ferdinand and queen elizabeth , for the space of ten years , and in which happened many things very remarkable , and bloudy battels were fought . the end of it was fortunate to spain , and delightful to all christendom , since it put a period to the monarchy of the moors , which had continued in this nation above years , to our great shame and reproach the kingdom of granada lies between murcia and andaluzia , is about miles in compass , and extends farther in length than breadth . from ronda to huesca it is counted leagues in length , and from cambil to almun̄ecar only in breadth . it is bounded on the east with the kingdom of murcia , on the south with the mediterranean sea , on the west and north with andaluzia . the country is pleasant , and as fruitful as any in spain , the very mountains being full of springs , and consequently always green . this occasions the weather to be temperate both in summer and winter , especially in the city of granada , the metropolis of the kingdom , one of the noblest and largest of all spain , from which all that province takes name , and the city it self had it of a cave which reaches to a village called alfahor , where it is reported the natives formerly studied art magick . gar in arabick signifies a cave , and certain soldiers who came over with tarif to the conquest in spain , being natives of the city nata in syria , after that unhappy war was ended , fixed their abode in that place . of gar and nata was framed the name granada , as some learned men will have it . other etymologies of this name are to be found , but it is needless to spend time in discussing that point . it is certain , that when this war began , there were in that kingdom cities and towns. the principal cities next to the capital were almeria , malaga , and guadix , called by pliny acci . they are all three bishopricks , and well peopled . the division of spain under so many several monarchs , and the continual supplies sent out of africk , maintained this kingdom of the moors so many ages . as soon as the holy inquisition was established , and the authority of the magistrates restored to its vigour , spain gathered strength to extirpate the dominion of the moors : besides the former animosities betwixt the two nations of moors and christians on account of religion , and wrongs sustained in an oppression of so many years , the infidels now added a new motive for declaring war. which was , that on the th of december , . king albohacen having intelligence the town of zahara was unprovided , he surprized it , that place having been in the hands of the christians ever since prince ferdinand , grandfather to king ferdinand , took it from the moors . it was taken in a dark stormy night , all the townsmen that made resistance being put to the sword , and the rest carried away slaves to granada . this town the moors fortified . k. ferdinand and q. elizabeth , who were at medina del campo , derstanding what had hapned , sent orders to the commanders on the frontiers , and the cities , to prepare for war , and be upon their guard. the moors excused themselves , pleading it was customary during a truce to make incursions on both sides , and even to take towns , provided above days were not spent in the attack , and they did not formally encamp before them . under this same pretence , the infidels , at the beginning of the following year , . attacked castellar and olbera , but could not carry them . these wrongs moved the christians to seek revenge . a good body gathered at sevil with all necessaries . whilst they consulted on which side to make an incursion , advice was given them that the town of alhama was ill garisoned , and might easily be surprized . james merlo , deputy of sevil , and the marquess of cadiz , with horse , and foot , marched days , and came to a valley encompassed with high hills . there they informed the soldiers , who were much fatigued , that alhama was but half a league from them , and encouraged them to undergo the small labour that remained chearfully , putting them in mind of the rich booty that place would afford . chosen men advanced , and came late at night to the walls . perceiving no noise in the castle , they applied their scaling-ladders , and mounted the wall. the first that got up was john de ortega , then another john born at toledo , and the third martin galindo , all three resolute soldiers . they killed the sentinels , who were asleep , and some others ; then opening the gate , all the others rushed in . the townsmen speedily cast up works to secure themselves against the castle , and were attacked at break of day by our men ; but without success . sancho de avila , governor of carmona , and martin de rojas of arcos , bebing too forward , were both killed in the castle-gate . any delay was dangerous , because granada was but leagues off . some were for demolishing the castle , and retiring : the bolder sort were against quitting the enterprize upon any account . this advice prevailed , and the town was assaulted on all sides . some from without scaled the walls ; thither the moors bent their whole force , which gave those in the castle an opportunity of entring the town on that side . a resolute fight was maintained in the streets . the christians were the better soldiers , but the infidels more numerous ; yet both parties stood their ground till night , when such as remained of the enemy retired to a mosque , where many were killed , and the rest made slaves . thus the loss of zahara was doubly repaid . this was the beginning of that tedious and bloody war. alhama was taken on the last day of february . the taking of this place struck a terror into the moors , and caused the christians to stand upon their guard. the moors finding the christians gained footing so near granada , feared the approaching downfal of that kingdom : besides , they were afflicted at some apparitions seen in the air , and because an old fortune-teller , as soon as the infidels took zahara , is said to have cried out , the ruine of that town ( god grant what i say prove false ) will fall upon our heads ! my mind gives me the end of our dominion in spain draws near . this caused the king to raise men throughout his kingdom , and to march towards alhama with horse , and about foot. so great an army was terrible to our men , who could not quit the place without much dishonour . they sent messengers to all parts to hasten relief , and mean while ceased not day or night to repair the walls and add new works . the safety of the town consisted in that the enemy for haste brought no cannon , or other engines for battery . therefore all their assaults proved unsuccessful , for our men bravely made good the walls . the sharpest dispute was at the river which runs near the town , in which there being no fountains nor cisterns , the besieged were obliged to go out for water : the moors laboured to turn the river another way , which ( tho' with much loss ) they performed , cutting a new channel . d. alonso de aguilar marched from cordova with horse and foot to the relief of the besieged ; but all passes being secured by the enemy , was forced to return without effecting any thing . all the hopes that remained was in the duke of medina sidonia , and that not much , because of his ancient enmity with the marquess of cadiz ; to which was added , that he resented that expedition had been undertaken without consulting him . the love of his country prevailed with his generous spirit above private animosities , and the publick danger reconciled those opposites . having resolved to relieve the besieged , he took the royal standard out of sevil , and joined with other noblemen , particularly d. roderick giron , master of calatrava , and d. james pacheco , marquess of villena . they gathered about horse and foot. king ferdinand the very day he received the news of the taking of alhama , and the danger our men were in , set forward with speed from medina del campo , leaving orders for the queen to follow him . he sent orders to the noblemen not to enter the moorish territories before he came , because it was requisite to carry a greater force . the great want of water the besieged endured made all delay dangerous ; therefore the lords notwithstanding that order marched . the moors expected not their coming , but raised the siege , and departed . then the besieged marched out to meet those that came to their relief , and joyfully embraced one another . the marquess of cadiz embraced the duke of medina sidonia ; they saluted one another courteously , and so ended the hatred which had been betwixt those two families for many years . this joy was very near being converted into sorrow , by a dispute arising among the soldiers . those that came to relieve the besieged , pretended to have share in the plunder of the town , and from words they had come to blows , but that the duke pacified his men with fair speeches , and promises of leading them to greater plunder . a fresh garrison was put into the town , and the army marched back . immediately the moors returned to the siege , and several parties went out to plunder the neighbouring country . the infidels observing the highest part of alhama being difficult of access , was slenderly guarded , scaled it before break of day on the th of april . our men taking the alarm , charged the enemy with such fury , that several of them were killed , and the rest to save themselves leaped over the walls . two citizens of sevil signalized themselves in this action , the one called peter pineda , the other alonso ponce . chap. ii. preparations for carrying on the war against the moors ; loxa in vain besieged , and that war laid aside for some time ; some tumults in galizia ; a great slaughter of christians on the mountains of malaga . whilst the moors lay before alhama , the king and queen consulted at cordova about prosecuting the war , some advised to abandon alhama as hard to be defended , being encompassed with enemies on all sides . the queen was positive it ought to be defended : her opinion prevailed , and by the advice of james de merlo , whom the king held in great account , it was resolved to besiege loxa , a very strong city not far from alhama . ezija was the place appointed for the army to rendezvous ; about horse and foot gathered there : a small number for so great an undertaking . after the moors were gone , the king marched with part of these forces to alhama , on the th of april . he put a new garrison into the place , and left d. luis portocarrero , lord of palma , a great soldier , to command there . then having wasted the plain of granada without sustaining any loss , he returned to cordova to make the necessary preparations for war. besides , the queen was near her time , and he was willing to be present at her lying in . on the th of july she was delivered of two children ; the one that lived was called mary , the other was dead . hence the people took occasion to frame omens of the success of the war according to every man's fancy . but what most troubled them was to see those who carried the standards to church to be blessed look extraordinarily melancholy . others laughed at all these observations as at vain and accidental things . the day following the king went away to ezija , all persons of any note striving to have part in that undertaking . according as had been resolved they marched to loxa , where they encamped and entrenched themselves near the suburbs among olive gardens , on that side where the river xenil is so straightned by high banks , that it is not sordable . the ground was streight , and not proper for the horse , and the citizens being masters of the bridge , it was hard to pass the river . near this place is a hill called albohacen , which being commodious to hinder the enemy from sallying , and to command the city , the master of calatrava , and marquesses of villena and cadiz , were ordered to possess themselves of it . within the city were about horse , commanded by alatar a brave captain . they made several sallies , particularly upon a saturday , being encouraged by some recruits they had received , and the hopes that the king of granada was marching to relieve them , they attacked our post upon the hill , sallying in two bodies . our guards being surprized , fled . those that encamped next them , came to their relief , but without any order , or leaving a guard in the camp. the other body of moors laying hold of this opportunity , easily made themselves masters of our works , which greatly discouraged those that were engaged . however , they ran to defend their camp , and behaved themselves with great bravery . the enemy pressed them in front and rear , which was the cause our men were defeated . the master of calatrava was killed , with many others ; the rest saved themselves by flight . king ferdinand discouraged by this misfortune , and perceiving that what his brother the duke de villahermosa had said was true , to wit , that the army was encamped in a disadventageous post ; as also understanding the enemy's army marched towards him , the next day marched away as far as the lovers rock , called pen̄a de los enamorados , which was seven leagues distant from loxa . he retired in good order , the marquess of cadiz facing the enemy , who continually charged the rear , but were so bravely received they fled to the city . this was the end of that ill laid design . the moors encouraged by this success , returned to the siege of alhama . king ferdinand , on the th of august , in person relieved the besieged , laid in provision for months , and gave the lieutenancy of that place to d. luis osorio , who tho' elect bishop of jaen , was a brave and experienced soldier . besides , the king plundered and burnt all the plain of granada . moors came out of the city to skirmish , but the earl of cabra , and chief commendary of calatrava , killed many of them , and forced the rest back into the town . these were great losses to the moors ; but the greatest mischief was discord among themselves ; for a great number of the citizens of granada taking arms , drove their king albohaçen out of the city : they accused him of tyranny , and of beginning that bloody war. in his place they set up his own son mahomet boabdil , commonly called the little king ; others call him haley muley alcadurbil . malaga , baça , and some other cities , continued loyal to king albohaçen . thus that nation was divided betwixt two factions , which did them no less harm than the enemies abroad . it is remarkable , that amidst these confusions neither party asked aid of the christians ; but in the heat of the civil war , made incursions into their territories , and took the town of can̄ete on the frontiers of that kingdom . other affairs for some time diverted the king and queen from the war with the moores , and they returned to the kingdom of toledo . the command of the frontiers about ezija was given to d. peter manrique , earl of trevin̄o , and lately created duke of najara . d. alonso de cardenas , master of santiago was to command about jaen . the government of sevil was given to d. john de silva earl of cifuentes . all things thus settled , the king and queen came to madrid about the beginning of winter . there the cortes assembled to regulate the association set on foot some years before as has been said , that they might not abuse the power they had . supplies were also demanded for the expences of the war , and they offered to furnish beasts for carriage . pope sixtus commanded the clergy to contribute ducats for once . he also granted the croisade to such as served at their own cost , or at least contributed a certain small sum of money . this was again granted years after , and has continued ever since , being yearly collected , which brings a great sum of money into the kings coffers . besides all this , much money was borrowed of bankers and other private persons . the aragonians would not receive d. raimund folch earl of cardona for their viceroy , and pleaded it was a breach of their priviledges to put a stranger over them . after some debate the king condescended , and constituted his son alonso de aragon , archbishop of zaragoça viceroy . the designs of the portugueses and navarrois did not a little perplex king ferdinand . the king of portugal proposed to marry his neece the princess joanna daughter to king henry , to francis phebus king of navarre , who was not yet dead . navarre favoured france . to prevent danger ambassadors were sent to both . those who went to navarre , which was after the death of that king , had orders to propose a match betwixt queen catherine who had inherited that crown , and prince john king ferdinand 's son. they had also instructions to endeavour to gain all the men in power , particularly the faction of the biamonteses , that was possessed of pamplona , and most of the kingdom , the queen having little left her but the name , tho' she had appointed a viceroy , who was monsieur de abene , a frenchman , well versed in affairs of that nature . magdalen the queen's mother seemed pleased at the match , and said there could be nothing on her side to obstruct so advantageous a proposal . in galicia the constable and earl of benavente with their followers were in arms. each of them strove to seize the castles of the bishops , to be in a better condition to oppose his adversary . king ferdinand to prevent mischief , ordered ferdinand de acun̄a governor of that country to seize those places . the governor besieging the castle of lugo , d. peter ossorio earl of lemos came with forces to the assistance of his brother who was bishop of that city . this produced a new war , which obliged king ferdinand to set out from madrid on the th of february , and hasten into galicia . by the way he received advice that the earl of lemos was dead . he appointed his grandson roderick , his heir , tho' a bastard of his son alonso . the grandfather obtained a dispensation of the pope to make him legitimate , and put him into possession of his estate before his death . this produced a new debate , for joanna daughter to the earl deceased , and wife to d. luis the earl of benavente's son , claimed that earldom . upon this account both parties were in arms. king ferdinand commanded them to stand to the determination of the law , threatning to fall upon him that should refuse , yet he favoured the grandson of the deceased , who was in possession . whilst he was busie in galicia , the moores near malaga made a great slaughter of our men , which was the greatest loss we sustained during that war. peter enriquez lieutenant of andaluzia having with the assistance of the earl of cadiz recovered his town of can̄ete and fortified it , was desirous to be revenged upon the moores . d. alonso de aguilar and the master of santiago had also resolved to make an incursion into the moorish territories . the earl of cifuentes had attempted to recover zahara , but failed . all these commanders agreed to make an inroad into the territory of malaga in three bodies . that country is rich by reason of the silken manufactures , and therefore they hoped to make a considerable booty . near malaga there are certain uncouth mountains called axarquia , over those mountains they marched , plundered and burnt all the country , and some parties of horse advanced even in sight of malaga . this provoked the citizens , and the people of the mountains assembled and secured all the passes . our men sought to retire , but could not . there were two ways , the longest by the sea , which was plainest , but dangerous , because of the castle of malaga , and several creeks that cross it . the other through which they came was shorter , but very difficult by reason of the woods and mountains . two mountains particularly close up a deep vally , through the middle of which runs a river that parts them . our men entred this valley in a consternation , encumbred with the booty , when on the one side the moores attacked them , and on the other they saw the pass secured by another party , which added much to their fear . they were tyred with marching two days , faint for want of food , and could neither go backwards nor forwards . many were killed with arrows and musket shot , the moores being very good marksmen . night coming on , the terror increased with the darkness and the continual shouts of the enemy . then the master of santiago cryed out , how long shall we suffer our selves fellow-soldiers to be slaughtered like sheep ? our swords and our valour must open the way , or at least let us endeavour to sell our lives dear , and not die unrevenged . having spoke thus , they began to ascend the hill , and with much difficulty reached to the top. there the fight was bloody , and the slaughter on our side great , many persons of note were killed . the marquess of cadiz found guides , who led him off through by-ways . the earl of cifuentes his squadron which brought up the rear sustained most loss , he and his brother peter de silva were taken and carried to granada . of horse , were killed , and among them brothers of the marquess of cadiz , james , lope and bertran , besides others of his relations . near twice as many were taken , and of them of the best gentry in spain . some few with the master of santiago escaped over the desert part of the mountain , and got to antequera . others as chance led them , made their way to other places . this misfortune hapned upon the th of march , being the feast of st. benedict , usually a day of joy in spain , but now converted into sorrow . abohardil brother to king albohacen , and governor of malaga , who commanded the moores , gained great reputation by this extraordinary success . chap. iii. the moores defeated , and boabdil their king taken , and afterwards released ; the affaires of navarre ; pope sixtus dies , innocent the eighth succeeds him ; marquess del gasto , and pescara , from whom descended . the sorrow conceived by the christians for their loss , was soon allayed , by a greater defeat they gave the moores . albohazen and boabdil the two moorish kings did one another all the harm they could , yet at the same time both endeavoured to gain the affection of their people , destroying the christians . to this purpose boabdil having gathered a good body entred the territory of ecija , designing to surprize lucena a town more large and rich , than strong . alatar his father in law , who from a mean condition , rose by his valour to that honour , gave this advice . james fernandez de cordova who was lord of that town , and some others thereabouts , understanding the design of the moores , gave advice of the danger he was in to his unckle , the earl of cabra . but few horse remained in those parts , by reason of the late slaughter , and the inhabitants of lucena were in a consternation because their walls were not strong to make resistance . the moores came before the town on the th of april . the governour coveyed the townsmen into the upper town , and gave the guard of the lower , to horse and foot he had got together . they defended it so bravely that the enemy dispairing of success , and in a rage for some men they lost in the attack , vented their fury upon the olive gardens . besides , hamet abencerrage wasted the lands of mon̄tilla with horse . he was samiliarly acquainted with james de cordova , the family of the abencerrages having resided at cordova , when they were banished out of granada . upon account of this acquaintance , he had an interview with james de cordova designing to circumvent him . his fraud was disappointed by another policy . the governor seemed inclinable to surrender the town , and by that means gained time till the count de cabra could come to his relief . upon the news of his approach , the enemy raised the siege , and began to march off with the booty which was very great . the besieged sallyed and charged their rear to keep them in play till the earl of cabra came up . it will scarce be believed , that tho' the moores were ten times the number of the christians , they did not stand the first shock . a league and a half from lucena , and in the way to loxa , is a pleasant brook , which then with the summer rains was swelled . the enemies foot having passed this . brook , began to fly , only taking care to drive the booty . their horse tho' in a consternation made a stand , the king himself , striving to encourage them . all proved ineffectual , for the christians advancing , they were charged in flank by d. alonso de aguilar , who came from antequera with horse , and some few foot. the enemy suddenly gave way and fled . the king alighted off from a white horse , and endeavoured to hide himself among the trees and bushes on the banks of the river . three foot soldiers found him , and he discovered himself for fear of being killed . he was secured and sent to lucena . in the pursuit which lasted till night , above horse were killed , and among them alatar being years of age , about foot were either slain or taken . all the booty was recovered . having received the news of this victory , queen elizabeth went away to the borders of navarre , to hasten the marriage betwixt her son and that queen . and king ferdinand hasted to andaluzia to prosecute the war. being come to cordova , it was resolved to raise greater forces , because after the taking of boabdil , the moores were again united under albohacen , and he had recovered granada , notwithstanding many of the citizens hated him for his cruelty and avarice . king ferdinand at the head of horse , and foot destroyed the suburbs of yiora , and having taken tajara by assault , utterly destroyed it . thence he marched , and encamping on the plain of granada , sent out parties , who burnt and destroyed all about them . king albohacen having no confidence in the citizens , durst not venture out of the city , and onely some small parties came out to endeavour to pick up staglers . that king sent to offer the earl of cifuentes and nine more of the principal prisoners he had taken for his son boabdil . he also proposed conditions of peace but such as were haughty and violent . king ferdinand answered , he was not come to receive , but to give laws , and would not hear of any peace till they laid down their arms. the marquess of cadiz and others , ceased not to perswade the king to release boabdil , because it was a mean to keep the enemy divided , which would redound to our advantage . king ferdinand having wasted the country and lest a good garrison in albama under the command of ynigo lopez de mendoca earl of tendilla , returned to cordova . thither the moorish king was brought prisoner from the castle of porcuna . being come before the king he offered to kiss his hand , but king ferdinand embraced and entertained him courteously . after some time they concluded a league upon these conditions . that boabdil should give his eldest son and other sons of the principal moores as hostages , that he would always continue faithful to king ferdinand . that he should pay the yearly tribute of ducats and come to the cortes when summoned . that in five years time he should release christian slaves . upon these terms he was dismissed . king ferdinand having garrisoned all towns thereabouts , and given the government of ezija , and general command of those frontiers to d. luis fernandez portocarrero , set out towards the queen . at the same time moorish horse and foot under the command of bexir governor of malaga broke into the territory of utrera , but were overthrown by portocarrero and the marquess of cadiz near guadalete . in memory of this good service , it was granted to the marquesses of cadiz for ever , that they should have the suit of cloaths the king of spain wore upon every feast of the nativity of our blessed lady , which is in september . within the same month the marquess recovered zahara by surprize . king ferdinand and queen elizabeth went to vitoria , tho' with small hopes that the marriage designed would take effect . the lady magdalen pleaded the queen her daughter was marriageable , and the prince but a child . at vitoria the earl of cabra and james fernandez de cordova were received with extraordinary honour , the cardinal of toledo with all the nobility by the king's order , going out of town to meet them . a pension of maravedies was given to the earl of cabra for his life , and to his paternal coat of arms was added a kings head crowned , within an orle of colours , betokening that number taken from the enemy in their retreat from lucena . the winter floods carryed away a great part of the wall of alhama , and the garrison was for abandoning the place , but the earl of tendilla caused a cloth painted in such manner that the defect could not be perceived , to be spread along that part . by this project they gained time to repair the damage before the enemy understood the cheat. for want of money to pay the garrison , he gave them pastboard tickets with his name on the one side , and the value they were to go for on the other , promising to make them good as soon as the danger was over . on the th of november , the pope gave a cardinal's cap to d. john de melguerite bishop of girona . he wrote a brief history of the kings of spain , called paralipomena , but enjoyed that dignity only a few months . his body lies at rome in the church of our lady de populo . the troubles in navarre did not cease , and the old factions grew strong through the general contempt of the government . to add to all former misfortunes , a new war broke out . john viscount narbonne unckle to queen catherine , pretended to have right to that kingdom before his nephews , and alledged that a woman could not inherit the crown . the truth is , he had no right , and therefore by force of arms brought all the earldom of faux into subjection . to put an end to these troubles , it was thought convenient to hasten the queen's marriage . the lady magdalen her mother was for marrying of her in france . the people pleaded she ought not to marry without advice of the cortes , and thereupon the inhabitants of tudela protested , if she were disposed of otherwise , they would deliver up the town to king ferdinand . he at the beginning of the year held the cortes of aragon at taraçona , where nothing remarkable was done , only at first the catalonians pleaded they ought not to be summoned out of their own province , yet at last they submitted . mean while , catherine queen of navarre was married to john d' albret , lord of perigeux , limoges , dreux and many other places . this match produced new troubles in navarre , king ferdinand designing to make his advantage of those confusions , stayed there himself , and sent his queen to provide for the war in andaluzia . alboha●en kept up his authority , and his son boahdil had much ado to maintain the title of king in the city almeria , that people hating him as a friend to the christians , their preachers employed by his father never oeasing to rail at him . about men from sevil and cordova in april wasted all the lands of malaga . no relief came to the moores out of africk , either because that people was ingaged in other wars , or because our fleet commanding the sea , gave them no opportunity to stir . all our force being on that side , the genoeses under the command of jordieto doria ravaged all the coasts of catalonia , and valencia . a fleet was therefore rigged upon that coast , to curb the insolency of those pyrates . some troubles in ecclesiastical affairs required the presence of king ferdinand to settle them . luis despuch master of montesa dying , the knights chose d. philip boyl in his place , but king ferdinand pleading that by virtue of a bull granted him by the pope , no master of a military order could be elected without his consent , the new elect was deposed ; and charles late duke of viana chosen in his stead . also pope sixtus gave the archbishoprick of sevil to cardinal roderick borgia , but the king opposed him , and it was given to james de mendoça then bishop of palencia . thus the kings of spain began to claim the right of nominating their bishops . the neapolitans and venetians were now at war about hercules duke of ferrara , whom the former protected because he was married to their king's daughter . on the th of august died pope sixtus . his successor was cardinal john baptista cibo , who took the name of innocent the th . at the same time died in̄igo davalos , son to the constable ruy lopez davalos . he was in high favour with the kings of naples , and left several children of whom some princes in italy are descended , and particularly the famous ferdinand , marquess of pescara , who filled not only italy , but all the world with the same of his exploits . inigo davalo was father to d. alonso , marquess del gasto , who was also renowned for his valour , and his cousin dying without children , he inherited his estate , which he left to his heirs , upon condition one of them should be called marquess de pescara , and the next marquess del gasto alternatively , as is practised till this day . chap. iv. alora and other places taken from the moores ; albohardil usurps the crown of granada , and defeats the earl of cabra ; the rebellion in naples ; birth of the princess catherine of castile , afterwards wife to henry viii . king of england . in andaluzia our forces never ceas'd to harass the enemies country . at cordoua a council was held to agree about undertaking some enterprize , and tho the master of santiago was of another opinion , the marquess of cadiz his advice prevailed , which was to attack alora , a town almost in the mid-way between antequera and malaga . it is stronger by nature than any addition of art. the army was ready to march when king ferdinand came and approved of the enterprize . the better to amuze the enemy , he gave out he was going to put new forces into alhama , but being come to antequera turned short , and set down before alora unexpected . our cannon soon beat down part of the walls , which so terrified the moores , that they surrendred on the th of june , upon condition to carry their goods with them . we lost not one man in this siege . several other places were attacked , and at one called caçarabonela , where there was a skirmish with a body of the enemy , d. gutierre de sotomayor , earl of benalcaçar , being too eager , was killed in the prime of his age. after this knights of calatrava were put into alhama , under the command of garzi lopez de padilla , chosen master of that order , in the place of roderick tellez giron , deceased . the king marched on , and incamped in sight of granada . his army consisted of horse , and scarce foot. in the city there were reported to be combatants , a number scarce to be believed . however king ferdinand ravaged all that place , and having spent days in this expedition , returned with his army entire , and loaded with plunder to the christian territories . the command of alora he gave to luis fernandez portocarrero . d. alvaro de mendoça , earl of castro , was made admiral , that he being a man of singular conduct , might hinder any succours from passing out of africk . after the heat of the summer was over the christians again took the field . they battered a castle near malaga called septenil , which the besieged , terrified with the cannon , surrendred , being payed for the provisions they left behind them . thence our army marched towards ronda , a strong and almost inaccessible city , being seated betwixt craggy mountains , the greatest part of it encompassed by a river , the rest covered with rocks . the inhabitants of this place were resolute and warlike , and well provided with all necessaries for their defence . our forces being come in sight of the walls , destroyed all the orchards and olive-trees thereabouts , but money growing short to pay the soldiers , they made but a short stay there . the army being put into winter-quarters , the king and queen went away to sevil , and came to that city upon the d of october . in the month of january , , the king took the field , thinking to surprize the city loxa , but desisted by reason of the rains and bad weather , as also because a soldier of note , called john de ortega , said , that design was impracticable . the nobility came in daily with their troops , so that in a little time the army amounted to horse , and foot. with this force it was decreed to prosecute the war. at the same time the citizens of almeria , as if their king boabdil were the cause of all their misfortunes , assaulted his palace , killed his brother , and secured his mother , who had been the chief incendiary betwixt the father and son. king boabdil himself being then out of the town , as soon as he received the news of that misfortune , fled with a few followers to cordoua . the inhabitants of ronda , whose numbers were much decreased , were in a great consternation . a moore called joseph xerife , gave notice of it to the marquess of cadiz , and it was decreed to undertake that enterprize . first they attacked a town called cohine near alora , which they took by assault , and razed because it was too large to be defended . another town called cartama , of which all the valley takes name , was also taken . the master of santiago was made governor of it at his own request . this done they marched to malaga , where albohardil , the moorish king's brother , resided , in whose valour the moores chiefly confided , for the reputation he gained in the slaughter of the christians on the mountains of malaga . little was done there , and the army returned the way it came to ronda . the forces were divided into parts , that they might encompass the town on all sides . the king with the greatest body encamped before the castle . all the avenues were secured that no succours might get into the town , which was then much weakned , a great number of the inhabitants being abroad upon parties to plunder in andalusia . for these reasons , and because the christians advanced their works with great industry , the besieged surrendred upon articles the d of may. among the other conditions it was agreed , that some of the principal inhabitants should have revenues assigned them at sevil , out of the estates of gonçalo picon , and others condemned by the inquisition . a good garrison was put into that city . several other towns along the mountain surrendred , the chief whereof were caçarabonela , and marbella , which lies near the sea. the moores were in a great consternation , and had little help in their kings , the one being fled , the other ancient , sickly , and almost blind . this moved them to choose for their king muley albohardil , who resided at malaga , and was a man of great courage and conduct . he immediately accepted of the crown they offered him , went away to granada ; and entred that city in triumphant manner , being proud that he had killed christians by the way , who lay very secure upon sierra nevada . the citizens with great acclamations proclaimed him king. albohazen at the beginning of this mutiny went away to almun̄ecar , where his treasure lay . there his cruel brother caused him to be murdered , only to secure himself in the throne he had usurped . king ferdinand , tho many were of opinion the soldiers who were harassed with the late expeditions ought to rest , commanded the army to rendezvous at alcala real , because that town was upon the frontiers , and went himself thither from cordcua upon the first of september , notwithstanding the heat was excessive , that part of the country being naturally hotter than the rest of spain . the earl of cabra desiring to signalize himself , begged he might first enter the moorish territories , as he did with horse and foot. he was ordered to take with him martin alonso de montemayor , and to sit down before moclin , a strong town near granada , the king promising to back them with the whole army . the earl marched day and night to surprize the new king albohardil , who he understood was quartered near that place with horse , and a greater number of foot. this design being discovered to the moore , he removed to a hill , and at break of day fell upon the christians in certain defiles with such fury , that the best soldiers were killed , and most of the foot. the earl lost his brother gonçalo , and he with a few horse fled towards the way where he expected to meet garzi lopez de padilla , master of calatrava , who followed those that had advanced before . this loss so troubled king ferdinand , that he retired for some time . on the frontier near jaen , are two towns and castles called cambil , and albahar . the river frio runs betwixt them , and tho small , is difficult to be waded , because of its high banks . both these places were besieged , albahar is beyond the river , and near it is a hill that commands it , on which the king , tho with much labour , caused the cannon to be planted . this so terrified the moores , that they surrendred both towns and castles on the d of september , being the very day on which they were lost years before . after this the king put the army into winter quarters , and went himself with the queen to alcala de henares . during this expedition died d. alonso de aragon , duke de villahermosa , the king's brother , a brave commander . his body was deposited at baeça , and thence translated to poplete , the burial-place of his ancestors . of him are descended the dukes of villahermosa , and earls of ribagorça . in toledo the inquisition severely punished those who renouncing the christian faith became jews . a great number of those people who were reconciled , and implored mercy , was pardoned . they are now called de la gracia , that is , the people of grace . the nobility of naples had now raised a bloody war against their king ferdinand , upon the usual pretences . pope innocent favoured them , but it was rather in words than effect , for he was ancient , and otherwise employed . the chief of the conspirators were the princes of salerno , basigniano , and altamura , as also the marquess del gasto . it was reported that frederick , the king's son , under-hand supported the rebels , but this could never be proved . the wicked life of alonso , duke of calabria , the king 's eldest son , was one great motive of this revolt . the king resolved to reduce the rebels rather by policy than force , and therefore gave his general pardon to all the mutiniers . king ferdinand of spain also sent the earl of tendilla his ambassador , to ingage to those noblemen for their safety , provided they laid down their arms. but the king of naples , as soon as the storm was over , made no account of those promises , and at several times , as occasion served , seized the heads of the rebellion , and put them all to death . king ferdinand of castile ceased not to protest against those proceedings , but he of naples ceased not to proceed in cutting off his enemies , which proved fatal to him at last , as we shall see in its place . let us turn back . on the th of december queen elizabeth at aloala de henares , was delivered of a daughter , called catherine , well known in the world as wife to two brothers , sons to the king of england , and for her great sufferings caused by the inordinate lust and infidelity of her husband , which also drew great calamities upon the whole english nation . their sins and rebellion drew judgments upon them . richard iii. having murdered his two nephews , edward and richard , the rightful heirs of the crown , usurped the kingdom . he govern'd like a tyrant , and ended accordingly . henry earl of richmond , who had been a prisoner in britany , having obtained his liberty , overthrew the tyrant in battle , and killed him . by that means he secured the crown to himself . this henry had a son called henry like himself , who was the eighth of that name king of england , and famous for his incontinency , for putting away catherine his wife , and for disowning the supremacy of the pope , besides many other crimes which have left an indelible stain upon his name . chap. v. the tumults in aragon , and catalonia ; several towns taken from the moores ; a sedition in galicia ; king albohardil attacks the castle call'd albaizin in granada , and is repulsed ; azamor on the coast of africk delivered to the portugueses . some small tumults hapned in aragon , but those in catalonia were more dangerous , yet the prudence of king ferdinand overcame them all . the city zaragoça is seated in a plain on the banks of the river ebro , and is in beauty , riches , and number of inhabitants , almost equal to the best in spain . this place has often mutinied in defence of its priviledges , as it hapned at this time . john de burgos , the king 's alguazil , gave some ill language to peter cerdan , the chief of the aldermen , and head of their counsel . others coming in apprehended the alguazil , tried , condemned , and hanged him , which was a great affront to the king. he was then upon the point of entring upon the kingdom of granada with his army , and therefore sent orders to john hernandez de heredia , supream governor of that kingdom , to punish all that had a hand in that affair with the utmost rigor , and at the same time told the deputies sent by the city , that no harm should be done ; for he was expert in dissembling . the head of the aldermen could not be apprehended , because the chief justice of aragon protected him , but martin pertusa , who was the next , and had been very active in the business of the alguazil , was suddenly executed , the king's letters being carried before him upon a spear to awe the people , who were ready to rescue him . this struck a terror into the others , and so the sedition was appeased . soon after another tumult hapned upon account of a more hainous crime than the last . peter arbuc was inquisitor in that city , and punished offenders according to their crimes . certain wicked murderers , under colour of standing up for their liberties , attempted to murder him in his bed , but not being able to force the iron bars of his window , they stabbed him in the church before the high altar , as he was at mattins , on the th of september . he died not till the night following , which time he spent in singing praises to almighty god. his body was buried in the same place where they murdered him , and soon after a lamp was hung over his grave , an honour never allowed to any but canonized saints charles v. the emperor , obtained of pope paul iii. that his feast might be celebrated on the th of september , as is duely now observed . all his murderers died unfortunately within a year . after this , for the safety of the inquisitors , they were lodged in the castle called del aljaferia . this in aragon . in catalonia , and particularly the territory of ampurias , those vassals who are vulgarly called pageses , were oppressed by their landlords , and treated like slaves . those lords obliged them to pay the heavy impositions laid on them by the moores , pleading prescription to justifie this proceeding . the histories of catalonia do not mention what impositions these were , they only say they were very heavy , and that none was exempt from them but such as ransomed themselves like slaves . this moved the people often to take up arms to deliver themselves from that tyranny , but the efforts of the multitude for the most part are weak . they had recourse to their kings for redress , and several of them ordered those impositions to be moderated , yet the nobility would not part with any thing of what had been left them by their ancestors . king ferdinand at last , with his usual . success , and good conduct , put an end to all those debates . from alcala de henarez the king and queen went to segovia , and thence to medina del campo . by the way they visited d. garzia de toledo , created by the king duke of alva , who now lived retired by reason of his great age , having left his son frederick to serve in his place . this the king did not only to honour him , but to reconcile him to the constable peter fernandez de velasco , to whom with d. alonso de fonseca , archbishop of sevil , he intended to leave the government of castile , whilst he prosecuted the war in granada . in order to it he went to guadalupe , where on the th of april he decided the affair of the pageses , ordaining , that in lieu of the old imposition every one of those vassals should pay to his lord sueldos , or shillings of barcelona yearly , which tho a heavy burden , was joyfully accepted by those people , and the more for that they were allowed to buy it off at years purchase . thus after long disputes that part of spain was pacified . in portugal all was quiet since the death of those nobles we have spoken of , and the king laboured to make his kingdom renowned . azamor , a city in mauritania tingitana on the ocean , having formerly been tributary to the king of portugal , now took an oath of fidelity to him , and in acknowledgment of subjection obliged it self to give yearly alosas , which is a sort of fish that abounds there . it was a greater honour to that nation and its princes , that they had not only formerly maintained their liberty , and erected a kingdom to which they had no good title , but did now subdue remote cities and provinces to their great glory and advantage . the kingdom of the moores decayed apace : civil discord consumed them no less than the enemy abroad . in the city of granada , boabdil being called in by his party , possessed himself of a castle called albaycin , and the citizens sought and killed one another in the streets . yet they joined to oppose the christians , and the danger being over to war among themselves again . an alsaqui , which is in the nature of a priest , esteemed a holy man , went about the streets proclaiming their madness , and threatning speedy ruin unless they grew wiser in time . his words moved the people , and therefore through his mediation , and of others of his profession , the two kings came to an agreement upon these terms . that the uncle should still keep granada , almeria , and malaga ; all the rest should belong to his nephew boabdil , who , i guess , resided in the albaycin before-mentioned , tho our historians do not mention it . their chief design was , that boabdil should have all those places which they imagined the christians would first attack , because he was in league with king ferdinand . the christians were not ignorant of their policy , therefore having assembled their forces they resolved to attempt loxa . boabdil advanced with horse to stop the passage of our men , who were to march through uncouth and difficult ways . nevertheless they came to the suburbs of the city , where they had a skirmish with the moores whom they forced back into the walls . the army was divided into parts , the better to compass the town , and the bridge that led to it broken down . but the christians built two others , to secure the communication for themselves . a breach being made by the cannon , and all things in readiness to assault it , the city surrendred the th day of the siege , capitulating for liberty to depart with as much of their goods as they could carry . boabdil coming to the camp , fell down on his knees , protesting it was against his will he had broke his faith , and that he was forced to it . his excuses were allowed , and he pardoned , because it was convenient to wink at his faults , to keep up the division that was among the moores . king ferdinand fortified the city , and gave the command of it to alvaro de luna , lord of fuentiduen̄a , and grandson to the constable d. alvaro de luna . this done he marched to reduce other places . some few made resistance , but in vain , the most surrendred . among others illora was taken on the th of june , and after it ban̄os , zagra , and moclin . some of these places were very strong , and might have held out long , being near granada , whence they could be relieved . the command of illora was given to gonçalo fernandez de cordova , afterwards the famous general in italy . the citizens of granada used to call illora the right eye , and moclin the buckler of that city , for which reason they began to despair of maintaining themselves , besides that the christians destroyed all the country about them . nevertheless albohardil sent part of his horse to the bridge called de los pinos , a place well known for the slaughter of our men made there formerly . these were to hinder the christians passing the river xenil . he himself stayed in the city to prevent disorders . the moores could not hinder the christians passing the river , but charged the left squadron that passed , which was commanded by d. in̄igo de mendoça duke del infant ado . our men were hard put to it , being beset by horse and foot , but the other forces coming to their rescue the moores retired . still our men pursued close upon their rear , and the fight was renewed in the olive gardens of the city . d. john de aragon , earl of ribagorça , signalized himself in this ingagement , and had his horse killed under him . king ferdinand , the summer being near spent , garrisoned the towns he had taken , and left d. frederick , son to the duke of alva , to command on the frontiers , by that means ending the competition betwixt the nobility of andaluzia about that post . at this time galicia was in an uproar , because the earl of lemos had possessed himself of ponferrada , a very strong town , and turned out the king's garrison . the earl upon his submission was pardoned , only that town with some others were taken from him , and annexed to the crown . the king and queen having performed their devotions at santiago , returned to salamanca , at the beginning of the year . here they resolved to erect a new supream court in galicia , to curb that mutinous people . frederick , son to the duke of alva , was ambitious of signalizing himself . a great number of christian captives that were kept in the dungeons of malaga gave intelligence , that if the christians attempted the town , they would break prison , and let them into the town . six hundred horse sent by him to this purpose were disappointed , because the rivers were swelled and impassable . in the city granada the animosities ran as high as ever betwixt the two moorish kings , insomuch that albohardil having brought forces from guadix and baça , attacked the castle of albaicin and entred it . boabdil coming on with his guard , soon repulsed his enemy . they fought desperately in the place before the great mosque , and many were killed on both sides . king ferdinand came from salamanca to cordova on the d of march. thence , understanding the danger that king his confederate was in , he sent him succours under the command of ferdinand alvarez de gadea , commander of colomera . with this supply he gained much upon his adversary , to the great destruction of the citizens , who like mad men ran to their ruin , siding with the two kings . chap. vi. king ferdinand takes malaga and other places from the moores ; albohardil king of granada having been defeated by the christians , is expell'd by his subjects , and boabdil proclaimed king ; mighty discoveries made by the portugueses in the east . it was debated at cordova how to carry on the war. some were for besieging baça , others gu●dix . the king resolved to attempt malaga , because it lay opportunely for the moores to receive succours out of africk , the passage there being but short . he set out of cordova on the th of april , without communicating his design to any body . his army consisted of horse and foot. being come upon the moorish territories he discovered his design , and encouraged his men to undertake that great and glorious work , assuring them it would be the ruin of the infidels dominion in spain . the king's will being known , all the soldiers readily promised to undergo any labour or danger , shewing their readiness to follow wheresoever he would lead . in their march the army attacked velez , a town near malaga . the garrison sallying , fell upon the troops of galicia , which , tho couragious enough , not being well disciplined , were worsted , till other forces coming up , the enemy were drove within the walls . the suburbs being taken , the artillery was planted to batter the town . all the country about rose to succour the besieged , but to no purpose . albohardil understanding the design of the christians , resolved to relieve that city , on which his whole kingdom depended . to this purpose he sent before reduan venegas , governor of granada , a brave soldier , with some foot , and horse , promising to follow them very speedily . reduan designed to surprize our guards , and nail the cannon . his design failed . the moorish king came , and incamped on a ground difficult of access near the town . in his army were horse , and a like number of foot. tho weaker than the christians he thought the advantage of ground might secure him ; it availed him not , for the christians charged him , forced his works , and plundered his baggage . their consternation was such that all fled , and what was worst , the poor king being overthrown and forsaken , the people of granada at his return shut the gates against him . this done , they all unanimously proclaimed his competitor boabdil . no hopes of relief being left , velez was surrendred on the th of april , upon condition the inhabitants might depart whither they pleased , carrying their goods with them . immediately upon the surrender of velez , another town near it called bentome opened its gates , and received a garrison . the government of this town was given to peter navarro , who being by birth a mean person , and but a private sailer , became a most famous captain . the people of malaga despairing that they should be able to hold out long , abenconnixa their governor , with the assistance of john de robles , who had been long a slave in malaga , came to the army to treat of a surrender . certain soldiers of barbary who were in garrison there , having notice of this design , fearing left they should be delivered up to the enemy , and in a rage because they had not been consulted in that affair , possessed themselves of the castle that commands the city , called alcaçava , turned out the garrison that was in it , and killed a brother of abenconnixa . then placing guards on the walls , and shutting the gates , they put any of the townsmen to death that were suspected of holding correspondence with the christians . the thoughts of a surrender failing , the king caused heavy cannon to be brought from antequera , and incamped on the th of may before malaga . the city is seated on a plain , but on a rising ground are two castles , the lowest called alcaçava , the highest gebalfaro . it is small in compass , but beautiful , and well peopled . it is also a seaport town , and towards the land is encompassed with mountains , on which are many orchards and country-houses . between the two castles runs a line of communication . the country is pleasant and fruitful , and was then rich by reason of the trade of africk , and the east . in the king's army was most of the nobility of andaluzia and castile , and many aragonians . it was resolved to draw a trench round the city , to terminate at the sea on both sides , and to keep a force on the hill on which the lesser fort stands . the marquess of cadiz commanded on the hill. the queen came to the siege , and with her the cardinal of spain , and bishop of avila . many skirmishes hapned before the trenches were finished , in one of which john de ortega , who had done great service this war , was killed . on the th of may moores sallied , and attacked the marquess of cadiz his quarters , killing the out-guards , and entring his works . the marquess nothing daunted , having drawn up his men , charged the enemy . many were killed on both sides , and the marquess wounded , but at last the infidels were obliged to retire . some in the town believing themselves lost , resolved to kill the king. among these , one who was accounted a holy man , to compass his design ; suffered himself to be taken . he desired to be carried before the king , who at that time , as god ordered it , was taking his rest , therefore the queen commanded him to be carried before the marquess of moya . the moor , by the riches he saw in the tent , guess'd it to be the king 's , and drawing a cimiter , which through oversight had not been taken from him , made at d. alvaro de portugall , who was accidentally talking with the lady marchioness . he bowing his body , escaped the blow , and the moore was killed by those that came in to rescue d. alvaro . thus through god's mercy that danger was diverted . the army was increased by the arrival of the duke of medina sidonia . maximilian duke of austria , who was afterwards emperor , sent two ships from flanders laden with all manner of warlike stores , under the command of d. ladron de guevara . the number of the besieged also increased , for that some got into the city through the works next the sea. hunger pinched , and yet the barbary soldiers would hear of no capitulation . the citizens were for surrendring . one of them called dordux , a man of great note , went out to capitulate . the king said , there were no conditions to be allowed , but they must surrender upon discretion . this was in publick , but under-hand he promised dordux , that if he managed that business well , he and all his kindred should not only be set free , but well rewarded . the moore undertook to do it , and accordingly admitted the christians into the castle , and set up their colours on the highest tower. this terrified both the citizens and barbary soldiers , yet at the same time they hoped the capitulation made by dordux would extend to them all . for this reason they packed up their goods to depart , but they were deceived , for their goods and liberty were taken from them . the same hapned to the soldiers who drew out near the sea to march away . all the africans , with their commander zegri , were made prisoners . many christians who had fled to the moores were put to death . the jews who after being baptized , had relapsed , were burnt . all the other jews and moores , who were natives of the city , were allowed to ransom themselves at an easie rate . this noble city was taken on the th of august , for which there was general rejoycing and thanksgiving throughout all spain . it appeared , that in the time of the goths it had been a bishoprick , and therefore the pope granted his bull to restore that dignity . the general joy for this success was somewhat abated by the news that bajazet , the great turk , provided a mighty fleet to invade sicily , by that means to divert the spaniards from the conquest of granada . whilst the moores were running to ruin , the portugueses sending out fleets every year , opened themselves a way to the eastern countreys . a mighty undertaking , first commenced , as has been said , by prince henry , who first caused the coast of africk , along the ocean , to be discovered . this work was continued several years after without intermission . but the profit in those discoveries not answering the trouble and cost , they designed to pass onward to the rich provinces of india , to bring home to their country the riches of those parts , which heaven had so largely bestowed upon those people , as all sorts of spice , precious stones , pearls , gold , silver , ivory , and many other things which the insatiable pride of man rather than necessity has caused to be highly valued . things strange and at that great distance are never truly represented , but highly magnified . it was reported there were woods of great tall trees , of cinnamon , cassiafistula , and cloves , great store of pepper and ginger , beasts of extraordinary shapes , and men of strange customs and countenances . the wiser sort thought it a great madness for a kingdom so small , and of so little strength as portugal , to seek out those nations , seated in respect to them , in the utmost bounds of the earth , and parted from them by such a vast ocean . but all difficulties yielded to avarice and ambition . to this purpose the king of portugal some years since sent bartholomew diaz , an able pilot , to the cape of good hope , which is the utmost point of africk to the south , and beyond the equinoctial . he passed that cape , and came to a river which he called del infante . with bartholomew diaz went f. antony of the order of s. francis , who was an active and bold man. he having viewed a great part of africk and assia , travelling from that place came at last to hierusalem . lastly , he returning by land , and bartholomew diaz by sea , gave an account to the king of what they had discovered . this encouraged the portugueses to proceed in so great an undertaking . for the better carrying on of their design , they chose two men of courage and experience , and that were great masters of the arabick language , to proceed in this discovery , one of them was peter covillam , and the other alonso de payva . to save the vast charge of a fleet they were sent by land to discover the inferior parts of africk and asia , each of them taking one of those parts of the world for his province . with these instructions they set out of lisbon on the th of may , took naples and rome in their way , thence passed to hierusalem , then to alexandria , and so to grand caire , the principal city of egypt . here they parted , peter cavillam for ormuz , an island at the mouth of the persian gulph , and thence to calicut . alonso de payva undertook to examine the inland of ethiopia , where he died . for this reason , and because he received letters from the king , ordering him not to return till he had surveyed all those provinces , peter covillam went into ethiopia . alexander , nau , and david , successively emperors of ethiopia , and vulgarly called prester john , took an affection to covillam , and therefore would not suffer him to return home , but gave him a wife and land to live upon . since he could not return , he thence sent an account to the king in writing of all he had seen . he said calicut was the richest and most famous place of trade in all the east , the inhabitants of a sallow complexion , not warlike , and extravagant in their manner of living : that they went naked from the waste upwards , wore much gold and silk , their arms loaded with pearls , a cimiter hanging from their shoulders . that one woman married several husbands , for which reason no body knowing the father , the nephews , being sons of sisters , inherited . that in ethiopia were many large provinces of blacks , that they all profess christianity , but much corrupted with jewish and heretical customs . that they were all subject to one powerful king who maintained mighty armies of horse and foot , and always lived in the field . to conclude , that he believed those people might be easily reconciled to the church , if ambassadors were sent , and peace and commerce settled with them . but most of these things hapned some years later . it is time to return to castile . chap. vii . tumults in aragon , the cities associate there ; the war with the moores renewed , and several places taken from them , which they with the same facility recover ; maximilian king of the romans aimes to marry the princess elizabeth of castile after the taking of malaga , when king ferdinand thought to have gone on in his conquest , the troubles in aragon oblged him to go thither , to put a stop to the murders and robberies committed there . at valencia d. philip de aragon master of the order of montesa killed john de valterra , a noble youth and his rival , for both courted the lady ellenor marchioness of cotron , and daughter of anthony centellas , which occasioned great tumults in that city . to obviate these harms , king ferdinand set out from cordova , and arrived at zaragoça on the th of november . the manner of choosing magistrates in that city was altered . the council and commons used before to have the election of them , and now because that produced disputes and mutinies , they desired for the future the nomination of them should be in the king. besides the towns associated after the manner of castile , each engaging to contribute to the maintenance of horse , who were to travel about , and punish all malefactors . it was ordained that the king should have the choosing of the captain of this association , or brotherhood , out of citizens of zaragoça , named by the council of that city . laws were also enacted to prevent their abusing the power given them . this was concluded at the beginning of the year . at the same time came leonard tocco a grecian , and of the family of the grecian emperors ( whom the turks had drove out of his dominions , and obliged to fly into italy ) ambassador from the king of naples , to conclude the match before proposed betwixt the grandson of that king , and the princess elizabeth , daughter to king ferdinand . this affair took not effect , because the king designed to marry his daughter to the king of france , or else to the prince of portugal , hoping that would be a secure band of friendship with either of those nations . instead of her , he offered his other daughter the princess mary . from zaragoça the king and queen went to valencia , thither came to them alan father to john d' albret , king of navarre . he came to ask succour against the king of france who had conquered part of that kingdom , and the navarrois themselves who were in rebellion , particularly the biamonteses were possessed of great part of navarre , and kept the king out ; notwithstanding , but three years before all things had been agreed , and the earl of lerin with his whole family and followers had been restored to their possessions , and others given them that they might rest contented . it was also proposed that the king should protect francis duke of britany , whose daughter ann , many princes sought to have to wife , because he had no heir male. charles the th , king of france made war on him on this account . monsieur d' albret and the duke of orleans favoured that duke . maximilian then king of the romans was assaulted by the people of bruges in flanders , and kept prisoner . all these things troubled the king because maximilian was a friend to spain , and d' albret who gave the intelligence , his confederate . in fine a league was concluded betwixt the king and alan , against all princes , except the king of france , whom it was not convenient for alan or his son to disoblige , because their dominions were either in his power , or at least lay exposed to him , yet all this was counterfeit , for the real design was to make use of the forces of spain against france . it was agreed among other things , that a fleet should be fittedout on the coast of biscay , and men raised to be sent to britany , under the command of michael john de gralla a catalonian . all this affair was concluded and signed on the th of march. the cortes of valencia were opened in that city , and broke up at origuela , to settle that country , which done , king ferdinand made hast through the kingdom of murcia , that borders on the moorish territories . great preparations were made for carrying on the war , and subduing that country where albohardil with much difficulty supported the title of a king , tho' still stronger than his nephew , as being possessed of guadix almeria , and baça , with all the mountain country of granada , which was as far as the sea , whence he gathered a greater revenue because the mountain was untouched , besides the great advantage made of the silken manufacture which is the best of all spain . the natives hated boabdil , looking upon him as a coward and friend to the christians , and albohardil had gained reputation by taking a great booty about alcalà real . john de benavides who commanded there , soon revenged this loss , burning all the territory of almeria . the warlike preparations were not carried on with that vigour the king could have wished , because andalvzia had suffered this year and the last by the plague . the king ordered the rendezvouz to be at murcia , where he was resolving to attack vera , a town upon the sea-coast . no resistance was made , but it surrendred on the th of june . muxacra , velez el blanco and velez el rubio with several other towns and castles that were not well fortified did the same . the king was desirous to lay siege to almeria , a city in that neighbourhood . an impregnable castle called taberna stood in the way , and the old moorish king came in person with horse , and foot to put a garrison into it , resolving to lie in the woods and cut off our parties , and avoid coming to a battle , because his men were raw and undisciplined . the enemy refusing to fight , our forces had the more liberty to wast the country . most harm was done about almeria and baça , which is a fruitful country because watered . the channels that convey the water were the occasion that many of our men were cut off , and among them d. philip de aragon master of the order of montesa , a forward and brave youth . king ferdinand , his forces being weak , and he called away upon other affairs , having garrisoned the frontiers , went away towards castile . no sooner was he gone , but the moorish king recovered all the towns had been taken from him . mean while the inhabitants of guasin a very strong town near ronda conspiring , put all the garrison to the sword. it was not long before they received the reward of that action , for the neighbouring moores to shew they had no hand in that slaughter , and fearing least they should suffer for it , assembled and laid siege to guasin . the marquess of cadiz and earl of cifuentes came with forces from sevil to their assistance , and having taken the town , in revenge either put all the inhabitants to the sword , or sold them as slaves . king ferdinand came to valladolid upon the th of september . there an opportunity was offered him of recovering the city placencia , which the late kings had alienated , and given to the family of zun̄iga . d. alvaro de zuniga dying , a grandson of his , whose father was dead before , inherited his estate . james de zuniga unckle to the heir pretended he had a better right , as being son to the deceased . the kindred was divided between both . thus the family of the caravajales seized the city , but could not make themselves masters of the castle which was well defended by the garrison . king ferdinand coming to appease that sedition , seized all , d. alvaro the new duke surrendring , and contenting himself with the town of bejar and its dependancies in lieu of that city . this struck a terror into all the nobility , fearing they should be forced to restore to the king now grown strong , all they had extorted from his predecessors in times of consusion . new tumults broke out in aragon , upon account that the nobility were for breaking off the association not long since formed betwixt the cities , as a thing that curbed them . they never gave over till some years after ; at the cortes held at barcelona , they obtained the association should be dissolved for ten years . john de fonseca and alvaro arronio were sent ambassadors to flanders , to procure the liberty of maximilian king of the romans , imprisoned by the people of bruges . they managed their business so well that he was released and reconciled to his subjects . his first wife the lady mary , to whom belonged the dominion of flanders being dead , he aspired to marry the princess elizabeth of castile . her father and mother did not consent , because she was promised in portugal , yet they offered one of that princess's sisters for philip his son and heir . frederick the emperor , his grandfather upon this design of marrying him in spain gave him the title of archduke of austria , whereas before they were only called dukes . the fleet the lord d' albret was sitting out on the coast of biscay , contributed much towards the obtaining the liberty of maximilian , the people of bruges being jealous it was designed against them . the fleet sailed to britany , where the duke of orleans and his confederates were overthrown by the king , the duke and john gralla who commanded the spaniards were made prisoners , as shall be said hereafter . chap. viii . the masterships of all the military orders in spain , annexed to the crown for ever ; three cities and other places taken from the moores ; elizabeth princess of castile married to alonso prince of portugal ; his and his fathers death . at the end of this year died gazri lopez de padilla , master of calatrava . many aspired to that dignity , but king ferdinand by virtue of a bull obtained of pope innocent to that purpose , annexed it to the crown . the same was afterwards done with the other masterships , whence it followed that rewards due to soldiers were afterwards bestowed on courtiers . the usual confusions at the election of those masters , and the lowness of the kings revenue were the cause of this alteration . in the east bajazet the turk gathered a mighty army and fleet , which allarmed all the christian princes , but his design was against the soldan of egypt . only galliots of pyrats invaded the island of malta , and plundered it all up to the very walls of the city . this island having two ports , can contain any fleet. the ports are divided by a point of land called of santelmo . this point it was judged necessary to fortifie , that the enemy might not possess themselves of the island , and from thence infest the coasts of the christians . a fleet sailed from sicily in search of these pyrats , but came too late , for they were gone with their booty . another fleet sailed from spain , with ferdinand de acun̄a who went viceroy into sicily . it was designed not only to defend their own coasts , but to invade those of africk . king ferdinand joined in a league with the king of england , and house of austria , against the king of france . all this tended towards subduing of the kingdom of naples , which some of the banished nobility offered to king ferdinand , and others to the king of france , as the more powerful and an enemy to the house of aragon . at the beginning of the year , horse and foot were sent into britany to succour the lady ann , who succeeded her father in that dukedom . d. peter sarmiento earl of salinas commanded that body . the war against the moores of granada was of more moment , and greater advantages were expected from it , therefore the king and queen set out from medina del campo towards andaluzia upon the th of march. the rendezvous was at jaen , where upon a muster the king found horse , and foot , all the choice men in the kingdom . a good body came from biscay . baça was resolved upon to begin the campaigne with . by the way , that no enemy might be left behind , they took cajor a small , but strong town . this done baça was invested . this city is seated on the side of a hill , down which , and along the plain below it , runs a small river , on all other sides it is encompassed with other rising grounds . it was well garrisoned and furnished with all necessaries for months . the scituation did not allow any engines to be brought up to the walls . about horse , and foot sallied out of the city and did us some harm , our men being intangled betwixt the channels of water , but others coming to their relief , the enemy was repulsed with considerable loss . several other skirmishes happened , our men destroying all the orchards about the city . our men could not deal with the enemy upon equal terms , but they overpowred them in number . thus the siege was prolonged , and king ferdinand was dubious whether he had not best raise the siege , especially because he lost many of his men by sickness and other accidents . the marquess of cadiz then made a duke , advised to raise the siege however the king resolved to continue it , and the more to curb the besieged caused a trench to be drawn quite round the walls , with nine forts at convenient distances , all strongly guarded , to prevent being surprized by the enemy sallying . all the army was conveniently posted about the place , and the duke of cadiz with horse had charge of the artillery . thus no relief could enter the city , but they had plenty of provisions . in the camp there was great scarcity of bread and money , and yet fresh troops came in daily . about october came the dukes of najara and alva , in mourning for their father lately deceased . the admiral also came , and the marquis de astorga . soon after arrived the queen , with the princess elizabeth , the cardinal of toledo and other prelates . the queens coming , as i believe altered the resolution of the besieged , believing now the siege was fixed . hazen the governor having consulted his king , who was at guadix , tho' he might have held out much longer , surrendred the city , when least the christians expected it . on the th of december the capitulation was signed , and the day following the king and queen entred the city in triumphant manner . james de mendoza , lieutenant of caçorla , and brother to the cardinal of spain was made governor . this struck such a terror into the moores that many towns surrendred , gave hostages , and furnished corn and all other necessaries . among these the chiefest were taverna and seron . what is more wonderful , the cities guadix and almeria , either of which might have endured a long siege , submitted of their own accord . king albohardil himself consented to it , and came out of almeria to meet king ferdinand in the camp , by whom he was splendidly entertained . besides , two strong castles upon the sea coast were taken , the one called almun̄ecar , in which the treasures of the moorish kings used to be kept . the other was solobren̄a , where the brothers and sons of the kings used to be kept in the nature or prisoners . francis ramirez general of the artillery , who had behaved himself bravely upon several occasions , was appointed governor of that castle . after performing such great actions , a review of the army was taken on the last day of december preceding the year , and it appeared by the muster rolls men were lost , of them killed by the moores , the rest consumed by sickness . many of the meaner sort were frozen to death . king ferdinand let slip no opportunity of pulling down the tottering kingdom of the moors . gutierre de cardenas , chief commendary of leon , who did great service during this war , concluded the treaty with the unfortunate moorish king. by virtue of this capitulation , he had the town of fandaraa on the mountains of granada , with all its dependencies , amounting to the yearly value of ducats , allowed him for his maintenance . a small recompence for a kingdom , but good enough for him who began his reign with the murder of his brother . the new conquered moors were allowed to keep their lands and possessions , but not to live within cities , lest they should have the power of fortifying themselves , and rebelling , for which cause they were all disarmed . these conditions were proclaimed at guadix . this done , the king and queen went away to ecija , and thence to sevil. all places by the way received them , as if they had dropped from heaven . foreign princes , moved by the fame of these great actions , sent to congratulate with them , and seek their friendship . the king of portugal , in prosecution of what had been before treated , desired to marry his son alonso to the princess elizabeth , as a sure bond of friendship between the two crowns . he sent ambassadors to this purpose , and the match was agreed upon at sevil on the th of april . there was great rejoicing on this account in both kingdoms , but less in portugal , because the following month the princess joanna , sister to that king , died at aveiro unmarried . neither was the joy of castile lasting , tho' the princess from constantina set out for portugal upon the th of november . a great number of nobility bore her company , and she was delivered up on the banks of the river caya , which runs between badajoz and elvas . the chief of the portugueses that came to receive her , was duke emanuel , who afterwards married that princess , and inherited the crown . the king of portugal and his son came to estremez , and , the more to honour the bride , seated her between them , the king being on the left hand . there they were married on the th of november by the archbishop of braga , primate of all portugal . the rejoicing continued for half a year at ebora and santarem , whither the prince and princess went. all this joy was turned into sorrow by an unthought-of accident . the king going out to take the air on the banks of the river tagus , prince alonso , who was with him , had a mind to run a race with john de meneses . in the course , the horse stumbled , and falling , so bruised the prince , that he soon died it is needless to represent the greatness of his parents and wife's grief . his body was buried with the usual pomp among his ancestors . the princess elizabeth , no sooner a wife than a widow , returned to castile in a mourning litter . grief cast the king of portugal into a lingring disease , of which he died years after . he founded the royal hospital at lisbon , and laid the first stone of it . he left no issue male lawfully begotten ; only d. george , whom he had by the lady ann de mendoça , and whom , tho' but a child , he left master of avis and santiago in portugal . after his death , a new line of kings began . emanuel , cousin german to the deceased king , and son to ferdinand duke of viseo , inherited the crown . john iii. was son to this king , and prince john his grandson , who dying young , inherited not the crown : therefore king sebastian , son to the prince , succeeded . he being killed by the moors in africk , left the kingdom of portugal , first to cardinal henry his great uncle , and after him to philip ii. king of castile , who was also nephew to the cardinal , and grandson to king emanuel , by his mother elizabeth the empress . let us leave this , and return to the war of granada . king ferdinand earnestly desired to put an end to the war with the moors , which was so well advanced . besides the strength of the city granada , and that it was abundantly furnished with all necessaries , another greater difficulty perplexed the king , which was , that his word was engaged to king boabdil , that neither he nor his should be prejudiced by him . an opportunity offered it self of subduing that city without breach of faith. the citizens , without regarding the danger that threatned them from abroad , besieged their king in the castle of albaycin , and pressed him so hard , that scarce any hope was left of saving himself . the furious multitude threatned , never to desist till they had his life . it was not reasonable to forsake that unhappy prince , when he begged relief . at the same time the soldan of egypt threatned , that if king ferdinand did not give over persecuting the moors , he would put to death all the christians in egypt and syria . f. anthony millan , guardian of the franciscan convent at jerusalem , sent by the soldan with this message , by the way visited the king of naples , and coming thence into spain , delivered his embassy , bringing also a letter from the king of naples , who was supposed to be a greater friend to the moors , than became a christian prince . he advised king ferdinand , since the moors had done him no wrong , not to oppress them only upon account of religion , which might occasion greater harms . king ferdinand was no way discouraged at the threats of the soldan , nor approved of the king of naples his advice . yet after the war was ended , he sent peter martyr , his ambassador , to the soldan to appease him . he also , before he enter'd upon the war again , sent his reasons for so doing to the king of naples . the guardian , both in regard of his character as ambassador , and the opinion of his sanctity , was nobly treated , and dismissed with rich presents . king ferdinand offered the citizens of granada , if they would submit , they should be treated in the same manner as the others that had done so before . this moved both the factions in that city to join , in order to oppose the common enemy ; for the moorish king was convinced , that king ferdinand , tho' he pretended to be his friend , would never desist till he was master of that city . the alfaquies and others , held in the opinion of sanctity , ceased not to advise , that either for obtaining peace , or supporting the war , it was requisite they should be united . thus the moors were brought to agree among themselves . king ferdinand , leaving the queen at moclin , wasted all the plain of granada , destroying all the corn , to the great grief of the infidels , who feared lest they should be reduced by famine . prince john bore his father company in this expedition , being newly knighted by him . they returned to cordova with the booty . the command of the frontiers was given to the marquess de villena , in requital for a brother he lost in the war , and that his own right arm was lame of a wound he received rescuing one of his men , scarce were the christians departed , when king boabdil took the castle alhendin , where we had a garrison , and razed it . the king revenged this in september , when he spent days in destroying all the latter corn on which the moors hoped to feed the following year . the moors at guadix mutinied , and thought to have destroyed the garrison in the castle , but failed , and the marquis de villena coming with a good body of horse and foot , turned them out of the city , which prevented any disorders for the future . k. ferdinand at the end of the year again ravaged all the territory of granada . boabdil besieged salobreria , which francis ramirez defended with much bravery . the moors believing king ferdinand would relieve the place , raised the siege , and returned to granada . because the subjects of abohardil mutinied , and would not obey him , king ferdinand , according to what had been capitulated , permitted him to go over into africk , with great riches he gave him in lieu of what he left behind . chap. ix . the war with the moors now effectually renewed ; the description of the city granada ; king ferdinand lays siege to it , and builds a town for his army to quarter in during the siege , to shew his resolution not to depart without being master of that city . the king and queen spent the winter at sevil , and in the spring renewed the war. the queen stayed behind at alcala reall with her children , to furnish all things necessary , and soon after to follow and take part of the honour and danger of that enterprize . all the nobility came in person , and the cities sent troops upon their own cost , with which and the other forces king ferdinand in three days appeared in sight of granada , upon saturday the d of april , . he encamped at guetar , a village a league and a half from granada : thence he sent the marquess de villena with horse to scour the neighbouring mountains , promising to follow him with the whole army to relieve him , in case the mountain-moors , who are bold and daring , should fall upon him , or those of the city offer to cut off his retreat . accordingly he advanced to padul , and repulsed the moors of the city , who thought to fall upon the marquess's rear . by this means the marquess was left at liberty to execute his orders , burnt villages of the infidels , and returned to the king loaded with plunder . this beginning was looked upon as a good omen of future success . they advanced together to ravage the remoter parts of the mountain , which they did successfully , plundering and burning other villages . besides , they defeated a body of moorish horse and foot , who had secured the passes against our army . the booty was very considerable , that country being very rich , because untouched till that time , being naturally strong and well guarded , as was requisite , the city being supplied there with provisions . all this being performed without any loss or bloodshed , the army returned to its first quarters ; there they fortified themselves for the present . they mustered horse and foot , the very flower of the spanish soldiery , being all men of tried valour , and expert soldiers . in the city was also a great number of horse and foot , and all of them good soldiers , being the remains of all the late wars . the multitude of citizens was not of any moment , they being a sort of people always lavish of their tongues , but cowards when they came to action . the city of granada , by reason of its situation , largness , forts , walls , and bulwarks , seemed impregnable . on the west-side of it is a large plain , about leagues in compass , pleasant and fruitful as well of its own nature , as by reason of the blood that had been there shed for many years , which made it fat : besides , that springs running down from the mountains do render it more beautiful and rich than can easily be imagined . on the east of it is the mountain elvira , where formerly stood the city iliberis , as appears by the name elvira . the snowy mountain called sierra nevada lies on the south-side of it , and runs down as far as the mediterranean sea : the sides of it are not steep or craggy , and are therefore cultivated and well peopled . the city it self is seated partly upon the plain , and partly upon two hills ; betwixt them runs the river darro , which as soon as out of the city , mixes with , and loses its name in the river xenil , that runs quite a cross the plain in length . the walls are very strong , there being upon them towers at distances , very beautiful for their number and good structure . formerly it had gates , now . it cannot well be enclosed all round , because of its great extent , and the unevenness of the ground . towards the plain where the access is easiest , it is fortified with towers and bulwarks : in that part stands the cathedral , then a moorish mosque nothing curious , now beautiful . it is held in great veneration by all the neighbouring people , and famous not so much for its riches as the number and piety of clergy belonging to it . near this church is the great market-place called bavarambla , foot in breadth , and three times as long . the buildings about it stand in a streight line ; the shops and streets about it beautiful . of two castles that belong to the city , the chiefest lies betwixt the east and west , encompassed with a wall of its own , and standing above the other buildings . it is called alhambra , that is red , of the colour of the earth about it , and is so big it looks like a city . in it is the royal palace and monastery of s francis , the burial place of the marquess de yn̄igo de mendoça , the first governour of it . king mahomet mir laid the foundation of this castle ; other kings continued the work , and it was finished by king joseph bulhagix , as appears by the arabick inscription over the gate on a marble stone , signifying the work was finished by that king , in the year of the moorish account , which according to us is . this same king built the castle of albaizin , opposite to this castle . the expence of this work was so great , that because 't was thought his revenue could not bear it , the people gave out he had found the philosopher's stone . betwixt these two castles , that is , alhambra and albaizin , lies the city . the suburb called churra , and the street dę los gomeles , is on the side of alhambra . on the other side the street elvira , and the ascent of zenete most ill contrived , the streets narrow and crooked , because the moors were nothing curious in their houses . without the city is the royal hospital and monastery of s. hierome , the sumptuous burial-place of gonçalo fernandez , called the great captain . it is reported the city contained houses , a number scarce credible . what is most to be admired is what we find the ambassadors of king jayme ii. of aragon assured pope clement v. at the council of vienna , viz. that of souls then living in granada , scarce were children and grandchildren of moors . in particular they said there were renegado's , and christian slaves . at present it is certain there are in that city parishes and chapels of ease . it is hard to tell the number of inhabitants , and generally people stretch in those cases . it is also certain , that in the time of the moorish kings , the revenue of that kingdom was ducats , a great sum for those times , but credible because of the heavy taxes . all men paid the th part of what they were worth . if any moor died without children , the king was his heir : if he left heirs , the king had as good a share as any of them . this was the posture of granada at this time . it was believed the siege would be tedious , therefore the queen came to the camp with her children , because king ferdinand resolved not to desist till he was master of the city . to this purpose he caused the country continually to be wasted , and in the place where he encamped , caused a strong town to be built , which to this day is called santa fé . this work was finished in a very short time . the quarters , streets , and places within the walls were distributed with great order . mean while the parties that went out to plunder , skirmished often with the moors that came out of the town . in one of these rencounters our men pressed so far , that they took some cannon from the infidels , and made many prisoners , and forced the rest into the city . another time they ventured near to the walls , and possessed themselves of two towers where the enemy kept garrisons . on the th of june at night a fire broke out in the king's tent , which caused a great consternation . most of the men lay in barracks or huts , and the boughs being dry , there was danger they should all take fire . a candle accidentally left by the queen , set fire to the king's quarters , and that to the next . the king fearing it might be a contrivance of the enemy , came out naked with his sword and buckler . the marquess of cadiz with a party of horse stood all night upon their guard , in the way the moors must of necessity come , if they designed to attack the army the fright was greater than the danger or loss ; so the next day they continued to ravage the country , and some troops were sent to the mountain . nothing was left to the besieged tho' they , animated by despair , defended themselves resolutely . these misfortunes obliged them to offer a treaty . bulcazin muley , governour of the city , came to the camp to capitulate . the king appointed gonçalo fernandez de cordova , afterwards called the great captain , and his secretary ferdinand de zafra , to treat with him . after some days debating , at length they concluded on the following articles , to which they swore on the th of november : that the moors within days deliver up to the king the two castles , the towers , and gates of the city : that they do homage to king ferdinand , and take the oath of allegiance to him : that they set at liberty all christian slaves without ransom : that till these articles be performed , they deliver up sons of the principal inhabitants , as hostages : that they be left possessed of their lands , arms , and horses , only delivering up the artillery : that they keep their mosques , and have the free exercise of their religion : that they be governed according to their own laws , and to this purpose persons of their own nation shall be appointed , by whose advice the king's officers shall administer justice to them : that part of the usual taxes be abated during the term of three years , and shall never after be greater than they used to pay to their own kings : that such as will go over into africk may sell their goods , and shall be furnished with ships for their passage in any port they shall chuse : that boabdil's son , and the other hostages delivered by him , be restored , since the city being surrendered , there is no more occasion for hostages . accordingly they were brought from the castle of moclin to be delivered up . chap. x. a mighty mutiny raised in granada by a phanatick moor ; the city surrendered to king ferdinand ; the character of king ferdinand and queen elizabeth ; their triumphal entry into granada , and universal joy for their success . the surrender of granada being agreed upon in this manner , all had like to have been broke off again upon the following occasion . in all places the multitude , but especially among the moors , is faithless , disloyal , changeable , inclinable to mutiny , hates peace and quietness , and upon any small motives runs into sedition . a certain moor , whose name is not yet known , as if he were possessed with some fury , or quite distracted , with violent words ceased not to persuade the people to take arms. he preached and harangued the multitude at the corners of streets and in the markets with a loud voice and horrid countenance . in this manner he stirred up men to take arms , and run about like men out of their senses . the cause of their discontent , or what they aimed at , was unknown , and therefore the remedy harder to be found . boabdil , called the little king , fearing they would offer violence to him , kept close within the alhambra . the multitude are furious at first , but soon cool , chiefly they who had no head , and were consequently weak , and knew not their own minds therefore the next day the king went to the albaizin , where the people were well affected towards him : there he assembled such as he thought fit , with whom he expostulated the madness of the mutiniers , shewing how absolute necessity and not affection had obliged him to capitulate with the enemy , when no other way was left to save the city from perishing by sword and famine . his words made them calm , and the people were pacified . many times seditions are as easily suppressed as raised . what became of the moor who caused the mutiny is not known ; it may be imagined he fled . king boabdil warned by the danger past ; and fearing that before the expiration of the days agreed upon for delivering up the city , new troubles and tumults might arise , he immediately sent a letter to king ferdinand , with a present of two choice horses , a cymiter , and some furniture . he advertised him of what had hapned in the city , and how the people had mutinied , therefore inviting him to come and take possession speedily , lest delay might produce some alteration . in short , he told him since god had so ordained it , he would the next day deliver up the alhambra and kingdom to him as conqueror . this letter was brought to the camp upon new-year's day : it is easie to imagin how great satisfaction it gave to king ferdinand . he ordered all things to be in a readiness the day following for his entrance , and that day is still kept a festival at granada , in memory of the taking of that city . having laid aside the mourning he wore for his son-in-law prince alonso of portugal , and put on his royal robes , he set out towards the castle with his army , in the same order as if going to engage the enemy . after him followed the queen and her children , then the nobility clad in cloth of gold and rich silks . when the king came in this pompous manner near to the alhambra , boabdil the little king came out to meet him with horse . he offered to alight and kiss the victor's hand , but king ferdinand would not permit it . then fixing his eyes upon the ground with a sorrowful countenance , he said , we are your slaves , invincible king ; we deliver up this city and kingdom to you , not doubting you will use us with clemency and moderation . this done , he put into his hands the keys of the castle ; king ferdinand gave them to the queen , she to the prince her son , and he to d. in̄igo de mendoça , earl of tendilla , whom the king appointed governor of that city , and captain general of that kingdom . d. peter de granada was made head alguazil of the city , and d. alonso his son admiral of that sea. the king entred the city with a good party of horse . a great number of noblemen and prelates followed ; among them the chief were the prelates of toledo and sevil , the master of santiago , the marquess of cadiz , and f. ferdinand de talavera , who of bishop of avila , was now elect archbishop of granada : he having offered up his prayers as is usual , set up the banner , carried before the cardinal of toledo upon the highest tower , and on the sides of it the king 's and the standard of santiago . this action was followed by the acclamations of the whole army . then the king kneeling , returned thanks to almighty god , for that the empire of the infidels was extirpated in spain , and the holy banner of the cross set up in that city , where the mahometan superstition had so long prevailed , and prayed that his mercies might be continued unto him . after the prayer , all the great men came to congratulate his success , and kneeling , kissed his hand . the same they all did to the queen and prince . this ceremony being ended , they returned in the same order after dinner to the camp. to the little king was given the valley of purchena , not long before taken from the moors in the kingdom of murcia , with a sufficient revenue ; but he soon after went over into africk : for they who have once been kings , cannot ever patiently submit to lead a private life . christian captives were , according as had been capitulated , set free without ransom . they the next day , after hearing mass , came in procession to prostrate themselves before the king. they thanked the soldiers , by whose means they obtained liberty , and commending their bravery , called them fathers of their country . before the king entred the city , the army took possession of the gates , towers , and castles . that done , upon the th day they entred in the same manner as they had done before . all the army sang hymns of praise and thanksgiving to almighty god for their great success . king ferdinand and queen elizabeth being richly clothed , in the prime of their age , and having conquered that kingdom , seemed to appear more majestick than before . they shined above all others , and were equal as to themselves . every one looked upon them as more than human , and sent from heaven for the glory of spain . it was they that restored justice , which before them was corrupted , enacting excellent laws for the publick benefit . they settled religion , restored peace , and enlarged their territories , not only in spain , but at the same time in the utmost bounds of the world. what is most to be commended , they bestowed honours and preferments , not according to birth , or for favour , but proportionably to the merits of every one , which stirred up their subjects to virtue and learning . both the king and queen were of a middle stature , their limbs well proportioned , their countenances graceful , pleasing and yet grave ; their mien majestick , but their complexion somewhat swarthy ; especially the king 's was tanned with being always in the field , his hair chesnut-colour and long , his beard trimmed after the manner of that age , his eye-brows large , his head bald , his mouth small , his lips red , his teeth little and thin , his back broad , his neck streight , his voice sharp , quick of speech , of a sharp wit , of a sound judgment , of a courteous disposition , and easie of access . in martial affairs he was expert , in matters of government not to be parallel'd ; so great a lover of business , that it seemed to be his delight and diversion . his body was not pampered with pleasures , but inured to labour . his diet was temperate , and his garb modest . he was an excellent horseman . when young , he was addicted to cards and dice , grown more stayed , his chief sport was hawking . the queen had a good face , fair hair , dark eyes , she used no paints or washes , and had a singular modesty and gravity in her looks . she was very devout , and a lover of learning , bore her husband affection , but mixed with jealousie . she had some knowledge of the latin tongue , which her husband wanted , having no learning given him in his youth ; yet he loved to read history , and converse with learned men. the same day that king ferdinand was born , as some relate , a certain carmelite friar of naples , esteemed a holy man , said to king alonso , unkle to king ferdinand , this day in the kingdom of aragon is born a prince of your family ; heaven promises him a large empire , great riches and prosperity ; he shall be very devout , of a virtuous inclination , and a great defender of christianity . amidst so many virtues , considering human frailty , there could not be wanting some allay of vice. avarice , which is laid to his charge , may be well excused with the lowness of the revenue . the wickedness of those times was the cause of the severity and rigour he is blamed for . foreign writers accuse him of a wicked craft , and that he valued not his word where it was for his advantage to break it . i will not dispute how true this is . he contracted affinity with the greatest princes in all christendom , as the kings of england and portugal , and the dukes of austria . several other princes were near of kin to him , for he was unkle to anne dutchess of britany , as brother to her grandmother by the mother's side . he was cousin german to ferdinand king of naples , and great unkle to catherine queen of navarre , as brother to her grandmother . this particularly is laid to his charge , that without any regard of kindred , only thro' ambition of enlarging his dominions , he thrust this lady and her husband out of their kingdom , and obliged them to retire to france others excuse him upon pretence of religion , and the pope's command ; but that is a weak defence . great troubles ensued hereupon . henry d' albret , son to that queen , endeavoured to recover his kingdom with more valour than good fortune . he had by the lady margaret , sister to francis king of france , one daughter and heiress , called joanna , who married anthony of bourbon duke of vendosme , and was mother to that henry who married margaret the sister of three kings of france , viz. francis ii. charles and henry ; who all dying without issue , he inherited that crown as next of the male line . notwithstanding , the people of france pretended he could not inherit , because he had embraced the then new-broached heresies that spread abroad in france . but let us leave this to put an end to the affair of granada . king ferdinand and queen elizabeth having taken possession of that city by the special providence of god , the moors remaining in that part of spain , were for ever after brought under the dominion and government of the christians . this solemn entry was upon friday the th of january , . and according to the arabian account the year of the hegira , on the th of the month which they call rahib haraba : which day , as it is a feast of great solemnity throughout the christian world , as being the epiphany of our lord , so was it particularly joyful and fortunate to all spain , and no less unhappy to the moors : for by their extirpation , the honour of spain was restored , and a great province added to the christian dominions . all other provinces of christendom were made partakers of this joy , and particularly pope innocent had a large account given him of the reduction of all spain to its former obedience to the church . in all parts there were bonfires and sports celebrated in token of joy , and men , women , and children went in procession to the churches , to give thanks to almighty god for so signal a mercy . rome was rejoycing for the peace concluded betwixt the pope and king of naples , when john de estrada , king fedinand's ambassador , brought this happy news . in token of their great satisfaction , the pope , cardinals , and people of rome went in procession to the spanish church of santiago ; there the divine office was performed with great solemnity , and a sermon suitable to the occasion preached ; in which the preacher highly extolled the king and queen , and magnified the valour of , and victories obtained by the spanish nation . the end of the th book . the history of spain . book xxvi . chap. i. the affairs in britany ; the jews expelled spain ; pope innocent viii . dies , alexander vi. succeeds him ; navarre pacified . after putting so honourable an end to the war of granada , and totally subverting the kingdom of the moores in spain , king ferdinand and queen elizabeth bent their thoughts upon greater and more glorious undertakings . lest the great number they had of brave and expert soldiers should be debauched with luxury and ease , since nothing remained to conquer at home , they sent them to subdue kingdoms abroad . thus the dominion and name of the spaniards , till then confined within the bounds of their own country , was not only spread abroad through france , italy , and barbary , but extended to the utmost bounds of the earth . i am sensible the work that lies before me is too great for my weak capacity , and might startle the greatest wits . for this reason in the preface to my latin history , i said i would conclude with the war of granada , but several learned people have perswaded me , this work would be imperfect ending there , that the actions since performed are so glorious they will be an ornament to all the rest , and that every one is more delighed with modern history , than with that which its antiquity makes dubious . i have therefore resolved to continue this history some years longer , in which the spaniards performed the most glorious actions that were ever done , not only by them , but by any people in the whole world. before we enter upon those mighty exploits , it will not be amiss to put the reader in mind of some things we have hinted before . francis duke of britany married margaret daughter to ellenor queen of navarre , and niece to king ferdinand . they had no issue male , but only two daughters , ann and elizabeth . many princes were ambitious to marry those ladies , and especially the eldest . among the rest charles viii . king of france was he that stood fairest , notwithstanding he was before contracted to margaret daughter to maximilian king of the romans , who being now a widdower treated of marrying the same lady ann. the king of france sought to gain by force what he feared not to compass by fair means , and therefore upon pretence that the duke of orlcans was protected against him in britany , he made war upon that country . the duke applied himself for succour to the english , germans , and spaniards . to this purpose , as has been said , alan d' albret , father to the king of navarre , hoping to marry the lady ann , came to king ferdinand , then at valencia , and prevailed with him to send a fleet and land forces under the command of john gralla into britany . these forces and the dukes were defeated by the french in the month of august . after this the king of france and duke of britany were reconciled , the duke promising not to marry his daughters without that king's consent , which he performed , for he died the following year , leaving them both maids . he appointed the mareschal of britany tutor to his daughter , and governour of the province , who favoured the pretentions of monsieur d' albert , but the earl of dunois and the chancellor opposed , and the prince of orange , who was her near kinsman , seized upon the dutchess and her sister . the mareschal obtained succours out of england . the prince of orange had recourse to the kings of the romans and of spain . king ferdinand sent choice horse under the command of d. peter gomez sarmiento earl of salinas , who landed in britany at the beginning of the year . this succour did nothing there , and d' albret despairing of success , upon promise of being made constable of france , resolved to change parties , and accordingly delivered up nantes , the chief city of that dukedom , to the french. king ferdinand seeing his forces were of no use in britany , and upon hopes given him of being restored to russillon and cerdaigne , called them home . luis xi . king of france , had ordered that restitution to be made in his will , being perswaded so to do by f. francis de paula , founder of the minims , whom he sent for out of italy before his death . the spaniards being gone , the king of france soon possessed himself of the greatest part of britany , and presently after married ann the dutchess . this marriage so increased the power , and confirmed the affairs of france , that all divisions being at an end , the french had leasure to invade italy . in spain king ferdinand and queen elizabeth having ended the war with the moors , resolved to banish the jews out of all their dominions . to this purpose they ordered a proclamation to be set forth at granada , where they then were in the month of march , commanding all that nation to depart the kingdom within four months , leave being given them either to sell their goods , or carry them with them . in the month of april , f. thomas de torquemada , the first inquisitor general , published an order , forbidding all christians after that time to entertain or conceal them under severe penalties . this caused an infinite number of those people to transport themselves to several places . some went over to africk , others to italy , and many to the eastern countreys , where their descendents still use the spanish tongue . a great number of them stayed in portugal upon leave granted by king john ii. yet so that each of them should pay eight crowns in gold for their reception , and depart the kingdom within a certain time limited . after the expiration whereof all such as stayed should be made slaves . many of them were accordingly brought into servitude , and afterwards set free by king emamul at the beginning of his reign . what number of jews went out of spain cannot be positively affirmed . most authors say there were families , and some say they made up souls . a vast multitude , which caused many to condemn this action of the king 's as a great loss to his kingdoms , these being a rich and industrious people . no doubt but it was a great advantage to those countreys whither they went , because they carried with them great part of the riches of spain . true it is , many of them rather than leave their country , and sustain such great loss , were baptized , some sincerely , others only for protection . at this time died at rome pope innocent viii . the next day after his death the cardinals met to choose another , and at last , after much struggling , whether by fair or soul means , is not mine to decide , cardinal roderick borgia was elected , and took the name of alexander vi. many ill things have been said of this pope , some it is likely were true , but magnified through malice because he was a stranger , as being born at valencia . when his unckle calixtus was chosen pope he made haste to rome , and being created cardinal , had by a roman woman called zanocia , or vanezia , four sons , peter luis the eldest , cesar , john , and godfrey , and one daughter called lucretia . he was so rich , that he bought the dukedom of gandia , and gave it to his son peter luis , and after his decease to his d son john , whose son and heir was john father to d. francis borgia , a holy man , for quitting that estate he became a jesuit . alexander was elected on the th of august , and crowned on the th . the same day he confirmed the decree before passed for erecting the see of valencia into an archbishoprick , and gave it to his second son cesar , then bishop of pamplona . the year following he made him a cardinal , several witnesses being produced to swear he was not son to the pope , but to dominick arin̄ano husband to zanocia , such was the corruption of that age. the youngest son of all was godfrey , who by contract with the king of naples , was created prince of esquilache . lucretia was first married to john sforzia , then to luis alonso de aragon , bastard son to alonso king of naples , and lastly to alonso de este , eldest son to hercules duke of ferrara . during the papacy of alexander 〈◊〉 cardinals caps were given to spaniards . navarre was now in an uproar for two reasons : one was , that john viscount narbonne , unckle to the queen of navarre , pretended he had a better right to the crown than she , because his eldest brother gaston died before his mother queen ellenor , and therefore he said he was to take place of the grandchildren . on the other side the earl of lerin disturbed the country , being possessed of pamplona , olite , and several other places . each party had recourse to king ferdinand to justifie their proceedings , as to one who was so nearly concerned , and might be so great a support to them . as to the viscount , king ferdinand answered , he would stand by the king and queen of navarre , their right being undisputable . he therefore took several places in the county of faux by force of arms , and at the same time pleaded his title in the parliament of paris , yet at length he compounded , and gave over his pretentions for a while . for the earl of lerin , it was ordained , that he should deliver up those places he was unjustly possessed of , and be banished navarre during his life , together with his two sons luis and ferdinand . to mollifie these hard conditions , the town of huescar in the kingdom of granada was given him with the title of a marquess . this was concluded the following year , and put in execution years after . let us turn back to what we have left behind . chap. ii. discoveries and conquests of the spaniards in the west-indies ; controversies arise betwixt the crowns of spain and portugal concerning their discoveries ; roussillon and cerdagne restored to king ferdinand . the most honourable and advantageous enterprize that spain ever undertook was the discovery of the west-indies , properly called the new world , which hapned in this manner . a ship being drove by a violent storm from the coast of africk , was cast upon an unknown land. after the storm had ceased , the master , with only or mariners , the rest being consumed by famine , returned to the island madera . christopher columbus , a genoese , but married in portugal , was then in that island , and was an able seaman , and daring man. he entertained the master of that ship in his house , who died soon after , and left columbus his journal of that voyage . others say , he was informed by one marcus polus a florentine , and others , that he found out by his skill in astrology , that there were vast countreys towards the west undiscovered . these his thoughts he communicated first to the king of portugal , then to henry vii . of england , and being slighted by them both , came to the court of king ferdinand : there he waited years , and at last after the subduing of the kingdom of granada , obtained of the king ships to attempt this discovery . it is wonderful that so great an undertaking was begun only with duccats , which the king was forced to borrow , his revenue was so far exhausted . columbus set sail on the d of august from palos de moguer , and having touched at the canaries , after several days sail , and many difficulties , he discovered certain islands which he called the princes islands . he spent some days there , and leaving some of his company in a fort he built , under the command of james de arana , returned to spain with the news of what he had discovered , and some proofs of the riches of the country . the following year he continued to discover many other islands , the chiefest whereof were hispaniola and cuba . besides he coasted a great part of the continent , as well towards the southern as northern pole. columbus died in the year of grace , a man worthy of immortal praise . he was made admiral of the indies and duke of veraguas , rewards due to his great merit . several others continued these discoveries , as well during his life as after his death . among these americus vespusius , a florentine , by order of emanuel king of portugal , in the year discovered all brasil , which is a great part of that continent . after much of the northern coast had been discovered by several persons , vasco nun̄ez de balboa , born at badajoz , was the first that adventured to pass that narrow neck of land that lies between nombre de dios and panama , and so came to the south sea in the year . these discoveries of columbus and americus vespusius raised a controversie betwixt the crowns of castile and portugal , the latter pretending all the discovery of the new world appertained to him by grants of several popes , and particularly of eugenius iv. on the other side the king of castile pleaded a bull of pope alexander vi. in the year , which assigned to him all the lands to the westward of an imaginary line drawn leagues beyond the islands of cabo verde . this grant was afterwards altered by another , which ordained the said line to be drawn leagues farther towards the west , to the end that brasil might fall within the portugues limits . hierome ozorio , bishop of silves , in the life of king emanuel , affirms the said line was appointed to be drawn degrees west of the meridian of lisbon . upon this determination was grounded another dispute , the castillians pretending that the molucco islands , whence the spice is brought , fell within their limits , as being within that half of the world assigned them . all this the portugueses deny , and each party bring arguments to make good their assertions . certain it is , that ferdinand magallanes , a portugues , being disgusted because his king did not reward his services done in india , perswaded , the emperor charles v. grandson to king ferdinand , that a new way might be found to the moluco islands by the south west . he had ships given him for this enterprize , and sailed from sevil in the year . having touched at the canaries , he coasted all along brasil , and found a streight in degrees of south latitude , which of him is called the streight of magellan . at the entrance of that streight one of the ships struck upon a rock and was lost ; another weary of that long voyage stole away by night , and returned to sevil. with the rest he passed the streight , and was himself with some of his companions killed in an island called zubu . those that were left being too few to man all the ships , burnt one , and with the other two came to the moluco islands . they loaded in the island of tidore , but one of them being very leaky was lost . the other coming round by the cape of good hope , at last arrived at sevil , years after his departure . the ship was called the victory , the master john sebastian cano , a biscainer , whose name ought never to be forgotten , as being the first that sailed round the world. many afterwards attempted that same voyage , but the profit not answering the trouble it was laid aside , as also because king john of portugal lent the emperor charles v. duccats , upon condition he and his heirs should desist from that undertaking , till the money were repayed . on the right hand of that neck of land , which we have said lies between the north and south seas , is the kingdom of new spain , and the city mexico , its metropolis , seated in the midst of a lake . over this and many other large provinces and kingdoms reigned the mighty emperor montezuma , whom ferdinand cortes in the year , with wonderful resolution , apprehended , and made prisoner in his own palace . he being killed accidentally by a stone cast at a window where he was looking out to appease his people , cortes brought those vast provinces under the subjection of charles the emperor , gained himself eternal honour , and left to his successors the marquesses del valle , a great estate in the kingdom of mexico . on the left hand of that neck of land francis pizarro , in the year , discovered the kingdom of peru , and years after conquered it , taking and putting to death atabalipa lord of that country . this is the richest countrey for mines of gold and silver hitherto discovered , insomuch that all the utensils of those people , even to their pots and kettles , were of these precious mettals . pizarro shared not the vast booty he got there fairly with james de almagro , his principal companion in that conquest , and the rest of his men , and yet the meanest soldier 's part came to duccats , which was the richest plunder ever taken till that time . his force was about men , who in battle overthrew above indians . riches and plenty produced pride and insolence , for ferdinand , brother to francis pizarro , understanding that almagro openly complained of the wrong done him and meditated revenge , he murdered him . a bastard son of almagro , whom he had by an indian , and whose name was james , assaulted the house of francis pizarro in the city of lima , and killed him in revenge of his father . this was a bold attempt , and to punish it the governour christopher vaca de castro , joined with gonçalo pizarro , another brother of the said francis , and with their forces overthrew and killed the said james . this victory and his great riches so puffed up gonçalo pizarro , that he attempted to make himself absolute lord of that country . blasco nun̄ez vela was sent by the emperor from spain to be viceroy of peru , him the rebellious spaniards took prisoner , and put to death . afterwards the licentiate peter de gasca , tho a priest , and one of the general council of the inquisition , put an end to all those tumults rather by policy than force . he put to death gonçalo pizarro , and the other heads of the rebellion . this done he returned into spain , where he was first bishop of palencia , then of siguença till the end of his life , which was very long . ferdinand pizarro , the only surviver of the three brothers , was long a prisoner in spain , for before the rebellion of his brother he came to answer for the murder of almagro , which was the cause of all those broils ; thus god punished the murder of the emperor atabalipa , not suffering one of his enemies to escape scotfree , and the ill acquired riches perished with their owners . the customs of all these people were strange , and all other things extraordinary . their fish , beasts , trees and herbs all different from ours . they had no use of letters , no money , no weights , nor did they build any ships , only boats of one tree hollowed like trays , which they call canoes . for cloathing they had neither linnen , woollen , nor silk , but only cotton , whereof there is abundance . there was no iron , and consequently none of the weapons and other necessaries made thereof . corn like ours they have none , but a grain they call maiz , nor oil , nor wine made of grapes , but they wanted not other liquors to make them drunk , to which they are much addicted . they know not how to make candles of wax or tallow . there were no beasts of burden , nor to ride , nor carts , or litters . prisoners taken in war , and slaves , were sacrificed in such vast numbers , that it is held for a certain truth above perished in this manner every year in only the city mexico , whose flesh they eat without any loathing . it was customary to have many wives , and sodomy was permitted , so brutish was their government . their garb was strange , and many went quite naked . afterwards chile upon the south sea was discovered , where were found warlike indians , and difficult to be subdued , and on our side beyond brasil and the river de la plata lies paraguay and tucuman , extending to the streights of magellan . the philippine islands were found at another time , and took their name from philip ii. king of spain . the lieutenant michael lopez de legaspi , conquered the chief of them called luzon , and its city manila , on the th of may . lastly , in the year , a good body of men under the command of d. john de onate , set out from mexico , to the conquest of new mexico . this country lies in about deg . of n. lat. the soil is fruitful , the people more polished than the other indians , their houses or , and some stories high . it was known by hearsay ever since the time of cortes , and often attempted to be conquered , but never before with such a power . the success was not answerable to so great preparations . this may suffice as to the west-indies . charles viii . king of france , being inflamed with the desire of conquering the kingdom of naples , to which he pretended he had a good title , thought it necessary to secure king ferdinand , by entring into a league with him , lest he should in his absence invade france , the kingdom of naples belonging to the house of aragon . to this purpose a treaty was carried on for restoring russillon and cerdaigne . king ferdinand and queen elizabeth leaving the government of their new kingdom of granada to the earl of tendilla , in june set out towards aragon , to be nearer to their commissioners who managed that treaty . at zaragoça they settled the government of that city , and went thence to barcelona in october . there , as the king came out from giving audience , according to custom , one john canamares , a catalonian , came up with his naked sword to kill him , and gave him a wound under his ear. this fellow being apprehended , it appeared he was mad , and had undertaken that action , because he dreamed that if he killed the king he should succeed him . however , he was torn with pinchers and then burnt . the league betwixt spain and france , after much altercation , was lastly concluded at narbonne on the th of january , all princes , except the pope , being excluded . it was agreed that the king of spain should not marry his daughters without the consent of the king of france , and that on this account russillon and cerdaigne should be restored . however some months passed before the execution . next , to pacifie maximilian king of the romans , the king of france restored to him his daughter , and the earldom of artois her dower , and gave him security for the restitution of the earldom of burgundy , and the rest of the dutchy wrongfully detained from him . at the same time died the emperor frederick , and his son maximilian succeeded him . king ferdinand continued still in aragon and catalonia , till such time , as according to contract , russillon and cerdaigne were delivered to him in september , the french garrison marching out . all historians , and especially the french , blame that king for parting with those dominions he had in possession , upon an uncertain hope . many lay the blame on the bishop of albi , who was the french ambassador at the treaty , and say he was corrupted with spanish gold. chap. iii. palma , one of the canary islands conquered ; the masterships of the three military orders annexed to the crown of castile ; the original of the neopolitan war ; the death of ferdinand king of naples . at the same time that king ferdinand recovered russillon , he was in the farthest part of spain restored to the island of cadiz and its port , which is one of the most famous in the whole world. king henry the iv. had with his wonted prodigality given it to d. john ponce de leon earl of arcos , who dying some months after the taking of granada , that island was taken from rodcrick ponce his grandson and heir , and restored to the crown . yet in lieu of it the town of casares in africk , was given to roderick ponce , and his title of earl , changed into that of duke of arcos . the island palma , one of the canaries , was now conquered by alonso de lugo , sent by the king and queen upon that expedition . but the most considerable thing which hapned this year , was that the king possessed himself of the masterships of the three military orders in castile . the masters were exempt from the regal jurisdiction , and were so excessive powerful by reason of their vast riches and many dependants , that they were grown terrible to the kings themselves . for this reason pope innocent the viii . granted the catholick king ferdinand should hold those masterships as administrator . this bull was obtained about the same time that d. garcia de padilla master of calatrava departed this life , which was in the year , and d. alonso de cardenas , master of santiago dying at this time , the king took possession of that mastership . the following year he agreed with d. john de zun̄iga master of alcantara to resign up that dignity to him , and in lieu of it to accept of the archbishoprick of sevil. thus the king became master of those three orders for his life , and pope alexander joined with him queen elizabeth , appointing her to inherit those dignities after his death . lastly pope adrian some years after , to oblige his schollar charles the emperor , granted to him and his heirs the presentation of all the bishops in spain , which before , the kings had only liberty to recommend by way of suit. he also assigned him the administration of the three military orders for ever . to this last master of alcantara , who was afterwards a cardinal , the master antony de nebriga dedicated his dictionary . this was a man worthy of immortal fame , and to have his name recorded in the history of spain , as well because he laid the foundation of all the learning of the latin tongue there , as for the many books he writ , fraught with good doctrine , and learning . among his other works , he composed the histories of the wars of granada , and that of navarre , which hapned some years after ; true it is , in those works there appears more of his diligence and sincerity , than elegancy . at the same time that the marquess of cadiz and master of santiago died , henry de guzman duke of medina sidonia , and d. peter enriquez lieutenant of andaluzia departed this life . d. john his son succeeded the duke . not long before , peter hernandez de velasco the constable dying , bernardin de velasco , his son succeeded him , and married the lady joanna de aragon , king ferdinand's bastard daughter . nothing hapned about this time more remarkable , or that put italy and the most part of europe into a greater confusion , than the famous war in naples , undertaken by charles the viii . king of france , as has been before hinted . to speak of this war , let us recollect what has been in other places said of the original causes of it . pope urban the vi. caused charles prince of durazzo to come out of hungary to oppose him , against joanna queen of naples , who had favoured the election of clement the vii . his competitor , whereby the peace of the church was much disturbed . she called to her assistance luis duke of anjou , younger son to the king of france , and adopted him her son , and heir to that kingdom . this luis had a son of his own name , who made war upon ladislaus , son to charles , and king of naples , but his success was no better than his father's , for both were unfortunate in that war. luis the grandson was called by pope martin the v. against joanna the younger , queen of naples , and sister to ladislaus . this luis expelled alonso king of aragon , whom the said joanna had adopted , and afterwards cast off . renee his brother succeeded luis ; with him king alonso was long at war , and at last forced him to return into france . john duke of lorrain was son to this renée , and in the barons war much distressed king fredcrick of naples , and afterwards headed the catalonians in rebellion against king john. he dying at barcelona , as has been said , charles nephew to renèe , his brother's son inherited his possessions . this charles in his will constituted luis the xi . king of france his heir , believing renée duke of lorrain his own nephew could not be able to withstand the power of the aragonians . this was the original cause of the war in naples . another secondary cause was added in this manner , galleazzo duke of milan being murdered by his subjects , luis sforcia his brother took upon him the government of that dukedom , under colour of the minority of john galleazzo , son to the deceased . luis sforcia had to wife beatrix sister to to hercules duke of ferrara . also alonso duke of calabria , son to the king of naples was married to hippolita sister to luis sforcia , by whom he had ferdinand , and elizabeth . ferdinand was king of naples after his grandfather and father , elizabeth was married to john galeazzo the true duke of milan . this lady seeing her husband excluded . tho' he had two children by her , perswaded her father to restore her husband to the inheritance left him by his ancestors . luis sforcia perceiving what a storm threatned him from naples , invited charles the viii . king of france to invade that kingdom ; which he said of right appertained to him . many men of note of his own subjects encouraged the king to undertake this enterprize , as also some barons of naples banished by king ferdinand philip de comines says those noblemen were well received at first , yet such was their entertainment , that necessity drove them to have recourse to king ferdinand , who had a better-title to that crown , than the possessors , who were of the bastard line . yet the king perceiving those lords only sought their own ends ; and would consequently follow him that came first , thought not fit to engage in that war , and only endeavoured to disswade the french from it . by this time they were so far ingagaged , there was no going back both parties sought to strengthen themselves with alliances . the french and milaneses joyned in league with all the states of italy , except the florentines , who at first favoured the aragonians , and the venetians who chose rather to stand neuter , than favour either side . pope alexander , tho' at first he appeared averse from the kings of naples , at last upon promise that his sons should have possessions given them in that kingdom , and that a yearly pension should be paid to him , he resolved to stand by those who had obliged him . the king of naples ceased not to provide for the war , and make all the friends he could . particularly , he sent an ambassador into spain , to press the king to make war upon france . he urged their near kindred , as being cousin-germans , and brothers in-law , and put king ferdinand in mind of the danger of sicily , in case the french became masters of naples . all this moved not king ferdinand to break with france , only he sent garcilasso de la vega to the pope , to confirm him in his resolution of protecting the king of naples ; and d. alonso de silva , brother to the earl of cifuentes , was sent to france to disswade that king from the enterprize he had in hand , and in case he would not desist , declare to him that king ferdinand could not forsake his kinsman and ally . this hapned at the beginning of the year , when king ferdinand and queen elizabeth having till then staid in aragon , went away from zaragoça to tordesillas , thence to valladolid , and so to medina del campo . there they received advice that ferdinand king of naples was departed this life . he died on the th of january , of a great age , and in care for the war then in hand . unfortunate on the one side , for leaving his affairs in so ill a posture , the chief cause whereof was his austere temper : happy on the other side that he lived not to see the ruin of that his flourishing kingdom . his son alonso . succeeded him , and was no way more acceptable to the people than his father had been . cardinal john de borgia sent on purpose by the pope his unckle , as legate to naples , crowned him . this year also the pope by his bull granted to the kings of castile for ever the d part of the tithes of castile , leon and granada , conditionally that the profit thereof should be spent in the war with the moors . at tordesillas on the th of june , was agreed the difference betwixt castile and portugal , touching their discoveries in the indies . the conquests of castile were to begin degrees west from the meridian of lisbon , all thence eastward as far as half the circumference of the globe to appertain to the portugueses . the matter also of the conquests in africk was adjusted , so that all within the kingdom of fez should belong to portugal , the kingdom of tremecen to castile ; but no line was fixed to distinguish their limits , which afterwards caused new disputes . chap. iv. the french invade the kingdom of naples ; an account of luis sforcia duke of milan ; the french king at rome ; alonso king of naples abdicates ; the french possess themselves of the kingdom of naples . the king of france being resolved to invade italy in person , gathered all his forces ; the randezvouz of his army was at lyons . thither came from ostia , whither he fled for fear of the pope , the cardinal of st. peter to forward that undertaking . on the other side d. alonso de silva according to his instructions in his king's behalf , protested against those proceedings . nevertheless , the king of france committing the government of his kingdom to peter duke of bourbon his brother-in-law , set out from that city upon tuesday the th of july , with him went most of the nobility of france . his army consisted of about foot , and horse . to pay these forces , he borrowed money of the nobility , besides florms taken up of a genoese banker , a small sum for so great an undertaking . king alonso sent a great fleet under the command of his brother frederick , to infest the state of genoa . by land he sent his son the duke of calabria to invade the territories of milan . all things fell out unfortunately , for frederick did nothing worth naming , and the duke of calabria was stopped by the forces of france and milan , from passing out of romania . the king of france passed the alpes , and on the th of september came to aste , the bounds of the dukedom of milan , and then possessed by the duke of orleans , who was in that expedition , and pretended a right to the whole dukedom . d. alonso the spanish ambassador , was very little looked upon at court , insomuch that he was ordered to be dismissed , but he winked at all , being a person of great prudence and sagacity . at the city aste they flighted him so far , as to assign him no quarters , whereupon he was forced to go away to genoa . there he began to treat with luis sforcia , who repented of what he had done , about joining in league with the catholick king , giving him a hint that one of the princesses should be married to his eldest son , for they could not marry with any other prince by reason of the agreement made with france . this took so much with luis sforcia , that he resolved to change parties , tho' at the same time he repaired to aste , to receive the french king , and gave him a sum of money to pay his army . the king leaving the duke of orleans who designed to lay hold of that oportunity to possess himself of the state of milan , at aste marched with his army to pavia , where he visitted the duke john galeazzo , who was then at the point of death , and was his cousin-german , both their mothers being sisters , and daughters to the duke of savoy . the duke died on the th of october , and it appeared plainly he had been poisoned , which increased the hatred conceived towards his unckle . the same day the king of france entred plasencia , and with him lewis sforcia , who understanding the death of his nephew ; immediatly returned to milan , and there publickly took upon him the title of duke , notwithstanding his nephew left a son five years of age , as also two daughters and his wife big with child . so far did his ambition blind him , that the same day he wrote to king alonso , giving an account of his nephews death , and telling him the nobility and people of milan had obliged him to take the title of duke , and that he believed this would be no way displeasing to him , knowing how well affected he was towards him and his kingdom . from plasencia the king entred into tuscany . ambassadors came to him from all parts , and particulaly from the venetians , offering their friendship . the pope sent the cardinal of siena his legate , who came as far as pisa , but the king would not see him . the florentines sent peter de medicis on the same account . he contrary to his commission and instructions was agreeing to deliver up to the french saraçana , saraçanella , and piedrasanta , strong holds belonging to the republick on mount apennine , as also the castles of pesa and leghorn , and some other things to this purpose . hereat the people were so inraged , that they banished him and his brothers , the cardinal de medicis and julian , plundered their houses , and confiscated all their estates , which were very great . being come to pisa , the king restored that city to its liberty , delivering it from the subjection it was under to the florentines . he entred florence the same day that picus mirandula died there at the age of years , a man of such an excellent wit , that he was called the phaenix . he agreed with the florentines to restore their forts after the war was ended , that they for his sake should pardon peter de medicis and his brothers , and pay florins towards the charge of the war. rome was in an uproar because the cardinals could not agree , and the nobility was divided , for prosper and fabricius colonna favoured the french , and virginius ursinus the neapolitans . the colonneses with cardinal ascanius sforcia had seized the city ostia , by which means rome suffered great want , no provisions coming to it by sea. it was genarally believed the pope would agree with the king of france , or else depart rome . hereupon the people began to mutiny , and the pope was obliged to satisfie the cardinals and roman gentry , assuring them he would stand by the juster cause , and if the king of france attempted to enter rome with his army , he would make head against him , and hazard his own life in the quarrel . all he could say , was of little force to encourage the people , who were terrified with the news daily brought of the approach of the french , and their securing the towns belonging to the church . the pope himself perceiving that neither his own , nor the forces of naples , with a good part whereof the duke of calabria then lay at burgos were sufficient to withstand the power of the enemy , retired himself to the castle of santangelo , and sent word to the duke to retire , lest some misfortune should happen to him . in fine , the king with his whole army entred rome upon the last day of december , preceding the year , all the people , and some of the cardinals making great expressions of joy. he lodged himself in the pallace of s. mark. at this time died the cardinal of spain at guadalajara , upon the th day of january , aged years and months . he was a noble person , excellently qualified , and had a great hand in the government all his life-time . he founded a college at valladolid , and ordered in his will an hospital to be built at toledo , to which he left all he was worth. the see of toledo vacant by his death , the king would have given to his son alonso archbishop of zaragoça , but the queen would not consent . she offered it to d. peter de oropesa one of her council , but he would not accept of it , therefore it was given to f. francis ximenes de cisneros a friar minor , of known piety and virtue , but of mean extraction . when promoted to the archbishoprick , he was the queen's confessor , some years after he was made cardinal . at rome , the pope and king of france agreed that the cardinal of valencia should go with the king as legate , that the great turk's brother should be delivered to him , and that the castles of civita vecchia , terraçina , and spoleto should be in his power during the war. hereupon the king obliged himself to cause the city ostia to be restored to the pope after the war , and to do homage himself to the pope , as he did a few days after in the palace of s. peter . this done , the king set out from rome on the th of january , taking his way towards naples ; whence advice was brought , that the city aquila and many other places had voluntarily submitted to him . king ferdinand of spain understanding what was done , and of the affront offered to the pope , resolved to declare . to this purpose he sent antony de fonseca , and john d' albion to require the king of france to forbear making war on the lands of the church , since he well knew the pope and all that belonged to him , ought to be exempted by the late treaty . at the same time he sent the earl of trivento to command the fleet that was fitting at alicant , and gonçalo fernandez de cordova , with horse by land. the ambassadors came to rome the same day the king set out from thence , and immediately following , gave him their credentials in the field , as he was on horseback , requiring him not to proceed further , without making satisfaction to the church . the king was surprized , and said he would answer at velitre : there they delivered their embassie more at large , complaining of the wrongs and affronts offered to the pope , and requiring him not to proceed as to the affair of naples , till the case were decided in judgment . after much contesting , the king said he was come too far to go back , and therefore would stand to judgment when he had conquered the kingdom . then antony de fonseca replied , since your majesty will have it so , and is resolved to be tried by the sword , god the defence of the innocent shall be the judge in this cause . the king my master has done his duty , and is now left free to employ his forces as he shall think fit . this said , in the presence of the king and his council he tore the articles of the late agreement betwixt the two kings . a bold action , which had almost provoked him to lay hold of him ; but he returned to rome . this embassie encouraged the pope not to stand by the late capitulation ; and the next night the cardinal of valencia in a disguise stole away from velitre : he took not the road to rome , lest it should be thought he fled by order of the pope , but went to spoleto , a strong city belonging to the church . whilst the king of france was yet at rome , alonso king of naples , who had not yet reigned a whole year , resolved to abdicate , and to that intent assembled all the nobility and his council , to whom he delivered himself in this manner : you are all sensible of the dangerous posture of our affairs . the powerful enemy presses upon us , and yet the french do not make more haste to advance , than our own people to declare for them . foreign succours are far off , and they who ought to relieve us , seem least concerned at our misfortunes . i will complain of no body ; my sins are the cause of this sad disaster , and it is fit he who is the occasion of it should suffer . my life is in the hands of god ; what i have to offer up is the crown , which i take from my own head as unworthy of it , and transfer it to my son , whose worth you all know . it is a good change , since in lieu of a sickly man , i give you a young and valiant king. i wish things were in that condition that i might shew to the world how little i value its grandeur ; but it is also prudence to submit to necessity . in fine , i am resolved , since i cannot be useful in this time of need , to quit my dear country , rather than be a witness of its misfortunes . perhaps this voluntary sacrifice i make of my self , may appease god's wrath , , and incline the hearts of men to defend you . it is needless to put you in mind of your duty to your king , nor him of the care he is to have of his subjects . this act of resignation was performed on the d of january , in the castle del ovo . thence he shipped himself with his private treasure , which was great , for sicily , resolving to spend the rest of his life in the habit of a priest in the city mazara . he writ to several princes , particularly king ferdinand , giving his reasons for resigning the crown ; but the truth is , he did it because he was grown odious to his subjects . he lived not a year after , but spent his time in the exercise of virtue . his body is buried in the cathedral of meçina . as soon as the new king was possessed of the government , he showed himself abroad in the city ; and to gain the good-will of the people , ordered a great number of prisoners to be set at liberty , as well of the nobility as commons , only excepting john baptista marçano , son to marino marçano , prince of rosano and duke of sessa , as also the earl of populo , who were both in prison since the time of the barons wars , and were mortal enemies to the house of aragon . this done , he set out of naples towards his army , which lay at s. german on the borders of the kingdom , where it confines on the lands of the church . he left his unkle frederick , prince of altamura , governour of naples . the king of france coming to s. german , the town surrendered , and the new king retired to capua , which he had fortified , but was betrayed to the french by trivulcio a milanese the governour . whilst the king of france was at capua , the great turk's brother died . others say it was at naples , whether the king marched , and was received into that most noble city without any resistance , upon sunday the d of february . the new king ferdinand , before the french came , abandon'd all , and retired to castelnovo , where were the queen-dowager , her daughter , frederick the king's unkle , and many other lords . thence he went to the castle del ovo , and lastly over to sicily , to wait some turn of fortune . but the french were so fortunate , that in days after their entring upon the borders of the kingdom , all submitted to them to the utmost point of italy . i believe never so great an undertaking was concluded in so short a time . only some few places in calabria held out some time for king ferdinand , but at last submitted , as did rijoles , which is in sight of meçina , where the fleet of spain lay , but had no orders to attempt any thing . chap. v. the league against the french carried on with wonderful secrescy ; the french king returns home ; the venetians overthrown by the french ; king ferdinand of naples successful against them , and recovers that noble city . no sooner had the french possessed themselves of the kingdom of naples , but all the princes of italy began to consider how heavy the dominion of that nation would lie upon them , if suffered to settle and root it self in italy . king ferdinand of spain was in the greatest danger for the island of sicily , whither he was informed the french designed to pass , as soon as they concluded the affair of naples , being chiefly animated to that enterprize by the prince of salèrno , one of the outlaws , and principal enemy to the house of aragon . the better to oppose them , he sought to draw the other princes to a league against france : to this purpose he had some months since sent laurence suarez de figuera to venice , and now sent a gentleman called john deza to the duke of milan , with orders to make an overture to him , not only of giving him one of the princesses his daughters , but of making him king of lombardy ; both which proposals he willingly gave ear to . he also practised to draw the emperor and the english into the league , and in order to it proposed cross matches to strengthen the alliance between prince john and the princess joanna his children , and maximilian and his sister margaret on the other side ; which design was so well prosecuted , that it was fully concluded by francis de rojas , sent on purpose to flanders . care was taken to raise money in castile and aragon , to defray the charge of the war. in aragon the cortes met , which the king would have had the princess catherine hold ; but it would not be allowed , and he was forced to come himself . such industry was used , that at last the league was concluded at venice . it was agreed this , called the most holy league , should last for the space of years , and that between them all should be raised an army of horse , and foot , proportionable to the power and ability of each of the confederates . it was given out the design was to protect the church , and defend their own dominions ; but in reality it was to drive the french out of italy . this business was carried on with such wonderful secrecy , that the french ambassador philip de comines , lord of argenton , a man of great wisdom and experience , then at venice , had not the least intelligence of it , and was so surprized when augustin barbadico , duke of venice , gave him an account of it , that he asked whether the king his master might return with safety into france . the face of affairs was soon changed ; for the neapolitans repented of what they had done , because the insolencies committed by the french were intolerable . the duke of milan was perplexed , for that the duke of orlcans had secured the city novara ; besides , he understood that the french , endeavoured to draw the genoeses from his subjection , insomuch that he was forced with great submission to have recourse to the venetians for their assistance . the king of france understanding what had hapned , resolved to return with all speed before the way was stopped . before his departure , he appointed gilbert duke of monpensier , a prince of the blood , viceroy of naples ; with him he left part of his army , and some able commanders . he also sent to the pope to ask of him the investiture of the kingdom of naples , and to let him know he desired to pass through rome to confer with his holiness about important affairs . as to the investiture , the pope answered he was ready to do justice according as he should find ; and as for his going to rome , it could not be without some great disorder , because the people were enraged against the french. this unpleasing answer made the king hasten his journey . he set out from naples on the th of may : being come to rome , he found the pope was retired to perosa . from rome he went into tuscany , spent some days at siena , and without entring florence , went on to pisa . the florentines demanded the restitution of that city , as had been promised them ; but the people of pisa prevailed upon him . thence he went into lombardy , where francis marquess of mantua , general of the venetians , came to cut off his retreat . the french being fewer in number , would have avoided fighting , and endeavoured to join the duke of orleans ; but it could not be . the enemies met on the banks of the river tarro , which runs within a league of the city parma . the venetians lay near fornovo , a village at the foot of the mountains , the french at the entrance into the valley : there the battel was fought , which was one of the most remarkable that had hapned long in italy . at first the italians had the better ; but then falling to plunder and seize the cannon , the french had leisure to rally , and returned upon the enemy with such fury , that they broke them with a mighty slaughter . the king was in great danger , all his guards being slain ; and tho' the victor could not obtain of the enemy a truce for three days , wherefore he was forced to steal away to aste without beat of drum. it was no small help to him in his retreat , that the river being swollen with the rain , the italians could not so soon pass it to pursue him . yet he sustained much loss by the light horse that kept in his rear , and the country-people who took arms to secure the passes . above italians were killed in the fight . the duke of mantua immediately sate down before novara , where he much distressed the duke of orleans . scarce was the king gone from naples , when the affairs of that kingdom began to change . the fleet of spain , commanded by the earl of trivento , lay at meçina . thither came the two distressed kings , alonso and ferdinand , and joanna the queen-dowager . gonçalo fernandez de cordova was stopped some days with his men at majorca and sardinia , but arrived at meçina on the th of may. king ferdinand of naples had already possessed himself of rijoles , and other neighbouring places in calabria , in which province everard stuart lord of aubeni , a renowned commander , was left governour by the king of france . rijoles , cotron , amantia , and some other places were delivered to gonçalo fernandez , to hold them for the king his master till he should be paid the charges of that war , as also to secure sicily some difference arose betwixt the new king and gonçalo fernandez , because the king was positive for marching with all his forces directly to naples , the citizens inviting him , even before the king of france was gone thence . gonçalo fernandez would not abandon calabria , where he had those strong-holds , and doubted not but the rest of the country would declare for the king of spain , for whom they testified a singular affection . it was agreed to relieve semanera , which was distressed by the french. the lord aubeni lay in the way , with whom the king came to a battel , was defeated , and had been killed or taken , his horse falling dead under him , had not a gentleman , called john andrew d' altavila mounted him on his own horse ; so the king escaped , and the gentleman was killed ; which was an extraordinary demonstration of loyalty in those corrupt times . this battel was fought on june . our forces retired to semanera ; thence the king went over to sicily , resolving to return again to naples , before the news of that misfortune could come thither . gonçalo fernandez went away to the other part of calabria , where he soon took several places , and at last subdued the whole province : the king , with sail he found at meçina , without any land-men passed over to naples , where he was received with great joy. the people rose and plundered the houses of the princes of salerno and basignano . the duke of monpensier and prince of salerno retired to castelnovo . capua and all apulia followed the example of naples . besides , upon the news of the battel of tarro , the colonels forsook the french , and agreed with the king of naples . on the other side , the ursini joined with the french. still the castles of naples held for the french , but were close blocked up . a moor who was in the monastery of santa cruz , still held by the french , advertised the marquess de pescara he would give him admittance into it . the marquess coming thither at night , that fellow gave him a mortal wound . this nobleman was the king's general ; he left a son called ferdinand , who was afterwards a famous commander . prosper colonna succeeded him in his command . the castles were at length surrendered , the duke of monpensier and prince of salerno being before gone to the city salerno by sea. during this war of naples , was first discovered a new disease contagious only by way of carnal copulation : the italians called it the french disease , and the french the neapolitan disease ; the africans the spanish-disease . it is most likely it came from the indies , and was carried to naples by the spaniards . tenerif , one of the canary islands , was this year brought under the dominion of spain , by forces sent thither by the king. the king of that island being brought to spain , was sent as a present to the republick of venice . alonso de lugo for his good service in the conquest of this island and that of palma , was made lieutenant of the canaries . thus all those islands were brought under the dominion of spain . chap. vi. the death of john ii. king of portugal ; the french quite expelled the kingdom of naples ; ferdinand king of spain honoured by the pope with the title of catholick king ; the posture of affairs in portugal under emanuel the new king. the catholick king laboured to draw the kings of england and portugal into the league against france . he of portugal excused himself upon account of his ancient friendship with france , and his dissatisfaction against the pope , who refused to legitimate his son george , whom he had by a lady of quality , and designed to make his heir , having to that purpose sollicited the emperor to renounce any claim he might lay to that crown . to the king of england it was not only proposed he should enter into the confederacy , but also marry his heir to one of the princesses of castile . both things succeeded , but it was after some time . the king of portugal being troubled with a dropsie , went to the baths of algarve , which are the best in those parts . this remedy failed , and he died on the th of september at alvor . in his will he appointed emanuel his cousin , son to his unkle ferdinand , to succeed him . in case he died withour issue , he substituted his bastard-son george , to whom for the present he gave the mastership of the order of christ , and the dukedom of coimbra . from him are descended the dukes of aviero . this prince had a mixture of good and evil : he encouraged brave and virtuous men , was a lover of justice , had a piercing judgment , and noble inclinations . the blood he spilt made him hateful to his subjects , and his device was a pelican that feeds its young with its own blood. his body was first buried in the cathedral of silves , and thence translated to the monastery of batalla among his ancestors . after his death , emanuel was , by the general consent of all men , proclaimed king , notwithstanding maximilian the emperor had a better title , as being the eldest of the late king's cousin-germans ; but this availed him not . d. henry enriquez , earl of liste , who commanded on the frontiers of russillon , made an incursion into the frontiers of narbonne . d. peter manrique did the same by the way of guipuzcoa . they did nothing considerable , but were the cause that the king of france , who stayed at aste till the end of autumn , made haste to conclude a treaty with the duke of milan . the principal articles agreed upon were , that novaro should be restored to the duke : that the castellet of genoua should be put into the hands of the duke of ferrara , and free passage and assistance given the french to recover naples : and , that the duke of milan should pay down ducats to him of orleans . this done , the king of france returned to his country . the king of naples complained of this agreement , and the duke made necessity his excuse . the neapolitan , the more to oblige the king of castile to protect him , proposed to marry one of his daughters . this being delayed , at last , by the advice of the queen dowager , he resolved to marry the lady joanna her daughter , and his own aunt , being sister to his father . he demanded aid of the venetians , and they sent him some forces commanded by the marquess of mantua , and ducats in money . for this aid the king put into their hands as a pawn the cities brindez , otranto , and trana , which lay convenient for their trade in the east . king ferdinand of spain provided for the war in russillon . to this purpose the cortes met the last year at taraçona , and resolved to assist the king with men at arms , and horse , for years . after this , the cortes of catalonia assembled at tortosa , and sate till the beginning of the year . they also granted supplies . the two matches with the house of austria were also forwarded , because the archduke's inclination lay another way . still the war in naples continued ; for tho' the french were few in number , yet they had some considerable places of strength . in 〈◊〉 gonçalo fernandez was strong , and straitned the french very much . near eboli the french defeated neapolitans , which made them sole masters of the field in that country . to raise money they resolved to march into apulia , and receive the duties upon cattel , which is one of the best branches of the revenue . the king was at benevento , his forces dispersed , and went thence to foxia to prevent the design of the french. the marquess of mantua , with the forces of venice , join'd him . fabricio attempting the same with swissers , had most of his men cut off by the french ; whereupon they grew so bold as to offer the king battel at foxia . he refused ; but some small skirmishes hapned betwixt them . the french marched on to receive the duty ; some they had , and some the king got ; the rest was lost . gonçalo fernandez being possessed of almost all calabria , had cooped the lord aubeni up in the extream part of that province ; yet the king called him away to strike at the head. in his place he left cardinal luis d' aragon , the king 's cousin-german . the country-people thought to secure the passes , but the spaniards being well versed in that way of mountain-fight , made a great slaughter of them near a town of calabria called muran . there they understood that some of the barons of the french faction lay not far off at a town called lacino , and designed to relieve the castle of confenza . gonçalo de cordova marched all night , surprized the town , killed many of those nobles , and sent the rest prisoners to the king. the french besieged xerula , miles from benevento , and the king sate down before frangito . the french came to relieve this place at such time as the king's forces entred and burnt it , to lose no time in plundering . both armies stood in sight of one another on two hills , neither daring to pass the valley that lay betwixt them . tho' the french were weak , the king resolved not to fight till gonçalo de cordova had joined him ; which he did , notwithstanding the duke of monpensier laboured to hinder it . on midsummer day he came up with the king , who then lay before amalfi , whither the french were then retired . he viewed the place , and on the st of july attacked the enemies guard upon the mills , and drove them away , destroying the mills , which gained him such mighty reputation , that the italians began to call him the great captain , and looked upon him as superiour to all other officers . this siege was carried on with such vigour , that the duke of monpensier was forced to surrender upon articles , which were , that if within days he were not relieved from france , he would withdraw all the forces out of the kingdom , with their goods , arms ; and horses , and deliver up all places except gaeta , venosa , and taranto , and those towns which the lord of aubeni and the duke de monte were possessed of , upon this condition the king was obliged to give the french free passage by sea and land. this was agreed in july , and afterwards performed accordingly . it is worth observing , that in original capitulations signed on both sides , they gave gonçalo fernandez the title of great captain . nevertheless , few of the french ever reached home . the duke of monpensier died at puzol . virginius ursinus , contrary to the capitulation was apprehended by the pope's order , with his son john jordan , and other italian lords . it troubled the king that his word was broke , and that he could not relieve them , yet he durst not disobey the pope , who commanded it , and whose nephew john borgia the cardinal and bishop of melfi followed the army as his legate during this war , and the duke of gandia commanded the forces of the pope . during the absence of the great captain , the affairs of calabria grew into a worse posture , which obliged him to return thither . he coming into that province , the greatest part whereof the enemy was again possessed of , so distressed them , that the lord aubeni was forced to subscribe to the conditions made with the duke of monpensier , and return to france , having gained the reputation of a brave but unfortunate commander , in that he had to do with so great a man as gonçalo fernandez , at the same time that the affairs of naples began to have a more favourable aspect , that is , about the middle of august , departed this life queen elizabeth , mother to the then queen of spain : her body was deposited at arevalo , where she lived the latter part of her life somewhat distracted . thence she was afterwards translated to the church of the carthusians at burgos , where her husband king john ii. of castile lay buried . her grandchild the princess joanna , on the d of the same month , sailed from laredo with a fleet there provided to carry her to her husband philip archduke of austria . the queen her mother bore her company to the sea. frederick enriquez the admiral carried her to flanders , were she was nobly entertained . this year also the pope gave to king ferdinand of spain the title of catholick king , as pius ii. had before honoured luis xi . king of france with the name of most christian . that is , whereas before they used to write on the pope's bulls , to the illustrious king of castile ; now they first wrote , to the catholick king of spain . this highly offended the portugueses , who said king ferdinand was not king of it all , their kings possessing a great part . the dispute lasted till that crown was united to castile . as soon as king emanuel was seated on the throne of portugal , he assembled the cortes of the kingdom at montemor , not far from evora , in order to settle the government . thither came george the late king's bastard-son , then but years of age , and with him his tutor d. james d' almeyda , great prior of s. john. the king received him with much demonstration of affection , promising to look upon him as his own child , and to use him as such . he immediately sent ambassadors to the king of spain , to acquaint him with his accession to the crown , and to the pope to pay him reverence as usual . d. james de sylva the king's tutor , and d. john manuel his foster-brother , were in great esteem with the king. d. james was created earl of portalegre , d. john made lord chamberlain , and afterwards became the king's greatest favourite . a proclamation was published to restore to their liberty all the jews , who as , was said before , were unjustly made slaves by his predecessor . he sent men and ammunition into africk , where the portugueses had ceuta taken by king john i. and tangier and arzila taken by king alonso , unkle to emanuel . d. john de meneses , governour of arzila , because some of the neighbouring villages did not bring in their wonted contributions , joined with the commander of tangier , and marched against them . they were unexpectedly set upon by barata and almanderino , two moorish commanders ; yet tho' the enemy were much more numerous , they put them to the rout . all this hapned before the cortes of montemor broke up , which could not put an end to the business in hand , because the plague raging there , the king was forced at the beginning of this year to remove to setuval , to meet his two widow-sisters , queen ellenor and the dutchess of bragança . there it was proposed , that d. alvaro , brother to the late duke of bragança , and that duke's children who were in castile , since nothing could be proved against them , should be restored to their estates . king ferdinand of spain sollicited for them , and the king's sisters begged it with tears , especially the dutchess as most concerned , as also his mother the dutchess of viseo . the king was unwilling so soon to alter his predecessor's decrees , and to disoblige those that were in possession of those banished persons estates ; but at last overcome with so many intreaties , he made up their losses other ways , so that none might have cause to complain . it was proposed to marry the king , who was years of age when he inherited the crown . no match seemed so advantageous as with castile . king ferdinand was willing , but would not give him his eldest daughter ; the second was gone to flanders , and the lady catherine contracted in england ; so he offered the lady mary . the portugues took it ill that any prince should be preferred before him ; besides , he took a liking to the lady elizabeth when she was in portugal . upon account of this treaty , the catholick king demanded of him , that he should enter into the league against france and the princess : that he should banish the moors and jews . as to the king's request , he excused himself , pleading the ancient friendship betwixt france and portugal ; yet he was willing to join in a league for the defence of spain , but would not involve himself in quarrels that concerned him not . he condescended to the desires of the princess , tho' many opposed it : and accordingly about the end of the year set out a proclamation , commanding all the moors and jews to depart by a time limitted , or else they should be made slaves . all the moors , without hesitation , went over to africk . in the business of the jews there was more difficulty ; for soon after , the king ordered all their children , under years of age , to be taken from them and baptized : a practice not at all justifiable , because none ought to be forced to become christians , nor children to be taken from their parents . the rest were so hardly used , that great numbers were baptized ; but it was a constrained conversion . leave was also obtained of the pope for the commendaries of the three military orders in that kingdom to marry ; so that they were only obliged to conjugal chastity . there were sufficient causes to obtain this liberty , and yet many condemned it . certain it is , this made way for the spending the revenues of those orders otherwise than had been intended ; for what used to be employed in the war , was now consumed in pleasure and luxury . chap. vii . the death of ferdinand king of naples ; the emperor passes into italy ; the popes forces defeated by the ursini ; the death of the duke of gandia ; the marriage of prince john of spain ; proposals concerning settling the kingdom of naples . the wars in italy were not likely to cease . the king of england by reason of the match agreed upon with spain , resolved to enter into the league against france . the emperor gave out he would go himself into italy to settle the affairs of lombardy and tuscany . this moved the duke of milan to think of forsaking the french interest , and the more , for that about this time died the dauphin of france a young child , and the king being sickly , it was to be feared that crown would come to the duke of orleans , his greatest enemy . these reasons inclined him to adhere to the confederate princes . in the kingdom of naples the venetians possessed some part of apulia . the great captain held rijoles , amantia , and other places of calabria for the catholick king. notwithstanding the late capitulation , the french were still possessed of some towns. to reduce all the kingdom , king ferdinand sent d. cesar de aragon his father's bastard brother to taranto , and commanded the duke of urbin who served him in this war , to repair to abruzzo , when having in a short time subdued most of that province , he went away to rome with prosper colona . gaeta was a business of more concern , for tho' the earl of trivento and the venetian gallies pressed it by sea , they advanced not much . it was proposed to besiege the place by land , when king ferdinand fell sick of a flux at soma ; which so increased , that being carried to naples , he died on the th of october . frederick his uncle then at castellon understanding his death , immediately repaired to naples , and was proclaimed king the very day his nephew died . his first care was to a●●ee with the princes of salerno and bisignano , as also the earls of lauria and melito , the great enemies of the house of aragon . many princes began to have an eye towards that crown , and particularly the catholick king , whose title began to be urged both at rome and naples , but to no effect at that time , for the pope and other princes had rather have a weak king for their neighbour , than the power of spain . the great captain who might have done something in the affair , was employed at the siege of the castle of cosenza , which he hoped suddenly to be master of , and thus to secure all that province . soon after having subdued calabria , and taken that fort , he went to nola , and leaving his forces there , visited the queens , comforting them for the death of the king. the new king sat down before gaeta with all his forces . it hapned the lord of aubenie who was going by land to rome , came thither at such time as the besieged were much streightned , he entred the town and caused it to be surrendred upon articles . the french departed in a galleon and two ships loaden with the booty , and plate taken out of the churches . one of the ships perished in a storm ; the other ran aground near terracina , which was looked upon as a judgment . on the other side the emperor as he had agreed , passed the alps , and entred lombardy with horse and foot. the duke of milan with his forces joined him . from aste he summoned the duke of savoy and marquess of monferrat , as feudataries of the empire , but they refused to obey , as did the duke of ferrara , because he had refused him the investiture of modena and reggio , which are feofes of the empire . the emperor's design was to prevent the french possessing themselves of genoa , which they had attempted . besides , the king of france in his way from naples had set free the city pisa , before subject to the florentines . to maintain this liberty , the people of pisa had recourse to the princes of italy , and particularly to the venetians . the duke of milan coveted that city , and therefore advised the emperor to make war upon the florentines in defence of it . to this purpose the emperor in person laid siege to leghorn , but was forced to raise it without doing any thing material . he had little confidence in the princes that sent for him , and therefore thought of returning into germany , and consulted at pavia with the duke of milan , and cardinal bernardin de carvajal , the popes legate , about this his design . this cardinal perswaded him to stay , and succour genoa which was in danger . but now came news which broke all their measures , which was that the kings of france and spain had concluded a truce , supposed to be an introduction to a peace . it hapned in this manner , during the heat of the war in naples , spain was apprehensive no less a storm would fall upon it , because several inroads had been made into france , and the warlike preparations made by the french were great . this moved the catholick king to stay some time at girona , with a great body of men he had gathered from all parts . but autumn being spent , and he desirous to return to burgos , whither he ordered the queen to repair , to celebrate the marriage of the prince , the army broke up , and he went away . the king of france having intelligence hereof , on a sudden gathered above men. charles de alboin commanded upon that frontier for the duke of bourbon , governor of languedoc , he with those forces broke into rosillon , and laid siege to salsas the key of that earldom , but ill fortified , for tho' it had a good garrison , the works were old . for this reason , the next day after he came before it , which was the th of october , he took the town by assault , and the castle upon composition , many of the defendants being killed . d. henry enriquez hasted thither with what forces he could gather , and halted at ribasaltas , a league from salsas , at such time as the place was lost . he pursued the enemy who quitted the town as not tenable , and retired to the wood above salsas , resolving not to hazard a battle . both armies lay some days within a league of one another . a treaty was set on foot , and at last a truce was concluded on that side , to last till the th of january of the following year . this truce raised great jealousies betwixt the consederate princes , fearing lest the catholick king should abandon them , and make a peace by himself . hereupon the emperor left italy , and soon returned into germany , without having do ne any thing worth mentioning . after that , by the pope's order virginius ursinus and his son were contrary to articles apprehended , the pope sent the dukes of gandia and urbin , and fabricius colona with his forces to invade their dominions . they took some towns , and laid siege to the fort brachano . charles ursinus and vitelocius , having raised some forces to divert them from the siege , sate down before vasano , a town of the church . the enemy , tho' inferior in numbers , marched towards the ursini , and they came to a battle , wherein the ursini were at first worsted , but rallying , put their enemies to flight . the duke of gandia was wounded , and the duke of urbin taken . this defeat obliged the pope to be reconciled to the ursini the great captain had a hand in this affair , and the ursini were much obliged to the catholick king. the great captain came now to rome , and at the pope's request laid siege to ostia , which the french were still possessed of , and after eight days siege took it by assault . as the great captain took his leave of the pope , to return to naples , the pope told him , his king was much obliged to him , and did not act answerably to his obligations , but that no man knew him so well as himself . gonçalo fernandez took the liberty to answer , that he doubted not , he knew him as being his subject , but that it was ingratitude to say he owed him any obligation , since the catholick king was the only support of him and his family ; therefore he begged him to behave himself better , and not scandalize the church , lest the king should be obliged to abandon him . the truth is , he was so wicked that several princes sent their ambassadors to warn him to moderate his extravagancies , but all in vain . soon after in an assembly of the cardinals conven'd to give the investiture of the kingdom of naples to king frederick , he also proposed the giving the city benevento to the duke of gandia , and releasing the kings of naples of the tribute they paid to the church , for lands to be given to the said duke . nothing could have stopped his proceedings but the unhappy death of that duke . on the th of june , the duke and cardinals of valencia and borgia having supped in a garden , as the duke returned home , he sent his footman for his arms , who returning found him not , nor could any tidings be heard of him the next day . after much inquiry , a waterman said that about midnight he saw three men carrying one a cross a mule , whom they cast over the bridge , and one asking whether he sunk , the others said he did , and so they went away . the place being searched , the body was found with nine wounds , and nothing taken from him . it could never be known who were the murderers , some said the ursini , but the common report went , that it was his own brother the cardinal of valencia . the duke left a son called john , who succeeded him in the dukedom of gandia . the same fleet which carried the princess joanna to flanders , brought the princess margaret , sister to the archduke , and contracted to prince john. she arrived at santander in march , and was received by the king and prince with a great retinue . they met at reinosa , and were married at burgos at the beginning of april . the queen would not suffer any alteration to be made in the princesse's family , but that she should keep her own servants . a peace was proposed betwixt france and spain . ferdinand duke of estrada was sent ambassador to france , and a truce was agreed upon at lions , to begin in spain on the th of march , and with all the other confederate princes on the th of april , to last till the first of november . this made the great captain hasten his return from rome to naples , hoping before the truce began to recover some towns of the cardinal of st. peter , but he was disappointed . the french had often urged , that since king frederick being of a bastard family , could have no title to the kingdom of naples , the right must either be in the king of france , or spain , and therefore it were fit they should agree about it . the catholick king was for standing to the determination of the emperor . this proposal did not please the french king ; who offered , if the king of spain would resign up his pretensions , he would make him amends in money or otherwise , and offered the kingdom of navarre . this affair was debated at medina del campa , whither the french ambassadors came to king ferdinand . they offered the whole province of calabria upon condition ; that if , after the conquest of the kingdom , if their king had a mind to it himself , he should give the catholick king the kingdom of navarre , and ducats a year . yet king ferdinand rather inclined to have frederick left in possession , he paying to the french a sum of money towards the expence of the war , and a certain tribute yearly . it was also proposed that the duke of calabria should marry the daughter of the duke of bourbon , niece to the french king. thus the ambassadors were dismissed , and because it was believed the war would again break out after the expiration of the truce , the catholick king endeavoured to secure himself on the side of navarre . he demanded of that king some strong holds for his security , and appointed the constable bernardin de velasco general upon that frontier . the same precautions were used on the side of russillon . there hapned a mutiny at perpignan , betwixt the townsmen and soldiers , and d. henry the general coming to part them , was wounded on the head with a stone , whereof he died . the duke of alva succeeded in that command , and the fleet of spain , of which d. in̄igo manrique was admiral , was ordered to repair to that coast . these were the preparations in spain . in italy king frederick to gain the duke of milan , offered him to wife his daughter charlotte , and his daughter elizabeth to his eldest son ; but these proposals were prevented from taking effect by the fall of those two houses . he also pressed the pope for the investiture of the kingdom , which at length he obtained , and the cardinal of valencia was sent to crown him . after the coronation , prosper colona was created duke of trageto , and earl of fundi , fabricius colona duke of tallacoço , and the great gonçalo de cordova duke of monte de santangelo , and d. in̄igo brother to the marquess de pescara who was killed , marquess del gasto . chap. viii . progress of the portugues discoveries in the east ; peter covillam and alonso de paiva sent to india by land ; vasco de gama sent to discover india by sea , with four ships ; his voyage till he came to calicut . at the same time that the other parts of europe , and especially italy , were consumed with wars , and labouredunder the apprehensions of still greater calamities , portugal having enjoyed a lasting peace , was imployed in extending its dominions in remote parts , and carrying the light of the gospel into the farthest bounds of the world , even into india . an undertaking at first thought rash , but which proved honourable and advantageous to that kingdom . prince henry brother to king edward was the first that attempted to discover the coast of africk towards the south . death cut him off in the year of grace , and of his age . king alonso his nephew desisted from this enterprize by reason of the unhappy wars in which he was involved . king john the ii. his son took this work in hand again , and ceased not till having passed the line , he discovered the cape called by the sailers tormentoso , or stormy , by reason of the great tempests they met with there ; but he called it the cape of good hope , which name it still retains , because it gave him hopes that way to send his fleets to the coasts of asia and india , and to partake of the riches of those countries . for his better information he sent peter covillam and alonso de paiva ( as has been already said ) by land to get some knowledge of those eastern coasts . paiva died by the way , and covillam having travelled all those countries , sent his king an account in writing out of ethiopia of what he had learnt , but was not suffered to return himself . mean while king john died . his successor king emanuel was willing to carry on this enterprize . he proposed it in council , where some advised him to desist , others to proceed , others to imploy himself in the conquest of africk , whereof enough was already discovered . among this variety of opinion , the most honourable took place , and accordingly the king ordered four ships to be fitted . the command of them he gave to vasco de gama , a man of a great spirit , and it was fit he should be such to begin the longest , and most dangerous voyage that ever was attempted in the world. with him went his brother paul de gama , nicholas coello , and other men of note . all his force exceeded not men , as well soldiers as seamen . they blessed the royal standard in a church of our lady standing on the shore , founded by prince henry , where afterwards king emanuel built the famous monastery of belem . thence they were conducted by a great multitude of people who lamented them as dead men , and so they set sail on the th of july . they steered their course first to the canary islands , and then to those of caboverde , called by the antients hesperides . having passed these islands , and the chiefest of them called santiago , they stood to the eastward crossing a mighty gulph , where by reason of the great storms and swelling seas they spent three months before they discovered land. in degrees of south latitude they discovered a pleasant river whose banks were shaded with trees , where they anchored to take in fresh water and refresh themselves . the people here were black , and had short curled hair. here they traded by signs and for some baubles were supplied with fresh provisions . the gulph he called of st. helona , and the river santiago . they continued their voyage to turn the cape of good hope . but the weather proved so bad they oft gave themselves for lost . here all the commanders resolution was requisite , his men protesting he ought to turn back , and not tempt heaven , but neither threats nor intreaties moved him . it was agreed to kill him ; his brother discovered the design , he secured the masters and undertook to steer his ship himself . in this manner he reached the utmost part of the cape , and began to turn it on the th of november , it being then spring there . about leagues beyond it is a gulph which they called of st. blas , and in the midst of it an island where they found a multitude of sea wolves , thither they went to water . the natives of it were like to those of the west coast of africk , went naked and carried their privities in wooden cases . the country produces elephants and oxen , which they make use of as beasts of burthen . there are certain birds they call sotilicarios , as big as geese without feathers , and with wings like bats , which serve them not to fly , but help them to run the faster . going on , tho' slowly by reason of the strong currents , they came to a country called zanguebar , and because they arrived there on christmas-day , called it terra de natal , as they also called a river de los reyes , or of the kings , because they watered there upon the feast of the epiphany . to shun the strong currents and tides , they stood out so far to sea , that without touching at zofala , the chiefest place on those coasts by reason of the gold mines ; they discovered a country where the people were not altogether so black as those they saw before , but were also better habited and seemed more civilized . on their arms they had copper bracelets , and the men wore daggers with tin hilts . their language was not . understood , but among them came one who in arabick told them , that not far from thence , there were ships like ours and white people that traded in them . by this they guessed india was not far off , and therefore gave thanks to god , and called the river that there falls into the sea de bons sinais , or the river of good signs . on the shore they erected a pillar calling it st. raphael , whence the coast took its name , and of condemned persons they carried from portugal for this purpose , they left there to learn the language , customs , and riches of those people . great was the joy of our men , beliving the end of their voyage was at hand , but it was not a little allayed by a disease which swelled their gums , of which some died . some attributed this to the unwholsomness of the air , others to the salt meat they fed on . they spent a month upon that coast with much trouble and danger . thence they sailed to mozambique in degrees of south latitude , and degrees beyond the cape of good hope . it is a place of great trade being a convenient harbour . the inhabitants were moors of a tawny complexion , richly clad with silks and gold , on their heads great turbants of white linnen , from their shoulders hung cymiters , and on their arms were their bucklers . in this garb they came out in boats to visit our ships . they were well received and entertained , and of them our men understood that that city was subject to the king of quiloa , whose name was abraham , and that he had there a governour whom in arabick they call xeque , and his name was zocoeya . to him they sent presents , and having established friendship , he gave them pilots to conduct them to india . at first the natives thought our men had been moors of the west , which was the cause of their civility , but afterwards understanding they were christians , they studied to do them all the mischief they could , and the pilots swam away from them . our men fired their cannon upon the city killing some people upon the shore , which struck a terror into those people . the governor submitted , and offered to make satisfaction , nothing was demanded of him but a pilot. this man treacherously endeavoured to betray our men to the king of quiloa . to this intent he told them the inhabitants of that city were ethiopian christians , and that there they might be furnished with all they had occasion for . god delivered them , for the weather being rough they could not make quiloa , else they had been in danger , that king being powerful , and offended for what was done at moçambique . however , the pilot advised to go to monbaça , a city seated on a rock , almost encompassed with the sea , that forms a good port. some people came out of the city to meet them , to whom the pilot imparted his design . his treachery had succeeded , but that vasco de gama at the entrance of the port fearing to strike upon the rocks , gave order to cast anchor there . his guilty conscience accusing him , the pilot thought he had been discovered , and therefore leaped over board to save himself , as did some of those that came from shore , who were still aboard the three ships now remaining ; for the fourth which brought provisions , they being consumed , and some seamen dying , was before burnt . our men praised god for delivering them from so great danger . sailling thence they wanted a pilot , but they had the fortune to take two moorish vessels , and in them moors , for the rest leaped into the sea. of these they understood that melinde was not far off , the king of which place was courteous to strangers . thither they steered their course , and found what had been told them was true . the king was pleased at their coming , and because he could not by reason of his age go aboard himself , sent his son , who behaved himself friendly towards the portugueses , and was by them well entertained . he gave them a pilot to conduct them to india , and they presented him the moors , which he was much pleased at . being furnished with what they wanted , they took their leave , promising to return that way to take up the ambassadors the king designed to send to portugal . it was now easter , when they set sail for calicut , which is almost leagues distant from melinde , and was sailed by them in days . on the th of may they discovered the wished for shore , and soon after came to an anchor , a league and a half from calicut . that city has no harbour , and the season was not fit to lie out , because at that time the winter begins there . the province of malabar where calicut stands , is divided by a ridge of mountains , running down to cape comori . both sides are in the same north latitude , and yet in may the rains begin on this side the mountains , the other side at the same time being scorched with heat , which is very wonderful . chap. ix . a short , but particular account of india ; what hapned to vasco de gama at calicut his bold enterprizes there , and a relation of his return to portugal . before we relate what hapned to vasco de gama at calicut , it will not be amiss to give some short description of the greatness of those large provinces of asia . india towards the west , borders upon the provinces of gedrosia , arachosia , and the paropomassidas . towards the east it extends as far as the confines of the mighty empire of china . on the north it is shut up by mount imaus , which is a part of mount caucasus . on the south its limits are the ocean . the most famous river ganges divides it into two parts . true it is our people only call that india , which lies betwixt the two rivers indus and ganges . this country the natives call indostan . along the mid space betwixt these two rivers runs a ridge of hills , down to cape comori . many different nations are spread along these coasts . the chiefest , gambaya , which from the mouth of indus extends to malabar , and that to cape comori . betwixt these two nations in a small island of the kingdom of decan is seated the famous city goa . the front of it is washed by the sea , the other parts by two arms of a river . among the malabars there are four conditions of people , the nobility , called caymales ; the priests , brahmens , whose authority is great ; the souldiery , stiled nayres ; and the commonalty , such as tradesmen and country people . generally the merchants are strangers . from the waste upwards they go naked , the lower parts are covered with silks or cotton , their cymiters hanging down from their shoulders . their customs and worships are very strange . let it suffice to say the women marry as many husbands as they please , and therefore the sorts do not inherit the fathers estates , but the sons of sisters are the heirs . malabar is divided into several kingdoms , the chief whereof , whom all the others look upon as their superior , and is therefore called zamori , that is emperor , is the king of calicut , a rich and large city , seated almost in the middle of the coast . the houses in it do not stand close together , but at great intervals , each having gardens and orchards belonging to it . only the kings palaces and the temples are of stone , the rest of timber , low and covered with leaves of palm-trees . neither the nobles nor commons are allowed to raise stately buildings . this was the posture of calicut , when vasco de gama arrived there . many boats came out immediately to see such strange people . gama sent ashore one of the banished men he had with him , a vast multitude of people encompassed him . among the rest were two moors born at tunez , these finding by the habit , the man was a spaniard , one of them called monçayde asked him in spanish of what part of spain he was , he answered of portugal . he carried the man home , and having discoursed him went aboard to see the commander , whom he informed he had faithfully served king john of portugal when he sent to tunez for arms , and having given him an account of the country , offered to serve him in what lay in his power . next day gama sent two ambassadors with monçayde to the king , to acquaint him he would not land without his leave , but having once obtained it , would deliver the letters he brought from his king , and treat with him about matters of great moment . the king was then at pandarane , a town two miles from the city . there he received the messengers friendly , answered , he would gladly hear what their commander had to propose , and the mean while would have him bring his ships under the shelter of pandarane because the place where he lay was not safe . this was accordingly done , and some days after he sent the governor of the city whom he called catual , to conduct gama to his pallace . he left his brother to command in his place , ordering him and nicholas coello that if any misfortune hapned to him ashore , they should immediatly hoist sail and return to portugal to give the king an account of their voyage ; but that they should still keep their boats well manned upon the shore . he carried with him of his men in the best order he could . from the shore he was carried on mens shoulders to the kings palace . there he was received by the caymales and chief of the brahmenes cloathed all in white . this man taking gama by the hand led him through several rooms , the door of each of them was guarded by ten men. they came to a large room , the floor covered with silk carpets , and the walls hung with silk and gold. about it were certain steps like a theatre , which were the seats of the nobility . the king sate on a raised throne , cloathed in white cotton , adorned with roses of gold , on his head a cap of cloth of gold in shape like a mitre , his arms and legs naked , but with brazelets and plates of gold. on his fingers and toes were rings set with diamonds and pearls of a great value . his complexion was tawny , his stature large , his countenance majestick , gama having saluted the king , and being commanded to sit , made an harangue , telling the king , that he was sent to him by the mighty emanuel king of portugal , who moved by the fame of his grandeur which had reached the utmost bounds of the west , was ambitious to settle a friendly correspondence and commerce with him and his country . that it would doubtless be very advantageous to both nations to have a free trade , and it would much redound to the honour of them both , to be the first , who at that distance had settled amity and friendship . this said , he presented the letters he carried , written in arabick and portugues , as also the presents he carried . the embassy was pleasing to the king , who answered , that he willingly embraced the friendship of king emanuel , and was ready to allow of a free trade . he asked many questions concerning their voyage and country , and ordered the commander and all his men to be well lodged . the moorish merchants fearing to lose their trade , and in hatred to the christians , assembled together , and laboured all that lay in their power by false informations they devised , to turn the hearts of the king and his courtiers against the portugueses . they said they were pirates and the common enemies of mankind , and that if they were admitted into calicut , all the moors would be obliged to remove and seek some other place to trade in . that it was worthy their consideration , whether it were answerable to abandon their old tryed friends , who brought so great a trade to the country , for a few robbers . the malabars are a people inconstant and easily perswaded , therefore giving credit to the moors , and at their instigation , they began to contrive how to destroy all the portugueses . monçaide gave gama an account of their design . he stole away the best he could , tho' not without danger to his ships , and stood out to sea. thence he wrote a letter to the king full of great complaints , and particularly against catual who , he was assured contrived to do him all the harm he could , and desired he would cause certain portugueses and some merchandize left ashore to be restored to him . the king gave good words , but performed not what was demanded . gama resolving to use force , took the first ship that came that way , and in it six men of note with their servants . the king to redeem them , sent the portugueses and merchandize , with his letters in answer to those brought by gama . nevertheless he would not restore the malabars , thinking it convenient to carry them to shew in portugal , that they might give a more particular account of that country . before vasco de gama hoised sail to return to portugal , monçaide got aboard , fearing his correspondence with the portugueses would cost him his life . he left all his goods at calicut , for he had not time to carry any thing away . in portugal he was baptized , and lived like a good christian . the king of calicut could not take revenge of gama because it being then winter , his fleet was laid up . however , he fitted out barques , and sent them well manned to attack the ships ; but a storm rising , the barques were all dispersed , and our ships which before for want of a wind had made little way , got off and losing the sight of calicut , came to certain little islands that lie about that coast . they met small vessels belonging to a pirate called timoja , one of which they took and scattered the others . thence they sailed to another island called anchediva , to refit and repair their ships the best they could . this island is distant from calicut about leagues , yet not above one from the continent , which was the reason that many came over from the main land to see the ships . among the rest , came one who saluted gama in italian . this man told them that not far off was the city goa , and that the lord of it , who was called zabayo , and with whom he had great interest , would be glad to be acquainted with them , and would give them good entertainment . gama asked what country-man he was , and he answered , he was an italian , that sailing towards greece he was taken by pirates , and so from one to another , at last was brought to that lord. gama suspecting him by his countenance , and because all he said was not coherent , put him to the rack . then he confessed the truth , that he was a jew , born in poland , and that zabayo his lord had sent him as a spie to view those ships , designing to fall upon them with his fleet. gama having got this intelligence , with all the speed he could sailed thence and prosecuted his voyage . he carried the jew with him , who in portugal was baptized , took the name of garcia , and served king emanuel in affairs of moment . the ships for want of wind made little way , yet at length turned that cape of africk called guardafu , not far from the mouth of the red sea. they came to the city magadoxa , not far from the cape , and understanding the inhabitants were moors would not make a stay there any longer than whilst with their cannon they battered their houses , and sunk some vessels they saw in the harbour . passing forwards , they met sail of moors which they easily defeated . at melinde they were recived by the king with great affection . they furnished themselves with such necessaries as they stood in need of , and as had been before agreed , took aboard an ambassador that king sent to portugal , to settle amity with king emanuel . the ship which paul de gama commanded , being much shattered both in the hulk and rigging , and there being want of seamen , it was resolved to burn her , and paul de gama went aboard his brother . thus they continued their voyage , and discovered the island zanzibar , which is very pleasant , full of trees bearing several sorts of spice , lying leagues from the continent of africk , betwixt melinde and quiloa , and not far from monbaça . at moçambique they erected a pillar of those they carried for this purpose . they anchored in the bay of st. blase to take wood and water , and turned the cape of good hope upon the th of april to conclude , they passed by the islands of cabo verde , and thence taking a great compass , came to the terceras , where paul de gama died of sickness which had stuck by him a long time before . they arrived at lisbon in september , having been out two years . the king was overjoyed at their return , and all the city signified their great satisfaction . there was no end of hearing the strange relations they gave , the dangers and storms they had been in , and of beholding those things they brought only as tokens of the riches of the east . those men also brought from india were no less admired for their countenance , language , and strange habit. gama and his companions were looked upon as something more than men. of four ships that set out only two returned , and of the men not above the third part this did not at all deter many from wishing that voyage might be continued , and upon the prospect of honour and profit , offering themselves to all those difficulties which appeared to be in so troublesome and distant an enterprize . chap. x. an account of the navigation of vasco de gama , and of all the coasts of africk , as they lay in his way ; of the island zocotora , and of all the coast of asia , as far as china , and of the method observed by the portugueses in sailing thither . thus vasco de gama performed this voyage , which was the most remarkable that had been till then in the world , as well for the length of it , as for the many difficulties and dangers he was to meet with : for then being ignorant what course to steer , and also of the nature of those vast seas , they went as it were blindfold and groping . time and experience have made that voyage easie ; so that the season for setting out , and the course they steer , is much other than it was at first , which i have thought fit to give some account of for the satisfaction of the curious . it will be convenient , in the first place , to describe all those vast coasts . beyond the streights of gibraltar , upon the left hand , lies the coast of africk , which runs along for many leagues both on this and the other side of the equinoctial . first , the most celebrated mount atlas cuts the greatest part of africk from east to west , and butts out into the ocean . beyond it is the cape formerly by the portugueses called nam , that is , no ; because they imagined such as passed it could never return . next is cape bojador , in degrees of north latitude , opposite to the island palma , which is one of the canaries . all these three capes are branches of mount atlas . then follows on that coast cape blanco , in degrees of latitude , and next to it the little island arguin , which gives name to all that gulph . beyond this is the promontory cabo verde and its islands , being in number , the chief of them called santiago , formerly known by the name of hesperides , tho' some will have it that under this name were comprehended all the islands we have discovered to the westward . caboverde is in the latitude of degrees . north of it the river sanagá falls into the sea , and to the southward another , for the abundance of water it carries named the rio grande . they are believed to be both branches of one great river , that is , the niger , much spoken of by the ancients , as rising from the same springs with nile . beyond rio grande , which is in degrees of latitude , is sierra leona , a mountain in the latitude of degrees : in this mountain there is great thunder and lightning , and great lights are generally seen upon it from sea , the natives going out at night to their labour , which makes it appear at a distance as if it were all in a flame . some will have this to be the mountain called by ptolomy the chariot of the gods , which he places in only degrees of north latitude . under the equinoctial lies the island of s. thomas , not far from the continent , and from portugal somewhat above leagues . the air of it is unhealthy , but it yields abundance of sugar . six leagues beyond the equinoctial is the country called mina , by reason of the pure gold mines in it . beyond it the river of santiago and gulph of s. helena , where vasco de gama put in for water . many other rivers and promontories there are , as may well be imagined in such a vast extent ; but these are the chiefest . the cape of good hope , which is the farthest point of africk , distant from portugal about leagues , lies in degrees of south latitude . turning this cape , those shoars run a vast length , with many promontories and rivers of note . the rivers of s. blas , natal , and bons sinais , are the most principal till you come to zofala , which is one of the most remarkable towns on that coast , by reason of the gold mines . some are of opinion that zofala was tharsis , whither , as the scripture says , solomon down the red sea sent his fleets to bring gold and other riches , and the natives affirm their histories do prove as much . others affirm it to be the promontorium frasium of ptolomy , which he places in degrees of south latitude ; but zofala lies above degrees beyond the line . beyond zofala on the right hand lies the great island of s. laurence , commonly called madagascar , and on the left moçambique , a place of great trade , in degrees of south latitude . farther on , almost at equal distances , are quiloa and monbaça , with the island of zanzibar , and melinde near the line . magadoxa is degrees on this side , and in degrees is the last promontory of africk , now called cape guardafu , by ptolomy aromata . near to it is the island zocotora , which was found inhabited by christians , but very barren and destitute of all things necessary . this is believed to be the island ptolomy calls dioscorides . not far from thence is the mouth of the red sea , or arabian gulph . within it , on the side of africk , is the port of arquico in the kingdom of barnagasso , subject to prester john. on the coast of arabia stands the city aden , a strong place , and the key of that sea. betwixt the red sea and the gulph of persia lies arabia felix , and in the middle of the coast cape fartaque . the farthest point next the gulph of persia is cape rosalgate . just in the mouth of the persian gulph is the island of ormuz , small and naturally barren , but by reason of its great trade very rich ; its latitude degrees . almost in the same latitude to the eastward , at the mouth of the river indus , is the island and fortress of diu , well known for the bravery with which the portugueses have defended it , first against the forces of the soldans of egypt , and then against the great turk beyond diu and baçain which is near it , the coast turns to the south , till it ends in cape comori ; on the west-side whereof stands the city goa in degrees of latitude , and calicut in . between them both is cananor , and nearer to the cape cochin and coulam , all cities in the country of malabar , and of great trade for spice . from the cape of good hope to goa , seamen reckon leagues . opposite to the coast of malabar are the maldivp islands , which take their name from the chiefest of them . they are in number above , all small , and sometimes so close together , it is difficult to sail betwixt them . the chiefest thing they produce is the tree that bears coco's , so profitable that they are cloathed and fed by it . near to cape comori , on the east-side is the island ceylon , whence we have most of our cinnamon . then follow the kingdoms of narsinga and pegu , and in the midst of them that of bengala , which gives its name to that great gulph ending at the city malaca , near which is the island sumatra , lying under the equinoctial . most learned men hold sumatra to be the trapobana of ptolemy , and malaca his aurea chersonesus , and there want not those who affirm malaca to be ophir whence solomon had his gold and silver . nay the people of the kingdom of pegu which is not far distant , value themselves upon being descended of the jews , whom solomon sent thither to work in the mines . tho' these mettals are not there to be found at present , they might formerly . solomon's ships spent three years in the voyage to tharsis because they always kept along the coast , not having the use of the compass . from malaca eastward are the moluco islands , the chiefest whereof are five , whence we have our cloves , in all other respects they are barren . bending northward we come to the vast and rich empire of china , and the island macao the market of the portugueses for the trade of that kingdom , they not being admitted to enter into it . from goa to china they reckon leagues , of them to malaca , and the other thence to china . from macao to japan , northwards being the farthest extent of the portugues discoveries , are about leagues . the principal islands of japan are three , besides many other small ones adjoining to them . the great island it self extends about leagues in length , and not above in breadth . in it are many kings and kingdoms , and the people are warlike , of sharp wits . the voyage from portugal to india is performed in this manner . they set out from lisbon in march or the beginning of april , thence they direct their course to the island madera leagues distant , and then to the canaries which are leagues thence . they steer next to cape blanco and the islands of cabo verde . then they stand off from the coast of africk , and by reason of the continual southerly winds bear up close towards the south-west , till they come sometimes near brasil , where if the wind will not permit them to weather cape st. augustin , which is leagues beyond the equinoctial , they cannot make their voyage that year . if they weather the point , then they tack and stand for the cape of good hope , steering south east . to shun the storms usual about that promontory , they run to about degrees of south latitude . thus having turned the cape they touch at zofala , or mocambique , where if their voyage has not been short they winter ; if it has , they cross the gulph to goa . it is a very good voyage that is performed in or months , for commonly it takes up a year . from goa to malaca , and the other eastern parts they sail at set times . to return to spain they expect the usual breezes in december . they turn the cape about march or april . then they pass by the island of st. helena , which nature has provided as it were an inn by the way in that vast ocean , to refresh the seamen with its fruit , fish and flesh , tho' scarce inhabited , being but four leagues in length , and so far from any land. thence , by the way of the islands terceras , the ships generally return to lisbon in august or september . the end of the th book . the history of spain . book xxvii . chap. i. the death of the prince of castile ; of charles viii . king of france ; matches of two daughters of spain ; the prince of salerno expelled naples ; france and spain agree . hierome savonarola burnt at florence . the affairs of spain at one and the same time prospered in italy , and within spain had a mixture of felicity and adversity . two matches for as many of king ferdinand's daughters were concluded ; that is , of the princess catherine with arthur prince of wales , and heir to henry vii . king of england , and of the princess elizabeth with emanuel king of portugal . these marriages were of great importance , because , together with those of the house of austria , they bound such mighty princes to the interest of spain . the match with england was fully concluded upon the of august , . to forward the marriage with portugal , d. john manuel , that king's foster-brother , came to castile . it was agreed , that king ferdinand and queen elizabeth should carry the princess their daughter to the borders of portugal , where king emanuel should meet them to consummate the marriage upon the last day of september . ceclamin was at first the place appointed to meet ; but that town wanting conveniencies , they spent three days together at valencia de alcantara . their joy was much abated by the news of the indisposition of prince john , who died the day after he was taken ill at salamanca , on the th of october , to the great loss and grief of the whole kingdom . he left the princess with child ; but that availed little ; for in a short time after she miscarried . the prince's body was carried to avila , to be buried in the famous dominican monastery of s. thomas . this dismal news came to alcantara whilst yet the rejoycing for the wedding lasted ; but after king ferdinand was gone , king emanuel begged of the queen his mother-in-law , not to let the queen his wife know any thing of it , and so went away with her to ebora . there she was at last acquainted with the death of the prince her brother : she resented it as became a loving sister ; but his parents bore their loss with great magnanimity . the kingdom of naples was not yet peaceable , because the prince of salerno and his party mistrusting the king , fortified their towns and castles . the first demonstration that prince gave of his ill-will was , that tho' he appeared when king frederick was proclaimed at naples , yet he would not be present at his coronation , under colour of poverty . however , the prince of basiniano came to court the day following to excuse himself , and intercede for him of salerno . no means of peace prevailed , and the king was forced to march with his army , and besiege him in his strong town of diano . gonçalo fernandez was now about returning to spain , as reckoning the war of naples at an end : to this purpose he had gone into calabria , thence to sicily , and now came to naples to take his leave of the king and queen . they pressed him to aid them in that siege , because the defendants were numerous , and the king's party favoured them . the great captain gathered spaniards , and the king furnishing him germans , he so straitned the besieged , tho' with much danger of his person , that the prince was forced to surrender . it was agreed , that the prince , with all such as would follow him , might safely depart the kingdom with their goods : that all the towns and forts belonging to the prince , should be delivered up to the king , he paying for the cannon and provisions in them . thus diano was surrendered upon the th of december , and the prince put himself into the hands of the duke of melfi , to be conducted to sangalla , a city in marca de ancona , which sided with the king of france . the earls of conça and lauria , his confederates , bore him company . he of capacho being very old , put himself upon the king's mercy . this same year in autumn d. john de gusman , duke of medina sidonia , sent a fleet over to africk to people melilla , which is opposite to almeria , and had been abandoned by the moors . in recompence for the charge he had been at , that town was given to the duke and his heirs for ever . the xeque , or lord of gelves , who was in rebellion aginst the king of tunez his sovereign , to secure himself under the christian protection , delivered up that island and port to the catholick king , and in his name to john de lanuça , then viceroy of sicily . captain margarit was left with the spanish forces to secure that island . a solemn embassie from france now met the king at alcala de henares : the proposals made were , that the two kings with their joint forces should invade italy : that as to the kingdom of naples , the catholick king should possess calabria till such time as the french king in exchange should give him the kingdom of navarre , and ducats yearly for what it was worth above that kingdom : that the states of milan and genoa should belong to the french , and all the rest of italy be equally divided betwixt them : the catholick king was not averse from the business of naples ; but as for the rest of italy , would not be concerned without advertising the empire , who had so great a right to it . at last it was resolved king ferdinand should send ambassadors to france to prosecute this treaty . at this time all the monasteries of castile were reduced to the strict observance of their orders , which the dominicans , augustins , and carmelites easily condescended to : the franciscans at first made some resistance . according to agreement the king sent ferdinand duke of estrada and two others his ambassadors to conclude a peace with france . at the same time it was believed the french king resolved to invade roussillon , but death prevented his designs . he departed this life at amboise on the th of april , . the duke of orleans , called luis xii . succeeded him . at blois , where the new king was , and afterwards at orleans , the treaty of peace was carried on , that king always giving good words and fair promises only to gain time till he was settled in the kingdom , and could be divorced from his present wife , sister to the late king , in order to marry the dutchess of britany , who since the death of the late king her husband , was for returning into her own country . he at last compassed his ends , and had by that dutchess two daughters only , the eldest of which was married to francis the heir of that crown . before the death of king charles , it was proposed that caesar borgia should resign his cardinal's cap , to which purpose that king promised him an estate in france , and to marry him to the lady charlotte , daughter to the king of naples . her father would not consent , because they demanded the principality of taranto with her as dower ; and this was suspected to be in order to seize the whole kingdom of naples . the duke of milan and cardinal ascanius his brother , pressed the king to consent , lest the pope should bring the french upon him again , which would prove his utter ruin , as it did . k. ferdinand did not approve of this contrivance , tho' he was offered the disposal of the churches of pamplona and valencia , then in the hands of caesar borgia . these practices scandalized all christendom , to see that a cardinal in holy orders should have leave given him to marry . the wickedness of the court of rome gave all the world enough to talk ; therefore hierome savonarola a dominican , who of late years had a great hand in the government of florence , preaching with extraordinary freedom against the extravagancies of the pope , was by his order publickly burnt , with two of his companions , in the market place of that city , upon palm-sunday . many in florence to this day account him a martyr ; others condemned his boldness . but this hapned not only at florence , for garcilasso the catholick king 's ambassador reproved the pope to his face , and required him in his king's name to redress those disorders . the pope was angry at this liberty , but mended not his faults . soon after , caesar borgia publickly protested he took orders against his will , and desired a dispensation to quit all his benefices , and resign the cardinal's cap. many of the cardinals were of opinion he deserved for his wicked life to be degraded , and not suffered to resign , but none durst speak for fear of the pope . in fine , he resigned , and the new king of france created him duke of valence . being disappointed of the daughter of frederick king of naples , he married the daughter of the lord d' albret , and sister to the king of navarre . by her he had a daughter , who her father dying , was left to the care of her unkle the king of navarre . this same year the great captain having gathered a fleet at naples , sailed for spain . he was the honour of our nation for the many victories he obtained , and subduing that kingdom after such great disorders . chap. ii. the king of portugal sworn heir to the crown of castile ; elizabeth his queen delivered of a son , dies ; the duke of milan expelled his dominions ; university of alcala founded ; rebellion of the mountain-moors . as soon as prince john died , the king and queen began to be sollicitous about the succession of the crown , but waited to see what the princess margaret would bring forth . their grief was increased , when at alcala de henares she miscarried of a daughter . hereupon they advertised the king of portugal of his title to the crown , and advised him to come to castile , and be sworn according to custom . the archduke and his dutchess , who at that time took the stile of princes of spain , were warned to forbear it . the king and queen of portugal entred castile by the way of badajoz , where they were received by the dukes of medina sidonia and alva , with many other great men. thence they went to spend the holy week at guadalupe , and on the th of april came to toledo , where the catholick king and queen expected them ; and according to custom , on the sunday following , homage was done to them , and they were sworn heirs of castile . the business of aragon was not so easie , because henry duke of segorve was alive , and pretended no woman could inherit that crown ; and therefore it appertained to him and his son alonso , as descended of the male line of king ferdinand of aragon . to make all things the easier , the kings of castile and portugal went to zaragoça , and there , on the th of july , proposed to the nobility to swear to the king and queen of portugal as heirs of the crown . there arose a great debate , some affirming no woman could inherit that crown , and others maintaining the contrary . to end this dispute , it pleased god that the queen of portugal , on the d of august , was delivered of a son , whom they called michael . she died within an hour after . the king her husband returned immediately to his kingdom . the queen's body was deposited in the church of s. francis , and thence translated to the monastery of nuns of s. elizabeth , built by her father at toledo . on the d of september all difficulties being removed , the young prince was by general consent sworn heir to the crown of aragon , and soon after the same was done in castile . before king ferdinand went to zaragoça , he had sent d. alonso de sylva his ambassador to france , to compliment the new king upon his accession to the crown , and at the same time to press the conclusion of the peace . he , with the other ambassadors there before , soon brought it to a period . the same was done on his part by the archduke , without consulting his father or father-in-law . luis d' amboise , archbishop of roan , by his interest with the king of france , much forwarded this agreement . in september the pope made him a cardidal at the suit of the french king , who was intent upon passing into italy , upon account of the right he pretended to have to the dutchy of milan and kingdom of naples : from zaragoça king ferdinand sent d. yn̄igo de cordova , brother to the earl of cabra , and dr. philip ponce , to require the pope to restore the city benevento to the church , and to reform the abuses of his court and leudness of his family . the king of portugal , by the advice of his father-in-law , sent d. roderick de castro , and d. henry coutin̄o to rome with the same embassie . they all admonished the pope , and made their protestation , garcilasso de la vega performing the office of notary apostolick , the pope was highly offended , and threatned to punish them for their presumption ; yet at last be answered , that benevento was not nor should not be alienated . as to the reforming his house , he answered harshly . within few days the prince of esquilache , his wife , his sister lucrecia and her husband , whose leudness , as well as caesar borgia's , incensed the people , all departed rome . such was the hatred the pope conceived on this account against garcilasso de la vega , that he was forced to leave that city , and the portugues ambassadors soon followed , at the beginning of the year . those of the catholick king stayed some time longer till the coming of lorenço suarez de figueroa , who was appointed to succeed his brother garcilasso , after he had been ambassador at venice , where he gained great reputation . many heavy cares at the same time lay upon the catholick king. italy was in danger by reason of the french king's pretensions the pope egged him on , in hopes to be revenged on king frederick , and to raise duke valentine . the venetians also , offended with the duke of milan , joined in league with the french king , engaging to aid them with men at arms , and swissers . for this supply the king was to give them cremona and guiradada , two towns of note in that dukedom . the duke seeing little prospect of help in the christians , prevailed with the turks to infest the venetian territories , which rendred him still more odious . at the same time died the prince of salerno , leaving the pretensions to that principality , and his hatred to the house of aragon , to his son robert. the king of navarre demanded of king ferdinand the restitution of the towns of arcos , guardia , and s. vincent , which the latter held instead of the city estela , adjudged by the king of france to henry iv. of castile , when he was arbitrator betwixt the crowns of castile and navarre . this pretension gave occasion to fear some breach with france ; but that king being wholly taken up with his pretensions in italy , had not leisure to engage in other men's quarrels : for about the same time time a mighty army of french passed the alps , and marched to the city aste , which for some years had belonged to the dukes of orleans , being given to charles duke of orleans by philip duke of milan , for assisting him in his wars with the venetians . in august , . that army advanced under the conduct of the lord of aubeni , and john james trivulcio . they met no opposition , but in few days made themselves masters of alexandria . pavia , plasencia , and many other towns. on the other side , the venetians took cremona , guiaradada , lodi , and all that belonged to the dukedom of milan on that side . this gave the people of milan occasion to mutiny . the duke fled to the castle , and having sent his treasure and family before him to germany , followed soon after himself . on the th of september genoa submitted to the french. the king of france , who till then had stayed at lions , came to reap the fruit of this success . duke valentine came with him , whom he had promised to assist with horse at his own charge , and swiss , to be payed by the pope to make war upon romania . he also promised to aid the florentines to recover pisa . the conquest of milan being so easily performed , the king of france , encouraged by the pope , bent his thoughts upon naples , but first returned home to recruit his army . the catholick king laboured to prevent the war in italy , and made advantageous proposals to the french in behalf of king frederick . finding nothing would after the resolution of the king of france , he resolved to set on foot again the treaty of dividing that kingdom betwixt that king and himself , since king frederick , as descended of a bastard , could have no right . to this effect he sent one of his domesticks to join with his ambassador john gralla then in france . it was believed these proposals would have produced a firm peace betwixt the two kings , tho' at the same time king frederick threatned if the french invaded him , he would bring the turks upon italy . at the same time he made large offers to be reconciled to the pope , which duke valentin prevented taking any effect by writing , how displeasing those overtures were at the french court. at the end of this year was born in flanders the lady ellenor eldest daughter to the archduke , who was first queen of portugal , and afterwards of france . about this time the archbishop of toledo began to found an university at alcalà , after the manner of that at paris . the king was at granada , and thinking the conversion of the moors who were very numerous , would be the only means to secure that kingdom , gave it in charge to the archbishop of that city , with whom joined the archbishop of toledo . they consulted about punishing some who had been christians and were again become moors , and resolved to baptize their children . they also treated the alfaquies with much courtesie , which was the cause that many infidels were baptized . these things moved the moors of the quarter of albaicin to mutiny and fortifie themselves , but they were at last suppressed by the earl of tendilla the governor , and on the th of november of them were baptized . many that persisted obstinate were punished , and their mosques were consecrated into churches . about of another quarter in granada followed their example . the moors living along the mountains called alpujarras hearing they were to be baptized by force , rebelled , and first those of huejar , who were soon subdued by the earl of tendilla and the great captain . soon after the moors in the mountains were in rebellion , and the infidels besieged marxena , but d. peter faxardo taking alhumilla , they raised the siege . king ferdinand hereupon came from sevil to granada , and gathering a powerful army , marched himself to lanjaron on the first of march . that town was taken by storm and plundered . the earl of lerin and other noblemen took several strong places , whereupon the rebels submitted , and were received to mercy upon promise they would within days deliver up castilde ferro , adra and ban̄ol , as also all arms offensive and defensive , and pay ducats . this done the king dismissed his army and returned to granada , to forward the conversion of the infidels , and soon after those of alpujarras , almeria , baça , guadix and other places were baptized . preachers were sent to all parts with guards for security of their persons . this , and the report that they should be forced to quit their sect , caused the moors of belefique and nixar , which is the most inaccessible part of the mountains of alpujarras to rebel the following winter . the king appointed the alcaide de los donzeles to command against them . he having gathered his forces besieged belefique , which held out some months , but at last for want of water was surrendred only upon promise of their lives . those of nixar terrified by this example , submitted upon condition they might ransom themselves for ducats . above moors were now baptized . on the other side the moors of the mountains of ronda and villaluenga revolted . the king to suppress them , published a proclamation commanding them all to remove to castile , but underhand permitted all such as were converted to stay and enjoy their possessions . the earl of uren̄a , d. alonso de aguilar , and the earl of cifuentes were sent to make war upon those people . the native moors had been easily reduced , but that some who came from barbary encouraged them to stand it out . however many came from ronda , and were baptized for fear . all the rest retired to sierra bermeja , which is very difficult of access . our forces encamped at the foot of the mountain , the moors at the same time guarded the passes . some christians carrying a standard with them , their design being only to plunder , passed a brook and began to ascend the hill , the others fearing some misfortune might befall them , followed after . the moors endeavoured to keep them down , still securing every advantageous post , but were driven till our men came to a plain where the enemy left their goods , wives and children . this place the infidels soon quitted and the christians fell to plunder , which an old valiant moor perceiving , he encouraged the rest , who soon rallied and gave a fresh charge upon the christians . here d. alonso de aguilar and above of his men were killed . his son d. peter de cordova with much difficulty was brought off to the earl of uren̄a who made good his ground . the earl of cifuentes made a halt somewhat lower , and there staying those that fled , stood the enemy till towards morning they drew back to the top of the mountain . the king who was then at ronda , sent the duke of najara against daydin , and ordered the earls of uren̄a and cifuentes to make show as if they would mount the same way they attempted before . the moors perceiving they were lost men , offered to submit . it was agreed that such as would , might have liberty to be transported to africk , paying ten doubles a head , all that would stay should turn christians . many went over to barbary , many more stayed and were baptized , yet were no better than those that went away . thus that war which had much alarmed all spain was concluded . the death of d. alonso de aguilar hapned the ensuing year . let us return to what we left behind in point of time . chap. iii. the birth of the emperor charles the v. the french possess themselves of the state of milan , and take the duke and his brother the cardinal ; the great year of jubilee ; the league betwixt france and spain ; cefalonia taken from the turks . at the same time that the moors of the mountains alpujarras were in rebellion king ferdinand had ordered a fleet to be rigged with all speed , to be commanded by the great captain , in favour of the venetians , and against the turks who threatned italy . it was given out that the duke of milan and king of naples had brought them to their assistance against their enemies . duke valentin with forces brought out of france made war in romania , as general of the church , against several who had possessed themselves of towns in that territory . he took imola , and fori , the countess whereof he made prisoner . his chief design was against the lord of pesaro who had married his sister , who understanding his own danger , having garrisoned the city , absented himself . luis sforcia solicited the emperor and princes of germany to assist him in recovering his dominions . he raised men among the swissers and grisons , and sending his brother the cardinal ascanius before with them , all places he came to submitted to him . the people of milan drove their governor into the castle , whence he was forced the d day to fly towards pavia . that same day the cardinal entred milan , and after him the duke with great joy of the people , tho' still the castle was held by the french. pavia , lodi , pertona , and plasencia , did the same . the main of the french army rendezvouzed at novaro , in order to oppose the duke . thither repaired the french forces that had been with duke valentin , he thereupon returning to rome , where nothing was done by the pope without his advice . at ghent in flanders the princess joenna , wife to the archduke , was brought to bed of her son charles on the day of st. mathias . this is he to whom heaven had decreed so mighty an empire , as afterwards was subject to his command . eight days after his birth the princess margaret came to ghent , and was his godmother , with the dutchess margaret d wife to duke charles . the young prince was created duke of luxemburg , whereas before , the eldest sons of the dukes of burgundy were called earls of charalois . the news of his birth wasreceived with great joy in spain , and the catholick queen said , the lot has fallen upon mathias alluding to the day he was born upon , and considering the weakness of prince michael , who died soon after at granada ; after whose death the archduke and his wife , were princes of castile and aragon . after the return of vasco de gama from india , peter alverez cabral was sent on the th of march , with a fleet of sail to continue that enterprize . by the way he discovered brasil , was at first well received at calicut , but afterwards came to blows with that people . the war continued in lombardy , and the duke by degrees recovered all he had lost . he made himself master of alexandria and novaro , and being desirous to put an end to the war , drew out of the city with all his forces , which were about swissers and germans . both armies being ready to engage , his swissers refused to fight against the french and their countrymen who served on their side , whereupon he retired to the city in hopes to perswade them to fight . but they had before sold , and now delivered him up to the french , who sent him to france , where he died in prison . this sad news being brought to cardinal ascanius his brother , who lay before the castle of milan , he went away with horse towards placencia . charles ursinus who commanded some troops of the venetians met , defeated and took him prisoner . after the venetians had kept him some time , they delivered him to the king of france , who secured him in prison at bourges , and some years after set him at liberty . maximilian and francis the dukes sons were at the emperor's court , which saved them from being involved in the ruin of their family . the french without any opposition possessed themselves of all the dukedom . the cardinal of roan resided at milan , to gain whom the pope made him legate of france , excepting britany for the space of a year and a half . the king of castile was jealous of the king of navarre , because he shewed much affection towards the french , wherefore not content with the ingagements the governors of towns were obliged to make to him , the towns of sanguessa and viana had been put into a third hand , by way of pledge for five years . that time being expired , the king of navarre demanded the restitution of them , and the catholick king delayed it . to end all controversies , the king of navarre came himself in april to sevil , where the catholick king and queen were . all things were there adjusted , and the towns restored . the count de lerin , then a banished man in castile , was restored to most of his eastate , and to the office of constable which he had before , to the great offence of d. alonso peralta earl of santistevan , from whom that honour was then taken , without any demerit of his , or any recompence made him . this 't was feared might occasion new troubles . for security of the agreement betwixt the two kings , the king of navarre left his daughter , the princess magdalen to be bred up in the court of the catholick king , as a pledge of his real friendship . this was now the great year of jubilee , in which multitudes of people from all parts of christendom flocked to rome to obtain the indulgence and remission of their sins . nothing could be more depraved than the people of that city , but especially the clergy , for which god seemed in some measure to threaten his judgments by an accident that befel the pope . on the day of s. peter and paul , about four in the afternoon hapned a violent storm of rain and hail , with so furious a hurricane that it beat down the stack of chimneys over the room where the pope was , under that where duke valentin lodged . the fall of it beat down the floors of the dukes room , killing two , and wounding a third florentine , who were waiting there to receive some money . many bricks and planks fell before the pope , who was much saved by the canopy under which he sate . however he was found senseless with a wound on his head , another on his hand . the cardinal of capua and mosen po , who were with him , saved themselves within the arches of the windows . the pope was years of age , and his wounds dangerous , which made people look upon him as a dead man , and duke valentin was gathering forces to have a pope of his own chusing . it pleased god he recovered , and so all that confusion ceased . at this time the great captain set sail from malaga with a fleet of ships , caravels , some gallies and other small craft , in which were foot and men at arms. with him went many men of note . they touched at majorca , and sardinia , and at last arrived at mecina in sicily on the th of july . thither repaired to him the spanish soldiers that were in italy , all choice men , and he gathered some other vessels . the turks laid siege to modon , a city of the venetians in the morea , and these pressed the great captain to join them ; yet he could not set forward till the th of september , when modon was lost . the xeque of gelves desired the great captain to send him some succours , because the people of the island were incensed against the soldiers of margarit for their insolencies , and all barbary against the xeque , for having called the christians . no relief was sent , but orders given him to apprehend margarit and all his men , whom he afterwards released , and possessed himself of the castle and island of gelves . on the d of october the spanish fleet arrived at gorfu , an island of the venetians . hereupon the turks altered their resolution of invading that island , and marched to napoli de romania . now the peace betwixt france and spain was concluded upon honourable conditions . as to the kingdom of naples , it was agreed it should be taken from king frederick , that apulia and calabria should be given to the catholick king , abruzzo and campania to the french , and that all the revenue of the kingdom should be equally divided . this agreement was not like to be lasting . besides , their pretensions of right to that crown , they had another colour , which was to make war upon the turks , with whom king frederick was in league . at first this contract was kept very private , afterwards discovered to the pope , who was well pleased , and gave each of the kings an investiture of his part ; to the king of france , with the title of king of naples and hierusalem ; and to the catholick king , that of duke of apulia . from corfu the spanish fleet sailed to zant , where it arrived the th of october . there the venetian fleet joined it . two french carracks came thither with men , that king having promised to assist the venetians when they delivered up cardinal ascanius to him . the turks who had distressed napoli de romania raised their siege , and their fleet drew into the channel of negropont on the farther side of the morea . at zant there were various opinions about what was best to be done . the great captain was for attacking modon . it was resolved to conquer the island cefalonia , which is large and has one of the best ports in the world on the west side . it lies between corfu and zant opposite to the gulph of lepanto . the french being gone upon pretence they were not paid , the rest laid siege to the chief town of the island called s. george . in it were turks , chosen men who defended themselves well ; and the christians were repulsed in an assault they gave the first day . by reason of the bad weather the siege lasted some weeks , but upon christmas-eve the town was carried by storm . turks were killed , and that retired to a strong tower surrendred upon discretion . captain martin gomez was the first that entred the town . that island had belonged to leonard torus a greek , from whose brother the venetians took , and gave it to the turks . now it was again given to the venetians . this done , the great captain returned to sicily , and arrived at siracusa , where all his fleet met , having been dispersed in a storm . for his good service done to that state , the venetians sent the great captain the title of nobleman of venice , and with it a present of plate and rich silks . all the present he sent to the king , contenting himself with the honour gained . at this time duke valentin after having murdered his brother in law d. alonso de aragon duke of viseli , had renewed the war in romania , and taken pesera and arimino without any resistance , faença held out long . this year also the pope allowed of the divorce betwixt ladislaus king of hungary , and beatrix of aragon , who had been wife to mathias his predecessor , daughter to ferdinand king of naples , and niece to the catholick king. ladislaus married ann daughter to gaston de faux , lord of candale , niece to the catholick king , and grandchild to queen ellenor of navarre . chap. iv. king ferdinand 's double-dealing ; the princess mary of castile married to the king of portugal ; the french and spaniards jointly subdue the kingdom of naples ; actions of the great captain . of four daughters the catholick king and queen had , the princess mary was still unmarried . king ferdinand of naples was desirous to have her for his son the duke of calabria , hoping by that means to secure his crown . the king of portugal also sollicited to have her , tho' he had been married to her sister . this was thought the better match , but the dispensation was hard to be obtained , because the affinity was in the first degree . the pope , tho' in other things free enough , was very backward in this , pretending that the king of france pressed him not to grant it . he said he would not consent to it , unless the catholick king would secure him against any harm that might threaten him upon that account . much time was spent in debating this point . king ferdinand would have the duke of calabria marry his neice queen joanna , widow of ferdinand ii. king of naples , who was still in that kingdom , her father having left her ducats . king frederick approved of the match to save the payment of that vast sum , but would have the king of spain take him into his protection . this the catholick king would not agree to , because of the treaty he had in hand with france ; which being at last concluded , tho' king frederick was willing the match should go on , the catholick king would not consent . king frederick , to secure himself against the french , and divert them from their pretensions to his kingdom , made large offers to them . the king of france proposed , that to secure the performance of what they should agree upon , he should deliver up to him the castle of gaeta ; and that frederick's son should reside in his court , and marry germana daughter to the earl of narbonne , or the sister of monsieur d' angoulesme . besides , he demanded a million in ready money , and ducats of yearly tribute . all heavy conditions , which that king could not conde●cend to , tho' he was willing to give the million demanded . in fine , none of these matches was concluded . at length the pope dispenced with the king of portugal , and he was contracted by proxy at granada in august , d. alvaro de portugal performing that ceremony for him . there was no manner of solemnity or publick rejoycing . in that city , on the th of september , the king passed a grant to the marquesses of moya , by virtue whereof the cup that the king drinks out of on s. luis's day every year belongs to them . this was done in memory , that upon that day d. andrew de cabrara , first marquess of moya , delivered up to king ferdinand all the treasure of king henry that was in his custody in the castle of segovia , which was a great means to establish him in the kingdom . with the princess , as far as the borders of portugal , went d. james hurtado de mendoça , archbishop of sevil , patriarch of alexandria , and now made cardinal of spain , as his unkle had been ; he was also brother to the earl of tendilla . also the marquess of villena and many other lords bore her company . on the borders of portugal she was received by the duke of bragança , tho' at that time he was disgusted , because the king so highly favoured d. george de portugal , whom he had created duke of coimbra , and given him to wife beatrix de melo , daughter to d. alvaro de portugal , and the lady philippa de melo his wife . with the duke of bragança were many other nobles . she entred into that kingdom upon the th of october , and on the th of the same month was married with great solemnity at alcaçar do sal , where the king waited her coming . this marriage was very fruitful , for they had many children , as shall be declared in its place . soon after , the princess margaret was married to philibert duke of savoy ; but she was unfortunate in husbands , for he also died soon after . the soldan of babyl●● signified some discontent against the catholick king , because he made war against the moors of granada . it was feared he might molest the christians that lived in his dominions , and hinder the pilgrimages to the holy city hierusalem . for this reason the king resolved to send a solemn embassie to give him satisfaction . peter martyr of angleria , a milanese , the king's chaplain , was chose for this employment . he did his message discreetly , and obtained of the soldan all he desired . he was out a year , and at his return was made dean of granada , where he afterwards died , and ordered himself to be buried sitting on a chair , with a casula or vestment made of a rich silk the soldan gave him . he wrote decades of the war of granada , of his embassie , and the discovery of the west-indies , in which is to be seen more of truth than elegancy . all europe was in suspence , waiting the event of the war of naples , undertaken by the joint forces of france and spain for the ruin of king frederick , and deprive him of that rich and noble kingdom . the catholick king sent advice of his resolution from granada to the great captain on the st of march , . ordering him at the same time to leave the war against the turk , and return immediately with his fleet to the port of meçina . soon after , he sent him the title of his lieutenant in the dukedoms of apulia and calabria . to oppose the turk , he prevailed with the king of portugal to send a fleet to those parts , which he did , under the command of d. john de meneses , earl of taroça , who by the way attempted the port of maçalquivir near oran , and being repulsed , sailed on to the island of corfu , whence he returned to portugal without doing any thing . it was also proposed to the king of france to send his fleet against the turks . that king made choice of luis d' armagnac , duke of nemours , earl of armagnac and guise , to command his forces that were to invade naples . he would not give this command to luis de luxembourg earl of ligni , who sued for it , lest he should cause some disorder by the right he pretended to the principality of altamura . the duke of nemours made some stay in france : therefore the lord of aubeni , who was made lord high constable of naples , moved with the french forces out of lombardy towards naples , and with him the earl of gayace , a man of great quality , who had fled from naples . at this time francis de rojas , a very able man , was sent to succeed laurence suarez , as ambassador at rome . at the emperor's court had resided for some years with that character , d. john emanuel , a man of great note , but turbulent . in the court of france john michael gralla was still resident , and john claver at naples . the great captain , in pursuance of the orders he had received , repaired to meçina with his fleet ; thence he went to palermo to order the viceroy john de lanuça , to gather what money and forces he could for the enterprize in hand . some misunderstanding there hapned betwixt them , as is usual where each arrogates to himself a superiority ; but at last they agreed in what concerned the king's service ; and the great captain having gathered what force he could returned to meçina , where was the general rendezvous . the great captain was possessed in calabria of the dukedom of monte de santangelo , given him by king frederick when the late war was concluded . before he entred upon that conquest , he sent captain gençalo de foces to excuse him to that king ; to restore to him that dukedom , and renounce the oath of allegiance he had taken to him for the same . the king absolved him of his oath , yet gave him the dukedom again , wishing it were better for his sake , upon condition he should not infest his subjects from the castles belonging to it . this and the intelligence his ambassadors sent from spain , fully convinced king frederick how near and certain his ruin was . he turned himself about , and found no loyalty in his subjects , no strength in his kingdom , nor no support from abroad . he sent his son ferdinend to taranto , a strong city in the farthest part of apulia and of all italy . it was reported he sent him to vallona , to obtain succours of the turk . he gathered all the forces he could , which amounted to men at arms , and foot , fortified capua , where he left fabricius colona and hugh de cardona with men at arms , and foot. the great captain being a man of a vast reach , easily perceived that agreement betwixt the two kings could not be lasting , as well for the natural haughtiness of the french , as by reason of the difficulties that must of necessity arise in dividing of the country , besides that sovereignty admits of no rival : therefore he thought it requisite to anticipate the french , that they might not obstruct his conquest . he sent the greatest part of the fleet , under the command of james de mendoça , to the coast of apulia , to hinder the turks from coming over thither . the fleet of portugal came not in time . he sent inigo lopez d' ayala with the rest of the fleet to naples , with orders to transport joanna the queen dowager of naples into sicily . king frederick suffered her to depart , tho' he had before detained her , in hopes through her means to move king ferdinand her unkle to assist him . the great captain passed the streight of meçina with his forces , which consisted of men at arms , the same number of light-horse , and foot. the spanish ambassador at rome sent him spaniards , who had served under duke valentine . orders were left in sicily for sending after him chosen horsemen . with this force in a few days he subdued all calabria , except the strong towns of girachi and s. agatha , all other places declaring for spain . the spaniards passed over to calabria on the th of july , and on the th the french entred the kingdom of naples by the way of rome . all places submitted to them without resistance till they came to capua , to which they laid siege . all abruzzo submitted to the french in like manner . capua could have held out long , but that the earl of palena betrayed it to them . they plundered the city , and took fabricius colona , hugh de cordona , and all the other commanders that were in it . this news brought to the great captain at nicastro on the th of july , made him hasten to take the castle of cosenza . he appointed luis mudarra governor of that town , and the earl of ayelo of all calabria , marching himself speedily to apulia , that he might have done with that province before the french at naples . all places yielded to him ; at last he sate down before taranto , where the duke of calabria was , at such time as the french were possessed of naples . duke valentine having taken faença and poimbin , came now to serve the french. king frederick and the french general agreed in italy , that he should deliver up naples and gaeta with the castles , and pay ducats for their expence ; and they were to suffer him to depart with his treasure and servants to ischia , where he had months allowed him to consider whither he would remove . the king with his wife and children , the queen of hungary , and dutchess of milan , went over to that island . thither repaired to them prosper and fabricius colona , being ransomed . so that the french were now possessed of all their dividend of that kingdom ; but soon they began to cast their eye upon the rest . in castile at this time there arose a great controversie betwixt the lady mary pacheco , countess of benevento ; and her son d. alonso pimentel , about the guardianship and marrying of the marchioness of villafranca , the countess's grandchild . the dukes del infantado and alva asked her for their sons , and the earl of benevento her unkle for himself . at length it was agreed , that the lady beatrix , daughter to the countess , should be married to d. garcia de toledo , eldest son to the duke of alva , and the marchioness to d. peter , brother to garcia . chap. v. the french and spaniards fall at variancc about dividing their conquest ; the description of the kingdom of naples ; frederick king of naples puts himself into the french king's hands ; french perish by pestilence and stress of weather ; the coming of the archduke into spain . no sooner were the french possessed of naples , but there arose debates betwixt them and the spaniards , about some parts of that kingdom which were not mentioned in the division agreed upon by them . these were capitanata , basilicata , and the hither and farther principality . the french were so forward , that they sent a son of the earl of capacho to cause that part of basilicata to declare for france . they also agreed with the prince of melfi about that principality , which is in the same province , and the king of france had already given it to john james trivulcio . some noblemen were released , who had been imprisoned by the king of naples , and among them john baptista morçano , after he had been almost years in custody . he boldly attempted to possess himself of the principality of rosano , which had been his father's , and is in calabria . also luis d' arsi being empowered by the lord of ligni , raised the principality of altamura in apulia for the french. these were heart-burnings at present , and seemed to tend to a breach . methods of reconciling these differences were first proposed to the lord of aubeni , and then to the duke of nemours , who came after the surrender of naples . it was agreed , that neither party should intrude into those provinces which were out of dispute ; and that those that stood dubious which side they belonged to , should remain in common to both , till such time as the controversie was decided . matters of the government and revenue were also adjusted , but nothing observed . for the better understanding this dispute , and the clearing which side had the most right , it will be convenient to give a short description of the kingdom of naples , and of all its parts . the kingdom of naples contains all that country which extends from taracina or fundi on the mediterranean , and the river truento , that falls into the gulp of venice , to the utmost point of italy . mount apenine which joins with the alpes cuts this kingdom and all the rest of italy into two parts . at the first entrance into the kingdom , on the right-hand of that mountain upon the mediterranean , lies the principal-part of it called campania , or terra de labor , of the ancient liborii who dwelt there . in this province are gaeta , nola , capua , and naples the metropolis of the whole kingdom . formerly all the country from the river tiber to naples , was called campania ; now that which lies betwixt rome and the borders of that kingdom , goes by the name of campagna di roma . on the left-hand lies abrazzo , containing many of the ancient provinces , namely , the sabines , where is ascoli ; the marrucini , where is theate ; the peligni and vestini , in which are the cities of aquila and sulmona ; the marsi , where is the lake ficinus , and the dutchy of tagliacoço ; and part of the samnites , famous in the roman history , and reaching to campania , the moderns divide this province into abruzzo citra , and abruzzi ultra , the river of pescara being the bounder of the two parts . these provinces , in the division of the kingdom , were adjudged to the king of france . on the same side with abruzzo is apulia , divided into capitanata , terra di bari , and terra di otranto ; which runs as far as taranto and thn confines of calabria . on the other side beyond naples begins the principality , whose capital city is salerno . then follows basilicata , formerly called lucania , and then calabria , where were the ancient brutii , upon the coast of the mediterranean . in this province is cosenza the capital city , and rogio upon the streight of meçina . the inland was called magna graecia , where are rosano , catançaro , and cotron . as to the principality , it is dubious whether it ought to be comprehended in calabria . touching basilicata was the same dispute , and therefore the kings agreed these provinces should be divided . yet some affirmed , that this territory lying along the mountains that part apulia and calabria , made no distinct province from them two , but that as much as lies towards the east belongs to apulia , and towards the west to calabria . in basilicata are melfi , atela , barleta , and other cities . capitanata is that part which lies betwixt the rivers aufido and tertoro ; in it are manfredonia , monte santangelo , and troya . there is no doubt but that territory was contained in the ancient apulia , since ptolomy places mount s. garganus , which is there famous for the church of s. michael in apulia . and the moderns always understood that apulia . began where abruzzo ended , and was divided into those three parts already mentioned . nay , several authors mention capitanata as a territory of apulia ; and always the duty of the cattel of apulia was received in that territory . let every one judge as he shall think fit ; it suffices to our purpose , that hence the french and spaniards took occasion to decide that by the sword , which their kings , tho' often pressed to it , could never be brought to resolve . but this we shall speak of hereafter . now king frederick , who continued at ischia , as had been agreed , being out of conceit with the catholick king , put himself into the hands of the king of france , and his wife and children , and the cardinal luis d' aragon his nephew , upon promise of francs to maintain his house . his sister beatrix , queen of hangary , stayed in that island , and thence went over to sicily . elizabeth his niece , who had been married to john galeazo the great duke of milan , went to bari in apulia . whilst this treaty was betwixt the king of france and the deposed frederick , the archduke in flanders was courted to go over to spain with his wife , that they might , according to custom , be sworn heirs to the crown . this year was born to the archduke a daughter called elizabeth . the king his father-in-law was desirous to have him in spain , that he might be acquainted with the customs of the country , and to break him of some youthful ill habits he had learned of his servants . but they being used to govern him , were not willing he should stand in awe of d. john de fonseca , bishop of cordova , who was sent to persuade him to come into spain , and the king of france invited him to take his way through that kingdom , as he did . the princess catharine sailed from corun̄a , in a fleet provided for that purpose , to be married in england , as had been agreed . she set sail on the th of august with her went into england d. alonso de fonseca , archbishop of santiago , the count and countess of cabra , and other persons of note . after their departure there arose such a storm that the fleet was scattered , and tho' some ships recovered southampton , the most were forced back to laredo , on the d of september they put to sea again , and arrived with the princess in england . she was married with great solemnity to prince arthur at london : but how much misery did this poor lady undergo , through the extravagancy of her wicked husband ! this same year the lady beatrix de castro , daughter to the earl of lemos , was contracted to denis brother to the duke of bragança , the king giving them the towns of sarria , castro , and otera , which the earl of lemos pretended to have a right to . in october a peace was concluded at the city trent betwixt the emperor and king of france : the chief article was , that charles the archduke's son should marry claudia that king's daughter ; a match often agreed upon , but that never took effect . the fleets sent from france and portugal at the instance of the catholick king to aid the venetians against the turks , did nothing worth relating . that of portugal only went to corfou , , and returned . the french went to the island scio belonging to the genoeses , and having only hindred the turks from receiving their usual tribute there , suffered so much by pestilence , stress of weather , and the enemy , that scarce men of all the fleet returned home . they repaired to apulia , and were courteously entertained by the great captain 's order . the venetians also returned home , who had but galleys ill provided . this year the turk put no fleet to sea , which if he had , there was no force to oppose him . in spain the catholick king published a proclamation , commanding all the moors who were dispersed throughout castile and andaluzia , called mudejares , either to become christians , or depart the country . about the end of the year there was a certain commotion , which if not prevented in time , might have produced a war. d. luis de la cerda , duke of medina celi , upon his death-bed married his mistriss to legitimate d. john , a son he had by her . d. in̄igo de la cerda , the duke's brother , whose son luis married the duke del infantado's daughter , pretended he was heir to that estate . the duke of medina celi being dead , the duke del infantado raised men , and laid siege to cogolludo , in order to seize all the estate . the king ordered him to disband his forces , and take his course at law. the duke was forced to obey , and d. john was left possessed of his father's estate . news was brought that the archduke with his wife were coming through france . all the way they were nobly entertained . at paris , on the th of december , both parties swore to the peace before concluded at trent , and the archduke did homage to the king of france , as earl of flanders . the princess would allow that king no superiority . thence they set forward , and through guienne came to fuenterabia on the th of february , . there they were received by the constable of castile , the duke of najara , the earl of trevin̄o his son , and the chief commendary d. gutierre de cardenas . the more to express the publick joy , leave was given that such as might wear silk doublets , might also have silk coats , and coloured , which shews the modesty of those times . at the beginning of this year , lucrecia de borgia was married to the heir of the duke of ferrara ; her portion was ducats . the archduke and his wife by the way of burgos , valladolid , medina , and segovia , came to madrid . the catholick king and queen came from andaluzia to guadalupe . there to oblige duke valentine , and in him the pope , they gave him the city andria , and other lands in naples , with the title of prince . it was also proposed , that the kings of spain and france should settle an estate upon king frederick and his children . the king and queen came to toledo upon the d of april , as did the princes on the th of may , having been stayed some days at olias , by reason of the archduke's indisposition . at toledo on the d of may they were sworn heirs of the kingdoms of castile and leon , in a great assembly of prelates and noblemen . they were tied , in case they inherited those kingdoms , to govern them according to their ancient and known laws . at the same time that spain rejoiced at the coming of these princes , england lamented the death of prince arthur . the princess his wife was supposed to be lest a maid , tho' they lived together as man and wife for months . but the prince was only years of age , and of so weak a constitution , that it gave sufficient grounds to believe this might be true . ferdinand duke d' estrada was sent by the catholick king to condole with king henry , and to propose that the princess might be married to his second son. but he neither restored her portion , nor could for some time be brought to conclude that match , which afterwards proved so unfortunate . soon after the news was brought of that prince's death , mary queen of portugal was delivered at lisbon of a son , whom they named john : he afterwards inherited his father's kingdom , and was a most renowned prince . chap. vi. further actions of the great captain at naples ; the duke of calabria contrary to articles sent into spain ; the french and spanish generals consult their kings , and have a conference to adjust differences in the division of naples ; the beginning of the war betwixt them . the great captain , as has been said , laid siege to taranto some months before this time . in that town was the duke of calabria well provided to hold out . nevertheless the first day the town was invested a treaty was begun , and at length the duke , by the means of octavian de santis , concluded a truce for two months , that he might have time to consult his father , both sides giving hostages that nothing should be done to the prejudice of the other in the mean while . afterwards , because the messengers sent to king frederick were not come back , the truce was prolonged till the end of the year upon the same articles as before . this term also expiring without any answer , the truce was still continued for two months longer , and the city put into the keeping of bindo de ptoiomeis , a subject of the catholick king , in whom the great captain reposed great trust , upon condition , that after that time the city should be surrendred without any farther delay , but that the duke with all his treasure and family should be free . at the same time the castle of gerachi , a place of great importance , leagues from the sea , was surrendred ; and the prince of salerno came to treat with the great captain about coming over to his party , provided he and the prince of bisignano might be restored to their estates . he also demanded the earldom of lauria , and duccats pension which his predecessors used to be allowed by the kings of naples . all these were extravagant demands , and denoted he had but a small inclination to submit . many of the barons who had withdrawn with king frederick to ischia , came over now to the great captain . of them he admitted such as he thought were most important for his king's service , and among them prosper and fabricius colona , being informed the venetians endeavoured to draw them into their service . d. james de mendoça and in̄igo de ayala took the city and castle of manfredonia , by intelligence they held with the governour that was to keep that place for king frederick , notwithstanding the lord of alegre was marching at the same time to relieve the besieged . at last the city taranto , according to articles , was delivered , with its castles , to the great captain . and because one of the articles of surrender was , that the duke might have liberty to depart whither he pleased , for the present he went to bari , which still held out for his father ( tho the city was weak , and the castle but a plain house ) resolving to stay there for his orders , without which he would not do any thing . the great captain earnestly desired to reconcile him to the catholick king , that be might not go to france , which might cause some troubles . proposals were made , and he offered him duccats a year for ever , part in the kingdom of naples , and part in spain , which was all he asked , or could expect in that condition . the duke liked the offer , but would conclude nothing without his father's consent . soon after the dutchess dowager of milan , his cousin , rather than to go to sicily , whither she was invited with the queen of hungary her aunt , retired to that city . this lady prevailed with the duke to write a letter to the great captain , praying him , that notwithstanding the capitulation , by which he was at liberty to dispose of himself , he would send him over to the catholick king , because he found his father's designs were not for his advantage , and yet he was not willing to act any thing publickly in opposition to him . it is to be believed the duke did not continue long in this mind , for his father by letter pressed the great captain , according to what had been capitulated , to give his son his full liberty , urging , that it was not like a gentleman to break his word , and that he ought to remember how much he had been his friend in the time of his prosperity . the great captain , who kept a guard upon him that he might not escape , to the end to bring him to his will , besides the revenue he had offered before , now promised in the name of the catholick king to marry him either to the queen of naples his neece , or with the princess of wales , both very advantageous proposals . it was suspected that the earl of ponteza , d. john de guevera , who always stuck by the duke , led him which way he pleased . the duke , tho he went about apulia in appearance free , yet was so guarded that he could not get away , nor scarce go a hunting . in fine , this business was so contrived , that at duke was brought back to toranto , and thence john de conchillos had orders to carry him in a gally to sicily , and so to spain , it being believed matters would be the better adjusted betwixt the parties themselves , and that the duke would be easier reconciled to the king , who was his near kinsman . it is plain this was a breach of articles . in time of war faith is not always observed , but neither in peace or war is there any regard to it where state policy and the interest of princes is concerned . the french and spanish generals in the kingdom of naples consulted together , and with their kings , about agreeing the differences that arose between them , to avoid coming to blows . not long before the archduke was sworn prince of castile , there came an ambassador to toledo from the king of france to treat of this affair . he pretended that the revenue of the provinces allotted the king of france was much less than that of calabria and apulia , and since some recompence ought to be made he demanded the country of capitanata should be yielded to him . the catholick king answered , that if the king of france thought the division was not equal , he would change provinces with him ; yet if he insisted upon an equivalent , it should be made up out of the principality and basilicata , because capitanata was the best part of apulia , and there was no reason it should be rent from it . in short , he offered to remit the whole thing to the decision of the pope and cardinals . the king of france liked none of these proposals , being unwilling to quit the title of king of naples and hierusalem if he exchanged , and threatned to use force . this feud ran so high , that being one day told by the spanish ambassadors , that their king punctually observed all that had been agreed , he answered , he had done the same , and in defence of his assertion was ready to combat with the king of spain , or with the king of the romans . gralla replied , the king , his master ; was as just a prince as any in the world , which , when required , he was ready to make good in the field . the king of france said , the king of spain shall not be greater than i. and gralla answered , nor you greater than the king my master . true it is , the catholick king used all possible means to prevent coming to a war. the first breach was when the lord of alegre , who called himself lieutenant of capitanata , came to raise the siege the spaniards had laid to manfredonia , as was hinted before ; and not content with that , whilst the great captain besieged taranto , the french possessed themselves of troya and other places in capitanata , which they afterwards refused to restore . before things came to extremity the generals agreed to have a conference . to this purpose the great captain went to atela , and the duke of nemours to melfi , towns in basilicata . in the mid-way between them , was the chappel of s. antony , where they appointed to meet . both had with them men learned in the law to plead their title . the french urg'd , that what the spaniards possessed yielded duccats a year more than theirs , and therefore it was fit they should have some recompence made them . the spaniards insisted , that they ought first to be restored to capitanata wrongfully taken from them , and then they would be ready to perform all articles . nothing was concluded , tho there passed great civilities betwixt the generals . all hopes of accommodation being taken away , they resolved to try the event of war. both parties acquainted their kings with it , and writ to them for supplies of men and money . the great captain being scarce of provisions , quartered part of his men in the principality . captain escalada , with his company , drove the french out of tripalda , and possessed himself of that town , which is miles from naples . other spanish commanders made themselves masters of other towns in that neighbourhood . this was so highly resented by the king of france , that he caused all the effects of spanish merchants throughout his kingdom to be seized . the catholick king was still for composition , even tho he were forced to resign to the french all they possessed in capitanata , which was the greatest part . the generals met again in the same place , and made the division again , in appearance , to the satisfaction of the french , for the principality . basilicata , and capitanata , were to be divided , which was as much as they could wish . whilst this was in agitation , the french were reinforced by swiss , and horse sent from france , besides a supply of money , which puffed them up so as to commence the war a-new . they took venosa , the commander , peter navarro , being forced by his men to surrender . quarata also yielded to them , both places being but miles from barleta , where the great captain lay with most of his forces . viseli in the principality of altamura revolted , and the spaniards by sea having entred it , were again expelled by the french , who came to the relief of that place . summer was now advanced , and the french camp at quarata suffered for want of water and provisions , our horse cutting them off . they removed thence , and incamped on the banks of the river ofanto . then the great captain offered them battle . they refusing , and drawing off towards melfi , some of our horse fell in with their rear , killing many , and taking part of the baggage , among which was some of the equipage of the duke of nemours , and the lord of aubeni . the french would not hazard themselves till they were joined by more swiss , who were come to naples , and horse that were then at florence . the great captain pressed his king for supplies , and particularly for horse , and foot of gallicia and asturias . he recommended to the ambassador d. john manuel , to send him germans to mix with the spaniards . the catholick king fitted out a fleet under the command of bernard de villamarin , who was to transport horse , and some supplies of money . at the same time he perswaded the emperor to invade italy , and put one of the sons of the deposed duke of milan into possession of that dukedom . and to gain the pope , he consented that duke valentin should be put into possession of florence , to hold that dominion of the empire with the title of king. chap. vii . the archduke of austria , and princess his wife , sworn heirs of aragon , he goes away for flanders ; the spaniards offer battle to the french , several small actions betwixt them ; the spaniards decline in calabria , are defeated . the catholick king spent some days at toledo to entertain the archduke and princess , then leaving the queen there set out for zaragoça , to bring the aragonians to his beck . the cortes of aragon were to meet on the th of july , but he sent to prorogue them . being come to zaragoça at the beginning of september , because the great captain pressed for the fleet , he ordered one to be fitted out under the command of manuel de benavides , who was to transport horse and foot. soon after he ordered the rest of the fleet to sail with luis portocarrero , lord of palma , who had served well in the wars of granada , and was now to be equal in command to the great captain . with him went men at arms , light horse , and foot. laurence suarez de figueroa was sent ambassador to the venetians , to conclude a league with them , and to promise them assistance towards conquering of milan or abruzzo , which provinces they were covetous to be masters of . the cortes were opened at zaragoça on the day appointed , where the king proposed , since prince michael was dead , that the archduke , and the princess his wife , should be sworn heirs . he also demanded supplies for the war in naples , as appertaining to that crown . all he demanded was granted . on the th of october the archduke and princess had homage done to them , and were sworn heirs to the crown with the solemnity and ceremony usual among the aragonians . thus the princess joanna was the first woman till that time ever sworn heiress to that crown ; for queen petronila , who inherited before , was admitted queen without being sworn princess , which was not then used . soon after the archduke set out for madrid , and the princess followed , the king bearing her company . he left his sister , the queen of naples , to preside in the cortes of aragon . she came from granada , having given out she would go over into italy , and was now during her stay in aragon , appointed governess of that kingdom , which place was before held by d. alonso de aragon , archbishop of zaragoça , the catholick king 's bastard son. the archduke had little inclination to stay in spain , and his servants much less , by whom he was entirely governed . his pretence to be gone was , that at his coming thence flanders was unprovided of an army , and might now suffer on account of the breach betwixt france and spain . the king and queen laboured to stay him , chiefly because the princess was far gone with child . nothing could perswade him to stay , or not to go through france . he said he would be the instrument to settle a peace , because that king had proposed the kingdom should be restored to king frederick upon condition he should pay . tribute for the same , or otherwise , that both kings should resign up their right , he of spain to charles his grandson , and he of france to his daughter claudia , as her portion , and for concluding the match betwixt those two young princes . all this was only looked upon as a practice to amuse the catholick king , the easier to gain some advantage upon him . in fine , the archduke set out from madrid , leaving the princess with her parents ; he took his way through aragon , catalonia , and perpignan . there he received the king of france his pass , with which he travelled to lions , where that king then was , with the cardinal of roan the pope's legate . but this was about the end of this year and the beginning of the next . let us return to the war of naples . now the war began to spread through all the kingdom of naples , but the great stress of it fell upon apulia and calabria . there the princes of salerno , bisignano and rosano , and the earl of melito , stood strongly for the french. in this province they resolved to apply their main force . the sieur de alegre was left in capitanata with lances . the sieur de la palisse at bari with . horse and foot ; in basilicata , luis de arsi , with . lances and some foot. the duke of nemour's design was to go to calabria with horse and foot , and that the lord of aubigni , should stay at espin̄acola , miles from barleta , with all the rest of the army . the lord of aubigni pressed to be sent to calabria , because he aspired to the dukedom of terra nova , granted to the great captain by the catholick king. to end this dispute they agreed to march both towards calabria . however the lord of aubigni went first to bari with horse and foot. the duke of nemours having given out he marched for calabria , turned short upon taranto . by the way he took matera and castellaneta , and defeated the earl of matera and bishop of mazara , whom he found at matera with some forces . this done he sate down before taranto , hoping to have found the duke of calabria there , but he was gone to sicily nine days before . some spanish troops made such a furious sally out of taranto , that they forced the enemy to remove their camp to a strong house miles from the city , designing to return into the territory of bari , there to join the sieur d' aubigni , and make themselves masters of bitonto , or else march into calabria . it hapned that the french who lay in basilicata , and were the strength of the army , sent a trumpeter to barleta , directed to d. james de mendoça , to challenge eleven spaniards to fight a like number of them the day following . the place appointed was between barleta and viseli . the condition of the challenge was , that those who were overcome should remain prisoners to the victors . the commander , tho the time was short , accepted of the challenge . eleven were chosen , and among them the famous james garcia de paredes , who did singular good service in this war , coming over about the beginning of it as colonel of men. next day in the morning they made themselves ready , and the great captain before many gentlemen encouraged them , affirming they could not return unless it were victorious . they all promised to lose their lives rather than forseit the least point of their honour . with them went four trumpets and two pages . they entred the lists an hour before their adversaries . the fight was obstinate , the event that one of the french was killed , another taken , and nine wounded , the like number of horses killed . of the spaniards one was taken , two wounded , and three horses killed . the dispute lasted till night , and the spaniards could not overcome the french who were a-foot , because they maintained themselves amidst the dead horses . thus tho the french sustained most loss , neither party could be said to be victorious . this much offended the great captain , who would not have had the spaniards quit the field till they had vanquished the french. at the same time the king of france to forward the war in naples , resolved to go himself into italy ; but stayed in lombardy . this was also the design of the catholick king when he went to zaragoça , considering what great things had been done by his ancestors in sicily , sardinia and naples , which had never been performed by their generals . however , he resolved to take advice of the nobility , who all except one bishop disswaded his exposing himself . the great captain by letter seconded them , and gave mighty assurances of speedy success , a thing not approved of by great generals , who ought rather always to be dubious , never undervaluing the forces of the enemy , or confiding so much in their own strength . the rumour of warlike preparations at that time on the frontiers of france , would not permit the king to absent himself . whilst the archduke was sworn prince of zaragoça , the spaniards went down the wind apace in calabria . the viceroy hasted to messina , and gathered all the foreigners he could to succour his party . from rome d. hugo and d. john de cardona brother to the count de golisano , quitting the posts they had under duke valentin , at the perswasion of the spanish ambassador carried chosen men to that city . as soon as they came to messina , gathering what other forces they could , they passed the streight at such time as the earl of melito brother to the prince of bisignano , having taken the town of terranova , had much distressed the castle . d. hugo marched thither , and having defeated the earl , raised the siege , and the princes of salerno and bisignano who lay before cosenza , were forced to quit that enterprize , and came down to the plain of terranova , to endeavour to make up that loss . this fight hapned days before emanuel de benavides arrived at messina with the forces he brought in ships . among the other commanders , there came with him antony de leyva , a man hereafter famous for valour and conduct . they passed over with the greatest speed they could to join d. hugo and the rest . the princes being retired to melito , sent the earl with swiss and some horse , and people of the country to besiege cosensa . he marched to mota de culambra , miles from rosana , where lay most of the spaniards , who were upon them by break of day , and the town being open , entred it , killing some of the enemy , others fled , and others with the earl retired to the castle . news being brought that the lord of aubigni with all his forces was marching to the relief of the earl , the spaniards drew back to rosana . at the same time fabricius de gesualdo , son to the earl of conça , and son in law to the prince of melfi , who commanded on the frontiers about taranto , went out to ravage the territory of that city . luis de herrera and peter navarro , captains of the garrison of taranto , lay in wait for the enemy in a pass , where they killed or took them all , only escaping . fabricius himself was made prisoner . in the other parts of apulia the war was hotly prosecuted , both parties striving to receive the duties of cattle , which is one of the best branches of the revenue . it would be too tedious to relate all particulars , but the poor country people suffered extreamly , both french and spaniards driving their cattle . to put a stop to this mischief , the duke of nemours resolved to march with all his forces , and break down a bridge that was over the river ofanto , miles distant from barleta , thinking thus to prevent the enemies parties from passing over , especially when that river swells with the rains. the lord of aubigni , as soon as he had entred calabria , marched towards the enemy that was in terranova . the town was weak and ill provided , therefore they agreed to quit it , and pass over the mountain to retromarina . the french having taken the passes , put to flight all the spanish infantry , and took about horse of the troops of antony de leyva , who fought with much bravery . yet the greatest number fled to girache and other strong holds . this defeat gained the lord of aubigni such reputation , that most of calabria submitted to him . four days after the duke of nemours came with his army to the bridge of ofanto , and with his cannon beat down the middle arch , and a tower which he had half ruined when he was there before . the great captain hearing of his approach , sent for the forces that were at andri , and then followed the enemy , but they marched off the same way they came . the great captain sent a trumpet to stay the duke , who answered , that when gonzalo fernandez would come as near canoza , as he had been to barleta , he engaged his word to come out and fight him . at this time the duke of calabrta came to madrid , and tho' a prisoner , was entertained like the son of a king. on the first day of january , duke valentin took sonagalla . he also made prisoners , francis ursino , duke of gravena , paul ursino , vitellocio and oliveroto , who came to him upon a safe conduct . the pope also apprehended cardinal ursino , their intent being totally to ruin the family of the ursini , as they had already the coloneses ; tho' but a little before they had made a strict alliance with them . soon after that duke took perosa , and civita castelli , and aimed at the republicks of siena , luca and pisa , but durst not attempt them for fear of the king of france , under whose protection they were , which gave him an opportunity of sending forces to naples in the same manner as if they had marched through his own territories . for all this , the war betwixt florence and pisa continued , and the pisans had thoughts of putting themselves under the protection of the catholick king. the king would not then admit them , and when he would , it was too late . two cousins , alonso and francis de albuquerque with each of them ships sailed from portugal , for india . chap. viii . great booty taken by the spaniards , as also the sieur de la palisse ; a combat betwixt french , and as many italians ; several losses of the french ; the marquess del gasto comes over to the spaniards . the great captain who lay with his forces at barleta , was much perplexed , being resolved not to take the field till the germans , and forces he expected from spain had joined him , but at the same time want of provisions obliged him to march towards the enemy , who lay at monorbino , canosa , and cirinola . on the th of january he marched out of barleta , sending before the commendary mendoza with light horse to drive the country as far as labelo , which was miles distant thence , and was plentiful of cattle . he halted four miles from monorbino , to face the french , if they should come out of the town . our advanced party drove above sheep . men at arms and as many archers came out of cirinola , thinking to join a like number that lay at canosa , and then recover the booty from our men , who endeavouring to cut them off , did it so disorderly , that they got into canoza , tho' with some loss . the duke of nemours stirred not , so that our men had leisure to carry off the prey . four days after , intelligence being given , that the sieur de la palisse was marching with horse to ravage the territory of barleta ; the great captain and d. james de mendoça possessed themselves of two passes , through which the enemy must of necessity make their way . the sieur de la palisse fell with his horse , at first setting out , which was the cause he went not himself , but sent one la motte his lieutenant , with men at arms and archers . they fell into the ambush , and were all killed or taken ; only two escaping . among the rest la motte was taken by d. james de mendoza . this la motte in his discourse reflected upon the italians in general , yn̄igo lopez de ayala stood up for them . it came to that , that the frenchman offered to be one of ten frenchmen who should fight the like number of italians , which they acepted , and having obtained leave of the great captain , it was agreed they should combat of a side , between andria and quarata . on the th of february they met , the great captain having drawn out his forces near andria , that no wrong should be offered his men. the wind was high , which the french would have had parted by the judges , but could not agree about it . they met with their lances , and tho' most of the french lost theirs by reason of the wind , yet no horse was killed , or man dismounted . falling to their swords , the italians had so much the better , that they killed one of the french , and returned at night to barleta , with the other prisoners . only one italian was slightly wounded . the great captain to honour them , made them sup with him that night . at the same time luis herrera and peter navarro marching out of taranto , took castellaneta , and several other places in that neighbourhood , but there was another enterprize , much more considerable to be attempted . the sieur de la palisse who called himself viceroy of abruzzo , and the duke of savoy's lieutenant quartered in a yown called rubo , miles from barleta , with them were about men at arms and archers . the great captain designing to fall upon them , was informed that the duke de nemours was gone to recover castellaneta , leaving the strength of the french army with the prince of melfi at canosa , and that men more were gone to rubo to secure that place . upon this intelligence , the great captain set out on the th of february at night , with horse , foot , and some pieces of cannon , and appeared before the town at break of day . the soldiers without staying till a breach was made , assaulted the town , but were repulsed . a good part of the wall being beaten down they attackt the breach , and tho' well defended , forced their way , killing of the french , and wounding others . the sieur de la palisse endeavouring to escape , was wounded in the head and taken . the duke of savoy's lieutenat retired to the castle , thinking to hold out till relieved , but seeing the cannon planted , surrendred upon discretion . many other persons of note were taken . few of the victors were killed . d. james de mendoça was wounded in the head with a stone . our men immediately retired with the booty , lest the french army which lay not far off , should come upon them , for the duke of nemours understanding the design of the great captain , was come back without taking castellaneta to join the prince of melfi , and relieve rubo . he came too late , and from this time forward the affairs of the french began to decline . one pere jean a provençal and knight of malta , who with gallies and other vessels , hindred the resort of provisions , and took several of our ships , was now utterly destroyed . lezcano who commanded of our gallies , having taken soldiers aboard , went in search of pere jean towards brindez , he , tho' stronger in vessels would not venture to fight , but put into otranto , hoping to be protected by the venetians . lescano nevertheless took a ship and caravel that lay without the port , which so terrified perejean that without offering to make any defence , by night he landed his men with what else he could , and sunk the gallies with the cannon , that our men might make no advantage of them . villamarin the admiral , lay with some gallies at messina to guard that coast , and expected the coming of portocarrero . the great captain would have had him come to some part of apulia , lest he should stay in calabria , as emanuel de benavides had done contrary to his orders . he , and luis de herrera , peter navarro , and lescano ( who having disarmed the enemy , landed his soldiers ) as also the bishop of mazara , who was at galipoli , were all ordered to march with their forces to barleta , that being thus re-inforced , they might give the enemy battle , and at once put an end to the war. the duke of nemours at canosa , was also busie recruiting his forces , having lost many men in several rancounters . at s. john redondo , captain arriaran who lay at manfredonia , put to the sword french. luis herrera and peter navarro having taken a pass near grutallas , killed and took . afterwards these two , with lescano , betwixt conversamo and casamaxima defeated and made prisoner , the marquess of bitonto , who was marching to join the duke of nemours with horse and foot. captain oliva routed another company of french , and killed of them . d. james de mendoça fell upon horse , and foot , who came from viseli to cut off the spanish foraging party . the horse fled to viseli , the foot to a tower , where they were all put to the sword. these and the like losses , moved the duke of nemours to order the lord of aubigni , and the princes of salerno and bisignano to leave calabria in the best order they could , and join him in order to give the enemy battle . they obeyed not presently , and gave their reasons for so doing . both parties were streightned for provisions , but neither durst quit their quarters for fear the country should revolt . a venetian ship laden with corn , coming to trana , was seized by the spaniards , and others came from sicily , which with the cattle they took , maintained them for some time . the great captain held intelligence with the cities of abruzzo , and particularly with aquila . on the other side , capua , castelamar , aversa , and salerno , offered to submit to him . it was agreed that as soon as he took the field they should declare for spain . he came to agreement with the earl of muro , tho' he was the first that declared for the french in basilicata . the prince of salerno offered to come over to him , and marry his daughter , but there was no trust to be reposed in him , or the prince of melfi , who was also for compounding , d. in̄igo davalos declared for the catholick king , and brought under his subjection the island ischia , where he then was . this gentleman was of spanish extraction , as descended from d. ruy lopez davalos the constable , of whom much was said in its place . he was marquess del gasto , and had agreed with the great captain that all his estate should be restored to him , and over and above , the island prochita was of new added to it , and the command of lances , and light horse given him . to his nephew was granted the marquisate of pescara , and office of high chamberlain . besides , in case the spaniards should be beaten out of naples , they were promised estates in spain . much time was spent in agreeing upon these articles , which was the reason the marquess did not declare sooner , he being naturally well affected to spain , and an enemy to the french. d. alonso the famous marquess of pescara , was son to this marquess , and inherited that title of his cousin ferdinand , who died without issue . the marquess declared for spain in ischia upon easter-day . about the same time the commendary aguilera landed at cotron men , sent by the spanish ambassador at rome . the commendary gomez de solis relieved the castle of cosenza , and entred the city by force , driving out the earl of melito , who was in it with four times his number . a dispute arose betwixt the french and spaniards about the prisoners taken at rubo . it was agreed that horsemen taken prisoners , should lose their horse and arms , and be ransomed for a quarters pay . the french had taken theodorus bolala captain of the albaneses , james de vera who had the command of the artillery , and escalada a spanish captain of foot with about others . they released all , as had been agreed , except those three , pleading that being officers , they were not within the benefit of the cartel . yet now they would have all the prisoners taken at rubo ransomed like private men , without considering that many of them were gentlemen and commanders . the great captain was informed that according to the custom of naples , in relation to the cartel for horsemen to be ransomed for their quarters pay , it did not extend to such as were taken in pitched battle , or a town taken by storm . all the old soldiers being of this opinion , he answered the french accordingly , and the prisoners were reserved to ransom themselves according to their ability , or as they could agree with those that took them . but the main design was to detain them that they might not be serviceable to the duke of nemours in the battle , which as things then stood , it was believed must soon be fought . chap. ix . the peace concluded by the archduke with france ; it takes no effect ; succours from spain arrive at naples ; the lord aubigni defeated and taken . at such time as the archduke was departing from madrid , he pressed the king his father in-law to let him understand his ultimate resolution as to a peace with france , and give him commission to treat in case that king could be brought to any reasonable terms . at first the catholick king would not consent , suspecting the archduke and his followers to be too well affected to the french , and fearing to discourage his friends in italy , if they heard he was upon treating with france . nevertheless such instance was made by the archduke , that he gave him a commission with a very limited instruction , which he promised not to exceed , and afterwards by f. bernard boil , abbot of s. michael de la cuxa , sent him new instructions and a larger commission , yet so that he should let no body know he carried that commission , but the archduke ; who should swear not to reveal it ; and if he followed not the instruction , he should not give him the commission till farther orders . the archduke came to lions at such time as the war was carried on in apulia and calabria , as has been said , and the princess at alcalà de henares was delivered of a son called ferdinand ; being baptized by the archbishop of toledo , and the duke of najara and marquess of villena being godfathers . at lions was the king , the pope's legate , and the cardinal of roan . they began to treat , but not according to the instructions . the abbot put the archduke in mind they ought to proceed no farther without acquainting the king. he was not allowed to send an express , but on the contrary was put to such a nonplus , being in the power of the french , and his own people advising him not to regard the instructions , that he consented to what they pleased . it was believed the french had bribed his followers . the substance of the agreement was , that one of these two methods should be taken , either the catholick king should resign up his part to his grandson prince charles , and the king of france his , to his daughter claudia , these two young princes being contracted , and that till such time as they were married , the catholick kings part should be put into the hands of the archduke , and the other to remain in the power of the french. or else that both french and spaniards should possess each their own part , and capitanata about which was the strife , should be delivered in trust to a third person . these conditions were extravagant , for by the first , the spaniards were to lose what they held , and the french were left in possession , and the latter left the whole dispute still undecided . mean while the catholick king returned to zaragoça , to break up the cortes that sate still . they agreed to furnish men at arms , and light horse , at their own charge for three years , both the men and officers to be natives of the kingdom . these men were soon raised , and ordered to march to russillon , to oppose the french if they should attempt any thing on that side , because the marschal of britany , captain general of france , the sieur de dunois and the grand escuyer were marching with forces towards carcassonne . hereupon the king ordered his forces to draw near to figueras , and d. sanch de castilla general of russillon put all places there in a posture of defence . the king intending to be near the frontiers , came to poblete , where he had intelligence from the abbot boil , how the archduke was pressed to come to agreement , contrary to his instructions . orders were sent him by the king how to proceed . all this availed nothing , for the peace was proclaimed ; and the archduke sent john edin his harbinger , and the king of france edward bollotte of his bedchamber , to give notice of it to the great captain and duke of nemours , that all hostilities might cease . this done the archduke departed towards savoy to see his sister the lady margaret , with whom and the duke of savoy he stayed the easter-holidays . john edin and edward bollotte speeded on their journey through rome , giving out the peace was concluded . they came to barleta at such time as both parties were preparing to come to a battle , particularly the great captain , after germans whom he had long expected , came down the gulph of venice , and joined him . john edin gave him the archduke's letter , requiring him to cease from any farther acts of hostility , but he was already advertized by the king , of the archdukes going into france , and commanded not to obey any order of his , unless confirmed by his majesty . therefore he answered , those orders could not be regarded till the king were acquainted with them , and that policy should not avail the french , for he knew his duty , and would himself carry the answer to the duke of nemours . he was as good as his word . the catholick king would not agree to this peace , but to satisfie the world , proposed the restoring of king frederick . the king of france would not hear the ambassador sent to this effect , but turned him away with disgrace , being offended the peace lately agreed upon , was rejected . luis portocarrero sailed from cartagena , with the fleet there provided for him , about the middle of february . he had a troublesome voyage , being in two storms ; however , he arrived safe with the whole fleet at meçina in days ; but the men and horses suffered very much . it being consulted where were best to land , some were for sailing to apulia , in pursuance to the orders of the great captain ; but portocarrero thinking it too far to go by sea , went over to rijoles to make war in calabria , as had been directed in spain . the lord of aubigni , after he had defeated emanuel de benavides and d. hugh de cardona , lay at mota bubalina , in hopes to starve girachi , which was but leagues off , whither most of the spaniards fled after the rout. the prince of basignano was gone home , and the prince of salerno and earl of mileto to naples . portocarrero resolving to take the field , mustered his forces at rijoles , and there fell sick of a fever . before his death he understood that some officers of note were possessed of terranova , which the french abandoned upon the news of the arrival of the spanish fleet. he was also informed , that the lord of aubigni hearing of his sickness , had besieged them , and that they were distressed , that being a place of no strength . hereupon portocarrero appointed d. ferdinand d' andrada his lieutenant , ordering him to march with all the forces to the relief of the besieged , and at the same time the admiral villamarin to come with the galleys before joya , to make the french believe there came relief both by sea and land. the spaniards made haste , being informed the besieged suffered much for want of provisions . they being come to semenara , the lord of aubigni removed from burgo de terranova to casales . d. ferdinand satisfied he had relieved the besieged , stayed at semenera : thither came to him emanuel de benavides , antony de leiva , gonçalo davalos , d. hugo , and d. john de cardona , with their respective companies , with which he formed a body strong enough to rout the enemy in their retreat to melito . this was the opinion of d. hugo ; but d. ferdinand excused himself , saying , he had positive orders not to hazard a battel . in fine , portocarrero died , and his body was buried at meçina . hereupon some dispute arose among the chief officers about the supream command . they referred themselves to the viceroy of sicily , who gave it for d. ferdinand d' andrada . d. hugo and d. john de cardona were offended that a younger soldier should be put over their heads ; yet they submitted . both sides were eager to fight , and the lord of aubigni sent a trumpet to offer battel ; but the spanish commander refused upon account of his orders this encouraged the enemy , as also that they understood our soldiers were dissatisfied for want of their pay. therefore the lord aubigni marched his forces out of rosano and joya , and came in sight of semenera . he passed the river , and entred the plain . not long before , the soldiers of galicia had mutinied for their pay , and there was danger some disaster might happen . the viceroy of sicily sending some money , and the officers selling their plate and jewels , soon appeased them . the french were men at arms , light-horse , standing foot , and above of the country-people . the spaniards marched out of semenera in good order , being about horse and foot. the lord of aubigni retired to joya , not daring to stand a battel . our men followed , designing to attack the town . after some actions of lesser note , on the st of april both parties drew out as it were by consent , and advanced towards one another by sound of drums and trumpets . each strove to take the advantage of the sun : to this effect the spaniards passed the river somewhat higher ; the french imagining they drew off , charged disorderly , having fired their cannon at random , which did no hurt nor discomposed the spaniards , who had placed the foot on the left , the light-horse on the right , and the men at arms in the centre . our horse charged the enemy with such force , that most of them were dismounted ; whereupon the foot who followed fled without striking stroke . the spaniards pursued them to the gates of joya , whither most of them fled . most of the french commanders were taken , and horatius and alonso de sanseverino , the brother and cousin to the prince de bisignano , surrendered themselves and the town of joya . the lord of aubigni was taken at roça d' angito , whither he fled . this victory , one of the famousest during that war , was the cause that all calabria submitted . chap. x. the battel of cirinola , and great overthrow of the french ; almost all the kingdom of naples subdued by the great captain ; his reception into that noble city . the great captain was reduced to such want , that he had but days provision , and no way to get any ; besides , he feared the neighbouring towns that were all in the same condition , would revolt : therefore he resolved to march towards the enemy , and first to cirinola , a weak town , but had a good garrison in the castle , and all the enemy's army lay within miles of it , which must oblige them to come to a battel . before he set out , he gave every man at arms two ducats , and half a one to each foot-soldier . the soldiers were forward enough , and not pressing for their pay. the first day passing below the famous town of cannas , on the banks of the river ofanto , they encamped miles from the french. next day they continued their march towards cirinola , always in good order , because the enemy was so near . fabricius colona and luis de herrera led the advanced body , consisting of above light-horse . d. james de mendoça led the van , in which were spanish foot. the great captain kept in the rear with some men at arms and light-horse , and the germans , to receive the enemy if they should follow him . the country was dry , the day hot , and the march long , which so fatigued the men , that some men at arms and foot died for thirst . this being known to the french , they agreed to lay hold of so good an opportunity and march out of their strength to give them battel . their force was men at arms , light-horse , and swiss and gascons , embattelled after this manner : in the van was the prince of salerno , with men at arms , and foot. in the rear the prince of melfi , with one troop of men at arms , of the country-people , and some gascons . the duke of nemours himself commanded the rest of the army , which made the main body . the spanish foot were best , if they had not been so fatigued ; but the enemy had the advantage in horse . in this manner the french marched to attack our rear . it seemed impossible for the spaniards to reach cirinola , where they had fortified their camp , without losing their baggage and many of the foot , who lay about the fields , overcome with thirst and weariness . this nothing dismayed the great captain , who caused the horse to take up behind them such of the foot as were most faint , he himself doing the same , and carrying drink to those that wanted most . in this manner they reached their camp without any loss two hours before sunset . at this time the enemy's horse appeared , and the spaniards soon drew up within their trenches . fear often is more powerful than weariness . the great captain went about encouraging his men , and then the fight began . it being so late , the duke of nemours was willing to have deferred it till next day ; but the lord d' alegre pressed it should not be delayed , believing the victory was certain . on each side were pieces of cannon : the french played theirs first , which did no execution ; but ours being planted higher , made a great slaughter . it was fired but once , because an italian thinking the spaniards had fled , set fire to two waggons of powder . the confusion that followed was great , and the flame spread so much , that all gave themselves for lost . still the great captain had so much presence of mind , that he said with a chearful countenance to those about him , a good omen , my friends ; for these are bonfires for the victory we have already in our hands . the harm done by our cannon moved the duke of nemours to join battel immediately : he charged our body with men at arms. before our men was a trench , which he had not observed , and obliged the french to wheel off , without breaking lance to put themselves again into a posture . then the german musqueteers firing upon that squadron , made a great slaughter . after the men at arms followed the lord chandiou with the swiss and gascons : these the spaniards charged with such bravery , that they instantly broke them . the princes of salerno and melfi , who were in the rear advancing , were received by the great captain as became him . to conclude , the enemy on all sides fled , the spaniards pursuing them to their camp , which was miles off , and was taken at the same heat , our men finding their supper ready , whereof they had need enough being so tired . the booty found there was great . this famous battel was fought upon the th of april . at the first onset was killed the duke of nemours , whose body the great captain caused to be honourably buried in the church of s. francis at barleta . besides him died the lord chandiou , the count morcon , and most of the swiss commanders . the princes of salerno and melfi , and marquess de lochito were wounded . all their cannon and most of their colours were taken . the slaughter had been much greater , but that night coming on prevented it . the victors having rested that night , next day cirinola surrendered upon discretion , as did that had fled to the castle . canosa also declar'd for spain . none but the spaniards signalized themselves in this battel , for the germans , bating the volley they poured in upon the enemy , did nothing . among others , they that gained most honour were of the italians the duke of termes , and of the spaniards d. james de mendoça , of whom the great captain said , he had behaved himself as became the grandson of such a grandfather . of the french it appeared were killed ; of the spaniards only , and never a man of note . true it is , many died by the way with droughth , and could not be dragged from the water they found in certain wells , nor did any service that day ; which rendred the success the more dubious , and consequently the victory the more glorious . after this great defeat of the french , almost all the kingdom submitted to the spaniards . the great captain was diligent in making his advantage of the victory , which was the more compleat , for that the day following he received letters giving him an account of the overthrow of the french , and taking the lord of aubigni near semenara . this account was not brought sooner , because d. ferdinand de andrada having succeeded luis portocarrero in the command , did not think himself subordinate to the great captain , which he resented , and asked leave to return to spain . the catholick king ordered ferdinand to cease from that pretension , and the great captain to give him a company of men at arms. the news of these two victories , and sending of several barons home to their estates , soon caused most of capitanata and basilicata to submit , and in the principality many towns and barons declared for spain . those who fled from the battel , made their way to campania , designing to fortifie themselves in gaeta , a city naturally impregnable , giving all the rest for lost . peter de paz pursued them with some horse , whose approach gave opportunity to capua to declare for spain ; and some of the citizens pursuing the french , killed about men at arms before they could get into gaeta . the marquess of sochito , tho' hurt in the fight , went away with his wife , and what he could carry to rome , to his unkle the cardinal of siena . monsieur d' alegre and the prince of salerno making their way towards naples with horse , lost above of them killed or taken by the earl of montela . luis d' arsi fortified himself at venosa , relying on the strentgh of the castle . the great captain encamped at leonesa near to melfi and venosa . there the prince of melfi submitted himself , upon condition he might be allowed to live in another of his towns , till it were known whether the king of spain would admit him into his service upon the terms before proposed ; but there was little confidence to be reposed in his fidelity . fabricius colona and the earls of papulo and montorio were sent to abruzzo to reduce that province entirely . villamarin the admiral was ordered immediately , with all the force he could make , to sail towards naples , whither the great captain was marching with his army by the way of benevento and gandelo . from this last place he sent a letter to the citizens of naples , promising them all manner of good usage , and desiring them to prevent his army doing any harm in their territories . the earl of matera and the syndics came out to treat , and surrendered the city . at this time monsieur de vannes , son to the lord d' albret , hearing of the defeat of the french , obtained leave of duke valentine whom he served , to go join the remains of the french army in naples , which he did with horse and some foot. these being strengthened by some forces from apulia , calàbria , and abruzzo , formed some manner of army , and encamped near garelliano . for this reason about spanish horse were put into capua and sessa . the great captain keeping with him men , which he thought enough to besiege the castles of naples , sent all the rest of his army towards the enemy . the spanish soldiers , desirous to be at naples the night before , demanded their pay , which they said the general had promised to give them at naples . to prevent further disorder , he took the spanish foot with him , sending the men at arms , light-horse , and germans to sessa , assuring them he would soon be with them . on the th of may he entred naples with as great pomp as if it had been the king himself . before him marched the spanish foot. the gentry came out to meet him , and the multitude covered the fields , admiring that general who had so often overthrown his enemies . he was conducted through the streets richly hung , strewed with flowers , and full of sweet perfumes , in the same manner as when their kings went to be crowned . nothing but joy appeared ; they that were most inclined to the french , expressed most satisfaction to disguise their own faults . the city naples , from whence the whole kingdom takes its name , is one of the fairest , richest , and most populous in all italy . it is seated on the coast of the mediterranean , at the side of a hill that rises betwixt the west and the north. the streets are long and strait , full of stately buildings , because the nobility , who are very numerous , live there most of the year , and vie amongst themselves in erecting stately houses . the most famous are those of the prince of salerno and duke of gravina . they encline to live there by reason of the temperature of the air , the fruitfulness of the soil , and the beautiful gardens that surround the city : so that there is scarce any city where so many great men reside . it is divided into five sejo's , which are so many council-houses , where the nobility and gentry of each quarter meet , to consult about the affairs of the city . the churches , monasteries , and hospitals , are numerous and magnificent , particularly the hospital de la annunciata , which spends yearly above ducats , gathered by the charity of the people upon pious uses . the walls are strong , adorned with towers and four strong castles . of these the first is castelnovo , large , and to appearance impregnable , seated on the shoar near the mole which makes the harbour . the second the gate of capua , on the north , formerly a famous place of strength , now the place for holding the courts of judicature . the third the castle del ovo , in the sea on a small rock , but inaccessible . the fourth that of santelmo , in the highest part of the city , commands it all , and is of late strongly fortified . two of these forts , to wit , castelnovo and castel del ovo , were now in the hands of the french. as soon as ever the great captain alighted , he went to give orders for besieging those castles castelnovo was furiously battered , and they began to undermine it ; but the besieged made a vigorous defence . villamarin with the fleet came to an anchor at nostra signora de pie de gruta ; seven days after , the great captain entred the city . on the last day of may , the pope created nine cardinals , five of them natives of valencia . on the th of june , after a vigorous resistance , castelnovo was taken by storm . john pelaez de berrio , servant to the great captain , was the first that entred . the captains peter navarro , an able man at mining , and nun̄o d' ocampo , signalized themselves ; the last had the command of the fort given him . among other prisoners taken there , was hugh roger earl of pallas , who had been above years in rebellion against the catholick king and his father king john. he was sent to the castle of xativa , where he ended his days . some french and genoese ships came from gaeta too late to relieve the besieged . the french fleet , consisting of carracs , other great ships , and galleys , besides small vessels , came at last ; and villamarin being too weak to oppose them , retired to the port of ischia , which being beset by our fleet , defended it self so well , that small harm was done to it . the marquess del gasto took care to defend the fleet and island . the great captain could not stay to take the castle del ovo , but left that in charge to peter navarro and nun̄o d' ocampo . they in boats covered with hides approached to undermine the rock on the side of picifalcon . our batteries killed most of the defendants , so that only remaining , they surrendered , articling only for their lives . at the same time fabricius colona with men sent from rome , took the city of aquila , the chief of abruzzo , and all that province submitted . fracaso de s. severino , and hierome gallofo , the chief of the french faction in that city , made their escape to the lands of the church . the end of the th book . the history of spain . book xxviii . chap. . the siege of gaeta ; the death of pope alexander vi. pius iii. chosen . practices of the spaniards . the french invade roussillon . on the th of june the great captain set forwards from naples towards s. german , in order to oppose the french , who lay incamped on the other side the river garellano , formerly called lyris , and to reduce some towns thereabouts that still held for the french. he passed through aversa and capua , those cities desiring to see him , and express their affection to spain . whilst he was thus stayed , james garzia de paredes , and christopher zamudio , advanced with men to attack s. german . that city and its castle soon surrendred , notwithstanding that peter de medicis lay with some french forces near hand at montecasino . he despairing of holding out there , went away , leaving men in the monastery , who surrendred the place . the great captain took roca guillerma , a strong place , also targeto upon the river garellano , and other places . castellon , and mala , which lie near gaeta , submitted . this done , the great captain on the first of july incamped near the suburb of gaeta . that city is very strong , being for the most part encompassed with the sea , only towards the land is a narrow and uncouth way to it , and over the city mount orlando of difficult access , where the french had planted many pieces of cannon , so that there was no coming near to it . in the place were men , of them horse . what was worst of all , they were masters of the sea , being much stronger than the spaniards , and consequently there was no hindring the recourse of provisions , or other supplies to them , tho villamarin came thither with his galleys . the great captain caused his cannon to be brought from naples to batter the mount , whence his men were much annoyed , lying within shot . many of his men were killed , and among them d. hugh de cardona , a man of great worth. the besieged suffered for want of provisions , but chiefly of meal , not having wherewith to grind their corn. on the th of august they received supplies of provisions and men in two carracs , galleons , and some galleys , which carried the marquess de saluzes , who was to succeed the duke of nemours as viceroy . the same day this supply came to them , rabastein , colonel of the germans that served in the spanish army , was killed by a cannon shot . this made the great captain draw back to castellon . all this while nothing was done , for tho a breach had been made in the town wall it could not be attacked , nor did the besieged offer to sally . but the day we retired men attacked our germans in the rear , who drew them on to an open ground far from the city , then spaniards charged them so furiously they were driven to the very gates of gaeta with the loss of ; whom our men returning stripped at their leasure . whilst this was doing at gaeta , both sides made great preparations . the king of france sent the lord de la trimoüille to the relief of gaeta with french lances and swiss , besides french gone by sea to leghorne , telamon , and porto hercules . the rendezvous was at parma . thither repaired the duke of ferrara , the marquess of mantua , and other italian noblemen . trimoüille dying , the marquess of mantua was made general of that army . on the other side the catholick king sent galleys to naples , with men and money , under the command of d. raimund de cardona . still the spanish fleet was inferior to the french , which consisted of sail of all sorts . the great captain laboured to bring the family of the ursini to the service of the catholick king , and at length prevailed , bartholomew de albiano coming into the service as their chief , and behaving himself afterwards with much bravery in the wars of italy . money was offered the emperor to induce him to invade lombardy , and the pope was also tampered with to declare for spain , for at this time he stood neuter , but the treaty seemed to be well advanced if there were any confidence to be reposed in duke valentin . death prevented this taking effect , for the pope was snatched away by poison duke valentin had prepared for certain cardinals in the garden of cardinal adrian corneto , where they supped . the servants mistaking the bottles , gave the pope , the duke , and cardinal adrian , of the poison . the duke immediately took antidotes , which with the strength of youth carried it off , but the pope and cardinal being old , could not overcome the strength of the potion . this was the end of pope alexander , who had scandalized the world. many aspired to succeed him , grounding their pretentions on their interest rather than their learning or piety . king frederick had now an interview with the king of france at macon , and proposals were made for restoring him , but all to no purpose . great apprehensions there were of a war in spain by reason of the forces that gathered about narbonne . hereupon the catholick king went to zaragcça , raised men , and constituted d. frederick de toledo , duke of alva , general of russillon . some were for perswading the king to be before-hand with the enemy , and invade france . the distrust conceived against the king and queen of navarre daily increased , all that family being of the french interest , insomuch that the lord of vannes , brother to the king , served under them at naples , and his father , the lord d' albret , was now made governour of guienne . beside the lord of lusse intended to enter into the valley of anfo , which is part of aragon , to attack the castle of verdun , and this could not be done without he were suffered to pass through val de roncal belonging to navarre . that king endeavoured to clear himself , and had to that purpose sent his daughter magdalen to be bred under queen elizabeth , but this was now a small tie , because this same year was born to him a son called henry , who inherited that crown . upon this suspicion queen elizabeth ordered the constable of castile , and duke of najara , with their own forces , and horse she sent , to draw near the frontiers of that kingdom , tho john de ribera who commanded there before , was putting all things into the best posture he could , no body doubting but the war would break out on that side . so it proved , for the king of france with all his forces , which amounted to men , tho the strength of them consisted in foot and horse , resolv'd to invade roussillon , believing he should find no sufficient force there to oppose him . about the end of august the mareschal de rieux having assembled all these forces , incamped on the borders of roussillon at a place called palma . there they stayed some days , and then marched towards salsas , the foot over the mountain , the horse through the plain , leaving the passes guarded lest our forces should cut off their provisions that came from france . on the th of september they sate down before salsas . the duke of alva was then at perpignan with light horse , men at arms , and foot. next day after he came d. sancho de castilla , who commanded there before , threw himself into salsas . some of the dukes parties went out to view the enemies camp and allarm them , the duke himself came out of perpignan , and encamped at rabaltas , above sallas and the french army . there was no coming at him there by reason of the strength of the place , and he was ready to lay hold of any advantage should be offered , yet he offered battle , which was too much boldness considering how much weaker he was than the enemy , but he had much the advantage of the ground . whilst the french lay before salsas , the cardinals at rome were shut up in the conclave to choose a new pope . there were many candidates . the cardinal of roan was strongly supported by the french , and the cardinal bernardin de carvajall no less by the great captain . yet neither of them , nor the cardinal peter julia de robere , nor he of naples who also made interest , carried it , tho they stayed the election days . the cardinals agreed , that whosoever was chosen pope should be obliged within two years to assemble a general council , and that one should be called every years ever after to reform all abuses . to this all the cardinals swore , and then by plurality of voices made choice of francis picolomini cardinal of siena , who had the reputation of a pious man. he was elected on the th of september , and took the name of pius iii. in honour of his uncle by the mothers side , pope pius ii. his first thoughts were to reform the church and state , which he declared before his coronation , resolving to call a general council immediately . but death snatching him away days after his election , put a stop to all his virtuous designs . chap. ii. the french besiege saulses , or as the spaniards call it salsas ; the siege raised ; nineteen sail of infidels destroyed ; pope pius iii. dies ; julius ii. chosen ; the french army marches through italy , two defeats given them . at salsas , or as the french call it saulses , they battered the castle so furiously , at the same time carrying on their mines , that they overthrew a large space of the great tower and bulwark that was not quite finished . thus the ditch being filled up , they made their approaches to the wall. the besieged resolved to quit the bulwark , which when they saw covered with the enemy , they blew up , and sallying upon such as had escaped that danger put them to the sword , so that above perished . fresh forces still resorting to the duke of alva , his army was now increased to men at arms , horse , and foot. with this power on the th of october he marched down , and stood till sun-set before the french camp. the enemy would not leave their works tho our cannon played upon them , and did some execution . at this time the catholick king came to girona , to gather the forces that were coming from castile , no fewer in number than those at perpignan , and better armed . he gave out he would attack the french in their works , if they refused to march out . a fleet was also provided under the command of estopin̄an for the coast of roussillon , but was not yet come . whilst the king drew all his forces to that part , sail of moors took the opportunity to do some harm upon the coasts of valencia and granada . martin hernandez galindo , admiral of the coast of granada , met them near cartagena , where after a hot dispute they were all burnt or sunk . this joyful news being brought to the king , he set out from girona , and came to perpignan on the th of october . there understanding the distress of the besieged , he resolved that part of his army should attack the french on the side next to france , and the rest on the opposite part . for the better effecting of it , he first assaulted and took a wooden fort the french had raised to secure the passage into france . the loss of that fort , and approach of the king , so dismayed the enemy , that they drew off their artillery that night to the road of narbonne , and the day following marched off , leaving part of their baggage and ammunition . at first they came down into the plain , as if they had designed to fight , but immediately wheeled off towards narbonne . the aragonian and catalonian horse falling in upon their rear , made them abandon some of their artillery and baggage , yet tho the king came up in person , the enemy having their retreat near at hand got off . the king entring france , took leocata and some other places about it . on the th of october was born at lisbon the princess elizabeth , afterwards empress and queen of spain . soon after came ambassadors from france , by whom a truce was concluded for months betwixt the two kings , exclusive of naples . thus the war ceasing , the marquess de denia was left to command on those frontiers with men at arms , light horse , and foot. d. dinas de requesens was made governor of salsas , and then the king returned to barcelona . thence he sent michael john gralla , and antony augustin , his ambassadors into france , to endeavour to settle the affairs of naples , for which the catholick king was in care , because supplies were going thither from france , but chiefly because upon the death of pope pius iii. the cardinal of s. peter had been elected pope on the first of november by the name of julius ii. he was by birth a genoese , but in assection a frenchman , and it was feared lest he should embroil all italy . duke valentin had influenced this election . at this time the archduke departed out of savoy to see his father , who advised him not to press the observation of the peace he concluded with france . he also offered if the catholick king would furnish him with money , to make war in lombardy , but the catholick king reposing no great confidence in him , time was delayed , and nothing concluded . it began now plainly to appear that the princess joanna was distracted , which much troubled her parents . she pressed to be gone to her husband , and her mother put her off with good words , because the season was not proper . it came to that , that she offered to depart afoot from mota de medina , where she was kept . no way was left to stop her , but taking up the draw-bridge . she perceiving she could not get away , stayed at the farriers , and there eat , and lay in a kitchin , not regarding the coldness of the weather , and inconveniency of the place . neither could d. john de fonseca , bishop of cordova , who was with her , or the archbishop of toledo , who came on purpose , prevail with her to return to her chamber , till the queen came , who was sick at segovia . to please her she ordered a fleet to be rigged at laredo , to carry her as soon as the weather would permit to flanders , whither her husband the archduke was come , after his long stay in france and savoy . the french army in italy marched very slowly towards naples . they marched through florence and siena without any let , under the command of the marquess of mantua . the lord de la trimouille being sick followed after , but went no farther than rome . that city would not admit the french , but suffered them to pass the river tiber at the bridge called molle , which is two miles from thence . the great captain was in care how to continue the siege of gaeta , and oppose those forces that came to relieve it . francis de rojas , the spanish ambassador at rome , very opportunely supplied him with spanish , german , and italian foot , he gathered in that city , and light horse , and made up germans and italians to send after the others . d. hugo de moncada , who had been in the service of duke valentin , led these men. this supply came very opportunely , because the siege of salsas hindred any succours coming from spain . as soon as the great captain understood the enemy approached to the borders of the kingdom , he marched with all his army from castellan towards them . the first day he came to the river garellano , and leaving peter de paz with a party to secure a pass there , advanced himself to s. german . then the french army lay at pontecorvo , a town of the church only miles off . it was reported they were curassiers , light horse , and foot , most of them italians . they had pieces of cannon , whereof were large , the rest field pieces . peter navarro advanced with a body to attack the castle of montecasino , which still held for the french. it was carried by main force , to the great shame of the french , who lay in sight , and durst not relieve it . it was given out the duke of mantua used to boast , he desired nothing more than to come to a battle with that rabble . the great captain encamped within a mile of him , and then sent to offer him battle , since he was so desirous of it . he answered they would meet at garellano , which river he would pass in despight of him . this river has its springs in abruzzo , and runs between s. german and the lands of the church in a narrow channel , but so deep it is scarce fordable . there was no bridge thereabouts but that of pontecorvo . it has many great wandings , and therefore tho gaeta stands on the bank next to rome , the shortest way to relieve it was by passing the river twice . the lord of alegre came from gaeta to join the french army with about men. he pressed for passing the river and fighting , not taking warning by the last battle at cirinola . they passed the river at the ford of ceprano about the middle of october . rocaseca was the first spanish town they came at after passing the river . christopher villalva pizarro , and zamudio , were there in garison with men. with these troops they fell upon the rear of the french , and cut off of them . the french laid siege to the town , but the defendants sallying killed above , and drove the rest to their works . next day prosper colona , and peter navarro , reinforced the town with men , the great captain marching with all his army to their relief , but the enemy fearing if any disaster befell them , to lose their cannon , and the weather being very rainy , repassed the river . two days after they passed again , and incamped at aquino , miles from s. german , whither the great captain was returned . the great rain hindred them coming to a battle , and the french drew back to pancorvo . the great captain to prevent their repassing the river , followed till beyond aquino , and bid them battle . they drew into an advantageous post with their cannon , and the spaniards were forced to return to s. german . the french repassed the river garellano . at the same time the ursini agreed with the coloneses at rome to come over to the service of spain by means of the spanish and venetian ambassadors . for the venetians were not fond of having such a powerful neighbour as the king of france . the ursini obliged themselves to serve with men at arms , for which they were to have a pension of duccats . bartholomew de albiano , chief of the ursini , who was in all the service at garellano , offered to serve with horse and foot. fabricius colona took roea de vandra in sight of the french army , which marched down the river to a place miles from s. german , and but from gaeta , where is a bridge which they designed to pass . peter de paz , left to guard that pass , with foot and a few horse , other horse having since joined him , made it good against the french army days and nights . by this time the great captain came up with all his army , and firing a part of the bridge , which was of wood , incamped at the foot of it . here was great disorder among the spaniards , who because the weather was bad , and they not payed , robbed the country , and many deserted , insomuch that the great officers advised to draw off . it went so far , that a private centinel put the spear of his pike to the great captain 's breast . he bore all with great resolution , and gathering what money he could , gave every man two duccats , and to the captains who pressed him to retire he answered , i know of what moment the business in hand is to the king , and am resolved rather to gain one fathom of ground , tho it were to make my grave in , than to give way , tho to live years . this dispute must be here ended , as it shall please god , and let no man gainsay it . the colonels chiefly pressed to retire , and were therefore suspected to hold intelligence with the french. many fled from the spanish camp , which was much weakned . hereupon the french laid a bridge over the river , and above of them passing , by surprize drove the spaniards from one of their intrenchments . the camp , which consisted of a small number of horse , and foot , taking the alarm , the great captain mounted to range his men. that done , he alighted , and taking a halberd in his hand , was the first that charged the enemy . about of them were already over , and the rest continued to pass , their cannon playing upon our men from the other side of the river . nevertheless the spanish foot charged with such fury , that they obliged the enemy to turn their backs , and fly towards the bridge . about were killed and drowned in the flight . the great captain not regarding the enemies cannon , came to the foot of the bridge , and some of his men passed over among the french , but in their retreat sustained some loss from the enemies cannon , some men of note being killed , and others wounded . captain zamudio among the rest was dangerously hurt . nothing is more admirable than the valour of the ensign ferdinand de illescas , who having his right hand shot off , held the colours with his left , and that being also carried away , hugged them betwixt his arms without stirring till the french were drove over the river . a man worthy of immortal fame , and the great rewards bestowed on him by the king at the instance of the great captain . this defeat so discouraged the french , that they guarded the bridge narrowly , lest our men should come over to them , not thinking themselves secure , tho the river was between them . beside great differences arising betwixt the marquess of mantua , and the lord of alegre , the former resolved to quit the command of the army , saying , he could not bear the insolency of the french. in his stead , till their king's pleasure were known , the officers made choice of the marquess de saluzes , then viceroy , to command as general . the great captain , tho inferior in number to the enemy , resolved to pass the river and fight them . to this purpose he ordered a bridge of boats to be laid over the river , miles above that the french had made . bartholomew de albiano had this given in charge . as soon as the bridge was finished , he set out from sessa on the th of december , and passed the river with spanish and german foot. he had left orders with d. james de mendoça , and ferdinand de andrada , to gather all the horse which was quartered thereabouts , and be with him by break of day . as soon as the spaniards had passed the river , the french quitted their camp , and retired to the top of a hill. sui and castelforte , held by the french upon the river , surrendred . that night our army lay incamped before monforte , and the next day marched down by the river to fight the enemy . the french sent peter de medicis to carry part of the artillery in boats to gaeta . being come to the mouth of the river , tho the water was rough , he would attempt to cross it , but the boats with the cannon were sunk , and he drowned . the french army an hour before day abandoning their bridge , heavy cannon , tents , and part of the baggage , made haste to get into mola , which is near gaeta . the great captain understanding the way they took , sent before prosper colona with the light horse to stay them till the foot could come up . being come to the bridge of mola the fight began , but lasted not long , for the enemy soon fled . our men pursued them close at the heels up to the very gates of mola and gaeta , where part of the enemy saved themselves . many were killed by the way . they lost pieces of cannon and horses . such of the french as fled towards fundi , and others that were quartered thereabouts , were killed or taken by the country people , who rose and secured all the passes , so that very few of them escaped . bartholomew de alvinao and d. hugo de moncada gave proof of their valour in this action , and during the whole time it was in hand . chap. iii. the city gaeta surrendred ; a truce betwixt france and spain ; the prefect of rome submits to spain ; the nobility of naples swear allegiance to spain , and several cities of italy sue for its protection ; truce for three years betwixt france and spain . the great captain would gladly have made use of the confusion the french were in to have possessed himself of mount orlando , which commands gaeta , but the rain was so violent , and the souldiers so weary and spent with hunger , not having eaten that day or the night before , that he was forced to return to his former camp at castellon . it was agreed by the french to fortifie themselves in mola with their field pieces , believing that would be the first place attacked , but the great captain having refreshed his men , to make his advantage of the enemies consternation , marched directly to gaeta . very little defence was made at the mount , where our cannon had before made a breach , and the garison had scarce time to retire into the city . here they lost what had been saved in the fight , horses were taken , and two pieces of cannon that did us all the mischief the first siege . what is more , the french were quite dismayed , especially when they saw the spaniards intrench themselves under the works of the town , men at arms commanded by the earl of mirandula , came out of the town , and surrendred themselves . that same night deputies came out from the marquess de saluzzes , to treat of a surrender . their first demand was to have the prisoners ransomed , which was denied them . then they offered to deliver up the city and castle of gaeta , the rock of mondragon , and all the spanish and italian prisoners they had , in exchange for the french and italian prisoners on our side . this proposal was not disagreeable to the great captain , yet he would not consent to felease the italians , particularly the marquess of bitonto , mathew de aquaviva , and alonso de sanseverino , cousin to the earl of bisiniano , whom he intended wholly to put into the hands of the catholick king. after some debate , the french abandoned the italians , and on the first of january , , it was agreed , that the lord of aubigni , and the other french , should be discharged ; and that as to the italians the catholick king should not execute any of them till such time as the king of france could send ambassadors to intercede for them . the souldiers were to depart with their arms and baggage . the citizens of gaeta to be no way molested , nor the inhabitants of any other place for having sided with the french. upon this agreement such as were to go by sea began immediately to imbark . theodore trivulcio marched out with the french and italians that were to go by land. this done , on the d of january the city and castle were delivered up , and the prisoners on our side released . the government of the city and castle was given to luis de herrera , as he had well deserved . his command of lieutenant of taranto was conferred on peter hernandez de nicuessa . two days after the surrender came thither the lord of aubigni , and about french prisoners . aubigni went presently aboard , the rest were conducted by land , but most of them died by the way , as did the marquess de saluzzes at genoa . the sieur de la palisse had before been exchanged for d. antony de cardona . this d. antony served very well , as did his brothers , wherefore the catholick king gave him padula , which had belonged to the earl of caparlo , and created him marquess thereof . someblamed the great captain for giving such advantageous terms , but he had reasons enough to justifie his proceedings , the chief were want of money to pay his men , who he feared might again mutiny ; then that the pope was wholly devoted to the french ; and lastly , the treaty about restoring king frederick , which did the spaniards an incredible diskindness . for such as were of the spanish faction were discouraged , and their adversaires took heart , besides none of the revenue was payed in , every one waiting to pay it to king frederick if he returned . thus the wants of the army daily increased . therefore gaeta being reduced , before any change should happen the duke of termes was sent to govern abruzzo , and bring under the estate of the marquess de bitonto in that province . bartholomew de albiano against luis de arsi , who fortified venosa . against the earl of conversano , went the earl of matera , and peter de paz. giles nieto , and peter navarro , besieged the earl of capacho in laurino , and gave him leave to depart with his wife , and children , and equipage , to trana , held by the venetians , but he was to leave the cattle , cannon and amunition . in galabria , gomez de solis took all the dominions of the prince of rosano , except the city rosano and sanseverino , the first of which was besieged . the great captain designed to invade the lands of the prefect of rome in the kingdom of naples , which he prevented by submitting them to the crown of spain , wherewith the great captain was satisfied , tho' he knew him to be in his heart a frenchman , and only to submit to necessity . rosano was at last delivered up by the townsmen , and in it the prince and several barons were made prisoners . sanseverino soon after did the same . peter de paz took conversano by storm . thus all calabria was reduced , and d. hugo de moncada was appointed governor of it , in the place of the earl of ayelo , grown unfit by reason of his great age. having settled the affairs of gaeta and ordered it to be inhabited by spaniards , to save the great charge of a garrison ; the great captain went away to naples , where he was received with such applause as if he had been their king who had returned victorious . thither he summoned the barons , & councels , because many , tho' they had submitted to spain , had not yet taken the oath of fidelity . such as had served well , he gratified and rewarded , particularly , bartholomew de alviano to whom in the principality of bisignano he assigned ducats a year , and among his kindred , , according to every mans merits . these favours done to the ursini , so nettled the coloneses , that prosper colona went to spain to complain , and have the government altered , and fabricius sent from rome to ask leave to serve the florentines , which was granted , least he should have taken it , and so the breach had been the greater . his chief care was to reestablish the administration of justice , much depraved by the late confusions . he endeavoured to raise some supplies of money to help defray the past expences , and pay the forces he was to keep on foot , which he quartered about , as might be least offensive to the people . some companies of spaniards whom he knew to be insolent and injurious he sent away to spain in two ships . he forgot not to repair the harms done during the war , and particularly the walls of naples , and gasto . capua he secured with such works as made it stronger than if it had been walled . these things he did to be in a readiness , in case the enemy should attempt any thing again , and all was easie to him by reason of the great reputation he had gained , not only in that kingdom , but throughout all italy , so that many cities offered to side with spain . genoa , both the factions of the adornos and fregosos consenting , offered to revolt from the french , so they were supplied with spaniards . julian de medicis brother to peter that was drowned in the river garellano , promised ducats a year from himself and his party , if he were restored to florence , whence at present he was banished . the council of pisa to avoid falling again into the hands of the florentines , proposed either to submit themselves wholly to the catholick king , or to put themselves under his protection . the city areço rather than continue subject to the florentines made the same offers . the lord of plombin , a city , tho' small , yet of great importance for the defence of the kingdom , put himself under the protection of spain . to be short , pandolfo petrucci and paul ballon made the same overtures for themselves and their cities of siena and perusa . even in the city of milan , of the citizens offered their service , if he would attempt to conquer that dukedom . all these practices were at an end by the truce concluded in france by the ambassadors gralla and antony augustin , for three years , the kingdom of naples included . the catholick king swore to observe it at mejorada about the end of january . one of the articles was , that the said truce should be proclaimed at naples on the th of february , which was not performed because the great captain would first have it made known to such as were still in rebellion . the prince of rosano would not admit of it ; but because the commendary solis on that score did not press rosano , he with his forces sate down before cherinthia , where he did much harm . luis de arsi , tho' he admitted the truce , drove the cattle of andria and barletta , and took what prisoners he could . our commanders said , that notwithstanding the truce they might punish such of the barons as committed any insult after it , and therefore pressed both them we have spoken of . venosa with its castle was easily taken , because luis de arsi left it unprovided , when he retired thence to trana , and thence to france , which in a bravado he did with colours flying and beat of drum. thus only six towns in that kingdom , and those remote from the sea , were left to the french. the king of france pretended that all that was taken after the day appointed for proclaiming the truce , ought to be restored , as unlawfully gained , and suspected the delay of proclaiming had been advisedly contrived to that purpose . on the other side it was guessed , he never intended to observe the truce , and had only contrived it to have the better opportunity of taking the spaniards at an advantage , which might well be believed , because at the same time he had appointed john james trivulcio his general in italy , besides swissers and horse were daily expected out of france , under the command of the lords of aubigni and alegre , and the marquess of mantua and duke of ferrara raised all the forces they could in italy . at the same time the great captain was dangerously sick , which with the report spread abroad of re-establishing king frederick , and the pope's soliciting to have him general of the french forces , gave occasion to people to discourse variously of matters of state , and particularly the coloneses took the liberty to utter some bold speeches . all was again appeased by the recovery of the great captain , who pesently appyled himself to make all the necessary prepations for a mighty war , which was expected would break out again in that kingdom . all italy and spain suffered very much this year by famine , and on the th of april being good friday , there were great earth-quakes in castile and andaluzia , which overthrew many buildings . the greatest harm was done in some towns on the banks of the river guadalquivir . lope soarez de albergaria sailed from lisbon with a good fleet for india . this same year the catholick king gave the office of lord high steward to d. bernard de sandoval , y rojas marquess of denia , of whose family , because often mention is made , it will not be from the purpose to set down the latter part of their genealogy . ferdinand gutierrez de sandoval , who is said to have been chief commendary of castile , was father to d. james gomez de sandoval , first earl of castro and lord lieutenant of castile , his eldest son was ferdinand , the father of d. james gomez de sandoval , whom king ferdinand created marquess of denia . his son was d. bernard , who we said was made lord high steward to the same king ferdinand , in which place he continued even after the king's death , to queen joanna . d. bernard had by his wife the lady frances enriquez four sons and six daughters . he had also a bastard son , who for his good parts came to be archbishop of sevil. luis eldest son to d. bernard was father to francis earl of lerma , who died before him , but left a son called d. francis gomez de sandoval who came to be duke of lerma , and a cardinal , of whom we shall speak in another place . d. ferdinand youngest son to the said marquess had many children , and among them d. bernard de rojas y sandoval cardinal and archbishop of toledo , to whom that church is obliged for restoring to it the lieutenancy of caęorla , after it had been many years alienated . chap. iv. perfidiousness of duke valentin , who is as perfidiously sent into spain by the great captain contrary to his promise , and he ill represented to the king ; projects of peace betwixt france and spain come to nothing . the v●netians after the death of pope alexander , had possessed themselves of several cities in romania , and aimed at the rest . duke valentin being no way able to oppose them ; agreed to deliver such forts as remained in his power to pope julius , who sent one peter de oviedo to take possession ; but the duke changing his mind , gave private orders to his lieutenant at cesana to hang the said peter . he did so , whereupon the pope arrested the duke , till he should cause the places to be delivered . it was agreed that till the surrender of the towns , he should be in custody of the cardinal bernardine de carvajal at ostiá , which performed , the pope was to furnish him with two gallies to go over to france . as soon as the great captain had notice of it , he sent lezcano to ostia to the cardinal to advise him to perswade the duke to go to naples , that so that boutefeu might do no more mischief . the cardinal having promised to use his endeavours , lescano gave him the great captains safe conduct . mean while the towns were delivered , and then the duke at the perswasion of the cardinal went to naples , and delivered himself up to the great captain , who entertained him nobly . but he being a restless spirit , and well beloved by the soldiery , as soon as he came to naples contrived to send men and money to relieve the castle of forli , which still held for him . he also meditated how to make himself master of plombin , perosa and pisa , tho' under the protection of the catholick king , and endeavoured to debauch the spanish and german troops with great offers he made to them . the great captain understanding of it took care to disappoint his designs . the duke had laid horses to make his escape from naples , knowing the king of france had sent the marquess of final to ostia , on purpose to draw him to his service . to prevent his escape , the great captain ordered him to be secured in castlenovo , tho' the pope demanded he should be sent back to ostia , since the castle of forli was not delivered ; but at length by the procurement of the great captain that place submitted to him . soon after the great captain resolved d. antony de cardona , and lezcano should carry the duke to spain to prevent farther troubles in italy . most men blamed the great captain , as guilty of breach of faith , in confining and sending the duke to spain , and the catholick king at first was sorry it was done . but the great captain had more regard to the common good , than to his own honour . the king of france was much concerned at the dukes imprisonment , as believing he should have a want of him , and as soon as he was informed of his being sent to spain , said , from hence forwards the word of the spaniards , and the faith of the carthaginians may go together , since they are alike in all things . at this time the king and queen of navarre had sent a solemn embassy to castile , to propose a match betwixt henry d' albret their son , and prince of viana , and elizabeth d daughter to the archduke . at first the catholick king and queen willingly harkned to this treaty , as the proper means to secure themselves on the side of navarre , which gave them no small trouble ; and the more for that the princess magdalen of navarre who was kept by them in the nature of a hostage for performance of the former treaty , died soon after at medina del campo . d. john manuel the catholick king 's ambassador at the emperor's court , by the archduke's order went to flanders . he was afterwards very great with that prince , and for the present it was ordered that all affairs relating to spain should be communicated to him , which was more pleasing to the emperor , who hoped by his means to compose some differences he had with son , than to the catholick king , who pressed to have his grandson prince charles brought to spain for many reasons that moved him to it . the emperor and archduke delayed his coming , being desirous to conclude the match betwixt him and claudia , daughter to the king of france , believing this to be the surest way to compose all the differences then on foot betwixt spain , france and burgundy . besides the king of france offered that the estates of orleans , britany , milan and burgundy should swear to them as lawful successors , and offered to give what security should be demanded for the performance . the queen , mother to the bride had rather she should be married to francis de valois duke of angoulesme , who was heir to the crown , and would no ways suffer such large dominions to be alienated from it , unless they were immediately delivered up , which could not be done . in the midst of all his prosperity and honour acquired , the great captain was not free from troubles and crosses ; for there are never wanting some who endeavour to undermine and ensnare those whom they see rise above themselves , and princes commonly pay services with ingratitude , when they are greater than can easily be recompenced . it was impossible to satisfie all that had served in that war , for every one values his own merits at a greater rate than he ought . such as were dissatisfied , either went themselves to spain to complain , or sent their grievances in writing , and were perhaps better admitted than they ought to have been . many articles were exhibited against the great captain , the chief were , that he had assisted the cardinal julian de rouere to obtain the papacy , as appeared by a letter intercepted from the said cardinal , promising great things if he would support him . the truth is that the great captain favoured cardinal bernardin de carvajal , and the ambassador francis de rojas the cardinal of naples who had promised him a cardinals cap , but neither of them coming up , malicious men charged the election upon those who had no hand in it . his next charge was , that the soldiers committed many insolencies , and were not punished , which rendred the spaniards odious to the people , and might be the cause of some disorder . he answered , he could not commend the virtue of those people , most of them being such as spain for their villanies could no longer endure , and had been necessitated to disburden it self of them . yet that the chief cause of their disorders was want of pay , and that it was rather to be admired they had been so much under command having suffered so much , especially at garellano and gaeta , where months pay was due to them , and yet no mutiny happened . that nevertheless no man committed a crime , but he was punished , tho' in time of war it was impossible to prevent all disorders . his third accusation was , that the revenue was lavished , since that which was great , together with the confiscations amounting to vast sums did not suffice to pay the army , and that no account could be given of the money sent him from spain . this last was the fault of francis suarez the paymaster and other his officers , who had the receiving and laying out of that money . the revenue of naples did not exceed ducats , and the pay of the army in one year came to . as for confiscations , there could not so much be made of them as was imagined , because the greatest part was spent in gratifications to those that had served well . hence sprung the chief article exhibited against him , which was , that he gave away towns , estates , and commands as if they were his own , and presented the clergy to the pope for benefices , a prerogative only pertaining to the king , and not to his lieutenant . they also alledged he did not put in execution the king's grants , as appeared in the case of john claver whom he kept out of the estate of alonso de sanseverino , given him by the king , as he had done in other cases . that at least he ought to have given his reasons for suspending those grants , if there were any . there is no doubt but in this particular the great captain was to blame ; but perhaps his meaning might be good , tho' the times would not bear it . these articles were urged and much aggravated by the coloneses , and particularly by prosper colona , who went to spain purposely to complain , and endeavour the great captain should be removed . his greatest grievance was , that bartholomew de albiano had been better rewarded than either he or his brother . the great captain advised the catholick king to satisfie prosper , yet so as not to wrong the ursini , because it concerned him much to bind both those families to his service . in fine , the complaints against the great captain were so urged , that the king resolved to send alonso deza , one of the queens servants to him , to lay before him all the heads of his accusation , and charge him for the future to take care that the revenue should be prudently managed , that the soldiery should be kept under , the greatest part whereof he ordered to be drawn away to serve in the war he designed to make in africk . the administration of justice he ordered to be reduced to the ancient form ; and that john baptista de espinelo should not execute the office of conservator , that name being very odious in the kingdom . in short , that he should not intermeddle with any thing farther than belonged to the authority of a viceroy . this last article highly offended the great captain , thinking it a great indignity that he who had conquered the kingdom with so much glory , and obtained so many victories , should be ●●●d up to the common rules of other governors . it also perplexed him that the lieutetenancy of castelnovo which he had conferred upon nun̄o de ocampo was given without his knowledge to luis peixo . in france there was a discourse of changing the truce into a peace . it was also proposed to restore king frederick , which the catholick king was not averse to , provided the duke of calabria would marry joanna queen of naples his niece . the king of france would have him marry germana de faux his niece , in case that king were reestablished ; but he rather inclined to the other proposal of marrying charles son to the archduke , with claudia his daughter . some months were spent in these debates . the king of france would refer the matter to the pope , and the king of spain would have the cardinals joined with the pope . in short , they agreed in nothing . the greatest difficulty was in restoring the barons of the french faction , for the king of france solemnly engaged when the princes of salerno , bisignano and melfi came to him , not to make peace with spain , unless they were restored to their estates . after much canvassing the matter , without coming to any agreement , and the news coming that pisa had declared for spain , the king of france in a rage ordered the spanish ambassadors gralla and antony augustin to depart the court. they visited the queen and legate , and the next day had a conference with king frederick , assuring him of the catholick king 's good-will towards him , and telling him he might by the management of affairs perceive whose fault it was , that he was not restored to his kingdom . this done , they took their way towards spain on the th of august . chap. . v the league betwixt the emperor , the archduke , and king of france ; the league against the venetians ; the death of king frederick of naples , and queen elizabeth of castile ; contention about the government of castile betwixt king ferdinand and king philip ; treaties with france . one of the principal causes of removing the spanish ambassadors was , that they might not hinder the proceedings towards a league offensive and defensive soon after concluded on the th of september , betwixt the emperor , the archduke his son , and the king of france . the principal articles were , that the emperor should attempt nothing against the dukedom of milan , or any other state then in league with france , but should pardon all offences by them committed against the empire since king charles passed the alpes till that day . that if for the future they failed of their duty , he might punish them , and the king of france should not protect them . that the investiture of milan should within months be given to the king of france for him and his heirs , he paying livers for the same . that the king of france should come to no agreement with the catholick king about the kingdom of naples without the emperor's consent , and in case the catholick king would not be brought to composition , the emperor should assist the king of france to recover that kingdom . that lands and revenues should be assigned in france to the children of luis sforcia last duke of milan , whensoever they would go thither . that all those who were fled thence should be restored to their estates , and the king's favour . four months were allowed the catholick king to come into the league , upon condition he should resign all his right to the kingdom of naples , to charles his grandson , on the terms before proposed ; and that each of the allies should have months allowed him to bring his confederates into the league . it much disgusted the catholick king , and most men observed that neither the emperor , nor the archduke named him among their allies . this league was managed openly , but under hand another was agreed upon betwixt the same princes and the pope , on pretence of uniting their forces against the turks , but the real design was against the venetians . each of those princes pretended that seigneury wrongfully detained several towns of theirs , which now they proposed to recover by force . a mighty storm threatned that state , whereof lawrence suarez de figueroa gave them notice , designing to draw them to join with spain . the enemy was powerful , and the catholick king much exhausted , for it appeared by his books that he had already returned above millions for the charge of that war in italy . ( f. mariana names not what these millions were of , i guess them to be of maravedies , which will amount to above pounds sterling , a vast sum in those days . ) the venetians would not believe any thing of that league , and were resolved to stand neuters , and take party with that side which proved strongest . at the same time they held intelligence with the soldan of egypt , for hindring the portugues trade in india , which totally ruined theirs at alexandria . to this effect they sent an ambassador to the soldan , and founders to cast guns , as also shipwrights to build ships after our manner , and a great quantity of mettal to be sent forward to calicut , the chief mart of the east for spice , to the intent that king might drive the portugueses out of those seas . they also proposed to the catholick king to be mediator betwixt them and the portugueses , for adjusting those differences , which he refused , it being a matter not easily to be reconciled , the interest of both parties being so deeply concerned . none of the princes we have spoken of enjoyed any great satisfaction . the emperor was poor , and at variance with his son. the princess , wife to the archduke , was not in her right senses . queen elizabeth laboured under a foul , tedious , and incurable disease , which it was said would soon make an end of her . it was feared her death would produce troubles and change of government . what satisfaction could the king. of france have , seeing himself despoiled of a kingdom he looked upon as his own ? king frederick ceased not to contrive ways how he might be restored . seeing himself forsaken on all sides , discontent cast him into an ague , with which he returned from blois to tours his ordinary residence . it grieved him to see there was no way left to reconcile the kings of france and spain ; but above all , that his son the duke of calabria was not a man of those parts as to wade through such difficulties . hereupon towards his latter days , he wrote a letter to him full of fatherly advice . fortune so persecuted this unhappy king , that one night the house where he lay took fire , and he had much ado to escape naked with his wife and children . this accident increased his sickness , of which he died in that city on the th of november . he left by his first wife one daughter married in france , and by the second five children , elizabeth , julia , alonso , caesar , and the eldest of them all ferdinand duke of calabria , who received the news of his father's death at medina del campo , where the court of spain then was . prosper colona was sent by the king to give him the news , and comfort him . the king himself was then much afflicted on account of the queen's sickness , she being then in great danger . she pressed to have the archduke and his wife come into spain , but the archduke excused himself on account of the war he was engaged in against the duke of guelders . the truth was , he had no mind to come , and seemed not to value the inheritance of such large dominions . at length the queen died on the th of november . she ordered her body to be buried at granada , where , because the chapel designed for that use was not finished , she was deposited in the alhambra . by her will she vacated some grants prejudicial to the crown , made at the beginning of her reign . she declared the marquisate of moya had been given to d. bernard de conbera by her consent , for his good service . she also appointed the princess joanna and her husband the archduke her heirs ; but in case the princess , by reason of her indisposition , or for any other cause , should not take upon her the government , then , as had been before resolved in the cortes , or assembly of the three estates , king ferdinand was to govern till prince charles were years of age. besides the administration of the masterships of the three military orders granted by the pope to king ferdinand , she left him half the profits of the islands and continent newly discovered , and millions ( of maravedics ) yearly , out of the revenue arising in the lands of the three masterships . her executors were the king , the archbishop of toledo , the bishop of palencia , antony fonseca and john velasquez her comptrollers , and john lopez de lezarraga her secretary . notwithstanding the queen's will , there wanted not some who advised the king to enter upon the government as heir to the crown , he being descended of the male line of the kings of castile , affirming this was his safest way ; and that easing the people of some burdens , he would be received with general applause . however , the king , tho' offended at his son-in-law , and knowing the incapacity of his daughter , yet that very afternoon appeared publickly on a scaffold , and caused his daughter joanna to be proclaimed queen of castile , and the archduke philip king , as being her husband . in all other places only queen joanna was proclaimed , without making mention of the archduke , on pretence that he ought first to swear he would preserve their privileges , and not put strangers into publick employments , which queen elizabeth had ordered in her will. this winter the rains were so violent , that all the corn was destroyed , and there ensued a great famine . upon the death of queen elizabeth , there arose differences and contention . king ferdidand , in pursuance to her will , pretended to govern castile , queen joanna's distraction being so notorious , that she was shut up in flanders . two things he did to secure himself , one was , that he writ to the archduke to acquaint him he would not be admitted into castile , unless he brought his wife with him to satisfie the people whether her brain was really distempered or not . the other , that he assembled the cortes at toro . there on the th of january , . garcilasso de la vega , chief commendary of leon , who presided in the assembly of the three estates having seen that clause in the queen's will which related to the succession and government , solemnly swore joanna rightful queen of castile , and the archduke her husband king in her right , and the catholick king as governour thereof . soon after the queen's distemper being made known , they made application to king ferdinand to take upon him the government . letters were also sent into flanders to the archduke pursuant to this address . however , there ensued great contention about the government . many of the nobility being disgusted by the catholick king , desired a change. the chief of these were d. peter manrique duke of najara , and d. james lopez pacheco marquess of villena , who openly opposed the catholick king ; others , tho' of the same opinion , temporized . only d. frederick de toledo duke of alva stood firm to king ferdinand . the new king and his council protested against these proceedings of the catholick king , saying , it was preposterous either to take the title of king , or come into the kingdom , if he was not to have the power and prerogative of a king. d. john manuel , a gentleman of a little body but sharp wit , heightned these discontents . the catholick king to remove him from the archduke , commanded him to return to the emperor's court , but the archduke would never consent , and rather valued him the more , making him privy to all his secrets . this project failing , the catholick king endeavoured to gain him by large promises made to his wife the lady catherine de castilla ; but he made more account of the present bounty of a young prince , than the promises of a crafty old king. nor was this all , the king grew jealous of the kingdom of naples , fearing lest the great captain should encline to favour his son-in law. prosper colona failed not to encrease this jealousie , tho' he had obtained all he came to spain for , and particularly that bartholomew d' albianos company of men at arms should be reduced to . besides , the catholick king ordered only men at arms , light horse , and spanish foot , to be left in the kingdom of naples , spaniards to be sent to spain , and the germans dismissed , all to save charges , and weaken that kingdom . a particular council was erected in castile for the government of it . ladron de mauleon was sent ambassadot from the king of navarre , to confirm the ancient alliance with king ferdinand , by concluding the match betwixt the prince of viana and the archduke's daughter . he also pressed to have duke valentine , then prisoner , released , as did many cardinals created by pope alexander . the king was willing to renew the league , and inclinable to the match . as to the duke he said it could not be done at present , tho' at the same time he thought to make use of him in italy to balance against the great captain . he desired security that he would be true to his interest , and alonso d' este duke of ferrara , offered to be bound for him . emanuel king of portugal sent the bishop of porto and james pacheco his ambassadors to rome , to acknowledge pope julius . after he had sent several fleets to trade in india , he now sent francis d' almeyda with the title of governour to reside there , that all who passed to those parts might know who they were to obey . many difficulties attended the prosecution of this enterprize , besides the length of the voyage : one was , the opposition made by the venetians , as has been hinted before ; another , that the soldan of babylon , either at the instigation of that state , or of his own accord , undertook to ruin their trade in those parts . he sent maurus , guardian of the monastery at hierusalem , with letters to the pope , complaining of the proceedings of the catholick king in the conquest of granada and conversion of the moors , and of the king of portugal for ruining his trade in india and taking his ships . he desired him to put a stop to any further progress in this affair , otherwise he threatned to destroy the holy sepulchre , and put to death all the christians within his dominions . this moved the pope to send the same religious man with the letters to spain to both the kings , neither of whom made any account of them or the threats they contained . chap. vi. king ferdinand becomes odious to the people ; the posture of affairs in italy ; the emperour and king philip of castile ratifie the peace with france ; king ferdinand agrees with the french king. the cortes at toro passed the laws called of toro , which had been framed before the death of queen elizabeth . after the cortes were dismissed , king ferdinand continued at toro till the end of april , to be thoroughly satisfied whether king emanuel of portugal approved of his continuing in the government . the nobility , in hatred to him , gave out , that he treated about marrying the princess joanna , daughter to king henry , and to assert her title , which before he had impugned ; and by that means to maintain himself not only as governour , but rightful king of castile , in opposition to his daughter and son-in-law . it is scarce credible how much this report incensed the people . certain it is , his vice-chancellor alonso de la cavalleria endeavoured to persuade him to change the name of governour for that of administrator and guardian , as fathers are to their children before they are of age ; and queen joanna might be account such , either in regard of her want of sense , or of her being confined , and that he ought to take the title of king either on this account , or as husband to queen elizabeth . he brought the example of his father king john , who still called himself king of navarre , tho' he had children , and that kingdom had been his wife's . the nobility of castile , and those of the new king's council , were of another opinion : they said it were better for king ferdinand to retire to the kingdom of aragon , and from thence to aid his children in what they should desire , for that one kingdom would not admit of two heads . neither could they agree as to his kingdoms of granada and naples . the catholick king pretended a right to granada , as conquered in his wife's life-time ; and as for naples , he said there was no dispute of its appertaining to the house of aragon , and therefore highly resented that his son-in law should pretend to dispose of it , without consulting him to whom only it belonged . this made him suspicious of the great captain , who was a castilian ; for the emperor had sent to know which side he would encline to , in case of a war , and the pope had put the same question to him . to the emperor he answered in general terms ; to the pope resolutely , telling him , it was plain he knew not what men he had to deal with , who were not used to commit any thing that was disloyal to their king , or unworthy themselves . from toro the catholick king went to segovia , and thence sent d. john de fonseca , bishop of palencia , to flanders , to attend upon the queen his daughter . from the emperor and his son came as ambassadors to the catholick king , andrew de burgo of cremona , and philibert lord de vere , who was great with the archduke , and had much knowledge of the affairs of castile . to him the catholick king made known his grievances , and again attempted to draw d. john manuel from king philip , but he instead of it discharged himself king ferdinand's service . king philip also kept lope de conchillos , secretary to the bishop of palencia , a long time close prisoner , for writing a letter from the queen to the king , committing to him the charge of the government ; which letter was intercepted , and thereupon no spaniard was suffered to speak to the queen ; which so heightned her distemper , that she was shut up . in italy the great captain sent nun̄o de ocampo with men of those that were ordered to be dismissed , to defend plombin and pisa . the florentines laid siege to pisa , but nun̄o de campo throwing himself with his men into it , they were forced to rise and depart without it . the coloness pressed to have bartholomew d' alviano's command reformed , which the great captain delayed , knowing the worth of that gentleman ; but afterwards understanding he held intelligence with the pope , and designed to favour the house of medicis against the florentines , his command was reduced . he knowing of it , thought to have seized plombin ; but being disappointed , aimed at pisa . the great captain commanded him to desist , upon pain of forfeiting his possessions and command in naples . the florentines laying wait for him , overthrew and wounded him . at naples for his disobedience his estate was seized , whereupon he went over to the other party . the spanish soldiers , who according to the king's order were to be dismissed , tho' it was given out they should be sent to the conquest of gelves mutinied , and much perplexed the great captain . yet he appeased , and sent them to spain as he was ordered . the emperor and king philip met to ratifie the treaty concluded with the king of france , from whom came also the cardinal of amboise , who took the oath , and did homage to the emperor , in the name of the king his master , for the investiture of milan , granted to him and his heirs males ; and for want of them , it was to devolve to his daughter claudia and charles her husband . yet in case that marriage were disappointed through the king of france's means , then that dukedom should again fall to the house of austria . it was also declared that investiture was given saving always a better title , which afterwards the sons of sforcia pleaded for recovery of that dukedom . on account of the first of these conditions , prince charles when emperor pretended that dominion appertained to him ; but then the king of france was to be repaid the livres he gave for the investiture . nothing was concluded concerning the kingdom of naples ; but the marriage of prince charles and the princess claudia being confirmed , it was supposed to be designed for her dowry , as had been before agreed . these things perplexed the catholick king , who therefore contrived how to gain the king of france , and secure himself on that side . he thought the best way was to marry germana de foix , that king's niece . f. john de enguerra , of the order of s. bernard , and inquisitor in catalonia , was sent to propose this match . this was so pleasing to the king of france , that he resigned over the kingdom of naples to his niece and her heirs . on the other side , the catholick king consented , that in case he had no issue by her , that kingdom should devolve to the king of france and his heirs . besides , he engaged to pay him ducats within the space of years . he also promised to restore the barons of the french faction , which was hard to be done . all the prisoners the great captain had were also to be set at liberty , and namely the prince of rosano and marquess de bitonto . only duke valentine and the earl of pallas were excepted . on these terms the king of france promised to aid the catholick king against the emperour and his son , in case they attempted to remove him from the government of castile . guicciardin adds , that the catholick king engaged to assist gaston de foix his brother-in law , to conquer the kingdom of navarre , to which he pretended to have right : as also , that the king of france should send the queen-dowager of naples with her children into spain ; and if she would not go , then to order her to depart his dominions . all these articles were agreed upon this summer , and on the th of august d. john de sylva earl of cifuentes , and micer thomas malferit , were sent from segovia to france , with the former ambassador f. john d' enguerra to sign them . they had also orders to release the prisoners at naples , and to secure the return of those that were banished . it was also proposed to robert de sanseverino , prince of salerno , and head of the banished barons , to marry the lady marina d' aragon , daughter to d. alonso d' aragon , duke of villahermosa and earl of ribagorça ; which was so pleasing to the king of france , that he endeavoured to hinder king philip from going into spain , sending his secretary to require him not to undertake that journey , till the differences betwixt him and his father-in law were adjusted . to make the surer of him , he encouraged the duke of guelders to prosecute the war against him with a greater power . this treaty put the kingdom of naples into an uproar ; and those barons who were possessed of the lands of them that were fled , combined to stand by one another . prosper colona went to rome , and offered the pope to conquer that kingdom for him , provided the king of france would quit his claim . the nobility of castile were no less disgusted , it being reported , that queen elizabeth before she died obliged king ferdinand to swear he would never marry , before she committed to him the government of the kingdom . some blamed the great captain , because he did not declare for king philip , since that match of king ferdinand cut off prince charles from inheriting the kingdom of naples , whether the king had issue or not . king philip was not a little offended to have the kingdom of naples absolutely disposed of from him , and the crown of aragon left disputable , if king ferdinand should have a son. the catholick king , to prevent further misunderstandings , sent d. peter ayala the protonotary , who had been before ambassador in england to flanders , that he , with gutierre gomez de fuensalida his ambassador there , should acquaint king philip with the treaty concluded , and endeavour the enlargement of lope de conchillos , kept close prisoner at vilvorde . as to the marriage , king philip in general terms answered , he rejoiced at it , that king ferdinand was free , and might marry where he pleased . for what concerned lope de conchillos , he said , he was his servant , and received wages from him ; and therefore having imprisoned him for his demerits , he did not design to release him . still the venetians looked on , without perceiving how great a storm threatned them . true it is , they compounded with the pope , retaining faença and arimino , and restoring what they had in the earldoms of imola and sessena . on these terms they took into their protection the duke of urbino , and the prefect of rome the pope's nephew , whom the duke had adopted , and to the intent he might inherit the dukedom , given him to wife the daughter of the marquess of mantua his brother-in-law . advice was given to the great captain of the peace concluded with the king of france , and he ordered to come to spain , the archbishop of zaragoça being privately appointed viceroy of naples . the great captain expressed joy for the peace , and caused it to be proclaimed at naples ; and as to his departure , answered it should be very speedily ; but still he found excuses to delay it , which encreased the jealousie before conceived of him , and furnished much matter of discourse , tho' he sent his secretary john lopez de vergara to justifie him . chap. vii . mazalquivir in africk taken from the moors ; the nobility of spain divided for and against king philip ; the agreement made betwixt the two kings ferdinand and philip ; the latter in england . the archbishop of toledo never forsook the catholick king , but upon all occasions stood by him with extraordinary fidelity , and was a great check to many disaffected persons . this prelate was a man of a mighty spirit , and more generous than might have been expected of his mean education . he often pressed the king , even whilst queen elizabeth was living , to make war upon the moors in barbary , as soon as that in naples were ended . this business was so far advanced , that the king ordered part of the spanish forces to be sent out of naples into spain , which was accordingly done . the earl of tendilla offered , if the king would assign him millions of maravedies , to conquer oran and the port of mazalquivir , with the towns adjacent . in case any of that sum were left after defraying the charge , he promised to restore it ; but if it fell short , to make it up of his own . this contract being well advanced , was broke off by the queen's death . yet that the enterprize might not be wholly laid aside , and the neapolitan soldiers be idle , the archbishop lent the king millions towards carrying on that design . a fleet was fitted out on the coast of andaluzia , at first intending to take tedeliz , a town betwixt bugia and argiers , to which purpose intelligence was held with some persons in it . but this appearing to be a place of no consequence , nor worth the keeping , it was resolved to attempt mazalquivir , which in arabick signifies the great port , and ptolomy calls it portus magnus . it stands near to oran , almost opposite to almeria , only a little more to the eastward . the fleet consisted of galleys , and a great number of caravels and other small vessels , in which were about men , under the command of d. james fernandez de cordova , a valiant officer . they sailed from malaga upon friday the th of august . d. raymund de cardona was admiral . they met with bad weather , and were forced to put into the port of almeria . thence they set forward on the th of september , and came to an anchor with the whole fleet in the harbour of mazalquivir . on the point of the harbour was a bulwark planted with cannon , with other works , under which our fleet entred . horse and foot came to obstruct our men landing . the landing-place was bad , and the weather tempestuous , yet the valour of the christians overcame all difficulties . peter lopez zagal , a valiant soldier , was the first that leaped ashore . the moors were forced back to oran , and only left in the fort of mazalquivir . the fort was battered , the commander of it killed by a cannon-ball , and their best guns dismounted . this so discouraged the moors , that the third day they surrendered , and the spanish colours were set upon the walls . it fell out very fortunately in the first place , that the fleet was stayed by ill weather ; for upon the news of their setting out of malaga , a great multitude of moors assembled ; but having waited days , and provisions growing scarce , they thought our fleet had steered another course , and so they dispersed . next , that the very day the fort surrendered , a great number of moors came down the mountain to relieve the besieged , who might have done us much harm if they had come soon enough . they joined with those of oran , and took the field , in order as was thought to give battel , which yet they durst not do , tho' our commander drew out to meet them . some skirmishes there were with our parties that went out for wood or water , of both which they were scarce . the command of that fort , with the title of captain general of the conquests in barbary , was given to james fernandez de cordova . d. raimund de cardona returned with his fleet to malaga , on the th of the aforesaid month. those that were left at mazalquivir concluded a truce with the moors at oran , by which a free trade was allowed between them , which was very advantageous to the moors because of their trade . this enterprize gained the catholick king much reputation , tho' at the same time malicious people gave out that was only a colour to gather forces , which in reality were designed to keep out his son-in-law , if he should attempt to come to deprive him of the government . this good beginning encouraged the archbishop of toledo to spend most of his revenue in prosecuting that design , insomuch that he thought of going over into africk himself , as at last he did . about the middle of this month the queen was delivered of a daughter called mary . the catholick king sent charles d' aragon , one of his domesticks , to visit her , and advise king philip to peace . king emanuel of portugal retired to almeria , because the plague began to spread at lisbon . this same year the court of chancery was removed from ciudad reall to granada , and the bishop of astorga made president . king ferdinand spent some months at segovia , and in the forrest of balsain , and on the th of october went away to salamanca , where he caused the peace concluded with france to be proclaimed , which was not so well liked for the most part in castile as in aragon . the same thing that pleased the one kingdom , discontented the other , that is the separation of the kingdoms . all things were disposed to oppose king philip in case of an open breach . he from brussels sent to require the nobility to stand by him , particularly the marquess de villena , the duke of najara , garlciasso de la vega , the duke of medina sidonia , the earl of uren̄a , the admiral and constable of castile , which two last , tho' related to king ferdinand were wavering . d. john manuel with his letters widened the breach , but always seemed desirous they should come to agreement , which he said was easie if king ferdinand would leave castile to his son-in law , whose of right it was . otherwise he must expect to be turned out of it , and in danger of aragon , for king philip either with or without his consent would be there very soon . in order to it , a great fleet was fitting out in zealand , and sail were already in a readiness . notwithstanding the king of france sent twice to require king philip not to undertake that voyage till he had agreed with his father-in-law , on the th of november he set out from brussels for zealand . there he delayed the time , whereupon it was believed he staied to have those of his party in spain to declare themselves openly . the marquess de villena chief of them going at this time to toledo , it was supposed he had orders from king philip to secure that city , which alarmed the people , and the family of the silvas who stood firm to king ferdinand , joined with the governor d. peter de castilla to oppose him , but the marquess went away quietly . besides the family of silva , the duke of alva , and the archbishop of toledo , the principal men that adhered to the catholick king were , d. bernard de rojas marquess of denia , d. gutierre lopez chief commendary of calatrava , antony de fonseca and ferdinand de la vega. these were for opposing king philip by all means whatsoever , if he should attempt to come to castile before some agreement were made . this was the resolution of the catholick king , tho' he was unwilling to take up arms against his children , and believed the country would not be satisfied to have force used against its rightful sovereigns . when things were in this posture tending to a breach , king philip sent ample commission to his ambassadors to promote an accommodation . in pursuance hereof the two kings came to an agreement at salamanca , on the th of november upon the following conditions . that both kings and the queen should govern jointly , and all their names should be inserted in all orders , patents , or other publick wrings ; and the secretaries should subscribe by order of their highnesses . that as soon as king philip and queen joanna came into the kingdom , they should be sworn king and queen , king ferdinand governor , and prince charles heir apparent of the kingdoms of castile , leon and granada . that the revenue of the said kingdoms should be divided into two equal parts after all charges deducted , one part for king ferdinand , the other for king philip and his queen . that all employments should be given in like manner , even the commendaries of the military orders , tho' the administration of them appertained beyond all dispute to the catholick king. the pope , the emperor , and kings of england and portugal were chosen guarrantees for the performance hereof . it was also decreed that in case the queen would not be concerned in the government , still all three names should be used , but only the two kings subscribe , and if either of the two was absent , then all business should be done by the other . a copy of these articles was sent to flanders , which displeased king philip and his ; howsoever they were accepted of , and sworn to ; for the king of france had great power in flanders , and besides they hoped when they came into spain all things would become more easie . now the secretary lope de conchillos was enlarged , having been all this while close prisoner . this agreement was proclaimed at salamanca on the th of january , and two days after the king and queen set sail from zealand . such a violent storm arose that some ships were lost , and the rest forced to put into weymouth in england . thence king philip went to windsor to meet the king of england , where they concluded a league , and agreed that the king of england should marry margaret of austria , widow of the late duke of savoy , and prince charles of austria marry that kings daughter , which matches took no effect . king philip delivered up the duke of suffolk who had put himself into his protection , to the king of england . in this , and in feasting was spent all the next month , after which king philip returned to plymouth to take ship. the catholick king hearing of the storm his son-in-law had been in , gathered all the best ships along the coast of spain , and sent them to him under the command of d. charles enriquez de cisneros , who about this time raised the estate , which his family still possesses at portugalete . at such time as the treaty was at salamanca , the catholick king writ a letter to d. john manuel requiring him to advise king philip to wave all past discontents , and be entirely reconciled . it will not be amiss to insert his answer , to shew the wit and boldness of that gentleman , it is thus . i received your highness's letter , and shall perform what is your order , which is to use all my endeavours that past discontents may be laid aside , and friendship established , for it is not to be doubted that so good a master as your highness , and such good schollars as the king and queen will contribute much to the happiness of those kingdoms . god and my conscience can bear witness , that has been always my study , tho' some , and perhaps your highness may have judged otherwise by the ill usage i have received . but mens tongues and thoughts are not to be confined , nor do i seek any reward for what i have done . it would suffice that my past services and fatigues were not forgotten as they are . i judge by my age , and the small regard had of me , that your highness designs me no other recompence in this world , but in prayers against i go into the next : which reward i do not aspire to , for i have often heard it said , that a prince can carry his ministers to hell ; but never , that any king , tho' the most christian , as is he of france , fetched any of his favourites out of purgatory . however , i will not fail of doing my duty , nor forbear begging your highness to use your ordinary goodness and prudence towards advancing this agreement . chap. viii . the affairs of portugal ; a bloody mutiny at lisbon ; king ferdinand marries queen germana ; king philip comes into spain , and declares against the treaty with king ferdinand ; death of christopher columbus . the catholick king sent ambassadors to the princes appointed guarranties betwixt himself and his son-in-law . in particular , he applied himself to king emanuel of portugal to understand how he would stand affected , in case the agreement were broken . he answered in general terms , being in strict league with king philip. in order to entertain whom , he made great preparations , and caused much plate to be provided either to treat or present him , for it was believed he would land in andaluzia , and therefore might touch in some part of portugal . but the plague spread there and was come to santarem , which made the king remove from almeirin to abrantes , a town seated on a rising ground and healthy . there on the d of march the queen was delivered of prince luis , who proved a person of singular worth , piety and virtue , especially towards the end of his life , which was short . yet in his youth he had by a mean woman a bastard son called antony , who was prior of ocrato , and famous , for that upon the death of his unkle henry the king and cardinal ; he took upon him the title of king , and brought great mischief upon his country . the joy for the birth of the prince was allaied by a mutiny raised in lisbon upon a light occasion . in the church of s. dominick was a crucifix , which over the wound of the breast had a glass . some people hearing mass there , thought the light that came from that glass had been miraculous , which one there present being a jew newly converted , freely contradicted . the people in a rage laying hold of him , dragged him out of the church , made a fire , then killed and burnt him . a friar of that convent coming out , made an harangue to the rabble , exhorting them to revenge the injuries done to our saviour by the jews , which was pouring oyl upon the fire , for immediately the multitude ran to the houses of the new converts , two of the friars going before them with a cross . such was their fury and madness , that in three days this mutiny lasted , they murdered above of those people , and among them , either through mistake , or for private grudges , several of the ancient christians . the flemmings and germans that were aboard their ships in the harbour came to take share in the plunder of the houses . the king hearing of this tumult , sent james de almeyda and james lopez to take cognisance of the matter . the two friars that were the ringleaders , were put to death and burnt , and many others punished . the strangers hoisting sails got away with a rich booty . in castile , on the one side was expected the coming of the new king and queen , and on the other was great rejoicing for the marriage of king ferdinand and the lady germana . from salamanca went the archbishop of zaragoça , with other men and ladies of quality to fuenterabia , to attend the bride king ferdinand , the two queens of naples , mother and daughter , the duke of calabria and many more lords went to valladolid , and thence to duen̄as . there on the th of march they were married . the queen was great niece to the catholick king , and grandaughter to his sister ellenor queen of navarre . the popes dispensation was obtained with much difficulty , the emperor and his son opposing it . with the queen came luis d' amboise bishop of albi , hector pignatelo and peter de santandrea the king of france his ambassadors . there came also the princes of salerno and melfi , and other barons of the faction of anjou , to settle their affairs . next day after the marriage , the king and queen with all their train set out towards valladolid . in that city the king took a solemn oath in the presence of many prelates and noblemen to oblige himself and his successors to the performance of all the articles of the league with france . a few days after the neapolitan barons did homage to the king and queen as rightful sovereigns of the kingdom of naples , for themselves and those that were absent . this solemnity being over , the king set out for burgos to meet the new king and queen , who he expected would land at laredo , or some other port of that coast , with whom went the archbishops of toledo and sevil , the duke of alva , the admiral , the constable and the earl of cifuentes . all these seemed inclined to see all that was ordained by the will of queen elizabeth performed . at torquemada the catholick king received advice that his son and daughter were landed at corun̄a on the th of april . the cause of their coming so late was the stay they made with the king of england ; and their being detained at plymouth by the weather . they landed at corun̄a , king philip being perswaded it was best for him to be the farthest he could from his father-in-law , to have time to find how the nobility and commonality stood affected towards him , to behave himself accordingly ; being resolved not to stand to the late agreement , unless he were forced to it . this was the advice of d. john manuel who had great influence over him , and would have carried him to land in andalucia if the weather had permitted . about this time gonçalo marin̄o de ribera commander of melilla for the duke of medina sidonia had the town of caçaça delivered to him by composition . it is in the kingdom of fez , leagues from melilla , and has a good port , and remained in propriety to the duke of medina sidonia . the coming of king philip which ought to have produced peace , and a general satisfaction , might have caused an absolute breach , had not the catholick king prudently quenched the spreading flame of discontent which began to appear in all places . the humours and designs of the two kings were opposite in all respects . as soon as king philip landed he sent to require the earls of benavente and lemos , as also the other nobility of galicia and castile to declare for him , which was the way to raise tumults rather than settle peace . finding this contrivance answered his expectation , and that many freely declared for him , he presently professed he would not stand to the late treaty concluded at salamanca . he also began to discountenance his father-in-laws servants , and one day speaking to d. peter de ayala told him , that tho' he had in flanders and england winked at his proceedings in opposition to his service , he would no longer bear with it ; and since he was his subject , he should take care how he behaved himself . he turned away the alcaides , and alguaziles de corte , sent by king ferdinand to attend upon him , thinking his father-in-law designed to choose his family . he was well instructed not to allow of any tutor or overseer , as d. john manuel called it . his followers exclaimed against the catholick king , especially for his marriage , and the articles of it , which gave away the kingdom of naples from his daughter and grandson . in this particular , no doubt they had reason ; but the king did it to gain the king of france . on the other side the catholick king , as soon as he heard of his son-in-law , and daughters landing , sent d. raimund de cardona and ferdinand de vega to visit them , and went himself towards leon in order to meet them ; but stopped at astorga till he knew their will. he ordered the marquess of villena who was come to burgos with a great train , and the duke of najara who was raising his kindred and followers to go to corun̄a in warlike manner , to forbear proceeding after that manner , and to go thither with their usual retinue . he pressed his son-in-law to dismiss germans he brought with him , fearing that might give some cause of discontent to the people . he also sent almaçan his secretary to join with his ambassadors d. raimund , d. ferdinand de vega , d. peter de ayala , and gutierre gomez de fuensalida , that they might agree upon the place where he should meet his son and daughter , which he desired might be very speedily , and king philip's followers laboured to delay as much as might be . first sarria , then ponferrada were the places proposed for the interview , but none pleased his people , and particularly d. john manuel who managed all , and feared that if the two kings met , the one being very subtle and the other open ; besides the respect due to a father , they would easily agree , which was what he chiefly laboured to prevent . to this purpose he told d. peter de ayala , that the catholick king might be perswaded three things , whereon he much relied should never come to pass . first that at the interview there should be no manner of discourse of business . secondly , that the meeting should be in the field , and not with equal retinues , but that king philip should have much the greater . thirdly , that the catholick king should not confide in the favour of the queen his daughter , for it would not avail him great offers were again made to d. john manuel for himself and his children , to bring him over to king ferdinand ; but he had a spirit above all that . at this time died at valladolid christopher columbus , admiral of the west-indies , the first discoverer of the new world. now also the marquess of villena , the earl of benavente and the duke of najara were come to corun̄a , and daily more people resorted thither , and more men of note , as the duke of bejar , the marquesses of astorga and aguilar , gazilasso de la vega and the duke del infantado . this encouraged the followers of king philip. the catholick king stayed at astorga till the th of may ; thence he went to ravanal , designing to go on to santiago , and to appoint the interview there . some of his council advised him not to be too hasty , because delay would breed discord among the noblemen and the favourites of king philip , and by that means he would be reduced to submit to his father-in-law . this was the posture of affairs in castile . the princes of italy and other nations expected the event of king philip's going into spain , believing the catholick king would be affronted and much weakened . this they were the more apt to give credit to , because they saw the great captain contrary to his king's orders continued at naples , which they could not believe to be without some mystery . but he understanding these surmises , sent before his horses and equipage , and with it peter navarro , to acquaint the catholick king with the true reasons of his stay , which were to order the garrisons , and appease the soldiers , who mutinied for want of pay. on the other side , john baptista espinelo went away at the same time for spain to complain of the great captain , and blame all his proceedings ; which was easie to do because he had much credit with the catholick king. calumny often prevails above truth , at least its first efforts are more violent . thus the catholick king resolved to use all means to draw the great captain from naples ; and to this purpose appointed his son the archbishop of zaragoça to go , and take the government of that kingdom upon him . at the same time he sent john lopez de vergara , secretary to the great captain , with a note under his hand , wherein he solemnly swore , he would give him the mastership of the order of santiago , as soon as he came into spain . this was believed to be only a design to intrap him , for at the same time he ordered peter navarro , created earl of olivito , to go with the archbishop , and apprehend him in castelnovo . the reason why the king changed his mind , was because he received a letter from the great captain assuring him of his fidelity , and swearing to stand by him and keep that kingdom at his devotion , besides he promised he would soon be in spain . thus this storm was laid , which at that time might have been of dangerous consequence . chap. ix . the spaniards and flemmings at variance upon their first meeting ; king ferdinand raises forces , pretending to rescue his daughter ; many forsake him , and he is forced to quit castile ; an interview of the two kings . no sooner were the noblemen come to corun̄a but there arose disputes and contentions among them , nor could they agree with the flemmings . the marquess of villena took place of all others , and as lord high steward , when the king heard mass , stood next the curtin on the one side , and monsieur de vere , as steward for flanders , on the other . they could not agree about the interview betwixt the two kings . the castilians , were for hindering of it , that they might not agree ; the flemmings as the more sincere people thought it best they should meet to prevent misunderstandings . monsieur de vere was he that appeared most for the interview , yet some malicious persons said he did it out of malice to d. john manuel , by reason of his great interest in king philip. but he at this time gave greater signs of discontent , than of being in favour ; the coming of so many noblemen having very much startled him , fearing least some of them should step in before him , and be the cause of his fall . all of them agreed in their complaints against the catholick king. some thought it hard he should take to himself half the revenune of the crown , and not divide the income of the masterships . some said , how could three kings be endured in castile ; and d. john manuel produced a grant passed in france , wherein king ferdinand stiled himself king of castile . many reflected , that all commands in spain were held in the name of the catholick king , who was still to appoint governors to many cities ; whereas it would not be in the power of king philip in a long time to dispose of those posts . above all they exclaimed that he raised men under colour of setting his daughter at liberty ; she being kept up , and not allowed to be seen by reason of her indisposition . this article was true , for king ferdinand had sent out orders to levy forces upon pretence of rescuing his daughter , to strengthen himself if they should come to an open breach . the duke of alva had already raised a force in the kingdom of leon , to stand by the catholick king , he only , of all the nobility adhering to him ; tho' he was sensible of the danger he exposed himself to , since all forsook the king ; even the constable who was his son-in law , and the admiral his cousin having thought it more for their advantage to accompany king philip. king ferdinand not satisfied with raising men in castile , sent an aragonian gentleman called jaime albion to acquaint the king of france with the posture of his affairs , and request him to stir up the duke of guelders and bishop of liege to make war upon flanders , by that means to bring down king philip to his own terms . still the talk of an interview continued , but could not be agreed upon . king philip resolved to set out from corun̄a towards santiago . before him marched the germans with their cannon in as good order as if they were in an enemies country . the same day being the th of may , the catholick king and queen set out towards betanços . d. john alonso de fonseca archbishop of santiago had declared for the catholick king , which was the reason king philip would not meet him there , nor made no long stay in the place , but turned off to orense , and the catholick king staid at villafranca . then king philip sent word to the catholick king that if he would send the archbishop of toledo to him , he hoped all things would be adjusted to content . this was accordingly done , and the archbishop laboured to reconcile all differences , but advanced little ; the nobility opposing it , as unwilling that the two kings should be reconciled . from villafranca king ferdinand went to baneza , and thence to matilla , at which time many prelates and other gentlemen forsook him , being drawn away by the nobles that had declared against him . this made the catholick king despair of being able to support himself , if the matter came to be decided by the sword , which was the cause he endeavoured to compound with his son-in-law at any rate . hereupon he sent him a letter desiring they might meet without farther delay or hearkning to ill affected persons . his answer was only complaints that the catholick king raised forces against him , and that he aspersed him , giving out that he kept the queen prisoner , and obstructed the proceedings of the inquisition , favouring those it had apprehended ; and that all this was invented to render him odious to his subjects . the difficulty obstructing the interview was , that king philip's party would before they met know whether the catholick king would consent to altering some articles of the late agreement , and which those were ; but the catholick king was very reserved , and would not lay himself open to any till he met with his son-in-law . the archbishop of toledo on the one side , and monsieur de villar , with d. john manuel , on the other , by commission from their masters , treated of reconciling all differences . their designs were nothing alike , and therefore they could not agree . the archbishop acted sincerely , as became his dignity , and the good opinion conceived of his life . the others subtilly laboured to do all things for the advantage of their master , or at least to protract time , hoping at length the catholick king being forsaken by all men , would be forced to depart that kingdom , and retire to his own . the archbishop despairing of coming to any conclusion , advised the catholick king to withdraw towards the kingdom of toledo . there he offered to deliver up to him all his towns and castles , affirming , that by reason of the great distance before king philip's party could come to him , the heat and want of provisions would disperse them , and the enmity which daily increased betwixt the flemmings and castillians , would turn to his advantage . king ferdinand would not consent , but rather was jealous that the archbishop designed to leave him , as the rest had done . he resolved at any rate to see his son in law , who was now come to verin , and thence sent d. james de guevara to the catholick king , then at rionegro , to desire he would forbear going to meet him , for so it behoved . still king ferdinand persisted in his resolution . he said his son-in-law could not take it ill that he came to see him , since it was in a peaceable manner , whereas he was prepared for war. since it could not be avoided , monsieur de villar , and d. john manuel , resolved to go meet him , and fix a day for the interview . the duke of alva was sent to king philip as a hostage for d. john manuel , tho the colour was he went to adjust some affairs . mean while king philip removed to puebla de sanabria , and king ferdinand to asturianos , which are but two leagues distant . monsieur de villar , and d. john being come to asturianos , the king spoke lovingly to them without the least sign of discontent . as to the agreement , he answered in such manner as made it appear the fault should not lie at his door , if all things were not done to the satisfaction of his son-in-law . it was agreed the interview should be the next day in a wood , that is betwixt puebla de sanabria , and asturianos , near a farm called ramessal . the kings set out as had been appointed , but with very unlike attendance . king ferdinand , with about of his followers , mounted upon mules , and without arms , in peaceable manner . king philip in a warlike posture . toward puebla de sanabria were drawn up about pikemen , besides the country people , and a good number of horse that followed the nobility . about germans advanced to see the country was clear . after these followed king philip's domesticks , and he after them on horseback , armed under his cloaths . on his right hand was the archbishop of toledo , and on his left d. john manuel . before he came up king ferdinand placed himself on a rising ground to see the company pass by . the grandees and other nobles came to kiss his hand , whom he received with a pleasant countenance . he embraced the earl of benavente , and feeling his armour , said smiling , my lord , how comes it you are grown so fat ? he answered , sir , the times are the cause of it . to garzilasso he said , garzia , what are you so too ? he replied , by god , sir , we are all so . then came king philip , who tho he shewed some discontent in his looks , offered to alight , and kiss his father in law 's hand , but he prevented , embracing and kissing him with great signs of affection , and a pleasant countenance . to confer together they went into a chappel that was hard by , and with them the archbishop of toledo and d. john manuel . the archbishop with his usual freedom said to d. john , it is not convenient for private men to be present at the conference of princes , let us both be gone . d. john could not gainsay him . being both together at the door , the archbishop bid him go out , for he would be porter . then he shut the door and sat down by it . after the usual civilities the kings fell to business , and the catholick king told king philip , it was not for want of business or riches that he had pretended to govern castile , for he had enough of both , and should advance himself little by taking from his children , but that he had done it as being better acquainted with the humours of the people by his long experience , however he was willing to comply , and resign all up to him . he advised him to be careful in the choice of his ministers and counsellors , and recommended to him the archbishop of toledo , as a man fit to be trusted . king philip answered as he had been before instructed , and thanked his father in law for his advice . thus they took leave , having been together two hours , without so much as naming queen joanna . in fine , they parted more dissatisfied then they met . this interview was upon saturday the th of june . chap. x. the two kings of spain agree , and join in league ; joanna , king philip 's queen , distracted through jealousie ; troubles in castile ; king ferdinand and his queen go to zaragoza ; jealousies started against the great captain ; king philip dies . both kings continued their journey , at or leagues distance from one another . king philip came to benavente on midsummer-day . king ferdinand still pressed to conclude in friendly manner . at last their commissioners agreed the catholick king should quit the government of castile and retire to aragon , still retaining the masterships , and what other leagacies the queen had left in her will. upon these terms they concluded a league defensive and offensive . king ferdinand swore to this league on the th of june at villafasila , in the presence of the archbishop of toledo , d. john manuel , and monsieur de villar . next day king philip also swore it . in private they both signed a writing , declaring the queen's incapacity to govern. the catholick king protested he consented against his will , being in the power of his son in law , and then went away to tordesillas . there on the first of july he published declarations , declaring his design had always been to resign up the government , which he now accordingly performed . how this suits with the protestation ! before he went thence , king philip sent to acquaint him with some things that had passed between the queen and himself , desiring he would , as a father , prevent the like for the future . king ferdinand referred him to his own conscience . from tordesillas the catholick king went to tudela , a village near valladolid , and king philip to mucientes . by the way he laboured to draw the nobility to consent under their hands to shut up the queen . the admiral being asked to sign , desired first to speak with the queen . it was granted . so the admiral and earl of benavente , went to the castle of mucientes , where the queen was . they found her in a black room , cloathed in black , her face almost covered . at the door stood garzilasso de la vega , and within the archbishop of toledo . the admiral had some discourse with the queen , and she never said any thing from the purpose . king philip pressed she should be shut up , the admiral advised him to be careful what he did , for it would be of evil consequence to go to valladolid without her , and might be a motive to raise tumults under colour of setting the queen at liberty , that his opinion was , he should never let her be from him , and since jealousie was her greatest distemper , her being shut up would only serve to increase it . this being proposed in council , it was decreed she should be carried to valladolid . before this it was agreed the two kings should meet at renedo , a village a league and a half from tudela , and two and a half from mucientes . king ferdinand desired , that to avoid scandal this meeting might be with greater demonstrations of affection than the former . on the th of july , after dinner , the two kings set out towards renedo . king ferdinand came first , alighted at the church , and there expected his son in law. they met with great demonstrations of affection , discoursed together an hour and half , then called the archbishop of toledo , before whom they used many expressions full of kindness , no business was spoken of , nor mention made of seeing the queen . this done they parted , and king ferdinand went on his journey towards aragon . the duke of alva begged leave to bear him company to naples , whither he intended to go , but was not permitted , the king telling him , he had rather he should attend his service in castile . king ferdinand bore this shameful expulsion out of castile with great resolution , and appeared always pleasant to the nobility that came to take their leave of him . if any charged others with ingratitude to him , he said they had done him good service , and he would reward them as far as lay in his power . in short , he went away as if he expected soon to return . scarce had king ferdinand turned his back , when there began to be great commotions in castile , which made it appear to the people what miss they were like to have of the late government . king philip had summoned the cortes to meet at valladolid . he still urged to shut up the queen on account of her infirmity , and that she should not have any hand in the government . the nobility complied , and the archbishop of toledo made interest to get her into his hands . only the admiral of castile opposed it , and perswaded the commons not to consent , they promised they would not if any of the nobility would stand by them , and he solemnly swore never to forsake them . thus most of them gainsaid it , and only swore as they had done before at toro , queen joanna queen of castile in her own right , the archduke king as her husband , and prince charles heir to the crown after his mother's death . they gave millions of maravedies , to be raised in two years , for carrying on the war against the moors , which was looked upon as a heavy tax by reason of the famine then raging in castile . spain was supplied with corn out of sicily , a thing never before heard of . it was also surprizing that the council of state began to interfere with the business of the inquisition . they gave ear to those who made complaint against james rodriguez luzero inquisitor at cordova , him and his inferior officers they designed to remove from their employments . the earl of cabra and marquess of priego stood up for them . the people mutinied , secured the judge and a notary of the inquisition , and entred the palace where the inquisitors resided . they complained of the archbishop of sevil , d. james de peza , who was head inquisitor , and of all the general council of the inquisition , which was made up of dr. roderick de mercado , the master azpeitia , the licentiate ferdinand de montemayor , the licentiate john travera , who was afterwards cardinal and archbishop of toledo , and the licentiate sosa , all men of known integrity . they resided at . toro , and had in custody a great number of rich jews . it was no less strange , that at once all the governors of towns and forts , and generals of the frontiers , were changed . this alteration was the cause of three great evils , one , that many places of trust were given to flemings . the second , that the number of preferments being so great , they were not bestowed on deserving persons , but as every courtier or nobleman was in favour , or else as every one offered most money . the third , that all those who were removed thought themselves wronged , being outed those places without any cause , which they had obtained by their service . this was cause of great discontent . the discontent of those who had lost their places , the ignorance of the new officers , and above all , the report that all preferments were sold , and that the queen was ill treated , gave occasion to the multitude to mutiny and combine together for redressing those grievances , and preventing greater they feared were like to follow . now , it was thought , had the catholick king returned into castile , all men would have followed him , and the new king began to be held in such small account , that when he would have made garcilasso de la vega president of the council , and tutor to prince ferdinand , the nobility would not allow him either . d. john manuel acted as president till such time as that employment was disposed of . in andaluzia the duke of medina sidonia , the earl of uren̄a , the marquess de priego , and earl of cabra met , as was supposed , to treat about setting the queen at liberty . the king and queen in august went from valladolid to segovia , on account that the marquess and marchioness of moya would not resign the command of that castle to d. john manuel , as they were ordered . but they knowing forces were raising against them , submitted . the king hearing of it , returned to tudela de duero , designing for burgos and vitoria , because it was reported the french had a force in readiness to invade the frontiers on that side . to secure himself on the side of navarre , he appointed the duke of najara general of those frontiers , in the place of d. john de ribera , and concluded a league with that king and queen , for castile and leon , without mentioning his father in law or the kingdom of aragon , which was contrary to the agreement made with king ferdinand at villafasila , and misbecoming the duty of a son to a father . the catholick king by the way of montagudo and hariza , went to zaragoça , where the queen first , and then he , were received with great joy , the people having conceived hopes that the king's marriage would produce a king of their own . by the way , before king ferdinand left castile , he at several times pressed king. philip to deliver up to him duke valentin as his prisoner , that he might keep him in some secure place in aragon , or carry him over to naples , whither he designed soon to go , and to that effect was sitting out a fleet at barcelona . king philip was willing to deliver him , but his council advised , it was fit first to decide whose prisoner he was , being taken and sent into . spain by the great captain whilst queen elizabeth was yet living . this councel was followed , which was a new subject of distast . the jealousie of the great captain still increased . his long delays gave malicious men occasion to descant upon him . some said he expected the coming of the emperor , who designed to embark in the gulph of venice with germans to possess himself of that kingdom . some said he held intelligence with france by means of the cardinal d' amboise . others , that he corresponded with the pope , and designed to accept of the command of general of the church differed him , to expel john bentivolla out of bolognia , which city he had made himself master of . others said , he designed to marry his daughter to the son of prosper colona , that he might support himself with the interest of the coloneses . every man affirmed as much of him as he imagined , or believed was in his power to do . the great captain sent nan̄o de ocampo , by the post , to spain , to clear him , and to assure the king of his coming . but there being so many various reports , this was looked upon as no sufficient security , and the king resolved to go away as soon as possible . he constituted the archbishop of zaragaça viceroy of naples , and the duke of calabria of catalonia , but took from him his italian servants , and ordered some of them to go with him to naples . he also sollicited to have the king of france send him the duke's mother , and her other children , but she could not be perswaded to go , and therefore went away to the marquisate of mantua with luis de gonzaga her nephew , the king of france promising to allow her duccats a year . the catholick king sent charles de alagon to naples , to give advice of his coming , and assure the colloneses that regard should be had to their services . on the th of september he set sail from barcelona , and with him queen germana , the two queens of naples , mother and daughter , and a great number of castilian and catalonian noblemen that attended upon him . the fleet was very great , for in it were the galleys of sicily commanded by tristan dolz , and those of catalonia by d. raymund de cardona , besides many ships . the galleys of naples were left there for the great captain to come out and meet the king , which he did accordingly on the th of september he set out from naples by land , the weather being unfit for the galleys . he stayed at gaeta till the th of the month . with him was the duke of termens , and many spanish and italian gentlemen . prisoners he carried the prince of rosano , the marquess of bitonto , alonso de sanseverino , and fabricius de gesualdo , others he left sick at naples . at the same time king philip being come to burgos , and lodged in the constables house , immediately ordered the lady joanna de aragon , the constables wife , to depart the court , that the queen might have no body to make her complaints to . an impeachment began to be drawn up against the duke of alva , and the admiral was ordered to deliver up one of his castles , he being grown into suspicion . he having consulted with the marquess of villena , the duke of najara , and earl of benavente , excused himself . this posture of affairs seemed to threaten some great revolution , when king philip was seized by a pestilential fever , which brought him to his end in few days . some suspected he was poisoned , but his doctors declared his disease proceeded from too much exercise . the queen stayed by him during the whole time of his sickness , and even after his death could not be drawn from his body , notwithstanding that besides her ordinary indisposition she was with child . he died on the th of september , being years of age. he ordered his body to be buried at granada , and it was deposited at miraflores , a monastery of carthusians near burgos . such was the end of that prince in the very beginning of his reign , being snatched away before he could enjoy the glory he might reasonably expect . how many ill grounded hopes fell to the ground upon his death ? and how many new projects were started ? he was of an indifferent stature , of a fair complexion , had a thin beard , midling eyes , long hair , and all the frame of his body was comely and agreeable . his spirit was generous , his nature easie , ( a noble fault ) of which his favourites made ill use , an enemy to business , addicted to pleasure , and very apt to be led away by his followers . in august was seen a blazing star for the space of days between the west and south . after his death it was supposed to portend the end of this prince , and that some notable change or revolution would ensue in his kingdoms . the end of the th book . the history of spain . book xxix . chap. i. the settlement made by the nobility of castile after the death of king philip ; the catholick king goes over to naples , his reception in that city ; no settlement in the government of castile . amidst their confusions duke valentine makes his escape . no sooner was king philip dead , but several malignant humours began to appear ; there being no body left to put a stop to evils that threatned the commonwealth . the queen to whom this principally appertained , was incapacitated by reason of her indisposition . her son prince charles was a child and bred abroad , and if he succeeded in the place of his mother , he must be governed by strangers . of his two grandfathers , the emperor was far off , and unacquainted with the affairs of spain . only king ferdinand remained , on whose prudence they might rely ; but he was then absent , disgusted , and some feared he would if he were in power , revenge the affronts offered him . for this reason many projected strange methods of government ; and the day before king philip died , there being no hopes of life , there was such contention among the nobility as threatned a war. to prevent all disasters , the constable , the admiral , and duke del infantado met , and declared for his catholick majesty , and joining with the duke of najara and marguess de villena , the heads of the contrary faction at the archbishop of toledo's lodging , they agreed that all debates arising , should be absolutely decided by the arch-bishop , and others chosen out of both parties , and that their determination should be binding . thus on the first of october articles of agreement were concluded upon among the nobles , and they all swore to stand by them , and they to continue in force all the month of december . among other things it was decreed , that none should presume to levy forces . that none should infest or invade the lands , castles and towns of another . that none should seize upon the person of the queen who was of burgos , or of prince ferdinand who was at simancas . peter nunez de guzman his governor , to prevent any surprize , had recourse to the president and council of valladolid , and they went to simancas , and brought away the prince , placeing him in safety in the college of s. gregory , built by d. alonso de burgos bishop of palencia , and given to the dominicans . the same day the nobility concluded their agreement at burgos , the catholick king arrived at genoa . his voyage was tedious , contrary winds forcing him to touch at palamos , and toulon ; and then to coast along by savona and genoa . before he came to that city , he was met by the great captain with the gallies of naples . the king received him with great affection , being then convinced of his fidelity ; notwithstanding all aspersions cast upon him , and spoke very much in his commendation , both before him and in his absence . most men , but particularly the italians could hardly be perswaded that so wise a man as the great captain would put himself into the power of so jealous a king. the city sent the king many presents , tho' he would not land , only advised them to preserve peace among themselves , for he would be always ready to assist his brother the king of france . this made them quiet for the present , tho' soon after they obliged the king of france to come into italy to pacifie them . putting to sea again from genoa , contrary winds forced him into portoso , there on the th of october he received the news of the death of king philip. the archbishop of toledo and others of his party desired him to return with all speeed to castile , as did also d. alvaro osirio who was with him , with the character of ambassador from king philip. yet he resolved to prosecute his voyage . he writ to the prelates and nobility , expressing his grief for the death of king philip , and recommending to them to continue loyal to the queen , promising to be with them as soon as he had settled the affairs of naples . from portosi he went on to gaeta , where at puzol he spent some days to give the neapolitans time to prepare for his reception , for they had never believed he would come , especially after the death of king philip. from puzol he went to castel del ovo , there on the first of november galleys came out of the port , and the king went aboard the admiral . the cannon of the galleys was fired first , and then that of the castles and the ships in the harbour . this done , the galleys laid along the side of the mole . the king and queen landed by a wooden bridge built for that purpose . the great captain and all the nobility came out to meet them . being come to the last arch of the bridge , the great captain leading the queen , there the king swore to preserve the privileges of that city . after which , they took horse under a canopy carried by the elects of the people . fabricius colona carried the royal standard , given him by the king himself , with the honour of standard-bearer : next him went the kings at arms , then the great captain , and on his right-hand prosper colona : after them , the other nobility and ambassadors . but the pleasantest sight of all was , the prisoners then set at liberty . next behind the canopy were the two cardinals of borgia and sorento . in this manner they were conducted through the principal streets , and lanes of gentlemen and ladies richly clad , and great companies of vocal and instrumental musick . being come to the great church , they were received by the clergy and religious orders in procession . at castelnovo , where the cavalcade ended , they were received by the two queens of naples and the queen of hungary . nextday the king rode about the city , accompanied by the barons , and to honour the great captain alighted at his house . he entred upon business , and went about to restore ten barons who had forfeited their estates . a parliament was held , where they took the oath of fidelity to the king , to his daughter queen joanna , and their heirs , without mentioning queen germana , contrary to the agreement made with france . the pretence was , that she was indisposed , and had already been sworn queen of naples at valladolid . mean while castile was full of private dissention , yet nothing broke out in publick . the queen neither would nor could attend the government ; only such as would , obeyed the orders of the council . some would have the cortes assembled to appoint governours . this was chiefly urged by the archbishop of toledo , the constable , and the admiral . they could never persuade the queen to sign the writs , and therefore the council issued them . the duke of alva , tho' not at court then , opposed it , saying only the king could assemble the cortes . for this reason , tho' some of the commons met , nothing was done . all was in confusion , the nobility at variance ; but yet the most agreed that king ferdinand ought to govern the chief of these were the archbishop of toledo , the constable , the admiral , and the dukes of albuquerque and bejar . some of these would not allow him to govern , unless he were present ; others said he might , tho' absent . of these was the archbishop , who sollicited the king and queen to give him as ample commission as when he treated with king philip. the duke of najara , d. alonso tellez , brother to the marquess of villena , and d. john manuel , were of opinion that no account ought to be made of the queen , no more than if she were dead , by reason of her weakness ; and therefore her son charles ought to succeed . but neither could they agree in this point , for the duke would have him brought to spain . that such as the kingdom made choice of might govern in his name . d. alonso said , the protectorship belonged to the emperor as grandfather by the father's side . this opinion prevailed above the duke's and the emperour was desirous to take upon him the government , proposing to come himself into spain . some there were that would commit the government to the king of portugal , and marry prince ferdinand to his daughter elizabeth , proclaiming him king , being utterly averse to strangers . others were for marrying the daughter of king philip to the prince of viana , and so putting the kingdom under the king and queen of navarre . these were all chimera's , framed according to every man's interest . they said the archbishop aimed at a cardinal's cap , and desired a bishoprick for his companion f. francis ruyz . the duke del infantado coveted the bishoprick of palençia for one of his sons . the duke of albuquerque would have the castle of segovia restored to the marquess of moya . the duke of najara was displeased to see the constable so great with the catholick king , and the marquess de villena was envious of the duke of alva's favour . the earl of benavente would have the fair granted to his own town of villalon by king philip , confirmed , tho' it was to the prejudice of medina del campo . others had other private pretensions , without any regard to the publick good. to prevent disorders , the archbishop of toledo and the deputies for deciding of controversies , agreed that the nobility should swear , that before the meeting of the cortes , they would not call in any prince , nor make any sort of contract with any ; and the catholick king from naples writ to many of the nobility , promising to content them in their pretensions . the dissention among the nobility gave occasion to many disorders : one was , the escape of duke valentine from mota de medina . he fled to the lands of the earl of benavente , and thence , with the assistance of the said earl , to navarre . d. john de guzman , duke of medina sidonia , sent his son henry with forces to besiege gibraltar , a place given him by king henry , and taken away by king ferdinand . the governour in it defended himself ; and relief being sent by the earl of tendilla and the councils of some cities , the siege was raised . the archbishop of sevill promised he would prevail with the queen and the king her father to stand trial at law with the duke . afterwards the duke and archbishop met at toçina with the earl of urena and cabra , and the marquess of priego , and there engaged together to stand by the queen and kingdom , to obey all orders from the queen and council ; but as for the cortes , they protested , if their resolutions were not for the honour of god and the advantage of the queen and her kingdom , they thought not themselves obliged to obey them . d. roderick de mendoça , marquess of cenete , was upon marrying the lady fonseca ; but some dispute arising about it , that lady was by the queen's order secured ; yet the marquess took her by force out of the monastery of huelgas at valladolid . at toledo the earl of fuensalida would not allow peter de castilla as governour ; but the family of the sylva's , and some soldiers sent by ferdinand de vega , standing by him , the earl was forced to desist . at madrid the family of the zapata's , and d. peter lasso de castilla , took up arms for the catholick king , and john arias to oppose them . at segovia the marquess of moya secured the great church and gates of the city , hoping to recover the castle . thus all the kingdom was in a flame , and no body to quench it . chap. ii. queen joanna departs from burgos ; is wholly incapable of having any part in the government . the affairs of naples . queen joanna brought to bed of a daughter at torquemada . great disorders in castile . the queen , by reason of her indisposition , was rather a hindrance than a help to business . on all-saints-day having heard mass in the monastery of miraflores , after dinner she caused the coffin of the late king her husband to be opened , as was believed fearing it had been carried away to flanders by the flemings , who pressed to be paid their arrears , in order to return home . this being proposed to the queen , she gave no answer , but that she would take care to pray to god for her husband . it was several times proposed to remove her from burgos , but she could be persuaded to nothing that did not hit with her own humour . her company she most delighted in was the lady joanna d' aragon , the marchioness of denia , the countess of salinas , and the lady mary de ulloa . being very big with child , she resolved to remove to torquemada , and carry the body of her husband , in order to send it to granada . the day before she set out , she commanded john lopez de lazarra her secretary , to write an order , by which all grants made by her husband were vacated . this being a thing of dangerous consequence , the secretary delayed it , and thereupon she called four of the council to issue that order . she appointed such as had been of the council in the time of her mother to continue , and the rest to be removed . some of the commons asking whether she would be pleased to send two of them to intreat king ferdinand to come and assist her in the government : she answered , she would be glad of the king 's coming , but said nothing as to the government . yet she bid them be gone , and not meddle in any thing that related to the cortes without her order , which was as good as dissolving that assembly . the queen set out by night with the body of her late king , and came about midnight to cavia , and thence went to torquemada , where she stayed . at burgos . remained the council of state , the archbishop of toledo , the admiral , and duke of najara . differences arose about protracting the term prefix'd to the agreement made betwixt the nobility . the constable opposed , and the admiral was for prolonging of it , and having the council obey till the catholick king came . to obstruct whose coming , some proposed the queen should marry ; but the queen would hear nothing of it . many ambassadors from the princes of italy resorted to king ferdinand at naples . it was contrived , with the assistance of the king of france , to obstruct the emperour's taking the government of flanders into his hands , that so neither he nor his grandson prince charles might come into spain . the king of france endeavoured to join in league with king ferdinand and the pope against the venetians , to recover such places of his as they possessed . the catholick king was willing , that so he might regain what they had in the kingdom of naples . yet he thought better to be at peace with that republick , that he might be at leisure to attend the more important affairs of castile . some time before died his ambassador to that state laurence suarez , and his son gonzalo ruyz de figueroa succeeded him . the pope , tho' assisted by the king of france against john de bentivoglia , who had seized the city bolognia , yet thought good to make use of the catholick king , who sent to acquaint bentivoglia , that he could not but assist the pope in recovering the patrimony of the church . hereupon bentivoglia offered to admit the pope upon certain conditions , which was accordingly done . king ferdinand sent antony d' acun̄a to congratulate with the pope , and endeavour to join in a strict league with him , to the end to obtain the investiture of naples for himself and his heirs , notwithstanding the agreement made with france . for kings regard nothing but their own interest . at the end of the year he sent f. giles de viterbo , vicar-general of the order of s. augustin , to offer his forces to the pope for recovery of the lands of the church , and to make war upon the turks . at this time the restoring of the barons of the faction of anjou to their estates was in hand , a thing very difficult , their lands being given to those that had served the king. he was forced to requite those that were in possession , to buy out whole estates , and alienate part of the crown-lands to satisfie them all . the chief men restored were the princes of salerno , bisignano , and melfi , the dukes of tangeto and arri , the earls of conça , morcon , and monteleon ; and besides these , alonso de sanseverino . the dukedom of sessa was bought outright , and given to the great captain , a reward due to his great services . many italians and spaniards had the lands before given them taken away , which the latter easily condescended to , being desirous to return to their country , and content with any recompence there . yet even some of these had no manner of satisfaction made them in spain . special regard was had to content the ursini and coloneses , the two principal families in rome . care was also taken to gain the people of siena , and the lord of piombino , two important places for the affairs of italy . the bishop of louvain and luke de reynaldis came to naples from the emperour , about settling the government of castile . they having complimented the king upon his arrival in that kingdom , proposed , that the governours then in being might be continued ; and also that the barons of the french faction might not be restored , because it was entertaining of so many enemies . likewise , that the king should promote the match before agreed upon , betwixt prince charles and claudia daughter to the king of france . in order to it , they said it was convenient the king and emperour should meet . the emperour designed to go into italy , under colour of being crowned ; but his design was to oppose the king of france , who it was reported would go to rome , to be crowned emperour , and create the cardinal d' amboise pope , of which the emperour grievously complained in the diet assembled at constance . the king immediately answered the ambassadors , that the government of castile belonged only to his daughter ; and in case she could not or would not manage it , then it only appertained to him as her father , and the same if she should die ; and that as yet there were no governours chosen in castile . as for the barons , that he had promised , and could not avoid restoring their estates . that in what related to the marriage , the king of france had acquainted him how displeasing it was to his people to have britany and milan alienated from the crown ; and therefore desired the princess might be married to the duke of angouslesme , who was heir to the crown . and as to the interview , he said he should be glad of it when affairs would permit . in a second audience , the ambassadors offered , that the emperour would give the king the title of emperour of italy , resign over all his right to it , and assist him in the subduing of it . to this he answered , it was not not convenient the emperour should lessen his own authority ; and for himself , he coveted no more of italy than was his own . then they proposed a league betwixt the emperour , kings of france and spain , and the pope , against the venetians . to which he said , if the rest were agreed , he would not oppose it . then the king sent d. jayme de conchillos , bishop of girachi , his ambassador to the emperour , on pretence of prevailing with the flemmings to admit of the emperour as their governour , for prince charles his grandson . but at the same time the king's designs , were quite different , as has been said . queen joanna was at torquemada at the beginning of the year . there on the th of january she was delivered of a daughter called catherine , afterwards queen of portugal . she was in great danger for want of a midwife , which want was supplied by the lady mary de ulloa , her favourite and lady of the bedchamber . the council laboured to compose the differences betwixt the nobility ; but their orders were of small force . the mutiny at cordova about the inquisitors encreased . the chief reason was , that the prisoners to make their business the more intricate , had brought in many of the nobility as accessary to their crimes . this the people attributed to the malice of the inquisitors . at toledo the silva's and ayala's took up arms ; the latter in defence of a judge sent by the council with power to controul the governour and his officers . the silva's stood by the governour , and had secured the gates and bridges ; but the people favouring the ayala's , the governour was turned out , and several people were killed and wounded in the scuffle . madrid was in a mutiny betwixt the two parties of d. peter lasso de castilla , and john arias , the former being for king ferdinand . philip vasquez d' acun̄a , governour of cuenca , kept the council of that city under , so that they could not obey the queen's orders . james hurtado de mendoça turned him out of the city , and ordered that the council ould chuse two alcaides , who should govern the city in the queen's name . at segovia the marquess of moya had besieged the castle , turned out all the citizens that opposed him , and burnt the church of s. romanus , where some of them made themselves strong . the queen only served to hinder business . to prevent these mischiefs spreading in andaluzia , the marquess de priego , the earl of cabra , the earl of tendilla captain-general of granada , and the lieutenant of murcia , associated themselves in favour of the queen , to preserve that country in peace till the coming of the catholick king. the earl of uren̄a coming to court , interposed his authority for reconciling the nobility , tho' at the same time he made his complaint , and had his pretensions , which tended to be restored to the government of carmona taken from him , and to obtain a commendary for his son roderick . the admiral raised men to recover villena and villavicencio , wrongfully taken from him , as he said , by the duke of alva . the duke of najara had a guard of armed men , and at villamedina took up the house appointed for the council , who thereupon removed to palencia . d. john manuel came to tarquemada with horse . the marquess de villena and constable levied forces . the archbishop of toledo gathered men , and ordered the ordinary guards to be paid out of his own revenue , and would have had them sworn to the queen and himself . hereupon the duke of najara raised more men , and they were near coming to blows with those of the archbishop . to prevent these disorders , it was desired that no armed men but those of the queen and archbishop should remain in the town , upon which the duke went away in a passion . d. john manuel the admiral , the marquess of villena , earl of benavente , and andrew de burgo the emperour's ambassador , met at grijota , in order to hinder the coming of king ferdinand , unless he first satisfied them in all their demands . they met again at duen̄as , and gave out that the archbishop and constable kept the queen prisoner . lastly , they went to villalōn to levy forces to relieve the castle of segovia ; besieged by the marquess of moya . the king of portugal held intelligence with the marquess de villena , to obstruct the coming of the catholick king , and promote the emperor's bringing prince charles , and taking upon him the government . at this time came from rome d. antony acun̄a , being made bishop of zamora . he had orders to make large promises to the marquess de villena , as did d. alvaro osorio to the duke of najara and d. john emanuel , if they would take party with the catholick king ; but all was to no effect . the constable complained that d. antony acun̄a his enemy was preferred ; and the council , because he was not presented by the queen , sent orders to the chapter not to admit him ; or if admitted , not to continue him . these orders came after he was in possession , and the alcaide ronquillo was sent to put them in execution , but the bishop apprehended and kept him prisoner . the governour of salamanca and duke of alva gathered a force to revenge that affront done to the queen ; but all in vain , for d. antony kept his bishoprick . all the kingdom was full of tumults , oppression , complaints , and pretensions . the best strove to sell their loyalty at as dear a rate as they could . the catholick king , tho' he designed not to take revenge of those that opposed him , thought it hard to buy what he looked upon his as right . at this time the council prorogued the cortes for months whereupon the commons , who still continued at burgos , returned home . chap. iii. the death of duke valentine , and troubles in navarre . the treaty betwixt the emperor and king ferdinand . the great captain courted to command the venetian and pope's forces . king ferdinand settles the affairs of naples , and departs from that city . whilst castile was thus in confusion , new troubles broke out in navarre . king john taking the advantage of the catholick king 's absence , who always was a check upon him , resolved to be revenged upon his constable the earl of lerin , who had offered him many affronts , and still been protected by castile . as soon as duke valentine , the king's brother-in-law , came into navarre , he made him his general , resolving to seize all the earl of lerin's estate , as of an enemy to the crown . he gathered light-horse , men at arms , and about foot. with this force he sate down before viana on the th of march. in this place was luis de biamonte the constable's son. the night following being very stormy , the constable with horse put supplies into the place , leaving foot without in ambush . being discovered in his return , he was charged by duke valentine with about horse , the king coming after with the other forces . the duke having killed and taken men , pursued to the place where the ambush lay ; there he was wounded , and dismounted by a horseman , and those that lay in ambush rushing out , killed and stripped him to his shirt , without knowing who he was . he being slain , all the forces returned to their camp. the constable went away to lerin . thus died he that had been the firebrand of all italy . it was observed he died in the diocess of pamplona , which was the first bishoprick he had , and on the same day he had first taken possession of it , he left only one daughter in the keeping of her unkle the king of navarre , who pressed the siege , being reinforced with some troops from the constable of castile . the duke of najara and archbishop of zaragoça prepared to relieve the place ; yet it was surrendered , and the king with horse and foot laid siege to raga . the council of castile sent to require the king of navarre to forbear using force for months . the king offered to condescend , if the earl would come and beg his pardon , deliver up the town of lerin , send his sons to court , and then himself depart the kingdom . still whilst they treated , the king went on , took raga and all other places from the earl ; only lerin held out some time , but was at last forced to submit . upon this the earl went away to castile , and thence to aragon , having not a foot of land left him in navarre , now the catholick king 's party , what with promises , and what with present gifts , was grown considerable . many died of the plague at torquemada , the infection spreading this year through all spain . the queen went to hornillos , a village a league from that town , resolving to expect the coming of her father thereabouts . she had restored to the council such as were of it in her mother's time , and discharged the rest . it was endeavoured to persuade her to recall that order , but she could not be prevailed upon . at segovia the marquess of moya continued the siege of the castle ; and tho' well defended for months , it being undermined , the besieged surrendered on the th of may. the emperor's ambassadors at naples pressed for an interview betwixt their master and king ferdinand , and proposed nice or rome for the places to meet at , saying , they could dispatch more business in one day being together , than in several months at a distance . king ferdinand gave many excuses to avoid meeting ; whereupon the ambassadors required him not to return to castile till all differences were adjusted ; for otherwise the emperor would also be obliged to go thither , and then all the mischiefs that should follow , must be imputed to him that was the cause of them . this looked more like a challenge , than an overture of accommodation . yet the ambassadours were appointed to treat with the great captain , the lord chamberlain and secretary . king ferdinand pleaded that being the queen's father he had right to be her tutor , besides that it was her own desire , and he had been appointed by the will of queen elizabeth . for the emperor it was urged , that the queen being non compos , the prince was to succeed , and then his grandfather by the fathers side ought to be tutor , besides that the catholick king was married contrary to his promise made to queen elizabeth , and that the nobility were against him . as a medium between both it was proposed on the emperors part that the government should be committed to persons , to be chosen by the emperor and by the catholick king that of all preferments the king should have the gift of one d part , and the other two should be in the disposal of the governours , that the revenue should be divided into four parts , for the queen and the th for the king. that to secure prince charles in the succession , all places of strength should be put into the emperor's hands . that some children of the nobility should be sent to flanders to he bred with prince charles , and security given that none should suffer for having taken part with king philip. that the investiture of naples should be obtained in such manner as might not be prejudicial to prince charles . the catholick king not approving of these conditions prepared to depart , notwithstanding the emperor required him not to stir till all differences were agreed . nevertheless king ferdinand being resolved to return to spain , sent bernard dezpuch master of montesa , antony augustino , and hierome vic his ambassadors to do homage to the pope , which was done on the th of april , and at the same time an offer made of all the king's forces for the service of the church . the pope was well pleased ; and in token of his affection sent the golden rose that is blessed on christmas night to the king. he also offered the great captain to make him general of the forces of the church , which employment the venetians also offered him in their service , but the king prevented him from accepting either by promising again to make him master of the order of santiago . that it might not be thought an empty promise , the king had given orders to his ambassador antony augustino to obtain leave of the pope to resign that dignity into the hands of the archbishops of toledo and sevil and the bishop of palencia , that with the pope's commission they might confer it upon the great captain . the pope was willing the great captain should have that dignity , but would not agree to the commission as a lessening of his own authority . hereupon the business was delayed , which made it all to be looked upon as an artifice of the king 's to draw the great captain out of italy . he was then duke of sessa and terranova and constable of naples . king ferdinand being desirous to alter the late capitulation with france touching the inheritance of the kingdom of naples in case queen germana had no issue , promised to assist the cardinal d' amboise towards obtaining the papacy if he would prevail with the king of france to quit his pretensions to that crown . it was indeed but reasonable since the king of france obstructed the marriage of prince charles with his daughter claudia and thereby cut him off the inheritance of britany and milan , that he should make him amends by quitting all claim to naples . the king of france would not hearken to this , being offended the nobility at naples had taken the oath of fidelity to queen joanna without making mention of queen germana , contrary to the express articles sworn to by the catholick king. it was very requisite the catholick king should hasten his return to spain , but the affairs of naples detained him . he pressed the pope to grant him the investiture of naples , which the pope at last was willing to grant upon condition he would recover for him the cities of faença and arimino taken by the venetians . this being a thing could not be presently done the king resolved to depart . to oblige the great captain the more , he caused a publick instrument to be made in vindication of his loyalty , copies whereof were sent to all princes john de lanuça , viceroy of sicily , was come to naples , him he resolved to leave with the same character in that kingdom . but both he and his son dying before the king embarqued , he gave that command to his nephew d. john de aragon earl of ribagorça , and sent d. raymund de cardona to sicily with the title of lievtenant general . the viceroy was commanded not to disoblige the coloneses and ursini , and bartholomew de albiano , having submitted himself to the king , was restored to his estate . besides the ordinary forces , gentlemen were appointed to do duty at court , and duccats pay allowed each of them . philip ferreras was sent ambassadour to venice to assure that state , which was jealous of the kings designs . all things being thus ordered the king set fail on the th of june with galleys . eight days before the ships set out under the command of the earl peter navarro . at this time the kingdom of portugal was in a most flourishing condition , and famous throughout the world , for the valour and prudence of its king. on the th of june the queen was deliver'd at lisbon of a son called ferdinand , who died in the flower of his age. some noblemen of castile and particularly the marquess de villena would have committed the government of castile to the king of portugal , to exclude king ferdinand . he thought not good to hazard any thing upon the promises of so few , tho at the same time he was willing to have had a hand in the government of castile that he might marry his children to those of queen joanna , and make use of the forces of that crown for advancing his conquests in india and africk , or at least have conveyed that power to the emperour . the king of navarre also offered the emperour passage through his kingdom , being jealous if the catholick king grew so powerful he would never desist till he had deprived him of his crown . the nobility of the emperor's faction pressed him to come over : and it is certain he had possitively resolved to take a journey into spain . chap. iv. the king of france enters italy with an army to reduce genoa , has an interview with king ferdinand , who returns to castile . the spaniards defeated in africk the emperor offended at king ferdinand . the king of france was now in italy , whither he came with a great army to reduce the genoeses , who had mutiny'd against the nobility , beaten down the french arms , and chosen for their duke one paul de nobe a silk-dyer . it was agreed that as the catholick king returned to spain he should meet the king of france at savona . bad weather detained the galleys some time at gaeta and upon the coast of rome and tuscany . on the th of june the catholick king came to genoa , where gaston de foix , lord of narbonne , his nephew and brother-in-law , went out to meet him with galleys . the king of france being before at savona met the catholick king upon the shoar , and having embrac'd him , they went together under a canopy to the castle where they were to be entertained , king ferdinand on the right hand the king of france on the left and the queen in the middle . the more to honour them , the king of france went to lodge in the bishop's house . on s. peter's day they heard mass together , the nobility of both kingdoms vying in costly apparel . that night the queen supped with the king of france her unkle , and the two cardinals of s. praxedes and d' amboise with king ferdinand . next night the two kings and queens supped together and with them the great captain at the request of the king of france who spoke very honourably of him . king ferdinand commended the lord of aubigny , who thence conceived hopes of recovering the earldom of venafra , which he was possess'd of when the war broke out . it was the subject of many reflections , that the catholick king put himself into the power of his competitor . the chief business discoursed of at this interview was about the league against the venetians , before designed . the kings having taken leave of one another , king ferdinand prosecuted his voyage which was tedious , by reason of contrary winds . he arrived at codaques upon the coast of catalonia on the th of july , but because the plague was in that countrey , sailed away to valencia , where he arrived the th of the same month , peter navarro with the ships being there before . the king and queen were received with great pomp , the queen under a canopy it being the first time she had been there . upon the arrival of the king castile easily submitted , and particularly the marquess of villena complyed , upon promise that the king would stand tryal at law with him . satisfaction in mony and lands was promised the duke of medina sidonia for gibraltar . the archbishop of toledo was pleased that besides other favours the king had obtained him a cardinals cap and the office of inquisitor . general of castile and leon , the archbishop of sevil resigning that place . f. john de enguerra the king's confessor was inquisitor general for aragon . thus the nobility were gained and all castile pacified . what gave scandal was , that the king prevailed with the pope to grant the archbishoprick of santiago to d. alonso de fonseca , a youth of no learning , and what is worse , his own father resigning of that see to him upon the title given him of patriarch of alexandria . true it is , they had both done good service which might in some measure excuse this odious succession of a bastard to his father's bishoprick , but yet it was no way justifiable . it remained now to reduce the duke of najara d. john manuel , and the earl of lemos who in galicia had taken the town of ponferrada , belonging to the crown , and most of the marquisate of villafranca to which he pretended a right . the duke of alva and earl of benavente were sent against him with horse and foot. the duke of bragança would have assisted the earl , but the king of portugal would not permit : yet he prevailed with the archbishop that the earl should not be put out by force of arms , but by regular course of law. at last the earl submitted , restored ponferrada and the marquisate of villafrrnca . d. john manuel being resolved to go for flanders whether all the flemmings were already gone , gave up the castle of burgos to the duke of najara , and that of jaen to the earl of cabra . about this time the catholick king received the news that the alcaide de los donzeles governour of mazalquivir having made an incursion towards tremezen with horse and foot , being upon his return with a great booty near oran , was overthrown by the king of tremeçen . the governour fought his way through with horse and got to mazalquivir , only more escaped by flight and as many were taken . upon this news the king sent some galleys from valencia to the relief of mazalquivir . at naples james garcia de paredes , james de aguayo , and melgarijo turned pyrats . james garcia went to the levant and did great harm there . the other two lay at ischia and robbed all that came in their way . michalot de pratz a brave commander , sent by the viceroy to suppress them near belveder , in the prince of bisignano's country , took their vessels , and they fled to the shore . scarce had michalot done this , when the caravel he went in was lost and he drowned in a sudden storm . about this time alonso de albuquerque , sent the last year with tristan d' acun̄na to india to succeed francis de almeyda as governour , before he came to him , subdued the island of ormuz , one of the most important places in those parts , lying at the mouth of the persian gulph ; and tho barren , extremely hot , destitute of water , and not above leagues in length , yet for all this , vastly rich and delightful , by reason of its great trade in the east . on the coast of africk , upon the ocean , the portugueses took safin a large and populous city , once subject to the kings of morocco , but at that time to particular lords of its own . queen germana was left at valencia , as the king's deputy , but she soon went away to castile . count peter navarro set out with most of the forces that came in the fleet towards almacen , and the king set forwards on the th of august . the archbishop of zoragoça , and dukes of medina celi , and albuquerque went out to meet him . on the th of august he came to montagudo , the first town in the kingdom of castile . thence he went to almaçan and aranda . all the way he was met by prelates and noblemen . till this time queen joanna stayed at hornillos , the roof of the church where her husband 's body lay was burnt , and the body removed to the house where she lay : hearing of her father's coming she went to tortolei a village near aranda . on the th of august the king came to tortoles and the queen falling at his feet , he knelt down to take her up . after embracing they withdrew , and having conferred together the queen went away to her lodgings . next day the king went to visit her , and after that began to dispose of all things . there they continued days , and then went to santa maria del campo . the king would have given the archbishop the cardinals cap there , but the queen said it was not fit she should be where there was any rejoycings , and therefore it was given him at the church of mahamud . he was honoured with the title of cardinal of spain , but the private name was of s. balbina . andrew de burgo , the emperour's ambassador , ceased not after the coming of the catholick king , to perswade many to declare against his government . the king sent him away , and with him john albion , to desire the emperour to send an ambassador that would promote the peace and welfare of those kingdoms . he undertook to reconcile the admiral , constable , and duke of alva , and secure them to his own interest . he gave orders for appeasing the tumults in andaluzia , and for securing the sea-ports of biscay and galicia , ordering the earl of lemos and d. ferdinand de andrada to come out of galicia , where they had great power . the same was done at cadiz , gibraltar and malaga , and for more security the moriscos , that is , those descended of moors , were ordered to retire leagues from the sea coast , that all those shores might be peopled by the antient christian race , but this could not be compassed . d. john manuel had possession of the castles of burgos , jaen , plasencia , and miravete , which the king commanded his lieutenants to deliver . he of burgos delayed , whereupon the king sent peter navarro with forces to besiege it , and then the lieutenant submitted , as did all the others . d. john manuel by the way of navarre went into france designing for germany . there only remained the duke of najara , who fortified that town and levied forces , hoping the emperour would soon come , and therefore acted in the name of prince charles , as his viceroy . to put a stop to these troubles , the king set out towards burgos , and from arcos sent ferdinand duke of strada to require that duke to deliver up his forts . the duke excused himself . the king leaving the queen at arcos , because she would not go to burgos , where she lost her husband , went on himself in order to force the duke . count peter navarro was sent with his forces , the guards and artillery , to seize all the duke's estate and his person . several of the nobility interposed , and the duke submitted to deliver up many places of strength . hereupon , the king pardoned the duke , and not long after by degrees , restored all those forts to duke antony manrique , earl of triveno , son to the duke . to oblige the duke of albuquerque the king proposed to marry the lady joanna de aragon daughter to the archbishop of zoragoça to the dukes eldest son , but this match did not succeed , and she was afterwards married to d. john de borgia duke of gandia : the emperor was much offended at the kings of france and spain . he complained of the catholick king , for that he had seized upon the government of castile without agreeing with him . it was reported he would send germans to naples , to favour the pretensions of the duke of calabria ; and it was also suspected that the great captain forwarded this design , in hopes to marry his eldest daughter to the duke , and would accept of the command of general of the forces of the church , with a pension of ducats . but those were mere jealousies , and soon after the emperor declared , he would break through the dutchy of milan and with all his forces invade the state of venice . the catholick king took care to secure the duke of calabria , who was at his court. the emperor was offended at the king of france , for that he supported the duke of guelders , and had made war in burgundy at the time that king ferdinand went into italy . he did not approve of the conference betwixt the two kings , and took it ill that the match betwixt prince charles and the princess claudia was broke off . at this time that lady was contracted to the duke of angoulesme heir to the crown of france , and therefore the emperor pleaded the investiture of the dutchy of milan , according to the agreement made with king philip , was void . the catholick king valued not the match , thinking by this means to secure prince charles the inheritance of the kingdom of naples . the king of france not regarding the emperor's complaints , he thought of marrying prince charles to mary daughter to the king of england . this match was so far advanced , that the princess's portion was assigned to be crowns , and the time and place of marriage appointed . it was concluded the consent of king ferdinand and queen joanna should be asked , but the marriage to be consummated tho they opposed it . this match pleased the king of england , yet he was willing to oblige king ferdinand , in hopes himself to marry queen joanna : the catholick king gave him good words to secure the marriage of his daughter the princess catherine with the prince of wales . but the king of england at the same time delayed , in hopes to promote the match for himself , which was a strange complication of politicks . death broke off all the king of england's designs . many said king ferdinand intended to marry queen joanna to his brother-in-law gaston de foix , to put him in possession of the kingdom of navarre to which he pretended a right , and by that means take revenge of the king and queen of navarre who had often offended him ; and lastly , in siezing the estate of of the earl of lerin , who was married to his sister , and refusing to restore and stand tryal with him . d. john manuel was come to the emperor's court , but not so well looked upon as before , which he perceiving thought of returning to spain . in order to it he proposed to king ferdinand either to restore him to his estate and treat him according to his quality , or else to give him leave with his wife and children to go to portugal , otherwise he must like a desperate man do all that he could against him . nothing was granted him , and he tho out of favour , by his sharp wit sowed discord betwixt those two princes . it was also believed cardinal bernardin de carvajal the pope's legate at the emperor's court did king ferdinand no good offices there ; wherefore the king requested of the pope that he might be removed and called back to rome , which at last he obtained . chap. v. the designs of bringing prince charles into spain . king ferdinand in andaluzia to settle that country . penon in africk taken by the spaniards , the portugueses loosers at azamor in that part of the world , yet relieve arzila . the emperor now declared his warlike preparations were not designed against naples , but against the french in milan , and tho the pope and king ferdinand interposed for a peace or truce , he would not give ear to it unless upon very advantageous conditions . he left the princess margaret his daughter to govern flanders , in jan. marched towards italy , and in february came to trent . there he took the name of emperor elect , being till then called king of the romans . his general was the marquess of brandenburgh , his forces so small , that no great matter could be expected of them . the first hostilities were committed in the valley of cadoro , subject to the venetians , and the emperor understanding that swiss were going into the french service , returned into switzerland to prevent it , and thence to luxemburgh because french forces marched that way . upon his departure most of the germans at cadora disbanded , and that remained were defeated by the venetians . the catholick king , tho setled in the government of castile , thought himself not secure , knowing there were many that persisted in their aversness to him . among the rest the bioshps of badajoz and catania signalized themselves , having no hopes of preferment unless the government were changed . the pope at the king's suits , commissioned the archbishop of toledo and bishop of burgos to prosecute them , he of badajoz , endeavouring to make his escape into flanders , was apprehended near santander , and after being prisoner some time at atiença , was remitted to the archbishop of toledo according to the pope's order . d. jayme de conchillos bishop of girachi , the king's ambassador at the emperor's court , pressed to have prince charles sent to spain , to have him bred after the manner of the country , and to secure his succession ; but the emperor would never consent to it , unless he were allowed to share in the government , and also in the revenue ; by which means he thought to supply his great wants . he endeavoured to draw into his service of the catholick king 's soldiers that served in france , but the catholick king sent alonsode olmedes to keep them where they were . they obeyed tho' the marquess of brandenburgh declared them rebels , as if they had been the emperor's subjects . the emperor highly resented that the catholick king would not admit of andrew de burgo , whom he sent with the character of his ambassador . at this time king emanuel of portugal extended the glory of his name , still sending new fleets to india , and obtaining fresh victories . the kings of calicut and cambaya were professed enemies of the portugueses , and therefore made war upon the king of cochin and other princes , who received them into their ports , and traded with them . the nobility of andaluzia were offended , for that the catholick king made not so great account of them , as of those of castile . the chief of the malecontents were the marquess of priego , d. peter fernandez de cordova and the earl of cabra . in a tumult at cordova the officers of justice apprehended one of the mutineers , whom the bishop's servants rescued . king ferdinand set fernan gomez de herrera an alcalde de corte , with some men to punish that insolency . he having begun to do his duty , the marquess of priego sent him orders to desist and depart the city till the kings pleasute were farther known . he on the contrary commanded the marquess and his brother in the kings name to be gone out of cordova . the marquess gathering a force apprehended the alcalde , but released him again upon promise ; that he would not return to cordova . this affront the king highly resented , and set out himself to revenge it . at arcos he took prince ferdinand from the queen against her will , upon pretence of his health . he summoned forces to join him in order to punish that insolence , and in pursuance thereof , the deputy of sevil , d. in̄igo de velasco ordered all betwixt and years of age to be ready to march against the marquess . the great captain writ to the marquess his cousin , advising him to submit ; and he intended so to do . the nobility , and particularly the great captain , laboured to appease the king , who was resolved not to give way to intreaties . the marquess came to submit himself when the king was at toledo , and was ordered to wait leagues from court , and deliver up all his strong holds . he obeyed . with the king went to cordova horse and foot. the marquess being taken , and charged with high treason , would make no defence ; but cast himself upon the kings mercy . judgment was given , some gentlemen were condemned to death , some of the commonalty executed . the houses of d. alonso de carzama and bernardin de bocanegra who were in prison , were razed . the marquess was banished for ever out of cordova , and out of andaluzia during the king's pleasure ; who was also to secure all his strong holds , except his house at montilla , which was to be demolished . the great captain , and constable were extreamly disgusted at this severity , insomuch that it was thought the latter would have departed the kingdom . from cordova the king sent d. henry de toledo and the licenciat ferdinand tello to do homage to the pope , for the queen his daughter . at naples died the queen of hungary , so very poor , the viceroy was forced to pay the charge of her obsequies . she was buried in the church of s. peter , martyr , where the body of her mother lies . king ferdinand went to sevil , where he was received with great pomp and joy. with him went the queen his wife , and prince ferdinand . henry duke of medina sidonia was left young by his father , under the guardianship of d. peter giron , to whose sister he was contracted . the duke was haughty , and turbulent , and had designed to assist the marquess of priego . to appease the king , it was offered he should deliver up his chiefest fortresses , and the constable would be bound for his good behaviour . nevertheless , neither the duke nor d. peter giron came to submit themselves to the king , who thereupon put d. peter from his guardianship , banishing him from sevil , and all the lands of medina sidonia , and the duke was commanded to deliver up all his places of strength . they both fled to portugal , and the king orderèd their lieutenants to deliver the forts . those of niebla and figueras would not submit , and therefore niebla was taken by force and plundered . this severity made all places comply . this estate was put into the hands of the archbishop of sevil , and the council ordered to prosecute d. peter giron . the nobility , but chiefly the constable resented this rigorous proceeding , yet the king was resolved to humble their pride , and the archbishop of toledo advised him so to do . the catholick king spent all autumn in settling andaluzia , and thence promoted the war in africk , assisting the portugueses who were much distressed . the king of fez being at variance with his two brothers , it was thought a good opportunity to gain some advantage in africk , and to this purpose a fleet was fitted out at malaga . the pyrates of velez de la gomera did much harm at this time along the coast of granada . count peter navarro our admiral gave them chase , took some vessels , and pursued the others to an island opposite to velez , and the common refuge of those corsairs . there were moors in the fort of that island , which they call pen̄on ; these thinking the earl would attack velez , abandoned the island , to defend the town ; but he immediately possessed himself of the castle , which commands the harbour and city , and thence did them so much harm , that the moors were forced to live under ground . this place was taken on the th of july , and ordered to be fortified and well garrisoned . the portugueses made war on the coast of africk along the ocean . a moor called zelum , cousin to the king of fez , offered to put them in a way to take azamor , a famous city on that coast . king emanuel giving credit to him , fitted a fleet which carried horse and above foot , under the command of d. john de meneses . this fleet sailed from lisbon on the th of july , and found all things otherwise than they expected , for the citizens defended themselves well , and zelum aided them . this brought the portugueses into great danger , and they were forced to depart without doing any thing . the weather being bad , and the tides low , some vessels , and among them one gally struck , the rest came to the streights mouth . this loss seemed to be a special providence ; for the king of fez with a mighty power sate down before arzila on the th of october . d. vasco coutin̄o earl of borva was governor , who the first day repulsed the moors with much bravery ; but the next day a breach being made in the wall , they entred the city by force . the earl was wounded in the arm with a dart , and obliged to retire into the castle , which was not well provided for a siege . the castle was battered and undermined . this news being carried to tangier , where d. john de meneses lay , and to sevil where the catholick king was , d. john set out immediately with his fleet. he fought two days with the enemy , who were already masters of one of the bulwarks , drove them thence , and relieved the besieged , reduced to extreamity . the king sent orders to peter navarro who lay at gibraltar to succour arzila . ramiro de guzman governor of xerez , with a ship wherein were foot and some horse , sailed first , and got into the castle with john de meneses . with this relief the besieged not only defended themselves ; but sallying , drove the enemy from their ditch and out-works . on the th of october came count peter navarro , who plaid his cannon so furiously among the moors that encamped along the shore , that they were forced to break up ; and the king of fez having burnt the town , retired to alcaçarquivir . the saving of this place contributed much to preserving of the others on the coast of africk . king emanuel joyful for this good news , sent cruzados as a present to peter navarro , for his good service , and the same sum to the governor of xerez . they both excused themselves from receiving this present , saying , they served the catholick king , and expected their reward from his bounty . he returned thanks to the catholick king for so seasonable a relief , yet at the same time complained of his taking pen̄on as appertaining to the conquests of portugal , being in the kingdom of fez. the catholick king pleaded that veles was a distinct kingdom of it self , and that pen̄on was a charge and no profit , only to secure the coast of granada , yet offered , if it appeared to belong to the crown of fez , to deliver it up whensoever king emanuel should attempt any thing on that side . in november died the earl of lerin at aranda de xarque in aragon , his son d. luis de biamonte succeeded him . chap. vi. discovery of conspiracies in spain ; the league of cambray ; the soldans fleet worsted in india ; death of henry vii . of england ; henry viii . succeeds him . the catholick king returned from sevil to castile in the dead of winter for two reasons . one was , that d. peter brother to d. james de guevara , who was in germany in the emperor's service , coming to spain disguized in the habit of a footman , was taken , and being put to the rack , declared , that many of the nobility held intelligence with the emperor ; the chiefest of them , were the great captain , the duke of najara , and earl of urena . the other was , that the duke del infantado and other great men conspired against him , and the cardinal of spain had a hand in those proceedings . the earl of tendilla by his wisdom drew the duke del infantado and others of that family from their purposes , by his good advice . king ferdinand reduced the others , some by fair promises , and some by threats . in particular , he agreed with the marquess of villena , and in lieu of that city and almansa , besides the full value of them , gave him tolox and monda in the kingdom of granada , wherewith he seemed content . the emperor to be at leasure to revenge himself of the catholick king , was for composing all differences with france , and in order to it , the princess margaret on his part , and the cardinal d' amboise for the pope and king of france met at cambray . thither repaired jaime de albion the catholick king 's ambassador in france , and tho' the emperor designed to exclude king ferdinand , the business was so managed by the pope , that those three princes joined in league with him against the venetians for recovery of what that state had taken from each of them . he that first recovered his own , was obliged to assist the others , and the emperor and king of france to go in person to this expedition . the first day of april following , they were to commence the war. the emeperor offered by that time to give the king of france the investiture of milan , provided he paid him crowns for the same , and should be obliged to assist him to recover what the venetians had taken from him , and yet the emperor not to be obliged to aid , him for recovery of what appertained to milan . that judges should be appointed to decide all differences betwixt the emperor and the catholick king , lest they should be any hindrance to their proceedings against the venetians . it was agreed the duke of savoy should be invited to come into the league , on account of the kingdom of cyprus , which he pretended to , and the venetians were possessed of . also the duke of ferrara , and marquess of mantua , who had their pretensions . what is more , the kings of spain and france , to whom the people of florence and pisa had referred all their differences , delivered up pisa to the florentines , in hopes to draw them into the league , and for the sum of ducats . a shameful thing for such princes to sell the liberty of a republick that had put it self into their hands ; but chiefly king ferdinand was to blame , pisa being immediately under his protection . this league was concluded on the th of december . thence the princess margaret went to franche comte to take possession of some towns the king of france had ingaged to deliver to the duke of burgundy . this same month died at naples robert de sanseverino , prince of salerno . he left a young son called ferdinand , who was heir of his estate , and hatred to the crown of aragon , which produced his ruin. king ferdinand swore to the performance of the articles aforesaid , at valladolid , in the beginning of the following year before the pope's nuncio and the emperor , and king of france's ambassadors canspon soldon of caire , moved by the importunity of the kings of calicut and cambaya , but much more by the decrease of his revenue , occasioned by the loss of the trade of alexandria , resolved to ruin the trade of the portugueses in india . to this purpose , he first sent the guardian of hierusalem to the pope as has been said : finding this did not succeed , he fitted out a fleet at suez in the red sea , consisting of gallies , galleon and carracs , and in them mamalukes , which , were his best men , being most renegado christians . the command of this fleet he gave to mir hozem , who sailing out of the red sea , directed his course for india . francis de almeyda the portuguese governor there , had sent his son laurence with sail to secure the coasts , and convoy the ships bound for portugal some part of the way . he burnt many ships of the moors , and was in the port of caul when news was brought to him of the soldan's fleet. melique , governor of diu for the king of cambaya had joined the turks with sail. these small vessels sailing under the shore , the portugueses descryed only ships , which they thought to belong to alonso de albuquerque , whom they expected . part of the enemies fleet entred the harbour , and that day was spent in cannonading one another . next day laurence de almeyda attacks mir hozem's admiral gally , but could not grapple by reason it was ebb , and the enemy lay in shoal water . he sustained much loss , because the enemies vessel was higher decked , and was himself wounded with two darts . pelayo de sousa and james perez took each of them one of the enemies gallies , and thus that day ended . the day following melique came into the port with his vessels , whereupon the portugueses at midnight resolved to put out to sea. but the enemy perceiving them move , fell upon them , and so pierced the admiral which was the last , that she made much water , and what was worse ran a ground ; and the water ebbing , none of the others could come in to assist her . the enemy cannonaded her till such time as laurence de almeyda being killed with a cannon-shot , and of men he had , the other with the ship were taken : the rest put to sea and recovered the port of cananor ; whence they sent advice of what had hapned to the governor . this battle was fought towards the end of the year . almeyda and albuquerque came both to cananor , and albuquerque contending to take upon him the government according to the king's order , almeyda sent him prisoner to cochin . this done , he gathered the greatest fleet he could , at onor burnt several ships of calicut , destroyed the city dabul and many vessels there , and on the th of january , sailed towards diu , a port of cambaya where the enemy lay . mir hozem placed himself in shoal-water under the cannon of the city . he had at this time caracs , galleons , gallies , and ships of cambaya , besides melique's small vessels . almeyda had in all sail , and in them portugueses , and malabars . the two fleets cannonaded one another , but could not draw near because the weather was calm . next day they engaged , and after a very bloody dispute , the portugueses obtained the victory . of the enemy were slain , of which number were all the mamalucs , except only . three of their great ships were sunk , besides many small vessels ; two galleons , two gallies and four great ships were taken . the commanders mir hozem and melique escaped . on our side were killed and wounded . this done , almeyda returned to cochin , where there was much contention about the government , which was ended by ferdinand coutinho , who this year sailed from lisbon with ships , and orders to put alonso de albequerque in possession of the government , as was accordingly done . from valladolid the catholick king went to arcos , where he found the queen his daughter so ill lodged , that the last winter she fell sick through the coldness of the room she lay in . in february he removed her to tordesillas , and with her the body of her husband , which was afterwards by her son the emperor charles the v , buried in the royal chapel at granada . the queen lived out the rest of her days in that town . queen joanna's condition was such , she might better be counted among the dead than the living . her two sisters ran different fortunes . the queen of portugal lived happy , abounding in riches , and having a numerous issue , and this very year she was delivered of a son called alonso , who was afterwards a gardinal , but died young . the princess of wales in england , neither widow nor wife , was hardly used by her father-in-law , who hoped that way to induce her father to give him in marriage his other daughter joanna queen of castile . the king's death , which hapned upon the st of april , for the present put an end to those discontents : soon after , the match before agreed upon betwixt this lady and the prince of wales , after his father's death king henry viii . was consummated . that princess had no inclination to this match , but it was for the conveniency of both kings . king henry was of a graceful presence , but very lewd , especially towards his latter days , insomuch that to gratifie his lust , he cast off all obedience to the church , and made way for all the confusion that afterwards hapned in that kingdom . whilst queen catherine was yet living , tho' he had by her a daughter called mary , upon pretence she had been married to his brother , and that the pope could not dispence to marry her , he put her away , and publickly married anne of bullen , whom afterwards he convicted of adultery , and executed . by her he had elizabeth , afterwards queen . next he married jane seymour , who died in childbed ; but her son lived , and was called edward vi. his fourth wife was anne of cleves , from whom he was divorced , and to that purpose made a law which allowed of divorces . his fifth wife was anne howard , who was put to death for adultery . the last was the lady catherine parr , from whom he was not divorced , nor had any children by her , death putting an end to his wicked courses . king ferdinand made publick rejoycing at valladolid , upon the news of the marriage of his daughter on midsummer-day . he also agreed , that prince charles should marry that king's sister , and ordered gutierre gomez his ambassador to compliment her upon the same . at valladolid queen germana was delivered of a son on the d of may ; he was called john prince of aragon , but died within a few hours . his body was deposited in the monastery of s. paul in that city , and thence translated to poblete , the ancient burial-place of the kings of aragon . the catholick king prepared to make war upon the venetians , and grounded the justice of his proceedings , principally upon two points : the first , that those cities the venetians were possessed of in apulia , were mortagaged to them by ferdinand ii. king of naples , and that they neither performed the conditions of the mortgage , nor would restore those places when the money was tendred to them . the second was , that the catholick king had been at a greater expence either in gaining cephalonia for that republick , or in the war made upon france on their account , and upon promise that they would allow him ducats a year towards the charge of that war , which debt , tho' it had been demanded of them , they would never pay , nor so much as acknowledge . chap. vii . the cardinal of spain takes oran in africk . the war against the venetians and their losses ; they recover padua and other places . great preparations were made throughout all spain for the conquest of africk , and the cardinal of spain did not only furnish money towards it , but designed to go over in person . the rendezvous of the forces was at carthagena ; stores of ammunition and provisions were made there and at malaga . about men were gathered , as well horse as foot. the principal commanders were james de vera , who had charge of the artillery ; d. alonso de granada vanegas , lord of campo tejar , who commanded the forces of andaluzia ; and colonel hierome vianelo , accounted an able seaman . count peter navarro was general , and there was a great number of gentlemen volunteers . the fleet , consisting of galleys and other vessels , met at carthagena the last month. before they set sail , some disputes arose betwixt the cardinal and the earl , on account that the former bestowed some commands on his servants , which the other had before promised to others . some persons interposing , the count swore to obey the cardinal in all things . on the th of may they set sail from carthagena , and the next day being the feast of the ascension , entred the port of mazalquivir . it was declared their design was upon oran , a famous city in the kingdom of tremecen , containing about inhabitants , seated near the sea , partly in a valley , and partly on the side of a hill , encompassed with a strong wall , the streets all contrived after the rude manner of the moors , distant from the city of tremecen miles , and opposite to carthagena . it was once one of the most principal marts on that coast , by reason of the great resort of genoese and catalonian merchants , and was so rich as to maintain a small fleet , which infested the coast of andaluzia . our fleet entred the harbour at night , and the next morning began to land the men. they drew them up in four bodies , each containing men , with the horse upon the flanks . mean while the cardinal was in the church of mazalquivir ; but when they were ready to join battel with the moors that came to hinder their approach to the city , he came out mounted upon a mule , the clergy and religious attending him . one f. ferdinand , of the order of s. francis , carried the cross , with a sword girt upon his habit , as had all the others by the cardinal's order . he encouraged the men , offering to lead them into the midst of the enemy ; but the commanders begged of him to offer up his prayers to god for them whilst they fought . he complied , and returning to mazalquivir , continued at prayers in the chapel of s. michael all the time of the battel . it was three in the afternoon , and the earl being doubtful whether it were not better to delay the fight till next day , advised with the cardinal , who was of opinion not to suffer , the soldiers to cool . the signal being given , they began to march up the hill , and tho' the moors , to the number of , besides the recruits that constantly came to them , cast down all sorts of weapons upon them , they gained ground . some soldiers of guadalajara advanced contrary to order , one of whom was killed , and the rest forced to retire . that man's head being cut off , was carried to the city , and there rolled about the streets , the rabble crying the alfaquin ( so they called the cardinal ) was killed ; till a christian slave , who knew the cardinal by sight , undeceived them . our horse began to skirmish with the enemy , among whom our cannon did some execution ; and then the foot came on , driving them , tho' the hill was uncouth , till they came to certain conducts of water ; there they halted a while , and removing their cannon to the highest part of the hill , with that and their swords put the moors to flight , pursuing them beyond the city , because the gates were shut against them . a great number of moors sallied out , under the leading of the mezuar or governour of oran ; and whilst these were hotly engaged , some of our men attempted to scale the walls , the inhabitants opposing them . they that were in the galleys attacking the side next the sea , had leisure to make themselves masters of certain towers and all the alcaçava . thus the city was entred by the christians , and plundered . those moors that fought in the field seeing the spanish colours upon the walls , thought to have got into the town ; but some of our men sallying , they were taken in the middle , and a great slaughter made . of them were killed , and about taken . this victory was looked upon as miraculous , because of the disorder of our men , but much more because immediately after the mezuar of tremecen came with such a multitude , that it would have been impossible to have taken the city had he come sooner . this success was attributed to the prayers of the cardinal , who entred the city with joy , and consecrated the great mosque by the name of s. mary of victory . after which , he returned the next day with his galleys to carthagena . he left the command of that city to peter navarro till the king's pleasure were known . from carthagena he sent the king an account of the victory , and went himself to his town of alcala , where he entred more like a religious man than a conqueror , nor permitting any manner of publick reception to be made for him . by the league concluded at cambray , it was agreed that each of the confederate princes should begin to war upon the venetians on his side , by the first of april at farthest . king ferdinand sent colonel zamudio with chosen foot to compleat those at naples to . all things proceeded very slowly , because the earl of ribagorça was looked upon as a person unfit for that undertaking , or for the government , as also because it was discovered that the barons of that kingdom conspired to shake off the spanish government . fabricius colona also advised not to attempt any thing upon the towns of the venetians in apulia , till there was a fleet ready to hinder them from relief by sea , which was looked upon as treacherous , or at least very weak counsel . the king of france sent la trimouille with forces over the alpes as soon as the season would permit , and himself on the first of may made his entry into milan . having gathered his army , consisting of men , he entred the territories of the venetians , and took several towns. the venetians had raised men under the command of the earl of petillano , and bartholomew d' albiano , two great generals of the family of the ursini , and subjects to the king of spain for their estates in naples . near rivolta the two armies met and engaged . the fight was long doubtful , till the venetian foot being broke by the french artillery , and then charged by the horse , they were forced to fly . a great number was killed . count petillano with a few escaped . bartholomew d' albiano and many more were taken . this victory , called of giaradada , was very famous , and in memory of it the king caused a chapel to be built in that place , calling it s. mary of victory . immediately upon it the cities of crema , cremona , bergamo , and bressa , were surrendered to the french , which was all they pretended to according to the articles of the league . the pope's forces took solarolo , frença , arimino , ravena , and servia , which was all that belonged to him . the earl of ribagorça had gathered his army by the end of may. villamarin earl of capacho the admiral was ready at messina with galleys and ships , and only expected the french fleet to join him , in order to go upon the coast of apulia ; but there was no need of these preparations : for as soon as the viceroy of naples laid siege to trana , the seigneury of venice sent orders to all their governours on that coast to deliver up the cities . the duke of ferrara and marquess of mantua took some places from the venetians , to which they pretended a title . venice was brought so low , that it was reported the senate designed to submit it self to the king of hungary , to be by him protected . there remained the emperour , who in june was leagues from inspruck , on his way to italy . on the th of that month the florentines subdued the city of pisa . as soon as the emperor came to esternan , the venetians proposed an accommodation with him , and it was said they sent him a blank signed for him to make his own conditions , so he would protect them in that desperate condition . as the emperor marched all places submitted to him , so that the venetians had not a foot of land left them in italy , except the city venice , which the emperor designed to besiege by sea and land. to this purpose he would have the french and spanish fleets join to shut up the sea , whilst his and the french forces attacked it by land. nay , he proposed when taken to have it divided into four parts , with as many castles , whereof each of the confederate princes should have one . in order to it the catholick king , tho' he disbanded all the land-forces save which were to be transported into spain , ordered the fleet to stay in italy , yet afterwards neither the pope nor he would consent to the utter subverting of that state , considering it would redound only to the advantage of france , by reason their dominion of milan lay so near , and the others so far off . nay , they apprehended it might be a step towards making that king master of all italy , and that then he might make a pope according to his own mind ; which the present pope was so apprehensive of , that both he and the catholick king laboured all that in them was to disappoint an interview proposed betwixt the emperor and king of france . as soon as the king of france possessed himself of what he desired , he returned to milan , and thence to his kingdom . he left horse in the cities newly taken , and charles d' amboise as general . the imperial forces lay at treviso and friouli , which was all the venetians had left them in italy . andrew gritti , by intelligence he had with some of the inhabitants , recovered the city padua for the venetians , days after it had submitted to the emperor . this news being brought to him , he retired into the country of tirol . with the same ease the venetians took assula , where they put to the sword spaniards that were there in garrison ; the same they did to more they found in castelfranco , and took alvarado their captain prisoner . most of the spaniards that went over from the french service to the emperor , were thus killed or taken . verona being about to revolt , was prevented by the sieur de la palisse , who secured it till the emperor , who expected supplies out of germany and flanders , sent to take possession of it . he made up an army of men. the king of france sent him horse , the pope , and afterwards spanish foot. with these forces he laid siege to padua on the th of september . the earl of pitillano , and all the chief commanders of venice , threw themselves into the city . their greatest strength consisted in albanian horse , who did much harm among the imperialists . a breach being made , the city was assaulted , but the enemy repulsed twice , fresh supplies still coming in to the besieged , till they made up men. in the first attack many of the spaniards were killed , being blown up in a bastion they gained . this discouraged the imperialists so , that about the beginning of october they raised the siege . their retreat soon changed the face of affairs . the people of vicenza being assisted from padua , took gaspar de sanseverino , left in that city with germans . the forces of venice recovered este , monfilice , and montagnana , and then laid siege to ferrara ; but the forces of france and the pope coming to the relief of the town , and having sunk of their galleys on the po , they were forced to draw off . andrew gritti had before taken the marquess of mantua , and was about changing him for bartholome d' albiano , who was in great esteem , tho' blamed for his rashness at the battel of abdua . verona was disposed to submit to the venetians ; d. jhen manuel was in it with spaniards ill paid , but some french forces came and secured that place . the main strength of the french army lay between bressa and verona . john james trivulcio was in bressa . d. john manuel resigned his command to one luis de biamonte , who had been some years in the french service . chap. viii . the accord betwixt the emperor and king ferdinand . bugia and tripoli in barbary taken by the spaniards , and goa in india by the portugueses . after the earl of lerin constable of navarrè died , the catholick king was the more pressing with the king of navarre to restore luis de biamonte , son to the deceased , and his own nephew . nothing could be obtained , tho' it was pleaded the son had no hand in his father's crimes . the people of sanguessa made an inroad into aragon , on pretence to take ul and filera , which towns they said belonged to them . on the other side , the aragonians ravaged all the plain of sanguessa up to the walls of the town . these things seemed to tend to a war ; but being private grievances , they were not looked upon as a breach . d. luis sought to recover his estate by force of arms. the emperor and king of spain proposed some means to agree about the government . the catholick king , tho' well fixed in the possession of it , was willing to agree to prevent disorders which the discontented nobility seemed to threaten . yet he would keep the government as long as his daughter lived ; but if she died , then to resign to prince charles when he was years of age. the king of france and cardinal d' amboise were chosen arbitrators . andrew de burgo came to spain to capitulate , and was well received . the bishop of catania was with the emperour upon the same account . at length these two princes agreed upon these articles : that the catholick king should continue in the government ; but in case he had any issue male , then prince charles should again be sworn heir to the crown of castile in the cortes , and king ferdinand should also swear to govern that kingdom to the prince's advantage . the emperour would have had the prince receive the revenue of the kingdom of asturias , but the king said it had never allowed any prince , and therefore consented to allow him ducats a year , and to add to that sum whensoever he was married . the emperour also demanded for himself ducats , of which were allowed him to be paid by the florentines , on account of the delivery of pisa to them . king ferdinand also offered to assist the emperour against the venetians with men at arms , to whom he would give or months pay. it was also agreed , that whensoever prince charles would go into spain , a fleet should be sent for him , and prince ferdinand should go to flanders as soon as the other was landed in spain . upon these conditions they joined in league , and all differences were reconciled . because the king of france and cardinal d' amboise had been chosen arbitrators , these articles were sent to them to peruse , and they approved of the same on the th of december . this done , all their estates were restored to those who had been of the emperour 's and prince's party ; and d. peter de guevara was set at liberty according to capitulation . upon which , some gentlemen departed the kingdom , pretending to go serve the prince . among these d. alonso manrique , bishop of badajoz , was most remarkable . at this time the earl of pitillano the venetian general died at lonigo in the territory of vincenza . king ferdinand ordered the earl of lemos , who still held intelligence in portugal and flanders , to deliver up the forts of sarria and monforte to the lord of poça , then governour of galicia . d. raymund de cardona , viceroy of sicily , was appointed to succeed the earl of ribagorça at naples , and d. hugo de moncada to be viceroy of sicily . various reports were spread abroad concerning this change of viceroy at naples . most men said the earl of ribagorça was not capable of that command : others believed the ursini were the cause of his removal . but who can stop the mouths of the multitude , or fathom the designs of princes ? king ferdinand being desirous to employ his forces against the infidels , was always for concluding a peace with the venetians , and joining in league with them , after each of the confederates had recovered what he pretended a right to . thus he proposed with the joint forces of them all to make war upon the turks , the common enemy of christendom . it was hard to reconcile such different interests . he proposed to join his forces with those of the other princes , and to go himself in person to the levant . this his design he made known to the pope , who approved of it , and offered to forward it . the kingdoms of naples and sicily lay opportunely for this enterprize . those who well weighed the circumstances of things , thought it not fit for the king at his age , and in the present posture of affairs in castile to absent himself so far off . it was thought more expedient to continue the conquest of africk so fortunately begun . count peter navarro had ships well equipped in the port of mazalquivir . he sailed thence with some chosen troops to the island yviça , where hierome vianelo expected him with another part of the fleet. there they staid some days , it being the dead of winter . it was declared the fleet was designed for bugia . they sailed from yviça on the first of january , . the forces consisted of about men , well provided with cannon . bugia is seated on the coast of numidia , not far from the borders of mauritania caesariensis . first it belonged to the kings of tunez , then to those of tremecen , who possessed it till recovered by abuferriz king of tunez . he left it to his son abdulhazis , with the title of a new kingdom . from him was descended abdurrahamel the present possessor , who usurped it from muley abdalla his brother's son , and the rightful king. it is seated on the side of a high mountain , with a good castle at the upper part , all of it encompassed with an old but strong wall. it used to contain inhabitants , and was the chief university for philosophy in africk . the country about it is fitter for gardens and orchards than to bear corn our fleet came before it on the eve of the epiphany , but the men could not land because the wind was contrary . on the top of the mountain appeared the moorish king with foot and some squadrons of horse . they began to come down to the shoar to hinder our men landing , but the cannon of the fleet made them draw back , and clear the landing-place . the earl drew up his men in four bodies , and began to ascend the hill in order to fight the moors , but they retired into the city . our men , some through an ascent in the old city which was abandoned , and others from the top of the mountain , soon scaled the walls . within they found no resistance ; for as they entred on the one side , the king and his men fled out at the other . this success terrified all africk , and the more for that muley abdalla the lawful king escaping out of prison , fled to the earl. he , after taking the city , attacked abdarrahamel in his camp leagues thence , and put him to flight , upon which many towns along that coast submitted themselves . the first of these was argier , afterwards the terror of spain , and grown rich with our spoils . after argier the king of tunez and city tedeliz did the same . even the king of tremecen and moors of mostagan subjected themselves to the king. articles were concluded with them all , by which they were obliged to set free all christians , and pay a yearly tribute . this took up the earl some time , yet he omitted nothing that might tend to advance the conquest . at this time alonso d' albuquerque in india made himself master of the city goa , the metropolis of the portugues empire in those parts . this city stands in an island made by a river falling into the sea. it is about leagues in length , was subject to zabaim hidalcan , and at that time ill provided , he having drawn away the garrison to serve in his other wars . timoja a pirate who robbed along those seas with vessels , gave notice of it to the governour , and he found all his intelligence to be true . on the th of february he entred that port , and easily made himself master of the city . francis d' almeyda his predecessor , in his return to portugal , having put in to water at the cape of good hope , was killed in a skirmish with the cafres , so the natives of that country are called . the catholick king had made choice of d. garcia de toledo , eldest son to the duke of alva , to be general in africk , designing to make use of count peter navarro in his wars in italy . d. garcia made some considerable stay before he departed spain . the earl not to lose time , as also because the plague began to spread in bugia , on the th of june set out with men towards favignana , a small island off of trapana in sicily ; thither repaired to him galleys , besides other vessels of naples and sicily ; so that he was men strong . with this fleet he soon came in sight of tripoli on the coast of barbary , formerly subject to the king of tunez , now to a lord of its own . most part of it is encompassed by the sea , and towards the land it has a broad wet ditch and a wall with many towers . about moors came to defend it . the earl landed his men in two bodies , the one to engage the moors that came down to the shoar , the other to storm the city ; besides , some soldiers and seamen attempted to scale it on the side of the sea. the fight was obstinately maintained for two hours , after which the moors that were without fled , and the city was scaled near the gate called of victory . john ramirez an aragonian was one of the first that mounted the wall. yet the city was not so taken , but was won inch by inch , the moors defending every street , not that they hoped to overcome , but resolving not to die unrevenged . about moors were put to the sword , and their xeque or lord was taken . on our side many men of note were killed , and among them christopher lopez d' arriaran the admiral . the city was plundered . all the booty was given to them that fought ; the captives and merchandise were assigned to those that guarded the fleet. this was contrived by the earl , that all might be satisfied , and reap the profit of that victory . chap. ix . the war in italy . the pope grants the investiture of the kingdom of naples to king fedinand . d. garcia de toledo defeated and killed at gelves . the war was carried on against the venetians but coldly ; for the king of france having recovered his own , returned into france , and the emperour into germany before he had done what he designed . it was agreed that the confederates , in pursuance of the treaty of cambray , should assist the emperour till he were possessed of all that the venetians held from him . the prince of anhalt commanded the imperialists , but had very small forces , and no money to pay them . with the assistance of the french he recovered vincenza . by order of the catholick king the duke of termens carried men at arms to his assistance . the pope sent no supply , either that he thought not himself obliged any farther , or because he was offended at the king of france , for that he favoured his enemy the duke of ferrara . at last the pope absolved the venetians of all ecclesiastical censures , and joined in league with them , being unwilling that republick should quite be extirpated , wherein the catholick king agreed with him . besides , he designed to make use of their forces against the duke of ferrara , whom he had already , as a rebel , adjudged to forfeit his estate . hereat the king of france was so incensed , that he ordered all the revenues of the french cardinals to be stopped , and them to come to reside upon their benefices . still these discontents increased , the pope , who had an interest at genoa , with the assistance of the venetian galleys , endeavouring to stir up the commonalty of genoa against the french. his design took no effect . he prevailed with the venetious to set free the marquess of mantua , designing to employ him in the war against france , provided he gave his son as hostage for his fidelity . the marquess was released on the th of july . the duke of urbino was appointed general of all the forces of the church , and took all the territory belonging to the duke of ferrara in romania beyond the river po. chatillon a french commander marched thither with lances , and the pope's forces raising the siege they had laid to lugo , retired to imola . thus the war was carried on betwixt the french and the pope , who aspired to restore to maximilian sforcia the dutchy of milan . the dutchess of terranova continued at genon , and the pope still making instance that her husband the great captain should come into his service , the french grew jealous of her stay there ; therefore her husband ordered her immediately to return to spain . there arose a dispute now betwixt the inhabitants of fuenterabia in biscay , and those of andaya in guienne about the river vidasoa , which parts spain and france , each pretending right to the said river . they came several times to blows about it , and at last the two kings appointed judges to decide that controversie , who ordered that the river should remain in common ; but the french were forbid to use vessels that had a keel : and thus the difference ended . the catholick king had summoned the cortes of aragon , catalonia and valencia , to meet at monçon on the th of april , in order to obtain some supply for carrying on the war in africk , the conquests whereof appertained to them . he set out from madrid towards that place in the spring . in that town remained prince ferdinand , the cardinal of spain and the council . with the king went the duke of medina sidonia , d. peter giron , the constable , the marquess of priego and earl of uren̄a . there was a great concourse at monçon , that being the first time the king during his reign had assembled the general cortes , for before they were held apart for each of those three provinces . mean while the king neglected not the war in africk , or italy ; and particularly pressed the king of france to consent to alter that article concerning the succession to the crown of naples , in case queen germana had no issue . the king of france would not hearken to this proposition , still hoping to recover that kingdom and especially now the cardinal de amboise died , who had always great influence over the king , and made use of his interest to promote peace . this affair perplexed the catholick king , and therefore he thought fit to apply himself to the pope , and improve his hatred to the king of france for obtaining the investiture of naples . at first the pope was averse to it , but afterwards considering the assistance of spain , would stand him in good stead to carry on the great designs he had in hand , he resolved to grant the investiture in as ample manner as could be wished . pope alexander having given the king of france the investiture of that part of the kingdom before mentioned , with the title of king of naples and jerusalem , it was hard to deprive him of it without a cause shown . therefore he declared that king had forfeited his title for not paying the acknowledgment he ought in so many years , and for alienating that feoffe of the church when he agreed with the catholick king , without obtaining the consent of the immediate proprietor . thus the investiture was granted to king ferdinand and his heirs , upon condition he should pay every year on the feast of s. peter and paul ounces of gold , and every three years a white palfrey . besides he was for once to pay duccats , as should his successors when they received the investiture . these were the same conditions that had been imposed upon charles the first of france . about the beginning of july this grant was passed by the pope and college of cardinals . on the th of august the pope remitted the yearly tribute and the duccats , contenting himself with the white palfrey and his furniture , and horse to serve him wheresoever there was war in the state of the church , designing to use them against ferrara . in the time of pope leo there was imposed an acknowledgment of duccats , for the leave granted to the emperor charles the th to hold that kingdom together with the empire , which was contrary to the antient capitulations with the houses of anjou and aragon . the king of france was much offended at this proceeding , and by his ambassador the bishop of rieux , complained grievously thereof to the catholick king whilst the cortes sat at monçon . there on the th of august was a subsidy granted the king of crowns , a great sum considering the time and the liberty of those provinces . they also , in case the king should be called away , authorised queen germana to preside , and even to assemble the cortes again if broke up , provided she were commissioned as lieutenant of those kingdoms . the associations erected some years before , were now dissolved . many ambassadors , and great numbers of nobility were at monçon during the sitting of the cortes . at malaga a fleet was provided to carry over d. garcia de toledo , and the forces for the conquests of africk . the king was earnest they should set out , yet they delayed some time because of the plague that was at bugia . the fleet sailed in the heat of summer carrying men. part of the fleet and men were left at bugia to secure that place . james de vera having put bugia into a good posture followed the fleet , and they came together , being galleys , to the port of tripoli at such time as count peter navarro had embarqued his men to the number of , designing for gelves , the greatest and most important island on the coast of africk about leagues west of tripoli . it is plain and sandy , covered with palm and olive trees , so near the continent , that on the one side there is a bridge to go over to it . in length it is above miles , wants water , has no town but scattering houses , and on the shore a castle where the lord lives . it was once subject to the king of tunez , but at this time had a xeque or particular lord. on the th of august they arrived at gelves . the forces landed finding no opposition either in the island , or on the continent at a town they call puente quebrada . all the army was divided into bodies . d. garcia , tho he was general , would advance before the rest , with the gentlemen that followed him . some say it was by advice of peter navarro , others affirm it was against his will. the xeque had about horse and foot , but so ill armed , and so fearful , they offered good terms rather than come to blows . it was afternoon when our forces began to march , the heat of the sandy ground was so violent as if all had been in a flame . scarce had they advanced leagues when some fell down dead with drought , and all suffered extremely . the vanguard being come to a wood of palm trees , fell into disorder to seek water at some wells , they imagined there were near certain ruined houses . here the moors observing their confusion , fell upon them . d. garcia and others that were a horse-back lighted . some advised him to retire . he answered . advance gentlemen , are we come hither to turn our backs ? if fortune frown on us , yet she cannot make us forget the duty we owe to our birth . having said thus , he took a pike from an aragonian , and fell in among the moors . our men , nothing moved by the example of their general , fled . the moors took the advantage , and falling on killed four of those that alighted ; which were d. garcia , garci sarmiento , loaya and christopher velasquez , all commanders of note . there was no stopping of those that fled . the count ordered the batallions of james pocheco and giles nieto which were with him in the rear , to make head against the moors , and by that means prevented their being all cut off . the earl himself was in such a consternation , he was one of the first that embarqued , tho he might pretend it was to oblige the galleys next the shore to take in the men , many being drowned because they would not admit them . about of our men were killed or taken , and among them many of note . the body of d. garcia was carried to the xeque , who writ to d. hugo de moncada viceroy of sicily , that supposing that lord to be the king 's kisman , he kept his body in a chest , to be disposed of as he should direct . d. garcia left a young son called d. ferdinand alvarez de toledo , who was afterwards one of the famous generals of the world. count peter navarro having sent the king an account of that disaster , ordered the galleys back to naples , and with the rest of the fleet sailed for tripoli , where he arrived on the th of december , having been days in a storm . he left james de vera in that city with a garrison of men , other he disbanded , being unfit for service ; and he with more and part of the fleet , went out to scowr the coast between gelvez and tunez . bad weather obliged him to lie by most part of the winter , in the island lampadosa near sicily . an infinite number of moors about the end of this year , layed siege to the city safin on the coast of africk , and subject to the portugueses . atayde the governour having received some supplies from the island of madera , defended himself bravely ; and the siege being raised made an inroad as far as almedina , miles from safin . he had several skirmishes with the moors , took a great booty , but in his return such great numbers came upon him , that he was forced to quit it . he made several other incursions and came up to the very walls of morocco , an action of more honour than advantage . the same was done by d. john coutin̄o governour of arzilla , and peter de sousa of azamer ; both brave commanders , and ambitious of enlarging the portugues dominions in africk , which might have been the more easily performed , that country being divided into many kingdoms , and they at variance among themselves . chap. x. some cardinals revolt from the pope ; bolonia taken by the french ; the revolted cardinals summon a general council . much about the same time the catholick king having broke up the cortes at monçon , returned to castile and pope julius set out from rome towards bolonia . the king was going to the cortes of castile , summoned to meet at madrid , to take care for carrying on the war in africk , and no less to provide for the affairs of italy . the pope thought being at bolonia to advance the war against ferrara , in which the duke of urbin made little progress : on the th of october king ferdinand in the presence of the emperor's and prince charles his ambassadors , and of the popes nuncio , took an oath at madrid to govern that kingdom as became a just and rightful tutor . he also ordered fabricius colona with lances from naples to go join the forces of the church , to serve against ferrara , but not against the king of france . to oblige him , he ordered the admiral villamarin with gallies that returned from gelves to join the french fleet at genoa , in order to secure that city . the duke of termens was in verona with lances in the emperor's service , and saved that city from falling into the hands of the venetians , who laid close siege to it . the pope when he set out , ordered all the cardinals to follow him . but some of them fled to naples , and not being admitted there , went thence to florence . there they staid , tho' the pope pressed them to come to him . the french now attempted to have surprized bolonia , where the pope and cardinals were in great danger , but fabricius bolona with his lances delivered them . the pope fell sick , whereupon some scandalous contrivances began to be among the cardinals ; which he having notice of , assembled them , and published a severe bull against such as were guilty of simony in the election of a pope . the mutinous cardinals at florence thought of calling a general council to reform the church discipline , and also to depose the pope , the emperor and king of france joining with them , and endeavouring to draw in the catholick king. the emperor and king of france declared all the confederate princes were obliged to assist one another , till they had recovered all that was detained from any of them by the venetians . they also would have the pope remit the business of ferrara to be tried by due course of law , and in order to it , would have all ecclesiastical persons , not excepting cardinals or any others , to reside at their benefices upon penalty of forfeiting their revenues . this caused the pope to excommunicate all the french commanders in italy , and all those who had any hand in the gallican provincial synods held to this effect . the catholick king never agreed to this decree of the gallican church , but laboured to reconcile the emperor to the pope and the venetians . it was now proposed to marry the queen of naples , niece to the catholick king , to charles duke of savoy , and the treaty was so far advanced , that ducats were assigned for her portion , and she was called dutchess of savoy ; yet at last it broke off , and the duke married beatrix princess of portugal . at naples the people mutinied , because it was designed to introduce the inquisition there , after the manner of spain . the tumult was so great , that the viceroy to prevent farther mischief , commanded all the jews who were come thither from spain in great numbers , to depart the kingdom by the last of march , as also that the inquisition should not be established . thus the people was appeased , the pope himself being of opinion they ought not to have been provoked by erecting that severe tribunal . the king of france was jealous that the catholick king would join in league with the pope against him , and the swisse that served the pope gave him cause to suspect he might intend to war upon milan . he offered very advantageous conditions , but the pope thought himself secure of all the dukedom of ferrara , whereof he had already taken the greatest part. the emperor required him to restore modena as a feoffe of the empire , to which the pope was not averse , so he would ingage not to return it to the duke of ferrara , nor put it into the hands of the french. the catholick king had bent his thoughts against africk , yet neglected not the affairs of italy . he ordered the duke of termens to return to naples , there being no service about verona . the duke obeyed , and by the way visited the pope at bolonia , by whom he was well entertained . about the beginning of january . king ferdinand went to sevil to forward the preparations for the war in africk , being desirous to revenge the loss sustained at gelves , and no less that of hierome vianelo , who was surprized and slain with men in the island querquens , between gelves and tunez . the pope himself in the dead of winter laid siege to , and took mirandula . thence he returned himself to bolonia , but sent his army to ferrara . both his forces and those of the venetians who came to his assistance were forced by the french to quit that enterprize . in march the pope at ravena created cardinals . all the cardinals in the conclave wherein pope julius was chosen , before the election had taken an oath , that whosoever of them came up pope , would call a general council within years after his promotion to the pontificate . besides it was decreed in the councils of constance and basle , that general councils should meet every years , and grievous penalties denounced to such as should obstruct them . pope julius after he had obtained the papacy , made no account either of his oath , or the decrees of those councils . many were desirous to correct the abuses crept into the roman court , especially during the reigns of alexander and julius . the emperor and king of france favouring this design ; the cardinals that were withdrawn from the pope issued out their mandates for summoning a general council to meet at pisa on the st of september . the emperor consented to all this proceeding , and only desired to have the council assembled at constance in germany . the catholick king declared himself against these practices , and advised the emperor not to have any hand in them . he ordered cavanillas his ambassador at the french court in the best manner that might be , to require that king to restore bolonia to the church ; not to invade the territories thereof any farther , and to desist from that affair of the council . the king of france excused himself , saying , the pope had infringed the capitulation made at cambray ; nevertheless he would admit of peace upon honourable terms . he demanded the articles agreed upon at cambray should be duly observed . that the cardinals who had forsaken the court of rome should be restored , even as they were before they went thence . that the marquess of mantua who served as general of the venetians , should be absolved of the oath he took to that republick , and have his son restored to him , whom he had delivered to the pope as hostage . that the duke of ferrara should be received into the pope's favour , and the sentence denounced against him recalled , without obliging him to resign his lands beyond the river po , or cento , or pieve , since they were his wives portion . the same things were required of the pope in the emperor's name . but he looked on these as hard conditions , and being of a haughty spirit , would have no body capitulate with him , but submit to his will. the catholick king seeing there was no expedient to prevent that mighty breach , resolved to declare for the pope . in order to it he altered his design of going over himself into africk , and sent home english archers the king of england had furnished for that expedition . they arrived at cadiz in june , where he rewarded , and dismissed them well satisfied . moreover he articled with that king , that in case the king of france would not restore bolonia to the pope , and desist from calling a general council ; then the catholick king should assist the pope , and the king of england should make war in guiene , to prevent the french invading the frontiers of spain . this done , king ferdinand went away from sevil to burgos . from guadalupe he sent orders to count peter navarro to go with the forces he had to naples , where d. raimund de cardona the viceroy , under pretence of the war in africk , had all the horse in the kingdom in a readiness . it was ordered that tripoli should be annexed to the crown of sicily , that the viceroys might thence relieve and defend it . d. jayme de requesens was sent governour thither , with a good fleet. this was done because the king designed james de vera the former governor to be general of his artillery . d. jayme enjoyed that command but a short time , for a mutiny happening among the soldiers of that garrison , the viceroy of sicily removed them and their governor , and sent his own brother william de moncada to succeed him in that post . the catholick king laboured by all means to withdraw the emperor from his ingagements with the king of france . to this purpose he sent peter de urrea to him , who was to succeed d. jayme de conchillos bishop of the canaries as ambassador at that court. the emperor being a man of a various temper , could be brought to no resolution . at last he agreed to send an ambassador to the pope , and d. peter de urrea to venice that they might conclude some accord . the pope in the name of that republick offered that the emperor should retain verona and vincenza , and the venetians all other places that he pretended to , yet so , that they should pay down ducats for the investiture , and a pension of yearly . all other differences he would have referred to himself and the catholick king , to be by them terminated . these were advantageous proposals , yet rejected by the emperor . nor did peter de urreas journey produce any good effect , for the venetians perceived by what was working , that all italy would soon be in confusion , which would give them a time to breath , and perhaps to recover their losses . the emperor and princess margaret made application to the catholick king for supplies , either of men or money , against the duke of guelders , who countenanced by the french , infested flanders , and took some towns , there being no body to oppose him . but the catholick king was so intent upon italy , that he regarded nothing else , and the emperor himself thought fit to connive at it , rather than break with france . the end of the th book . the history of spain . book xxx . chap. i. affairs of india ; the pope summons a council to meet at s. john lateran ; the league betwixt the pope , king of aragon and the venetians ; the war in italy . this summer the affairs of the portugueses advanced gloriously in india , throug the valour and conduct of alonso de albuquerque . king emanuel of portugal understanding some years before , that beyond goa and calicut was the famous city malaca , a place of great trade , he ordered james lopez de sequeira who sailed from lisbon years before this with ships to discover that place . with him went garcia de sousa and ferdinand de magallanes . he first discovered the island sumatra , opposite to malaca , under the equinoctial . it is very large and fruitful , divided into many kingdoms , and inhabited by moors and gentiles . he traded with those people , and then sailed to malaca a large and rich city , having a mighty trade . formerly it was subject to the king of siam , at this time had a king of its own called mahomet . with this king sequeira treated and they settled an alliance . sequeira sent roderick aroas ashore with certain portugueses to settle a factory . the moors being jealous of the portugueses , attempted to seize the ships , and being disappointed seized the men that were in the city : those at sea were not strong enough to revenge that wrong , they hoised sail , and having touched at cochin , returned to portugal with what loading they could get . alonso de albuquerque then governor of india resolved to revenge this injury . he gathered a fleet and sailed to sumatra , and thence to malaca . by the way he took a ship ; which his men having entred , there arose such a flame they were forced to quit her ; afterwards it appeared that flame was artificial and did no harm . soon after they discovered another sail which after a vigorous resistance they also made themselves masters of : it was observed that the captain of her called nahodabeguia , tho' he had many large wounds , did not bleed . he being stripped , and a gold bracelet taken from him , the blood presently gushed out . it was found that in the bracelet was set a stone which in the kingdom of siam is taken out of certain creatures called cabrissas , and has wonderful virtue to stanch blood. the fleet arrived at malaca on the first of july : after a vigorous resistance made by the inhabitants , the city submitted to the king of portugal . thus christianity was disfused into the utmost limits of the earth . in italy the authority of the see apostolick was much impaired by reason of the schism that was like to be . the pope leaving the war , returned to rome , and there to oppose the designs of the schismatick cardinals , summoned a general council to meet in the church of s. john lateran on the th of april of the following year . in that council among other things he proposed to declare , that the present queen of france was not lawful wife to that king , and that the provinces of normandy and guiene belonged to the king of england , the people thereof being consequently absolved of their oath of allegiance taken to the french king. this was in order to strike a terror into that king. he hereupon began to give ear to a peace with the venetians ; but at last thought better to stick to the council of pisa ; which the emperor desired should be removed to verona or trent . the french king who influenced this affair would not consent , but hastened the cardinals to open the council at pisa , but they delayed , and proposed to be reconciled to the pope . at rome the pope deprived the four cardinals carvajal , cosenza , s. malo , and bayzeux of all their dignities , tho' at first the college opposed it , and some excused them , affirming the pope must be deposed for opposing that assembly , according to the decree of the th session of the council of basil . the treaty betwixt the pope and king of spain advanced , only the pope was unwilling to pay the spanish forces , and therefore had some thoughts of being reconciled to the king of france , but that sailing , he stuck to king ferdinand . men at arms , light horse , other horse , and foot were shipped at malaga , under the command of alonso de garvajal lord of xodar , and zamudio collonel of the foot. it was given out these forces were for africk ; but it was not likely , for at the same time count peter navarro arrived at naples with tattered men , the relicks of the late misfortunes . the king of france proposed to marry his youngest daughter to prince ferdinand , and upon the match to quit all claim to the kingdom of naples , and tho' the catholick king liked it , yet he pressed to have bolonia restored to the pope . still that king resolved to protect that city , whereupon the english ambassadors formally required him to deliver that place , which was as good as declaring war , if he did not . he answered he was resolved to defend bolonia as he would milan . the pope fell so sick it was thought he could not escape . the emperor came as far as trent , having conceived hopes of being seated in s. peters chair , and possessing the kingdom of naples . but the king of aragon , the pope , and republick of venice on the th of october concluded a league for defence of the church , and against the schismaticks at pisa . by this league the king was obliged within days after the publishing of it , to furnish men at arms , light horse , and foot. the pope men at armes , the republick was to join their army to the other forces , and their fleet to the galleys of spain . whilst the war lasted , the pope and venetians were to pay ducats a month to the king , and months of it advance . the king was to appoint the general , and he made choice of d. raimund de cardona viceroy of naples . the venetians gave up any pretensions they had to any sum lent to the kings of naples , of the house of aragon . the emperor did not join in this league , but it was declared that he knew of it , as did the king of england . james garcia de paredes who had been long a pyrate and then went into the emperors service , was taken at vincenza by the venetians . admiral villamarin who was gone with the galleys to spain , by the king's order returned to naples . berengarius de olms was left with some galleys on the coast of granada . roderick baçan went to burn certain vessels at tetuan . it was reported the king of fez designed to besiege ceuta , both those commanders repaired thither , and understanding he lay before tangier where d. duarte de meneses was governor , they failed to that place . the town was distressed , roderick baçan with his men made a sally , in which he drove the moors from some of their works . next day the portugues horse did the like , so effectually that the king of fez raised the siege . this done the spanish commanders returned to gibraltar with honour . the viceroy of naples prepared to march. count peter navarro was general of the foot and lay with them near gaeta , the horse being also in readiness . prosper colona would not go upon this enterprize because he had no great command , therefore fabricius colona was left as governor and lieutenant general ; it was observed that the barons who had been of the faction of anjou , were the forwardest to offer their service . count peter navarro marched before with the foot towards pontecorvo . on the d of november the horse followed with the viceroy . the emperor was now dubious which side to incline to , the cardinal sanseverino still fed him with uncertain hopes , and the ambassadon d. peter de urrea offered if he would enter into the league , that the army of the allies should assist him in the conquest of milan , as also to reduce guelders . he inclined to accept of the conditions before offered by the venetians ; but it was too late , for they were now grown strong : yet hierome vic ambassador at rome so contrived it , that a cessation of arms was concluded betwixt the emperor and the republick , which proved of great moment . the king of france failed not to give orders to his general gaston de foix , and send him supplies to oppose the allies , and at the same time laboured to raise swiss , and prevent them from joining for the defence of the church , as was laboured by the cardinal of sion . he offered the emperor to make him pope , or give him authority to choose one , that he would restore to him the lands of the church belonging to the empire , give him what part of naples he would ask , and that milan and genoa should be obliged to assist him in his wars , as also that the differences about guelders should be composed by persons of his own choosing . the cardinal sanseverino seeing the emperor unsettled , took his leave of him . the viceroy of naples would have marched to florence to secure that city which held for the french , but the pope commanded him to march to bolonia . the weather was bad and the country rough , many of the soldiers fell sick , but few died . at imola the viceroy staied for the artillery , which came to him at the beginning of the year . count peter navarro was before at lugo and bagnacavalo , and thought good to besiege bastida , a fort belonging to the duke of ferrara upon the river po , in which was a garrison of italians . this place esteemed impregnable , was taken by assault in five days , and most of the defendants put to the sword. it was delivered to cardinal john de medicis the popes legate . the king of france having got alonso younger son to frederick king of naples , gave out he would settle him in that kingdom ; which seemed easie , the kingdom being left naked of defence , and the people coverous of having a king of their own . chap. ii. the seige of bologna . the king and queen of navarre excommunicated . the venetians recover bergamo and bressa and are overthrown by the french. after the taking of bastida count peter navarro return'd to imola . there a council of war was held to determin which way was best to begin the war. fabricius colona advised to waste the country , and take in the weaker places of the country of bologna , and leave the city to the last . count peter navarro was positive for besieging bologna , and being a bold man represented the taking of it as a matter of no difficulty . his advice was followed , because he was in great esteem among the soldiery , and never served well when contradicted . the duke of termens dying in his way from rome and the duke of urbin refusing then to command the forces of the church , tho afterwards he sent his lieutenant , the pope ordered them to obey the legate and viceroy to whom he sent a sword and cap , as also the standards he blessed on christmas day . the venetians neither sent the supplies of mony they had promised , nor of men , but under the shelter of the league , endeavoured to recover what the emperor and king of france had taken from them . the viceroy encamped four miles from bologna , and the next day being the th of january within cannon shot of the town at belpogio a country house of the bentivoglios . within the city were horse and foot under the command of monsieur de alegre . the same day the viceroy marched towards bologna , the duke of ferrara took bastida and rased it to the ground . the viceroy took up his quarters at belpoggio , the marquess of padula and count de populo advanced with the foot and possessed themselves of a monastery called s. michael de rosque , quenching the fire set to it by those within . there they planted some pieces of cannon , and the rest on a hill hard by . before this advice was brought that gaston de foix duke of nemours , was at parma gathering his forces , which were lances , light horse , and foot , and was to joyn at final miles , from bologna , the troops of the duke of ferrara being gascons and some horse , all this in order to raise the siege , fabricius colona lay about cento and pieve with part of the army to observe the passage of the french ; the viceroy ordered him to come to the other side of the city towards the mountain . it was resolved to move the batteries to that side , the wall being there weakest , but soon after it was agreed the army should lie all together to secure the cannon , and repulse the relief . the artillery was planted betwixt s. michael and the florence gate . on the th of january they began to play . part of the wall was beaten down and some soldiers got into a tower , where they displayed the colours , but were soon drove out by the besieged . count peter navarro finished a mine , and having set fire to it , the wall was lifted up , so that they without saw those in the town , and the townsmen those in the field under the wall , yet it sell again in the same place and setled as fast as at first . this was looked upon as a miracle , because within adjoyning to the wall was a chappel held in great veneration called of baracan , which like the rest was blown up and settled again . nevertheless the city was in great danger , when there fell a snow for days together . this gave the french general an opportunity of throwing himself into the city with a good body of men , without being discovered by the centinels . for this reason and because the weather continued very severe , the army of the consederates raised the siege and drew back to s. lazaro miles from bologna . the forces of the pope retired as far as imola , the viceroy to the castle of s. peter , and the forces were dispersed in the neighbouring places . this was the event ofthat so much talked of siege . many , as is usual in the like cases blamed the general , for that , as they said , without regarding the unseasonableness of the weather he had let slip days , in which he might have made a considerable advance . that the army encamped far from the place where it ought to have been . that the trenches were not well carried on , nor the mines rightly placed . in fine , that the guards were so ill kept , they gave the enemy an opportunity of getting into the town without being discovered . the truth is , the weather was unseasonable , and neither the swiss came as was expected , nor did the venetians send any supplies of men. there were at this siege among the rest antony de leyva , captain alvarado and the marquess of pescara d. ferdinand de avalos , who was afterwards a most renowned general . the king of england prepared to be in a readiness as soon as the season would permit , to invade the province of guienne in france , those kings of old pretending a title to that country , and luiz carroz the ambassador pressing him to undertake that expedition in the name of the catholick king. thomas gray marquess of dorset the king's cousin-german was appointed general of the english army . the catholick king thought it convenient for that time to give over the conquest of africk , and to draw out the forces that were at oran , leaving only as many as was requisite for the defence of the place . he ordered the town should be divided . houses were appointed ; for horse , and the rest for foot. the houses orchards and lands belonging to the city were distributed among the inhabitants , that the place might be more easily maintained . for the greater encouragement of people to come and inhabit there , it was granted they should be free from all manner of taxes and impositions , besides that they were to receive pay. on the last of janaary queen mary of portugal was delivered at lisbon of a son called prince henry , who was afterwards a cardinal , and lastly upon the death of his nephew king sebastian came to be king of portugal . the same day this prince was born it snowed very much at lisbon , a thing extraordinary in that city . curious persons said that snow denoted the innocence of his life which was very holy , and the pureness of his chastity which he preserved as long as he lived . he was in his countenance the likest to his father of all the brothers . king ferdinand was now at burgos , there on the th of february , upon the death of the constable d. bernardin de velasco , he contracted the earl's daughter , juliana , grandchild to the king himself , being born of the lady joanna of aragon , to ferdinand de velasco eldest son to d. inigo , who succeeded his brother bernardin in the lordship of haro and the dignity of constable . the absence of the duke of nemours gave an opportunity and courage to the people of bressa and bergamo , to revolt from the french and submit themselves again to the venetians , excepting the castles which the french still kept . this was a thing of dangerous consequence being a precedent for all the other cities which had been newly conquer'd to do the like . as soon as the duke had relieved bolonia he resolved to repair thither , and carried along with him monsieur d' alegre . a french commander called foullette was left at bolonia with men at arms , and foot to secure that city . andrew gritti with the army of the republick and the inhabitants of bressa marched forward to oppose the duke . he retired to the mountain , and after midnight entred the city by the way of the castle . thence he marched out to fight the venetians . a bloody and obstinate battel was fought , and many killed on both sides , but the french obtained the victory , andrew gritti , antony justiniano governour of the city , and paul manfron were made prisoners . count luis bogara who delivered the city to the venetians , being a native of it and having great power in it , was not only taken , but condemned and executed as a traytor . after this success the duke of nemours soon recovered bergamo without any difficulty . he left the lord of aubigni with a sufficient force to secure bressa , the rest of his army he dispersed in the territory of verona , and went away himself to keep the carnaval at milan , and there to rejoice at his victory . the king of france was much offended at his departure at such a juncture of time , and ordered him immediately to march with all his forces and observe the confederate army then much weakned and in distress . hereupon the council at pisa took the boldness to appoint the cardinals of bolonia and avignon their legates ; and the venetians refused to agree with the emperor , tho the pope urged they should accept of the conditions so often proposed , as did the emperor to join with the confederates . yet soon after , as has been said , the republick concluded a truce with the emperor , upon condition to pay him down a certain sum of mony. the king of france fortified the frontiers of normandy first , and then those of guienne for fear of the english . at the same time he laboured to secure the king of navarre to his interest , tho' under-hand he gave great assurances to the duke of nemours of putting him in possession of that kingdom , assoon as the war in italy were ended . this strict alliance of the king of navarre with france was the cause of his ruin , which was contrived and carried on in this manner . the pope understanding how that king favoured and assisted the enemies of the church , and sided with the french and the council of pisa , resolved with the advice of the colledge of cardinals to take such course against him as was usual against schismatick princes . on the th of february he pronounced sentence of excommunication against the king and queen of navarre , depriving them of the regal stile and dignity , and giving their dominions to any that would take possession of them . it was supposed that king ferdinand procured this judgment to be given against them , certain it is , he kept it for sometime private , hoping some other way to make sure of that king and queen , to this purpose about the end of march , he sent peter de hontanon from burgos where he then resided in his name , to declare to those princes , how much they deviated from their true interest , and to engage them not to give any aid to france upon that conjuncture , nor to allow passage through their dominions to his and the churches enemies . he also required them to deliver up to him their son the prince of viana , promising to marry him to one of his grand-daughters , that is either the princess elizabeth , or princess catherine . they refused to comply with any of these demands , treated the catholick king 's friends in ill manner , and continued to raise men and make other warlike preparations . d. john de silva who was general for castile on the frontiers of navarre , omitted not to require them to forbear those extraordinary motions , but they made no account of his messages . they were much encouraged by the news brought from italy , of the great power of the french , and distress of the confederate army . the viceroy remained still in the earldom of bolonia , not daring to retire for fear of losing reputation , and being too weak to advance and take any enterprize in hand , altho the pope pressed him to break into the territory of milan . the viceroy feared to be cut off his provisions which were sent him from ravenna . he had lost many of his men that hard weather , some were dead , and others deserted . what was worst of all , at such time as the enemy was very near , the duke of urbin's lieutenant with the lances belonging to the pope withdrew from the way , pretending they were not payed , and that they were jealous of some spaniards . the truth was , the duke held intelligence with the king of france , and had bills of his payable at florence to raise men for his service . our army was so reduced , that the viceroy and legate resolved to take into pay italians , to reinforce it . the pope would have had and paid down mony to raise them . he was for fighting the french immediately , his great spirit being void of all apprehension . the catholick king would have them protract time , till the forces of venice joined them , they being now at leisure by reason of the truce concluded with the emperor . he also ordered a body of swiss or germans to be hired , and sent ferdinand de valdez captain of his guards to propose this to the pope , and then to go to the army to acquaint the general with his will. he did as ordered , and came to the viceroy's camp on the 〈◊〉 of march , as such time as the two 〈…〉 in sight of one another in such manner that , without great hazard and loss of reputation , there was no avoiding a battel . chap. iii. the famous battel of ravenna ; that city surrendred to the french ; scandalous proceedings of the mutinous cardinals , and opening of the lateran council . the confederate army still lay about the castile of s. peter , butri , cento and pieve , towns in the earldom of bolonia , where the viceroy resolved to fight the french , because the ground was advantageous and his men in good heart . the french army and forces of the duke of ferrana all good men advanced towards them . the viceroy was willing to obey the orders brought him by ferdinand de valdez . there the french lay till the last day of march , when they marched away towards ravenna , which city they desired to possess themselves of , because thence our army was supplied with provisions . for the defence of that place , the viceroy had sent thither , peter de castro with light horse and luis dentichi a neapolitan with italians . that place was of such consequence , that he resolved to follow the enemy , and the two armies marched at only miles distance from one another . he sent before marc antony colona with lances and spaniards to get into the city by night . ravenna is seated on the shoar of the gulph of venice , betwixt two rivers , both fordable . one of them is called roneo , and the other monton . they run close by the walls , monton on the left , and ronco on the right . upon maunday thursday the french encamped before the city between the rivers , and the next day gave a furious assault , which was bravely sustained by the defendants , and particularly luis dentichi , who had a brother killed , and was himself mortally wounded . the viceroy marched close by the city down the river ronco , which divided the two armies . upon holy saturday he encamped and entrenched himself at a place called molinazzo , two miles from the enemy . there was variety of opinions about what ought to be done . fabricius was for staying there , since they had their provisions secure , and the enemy would soon want , besides that there they secured the city . count peter navarro being a selfish man perswaded the viceroy to advance relying upon the spanish foot. accordingly our army march'd . some french horse skirmish'd with our vanguard , but nothing considerable was done that day . the enemy returned 〈◊〉 camp , and the viceroy lay that night almost in sight of it . next day being easter sunday and the th of april both armies drew out . the french had foot , men at arms , light horse , and pieces of cannon . the duke of ferrara and the sieur de la palisse led the van. in the main battel were the seheschal of normandy , and cardinal sanseverino legate of the council at pisa , frederick de bossoln brought up the rear , the duke of nemours being with a body of choice horse as a reserve . the confederate army reported to consist of foot , was not near the number . there were less than spaniards and italians , men at arms , light horse , and pieces of cannon . the viceroy ought to have moved before break of day , to prevent the enemy , as fabricius colona advised , but he would not be perswaded , and ●●ve the enemy time to pass a bridge and put themselves in good order . fabricius colona led the van consisting of men at arms , light horse , and foot. all the rest formed two bodies , commanded by the viceroy and count peter navarro . in this manner both armies advanced by beat of drum , the generals encouraging their men. the cannon began to play , and altho' that of the viceroy at first did great execution among the enemies vanguard as they passed the river , yet theirs being twice the number and planted in an open plain , made a much greater slaughter among the men at alms who stood exposed . the marquess de pescara gave the first charge with the light horse , and then the men at arms of both sides mixed confusedly . for some time the battel was maintained so , that the success was dubious . at length the french being superiour in numbers , the confederates began to give way . here the marquess of pescara was wounded and taken ●ad peter de paz a notable officer killed . count peter navarro who had always thoughts to carry away the honour of the victory now advanced with the s●●●ish foot , backed by spanish men at arms he gathered . when they charged the 〈◊〉 foot , collonel zamudio who was in the first rank saw a german officer called james empser , who came forward and challenged him . o king ( says zamudio ) how dear 〈◊〉 bay your favours , and how well da men deserve them upon these occasions . having spoke , these words , he charged his pike and struck the german dead . the rest fell on so furiously , that they broke the germans , then the gascons and italians . most of the germans were put to the sword , for of german captains only escaped , and all the french foot was put to the rout. in the same heat they took the french cannon , but the french say janolaço galcoto defended it . the french horse seeing the slaughter was made charged our foot , who having no horse to support them and being tired with fighting were quite broke . there died collonel zalmudi with other officers and count peter navarro was taken . the rest retired in good order , the foot that were in van joining them . on one side the river secured them , and on the other the causway . the duke of numours desiring to break that body , that he might carry away a compleat victory , advanced with a small number , contrary to the advice of the sieur de la palisse , who would have had him content himself with the advantage gained . our men turned upon him and being struck off his horse , he was killed by a private soldier , tho' he told him he was brother to the queen of aragon . monsieur d' alegre and his son were also killed , and monsieur de lautreque left for dead in the field . thus about spaniards marched away down the river . fabricius colona with what forces he could get together , still maintained himself against all the french army , till having received two wounds and his horse falling , he was taken by the duke of ferraras men. thus the french remained victorious , but so shatter'd , they could not prosecute their good fortune , nor attempt any thing of moment . of the number of dead no certain account can be given , authors varying very much . it is certain the fight lasted hours , and the victors sustained most loss . their general , many persons of note , and almost all the germans being killed . whereas on our side few horse were lost , for that night about of them fled to arimino and ancona , and above spanish foot got off safe . the viceroy went from pesaro to ancona to gather the remains of his army . after this victory ravenna was immediately surrendred to the french upon articles , which were not performed , for assoon as mark antony colona and d. peter de castro were matched away with the garrison towards cesena , the french plundered the city without sparing churches or monasteries . the french authors lay the blame of this disorder upon jaquin a captain of foot , who being cloathed in cloath of gold taken from the churches at bressa , encouraged the soldiers to do the like at ravenna , a greater booty was found there than had been expected ; imola , forli , cesena , arimino , and most of the forts in romania yielded to the victors , and the legate took possession of them for the council of pisa . the news of this defeat being spread abroad , the pope was no whit discouraged , tho' the people of rome was ready to mutiny . the duke of urbino sent to offer his service , promising to make amends for past miscarriages . julicis de medius went to rome to give the pope an account of the posture of affairs , and encourage him to proceed . the loss was represented to the catholick king much less than in reality it was , for in his letters he writes it appeared by the musters , that not above men were lost in the whole . yet he resolved to send the great captain to italy , whose presence alone it was thought , would make up for the dammage sustained . so the king writ to several parts , and immediately sent the commendary solis with spaniards to naples . the king of france hearing what had hapned , said , would to god i had been drove out of italy , so my nephew and the other officers were alive . god grant such victories to my enemies , for if we obtain one more such victory we are vanquished . this success so alarmed the venetiales , that they feared the french would now make themselves masters of all italy , and they thought of changing parties . the spanish ambassador then resident at venice quieted them , shewing how small the loss had been . the cardinal of sorrento who governed at naples in the absence of the viceroy , required d. hugo de moncada viceroy of sicily , and captain general of both kingdoms , to come over with all the forces he could make , which he did with those that came from tripoli and some other horse . d. raymund de cardona from ancona repaired to naples to recruit his army , and make the other necessary preparations . before the battel was fought , pope julius provided for the celebrating the lateran council at the time appointed . in order to it he appointed cardinals and some other persons to attend that affair , and reform the city of rome and his own court , that the foreign prelates might not be scandalized at any disorders . he pressed the bishops of naples , sicily , and spain , but particularly the archbishops of toledo and sevil , to repair to the council , that so he might bear down the assembly at pisa under the schismatick cardinals . they about this time removed from pisa to milan , and encouraged by the success of the french , published their declaration against the pope : it contained , that whereas they had often intreated him to come to the council , or at least not to obstruct the sitting o' it ; and that instead of so doing , he had caused much innocent blood to be shed , and there was no hope of his forsaking his vices , therefore they suspended him from spiritual or temporal jurisdiction , which they adjudged to the council , according to the decrees of the eleventh session of the council of bosle , and the fourth and fifth of the council of constance . this declaration was set up in the churches of milan , florence , genoa , verond● , and bolonia . a buisness that scandalized the whole world , and made the pope the more earnest to open the council of s. john lateran . at length it was opened on the th of may. there were present the cardinals of rome , many prelates from several parts , and the pope himself presided . egidius de viterbo , general of the order of s. augustin , made a learned speech upon the subject of their being there assembled . chap. iv. the war in navarre ; king ferdinand possesses himself of that kingdom . the affairs of italy ; the great captain stopped from going thither . the truce betwixt the emperor and venetians , and the negociation of the cardinal of sion , was the cause that on the th of may swiss were come to valcamonica , and brought with them field pieces . besides these , came by the way of novara , and by bergamo . the baron of altsaxe was their general , and with him came matthew cardinal of sion . most of the french forces abandoned italy . on the th of may above swiss came to verona , which they easily took , the french quitting both city and castle . here paul capelo with men at arms , light-horse , and foot of the republick , joined the swiss . they together pursued the french army , who retired to aste , on the utmost borders of milan , the sieur de la palisse resolving to abandon lombardy , being terrified that the germans had forsaken him . cremona , milan , and almost all the cities submitted themselves to this powerful army , and ravenna was delivered to the pope . the spaniards were for restoring that dukedom to maximilian sforcia . the schismatick cardinals fled into france . parma and plasencia submitted to the pope . in spain the differences continued betwixt the kings of aragon and navarre , and the latter was fearful since the death of the duke of nemours , that the other would pretend to that kingdom in right of queen germana . the french ambassador in navarre assured that king , that his master would stand by him with all his forces ; and offered to give his youngest daughter in marriage to the prince of viana . these promises so prevailed with that king , that he entred into a league with france , which proved his ruin . mean while the marquess of dorset with the english fleet , in which were archers , came to passage , a port in guipuscoa . d. frederick de portugal , bishop of siguença , who was at s. sebastian by the king's order , to furnish the english with all necessaries , went to welcome him . a good force was gathering in castile , to join with the english , under the command of the duke of alva . king ferdinand's design was first to invade navarre , that he might leave a● safe behind . he summoned the corles of aragon to meet at monçon , appointing queen germana to preside , and ordered all the forces of the kingdom to be got together , because he intented to command in person . the cortes agreed to maintain men at arms and light horse for the space of years and months . the king of navarre to divert this storm , sent his mareschal peter of navarre to make some composition . the catholick king resolved to besiege pamplona , and would have the marquess of dorset join with him ; but he excused himself , saying , he had no orders to make war upon the king of navarre , and complained that the king's forces were not ready to invade guienne . he said at first it had been easie to take bayonne , it being unprovided , which now would be very difficult , they having had time to prepare for their defence . the duke of alva waited for orders at vitoria : his forces , which consisted of men at arms , light-horse , and foot , quartered in alava , rioja , and guipuzcoa . orders were brought the duke to march to pamplona , and accordingly he entred the kingdom of navarre upon the st of july . d. luis de biamonte , who was banished navarre , led the van. the queen was gone to bearne , and the king was at pamplona , but no hopes being left of defending it , retired to lumbie●●e . pamplona immediately surrendered to the duke , and all other places were for doing the same . upon this , king john sent three commissioners to the duke , who resigned up the whole kingdom to king ferdinand to be held in trust , and consented to deliver up the prince of viana the king's son. king john withdrew over the mountains . all places submitted except estela and val d' ezua in the mountain . the french who came to succour . king john , were now in bearne . the catholick king came to logron̄o . d. antony d' acun̄a , bishop of zamora , had been at pamplona in the behalf of the see apostolick , to require king john not to side with the enemies of the church , and was now sent to bearne , to advise that king not to deviate from the late articles agreed upon . he was taken at salvatierra , and delivered up to the duke of longueville the french general and governour of guienne , who afterwards sent him back to carry on the treaty of peace , he leaving three nephews hostages for his return . navarre submitting so easily , made the french jealous of some treachery ; to remove which suspicion , king john put salvatierra into their hands , and went himself to the king of france . he had resolved with all his forces to secure guienne , and on the other side king ferdinand was making sure of navarre . he made all the country swear allegiance to him as to their king , pretending king john had broke the capitulation . tudela submitted not till the archbishop of zaragoça went thither with forces . to secure the passage into france ; the duke of alva passed the mountains , and took s. john de pie de puerto . the marquess of dorset was desired to join the spanish army , and enter guienne . he pleaded it was then too late , the summer being spent and his men sick . he complained of the catholick king , who was only intent upon his own business in navarre , without regarding the conquest of guienne . therefore the marquess returned into england , which gave some cause to suspect , as antony de nebrixa writes , that he was corrupted with french gold. the affairs of the french in italy were changed no otherwise than if they had lost the battel of ravenna . the pope laid an interdict on the kingdom of france , excommunicated their king , and absolved the people of guienne and normandy of their oath of allegiance . the duke of urbin marching with the robe's forces towards 〈◊〉 that pepple set up the pope's colours . the duke of ferrara upon composition come to rome , and publickly begged pardon of the pope , who granted it , yet restored not rhegio , but thought to have secured him , had not fabricius colona conveyed him away . the viceroy of naples soon recruited his army , and found , with the spaniards brought by the commendar● 〈◊〉 , he had foot , the command of whom was given to the marquess of padula ; and because he hurt himself in the hand , it was transferred tothe commendary solis . men at arms there were and light-horse . besides these prosper colona got together horse and was to command the vanguard . this was the viceroy's strength when he received orders from the pope not to march any farther , for that lombardy was already subdued and there was no need of more forces . his design was ever to expel all strangers out of italy , and having already drove out the french , thought to do the same with the spaniards . nevertheless , the viceroy marched as far as the castle of s. peter in his way to bolonia , where certain deputies from the swissers met him , requiring him not to advance any further , which if he did , they would oppose him , the french being already expelled lombardy . these were all contrivances of the pope . the viceroy answered , he was general of the league , and consequently obliged to obey the orders of the confederate princes . after some disputes betwixt the emperor's and catholick king 's ambassadors , as also the venetians , it was agreed the viceroy should restore the family of medicis to florence , they being then banished . it was also decreed , that maximilian sforcia , who now called himself duke of milan , should come into italy , in order to reduce the rest of lombardy , where the forces of the pope possessed themselves of plasencia and parma . sickness and other inconveniences caused the council then held at rome , after two sessions , only to be prorogued till the beginning of december . the pope proposed making war upon the turks , the sons of bajazet being then at variance ; yet malicious persons gave out this was only a project of his to get the spaniards out of italy under that pretence . the viceroy marched towards florence , pretending only to restore that republick to its liberty , and reconcile it to the church . he came without meeting any resistance to prato , which is only miles from florence ; which place offering to oppose him , he battered and took by storm on the th of august . the florentines immediately sent their deputies to compound with the viceroy , and consented to restore the families of medicis and pazzis to all their estates ; as also to enter into the league , forsake the french , and put themselves under the protection of spain . to express their zeal , they chose the marquess of padula their general , and furnished some money towards the charge of the war. the same was done by the cities of siena and luca. at same time janus maria de campo fregoso was chosen duke of genoa in favour of the league , and king ferdinand , to encourage those cities , ordered berengarius d' olm to ply upon those coasts with his galleys . all things in italy succeeded as well as he could wish , which was the cause he first delayed , and afterwards quite put off the great captain 's voyage thither . after the battel of ravenna , he had been looked upon as the only man that could restore affairs in italy , whereupon the king resolved to send him thither , tho' jealous of him at the same time . he accepted of the command , and went to malaga to prepare for his voyage . vast numbers of people flocked to him , and even the king's guards disbanded themselves to follow him . many of the gentry made preparations to bear him company upon their own charges , all which made the king limit the number to go with him to men at arms and foot. still king ferdinand delayed the departure of the great captain , hoping some good accident might re-establish the viceroy , for whom he had so great a kindness , that many suspected he was his son. the affairs in italy being mended , as has been said , the king ordered the great captain to lay aside all thoughts of going to italy during the winter , and to send all the gentry that was with him to serve in navarre . these orders much troubled the great captain , and he complained grievously of it . all the officers resented it so heinously , that never a captain of men at arms went to serve in navarre , except only gutierre quixada . the great captain sent to ask leave of the king to go to his estate in terranova in italy , but the king persuaded him it was better to retire to his house at loxa . he was so much out of favour , that the king refused him the chief commendary of leon ; vacant by the death of garcilasso de la vega , as he did also the commendary of h●rnachos , both which he made suit for . two reasons may be ascribed for this strangeness : one , that king ferdinand was not well satisfied with that gentleman , and often complained he held secret intelligence against him . the other it common to all princes , who when a man has done more for them than is in their power to requite , look upon him as the debtor , and commonly prove ungrateful . for it is ever more certain to have faults punished than desert rewarded . no recompence or honour could have been too great for a man so deserving . but who can persuade kings to curb their own private distate ? or who can limit their jealousie , especially when it is daily encreased by whispering courtiers . chap. v. the siege of pamplona . the viceroy of naples takes the city bressa . duke maximilian sforcia recovers milan . king ferdinand falls sick . the duke of alva continued at s. john de pied de porte , and his forces took some small places of little importance . thither james de vera with great difficulty brought the artillery . the dukes of longueville , bourbon , and monpensier , the sieur de la palisse , and monsieur de lautrec , lay at sauveterre and the neighbouring places , to oppose our army . their force was men at arms , and foot. the dauphin lay at garriz with another great body ready to second them . this only waited the coming of king john with his forces to march into navarre . in hopes of their coming the people of the valley of salazar and roncales revolted from king ferdinand . the mareschal of navarre also , who till then had stood neuter , declared for france , and went away thither from tudela , whither king ferdinand went to meet the queen , after she had broke up the cortes of aragon at monçon . this caused king john to hasten his march . there are two passes through the mountains betwixt navarre and france ; one is called valderroncal , the other valderronças . at the entrance of valderronças is s. john de pied de porte , where the duke of alva then was . through the other pass the king led his army about the middle of october : with him went the sieur de la palisse . the spaniards were no where strong enough to give them battel ; yet several commanders posted themselves in the straights of the mountains . among the rest ferdinand valdez took his post at burgi , which place was very weak . the enemy coming on , assaulted that place , and tho' they lost men , carried it , killing many of the defendants , and among them ferdinand de valdez . it is reported he exposed himself to that danger out of despair , because when he returned after the battel of ravenna , the king said , the good men are left there . the duke of alva considering the danger pamplona was in , left james de vera at s. john de pied de porte with foot , horse , and pieces of cannon , and resolved himself with the rest to repass the mountains into navarre . they enemy might have prevented him , but they were overseen as well in that as in not marching directly to pamplona , which they might easily have taken . this delay gave the duke leisure to march thither ; and the archbishop of zaragoça to join him with men. several castles that had revolted were reduced . having taken torla , and falling to plunder it , the people of the valley joining with the townsmen , fell upon the forces , killing above , and taking all their baggage , with some field-pieces . king john encamped at utroz , within two leagues of pamplona , hoping the city would declare for him , but our army had prevented it by expelling citizens ; besides , at puente de la reyna , which is hard by , a great body assembled to relieve the place if it were requisite . men came from trasmiera and campos , and from bugia , which were landed at barcelona . soon after , the forces of aragon came thither . the duke of najara was chosen general of this army . the french still expected more forces from the dauphin , and the sieur de la palisse was dissatisfied for that nothing succeeded to his mind . the french encamped so as to cut off the provisions of the city . another body , left beyond the mountains to divert the forces of king ferdinand , entred guipuscoa . they passed by fuenterabia , and sate down before s. sebastian . monsieur de lautrec commanded that army , and resolved to attack that town . d. john d' aragon , son to the archbishop of zaragoça , was in the place , who so encouraged the garrison , tho' small , that the french retired into guienne . the duke of calabria , upon promise of being restored to the kingdom of naples , designed to fly to the french , but was taken , with four others that managed his intelligence . he was kept many years a prisoner in the castle of xativa , and his accomplices executed . the season was unfit to lie in the field , wherefore the french resolved to be the most expedite they could : they sacked two monasteries of nuns that are without the walls . a german captain opening the tabernacle to scale the custodium , threw out the blessed sacrament upon the altar . the nun that was sacristan said , how dare you commit such a sacrilege ? he answered , this is not the god of the germans , but of the spaniards . he is said soon after , like judas , to have burst asunder . they planted their cannon , and gave two assaults , but still the defendants held out . the duke of najara with foot besides the horse , appeared on the top of the mountain , designing either to fight , or else to cut off the enemy's provisions . on the last day of november the french raised the siege , and returned towards france . the constable of navarre pursued them , and killing some , took pieces of cannon . and thus ended that war. all the agramonteses submitted themselves , and the city pamplona was repaired , and a place marked out to build a castle . d. raymund de moncada having fortunately settled the affairs of florence , marched towards lombardy . at modena he held a council of war , to consult what was best to be done . the city bressa was besieged by the venetians , who hoped to possess themselves of it . the empeperor pretended to it , and the swisse would have it given to duke maximilian sforcia , whose quarrel they had espoused . to end this quarrel , it was agreed the viceroy should hold it for the league , till it could be decided who it belonged to . d. peter d' urrea and andrew de burgo went to rome to know the pope's pleasure , and sollicit the payment of some months arrears . he pleaded that obligation had ceased after the battel of ravenna , yet promised some money if the viceroy would quit lombardy , and return to ferrara , which above all things he desired to possess himself of . to this purpose the duke of urbin was encamped with swiss , a small force , and even that deserted for want of pay. d. peter d' urrea and his companion fed the pope with good words . he resolved to send bernard de bibiena , who was afterwards a cardinal , to acquaint the viceroy with his will. at this time the marquess de pescara being ransomed from the french , came to milan , and had the command of the company of the men at arms , that had belonged to gaspar de pomar , killed in that city , given him . on the first of october the viceroy passed the po with foot. prosper colona was marching with above men at arms , and foot , to join the viceroy . the pope endeavoured to hinder him , but could not . he also laboured with the cardinal of sion , that the swiss should not admit the spaniards into lombardy . at verona , rocandulpho , a commander of the emperor's , joined the viceroy with germans , horse , and pieces of cannon . m. d' aubigni , before distressed by the venetians , seeing this new supply , set up the emperour's colours . bernard de bibiena now coming to the camp , the viceroy answered , he was too forward advanced to go back ; but as soon as he had put an end to that undertaking , he would obey the commands of the pope . monsieur d' aubigni had leave to march out with his garrison , arms , baggage , and horses , to what part he pleased , provided it were not to the castle of milan , or any other that held out for the french. the garrison of the castle agreed to surrender upon the same articles , if not relieved in days . this same day , being the th of october , the spanish army mustered at castanerola near bressa : it was found above foot strong . commendary solis was left in that city with men ; the rest of the army marched to besiege the castle of bergamo , the city being already surrendered . admiral villamarin sailed from naples with galleys , to join those of the pope at civita vecchia , in order to besiege the castle of the lantern at genoa , which held out for the french. they found there galleys of venice sent to the same effect . four other galleys the duke of genoa had furnished , but ill equipped . the siege went on slowly . at marseilles the french had but galleys and one galleon . the schismatick cardinals continued their council at lions , and made large offers to several princes . d. hugo de moncada , viceroy of sicily , sailed over to tripoli , to give orders for fortifying that place . the duke of urbin lay between ravenna and bologna , with men at arms and swiss . his italians , who were more numerous , daily ravaged the country , but did nothing considerable . maximilian sforcia stayed at trent till the french were quite expelled the dukedom of milan , and the milaneses had satisfied the swiss , who as they stood firm to his interest , so they would have their share in the booty . the milaneses agreed to give them ducats in hand , and yearly for ever , and offered three strong-holds in that dukedom for their security . the emperor coveted that dukedom for one of his grandsons , but the princes of italy were against it . in fine , to put an end to all disorders , maximilian sforcia entred that city upon the th of december , immediately preceding the year . he was received with the pomp and joy usually expressed to the former dukes . the swiss ambassadors presented him the keys with much ceremony . next care was to reduce those places still held by the french. the marquess of padula , with the spanish infantry , soon took the strong castle trezo , on the banks of the river abdua . that of novara was surrendered to the duke's forces . in order to conclude a peace betwixt the emperour and the venetians , the truce , which was expired in january , was continued till the end of march. the cardinal of gurse would have the same conditions the pope promised the year before to the emperour , but the venetians would hear of nothing , unless verona were restored to them . it was thought convenient to make war upon them with the forces of the emperour , spain , and milan , without making mention of the swiss , who it was believed would soon agree with the french , through the negociation of monsieur de la trimouille , sent to that purpose , which was the beginning of new troubles . the viceroy to secure milan , where the french had still footing , and trivulcio , had gathered foot , more supplies daily resorting to them , placed prosper colona at aste with a good body of men to secure that pass . the catholick king thought it convenient to make use of the power of england against the french ; and because the english were not willing to mix with other men , he perswaded that king by the way of calais to invade normandy , while at the same time he undertook to conquer guienne , and deliver it up to him . king henry fitted out sail to transport foot , all choice men and well armed ; and and at the same time sollicited the catholick king to send him ships more . it was not easie to answer in so many places at once ; for besides all other things in hand , king ferdinand was sick , and andaluzia in an uproar . the occasion of his sickness was a certain extravagant potion the queen made him drink at medina del campo , in hopes of conceiving ; so dr. carvajal and peter martyr relate it , as a thing allowed by all men. the effect of it was such , that the king grew very weak , and delighted in nothing but being in the woods . his disease daily encreased ; he had fainting fits , and signs of a dropsie . andaluzia mutinied upon the death of henry duke of medina sidonia . he had a sister by the same father and mother called mencia , and married to d. peter giron ; and also a brother only by the father's side , called d. alonso perez de guzman . in his will he appointed his sister to inherit , affirmming the second marriage of his father was invalid . upon this account d. peter giron thought to possess himself of that estate , and secure● medina and sidonia . the lady ellenor de zun̄iga stepmother to d. mencia , and the late duke stood up for her son , who had the true title ; and the king favoured his cause , intending he should marry the lady anne of aragon , daughter to the archbishop of zaragoça . this dispute was like to be decided by force of arms , both parties having powerful supports . justice prevailed , and the brother of the duke carried the estate . gonçalo marin̄o commanded at bugia , and martin argote at oran , as lieutenant to the marquess of comares . some skirmishes hapned with the moors , but nothing remarkable , only that muley abdalla with some forces came up to bugia and burnt the suburbs . no part was left standing but one tower , where the jews saved themselves . gon\l = c ; \alo marin̄o breaking the articles concluded with the moors was the cause of this misfortune ; for which he was removed from that post , and d. raymund carroz sent in his place . chap. vi. pope julius dies ; leo x. succeeds him ; the truce betwixt spain and france ; the war in navarre , and revolutions at genoa . pope julius being sick , and his recovery despaired of , advice was sent to milan , florence , siena and luca to secure the roads , that the schismatick cardinals might not come to the conclave . at length the pope died on the th of february : the people mutinied at rome , and there was great contention betwixt the coloneses and the ursini . the monastery of s. paul of benedictine monks was plundered , and other disorders committed . hierome vic the spanish ambassador , contributed much to pacifie the multitude . on the th of march the cardinals entred the conclave , having first discharged the son of the duke of mantua , kept as a hostage till then ; and on the th by votes of almost all of them , cardinal john de medicis was chosen pope , and took the name of leo x. that very day he declared he would continue in the league , and bring the emperor and king of england into it . the cardinals carvajal and sanseverino who were at lions , but in no great esteem , designed to go into italy , and get into the conclave . prosper colona favoured them , and designed himself to go to rome and have a pope of his own creating . but the viceroy would not suffer him to go , lest he should raise some mutiny , and put a restraint upon the conclave . the cardinals came in a galeon to leghorn , but were there taken and carried to pisa . julius de medicis the popes cousin gave him notice of it , and he ordered them to be kept in the castle of civita castellana till such time as they were brought to trial. julius de mediois did much honour to the cardinals , and to the sieur de soliet the king of france his ambassador , who was with them . by them he was perswaded to declare for the king of france , which was the original of new troubles . during the vacancy of the popedom , the duke of milan with the assistance of the viceroy seized placentia , and thought to have done the same of parma . thither the viceroy repaired with his army to oppose the french , it being no season to make war upon the venetians . he suffered great want of money , and there was no way to supply it . the discourse of concluding peace betwixt the emperor and venetians continued , but they could not agree upon the conditions . the king of france stept in , and agreed with that republick . the conditions were , that the republick should keep all its ancient dominions , except cremona and giaradada , which were restored to the french , and incorporated into the dukedom of milan . for recovery of that dukdom and of the lands of the venetians , the republick was to furnish horse , and foot under the command of bartholomew de albiano , and the king horse and . foot , robert de la marc was to be captain general of the foot , monsieur de la trimoville and john james trivulcio lieutenant generals . as soon as this agreement was made publick , trivulcio entred the city aste with the french forces . bartholomew de albiano with the venetian army marched to verona intending to join the french. hereupon , and by reason of the viceroys absence most towns of lombardy declared against duke maximilian . the king of france was the more earnest to conclude this treaty , because he had another in hand by means of cardinal carvajal , which was for a cessation of arms betwixt him and the catholick king on this side the alpes . this accord was convenient for both kings , for king ferdinand to secure navarre , and the king of france the state of milan , without any regard of the king of navarre or duke maximilian . after some difficulties and debates , at last the truce was concluded on the st of april , upon these conditions . that the cessation of arms betwixt king ferdinand and his consederates , the king of england and prince charles on the one side ; and the king of france and his allies , the king of scotland and duke of guelders on the other , should continue for a year , reckoning from that very day that during the cessation , there should be free trade betwixt the two kingdoms on this side the alpes . king john of navarre was excluded this treaty , which was delivering him up to be devoured by his greedy enemy . the emperor and king of england had two months allowed them to sign those articles , or else to be excluded , as in effect they were , where at the emperor was greatly offended . he urged it was contrary to the catholick king 's word , who had promised to r●n the same fortune with him . that thus the french would in days recover milan , and then being assisted by the states of italy , must soon be masters of naples . above all , he exclaimed that the treaty was managed by cardinal carvajal , who had been a person too opposite to their interest . this contrivance was doubtless a great piece of subtilty ; but what grieved the emperor most was , that he must thus lose all the cities he had in italy , tho' he pleaded other causes of discontent . before the truce was concluded with france , monsieur de lautrec , made all necessary preparations to possess himself of s. john pied de port ; after the taking of which place he designed through that pass to enter navarre . the marquess de comares sent some persons to secure the country thereabouts , and some supplies of men to james de vera to defend that city . but the cessation of arms put an end to all these designs . this gave our men the opportunity not only of maintaining what they had , but of extending their conquest , tho' king john had a body of about men to oppose them . he required the bishop of zamora according to parole to surrender himself again a prisoner ; but king ferdinand declared , he was absolved of that promise as being taken contrary to the law of arms , he being an ambassador , and in the service of the see apostolick , as also by the death of the duke of longueville to whom he had engaged his word . the mareschal of navarre who stiled himself marquess of cortes , broke into guipuzcoa with men. the country people , in pursuance of their orders from d. luis de la cueva who commanded at fuenterabia for his father , took up arms and opposed him . the strong castle of maya upon the borders of biscay , adjoining to guienne was the enemies place of refuge : thither the lord of ursua , who was in king ferdinand's service , repaired with some forces , understanding the governor was out of the place , but his strength being small and the governor getting in , he was forced to desist from the enterprize . james de vera and lope zanchez de valençuela were sent by the marquess of comares to besiege that caste , which they did , yet having intelligence that king john and the mareschal of navarre were coming to relieve the besieged , they drew off , leaving the cannon at azpilcueta in danger of being lost . the marquess marched thither himself with men and some heavy cannon , and the defendants seeing there was no hope of relief from france , and their own king was too weak to attempt it , soon surrendred . thus all that country lying beyond the mountains was secured . the earls of foix had for many years been possessed of val de andorra and the vicecounty of castelbo near urgel , on the side of catalonia ; and it was now fallen by inheritance to queen catherine of navarre . all this was now by force of arms , taken from her by the catholick king. admiral villamarin was left to govern at naples upon the departure of the cardinal of sorento to the conclave . calabria and apulia had no governors , theirs being then in the army . this , and the want of forces in those parts gave occasion to many insolencies that were daily committed , there being no body to punish them . the people mutinied against the barons on account of the oppression they lay under , and many whole towns revolted : many extravagant and horrid crimes were committed . now also advice was brought that the great turk armed against the christians , and tho' it was given out his design was upon rhodes , yet it was feared . lest he should invade sicily , or apulia . the venetians also , since they were in league with france thought of recovering their towns on the coast of apulia . orders were given to fortifie and guard all those coasts , and that the fleet should be in a readiness . berengarius de olms who sailed from sevil at the beginning of april with four galleys , in order to destroy some moorish vessels , the portuguese commander at tangier had given notice , lay at tetuan , was now ordered instantly to repair to italy and join the admiral . at this time the state of genoa suffered a mighty change : the family of adorno who were banished that city , and had been always well affected to the house of aragon , agreed with the king of france to expel the fregoso's that city , and bring it again under his subjection . the earl of flisco and his brothers had a hand in this affair , whereupon the duke's brothers killed the earl in the palace . the earls brothers joining with the adornos drew near to genoa with some forces , and at the same time the french fleet appeared before it at sea. the duke with his galleys went out to meet that fleet , but it durst not encounter him . whilst the duke pursued , the adornos and flisco's possessed themselves of the city , and he was forced to retire to piombino , his fleet putting into porto venere . then was octavian fregoso chosen duke to the satisfaction of the commonalty , he being brother to the archbishop of salerno , and of kin to the pope . this prosperity of the adornos was but short lived , for the fregoso's agreed with the viceroy to restore them , and they would put that state under the protection of the catholick king. articles being signed , the viceroy sent the marquess de pescara with forces , who performed all that had been agreed with that family . the same duke was continued , but these things hapned somewhat later ; let us turn back to what remains behind . chap. vii . the defeat given the french by the swisse near novara ; the viceroy vanquishes the venetians near vincenza ; actions of the english and portugueses ; venice cannonaded . the great rendezvous of the french army was at aste , and in piedmont monsieur de la trimouille made all necessary preparations , and about light horse were come to him out of france . with him was john james trivulcio , and sacromoro visconte , who forsaking the duke of milan whom he had served , went over to the french. bartholomew de albiano made ready with the venetian army to besiege verona . in that city were germans , and light horse , who ravaged all the country as far as vincenza , as if they had been masters of the field . near placencia lay the viceroy with men at arms , light horse and foot , all tried men. with the duke of milan were swisse , and he expected more . nevertheless not only milan , but many other places revolted to the french. neither durst the duke give them battle , but leaving the camp , retired to novara . he entred that place on the last of may without reflecting , that those very people had before betrayed his father to the french. the viceroy seemed willing to join the king ; but no money coming from rome , as the ambassador vic had promised , and having received orders from spain to return to naples , he was unwilling to engage to far in that war. he resolved to look on , and only encourage the affairs of lombardy by his presence . the command of the foot , vacant by the marquess de padula's being preferred to be general of the florentines , he gave to commendary solis , and sent luys icart to take charge of bressa in his stead . he put the forces of the pope into cremona , and afterwards sent thither ferramosca with men at arms , spaniards and italians . yet albiano for all this , took that city , putting to the sword all the men at arms to the number of , and disarming the spanish foot. this success encouraged the french to lay siege to novara . their army consisted of lances , and foot , of them germans , the rest bad troops . being about to strom the town , news was brought them that swisse were upon their march to relieve the duke , and that the baron of altsaxe followed with more . this caused the french to return to their strength betwixt gaya and novara : upon the first supplies joining them , the swisse resolved to march towards the enemy , without expecting the baron of altsaxe . the french would have avoided fighting , but could not : the men at arms and light horse did nothing , yet the fight lasted very hot for two hours betwixt the foot. a most desperate resistance was made by the germans , but the swisse got the day . on the side of the french above were killed , and among them all the germans , and of people of note coliobano , trivulcio and luis de biamonte . after the victory came the baron of altsaxe , and most of the state of milan submitted to the duke . the viceroy sent the duke lances commanded by prosper colona , because he was in great want of horse , and all the enemies horse were left entire . the rest of the army remained as before , near the river trebia , not far from placencia . albiano's being prevented joining the french army , made that victory the easier to be purchased . he hearing of the defeat , retired with his forces which were lances , light horse and foot , most of them base soldiers . that republick was so streightned for money , they were forced to raise the th of estates , and one in the hundred out of all merchandize . albiano in his march took lignagno defended by captain villada with men. thence he marched to attack uerona ; but the garrison sallied , and cut off part of his small forces . at this time the two schismatick cardinals publickly acknowledged their crime , and abjured the schism they had raised , and on the th of july were received into the church , and restored to their dignities . the duke of milan pressed the viceroy to join him , because the french were with all diligence recruting their army . in days march he came to sarasina , thence he sent the marquess de pescara to genoa , as was said before , and went himself to relieve verona , before which albiano still lay . pontevico , ursonova and other places surrendred , as did bergamo promising some supply of money . the viceroy went on to pesquera , leaving mosen puch at bergamo to receive the contribution . renso a venetian commander having notice of it , and some intelligence in the place got into it by night , took the money and some of puch his company , he with difficulty saving himself in a strong house . the viceroy took pesquera which is strong , and the cardinal de gurce joining him with some german forces , they sat down before padua about the beginning of august : padua is large and strong , and albiano had thrown himself into it , which obliged them to quit the siege . during the siege , in a skirmish alonso de carvajal and the captains cardenas and espinosa were taken by the albaneses . here the light horse sent to genoa with the marquess of pescara were much missed . the catholick king was now old , sickly , and worn out with so many wars , and therefore thought of making peace with france . it was proposed that prince ferdinand should marry the youngest daughter of france , and her portion should be the states of milan and genoa , and king ferdinand should give his grandson the kingdom of naples . these were only contrivances to gain time , especially on the king of france his part , who dreaded the english breaking into picardy by the way of calais . king henry laid siege to therouenne , and having defeated the french that came to relieve it , took and dismantled it . then he sat down before tournay , at such time as the earl of surry in england vanquished and killed the king of scots , who in favour of the french invaded england . hereupon tournay surrendred . there the emperor , princess margaret and prince charles came to see the king of england . thence they went to lisle , where it was agreed as soon as the truce was expired , the emperor and kings of england and spain should each on their own side invade france . king ferdinand was to conquer guienne for the english , but it appeared he did not approve of this treaty . the match before proposed betwixt prince charles and the king of england's sister was confirmed , and it was agreed it should be consummated the following year . summer being spent , king henry returned into england . france was in distress , the swisse having broke through burgundy . monsieur de la trimoville overthrew , and yet compounded with them . the king of france ingag'd not to favour the council of pisa , and to withdraw his garrisons out of the castles of milan and cremona . no part of this accord was performed , except what related to submitting to the church . whilst the other christian kings wasted their forces against one another , king emanuel of portugal enjoyed peace at home , and extended his conquests in africk and india . on the western coast of africk stands the city azamor , which is large and rich , and belongs to the kingdom of fez. the country about it is plentiful , being watered by the river omirabin , which runs by the town . king emanuel had some years before this , as has been said , thought to possess himself of this place , by the means of one zeiam a moor , who deceived him and made himself master of it . at this time the king fitted out a fleet , shipping aboard it , foot , and horse , under the command of the duke of bragança . after a troublesome voyage , they landed at azamor about autumn . several skirmishes passed betwixt them and the defendants , as also those that came to relieve the place , but many men of note among the moors being killed , the rest fled out at a gate that could not be secured , and thus the city was taken about the beginning of september . some neighbouring places surrendred , and among them the citties of gita and almedina . having left a good garrison at azamor under the command of roderick barreto and john de meneses , the duke returned to portugal , tho' many advised to besiege the city morocco , but he said he had no such orders . this success encouraged king emanuel to prosecute his conquests , along the coast of africk on that side , and therefore resigned any pretensions he might have to pen̄on and the city velez , upon condition the catholick king , should not pretend to any thing along the coast of the kingdom of fez , even down to cape bojador . in italy , the viceroy entred the territory of the venetians , by the way he took many boats and carts loaded with the goods of people that fled . pieve de saco . a delightful place , where are all the country houses of the venetians he plundered and burnt . he passed the river brenta and took mistre which is as it were a suburb of venice . at the end of the channels are certain houses which they call palizas , within cannon-shot of the city . thence they cannonaded it , the balls flying as far as the monastery of s. segundus , but the affront was more than the harm done . our army was encompassed by enemies . on the one side was treviso , on the other padua and albiano , who drew near with his army being resolved to fight . the viceroy retired towards vincenza , and marched in one day miles , tho' above carts followed the army , loaded with baggage and plunder . paul baillon from treviso and the garrison of padua joyned albiano . in all , his army consisted of foot , and horse , besides of the country people that appeared upon the mountains . albiano marched to cut off the viceroy from vincenza . and encamped in a narrow pass near a town called olmo . our army was in great danger , it being impossible to advance , and dangerous to turn back , yet they resolved to retire , that they might draw the enemy into the open field . they thinking our men had fled , pursued hastily and in disorder , whereupon the viceroy by the advice of prosper colona and the marquess of pescara , commanded his germans to charge the enemy ; which they did with such fury , that they soon broke them . the marquess of pescara pursued them up to the city , where the gates being shut , many were drowned in the river , and among them sacromoro visconte . this done , the viceroy with the germans and some spaniards , attacked a body of the enemies horse and foot , who fortified themselves on a hill with pieces of cannon . these also were easily put to flight . this battel was fought on the th of october . venetian men at arms were killed , all their foot dispersed . paul baillon and many others , and pieces of cannon were taken . albiano and griti escaped . the viceroy marched to vincenza where he stayed some days . at the same time the castle of bergamo was taken from the venetians by storm . paul baillon was released upon his parole , that he would surrender himself again , in case the venetians would not give alonso de carvajal in exchange for him . carvajal died in prison , and baillon never returned . on the th of november the castle of milan was surrendred , as was that of cremona . nothing was left the french in lombardy , but the castle of lanterna at genoa . the duke layed siege to it , and the adornos and fliscos encamped before genoa , but were forced to retire leaving some of their cannon behind . the pope continued the lateran council , and admitted the french ambassadors , they in their king's name , renouncing the council of pisa , and the protection of the schismaticks , so the gallican church submitted to the roman . the pope was concerned to see the republick of venice so near destruction , and underhand designed to relieve it . he sent to require the viceroy to proceed no farther against it , that some accommodation might be made . aragon was now in an uproar , on account of some quarrel between the earls of ribagorça and aranda . at length the king interposing , the difference came to tryal , and the earl of ribagorça being found faulty , was banished the kingdom of aragon during the king's pleasure . in the kingdom of naples some towns had revolted , being oppressed by their lords . and peter de castro tho' with much trouble reduced them all . the earl of muro governour of apulia , was commanded to go and reside at his government , and michael de ajerve to the mountain of abruzzo . all had orders to favour the execution of justice . chap. viii . the death of the queen of france . truce betwixt france and spain prolong'd ; the affairs of portugal on the th of january , . dy'd the queen of france . among others sent to condole with that king was f. bernard de mesa , bishop of trin̄opoli from queen germana ; he had also orders to sollicite for the dukedom of nemours and lordship of narbonne , to which the queen was heiress upon the death of her brother gaston de foix. ramiro nun̄o de guzman was sent ambassador to rome by king ferdinand . by the way on the th of march , he concluded a treaty with the genoeses ; by which the king was obliged to protect that state , and they to assist the king. at the same time the adornos were treating with the swiss , about changing the government of that city . in france the bishop of trinopoli again revived the discourse , of marrying that king's youngest daughter to prince ferdinand , in order to a peace , and also of matching the king of france then a widdower , with ellenor sister to prince charles . the emperor and venetians at last referred the decision of the differences between them to the pope ; yet so that king ferdinand should approve of his decision . on the th of march the pope decreed , that the emperor should keep verona and vincenza , and the venetians bressa and bergamo , they paying down to the emperor duccats and yearly . before the catholick king 's approbation could be had , the venetians declared they would not stand to that decision . the truce between spain and france was prolonged for a year more , in order to conclude a peace . the dauphin was against this truce , fearing lest if a peace followed . he might lose the dukedom of milan . the emperor was rather for it , his thoughts being bent against the venetians . but the king of england was so offended , that on the th of august he concluded a league defensive and offensive with the king of france , without making any mention of the king his father-in-law . luis carroz the spanish ambassador at that court , laboured to appease the king , as did queen catherine , but all in vain . soon after d. luis carroz returned to spain , and the bishop of trinopoli went over from france to succeed him . in lombardy the viceroy by storm took citadela , a very strong town between padua and treviso . prosper colona with the duke of milan's forces besieged crema , which was well defended for the venetians by renço cherri . garcia manrique lay at robigo with some companies of men at arms. albiano who watched all opportunities to revenge his losses surprized them by night , the spaniards surrendred themselves , and garcia manrique with the other officers were sent prisoners to vincenza . renço cherri sallied out of crema by night , and setting upon part of the duke's forces commanded by silvio sabelo , put them to the rout , and went himself to bergamo which he took without any resistance , the spaniards retiring into the castle . on the first of november came the viceroy to their relief , and renço seeing no possibility of holding out , surrendred the city upon articles . about the sametime the castle of lanterna at gonoa , which till now had held out for the french , was delivered to duke octavian fregoso . let us turn back a little . the great turk having put an end to the war with his brothers , and the sofi ismael who took their part , was fitting out above galleys , and designed them against italy . it was supposed , he woul invade by the way of marca ancona , which belongs to the church . the pope laboured to bring the emperor , kings of england , france , spain , and portugal , and the dukes of milan and genoa , into a league offensive and defensive against the turks ; but after he had made a great progress herein , it all fell to nothing . private quarrels hindred those princes from uniting , and other wars diverted the turk from his designs upon christendom . only the king of portugal enjoyed peace and prosperity , being enriched with the trade of india , and successful in his conquests in africk . about the end of the last year , he sent a solemn embassy to the pope , to make his compliment of obeisance . as a token of his grandeur , he also sent very rich presents ; which were , a pontisical vestment of cloath of gold , embroidered with pearls and precious stones , the richest that had ever been in the treasury of s. peter . an ounce brought from persia , wonderfully fleet , which an indian carried behind him on horseback ; and had taught it when he made a sign , to leap off and hunt . an elephant covered with cloath of gold , and a castle on his back , being taught , besides other things , to kneel before the prince , to dance to a pipe , and to fill his trunk with water , and sprinkle the people . also a rhinoceros , a creature not seen in italy in many ages . it was designed to fight with the elephant , these creatures being naturally enemies . but the rhinoceros was lost , the ship being cast away upon the coast of genoa . tristan de acun̄a , a gentleman well versed in the affairs of india and principal ambassador , made his publick entry into rome upon the th of march. on the th , the day appointed to receive audience of the pope , james pacheco a great civilian , and one of acun̄a's companions , delivered himself to the pope in this manner : king emanuel of pertugal , most holy father , has sent us to felicitate your happy assumption to the pontificate , wishing you may enjoy it many years for the good of the church , as we all hope it will be ; and also to pay his obedience as is usual and due , yet done by him with a most ready will , which may make amends for the delay , caused by many great and weighty obstacles he also humbly makes suit to your holiness , to cast the eyes of your fatherly care , upon making up the breaches of christendom , upon reconciling the christian princes , and uniting their forces against the common enemy , who grows upon our losses and builds his own grandeur upon our ruines . for what enterprize can be more glorious or profitable than this ? let the past rage suffice . for they deserve no better stile who turn their weapons upon themselves . to this purpose it will be very requisite the holy council be continued , as the king earnestly desires . for his own part , he promises not to be wanting to the publick cause , and if requisite , will not spare his own blood in this quarrel , it is all his study to advance the christian religion , as appears in india ; where , to his immortal glory , he has set up the holy standard of the cross , among fierce and barbarous nations , even as far as the utmost bounds of the earth . no less has he done in africk , having there spent his treasures , and employed the bravery of his soldiers . of the spoil and riches of india , he has commanded me to bring a sample , and the first fruits : a present to be esteemed for the place from whence it came , and for the zeal with which it is offered , besides , the hopes those vast regions give us , of humbling themselves at the feet of your holiness . instead of the spoil of africk , which as more common , could not be so acceptable , i present your holiness with a petition , in my judgment , most reasonable . it is , that in regard of the importance of carrying on that conquest , and that the revenue of portugal is not sufficient to continue it , your goodness will assist the king my master , with your blessing and indulgences ; and besides , will grant that towards the advancing that enterprize , he may make use of part of the ecclesiastical revenues . for how can they be better spent , or more to the content of the donors , than in destroying the enemies of christ ? and since all are partakers of the honour and profit , it is reasonable all should bear a part in the burden . we do not believe this holy see will deny that , in such necessity , and for such a purpose , which has been at several times granted to other princes . the pope heard the ambassador with great satisfaction , and returned a favourable answer , saying , he highly esteemed the king of portugal , received his presents with great affection , and would forward his designs by all the means that lay in his power . he granted his bulls for the croisade , and allowed the king for to defray the charge of his undertakings , to make use of the d part of ecclesiastical revenues assigned to the churches , and the th of all other church revenues . great difficulties were met with in the execution of these orders , which was the fault of ill ministers . for this reason the church compounded for cruzado's paid down , and three years after , all these taxes were quite taken off . the commonalty misliked the applying the revenues of the church to any other uses , and urged the example of the kings of castile ; who were ever poor , since they had to do with the mony of the church . the king's ministers either to flatter him , or that their opinion was really such ; affirmed , that since the king defended not only the laity , but the clergy , it was reasonable they should all contribute to the necessary charges of the kingdom , the churches enjoying a great part of the revenue . it is most certain , that in the time of s. ambrose , the lands of the church payed taxes to the emperors . this was the success of that embassy . about the same time arrived at lisbon , one matthew an armenian by birth , and by profession a religious man , sent ambassador from prester john , the great emperor of ethiopia . that prince , called david ( since the time that peter covillan went into those parts as was said before ) had heard of the king of portugal , and after that of his fleets sailing to india , and the valour of his people . he thought good to make use of his forces , and to that purpose sent this ambassador , who was well received by alonso de albuquerque and sent to portugal . those who carried him made a jest of him by the way , and treated him very scornfully . at lisbon they were apprehended , and had been punished , but that the ambassador interceded for them . the king received him honourably , and was much taken with his letters , written in the abyssinian and persian languages , and also with a piece of the holy cross he brought set in gold. by this ambassador they understood the customs of those people , odd enough for christians . it would be tedious to speak of them at large , let it suffice to know , that the th day , as well the women as men are circumcised , and the th baptized . women after lying in , observe the custom of purification . they abstain from meats forbidden in the old law. they fast till sun-set . they communicate in both kinds , their priests marry , but not their monks , nor the bishops chosen out of monasteries . they use auricular confession , and worship saints . let us return to italy . the pope was possessed of the city rhegio in lombardy , and had modena morgaged to him by the emperor for duccats . it was thought he designed these two cities as also placencia , parma , and ferrara , for his brother julian , whom soon after he married to philiberta sister to the duke of savoy , and gave her himself duccats portion . chap. ix . the kingdom of navarre united to that of castile . the affairs of the portugueses in india . their defeat on the coast of africk . king luis of france , soon after his marriage with the english princess , died , as is usual where there is great inequality of years , and want of health . his death fell out upon the first day of the year , . francis de valois duke of angouslesme , the first of the name , and a prince of a great spirit succeeded him . it was generally believed he would not rest till he had recovered milan and navarre ; and he seemed to intimate as much to those kings . his chief care was for italy , and therefore he sought to leave all behind secure . with england he was at peace . he proposed a match betwixt prince charles of austria , and his sister-in-law renata , which was so carried on by the earl of nassau , and michael de croy , both of the princes bedchamber , that they concluded it at paris on the th of march. her portion was set at duccats , to be paid down in mony , and the dukedom of berry for the other . the prince was now come to age , and put into the possession of the government of the low countrys it remained to secure king ferdinand . monsieur de lautre governour of guienne , proposed to the marquess of comares , the prolonging of the truce for a year but king ferdinand understanding his policy , would not grant it , unless it were for italy as well as spain . he pressed for carrying on the league proposed by the pope against the turk , and at the same time , consented to another league against the venetians . the conditions were , that the emperor should be possessed of verona , vinzenza , frioli , and treviso ; that bressa , bergamo and crema , should be given to the duke of milan in lieu of parma and placencia , which the pope designed for his brother julian . thus king ferdinand thought the duke of milan would be safe , and was willing he should marry one of the sisters of prince charles , or the princess margaret , or else the queen of naples his niece , all of them great matches . king ferdinand kept the holy week of mejorada , designing at the same time to assemble the cortes of castile at burgos , and those of aragon to meet on the th of may. he sent the queen with a sufficient commission to preside there , and thence to go to lerida to those of catalonia , and ●o on to valencia , to those of that kingdom . he went himself to burgos to be there at the time appointed . his grand design was , to raise mony for the war which threatned on all sides . the cortes of burgos gave millions of maravedies . this they did in respect that king ferdinand then united the kindom of navarre to that of castile , whereas formerly it was united to aragon . by this it appears , the king had no thoughts of restoring that kingdom , but esteemed it as much his own , as any of the others , without the least remorse of conscience upon that account , as he was often heard to say . he gave three reasons to justifie this his proceeding . the first , the pope's deposing that king. the second , the free gift of that crown to the kings of castile , made by the princess clare , first wife to prince henry , afterwards the th king of castile of that name ; when her father king john of aragon delivered her up to gaston de foix , and her sister ellenor her declared enemies , who sought her death , to secure themselves the possession of that crown , and therefore he said , it was but just , to revenge that murder , by depriving the grandchildren of those that committed so great a crime of the kingdom . his third reason was , the right that queen germana pretended to the crown , after the death of her brother gaston de foix. three years after this , it appears she assigned over all her claim , to prince charles then king of castile and aragon . it was proposed in the cortes of aragon , to raise a considerable sum of mony towards the war , but the nobility would not consent , unless their vassals were cut off , from having any appeal to the king. this hindred all proceedings for some months . the archbishop of zaragoça laboured to remove these obstacles , but perceiving nothing was done , he was of opinion to try what every city in particular would contribute . king ferdinand , tho' his sickness increased , so that he was given over for dead , one night resolved to get into aragon ; believing his presence would reduce that obstinate people , he sent for the vicechancellour antony augustin to meet him , and assoon as he came to aranda , caused him to be apprehended , and sent prisoner to the castle of samoncas . every one guessed at the cause of his imprisonment , but nothing was certainly known . the king left the cardinal and council at segovia , and hasted to calatayud carrying prince ferdinand with him . he could not prevail with the nobility to quit their unjust pretensions . his sickness increased , and it is reported , the famous bell of vililla prognosticated his death , for in aragon it is a received opinion , that bell rings of it self , before the death of kings or any other great misfortunes . thus having done nothing , he returned to madrid in autumn . the queen having broke up the cortes of aragon , went to lerida to those of catalonia . at the same time these cortes sat , the emperor , the brothers king sigismund of poland , and ladislaus of hungary , and his son luis , then king of bohemid met at vienna on the th of july . their meeting was , to celebrate the nuptials of prince ferdinand and the princess mary , with luis king of bohemia , and the lady anne his sister , the children of the hungarian king. prince ferdinand being absent , the emperor stood proxy for her . thomas cardinal of strigonium the pope's legate , performed the ceremony . it is worth observing , that as ferdinand and mary were grandchildren to the catholick king , so luis and anne , were great grandchildren to e e or queen of navarre , and sister to king ferdinand . gatherine daughter to queen ellenor was married to gaston de foix lord of candale , whose daughter anne , was wife to ladislaus king of hungary , and mother to luis and anne ; so far was the progeny of king john of aragon , the father of king ferdinand spread abroad . great things had been done by alonso de albuquerque governour of india , and great is the obligation his country owes him , for having founded their dominion in those remote parts . he was now old , sickly , and worn out ; and had many enemies who sent complaints against him to portugal , it being impossible to please all men. king emanuel sent lope suarez de albergaria , a man well versed in the affairs of india to succeed him . with him went mathew the ethiopian ambassador , and duarte galvam sent in the same quality by king emanuel ; but he died by the way . some time after roderick de lima was sent , who carried mathew into ethiopia , but he died before he could reach the court. now also went francis alvarez the priest whose book is extant , giving an account of his voyage . the new governour arrived at goa on the d of september , having spent but months in the voyage , which was a very short time . on the th of that month , the queen of portugal was delivered of a son called edward , an affable and mild prince , addicted to hunting and musick . he died young , yet left a son by his wife of his own name , and two daughters , whereof mary was married to alexander farnesius then prince , and afterwards duke of parma , and catherine married to the duke of bragança . when lope suarez arrived at goa , albuquerque was at ormuz ill of his last sickness . having settled that island , he embarked , being desirous to see goa , which place was his delight . by the way he received advice of the coming of his successor ; he was extreamly surprized , and cried out , good god! how many misfortunes surround me ! if i please the king , men are offended ; if i satisfie them , my king is displeased . retire to the church , unhappy old man , for no other sanctuary is left you . soon after , being better come to himself , he said , truly it is god that guides the hearts of king , and disposes all things . what would become of india , if there were not one to succeed me after my death ! in how great danger would it be ! this said , he reposed ; and finding his malady encrease , ordered his confessor to be brought to him from goa , which was not far off . having made his peace with god , he gave up the ghost . he was doubtless one of the bravest men that spain ever bred . his valour , mildness , prudence , and justice reigned in an equal degree . he was patient of labour , discreet in his resolutions , quick in execution , amiable to his own people , and terrible to his enemies . it was a great mercy of god to give to the portugueses two such governours at first as was he and francis d' almeyda being both wise and resolute men , and zealous of their prince's service and the propagation of the faith , tho' they differed in opinions as to the means of carrying on that great work : for francis d' almeyda , who was the first , thought it best only to make themselves masters of the sea , and not undertake any conquests ; whereas , on the contrary , albuquerque was wholly for gaining strong holds , in order to secure the trade , and have a retreat for their fleets . experience has taught how much he was in the right . albuquerque was never married , but he left a son by a servant , and a little before his death recommended him to king emanuel , writing to him these words : this is my last , which i write with many sighs , and assured tokens of my end. i leave only one son , who i beg may find favour in regard to my great services . i will say nothing of my sufferings , but refer my self to my actions . his body was buried at goa , in a chapel he had built of the invocation of the blessed virgin. his funeral pomp was performed with regal magnificence , and great grief of all sorts of people . when the news of his death was brought to portugal , the king was much concerned ; he sent for his son , whose name was blas , but in memory of his father he would have him called alonso d' albuquerque , the king provided for him , and matched him honourably . he lived many years , and beautified the chapel where his father lay . king emanuel designed to build a fort at the mouth of the river mamora in africk , about miles from arzila . he sent antony noronha with a fleet of sail , and in it men , to perform this work. they sailed from lisbon on the th of july , and came to the mouth of that river on the d . as the work began , such a multitude of moors came upon them , that they were forced to quit that enterprize , and return to portugal with dishonour , and the loss of men , as also the cannon which they left in the fort they had begun . chap. x. the king of france recovers milan . the swiss overthrown . death of the great captain , and of ferdinand king of spain . as soon as king francis of france found himself peaceably possessed of his kingdom , he gathered a powerful army , in order to go over into lombardy . swiss marched to the defence of the duke of milan . prosper colona with his men at arms thought to secure a pass , but was himself surprized at supper in villafranca , and made prisoner by the forces of the sieur de la palisse . the viceroy lay with his army near the river abdua . laurence de medicis , son to peter that was drowned in the river garellano , with the forces of the pope quartered at plasentia . it was very requisite these forces should join with the swiss , and the duke of milan earnestly pressed them so to do , and the more because the french began already to be successful ; for alexandria yielded to them , and novara with the castle was taken by the industry of peter navarro , who in a passion for that he was not ransomed , agreed to serve the king of france , he purchasing his liberty for ducats . king ferdinand sent to make him great offers , but too late , for he was engaged , and therefore excused himself , resigning up the earldom of oliveto he had in naples . the viceroy was jealous that the swiss held correspondence with france , and no less of the pope's forces , fearing he should compound with the enemy to save parma and plasentia , which the swiss intended to take from him . he left mark antony colona in verona , and luis icart in bressa , with good garrisons , and he with the rest of the army passed the po , and fortified himself near plasentia and the river trebia . the swiss were offended at this delay , which proved fatal . they resolved themselves with only a few italians to fight the french , who lay strongly encamped near donato and marignano . this they did to prevent albiano joining the french with the venetian forces , which consisted of nine hundred men at arms , one thousand four hundred light-horse , and nine hundred foot. the swiss marched out in good order , and the french drew up to receive them . charles of bourbon led the van , the sieur de la palisse the rear , and the king the main battel . the french artillery , which was numerous , did the swiss great harm . they charged furiously to take it , and overcoming the enemy's works , made themselves masters of part of it . night came on , and yet the fight ceased not as long as there was moon-light , which was till between eleven and twelve of the clock . the king was so forward , that he was forced to stand upon his guard , only reposing himself a little on a cart. he neither took off his helmet , nor eat a mouthful in twenty seven hours . understanding the swiss would charge the rest of the cannon , he gave the charge of it to the germans . at break of day the fight was renewed with as great fury as before . the french artillery playing athwart the swiss , did great execution , and albiano coming upon them with some troops of horse , they imagining his whole army was come , retired in good order to milan . this famous battel was fought on the thirteenth and fourteenth of september . from milan the swiss marched away towards lago de como . the milaneses delivered up the city to the king , who laid straight siege to the castle , whither the duke retired with what forces he could . after thirty days siege the duke surrendered , and was sent to france . it was articled he should have a pension of thirty six thousand crowns , upon condition he should not depart that kingdom . all the other cities and strong-holds of the dukedom immediately submitted to the king. d. raymund de cardona the viceroy marched in haste to naples to secure that kingdom . he had orders for employing of the soldiers to attempt the taking of gelves on the coast of africk . the pope easily temporized , and meeting the victorious king at bolonia , granted him all he could ask . in spain king ferdinand had many other cares upon him . it was reported the great captain , the marquess of priego , and earls of cabra and uren̄a , designed to go over to flanders . the king sent orders to secure the great captain , but it happened he fell sick of an ague at loxa , where he generally resided , and yet it was thought his sickness was counterfeit . the king of england's displeasure ran very high , and it was convenient at such a ticklish time to appease him . king ferdinand sent him a rich present of jewels and horses by the commendary luis gilabert . he arrived at such time as it was confirmed the queen was with child , to the great joy of that kingdom . at the same time thomas wolsey received the cardinal's cap , for which there were great demonstrations of publick satisfaction . this prelate rose from a very mean extraction to that high dignity through the favour of his king. his pride and ambition afterwards , fatal to that kingdom , cast him down . this cardinal and the catholick king 's ambassador conferred together , and on the eighteenth of october concluded a firm league betwixt the two kings . before this , luis de requesens , with nine galleys he commanded , near the island pantalarea , defeated vessels of turks that did great harm on the coast of sicily and all those seas . barbarossa , the famous turkish commander , with his fleet came before bugia : many moors came down to his aid by land , and the siege lasted some months . d. raymund carroz , commander of that place , defended it with much bravery . d. michael de gurrea , viceroy of majorca , came to his relief , but could not raise the siege . the besieged suffered great want of provisions . at such time as they were upon surrendring , there came to them a ship laden with all sorts of victuals , sent by the viceroy of sardinia . this supply lasted them till the turk despairing of carrying the place , raised the siege about the end of the year . the catholick king 's dropsie and the great captains ague increased , both of them being mortal diseases . the great captain set out of loxa upon the point of death , was carried on mens shoulders to granada , and there gave up the ghost on the d of december , garibay says on the th . he was a man not to be matched , being the bravest and most fortunate commander that spain had for many years . the severity of his usage increased his glory ; it being very rare to sail long in the seas of prosperity without some storm . many great men in process of time had the brightness of their honour sullied . time cut the thread of his life ; but his renown will endure as long as the world. upon his death the office of constable of naples was vacant , which was given to fabricius colona , and continues in his family to this day . his estate fell to the lady elvira , eldest daughter and heiress to her father . the catholick king was gone from madrid , to plasentia , in order to continue his journey to sevil , because the air of that place is very wholesome . there , tho' very siick , he was nobly entertained , and staid some days . he sent prince ferdinand to guadalupe , thinking to return thither , and so went on to serena to divert himself with hawking , that being a good country for it , and he delighting in that , and the like sports . with him went the admiral , the duke of alva , the bishop of burgos and of his council , which were dr. laurence galindez de carvajal , and the lieutenants zapata , and francis de vargas . to this place about christmas came adrian dean of louvain , prince charles his preceptor , sent from flanders . it was agreed at his coming , that the prince should be supplied with ducats a year , and king ferdinand , altho' q. joanna died , should during his life continue in the government of castile . they showed themselves liberal to him , who according to appearance must soon resign up all to them . the king returned to madrigalejo in the territory of truxillo ; his disease encreased so that it was plain he had but few days to live . the dean of louvain repaired thither , at which the king was offended , and ordered him back to guadalupe , whither he went to see prince ferdinand . he made his will , and confessed to f. thomas de matienço , of the order of s. dominick , his confessor . the queen having notice of the danger he was in , set out from lerida , and came to him the day before he signed his will. next day , being wednesday the d of january , . between one and two in the morning he gave up the ghost . he was one of the most remarkable princes that ever spain had ; yet it could not be expected he should be without blemish , but may serve for an example to all future kings of spain . he made three wills ; one at burgos years before his death ; the second at aranda de duero , years later ; and the last when he died . in all of them he names queen joanna his heiress , and prince charles her son governour . in case the prince was not in spain , by his first will he ordained prince ferdinand should govern in his stead ; but in the other two he changed that article , and ordered that during the prince's absence the archhishop of zaragoça should govern aragon , and the cardinal of spain castile . this was punctually observed as he had commanded . true it is , the dean of louvain producing the prince's commission , was admitted to the government together with the cardinal . to prince ferdinand the king his grandfather left in the kingdom of naples the principality of taranto , and cities of cotron , tropea , amantia , and galipoli , besides a pension of ducats out of the revenue of that kingdom , to be paid him till such time as his brother settled an equivalent estate upon him . he also ordered that the duke of calabria , tho' his offence was great , should be set at liberty , and charged the prince to give him an estate to live upon . but this clause was never fully performed till the year . for several reasons which are never wanting against unfortunate men. he made no mention of the vicechancellor antony augustin , whether it was that he forgot his crime , or that he left it to another to punish , could never be known . soon after the cardinal of spain sent him to flanders , where he was discharged on the d of september this same year . for his executors the king appointed the queen his wife , the prince , the archbishop of zaragoça , the dutchess of cardona , the duke of alva , the viceroy of naples , and f. thomas de matienço his confessor , and his protonotary michael velasquez clemente . his body was carried to his own royal chapel at granada , and laid near to that of queen elizabeth which was deposited in the alhambra . of those that were present at his death , only d. ferdinand de aragon , and d. bernard de sandoval y rojas , with some of his menial servants , attended the body . by the way whole towns came out to meet it with crosses and in mourning ; partiticularly at cordova , when the body passed through that city , the marquess of priego and earl of cabra , and other gentlemen of that place , distinguished themselves . all past offences , and the severity he used towards them whilst living , served only to stir up their generous souls the more to signalize their respect and reverence to him dead and to his memory . at granada the clergy , citizens , and courts , strove to outdo one another in the manner of the reception and funeral rites , which were performed with all grandeur and magnificence , as was due to the conquerour and founder of the happiness , peace , and prosperity of that city and whole kingdom of granada . the end of the th book . laus deo . finis a compendious supplement to the history of spain ; from the year , till . written by f. john de mariana . anno . francis the new king of france having settled the affairs of his kingdom at home , and being a hot and fiery youth , resolved to carry the war into italy . he passed the alps with all his forces , and at his first entrance overthrew and took prisoner prosper colonna , who with the horse thought to have stopp'd his passage . next he took novara , and the castle , wherein he was much assisted by the industry of count peter navarro , who weary of his long imprisonment , and offended that he was not ransom'd , had taken service with the french. thence the french king march'd towards milan . with duke maximilian , were the swiss , raymund de cardona was at verona , and lawrence de medicis general for the pope at placencia . they not coming in time as they ought to have done , the swiss marched out to meet the king ; and tho the battel was so resolutely fought , that it lasted all day and part of the night , next morning the swiss terrified with a false rumour that fresh supplies were coming to the king , were overcome and put to flight . the duke was taken in the castle whether he fled for refuge , and sent prisoner into france as his father had been , and continued there in like manner as long as he lived . this memorable battel was fought on the th of september . the consequence of this victory was such in italy , that the spaniards , who before were absolute , being drove out of lombardy and state of milan , began now to be in fear for naples . the catholick king raised men , and endeavour'd to have succours from all parts ; yet at the same time he gave orders to secure the great captain gonçalo fernandez de cordova and other men of quality , because they designed to go over to flanders , but he fell sick in october at loxa , and died the second of december at granada . anno . ferdinand the catholick king died at madrigalejo near truxillo , as he was going to sevil , on the th of january , of a dropsy which had troubled him many months . it is reported that the bell of velilla in aragon which uses to denounce such misfortunes , had also been heard to ring of it self before this . he appointed his grandson charles of austria his heir . to his grandson ferdinand he left the city taranto and some other lands in the kingdom of naples . to govern during the absence of king charles , he appointed the cardinal of spain archbishop of toledo in castile , and his son the archbishop of zaragoça in aragon . ferdinand duke of calabria he ordered to be set at liberty , and to have a competent revenue assigned him . his body and that of the queen his wife , were buried in the cathedral of granada , as he had ordained in his will. king charles by his letters patents appointed adrian , dean of lovain , to govern together with the cardinal of spain ; and notwithstanding his mother was still living , he took upon him the title of king , without consent of the nobility , yet he continued to use that stile , it being a thing of dangerous consequence to oppose him . our governours were in care for navarre , fearing least now upon the change of princes that kingdom should declare for its own antient kings . for this reason they chose the duke of najara governour and general of that kingdom , he being a person very fit for that employment , by reason of the great alliances he had among that people , his estate lying near at hand . nevertheless peter of navarre , mareschal of that kingdom and marquis of cortes raised some commotions , which were not of any moment , for he was taken and sent prisoner to simancas , where he continued in confinement as long as he lived . besides , all those contrivances ended in the death of king john d' albret , who died in his dominion of bearne upon tuesday the nineteenth of june . anno . eight months after ensued the death of the queen his wife . both their bodies were buried at lescar , a city in the province of bearne , tho they in their will had ordered themselves to be buried at pamplona , as king and queen of navarre , by that means as it were to make good their title , which was a small comfort having lost the crown . henry d' albret their son succeeded them in their possessions , as also in the pretensions to that kingdom . at lisbon , in march , died mary queen of portugal , in the flower of her age. she died in labour , and was buried in the church called de la madre de dios , or of the mother of god , in that city . she had the following children , prince john the eldest , elizabeth , beatrix , luis , ferdinand , alonso who was a cardinal , henry also cardinal and king , edward , besides two that died young . adrian florencius , born at vtrecht in the low countries , dean of lovain and bishop of tortosa in spain , was at rome chosen cardinal on the th of june . charles of austria the new king , arrived with his fleet at villavicosa , a town in astarias , the th of september . the cardinal of spain went to meet him , but died by the way at roa . his body was buried in the colledge of s. ildefonsus at alcala de henares , which he had built from the ground , and endowed with plentiful revenues to be a seminary of learning . the manner of it is after that of the university of paris , if we may be allowed to compare small things to great , at least much profit has redounded from it to spain , a great number of youth being there instructed , and many persons of great learning having been brought up there . he was archbishop years . cardinal william de croy a fleming succeeded him in that dignity . this year was remarkable , and no less unfortunate , for two things that happened : one was the total overthrow of the empire of the sultans of egypt ; the other the broaching of the heresy of martin luther . egypt was subject to the roman empire till the time of the emperor heraclius , when the false prophet mahomet conquer'd that province . after his death it was possessed by the caliphs , who as he had appointed were supream in spirituals as well as temporals . these continued till the war of the holy land , when king amalaricus of hierusalem , having taken the city of damiata formerly called pelusium , drove the caliph to such streights , that he was forced to crave aid of the sultan of siria . sarraco was sent with these succours . he in requital for the assistance given possessed himself of the kingdom of egypt , leaving to the caliphs only the spiritual jurisdiction . saladin the son of sarraco was sultan of egypt and siria , and having obtained many victories over the christians , and taken hierusalem , reduced the christians there to great streights . not long after melechsala being possessed of that empire , finding himself too weak to oppose the christians , bought of the tartars a great number of circassian slaves , with whose help he did many great things , and among the rest took s. luis king of france prisoner at damiata . the slaves having murdered melechsala , chose a king from among themselves called turqueminius , upon condition that neither his sons should inherit the crown , nor the sons of the other slaves should be admitted into their order , but that only those should be soldiers and bare command who being the sons of christian parents had renounced the faith. these they called mamalucks , and from among them the king was to be chosen . this government flourished years , till the time of cayerbeyus , who obtained many victories over the turks , and reigned in the time of king ferdinand of spain . campson his successor , after the turks had overthrown the persians near the city tarvisium , fearing they would invade siria , marched against them with his army , and was near damascus defeated and slain by selymus the turkish emperor . in his stead the mamalukes set up tomombeyus , who being by the turks in battel put to the rout , and the city caire taken , was by them impaled . thus the turk selymus having conquered the provinces of siria and egypt returned home victorious , his empire being much augmented , and his strength increased by so large an addition . martin luther took this occasion to spread his new doctrine . pope julius had begun the structure of the vatican , and pope leo the tenth his successor to finish it granted a jubilee throughout the world to such as gave some charity towards that work. albertus archbishop of mentz , to whom the charge of publishing this jubilee in germany was committed , gave it in charge to tezelius , a dominican friar : martin luther , who was professor of divinity at wirtemberg , and an austin friar , so highly resented that commission was not given to him , that he immediately began to preach against it , and meeting with others that gave ear to him ran into many other extravagancies , which soon spread abroad ; the many abuses then crept into the church , being a motive for the people to revolt from it . anno . ellenor , sister to king charles , was married to emanuel king of portugal about the end of this year at ocrato , a town in portugal , with much pomp and grandeur . they had afterwards issue charles who died young , and mary who lived long but was never married . it was now proposed to divide the archbishoprick of toledo into several bishopricks , because of its immoderate greatness , and particularly madrid and talavera were designed to have prelates of their own . pope leo granted his bull in order to the effecting of it . he gave the inspection of that affair to the cardinal adrian , the bishop of cosenza his nuncio in spain , and d. alonso de manrique bishop of cuidad rodrigo , who were impowered to order it as they should think fit . they met with so many difficulties that they were forced to desist . anno . maximilian the emperor departed this life on the th of january . soon after the electors met at francfort to appoint a successor , and tho there were many pretenders , and great instance particularly made by francis king of france , yet charles king of spain was preferred before them all , and declared emperor on the th of june . but in regard that the kings of naples could not accept of the empire , they being so engaged to the popes he obtained a dispensation upon condition he should pay yearly ducats , as an acknowledgment for that kingdom , and a white hacaney , as is done to this day . this point was not perfectly agreed upon till some years after . anno . king charles received the news of his election at barcelona , whence crossing all spain he went to corun̄a , and sailed thence in may for flanders . at aquisgran the first crown of the empire was put upon his head on the th of october , by the bishop of cologn , whose office it is . at the same time he freely resigned to his brother ferdinand all austria and the other hereditary dominions of his grandfather maximilian . cardinal adrian , d. ynigo de velasco the constable , and the admiral d. henry enriques , were left governours of spain . they omitted nothing that could be done to quell the commonalty , who rose in rebellion , but could not prevent their taking up arms , whence ensued the civil wars called communidades , or the commons war , their pretences were , that through the avarice of the flemmings all the gold of spain was carried away , and that the liberties of the subjects were infringed by their tyranical government . the common cry of all rebels . the greatest grievance was , that charles de gevres , the new kings tutor , not content that he had preferred his nephew william de croy to the archbishoprick of toledo , had by many knacks and contrivances raked together a vast quantity of spanish pistols . the principal heads of the rebellion were john de padilla , one of the first gentlemen of toledo , and d. antony de acuna , bishop of zamora . several towns and cities joyned with them . several engagements happened between the loyallists and rebells in many places , with various success , till about the end of this year the kings army took tordesillas , where the rebels had fortified themselves and kept queen joanna . on the th of april the following year , was fought the battle of villalar , in which they were totally overthrown , and the ringleaders of them taken , which were , john de padilla , bravo and maldonado , who were executed , and the bishop was hanged at simancas , where he was prisoner . thus those tumults were brought to an end by the prudence and good conduct of the councel , to whom the king had wholly committed that charge . d a maria pacheco , wife to john de padilla , in the place of her husband headed the rebels , and encouraged them to hold together , but could do nothing worth remembrance . the duke of segorbe defeated the germanats of valencia near unto morvedre . so the rebels in that part of the country called themselves . anno . william de croy archbishop of toledo , died in germany the th of january , without coming into spain , or having done any thing remarkable during his life . d. alonso de fonseca , a man of great spirit at that time archbishop of santiago , was translated to the see of toledo . the archbishoprick of santiago was given to john de tavera , nephew to f. james deza archbishop of sevil , at that time bishop of cuidad rodrigo and osma , and of the councel of the inquisition . the rebellion in castile produced a new war in navarre . king ferdinand to hinder any insurrection had demolished all the castles in that kingdom , and the last year all the garrisons and artillery were drawn thence against the mutiniers of castile . francis king of france desiring to restore henry d' albret to that crown of right appertaining to him , laid hold of that favourable opportunity , and sent a numerous army to that effect , under the command of andrew l'esparre , younger brother to odet lord of lautrec . he found all things easier than he could have imagined , and over-run all the kingdom , taking the capital city pamplona , abandoned by d. antony manrique the viceroy . only the castle held out , being defended by ignacius of loyola , a man nobly descended in guipuzcoa , then a soldier , and afterwards founder of the order of the jesuits . a cannon ball struck up a stone which broke one of his legs and hurt the other , which brought him into danger of his life . he being wounded the castle surrendred . the french commander not content with having recovered that kingdom , entred castile , and for some days lay before logron̄o . our forces marching to the relief of the place , obliged him to quit the siege not long after at a place called noayn near pamplona , they overthrew the french and took their general prisoner . after this victory the kingdom of navarre was with the same ease again brought under the crown of castile . the king of france highly offended at this disappointment , to revenge it sent a new army into biscay , under the command of the admiral of france , who took fuenterabia , a strong town upon the frontiers . several rencounters happened betwixt our forces and those of the enemy , but at length the town was recovered . beatrix , youngest daughter to the king of portugal , contracted to charles duke of savoy , was carried to her husband in a fleet fitted out for that purpose . the publick joy for this marriage was not lasting , for that the king of portugal died in december . his body was buried in the monastery of bethlem , built by himself near lisbon , and appointed the burial place of kings . king john the third of the name his son succeeded him . on the d of december died at rome pope leo , whose memory was reverenced for that he had restored the peace of italy , favoured learning , and much restored the university of rome , by bringing to it professors of all sciences from other parts with great expence . nevertheless he is blamed , as having been given to his pleasures more than became his high dignity , and for immoderately extolling his kindred , first his brother julian , and after his death laurence his nephew , son to peter his other brother . to raise them he designed to deprive the duke of vrbin of his dominions , but the death of both the brother and the nephew prevented the execution of his designs . pope leo was of the house of medicis , whose genealogy ●s this which follows . the great cosmo de mediois , who lived in florence years before this , had a son called peter , and by him two grandsons laurence and julian . laurence had three sons , peter , john the present pope leo , and julian . julian had a natural son born after his father's death and called julius , who came to be pope , and was called clement the seventh . peter , brother to pope leo , had a son called laurence the younger , who was general of his unkle the pope's forces . he by a mistriss had alexander afterwards duke of florence , by his wife magdalen of bolonia left catharine , who came to be queen of france , whereby the house of medicis is related to many royal families . the second julian , brother to pope leo , had a son called hypolito , who was afterwards a cardinal , his unkle pope clement giving him the cap. anno . on the th of january cardinal adrian , tho a fleming , and at that time absent , was by the conclave chosen pope . at that time he was employed in the government of spain . the news of his promotion was brought to him at vitoria , where he then was to give orders for carrying on the war against france and recovering of fuenterabia . immediately he hasted away in order to pass over into italy , yet he came not to rome till the summer was well advanced . his papacy was short , as not exceeding twenty months , but his learning , wisdom and virtue were very great . he changed not his name , but was called adrian the th . by him st. antony archbishop of florence , and benon bishop of misna , were canonised . on the d of february the royalists under the conduct of the archbishop of bari overcame the rebels , who were possessed of the city toledo , and so those tumults ended . charles the emperor leaving his brother ferdinand in january with the title of vicar of the empire , set out for spain to settle the kingdom , and put an end to the troubles of it . he arrived with his fleet at santaren on the th of july . christiern king of denmark had married elizabeth sister to the new emperor . his uncle frederick usurped the kingdom , whereby he was obliged to retire into flanders , where he continued in banishment the space of years , which was as long as he lived . he left two daughters lawfully begotten , which were elizabeth and christiern , the first was married to alonso duke of lorrain , the other to francis sforcia duke of milan . anno . pope adrian granted to the emperor charles and his successors kings of spain the full authority of electing and presenting the bishops within their dominions . his bull was passed on the th of september . he also for ever granted them to hold the administration of the three military orders , which other popes had only granted for a time . the pope died at rome on the th of the same month , oppressed with care and grief for that the turks had the year before possessed themselves of the island of rhodes , after it had endured a siege of eight months . during the vacancy of the papal . chair died at rome cardinal bernardin de carvajal , who had been bishop first of astorga , then of badajoz of carthagena , of siguença , and lastly of plansencia . d. gutierre de carvajal , bishop of plasencia , was nephew to the cardinal who resigned that see up to him . this year also died f. james deza master to prince john , successively bishop of salamanca , jaen and sevil , inquisitor general and elect of toledo . on the th of december cardinal julius de medicis cousin-german to pope leo the tenth , was chosen pope in the place of adrian deceased , and took the name of clement the seventh . he governed the church ten years , months , and days . he confirmed the order of the theatins , calling it the congregation of divine-love . it was instituted by peter garrafa bishop of theatinum , and other pious persons . their habit differs not from that of the other clergy , their life is retired , free from worldly business , and employed in singing the canonical hours . anno . the french who had entred the dutchy of milan , and made themselves masters of a great part of it , were this year almost enclosed by the imperial army under the command of the duke of bourbon , who took most of the places from whence the army was supplied , and by that means brought them into great distress for want of provisions . this obliged the admiral of france , general of those forces to endeavour to make a retreat , but the imperialists were so close upon him that he was forced to fight , his army was wholly overthrown , and only a small part of it returned home by the way of turin . this victory encouraged the duke of bourbon and marquis of pescara to lay siege to marseilles , where when they had lain six weeks , hearing that the french king was coming with a powerful army , they sent away their heavy cannon by sea , and retired with great precipitation . the king not to lose this advantage , hastned to pass the mountains , and soon possessed himself of the cities of milan and other places , and then laid siege to pavia . anno . king john of portugal married charlotte , sister to charles the emperor . the nuptial solemnities were performed with much majesty at estremoz on the th of february : this lady had many children , which were alonso , mary , catharine , beatrix , emanuel , philip , john and antony . of all these only prince john and the princess mary lived to be marriagable , and even they died soon after they were married . pope leo the same year he died entred into a league with charles the emperor , for expelling the french out of italy , upon condition that every year upon s. peter's day the emperor should for the kingdom of naples , besides the white hacaney , pay ducats ; and that the kingdom of sicily should be owned as a feoffe of the church , paying only ducats as it had used to do . that till such time as the pope were repayed his expences in that war , he should hold the cities of plasencia and parma , the profits whereof were not to be deducted out of the principal , and that the dukedom of milan should be given to francis sforcia . afterwards followed the expulsion of the french , and their return , as was said the last year . the king of france lying before pavia , in which was antony de leyva and a good garison of germans , the emperor's generals hasted to the relief of the city . these were charles de lanoy viceroy of naples , charles duke of bourbon , and ferdinand davlos , marquis of pescara , who overthrew the french army , took the king and sent him prisoner into spain . henry d' albret king of navarre was also taken , but he bribing his keepers made his escape out of the castle of pavia . in this battel was slain the marquis of civita de santangel , whose name was ferdinand castriot , great-grandson to the most renowned scanderberg prince of epirus , and terror of the turks . his reins not being chained were cut , and his horse ran with him into the midst of the enemies , where the king of france himself killed him with his lance. this battel was fought upon friday the th of february being the feast of the apostle s. mathias . anno . thus europe for a while was delivered from the desolation of war. king francis of france was prisoner in the castle of madrid . his mother the queen-regent of france in his absence , earnestly desiring her sons liberty , sent her daughter the lady margaret , who had been married to charles duke of alençon , into spain , to treat of some accommodation . she managed the business so well , that on the th of january an alliance was concluded between the king and the emperor upon the following conditions : that from thence forward it should not be allowed the flemings to appeal to the king of france . that the king of france should quit all his pretensions to milan , genoa , and aste . that he should restore burgundy to the emperor . that he should marry ellenor the queen-dowager of portugal , the emperor's sister , and should have with her duccats . that he should pardon charles duke of bourbon . and , that all other differences should be determined according to equity . the duke of bourbon had to wife susanna grandchild to lewis the eleventh king of france , and daughter to peter duke of bourbon and anne the aforesaid king 's eldest daughter . to him charles , last of the duke of anger 's , had by his will left his dominions in france , and his title to the kingdom of naples . charles the eighth , son and heir to king lewis , left no issue , therefore the duke of bourbon , tho he pretended not to the crown as not being the next of the male line , yet he insisted that all the dominions that had accrued to the crown by other means belonged to his wife , as next of blood to the late kings . after her death he pretended , tho he had no issue , to retain the dukedom of bourbon , as next of kin in the male-line to his father-in-law . but the king's mother urged that she was neice to the said peter of bourbon , being his sister's daughter , and this title prevailed . the treaty being concluded , the king of france departed out of spain , leaving as hostages ( acording to agreement ) for performance of the capitulation his two sons , francis the dauphine , and henry the younger . at sevil on the d of march was celebrated the marriage of the emperor with elizabeth eldest sister to the king of portugal . d. ferdinand of aragon duke of calabria , before set at liberty , and d. alonso de fonseca , who had succeeded cardinal william de croy in the archbishoprick of toledo , accompanied the bride from the borders of portugal . the emperor had deprived francis sforcia of the dukedom of milan , accusing him of being unfaithful , and holding correspondence with france . pope clement to restore him , and being himself offended because it was by law established in spain , that benefices should not be given to strangers , and that the pope's bulls should be examined in council , joined in league with the french and venetians ; he also invited the king of england into the confederacy , and promised d. ferdinand davalos marquis of pescara and governor of milan , if he would join with them to make him king of naples , which kingdom he designed to conquer . these practices were the cause of great and mighty mischiefs that ensued . mean while the marquis of pescara died , and leaving no issue , his cousin d. alonso davalos marquis del gasto inherited his title and estate . solyman the great turk , son to selymus , overthrew in battel near the city buda king luis of hungary , and by his death not only the city buda was lost , but contentions arising about the succession , the kingdom was brought into great distress . part of the nobility were for ferdinand of austria , because he was married to the late king's sister ; and part stood up for john sepusius vayvode of transilvania , whence ensued grievous wars . mary the queen-dowager having no issue returned to flanders . anno . cardinal pompeius colonna and vespasian colonna having raised forces in the territory of rome , and being joined by others sent by d. hugo de moncada viceroy of naples , they had so streightned the pope at rome , that he could scarce secure his person , or prevent the soldiers plundering the sacred palace . after which charles duke of bourbon with part of the imperial army marched out of lombardy towards rome , designing to plunder that city . the duke of vrbin and janetin de medicis , father to cosmo who was after duke of florence , set out to oppose him , but were overthrown passing the river mincius , and janetin slain . the duke of bourbon assaulting rome was killed with a musket shot from the walls , nevertheless the soldiers pursued their design , and sacked the city , laying siege to the castle of santangelo , whither the pope and cardinals retired . the emperor was at valladolid when the news of this disaster was brought to him , he immediately caused the publick feasts and rejoicing for the birth of his son prince philip born in that city the th of may to cease , which was a token of his religious zeal , and that so great a disorder had not happened with his knowledge . on the other side the florentins , who mortally hated the pope , seeing him distressed expelled out of their city the family of medicis , and particularly hippolito and alexander , who were the chiefs of that house , which was the cause why afterwards they lost their liberty . king henry of england hearing what had happened , declared for the pope and the league before spoken of . the king of france also upon the same news sent his general odet de lautrec with forces into italy , who joining with the venetians took alexandria and pavia , two considerable cities in the state of milan . margaret sister to the french king was married to henry d' albret king of navarre , and had issue joanna , who for want of heirs male inherited her father's dominions . this lady most obstinately persisted in heresie , as i suppose , because the pope had given away the kingdom of navarre from her forefathers . anno . at madrid the three estates swore the young prince philip heir to his father's kingdoms . the emperor complained that the french king did not keep his word , or perform what he had so solemnly promised when he was prisoner in spain . the french king sent a herauld to challenge him to fight him hand to hand . this affair was advised about with the nobility . on the th of june the emperor sent his answer by letter , accepting the challenge , and appointing the place of combate : but the king of france was so cautious he would neither open the letters , nor give audience to the herauld sent from spain upon that errand . mean while lautrec having wintered at bolonia , marched towards naples , laid siege to that city , hoping soon to possess himself of all the kingdom . on a sudden the plague began to rage so violently in his army , that great part of it perished , and he among the rest . others were made prisoners , and among them count peter navarro , who spent the rest of his days under severe confinement . this disaster moved andrea doria , a genoese , but admiral of the french fleet , to go over to the emperor , and afterwards he restored his country to its liberty , having defeated and expelled the family of fregosa , for which and his great virtues he gained immortal renown . anno . charles the emperor earnestly desired to go over into italy by sea , there to receive the imperial crown at the hand of the pope . to this purpose he was reconciled with him , after so many discontents and affronts , and promised to give his bastard daughter margaret in marriage to alexander de medicis , as also to restore that family to its country . at the same time he renewed the league with the king of france , the embassadors of both princes meeting to that purpose at cambray , on the frontiers of france and flanders . he sent home that kings two sons ransomed for two millions of gold , and with them sent his sister ellenor who was to be married to that king. from this time forward the low countries were wholly exempted from the jurisdiction of france , and on the other side burgundy was entirely made over to that crown . it remained now to agree the differences with portugal , about the molucco islands . it was concluded that the king of portugal should lend the emperor ducats , upon condition that till such time as that sum was repayed , the castillians should forbear trading in those islands , or laying any claim to them . this done , the emperor went over by sea into italy . solyman the great turk , at the instigation of john the vayvod of transilvania , laid siege to vienna , which was bravely defended by philip the count palatin , who was in it with a strong garison . anno . at rome the citizens were disgusted and impoverished by the late disorders and sacking of the city , wherefore it was agreed the coronation should be performed at bolonia . the concourse of people was incredible , the publick demonstration of joy extraordinary , and the majesty of the ceremony such as passed belief . on the day of s. mathias , which was his majesty's birth-day , he was saluted augustus , and crowned by the pope . his holiness and the venetians interceded for francis sforcia , that the dukedom of milan might be restored to him , which was done accordingly , he taking to wife christiern , daughter to the king of denmark , and the emperor's neice . he was ordered to pay duccats , and the city of como and castle of milan were to remain in the emperor's hands till that were performed . the marquis of mantua had the title of duke conferred upon him . the pope and duke of ferrara were at variance about the cities of modena and reggio , and the emperor , as umpire betwixt them , adjudged them to the duke . after this he set out for germany , where he had summoned the dyet to meet at ausburg on the th of april . the principal aim was to reduce the hereticks , as had been intended at other diets . little was done in this affair , only that the hereticks presented in writing a confession of their faith , which of that city was called the ausburg confession . he that composed it was named philip melancton , a learned man. the imperial forces having long besieged florence , reduced the city to such streights , that they were forced not only to admit the family of the medicis , but to receive alexander de medicis for their duke , and so lost their ancient liberty . philibert prince of orange , and alonso davalos marquis del gasto and of pescara , since the death of his cousin ferdinand , were the generals that commanded at this siege . margaret the emperor's aunt died at mecklin in brabant on the st day of december . she was governess of those provinces , and mary queen dowager of hungary succeeded her in that charge , which she held for the emperor her brother many years . anno . by the emperor's order the archbishop of mentz , whose place it is , summoned the electors of the empire to meet at cologn , to chuse a king of the romans . upon the day appointed by the unanimous consent of them all , but one . ferdinand archduke of austria , king of hungary and bohemia , was elected , only frederick duke of saxony , protested against their proceedings , but the year after he agreed with the rest at the diet of ratisbon , having obtained liberty in matters of religion . many earthquakes happened , and in the low-countries the dikes being shaken , the sea broke in , and whole towns were drowned , and some of the steeples are yet to be seen above water . lisbon suffered extreamly , insomuch that the king fearing his palace should fall upon him , for several days lay in tents in the field . the waters separating in the channel of tagus , left a sort of an island in the middle for some time . in england the antient catholick religion was now subverted on this occasion . king henry indulging his appetite had cast an amorous eye upon anne bullen . to satisfy his desire , he put from him queen catharine , upon pretence that she had been married to his brother arthur , and took anne bullen to wife , notwithstanding he had a daughter called mary by his lawful wife . the pope opposed this proceeding , and could not be brought to approve of it . hereupon the king commanded all his subjects to disown the supremacy of the pope , which was the introduction to all the disorders that afterwards happen'd in england . civil wars broke out between the catholick and heretick cantons of swisserland . they came to a battel near zurick , in which the catholicks had the better . in this fight zuinglius was killed . at basle ecolampadius was found dead in his bed. both these were heads of that wicked sect of sacramentarians . anno . the emperor assembled the diet at ratisbon , to raise the forces of the empire , to oppose solyman the great turk who threatned hungary . liberty of conscience was granted to the pretended reformed religion , whereupon the professors of it joined with the catholicks in raising forces . the pope sent a supply of italians under the conduct of the cardinal hippolito de medicis . the king of portugal also sent succour . thus about horse and foot were raised . they encamp'd near vienna , whither the turks had designed to advance . the emperor in person commanded this army . the infidels understanding the great power of the christians , tho they were much more numerous , durst not hazard a battel , but contenting themselves with having ravaged hungary , and part of austria , returned the same way they came . at the same time andrew doria with the imperial fleet sailing into the morea , took coron and modon . john frederick duke of saxony , a great favourer of martin luther , died , and his son of the same name , and no better a christian than he , succeeded him . the emperor having setled the affairs of germany passed over into italy . at bolonia he had a conference with the pope , concluded a league with him against the turk , and it was proposed to call a general council , to put a stop to the growing heresies . but the main design of these princes was to prevent the french returning into italy , for it was thought that king would never desist till he had recover'd milan . anno . it seems there was no reality in their proceedings , for as soon as the emperor returned into spain , the pope and king of france met at marseilles . this meeting it was fear'd would produce new commotions and wars in italy . the death of the pope , which soon after ensued , broke all those measures . all that took effect was , that catharine daughter to laurence de medicis was married to henry son to the king of france , who afterwards francis the dauphin his elder brother dying , came to be dauphin , and at last king. she had in dower certain towns in auvergn , and a great sum of money . anno . d. alonso de fonseca , archbishop of toledo , died the th of february , and the cardinal d. jobn de tavera succeeded him in that dighity . pope clement immediately after his return out of france , fell sick of a lingring disease , and having setled his own affairs and those of the city , departed this life at rome the th day of september . on the th of october cardinal alexander farnesius , born at rome , and well versed in all the affairs of that court , was chosen his successor , took the name of paul the iii. and govern'd the church years and days . in his younger days he had two children unlawfully begotten , which were peter luis and constance . peter luis was father to alexander farnesius . constance was mother of guido sforcia . both these were made cardinals in the first promotion . alexander farnesius had two brothers , octavius afterwards duke of parma and raynuncius , knight of s. john of hierusalem , and lastly a cardinal . in england this november it was by law establish'd , that the pope should have no spiritual jurisdiction within that kingdom , but that the king was head of the church . some who would not consent , and among them certain carthusians , john fisher bishop of rochester , and sir thomas moore late chancellor , were put to death . a famous pyrat called ariadenus barbarkssa , had made himself king of argiers , and being afterwards admiral of the turkish fleet , took the city tunez on the coast of africk , expelling thence muleasse the rightful king. anno . the emperor set sail with a powerful fleet from barcelona on the th of may to restore muleasse , who had fled to him for protection . prince luis of portugal kept him company with certain galleons fitted out by his brother to that purpose . they had a favourable passage , and landing on the coast of africk , at their first arrival took the strong castle of goletta , and in the month of july were masters of the city of tunez . the city was delivered to king muleasse . d. bernardin de mendoça was left in the castlc with a garison of men. this done the emperor sailed over to sicily , and thence to naples . mean while the king of france passing the alpes , took from charles duke of savoy the city of turin , and many other places in piemont , whence ensued great broils . to encrease which , francis sforcia duke of milan dying without issue , appointed the emperor charles his heir . anno . from naples the emperor went to rome , where in the presence of the pope and cardinals , he grievously inveighed against the king of france , and was so far transported with passion , that he challenged him to fight hand to hand upon easter-monday following . soon after departing rome , he entred france with a powerful army . he advanced as far as marseilles , to which he laid siege , but was forced to return without doing any thing remarkable . in this expedition garcilasso de la vega , the famous spanish poet , was killed by certain country people from a tower , which the emperor so highly resented , that he caused the tower to be razed , and all those men to be hanged . antony de leyva , a famous commander and then general , died also in this undertaking . three things remarkable happened this year . the first , the death of francis the dauphin of france , suspected to have been poisoned . the second , a provincial council held at cologn by hermanus , archbishop of that city , who seven years after turned lutheran , was therefore deposed by the pope , and adolphus placed in his stead . the third , was the death of erasmus roterodamus , who departed this life at basle being years of age , a person of great learning , but no good reputation . in england on the th of may , anne bullen , tho the king had by her a daughter called elizabeth , was accused and convicted of adultery , and accordingly beheaded . jean seymour stepped into her place , but the year after she died in childbed . her son lived , and was called edward . after this the king married anne sister to the duke of cleves , from whom he was soon after divorced , having before establish'd a law to allow of divorces . thus he married his fifth wife catherine howard , but her also he put to death for adultery , and because she had lost her virginity before she was married to him . lastly , he married the lady catherine par , her he made not away , for soon after he died himself . anno . duke alexander de medicis was murdered at florence the th of january , by the contrivance of laurence de medicis his kinsman . upon his death the citizens chose for their duke cosmo de medicis , kinsman to the late duke , but at a great distance . the emperor held the diet of the empire at worms , where an edict was published against the lutherans , but it was of no force , those people being then in arms. all men wished for a general council , but there were great difficulties that obstructed it . however the pope summon'd the council , and appointed the cities of mantua first , and then that of vincenza for it to be held in , both those places being in italy , and not far from germany . the hereticks pretended that the pope , as a guilty person , could not be a judge , nor the bishops , as being obliged to him by oath . they required the council should be free , and held in germany . what they aimed at could not be any way allowed ; for how could they either as persons accused or accusers , set up for judges . to exclude the bishops was never practiced , and even the secular princes themselves refused to determine matters of faith. their design was only to baffle and delay time . solyman the eunuch bassa govern'd egypt for the great turk . by his order he fitted out a fleet of sail in the red sea , and sailing into the ocean , laid siege to the most important fortress of diu in the kingdom of cambaya , intending to drive the portugueses out of india , and wholly exclude them their trade in those parts . the siege was carried furiously and with obstinacy , but the portugueses behaved themselves with such bravery , that the turks were forced to desist and return home with great loss . about the same time the pope appointed nine cardinals to consider of all things that ought to be reformed . they composed a book , containing the heads of many things to this purpose . a league against the turks was also proposed . it was agreed that the pope , emperor and venetians should join their fleets to this intent , and that the french king might not be any hindrance to them , they resolved to have a conference with him at nice in provence . anno . this being determined , the pope , tho then very old , made hast thither , the emperor came from spain by sea , and the king of france by land. the meeting was in may. after a long debate , no peace could be concluded , but a truce was agreed on for ten years . neither could it be brought about that the emperor and french king should come together . the emperor promised to marry his bastard daugter margaret , then widow of duke alexander de medicis , to octavius farnesius the pope's grandson . however the emperor in his return to spain , saw the french king at aiques mortes . they were together two days , and conferred in private for several times . the chief thing concluded upon was , that the king of france should pardon andrew doria , and receive him again into favour . he , with the emperor's , pope's , and the venetian galleys in the golph of larta , in albania near the morea , took castelnovo from the turks , but barbarussa coming up with the turkish fleet near prevesa , put him to flight without any considerable resistance . thus all those preparations proved fruitless , and the next year castelnovo was retaken by the turks , with great slaughter of the spanish garison left there . the venetians concluded a truce with the turk , which produced a lasting peace . in england the bones of s. thomas of canterbury were burnt , monasteries subverted , and monks and friars forced to change their habit , and go like laymen or secular priests . anno . at toledo , in the house of the earls of fuensalida , on the st of may , died elizabeth the empress ; her body was carried to granada . the emperor retired for some days to the monastery of sisla of the order of s. hierome . this lady left three children , prince philip , the princess mary , afterwards married to the emperor maximilian the second , and the lady joanna , wife to prince john of portugal . illegitimate issue , the emperor had d. john of austria , got after he was a widower , and the lady margaret of austria , got before he married . george duke of saxony , a great enemy to luther , departed this life , his brother henry already a luther an succeeded him . maurice , of whom we shall speak hereafter , was son to this henry . anno . the city ghent in flanders was in rebellion , on account of a new tax laid towards defraying the charge of the war. the emperor resolving to repair thither in person , to gain time took his way through france . henry and charles , that kings two sons , came to meet him on the borders of the kingdom , and the king himself accompanied him from orleans to paris . it was a desperate action of the emperor , to put himself into his enemies power . it is reported there was a design to stop him , but god delivered him from so great a danger . being come to ghent , he punished such as were most faulty , and raised a cittadel to curb that people . about the same time died john the vayvod , who called himself king of hungary . he left a new-born son called stephen , in defence of whom the turks made great havock in that kingdom . ebora , a city in portugal , was at the suit of that king made an archiepiscopal see. the bishoprick of silves was made subject to it . that dignity was conferred upon cardinal henry , the king's brother , who after the death of king sebastian his nephew came to be king. pope paul the first time confirmed and approved of the order of the jesuits . his bull was passed at rome on the th of september . this order was instituted by the holy father ignacius de loyola , a native of the province of guipuzcoa , and of singular sanctity of life . this year , on the th of september , happened the memorable battel , wherein d. bernar din de mendoça , general of the spanish galleys , overthrew the turks near the island of alboran . anno . the emperor having pacified flanders , and punished the rebellion at ghent , went away for germany , hoping to reconcile the hereticks to the church . many disputes happened betwixt the divines of both parties , which might have been a sure remedy for that distemper , had the obstinacy of the hereticks been to be convinced by any arguments . the last year on the th of november , at worms , was began a conference betwixt the divines , which held on till this year , but upon the coming of the emperor all things were referred to the diet at ratisbon , which was opened the th of april . the divines appointed on both sides disputed , the chief for the catholicks was john eccius , for the hereticks philip melancton . cardinal gaspar contarenus , the popes legate at this diet , granted to the adverse party certain points relating to justification , and transubstantiation , for which after his return to rome he was publickly reproved by cardinal peter garrafa , who was afterwards pope , and called paul the fourth . all men guessed by the severity of the reprimand that it came from the pope , who was there present , and therefore the reflection upon him was the greater . the diet at ratisbon being broke up , the emperor went into italy , and conferred with the pope at luca in september . the chief subject of their conference was about assembling a general council . leaving the pope , he went to genoa , where andrew doria had a great fleet in readiness to go over to argiers on the coast of africk . the season was then too far advanced , therefore the pope and others laboured to disswade the emperor from that enterprize , but he was not to be moved . being come upon the coast of africk about the end of october , and having lost great part of his fleet in a terrible storm , he was forced to retire to bugia , whence he passed over much afflicted to carthagena , having done nothing and sustained great loss . ferdinand cortes , who accompanied the emperor in this expedition , his galley sinking , was obliged to swim for his life , and lost two cups made of emraulds , which he had tyed about him in a cloath , and were worth duccats . anno . the bloody wars betwixt christian princes disappointed the pope's design the last year , of assembling a general council , but now he published a new edict , summoning all the bishops to meet at the city trent . he appointed the cardinals , parisius , moron , and poole , to preside in his name ; but this design was also put off , because the french king made war upon the emperor . the cause of this war was , that the king sent two embassadors to the turk , one a genoese called fregoso , the other a spaniard whose name was antony rincon . alonso davalos , marquis del gasto , was then governour of milan . certain spanish soldiers discovered these embassadors sailing down the river po , tho they were disguised like pilgrims , they seized and drowned them in the river . this happened the last year , and so incensed the french king , that he immediately had recourse to arms , and with a mighty army invaded flanders . besides henry the dauphin by his fathers order laid siege to perpignan on the borders of spain . the garison defended themselves with such bravery , that sallying they nailed his great guns , and succours coming from all parts , he was forced to raise the siege and retire . john de vega , lord of valverde , was at this time viceroy of navarre , whence he went embassador to rome , then governed sicily several years , and lastly returning into spain was president of the royal council of castile , which office he discharged with great reputation . he was a man of great integrity , wisdom and piety . at the beginning of december dyed james the fifth , king of scotland , leaving only one daughter called mary , born not long before his death of mary his queen , sister to the duke of guise . such multitudes of locusts were in germany , italy and spain , that they darkned the sun as they flew . in sicily a great earthquake did much harm in several cities and towns , but the most mischief was done at the city siracusa . anno . the emperor having appointed his son philip governour of spain , sailed over to genoa , being in care for italy and germany . at busseto , between placencia and cremona , he met the pope , there they conferred about the general council , the pope's legates being already at trent , waiting the coming of the bishops . it was also proposed to make peace between france and spain , but the time was not yet come . cosmo de medicis , duke of florence , was allowed to buy out the castles of florence and leghorn , then held by the emperor , for duccats . the pope had given the cities of placencia and parma to peter luis his son , and would have had the emperor confirm his gift , those cities belonging to the state of milan , but could not prevail . the king of france invaded the low countries by the way of s. quintin . on the other side the great pyrate barbarussa having sacked and burnt the city rijoles , not far from the streight of messina , ran along the coast of italy and put into the port of toulon . there joyning the duke d' enguien , they together attacked the city nice near the state of genoa , and tho they took it , could not reduce the fortress , yet they spent the best part of the summer before it . for this reason , and because it was reported that andrew doria was coming to the relief of the besieged , they returned to winter at toulon . anno . on the th of january this year happened a wonderful eclipse of the sun which lasted some hours , and not long after followed eclipses of the moon , which is said never to have happened since the time of charlemagne . the success of the wars was various , for barbarussa in his return towards the levant in several places ravaged the coasts of naples . the fear was greater than the harm , tho he took and plundered the city and island of lipari . on the coast of sicily he took , plundered and burnt the city pati . many thousand souls were carried by him into captivity . the duke d' anguien with a great army entred milan , the marquis del gasto marched to oppose him . they met near a town called carigno , and the battel was fought on the th of april which was very bloody , but the french obtained the victory , and yet could not possess themselves of the dukedom of milan . the emperor and king of england had made a league against france . the emperor broke into france by the way of flanders . took several towns and came near to paris . so great was the terror he spread , that many of the wealthy citizens abandoned that city . this consternation was the greater , for that at the same time the king of england possessed himself of the city of boulogne . under these circumstances a treaty of peace was set a foot . the embassadors of these princes met at soissons where they concluded a peace upon the following conditions . that all things taken on either side since the truce concluded at nice should be restored . that they should joyn their forces in defence of the catholick religion against the turks and hereticks . that the king of france shall renounce all his pretensions in flanders , aragon , or naples . that the emperor should give to charles duke of orleans , the king of france his younger son , one of his daughters in marriage , or else one of those of his brother ferdinand . in case he gave his own daughter he should give her in dower the low countries , with the title of king to her husband . but if it were his brother's daughter , that the dukedom of milan should be her dower . the agreement was made on the th of september , but it took no effect , charles duke of orleans soon after dying . anno . prince philip of spain was before contracted to mary daughter to the king of portugal , last year they were married at salamanca with great solemnity . the duke of medina sidonia went to the borders of portugal , to conduct the bride , who soon after proved with child , and was delivered this year on the th of july at valladolid of a son , who was called charles . this birth was unfortunate , as well for that the mother died the th day after , which lessened the publick joy , as for that the prince lived not to inherit his fathers crown . her body was buried at granada . cardinal john tavera died the st day of august . d. john siliceus , the bishop of cartagena , succeeded him in the archbishoprick of toledo , in consideration for his good service in instructing prince philip , whose preceptor he had been . afterwards he was made cardinal . in germany great application was used to reduce the hereticks to submit to the council of trent , to this effect a diet was held at worms . the emperor was there present , and cardinal alexander farnesius , the pope's legate and grandson . nothing was concluded , for that luther publishing new books , ceased not to make the breach wider . the hereticks demanded a conference and to have the points in controversy disputed , and the catholicks insisted to have all things referred to the fathers at trent , as being sensible how little good is done by private disputes . all these things were only the preludes to the war which soon after broke out in germany . at length about the end of this year the fathers assembled at trent , opened the council . the first session was on the th of december . three legates of the pope presided , which were the cardinals john maria de monte , marcellus cervinus , and reginald pool . the chief of the spanish divines were f. james lainez , and alonso salmeron , of the society of jesus ; f. dominick de soto , and f. melchior cano , of the order of s. dominick ; of s. francis , f. alonso de castro , and f. andrew vega. anno . martin luther was found dead in his bed at eisleber , where he was born , on the th of february . he died of excess of eating and drinking at the age of . his body was buried at wittemberg , where he most resided . d. alonso davalos , marquis del gasto governour of milan , deceased at vigevano , and ferdinand gonçaga succeeded him . the diet was held at ratisbon , where there was a disputation between the catholicks and hereticks . malvenda a spaniard , and chocleus signalized themselves among the catholicks ; for the hereticks , bucer and brentius . the emperor repaired thither in may , but all this sorted to no better effect than it had done at other times , but the differences were rather greater , for the hereticks departed when the dispute was but begun . most of the princes tho summoned , appeared not : the most remarkable of them were frederick duke of saxony , and philip the landtgrave , the emperor thought fit to have recourse to arms , and ordered maximilian count de bure to make levies of flanders . in germany albertus , and john , marquises of brandenburg , did the same for the emperor tho they were both hereticks . the spanish forces marched out of italy , and at the same time the emperor directed his letters to the cities of germany , admonishing them not to suffer themselves to be led away , for that many abusing his patience had forced him to have recourse to arms. having dispatched these letters the emperor set out from ratisbon for bavaria . he encamped near landshut , whether was come a good body of men sent to him by the pope , under the command of his grandson , octavius , and cardinal alexander farnesius . sone after came thither spaniards . d. ferdinand of toledo , duke of alva , was appointed general of those forces . the enemy with a strong army came to ingolstat . the principal commanders were the duke of saxony , and the landtgrave , whom many other princes and cities either openly or underhand supported . they encamped on a rising ground , whence they played their artillery upon the emperor's army which lay below them , but the fright was greater than the harm . the landtgrave was for assaulting the emperor's camp , which was not well intrenched , but the others opposed him , which proved the safety of our army then much inferior to the enemy , for that our supplies were not come from flanders . as soon as they came , the emperor marched towards nerling , the enemy still following in the rear . at the same time maurice , duke of saxony , being furnished with forces by king ferdinand , possessed himself of the lands of his cousin frederick , some whereof were engaged , and others so intermixed that it was convenient to secure them , lest his own subjects might suffer by their ill neighbours . to put a stop to their proceedings , and because they wanted provisions , the hereticks returned towards saxony . the landtgrave went away to his own dominions and thence to francford . the war continued hot , and several princes and cities being sensible of their error : particularly frederick count palatin , despairing of the success of the rebels , was reconciled to the emperor . the duke of wittemberg and the cities of vlm , francford , and ausburg followed his example , but were forced to buy their pardon for great sums of money , and give security for their future loyalty . anno . these things were in agitation at the beginning of this year , at the same time that frederick duke of saxony recover'd all the places taken from him by duke maurice , except lipstat , which he could not reduce . this year died anne the wife of king ferdinand ; and francis king of france , having lived years , and reigned : his son henry succeeded him . also henry the eight of england , famous for his separation from the church . he lived years , and reigned and months : his son edward , then but years of age , succeeded him , as was ordain'd in his father's will , by which his daughters , mary and elizabeth , were appointed to inherit , in case their brother died without issue . as soon as the emperor had recover'd a great fine he imposed upon the city strasbourg , and join'd his brother king ferdinand , who till then stayed in bohemia , he march'd towards saxony . on the th of april he came to the river elbe . the enemy had possessed themselves of the farther bank , and the river being deep it was difficult to pass it . certain spanish soldiers swimming with their swords in their mouths , took some boats to make a bridge . having pass'd the river , our forces pursu'd the enemy , who retired towards wittemberg . they were so eagerly pursu'd , that they could not avoid fighting . the battel lasted till night , when the duke of saxony being taken , and many of his men put to the sword , the rest fled . soon after this victory the landtgrave submitted , and surrendred himself up to the emperor . these two princes being in custody , all the rest were soon quell'd . as a token of his victory , the emperor sent part of the cannon taken to italy , part to spain , and part to flanders , whither he went himself . the general council was removed from trent to bolonia , and soon after broke up to the great dissatisfaction of the catholicks . peter luis , the pope's son , was killed in his house at plasencia , but it could never be known by whom his death was contriv'd , but ferdinand gonçaga , governor of milan , seized that city , and put a garison into it . the pope fortified parma , and put camillus vrsinus into it . afterwards that dominion was given to octavius farnesius , duke of parma , son to peter luis . anno . the breaking up of the council of trent was so much the more resented , for that among the other articles of peace with the princes and cities of germany , one was , that they should submit themselves to the determination of the fathers in matters of religion . this design failing to reconcile all matters in difference at the diet at auspurb , a book was published in defence of the catholick doctrine , but allowing the laity to communicate in both kinds , and priests to marry . it was called an interim , because to last till the council met again , and determined what was to be done . julius phibug , michael sidonia , and eilebius agricola composed it . in saxony , at the desire of duke maurice , the hereticks publish'd another book , called adiapora , that is , things indifferent , philip melancton was the author of it , and mentioned many things that ought to be tolerated for the sake of peace . matthias illiricus and nicholaus gralius , more rigid hereticks , wrote against this book . at the same time muleasse king of tunez came to ausburg , being expelled his kingdom , and having his eyes put out by his own son. maximilian , son to king ferdinand , came to spain to marry the princess mary his cousin-german , and to remain governour in spain , because prince philip was to go for flanders , as he did in november in the same fleet that brought maximilian . he landed at genoa , passed through milan and mantua , and lastly at the beginning of the following year came to brussels in the low countries , at such time as his father was gone to germany . at the instance of siceleus , archbishop of toledo , the pope granted his bull , by which it was enacted , that none descended of jews , moors , or hereticks should have any living in that church . d. james de castilla the dean , and some others of the chapter opposed this decree , but the most powerful party prevailed . joanna d' albret , daughter to henry , was contracted to the duke of cleves , but the match breaking off , she now married antony of bourbon , duke of vendosme , of the blood royal of france . anno . this year died margaret queen of navarre , and mother to the above-mentioned lady joanna . in germany some synods were held , particularly at treves , metz and cologne , by the emperor's procurement , to bring the deluded people to the obedience of the church . in africk a man called xerife , the son of a merchant , and himself a school-master , under the pretended veil of sanctity , drew together a number of armed people , wherewith he expelled the kings of morocco , fez , and veles . he of veles fled for refuge to the emperor , and afterwards to the king of portugal , of whom he received nothing but good words . this was the beginning of a bloody war in africk . in england , peter martir at oxford began publickly to teach the heresy of the sacramentarians , and great tumults happened about the change of religion . they made peace with the french , who had began the war in picardy , restoring to them the city bologn , taken some years before . at cigales on the first of november , was born anne daughter to prince maximilian and mary his wife . she was afterwards married to her unkle , and was queen of spain . pope paul died at rome the th of november . anno . cardinal john maria de monte succeeded him by the name of julius the iii. and lived after his exaltation years , month , and days . john de vega viceroy of sicily , on the coast of africk , took the city called africa , formerly leptis , on the th of september , expelling thence the pyrat dragut , who used to set out thence and ravage the coasts of sicily . he put a garison into it , but soon after to save charges utterly demolish'd it . at ausburg in autumn was opened the diet of the empire , at which the emperor and his son prince philip were present . the emperor strove to make his son king of the romans , but his brother king ferdinand opposed it in favour of his own son maximilian , who was come back from spain , being already chosen king of bohemia , and was now with his father at the diet. it was proposed to assemble a-new the council of trent , and to make war upon mecklenbourg , where the catholick religion was wholly excluded . both these propositions were offensive to maurice duke of saxony , tho he was appointed general of that war ; but what chiefly perplexed him was , that the emperor did not release his unkle the landtgrave of hesse . these were the causes that moved the duke to make war upon the emperor , who being at that time unprovided for it , was reduc'd to great extremities . this year was remarkable for the jubilee , and for the great numbers of people that repair'd to rome to gain it . anno . at the beginning of this year died at pavia , andrew alciatus , a famous civilian and humanist born at milan , who was first professor in france , and afterwards in italy . pope julius last december summoned the bishops to meet again at trent . the emperor caused the pope's edicts to be read at the diet at ausburg . duke octavius farnesius very unseasonably put himself under the protection of france . ferrante gonçaga , to put a stop to his proceedings , besieged him in parma . this was the cause that council was put off for some time , but at length it was open'd in may. cardinal crecencius , the pope's legate , presided . the ecclesiastical electors , and many prelates of germany , spain and italy were there present . the king of france by his embassador protested against their proceedings . embassadors came from some german princes , to ask safe conducts for the heretical ministers and divines , but the conditions they proposed were so extravagant , the fathers thought it a lessening of their authority to grant them . after the diet at ausburg broke up , prince philip return'd to spain . his cousin maximilian bore him company as far as genoa , where he found the princess mary his wife and his children come thither by sea out of spain . with them he return'd in december to inspruck , where the emperor then was , that city lying near , to forward the proceedings of the council . king henry of france on the sudden commenced war in flanders and milan . he call'd the turkish fleet to his aid , which on the coast of sicily took the town and castle of augusta , seated beyond the city catania . thence they sailed over to malta , but not succeeding there crossed the sea , and on the coast of africk took tripoli , deliver'd to them by the knights of malta , who had kept it ever since rhodes was lost . two french knights had the greatest share in that treachery . the spaniards paid dearly for their loyalty , about being put to the sword. it was given out the turks did this in revenge of the taking of the city of africa ; but the truth was , they undertook this war at the instigation of the french king , whose embassadors were aboard the fleet. anno . four divines or ministers of wittemberg , the chief of whom was brencius , came to trent . they presented to the council a book called the wittemberg confession . all this was only to amuse the council , till such time as duke maurice had raised men , and made other warlike preparations . on the d of april news was brought to trent , that he had seized the city ausburg , and that the emperor was in danger at inspruck , which caused the council on a sudden to break up . on the other side , albertus marquis of brandenburg possessed himself of treves , and the french of all lorrain . the emperor was much perplex'd , not being able to withstand so many enemies . he resolved to release the duke of saxony and the landtgrave , which pacified duke maurice . on the borders of italy , whither in the first consternation he retired , forces flock'd to him from all parts . however he pardon'd the marquis of brandenburg , designing to make use of him against the french. this done he laid siege to metz with a great army on the th of october , but many of his men perishing , by reason of the badness of the weather , he was forced to quit that enterprize . on the d of december this year departed this life the blessed f. francis xaverius , as he was going to china . he was a native of navarre , and one of the ten first companions of s. ignatius . he preached among the barbarous people of india , japan , and other parts , and was doubtless a man of singular sanctity , and admirable in his life . his body is preserved entire in the church of his order at goa , he being canonized . d. peter de toledo was viceroy of naples at such time as ferdinand de sanseverino , prince of salerno , caused the turkish fleet under the command of rustan bassa to come against that city . his treason being discover'd , he fled to venice , for which cause the fleet returned to constantinople without attempting any thing . only near the island ponça they met andrew doria , overthrew his fleet , and took of his galleys . the prince of salerno having declared himself , went away to the port to incite him the next year to send another fleet. the emperor had put a garison into siena , under the command of d. james de mendoza , upon occasion of the tumults and factions in that city , and to prevent its being deliver'd to the french. d. james for his greater security raised a fort for the garison . the citizens suspecting this tended to deprive them of their liberty , put themselves under the protection of france , and then taking arms expelled the garison , razing the fort from the very foundations , which necessitated them to prepare for the ensuing war , and for the siege which was laid to the place by d. peter de toledo , in pursuance of the emperor's commands . this year died at florence , paulus jovius ; at ferrara , lillus gregorius giraldus ; and at salamanca , ferdinand pincianus the greek commentator . anno . king edward of england departed this life on the th of july , his sister queen mary succeeded him tho opposed by many . she being possessed of the crown restor'd the catholick religion . d. peter de toledo , lying at the siege of siena , died in the house of his son-in-law cosmo de medicis , duke of florence . his forces return'd to naples upon a report of the approach of the turkish fleet , under the command of the afore-mention'd prince of salerno . this fleet appear'd before naples , but there happening no mutiny in the city , it sailed on to corsica , great part whereof the turks possessed themselves of , it being subject to the genoeses . this year john prince of portugal married joanna the emperor's daughter with great solemnity , but the joy of this match was not lasting . anno . before a year was gone about after his marriage , the said prince john died at lisbon the d . of january . his body was buried at the monastery of bethlem , near lisbon . on the th . of january his wife was deliver'd of a son , who of the day of his birth was called sebastian . he was of a noble and truly royal spirit , but lived not long . his mother went away to castile to govern those kingdoms , because her brother prince philip was going away to be married . the new queen of england desiring to secure her self in the throne , thought fit to chuse a resolute and powerful husband , and found none fitter for her purpose than philip prince of spain , to whom the emperor his father had on the last of october before resign'd up the kingdom of naples , and dukedom of milan . all points being adjusted , the prince went over into england , where the marriage was solemnized at winchester on the th . of july , being st. james's day . cardinal reginald poole was present , being the pope's legate , of the blood royal of england , and great sanctity of life , to reduce that kingdom , as he did , to the obedience of the church of rome . our forces return'd to the siege of siena , and the marquis de marignano , the emperor's general , overthrew in battel near that city peter strozzi , a banish'd florentin , sent by the french king with forces to relieve the besieged , and drive the imperialists out of milan . anno . pope julius died at rome the d . of march , and on the th . of april cardinal marcellus gerninus , born at montepulchiano , was chosen to succeed him , and kept his former name . he held s. peter's chair only days , wherefore on the th . of may cardinal john peter garrasa , born at naples , of noble birth and a great spirit , was elected in his room . he took the name of paul ivth , and governed the church years , months , and days . at length the city siena , tired with the miseries of a long siege , was surrendred to the emperor . d. francis de mendoça , cardinal of burgos , was sent from rome to settle the government of that city . at the suit and intercession of cardinal alexander farnesius the emperor pardoned his brother , duke octavius , but kept in his hands the citadel of plasencia , where a spanish garrison was left , which king philip the second some years after withdrew . d. ferdinand of toledo duke of alva , was at this time viceroy of naples , he was ordered to march to milan , to oppose the mareschal de brissac , who made war on that side for the king of france , tho not with much vigor . king philip , the summer being well advanced , departed out of england and came to brussels , where the emperor his father resigned up to him all his kingdoms , being desirous to take his repose , as he accordingly did the year following , when having given up the empire to his brother ferdinand , he with his two sisters , the two queens ellenor and mary , went over into spain , and made choice for his retreat of the monastery of s. justa , of the order of s. hierome , in the territory of plasencia . there he died two years after , more glorious and great in despising , than in obtaining the empire . this year died henry d' albret , king of navarre , his daughter joanna , an abstinate heretick , succeeded him . anno . on the th of february a truce was concluded for five years betwixt france and spain . it was hoped that this cessation might end in a lasting peace , both parties being worn out with tedious wars ; but all fell to nothing , by reason of the war the pope unseasonably raised . at the beginning of this year he began to persecute the noblemen of the house of colonna , some of them fled , others were taken , all whose estates he presently seized . the catholick king ordered the duke of alva not to suffer any wrong to be done to them . on the other side , the king of france having entred into a league with the pope , sent a powerful army into italy under the conduct of the duke of guise . these forces marched through lombardy to rome , where they stayed some time , and then marched to the kingdom of naples . they did nothing remarkable , but the greatest part of them died of sickness , and the rest returned to france . mean while the duke of alva having possessed himself of most of the pope's dominions near rome , marched with his army , and incamp'd before that city . he could easily have sacked it again , but he had such respect for the place that he forbore , and made peace with the pope upon very reasonable terms . but this was about the end of the ensuing year . at the beginning of this war cosmo duke of florence prevailed with the catholick king to deliver to him the city siena ; to obtain his desire , he alledged the charge he had been at in the war with that city , and that some promise had been made of delivering it to him . the king yeilded to necessity , and put the city into his hands upon his paying a sum of money down , and obliging himself to hold it of the crown of spain . anno . the war betwixt france and spain was not thus at an end , but broke out in several parts . success was so various , that neither side had any great advantage to boast of . cardinal john sicileus died the last day of may ; in his place succeeded , as archbishop of toledo , f. bartholomew de miranda , of the order of s. dominick ; he arose so high to have a greater fall . on the th of june departed this life at lisbon , john the third king of portugal , a very religious and renowned prince . his body was buried in the monastery of bethlehem . king sebastian , his grandson , succeeded him . in the time of king john the inquisition was first brought into portugal , for the punishment of hereticks and jews . he founded the university of coimbra , and endued it with great revenues , bringing to it learned professors from all parts , and assigning them plentiful salaries . cardinal henry , the kings brother , following his example , some time after founded the university of ebora , which was wholly delivered up to the care of the jesuits , a heavy burden but very profitable . the catholick king had laid siege to s. quintin , a strong town on the frontiers of flanders , seated near the river some . the french came to relieve the place , but were overthrown by philibert duke of savoy , the spanish general , with great slaughter , and many french-men of note made prisoners . the catholick king came thither afterwards , which so terrified the besieged and encouraged our men , that the th day after they took the town by assault . many prisoners were taken within it , and among them gasper coligni the french admiral , who governed the town , and was soon after the grand incendiary in the civil wars of france . there happened this year mighty floods , particularly in italy in the month of september the river arnus overflowed its banks , and did great harm at florence , and all the country about . the tiber swelled to such a degree , that it drowned most part of the city . on the th of september , being the day after , was concluded the peace with the pope . at palermo in sicily , the great floods overthrew many houses , and drowned a multitude of men and women : it is reported houses were thrown down . all spain suffered this year extream scarcity of bread. anno . this year many thousands died of the plague . the contagion broke out at murcia , and thence spread to valencia , and so at last to burgos . it lasted some years before it was quite allay'd . the king of france after the defeat of s. quintin , caused the duke of guise to leave milan , and return into france in january . the duke having gathered a mighty army took calis , the only town the english possessed in france . the same month died queen ellenor , charles the emperor's sister , at valladolid . in her will she left certain towns she possessed in burgundy to her daughter mary , whom she had by emanuel king of portugal . on the th of april , francis the dauphin of france married mary stuard , queen of scotland , afterwards a most unfortunate princess . the infection of heresie spread in both the kingdoms of france and scotland , and many of the nobility were ta●nted . the war continued very hot in flanders . among all other actions , the battel of graveling was remarkable : there the french were defeated and sustained so great loss that they presently began to treat of peace . on the th . of september the great emperor charles the fifth departed this life , at the place of his retirement . his body was deposited in that monastery , whence some years after , by order of the catholick king his son it was translated to the royal monastery of the escurial . in england queen mary and cardinal reginald poole died both at the same time , and with them fell the catholick religion in that kingdom . anno . her sister queen elizabeth being declar'd queen , repealed all the laws made in defence of the catholick religion , and restor'd the reformation began in the time of king edward . the pope on the th of january banish'd out of rome his nephews , the sons of his brother john alonso . these were john garrafa duke of paliano , the marquis antony and cardinal charles garrafa . the crimes laid to their charge were very heinous , and one of the greatest that they suffer'd none to have access to the pope , but such as pleased them , and kept spies to observe what every one spoke . on the th of february , charles duke of lorrain married claudia the king of france his younger daughter ; for her father design'd elizabeth the eldest should be married to the king of spain . the embassadors of both crowns met at cambray , where they handled the business so effectually , that a peace was concluded upon these conditions : that the duke of savoy should be restor'd to all his dominions , which was perform'd , and he had also the city aste given him , tho it was the portion of valentina , daughter to john galeazzo duke of milan . that all places taken during the war should be restor'd . that corsica be restor'd to the genoeses . that neither the spaniard lay claim to burgundy , nor the french to milan or naples . lastly , that all prisoners taken for years last past be set at liberty . these articles being agreed upon , king philip in pursuance of them married by proxy at paris on the th of june the princess elizabeth , the duke of alva representing the king. soon after on the th . of july the lady margaret was married to the duke of savoy . the publick joy was turn'd into extream grief , for that king henry himself tilting was struck into the eye by a splinter of his adversary's lance , of which he died the day following . his son francis the second succeeded him , being sixteen years of age. he had three brothers , charles , alexander edward , and hercules ; his sisters were elizabeth and claudia before-mentioned ; the youngest of all called margaret some years after was married to henry prince of bearne , and king of navarre . pope paul the fourth departed this life at rome the th . of august . d. bartholomew de miranda , of the order of s. dominick , two years before chosen archbishop of toledo in the place of cardinal siceleus , was apprehended and made prisoner by the inquisitors in his town of tordelaguna , upon the th . of august . he was many years in prison , so great is the power of the inquisition in spain . at the same time king philip arrived with his fleet at laredo , in his return from flanders . anno . on the th . of december last past cardinal john angelo de medicis was chosen pope . he took the name of pius the fourth , and govern'd the church years , months and days . spain this year was filled with joy , not only for the arrival of their long-wish'd-for king , but also for his marriage which was consummated at guadalajara in the kingdom of toledo , upon the th . day of january . this joy was the greater , for that all men hoped the peace would be lasting . the cardinal of burgos and duke del infantado , went to the borders of france to fetch the bride . the great solemnization of the marriage was at toledo , whither the king and new queen went from guadalajara . the duke of medina celi , viceroy of sicily , took the island of gelves , but after he was master of it , the turkish fleet coming upon him , he lost a great part of his own , and with much difficulty escaped himself . among other prisoners taken by the turks were one of the duke's sons , d. alvaro de sande , and sancho de avila , brave soldiers . in france began the tumults and rebellion which lasted many years under colour of religion . to remedy these troubles , the three estates or parliament of france met at orleans , where several good laws were enacted , but never observed . francis the new king of france died in that city on the th . of december : his brother charles the ninth of the name , being then but nine years old , succeeded him . anno . in rome pope pius the fourth caused the duke of paliano and cardinal garrafa to be put to death . the cardinal was strangled in prison , the duke publickly beheaded . the commonalty , tho they were satisfied , those persons had deserved that punishment , yet using their common liberty , especially assumed by the italians , gave out it was done to please the catholick king. certain it is , the pope their unkle had expelled them rome for their crimes , and now they were punish'd with loss of their lives . in the spring queen mary of scotland , having at once lost her mother and husband , returned to scotland , where she married a second and third time . a lady worthy a more favourable destiny ; for in england , after a long imprisonment , she was unjustly put to death . in france the tumults daily encreased . to pacify the people it was resolved the catholicks and hereticks should meet and dispute at poissy , five leagues from paris . hippolito de este cardinal of ferrara , and with him james lainez , general of the jesuits in the place of f. ignatius de loyola dead six years before , were sent from rome . the pope's intention was , that in case that meeting could not be prevented , at least nothing should be positively determined in it , but all things referred to the council of trent , which he had summoned to meet again . the meeting could not be prevented , the dispute was about the real presence : f. lainez when it came to his turn to speak , publickly with great freedom rebuked the queen , for that she being a woman was present at disputes about religion . in this dispute he confuted peter martyr , always calling him father peter , because he had been a friar . anno . in january the council of trent was again open'd . cardinal john moron , and three other cardinals presided as the pop's legates . there was present a great number of prelates , and among them many french , who came with charles cardinal of lorrain . in the port de la herradura , in a violent storm which rose in the night , twenty two galleys were cast away with their general d. john de mendoça . great was the desolation made in france , many stately churches were overthrown by the hereticks , and many cities rebelled against the king. among others the king of navarre , to put a stop to these evils , laid siege to roan then in rebellion , but he was killed by a musket-shot from the walls on the th . of november , but before he expired the city was taken by his forces . the prince of conde who headed the hereticks , encouraged by the recruits he received out of germany , was so bold as to lay siege to paris . on the th . of december the catholicks gave them battel , being strengthned by a good supply of spaniards sent by king philip , they all behaved themselves so well that they raised the siege , and pursuing the enemy as far as dreux , overthrew them with great slaughter , taking the prince of conde prisoner . anno . the strength and hopes of france at this time was in the house of guise . the duke of guise the king's lieutenant then lay before the city orleans seated on the loire and in rebellion . one john poltrot came out of the city purposely , and in the passing of the river shot the duke , of which wound he died the th . of february . poltrot being taken and put to the rack confessed that admiral coligni , and theodorus beza , a principal man among the ministers , had put him upon this wicked enterprise . he was at paris publickly torn in pieces by four horses . d. francis of navarre , archbishop of valencia , died in a village near that city on the th . of april . it is reported of him , but no proof appears , that he writ the history of spain , which he composed with much care , tho the stile was not of the best . the council of trent broke up the th . of december , and was soon after confirm'd by pope pius the fourth . of the spanish bishops those that most signalized themselves for learning in this council were , d. peter guerrero archbishop of granada , andrew de cuesta bishop of leon , d. martin de ayala of segovia , d. james de covarrubias of cuidad rodrigo , and d. antony augustin of lerida . of the divines , the most remarkable were the fathers james lainez , alonso salmeron , and peter de soto of the order of s. dominick , a learned and pious man : he died at trent in his old age ; he was under a cloud at rome . salarraez king of argiers , this year laid siege to oran and mazalquivir . the earl of alcaudete was in oran , and his brother d. martin de cordova in mazalquivir , both of them behaved themselves with much bravery , but the defence of mazalquivir , which was hardest press'd , will ever be famous . d. john de mendoça , general of the spanish galleys , coming thither raised the siege . anno . john calvin died at geneva the th . of may ; theodorus beza succeeded him , former wicked , but the latter if possible worse . to discover how wicked a man beza was , it suffices to read his love poems . by them it appears he was a fit head for the sect he professed . d. garcia de toledo marquis of villafranca , son to d. peter de toledo , who was viceroy of sicily and admiral of spain , this year on the th . of september , near the city velez on the coast of africk took from the moores the strong castle el pen̄ol , built formerly by count peter navarro , but at this time possessed by the moores . on the th . of july the emperor ferdinand died at vienna : his son maximilian the second of the name succeeded him . anno . d. luis de biamonte earl of lerin , and constable of navarre , departed this life without leaving any issue-male , and d. james de toledo , younger son to duke of alva , marrying his daughter brianda , inherited all his estate . thus ended that family which for many years had disturb'd the kingdom , always opposing the natural kings from whom it was descended . elizabeth queen of spain , with the consent of the king her husband , went to the frontiers of france , as far as the city bayonne in guienne , where she spent days with her mother and brothers , and then returned into spain . at the same time the island of malta began to be infested by the turkish fleet. three months were spent in the siege , many knights and a great number of the enemy were slain , and among them the pyrate dragut taken off with a cannon-ball . at last the turks understanding that d. garcia de toledo , viceroy of sicily , was coming to the relief of the besieged , they raised the siege and sailed off , having sustained great loss . in spain , in pursuance of the decrees of the council of trent , many synods were held , the principal were those of toledo , salamanca and braga . in that of toledo was the bishop of siguença d. peter de la gasca , and among the deputies for the church of cuenca , d. alonso ramirez de vergara , a man very much noted for learning and piety , and extreamly charitable especially towards the jesuits , for whom he built at his own cost a colledge at alcala , whither his bones were translated with much solemnity on the th . of october , . to a stately church there built by the ladies mary and katherine de mendoça . the body of the martir s. eugenius , first bishop of toledo , was with great solemnity brought from the monastery of s. denis near paris , and arrived at toledo the th . of november : the king was present at the feast with all the royal family ; the princes rodulphus and ernestus , sons to the emperor ; and the bishops who were assembled at the synod . pope pius the fourth departed this life the th . of december . anno . cardinal michael gislerius , born at boschio in the territory of alexandria , a city of lombardy , and of the order of s. dominick , was on the th . of january chosen pope : he took the name of pius v. and govern'd the church years , months , and days . his life and conversation were so holy , few have been to compare to him . the catholick king was in the forest of balsain , by reason of the heat of the summer , when on the th . of august the queen was deliver'd of a daughter , called elizabeth clare eugenia . solyman the great turk had laid siege to sigeth , a strong but small town in hungary , before it could be reduced he died , but yet his army afterwards took the place . he left his son selymus the second his heir . margaret dutchess of parma , the catholick king 's sister , govern'd the low countries for him , the hereticks contemned her because she was a woman , and consequently those provinces began to mutiny . many extraordinary insolencies were committed in several places , but most they raged against the images of saints that were in the churches . the queen of scotland flying the rebellion of her subjects at home , was forc'd into england , where , upon false informations contrary to all human and divine laws , she was cast into prison . anno . the archbishop of toledo , after his case had depended many years , was by order of pope pius the fifth sent to rome , where he arrived the th of may , and was sent prisoner to the castle of santangelo till judgment should be given . the rebellion in flanders ran high , and continued for several years . d. ferdinand of toledo , duke of alva , was sent by the king to quench this fire : soon after his arrival the princess margaret went away for italy , and the counts of horn and egmont were taken up by the duke . the rebel hereticks in france besieged paris . the constable montmorancy marched to raise the siege . they came to a battel near st. denis , where the catholicks got the victory , but with the death of the constable . the enemy with the admiral their general were put to flight . count aremberg , who came from flanders with burgundians to the assistance of the catholicks , was very instrumental in obtaining this victory . anno . on the th of march the bodies of the holy martyrs , pastor and justus , were brought from huesca , and interr'd at alcala de henares , where they suffered and were born . the principal ring-leader of the rebellion in the low countries was the prince of orange , who fearing to meet with what he deserv'd , was fled . his brother count luis with several companies of germans entred west-frizeland ; count aremberg with his forces and the spanish regiment of d. gonçalo de bracamonte march'd against him , but being too hasty in charging , was overthrown . the count and many more being slain , the rest fled to groningen through the marishes , the country being overflow'd by reason the dikes were broken . count egmont and count horn being convicted of treason ( as is believed very wrongfully ) were by the duke of alva's order executed at brussels . they were publickly beheaded on the th . of june ; and to prevent the people mutinying , they were strongly guarded to the scaffold , and all the streets lined . this execution rather incensed than appeased the people . this done the duke of alva march'd against the prince of orange , who had entred that province with his forces , and made him retire , taking several towns and castles , and putting many hereticks to the sword. at the same time the morisco's , that is , those descended of the moores , rebelled in the kingdom of granada . these people were never loyal , and were then incensed , for that certain proclamations were publish'd against them . many of them perish'd in the space of two years that those tumults lasted . the marquis of mondejar overthrew them seven times , tho with some considerable loss , caused by the disorderliness of his men. lastly , d. john of austria being general they were fully subdu'd . the punishment given to those rebels has taken from them the power of rising again , by dispersing them throughout castile . almost at the same time died first charles prince of spain in prison , where his father kept him , and then queen elizabeth his mother-in-law . she died of a miscarriage , leaving only two daughters , elizabeth and katherine , and never a son , which was the reason the king her husband married again a fourth time . his too much forwardness was the cause of the prince's death ; many things were reported concerning the cause of his imprisonment , and his father's displeasure : but there is no doubt but he was poison'd by his father's command . the prince of orange was again this year without any bloodshed drove out of the low countries , and forced to retire into france , where he assisted the rebels . anno . henry de valois , duke of anjou and general of the king of france his army , twice in battel overthrew the hereticks . the first was on the th . of march at bassac , a village in the province of poitiers , where the prince of conde was killed , and the admiral escap'd by flight ; his brother d' andelot died some time after of his wounds . the second engagement was at montcontour on the d. of october ; the success was the same , only that of the rebels the slaughter was greater , being kill'd . two thousand horse and foot sent by the pope did good service here , besides the succours from spain , which behaved themselves well upon all occasions . these forces , after obtaining the victory , return'd to italy perishing with cold , hunger and sickness . pope pius this year publish'd his bull , wherein he gave the kingdom of england to any that would conquer it ; excommunicated queen elizabeth , and absolved her subjects of their allegiance . at this time the war continuing hot in the low countries , many gentlemen signaliz'd themselves and gained honour there , such were julian romero , sancho davila , d. alvaro de sandi , collonel mondragon , collonel francis de verdugo , and d. lope de figueroa . anno . forty jesuits going to brasill with f. ignatius de azevedo , were murder'd at sea by jaques de soria , a french pyrate , and perverse heretick . after the departure of the prince of orange , the low countries were more at peace . in france a peace was concluded with the hereticks , upon no very advantageous terms , so great was the desire all men had conceived to see that war at an end . at rome , cosmo de medicis obtained of the pope the title of great duke of tuscany , to the dissatisfaction of other princes , who thought his advancement was a lessening of them . nevertheless maximilian the emperor confirmed that title to francis de medicis his brother-in-law , and the son of cosmo . ann daughter to the emperor maximilian , came by sea from flanders into spain , to be married to her uncle king philip. this solemnity was performed the th of november at segovia . with the queen came her two young brothers , albertus and wenceslaus . about the end of this year hapned so terrible an earthquake at ferrara , that the inhabitants were forced for some days to live in the fields in tents , many houses were overthrown , and many much damaged . but this year was for nothing so remarkable as for the war in cyprus , which produced a holy league among the christian princes . after the venetians had enjoyed peace with the turks the space of years , selymus the great turk having made peace with the persians , sent his embassadors to require the venetians to deliver up to him the island of cyprus , which lyes near the province of cilicia in the lesser asia ; and in case they refused , to declare war against them . this demand being so unreasonable , a war necessarily ensued ; and the turks landing in cyprus about the beginning of july , under the command of mustapha , on the th of september , took nicosia , one of the two principal cities of that island . famagusta , formerly called salamis , held out longer . the venetian fleet sent to the relief of the besieged , arrived at candia , where it was joined by gallies , sent by the catholick kings , under the command of andrew doria , prince of melfi ; but in october , the season being too far advanced , they all returned to winter in their ports without doing any thing . only marius quirinus a venetian , with gallies , was ordered to put supplies of men , ammunition , and provision into famagusta , which he accordingly performed . at the same time , through the earnest sollicitation of pope pius the th , a league was concluded against the turks , betwixt his holiness , his catholick majesty , and the venetians . they agreed to fit out gallies , and furnish foot and horse , the charge to be defrayed in this manner : the pope was to pay the th part , the venetians one d , and the king of spain one half of the expence . marc antony colonna was appointed to command the pope's gallies , sebastian venerius , those of venice , and d. john of austria , by common consent of all parties , was constituted admiral and generalissimo of the fleet and land forces . anno . all things being ordered in this manner , venerius and colonna arrived first at messina in sicily , and after them in august came d. john of austria . on the th of which month the city famagusta in cyprus , having held out almost a year's siege , was forced to surrender upon conditions ; which were not perform'd by the barbarous enemy , but contrary to their faith given , they committed great cruelties upon the unfortunate christians . the confederate fleet sailed from sicily on the th of september . they steered directly for the islands echinades , now called cuçolares , opposite to the gulph of lepanto , where they had advice the turkish fleet lay . both officers and soldiers were eager to fight , and prepared themselves with great alacrity . the venetian gallies were on the left , prince john andrew doria on the right , and d. john of austria , with the spanish gallies in the center , and with him marc antony colonna , and the venetian admiral . the chief commendary of castile , and d. alvaro baçan marquis of sancta cruz , with gallies , were left as a reserve to send relief where the greatest danger appeared . the enemy came out of the mouth of the gulph , and ranged their fleet , as is their custom , in the form of a half-moon . six galeasses made the forelorn of our fleet , which firing their cannon disordered the enemy . next to them d. john of austria , the first boarded the turkish admiral , and after a doubtful fight took her . in her was killed hali bassa , admiral of the fleet , and two sons of his were taken , and presently victory began to incline to the christians . vchali the pyrat did great harm upon the right , taking of our gallies ; but seeing the rest of the fleet overthrown , he stood out to sea , and escaped with several of his gallies . it was a terrible spectacle , all resounded with various cries , and nothing was to be seen but killing , pursuing , battering , and sinking of vessels . the sea was covered with blood and dead bodies , and the air darkned with the smoke . turkish gallies were either taken or sunk , turks were killed , and christian captives set at liberty . of the christians many were killed , and among them no small number of persons of note . in short , this was one of the greatest victories that had been obtained in many years ; and there was great rejoycing for it in all parts of christendom , tho it was not pleasing to the hereticks . this battel was fought on the th of october , on which day the memory of it is yearly celebrated as a festival at toledo . anno . pope pius the th desiring to carry on this good work , the last summer sent his nephew cardinal of alexandria , michael gislerius , his legate , into france and portugal , to perswade those kings to enter into this league . with him went f. francis borgia , a holy man , at that time general of the jesuits in the place of f. james lainez . these endeavours were fruitless as well for other causes that occur'd , as because the pope died not long after , on the st of mary , very unfortunately for the affairs of christendom . immediately after , on the th of may , cardinal hugo bocompanus , born at bolongna , was substituted in his place , and took the name of gregory the th . he behaved himself so well , that the grief conceived for the loss of his predecessor , was much allayed ; for following his footsteps , he confirmed the league with the venetians , and with incredible diligence furnished men and money for carrying on the war. he held s. peter's chair years wanting one month. at the beginning of spring charles the th king of france married elizaleth daughter to the emperor maximilian , a lady of great vertue , and extraordinary beauty . it was proposed to marry margaret the french king's sister to henry of bourbon , prince of navarre , by that means to allay the tumults in france . pope pius laboured to hinder that match , and offered king sebastian of portugal should take her to wife ; which he consented to , and even to accept of her without a portion , provided the french king would enter into the league against the turks . however , the prince of navarre was preferred . his mother joanna queen of navarre died at paris the th of june ; and nevertheless , the marriage was solemnized towards the end of the summer with a great concourse of nobility , as well of the hereticks as catholicks . in this concourse admiral coligni was shot from a window by the contrivance of the duke of guise , the consequence whereof was a general massacre of all the hereticks in the city of paris , to the number of . the heads of them were put to death by the king's order , having discovered a conspiracy among them for assassinating of him , the rest were outragiously murdered by the rabble . in flanders the last year towards defraying the charge of the war , a tax was layed , being the th penny of all things sold . this imposition was so heavy to those provinces which depend chiefly upon trade , that many cities rebelled , and were soon supported by forces that came to their assistance out of england , germany , and france . zeland and holland , two inaccessible provinces lying on the sea , and encompassed with water , were the first that rebelled . mons , a strong city in hainault , followed their example . d. frederick , son to the duke of alva , layed siege to it ; and leaving a sufficient force to secure his works , marched to meet french who were coming to relieve the place . he overthrew them , killing a great number , taking genlis their commander prisoner , who died afterwards in the castle of antwerp . the prince of orange came also with forces out of germany ; but the duke of alva had so secured all things , he was forced to retire without making any attempt . these troubles , besides the other harms they did , were the cause the league against the turks was dissolved : for d. john of austria having gathered a mightier fleet at messina than the year before , stayed there a great while , being in care for the affairs of the low-countries , and the more for that it was reported the french would make war on that side . thus the season fit for service being passed , he set out of that port at the end of september to join the venetians , and try the fortune of another battel . but the enemies fleet kept close about modon , coron , and navarrino , in the morea , refusing to come to a battel . the christian fleet having lost all hopes of fighting , and the weather growing unseasonable , went to winter in several ports . anno . the venetians either in consideration of the little advantage gained by this great fleet , or because they had lost the rich trade of the east , without regard to the confederate princes , made a shameful peace with the turks , yielding up to them not only the island of cyprus , but several towns they held in sclavonia , and paying to them ducats . in may , henry duke of anjou , the french king's brother , was elected king of poland . it was reported the french gold bought the votes ; but certain it is , that as soon as the duke heard of his election he raised the siege he had layed to rochel , and went to take possession of his kingdom . d. john of austria in october , with the fleet he had prepared against the turks , sailed over to tunez , and restored that kingdom to muleasse , grandson to that muleasse who we said was expelled his kingdom , and his eyes put out by his son. muley hamet , the king now deposed , was sent to sicily , whither soon after d. john of austria , having settled the government , and left a garison in the city , followed . thence he went over to naples designing for spain . this winter appeared a comet , which was only like a great shining star , without any tail , near the north-pole . what all the astrologers admir'd in it , was , that it had no parallaxis ; but from all places appeared to be near the same stars , and consequently must be supposed to be as high as the stars themselves . anno . the duke of alva having leave to return home , d. luis de requesens , chief commendary of castile , was made governor of the low-countries . he came from milan to flanders at the beginning of the year , and it was hoped his mild disposition and wisdom would remedy all the disorders occasioned before by too much severity . but it fell out otherwise than was expected ; for the french , flemish , and german hereticks conspired to revenge the death of the admiral of france , and to secure antwerp and other places . they thought it would be easy to compass their designs , because the king of france was unprovided of an army , and in flanders the spanish soldiers mutinyed for pay , being three years in arrears . a great number of horse at the beginning of lent repaired to the forrest of s. germain , through which the king of france was forced with all speed to retire to paris . francis de montmorency was suspected to be the author of this design upon the king , as also of being a favourer of the hereticks . the spaniards in flanders , tho the chief mutineers were punished , were not appeased ; and yet count luis , brother to the prince of orange , returning into the country , was overthrown on the th of april . great were the confusions in france , when the king died on the th of june , leaving only one daughter , who lived not long after , and the crown fell to his brother henry then king of poland . the turkish fleet came to tunez the th of july , and on the d of august took the castle of goleta : days after they took a fort belonging to that city , in which was a spanish garison . d. john of austria , tho he lay then at trapano in sicily , could not succour the besieged . most men blamed cardinal granville , then viceroy of naples , for not furnishing men , money , and provisions in time . selymus the great turk died , and amurat his son succeeded him . about this time the king's expences being great , duties on goods were much raised , and with the pope's permission , the towns belonging to the church began to be sold . the king of portugal being naturally of a great spirit , which increased with his years , sailed over with a fleet unto africk , but did nothing worth remembring , his great desire of extending the christian dominions suffered him not to rest . in genoa a mutiny broke out , in which-the new nobles expelled the old ones out of the city . to appease those tumults , the cardinal john moron was sent by the pope , a commissary by the emperor , d. charles de borgia duke of gandia , and d. john ideaquez embassador there , were appointed by the catholick king. these , after the troubles had lasted two years , adjusted all differences . anno . d. john of austria came out of italy into spain , and obtained of the king his brother to appoint him his lieutenant over all his dominions in italy , with the title of vicar . the design was that no advantagious opportunity offered might be lost , as often happened by the delays of the viceroys . this done , in the same fleet that brought him , he returned to italy , to be in a readiness to oppose the great turk , who it was reported was preparing a mighty fleet against the christians . this report proved false . but moluco , assisted by the turks , took the kingdoms of fez and morocco from his nephew muley mahomet cheribo . he pretended to justify this proceeding by a law some years before established , which ordained that the king's brothers should inherit before their children . muley fled to portugal , and was the occasion of the great loss sustained by the portugueses , in endeavouring to restore him . the king of france kept the dukes of vendosme and alençon prisoners at paris , that they might not have the opportunity of embroiling the kingdom . alençon made his escape , and fled to normandy , whither repaired to him not only the hereticks , but the catholick malecontents , upon pretence of settling the kingdom . soon after the duke of vendosme making his escape , came to him . anno . pope gregory the th , at rome , at length gave judgment against bartholomew de miranda , archbishop of toledo , after he had been years a prisoner . he died days after in the monastery of his order , called la minerva in that city . he was more fortunate while a private man , than in his great dignity , being a person of learning and piety ; if in his latter years he had not given occasion to be suspected , and even condemned as one not perfectly sound in matter of religion . dr. martin aspizcueta of navarre pleaded for him , and writ in his defence , being the famousest canonist of that age , as appears by his works in print , no less pious than learned . maximilian the emperor dying , his son rodulphus , already king of the romans , succeeded him in the empire . the prince of conde and john casimir , son to the palatin , entred france by the way of lorain , with men , in favour of the duke of alençon , for fear of whom a peace was concluded with the hereticks little to the king's advantage . d. luis de requesens , governor of flanders , dying , the states of that country met to consult what was to be done . the result was , that they conspired against their king , and resolved to expel the spaniards , join with the hereticks , and take the prince of orange for their head. to colour their treason , soon after they sent for mathias , the emperor's brother , out of germany ; but abused him , giving him the name of prince , and doing what pleased themselves . whereupon in a little time , leaving that shadow of a principality , he returned to germany . the rebels in flanders laid siege to the castle of antwerp , at such time as the spaniards , being without a head , were in a mutiny , nevertheless they assembled from all parts to defend that place . the garison of the castle , with all that resorted to them , made not above men. in the city were above able to bear arms : yet their multitude no way dismayed the soldiers ; who falling upon them , killed , then plundered , and set fire to that rich and beautiful city . the same day this hapned at antwerp , which was the th of november , d. john of austria came to luxemburgh , sent by the king of spain to remedy the disorders of the low-countries ; and for more expedition , he went through france in a disguise . his coming availed nothing , the rebellion being too far advanced . anno . catherine queen of portugal died at lisbon . by her the eager heat of king sebastian , her grandson , had bin hitherto curbed . he and king philip had an interview at guadalupe , where they conferred about the conquest of africk ; for which enterprize the portugues was preparing , and the catholick king advised him not to go in person , but could not prevail . in november a comet appeared near the sign libra , and the planet mars with a tail of such extraordinary length and breadth as has scarce been seen . after the death of king sebastian it was given out it threatned portugal ; such are the predictions of astrologers , and the commonalty believe comets portend change of government . anno . at madrid , on the th of april , king philip had a son born of his wife queen ann , who was also called philip , the th child this queen had , and out-lived the others . as this year was happy in the birth of this prince , so it was unfortunate to portugal and all spain . for king sebastian , carried away by the heat of youth , and ambitious to extend the christian name in africk , took into his protection king muley hamet . he gathered forces out of germany , italy , and castile , to join with his own . he fitted out a great fleet , in which he shipped all his forces ; and sailing in july , arrived at arzila , a city in africk subject to the portugueses . his first design was to attack the castle of alarache , which is at the mouth of the river lucus . the portugueses began to march up the country , and moluco met them with a far greater number of men. the battel was fought on the th of august , and the portugueses overthrown . the slaughter was great , and the number of prisoners incredible , among which were many of note . no battel in many years was so unfortunate , for three kings died there . moluco of sickness , which had long stuck by him ; he left his brother hamet his heir . the king of portugal was killed in the battel , and muley drowned in passing a river as he fled . d. john of austria to pacify the flemmings consented , that the spaniards should be drawn out of those provinces , and garisons of the natives put into their strong-holds , which proved fatal . for scarce were the spaniards gone , when the hereticks conspired to seize d. john. he having notice of their design , fled to namur , began to assemble forces , recalled the spaniards who were marching towards italy , and had some skirmishes with the enemy , from whom he took some places . but death taking him off in october , and in the flower of his age , put a stop to all his designs . he died a natural death in the field . alexander farnesius , prince of parma , succeeded him in the government of these provinces . the provinces being dissatisfied with the archduke mathias , called francis duke of alenson to their assistance , against d. john of austria ; who having accepted of the offer , and being come to mons in hainault , they gave him the title of protector of flanders . in portugal died the princess mary , daughter to emanuel , by his last wife ellenor . this lady when she died was well in years , and a maid ; for tho several matches were proposed , never any took effect . anno . as soon as the dismal news of the death of king sebastian was brought to lisbon , cardinal henry , his great uncle , brother to his grandfather , was proclaimed king , tho then very old and unhealthy . the nobility , to secure the succession , would have him marry ; but it being unlikely he should have any children , there were many pretenders to that crown . king philip in right of his mother elizabeth the empress . philibert duke of savoy , as son to the lady beatrix , both which were daughters to king emanuel . the prince of parma in the right of his wife the princess mary , then dead , but had left two sons , ranucius and edward . and the duke of bragança , in the right of catherine his wife . these two ladies were grand-children to king emanuel , and daughters to prince edward . mary was the eldest but was dead , and catherine was living . antony , prior of ocrato , put in his claim , as son to prince luis , and grandson to king emanuel . he to cover his being a bastard , pretended his father had been married to his mother , but no proof appeared . catherine queen-mother of france claimed that kingdom as descended from matildis countess of bologn , wife to alonso the d king of portugal , affirming they had issue . the portugueses urged that the countess left no child either by her first or second husband ; and proved that when she died , robert her nephew , son to her sister alicia , inherited her dominions , from whom that queen was descended by the mother's side . none of these princesses wanted the pens of learned men to vindicate their titles ; but king philip had the power , which never fails to bear down all that the learned can say in behalf of their cause . in sicily this year a vast quantity of liquid fire gushed out of mount etna , which did much harm in the neighbouring country . anno . king philip prepared for the war with portugal , and to that purpose caused several troops of italians , germans and spaniards to march towards the frontiers of that kingdom . to prevent disorders , king philip labour'd to prevail with the new king his unkle to declare him his heir , but at the same time whilst this was in hand , king henry departed this life at almeirin , on the last of january . it appear'd a war must of necessity ensue , for that the portugueses it could not be expected would submit to the spaniards . there wanted a general . the duke of alva was then prisoner at vzeda , because he had obliged his son frederick to marry the daughter of d. garcia de toledo , marquis of villa franca , without regard to another lady belonging to the queen , to whom the said frederick had before promised marriage , and the king had commanded him not to dispose of himself till that affair was decided . it was now thought fit to release and send him to portugal . the king himself to be the nearer at hand went first to merida , and then to badajoz , a city on the frontiers of that kingdom . his forces were not great , being scarce foot and horse , but they were the flower of the spanish army , old soldiers of great experience . with this strength and the good conduct of the duke of alva , antony the bastard , who with the favour of the people called himself king , was overthrown first at lisbon , and soon after near porto by sancho davila , camp-master-general in that expedition . thus he being expelled the country , all that kingdom was brought under . mean while king philip lay at burgos so sick , that the physicians had given him over . scarce was he recover'd , when the queen his wife who was with him died on the th . of october . he had by her four sons , ferdinand and charles both dead before , james who lived not long after , and philip then a child and sickly , but afterwards grew healthy and lived long . he had also a daughter called mary , that was but short lived . about this time died hierome osorio , a portugues bishop of silves , a great orator ( but not in his history ) as appears by the books he wrote . his contemporary was andrew resendius , of the same nation , a great antiquary , and imitator of horace in the learned verses he composed . emanuel duke of savoy also departed this life , and his son charles succeeded him . in flanders after the death of d. john of austria , the war continued hot , and most of the country was in rebellion . mathias the archduke left the country and returned into germany . those provinces having once revolted would not return to their duty ; and tho they all combin'd together , yet of themselves they were not strong enough to oppose the king , which made them send for francis duke of alençon the french king's brother , who call'd himself hercules . he , after having imbroil'd france , making himself head of the hereticks , repair'd to the low countries , and there at his first coming possessed himself of cambray , which till then continued loyal . this was not all , for the following year he went to antwerp , and there caused himself to be declar'd duke of brabant , which was but a meer shadow , the prince of orange having all the power . his authority lasted not long , being at the same time disappointed of marrying the queen of england . anno . at antwerp a youth a biscainer call'd john de xauregui , resolv'd to kill the prince of orange . to this intent one day after dinner he fired a musket at him , yet killed him not , but gave him a dangerous wound in the cheek . the young man was presently torn to pieces , and all that knew of the design executed . a burgundian managed his business more successfully , for being admitted into the prince's family , he soon after killed him in holland . at toledo was held a provincial synod , in which were bishops and abbots , and d. gaspar de quiroga , archbishop of toledo , presided , the marquis de velada assisted at it in the king's name . this year pope gregory cut off days in october to reduce the solsticies and equinoxes to their former place . besides the golden number was taken from the calendar , and in its place was substituted the epact , all to regulate the observation of times for the future , better than it was before . mary the empress came to spain and went to lisbon , where the king her brother was settling the affairs of that kingdom , and with him cardinal albertus , son to the empress , a prince of extraordinary parts . antony , who called himself king of portugal , after he was overthrown fled into france , and having gathered a fleet there , sailed over to the islands terceras , otherwise called açores , which still held out for him . near the island of s. michael he was vanquished in a sea fight by d. alvaro baçan , marquis of santa cruz. philip strozzi one of the admirals of the french fleet was killed ; the count de brissac the other admiral , together with antony the pretended king , saved themselves by flight . all the prisoners of note to the number of and many others , the marquis put to death , the king of france consenting to it . nevertheless the people of tercera would not submit . anno . this year the marquis return'd , and fully subdu'd them . d. ferdinand alvarez de toledo , duke of alva , departed this life at lisbon , aged years . soon after him died there also sancho de avila of the kick of a horse on the th . of june . he was of the house of velada , and born at avila . prince james , son to king philip , deceased at madrid on the st . of february , for which reason the three estates in portugal swore his brother prince philip heir to that crown . this parliament being dissolv'd and cardinal albertus the king's nephew constituted governour of portugal , king philip return'd to castile , to provide for the necessary affairs there . anno . the duke of alençon having obtain'd his brother's pardon return'd into france , after he had been in england and flanders , but going from paris soon died either of sickness or poisoned , as some would have it . death put an end to his aspiring thoughts , which had compassed the sovereignty of england , france and flanders . the prince of orange was killed with a musket-shot on the th . of june by a young burgundian call'd baltasar , who had entred into his service to that purpose . such was the death of the author of so many mischiefs , but this did not pacify the flemmings . king philip had by his wife queen elizabeth two daughters , elizabeth and catherine . it was reported the eldest was kept for her cousin the emperor rodulphus . the youngest was contracted to charles duke of savoy . zaragoça , the principal city of aragon , was the place appointed for celebrating of the nuptials . before the king set forward upon this journey , the three estates of castile at madrid swore prince philip heir to the crown . this ceremony was perform'd on the th . of november being sunday and the day of s. martin , in the monastery of s. hierome near that town . quiroga , cardinal of toledo , sang the mass . anno . this solemnity being performed , the king set out for zaragoca in very rough weather , the winter season not being yet past . thither came also the duke of savoy by sea , and was received with great honour by the king his father-in-law . the marriage was celebrated with great pomp and ostentation on the th . of march. news was brought not long after that pope gregory , being very aged and famous for his great wisdom , departed this life at rome the th . of april . in may following cardinal felix montalto , who had first bin general of the recolet franciscans , then bishop and afterwards cardinal , was lastly promoted to s. peter's chair . he took the name of sixtus the fifth , governed the church five years and four months , and had many good qualities ; but as there is no man without a fault , he is blamed for being too severe and covetous , and for promoting of his kinsmen more than was justifiable . he canonized s. james of alcala a franciscan , whose body is kept and honour'd in the monastery of that order at alcala . the prince of parma made war against the rebels in the low countries , and having recover'd gent and many other places after a long and streight siege he kept upon antwerp , forced it to surrender in august . this siege was very famous for the many extraordinary devices used on both sides , as also for the obstinacy of the defendants , but the conduct of the general , and valour of the spaniards overcame all difficulties . king philip accompanied the new-married couple as far as barcelona , whence they sailed for italy . in his return at monçon he held the cortes or parliament of aragon , which sate long , many difficulties arising among them . the violent heat of summer and autumn which proved sickly , was the cause that many died there , especially of the strangers and courtiers . at last this parliament swore prince philip heir of all those domimions . pope sixtus at his first accession to the papacy published his bull , in which he declared henry king of navarre a heretick , and excommunicated and deprived him of the right of inheriting the kingdom of france ; as he did also henry prince of conde his cousin-german , in case king henry , brother-in-law to him of navarre , died without issue , which was likely , because till then the queen had never been with-child . anno . nevertheless the king of france labour'd to secure the succession to the king of navarre , without regarding the pope's threats , whereupon many of the french nobility conspir'd to raise a rebellion under the colour of religion . the ringleader was the duke of guise , which much perplexed the king , seeing three powerful factions on foot , which he feared would again embroil the whole kingdom . yet at first he seemed to approve of the association , and offer'd to be head of it , till perceiving he had only the name , and all things tended to his own ruin , he put off that disguise . the pope , who at first in favour of the leaguers , had condemned the king of navarre , now repenting , was averse to their proceedings , and showed himself more favourable to the king. anno . mary stuart queen of scotland was beheaded on the th of february , in foderingay castle , where she had been kept prisoner years . elizabeth queen of england gave sentence of death against her at london . this unfortunate princess , by reason of the rebellion in scotland , retir'd into england upon queen elizabeth's word given for her safety , and nevertheless was kept prisoner , and at last murdered . it was thought the christian princes would not suffer her death to be unrevenged ; but the king of france , whom it chiefly concerned , she having been wife to his brother king francis , was taken up with the tumults of his own kingdom . king philip was providing for this enterprize , at the time that sir francis drake , who the last year had plundered the coasts of america , and carried a great quantity of gold into england , had the boldness this spring to attempt the island of cadiz ; and had certainly possessed himself of it , had not two gallies that were in the port , kept him in play till such time as the neighbouring people came to succour the city , and among them the duke of medina sidonia . the king was then at toledo to assist at the reception of the body of s. leocadia virgin and martyr , which had lain many ages in a monastery of benedictine monks , called s. gillain , near mons in hainault . the procession and feast were celebrated with great pomp on the th of april , there being present besides the king , mary the empress his sister , and prince philip his son , who helped to carry the coarse on which the body was laid . france , as has been said , was divided into three factions , when germans enter'd it in favour of the king of navarre , and under the command of the duke de bouillon . they spread a great terror throughout the kingdom . the king of france on the one side , and the duke of guise on the other , went out to meet them ; who keeping continually in their rear , and cutting them off , and the winter besides being severe , great part of them perished , the rest disbanded , and returned home . soon after the duke of bouillon died . thus the catholicks began again to take heart . spain was under no small apprehensions least that plague should spread on this side of the pyrenean hills . france suffered not only by those people , but was afflicted with plague and famine . great processions were made to appease the divine wrath. whole towns went out clad in white , with their crosses , singing hymns , and imploring the mercy of god. anno . king philip had in readiness a mighty fleet at lisbon to revenge the death of the innocent queen of scots , and the many wrongs done to himself . the marquis of sancta cruz was appointed admiral ; but he dying in the midst of all these preparations , the duke of medina sidonia was substituted in his place . he set sail in june with fair weather ; and having turned cape finisterre , off of corun̄a a violent storm so scattered and disabled the fleet , that they could not put to sea again till september . at length it came to the coast of flanders , the english fleet always hovering upon their skirts , whose cannon , and the many sand banks much endangered our fleet. some ships were taken by the enemy , and many sore battered by their shot . for which reason , endeavouring to return home round the north of scotland , many ships perished in that stormy season , and long voyage . besides , the extremity of the cold , and want of provisions , consumed most of the men , so that very few ships , and a small number of mariners and soldiers , returned to several ports of spain . thus humane designs are disappointed by a superior power . doubtless the flower of all the spanish soldiers was lost in this expedition , and god by this disaster punished the many sins of this nation . the king of france resolved to punish the duke of guise , as head of the league , and by that means to curb the rebellious parisians , who supported him . to this purpose he brought into the city foreigners . the duke of guise also came , relying on the favour of the multitude , who immediately taking arms , drove out the strangers , and forced the king himself to retire . soon after the king published an edict , approving of all that the duke of guise had done , and after that another for assembling the states or parliament ; and laying hold of that opportunity , put to death the duke of guise , and the cardinal his brother , imprisoning several others who had a hand in the league . anno . the queen-mother of france died days after this execution , and many cities rebelled , but paris fignaliz'd it self above all others . some months after the king laid siege to paris , and whilst he was before it james clement , a burgundian and dominican friar coming out of the city upon pretence of revealing some secret to the king , stabbed him with a poison'd knife , of which he died . the villain was immediately torn in pieces , a small revenge for so detestable a parricide . henry king of navarre , who was then in the camp , as of right belong'd to him , presently entituled himself king of france , and went through many troubles before he was setled in the quiet possession of that kingdom . portugal was this year in danger to be embroiled ; for the english fleet came before lisbon upon pretence of restoring antony the bastard to the kingdom of his ancestors . he came with the fleet himself , and landed with a good number of men , encamped before the city , but finding there was no commotion within , the prince cardinal and count de fuentes having secured all things , he was forced , for want of provisions , to turn back , and soon after the whole fleet , having done nothing worth remembring , return'd for england . their departure deliver'd spain from great apprehensions . at lisbon a conspiracy of the citizens was discover'd , in favour of the pretended prince antony . some few of them were executed for a terror to the rest . the nobility continued very loyal , as those who had most to lose , if any change of government happen'd . a nun at lisbon with her counterfeit sanctity had deceived not only the vulgar sort , but men of great learning , and being now discover'd to the inquisition , was punish'd as she deserv'd . soon after died f. luis de granada , of the order of s. dominick , a man well known for his works and singular piety . john davila , a famous preacher , was his contemporary . at barcelona the plague raged violently . many things were said of the cause of that distemper , but nothing was proved . this year in the kingdom of toledo was finish'd the famous structure of st. laurence the royal , which had been thirty years in hand , since king philip began to build it near a village called the escuriall , in the territory of segovia . it consists of a monastery of the order of s. hierome , a colledge , and a palace for the kings to divert themselves in summer . the work is truly majestick , equal to any of the former memorable structures , and may well be accounted the eighth wonder . anno . this year was remarkable for the death of two popes , sixtus who died the th . of august , and vrban the seventh , who lived but twelve days after his exaltation to the papacy . neither did the pope's gregory the fourteenth , and innocent the ninth sit above a few months in s. peter's chair , till at last clement the eighth was elected , who held it longer and without reproach . autumn this year was very sickly . many people perished in spain , but the greatest mortality was in the country , either for want of medicines , or that there was less to oppose the infection of the air. among the rest dr. john calderon , a famous divine and canon of toledo , fell sick in a pleasant place , whither he retired to pass the heat of the summer . anno . antony perez , once the king's secretary and in great favour with him , after he had bin prisoner the space of years , fled from the prison in madrid in april the foregoing year . he went into aragon , there to deliver himself up to the great justice of that kingdom , and answer for the death of secretary escobedo , whom he caused to be killed one night as he was going from court , together with other things laid to his charge . the joy some people conceived at his flight was soon changed into tears . on the th of may this year the prisoner was remov'd from the great justice his prison to that of the inquisition . the rabble mutinying , and taking up arms with cries of liberty , assaulted the house of d. in̄igo de mendoça , marquis of almenara , the lieutenant . they had before conceiv'd malice against him , and now murder'd him . with the same fury they ran next to the prison of the inquisition , which they broke open and restor'd antony perez to the prison where he was before . in pursuance hereof , on the th . of september , the people rose again , because it was design'd to carry back the prisoner to the inquisition , and breaking the prison set him at liberty . in this tumult some were killed and wounded , antony perez fled to france , where he died some years after . the rebellious citizens soon paid for their rebellion ; for d. alonso de vargas , an old low country soldier , was sent thither with an army , who reduc'd the city , and put to death many of the mutiniers , among whom was d. john de lamuza the great justice , for that he appear'd in arms against the king. d. james de heredia and d. john de luna , two of the chief incendiaries , were beheaded with many more . the duke of villahermosa and count de aranda were taken and sent prisoners to castile , where they died not long after in prison ; but were afterwards acquitted of the treason . in order to settle the affairs of that kingdom , the cortes met at taraçona , at which d. andrew de bobadilla , archbishop of zaragoça , presided . anno . the king himself by the way of valladolid , burgos aad pamplona went thither at the end of this year . with him were the princess elizabeth and her brother prince philip , who at pamplona and taraçona was sworn heir of those crowns . thus the tumults in aragon were appeas'd almost two years after they commenc'd , many of the offenders being punish'd , and garisons put into zaragoça and other places . after the cortes were held at taraçona all men submitted themselves , being terrified with the punishment of others and their own losses : for tho the fury of the multitude be great , the power of the king is greater , and doubtless when kings are resolute , all the vain efforts of a tumultuous people are easy to be quelled , and end in their own destruction . anno . king henry of navarre seemed now inclined to embrace the catholick religion , and desired to be absolv'd of the ecclesiastical censures . the duke of nemours sent by him to rome to this effect , used his utmost endeavours to obtain it of the pope , who appear'd very rigid , and much blamed the archbishop of bourges , who had absolved him in france , fearing his conversion was only feigned , but the contrary appear'd afterwards . king philip by his agents now labour'd hard in france that the king of navarre , for his religion might be excluded the succession , and he himself elected in his stead , but that failing , he proposed archduke ernestus the emperor's brother , or any of the princes of the house of lorrain , offering his daughter elizabeth in marriage , and many great sums of money , with considerable forces to support them . all this fell to nothing , king henry being converted , and by the unanimous consent of all the states , after many difficulties , proclaimed king. anno . at rome the pope on the th . of april canonized s. hyacinthus , a polander , of the order of s. dominick . at madrid on the th . of november died d. gaspar de quiroga , archbishop of toledo and cardinal , aged years : he was buried in a monastery of the order of s. augustin , in a town of madrigal where he was born . he was an upright man and of very good parts , but there is none free from some fault . his revenue being very great , and his expence small he heaped up much money , and having made no will , the pope order'd it to be equally divided into three parts , the one for pious uses , another for himself , and the third for the king. albertus the archduke and cardinal succeeded him in the archbishorick , but afterwards having obtain'd the pope's dispensation , by the king his unkle's order he quitted all his church preferments and married . this year javarin , a very strong town in hungary , was besieged and taken by the turks . anno . at the beginning of this year died in flanders the archduke ernestus , who governed that country for the king his unkle . on the third of april albertus the archduke , his brother , took possession of the archbishoprick of toledo . he never went to his church or was consecrated , because the king his unkle gave him the government of the netherlands , for which he set out from madrid in august . garcia de loaysa was left to govern the bishoprick , and three years after the archduke resigning it , succeeded him in that dignity . the government of the low countries , upon the death of ernestus the archduke , was some time in the hands of d. peter enriquez de toledo , earl of fuentes , a notable soldier . he on the d. of october , after a tedious siege , took cambray from the french , who attempted three times to relieve it , and were as often repulsed . the pope on the th . of november made valladolid a bishops see , and the king soon after gave it the title and priviledge of a city . dr. bartholomew de la plaça was the first bishop . about the end of this year the floods were very great , and the river at sevill breaking into the city , did much harm at the custom-house . the king of france being entirely reconciled to the church , was at last absolved by the pope , and immediately all his kingdom submitted to him . d peter de toledo , marquis of villafranca , on the th . of september took and plunder'd the city patras in the morca , having gone from messina with galleys upon that design . anno . sir francis drake landed men at nombre de dios in america , designing to march over that narrow neck of land and plunder panama . the spaniards taking the alarm , charged and forced him to retire to his ships about the beginning of january . he often did much harm along those coasts , but at last died at portobelo , and his fleet was driven out of the west indies by d. bernardin de avellaneda . albertus the archduke on the th . of april took calais from the french , but not long after it was restor'd upon composition . at this time the king lay at azeca near toledo so dangerously sick , that he was given over for dead . he removed to toledo , where news was brought , that the english fleet on the st . of july took and plundered the island and city of cadiz , and burnt the fleet that lay there bound for mexico ; which was so great a loss , that many merchants throughout the kingdom suffered much , and some broke . anno . ferdinand tello , governor of dourlans for the spaniards , having intelligence with the people of amiens , the chief city of picardy , suprized and made himself master of it . the king of france considering the great importance of that place , came thither in person , and laid siege to it . albertus the archduke marched with about men out of artois , designing to relieve the city ; but finding the king too well posted , and having suffered somewhat by his artillery , and in some small skirmishes he retired ; upon which the city was surrendred , the garison marching out with the usual honourable formalities . sigismund bator , prince of transilvania , who at this time with much bravery maintained war against the turks and hereticks went to vienna to attend the emperor , who supplied him with money , as did the pope and catholick king. but the hopes conceived of his proceedings vanished ; for he was taken sick , ( some said he was bewitched ) whereupon he forsook the war , and left his wife , the daughter of charles the archduke , and resigning up his dominions to the emperor , lived a private life at prague , where he died some years after . anno . this year , on the th of may , the king gave up all the low-countries to his eldest daughter elizabeth , in order to marry her , as was afterwards done , to her cousin the archduke albertus , who to that purpose resigned up his cardinal's cap , and the archbishoprick of toledo , which was given to garcia de loaysa , prince philip's tutor . yet this donation was in such manner , that those countries were to be held of the crown of spain , to which also was reserved the order of the golden fleece , and the prerogative of placing governors in certain castles , such as antwerp , ghent , and cambray . soon after a peace was concluded with france ; in bringing the which to effect , the pope laboured very earnestly . the king's distemper still increasing upon him , he died at the escurial the th of september , and was there buried . a prince remarkable for some vertues , as liberality , resolution , vigilancy , abstemiousness in eating and drinking . but no less for many vices , as lust , cruelty , pride , perfidiousness , and several others . he lived years , months , and some days , and reigned in castile years , months , and days . prince philip his son succeeded him . anno . on the d of february died at alcala de henares , garcia de loaysa archbishop of toledo , and with him the great hopes conceived of his vertue and ability . he was buried in that town in the chapel of the martyrs , without any tomb. d. bernardin de rojas y sandoval , at that time bishop of jaen , succeeded him , and not long after had the cardinal's cap brought him to toledo , the king being present at that ceremony . the new king was before contracted to margaret , the daughter to charles the archduke , who came to him by the way of milan , with her mother , and albertus the archduke . the pope was at that time in ferrara ; which city after the death of the last duke , who left no heir , fell to the church whereof it was a feofe . thither the queen and archduke repaired , and the ceremony of the two marriages was performed by the pope with extraordinary magnificence , tho the king and princess were not there . they departed thence , and on the th of march arrived at alfaques de tortosa ; thence they went to valencia , where the king was married . the king went forward to barcelona to bear the archduke company , who with the princess his wife , imbarked for flanders on the th of june . after which the king and queen returned to valencia , and thence to madrid . anno . this year was very remarkable for the jubilee at rome , to which a great number of people resorted . the winter was so extraordinary rainy that the tiber overflowing , rome was days full of water , and great harm done . among cardinals promoted by the pope , one was robert bellarmine , of the society of jesus , nephew to pope marcellus , a man of a good life , and extraordinary learning , as appears by the many notable books he published . the new king of france , with the approbation of the pope , put away queen margaret his first wife , and presently after married mary de medicis , daughter to francis duke of florence . anno . about march or april the court of castile removed from madrid to valladolid in favour of that country , which was very poor ; but many inconveniences being found there , some years after it returned to the same place . the famous bell of vililla in aragon , is reported to have rung it self several times , which is accounted to portend some extraordinary revolutions , or other great matters like to happen , but no such strange effects appear'd for many years after . at rome , on the th of april s. raymundus pen̄afort , of the order of s. dominick , was canonized . on the th of august prince doria , the great admiral , sailed to argiers with a great fleet , came before that city in the night unperceived , but was drove off again by contrary winds . on the d of september was born at valladolid the princess ann , afterwards married to luis the th king of france , and conducted to the frontiers by the archbishop of toledo . anno . the marquis de fuentes having corrupted the lanskeneghts that were in garison at final , made himself master of that place , as he did also of milesino , without any provocation , or just cause given . elizabeth queen of england died at london the d of march , when she had lived years , months , and days , and reigned . her successor was king james the st of england , and th of scotland , being the great grandson of margaret sister to king henry the th . his father and mother were catholicks , and she a saint ; but his tutor george buchanan was a perverse heretick , tho a learned man. this was the first sole monarch of that island , and consequently took the title of king of great britain . anno . d. john de tarsis , earl of villamediana , and post-master general , was sent embassador into england to compliment that king upon his accession to the crown . he behaved himself with singular wisdom and dexterity , and laid the foundation of that peace which was afterwards concluded betwixt spain and england , in the year following . at madrid died mary the empress , who was daughter , daughter-in-law , wife , and mother to five emperors , a thing never before heard of , and was her self a person excellently qualified . she was there buried in the monastery of the barefooted nuns . anno . john fernandez de velasco , constable of castile , was sent by the king embassador into england . he took his journey through france , and was nobly entertained by that king at paris ; thence he went to flanders , and so to london . there on the th of august he concluded the peace before agreed upon by the marquis of villamediana , his catholick majesties embassador . anno . on the d of march died at rome pope clement the th , a person of extraordinary piety and zeal . cardinal alexander de medicis , succeeded him on the d of april , by the name of leo the th . he was very old and sickly , and lived but till the th of that month ; and on the th of may cardinal camillus borgelia , born at rome , but originally of siena , was enthroned in his place . he took the name of paul the th , and was at variance with the venetians , which was so high that it threatned a war. the difference was about certain laws by them established ; one of them was to enable the civil magistrate to punish the clergy , another that no estates real might be settled upon monasteries , which law is called , de manu mortuis . this dispute was argued , and bandied on both sides , till at last by the prudence and conduct of the pope , all things were pacified . besides , because a difference had many years depended betwixt the dominicans and jesuits about matters of grace and free-will , he decreed , that both parties might without reflecting upon one another , still follow their opinions , till such time as another decree passed to justify either the one or the other . prince philip was born the th of april at valladolid . d galceran de alluanel , a catalonian gentleman of great learning and modesty , was appointed his preceptor , and d. balthasar de zun̄iga . anno . at valladolid , on the th of august , was born the the princess mary . at toledo died the lady stephania manrique , great grand-daughter to d. roderick manrique , master of santiago . her revenue , and that of her brother peter , neither of them being married , were given to the colledge and monastery of the jesuits in that city , where they both lye with inscriptions upon their tombs . anno . at madrid prince charles was born in september . the parliament gave the king millions , payable in years . this tax is raised out of the th part of all the wine and oyl of the growth of the kingdom . the first time it was imposed was in the reign of king philip the d , but was not laid so high as this time . anno . in the church of s. hierom in madrid , upon sunday the th of january , prince philip was sworn heir to the crown . the cardinal of toledo said mass , and performed the ceremony . his grand-mother by the mother's side , the princess mary of bavaria , died at gratz , the capital of stiria in germany , on the th of april . her daughters she left nobly matched . charles the archduke was her husband , her son was ferdinand the archduke , brother to margaret queen of spain , and cousin-german to the emperor rodulphus . about this time the territory and government of cazorla was after great and tedious disputes restor'd to the church of toledo , through the means and procurement of the archbishop d. bernard de rojas y sandoval . anno . in the netherlands on the th of april a truce was concluded with the dutch rebels , but not well observ'd , tho the king ratified it at segovia in july . prince ferdinand was born at the escurial the th . of may. the th . of june the pope beatified the holy father ignatius de loyola , founder of the jesuits . pope gregory the xv. canonized him march the th . . anno . at paris on the th . of may , francis ravilliac , a bloody villain , who had been a school-master , barbarously murder'd henry iv. king of france , stabbing him with a ponyard . his son luis xiii . succeeded him . the princess margaret was born the th . of the same month at lerma . in november , by the contrivance of a certain moor with whom private correspondence was held , our forces possessed themselves of the strong castle of alarache , a place of great importance upon the coast of africk on the ocean . about it is a bay and river called mamora , which was a den of pyrats . for this reason four years after d. luis faxardo , admiral of the fleet , possessed himself of that place , and built a good castle , in which he left a sufficient garison . the moores at first flocked thither to hinder this work , but prevailed not . this year was very remarkable for the banishing of all the morisco's , that is those descended of the moores , out of spain . this wicked race held correspondence with the turks , and barbary moores . so great a work could not be finished this year , but was afterwards continued ; however many are said to have remain'd behind , not being well known to be such , tho the multitude of those that departed was incredible . anno . this year was unfortunate for the death of margaret of austria queen of spain , who for her extraordinary good qualities was entirely beloved of all her subjects . she was deliver'd on the th . of september at the escuriall , of a son call'd alonso , who lived not out a year , and she died on the d. of october . her body was buried in the escuriall . she built at madrid a monastery of nuns called of the incarnation . anno . treaties were a-foot at paris and madrid for two matches , the one between our prince and the lady elizabeth sister to the french king. the other betwixt the same king and the princess anne , the consummation was put off because the parties were so young . rodulphus the emperor , by reason of his want of health , lived a long time retired at prague , the capital city of bohemia . there the last year on the th . of august he resigned up his dominions of hungary , bohemia and austria to his brother mathias , reserving to himself a portion for the maintenance of his court. after this he died in the same city the th . of january this year . soon after the electors met at francford , and chose mathias , brother to the late emperor , his successor . this year on the th . of april died at valencia francis hierome simon , a beneficed priest of that city , being years of age : the people reverence him as a saint , and have particularly signalized their zeal herein . the archbishop would have hindred their proceedings as too forward , whereupon ensued many tumults , till at last this affair was referred to rome . anno . about this time came into spain the latin history of monsieur de thou , president of parliament a great favourer of hereticks and enemy to catholicks . he neither spares the popes , nor kings of france , being an utter enemy to the house of guise , once the great stay of that crown . he is sufficiently stuffed with falshoods , and was prohibited at rome in the year . soon after in spain it was order'd to be purged . a french man writ learnedly against him , and calls himself john baptista gallus , which seems to be a feigned name , none daring publickly to write against a person so great in power , as a president . a false catholick does more harm than an open heretick , as says s. bernard . anno . upon saturday the th . of may there happened an earthquake in the island tercera , which did much harm . in the town of playa the mischief was greater , for private houses , monasteries and churches were overthrown . in the city angla churches and chapels besides private houses were destroyed . in august our fleet commanded by d. luis faxardo , took the city mamora , as was before hinted . it is seated upon the ocean five leagues from tangier , and twenty-five from arzila . anno . there had been of late war in italy betwixt the dukes of savoy and mantua . the cause of it was , that alfonso duke of mantua , who married the duke of savoy's daughter , at his death left no issue but one daughter . his brother alexander the cardinal resigning up his cap inherited that dominion . the duke of savoy pretended that his grandchild the daughter of the late duke , tho as a woman she could not be heiress to the dukedom of mantua , yet she might to that of montferrat , which for some years had been united to the other . the matter came to blows , and the duke of savoy by force possessed himself of a great part of that country . the catholick king philip the third , to prevent the embroyling of italy , would have had this difference determined by course of law , and because the duke of savoy refused , took up arms against him . after some bloodshed it was at last agreed on the th . of july this year , that both parties should disarm , and the difference be referred to the emperor as the proper judge , those dominions being feoffes of the empire . the king approved not of this peace , and therefore the war broke out again . d. peter de toledo marquis of villafranca , after a long siege took the city vercelli . soon after affairs being composed , it was restor'd by d. goniez de figueroa duke of feria , who succeeded the marquis in the government of milan . it was reported the venetians underhand assisted the duke in this war. the duke of ossuna then viceroy of naples , armed against them , and in the adriatick sea took some of their ships , besides other harms he did them . soon after the duke of feria took valtolina , a most important place , as being the pass between italy and germany , which he fortified , and put into it a strong garison . at burgos on the th of october prince philip was married by proxy to the lady elizabeth , sister to the french king , who was in the same manner contracted to anne princess of castile . this princess two days before renounced any right or title she might have upon the death of her brother , to the kingdoms of castile or aragon , or to the low countries . the two brides were exchanged upon the river vedaso , which parts france and spain on the th . of november . the king himself was present at all these ceremonies , and together with the prince his son received the princess his daughter-in-law at burgos . thence about the end of the year he return'd to madrid . the king of france received his bride at bourdeaux , where he was with the queen his mother . anno . a ship that sailed from holland in the month of may the last year , after a long and difficult voyage in january this year , beyond the streights of magellan , in degrees of south latitude discover'd another passage into the south-sea and to india . this ship having gone round the globe , return'd to holland years and days after it set out from thence . they lost one day in their reckning , and by that means called that monday which was tuesday , and so throughout the week . anno . upon saturday the th . of april , in the philippine islands , a notable victory was obtained over the hollanders . d. john de ronquillo who commanded there defeated galleons of there 's , some of which were sunk , others burnt , and the rest fled . these rebels have done great harm in the coasts of america along the south-sea , and possess'd themselves of many places in india . anno . in october the duke of lerma departed the court , leaving the government of the kingdom , which he had chiefly managed for several years , having a cardinals cap sent him from rome before he quitted . not long after d. roderick calderon his great favourite was apprehended , who after he had lain two years and an half in prison , was condemned to death , and his goods confiscate . d. bernardin de rojas y sandoval , archbishop of toledo , died suddenly at madrid the th . day of december . he was buried in the chapel of our lady , which he built and richly adorn'd . the king labour'd to bestow that bishoprick upon his son prince ferdinand , then but years of age. anno . mathias the emperor had lately resign'd the kingdoms of hungary and bohemia to his cousin the archduke ferdinand . the bohemians rebell'd , and wars ensued . the emperor died at prague , in march , without issue , and the electors assembling the th . of august , chose the same ferdinand , king of hungary and bohemia , emperor . in april the catholick king set out from madrid for portugal , and made his entry into lisbon on the th . of june . on the th . of july the three estates took their oath to the prince as heir , and next day the cortes were opened . the pope in october beatified f. francis xaverius , one of the first companions of s. ignatius , and apostle of india . pope gregory the xv. canonized them both in the year . anno . prince ferdinand being before made cardinal , in may had possession of the archbishoprick of toledo given him . the bohemians proceeding in their rebellion , chose the elector palatin for their king , who was assisted by the german hereticks , the kings of england and denmark , and the dutch. the catholick electors , kings of spain and poland , the pope and princes of italy favour'd the emperor . on the th . of november near prague the rebels were overthrown , and of them slain . the next day the city prague was deliver'd to the emperor . anno . pope paul the v. died the th of january . cardinal luis of bolonia succeeded him , and took the name of gregory the xv. on the th . of march following died philip the iii. king of spain at madrid , at the age of , and having reign'd years and a half . his body was buried in the royal monastery of s. laurence of the escuriall . his son philip the iv. succeeded him , being then years of age. the end of mariana 's supplement . the second supplement to the history of spain , from the year till . written by the reverend f. ferdinand camargo y salcedo preacher , and historiographer of the order of s. augustin . anno . at the beginning of the year , pope paul the th governed the church ; philip the d was king of spain , luis the th of france , james the st of england , ferdinand the d was emperor , f. alonso vinacourt master of malta , antony prioli doge of venice , and osman emperor of constantinople . these were the princes that ruled at the beginning of the year , which before its end shewed the instability of worldly affairs in the death of some of these potentates . pope paul the th departed this life the th of january , being years of age , and having reigned years and months . in his place was elected on the th of february , alexander ludovisius , cardinal and archbishop of bolonia , being then years of age , who took the name of gregory the th . d. emanuel de azevedo y zuniga , count de monterrey , went in the catholick king 's name to yield obedience to him . upon ashwednesday , being the st of march , the great monarch philip the d of spain , changed this life for a better . he was a most singular prince for piety and vertue , and the best beloved of any that has held these kingdoms . his death was in the d year of his age , and d of his reign . king philp the th , as soon as he heard of his father's death , took upon him the government , and began to act with greater wisdom than could have been expected of his tender years . he ordained that all ministers of state should give in an estimate of what they were worth when they first came to serve . on the d of june he opened the cortes at madrid , being years of age when he began his reign , as born the year , upon good-friday at midnight . cardinal bellarmine died at rome september the th , a person of extraordinary piety and learning , as appears by his books against the hereticks of our times , and for the use of all other persons . of two galleons that came out of india , one arrived safe at lisbon , the other fought days with several turks , and having sunk , was himself at last burnt ; the loss was valued at above millions , besides souls . other sail of infidels being met in the streights by d. frederick the admiral , he sunk , took , and fled . the same d. frederick , with only ships , fought hollanders at the mouth of the streights with good success . upon the st of october d. roderick calderon was beheaded in the great market-place of madrid , after he had been years and a half prisoner at valladolid . much has been writ about him by the name of marquis of churches , and his wife had the publick tears of all persons to comfort her . he himself was a rare example of patience and constancy , which lifted him above his fortune . anno . d. john manrique , viceroy of oran , this year several times defeated the moores ; by which means their insolency was abated . at rome , in february , suns were seen , two of which were very small . xongusama emperor of japan , provoked by the villanous insinuations of the hollanders , in hatred to the catholick religion , caused diligent search to be made after the preachers thereof , and put to death of them , burning alive dominicans , augustinians , franciscans , and jesuits . osman the great turk invaded poland with a mighty army ; but having lost turks in eleven several battels he had with prince vladislaus , returned with shame to constantinople . there it being given out that he intended to remove his court to grand caire , the janizaries mutinying , put him into the castle of the towers , where they murdered him ; and taking out his uncle mustapha , who was kept prisoner there , proclaimed him emperor . anno . pope gregory the th departed this life at rome july the th , and on the th of august cardinal barberino was chosen in his place , and took the name of vrban the th . this year also died d. peter de castro y quin̄ones , archbishop of sevil , at the age of years . charles prince of wales , son to king james of england , set out of london in a disguise ; and at paris , whither he went post , saw the king and queen at dinner without being known . thence he departed , and came to madrid by the post march the th , taking up his lodging at the english embassador's , who gave notice of his arrival to count gondamar , and he to the duke de olivares . that afternoon the marquis of buckingham went to visit him , and gave him the reason of the prince's coming to spain . the king caused him to remove to s. hierom , from whence he conducted him to the court , giving him the right-hand . he was entertained with all the majesty and grandeur imaginable . the business he came about , which was to marry the princess mary , was canvassed ; but he proposing among other articles , the restoring of the elector palatin , whom the emperor had expelled for his rebellion , the treaty was broke off , and he returned to england dissatisfied , but without reason . the king of persia , with the assistance of the english , took the city ormuz , a most important place in the gulph of persia , being the great mart of europe , asia , and africk . d. james pimentel , general of the gallies of naples , near sardinia discovered sail of turks , whom he fought and took , but with the loss of his life , having received a musket-shot , of which he died the th of october . mustapha the new sultan , being judged incapable to govern so great an empire , the janazaries deposed him , and set up in his place amurat brother to osman , whom they had before murdered . anno . this year the kingdoms of grand cathay and tibet were discovered . they lye beyond india , bordering upon china on the north-side , and are very large , delightful , and plentiful countries . the people abhor the mahometans , and scoff at the pagans . they have particular ceremonies of their own , and many priests , whom they call lambas ; some of whom live in communities , others by themselves . all of them profess poverty , live upon charity , never marry , and spend much of the day in prayer . such of the people as have two sons , dedicate one to this priestly order . their churches are neat , the walls and roofs painted . the images they use are of gold , and among them one of a woman , which they say represents the mother of god. they acknowledge the mysteries of the incarnation , and blessed trinity , and use confession in some cases , but only to the chief lamba . these and many other odd rites seem to be the small remains of the doctrine of s. thomas the apostle . this country was with incredible labour discovered by f. antony de andrade , a portugues jesuit . this year also the great empire of ethiopia was converted to the catholick religion , and a number of priests and friars of all orders were sent for to rome to instruct the people . the dutch rebels , always enemies to spain , attempted this year the conquest of brasil in america . they arrived at the city s. salvador with a fleet of sail , and in it men , and great store of artillery , provisions , and ammunition . they landed without any opposition , and the citizens seeking only to save their lives , fled to the mountains , abandoning the city . the enemy possessed themselves of it , profaning the churches , and plundering the houses , where they found a great treasure ; but enjoyed it not long , being shamefully soon after expelled thence . in india the admiral ruy freyre de andrade fought the dutch and turks together , and defeated them . on the th of november came to madrid charles archduke of austria , and was received by the king , queen , and princes with great demonstrations of affection . the joy was soon turned into sorrow ; for he was taken sick , and died within a few days . anno . the happiness of this year was began by the jubilee kept at rome , with a mighty concourse of people . vladislaus prince of poland , the king 's eldest son , was there nobly entertained , and presented by the pope . james the st , king of great britain , died the d of march. his son charles succeeded him . the marquis of spinola , after a most memorable siege , which alone would fill a volume , on the d of june , made himself master of breda in brabant . at madrid the inquisition , upon the st and d days of july , burnt benedict ferrer and reginald de peralta , both hereticks . the city s. salvador , and baya de todos santos brasil , being taken by the hollanders , as has been said ; his majesty ordered his fleet to put to sea under the command of d. frederick de toledo . this fleet consisted of castillians , portugueses , and neopolitans , who soon expelled the rebels that province . notwithstanding the peace with england , above sail of english appeared before cadiz . they landed some men , but lost most of them , together with their reputation . the wonderful bell of villilla in aragon rung of it self this year on the th of august , threatning some great misfortune to ensue . may the th at valladolid the cardinal duke of lerma departed this life . a man gracious in the height of his fortune , and nothing dejected in his greatest adversity . f. john de mariana , of the society of jesus , born at talavera de la reyna , who writ the history of spain , to which this supplement is added , changed this life for a better , at the age of years , having eternized his memory in his admirable works . anno . his majesty went from madrid to hold the cortes of aragon , valencia , and catalonia ; and having some business there , so many affairs were at once taken in hand , that the king returned to madrid without doing any thing . there , may the th , francis barberino , the pope's nephew and legate , made his entry , and was nobly entertained by the king , to express how much he honoured such a guest . the floods were so great in january , that extraordinary harm was done , particularly at sevil and salamanca , the rivers guadalquivir and tormes , drowning those cities . it was proposed to marry the princess mary of austria to ferdinand the d emperor , and king of hungary . this year also was the conference of monçon between the commissioners of france and spain , for reconciling the differences about valtolina . count tilli , the imperial general , obtained a most notable victory over the king of denmark , upon the th of august . anno . the catholick religion at this time began to spread in china . in japan the persecution continued extreamly severe , without sparing sex or age. this year jesuits suffered martyrdom , being burnt with a slow fire after they had been long kept in prison . but these cruelties no way deterred those fathers from repairing thither from sundry parts for the good of that people , and propagation of the faith. the emperor having been of late successful in his wars , published an edict at prague , the capital of bohemia , commanding all that were not of the catholick religion , either to conform , or depart the kingdom within months . a certain youth well born , but very leud , at molsleim in alsace , obliged himself to the devil by a note under his hand to be his at the end of years , so he might obtain all he desired in the mean time ; he also bound himself to read no pious books . but god touching his heart , he put himself into the hands of the jesuits of that city , by whose means he was delivered , and the devil obliged to restore both obligations . anno . this year was remarkable for the siege of cazal , layed by d. gonçalo de cordova ; as also for that peter petrin , a dutch pyrat , seized the fleet that lay in the port of matanças , without any opposition . certain dutch ships entred the river between guequil , and the island puna in america ; and landing in their long-boats some men , and pieces of canon , began to batter the city jayaqui , and fired the suburbs , where they killed of our men ; but were forced to retire , having lost of their men , boats , and leaving behind the pieces of canon . thence they went over to the island puna , in which is a small town of the indians . there they found a friar of the mercenarians , who was left to instruct the indians . having laid hold of him , one of them said ; this man every day eats his god , let us take him out of his belly . which said , they ripped him up from the belly to the throat , and pulled out his heart . this year a proclamation was set forth for lessening the value of the copper-money . at arjona , a town of note in the bishoprick of jaen , were discovered many skulls , and other bones of men , and about them ashes , coles , tiles , stones , and chains of iron . these were supposed to be the bodies of the saints bonosus and maximianus , who suffer'd martyrdom in that town in the year , as also those of the martyrs apollo , isacius , crotas , and others . much blood was seen to flow from those dry bones , the sent of them was charming , and many things supernatural have been done by them . anno . on the th of october the queen was delivered of a prince , who being baptized by cardinal zapata , was called balthasar charles dominick . this prince lived till the , when it pleased god to carry him to a better life , depriving spain of the great hopes it had conceived of his excellent qualities . luis the th , the most christian king of france , after he had restored the church to its possessions in the province of bearne , this year ordered that catholicks should preside in the courts and parliament at pau. the first president by him appointed was monsieur de la marc , a famous civilian , and great historian . the said king , after he had secured rochel and montauban , having a victorious army in a readiness , resolved to turn it against the king of spain . to this purpose he agreed with the duke of savoy to raise the siege of cazal . the marquis spinola had distressed that place , when the french army surmounting many difficulties , came before it . a nuncio at the same time coming thither from the pope , and the marquis dying , nothing was done till the ensuing year . anno . this year the order of the regular clergy , called the theatines , was first founded in the city zaragoza , by the pious and devout placidus mirtus . at this time the joint forces of the emperor and catholick king , were victorious over the venetians , and over-run their territories . mantua was plundered , and cazal so streightly besieged , that if the pressing instances of the king of france had not prevailed for a peace , it had doubtless been reduced to very great streights . gustavus adolphus king of sweden , upon pretence of restoring the palatin , and duke of mecklenburg , and re-establishing the former liberty of the circles of vpper and lower saxony , declared war against the emperor , and invaded the island of riga . the emperor solemnly declared him an enemy to the empire . pope vrban the th ordained , that the cardinals should for the future have the title of most eminent , whereas before they were stiled most illustrious . king philip , with his brothers charles and ferdinand , accompanied his sister the queen of hungary as far as zaragoça on her way , as she was going to be married to the then king of the romans . from zaragoça his majesty , with his brothers , returned to madrid , and the queen of hungary continued her journey to barcelona . d. ferdinand mascarenas , governour of tangier , obtained a notable victory over the moores of morocco . pope vrban beatified john of god , the father of the poor . anno . the french having before possessed themselves of the valley of valtolina , between the grisons and milan , and of pignerol and other places in italy , now entred lorain . all this country they brought under their obedience , charles the duke , and his brothers , being forced to fly , and the dutchess made a prisoner . their chief design was to hinder any supplies being sent to the emperor against gustavus adolphus , and to be revenged of the duke , who refused to enter into the league the french had made with sweden . the hollanders gaping after the rich trade of brasil , set out a fleet commanded by henry lonck ; who arriving at pernambuco , had that place delivered to him by the governor mathias de albuquerque , he being wholly unprovided to make any resistance . above persons of all sorts , and among them that had newly taken the habit of s. augustin , suffered martyrdom at nangasaqui in japan . anno . on the th of july the inquisitor general , cardinal antony zapata presiding , and both their majesties being present , judgment was given by the inquisition against perfidious jews , who renewed the passion of our saviour in his image . these were burnt alive , and in effigie , besides others that suffered other punishments . this year began the conversion of the chaldeans at the city baçora , by the means of an augustin friar , so successfully that all those ignorant people called the christians of s. john , submitted themselves to the pope , giving it under their hands , and sending the instrument by f. roderick of s. michael , his preacher , whom the pope received with incredible joy. in the time of pope clement the th , and philip the d king of spain , f. alexius de meneses , of the order of s. augustin , archbishop of goa , and primate of india , had reduced multitudes of the nestorians of that country , and afterwards himself instructed and baptized above gentiles in those same parts . the count de lin̄ares , viceroy of india , understanding that the king of mombaça had revolted and killed many portugueses , besides that being a christian he had renounced the faith , sent francis de mora with a fleet of sail ; who recovered the fort , the king and his people abandoning of it . prince balthasar charles was sworn heir to the crown , march the th . at the church of s. hierome in madrid , there being present the prelates , nobility , and commonalty , as is the custom upon the like occasions . monday the th . of july a fire broke out in the quarter of the butchery of the market-place of madrid ; it raged so vehemently , that after houses great and small were burnt , it was look'd upon as a miracle that it could be stopped . some people were killed , and the loss sustained was very great . prince charles , brother to the king and prince cardinal , died at madrid the d. of july in the prime of his years , and with him the great hopes conceived of his excellent qualities . upon the th . of october the marquis de flores davila , governour and captain-general of oran , fought a great battel with the moores call'd benarages , who live at the mouth of the river zahara , leagues from that city . the king at the request of the princess of flanders , appointed the prince cardinal ferdinand governour of the low countries , and accompanied him to barcelona , where he took ship , and passing over to italy came to milan on the th . of may . the catholick imperial army , and that of the protestants under gustavus adolphus king of sweden , fought a most bloody battel two miles from lipstat , in which both the king and papenheim the imperial general were killed ; and tho the advantage was not great on either side , the swedes marching off by night granted the victory to the imperialists . anno . the most illustrious princess elizabeth clare eugenia , governess of the low countries , departed this life at brussells on the st . day of december , at the age of years . she was a lady of singular piety , and of an heroick spirit . charles duke of lorrain , general of the catholick league , was very successful in alsace . count mathias galassus obtained several victories in silesia , and the spaniards took some places in the archbishoprick of cologne . a treaty of peace between the emperor and duke of saxony was began by means of the king of denmark and the landtgrave of hesse darmstat , but it sorted no effect , the rebels being too obstinate . the duke of feria entring alsace with a powerful army , raised the siege of constance , recover'd valdutz , took laufenburg and rhinfelt , and reliev'd brisac , a place of great importance to the house of austria , for securing the communication between flanders and italy . he passed the alps with his army in december , an action surprising and even astonishing at that season of the year . all this year the success of the war continued dubious , victory sometimes inclining to the one side , and sometimes to the other . mary of austria queen of hungary was deliver'd of a prince call'd ferdinand francis. the archduke ferdinand charles , earl of tyrol , stood godfather for his catholick majesty . at madrid on the th . of july died the most serene princess sister margaret of the cross , in the monastery of the poor clares , where she had lived many years with singular piety and virtue . f. john de parma her confessor writ her life . anno . this year began unfortunate to the emperor and catholick king ; a presage of their losses was the death of the duke de feria , which happen'd the th . of january at munich , the court of bavaria . immediately upon the death of the duke the command of his army was given to count john cervellon , by the most serene cardinal prince of spain , ferdinand of austria , who then resided at milan , superintendent and vicar-general of italy . this army consisted of foot and horse , most of them spaniards . this year the emperor was inform'd by some of his chief officers , that albertus wallestein , duke of fridland , his generalissimo , had conspir'd to debauch the army , and rise in rebellion against him . the principal men that made this discovery were count picolomini , galassius , aldringerius , and coloredius . upon their private information the emperor call'd his cabinet council , where it was resolv'd that orders should be sent to the most loyal commanders in the army to apprehend the duke of fridland , or in case they could not to kill him before the design was reveal'd . accordingly he was invited to a supper , and there put to death by the officers of the irish regiments then in the emperor's service . the two ferdinands , the king of hungary and the cardinal , joining their forces laid siege to nordlingen , and the enemy under the command of count gustavus horn coming to the relief of that city , overthrew them with a great slaughter , after an obstinate fight which lasted six hours . at tortosa , march the th , mary ortego , wife to john xinto , both inhabitants of almun̄ia in aragon , was deliver'd in the hospital , of a female child with two heads , both very beautiful , hands and feet , and fingers and toes upon one of the hands and feet . this creature lived half an hour and was baptized . anno. . the most christian king this year declar'd war against spain and the house of austria , publishing his manifesto , containing his reasons for this breach . his forces joining with the hollanders took tirlemont . besides he possessed himself of several places among the grisons , to cut off the communication between italy and germany . pignerol also he seized , by corrupting the governour , and so open'd to himself a passage to susa . these and other the like hostilities oblig'd his catholick majesty to declare war upon the th . of june . the renown'd marquis of aytona died in flanders , august the th . the dunkirk privateers took this year many prizes of the hollanders . the emperor 's good fortune was much forwarded by the peace he concluded with the elector of saxony , with exclusion to all other sects , except the professors of the ausburg confession . soon after the archdutchess mary-ann of austria , the emperor's eldest daughter , was with great solemnity at vienna married to maximilian elector of bavaria , her unkle . the most renown'd spanish poet , lope felix de vega carpio , died at madrid where he was born , upon the th . day of august . he was the greatest poet of his time , writ more and better than any before him , and must be allow'd the honour of his country , having merited so much fame abroad . anno . the french king having , as was said in the last year , broke the peace with spain , many learned-pens writ in vindication of the catholick king 's proceedings , referring the judgment of his cause to the pope ; which writings were at paris burnt by the hands of the common hangman . the emperor made the greatest force he could to join with that of spain in the low countries , and both together enter'd into picardy under the command of the most serene prince cardinal ferdinand , with whom were prince thomas francis of savoy , charles duke of lorrain , john count nassau , and octavius picolomini . they took la chapelle , chates , vervins and noyon , obliging the french for the security of the country to break down all the bridges upon the rivers oyse and aysne as far as s. clou. they had also corbie deliver'd to them by the count de soyecourt . this success of the spanish forces obliged the french to call the prince of conde , the cardinal de la valette and duke of weymar out of alsace , leaving that country exposed to the king of hungary and count galassius . at the same time the marquis of grana so pressed the landtgrave of hesse , that he was forced to retire to take protection of the hollanders . mean while the forces of spain , by the way of guipuzcoa , broke into the province of guienne , where they possessed themselves of andaye , orugne , siboure , and s. jean de luz , as also of the port and fortress of zocoa . d. john alonso enriquez de cabrera , admiral of castile and captain-general of the provinces of old castile ; and d. francis de irracaval , marquis of valparaiso and viceroy of navarre , in his majesty's name publish'd a manifesto , containing the reasons that mov'd him to make these incursions . the cardinal richlieu had perswaded the king and people , that the forces of spain and the empire were so inconsiderable , the war would be kept out of the kingdom , and always upon the enemies country . now they found much the contrary , being forc'd to quit milan and the valley of valtelina , and still retiring every where to leave a great part of their kingdom exposed to their enemies . several princes who were under the protection of france , having had their countries wasted , to prevent their utter destruction have been forced to declare against that crown . a report being spread that count galassius was entring the province of bassigni with men , and that were marching from silesia , besides polish horse had-passed the rhine ; the nobility not thinking themselves safe at paris , removed the best of their goods to havre de grace . seeing all things fall out far otherwise than he had expected , the cardinal laid the blame upon the governours of the places that had been lost , declaring them traytors , and accusing f. joseph of paris , a capucin his great confident , of feeding him with false intelligence from the turks , moores , and protestants . the news of the election of ferdinand the third , king of the romans , was brought to spain by d. philip ladron de guevara , son to the count de on̄ate his majesty's embassador extraordinary in germany , and upon it all imaginable demonstrations of joy were made at court. at valladolid upon monday the th . of february in the morning , began a violent storm of wind and rain , which lasted without intermission hours , and so swelled the rivers pisuerga and esgueva , that the water rose two fathom above the top of the great bridge , and carried away three arches of it , overthrowing half the houses of that city . had not the court remov'd from thence some years before , there might have been a most considerable loss of the best of spain . anno . the french alarm'd by the prince cardinal 's invading picardy the last year , taking several of their towns and ravaging the country , raised all the power of that kingdom to the number of fighting men. they stirred up the danes and dutch with their fleets to scoure the seas , and the turks , swedes and transilvanians to give a diversion to the emperor . luis the xiii . king of france , the last year fitted out a fleet of sail , which set out of the port of toulon the th . of february , when the galleys commanded by the marquis de villafranca , and the galleons under d. antony de oquendo were retired into their ports . twenty two of their great ships enter'd the port of oristan in sardinia , saluting the fort with three guns . this gave the alarm to the city , whence an express was sent to caller to carry the news . soon after they understood the enemy had landed men , which obliged those people with all speed to gather what force they could . they behaved themselves with such bravery that being but horse , they killed french , took prisoners , and wounded many , among whom was the general . some field pieces were taken , all the booty they had gather'd recover'd , and they retired so hastily that they left behind a great quantity of ammunition , and above arms. of the sardinians only three were kill'd and five wounded , and had not the french retired as they did , they had all perish'd , being inclosed by the country people . d. lope de hozes sailing with ships towards rochel , was forced to lie by , the wind being contrary ; as he lay thus he discover'd a french ship which he took . next day he discover'd sail , and having fetch'd them up began to play his cannon , but they presently struck and were taken , being loaded with corn. this done , with prizes he steer'd his course towards the isle of ree , where he had intelligence several french and dutch ships lay : by break of day he discover'd them , and tho he had put up dutch colours they soon discover'd the deceit and made away to sea. d. lope made all the sail he could after them , firing his cannon upon them and sending out his long-boats , continued the pursuit till night . there being nothing more to do he return'd to corun̄a , having whilst he was out burnt of the enemies ships , sunk , and taken from to tuns each , and loaden with oil , wine , salt , and whale-oil . the galleys of naples and sicily took dutch ships in the mediterranean , and the dunkerkers carried home many prizes . in june the french with a powerful army entred the low-countries by the way of cambray and mons , plundering and destroying all the open country . that done they laid siege to landresi , and after a vigorous defence made by the town became masters of it . the prince cardinal was then employ'd against the prince of orange ; but when he had recover'd venlo and ruremond , he turn'd his forces against the french , and suffer'd much in his march through hainault , the enemy having left all that country desolate . the troubles in italy caused by the duke of savoy joining in league with the french still continued , which obliged the marquis de leganes , governor of milan , to take the field in june , with an army of foot and horse . his first exploit was the taking of niza de la palla in montserrat . after this he laid siege to the fortress of bren , and monsieur de crequi coming to the relief of the place was killed with a musket-ball , whereupon the place soon surrendred . the french understanding that the count de monterrey was about going from naples , and that his equipage was aboard certain ships of naples , fitted out men of war , and lay in wait for them on the coast of monaco . a violent storm drove them over to argiers , where they were received as friends ; but demanding to have the french that were captives there deliver'd to them , and being refused , they took the turkish governour that was returning to constantinople , and a judge , and carried them away . the algeirines fitting out galleys fell upon a port hard by , where the french traded , and surprizing them carried away the vessels and prisoners . the duke of medina de las torres succeeded the count de monterrey in the government of naples , which he managed with great applause , and the general good-liking of that people . the pope was taken with a palsey , which together with his great age it was thought by the physicians would soon bring him to his end . the cardinals hereupon began to resort to rome , but his holiness recover'd in a manner almost miraculous , and upon s. peter's day gave audience to the marquis of castel rodrigo , the spanish embassador , receiving of him the hacaney in acknowledgment for the kingdom of naples . this pope after adding some saints to the calendar , corrected the breviary , and many hymns before used that were of an uncouth stile . the duke of savoy died in the field on the th . of october , leaving the dutchess his wife governess of his dominions and children . the duke of mantua was before dead the th . of september , leaving his grand-children his heirs , under tuition of the dutchess their mother . the same day departed this life d. peter de contreras , who had been minister of state under the three philips , having lived years with such general good-liking of all men , that no blemish was ever laid upon him . tho last mention'd , the first in time and magesty that changed this life for a better was the emperor ferdinand the ii. at the age of years , and having reigned . the duke of nochera at the beginning of the spring was sent captain-general into navarre . he having taken several places on the fontiers of france , and wasted all the open country , was called thence and order'd to march towards portugal , where there began some commotions , yet those being appeased for the present , he received a fresh command to halt , which had been much better never sent or not obey'd . eight embassadors from the leagues of the grisons came to madrid the th of october , and were most splendidly entertain'd by his majesty's order . about the beginning of may this year a pestilential disease first took footing at malaga , and raged violently for about days , of which people died in a few hours without finding any benefit by medicines . above are said to have perished . anno . the prince cardinal march'd with his army against the hollanders , who lay at the siege of calloo near antwerp , and falling upon them before they could fortifie themselves , put them to the rout with great slaughter . there were taken private soldiers , two colonels , two lieutenant-generals , captains of foot , two captains of horse , standards , colours , pieces of cannon , and barques . prince thomas of savoy on the other side with the same fortune overthrew the french who lay at the siege of s. omer , under the command of monsieur chastillon . the prince of conde with an army of foot and horse march'd to lay siege to fuenterabia , which accordingly he did the th . of july , having defeated such forces of the country as offer'd to oppose him . on the th . of july the admiral of castile set out from madrid , sending advice to d. michael perez de exea , governour of fuenterabia , that he would relieve him with all speed . several great barques being provided under the command of d. alonso idiaquez to put in the relief ; the archbishop of bourdeaux came with a fleet of sail and prevented it . august the th . a salley was made with some loss to the enemy , and no less to the besieged , the governour being killed by a musket-shot as he stood upon the wall. dominick de eguia succeeded him in the command , and all men continued resolute to hold out . the th . the marquis de los velez joined the admiral . the same day the archbishop of bourdeaux attack'd d. lope de hozes , and burnt his ships . the th . the prince of conde sent a threatning message to the governour , to tell him , unless he surrendred he must expect no quarters , but his menaces were made no account of . the st . day of september he sprung a mine which made a breach of foot in length . the admiral on the th . attack'd the enemy in their works with such bravery that he put them to flight . foot were killed and drowned : they left behind them pieces of cannon , colours , all their baggage , ammunition , provisions , money and papers . the number of prisoners amounted to . the admiral marched into the town over the breach , and commended the people who had held out a siege of days , in which time french were killed , and of the defendants . the queen was deliver'd at madrid on the th . of september of a princess , who was baptized october the th . and called mary . the duke of modena and the princess of carignan being godfather and godmother . d. charles ibarra coming with galleons of plate , was twice attack'd by sail of hollanders , and after he had defended himself till all his powder was spent , he caused at night each galleon to carry a light , and his own two , which the enemy perceiving left him . count maurice of nassau arrived at brasil with sail , fighting men , and pieces of cannon , with which he attempted the city bahia , but met such a brave resistance that after he had made above shot and lost of his men , he was forc'd to draw off . on the th . of june happen'd that wonderful earthquake in the tercera islands , and particularly that of s. michael , the chiefest of them , which threw up in the midst of the sea an island a league and a half in length , and fathom in heigth , there being fathom water in that place . above cart loads of fish were cast upon the shore . anno . prince thomas of savoy had leave granted him to go from flanders into italy , where with the marquis of leganez he took some forts . d. martin de aragon taking a view of salçeto was killed , which was a great loss . a cessation of arms was concluded in piedmont . the prince of conde with an army of foot and horse broke into the county of rousillon , and took the castle of opoli . he laid siege to salsas , which after days was surrendred . our forces immediately sate down before the same place in which monsieur d' espignan was governour for the most christian king. the french times attack'd our works with incredible bravery , but were always repulsed . anno . december the d , the governor articled to surrender the place on the th of january if not relieved , and accordingly marched out that day with drums beating , colours flying , two pieces of cannon , and all other honourable demonstrations . this year the catalonians , being debauched from their allegiance , did not answer the expectation conceived of them for opposing of the french. soon after they broke out into open rebellion ; and the mutinous rabble of barcelona forc'd the count de sancta coloma , their viceroy , to fly from his palace to the ship-yards , thinking to imbark himself there , if speedy death had not prevented him . great were the tumults and disorders in that city , to endeavour to appease which the king sent the duke of segorbe and cardona thither , with orders to use all imaginable fair means . the duke tho sickly , immediately set forward , and came to barcelona ; where understanding that at perpignan the catalonians had been at blows with the garison , he hasted thither . having partly composed those affairs , his sickness so uncreased , that on the d of july he gave up the ghost , to the unspeakable harm of that country ; for soon after the french made themselves masters of barcelona , and his majesty was obliged to send thither the marquis de los velez , with a great power . this flame which first broke out in catalonia , presently spread into portugal ; which nation unanimously rising , proclaimed john duke of bragança king , having spread a general cry against evil ministers , and particularly against michael de vasconcellos , whom they murder'd in the pallace on the first day of december . anno . the catalonians having fortified lerida , contrived to lay siege to tarragona . they possessed themselves of the pass of col de valaguer , and intrenched . the archbishop of bourdeaux came before it by sea with a good fleet ; so that the spaniards within being reduced to great extremities , muttered against their governor ; yet hoping for relief to be sent them by sea , they held out till they eat mice . the duke of fernandina had the charge of the succour , and the duke de maqueda commanded the ships that carried it . much of the expectation conceived of this fleet vanished , the french fleet retiring , but the city was relieved the th of august . the marquis of mortara was besieged in colibre by the french and catalonians ; and having defended himself with much bravery , there being no hopes of relief , was obliged to surrender . this done , the enemy laid siege to perpignan . his majesty ordered a fleet to be fitted out at cadiz to succour the place , and in the mean time commanded the marquis of pobar to try his fortune with horse , who were all unfortunately lost without fighting , and the marquis made prisoner . this year on the th of october , to the great regret of all spain , died the most serene prince ferdinand of austria , brother to king philip. he was in his youth created cardinal and archbishop of toledo , and afterwards governor and captain general of the low countries . he was but years and a half old when he departed this life , but lives for ever in the fame of the many victories he obtained . pope vrban the th this year created at once cardinals . anno . king philip being in care for the affairs of catalonia , and desiring to reduce his subjects in that province , calling together the nobility , went away to zaragoça in the beginning of april . mean while the fleet set out from cadiz , commanded by the duke of cuidadreal ; and having met , and engaged the french fleet , a sudden storm arising dispersed it . this and the impossibility of relieving perpignan by land , obliged the marquis de flores davila , governor there , to surrender upon honourable terms , after the town had suffered extreamly through want of provisions . this was a considerable loss , perpignan being the best fortress in catalonia against the french. the main body of our army having taken the posts about lerida in order to besiege it , monsieur de la motte with the french forces , marched to the relief of the place ; but the marquis de leganez attacked and forced him to retire , leaving behind him pieces of cannon . the rains were so excessive about sevill at the beginning of this year , that the river swelled above its banks , and the inundation was so great , that all the shores being stopped , as is usual upon the like occasions , the city was filled with the rain . from the th till the th of january , the river never fell , nor were the shores opened . this flood was greater than that in the year . all triana , and the quarters of s. bernard , and s. rocque were drowned , so was that of santelmo , the convent of s. james and s. sebastian , and other neighbouring places , yet no body perished ; for the chapter of the cathedral gave every day the value of ducats in bread , besides other charity , to relieve those that had suffered by the inundation . the mole , bridge , and all the boats were carried away . anno . luis the th , the most christian king of france , departed this life may the th . king philip having setled the affairs of his court , set out again for catalonia . mean while the duke and count of olivares , with his majesty's leave , whose great favourite he had been , quitted the government he had long managed , and retired to loeches , a monastery of descalced dominican nuns , founded by himself ; where he stayed till his removal to toro , in which place he setled with his wife and family till he died . the city of lerida taken by monsieur de la motte , general of the french army , was a long time besieged by the forces of the catholick king , till the enemy after an obstinate defence was compelled by extream famine to deliver it to his majesty , who in person took possession of that place to the great joy of the inhabitants for being restored to their lawful soveraign . anno . pope vrban the th died the th of july , having sat in s. peter's chair years . innocent the th was chosen to succeed him , on the th of september . the most renowned elizabeth of bourbon queen of spain , deceased october the th , to the unspeakable grief of these kingdoms , and particularly of the catholick king her husband . her exequies were most solemnly performed in the monastery of s. hierom in madrid , and in all cities of france and spain . she was a princess of singular wisdom and judgment in matter of government , and had by his majesty daughters and one son , which was prince balthasar charles . king philip the th returned to zaragoça , where the prince was sworn heir of that kingdom , and took an oath to preserve their priviledges . on the d of july at toro died the duke and count of olivares , and was buried in the monastery of nuns he had built at loeches . he also founded the pallace called buenretiro at madrid , for the diversion of the kings . d. luis de haro was his heir . him the king sent to the provinces of andaluzia to obtain of them a supply of money , which they granted with extraordinary liberality . the cortes of aragon being summoned to meet at zaragoça in september , the king took his way thither with the prince ; and having opened the cortes , left the bishop of malaga to preside there , and went away himself with the prince to valencia . there also the cortes of that kingdom were assembled , and swore the prince heir , the king honouring several noble families with titles , and other demonstrations of his affection . on the th of december his majesty returned to madrid , and issued his writs for the cortes to meet at madrid the d of february . cardinal borja having taken possession of the archbishoprick of toledo , and being constituted president of the council of aragon , died of the gout at madrid the th of december , and was buried in his own cathedral . the cardinal sandoval , then bishop of jaen , was by the king appointed to succeed him ; and he positively refusing that honour three several times , his majesty prevailed with the pope to lay his positive commands upon him , to which he was forced to submit . few such prelates are now adays to be found . the plate fleet arrived in good time , and very rich , tho there hapned great storms , and above ships of strangers were cast away . this was the severest winter that for many years had been seen in spain , or in all europe . for above days the sun never shined out , mighty snows fell , rivers swelled , and the frost was great ; so that the roads were for a time shut up to the great hindrance of trade . it was observed that a great number of frenchmen came to burgos in the habit of pilgrims , on pretence of going to santiago ; but as it appeared , designing under that disguise to get into portugal . expresses were sent about to apprehend them all , and above were sent prisoners to madrid . anno . february the d the cortes of castile , according to summons , met at madrid ; and the king , as is usual , having assisted in person at the opening thereof , and recommended to them the care of the kingdom , referred them to the president , who was to continue at all their sessions in his name . the marquis de leganez was sent with a considerable body of horse and foot to command as captain-general in the province of estremadura , against the portugueses . with him went the marquis molinguen , general of horse . they in several skirmishes worsted the enemy , pursuing them into their own borders , and bringing thence considerable booties of cattel , and a great number of prisoners . after this the marquis considering how prejudicial to our affairs the fort and bridge of olivença were , being upon the river guadiana , and cutting off our convoys of provisions that were to march on this side the river . he marched thither with foot , horse , and pieces of cannon . after our cannon was planted , and began to play , tho they in the fort made some shot , they surrendred the first day , as did those upon the bridge . the fort was easily razed , but there was great difficulty in breaking the bridge , the matter that cemented it being harder than the stone it self ; so that tho the foot spent days working at it with pickaxes , they must have gone away , and left it standing , had not means been found to blow it up . all the mills on this side guadiana that served the neighbouring towns , were in like manner destroyed . mean while intelligence being given that the post was coming from lisbon to elvas , an officer was sent with troopers to intercept it ; by the way they took a soldier going to elvas to carry the news that foot were marching to reinforce that place , and would the next morning be near villalvin . this intelligence was immediately carried to the marquis molinguen , who having computed the time , and finding it was practicable to cut them off , sent the two commissary generals with horse , and they came so opportunely , that of the foot they killed and took prisoners , of whom they left by the way , being desperately wounded . had there not been a mountain hard by , not one of them had escaped . it was afterwards known by some prisoners that above wounded men returned the next day to estremoz . in catalonia the marquis of mortara , general of the spanish forces , having suffer'd the count de harcour , the french viceroy of catalonia , who had taken roses , to pass the river segre in his sight , was by him in a bloody battel overthrown and taken prisoner , with of his officers most of them men of quality . andrew cantelmo with most of the horse fled to balaguer , whether harcour pursued , and laying siege to the town took him in it . these things-moved king philip to recal the marquis of leganez out of estremadura , and send him into catalonia with the title of viceroy and captain-general of that principality , and the counties of roussillon and cerdagne . the marquis of molinguen , general of the horse , was left commander in chief in estremadura . he , to keep his men in action , upon tuesday in the holy week sent horse in three bodies into portugal to wast the country . they march'd leagues out-right , burning and destroying all the villages and gentlemens houses , and brought away head of great cattle , and of small . king philip having given all the necessary orders for the opening of the campagne , set out of madrid on the th . of april with the prince , and came to pamplona on the th . of the same month. there he was received with all the magnificence and demonstrations of duty imaginable . d. gregory brito , knight of the order of calatrava , a portugues , and governor of the city lerida , considering of how great importance it would be to remove the french out of the castle of termes , a place of such strength that they called it petit rochel , being six miles distant from lerida , and three from balaguer , march'd on the th . of april at midnight from lerida with a body of foot and some horse towards that place . before break of day he assaulted it with such bravery , that he made himself master of it , putting most of the garison to the sword. this done he order'd his horse to advance , and fired some guns in hopes to draw out the garison of balaguer , but they stirred not . in this castle of termes were found muskets , suits of armour , pieces of cannon , boats to make bridges with the carts to carry them , tents to the value of duccats , a great quantity of merchandize , and much ammunition and provision ; this place being one of the enemies magazines . the french in garrison at balaguer thought to carry some timber and other materals out of the ruins of termes to serve in the forfications they were raising , to which purpose they sent thither men with mules for carriage , but d. gregory brito having notice of it circumvented the whole party , and made them prisoners without any bloodshed . italy enjoy'd peace , but was now alarm'd with the news of the mighty maritime preparations made by the ottoman emperor , which moved the viceroys of sicily and naples to put themselves into the best posture of defence they were able . the great master of malta sent all over christendom to summon all the knights of the order to repair to him with what supplies they could . the venetians also judging all those preparations were made against them , omitted nothing that could tend to the securing of their dominions . at last , having held all europe in suspence , this mighty storm fell upon the island of candia , where the infidels soon made themselves masters of the fort s. theodore , and the city canea . his holiness this year in march created nine cardinals . the duke of arcos new viceroy of naples came to rome , where he was honourably received , and splendidly entertain'd by the pope , after which he set forward for naples . prince thomas of savoy entring some miles into the dukedom of milan , possessed himself of roca de bejeuen , but presently retired thence and seiz'd the castle of pro and some hills about it . the marquis of velada , governor of milan march'd from mortara with foot and pieces of cannon . he attack'd the enemy with such bravery that they were drove from their places of strength , having lost of their foot , and among them officers . prince maurice of savoy died afterwards of his wounds , and prince thomas his brother received two musket-shots . anno . harcour , the french viceroy in catalonia , laid siege to lerida a strong and important city upon the river segre , and the borders of catalonia and aragon . before this place he lay five months , hindring all manner of succours from being put into it . the marquis de leganes the spanish general , after he had taken several small places to give a diversion to the enemy , and cut off some of their convoys , finding them not quit their enterprize , being joined by the duke del infantado , and his army now amounting to men , resolved to attack the french in their trenches , which accordingly he did , and after a hot dispute put them to flight , forcing them to take shelter at balaguer . all their baggage , cannon , and great store of ammunition and provisions were taken . this victory cost the spaniards much blood , being forc'd to drive the enemy out of their works , but the importance of relieving lerida made amends for all . prince thomas of savoy who commanded the french in italy in may , appear'd before the ports telamon and s. stephen with a powerful fleet and men. he soon made himself master of both those places , which done he possessed all the posts about orbitello , where charles de la gata a spaniard commanded , and laid close siege to it . he raised several batteries which play'd furiously upon the town , making large breaches in the walls , and still carried on his works with great labour : but the governour was no less industrious and vigilant , still making up what the enemies cannon had ruin'd , and with often sallies , firing and destroying their works . at length the fleet of naples came to the relief of the besieged , and in some encounters with the enemy had always the best . the spanish forces also of naples and milan being joined , and approaching to the assistance of the besieged , prince thomas finding his army much diminish'd not only by the assaults he had given , but much more by sickness , caused by the excessive heat of the weather , retir'd back with his army into piedmont . thus after a siege of days orbitello was deliver'd from danger , whereas most men judged it could not have held out above . it was not long before the french retrieved this disgrace ; for their fleet being soon refitted , returned under the command of the mareschal meleraie , who possessing himself of porto longone in the island ilva , opposite to the city plombin , with the same ease brought that city also to subjection . the war with partugal was not this year carried on with any great vigour , nor any notable action done on that side . several incursions were made by our parties with good success , defeating those of the enemy , and bringing away great booties of cattel . at last the enemy with a powerful army took the field , designing to besiege badajoz , and threatning the whole province of estremadura . all this preparation fell to nothing , for they compassed not the razing the fort of telena as they intended , but retired from before it with much precipitation upon the approach of the spanish army , leaving the fort as they found it . in the low countries the duke of anguien with an army of men , took courtray and winoxberg , and recover'd mardike , before surprized by the spaniards . this done they laid siege to dunkirk , which had been his principal design ; this place being of great importance , as the chief port the spaniards then resorted to , was bravely defended by the marquis de lede with a garison of men. but the duke having a numerous army which he no way spared , and the hollanders with their fleet lying before the harbour , so that no relief could be put into the place , it was at last surrendred upon honourable conditions . king philip having made choice of d. john enriquez de cabrera , great admiral of castile and late viceroy of naples , for the embassy to rome , to yield obedience to pope innocent the x. he performed that ceremony on the th . of april , with the greatest pomp and magnificence that had been seen in rome for many years . balthasar charles , prince of spain , and then the only heir of the crown , having lain sick but days died the th . of october , in the flower of his age , to the unspeakable grief of all these kingdoms . also mary the empress departed this life at lintz in austria , leaving children . this year the wonderful bell of vililla in aragon rung of it self three times in one day , which was monday the th . of april ; the first time it gave strokes , the second , and the third . anno . d. john of austria living retir'd at ocan̄a , was this year called thence to take the command of generalissimo by sea : he set sail from cadiz with a mighty fleet , and entring the streights took a rich french ship , which carried presents of great value to the queen of portugal . at tarragona he landed men for the service of catalonia , and sail'd thence to naples . a deputy sent by the city valencia to complain of certain grievances came to the court of madrid , and was received by the king with all possible demonstrations of honour , all the grandees and noblemen of the court attending him , and his house was allow'd the same priviledges as those of foreign ministers . after the defeat of monsieur de harcour at lerida , the prince of conde was constituted general of the french forces in catalonia , and coming post to barcelona took possession of that command the th . of april . on the th . of may he laid siege to lerida , taking the same posts that harcour had done the year before , and batter'd it furiously . d. gregory de brito , that famous portugues , was then governor of that city , who defended it with much bravery , making several sallies in which he kill'd many of the enemy , and took several prisoners . on the th . of june the prince of conde by night raised his siege , and march'd over the river noguera , to a place called las horcas de lerida . next day a supply of foot with ammunition and provisions was put into the city . the marquis de aytona march'd with an army of foot and horse against the prince of conde , who being too weak to oppose him , dispers'd his forces into the strong garisons , expecting new supplies from france the constable of castile , governour of milan , took niza de la palla , alva , and other places in montferrat , ravaging the country , and driving the french into their places of strength . the duke of arcos , viceroy of naples , sent him men in galleys , commanded by janetin doria. he landed these forces at final , and in his return to naples discovering the french fleet , consisting of men of war , fireships and galleys , he retired into savona , a port of the genoeses , whether the french fleet pursued , threatning to burn all our galleys unless they surrendred . the governour of savona sent to the french admiral , to let him know if he fired a shot , he would answer with all the guns of the city , which made the french lie still , till hearing that the spanish fleet was coming they retir'd to toulon . in the low countries nothing considerable was done this year , the french appear'd about antwerp , and thence moved to oudenard without attempting any thing of moment . a truce was concluded with the hollanders , and proclaim'd at the hague , so that a free trade was re-establish'd between them and the spanish provinces . after the archduke leopold had taken upon him the government of the low countries , he assembled all his forces , and took from the french armentiers , landresi , and several other places of less note . in june the articles of marriage betwixt king philip and the archdutchess mary anne , eldest daughter to the emperor ferdinand the iii. were brought to madrid , and receiv'd with great joy and satisfaction of the whole court. we will end this year with the relation of the most wonderful rebellion that hapned at naples . after that city and kingdom became subject to the kings of spain , it was for some time govern'd with great moderation , and had very ample priviledges granted to it , especially by king ferdinand and the emperor charles the v. under whom the people paid but moderate taxes , and that by the name of donatives or free gifts . these in process of time were infinitely increased , and the insolency of the receivers made them more intollerable , especially those impositions that were upon provisions . this burthen lay heaviest upon the commonalty , of whom there is a vast multitude at naples . yet hitherto they had gone no farther than complaints ; but when the last year an excise was laid upon all manner of fruits and herbs , then the clamours of the multitude began to be more loud , and they opposed the collectors . such as had any hand in these tumults were punish'd , and others for that time deterred . at length this year the complaints increasing , there started up a base fellow who took upon him to deliver his country from those heavy taxes . this was thomas aniello of amalfi , ( commonly call'd massaniello ) a bold youth that sold fish , of a voluble tongue , and all ways qualified to raise a mutiny . it happen'd that some fish he brought to market was taken from him , for refusing to pay the excise , which the more incensed him , so that he ceased not to go about the markets perswading the people not to pay the duty , and that not in private but openly , and by his emissaries boasting he would soon cause all the taxes to be remitted . most men of sence made small account of so inconsiderable a fellow , but he , lest his design should be prevented , resolv'd to put it in execution , and therefore upon sunday the th . of june came into the market-place with a small number of boys following him , several of the rabble there joining with him . a contention arising between the country people and the collectors about the payment of the duty , andrew anaclerius the clerk of the market repair'd thither to appease the tumult , but the multitude throwing apples and other things at him , he was forc'd to withdraw himself , and hasted away to complain of that insolency to the viceroy . the multitude now gather'd not only in the markets , but in the streets , began with loud crys to demand the excise might be abolish'd . mean while massaniello , who was still in the market with his gang , standing upon a table made a seditious harangue to the people , offering to head them , and put an end to all taxes if they would stand by him , which if they should not , he said , at least he should have the satisfaction of dying for his country . all the rabble assenting to him , he immediately set fire to all the little offices where the collectors used to receive the excise . this done he goes up to the viceroy , demanding all the taxes should be remitted , and the original charters of king ferdinand and charles the v. produced , threatning further danger if his demands were not granted . the viceroy having labour'd by fair words to appease the mutiniers in vain , scattering some money among them made his escape . now their number was grown up to , but the next day twice as many appear'd in arms. then all the nobility being fled , massaniello was chosen their commander with an unlimited power . his first command was that they should all be ready in arms. then he set a price upon bread and other provisions , after which he burnt all the other offices of the collectors which had escap'd the day before . next he fell upon the houses of all the farmers of the revenue , some of which he burnt with all the riches in them , out of others he brought all the precious furniture , plate , and money , which was all burnt in the street , no man daring to take the least thing in that great treasure to his own use ; for whosoever in this or any other matter transgressed against his orders , was instantly put to death . no person whatsoever was spared , which was the cause that all his orders were most punctually obeyed . upon the th day after this mutiny broke out , the duke of matalone , and his brother joseph caraffa , having hired banditti to kill massaniello , and some others of the principal heads of the rebellion , the design was discovered ; and not only the banditti put to death , but strict search was made after the duke , and his brother being taken , was dragged along the streets ; his head being cut off by a butcher , put upon a long pole , which brought to massaniello , he scornfully pulled by the beard . this terrified all the nobility , but most of all the viceroy ; nor was he out of danger , for massaniello had forbid any provision being carried into the castle where he was , and ordered the conduits of water to be cut off . in this confusion cardinal philomarini the archbishop , order'd the blessed sacrament to be exposed in all the churches ; and after he had caused publick prayers to be said to appease the wrath of heaven , going out to the furious rabble , began to treat with massaniello as the chief ringleader of the rest , of restoring the city to peace . the people demanded the abolishing of all taxes imposed since the times of king ferdinand and charles the th , and to have their charters of priviledges produced ; besides this , an act of grace for all that had been done ; which if granted , massaniello promised to quit his command , and that the people should lay down their arms. the viceroy , and archbishop , finding no other remedy left , delivered to massaniello the priviledges or charters , promising to fulfil all his other demands ; besides , the archbishop engaged to pay to massaniello a monthly pension of crowns , which he refused . peace thus concluded , massaniello was brought by the archbishop to the viceroy ; and returning to the people , declared all that had been transacted , strictly enjoyning them to behave themselves in peaceable manner . nevertheless he would not lay down arms till such time as the ratification of what had been concluded were brought from the court of spain . all these were the transactions of one week , besides many more too tedious for this place . massaniello having as he thought obtained his ends , grew distracted . some say it was caused by a dose given him , others ascribe it to the multiplicity of business , which scarce allowed him time to eat or sleep . but he in his madness contradicting his own orders , and becoming contemptible to his own people , was by the contrivance of four of the nobility , who laid hold of this opportunity , killed . his head being cut off , was put upon a pole , and the body dragged about the streets by the rabble for several days . this was the end of massaniello , the th day after he began the rebellion . yet tho the head was taken away , the multitude continued in arms , insisting upon their demands ; but the nobility taking courage , had recourse to the viceroy , and raising their followers , undertook to quell the multitude by force . thus the business was brought to a civil war , the commonalty keeping the city , the viceroy and nobility the castle and port. the multitude wanted nothing but a head , therefore not long after the duke of guise was sent to them out of france , and received with general applause , and great acclamations . the commonalty strengthned by his coming , a long time held out against the viceroy . but at last growing weary of the war , they again returned to their duty . a general pardon was granted them , and they were received to mercy in the king's name by d. john of austria . the duke of guise endeavouring to escape , was taken by the spaniards . anno . this year was fatal to france for the troubles there raised against the king in most part of the kingdom , but more especially at paris by the prince of conde , and duke of longueville , the heads of the rebels . the marquis de caracena making his advantage of their confusions , with foot and horse , invaded the dukedom of modena , wasting and destroying all that country ; so that the duke , forsaken by the french , was forced to make use of the duke of parma to intercede for him , and adjust all matters in difference . the french rebels having prayed aid of the archduke leopold , governor of the low countries , he marched with his army as far as senlis , which is but leagues from paris ; and having done nothing worthy that trouble or charge , returned towards flanders . there ashamed of that fruitless expedition , tho it were winter , he ordered the marquis sprondiato to invest ipres , in order to besiege it . the french fleet , commanded by thomas duke of savoy , infested the coasts of the kingdom of naples , but in its return lost men , cut off only by the country people , as they ravaged the country . the marquis of leganez , who commanded upon the frontiers of portugal , ordered d. gregory ibarra , commissary general of badajoz , to make an inroad into the enemies frontiers , with troops of horse , and drive all the cattel . he in pursuance of these orders gathered about horse at higuera , and with them entered into portugal on the th of november ; there they spent nights and a day , ransacking all the houses and villages in the territories of cerpa and moura , and gathering all the cattel . with this booty they returned the th towards castile to lye that night near oliva , where all the cattel was conveniently shut up in the enclosed fields . the horse being dismounted to take their rest , parties went out to discover whether the enemy moved . about at night our advanced centinels hearing the trampling of many horses , gave the alarm by firing their carabines . the enemy being discovered , halted to order their squadrons , which gave our men time to mount , and the commissary-general to form them into two squadrons , ordering the foremost when charged , to give way , as if yielding , to the portugueses to break through , that so he might take them in the middle . his contrivance accordingly , fell out , for they broke through to look for their cattel ; but meeting with the d squadron , maintained the fight about half an hour . then being hard pressed both before and behind , they began to fly at the flanks , our men not pursuing them far , because of the darkness of the night . of the enemy were taken , killed , and wounded , and of their horses were found . on our side d. gregory ibarra , and soldiers were wounded , one captain reformed , and two soldiers killed . they stood all night at arms , and the next day marched to xeres de los cavalleros . the booty they brought consisted of sheep and goats , swine , oxen and cows , mules , ●● slaves , and the horse taken in the skirmish . this year the satifications of the peace betwixt spain and holland were exchanged at munster in westphalia , on the th and th of may. after which the plenipotentiaries on both sides , in the behalf of their masters swore the performance of the articles . which done they embraced , and all the cannon of the town was fired to express the publick joy. in the spring the plague broke out at murcia , origueld , and elche , and thence diffused it self to several other places , tho not so destructive . but it was lamentable to see the mighty havock it made at sevil , the most famous mart of all spain . anno . the archduke leopold , governor of the low countries , in may took the field with a powerful army , to oppose the french ; who under the command of the prince of conde , had laid siege to ipres being informed there was but a small garison in the place . the prince to reinforce his army , drew men out of courtray ; which the archduke understanding , sat down before it , and in two days , was master of the town , the garison retiring into the cittadel . his highness attacked the plate , which was surrendred to him upon honourable conditions the th of may. the blunder of this town was considerable , the country people having carried the best of their goods thither . the prince of conde never stirred , thinking the archduke would have been taken up some days before courtray . however the prince had ipres delivered to him on the th of may , the garison marching out in honourable manner . the archduke encamped hard by in the open field to draw the enemy to a battel ; which they refusing , he sent a body of horse and foot , to ravage the countries of picardy and champagne . they performed what was given them in charge so effectually , that they struck a terror into the city of paris , whence orders were sent to the prince to come to the relief of the city . mean while the french endeavoured to surprize ostend , before which appeared great men of war , and several other lesser vessels , which immediately landed about men. the governor of ostend perceiving them , sent out some parties to keep them in play , till after long skirmishing some supplied coming to him , and being strong , both in horse and foot , he charged the enemy with such fury , that they cryed out for quarter , which was easily granted them . prisoners were taken , and among them majors , and captains . many were killed and drowned . the count de harcourt having received strong supplies from france , laid siege to cambray on the th of june with men , and daily carried on his works against the town . his highness the archduke kept his horse continually in readiness , contriving which way he might put some relief into the town . on the d of july he took two soldiers of the enemy , who discovered to him which was the safest way to compass his design . he divided his forces into three parts , with two of which he charged the enemy , whilst the d commanded by colonel brullel , broke through their camp , and put into the town horse and foot , whom the horse carried behind them . the count de harcourt perceiving the succours were got into the place , thought it to no purpose to spend more time before it , and drew off to chastelet . sunday the th of july the archduke marched into cambray ; where , after the singing of te deum , he was splendidly entertained by the governor . this done , he marched with the main army towards the enemy to bid him battel , but the summer was spent without any further considerable action . on the frontiers of portugal the enemy , to the number of horse and foot , came over the mountain gata , and by the way of the bridge of perales , to villas buenas , which they plundered , and burnt some houses . a party of ours meeting them in their return , tho inferiour to them in number , easily recovered all the booty , and destroyed about of their horses , taking several prisoners , the rest flying without ever looking back . this year hapned the unparallel'd murder of charles the first king of england ; who being barbarously tryed , and condemned by his own subjects , was publickly beheaded before his own pallace , to the astonishment of all the world , except his own inhumane and bloody people who were the actors of that most villanous tragedy . ( according to the foreign account the murder of the king was in this year , which they begin from new-years-day , and not from the th of march , as in england . ) on the th of february the cortes of castile were opened at madrid , in the great hall of the pallace , where after all the commons had kissed the king's hand , his majesty represented to them the state of the kingdom , the great wars he had in hand , and the need there was of extraordinary supplies to support them . the end of the second supplement . the supplement to the general history of spain , from the year till . continued by f. basil varen de soto , once provincial of the regular clergy . anno . this year commenc'd successful to the crown of spain ; for fortune , which before seem'd to have turn'd her back upon it , now thought nothing too much to bestow on it . no place was besieged but yielded , and that without great expence or loss of time. major-general francis totavila , bravely relieved the castle of castil-leon in val de aran , and by that means secured the passage over the pyreneans into catalonia . several embassadors came to the court from divers princes of europe , and among the rest one from the king of england then in exile . the english parliament sent a resident , who came to court upon his majesty's safe conduct on whitsunday , and on the monday following six englishmen , upon pretence of welcoming him , entred his house and killed him at table . the strangeness of the fact alarm'd the court. they who had committed the fact took sanctuary in the hospital of s. andrew of the flemings , where they were apprehended by d. ferdinand altamirano , an alcalde de corte , who cast them into prison , whilst the other alcaldes took cognizance of the fact. the prisoners pleaded the sanctuary , and were restored to it . afterward , to appease oliver cromwell , one of them was drawn out of the sanctuary deceitfully , whereupon the vicar excommunicated the alcaldes . after much convassing the matter , the prisoner out of meer state policy was executed in the year : for all this time was spent in contesting between the ecclesiastical and secular power . he that suffer'd was the principal actor , though at their examination every one of them said he himself had kill'd the envoy . the duke of guize peer of france , taken by d. john of austria in the troubles at naples and sent into spain , was kept prisoner in the castle of segovia with an honourable guard as became a prince . he was attended by gentlemen of his own country , had duccats a month allowed for his expences , and was upon all festivals carried out in the governour and mayor's coaches , to partake in the publick joy. the citizens relying upon his honour grew careless in observing him ; and he , in order to make his escape , feigned himself sick , that he might not be seen by any body ; and having disguised himself , on the d . of november made his escape out of the castle ; but being missed , and expresses sent all ways after him , he was taken by the governour of vitoria : he was sent back to burgos , and thence to segovia , where he was more carefully observed , but still kept with the same generosity ; such was the extraordinary goodness of our king. the recovery of portolongone , taken by the french , was a great undertaking , and worthy the arms of spain . d. john of austria , admiral of the seas and viceroy of sicily , having deputed the duke of montalto governor of that kingdom , and the earl of on̄ate left his brother d. beltram de guevara to supply his place , they set sail with a powerful fleet , and landed on the th . of may at a convenient place for the investing of that town . the consequence of which is well known to those who are acquainted with the coasts of italy , and the french had from thence put a stop to all trade by their privateers . our forces first took piombino , which rendred the conquest of the other the easier , and consequently soon after it submitted to his majesty to his greater honour , for that his enemies had thought it impregnable . the duke of bragança ( king john of portugal ) drew most garisons from the frontiers to secure the sea-coasts , leaving most of the inland defenceless . he also order'd all the biskets to be brought out of the garisons to lisbon , where a bushel of wheat was worth royals plate . the english fleet in june came before the bar of lisbon , which put the inhabitants in fear of an invasion , and obliged the duke to draw his forces thither . the english took ships loaden with sugar from brasil , two french ships loaded with corn , and at several times lesser vessels with other merchandize , and sent them to cadiz . these misfortunes put the kingdom of portugal into a great consternation . as soon as the english were gone to cadiz to sell their prizes , the portugueses , who were assisted by several princes , now made use of prince rupert , brother to the count palatin and cousin to the king of england . he sailed from lisbon in quest of english ships loaded with cloath and other things of great value . having entred the mouth of the streights with men of war , upon the coast of spain he took two of the said ships , and understanding the other three were about tunez , he steer'd thither with sail , sending the other with the two prizes to lisbon . the parliament admiral being inform'd that prince rupert was in the streights , sailed after him with frigats , and discover'd these ships and the prizes off of velez malaga . he gave them chase , they making a running fight , till such time as they could no longer avoid him , then they canonaded one another a whole day in sight of carthagena ; and night coming on the prince's ships stood in for the harbour : for want of pilots one of them ran a-ground , the men got ashore and set fire to her : the other with the prizes got into the harbour with a strong gale at s. w. and coming to an anchor all the men ran ashore and went away to the kingdom of murcia . irish that were among them offer'd to serve in catalonia , and were conducted to tortosa . no sooner had the men abandon'd the ships , but the people of carthagena plunder'd them ; which the english admiral perceiving , he drew to the mouth of the harbour , and soon after stood to sea after prince rupert . the catalonians weary of the french and desirous to return to their duty , had several conferences among themselves , and with d. balthasar pantoja , general of the artillery of leon and governor of lerida , who gave them great encouragement . the french having notice of it , committed many hostilities against the catalonians . mean while the king appointed the marquis of mortara , viceroy and captain-general of the principality of catalonia , and the marquis alexander borro , major-general , ordering them immediately to their commands . on the th . of may they came to zaragoça , and the people of the castellany of amposta understanding the french design'd to destroy their corn , came to beg aid . the major general march'd with horse and foot , whereupon the french retir'd over ebro , through mora , where they committed all manner of hostilities . thence they march'd to falsete , and not being admitted went on . this and the like fortunate encounters so encourag'd the catalonians that in several places they took up arms , and without considering their own danger put many of the french to the sword. such was the posture of affairs in catalonia , when the marquis de mortara understanding it , with all speed set out of zaragoça , and having passed his foot over the river ebro in boats , and the horse by the ford , he came to lerida . thence he set out upon the st of september , intending to besiege flix , to which purpose it was requisite again to ford the river ebro then much swell'd . this was a very desperate action , and perform'd with much resolutely and emulation , the water being up to the mens breasts , and the french bravely defending their intrenchments upon the ford. however the valour of our men overcame all difficulties , and by degrees they made themselves masters of all the works , and on the th . of september were possessed of the place . next day they laid siege to miravete and its castle , a place thought impregnable , being seated on a high hill so rough and uncouth there was no assaulting of it , and so rocky it was most difficult to undermine . the walls were strong , being the antient work of the knights templars built with lime and stone , which made the french and catalonians within very secure . but fortune favouring our designs , the castle surrendred the th . of october , the governor being kill'd with a musket-shot , which quite discourag'd the defendants . the marquis making use of this good fortune , march'd thence and laid siege to tortosa on the th . of october with a goodly army , consisting of horse and foot , whereof were aragonians , catalonians , and valencians led by the viceroys of those kingdoms , and paid by them . on the th . they took their posts under the cannon of the town , the principal commanders viewing them , and giving the necessary orders . a bridge was laid over the river ebro above the town , where it might be least exposed to the enemies cannon . our army daily increasing , the enemy sought to give a diversion on the side of aragon , but without any success . on the th . the trenches were open'd and carried along the cover'd way to the monastery of s. blas , where a small fort was cast up in less than days . till the d. of november the approaches were carried on . then all the batteries began to play , and on the th . a colonel was order'd with his regiment to attack a small fort upon the bridge : he did so , but meeting a vigorous resistance retired with the loss of men , and wounded . whilst the batteries continued to play ashoar , the brave duke of albuquerque general of the spanish galleys , with of his squadron and one of sardinia , set out from alfaques where he lay to hinder relief being brought to tortosa , and went to meet the mareschal de ligni , who was come out of barcelona with tall ships laden with provision and ammunition for that place . at the same time the duke de mercaeur lay at cambriles , in order to attack us by land. the duke of albuquerque meeting these ships upon the coast of tarragona on the th of november ingaged , and after a fight which lasted from morning till two in the afternoon , made himself master of them . this action caused tortosa to surrender , all their hopes depending on that relief . the besieged capitulated and delivered the place upon honourable conditions , they being to be shipped off for barcelona . on the th of november our general and the governor of the town signed the articles , and on the d of december our forces entred tortosa . thus the two important places of flix and tortosa were reduced , and all the length of the river ebro restored to his majesty . after the surrender of these two places , the catalonians desiring to cast off the french yoke , and return to their allegiance to their natural prince , began every where to treat the french contemptibly . at barcelona well affected catalonians posted themselves in the market place in two parties at a distance ; and the one party crying aloud , let spain live , the other answered , let it live , let it live. then the first cryed , let france and its government die ; and the others answered , let it die , let it die immediately . thus the tumults increased till night , no body daring to oppose them . next day lampoons were set up in several parts of the city , and none offered to take them down . at christmas came the syndics of the towns about barcelona to complain of the insolencies of the french , of whom the ecclesiastical deputy of the principality asked , why they did not kill them , for then was the time ? these tumults made the duke of mercaeur then viceroy , d. joseph margarit , and the principal french commanders , as also those catalonians that sided with them , think of saving themselves from the fury of the multitude , and accordingly they withdrew into rousillon , some of them going to paris to acquaint the most christian queen and cardinal mazarine with the posture of affairs . in france the princes of conde and conti , and the duke of longueville being summoned to a great council , were there apprehended , and sent prisoners to the castle of vincennes under a strong guard. this was the beginning of the mighty troubles and confusions that soon after ensued in that kingdom . many bloody skirmishes hapned betwixt the people of agen and the forces of the duke of espernon , at last the duke was worsted and glad to make his escape with a small retinue . the king still proceeding against the great men in prison , made the duke of mercaeur high admiral of france , which honour was before given to the prince of conde ; and governors were sent to the provinces of those secured . all the employments of those suspected to be in the conspiracy were disposed of , mareschal turenne who commanded the army in germany marched with foot , and horse to release the prisoners , many men of quality and cities declaring for him . the same did the parliament of bourdeaux , where were many of the nobility . thither the king marched with his army , and forced the city to surrender in october , upon condition his most christian majesty should release the princes that were in prison , not prosecute those that were absent , and give . crowns to the parliament of bourdeaux ; put no garrison into that city , and endeavour a peace with spain . none of these articles were performed , whereupon the rebels took up arms again . leopold the archduke , governor of burgundy and flanders , laying hold of this advantage , with an army of foot , and horse entred champagne , burning and wasting all that province , and took chatelet on the frontiers of flanders , as he did afterwards on the th of july , la chapelle . in the following month of august and remaining part of july , his highness made himself master of many other places . about the beginning of september , viscount turenne defeated the mareschal de hoquincour killing of his men , and took rocroy and laferte milon with their citadels . the archduke brought all champagne under contribution , and having fortified rethel , dam , and rocroy , and garrisoned other strong places , laid siege to musson , an university and place of great importance , betwixt luxemburg and lorrain , which he took upon the th of november . winter now making it impracticable to keep the field , our army was quartered in champagne , discharging flanders of that heavy burden which had not hapned before since the war betwixt spain and france . yet our horse made incursions as far as nanci , the court of the duke of lorrain , who had been outed his dominions by the french ever since the year . after many instances made by the parliament , the french princes who had been prisoners were released , but still the civil wars continued bloody . cardinal mazarine for fear of the rabble , retired to havre de grace , and still the parliament by publick edicts prefsed him to depart the kingdom . a peace with spain was the earnest desire of them all . this was the state of france this year , famous for the jubilee , which began at the vespers of the foregoing year . that day upon christmas-eve , after noon the cardinals and all the roman court accompanied the pope in procession to the chapel of the palace , where having offered up their prayers , they set forward with all the princes that were in rome , ambassadors and people of the city . the pope was carried in a sedan by four men cloathed in crimson damask . being come to the holy gate , one of those that are shut up the foregoing years , till the year of jubilee , the pope alighted with a candle in his left hand , and the great penitentiary gave him a silver hammer guilt , so he walked through a lane made by the cardinals , and knocked three times at the gate , repeating certain verses appointed by the church , which done , he took the holy cross and kneeling before the gate , began the te deum , then entred , ascended to the high altar , came down again , prayed , took his seat and began the vespers . at the same time the cardinal deacon and the two eldest , went to open the other doors , which remain open all the year , and are then shut up with the same solemnity , so the holy year of jubilee begins and ends . the popes , as fathers of the church , use upon certain days in the year of jubilee to visit the hospitals , and hear confessions , to give absolution upon some particular cases . pope innocent the x in the hospital he had appointed for the entertainment of pilgrims , washed the feet of many , some of which were hereticks , who came out of curiosity to make their observations , and were converted . the duke of modena being sensible how much he had been in the wrong in taking arms against the catholick king , and being hard set by the marquess of caracena , submitted himself , and was received with great honour . anno . about the middle of january this year , the inhabitants of alcaraz advertised the governor of lerida how the castle of that place which commands it , might be surprized . he finding it practicable , sent a party , who in the dead of the night scaled the walls without the lest opposition from the french , who slept in great security , and they refusing quarter , were all put to the sword , to the number of . alcaraz is about leagues from lerida , up the country towards cervera . this castle was of great consequence , being seated on an eminency . the affairs of catalonia daily were in a better posture . about the end of january the garrison of the town and castle of scornambou deceitfully offered to surrender ; but our men considering the uncertainty of martial events , took double the number had been at first designed for that enterprize . the governor with his garrison 〈…〉 to his plighted faith fell upon our men , yet the place was taken , god justly chasti●● 〈…〉 treacherous dealing . scornambou lies betwixt tortosa and tarragona , a good 〈…〉 the sea , which made its castle and that of alcaraz of great use for the ensuir 〈…〉 in england the new erected commonwealth seemed to be firmly settled , 〈…〉 january d. alonso de cardenas the spanish ambassador had audience of the 〈…〉 conducted thither with the greatest pomp that had been seen of long time 〈…〉 three noblemen , one of which was the earl of salisbury , were sent 〈…〉 him , and with them coaches with horses each , which with two of 〈…〉 and those of other persons of quality , made up in all coaches all with 〈…〉 whitehall to westminster , was a lane of horse , and as many foot , throug● 〈…〉 ambassador passed , all the officers saluting him . the throng was so great , the 〈…〉 dor had some difficulty to pass to a room richly adorned to receive him , where he 〈…〉 half an hour : upon the ambassadors coming into the house , the speaker and all the members stood up , and were uncovered , till he sat down on the chair set for him , and made a short speech in spanish , which he delivered in writing , together with his credentials , the speaker answered in english , the parliament would consider of what he had said , and return an answer . after this ceremony , the ambassador returned home in the same manner , the cannon at the tower firing . all europe was surprized at this proceeding of d. alonso de cardenas upon such an extraordinary revolution of those kingdoms . the duke of albuquerque , general of the spanish galleys went away to port s. mary to his command , as did the earl of haro general of the horse in catalonia . d. francis de totavila duke of s. german and governor of the frontiers at badajoz , understanding that of the enemies horse had forded the river at olivença , and lay in the woods about a cannon shot from the city , sent out horse in two parties to fall upon them . this was slowly put in execution , and after he was gone to bed , he arose to speak with the general of the horse . whilst they were discoursing , advice was brought that the enemies horse drove the cattle that grazed within musquet shot of the walls : the governor knowing the enemy had no more horse on the other side of the river , at one of the clock in the morning issued out of the city with the horse , and at about a leagues distance recovered the small cattle , which was about head : towards break of day having pursued the enemy , he put them to flight , taking from them head of black cattle . our affairs advanced in catalonia ; the marquess of mortara took the field with a gallant army , flushed with victory . the catalonians weary of the french , sought an opportunity to rid themselves of them . about french foot and horse were marching into catalonia , but so jealous of the country people that they durst not straggle the least , for fear of being cut off in the narrow and mountanous passes . orders were now taken by the council of france for sending supplies to catalonia : it was also endeavoured to obtain a truce for a considerable time in flanders , but our governors being averse to it , they were glad to take other measures . it was believed the king of france would take upon him the government in september , tho' the tumult ran then so high , that some great disaster was to be feared . the prinçe of condé made great demands of satisfaction for his imprisonment , and other noblemen had greater pretensions than stood with the king's safety to grant . cardinal mazarine was at bonne , the court of the elector of cologne , and waited to be restored to the government of france . in england a squadron was fitting out to go against prince rupert , who lay at toulon , and took many english ships trading to the east . another squadron was sailed for newfoundland , to convoy the fishing-fleet , and chase the french out of those seas . a third was sent to the coast of scotland , whither cromwel was marching with a mighty army to oppose the king. the royal sovereign with another squadron was to cruize in the channel . another squadron was designed for the coast of ireland . advice being brought that sail were arrived at tarragona in catalonia from naples , laden with corn and men , it was supposed the rest of the fleet-might be come with d. john of austria . at the same time there came news to zaragoca , that men from s. sebastian were upon the frontiers of aragon . the marquess de mortara having sent officers to conduct them , on the th of june went to the army , which was before encamped , and marched that morning with the train of artillery , consisting of pieces of cannon : in the ships came veteran soldiers , and great store of provisions and ammunition . also neapolitan horses , for the king's coaches , and the rest pads and hunters . d. john of austria being at sea with the galleys of naples and sicily , was advertised by the governour of yviça , that about the island fermentera lay a great french ship , with a tartan , which were out a privateering , and did great harm . d. john immediately with all his fleet made that way , and discovered the enemy about in the morning . at he came with the admiral galley within cannon shot of them , and fired a gun without ball , which was not answered in a long time , by which he understood they made ready to fight . all the cannon of the galleys played upon the ship for a good space , and then perceiving they did little execution , d. john gave the sign to board . the ship was bravely defended , but at length after three hours , fight taken . it was a ship of tun , guns , and men , called the crowned lion. of the men were taken , the rest leaped into the sea. the tartan was sunk by the french themselves . we lost some men , and had many wounded . the count de on̄ate , viceroy of naples , hearing that two french ships infested that coast ; 〈…〉 two of the naples squadron , which took one of them , and put the other to flight , 〈…〉 shattered , it was believed she could never be serviceable . the marquess of caraçena , 〈…〉 ●●nour of milan , had a powerful army in readiness against this campagne , which raised 〈…〉 of the duke of savoy , fearing the marquess designed against cazal . in flanders 〈…〉 of aerscot posted a gentleman who had spoken opprobriously of spain , but the duel 〈…〉 d. john de borgia , governour of the castle of antwerp , and brother to the duke de 〈…〉 , was sent his majesty's ambassador extraordinary to the crown of poland with a 〈…〉 retinue . all spain admired its queen mariana of austria , and offered up their prayers to god for a numerous issue . on the th of july , god having before heard their request , her majesty was brought to bed of a daughter , for which there was great rejoicing , the bells ringing , and the multitude flocking to the court with loud acclamations . the kingdoms of aragon , sicily , and naples , sent their deputies to congratulate with their majesties , as did all the cities of spain ; and the nobility , tho' warned to moderate their expences , appeared in most costly apparel . julio rospigliosi , the pope's legate à latere , was made choice of by the king to baptize the princess mary margaret on the th of july , being the feast of s. james the apostle , patron of spain . all the galleries of the palace were hung with the richest tapistry of silk and gold , and the chapel with most costly embroidery . in the midst of the chapel was placed a canopy of silver , under which was the font wherein s. dominick was baptized , kept by our kings for the christening of their children . much other costly furniture was disposed in great order by the patriarch of the indies , and the earl of pun̄o enrostro , gentleman of the king's bedchamber then in waiting . the lady mary teresa , the king's daughter , was the only godmother . the legate set forward from his house with a most splendid retinue , and most rich liveries , tho' he had new ones against the birth of the princess . being come to the royal chapel , he blessed the holy water , and then all things being in readiness , and multitudes of people having taken places to see the procession , they set forwards in this manner : first the spanish and swiss guards ; then the king's pages ; next , gentlemen of burgundy and castile ; then noblemen ; then all the serjeants at arms , between the nobility and the grandees ; next , the king and queen's , stewards not in waiting , with their rods ; after them the grandees : behind them came the stewards that carried the utensils for the ceremony ; next to them the lady mary teresa ; then came d. luiz mendez de haro , earl and duke of olivarez , who carried the princess , and after him all the ladies of the court. at the chapel-door the legate met the princess , with several bishops in pontificalibus . then the ceremony began , and the princess was called mary margaret : after which , the legate hung a rich relikary about the neck of the princess , and bestowed others on several of the attendants : which done , they returned back in the same order they came . the king saw all from the upper tribune of the chapel , as did the ambassadors of the emperor and venetians , being incognito in the chancel . the queen being a little recovered of her hard labour , was somewhat melancholy , and the king to divert her ordered a bull-feast upon the th of september . the day proved fair , and the king being seated , the guards , as is usual , began to clear the place , which was then watered by carts carrying pipes of water ingeniously carved . after several bulls were killed , the next sport was that which they call of canes , and is in imitation of the old manner of fighting with spears , instead of which they use canes , which is very diverting and pleasant . to conclude the publick rejoycing , a few days after there was another bull-feast ; and so ended that great solemnity . f. peter pimentel , of the family of the earl of benavente , a jesuit , set out towards rome , in order to be there at the general chapter of that order ; with him went his nephew , brother to the marquess of villafranca . they went aboard a genoese , and off of marseilles were taken by a french privateer , and carried to toulon , where all that were in the ship were set at liberty , except f. pimentel , his nephew , and a regent of italy , who was bound for sicily . the value of copper-money was enhanced by proclamation one third part ; upon which several persons , moved by the great profit , thought it easie in remote places ' to put the stamp upon the coin ; but many of them paid for their presumption with their lives in the market-places of madrid , toledo , sevil , and other towns. the capuchin church , founded at madrid by our queen elizabeth of bourbon , being now finished , the most holy sacrament was translated thither with great solemnity , and the feast of the dedication lasted days . a portugus baroness , widow to george de paz sylveira , one of the great farmers of the revenue , being left vastly rich , founded a monastery for carmelite nuns , which when finished , will not be inferior for grandeur and revenue to the best in madrid . that her foundation might be the more firm , she gave half the right of patronship to the town of madrid , allowing the council of that town for ever the naming of fifteen religious women . on the th of may the town of madrid celebrated the feast of the translation of the holy image of our blessed lady of the pillar . the solemnity lasted nine days , and the town setled a revenue for building of the chapel of that holy image . the duke of bragança ( king john of portugal ) upon some jealousie cast a gentleman into prison ; for whose liberty , one who had deserved well , and was a favourite , made suit , but was refused ; upon which he went to the gaoler , and demanded the prisoner . the gaoler delivered him ; but soon repenting , acquainted the duke with it , who immediately ordered his favourite to be apprehended . upon which the people of lisbon mutinied , and began to rail against the duke , and that night many reflecting and threatning lampoons were set up in publick places . mean while certain portugues troops broke into castile ; and having plundered four open towns , carried away a considerable booty in cattel . d. francis totavila , duke of s. german , and general of the frontiers of estremadura , having notice of it , ordered thomas alardi , earl of tronçan , one of his lieutenants , to gather what horse and foot he could , and pursue them into portugal . the earl having assembled his troops , pursued them ; but finding they were gone , sent after them the commissary general jacome maçacan . he set forward on the th of march , and next morning about break of day discovered the enemy at ceilavin , being horse and foot , and having drove all the cattel they found in their way . maçacan immediately charged the enemy with such bravery , that they were broke , and above of their men killed , among whom was a captain of horse , lieutenants , captains of foot , the major , ensigns , and other officers . were taken , most of them so desperately wounded that they died . on our side one captain of horse , one ensign , and four private men were killed . thus the insolency of the enemy was somewhat suppressed , and maçacan gained much reputation . advice was brought to oran , that the moors of uladala and zal had revolted ; that they had fortified themselves upon a break of the river , and thence pillaged the neighbouring places . the marquess of floresta davila , governour of oran , fell upon them , and brought away slaves , and their chief , killing more . of the alafezes and ulizbrain , two heads of families , which together make villages , he took slaves , and retired fighting all day with above moors , of whom he killed . in may he made another inroad to the river cique , whence he took slaves , and at other times above robbers who infested the country . he again marched against above villages at venarasel ( who are the stoutest moors of all that country ) and in the plain of abora made slaves . understanding that a moravito had built a small town , and fortified it about leagues from oran , at the mouth of the river zara , which ran through the midst of it , the governour sent a brave officer with foot and horse to plunder it . he came there at midnight , and applying two petards to the gate , entred the town , sacked it , and brought off slaves , some of which were moravito's . d. john of austria ( as was before said ) in his way from sicily having taken the french ship called the crowned lion , came to the siege of barcelona , which it was not doubted would in few days be reduced . d. john being viceroy of sicily , left in his place , as governour of that island , d. antony ronquillo , high chancellor of milan , who dying at palermo , the archbishop of that city succeeded him till such time as the duke del infantado came thither from rome with the character of viceroy . cardinal trivulcio was received at rome , and acted as ambassador from the crown of spain till the earl of oropesa came . the count de on̄ate governed naples with singular wisdom and good conduct , as did the marquess of campo reall the island of sardinia . the latter endeavoured to put an end to the factions that disturbed the quiet of that kingdom , and banishing the heads of both parties , established peace . he sent supplies to the island coralina de tabarca , at the request of the governour of it , by which means that place was delivered from the danger of the barbary moors . the marquess of caraçcna governour of milan , having with his army infested all the neighbouring country , retired with a great booty taken in piemont about turin , the court of the duke of savoy , and notwithstanding of the enemy endeavoured to cut off his retreat , he passed all the difficult mountains with his heavy baggage and train of artillery , without losing one head of cattel . this done , he dispersed his army in the territories of tubine , camagna , concano , and vignuela . here he expected the coming of regiments designed for catalonia , and hindred the french from sending supplies to that province . all the cattel taken about cazal he caused to be restored , the governour of that place and he of torno , giving security , they would for the future , no more molest , the subjects of the dukedom of milan . then having sent italians and germans designed for catalonia to final , and made a general muster , he put his army into winter quarters . in france all things tended to rebellion . the queen mother brought the king to the parliament of paris , to be recognized as their lawful sovereign , which they all offered to do , when as things were disposed with the usual pomp for so great a ceremony , but as soon as they broke up , many of them fled to rochelle . the prince of conde having formed and concluded the league , demanded more than it was possible to grant him . yet after this , the queen , duke of orleans , prince of conde , and parliament of paris , were again united , but it lasted not long , for in a little time the prince of conde took the field , as did also the king's army . the duke of bavaria our king's cousin died at munich , his eldest son succeeded him peace was concluded betwixt the duke of neuburg and elector of brandenburg , and in the midst of the publick joy for the same died the duke . the emperor summoned the diet to meet at ratisbon , upon the th of may cardinal mazarin returning into france , the treaty of peace then on foot was broke off , ond the prince of conde's forces daily increased . the city of london was exceedingly alarmed with the king's march out of scotland , but cromwel having defeated his forces at worcester , returned victorious , and then marched to scotland , where all places submitted to him . this same year , casimir king of poland , gave the tartars a very signal overthrow . anno . the glory of his catholick majestie 's arms was much increased , by the recovery of all the principality of catalonia . barcelona its metropolis being restored to his obedience , as shall soon appear , d. john of austria , the marquess of mortara , and the constable of castile , general of the horse , having signalized their admirable conduct in all this siege , which tho' it enclosed a vast tract of ground , was managed only by men. but let us first say somewhat of the general chapters of the military orders , assembled by his majestie 's special command . two months before the time prefixed for the meeting , the king sent out his summons to all the commendaries , knights , superiours , and clergy of those orders to meet . those of the order of santingo on the first day of july , and those of calatrava and alcancara upon the th of the same month. on the day appointed , all the members of the order of santiago received the blessed sacrament in the church of s. hierome . his majesty as perpetual administrator for the order , was seated on a chair placed before the altar , where a pontifical mass had been sung by the prior of ucles , the chapter being kept within his jurisdiction . the knights and friars were placed in order according to their seniority , the knights with their white cloaks , and the clergy in their surplices . on the king 's right hand was the prior of ucles , and the chief commendaries of his precinct . the vicar of merida who is porter to the order , was ordered to shut out all secular persons , and admit none without his majestie 's special command . the vicar of tudia who is secretary , was appointed to register all that was done . then by direction of the prior of ucles , one of the friars with a loud voice , read the rules of the order , and in his majestie 's name the chapter was told , that all that had been read , was , what they were bound to observe , for the honour of god , and the glorious apostle s. james , and what had been in former chapters established , by the kings ferdinand , charles , philip the d and philip the d , as perpetual administrators of the order . to which in the name of the whole chapter , they all standing up uncovered , the prior of ucles answered . he kissed his majestie 's hands , and humbly requested of him , to take into his royal care , the preservation and increase of that holy order , so advantageous to all christendom , and always so loyal to the kings of castile . some vacancies were there filled up , and the augustin monastery called of the lady mary of aragon , was appointed for the chapter to be continued in . with much the like ceremony on the th of the month , began the chapter of the two military orders of calatrava and alcantara , the former being upon the right hand of the king , and the latter upon the left . the convent of benedictines called s. martin was appointed for that of calatrava to continue their sessions , and that of s. bernard for the knights of alcantara . the particular decrees of each order made in those chapters , are to be seen in print , particularly those of calatrava , published by d. hierome de mascaren̄as knights of that order . his majesty desirous to divert the queen with some extraordinary sights , brought to court the dedalus of our times , who surpasses even him of crete ; this was a florentine gentleman well known in germany and italy , whose name was vaggio . the theater of the pallace at buen retiro was by him prepared , and there the most ingenious part of ovid's metamorphosis represented . fortune appeared upon her wheel breaking from amidst the clouds , and charming the auditory with her lute and sweet voice . the heavens and earth opened , and jove appeared upon his throne , the terrestrial gods rising out of the bowels of the earth . the son of the most beautiful goddess , appeared crossing the ocean in a gilded boat , surprizing their majesties with his melodious harmony . there were seen the famous gardens of the goddess and queen of cyprus , the noisie workmen of the god vulcan , wonderful shipwrecks and terrible storms of thunder and lightning . the d day the councils were admitted to this entertainment , the d the town of madrid , and the th the rest of the court , multitudes flocking from all parts of the kingdom , to share in this princely magnificence . the count de monterrey , considering the destruction made by the plague in malaga , sevil , valencia , and barcelona , and that now it began to spread in the islands of majorca , minorca , and sardinia , to prevent its further progress , thought good to have recourse to the devotion of the blessed s. rosalia , who from her tender years , led the life of an anchorit on mount peregrino near palermo . this saint by her intercession , has several times delivered france , italy , and the empire from that evil , and was therefore by pope urban the th , declared the deliverer of sicily from the plague . the very moors fearful of her power , never sail that way , but they leave some alms to her chappel . the count and supreme council of italy , celebrated the feast of this saint in september at the royal monastery of nuns , called of the angels , of the order of s. francis. the service of the church was performed with musick and great pomp , the night being turned into day , with illuminations and artificial fire-works . at length , barcelona after a tedious siege , was again restored to his majesty on the th of october , to the great honour of the generals commanding there , and universal joy of the inhabitants . upon this news , his majesty went a horseback to the church of atocha , the streets were hung with rich tapistry , for three nights the town was enlightened with illuminations and bonfires , and a bull feast was kept in the great market-place . barcelona sent a gentleman to make its submission to the king , he was introduced with as great state , as if he had been an ambassador from the most potent monarch . after the king he visited the queen and princesses . he was nobly entertained , all things were adjusted and restored to the same posture they were in , before the revolt of that city . on the d of october happened a notable fight , betwixt the spanish and portugues horse . the general of estremadura having ordered a convoy for alburea , the night before it set out , a party of horse was sent to discover the convoy , which being upon the point to march , the lieutenant who commanded the party , gave intelligence , that he had spy'd squadrons marching towards the field of canes to lie in wait for the convoy . the troops of talavera were ordered to join those before destined for the convoy . our general of horse was desirous to meet the enemy , and used his endeavours to that purpose . the scouts affirmed , the enemies squadrons marched towards the watch-tower of s. jaspar along the side of conchuela . our men marched directly towards them , and understanding they retired to the ford of sancha brava , made haste to overtake them , and found the enemy had joined the rest of their horse . our troops drew up , those of talavera were not yet come , but marched with all possible speed. the fight began , the enemy who understood we had more troops at hand , laying hold of the present advantage , with squadrons charged our vanguard , which consisted of four . our men received them with such resolution , that they drove them back upon their main body , and then considering the force they had to deal with , halted . the main body of the portugueses , was advancing as the troops of talavera came in , but had not yet time to join our battel . our general ordered his troops to stand their ground , and receive the enemies charge . both vanguard 's charged , and fought sometime sword in hand , without giving ground , till at length the enemies rear began to file off . ours did the like , and having made up their squadrons , advanced towards the enemy , who retired precipitantly , without facing about , tho' some parties were sent after them . the main bodies could not be brought to engage . of the enemy were killed , on our side not above killed and wounded . here of our horse drove portugueses . the cortes of madrid to express their zeal to the queen of angels , sent f. gonçalo de castilla a jesuit , ambassador to rome , to obtain of the pope , that the immaculate conception might be made a matter of faith , but he died at rome before any thing was done in that affair . the bishop of valencia was appointed to succeed him . the military orders of santiago , calatrava , and alcantara , signalized their devotion in this particular . on the th of december , the order of calatrava kept this solemnity , and continued it days , the members swearing to defend and maintain the immaculate conception . the same was afterwards done by the two other military orders of santiago and alcantara . the council of madrid followed the example of the military orders . the marquess de caracena of whom the italians confess , that no governour of milan ever performed so much with so small forces , having received orders from his majesty to possess himself of trin , a most important place and then ill provided , overcoming all difficulties , as well of want of men to take , as means to preserve that place , with the greatest secrecy imaginable resolved to attack that place . he sent the marquess serra major general from milan on the d of may , and on the th , he secured all the avenues to that place . the marquess having given the necessary orders to d. john vazquez coronado , governour of the castle of milan for remounting the cavalty , raising the militia , and for following him with the german troops that then were coming into the dukedom , went away himself to the siege . of the enemies foot were sent by the river po to get into the place , and landed not far from it in a wood , whereof the governour of milan having intelligence , he sent the marquess serra to cut them off , but they retired in time to crecentin , leaving their boats , which were taken by our men. the marquess de villar gathered foot , and horse , thinking to break through the marquess of caraçena's quarters , and make his way into the town , but was most vigorously repulsed . within days the bulwarks were undermined , and so the place surrendred the th of may. soldiers marched out of it , besides some sick . at this siege the marquess of caracena gained the reputation of a most expert general , in all sorts of martial discipline and knowledge . the marquess encouraged by this success , resolved to attempt cazal . this is a place in italy esteemed impregnable , and much coveted by all the neighbouring princes . it s cittadel was built by the duke of mantua , having obtained leave of king philip the d , all men believing it was rather raised for the service of spain , than of its own prince . but time altering mens affections , the owners fearful of the power of spain , called in the french to defend it . about the middle of september the marquess set out to besiege this place , and coming to moncalvo stretched out his army to the territory of val de grani for want of forage . then having laid a bridge over the po , passed over the spaniards , the marquess de borgameneiro's regiment of germans , and that of collonel beitin , because the piemonteses had drawn men out of jadi , and led them by the way of clavasco , remaining still at jadi ; but they marched off by degrees , and hoped for some succour from verceli . the piamonteses were much more concerned at some passages betwixt the dukes of savoy and mantua , and to see the spaniards fortifie rosignano , pontestura , and s. george near cazal . the marquess quartered the body of his army near moncalvo , blocking up cazal . the french thought to have put men into the town , but the marquess of sorto son to the marquess de los balbases , and general of the men at arms prevented them , scowring all the country miles about , for the space of days . then the marquess of caraçena drew near to attack the place , and great stores of provisions and ammunition were making at milan . to hinder the french putting any relief into the town , the marquess possessed himself of the hill , placing there regiments of foot , the horse of naples , that of the commissary general moron , and his own troops of guards . the marquess of sento lay at pianura with regiments of foot , the milanese and german horse and some other troops . on the other side the po , was a regiment of german horse , and one of foot. besides these , our governour drew our forces out of milan , and companies out of alexandria to strengthen his army , and gathered a great number of pioniers to secure all the posts . upon the th of september he invested the place , posted himself , raised his batteries , and in days began to undermine , which succeeding , overthrew two towers of the cittadel . our men gave the assault , and carried it on with such bravery , that they enter'd the place before thought impregnable . the french retired to the city , and our governour using his victory with moderation , gave them the usual honourable conditions . men besides the sick , and those that guarded the baggage , marched out with pieces of cannon , and were conducted to berrua , a thousand men were left in garrison in the place . the duke of mantua who during the siege lay at milan , set out thence for cazal , and was received with much pomp and applause into that city . the duke being in the city , our governour went to visit him . and found such entertainment , as became the restorer of that city to its rightful owner , the cannon of the city and army firing . next day the duke repayed the visit , and the marquess marched with his army from cazal , towards valencia de po , thence to pavia , and lastly to milan ; where his reception was in the manner of the roman triumphs . this good fortune was seconded by the taking of graveling , one of the strongest places in the low countreys , fortified by the emperor charles the th . it is seated on a plain near the sea side , to cover the country from paying contributions to the enemy . the duke of orleans layed siege to this place upon the th of may , and took it the th of the month following . d. ferdinand de solis governour of this place , performed the duty of a brave commander , keeping the enemy days from the ditch of the counterscarp , then maintaining the bastion days , and at last marched out with all the marks of honour . from hence the french at their pleasure infested all flanders . and added many new works to the old . leopold the archduke , and the earl of fuensaldan̄a , thought good to lay hold of the opportunity now offered , the count de grave governour of the place being absent . having caused the outworks to he viewed , and got an account of the provisions and ammunition that were in the place , they resolved to besiege it notwithstanding many difficulties that appeared , and particularly the want of forage for their horse . it was also very hard to prevent succours coming from calais . on the th of april the army began to march towards the town , under the command of d. ferdinand de solis , governour of winock's berg , with orders to post himself as near as might be . count fuensaldan̄a joined the marquess sfrondato and the prince of ligni , and the archduke marched and took his quarters at bourburg , the army from all parts repairing to the siege . the enemy was surprized and without hopes of relief . however men from bologn and calais attempted to get in , but were so received , that only compassed it . on the other side from dunkirk tryed their fortune , and of them made their way to the place . our attacks were carried on in four places , and the enemy being ill provided , and despairing of relief , surrendred on the th of april , and marched out the th , being whitsunday , with the usual honourable formalities . presently after followed the taking of dunkirk . in order to it , the count de fuensaldan̄a was commanded to provide all necessaries , which he performed with great diligence . on the th of august the count set out from brussels , and came to berg s. winock on the st of september . there the prince de ligni joined him , and having taken his post , they raised two batteries , one on the side of fort lion , which was committed to major general baltasar mercader , and the other on the downs , where the prince of ligni's quarters were , under the care of d. ferdinand de solis . both batteries looked towards those of the enemy , at the gate towards the canal , which were to hinder the approach of our vessels , and cover their own . we soon dismounted all their cannon , and drove those that guarded them from the port. the next night three attacks were carried on with the loss of only of our men. major general charles caupi was wounded in the leg , and the count moteria in the shoulder . the works were carried on , and other batteries raised , then his highness came into the trenches , and was present at the taking of some of the outworks . advice was brought , that several vessels were fitting at calais , to put relief into the place ; but care being taken to obstruct them , they appeared not . our attacks being carried on , and the lines of communication between them perfected , our men lodged themselves at the foot of the pallisadoes . d. baltasar mercader gained a post , and made a lodgment which secured our passage to the canal . on the th of september , a deserter from the town reported , the governour was wounded in the belly with a cannon ball , the town major lay sick , the king's lieutenant was dead , the town sickly , and the soldiers mutinous . the same day the besieged heing hard pressed , beat a parley and capitulated . at the same time , the duke of mercaeur having gathered sail of men of war , and fireships in britany , with land-men in them , for the relief of dunkirk , was coming into the downs , where admiral blake lay with sail , resolved to hinder his passage . the archduke commanded our fleet to set sail , and oppose the approach of the enemy . the french behaved themselves with much bravery , but were utterly defeated , of their ships taken by the spaniards , and by the english . the besieged after this loss , having no hopes left , performed the articles before agreed upon , and on the th of september marched out , being strong ; and were conducted with their baggage to calais . two days were allowed for their march , and waggons to carry their baggage . in france this year happened a great battel , betwixt the prince of conde who was in open rebellion , and the king's forces , commanded by the mareschals de turenne and hocquincour , wherein the latter were overthrown , with the loss of men , they both narrowly escaping . about the end of this year , the earl of fuensaldan̄a general in flanders , the duke of lorrain and prince of conde , had a conference in which they agreed how to act ; the earl leaving with the prince the most of his troops , and some germans with store of ammunition , and directions for taking of winter-quarters . the prince thus reinforced , took rhetel , s. menehou , barleduc , and ligni , and other places , whilst the earl dismantled others ; which hindred his communication with estaign and mousson , into which the prince put garrisons . thus having ranged in france from the th of october till the last of november , the troops of flanders began to march into the country of luxemburg . cardinal mazarine was at sedan , and hearing that the forces of spain were withdrawn , sent the mareschal turenne to recover the places that had been lost he marched directly towards the prince , who having put strong garrisons into the towns , advanced with the horse to meet him . the mareschal retired , the prince still pursuing him close in the rear . turenne thought to have made good an advantageous post , but conde still pressing , he was forced to quit it , with the loss of all his cannon and baggage . in italy , pope innocent the x. having caused an exact list , of all the monasteries in italy and the adjacent islands , with their revenues to be taken , he suppressed many of all orders , converting the revenues of them to other pious uses . over the city of naples appeared a fiery comet , in the shape of a large beam : mount vesuvius also cast out mighty flames . the english and dutch disputing about the sovereignty of the seas , fought a bloody battel which lasted all day , and the victory being dubious , both sides made publick demonstrations of joy. king casimir of poland was overthrown by the tartars and cossacks , with the loss of men , and all his baggage and cannon . the elector of bavaria married the daughter of the duke of savoy . the galleys of malta being joined with the venetians , pursued the turkish fleet which escaped them , yet at two several times they took ships , which they sent to the great master . the duke of albuquerque , for his good service at the siege of barcelona , was appointed viceroy of mexico , with the reversion of the viceroyship of peru , still retaining the post of general of the galleys of spain , to be executed by his brother d. gaspar de la cueva , and to his mother was given a pension of ducats . the marquess francis serra , who had been major-general at milan , was constituted general of catalonia , but subordinate to d. john of austria . anno . this year the king of france being sensible of how great consequence it would be to reduce bourdeaux the nest of rebellion , sent to offer that city a general pardon , and many other advantageous conditions , to which the inhabitants were inclinable enough , but that they were overswayed by the mutinous princes . upon which the king's fleet entred the river of bourdeaux , under the command of the duke of vendosme , and consisting of men of war , galleys , galleots , brigantines , pinks , and fireships . this fleet lay to cut off the trade of bourdeaux ; and not to lose time they laid siege to bourge , seated on the banks of the river , which they took . the spanish commander that was in it being tried for the loss of the place , excused himself with the mutiny of the irish who were in garrison . k. philip understanding the danger of the discontented princes at bourdeaux , ordered the marquess of santa cruz , with the fleet of the ocean , to endeavour to remove the french fleet. his force consisted of men of war , fireships , and pinaces . the marquess de santa cruz sailed from passage about the beginning of july , and was by bad weather drove to the coast of saintonge . on the th of july he sailed to the mouth of the river of bourdeaux , where he lay till the th , and then entred leagues and a half , coming to an anchor within sight of royan , leagues from the enemy . here they lay till the th of august , the french never offering to come out to fight them , still keeping within the covert of their fortifications . the marquess ordered the vice-admiral , with all the fleet except men of war and fireships , to go water at a place called povillac , near where the french lay ; who never moved from their place . here a servant of the princess of conde advertised the vice-admiral , that the people of bourdeaux , had submitted to the king on the d of august , and desired the fleet might return to a place called castillon , where she would be ready to embark . the admiral received the same advice at royan , and immediately sailed after his vice-admiral , who at his coming he found had already taken aboard the princess with her children , and men and women of quality , besides many servants . after much courteous entertainment , the princess was sent away to dunkirk , with two men of war for her convoy , and arrived there in safety to her husband . the marquess still lay in the river of bourdeaux , keeping in the french fleet , and a good number of horse and foot that lay to hinder the spaniards from landing , they having already done much harm along the shoars , and taken head of cattel . sailing up the river he discovered galleys and brigantines that brought provisions for the french fleet ; these he attacked , having landed men. they that were in them fled to mortag● , leaving all those vessels which were taken , and about others burnt . the soldiers that were a-shoar plundered the town and got an exceeding rich booty , setting fire to great magazines of ammunition and provisions , and staving a vast quantity of wine in the streets . d. joseph margarit , who was in rebellion against his prince , by the way of constans entred catalonia , as lieutenant-general to the mareschal de hoquincour , who led men , being persuaded all catalonia would submit to him . some open towns on the mountains , inhabited by that rude people called the miquelets , took party with them . certain regiments of militia that lay thereabouts , being dispersed as too weak to oppose the enemy , were surprised in the night , and sustained great loss . this lett being removed , the french passed on to castillon de ampurias , and finding there more resistance than they expected , laid siege to it . in the place was a garrison of neapolitans , commanded by horatius a●lon , who defended it bravely , killing above of the enemy , but was at last forced to surrender upon honourable conditions . girona was now in great danger , being weak and ill garrisoned ; upon which the marquess serra , the constable of castile , and the baron of saba threw themselves into it ; whose presence so encouraged the inhabitants , that they resolved to sell the town at a dear rate . the french sate down before the town , not doubting to be soon masters of it . our great officers consulted how they might confer with d. john of austria , and it was proposed that the marquess serra should go out in the habit of a peasant ; which he refused , saying he would do it like a gentleman with his sword in his hand . it was agreed he should set out with chosen horse . by the way he defeated miquelets , killing of them ; but the french hearing the marquess was gone out , pursued him with horse , which made him hasten to the protection of the cannon of palamos ; upon which the french passed on further . in this town were foot of the marine , with whom the marquess set out again towards the enemy , whom they totally routed , most of the commanders being killed or taken ; and so the marquess came victorious to barcelona . irish having seized the castle of ostalric , had agreed for a sum of money to sell it to the french ; but an ensign of theirs prevailed with them to receive the same sum from the town , and depart ; which was accordingly done . the other irish who served in catalonia , offended at this perfidiousness of their country men , posted them as traitors , challenging them to fight either man to man , or in such numbers , with such weapons , and in such place as they should make choice of . this done , they all took an oath of fidelity to the king of spain . his majesty rewarded the ensign that induced the irish not to betray the castle , with a company of spanish foot effective , and crowns extraordinary above his pay , and crowns ready money : those four that assisted him had their pay advanced . the miquelets siding with the french , ranging the mountains in parties , made great havock of all the country-towns that continued loyal to his majesty : among these , ripol held out a month's siege , till monsieur de tilli coming with french foot and horse , they were so streightned that they surrendered upon honourable conditions , which were signed , as is usual , on both sides . as the french and miquelets entred the town , one sagarra a catalonian lawyer said , there were no articles to be allowed betwixt the king and his subjects , as if ripol had belonged to france . upon which , the soldiers fell to plundering without sparing the churches , or refraining from the ravishment of women . our frontiers upon portugal being of so great a length , it was impossible to prevent the enemy making some incursions , which tho' they were not of any great moment , the duke of s. german ; who commanded on that side , resolved to revenge : to this purpose he ordered the commissary-general d. christopher de bustamante , to march with horse to a place appointed near aronches , where the lieutenant-general of horse , d. gregory ortiz de ibarra , and the earl of amarantes , were to join him with horse more , and then to send out some parties towards the town , to endeavour to draw out the enemy's horse , which was about strong . the commissary general being come as far as s. vinoent , heard the trumpets sound , and found that the horse of aronches having taken a prey in sight of valencia , were upon their return home , drawn up in squadrons . he fell upon and put them to the rout , taking prisoners , and killing all their captains , except taken , with most of the other officers . this done , he stayed all night at valencia without going on to aronches , as was ordered . next morning the lieutenant-generals came before aronches , where a party sent by the commissary acquainted them how the enemy's horse had been defeated . upon which , he directed their march towards albuquerque , and towards noon discovered about horse and foot of the enemy , who endeavoured to cut off their retreat , placing their foot among certain old walls , and drawing up their horse in squadrons , as ours did in . our troops charged , and broke the enemy's vanguard ; then the two bodies advanced , and after a fierce dispute , the portugueses were totally defeated . only two squadrons stood under the shelter of their foot , which did us much harm when we charged them . under that covert the enemy rallied again but offered not to stir from their musqueteers , and so our horse marched away towards campo major . of the enemy d. andrew de albuquerque ; general of horse , and a french commissary-general , captains of horse , with many other officers and soldiers , were killed , and above wounded . on our side was lost the count de amarantes , lieutenant-general of horse , captains , soldiers , and horses , besides the wounded . this year the earl of on̄ate came to court from his government of naples , where he gained much honour in settling of that kingdom . he took great care to send timely supplies to milan , flanders , and catalonia . he also sent statues of marble , brass , and other metal , for the king's gardens , was himself graciously received by his majesty , and sworn councellor of state. the french , to open themselves a way to aragon and catalonia , laid siege to the citadel of casticon in the valley of aran. this valley lies between aragon , catalonia , and the province of gascoigne in france , and on the other side the pyrenean hills . it is about leagues in length , and in breadth , has passes into spain , about valleys , and towns , castles , and towers . the chief strength of the valley is in the castle of castiçon , where lay men , whose commander is governour of all the valley . the reason why there are so many towers , is the continual wars with france . to this place the french laid siege . the garrison defended the place with much bravery , till colonel poul de parada coming to their relief , the enemy drew off with such precipitation , that they left many of their arms about the mountains . parada having relieved and supplied the castle , returned to the army . the marquess of caraçena having forced the french out of the dutchy of milan , lay at querriola in piedmont to observe the motion of the french general grance , who had taken the command of that army , having recruited it with above men. grance marched towards aste , and the marquess into montferrat , designing to pass the river tanar , and so to cover the dukedom . being come to roqueta de tanar on the d of september , he staid there two hours for boats to make a bridge . mean while he sent a company of musqueteers over the ford to discover the enemy , because he had no certain advice of their march. soon after came a man who brought intelligence the french were at aste , and intended to muster at bersa . mean while the boats coming , the marquess laid a bridge , which the foot began to pass , the horse at the same time fording . as they began to pass , a country-man brought word that the enemy marched towards anon , and immediately appeared a company sent to discover , retiring before a body of the french , after which followed their whole army , with a resolution to attack the marquess . he considering that so many were passed that he could not avoid fighting , hastned those that were behind , and posted himself in a place where the river fetches a compass in form of the letter c. in the narrow of it he drew up his men , placing regiments on a rising ground on the left , and as many on the right , which be cause it was not so advantageous a post as the other , he fortified the best the time would permit . it being impossible by reason of the river to attack him any way but in the front , he drew up the foot before the horse : this done , he advanced himself to view the enemy , whom he discovered ranging his battel about a cannon-shot from him ; and leaving two companies to advertise him of their motion , he returned to the army . he was scarce come to it , when he perceived the two companies retire , the enemy advancing with all speed to attack him . three charges the enemy gave upon the right and left wing , but the fiercest on the right , as being the weakest ; but our foot behaved themselves with such bravery , that grance was forced to retire , having about men killed or wounded , besides the prisoners taken . next day the enemy marched away towards montferrat , the marquess , tho' inferior to him in number , keeping close after him . several days passed in this manner , and the marquess perceiving grance's design was to get quarters in the rich country up the upper novara , he prevented him only by two hours . the floods now rising , gave them a good pretence to retire out of the country , and were a convenient excuse for us to suffer them so to do without molestation . christina queen of sweden , who inherited her father the great gustavus adolphus's kingdom and his wars , sent this year an ambassador to the court of spain , to settle peace and commerce between the two crowns . he was favourably received , and having concluded the business he came about to his satisfaction , returned home to give an account of his negociation . soon after , king philip to make his peace the more firm and permanent , sent d. antony pimentel y prado his ambassador to the court of sweden , where he was received and entertained with all the honours due to his character . in england the usurper oliver cromwell this year settled the council of state : next he made war upon the hollanders . then he marched into london with his army , formed a house of commons to his own mind , and was at last declared protector of the commonwealth of england , wanting nothing but the title of king , which he also aspired to . his wonderful fortune had raised him to that pitch , that all princes sought his friendship , and were jealous of his power . anno . now was the pantheon at the escurial , designed for the burial of the kings of spain , and began by king philip ii. finished by king philip iv. all things being prepared with magnificence for the ceremony of translating the bodies , on the th of march king philip , attended by a great number of the nobility and prelates , repaired thither to be present at the solemnity . each body was carried by noblemen , and of the religious of that house , and were those of the emperor charles v. and his empress , king philip ii. and his queen , philip iii. and his queen , and queen elizabeth of bourbon , who had been wife to philip iv. then reigning . the french passing the mountains , entred the county of pucerdan , and laid siege to the city of that name , a strong and populous place , and at that time well provided . there they understood that our horse had blocked up roses , in order to besiege it , hereupon they rose , and in days came to lampurdan , which is usually days march of our horse , and foot lay at this place . upon the approach of the enemy our foot retired , but the horse stood upon their guard. the enemy's vanguard , consisting of horse , charged them , and were so well received , that they retired with loss ; but their main body coming up , our men drew off in good order . at the same time foot and some horse were coming from girona ; but perceiving the french went into roses , they turned back . the queen's regiment , consisting of foot , and a body of horse , came now out of france to recruit their army , and entred by the way of cabsir , which is opposite to cerdagne . d. thomas ban̄uales , a catalonian gentleman , having notice of their coming , gathered of the country-people , and giving d. peter valencuela an account of his design , marched to meet them . d. peter followed them with men , and finding the catalonians already engaged , so encouraged them and dismayed the enemy , that the queen's regiment was broke , and above of them taken , as was most of the horse , and all their baggage , which the french affirmed to be worth ducats , there being a great quantity of merchan dize . king philip being well satisfied of the great abilities of d. john francisco de montemoyor y cuenca , and being sensible of the great losses the island hispaniola has always sustained by pirates , constituted him governor and captain-general of that island , that with his conduct he might redress those evils . he perceiving the island of tortuga was their chief resuge , fitted out a fleet for the reducing of it . at monte christi they met french ships come from tortuga , which being hard chased ran ashore , where two of them were taken , and the other cast away . the fleet holding on its voyage , on the th of january came to tortuga , and landed the forces at a creek beyond the fort. they marched forwards , and possessed themselves of some hills that commanded the fort , which were vigorously defended by the enemy . on the th the fleet drew near to cannonade the fort. monsieur de la fontain was governor of the island for the french , he being summoned to surrender , answered , he would die rather than betray his trust : yet seeing pieces of cannon mounted , and all hopes of relief cut off , he capitulated . on the th of january about men , women , and children came out of the fort , and were shipped for their plantations , our men at the same time taking possession . this was the common resuge of the pyrates , whence they went out to rob all those seas : in the castle were found pieces of cannon . many indian slaves taken by the enemy in the year were set at liberty . two ships , one small frigot and other lesser vessels were taken : after the reducing of the fort , another vessel laden with salt , not knowing what had hapned , came into the harbour and was seized . the salt was divided among the owners of the flocks of basaha to salt meat for the garrison , in which were left spaniards , and some irish . ferdinand king of the romans and of hungary , and bohemia , son to the emperor ferdinand iii died at vienna upon the th of july of the small pox : leopold of austria his brother succeeded him in the kingdoms of hungary and bohemia , and afterwards in the empire which he still enjoys . the duke of bragança ( king of portugal ) pressed the pope to fill up the vacant sees of that kingdom , there being then but one bishop in all portugal . but the pope refused , saying , the nomination of those bishops belonged to the king , and that he knew no other king of portugal , but king philip. nevertheless the duke did not desist from prosecuting his suit. his majesty made the marquesses of leganes and almacan grandees of spain and of his bedchamber . the prince of astillano son to the duke of medina de las torres married the daughter of the marquess de villanueva del rio , and grandchild to the duke of alva . upon the last day of novembet hapned a great fire in the house of the duke of uzeda , then inhabited by the favourite d. luis de haro . on the d of june the prince of conti came to pergignan , the capital city of rousillon and cerdagne , and there as governor of that province took the usual oath to the king of france , on the th he laid siege to ville-franche , and after days it was surrendred to him . there he staid till the th of july , when monsieur marin lieutenant general of foot joined him ; and having mustered their forces , and in vain attempted lampurdan , the prince of conti marched to s. george , and the other forces to the towns along the river ter. the prince sent foot to perpignan , and foot and horse to roses : then he marched with horse to puçerdan . d. joseph margarit and the duke of candale at the same time directing their course to zardan̄a with the rest of the army by the way of ban̄●las : on the top of mount ribas these commanders leading horse , and foot , were set upon by our forces , which tho much inferior in numbers , killed and took of their foot , and horse the prince of conti by the way of villafranca , and colde perra went to hibra , expecting there pieces of cannon that were at caragut , a town of the french , leagues up the country . f. peter de valencuela of the order of s. john , general of the artillery of puçerdan , having intelligence that of the enemies foot , and horse lay at lapsirt , put garrisons into villar and other places in the way to conflans . french horse , and foot marching towards conflans , and plundring the open towns , upon their return were set upon by captain francis rodriguez , who killed the french commander , and took many horses and mules loaden with the booty . valençuela the governor , sent colonel john baptista cataneo a milonese with foot , and horse to nail the pieces of cannon that lay at caragut : he set out the th of september at night , lay in a wood all the next day , and marched again at night ; so that on the th by break of day , they surprized foot and horse that guarded the cannon : they burnt the houses where any opposition was made , took the marquess of virague , general of artillery , and his lieutenant , nailed the pieces , carried away mules belonging to the train , and retired in time , knowing that horse and as many foot were coming upon them : this made them march over the tops of the mountains , whence they could discover the enemy , and so returned safe to puçerdan . d. john of austria advanced with his army as far as vique , but the great snows obliged him to return to barcelona , leaving regiments at vique , who defended that place with incredible bravery . both parties being by stress of weather forced into winter quarters , the season seemed to have made a cessation of arms betwixt them . the french threatning some extraordinary action the next spring , his majesty made mighty preparations to oppose them , drawing together forces from all parts , and laying up great magazines of provisions and ammunition . the duke of lorrain who being outed his dominions by the french , had retired to flanders and served there with great reputation , was of late grown very slack in the service , and no less burdensome to the country , of his friends , than that of his enemy . for this reason it was thought fit to remove him from his command ; yet so as it might seem done rather to honour than offend him . the count de garces was apppointed to manage this affair with the duke , and performed it with singular dexterity , conducting him first to antwerp , and thence sending him to spain , where he was received and entertained in the castle of toledo with all princely grandeur and magnificence . this most splendid entertainment was the cause that many could not see into the true cause of his removal ; but the sharpest sighted believed he held correspondence with france , in order to be restored to his dominions . in england d. pantaleon de say meneses brother to the earl of penaguiao , envoy from the king of portugal , having affronted and wounded a gentleman in the exchange in london , he and some other porugueses with him , were by other gentlemen coming in , turned out of the exchange . this disgrace he so hainously resented , that the next night he came to the exchange with about others , all armed with swords and pistols , and coats of mail , where they killed one gentleman , and raised great tumults ; which done , by the favour of the night they got to the envoy's house . next day d. pantaleon and some others were apprehended , and he being brought to his trial , was condemned to be hanged , which sentence after very great intercession made , was changed to beheading , and he accordingly executed . oliver cromwell the protector sent out two squadrons , one to the streights , and the other to the west indies , in both which places he did much harm to the french. pope innocent x. about the beginning of september was taken sick of a violent flux , which never left him till he died on the th of january following , which was the year . the archbishop of paris , who had been a prisoner in france two years , as if he had foreseen the death of the pope , made his escape to s. sebastian in biscay , whence he made his way to rome , and was there favourably received by the pope , had the cardinals cap given him by his own hand , and a present of crowns in gold : thus of a prisoner he came to be a cardinal , and to have a vote in the election of the ensuing pope . before the pope , died at rome peter mazarine father to the cardinal of that name , ambassador from the most christian king , and was buried with the honours due to a duke and peer of france , the patent having been sent to him just before . the duke of guise who ( as was said in the year more at large ) was prisoner in spain on account of the troubles by him raised at naples , having at length in compliance to many princes who made suit for his liberty , been enlarged , taking a solemn oath never to bear arms against spain , returned to france . there , after kissing the kings hand , he asked leave ( without regard to his oath ) to fit out a fleet upon his own proper cost , and charges to be a terror to all the dominions of the spaniards in italy . the king easily granted his request and promised to assist him with some of his men of war. he went away to marseilles , and there gave orders for the fitting out of this squadron at toulon , whis was performed with such expedition , that by the middle of october it was in a readiness to sail . it consisted of great ships , galleys and other small vessels well manned , and stored with all necessaries ; the duke himself commanding in person . about the beginning of november the fleet hoised sail , and came in sight of sardinia , but was by the weather drove to cape polo , in the island of corsica . the earl of lemos gave notice of it to the viceroy of naples : the weather clearing up , the duke of guise scoured all the coast of naples , till the wind again carried him to sicily , to the island-fabiana near trepano , where he took head of great cattle , of small , barrels of tunny fish , and all the fishing tackle . hereupon the duke del infantado viceroy of sicily sailing close under the shore , in a gally , got into trepano to encourage the people . the enemy by stress of weather was drove to the channel of malta , whence they were forced by the cannon of that place , and entred the gulph of venice , and came before castelamar . the viceroy of naples understanding that the french were plying upon the coast so that no body could judge of their design , sent some forces with cannon to bain and puzol to secure those places . at the same time he sent out galleys to observe the enemy , but a sudden storm arising , forced them back not without great danger of being cast away . two expresses came to the viceroy , one from lieutenant general amadee , to acquaint him he had been summoned by a trumpet from the duke of guise , and had answered , he would defend that place to the last . the other brought the same news from the earl of chelano . tho' it was thought unlikely that the enemy would attempt any thing against castelamar ; both because it was an open town , not fit for them to keep , as also for that there were then in it foot and two troops of horse , besides a great number of gentlemen and other people fit to bear arms , yet the viceroy sent thither troops of horse , spanish foot , and near reformed officers , a good quantity of ammunition and pieces of cannon : besides he sent a gally with supplies thither by sea , and ordered general frangipani then at salerno to march with all expedition to castelamar . but scarce had the duke of guise received the answer sent him by the lieutenant general amadee , when he landed his men , which done , he began from from the fleet furiously to cannonade the town , those that were landed at the same time assaulting it in three places . it was night , and the foot of the regiment of calabria perceiving a great number of french come down the mountain , fled : the governor thus forsaken , capitulated . the troops sent by the viceroy came after the surrender , and the gally could not get in , the place being surrounded by the enemies fleet. having taken the town , the french plundered it , shipping all the booty , which the duke of guise afterwards excused , saying , it was done without his orders . the viceroy not knowing the place was taken , had ordered general charles de la gata to march thither with all the force he could from sessa . as soon as the news of the surrender was brought , the nobillity and commonalty of naples offered the viceroy to serve his majesty with their lives ; so that a good army was formed of only private persons . the duke of guise landing with horse , was met by spanish foot , and troops of horse , who obliged him to retire with some loss . he cut over another way towards the tower of annunciada , and meeting there with another party , was in like manner repulsed , and forced to fly . another party of french was routed upon the mountain at gragnano : all the rest of the forces drew off , of them delivered themselves up to general charles de gata , and declared that had been killed . the night of the th , the fleet was in a great storm , which drove a ship of guns ashore at castelamar , where she was lost with tartans ; so that nothing succeeding , they abandoned the city ; but as they went aboard , captain matelle fell upon them and made a great slaughter . they sailed in great danger , the ships being much shattered by the shot of our galleys , and to crown their misfortune , a ship in which were men , stuck upon the rock of montaragone , and others laden with ammunition , were drove upon that shore . this was the success of the duke of guise his expedition . the venetians now made great levies , the turks army that lay before candia , having received fresh supplies of men and money from constantinople . the king of france his coffers being exhausted with continual wars , sold the territory of fera , and marquisate of neste to cardinal mazarine for millions of livers , and made the marquess de normentiers mareschal of france for . cardinal mazarine reformed a great number of army officers , whereupon many of them being discontented , went over to the prince of conde . tho' so sparing of the king's money , with his own or rather the king 's , he bought the dukedoms of humene , nivers and rhetel of the duke of mantua , and thus became one of the greatest subjects in france . casimir king of poland fought a bloody battle with the muscovites , tartars and cossacks , and was overthrown , yet he soon gathered a numerous army to make head anew against the enemy , who were said to be men. on friday the th of may died margaret dutchess of mantua grandchild to king philip ii. at miranda de ebro , being on her way to italy . after the death of the duke of mantua her husband , king philip the iv. brought her to his court , and having there nobly entertained her , made her governess of portugal , and all the dominions depending on that crown , which office she executed with great wisdom and general satisfaction till the revolt of that kingdom . her body was deposited in the royal monastery of huelgas at burgos , and her obsequies performed in the royal monastery of the discalced nuns . this year the portugueses committed a perfidious act of barbarity : their governor of the castle of salvatierra , for that town tho' it be in estermadura was then in their hands , articled to surrender that place to our forces . to this purpose the general repaired thither from badajoz with horse , and sent before of his best men to take possession . they being admitted , were made prisoners , and their brains beaten out with an iron bar. the officer that commanded them was torn to pieces at the mouth of a gun : our forces understanding this treachery retired , as also because they were informed that musquetiers lay in every house of the street that leads to the castle . anno . tetuan a strong city on the coast of barbary not far from ceuta , was distressed by the moor geilan . the governor implored the assistance of benbucar , who finding it difficult to relieve the place by force , made the governor and geian friends , and put his own brother called benbucar the younger , governor into that city . the moor desiring to do something remarkable , marched thence to ceuta thinking to surprize it , or at lest to cut off such as were abroad in the country , knowing the inhabitants used to go out for water , and to cut wood in the forrests of tetuan . the marquess de los arcos famous in flanders and catalonia , by the name of count tenorio , was then governor of ceuta , who understanding benbucar was coming to besiege him , drew out his force which amounted not to above men into the trenches . benbucar perceiving he was discovered , drew up in bodies , and attacked the trenches ; but after giving assaults which lasted hours , was glad to retire , leaving dead men , besides the wounded . this action hapned on the th of june . peace and friendship seemed to be well established betwixt this crown and england . to make it the more firm , his majesty , ordered the marquess de leite admiral of flanders , and governor of dunkirk to go over with the charcter of ambassador extraordinary to oliver cromwell then protector . he made a stately publick entry , was honouraby received , and entertained at the charge of the protector for days , after which he resided at the house of the ambassador in ordinary d. alonso de cardenas , till his return to flanders . notwithstanding all these exterior demonstrations , our jealousies ceased not , the protector having sent out two great squadrons : one commanded by admiral pen , and consisting of sail , steered away to the ocean , upon pretence of suppressing of pyrates . the other of sail under blake went for the streights . that squadron under pen being come to barbadoes , met there sail of french and dutch , all which he took . then joining of those ships to his own fleet , he put to sea again , none being able to guess at his design . upon the th of april , this fleet appeared before the port of santo domingo in the island hispaniola , at whose sight d. bernardin de meneses earl of penalva , governor and captain general of the island , gave the alarm , and gathered all the forces . perceiving the fleet to divide it self into two squadrons , one plying to windward , and the other sailing to the leeward , he sent a company to xaina , where they might land , and some foot with cannon and ammunition to the castle of s. hierome . and seeing the squadron to the leeward make the land , he sent a reinforcement to xaina , and threw up some trenches . he also sent men to caucedo , which lay to windward , and where there was only a creek to land , all the rest of the coast being high and rocky . upon sunday the th of april , the enemy landed men on the side of nisao , leagues from the city ; therefore orders were sent to captain damian del castillo who was at xaina , with what forces he could , to hinder the approach of the enemy , laying ambushes and cutting them off collonel john morfa was commanded to second castillo , and to endeavour to take some prisoner , of whom they might have intelligence . both these commanders obeyed their orders , leaving captain alonso garavito at xaina , where the enemy landed another regiment of foot , which joining those before ashore made up above men , who all giving one volley marched towards the city then strengthened by supplies come from several places . a prisoner taken gave an account that fleet was sent by oliver cromwell , and brought betwixt and men to subdue that island , and thence to pass over to jamaica , cuba , cartagena and other places . he further said the fleet would not enter the port till the english colours were set upon the walls , for fear of the new platform of pieces of cannon , all things being disposed for the defence of the city , men were sent towards xaina , to cut off the enemy in ambuscades ; but they not appearing , our men retired to the walls next the plain . fresh advice being brought of the approach of the english , of our foot lay close about the foot of the mountain , which is very rough and uncouth . these behaved themselves so well that they obliged all the enemies army to retire , because they sustained great loss from the fort s. hierome , elmatadero , fort grande , and the wall , all which commanded the plain . the english retired to the mouth of xaina , leaving behind them provision , ammunition and arms. next day all the fleet came up , and cannonaded the city , and castle , and of them came to an anchor at traquia , whence they continued their fire against the city ; but they received so much harm from thence , that they were glad to stand out again . on the th of aprill of our men went abroad to discover , and laid several ambushes , then advice being brought by a spie that the enemy advanced , they were so hotly received , that they were again driven back to xiana . on the th of may the enemy marched the way of esperilla , and falling into one of our ambuscades , lost men , and retired , leaving behind their arms , baggage , colours , sealing ladders and drums . having lost many men , and many more wounded , on the th of may the whole fleet sailed away , and our people went to give god thanks for their deliverance . our council of the indies spent the time in debating how to oppose this squadron , and daily sent out vessels to get intelligence of their designs , who brought no other account but what their own fear suggested . one of these belonging to the count de molina returning to cadiz , took a moorish setie with men in her , and brought her in . another of the duke of medina celi made up to a french ship , who believing she came to trade , suffered the men to come aboard , and they presently made themselves masters of the ship , which was valued at ducats . the royal galley being bound for carthagena to load powder , by the way took a turkish man of war , and brought him into that port. mean while the city of sevil upon its own charge in the space of days fitted out a fleet of sail , carrying brass guns , and of iron , and men as well mariners as land soldiers , including voluntiers . d. paul contreras was admiral , who set sail on the th of august , to secure our plate fleet. on the th they discovered the english fleet consisting of sail , who were to the windward , and after plying in sight for some time , stood away to the northward . the galleons being in number , thinking the english had been gone off the coast , adventured towards cadiz ; but were met by captain stainer with ships , who took of them , sunk , forced ashore and and the other got into the harbour . his majesty offended at the treachery of the english , who under colour of friendship , invaded our plantations and lay in wait for our plate , gave orders for making reprizals upon the goods of the english . amaro diaz a portugues by extraction , but born at centa , fled to timez , where he renounced the christian religion and became a mahometan . this done , he turned pyrate , and had the command of a frigat with men. he commonly put up spanish colours when he discovered any ship , which if too strong for him he fled , if inferior he took . among portugueses he feigned himself a catalonian , to the catalonians owned himself a portugues . to the english , italians , dutch and flemmings he said he was a castillian , and to them , that he was of majorca , and had colours of all nations , to put up as occasion served . he scowred the coast of spain under spanish colours , and going ashoar in the disguise of a beggar , discovered where any people were , then came with his moors , and carried them away . at length he grew to that degree of impudence , that on the th of september this year , he came within the mole of malaga , where dutch men of war lay at anchor . he went aboard the admiral , who was the famous ruiter , to whom he feigned himself a merchant of majorca , but as soon as he got aboard and out again , put up turkish colours , in scorn to the hollanders . a light friggat was immediately sent out , which soon came up with him , and after a dispute of half an hour , took him with moors , who being brought to malaga were all sold . the renegado was hanged at the yard-arm , having first obtained leave to consess , which he did with great signs of repentance . among other things he declared , he had taken and made slaves of christians , and was then come to malaga to discover the force of the dutch , and report it in the ports of barbary , where it was seared , they would go to demand the dutch that were captives , without paying their ransom . berga a small town in catalonia seated on a hill , and containing about houses , whose parish church and a small castle , serve instead of a citadel , was taken by the french the last year . d. joseph de pinos governour of vich on the th of september , this year marched thither , with foot and horse , and having summoned the town , which refused to surrender , the next day he scaled and plundered it . then he laid siege to the fort and castle , having received a supply of horse , and after some time spent , the besieged surrendred , not knowing they had relief within hours march of them . all necessaries being put into the fort , and a garrison under the command of captain john de mira , the rest of our troops that night marched away , and came safe to vique . on the th of october , the enemy again layd siege to the place , and having given assaults , were repulsed with the loss of men , which made them begin to work upon a ruin on the west-side . d. joseph de pinos resolving to relieve the place , got together horse , and foot , with which forces he came before the fort at such time , as the enemy having sprung the mine , assaulted and carried the castle , the garrison retiring into the church . the enemy had posted their foot to the number of in the advantageous posts and horse in a plain , surrounded with morasses , and guarded by a chappel , in which were some foot : d. joseph de pinos attacking their foot , drove them from all their posts , and from the castle , making his way to the church . mean while our horse charging that of the french , overthrew and drove them into the town , whether the spaniards pursuing them , most of the foot threw down their arms , and took quarters , as did many of the horse . about french fled to the mountain , and thence to borreda , leaving all their baggage , and men killed or taken . on the th of october , the prince of montesarcho and collonel john salamanques , took las medas and the tower of bagur abandoned by the french , who had nailed the cannon . after the defeat of the french at berga , and the taking of las medas and bagur , with other places in that mountainous country , d. john of austria resolved to reduce solsona . to this effect he caused spanish foot to be landed out of the fleet , which joined with the other forces he had , made up foot and horse , wherewith he sat down before solsona , upon sunday the th of november , and presently sell to work , carrying his trenches up to the wall. during the siege , which lasted days , the townsmen defending themselves with great resolution , several sallies were made , and pushed with much bravery . the besieged expected relief from the prince of conti , but the count de morenville sent to that purpose , finding our forces strongly entrenched , marched off to the country of urgel , to secure the places the french possessed there d. john of austria sent to summon the townsmen , who would not give ear to any conditions , but rather encouraged the french to hold out to the last they seeing all things disposed for an assault , on the th of december capitulated for themselves , excluding the townsmen , and marched out accordingly strong . the town was plundered which enriched our soldiers , who had orders not to kill any catalonian , nor touch churches or monasteries , but of the inhabitants who bore arms , were carried away prisoners to barcelona . after the taking of the town , d. john having put a sufficient garrison into and given orders for fortifying of it , marched with the army to the plains of urgel , to fight the french troops under the count de morenville . on the th of december , the queen was delivered of a princess , who was baptized by the patriarch of the indies . she lived only till the th of the next month. at rome on the th of january this year , the cardinals having according to custom heard the mass of the holy ghost , in s. peter's chappel , went thence to the vatican , and took their cells in the conclave . that afternoon , before the colledge was shut up , it was visited by the ambassadors of foreign princes , barons of rome , and a great number of prelates . on the th of january , the colledge was shut up . after much contention and making of interests , on the th of april cardinal guisi was chosen pope , and called himself alexander the th . immediately all the cardinals made their obeisance to him in the chappel of the colledge , the same they did again in the chappel of sixtus , and the third time in that of s. peter , the new pope sitting on the left side of the altar , whereas others had used to sit in the middle . anno . d. john of austria having received orders from his majesty to go post to flanders , with all possible speed sailed from barcelona on the th of march , with only galleys and of his servants . near majorca they discovered sail , which proved to be turks , by whom they were so closely pursued , that they poured several volleys of small shot into them , killing the marquess serra , and some other persons of note . at last a storm arising in the night , parted them , and the galleys drove almost to the coast of barbary . on the th , they returned to the coast of genoa , and d. john taking post-horses rid away to milan . thence through venice and trent , he passed to inspruch , and crossing germany , came the first day of may to collen . here the prince de isinguien governour of guelders , the next province of his catholick majesties dominions , expected him by order of the count de fuensaldan̄a , with horse to attend him , half of them belonging to his majesty , and the other half to the prince of conde . the count de fuensaldan̄a met d. john at ruremond , with most of the officers of the army , and near lovain the prince of conde . on the th of may , d. john entred brussels , the burgermasters at the gates presenting him the keys ; an the th , he was complimented by all the courts of justice . about the middle of june , d. john set out of brussels to relieve valenciennes , and with him the prince of conde and marquess of caraçena . the french had already gained the ditch of the town , and a half moon , and lay so securely intrenched , that it seemed not practicable to force their lines . but the danger the town was in , and the great consequence of losing it , caused all difficulties to be little regarded . on the th of july , the attack was given with such success , that we forced the line , making a great slaughter of the enemy , taking their baggage , several colours , and many prisoners of note , a list whereof was sent to court. of the enemy were killed , and above wounded . the mareschal de turenne with the forces that lay on the other side , and had not suffered , retired to an advantageous post near quenoy , whether the dispersed troops assembled to him , our army encamping close by , expecting he should decamp , as needs he must very soon for want of forage , when d. john hoped to obtain yet a greater advantage , than he had done at valenciennes . d. alonso de cardenas , who had been years in england , with the character of ambassador , was now at brussels , and by his care and industry , the army was supplied with money and other necessaries to take the field , and subsist there ; for which d. john of austria and the marquess of caraçena returned him due thanks . te deum was sung at madrid , for the relieving of valenciennes one of the consequences whereof , was the surrender of conde , a place of it self strong , and more by a garrison of men , that marched out of it , without the loss of a man on our side . about the same time , certain troops of ours , defeated squadrons of the enemies horse , and in another place , a regiment of lorrainers . the mareschal turenne retired under the cannon of arras , scarce thinking himself secure there , his army which consisted of men at the beginning of the siege of valenciennes , being reduced to only foot besides the horse . our army was at cambray threatning to enter france , that way to draw away turenne , but things fell not out as was expected . turenne with horse and some foot , drawn out of garrisons , marched towards s. venant , thinking to surprize that place . the governour having timely notice , had drawn together men from other garrisons for his security , so that turenne having given four assaults , in which he lost men , and had above wounded , returned to arras , leaving two pieces of cannon behind him . this is what turenne did after his retreat from valenciennes . the news of the surrender of conde , was joyfully received at court , it was delivered upon the th of august . to the intent the garrison which was above strong , might not joyn turenne ; according to articles , they were conducted leagues about . d. john of austria to prosecute his good fortune , laid siege to the strong fort of s. gillain , and at the same time the enemy sate down before la chapelle . it was thought fit to attempt the relief of it , and by that means , the one was lost , and the other not taken . our army being put into winter quarters , the province of flanders consented to the raising of florins for the support of it that winter . anno . to begin the campaign on the th of march , the marquess of caraçena marched towards s. gillain , and on the th , d. john of austria and the prince of conde followed him , the army being there before according to order . the design was to prevent the succours the enemy designed to put into that place , or if that failed , to carry it by main force ; provisions were scarce within , and there was no likelihood of its being relieved for want of forage . on the th the redoubts and a horn-work which covered the sluces were attacked , the inhabitants having already drowned the country about , so that there was no approaching , but along a narrow dike ; however in a little time , our men made themselves masters of all those posts . the th at night we gained the pallisadoes , our men attacking with the water up to their breasts . the d , the garrison capitulated , and on the d , his majestie 's forces took possession of the town , having lain but days before it . the ill success of the french forces , moved them to join with the english , who sent considerable troops to their service , and the most christian king went as far as abeville to view them . turenne at the same time making show , as if he intended to march that way . in his army were foot , and horse , with which on a sudden , he turned and marched fifteen leagues to cambray , without halting more than an hour or two to refresh his men. at four of the clock in the morning on the th day of may , his horse invested the place , and at eleven , the foot took their posts before it , pushing on the works with great vigour . that same day the news was carried to brussels . the place was ill provided , having in it only the ordinary garrison ; and it being very difficult to assemble our army for want of time , which put our generals to a non-plus . but the prince of conde who had before receiv'd orders to go to valenciennes , whence he might cover cambray , bouchain̄ , and doway , an express coming to him now , from d. john , and another from the governour of cambray , immediately marched to bouchain . here having ordered the men and horses to refresh themselves , a council of war was held , in which it was agreed on all hands , that if horse were ●ent to cambray , could not get in , which would be of no moment ; the prince of conde resolved at all hazards himself to attempt the relief . at at night he set out from bouchain , and at came to the line which had been hastily thrown up . here he drew up his men , and ordering the governour of bouchain to make a false attack at a place far distant , and upon pain of death , forbidding any man to fire pistol , or take prisoner , at one of the clock he assaulted the mareschal de turenne's quarters , and by two , was in the town with horse , whence he sent to acquaint d. john with his success . had this relief been delayed but hours , it had been difficult to effect it without a great army , and at that time there were but men in the place , which requires to make a defence . the enemy immediately drew off , and encamped a league and a half off , between cambray and chastelet . next day d. john went to mons in order to meet the prince of conde , and consult about the further operations of the campagne . the french having quitted their design upon cambray , marched and layd siege to montmidy in the province of luxemburg , a place with much difficulty to be succoured by us , because of the barrenness of the country , and want of forage , and where they might easily subsist , being supplied from lorrain . on the th of june , the mareschal de la ferte invested this place , which was bravely maintained by the garrison , consisting of men , without losing a foot of ground till the d of july . relief was designed , but failed , and the place was at length delivered up to the french. in february this year ; the most christian king , voluntarily caused the cittadel of turin , to be delivered up to the dutchess of savoy . soon after the differences betwixt the catholick king and duke of mantua , being reconciled by the emperor ferdinand the d , upon condition the duke should admit a garrison of germans into cazal , to be paid by the king of spain ; the king of france grew so jealous , that this might be destructive to his designs upon italy , that he again attempted to recover the cittadel of turin , he had so generously delivered . this design was managed in the night , by way of escalade ; but so unfortunately , that the french were forced to desist , after losing men this year the plague raged at naples in so extraordinary a manner , that persons are said to have died of it . mighty alms were given , and publick examples of penance made to appease the wrath of heaven ; and the pestilence at last ceasing , it is reported , above couple were married in a very short space . this contagion extending to the city of rome , his holiness forbid all great assemblies of people , even in the churches , and on all other accounts , and to prevent any mighty concourse , received the hacaney at the hands of the spanish ambassador , the duke of tursis in private . on the d of april died ferdinand the d , emperor of the romans at vienna , in the th year of his age , and the th of his reign . on the th of february this year , the prodigious bell at velilla in aragon , rung out of it self , without the help of man. this bell has been famous in all ages , for its wonderful manner of ringing , a prodigy none could ever dive into , tho' many have said much concerning it ; and this very year was printed at madrid , a particular description of its wonders . the duke of lorrain who ( as has been said ) was kept at toledo , as an honourable prisoner , having the liberty of the town and country about for his diversion , had contrived to make his escape ; but his design being discovered , he was privately advertised , it would be in vain to attempt any such matter ; whereupon he desisted and was continued , upon the same foot as before . the french being joined in league , with the dukes of savoy and modena , took the field about the middle of july . the prince of conti was general of the french. duke picolomini of the savoyards , and the duke of modena of his own forces . they entred the state of milan all together , to the number of horse , and foot , with all necessaries to besiege alexandria la palla . upon the th of july they sat down before the town , drew their lines and began their attacks . d. james de rabanal , was governour of the town , who behaved himself with much bravery , making several sallies , in which he killed some number of the enemy , and ruined part of their works . the count de fuensaldan̄a then governour of milan , marched with his army to the relief of alexandria . at the same time the governour of the town , and the forces without , attacked the enemy with singular resolution , but the enemies horse coming down , obliged the count to retire . the count intrenched , and regularly made his approaches to the enemies works , and being come within paces of them , they not able to withstand the enemy , both in front and rear , sent their baggage over the river tanor ; and drew off themselves in the night to aste . the great master of malta died on the th of august , after having for many years performed noble actions in his continual wars with the turks . on the th , the order elected d. martin de redin then viceroy of sicily , great master . he was the th spaniard that arrived to that honour , two of the former were portugueses , the other an aragonian . and this a navarrois . king philip desiring wholly at once , to cut off the bringing in of contraband goods , forbid by several former proclamations , issued another on the th of september , by which all licences before granted , for importing of such goods are declared void , tho' the time by the said licences prefixed , were not expired . and for the better preventing any under-hand trade for the future , absolutely forbid the wearing of cloath of gold , or silver , all laces of gold , silver , or counterfeit , pearls and jewels ; whether true or false , allowing only of plate buttons . always excepting the service of churches , and the persons of such , as are actually in military employments . about the beginning of this year , two ships failed from majorca , and performed many notable exploits which merit the remembrance . first they gave chace to the admiral of argiers , forcing him to retire for safety , under the cannon of goleta . thence they stood over to the coast of france , where they plyed a long time , before the harbour of marseilles , obstructing all the trade of that port. two french masters of seties , attempting to get in , were taken , and the prize valued at pieces of eight . sailing towards cyprus . they met a vessel of malaga , and another of sardinia , with whom they joined . on the th of april they discovered a great ship on the coast of cyprus , which they took after a fight of four hours . it was loaded with flax and cotton , and esteem'd worth pieces of eight . then standing towards tunez near s. john of acre , they took a smal vessel of the moors , which they call a saique , laden with rice , and having divided it among the four ships , sunk the vessel . near alexandria they took a french setie laden with flax and hides , worth pieces of eight here they discovered an english and a french man of war , both which to shun them ran aground , the men getting ashoar , the ships were fired by our men. near the island lampadosa , they had a sharp engagement with an english ship , which being totally disabled , and no hope of escaping left , blew it self up . after this , on the coast of barbary , they took an english ship worth crowns , which defended it self with great bravery . about the same place , they had so furious an engagement with a turkish ship , that one of ours had been lost , if not relieved in time : the turk was so battered she sunk downright ; only of her men being saved , and about drowned . not far from candia they took an english merchant ship valued at crowns . about the far of messina after a bloody fight , they made themselves masters of a privateer , belonging to certain french knights of malta , but the great master demanding them , they were delivered to him . in their return homewards , they met an english ship from portugal , loaden with spice , which they possessed themselves of , and it was esteemed at ducats . lastly , on the coast of tunez , they drove ashoar a turkish pyrate , the men saving themselves upon land. after they were in port at majorca , they discovered at sea , a turk giving chase to a vessel , which laboured to get under the cannon of dur forts , but in vain ; whereupon the biggest of the four ships , put to sea again , and rescued the ship , which they found to be a hamburgher , carrying presents from king philip , to the king of hungary , and several prelates and other passengers to rome . on wednesday the th of november the queen was delivered of a prince ; he was baptized on the th of december by baltasar de moscoso , cradinal and archbishop of toledo , and called philip prosper . about the beginning of april this year , blake the english admiral lying upon the coast of spain , had intelligence that the spanish west-india fleet was put into the bay of santa cruz , in the island of teneriff , one of the canaries : on the th he set sail towards them , and upon the th discovered them in the haven , drawn up in a half-moon , and well guarded . at the mouth of the harbour is a strong castle , with many pieces of cannon to secure the entrance , and round the bay small forts , with or guns each , besides the lines of communication between them lined with musqueteers . d. james diagues the spanish admiral , had moored the lesser ships , being in number , close under the shoar , great galeons lying farther out at anchor , with their broad sides towards the sea. the master of a dutch merchant-ship that lay in the bay perceiving there would be mischief , and fearing to partake of it , asked leave of d. james to depart ; who answered him , do you go if you will , and let blake come if he dares . blake sent in a squadron under captain stainer , who not regarding the forts fell in suriously upon the ships ; but blake soon following , placed some ships to cannonade the forts , which they did so effectually , that the defendants were forced to abandon them , and himself with the rest of the fleet joined captain stainer . after some hours fight , the spaniards abandoned the ships , as the others had done the forts , and blake seeing no possibility of carrying them off , burnt them all except two , which sunk so deep that nothing but the tops of the masts appeared above water . this done , blake sailed out without losing a ship , and returned to his former post at cadiz . to conclude this year 's campagne , the mareschal de turenne being joined by the english forces , laid siege to s. venant , where the english having by main force taken a half-moon , the town soon surrendered . hence they removed before mardyke , and having by continual battery drove the defendants out of the wooden fort , the town was delivered the d of september upon discretion . the fort was put into the hands of the english , some french being joined with them . d. john of austria considering how great a check that place was upon the garrison of dunkirk , resolved to attempt the recovery of it by escalado in the night . on the d of october english , scots , and irish , with some spaniards , commanded by the duke of york and marquess of caraçena , in the dead of night gave the assault , and having passed the ditch laid their scaling-ladders to the wall ; but the english within being in a readiness to receive them , and the guns from the fleet siercely firing being directed by torches set upon the angles of the fort , the assailants were repulsed with great loss . nevertheless , about of the clock the assault was renewned with greater fury , but no better success . day approaching , they retreated , carrying off the dead in carts , so that the number was not known . anno . the mareschal de turenne , with the french and english forces , laid siege to dunkirk , which extreamly alarmed d. john of austria , considering the great importance of that place , and therefore he resolved at any rate to relieve it . mean while the enemy carried on their works vigorously , and had advanced their trenches to the counterscarp of the place ; so that if the relief was delayed , the place must of necessity fall into the hands of the enemy . d. john therefore having drained his garrisons to make up an army of men , marched with all possible speed through furnes , and encamped on the sandy hills about a mile and half from the enemy . the english and french officers having met in council to consider of removing the spaniards , resolved not to delay it any longer , but give them battel the next morning . a sufficient force being left to keep in the besieged , most of the english were drawn out , and joined with the french horse . d. john kept his men upon the defensive , as having the advantage of the ground ; but the english advanced with all speed , thinking to come in to the butt-end of their musquets , our men pouring in their volleys upon them so hotly , that those first battalions were forced to make a halt ; but a reserve of theirs coming up fresh , they gained the hills , and falling to club-musquet , put the spanish foot to flight . the french horse seeing the success of the english , gave a charge upon our cavalry , who disheartned upon the flight of their infantry , took to their heels , the french furiously pursuing them . above of our men were killed , and taken , besides officers , all the artillery and baggage . the french refused to ransom or exchange the prisoners , because the number of officers being so great , d. john would be at a loss to recruit his army . after this victory , the enemy returned to the siege of dunkirk , where the marquess de lede , governour of the place , making a desperate sally , was killed with a musquet ball. the unfortunate death of the governour so discouraged the garrison , that they immediately capitulated , and having obtained the usual honourable conditions , marched out strong , on the d of june about sick and wounded following them as they recovered . this year was remarkable and fatal for the continual rains and vast floods that ensued , which destroyed multitudes of cattel and many buildings . at sea there were prodigious storms , and a great number of ships cast away . winter being farther advanced , the frost was so severe , it destroyed all plants and great numbers of fruit-trees . this mighty frost gave occasion to charles alonso , called first the palatine of deuxponts , and afterwards king of sweden , to perform the boldest action that ever was attempted by man. this prince , about the end of november , marched his whole army , in which were horse , with all the artillery and baggage over the sea upon ice , from jutland in denmark to the island alsen , and thence to langelandt , which is miles distant from the other . from langelandt he marched still over the ice to laland , thence to falster , and so to zeelandt , the greatest island of denmark , in which is the court of that kingdom at copenhagen . in the spring of this year came to the court of madrid an ambassador of the black king of arda , a heathen . the ambassador's name was abani ; he was received and entertained with all possible grandeur , the design of his coming being to obtain preachers for the introducing the christian religion into that kingdom . twelve capucins were appointed by the king for that mission , and in his letters to that prince he promised if the faith were once settled in his dominions , he would erect seminaries of that nation not only in india , but in spain also , for the education of the youth of arda , who having received holy orders should be sent home to instruct the people . in catalonia the marquess of mortara , viceroy and captain general of that kingdom , understanding the french had laid siege to the castle of canderon , marched from vich with horse and above foot , and encamped not far from canderon , in sight of the enemy , upon a hill. the enemy seeing him , pushed on their attacks , and at the same time in a small plain drew out horse , and about foot , leaving enough to secure their works . joseph de tapia , governour of the castle , having by signs given the viceroy to understand that he could not hold out above two days , his excellency resolved to relieve him . in order to it he sent down d. james gavallero ; with the best part of our forces , to ford the river ter , which runs through the valley on that part opposite to the enemy's right wing . mean while the viceroy himself drew up the rest of his troops , and marched down on the right opposite to the enemy's left wing . d. james took no notice of french that were in a tower that stood in his way , but passing by it , charged the enemy with such bravery , that he obliged them to fly in great disorder . at the same time d. marco alexandro borro fell on upon the other flank , so that he gave them no leisure to succour their wing that gave way . d. james still advancing to the enemy's works , found they kept close within them , and therefore he sent d. alexander morera and d. alonso de villar to dislodge them , who executed it , killing a great number , and taking two pieces of cannon that battered the castle . our foot on the left wing advanced to the regiment of champagne , and put it to the rout . d. james cavallero pursued the flying enemy , thinking to cut off their retreat ; but tho' he took several prisoners , he could not compass his design , the horse being of little use in the mountain . we had not above men killed and wounded . of the enemy a great number was killed , and taken , and among them the marquess of montnegre , general of the horse , his brother , colonels , captains , several colours , and all the baggage . this year a small squadron of privateers sailed from majorca to the westward , under the command of jaime llorens . they scoured all the mediterranean to the streights of gibraltar , taking several prizes of great value , and then failing into the ocean , ran all along the coast of portugal as far as cape finisterre , alarming all those coasts ; but meeting with no booty , they returned into the streights . the duke of s. german had taken olivença from the portugueses , who could not relieve it emanuel de saldana the governour marched out with the garrison , and was prisoner afterwards at lisbon , as not having performed his duty . after this it was proposed to take elvas , a city leagues distant from badajoz , seated on a rising ground , which is all taken up with it and the citadel , there being no other hill near it . it s ancient walls are enclosed within new ones , strengthened with bulwarks , ditches , ravelins , and a covered way ; so that it is accounted one of the strongest places in christendom . d. luis de haro resolved to carry this place by starving it . he encamped before it , and took his quarters near the conduits that carry the water into the city , which were immediately cut off . the town was much straitned for want of provisions , and it was thought might have been taken but that our officers were not unanimous , and envied d. luis de haro the honour of reducing that fortress . discord so prevailed with them , that they suffered the enemy to relieve the place , and so they were forced with disgrace to quit that enterprize . the duke of ossuna . general of the horse in estremadura , understanding that the enemy gathered forces about elvas to break into his province , broke in himself with horse that way , burning the country , and driving a great booty of cattel . the enemy posted themselves with a body of horse and foot on a hill in the duke's way , and he finding it not practicable to attack them there , endeavoured to draw them into the plain , but could not . this moved the duke to march another way , the portugueses keeping still within view , whilst he burnt all the country , and retired without any loss . the duke of s. german , upon the news of the enemy's preparations at elvas , resolved to send the duke with horse to make another incursion higher into the country . on the th of april he set forwards , and the next day was betwixt portalegre and aronches , having all that way burnt the villages , drove the cattel , and cut down the corn. to put a stop to these mischiefs , the enemy , to the number of horse and foot , posted themselves in an advantageous ground , where it was impossible to attack them , by reason of the difficult access to them . the duke seeing they did not offer to molest him , continued his march , and having burnt all for the space of leagues , returned with head of small cattel , of large , and horses and mules . on the th of may the duke of ossuna marched with horse and foot , to take a strong watch-tower within half a league of elvas . having viewed the place , he placed horse in the road to campomayor , to hinder the enemy's retreat on that side , and as many more in the way to elvas . he lay with the rest of the troops betwixt both places , ready to relieve either . men were in the watch-tower , well provided with all things for their defence . our troops beset it at the same time that regiments of foot and squadrons of horse , with pieces of cannon , came out of elvas to relieve those in the tower. the duke having drawn up his horse in the plain , with his foot , assaulted the tower outworks , and carried them , and then began to undermine the tower. mean while the enemy's troops posted themselves among certain old walls , and olive-gardens , playing their cannon thence ; and the duke perceiving they could not be drawn to battel , filed his troops off from the rear and possessed himself of a post a musquet-shot from them . the commander of the tower for fear of being blown up , surrendred upon discretion . the tower and another strong house were blown up ; which done , the enemy retired , and the duke returned with honour to badojoz . the duke of s. german being well assured that the portugueses intended to besiege badajoz , had pressed for succours to enable him to oppose them , but all in vain . he had in the town horse and about foot , and scarce provisions for days , at such time as the enemy approached with an army of foot , and horse . the town was in a manner open , having no defence but an old wall scarce a yard thick , and that in many places ruinous , without ditch , palisade , or any other outwork . all its strength consisted in a fort called s. christopher , on the side next to portugal , but that not fit to make any considerable defence . badajoz stands on the banks of the river guadiana , by which it is divided from portugal , and over which it has a strong stone bridge . the channel is broad and muddy , but not deep , so that at that time , being the th of june , when the enemy appeared it was fordable in several places . john mendez de vasconcelos , who had served well in flanders , was general of the portugueses . their ready way to gain the town without expence had been to find out the fords , which were but weakly guarded , without staying to possess themselves of fort s. christopher . the duke of s. german well knew that the only way to preserve the city was to divert the enemy , but busying him on the otherside in taking the fort , so to gain time . d. ventura de tarragona , general of the artillery , and governour of fort s. christopher , being an enginier , threw up certain redoubts in the valley at paces distance from the covered way , which put a stop to the enemy's course , who had they at first possessed themselves of the valley , they might in two days have lodged themselves on the covered way . fort s. christopher is opposite to the castle of badajoz , and commands it and the city ; but on the side next to portugal is not so high . it s fortification at that time consisted in two bulwarks , and a half bastion very narrow in the neck , all the compass of the fort being so small , that the garrison might easily have been dislodged with only bombs : the ditch was narrow , and but a yard deep , and the palisades were all gone to decay . this was a poor defence against so considerable an army . the duke had before sent for two regiments out of andaluzia , one of spaniards and another of irish , who understanding the danger the place was in , marched leagues in two days without leaving a man behind , and on the d of june they entred badajoz , the spanish regiment , commanded by the marquess de lançarote , consisted of soldiers , besides reformades . the irish , whereof sir walter dungan was colonel , contained men. this succour much encouraged the duke ; but because the men were extreamly harassed with that precipitate march , he caused them immediately to go to rest , resolving the marquess should the next day go into the fort. at midnight the alarm beat ; for the portugueses hearing the two regiments were got into the city , and having made a sufficient breach , decreed immediately to give the assault . john mendez their general chose men for the attack . there was a line of communication from the foot of the bridge to the fort , this was first assaulted and forced , all the defendants being put to the sword. the same hapned at the redoubts and covered way , and the enemy lodged themselves upon the breach . after much debating among our chief officers , at the instance of the marquess lançarote , whose name was d. peter paniagua , it was resolved to send the marquess his major and two captains , whereof one was his eldest son with foot , and two squadrons of horse to the relief of the fort. these men were looked upon as lost , the action was so desperate ; yet tho' their horse forsook them , the enemy's cavalry being bent upon pursuing of them , the foot broke through of the enemy , and got into the fort with the loss of only one reformed captain . d. ventura de tarragona , who commanded in the fort , ordered the major that got in with his men to attack the enemy , who were making their lodgments on the breach and in the redoubts . the major considering it was a rashness for men to assault who were fortified , represented it so to the governour , who still insisting upon his order , the major obeyed . first he drove the enemy from a line whence they did much harm to the fort , and passing on to the redoubts , the major was killed , and of the only remained , whereof one was the marquess's son , who never looked back , tho' struck through the arm with a spear , till d. ventura sent him a positive command to retire . he thought fit to make good the line taken at first , because it commanded the redoubts , and being supplied with fire-arms , he made great havock in the redoubts , where the men standing thick , never a shot was lost . d. ventura acquainted the duke with all that had hapned , affirming the fort was not to be maintained , unless the enemy could be bearen from the breach , and he must be forced to abandon it by break of day , because the breach commanded all the parade , which the enemy had not discovered in the night , but as soon as it was light had all the garrison at their mercy . a council was again called to consider whether the place ought to be relieved , and the marquess d. peter paniagua again prevailed for it , undertaking the action himself with men , reposing more considence in their valour than number . before break of day he was at the foor of the bridge , and attacked the enemies trenches with such resolution , that he himself was the first that entred them . this no way dismayed the portugueses , who tho' they had lost their trenches , confiding in their numbers , being then ten to one of outs made such a furious fight in the redoubts , that the victory was long doubtful . the marquess went from place to place to encourage his men , till he was shot through with a musquet-ball , and striving to rise up , could only recover his knees . captain antony paniagua the marquess's son , at the same time with his father had assaulted the enemy on the other side , and entring the redoubts , came to the place where his father was almost dead , but not overcome . the marquess seeing him come to his assistance , said to him , charge , and mind nothing else . he did so ; and the marquess seeing his men discouraged , said to them , go to badajoz , and carry the news of the death of your officers , for it is satisfaction enough for me to die with them . these words so inflamed the soldiers , that they charged again with such fury , that they put the portugueses to flight , killing of them , and pursued them in hopes to gain the battery . here captain antony paniagua was again wounded in the left arm with a spear , but gave no ground , tho' he lost much blood. perceiving the whole body of the enemy's army coming down upon them , the spaniards retired to make good the posts they had gained , and the portugueses enraged to be so worsted by such a small number , gave three assaults to the redoubts , and were still repulsed with great slaughter . in this attempt they lost men , and the hopes of taking badajoz , which now began to think it self secure . of the castilians were killed , and wounded . the marquess lived but hours after he received the shot , and was buried with great honour . his regiment was given to his son , who had so bravely revenged his death , tho' he was then but eighteen years of age. this ill success rather enraged than discouraged the portugueses ; so they continued their attacks , but to very little purpose : wherefore after having spent days before the place , they drew off their cannon to the body of the army . it was thought they would have quitted the siege ; but they leaving a sufficient force to guard their line on that side guadiana , passed the river , which they ought to have done at first . the siege of fort s. christopher was one of the most remarkable actions that hapned in the years war between castile and portugal . having passed the river , the enemy drew a line leagues in length , enclosing the city , and worked at it months , where they consumed above half their army , consisting , as has been said , of foot , and horse , at the beginning of the siege . this enterprize so alarmed the kingdom , that it obliged the great favourite d. luis de haro to expose himself to the danger of the war. during the siege , the duke of ossuna went out to have intercepted a convoy that was coming to the enemy's camp , but being discovered , retired , dividing his horse into several squadrons , that they might take sundry fords . the portugueses pursued with all their horse and foot , and the duke's guide having missed the ford , he was forced with only horse to face the enemy . in the heat of the action his horse sunk in a bog , and altho' almost stifled himself in the mire , he mounted another horse , and broke the first battalion of the portugueses , receiving two thrusts , which pierced his armour and doublet . one of the enemy's soldiers laid hands on him , whom he killed , and seeing himself and all his horse in danger of being lost , he commanded them to take the river , where of them were drowned . next night he attacked one of the enemy's quarters , killed of them , and brought away horses . on the d of july the enemy attacked fort s. michael with foot sustained by horse . the duke of ossuna drew out his horse , and was ordered with certain platoons of musqueteers to charge the enemy . d. john pacheco , lieutenant-general of horse , led the van , and fell on ; but being over-powered by the portugues horse and foot , was beat back . the duke came on with his troops , and repulsed the enemy , giving time to d. john pacheco to rally his men , and charge again , but was still forced to give way to the multitude . the duke being still at hand in good order , suffered not the enemy to pursue our vanguard when broken , but advancing took the ground where the enemy had stood , which was within pistol-shot of the enemy's battalions , who fired upon him two hours , killing above of his squadron , and above of the others , and yet no man broke his rank . in this posture he continued exposed to the enemy's fire , having his horse killed under him , till the fort being taken , he was ordered to retire . this action lasted hours , with considerable loss on our side , and of above of the enemy , on the th of august of our horse broke through the enemy's line between two forts , the duke of ossuna attacking them in the rear , and the duke of s. german in the front , driving them leagues as far as albuquerque , where they halted . on the d of august the enemy planted a battery of cannon on the hill called cerro del viento , where we had a half-moon palisaded with redoubts and flankers , which would contain foot and horse . upon the th they began to play those pieces , and from fort s. michael , and that day threw above bullets , but without doing any considerable execution . on the th they fired upon fort s. christopher , and blew up the mills ; then they cast bombs into the quarters of s. andrew and the potters . from the th of october the fury of their batteries began to slacken . that very day d. luis de haro set forward from merida with foot and horse ; which the portugueses understanding , drew off so silently in the night , that their march could not be discovered , till morning showed their army on the other side guadiana , and they encamped under the cannon of campo mayor on the th . the same day d. luis de haro entred badajoz . our army passed the river , and followed the enemy to the river gayo , which divides castile and portugal , and so held on to elvas , burning all the country . the defence of badajoz was one of the most glorious actions during the war with portugal , and in which the duke of ossuna gave most signal proofs of his bravery and conduct . anno . the little spuadron of majorca mentioned in the foregoing year , this spring took english ships richly laden from venice , but in the fight with them , jayme llorens admiral of the privatiers had an arm taken off by a cannon ball , of which he soon after died at maloga . two other small squadrons had sailed from majorca to the eastward , who scoured the coasts of africk and archipelago , and brought home prizes . on the th of may a proclamation was published at the court of madrid , for lowering the value of copper money one half . there died the archbishop of besançon , a prince of the empire , and ambassador from the province of burgundy . the spring seemed to threaten great destruction in flanders . the marquess de caraçena governour of flanders , ( d. john of austria being gone to spain ) and the prince of conde prepared to take the field with a powerful army of horse and foot , and the mean while took care to keep in the french garrisons from making incursions towards gaunt , bruges and brussels . most of the horse were in quarters towards germany , to meet the archduke sigismund the new governour of the low countries , who brought with him foot. the marquess de caraçena had taken the field with foot and horse , the prince of conde had foot and horse . in france we had at that time the towns of rocroy hedin , linchen , and chastelet , whose garrisons ranging abroad , gathered contributions of all the country about . in this posture were our affairs when the enemy began to advance with above men. all europe was in suspence , expecting the event of so many treaties and overtures of peace as had been made , and were still delayed and broke off on account of private interest , when at length about the middle of may by consent of both kings of france and spain , a cessation of arms was agreed upon for two months , and expresses sent to all parts to forbid any hostilities during that time . this news was received with general joy an satisfaction , which was increased upon the prolonging the said truce , and assured hope of an ensuing peace . irun a small town in the province of guipuzcoa adjoining to france was the place appointed for to treat . king philip made choice of d. luis mendez de haro a grandee of spain and his majesties prime minister and favourite for his plenipotentiary , and the king of france deputed the cardinal mazarine his first minister to bear the same character on his part. d. luis de haro set forward from madrid about the beginning of july with a princely retinue : before him went led horses , then followed coaches , next , above sumpture mules , all their cloaths embroidered with gold and silver . he was attended by a great number of gentlemen of the bedchamber , all knights of the military orders , pages , as many valets and footmen . all the way d. luis went , he left marks of his grandeur . at burgos he gave ducats to make a silver lamp to hang before the famous crucifix of that city , he gave liberty to the prisoners , relieved many widows and orphans . at vitoria he was nobly entertained by the gentry , and above of them with their servants in rich liveries followed him . at s. sebastian he staid for the cardinal , who was not yet come . on the th of july the cardinal came to bayonne , and on the th to s. jean de luz the last town of france , whence he sent a gentleman to agree with d. luis de haro about the ceremony of their meeting and conferences . besides the many persons of quality that accompanied the plenipotentiaries , each king had sent two able civilians to determine all matters that should be disputable in point of law. sir henry bennet ambassador extraordinary from his majesty of great britain was admitted to the conference , as was also monsieur de leni a gentleman sent by the prince of condè . the king of great britain come through france incognito , and to prevent suspition entred spain by the way of aragon , whence he came through navarre to the conference , and was there attended with all the respect due to his person , being served by the king of spain's immediate servants and officers . the plenipotentiaries sent presents to one another , and d. luis understanding that the cardinal was desirous to see spanish plays , caused a company of actors to come from madrid to satisfie his curiosity . some days were spent in adjusting the place and manner of their meeting . at last it was agreed that a house should be built in a small island that lies in the middle of the river vidasoa which parts spain and france , one half of it was built by the french ; and the other half by the spaniards . on the of august the plenipotentiaries met in this house , where after embracing , and other acts of civility , they sat down , and the conference lasted from noon till half an hour past four , when they parted , appointing the next meeting on the th . on the d of september , when the th conference was held , came thither the duke d' agremont ambassador extraordinary from the most christian king to his catholick majesty . he came to madrid on the th of october : the end of his embassy was , to ask the princess mary teresa in marriage for the king his master . his reception and entertainment were greater and more magnificent than any had ever been before . his stay was short , for having obtained what he came to ask , he returned home richly presented , and satisfied with the success of his negociation . the treaty of the peace went on slowly , but at last it was concluded on the th of november , and an express carried the news of it to madrid . the marriage of the most christian king with the princess , was the bond to make this agreement firm , and lasting . in this treaty king philip had special regard to the restoring of the prince of conde , in regard to the great fidelity wherewith he served spain for many years . hereupon the prince returned to court , was graciously received by the king , and again admitted to his favour . by this treaty also the duke of lorrain was set at liberty , and went over to france . on the th of november between and in the afternoon at velilla de ebro , in the church of s. nicholas seated on a mountain that encompasses the town , a bell was seen to ring of it self without the help of any body . this bell was called mary nicholas , and was cast in the year . the manner of its ringing was , that the clapper moved , and gave , or , or , even to stroaks , sometimes more , sometimes less , on the east-side , and one or two on the west-side ; this by intervals or intermission of about half a minute . the strokes were vigorous , as if guided by a strong arm , and lasted the space of two hours ; many of the townsmen being eyewitnesses to it . in that steeple there are bells , which hang along one side of the wall , in three arched windows . that which is towards zaragoça is the ancient bell so much spoken of by our historians . next to it in the middle hangs another called s. agatha , which has been also heard to ring of it self . and next to it is the last i now speak of . strange and remarkable accidents have happened after this sort of ringing ; which sometimes have proved unfortunate , and other times prosperous . this year the knights of malta took ships of argiers and tunez , of a very great value . a most notable victory was obtained by the poles and brandenburghers , over charles adolphus , the palatine of deuxponts who had lain long at the siege of copenhaguen , the metropolis of the kingdom of denmark . he had men killed , besides a great number of officers . the poles took prisoners , . pieces of cannon , colours , a great quantity of ammunition , and all the baggage . of the victorious army many were killed and wounded , as may be supposed in so great an action . anno . king philip designing to forward the marriage of the princess , in order to the perpetuating the peace concluded betwixt the two crowns , declared his resolution to go in person to the province of guipuzeoa , to be present there at the solemnization of his daughters nuptials , and at the same time to visit his only sister , the queen mother of france ; who that she might obtain a sight of him , had earnestly sollicited that the two kings might meet . his journey wat fixt for the th of aprill , and a vast number of mules and carts was sent from both castiles , andaluzia , aragon and valencia , for the carrying of all the baggage of the court , whereof this was some small part . twelve trunks lined and covered with crimson velvet , the hinges , bars , locks and keys of silver , in which were whole suits for the princess , all extraordinary rich . twenty other trunks covered with russia leather , all the iron work guilt , filled with a mighty quantity of all sorts of fine linnen . six other truncks covered with amber-leather , lined within with crimson sattin , with hinges locks and bars of gold enameld : two of them full of amber gloves , whisker cases , purses , and other curiosities were for the duke of anjou : the other four carried great riches for the princess to bestow among the french ladies . fifty sumptures carried the princesses dressing plate , and the rest for her ordinary use , besides an infinite quantity of perfumes to present . other sumptures contained most exquisite rich hangings and tapistry . for her entrance into paris there were sumpture cloths most costly embroidered with gold and silver , and many liveries for the men that were to lead the sumptures . for the princesses use in paris there was carried a sedan adorned with silver , wrought in the manner of a flanders lace . for to give charity , and other gifts she had pistoles , the king had laid aside for his own use a greater sum. the th of april being come , their majesties after visiting the church of our lady of atocha , and that the king had made his will ( as is usual before the monarchs of spain undertake any journey ) gave leave for the ladies of the court to come and take their conge of the princess : as they came in his majesty received them with his hat in his hand , the queen and princess embraced them , and so they went out at another door , making way for those that came after them . thursday the th of april the king and princess set out with such a numerous train of coaches , horse litters , and horses , that they extended leagues before them . before the king went of the town trumpets , cloathed in red and yellow , their trumpet-cloaths richly embroidered with the arms of france and spain . next followed four state coaches and as many horse-litters , then two coaches with the gentlemen of the bedchamber , then several other litters and the state horses : then a great number of the nobility and gentry , and after them the grandees , each of whom had several coaches , and gentlemen attending them , and a great number of servants in rich liveries ; of which every one had suits , one for this day , another to travel , and a third for the wedding day . above all , the duke of medina de las torres had servants , with each suits of liveries for the days , besides that , brought him from naples , which cost ducats . after these were , his majesties pages and other servants a horseback , carrying rich portmanteaus of crimson velvet , laced with gold. after them was the king's coach , in which was he and the princess , followed by the ladies , then the sumpture mules , and next after them long waggons . his majesty had in his journey horse-litters , coaches of his , and the nobilities , sumpture mules , state horses , pads , other mules for carriage , saddle mules , long waggons . officers were sent before to repair the ways , and others to make the necessary provision at all places where his majesty was to bait. he took his way through alcala de henares , guadalaxara , hita , xadraque , atiença , berlanga , s. estevan de gormaz , aranda and lerma , where he made some stay to see the fire-works and bull-feast prepared for his entertainment by the duke of that name . next day he came to burgos , and staid there till the th , that city spending ducats to entertain him . thither also came two gentlemen , sent by the king of france to complement his majesty , and acquaint him with the death of john baptist gaston duke of orleans commonly called in france the great uncle , because he was so to the most christian king , to the princess he was going to marry , to the king of england , the duke of savoy , the dutchesses of bavaria and parma , and the princess dowager of orange . upon this news his majesty commanded the publick rejoicing to cease , the court to go into black. on friday the th of april he set forwards from burgos , and on the d of may came to vitoria , the chief city of the province alova : here he was royally again treated , and the city presented him with ducats in gold. here another gentleman met him from the queen mother of france , desiring him to hasten his journey , for the great desire she had to see him and the princess . to be short he passed through salinas , villareal , villafranca , tolosa , and on the th of may came to s. sebastian . on the th , he went to los passages , two little towns upon a creek that runs into the bay of biscay , where in a rich barge he took a view of all the men of war that lay in that place . upon the d of june the princess solemnly renounced all right and title to the crown of castile , upon oath for her self and her heirs . d. ferdinand ruiz de contreras , secretary of state , read aloud the form of renunciation , and the oath to the new queen of france , which done , the bishop of pamplona took the holy gospel , and presenting it to the new queen , she took her oath to perform all that had been read by the secretary . next day their majesties having heard mass in the church which was adorned in all costly manner , the bishop of pamplona who had officiated , turned to the princess , and asked of her , if she would have to her husband luis of bourbon , the most christian king of france ; then the princess kneeling before her father , asked his consent , which granted , she stood up , and the bishop repeated the same words ; but she answered not till he asked the question the d time , and then gave her consent . then laying her right hand upon one side of a great gold bason , d. luis de haro laid his hand on the opposite part , and being asked by the bishop , whether by virtue of the commission he had of the most christian king , he would in his name take to wise the lady teresa of austria , princess of spain , he answered he would , and taking a ring of inestimable value , stretched it towards the new queens hand without touching her , which his majesty taking up , put upon the d finger of her left hand . after this ceremony , te deum was sung , and all the cannon fired . on the th of june the king privately saw his sister , the queen mother of france , and on the th , both the kings met in the house on the island of the river that parts spain and france . in this congress they testified all possible affection one to another : their majesties being seated , cardinal mazarine brought a mass book , on which the king of france took his oath to observe all the articles of the peace lately concluded . the catholick king did the same , the patriarch of the west-indies holding the book : this done , all the company voided the room , and their majesties remained alone for four hours . in the afternoon both kings rode out along the banks of the river : after this they sent presents to one another of inestimable value . on the th , the two kings met again in the house of the conference , with a multitude of attendance in most costly attire , they were above an hour in private and then the doors being set open , all the great men of both kingdoms came in , and kissed their hands . this ceremony being over , king philip took leave of his daughter , and both kings parted . king philip the next day set out towards madrid , whither he came on the oth , having by the way been entertained with all princely grandeur at vallladolid . the marriage of the most christian king and queen was celebrated in the church of s. john de luz on the th of june . on the th , their majesties gave audience to the ambassadors of poland , sweden , venice , gema and savoy , who came to congratulate their happy conjunction . that same day arrived at that town the count de fuensaldan̄a , with a mighty train of spanish and italian gentry , sumptures , state horses , coaches , and footmen , their liveries embroidered with gold and silver . some persons of quality , and the introductor of of ambassadors went out to meet , and conducted him to the palace , where he was visited by at the nobility . next day he had audience of their most christian majesties . the king and queen departing towards paris on the d of august , came to fontainbleau , a most delightful palace . on the th they went to bois de vincennes , where they stayed , that all things might be in a readiness for their reception at paris . hence they set out the th , and in the suburb of s. antonie of paris , stopped in a stately hall built on purpose , and richly adorned to receive the compliments of the clergy , magistrates , and university . from this place to the palace of the louvre , was made a lane of the regiments of militia of that city , each consisting of men , in all , , richly clad , through which the king and queen passed to the said palace . thus peace was restored not only to france and spain , but almost to all europe , this most memorable year , and germany had leisure to provide , to oppose the designs of the ottoman emperor , whose mighty army was coming into hungary , threatning destruction to all those countreys . venice still continued the war against the infidels in candia . england rejoiced in the restoration of as rightful sovereign . anno . d. john of austria being commissioned to command the army against portugal , came to zafra upon the th of march , where he made a review of all the forces , and visited the magazines and stores , all which he found better provided , than had been imagined . the horse mustered at truxillo , and were found strong , of whom d. james cavallero their general took charge . soon after , of our horse took mules loaded with arms and ammunition , that were going from elvas to campomayor , without lossing a man. d. john of austria marched from badajoz on the th of june , with battalions of foot , consisting of men , and horse . the same day he came in sight of campomayor , which fearing a siege , was well provided for its defence . by the way the watch-towers , and the castle of origuela were blown up , and the town destroyed , and at night the army posted at self in order to lay siege to aronches . next day they began their approaches , and cast in some bombs . the th , four-pieces of cannon began to batter the place , and the portugueses perceiving a breach would soon be made , capitulated ; and a garrison was put into it . such as would stay in the town , were allowed to possess what they had , the rest to depart within days . aronches is a town of about houses , standing on the river alegrete , has good walls and a castle , sends a representative to the cortes or parliament . it s trade is cloath , it lies near portalegre , and leagues from albuquerque , and by this means , all relief was cut-off from elvas and campomayor , on that side . the enemy having assembled their army at estremoz , and finding it too weak for ours , broke it up , and dispersed it into garisons , our horse the mean while wasting all the country leagues round aronches . d. john upon their breaking up , with horse marched to estremoz , and no enemy appearing in the field , turned off to veiros . he sent a trumpet to summon this place , and having received an ill answer , caused part of the cavally to dismount , who assaulted the town and entring it put all to the sword , who had not time to flie to the castle , and then plundered their houses , which afterwards they set fire to , as they did to all the villages , corn and trees about it . d. john resolving to make aronches his chief magazine and place of rendevouz ; for the province of alentejo repaired the walls and castle , fortified the parish church , raised bastions , ravelins , two great platforms , and a half moon , made a di●●h foot wide , and in depth , and a covered way to the ditch palizaded . this obliged the enemy , to fortifie and garrison several places ; as estremoz , villavici●sa , alegrete , and others . the fortifications being ended , and all the country ravaged , d. john garrisoned the frontien towns , and put foot and horse , into aronches with provision for months , and pieces of cannon , leaving d. ventura de tarragona governour ; which done , he returned to badajoz , and put his army into quarters , designing to take the field again about the end of september . as our army was marching to quarters , the earl of cantaneda , the enemies . general , came out of estremoz , with foot , and horse , and took a view of aronches , whence the cannon made him remove , having killed of his horse , and the chief ingineer of portugal . d. john hearing of this their motion , marched towards them with his army , but they retired under the cannon of 〈◊〉 and elvas , where they continued some days , our army lying in sight of them , till they not able to endure the heat of the dog-days , dispersed into their garrisons , and d. john quartered his men as was before designed . our horse lest at aronches , made an incursion towards portalegre , and brought away head of cattle . count sohomberg one of the enemies generals , with squadrons of horse attacked the guard of the bridge at badajoz , to whose assistance d. john pacheco lieutenant general of horse , was come with squadrons out of the town . they had a sharp dispute but our lieutenant general being killed , his men discouraged retired to the town , horse of aronches made another 〈◊〉 towards portalegre , took head of cattle , plundered many gentlemen's houses , i made a party of of the enemies horse prisoners , and retired without meeting any opposition . the harms done by the garrison of aronches were so great that the neighbouring towns , petitioned the queen , either to reduce that place , or 〈…〉 them to pay contributions that they might be able to subsist . d. john of austria marched out of ziafra with foot ; horse , and pieces of cannon ; and on the th of december , surprised alconchel , with the loss of only men. this is a strong castle , on this side guadiana , whence the enemy used to infest all the country about . there were in it when taken , foot , and horse , much cattle , other provisions and ammunition . d. john having put horse and foot under the command of a major into this fort , with all necessaries for their subsistence returned to zafra , and sent his forces into quarters . the portugueses hired english merchant ships , and sent aboard them to the jews of leghorn chests of sugar , much brazil wood , spice and other goods , to the value of ducats . these ships were taken by the algorines , who having lightned them of all the merchandize , and made prisoners of portugueses and italians , dismissed the english with their vessels , being then at peace with them , and gave each of the masters chests of sugar , to pay their freight . the duke of ossuna being come to the frontiers of castile , with the post of captain general , encamped beyond the bridge of guidad rodrigo with two thousand four hundred foot , four hundred horse , and pieces of cannon . thence he warched to gallegos , a strong garrison of ours , leagues and a half from guidad rodrigo , and so passed on two leagues and a half farther to valdelamula , the first town of the enemy , a place well fortified , and seated on a rising ground . he sent to summon the garrison , who returned a resolute answer . the duke appointed captains with each men , at once to scale the walls in as many places , who advanced courageously , and tho' the enemy made a hot fire , breaking down the pallisadoes , layed their ladders to the walls , and mounted , making themselves masters of the fort. many of the defendants were killed , one captain , some other officers , and men made prisoners . the governour fled casting himself off the wall , and night favouring his escape . of our men only were killed , and as many wounded . the same day , the duke sent a summons to the town and castle of s. peter , half a league from valdelamula , and as much from almeyda , but the garrison refusing , he marched thither with a regiment of foot , and at first sight the place was surrendred , upon condition , the inhabitants might depart with their goods . three watch towers in sight of almeyda were taken and burnt , as were the towns of juncia and malpartida . s. peter's fort was demolished , being so near valdelamula . almosala was also burnt , after the inhabitants had made some resistance . much corn was found in all these places , which served the horse for forrage , and all the rest was burnt . d. roderick de castro count of amezquitela , and general of the province tralosmontes , was now marching towards these frontiers , with foot , and troops of horse . the same did d. john de melo , governour of the province beira , with other foot and some horse . d. sancho manuel was also ordered this way with foot , and horse . the duke of ossuna finding himself too weak , to oppose so great a power , demolished the fort of valdelamula , blew up the tower , and burnt the town , there being no possibility of relieving it if besieged . this done , he fortified gallegos , and then marching to albergaria layed siege to it . he had but pieces of cannon , the biggest of which burst at the beginning of the battery ; yet he brought the other two nearer to the wall , and having made a breach , the garrison capitulated , and delivered the place upon honourable conditions . hence he removed , and by force took soto and quadrasa , both which he hurnt , overthrowing all the works about them . in these three last towns were taken from the enemy , above bushel of corn , and horses , and all the mountain gata with the country about , were cleared of enemies , for albergaria and those other towns , kept all that country in awe , so that there was no traffick , nor security in any part . on the st of november , it pleased god to take away prince philip prosper . he died of convulsion fits , which he had been subject to since his birth . to make up for this loss , the queen was happily delivered on the th of november of another prince , who was baptized the th of the said month , in the royal chappel ; by d. alonso perez de guzman , patriarch of the indies , and called charles joseph , with other names . the publick joy for the birth of this prince , was redoubled with the news brought to court , that on the st of november , was born the dauphin of france , grandson to his catholick majesty . at malaga on the d of september between and in the morning , all that city and the country about , was so darkened with black clouds , that every body foresaw some destruction like to follow . at it began to thunder , lighten and rain , with such violence , that the gutters could not carry the water off the houses , nor the streets deliver the great flood . this lasted till noon , when the rivulets that fall from the mountain of gibraltar swelled so high , that they filled the houses in those streets near them ; and those waters meeting with the flood , issuing from guadalmedina , which comes from the hills of casavermeja and zambra , broke down the wooden bridge opposite to the new gate , carrying it away , till it stuck a cross the great arch of the stone bridge , over against the monaste●y of s. dominick . that being a stop to the passage of the waters , they bore down the bridge with its towers , and carried all away to the sea , which at that time ran in mountains , casting up its broken waves to the clouds . the inundation bore away all the houses from the orchards of the crosses , as far as the slaugter-house gate , scarce leaving any monuments that there had been buildings there . it also bore down the wall at the new gate , and broke into the city , filling several streets , and finding no way out , still rose , drowning some quarters of the city , and in s. john's street , came up to the floors of the second stories . all the street de los almaç●nes , or of the storehouses , was drowned , and all the provisions and merchandize laid up there were lost . several quarters of the city were totally ruined , as were the monasteries of s. dominick and s. francis , being so shaken , they were rendred uninhabitable . great numbers of people fled to the tops of their houses , which falling ; they were carried away into the mediterranean , or buried in the ruines . among the other destruction made by the river guadalmedina , it was observed , to take one corner house away intire , and carry it so for a great space , till at last it fell in pieces , with the death of persons that were in it . at in the afternoon , the storm ceased , and at , the water was gone out of the streets , at which time the bishop and governour gave great alms , among the poor people that were found alive in the ruinated houses . above houses were utterly destroyed , so shaken , that they threatned ruine , above persons lost , and the whole dammage was computed at , above millions . a ship of the biscainers putting out of s. sebastian , met a vessel of guns , bound from bayonne to portugal , which refusing to produce any pass , was sunk , and in it men , only being saved by the biscaniers , among whom were portugues fidalgos , or noblemen . there was also taken a trunk with letters in it , from the envoy in england , to the king of portugal , which were sent to court. on the th of september arrived at corun̄a , our squadron that was out to secure the west-india fleet , with the ships of the firm land and new spain , being sail. these ships , besides a chest of pearls , of inestimable value , brought for his majesty , pieces of eight , and for private persons , , in all , pieces of eight . the fleet having landed the plate there , sailed again with the other merchandize , and arrived at cadiz on the th of november . amar aga alcaide and governour of tremecen , had destroyed all the corn belonging to those moors that lived about oran , and had submitted themselves to the spanish governour of that place , who was then the marquess of leganes . these moors used to bring their corn to sell to that city , and the garrison subsisted upon it . the marquess finding that no fair means , or threats prevailed upon those people to reduce them , marched out with foot , and horse , and forded the river cid soliman , six leagues from oran ; then falling upon the moors who live along that river , he took slaves , horses , and a great number of cattle , whereof notice was immediately given to amar aga. he gathering his turks , lay in wait for the marquess in his return , at the ford of the river cique , where they engaged , and turks were killed , among whom was xeque salem beniahim . amar aga was in danger of being taken , having his horse killed , and escaped upon another , given him by his guards . the turks retired to tremecen , and the marquess returned victorious to oran . not content with this , he went out again with the same number of horse and foot , and marching leagues to zanua , zafa , and mediona brought under hords of arabs , containing moors , tents , and head of cattle . thus all those neighbouring moors were again brought under subjection , and the turks disappointed , to the great honour of the marquess of leganes . three ships sailed from alicant richly laden with merchandize for venice , and had aboard , the servants and equipage of the cardinal d. pasqual de aragon , and other passengers . near the island of s. peter they met turkish pyrats , and after cannonading one another above hours , one of the ships which was french sunk , another which was a hollander , being in danger to be taken burnt it self , the getting off in the night , arrived safe at leghorn , with turks that remain'd alive , of above that boarded her . cardinal pasqualis of aragon made his publick entry into rome on the th of june , and on the th after the pope had heard mass , presented him the hacaney and purse , with ducats , which our kings every year pay , as an acknowledgment for the kingdom of naples , and that night there was publick rejoicings throughout the whole city . cardinal mazarine , prime minister of france , died the th of march. a violent storm of wind on the th of march overthrew above houses in the city pau , in the province of bearn . on the th , the duke of orleans only brother to the most christian king , married his cousin german henrietta maria , sister to the king of england , and on the th of april , the lady luisa of bourbon , d daughter to the duke of orleans was by proxy contracted to mathius , eldest son to the duke of florence . the pope's bull was published at paris the th of june , absolutely forbidding the doctrine of jansenius . queen christina of sweden , who resided at rome , having abdicated that kingdom , hearing of the death of her cousin king charles adolphus , returned to sweden , and made a solemn entry into stockholm , where complaining , that her pension of rixdollers was not duly paid her , it was agreed in the dyet , she should have , paid every year , provided she retired to some part of the kingdom , or else to rome , where she was before . such was the hatred conceived against her , for embracing the catholick religion . the war still continued hot , betwixt the venetians and the turks in candia , and other parts , turkish galleys were cast away in the euxine sea , and others on the coast of morea , as also three barbary pyrats on the coast of sicily . a great earthquake hapned at constantinople , which overthrew many buildings , and killed a great number of people . the venetian fleet had a sharp engagement with turkish ships that were carrying supplies to candia , but a sudden storm parted and dispersed them into several ports . the turks entred transilvania with an army of men , and laid siege to plasemburg , near hermanstadt the chief city . ragotzi prince of transilvania , attempted to put relief into the place with only men , and tho' heexecuted it , with the loss of only of his soldiers , and the destruction of of the enemy , yet he having received wounds , and soon after dying , the city was taken by the infidels . hence the turks began to spread into hungary , doing much mischief ; but the counts herberstein and serini , gathering men , killed of them , took prisoners , and returned with a great booty . after this the turks made vast preparations in all parts , and brought the asian forces into europe , in order to invade the dominions of the christians . this moved the emperor to send ambassadors to all christian princes , praying aid against the common enemy . he had then an army of men , commanded by count souches , in readiness to repel the incursions of the infidels . in germany this year it is reported , there appeared near the circle of the rising sun , a star like a comet , of such brightness , that it darkned that glorious planet ; and not far from the comet , a scimiter of a fiery colour , and under it a cross with arms , very bright and glorious . three other scimiters are said to have been seen , one over the kingdom of persia , another over sweden , and the third over dalmatia . in the air was heard strange noise as of battel , with shouts , and other warlike sounds . anno . our army on the borders of portugal , rendevouzed on the d of may at talaveruela , montijo , lobin , and badajoz ; and having made provision of victuals and ammunition , passed over the river guadiana upon the th , at the bridge of badajoz with all their cannon and train . they drewup between caya and fort s. christopher ; facing campo-mayor and elvas , and marching along the river caya , encamped within half a league of elvas . all the army being there joined , on the th d. john of austria came thither from badajoz , and was received with volleys of great and small shot . next day , upon their march they mustered , and found horse and foot effective , beside officers , the best troops that had ever been in that army . having laid a bridge over cayn , they marched by the side of elvas , blew up watch-towers that lay towards campo-mayor , and encamped half a league beyond eluas . on the th , the train marched along the great road to lisbon , orders being given to destroy all the country houses in the way . a small tower offering to make resistance , was forced by d. james cavallero , and the commander of it hanged for an example . this made the next , called de los zapateros immediately submit upon honourable conditions . a trumpet was sent to summon villabuy , which was a quarter of a league distant , the soldiers answered , they were paid and would fight . d. james cavallero , was sent with pieces of cannon , and regiments of foot , and orders , if they did not surrender , to give no quarter . the garrison which consisted but of soldiers and some peasants , seing the danger capitulated . two towers were there blown up , and all the orchards and corn destroyed . the th , the army continued its march in the lisbon road burning the country . an express was taken going from the portugues general to elvas , with letters encouraging the governour to behave himself manfully , for that he had foot , and horse , and expected more troops to fight the enemy . d. john having read the letters , ordered the express to return , and tell the general , he would endeavour to see him next day by noon . our forces advancing towards estremoz , some small skirmishes hapned by the way . the th , d. john understanding that the enemies army lay within half a league of estremoz , in the olive-gardens , he marched that way , to be as good as his word , but the enemy retired under the walls of estremoz , and entrenched themselves . their force was foot and horse . ten pieces of cannon were planted on a rising ground and played upon them , they answering with four , and some men were killed on both sides . all the country about was burnt at night , our army encamped within half a league of the town in the way to borba . the baggage on the th was sent before towards borba , the army still standing in array , facing the enemy . borba has above houses , two convents , two good churches , and several pleasant country houses about it . the town was walled , and the streets barridaded , and in the midst of it stood a castle . our army coming before this place , battered it with four pieces of cannon , and to regiments of foot giving the assault entred it . then they assaulted the castle , in which were men , and forced the palizades , but lost a colonel , two majors , four captains of foot , and about men. the town was plundered , and all the garrison and inhabitants made prisoners . on the th , the army halted in the orchards of borba , burning and destroying all the town and country , and in the market-place , hanged the governour called emanuel de acuna and two captains . next day the forces marched by villaviciosa , and killed many deer in the duke of braganca's park , a very delightful place ; whence they continued their march four leagues , as far as jurumenha . a soldier of that garrison being taken , reported there were in the place , regiments of foot. the th was spent in making fascines to attack the town , because the enemies army was marching with all speed to relieve it , for that it was one of the principal inlets into portugal on the side of alentejo , which is the richest province of that kingdom . the enemy being within half a league of our army d. james cavallero advanced with part of it to offer them battel , but they intrenched and covered themselves with their carriages . emanuel lobato pinto governor of the place perceiving them intrench , capitulated ; and delivered it upon honourable terms . anno . this year our army in estremadura , under the command of d. john of austria , being very numerous , pierced into portugal as far as evora , which was surrendred without any bloodshed . this struck a terror into the city of lisbon , as being so near , and the king had thoughts of withdrawing from thence to some place of more safety . d. john retiring towards badajoz , to join a body of foot that was there ready , and so to continue what he had so well began , was charged by the enemy's forces near estremoz , in a place where the horse could do no service . the enemy at the first onset broke our cavalry , and they disordering the foot , the whole army was put to the rout , losing all their baggage , and several persons of note were taken prisoners , among whom was the marquess of liche , and d. anelo de guzman , son to the duke of medina de la torres . evora being not yet fortified , fell immediately into the hands of the victorious portugueses . the duke of ossuna being declared general of the frontiers about cuidad rodrigo , was at madrid , without any inclination to return to that command ; but having received repeated orders to go to his post , obeyed . immediately upon his arrival there , he appeared before valdelamula with foot , horse , and pieces of cannon . that night he encamped about the fort , and raised a battery , which he next morning began to play upon the place . the governour , who was no great soldier , at noon beat the chamade , and surrendred , having at that time men , and the fort in good condition , with strong bastions . the duke finding it not practicable to fortifie that place , made choice of a rising ground hard by it , on which , with the advice of monsieur locquet , a french enginier sent him by d. john of austria , he resolved to build a fort royal. the work being drawn out , and fresh supplies coming in , so that the duke had foot and horse , more was done in a month than could reasonable have been imagined , all the officers and the duke himself being continually present , and encouraging the men. the portugueses fearing the raising of the fort might prove of ill consequence to them , gathered a body of foot and horse , resolving by the way to take albergaria . their design being discovered by the duke , he sent at midnight d. antony de isasie , lieutenant-general of horse , who put some companies of foot and other necessary supplies into the town ; which being known to the enemy , they drew back the troops sent to invest it . being disappointed of that enterprize , they advanced towards the duke , who being far inferior in number , thought not fit to expose his men in open field , but drew into the fort , which was now in a good posture of defence . he caused a tenail , which was joined to the fort by a covered way , to be finished , and placed therein foot and horse . the rest of the foot he drew into the fort , placing the horse on the flanks , and expected that night the enemy , who lay within musquet-shot , should make some attempt . they stirred not , but kept the same ground two days , the cannon playing on both sides . the portugueses having intelligence that horse and foot were on their way to reinforce the duke , sent out horse to intercept them ; but the duke sent them orders to march another way , and he at the same time alarming the enemy's camp , they came safe to him . the duke hearing a shot from almeida , guessed it to be a signal of some convoy that was coming to the enemy , he therefore commanded the lieutenant-general of horse with all the cavalry and fire arms to march out and intercept it . he followed himself , having advanced two castilians to discover the convoy ; they met two battalions of the enemy , which retired hastily to their body . the portugues marched another way than the duke had thought , who readily formed squadrons in the vanguard , and drew them off to receive them . our vanguard charged theirs , which also consisted of great squadrons , and both parties fought with such courage , that they changed their ground , ours being over-powered by the multitude . the duke , who was in the midst of them , hasted to his main battel , where his horse received two carabine shots , and ordering them to charge the portugueses in flank , broke both their vanguard and main battel , pursuing them to their foot with great slaughter . they rallied under the covert of their musqueteers ; and that ours might have time to make up the disorder caused by the charge , the duke ordered the reserve of the old guards and companies of d. antony ramirez , and the count de bueto to advance . the enemy retired within their lines , having lost horse , and among them many persons of note . their speedy retreat by night sufficiently testified the loss they had sustained . the great advantage of raising that fort was , that it covered all our country , and commanded a great part of the enemy's , above towns in a rich soil being thereby brought under contribution , and the enemy obliged to maintain great garrisons in alfayates , almeyda , castel rodrigo , and other places . in the place where fort valdelamula stood , was erected a watch-tower to hold sixteen men , who could thence discover all the country about . this year came to madrid sir richard fanshaw , ambassador from his majesty of great britain , with his wise , and a great retinue . the count of peting also came from the emperor to ask the lady margaret of austria , daughter to king philip iv. in marriage . the articles being agreed upon , were read in council upon the th of december , which was celebrated with great demonstrations of publick joy and satisfaction . the duke de crequi , the most christian king's ambassador at rome , having one of his servants killed by some of the pope's guards by his wife's coach-side , complained to the king his master of this affront , who so highly resented it , that the pope was forced to give him all the satisfaction he could demand . in denmark a conspiracy was discovered against that king , for which some persons suffered death , and others fled . the king of poland having broke off the treaty of peace with the muscovites , invaded their territories , doing great harm , and taking many towns. the turks entring hungary with men , laid siege to newhausel , which tho' well defended , was at last forced to surrender , after which several other places were taken . they in vain attempted the island of schuts , which was made good against them by count serini . the grand visier , after this prosperous expedition , leaving the bassa hali with sufficient force upon the frontiers , returned to constantinople . anno . this year not being remarkable for any action at home , because the war with portugal was for the most part defensive , and nothing considerable hapned therein , it will not be amiss to make it up with something not altogether foreign , that is , the success of the wars betwixt the emperor and the turks : i account this relation not so much from our purpose , in regard it belongs to the house of austria , and also that king philip sent considerable supplies in favour of his imperial majesty . leopold the emperor on the th of january gave audience to the ambassador of the most christian king to the diet of ratisbon , where his imperial majesty then was , and the next day heard the pontifical mass , and performed his devotions to beg of god the union of christian princes , and success of their arms against the turks . it appeared almighty god heard his prayers , for that very day he obtained a compleat victory over his enemies , under the conduct of the noble count serini , who after a peace was concluded betwixt the two empires , was unfortunately killed by a boar in hunting . the count joining his forces with count hohenloe , marched out of croatia with horse and foot , and lay close in ambush in the mountain , for a convoy of provisions and ammunition that was going to newhausel , guarded by turks . he fell upon them so successfully , that he killed , took prisoners , and carried away the convoy to his own castle of serin . not above christians were lost in this great action . for this and other his good services , his imperial majesty declared count serini generalissimo of all his forces in hungary . he not enduring to be idle , tho' never so short a time , on the th of january marched again with horse and foot , passed the drave upon the ice , making himself master of several of the lesser strong holds , and burning and bringing under contribution a great number of villages . on the th of the month he came before sigeth , and leaving count hohenloe with his troops to befiege it , marched on himself to the bridge of esseck : to reduce the castle at the foot of it , he sent colonel sirgats with croats and dragoons . he meeting turkish horse and foot , overthrew them , killing . the fort immediately surrendred , and that wonderful bridge was broke down , which would oblige the turks to fetch a compass of leagues to relieve their garrisons on this side the drave . this done , the colonel returned to count serini , who sent a summons to the governour of five-churches , and he offered to deliver up one of the gates : but men approaching to take possession of it , he caused such volleys of great and small shot to be poured upon them , that above were killed or wounded . this so irritated the general and all his army , that they unanimously gave a general assault to the town ; and tho' it was valiantly defended by the turks , entred it by force , putting all to the sword , except women and children , saved by the general . the soldiers had the plunder of the place for three days , all the booty being valued at above millions of ducats , for that there was found horse , a great quantity of provisions and ammunition , and abundance of cloth laid in to cloath the turkish army , insomuch that after the count's army was plentifully furnished , there remained waggon-loads . the count , no longer able to keep the field , by reason of the extremity of the weather , set fire to the city , but left men , with provisions for months in the citadel , and then marched to sigeth , where joining count hohenloe , he returned laden with booty to croatia . this expedition so sensibly touched the ottoman emperour , that he vowed the next campagne to invade hungary with men , and to demolish the castle of serin so as no memory of it should remain ; besides , he offered great rewards to any that should deliver the count to him dead or alive . baron souches , general of silesia , at the same time demolished several forts of the enemy , burnt many villages , and took by assault the strong fortress of neutra , so that the infidels had nothing left them from newhausel to canisa . newhausel was not besieged , because the plague raged so violently there , that the garrison , which at first consisted of men , was reduced to . but a party of hussars took waggons carrying provisions to newhausel ; and turks that guarded it escaping that danger , fell into the hands of baron perceni , who was abroad with horse , and killed of them , taking prisoners . count serini laid siege to canisa , of which the grand visier having notice , sent carts guarded by men , most of them janizaries to relieve the place . the count met them with horse and foot , and killing , took the whole convoy . soon after , as he lay before the town with men , and had almost reduced it to surrender , intelligence was brought him that the grand visier was marching with men to the relief of canisa . count strozzi immediately marched with men to prevent his passing the river mur which falls into the drave , and on the th of june the turks attempting to ford the river , it was so desperately disputed on both sites , that the fight continued after night by moon-light . at last the turks having lost men , desisted . of the christians were killed , and among them count strozzi . mean while count serini raised the siege of canisa in great disorder , his men being in a consternation , apprehending the approach of the enemy . the turks attacked the island of serin , which tho' bravely defended , was at last abandoned , the governour and most of the men retiring over the bridge , and all had been saved but that it broke as they were passing . the enemy having razed the castle of serin , again attempted to pass the river mur , but were still repulsed by the counts serini and hohenloe , who had built forts along the banks , and with their cannon did great execution . the bassa of buda with men laid siege to lewentz in the upper hungary , but the count de susse coming to the relief of the place with only foot , totally routed him , killing of his men , and taking prisoners , above colours , waggons , a great quantity of provision and ammunition , chequins in gold , pieces of cannon , much baggage , and many horses and mules . the prince of transylvania hearing of this victory , cast off the turkish yoke , and submitted himself to the emperor , aiding him with transylvanians . baron souches took and burnt the town and castle of barkan and many other places , putting to the sword many of the enemy that were scattered after the late rout. others of them repaired to another body of theirs upon the river raab , and being increased to the number of , thought of besieging the strong town of that name . the marquess of baden being reinforced by the auxiliary forces that had joined him , and now having an army of men , marched towards the enemy , whom on the st of july he found encamped on the other side the river raab . the christian army posted themselves near the town of s. gothart , their cannon playing upon the enemy . next a party of turks and tartars being discovered ransacking the country , they were entirely cut off in sight of their army by christians , who recovered a great booty . the whole body of the enemy advanced in the figure of a half-moon , and attacked the troops of the empire that were in the body of the christian army , which after a vigorous resistance were forced to give way , till fresh supplies coming in , they drove the infidels back to the river . by this time both the main battels came to engage , which was done with great fury by the christians , that they forced the enemy with great slaughter into the river , where many that had escaped the sword , or shot , perished in the water , being born down in that confusion . the imperial horse pursuing their victory , made mighty havock , obliging the infidels to quit their camp , leaving a great number of horses , camels , arms , much provision and ammunition , and all their baggage , which became a prey to the victorious army . this battel was fought the first day of august ; it lasted from nine in the morning till four in the afternoon . of the enemy above were slain , whereof many of note ; of the imperialists died in the action . these great losses moved the turk to desire peace , which was concluded , or rather a truce for twenty years , by the emperor's ambassador , who all this while resided at constantinople , and signed by the great turk at adrianople , who thence sent a chiaux to vienna the th of october . for the carrying on of this war , his imperial majesty was assisted by all the princes and states of the empire , who sent their quota's of men at their own charge , as did the kings of france , sweden , and denmark . king philip iv. being taken up with the wars in portugal , could send no forces of his own , but sent the emperour ducats , and allowed men to be raised in germany , and maintained at his cost . to the venetians he gave ducats a year , and sent them men for defence of the province of friuli . in france this year the queen was delivered of a daughter , who lived but a few days , and her majesty was in extream danger but recovered . the duke of beaufort , admiral of france , sailed with a fleet provided at toulon and marseilles , and consisting of men of war , galleys , fireships , brigantines , other vessels , and barks laden with provisions , ammunition , lime , brick , and other necessaries for building . in this fleet were seamen , and land-soldiers , besides voluntiers of quality . in port maon in the island minorca , he stayed till the galleys of malta joined him on the th of july , and then they sailed together for the coast of barbary , where they spent some shot against bugia , but to little effect . on the d they anchored before giguieri , about leagues eastward of argiers ; and notwithstanding the opposition made by the enemy , landed their men , as they did at night pieces of cannon . three batteries being raised , played seven days and nights , at the end of which the french made themselves masters of the place , having only men killed and wounded in the action . this place is subject to the government of argiers , and the country about it has plenty of cattel . the algerines having gathered men , on the th of october appeared before this place , and that night attacked a redoubt of the castle ; but were so well plied with the cannon from the sea and the works , that they drew off with great loss . again , on the d before day , they gave a furious assault , and were again repulsed , leaving behind of their men killed and wounded . the infidels being with fresh supplies now strong , gave a third attack on the th , and possessed themselves of the redoubt ; then following their success , they made themselves masters of the lines and outworks , tho' bravely defended by the french. the duke of beaufort finding it impossible to maintain the place , the outworks being lost , shipped his men the th of october , and returned to france . another squadron of ships sailed from rochel , carrying men , with masons , carpenters , and all manner of necessaries for erecting a colony , which they accordingly performed , degrees northward of the river of the amazons in america , having found there an old fort , which they repaired and fortified with new works . the english having built several forts about tangier , gailan the moor many times had attempted to gain them , but still came off with loss , and among others had his own brother killed . to revenge his death , and so many disappointments , he lay in ambush with eight thousand men , and the governour the lord tiveot marching out of the town with the best of the garrison to take a prey , encompassed them , and cut off the greatest part . anno . king philip considering the great harm the portugueses did upon the frontiers , commanded the marquess of caraçena , before appointed general , to repaire speedily to his command : he obeyed , and came to badajoz the beginning of this year . the duke of aveiro went away to cadiz , where the fleet was in a readiness , and waited his coming , he being appointed to command . the duke of osuna being accused of not having done his duty at cuidad rodrigo went , with twenty four others , a voluntier into the army ; which being ready to take the field , the marquess of caraçena commanded him to retire , because he had no order of the king for him to serve . he had such small suppires from court , during his command at cuidad rodrigo , that he was forced to raise contributions ; which caused many complaints to be made against him ; but upon examination he was cleared , and the king to restore his honour , made him governour of catalonia , when the war was declared against france . great preparations were made against portugal ; but all came to nothing , by reason of the discourse of a truce or peace . king philip fell sick of his last disease , and died the th of september . he made his will , providing for the good of the kingdom , and education of his son , their not four years of age. he appointed governors of his son and kingdom , d. garcia de avellaneday haro , count de castrillo and president of castile , d. christopher crespi de valdaura vicechancellor of aragon , the count de pen̄aranda as counsellor of state , the marquess de aytona as grandee of spain , and the cardinal of spain , archbishop of toledo , which , the cardinal d. baltasar de moscoso dying the same day as the king , was interpreted in favour of d. pasqualis of aragon , then at rome . from rome he went to naples , to take possession of the viceroyship of that kingdom , and being desirous to return to spain , obtained leave of the queen to resign that command to his brother d. peter of aragon . the inquisitor general for the time being , was also appointed one of the governors , and the queen as governess to the king her son , superior to them all . her majesty out of her great respect to f. everard a german , her confessor , and a jesuit , raised him to the honour of counsellor of state and inquisitor general , by which he also became one of the governors . after the death of king philip , all the counsels went to kiss the new king charles the d his hand , and to recognize him as their lawful sovereign , the day after his fathers death . on the th , they conducted the royal body to the escurial with due pomp and magnificence , many noblemen , and the horse guards attending , till they delivered him to the prior of the convent . there he lies in one of those stately urns , which whilst living he erected in honour of his predecessors . a few days after the town of madrid resolved to be the first in proclaiming his majesty king charles ii. and made choice of the duke of medina de las torres to display the standard in his name , as the custom of spain is . on the th of october the duke accompanied by many of the nobility , went on horseback from the count de on●ies's house to the town court house , where they alighted , and were received by the mayor and aldermen and other officers of the corporation . the duke went up to the council chamber and sate down on the right hand of d. francis de herrera enriquez knight of the order of calatrava , corregidor of the town . after a short consultation , they both stood up at once , and the corregidor taking the standard , bid the secretaries and notaries give it him under their hands , that he deliverd it to the duke , that the town might display it in the name of king charles ii. the duke courteously received it , and mounting on horseback the cavalcade began in manner following . first went the king's trumpets and kettledrums , then the town musick , then alguaziles of their liberty , and after them , some of the spanish and swiss guards , with their lieutenants . at a small distance followed the orderly troop of noblemen and gentlemen belonging to the court , and the captains of the guards . next them were the four mace-bearers with short roman crimson coats and gilt maces on their shoulders : then came the regidores , and next them the kings at arms with their embroidered coats , and lastly the corregidor and duke of medina on the right hand carrying the standard . in this manner they came to the grand market place , which tho large , was then too little to contain the multitude : in the midst of it was raised a scaffold covered with rich carpets , about or foot high , in length and in breadth , with a staire-case foot wide and railed . the duke and corregidor , the secretaries and the kings at armes on both sides of them , facing the windows where the kings use to see publick spectacles ; then the eldest king at arms , who was then d. john de mendoza with a loud voice three times cried , silence , silence , silence , hear , hear , hear . then the duke also with a loud voice , said three times . castile , castile , castile , for the catholick king charles ii , of the name , whom god preserve the multitude unanimously shouted , let him live , let him live , let him live. this ceremony being ended in the market place , all the company went to the palace , where the king was seated in the chair of the emperor charles v. thence he went and did the same in the town . all this being performed , the duke required of the secretaries and notaries to give it him under their hands , that he again restored the standard to d. francis de herrera enriquez , corregidor of the town . the corregidor having received it , went up to the council chamber of the town , and fixed it in the balcony under a rich canopy , there to remain days and nights , the continual lights in the streets displaying the richness of it . on the d of july , being the feast of the visitation , d luis de aragony cardona , duke of segorve , and cardona the eldest knight of the order of the golden fleece was commanded to go and gird on the king's sword. the duke came to the kings appartment with a great retinue , and there knighted the king , girt on his sword and kissed his hand . upon the th of the month the duke of cardona as eldest knight of the golden fleece , summoned the other knights to meet in the queen's apartment . there met the duke of montalto , the princes of avelino , astillano , and barbançon , and the german ambassador , all knights of the order , the secretary of the order being also present ; in the presence of whom , the duke put the golden collar with the fleece hanging to it , about the king's neck , the knights there present doing homage to him , in the name of the whole order , for the provinces they represented . astillano , avelino , and montalto for italy , barbançon for flanders , the ambassador for germany , and the duke of cardona for spain , in virtue of the popes bulls granted the kings of spain as administrators of the military orders within their dominions . anno . this year began with a treaty of peace betwixt castile and portugal : some proposals were offered by the military commanders of both kingdoms to the two queens , then governing for their sons , who were both under age. these proposals being altogether managed at a distance by persons , they could not come to any agreement , and both parties were still in arms. it pleased god to take to himself the queen mother of france , ann mauricia of austria ; upon whose death the king her son began new commotions , there being none to allay resentments betwixt the two nations . no body could guess what his great preparations tended to , for he like a good soldier kept his counsels secret ; raising great jealousies in all the neighbouring princes . the queen regent of portugal also departed this life on the th of february . on the th of april the princess margaret of austria , was contracted to her uncle leopoldus ignatius the emperor . her departure was fixed for the th of the same month : she travelled to denia thinking to embark there ; but being disappointed , went thence to barcelona . her imperial majesty came the th of july to monjuy , distant half a league from barcelona , whither she came by sea. d. luis gonzaga the viceroy first , then the bishop , chapter , and magistrates went out to welcome , and kiss her hand ; which ceremony lasted from in the morning , till noon . all this while she was upon the sea in the admiral gally , encompassed by others , and much bigger than any of them , being guilt all over even to the oars , the stem and stern set round with christal glass , through which appeared her majesties bed. at noon she came to the mole of the city , and all the cannon was three times fired round , the gallys answering . she stept out of the gally upon a bridge made on purpose , that ran yards into the sea , was railed on both sides , the rails covered with crimson damask , and the ground with red and yellow bays . the duke of albuquerque handed her out , then followed the dutchess , the ladies , cardinal colonna , two bishops and the dukes two brothers . these were covered , but the viceroy and other nobility had their hats in their hands . at the foot of the bridge were two rich chairs , which took up the empress and dutchess , the rest went a-foot to the mole ; where they again came out of their chairs and went into a coach , the cannon now firing the th time . the empress spent days in visiting the city and churches , all which time there were fireworks and illuminations at night , other sports being forbidden on account of the king's death . six days before her majesty embarked , came galleys of malta , which saluted times with vollies of small , as well as great shot . every salute was answered by the city , and the rejoicing lasted two hours . the th of august her majesty embarked , being times saluted by the cannon of the town , her fleet consisted of galleys . contrary winds obliged them to put into roses and cadaques , at length they arrived at final , where cardinal nepos the pope's legate , the duke of savoy , the duke of modena , the duke of florence his brother , with other great men expected her majesty , accompanied by men to guard her to trent . there the duke of albuquerque delivered her to the imperial ministers sent to receive her , and taking his leave , returned with all the spaniards , going over to sicily to take possession of the viceroyship of that island . cid hamet the moor after having been several times assisted by king philip iv. and receiving many favours at his hands , in requital for all those obligations resolved to surprize the town of alarache , and to that effect provided all things necessary for an escalade . a christian captive understanding the design , fled with danger of his life the th of february , and the th came to the bank of the river , opposite to the water gate , where fearing lest his intelligence should come late , he called out to arms. immediately some of the garrison ran out , and meeting no body , thought it had been some unlucky moor had given the alarm . day appearing , discovered the christian on the other side the river , who being brought over , acquainted the governour d. john de alvarado bracamonte and sarabia , that the moor had men with all necessaries , ready to assault the town , and had ordered ships to sea to hinder any advice being sent to spain . soon after the ships were discovered , which confirmed what the captive had said , and the governour sent alonso belinches lieutenant of the ordnance in a tartan over to spain to acquaint the duke of medina celi who was general of the coasts of andaluzia , and desire succours of him . the th , the governor posted all his men , assigning every officer his charge , reserving himself with a party to be ready wherever the greatest danger called , on the st of march after midnight the enemy began to draw near , which our centries perceiving , made several shot , and about in the morning the moors gave the assault upon all sides at once with hideous cries . those that attacked on the side of the land gate possessed themselves of the ravelin that covers the gate , filling all the place with their multitude . here the vollies of small shot and the pedreroes from the flanks , made such havock , that they were at length forced to abandon the place , leaving it covered with dead bodies , tho' they carried off many . the same fate followed them attempting to scale the wall on the side of s. francis , whither the governor himself repaired , encouraging his men ; as finding the moors made their greatest efforts on that side . another party cut down the barrier before the ravelin at the foot of s. martins castle , yet found such opposition , that tho' they kept their ground till it was broad day , they then quitted it with great loss : not were the redoubis of s. antony and santiago forgotten by the enemy , who made their utmost efforts there , tho' with as little success as in the other places . at the same time that the moors gave the assault by land , barques came up the river full of men , to scale the walls on that side . they thinking it convenient first to secure a genoese setie that had brought provisions , boarded her all at once , but were received with such bravery that they were obliged to draw off , leaving many dead in the river , and one of the barques aground , most of the men in her being killed . when it was open day the colours were displaied upon the walls , and the garrison went out to strip the dead . we lost but men , it was reported the enemy had killed , and a greater number wounded . in the afternoon the enemy put up a white flag , which was for leave to bury their dead , and was granted . bernardin gosbert , quartermaster to the guard of archers , being in the palace upon the th of july , a woman came up , and viewing him well , drew a pistol from under her veil and shot him in the head , of which he died within two hours . she was apprehended for the murder , and passing by the church of s. saviour , pleaded sanctuary , tho' carried in a sedan , and persons above exception gave their opinions for her . all the kingdom being in great apprehensions of the turkish pyrates , and no less of the french , english and portugues fleets then abroad , the spanish plate fleet arrived safe at sanlucar the th of august . at ruremond in the province of guelders , in may a magazine of powder took fire , and destroyed houses , parish churches and monasteries , the bishops palace , the town house , and persons . in holland a small town of houses was burnt . such like misfortunes hapned in many other places , as at bouraeaux , tours , nantes ; s. malo , blois , roan , and several parts of france . many french ships were cast away , and above souls lost : besides there were earthquakes and great floods . the canal of brussels was this year carried on as far as ostend . the venetian and malta fleets lay before constantinople , whither the turkish fleet also came , and anchored under the cannon of the forts . the christians did all they could to draw them out , offering battle ; the enemy never stirring till midsummer-day , when overcome with shame to be so dared , they weighed , and stood out . their fleet consisted of men of war , galleys , galleases , and small vessels . the christian fleet consisted of men of war , galleys , galleasses , brigantines and other small vessels . the venetian admiral sent to ask advice of the maltese , what was best to be done , for he had never imagined the enemy was so strong . he answered it was then no time to consult , but to fight . they fell on with such fury , that it was not long before the turks began to give way , and their whole fleet was totally destroyed , excepting only galleys which red at first . two galeasses and galleys were taken , the rest all burnt or sunk . of the christians men were killed , and among them the venetian admiral taken off by a cannon shot . what number of men the turks lost could not be known . anno . the great preparations made by the french without declaring for what design , this year appeared to be bent against the low countries , which obliged the marquess of castel rodrigo , governor of those provinces to form an army of men , besides the auxiliary troops that were expected from the empire . he fortified such places as were most exposed to the attempts of the enemy , all men and even the clergy putting their hands to the work . armentiers , la basse , and charleroy were dismantled , being places much exposed , and to lessen the number of garrisons . the mareschal ● de turenne led the french army into flanders , and came to enguien and doway , wasting all the country before him . our parties had several skirmishes with them , and were not unsuccessful . the swedish ambassador staid at brussels expecting a pass to go through france into spain . the states of holland being jealous of the french , offered the marquess castel rodrigo to furnish him with ammunition and all sort of arms , which offer he thankfully embraced ; and being scarce of pouder took up a great quantity of them . the french fleet was in s. george's channel , and the dutch say in the downs . the most christian king recalled his ambassador out of spain , who having obtained leave of the queen to return home was honourably conducted to irun by d. hierome de benavente de quin●nes , knight of the order of santiago . the most christian king went to flanders in person , with an army of men , divided into several bodies . he possessed himself of charleroy , armentiers , la busses , and berg s. winock . our army increased , the walloon regiments being recruited ; besides men were expected , which the province of brabant had undertaken to raise , from the empire , and from england . a covered way was made at brussels , and men put into garrison there , whereof were spaniards . the emperor made a league with the german princes . the cantons of switzerland , promised to assist his catholick majesty with each men. at the same time , the ministers in spain , spent their time , in debating how to have a numerous army in the low countreys . d. luis ponce governour of milan , perceiving the great warlike preparations made by the french and guessing what their aim might be , visited all the strong places of his government , repairing the dammage done by the violent rains the winter before , and putting them in a posture , to oppose the designs of the french. the marquess of astorga s. roman and velada , ambassador from his catholick majesty , made his public entry into rome with the usual splendour , but had not audience . pope alexander the th being then sick , and soon after dying . upon his death the college of cardinals , elected cardinal julius rospigliosi to succeed him , who took the name of clement the th . his promotion was highly applauded at the court of madrid , where he was acquainted , having been nuncio there , and being known to be well affected towards the crown of spain . publick prayers were made at vienna for the happy deliverance of the empress , who soon after was brought to bed of a son , to the great joy of the imperial and spanish courts . the venetians understanding the great preparations the turks made against candia , sent three ships laden with ammunition and other warlike stores , to the relief of the place . mean while the batteries of the infidels , had made great havock in the town , beating down many houses and churches . the besieged in revenge hung out a white flag , and the turks flooking to the walls , they sprung three mines , and sallying killed above of them . the prime vizier caused the bassa of anatolia to be strangled , because he had not sent him such supplies of men as he expected . upon the gulf of venice , stands the rich city ragusa , the head of a small territory , governed in the nature of a republick , but paying tribute to the turks . it is strong , populous , and abounds in wealth . simon lascari archbishop of durazzo , a monk of the order of s. basil , sent this year a relation to the monks of his order , of the utter desolation of this city by an earthquake , which overthrew all the houses , churches , and other buildings whatsoever , overwhelming all the people in such manner , that only gentlemen who hapned to be abroad escaped . all the castles and other fortifications were cast down , and among them a new fort , raised by the turks to command the city . anno . all the discourse at the court of madrid was , that d. john of austria would go to corun̄a , there to take shipping for flanders , where it was thought he was to command . there arose many differences about his departure , and great offers were made him , however , it took no effect . this rumour , moved the king of france , who had a squadron abroad infesting our coast , to order his admiral to search all ships , and endeavour to intercept him . this year came to court an ambassador from the great duke of muscovy , the first that was seen here , and therefore much admired . his retinue was great , and his entertainment magnificent . now at length the peace was concluded , betwixt castile and portugal , by the mediation of the king of great britain , who had often proposed it to king philip the th , but without success . the marquess del carpio who was prisoner at lisbon , ever since the defeat of our forces at ebora , was a great instrument in promoting this treaty . however it had not been concluded , but that the king of france invading the low countreys , the power of spain was not then such as to oppose both enemies , and therefore chose to compound with the nearest , to be at better leisure to withstand him that was farthest off . the count de castrillo resigned the office of president of castile , his majesty consenting on account of his continual infirmities . d. james riquelme bishop of plasencia , was chosen president of castile in his place , and he dying soon after , d. james valladares then bishop of oviedo , and afterwards of placencia , succeeded him . this year portugal was threatned with a civil war , for prince peter younger brother to alonso king of portugal , not only revolted from him , but cast him into prison , upon pretence , that he was not of capacity to govern the kingdom . not content with his crown , he also charged him of being impotent , and thereupon took from him his wife whom he also married , having to authorise this act ( god knows by what practices ) obtained a dispensation from the see of rome . it was reported the king had made his escape out of prison , which had it been true , would have turned to the destruction of that kingdom , for doubtless he could not among forreign princes , have failed of succours , and he had many friends at home , who would have shown themselves , if an opportunity had presented , but better care was taken , to secure that unfortunate king. the great turk after the defeat of his fleet , and the loss sustained by the prime vizier at candia , prepared to set out another numerous fleet , and to that effect , sent orders to all his bassa's to gather all the vessels they could , in order to send powerful succours to the vizier at candia . in poland the diet was all in confusion , about the election of a new king. some of the electors refused to sit , till all forreign ministers were departed from cracow , and particularly the french ambassador , but he had too many friends among the palatines who stood by him , and therefore the opposite party could not prevail . anno . prince peter of portugal to rid himself of king alonso his brother , who being near at hand , might cause some trouble , gave in charge to a gentleman , in whom he reposed great confidence , to carry him to the islands terceras . this gentleman the day before he was to have departed , entred himself among the jesuits , and took the habit. the prince caused the monastery to be beset , and taking him forcibly out , cast him into prison . many judgments were made upon his imprisonment , and the courtiers who pretend to see farther than other men , suspected the gentleman had orders to kill the king by the way , and to give it out , that he had dy'd a natural death . how true this was , is not ours to decide , god who suffers none to pass unpunished will judge of it . her catholick majesty having regard to the great merits and extraordinary services of d. john of austria , was pleased to constitute him lord lieutenant , and captain general of aragon , and vicar general of valencia , sardinia , majorca , and the adjacent islands of the principality of catalonia , and earldomes of rousillon and cerdagne , with all other dependencies upon the crown of aragon . f. everard nitard the queen's confessor , and a jesuit , being a stranger , had many enemies at court , by reason of his too great authority and power . particularly d. john of austria by letter , ceased not to press the queen to remove him from court , and she to give satisfaction to all that were discontented upon his account , complyed , giving him a most honourable discharge in such manner , as if it had been granted at his own suit , and the choice of being ambassador either at vienna or rome . he departed the court on the th day of february , to the great joy of many . had he made this retreat voluntarily , and of his free choice , he had gone off with honour , but staying to be thrust out , went away hated and in disgrace . the translation of s. isidorus the patron of madrid , to a rich chappel built for that purpose , was performed with all pomp and magnificence . the feast of the canonization of s. peter de alcantara , the reformer of the franciscans , was celebrated by that order , during the space of days . with him was also canonized s. magdalen of pazzis , a carmelite nun , born at florence . this year at the sollicitation of the pope , a league was concluded among several christian princes , for the defence of candia against the turks . also another in flanders , betwixt the english , swedes , and hollanders , for the defence of the low countreys . the count de oropesa , president of the council of orders , was preferred to that of italy the duke of ossuna , was appointed governour of milan , and the duke of sessa , of catalonia . d. ambrosio spinola archbishop of santiago , was translated to the archbishoprick of sevil. the count de medellin , was made president of orders , and his place of master of the horse , was given to the marquess de caslel rodrigo . three new counsellors of state were created , which were the constable of castile , who then governed the low countreys , the marquess de astorga ambassador at rome , and the admiral of castile . the most sumptuous palace begun at barcelona by the marquess de castel rodrigo , one of the most beautiful structures in all europe , was this year finished by the duke of ossuna . he also raised the citadel at palamos , a most important sea-port on the coast of catalonia , and a great inlet into that principality . finis . the index to mariana's history of spain . a. abdalasis son to muza his actions . pag. he marries the widow of king roderick . abdalla dies , abderhaman succeeds him . abderhaman first moorish king in spain . — his death . abderhaman calls himself king of murcia . abderhaman inthron'd by the abenhumeyas . abides his birth , education , and reign . accommodation betwixt castile and leon. accord betwixt castile , portugal , and aragon and portugal . — betwixt castile and aragon . — betwixt france and spain — betwixt the two kings ferdinand and philip . — betwixt the emperor and king ferdinand . actions on the frontiers of castile and portugal . — in navarre . acts of the cortes of castile . — at madrid . act of justice . adrian the emperor reigns years . aelius reigns years . aemilianus reigns months affairs of the infidels . and — of aragon . — of navarre — of aragon and sardinia . — of aragon unsuccessful at naples . — of naples . — of portugal . — of britany in france . — of naples settled . afranius . agila reigns , is kill'd having reign'd years and months . agreement betwixt king john of castile , and his rebels . — betwixt the duke of milan and french king. — betwixt king ferdinand and the king of england . alans and vandals call'd in by stilico . alans who they were , — they come into spain . — their progress . — they and the silingi , subdu'd by the goths . alaricus proclaim'd king. albarazin taken by the king of aragon . alcala de henares made an university . alcazar in africk taken by the portugueses . alexander severus reigns years , alexandet the th chosen pope . — dies . alexander the th pope . algezira besieg'd . — siege continu'd . — surrender'd . alhaca the moor dies , abderhaman the d succeeds him . alhama taken by the christians — in vain besieg'd by the moors . aljubarrota famous battel . pag. alliance betwixt portugal and aragon . all spain in peace except castile . almenon the moorish king of toledo , and ramon earl of barcelona die . almeria taken . almohades , a family of moors invade spain . almoravides , the moorish ruling family ; come into spain . alonso , the first king of oviedo , takes many towns. — his death . alonso , the d king of oviedo . — is expell'd by mauregatus . — is restor'd . his sister debauch'd by a count. alonso the d , call'd the great . — expell'd , and recovers his kingdome . — his publick words . his son rebels . he resigns the crown . his death . alonso the th . calls himself king of leon. — becomes a monk , and leaves the crown to his brother ramiro . alonso the th , king of leon , under the tuition of the earl of galicia , and his wife . his actions . is kill'd at the siege of viseo . alonso the th , king of leon , flies to the moors . — returns from among the moors , and resumes the crown . imprisons his brother garcia . takes an oath for the crown of castile . aids the moorish king of toledo . — stiles himself emperour . — his wife and issue . — his forces overthrown by the moors , and a second time marries his daughters to strangers . — his works of piety . — his death . alonso the th . proclaim'd king of castile . — aspires to the crowns of aragon and navarre . — invades them . stiles himself emperour . — he and his daughter both married . — breaks into andaluzia and dies . alonso the th , the young king of castile secur'd by some nobles . — receiv'd as king by his people . — toledo declares for him . — is overthrown by the rebels . — assembles the cortes or parliament . — meets the king of aragon . — concludes a league with him . — marries ellenor the daughter of king henry the d of england . — invades leon. — overthrown by the infidels . — his two daughters marry'd to the kings of france and leon. — his death . alonso the th . — is divorced . — overthrows the moors , and takes merida , and badajoz . fol. . p. — his death . ibid alonso the th . — chosen emperour by part of the electors , and richard duke of cornwal by the rest . fol. p. — his qualities . — aspires to the empire . — his progress . — meets the pope in france . — returns home . fol. p. — curses and disinherits his son sancho . — dies . alonso the th his birth . — is proclaim'd king being under months old . is kept by the citizens of avila . — enters upon the government . — dies . alonso the st king of aragon . — is belov'd of all men. — is kill'd by the moors . — leaves his dominions to the templers , and other knights . alonso the d king of aragon . — his death . alonso the d king of aragon crown'd . — dies . alonso the th king of aragon . — dies . alonso the th king of aragon , adopted heir of naples . — besieges the queen of naples . in her palace . — supports an anti-pope . — again invited to naples . — dies at naples . ibid alonso the first king of portugal his birth . — he governs as earl of portugal . — actions of his . — gives the moors a great overthrow . — marries . — his further success . — title of king confirm'd on him by the pope . — taken by king ferdinand of leon , and set at liberty . — besieg'd by the moors , and deliver'd by the king of leon. — vanquishes the moors . — dies . alonso the d king of portugal . — at war with his sisters . — his unjust proceedings . fol. p. — his death . alonso the d king of portugal . — dies . alonso the th king of portugal . alonso the th king of portugal , proclaimed king of castile , being contracted to the rightful heiress . — passes over into africk , and thence into france . — resolves to go in pilgrimage to jerusalem , and resigns his crown to his son. — dies . alonso king of naples abdicates . alonso prince of portugal his death . alonso de la cerda , the rightful heir of castile , submits to alonso king in possession . alonso de albuquerque , his actions in india . alora taken from the moors . pag. alva duke enters navarre . alvaro de luna ; who he was . — becomes the great favourite . — made an earl. — banish'd the court. — returns to court. — chosen master of the order of santiago . — his character and fatal end. amalaricus his reign . his death . anintosities against prince ferdinand . of castile . ancinting of kings first used in spain . antequira taken by storm . the castle surrendred . antient inscriptions . antioch in danger of-destruction . apparitions in the air , and other prodigies . application for uniting the church . aragon left without heirs . — divided about the succession . aragonians rout the mallorquines . — destroy the french fleet. — successful in italy . — successful against the moors . — invade castile . — decline at naples . — gain two victories at sea. arcadius and honorius . archbishop of toledo chosen . — chancellour of castile — arrested by the king. archbishop of santiago flies to portugal . archduke comes into spain . — he and his princess sworn heirs of aragon . — returns to flanders . — concludes a peace betwixt spain and france . archimbaud earl of faux , his death and issue . argantonius his great age. argonauts in spain . arian heresie . armengaud earl of urgel , slain . arms of aragon . — of toledo . — of navarre . articles betwixt aragon and navarre . fol. . p. — betwixt france and castile . — betwixt king peter of castile , and the prince of wales . — betwixt castile and portugal . asdrubal succeeds hamilcar . — his death . asdrubal the d , and mago routed , and of their men killed . asdrubal barchinus routed by scipio . asdrubal the son of gisgo entirely defeated by scipio . asinius pollio , and m. lepidus govern spain . asturians forced to submit . ataultus and sigericus , kings of the goths murder'd . athanagildus ascends the throne . — unfortunate marriages of his two sisters . atilius atlas expels hesperus , and reigns . attempts of the infidels , to murder the king of castile . attila king of the huns in france , defeated by the romans , francs and goths and of his men slain . aubigni defeated and taken . aucupa governs spain . augustus set up in the place of julius caesar . — becomes sole lord of the world. — comes into spain . — returns to rome . — his death . aurelius antoninus , and antoninus verus , reign years . aurelius commodus , reigns years and months . aurelius probus , reigns years and months . aurelius carus , reigns years . aurelius king of oviedo , during his reign , does nothing honourable . aza or adham , governs spain . azamor in africk , submits to the portugueses . — is taken by the porugueses . b. babel built . pag. bacchus builds nebrixa . bada wife to recaredus . badajoz mutinies . — taken by the portugueses . baeca taken . baleares islands . balbinus and pupienus , reign not out a year . banish'd king of granada restor'd . barbarous action of a roman . — treachery . barbarosla besieges bugia in vain . barcelona , earidome hereditary . — its earls . — taken by the moors . — surrendred to the king of aragon . battel that lasted days . — undecided . — de la higuera , or of the fig-tree . — of olmedo . — of cirinola . — of salado . — of munda . — of najara . — of ravenna . — of blavio : vid. memorable . — of collejares . — of aljubarrota . — of cannas . baucius capetus general of the spaniards . — chosen a d time against the carthaginians . beltran de la cueva , favourite to king henry the d of castile , created a duke . benedict the th pope . benedict the th . chosen pope . — forsaken , — disown'd in aragon . — dies . berengaria , heiress to the crown of castile , resigns her right to her son ferdinand . berenguel or berengarius , earl of barcelona . berenguel earl of barcelona his actions . bergamo and bressa , return to the obedience of the venetians . bermudo king of leon , succeeds mauregatus . bermudo , the d king of leon , — his death , wives and issue . bermudo the d king of leon. — his good government . bernard first archbishop of toledo , when recover'd from the moors . — sets out for the holy land. is sent back by the pope . — his death . bernard de cabrera , cruelly put to death . bilbao city built . biscay rebels . — united to the crown of castile . biscainers and navarrois at war. biscainers invade the canary islands . — bishop murder'd . blanch and berengaria , sisters to king henry of castile . — blanch queen of aragon dies . — blanch daughter to the duke of bourbon , contracted to king peter of castile , — dies . bloody battel betwixt the spaniards and moors . — rain . — mutiny at lisbon . boabdil the moorish king , flies to cordova . bolonia its siege . — rais'd . boniface , pope dies . bravery of a woman , fol. . p. bresta taken by the viceroy . broils among the suevians . — in navarre and biscay . bruneclulda by the french call'd brunchault . mariana deceiv'd concerning her life . bugia and other places in barbary taken by the spaniards . burgundians , who they were . c. caesar in spain the first time . his d coming . — kills spaniards in gaul . returns into spain , and expels pompey's party . — returns again into spain . reduces cordova . — returns to rome . is murder'd in the senate . caius catinius . calamities of princes . calatrava taken and given to the knights templers . — defended by two monks , and given to their order . caligula succeeds tiberius , and reigns years , months , and days . calixtus chosen pope . calpurnius pilo . canary islands , — conquer'd . cantabri who they were . — they are routed , cape of good hope discover'd , caracalla reigns years and months . carcastonne lost , and recover'd by the earl of barcelona . cardinals fall off from the pope . carmona besieg'd , and other towns taken . fol. p. carmona surrendred to the christians . — besieg'd by the usurper . carthaginians , their undertakings . — their first coming into spain . — they make war on the phoenicians . — discover a new island . — routed . forced from the siege of iliturgum . their army again defeated . — attack the roman camp and are repuls'd . carthusian and cestercian monks . castile its earls executed . — invaded by the infidels . — it s earl reconciled to the king of leon. — it s earl imprison'd in leon , escapes by the contrivance of his wife . — in league with aragon against navarre . — again . — commences war with the moors . — reconcil'd to portugal . — in league with aragon against the moors . — at war with the moors . — in league with aragon . — in league with navarre . — in league with england . — divided . — at variance with navarre . — makes peace with aragon . — still at variance . — divided betwixt the rightful princess , and elizabeth the usurper . castilian fleet ravages the coast of britany . — ravages the coasts of portugal . castilians vanquish the moors . — gain another victory . — and aragonians make war upon the moors . fol. p. — overthrow the portugueses at sea. — overthrow the aragonians and navarrois . — defeated . catalonia reduced . catalonians , their actions in asia , and greece . they overthrow the turks . their general put to death . they defeat the greeks . cathedral of burgos built by an english man. catherine queen of castile dies . cato the first consul in spain . — kills spaniards . returns to rome and triumphs . cause of the wars betwixt castile and aragon . cefalonia taken by the turks . caelestin the th pope abdicates . celts people of france , come into spain . ceuta taken . — taken by the portugueses . challenge betwixt the kings of france and aragon . charlemain in spain . charles ; brother to the king of france , crowned king of sicily and naples . — dies . ibid. charles ; prince of salerno , made king of apulia and sicily . charles the v. of france dies . charles vi. succeeds . charles inherits the crown of navarre . — dies . charles ii. king of navarre . charles ; duke of durazzo crowned king of naples . charles ; prince of viana dies . charles ; king of naples dies . charles vii . king of france dies . charles v. emperor , his birth . chindasuinthus ; usurps with the assistance of the army . chintila ; ascends the throne by election . christ our lord born years after the building of rome , and in the th year of the reign of augustus . christian princes united ; defeat the infidels . christian dominions in spain ; united under one head. christian army advances against the infidels . christian nobles ; perswade the infidels to revolt . f. . p. christian kings of spain ; at variance . christian fleet destroyed by the moors . christians overthrown . — defeated . — suffer under the moors . — spoil the territories of the moors . — join with infidels to raise the siege of huesca . — succesful . f. . p. — defeated . christopher columbus dies . cimbri ; enter spain . return with the germans , and are again repulsed . civil wars betwixt caesar and pompey . — of rome . — in aragon . — in navarre . claudius centho . claudius caesar ; reigns almost years . clement v. chosen pope . clement pope ; owned in castile . clement ; the pope dies . coimbra ; taken from the moors . combat ; betwixt french , and as many italians . commotions among the spaniards . — in castile . — in catalonia . competitors ; for the kingdom of naples . conditions of peace betwixt the kings of leon and navarre . confederacy against castile . , — against the aragonians . conference of the kings of france , and castile . — of the french and spanish generals . confusion of tongues . confusions in africk . — in aragon . — in castile . — in biscay . — upon the death of king philip. conquest of majorca ; resolved upon by the king of aragon . conspiracy detected and punished . — against the french in sicily . — against d. alvaro de luna . — of the nobles . — to destroy d. alvaro de luna . — against k. henry iv. of castile . — in castile discovered . — conspirators apprehended ; others fly . constance ; the king of aragon's daughter , married to the king of sicily . — dies . constans ; murdered . constantine the great ; reigns years , months , and days . — his death . constantine , constantius , and constans ; reign . constantine ; murdered . constantius ; reigns year and months . constantius ; sole monarch . — his death . constantinople ; taken by the turks . contests about the imperial crown . f. . p. controversies betwixt castile and portugal , about their discoveries . conversion of two moorish princes . cordova ; taken by the christians , and revolts . — part of it taken by a handful of men. f. . p. — described . besieged . surrendred . cortes of castile raise money . — cortes of castile ; summoned by the king , and his son follow the latter — settle the government of castile . — held at alcalâ . — settle the government of castile . — meet at madrid . — held in castile . — grant supplies for war with the moors . — held at burgos ; by k. ferdmand . cortes ; meet in the kingdom of aragon . — held at moncon . — held by the queen . council of constantinople ; general . — of nice ; general . — of toledo ; the first . — of chalcedon ; general . — of tarragona . — of toledo ; the second . — of constantinople ; the th general . — of braga ; the first . — of braga ; the second . — of toledo ; the third . — of toledo ; the fourth . — of sevil. — of toledo ; the fifth . , — of toledo ; the sixth . — of toledo ; the seventh . — of toledo ; the th , th , and th . — of toledo ; the th . — of toledo ; the , th , and th , th , th , th , and last . — of constantinople vi. of the general . — of florence ; general — of valencia . — of rheimes ; general . — lateran general . — of lions ; general . — of vienne in dauphinê ; general . — of constance ; general . — of basil ; general . — of mantua ; general . — of pamplona . — of compostella , jaca and s. john de la pena . — of burgos . — of tarragona . , — of toledo . — of valladolid . — of barcelona . — of coyenca . — of leon. — of aranda . countess of medellin ; a turbulent woman . country of the moors wasted . cruel action of the earles of carrion . they are overcome in combat . cruel murder . cruzadoe's first coined in portugal . cuenca ; its conquest resolved upon . it s description . the siege ; taken cuidad real built . f. . p. cuidad rodrigo ; built . customs of the spaniards . d. davalo's family , pag. deacon ; zealous against hereticks , death of the kings of portugal , and france . of the queen and prince of aragon . — of four popes — of kings . of the princes of castile ; peter and john. — of the queen of castile . decay of the moorish kingdom of the power of the kings of navatre . — decius reigns years . defeat of the moors . , of the christians . of the portugueses . of the french. , of the infidels at sea. of the spaniards in africk . of the confederates . denis ; succeeds to the crown of portugal . — marries q. elizabeth . — his issue . — as arbitrator , reconciles castile and aragon . — dies . dep orable state of spain . — description of spain . of india . of the kingdom of naples . of granada . of africk . of the city albis . of majorca . of spain , vid. spain . differences betwixt castile and aragon composed , — betwixt the knights of alcantara and their master . — about the government of castile . digitius . dioclelian and maximilian ; reign years . disagreement betwixt french and spaniards . — about the division of naples . discontents among the nobility of castile . discord betwixt the king of leon , and earl of castile . — in aragon and catalonia . f. , p. — among the aragonians . f. , p. — among the moors . — continues in castile . discoveries by henry infante of portugal . — of the portugueses . — and conquests in the west-indies . disorders caus'd by hereticks in the city leon . — in sicily and sardinia . — in aragon . f. ; p. . dispute concerning the crown of aragon . dissention among the moors . — among the knights of calatrava . division of spain . divisions among the infidels . — among the moors . — among the moors and christians . — among the moors . f. , p. — among the infidels . — in portugal ; about the succession of the crown . domitian reigns years and months ; is murdered . domitius aurclianus ; reigns years , months , and days . domitius calvinus ; triumphs over the ceretani . — drawn battle . dukes and counts ; their original . duke of anjou ; in naples . — of gandia ; murdered . — of milan ; expelled his dukedom . e. earl of tonlouze ; routed by him of poitiers . earl of gijon ; declared traitor . earl of faux ; invades aragon . earl of urger's ; pretensions to the crown of aragon . — surrenders himself . — dies . earl of luna ; his end . earl of benavente ; escapes , and raises new troubles . earthquakes and famine . earthquakes . earthquakes and floods . , earthquake at lisbon . ecclesiastical affairs under the popes , lucius , stephen , and sixtus . eclipse of the sun. eclipse of the sun , and floods . edward king of portugal . — dies . egica ; anointed king. — his death . elizabeth ; princess of castile , married to alonso prince of portugal . elizabeth ; sister to the king of castile , her traiterous practices . — her counterfeit reconciliation to the king ; her brother . she openly aspires to the crown . — her character . — her death . ellenor queen of castile ; her death , and of others . ellenor queen of navarre ; returns to her husband . emanuel king of portugal ; settles the government . ambassador from ethiopia ; arrives in portugal . embassy to alexander the great . — to the king of castile ; from the soldan of egypt . f. , p. — from tartary . — betwixt tamerlan , and the king of castile . — to the king of aragon ; for aid against the turks . — to king ferdinand ; at naples . — sent to the pope with presents , by the king of portugal . emperor of morocco ; called into spain . emperor ; disgusted with king ferdinand . — proceeds against milan . — cannot be separated from france . — besieges leghorne in vain . — joins in league with the archduke , and king of france . — he and king philip of castile ratifie the peace with france . empress of constantinople , in spain . f. p. empurias ; built by a colony sent from marseilles . endeavours for an accommodation betwixt france and aragon . — to pacifie navarre . england ; enters into a league against france . , english and french in the holy-land expedition . english ; pass the pyreneans , in defence of king peter . — join with portugal against castile . enmity ; betwixt king alonso of castile , and his son sancho increases . era caesaris . — abolished . ermenegildus ; son to king leuvigildus , converted . messages betwixt his father , and him . — beginning of the war betwixt them . — his death . ervigius ; usurps the crown . governs well . estates of the princes of aragon , confiscated . eugenius ; a schoolmaster , stiles himself emperor . eugenius iv. pope . — expelied rome by the people . eugenius the v. pope ; deposed by the council of basil . evil practices of a legate . euricus ; king after theodorick . expedition against sardinia . — of king peter by sea. f. fabius buteo . fabius maximus ; overthrows viriatus . fabius servilius ; the consul streightens viriatus . fabulous kings of spain . fabulous story applied to several persons . factions among the moors . — of the two houses of castro and lara . — in castile . — in navarre . — continue in navarre . fames calagurritana ; whence the proverb . famine and earthquakes . famine and plague . , , famine ; looked upon as a judgment for the imprisonment of a bishop . famine among the moors . famous men in spain . . famous war ; with the moors of granada . fatal overthrow of the portugueses in africk . javila succeeds ; pelayus , is killed by a bear. favourers of the albigenses . felix v. chosen pope . ferdinand ; the first king of leon. the most powerful king of spain , overthrows the moors , and takes several towns. — his progress . — his death ; leaves by will to each of his three sons a kingdom , and towns to his daughters . ferdinand ; the ii. king of leon. — enters castile . ferdinand iii. of castile . — marries beatrix ; daughter to the emperor , philip. — his issue . — he makes war upon the moors . — hastes to secure the conquest of cordova . f. . p. — his d . marriage . f. , p. — prepares to besiege sevil. — takes many places . — his death . — his good ordinances . ferdinand iv ? of castile , born — comes to the crown . — his marriage . — his death . ferdinand ; king of aragon , his birth . — his wonderful modesty in refusing the crown of castile . — his government of that kingdom . — marches against the infidels . — is declared king of aragon by the judges . — proclaimed at zaragoca . settles the affairs of aragon . his actions . — he and pope benedict meet . he besieges the earl of urgel in balaguer . — is crowned at at zaragoca . confers with pope benedict . — dies . ferdinand ; king of portugal . — marries the lady ellenor de meneses . — dies . ferdinand ; king of sicily , marries elizabeth , sister to the king of castile . — received as king of castile ; and iv. of the name . — labours to gain the nobility of castile . — goes into aragon . — his son sworn heir of castile , aragon and catalonia . — takes mallaga and other places — builds a town to lie in during the siege of granada . — his character . — called catholick king by the pope . — two of his daughters matched . — perplexity he is in . — his double dealing . — becomes odious to the people . — agrees with the french king. — little faith in him . — marries queen germana . — forces raised by him . — many forsake him . — is forced to quit castile . — he and his queen at zaragoca . — in italy . — comes to naples . — returns to castile . — desires peace with venice . — assists the pope . — dies . ferdinand ; king of naples dies . ferdinand ; king of naples , succesful against the french. — dies . ferdinand ; prince of castile dies . , ferdinand ; infante of portugal , left a hostage with the moors . fernan gonzalez ; earl of castile . — his death . fidelity of a servant . fifty thousand infidels slain . fight in which infidels were slain . — betwixt the portugues and castilian armies . fire rises out of the sea , and does great harm . first roman and carthaginian war. flaminius . flavius claudius ; reigns one year , months and days . flemmings and spaniards disagree . floods . florence , siena and luca join with the confederates . florentine war. florianus ; reigns months . fonteyus balbus . forces of castile ; routed by the aragonians . and a second time . form of government in castile ; during the kings minority . form of the rebels association . forreigners come to serve count henry . forreigners did king alonso ; the first of portugal . four kings in spain ; meet to conclude peace . fraga ; besieged and quitted . — again besieged . france and navarre ; join with castile . france and aragon ; make peace . franciscan friars ; preach to the moors of granada . francis phebus ; crowned king of navarre . francs ; invade spain . — defeated by the goths . — overthrown in italy . frederick ; king of sicily , beaten at sea. — dies . frederick ii. king of sicily , dies . frederick king of naples , puts himself into the hands of the french. — dies . french army enters catalonia . — invade aragon . — expelled aragon . — support henry the bastard . — and spaniards besiege bayonne . — invade navarre . — and portugues forces ; invade castile . — and aragonians at variance . — invade naples . — possess themselves of the d. of milan . — perish by pestilence and stress of weather . — in rousillon . — advance towards the confederates . — decline in italy . — and spaniards conquer naples . french army ; enters catalonia : french army marches through italy . french king at rome . — returns home . — in italy . fresh troubles in castile quieted . friar ; stirs up the people of navarre , to rebellion . friars , preachers and others , oppose hereticks . froyla or fruela ; succeeds king alonso i. — is murdered . fruela ii ; king of leon. fulvius nobilior . fulvius flaccus . fulvius nobilior ; comes into spain . — is repulsed at axena . furius philo. furius philo ; the consul governs hispania , citerior . further actions of the christians . g. gaeta besieged . — surrendred to the great captain . galba ; the pretor's barbarous treachery . galba ; governs spain . is proclaimed emperor . reigns months , and is slain . galicians destroyed . galienus ; reigns years . gallerius ; raised to the empire . garcia ; earl of castile . garcia ; king of navarre imprisoned by his brother ferdinand . makes his escape . is overthrown and killed by king ferdinand of leon. — his issue . garcia ; the ii. king of navarre . — killed by a fall from his horse . garcia ; king of galicia , bleeds to death in prison . garcia de toledo ; sent with forces into africk . garci fernandez ; earl of castile , his son , rebels against him . is killed by the moors . garci lopez de padilla ; master of calatrava deposed . garci sanchez ; king of pamplona , and najara . garci sanches ; earl of castile . garci sanches ; king of navarre . gargoris or mellicola reigns . gaston ; heir of navarre , born. genealogy of the kings of spain . general peace in spain . generosity of the duke of milan . geneoses ; join the catalonians . — rebell ; and join with pope eugenius , and the duke of anjou . gensericus ; succeeds gundericus ; passes over into africk . gesaleycus ; advanced to the throne . — his death . gerion ; the first known king. girona ; besieged by the french , and taken . gibraltar ; taken . — besieged . gneius fulvius . gnosticks ; their heresie . goa ; in india , taken by the portugueses . godigisius ; king of the vandals , makes peace with the romans . goths ; who they were . , — their religion . — two great overthrows given them by the franks . they overthrow the franks , and kill of them . — their conversion . — thrice defeated . government of castile divided betwixt the queen mother , and prince ferdinand . — of toledo ; altered . — and of pamplona . — settled for the present . gracian and valentinian ; emperors . gracian ; the emperor murdered , when he had reigned years , months , and days . granada ; city surrendred to king ferdinand . grants made by king henry of castile , vacated by the cortes . great captains actions at naples . — subdues almost all naples . — his reception at naples . — contrary to his faith given ; sends duke valentine into spain . — is ill represented to the king. — jealousies raised against him . — forbid to pass into italy . — ordered to be apprehended . — dies . great preparations for the holy war. — victory obtained by the christians . , — fleet of saracens destroyed by the goths . — overthrow of the moors . , — slaughter of infidels . — earthquakes . , , — overthrow of the infidels . — faith. — plague . — famine and plague . — floods . , , — famine and earthquakes . — booty taken by the spaniards . — year of jubilee . — disorders throughout castile . — eclipse and floods . gregory xi . pope returns to rome , after the papal chair had been years at avignon . gregory xii . chosen pope at rome . gregory the great ; pope . — several letters from him . — his books sent for to rome , grounds of the war in navarre . of new troubles in castile . gundemarus ; his reign . his death . gundericus ; king of the vandals , aspires to the sovereignty of all spain . h. hali sent to assist the king of sevil ; overthrows and kills him . hali ; the moor ravages the country , and lais siege to toledo . hamilcar ; sent to conquer spain . hannibal ; the elder , sent to govern spain . hannibal ; governs in spain . — marches through france towards rome . — his progress in italy . hanno ; his voyage to the southward . he , and hunilco return to carthage . — his actions in spain . hanno in sicily with spaniards , and africans . hegira ; the mahometan computation of time used in spain . heir of castile , made prince of asturias . heliogabalus ; reigns years and months . helvius pertinax ; reigns months and days . helvius ; recovers illiturgum , and routs the spaniards . henry i. king of castile , but years of age. — is married ; parted from his wife on account of consanguinity . — his death . henry ; the bastard proclaims himself king of castile , and is the d of the name . — is routed . — returns into spain . — finds many enemies ; takes carmona , and breaks the articles . — his death . henry iii. proclaimed king of castile . — takes upon him the government . — dies . — anotable action of his ; his will. henry iv. of castile , his birth . — rebels against his father . — reconciled to him . — proclaimed king of castile . — how disposed . — ravages the territories of the moors ; and marries joanna , sister to the king of portugal . — raises mean persons in opposition to the nobility . — proclaimed earl of barcelona ; by the rebels there . — supposed to be poisoned . — dies . henry v. king of england ; invades france . henry vii . king of england , his death . heny viii . king of england . — takes therouenne and tournay . henry ; king of navarre . f. . p. — dies . henry ; prince of castile , governs . henry ; earl of portugal dies . heresie of the albigenses ; its original . — of nestorius revived . heretical opinions condemned in spain . hereticks ; expelled leon. herminij ; entirely subdued . hesperus , reigns . hierome savonarola ; a famous preacher in florence , burnt . hierusalem ; lost . — taken by the christians . himilco and hanno . himilco sails along the coast of spain . hirtuleyus ; general for sertorius , twice routs the romans . hispalus ; king. holy war in the east . honorius ; the emperor reigned above years . honours done to the archbishop of toledo . horrid treason of a bishop . houses of haro and lara ; reconciled . huesca ; besieged . — surrendred . i. jaen ; city described . — besieged . surrendred . f. , p. jayme , or james ; i. king of aragon . — comes into spain . escapes from his keepers . — marries ellenor of castile . — a conspiracy against him . — he is seized . escapes ; and invades valencia . — kills the rebel peter de ahones . — lands in majorca . — wounded at the siege of valencia . f. . p. marries his son to the daughter of the king of sicily . f. , — goes to toledo . , — imbarks for the holy land. — dies . — his issue . jayme or james the d . king of aragon . pag. — proclaim'd king of sardinia and corsica . — dies . jayme heir of aragon abdicates . jealousies of princes . jealousie the cause of king philip's quen's distemper . jews banish'd spain . & — converted . — murder'd in sicily . jews and moors distinguish'd in castile . infamous life and death , of the queen mother of castile . infidels , twice defeated . — victorious . — divide and overrun spain . — twice overthrown ; — defeated by prince peter of castile . — slain in one battel . & ingundis wife to ermenegildus , persecuted for the catholick religion . inigo arista , king of navarre . innocent the th , chosen pope of rome . — dies . innocent the th pope . — dies . insolency of the moors . intercasia surrendred . interdict in castile and aragon at one time . — interregnum . inquisition first setled in spain ; interview of the king of aragon and navarre . fol. p. — of the kings of france and castile . — of princes at perpignan . — of kings . — of the kings of castile and navarre . — of two kings . & invasion of the normans . investiture of naples granted to king ferdinand . joanna daughter to king henry , heiress of navarre . joanna queen of naples dies . joanna princess of castile , contracted to the duke of guienne . joanna queen of castile , wholly unfit to govern . — deliver'd of a daughter . john the first king of castile . — proclaim'd king of portugal . — makes his will. — kill'd by a fall from his horse . — contents of his last will. john the d an infant , proclaim'd king of castile ; govern'd by the archbishop of toledo ; — his character ; is under restraint . — makes his escape . — breaks into aragon . — invades granada . — drives the moors into that city ; gives them a great overthrow . — made prisoner by his rebds . — makes his escape . — his designs . — dies . john the first crown'd king of aragon . — his qualities . — his strange death . john the d king of aragon , dies . john king of france dies ; charles the th succeeds . john king of france dies . john proclaimed king of navarre . — crown'd . — subdues his rebellious subjects . john master of avis a bastard , aspires to the crown of portugal . — is proclaim'd king. — all portugal submit to him . — his issue . — his government . — dies . john the d of portugal while prince , comes to his father's assistance into castile . — restores the crown to his father . — his accession to the crown . — dies , , & john king of hierusalem , comes into spain . john prince of castile , usurps the title of king of leon and galicia . — is reconcil'd to the king. john prince of castile born . — dies . john the th chosen pope . john the th chosen pope . — forced to quit the papacy . john duke of lorrain in catalonia , for his father . d. john nunez de lara , revolts from castile . — is reconcil'd to king sancho , and again ready to flie from him . john hus and hierome of prague burnt . joseph the miramamolin , comes out of africk . — his death . joseph governs spain . joseph king of granada dies . joseph the d king of granada , his strange death . joseph the d king of granada , dies . jovianus reigns months , and days . irruption of the moors into france . — of the goths . italy in war. jubilee first instituted . judges appointed to decide the right to the crown of aragon . julian the apostate chosen emperor . reigns one year months , and days , — is kill'd . julian the famous count , that betrayed spain to the moors , — invites the moors into spain . — his and his families end. julianus reigns months . julius pope dies . julius the d pope . just reward of treachery . k. kingdom of aragon under an interdict . fol. p. kingdoms of the moors . king of aragon in danger . fol. p. king of aragon with princes in league against france . king of aragon makes peace with sardinia . — seeks aid against the french. king of england prepares to invade france . king of granada murder'd . king of leon makes war upon his son , the king of castile . king of majorca delivers himself to the king of aragon . king of morocco , comes to assist king alonso of castile , king of navarre , murders the cnostable of france . — uses means to recover his possessions in france . king and queen of navarre excommunicated . king of portugal invades castile . — sworn heir of castile . kings alike in the manner of their death . — of aragon and castile , join againd navarre . of aragon and navarre prisoners . set at liberty . — of castile and aragon meet . — of castile and aragon invade the moors . — of castile and navarre meet . — of castile and portugal after their victory return to sevil ; — of france and aragon meet , and are reconcil'd . — of portugal and castile meet . — of the moors . knights of alcantara . their original . — of calatrava their original . — of montesa in aragon , and of christ in portugal instituted . — of santiago , or s. james the apostle . — increase of these knights . — templers , hospitallers , &c. — templers destroy'd . — their possessions in spain , l. lancaster duke , lands at coruna . lara's family . conspires against the young king of castile . — seize the government into their hands . the archbishop obliges them to take an oath . alvaro the elder of them excommunicated . seizes upon the queen's lands , and banishes her . — is taken by the king , and set at liberty . — his and his brother ferdmand's death . lautrech in guipuzcoa . laws establish'd by king wamba . league betwixt castile and aragon . renew'd . & — against peter ruiz de azagra . — against castile . — betwixt castile and aragon . & — against the french. — against the venetians . — offensive and defensive , betwixt the two kings of spain . — of cambray . — for defence of the church . learned spaniards . ● legate makes peace among christian princes . lelius successful against viriatus . leo king of armenia in spain . leo the th chosen pope . leon city built . — taken with other places by the infidels . — taken by the christians . leon kingdom rebels . lepidus the consul routed , with the loss of romans . leuvigildus drives the romans out of spain . chooses his two sons companions with him in the throne . — besieges sevil. — persecutes the catholicks . his death . — causes of his conversion . he was the first goth , that us'd the royal ornaments . liberty of conscience . licinius nerva . licinius lucullus . — his barbarous cruelty . licinius larcius governs spain . lisbon taken by king alonso the d of leon. — besieg'd , taken by king alonso , the first of portugal . — besieg'd , and the siege rais'd , liuva succeeds his father recaredus . — is murder'd ; longin us in danger of being murder'd for his avarice and cruelty . is cast away going to italy . d , lope de haro , favourite to king sancho thi d of castile . — is kill'd at court. love adventure . loxa city besieged by the christian without success . — taken with other places . d. lucas de tuy , a famous writer . lucius canulcyus . luis the younger king of france , comes into spain . his entertainment . luis the th king of france , sends presents to toledo , and undertakes the conquest of the holy land. fol. p. — dies , and philip succeeds . luis the th , king of france dies . luis the th , king of france dies . luis the th , king of france dies . luis duke of orleans murder'd . luis duke of anjou , adopted heir of naples . luis sforza , duke of milan . luna town built . lusitani , so call'd from lusus . m. macedonius his heresy condemn'd . madrid taken and ruin'd . mahomet , the founder of mahometisme born , a. m. mahomet usurps the kingdom of cordova , and secures hissem . is overthrown , and of his men slain . mahomet inthron'd , by the abenhumeyas . mahomet king of granada in africk . — is murder'd . mahomet king of granada dies . mahomet king of granada , expell'd by his subjects . — restor'd . — again expell'd and restor'd . — imprison'd . mahomet usurps the crown of granada . — is depos'd . mahometan power , its increase . majorca city taken by storm . majorca sabdned by the aragonians . malecontents in andaluzia . mancmus succeeds pupilinus . — concludes a dishonourable peace with the numantians , and is deliver'd up to them . mandonius and indibilis revolt . manlius acidinus . many towns built and repair'd . — towns taken . — roman colonies planted in spain . — places taken by the aragonians from the moors . — nobles reduced . — places taken by the christians . fol p. marcellus suceeds fulvius . marcius restores the roman power in spain . marcus marcienus . marcus junius . marcus marcellus . marius and cinna . marquess de villena , his double dealing . marquess del gasto comes over to the spaniards , & marriages . — of king henry's bastards . — king ferdmand of castile , with the princess of portugal . — of princes . — of the prince of aragon , with the princess of castile . marseilles taken by the aragonians . martin de freitas , the famous loyal governour of coimbra . martin the th pope , and the king of aragon at variance . martin the th , chosen pope . — dies . martin lopez master of calatrava , faithful to king peter . martin king df aragon . — marries . — dies . martin king of sicily dies . mary de padilla , mistriss to king peter . — dies . — declar'd by king peter his lawful wife . mary princess of castile , contracted to the king of portugal . mary queen of sicily dies . mallacre of the french , call'd the sicilian vespers . massinissa joins with the romans . master of alcantara cut off by the moors master of santiago strengthens himself against his enemies . — dies . masterships of military orders annex'd to the crown . & mauregatus the bastard aspires to the crown , assisted by the moors . — reigns , expelling king alonso ; maxentius usurps the empire . maximilian storcia duke , recovers milan . mazalquivir in africk taken . mecma besieg'd by the french. memorable siege of astapa . memorable battel betwixt christians and infidels . — the same renew'd . takes name from the town of clavijo . men famous for learning and sanctity . merida reduced . merines , a family among the moors , obtains the empire of africk . method of reducing the rebellious prelates . metellus subdues the celtiberi . metellus sent by sylla into spain . — kills of sertorius his men. mighty army of christians in castile . — divisions throughout spain . floods . milan recever'd by the french. minorea and yvica islands conquer'd . miraculous victory of christians . miraculous tryal of a bishop . miserable slaughter . mithridates sends ambassadors to sertorius . monasteries founded . monks cast off their subjection to the bishops . moors , of them pass over into spain . their d coming . — their progress in spain . — from spain they invade france . — kill'd in one battel by charles martel . — in rebellion at toledo , and at cordova . — overthrown . of them kill'd in a battel . — their kingdom divided into many small principalities . they buy a peace . — rise against king ferdinand , and are suppress'd . — intercede for the queen and archbishop . — routed by the christians . — of them kill'd . — overthrown . fol. p. — vanquish'd in a sea fight . & — banish'd valencia . fol. p. — begin the war. fol. p. — of granada . expell their king. — of them slain with their king. & invade spain , — slain . — call'd by the christians to their assistance . — overthrown . — ravage andaluzia . — of granada , break the peace . — of granada . invade murcia . — recover the lost towns. — in the mountains rebell . moorish fleet perishes by storms . moorish king baptiz'd . moorish kings of loragoca . moorish kings in spain revolt ; moorish king of granada depos'd . moorish king of granada , wrongfully put to death . moorish king taken , and set at liberty . — submits himself . — besieg'd by his own people . more troubles in gastile . most villanous action of castilian rebels : mountain falls . mozambique discover'd . mummius defeated , and of his men slain . he triumphs over the lusitani . murcia kingdom deliver'd up by the moors . murcia city taken by the aragonians . murder of brothers , call'd the infantes of lara . mutinous lords in castile submit . matiny in rome , about choosing a pope . — in sevil. — in toledo . , & — at segovia . — about taxes . — at toledo and sevil. — at badajoz . — in the spanish army . muza the moor comes into spain . takes several towns. he and tariff at variance . — his death . n. naples besieg'd by the aragonians . — taken by the aragonians . navarre revolts . — brought under by the french. — makes peace with castle . — its kings ▪ fictions concerning them . un certainties concerning that country abridg'd . — it s king defeated , and taken by the earl of castile . — over-run by the kings of aragon and castile . — united to castile . — invaded by the french. — swears allegiance to king ferdinand . — pacifi'd . navarrois and arragonians make war. navarrois twice defeated . navas de tolosa battel , why so call'd . nebuchadnezzar said to conquer spain . nero reigns years . kills himself . nerva reigns months . new debate in aragon fol. p. — trouble in castile . , & — and breach of peace , betwixt castile and aragon . — commotions in castile . — war in naples . nicholas pope dies . nigidius routed by viriatus . nineteen sail of infidels destroy'd . nobility of castile raise tumults . — supported in rebellion by the king of navarre . — conspire against their king. fol. p. — reconcil'd . nobility of naples favour the aragonians . — swear fidelity to spain . noblemen secure to themselves , all strong holds . nobles of castile reconciled to king alonso . nobles of castile join with portugal , in favour of the rightful heiress . nobles in castile , for and against king philip . norbanus triumphs over spain . normans infest the coast of spain ; & — their actions in italy . their earls and kings . notable combat of persons on each side ; notable valour of a spaniard notes of the translator ; & numantia , its description . terms of peace it made with sempronius gracchus . — prosecrtion of the war. — revolts again . is besieged by pompey . — destroy'd by scipio . — nuptials in germany . o obeydalla calls himself king of toledo . occasion of the barbarous nations coming into spain . — of the wars betwixt france and england . odd project , if true . olmedo , doubtful fight betwixt the king and the rebels . opilius macrinus reigns months , and days , oran in africk taken . order of the belt instituted ; orders of s. dominick & la merced of redemption of captives . of s. hierome and s. isidore . ordono king of leon , his reign ; ordono the d succeeds . ordono the d inherits the crown ; is divorced from his wife , and marries another ; ordono usurps , and expells king sancho . flies to the moors . original of the division of the goths . — of the several kingdoms of spain . of the kings of navarre ; of the earls of aragon ; and those of barcelona . — of the neapolitan war. orus or hercules , kills the sons oof gerion . osiris the egyptian , kills gerion . otho joins galba , reigns days . — is defeated , and kills himself . ottoman founder of the empire of that name . overthrow given the infidels . — of the christians . — of the moors . — of the rebels in catalonia . — of the portugueses . — of the swissers . — of the castilians . p. pacification in aragon . padua recover'd from the venetians . palencia rebuilt . palma one oof the canary islands conquer'd . particulars of the christians success . paul , general for king wamba takes part with the rebels . is declar'd king. — taken prisoner . paul the d pope dies . paul de cartagena , famous for learning . paulus hypseus . peace in spain . — broken by the infidels . — betwixt the moors and king of leon. — with the romans . — with the moors . betwixt france and aragon . — betwixt sicily and naples . — betwixt castile and aragon . — for some time with the moors . — betwixt the english and castilians — betwixt castile , aragon , and navarre . — betwixt castile and portugal , — betwixt france and castile . — betwixt france and spain . — betwixt france and venice . — with france takes no effect . pelayus or pelagius , flies too biscay . — undertakes to oppose the infidels . cause of his taking arms. is declar'd king. — with christians miraculously overcomes a great power of the infidels , — his power increases . — his death . penon in africk taken by the spaniards . perfidiousness of duke valentin . perpenna succeeds sertorius . is kill'd . perpignan built . persecution under severus . — under decius . — under dioclesian . — at cordova . — under the moors . peter declar'd king of castile ; is sick and recovers . — marries . forsakes his queen , for the lady mary de padilla . — changes his officers . punishes rebels . marries another , and forsakes her his first wife , still living . — punishes rebels . — expell'd the kingdom . — flies to the english ; — restor'd ; — excommunicated and absolv'd . — provides for his defence ; is overthrown . betray'd and murder'd by his bastard-brother ; peter the st king of aragon , succeeds his father . peter the d king of aragon . peter the d king of aragon . peter the th king of aragon . — dies ; peter prince of portugal , marries the lady agnes de castro , and she is murder'd ; — is proclaim'd king. — executes the murderers of the lady agnes de castro . — declares his children by her legitimate . — dies . peter insante of portugal , a great traveller . — his death . petreius . phanatick moor. phoenicians build towns , and settle in spain . — are driven into the island of cadiz . — crave aid of the carthaginians , philip the emperor reigns above years . philip the fair , king of france dies ; philip the st king of spain in england . — lands in spain . declares against the treaty with king ferdinand ; — dies piso succeeds furius , and isworsted . pious gifts of the king of castile . pius the d elected pope . places that send representatives to the cortes or parliament . plague and famine in portugal . plague at madrid . — in spain and france with great floods . — in spain . — in portugal . plain of granada wasted . plaucius twice defeated by viriatus . plot to rescue king john of castile ; pompey the great in spain . — treats with the people of numantia frauaulently , — comes again into spain . — his sons in spain . pompey cn. his death . pompey sext : renews the war in spain . defeats pollio . pope invades the land of the ursini . — returns to rome . — seizes the lands of the duke of ferrara . — press'd to call a general council . — in vain labours for an accommodation with france . popes legate , his unjust proceedings . pope's legate in aragon . pope's legate a fronted by the rebels . popilius the pretor sent into spain . popilius the censa● , defeated by the numantians . portugal ; original of that kingdome . — descrivd . — under on in●crdict . & — made independant of castile . fol. p. portugueses overthrow the castilians . — that favour'd the king of castile . — sustain loss at azamor , but relieve arzila . — of them stain in africk . posthumius alomus . posture of affairs in spain . potter's son , set up king of the moors . practices against the earl of castile . — of the spaniards . — of the emperour . — preaching among the tartars . prefect of rome , submits to spain . — preparations for war. — for war with the moors . — for the lateran council . — of the turks against italy . — for war in aragon . presumption of a legate pretenders to the crown of aragon . prince henry in open rebellion . — imprison'd prince of viana flies to naples . prince of salerno expell'd naples . prince of segorve , come into castile . princes of aragon join with the rebels of castile . priscilian's heresie . he and his adherents condemn'd to death . his errours . proceedings of the catholikes , against the albigenses . — of the rebels in catalonia . prodigies . , , progress of the rebellion in castile . & — of the christians against the moors . — of the war in naples . — of the aragonians at naples . — of the affairs of italy . — of portugues discoveries — of the siege of saulses . proposals concerning the kingdom of naples . proscription . prosperous expedition . publius manlius . punishment of mutineers . q. queen of portugal delivered of a son ; dies . queen of france dies . queen of navavre accused of adultery by her own sons ; is defended by a bastard . queen mother of castile joyns the rebels . queens of castile and portugal dies . quintilianus ; reigns days . quintius crispinus . quintius defeats ; and is again worsted by viriatus . quintus caecilius ; overthrown by the vacei . quintus fontlius . race of earles of barcelona ; extinct . raymund , or ramon ; earl of barcelona . — dies . raymund earl of barcelona ; son in law to king ramiro ii. upon his resignation , governs that kingdom . — makes war in france . — successful against the french , and moors . his death . raymund iii. earl of barcelona murdered , and his son raymund succeeds him . raymund or ramon iv. earl of barcelona . raymund ; earl of toulouze , a heretick , reduced . ramundus lullus . ramiro i. king of leon. his death . ramiro ii. king of leon , his religious works . he resigns the crown and dies . ramiro iii. king of leon , under the tuition of his mother and aunt . ramiro ; king of aragon , wars on his brother of navarre . — recovers his dominions . ramiro ii. king of aragon . — puts to death noblemen . — resigns the government . ratification of the peace betwixt castile and portugal . ravenna ; surrendred to the french. rebellion in gallia gothica . — among the moors . — in auiturias . — against the king of leon. — suppressed . , , — of castro and albuquerque ; in castile — in navarre . , — in old castile . — in catalonia . — in naples . — in castile . , — in biscay . — of the bastards of castile . rebellious moors defeated . rebels every wheee worsted by wamba . — of castile hardened . — suppressed in castile . — of castile ; associate ; are punished . — punished . — defeat the royalists . of castile ; join with the king of aragon . — disband . — in catalonia ; choose the duke of anjou for their king. — excommunicated . — reduced . recaredus ; king of spain , makes war in france . — his reign ; and troubles on account of his conversion . — reslores the church possessions . overtbrows the francs . hereticks conspire against him . he punishes the conspirators . his general , claudius overthrows the francs . — he marries clodosinda ; sister to childebert , king of lorrain . his death , recaredus ii. reigns but months . recaredus and alonso ; the first kings of spain , had the title of catholick . reception of a legate in castile . recesuinthus ; advanced to the crown by his father . his actions and death . rendevouz of the french at aste . revolutions at genoa . rhodians ; their coming into spain . rightful princes of castile ; prisoners . — released . robert ; king of naples dies . roderick ; king of spain ; ravishes count julian's daughter . roderick diaz de bivar ; called cid , who he was . many fables concerning him . — his opinion touching the subjection of spain to the empire . the whole relation suspected to be fabulous . his original . — ravages the dominions of the moors . is banished . — his further actions . — takes valencia marries his daughters to the earls of carrion . — his death . roderick archbishop of toledo ; invades the moors . rodulphus of ausburg ; chosen emperor . roger lauria ; the great aamiral , dies . . roman army mutinies . roman missa● ana broviary introduced . romans declare war the d time against carthage . — successful in spain . — overthrown . — defeated . — quite expelled spain . romantick relation about spain being exemptea from the roman empire . rome taken by alarick ; king of the goths , in the year . ronda taken . rousillon and cerdagne ; restored to king ferdinand . rout of the spaniards in africk . s. saguntum ; built by the greeks . — besieged . — destroyed . s. dominick ; preaches to the albigenses . s. elizabeth ; queen of portugal . s. francis ; of assis . s. german taken . s. gregories books sent for to rome . s. james ; apostle of spain . his martyrdom . his body brought into spain . — his church made an archipiscopal see. — miracle at his tomb. s. isidorus ; his body translated from sevil , to leon. salamanea ; made an university . f. , p. sancha ; wife to king ferdinand the first of leon , her death . sancho the first of castile . is restored after having been expelled . — is poisóned . sancho ii. of castile . wars upon his brothers . — expets his brother garcia . besieges zamora . treacherousiy murdered there . — a combat about his death . sancho iii. of castile . — his death . sancho iv. his father living , aspires to usarp the crown of castile from his nephews . — his practises to gain the affections of the people . rebels against his father . — usurps the crown of castile . — dies . sancho i. king of navarre , called abarca , and why . sancho ii. inherits the crown of navarre . sancho iii. king of navarre . — inherits castile . — divides the dominion of spain among his sons . settles matters of religion . — is murdered . sancho iv. king of navarre . sancho v. king of navarre . — breaks into castile . — dies . sancho vi. king of navarre , dies . sancho ; king of aragon . his actions against the moors . — is killed . sancho ; son to alonso the first king of portugal , sent to besiege cuidad rodrigo , defeated . — succeeds to the crown of portugal ; and is the first of the name . — his death . sancho ii. king of portugal expelled the kingdom by his rebellious subjects . f. , p. — dies at toledo . , sancho ; earl of castile . — makes his mother drink poison , she had prepared for him . — his issue . sancho ; prince of castile , killed by the moors . sappho ; the carthaginian . — sarazens ; their great power . sardima ; conquered by the aragonians . — reduced . saxons first mentioned in roman history . scanderbeg ; comes to the assistance of ferdinand , king of naples . schism in the church . , , , — ends. schismatick cardinals ; submit . scipio gneius ; passes into spain . — overthrows the carthaginians . scipio pub. corn. sent to assist his brother . scipio's ; defeats asdrubal . — stain . scipio pub. corn. proconsul of spain ; takes carthagena . — gains the africans . scipio nasica . scipio corn. scipio africanus ; sent against numantia . — triumphs over numantia , and is called numantinus . sea fight ; the aragonians defeated by the genoeses . seditions in the dominions of castile . seeds of discord in castile . siege of saulses ; raised . sempronius gracchus . sempronius longus . sergius galba . sertorius . ; his actions . — founds an vniversity at osca . — his last exploits , and death . servilius cepio . servilius ; breaks the peace , and routs viriatus . several provinces submit to the romans . — governors of spain . — synods . — towns taken from the moors . — governors in spain . — towns rebuilt . — towns conquered . — towns in navarre ; taken by the castillians . — towns taken from the moors . , — exploits against the moors . — places taken from the moors . , , governors chosen in the provinces of castile — places in castile rebel . — pretenders to castile . — towns taken by the christians . — losses of the french. , — cities in italy ; sue for the protection of spain . severus ; reigns years . sevil ; described . f. , — besieged . — siege ; reinforced . — bridge broken . — delivered . sicily ; reduced under the dominion of aragon . siculus ; son to atlas , inherits the crown . signal loyalty of peter peralta . silingi ; who they were . — they come into spain . silon and adosinda ; king and queen . simon ; earl of montforte , general of the catholicks . — is killed . sintra ; taken from the moors . siracusa ; in vain besieged , by the aragonians . sisebutus ; elected king. — subdues the asturians . overthrows the romans . dies . sisenandus ; usurps the crown , having expelled suinthila , and his son. sixteen put to death for treason . sixtus iv. chosen pope . — dies . slaughter of moors and christians . — of the christians . , of aragonians . small body of christians ; deseats a great one of moors . soldans fleet worsted in india . some rebels submit ; but fresh troubles ensue in castile . spain ; its description . — it s form , and situation . — its rivers and mountains . — it s ancient and modern division . — it s language . — divided betwixt caesar and pompey . — entirely subdued by augustus . — how divided and governed . — true religion flourishes there . spaniards ; revolt from the romans , who kill of them . they revolt again . — honoured ; to incline them to serve the romans . — decline in calabria . — defeated . — their practices . spurius lucretius . storms . strange custom . — way of adoption . — prodigy . fondness betwixt king john and d. alvaro de luna . strangers come to serve against thr moors . strife among the nobility of castile . success of the aragonians . — of the castilians . , of the aragonians against the moors . of the aragonians at naples . of the portugueses in in india . , succession of the moorish monarchs . — of the moors . — of the earls of barcelona . — in sicily . f. , p. succours from england , and other parts . succours from spain , land in naples . suevians who they were . — they come into spain . — are converted . cause of their conversion . — reduced under the dominion of the goths . — their kingdom abolish'd . suinthila chosen king. — causes of his ruine . is expell'd by his own subjects and the francs . swisters descend into italy . — rout the french. synods . vid. councils . syphax routed by massinissa . t. tacitus reigns months and days . tahuste and other places taken . tamerlan the tartar , his exploits . tangier and arzilla , taken by the king of portugal tarifa besieg'd by the moors . & terentius varro . teresa , countess dowager of portugal governs . territories of the infidels ravag'd . & theobald the first king of navarre , ingages in the holy war. — dies . theobald the d , king of navarre . — marries . fol. p. — dies . theodoredus , king of the goths . theodorick king of the goths . invades spain . theodorick by the french call'd thierri . theodosius declar'd emperour in the east . — excommunicated for his cruelty at thessalonica . dies at milan . reign'd years and days . theudis , king by election . his death . theudiselus elected king. is murder'd . three synods . — remarkable things . — legates sent to govern spain . — cities and other small towns taken from the moors . — defeats of the infidels at sea. — great men die . tiberius reigns years . — his death . titinius curvus . titus reigns years . months , and days . is call'd , decus & deliciae generis humani . toledo and other towns , whence so call'd . toledo , a new wall about it . — taken . — it s conquest resolv'd upon . the country about it wasted . — closely besieg'd . the manner of inclosing it . — it s surrender . — an archbishop chosen . — it s cathedral taken forcibly from the moors , contrary to articles . — how its archbishops came to be primates of spain . & torismund succeeds theodoredus . — is murder'd . toro taken by king peter . — surpriz'd by the castilians . tortosa , lerida , and fraga taken . towns taken by the christians . — in andaluzia taken . — recover'd by the christians . — taken on both sides . — taken by the moors . trajan reigns years and a half : persecution under him . his death . treachery rewarded . traytors punish'd in portugal . treaty betwixt the emperour and king ferdinand . — betwixt the king of castile and his rebels . trebonianus gallus reigns months . trojans come into spain , troubles in castile and aragon , upon the occasion of two children . henry and jayme , or james to those crowns . of castile , break into open war. — in aragon . — in navarre . — in portugal . — among the moors . — in naples , — in castile , and in the church . — increase in castile . — in aragon , sardinia , and navarre . — in galicia . — in aragon , stop the progress of the war in granada . truce for years . — betwixt aragon and navarre . — with the moors . — with portugal . — with the moors of granada . — with portugal for years . — with portugal renew'd . — betwixt castile and portugal . — for years . — for years betwixt france and spain . — betwixt france and spain . — betwixt spain and france prolong'd . true heirs of castile imprison'd . truxillo recover'd by a strange contrivance . tryal by ordeal , tubal the first that peopl'd spain . tulga made king. tumults in aragon and catalonia . — in aragon . turbulent state of christendom . turks ; their original , and growth . — pass over into europe . — take otranto , in italy . two engagements . — christian ks. make war upon the moors . — archbishops murdered . — holy men. — synods . — uncles strive to vsurp the crown of aragon . — ecclipses . f. , p. — moorish kings at granada ; destroy one another . — several rebellions quelled . — extraordinary accidents . factions in navarre . — defeats of the moors . v. valencia , where seated ; besieged , and relieved . — abandoned by the christians . — it s siege resolved on . it s description . besieged . f. , p. delivered up to the christians . valens ; emperor of the east . persecutes the catholicks . — his superstitious practices . valentine ; duke slain . valentinian the emperor ; reigns years , months , and days . his death . valerianus ; reigns years . vandals ; who they were . — they come into spain . various accidents . varro . vasco de gama ; discovers india . — at calicut . — returns to portugal . — account of his navigation . vascones subdued . vast multitude of infidels comes into spain . , — army of foreigners comes into spain ; to the assistance of the christians . venetians overthrown by the french. , — set upon , on all sides . — their army routed . — overthrown by the viceroy of naples . venice ; cannonaded . vespanan ; chosen emperor , reigns years . victory of the french and spaniards at sea ; over the english . — of the english at poitiers . — of the christians by sea. — obtained by the queen of naples . — of the moors over the christians . vmcenza ; taken by the imperalists . violante ; queen of castile , proves with child , and prevents being divorced from the king. f. , p. — flies to aragon with her grandchildren . violante ; daughter to the king af aragon , married to luis duke of anjou . violent winter . viriatus ; his original and life . — his actions . — defeats the romans , and makes peoce with them . his death . vitellius ; his army routed , and he slain . vitellius ; the emperor enters rome . reigns months . vitoria ; city built . uncertain government of castile . unimanus ; vanquished and slain by viriatus . union of the crowns of castile and leon. f. , p. universal plague . , university of alcalâ ; founded . ufracâ ; queen of castile , a dissolute woman . — her death . w. walia ; ring of the goths , agrees with the romans . wamba ; his accession to the crown . — marches against the rebels . recovers very many towns. takes narbonne , reduces other places . enters nismes by assault . — returns to spain . his publick works . — is deposed . reigned years , month ana days . war in sicily . — among the moors . — betwixt the kings of castile and leon. — of majorca and zaragoca . — betwixt navarre and aragon . , — betwixt castile and navarre . with the moors . , , , , , and — in italy . , , and — betwixt castile and aragon . , — in sicily . — in navarre . — betwixt castile and portugal . , — betwixt castile , aragon and navarre . — at naples ; betwixt the aragonians and house of anjou . — breaks out inseveral parts of castile . — with the infidels ; put off for some time . — betwixt the french and spaniards ; at naples . wicked contrivance of sons against their mother . witericus ; the murderer of liuva , usurps the crown . is killed and dragg'd about the streets . witiza ; made his fathers companion in the throne . his reign : he murders favila . his death . wonderful dearth . — providence . — defeat of of hereticks . — judgment . works of peter tenorio ; archbishop of toledo . x. xeres ; besieged by the moors , and the siege raised . z. zahara ; surprized by the moors . zama ; governs spain . zamora ; made a bishoprick , and compostela , an archbishoprick . zanelus ; the pope's nuncio in spain . zaragoca ; besieged in vain . — besieged by the christians . taken . the index to the supplement . a. aceord betwixt spain and france . pag. actions in portugal . adrian ; cardinal . — chosen pope . agreement with portugal . alarache ; in vain attempted by the moors . — taken . albertus ; the archduke , governs the netherlands . alcaraz ; castle surprized . alenzon ; duke in the low countries . — heads the rebels there . — returns into france . alexander vii . chosen pope . — dies . alonso ; king of portugal imprisoned by his brother . — sent to the island tercera . alva ; duke , governor of the low-countreys . — reduces portugal . amiens ; taken by the spaniards . ann ; princess , her birth . antony perez ; his sufferings . antony ; the bastard of portugal , vanquished . — with the english fleet in portugal . antwerp ; plundered . archbishop of toledo ; condemned . b. badajoz ; besieged by the portugueses . — relieved . baltazar ; prince , born. — dies . barbarossa ; ravages the coast of italy . battle of s. quintin . — of gravelling . — of lepanto . bell rings of it self . berga ; in catalonia , recovered . brasil ; recovered . breda ; taken . bulls for portugues bishops ; refused by the pope . c. cadiz ; plundered by drake . calais ; taken . calvin and beza . caracena ; marquess , general against portugal . . catalonia rebels ; portugal follows the example . catherine ; queen of portugal dies . cazal ; besieged . — taken . ceremony of contracting the spanish princess to the king of france . cessation of arms betwixt france and spain . chaldeans ; their conversion . change of religion in england . charles i. in spain . — his sister married to emanuel king of portugal . is chosen emperor , crowned . — returns into spain . — marries the sister of the king of portugal . — crowned emperor . — arms against the turks . — in france . — abdicates . charles ii. king of spain , proclaimed . charles ; prince of wales , in spain . christian league against the turk . christiern ; king of denmark expelled . civil wars in swisserland . clement ; pope dies . , clement ix . chosen pope . collation of great offices . comet . , commotions in portugal . composition betwixt france and spain . concessions for reducing hereticks . condê ; prince , in catalonia . conferences for peace . conspiracy against the french king. conti ; prince , takes ville-franche . conversion of ethiopia . cortes of aragon . — of castile . — of aragon and valencia . cosmo ; created great duks of tuscany . council of trent . — openea . — breaks up . — sunnnoned again . — opened again . court at valladolid . d. dauphin of france ; marries the queen of scots . death of kings and a queen . — of popes . — of the princess ; governess of flanders . defeat of the french in sardinia . — of the french at valenciennes . diet at ausburg . — at worms . discovery of cathay and tibet . disputes about religion in germany . — betwixt catholicks and hereticks . — about religion in france . diu ; besieged by the turks . downfall of the sultans of egypt . drake ; attempts cadiz . — plunders the coast of america . dukes of savoy and mantua die. dunkirk gained . — taken by the french and english . dutch and turks defeated . dutch in brazil . — routed . e. earthquake . , , ebora ; made an archbishoprick . edward ; king of england dies . elizabeth ; queen of england . — excommunicated . elizabeth ; queen of spain dies . emanucl ; king of portugal dies . embassy into england . from a black king. emperor and king of england ; in league against france . empress dies . empress in spain . enterprizes on the frontiers of portugal . english fleet invades hispaniola . escurial finished . etna ; mount. exploits of mallorquines . f. ferdinand ; king of spain dies . ferdinand ; chosen king of the romans . ferdinand ; prince , archbishop of toledo . feria ; duke in alsace . final betrayed . floods . francis ; king of france , taken by the imperalists . — released . french king in italy . french king and emperor meat . french king's sister ; married to the prince of navarre . french king ; takes towns in flanders . french and turks ; take nice . french in biscay . — invade savoy . — in lorrain . — overthrown . — join with the rebels . — in italy . — decline in catalonia . — in catalonia ; with the rebels . — pass the pyreneans . — join with the english . — obliged to quit the siege of alexandria . — begin the war in flanders . galeons ; destroyed . general defection of the low-countries . great eclipse . great flooas . , , and great jubilee . great tax . gregorian account . gregory ; pope dies . gregory ; xv. pope . — dies . guize ; duke , murdered by the huguenots . guize ; duke , put to death . guize ; duke , set at liberty . gustavus adolphus . — killed . h. hard winter . henry ; king of navarre . henry ; the cardinal , king of portugal . — dies henry iii. king of france murdered , by clement . henry iv. king of france , murdered by ravillac . heresie of martin luther . hereticks ; at the council of trent . huguenot rebels ; twice overthrown . james ; prince of spain dies . jesuits ; confirmed by the pope . jesuits ; murdered . innocent x. pope dies . innundations in flanders . john iii. king of portugal , marries the emperors-sister . — dies . d. john of austria ; at tunez . — made vicar of italy . — in the low-countries . d. john of austria ; at sea. — at the siege of barcelona . — takes solsona . — sent for flanders . — takes s. gillain . — commands against portugal . , — takes aronches , and other places . — enters portugal . — takes borba and iurumenha . — takes ebora ; and is routed . — is lord lieutenant , and captain general of aragon . jubilee year at rome . , julius iii. elected pope . — dies . k. king of france dies . l. landresi ; taken by the french. league against the turks . — dissolved . leganez ; marquess in savoy . leganez ; marqess , destroys many moors about oran . leo ix . pope dies . leo x. chosen pope . leo xi . shosen pope . leopold ; the archduke in champagne . lerida recovered . lerma ; duke , leaves the government . low-countries ; conspire against spain . m. malta ; besieged by the turks . mamora ; taken . marcellus ; chosen pope , and dies . margaret ; king philip iv. daughter , married to the emperor . marriages of princes . marriage of the princess of spain to the fr. king. martin luther's death . martyrdoms in japan . mary ; queen of portugal dies . mary ; queen of england , marries philip prince of spain . — dies . mary ; queen of scots imprisoned . — murdered . mary ; princess . born. maximilian ; the emperor dies . maximilian ; governour of spain . medices ; expelled florence . — restored . monserrat ; invaded by the spaniards . monstrous birth . montmidi ; surrendred to the french. moriscoes ; rebell in spain . — banished . mortara ; marquess , attacks the french , and is repulsed . mortality . murder commited by a woman . mutiniers punished . n. naples ; besieged . navarre ; pacified . — over-run by the french. netherlands ; given to the princess elizabeth . new governour in the low-countries . new passage into the south sea. f. nitard ; sent from court. o. olivenca ; taken from the portugues . orange ; prince , heads the rebels in holland . — wounded . — killed . ormuz ; taken by the persians ; ossuna ; duke , makes an irruption into portugal . — his actions there . — again in portugal . overthrow of the french. , — of the saxons . overtures of peace ; betwixt spain and portugale p. pantheon ; finished . parma ; prince , successful against the rebels in the low-countries . paul iii. pope , dies . paul iv. pope . paul v. pope dies . peace ; betwixt france and spain . — betwixt spain and england . — with oliver cromwell . — concluded . — concluded with portugal . penol ; in africk taken . perfidious act of portugueses . pemambuco ; taken by the dutch. perpignan ; taken by the french. persecution in japan . philip ii. sworn heir of castile . — governour of spain . — his marriage . — marries a third wife . returns into spain . — aspires to the crown of france . — dies . philip iii. born. — sworn heir of spain . — his marriage . — in portugal . — dies . , philip iv. born. — sworn heir of spain . — marries the french kings sister . — goes with the princess his daughter to the frontiers . — dies . philip ; prince of spain , dies . pius iv. chosen pope . pius v ; chosen pope . — dies . places in guienne taken . places in the low-countries , taken by the french. plague . — at naples . pope and emperor at bologna . pope and king of france at marseilles . portugues ambassador's brother ; beheaded . portugueses ; worsted . posture of affairs in flanders . practices against the emperor . proceedings against hereticks . prodigy . q. queen of spain dies . , queen of spain ; delivered of a daughters queen regent of portugal ; dies . quiroga ; archbishop of toledo ; r. ragusa ; destroyed by an earthquake . rebellion in spain . — in ghent . — in france . — in the low-countries . — in naples . rebels in france ; besiege paris . riches of the spanish fleet. d. roderick calderon ; behended . rome ; sacked . rousillon ; invaded by the french. s. s. francis xaverius . s. ignatius beatified . s. rosalia ; her feast . savoy duke ; in spain . sebastian ; king of portugal , his birth . — slain ; with all his army in africk . several places in the low-countries , revolt . ships taken ; , siena ; expels the imperalists . surrendred to the emperor . given to the duke of florence . sixtus v. chosen pope . slaughter of the english garrison of tangier . solyman ; dies before zigeth . spaniards ; expelled milan . — take towns in picardy . — overthrown in catalonia . — worsted by the turks . — at the council of trent . spanish west-india fleet ; burnt by blake . — armada against england destroyed . — ambassador ; received by the rebels in england . storm of wind and rain . succours ; sent the french rebels , by the spaniards . swarms of locusts . swisse ; routed . synods ; in spain . — synod at toledo . t. termes ; castle taken . terrible storm . theatins in spain . thirty thousand germans in france . three remarkable things . tortosa ; taken . troubles ; in france . truce ; for ten tears . — betwixt france and spain . — with the dutch rebels . — with holland . tumults ; in aragon , appeased . tunez ; taken by the emperor . turenne ; overthrown by condê . turks ; over-run hungary . — before candia . — enter transilvania . turkish fleet ; at naples . turkish fleet ; beaten . twenty two galleys cast away . two sea fights . v. valladolid ; made a bishoprick . venetians ; make peace with the turk . victory ; over the hollanders . vienna ; besieged . urban viii . chosen pope . w. wallestein ; executed . war ; in flanders . — renewed ; betwixt france and spain . — of savoy and mantua . — in italy . — betwixt france and spain . — betwixt the venetians and turks . — betwixt the emperor and the turk . x. xerifes ; of africk , their rise . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e tubal in spain . description of spain . it s situation and form. rivers and mountains of spain . ancient and modern division of spain . language of spain . customs of the spaniards . fabulous kings of spain . geryon the first known king. osiris the egyptian kills geryon . orus , or hercules , kills the three sons of gerion . hispalus king. hesperus . atlas expells hesperus , and reigns . siculus son of atlas inherits the crown saguntum built by the greeks . bachus builds nebrixa . lusitani so call'd from lusus . argonauts in spain . trojaus come into spain . gargoris , or mellicola . abides's birth and education . his reign . a wonderful dearth . the celtae , a people of france , come into spain . coming of the rhodians . phenicians build towns and settled in spain . carthiginians their undertakings . beleares islands . . argantonius's great age. nebuchadnezzar said to conquer spain . toledo and other towns whence so call'd . carthaginians their first coming into spain . baucius capetus , general of the spaniards . phenicians driven into the island of cadiz . they crave aid of the carthaginians . baucius again general against the carthaginians . carthaginians make war upon the phenicians . . famine and earth-quakes . . sappho the carthaginian . himilco and hanno . himilco sails along the coast of spain . hanno's voyage to the southward . . hanno and himilco return to carthage . hannibal the elder , sent to govern spain . . a bloody battle betwixt spaniards . . an universal plague . wars in sicily . . carthaginians discover a new island . hanno in sicily with spaniards , and africans . . . hanno's actions in spain . . floods . earthquakes . . storms . a colony from marseilles builds empurias . . three remarkable things . an embassy to alexander the great . the first roman and carthaginian war. . . earthquakes . hamilcar sent to conquer spain . . . . asdrubal succeeds hamilcar . . asdrubal's death . . hannibal governs in spain . saguntum besieged . saguntum destroy'd . . the romans declare war the second time against carthage . hannibal marches through france towards rome prodigies . gn. scipio passes into spain . he overthrows the carthaginians . prodigies in several countries hannibal's progress in italy . the romans success in spain . p. corn. scipio , sent to assist his brother . . the battle of cannae . commotitions among the spaniards . . the two scipio's defeat asdrubal in spain . famine & plague . carthaginians again routed . . carthaginians forced from the siege of illiturgum . carthaginian army routed . . spaniards honour'd to incline them to serve the romans . . syphax routed by massinissa . romans overthrown . two seipio's slain . l. marcius restoreth the roman power in spain . carthaginians attack the roman camp , and are repuls'd . asdrubal and mago routed , and of their men kill'd . p. corn. scipio proconsul of spain . . scipio takes carthagena . . asdrubal barchinus routed by scipio . . . . asdrubal son of gisgo , entirely defeated by scipio . scipio gains the africans . memorable siege of astapa . massinissa joyns with the romans . . mandonius and indibilis revolt . . . . the spaniards revolt from the romans who kill of them . . . . another revolt . . . cato the first consulin spain . helvius recovers iliturgum , and fouts the spaniards . spaniards killed by cato . several provinces submit . cato returns to rome , and triumphs several governors of spain . l. digicicius , and p. s. nasica . m. fulvius nobilior . and caius l. aemilius lepidus . paulus hypseus , and bebius dives . flaminius . man. acidinus , add caius catinius . . calpurnius piso , and quintius crispinus . terentius varro , and paulus sempronius longus . pub. manlius , and f. flaccus . posthumius albinus , and sempronius gracchus . . m. titinius curvus , and quintus fonteius . . ap. claudius centho servilius cepio , and furius philo. m. marcienus , and gn. fabius buteo . . sp. lucrecius , and m junius . l. canuleyus . . m. marcellus . fonteyus balbus . gn. fulvius , and c. licinius nerva . numantia . its description . the terms of peace with numantia by sempronius gracchus . q. fulvius nobilior the consul comes into spain . two engagements . fulvius repulsed at axenia . romans slain by the lusitanians . . mummius triumphs over the lusitanians cl. marcellus succeeds fulvius . m. atilius . sergius galba . licinius lucullus . p. cornel. scipio . prosecution of the war with numantia . lucullus the consul 's barbarous cruelty . intercasia surrendred . galba's barbarous treachery . viriatus's original and rise . vitellius's army routed and he slain . . c. plaucius twice defeated by viriatus . an ancient inscription . . cl. vnimanus vanquished , and killed by him . . c. nigidius treated in the same manner . c. lelius successful against viriatus . . fab. maximus overthrows him . . popilius the pretor sent into spain . . viriatus's further actions . quincius defeats , and is again worsted by him . metellus subdues the celtiberi . . q. fabius servilius the consul streightens viriatus . . pompey in spain . viriatus defeats the romans ; & makes peace with ' em . servilius breaks the peace , and routs viriatus . the death of viriatus . . numantia again revolts . is besieged by pompey . . pompey treats with the people of numantia fraudulently . . popilius the consul defeated by the numantians . . mancinus succeeds popilius . mancinus concludes a dishonourable peace with numantia . m. lepidus consul is routed , with the loss of romans . . p. furius philo the consul governs hispania citerior . mancinus delivered to the numantians . . piso succeeds furiu , and is worsted . scipio africanus sent against numantia . . destruction of numantia . scipio triumphs over numantia , and is called numantinus . peace in spain . . . the cimbri enter spain . . . they return with the germans , and are again repulsed . . a drawn battle . a barbarous action of a roman . . . marius and cinna . sertorius's actions . he founds an university at osca . . metellus sent by sylla into spain . hirtuleyus general for sertorius , twice routs the romans . mithridates sends embassadors to sertorius . pompey the great comes into spain . . metellus kills of sertorius's men. sertorius's last exploits , and death . . perpenna succeeds sertorius . perpenna killed . the reason of the proverb fames calagurritana . . . julius caesar in spain the first time . . . caesar's second coming . the herminii entirely subdued . . spaniards slain by julius caesar in gaul . . q. cecilius overthrown . by the vacei . . three legates sent to govern spain . petreyus afranius , and varro . civil war betvvixt caesar and pompey . caesar returns into spain , and expells pompey's party . . longinus in danger of being murdered for his avarice and cruelty . roman army mutinies . longinus cast away going to italy . spain divided betwixt caesar , and pompey . pompey's sons in spain . . caesar returns to spain . the famous battle of munda . gneius pompey's death . cordova reduced by caesar . caesar returns to rome . asinius pollio , and m. lepidus govern spain . . caesar murdered in the senate . sextus pompey renews the war in spian . defeats pollio . augustus . up in the place of caesar . the proscription . civil wars of rome . . era caesais domicius calvinus tirumphs over the ceretani . augustus sole lord of the world. norbanus triumphs over spain . cantabri , they were . a strange custom . augustus in spain . cantabri routed . galicians destroy'd . asturians forced to submit . spain intirely subdued by augustus . many roman colonies planted in spain . augustus returns to rome . learned spaniards . christ our lord born years utter the building or rome , and in the th of the reign of augustus . augustus's death . . tiberius c. reign'd years , &c. wonderful fidelity of a country-man . . . tiberius his death . caligula succeeds , and reigns three years , ten months , and eight days . . claudius c. reigned almost fourteen years . s. james the apostle in spain . . his martyrdom , his body brought into spain . . nero c. reigned fourteen years . galba governs spain . is proclaimed emperor . otho joins him . nero kills himself . . galba but months , viz. slain . otho only . days . otho defeated kills him self . vitellius enters rome . flavius vespasianus chosen emperor . vitellius only nine months . vespasian reigns ten years . licinius larius governs spain . . titus reigns only two years , months , and days . decus & deliciae , humani generis . . spain how divided and govern'd . domitian . years months . . domitian murdered . nerva , only months . . trajan years and a half . the city leon built . . persecution under trajan . . his death . adrian years . division of spain . heresie of the gnosticks . . elius years . . aurelius antoninus , antoninus verus years . . aurelius commodus years , and months . . helvius pertinax , months , days . julianus months . severus years , and months . persecution under severus . caracalla , years , months . opilius macrinus , months , days . heliogalus . years , months . alexander severus , years . maximinus . . balbinus and pupienus not a year . gordianus not quite . julius philippus above years . . decius years . . persecution . trebonianus gallus months . aemilianus months . . valerianus years . galienus years . . flavius claudius year , months , and days . quintilianus days . l. domitius aurelianus years , months , and days . claudius tacitus months , and days . florianus months . m. aurelius probus years ; and months . . m. aurelius carus years . . dioclesian and maximian years . a bloody persecution . . constantius year , and months . galerius . . maxentius . constantine the great , years , months and days . x p the arian heresie . the council of nice . . constantine's death . . constantine , constantius , and constans . constantin murder'd . constans murdered . constantius sole monarch . julian the apostate chosen caesar . constantius his death . . julian the apostate , year , months , and days . liberty of conscience . julian killed . . fl. jovianus , months , days . fl. valentinianus , years , months , and days . valens emperor of the east . mutiny in rome , about electing a pope . saxons first mentioned in roman history . valentinian death . . valens persecutes the catholicks . his superstitious practices . irruption of the goths . gratianus and valentinian theodosius , declared emperor in 't he east . . general council of constantinople . heresie of macedonius condemned . gratian the emperor murdered , when he had reigned years , months , & days , heresie of priscillianus . priscillianus , and his adherents condemned to death . priscillianus's errors . theodosius the emperor excommunicated for his cruelty at thessalonica . antioch in danger of destruction . . eugenius a school-master , stiles himself emperor . . theodosius dies at milan . he reigned years , and two days . arcadius and honorius . . first council of toledo . . alans , and vandals , called by stilico . . in the year . rome was taken alarick king of the viso-goths . who were the vandals , alans , sùevians , silingians , and goths . burgundians . goths who they were . religion of the goths . occasion of the barbarous nations coming into spain . vandals , alans , suvians , and silingians , came into spain . famin and plague . . . godigisius k. of the vandals makes peace with the romans . progress of the alans . ataulfus and sigericus , k. of the goths murdred . walia k. of the goths agrees with the romans . alans and silingi subdued by the goths . vandals and suevians submit . . . gundericus k. of the vandals aspires to the sovereignty of all spain . gensericus succeeds gundericus . honorius reign'd above years . gensericus king of the vandals passes over into africk . . theodoredus k. of the goths . attila , k. of the huns , in france . ann. dom. . was the great battle fought against attila , k. of the huns , by the romans , franks , & visogoths , wherein were men slain . torismund succeeds theodoredus . torismund murdered . . general council at chalcedon . theodorick , k. of the goths . theodorick , k. of the goths invades spain . . . . broils ' among the suevians . . euricus king after theodorick . . alaricus proclaimed king. two great overthrows given the goths by the franks . . gesaleycus advanced to the throne . francs overthrown , & killed . . gesaleycus his death . . a council at tarragona . . three synods . . amalaricus's reign his death . . second council of toledo . tryal by ordeal . theudis made k. by election . . franks again invade spain . a great plague . . theudis's death . theudiselus elected . k. is murdered . . agila reigns . . is killed having reign'd years , and months . the th . general council . athanagildus ascends the throne . . an interregnum . suevians converted . cause of the suevians conversion . first council of braga . the french call this brunechilda brunehault . unfortunate marriages of the two daughters of athanagildus . this theodorick the franch call thierri . * doubtless , it is mariana that mistakes , for the french authors are positive in the crimes of brunechilda , and that she committed them after the death of fredegunda . leuvigildus drives the romans out of spain . . second council of braga . leuvigildus chooses his two sons companions in the throne ingundis wife to ermenegildus , persecuted for the catholick religion . bada wife to recaredus . ermenegildus the kings son converted . messages betwixt the father and son. begining of the war betwixt father and son. . mahomet the founder of mahometism born anno dom. . sevil besieged by leuvigildus . . sevil taken . eremenegildus taken . death of ermenegildus . . recaredus makes war in france . franks overthrown in italy . leuvigildus persecutes the catholicks . suevians reduced under the dominion of the goths . kingdom of the sueviens abolished . . death of king leuvigildus . the causes of his conversion . leuvigildus the first goth that used the regal ornament . the reign of recaredus . conversion of the goths . troubles on account of the change of religion . recaredus restores the church possessions . he overthrows the franks . . hereticks conspire against the king. conspirators punished . franks defeated by the goths . the third council of toledo . . true religion flourishes in spain . . gregory the great , pope . several letters from him . several synods . recaredus , marries clodosinda sister to childebert king of lorrain . romans defeated , and vascones subdued . . king recaredus dies . genealogy of the kings of spain . original of dukes and counts . liuva succeeds his father recaredus . is murdered . witericus the murderer of liuva usurps the crown . is killed and draged about the streets . gundemarus his reign . . his death . fourth synod at toledo . subdues the asturians . overthrow of romans . peace with the romans jews banished . synod at sevil. . sisebutus his death . recaredus reigned months . suinthila chosen king. romans quite expell'd spain . . causes of suinthila's ruin . he is expelled by his own subjects and the franks . . sisenandus usurps the crown , having expelled suinthila and his son. a synod at toledo . . , chintila ascends the throne by election . . the th council of toledo . 〈…〉 th 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 th council there . . tulga made king . chindasuinthus usurps with the assistance of the army . . the th council of toledo . st. gregory's books sent for to rome . monasteries founded . . recesuinthus advanced to the throne by his father . the th council of toledo . the th council of toledo . . the th council of toledo . . increase of the mahometan power . recesuinthus his actions , and death . . wamba his accession to the crown . navarre . revolts . rebellion in gallia gothica . paul general for the king , takes part with the rebels . paul declar'd king wamba marches against the rebels . recovers many towns. narbonne taken . several otherplaces reduced . the rebels every where worsted . nismes carryed by assault . a miserable slaughter . paul taken wamba return-into spain . wamba his publick works . toledo , a new wall raised about it . . the th council of toledo . third council of braga . laws establish'd by wamba . a great fleet of the saracens , destroy'd by the goths . . wamba deposed . ervigius usurps the crown . wamba reign'd years , month , & days . ervigius the usurper , governs well . . the th council of toledo . . the th council of toledo . . the th council of toledo many of these were rather parliaments than councils . th general council at constantinople . . egica anointed king. the th council of toledo . . goths thrice defeated . . the th council of toledo . th and last council of toledo . witiza made his father's companion in the throne . . egica dies . witiza's reign . his disorderly life . murders favila . death of witiza . . original of the division of the goths . roderick ascends the throne . the famous count julian , who betrayed spain to the moors . roderick ravishes count julian's daughter . count julian invites the moors into spain . . moors pass over into spain . . second coming of the moors . a battle that lasted days . . horrid treason of a bishop . the christians overthrown pelayus flies into biscay . the infidels divide and over-run the country . toledo taken . progress of the moors . muza comes into spain . takes several towns. merida reduc'd . an odd project , if true . abdalasis son to muza , his actions . . muza and tarif at variance . the mahometan computation of time call'd hegira us'd in spain . abdalasis the moor , marries the widow of k. rhoderick . end of count julian and his family . deplorable state of spain . irruption of the moors into france . pelayus , of the blood royal , undertakes to oppose the infidels cause of pelayus's taking arms. pelayus declared king. . christians miraculously overcame a great power of the infidels . a mountain falls , . muza's death . . pelayus his power increases . . leon taken by him . several towns taken from the moors . zama governs spain aza , or adham governs . several governours . . . the moors from spain again invade france anno dom. . was fought the great battle between charles martel , and the moors , that came out of spain and africk . pelayus his death . favila succeeds him . is killed by a bear. men famous for learning and sancting . recaredus and d. alonso , the first kings had the title of catholick kings in spain , and then it lay dormant until ferdinand of aragons time , and was then revived by gift of alexander the sixth , pope . aucupa governs pain . . affairs of the infidels . . . juseph governs spain . . . king alonso takes many towns. . his death . affairs of the mahometans . . infidels slain . . abderhaman , the first absolute morish king in spain . . a note of the translator . king fruela murder'd . . aurelius , during his reign does nothing honourable . silon , and adosinda , king and queen . . king alonso . . mauregatus the bastard aspires to the crown assisted by the moors . alonso flies , and mauregatus reigns . . succession of the moorish monarchs . bermudo succeeds mauregatus . . a great fight , in which infidels are slain . the heresy of nestorius reviv'd . alonso restored . the king's sister debauch'd by a count wars among the moors . lisbon taken by king alonso . charlemaigne in spain . the translator's note . . the moors in rebellion at toledo . . the same at cordova . . alhaca the moor dies . abderhaman the second succeeds him . . reign of king ramiro . a rebellion suppressed . a memorable battle betwixt the christians and the infidels . the battle renewed . and takes name from the town of clavijo . . invasions of the normans . . king ramiro his death . persecution at cordova . . abderhaman's death . king ordonno's reign . miraculous tryal of a bishop . division among the infidels . great overthrow of the moors . slaughter of moors and christians . . normans infest the coast of spain . several towns rebuilt . . king alonso the great . . he is expelled , and recovers his kingdom . a rebellion among the moors . . great slaughter of infidels . a truce for years . a conspiracy detected , and punished . the church of s. james made an archiepiscopal see. . . great earthquakes . zaragoca besieg'd in vain . . moorish fleet perishes by storms . . kings of the moors . . biscay rebels . king alonso's publick works . the king's son rebels . he resigns the crown . . his death . abdalla dies , abderhaman succeeds . . king ordonno succeeds his his brother . a great victory obtained by christians . . a battle undecided . . the christians defeated . . zanelus the pope's nunico in spain the orinal of the several kingdoms in spain . original of the kings of navarre . earldom of aragon . earls of barcelona . innigo arista chosen king of navarre . earldom of barcelona hereditary . of the earls of castile . earls of castile executed . fruela ii. king of leon. of the king of navarre . fictions concerning them . uncertainties concerning that country abridged . king sancho abarca why so called . alonso the fourth king of leon. . fernan gonzalez earl of castile . he overthrows and kills the king of navarre . 〈…〉 king 〈…〉 and najara . . king alonso becomes a monk , and leaves a crown to his brother ramiro . rebellion in asturias . madrid taken and ruin'd . moors overthrown . moors killed in a battle . . a great eclipse of the sun. of the earls of barcelona . religious works of king ramiro . a great overthrow given the moors . king ramiro resigns the crown and dies . . many towns built and repaired . ordonno the third inherits the crown of leon. is divorc'd from his wife , and marries another . castile invaded by the infidels . the castilians vanquish the moors . the earl of castile reconcil'd to the king of leon. another victory of the castilians . . sancho proclaimed king. . ordonno expels sancho . sancho restored ordonno . flies to the moors . a great overthrow of the infidels . practices against the earl of castile . the king of navarre defeated , and taken by the earl of castile . . the earl of castile imprisoned in leon and escapes by the contrivance of his wife . fire rises out of the sea , and does great harm . . sancho inherits the crown of navarre . king sancho poisoned . . king ramiro under the tuition of his mother and aunt . peace betwixt the moors & king of leon. the peace broken by the infidels . count fernan gonzalez dies . . normans infest the coast of spain . . divisions among the moors . rebellion against the king of leon. . bermudo the second king of leon. garci sanchoz earl of castile . a wonderful providence . christians suffer under the moors . discord betwixt the king of ieon , and earl of castile . . . barcelona taken by the moors . the royal city of leon , and other places ; taken by the infidels . the murder of seven brothers called three infants de lara . barbarous treachery a strange way of adoption . . miracle at st. james his tomb. garci sanchez king of navarre christian princes unite , and defeat the infidels . . decay of the moorish kingdom . famine look'd upon as a judgment for imprisonment of a bishop . . king bermudo's death . his wives and issue . king alonso under the tuition of the earl of galicia & his wife . . sancho , k. of navarre the earl of castile's son rebells against his father . earl of castile killed by the moors . . sancho succeeds in the earldom of castile . mahomet usurps & shuts up hissem . is overthrown , and of his men slain . roman earl of barcelono . . . dissenti ▪ among the moors . obeydalla calls himself king of toledo . famine among the moors . abderhaman calls himself king of murcia . abderhaman inthroned by the abenhameyus then mahomet . the kingdom of the moors divided into many small principalities . the christians spoil the territories of the moors . the moors buy peace . the earl of castile , makes his mother drink the poison , she had prepared for him . the earls issue . . actions of alonso king of leon. king alonso killed at the seige of viseo . berenguel earl of barcelona . . bermudo the third king of leon. garcia earl of castile . a cruel murder . king sancho of navarre , inherits castile . king bermudo his good government . conditi of peace betwixt the kings of leon , and navarre . all the christian dominions in spain united under one head. wicked contrivance of sons against their mother . the q. of navarre accused of adultery by her own sons . is defended by a bastard . king sancho divides the dominion of spain among his sons . king sancho setles matters of religion . . a synod at pamplona . palentia rebuilt . king sancho murdered . . posture of affairs in spain . ramon earl of barcelona dies . kingdoms of the moors . wars betwixt the kings of castile and leon. ferdinand crown'd king of leon. . ferdinand the most powerful king in spain . ferdinand overthrows the moors , and takes several towns. . coimbra taken from the moors . king ferdinand's progress . k. ramiro of aragon . wars on his brother of navarre . territories of the infidels ravaged . s. isidorus his body translated to leon from sevil. . a synod at coyanca . conversion of two moorish princesses . . garcia king of navarre imprisoned by his brother ferdinand . he makes his escape . ferdinand overthrows , & kills his brother garcia of navarre . k. garcia's issue . ramiro king of aragon recovers his dominions . general council of florence . . a romantick relation about spain being exempted from the roman empire . roderick de bivar called cid who he was . as many fables are related of this man , as ever were of king arthur . rod-rick's opinion touching the subjection to the empire i fear the whole relation is fabulous . the dispute decided . the famous roderick diaz de bivar commonly called cid his original . . synods held at compostela , jaca , and s. jokn de la penna . . the moors rise against ferdinand and are suppressed . ferdinand dies . death of queen sancha . ferdinand by will , leaves to each of his three sons a kingdom , and towns to his daughters . . . perpignan built . the kings alike in the manner of their death . king sancho wars upon his brothers . . king alonso flies to the moors . k. sancho expels his brother garcia . k. sancho besieges zamora . k. sancho treacherously murder'd before zamora . a single combat upon the king's death . k. alonso returns from among the moors , and receives the crown he imprisons his brother garcia . takes an oath for the crown of castile . . . k. alonso aids the moorish k. of toledo . . a synod at burgos . roderick de bivar , ravages the dominions of the moors . he is banished . . sancho , k. of navarre . almenon , the moorish king of toledo , and ramon , earl of barcelona , dye . succession of the moors . succession of the earls of barcelona . actions of the normans in italy norman earls and kings . the conquest o● toledo resolved upon . country about toledo wasted . roderick diaz debivar his further actions . . . d. garcia the king's brother bleeds to death in prison . an overthrow given the infidels . ramon earl of barcelona murdred , his son ramon succeeds him . . toledo closely besieged . the manner of enclosing the city . articles of surrender . toledo surrendered . many towns taken . k. alonso stiles himself emperor . an archbishop of toledo chosen . bernard first archbishop . the great church taken forcibly from the moors contrary to articles the moors beg for the queen and archbishop . the popes legate his unjust proceedings . . archbishop of toledo made primate of all spain . roman missal and breviary introduced . . synod at leon. how the archbishops of toledo came to be to be primates of all spain . k. alonso his wives and issue . the moorish family of the almoravides comes into spain . hali sent to assist the king of sevil overthrows and kills him . . king alonso's forces overthrown by the moors . a second defeat of the christians . joseph the miramamolin , comes out of africk . several strangers come to serve against the moors king alonso marries daughters to strangers . original of the kingdom of portugal . . the holy-war in the east . . birth of alonso i. king of portugal . sancho i. king of aragon . his actions against the moors , town of luna built . monks cast off subjection to the bishop . k. sancho killed . his son peter succeeds him . christians and infidels joyn to raise the siege . the moors routed by the christians . huesca surrendred . great preparations for the holy-war . bernard , archbishop of toledo , sets out for the holy-land is sent back by the pope . valencia , where seated , besieged and relieved . roderick de bivar takes valencia . marries his daughters to the earls of carrion . cruel action of those earls valencia abandoned by the christians roderick de bivar's death . . k. alonso's works of piety . . jerusalem taken by the christians . . death of joseph the moorish monarch . sancho , prince of castile , killed by the moors . the infidels victorious . moorish king 's of zaragoza . . . the king of aragon , his son & daughter all die . alonso succeeds to the crown of aragon . . . the death of alonso , king of castile . strange prodigy . two holy men. vrraca , queen of castile , a dissolute woman . hali the moor , ravages the country , and lays siege to toledo . . . king alonso of aragon beloved of all men. two synods . anointing of kings first used in spain . the forces of castile routed by the aragonians another defeat of the castilians . alomso vii . proclaimed king of castile . the wars of majorca and zaragoca . genoeses joyn the catalonians . carcassone lost , and recovered by the earl of barcelona . earl of toulouze routed by him of poitiers . . zaragoca besieged by the christians tahuste & other places taken . . zaragoca taken . carthusian and cistercians monks . knights and templers , hospitalers . . a schism in the church . peace concluded betwixt castile and aragon . conditions of the peace . . the two christian kings make war upon the moors . success of the aragonians . . of the castillians . zamora made a bishoprick , and compostella an archbishoprick . . the original of the kingdom of portugal . portugal describ'd . henry , earl of portugal dies . teresa the countess dowager governs . alonso governs as earl of portugal . portugeses overthrows the castillians . this fabulous story is apply'd to other persons as well as this . . death of queen vrraca , and bernard archbishop of toledo . . a council of palencia . calatrava taken , and given to the knights , templers . several other towns conquer'd . raimund earl of barcelona . success of the aragonians against the moors . fraga bebesieged and quitted . . fraga again besiege . the king of aragon slain . . the king leave his dominions to the templers and other knights . the navarrois choose garcia for their king. the aragons choose ramiro a monk. the king of castile , aspires to the crowns of aragon and navarre . he invades ' em . . the king of castile stiles himself emperor . arms of toledo . the king of aragon puts to death noblemen . . peace betwixt castile and aragon . . the king of aragon quits the government , and raymund , earl of barcelona , his son-in-law enters upon it . alonso of portugal's actions . . a great overthrow given the moors by the new portuges king. portugal under an interdict . alonso k. of portugal marries . divisions among moors and christians sintra taken from the moors . war betwixt navarre and aragon . . castile and aragon . in league against navarre . troubles in aragon . . . earl of barcelona . makes war in france . . factions among the moors . a truce betwixt aragon & navarre . cordova taken by the christians , and revolts . baeca taken . the city almeria taken . . tortosa taken , as also lerida and fraga . lisbon besieged and taken by the new king of portugal . foreigners and k. alonso of portugal . king alonso of portugal's further success . . a general council at rheimes . . bloody rain . . the title of king confirm'd upon alonso i. of portugal . another invasion of spain , by the moors called almohades . a potter's son set up king of the moors . persecution under the moors . . garcia , k. of navarre kill'd by a fall from his horse . sancho crown'd king of navarre . castile and aragon joyn in league against navarre . alonso of castile , and his daughter both marry'd . an act of justice . . many places taken by the aragonians from the moors . arms of aragon . . luis the younger king of france comes into spain . his entertainment . . toledo declared metropoiis of all spain . . league betwixt castile and aragon renewed . . alonso , called the emperor , breaks into andaluzia . his death sancho has the crown of castile , and ferdinand that of leon. war betwixt castile and navarre . the navarrois twice defeated . calatrava defended by two monks , & given to their order . . original of the knights of calatrava . league betwixt castile and aragon renew'd . sancho , k. of castile dies . . infidels twice defeated . faction of the two great houses of castro and lara . ferdinand of leon , enters castile . alonso the young k. of castile , secured by some nobles . raymund , prince of aragon successful against the french and moors . . his death : alonso succeeds raymund his father , in the dominion of aragon . . . alonso received as king of castile . . toledo declares for him . he is overthrown by the rebels . siege of the castle zurita . just reward of of treachery . earthquake and floods . cuidad rodrigo built . . k , alonso assembles the cortes , or parliament . meets the king of aragon . concludes a league with him . marries ellenor , daughter of henry ii. king of england . aragonians success against the moors . league against peter ruiz de azagra . two archbishops murder'd . . . war betwixt aragon , and navarre . . . the order of knighthood of santiago , or st. james the apostle . . . alonso of castile invades leon. the conquest of cuenca resolv'd upon . it s description . the siege the town taken . . increase of the knights of santiago . . several towns of navarre taken by the castillians . the kingdom of leon rebels . sancho son to alonso king of portugal , sent to besiege cuidad rodrigo , defeated . alonso king of . victoria city built . synod at tarragona . . alonso of portugal besieged by the moors , and delivered by the king of leon. . a legate makes peace among christians . . alonso king of portugal vanquisheth the moors . . armengaud earl of vrgel slain king of navarre breaks into castile . . alonso the first king of portugal dies . . . jerusalem lost . . sancho the first , succeeds to the crown of portugal alonso th to that of leon. . a league against castile . . . . . castile commences war with the moors . . sancho the wise king of navarre dies . a vast multitude of infidels come into spain . king alonso overthrown by the infidels . . . king alonso of aragon dies , his son peter ii. succeeds him . famine & plague . . . a truce with the moors . . plague & famine in portugal . . king of leon divorced . navarre over-run by them . alonso k. of castile's two daughters marry'd to the kings of france and leon. . marriages . a great eclipse of the sun , & floods . . four kings of spain meet and conclude a peace . . several exploits against the moors . . prince ferdinand of castile's death . a vast army of foreigners comes into spain to the assistance of the christians . . sancho k. of portugal dies , his son alonso ii. succeeds him . a mighty army of christians in castile . the christian army advances against the infidels . a great victory obtain'd by the christians . infidels said to be kill'd in this battle . arms of navarre . further actions of the christian army . this called the battle of navas de tolosa and why . . cause of the war betwixt france & aragon . heresie of the albigenses its original . description of the city albis . disorders raised by the hereticks in the city of leon. fryars preachers & others oppose the hereticks . a deacon zealous in this affair . great faith. hereticks expell'd . favourers of the albigenses . s. dominick preaches against the hereticks . proceedings of the catholicks against the albigenses . simon , earl of montfort , general of the catholicks . . a wonderful defeat of hereticks , the king of aragon slain . jayme , or james succeeds to the crown of aragon . a great famine and plague . archbishops of toledo , chancellors of castile . war with the moors . original of the knights of alcantara . alonso ii. king of portugal , at war with his sisters . alonso the viii . k. of castile dies . . also ellenor his queen & others . troubles in castile and aragon upon the accession of two children henry and jayme , or james to those crowns . two uncles strive to usurp the crown of aragon . jayme the young k. comes into spain . sancho k. of navarre decrepid . . henry i. king of castile years of age . the house of lara conspires against the young k. of castile . lateran general council . honours done the archbishop of toledo . simon of montfort killed . the family of lara seizes the government of castile into their hands . oath the archbishop obliges 'em to take . alvaro the elder brother ex-communicated . he seizes upon the queens lands , and banishes her . young k. henry married . is parted from his wife on account of consanguinity . . the king of aragon escapes from his keepers . . troubles of castile . they break out into open war. . henry i. the young king of castile's death . moors killed . blanch and berengaria sisters to k. henry of castile . berengaria , heiress to the crown of castile resigns her right to her son ferdinand . ferdinand king of castile . the king of leon makes war upon his son the k. of castile . d. alvaro de lara taken by the king , and set at liberty . d. alvaro , d. ferdinand de lara , their death . . the order of s. dominick and la marced , for redemption of captives instituted . s. francis of assis . . civil broils in aragon . . ferdinand of castile marries beatrix daughter to the emperor philip. his issue . jaime k. of aragon marries ellenor of castile . . earthquakes , floods and storms commotions in castile . two several rebellons quel'd . cathedral of burgos built by an englishman . other structures . affairs of aragon . . death of the kings of france and portugal . ferdinand of castile makes war upon the moors . a prosperous expedition . . a conspiracy against jaime k. of aragon . the king seized . . success of the castilians . the king of aragon escapes , and invades valencia . kills the rebel peter ahones . . towns taken by the castilians . defeat of the moors . . d. lucas , bishop of tuy , a famous writer . war renew'd with the moors by king ferdinand of castile . raymund , eael of toulouze , a hetick reduced . pacification in aragon . . the conquest majorca resolved upon by the king of aragon . insolency of a moor. pope's legate in aragon . majorca described . king jayme lands on it the aragonians rout the majorcans . majorca taken by storm . . alonso king of leon , overthrows the moors , and takes merida and badajoz . the death of alonso i. king of leon. union of the crowns of castile and leon. rebellion in navarre . interview of the kings of aragon and navarre . roderick the archbishop , invades the moors . john , king of jerusalem , comes into spain . . the islands minorca and yuisa conquered . . sancho king of navarre dies . theobald i. king of navarre . king of castile and arragon meet . castilians and aragonians make war upon the moors . division among the moors . many places taken by the christians part of the city cordova taken by a handful of men. . king ferdinand hasts to secure the conquest of cordova . description of cordova . the siege . . city surrendred . a moorish king baptised . siege of valencia resolved . . the king of aragon in danger . description of valencia . valencia besieged . the king wounded at the siege . . valencia deliver'd up to the christians . theobald , king of navarre , ingages in the holy-war . peace for some time : ferdinand , king of castile marries . . two eclypses . bravery of a woman . several towns taken from the moors . salamanca made an university . moors overthrown . the kingdom of murcia delivered up by the moors . king of aragon leagues with princes against the king of france . . a defeat of the christians the christians succesful . . . jaen city described . besieged . surrendred . . discord in aragon and catalonia . king sancho of portugal expelled the kingdom by his rebellious subjects . general council at lyons . king sancho of portugal dyes at toledo . martin de freitas was the name of this loyal governour . ferdinand of castile prepares to besiege sevil. . . carmona besieged and other towns taken . the moors vanquished in a sea fight . the kingdom of aragon under an interdict . description of sevil. this measure i believe is mistaken as to height . sevil besieged . . carmona surrendred to the christians . . accommodation betwixt castile and leon. besiegers reinforced bridge of sevil broken . sevil and its dependencies delivered up . king luis of france , sends presents to the church of toledo , & undertakes the conquest of the holy land. . . discord among the aragonians . his good ordinances . alonso the th succeeds to the crown of castile . . theobald king of navarre . dies . theobald the second king of navarre . moors banished valencia . . queen violante proves with child and prevents being divorced from the king. . k. alonso chosen emperor , by part of the electors , and richard duke of cornwal by the other . . contests about the imperial crown . k. alonso's qualities . towns in andaluzia taken . differences betwixt castile and aragon compos'd . . sancho k. of portugal dies at toledo in exile . . kings of france and aragon meet , and are reconciled : death of the prince and queen of aragon . theobald king of navarre marries . unjust proceeding of alonso k. of portugal . portugal under an interdict . embassy to the k. of castile from the soldan of aegypt . . . succession of sicily . king of aragon marries his son to the daughter of the king of sicily . . the family of the merines obtains the empire of africk . moorish kings in spain revolt . moors begin the war. cuidad real built . . towns recover'd by the christians . . troubles in aragon . . the kings of castue and aragon , invade the moors . . murcia taken by the aragonians . charles , brother to the king of france , crown'd king of sicily . christian nobles persuade the infidels to revolt . empress of constantinople , in spain . . wars in italy . a new debate in aragon . jayme , king of aragon , at toledo . preaching among the tartars . embassy from tartary . . jayme , king of aragon , imbarks for the holy-land . english & french in the holy-land expedition . . theobald , king of navarre dies . portugal made independent of castile . nobility of castile conspire against their king. progress of the rebellion in castile . . disorders in aragon . henry , king of navarre . alonso , k. of castile , aspires to the empire . rodulphus of ausburg , chosen emperor . henry , k. of navarre , dies . joanna his daughter , queen . nobles of castile reconcil'd to king alonso . articles betwixt aragon & navarre . progress of king alonso of castile . . king alonso of castile , meets the pope in france . king alonso returns home . the emperour of morocco called into spain . a vast multitude of infidels land in spain . overthrow of the christians . . a second defeat . prince ferainand of castile dies . affairs of navarre . death of popes . pr. sancho aspires to usurp the crown from his nephews . slaughter of the aragonians . jayme i.k. of aragon dies . his issue . peter crown'd king of aragon . troubles of navar. navarre brought under by the french. violante queen of castile , with her grand-children , slies to aragon . the true heirs of castile imprison'd . commotions in catalonia . alonso king of portugal his death . denis succeeds to the crown of portugal . prince sancho his practices to gain the affections of the people . league betwixt castile and aragon . rebellion of prince sancho against his father . king denis of portugal marries s. elizabeth . the cortes summon'd by the king and prince , follow the latter . king of morocco comes to assist king alonso . king alonso disinherits and curses his son sancho . conspiracy against the french in sicily . pope martin and the king of aragon at variance . massacre of the french called the scicilian vespers . mecina besieg'd by the french. a challenge betwixt the kings of france and aragon . the cortes meet in the kingdom of aragon . rebellion in castile . interdict in castile and aragon at one time . the enmity betwixt k. alonso of castile , and his son sancho increases . . king alonso of castile dies . sancho usurps the crown of castile . the aragonians gain two victories at sea. albarazin taken by the king of aragon . the king of aragon seeks aid against the french. . charles king of naples dies . the french army enters catalonia . girona besieg'd by the french. xeres besieg'd by the moors , and the siege raised . peace with the moores . girona taken be the french. aragonian destroy the french fleet : philip the fair , king of france . death of the king of aragon . birth of ferdinand prince of castile . alonso the iii. king of aragon crown'd . d. lope and haro favourite to king sancho of castile . aragonians successful in italy . the rightful princes of castile prisoners . charles prince of salerno made king of apulia and sicily . articles betwixt france and castile . king denis of portugal his issue . seeds of discord in castile . d. lope de haro kill'd at court. the rightful princes of castile released . war betwixt castile and aragon . mutiny at badajoz . interview of the kings of france and castile . d. john nunnez de lara revolts from castile . d. john reconcil'd to king sancho , again ready to fly from him . . peace betwixt france and aragod . death of alonso the d king of aragon . jayme crowned king of aragon , a league betwixt castile and aragon . . moors vanquished at sea. endeavours of accommodation betwixt france and aragon . . alcala de henares made an university . tarifa besieg'd by the moors . . king sancho of castile dyes . ferdinand the ivth . king. pope celestine the v. abdicates . france . and aragon make peace . rebellion in castile . pr. henry governs castile . confederation against castile . pr. john proclaimed king of leon and galicia . murcia taken by the aragonians . tarifa again besieged . k. of portugal invades castile . the cortes of castile raise mony . k. jayme of aragon proclaimd k. of sardinia and corsica . . castile and portugal reconcil'd . war in sicily . siracusa in vain besieg by the aragonians . ferderick k. of sicily beaten at sea. jubile first instituted . city bilbao built . pr. john reconciled to the k. raymundus lullus . garcia lopez , the master of calatrava depos'd . marriage of king ferdinand of castile . . a synod at toledo . peace betwixt sicily and naples . more troubles in castile . . pope boniface dies . benedict the xith . succeeds . mighty divisions throughout spain . . k. denis of portugal as arbitrator , reconciles oustile and aragon . . roger lauria the great admiral . clement the vth. chosen pope . houses of haro and lara reconcil'd . discord among the moors . castile and aragon in league against the moors . ceuta taken . the infidels twice overthrown . gibraltar taken . the moorish k. of granada depos'd . queen blanch of aragon dies . a general council held at vienne in dauphine . the knights templers destroy'd . possessions of the templers in spain . prince alonso of castile has birth . . war with the moors . a wonderful judgment . ferdinand the ivth king of castile dies . alonso not months old , declar'd king of castile . ●rago dies . the young king kept by the citizens of avila . . the moors of granada expel their new king. . the cortes settle the government of castile . turks their original & growth . ottoman founder of the empire of that name . actions of the catalonians in greece . they overthrow the turbs . thier general put to death , they defeat the greeks . they fall out among themselves . luis king of france dyes , and philip succeeds . john the xxth chosen pope . infidels defeated by prince peter of castile . knights of montesa in aragon , and of christ in portugal . two extraordinary accidents . the death of the princes of castile , peter & john. jayme heir of aragon , abdicates . several places taken by the moors . several governors chosen in the provinces of castile . biscainers and navarrois at war. a spanish synod held at valladolid . king of granada murder'd . king alonso of castile enters upon the government . the rebels associate . the form of association . sardinia conquered by the aragonians . denis k. of portugal dies . st. elizabeth queen of portugal . alonso k. of portugal . rebels of castile punished . . jayme the iid . king of aragon dies . alonso the ivth succeeds . . occasion of wars betwixt france and england . castile at war with the moors . several places in castile rebel . accord betwixt aragon , castile and portugal . affairs of navarre . acts of the cortes at madrid . . overthrow of the moors . several places taken from them . description of africk . mahomet k. of granada in africk . alonso de la cerda rightful k. of castile , submits to alonso . order of the belt instituted . war with the moors . mahomet king of granada murder'd . rebels suppress'd in castile . christian kings of spain at variance . castilans overthrow the aragonians and navarrois . . alonso the ivth k. of aragon dyes . rebellion of castro and albuquerque in castile . rebels of castile harden'd . . castilians overthrow the portuguses at sea. . frederick king of sicily dies . . preparations for war. peace betwixt castile and aragon . territories of the moors ravaged . moors slain with their king. synod at barcelona . moors invade spain . the christian fleet destroy'd by the moors . tarifa besieg'd by the moors . the battle of salado . infidels slain . particulars of the successes . the kings after the victory return to sevil. progress of the christians against the moors . the defeats of the infidels at sea. algezira besieg'd . attempts of the infidels to murder the king of castile . . algezira siege continu'd . succours from england and other parts . robert k. of naples dies . . algezira surrender'd . majorca subdued by the aragonians . . the k. of majorca delivers himself to him of aragon . earthquake at lisbon . . troubles in aragon . . k. peter the iv. of aragon marry'd . universal plague . dissention among the knights of calatrava . canary islands . confusions in africk . cortes held at alcalà . places that sent representatives to the cortes o● parliament . gibraltar besieg'd . castile and aragon joyn in a league . . k. alonso of castile dies . peter declared k. of castile . k. peter sick , and recovers . biscay united ●o the crown of castile . interviews of kings . blanch daughter to the duke of bourborn contracted to k. peter of castile . seditions arise in the dominions of castile . da. mar● de padilla mistress to king petir . king peter marries . k. peter forsakes his queen for da. moria de padilla ▪ k. peter changeth his officers . he punishes rebels . k. peter marries another and forsakes her , his first wife still living . moorish k. of ▪ granada murdered . expedition against sardinia . k. of aragon makes peace in sardinia . progress of the rebellion in castile . treaty betwixt the k. and his rebels . queen mother joyns the rebels . k. of navarre murders the constable of france . pr. peter of portugal marries the lady agnes de castro . she is murder'd . k. peter punishes rebels . toro taken by k. peter . infamous life and death of the queen mother of castile . war betwixt castile and aragon . the causes of the war. victory of the english at poitiers . towns taken on both sides . alonso the iiid . k. of portugal dies . peter king of portugal . rebellion of the bastards of castile . moors called by the christians to their assistance . rebels punished . era of cesar abolished . expedition of king peter by sea. the rebels defeat the royalists . various accidents . peter k. of portugal executes the murderers of the lady agnes de castro . constance . the k. of aragon's daughter marry'd to the k. of sicily . . peace betwixt castile and aragon . blanch q. of castile dies . da. maria de padilla dies . peter of portugal declares his children legitimate . presumption of a legate . . victory of the moors over the christians . the moorish k. of granada wrongfully put to death . castile and navarre join in league . da. maria de padilla declared by king peter his lawful wife . . castile in league with england . john k. of france dies charles the vth succeeds . constance qu. of sicily dies . confederation against castile . bernard de cabrera cruelly put to death . foreigners come to serve count henry . henry the bastard proclaims himself k. of castile . castile . divided . king peter expelled the kingdom . king peter flies to the english. war of navarre . articles betwixt k. peter and the prince of wales . . peter king of portugal dies . ferdinand k. of protugal . the english pass the perineans in defence of k. peter . the battle of najara . henry routed , & k. peter restored . sixteen put to death for treason . k. peter excommunicated and absolved . the french support henry the bastard . henry returns into spain . k. peter provides for his defence . k. peter overthrown . betrayed and murdred by his bastard brother . several pretenders to castile . martin lopez faithful to k. peter affairs of aragon & sardinia . of navarre . henry the usurper finds many enemies . treachery rewarded . allyance betwixt portugal and aragon . carmona besieged by the usurper . henry the bastard takes carmona , and breaks the articles . peace betwixt castile and portugal . ferdinand of portugal marries the lady ellmor de meneses . the pope returns to rome . victory at sea of the spaniards and french over the english . war betwixt castile and portugal . . peace betwixt the two crowns . a great earthquake . orders of st. hierome , and st. isidort . . french & spaniards besiege bayonne . . pope gregory the xith returns to rome after the papal chair had been years at avignon . . frederick the iid . of sicily dies . a general peace in spain . the french invade navarre . castile at variance with navarre . marriages of k. henry's bastards . schism in the church . troubles in portugal . navarre and castile make peace . death of k. henry . mahomet k. of granada dies . john succeeds to the crown of castile . castilian fleet ravages the coasts of britany . . great floods . charles k. of france dies . charles the vith . succeeds . leo k. of armenia in spain . a schlsm . pr. ferdinand born in castile . . pope clement own'd in castile . charles duke of durrazzo crown'd k. of naples . english joyn with portugal against castile . . rebellion suppress'd . articles betwixt castile and portugal . death of the qu. of castile . . marriage of the k. of castile with the princess of portugal . ferdinand king of portugal dies . divisions in portugal about the succession of the crown . king john of castile proclaimed k. at lisbon . portugueses that favour'd the k. of castile . the master of 〈◊〉 a bastard aspires to the c own of portugal . lisbon besieged . the siege raised . . john the bastard proclaim'd k. of portugal . castilian fleet ravages the coast of portugal . k. john of castile makes his will. famous battel of aljubarota . castilians defeated . all portugal submits to john the usurper . another verthrow of the castilians . france and navarre joyn with castile . the duke of lancaster lands at corunna . death of kings . of peter k. of aragon . charles inherlts the crown of navarre . john crown'd k. of aragon . peace establish'd betwixt the english and castilians . . kings of castile and navarre meet . heir of castile made prince of austurias . truce with portugal . . acts of the cortes of castile . truce with the moors of granada . pious gifts of the k. of castile . k. john of castile kill'd by fall from his horse . qualities of king john of aragon . french invade aragon . . henry the iiid . proclaimed k. of castile . k. john of castile his last will. form of government of castile during the kings minority . strife among the nobility of castile . they raise forces . they agree . the cortes settle the government . . a mutiny at sevil. the war with portugal breaks out again . troubles among the moors . k. john of portugal his issue . discord continues in castile . . truce with portugal for years . arch bishop of toledo arrested by the king. nobility of castile reconcil'd . sicily reduc'd under the dominion of aragon . k. henry takes upon him the government . biscainers invade the canary islands . cortes meet at madrid . . the plague at madrid . discontents among the nobility of castile . the master of alcantara cut off by the moors . rebellion in old castile , mutinous lords submit . fresh troubled in castile quleted . pope clement dies , the schism continues . benedict the xiiith chosen pope . . strange death of k. john of arag●● . martin k. of aragon . ● . elle●●● of navarre returns to her husband . earl of gijon declar'd traytor . the archbishop of santiago flies to portugal . the earl of faux invades aragon . . turks pass over into europe . joseph k. of granada his strange death . mah●met usurps . badajoz taken by the portugueses . . franciscan fryars preach to the moors of granada . . truce with portugal renew'd . paul de cartagen● famous for learning . plague in spain and france , and great floods . french expell'd aragon . . works of peter ten●rio , archbishop of toledo . . plague in spain . violante daughter to the k. of aragon marryed to luis duke of anjo● . . mary q. of sicily dies . . tamerlan the tatrar his exploits . embassies betwixt tamerlan and the k. of castile . . great floods . the king of navarre uses means to recover his possessions in france . . boniface the pope dies , and innocent the viith is chosen at rome . jews and moors distinguish'd in castile . . the battle of collejarts . cortes held in castile . innocent the pope dies at ro●● ▪ 〈◊〉 gregory the xiith is chosen . henry k. of castile dies . a notable action of k. henry . . k. henry's will. wonderful modesty of prince ferdinand who refuses the crown being offer'd to him . john the iid an infant proclaim'd k. of castile . aragon left without heirs . government of prince ferdinand of castile . government divided betwixt the queen and prince . victory of the christians by sea. luis duke of orleans murder'd . . cortes of castile grant suplies for war with the moors . d. alvaro de luna who he was . pope benedict forsaken . . alexander the vth chosen pope . animosities against prince ferdinand of castile . martin k. of sicily dies . martin k. of aragon marries . pretenders to the crown of aragon . dispute concerning the crown of aragon . prince ferdinand marches against the infidels . . moors overthrown . pope alexander dies , john the xxiiid is chosen . martin k. of aragon dies . race of the earls of barcelona extinct . several towns taken by the christians . a love adventure . anteq̄uerā taken by storm . the castle surrendred . turbulent state of christendom . aragon divided about the succession . . k. john of portugal his government . confusions in aragon . judges appointed to decide the right to the crown of aragon . earl of vrgel's pretensions . ferdinand declared king of aragon by the judges . he is proclaim'd at ●aragoca . settles the affairs of aragon . archimbaud earl of faux his death and issue . the new king's actions . k. ferdinand and pope benedict meer . . he besieges the earl of vrgel in balaguer . the earl surrenders himself . application for uniting the church . ferdinand crown'd at zaragoca . king ferdinand confers with pope benedict . council of constance . jews converted . . pope john forced to quit the papacy . marriage of the prince of aragon with the princess of castile . ceuta taken by the portugueses interview of princes at perpignan . pope benedict disown'd in aragon . . ferdinand of aragon dies . new troubles in castile . . john hus and hierome of prague burnt . martin the vth. chosen pope . the canaries conquered . henry the vth of england invades france . catherine queen of castile dies . john king of castile govern'd by the archbishop of toledo . marriages of princes . . nobility of castile raise tumults . king john's character . d. alvaro de luna the great favourite . . k. john of castile under restraint . prodigles . discoveries by henry infante of portugal . alonso k. of aragon adopted heir of naples . k. john of castile makes his escape . . prince henry in open rebellion . competitors for the kingdom of naples . . prince henry imprison'd . alvaro de luna made an earl. government of toledo altered . also at pamplona . gaston heir of navarre born . . truce betwixt castile and portugal . troubles of naples . k. alonso of aragon besieges the queen of naples in her palace . luis duke of anjou adopted heir of naples . joseph k. of granada dies . benedict the pretended pope dies . alonso k. of aragon supports an antipope . marseilles taken by the atagonians . . affairs of aragon unsuccesful at naples . . prince henry of castile born . victory obtain'd by the queen of naples . accord betwixt castile and aragon . charles k. of navarre dies . k. john proclaim'd . factions in castile . . conspiracy against d. alvaro de luna . conspiracy of the nobles . . d. alvaro de luna banish'd the court. the k. of granada expelled by his subjects . strange fondness betwixt the king and d. alvaro de luna . . the family of davalos . fidelity of a servant . d. alvaro de luna returns to court. peter infante of portugal a great traer . the banish'd k. of granada restored . preparations for a war in aragon . a synod at taragena , and end of the schism in the church . war betwixt castile , aragon and navarre . peace concluded . . king john of navarre crowned . a new breach of the peace . king john of castile breaks into aragon . aragonians invade castile . truxillo recovered by a strange contrivance . estates of the princes of aragon in castile confiscated . truce for years . war with the moors . mighty floods . . . pope martin the v. dies . eugenius the iv. succeeds him . a great earthquake . king john of castile invades granada . drives the moors into that city . gives them a great overthrow . battle de la higuera , or the fig tree . peace betwixt castile and portugal . . mahomet k. of granada again expell'd , and restor'd . the aragonians decline at naples . alonso k. of aragon again invited to naples . he overthrows the moors in africk . differences betwixt castile and aragon composed apparitions in the air , and other prodigles . . k. john of portugal dies . his son edward succeeds him . council of basil . . end of the earl of luna . pope eugenius expelled rome by the people . nobility of naples favour the aragonians . joanna q. of naples dies . . great floods in castile . slaughter of the christians . a small body of christians defeats a great one of moors . progress of the aragonians at naples . a sea fight , the aragonians defeated by the genoeses . kings of aragon & navarre prisoners . generosity of the duke of milan . kings of aragon & navarre set at liberty . . genoeses rebel and joyn with pope euganius , & the duke of anjou . confederacy against the aragonians . castile & aragon make peace . earl of vrgel dies . a violent winter . . fatal overthrow of the portugueses in africk . ferdinand infante of portugal left a hostage with the moors . troubles of castile , and in the church . . duke of anjou in naples . naples besieg'd by the aragonians . plague in portugal . k. edward dyes . conspiracy to destroy d. alvaro de luna . . princes of aragon joyn with the rebels of castile . agreement betwixt the king of castile and the rebels . pope eugenius deposed . felix v. chosen . new commotions in castile . . progress of the rebellion in castile . . charles the ii. k. of navarre . k. john of castile made a prisoner by the rebels . progress of the war in naples . naples taken by the aragonians . rebellion in biscay . famous men about this time in spain . success of the aragonians at naples . . a plot to rescue the k. john. . k. john of castile makes his escape . queens of castile & portugal dye . . battle of olmedo . affairs of naples . mahomet k. of granada imprison'd . prince of castile rebels . d. alvaro de luna chosen master of the order of santiago . . towns taken by the moors . . the florentine war. castile & aragon still at variance . . conspirators apprehended . others fly . earl of benavente escapes , and raises new troubles . affairs of portugal . . mutiny in toledo . . nobility of castile supported in rebellion by the k. of navarre . the moors ravage andaluzia . prince henry of castile reconciled to his father . . mutiny at segovia . embassies to the k. of aragon for aid against the turks . . decay of the k. of navarre's power . two factions in navarre . . two defeats of the moors . d. alvaro de luna his character and fatal end. . constantinople taken by the turks . k. of granada deposed . cruzados first coined in portugal . designs of k. john of castile . cape of good hope discovered . k. john of castile dies . . henry the iv. proclaimed k. of castile . . k. henry how disposed . war in italy . pope nicholas dies , calixtus chosen . henry of castile ravages the territories of the moors , & marries joanna , sister to the k. of portugal . a conspiracy against k. henry . . broils in navarre & biscay . . the prince of viana flies to naples . interview of the kings of castile & navarre . country of the moors wasted . . alonso the th king of aragon dies at naples . new war in naples . henry of castile raises mean persons in opposition to the nobility . alcacar in africk taken by the portugueses . . grounds of new troubles in castile . prodigies . general council at mantua . war at naples betwixt the aragonians and house of anjou . scanderbeg comes to the assistance of ferdinand , king of naples . . the moors of granada break the peace . rebellion of catalonia . . civil war in navarre . charles prince of viana dies . a friat stirs up the people of navarre to rebellion . . k. henry of castile proclaimed earl of barcelona by the rebels . . conference of the kings of france and castile . mutiny about taxes . . rebels of castile join with the king of aragon . d. beltran de la cueva , the favourite , created duke . proceedings of the rebels in catalonia . overthrow of the rebels . . troubles increase in castile . a most villanous action of the castilian rebels . rebels disband . confusions in castile . peter the pretended earl of barcelona dies . rebels in catalonia choose the duke of anjou for their king. . olmedo doubtful fight of the king with the rebels . . the popes legate affronted by the rebels . the rebels excommunicated . john duke of lorrain in catalonia for his father . some rebles submit , but fresh troubles ensue in castile . a prodigy . . rebels reduced . rebellious moors defeated . a bishop murdered . ferdinand king of sicily marries elizabesh sister to the king of castile . . difference betwixt the knights of alcantara and their master . confusion in biscay . joanna princess of castile contracted to the duke of guienne . troubles in aragon , sardinia , and navarre . . method of reducing the rebellious prelates . mutiny at toledo and sevil. pope paul ii. dies , sixtus iv. chosen . tangier and arzila taken by the king of portugal . catalonia reduced . . kings of portugal and castile meet . the master of santiago strengthens himself against his enemies . barcelona surrendred to the king of aragon . . reception of a legate in castile . evil practices of the legate . prince of segorve comes into castile . signal loyalty of peter de peralta . all spain in peace , except castile . elizabeth , sister to the king of castile , her traiterous practises . a synod of bishops at aranda . counterfeit reconciliation of the princess elizabeth to the king her brother . . king henry of castile supposed to be poisoned . elizabeth the king's sister openly aspires to the crown . the master of santiage dies . french and aragonians at variance . henry k. of castile dies . castile divided betwixt the rightful princess joanna , and elizabeth the usurper . . ferdinand received in castile . marquess de villena his double dealing . nobles of castile join with portugal in favour of the rightful heiress . ferdinand labours to gain the nobility of castile . alonso k. of portugal proclaimed king of castile , being contracted to the rightful heiress . french and portuguese forces against castile . , john pr. of portugal comes to his fathers assistance into castile . fight betwixt the portugues and castilian armies . defeat of the portugueses . great disorders throughout casile . factions in navarre . alonso king of portugal , goes over into africk and thence into france . endeavours to pacifie navarre . toro surprized by the castilians . king ferdinand chose master of santiago in trust . moores of granada invade murcia . noblemen secure to themselves all the strong holds . disorders in sicily and sardinia . the king of portugal resolves to go in pilgrimage to hierusalem , and resigns his crown to his son. john prince of portugal restores the crown to his father . sardinia reduced . birth of prince john of castile . inquisition first settled in spain . actions on the frontiers of castile , and portugal . peace betwixt castile and france . . john king of aragon dyes . factions continue in navarre heretical oppinions condemned in spain . coun●ess of medellin a turbulent-woman . overthrow of the portugueses . king ferdinand goes into aragon . peace concluded betwixt castile and portugal . . grants made by king henry : declared void by the cortes . the turks take otranto in italy . . ferdinand's son sworn heir of castile , aragon , and catalonia . alonso king of portugal dies . john ii. of portugal . three great men die . . francis crowned king of navarre . . the young k. of navarre dies . traitors punished in portugal . . ratifications of the peace betwixt castile and portugal . luis xi . king of france dies . the famous war with the moors of granada . . zahara surprized by the moors . . alhama taken by the christians . alhama in vain besieged by the moors . preparations for war with the moors . loxa besieged by the christians without success . the war with the infidels put off for some time . troubles galicia . . slaughter of the christians two moorish kings at granada destroy one another . defeat of the moores . moorish king taken . moorish king set at liberty rebellion in navarre . . pope sixtus dies . innocent the th succeeds . alcara taken from the moores . boabdil the moorish king flies to cordova . ronda taken . christians defeated . rebellion in naples . tumults in aragon and catalonia . . azamor in africk submits to the portugueses . divisions among the infidels . loxa and other places taken . . king ferdinand takes malaga , and other places . discoveries of the portugueses . troubles in aragon stop the progress of the war of granada . . several places taken from the moores . the moores recover the lost towns. masterships of military orders annexed to the crown . three cities and othe small towns taken from the moores . . the moorish king submits . elizabeth , princess of castile , married to alonso , prince of portugal . death of prince alonso , and king john his father . the moorish king besieged by his own people . the plain of granada wasted . war with the moors renewed . . description of the city granada . k. ferdinand builds a town to lie in during the siege of granada . a phanatick moor. granada surrendered to k. ferdinand . character of k. ferdinand and q. elizabeth . . affairs of britany in france . jews banished spain . pope innocent viii dies , alexander vi. succeeds . navarre pacified . discoveries and conquests in the west-indies . controversies betwixt castile and portugal about their discoveries . roussillion and cerdagne restored to king ferdinand . palma , one of the canary islands conquered . mastership of the military orders inseparably annexed to the crown . original of the neapolitan war. ferdinand king of naples dies french invade naples . luis sforcia duke of milan . french king at rome . . alonso king of naples abdicates . league against the french. french king returns home . venetians overthrown by the french. ferdinand king of naples successful against the french. john ii. king of portugal dies . agreement between the duke of milan and french king. . progress of the affairs in italy . ferdinand of spain called catholick king by the pope emanuel king of portugal settles the government . england enters into the league against france . ferdinand king of naples dies the emperor besieges leghorn in vain . the pope invades the lands of the urfini . duke of gandia murdered proposals concerning the kingdom of naples . progress of the portuguses discoveries . 〈…〉 . mozambique discovered . description of india . vasco de gama at calicut . vasco returns to portugal . account of the navigation of vasco de gama . daughters of k. ferdinand matched . . john prince of castile dies . prince of salerno expelled naples . accord betwixt france and spain . . charles vii . king of france dies ; luis xii . succeeds him . hierome savanarola , a famous preacher in florence , burnt . king of portugal sworn heir of castile . queen of portugal being delivered of a son , dies . . perplexity of king ferdinand . . the duke of milan expelled his dukedom . university of alcalá founded . moors in the mountains rebell . ferdinand assists the venetians . birth of the emperor charles the th . the fr. posses themselves of the duke and dukedom of millan . . great year of jubilee . peace betwixt fr. and spain . cefalonia taken from the turks . double-dealing of k. ferdinand . disagreement betwixt the french and spaniards . descripti-of the kingdom of naples . frederick king of naples puts himself into the hands of the french. french perish by pestilence and stress of weather . the arch duke comes into spain . the great captain's actions at naples . disagreement about the division of naples . conference of the french and spanish generals . archduke and princess sworn heirs of aragon . archduke returns to flanders . war betwixt the french and spaniards at naples . a notable combat of eleven on each side : several losses of the french : marquess del gasto comes over to the spaniards . . great booty taken by the spaniards . combat betwixt french and as many italiuns several losses of the french. marquess del gasto comes over to the spaniards . archduke concludes peace betwixt spain and france . the peace takes no effect . succours from spain land in naples . lord of aubigni defeated and taken . the battel of cirinola . almost all naples subdued by the great captain . reception of the great captain at naples . st. german taken . gaeta besieged . practices of the spaniards : the french in roussillon . pius iii. elected pope . progress of the siege of saulses . ninetten sail of infidels destroyed . siege of saulses raised . julius ii. pope . french army marches through italy . mutiny in the spanish army . defeat of the french. notable valour of a spaniord . defeat of the french again . gaeta surrendred to the great captain . prefect of rome submits to spain . nobility of naples swear fidelity to spain . several cities of italy sue for protection of spain . truce for years betwixt france and spain . great famine , and earth-quakes . perfidiousness of duke valentin . the great captain contrary to his faith given , sends duke valentln into spain . the great captain ill represented to the king. the emperor , archduke and king of france join in league . league against the venetians . calamities of princes . frederick king of naples dies elizabeth queen of spain dies . differences about the government of castile . . king ferdinand becomes odious to the people . the emperor and king philip of castile ratifie the peace with france . k. ferdinand agrees with the french king. mazaliquivir in africk taken . nobles in castile for and against k. philip. accord twixt the kings , ferdinand and philip . king philip in england little faith in king fernand . a bloody mutiny at lisbon . king ferdinand marries queen joanna . king philip lands in spain . king philip declares against the treaty with king ferdinand . christopher columbus dies . flemmings and spaniards disagree . forces raised by ferdinand . many forsake ferdinand . ferdinand forced to quit castile . interview of the two kings . a league defensive and offensive betwixt the two kings of spain . jealousie the cause of king philip's queen's distemper . new troubles in castile . king ferdinand and his queen at zaragoça . jealousies raised against the great captain . king philip dies . confusions upon the death of king philip. government settled for the present . king ferdinand in italy . he comes to naples . uncertain government of castile . q. joanna wholly unfit to govern. embassies to k. ferdinand at naples . practices of the emperor . . q. joanna delivered of a daughter . mutiny at toledo . duke valentine slain . k. john of navarre subdues his rebellious subjects . treaty betwixt the emperor and king ferdinand . affairs of naples setled . f●ench king in italy . interview of the two kings . king ferdinand returns to castile . the emperor disgusted with ferdinand . the emperor proceeds against milan . malecontent in andaluzia . punishment of the mutiniers . penon in africk taken by the spaniards . portugueses sustain loss at azamor but relieve arzila . conspiracies in castile discovered . league of cambray . soldans fleet worsted in india . death of henry the vii . of england , henry the viii . succeeds him oran in africk taken . venetians set upon on all sides venetian army routed . padua recovered by the venetians . navarrois and arragonians make war. accord betwixt the emperor and k. ferdinand . ferdinand desires peace with venice . . bugia and other places taken by the spaniards . goa in india taken by the portugueses vincenza taken by the imperialists . the pope seizes the lands of the duke of ferrara . cortes or parliament held at monçon . investiture of naples granted to k. ferdinand . d. garcia de toledo sent with forces into africk : rout of the spaniards in africk . king ferdinand assists the pope . cardinals fall of from the pope . jealousies of princes . the pope pressed to call a general council . agreement betwixt k. ferdinand and the k. of england . the emperor cannot be separated from france . success of the portugueses in india . the pope in vain labours for an accommodation with france . league for defence of the church . the war in italy . king of england prepares to invade france . bergamo and bressa return to the obedience of the venetians . venetians overthrown by the french. king and queen of navarre excommunicated . the french advance towards the confederates . preparations for the lateran council . swissers descend into italy . grounds of the war in navarre . the duke of alva enters navarre . navarre 〈…〉 ferdinand . french decline in italy . florence , siena , and luca , join with the confederates . great captain forbid to pass into italy . 〈◊〉 invaded by the french. 〈…〉 : bressa taken by the viceroy . duke maximilian sforcia recovers milain . . pope julius dies , leo x. chosen . peace betwixt france and venice . a truce betwixt france and spain . actions in navarre . revolutions at gema . rendezvouz of french at aste . swisse rout the french. k. henry of england takes theourenne and tournay . azaomr taken by the portugueses . venice canonaded . queen of france dies . truce betwixt spain and france prolonged . preparations of the turk against italy . an ambassador from ethiopia arrives in portugal . luis king of france dies . . alonso de albequerque his actions in india . portugueses slain in africk . milan recovered by the french. overthow of the swiss . great captain ordered to be apprehended . barbarossa besieges bugia in vain . great captain dies . . k. ferdinand dies . notes for div a -e french k in italy . swiss routed . spaniards expelled millan . k. ferdinand dies navarre pacified . henry king of navarre . mary qu. of portugal dies . cardinal adrian . k. charles in spain . downfal of the sultans of egypt . heresy of martin luther . k. charles his sister married to emanuel k. of portugal . maximilian dies , charles the fifth chosen emperor . charles the fifth crowned . rebellion in spain . navarre over-run by the french. french in biscay . emanuel k. of portugal dies . pope leo dies . adrian chosen pope . return of the emperor into spain . k. christiern expell'd denmark . death of pope adrian . leo the x. chosen pope . overthrow of the french. john king of portugal marries the emperors sister . francis k. of france taken by the imperialists . accord betwixt spain and france . k. francis released . the emperormarries the sister of the k. of portugal . practices against the emperor . turks over run hungary . rome sacked . medicis expelled florence . prince philip sworn heir of castile . naples besieged . doria quits the french tervice . composition betwixt fra. and spain . agreement with portugal . vienna besieged . coronation of the emperor . diet at ausburg . medicis restor'd to florence . ferdinand chosen k. of the romans . inundations in flanders . change of religion in england . civilwars in swisserland . the emperor arms a-against the turks . pope and emperor meet at bolonia . pope and king of france meet at marseilles . pope clement dies , paul iii. succeeds . tuncz taken by the emperor . french invade savoy . emperor in france . three things remarkable . diet at worms . diu besieged by the turks . league against the turks . truce for years . french k. and emp. meet . the empress dies . rebellion of ghent . ebora made an archbishoprick jesuits confirmed by the pope . disputes about religion in germany . council of trent . swarms of locusts . prince philip governour of spain . french and turks take nice . a great eclipse . barbarussa ravages the coasts of italy . emperor and king of england in league against france . marriage of prince philip. proceedings against hereticks . council of trent opened . martin luther's death . disputes betwixt catholicks and hereticks . death of two kings and a qu. overthrow of the saxons . council of trent breaks up . concessions for reducing hereticks . maximilian governour of spain . rise of the xerifes in africk . pope paul dies . julius iii. elected . council of trent again summoned . war in flanders . hereticks at the council of trent . s. francis xaverius . turkish fleet at naples . siena expells the imperialists . edward k. of england dies . birth of prince sebastian of portugal . mary qu. of england marries philip pr. of spain . julius dies , marcellus succeeds , he dies , and paul iv. is chosen pope . siena surrendred to the emperor . abdication of the emperor . truce betwixt france and spain . siena given to the duke of florence . war renewed betwixt france and spain . john iii. king of portugal dies . battel of s. quintin . great floods . plague . calis taken . dauphin of france marries the queen of scots . battel of graveling . mary qu. of england dies . elizabeth queen of england . peace betwixt fra. and spain ! k. philip marries his third wife . philip returns into spain . pius iv. chosen pope . spaniards worsted by the turks . rebellion in france . disputes about religion in france . council of trent again opened . gallies cast away . duke of guise murder'd by the hugonots . spaniards at the council of trent : calvin and beza . penol in africk taken . malta besieged by the turks . synods in spain . pius v. chosen pope . solyman dies before sigeth . rebellion of the low countries . queen of scots imprison'd . duke of alva governor of the low-countries . rebels in france besiege paris . prince of orange heads the rebels in holland . morisco's rebel in spain . hugonots twice over thrown . qu. elizabeth excommunicated . jesuits murder'd . cosmo created d. of tuscany . earthquake . christian league against the turk . battel of lepanto . pope pius dies . french k's sister married to the prince of navarre . several places in the low-countries revolt . league against the turk dissolved . venetians make peace with the turk . d. john of austria at tunez . a comet . a new governor in the low-countries . king of france dies d. john made vicar of italy . archb. of toledo condemned . the low-countries conspire against spain . antwerp plunder'd . d. john in the low countries . catherine q. of portugal dies . a comet . birth of p. philip. sebastian k. of portugal slain with all his army in africk . general defection of the low countries . d. of alenson in the low countries . cardinal henry k. of portugal . mount etna . henry k. of portugal dies . duke of alva reduces portugal . queen of spain dies . alenson heads the rebels in the low countries . prince of orange wounded . synod at toledo . gregorian account . the empress in spain . antony the bastard of portugal vanquished . pr. james of spain dies . alençon returns into france . prince of orange killed . pr. philip sworn heir of spain . duke of savoy in spain . pope gregory dies , sixtus v. chosen . prince of parma successful against the rebels in the low-countries . conspiracy against the french king. q. of scots murder'd . sr f. drake attempts cadiz . germans in france . spanish armada against england destroyed . duke of guise put to death . henry iii. king of france murder'd by clement . antony the bastard with the english fleet at portugal . escuriall finish'd . death of two popes . mortality . antony perez his sufferings . mutiniers punish'd . tumults in aragon appeas'd . k. philip aspires to the crown of france . quiroga archbishop of toledo . archduke albertus governs the netherlands . valladolid made a bishoprick sir francis drake plunders the coasts of america . cadiz plundred by drake . amiens taken by the spaniards . netherlands given to the princess elizabeth . k. philip the d dies marriage of k. philip the d. great jubilee . the court at valladolid . birth of the princess ann. final betrayed . embassy into england . peace betwixt spain and england concluded pope clement dies , leo the . succeeds . birth of p. philip. princess mary born a great tax . p. philip sworn heir of spain . truce with the dutch rebels . st. ignatius beatified . henry iv. king of france murder'd . alarache in africk taken . morisco's banish'd . queen of spain dies . marriages of princes . an earthquake . mamora taken : war of savoy and mantua . pr. philip marries the french k's sister . new passage into the south-sea . victory over the hollanders . duke of lerma leaves the government . k. philip in portugal . pr. ferdinand archbishop of toledo . philip iii. dies . notes for div a -e pope paul dies , gregory th succeeds . philip the d dies . philip th succeeds . two sea fights . rod. chalderon beheaded . martyrdoms in japan . p. gregory dies vrban the th chosen . charles p. of wales in spain . ormuz taken by the persians . discovery of cathay and tibet . conversion of ethiopia . dutch in brasil . dutch and turks defeated . jubilee at rome . breda taken . brasil recovered . cortes of aragon . floods . persecution in japan . cazal besieged . birth of p. balthasar . theatines in spain . war in italy . gustavus adolphus . french in lorain . pernambuco taken by the dutch. conversion of chaldeans . a fire at madrid . gustavus adolphus kill'd . death of the princess governess of flanders . duke of feria in alsace . wallestein executed . monstrous birth . war betwixt fra. and spain . spaniards take towns in picardy . places in guienne taken . storm of wind and rain . defeat of the french in sardinia . ships taken . landresi taken by the french. marquis de leganez in savoy . dukes of savoy and mantua die . commotions in portugal . dutch routed . french twice over thrown . an earthquake . roussillon invaded by the french. catalonia rebels , portugal follows the example . the french join with the rebels . perpignan taken by the french great floods . lerida recovered . elizabeth q. of spain dies . cortes of aragon & valencia . a hard winter . cortes of castile . olivença taken from the portugueses . spaniards overthrown in catalonia . castle of termes taken . overthrow of the french. french in italy . places in the low-countries taken by the french. pr. balthasar dies . d. john of austria at sea. prince of conde in catalonia . montferrat invaded by the spaniards . truce with holland . rebellion of naples . troubles of france . actions in portugal . courtray taken . ipres delivered to the french cambray relieved . charles k. of england murder'd . notes for div a -e cromwel's embassador in spain killed . portolongone taken . english fleet before lisbon . catalonians return to their duty . tortosa taken . leopold the archduke in champagne : year of jubilee . castle of alcaraz surprzed . spanish ambassador received by the rebels in england french decline in catalonia . queen of spain delivered of a daughter : d. john of austria at the siege of barcelona . feast of s. rosalia . barcelona recovered . portugueses worsted . cazal taken . taking of gravelin . dunkirk also gained . turenne overthrown by conde . succours sent the french rebels by the spaniards . french invade catalonia with the rebels . small encounters in portugal . repulfe of the french. pantheon finished . french pass the pyreneans . bulls for portugues bishops refused by the pope . prince of conti takes ville franche . duke of lorrain apprehended . portugues ambassador's brother in england beheaded . pope innocent x. dies . duke of guise set at liberty . turks before candia . perfidious act of the portugueses . peece with oliver cromwell . english invade hispaniola . ships taken . galleons destroyed . berga in catalonia . recovered . d. john of austria takes solfona . pope alexander vii . chosen . d john of austria sent for flaudert . defeat of the french at valenciennes . d. john takes s. gillain . french and english join . montmidy surrendred to the french. plague at naples . french obliged to quit the siege of alexandria . exploits of mallorquins . spanish west india fleet burnt by blake . dunkirk taken by the french and english . great floods . embassie from a black king. marquess of mortara attacks the french , and is repulsed . duke of ossuna makes an irruption into portugal . badajoz besieged by the portugueses . badajoz relieved : posture of affairs in flanders . cessation of arms betwixt france and spain . conferences for peace . peace concluded . a bell rings of it self . k. philip goes with the princess his daughter to the frontiers . ceremony of contracting the princess . the marriage of the princess . d. john of austria commands against portugal . he takes aronches . and other places . enterprizes on the frontiers of portugal duke of ossima his actions in portugal . prince philip dies . a terrible storm . riches of the spanish fleet. marquess de leganez destroys many moors about oran . war betwixt the venetians and tarks . turks enter transilvania . a prodigy . d. john of austria enters portugal . he takes borba and juramenha . d. john takes evora , and i● afterwards routed . duke of ossuna again in portugal . the k.'s daughter margaret married to the emperor . war betwixt the emperor and the turk . slaughter of the english garison at tangier . marques de caracena general against portugal . k. phil iv. dies . k. charles ii of spain proclaimed . overtures of peace betwixt spain and portugal . queen regent of portugal dies . alarache in vain attempted by the moors . a murder committed by a woman . turkish fleet beaten . the french begin the war in flanders . french kingtakes towns in flanders . pope alexander the th dies , clement the th chosen . rogusa destroyed by an earthquake . peace concluded with portugal . alonso k. of portugal imprisoned by his brother . k. alonso of portugal sent to the island tercera . d john of austria ld. lieutenant and capt. general of aragon . f. nitard sent from court. collation rf great officers . the french king's declaration of vvar against the crown of spain translated out of french. france. sovereign ( - : louis xiv) approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing l a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the french king's declaration of vvar against the crown of spain translated out of french. france. sovereign ( - : louis xiv) louis xiv, king of france, - . sheet ([ ] p.) printed by edward jones, in the savoy [london] : . caption title. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng france -- history -- louis xiv, - -- sources. france -- foreign relations -- spain. spain -- foreign relations -- france. broadsides -- england -- london -- th century - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the french king's declaration of war against the crown of spain . translated out of french. ordonnance of the king. the sincere desire which the king hath had to maintain the truce concluded in the year . induced his majesty to dissemble the conduct of the ministers of spain in the courts of all the princes of europe , where they laboured nothing more than to excite them to take up arms against france . his majesty was not ignorant , how far they were concerned in the negotiation of the league of ausbourg ; and was likewise informed of the part the governor of the spanish low-countries had , in the prince of orange's enterprize against england ; but not being able to believe , that he acted therein by the order of the king his master , who was obliged by so many reasons of religion , of blood , and the safety of all kings , to oppose such an usurpation , his majesty had hoped , he should have been able to induce the catholick king to joyn with him for the re-establishment of the lawful king of england , and the preservation of the catholick religion against the union of the protestant princes ; or at least , if the state of affairs in spain did not permit his catholick majesty to enter into the like engagements , to observe an exact neutrality ; to which end , his majesty hath , since the month of november last past , caused several proposals to be made to him , which were well received , whilst the success of the prince of orange's enterprize seemed doubtful , but these favourable dispositions disappeared so soon as it was known at madrid , that the king of england had left his kingdom , and nothing was then there talk'd of but a war against france . his majesty understood at the same time , that the spanish ambassador was daily with the prince of orange , and sollicited him to have the english declare war against france : that the governor of the spanish low-countries raised troops with great diligence ; that he promised the states-general to joyn them with their forces at the beginning of the campagne , and sollicited them , as well as the prince of orange , to send forces to flanders , in order to put those countries into a posture to make war upon france . all these advices made his majesty think , he ought in prudence to know , what he was to depend upon . he therefore gave order to the marquis de rebenac , his ambassador at madrid , to demand of the ministers of the catholick king a positive answer , offering him the continuance of the truce , upon condition , he would oblige himself to observe an exact neutrality , and not to assist directly or indirectly his majesty's enemies ; but the evil councils having prevailed , his majesty was informed , that the resolution was taken , to favour the usurper of england , and to joyn with the protestant princes . his majesty understood likewise , almost at the same time , that the prince of orange's agents had received considerable sums of money at cadiz and madrid ; that the troops of holland and brandenburg were entred into the principal places of the spaniards in flanders ; and that the governor of the low-countries for the king of spain , did sollicite the states-general to cause their forces to advance to brussels : all these advices added to the answer , which the marquis de rebenac received at madrid , leaving his majesty no room to doubt , that the intention of the catholick king is to joyn with his enemies ; his majesty hath thought , he ought to lose no time to prevent his evil designs ; and hath resolved to declare war against him , as well by sea as land , as he doth by these presents . his majesty , for this effect , commands and enjoyns all his subjects , vassals and servants , to fall upon the spaniards , and hath expresly forbidden , and doth forbid , their having henceforward any communication , commerce or intelligence with them , upon pain of death . and to this end , his majesty does revoke all permissions , passports , safe-guards , and safe-conducts , that may have been granted by himself , or his lieutenant-generals , and other his officers , contrary to these presents , and hath declared , and does declare them to be null , and of no effect and force , forbidding all persons whatsoever to have any regard thereunto . his majesty orders and commands the lord-admiral , mareschals of france , governors and lieutenant-generals for his majesty in his provinces and armies , mareschals de camp , colonels , captains and commanders of his forces , as well horse as foot french and foreigners , and all other his officers to whom it shall appertain , to cause the conten●s of these presents to be put in execution within the extent of their respective powers and jurisdictions : for such is his majesty's pleasure . he wills also , and enjoyns , that these presents be published and affixed in all the towns , as well maritime as others , and in all the ports , harbors , and other places of his kingdom and the territories under his obedience , where it shall be needful ; to the end , none may pretend cause of ignorance . given at versailles the th . day of april , . signed lovis , and underneath le t●llier in the savoy : printed by edward jones . . an east-india colation; or a discourse of travels set forth in sundry obseruations, briefe and delightfull; collected by the author in a voyage he made unto the east-indies, of almost foure yeares continuance. written by c.f. farewell, christopher. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) an east-india colation; or a discourse of travels set forth in sundry obseruations, briefe and delightfull; collected by the author in a voyage he made unto the east-indies, of almost foure yeares continuance. written by c.f. farewell, christopher. [ ], , [ ], p. printed by b. a[lsop] and t. f[awcet], london : . page signed: chr. farewell. in two parts; part adds anecdotes of spain and ireland. printer's full names from stc. imperfect; stained and print show-through. reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng india -- description and travel -- - . spain -- description and travel. ireland -- description and travel -- to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an east-india colation ; or , a discourse of travels ; set forth in sundry observations , briefe and delightfull ; collected by the author in a voyage he made unto the east - indies , of almost foure yeares continuance . written by c. f. eccles. . . when i travayled i saw many things , and i vnderstand more then i can expresse . london printed by b. a. and t. f. . the booke to the reader . my author for his love , his cost , and vertuous 〈◊〉 , desires but love for love of you his cour●…eous reader ; whose nature bountifull , i need not , ( nor is 't my intent ) here t' unfold ; being knowne to all to be magnificent ; the smaller that i seeme in worth , the greater is the praise of love in him , whose bounteous deeds transcend desert alwayes . greatnesse will shew greatnesse ever , and what so great as love ? or what so much as guifts ( of grace ) doth this grand vertue prove ? if reading in me , any good ( perhaps ) you chance to find make use thereof , reteyne it well , and love him for 't in mind . to the reader . courteous reader . it is not so old as true , that truth seekes ( nay brooks ) no corners , though charity doth ; for ( in a word ) to prove them both legitimate , it is as bold ( with discretion ) as the other is modestly bashfull ; it may ( for a time ) be blamed , but never shamed ; suspected , but not quite deiected ; trodden on , but not destroyed ; eclipsed , but not extinguisht ; no , 't will rise , and shine foorth againe ; comparable it is , and alike effectuall to the glorious sunne , commanding his entrance ( vpon least advantage ) through the thickest clouds into the darkest dungeon ; where a good sight receives his light at a little hole , and reioyceth in it . this short treatise following ( in part ) expounds my meaning , being of a voyage i made vnto the eastindi●…s almost twenty yeares since , imployed by the honorable company ; prosperously begun , and as well continued ( notwithstanding some prime opposition ) with all good proceeding in grace and favor with the best ; which at length ( as hath hapned vnto many of best report ) vpon 〈◊〉 of government there , proved to my greater preiudice , but how ? is no par cell of this discourse ; yet notwithstanding , seeing that by one finger the whole hand may be proportioned , and by the foot the entyre body drawne out ; i held it requisite ( for good respects ) this way to declare my selfe , and at this time especially ; as high time ( among many other observations more generall & delightfull ) in such briefe passages as seemd to me most considerable , and ( without all offence or prolixity vnto any ) to my purpose materiall ; that the honourable company themselues , or any else of iudgment ( with content and pleasure in the sweete variety , and milde composure of matter ) might from thence ( accidently , or by the way onely ) make a neere coniecture at the true cause of my neglect there , & vntimely departure thence , to their preiudize as my own , which here ( in modesty ) i silence . hauing finished my travayles , i made bold ( in a plaine epistle ) to dedicate them vnto the honourable companie , as most convenient me thought ; but it pleased them not to accept thereof , for reasons to themselues best knowne ; which i suppose ( for i hope the best ) they might intend , ( or it may so fall out ) to my aduantage ; for looke how many courteous readers , both of themselues and others ( to whom in generall i make my dedi●…ation ) so many generous patrons ; not with sword and speare , but with faire speech to countenance , or excuse these my honest ( though not much profitable ) labours ; for gentle deeds and words ( more then staues or swords ) preuaile with men . it was so full of loue , my lost dedication i mean ( breifly preferd to all other graces , as holding the precedent roome in euery grace and vertue , morall and diuine ; compared likewise to fire , fine gold and siluer of the finest ; and made illustrious by pearles , diamonds , and pretious stones , ( yet all vndervallued as trifles vnto him or her , in whom this divine grace of graces dwelleth , as being richer then all riches , supplying all wants , healing all infirmities , and sweeter also ( in its blest effects ) then hony and the hony combe ) with a reason ( in a word or two ) for conclusion , of this my elevation , or improper digression ) that it grieues me ( gentle reader ) so rich an ingemination should be lost , rich ( at least ) in my owne conceite , and fondlings would faine have theyr fancies , though reason say nay ) lost , ( i say ) from publike vse , though with my selfe it shall remaine a perpetuall memoriall of my constant loue , and due respect towards them for euer , in whose honourable imployments i improued my slender partes to my low degree of a meane sufficiency . my history it selfe ( courteous reader ) , here at hand attends thy leasure , and craues thy patience , at most but an hower or two , to suruey her partes ; if perhaps ( at first report ) they answer not thy expectation , as thinges too common , and alreadie past the presse ; let not this diuert thee from that honest recreation which ( in one respect or other ) may please or prosit thee ; full furnisht tables ( like great volumes ) at their onely sight ( wee see ) ●…loy good stomackes , whereas a lesse quantity incites the appetite . lo vedado es desseado , things retired are the more desired ; and the same meates diuersly drest haue different effects , attract new desires ; what one likes not , another longs for ; and that which surfeits thee , may ( perhaps ) giue life to me ; lo que vno no come , otro se pierde por ello . let nothing therefore , ( gentle reader ) be despised in this my short varietie , whereunto i most lovingly invite thee ; taste and spare not , what likes thee best , and to others commend , or leaue the rest . vale. calling to minde my former travels , and the fit occasion offered me thereby , a little to communicate my selfe vnto the world , by a briefe relation of such short passages and observations therein taken , as may minister matter of some recreation to the vniuersall reader , from his more serious studies and affaires of importance , be they whatsoever ; variety or change ( though in the meanest of thinges not vnlawfull ) with some novelties especially , being that ( saith experience ) which in all , or in most men begets delight , aliuiates the mindes of the wisest , and prepares them ( vpon a returne ) with aduantage , to a better sufficiency in theyr weightiest negotiations ; not vnlike a bow that stands alwayes bent , becomes weake in it selfe , and vnserviceable to others : so fares it alike with the most ingenious minds to bee still engaged , without some intermissions , some steppings aside , though but after a slye , or a feather in the ayre , to breath , to reviue our oversad , our too intensiue spirits ; as once the riding of a hobby-horse with his little princely sonne , not ill beseem'd a king ; any sport for a spurt , ( if honest or harmelesse , though childish ) contradi●…ts not the reputation of a man ; it being a point of wisdome sometimes ( among the vnwise ) to seeme to play the foole , as to doe it vnderstandingly , requires ( they say ) the best wits ; of purpose to forget , improues the very art of memorie ; the way ( in some cases ) to aduance forward , is by a learned skill to retire backe ; and by a discreet retreat , no small advantage is gotten ; the day , the field is ofttimes wonne ; so the reading of a pamphlet , a shallow , a dispised worke of puft conceits , proues not onely not hurtfull , but beneficiall to the wise ( who suckes advantage from every thing ) a helpe in his progresse to his most serious intendments , bee it but for change , for recreation , for variety sake onely , as i have sayd . and what is there so meane ( if of any moment , in the iudgements of the best ) but in one respect or other , a man of a gracious wit will make some gracious or morall vse thereof to his owne behoofe and others , extracting iuyce out of a dry iuncke ; sweet out of sowre ; honey out of gall ; preservatiue out of poyson ; and documents of wisedome from examples of folly ; but this is a prerogatiue of vertue , and peculiar to the wise onely ; a taske too hard for all , and positions abhorred by men of honestie , such as are not to be expected in the little garden plot of my ensuing discourse , which shall beare no noysome weedes , but ( at least ) harmlesse , ( if not wholesome ) hearbes and flowers , though ( in comparison ) of all other the meanes●… ▪ for any that will , to make a nose-gay to smell to on a holiday ; a vacant houre , a festivall , a time of leasure . i have therefore made choise ( before the rest ) to write of my travels onely to the east indies , as well for brevity as for raritie ( for to speake of all i haue seene abroad would ( i know ) seeme no lesse tedious then common and ridiculous , things farre fot , and deare bought haue bin counted best and in most request ) wherein i shall not bee over-curious , or too remisse to satisfie the indifferent reader , nor yet to leaue the most iudicious ( i hope ) voyd of all content ; none that will not , would i willingly should ( as not to surfet ; so neither ) to goe fasting away , if short syppets in a forreyne feast , o●…an indian collation homely drest , and by an vnskilfull hand hastily set forth , may ( for a moment or so ) eyther entertaine their curious sight , or relish their iudicious taste . thus by a choyce pittance , a modicum , a spanish bocado , a bit and away , carefully purveying to recreate the best , and to prevent disorder in the rest ; however , be it gustfull or not , this benefit ( to the wise ) will surely follow , as to provoke the sooner to relinquish or leaue off , quicken an appetite vnto better things , and leaue the minde content to haue made a gainefull exchange by a refresht returne . vpon a time discoursing with my selfe about the fickle condition of worldly estates , presented daily , and almost every where to my observation ; some to rise and others to fall , the same men againe to fall , and in like sort to rise ( mans industry the subordinate , and gods over-ruling providence the prime cause , and superintendent agent in all ; wee vainely purposing , hee alone wisely ' disposing even of all things , making them worke together ( contrary to theyr owne natures , and the intentions both of men and devils ) for the best to them that loue him ( o thrice happy and blest estate of a resolute soule loving and beloved of god ) none so firmely standing but subiect to a declension , accidental or finall ; by a decay of wealth , or at longest an expiration of our breath . and having before bin well disciplin'd and confirm'd in these and other like points of faith. that who so lives vnto the lord shall dye in the lord ; and all such ( whether ( so ) living or dying ) are sure to bee the lords , securely sleeping and waking vnder his omnipotent , his mercifull , and ever-watchfull protection ; as also , that the way to heaven lay paralell by sea as by land , as neere from the east as from the west , from the north as from the south ; from whence i had read should be gathered all the elect of god in christ , which ( in effect ) i remember was my answer to sir thomas smith then governour , obiecting vnto mee the danger of the enterprise , with his cheerefull approbation following . hereupon it came into my thoughts , and thence ( by degrees ) grew into a resolution to attempt a voyage into those orientall or easterne parts of the world , aswell ( to speake after the manner of men ) in hope to raise my fortunes , as to better my experience , which doubtlesse i had obtayned to the full of my desires , had not god seene contrary things more expedient for mee ; for a fayre way ( as ever vnto any of a meane ranke that went that way ) was layd open to me , which some of good note observing , pronounced mee openly ( by their prognostication ) to be certainly some great rich man before i dyed ; which ( for theyr rash oathes sake , and the better expression of my bountifull mind , the onely portion ( to any purpose ) i ever yet possest , a large heart and an open hand to my friend , or foe in misery ) i could wish may yet come to passe , and why not ? ( without offence ) as well as others ? so it may stand with gods glory , and not to the wrong of any ; else welcome still ( bee it whatsoever ) the good pleasure of the almightie . for friends of neither kiffe nor kinne were raised vp vnto mee , ready to engage themselves by speaking and doing for me whatsoever might , and did procure me credit with the governour and committees , even vnto bonds ; whose loue and merit i shall bee ever prest ( to my power ) vpon all occasions , ( change they or change they not ) to requite and honour ; by whose meanes my parentage was honoured ; my parts commended ; and ( vpon tryall ) both in private conference , and in full courts openly approued ; my sallary was assigned me ; my place appoynted ; and in them both made equall ( at least ) with many of my betters . in fine , there was nothing wanting on the honourable companies part or my friends behalfe , that might aboad vnto me all wisht prosperity , but that ( in some others ) which ( for loue●… sake ) i am willing in silence to passe over , as also to shunne all impertinent , and supersluous matter , though the onely stumbling-blocke in the way of my so faire proceedings to my future preferments then ; and ( in effect , as originally ) ever since ; for loue , ( i am taught ) covers a multitude of infirmities , but vncovers none . briefly then , to shut vp my introduction , and to the matter it selfe ; all things being in readines●…e , and prepared for our intended voyage , the companies orders with our commission sealed vp and sent aboord ; yards a crosse , and a fayre winde , that now t is time to prosecute my purpose , and to lanch forth into the deepes . ovr fleet ( therefore ) consisted of foure good ships , viz. the newyeares guift , and the hector ; the marchants hope , and the salomon ; which together set sayle from the ●…ownes , about the ninth of march , . of burthen from three hundred to . hundred tonnes , compleatly furnisht ( besides priuate prouisions ) with varieties for health and preseruation of life ; warlike appoynted though peaceably intended , in a faire and generous way of trading , howeuer report may wrong our reputation . our generall , or cheife commander , an vnderstanding gentleman , captaine nicolas downton , whose religious orders , ( besides the honorable companies ) both for diuine duties ▪ and ciuill societie , publisht and hung vp in euery shippe , with his owne good example ( no doubt ) preuented many grosse offences , which vsually happen in promiscuous multitudes . our marchants or factors were many , well nigh thirty , and most of them men of experience as euer the company imployed any ; linguists , and residents in forraigne countryes ; as turki●… , barbarie , spaine , and italy , with other places of best cōmerce , whereof foure were principals , and had each his seuerall charge and respect next vn●…o the generall , saue in marine affaires , wherein the masters onely commanded ; theyr names , master william edwards , master nicolas ensworth , master thomas elkington , and master edward dodsworth ; he alone more bred a gentleman then a marchant , and our gover●…ours kinsman . our ordinarie meanes to stirre vp mens affections to goodnesse , as prayer and diuine seruice twice a day , on the sabbaths especially , and choyce of good bookes ( in common ) of the companies prouiding to that end ( to the comfort of all ) were not wanting ; besides a preacher in his monthly visites , for instruction , and ministration of the sacrament . our places of refreshing were three , the first cape boon speranc●… , which affoorded vs plenty of booes and baas , or beeues and sheepe for small pieces of copper , whereof the saluages make themselues rings and bracelets ; they goe all naked , saue onely before , a little flappe ; and feed ( as they looke and smell ) most nastily ; subtill they are , theevish , and very treacherous ; their houses are like bee-hives , and many together make a towne , wherewith ( vpon occasion of changing theyr heards to fresh pastures , or the sight of two or three muskets , wherat they tremble ) away they skuddle ( euery one his castle on his back ) posting to a new plantation . from hence , hauing repayred our flee●…e , refresht our selues , and strecht our limbes ( he that listed ) to the verie tops of the highest mountaines and craggie rocks , which ( for our paines ) discouered vnto vs a goodly country , extending farre in length and breadth , in lower hils and greene vallies running on together , pleasant to behold ; yet alwayes in company more or fewer , and with our armes , ( least the baboones out of some thicket or bush should sodenly surprise vs ) at the end of three weekes or thereabouts wee set sayle agayne , and not long after came to an anker at saint lawrence iland , in the bay of saint augustine . here wee landed and traded three dayes with the people , and had large and fat oxen for fiue shillings an oxe , most curious darts and of diuers fashions as art could make , and bright as siluer , for halfe a ryall or three-pence , but without siluer wee could haue nothing , which they knew from counterfeit as well as any ; wee saw no towne nor house they had , though ( doubtlesse ) better then the soldanians prouided , by good coniectures , for theyr carriage had a glosse of humanity , a tincture of vnderstanding ; theyr persons full of proportion and comely feiture ; tall , straight , strong , and sturdy ; fierce of countenan●… ; admirable ma●…kesmen at the dart , and actiue ; verie faire and blacke as iett ( for the blackest they count the fairest ) and all naked as the former , ( perhaps but seruants to theyr lords and masters ; ) many were desirous to haue made some discouery into the country , but we durst not contradict our orders , nor hazard the danger of a thicke wood , whereof wee knew no end ; which of necessitie must haue bin past . our last touch was at socato●… , where wee found a king ; not a natiue , but of the royall blood of the antient kings of barbarie ; who got this small iland by conquest , and held the natiues in great seruitude , whome our generall presented , and would haue entertained aboord the shippes , but he refused it ; yet for three or foure dayes space , came downe daily to the water side from his castle , with his guard of soldiers borne in a palanquine , and after the moorish fashion ( crosse-legged ) sitting in state vnder a rich cannopie vppon turky carpets spread on the ground , and as richly clad in cloth of gold , conuerst in the arabeck and portugall tongues , with the generall , marchants , and masters both of marchandizing and nauigating affaires ( himselfe being a marchant , as likewise all the kings of those easterne parts , who trade by theyr agents and factors ) of whom wee bought a good quantity of aloes socatrina , euen his whole store ; and in the art of nauigation , astronomie , with other branches of the mathematickes ( by report of those that vnderstood ) verie iudicious ; hauing celestiall and terrestriall globes , his instruments and astralabe about him to shew vs , which he had gotten ( bought or presented ) of former fleets , and euery yeare increasing his stocke by english , dutch , portugals , and spanish that came that way ; a man of a liuely countenance and well fauored ; about fourtie yeeres of age ; as full of courtesie and affability as might stand with his maiestie , and as full of maiestie ( respecting his commodity ) as might be , for he was a kingly marchant , and a marchant-like king ; at parting he gaue amongst v●… ( to some in particuler ) abundance of dates in heapes & lumpes , which made our guisados , our brothes and dumplins so much the sweeter , whom agayne we gratified from the ships with our seamusicke , great gunnes and trumpets . and thus weying and setting sayle agayne ( with starbord and larboord ; port and helme al●…e ) we steered on our course , till with the helpe of god , and our constant monsoone , or westerly trade winde , we verie happily ( but hardly ) recouered the rendeuous to s●…rat , and came to an anker in the roade of swall●…e , about the tenth , of nouember , and of our great company ( thankes bee to god ) lost onely one man , who came sicke of an ague out of england , but here quickly they began to dye faster of fluxes and feauers . vpon aduise of our arriuall , by a dispatch to surat , some eight miles vp into the countrey , mr. thomas aldworth the companies chiefe agent there , an vnderstanding gentleman and once sheriffe of the citie of bristoll , came downe to vs a ioyfull man , and for many enterchangeable causes was as ioyfully receiued , and with him coach and horse for conuoy of the marchants to the city , for now the terme ( or vintage rather ) after our long vacation , approaching , wee must leaue the ships a a while , and apply our selues to land-seruice . in our short iourney vpon the way , euery thing almost seemed new vnto me , the people with theyr customes especially , not the moores ( for i had seene of them before in spaine and barbarie ) but the antient natiues of the country , called banians , who ( notwithstanding theyr different religions ) liue ciuillie , neighbour-like one among another , in cities , townes , and villages ( but not in houses ) together , whom ( in concourse ) wee first saw at swallie , the first myle from the water side , where the mocodam or constable receiued vs , profered vs his owne , with the townes seruice , and performed it in such necessaries and complements of prouision as wee required , or would accept off ; bread , wine , plantines , taddie , and such like regalos y ● scanty place affoorded ; wherewith more delighted thē refresht ( as with nouelty and variety ) we set onward through an euen and a solitary way till we came in sight of surat , and of a nauigable riuer which ran close under the towne walls , vpon which within , stood a castle ( a good ornament to the place ) and fortified with men and munition . this riuer wee past , and landed right before the alfondica , or custome house , and so along through many streets ( humming like bees in swarmes ) with multitudes of people in white coates , men and women ; ( close bodied , and full of gathering to the mid-leg ) with breeches and stockings in one , ruffling like bootes and all of one single callico ; this being their generall and most neate , or angelicall habite , which sparkles ( of their kinde of starching ) like siluer spangles ; vntill ( almost smothered with clouds of heat and dust ) wee c●…me to the english house a day or two after master aldworthes returne from the shippe●… with the prime marchants , where wee found our selues as at home , in all respects well accommodated saue lodging , which with breuity was very commodiously supplyed , by taking another house with an orchard and pleasant walkes vpon the roofe ( after the spanish and the moorish building ) to our rich content , hauing chambers , dyet , seruants , coach and horse with attendance of indians called peones , for the way , and all at our honourable masters charge except our apparell , wherein alone , and by our sallaries we differd from common prentises , onely ( yet ingeniously ) acknowledging a precedencie in our little common weale , for a kinde of representation to prevent confusion . but now , before i proceed ( being called upon by order ) i am willing ( for more variety ) to entertaine a while my courteous reader with a short discourse of my selfe and another , being not a whit impertinent , but r●…ther a good compliment , if not a comely ornament to the history it selfe , how that in few dayes i here suddenly fell sicke of a burning fever , and ( thankes be to god ) as sodainly recovered ; for fearing the extremi●…y of that raving and uncomfortable sick●…esse , ( against his will ) i prevayl●…d wi●…h our ch●…rurgion , to let me bleed till i fainted againe , as fore-seeing it to be my remedy ; appl●…ed all comfortable things to my h●…ad ; tooke my bed ; and ( full of perplexity to dve sencelesse ) i comme●…ded my selfe to god ; after some idle talke to my friends about me , i fell into a slumber , but quickely wakened by a desire to ease my stomacke , and had ( at least ) a dozen vomits , naturally , which gave mee a most comfortable night ; turned my great sorrowes into the greater reioycings , at the lively apprehension of gods infinite mercies ; made me forthwith an instrument of comfort to another that shortly after of a bloudy fluxe sickened and dyed ; by such words and warrants from the word of t●…uth and my own experience of inward coelestiall ioyes beyond expression , to honest hearts and heavenly mindes , that wonne me his earnest attention ( to his and my owne advantage , for i applyed him the closer ) which took so deepe an impression in him , that it left him not to his last breath . to mention all circumstances and passages of his sixe dayes sicknesse , would seeme a needlesse curiositie , which ( in comparison of some then languishing and repining under the same crosse ) he suffered with singular patience , and spent it most in abstinence , silence , and meditation ; the night before his death , in private conference , watching with him , he told me ( after his accustomed mildnesse ) he had thought of my former talke , and should finde my words true ; the next morning ( vpon my perswasion ) he r●…ceived the sacrament , after he had made his will in the presence of another marchant and my selfe ; one master edward hamden ; wherein ( in effect , having his memory perfect to the last ) he would ( more then once or twice ) have given me his whole e●…tate , being of some value i remember , but excusing my selfe ( with thankes for his love ) i refused it , as not expedient for my selfe ( me thought ) in regard of the worke in hand , though lawfull ( i knew ) for another , least religion should suffer , and my labor of love bee thought merc●…narie , whereof ( god knowes ) i was exceeding iealous , to prevent occasion , or the least preiudice in any , the sicke man especially . after all this , having tasted some comfortable broth i caused to bee made for him by our english cook , he presently fell into aswound , thinking all he had beene dead , but after a while reviving , raysed himselfe up , and looked earnestly round about the chamber , being full of good company , marchants and others , whereof our preacher was one , at least a dozen , with some strangers , as our indian doctor , &c. and fixing his eyes vpon me , beckened me to him with his hand ; i went and sate close by him on his bed ; hee presently caught me in his armes and hugg'd me ( not like a dying man ) with such strength and vnutterable expressions of ioy ( between ●…peech and speechlesse ) that moved passion in all , but my selfe especially to drowne him in teares ; as , ah my friend , my friend ; my true , my happy , my faithfull friend : and ah the ioyes ! the ioyes , the ioyes ; aah , aah , aah , and the like : flung away his things about him , wherein ( he sayd ) he had taken too much delight , in token how slightly hee now valued them or the whole world ; reached forth his hand to all the company , lifting his eyes on high with an overjoyed countenance , where his minde in silence had beene long before . and thus ( in a blessed peace ) about . of the clocke on a wednesday morning , being the . of november , . he tooke his last farewell of this wretched life , and changed it ( no doubt ) for a better : his name master timothy wood , a yong man , and once a mercer ( i thinke ) in cheap-side , but then a factor for the honourable east india company : what i haue written i feare not to be censured , because god knowes this my relation ( in substance ) to bee true , and not for mine , but for his owne glory , ( the only blessed author of all goodnesse ) have i now at length penned it , and for the good of any that can make vse thereof . my sad storie ( of a ioy tryumphant ) being ended , and the funerals performed , i am called vpon to a further relation of our iourney up within the country , to make provision of goods for best and speediest returnes home unto our honorable masters , to which end , it was ordayned in consultation , that by a distributiō of our company into foure squadrons , the prime cities or marts for commoditie , trade , and commerce of that rich kingdome should be invested by us , as baroch and brodera ; amadavaz and cambaya , each in distance at least a dayes iourney one from another ; our commodities were divers , as sundry sorts of stones ; aggate cupps of curious art●… ; ▪ quilts , conserves , drugges , cotton wools , and ( for bulke or grosse lading ) indicoes and callicoes . our first iourney or place of rest from surat , was baroch , being three dayes on the way , much toyled with heate and dust , in regard of our slow proceedings with our heauy carriages , and the toylesome passage of two riuers with ladings and reladings of our goods ; ( interruptions and stayes being worse then a continuall progresse ) but here wee were well refresht at the english house , for master john oxwicke a spanish marchant being appointed chiefe for that place , and of a weekes antiquity before , had made good prouision for our comming , as well for our persons as the dispatch and clearing our charge of the custome-house . from hence within a day or two we●… set forth , and by slow iournies ( as before ) came to brodera , a dry●…r place ( by a great riuer ) but the greater citie , and all a plaine and pleasant country ( baro●…h esp●…cially ) for orchards , tankes or ponds , verie spacious , and artificially made , ( in forme , for worke and workemanshippe not vnlike our bathes ) for generall vse and vses ; tombes , and piramides many in open fields ( and priuate gardens ) about which are to be seene certaine penitentiaries , or votari●…s ( they say ) but lunatickes and men ( i thinke ) really possest with deuils , as in the gospell is mentioned ; theyr bodies naked , cut , and lanced with kniues or stones , staring and stalking , to and fro , no lesse wofull then dreadfull to behold ; as was also the sight of a pagot , or a cell of deuotion descending into a vault vnder ground , where ( being desirous of discoueries ) wee saw an vgly idoll against a wall , representing ( it seemes ) theyr god , or theyr feare , but a plaine deuill as wee call it , in like forme paynted or graven , whom a certaine sect of banians doe worship , whereof there are many sects , but of this no more , purchase pilgrimage from relation of exact travellers hath them lively set forth . in this city , as all others throughout both asia's and afrique wee were lodged in the ceragl●… , a spatious place made of purpose for all travellers , natives as else ( for they have not the vse of innes as in christendome ) with commodious ware-houses round about , of one story , foure square , in the manner of galleries ; and under them dry walkes and places to feed their coach-oxen , camels , elephants , and horses , but in the middle all open , like our exchange ; it being supposed that euery marchant , gentleman , or nobleman hath his tent or coach to sleepe in , if neyther , they make the best shi●…t they can , and for their provision they bring it with them , or buy it in the towne . here it was determined by a consultation , for causes or supposals moving them ( being before appointed for cambaya ) that my selfe should goe backe to bar●…ch to assist master oxwicke there , in that mayne investment of c●…licoes , having a commission given mee beyond my expectation or desire , that ( in case of the least cause by unequall carriage in our masters businesse , or in particular toward my selfe , being perswaded , ( as they told mee ) that if he would take the matter well , or live peaceably with any , i was the man ) a word from my hand should displace him ; such an opinion they all seemed to have of my integritie , and he no lesse on the other side , assured of me ; for ( concealing whatsoever might move passion , or incite him to iealousie , i applyed my selfe to him by complements of love and friendly 〈◊〉 , till he became so well possest of me both for iudgment and honesty , upon some experiences of them both , that ( in effect ) he made me his secretary , and would not write a letter of consequence in his owne affaires ( as occasions there were betweene him and some others of principall note ) without my advice and allowance for a passe ; wherein ( i thanke god ) i never fayl'd but pleasured him , by his owne often ingenious acknowledgements , with good reasons for his satisfaction . but yet all this while i am still in brodera , in the house of a rich banian well lodged and entertayned for three dayes , till he had procured me from the gouernour mosaph cha●… , or lord mosaph , a guard of souldiers vnder a captaine of tenne , both horse and foote , with shot and lance for my safe convoy to baroch , our english friends being all gone forward , and my selfe alone with a kinsman of his owne for my linguist and coachmate , and not without cause , for my coach on the way was sodenly stayed by a company of sl●…ues that thwarted vs , but speedily rescued by my guard , with knockes on both sides , yet no hurt on ours , and all with such celerity that i had scarce time to draw my sword and shew my selfe a party before they were quite vanisht ; then on againe we went merrily , ( my banian especially ) laughing and talking , giving and eating of our iunkets till we came neare to the citie ; there i dismist my valliant soldiers , gratified their desert with a small reward , yet to their rich content , and at parting had a generall salam of them , or congee to the ground , with a short vollie , and adieu . and now being come to baroch , to the english house , my friend bids me lovingly welcome , to whom i gave my letters from our cape marchants , and ( after colation ) shewed him my generall commission , who presently declared himselfe , that seeing the matter must be so , he was right glad of my company , as of one whom of all others , he would have made choyce of for his friend and associate ; and thus , well possest of each other , on we went together in our masters businesse , buying callicoes as fast as we could procure our brokers to bring vs in good bargaines , or direct us to them , spending our interims of vacation for about two moneths space as best liked vs ; sometimes in visites to the governour ; sometimes taking our coach to breath the country ayr●… ; sometimes walking vpon the citie walles , which from that stately scituation gave us a goodly prospect pregnant for delight and meditation ; and lastly , our owne house , having high and pleasant tarasses or walkes on the roofe , for domesticke recreation ; that in this pleasant place ( in number foure english ) we lived like lords , to the honour and profit of our honourable masters , and to our owne hearts content , save a little iarre that fell out at last , about a parcell of calicoes , but lovingly and honestly reconciled againe . by this time , our generall investments drawing to a period , and most of our goods from all parts sent aboord , marchantlike made up and marked as in the margent ; and understanding our dispersed companies and friends to be againe vnited , and on the way towards us ( save such as were appointed for the great mogores court ; namely , master edwards , our preacher , and some others ) we could no lesse ( having now leysure enough ) but set forth to meet them ; it beeing a pleasant observation ( at a distance ) to note the order of their coaches and carriages , drawne by two faire fat oxen a peece , with bells about theyr neckes , iinge , iinge , and softly iogging on ; extending all in length like a teeme , ( for the way admits no familiarity ) inveloped with a cloud of dust ( for a quita sol ) to shield them from the sunne ; and guarded on eyther side , with swords , halfe pikes and targets ; small shot , bowes and arrowes , &c. as if ( presented to a novelist ) it had bin the spoyles of a tryumph leading captive , or a preparation to some sad execution . being all met together , we generally salute one another , and each his friend in particular , with mutuall congratulations , for our good successe and safe returnes thus farre ; having lost but one ( as i remember ) a yong gentleman , master henry smith , nephew to sir thomas smith our governour , who dyed of a bloudy fluxe at amadavas , being a prime youth and much lamented ; and here unawares ( as many light on ill bargaines ) i over-hastily changed my horse for a coach , and tooke his place that left it , to conferre with my friend and familiar acquaintance , master ralph preston , a religious gentleman ; and quite forgetfull of his mishap out ward bound , i fell into the very same , by letting one legge hang out of the coach , and ( in talke ) moving it to and fro , the wheele caught it , which my friend perceiuing , he presently cryed out to stay the coach , racke racke , as master henry smith had done before for him , which saved both our legs from breaking , but did rend my heele , which for a weeke so tormented mee , that i could scarce take rest , yet ( thankes to god for a good flesh ) soone well againe , but could not travayle in a fortnight after , nor scarce then , save in a palanquine to surat . and thence aboord the ships againe , scarce cold yet of the portugals bloud , by meanes of a late cruell fight in our absence , occasioned by the portugals , who ( with sixe gallions , or great ships of warre , two gallyes , and sixty frigats ) sodainly surprised the marchants-hope , which was deepe and richly laden for england , not doubting to have taken her as shee lay at anker with the rest , in that unexpected manner cutting their cables by the halser , and with a strong current of the tide forcing in upon her ; but were soundly beaten for theyr haste ; for in laying her aboord on all parts with throngs of men and fresh supplyes , the master and company being vigilant and valiant , stoutly resisted ; gave them so hote entertainment that theyr legs and armes were sent flying into the ayre , and the ship pestered with their dead and dying bodyes , scorched and wounded with weapons and fire-workes , and theyr bloud issuing out the scupper holes into the sea , as not willing to abide theyr fury ; by this time the rest of our fleet had likewise cut their cables , and were under sayle , increasing the fight a long time ( by report with los●…e but of two or three of our men ) till they had made such a slaughter amongst them ( the frigates especially ) that theyr dismembred bodyes after they had breathed their last , with shrikes and cryes in the conflict , lay floting on the sea , and coveting the shore , were taken up dayly for many dayes , by the port●…gal inhabitants , and the indians for theyr spoyle ; and the r●…st unable to hold out , away they went with no l●…sse shame and losse of former reputation , then perpetuall honour to our english nation , through out the indies . the next tydings that i heard , ( being now againe in the fleet with the rest , expecting our further passage to the southward , according to the companies commission ) was a messenger from our generall , or chiefe commander , tha●… i must come to sp●…ake with him : aboord the admirall i went , a little limping of my late hurt , and being come , he receyved me with courtesie , tooke me apart into the gallery , and ( to be briefe ) told me that for such and such reasons , the councell had determined of me for surat , and therefore wisht mee to provide for the shore , namely ( with leave of modesty i speake it ) for the good opinion they had iustly conceyued of me , to be a friend of trust unto master aldworth , and an ayde unto our masters affaires , occasioned by some refractorie fugitives that not long before our arrivall ( to make a purchase ) had attempted his death , being forced into his chamber ( a weakly man ) to stand upon his guard to preserue his life . all which did not a little cheere me up , and quicken in me a noble resolution unto my charge , though incredibly thenceforth ( as from god to keepe me exercised i thinke ) from time to time opposed by some fire brand●… , some seditious malecontents or other , repi●…ing my respect , to my great discour●…gement , and no small sufferings , notwithstanding my best indeavours and dese●…t , which doubtles●…e stirred them the more , and increased my owne sorrowes ; for wrath is cruel , and anger is outragious , but w●…o is able to stand before envie ●… pro. . . few day●…s after this , ( at last parcing ) i went aboord againe to take my leaue of the generall , and ( not without open demonstrations of his loue , teares and embracements ) having commended him and his whole proceedings to the blessing of the the divine prouidence , i left him ; and with my good wishes to all the rest , in company with our factorie went ashore to surat ; having had but few nights before , a dreame , that in my passage for bantan , two sturdy knaves grapled with mee to have heaved me over-boord , but in the conflict ( to save my s●…lfe ) i awaked , and finding it but a dreame was glad . here for a moneth or two , wanting no leasure , we spent our time at surat , euery man as ( with approbation ) best liked him ; sometimes within doores , sometimes abroad ; now with our provision visiting this garden , now that orchard ; to day fresh riuers ; to morrow open feilds and faire monuments , whereof there are store , but alwaies ( after the countries custome ) in coach or on horse to preuent disgrace ; our recreation for the most part , bow and arrowes , and free from all molestation of the inhabitants ; a mixt people , quiet , pe●…ceable , very subtill ; civill , and vniuersallie gou●…rned vnder one king , but diuersly law'd and customed ; their grayne is wheat , for the better ; rice , and diuers kindes else for the common sort ; their prouision of other victuall is beeues and buffeloes ; sheepe & goates ; young kidde and hennes in aboundance , and of littl●… value for the great pl●…nty , and fewenesse of eaters ; for the banians of whatsoeuer sect ( being halfe the inhabitants , and the antient natiues of the kingdome ) by theyr lawes eate no kinde of flesh , nor any thing that hathlife in it ; nor dae they kill any thing ( for theyr liues ) though neuer so venemous or hurtfull , no not a mouse nor a louse , but will rather feed them ; their greatest cruelty is to lay it downe , and let it shift for it selfe ; ( o happy creatures that breede amongst the banians ) a kinde of rechabits also , for they neuer drinke wine , nor any strong drinke , but water only , yet so fat and sleeke that they shine agayne ; confectuaries of all sorts , as sugar-cakes , and march-panes ; suckets and marmelades ; rice , pulse , and other grayne stewed with butter and spices after theyr most savorie fashion , is there onely feeding ; but the moores and mahometanes , more at liberty , for they abstaine from nothing but swines flesh , which is a cause that many parts of the country , even whole fields doe swarme with them ; these drinke wine liberally , and strong waters , yet never drunke but in the night , and then theyr women , theyr wives and concubines ( whereof they are stored according to theyr states ) sing most melodiously , with such elevated and shrill voyces , strayned vnto the highest , yet sweet and tuneable , rising and falling according to their art and skill , ( for euery country hath his owne , and more or lesse excelling ) that i have been ravisht in those silent seasons with the sweet eccho , or reflection thereof from a faire distance , and kept waking houres together , listning to them ; anticipating ( in my desires ) the new moones , which they constantly thus celebrate ; for the heavenly representation thereof ( me thought ) where commonly my meditations had their end . for at like times especially ( though superstitiously ) they observe , ( or rather prophane ) these and the like ceremonies , sing aloud vnto god our strength , make a ioyfull noyse vnto the god of iacob , take a psalme and bring hither the timbrell , the pleasant harpe with the psalterie ; blow vp the trumpet in the new moone , in the time appointed on our solemn feast-day ; againe , praise the lord with harpe , sing vnto him with the psalterie , and an instrument of ten strings , sing vnto him a new song , play skilfully with a loud voice ; againe , o clap your hands all yee people , ( both men and women in their himnes & dances ) shout vnto god with the voice of triumph ; then they annoint their heads with oyle , and their cups runne over ; making their faces also to shine with costly oyntments and odoriferous , at first sight or newes of the new moone , which they congratulate with great ioy , the slaue to his lord , the seruant to his master , and one friend to another , a l●… espan̄ol●… erying albricias , albricias , a reward for our watchfulnesse or good tydings . their chiefe recreation is riding of horses swift and actiue , for discipline & seruice , with lance , bow , and target , whereof they abound , and haue very good , not inferiour to the spanish lennet ; but their princely sport is hunting the wilde bore and antelope , peculiar to the king , his nobles , and gentry ; a people throughout of mighty estate or wealth , yet all subiect ( in a moment ) to the spoile , or to be restored , at the pleasure of their prince ; full of maiestie in their port , and no lesse of expectation for respect ; sumpteous in their buildings ; curious in their orchards , and gardens , beautified with artificiall ponds , fountaines , and water-workes ; populous in their attendance ; rich in attire ; imperious lords over their servants ; and cruell in their corrections : having also both for state and war , aboundance of elephants , which likewise they use for theyr iourneyes as sumpter horses , and to carry their women and children , twenty ( perhaps ) in a frame of timber ( castle-like ) vpon his backe , with windowes and small pieces of ordnance planted forward and backward ( the country being full of theeves , and dangerous ) and vpon his brawny necke ( monkie-like , of same bignesse with his head , or bigger ) sits a man astride in full bredth with a hooke in his hand like a sickle , for a bridle , and a spurre to guide and stay him , which is done with the least touch of the sharpe poynt upon his noale , whereof hee is very tender ; hath a body like a house , but a tayle like a ratte , erecting it like a cedar ; little eyes but great sight ; very melancholly but wise ( they say ) and full of vnderstanding , ( or subtilty rather for a beast ) sometimes they become madd , ( of what i know not ) and breaking loose endanger multitudes ; is fed somewhat costly , as with good bread , muskmillious , sugar canes , sweete stalkes , and sower grasse , or sedge of the worst ; steeres like a hulke , stifnecked , almost all of one peice ; feeds himselfe with his trunck or snoute , ( that deadly instrument of his rage ) being of a iust length ●…o the ground ; taking his meat with the end thereof , and winding it vp , ( or vnder rather ) to his mouth , so eates it ; but drinkes therewith at length ; his stable is commonly the open ayre ; a massie yron chaine his halter ; a great tree his manger : and the shadie boughes his shelter ; and thus stands this monster by one of his legges ( of like proportion with a post or a beame ) all the day bound to the good bebauior , til occasion release him ; in whose descriptiō i haue bin somewhat the larger , because god himselfe calls him the cheife of his wayes , behemoth by name . job . . theyr drinke in generall ( for ordinary ) is water , made relishable by arte or nature ; by thirst or some preparatiue ; and wholsome by a naturall concoction , or a causuall preservatiue ; according to each constitution , and the countries prouision ; with a mans owne discretion in the vse of the creature ; euery one to himselfe herein , being ( as wee say ) either a foole or a physition , hauing sweete meates enough for the former ; remedies and receits ( or concei●…es ) for the latter . el borach●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , mas el aguado ci . saith the spanish proverbe . a friend to sweet meates , sobriety may bee , yet so , a drinker of wine you shall never see , for wine and sweet meates sound palats doe loath , but sweet meates and water are gratefull both . all contraes in nature by skill reconcil'd , produce best effects both to man and child . as , drinke no longer water , but a little wine , to the temperate man is counsell divine ; so , drinke no longer wine , but a little water , to th' intemperate man , for it keepes him sober . the country affoords no wine but artificiall distillations of ●…ples , like our hot waters : very tastfull they are , and wholsome , but not so strong , so ful of spirit as ours , which makes the moores to prize them farre above theyr owne , and to esteeme them for the best present , or marchandize can be brought them ; onely the portugal inhabitants in their townes and cities ( being many and great ) doe make a kinde of wine of dryed grapes , or raysins of the sunne , for relish and operation the best ( i thinke ) in the world , not inferiour to the spanish nectar , el vino de san martin : being pleasant , strong , and cordiall , called raysin wine , almost of the colour of alicant , or steelebacke , which ( thankes to our honourable masters ) wee were seldome without , or some other , to concoct the crudity of our not so wholsome waters , at meales especially , and never did vs any hurt but good , though bought ( but not immediately ) of an enimy : for wee were wise , and warie enough in that . their habite ( as i have sayd ) is white , light , and thinne , fit for the countryes heate ; but thicker , and richer clad in the winter , with pintadoes , silke stuffes , sattins , and damasks dyed into all sorts of lively & good colers , cloth of gold , silver , & tyssue , of their own , whereof they haue plenty , being quilted with a cotton wooll between the outside , & the inner lining : for their seasons doe alter there with a sensible differ●…nce as here . their coynes in silver , ( as for gold i never sawe any that i remember ) are mamudes and ruppees ; the mamude in value about . pence halfe-penny english ; the ruppee , more or lesse as they differ in their names and valuations , of which there are foure or five sorts at least , and the least of them about two mamudes and a halfe , the ruppee ; stamped on both sides with moorish characters , and in forme very thicke and round ; their copper mony whereof they have such plenty , as ( if tollerable for exportation ) might prove a good returne ; being made into great churlish peeces ) they call pises , whereof . ( commonly ) make a mam●…dee , and of the rest proportionably ; but still after the inconstant current of the exchange , almost continually rising and falling , which is in the power of the sheraffs , bankers , or mony-changers to alter at their pleasure . their country for the most par●… ( being plaine from hils and mountaines ) is indifferently stored with mes●…ites or churches very fayre and sumptuous ; with 〈◊〉 also or villages ; townes and cities , pleasant , great , and populous : river ▪ d walled , castled , and munitioned ; and constantly watered at a certaine yearely season , to wit our summer : from towards the end of may , to the end of august , or thereabout , with frequont sober raines , scarce two faire dayes together , without some showers or other , and all the yeare after so cleere a firmament , as not a cloud to be seene , that i have beene weary of fayre weather : and this rayne-water by the better sort is received into vaults , made for the nonce , to serve them for theyr drinke all the yeare after , being wholsommer ( they fay ) then theyr other waters : as also , this raynie season is observed of all for the best times to travayle in . i could yet say more in 〈◊〉 particulars , but having sayd enough ( i thinke ) in proofe of my travels , and prayse of the countries goodnesse : it were superfluous , and beyond my intent to become cosmographicall , and therefore i will here confine my selfe , being now summoned to a consultation , determining a iourney to be made unto the foresayd city of a●…adavas , by master thomas aldworth the cōpanies chiefe agent ; my selfe his second ; for cashier and accountant ; with foure other english , whereof two were homebred marchants , and 〈◊〉 more : to provide goods in readinesse for our next fleet , that the ships ( to theyr great damage ) might not bee deteyned as before . and for more safety both of goods and lives , our charge wee had with us being of great importance , & the country ( as i have sayd ) very dangerous , by reason of theeves , which continually ( vpon intelligence ) ly●… arm'd in troupes on the way for booties ; wee held it best ( though otherwise inconvenient ) mocrob chan the gouernour of surat then trauelling toward court at the kings command ) to take the benefit of his lascar or campe ( as also diuers others , it being the countries custome in like sort to set forth , or with a cara●… , a caffala , a multitude of all sorts of people with theyr goods to that end gathered together , ) for our more safe convoy , which yet we enioyed not past one night aside of baroch , till wee met againe at cambaya , being both our worse and farther way ; for this great lord with his many hands and much helpe posting faster then wee could follow with our heauy and slow carriages , lef●…vs alone in the midst of danger , ( god onely protecting vs ) being three nights on the way , before wee could reach to cambaya , and spent two of them ( with their sunschorching dayes ) by the water side , having only our tent for shelter , expecting there a boate to passe vs ouer out of that purgatorie , and another of mischieuous minded men , and murmuring malecontents ; taddiepor marchants and heartlesse souldiers ; repining not onely my charge , but my precedency also ( or next respect vnto master aldworth , and that by his precise order , against my owne desire , enioynd me ) to their antient matrimony ; making me both his coach-mate and his right hand at table ; and the more i sought by gentlenesse ( for the present ) to appease theyr spight , or ( in continuance ) by some change of behauiour to confront their folly . pro. . . . the more ( like themselues ) they ( still conspiring ) in both respects mistooke , and traduced me ; declaring hereby the implacable disposition of envy ; but god alone did plead my cause , and ( by degrees ) put them to silence in theyr graues . here at sarode ( for so the place is called ) during , our aboad , worthy of obseruation , i tooke notice of some part of gods omnipotent workes of wonder , in the flux and reflux of that famous riuer of cambaya , for fury , not vnfitly called the boare , for the tyde from the maine sea twice a day , once beginning to flow ( contrary to common course of nature ) comes tumbling in amayne , with such a roaring noyse a farre off , of mighty foaming waues ( like white ruffes a bout their proud neckes ) that it strikes admiration and terrour to the beholder , in such sort that those high bankes , with theyr dry sands and oaes are sodenly couered and filled vp to the very toppes , for the space of many leagues in length together , yet neuer ouerflowen ; and vpon returne , with expedition leaves it ( for the most part ) emptie and dry againe ; being ( in absence of the tyde ) a firme passage for all that dare aduenture it ; which thousands having done ( and daylie doe , though some speed better ) not taking theyr times aright , or the vncertaine tydes deceiuing them , vpon credible report ( like pharoes host in thered sea ) haue been overwhelmed man and beast , horse and camels , elephants and all , with infinite treasures swept away into that rich ocean , before ( upon too short a warning ) they could recover ( backward or forward ) the shore againe , for the river is of a very spacious bredth in many places over . being here ( after much toyle in moving and removing our charge from place to place , for our best advantage against an assault , which we hourely expected , that wee durst not sleepe but by short snatches and turnes ; as also for our most commodious imbar quing ( the best being bad enough in that wild place , ) comes a barque , receives our selves and goods aboord , and in a late evening at a full water we set sayle , and ( thankes be to god , who is mighter then the mighty waves of the sea ) not without great danger , about midnight we came to an anker right before cambaya ; and the sabbath morning landed in that rich , fayre , and neat city , so famous throughout the world. being now on shore ( notwithstanding in good safety of life ) we found our selves little better then fallen out of the frying●… pan ( as they say ) into the fire , for all our goods were presently sequestred , and carried to the kings ●…lfondica●… till his customes of seaven per cent. were payd , viz. foure in , and three out : which ( according to the value ) would have come to a good summe of mony , whereat we were much dismayed , master aldworth especially , for his oversight , or too much confidence in mocrob chans favor , whom we often solicited there almost ●… fortnight , as an instrument to procure the release of our sayd goods ( the power ( in effect ) being in his owne hands ) but all in vaine , till at last , a few dayes before our departure thence , master aldworth and my felfe ( as at other times ) went againe to him , and sitting right before him very neere , he eyed me all over , talking meane while to his then small company , at length bids our broker aske me concerning the clothes i wore , what stuffe it was ? where made ? and other questions ; to which i answered him ; in conclusion we took our leave , and went home without a word of comfort ; a while after comes our broker , and tells master ald●…orth good tydings from mocrob c●…an , that if he could procure him my suite , wee should forthwith have our goods delivered us ; no sooner had master aldworth moved it unto me , as a favour which i may not deny him , i told him , what ere it were i would grant it ; the word being spoken , i presently brusht up my amiable suite , and sent it my lord mocro●… by the hand of our broker , who brought us the same evening a warrant under his signet for our goods , which the next morning ( to our much content ) i went and cleared , ( our charge being more precious then life , and our reputation above all . ) but what this humorous lord did with my suite , i cannot tell , save ( by our brokers coniecture ) to shew unto his women ; who for a novelty ( though a toy ) was observed to preferre his fancy to halfe a kingdome , for he had seene many as good before , and farre better , when ( in his greatest pompe ) our chiefe agent , with all his traine , in our best bravery presented his lordship from our honourable masters , the governour and company , at our first comming . during our abode here , we bought sundry commodities as best liked us , for our returnes , and ( to expell melancholy ) that it should not domineere ( being too much occasioned ) tooke our recreation off the city , orchards , and fields ; but above all , to observe the apes in that peaceable habitation of banians , did not a little stirre my blo●…d with their apish trickes on the houses , leaping from house to house in troupes , with their little ones in clusters clutching about them , making dayly worke for the tyler and mason , by pulling out here a tyle , and there a stone , till they had uncovered whole houses in quarters and halfe quarter●… ; and then through the roofe ( as ieering the inhabitants for their silly patience ) made such moppes and mowes at them ; such friscoes and carieres to and againe ; now and then letting fall a stone or a tyle upon their bombasted heads and thin shoulders , and watching in the fall what became of it , ( with twenty other trickes ) that it would make a thiefe ( as they say ) slip his halter and leape over the gallowes ( if he might ) to see the sport ; and if a stone ( unlook'd for ) chanced to come amongst them , that they tooke in so high a derision to bee disturb'd in their worke , that they would flye at a man with open mouth , as if they meant to swallow him ; this goodly sight being also to bee seene a great part of the country thereabout , whole fields alive , and the trees covered with over-growne apes and monkies ; parrats and paraquites chattering and leaping from bough to bough , till come to the top , and then shew their teeth and theyr tayles to passengers for a salutation . thus , and thus , to and fro , changing our wearied thoughts from sadder obiects , wee entertained the way in company of mocrob chan and his las●…ar , till the third day from cambaya , early in a morning wee entred amada●…az , that great and populous citie , the metropolis of all those parts of guizerat ; famous for nobility and gentry , as also for rich trade in variety , indicoes especially , by meanes of a generall confluence of most nations in the world e●…glish , dutch , portugals , iewes , armenians , arabians , medes and persians , turkes and tartarians : cum multis alijs : in whose streets ( through the multiplicity of people ) all enforce theyr passage by theyr p●…ones , or footmen , with their speares and other weapons running before the coach or horse , ( like absal●… & his fifty men . . sam. . . ) crying poyce , poyce , give way there , who serve as well for like necessities as for state , being in number more or fewer according to the qualitie and abilitie , or the pleasure of the person , which none of credit are ( or dare be ) without . here we tooke a house , and setled a factory , applyed our selves to our businesse as seasons and occasions were offered ; meane while for our better proceeding we visite the governour abdala ●…han , and present him ; signifie the cause of our comming ; desiring his leave and noble favour in whatsoever case of iustice we might have cause to use him ; for which we should be ready at all times ( most noble festus ) to shew our selves gratefull unto his lordship : our suit was accepted , together with our present ; our selves bid welcome , and a place appointed us where to sit ; being in a spacious and princely court , in the middest of a great multitude of chans and beagues , or lords and gentlemen , that twice a day morning and evening duely came to visite him ; this being th●…t ( i take it ) which is spoken of in scripture , as of iob in the east , and of other great men sitting in the gate , or in publike , to heare causes and do iustice , every one taking his place according to his degree , or at this great viceroyes appoyntment , having first given him a salam or low congee ; and all crosse-legged on turky carpets spread on the ground , curiously paved or playstered with playster of pallas ( as likewise theyr walles ) shining like alablaster , whereon they tread with their bare feet ( as also in their churches ) leaving their slip-shooes at the doore , or aloofe off at the edge of the entrance , like a shoomakers well furnisht shop or warehouse ; all rich , or brightly attyred ( as i have sayd ) according to the season ; himselfe with a few of the principals sitting somewhat apart , on a little higher ascent at his pallace doore , big enough for his corpulent body , and no more ; with no lesse maiesty ( me thought ) in all but that , and the capateria , or shoe-makers ware , then might well beseeme the greatest prince in the world ; drums beating ; souldiers guarding , noble & gentlemens servants aloofe off in troupes attending ; and coaches at the court gate in thicke heapes wayting the dissolution of this great assembly ; sitting sometimes heere , sometimes removing , but ever in a place presenting both state and delight , for magnificent buildings ; beautifull ponds and water-workes ; pleasant orchards and the like ; and in this honorable presēce euery new moone the common women of the city ( in their long sloppes and short coates ) present themselues , by turnes , with timbrels and dances , wanton songs , and antique gestures , for their sport and recreation , so continuing till the viceroy please to dismisse them ; & all this in generall , besides their particular solemnities , as i have sayd before , in the night seasons ; wherewith my story end●… , and welcome gentlemen to a short colation , with thanks for your gentle patience in taking penance at so homely a pittance , and my well-wishings of good refreshings to you all . finis . gentle reader . as i haue invited thee : so let me now aduise , or rather intreat thee that having read mee , thou wilt not rashly censure me ; my intent throughout was to giue content , not to some but all , which in one respect or other ( i hope ) answers my d●…sire ; onely herei●… lyes all my doubt , least offence might be taken heere and there at my seeming osten tation ; but leave that to god , whilest my heart ( i am sure ) condemnes me not ; perhaps there may be cause , and then to boast , is wisdome both in the opinion and practise of the wis●…st ; what i haue done , hath beene with as much respect to thy good as my owne , in removing my candle frō vnder a bushell , to set it fairly on a candlestick , to the end that with the light there of i may see , and be seene of all , for of all things i abhorre ●…o sit in darkenesse . great is the benefit of light ; by it confusion is banished , co●…trarieties are knowne and distinguisht , dangers declined , and good things embraced ; it is the eye-sight of knowledge from whence proceeds the due estimation we yeeld vnto men ( as all things else ) but chiefly for their proper , and most essentiall or intellectuall parts ) euen wisdome ( thereafter ) to use or refuse them . and now ( gentle reader ) for the writing of bookes so in generall , aword or two ( vnder correction ) in some defence thereof i hope will not f●…ll amisse ; prouided that neither church nor state be dishonoured , or any particular person thereby iustly offended . true it is , ( and none but the vnwise can den●…it ) that s●…ollers for their rare guists of 〈◊〉 are most sit to write for publike vse ( hauing a thousand times wisht my selfe a scholler for the singular benefits that haue their confluence to a man by academicall & well managed arts ; ) yet that all others should be excluded , or not any ( that will ) of vnderstanding and honest life ( vpon good occasion , the premisses considered ) should be allowed of , i know not yet one reason of many ( me thinkes ) to the contrary , to ratisie that opinion ; for if wee consider the many benefits for one inconvenience , thereupon ensuing that stand up to plead for a generall tolleration , not one of a hundred ( i suppose ) even of schollers themselues but will ioyne with them in theyr ready approbation . for first of all is not that noble science of printing made the more to flourish ? doe not the masters and artificers thereof become able , not onely for their private families , but also common-wealths men ? when their presses ( through a generall supply of coppies ) never want worke ? are not shops the better furnisht with bookes , and kept open by a frequent concourse of all sorts of buyers , through the variety and choyce of matter there to bee had for a small piece of mony , to profit themselves by other mens labours of an incomparable value ? doth not the reading of a few harmelesse lines entertayne divers from worse exercises , whom else ( perhaps ) better things would scarce content ? 〈◊〉 had it not beene profitable for many to have exercised themselves in writing of some manuscript , whilest idlenesse and ill-company have beene their utter bane and ruine ? and how many have improved theyr parts and vacant times unto a good sufficiency of doing service both in church and common-weale , wherein ( to the honor and profit of both ) they have lived , by applying themselves to vertuous studie●… , and writing their observations , that never ( perhap●… ) eate bread in a vniversitie ? or why doth our state at present ( in a sort ) allow of , or connive at this tolleration ( under the foresayd provisoes ) but for these or the like godly and civill policies no doubt ? besides other reasons which i leave to others ; but if none of these will passe for current , yet could i wish ( gentle reader ) that travellers ( in due honor to their travailes ) may have a place ( though the lowest ) in this honourable priviledge with schollers and poets , even for their experience ●…ake . a man that hath travelled ( sayth wise strach ) knoweth many things , and hee that hath much experience will declare wisedome ; he that hath no experience knoweth little , but he that hath travayled is ( or should be ) full of prudence ; to wit , a man of counsell and action ; of discourse and resolution ; eccles . . . for they commonly see and conceive more abroad the●… others sitting at home , as being deeper engaged upon strange occurrents ; having their senses exercised , their bodyes and minds hardened by sundry difficulties , and surviving many dangers ; diving into the different dispositions of m●…n , and observing ( from a selfe-knowing knowledge ) the good and the evill among all sorts of people ; wisedome also insinuating it selfe there , after a more familiar fashion then elsewhere , and thenceforth disposing them ( oft times ) ( with small helps , and due incouragements ) unto the weightiest aff●…res ; in whose short lines may b●…e read large observations of the divine power and providence , to the glory of god , and the publike good , by the right use which ingenuous minds make of all things , and to which ends onely they ought to be written ; when i travailed i saw many things , and i understand mo●…e then i can expresse ; i was oft times in danger of death , yet was i delivered because of these things . eccles. . . . to communicate experience ( therefore ) is as commendable as profitable , being that which in all ages hath ever been allowed of , required , and practised by the wisest . wis. . . eccles. . . psal. . . for experienc●… that is hid , and treasure that i●… hoarded up , what profit ( or not prejudice rather ) is in eyther ? and better is he that hideth his folly , then a man that hideth his wisedome or experience , be it never so little , upon least occasion of doing good therewith ; eccles. . . . as appeares by that slothfull servant , who hiding his talent ( instead of modesty ) incurr'd a censure of folly . mat. . . . . thus ( gentle reader ) hauing satisfied thee ( i hope ; ) in my best wishes i commend thee ( as my selfe ) to the protection of the almighty , and bid thee heartily fare-well in christ . chr. farewell . eccles. . . . a faithfull friend is a strong defen●…e , and he that hath found such a one , hath found a treasure . nothing doth countervaile a faythfull friend , for his ex●…ellency is v●…valuable . i. pet. . adde to your faith vertue , or industrie : and now , to shut up 〈◊〉 indian discourse with a word or two of spaine , being ( n●…xt unto 〈◊〉 in portugal ) on christian shore , my first and onely place of forraigne residence ; where ( if i may not seeme to praise my selfe , having little else to boast of in the short catalogue of my good workes there , save onely the releasing of an english marchant out of prison ) i would willingly entertaine anew my courteous reader with a short storie of an accident , wherein god made mee the instrument of much good unto another ; but the wise ( i hope ) will eyther discerne a cause of my boasting , or ●…t the worst will ascribe it to the common humour of travailers , who love to tell of things they have seene and done abroad in the world , and so at least to excuse me , ( for amidst all my extravagant delights , else ( i may truly speake it , and ( i hope ) without offence to charity ) my heart ( even then ) was ever prone to honesty ; to doe good freely ; on occasion ready to shew mercy ; more delighted to give then to receive ; and faithfull in my whole engagements ; with an inward ze●…le in the performance of all ; in a word , no mans foe ( as they say , even in those dayes ) but mine owne ; how much more then ( to silence all detraction ) shall ryper times ( on occasion ) affoord the same things at least , if not better : ill will it selfe ( if it please ) be iudge . deteyned upon some ●…mployment at the tower of velis malaga , about sales and returne of goods for england , there chanced into the roade ( among other ships , english and french ) ●…ertaine hollanders , that brought a great quantity of pic●…elingos , or counterfeyt copper mony of spaine , called 〈◊〉 , and quartillos , which by stealth at 〈◊〉 of opportunity they landed and disperced here and there , as they had dohe 〈◊〉 other ports : this in short space came to be suspected by the plentifull current of the money , ( the parties themselves being gone , left others in danger ) hereupon the shippes remaining in the roade were searched ; above all the rest , suspicion was had of certaine ●…hips belonging to the businesse whereon i lay for my master and others , whereof mr. john pit had the chiefe charge , being himselfe at grand malaga about other businesse , dispatching for england ; but they apprehended onely his servant or factor one mr. i ●…omas s●…edmer , whom they found aboord , ready to goe for malaga , and thence also for england ; him they carryed away prisoner to motril , about three leagues eastward , where hee was certaine weekes , rackt and hardly used ; how hee or the ships were released , i am not so punctuall in my remembrance as to relate , nor is it much materiall ( this being above twenty yeares since ) yet at length released they were , for the truth then came to light ; and whether by torture or else , i am not certaine , mr. pit himselfe as principall , was layd out for : officers of the inquisition , from motril were appointed and on the way toward grand malaga , to apprehend him : this by a happy chance ( being at the water side to heare newes ) i vnderstood ; i went presently to my almazen , or ware-house ; wrote him a word or two of advise , that as hee tendred his life ( upon receit thereof ) to retyre himselfe for such a cause , which i sent by the hand of a spaniard , a lustie sturdy companiero , of whose trustinesse i had observed something before , having imployed him about styving our fruit , and other reca●…dos of moment , with a charge to out runne the constable , corre juan , vete bolando por su vida , que yo 〈◊〉 lo pagare , bien pagado ; runne for thy life , and i le reward thee lib●…rally : ●…nd so he did , for over the rocke●… and high mountaines , ( like a goat ) h●… made such a nimble expedition that he overtooke , and out went the mule-men , and was there some three minutes before them , which gave my advised friend , the advantage of his absence , just as the alguazill and officers came at his heeles , that made his life of full value , which else upon any merchants ensurance there , ( by that time they had hāper'd him ) had not beene worth one marvedi . this newes ( till then pensive at heart in expectation of the event ) cheered me up no lesse then a cup of neat sparkeling wine , especially for the punctuality of the successe , and the applause of my diligent penne ; which procured me the love of those which had never seen me , with munchas mercedes , y beso las manos , for my good advise ; and afterward upon my returne to malaga , declared it by a generall bienvenido , or welcome . and how god did require this small myte of my ( not merit but ) good will ( for hee likes not ) to speake after the manner of men ) to be long in any mans debt ( but with more advantage to him ) though alwayes seeming so by the continuall lengthning out of his mercies ( if we observe them ) beyond our owne time , even to posterity , from generation to generatiō ; as if by this kind of acknowledgement of his ( for his owne word sake ) he were still indebted to us and ours , & could never su●…ficiently recompence our good endeavours , by the utmost of his infinite goodnesse freely promised thereunto in his best beloved , his soules delight ; to teach us that we should never be weary of doing him like acceptable seruice , even for the good and safety temporall and eternall , of our selves and ours ; but chiefly for his owne honour and glory . ) i could heere well declare in a cloud of particulers ever since , touching his wonderfull providence in my preserv●…tion , protection , and deliverance in , & out of most imminent dangers , straytes , and extremities , temptations and conflicts ; but for brevity sake ( leaving all the rest ) i will touch onely three , wherein gods power , and mercifull providence did plainely declare themselves unto my conscience , to whose praise alone i speake it , and to stirre up all to a consideration of his wonders . not long after this iubile of successe ( the brunt of businesse being ouerpast ) i went to grand malaga , whether indeed my desires lead me ( contrarie toreason ) from uelis malaga , where i was left ( vpon order of my master ) by mr. pitt . in the house of a regidor or alderman , senior pablos nunnies , for more conueniency to learne the language , rregalado , or respected as in their owne sonne ; and growing daily in acquaintance , i began to declare my selfe in the choyce of those pleasures wherevnto my nature most inclined ; amongst others , musicke and dancing were not the least , which thus occasioned the first of my proposed dangers . lying in the house of capt●…ine simon boureman , of best resort in the cittie by eng●…ish marchants , my first rendeuous in spaine ; and being well accommodated for all things , i fell into a consort-ship with other young men to entertaine an italian to teach vs to dance , who came once a day to our chambers ; and in taking our turnes of exercise , our tutor vnaduisedly commended my promptnesse , and the dexterity of my bodie ; whereat one of the company tooke pepper in the nose , and told me ( in the contrary tearmes ) i danced like a clowne ; knowing his malla●…ie , i brake it off with a iest , and a nippe withall , that made him halfe angry ; til frō iest to iest , it grew into plain earnest ( being both tender enough of our small reputations ) and sitting with our vsuall company at supper , he challenged me ( as not daring ) to fight with him ; i told him t' was then no time for such a businesse , but that ( perhaps ) he might shortly heare of me , as halfe determined to trie what mettle was in either ; the next morning ( i thinke vnexpected ) i went early to his chamber doore , wa●…like appointed with my rapier and dagger ( yet a daily ornament in those parts , as any part of our apparell , wherein ( be it knowne to all men ) for my owne particuler , i tooke no small glory ) and finding it open , in i went as at other times ( though illaduised in that poynt ) where i found him writing ; after salutation i told him what i came for , and that if he meant to acquite his honor ( i speake after y ● spanish phrase ) now was the onely time fresh and fasting to walke into the field , to preuent concourse or tumult ; my gallant foorthwith changed countenance , yet making wise to accept the offer went aside , and seemed to make choyce of his weapons ( hauing change of rapiers by him ) and taking a dagger in his hand ( mistrusting no treacherie ) sodenly offerd to haue stabbed me with it , but happily intercepting the thrust , with his hand that held it , i closed with him , and in strugling ( though his inferiour both in age and stature ) i gaue him the cleane fall backward , on his bed , and fell upon him , setting my knee on his brest , holding downe still his dagger , punching it vpward with all his might at my face , and at length i wrest it from him ; yet ( the onely poynt of manhood i obserued in him ) hee made no clamarous out-cry for the matter , as knowing ( belike ) with whom he had to deale ) wherewith ( as i told him , to requite his treachery ) i could haue slit his nose , or minced his face like a carbonado ; but mercie & manhood forbade me , as scor●…ing indeed the basenesse , though enough prouoakt ; nor would i for ten thousand pounds haue layne in like sort at his mercie ; at last taking my best oportunitie , i suddenly sprang off from him , and left him alone in his chamber , free from the least hurt done him , abiding without in an open court vnder a gallery walke , resting my selfe betweene a marble pillar and a packe of cloth , leaning on the pomell of my rapier , expecting euery moment ●…is comming forth for the field , but his intent was to haue finisht the combate there , with all safetie to himselfe , and sodaine ruine to me . for spying me through his doore standing at that disaduantage ( yet thankes be to god not walking , for then he had taken me napping ) he rusht out suddenly vpon me with a naked rapier making a main thrust at my face , which againe ( as happily as the ●…ormer ) i put by with my hand , yet not so , but that ( glancing my throate ) it toucht my beardlesse chinne , and made the bloud run downe ; but feeling my selfe alive , i instantly drew ( god forgive me all ) with a full resolution to have runne him through , as doubtlesse i had , up to the very 〈◊〉 , had not the spirit of wisdome or feare made him caper backward with a leape ( i still blesse god for it ) that i never saw the like . timor addit alas . feare gives wings . but considering the danger of that play ( for i had wit in my anger , though some that beheld us , sayd , i fought sa●…s feare or wit ) and changing my purpose , i followed him close with a double stroake two or three immediately succeeding , swift as lightning ; for though not slightly stirred , yet being too farre provoked , ( to the terrour of all proud , and commonly false-hearted provokers , i may iustly speake it ) my dreadlesse spirit would then haue borne me through the middest of an army . in which short conflict , i did so macerate his arme from the hand to the elbow , that it grieves me yet to thinke of it , ( so little doe i glory in the relation , save only in our mutuall preservation , mine owne especially from so imminent destruction ) and being gone to our chambers to be drest , to tell why certaine spaniards of my acquaintance , and strangers that came then to see me , did so wonder at my rapier , feeling the edge with theyr fingers , ( not considering the principall , that what is done couragiously and with expedition , is throughly done . bis dat gui cit●… dat , to fight couragiously is to fight victoriously ) crying ( after theyr fashion of admiration ) jhesus , al diablo , que espada es esta ? was , because ( besides his arme ) i had pared off the pappie flesh under his hand ; out in sunder a thicke gold ring from off his finger ; and withall ( i suppose ) his rapier , for at the last stroake , that also fell in a peece with the rest to the ground . at the sight whereof , mercy and manhood againe held my hand , without the least offer to prosecute him any further ; whereat ( with his owne ) there was a suddaine albarote , or out-cry of houshold servants newly up , murther , murther , and of our english cooke , that had done his best before to have parted vs ; that senior christoval , had slaine senior fulano : but ( a thousand thankes to god ) it was not so ; whereupon ( by advise of the best in the house ( in secret ) not a little approving the exployt , nor much lamenting ( but in shew ) the other , i know not why : ) to prevent further mischiefe , i absented my selfe at velis malaga , making of necessity a vertue ; for there in company of onely one english merchant , capt. lee by name , i improved my study , wrote them backe spanish epistles , and profited mightily ; having ever since beene a man of peace , conquering by suffering , and prevailing by yeelding , yet not basely neyther , but understandingly too : being minded henceforth ( for ought i know ) never more to draw sword , but against the enemies of god , my king , my country , and my friend : wherein god strengthen my resolution . amen . the second was , being in ireland ( a few yeares after my returne frō the indies , to weare out , or to weaken many discontents diversly occasioned me in england , by means of an imployment i had imposed on my selfe , begun long before , but there ( for causes ) intending to finish it , with some other respects joyntly procuring my absence , ) among others , of lesse profession , yet better condition , i chanced to be acquainted with a very rooke ( as some terme them ) yet so well clad in a religious habit of smooth discourse , that i durst have trusted him almost with my life ; so dangerous is a fayre shew without substance : the word of trust without truth , the name of a friend , without the fruits of friendship , or the inspection of wisedome to discerne the subtilties of hypocrisie , that the very best ( of which soever side ) are , and have bin subiect to be deceived , that none should be too credulous of faire shews or reports , as they tēder their owne good , in cherishing ( all they can against envie ) the due estimation of vertue in themselves or any . this man ( upon a proiect of some profit , probable enough had his intent been honest , or my serious studies in higher affaires permitted me to have frequēted or suspected him ; ( but oportunity not so much makes as takes a theefe , for an honest mind even scornes the temptation , no lesse then a lewd or a faigned suspicion ) by degrees had wound himselfe at least ten pounds deepe into my purse , being halfe way to the bottome , till fresh supplyes out of england ; and at last ( to make the shortest of a sharkes account ) was glad to accept of one halfe of my ●…cipall , with losse of the other halfe , yet not without great profit neyther , for a sharpe lesson proves a good instruction ; and our best wits are ( cōmonly ) the deerest bought ; but this is not the matter , rather ●…n introduction thereunto . for to get this mony i was forced to dispense with my study ( to wit k. davids psalmes , and st. 〈◊〉 epistles ; a word or two whereof in a short treatise touching theyr praise , since composed by me , i once purposed should have bin the period , or posterne unto these my travels ) and to make many a iourney to , and against him ; among others , taking the pleasure of a dainty frosty sunshine morning ( whilest my irish colt tooke his recreation at home ) i made a walke of sixe or . miles to speake with him at his house ( having chāged his dwelling from the town into the country ) and on the way from tullough , between ballye roberts , and castle-lyons , went aside out of a faire greene lancher , betwixt two great opē fields under a hedge , to cover my feet , not ●…eeing nor mistrusting any danger , yet ( in stooping downe ) had this thought in my minde ; good lord preserve me , this may be my last breathing : after a while looking up , right before me within twice my length stood a great grisly wolfe , bigger then a mastiffe , with a long bobbe taile , p●…ick-eard , and a lanke body , stocke still looking on me . though somewhat apàlled at this strange sight , yet to run ▪ conceived was danger ( for i had wit in my feare , as before in my anger ) and therefore quietly hasting to be ready for him , still fixing my eye on his ( wherein lyes a mystery ) till i had fastened my poynt ; and drawing my knife , with a sm●…l wand in my hand , i went on guardant , soft and faire , observing how the curre dogg'd me , ( for 't is a creature ( simply considered ) as full of craft and subtilty , as of greedinesse and cruelty , which meeting in men ( as commonly they lurke together , one being cause of the other ) doe make them more brutish and dangerous ( god defend me from them ) then wilde beasts ; such as st. paul had to fight withall at ephesus , ( unreasonable and absurd people ) as doubtlesse many good mē have elsewhere dayly , ) and then turning towards him , and standing still awhile , he would doe the like ( for i could haue bin content , on a fayre defence ) to haue tryed the combate with him , in assured hope to haue cut his throat , to enlarge my scutchion with a wolfe , or a wolfes head in a canton , for an addition of honor , as well to my ancestry , as happily to my heyres and posterity , for god onely makes and gives all . in this sort perusing one another , on we went in company about halfe a quarter of a mile together , till ( being market day at tullough ) people came riding by , away he went , but with admiration of all ( in such sort ) to have escaped his clutches ; affirming it to be the he●… or 〈◊〉 wolfe , that a long time had ranged thereabout ; done much mischiefe to man & beast ; and could never be taken . though now ridde of my rude companiō , i durst not be too secure , least on the sodaine we might meet againe ; but euer with an eye in my pole , on i went still guardant , till i came to kiel jannicke , aside off castle lyons , and there found my friend to little or no purpose ; but at my returne 〈◊〉 got a rusty sword for my better defence , in●… case of necessitie , which now & then i thought good to excercise against a bush or a thistle , with a thrust at the one , and a slash at the other , supposing the woolfe to haue bin either ; perhaps ( i am not sure ) like that valiant countrie travayler ( according to the common tale ) who going home late in an euening from worke , in like sort laying about him ( as he went ) with his trun●… , at the sodaine out-cry of a fewe duckes , quake , quake , being at his wits end , disclaimed all his former behauiour , with a fearefull protest as ( who should iudge him ) to be but a poore travayler , that neuer strook man in his life ▪ nor meant to doe ; and so more afraid then hurt ( hauing scaped a scowring ) he went soberly home to sleep : as i also being deliuered frō my so great a danger at retu●…ne to my lodging , on my knees gaue god thankes for my preseruation , and still doe ; for doubtles the same invisible hand of heauen that shut th●…●…mouthes of daniels lions , did likewise shut the mouth of this r●…uening wolfe , else rea●… to haue deuoured me my god ( sayth he ) hath sent his angel , and hath shut the lyons mouthes , that the●… haue not hu●… ▪ me , forasmuch as before him , innocency was found in me , and also before thee ( o king ) haue i done no hurt . dan. . . with the mercifull , ( saith ▪ 〈◊〉 ) thou wi●…t shew thy selfe ▪ mercifull , & with an vpright man , thou wilt shew thy selfe vpright . psal. . . the next and last never to be forgotten , was now of late the . of august . passing from the exchange toward my lodging ; in lothbury from foure story high , there sodainly fell downe into the street ( by what meanes god knowes , but very strangely ) a whole window of glasse in a thicke frame of timber , all fast in a lumpe together , and in the fall strooke onely the brim of my hat , missing my head but two or three inches at most , by meanes i thinke ) of then mending my pace , ( not knowing why ) at the instant ( i remember ) when i sprang over into that side of the street , which else ( doubtlesse ) had strooke mee stone dead , so violent was f●…ll ; for which let my soule for ever 〈◊〉 thee ( o lord ) and all than is within meblesse his holy name , ●…s two or three of those that saw the manner thereof ( i thanke them ) put me in mind so to doe . the angell of the lord ( sayth david ) encampeth round about them that feare him , and delivereth them . tast therefore and consider that the lord is good , blessed is the man that trusteth in him ; for though his wisedome ( to exalt the glorious maiesty of his power ) leads them into temptations and dangers , yet his vigilant providence ( for his promise sake ) never leaves them ; i will never fayle thee nor forfake thee : joshua . . . affliction ( like pauls viper ) at first begets censure , but ( upon delivery ) it is the cause of honour . acts. . . . i will be with him in trouble ( sayth god ) i will 〈◊〉 him , and honour him . psal. . . and what honor comparable to that of gods deliverance ? or what promise so to be●… relyed on as his word ? what buckler or ca●…le of defence so safe as his protection ? what service so commodious and honorable as his faithfull seruice ? or whom ever better served , allyed counselled , or befriended ( may examples of truth and experience take place , malice with envi●… being banisht or put to silence ) then by such allyance , servants , counsellers or friends ? whose dwelling is in the secret place of the most high , and whose abode is under the shadow of the almighty , king of kings , & lord of creatures both in heaven & in earth , in the seas & all deepe places . i leave to the iudgment & consideratiō of all , with my hearty prayers as for my owne soule , that every one for their proper good ( touching the premisses in each particuler ) may rightly discern betweene things that differ , and impartially prefer those that excell . what have i now done ? is there not a cause ? . sam. . . finis . the present state of the princes and republicks of italy with observations on them / written originally in english by j. gailhard ... gailhard, j. (jean) approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing g estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the present state of the princes and republicks of italy with observations on them / written originally in english by j. gailhard ... gailhard, j. (jean) the second edition corrected and enlarged [ ], p. printed for john starkey ..., london : . "licensed, roger l'estrange" --p. [ ]. pages and misnumbered as and , respectively. reproduction of original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng popes -- election. italy -- history -- - . italy -- kings and rulers. spain -- social life and customs. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the present state of the princes and republicks of italy , vvith observations on them . the second edition corrected and enlarged , with the mamnner of the election of popes , and a character of spain . written originally in english by j. gailhard , gent. london , printed for john starkey , at the miter near temple-bar in fleet-street , . to the right honourable , robert , earl of sunderland , baron spencer of wormleighton . my lord. 't is usual with some when they publish any of their works , to pretend they were forced to it by the importunity of friends , which is often true , and sometimes it is allowable ; but 't is no great modesty to boast of it upon every occasion . others do prefix to their books , to give them credit , the name of some considerable person ; this is well done , if the worth of the piece be any wayes suitable to the qualifications of that person ; else ( to speak in solomons words ) it will be as a jewel of gold in a swines snout . i hope , my lord , i have at present in some measure hit upon that necessary proportion ; your lordship is in every account one of the most eminent noblemen of the kingdome , and my subject ( though i handle it with several defects and imperfections ) is of potent princes and republicks , a hard task indeed it is ; for when a private man is to speak of the persons and actions of kings and princes , specially of so many as i have occasion to mention , he walks upon the edge of rocks and precipices ; for of one side princes are jealous of their authority , and the people of their liberty ; on the other , if he gives monarchies such commendations as that manner of government deserves , he must be careful to say nothing to the disparagement of republicks : every one of these governments is good in it's kind , yet not in every countrey , only as it sutes the temper and constitution of the people ; but i cannot forbear to say , that monarchy hath of all governments most conformity to the pattern of all , or to the empire which god hath over the world. 't is not an easie matter to speak of a subject which hath been treated of by several others , however there are different wayes to do it , and new observations may produce new notions . sometimes one hath occasion to tell his opinion of things , and herein he is himself liable to the censure of thousands of different judgement and affections ; but as these things are unavoidable to those who appear in publick ; so they ought to be resolved to undergo any thing of that kind : the approbation of such persons as your lordship , is that which writers should mind most of all , and use their utmost care to obtain . 't is a known truth , and i declare it , my lord , that your natural parts , joyned to the experience you have gained by your travels , have fitted your lordship to pass a judicious sentence upon any thing that deserves it . i say nothing in this relation , but what your lordship hath more accurately by far , & more exactly observed : you have been , my lord , upon the places highly esteemed by some princes who knew your worth and quality , and where to my own knowledge ( if i may so say ) you omitted nothing that might conduce to the improvement of your self , as a person who by vertue of your birth , parts and merits , will find no imployment in your countrey too high for you , when some occasion shall be offered for your prince to do you that favour and justice ; to the end , the nation may have some benefit of that treasure of wisdome and experience which is in you ; and i in particular the satisfaction to see your lordship as great as you deserve ; which is the earnest desire of my lord , your lordships most humble and devoted servant , gailhard . to the reader . wonderfull and much to be admired is the goodnesse and wisdome of god , in that various distribution he hath made of his favours to nations and countries , for the benefit of humane society , that men seeing every where some tokens of his goodnesse , after a serious reflection on the same , they should reduce all to that ultimate end , which is to give him glory and praises for it . non omnis fert omnia tellus , so that one country lies under a kind of necessity of keeping correspondency with another , either for necessary or for delightfull things , if not for the being , yet for the well-being ; for this end hath the art of navigation been discovered , trade ( which makes countries so flourishing ) settled , and all manner of correspondency kept between those who live at a distance . i do not deny but that it is convenient to have things brought home to us out of forreign parts , without taking any pains , or running any hazzard , yet to have things right , we must go to fetch them upon the places where they are produced ; 't is best to have things at the first hand , and to have pure water , we must go to the spring , if it can conveniently be done , for it looses something of it's worth , either through the defect of the vessell , or some other accident , if it be brought to us : we observe in vegetables , if they be transplanted , after a while they degenerate , and loose part of their vertue , the climate and the soyle are not so sutable to their nature as that wherein they grew ; no balm was so good as that which was in gilead ; that vine-tree which in one place doth produce good grapes , in another will yield nothing but wild grapes . experience also doth demonstrate this in sensitive creatures , horses and dogs , when carried from their own climate , loose their good qualities , at the furthest at the second or third breed . this holds in rational creatures ; we know there are nations which for the generality have quicker apprehension , and sharper wit than others , yet let a man remove from his native countrey , when he hath been any considerable while in another , his temper will be like that of those amongst whom he lives , imperceptibly such an alteration is wrought , so that he will grow dull and flegmatick if the climate bears it ; this may be caused by a constant conversation with people of that constitution ; by the very diet , for those aliments which are course , make gross and thick bloud , which doth not breed quick and lively spirits ; and a man by the change of air , will find a great alteration in himself ; the breathing of a pure air refreshes the lungs , chears up the heart , and upon a suddain inspires an inward joy , which can hardly be expressed : in this i speak after my own experience , i specially took notice of it when i came to puzzuolo and baya in italy , neither was i alone to make that observation , which obliged me to think that there had been a particular reason of this nature , why some roman emperours , and others of the greatest persons amongst them , took such a delight to be there . 't was in such places as this , and tivoly , with the like , that cicero , virgil , and other eminent men for learning , composed the greatest part of those works which to this day we have amongst us . that which i have said of low and mechanicall things , will hold in those of a more noble and higher nature . what merchants do for their profit , gentlemen ought to do for their honour ; the one brings riches into his countrey , the other ought to bring good observations and maximes that may contribute to the good order and right government of his nation , if by his quality or abilities he comes to be called to havè a share in it . the great law givers in greece , sent into several parts of the world those who gathered for them the quintessence of those laws which other nations enjoyed . the romans in the times of the decemvirs did the same , and others have followed their example ; 't is true , one must be very judicious and skilful in the application of the same ; for every law doth not suite every nation ; but i say , that mutatis mutandis , there is never a monarchy , aristocracy , or democracy , but they may make an exchange of some of their laws and customes : monarchy may afford democracy some beneficial statutes , so may well regulated democracy to monarchy ; for all governments , by what name soever distinguished , have or ought to have , but one and the same end , which is self preservation first , and then the promoting of publick good , every one in his station and calling , although these different governments use different means and waies to come to that end . out of this i suppose 't will appear to any rational man how necessary and beneficial travelling is to the compleating of a gentleman , if it be well directed and improved ; and as nations are obliged to those merchants , who through many and great hazzards do bring home the best of other countries to inrich their own , certainly they must needs be much beholden to those patriots , who have been at charges and pains to collect and bring them those wholesome counsels , by the right use of which they may secure themselves in the enjoyment of their plenty , riches and happiness , to the preventing of disturbances which might happen to arise against it : it ought therefore to be the endeavours , as it is the duty , of every one to fit himself as much as he can for the service of his king and countrey . i said just now , how beneficial travelling is , if one hath good directions ; this lays an engagement upon me to say something to that effect for the satisfaction of those who stay at home , and for the instruction of them who go abroad ; not that i think my self wise enough to advise others ; only i say my naturall propensity joyned to that manner of life i have led hitherto , hath much inclined me to travel into most parts of europe , wherein i have spent most of my time ; but whether this hath fitted me to give my opinion upon this subject , i am not to be the judge : however i dare say 't is difficult for a gentleman , let him have never so good parts , to get any considerable benefit by his travels upon his first going abroad , except he hath along with him the advice of one who knows countries and fashions ; for the time allowed him to stay abroad is almost expired , before he can recover himself of the surprizal and astonishment which daily difficulties and inconveniences have cast him into : but when he is to act according to advice , and this advice is grounded upon knowledge and experience , he will find his task more easie , more pleasant and more profitable . and here i must say something in general of those who undertake to be such directors , which may well be applyed to all sorts of persons . god , whom men pray ( or ought to pray ) every day to give them their daily bread , hath commanded them to work for it , and he who doth not work , ought not to eat , as the apostle saith . as the difference of faces , and the diversity of tempers in men do express the wisdome of god , so doth that variety of employments which he calls them to , according to their genius , inclination and abilities in some measure to perform their undertakings : let every one abide in that whereunto he is called , saith st. paul. ; so that men ought to follow it after they have imbraced it , either out of choice or by necessity , especially if besides the benefit they reap by it , they are any wayes usefull to others knowing we are born not so much for our selves , as for others ; and though a constant kind of employment be necessary for one , yet this doth not exclude the use of that capacity he may have to several sorts of calling , it being well for those who have many strings to their bow , that if one breaks the other may be useful . men must ever be doing something , if it were for nothing else but to keep themselves from idleness , which is the mother of vice. but to come to that kind of employment which gives occasion to this discourse , 't is usually attended with great and many difficulties , besides the hazzards which one runs in forreign countries ; for if dangers come often to men when they are at home , what will it be when they go as it were to meet with them , when almost every day they see men of all nations , and of all sorts of tempers : certainly one must very much excercise his prudence in avoiding the perils he meets withall , and must have much courage to come off when they be unavoidable , but above all , an extraordinary protecting providence of god is absolutely necessary : yet there are more uncomfortable difficulties to struggle withal , than are the fore-expressed . the extravagancy of a young man , who will not be advised by a governour , nor ruled by a father ; this governour is to please a father who loves to spare , and a son who delights to spend , a father who would have him to learn and improve himself , and a son who in his travels hath no other end but to take his pleasure ; and after he hath fenced a long while against the wild nature , the vicious inclination and unreasonableness of a son , he is also exposed to the hardness and unthankfulness of parents . i have wondred at many who take this charge upon themselves , and consider not whether they be qualified for it , when no honest man will undertake any thing , except he knows himself in some measure able to perform it : 't is enough for them to know they shall thereby get a competent allowance , to run headlong upon any employment that lies in their way ; how can they expect in conscience or reason , that a young gentleman can improve under their conduct , that his relations can have any satisfaction , or themselves get thereby any credit or reputation , if they have no capacity somewhat suitable to their undertakings ? for how can such a one be able to direct another how to benefit himself , and to travel in forreign parts , except he hath some knowledge of the language of the countrey , and fashions ? every nation hath some particular vices and virtues , the one to be avoided , and the other learned ; what these things are i must be told , and how can be that knows it not tell me of it ? this ignorance will make him contemptible to me , and he must learn it himselfe before he can teach it me ; so that for the whole time allowed to travel , he is onely a learner who should have been a teacher . i am a bashful english man , i will learn confidence , and a handsome carriage in france , so riding the great horse , fencing , dancing , and other bodily exercises which contribute to compleat a gentleman , thence if i pass into italy , that air will fix the french quick-silver , there i will learn sobriety , frugality , and to be circumspect in words and actions , so musick picture drawing , architecture , &c. yet i must have some knowledge of persons and places , of whom and where these things may be learned best of all ; i must know also how to benefit my self in going by , or staying at a place . 't is not enough for a gentleman to say , in such a city there is a stately church , a fine palace , and the ruines of a most antient amphitheater ; this i confess ought to be taken notice of : but further , i must observe the quality of the climate , and of the soyle , the scituation of the countrey , and ( if i understand fortifications . ) the strength and the weakness of the cities and countries i go through , and take notice of the advantage or disadvantage of rivers , ways , and grounds ; so i must be acquainted with their manners , forces , riches , and wherein they consist , to see whether any thing out of it may be useful to my countrey ; but above all i must observe their government , and if it be possible their mysteries of state , so i must endeavour to know the persons and qualifications of princes and ministers of state , and any thing else that may be both for my own benefit , and the service of my countrey ; so at length my travels having ripened my judgement , quickned my apprehension , and sharpned my wit , i shall not be unprofitable , nor of the number of those the poet speaks of , nos numerus sumus fruges consumere nati . this i do insist upon , not to boast of any abilities of my own , for i ingeniously confess my weakness in this , yet i profess a desire to learn it , though it was for no other end than to impart it to others , that with me they may reap some benefit of it ; this i say still , that another cannot teach me that which he knows not , but his knowledge , experience and practice of any thing enables him to infuse it into me ; and indeed 't is a fault i have accidently observed in some when they be in a strange countrey , they keep company with none but the masters of their exercises , they ought indeed constantly to follow these exercises , but if they see no body else , at last they will learn to dance , to fence , &c. and nothing else ; they ought to make acquaintance with men of quality , and frequent their company ; of them a handsome carriage and good fashions are to be learned , they must also take care to finde themselves company for their honest pleasures , and lawful recreations ; but a hateful thing it is to see one brought up in a timorous and pendantical way , which makes a gentleman unfit for any thing of concernment ; a gentleman must be taught as to do no wrong , so to suffer no wrong as long as his honour is concerned in it , for he is not worthy to live who prefers his life to his honour ; not that imaginary honour as 't is conceived in these dayes , but that honour which is really so , not contrary to our duty to god , or obedience to superiours ; therefore a great wisdome is required in the use of a bridle or of a spur to work upon youth , to infuse courage into them , so as not to make them rash , and so to curb them , as not to dishearten them . but i am carried further than i intended upon this subject , 't is time to speak directly to my present design ; i give thee reader , the present state of the princes , and republicks of italy : 't is a worthy subject , if we consider their number , jealousies , and policy ; 't is certainly one of the most politick nations of the world , and i doubt very much whether any other can compare to it . what i express is gotten not so much by reading , as by travelling upon the places , seeing and conversing for a competent time with those who were able to instruct me : some things also are of my own particular observation . in the following discourse , i do not speak of the scituation , or of the boot-like shape of italy , which any ordinary mappe can shew ; to mention the quality of the climate , or of the soyle of every part of that garden of europe , 't would prove tedious , and contrary to the narrow bounds i doe here prescribe my self . the manners of the inhabitants , their outward form of government , their riches , force and religion , are matters for historians ; hence it is that i do not insist upon descriptions , however that which i thought fit to be known upon the matter in hand i express ; i think ( i know not whether i am mistaken ) that the variety i use in it will please thee , for in some parts i insist upon the person of the prince , in others upon the manners of the inhabitants , and in some others i briefly mention what is particular in their government ; so that i have not a constant or affected method ; contrariwise i endeavour some time to conceal it : upon every particular , i speak , either that onely which i thought necessary to be known , and so i passed by some things i could have told , or i speak according to the degree of knowledge i had of the thing ; and if amongst a thousand things unprofitable , there be but one useful , i will not grudge my time nor my pains . j. g. licensed roger l'estrange . the present state of italy . that must needs be a rare countrey which is pleasant and plentiful , watered with many rivers ; at the season adorned with corn in the fields , and grass in the meddows , with delightful land-skips , that in most parts hath a wholesome air , that abounds in strong and stately cities , where the eye is delighted with most sumptuous buildings , recreated with variety of pictures and statues , the ear pleased with as great a variety of harmonious musick as can be upon earth ; where the palate is satisfied with the best fruits , and other delicacies , and the rarest wines of europe ; where in a certain season , the nose enjoyes the sweet smell of orange and jasmin flowers , which lay over head or under feet ; and at the same time , and in the same place to behold fine perspectives , and hear the murmur of several fountain waters : in a word , that countrey which produces plenty , and variety to please all the senses , and which hath the alpes of one side for walls , and the sea on the other for bounds , must needs be an excellent country ; such is italy . the length of it , is a thousand miles , or thereabouts ; beginning from susa , a town cited at the foot of the alpes , at the coming into piemont , and ending at reggio , in the furthest parts of calabri , in the kingdom of naples . as to the breadth , 't is more or less , according to the places , it being not full four hundred any where , nor less than sixteen . parts of france and savoy lay on the west of it , parts of germany , namely , tyrot and swisserland on the north , and the mediteranian sea on the east and south , though for distinction , some call the one jonian , and adriatick ; and the other tirrenean : most passages into italy , are hard and difficult . the whole country which we call italy , is , by the italians themselves , divided into italy , the kingdom , and lombardy ; italy comprehends the dominions of the pope , of the grand duke , and of luca. naples is that which they call the kingdom , and lombardy contains great part of the state of venice , the dukedoms of milan , mantua , parma , monferrat , piemont , and the state of genoa . but to make use of the ancient division , and to descend to particulars ; i say , that in italy some are great princes , considering the extend of their dominions ; and others of an inferiour orb , may be called petty princes : the former sort come to the number of seven , and with the four republicks , to eleven . the pope , king of spain , dukes of savoy , tuscany , mantoa , parma , modena ; for though some do reckon the bishop of trent , which stands between the venetians and tyrol , yet being a prince of the empire , having a perpetual alliance with the house of austria , and often of the same family , he may be taken for a german more than for an italian prince ; and seeing little can be said concerning him , we shall pass it by to come to the republicks ; which are venice , genoa , luca , and san marino : for the order of precedency , venice hath place after spain , genoa after tuscany , though they pretend to be used as crowned heads , being masters of corcica , formerly a kingdom ; the other two republicks take place after all the forenamed princes , who also do not agree amongst themselves about precedency ; tuscany pretends it from savoy , though he be much inferiour in antiquity , and extent of dominions ; and mantoa from tuscany , neither will modena yield it to some named before him . i should also say , that france having acquired pignorolo , a door into italy , and a strong place , from the duke of savoy , that king having an interest in italy , is to be reckoned amongst the princes of it . the state of rome . the pope hath great dominions conveniently seated to disturb others , specially , naples ; for all from ostia , upon the coasts of the mediterranean sea , to loretto , ancona , &c. is his : all the lands together are called , lo stato della chiesa , in particular , old latium , now campagna romana , il patrimonio , di san pietro , of which the chief city is viterbo , part of ancient tuscany , terra sabina , umbria , ducato di spoletto , la marca di ancona , la romagna , il ducato di urbino , ducato di ferrara , perugia , orvieto , and bolognese ; he is soveraign of naples , and sicily , which he gives the investiture of , and receives homage for , as he doth for the dukedoms of parma and piacenza , pretending the same over the islands of sardegna and corcica : he is in possession of the dukedom and city of benevento in the kingdom of naples , and he pretends that in time of minority of the kings of spain , he hath right to govern that kingdom by a legat : he also enjoyes the county of avignon in france , and ceneda within the state of venice . these countries , ( i mean those who are united together ) especially from ancona to ravenna and ferrara all along the coasts of the gulfe of venice , do afford good souldiers , which upon case of an urging necessity may be gathered to about the number of , though foot and horse , as had clement the th . in the war of ferrara , were much to be kept on foot any long while : urban the th . in the war of parma had , but if the whole countrey was in armes , then 't would be upon . the pope indeed may be accounted , as he is really , a strong prince , which strength consists in the extent of his territories , in their scituation , being all united , and there being no safe nor convenient places towards the mediterranean , to make any landing ; and towards the gulf they trust to the venetians , who are to keep it clear ; upon which condition they are acknowledged to be the lords of these seas ; further all along the coasts of the mediterranean , and the whole campagna romana , there is a bad air , which would soon work upon any army , either in spring , summer , or autumn : this strength further consists in the temper of his subjects and soldiers , who are esteemed to be the best foot in italy : the italian proverb calls them , the best of soldiers , but the worst of subjects : so this strength consists in his strong holds , as ferrara , bologna , fortezza urbana , &c. in his arsenals , or magazeens of arms ; the vatican or st. peter hath for men , in the castle st. angelo for , in ancona for , in ravenna for , in ferrara , and bologna for , and a new one a making at tivoly , by the late don morto's order , for men , with . pieces of ordnance , where he employed continually above men , so that they are spread up and down the countrey to arme the people upon occasion to the number of men . upon the mediterranean he keeps five gallies , which harbour in civita vecchia , they are not handsome , nor very good , but are well maned . but that which another way strengthens much the pope , is , that respect and devotion which popish princes and states bear him , acknowledging him ( though falsly ) to be the vicary of christ , god on earth , and the head of their religion ; so that if a prince had seized upon any of his dominions , the pope who had provoked him to make war being dead , it would be restored to the new elected , all of them being perswaded , that it were a sacriledge , to detain from that church , that which did belong to it ; besides that every prince of that religion intending any such thing , would find it to be a hard work ; for the pope hath ever an army quartered upon their land , which are that vast number of secular priests , and regular friars , who depend on the pope upon several accounts , who having all sworn an obedience to their generals , who usually kept at rome , they would act according to the orders sent them from thence . so that having their pulpits , confessions , and introduction into houses of all ranks , they could make strange worke ; hence to me doth appear the happiness of those princes , who having shaken off that roman yoke , and turned out those emissaries , are freed of those dangers , which those of that religion are exposed to , though often they are liable to their private attempts . another politick strength of popes , consists in the colledge of cardinals , who are most of them chosen , either to gratifie princes , or who depend upon princes , ( without whose knowledge princes hardly resolve any thing of importance about popes ) or else are relations to princes ; and it is certain , when these princes interests come to be in competition with the pope's and churches , this last swayes with them above all , because every one of these cardinals is not without hope of being chosen pope one time or other . now i say , that popes , as they are temporal princes , though they be elective , ought to have that respect which deserveth the character which god hath set upon the forehead of soveraigns ; but as he is a tyrant over the church , and an usurper over the heritage of the lord ; all good christians and reasonable men ought to abhor him , not his person , but that tyranny , usurpation , and unlawful actions of his . i said , that or men , is a great number to be kept on foot by popes any long while ; not for want of monies , for as sixtus quartus used to say , the church can never want money in her purse , as long as the pope doth hold a pen in his hand . indeed , besides the ordinary income to the camera , for the occasions of the church ( so they call that state ) the office of the diataria , brings to popes for their own use , exceeding great treasures out of all parts , which own his religion ; besides the private wayes they have to get monies , of which i shall speak ; some reckon that popes have l. sterling a day , besides the casual incomes , which are very great : every time a legat a latere is sent abroad , he is allowed l. sterling a day : for proof of this vast revenues , sixtus the th , who reigned but five years of a poor countrey family peretti , yet he builded the palace of st. john of lateran , began that of monte-cavallo , fortified civita vecchia , built many colledges , made chargeable aqueducts ; did many other costly works and reparations , wherein 't is thought he spent a matter of millions of crowns , or upon millions of english pounds , and left f●ve millions of crowns in the castle of st. angelo , and did not charge his people with heavy taxes ; and then the popes had not the dukedom of urbino , nor that of ferrara , and in a time that reformation was carried on in a great measure in these three kingdoms , france , holland , switzerland , germany , sweden , denmark , and other parts of the north. and paul the th . who indeed reigned longer , left to the prince of salmona , one of his nephews , crowns a day , besides what he gave to several others of his relations . and gregory the th . of the family of ludovisio , reigned only one year and a moneths , and left to his family crowns a year , or and l. besides . thus as popes are temporal princes , so they lay taxes upon their subjects , and heavy ones too . the late popes , since his falling out with france , within the space of two years , laid gables or taxes upon sorts of commodities , which were free before : so 't was done upon the soldiers , kept within the state , for every common soldier was taxed one crown of his yearly pay , which came to between and crowns , according to their number ; and the whole people in the city and country were exceedingly oppressed : the selling of offices is now a setled custom in the court of rome , which is very beneficial to popes : i shall give but an instance of the camera apostolica , or the apostolick chamber ; the places of the treasurer general , and of the auditor , are sold for crowns a piece . there are twelve places of chierici , clarks worth a piece ; the presidents is , and so of others : the two forenamed offices are the next step to the cardinal ; so that if the pope will have crowns he makes cardinals those who have them , and from others he finds ready money for the places . and what shall we say to that vast treasure of loretto , which is inesteemable : every week , nay , almost every day , one gift or other is brought to it from kings , queens , princes , and other great persons , cities , and particular men ; they have whole chambers full of gold and silver plate ; but this is nothing to that vast number of diamonds , and other precious stones , which they keep in a place made a purpose : in the castle of st. angelo , are ever millions of gold , and one and a half in jewels . were it not for want of exercise of the protestant religion , rome is as fit a place to lead a quiet and a contented life , as any is in the world , a man may live there as he pleases ; and no body meddle with him ; offend no body , and no body will offend you ; and though the inquisition be there , strangers are not troubled with it , except they speak against their religion , which it were a great imprudence to do ; 't were a madness for a man to go tell the pope he is antichrist , this were to tempt god , and contrary to the wisdom of the serpent , which is commanded us . 't is an old and common saying ; cum fueris romae , romano vivito more , &c. a stranger and a traveller must be all eyes , and all ears , but hardly any tongue at all , he must hear , he must see , and hold his peace . i say , at rome there is a very great liberty ; if a protestant pleases , all lent he may eat flesh , by the means of a license , which he may get for two shillings ; you are not obliged to go to mass , to confession , nor to any of their superstitious wayes . one thing there is , which a stranger may do to satisfie his curiosity , which is , to go to their stationi , as they call it , that is , their devotions to certain churches , which happens in one or other every week , where is a great concourse of people of all sorts , and constantly excellent good musick ; so every saturday at the cardinal padrone's , the popes nephew , lodging at monte-cavallo , all men of good fashion use to meet , to tell and hear news ; so one day or other in the week , people use to meet at the pallace of the preferto of the church , which is either the popes brother or nephew . so at monte-cavallo , the popes palace ; when the consistory of cardinals is kept . so one may have the company one time or other of their academists or virtuosi , which in rome are of three sorts , humoristi , lincei , eantastici . one thing more is , to follow the corteggio of some cardinal and ambassadour first for protection ; for if any mischance should befall a man , when 't is known such a gentleman is of the corteggio of such a cardinal , he is respected , and no harm done to him without the leave of such a protecture , into whose house one may fly for sanctuary . secondly , going with them ( after the warning you have of it at your lodging ) when they receive or make visits , or go to their audience , one may see their formalities and ceremonies which are very great ; they never visit one another but they send before , one to know whether such a one be disposed to receive the visit of another at such an hour , and as italians , give high names to things ; they call this ambassage . further , they receive not at the same time visits from two persons ; it must be known also , whether such a person intends to come incognito , or whether he will be known , which only consists in the putting on or off of a superfluous garment , and the loops which are about the horses heads , which are of gold , if the cardinal be a prince , a roman baron , or of the family of a duke and peer of france , or other kingdoms ; so that according as they come , they are received nearer the stairs , and with more ceremonies , for every step they are to make is regulated , and they would not go an inch further ; so that all that passes between them , is more belle parole then realities ; i say , belle parole , not onely because they be complements , but also they are accurate expressions , well pronounced , according to their proverb , lingua toscana in bocca romana . one thing i must needs observe of their civility to strangers who are of their own corteggio , that although they know them to be protestants , yet they never trouble them with any discourse of religion . 't is certain , that this court is as politick as any in the world , and where by a reflection you may know all what passes in europe : for no prince in the world hath better intelligencies then the ' pope , who hath legates or nuncio's in most courts , and spies every where . cardinals do receive their letters from the courts of the princes whose interests they own ; and the general of every regular order being usually at rome , and receiving a constant weekly intelligence out of all those parts where are any of his order ; and sometimes from the confessors to kings , queens , and other high persons , do signifie what things they hear , to the pope . one may judge of this by what they do at home ; that which is to be admired at rome , is that exceeding great number of spies under pay , which are there up and down in all houses , publick places , and at every corner , the pope hath his ; every cardinal , and princes ( i put them before , for they take place of them ) have theirs ; one cardinal and prince will have his spie in the house of another , though some of them go like gentlemen of good fashion ; and others who are of a higher form keep their coaches ; some of them have keys to come in at any hour by the back door to the persons whose spies they are . some as staffieri , or footmen , serve strangers ; others are masters of excercises , nay , several cortegiane or prostitute women are under pay ; so that by these means , no particular business comes to pass , but 't is presently known . one day i had occasion to enquire for a mean person about an ordinary business , very far from my lodging , and from that of a third person concerned in 't , in a corner of a street , one that was with me inquiring for such a one , in came to us an unknown man , who stood by , i admired to hear him say , what , you look for him about such a thing , he is gone to such a place : every one of their great men who know this custome , do suspect every new servant they take . i have been told by a person who stood by , that the late duke cezarini , sent one day for a notaro ( or one of those scriveners , who kept the list of some spies ) whom he trusted , and haveing shewed him the names of all his domesticks , how doth it go said he ? the other answered , well ; then said he , 't is a wonder , i am here the only man ; this language is obscure , but he who stood by , knew the meaning of it . as to strangers , none come to rome , but 't is presently known who it is , whence he comes , what company he frequents , and the like . not long since i hapned to be at rome , at the same time that there was a considerable number of english-men ; the late pope told an english priest , and an english gentleman , who being a papist , went thither for devotion sake , that he wondered , that some of the english men that were then in town , did not come to his palace upon the dayes he gave audience , though it was but for curiosity ; but said he , i know they are so taken up to drink , that they have no time to spare : he was well informed , yet this did not proceed from any contempt he had for the nation ; contrariwise he used to speak with respect of england , calling it the land of wonders : though this may be ambiguous , yet i believe he took it in a good sence , and he hath expressed the desire he had to have come to see it when he was nuncio in germany , if he could have done it with safety . in rome are to be seen several ancient and modern curiosities ; there are particular guides for antiquities , the modern do consist in churches , palaces , houses of pleasure , called villa , where you may see the utmost of art in architecture , pictures , statues , gardens , water-works ; so there are libraries , as that of the vatican , enriched with a number of excellent books , and rare manuscripts in several tongues , and increased with the ruines of that of heildelberg , and with that of urbino : this library can be compared to none but that of oxford , yet with some difference : there are also private libraries and cabinets , of all , which as of the curiosities of tivoly and frescati , places . and . miles from the city , there are exact relations in their language , so that it were needless for me to name or to describe any . therefore i come to speak how popes stand affected to their neighbours ; some grounds of this might have been laid formerly , when the apostolick chamber had the direction of affairs : but since popes are come to be so absolute , that the chamber must do almost all what they please , now their interest , natural in●●ination , fancy or capricio , as they call it ; and sometimes the suggestions of a kinsman and favourite , such as was don mario , though 't was a woman , as don olympia , are the rule of it . some popes have had fallings out with the venetians , as had paul the th . concerning ecclesiastical jurisdiction , and other things ; clement the th . with the dukes of modena about ferrara ; urban the th . with the duke of parma about castro ; and so of late cardinal franciotti , bishop of luca , was like to be the occasion of a great falling out between the pope and that republick . urban the th . was a great friend to france , but not to spain , nor to the grand duke . innocent the th . the half of his reign was for spain , and then he turned to the french ; and the late alexander th . was all along an enemy to france , chiefly upon the account of mazarini , whom he hated with all his heart ; but the present pope carries himself even between all , although before his election he were suspected to be partial for spain , but upon no sollid grounds ; for those who pretend to the popedome stand neutrals , and declare themselves of no party the maximes of pope's are different , according to their interest and temper ; so that this being an elective dignity , no general rule but this can be given , that all endeavour to raise their families to honour and riches ; however their raggioni di stato are , to hinder naples from falling into the emperours hands : for clement the th . made penance for the fault which leon the th . had committed to favour charles the th . a second maxime is , still to give hopes of being promoted , to the dignity of a cardinal to those potent prelates that are at rome , and elsewhere , to keep them in dependency , and from discontents and disturbances . another is to confine the number of cardinals to . which was an invention of sixtus quintus , to avoid the importunities of several princes , who solicited him to confer that dignity upon some whom he would not bring into the colledge . of the same nature as this is , another arcano di stato , concerning the examen of bishops , which was ordered by clement the th . to stop the designes of princes , who intended to promote to prelacy many of their creatures : for then they had been ashamed to present those who had no learning , nor other qualifications fit for the place . a further secret of state is , that of the bull of residency , whereby bishops are obliged to reside in their bishopricks ; by the means of this , popes do remove from their court those cardinals and others whom they dislike : by these means urban the th . kept out of rome cardinal borgia , and others of the spanish faction , who spoke too boldly to him : so did alexander the th . keep away cardinal rossetti , who stifly opposed his election . a further maxime of theirs is , to refer to congregations , the demands of princes about ecclesiastical laws , jurisdiction , and other things which popes are not willing to grant , for so they lay the denial upon others . another raggioni di stato , is , that cardinals may not go out of the state of the church without leave from the pope , for so they prevent those counsels and assemblies before the which formerly they have at several times been summoned to appear . further , as former popes have humbled and brought down those noble and potent families that were in rome , which had given a great deal of trouble to their predecessors ; so at present popes keep them low ; by which means , they have so degenerated , that instead of those great and brave captains , now out of these families come out idle , vicious , and effeminate persons . lastly , t is a very politick maxime of popes , to send their legate to princes , to pacifie the quarrels arising between them , although they know 't will effect nothing at all ; and that sometimes 't is their interest that such quarrels should last , for hereby they shew themselves to be zealous of the publick good and peace ; and thus they maintain themselves the arbiters of princes . the cardinals nephews have also their particular maximes , namely to keep from preferment , and to remove from the pope's person those whom they do not affect : on the contrary , to raise to dignities , and to procure places of trust to their friends and creatures . publick ministers at that court know so well the jealousie of nephews , who will have nothing communicated to popes , but by their means , that usually they impart first to them , that which they are to speak of to the pope , and commonly they give them an account of what answer they had , taking cardinal padrons lodging from the popes in their way homewards . a policy of the cardinals , who are contrary to the court , is to get some eminent one disaffected as they are , to be their head ; and now 't is a custome passed as it were into a law , to choose none but italians to be popes . before the late election , the colledge of cardinals was divided into the ghigian party , which were all the creatures or friends of alexander the th . six of them are of siena , the city he was born in , the squadra volante , the flying squadron composed of the creatures of innocent the th who having left no cardinal of his name or family , cardinal imperiale was look't upon as the head of them , and most part of these were brought in to this present pope by azzolino , one of their chief members ; but the d. party was that of barbirini francesco the dean of the colledge being the head , and several of urbans creatures the members with some others , who being poor , received pensions from francesco ; now a fourth part is rising , which is that of the present pope . before i leave this subject , i must say something of him ; he is called clemene the th . which name he took , as he assured the princess of rossano , out of respect he doth bear to the memory of clement the th . aldobrandin ; his name is giulio rospigliosi of pistoia , an indifferent good city , about miles from florence , and in the grand dukes dominions . this man was chosen the last year , in the . of his age ; he was employed as nuncio in spain , and then by the late pope was chosen secretary of state ; he had a very sore fit of sickness a little while afore the pope died ; he was once given over by physicians , and when he came to recover , and before the popes death , he had thoughts to leave his place . he is a man of a middle stature , and very gray ; being a cardinal , he was accounted a wise statesman , and of great parts ; i say he was , for i cannot tell whether he doth or will continue so , for often have we seen in that place that honours have changed manners ; as it was well observed of the late pope alexander , of whom it was said , as of galba , he had been worthy of reigning , if he had not reigned ; dignus imperio , sinon imperasset ; and of all other sayings , this most of all was fastned upon him ; he was maximus in minimis , and minimus in maximis . this pope , since his election to that dignity , hath made a judicious creation of cardinals ; he hath chosen his own nephew to express his affection to him ; the late pope's nephew , don sigismond , to express his thankfulness for the obligations he had to that family ; and herein he hath given an example contrary to that so much blamed of innocent the th . who did so bitterly persecute the relations of his predecessor . the third cardinal created , is leopold , of the family medici : thus he hath repaired the fault of alexander , acknowledged the kindness he received from the grand duke in the late conclave , and shews that he remembers he hath been his subject : further , this pope hath done two things contrary to the practices of his predecessor , who , at the beginning , would own none of his relations , nor have them about his person , or raise them to preferments , till he seemed to be forced to it by the earnest solicitations , and constant importunities of cardinals , and publick ministers ; yet it is well known how indulgent to them he hath been all along ; therefore , said the romans , alexander was as good as his word , that he would not receive his relations at rome , for he went to do it at castle gandolfo , a house of pleasure . miles from it : but the present pope sent for his immediately after his election , and would make no new creation ( as they call it ) of cardinals , nor distribute several favours till his nephew was come back to rome , that others might have to him the obligation of it : the other thing he hath done is , that he hath suppressed in part those heavy taxes which his predecessour , or don mario , hath laid on the people ; this hath much gotten him the love of his subjects . should i now go about to give a character of don camillo his brother , his nephews , and other relations , it would be too much like a relation , therefore i forbear it ; and indeed i have been so long upon this particular , that i must be shorter in what follows . in rome are still some noble and ancient families , as colonna , which do possess three principalities , ursini hath two more . savelli , whereof the chief is perpetual marshal of the church , and prince of la rizza , bought by the late pope , and of albano . muti , duke of that name , and prince of rignano , cezarini , prince of jansano and ardea . conti , of which is the present duke pauli . caetanis of which is the prince of caserta , son to the duke of sermonetta . frangipani , which is extinct , for the late marquess left out one daughter , who hath been married to one of the name , who lives in hungary . the others are bentivogli , baglioni , peppuli , vitelli , &c. the new families , to begin with that which now rules , are , rospigliosi , ghigi , pansilio , barberini , ludovisio , borghese , altemps , cezi , farneze , aldobrandini , buoncompagnio , &c. raised by popes of th●ir family , as now rospigliosi of clement the th . ghigi of alexander the th &c. matthei also , and lanti both dukes in rome , are both of good famiies . but now clement the th . is dead , after somewhat above two years reign ; he was old and weak , but the loss of candia , hath probably hastened his death : his relations had no time to rise very high , and they must leave the place to his kinsman , who is now to be chosen pope : about whose election the conclave is now much divided ; the factions being great and stiff , every one driving on her interest and advantage . the cardinals amongst themselves being divided into four parties , because they are all the creatures of so many popes , urban the th . innocent the th . alexander the th . and clement the th . besides the grand dukes interest is great in the conclave : the spanish is considerable in number , by reason of many of his subjects in 't ; but as cardinals mind themselves more than the crowns ; and as spain is not mony'd , very probably many will fall off : on the other side , the french having some of the best head-pieces in the conclave , and ready monys , will go very far ; and because the last time they were disappointed , and could not raise farnese to the popedome , they will strive very hard for it . the emperour , and king of poland have also their parties among the cardinals , but not considerable in themselves , only they may joyn with others . these princes , as the french and spanish crowns interests , are managed by those cardinals who are their protectors , and the ambassadours who are at rome : of late the crown of portugal is also come in . there are also those cardinals called neutrals , of those , who pretending to the popedome , declare themselves ( at least , not openly ) for no party . cardinals first of all were called roman priests , sent by popes , to preach and do other offices in the churches , who owned their authorities : there were but six upon their first institution . calpurnius poncinus , in the year . raised their number to , so by degrees they were . but as popes may alter the orders of their predecessors , so they have lessened , or increased this number . they were very inferiour in dignity to bishops , to whom , and to the people the election belonged formerly ; but innocent the d . gave it wholly , and only to cardinals , in the year . yet left it at their liberty to choose one of their number , or another prelate . but in the year . paul the d . ordered that none but a cardinal should be chosen pope . innocent the th . was the man , who in the year , . altered the precedency between bishops and cardinals , to the advantage of the last : the same gave them the red hat : bonifacius the th . the habite : and paul the d . the cap of scarlet : to shew , ( as they say ) how ready they are to shed their blood for the service of the church ; though i think , that this colour and purple which they use too , are to set forth their pomp and magnificence . these cardinals are chosen by the pope , according to his intimation , and some few upon the commendation of the emperour , and the king of france , spain , and poland , out of the german , french , &c. nations ; according to the choice of those princes , who have liberty to commend , one two , or three , of what nation they please : all these cardinals are divided into three orders , six bishops , priests , fourteen deacons : every one of them takes place of all embassadours whatsoever , and pretend the hand from all princes , except crowned heads . thus much i thought fit to speak of cardinals , especially now upon the occasion of the sede vacante , for they are met to make a new election , of which 't is necessary to say something . the pope being dead , nine days are employed towards his funeral , and other formalities depending thereupon : on the ninth day after , mass is said , a speech is made in commendation of the deceased , the cardinal padrone , that is master , ( a title introduced by paul the th . but fully confirmed by urban the th . ) who is a nigh relation of the late pope , acqaints all cardinals abroad with his ●eath , who thereupon make all possible haste to come to rome . on the th day after the popes death all the cardinals who are able , meet at st. peters church , where the mass of the holy ghost , as they call it , is sung by the dean of cardinals , he who is of a longest standing , or the next to him , if he be not well ; there is also made a speech upon the subject of the election of a new pope , with a great concourse of people to hear it ; after this , all the cardinals go in a procession towards the conclave , following a priest who carries the cross , the musicians singing their veni creator spiritus . this conclave is a place in the vatican near st. peters church , all made a new by order of the cardinal chamberlain , or chamerlengho , all of wood , which after the election , is disposed of by the said chamberlain , where a small lodging is made for every cardinal , and every one hath his by lot . the cardinals , some prelates , and volaries go in then , whereof one reads with a loud voice the bulls concerning the election of popes , which being done , all cardinals take an oath to observe what is therein contained , in the hands of the dean , and of prince savelli , who upon this action hath leave to enter into the conclave , of which he is keeper , and perpetual marshal of the church , for himself , and successors : after this ceremony every one goes to his dinner , and hitherto the doors are shut up , but after dinner all ambassadors and roman princes have liberty to go in , and for the space of four or five hours they treat and negotiate with cardinals , within their private lodgings , which time being past , they ring a little bell , whereupon every one is to go away , excepting the cardinals , and the deputies or deputati of the conclave , to wit , two servants are allowed to every cardinal , who chooses whom he likes , the old and weak ones are allowed three ; for publick use , are one sagrista , and oschaltarra ; and solo sagrista , who take care of things relating to their devotions , and belonging to the altar ; five masters of ceremonies , the secre●ary of the conclave , a confessor , two physicians , an apothecary , and two to help him ; a surgeon , two barbers , two masons , two carpenters , and sixteen porters . assoon as all others are gone , and these are within , the conclave is walled in and out , after which , the cardinals , dean , and chamberlain , go about it to see whether it be well : it hath formerly been ordered by some popes , that after this , no cardinal should be admitted , but 't is not strictly observed , if they come soon after , and if the election is like not to be ended so soon : before they are shut up , orders are issued by them , for the peace and quiet government of the city , it being very necessary so to do , upon such a conjuncture , to prevent great and many mischiefs ; now all that time the city officers have a great power , so that if a malefactor be taken , he is soon made away . 't is not usual with the cardinals to discharge the officers entrusted by the late pope , but 't is necessary they should be confirmed by them . within the conclave , is kept an exact guard , under the command of the high marshal ; first at the ruota , seven in number , which are some holes left unwalled , to take in the victuals which are brought in to every cardinal ; these ruota's are used at rome , in every monastery and nunnery ; the use whereof is to receive what things are brought from without , and given from within : for at the inside of the wall are some few boards joyned together , of five or six foot high , and three or thereabouts in breadth , some more , some less ; but being all of an equal bigness ; and this is so suspended , that it turns about like a wheel , which in italian is called ruota ; 't is hollow within , so that it is capacious of receiving great dishes , baskets , and some can hold a child of twelve yeares old ; then upon the staires in the courts , and at all passages , guards also are set with four great corps de guard in the great place before st. peters church ; every time dinner is sent in to a cardinal , 't is attended by some of his servants , and a mace-bearer , with a silver mace , with the cloth and other things used at table ; this is done twice a day , and besides the soldiers , four prelates stand at every ruota , to search strictly every thing which is sent in , the very bread is all cut in small pieces for fear their should be any bills in 't , and those four prelates are changed every day by the marshal , to whom these bills shall be given , in case any be intercepted , which he will keep till the election be over ; but this is searched , not only without , but also within , by the masters of ceremonies ; who have taken an oath of fidelity , and after the meat is in , these ruota's are sealed with paper , both at the in and out-sides : at every one of these holes , twelve soldiers are of guard in the day , and twenty five in the night time . every cadinal eats and drinks alone with his domesticks , and all their victuals are dressed by order of the martial , but the church pays for 't , and one buyeth as much as the other ; there is also an allowance for others , who are shut up , some more or less according to their quality , but usually the cardinals servants have the rest of their masters , and the guards every where are mounted every day according to the marshals order , who also according to the bulls doth lessen the victuals of cardinals , when ten days are over , since they , being shut up , in case the election be not made , and this is to force them to hasten it , and to come to an agreement about it ; which to effect , once a day they meet at the chappel of the conclave , and he who at last is chosen , ought to have two parts of three of the votes , so that if of sixty he had but thirty nine , it would not be a right election . the cardinal dean , hath the command of cardinals , as the camerlengo of others who are shut up , and and at last they must agree about him who is to be chosen , and all this while , all within the conclave are ignorant of what passes in the city . assoon as 't is known within the conclave who is the pope , the cardinal decano desireth him to approve of the choice which the colledge hath made of him , which he consents to , and takes what name he likes , as innocent , clement , alexander , or the like : then standing between the two chief cardinals , he is led behind the altar , where they take off his cardinals clothes , and give him the habit of a pope ; immediately after is sung the te deum : then all the cardinals one after another , falling upon their knees , do ( to use their words ) adore him , kissing his foot , then the right hand , and then he gives them osculum pacis , upon both cheeks , so they give him signs of submission , which is meant by kissing of the feet , they expect from him protection , in kissing his hand , and they receive from him a sign of affection , being kissed on the lips or cheeks . these things being performed , one of the masters of ceremonies , takes the cross , and carries it before him , whilst the ecce sacerdos magnus is sung , and they go towards the balcone which looks upon the great place before st. peters church , called la loggia della benedictione ; and the masons beat down the wall of partition , and there the pope being between two cardinals , they shew him to the people , who stand below in the great place , one of the cardinals with a loud voice pronouncing these latin words , annuntio vobis gaudium magnum , habemus papam eminentissimum & reverendissimum n. n. qui sibi nomen imposuit , n. n. hereupon , the people cries out , god save the new pope , god bless the family , n. n. and at the same time , one can hear the artillerie of the castel san. angela go off , there being constantly some to observe the pulling down of the wall ; then all the soldiers give their vollies ; the drums beat , the trumpets sound , and all the bells in town ring . assoon as the people hear who is chosen , they run to his palace and plunder it , it being the custom so to do ; but those cardinals who are likely to be chosen before they go to the conclave , have removed the best things they have . the ceremony at the window of the balcone being ended , all the cardinals wait upon the new pope to his palace in the vatican , whence every one goes home : in the mean time , the pope receives no publick visits , only private ones from his relations , if they be at rome , and those who have been his friends in the conclave , who come to receive the effects of the promises he made to them to get their assistance , for usually they engage upon such conditions of interest and preferment : about a fortnight's time is allowed to prepare things , in order of his being carried in a chair on mens shoulders to st. peters church , to take possession of the popedom , which is done with much pompe and magnificence ; and about a fortnight after he goes in a cavalcata to do the same at the church of st. john of lateran : but from the first day of his election , he begins to give his orders about the goverment of all his dominions . 't is usual with every pope to take an oath before the cardinals , about several things , the chief whereof are , . to labour to keep peace between all christian princes . ly . they will promote to the dignity of cardinals , none but those who are worthy of it . ly . to call to an account all the officers of the state , of the church , when their time is expired . ly . they will not make two brothers cardinals , which was the decree of julius the second . ly . not to alienate any thing belonging to the church , which things all the world knows how well they are observed , but if popes may ( as they think ) dispence others from their oathes , why not themselves too ? so that after this principle of the popes infallibility , men who believe it , must not complain against him , for if he be infallible , he can do nothing amiss ; these were the words of the late duke cezarini to two jesuits , who complained to him , that the pope alexander the th . had perswaded father oliva their general , to fell to him land for crowns . i thought it would not be amiss to mention so much about the election of a pope , it being seasonable now , in the time of a conclave , for those who have a mind to be informed of their wayes about it , for as to many other practices of that court , i wholly wave it off , as are their formalities in visits , their change of cloths , creation of cardinals , and things depending therefrom ; of their jubilees , indulgences , blessing ofswords , agnus dei's , and roses , cavalcataes , and processions , washing of the feet , beatification , canonization , and so many other things which we account to be vain or superstitious . i judge it unnecessary to mention the order setled in the popes court and family , but withal think it not amiss to say few words about their great courts and offices , which i will only mention , they being not material for any protestant state who have nothing to do there , by way of publick ministers . all businesses there are managed by certain councels or commitees , which they call congregationi , to the number of sixteen . the first , is that del sant officio , or inquisition , which as all the rest hath a secretary , by whom are given all dispatches , which he seals also with the seal of the cardinal , who is the president of it ; in it are treated matters of religion , conducing to what they call heresie , prophanation , blasphemy , &c. this ever is governed by the dominicans , and meets three times a week , on monday at the palace del sant officio , on wednesday , at the dominicans church , called , la minerva ; and the thursday , before the pope . the d . is that which takes cognizance of affaires concerning bishops and regular priests , or other of their diocess's , of this , as of all the rest a cardinal is the head ; into it enter cardinals , which is the greatest number of any , yet never under six in any other ; whensoever friars have any falling out with bishops , they presently threaten to bring them before this congregation , which meets every friday in the house of the cardinal , president of it . the d. is del concilio , the jurisdiction of which , is to give interpretation to the text of the council of trent , it meets every sunday in the house of the cardinal president of it , or a thursday if he hath a mind to it . the th . is della immunita ecclesiastica , instituted by urban the th . to judge of ecclesiastical priviledges , which is kept every thursday , at one of the popes palaces , a cardinal being the head of it , for which the camera allowes him crowns a year . the th . is di stato , which handles matters of state ; all the cardinals , who have been nuncios and ambassadours , come in to it , and the secretary of state : there is no prefixed day , but it depends upon the pleasure of the pope , or his nephew cardinal , in whose presence it meets . the th . is de propaganda fide instituted by gregory the th . it consults about all manner of wayes , how to promote the roman faith throughout all parts of the world ; all their emissaries depend upon this , so that what jesuits and priests soever we have here , have their mission from this congregation , whereof cardinal francesco barberini is president ▪ it meets usually once a moneth upon a munday , either in the presence of the pope , or in the colledge called de propaganda fide , which is , in piazza d' ispagna . the th . is de' riti which judges of all differences about ceremonies , formalities , places , canonizations , &c. it sits once a month , and more if needs be , in the house of the cardinal president of it ; who is ever the senior of the deputies , who is to summon it , as do all other cardinals , presidents of other congregations . the th . is del acqua wherein are treated matters concerning rivers , channels , bridges , and the like ; there is no certain day to meet , but when occasion requires it , the cardinal who is the head of it , sends out his summons about it . the th . is ; delle strade , whereof the camerlengo is the chief , all things relating to the necessaries and ornament of streets , is treated of in 't , under its jurisdiction are matters of aqueducts and fountains ; the distribution , whereof is made by this congregation as they think fit and convenient : and meet only upon occasion . the th . is della consulta per governo , dello stato di s. chiesa , is of a great concernment , it takes cognizance of any thing relating to the government of the whole state of the church ; all legats , governours of cities and provinces give an account of what things of concernment happens in their government to this congregation , who orders them to act as they think fit : yet by especial priviledge , the legats of avignon , ceneda , benevento , and the governor of fermo , and spoleti are free from her jurisdiction . the cardinal padron , for the time , who is ever a nigh relation of the pope , and who rules all under him is the head of it , at whose pleasure it usually meets in his lodgings . the th . is dell , indice , into it are brought matters of books , printed , or to be printed , to be examined , corrected , and licensed ; it usually meets once a month or seldomer , as the cardinal president of it is pleased to order . the th . is degli syravii , or grievances , otherwise , de buono regimine , 't is a court of redress and equity , this , particular subjects , and whole corporations apply themselves to , when they are wronged , or oppressed by their governours ; this cardinal padron , is the head of , who orders it to meet at his house when he hath a mind to 't . the th , is soprale zecche , about the mint ; sees all monies to be coyned , and sets the price of forreign coyns , and all currrent moneys . this congregation upon occasion , meets at the house of the cardinal , head of it . the th . is dell , essame . all they who are to be promoted to any bishopricks in italy , and not one of it , are to be examined by these ; it is usually done in the popes presence , and at his pleasure , for the time , he who is examined kneeling all the while upon a stool opposite to the pope ; the cardinals only are free from this examen . the th . is de negotii consistoriali , about consistorial affairs ; of which the cardinal docano , senior , or eldest as to election , is the head : at whose house 't is kept but very seldome , because it treats only about matters referred to it by the pope , as are resigning of bishopricks , abbeys , ecclesiastical taxes and impositions . having already mentioned consistorial affairs ; one is to know that the consistory is the assembly of all cardinals then at rome , whereat the pope is ever present : it being kept at monte cavallo on mundays , wednesdays or frydays ; where more general and serious affairs are treated of : and what things the pope is pleased to lay to their consideration , upon a consistory day , no congregation is kept except it had been summoned before the pope had intimated the consistory ; and in such a case the congregation is put off till the afternoon ; for consistories are ever held betimes in the morning . of consistories , some are publick ; when by example , hats are bestowed upon cardinals after a publick cavalcata , or when audience is given to ambassadors , and forraign ministers ; or else private , according to the affairs they are to treat of ; and this last sort are kept more often than the former . that which they call collegio , is the whole body of cardinals ; among whom ever is one camerlengo of the sacro collegio , to distinguish it from the popes chamberlain , and is but for a year : there is also a secretary , a clerk , and controller● the secretary is ever an italian ; but the clerk is one year a german , another a french man , and then a spaniard . but there is the th . and last congregation , della visita apostolica , whose care it is to see all churches , chappels , and places of devotion in and about rome , that nothing be wanting in 't , tending to the necessaries , ornaments and decorum thereof ; and to cause every thing to be duely and orderly performed in 't . besides all these courts , there is a considerable one called la ruota , composed of twelve prelates ; whereof there is one german , one french-man , two spaniards ; one of bologna , one of ferrara , one venetian , one toscan , one milanese , and three romans . they judge of all causes about benefices , whether they be in those countries which own the popes authority , or else-where . about which they use to meet in the apostolical palace twice a week , on mondayes and fridayes ; and although the place of auditori di ruota be not very beneficial in it self , it being not worth much above one thousand crowns by the year , yet the pope , bestowing upon them other ecclesiastical preserments , it makes it very considerable , the more as to honour , that sometimes some of the auditory are made cardinals . there is also the camera apostolica , or apostolick-chamber , consisting of the cardinal-chamberlain , the governor of rome in quality of vice-chamberlain , the treasurer-general , the auditor and the president of the chamber , the advocate of the poor , the solicitor-general , and attorney-general , the commissary & o twelve chierici or clerks ; whereof four ever are over-seers or prefetti , the one dell annona of all manner of corn , and price the other della grajua over the price of all sorts of flesh and fish ; the third over all the prisons which he visits , with others , every thursday ; and the fourth is to oversee the streets . the jurisdiction of this court is extended upon every thing relating to the church , in the way of bonds , leases , in-comes , expences , matters of rights , customes , impositions , and all rights , possessions and priviledges ; in a word , when popes were not so absolute , as they are now , these camera , was as the guardian of the state of the church , to see that it should not be imbeciled , wronged or a lienated ; so that 't is indeed the true treasury of the church , all tributes due to it being paid here . there is also another office called diataria , which is administred usually by a cardinal , who hath one under him called sotto datario , throughout whose hands pass the vacancies of all benefices , which bring yearly very great in-comes to the pope , who allows crowns to the datario , and to the sotto datario . this office is not the same as that of the secretary of the pope , as some do imagine ; for he who is properly the secretary of state is the popes nephew , or nephews sometimes , who hath several under him : to him all ambassadors , & publick ministers make their addresses . this writes and subscribes by the popes orders , all letters to kings , princes , nuncioes , and others , and signs the patents of several governours , and other officers of the state of the church ; yet the patents and commissions of legats , vice-legats , governors of great cities &c. are signed by the pope himself , and sealed sub annalo piscatoris . but there are other great offices granted for life . first , the popes vicar , now cardinal gimetti above years of age , a coveteous man , who hath many kinsmen , which two things have made him lose the hopes of ever being chosen pope . his jurisdiction is extended upon regular priests & nunneries : the jews , and deboist women which in rome are publickly allowed , for which toleration , 't is the common opinion , they pay a tribute , and certainly there is more than opinion in 't , because every one who is a house-keeper , & a known whore must have her name registred at the office of the vice-gerent , who is one of the chief officers of the vicario , who is also the judge of them as such : so that all the year long they enjoy the liberty of their licentious life , except at certain times which they call uacanze , as about christmass and easter , for then the sbirri or bayliffs go to search their houses , and if they find any there , they may if they will carry them and her to prison ; therefore to prevent this inconveniency , these women send to the office , and by the means of some moneys , obtain a defence to those officers to come to their houses , and to molest them . and in the dayes of alexander the th . there was a talk of suppressing these infamous houses ; a sign of the popes protection , which gave occasion to this impious pasquinata , laudata dominum pueri . another great office is that of the sommo penitentiere , at present cardinal ludovicio , a person of mean parts ; his jurisdiction is about penances , absolutions , and confessions ; for he having many under him in great and weighty cases , they acquaint him with the faults , though not with the name of the party , to know of the penance to be said upon . the vice-cancelliere , or vice-chancellor so called , because the pope reserves to himself the title of chancell or of the universal church , hath the whole ordering of the chancery . the camerlengo , now cardinal antonio barberini , hath a very honourable and beneficial place , for the chamberlain takes cognizance of every thing belonging to the camera , and in the time of sede vacante , or when there is no pope , he takes the popes lodgings , is attended with his guard , and causes money to be coyned in his name : this place is worth crowns by the year ; besides of three keys of the treasure of the castle saint angelo , he hath one , the pope having the other , and the cardinal decano the third . the prefetto della signatura di giustitia , must see all petitions about matters of justice , and answers them , ordering what he thinks fit to be done about it . the like is done in matters of grace , pardon , &c. by the prefetto della signatura di gratia . the prefetto de brevi peruses and signs all the apostolical writs and orders . the bibliothecario is over-seer of the presses and of the library in the vatican , and commands those who have any thing to do in it . these four last offices i mentioned only because they are in the hands of cardinals as well as the four former , though lesse honorable and beneficial . so are the three following bestowed upon cardinalls , and all is for life , to wit , the three arch-priests ; of st john of lateran , now cardinal ghigi ; of st. peter in vatican , at present cardinal francesco barberini ; & of santa maria maggiore , now cardinal rospigliosi , by the late resigning of it up by cardinal antonio barberini , who received some satisfaction for it . now these three arch-priests have an absolute power over all the canons , priests , curats , and beneficiaries of their churches ; which benefices they may bestow upon whom they please when they are vacant ; besides this , he of lateran hath the administration of justice in civils and criminals over all persons within the jurisdiction of his church , having already insisted so long upon this subject , i must forbear speakingof othergreat charges , whether they belong to the court , as the master of ceremonies , master of the s. palace , secretaries , steward , &c. or be military , as general of the galleys of the popes guards of the church , who hath four under him , to wit , of avignon & ferrara , and the generals of the horse , and of the artillery . this great place is ever given to a nigh relation of the pope ; and he , with him of the galleys , and the governour of the castle saint angelo , are answerable of their actions to the pope alone ; or whether they be ecclesiastical , as almoners , chaplains , &c. or at last , whether they be civil , as governour of rome , divided into rioni or quarters ; namely , monte , colonna , st. eustacio , ponte , regota , ripa , trastevere , trivio , campidelli parione , pigna , campo marzo , st. angelo , borgo ; but this last is actually depending upon the governour of st angelo , and also senator , and conservatours of rome , &c. the king of spain comes next to the pope in italy ; he hath naples , and the islands of sicily and sardegna upon the coasts , with milan in lombardy , and finale the head of a marquisate upon the coasts of genoa , and nearer to tuscany , he hath portolongone , and orbitello . the state of naples . naples containes twelve provinces which are a division of the three ancient , their names are terra di lavora principato citra , principato ultra , basilicata , calabria citra , calabria ultra , terra d'otranta , terra di bari , capitanata , contato di molisse , abruzzo citra , and abruzzo ultra . ; most of these parts are inhabited by very dangerous people , the more by reason of the abundance of woods which do shelter those rogues , whom the crimes they have committed have driven from the cities , whither they are not safe to return ; whence they have the name of banditi , and whom the protection of great men to make use of them one against another , by reason of their animosities , keeps there : those of calabria , specially along the coasts , have the name of being the worst of all , so ha t 't is turned into a proverb , he is as wicked as a calabrese . the best part of the kingdom is , terra di lavoro , which is all the countrey about capua and naples : there are but three good havens able to receive at fleet , brundisi , taranto , and trani ; for gaeta , napoli , puzzuolo , bari and otranto , are neither safe nor great enough . 't is said , that the cities , lands , or castles in the king dome come to , the least of which will make souls , or there abouts : they have good souldiers , but proud , treacherous and inconstant for the generality ; yet there are brave men amongst the nobility , i mean for civility , courage and valour . the chief strong holds of the kingdom have garrisons of natural spaniards , by whom they are strangely oppressed , as by them they were conquered . they are governed by a spanish vice-king , to whom this people is given as a prey , that he may make himself amends for the expences he hath been at in some chargeable embassage , or a reward for some service he hath done to the crown ; so that in three years , which is the usual prefixed time for the exercise of that authority ( because the court of spain would not have subjects to grow too potent in those parts ) they squeeze and oppress that people with an infinite number of taxes , and other heavy burthens ; the nation being look't upon by them as factious , seditious , reckoned and desirous of novelties ; there being notable rebellions within the space of years : so that the vice-kings rule with a despotick authority ; and let him do what he pleases in this kind , people must never look for redress , he not being accountable for things of this nature ; besides that , the city , or any part of the kingdom may not send upon any occasion an agent or deputy into spain without a special license from the vice-king , which he grants very seldome : neither are the nobility free from oppressions , being dragg'd into prisons , or driven into exile upon the least suspicion that they grow too potent , or are any ways disaffected . the insolencies of the spanish souldiers , and others of that nation are not at all punished ; the very high-way-men , and other rogues , who are as thorns in the sides of the people , and who vex , disturb , and plague them , are winked at , except it be upon a jealousie of state : so that , that formerly flourishing kingdom , and full of all manner of necessary and delightful things , is at this day brought to an utmost misery ; that nation not being allowed so much as liberty of trading with strangers , on selling their inland commodities , but upon certain conditions , and a licence well paid for ▪ and all the gold which can be gathered there , is sent into spain , which doth amount to vast sums . the duke medina delas torres los volez , told one day the cavaliero damenico zane , then embassadour at the spanish court from venice , that in six years of his government of that kingdome , he raised millions of crowns to supply the occasions of the dukedome of milan , and of flanders , moneys are drawn from thence , with a number of souldiers to serve in the wars that are made in the forenamed countteys : these and many other intollerable oppressions caused the great and many insurrections that have been there , which cost so much blood , not only in the times of troubles , but long after , it being the custome of spaniards to punish to the tenth generation those faults which have been committed against the state. for all this , the nobility of that kingdom triumphing over their miseries , and boasting of their slavery , are high and proud , and yet gentle and courteous in their carriage , though they insult over the common people , they spend beyond their estates , are splendid in an outward shew , but frugal at home , loyal to the king , enemies to the people , slaves of royal ministers , and very hard to their vassals , whom they pinch to the very bones : with all this they hate the spanish nation . out of this , one may judge of that enmity which is between the napolitans , specially the people and the spaniards ; there is never a year but hundreds of these last are killed by others , either at night in the streets of naples , or in the fields , when fruits and grapes grow ripe ; this people , and so those of milan , are grieved to see how those same spaniards who come to them in a low and poor condition , and with capatos de cuerda , within a year or two do live very high , out of the blood and substance of the countrey . so that the spaniards being so hard masters , they keep what they have in this kingdom only , by the means of the division which is in it ; so they keep all what they have in italy , only because the italians suffer them to enjoy it for fear of falling into the hands of worse masters , not that they can have worse , but because they are not so sensible at injuries received from spaniards , as those which they have suffered from some other nations , not as to the things , but as to the manner of doing them ; the spaniard layes heavy burthens and impoverishes them , and upon suspicions and jealousies of state takes away mens lives ; nay , he attempts upon the honor of families , but he carries it with more secresie and circumspection than other lighter nations , whose manner of proceeding seems more insolent ; besides that , the spanish haughtiness and gravity is more sutable to the italian temper . further , spain and other dominions belonging to it , being remote from italy ; the italians do not account them altogether so dangerous , as other martial nations who are at hand . however , if the late duke of guise had play'd his game well in massanillo's time , and well used that conjuncture , he could have given them a great check in that kingdom , but unadvisedly he left the city , which was at his devotion , and he kept a number of insolent persons about him , which ever undid the french affairs in italy . there goes a story of this duke , that several persons of quality and interest , to the number of , appointed a marquess to go in their name , and tell him , they were unanimously resolved to stand by him , and settle the crown upon his head , if he would come to them ; but he was fast asleep when that person came to his palace ; who said , he had matters of great concernment to impart to him ; but his people being loath to awaken him , he was forced to stay a long while ; at last being awaken'd , the other was called in , but before he was come to the chamber , the duke had began to dance a courante ▪ and would not speak with him till he had danced ; which the other being arnazed at and offended , said to him afterwards in few words , i was come to you upon such an errand ; but said he , by my so long waiting here , the time and opportunity are lost , therefore know that , co'l balare non se quadagnano li regni , kingdoms are not gotten by dancing : so he went to those who sent him , and told them what he had seen ; so that every one went home , and this person soon after forsook the kingdom to avoid the punishment which the spaniard would have inflicted upon him : if this be true , how did he strangely miscarry in 't , for so he lost all the nobility , who afterwards closed with the spaniard . the city of naples is great and populous , they reckon , that with the late plague died in it . churches there are a sanctuary to malefactors , which hath been often an occasion of falling out between the vice-kings and card. filomarini late arch-bishop , for some of those having upon occasion caused these malefactors to be taken by force out of ; these churches ; he threatned , and did actually excommunicate some for breaking , as he pretended , the priviledges of those churches , as if the house of god ( if such a name may be given to such places ) was to be a sanctuary to , and a den of thieves . there are three castles in this city , one is st. elme upon a mountain , built by king robert the first ; the other is castel novo , in the port which keeps communication with the palace of the vice-kings nigh to it , this was built by charles , brother to lewis the th . of france ; the third is , dell-ovo , which is upon a rock in the sea , william the third of normandy built it . there are also several fair churches embelished with rare pictures , and other ornaments , so ther are two cabinets worth seeing . at the end of one of the suburbs , in the way to puzzuola , is , la grotta di lucullo ; a way made through the rock of almost a mile in lenth , and broad enough for three coaches when they are gotten in 't : i shall not mention all the relicks of antiquity which are seen in the way to puzzuola , when one is at it , and at baya , as the elysian fields , and those other things so often mentioned in the poets ; nor the mount vesuvius , now la montagne di somma , these things are out of my purpose . i return to naples , and say , that the virtuosi there are called some ardenni , others intronati ; and 't is to be observed , that when these societies take a name , 't is either a title of imperfection , which betokens a privation , or of a moral virtue , or of some habit of the intellect , and all this to shew that they esteem and study the perfection , contrary to the defect signified by the name . their great offices of the kingdome are either given or sold according to the kings pleasure , but the last rather than the first ; and this for life : they are the high-constable now a rom an prince , of the family colonna , the high judge , high admiral , high-chamberlain , gran pronotario , a kind of a principal secretary , gran sinisculco , or high-steward , and high-chancellour , all which are given some to italians , some to spaniards . all the high-courts do sit in the city of naples , for there are the seggi , which are the assemblies of the nobility of the whole kingdom , divided into five classes : the first is seggio capoano . the second , di nido ; the third , di montagna ; the fourth , di porta : and the fifth , di porta nuova , so that except one be admitted into one of those seats , he cannot pass for a nobleman or gentleman ; the nobility and gentry there differing only in degree , and not in order ; now some enter into several seggi , so that to be admited in , he must be past years of age , and have the greater part of the votes of all the nobles of the seggio . out of these seggi are chosen gentlemen , who with one chosen by the people , make up the body , called the magistrate of the city , through whose hands do pass all manner of taxes and impositions which the vice-roy hath a mind to lay upon city and whole kingdom : they also finde out means how to bring it about . there is also in naples that tribunal so much talked of , called , la vicaria , which matters of the greatest importance are brought unto , and receive ; appeals from all parts of the kingdom . the greatest of all is also kept there , called it collaterale , whereof the consigliere , or counsellors have the title of regenti , and for distinction-sake , they wear a long gown , this under the king is the supreme court of justice , treating of several important matters ; these regenti are chosen by the king , part napolitans , and part spaniards , and 't is for life . it also hath a councel of state , which judges of things concerning war composed , of six persons , whereof three are spaniards , and three italians , half souldiers , and half gown-men , chosen by the king ; over this as all the rest is the vice-king , whose authority is very great , and the profit arbitrary . i am loath to omit speaking of a custome of the napolitans , for all their reserved temper once a year , at vintage-time , they allow themselves a very great liberty of jesting one with another ; the meanest person is then allowed to jear the noblest man of the land , who use to begin with them : they give one another all the bad names which their language doth afford , whereof the least at another time would cause murthers and stabbings . this calls to my mind a singular custome they have at rome , when there is fallen some snow , at which time the most reserved and vertuous men and women throw balls one at another ; the princes and their wives practise it one with another within their palaces : neighbours throw it through the windows into the chambers one of another ; if one hath any kindness for another , 't is the fashion to go under the window , and throw in some , as they receive some , if they go by the door of any of their acquaintances ; and this is amongst them a token of civility and favour , and so much observed , that if any gentleman or friend of mine comes to me , the most vertuous woman that happens to be my neighbour , can shew me no greater respect nor kindness , than to throw at him snow balls . before i speak of the secrets of state , which the spaniards have in relation to this kingdom , 't will not be amiss to speak few words of some maximes they have in general ; relating to the rest of their state-dominions in italy . at madrid for the affairs of italy , there is a particular council consisting of six counsellours , whereof two are napolitans , two sicilians , and two of milan , besides the president , who ever is a spaniard , and now the marquess of vellada by name ; this council was instituted by philip the second , no other affairs but those of italy are treated of in it , which formerly belonged to the congnizance of the council of aragon . when first of all the spaniards came to italy , and had gotten footing in it , they went about by fair means to insinuate themselves into the affection of the nation , to turn it upon occasion to their own advantage ; but the italians , who , as they say of themselves , dormono co'll occhio aperto , who are constantly awake , stood upon their guards , and observed the spanish motion , which being taken notice of by the house of austria , charls the th , & then the council i spake of just now under his son philip the second , took another course , and went about to terrifie them with their arms , to draw some to them with fair promises , to threaten others , to sow divisions amongst them , but above all they lookt upon the republick of venice as a great let to their designs , having ever appeared to be the champion of the liberties of italy ; the troubles which this raised in those parts sometimes against mantoa , other times , against savoy , &c. are well known ; but now a constant maxime they hold , is , to get at rome as many cardinals as they can to be their friends , that if possible they may every time have a friend of theirs chosen pope , the truth is , they are potent in the conclave , because of several napolitans , and milaneses who are in it , the several means they have to gratifie church-men , by conferring benefices on them within their dominions in italy , and by selling lands and states to others within the same , besides the many pensions which they allow to several of them : so that whilst the french hath but eight or ten of his side , namely , d' este , ursini , antonio , grimaldi , mancini , maldachini , de rets , bouillon , the greater number of them are for the spaniard ; 't is true , 't is very chargeable for them to keep this party , and a spanish states-man had reason to say , it were better for his king to buy popes ready made , than to make them . but now in few words , spaniards do govern naples with these few rules ; the first is , to hold good correspondencie with the pope , not only because they do him homage for it , but because he is a next neighbour , much able to trouble it , and to foment and assist insurrections in it . the second is , to foment divisions between the nobility and the people , and between the nobility themselves who being all together united , could for certain drive them out ; and though the napolitans horse's back be much gall'd , if he could gather his strength together , he would be able to shake off the rider . the third maxime is , as much as they can doe to make great states fall into the hands of women , whom they marry afterwards to spanish noble-men . the chief families of that kingdom are at present caraccioli , where of the duke of auelina is the head ; caraffa , of which family is the duke matalone ; pignatelle , who had the title of duke of monteleone , monaldesqui , aquaviva , brancaccio , and several others who have the name of princes , as , marana , &c. the antient family of the princes of salerno is extinct as to the name , and their palace at naples ; which was very stately , hath these several years been possessed by the jesuites . i shall not say much of sicily , 't is governed by a vice-king at present ; the duke of albuquerque , as don pedro d' arragon is he of naples : this island is known to be plentiful ; and as formerly it was the granary of italy , so 't is still of part of it , but specially of maltha , for the gallies of the order come almost every week to transport corn cut of it . messina drives a great trade of silks ; the inhabitants have still their est & non est , that is , when any thing is proposed by the vice-king or his order , after a debate had thereupon to satisfie the people , they cry out non est , if it be not contrary to their priviledges ; if it be , they say , est , then every one gets to his arms. this city hath several priviledges , but cannot get them confirmed at madrid ; neither do the vice-kings dare to trust themselves amongst them ; therefore they reside at palermo , which was the landing place of don pedro d' arragon , when the moneys he had received from lewis the th of france , to make war against the infidels in affrica , he went to drive charles d' anjou , lewis's brother , out of the kingdome whereof he was lawful sovereign . the peoople of this island speak a very corrupt italian language , mixed with some words of corrupt greek ; & as their luanguage is , so are their manners , and nature , which how treacherous it is let the sicilian vesspers bear witness ; by which action they are become not only odious , but also a proverb to italy , having thereby been the author of all the disturbances where-with the spanish nation have since afflicted those parts of the world ; it had been something in withdrawing from the subjection of one ( who though he was their lawful prince , yet he was of a forein nation ) they had gotten their liberty ; yet princes may see of how dangerous a consequence is this president : but to leave the bad for the worse , 't is to find a pain , wherein they look't for a pleasure , that is , to be no more reasonable than were the frogs , who rejected the reed , to have the stork to rule over them ; they should have learned of the fish , how it is better to keep in the pan , though amidst boyling water , than to leap out and fall into the burning flames and fire . mount aetna , now gibello , with some of his flames , is still to be seen ; its horrid late casting up stones , flames , cinders , as far as catania , and the running of rivers as it were of fire and brimstone , are known to all europe ; such as we cannot read ever there was the like . syracusa is not very far from it , which is much decay'd , they shew some old standing ruines of a castle , as they say of dyonisius ; they affirm 't was in the shape of a shell ; in the centre of which was the tyrants closet , whence by the means of some pipes , which conveyed the voice , he heard ( if we believe the tradition ) every word spoken by the prisoners ; 't is probable that such a thing may be , there being things of that nature in several parts ; though these prisoners were at a great distance from the closet . the spaniards govern this land almost by the same maximes which they use in naples , only they let them have some few priviledges , in consideration of their withdrawing from the french , and giving themselves up to them ; nevertheless , the spaniards are much odious to them by reason of the great and many oppressions they suffer from them , for the which no body pities them , since they brought it upon themselves ; however , 't is the division of the two chief cities messina and palermo about precedencie and other things , which upholds the spaniards authority in the island ; for when one of these cities stands up , the other stoops , and they do every thing in opposition one to another ; the spaniard therefore knoweth how much it imports to his interest to see these differences continue , he foments it with the best of his skill , and to the utmost of his power . it were in vain to speak of sardegna , seeing the people in it are become spaniards in every thing . there hapned in it not long since a great division caused by falling out between two of the chief persons of the island , but having been both transported into spain , the factions were dispersed , and gave way to a general tranquility . this is a kingdome , and therefore is governed by a vice-king , who was lately prince ludovisio . of late they have stirred very much , having killed a vice-roy ; for which act some have been executed , which their friends and relations highly rescenting , are causing new disturbances ; so that the present vice-king not thinking himself strong enough , hath desired more forces out of spain , specially his enemies being potent in cagliari , hereby are laid the foundations of an eternal hatred , for their children inherit of the quarrels , and desire of vengeance , as of the states of their parents , this had been a fair occasion for any forrein enemy of the spaniard . this island , as that of sicily and naples , maintain a number of gallies , which of late is much diminished , for put them altogether with the squadron of the duke of tursi , they do not come to above twenty . the state of milan . vvesterly it borders with piemont and monferrat , sur southerly with the republick of genoa , westerly with the duke of parma , with the republick of venice and the duke of mantoa , and northerly with the valtoline . the dukedome of milan is as good and as plentiful a countrey as any in italy , full miles about , plain and even ground ; in it are many lakes full of fish , and is watered by considerable rivers , which make it pleasant , plentiful and strong ; po runs by cremona , the tanaro by alessandria , and the bormia , which is a little one not far off . adda , nigh to lodi and ticcino by the walls of pavia , by milan run two channels , one of which is of great use ( and this goes through it ) and both for watering of grounds , whence it is that they have so good pastures ; hence it is that this dukedom doth furnish with cheese all italy , and other places ; the best sort of that which goes under the name of parmesan is made at lodi , one of the cities of the dukedome , and its territory . this countrey doth also produce abundance of all manner of corn , good fruits , and good wines ; this goodness of the soyle , joyned to the industry of the people , makes it very rich ; it contains many cities , as milano , pavia , tortona , alessandria , della paglia , novarra , mortara , vigevana cremona , lodi , como and lomellina , every one strong , and except mortara , the head of a territory , which borrows its name from the town . this dukedome is governed by one sent from spain , and hath the name of governour , who was don lewis de gusman ponce de leon : and now the marquess de los balbases : these governours improve well their time , which , as i said in the case of naples , is for three years , or thereabouts , except they be confirmed ; and this makes part of the misery of that people , that every three years they have new and greedy ministers , who make haste to be rich , and when they begin to be full , they are gone to give place to one who is as hungry as they were . the king of spain raises here one millions ofcrowns a year , but it goes all for the necessities of the state. in time of peace there are kept men ; there was a strong hold , called the fort sandoval , which commanded the way into one of the gates of vercelli , which is but a cannon-shot off , and 't was raised to bridle that place ; but the spaniards after the taking of vercelli demolished it not long since as a thing chargeable , and nor necessary ; but by the late treaty of peace with france , they restored vercelli to the duke of savoy . the city of milan is called the great , for 't is of a large circumference , full of people , to the number of about , and of handy-craft-men , almost of all fort , in so good repute amongst the italians , that when any sumptuous clothes or furnitures are to be bought , or any considerable equipage is to be made , to the very liveries , they send thither to have it done : they work much in silks , gold and silver thread , and make admirable good gun-barils ; all this maintains abundance of weak and poor people . in this place is a castle , esteemed one of the strongest in europe , well provided with ammunition and artillery ; there is a particular governour of it , who doth not depend upon the governor of the dukedome , but hath his orders immediately from spain . in this city is a very great number of stately churches , specially the domo , all built with white marble ; they say , about it are statues , which cost crowns a piece : if this church be once finished according to the design ; none but st. peter in rome will be able to compare to it ; till then , this last will be the fairest in europe , and i believe , of the world , for all the great commendations given to that of santa sophia in constantinople . i returnto milan , and say , not only there are in 't fair churches , but also sumptuous cloysters , hospitals , palaces , and other noble buildings : a church-man there hath a fine cabinet full of rarities , most of his own invention and making . virtuosi in milan have the name of nascosti ; but i must not omit to say that the house which the cartusians have fifteen miles from milan , and five from pavia , is the best of their order . notwithstanding the proverb tha● the king of spain governs sicily in meekness , or dolcezza naples by fraud , or con inganno , and milan by authority , con authorita ( which may be understood in relation to the strong holds he hath in it : ) 't is his maxime of state , to rule this dukedome with more gentleness , than the rest of his dominions in italy ; this practice is inforced by the temper of the people , who are nor so willing nor so apt as others to suffer abuses , burthens exceedingly heavy , nor other great opresfions , their spirits can hardly bear it ; they are of an humour free , open , plain , and as they call it , rozzo , being usually called the lombarad's temper : that which makes further the spaniards more circumspect in this , is that many neighbour princes would willingly receive and assist them , if they came to have a pull for their liberty , for they joyn with the duke , of mantoa , the venetians , with parma , genoa , piemont , and with the grisons , by the ualteline ; therefore the spaniards , who knew the importance of that passage to them , struggled so hard for it , and set all europe in an uproar about it : yet for all this gentleness of theirs used to the milenesi , that people is not free from grievances and oppressions . that countrey which for a long while together hath been the seat of war , hath been obliged to maintain in a good measure the spanish , germans , french , savoy , modena , and mantoan forces , the perpetual lodging , quartering , and contributing , for the souldiers hath wasted them ; and all this hath been a pretence for the spanish ministers to oppress them : the italian proverb saith , that the spanish ministers in sicily rodono they gnaw , in naples mangiano they eat , but in milan divorano they devour : but they bear it , seeing that excepting the republicks , the subjects of other princes are used no better than they . at first the sforzi got this countrey from the visconti , and the house of austria hath gotten it from these , yet the venetians have of it brescia , bergamo , and crema : i will not shew whose right it is to have it , if the heirs of valentina have it not . the chief families of it are now borromeo , trivultio , stampa , trotti , sforza , homodei , litta , &c. finale is a town well fortisied , of great concernment to the spaniard , for 't is the only door they have to get into milan from spain , naples , sicily , &c. it is also a bridle to the genoesi . portolongone and orbitelle are also upon the coasts , the one on the continent , the other close by upon a rock in the sea , of great importance to bridle the grand duke , viareggio belonging to luea and the genaesi . the state of the duke of savoy . the duke of savoy is the most considerable prince of italy , after the crowned heads ; he comes from humbert , a younger brother of saxony , and a man of fortune : amede the great , or , le comte verd , or green earl , so called , because usually his clothes were of that colour , as were those of his followers ; by his merits and good fortune raised himself to a great credit ; he did great services against infidels , specially at the taking of rhodes from the infidels , and then he took the motto about the coat of arms which to this day that family retains ; f. e. r. t. signifying , fortitudo , ejus , rhodum tenuit . his history is in fresco at the pleasure-house of the dukes at rivoli . this family was first earls of moriene , then by marriage and favour of some emperour , princes of piemont , and dukes of savoy ; and of late from the duke of mantoa , they have gotten trin and alba in monferr at by the treaty of chierasco , so that besides piemont with its vallies , and savoy , the duke hath upon the sea-coasts , villa franca , oneglia , and nizza di provinza , with as strong a castle as any in europe , his dominions indeed are large , though to speak the truth , savoy is a barren and a mountainous countrey , which defect is somewhat made up by the indefatigable laboriousness of the people , and by the populousness and plenty of piemont . his court is for certain the ornament of italy , not composed of a vast number of persons , nor solitary neither ; there is in it a variety without confusion , well compacted , consisting of choice persons , well qualified for a court in a handsome and orderly way ; in it the french and italian languages are commonly spoken , and the free french manner of life is practised in it . these princes have been , and are still very honourable in europe ; for this long while emperors and kings have given them the title of serenissime , when some other princes of italy did not so much as pretend to it : but it happened in the days of pope urban the th , that he ( it may be to please his nephews ) gave a higher title to cardinals than they had before , the title of illustrissime was changed into that of eminentissime ; this obliged some princes to take the title serenissime and of highness ; upon which account still to keep a distinction between them and other princes , the dukes of savoy added reale to altezza to make up royal highness , which they pretend to , as being titular kings of cyprus , and so by vertue of a match with france , the french did not oppose it ; and this duke is now in hopes that the king or prince regent of portugal ( being now himself own'd to be a crowned head ) by reason of the late marriage , or that which is to be made with that prince regent , and the dutchesse's sister , will approve of it , but upon what grounds i dispute not . this duke is vicar of the empire in italy , he could not yet obtain from the emperour the investiture of what he hath in montferrat ; however of late the electoral colledge at the sollicitation of the house of bavaria , whose present elector married his sister , did something on his behalf , to wit , made a decree , that his not being invested by the emperour shall be no prejudice to his right , seeing he had used his diligence to obtain it . 't is a thing which raises much the glory of this prince , that he hath several of his subjects descended from emperours of east and west kings , other sovereign princes , and of the chief families of italy ; in piemont alone are above fifty earles , fifteen marquesses at least ; this makes him the more considerable , and adds something to his strength , which on the other side doth consist in the largeness of his dominions , the number , affection , and fidelity of his subjects ; and in his strong places , of which the castle of montmelian , though taken by the french , is one of the chief in savoy ; they use to say , that their prince hath a city which is miles about , to shew how thick towns are in it , and how populous it is ; in piemont alone are episcopal cities , and very populous places . another thing is , that the duke is as absolute as any prince in europe . 't is said of charles emanuel , this dukes grand-father , that one day discoursing with henry the fourth of france , and the king having asked which of the two pistols ( pieces of gold ) the french or spanish he accounted the heaviest ; his answer was , that which i shall give my grain to , meaning that of the two kings , he whom he would assist should be the strongest . his riches i will not mention , his yearly income is said to amount to one million , and eight hundred thousand crowns , out of which savoy and the vallies yeild him but four hundred thousand , all which is nobly spent . i must say however , that gold and silver are scarce in his dominions , which on the other side afford him a great plenty of all things , whereby all manner of provisions are at a low rate . upon consideration of this , two several proposals were made to the present duke by a judicious person ; the first and less important , was to settle a fixed and a constant office for the conveniencie of travellers , so that giving so much , they should be defrayed for their diet , and should be provided with horses ; to this effect a correspondencie was to be setled at lyon , as this had been convenient for strangers and safe , so it had made the moneys of all those who enter italy that ways to pass through the hands of the dukes officers ; and these sums had been very considerable , seeing all those , who go by land into italy out of spain , in time of peace out of france , and pats of germany , come by the way of lyon , this would have encouraged many to go that way who do not , helpt the sale of provisions , and brought moneys into the countrey : but this proposal , though approved , yet wanting a further encouragement came to nothing . the second is to make nizza , or villa franca a free port , any of these lies convenient for ships , this would bring in trade , and consequently moneys , and would help the sale of the lands commodities : but i omit the reasons which are given to inforce this proposal , for i must come to other things . turin is the metropolis of piemont , and the ordinary place of the dukes residence , when he is not at his houses of pleasure , of which he hath as great a number of fine and convenient ones , as any other prince : this city is well seated in a plain , the rivers po and doire running not far from it ; in the court is an office of the admiralty , as they call it of the po , which is more for formality-sake , than for any benefit . in turin are to be seen the old and new palaces , with the garden , from the place to the new palace to that of st. garloe , is on both sides a row of fine houses all uniform . i shall say nothing of churches there , nor of the countrey-houses , as rivoli , moncallier , le valentin , millefleur , and la venerea , which is the present dukes delight : but i must take notice that there is as good a citadel as any in europe , in which there is a well , into which one may go down to water a horse , and at the same time , one can come up thence and not see one another . there are also armes for men . many things i omit here to tell , that carlo emanuele , the present duke , is a prince well made of his person , of a middle stature , full face , with that natural red , which only doth embelish it ; his sight is none of the best , as may be observed when he eats or reads ; he loves hunting with some kinde of excess , the scorching heat , nor the foulness of weather , being not able to divert him from it : and by this constant course he hath brought himself into a capacity to endure any hardship ; yet this passion doth not take him off his important businesses , which he is vigorous in , and follows it very close : he hath set days to give publick audience , at which time the least of his subjects may speak to him without any disturbance at all , and he hears them very patiently , as he is an active man , so he takes cognizance of every thing , and imparts all to his lady , who being a judicious princess , and exceedingly complying with his highness , she ever hath a place in his closet , as in his bed. he is a prince very civil to strangers , and now frugal at home , for he finds his ancestors have been too free so he hath been himself , but now says for a reason of his alteration , that as to frugality he cannot imitate a greater monarch than the , king of france , with whom he hath a conformity of temper , joyned to a natural affection . his inclination to women hath been discovered by his actings with the marchioness of cahours , and is daily observed by those who follow his court. his first minister of state is the marquess of pianezza , of the family d' allie , and brother to count philip ; a great polititian he is , and a greater enemy to the protestants of the vallies of piemont : his son the marquess of livorno , kept the place when he was lately retired for some distasts , though under pretence of devotion . the marquess san germano governour of turin , is of the same family ; the marquess palavesin ( successor to the marquess de fleury , who was turned out for his privacies with the marchioness de cabours ) captain of the guards , is also much in favour ; so is the old marquess of voghera , whose lady hath the oversight of the maids of honour , but none can boast of being his special favourite . the princes of the blood are few , the young prince of piemont , son to the duke by this wife , and prince philibert , with the earl of soissons , sons to the late prince thomas . there is at court a princess , the dukes sister unmarried : there is a natural uncle of the dukes , don antonio , governour of villa franca , and a natural son of the late victor amedeo , who lives privately in france . this princes countrey is much exposed to the french power , whereby they have been stript twice , and therefore his interest is to agree with france , for fear of bringing himself into the sad condition which the duke of lorrain is in , for the or men , which without any great inconveniencie he can keep on foot , could hardly save him ; he is withal as handsomely as he can to prevent the french from setling in milan , for then he would be shut up by them every way . the state of the grand duke . the family of medici , of which are the grand dukes of toscany , hath not been very long possessed of that dignity , neither is it so antient as are many others in italy ; when florence was a republick , 't was one of the chief , but no more than the strozzi , pitty , and some others were . alexander began the work , but was quickly dispatched by his cousin lorenzo : then came cosmo , who was the first named & crowned grand duke by pope pio quinto of his family , ferdinand who left off the cardinals cap after the death of his elder brother , cosmo d . and ferdinand d . who is the present grand duke , who married donna vittoria della rovere , last heir of the late duke of urbino . some say a physician was the first who raised that family , and that in token of it , they took the pile ( but 't is the balls or globes ) for their armes ; they were raised by charles the th . the emperor , who gave margarita his natural daughter to alessandro , and so forced the florentines to submit to him . the grand dukes are creatures of clement the th . and of charles the th . emperour , with whose arms and countenancing , they became masters of florence ; at present they are in possession of three formerly potent republicks , to wit , florence , pisa , and siena ; they have all antient toscany , except luca and sarzana ; hence is the proverb , which saith , if the grand duke had luca , and sarzana , sarebbe , re di toscana , for he hath also the cities of pistoias volterra , cortona , arezzo , montepulciano , and several other lands and castles of a lesser importance , besides part of the island alba , where is cosmopoli , and porto ferrario . when the dukes came to the government , the florentines had subdued pisa , wherefore the condition of that city is the worst of the three , for being a conquer'd countrey they are under the jurisdiction of florence ; but siena is governed in the same way , as when it was a republick , owning none but the grand duke , or the governour sent by him ; thus they have nothing to do at florence , even they are used better than the florentines , who being look't upon at sactiout men , and desirous of liberty , are not only disarmed , as all other subjects are , but are more bridled too : a further reason is , that the duke doth homage for it to the crown of spain ( as he doth for radicofany to the pope ) therefore he dares not take altogether the same liberty there , which he uses in other places . pisa is void of inhabitants , but well seated , and hath in it several things worthy to be seen ; the grand duke delights to be in 't , therefore he comes to it , having the conveniencie of a forrest , which lies not far from it . siena is a finecity , in a good air , with good store of people in it , the italian tongue is well spoken , the virtuosi that are there , are called intronati . florence , the place of the courts ordinary residence , is a stately city , and very populous , there being accounted to be souls in it ; the gentry in it doth not think it below themselves to follow trade , which is specially of silks , so that it may pass for a rich town ; there are in it or families , accounted to be worth one million of crowns . there are three castles , fine churches , specially the domo , which on the outside is all of white and black marble , and that incomparable chapel of san lorenzo , for the which marble is not rich enough to enter , as one of the materials , but jasper , agatha , porphiry , &c. there are further rare palaces , and the dukes galleries exceedingly rich , the river arno runs through it , there is that learned society , called la crusca . the grand duke trading much underhand , as its thought , and being very frugal , must be very rich ; not to mention those rich galleries of his esteemed worth above three millions , but he draws to himself the best of his dominion , there being hardly in the world a countrey more oppressed with customes and taxes than this is ; hence it is , that except florence , where trade doth flourish , and siena , where is still some rest of liberty the whole country is the grand dukes , very little inhabited , and full of poverty , and this for fear those toscan active wits should cause some disturbance ; therefore he hath several strong holds , with a horse commanded by strangers , and about foot , besides the militia's , which upon occasion ought to be ready . 't is a priviledge of the horse-men , that they may not be arrested for any debt whatsoever ; so that any one that 's affraid and in danger of it , uses all possible means to get in amongst them . this prince for his person is a judicious man , and upon all occasions carries himself very politickly , besides the general genius of the nation , the particular one of the florentines , which goes beyond others , and his own natural parts ; having ruled these many years , he hath gotten a great deal of experience ; therefore he knows admirably well how to far fatti suoi , to mind and do his businesses , whereat he is as a cervellone , italiians call it . he carries his whole council along with him , for he hath no constant nor fixed councellours , but upon occasson he sends for whom he pleases to have their advice , but all resolutions do absolutely depend upon him ; so that the whole manner of his government is to be attributed to him alone . he is extraordinary civil to strangers , specially if they be persons of quality , and after they have had the honour of waiting on him , he sends them a regale , or a present of fruits , wines , &c. but of all nations , germans are those who have the greatest priviledges about his person , and in his dominions , strangers of other nations having any thing to do with his searchers , and the like officers , do free themselves of toyl and trouble , by saying they are germans ; and at present , amongst those many of that nation who are at his service , there is one who is much in favour with him . he is very careful to know the affairs of other states , to be able the better to rule his own , to that end he spares no charges that he may be well informed of it , knowing it is the deepest policie of princes to dive into the affairs of others : so every year he spends great sums of moneys to maintain the spies he keeps abroad , there being no court , and hardly any considerable city , but he hath some to give him intelligences of what passes in 't . he will have an exact knowledge of the state of every thing within his dominions , therefore in , having a mind to know the yearly income of his clergy , he caused an account to be made of it ; 't was found to amount to crowns , whence one may guess he doth not neglect to know his own , which is thought to be of half a million of english pounds , besides casualities , of which he hardly spends the half ; so that he must needs have many a million in his coffer ; indeed legorn alone is worth a treasure to him , it being the most noted store-house of all the mediterranean , there being at it an extraordinary concourse of ships from all parts , and 't is a place well fortified ; there is in it the statue of ferdinand the first , with four slaves in brass , then the which nothing better can be seen in that kind . but to return to the grand dukes riches , he daily improves them with his frugality , for to save charges he hath lessened the number of his gallies , having now but four , two of which are unfit for service ; and to get monies he hires the others to merchants to transport their wares ; formerly his gallies lay along the coasts to secure them from pyrates ; now they have towers along the sea shore , where they use tolight fires when any enemies or pyrates appear , which gives a warning where the danger is . this prince gathers monies on all hands , for at florenee , legorn , and other places , he receives contribution from the cortegiane , or prostitute women , for the tolleration and protection he gives them ; so that an injury done to any of those infamous persons shall be punished , as if it had been done to the most virtuous in the world . but the grand duke is not satisfied to be frugal himself , he hath often exhorted the grand prince his son to the practice of it ; son , saith he , non spender ' quell ' che tu hai perche , chi non ha none ; do not spend what thou hast , for he who hath nothing , is nothing . another way of this grand duke to get monies , and wherein lies his great maxime of policy at home , is to keep his subjects low ; no people in the world lye under heavier taxes and burthens than this doth ; every house that is let out , payes him the tenth part of the rent ; every contract of marriage , eight by the hundred of the portion ; and every one who will goe to law , afore he begins must pay two for the hundred , out of this one may judge of the rest ; this usage makes that prince to mistrust his subjects , who are active , stirring , and men of pregnant parts , exceedingly desirous of , and breathing after liberty , for 't is very hard for a people who lived a long while in a way of republick , to bring themselves to live under a monarch , so absolute and so hard as this is ; so that upon this account the grand dukes strong places are all well furnished with armes , ammunition , and provision , not only to resist a forreign enemy upon occasion , but to bridle his own subjects ; which is indeed a sad case , when a prince hath as many enemies as he hath subjects ; how can he think himself sure with those who hate and fear fear him , seeing any one who out of despair caresnot for his life , is ever the master of anothers , specially in those parts where 't is so much used , and where men are so skill'd at it ; and the devil who is a murtherer from the beginning , omits no occasion to infuse bloody motions into his hirelings . happy is that prince whose strongest fortress consists in the love of his subjects , who hath not only their hands but their hearts along with him ; 't is certain that of all enemies the domestick is the most dangerous , and the most to be feared . oderint dum metuant , was a fit expression for such a man as tyberius . yet though the grand duke keeps his people so low , he hath left them a shaddow of liberty , whereat they be somewhat satisfied , it consists in the use of those common laws of justice which they had in the time of the republick . now to the maximes of state of this prince in relation to his neighbours , the first is apparently to be united with spain , yet in private to keep friendship and correspondency with france , which the spaniards often times have been much displeased at , and had some thoughts to resent it , but fearing least the remedy might prove worse than the disease , they have chosen to sit still . what he doth in france , the same he practises with the republick of venice : but that which he minds most of all , is to have a good number of cardinals , and other useful persons of quality his pentioners at rome , to have none but those who be his friends chosen popes , for the great'st stormes he is afraid of are from thence , for knowing how matter is combustible at home , he fears least popes would encourage and assist his people to recover that liberty which they are so much longing after ; and there hath been some popes who were born his subjects , as one of the clements , and lately urban the th . who have given him or his ancestours trouble enough . of his family , prince matthias his brother died lately , governour of siena , and now prince leopold is created cardinal , his son the grand prince his heir apparent is called cosmo , who hath married the princess of voalis , of the french royal blood : for a long while there hath been an unhappy falling out between them , but now all differences are composed ; by some the fault was laid upon one , and by others upon the other ; 't is not fit for men to search into the causes of falling out between husband and wife , specially when they are princes ; some particular ones i heard , which i doe not minde , onely one may say that the retired manner of life practised in florence differs very much from that which is lead at paris , so that an italian may happen to require a thing which a french woman will have no mind to grant : i know in toscany there are still some noble and ancient families , but as the grand dukes have been very jealous of their aurhority , they have either rooted out , or brought very low the chief , and those of whom they were the most jealous . the state of mantoa . the family gonzaga hath possessed the state of mantoa since the year . at which time roberto gonzaga having expelled some petty usurpers , he made himself master of it ; they enjoyed it without any title till the year . when the emperour sigismond created giovanni francesco marquesse , and charles the th . in the year . made federico duke of it ; this married margarita paleologa heir to the marquesate of monferrat . the titles of this prince are these , duke of mantoa , marquess of monferrat , prince , and perpetual vicar of the empire in italy , marquess of gonzaga , viadane , gozzolo , dozzolo , earle of rodiga , and lord of luzara . these dukes could formerly live in as great a splendour as any prince in italy , their equal , specially since monferrat was united to their state , but since the late warre made against the duke charles the first , in the year . by the house of austria , under pretence that he had not done homage to the emperour , nor acknowledged him for his soveraign , though the true reason was , because being born in france , he was by them suspected to be wholly inclined that way , and by the duke of savoy , who would have stript him of monferrat , which is joyning to piemont : their strength is so weakned , and their revenue , and yearly income so lessened , that without the help of other princes they cannot maintain their garisons , as it is in the case of cazal that strong place , so that from above crowns they had a year , they are brought to . which yet are not clear . mantoa , formerly a most flourishing and very populous city , hath at present but few inhabitants , and is full of misery , not caused by their princes who have been the meekest of all italy , but they could not rise up again since they were taken and plundered by the imperial army . the best ornament of that city was , and is , still the dukes palace , where they reckon at least . chambers very richly furnished with hangings and bedding , there are . beds , and many rich statues ; but before the taking of the city , 't was as they say , more stately and rich , then the mills only of the city were worth . sterling a year . upon occasion this duke can raise . foot , but not to keep them very long , and . horse : now the mantoan horse is esteemed the best of italy . there are more sovereign princes of this family , than of any other in italy , because duke alfonso having many sons , would make every one of them a sovereign ; therefore by the emperours consent , some lands he separated from the jurisdiction of mantoa , and others he bought ; so that the eldest sonne was duke of mantoa , another prince of bozzolo , a third prince of sabionetta , another duke di guastalda , a fifth duke of novellara , and a sixth marquesse of castiglione della stivere : but now sabionetta as a doury hath been alienated by a marriage to the house caraffa in naples , and since , the princess of stigliano of this last family being married to the duke medina de las torres los velez , brought this state into his family . the late duke charles the d . to unite himself the more to the house of austria , ( for the late emperour had already married a princess of his family ) took one of the princesses of insprack to his wife , but for all this he neither was much trusted to , or rewarded ; the truth is , he was affected to france , whose interests he would not have separated from , if he had not thought himselfe slighted at paris , and less respected then was the duke francis of modena . this duke of mantoa died not long since in the flower of his age , leaving only a son of , or . years old , who hath succeeded him . he was generally inclined to women , but in particular to the countess margarita di cazale : he was a great gamester , and lost much money at venice : upon all occasions he was supplyed by a jew of mantua , who almost ruled the dukes affairs to his own advantage , and to the princ's loss . jews are tollerated in mantoa to the number of above . for which they pay . crowns , or . sterling a year , the more willingly because they are obliged to no marks of distinction , as they are in all other places . the city of mantoa , as all others that are consideralile in italy hath some virtuosi called invaghiti , it hath been a maxime of state of these princes to be united to france , where they had the dukedoms of nevers , rethel , and mayene which cardinal mazarine bought , the last for himself , the other two for one of his nepews , and also to be united to the venetians ; to the first , because that king could fall heavy upon the duke of savoy , the perpetual and unreconcileable enemy of his family ; to the last , because being his next neighbours , they could assist him upon any occasion . the friendship which seems to be between this duke and those of parma and modena is not real , by reason some state-differences which happened formerly between them : with the grand duke he hath had fallings out about the precedency of their ministers : though the grand duke hath larger dominions , the others family hath been more noble , and is more antient ; besides the other reason of the enmity is , that the grand duke hath several goods of his for the portion of the princess catharina di medici , married to duke ferdinando . but the greatest enmity of this house , is , against that of savoy about monferrat , and other things ; their differences are so great , that no means can be found out to compose them : and here i must not omit to speak of the treaty of chierasco in reference to these differences : thereby the duke of savoy is put in possession of two good cities of monferrat , but some satisfaction is to be given for them to the duke of mantoa , therefore the french doth oblige himself to pay the duke of mantoa . crowns of gold pretended by that house from savoy for portions ; but for the forenamed summe , the french is put in possession of pinarolo , and yet the duke of mantoa never asked those monies , protesting against that treaty ; so that upon occasion this may happen to be a ground of troubles in italy . the state of the duke of parma . the dukedoms of parma and piacenze , two of the best cities of italy , have been possessed by the family farneze above these . years , after several revolutions they fell to the church , and were at last by pope paolo tertio , given to pietro luigi farneze his son born afore he was a church-man . charles the th emperour opposed it at first , but after the marriage of ottavio d duke with his natural daughter he approved of it ; besides the dukedoms of parma and piacenza in lombardy , he hath the dukedome of castro , and county of roncigliont within the sate of the church , which the first was pawned to , and for want of paying the monies in the prefixed time , it was united and entailed to the church , which is the worst that a turk or a jew can do a christian : yet notwithstanding the sufficient reasons to the contrary given by the duke , that pretended father of christians played this unmerciful trick ; and though of late by the means of the french king , this entail was cut off , as yet they could not bring the pope to part with it , as he is obliged by the treaty of pisa ; so well these popes agree , the one to get , and the other to keep . besides this the duke of parma hath some lands in the kingdome of naples for the doury of margarita of austria married to prince ottavio . this prince is perpetual standard bearer of the church , to which his state is to fall incase he should die without male issue . although he doth homage to the church for the whole , he is nevertheless absolute for that ; after the homage received , popes having nothing to do in his dominions . urban the th was a great enemy to this family ; he took castro , and had it demolished ; he would have ruinated odoardo then duke , and father to this present , who was a wise and a valiant prince ; but italian princes expressing to be dissatisfied at it , he was obliged to be quiet , having raised upon the frontires of parma , that strong place called la fortezza urbana . this family hath given the world some men of great repute , specially him who was governour of the low-countries ; the loss of castro hath been a great prejudice to the duke , yet he hath still a matter of . crowns a year : the apennini are as a wall to his state , which joyned to many rivers , and some strong holds , makes his countrey considerable ; he keeps nigh upon . men , but in case of necessity he could bring into the field . foot , and . horse , the half he can bring forth without inconveniency ; he hath much nobility in his dominions , and he is very jealous of them , specially of those of piacenza , because the first duke was kill'd there . what manner of cities are parma and piacenza i will not describe , nor the curiosities to be seen in them ; i name nothing , only let this general rule be taken ; in every good city of italy , one is to see the churches wherein consists their glory , their palaces , gardens . houses of pleasure , cabinets , &c. all which are embelished with statues , pictures in oleo , in fresco , and mosaick works , wherein porphiry , marble , and such rich materials are often used ; this i say to free my self from making descriptions which might make up a great volume , i only take notice that in parma are some academists , called innominati . the present duke ranuccio , a man of a fat complexion , as yet hath no children , his first wife being-dead , he is again married to the sister of the late duke of modena , he hath prince alessandro farnese his brother , who hath been in the service of the venetians , and came off with some discontent ; at present he serves in spain . there is now at rome cardinal farneze , but he is not very nigh kinsman , i am sure he did not act the part of a good kinsman , when he found out some ways to sell his principality of farneze to the pope for don mario for crowns , and a cardinals cap , excluding thereby the duke of parma from that succession , in case the branch should fail ; but an entail having afterwards been found out , the pope called for his monies , and restored the principality , however he is cardinal by the bargain ; the best palace in rome is farneze , built after the direction of michel angelo buonarotta ; and one of the best countrey-pleasure-houses of italy , is caprarola in the county of ronciglione , belonging to the duke of parma . till of late , since the dayes of charles the th , 't was a constant maxime of state of these princes to keep close to the house of austria ; but odoardo the late duke being unsatisfied with the earl and duke of olivares , he left that union , and they have since sided with france , as the fittest power to uphold them in their quarrels against the pope , which will be a continual ground of troubles in italy , and an occasion of bringing the french into it . one thing more is , that these dukes do more willingly make use of strangers to be their ministers when they find them qualified for it , than of their own subjects . the state of the duke of modena . the family d'este , though we put it here last , is much more antient and richer than the two former , yet according to that period which is set to families of princes , and their dominions , this hath lost something of its antient greatness . they derive their pedigree from atto marquess of este , who took the surname , which now his family keeps , from the city este , which doth still belong to it : this married alda , daughter to the emperour othon the first , in the year , . and had with her , modena and reggio . theobaldo d' este othon's grand-child , had in the year . ferrara from pope john the th , which was in the year , . taken from them by clement the th , after the death of alfonso the d , for want of lawful heirs males : yet there was cesare d' este whom alfonso had from laura ferrarese who would have proved that his father had married his mother , and so that he was a lawful heir , but the proofs of the pope who had already taken possession of the place , were the strongest : yet that family still pretends to it , affirming they come from a lawful heir , though popes will have him to have been a natural son ; and this as to precedency wrongs that family , for other princes will not grant them as dukes of modena only , what they had as dukes of ferrara , although their standing dukes of modena be from barso d' este , who had the title given him by frederick the d emperour in the year . the city hath been a great looser by this change , for instead of the seat of a court , 't is now made a city of war , and of . soules that were in it under the dukes , there 's now hardly . however this duke is still in possession of the dukedomes of modena and reggio , the principalities of carpi and correggio , the earldome of roli , and the lordships of sassevil , garfagna and frignano , by the late treaty of pisa ; his dispute with the pope about the vallies of gommachio was decided , being to receive as he did . crowns for them , . more of damages , and some other advantagious , conditions : all these lands with others which he hath still in the dukedom of ferrara , yield him every year full . crowns ; all his dominions joyning one to another , makes him the more considerable ; his strength therefore consists in the number of his people ; the only province carfagnana is said to contain . places walled about ; he hath also several strong holds ; upon extraordinary occasions he is able to bring into the field . foot , and . horse , and he can without inconveniency keep the halfe of the number , however his country lies somewhat open to several neighbouring princes , not for want of good places , of which he hath many , seated at a proportionable and convenient distance one from another , but because that country lies upon an even ground ; in his citadel of modena , are as they say , armes for . men ; this city is not in repute with other italians , who call it modena la pazza . these princes observe the general maximes of their neighbours , to have a good correspondency with venice , which was ever lookt upon as the protectour of the liberties of italy : since the loss of ferrara they kept close to the spaniards , but of late their interest made them change their affections , for duke francis was in the late italian war , made general of the french , and mazarine's neece married to prince almerigo his son , who hath left a young prince to succeed him . at present all things are done after the advice of cardinal d'este , protector of the french interest at rome , and the promoter of the late union of his family to france ; he is a prince very active and stirring , who lives at rome , when he comes there , with greater pomp , and more splendour then any other cardinal whatsoever ; he is zealous for the french , by whose friendship his family is much better with monies , being enriched with the late generalship : so is the country , for in winter the head quarters were in modena , whereto resorted all the great officers , and a great number of inferiour ones ; this somwhat helped the poor people to pay those taxes that are laid so heavy upon them ; at present there is one of their name , and kinsman afar of , don carlo d'este , if i mistake not , a subject born to the duke of savoy , who is a knight of the order of the fleece , whom i have seen attending on the empress at alexandria , pavio , &c. the duke of modena hath this advantage above most princes in italy , that he hath some of his subjects who have feudi fiefs of the empire ; we find many great families in his dominions , as the rich earls , di san paolo , the bentivogli-ragoni , buoncompagni , the marquesses spilimbergo , peppoli ; gualengo , di vignola and gualteri . the earls caprari , san martino , di molsa , di maluisia , montecuculi , tassoni ferrarese di conoscia , and few others ; the present duke being very young , we have nothing to say as to his person ; and though he were older , we could say of him that which must be spoken of some others , they are reserved , and live retiredly ; so that strangers , for any long while have not free excess to their courts and persons . the state of venice . now to go on , i must say something of the republicks . i do confess i am much at a stand when i see my self obliged to speak of venice ; the abundance of matter is often to a man a greater hindrance then help , when he must pick out that which is onely fit for his purpose ; to speak well of a republick esteemed a miracle of nature , and a prodigy of art , the tongue of an angel is necessary : 't were too trivial to say , that this republick was founded above years ago , by those who from aqueleia , padoa , &c. fled from the cruelty of attila : they were governed by tribunes till the year , . at which time they made a head called doge , and they chose san marco to be their protectour ; wherefore a lyon holding a book , is their arms , with this motto , pax tibi marce evangelista . the government was part aristocracy , and part democracy , but at the time when pietro gradenigo was doge in the year , . it was resolved in the senate , that the government should hereafter belong to the nobility alone ; and to avoid oppositions , all the families that were in some esteem amongst the people , were declared nobles , as it hath been practised afterwards upon urging occasions , as in the wars against genoa , and lately in the wars against the turk , . crowns being paid by every one who is made such , besides that he must be otherwise qualified for it . in the majesty and perpetuity of the duke , there is a shadow of monarchy , but the strength and the authority resides in the senate ; their dominion is of a great extent . in terra ferma they have dogado , la marca trevigiana , padoano , vicentino , veronese , feltrino , bellunese , bresciano , beragamasco , cremasco , &c. there is further il fruili , with many considerable cities in it , as udine , palma , and that strong hold palma nova . istria with four good cities , and many lands and places . out of italy they have dalmatia , with the islands thereto belonging , and the chief cities of zara , clissa : cataro , and few other places in albania ; in the levante , corfu , cefalonia , cerigo , zante , and some other islands in the arcipelago ; and the sovereignty of all the golfo from venice to otranto , and to la vallona , which is seven hundred miles in length ; of the kingdom of candia , they have nothing but the city . it would require whole volumes , if one would insist upon the manner of their government in general , seeing they have been curious to gather the quintessence of all the good laws and statutes which antient and modern republicks had , which they make use of upon occasion : they have above . courts of judicature , such a diversity being necessary for them to employ so many noblemen they have . i will hardly mention the gran ' consiglio , wherein are usually . votes , besides other . nobles who are in offices else-where , either by land or sea ; nor the pregadi composed of ' . or thereabouts , or the collegio , or the consiglio di dieci , nor what manner of bus●inesses they treat of : why should i tell who are the procuratori di san marco , sesteri , tre capi di quaranta savi di mare , savi di terra , savi grandi , and so many officers ; this with an exact description of that republick , and of all her dependencies i could undertake , if i saw occasion , but 't is a thing that deserves to be by it self , as well as the account of the forces , and riches of the republick , and wherein they consist ; i shall not speak of the city which is full of wonders with antient and modern curiosities , only i shall name the arsenal , which is certainly the best in europe , and the treasure hath many rich and precious stones , however i will not omit to say , that in the city are two sorts of virtuosi , one is called discordanti , and the other gussoni . i must come to something of the political part of that government , but before , i must name some of the chief families of that republick . i believe the number of the nobles exceeds that of . though . or . families with their friends and relations , whose leaders they are do govern the whole , the most considerable of these are contarini , now doge , sagredo , corraro , capello , moccenigo morosini , cornaro , gradenigo , grimani , querini , loredano , marcello , pesaro , giustiniano , foscari , bembo , delfini , &c. now i proceed , the venetians take a great care to have their young men instructed in those things which concern their republick ; in part to this effect they have found out such a variety of employments , to the end that applying themselves to these , they may in time be fitter to administer those of a higher nature , so that there is hardly any one without some employment suitable to his genius and capacity ; they also have an usual way to speak familiarly of policy , so that after a long use , and earnest application , and an often hearing of those who understand things well , they must needs make improvement in it . the venetians also most of any italians do travel abroad , and hardly an ambassadour ever goes to any place , but he is attended by some of the young nobles , who go to learn the politick part of the government of the countrey which the ambassadour is sent to ; and that which is the chief , to the end that the senate may be instructed of the present state of affairs of any court , we may observe that almost everywhere they have ambassadours ( not mattering what charges they come to ) who all the time of their residence , by a constant intelligence do acquaint the council with every particular thing that falls out in the court they live at ; who not only leave instructions to those who succeed them in the place , but who also when they come home , are obliged to make in pregadi , a full relation of the state wherein stands the court whence they come . one thing above all , which i find extraordinary , is that secresie so inviolably observed amongst them , that amongst so many heads there should be no tongue , nay there have been those who were present at the council , when violent resolutions were taken against some friend or relation of theirs ; they have conversed with them after that , and yet never discovered any thing . publick ministers of princes who reside there , do confess it is more difficult to penetrate into those results made sometimes by above . men , than into those which are made by three or four : 't is true , this is look't upon as a part of their wisdome , that publick affairs are communicated to all , for then when the resolutions they have taken , require secresie , they think themselves obliged to observe it , though it were only upon this account that they are true and faithful to themselves . thus their general aime is , or at least their laws tend to maintain peace , union , and liberty . we must not wonder therefore if this republick is come to such a height , and maintains herself in it , with the excellency of her counsil , the observation of the laws , the gravity of manners and customes , and the common desire of maintaining liberty with a severe punishment of all innovations which could disturb the publick peace . laws ought not to be despotick or arbitrary , nor after the suggestions of sycophants , and the byassed parasites , but inconformity to those of the great law giver ( who though he have an absolute and unlimitable right and power over all , yet he is often times graciously pleased to give reasons of what he doth ) they ought to be grounded upon justice , reason , and equity , and to tend to the publick good , which should be the end of all civil and municipal laws , and not to be turned into private channels , to run to particular ends , which hapning , let him look to 't who bears not the sword without cause , for all private ends ought to be subservient to the publick interest : to this effect , when first all men contracted societies , and united themselves in corporations , they knew well they could not subsist without order , which can never be observed without laws , tending to protect the good in the enjoyment of that peace and quietness they desire , & to terrifie the evil with those punishments threatned them , in case the , go about to disturb it . and the truth is , that such laws being enacted , they look to future ages more than to that time wherein they are made , because those who made them being free agents , and entring willingly ; and with their own accord into such societies as every one of them had a hand in the passing of the laws , if not in the framing , at least in the approving and confirming of the same ; for that which is to be above all , as laws are , is to be made by the consent of all ; so 't is to be supposed they would not break the lawes which they made themselves , upon grounds of reason and justice ; hence it is , that as they have made use of the legislative power they had , and that they have bound themselves to the execution of them , which being once done , the bond cannot be loose or untied but by the general consent , and in such a case it may be done according to the maxime , that he who makes the law , can disanul it ; ( but it must be the whole legislative power ) for as grounds and reasons sometimes do alter , so may the laws accordingly , because as a law doth not sute in all places , so neither at all times , neither may they be allowed , but as much as they conduce to the publick good , which as i said , before is the end for the which they were roade ; but if they turn to be destructive to these ends for the which they were made , they ought certainly to be abrogated and made void ; and this shews that every law is not of the nature of those of the persisians and medians , which might not be altered ; but because the life of the law doth not so much consist in the legislative act , but specially in the executive part , not only in wisdome , but also in powers therefore they who made the lawe do appoint those who are to see them executed ; and because at first law-givers could not foresee all cases and accidents which might fall out , there is a certain power reserved to interpret , to explain and to amplifie those laws , yet upon this condition that sense shall be given to the words of the law which is most conducing to the end of the law , that is , to the publick good : for those rules that are imposed by conquerours as such , and do deserve the name of laws , but are only despotick orders and commands ; the conquerour after his victory imposes what he pleaseth upon the conquered ; sometimes nothing but martial and arbitrary laws , as it is this day practised in the turkish empire , for as he hath gotten it , so he must keep it either by force or fraud ; this is by virtue of a right used between wild beasts , who will tear or spare those that are weaker than themselves . the laws of venice , which are the occasion of this discourse , abhor these last , and are of the nature of the former , the happiness which they have enjoyn'd under them , do highly declare the wisdome of their law-givers . i believe it were of no little use , if every countrey were acquainted with the same ; i altogether for bear speaking of them that are common and ordinary , one kind excepted , which is very beneficial , and might prove so to other countries , being introduced therein , i mean the sumptuary laws against excess in clothes , jewels , equipage , &c. which though vain and superficial things do consume & wast the state & substance of many ; the servant is not to be known by his cloaths from his master ; and of these how many have we who are more sollicitous of getting perriwigs , gaudy cloathes , and the like , than careful to acquire knowledge , virtue and experience , not knowing that those things are borrowed , and not their own , which make no difference between an honest man and the vilest wretch in the world , however they are satisfi'd with the shew , and are like those apples that grow about the lake of sodom , which have a fair shew , but have nothing within , blow upon them and they fly into dust and ashes . as there is a difference of quality in persons , so there should be some distinction in cloathes , or the like ; the very stars shew greater brightness some than others . men should strive to goe one beyond another , not in clothes but in virtue , and good quality . but i 'le leave this discourse , not for want of matter , one who hath but common sense and reason could have much to say upon 't , but because i avoid to be accounted too censorious and critical , and that some times every truth must not be spoken , or when it is odium parit : but to come to my subject , i say , 't is not so in venice , they minde more solid and substantial things than these , and they practise certain refined maximes , which i have observed . first , their doges may not ally themselves to any forreign princes , to preveni receiving from abroad councils tending to the destruction of liberty at home . neither is it lawful for any of the nobles to converse with any forreign ministers , or any one that hath any relation to them , or to keep communication with them by way of letters , or any other direct or indirect way , to remove all occasions of being bribed , and so of betraying the state or their councils ; for this cause . or . years agoe was put to death one of the family of carnaro , it being found out that he had been several times at the lodging of the spanish ambassadour . further , as they know that the greatness of the republick comes from their power upon the seas ; so all the nobles apply themselves specially to sea affairs : as for land service they usually take strangers of known valour and experience out of germany , italy , and other places . to preserve union between the nobles and the people , and that these may have where to apply themselves ; the noble ; do not roeddle with publick schools , or ruling of parochial churches , or the like ; and more than this , the direction of the chancery of the republick , which is a high dignity that hath the ordering of all publick expeditions , and the secretaries places are ever given to some of the people , to whom also they allow liberty of fishing , coursing , shooting , and the like , there being no propriety in things of this nature , and that they may yet the more get the love and affection of the people , they converse together in walks , play-houses , gaming-places , and upon all occasions and meetings ; so also they take citizens daughters to be their wives : yet for all this the nobles are so far from hindring , that rather they encourage the divisions which are in the city of venice of one part against another , that is , between the castellani and nicolotti , who use to meet specially in the month of september , upon the bridge of st. barnabas , which they flock to in great numbers , and the nobles who happen to be there do encourage every one of those of his side ; there they kick and cuff one another , but have no armes : this to some is an eff●ct of animosity , to others ' a sport , to others a shew , and to all a diversion from other things . upon this account , they suffer the insolencies of scholars at padoa with their chi va li at night to keep a division between them and the citizens , who also are looked upon as a factious people . another maxime which they have , is to keep the scales even between warring princes , specially in italy , as they have done in the wars of milan , to preserve the publick liberty , that one prince do not grow too potent by the loss of another ; but a thing which they study most of all , is , to know the genius , customes , strength , and to find out the designes of all princes and republicks , by which diligence many a time they have found out and avoided great dangers impending over themselves and others . but a very useful maxime they have , and which is very wise , it is ever to hearken after peace , and fit themselves constantly for war : afore they were involved in this last with the turk , their policicy was by all means to avoid a falling out with so dreadful an enemy ; but it seems at this time providence hath made use of the perfidiousness of those of candia , and of the turks ambition , to make this maxime to be null and void . but to withdraw from this ocean , i will say , that out of policy they suffer the delayes of doing justice , and the tedious proceedings at law , to keep people in exercise , and the courts of justice in credit : by the same reason they are so severe in punishing faults against the state upon all sorts of persons ; and to avoid innovations and disorders ; contrariwise , they be very remiss to those which proceed from humane frailty : so 't is to punish more rigourously the faults of the nobles , than those of the people , to the end that the former do not grow insolent , nor these last discontented . further they are careful to maintain their priviledges to provinces and cities , that they may continue in their loyalty and affection . lastly , 't is a part of their justice , as of their policy , not to punish the crime of the fathers upon the children , nor e converso , the person only which is guilty suffering . i have one thing more to say before i leave it : of all states in italy this of venice hangs loose from the pope most of all , therefore they meddle not in the court of rome , neither do they care to bestow pensions upon cardinals to have a favourable election , & indeed 't is not much material to them , seeing they extend their jurisdiction upon all regular & ecclesiastical persons within their dominions , notwithstanding the endeavours of several popes to the contrary : and they have good laws to bridle the power of popes within their state , as i will instance only in two cases ; the first is , though the inquisition be amongst them , yet they have taken away its sting , there being constantly three of the wisest and more moderate senators named to be present at their consultations ; and it is further ordered , that nothing shall be resolved in it , except there be present one of these senators , who qualifies things , reduces them to moderation , and in case of extremity telling , the senate must be acquainted with such and such things . the second case is , the nomination which popes make , of whom they think fit to some , church-livings and benefices within their state , the pope pretends he hath right so to do , which they deny ; however because they will not openly cross him , they have found out an indirect way , which is this , there is an order , that no man whosoever shall be put in possession of any benefice by virtue of any grant or nomination from the pope , except the same be first approved of by the council , so that the patent being brought to the council , there it lies till either the person who had it , or the pope who granted it , be dead , which maxime now being known , none of their subjects will be at the charges and trouble to sue at rone for any such thing . the wisest amongst them laugh at the pretended authority and jurisdiction which popes arrogate to themselves within the limits of their republick : he may ( say they ) play rex at rome , and have his patriarchal churches , namely st. peter representing the patriarch of constantinople ; st. paul of alexandria , st. mary the greater of antiochia , st. laurance without the walls of jerusalem , and set over these four , st. john of lateran , representing the pope , who is over all ; but say they , such liberty is not allowed him in the states of other princes . from time to time there hath been quarrels between popes and this republick ; paul the fifth's excommunication is not yet forgotten there , nor the principles of padre paolo , and padre fulgentio rooted out ; though the gospel be not taught there in publick , one may hear it sometimes in private . 't is true , of late the jesuites were re-admitted there , but meer necessity of state obliged them to it , though their re-admission was carried on but by few balls or votes , the late popes letter earnestly entreating them to do it , and saying , that if he could have gone in person to ask it , he would have done it , was not so efficacious as the promise of keeping men at his own charges in dalmatia , for theservice of the republick ; and upon occasion the use of his gallies , with some other advantages : however , they are still odious in that city to all sorts of people , and a small matter will send them out again : in a private conversation between the late popes and a venetian ambassadour then at rome , upon the question moved by the pope , where was their title to the soveraignty of the gulf ? the other answered him smartly , 't is upon the back of constamines donation ; this shews somthing in the bottom of the venetian hearts not favourable to rome , whence they have received so many grounds of displeasure ; we have seen of late how much trouble a nuncio of the popes at venice was like to have raised between the duke and senate about the barigello , who had seized certain of the nuncio's servants when they had done some insolencies , though he said he knew not they were his servants , and though things had been composed so , that the barigello should not appear in the church of st. mary , where the nuncio was to be till the last holy day of christmass , yet upon that very day against the agreement , within the church the nuncio prevailed with the duke to order him to go out , whereat the whole senate were highly incensed that the duke would do such a thing without their advice : and now the late grudge about the turning of the channel of the po another way , might produce somthing , were it not for the war of candia , however there remains a cause of falling out hereafter . the state of genoa . but 't is time to speak of genoa , formerly the dangerous rivall of veuice ; history shews us the several & great revolutions of government in this city ; it was by charles the great made an earldom , and under one of their earls won the island corfica from the saracens ' , afterwards they became a republick , they asked the protection of charles the sixth king of france , and having rejected this , they submitted to the duke of millan , and then would have withdrawn from his obedience , but he being too hard for them , they were kept under till the days of andrea doria , who having pacified the intestine divisions , instead of making himself prince of it , as some think he might have done , he got them the liberty wherein they stand at present : this republick is no more now what it hath been , that genoa which hath formerly been so potent at sea , as to beat the venetians , take one of their dukes prisoners , as they did in . run victorious up and down , taking several cities belonging to them , and block up venice it self . furthermore , in the year . they conquered the kingdome of cyprus , took the king and queen prisoners , but restored them upon certain conditions ; the reason is , because though the countrey be the same , yet that people hath exceedingly degenerated ; in those days every one minded the publick good , and the honour of the nation , but now every one seeks his private ends and interests , let what will become of the publick , which is a meer folly , for when the publick goes to wrack , particular men cannot thrive very long ; but if all particular men strive together to promote the publick , as they are members of that body , so they will find the benefit of it ; when we have seen in the roman commonwealth men sacirfice states , friends , relations and lives for the republick , when nothing was so dear to them , but they could part with it for the good and safety of the republick , then were all things in a flourishing condition , but when they began to seek their own , and every one to set up for himself , all things began to totter : how can the parts be saved , if the whole perish ? the bees and the ants natural instinct goes beyond some mens reason , they may be hyerogliphicks to us , and their example teach us to be publick spirited men , but it seems the genoesi are not so . this republick is in possession of what was formerly called liguria , now 't is riviera di genoa , from the city of genoa to porto di luna , is called , la riviera di levante , or of the east , and from genoa to monaco 't is rivieradiponente of the west , which makes . miles in length , though the breadth is hardly above . in any place : 't is true , that upon the ponente is finale belonging to the spaniarols , and three places to savoy , but withal beyond monaco it hath st. remy and ventimiglia ; towards milan they have gavi with a strong castle , and novi not so good as the other ; they have also the island corsiea : formerly trade did much flourish in genoa , but now legorn hath spoiled it , as genoa had spoiled that of savona , they suffered extreamly by the late great plague that was there ; so that to make themselves amends , and to keep up trade , they have thought fit to bring in the jews , by whose means they hope in time to bring trading back again from legorn ; but others are in expectation to hear how they will agree , for between a jew and a genoese ( setting aside baptism ) there 's no difference ; and if they do 't will pass for a wonder . but not to be tedious upon this , i say , that although the city be very fair , and the palaces stately , it is inhabited by men , then whom ( few excepted ) there cannot be worse , this is the opinion which all other italians have of them : there goes a story , ( which how true 't is i will not dispute ) that when the grand duke first of all made livorno a free port , he gave leave of trading in 't to all nations , as english , french , and to all merchants , even out of turkey , anch ' ai genoesi , having named several nations , amongst whom there were infidels ; those of genoa are put the last , as being the worst of all . indeed they are proud , revengeful in an extraordinary way , and enemies to strangers , though out of that city they goe almost into all parts . i do not think there is a city in italy where more mischief is done than in this , one hears of it almost every day : in the way of trade they are very skilful , yet so interessed , that there are those in it who could prefer one s. to twenty lives ; their temper is such , that they cannot agree with any sort of people , nay , not so much as amongst themselves ; their unsettledness appears in this : from earles they came to consuli , from these to potesta , then to capitani , to governatori , luoghitenenti rettori di populo , abbati di populo , reformatori , protectori , duchi nobili , and duchi popolari . civil divisions ever regarded amongst them , for they are no sooner come under one sort of government , but they wished for another . when francis the first heard they would desire his protection ; let them go to hell , said he , for i am not willing to needdle with such people . the italian proverb of them is , mare senzapesci , they have seas without fish , montagne senzalegno , mountains and no woods , huomini senza fede , men without faith , and donne senza vergogna , women without shame ; yet some brave men are come out of it . the government is aristocratical , with a doge , only for two years , who with the governatori , is called the signoria , then the little council of men , and the great of . they have also the sindici over-seers of the actions of governours , as censors were at rome : the doge hath a guard , which he of venice hath not ; their forces are much decayed from what they were , when they reduced venice to an extremity ; still they continue to be good sea-souldiers , and keep eight gallies , which do dispute the hand with those of maltha , but they are not esteemed by land. 't is a thing which will seem an extravagancy , yet 't is a truth , that there hath been persons , and there are now families in genoa , more esteemed abroad than is the republick it self , and some are as rich , if not richer , who keep gallies of their own . the republick hath not above crowns a year , because part of the dominion , and of the revenue , doth belong to the company of st. george , which is , as it were another republick within that ; yet some make the yearly income greater ; but confess that it doth not exceed the charges . silks are the staple commodity , which they work very well in velvet , plush , satin , taby , taffitie , and the like silk-works , which they send into all the northern parts of europe . st. george is their champion , and the red cross is their coat of armes . the city as 't is usual with republicks , draws the best of the land to it self , and hath destroyed the trading of other places , as savona to advance its own ; in it are a sort of virtuosi , who call themselves addormentatis the city is not strong . the great secret of state of this republick hath been to keep herself united to , and depend upon spain since charles the fifth ; and philip the d of spain to keep them to her self , hath borrowed vast sums of monies , and assigned lands in naples and milan for the payment ; so that they must keep fair with the spaniard , for fear of loosing the principal ; on the other side , as the king of spain hath occasion of them , in relation to finale and milan not to loose them , he allows very great use for this money , so that they are even , and think to have over-reached one another ; most of the monies which are currant being spanish coine , it shews there hath been very great dealings between them . however now the spaniard hath much lost the great authority he had first amongst them , for formerly they so far depended upon him , that they might not receive within their city the embassadour of any prince but his own , who might come as he did often into the consultations of the senate ; but now there is no such matter ; they being exposed to so many alterations , there are no fixed nor constant maximes of policy among them . i think 't is a republick great by name , but small in srtength , despised by her superiors , hated of her equals , and envied by her inferiors , which doth subsist only because one neighbour would not have another to get it , the interest of every one being to have it remain in a third hand ; genoa is very jealous of two of her neighbours , savoy and toscany , of the former , who hath aimed and attempted to bring her under his yoake ; of the latter , by reason of his pretentions to sarzana , which formerly belonged to florence , and of both , because she is odious to both , and that upon the account of state , and of private interest , they wish to see her brooght low . in it are many noble and rich families , as doria , of which are the marquess of toreglia , prince of melfy , of the branch of andre doria , and the duke of tursi ; spinola the marquess , and de duke of sestri , marquess de los balbases , a spanish title , because a grandee of spain ; other families are fieschi , grimaldi , giustiniani , pallavicini , cibo , carrieri , imperiale , and some others . now the marquess hyppolito centurione with his ships and gallies , is entred into the french service . of the state of luca. i see i do fall from an ocean into rivers , yet there is water enough for me to swim in , in some places , if not every where . you will not be troubled with hearing a long enumeration of places and dominions ; yet 't is to be admired of the places i am now to speak of , not how they can preserve themselves ; this the jealousie between , and the interest of their neighbours , joyned with watchfulness on their side , doth for them ; but how formerly in times of conquest they could free their necks from the yoke of their potent neighbours . luca is one of these places which hath sometimes been possessed by the goths , the emperours of constantinople , the faseoli , castrucci , spinoli , by the family della scala , by the fiorentini , pisani , and by one carlo of bohemia , who having made a bishop governour of it , this bishop received crowns , and left them the liberty they are now in , their dominion is extended upon few mountains , not much inhabited , upon the top of which they have some strong holds , as monte ignoso , castiglione , minuoiano , with camagiore and via reggio upon the sea ; but the best they have is the city well seated , people'd , and fortified with the territory belonging to it , which produces abundance of olives , the best of italy ; and the industry of the inha bitants about silk-works makes the city flourish and grow rich , every one in it hath something to live upon ; there are in it a matter of families esteemed at least worth crowns a year ; others to the number of have some , some a year , and above have been between and ; the yearly income of the commonwealth comes to not much above crowns , with a treasure they have esteemed a million , with certain plate and jewels , which upon occasion might bring in some monies . they are governed by a council of of the chief citizens , the city is divided into three parts , which they call tertieri , out of every one of which the general council doth elect three men , in all , nine , called senators , who joyned with the gonfaloniero their head are called la signoria : the senators do command by turns every three dayes , the gonfaloniero hath a bare title , and nothing but the precedency above the rest , he is himself commanded by the senators ; he keeps his place but two months , then another is chosen , but within that time he may not go out of the palace under pain of death : as for warlike affairs they are in a good condition upon the defensive , their listed militia's are of men , besides the city contains inhabitants , and is constantly guarded by good souldiers , whereof are born in the city , and have the keeping of the gates , walls , and other places , the other are all strangers , born miles at least from the city ; amongst them they admit no florentine ; their captain is a stranger too , the palace is committed to their guard , and under pain of death they may not come nigh the walls . the city keeps a constant provision of mouth , and ammunition of war for whole . years ; their few strong holds are well provided , and their souldiers well paid , which is the onely way to keep them upon duty and obedience ; so that their care , and the plenty of their territory about the city do supply the narrowness and littleness of it : in a word , if they come short of other princes and republicks , as to the extent of dominions they have great advantages above them another way . first , they are not revengeful , as all the rest of italians are , they casily forgive offences received , which doth argue the goodness of their nature , upon this account they are a proverb to other italians , riceve gli affronti come un ' lucbese . dly , their women are very modest , and inclined to chastity , and their young men sober and temperate , some out of a natural inclination , and others by virtue of the good order kept amongst them : for men , known to be of a good life and conversation are chosen out of the council to be inspectors over the manners of youth , ( this they call consigliodi discoli ) specially of deboist persons , and every time they meet , which happens once a year , every one puts in his bill with the names of those whom he hath found and observed to be unruly ; and if the name of one be put in the little box by the two thirds , that is by sixteen ; herein is his sentence conteined of years banishment , he must go out of the city the next day after he hath had warning , and within dayes after out of the state : so that by the observation of these good orders , god fits them the better for conversion and reformation , after the reading of scriptures , which they are much inclined to : hence it is , that we have seen so many families leave luca and go to geneva to enjoy the liberty of the gospel , and to make an open profession of the truth : after these commendations 't were superfluous to say , they have also amongst them two sorts of virtuosi , the one called oscari and the other freddi . they might boast of the antiquity of their city , which was built by lucamon king of toscany , but they have a greater advantage which they glory in , that this is the first city of toscany , which received the christian faith ; though they be united amongst themselves , they are not sometimes without troubles at home , caused by the pride of their clergy which is so far protected by popes , that urban the th for their sake excommunicated the republick . this people is civil to strangers , and very courteous to those who come into the city , yet so watchful over them , that they have the council della vigilanza to know what they come for , whence they come , and whether they go , not allowing them to wear swords in the streets without a special leave , yet they give them liberty to walk upon the moat , by the walls , and to view the same ; in this city , the tongue is spoken in the purity of it . all their maximes of state are onley about the defensive part , and how to preserve themselves from their great neighbour the gran ' duke , who would be glad to bring toscany to her old limits that way , wherefore the republick hath a strict correspondency with genoa , which fears the same ; however as i have observed , one neighbour would cross another , if any thing was design'd against luca : their care hath provided against open attempts , they being in a readiness to oppose them , all what they must do , is to take heed of surprisals . the state of san marino . san marino is , i believe , the least republick of europe , when the empire was transferred out of italy into germany ; this city , with some others made her self a republick ; it lies on the west of the dukedome of urbino , under whose dukes protection it remained , till this state fell to the church , so that now it is shut up within the popes lands , and under their protection , yet some of them , specially the late alexander the th , have done what they could by promises and fair means to make their nephews princes of it , but she would not part with her liberty ; and though the pope could easily force them to it , yet he dares not , it being certain that the venetians , and the grand duke would oppose him in it , specially now when italian princes do dislike novelities and innovations : when this republick hath written to venice , she hath called her carissima sorella , very dear sister , a weak one indeed , for having but the city , and two or three villages besides , her strength and riches are but small , which must be supplyed with their care of themselves , and watchfulness over their neighbours . of the petty principalities this is all as i think , that needs be said upon the subject of great princes , and republicks of italy . i must therefore now speak to the petty princes , or rather continue it , for the last republick i have mentioned may have her place amongst these , rather than amongst the great ones : but i desire not to be mistaken , when i call some petty princes , 't is not to be understood , as if they depended from others , and were not sovereignes , for every way they act as such : in their lands there is no appeal from their sentence , they dispose of life and death , as well as the greatest princes , they coyn , or may coyn monies , elect officers , make laws , and when there is occasion for it , they treat of peace and warre . i call them petty princes , because their states are but small in comparison of those whom i call great ones . 't is true , that there are very many who have the name of princes , who are not sovereigns , but are subjects to others ; the number of these all italy over is between and ; between and have the titles of dukes , and of marquesses and earls , there are above ; but i speak onely of sovereigns . the duke of della mirandola is one of this sort ; the city la mirandola is seated upon the confines of modena towards the river po ; the family pico , one of the most antient and famous of italy , have been lords of it , and of concordia since the year , till now ; that line failed in the year , , and therefore another was invested of it by the emperour . of this sort are also the princes of bozzolo , and of sabionetta , the dukes of guastalda , and of novellara , and the marquess of castiglione ; all within the state of mantoa , as we said before , they have been such for these years past , and are all of the family gonzaga , he of sahionetta excepted , which in the year was given with a daughter , and heir to general caraffa , and now in the hands of a spaniard . the principality of monaco is another , this is a strong city by nature , seated upon the mediterranean , between nizzadi , provenza and genoa , this makes the prince more considerable than any other of his sort ; there is an indifferent harbour ; the way up to it is very steep and difficult , and several guards to speak with , before one can get to it . at the comming in there is a broad place with a prospect as pleasant as can be ; within few miles from it , is another place , good enough , called menton , depending from the said principality : there was in monaco a spanish garrison , but the late prince having partly by a stratagem , and partly with help from the french driven it out , he desired the french protection , and now there is in it a french garrison , he is duke de valentionis , and peer of france , whose coin is currant in that kingdom . this princes family is grimaldi , who derive their pedegree from grimald , son of pipin king of austrasia , and brother to charles martel : this pipin as they say , gave the lordship to grimald , in the year . but they were declared princes in the year , . cardinal grimaldi yet living , and brother to the late duke , was in great part the occasion of the admitting in of the french , induced to it by the persecution which the barberini suffered from the pope at the secret instigations of spain , and by the protection which the french gave to that family , whose passionate creature this grimaldi is , and also by the interest he hath gotten in france , to be arch-bishop of aix , and other good benefices he enjoys : he is of an active spirit , therefore he hath been much spoken of at rome ; their family , or a branch of it is named amongst the greatest in genoa , where some of the name are admitted to the highest charges : the present prince of monaco is not much passed twenty five , he hath married marshall grammonts daughter , who prefers the pleasure of paris , to the soveraignty of monaco . massa is in toscany , seated part ' of it at the bottom of a great mountain , part upon the mountain , and highest of all is the princes castle , yet he is a building a palace in the lower town , and 't is almost finished ; this is but a post from sarzana : the family malaspina possessed it along while , till by the marriage of ricarda malaspina , with lorenzo cibo , it came to this family , because she was the heir of it : they were marquesses till the year , . at which time innocent the th of the same family being pope , alberico cibo , was by the emperour maximilian made prince of the empire . bonifacius the th was of the same family , which coming from grecia , where they had possessed some islands , principalities , and other territories , they seated in genoa , there is a cardinal of the name and family . massarana is in monferrat , not far from veroelli , this principality hath been in the hands of the family scala , but in the . 't was bought from them by the ferreri , who are at present in possession of it . upon miles from genoa is another sovereignty , the marquesate of torreglia , it was given by charles the th to andrea doria , who had left the service of frances the first king of france , and done many eminent services to the emperour ; the same family doth also enjoy the principality of melfey in the kingdom of naples , but not in sovereignty : this family doria hath for years been esteerned in genoa , one of the most noble , if not the first of that republick : the head of the family is young at present there are two branches of it flourishing in genoa , who hath each of them a stately palace , though one is more antient and more sumptuous than the other . another principality is , piombine , in the island alba , whereof part belongs to the grand duke , as cosmopoli , &c. prince ludoviso hath it now , it was bought for his father by his uncle gregory the th of the same family ; not long since the princes father died in sardegna , where he was vice-king for spain , having layed before noble and stately foundations of a palace in piazza colonna at rome . this prince underwent his fathers displeasure unto the time of his death by reason of a strong passion he had for a mean person in the island : at present there is cardinal ludoviso great penitentiere of the roman church , which is one of the most eminent dignities of it : he is of bologna of this family by the side of late prince ludovisio's mother ; he is a man of no considerable parts . speaking of this sort of princes , i say nothing of strength , riches and policy , things so inconsiderable with them , that they are to be not so much as mentioned ; all are under the protection of those within whose dominions their principalities stand , or of some other ; the inconsiderableness of others , and the affection of their few subjects are a security to them , and happy are they if satisfied with their condition ; they are free of fears and of ambition ; as they have little , so they have little to care and to answer for ; they have the satisfaction to command , and not be commanded , and enjoy what sweetness there is , giving law , without being exposed to the inconveniencies of it . but now we must come to those principalities which are seated within the state of the church , and first to those which belong to the family colonna , now divided into two branches , one of which hath the principality of carbognana , whose eldest son hath married his sister , who is at present the head of the other branch , whereof however the late cardinal colonna , who died at finale , attending on the empress , and who was protector of the empire , was the chief , and with his frugality acquitted the debts , and cleared the state of his family : his nephew don lorenzo colonna ( who hath married the mancini , one of mazarins neeces ) commonly called contestabila colonna , because he is high constable of the kingdome of naples , is now the head of that branch , a man whose inclination agrees better with the french than with the spanish temper ; yet he must keep fair with these by reason of his place , and of the land he hath in naples : his free and frequent conversation with the duke of crequi ambassadour to rome , gave the spaniards much jealousie , some think he left rome in part upon this account but the aversion he had for the late popes family by reason of some discontents he had received from them , was a sufficient ground to oblige him to leave rome for two years time , as he did lately ; he is a man who lives in his pleasure , yet he hath so high and so noble a spirit , that he could not stoop to the popes kinsmen , as few others did ; he hath a brother called don domenico colonna , and is sovereign of pagliano and prince of marini , the antiquity of his family is well known : their arms are a colonna , or a pillar , crowned because stefano colonna the roman senator did crown lewis of bavaria emperour , in the year . they say they come from columnius an antient roman . the rival , and antient enemy of this family hath been casa ursini , most noble and very antient , of which was that proud nicholas the d ; this family hath been much decayed in her state , though of late 't was somewhat restored by the means of some rich matches made with other families , which yet for want of children may at last prove disadvantagious : their palace at rome in monte jordano is very antient : the eldest of the family is now cardinal ursini protector of poland , portugal , and com-protector of the french interest at the court of rome ; a man of no extraordinary parts , who not long since was obliged to take a journey to paris to pacifie that court , angry with him for not acting according to directions in the business of crequi at rome ; and therefore had taken from him his pension of crowns a year , and bestowed it upon cardinal aldobrandini , who being dead , ursini posts away to paris , and obtains his desire , the head of this family is now the duke of bracciano , who is also conte di petiglione , two soveraignties belonging to the family by an antient gift of some popes for services done to the church ; this duke is the head of the antient nobility of rome , as all other roman princes do , he stands much upon the points or punctillio's of ceremonies ; hence it is , that lately he had a kind of a broglio , or falling out with cadinal sforza , though some think it was not so much his fault as the cardinals ; he hath a younger brother , called don lelio ursini prince of vic●varo . another antient family is that of cezarini duke of the name , and prince of fansano , and of ardea he derives his pedigree from the cezars , the family , as to a male issue , is like to be extinct : the late duke , a man of crowns a year could afford his cook giulius , two shillings for his dinner , and no more . he appeared so high for the french in the business of crequi , out of an enmity he had for the popes relations , that he was obliged to retire into the kingdom of naples till the peace was made ; he was one of those whom italians call matti porta a casa , he died lately , and left three or four daughters in monasteries , who had made no profession ; his brother the abbot cezarini hath succeeded him , a man of a most loose and dissolute life ; when i came from rome he was upon marrying a lady of milan , without hopes on his side , by reason of his former deboistness of having any children ; yet with what he had before he is worth crowns a year . rignano is a principality belonging to the duke muti , of a very antient family , for they derive themselves from mutius scevola , and a proof of it is the possession of campi mutii , wherein porsenna was encamped , given by the senate to mutius and his posterity : the present duke is not married , though he begins to be antient , he hath much squandered his state with gaming and women , he hath a brother a prelate , and another called marquess muti , a very ingenious person to my knowledge , and of good parts , their palace as that of the forenamed family is in rome . i will make no further mention of the sovereignty of farneze , i said what was fit to be known of it speaking of the duke of parma , the cardinal of that name is prince of it . i will only name the marquess di monte another sovereign , and the noble family of caetani who have a stately palace at rome . of this family is the prince of caserta , who for an unhappy business was obliged to fly from rome , where he was lookt upon as the best qualified of all other princes , as to his personal worth . pope clement the th a florentine , in the year , , bought the marquesate of meldola , and gave it to his nephew ottavio aldobrandini , which is a sovereignty ; this family hath lived at rome with great pomp , and much splendour , where they have three or four fair palaces : now there being no males , the great heir of that family is the princess of rossano married first to the late prince borghese his father that now is , and after to prince panfilio , nephew to innocent the th , of which she is now a widow ; this match with those two families is like in time to cause great clashings between them , about a clause in the contract of marriage with the former ; both are very potent , for borghese hath crowns a year , and pansilio little less : so we are now come to late families raised at rome by popes . urbanus the th , subject born to the grand duke , by the means of his long reign : had time enough to settle his family barberini ; he had three nephews , francesco , whom he made cardinal padrone , that is master , antonio who for a while was the head of the family , but desired at last to be made a cardinal , and don thaddeo : francesco was made arciprete of st. peters church . antonio of st. mary the greater , and high chamberlain , and don thaddeo prefetto , or general of the church ; this last being made the head of the family , they bought him the principality of palestrina , formerly praeneste , which is now in the hands of his younger son , the eldest having voluntarily resigned his birth right to his brother to be made a cardinal , who at present is called cardinal carlo barberini , he is the third of the family who hath that dignity , which is very rare at the same time ; and that which is the more to be admired is , that he was elected by innocent the th , who made it his task to persecute and destroy this family ; but this was the work of donna olympia , who recollecting her self , and being affraid least the next pope might prove a friend of the barbarines , whose faction was then potent , and so retaliate the panfilio's what they had done to the barbarines , she thought it fit to reconcile both families , and this cardinals cap was the seal of that reconciliation ; though this family was persecuted by innocent , it is still flourishing ; the prince of palestrina being already in possession of a vast estate , and in expectation of a great addition to it , after the death of his uncle francesco , who is very rich , and at present the dean of the colledge of cardinals , and titular protectour of the english interest at rome ; but how much more would he get if he were made a pope , as he pretends to it in case of a sede vacante : this princes palace is in as good air , and as pleasant a seat as any in rome nigh to monte cavallo , which innocent was upon taking from them , had not cardinal grimaldi prevented it by setting the armes of france over the gate . but we must come to the late reignning family of the ghigi's , that pope at first was seemingly unwilling to do any thing for his relations , but at last he was as busie as any of his predecessours had been , to raise them up ; to this purpose he bought , as we said before , the principality farneze , but afterwards he parted with it for the reasons before expressed . he perswaded father oliva , the general of the jesuites , to enduce those of their colledge who had authority to sell him the best land belonging to it , to the summ of crowns , under pretence of getting monies to pay their debts ; and this was bought for don augustino , whereat the jesuites were much grieved , when they saw their fault at a distance ; then did he secretly tamper to get those of san marino to receive a prince over them ; then did he proffer to duke muti for his principality of rignano a cardinals cap , and a great summe of money ; and after the death of duke cezarini , he offered the cardinals cap to his brother and heir with crown , if he would give one of his neeces that are in the cloister to don sigismond the youngest of his nephews , and resign the principality , but he not willing to marry , nothing of this could take effect ; however the head of his family is provided for , because the noble family of prince savelli being exceedingly decayed , want of monies obliged him , who now is to hearken after the proposals , made by the popes agents , to sell his principality of la rizza and albano , which he did not absolutely , reserving for many years to come for himself and his heirs ( having already a fine young son ) to enter again into his right and possession , paying the summe received , which there is no great probability as yet to effect , except in case of some very great match , or of a popedom in their family , which yet is not very probable , though at present there be a cardinal of the family , who had some things left him by cardinal mont ' alto : however the pope is dead , and don maria , who at rome ruled the rost , hath soon followed him , and a spend-thrist of no parts is left after them ; the prsent pope as yet hath gotten no principality for his nephews , and he hath hardly had time to do it ; what he will do hereafter time will reveal . all princes and republicks in italy do homage , or pay tribute either to the pope or to the emperour , except the venetians , who yet for some islands pay a tribute to the turk . namely , first , the king of spain is feudatario of the pope for the kingdom of naples , and of the emperour for the dukedom of milan . the duke of savoy depends from the emperour of piemont and monferrat , by virtue of which last he is vicar of the empire . the grand duke acknowledges the pope for radicosans , the king of spain ; for siena , and the emperour for florence , and the rest . the republick of genoa doth homage to the emperour for her whole state ; the duke of mantoa , who is also vicar of the empire , by reason of monferrat to the emperour , for what he hath of moferrat , and for the mantoan . the duke of parma to the pope for parmas piacenza , castro and riociglione . the duke of modena to the emperour for his whole state ; so doth the republick of luca. the prince of monaco doth homage to the french king for what he hath in fance . the duke della mirandola , the princes di piorulino , and all those of the family gonzaga , with the marquesses di massa and torreglia , depend from the empire , as due from the pope , the republick of san marino , the prince di massarano , the duke di itracciano , and earl di petigliano , the marquesses di moldota and di monte , and the princes di palestrina , di pagliano , and di farneze . now the difference of those papal and imperial fiefs or feudi , consists in this chiefly , that most of the last pass by succession from the line male , to the female , but 't is not so off the others , for the lawful masculine line hapning to faile , 't is presently devolved to the church , as in cases of ferrara and urbino . thus far have we spoken in particular of the several princes and republicks of italy ; now i have some few things to observe in general , relating to the whole nation : first , their language , which is a corruption of the latin , caused by the irruption of the goths , huns , vandals and lombards , who setling in it for a while , and using their own languages , the countrey tongue , which was in latin , came to grow corrupt by degres , and to be somewhat forgotten , and which is a mixture of the french , and some of the spanish , because these nations have been there with their armies , and have ruled over parts of it for a long while ; hence it is , that about piemont , milan , and genoa , they speak a corrupt italian , which hath most of the provenzal in it , and except in part the state of the pope , in toscany and at leuca , the right italian is spoken no where else ; i do not speak as to the pronunciation , which is very different , at genoa 't is pronounced much with the lips , in naples with the teeth , in venice with the palat ; and the florentine pronunciation is well enough known , how ever the right italian language , or toscan , as they usually call it , is very sententious , and full of judicious and significative proverbs ; 't is very sweet , and doth abound in fine and civil expressions , as for instance , if i desire to speak with one , the first words he will say to me will be these , che commanda us , what are you pleased to command me ; if they answer to a question , 't is in these words , daservitore non lo so , as i am your servant i cannot tell ; if i desire one to do any thing for me , he will say , sara servito , i will do it ; or if i buy any thing , and we cannot ag●ee about the price , the parting words will be to me , mispiace di non poter servirla , i am sorry i cannot afford it , and the like ; all which expressions in their original , have more of civility then in any other language . i need not to penetrate into the sincerity of their discourses , which is not material to the purpose . i know the saying , the french do not speak as they write , nor the italians as they think : i speak only as to the sweetness of the language , whereupon one said , if i was to speak to senators or ambassadors , i would do it in spanish , if to souldiers in high dutch , to courtiers in french , but to ladies in italian . there is indeed a kind of excess in their civil expressions , for they use to say , schiavo di v. sigria , i am your slave instead of your servant ; and the word vosignoria , your lordship is ordinary with them ; so is the title of molto magnifico given to inferiour persons , as that of illustrissimo to those of a higher quality , yet 't is given to many who are no great matter : a stranger with them is presently sigre conte , or barone , or at least sigre cavaliere ; they call men by the christian name , sigre francesco , giouanni , francis , john , when they speak to them , onely adding the word don , to those of the highest quality , as don domenico , don lelio , yet they speak in the third person , when 't is with one whom they will shew respect to , thus , dove vanno loro sigri , but in naples 't is usual with men of the highest quality to do 't in the second person of the singular , thou , as che fai , sei tu stato , which with other nations is a sign either of great familiarity , or of much contempt . neither must i omit here how fit and proper epithets they give to things and places , as in the case of every one of their chief cities , so they call roma la santa , the holy , according to their opinion , venice , la ricca the rich , padoa , la dotta the learned , ravenna , l' anticha the antient , fiorenzala bella , the fair , milan la grande the great , genoa la superba the proud or stately , bologna la grassa the fat , naples , la gentile the gentile , capua la deliciosa , the delicious , &c. i will not insist upon their customes , which is a subject of which many have treated , however by the by let me say in few words , that in their division of the artificial day , they differ from the general practice of europe , excepting only ( as far as i could observe ) prague in bohemia , instead of our reckoning from to hours , they reckon from till , and their first hour begins at night an hour after sun setting , wherein they imitate the jews , who after the method of the creation reckoned the night afore the day , for saith scripture , the evening and the morning was the first day , the second day , &c. another custome of italians wherein they differ from us , is in the sign we use to make with the hand to those whom we call , for here we do it with our fingers upwards , but there it would be taken for an affront , my hand must be downwards , and move gently when i make a sign with it ; here we take that to be the upperhand which is next to the wall , but there they judge of it by the hand it self , the right hand though next to the chanel is with them the upper hand ; and in the case of riding in a coach , a place in the boot in their way , is before one in riding backwards , but in venice the left hand in the gondola is the upper hand ; but when three walk together , the middle is the most honourable , hence it is , that when they walk upon a place to and fro , they are careful to let every one take his turn in the middle : a strange way they have to retort affronts upon others , which is , to break a bottle of ink upon one , specially women , or else over the door of the house , so that it remains spotted with it , 't is the greatest note of infamy that can be laid upon any one . italians , both men and women , have a general and a natural inclination to play upon the gittar ; and i admired sometimes to hear those play who never learned at all ; the very inferiour sort of people without any direction , only with a constant application do get it , and they are so taken with it , that as they travel upon the high way from town to town , they play upon it ; and at the same time to play , to sing and to dance , is usual with them . i cannot well omit to speak some few words about their temper and manners , but before i do 't , some passage i observed somwhere there ( for in things of this nature i name no places nor persons ) which gave occasion to my following reflection , how fit it is for princes to be careful what manner of men they bring about their persons in private . when a prince comes into a place of retirement , he puts off that majesty and gravity which he hath when he appears abroad ; they are but men , and so they must allow ' themselves some liberty in ther chambers when they are withdrawn from the croud of men and business . now if when they are thus retired to be private , every action of theirs , and every word they speak be vented abroad by those who are present , in this the condition of princes of all men in the world were the most miserable , quisque suos patitur naevos , every one hath his failings , and the feailties of humane nature , so that wisdom consists in the concealing of it , and not in the not having of it , besides that nemo sapit omnibus horis : so that if standers by who see things , spread them abroad , then additions and glosses are made upon 't , and as the actions and words of princes are exactly taken notice of , so every one passes his judgment upon them . how necessary is it then for princes to have no rash or giddy , but wise , sober and discreet men to wait on them in their retirements , who without being told , may know what 's fit to be spoken , and what to be concealed , those things which may give a good opinion of a prince must be published , but not the contrary , or else i say , that those who have the honour to be admitted into the presence of princes , so as to be private to their retirement from the croud of affairs , to ease , chear up , and refresh their spirits , if they allow their tongue as much liberty as they do to their ears and eyes , they are very unfaithful or very imprudent , and so not fit to be in such places . certainly domitian himself never told , that when he was in his closet , he was busie about killing of flies ; the first report of it came undoubtedly from some other hands , which brought a great deal of disparagement upon him ; i know in this he took his pleasure , as nero , and other emperours took it , in the company of buffoons , and things of that nature ; but they forgot that their honour was to have been to them dearer then their pleasure . i do not deny however , but that one friend may sometimes whisper in the ear of another private things of this nature , and impart in secret some such things to them as they have seen , for this manner of reposing confidence in the discreetness of another is a strict bond of friendship : i disapprove here those who speak at random , before those whom they scarce ever saw , whom they do not know well , or when they speak it unseasonably , for there is a time for all things , and to know it is not the least part of wisdom . but upon the subject of the nature of italians , i must observe that the people of those parts which are on this side the appennini mountains , as piemont , monferrat ; all lombardy , part of the state of venice , and la romagna , have some things of the french humour , but on the other side , as the gonoeses , toscans , romans and napolitans , they have much of the spanish temper , however they are all in general , dextrous , subtil and prudent , those who are good , know all the tricks that are put upon men ; there is no leading of them by the nose , neither will they be easily cheated , but they who are bad apply their whole wit to hide it ; so that one is easily mistaken in them , and 't is very difficult to know them well , but after a long dealing and conversing with them . italy the mother of arts and sciences , i look upon as a nurse , who hath vertue in one breast , and vice in another , and as ever one extream joyns with another , so best and worst are to be learned there ; this is according to the constitution of the people , who when they be good they are very good , when bad extraordinarily bad , corruptio optimi est pessima ; however a judicious man will benefit himself by the good which there he will meet withall , but also like an experienc'd artist he will extract wholesome cordials out of the worst of poisons ; though the corruption of humane nature is so strong , that it inclines and draws us to evil , rather then to good , but the beams of grace , the light of nature , and the testimony of ones conscience , may teach us the right way . however , to speak first of the best , i say the conversation of italians is not easie to be had , but when it is , 't will be found sweet , civil and obliging , very circumspect not to give offences to any one in the company , or any one else that hath a relation to it , ever respectful one to another ; the greatest familiarity doth not make them recede from a courteous carriage , so that such persons have one of the best qualifications to make friends , for friendship without respect is not to be cared for : furthermore a thing very commendable in point of conversation is , that though they be many in company , they never speak together , which is the vice of some other nations , and fit only for children ; let a man make a discourse never so long ; they will hear him quietly , and not interrupt him , as they will not be interrupted when it is their turn to speak ; 't is true , that most of them speak rationally and juditiously ; and as they are a people who love exceedingly their liberty , for which cause their princes , to keep them under , have built so many strong holds and castles , so the ordinary subject of their discourses are affairs of state , which by a constant custome of speaking and hearing of , they have brought themselves to an ordinary knowledge in , as the example of that poor fisherman at naples , mas ' anello so cunningly blowing up the fire of that insurrection , which made so much noise in the world , doth demonstrate ; upon this account , books treating of any state revolutions are so strictly forbidden them , knowing that this is to add fewell to the fire ; and in some places , where most of all princes are jealous of their authority , as in naples , discourses of this nature , if known , are severely punished . but there are two extremities upon this subject , some princes of the east and north east parts of the world , namely the tartars and muscovites , keep their people in a beastly ignorance , and have exiled all manner of arts and sciences out of their dominions , and this under pretence , that hereby having not so much the use of reason , they are not apt to cavil at , or to disobey the orders of their superiours , as do other nations , who have more knowledge and understanding ; but this hath no more consequence , then if one should say , meat and drink are not to be used , because there are gluttons and drunkards ; because there are somtimes knowing and judicious subjects , who are disobedient , 't is not to be concluded , that knowledge and judiciousness are the cause of disobedience , so far from it , that these letting a man know of his duty , do fence against any thing that goes about to withdraw him from it : pride , ambition , discontents , covet ousness , cruelty and the like , are the caufes of risings against lawful authority , and not wisdom and understanding , so far from it , that where they are not , the use of reason is suspended , and men act onely out of a natural impetuosity , and out of a sensitive principle , wherein they differ nothing from beasts ; so that the same ignorance and violent motion which leads them to obedience upon the lesse shadow and fancy , will spur them to disobedience ; and one alone , if not quickly taken off , is enough to turn away whole thousands , for who can more easily be mislead , then he who receives falsehoods for truths , and who hath not a spirit to discern good from evil ; these are mules , which will as soon kick their master as a stranger ; or like those elephants , who having once felt the smart of a wound , in spite of their rider turned from upon the enemyes , and fell foul upon their own army : i am further of the mind , that ignorance is the great prop of rebellion ; for as there is nothing so natural to men as the desire of liberty , and that there is nothing in men to oppose the motions and desires of it ; and seeing they obey onely out of fear of punishment , upon all occasions , they will embrace any means let them be never so wrong , to attain it : like lyons and tygers used to be chained up , when they break loose they tear and devour any thing that lies in their way , and like violent torrents they over-flow all ; from the fury of such people , libera nos domine . as to those barbarous countries where they have such erronious principles , contrary not only to reason , but also to common sense , they bear the punishment of this fault , for all their subjects are generally incapable to do them service , having neither parts nor abilities to effect it ; and in the managing of their warres , which is the chief thing they minde , they are obliged , specially in muscovite , to get officers of other nations to carry it on , their own subjects , few excepted , wanting knowledge and experience in it . arts and sciences , not only make a kingdom flourishing , but also do fit subjects to obey and to command ; over-rules with the use of reason , that bruitish impetuosity which is in some men , not only teaching them their duty , but also strengthning it in them with reasons & examples . but 't is not enough to disapprove this singular errour , for there is another extream to be condemned ; 't is the too great curiosity of private men . i know particular persons are concern'd in publick transactions , as being members of that politick body , which can never fare well or suffer , but they must be sensible of it : yet some more and some less , according as they are eminent in their places , and called to it by the favour of their prince , for every one must know his station , and act within that sphear , ne ultra crepidem ; for if every one were his own carver , and had that share which he wishes in the government , then all would command , and there would be none to obey , so that all would degenerate into a confusion and anarchy . men ought to refer themselves to their rulers , for the direction and steering of publick affairs , knowing that god who hath called them to it , hath not been wanting to endue them with necessary abilities : therefore those subjects are to be blamed , who would penetrate into the secrets of princes , and dive into their coucils , and consequently cavil at their actions , and censure their proceedings : they see indeed the effects , but know not the causes , which if they knew , they would be satisfied and approve of them , if they were capable to understand them , but oftentimes they will judge of an undertaking by the event , which is a great mistake ; as we could give examples of designs , which were as rationally grounded as could be , carried on with all imaginable dexterity and secresie , yet miscarried upon the point of execution ; on the other side , rash attempts managed with the greatest imprudence in the world have proved successful : what then ? were the former to be blamed , or the latter commended ? no , we must look upon men to be no more than instruments , if according to the reason they have , they make use of the means afforded them , 't is all that may justly be required from them , for success of things depends upon the over-ruling hand of providence , which disposes of all things as it seems good unto her : it is true , 't is said a successful man was never a fool , nor an unfortunate a wise man ; but this is a vulgar errour as well as this other , the strongest is never the traytour . out of this i deduce , that for the most part 't is beyond the sphear and capacity of subjects , specially those of an inferiour orb , to judge aright of the actions of princes ; they have certaine motions whereby they act , which are invisible to particular men , they are acted by an intelligence which is hidden from the eyes of the commonalty ; and as they stand nearer to god , so they receive more of his influences : but some sort of people do proceed to an excess of unreasonableness , in that as much as in them lies , they will not give princes that liberty which they allow themselves , as if they were servants more then masters of the sate ; 't is true , certain faults of princes are more unexcusable than those of private men , because by these last , none but themselves or few else do suffer , but by the former , whole nations are sometimes the worse , and share not only in the disgrace before men , but also in the punishment from god ; however a distinction is to be made ; some failings are natural to them as men , and others as they are princes , and neither are to be examined by subjects , for to their great master they must fall or stand . now i must return to my principal subject , to some other virtues practised by italians , which are sobriety , and frugality ; i will joyn them together , for they have a great dependancy one upon another , only the latter is of a larger extent : sobriety is a thing so much in request amongst them , that with them 't is accounted to be , as indeed it is , a great shame to practise any thing contary to it , specially in point of drinking ; so that to call one there imbrioco , a drunkard , 't is to give him one of the greatest affronts he can receive ; and 't is a certain truth , that they are very temperate in their meat and drink , and whole diet , as i will give some particulars by and by upon the point of their frugality ; in the mean while some make a doubt , whether their sobriety bean effect of their temper , or of the climate : i confess in hot countries , such as this is , men have no such stomack to their meat , as they have in those which are colder , and though they had , the stomack could not have the facility to digest much of their aliments , which are very nourishing , and some of a hard concoction ; however this argues nothing at all against italians sobriety in matter of drink , for the hotter the climate is , the more apt men are to drink , and no nation hath more enticements to it than they , if by nature they were inclined to it , they having as rare and excellent wines as europe can afford ; but since they forbear , i will not deprive them of that praise which they deserve for this virtue ; as for eating , they have as delicious meats as can be wished for , which are both pleasant to the palate , and light to the stomack , in the use of which they forbear all excesses . this will better appear by their frugality , which yet some who are used to misname every thing , and give the worst construction to all , do call covetousness , when 't is known , that in certain things no nation is more noble and more splendid than they are ; this frugality is extended to their cloaths and diet , they go very plain , men of vast estates , yea , their very princes , except upon extraordinary occasions , very seldom exceed . ponunds in a sute of clothes . i know princes and cardinals , who when they have received a present of sweet meats , fowls and the like , send it to their confectioners , poulterers , &c. who by it of them ; this here would be look't upon as the effect of a miserable and covetous nature , but there 't is their way ; from the highest to the lowest they are very private in their diet , there is no coming to them at such hours , and the meanest of the people would not be interrupted by the best man in the land : the most part of noblemens servants do not diet in their houses , but are allowed bord wages instead of it . but italians delight in rich and fine coaches drawn by stately horses , and to be attended by a number of staffieri , or men in liveries ; coaches of or pounds are not rare there , and there is never a king in europe that hath coaches so rich as hath the grand duke , and the duke of parma , the formers coat of armes , which are the six balls , are set over head in his coach , for every ball a precious stone , valued at l. sterl . and if we will believe them , the whole coach comes to l. further they delight in buildings , and stately palaces built up after the symmetry , and exact architecture ; so in gardens and water houses , ornaments and furnitures of houses , as statues and pictures ; hence it is that they are so passionately in love with pictures , that they will give any thing for one when they like it , or l for one picture is no extraordinary rate amongst them ; there hath been some princes who have offered in siver the weight of some statues , and could not have them ; in a word , italians delight in those things which make a shew . 't is not to be admired that in italy they are such lovers of pictures , for that art is there brought to the height of its perfection , and that country is absolutely the best , if not the only shcool of it , where within this age or thereabouts , have flourished those eminent picture-drawers who have filled europe with their names , but most of their works are safely and dearly kept there , whether they be in fresco or in oleo : what excellent artists have been bassano , ticiano , michel angelo , rafaele di urbino , tintoretto , all the caracci , coregio , paola veronese , dominichino , lan franco guarcini , guido reny , and a great number of others , who excelled , almost every one in something ; some in invention , others in the mixture of colours , in the proportions , exactness of features , and after the natural ; and in designing , drawing and touching or perfecting : in great or short , in mignatura with the pen or pencil , or otherwise , fights , land-skips , flowers , perspectives , sea-prospects , great and small figures , and in other wayes and things depending upon that curious profession ; in this , for certain italy goes beyond all the world. now we will come to what is worst in them , but we must premise this , that their youth is very fiery , which is the cause of murthers and other mischiefs committed in those parts ; however this heat doth not last usually after they are passed years of age , or a little more : as for the meanest sort of people , they are generally civil in their carriage , if one be so to them , but if a stranger speaks a hard word to them , they take fire and grow very insolent , yet so , that if they see themselves the weaker , and not in a place convenient for them , they hold their peace and for bear till they have opportunity of time and place ; but let 's come to their vices . as the natural propension of men is to evil more than good , so many who travel into italy do quickly take notice of their vices , but do not minde their virtues ; so when they come from thence , all that they can say for it is , they are given to such and such evil courses , and are so and so qualified , but virtue and vice with nations are as corn and tares in the field , and like wheat and chaff in the barn , one must have skill to pick out the right and leave the wrong : some vices as the apostle speaks , are not so much as to be named , and as he saith in another place , it is even a shame to speak of those things which are done of them in secret ; a certain modesty in speaking is required , which if a man doth not observe , i judge him to be disposed to evil doing ; some vices there are so odious in themselves , that they defile the tongue of the speaker , the ear of the hearer , the pen of the writer , and the eye of the reader , yea , the very thoughts ; this consideration obliges me to pass by some things to come to others . some will tell me , 't were well also to omit speaking of jealousie , which both sexes there are subject unto , though that of the men , as being the strongest , doth produce the saddest effects ; i confess 't is a very unpleasant subject , which i leave after few words speaking ; this extravagant passion which is caused by love , but destroys it , and which as solomon saith , the rage of a man , doth so blind , possess and alter men in italy , that from husbands it turns them into goalers and tyrants , and murtherers of their wives , who become thereby their prisoners and slaves upon this consideration , ariosto one of their most eminent poets , hath the expressions here inserted : che dolce piu , che piu giocondo stato saria di quel ' d'un amoroso cuore ? che viver ' più felice , e più beato che ritrovarsi in servitu d' amore . se non fosse l' huomo sempre stimolato da quel ' sospetto rio , da quel ' timore , da qvel ' furor ' , da quella frenesia , da quella rabia detta gelosia . another vice of italians which i am more free to speak of , is that desire of revenge , which is so strongly seated in them ; they are certainly of a most revengeful nature , and therefore 't is very dangerous to offend them , they profanely say , that vengeance is so sweet a thing , and so great a good , that upon that account god doth reserve it to himself , as a thing wherein he will not have men to share with him ; and as italians to attain it , use all possible means , let them be lawful or unlawful , and as it carries them to the utmost extremities ; so i am of opinion , that there is a cruelty in that nature which is so bent to the execution of it ; out of this principle , i mean of cruelty , pope sixtus quintus used to say , upon the occasion of a great princess , who in his dayes was brought upon the scaffold , che gusto , said he , di tagliar teste coronate what a pleasure is it to cut off crowned heads ! northerly people do blame the wayes which they use to be avenged , as poysoning , stabbing and the like ; but they and the spaniards too laugh at us , and call germans , french and other nations , fools , who use to challenge and fight duels one with another , for so doing ; for say they , if one hath been offended , is he not a fool to take the way , perhaps of receiving a greater offence , instead of a satisfaction , and to venture his life upon such an account , but men ought to take their advantage : the truth is , the italian is a dangerous person upon this account , for he appears cold in his anger , constantly thinking upon the means how to be avenged , he keeps the injury in the bottom of his heart , and the worst is , that he dissembles and conceals his desire of revenge , which aims at no less than the death of the offendor , by the means of poison , dagger , or any other way , leaving nothing unattempted to bring his design to pass . neither will they hearken sincerely after a reconciliation ; for their proverb , saith , amicitie reconciliate , eminestre riscaldate non furono mai grate , there was never any pleasure in reconciled friendships , nor in warmed pottage ; and this is so deeply fixed in their hearts , that many die obstinate in that resolution . upon this subject there is a very notable passage of an italian gentleman , who being strongly exhorted by a franciscan fryar , to be reconciled to his enemy , answered him in these words , you exhort me to forgive as a christian , and i cannot do 't being a gentleman ; i was born a gentleman before i was a christian , for i am the one by nature , and the other by virtue of my baptisme ; therefore i will first be avenged as a gentleman , before i forgive as a christian. from what hath been said , we make some few general observations , namely that the italian nation is not only fallen from that great power it had formerly , but also it hath much degenerated from that heroick virtue and martial spirit it had before ; for a thousand eminent men it produced formerly , there is hardly one now ; and that generosity of the lion which they had heretofore , is turned into the cunning of the fox ; so their businesses are mannaged with dexterity , ( not to speak worst , ) more than with strength : hence it may be concluded , that virtues , though but moral ones , make glorious states , kingdomes and republicks , and vices are the cause of their decay , as it hath happened to the roman empire ; virtue gets honour , strength and riches ; and as the best things are apt to be corrupted in their use , so these produce pride , ambition , idleness , covetousness , and other vices , which causes destruction one time or other . it appears also from hence , how unfortunate the condition of those petty princes are , who depend upon others , for their preservation , their protectors do often turn to be their oppressors , and yet they dare not camplain of it ; how watchful must those be who have ambitious , and much more potent neighbours than themselves , 't is a sad case to think what straights they are sometimes brought to , to provide for their safety , and how many real evils they are exposed unto , to maintain that vain shadow of liberty which they are so taken with , and that dream of a sovereign authority , of which they be so fond of ; they waste and consume themselves in charges for their preservation , and are besides obliged to observe the humours of friends and foes ; and what is this to the odium and disaffectedness of their subjects which they often bring upon themselves , who must bear the burthens , and be at the charges of upholding this authority , which makes also the condition unhappy of the people who lives under such princes as have no power to protect them ; and as the right use of these two princely virtues , valour and prudence , do consist in these two things , to free his states from forreign , and to avoid civil wars ; certainly if they can prevent neither , but with much difficulty , by reason of weakness and discontents , they must needs be constantly offended with dangers and fears , which makes to them their life uncomfortable ; and let things fall out how they will , if ever they be engaged in any troubles at home or abroad , what success and advantage can they get either from those who are much more potent then they , or from those in whom their strength ought to lie ; by this last they act against their own interest , and do as it were tear themselves in pieces , for 't is not enough for a war to be just , 't is necessary it should also be beneficial and advantagious . i must make one observation more , that the number of petty princes ( such are all italian ones , in comparison of potent kings and kingdoms , as england , france and spain ) doth much contribute to their common safety and preservation , for every prince watches constantly the design of another , not only upon his own states , but upon that also of his neighbour , for he is much concerned that the dominions of one of his neighbours should not fall into the hands of another , who would thereby grow too potent for him , and one time or other bring him upon the stage ; and 't is a necessary maxime , not only to remove the will and inclination he hath to do him hurt , but also to hinder and prevent his being able to do it ; so then , that mutual jealousie which they have one of another , keeps the scales even between them ; and if a single one would attempt something upon him who is weaker , then the others whuld not fail directly or indirectly to assist the weakest ; and if the prince should happen to be stronger than all the other together , rather than be made a prey to such a one , they would call in a forreign power to ballance him , as it hath been of late done in germany , for princes there being grown very jealous , and not without cause , much affraid of the emperours power , they brought in the french and the swedes , who having gotten an interest in the empire , the one in alsatia , the others in pomerania and bremen , and are now concern'd to curb the imperial authority if it would over-flow the banks of its just and limited power : this is also the case of italy , where the french and the spaniard have each some interest , though the former not comparable to the latter , as to possession of lands , but when he pleases he can pour thousands of his subjects into it , having in his hand a door into it , then the differences between the houses of savoy and mantoa , and of parma and modena with the pope , will be now and then an occasion for the french to meddle in italy . and although the princes of italy care neither for french nor spaniard , yet they care for their interest , which is ever to make use of one to oppose the designs of the other . so that publick persons , as well as private men , may learn from italians , the rules and practise of oeconomy and policy ; the greatest of princes , as the meanest of subjects , need to be frugal and saving , for let their incomes be never so great , the charges of the state , and their own , are sometimes greater : often there happens extraordinary , and undispensible occasions and necessities to be supplyed , or else the state will run into a palpable danger . men from the highest to the lowest , have nothing but what they save and spare , and let them receive never so much , they will not want unnecessary occasions of laying out more then that comes to . monies are the sinews , not only of war , but really there cannot be any politick motion without it , wherefore we use to see that of princes , he is the strongest who is the richest , if he knows how to make use of that advantage : by these means he will draw the greatest and the best armies into the field , and will keep them upon duty and in obedience , and so in a fit posture for service ; the best experienced officers , and the stoutest and most undaunted souldiers , will ever follow an exact and a good pay ; he will not only secure his own places , but also work within the garisons of his neighbours , and even have influences upon their very councils ; the rich prince will tire out and consume him who is poor ; how much then are they concerned , when present occasions of state allow it , to lay up in their coffers that which may serve for the future necessities of it ; that prince who is in this condition , is feared , respected , and admired at home and abroad , if he hath learned well how to improve this advantage . as to that part of a princes policy , which consists in this , not to discover the bottom of his heart , nor the utmost of his power ; we have it from italians , not the former , for when the inclinations of a prince come to be found out , and his heart can be known , then all his neighbor princes will work upon him that way ; they will give him monies if he be covetous , praises and flatteries if he be proud and vain ; they will go about to strike fear into him if he be umorous , or in a contrary way to please him in that passion , which they know to be predominant in him ; and hereby many a time he will be drawn to act or comply in those things which are contrary to his honour and interest : at home he is also exposed to the attempts of parasites and flatterers who for their own ends ; ever study to please him in that which they know him to be most of all prone and given to , by which , compliance with him , he becomes a prey unto them : the latter part of this policy , for a prince not to discover the utmost of his power , is to be learned from italians , as well as the former . some princes and states do subsist and are upheld by credit and reputation more then by a real strength ; 't is more by the opinion which others have of them , then by any true cause in themselves ; and 't is well for one never to do so much , but to give others to think that he can do more , for when 't is once found out how far one may go , others will be more apt to cross him , and will take courses sutable to their designs against him ; so that in this a prince lies open to the attempts of others . another thing neecssary for publick and private persons to be learned from italians , as much as from any other nation , is , not to discover the utmost reach of ones capacity , and of that faculty of the soul , called understanding or intellect : this learned men do so observe , that in the solution of questions , though sometimes they have said as much as they are able , yet they will tell one , that much more might be said to that purpose , and the like ; for above all things they would avoid to be suspected of ignorance by others , seeing they make an open profession of learning . so 't is a matter of high concernment to princes to be accounted to be men of parts , judicious and understanding , which are qualifications necessary to those who rule kingdomes and nations , therefore they are so careful not to give the least grounds to make people suspect they want , abilities to govern , seeing nothing can be so injurious and prejudicial to them , as to be accounted soft and shallow heads . solomon the wisest of kings , pronounces a woe to that land whose princes are children , not so much in years as in wisdom and understanding , as was his son rehoboam , who was said to be young at years of age , for want of knowledge and experience : a wise prince therefore will chuse not to speak at all , rather then not to speak to the purpose upon a subject : hence it is also that he sits in council , not only to hear the several advices given him there , but also to judge of them himself , and having digested it in his mind , to give them a form , chuse the best , and be himself the author of his resolutions in consequence of councils given him , which thus he makes to be his own . it is then a great part of wisdom to conceal his ignorance , and in capacity of any things , specially of those which ought to be known , and to give as good opinion as one can of his abilities , and rather forbear speaking of a thing then not to do it well , or instead of praises which every one is desirous of , one brings himself into slight and contempt , for i think that one of the greatest discommendations of a man is this , he was so put to it , that he knew not what to say . silence also , and secreste , which are qualities so essentially necessary to all sorts of persons , are to be learned from the same nation ; as nothing makes a man so vile and so contemptible , as not to be able to hold his peace ( an imperfection and defect to be excused only in children , fools and drunken persons ) so nothing argues so much the infidelity and rashness of a publick person , as the revealing of secrets ; as i am the master of my own secret , i may declare it to a friend ; but my friends secret i may not tell it to another , because 't is not my own ; much less may a publick minister betray his masters secret , wherein not only one or few persons , but whole nations for the most part are concerned . many great designes have been obstructed , and many great evils caused or prevented , either by an yntimely discovery of resolutions , or by some few words spoken unadvisedly ; one word dropt from a mans mouth is sufficient at least to breed a suspition , which usually puts men upon further inquiries and discoveries ; therefore want of secresie is a great breach of prudence , which is the salt , the spirit and the life of moral and politick vertues . one thing more to be learned is , constancy and settleness of mind , so necessary to private men , in both fortunes , and to publick persons in times of troubles and difficulties . a skilful pilot is not moved so , as to despair amidst the roaring of the winds , the tossing and tumbling of the waves , and the raging of the storm ; contrariwise he sticks the closer to his work , grows more careful , and minds the more the safety of the ship , wherein his own and all others in it are included : so an experienced minister of state , amidst all troubles , crosses and conspiracies against the state , doth retain that soundness of mind , and tranquility of soul , which at last may bring him out of all dangers , instead of falling into confusion and disorder , or yielding to fear , he uses those means which are lawful , possible , and likely to quiet and pacifie things ; he is not moved at different reports , he is neither incredulous nor over credulous , but hears every thing , examines and weighs all , receives that which to him appears to be the truest , and resolves upon that which he thinks to be the best . that italians have known and practised these things , the history of antient rome , and the experience of these last times do justifie it , and some able states-men , and great polititians , whom that nation hath afforded germany , france , spain , and other countries , do clearly convince of this truth , and are presidents of it , and one single proverb of theirs ( to shew how solid and substantial they are ) doth teach us all the vertues aforesaid in these words , non spendor ' cio che tu hoi , non far ' cio che tu puoi , non creder ' cio che tu udi ; that is , one must not spend all that he hath , nor do all that he can , nor tell all that he knows , nor believe all that he hears . the character of spain . in the south-west parts of europe , between the . and . degrees of latitude , lies a potent kingdome , named spain , or spains in the plural number , for so philip ii. called himself , rex hispaniarum , after the acquisition he made of portugal , in the year . it fell into the hands of the house of austria by the match of philip the xi . first son to maximilian of austria , with the daughter of ferdinand of aragon , and isabella of castilla , heir of those countries , united by the marriage of the said ferdinand and isabella . these dominions have in time been so enlarged by marriages and conquests , as to reach some things in africa , a great part of europe , and almost all america , which hath given occasion to say , that the sun never shines out of the spanish dominions . the struglings of this nation after an universal monarchy , have proved so lusty and so hard , that at one time or other , whole europe hath been shaken with it : whereby the spanish name is become so famous , that 't is not to be admired at , if curiosity of seeing a countrey where so great designs were continued , hath put several men upon travelling into it . i confess , with many others , i have been taken with that itching desire , in hope of seeing an extraordinary land , peopled with none but heroes , but with what successe , the following discourse shall witnesse , being sure that no curiosity was ever more severely punished then mine , nor pleasure more constantly attended with pain : if this be a sin , i vow never again to fall into it , and herein i ought not to be accounted singular , for i protest i found all those whom i conversed with , and who have been there , to be of my opinion ; but patience . in this world one must see not only good but evil also , things better judged of by their contraries , yet to go thorough , one must be stored with monies and patience . let a man begin this journey which way he pleases , he will find it very tedious , and must resolve to suffer many inconveniences : whither he goes from bayone to yrun , san sebastian , and thence the straight way to victoria , puerto de sant adrian , or on the left , to pamplona in navarra by estella de navarra ( where is an university ) la puente de la reyna and viana passing by logrono , whence some go to santo domingo de la calcada , in the church whereof are seen a cock and a hen of the breed ( as 't is reported ) of those which ( if you will believe it ) came to life again after they had been roasted ; and to be short , thence to burgos valladolid , medina del campo , salamanco scyonia , el puerto de guadarrama , iscuriale el pardo and madrid , alcula de trenares , aranjues , toledo , &c. or whether a man goes into spain by catalonia , valenza murcia , grenada : one shall be ill horsed , hardly used , and have bad accommodation ; of which three things , one alone is enough to vex a traveller . although spanish horses be very good , there are so few , that they are not employed in ordinary uses , mules must doe the worke , which are very slow creatures , very ill harnessed , and very dangerous for biting kicking ; to these inconveniencies , let a spaniard be joyned as a guide , who as well as the mule , keeps to his slow pace , caused not only by his natural gravity , but also ( when they walk as many do ) by shooes made of little cords , which the generality of them doth wear , so that the sand and drye ground they walk upon being already much heated by the sun , must needs gall and burn their feet , let them be never so used to 't , this must needs be very tedious to those who are used to ride good horses . but there are other difficulties caused by the rudeness and barbarity of men , all rational people will shew themselves civil to strangers who pass thorough their , countrey , to give them cause to commend the inhabitants when they are out of it ; but here no such thing is thought upon , they are called by the nick-name gavachos , and assoon as a man comes into spain he must shew all the moneys he hath about him , and every thing else , and must pay for 't according as he is taxed by those unreasonable men , whether it be a silver sword , a watch , a ring , silver buttons and the like , so that nothing goes free ; and then if any thing lyes in the way of these searchers , they will make conscience to take it as dexterously as they can , and though one should take notice of it , yet he dares hardly say any thing for fear of the worst , because sometimes they send one or other upon the passage to rob or kill as they have a minde to . after this they give a note , which some call albaran , and others aluala , to certifie to other searchers that the things have been payed for ; yet for all this , others if they please ( and they do 't very often except monies be given them ) they cause one to open all again , they search all , and make pay for all ; and the worst is , that this sort of men ever lies at the coming in and going out of every province , which in those parts ( for greatness sake ) they call kingdomes , so that after this rate one is to pass thorough several kingdoms before he can come to madrid . at the coming out of spain one meets with the like ( or worse usage if it be possible ) as he found at the going into 't . but after all , the worst is , that one hath no accommodation by the way , for sometimes you shall ride . miles and not see a house , nor meet with a man , so that in some places one must carry for himself something to eat , and oats for the mule , and so lie sometimes under a tree : how uncomfortable this is in winter , and the heat of summer , i leave every one to judge . and the misery is , that when one comes to an inn , he is hardly the better for 't , for excepting some alcoues which are used onely by persons of quality , all the bed you can get , is some formes or few boards lay'd close , with straw or wooll at the most , within a matteress upon 't , without bed-steads or curtains , for they know not what such things mean , and if one will have clean sheets , the surest way is to carry some along with him . yet this is but beginning of trouble , for these inns ( if i may so call it ) afford nothing to eat , and if you will have bread , you must send for 't out of the house into one place , for wine into another , for meat into another , for one can hardly find two such different things in one place ; after all , if you will have it well dressed , i advise you to have a cook of your own . now see whether or not i have reason to wish my self out of this countrey , but i must go throughout , seeing i am so far engaged in 't , and give some observations i made of their nature , and of some manners and customes of theirs . though the spaniard be not very sociable , yet'tis easy for a man to know his natural genius and inclination as to the generality : i confess amongst the true castillans , some generous and gallant men are to be found , but these are so scarce , that we may say of it , as of bread , the countrey affords it very good , but so little of it , that though the countrey ( catalonia excepted ) be very void of inhabitants , there is hardly enough of it to serve . months in the year , so of . men , hardly one will be found to have a right principle of honesty . if at any time a man hath offended them , though it be an offence taken rather than given , they will seem not to take notice of it , but they will watch one so long , and so well , that at last he must fall into their clutches ; then they give no quarter , but one night or other as a man is going to his lodging , they will shoot him dead in a treacherous way , and when he is not aware of them . their pride is known by the contempt they have for all other nations , therefore they say their king alone is el roy de los hombres ; the same they affirme of their language , but most of all 't is known by their carriage ; they have an affected gravity which goes beyond the natural , and make themselves valiant with oftentation . they walk up and down the streets like peacocks and turkies with a great deal of pride , staring upon others , and looking on themselves from top to toe with a losty , scornful and braving courtenance ; and yet when there is occasion to go to it , except there be three or four against one , toman las oulcas de villa diego , as they say , that is in plain english , they run away , till they have an opportunity of being avenged ; and this is most of all practised in valenza , arragona , catalonia , &c. in castilla , and some other places , there being more generosity than in others . in summer , they wear long cloakes of black london serge , specially those who are of any fashion , but i have seen some of cloth and very heavy , for they say , that which keeps from cold , preserves also from the heat ; their shooes for the most part have no heele , or a very little one ; the clock of their stockings comes up to the fat of their legg . it were needless for me to make an exact description of their cloathes , seeing they often have been seen in england , specially in eighty eight . i shall not dispute whether they are becoming or not , much of it depending upon custome and fancy , yet they are so taken with it , that still they keep to their fashion in most countries where they live , and very hardly can resolve upon changing in some courts where they have ambassadours , for else they have so good opinion of their countries that they scorn almost all others , and account them not worthy to be seen , except the low countries , naples , sicily , milan , the west-indies , &c. where they goe to feather their nest and to grow rich , and often they take such courses , as makes them speed well in 't in a very short time . they use to wear sword and dagger , and though their cloak be new , very often they make a hole in it , that the dagger may be seen ; the lowest sort of tradesmen , as carpenters , shooe-makers , &c. never sit at their work without a dagger by their sides . thus the commonally is possessed with pride , witness the story of the woman , who being a begger , yet would not have her son to serve an ambassadour ; i will not said she ( being spoken to about it ) undervalue my son so much , who knows whether one day he shall not be king of spain . hence it is that we do not see spaniards to be servants of men of other nations , nor to travel but upon the account of necessity . now this vanity follows them to their grave , as we hear of the cobler , who being upon his death-bed , having called his children to him , said to them , take heede you do nothing to disparage your selves , or to dishonour your family . to see the meanest of them in their cloathes , and to act their gravity , is a thing to make any sranger mistake their quality , insomuch , that one day in their late kings time , a foreign minister being private in his lodging , took one of them for a grandee , who ( as he thought ) came to give him a visit incognito , as 't is usual in those parts , and received him with a great civility , but at last this proved to be a glasier , who went to mend a window : and they so much affect gravity in their march , that one of them being once whipped at paris , ( you may conceive not for any good he had done ) and being told by some spectators who pittyed him , to mend his pace , that he might sooner come out of his pains , he turned about , and with much gravity , told them , that he would not go an inch the faster , though all the hangmen of france were at his heels . but to goe on in telling of their good qualities , i must not omit to say that idleness , and lasiness are some of those which most of all they are subject to : i cannot tell whether it be meerly an effect of their natural disposition , or a trust they put to the harvest they receive from the indies ; or , as i believe , of both ; but the matter is such , that their land which in many places is good , and could be made fruitful , nor only in fruites and good wines , but also in other necessaries , for want of being manured , is barren and useless . now the ground doth not produce without the care of man ; at present god doth not shew us such miracles , as he hath done sometimes in the dayes of old . if tradsemen amongst them , do work or hours in the day , they will think themselves the greatest workmen in the world ; and they who set them at work , must pay as dear , as if they had been a whole day at it : when this is done , they go to play or iport themselves one way or other , but those that live in sea-towns never fail to walk by the sea-side , to see ships coming in , to enquire what parts of the world they come from , and what news they bring : and here passenger : do find some office of the inquisition summoning them to go and give an account of their faith to the office , but their chief end is to get a piece of money , and then they let people alone . others there are in these sea-towns , who drive another sort of trade , they come aboard and offer to passengers wine and other provisions at a very low rate , only to oblige them to go to their houses , where they shew them spanish flesh rather than victuals . no nation hath more ceremony , and less reality than the spanish , when they think to cut one's throat , then they make the greatest protestations of love and friendship : they stand so much upon titles and places , that as boccalini saith , it is a particular custome of spaniards , to visit others more to affront , than to honour them . complements also are so mixed with their ordinary discourses , that they wholly take away the pleasure of society , & banish liberty , wherein doth consist the sweetness of conversation : an english nobleman having often been troubled at madrid with such a way of dealing , by one of their great men , resolved one day to be avenged on him , therefore once when the other was come to him , he caused a great fire to be made , and both being drawn near to it , with their backs towards the chimney , the nobleman engaged the spaniard in discourses of civility , who many times bowed towards the fire , which he did so often , that at last feeling the heat , he clapt his hand upon the back side , and found the fire had burned part of it , he was as amazed , as the other who sitting by a fire , and feeling the heat thorough his boots , said , i am a fraid of burning my boots , when another who stood by answered , sir , do not mind your boots , for already they are gone , onely look to the spurs . they profess a new divinity , to allow of a certain evil , that an uncertain may be avoided thereby , that is to practice a peccadillo as they call it , a little sin , to avoid falling into a greater , and for fear of sodomy , to indulge themselves in their leachery ; a thing so generally used amongst them , that he who hath not his love in that kind , is accounted a man without wit and merit ; and the generality of them goes as openly and freely into such places , as here one will goe to a tavern , or an ale-house : they consuetudo peccandi , tollit sensum peccati , the custom of tinning , takes away the sense of sin ; their proverb is , el fatigado con cosas deveres , recreese con donagres , he who is a weary of serious things , must betake himself to his pleasures ; of which , as of wines they allow themselves a calabrada , a mixture and variety , wherein they so much indulge themselves , that rather than be deprived of the least , they will loose any thing ; whereupon they use to say , siempre en las tardangas a'y peligro , y. vale mas paxaro en mano que buy tre volando , a bird in hand is better than two in the bush ; which they mean of their pleasures . sometimes i have seen some of their priests come to strangers lodgings ( provided they be acquainted with the landlord ) to play with them , in a disguise , not out of any shame , but only to have more liberty with those who know them not , except a landlord , or some body else tells them what they are . there be also some priests and fryars carrying up and down the streets , the image of one or other nuestia sennora , as they call it , for whom they beg , & yet the poor lady is never the better for it ; for most part of the time , what they have gotten , they bestow upon their own pleasures , and other uses ; and once i saw at alicant , one of them , who played at cardes what monies he had then about him , and lost it to an english master of a ship : whereby we see now ready they are to sacrifice their shew and pretence of devotion , to their pleasure or covetousness ; and sometimes they dispose of it another way , which is , to make a mock at what they call piety themselves , and which we , with a more proper word , do name superstition . many of these secular , and regular priests , are very offensive to the laity , by reason of the great power theclergy hath in those parts , who assert their priviledges with a great severity , by the means of the inquisition , which is formidable to the greatest men in the land , as to the lowest ; so that under this shelter , they commit many unjust and unlawful things . but in general , to return to the nation , they are very singular in their diet , still making good the proverb which saies , a spaniard is not sober when he lives at the costs of others : but else they are very sparing and i am very much of the opinion of one , who thinks that in london , there is more meat eaten in one month , than in whole spain in one year . they do not roast whole capons , and pullets , but leggs , and wings by themselves , and then spread the feathers before their doors , to make others think thatgood chear is made in that house ; a crust ofbread rubbed with garlick , or an onion , is an ordinary and a good diet for them , which , if a stranger sees them to eat , they presently fall upon commending of sobriety , and how wholsom a thing it is : many a time i have seen numbers of them dine so , close by a wall , to enjoy the heat of the sun , which is their ordinary fire in those parts , so saving they endeavour to be in every thing ; yet if any one will have the pleasure , how well they can eat , or rather devour , let him treat them at his own charges . for certain flesh isvery nourishing there , but this is not the onely reason of their sobriety , 't is also dear , in part , because 't is scarce , and also by reason of a great tax laid upon butchers : fruits , herbs and roots , are things which they feed upon most of all , and in every thing almost , they use much pimiento , a kind of red pepper which grows in the country ; but they are not used to see any quantity of meat upon a table ; this is the reason why gondomour being gone back into spain from his ambassy in england , and being asked by his master about several fashions used here in the court , amongst the rest , being very inquisitive to know what ceremonies were used here when the king was at table ; he answered , for his part , he could not well tell , though he had been in the dining room when his majesty was at dinner , because , said he , he was hidden from him by a great piece of beef which was laid upon the table . they allow not their wives to sit at table with them , those persons of quality are private in a chamber and by themselves , but others of the common sort of people , do usually keep in the same chamber where their husbands dine , at a table with their children , or else there is a place raised half a foot or thereabouts above the flower , with a carpet laid over it , thereupon the wife , and children either kneel or sit without chairs , and eat what the husband is pleased to send them from his table , so that to speak the truth , they are deprived of their liberty and kept in great subjection , little different from slavery . which hard usage they are sensible of , upon occasion doing them all the turns of unfaithfulness which they are able , being naturally by the influences of the climate , the hot things they eat and drink , and out of a desire of the liberty they see themselves abridged off , much inclined to luxury ; they take care to curle their hair , keep their breast naked , yet not so low as the shoulders , they paint much with red their lips and cheeks , a custom so general amongst them , that they hide it not one from another ; they wear above their wast a fardingale , or guarda infanta , as they call it , which is like a circle of a good breadth , and very fit to hide a big belly ; when they go thorough a narrow door they must strike it down of one side ; those of an inferiour quality , when they are abroad , do usually wear a black hood which falls lower then their breast and shoulders , and hides the whole face , except one eye , which is all one is able to see of it , whereby they are so hard to be known , that towards evening a husband going by his wife shall have much ado to know her ; though they be more civil to those strangers or others whom they intend to favour , by uncovering the whole face when they come nigh to them : they improve the few moments they have of liberty , and they endeavour to hazer su agosto , to speak in their own words , or as we say , make hay whilst the sun shines , and they do it de la buena gana , with a good will. men there , are extraordinarily careful of their beards , which are black and thick with mustacchio's 〈◊〉 tusks ; to save them at night , they have las bigotes , that is a kind of a waxed case which they lay upon it , and which to one who knows not what it is , seems very strange in a morning when they appear with it at a window : they also make a beard so essential to a man , that if he be altogether shaven , as now we are in england , they will doubt whether or not he be an eunuch : and in the streets of madrid , i have seen an outlandish man of about years of age , taken by the arme by a woman who never saw him before . and asked him very boldly , tien los cojones voste , sir , are you a whole man , because he was wholly shaven . a thing which most of all seemed strange to me in spain , is the custome of some to walk in the streets with spectacles on their noses , which with a little thread they tye to both ears , and there is a two-fold reason for it ; the one is the scorching heat of the sun which heats so much the ground , that the reverberation of it is hurtful to the eye , but as in winter the sun is not so hot as in summer , so methinks the use of these spectacles should cease ; therefore besides the former there is an inward reason , arising from the immoderate luxury which they are given to , for by reason of the strict communication there is between those parts and the head , specially the opticks , the organ is much offended , and consequently weakned , so that this people becomes short sighted ; and i think that the fresh waters with ice , which they so much drink of in summer , are used to cool their lust more then to quench their thirst . the extraordinry long swords they have must needs be very inconvenient , specially by reason of the long cloaks they wear them under , insomuch that most part of time they must turn up their cloaks of one side when they walk , and the other hand they must lay upon the hilt of the sword , that thereby the point of it be lifted up , otherwise it would constantly trail upon the ground , and often the crosse above the hilt being of one side turned upwards , and downwards on the other , seems at the same time threatning heaven and earth . formerly they used to wear ruffs about their necks , which were forbidden , because in arragon a great man was strangled with it , so that since that time they have been lookt upon as a halter about ones neck , and instead of it , they use a little band stretched and stiffned with a little wire . in their discourses they would be taken for senators , for upon every occasion they play the statesmen , they dispose of crowns scepters and kingdoms , just as if they were of gods council , they decide the fortune of princes , censure the actions and carriage of ministers of state , and when they are three or four together , one would think that like so many gods they sit in council to resolve upon the fare , and dispose of all states and empires of the world , and this not by conjectures , but out of a certain and infallible knowledge , and whilest they fancy mountains of gold , and think how to dispossesse other nations of their country , they take no notice how void of people their own is , by reason of their driving the moores out of granada , of their plantations in the indies , their wars in flanders and italy , and of the many garrisons they must keep in sundry places ; thus they make good their proverb , cada loco con su tema , every fool hath his fancies . benefit and pleasure are the two great ends of travellers , but in spain neither is to be had , the people of it not being sociable , and there is hardly any thing worthy of a mans curiosity , or at least the pains to go to see it ; all spain doth not afford one noble and stately city . pamplona in navarra is noted for the citadel in 't , burgos the metropolis of castilla the old for the great church , and an inconsiderable castle ; valladolid where formerly the court hath resided for a considerable time , is a proverb , villa per villa , valladolid en castilla , but there are not so much as walls about it . salamanca hath the famous university of spain , their is the bridge built by the romans , and the bull at one end of it ; segovia hath without the monasterie , called parral , the mint , a palace and the aqueducts , & the fine cloth made there : toledo the chief arch-bishoprick of spain hath a great church & a thing called the treasure within it , & water-works ; so at granada is the palace of the palace of the kings of the moors , the altrambra : cordova hath the mosquea or church of the moors , sarragossa is a good place , and to be short , their sevile the chief of andaluzia , of which their proverb says , el que non ha vista sevilla , non ha vista maravilla : indeed about it grow good fruits , the river guadulquivin , runs by , and after falls into the sea by san iuan de burrameda , but certainly in other places are much better churches , palaces . bridges , universities , &c. and i say that all these things together are not worth the pains and the charges of going so far to see them , except a man hath absolutely a mind to be able to say , i have seen ; neither is a good breeding to be gotten there . indeed there are in spain two things worth seeing , and no more , one is a work of nature , the river guadiana in estramudara , sinking under ground beyond placio del rey , and then raising about miajada nigh upon short leagues off ; upon this account 't is said they have the best bridge of europe : the other is the escurial , the master-piece of the great and wise king philip . though 't was no part of wisdome in him to have at once such great designs , to conquer england , uphold the league in france , and to recover the low-countries , all which came to nothing , because as the italian saith , chi troppo abraccia nulla stringe ; however he built the iscuriale where the courts , the kings and queens lodgings , the fryars cloysters , the water , the gardens , the library , the chappel , in a word , the whole is a rare thing , but not so miraculous to those who have seen other parts of the world ; the pardo , buen retiro and aranjuez , i will hardly mention , those forenamed are the best things in spain , but he who hath a mind to suffer so many inconveniences before he comes thither must do it by way of penance ; as for cities , barcelona is certainly the most populous of any in spain . the rest of these towns are full of pride , idleness , misery , cheats , treachery murthers and other oppressions , caused by their ambition , animosities , covetousness , desire of revenge , luxury and jealousies about wives , concubines , daughters , sisters , neeces , and what other relations they have of that sex , they account themselves obliged to be watchful over : yet for all their poverty they are taken with the vanity which is too common in other places , nor to observe a distinction of cloaths according to the quality of persons , for i have seen carpenters and shooemakers in silver cloath doublets , and in extraordinary fine cloath ; but i know it to be their humour , that the poorer they are , the more they indeavour to hide it , the best countenance they put on , and the greatest shew they make : their very alguazils or bailies , who are the vilest sort of people , think themselves as good as the best in the land , and to see them walk with a switch lifted up in their hand , one would perceive in them as much lostiness , as if they were high stewards , or high chamberlains of the kingdome . but to speak of somthing which is or ought to be the best in spain , we must come to madrid , the ordinary place of the courts residence , which is far from being numerous , and their way is particular and different from others ; the generality of women about it , are antient and tanned , but they use painting very much as a remedy to it : yet i confess i have seen in spain some with a very white skin , ( but these are scarce ) a brown hair , and a lively black eye , but there is not that honest society of both sexes which is found in other places : and great men do so affect gravity , and stand so much upon their formalities and points of honour , that amongst them there can be no sincerity nor satisfaction . coaches in madrid are drawn by mules , in them ladies sit in the same gravity which men do affect , they are almost like statues without motion , and when they think fit to move the head , 't is done in so slowand so lingring a way , that one who is not used to it , would admire to see it ; for all this i believe if they had the liberty which others enjoy in other places , some of them would prove the wittiest and most gallant women in the world , even as were the moors in granada , but as things stand they must live a very retired manner of life . on the other side , no greater prostitution in the world then there is in that town , for the generality of women : mothers make no difficulties to sell their daughters maidenhèads four or five times , and as often as they can to cheat men ; young girles begin to keep mens company when they are but ten , eleven , or at the most twelve years old , this is the cause of so much infection there in that kind , that it is a lamentable thing for any one who hath the curiosity to see their hospitals of incurables , besides that horrid sin which to punish sufficiently no pain was found upon earth , but god was pleased to pour down , as it were , hell from heaven , causing fire and brimstone to rain and shower down upon earth ; about this horrid sin they have this proverb in their language , en spania los cavalleros , en francia los pedantos , en italia todos . a thing observable in the court is the way of their grandees , who sit down and put on their hats in the kings presence ; of these men there are three sorts , some have it by a personal priviledge and special favour of the king , others have it as an hereditary right and propriety derived from their parents , and others in the third place , have it by a right of their charge and place , as namely the president of the council of castilla , who though he be not a grandee , yet enjoys the same priviledge as they do . charles the fifth was the author of these grandees , to gratifie the spanish nation , and in some kind make some of them equal with some german princes who followed him in that voyage , and who by their quality and extraction , had the right of sitting and being covered in his presence , a thing which other european kings do not allow of , portugal excepted . again , at madrid is to be seen that cruel bull-fighting , a remainder of those bloody spectacles used by the romans for to give a pleasure to the spectators , men as mad as the bulls they fight against , must encounter those wild creatures , and hazard in a combate which hath proved fatal to the lives of so many . what shall i say of madrid it self , where are neither good streets nor stately buildings , antient or modern , not considerable for the materials or for the rules of architecture ; in winter there is nothing but dirt , and dust in summer , so that if for the space of three or four hours men have been to walk , their cloaths shall be as white for dust , as if they had been at the mill , so that 't is no wonder if their cloaths and taffity hats ( that is overlaid with taffita ) grow greasie so soon . above all , let not one who is there walk abroad late at night , nor very early in the morning , for as they have no houses of office they fling it up and down the streets , and how unpleasant these objects are to the nose , and the eye , let any one judge , yet about or of the clock there is nothing to be seen , but all is dissolved into dust , & as men say , that one stench & poison drives away another , so their use of onions and garlick is by them thought to be a sovereign remedy against these spanish perfumes we are now speaking of ; the air indeed is the only good thing at madrid , for 't is very pure and free from the plague . but if for all this men have a mind to go to see that stinking place , i will say to them in spanish , sea con pie derecho , that is in an english sence , much good may 't do to them . finis . the practise of princes. published by a. ar ar., a. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the practise of princes. published by a. ar ar., a. , [ ] p. printed [by the successors of giles thorp], [amsterdam] : in the yeare . a puritan attack against charles i and his spanish policies. place of publication and printer statement from stc. cf. folger catalogue, which gives signatures: a-c⁴. reproduction of the original in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng great britain -- politics and government -- - -- early works to . great britain -- foreign relations -- spain -- early works to . great britain -- foreign relations -- - -- early works to . spain -- foreign relations -- great britain -- early works to . spain -- foreign relations -- - -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - jason colman sampled and proofread - jason colman text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the practise of princes . published by a. ar. prov. . . the king by judgment stablisheth the land : but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it . printed in the yeare . when the children of israell had sinned against the lord , he delivered them over in the hands of spoylers , and sould them into the hands of their enimies round about , so that they could not stand before them , levit. . deut. . iudg. . our estate is so , we have transgressed his laws with an high hand , and yet we have not hearts to lament it as we should , nor eies to see the hand of god goe out against us in all we sett our hands unto , both in peace and warre ; but we attribute all to secondary causes , & looke not to the lord against whom we have sinned : some of us can see that our best nobility and valiantest captains and souldyers , are cutt off by indirect means , and our wealth and honour consumed , to our great reproach and ignominie . yet we do not observe it as we should , and what a fearfull estate our land now stands in , this short treatise doth shew amongst them that beare sway , or at least might be heard by the rulers , all seek their own , and no man that is christs . some of them pretend to be conversant for him in superficie boni , but it is indeed in alto mal● . where is there amongst us anie that will stand for the cause of christ ? so that i may say : there is but a step between us and death . hester will interpose hirself for her countrye , and if she perish she perish ; the fire of gods wrath is ready to break in upon us , therefore if the fewel of sin be not taken away the wrath of gods will never ceasse till we be all consumed . what true heart will not bring help to quench this fire ? alas it will be vain to bring water when the house is burnt to ashes . who will not at least crye when he seeth his mother murdering , i will conclude with the apostles words : lord save us else we all perish . a. ar. the practise of princes . wisdom in the proverbs which all divines acknowledge to be the sonne of god , the eternal word , by which the father made the world , saith there , by me kinges raigne , and princes decree justice : by me princes rule , and the nobles and all the iudges of the earth . where , though it be true that god infused into divers heathen princes and iudges zealous of virtue and justice , some beams of this wisdom , who may therefore be saide , in som sort , to rule by it ; yet wee are not to understand that every king and governour , that ruleth & iudgeth by unlawful policie or wicked counsell , doth it by this wisdom . jeroboam , vainly fearing that the peoples going up to ierusalem would make them revolt , tooke counsaile for the setting up of calves in bethel and dan , wherin he and his counsel did not rule by this wisdom but by a divelish policie , which indeede was rather folly then true wisdom , for it made god his enemie ▪ and was the sodaine overthrow of his howse ; as the like earthly policies were of the families of saul , ahab , absolon , achitophel , haman and others . the meaning therefore of that place is , that all kings , princes , iudges and governours , that judge and rule well and happily , they judge by or according to that wisdom which is gods word : therby keeping theire people ( what in them is ) in the true worship and feare of god ; as did david , iehoshaphat , hezekiah and josiah , wherin they are truly gods vicegerents , seeking his kingdom , and the righteousnes thereof , and whereby theire owne kingdoms are kept in peace , and the neighbouring kingdoms come to feare them , as they did iehoshaphat , therefore wisdō saith , by me kings raigne : not by any polices or subtiltie but by me , who am gods wisdom . which is there found most true , where princes square theire counsels by gods word , and labour that theire people may be governed in all matters of faith and salvation by his revealed will ; and where , as they ought , theire owne lawes and governement tend to the same ende : for therefore the throne of a king is called , the throne of the lord and the kingdoms of this world the kingdoms of our lord and of his christ . but besides those general rules in the law and the gospel , which shew princes what should be the end and scope of al their lawes and government ; and by which ( where kings doe so esteeme of them ) their people are bridled and kept in awe , as by that word , which stilled the raging of the sea , and the madnes of the people ; and which is the rod of his strength ; this wisdom in holy writ , and especially in that booke of the proverbs , hath left unto all princes divers speciall rules whereby they ought to square all their actions and government , which may be called the princes principles , or the practise of princes : which should be regarded as christs charge to christian kings , and euer observed , because they are gods immutable wisdom , which he hath left to be a sure guide to all princes to the ende of the world ; and wherof in a more special manner that may seeme to be saide , by me kings raigne , &c. now therefore hearken o children unto me . if al the children of wisdom ought so to doe , princes more especially , their calling beeing of the greatest waight , deeply concerning so many thousands of people , and standing most in neede of that wisdoms help , which is the sonne , and the prince of the kings of the earth . al princes are as much bound to observe his lawes and directions , as theire meanest subiects are to regard theirs , for he is the king of kings , and all his rules and directions are perpetuall lawes ; so immutable and irrevocable that all designes and determinations that are contrary unto them , how faire a shew soever they make of wisdom and a probable good , they are but meere wickednes , and can not establish the prince that puts them in practise , but rather tend to his undoing : for that is one infallible principle left us by wisdom , a man can not be established by wickednes , and therefore the lord saith , woe to the rebellious children , that take counsell , but not of me , and cover with a covering but not of my spirit : which walke to strengthen themselves in the strength of pharaoh , and trust in the shadow of egypt as asa also sought a league with syria , and relyed on it , and not on the lord , , and was therefore punished , wherefore wisdom saith , it is an abhomination to kings to commit wickednes : for the throne is established by justice : by carrying themselves justly towards god and their people , therefore state policies that stand not with pietie must needes overthrow it . such are all temporisings . in matters of religion , with princes and people of a contrary faith , and seeking , or favouring middle waies of reconcilement , such as halt betweene god and baal , betweene christ & antichrist , like the arminians of our time : which euer grow from bad to worse , & make but the adversaries abroade and at home more insolent , and god to give us over to be deceived by their practises . as wee may see in the fruite of that treatie with spaine ; wherin king iames , who had euer favoured the papists , and slacked the execution of lawes against them , at last to attaine his ends first with spaine , and then with france , permitted aide to goe to the archduches , and after to the french king against the rochellers : more manifestly connived at poperie , favored the ould countesse , divers lords , & others , the freinds therof ; frowned on the religious opposers of their practises , in court & parliament ; suffered not the lawes , to be executed on priests & iesuits but suffered them in a manner openly to dispute , preach and write , and in som sort forbad preaching & writing against them : all which could not but make israel to sinne , many to leave their love and zeale of the truth , others to fall to poperie , arminianisme , temporising or neutralitie ; which things , it seemes were also donne and suffered , to binde them a by those favors from practising against his life , as they had done against the life of queene elizabeth . howsoeuer neither by those fauours , nor yet by urging and pressing fruitles traditions and ceremonies , and silencing such as groaned under them , were theire number lessened , and drawne nearer to our religion ; but rather multiplied and made to affirme , that the most learned , and wise on our side , did hereby shew theire good opiniō of popish religion . in so much that fisher the iesuit grew so insolent in print , as to incite the king , by the example of the french king henric . to let in the iesuits , saying , that besides thanks & presents from peru , china , &c. he purchased . pounds for his fame . but he knew the kings timerous nature ; and therfore as b. white observed , he had his ende in mentioning that instance knowne to the world direfull and tragicall , & a hope by that trope to intrude by terrour for how they requited that kings loue the dolefull catastrophe shevved , therefore he addeth , male ominatis parcite verbis . knowing that mē would be ready to infer that king iames was like to finde no better requital of papists for his politik favouring of them : which is alwaies just with him to permit , who saith , he that vvil saue his life viz. by ungodly temporisings shal loose it . the king knew that though he should call the best protestants , puritans , wrong them and theire religion ; yea see it suffer never so much injurie and losse from others ; yet there was no danger of them ; ( much lesse that a king should neede to burne paraeus his workes ; though he meant to deserve evill ) for religion bindes theire hands . but must they therfore have the more injuries heaped on them to please the papists ? or because papists are bloodie , if crossed in religion , must kings therefore temporise with them , and not rather trust in gods protection , as queene elizabeth did ? that which men doe , in an unjust policie , to prevent an evil , is in gods justice suffered to be the cause that brings it on them , as gen. . . ioh. . . and accordingly , it seemed so probable , that king james died by the practise of such papists and popelings , as every day lulled him asleepe with tales , flatteries , wine , jests , songs , and catches , while the palatinate was loosing ; that the parliament desired to have it sifted out , but this proceeding for him was dashed in such sort , as he , to his owne hurt , had oft crushed the indeauours of many parliaments by prerogative , wherein he haveing by checks and scornes prevailed against the councels and priviledges of parliaments , and refused to let them rid him of such flatterers and secret enemies , as neither truly feared the lord nor the king , but midled with jesuited spirits , given to change , religion and government , as beeing of the spanish faction , that was true in him which the preacher saith , j saw a time that man ruleth over man to his ovvne hurt . in so much that some saide better is a poore and vvise child , then an old and foolish king , that vvill be no more admonished . but certainly he had greate abilities of understanding and judgment , if feare of the papists power and practises , and an unlimited desire of peace with them , had not made him use many temporising policies , pleasing to them , and greivous to his best subjects . howsoeuer his policies , of that kinde , found no better fruite then the increase of papists and the emboldening of them here , the shamfull losse of the palatinate , the undoing of his posterity there , the danger of loosing his only sone in spaine , the more violent persecution of the protestants 〈◊〉 germanie and france , to the losse of many freinds abroade , of 〈◊〉 subiects hearts at home , and his owne fame every where . in further proofe whereof , i neede say the lesse , seeing vox populi , votiva angliae and tom tell-troth have said so much : yet som men make a god of him , and urge his sonne to follow his fathers wisdom , as if wee had not yet had mischeife enough by the reviveing romish and spanish factions . but god graunt it may be a warning to him , and all other protestant princes , to abandon all such fruitles and drangerons policies , as favour divers religions , together with the treacherous promoters of them ; & to hearken in such cases to that which the wisdom of god saith . trust in the lord with all thy heart and leane not to thine owne understanding . cease from thine owne wisdom . aske counsell of god at his oracles , for therefore wisdom saith to such a one as hath not so consulted with gods word , as he ought ; heare councell and receive instruction , that thou maiest be wise in the later ende : and for policies and counsels that stand not with gods word ; my sonne heare no more the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge . wisdom saith , in the multitude of the people is the honour of a kinge , and for the want of people commeth the destruction of the prince ; that is , whether he lack people , or haveing multitudes want theire hearts , which rhehoboam found true , when embracing evill counsaile , and seeking to be a more absolute lord over them , then his father , he thereby lost the most of them , and so his greatest strength under god , whereby he was exposed to the more danger of all foraigne enemies . which proves it to be one of the most traiterous offices that can be , in councellours to alienate the heart of a kinge from his subiects . here therefore questionles , they can not be excused , who incensed the king against his subjects in parliament . i know som lay greate fault in the knights and burgesses for delaying the graunt of the subsidie of tunnage and poundage , considering the kings wants . the truth is , they had beene worthy of greate blame , if the necessity , that compelled them to it , had not pleaded for them : which was to get som things , before that grant , reformed , which did eate at the roote of religion & state , & which they thought they should never be once suffered to speake of , much lesse to question & sift out , if the customes were once granted , for they knew that many great crimes of lust , murder , oppression , & the like , could not get hearing , much lesse justice , when they had been laid to the duke and his confederates in former sessions and sittings of parliament , as well since the death of king iames , as before ; & that also in matters of treacherie in religion and state , as about the losse of the palatinat , treasure , shipping , munition and honour , in the expedition to cales , rees , rochel , and in other designes : wherin they of that faction , under publik pretences seemed to be private agents for rome , france & the howse of austria , and divers of them manifest introducers of arminianisme , which they used as a shooing-horn to draw on popery & division , though they know that a kingdom divided in it selfe can not stand . in this last sitting , divers things of these kindes , were manifested against som bishops and others , when now the house beeing ready to declare them to the king they that were sick of the parliament , to shoulder out theese proceedings and finde them other worke , animated the officers of the custom howse , & som others , to use all extremity ( & among others against a burgesse then sitting in parliament ) who beeing therefore questioned in the howse of cōmons , they that got them the kings protection on purpose to engage him in that cause as their manner is in others ) had then pretence to crie out , that the kings prerogatiue was infringed , & he obliged to adjourne the parliamēt : which well perceiving that by such divises & shifts they should be prevented ( as they had often beene ) of questioning delinquēts , & that the assemblie was like to be therefore dissolved , began to protest more openly and plainly against such whisperers : who in the meane while , as men guiltie , and unable to stand the triall , laboured uncessantly , by all the pretences that could be invented , to prove the commons contemners of regal authority , & the king obliged on point of honour to dissolve that assemblie . yet afterwards theire greatest enemies that counted them litle better then traitours , could not prove theire demur insuffifient , nor that they had dōne any thing against the lawes , whence it came to be held honourable in them all to choose rather to abide in prison , then to gaine offered libertie by beeing bound to the good behauiour : which may be an argument to the king , that those men , incensed him against them , to save their owne treacherie from cōming to triall ; & that this was the ende of getting theire freinds chosen knights and burgesses , as also of all theire intelligences in the howse , guarding the kings eares , and preventing all parliament complaints & procedings , by a prevaricating exposition of them , & even of the verie talke of another parliament . many of them had got theire honours and offices of the duke by such services to him & therefore now , to save theire owne stakes , and maintaine that pride , they have made all this division , and left the king to get money and hearts where and how he can ; while in the meane time , they account these councels and services trustie , honourable , and meritorious ; and thus as wisdom saith , many wil boast every one of his owne goodnes : but vvho can finde a faithfull man ? only by pride doth man make contention . and hence it was that they ever geered and scorned the best indeavours of the parliamēt : & therefore though they be many , and of greate wit , no marvaile , if yet theire wisdom have failed them in many greate designes , for as wisdom saith , a scorner seeketh wisdom and findeth it not . a wicked man diggeth up evill , and in his lips is like a burning fire : setting whole kingdoms in division and combustion . a frovvard person sovveth strife , and a tale-teller makes division amonge princes : he divideth the head from the members , and the peeves and princes one from another . he shutted his eyes to devise vvickednes , he will not be brought to see what is evill , nor suffer others to see it , but to prevent good men with cunning speaches , he moveth his lips and bringeth evill to passe . if any thinge be neuer so litle amisse in his adversaries , he aggravates , and repeates it , to keepe them from discovering his owne greater faults : so he makes a man an offendour for a vvord , and turnes aside the just for a thinge of naught , and therefore wisdom saith , he that justifieth the vvicked , & he that condemneth the just , even they both are an abhomination to the lord. now since it is apparant , that such are the achans that trouble our israel , through the secret love they beare to the vvedge of gold & babylonish garments , to honours , proffits and romish superstition , and that many such are got aboute the king ; partly by reason of king iames his treatie for a match with spanie , which made him broock none , but such as praised and furthered it , his favouring of papists , both which drew them , and other church-papists , lukewarne newters and temporisers aboute him , partly through the craft of gondomar , the duke his mother and other agents of rome , spaine and france who intruded , into places of counsaile and trust , instruments best fitting themselves and theire owne endes , partly through the match with france , for seeing the french king is such a manifest freind & champion of antichrist , a protestants peace and alliance with him can not be so safe as it was with his father , nor much better then with spaine ; partly by suffering the duke , the papists , arminians and theire supporters , bishops and others ; with other delinquents to passe unquestioned , or at least unpunished ; & principally by reason that by lies & devises , they have daubed up matters , as they did the losses at the i le of ree , guarded the kings eares and suffered them to give effectuall hearing to none but themselves ; hence it came to passe with him , as wisdom saith , of a prince that hearkens to lies , all his servants are vvicked . every one growes , and hopes to shuffle off his wickednes , as others have donne : and even those , who , if they lived where religion and justice were truly maintained , would be honest men ; they yet , to keepe theire places , proffits and honours , and to get greater , are not only faine to connive at the practises of such as the duke was , who could helpe them to honour & offices , but evē to excuse and justifie many of them ; as wisdom saith . every man is a freind to him that giveth gifts , they blinde the eyes of the vvise : so that vvhen the vvicked come up the man is tried , what he is , as many lords spirituall and temporall have beene who are found too light , while ( though it be true ) that he that receiveth gifts overthrovveth the land , yet for honour or proffit they temporise or connive when delinquents prevaile and a romish or spanish faction is revived , though god , religion , prince , people , state & all loose by it , which hath filled the land with many secret murmures and groanes ; in so much that some , who are reckoned wise men , have not sticked to infer , that there is no likelihood that god shoult ever give a blessing to such mens counsailes , as have either assisted the duke and his faction in theire projects of betraing the palatinate , the french protestants and the religious indeauours of parliament men and other good subjects ; or connived at these vile practises , and so justified him and his confederates : for ( say they ) such counsellours as could not see these practises , which every mechanical fellow and very ploughmen perceived ( beeing so many , so frequent and so apparant ) they are blind guides unfit to be about kings : and such ( say they ) as percived them , and did not lay themselves and theire fortunes downe at the kings feete , to shew him the trechery and danger , but connived to get or keepe preferment , they were cowardly and mercinarily base , and unfaithfull to god , religion , theire king countrie and the verie state , wherin they were chosen watchmen . where in policie poperie is connived at , neutralitie and arminianisme favoured , delinquents borne out , and parliaments for theire sakes dissolved , the king must needes have such servants , and them ever false cum privilegio : for if he hearken to them that say that these are good policies , to hearkens to lies : & god saith of a prince that hearkens to lies , all his servants are vvicked . men , that take his word , say , that therefore as theire roote must needes prove rotten , so things can never goe wel with the christian world , much lesse with the religion and state of england , till the councell which hath beene so dukified , be in a manner wholy changed , they therefore count them fooles , who thinke if god should take the king away issules , & that the injured king and queene of bohemia should come to the crowne , things must needes mend ; saying that could not be , unles the councell were also changed , and made examples to keepe others from the like treacherie and temporising , for ( say they ) if a king be constant to religion , they also can make greate shew of defending religion ( as the duke and others d●d ) thereby to get trust , that they may under hand betray it . and people ( say they ) had the like hopes when king iames died , seeing our king , that now is , make greate preparations , and for ought wee know with sincerity : but , by the practise of the duke and his faction , retaining all his fathers counsell which for the most part were hispanolished , frenchified , roman●sed or newtralised , and suffering som worse , both spirituall and temporal , to be added unto them , al those forces weere soone brought to nothing , things are growne a greate deale worse , and , to the greater greife of all goodnes and good men , without gods speciall mercie remediles ; seeing that a king who only heares and sees things in such mens reports can not know the truth , and that no man dares speak for a free parliament , that may sift it out , much lesse for an effectuall reformation , for as wisdom saith of such potent counsellours , when the vvicked rise up , men hide themselves : but when they perish the righteous increase . a man that hardeneth his neck when he is rebuked shall sodainly be destroied , and can not be cured ( as god manifested in the duke ) when the righteous are in authority , the people rejoice , but when the wicked beareth rule , the people sigh . rehoboam was not strengthened by such counsellors , but weakened . a king and his people are a body politik , and the parliament his representative body : now as in a body , if the faculty of the braine in one side be stopped , that it can not descend through the sinewes to the senses of moveing in the limbes and members , then those parts have the dead palsie , and the man becomes as it were halfe dead , and as unable to doe any service effectually , as our men were at the palatinate , cales , ree , rochel and in the parliament howse : so is it with the body politick of greate britain , through the practise of som iesuited spirits , who , beeing disguised in the sheepes clothing of a protestant outside , & gotten into the place of favourits & counsellors , have cuningly infected many ; both bishops and others ; in whom and by whom , the braine for the most part , is ill affected and the reciprocall passages betweene the head and the members are stopped ; so that the right facultie can not descend , through the sinewes , the peeres , iudges and bishops , to the senses of moveing in the kings body the parliament ; and so his ma tie . giveing no life and strength to that body and the best members thereof , nor they meanes to him , the whole body is halfe dead , & so unable to offend adversaries , that it can not defend it selfe , but must needes perish , if those ill humours in the braine of counsell be not by his maiestie purged and removed , whereas if he did agree with the parliament , and had a counsell favouring the moveing indeauours of the same , he must needes grow dreadfull to them , who now hope to see his kingdom ( by these continued divisions ) easely conquered ; witnes the popes bull to the present french king , given at rome , septemb. . . now then seeing that it is cleare , that in these things , the kings ma tie . himselfe ( who is ruled and abused by them ) is not the least sufferer ; but hath cause to say of them , as old iacob did of simeon and levi bretheren in evill ; jnto their secret let not my soule come ; and that thus divided from his people , which under god are his strength , he must nedes be in more danger of foraigne enemies , & forced to treate with them on harder conditions , which is one of the secret ends , that som of these whisperers had to helpe the catholike cause ( at least under a pretext of zeale to the kings prerogative , which zeale they used both as an instrument to worke division , and a cloake to cover theire treacherie to our religion , and theire secret favour to rome and her champions ) what true subject but wil pray and indeauour that the king may see & expell these dangerous counsellors ? which is the ende of these few collections , and reflecting the light of that wisdom , on theire practises , which saith , blessed is he that shall not be offended in me but wisdom is justified of her children , practises so desperatly persisted in , that there seenes to be eniuitie , jelousie and emulation betweene france and spaine , whether shall ( by theire meanes ) hold the continued honour of cousening , & in the end of conquering us , wherein yet i should abhor to be so plaine , & indeede to medle at all , if the many greate and manifest wrōgs done to god , religion , my king & countrie , with the extreme danger the three later stand in , did not seeme to crie out of silence & banking , & to call to me for plaine dealing what ever it cost me , as isa . . . ezech. . . for . what a miserable thing it is , to see wicked counsellors get such a hand over theire king , that he is wholy ruled by them , and dares not doe or say any thing , but what they like ? nor favour a good man and his cause further then they admit ? as it was with zedekiah , who durst not be knowne of the talke he had with ieremie , but was forced to faigne a busines , and an answer to stop the mouths of his princes and councellors , so verie a child they made of him ; though it be saide , woe to thee o land whose king is a child : when with a couragious & constant frowne , he might have dispersed them all , and have saved himselfe and the citie , by beeing perswaded by ieremie . . wisdom saith of a true king the pleasure of a king is in a wise servant ( this wise man is one truly religious , not an achitophel ) but his wrath shall be toward him that is lewd . such as are our seditious whisperes , the seedesmen of division . righteous lips are the delight of kings , and the king loveth him that speaketh right things . and againe : a king that sitted in the throne of judgment , chaseth away all evill with his eyes . he lookes with indignation on wicked men , as considering , that he sits in the throne of the lord , to doe that which is right , and best for gods service and kingdom . a wise king scattereth the wicked , and causeth the wheele to turne over them . and why should wee not pray and hope that god may give our king this grace , seeing wisdom saith , the kings heart is in the hand of the lord , as the rivers of water : he turneth whithersoever it pleaseth him ? for he saith to kings , cast out the scorner , and strife shall goe out : so contention & reproch shall ceasse , and on the other side , he that loveth purenes of heart , for the grace of his lips , the king shall be his freind . wisdom also sheweth that it is for a kings honour and safety to have wicked men sifted out , and cut off or expelled , saying , the glory of god is to conceale a thinge : but the kings honour is to search out a thinge : to let such come to triall . take the drosse from the silver , and there shall proceede a vessel for the finer . take away the wicked frō the king , and his throne shall be established in righteousnes ; as if he saide , otherwise it must needes totter . o but these cunning achitophels have many goodly pretences , shewing , that it is wisdom in kings to keepe downe and suppresse these puritans , as they were ever pleased to call the gentlemen of the lower howse , and all that crie out for reformation , or trouble themselvs with such matters as the treatie and match with spaine , the increase of poperie and arminianisme , the losse of the palatinate , and of shipping and honour in the seas ; transportation of mumunition and corne , the rochellers , or the like , and thereby ( say they ) taxe the wisdom and government of theire king and his councell , whē indeede this suggestion , & the like , is but a cloake to cover theire treacherie , love to superstition , and hate of our religiō , yet want they not a disguise of pretended love to the booke of common praier , the hierarchie , and such traditions and ceremonies thereof , as doe not offend poperie ; as if that were sufficient to make them protestants and good states men whose hearts and practises are for rome : for as wisdom saith , hatred may be couered by deceite , but the malice thereof shall be discovered in the congregation ; that is , in an publick and free assemb●ie ; which shewes the good use and necessity of parl●aments , which these mens practise could never endure , and therefore they have stil got them dissolved , by hooke or by crooke , let what would follow , either at home to the joy and furtherance of the papists and arminians , & the extreame weakning of the king and kingdom ; or abroade to the undoing of our freinds and religion in germanie , the palatinate , france and denmarke : whereby our bisshops , and theire abettors , have shewed they had rather all these should fall , then theire owne faction and glorie , though poperie and pelagianisme have every where thriven by it , what care they ? that beeing in many of them the maine ende of these theire practises ; witnes cosens protected for al his cosening devotions published , and palpable superstition erected ; and theire suffering the appealers booke to passe two or three yeares , and the author to be rewarded , that so schollers in the universities , to get promotion , might in like manner corrupt and be corrupted , and so corruption might spread from these fountains to all parts of the land , watered by them and when they doubted that in parliament , it might be questioned and they for suffering and furthering it ; to prevent that , they get the king to call it in sleigthly ( not a search to be made for it , as for other bookes , not left as this to be freely sold in shops by any that would ) and to forbid all disputes , preaching and writing on both sides , knowing they could thereby hinder all that should write against those errors , and let bookes and disputes passe , which defended the same ; as they after did dr. iacksons second part , printed before the parliament , but somwhat kept in till it was dissolved , whence it appeares that though these were points they durst not maintaine in parliament , and therefore errors ; yet theire drift was to save and further them , and to engage the king further and further in the cause , that so the parliament might not medle with them , or if they did , it might be pretended , the howse tooke the matter out of his hand , taxed his government , and undervalued his prerogative , that so he , incēsed thereby , might shew the arminians more favour . and the like ends have they that get kings , in pretended policie , to connive at poperie , and stay the execution of lawes against papists , suffer ordināce , victuals and other provision of war , to be daily transported to the enemies of our religion ; that so if never so litle shew be made of reforming these things before a parliament , and yet parliaments complaine of them , or of theire agents in court , church-papists trecherous favourits & delinquents , straight it might be pretēded the matter is taken out of the kings hand , and his government and prerogative is taxed and infringed , thereby to put off reformation , incense his majestie and get them more favour . and still to saue these practises from comming to triall , and therewithall to put men out of heart in theire trading , make them sell theire ships and therein the wals of the land , they euer finde the parliaments other worke in case of customs priviledges and other matters , and then informe the king that in those things his prerogative is by them grossly infringed , and he obliged to dissolve the assemblie . the reasons , why the howse of austria and the french have of late prevailed , are cheifely two , first because they had care to suffer none to be of theire councell of state , agents abroade , nor generals and commanders in war ; but such as they knew were sure to theire religion , and would strive all they could to maintaine and propagate the same . in all theire treaties and warres , this was ever one main ende , they aimed at , as appeareth by gondomars practises in his treating with england ; and the care and zeale of theire generals of bavaria , tillie , spinola and the rest ; as he saith that writes the seidge of breda ; against them it was thought fit our forces should be bent , not for affectation or desire of soveraignty , but for the reestablishing of religion , and regaining what they usurped . now if they had seene like true zeale and care in the english councell and generals , for the protestant religion , they never durst have attempted so much as they have : but they grew confident that england , then the strongest of all protestant states ( and most likely to worke , romes ruin if truly zealous ) could not to any purpose helpe the palatinate , the french protestants , nor the king of denmarke ; much lesse hurt the proceedings and conquests of romes champions spirituall or temporall , knowing the kings dispositiō , and that she and they had the duke and other secret freinds in england , who one while would hold the kings hands ( easily kept from drawing his sword ) under vaine pretexts of hope to set all right by treatie , while they of the palatinate and the french protestants were loosing and bleeding ; and another while when they could with no colour use that course any longer , would in counterfeyt zeale get forces raised , with greate shew of ayding and defending religion and the freinds thereof , but with secret purpose to bringe them , for romes sake , to nothing ; as besides delaies , the lame commissions procured , the popish leaders and instruments imploied , and munition and victuals to the enemies transported , sufficiently manifested ; that so at last england might be glad of peace with france and spaine on hard conditions . and in the meane while , they could , with gifts , presents , flateries , promises , and som small supplies and services , make shew that they were greate freinds and agents to the king for the king and queene of bohemia , theire issue , the king of denmarke , and the rochellers ; the easier to cousen them all , and get the fault laid on the parliament , that stroue most to remove such deceitfull practisers , as by working these things , seemed to hope a rebellion would follow ; and then romish champions might be called from france or spaine to take a side , and get all , as wisdom saith , a seditious person seeketh only rebellion , therefore a cruell messenger shall be sent against him . kings can not binde them from such practises by shewing them favour : for papists wil forfeit all other bands to strengthen those of theire religion . secondly because in germanie france and spaine , the popish clergie , high and low , have ever had free libertie to speake and write unto princes , and others for the defence and propagation of theire owne religion , and rooting out of theire adversaries , and to reprove all such as failed therein , and get them punished , while in the meane time , the duke and other theire secret freinds in england , so laboured , and by the helpe of the bishops obtained , that protestant preachers writers should not doe the like for theire religion , no not though it were by gods undeniable word ; and that if any did , it should be never the better , yet till there be the like care & zeale both in the counsell of state and in the clergie , things can never go well with our religion and state , nor they be enabled to stand against the zeale and practises of a contrarie religion and kingdom . ministers are christs embessadors and agents : and therefore ought to have free libertie to speake in the word of the lord to kings & statesmen ( so it be in good and reverent sort ) for things pertaining to the furtherance of christs kingdom , and against such practises as hinder the same . they ought rather to have had this privileidge then gondomar , the dukes mother , & such others as on the contrarie laboured for the kingdom of antichrist , and till they have it , princes can not say rightly that christ hath his embassadors or kingdom received in theire courts . which som undertake to prove , can not be till the hierarchie and dominion of the lord bishops ( never by christ ordained but forbidden ) be overthrowē , as dangerous to protestant princes and states ; because the greate places thereof , are only baites to make som divines temporisers , instruments and freinds of such trecherous arminians , church-popelings and delinquents , as can prefer them ; and others to spend theire zeale in maintaining the hierarchie and the fruitles dominiō , traditions and ceremonies thereof . out of all which , he that wil , may see , that the losses , dishonours and troubles that have befallen this land , and indeede our religion and brethren also in the palatinate , germanie , france and other parts , have cheifely sprunge from these two fountains . . a corrupt councell and clergie in england , that were more for the duke and his confederates that helped them to honours , offices and preferments , thē for the religion and state divided , and kept low , by his and theire practises ; which the pope , the howse of austria , and the french king , perceiving , tooke that for a time of persecuting , conquering and depelling all protestants . . a vaine policie of suppressing such preachers , writers and parliament men , as sought to discover the mischeife of trecherie , and obtaine effectuall reformation . in the later ( if not in both ) the power and flatterie of the bishops were principall helpes , theire seeming holy habit , reverence , and authority , countenanced the projects of the duke and his cōfederates , while for preferment , they stuck fast to him and them in court and parliament : and theire power and hierarchie served to terrifie , suppresse and stop the mouthes of such ministers & writers , who otherwise might by theire sermons and bookes have discovered the homebred enemies , and obtained releife for the freinds of our religion , which is the service christ gets by lord bishops and theire hierarchie ; who hereby shewed , that they will sooner let religion , prince , state and all go downe , then theire owne usurped dignities and hopes of further preferment , for these and other courtiers and dukanists , that have stil pretended the kings power and prerogative , have not strengthened , but rather weakened and debased the same . . by those fruitles expeditions that they caused abroade ; which were so forecasted that the sailers and souldiers , neither comming to good service nor theire pay , should refuse to serve the king any more , or to be governed by his officers , but be readier to spoile theire countrey when they returned . . by those dangerous divisions that they have procured and nourished at home . and while they got his majestie to suffer divers ambitious divines for advancement , to broach anew , the doctrines of pelagius , and to erect popish superstition , to the treading under foote as wel of the divine law , as of the parliamēt , have they by al these things gotten the king and his lawes to be more reverenced , or lesse ? surely lesse witnes the generall murmurs of his subjects throughout the whole land , and divers bold outrages of sailors and unpaide souldiers . would it not greive any true subject to see how the kings authority was of late despised in that outrage in fleetestreete , backed by the templers ? wherin som observed a just judgment of god , that as the king suffered divines , who are , or should be , gods lawiers and souldiers , to tread gods authority & law under foote , by slighting som proofs of scripture , and sophisticating others ; so god suffered souldiers , templers and other innes of court men to spurn against his lawes and authority . god , that oft payes by retaliatiō , suffers people to deale so with princes , as they deale with him , and theire servants to bee alike faithfull to them in theire service , as they are to him in his . if people see theire princes cast away the word of the lord in divers things , they wickedly grow as careles of gods word , which enjoines subjection to princes , and which otherwise stilleth the madnes of the people , and keepes them in aw , god causeth the prince that feares him , and sincerely furthers his word preached , to be by his people reverenced , loved , feared and enriched with presents and gifts , as jehoshaphat was : he therefore that doth it not , but rather the contrary , he must needes finde the contrary ; him he suffers to be molested with enemies , and the rebellions of his owne vassals , as were salomon , rehoboam , jeroboam , ioram and others , wherein that is fulfilled , which the lord saith , those that honour me , i will honour , and those that despise me shall be lightly esteemed : looke then on the dishonours and losses of the state abroade , the troubles , divisions and outrages at home , and confesse them to be the fruits of theire councels , who stand for connivance at poperie , favouring of arminians , and protection & honouring of delinquents temporall & spirituall . but though i should reckon up all the fruits of theire counsailes , some men would yet commend them for wise counsellors , as our arminians , and ambitious temporisers and popelings doe , who have all thriven by them , for as wisdom saith , they that forsake the law praise the wicked : but they that keepe the law set themselves against them . wicked men understand not judgment , but they that seeke the lord understand all things . it is fit indeede that kings should have theire counsell : for where no counsell is , the people fall : but where many counsellors are , there is health , that is , if they be honest men , and true as the old men that counsailed rehoboā faithfully ; divers greate matters of state may be better carried by such privy counsellors , then by a parliament , which is more publick & open : but if they be achitophels , and as the yong men that gave wicked counsell , temporisers or false to the religion and state , they seeme to serve ; then the more they are , and the more wit they have , by so much the worse they beeing such as wisdom describeth . when the wickid are increased , transgression is increased , but the righteous shall see theire fall . such as neither , feare the lord nor the king , but meddle with them that are given to change religion and government ; for such while they rule theire king are all princes to his hurt : and so wisdom saith , for the transgression of the land many are the princes thereof . they are the sinnes of the land , which raigne in the light of the gospell , as drunkennes , adulterie , prophanenes , oppression and the like , that provoke god to suffer them to be intruded , & to prevaile against the zeale and care of so many parliaments . not all the base trecherie of delinquents , nor the wisdom of so many hundred men , oft set in parliament , to discover them , suffice to make the king , see theire practises , and the danger of defending them , much lesse the necessity of expelling them , when the sinnes of the nation hold them up . if our sins had not supported them , to plague us , god , that maketh men to be of one minde in a howse , would have made our kings , as our parliaments , to heare see and abhor them ; and not have suffered them to be so deafe and blinde on that side , to the breeding of such longe and dangerous divisions betweene the head and members of the parliament : but for sinne , he taketh away the speech from the faithfull counsellors , and judgment from the ancient . hence it was that god suffered the duke to get so many to be created and made earles , vicounts , barons and bishops , & them to be brought into the parliament to uphold his faction , and carrie out his partie in the upper howse by multitude of voices , after the popes example in the counsell of trent . a strange way and merit to atcheive honour , if i miscall it not , beeing so attained by them that justifie the wicked for a reward , what true honour have such men ? it is ● greate honour indeede to a mā to be made a peere of the realme , and by virtue thereof , to sit as a iudge in parliament , to heare causes , and to stablish and ordaine lawes ; matters so greatly concerning a nation : but that is , if it be for the right furtherance of gods kingdom , true religion and justice , and the manifest good of the common wealth ; herein they are gods , in a laudable sense and worthy reverence : but if by them these things shall goe backward , and the contrary be brought forward ; if a man shall attaine and hold honours for favouring poperie arminianisme , or neutralitie , or for conniving at such practises as those of the duke , or for justifying delinquents , and getting parliaments for theire sakes dissolved , or for overthrowing theire lawes and priviledges , is there true honour in such a one ? it is indeede as if one attained or held honours by murders , treasons , adulteries , thefts , lies and the like ; or by slobering them over , as som write of the smothered murder of marques hambleton and others , and as if a man should get the honour to be a iudge by overthrowing the lawes . and they that get or hould honours and offices by getting parliaments thus dissolved , and providing that there may be no more , or at least not free to touch all ill practises and persons ; it is , as if one should get the honour of a iudge for overthrowing the court of justice , or for providing that no causes might be heard , or at least that divers might not come to true judgment , but either be smothered and throwen out , or carried by corrupted voices . what poore ploughman haveing the knowledge and feare of god , is not much happier then such greate ones with theire thus bought offices and honours ? and yet who sees not , that those who for such services to the duke and his faction , have beene made earles , vicounts and barons are exceding many , and three fould more then the ancient nobilitie ? at least then those of them that have constantly distasted such vile practises , and all communion with them ? the like might be saide of bishops , deanes and heads of colledges . and therefore i am perswaded , that who so lives but a few yeares shall see a greater rot of nobilitie and prince-like clergie , then ever was seene in this land , which i write not as prophesying ( for god forbid that i should be so arrogant , as to make my selfe a prophet or the sonne of a prophet ) but as gathering it from the never failing word and truth of god in such places of that of isaiah , woe unto them that speake good of evill , and evil of good , which justifie the wicked for a reward , and take away the righteousnes of the righteous man from him . therefore as the flame devoureth the stuble , and as the chaffe is consumed of the flame , so theire roote shall be as rottennesse , and theire bud shall rise up like the dust , &c. a good christian should rather refuse & lay downe offices and honours , then take or hold them on such conditions . and yet god knowes verie few have of late yeares attained or hold any greate offices or honours , but on such termes , or at least by reason of some participation with them . witnes those furthest from court , and least infected , the leiftenants , deputie-leiftenants , iudges , iustices , majors , aldermen and other officers , made to further or exact , and wringe from the people , benevolences and loanes , and to straine for them or imprison such as stood out , or make them serve as souldiers , or lodge and maintain such unruly and unpaide souldiers , as were billited , in theire townes and villages , for no other service then to punish them : things set a foote to hinder the calling of parliaments , breede divisions , if not rebellions , make the land weary of warres for defence of religion ; and so to save the trecherie of the duke and his confederates from comming to triall : who in the meane while have ever found the commons new greivances to put the old accusations and proofes out of theire mindes . many greate complaints have beene made against such men : god graunt the king , may give them an effectuall hearing in a free parliament , least otherwise men fearing to be imprisoned & crushed , as others have beene , should not speake what they know ; and so trecherie should still prevaile , and hinder the king of the happines following the due execution of justice : for the throne is established by iustice . a kinge that iudgeth the poore in righteousnes his throne shall be established for euer . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e prov. . . . king. . . chro. . . chro. ● . ●●u . . ●●●l . . psa . . psa . . reu. . . prov. . . esa . . . and chap. . ● . chro. pro . . a the papists . see the replie to fishers praefac . mat. . ● pro. . . . pro. . eccles . . . chap. . . pro. . . pro. . . pro. . . vers . . pro. . . king. by depriving them of their priviledges to reform abuses in church and common-wealth . mar. . . pro. . . and ier. . pro. . pro. . . chap. . . . isa . . . pro. . pro. . pro. . . isa . . . pro. . . pro. . . pro. . pro. . ● gen. . . mat. . . . ier , . ● . eccles . . . pro. . . chap. . . chap. . ● , . . pro. . . chap. . . pro. . . pro. . ●eidge of breda pa. pro. . . . cor. . . mat. . . pet. . mat . , tim. . . chro. . . king. . . chap. . . king. . . sam. . . pro. . . pro . . & chap. . . pro. . . pro. . pro. . . psa . . . ioh. . . psa . . . isa . . . . . psa . . . ●ro . . the civil wars of spain in the beginning of the reign of charls [sic] the t, emperor of germanie and king of that nation written originally in the spanish-tongue by prudencio de sandoval ... ; never yet translated, now put into english by captain j.w. historia de la vida y hechos del emperador carlos v. english. selections sandoval, prudencio de, ca. - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing s estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the civil wars of spain in the beginning of the reign of charls [sic] the t, emperor of germanie and king of that nation written originally in the spanish-tongue by prudencio de sandoval ... ; never yet translated, now put into english by captain j.w. historia de la vida y hechos del emperador carlos v. english. selections sandoval, prudencio de, ca. - . wadsworth, james, - ? howell, james, ?- . [ ], p. printed by william du gard and are to bee sold by john holden ..., london : . frontispiece: port. of charles v. numerous errors in paging. from sandoval's historia de la vida y hechos del emperador carlos v. epistle dedicatory signed: james wadsworth; preface signed: james howell. reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). 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limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng spain -- history -- charles i, - . spain -- politics and government -- - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - sara gothard sampled and proofread - sara gothard text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the civil wars of spain , in the beginning of the reign of charls the t , emperor of germanie , and king of that nation . written originally in the spanish-tongue , by prudencio de sandoval , doctor of divinitie , and abbat of the monasterie of st isidro el real , in valladolid , of the order of st bennet , his●●●iograph●r 〈◊〉 ●hili● the third ; never yet translated , now put into english by captain j. w. deus : providebit ivstvs vivet fide r·y london , printed by william du gard ▪ and are to bee sold by iohn holden in the new exchange , . progenies divvm qvintvs sic carolvs ille imperii caesar lvmina et ora tvlit . aetat svae xxxi . ann. m.d. xxxi . impenum oceano : famam qui lerminat astris . ●ombart sculpt●●●●●● to the honorable , colonel herbert morley esquire ; one of the members of the high and honorable court of parlament , and of the council of state ; chief lievtenant of the countie of sussex . to thomas chaloner esquire ; a member of the high court of parlament , ●nd of the council of state , &c. and to iames chaloner esquire ; a member likewise of the said court of parlament , the supreme autoritie of the three nations . noble gentlemen ! i have long repined that my gratitude should bee limited within the narrow walls of my brest , when your favors that gave it beeing , have daily shewn themselvs in such fresh and frequent testimonies ; but it hath now got a little more elbow-room , and gladly take's occasion to tell the world as well as you , of my happiness in such a triumvirate of patrons ; yet in this i may rather seem to have studied a secure convenience , then an ingenuous acknowledgment , since this historie cannot shroud it self within a safer shelter , then what your acceptation and clear judgment is able to allow it ; but you want no candor , and therefore i no confidence that you will gently conserv the intentions and endeavors of your humble servant james vvadsvvorth . vpon this choice and remarkable piece of historie . among those various delights and advantages which accrew to a reader of historie , one is , that no modern accident can seem strange unto him , much less astonish him : hee scarce can wonder at any thing , in regard hee may remember to have read of the same , or much like the same , that happened in former times ; therefore hee doth not stand staring like a childe at every sudden spectacle , like that simple american , who , the first time hee saw a spaniard on horsback , thought the man and the beast to bee but one creature , and that the hors did chew the rings of his bit. now indeed , not to bee an historian , that is , not to know what forrein nations , and our fore-fathers did , hoc est semper esse puerum , as cicero saith , this is still to bee a childe , who gazeth at any thing ; whence may bee inferred , there is no knowledg that ripen's the judgment , and put 's one out of his nonage sooner then historie . if i had not formerly read the baron's wars in england , i had more admired that of the liguers in france . hee who read the near upon fourscore years wars in low germanie , never wondred at those thirtie two years late wars in high germanie . i had more wondred that richard of bourdeaux was knockd down with a halbard , had not i read formerly that edward of carnarvan died of a hot iron that was thrust up his fundament ; it was strange that murat the great ottoman emperor should bee lately strangled in his own court ; yet considering that osman his predecessor had been knock'd down by an ordinarie slave not many years before , it was not strange at all . the blazing star in virgo , years since , did not seem strange to him who had read of that which appeared in cassiopéa , and other constellations som years before , and how portentous they proved to poor mortals . hence may bee inferred , that among all other kindes of contemplations , historie may bee called the great looking glass , through which wee may see with ancestrall optiques , not onely the various actions of men , and odd accidents of time , but also discern the constitutions , the humors , and genius of nations . this faithful piece of storie will displaie the very intrinsecals of the castillian , ( who entitle's himself to bee the prime spaniard ) and make that opinion a meer paradox , whereby hee is cried up to bee so constant to his principles , so loial to his prince , and so conformable to government : for it will discover as much levitie and tumultuarie passions in him as in other people ; which may bee the reason why these annals were suppressed , and called in , in spain , yet procur'd by a gentleman of qualitie and of exquisite knowledg , and now made english , with much exactness and fidelitie ; therefore most worthie of the perusal , beeing a pure maiden-storie , never blown upon hitherto ; for to my knowledg shee never travell'd over the pyrenean hills , or cross'd the seas in any language till now . iames howell . to the reader . courteous reader ! if likeness breeds liking , and if in histories , as in humane bodies , may bee admitted any sympathetical operations , i cannot but promiss my self , that this narration will not bee unwelcom to your curious eies , in regard it doth punctually relate the no less strange , then ●rue transactions , betwixt charles the fift in his minoritie and his subjects in spain , which had so much similitude to divers late passages in this our nation , that had not those in castilla had the privilege of many years before us , wee might have been said to have been their pattern , although the successes are different . the autor was a man of no mean eminencie , neither for knowledge or extraction , and who ( though somwhat violent in his tearms against the commonaltie by reason of his dependance on the court of spain ) wrote so plainly , and with such impartialitie , that all his books were suppressed by especial command from the king , whose historiographer hee was , which rendereth the truth of the historie less questionable : herein , as in our troubles , you shall finde the clergie-men on both sides no less busie in distracting peoples mindes , then in fomenting and aggravating their unhappie dissentions : herein you shall see besides the policies , and subtile correspondencies betwixt the several cities of that countrie , the statutes and decrees enacted by the commissioners or substitutes of the commonalties assembled in parlament , after their king's departure into germanie , whither they were sent to bee ratified by him , his answer , and their proceedings afterwards . the names of places , as well as men , are left in spanish , becaus they cannot bee so well rendered in any other language , as in their own , and som terms likewise , whereof though our tongue admitteth not of a simple , and direct version , you shall finde them paraphrastically expounded in the margents , therefore i hope you will not impute this as a fault to the translator , and in case your more penetrating judgment should discover any other defects , my humble supplication is , that you will not bee a captious , but a cautious reader , and careful of the reputation of him , whose chief aim , in this labor , was to procure you both profit and pleasure , as beeing your affectionate servant j. w. the civil wars of spain . the first book . sect . i. in the year of our lord , which was ( according to the hebrew account ) five thousand four hundred sixtie and one years after the creation of the world : from the universal deluge , three thousand eight hundred and five : from the coming of tubal to inhabit , and people the ( then desolate ) countrie of spain , three thousand six hundred sixtie and three : from the conquest of cesar , one thousand five hundred thirtie and eight : from the entrie of the goths into spain , one thousand eightie and six : and lastly , from the dominion of the moors in that countrie , seven hundred eightie and six years , alexander the sixth then beeing pope of rome . the christian king don fernando and donnia isabel having reigned twentie seven years , converted the mezquitas , or moorish temples , into ch●istian churches , and purged the whole kingdom of paganism and jewish cerimonies , beeing also the year of iubilee at rome : for their comfort , and to drie up the tears which sorrowful spain ceased not to shed , for the decea● of t●eir prince , don iuan , or io●n , ( onely son to the cathol●●k king , and donnia isabel , his queen ) and ●he infanta donnia isabel , their eldest daughter , ( who was married to don iuan , or iohn the second , king of portugal ) in the citie of gant , upon the apostle ● t matthias his daie , beeing mundaie feb●uarie , was born charls the fift , emperor and king of spain , begotten by don philip , or philip , surnamed el hermoso , or the fair , arch-duke of austria ( on to the emperor maximilian the first , and donnia ma●ia , sole daughter and heir to charls duke of burgundie , who had for her por●ion , besides the said dutchie of burgundie , the dukedom of brabant , flanders , limbourg , haynaut ▪ h●lland , artois , zealand , and cueldres , with other places thereunto belonging ) and donnia iuana , second daughter to the fore-na●ed don fernando and isabel. the prince don miguel de la paz , son to don iuan of portugal , and don fernandos eldest daughter , isabel ( who by the right of his mother was to inherite the crown of castilla ) was yet living , when charls the fift came first into the world ; the news of whose birth , with the particulars of the place and time , beeing carried into spain , his grandmother donnia isabel ( i know not by what prophetick spirit ) presently said , cecidit sors super matt●iam , meaning , that the succession of those kingdoms should fall upon charls ( who was born upon that saint's daie ) as it did , and hee became the most potent prince of the christian world. for don miguel de la paz , dying in julie following , in the same year the inheritance of the crowns of spain descended to donnia iuana , mother to the fortunate prince don charls , or charls , then bearing the title of duke of luxembourg . sect . ii. in the year , the catholick queen , don●ia isabel , of castilia beeing fallen into a langu●shing diseas , and past hopes of ●ecoverie , shee desired to see don philip , and donnia iuana ( ●er daughter ) before her deceas . whereupon they took their waie through france , where they were received , and feasted in a princely manner , by king lewis the twelfth , who treated with them concerning the marriage of his daughter claudia , to their son charls . one of the articles was , that in case the said marriage should not bee consummated t●rough anie default of the said king of france , the emperor should invest and settle the dukedom of milan upon their son don carl●s duke of luxembourg : and it so happened afterwards , that the said match was broken off by t●e ●aid king lewis , which is a great plea for the crown of spain against the kings of france , in the pretention of milan . beeing arrived at toledo , where the catholick king and queen exspected them on sundaie , maie ( in the cathedral church ▪ they were s●orn princes of castilia and leon : ) don fernando ▪ and donnia isabel assisting at the ceremonie , with the cardinal don diego hurta●o de mendosa , don fray francisco de xmenez archb●shop of toledo ; don bernardino de valas●o lord h●gh constable of castilia and leon , the duke del infantad● , duke of alva , duke of bejar , duke of alburquerque , and a mul●itude of other noblemen : after which solemnitie the king went to saragosa , and the queen with her daughter , and don philip went to torisos , fuens●lida , cas● rubios , and the●ce to madrid ; from whence , after ●om time , donnia iuana went to alcala de hena●es , where shee was brought to bed of the infante don ferdinando , or ferdinand hee was baptized with exceeding great solemnitie , by the arch bishop of tol●do ; the duke of naxara and the earl of villena were his godfathers , and madame de luin his godmother . which ceremonie beeing past , and donnia iuana throughly recovered , shee and her husband ( whose presence was most earnestly desired in flanders ) repaired both thither , by the waie of france ; and beeing at the citie of lyons , hee concluded the peace betwixt his father maximilian the emperor , don fernando king of spain , and lewis the french king , who again moved him about marrying the duke of luxembourg with his daughter clavia , who was to inherit the dukedom of britanie , yet hee was the first occasion of breaking that agreement . sect . iii. in the year , a parlament beeing call'd at the citie of toro , in presence of the king don fernando , with all the grandees of the kingdom , and the commissioners or burgesses ( donnia isabel the queen beeing deceased at medina del campo ) the princess donnia iuana , then beeing in flanders , was decla●ed queen of castilia and leon , and her son don carles heir and successor after her to those kingdoms , which pacified divers turbulent ●pirits , and stopt the current of manie troubles and mischiefs , that was like to overflow that countrie . this news was brought to donnia iuana , then newly brought to bed of the infanta donnia maria , who was afterward married to the unfortunate king of bohemia , lewis son to uladislaus ; after whose death shee was governess of flanders for manie years , and proved nothing inferior to her brother in courage , and other princely endowments , onely shee was a woman : don philip remaining still in flanders with his queen , there grew such differences betwixt him and don fernando , that finding an advantage in their absence , don fernando sent don rodrigo manrique his embassador to the king of portugal , desiring him to give in marriage la excelente , otherwise called la v●ltraneja , thinking by virtue of her right , and his powerful assistance , to oppose don philip , and make himself king of castillia ( which argued no less weakness then ambition in the catholick king. ) but the king of portugal was so discreet , as not to satisfie his desires , a●d although hee had given his consent la veltraneja would never have condescended thereunto , for besides that shee was well stricken in years , shee was altogether given to her devotion , and valued not the vanitie of anie earthly crowns . having received this repuls , hee agreed with lewis king of france , that hee should make the match betwixt him and madam germana , daughter to gaston de foix , and to the said french king's sister , which was concluded upon this condition ; that king lewis , in stead of her dowrie , should grant and pass over to don fernando the right which hee pretended to the kingdom of naples , and that if the queen should die before him without issue , hee should succeed and inherit the same title ; but if shee should survive don fernando , that lewis should repossess the said claim : these articles beeing confirmed , they made a peace betwixt france and spain , for a hundred and one years , ( but it scarce continued so manie weeks ) and don iuan de silva earl of cifuentes , with the vice-chancellor of aragon went into france , to attend and conduct her majestie into castillia . sect ▪ iv. the castillians in mean time , beeing very desirous to have their natural sovereign amongst them , importuned by frequent messages and invitations , donnia iuana and her husband to return , and bring their children with them into spain . whereupon don philip having provided a fleet for the purpose , they departed flanders , leaving the prince don carles under the care and tuition of the emperor maximiliano and donnia margarita , widdow to the duke of savoye ; and at last ( though tossed with much storm and tempests by the waie ) they landed safe at the groyne in galicia . don fernando hearing of their arrival went to meet them , betwixt la puebla de sanabria and asturianos . this interview occasioned no small discontent betwixt these princes ; for kings will admit of no competitors , or companions ( no not of their own ch●ldren ) in matters of government and command . whereupon don fernando ( forsaken by all , but onely the duke of alva and the earl of altamira with som few others ) took his waie to villafafila , and tordesillas , and king philip with his queen to venauente , attended by all the nobles and flower of castillia , besides strangers , to the number of above two thousand hors . one caus of their discord was about the title and inscription of commissions , patents and other dispatches roial , which at last was determined , and agreed , that all things should pass in the names of don fernando , don philip , and donnia iuana : but this style was soon altered by the unexspected d●ath of don philip , which hapned at burges : hee had but seven daies of sickness ( which was thought to bee a surfeit ) and past from this life to the eternal on fridaie the fifth of september , anno●● ● ●● ● , beeing aged but twentie eight years , and having enjoied the kingdom of castillia a year and ten moneths , lacking one daie ; hee commanded that his heart should bee carried to bruxels , his bodie to granada , and his bowels to remain there . his death was much lamented by the emperor his father ; for , besides that hee was his onely son , hee was one of the handsomest men of his time , therefore hee was called philip the fair ; and the nobleness of his minde was answerable to the feature of his bodie . donnia iuana his queen was so sensible of his loss , that with the extremitie of sorrow , and her incessant weeping , shee became in a manner distracted . an old woman in galicia seeing him at his landing , and beeing told who hee was , said , that hee should bee a longer time , and travel more leagues in castillia , beeing dead then living ; which proved so ; for the queen carried his bodie with her , from place to place , and would not suffer it to bee buried for manie years after . hee left two sons , don carles , and don fernando , both emperors ; and three daughters , all mightie queens : donnia leonor first reigned in portugal , and afterwards was married to the king of france : donnia catalina was wife to don iohn the third , king of portugal , aunt , and mother-in-law to philip the second of spain : and donnia maria had for her husband lewis king of bohemia and hungaria . sect . v. in mean time don fernando , beeing married to the queen germana , and distasted in castillia , retired himself into aragon ; from thence beeing upon his ●ournie to naples , the castilli●ns gave him notice of don philip's death , and of the neces●itie that there was of his roial presence ; but hee refused to return , beeing incensed against som of them for their ingratitude to him . by the death of don philip , and the absence of king fernando , divers tumults and seditions arose in the kingdom , the people refusing to obeie the magistrates and officers of justice ; and the nobles wanted not factions and partialities amongst them to trouble and disquiet the countrie , and almost everie citie throughout the kingdom was infected with the same contagion : som crying up charls , or don carles ; others fernando ; no small number stood for maximiliano , but verie few made anie mention of donnia iuana , who , whether out of a sens of her own disabilitie , or overcom with melancholie for her husbands deceas , had retired her self at tordesillas , refusing to govern or trouble her head with state-affairs . whereupon , with the consent of most part of the peers and nobles of the realm , the cardinal ximenez don bernardino de velasso lord high constable , and don pedro manrique duke of naxara took upon them the administration of government for the present ; they made don alonso suarez bishop of iaen , president of their council , assisted by doctor tello , el licenciado polanco , and other learned lawyers . they called a parlament , wherein they ordered to send to don fernando , desiring him in the name of the queen and the whole kingdom to return , and undertake the government for his daughter and grandchilde . which hee , beeing more readie to accept then they to offer , did not refuse , but returned answer , that having setled the business which had called him to naples , hee would satisfie their desires : and after som time , leaving don iuan de aragon earl of ribagorsa , his vice-roy , hee embarqued himself for spain with his queen germana , don gonsalo fernandez de cordova , commonly called the gran capitan , and a great train of spanish gentlemen that attended him in his voiage . beeing arrived at valentia , the queen donnia iuana went to meet him , whom hee received with signs of much affection and fatherlie tenderness , which shee answered with all the honor and due obedience that could bee exspected from an observant daughter ; for although the excess of sorrow had weakned her intellectual faculties , yet shee never lost her respect to her father , but paied him with all humilitie and filial dutie ; neither was shee ever heard to utter anie mis becoming words , which is common to people tainted with her infirmitie . the eighth of october the king and queens came to arcos , where donnia iuana desiring to staie , don fernando went with his court to burges , leaving her a good number of noblemen and ladies , besides guards , suitable to the dignitie of her person . som years after , don fernando left the troubles of this transitorie life to enjoie the quietness and bliss of the eternal , in the sixtie fourth year of his age , having reigned and governed as king , fourtie two years compleat . som saie it was the dropsie that brought him to his end ; others report , that his young queen , to quicken his spirit , and thaw the ice that contracted the blood in his aged veins , gave him a certein provocative potion ; which , instead of raising a part , cast the whole bodie into the grave . after his death , arose manie differences amongst the grandees concerning the government . adriano ( dean of lovain , and tutor to don carles ) produced a commission , which the young prince had given him to succeed don fernando in the government , until his coming into spain ; this was opposed by cardinal ximenez , who alleged , that by virtue of his catholick majestie 's last will and testament , hee was to bee governor of the kingdom , until the prince should com himself , or give som special order to the contrarie ▪ that adriano's commission was dated long before don ferdinando's deceas , therefore not valeable ; besides , that hee was a foreigner , which was sufficient reason to bar his pretensions . but at last they agreed to govern both together , until they received further order from don carles . this joint-government continued a great while , during which time , several grandees of the kingdom were much discontented , and murmured , that a frier , and a stranger ( in a manner of the same stamp ) should bee raised to such a height above them , as to rule and command the whole kingdom , and them : they alleged that don fernando had no power to substitute , or appoint anie one to administer the government of that kingdom , in regard that since the catholick queen 's death , hee was not king , but onely governor thereof himself : and that considering donnia iuana would not undergo the trouble of the crown , according to the laws of that ●and , they agreed that the duke del infantado ▪ the lord high-counstable , and the earl of venavente should examine the cardinal , by what autoritie and power hee took upon him to bee governor of those kingdoms : whereunto hee boldly made them answer , by the power of his catholick majestie : and they replying , that the catholick king had no autoritie ●o to do , hee led them to a brest-work , which hee had made about the hous where hee then lodged , and shewed them a great rank of artillerie , commanding his servants to discharge them all ; which don , hee told them , this is the power by which i do , and will govern spain , until the prince our lord com to take charge of it himself : they were not very well satisfied with this answer , neither did that manner of discours bode anie good to the kingdom . notwithstanding the oppositions and murmurations of the grandees and others in castillia , the cardinal continued at the helm in despight of all , until his majestie 's coming into spain , which was anno . at which time , the cardinal finding himself indisposed , was retired into a monasterie of his own order at aquilera ; whither his majestie ( beeing received at valladolid ) sent him a letter , thanking him for his former services , and requiring him to repair with those of the council to mojados , where hee might consult with him concerning the present settling of his affairs ; after which hee should bee eased of the weightie burthen of that troublesom emploiment , and have libertie to solace and retire himself . this letter was said to bee penned by the bishop mota , who ( envious of the cardinal's power , and studying nothing more then which waie to eclips his greatness ) perswaded his majestie to write to him in those terms ; which his eminence having perused , it struck him into a high distemper ; and the violent passion of his minde , joined with the infirmitie of his bodie , increased his fever , in such manner , that hee rendred his soul into the creator's hands within eight daies after , and was buried at alcala de henares , in the college of st illefonso , whereof hee was founder . after whose death , the arch-bishoprick of toledo was given to guillermo de croüy , bishop of cambray , and nephew to monsieur de xeures , his majesties chief favorite , which bred no small discontent amongst the castillians , seeing the principal jewel of their kingdom bestowed upon a foreigner . yet the general report was , that the marquis of villena , with other grandees of castillia , desired and earnestly importuned his majestie so to do ; and that of himself hee had no such intention , neither did monsieur de xeures ever mention it : and , it is not to bee thought , that those noblemen tooke pleasure in seeing anie stranger advanced above them in their own countrie ; but they were induced hereunto , out of hopes to ingratiate themselvs thereby to the flemings , and chiefly to xeures , who had the king's ear above anie at that time . such is the force and power of over-swaying ambition , which so bastardiseth , and adulterate's the hearts even of noble-men , that they will descend , or stoop to anie thing , to currie favor with a prince's minion . don carles at that time , could not reckon above seventeen years and a half at most , from his nativitie , which was a verie tender age , to undergo so weightie a charge , as was that of ruling so manie , and so considerable countries ; especially , those of spain , where , according to their laws and customs , it never had been seen , that a youth so young , and one that had been born and bred in foreign parts should sit in their king's throne . hee understood no spanish , neither was hee acquainted with the inclinations , and dispositions of the people : therefore ( although hee was verie ingenuous , and of as excellent and sweet a nature , as could bee desired in a truly christian prince ) hee could do no less then suffer himself to bee advised , and guided by som of more mature years and experience . and having been bred and tutored from his infancie , by guillermo de croüy lord of xeures ( who was duke of sora , in the kingdom of naples , and afterwards duke of arschot in brabant , a man of ripe age , solid judgment , and eminent parts answerable to his birth , beeing descended of the illustrious stock of the kings of hungarie , and recommended to bee his governor , by his grandfather maximilian the emperor ) hee committed himself with the management of all state-affairs , wholly to his wisdom ; and xeures in matters concerning spain , ( beeing a stranger to that countrie ) was led by maestro mota , a native of burgos , bishop of badajos , and som other castillians , who were more ambitious then virtuous . sect . vi. after the reception of the prince don carles in valladolid , ( which was most splendid and magnificent ) all the procuradores del reyno , or the commissioners of the kingdom , were summoned to assemble in parlament ; wherein the castillians were highly distasted , becaus the lord chancellor ( a fleming ) assisted as president for his highness , and that other strangers were admitted to sit in parlament ; som of the commissioners took the oath of allegeance to his highness , as king ; others refused to acknowledg him to bee their king , as long as his mother donnia iuana was living , ( who was right heir to the crown ) and that hee first should swear to maintein and observ the fundamental laws and customs of the kingdom ; especially , that no offices , or places of benefit or trust , either ecclesiastical or temporal , should bee conferred upon anie , that were not natives of that countrie ; but at last , all beeing agreed , both the grandees and commissioners of the kingdom took the oath ; the cerimonie was in this manner : on sundaie the th of februarie , , the prince accompanied by all the embassadors , and nobles of his dominions , having heard mass in st paul's church at valladolid , was seated in a chair before the altar , and adriano , cardinal of tortosa , holding the evangelists in his hands , don garzia de padilla read with a loud voice the contents of the oath ; which don , the infante don fernando swore first upon the book , then went to kiss the king's hand ; but the king refusing to give his hand , embraced him , and laid his cheek to his brother's ; after that the infante took his sister donnia leoner by the hand , and led her to swear , and afterwards to kiss his majestie 's hand , but the king arose , and kissed her cheek , then they passed on the king's right hand , and don fernando stood close to his chair bare headed . immediately came the infante of granada , with the arch-bishop of santiago , the bishop of granado and other prelates to take the oath ; after them followed the grandees , and nobles there present , to whom the infante don fernando held the book : don garzia read the oath to the nobles , and likewise to the commissioners of the several cities ; who having sworn , went all to kiss his majestie 's hand . after all which , the king swore upon the same holy evangelists , to keep and fulfil all , and everie thing , and article , which hee had promissed , and agreed of with the commissioners . moreover was added , if at anie time it should pleas god to restore the queen donnia iuana , his mother , to her perfect health and abilitie , to rule her kingdom , that hee should desist from the government , and that onely shee should reign ; that in all writings , letters , commissions or publick acts whatsoëver , during the said donnia iuana's life , her name should bee set in the first place , and then his : and that hee should bee styled onely prince of spain . this don , te deum laudamus was sung with great solemnitie , and varietie of musical instruments . the commissioners of the kingdom , beeing all assembled in valladolid , made a very discreet speech to the king , in answer to that which the bishop of badajos , and don garzia de padilla had propounded in his majestie 's name , intimating , that amongst themselvs , they should seriously consider , and weigh those things which were important to the good preservation and increasing of those kingdoms . the commissioners desired with very valid and good reasons , that his majestie would put in execution the holie and catholick propositions , which hee had expressed in favor of his kingdom , and the subjects thereof . and that they might enjoie the fruit of his so virtuous and holie desires , they came to put him in minde , how , by a decree and express order from heaven hee was chosen , and called to bee king , whose office was to govern well , and to govern well was to administer iustice , giving to everie one that which is his ; and they desired that his chief ends and intention might tend thereunto ; for although kings do possess divers other qualities and things recommendable , as their linage , dignities , power , honor , riches , delights , estimation , &c. none of all these make a king according to right , but onely the administring of iustice ; and for this onely , and in the name thereof the holie ghost hath said , that kings do reign ; that iustice and the ruling therewith , do require , that when the subjects sleep , their kings should watch . and that it was his part so to do , for in effect hee was as an hireling to his subjects : for that caus did they give him part of their fruits and estates , and serv him with their persons , if ( need requiring ) it bee his pleasure to call them : that by a certain tacit contract the king is obliged to do iustice to his people ; which is a thing of such excellencie and dignitie , that god hath made it one of his own attributes , calling himself the iust iudg ; that god , beeing so great a friend , and lover of iustice , would likewise bee a friend to him that should bee careful in preserving and administring thereof . that the charge of him that is to judg , beeing of such high importance , hee whom god hath called to manage a scepter , hath need of som assistant ; therefore it is necessarie that the king should have som inferior ministers , that may bear a part of that weightie burthen and incessant cares , which accompanie the roial dignitie , the supream power still remaining in his own hands . that a good king ought to choos and seek out such men for his ministers , as moses did , when hee received a command from god to elect seventie and two men out of his people , who might assist him in the government , and eas him of a part of the care and troubles , wherewith hee was surchar●●d : those men were to bee wise , of mature years , fearing god , enemies to covetousness and all other passions , which may blinde and pervert the understanding . that although they doubted not to finde all these perfections in his highness , yet they humbly desired him to ratifie the ensuing articles . . that the queen donnia iuana , his mother , might have a court , and attendants suitable to the dignitie of her person , as beeing the queen and ladie proprietarie of those kingdoms : whereunto hee answered that hee thanked them , and assured them that hee had nothing in greater recommendation , then what concerned that particular , as they should finde by effects . . that hee would bee pleased to marrie with what convenient speed might bee , it beeing very requisite for the good of the kingdom , that hee should leav a prosperous issue to rule manie years over them : the king replyed , that hee would consider thereupon , and do that which shall bee most conducing to his honor , the benefit of his kingdoms , and the succession thereof . . that the infante don fernando might not go out of the kingdom , until hee were married , and had children : the king made answer , that hee was not more careful of anie thing in the world , then of the advancement of his brother , the infante , and that hee would order nothing to bee don concerning his person , but what should bee for his advantage , and the good of those kingdoms . . that hee would bee pleased to speak spanish ; for by practising hee would the sooner learn , and better understand his subjects , and bee understood by them . hee answered , that hee was well contented , and would strive so to do , and the rather , becaus they desired it in the name of the kingdoms : so , afterwards hee did speak spanish with them and others . . that hee would not alienate anie thing from the roial crown , and if anie should desire iustice of him for their grievances , that hee would give order to have it don them . hee answered , that hee would do therein according to his oath , and would redress all those that came to complain . . that whatsoêver the catholick king and don philip , his father , had given away by waie of dowrie or legacie , hee would command to bee fulfilled , for the repose and discharging of their consciences : hee answered that hee would ; provided , that it might bee don without prejudice to the roial patrimonie . sixtie seven more articles they propounded , which , becaus they are more at large specified hereafter , i shall forbear to trouble the reader with them in this place ; his majestie gave so gracious an answer to them all , ( thanking the com●issioners in a very courteous manner ) that they remained very well apayed and satisfied . the subsidie which they granted him in this first parlament ( according to fray antonio de guevara's relation ) was one hundred and fiftie millions of marauediz ; a●d pero-mexia saith , it was six hundred thousand du●kets , t● bee raised the three first years . the parlament beeing ended , there was celebrated a iust , or turnam●nt royal in the chief market place of valladolid , five and twentie against five and twentie ; som spaniards , and som flemish noblemen , who strove to out-view each other , aswell in the ric●ne●s of their habits and liv●ries , as in feats of arms ; seven of them were killed , and som hurt ; therefore it was commonly said , that for a combat in earnest the loss was not great , but , for a jest it was too much . after this solemnitie , which ●ontinued certain daies , the king having visited his mo●her , donnia iuana , and the queen germana , leaving all things in good order in castillia , departed ●ith his court for aragon , taking his sister , donnia leonor , and the queen germana with him . hee made the town of aranda in his waie , whither his brother , the infante don fernando , was returned with small contentment , becaus they made such haste to pack him out of spain . there the king remained som few daies , during which time , the infante was dispatched for fland●rs , as was before determined ; for the ki●g ( ●ot beeing yet arrived in castillia , som men of note about the in●ante's person , put thoughts into his head of succeeding his grandfather in the crown ; and it was greatly to bee fea●ed that the cas●illians w●uld have declared for him , to the prejudice of don carles , hee beeing of their countrie , and his brother a fleming : besides , his name , fernando was enough to gain him the affection and hearts of all spain , for his grandfat●ers sake , whose memorie was held in great honor and adoration amongst them ; but god disposed it otherwise for the good and quiet of those kingdoms . don fernando beeing fitted with attendants , and all necessaries for his voiage , the king continued his progress into aragon , hee was received in saragosa with very great solemnitie and joie , the of maie . the castillians expressed much discontent at the departure of the infante don fernando , and began to murmur every where , they beeing of opinion , that hee ought not to bee sent out of the kingdom , until his brother were married and had children . they were likewise distasted , and the aragoneses also , at the present government ; for they could not endure that strangers should bear so great swaie in their countrie , that all businesses must pass through the hands of xeures , and his friends , who had the name of beeing over-greedie , and covetous ; the same brand was laied upon the rest of the flemings that attended his majestie . but that was no wonder , for all prince's favorites ( bee they never so just and well deserving ) are generally envied , and abhorred by most people . they said moreover , that the king was wilful , untractable , disdainful , and gave small testimonies of affection to the spanish nation , with divers other such like discontented speeches , which are mentioned more at large hereafter . but to saie the truth , the king was no waie to bee blamed ; for hee was so young , that of necessitie hee must suffer himself to bee directed by those , who had bred him up from his infancie . time made the spaniards plainly see , when hee came to riper years , that hee loved , respected , and esteemed them above all other nations , which appeared by his placing them in offices of the greatest honor and trust , not onely in spain , but in italie , flanders , and germanie . sect . vii . the king having been som daies at saragosa , the parlament began , which continued so long , that hee was forc'd to remain there eight moneths ; there the grand chancellor dyed , not much lamented by the spaniards , who abhorred the verie memorie of him , and hee cared more for his gold then for their favor or displeasure . this monsieur de laxao left a very bad name behinde him ; in his place , by his majestie 's command , succeeded mercurino de gatinara , a man of singular wisdom and learning , a friend to iustice and equitie , and a great iurisconsult . the grandees of the kingdom of aragon beeing assembled in the arch-bishop's palace , who was unckle to the king , they desired him to let them understand his pleasure , for they were very willing and desirous to serv him , as they had don his predecessors , but conditionally , that they might enjoie the antient customs and privileges of the kingdom ; the king answered , they should ; but considering the indisposition of the queen , his mother , hee willed and required them to acknowlegd him their king , as those of castillia had don . whereunto the iurados , or iurates , in the name of the kingdom , replied , they would , though it was against the laws , his mother beeing yet living ; so that his highness would bee pleased to swear the infante don fernando prince of spain , the same daie , as they should swear him king ; not that the infante should remain prince , and heir to the crown , but onely until such time as hee should bee married and god should bless him with som hopeful issue to succeed him , whereunto , if his highness would not consent , they would swear him executor , and administrator of the queen , his mother's estate : and if hee would not condescend to this , they told him in plain terms , that they had no leav nor power to do otherwise , and although they had , they would not put it in execution ; for that would much prejudice , and damnifie their exemptions . the king was much displeased at their peremptoriness , and answered them not one syllable : the grandees of castillia beeing present , grew out of patience at the aragoneses sawciness , and the earl of venavente told the king openly , that , if his majestie would take his counsel , hee should make them com under the yoke , that hee would venter his life and fortune , to serv him in that design ; that his majestie 's onely waie was , to rais a powerful armie , and subdue that kingdom by force of arms , and so hee might impose upon them what laws hee pleased , not such as they desired and fancied . at which words , the earl of aranda answered the earl of venavente , in such harsh and bitter tearms , that all the palace , and the grandees of the court were com almost to daggers drawing : so that the king had much to do to pacifie them , commanding everie one of them to repair to their own houses , and not to stir abroad upon pain of death ; but his commands were not fully obeied that time ; for night beeing com , divers of both parties met in the streets , and manie of them were sore wounded , and questionless , the dispute had been more bloudie , if the arch-bishop had not left his supper , and com out with other noblemen to part them . the next daie , the king made the earls of venavente and aranda friends , which don , the aragoneses were brought to reason , and beeing willing to conform themselvs with the castillians , they took the same oath , and acknowleged the king to bee their king and lord , jointly with donnia iuana the queen , his mother , as had been don in castillia . sect . viii . in the beginning of the year , the parlament of aragon beeing ended , the king went to visite his dominions of barcelona , and would have don the like in the kingdom of valencia , if his occasions had permitted . beeing at barcelona , news was brought him that maximilian the ●mperor , his grandfather , died at belsis the th of januarie , whereat hee was not a little troubled ; all the court was forthwith put into mourning , and his obsequies celebrated with very great solemnitie , according to the honor and greatness of his person , who was one of the most virtuous , and wel-deserving emperors that ever had command in germanie : hee was of a most noble and generous disposition , pious and valiant . the ten first years of his age , hee could make no use at all of his tongue , insomuch that the emperor frederick , his father , thought hee would bee dumb , or a fool ; but coming to mature years , hee gave great evidences of very rich endowments of his soul. hee died of a flux , in the sixtie third year of his age , having governed the empire twentie five years , after his father 's deceas . francis , the first of france , stood in competition with don carles , for the succession to the imperial crown , and left no waie unattempted to corrupt the el●ctors , and make them of his partie . but the major part , after manie , long , and serious debates , thinking it more fit to continue that dignitie to the hous of austria ( who were natives of that countrie ) then to transfer it upon a strange prince , made the election in favor of don carles , king of spain , to the great contentment of all princes , and people of germamie . the electors of the sacred empire , at that time were , alberto archbishop of maguncia , or m●ntz , hertnao archbishop of colonia , ricardo archbishop of tr●ues , frederico duke of saxonia , lewis king of bohemia , and hungaria , ioachim marquis of brandeburg , lewis count palatine of the rhyne . the election beeing past in franckfort , and published all over germanie , the electors sent frederick duke of baviers into spain , to his majestie ; in mean time , they ordered all matters concerning the empire , and made casimire of brandeburg captain general of the imperial forces , until the new emperor should com to receiv his crown . whilst these things passed in germanie , the king celebrated in barcelona , the feast of the order of the golden fleece ; there the lord high counstable of castillia , don innigo de velasco , don iadrique de toledo duke of alva , don alvaro de zunniga duke of vejar , don fadrique enriquez lord admiral of castilla , don estavan alvarez cesorio marquis of astorga , received the order : but the earl of venavente refused it , saying , that hee was a right castillian , and cared not for anie badges of foreign honor , those of his own count●ie beeing as good , and in his opinion far better the duke of cordona in the kingdom of a●agon , and the prince of bis●●gnano , a neapolit●ne , stood not upon those nice tearms , but accepted the order as a particular favor from his majestie . about the same time , the queen germana ( finding more contentment in the companie of a husband , then in the solitarie condition of a widow , ) was married with great solemnitie , to the marquis of brandeburg , brother to the elector , who ( though of a very illustrious extraction ) was so incomparably inferior to the majestie and greatness of her former husband don fernando , that her judgment was much censured for her chois , and the courtiers thought so slightly of her , that divers would not give her the style of highness , until his majestie commanded it ( who assisted personally at the solemnitie , thinking thereby to endeer th● elector of brandenburg , the more to vote in his behalf . ) at the beginning of julie , in the same year , arrived at barcelona , frederick duke of baviers , brother to lewis duke of baviers , elector and count palatine , with the dispatches from the electors ; and having delivered his embassage , the chancellor mercurino de gatinara answered , that his majestie did receiv very willingly the ●lection of the empire , which the seven princes electors had conferred upon him , that hee would take that weightie and honorable care upon himself , out of the great affection which hee bore his native countrie , and that hee would endeavor with all convenient speed , to settle his affairs in spain , and make a voiage into germanie : thus the empire beeing setled upon don carles of spain , and the king of france deprived of all his hopes ( notwithstanding the vast summs of monie and presents , wherewith hee thought to purchase the elector's votes ) his envie and choler grew beyond the bounds of moderation , and hee resolved forthwith to act what mischief hee could , and interess the power of all other princes , his allies , against the emperor elect. sect . ix . whilest the king , or emperor elect was at barcelona , hee demanded the catalanes to receiv , and acknowledg him their king , which they refused for a while , neither would they consent , that hee should call anie parlamemt in their countrie ; but at last , they were perswaded to reason , and swore alleageance to him , as castillia and aragon had don . the emperor upon notice of his election , and solicitation of the princes of germanie for his going hither , had not the leisure to visit the kingdom of valencia , as hee intended ; therefore hee desired , that those of that kingdom would swear , and acknowledg him king , without obliging him to bee personally present , in regard it was imposslble for him to perform that journie , at that time , by reason of his new and unexspected occasions , which called him another waie . but they would not hearken to anie such motion , and scornfully made answer , that they were as good as aragoneses , or catalanes , and since , hee had spent two years time in those countries , why could not hee staie two moneths at valencia ? the emperor beeing readie , to depart from barcelona , sent cardinal adriano to valencia , to pacifie that kingdom , and gave commission to the infante don enrique , and the arch-bishop of saragosa ( both his unckles ) to call a parlament in his name , ordering that the monie which should bee granted him therein , by waie of subsedie , should bee all distributed amongst the aggrieved , and needie of the kingdom . don alonsa de cordona admiral of aragon , and the duke of gandia , with several other persons of account , gave their votes to acknowledg , and swear his majestie their king ▪ but the rest told the cardinal adriano , and wrote besides to the emperor , that they would lose their wives , children , and estates , rather then the liberties and privileges of their countrie ; whereat the cardinal much displeased , returned to court , leaving the citie of valencia in great distraction ; the out-rages and disorders whereof , shall bee hereafter more at large related . sect . x. it was agreed , and his majestie toke oath in the parlament , at valladolid , that no offices should bee given to strangers , nor the kingdom surcharged with new impositions , but should continue in the same manner , as was ordered by the catholick king , at a parlament , which hee called in burgos ; yet there was nothing less observed , or wors kept then these articles ; for the treasure of the kingdom was publickly exhausted , and offices were daily given to the flemings , who sold them to those that would give most monie , and likewise divers spiritual livings were so bestowed ; which the castillians seeing , and taking notice , how small account was made of the grandees , and nobles , natives of that countrie , they began to bee distasted , and muttered out manie things in a discontented manner , which ought not to bee rehearsed . these murmurings began from the time of his majestie 's departure , from valladolid to aragon , which was in march . and beeing in barcelona , som troubles arose about segovia , and avila , by reason of certain persons , that had farmed the customs , and roial revenues , which enhaunced the charges of the countrie ; whereat those cities much aggrieved , the contrarie having been promised by the emperor elect in parlament ; they acquainted the citie of toledo with their grievances , and desired , that all the cities of the kingdom should make a joint-complaint thereof to his majestie , and appoint their commissioners to importune him for a redress , desiring him to stand to the ordinances of parlament , made in valladolid , and to grant what hee then refused ; moreover , that hee would visit the whole kingdom before his departure into germanie . whereunto the lord chancellor , in his majestie 's name , made answer , that hee would very speedily send an express , to give the citie of toledo thanks for their expressions of fidelitie to him , and satisfie them more fully ▪ but the empire beeing without head , hee could not defer his going thither to receiv the crown , and settle the government ; which don , hee would make all convenient haste back again , into that kingdom of castillia , whose good hee tendered in a very particular manner . the commissioners beeing answered , the chapter of toledo ( as beeing the chief of the kingdom ) presented their grievances to his majestie , concerning the tenth , which the pope had granted to him , through all the churches of the kingdom , complaining that it was a new , heavie , and intolerable tax , and not onely grievous to the ecclesiasticks , but prejudicial to all his kingdoms ; that in former times , when the said kingdoms were over-run by moors and infidels , although there were manie , and bloudie wars , which continued until the blessed reigns of the catholick , king don fernando , and donnia isabel , of glorious memorie , his gr●ndfather and grandmother , who conquered the kingdom of granada , and extirpated the moorish race , which wars were very necessarie , and of extraordinarie expence ; yet there were no tenths raised , nor demanded ; it beeing an unheard of thing , and a request as unjust as insupportable , much less reason had his majestie to require anie such thing of the clergie , his case beeing far different , and his wars nothing so important . that hee should rather encourage the clergie , to praie for his good success , then diminish anie thing from their subsistence ; praiers beeing of more avail , then anie martial discipline , as appears by the holie scriptures ; wherein it is read , that the victorie is more certainly obteined by the praiers of devout priests , then by the force of horsmen and arms. but if his majestie 's temporal revenue was not sufficient to maintein a just war , in such case , hee might demand assistance of the church-men , as far forth as the present necessitie did require ; wherein they would willingly supplie his majestie , making levies amongst themselvs , and rather abate their own subsistence , then suffer him to bee disfurnished , which they should not bee able to do , if his majestie in the verie beginning would exact a tenth from them . divers other reasons they alleged in their petition to his majestie , whereunto there was no time to give answer . sect . xi . mean time the emperor maxmilian beeing dead , and charls the fift beeing long before hee went thither , to to take possession , the people of austria having lost all fear , and respect of autoritie , fell into the greatest disorder and mutinie that had been , within compass of the memorie of man , turning out , and discarding all antient officers of justice , and constituting others of their own combination : the like they did with ecclesiastical benefices . the loial partie ( which was the fewer in number ) durst not open their mouths , fearing the furie of the seditious vulgar ; who had possessed themselvs of all the arch-duke's revenues , and were grown to such a height of arrogancie , that they sent to the emperor , beeing at barcelona , to ratifie and confirm what they had don for the publick weal and good government ( as they termed it ) of that countrie , and to allow the new officers of iustice , whom they had constituted . but the emperor returned them such an answer , as made them understand that hee knew himself to bee arch-duke of austria , and not they . these distractions and perturbations continued in that countrie almost two years ; after which his majestie returning into germanie , pacified all those dissentions and factious spirits , setled the government , and received the imperial crown , as shall bee expressed hereafter . finis libri primi . the second book . sect . i. in this and the following books , i am to relate the the insurrections or rising of the people ( commonly called communidades , or communalties ) which continued in spain , from the year to . a subject , truly , very sad and unpleasant , and which i would willingly pass under silence , becaus som illustrious families , noble cities , and principal towns of the kingdom were interessed therein , which never had been disobedient to their kings , but alwaies esteemed for their loialtie . neither do i conceiv that they thought anie waie to disserv his majestie , but rather to releas him out of that oppression ( as i may term it ) in which his favorites held him . and , it is manifest , in that they so earnestly importuned and petitioned , that their king would not go out of the kingdom , that they desired , and delighted to see , and enjoie his roial presence ; which was no sign , that they intended to do him anie disservice : it will appear more evidently in the progress of this historie , and by the letters which passed between them , whereof som i have set down in the same manner , as they were written in the originals , becaus the particularitie of the historie doth require it , in a matter of such weight and danger . and since the loialtie of spain come's in question , who have alwaies had their princes in so high a reverence , that they honored and respected their verie statues and pictures , as if they had been their sovereign's , whom they represented : i will , before i go anie further ▪ declare the ground and reasons , upon which the castillians founded their complaints and grievances , as i have gathered them from those who were eie-witnesses , and have penn'd all the several passages , with much discretion , respect , fear of god , and with a minde free from partialitie . sect . ii. the familiaritie of monsieur de xeures with the king was so great , that hee rather seemed to bee the king , and the king his son , then to bee xeures his vassal and creature , as hee was . there was no access , nor speaking with the king , but when xeures pleased : if anie thing succceded well , xeures assumed the glorie to himself , giving out that hee had don it ; if ill , hee alwaies laid the fault upon the king , saying , the king would have it so . and , indeed , this was the first occasion that begat the innocent prince the ill will of his people . i have seen a memorial of these passages , which a gentleman ( one of the king 's domestick servants ) wrote , and averreth to have been an eie-witness of them . hee report's , that while the king was yet in his minoritie , and unacquainted with state-affairs , xeures would suffer no bodie to speak with him , unless hee were first informed of the business , that so hee might put into the king's mouth , what hee would have him to answer ; and if anie refused to impart their business to him , they were so far from having audience , that hee would not suffer them to enter into his majestie 's presence ; thus did hee deal with those that were sent from toledo , and divers other cities . indeed , at that time all the castillians were very much discountenanced , and not treated as their's and their predecessor's services had deserved . the flemings perceived the mindes of the spaniards disposed for all mischief ; much ambition , and little friendship beeing amongst them : for som devoted themsel●s particularly to king ferdinand the catholick , others to king philip the fair. these were kindes of factions , wherewith were possessed for som daies the mindes of manie people . mercurino gatinara lord high chancellor was second in the emperor's favor , and as the autoritie and familiaritie with princes admit of no competitor , xeures and this chancellor could not endure each other : they both presumed so much , that each of them would command alone , and ambitioned a power above the other ; these made themselvs the heads of those two factions , and added more poison to their malice and discontents . xeures favored those of ferdinando : and the chancellor sided with those of don philip's partie . and all was ill ( as the proverb saie's ) for the poor pitcher ; for the distressed countrie of spain had all the sufferings . xeures was so corrupt and covetous , that he sold all the king's favors , offices , bishopricks , honors , and whatsoëver hee conceived would yield him money . the chancellor did the like with all iustice-ships and other offices ; so that secluded iustice was enforc'd to give up her seat , and sword to the tyrannie of over-ruling avarice ; onely monie then bore the swaie ; no right , no equitie was able to counterpoiz the weight of gold ; all things and places ( as in the times of catiline at rome ) were then put to sale : the flemings were much encouraged with this fine gold , and ingots of pure silver , that came from the indies ; and the simple spaniards so blinde , in giving it for their pretensions , that it became as common , as a proverb , for a fleming to call a spaniard , my indian . and , indeed , it was not improper , for the indians never gave so much gold to the spaniards , as the spaniards did to the flemings : this in time grew to such a pass , that it was publickly sung along the streets , double pistol , it 's well for thee , that from xeures thou art free . it is reported that a certain pretendent , or petitioner who had presented xeures with a very handsom mule , and hee beeing asked by another gentleman , where hee had gotten that curious beast , answered , that hee knew not who had given it him ; beeing within hearing , and very much aggrieved to see himself so soon forgotten , and the business hee had communicated to xeures so neglected , give 's forthwith order to have his mule cried , declaring all his marks , and describing the furniture hee had bestowed on him ; which the same gentleman hearing of , went presently , and told xeures , that according to the marks , it must needs bee that this mule had been stolen ; thus the poor petitioner recovered what hee had given him , and lost not all , as most men do in such occurrences : for there is no memorie so weak , as that of a covetous man in power , who digest's gold with more facililitie , then estriches do iron . sect ▪ iii. there was no monie to bee got in the whole kingdom , but pieces of nine marauediz , which is three half-pence english , for all better coins xeures had transported ▪ what shall i saie ? besides that which was ship't for flanders from barcelona , beeing millions ; from the groyne , millions ; and from other parts , millions ; so that it exceeded the number of twentie five hundred millions ; which was enough to make him equal to the most powerful and richest king. but consider in what condition did poor castillia remain after such a dreining . besides all this , the flemings held the ●paniards in so mean esteem , that they insulted over them as if they had been their slaves , or rather beasts ; they would break open their houses at their pleasures , abuse their wives in their own presence , carrie away their goods , and no justice to bee had against them . it hapned that a castillian having killed a fleming at valladolid , took sanctuare in st marie magdalen's church ; som flemings violently breaking in upon him , and stabbing him in divers places , there made him a sad sacrifice to their revengeful furie ; which don , they went cleer away unchastiled , unquestioned ; that which bred the people's greatest dislike of their king , was , that they could not bee admitted into his presence , treat with him , nor ●o much as know him : for x●u●es would suffer no bodie to speak with him ; if at anie time hee did give audience , xeures would still bee at his elbow , and in regard hee did not throughly understand the spanish tongue , hee seemed as if hee had not been spoken to . this gave the rise of the people's general ill opinion of him : they presently spake him a man of a weak apprehension , and of an ill disposition , they call'd him dutchman , and an enemie to spaniards ; they said , hee wanted judgment as well as years , neither was hee of a talent fit to govern : by these prejudicial censures of their prince , which were for som time generally noised abroad amongst the people , likening him to his mother : som that never had seen him , said , it could not bee otherwise ; and that , for that respect onely , xeures would suffer no bodie els to confer with him , lest hee should too much discover his own imperfections . others that had been admitted to speak with him , much vindicated his honor in that particular , protesting , that they found him verie discreet , and of no mean capacitie ; that hee was no way guiltie of those pretended weaknesses , but his favorites infinitely to bee condemn'd ; neither was it to bee wondered at , if hee suffered himself to bee governed by them , in regard hee was but a youth , and unacquainted with the customs of that countrie , and the dispositions of the people . those that have near relations about the persons of kings , ought to bee verie careful and circumspect , how to avoid the occasions of murmurings and envie , considering , that kings are like that sun which diffuseth his light to all . sect . iiii. the whole countrie of castillia was imbrued with these factious discourses , before they ever thought of the departure of their king and emperor , as will appear by the letters , which were interchangeably sent from citie to citie . but when they heard of his resolution to bee gon , and that his calling of a parlament would en●reas their contributions and taxes , they out-stript the bounds of patience . the principal causses of their commotions were these three ensuing : first , to see the king go out of that kingdom , beeing alwaies accustomed to keep their courts in spain ; for when king alonso the wise deserted it , out of an ambitious covetousness of possessing th' imperial scepter , hee not onely lost that kingdom , but was incumbred with insurrections , not of the common people , but of kings and princes , th●t levied arms against him . their second grievance was , to see all offices , and places of honor , trust , or profit , conferred upon strangers . the third was an universal crying out , that the treasure of spain was all transported into foreign nations . and wee may add for a fourth reason , that in that verie occurrence , som evil star dispersed the malignitie of it's influence over all castillia , sardinia , sicilia and austria , which at one instant were all infected with the same poison , as if they had all conspired and agreed together . this they made the ground of their insurrections ; becaus their king left them to live in a strange countrie ; becaus their wealth was exhausted , and their countrie impoverished , to inrich foreigners ; and becaus the high treasurer-ship was given to xeures , and the arch-bishoprick of toledo to william de croy , his nephew , and all presentations to spiritual preferments , and other offices to strangers ; but that which they chiefly resented was the king's going to the empire , and had they really wished him ill in his own person , they would not have been so sensible of his departure . i cannot let pass with silence the audacitie of a certain gentleman of those parts , named , the martial don pedro , who refused to swear alleageance to charls , as king , alledging , that in regard hee was not born in spain , nor descended from the blood of the castillian kings , by the father's side , hee was not obliged to acknowledg him , but , like a true castillian , to keep strictly that oath , and loialtie to his countrie , and the precedent kings . upon which words hee was apprehended , his goods confiscate , and his person committed close prisoner in the castle of atienza . the emperor after this coming to valladolid , sent for him , and promised him , that if hee would yet take the oath , hee should not onely bee enlarged , but bee restored to the quiet possession of his whole estate , as formerly , which favor beeing refused , hee was thence carried to the castle of simancas , where hee ended his life through his own indiscreet obstinacie . som men through a desperate fool-hardiness think it a piece of courage and gallantrie to precipitate themselvs into the most eminent dangers . sect . v. the citie of toledo ( extremely discontented at these passages , especially , at the emperor's going away without beeing known or seen ) wrote to the other cities of castillia this ensuing letter . a letter from toledo to the cities of castillia . worshipful , noble , and most virtuous sirs ! in regard somtimes wee have written to you in particular , you may wonder why wee now write to you all in general : but considering the imminent necessitie that there is in this case , and the danger that may ensue by deferring anie longer ; wee shall rather bee condemn'd as beeing too slack for not doing it before , then thought importunate for doing it now . you know , and may remember , how vehemently king charls our soeverign lord's arrival in spain was desired of all , and how sudden is his departure from us ; his absence now is no less torment to us , then his presence at that time afforded us delight and comfort ; the long continuance of his roial person in the kingdom of aragon , and the small time hee hath vouchsafed to reside in this our kingdom of castillia , hath been a great occasion that the affairs of this kingdom are yet in so unsettled a condition : and if his majestie doth go away , as hee hath determined , the longer wee delaie , the wors our case will bee . therefore ( sirs ! ) our opinion is , if you think good , since the damage is universal , that 't were convenient , that wee should all meet and consult upon a remedie ; the business is of no small moment , besides , in manie other particular things ( sirs ! ) wee finde an extreme necessitie of your advise , and after your advise wee shall have as much need of your favor , and helping hands . wee finde three principal things that require our convening , that wee may advise upon som good cours for the expedition of them ; it will bee needful that wee dispatch som messengers to his majestie , humbly beseeching him , first not to depart spain ; secondly , that hee would by no means permit our treasure to bee transported hence ; thirdly , that no strangers may bear office in this kingdom . sirs , wee beg thus much favor of you , that having read our letter , you forthwith send us your answer ; for it is necessarie , that those who are to carrie our messages should go together , and make their propositions all at once ; for our demands beeing in the names of the whole kingdom , wee shall obtain a more significant and speedie answer . god keep his majestie , and preserv his noble person . from toledo this th november , . the contents of this short letter were much approved of by the readers ; but in that occurrence of time they were of dangerous consequence , for the ill managing of the affairs of castillia was generally much resented , and this letter bred no mean varietie of thoughts in the alreadie wounded hearts of the suffering people ; it did this mischief , that all men suspecting wors evils , unanimously said , since toledo lift's up the hand , som great disaster must befal this kingdom . they all returned their answers , although the citie of burgos disapproved their general meeting ; granada answered , that they should do better to exspect another opportunitie , and carrie a more specious form . salamanca and murcia were not backwards in their promises and fair offers , but they did not agree in that particular , touching the general assemblie , yet all wrote that they would send their burgesses , as agents , who in the parlament should bee conformable to the toledians . sevil answered neither yea , nor no. these answers puff'd up the spirits of the toledians , and hernando de avalos ( brother to don iohn de ribera , who was chosen for procurador , that is , burgess and commissioner ) associating himself with iohn de padilla , were the chief sticklers for that caus , and although the emperor wrote to them , no reason would satisfie , but they answered , that they understood in so doing , to do him service . sect ▪ vi. soon after was publisht through the whole kingdom , the emperor's determination to go into germanie , to receiv the imperial crown ; everie one lamented his departure , out of a presaging fear , that those so long contracted fogs of murmuring discontent , condensing more and more through the privation of his resplendent presence , might at last break forth into som furious storm of intestine commotions , to the ruine of their whole countrie ; which consideration meeting with the complaints , and general grievances of the whole kingdom , they began at length to mutter out their resentments in these following words . that the king shewed verie small affection to that countrie ; and despising it as too mean for him , would betake himself wholly to germanie . that xeures had robbed spain of all her treasure ; that the king beeing at burgos ( capital citie of castillia ) did not staie one week there . that xeures would not have the parlament to bee in valladolid , although all the grandees , and divers others of the kingdom had petitioned for it . that don pedro giron had given the king som unbeseeming language , which hee thought good to put up , becaus hee was not man enough to punish his temerarious audacitie . that xeures had called a parlament , but for no other end , then to charge the kingdom with a new cessment of four hundred thousand duckets . from these and such other seeds of discontents sown amongst the common people , grew suddenly a multitude of turbulent imaginations in their factious hearts ; and the seditious clergie , casting the oil of their , pretended , religious doctrine into the fire of the people's ill-grounded zeal , made the flame blaze the higher , pricking them daily forwards with their sacrilegious exhortations in the pulpits , in these or like words ▪ why do you , that are a free born nation , suffer such exorbitancies ? why do you suffer strangers to reap the fruits of your labors , in your own countrie ? you have not yet fully paid the cessment , that was granted to the king in the last parlament ; and yet hee will impose more taxes on you , till hee hath swept this kingdom clean , and quite beggar'd us , to inrich his germane nation ; and there 's xeures , who was but a private gentleman in flanders , hath made himself one of the richest men in the world , by the spoils of us castillians . sect . vii . the emperor beeing at valladolid , and the people's mindes much distracted with these several grievances , hee sent for the corregidores , regidores , and all other publick magistrates to his palace . upon their appearance hee told them that beeing then to go into germanie , to receiv the imperial crown , hee was in great distress for want of monies to defraie his charges , to which hee desired , they would not onely give their consents , but bee assistant in the raising of three hundred millions of marauediz , which might bee easily don in castillia , by waie of subsidie and pole-monie , everie town paying according to their qualitie and cessments ; presuming , that if those of valladolid subscribed , the other places of the kingdom , would not bee backwards to answer his exspectation ; and in case they did satisfie his desires therein ▪ hee promised to grant them all the favors their burgesses or commissioners should demand of him in parlament . there was present at this conference , the arch-bishop of santjago , the bishop mota , the earl of venavente , the marquis of astorga , and xeures who was never from the emperor's elbow . those of valladolid desired som time to give in their answer , but ( they said ) they could see no possibilitie of effecting what the emperor demanded of them . thence began tumultuous meetings in the streets , conventicles , and outragious murmurings , insomuch that they were even readie to rise in arms against the flemings . at last valladolid returned the emperor this answer , that they humbly desired his majestie would bee pleased to staie , and make his residence in their countrie , and that upon those terms hee should not onely command the three hundred millions hee desired , but they would furnish him with much more , and if need required , they would not stick to part with their lands and goods , but fell their children also to do him service . but , in their opinions , that hee should go away and deprive the kingdom of his roial person , besides , that vast summe monie which hee desired to carrie into forreign countries , seemed verie unreasonable , and they would sell nothing to further anie such designe , neither did they believ that god required they should paie him anie such obedience . upon this answer of valladolid , there were several meetings and consultations , but they prevailed nothing . but the emperor's favorites , ( against whom castillia was chiefly incensed ) viz. xeures , don garzia de padilla , and mota , bishop of badajos , went again to the magistrates , desiring them that they would consider well upon his majestie 's demands , since the performance thereof was so important to his present service , and so easie for them to accomplish : that the necessitie of his going to receiv the imperial crown was extremely urgent , and redounded not a little to the reputation and honor of that kingdom . that they should look upon what castillia had furnished to king alonso the wise , when hee went into germanie upon a pretended claim of the empire , and how much more reason they had to do the like now , ( which they might well do , the kingdom beeing in a far better condition . ) that the king undertook not that voiage , as don alonso did , upon a doubtful matter , his business was already most certainly concluded and agreed upon . this was closely followed , for during the three daies time which the emperor staied in valladolid , the gentrie , magistrates , and burgesses of the town , with bishop mota ( whom the emperor had sent , to entreat them to condescend to his desires ) did nothing els all daie and night , but go from the court to the town-hous , and back again ; the bishop of osma , don alonso enriques and som of the magistrates were of opinion , that they should do well to satisfie his majestie 's desires . others stood strongly to the contrarie , and turned their opponents out from their consultation , with manie reviling words , calling them disloial , disobedient , and other injurious names : this beeing known amongst the common people , inflamed amain their furie ; their boundless rage suddenly broke into an ocean of inconsiderate and bitter expressions . the third daie that his majestie was there , it beeing divulged to and fro in the citie , that the magistrates had consented to and subscribed the emperor's demands , the people cried out , that ought not to bee suffred . the emperor beeing informed of all these passages , was very much perplext , and gave order presently to prepare for his departure . it is r●ported that hee said , hee desired no more then that consentment , and those subscriptions which som of the magistrates had given in , as for the rest , who had refused , hee should take his time to bee even with them . so hee departed upon a sudden , though the towns-men thought hee would not have gon , in regard valladolid and divers other cities of castillia , had sent to beseech him with much humilitie and earnestness , that hee would bee pleased to forbear a while , and not leav them so soon , fearing the disasters which afterwards befel them . the emperor gave them a gracious answer , thanking them for their good wishes , but ( hee said ) it was expedient for him to depart without anie further delaie , for the good and advancement of that kingdom , and hee promissed them , that assoon as hee had received the imperial crown , hee would com back again , at the farthest within three years . this did not satisfie the gentrie of the kingdom , nor the cities , nor the commons of valladolid , who grew excessively out of temper . sect . viii . before wee pass anie farther , it will not bee improper to set down what was don at toledo in this interim . wee have seen the letter which they wrote the last year , to the other cities of the kingdom , they wrote another to valladolid , bearing date the th of june of this year . declaring ( to the same effect as in the former ) the great necessitie , into which the absence of their king would plunge the countrie , and the great inconveniences that were likely to proceed from that occasion . that it was expedient , that all the cities of the kingdom should make an assemblie , and consult what were best to bee don in a case of such high consequence ; that they would consider of the manner and place of meeting ; that they would conform themselvs to valladolid , and that valladolid should communicate the matter to the bordering towns and cities . that toledo would presently put it in execution , for they were and ever would bee at his majestie 's service , for the good of the kingdoms and their republicks . the fifteenth of june , valladolid returned this answer , that they would very willingly condescend to such an assemblie , if they thought they might justly and lawfully do it , and that they remained well assured of the zeal and good affection which toledo expressed to the king's service , and the publick good ; but such kinde of meetings ( they alleged ) were prohibited by the laws of the kingdom , without his majestie 's permission , and admit they were not forbidden , at that time however they were unlawful in regard his majestie was absent , and by reason of the scandal which might arise from thence , especially there beeing a governor for his majestie in the kingdom , and a person of such note and value , besides the lord president , and those of the council , with whom they and the other cities of the kingdom might communicate their necessities and grievances . and valladolid conclude's thus : so wee beseech your worships that you would pleas to let these assemblies ceas , becaus out of the desire wee have to do you service , it would griev us very much , that that citie should give anie occasion of scandal . becaus all that should proceed from thence , would bee imputed and laid to the charge of those , that were assistant at anie such iunta . and if you think that there is anie necessitie to provide for , or that you desire to remedie anie thing touching this kingdom or that citie , send your messengers or commissioners to the governor , and those of the council , and wee will procure them a free arrival hither , protect them while they staie here , and obtein them a safe conduct back again , to which wee doubt not but the governor will easily condescend , and wee will also join with them in all that is just and lawful . and becaus wee believ , according to your great prudence and virtue , you will receiv our intention with the same zeal and affection , as wee declare it , wee enlarge our selvs no further in this particular . so god keep you , &c. sect . ix . these private treaties increased daily the publick resentments , and the more in respect of the king's demands , and his so unexspected determination to leav that countrie . the principal of those that declared themselvs in toledo , with demonstrations of the greatest zeal to the common good , were iohn de padilla , don pedro lasso de la vega , son to don garzilasso de la vega chancellor of the order in the kingdom of leon , and hernando de avalos , all gentlemen of noble extraction , and allied to the chief nobles of spain . these gentlemen who were chief commissioners in the iuntas and assemblies , which were held in the citie , exclaim●d exceedingly against the ill government , that the king was carried away by strangers , not considering the miserable condition in which hee left that kingdom ; then they repeated all the contents of the letters , which toledo had sent to th' other cities , adding divers other things that had been produced upon new occasions , which they amplified and aggravated , with more bitterness then need required : and , that toledo , which for her greatness , had been the metropolitan citie of spain in time of the goths , was more then ordinarily obliged to seek out a remedie , and set a period to so great evils . they urged moreover that it was most expedidient , that forthwith letters should bee dispatched to all the cities of the kingdom ( that had vote in parlament ) to incite them to assemble in som place convenient for their treating upon the forementioned remedies . that there should immediately bee sent a petition to the king ; beseeching him not to depart the kingdom , but that hee would bee pleased to give som order for the remedying , and better managing of affairs . that , in case his majestie would not , the kingdom intended to indeavor it , and would more narrowly see into that which concerned the common good . these and divers such like things were that daie there propounded . and in ●egard they carried a specious apparence of the publick good , which was so generally desired , throughout the whole kingdom , the major part of the assemblie was of opinion , that it was most fi●ting and convenient so to do . but som dissented ( though they were the fewer in number ) fearing that if the affairs were carried on in that manner ( although under colour of the common good ) they would produce very sad consequents , neither were they satisfied of the lawfulness of the citie 's assembling such iunta's , without the king's licence and autoritie antonio alvares de toledo , an ancient gentleman of that citie , lord of cedillo , and som others , which leaned to his faction , were of this opininion , either out of desire to do the king service , or becaus they could not agree with the rest , ( for such kinde of sidings have produced a world of mischief in all places ) or that like prudent men and free from passion , they fore-saw with clearer eies , the danger that would ensue th'assembling of the cities without the king's autoritie ; they gave their votes against writing to the cities , declared against all publick , or particular meetings in that kinde , and said openly , that in case there were a necessitie of rectifying anie thing , they should in an honest and humble manner petition the emperor to take it into his consideration . whereto those of the contrarie judgment made several replies . after long debate and contention about this matter , at last those few , which were of the most safe and wholesom opinion , protested and required according to that which they had voted , that the corregidor and citie would take an especial care what they did , as for their parts they absolutely disapproved of iohn de padilla's and the other gentlemen's propositions . the governor don lewis porto carrero , earl of palma , beeing present adhered to this opinion , but was backwards in expressing himself , in regard h●e had married the sister of don pedro lasso , who was of the contrarie partie : neither did hee answer one syllable to the other 's protest or requests . yet the business was so imbroiled , that no resolution could bee given that daie . this difference and contention amongst the chief men of the citie beeing noised abroad , the people began to mutinie , and divide themselvs into parties and factions . but the major part inclined to the worst opinion , beeing allured and drawn on with the fair pretence of the comm●n good : those few , who prudently perceived the contrarie , gave the emperor forthwith notice of all these passages in the citie , and antonio alvarez de toledo in particular , who had great intimacie with the bishop of palencia mota . this advice came to the emperor's hands , just upon his departure from aragon to valladolid . but soon after at another meeting in toledo , the major part voted that they should write to the other cities of the kingdom , as formerly had been propounded , and that they should send to the emperor two regidores , and two iurados , or iurates of the citie , humbly to demand of him as shall bee set down hereafter . yet they were contradicted , and the contrarie required by the same men that had opposed them before , but to no purpose . whereupon the dispute grew so hot amongst them , that iohn de padilla , who stood for the commons , and antonio alvarez de toledo , who opposed and condemned his opinion as wicked and dangerous , drew their daggers at each other in the assemblie . don pedro lasso de la vega , don alonso suares , and two iurates were appointed to go from the citie to the emperor , who having put themselvs in equipage forthwith departed . letters were presently dispatcht and sent to the other cities , although the same distemper and factions were already brewing in divers of them before they were delivered . at that same time was brought to toledo from the emperor , a summons to assist in the parlament , which hee had call'd in galicia . and according to the custom of toledo , ( which is for the regidores and iurates , that are present , to draw lots , and one of each to go ( upon whomsoëver the lot fall's ) it was don iohn de silva's chance ( who afterwards was marquess of monte-mayor ) to go as regidor of toledo , and alonso de aguirre , as iurate . to whom ( becaus they held the opinion of the contrarie partie ) the citie would not give a full and general power , according to the emperor's commands , but an especial and limited one , to see and hear what the emperor desired , and with an injunction to give them advice thereof , to the end that from time to time the citie might order them what to do , and that in no case they should grant anie subsidies , or anie thing els . which power don iohn de silva would not accept , nor go to the parlament upon those tearms , exspecting they should give him the full and usual power , and that the emperor should send his command to that effect . there was such trouble and opposition in this business , that hee could never obtain that power , neither did they go to the parlament . sect . x. the emperor returned an answer to antonio alvarez de toledo , and the others , who had given him notice of the several passages , thanking them for their fidelitie , and acknowledging the good service they had don him therein , charging them moreover to persevere , but with rhe greatest wariness and discretion that might bee . to the corregidor don lewis de palma hee wrote likewise , reprehending him of his lukewarmeness and small resolution , and gave him order what to do thenceforwards : but hee did not punctually obeie his majestie 's orders , nor observ the manner which was most convenient , for hee was a man of too milde a disposition , which suit 's very ill with those who are to govern , especially in cases of that nature . whereupon som few daies after hee gave up his command , and the emperor sent don antonio de cordova the ( earl of cabra's brother ) to take his place , but hee came too late to applie anie remedie to those disorders . thus the affairs of toledo wax't wors and wors , and the audaciousness of the people was grown to such a height , that they made new assemblies everie daie in favor of that , which they called communaltie , by consent and order of iohn de padilla , and hernando de avalos , who were the chief incendiaries and favorers of these disturbances . toledo excepting against the fore-mentioned commissioners , agreed to constitute others with an especial power to present certain articles to the emperor ( which they had by waie of instruction from the citie ) touching the general good of the kingdom . don pedro lasso , and don alonso suares were appointed to go as regidores of the citie , and michael de hita and alonso ortiz , as iurates . the contents of their commission were these . that they should beseech the emperor not to depart the kingdom , representing unto him the inconveniences , which might arise by his absence , in regard the kingdom of castillia could not live without their king , beeing not accustomed to bee under anie particular man's government . that hee should not give anie office or charge in that kingdom to anie stranger , and that hee should take those away again which hee had so bestowed . that hee should not take anie monie out of the kingdom for anie person in the world , becaus they had already contributed so much , that the kingdom was reduced to great povertie . that in the parlament , which hee had now assembled , hee should not demand anie subsidies , especially , if hee continued in the resolution of departing the kingdom . that the parlament should bee adjourned , and held in castillia and not at santjago , nor in the kingdom of galicia . that the offices and governments should not bee vendible . that som good order should bee taken in the inquisition , which might tend to the service and glorie of god , and that no bodie should bee molested . that the grievances and wrongs of private persons of the kingdom , should bee righted and repaired . these were the principal heads of the demands , toledo then sent to his majestie , but the commotions increasing gave them the boldness to add new matter to their petition , as you shall see hereafter . sect . xi . i have declared already the combustions that were in valladolid , and the emperor's determination to depart thence , purposing to take his waie by tordesillas to visit the queen , his mother . which beeing known , and noised through the citie ( moreover that hee would carrie his mother out of the kingdom with him ) the citizens , and common people were so much troubled at it , that they vented divers as bitter exclamations as a furious passion could dictate to their disturbed mindes . but the chief burgesses , deputies and other officers met in consultation at the monasterie of st paul , to take order for investing their commissioners with a general power , to grant what the emperor should demand in parlament , to petition his majestie●om ●om things in their favor , and to kiss his hand before his departure . while they were thus assembled on mondaie morning , don pedro lasso with his companions , arriveing the same daie at valladolid , and beeing alighted went to visit them . but alonso ortiz , his fellow commissioner ( who resided in court ) said , in regard the emperor was gon to church to praie for his good journie to tordesillas , that hee thought it convenient for them to go first to the palace , for perchance his majestie beeing informed of their arrival , would vouchsafe to staie a little , and give them audience . in this interim som inhabitants of valladolid beeing told of the toledo-commissioner's coming , went to salute them , desiring that they would indevor to procure som remedie against those miseries and grievances under which the kingdom then so much groaned . hereupon , it was agreed amongst them that the towns-men should presently put themselvs in a readiness , to oppose and hinder the emperor from going out of the kingdom , or depart that citie ( in which attempt don pedro lasso offered to venture his fortune with them , if they would stand to him , ) and that they should seiz upon xeures , and som flemings of the chief of his majestie 's council , and bed-chamber , binding first those towns-men with a solemn oath , not to desert him in that enterprize . beeing pricked with this over-dilligent itch of putting in execution the orders and commands which their citie had imposed upon them , before they went to kiss the emperor's hands ( which had been the right waie ) beeing accompanied with a gang of common people , and som deputies of the wards ( who by this time were come in to them ) they went directly to the monasterie of st paul to salute , and communicate their design with the chief of the citie there assembled ; to whom they made a speech , signifying the causses of their comming , and what they intended to desire of his majestie in behalf of their citie , justifying their demands , and coloring them with the most specious pretences that could bee : and indeed , ( as at first their meaning was ) their affection and zeal to their prince were such , that their thoughts ( i believ ) differed nothing from their expressions , until things were brought unto such a pass , that there was no hopes of remedie , and that those that had the power , or the wisdom , made a breach through their miseries ; as did don pedro lasso and divers other gentlemen . and at the last they desired , that ( as they had written , and offered to the citie of toledo ) they would send their commissioners with them , to make a joint-demand of the same things , which salamanca and other cities desired : for a petition beeing countenanced by so manie cities , would bee much more available . their speech beeing thus ended , by the general consent of the assemblie , don hernando enriquez ( brother to the lord admiral ) returned them this answer ; that as yet they were not fully determined what to do , and for that caus they were there assembled , that they would resolv upon that , which should tend most to the king's service , and the good of the kingdom ; that they might do what they saw good . the commissioners of toledo perceiving valladolid otherwaies inclined , then they exspected , went forthwith to the palace , leaving them in consultation . sect . xii . they came to the emperor's chamber of presence , just as hee was risen from dinner . with his majestie were the marquis of villena , the earl of venavente , the earl of miranda , the duke of alburquerque the earl of haro , the earl of castro , the earl of palma , the marquis of brandenbourg , the archbishop of santjago , the bishop of palencia , monsieur de xeures , and don pedro giron , the earl of urenia's eldest son . it hapned as those commissioners came in , don pedro giron was talking with the king so loud , that everie one might hear him : hee said , that his majestie might remember , that beeing at barcelona , the first of march anno , hee did him the honor to give him a writing under his hand , wherein hee promissed , that at his arrival in castilla , hee would command the judges to examine , and determine according to law , the right which hee pretended and claimed to the estate of medina sidonia , as the portion and inheritance of the ladie mencia de gusman , his wife , daughter to the duke don iohn deceased , and that his majestie beeing since at burgos , hee had again refresh't his memorie by waie of petition , that hee had don the like there in valladolid , and yet his majestie was upon his departure , without giving anie order for the performance of that which hee had promised under his hand ; and hereupon hee fell into a vain of very presumptuous language , such as savored of too much sauciness and audacitie . amongst other things hee said , that since his majestie did not do him justice , hee intended to right himself with his own hand , and that for so great an injurie ( and without reason , so publick , and so known , as his majestie had made it to all the world , by suffering him to bee so abused against equitie or justice , and contrary to that which his majestie did owe to his own royal word , hee having so punctually performed all the duties that could bee required of his loialtie ) hee had now no more to saie or do , but onely to let his majestie understand , that for fault of the remedie which hee did not give him , and for the great injurie which hee now did him , hee could and would make use of all those provisions , which the laws of the kingdom of spain did ordain in favor , and for the redressing of oppressed and injured gentlemen , and to this effect it was sufficient to ask his majestie 's permission , as hee had alreadie begged it before as honorable persons , as those that were then present , but could not obtain it : speaking these words , hee fell upon his knees , and kissed his majestie 's hand . the emperor somwhat moved at don pedro's , more then bold , speeches , made this grave replie , don pedro you are a discreet man , i do not think that you would do anie thing , that shall oblige mee● to punish you , for if you should , my justice must answer your offence . don pedro replied , sir , in doing what i saie , i do nothing but what i ought , and what is just , if i do it not my self , your majestie will not see mee righted . those from whom i descended , never imbraced the thought of doing anie thing that ought not to be don , neither do i intend it . that which i said , sir , i would do , was to seek som remedie for my grievances , according to the laws instituted in this kingdom ; and if your meaning is , sir , to have me punished for doing what i ought , you will see ( if you do so ) what you ought to do to your self . the emperor presently answered , i think to do you justice , don pedro , as i told you , and i have performed my promise to you . you are my king sir , said don pedro , and i will not answer you : that which you promised mee is herein written under your own hand , and may soon bee seen , and what you concluded in your council yesterdaie , this daie is known sufficiently : that said , hee produced his paper for evidence . upon these words the marquis of villena bid don pedro forbear , and void the chamber , so don pedro went out , and the earl of venavente , and the lord high constable with him ( who came in after this discours began ) all the other gentlemen presently followed them , and gathering themselvs in a knot together in the anti-chamber , they descanted upon these passages , and don pedro giron continued still his fuming , with exp●essions of much discontent , and sens of injurie , becaus the king had not made good to him what hee had promised him with so much assurance . sect . xiii . don pedro giron was no sooner gon out of the presence , but don pedro lasso , & don alonso suarez advanced to speak to his majestie , beseeching hee would bee pleased to give them audience , for they had divers things to impart to his majestie , which did much conduce to his service . the emperor answered them , that hee was upon going , as they saw , and that hee had not then the time to hear them : they replied , but chiefly don pedro lasso : that it was of so much concernment to his majestie to hear them , that hee would not repent the deferring of his departure for a little while , especially the weather beeing ( as it was ) very rainie . for they would inform his majestie of manie things , wherein were interessed in an extraordinarie manner , both his service and the good of the kingdom . the emperor knowing alreadie the substance of what they came to ask , and nothing pleased with their manner of petitioning , answered , that there was no man in the world more careful , and desirous of that which might bee most expedient for the good of his kingdoms , then himself ; that they should meet him at the next town to tordesillas , in the waie to santjago , and there hee would hear them : so they departed his presence . the emperor ( beeing very angrie at the importunitie , and sauciness of the toledians , and don pedro giron ) sent presently to call som of his privie council , to advise touching the apprehending of don pedro giron ; the lord high constable beeing advertised of the emperor's pleasure , came presently to the palace , and with the rest of the nobles there beeing , hee sent to desire xeures , that hee would join with them , in taking som cours for the composing of the matter . while things were thus in agitation , a rumor began to spread amongst the people , that their magistrates had granted what the emperor did desire , that hee was going away , and that hee would carrie his mother out of the kingdom with him ; and as the people are apt to believ all they hear , this report much troubled them , and beeing drunk with passion , they ran madding through the streets ; and here and there making stands ( after that countrie fashion ) they assembled divers circuler consultations , saying , that it would bee fitting to petition the king not to depart ; beeing all up in this confusion without understanding each other's meaning , a certain rope-maker , by nation a portuguez , inhabitant of that citie , seeing that the king was readie to depart , and that no bodie would petition him to staie , hee got into the steeple of st michael ( which is a very ancient parish in that citie , where hung a great bell , commonly called the counsel-bell , which used to bee rung onely in times of war , uproars , or upon anie alarum ) this bell hee begin's to ring , with as much speed as hee could , which assoon as the people heard , without knowing or examining wherefore , all ( except those that were assembled in the monasterie of st paul ) presently took up arms , to the number of about five or six thousand common people . 't is said their determination was to kill xeures and all the flemings , and to hinder the emperor's departure . don alonso enriquez bishop of osma , gave xeures notice hereof , yet hee would not believ him , thinking that hee told him so , onely to ingratiate himself with him ; but soon after , hearing a great hurlieburlie , and the clashing of weapons , and asking what the matter was , don pedro porto carero told him , sir , it is now no time for you to sit in council , but indeavor to secure your person ; for the common crie of the people is , let charls the king live , but let his ill counsellors perish ; neither ought you to think it strange , if in their rage they murther you , since they consider you , as one that carrie's their king from them . the people seeing themselvs so numerous , manie of them ( as it appeared ) would have stop't the emperor's journie . and this disorder fell out just as the emperor was in consultation , about the apprehending of don pedro giron , but xeures and the flemings , beeing too well assured of the people's tumultuous furie , hastened the emperor ( all they could ) out of valladolid , so hee departed from his palace in the cruellest rain , and thickest skie , that had been seen in the memorie of man. which it seeme's was a presage and ill omen of the miseries and disasters , which were afterwards poured upon castillia and his other kingdoms . the emperor coming to the gate of the citie , found there som of the rabble ( they could not all bee so soon there , becaus of the extraordinarie foul weather ) . who having seiz'd upon the gates , began to shut them , and to barricado up the waie : but the emperor's guards made them suddenly quit their poste , and hee continued on his journie leaving valladolid full of disorder . som were troubled for what they had don , others perplexed that they had seen and suffered such insolencies to bee committed . and in regard there was no ground for this tumult , it was presently appeased , and the people were ashamed , and sorrie for the irreverence and disrespect they had shewn the emperor . the officers of justice of valladolid began to make diligent inquirie , who had rung the bell , or who gave order for the ringing of it . but the portuguez could not bee found , so others paied for him . som had their feet cut off ; som were whipped : som banished and their goods confiscate , som others had their houses pluck't down . there was whip't amongst others a goldsmith ( a man of good account , a citizen of the town ) becaus it was proved that hee had received som letters from the said portuguez : som other goldsmiths , and som officers of the town beeing also taken , were very much afraid that they should bee brought to the like publick shame and punishment . but the emperor beeing informed of the good intention of that citie towards him , and that what they had don was not out of malice , or anie premeditated design to do him anie injurie , hee sent an order for releasment of the prisoners , and commanded that there should bee no more said of it . the dean having apprehended , and clap't in prison three priests of st michael's church , the judges of the court in the emperor's name required him to deliver them the said priests , in regard they were accused to have given their consents to the ringing of the bell. they were accordingly delivered and carried upon three great mules , with irons upon their legs through the chief streets of the citie , until they came to fuen-saldania's fort , ( which then stood for the king , and was kept by the sons of don iohn de vivero viscount of altamira , becaus hee had unworthily made away his wife ) and there they remained manie daies until the emperor was satisfied of the truth . sect . xiv . the emperor came to tordesillas soundly wet and durtie , and no bodie with him but xeures , the rest could not keep pace with him , and having refreshed himself there one daie , hee continued on his journie to villalpando , where hee had appointed the commissioners of toledo to attend him . they beeing com thither before , met with the commissioners of salamanca , who were don pedro maldonado , ( who was afterwards beheaded ) and antonio fernandez , regidores of that citie ; with them were their messingers also , ( viz. iohn alvarez maldonado , and antonio enriquez ) who were chi●fly sent to underfeel , what instructions those of toledo had in all particulars , and had order to conform themselvs in all points to the messengers of that citie . at villalpando a town belonging to the lord high constable , did these commissioners and others exspect his majestie 's coming . upon sundaie after they had been at church , they went to the palace , to the end the emperor should give them audience ; while they were attending his majestie 's pleasure in the hall , came to them don garzia de padilla , and mōta bishop of palencia , who wished them in the emperor's name ( but they thought it was from xeures ) to tell them the message they had from their citie . don pedro lasso , and don alonso answered . that their citie had commanded them to speak to his majestie , and though they importuned them never so much , they would not declare unto them their business . thereupon the bishop and don garzia returned into the king's chamber , but after a little time came out again , and told these commissioners , that if they would not give them an account , wherefore they were com , before they kissed his majestie 's hand , they should not have audience . the commissioners seeing there was no remedie , con●ented to impart the substance of their message to them , which done , it was agreed that at two a clock in the afternoon , ( if they returned to the palace ) they should have audience . they suspected that this diligence and earnestness of the bishop's , and don garzia'● to know their business was , becaus the emperor at that time beeing very young , and not much versed in state-affairs , xeures ( who was verie discreet and politick ) had put them on to urge it before they were admitted , to the end hee might prepare the emperor to give them an answer . the commissioners returned at the hour , and delivered their message to the king , but would not consent that anie others should bee present , onely the bishop and don garzia , the substance of their discours was as ● have said . they insisted chiefly that his majestie ought not to go out of the kingdom , and conluded with this article , saying , however , if hee did resolv upon his departure , that hee would command such order to bee left for the government , that the cities of the kingdom might have their share therein ; and likewise that hee would bee pleased to demand no subsidies at all , and other things reasonable enough ; as wee sh●ll see hereafter . which indeed were so just , that a dore-keeper nam'd duranges wep't to hear them , considering the great reason the castillians had to complain ; but it availed them little at that time ; for they were then discountenanced , and not treated according as their's and their ancestor's good service had deserved . the emperor told them onely , that hee had heard them , and would give order for their answer . the same hee said to those of salamanca , ( who spake to him afterwards ) and in effect desired the same things as the toledians had , telling him moreover , that they had order from their citie to conform themselvs in everie thing with the commissioners of toledo . to whom the emperor sent word by the bishop mota and don garzia de padilla , that in regard his council was at venavente ( whither hee was to go within two daies ) they should not fail to meet him there , to receiv their answer , which they did accordingly . the emperor beeing arrived at venavente , don pedro lasso and his companion , presented themselvs for their answer . whereupon the emperor commanded his council of iustice and of state to assemble , who having considered the circumstances and manner of those commissioners , jointly gave their opinion , that they deserved rather to bee punished , then to receiv anie good answer or satisfaction to their demands ; wherefore the emperor sent for them into his chamber , and with a severely frowning countenance ( as don pedro lasso afterwards declared ) told them , that hee was not pleased with what they did , and that if hee did not consider from what parents they were descended , hee would have them punished according to their deserts , for medling with what they had undertaken , and that they should go to the president of his council , who would tell them further what they were to do . they began to excuse themselvs , but the emperor not willing to hear them , retired himself . then don garzia de padilla taking them aside , gave them a notable schooling , and reproved them sharply for what they had done , telling them that their boldness in insisting so much to the hinderance of a journie , which so deeply concerned not onely the honor and reputation of the emperor , but also the securitie and preservation of his estate , was beyond the thought of pardon . and that the things which they had done , had been the occasion of disaffecting and disquieting the mindes of other commissioners , and of the whole kingdom , by reason of the precedence and autoritie , which toledo had amongst all the cities of castilla , which they should do well to consider , and seriously to reflect upon . after this they went to the president of his majestie 's council ( who was the arch-bishop of granada ) as the emperor had commanded them . the president told them , that what hee had to give them for answer , was that his majestie was going to hold a parlament in the citie of santjago , where all the commissioners of the kingdom were to assemble , that toledo should send theirs thither , with a memorial of the things they desired , which beeing perused and examined , the emperor would give such orders as should bee most expedient for his service , and the general good of his kingdoms and subjects , moreover hee willed them to desist from medling anie further in those matters , but to return and deal with their citie , to send their commissioners , as the other cities of the kingdom did , and not to affect such innovations , as they had begun . whereunto they made answer , that indeed they were not imploied by the kingdom , but they desired however that those things might bee granted for the good of the kingdom , and refusing to follow his advice , but rather thinking it a point of honor to persist in what they had begun , they followed the emperor to santjago . sect . xv. the emperor passing through leon , astorga , and villa franca del vierso was in everie place petitioned , that hee would bee pleased to keep the parlament in castilla , but they availed nothing . and these commissioners of toledo , beeing arrived at santjago , sollicited very hard the commissioners of the other cities , that were likewise com thither , indeavoring to draw them to their opinion , pressing them to stand upon the same tearms toledo did , as their cities had offered . those from salamanca did the like , shewing themselvs much of the toledo faction . the emperor would by no persuasions bee brought to hold the parlament in castilla , but neer the sea-side , becaus xeures would have it so ; and the fleming desired it the rather , out of fear , that the people would murther him , for hee knew how ill hee was beloved amongst them , and hee perceived that if there were anie tumult or uproar , they would begin with him . besides , seeing himself verie rich , hee desired exceedingly to bee out of spain , and that if there should fall out anie mutinie , or disorder in parlament , beeing near the sea-side , hee could with more facilitie secure his person and goods . as for the emperor 's own particular , it concerned him no more to call a parlament at santjago , then at valladolid or burgos , or anie other citie of castilla . at last beeing arrived at santjago at the end of march , with manie grandees and nobles of spain , the parlament began on mundaie the first of april following , anno , whereof was president don hernando de vega commendador mayor de castilla ( father to don iohn de vega , who was vice-king of sicilia ) a person of great note ; don garcia de padilla and zapata were his assistants . the emperor sitting the first daie himself in parlament , commanded that the propositions should be made in his own hearing , which declared the just and great occasions , that pressed him to undertake the journie hee was then upon , the extraordinarie exspences it did require , and the vast charges hee had been at in coming into that kingdom , besides the great armies hee had raised , and maintained against the infidels , and the charges of sending the infante don fernando , his brother , out of that countrie , desiring them that they would assist him with the accustomed subsidies , and that in his absence they would keep the peace and fidelitie , as from such loial and good subjects might bee exspected . although som commissioners would have opposed the granting him anie such subsidie , they did not however discover their intention that daie , onely the forenamed of salamanca , who openly refused the solemnitie of the ordinarie oath , unless his maiestie would first grant them the things which they desired . which beeing condemned for a great unmannerliness and disrespect , they were forbidden to come anie more into the hous . then don pedro lasso said , that hee had brought a memorial and instructions from the citie of toledo , what hee was to do and grant in parlament , and that his majestie might see them , that hee could not go beyond his commission , but would perform and execute it in that manner , as should be most agreeable to his majestie ; otherwise hee would rather choose to bee cut in pieces , or have his head cut off , then to give his consent to a thing so prejudicial to his citie , and the whole kingdom . this answer was back't by the commissioners of sevilla , cordova , salamanca , toro , zamora , and sancho zimbron , commissioner of avila , from which they could not bee drawn . whereupon the parlament was adjourned for three or four daies , there beeing amongst them such jealousies and fears as usually proceed from discontented mindes . sect . xvi . the kingdom of galicia was much distasted at this parlament , becaus they had no commissioner allowed , and that zamora spake for them , notwithstanding galicia was one of the greatest and most ancient kingdoms of spain , and the source of the greatest nobilitie . the arch-bishop of of santjago , don alonso de fonseca ( who was afterwards arch-bishop of toledo ) the earl of venavente , and the earl of villalva don hernando de andrada , went all together to st francisco , where the parlament was kept , and having obtained entrance , they thus spake to the high chancellor ( who was president ) and the commissioners there present : it is not unknown that galicia is a distinct kingdom from castilla , that in former times they had their votes in the parlaments held in castilla , and that ( from a certain time only ) they were subject to the votes of the citie of zamora ( which was of the kingdom of castilla and leon ) which was a great grievance and prejudice to them ; therefore they did desire out of favor , of the commissioners there present , and ( if need were ) they would require them , that they would admit of the commissioners , which that kingdom of galicia should nominate , who should bee ready to obey whatsoever his majestie should command them . and in so doing they would oblige them very much : but in case they were refused , they protested , that they would not stand to anie thing , that the commissioners of zamora should denie or grant ; and of that they desired witness . hence grew som hurlie-burlie and tumult in the parlament . for one garci ruyz de la mota ( bishop mota's brother ) who was commissioner for burgos , took upon him to answer , and thwarted the earl of villalva , with language that was much displeasing . this was forthwith noised in the court ; whereupon the emperor sent presently the bishop mota to qualifie the matter . hee was hardly at the gate of the cloister , where the parlament was held , when hee met the arch-bishop and the earl coming forth . the bishop perceiving the earl of villalva much incensed , to pacifie his choller , accosted him with very smooth and civil language , expressing much sorrow , that his brother had so much forgotten himself . amongst other words that passed between the bishop and the earl , villalva chanced to let slip these , you have a prettie fellow to your brother , my lord bishop , and withall hee swore , that ( if they supported him ) hee would join with don pedro lasso . and in regard don pedro lasso was so fixed to the interest of the kingdom ( which was not very pleasing to xeures , and others that sate at the helm ) these words of the earl's were presently carried to the palace ; whereupon an alcalde de casa y corte ( that is , an officer in the nature of our judges of oyer and terminer ) commanded the ●arl to quit the court within one houre , and not to return to it without his majestie 's permission . at the houre 's end hee went from santjago to the groyne , where his hous and estate laie . but soon after the emperor going from santjago to the groyne , readmitted him into his presence and favor . sect ▪ xvii . in this occurrence som grandees of the kingdom , which followed the court , accused xeures highly to emperor , and bid him beware that the fleming did not counsel him for his own ends . hereupon there passed som angrie expressions betwixt xeures , the earl of venavente and the arch-bishop of santjago , and they began to breed factions in the court. this arch-bishop and som others began to make private meetings , and consult how they might provide themselvs with arms and men secretly . the emperor perceived it , and if hee had not remedied it in time , hee had found it troublesom enough . the earl of venavente and others left the court discontented ; the emperor knew the sidings and dissentions that had been in toledo , and how they had refused to give a full power to their commissioners ( don iohn de silva and aguirre ) which considered , the emperor and his council were of opinion , that it would not be amiss to send to som of the chief officers that opposed it , to come to court , and send others , his majestie 's servants , to supplie their places , for taking som out and supplying their places with others , they might do whatsoever his majestie commanded . to that effect were presently dispatched orders , whereby hernando de avalos iohn de padilla , iohn carrillo , gonzalo gaytan , don pedro de ayala and pedro de herrera ( all regidores and officers of the citie ) were commanded under great penalties , everie man of them to make his personal appearance at the court within such a time : and lope de guzman , rodrigo ninio , and martin de ayala , were commanded under the same penaltie , to go to supplie their places at toledo , to the end that these beeing gon thither , and the others com away , the citie might revoke the powers , which they had given to don pedro lasso and don alonso , and give others to don iohn de silva , and alonso de aguirre . these orders beeing signified to the above-named , they all excused themselvs , onely herrera , who in obedience to his majestie 's commands went to the court. these weeds of dissention increased daie by daie in toledo , and the other cities of castilla , and in the court it self manie bitter words were buzzed up and down , countenancing and approving these proceedings , and the demands of don pedro lasso and others , as tending to the general good of the kingdom . sect . xviii . the messingers and commissioners of toledo and salamanca , with other associates , made this request to the rest ; that in regard the commissioners , which toledo was to send particularly for that parlament , were not yet com , and those which were there from salamanca were not admitted , there should bee nothing granted , or determined until those of the one and of the other citie were present . if otherwise , they protested , that it should not bee anie prejudice to their cities . this beeing ingrossed verie fair , they carriyd it to st francisco where the parlament sate , taking a notarie with them called antonio rodriguez ( who was afterwards clerk of the iunta ) and they demanded audience . but , notwithstanding manie voted for them , those of toledo were refused , and forbidden to enter , in respect they were not commissioners appointed for that parlament . thereupon they made their acts and protests at the dore , saying , that the king's commissioners could not assemble in parlament without the commissioners of toledo , that their non-appearance proceeded from their own particular negligence , not anie fault of their citie 's , in regard they had their powers delivered them , that they beeing members of the said citie did require them not to assemble in parlament , until those commissioners of toledo were arrived , and against the contrarie they protested . and whatsoever should be enacted in anie such parlament without them , they declared to bee void and of none effect , and should bee no waies prejudicial to the citie of toledo , nor the whole kingdom . manie persons of note were witnesses to this protest , and it occasioned much scandal in the court. don pedro lasso and his companion slighted his majestie 's commands , which were signified to them by the secretarie covos . which beeing told the emperor , hee gave immediate command to banish them that verie daie ( beeing palm sundaie ) ; and accordingly in the evening his secretarie francisco de los covos , and iohn ramirez secretarie to the council of iustice , went to the lodging of those toledo-commissioners , and in the emperor's name signified to each of them severally his m●jestie's pleasure , commanding don alonso de suarez the next daie ( beeing mundaie ) to leav the court , and that within two moneths hee should go serv ●nd reside , where that companie of men laie whereof hee was captain , where hee should remain until further order from his majestie , under pain of forfeiting his goods , and the said captain's place . don pedro lasso was likewise commanded to absent from court , the same mundaie , and within fortie daies , to go and reside in the government of the fort of gibraltar ( which was his own inheritance ) and not to depart thence , without the emperor's leav , under penaltie of forfeiting that command , and all the rest of his estate whatsoever . the iurates were also commanded to leav the court immediately . and there was order given in their lodgings , that they should not entertein them anie longer . they demanded copies hereof , but were refused , so they went to iohn ramirez chamber , and by much importunitie they obteined one , but not signed . the toledians beeing extreamly troubled that they were banished the court with so much rigor , two hours within night , don pedro , and don alonso with the iurate ortiz went to the palace . ortiz went in to xeures , and acquainted him tha● such gentlemen were come to speak with him . xe●res bad him speak to his servants to set up lights in his chamber , and that they should stay there for him . xeures beeing come , they spent above two hours together , and the result of their conference was : that it seemed they took it verie ill to bee thus forbidden the court ; therefore it was agreed that in testimonie of their obedience , they should go onely four or five leagues from santjago , and should leav som bodie in their steads , to put him in minde to sollicite the emperor to revoke their banishment . the next daie , beeing tuesdaie , in the morning they went away , l●aving alonso de ortiz onely to sollicite xeures , and to put him in minde of what was agreed betwixt them , and to tell him that don pedro lasso and don alonso suarez were gon to padron ( four leagues from santjago ) in obedience to his majestie 's commands . alonso de ortiz returned to the palace , and meeting covos , hee desired him to help him to the speech of xeures . xeures beeing com forth , ortiz beseeched him to perform what hee had promised to those gentlemen . xeures told him , that hee had moved it alreadie to the emperor , but could not prevail : and that ( for ought hee saw ) there was no remedie , but that they must obeie the extremitie of his commands . ortiz replied , that they should have a care what they did therein , and that it would not redound to the emperor's service , not so much becaus those commissioners were of the chief gentrie of the kingdom , as that they were deputed and sent by the citie of toledo , who must take upon their accompt what trouble or injurie soever they suffered , in regard they had done nothing beyond , or contrarie to that which their citie had encharged them , for the good of the kingdom . xeures answere● , that they had not shewn the respect which they owe● to their king , and for that they deserved the punishmen● which hee had inflicted upon them , and much more . ortiz replied , that since hee had the greatest privacie and freedom with his majestie , hee was the more obliged to see to this matter , and to consider with attention , that the whole kingdom knew that toledo had sent those gentlemen to treat of that which concerned them all , and that seeing them thus banished the court , they would not think it was for anie disrespect to his majestie , ( for if any such thing were they deserved double punishment ) but that they were turned out of the court , that they might not solicite the kingdom 's good , and thereupon they would bee all scandalized , and such mischiefs would insue , as they would not bee able to remedy when they listed . whereto xeures very formally thus replied , what lightness is this of toledo , what lightness i say ? is the king no king ? why doth no body think of putting kings in and out at their pleasure ? alonso ortiz answered again , that hee wondred , hee should speak so much against toledo , it beeing of such consequence , that it was reputed the best and most considerable citie of the kingdom , and had the greatest priveleges and immunities , which the natives did enjoie , for the notable services they had don to the deceased kings . therefore it could not bee thought , that toledo treated or intended anie thing , but what might suit with his majestie 's service ; moreover , if hee pleased to look upon what gentlemen had gon into flanders , to serv his majestie against king fernando's will ( venturing there , not onely their own lives and fortunes , but their friend's and kindred's also ) hee would finde that the most of them were of toledo . and that those of that citie , were the cheif means of paying the subsidies to king phillip . and since that citie produced such gallant men , hee ought not to beleiv that it 's intention ever was other , then to do his majestie service . the secretary francisco de los covos heard all this discours . these and divers other means the toledian commissioners used by favor of som great one 's about the emperor , to obtain a revocation of their banishment , but nothing would do , for xeures and other castilians of the privie council , opposed it . don alonso suarez prudently considering that their business was foyled , and in danger of beeing utterly lost , performed what hee was commanded , and never after put himself into those troubles , neither did hee meddle during all the commotions of castilla , whereby hee lost nothing . don pedro lasso did the like ( though late ) not understanding sooner that hee disserved the king. thus ended the embassage of toledo , which was so boldly and couragiously performed by these gentlemen . before the emperor departed from santjago hee installed knight of the order the earl of santisteuan , the marquess of villena's son . the ceremony was celebrated with great sol●mnity at the great altar in santjago's church . sect ▪ xix . on tuesday in the holie week before easter , a post came from toledo with an express to recall their commissioners ; this post was dispatch't before there was any notice of their beeing banished from court. hee brought letters to his majestie , som from the assemblie of the citie , others from the chapter of their cathedral church , and from the monasteries and fryeries , humbly begging therein a favorable treatment of their commissioners , not as yet knowing what had passed . moreover they mentioned how don antonio de cordoua ( the earl of cabra's brother ) their governor , then beeing at toledo , had produced certain orders from his majestie to iohn de padilla , hernando de avalos , and gonsalo gaytan , whereby they were commanded to make their personal appearance at court , within a certain time , under penaltie for default . the reason that toledo gave , why these gentlemen did not obey , was , that they were emploied about som affairs concerning the publick good , and that their absence would bee prejudicial to the whole citie . and therefore they beseeched that his majestie would suspend his command for the present . the gentlemen that stayed at padron , sent this dispatch , with the instructions they had from toledo , to alonso ortiz , who remained at court. hee presently went to the monasterie of san salvador , half a league from the citie ( where the emperor had retired himself for the holie week ) and desired to enter to deliver the letters to his majestie , but hee found no admittance . meeting secretarie covos , hee acquainted him with his business , and told him that hee had letters to deliver to the emperor from toledo , covos told xeures this , who forthwith sent for ortiz , and bad him give him the letters . but ortiz desired to bee excused , for hee had order to deliver them into the emperor●s own hands , and to none els . xeures told him , that the emperor having received the sacrament that morning , was yet at his devotion , and hee could not speak with him . then they fell to discours again about those gentlemen's banishment , and grew so hot at it , that xeures went away distasted , and ortiz remained with small satisfaction . a little after covos came , and told ortiz that xeures called him . ortiz went , and xeures told him , that resolvedly hee could say nothing as touching their banishment , so without any more words hee went into another room . ortiz stayed behinde with don garcia de padilla , who blaming exceedingly the proceedings of toledo , said , if his counsel might bee taken , the emperor should go thither ( it would bee but ten daies work ) and inflict som exemplary punishment upon them , that were occasion of those troubles , whereby the rest might bee deterred and quieted . i wish to god hee would , said ortiz , for then his majestie would see the great damages they suffered , and give order for som redress . so they parted , and ortiz went that night to speak with the lord chancellor , for hee saw there was no possibilitie of delivering his letters to the emperor , nor of speaking with him . the chancellor and ortiz spent a great part of the night , without concluding anie thing to the purpose . the emperor remained at santjago , untill the thursday in easter week , and then departed for the groyn , where hee made his entrance on saturday following . thither repaired also the parlament-men and commissioners to conclude all their businesses . there were produced the testimonies , supplications and acts , which the regidores and council of toledo had made concerning the commanding them to appear at the court , and the power which the citie sent to alonso ortiz , charging him to do all the diligences therein expedient , which hee did , and presented himself to the secretary ramirez . and moreover were delivered the second orders for their appearance , with greater penalties , which had bin sent to toledo and notified to the gentlemen there . sect . xx. by this time toledo had notice of their commissioner's banishment , and of the ill success of their affairs in court , which , added to the distaste those orders had bred in them , so exasperated their mindes that their passions grew beyond the bounds of moderation . som were seazed with fear , others with vaporing speeches carried it very high , and set themselvs to excite the people against the iudges , and those that shewed themselvs desirous to advance their prince's service , possessing them that this was for the publick good , and that it was their interests and profit , that then was in agitation , especially hernando de avalos , iohn de padilla , and som others of their faction . it is true , at the beginning of these disorders , iohn de padilla was the onely bouttefeu , hernando de avalos and other gentlemen were his abettors and promoters , who added fewel to the fire , beeing persons of mature age and experience and had acquired the repute of wise men amongst the common people . iohn de padilla's fault was , that hee was young , not above thirtie years of age , and not verie readie witted either , but good natured , and easie to bee perswaded to any thing , they would put him upon : and hee wanted no instigation from these gentlemen and his wife donia maria pacheco , who was one of the kingdome 's firebrands . they possessed the vulgar with a thousand follies , and lies intermingled with som trueths . that the emperor , deserted the kingdome , that hee left strangers to govern , that his favorites and officers had robb'd the kingdom , leaving the countrie lean , poor and dismantled of all it's fruits and wealth : these things they caused to bee published in the pulpits , and to the end they might the better communicate their passion , and give everie one a dose of this infectious drug , they advised to assemble the people . in that citie there is a great congregation or fraternitie called the fraternitie of charitie , which used every year to make a solemn procession ; upon this occasion there was one ordained to go from st iusta's church to the cathedral . som ( especially don hernando de silva , antonio alvarez de toledo , and others of their opinion ) knowing to what end this solemnitie was ordayned , highlie opposed it , saying that , it was prejudicial to the king , and that it was onely a plot and cunning trick of those that were disaffected , and don hernando required the chief of the congregation not to make anie such tumultuous meetings ( under color of devotion ) to disturb the people to the king's prejudice and dishonor of justice , for if they did , hee with his friends and servants would hinder it . they valued not these words but rejoiced that don hernando de silva did appear in the business , for that would open them the way ( as they desired ) to augment the distemper of the people , and enkindle their indignation . and it fell out so , for the people resenting and condemning highly don hernando's request , looked on him as an enimie of the countrie , and as one that did not onely contradict and hinder the good of the common people ; but also the most sacred practices of devotion . to bee short , they did go in procession and in the letanie they praied that god would enlighten the understanding and direct the heart of the emperor well and piously to rule and govern those kingdoms . don hernando did not execute his intention , beeing advertised to the contrarie by the governor , to avoid further scandal . in the procession there were som things done , more then needed , in scorn and derision of those that did not follow that opinion , and much murmuring against them . wherewith the people generally thence forwards were so infected , and divers grew so audacious , that justice had no force nor respect among them . the disorder and confusion became excessive , and there was nothing in the citie done , for the most part , or concluded in council or without , but what was dictated or approved by hernando de avalos , and iohn de padilla . so don hernando de sylva resolved to leav toledo and go to the emperor . sect . xxi . the emperor knew all this , when alonso ortiz petitioned concerning the orders for the officers of toledo to appear in court , and commanded to bee delivered the second orders , that i mentioned , which were notified . iuan de padilla delt with two gentle-men ( his kinsmen ) one called pedro de acunia ( who married one of his sisters ) the other diego de merlo ( who married a cousin-german of his ) both powerful men in toledo : telling them , they knew that the emperor had sent for him and other gentlemen of the citie , to make their personal appearance at court. and that upon the first and second orders they had excused themselvs , but the third command beeing com , they could not bauk it . they had a thought , ( becaus they would not have their not obeying seem to bee their faults , but rather that they could not go ) that those gentlemen with their allies , abbettors , friends and servants , assembling together should make a kinde of mutinie in the citie , and apprehending them should detain them and by no means consent to their departure , whereof having certificate , they might send it to the court for their defence , and by that invention bee freed from the penalties mentioned in the orders . those two gentlemen pedro de acunia and diego de merlo ( who had bin bred at court ) prudently considering what iohn de padilla and the rest of his consorts demanded , told them , that proposition sounded not well in their ears , and they desired to bee excused for not ingaging in so rash and unadvised an enterprise . iohn de padilla and the rest , perceiving there was no hopes of bringing these men to their byas , went and agreed with the fryars of st augustin and those of st iuan de los reyes , that the general procession beeing com from the cathedral church to the augustines , and the people all assembled , those fryars should lay hands upon them ( whom his majestie had commanded to appear in court ) ( which they alleadged they might safely do , in regard men of their coat had nothing to loos , and were exempt besides from any punishment the king could iuflict upon them . ) this beeing agreed upon , it hapned that going in the procession hernando de avalos and don francisco de herrera , a canon of toledo and chaplain major of the king's chappel ( who was afterwards arch-bishop of granada ten daies onely ) fell to words ; which occasioned so great a nois and hurly-burly amongst the people , that to pacifie them the former agreement was forgotten , so their design took no effect . padilla and his consorts , seeing they could not accomplish their desires , that the emperor departed not the kingdom as yet , and that the prefixed time of their appearance at court was exspired , fearing least the governor of toledo should execute the penalties specified in the orders , or apprehend them and send them to court ▪ they resolved to accost certain mean fellows of scandalous and mutinous dispositions that led a shifting and discontented life about the citie , the chief whereof were one called xara , and a petifogging solliciter ) to whom they promised large rewards , giving them order , with the rest of their gang , to seiz upon them . these fellows knowing that hernando de avalos iohn de padilla , and the rest , were great sticklers for the good of the kingdom , and that particularly for the benefit of that citie they had exposed themselvs to so great danger , they thought themselvs obliged to countenance and assist them , and not to suffer them to go out of toledo , and were glad of the emploiment ; for besides that of their own disposition they were seditious , and na●urally affected novelties , the hope of recompence , and seeing what esteem and value those gentlemen set upon them , animated them with a desperate vain courage to doe , as followeth . sect . xxii . hernando de avalos and iohn de padilla , seeing their design goe forward to their own contentments , agreed to make a shew as if they intended to perform the emperror's commands , in appearing at court. so beeing fitted for the journey they took witnesses of their departure , the sixteenth of april : iohn de padilla was no sooner out of his hous , but a rabble of forty or fiftie men ( who had the watch-word ) met him in the street , and in a violent tumultuous manner laying hands on him , som cryed out , let us keep iohn de padilla here , let him not go to the court : others , let us never consent that hee or any of the other gentlemen should go out of toledo ; for that would bee the ruine of the common-people , and it were an exceeding crueltie and ingratitude to let them go to the court to suffer there . hereupon the people so flocked from all parts of the citie , that in very short time they exceeded the number of six thousand men ; most of them beeing armed , cryed out with loud voices , kill kill xeures and the flemings that have robb'd spain , and let hernando de avalos , and iohn de padilla ( the fathers and defenders of this republick ) live , let them live : with this tumultuous nois and hubbub they hurried away iohn de padilla prisoner , notwithstanding hee protested and required them ( with a cunningly framed dissimulation ) that they would let him go to fulfil the commands hee had received from his majestie . having put him into a chappel in a part of the cathedral church , called the bishop don pedro tenoma's cloister , they made him swear as hee was a gentlman , that hee would remain a prisoner in that chappel , and not offer to stir out of it without leav or order from them . then they fetched hernando de avalos , gonsalo gaytan , don pedro de ayala and the rest , and committing them all prisoners in the same chappel , they set guards upon them . these gentlemen made protest upon protest against that detaining of them , whereby they were disenabled to undertake their journie to c●urt , and perform what the emperor's orders imported , but they were very glad within themselvs of that invention so handsomly to prevent their going . sect . xxiii . this done , the same mutineers went to the governor don antonio de cordoua , and required him to recall and make void the notification of the emperor's orders , which hee had made to those gentlemen , and chiefly that hee would command them , under pain of death , not to obey that summons . the governor began to shew his courage , and commanded a proclamation to bee read in every street , that they should all retire to their dwellings and lay down their armes . but they slighted his autoritie and in stead of obeying , they began to cry out , som let us kill him , others let us turn him and all his officers out , and choos others for the communalty . seeing himself in this danger , and possessed with a panick fear , to pleas the people , hee did what they required , and sent immediately to the gentlemen prisoners an absolute command not to go out of the citie , but remain there , for so doing would bee more conducing to his majestie 's service . hereof they took certificates , which they sent to alonso ortiz , that hee might present them to his majestie in their defence , which hee did accordingly , and spake to som of the council about it , believing the matter had been really so , and urging for instance that his majestie did not see what was most expedient for the kingdome 's good , as they desired . som are of opinion that if the governor of toledo had punished that seditious tumult in stead of condescending to their desires ( which hee might then have don ) hee had prevented a world of miserie and mischief , that was occasioned by the succeeding war. for the beginners of that hubbub were not many , and of meanest of the people . and at that time there were divers gentlemen in toledo , who would have assisted him in the suppressing of them , especially don iohn de sylva with divers of his kindred and opinion , although som of them were drawn the other way . the governor's timiditie and want of resolution so much emboldned the people , that they seized on him and others that would have prosecuted against the first and chief instruments of this commotion . which had been otherwise carried if the governor had had so much spirit and courage as hee ought , but that was so little , that hee retired himself into his hous , where hee continued som few dayes without anie power or respect , after which hee left the citie for fear least the people should murther him . sect . xxiv . hernando de avalos and iohn de padilla perceiving that to avoid one mischief they had fallen into a greater , bethought themselvs that ( in respect the emperor was then ready to go out of the kingdom , to excuse and free themselvs from the punishment which the governor ( though hee deferred it ) was to inflict upon them ) it would bee most expedient for their purpose to incite the whole people to rise up in arms , and having possessed themselvs of the justice , the fort , and the bridges , to defend themselvs against whomsoever . to this effect they solicited som fryers and priests to declare with aggravation in their pulpits the damages and miseries the kingdom then suffered , that no offices nor benefices of value were bestowed upon the natives , but the flemings enjoied all ▪ that no places of trust or honor were conferred upon them , for either their's or their predecessor's merits or services , but must bee purchased with great sums of monie . thus began the priests to move the people's hearts , commending and applauding much what they had don , and urging that the kingdom was tyranised over : that the castilians were debased and vilified . that they should bee loaded with new taxes , that every head of cattle should pay such a rate , and every hous so much . and that in this respect whosoever would ingage himself in the defence of the kingdom , with the liberties and freedoms thereof , should purchase an eternall memorie . hereupon the fire grew so violent that those who discreetly would not ingage in these combustions , for fear of beeing murthered , were enforced either to flie from the citie , or confine themselvs to their own houses . and the most considerable , amongst whom were som regidores and iurates of the citie , took refuge in the fort with don iohn de rivera , or sylva , who kept it at his own charge , and was retired thither , with som of his kindred , children , and servants . thence hee sent to his tenants in several places to bring him in provisions , for the sodain and unexspected necessitie of his flying thither did not permit to furnish himself with what was needful . and those of the communalty ( as they already styled themselvs ) which was the rest of the citie , following them who took upon them to bee the most wise , set themselvs to fortifie and repair the wals and places of importance , fearing the damage they might receive from abroad ( for within they feared nothing ) and possessed themselvs of the gates and bridges which were under don iohn's command . sect . xxv . things beeing in this condition the earl of palma , don luis puerto carrero fearing the mischiefs this commotion might produce , sent an express to inform the emperor of the several passages in the citie , that h●e might sodainly provide som remedy . in this interim , don pedro lasso , don alonso suarez , miguel de hita and alonso ortiz were com again all to sant●ago , and although som gentlemen , their friends had counselled them to bee gon in order to his majestie 's commands , and not to stay any longer about the court , becaus the emperor ( beeing already incensed at the audaciousness of the toledians ) might perchance command them to bee punished , as believing them to bee the occasioners thereof . yet they still continued at sant●ago without fearing much what could befal them . the constable of castilla and garci lasso de la vega , don pedro lasso's brother , seeing this , earnestly desired the king's soliciter ( who was resident at toledo ) that hee would with all expedition go to sant●ago , and perswade them to depart thence , becaus don pedro lasso had but five dayes remaining of the forty which were limited him to retire to gibraltar . the soliciter presently took post for santjago , and communicated to them what the constable and garci lasso had injoined him , besides hee told them his own opinion and how rotten the hearts of the people were in toledo ▪ hee prevailed with don pedro lasso , that he should depart the next day ( which hee did ) . passing through zamora hee declared there what commands had bin layd upon him , which troubled and incensed the people , as you shall see hereafter . sect . xxvi . the common people of toledo beeing thus distempered , they determined to possess themselvs of the fort as well as of the gates and bridges of the citie . to this effect a nois was spread amongst them that don iohn de sylva was a traytor to the good of the communalty , and that it was fit to take the fort from him and turn him out of toledo . the multitude gathered together to assault it , and in regard during the reigns of the catholick kings there had bin so much peace and so little use of armes , all forts and places of strength were very ill repaired , and unprovided aswel of arms as victuals . don iohn perceiving the people's fury and malice ( as you have heard ) fortified himself the best hee could , taking into the fort with him divers gentlemen and others to the number of about four hundred , all resolved to defend themselvs against the people , if assailed by them . the multitude perceiving this , determined first to take the gates and bridges of the citie ; so they went forthwith to the gate of visagra , and to the port of cambron which they gained without resistance . one of the iurates called miguel de hita ( who the● was joint-commissioner with don pedro lasso and don alonso suarez ) was commander of the bridg of alcantara , in whose absence his lievtenant could not so wel defend the tower of the bridg but that in short time they were masters of it . thence they went to st martin's bridg , whereof was commander clement de aguayo a man of great courage , and hee had provided himself with som friends and servants to help him , they assaulted him desperately , and hee with no less resolution defended himself , until by meer strength they forced an entrance into the first tower of the bridg on that side towards the citie , for such infinites of common people and gentry flocked thither ( many thinking that rising to bee upon better grounds and with a better intention then afterwards it appeared ) and the boyes flowed in such multitudes thither , that with brick-bats and stones from an eminent place neer t●ey made them quit the top of the tower. the assault beeing thus hot from several parts , at last they made breaches and entred with such fury , that taking the commander they wounded him sorely in two places and threatned to hang him , if hee would not send to command the other tower of the bridg towards the fields to bee surrendred to them ; but hee couragiously putting his life to the venture would send no such order . hee beeing secured they fell desperately upon the other tower , but they within seeing the success of the former and their commander taken , had not the courage to stand out , but delivered it immediately to the citie , thus they got all the bridges and gates into their own hands . thence they marched in very great numbers ( all armed ) to the fort , resolving to take it by assault if it were not sodainly surrendred to them . som religious men grieving much at the mischiefs and death of divers persons which must needs ensue so violent an assayling , became mediators betwixt don iohn de sylva ( who defended the fort ) and the better sort of those that came against it : this treaty continued a good while ; at length don iohn seeing divers of his neer kinsmen against him , his friends and allies , and considering that hee wanted provisions to make anie long resistance , to avoid the damages his standing out might have occasioned , suffered himself to bee perswaded to deliver up the fort , upon condition that one of his own servants should remain as commander having first taken the oath of fealty . thus on saturday of april don iohn and his children with the other gentlemen and friends that were retired thither , came out of the fort , and went to a village of his four leagues thence , from which place hee wrote again to the emperor informing him how the people had taken the fort from him , and possessed themselvs of all the gates and bridges of the citie , which news incensed his majestie very much , yet hee did not resolve to send any souldiery thither , becaus every one told him that beeing a business of no foundation , it must needs fall again of it self . all this passed before the governor went out of the citie , or gave up his staff. so all the common people , conducted by their chiefs , went next unto his hous and made him swear that hee should hold his staff , or acknowledg his autoritie and office as from the communalty of toledo . hee beeing affrighted with this tumult , condescended to what they would have him do ; the people soon after broke out , and did what they listed , seeing him so helpless and so void of resolution . the citie thus wanting both governor and don iohn de sylva , those of the communaltie became freemen and lords of all , they constituted deputies , and began to settle a form of government at their own pleasures , saying they did it in the name of the king , queen and communaltie . in this manner began the great troubles and commotions of toledo . sect ▪ xxvii . don pedro lasso arrived at a village of his , called cueua , in his way to gibraltar , whither hee intended to go like a good and loial subject in obedience to his majestie 's command , although the fortie dayes ( hee was limited ) were expired . but toledo having notice of his beeing there , they sent to desire him to return to the citie . hee would have excused himself , saying that hee was to repair to gibraltar in order to that which the emperor had commanded . whereupon they ordered a party of hors to seiz upon him and bring him thither , hee not beeing able to withstand them , went ( though seemingly ) against his will , and got privately into his own hous , but could not keep himself long concealed , for the people gathering presently together went to his hous , and forcing him to com forth , carried him to the church . hee rode on horsback and the people went on foot by him with great acclamations of joie applauding and extolling the valor and resolution hee had shewen in their behalfs ( for indeed at that time hee was beloved and highly esteemed not onely of that people , but of the whole kingdom ) ▪ this favor and honor which everie one did him made him not reflect so soon upon his error . for don pedro was a very sweet dispositioned gentleman without malice , and , besides his good natur● , a great friend to justice and the weal of his country , and therefore hee ingaged so far in those first broils . whosoever knew what hee was , will acknowledg all this , for the noble bloud that ran in his veins would not suffer him to degenerate from his ancestor's generositie , who were of the grandees of spain , hee beeing son to don garci lasso de la vega , comendador mayor de leon , ( one of the most renowned gentlemen that were in the times of the catholick kings ) ; sa●cha de guzman ladie of batres , descended from that most illustrious familie of the guzmans of leon , was his mother . hee was nephew to don gomez xuarez de figueroa father to the first earl of feria , and to the lady eluina lasso de la vega , sister to the marquis of santillana , which two houses vega and mendosa , were of the most illustrious families of all spain . this was his extraction , and it is to bee expected that his thoughts and desires to serv his prince should bee correspondent , as the emperor and his son king philip had good experience of afterwards . who in times very troublesom ( when they had need of men of resolution and loialty ) sent garci lasso , don pedro lasso's son , their embassador to paul the fourth about businesses of very high consequence and great difficulty . i finde my self obliged to this digression for the honor of so noble a person , it beeing no less then my dutie not to suffer such eminent virtues to bee buried in oblivion , although it doth somwhat hinder the story . sect . xxviii . it was generally voted by the communalty of toledo ( which already gave themselvs the attribute of holie ) for further security of their place and persons , that it was expedient to turn the governor and all his officers out of the citie , notwithstanding hee had taken an oath to officiate for them . for the better effecting whereof they raised a mutinie pretending to kill him , and to take away the staves from him , his lievtenant and other officers , who presently delivered them for fear of their lives . the governor , the lord chief justice and the high sheriff , fled to don pedro lasso's hous for refuge , where hee secured them , and hernando de avalos with som other gentlemen : the tumult of the common people beeing appeased , they were conducted out of the citie on foot , then they took hors and rode to alcala de henares . whence the governor sent one of his officers , named don pedro del castillo , to inform the emperor of these passages in toledo . the citie set guards at all their gates and avenues , that no body should go out to give notice of their proceedings , nor anie one com in without beeing examined who hee was , whence hee came and what letters hee brought . all this was done by the general command and consent of all the gentlemen that assisted in this insurrection of the common people , and all the fryers and priests , excepting som few who absented and withdrew themselvs , though with danger of their lives . the order they kept to conform themselvs in these disorders , was , that every time they were to treat of anie business , the inhabitants of every perticular parish were to assemble , and two publick notaries with them , before whom every man , how mean soever , was to sit down and declare his opinion . sect . xxix . the th of maie in the same year was published at the groyn this rising of toledo , som were glad of it , others sorry , every one according as hee stood affected . som advised the emperor to take post and go to toledo , and inflict som exemplarie punishment upon the principal delinquents , which might bee a means to keep the whole kingdom in subjection . the emperor beeing young and full of spirit approved of that counsel , but monsieur de xeures disswaded him , fearing greater disorders if hee went thither , and knowing the strength and scituation of that citie , besides considering the heat of the people's fury , and that the mischief would bee greater , if they had the impudence to affront him in person , as it was probable they would , fearing to bee punished for what they had don already ; that their fury beeing most violent in the beginning ( which time alone could mitigate and appeas ) their first impetuosity would soon bee over , as most commonly it is observed in such commotions , which kindled with a little fire and without any grounds , are allayed again with as little water . besides all these allegations xeures had a longing desire to bee in his own country , verifying in that this saying , that wheresoever the treasure is , there is the heart also . moreover the emperor had a particular necessitie , for a thousand reasons which neerly concerned the reputat●on of his person , not to defer his departure , but rather to hasten it all hee could , beeing exceedingly urged by the princes electors , and that hee might not give his enemies anie time to hinder the election of the empire , the king of england beeing then likewise in expectation of som interest therein . and besides it was of no small consequence for him to bee gon , before the king of france was joined with the king of england , who were reported to meet the first of iune at calis . these considerations setled the emperor's determination of going into germanie , his council supposing that the business of toledo would go no further , no body imagining what afterwards did ensue . sect . xxx . things beeing in the condition i have declared , the commissioners of toledo never came to the parlament , which was concluded by them that were there , who granted his majestie the subsidie hee desired , which was two hundred millions of marauediz to bee payd in three years , whereunto som would not consent , and those that did had trouble and displeasure enough from their cities for it . salamanca , toro , madrid , murcia , cordoua , and toledo opposed , whose commi●sioners had no hand in the granting it , neither came they into the parlament-hous ; one of the commissioners of leon refused it , the other consented . of those that did allow it , som were induced thereto by their own particular interests , few out of zeal or affection to his majestie 's service . the emperor beeing ready to depart , onely staying for a winde , and his desire granted for matter of subsidie ( although som of his council were of opinion that hee should not receiv it , as don alonso telles , lord of la puebla de montalvan , bishop mota and francisco de vargas ) his majestie sent for those grandees of the kingdom that were then there , who were don diego lopez de pacheco marquis of villena , don inigo de velasco constable of castilla , the earl of venavente , the duke of alburquerque , the duke of medina celi , the marquis of astorga , the earl of lemos , the earl of monterrey , and the commissioners of the kingdom then present , to whom hee sayd hee was then ready to depart , beeing neerly concerned in the election of the empire , and that , god willing , hee would sodainly return , in mean time hee left governor of those kingdomes the cardinal adriano bishop of tortosa one of his council , who was a person eminent for his learning and good conscience , and hee required and commanded them to assist and favor him that his kingdomes might bee well governed . the major part of these gentlemen disliked this motion for som reasons , whereof one was that the cardinal was a stranger , but som approving it , the emperor took no notice of the opposers , neither did hee admit of any replies . sect . xxxi . the emperor being at the groyn divers requests were made to him in the kingdom●s name , as followeth , that his majestie would bee pleased to return speedily into those kingdomes and govern them in his own person , as his predecessors had done . for nothing that they could ask him would bee so satisfactor●e and acceptable to those kingdoms as his safe and speedy return , in regard spain was not accustomed to bee without their king , neither could they bee governed by any other with the peace and quiet which is necessary and expedient . that assoon as hee should com back hee would bee pleased to marry for the universal good of the kingdoms , that they might have the seed of his roial person to succeed him , in regard his age did require it . that the queen's court might bee put into such order as was suitable to the dignitie of her roial person and the honor of those kingdoms . that shee might have officers of trust about her , who should bee well treated and incouraged with good rewards . that at his return hee would bee pleased to bring with him no flemings , french , or other strangers , to have any office of importance in those kingdoms , but that hee would advance and employ the natives of that country who would serv him with much loyaltie and affection . that those kingdoms beeing at peace and under his majestie 's subjection , hee would not bring anie souldiers of forreign countries for defence thereof , or to bee guards of his own person . alleadging that in that countrie the people beeing very warlike and of courage enough to conquer other nations , what might they think could bee the reason , but his distrust of them , if hee should take strangers for his guard . that hee would govern and settle his hous in such order as the catholick kings his forefathers , and other kings his predecessors had done . that no wages or pensions should bee given to the wives or children of anie courtiers that were not in service , unless in acknowledgment and recompence of services done by the father deceased , hee would gratifie the surviving children . that in regard there were many superfluous offices added in the queen's houshould , which were not of former times , they should bee all taken away again , and no salaries allowed for them . that no grandee should have anie office in the king 's or queen's houshould as in relation to the exchequer or treasurie . that whilest his majestie was absent the salaries of his domesticks should bee payed out of his own revenue . that the governors they were to have during his absence might bee natives of either of those kingdomes of castilla or leon. that such governors might have pow●er to confer anie offices or dignities of the kingdom , except , bishopricks , lievtenantships , and commanderies of orders . that neither the king nor anie noblemen should give billets for lodging , and in case they did that the people should not bee obliged to reciev them unless they listed . but when his majestie goeth his progress , that there should bee lodgings and furniture provided for his familie and court gratis , so that hee make no longer stay then fifteen dayes in a place , if more , afterwards hee should pay ; and that his guard and souldiery bee lodged and quartered according to the usual manner . that there should bee one hundred lodgings and no more provided for his majestie 's familie at the charge of the place where hee shall stay . that there should bee no lodging allowed for those of the council , judges , nor anie such like officers . that the king should not give general or particular billets for the lodging of anie . that the taxes and impositions should bee reduced to a certain number , and the pole-monie set at a just and moderate rate , whereby the people might perceiv the grace and favor his majestie did them . that the subsidies granted by the commissioners at the groyn , should not bee received nor demanded , neither should there bee anie ●ew taxes or extraordinary tribute imposed upon the kingdome without som evident necessitie , and that it were thought requisite for the good of the kingdom and his majestie 's service . that the king should not ●end any instructions to the cities , or form of granting powers , nor nominate any particular men for officers : but that the cities and towns should have the freedom and libertie to bestow and confer their powers upon such men as they should finde zealous for the good of their republicks . that the commissioners in parlament should have the libertie to meet when and where they pleased , and to discours and confer freely with one another . that such commissioners during their emploiment , should not receiv of the king anie office , favor or gift whatsoever , for themselvs , their wives , children or kindred , under pain of death and confiscation of goods , and that those goods should bee employed for the publick reparations of the citie or town whereof they were commissioners , to the end that they should bee the more careful to do onely that which was most expedient for the glory of god , the service of his majestie and good of the kingdom . that everie commissioner or burgess should have a competent allowance from the place whose persons they represented . that the parlament beeing ended , the several commissioners should return within forty dayes to give account of what they had done under pain of losing their wages and emploiment . that no gold or silver , coyned or to bee coyned , should bee transported out of the kingdom under pain of death ; in regard the contrary having been done the kingdomes were impoverished and destroied . that there should bee monie coyned differing as well in value as stamp from that of the neighboring countries , and that it should bee of a base alloy two carats under the rate of the finest gold . that in weight and value it should bee answerable to the crowns of gold which are coyned in france : becaus that would bee a means that it should not bee transported . manie other artickles were given in touching gold and silver , the particular favors and rewards of the king , and other matters of justice : but that which they insisted most upon was , that the councils should bee strictly looked to . that the chancery and other courts in the kingdom should bee visited or reviewed from six to six years , and that all suits should bee dispatched in order , and determined whithin a certain time without any delay . that there should bee no appealing from court to court , but that each case should bee decided at it's own tribunal . that no counsellor or other whosoever should enjoie two offices , but should apply himself to one onely . these and manie other things the nobles and commissioners of the kingdom desired , but they fell into the hands of strangers , the king beeing young and full of thoughts of his voiage and possession of his empire ; so they remained . and in regard these and other such like propositions were slighted and layd aside ( though presented with much zeal and affection ) the whole kingdom burst out , and slipping in one , they fell into the precipice of manie inconveniences , ( as it is commonly seen ) . they desired one thing , verie holie , in the chapter concerning ecclesiastical dignities and pensions , that they should not bee conferred upon strangers , and that the acts of naturalization which had been made should bee revoked . that in the ecclesiastical courts there should bee no more duties payed , then in the secular , and that they should observ the same statute . ( which i would it were well seen unto in these times . ) there were likewise som complaints and petitions given in against pedrarias de avila , a gentleman of good note and quality ( brother to the earl of punio en rostro ) and who had done great services ; yet hee was accused by som of his enemies and charged for having put manie to death unjustly at the discoverie of the indies , and committed divers robberies and tyrannies . there were seaven consultations hereupon , and pedrarias was quitted by them all ; and the emperor himself ( taking particular notice of the services which hee had done at oran in africa , and the taking of buxia , besides other places in the indies ) freed him notwithstanding these fals and passionate accusations , and confirmed him in the government and charge which formerly had been conferred upon him , and gave him som rewards besides . but all this was not sufficient to stop the mouths of his enemies , who gave occasion to strangers not onely of speaking ill , but also of writing against this gentleman , who was valiant in his own person , and of antient extraction in this kingdom ; and others ( not knowing to the contrary ) have followed them in the prejudicial censure of this nation and the nobilitie thereof . sect ▪ xxxii . to the grief of those gentlemen who took ill cardinal adriano's beeing governor , by a general consent of the council , and don antonio de rojas arch-bishop of granada , then president , hee was confirmed governor of castilla and navarra jointly with those of his council , who were don alonso tellez lord of la-puebla de montalvan , hernando de vega chancellor of the order in castilla , don iohn de fonseca bishop of burgos , don antonio de rojas arch-bishop of granada and president of his majestie 's council of justice , and francisco de vargas treasurer general ; these were to reside at valladolid . antonio de fonseca lord of coca was appointed captain general of the kingdom , and don iohn , brother to the bishop of burgos , his treasurer . don iohn de la nuza was governor of aragon , don diego de mendoza , brother to the marquis of zenete , vice-roy of valencia . all being thus ordered for the government of the kingdom , and the winde coming faire , upon saturday the .th of may at sun-set , the emperor commanded to bee proclaimed , that all the mariners and his retinue should goe on board that night , for the next day in the morning hee would set saile . sunday the .th of may before day hee did his devotion and received the sacrament , after which hee tooke ship , don alonso de fonseca arch-bishop of santjago , don iuan de fonseca bishop of burgos , don inigo de velasco constable of castilla and leon , don diego lopez pacheco marquis of villena , don alonso pimentel earl of benavente , don iohn osorio marquis of astorga , and divers other persons of quality waited on him to the sea-side : those that imbarked with him were don fadrique de toledo duke of alva , the marquis of villa franca and his son , don hernando de andrade earl of andrade , don diego hurtado de mendoza , who did great services to the emperor , and monsieur de xeures with the rest of the flemings . so with a most harmonious noise of minstrels and trumpets they weighed ancker , and set saile with great acclamations of joy , leaving sad spaine over-charged with sorrow and misfortunes . they shaped their course directly for england , and the sixth day the whole fleet arrived at the downs . the same day ( being whitsunday ) the emperor landed with all his nobility and servants , where hee was received by the cardinal of england , favorite to king henry the eight , and by whom hee was much governed . the same night the king of england came by post thither , the expressions of affection and the great contentment which the king of england seemed to take in his majestie 's company , were beyond relation ; the next day the two king 's went to visite st tho : of canterburie's tomb , where queen katherine , wife to king henry and aunt to the emperor , attended them in a sumptuously adorned palace , wherein they spent the three dayes of whitsuntide with great jollity and feasting . the holy-daies being past , and the princes having treated sufficiently of what concerned them , and confirmed a peace with great testimonies of affection on both sides , the emperor took leave of his aunt and the king , and went to deal a harbour in the same island . and so imbarked again and sailed to flushing . his arrivall was incredibly welcom to the inhabitants of all those provinces , the same expressions of joy were all germany over ( assoon as they knew of his landing ) where hee was infinitely desired . hee went from holland into flanders without anie stay , but in all places where hee did pass , hee was most splendidly entertained , especially at gant , where margarita his aunt , and the infante don fernando his brother ( who was arch-duke of austria ) exspected his coming . thence hee went towards calis to visit again the king and queen of england , who mean time the emperor was at sea , met the king of france there , who endeavoured all hee could to possess the king of england ? with a disaffection of the emperor , whose power and greatnesse hee envied and repined at . having made this second visit the emperor returned to gant , where hee put himself in fit equipage to receiv the crown at aquisgran . where we will leave him for the present and return to relate the the miseries and troubles of spain . sect . xxxiii . the emperor's departure was diversly resented in spain , those that were honestly minded and of sober and quiet dispositions approved of it , esteeming it just and requisite , but feared much what after did ensue . but the factious and seditious party were otherwise affected , they rejoiced at it , and hugged themselvs in the fancie and vain hope of increasing their estates and reputation with these dissensions and alterations , delighting ( as the proverb saith ) to fish in troubled water . the emperor being gone from the groyn , all the nobilitie and gentrie which stayed behinde returned to their owne houses , and the commissioners or burgesses of parlament , repayred to their respective cities and towns with feare enough of their republicks . the cardinal and those of his council tooke their way towards valladolid , and before they arrived there , newes was brought them of the commotions of the cities of castilla . the emperor was very ill advised in not leaving the government of those kingdoms to some nobleman of that countrie ; as was desired of him in parlament , whom as a grandee of note and power they might feare , and love , honor and respect him as their countryman . or if they had done as ( when necessitie constrained them ) they did afterwards , all had been well ; the fault being laid upon xeures , hee sayed , that it was not so ordered , that his majestie thought there were no noblemen in castilla worthy of that honor , but because of the factions and partialities amongst them , the conferring it upon one should not disgust the others . sect . xxxiiii . the cardinal and his council being arrived at venavente , an express from don iohn de acunia governor of segovia came to them purposely to inform them of a notoriously haynous accident befallen in that citie , which was thus , one of the commissioners or burgesses that was sent thence to the parlament at santjago named iohn or antony de tordesillas , regidor and native of that citie , gave his consent to the granting the subsidies his majestie demanded . hee brought for the citie the pole-money to bee payed by way of excise and a gratuity of one hundred thousand maravediz for reparation of the walls , and for himself hee had procured a very good governement and received an office which the mint or coyning house had given for lost . it is a custome in segovia every tuesday in whitsonweek that the collectors meet to treat concerning the revenue of corpus christi church . it hapned that being all together one of them inconsiderately sayed , gentlemen ! you know that don iohn de acunia is governor of this citie , and that hee never set foot in it , and yet not satisfied to under value us , hee maintein's here certain officers to robb us , rather then to administer iustice. and i vow to god , if the former stole away our cloaks , these strip us to the very skins . moreover know that the governor hath put in here a deputy , more fool then valiant : hee is not satisfied with the injuries hee doth us by day , but hee leads a dog to catch men in the night . and my opinion is , that if any one hath done what hee ought not to doe , hee should apprehend him in his house like a christian , and not hunt him with doggs in the mountains like a moore ; for a man of any credit is more troubled at his being apprehended in the open street then at his imprisonment . a certain old man , called melon , chanced to bee present at these words , who had for many years executed the office of a sergeant or catch-pole ( as they call them ) ; and therefore was hated and abhorred by all the people . this poore man having heard the other out , and every body else holding their peaces , stood up and spake these words in favor of the justice . indeed ( gentlemen ! ) that which this man hath sayed seemeth to me not well , and mee thinks it is wors that men of such honor and credit ( as here are ) should give eare to such a man : for hee that will speak in publick of the ministers of iustice ought to have some respect and moderation in his tongue ; and in an officer of the king 's , hee ought not to look onely at his person , but to consider what his staff represent's , as touching the dog hee speak's of , that my master carrie's with him , i sweare by this cross , that , being a yong man , hee takes him with him more for his pleasure in the day time , then to catch men in the night ; and if it had been so you doe not , ( i hope ) take me to be so base , but that i should haue made it known to the people , for i am more beholding to my friends and neighbors then i am to strangers . if the officers doe any thing against law and iustice , ( which hitherto they have not done ) like christians and gentlemen wee are obliged to advise and reprove them in secret , and not defame them publickly ; and if this which i say now unto you , soundeth not well in your ears , perchance that which will result hereof will please you wors ; for ill words inconsiderately spoken somtimes are dearly repented . this speech was so ill taken by them all , that with shouting and great violence they seized on him , cast a rope about his neck , and with huge nois and exclamations they dragged him out of the citie , but they bruised him with so many stripes that hee was dead before hee came to the gallowes , yet they hung up his body upon it . as they returned from hanging this unfortunate melon , they met by the way a companion of his , called roque portalejo : to whom one of them said , as they came along , portalejo ! thy companion melon remember's him to thee , there hee hang's upon the gallows , and hee saies hee hopes thou wilt beare him company there to morrow , and t' were no great matter if wee made thee accept of his invitation , for since thou wast his companion in the fault , it is but reason thou shouldst beare a share of the punishment . portalejo replyed , god preserve the king my lord and his iustice , for one day you may repent you for what you haue done and segovia for permitting it . for the blood of the innocent , although men doe forget it , is alwaies crying out for vengeance before god. hereupon , and because they saw him with a pen and paper , one of them began to say , that hee tooke the names of those that had killed melon , upon which words they all cryed out kill him , kill him , so with the same fury in a disorderly rout , as they had done to melon , they layd hands on him , and dragged him to the gallows where they hang'd him by the feet , so the poore man dyed . they spent all that day in execution of those two ; the next day being wednesday the citie sat in counsell ; the regidor tordesillas went thither to give account of what hee had don in parlament although hee was advised to the contrary . the place of meeting was at st michael's church . the people beeing told , that tordesillas had granted the subsidie and that hee was at the council , a great number of carders ran in a tumultuous manner thither , and climing over the dores and breaking in at the windowes , they violently layed hands upon him and dragged him out of the church . antonio de tordesillas intreating them to forbeare , sayed , gentlemen ! heare me , i come to give you an account . see here the articles which i bring , bee pacified , and let us goe to some place where you may bee informed of the truth . but this satisfied not , the multitude of teazers was so outragious , some cryed , let us carry him to santa olalla ; and poor tordesillas said , whither you please gentlemen . others cryed , kill ●im , kill him , others sayed , tordesillas give us those articles . hee answered , since you will haue it so , there , take them ; then hee drew a paper out of his pocket , wherein was conteined all that hee had done in the parlament , which they tore in peeces without ever reading it . and with one voice they cryed out , to prison with him , there wee shall see his treason . then they set him upon a mule , beeing clad with a long cassock or gaberdine of crimson velvet . hee had not gone fa●r but some of them crying , art thou catched ? layed hands again upon him , and having knocked him off the mule , they hurried him into the prison , others cryed out , a rope , a rope , let ●im not stay in prison , let us have him strait to the gallowes . and presently with lowd exclamations they cryed out all together , let him die , let him die . and a rope beeing brought they put it about his neck , and plucked him down to the ground , then dragged him along the streets , punching him and giving him great blowes upon the head with the pummels of their swords , and although hee cryed out to them with grievous sighs and pitiful groans , saying , gentlemen ! heare me , why doe you kill mee ? it availed nothing . hee desired to confess , and they would not suffer him . the dean and canon● with their sacerdotal habits came forth to them , carrying the holy sacrament . and ( which was most grievous of all ) tordesilla's own brother , a franciscan fryer , a very grave man in his habit ready to say mass , and the holy sacrament in his hands , with all the rest of the fryers of st francis order came out , and kneeling all before this crew , they begged of them with tears to spare his life for christ iesu●s sake . but in regard all that rabble was of the common and baser sort of people , they made no reckoning of them , nor bore any respect or reverence to the church . then the fryers desired , if there was no remedy but that hee must die , that they would give him leav to make his confession , which they refused . and when they had brought him to the gallows , half choaked already with the rope , they tyed his feet and hung him with his head downwards , betwixt the two others they had hanged the day before . thus this poor gentleman ended his life , and doubtless his companion iohn vazquez had tasted of the same cup , had hee not absented himself , but hee escaped being advertised by this disaster . sect . xxxv . this done the common people of segovia elected their deputies of the commonalty , turned out all t●e king's officers of iustice and authorised others to officiate for them , then seized upon all the gates of the citie . about that time was come to segovia don hernando de bovadilla earl of chinchon , who had great power in the citie , having the command of the forts , gates and mint-hous ; which place was given his ancestors and him by the king for former services . the common people possessing themselvs of the gates , and a hous don hernando had within the citie , hee presently made all his servants and the officers of the gates retire into the forts , that , there might bee men enough to defend them , in case they should be assaulted , and leaving them to his brother don diego'● charge and care , hee went to a fortress of his own in the countrie and took out all the peeces of artillerie hee had there , which hee brought with more servants and other people , to reliev his brother , who was by that time besieged and streightned in those forts by the commons ; which siege lasted all the time of the troubles , and the warre was cruell on both sides , don diego defending himself with great dexterity and valor ; the generositie and loyaltie of these gentlemen was so great , that to defend the forts committed to their charge by the king , they disarmed their own , choosing rather to leave their own townes and holds openly exposed to bee destroied by the fury of the common people , then neglect or forsake that which conduced to the king's service . sect . xxxvi . this message which the post brought from segovia to the governors , declaring the crueltie done in that citie , possessed them with much trouble and care . these risings touched the cardinal to the heart , and hereupon hee entred into consultation with those gentlemen whom his majestie had appointed to assist him . after this the gentlemen and regidores of segovia sent another messinger to make their excuse to the governor , alledging , that they had nothing to doe in the death of tordesillas , nor the other two men , neither were they able to hinder it in regard of the mutinie of a great multitude of teazers of wooll , who made that scandalous uproar and outrage , men of strange places , vagabonds , and who were already dispersed and fled from the citie . that if it could bee proved that anie man of account or worth in the citie was amongst them , or but anie waie favoured , assisted , or so much as consented to their barbarous proceeding , they would willingly submit themselvs to anie punishment that could bee inflicted on them . the president of the council don antonio de rojas arch-bishop of granada grew so cholerick and furious , that through excess of passion hee gave the messengers ( whom the gentlemen regidores and citizens had sent to make their excuses ) such reproachful language and high threatnings , that it spoiled all . for returning to their citie much distasted with this answer , they were all scandaliz●d at it , and those that before were very quiet and peaceable began to incline to the mutiniers . the cardinal beeing arrived at valladolid the th of iune , the day before corpus christi eve , ( the arch-bishop beeing gon thither two daies before ) hee assembled all the council and asked their opinions , which were very different concerning this matter . and becaus they are of so much importance to the historie , i will set down som of the most remarkable which were then taken in writing . the first that spake was don antonio de rojas president of the council , who declared himself in these words . the opinion of don antonio de rojas concerning segovia . my lords ! wee , who are dedicated to the divine sacraments , have not the libertie to speak over boldly i● matters which concern humane rigors and chastisements , becaus our profession is to shed tears for those which transgress against the god of heaven , and not spill the blood of those who offend earthlie kings . you see , my lords ! if the dignitie of arch-bishop invite's me to clemencie , the office of president ( which is conferred upon mee ) constrain's me to iustice. this i say , my lords , that you m●y not bee scandalized if i declare my self in this my vote . i denie not that our lord god giveth a beginning to all things with his providence , but yet manie of them hee persu's and concludeth with his rigor and iustice. and this hee doth , that the good may bee incouraged to serv him , and the wicked refrain from displeasing him , according to this saying of the prophet , misericordiam & judicium cantabo tibi domine . to com to the purpose which now is in agitation , this action of segovia , for my particular i hold it so hainous and scandalous , that i cannot think of any punishment great enough for it . for where the offence is without weight , the penaltie ought to bee beyond measure . those of the citie of segovia have offended god in so barbarously putting to death a man , who better deserved to live then they. which wicked action is of no less consequence , then that it should wreak god's iudgments upon them , for the blood of his innocencie is no other then the crier , or proclaimer of vengeance . again , in my sense , they are guiltie of crimen laes●e majestatis , and it is very palpable ; for they did not murther tordesillas for any offence hee had done them , but for the service hee did the king in the parlament . and since for the king hee lost his life , the king is obliged to see him revenged : and in respect his majestie is gone out of castilla , to receiv the imperial crown in germanie , it will bee sufficient , if hee return in prosperitie , that hee reward his wife and children with some gratuity ; and wee are to proceed according to iustice , considering that the offence is as hainous , as if it had been done to his own person . for if i have served his majestie , beeing here present , in giving him good counsel , i shall serv him more now , my lords , in punishing misdeeds in his absence . moreover , since the king our sovereign took shipping at the groyn , this is the first act of disobedience in spain . wherefore i judge their crime the greater . for an offence committed in absence , alwaies argueth the more malice , and where the malice is so great , the punishment ought to bee correspondent . item , it is alleadged by those of segovia , that the citie in general is not guiltie of this fact , but only som particular men , carders , did hang tordesillas upon the gallows . i would fain know of them , what was the reason , why they did not punish those fellows , since they were but few ; for there is no such testimonie of innocence , as to execute iustice upon offenders . in my opinion the citie of segovia cannot plead non-guiltie in this case , for five thousand citizens ( if they had listed ) might easily have withstood the furious insolence of fiftie teazers , and those strangers too . but some secretly with their counsels , others publickly using violence , committed this insolent outrage . for if it bee a crime in wicked men to murther the good , it is no less crime in good men not to resist the wicked . you have seen , my lords , the peremptoriness of those of toledo , the king our lord beeing at his parlament in santjago and the groyn : which was so great and scandalous , that for my part i know not which was more to bee condemned their malic● in so doing , or xeures his negligence in not remedying it . wherefore i say , that if that which was done , hee being here , hath pas't unpunished , and this , which hath bin committed in his absence , be not remedyed , from henceforwards i give all castilla for lost and ruined . for this is a general maxime , if iustice once lose her force , presently start's up insulting tyrannie . item since his majestie 's departure out of this kingdom , this is the first scandal wherein it is requisite that the council make appeare their counsel and wisdom . and there is nothing that can give a greater evidence thereof , then in governing the people in such sort , that wee may gain the affections of the good , and bee no less feared by the evil . if the death of this regidor bee thus smothered , and the insolence of toledo dissembled , the carders of segovia will thinke , and the cap-makers of toledo will proclaime , that wee doe not let these things pass with our good wills , but that wee dare not punish them . and by this means iustice will bee defamed in that shee cover's feare , and which is worst of all , will lose the credite of being feared . in summ of all that i have spoken , i say , that my determinate will and opinion is , that an alcalde de corte , ( who is in n●ture of a iudge of oyer and terminer , here in england ) should goe to segovia , and what hee ought to doe in this ( although i know it ) my sacred orders doe not give me leav to express . i onely say thus much , that the iudge ought to do wors to them by iustice , then they did to tordesillas without iustice. let all that i have said in this consultation bee under your most reverend lordship's correction : and if these lords bee of any other opinion , i shall bee content to conform my self to them , for in matters of weight and moment , a man is not to defend his own opinion , but to follow that which is most expedient for the publick good . sect ▪ xxxvii . the second that was remarkeable in this consultation , was don alonso tellez giron , who in those times was esteemed a man of a good conscience , a vertuous life , of a generous ofspring , and chiefly in the opinion ( which hee delivered ) very circumspect , for hee would never give any counsel , unless hee had considered the matter throughly before hand . don antonio de rojas having ended his speech , don alonso tellez began , saying . the discreet opinion of don alonso tellez giron . it chanceth often-times amongst the most expert captains , that being upon the point of giving battle , they differ in the manner and order of their combate , and if such men take oath of their dissenting opinions , i say that kind of discord proceedeth not from any particular difference betwixt them , but that each one of them thinkes , that what hee sayes is the best and most secure way to gain the victorie that day . this i say , most reverend lord cardinal , in order to my lord arch-bishop and president his speech , which was very good and beseeming a prelate that is desirous of the publick good . but if hee and i doe differ in the meanes which is to bee used for the remedying of so great a scandal , wee shall not , i am confident , in our intentions be dissenting . i swear by the faith of a christian and a gentleman , and by this holy habit of santjago which i wear , that my soul desireth nothing at this present more , then that wee may hit upon the right way of rectifying and providing for segovia . for my mind giv's me , that if wee miss our aim in this first enterprise , we shall not bee powerful enough hereafter to execute justice . hee that is to give his sens in such occurrences , ought not only to see to the remedying of mischiefs , but to bee circumspect and warie lest the fulfilling of his vote should bee the occasion of a greater inconvenience . for it may bee already ( which god forbid ) thinking to tile segovia , wee have untiled it , and so bewetted all spain . vndoubtedly those of segovia offended god in destroying his creature , and the king in murthering him for his cause . they scandalized the republick by hanging him in that manner . and accordingly ( if it were of no further consequence ) nothing could bee more just , then that the more cruel and barbarous they have shewd themselvs in that murther , the less pitie wee should shew in chastising them . i would say in this case , that wee are able to punish segovia , or we are not able , and so likewise toledo of their rebellion : and to speak the truth , to my best sens to chastise segovia , or correct toledo is yet too soon . for being , as we are , but newly come to the government , we should grant som privileges and libertie to the people at first , to win their obedience ; and afterwards chastise them , that we may bee feared . put case wee are not powerful enough ( as i believ we are not ) to quell that high couraged stubborn people , ( if my iudgment fail me not ) i hold for most certain , that if segovia lose their respect to us , the like we shall find through all the cities of spain . moreover you know , my lords , that it hath been averred to us , that there was never a gentleman nor citizen at the murther of tordesillas , and that those teazers which had committed the fact , were fled already . the judge whom wee shall send thither , to seem that hee doth somthing , must rob the poor , chastise the innocent , disquiet the rich , defame the noble , and chiefly scandalize the bordering people , so that the untimely punishing of one man's death , may bee an occasion of destroying all . item you know , my lords , that the king , our lord , had the ill will of all his subjects for the ill government of his tutors , and certainly those of this kingdom desire to express their discontents . me think's , we should rather provide for and hinder the manifestation of the ill intentions of castilla , then to stand so much upon the rigorous chastising of the carders of segovia , for it is the part of wise men to dissemble and defer the punishment of faults already past , and forthwith apply a remedie to a present evil . item , segovia cryeth out and desire's , that if fifty or a hundred weavers committed that outrage , the whole citie should not lose its innocence . and in my judgment we should bee very injurious and unjust , if we should declare a whole citie traytors , when but few are guiltie , and i know the king hath manie faithful servants in segovia : therefore wee should commit a great offence therein . besides , it is as much the propertie of clement princes to pardon many wicked men , for the respect of som few good , as it is the practise of cruel tyrants to condemn many good , for a few evil . item , it is sufficiently known that toledo is in rebellion , and beeing ( as it is ) so powerful a citie , wee cannot exercise justice upon it . now , if wee doe chastise segovia , wee cannot do it so much dammage , as wee shall do favor to toledo thereby . for all those whom wee take now for enemies , wee make friends to toledo . and by this means there will bee manie favorers of their tyranie , and but few to assist our justice . item , it is to be considered that the citie of segovia and the town of medina del campo , by reason of the cloaths of the one , and the fairs of the other , those two people used alwaies to bee like brothers . my end in saying this is , becaus the best artillerie the king hath in castilla is at medina , and if the business were come to that , they would sooner give it segovia for their defence , then to us to punish them . and by this means segovia will get the artillerie , and wee shall lose medina . item , segovia hath not taken the fort as yet , nor disobeyed the justice , nor shut the gates , nor taken up armes ; and if a judge go thither to chastise them , perchance wee shall ( the guiltie beeing fled away for fear of punishment ) give occasion of fear to those that are innocent , and they put themselvs into a defensive posture thereupon . and this will bee the way to make those whom wee have as yet for subjects , declare themselvs our enemies , my lords , i will not extend my self any further in my discours , but only that for the reasons which i have alleged , and for others which i could produce , i doe not deny but segovia ought to bee chastised : but my vote is , that for the present , it should bee dissembled . for prolonging a punishment never did harm : and an over-hastie execution of justice never did good . the cardinal tak's and followe's the president 's advice , which was to chastise segovia . all those that were present approved of don alonso tellez his opinion , yet the cardinal agreed to do according to the vote of don antonio de rojas , president . for hee was a man so violently hastie and opiniative , that no body could perswade him to any thing , neither would hee bee contradicted . there were certain fryers , who did much harm in these commotions , som out of zeal , others beeing of turbulent spirits and too busie , and medling with secular affairs , which suite not with a religious life . sect . xxxviii . in one and the same day rose the cities of zamora & segovia . in zamora began the furie of the people against their commissioners , who had exceedingly incensed them , becaus when that citie had notice that toledo , gave limited powers to their commissioners , they would do the same . but their commissioners told them , they might not do so , and having received their orders , they made oath of fealty to the people , that they would not act any thing , without first giving them notice ; of which oath afterwards the commissioners desired the emperor to quit them , and they granted the subsidie . whereupon the people were so inraged , that they desired to have them burnt . they having som inklings hereof , fled to a monasterie a little day's journy from zamora ( called marta ) . the people in mean time went to their houses , and not finding them , they resolved to pluck down their houses , but did not , out of respect to the earl of alva , to whom all that citie ( as they had reason ) did bear particular honor and respect . his authoritie prevailed much , and hindred the common people from doing a thousand other mischiefs , but this it could not ; which was , the people not finding the commissioners , made statues , that resembled them , which they dragg'd about the streets with many reproachful exclamations against them , proclaiming them traitors and enemies to their countrie . after that they caused their pictures to bee set up in the consistorie , with a writing at the foot of each , to signifie who they were , and what they had done against that citie , and against the faith they had sworn to them . at length , hearing that they were retired into that monasterie , they sent to the friers to turn them out , if not , they would go and set fire to the hous . and although they desired libertie to com with saftie of their persons to the citie , and give them account of what they had done in parlament , the people would not grant it , but used means to kill them . in that citie there were two great factions , one for don diego enriques earl of alva , the other for the bishop don antonio de acunia , of whom i shall speak hereafter . sect . xxxix . the governor cardinal adriano desirous to go to valladolid , and to the end hee might make his entrance with the autoritie that was requisite for his person and dignitie , required the lord high constable , who was at villalpando , to accompanie him , which hee did ; and so they entered into valladolid on corpus christi eve , whence the constable returned presently . and if the president of the council had not gon thither before , and the cardinal soon after well attended , doubtless that citie had done no less then segovia and zamora . for their commissioners beeing returned ( who were francisco dela serna , and gabriell de santistevan ) the people knowing that they had granted the subsidie , and hearing how the other cities had welcomed their commissioners , they went in bands and clusters up and down the streets murmuring and grumbling amongst themselvs . wherefore the commissioners and the council of the citie agreed not to divulge the articles , until the cardinal and the council were arrived . and out of this feare they dispatched a post to the arch-bishop president of the council , desiring him to com speedily thither , and this was the reason that hee went before and stayed not for the cardinal . this was the occasion that valladolid refrained for som time from doing what afterwards it did . at last it broke out like the rest of the cities . sect ▪ xl. this fire most furiously and strangely spread it self through the other cities , as if they had agreed together and corresponded by watch-towers and beakons ( as they are wont to do in the frontiers and upon sea-coasts ) so manie places burst out into these commotions at one instant . i have read in a letter from leon picardo , a servant to the lord constable and his painter , that feeding his hawk at night in burgos , there was so grievous an earthquake that the dishes fell off the shelvs , the tiles off the houses , nay and som buildings were turned topsie-turvie , and his hawk dyed with the fright , as also som women with child . presently after which at the same beginning of iune , the people of burgos rose with great disorder , many of them armed and crying out very confusedly . the common people through the parishes and quarters assembled at the chappell of santa katherina del claustro nuevo in the great church ( as they used to do for the election of officers and other things . there they discoursed concerning the risings & commotions which were much noised in castilla , there was nothing resolved amongst them but great clamors & divers opinions , & going out with that hurly-burly and disorder as is usuall at such meetings . at last a great multitude of them being assembled at a middle row of houses close by the gate of sarmental , they agreed to rise also , which they did , & stood upon the same terms as the other cities had done ; they nominated two chiefs , anton cucbillero and bernal de la rixa , who with this rout went to seek don diego de osorio lord of abarca , a gentleman of great qualitie , inhabitant of the citie of burgos , but met him not until the evening ; having found him , they brought him by violence into the market-place with much nois and tumult , saying , th●t hee must bee their chief , and must govern them : they put a white staff of justice into his hand , and upon his left arm a target . don diego bid them be quiet , and tell him wherefore they brought him out of his hous , and put him in that equipage . they answered , that as a gentleman hee should protect them and free them from that slaverie wherein they lived . they would not hear him speak , but threatned him , if hee would not do as they required him : they continued pressing of him thus till night , and staied for his resolution till next daie . don diego at that time was governor of cordova , and came thither onely to see the ladie isabel de rojas his wife and his children , so hee presently got out of their hands , and that same night took his waie towards cordova , leaving his hous to the charge & care of don pedro de cartagena lord of olmillos ( who had married the ladie marie de rojas his daughter ) to the dean of burgos don pedro xuarez de velasco , and francisco sarmiento , who was his kinsman . these gentlemen repaired forthwith to don diego osorio's hous , where they found his wife and daughter very disconsolate for his absence , and fearing the people's threatnings , who hearing don diego was gone , assembled together and came with intent to break open the hous , plunder it and pluck it to the ground . but these gentlemen , beeing advertised of their design , stood all in the gate with their swords and daggers drawn , threatning to cut in pieces whosoëver durst attempt to break in , and vowing that they were resolved to lose their lives upon that account . this resolution of their's daunted the assailers , so that none offered to stir , but went all quietly away . don pedro xuarez de velasco went along with them , for bernal de la rixa the cutler , their captain , bore him much respect , becaus hee had received a son of his nam'd valoradico , to be a singing-boie in his church . xuarez's getting the good will of this cutler was of such importance , that by his means hee knew all the secret dealings and intentions of the communalty , and was admitted somtimes into their assemblies . they went by squadrons up and down the citie , committing manie outrages and insol●ncies , like men distracted and without judgment . an humor took them to burn down the carthusian's wood , and as they were going with this resolution , don pedro xuarez met them by the waie , and told them , that it would bee very well done of them , indeed , to set that wood on fire , but the world would bee so rosted with the heat , that it were better to keep the wood till winter , and not to burn it in the field to no purpose ; so hee turned them back again from st paul's bridg. they were so audacious as to assault the lord constable's hous , hee beeing chief of that citie , and having heard that the dutchess donia maria de tobar marquess of berlanga , a ladie of great worth , had threatned them , they came one daie in great number thither , and having environed the hous , they shot off a piece of ordnance , which beat down a corner of the tower , so they entred into the hous , & the dutchess was forc'd to hide her self in som secret by-place . they went also to garci ruiz de la mota his hous , ( who had been commissioner in that last parlament , brother to maestro mota bishop of badajos and palencia ) with intent to kill him , but not finding him ( for hee was fled ) they burned and pluck't down his hous , where were consumed great number of writings , as deeds and charters , and manie other papers concerning the king and kingdom , which hee had in keeping . that which they burned in mota's hous , was valued above three millions , when they carried it to the place where they made the bonfire , into which they cast all the moveables they could finde in the hous ; as pure linnen , rich tapistrie-hangings , cloaths , houshold-stuff , and manie chests or trunks full , all which they burned , without making benefit of anie thing ( which was a wonder , considering the condition of such mean people ) . in the like furie they went and pulled down the hous of one of the king's harbingers , named garci iofre , who , though hee was a frenchman born , had been a long time in the king of spain's service and the emperor's . hee was married , and had his dwelling in that citie : they were incensed against him for no other reason , but becaus the emperor had given him the command of the hous and castle of lara , which burgos pretended was theirs , and they demanded it of him , but becaus hee told them that hee had received that castle of the emperor , and that hee could not deliver it to anie but his majestie , they went to kill him ▪ neither stopped their furie there ; for poor iofre being unfortunately there that daie , ( beeing returned from france , whither hee went by the emperors command with the french embassador ) and seeing how they plucked his houses down , hee went to lara , saying , that hee hoped in god to bee revenged , and to build up his houses much better with those rascal's monie , then they were when they pulled them down , and that hee should make morter of their bones , and temper the chalk with their blood . this being known in the citie by the report of a collier ( to whom iofre spoke it by the waie ) they sent som men on hors-back privately after him , who overtook him in a little village called vivar del cid , three leagues from burgos , where drawing him out of the church , they apprehended him , & had cut him in pieces there , but for som gentlemen , who qualified them for the present ; yet they would not let him go out of their hands , but brought him to burgos back again and clapt him into prison , where with blows and thrusts they soon dispatched him , and beeing dead , they tied his feet together , and dragged him first to his own door , striking and pinking his bodie with their swords all the waie : then they drew him through all the streets , and at last hanged him with his head downwards . don inigo fernandez de velasco lord high constable , who was at villalpando , being informed hereof by a letter from the cardinal ( wherein hee desired him for the love of god to go speedily & set som remedie and order in that citie ) went presently to burgos , and out of affection in regard those of his familie for manie successions had been born in that citie , he took upon him the staff and office of governor , which the inhabitants most willingly embraced ; there hee continued som time , whose presence was the onely remedie and means to hinder the enraged people of that citie from committing a thousand other insolencies . what happened afterwards you shall hear hereafter . sect . xli . a certain judg nam'd hernan gomez de herrera , whose wife and familie was in madrid , took that occasion to go from valladolid thither ; but being arriv'd , the people began to mutinie , saying , that hee was com thither to take examinations against toledo ; at which nois manie people assembled presently together and went in a tumultuous manner to apprehend him in his hous ; but hee having notice thereof , used means forthwith to bee secretly conveied out of the citie ; so hee escaped with fear enough ; for if the common-people had light upon him , they would have given him hard measure . thence the disorderly multitude went to francisco de varas his hous , ( one of the council ) and took away all the arms they could finde ; as fowling-pieces arquebusses , cros-bows , arrows , pikes , four hundred corslets , and manie halberds , which they put into a strong place for their own defence when occasion should require : they set guards all the citie over , watching and going their rounds through all the streets and walls , to the great hinderance of commerce and destruction of the citie . in the same manner rose siguenca , guadalaxara , salamanca , murcia , and manie other places of importance , where were divers things committed , not unlike those which i have already declared , which would bee an endless business for mee to describe particularly . the seventh of iune , in this present year , the citie of leon was verie quiet , and stood much for the king's service : for it seemed that valladolid had written to them to know whether they had received anie letter from toledo concerning their business or not : whereto leon made answer , that as yet they had received nothing in particular from toledo touching that matter , and that the citie of leon was fully determined , not to do , or consent to anie thing , for the whole world , that might bee anie disservice to his cesarean majestie , or contrarie to the fidelitie they owed him , especially the most reverend cardinal remaining governor , with the lord president and the rest of the council , to whom that citie was so much obliged . ●t had been well for that citie if they had continued in that minde . sect . xlii . the of iune , , the emperor beeing at bruxels received information of all the passages in toledo and other places , and of the letter which toledo sent to valladolid , and their answer : whereupon hee wrote to valladolid , giving them a full relation of his voiage by sea , how hee was entertained by his uncle and aunt in england , and that they had confirmed a most sure league of peace and amitie together ; that thence hee intended about the middle of september to bee at aquisgran , to receiv his imperial crown , with manie other circumstances ; and at last , that he resolved , god willing , to return into that kingdom much sooner then hee had promised at the parlament , mean time hee incharged them peace , quietness , and obedience to the commands of the cardinal , his governor , president and council , &c. and if there should arise anie mutinies or commotion in anie other towns , that they , out of their antient and well approved fidelitie , would indeavor to pacifie and suppress them , for they knew the love and affection which hee bore that citie , which might sufficiently appear by the favors hee had granted them in former parlaments , according to the copie which hee sent with that letter . there was also a general letter to all the cities and towns of that kingdom , who had votes in parlament ; but passion had gained such a transscendence over the hearts of the major part , that they would not believ those letters to bee from the emperor , but said openly that they were counterfeited , neither did they anie waie abate their resentment of his so sudden departure out of that kingdom , leaving them ( by the counsel of his favorites ) involved in so great a fire , and with so much povertie and pain . sect . xliii . after this came news to the cardinal how the citie of guadalaxara was revolted in the same manner , and taking up arms like the other cities of the kingdom . they chose for their captain the earl of saldania , eldest son to don diego de vega y mendoça duke del infantado , and making use of his horses , they pursued diego de guzman , and luis de guzman , their commissioners in the late parlament , who , for fear of their lives , were fled from the citie ; but not being able to overtake them , they went to their houses , which they razed , and having plowed up the ground , they sowed it with salt , saying , that in regard they were traitor's houses , they must bee salted , lest they should infect the rest with their infidelitie . thence they went to the duke , beseeching him to favor and assist them ; if not , they would have him to know , that no grandee must staie within that citie , which hee and his son were enforced to grant to satisfie them : but the duke seeing the citie in so great disorder , and the kingdoms all over inflamed with such combustions , sent an express to the cardinal , desiring him ( since god and the king had constituted him in that office ) to use all possible diligence and care to stop the current of those exorbitances , and that without passion or affection hee would grant a general pardon ; for if hee suffered the sore to fester , hee would not bee able to cure it when hee pleased . that hee would take off the subsidie . that all tallages and impositions should bee reduced to the same estate as they were twentie five years past . that offices and benefices should be taken from strangers , and conferred upon the natives of the countrie : and that all this should suddenly bee performed . the cardinal was well contented with his letter , but durst not do otherwise then was ordered by the council , until hee received further commission from the emperor . sect . xliv . the order from the council was , that ronquillo ( a famous judg in those times ) should presently march to segovia with all the men hee could make , and punish the delinquents . they sent with him a thousand hors-men ( most of which were of the guards ) under the command of don luis de la cueua , and ruy diaz de rojas , who had orders in case the judg was not received into the citie , to batter and beat it down . but when his coming was known in segovia , those that were quiet and peaceable before , jealousies and fears distracting their ill-tempered mindes , rose and associated themselvs with the others , and in particular , one principal gentleman of the citie , called don hernando , who had written to the cardinal , that hee kept the citie , the fort and the great church for the king , and that hee had driven the commonaltie into the suburbs , and moreover , that there was great partialitie and difference amongst them ; upon whose advice and intimation the judg was sent directly thither : but when they heard in what manner hee came , don fernando & the common-people agreed so together , that the gates were shut against him , and the towns-men all up in arms. ronquillo perceiving their strength and resistance to bee great , retired himself to the town of arevalo , and the cardinal sent to him to return to valladolid , until the council should take further order therein . but the judg did otherwise , and from thence went to santa maria de nieva , five leagues from segovia , where hee made his requests and protests to those of the citie , & began by criers to publish acts and writs against them , requiring them to submit to justice , or to appear and give a reason why they would not . whereunto those of segovia ( 'mongst whom at first there was no person of credit or respect , but onely a furious and indiscreet rabble ) not onely not obeied nor answered , but after som daies spent in par●ying and treating ; without fear or wit they sallied out , to the number of four thousand men , almost all on foot , on purpose to meet ronquillo and fight with him , and in this manner they marched towards the place where hee was quartered . hee , with his captains , came presently to incounter them , and it is affirmed , that hee might easily have routed them ( for although they were more in number , they were but ordinarie people , and as disorderly as unskilful . but he was unwilling thereunto , out of respect that manie men's lives might have been lost in the conflict , or perchance being doubtful of the success . so there were onely som light skermishes , wherein ronquillo took som of their baggage , and divers of them prisoners ; whereof som he hang'd , others he punished otherwise . so that the segovians retreated with no s●al loss , and thenceforwards hee advanced his siege , and cut of their commerce and provisions , so that nothing could pass into or out of the citie ; yet hee used no extremitie towards them , becaus hee had still hopes of som accommodation . hereupon segovia mustered up their forces , which amounted to twelv thousand men , besides women and children who with an unspeakable courage took up arms to defend the citie against ronquillo . they made strong pallisadoes , deep ditches , and chained all their streets . the citie of avila assisted them , as if it had been their own interest , and both these cities made a joint-supplication to the cardinal , that hee would not proceed against them with so much rigor ; but receiving no satisfactorie answer , they said , since it must bee so , wee will remedie our selvs . at length segovia , finding themselvs streightned by the siege , wrote to the citie of toledo , declaring the occasion of their revolt , excusing themselvs of the death of tordesillas , and imputing it to the indiscreet furie of som carders and teazers , exclaiming against the rigor of the cardinal and council for sending ronquillo , not as an equitable judg to do them justice , but as a cruel tyrant to wage war against them ; and at last conjuring and imploring their succor and assistance to rais the siege , alleging that the punishment the cardinal and council intended to inflict upon segovia , was but the precursor of the destruction of toledo , in regard they were in the same predicament , and declared by the council for disobedient , as well as those of segovia , were condemned for traitors : in the close of all , they desired that citie to give credit to the relation of rodrigo de cieca , and albara de guadarrama ( the bearers of their letter ) who had instructions and orders to impart matters of higher consequence unto them , which they durst not commit to paper . other letters , to the same effect , they sent to the other cities of castilla , who all returned them great promisses and encouragement , and in effect they sent to the cardinal and council , desiring a pardon for segovia , all but toledo , who beeing less scrupulous , in stead of fair words , sent them men of arms to succor the citie , as shall appear hereafter . sect . xlv . toledo , upon receit of this letter , sent , to reliev segovia , four hundred musketiers , as manie halberdiers , and three hundred hors , well armed , which were joifully received , and gave them courage to sallie out again upon ronquillo . but first they sent to him , requiring that hee would let them alone , depart from santa maria de nieva ( where hee laie ) and that hee would meddle no more with the affairs of segovia , otherwise they would make him go away with a vengeance . but ronquillo thought to do what hee came for , that was , to enter into segovia , and punish severely the delinquents ; to which effect hee assembled the whole countrie thereabouts , yet could not accomplish his design ; for all the cities and towns that then were up , were wedded so unanimously to that same interest , that there was much to bee feared . ronquillo went from place to place , one night hee laie in one town , the next night in another , setting out spies , somtimes catching those that came out of segovia , and seeking all means possible to get into it . in the market-place of santa maria de la nieva hee made publick acts , proclamations and out-laws against the segovians ; but they scorned and laughed at them , and 't is reported that the common people set up a great high gallows , which they swept and watered everie daie , saying , that was to hang ronquillo upon , making shew of as much courage and resolution , as if they had had the whole world on their side ; this was when they saw how forward and ready toledo was to back them , and had furnished them with both men and monie . sect . xlvi . the cardinal seeing the ill success of this business , sent about three hundred and fiftie lanciers , and som foot souldiers , of those which were garrisoned in navarra , to ronquillo ; with whom hee scoured the confines of segovia . one daie hee went to zamarramala , where hee caused to bee set up certain papers against the segovians , proclaiming them traitors and rebels , and summoning them to appear before him within a certain time ; thence hee returned to nieva , where hee commanded a high scaffold to bee built , whereon hee caused to bee set other acts and writings to the same effect , then gave order to bee proclaimed in all the adjacent towns and villages , that no bodie should dare to carrie anie provisions whatsoëver to segovia under pain of death . segovia seeing ronquillo use them so hardly , keeping all provisions from them ; three thousand five hundred of them , very well provided with corslets , lances , halberds and swords made another sallie , one of the principal citizens , named peralta , was their commander in chief ; so with great nois and little order ( as common-people use to do ) they marched directly towards santa maria de nieva , but at two leagues distance from segovia they met ronquillo with his men ( who were better disciplined then they ) & made som shots at them , whereupon they soberly retreated towards their quarters . the segovians seeing that , and thinking that they ran away , pursued with great eagerness and in such disorder , that the others turning upon them , killed som of them , and took don diego peralta their captain prisoner , and they took an officer , and som of ronquillo's men . at last the combat grew so hot , that ronquillo quitted his quarters , and left the segovians ( beeing far more in number ) masters of the place , who presently set fire to the scaffold , and burned all the acts and proclamations hee had set up against them . upon this came a new supplie of three thousand men to them , which gave them fresh courage , and seeing themselvs so strong , they followed ronquillo , and made two great shots at him , which killed him two hors-men , and they took the paie-master of his forces , with two millions of maravediz ( whereof thirtie four make six-pence sterl . ) which hee carried to paie his men : this prize , with other prisoners , they sent to segovia . ronquillo still retreated in good order , and som of his hors perceiving a partie of about fortie men of the segovians scattered in a smal village near nieva , charged them , and having took som they brought them to ronquillo , whereof he presently hanged two , the rest he carried to coca , where he went to lodg . and the segovians having rescued their captain , returned joifully to their citie . sect . xlvii . the distempers of madrid ( for as i have said , that citie rose also ) were no less then those of the other commonalties of castillia . francisco de vargas a man of honor and approved fidelitie , mainteined the fort against the people , notwithstanding all the diligences they could make to turn him out , and possess themselvs of it . they required him oftentimes with manie threats , that if he would not deliver it up to them , they would hang as manie as they could light upon , of those that were within . francisco de vargas perceiving the streight hee was in for want of men , got secretly out one night and went to alcala ( six smal leagues from thence ) for som assistance . hee procured about fortie men , whom ( that they might get into the fort without beeing discovered ) hee ordered to enter by two and two on hors-back . this could not bee carried so close , but the citie had som intelligence thereof . whereupon the people beeing all alarmed , in great hast and furie , som on hors-back som on foot , ran out to intercept him , taking som gentlemen to bee their captains . beeing in the field they ranked themselvs in better order , and when the captain of the fort was readie to enter with his men , they fell upon him , who beeing but a smal number , were forced to seek their safetie by flight ; francisco de vargas beeing advantagiously mounted , with som others that were able to follow him , returned to alcala . the people after that , grew more careful , and kept spies out and guards in all the avenues of the citie , then they fell upon the fort with great furie , encompassing it round , but they durst not approach too near , for those that were within defended themselvs very stoutly , welcoming them with manie musket-bullets lets , cros-bow shot and stones . the fort beeing in this streight , diego de vera with his men approched , & faced madrid . hee had force enough to have relieved the fort with men and provisions , and ill treated the commoners of madrid . but hee was wearied with a tedious march , and discontented that hee had not received of a long time paie , neither for himself , nor his souldiers ; besides , at the same time letters were brought him from the citie of avila ( where hee was bo●● and had his estate and familie ) wishing him to let those of madrid alone , and no waie to molest them , for if hee did , they would pluck down his hous , and set fire on all his goods . out of this fear diego de vera , dissembling his design , would not enter into madrid , nor do anie thing to help the one partie , or prejudice the other . madrid finding themselvs but weak in men , and not very well provided with arms , sent to toledo for succor , who forthwith furnished them with five hundred men and thirtie lances , under the command of goncalo gaytan . having received this supplie , they resolved to undermine the fort in four places , which they within perceiving , shot still more and more fiercely , and killed som of their workmen , which made them leav mining by daie , & labor onely in the night , with blindes and engines , made like carts , which they might go safely under , and for their better securitie , at the front of all , they placed the children and nearest of kin to those that were within the fort , to make them refrain from shooting , for fear of killing them ; yet for all this , francisco de vargas his wife ( who was within ) was so ready to assist , and so wittily cunning to endeer and encourage her men to fight , ( lest her husband should bear anie blame ) that they still held out , and defended themselvs couragiously . the towns-men sent to require them to surrender the fort , if not , they threatned that none should go either in or out , but should bee either killed or taken ; whereunto shee made answer , that they troubled themselvs in vain , and shee would have them know , that although her husband was absent , neither shee , nor anie of the rest with her , were of such low and unworthie spirits , as , out of fear of their threatnings , to do an act so prejudicial to his majestie 's service , that they were all resolved rather to die in their own defence , then commit so high a treason ; for where shee was , her husband's honor should not suffer in the least . the people hearing this , broke into a furious rage , crying out with loud voices , let them die though wee all perish . ●o all beeing armed , they environed the fort on all sides , and planted their artillerie in order against it . those within stood stoutly in their defence , discharging all the great guns they had , which were manie and good , and put in a readiness their muskets and other arms , but they wanted men to plie their smal shot , the artillerie began to plaie on both sides . the fort battered down all the neighboring houses , and the gunners shewed much skill both within and without , yet did not so much mischief on either side , as they might have done . at last came som religious men to mediate a peaceable agreement . and as it was half concluded , a gentleman stept in and crossed all , saying with a loud voice , o you traitors , rogues , iews of madrid ! what have yee done ? what agreement is this you will make , so● prejudicial to the king and your citie ? you do it but out of cowardise . this and manie things more hee said , insomuch that the people mutinied , and grew rather more distempered then before ; som favored him , others were enraged to kill him , so there grew a great tumult , and a bloodie confusion , dealing blows and thrusts of swords and lances on all sides . but my gentleman was taken at last by the common people , whereof som would have killed him presently , others more discreet , thought fitter to keep him prisoner , until they knew what moved him to cast that seed of dissention amongst them , to hinder the agreement which was then concluding . the next daie , the people returned to assault the fort , and their gunner killed the gunner of the fort , and left them none to manage the artillerie . then they cut off their water , and their provision of victuals growing short , at last they were enforced to surrender the fort to the commander of those of the commonaltie . the people entred the fort , with great acclamations of joy and triumph . in it they found eight hundred compleat suits of armour , a thousand lances , a hundred , halberts , four fauconets , three pieces of cannon of one hundred pound bullet a peece ( according to the list ) three hundred bullets of iron cast , foure pieces of ordnance , which they took from mercado de fruslera , twentie thousand pikes , two thousand two hundred firelocks , two thousand head-pieces , gantlets and cros-bows , two whole cannons , seventeen hundred weight of powder , eight field-pieces , and five ●housand corslets . all which arms and ammunition had been laid there by the catholick kings , besides much more which was carried away to the battle of delos gelves . sect . xlviii . madrid beeing thus revolted , and in design of possessing themselvs of the aforesaid roial fort and magazine , they sent for succor to don iohn arias , lord of torrejon de velasco , one of the chief gentlemen of the kingdom of toledo , & of an antient and noble ●amilie . but hee beeing very dis●reet , & exceedingly valiant , answered them , that hee would have nothing to do with anie su●h broils , and that hee desired to live peaceably at home without ingaging on either side : yet upon better consideration , like a faithful servant to his king , having gathered one hundred and fiftie hors , with as manie foot , and a competent quantitie of artillerie , hee went to reliev the ●ort ; vvhich beeing known at toledo and alcala , by messengers from madrid , they sent multitudes of people , who joining all in one bodie , fell upon his town of torrejon de velasco , vvhilest hee vvas upon his march tovvards madrid : they sacked and burned it quite dovvn , and hurt divers of the inhabitants , som they killed . this nevvs beeing brought to arias , hee returned much troubled and incensed to torrejon , swearing that hee would bee revenged , and if hee could not get satisfaction from madrid , hee would not leave one town there-abouts undestroyed . som of his followers advised him to join with diego de vera who was come from gelves , with whose help and the good provision of artillerie which hee had , hee might besiege madrid , hereupon don iohn arias demanded don diego's assistance , but hee ex●used himself saying , that hee was tyred with his march , neither would hee fight against any of the king's towns. iohn arias did all the mischief hee could in the towns adjacent to madrid , and the people were so fearful of his souldiers , that they durst not leave their cattle abroad . it fell out one night , that the village of mostoles ( which was near torrejon ) having notice that io●n arias would fall upon them , they barricadoed their streets , and put themselvs in a posture of defence , but hee entred at another part , where the inhabitants suspected not , and sacked the town , and at their going away again , all loaden with plunder , the townsmen all at once fell upon them and took all from them again , but killed not a man. sect . xlix . don iohn arias de avila , afterwards seeing the inconstancie and fickleness of the common people , who neither kept oath nor promise , desiring to serve his king , and pacifie the tumults of toledo , went with som few servants to the town of illescas , where the chief promoters of those combustions were with divers men in arms , and coming thither to treat of composing the matter in a peaceable waie , hee expressed himself in such efficacious terms , and gave them such undeniable reasons , and friendly exhortations , representing unto them the dangers whereunto they exposed their lives and fortunes , by withdrawing themselvs from their obedience to their king , that somtimes hee prevailed so far with , them as to harken to an accommodation ( but they continued not long in that mind ) for the business depending of so many several people , that which was concluded one day , vvas quite broke off the next ; and at last they fell into such a popular madness , that throvving aside all respect , they vvould lay violent hands upon don iohn arias , peremptorily bidding him deliver up to them the places of strength , vvhich hee had under his command , and seeing hee would not do that , they demanded the artillerie vvhich vvas in them ; and becaus hee denyed that also , vvith great nois and tumult they gathered together in the hous vvhere the assemblie vvas kept , and made an order that iohn arias should presently deliver the artillerie , and in case of default , hee should suffer death as an enemie of the common good . this vvas intimated to him by a notary publick . but iohn arias vvith solid and good reasons ansvveared , that hee could not do it . the people of illescas hereupon vvent againe into the council , and ordred , that iohn arias should , vvithout replie , deliver the artillerie , or bee killed ; vvhereunto hee made ansvvere soberly and undauntedly , that the life hee yet injoyed vvas onely his ovvn , but the honor and good name descended from his ancestours , and should continue as an inheritance intailed upon his successors , that it vvas in their povvers to take avvay his life , but not his honor , for that hee could neither give nor lose , that if they did take his life , it would cost them many lives , that they had best take heed what they did , and that they could not take away the loyaltie which hee owed to his king though hee should lose a thousand lives , and that this should bee his resolution in despight of their cruiltie . the common people , seeing the resolute courage and constancie of iohn arias de avila , suspended for the present the mischief they intended against him , so hee tooke horse and rode with a stayed serious countenance through the town , attended onely with those few servants hee brought with him , and thence returned to torrejon , whereof the people of illescas presently repented themselvs , and condemned one another of unadvisedness , in that they had not killed , or at least , kept him prisoner ▪ but john arias mainteined stoutly three forts well provided of men and armes in the king's service against them , which were of great importance for the suppressing and hindering the outrages of toledo , and those neighbouring places , to the great hazard of his life and fortunes . and as soon as hee heard that the lord constable was vice-roy of castilla , hee sent him the seal of his hous and armes , offering himself wholie to accomplish the obligation hee had to his majestie 's service , for which the lord-constable returned him thanks promissing to acquaint the emperor with his loyaltie , and moreover recommended to his care the charge of those parts , which john arias performed with great diligence , skermishing often-times with the commoners . for this , and other services , and in consideration of his illustrious extraction , the emperor gave him the ti●●e of earl of punio en rostro , and vvrote him very favorable and gratious lettres , expressing the great esteem and account hee made of his services to his majestie . in a hundred small villages the people rose against the earl of chinchon , but hee suppress●d them quickly , and punished them severely . alcala was infected with the like disturbances and revolts , vvith divers other places of the kingdom , imitating their chief tovvn vvhich vvas the ring-leader of all those distempers . sect . l. cardinal adriano ( who was a saint-like man ) sought all means possible to remedie these disorders , with a sweetness and clemencie answerable to his charitie , and hearing of a gentleman that followed the court , who was a native and iurate of toledo , a discreet man , hee sent for him , and beeing come , hee asked him what cours ( in his opinion ) was fittest to bee taken for the pacifying of that citie , saying , that if hee could devise anie waie to do it , hee should bee exceeding glad to embrace it , and hee would procure his majestie 's approbation thereof . the gentleman thanked him in the citie 's behalf , as beeing a member of it , and said , hee did not certainly know their intention , but according to his judgment , the onely waie to cure those mischiefs , was to applie the same medicine which they desired , viz. that his majestie would bee pleased to grant to toledo what their commissioners had petitioned him in parlament ; that his eminence would command ronquillo , the judg , to rais his siege before segovia , and return with his men , in regard the citie was much scandalized at his coming in such an hostile manner , they having sent two prelates with their submission , and begging pardon of his eminence ; that hee knew how all the chief cities of the kingdom , beeing guiltie of the like commotions , every one would exspect the like punishment , and out of that fear , they would rather join all their forces to succor segovia , then bee liable to anie such rigorous sentence ; that he should be very careful in that point , for if the people once lost their respect , hee would not bee able to correct them : that for the present ( although there were tumults and commotions everie where ) yet there was no publick war declared , onely dissentions amongst the people . but if they joined and assisted one another , it would occasion great miserie and ruine to the kingdom , as it afterwards fell out . these and som other instances the gentleman pressed to the cardinal , who finding much reason and weight in them , bad him come again to him the next daie in the evening , in the mean time hee would call a council concerning those particulars . the gentleman punctually observing the time appointed , the cardinal told him , that hee had consulted about that business , but they were not all of his opinion , so that there could bee nothing done but what was formerly commanded . the iurate beseeched him to bee very warie and well advised ; for som of his council , hee told him , were men o're-swaied with passion , and more wedded to their private interests , then his majestie 's service , and that to his knowledg both toledo and madrid were raising men to send to reliev segovia , and if they went thither , hee might easily see what mischief would ensue . the cardinal thereupon said , hee would call a council again about it . sect ▪ li. toledo and madrid ( as beeing nearest ) fearing that if segovia were subdued , they should bee in danger , chose captains , and raised men to send to succor it . toledo pitched upon iohn de padilla , to whom they gave commission to rais a thousand foot , and a hundred light-horsmen ( whereof hernando de ayala was captain ) with som pieces of artillerie . madrid sent out four hundred foot , and fiftie hors. the toledians beeing joined with those of madrid , they marched together to a place called espinar , where john bravo captain of the segovians , came forth with his men to receiv them ; they made all together two thousand foot , and one hundred and fiftie horse ; after some conference , they agreed all three to go to santa maria de nieva , where ronquillo was quartered , and do as much mischief as they could , whil'st those of salamanca and other places might join , and come to the succor of segovia . but ronquillo and his captains , persevering in their design ( although they went out into the field , seeming to incounter the enemie ) would not ingage in battle , but marched soberly and in good order , another waie ; the cardinal hearing of the setting forth and joining of these captains , determined to increas the strength of his own forces , and make a formal camp , able to suppress and subdue the contrarie partie . to this effect hee sent to antonio de fonseca captain general of the kingdom , that vvith the king's standing forces , and with all the rest hee could make of foot and hors , hee should go help ronquillo , and of that artillerie which was at medina del campo , hee should take what hee thought fitting . moreover hee sent to command r●nquillo , that by no means hee should give those captains battle , but should first join with antonio de fonseca , for the better effecting thereof . fonseca's march could not bee kept so private , but valladolid ( where the order was made ) perceived it . whereupon ( although they were cried up for their loialtie ) they began to mutinie much more then before they had done , ( which was no slight matter neither ) for they made private meetings every daie . yet notwithstanding the commotions of valladolid , antonio de fonseca cunningly got out of the citie , and marched with all the hors and foot hee could rais to arevalo , where ronquillo and the captains that were with him , met him with theirs , and concluded of their journie to medina . segovia having notice of their march , and knowing their intention , which was to bring artillerie thence for their hurt and dammage , immediately dispatched an express to medina , with a letter to this effect . that by no means they should condescend to deliver the artillerie to fonseca , notwithstanding the persuasions of the bishop of burgos his brother , who had been long there solliciting and pressing them to it , alleging how unjust a thing it were , since segovia sent their clothes to inrich the fairs of medina , that medina should send cannons to batter and beat down the walls of segovia ; urging moreover , that if they did so , it would bee the utter ruine of segovia , and medina would suffer likewise in their fall. and in the close , they desired medina to hear and give full credit to their messenger , who should impart som things to them which they thought not fit to write . sect . lii . upon receit of this letter , those of medina resolved not to deliver the artillerie . antonio de fonseca with the best part of those men that were at arevalo , marched thence on tuesda●e morning the . of angust towards medina , with intention to take the artillerie away by force , in case they refused to deliver it , as already they had upon ronquillo's demand . they beeing advertised by the letter from segovia , and other parts , of these preparations against them , put on a resolution to stand out and not deliver the artillerie . antonio de fonseca having friends within the town ( besides the corregidor himself , gutiere quijada , beeing well inclined to the deliverie thereof ) began first to treat fairely with them , shewing them the orders and power hee had to that effect . but the towns-men replied , that they kept the artillerie for and in the name of the king , and that they saw no reason they had to deliver it , but rather to keep it in defence of their town and people . yet to do his majestie service , they were willing to deliver some of it , if need required , upon condition that they themselvs might go with it , and bring it back againe , from this contention they grew to higher language , thence to blows , and planting their ordnance at everie street's end , great multitudes of people presently flocked thither , all in armes . antonio de fonseca seeing this , commanded his men to storm the town ; the towns-men killed some of his men with cannon shott , and some of theirs were likewise killed , defending the entrance of the town . antonio de fonseca thought to catch them with a wile ( not intending any such mischief as fell out ) which was thus ; hee privately commanded certain fire-bals of pitch to bee made and flung into st francis street , thinking that the people would presently run all thither to quench the fire , and quit the gates , by which meanes hee might enter and seize upon the artillerie ; but it succeeded not according to his exspectation ; for the fire began to rage exceedingly , in so much that st francis street , and the linnen draperie was quite through of a flame , yet the inhabitants shewed so much courage that ( although their houses , goods and children were burning before their eyes ) they would not depart from the artillerie , fighting with antonio de fonseca and his men , until they had driven them quite from the town . fonseca was very angrie , and ashamed that hee could not effect his intention , and no less grieved for the great harm and damage the fire had done , which hee intended not . the monasterie of st francis was burnt to the ground with all the rich ornaments and librarie ; besides great store of monie , cloath , silks clothes of gold and silver , and other rich commodities , which divers genua , and segovia merchants had layed up there , all consumed to ashes . and nine hundred houses more , in wh●ch not so much as one bed was preserved . it was a lamentable thing to see how the poor people , women and children , went crying , and groaning up and down the streets , having no hous left to go into , nor any thing to cover thei● nakedness , calling upon god for justice against fonseca . in this sad condition remained medina , more inflamed with the fire of wrath in their hearts , then their houses were with the bals of pitch . the corregidor durst not stay , becaus hee had been with fonseca . whereupon the people began to call an assemblie of the commonaltie , and took the same form of government as the other cities did . they wrote forthwith to iohn de padilla , and the other captains , declaring their miseries , and imploring their assistance , to revenge their losses upon those that had sided with fonseca against them ; and their chiefest spleen was against the town of arevalo , becaus fonseca had carried his men thence . arevalo feared as much from those of segovia , and in it self there were partialities and sidings thereupon , som taking the commoners part , others the contrarie . medina wrote likewise to the other cities , imparting to them their calamities : segovia answered their letters , expressing manie thanks for their defending so couragiously the artillerie , and exceeding sorrow for the great losses they had susteined , sect . liii . adriano the cardinal of tortosa ( beeing a holie man ) was grieved to the soul at the disaster of medina , and in excuse of himself hee wrote a letter to them , expressing his sorrow in good and saint-like tearms . whereunto they returned an answer , giving his eminence thanks for his resentment of their miseries , and making a large relation of the cruelties of fonseca and his souldiers , besides the great losses they had susteined by fire , which they esteemed to bee of so high value , that they doubted the king's whole revenue , for som years , would not bee enough to make them reparation . and at last they desired his eminence would bee pleased to condemned and declare for traitors and disturbers of the kingdom antonio de fonseca , gutiere quijada , and that bloodie robber ( as they called him ) iohn de avila , and disband their men , with command that everie one should repair to their own home , and not burn the houses of his majestie 's faithful subjects , for under colour of serving the king , they did him great disservice therein . finis libri secundi . the civil wars of spain . the third book . sect . i. anger supported on the shouldiers of autoritie is like lightning from heaven . antonio de fonseca , captain general of the kingdom , was inraged beyond the measure of discretion against medina . hee burned like a flash of lightning , their houses and their goods , but hee incensed their hearts and wills much more ( like men in despair ) to commit a thousand absurdities . and to revenge the furie of his passion , all the people of the town took arms , dispersed letters of their grievances through the whole kingdom , desiring vengeance , and hee that could do most mischief was held the bravest fellow . amongst these broils and mischiefs , there was one particularly noted for his courage and boldness , a cloth-worker by trade , his name was bobadilla , a mean fellow , dull , but cruel of disposition ; hee was followed , as their captain , by divers that were undone , and therefore grown furiously passionate . first hee fell upon gil nieto ( who had been his master ) cutting and slashing till hee had killed him ; then hee killed a book-seller , called tellez ; next , a regidor of the town , called lope de vera. and so hee and his associats served all those whom they knew , or did but imagine , had anie hand in fonseca's coming to demand the artillerie , or had consented to the delivering of it . they pluckt down the houses which don rodrigo mexia had there , and committed divers other cru●lties and outrages . this active audaciousness of bobadilla got him very much credit and esteem amongst the people , and hee lorded it , and took so much upon him , that from that time forwards nothing was done but what h●e would ; so hee commanded and governed as head of the people . hee presently took a great hous , set porters at his gates , and gave himself the style of lord. such heads , as this cloth-worker was , had the commonalties in other places ; as villoria , a skinner in salamanca , and antonio casado in segovia , and others such like , who beeing bold , and without honor or shame , were followed and esteemed by the common and meaner sort ; and indeed divers gentlemen were to blame herein , who did very much harm , som by kindling and fomenting the fire secretly , others publickly , not with design to do the king anie disservice , but by reason of parties and factions amongst themselvs , som siding with the commonaltie , purposely to destroie others , so that it was more their particular factions and seditions , then their disobedience to his majestie , that occasioned all these disorders . medina , soon after this disaster , sent letters to valladolid , conteining a most pitiful relation of their unfortunate and deplorable condition , with high exclamations against the crueltie of antonio de fonseca and ronquillo . sect . ii. the emperor wrote to valladolid , giving them thanks that they had preserved peace and quietness in that citie , and for the good entertainment they had given , in his absence , to the cardinal , his governor , and those of his council . whereunto they returned an answer the th iulie , , with manie acknowledgments of his favor , praising god that hee had given them such a prince and emperor , who they hoped should conquer the holie land , and bee a great defendor of the church , as the emperors and kings , his forefathers , had been . and moreover they beseeched , with all humilitie , his sacred majestie , forasmuch as that citie had not onely shewed their loialtie , in serving , with their arms , the kings his ancestors ( as don alonso the eleventh , don john the second , and others ) but also in advising and counselling them what was most expedient for their roial services . and since it was apparent , that the granting of the subsidie in the parlament at the groyn , had been the onely occasion of so manie great commotions and troubles in the kingdom , that his majestie would bee pleased ( of his innate liberalitie and goodness ) graciously to remit and pardon all those that had opposed the levying thereof , and that it should bee no more demanded , which favor would be so acceptable to the whole kingdom , that at his return ( which they hoped would bee ●peedily ) they would do him such extraordinarie service , that hee should thank them for preferring him that petition , and know more clearly their desires to serv him. but the burning of medina del campo , caused so great scandal in castilla , that it revived and made the fire blase more fiercely out amongst the common people , and infected their spirits so , that manie other towns , whither the sore had not yet run , rose up in the like disorder . the next daie after medina was burnt ( as you have heard ) they sent letters with a particuler of the passages , to valladolid . with no less furie , then fonseca's firebals consumed the houses of medina , were inflamed the hearts of those of valladolid at the receipt of those dolorous tydings . and without respect to the cardinal , governor , the arch-bishop , president , council or other officers of justice , and forgetting the graces and favors the emperor had done them by his letters ; they rang out the bell of san miguel , whereupon all the people presently took arms , and ran from all parts of the citie to the great market-place , and all that the earl of venavente , and don alonso enriquez bishop of osma could do , or saie ( who came out to pacifie the people ) was to no purpose . and beeing thus gathered together , about five or six thousand men , they went to pedro de portillo's hous , about twy-light ( for at that time hee was chief burgess of the cittie ) willing him to go along with them to the president of the council , that hee might provide for certain things , which were necessarie for the citie . but pedro de portillo displeased them so with his answear , calling them mutiniers and theevs , that went about to robb and plunder , that in furious madness they broke open his dores and windowes , and hee had much adoe to get cleer of them by hiding himself ; seeing they could not find him , they took a rich cupboard of plate , that was set against supper , they searched his hous all over , plundred his shop and warehous , and took away manie rich cloaths and silks ( for hee was a merchant ) they made a great fire before his dore , in which they burned manie pieces of rich cloath of gold and silver , silks , wollen cloaths , tapistries , rich mantles , ermines and other things of great value ( for hee was a very rich man ) they left not so much as a hen , but they flung it in the fire or stole it away . and at the carrying away of their plunder , they fell out and fought with one another . this man's loss was esteemed above three millions of maravediz . not satisfied with all this , they began to pluck the hous down , and som boies that followed their fathers , set fire to a garret , where was great store of drie wood and bavins , which burned furiously , but fearing to burn the neighboring houses , they suddenly quenc●ed the fire again , which if they had not don , would have endangered a great part of the citie . this done , beeing inraged with that popular furie which the divel had sow●d in spain , with loud out-cries they ran to the hous of antonio de fonseca , who set fire on medina , and in revenge thereof , they burnt and pluckt it to the ground , not leaving a bit of timber , nor a tile that belonged to it , unconsumed . thence they went to alonso ninno de castro's hous ( who was chief judg of the citie ) and finding not him , they plundered it , and plucked down the ●ntrie . the like they did to divers of the principal men of the citie , which a certain autor , a native of valladolid , and an eie-witness of all these passages , saith , was a just judgment upon the regidores , and the rest , for their ambitions and disordinate desires of advancing their particular ends , without regard of the publick good , suffering their countrie to bee drained of all its treasure by strangers , to the sum of nine millions of gold , out of castilla onely , which was never converted to his majestie 's use , but was shared amongst the flemings ▪ this was the general complaint of that kingdom , which people of those times said , ought to bee registred in characte●s of blood ▪ after this , they made themselvs strong , keeping constant watch , and going the rounds with minstrels and drums , no less then fifteen hundred together at the first ▪ but this was so chargeable , that they reformed their rounds to twentie men at a time . som nights they found gunpowder mingled with pitch scattered in the streets , which they said , antonio de fonseca had commanded to bee done , for anger that his hous was burnt . after that they kept rounds and strong guards at the gates , and they were so affraid of fire and pitch , that they watered all their houses with vineger , thinking there was som design to burn vallado●●● as well as me●ina . they called an assemblie in the monasterie of the trinitie , where they chose new burgesses and deputies . then they sent for the gentlemen and citizens of the town , whom they made to swear and take the ingagement of the commonaltie , which for feare of death they durst not refuse to do . they made the infante of granada their captain general , which office hee was inforced to accept , or die . and they all swore to obey him , and to do nothing contrarie to his command ; which charge hee began to exercise with much discretion . but becaus they knew that don alonso enriquez bishop of osma , and brother to the lord admiral , did not like well of their proceedings , they turned him out of the citie , and divers other gentlemen likewise , becaus they could not trust them . which done , they presen●lie sent messengers to medina del campo , offering them succor . and to that effect they listed two thousand souldiers , and chose likewise six commissioners , to send to the iunta , or assemblie , held in avila , to which already the gave they attribute of holie . sect . iii. the cardinal and those of the council seeing all these passages , were so far from providing or ordering any thing in this case , that they durst not , neither did it seem possible for them to meet , and confer of what was to bee done . but as in a storm at sea , when there is neither sayles , marriners nor pilots ( all hope lost ) the ship is left to drive at the tempest's pleasure : so the cardinal and the arch-bishop of of granada , and those of the council ( having no means to resist ) thought best to let alone that people , who were hurried away with so violent a storm of inconsiderate furie . the cardinal made them a thousand congies , and excused himself saying , that hee never commanded medina to bee burned , nor had any hand in the other mischiefs : quite contrarie it grieved him to the very soul , to hear what fonseca had done . and beeing desired by the citie , and thinking it to bee convenient himself , hee commanded to bee proclaimed publickly , that all those that were with antonio de fonseca should leav him and return to their houses , and hee sent his express order to the same effect to antonio de fonseca , commanding him to disband his men , reserving onely what was necessarie for the guard of his own person , in regard it was not possible to maintein an army in those parts , having no means , nor place where to raise monie for their subsistance . fonseca was inforced to obey , conforming himself to the time so taking a partie of hors with him , hee went out of the kingdom ; for all in that countrie were his deadlie enemies , and hee had no mind to bee surprised by them in arevalo , or either of his towns of coca or alaejos , but leaving them well fortified , and his son don fernando in coca , hee passed into portugal , and thence by sea into flanders with the judge ronquillo . sect . iv. about this time caceres in estremadura , and the citie of iaen in andaluzia ( where as yet the diseas had not broke out ) began to cry up the commonaltie . so that don rodrigo mexia lord of santa eufemia , who had a great partie , beeing born in that citie , labored and used all means possible to hinder the people from the outrages and mischiefs , which were done in other cities , and not beeing able to bridle and restrain their furie otherwise , hee took upon himself the charge of the justice and commonaltie . manie other gentlemen made use of the like prudent dissimulation , not beeing able to do otherwise . badajoz also , beeing in the like distemper , was quieted by his good industrie , they of badajoz took a fort from him that kept it for the earl of feria . there is no reason why the andaluzians should bee held any better then the castillians , for in all places the dissentions were much alike , and their demeanors , as if the common people had agreed and contracted together som yeares before . sect . v. ubeda and baeza were divided into two parties between the venavides and the caravajales both noble and ancient families in castilla , don luis de la cueva , cozen german to the duke of alburquerque , was captain of the venavides . caravajal lord of todar ( which is a village two leagues from ubeda ) commanded the other partie . in these factions there was so much animositie , that one daie don luis de ubeda , coming in a litter ( for hee was an old man ) was set upon by caravajal lord of todar , attended by an hundred hors , who gave him so manie thrusts with his lance , that hee killed him in his litter . this done , hee was carried back to ubeda , where the manner of his death beeing related to his son don alonso , and their kindred , to revenge his father's death , they went to the village of todar , where they killed and cut the throats of all they could lay hands upon , and afterwards set fire to the village in manie places , that some that hid themselvs in their houses , were fain to leap out at the windows to avoid the fire . the destruction and crueltie was so great , that they reckoned of killed and burned , about two thousand persons , men , women , or children , and onely the ruines of some houses in the village remained . but indeed though these gentlemen were loyall like noble persons , yet it was so , that in this there was more of passion and particular grudge and hatred then anie matter of commonaltie . for neither the venavides , nor those of la cueva , ever were commoners , or pretended to disserv the king. but in these places , with the occasion of the kingdom 's beeing in a hurly-burly , they made use of the common interest to revenge their private passions . and it is apparent , that if these gentlemen did follow the commonaltie , as wishing it well , yet they were none of their captains . sect . vi. cuenca , in imitation of other cities , rose also and committed the like disorders ; in this citie was captain of the commonaltie , one calaborra , and with him a bridle-maker , whom the whole citie obeied as their lords . and there beeing a person of principal note and power in the kingdom , ( luis carrillo de albhornoz , lord of torralva and berreta ) they so much sl●ghted him , that hee was inforced to dissemble and sum●on all his reason and prudence to persuade his heart to brook it . their audaciousness grew to that pass , that hee riding upon his mule through the street , a rascal of the common sort struck him over the buttock , saying , in a scoffing manner , go thy waie luis carrillo ; hee was glad to let this pass , the times not permitting him to do otherwise . luis carrillo was married to donia inez varrientos de manrique , a ladie of a masculine courage , who desiring to revenge the injuries and affronts done to her husband , and to stop and take off the opprobrious taunts of the people , she invited the captains of the commonaltie to supper , and having well loaden their heads with wine , shee caused them to bee carried to sleep in several chambers , and beeing dead with sleep and the vapors of the wine , shee commanded her servants to cut their throats , and hang their bodies out at the windows next the street . sect . vii . avila was the seat where all the cities made their assemblie ▪ here they did such disorders , as the loyal citie of avila ought not to have permitted . the common people were the onely actors thereof , for the gentrie still persevered in the fidelitie of their ancestors . and becaus antonio ponce ( like a loial gentleman ) would not swear to follow the commonaltie , they began to pluck down his hous , but did not , beeing hindred by som other gentlemen . the rest , as in other cities , did swear and took the engagement of the commonaltie , som willingly , som becaus they did not rightly understand themselvs , and others out of fear . they would have pluckt down the hous of diego hernando de quiniones , becaus hee had granted the subsidie , beeing their commissioner in the last parlament , but som good men intervening , hindered the executing of their purpose . they had possessed themselvs of the fort , if don gonzalo chachon lord of cassarruvios , ( seeing the commotions in most parts of the kingdom , and that toledo had taken the fort from don iohn de silva , and segovia would have done the like to the earl of chinchon ) had not prudently and with dissimulation provided it ( hee beeing governor thereof ) with munition , arms and men , taking them in by night , and hiding them by daie . the fort beeing thus ammunitioned , when the common-people ple flocked thither to take it , they found greater resistance then they exspected . and the citie perceiving they might bee much damnified by the fort , and those of the fort likewise by the citie ; they treated of an agreement and cessation of arms , whereby they might live quietly , and not to do anie act of hostilitie to each other . don gonzalo chachon having informed the cardinal , governor , of this treatie , by his consent it was concluded , and articles on both sides were drawn in form , signed and delivered in presence of the publick notaries of the citie . so those of the fort lived quietly , leaving the towns-men to the confusion of their commonaltie . the nobleness of the gentrie ( in imitation of their ancestors , desirous to serv the king ) beeing as a firm bulwark and secure guard against their indiscreet furie . this made avila gain the renown of loial . sect . viii . not onely the fore-named cities were infected with this spirit of sedition , but divers other small towns and villages were tainted with the same contagion , where the diseas raged with such unnatural furie , that there was neither law nor respect betwixt fathers and the children , som being of one opinion , the others contrarie . in a certain village called medin● , near the palomera de avila , lived a byscainer priest , half a fool , who was so affectionated to iohn de padilla , that everie holie daie in the church hee used to saie , i recommend unto your praiers , brethren , the most holie commonaltie , desiring god to preserv and support it , that it may never fall . i recommend unto you likewise , his majestie the king , don john de padilla , that god may prosper him ; as also her highness the queen , our ladie donia maria pacheco , that god may powr down his blessings upon her ; for verily these are the true kings , the rest are all but tyrants . these praiers continued for three weeks together , after which iohn de padilla , with his souldiers , passing that waie , som of them were quartered in this priest's hous , who drank him up a little barrel of wine , killed his hens , and took away a young wench that he kept , with them . the sundaie following , beeing in the church , hee said to his parishioners , you know , brethren , how john de padilla passing here , his souldiers quartered in my hous , truly beloved , they have not left mee one hen , they have eaten up all my bacon , they have drunk mee a whole barrel of wine , and have taken my katherine away with them , therefore i charge you henceforwards not to praie god for him , but for our sovereign lord don carlos , and the queen donia juana , for they are our true kings . i do relate som of these fopperies , that you may see how foolish and blinde men were at that time , and indeed no better could then bee exspected ; for certainly som malign star had predominance for two years over those parts , which made men fall into such unheard of extravagancies . sect . ix . the citie of soria was ingaged in no less mischief then the other cities , by the rising of the common people . if i should undertake to particularize the riotous disorders of ev●rie several place , my work would never be at an end . in short , none of those that treated of commonalties , made anie bones of killing their neighbors , plucking down their houses , and committing a thousand exorb●tances ( like rash unadvised men , without sens or judgment ) as to discompose the form of government , displace the officers of justice , taking their staves from them , and naming other judges , without considering or reflecting upon the end that followeth such like disorders , nor how to bee preserved in them . the citie of toro and ciudad rodrigo took likewise the engagement of the commonaltie . they turned out the officers of justice established by the king , and put others in their places ; and those gentlemen that had most power , drove their antagonists out of the citie . which factious bandyings one against another , in revenge of particuler grudges and quarrels , were the chiefest occasion of kindling the people's furie , and it might justly bee said , that they were private seditions and tumults , not rebellion against their king , for there was no such word amongst the gentrie , nor the common people . sect . x. leon had done wisely if they had continued in the same good resolution , wherewith they answered valladolid concerning the treatie of an assemblie , which toledo desired . but ( as i have often said ) the factions and parcialities that were in everie citie , did more harm then anie thing els in these commotions . the guzmanes were so highly distasted at their beeing put out of don fernando , the infante , his service , that a little thing would have made them raise a commotion in that citie , where they were very powerfull , beeing of an ancient and noble extraction . they had some difference and spleen against the earl of luna , who was sent commissioner from that citie to the parlament , that was held at the groyne , who having consented to the subsidie , was not well received at his return ; and it is reported that ramiro nunn●z de guzman spoke thus to him ; they saie , you have granted the subsidie , and gon beyond your commission , if that bee true , you deserve to bee severely punished . the earl hereupon answered ramiro nunnez , i have done what i ought and what i was commanded to do , neither have i exceeded my commission one title . so from one thing to another at last they fell into a great passion , and ramiro nunnez said to the earl , i will make you know with this my sword against yours , how you are a traytor , and have committed treason against this citie . thereupon they both drew , and this unfortunate controversie , divided the citie into two factions . for these two families beeing the chief and most ancient of the citie , had each of them manie friends , kindred and abbettours ; but in regard the earl was out of favour with the people , and ramiro nunnez much beloved and followed by a great multitude , they fell upon the earl and his partie with such furie , that they killed thirteen of his men , there were manie on both sides wounded . the earl was beholding to the swiftness of his hors , or else hee had born his dead followers companie . this news was brought to valladolid , and the cardinall highly resented it , but knew not how to remedie it , seeing the fire so generally kindled throughout the kingdom , that of the eighteen towns of castilla which had votes in parlament , fifteen were risen for the commonaltie , and had chosen commissioners , or burgesses , to goe to the iunta , or , assemblie , then held in avila . the cardinall derived the fault of all this mischief upon monsieur de xeures , for giving the emperor so ill counsel , as to demand that subsidie , and the worst of all was , that hee never received it . the cardinal was out of heart , and perplext with continual fears , not thinking himself secure in valladolid , by reason of these troubles and heart-burnings of the people , which no fault of the king 's but the covetousness of his insatiable counsellers , had occasioned . i have alreadie told you , that one subsidie they desired was three hundred millions , and another time six hundred millions , in all nine hundred millions of maravediz ; therefore let no man marvel at the great difference of these sums , for in effect no bodie could rightly understand what they would have had ; yet they saie , the emperor desired no more then the ordinarie subsidie that his predecessors , the catholick kings had , ( which was two hundred millions everie year ) and that the over-plus they stole from him and the kingdom , contrarie to his will or knowledg . sect . xi . the affairs of spain were so imbroiled , and men so inconsiderately raving , that it seemed as it were a scourge from heaven , which threatned no less destruction to that countrie then that , during the reign of don rodrigo . they trusted in southsaier's prognostical judgments of the succeeding mischiefs . som divels invented , i know not what prophecies , which they father'd upon saint isidorus arch-bishop of sevilia , others upon frier iohn de roccacelsa , and one merlin , besides others , which they said , were of saint iohn damascenus , and other doctors ; that of saint isidorus was his complaints or lamentations over spain . i have read all those ill pres●ges of calamitie and destruction to spain , which so much affrighted and dismaied the people , and i find them onely idle things , which deserv not the setting down here , unless it were to make us wonder at the facilitie and weakness of men in those times , to give credit to anie such like fopperies . the ignorant people were particularly besotted with one which pourported , that there should reign over spain a prince called charles , who should destroie the kingdom , and make the cities desolate , but hee should bee overcom and driven out of the kingdom by an infante of portingal , and that the said infante should reign over all spain , and mee think's wee see the contrarie . such follies doth blinde passion , work in thoughts of ignorant and indiscreet people . sect . xii . toledo wrote to the other cities the last year , inviting them to assemble , and consult of what was most meet and expedient for them to supplicate the emperor before his departure out of the kingdom . and in regard that assemblie went not forwards , and that now things were in such disorder , that the breaking out was universal through the whole kingdom , yet they did not well understand , nor trust one another ; so for the begetting a better intelligence amongst them , and to the end they might the more firmly establish the commonaltie , which th●y called holie , toledo sent other letters to all the cities of castillia , pressing them with manie powerful arguments , to send , without delaie , their commissioners to the holie assemblie at avila , and not to return them anie such excuse , as formerly , becaus such kinde of congregations and assemblies were condemned by strangers ; for in that holie assemblie nothing was to bee debated , but what concerned the service of god. and that they might studie or invent remedies against the seven sins of spain , treating first , of their fidelitie to the king , their lord. secondly , the peace of the kingdom . thirdly , the remedie or settling of the roial patrimonie ▪ fourthly , the grievances of the natives . fifthly , the injustice done by strangers . sixtly , the tyrannies w th som of their own countrie-men had invented . seventhly , the intolerable impositions & taxes which that kingdom suffered . urging moreover , that they should not value what censure passed upon them amongst their enemies for so doing , in regard wicked persons are alwaies ready to blast with opprobrious tongues , all good and religious actions , which presupposed , although things should fall out contrarie to their exspectations or desires , and that they should bee in danger of their persons , thei● houses should be plucktdown , their goods taken away , and at last should lose their lives : in such case they were to esteem disgrace a favor , danger securitie , povertie riches , banishment a glorie , loss profit , persecution a crown , death life ; for nothing is so glorious for a man , as to spend his life in the defence of the republick . after all these , and divers other persuasive arguments , they desired each citie to give ful credence to their messenger , who had instructions to treat further with them . sect . xiii . the fifth of iulie , the lord deputie of murcia made a complaint to the cardinal and council , how the citie , beeing risen , had killed their governor , a judg , and one of the sheriffs , besides several other persons , and that the people were all in arms , and so disorderly , that becaus hee went about to pacifie and allaie their furie gently , and in a peaceable manner representing to them the foulness and enormitie of what they had don , they drove him out of the citie , and placed guards and rounds , which committed very great disorders . hereupon it was ordered by the council , that leguizama , a judg of oyer and terminer , should go thither with large powers , taking officers along with him , and that the neighboring towns should furnish him with men sufficient to bring them to reason . leguizama the judg , beeing arrived at murcia , entred peaceably into the citie . hee intimated his orders to the chief justice , gentlemen , council and assemblie of the citie , requiring their favor and assistance . which at first they did obey : and the judg began to make his privie search and examination , whereby hee found som guiltie , which hee gave order to apprehend . this pleased not the people , who began to think of turning him out of the citie . hee sentenced a shoomaker to bee whipp'd , who beeing brought through the streets , the beadles still whipping him , the people mutinied , and manie beeing armed , they rescued the prisoner with great nois and hubbub ; which done , they went into a hous to consult what they were to do . the judg perceiving that presently betook him to his heels , and fled into the marquess of velez his hous , who then was in the citie . the marquess hearing that the judg was gone to his hous , hee would not staie with him , but presently took hors and rode out of the town as fast as hee could to mula , a citie ten leagues from murcia . the judg made all haste possible after the marquess , and overtook him in the field a good waie from murcia , where hee shewed him his orders , charging him in the king's name , under pain of death and confiscation of all his estate , to go back again with him into the citie , and to aid and assist him to do justice . the marquess answered him very angerly , ( for hee had desired him before to bee very careful how hee proceeded , to consider the times , and not to be too rigorous , but he would not follow his counsel ) saying , iudg ! go , make these requests to such men as your self is , not to mee , for in respect i am very much a servant to his majestie , i give you this answer and no other . but to obey , and shew the reverence i bear to the roial crown ( in whose name you require mee to return with you ) let your notarie publick com after mee , and i will give him an answer to what you demand of mee ; with that hee turned the reins of his hors and rode on towards mula . the judg went back to murcia and set up his hors in the same lodging hee was at before . by this time the commonaltie was monstrousty distempered , and a multitude not onely of the towns-people , but also of the neighboring farms and cottages , ran thither with clamorous outcries , and a full resolution to burn him , and all that were in the hous , and they had executed their purpose but for diego de vera , who happily was then at murcia with his souldiers : and hearing they had such an intention , hee rode presently to the judge's lodging , which hee found encompassed with a number of people , crying out , let him die , let him die . yet at the instance and earnest request of captain diego de vera they forbore , who desired them not to commit anie such violence , but leave it to him , and hee would take such order , that the judg should go out of the citie , and meddle no more in that business . hee obteined at length , with much trouble and importunitie , a promise from them to do whatsoëver hee commanded , upon condition , that the processes made against anie of the inhabitants of that citie should be delivered to them , and that the judg should depart the citie within one hour ▪ diego de vera having promised their desires should bee performed , went into the judge's lodging , who presently delivered him the said processes , which hee gave to the people , making them promise him , that they would not in anie kinde molest the judg nor anie of his servants , but would let him go quietly and safely away , so hee departed without making anie longer staie in those parts , which was no small matter to obtein of such mutiniers : the autoritie and grey-hairs of diego de vera , besides the repute hee had of beeing a gallant souldier , was very useful at that time . having pacified the people , and persuaded them to return to their own homes , he conducted the judg , with his servants , out of the citie , and a league beyond , where they parted , and the judg went in a great chafe & fume to mula . there hee demanded men to return with him to murcia , which coming to the people's ear , they rose also against him , and having sounded an alarm with much furie , they presently gaue notice thereof to lorca , and so from village to village to murcia , and in very short time they were together in arms about eight thousand men with those of murcia , who marched a judgcatching directly to mula . but hee was too wise to wait for their coming , and flying night and daie hee never staied until hee got to valladolid . where hee remained but two daies , and on sundaie night he went to aldea mayor , three leagues thence , for hee durst not staie in valladolid , knowing they did not greatly love him for som things past , and there was but a kinde of counterfeited ●eace in that citie , hee was affraid they would kill him . sect . xiv . the citie of sevilla , or sevil , that all this while stood ( as it were ) looking on the rest , had likewise its disturber , who indeavoured to plunge it as deep as the other cities , in these unhappie commotions . the beginning was thus . don iohn de figueroa ( brother to don rodrigo ponze de leon , duke of arcos ) the duke beeing at his town of marchena , set himself to rais the people of the citie in favor of the commonaltie , with intent to bee captain and governor himself . to vvhich effect , having already moulded and vvorked them to his mind , and beeing agreed vvith those that vvere his complotters and confederates in this design , on sundaie of september , , after dinner time , hee and som gentlemen ( kinsmen and followers of the duke his brother ) went to the duke's hous in sevilla , where they assembled and gathered together above seven hundred men with arms , which done , hee and the rest of the gentlemen beeing on hors-back , and the people on foot , they took four pieces of ordnance out of the duke's hous with them , and so marched into the streets , crying out , god bless the king and commonaltie . thus they went as far as st francis place , and no bodie els stirred nor offred to join with them , but onely looked on as they passed . by the waie don iohn caused the staves to bee taken away from the king's officers of justice , and gave them to others in behalf half of the commonaltie . in this time the duke of medina sidonia , don alonzo perez de guzman , beeing very young , was yet under the guardianship & tuterage of donia leonor de suniga his mother . who being a ladie of an high spirit and courage , and seeing so dangerous a fire kindled in sevilla , assembled all their domesticks , with all the friends and welwishers to her son's partie ( that shee could so suddenly get together ) and sent them under the conduct of don valencia de venavides a valiant gentleman ( who had married the duke's sister ) against don iohn de figueroa . but beeing approached near each other , and ready to fight , som gentlemen of note , mediating betwixt them , composed their quarrel , insomuch that the duke of medina's men returned home again , and don iohn advanced to the gate of the fort roial , which finding shut , hee battered it down with his ordnance , and beeing entred with all his men , hee took the commander of it don iorge de portugal earl of gelves ; which done , becaus it was grown late , hee quarter'd there all night , thinking that all the people of sevilla would presently flock to him , applauding this exploit , and back him in his enterprise , but they were so far from countenancing his design , that the greatest part of those that followed him that daie , forsook him in the night , and returned to their own houses . the next daie , very early in the morning , the officers of justice , and the veynte y quatros ( by whom that citie is governed ) beeing assembled , they ordered , that immediately the king's standard should bee brought forth , and that by command of the citie , the people should all go in arms and assault the fort , which beeing re-taken , should forthwith bee delivered unto the charge of him who before commanded it for the king. don fernando de zuniga earl of venalcazar and divers other gentlemen fitted themselvs to assist the people in this enterprise . but before they were in a posture to put this design in execution , don valencia de venavides , by order and command express from the dutchesses , donia leonor de zuniga , and donia anna de aragon , and the duke of medina ( who was sick in bed ) having rallied and re-assembled the men that followed him the daie before with great courage and resolution marched to the fort , of which , after three hours hot dispute hee became master , took don iohn de figueroa prisoner , ( who was wounded in two places ) and re-delivered the fort to don iorge de portugal . so in less then hours this cloud was quite blown over , which threatned so furious a tempest . sect . xv. the citie of segovia sent to salamanca , desiring hors for their defens against ronquillo . the common people and so● gentlemen gave their votes to send them succor , but the greatest part of the gentrie opposed it , saying , it was a great diss●rvice to the king , and contrarie to justice . manie distastfull words passed amongst them , but at last the commons prevailed , and turned all those gentlemen out of salamanca . one stately hous , that belonged to the archbishop of santjago's steward , they burned down to the ground . neither did those gentlemen hold themselvs secure , until they were got into valladolid , where they gave a full account of all these passages . this was the beginning of the rising publickly in salamanca . after which they kept their rounds and guards in the citie , and sent hors to the relief of segovia , but before they departed , salamanca , with other cities , sent two men to the cardinal and council , beseeching them to forbear from chastising segovia , for if they did not , the citie of salamanca could not refrain from sending them succor . their chief captain in this uproar was don pedro maldonado , nephew to the doctor talavera , who drove the rest of the gentlemen , that were not of his faction , out of the citie , and made the corregidor go away also , leaving the administration of justice more out of fear then otherwise ; which done , the citie ordered the justice , and did what you shall see hereafter . sect . xvi . the cardinal , governor , seeing these troubles and disorders increas daily without anie hope of remedie , notwithstanding all the endeavors and gentle means hee , and those of the council , had used to procure it : the president and the rest agreed to give his majestie an exact account of all the commotions and particular exigencies of the kingdom of castillia , and in what danger they themselvs were by reason of the people's furie , desiring his majestie to take som speedie order for the rectifying of so great disorders . sect . xvii . the emperor had already received som intelligence of these troubles in spain , by means of flemish merchants , and other particular letters ; but when those from the cardinal and council came to his hands at lovain , hee was seized with unexpressible sadness . the necessitie of his going to bee crowned in germanie was very urgent , and his returning into spain seemed yet of more importance . the letter 's sad contents br●d divers discontents , and no less different opinions ( as the custom is ) amongst the courtiers of the nearest relation about the emperor . the flemings condemned the spaniards for raising these tumults ond commotions in their king's absence : the spaniards retorted the blame upon the flemings , saying , that their ill government had been the occasion of the ruine and loss of spain , and that they had robbed it ; and indeed to saie the truth , they were both in fault ; for the flemings were as short of discretion and prudence to govern , as they abounded with a too insatiable covetousness . and the spaniards , although they had som reason to complain , could not bee excused for rising up in arms. monsieur de xeures grew much discontented and ashamed upon the report of this breaking out of spain , partly becaus hee knew what opinion went of him in the court , but chiefly becaus hee thought ( as justly hee might ) the emperor would derive the fault upon him : who , whil'st hee was in spain , commanded with so absolute a power , that it was commonly said , the emperor don carlos is king by right , and monsieur de xeures in effect . the emperor beeing thus disquieted , called a council , and desiring to have their advices , hee propounded , that they would consider what means was to bee vsed , that hee might go into germanie , and receiv that crown which hee so much desired , and provide som remedie to settle the disturbances of spain , which was of no less importance to him , for his coronation could bee no longer suspended , and the remedying of spain ought not to bee differred . hee had of his council in this occurrence , germanes , flemings , italians , aragoneses and castillans ; and their opinions were as different as their nations . for the germanes urged , that it was repuisite his majestie should continue his journie into germanie . the italians said , it was necessarie that hee should make● a progress into italie . the flemings were very importunate for him to staie in their countrie . the aragoneses pleaded , that valencia was also risen up in arms. and the castillans used all means possible to persuade him to re●urn into castill● . the case beeing so general and nearly concerning so manie kingdoms , the emperor did wisely to take the advice of manie . but at last the resolution of the business was given by few ▪ as great princes use to do in like occurrences . the result of this consultation was , that the emperor should continue his journie into germanie , and having received the imperial crown , there to remain until hee had fully settled the affairs of that countrie , not being everie daie to return thither . it was likewise resolved , that his majestie should send amiable and gracious letters to all the cities and towns of castilla , requiring som of them to return unto themselvs and his service , and expressing his thankfulness to others for their good intentions towards him ; that hee should desire and encharge the nobles and gentrie to favor and assist those of his roial council ; promising to all upon the faith of his roial word , that with all possible expedition hee would return into castilla , ( for the thought of the emperor 's never returning into spain , bred in the common people the boldness to commit such outrages and exorbitances ) . moreover it was determined , that the emperor should write unto the president and council , condoling their troubles and persecution , commanding them withall , that in one place or other , six of them should alwaies bee about the cardinal and hold council : to the end they might serv as a refuge for the good people to appeal unto , and bee a terror to the evil : for if the council omitted the doing of justice , the roial autoritie must needs fall . and also , that the emperor should appoint two other governors to bee joined in commission with the cardinal , and those to bee men of noble extractions , well experienced , and advanced in years , of generous dispositions , powerful in estates , but chiefly natives of that kingdom . this advice seemed very sound and pertinent to the emperor , whereupon hee gave order it should bee put in execution accordingly , and those whom they voted to bee joined in commission with the cardinal were , don fadrique enriquez lord high admiral of castilla , and don inigo de velasco lord high constable , who were both antient gentlemen of great generositie and gallantrie . which election gave no small satisfaction to the castillan partie , for they had shewen themselvs in their commands not onely wise but valiant , and were alwaies fortunate in their undertakings . these noblemen governed with such valour and prudence , that the emperor in his letters to the lord high constable , give 's him thanks for his services , acknowledging that by his means hee was king of castilla . and indeed the emperor said but what was true . besides all this , his majestie sent an especial command , that the subsidie which was granted him at the groyn , should not bee exacted from those cities which continued in their obedience to him , nor from those which were willing to submit and bee reduced , for it was his will and pleasure graciously to forgive it them . this grace hee did likewise to the whole kingdom , that the roial revenue should bee allowed for the taxes , as during the reigns of other catholick kings , his ancestors . hee resolved also to abrogate the sale , farming and enhauncement of all taxes and impositions , ( which indeed were very great ) : and besides hee sent to offer and certifie , that no office in that kingdom should bee conferred upon anie whomsoëver , unless hee were a native ; which if hee had granted when hee was desired , these commotions had never happened . of all this were ingrossed his majestie 's patents and commissions of sufficient power . yet notwithstanding these three things were the principal grievances and most important reasons that toledo and the other cities alleged for excuse of their tumultuous risings : the granting all these demands was not available enough to quiet their commotions and reduce them to obedience ; for the contrivers and ring-leaders , who had seduced the people into those mischievous practices , finding profit in fishing in that troubled water , hindered all they could that these graces of his majestie might not com unto the people's knowledg , and when they were known , they gave out that they were vain promises , and onely fained or framed by the council , becaus they were not able to do any thing els untill they had divided the people , and then that they would fall upon them . sect . xviii . about this time letters were brought to toledo from all the cities , concerning their iunta or assemblie , and they all agreed it should bee as toledo desired . don pedro lasso ( whom toledo honored so much , since his return from the groyn , where hee shewed such obstinacie in his resolution , that they received him with great solemnitie , giving him the stile of the deliverer of that countrie ) . was appointed for the chief commissioner of that citie ; with him they sent don pedro de ayala , and two iurates , besides other deputies of the common-people . who resolved to take their iournie the same daie iohn de padilla went to the succor of segovia . the citie of avila was pitched upon for this assemblie , more particularly becaus it was situate in the middle of old castilla , and the kingdom of toledo . the cities which made this assemblie were , toledo , madrid , guadalaxara , soria , murci● , cuenca , segovia , avila , salamanca , toro , zamora , leon , valladolid , burgos , cuidad rodrigo . the commissioners of all these places beeing assembled , they chose their secretaries and other officers correspondent . the assemblie was held in the chapter of the cathedral church , don pedro lasso commissione● from toledo , and the dean of avila ( who was a native of segovia ) were chosen presidents . upon a table in the chapter laie a cross and the evangelists , whereon they made oath , everie one to live and die in the king's service , and in favor of the commonaltie . and those that refused to do this in avila , were not onely ill treated in words , but had their houses pulled down . but this fortune onely befell one gentleman , named , don antonio ponze knight of the order of sant jago , and son to the prince , don iohn , his nurs . the rest fearing the peoples furie , condescended and collogued with them , to save their lives , which were in no small danger . in the middle of the commissioners of this assemblie , was placed a little form , whereon did sit a certain cloath-worker , named pinilles , with a wand in his hand , and no gentleman commissioner or ecclesiastick durst offer to speak one word untill this cloath-worker had given him the sign , by pointing to him with his wand . so that those who took upon them to remedie the kingdom , were commanded by a mean inferior fellow , a cloath-worker . such was the violence and blindness of the common people's passion . the first thing they ordered , was , to take awaie the staff from the corregidor of avila , next they sent letters to the alcalde ronquillo charging him not to set foot in the land of segovia , and condemning him to great penalties if hee did the contrarie . sect . xix . having alreadie related the manner of the commotions of the cities and principall towns of the kingdom , with their general assemblie at avila , i will now tell you the successes of those unadvised and indiscreetly raised tumults . and in regard one of the most notorious actors in these tragicall disorders , was don antonio de acunna , bishop of zamora , who is famous to this very daie , for the strangeness of his disposition , and manner of the death hee suffred , which was not suitable to the dignitie of a prelate , ( but very answerable to his actions , since it was done with very great justification of the emperor , and by the autoritie of pope clement the th , as appear's upon record in the arches of simancas , which i have seen ) you shall briefly hear who this bishop was , and what his conditions . during the time of don iohn the second his raign in castilla , lived in that kingdom don luis osorio de acunia , a gentleman of eminent note and account , father to don diego osorio and this don antonio de acunia , to whom his father dying left the arch-deakonship of valpuesta , besides other meanes , in these times hee beeing in service to their catholick majestie 's was sent by them embassador into france , after which the bishoprick of zamora was conferred upon him . the king was not very well pleased with him , becaus hee was of a turbulent spirit , a lover of broils , impatient , adventurously bold , and one that did take more upon him , then his profession and degree required . hee was naturally inclined to arms , his ambition was to make himself lord and master of zamora , where the earl of alva de lista then lived , son in law to the duke of alva , a stout gallant gentleman and a great lover of honor . the bishop and the earl meeting about certain affairs betwixt them they grew to such odds , that very good mediators were not able to pacifie them . zamora beeing in rebellion , and paying no obedience but to the junta or assemblie , the bishop on one side and the earl on the other , used all means possible to draw the people to th●ir factions . the earl was better beloved , and bore the greater sway in the citie , so that the bishop was forced to leav it : it made him half madd to lose his hous , and so desperate seeing his enemie prevail so far against him , that hee presently went to tordesillas ( where the commissioners of the iunta were then assembled ) with whom hee joyned in confederacie , desiring them to assist him and furnish him with forces to beat the earl of alva out of zamora . they all received him with great respect and contentment , thinking it an honor to their caus , to have so eminent a prelate amongst them , they gave him men and artillerie , wherewith hee marched back towards zamora . the ●arl beeing informed of the manner of his enemie's advance , thought not fit to stay for him , but quitting the fort , went and associated himself with the cavaliers of the loyal partie , as you shall hear . thence forwards the bishop stuck close to the iunta , and the farl as eagerly followed the king's counsel , each of them so much favoring their partie , that there were not anie two more remarkable then they . the bishop was threescore years of age , but as vigorous and lively as if hee had been but five and and twentie . i was acquainted with one that knew him and received orders from him , who told me that hee was excellent at handling his arms . that hee had more then foure hundred priests under his command all well armed and valiant men , and that hee still charged at the head of them himself , saying , here my priests . the rest hereafter . sect . xx. i have told you in what manner segovia was fortified , the resolution of the inhabitants , the relief which they received from manie places , notwithstanding ronquillo's endeavors to hinder it ; how toledo incouraged them with promises both of men and monie , madrid , guadalaxara , and salamanca did the like , making their case their own . medina del campo secured them their trading , offering to bear what loss soëver they should sustein either of persons or goods . at last the citie of avila seeing what ronquillo did against segovia ; and the adjacent towns , that hee entred into the villages belonging to avila , taking , killing and executing justice in a severe manner , and that by order of the cardinal and the council , hee had taken from segovia all the places and towns under its jurisdiction , commanding them not to obey or bee anie waie subject to that citie , neither to furnish them with provisions anie more then if they were their enemies , under pain of death and confiscation of goods , giving them power and autoritie to keep justice amongst themselvs , as beeing a distinct jurisdiction , and other priviledges to the distruction of that citie : they assembled in council , and agreed to send a petition in the name and with the subscriptions of the officers of justice , the regidores , gentrie , religious persons , and of all the commonaltie , humbly beseeching the cardinal that hee would bee pleased to set a remedie to those disorders , and not proceed with so much rigor against segovia , for that citie would bee reduced sooner by fair means then by such severitie . that hee would command ronquillo to rais his siege , and that hee should not molest , nor use such crueltie against segovia . the cardinal and those of the council did not weigh much this petition of avila , which so incensed that citie , that thereupon they sent them word peremptorily , that since they would not rectifie those disorders , they were resolved to seek their own remedie . mean time ronquillo was at santa maria de nieva making what preparations hee could against segovia , making incursions into their territories , and laying ambuscado's for those that came out of the citie . it happened that two young men coming out of segovia , fell into the hands of ronquillo's guards , who asking them whence they were , and whither they went ? they answered , that they were of salamanca , that they came from segovia , and were returning to their own homes . at first the guards were in the minde to let them go , becaus they seemed to bee but poor fellows , yet afterwards they laid hands on them and brought them before ronquillo ; who asking them who they were , whither they went , and whence they came ? they said , they were carders , who seeing segovia streightned , and trading dead , they were upon their return to their ovvn houses . hee examined them severally concerning the manner of tordesillas his death , and they agreed not in their relation . ronquillo thereupon began to press them further , demanding more and more & more questions , till at last one of them confessed he fetched the rope vvherevvith they dragged tordesillas along the streets , and the other that hee plucked him by the hair . upon this confession hee condemned them both to death , one to bee dravvn and quartered , the other , vvho said , hee pluck't him by the hair , had first his hand cut off , and then vvas hanged . it seemed a dir●ct judgment of heaven to put those men into the hands of the justice , and that they should confess vvithout torture . sect . xxi . after this ronquillo met vvith one francisco peralta , a sufficient man , and vvell beloved in segovia , but not thinking fit to execute justice upon him presently , sent him prisoner upon on an ass , to a castle belonging to the bishop of palencia . but meeting by the waie a man , that was very z●alous for the caus of the commonaltie , and satisfying his curiositie by telling him the occasion of his imprisonment , through his means hee was rescued by the common people of duenias , and taken away from the alguazil , that had charge of him , ( who had so much a doe to escape with his life ) and peralta after courteous entertainment in the town , had a hors given him , vvhe●evvith hee went to burgos , which then was declared for the commonaltie . iohn de padilla , you have heard , marched out of toledo at the head of two thousand men well armed , and having passed the port de la tablada , hee came within sight of segovia , where in a plain , not far distant , hee pitch't his camp : the next daie hee sent a trumpetter to ronquillo with a peremptorie message to bid him get him gon , if not , that hee would forth with put in execution what the citie of toledo had commanded him . hereupon ronquillo retreated to antonio de fonseca at arevalo , and so they fled both together ▪ not beeing able to withstand iohn de padilla's forces . sect . xxii . the cardinal , president , and those of the council labored , all they could , to persuade the queen mother to signe certain orders ( which they would send throughout the kingdom ) against the disturbers of it ; becaus the greatest autoritie , which those of the junta pretended to have , was to saie , that whatsoever they did , was for the queen's service ( whose that kingdom was ) and other things to that purpose . the president therefore and some of the council , went to tordesillas , and spake publickly with the queen , who was very merrie with them , but complained , saying , that for fifteen years past shee could never know the truth of anie thing , then turning towards the marquis of denia , shee said , this marquis told mee the first lye . at which words hee fell upon his knees , and with tears in his eyes , hee said , it is true madam , i did tell you a lye , but it was to moderate the violence of your passions , and now i give you to understand that the king , your father , is dead , and i did bury him . shee answered , bishop , believ mee , all that i see or hear , mee thinks is but a dreame . the president answered , madam ! in your hands , under god , lyeth the remedie of this kingdom , and your highness will do a greater miracle in signing what wee demand , then ever did san francisco . shee bid them go to bed , and come againe next daie . the daie following , beeing sunday , they returned in the morning , much time was spent in controversie , whether they should kneel or sit before her , but the president telling her , that those of the council ought not to bee treated in that manner , shee commanded they should sit , but chairs beeing brought in , shee cryed out , no chaires , but bring a form , that was the custom in my mother's daies , onely give the bishop a chair . six hours they were with her in private , and the result of all was , that they should return to valladolid , and consult with the rest of the council , what orders they should issue out , which done , shee would sign them . they came to valladolid , and in the interim iohn de padilla arrived at tordesillas ( as you shall finde hereafter ) those of the council were presently afraid to bee taken , and some report , that hee sent a captain in persuite of those that came from tordesillas . sect ▪ xxiii . the same daie that valladolid rose up publickly in arms ( which was wednesday the th of august ) iohn de padilla , having beaten ronquillo from segovia , iohn bravo , and iohn zapata , with the men which they brought from toledo , segovia , and madrid , arrived at medina del campo . which the towns-men taking as a great favour , went out to receiv them with their flags and mourning colours , besides manie teares , which moved these captains to great compassion , especially when they saw the town reduced to ashes ; they comforted the people the best they could , and iohn de padilla took thereupon occasion to tell them , gentlemen , if you had reflected well upon the letter , which i sent you giving you notice that fo●seca was raising forces , with intent to fetch the artillerie thence , peradventure you had not been suff●rers in so high a nature . those of medina wondred that they never had heard of anie such letter , and after divers circumstances , it was found out that the regidor gil nieto had received and concealed it from the people : whereupon they grew to an excessive passion , and whilest this was yet in agitation , gil nieto unfortunatly came amongst them . some of whom discoursing of the town-affairs , said to him . if there were no traytors in medina , the miseries wee suffer never had befallen us . who are those traytors ? replyed gil nieto . at which words started up bobadilla , the cloth worker , and with a great oath answered , you are one of the traytors , then drawing his sword hee violently flew upon him , and with one blow separated his head from his shoulders , which done , and having found in his bosome iohn de padilla's letter , they flung him out at the windows of the regimiento , upon the souldiers pikes which stood below . hee was afterwards taken up and interred by his friends and kindrid . iohn de padilla remained five daies in medina , and the tovvn having given him tvvo great peeces of ordnance , hee departed thence vvith his men for tordesillas . hee pretended that hee went thither to kiss the queen's hands , and give her an account of what passed in castilla . others said , that hee went audaciously to seiz on her , and take her into his power . beeing arrived , hee drew up his armie in batalia , charged his ordnance , and remained in that order , until hee had given notice of his coming to her highness and the town . the queen presently gave order they should go forth to receiv him , which the town did in the best manner and with the greatest companie they could , and as they were even ready to meet , hee commanded his two guns to bee shot off with great showting and nois of trumpets . the salve being past , they took iohn de padilla in the midst of them , and so entred the town with the greatest applaus that might bee imagined , after hee had rested himself a while , hee went to the pallace , where the queen received him very graciously , gave him audience , and asked him who hee was . to which hee answered , that his name vvas iuan de padilla , son to pedro lopez de padilla , vvho had been captain general in castilla , and served the renovvned queen donia isabella her mother , and that also hee came to tender his service to her majestie , with the people of toledo ; that hee did give her to understand , that since the deceas of the catholick king , her father , there had been , and were in that kingdom great disorders , mischiefs and dissentions for want of a governor . although the mightie and illustrious don carlos , her son , had governed spain , yet by reason of his sudden departure , the kingdom was risen in such commotions and disordrous manner , that all spain was ready to bee destroied , and that now hee was com with a certain armie of toledians to serv her highness , whom hee desired to see , and know what commands shee had to laie upon him , for hee was ready to spend his life in her service . the queen was much astonished to hear such things , and said , shee never knew any thing of it before : for shee had been sixteen years shut up within a chamber , under the guard of the marquess of denia , and wondred to hear anie such stories , but if shee had known of her father's death , shee would have gon abroad and set som remedie to those mischiefs . so forgetful and void of judgment was the queen . then shee said to iohn de padilla , go you now , i command you , take the charge , and execute the office of captain general in the kingdom , and give you order for all things as need shall require , until i provide otherwise . this said , shee retired into her chamber ; and iohn de padilla returned to his quarters , well attended and very jocund for the favour the queen had done him , in giving him that commission . manie times after this , iohn de padilla had conference with the queen , and she seemed to give audience to him and others of the iunta , very willingly . they told her once , that the king her son , had done great damage to the kingdom , whereunto shee answered , that her son was not greatly in fault , for hee was but a youth , but the kingdom rather ought to bee condemned for suffering it . then shee commanded , that the assemblie of the kingdom should bee kept there , that shee would autorize it . hereupon an order was forthwith issued out , that proclamation should bee made in medina and other places , for all the commissioners that had assisted in parlament at the groyn to make their appearance and render an account at tor●esillas under pain of death . sect . xxiv . the iunta was yet held at avila , whither was sent an order from the queen , commanding them to remove to tordesillas , which they presently obeied , for it was their only waie so to do ; the queen understanding nothing what belonged to businesses . the antagonists of the junta gave out , that those dispatches which were produced and publshed in the queen's name were fals , and the testimonies likewise made by counterfeiting hands . the junta took a resolution to turn the marquess of denia out of the queen's service , for the ill opinion hee ( beeing a loial subject ) conceived of the commoners , alleging , that shee was not well pleased with him . and becaus they would bee informed how the marquess did serv the queen , they sent to maestro fray pablo a dominican frier , a grand commoner , commissioner of leon , and to the commendador almaraz , commissioner of salamanca , and el bachiller de guadalaxara : and from these men's relation ( which was never the holier for the frier 's having any part in it ) resulted a determination to turn the marquess and his ladie from the queen . whereupon they were not onely cast out of their hous , but driven out of tordesillas , with such strictness and precipitation , that they had not one hour's time to take away their goods and housholdstuff , and although they made their requests to the contrarie , they were no whit the more regarded . in their places were presently put donia catalina de figueroa , wife to quintanilla , and som other women of the town . and the marquess , with his ladie , was enforced to repair to a small village , and suffer with patience this tribulation for their prince's service . the iunta beeing set at tordesillas , they began to treat of the peaceable government and quiet of the kingdom . soon after , salamanca , avila , madrid , besides other places , sent manie companies of foot and hors , paid at the charge of the said cities , with their respective captains , who had orders to bee at the king and queen , his mother's service , and in favor of the junta . there was already so great a confluence of gentlemen and captai●s , that tordesillas was not able to contein them , although the common souldiers were quartered in the adjacent villages . the citie of vallad●lid sent a thousand chois men well armed , under the command of don diego de quiniones , a valiant and well-born gentleman . the commissioners , gentlemen , captains with many grave and learned friers , beeing assembled in the junta , there was a motion made , that they should send to valladolid , to seiz upon the president and the rest of the king's council , and to have them brought to tordesillas , or at least , to take such order , that the citie of valladolid should not back them or conceal them , but should give waie that the junta might apprehend and bring them away . to this ( the report is ) there wanted no votes , neither were the friers backwards in giving theirs , alleging , that the securing of those men was very necessary for the good of the kingdom . to this effect was dispatched a dominican frier ( who was a man of honor and great leaning ) with letters of credence to the commonaltie of valladolid , and to the infante of granada , their chief captain the frier having delived his letter and message to the infant● , hee thus answered , father , as far as it concern's mee ( as beeing captain of valladolid ) i do obeie the orders here sent from the junta , but it is convenient the whole commonaltie should bee assembled , that you may deliver your message to them all together , and receiv their answer . hereupon the deputies of the wards , jurates , common council-men and other officers , were all ordered to warn the inhabitants of their respe●tive quarters and parishes , to make their appearance the next morning by nine of the clock at the church of santa maria la mayor , which was done accordingly . the infante of granada , don pedro giron and other gentlemen , beeing there assembled , with the rest of the commonaltie , at the hour and place appointed , the frier went up into the pulpit , and with smooth fair language , hee told them the substance of his message , saying , that he came thither from the lords of the junta at tordesillas ( who were the greater part of the kingdom , and were there assembled for the remedying of the distractions and mischiefs which abounded in that kingdom , as appeared by the power & letters of credence ) which hee had already shewed to that very noble commonaltie of valladolid , and the infante their captain . yet becaus it was thought fit that a business of such weight ( as that wherewith hee was intrusted to impart to them ) should rather bee manifested to them all in that place , then communicated to any members in particular , and in regard they were then all assembled , hee again notified those letters unto them , giving them to understand that the lords of the junta , moved with a very holie zeal , and desire of procuring the kindom's good and his majestie 's service , had found it convenient ( to the end the intent of the junta might the better take effect ) that there should bee no council roial at all , but that the president and the rest should bee sent prisoners to tordesillas , and to shew that their intentions were holie , and tending onely to the service of god , and the king , in the name of the lords commissioners of the junta , hee did assure the lives of the council , but not their goods and estates . for they must know , that whosoëver of that council had offended , his estate was liable to confiscation , according to the qualitie of his delict , and that the monie which should accrue , should repair in part the dammages which they had occasioned . hereupon the frier extended himself into manie rhetorical expressions , to cog the peopl● into a consent , urging , that if they did otherwise , it might bee the occasion of bringing the whole kingdom to destruction : for if there was both a junta and council , the junta governing contrarie to the sens of the council , and the council abrogating what should bee enacted by the junta , what could bee exspected but confusion and utter ruine ? hereunto hee desired their speedie answer , becaus hee was to return to tordesillas . they forthwith replied , that it was a business of no small moment , and required great consultation , yet if hee would stay till night , hee should have their answer . they divided themselvs into several assemblies to consult hereupon , and they were generally of opinion , that it was a difficult and strange attempt for them to dissolv a council of so great autoritie , beeing constituted by their king , especially that citie having received , in particular , so manie immunities and other favors from them , and they ●eeing so good friends , that the council had , in a manner , entrusted them with their persons , it were an act of high inhumanitie and baseness to laie violent hands upon them . on the other side they thought , that they were bound in conscience not to leav undone the commands of the junta , in regard their commissioners were there , they had acknowledged their power , and had sworn to obey whatsoëver should there bee ordered or enacted . in the end , they agreed to give the frier this answer , that if the junta did desire to apprehend those of the council , they should send their own captains and souldiers to do it , for valladolid would have no hand in either helping or hindering them in that design , neither would they favor the one side , or oppose the other . the frier , and those captains , and other officers which came with him from tordesillas , beeing satisfied with this answer , the frier reckoned up those of the council whom the iunta demanded , which done , it was agreed , that everie deputie of a ward should take four or five of the said names in writing , and go with a notarie publick to their respectiv● houses , or lodgings , requiring them to meet the next daie in the cardinal●s hous , where hee should tell them what further they were to do . which beeing done accordingly , those of the council that could not escape ●as divers did ) failed not to com to the cardinal's pallace , where the f●ier , with his captains about him , notified and commanded them in the name of the iunta , to go with them to tordesillas , and to execute no more the offi●e of counsellors , that beeing there they should know further what they were to do , and that there was no fear of their lives , but their goods and estates he could not promise to secure . whereunto they made answer , that they held their offices and charge from his m●jestie's own hands , whom they had served and did serv , and that although they were taken , they would not go with them , unless they were carried away by force . this was the best answer the frier could get at that time , so hee returned to tordesillas , but was not long before hee came back again to valladolid , with other letters and orders as shall bee seen hereafter . sect . xxv . in this coniuncture arrived an express from flanders , vvit● dispatches from the emperor , letters for the cities of the kingdom , and his majestie 's commissions and orders to don inigo de velasco lord high constable of castilla and leon , and don fadrique enriquez lord admiral of castilla , auto●ising and commanding them , joyntly vvith the cardinal adriano , to undertake the charge and care of governing and managing the affaires of that kingdom untill his returne . in his letters , the emperor declared his exceeding sorrovv and discontent for the troubles and insurrections in that kingdom , notvvithstanding the great affection hee alvvaies expressed tovvards them . that his good vvill vvas so ill requited , and his favors no better accepted . that they had failed in that fidelitie vvherevvith ( like good and loyall subjects ) they had alvvaies served the kings , his predecessors . yet hee could not bee persuaded but some particular persons , for their private ●nterests , had been the occasion of all those disorders . and that in regard one of the principal things , at which the kingdom was aggreived , had been his conferring of the government upon a stranger ( although the prudence and uprightness of the most reverend cardinal of tortosa could not in all reason but give them satisfaction ) to stop the current of those disorders , which increased daily in that kingdom , and to provide for the good government thereof , and the peace of his subjects ; with great deliberation and advice ( during his absence , which should not bee long ) hee had ordered and appointed to rule joyntly with the cardinal , as vice-kings and governors of that kingdom , the lord admiral and lord high constable of castilla , beeing both persons indued with wisdom , and other parts requisite for so high a charge , and that they should take upon them all the care , trouble , &c. and that he had given them particular charge if the kingdom was anie waie aggriev'd , to send for the commissioners or burgesses of the cities , that they might demand redress before the governors ; and withall hee commanded the cities to bee obedient unto them . the emperor wrote also to the lord high constable , endeering him by the acknowledgment of his former services , to undertake and execute with like fidelitie , resolution and cheerfulness , the joynt charge , with the cardinal and the lord admirall , of pacifying the present tumults and insurrections , reducing his subjects to their former obedience , and the governing and managing the affairs of that kingdom until his return . dated in bruxels the th of september . sect . xxvi . if these noble-men had been made governors before the emperor's departure out of spain , questionless the commotions had never come to that height . but they were now too far gon beyond their recoverie , for although some were very well pleased with this election , others were not . the lord high constable ( as wee shall see ) was not very well beloved in burgos . the cardinal with the president and council were not onely not beloved , but extreamely hated and abhorred in manie cities . onely in valladolid the cardinal was much respected and honored , neither would they consent to his departure out of the citie , although hee often desired it , but they offered themselvs all to bee at his service , esteeming him ( as it were ) a saint ; and they kept guards at the gates of the citie , lest the cardinal , or anie of the council , or judges should goe away . yet for all their guards el licenciado zapata made his escape in a benedictan munk's habit , having shaved his crown and his beard , and divers others of the council likewise , who durst not attend the determination of the junta : perhaps their own ill consciences did accuse them , and filled their hearts with the apprehension of danger , which onely make the sinners flie , though no bodie doth pursue them . and indeed in offices and charges of that nature , some men are monstruously insufferable . sect . xxvii . few daies after the dominican frier was returned to the junta , and had given an account of his indeavors at valladolid , concerning the suspending of the council roial , and the apprehending of the counsellors . they sent another frier , alonso de medina , professor of divinitie , of the order of st francis , with second orders from the junta to valladolid . where beeing arrived , hee caused the commonaltie and officers of the citie to assemble at the monastrie of st francis , which beeing done accordingly , the frier went up into the pulpit , and shewed the letters of credence which hee brought from the iunta , in whose name hee told them , they were againe required to send those of the council-royall prisoners to tordesillas , and that those of the council of warre , who were fled and absented themselvs , should thenceforwards bee payed no salarie , nor enjoy any of their revenues ; but that they should all bee punished according to their severall deserts ; and that her highness , the queen's pleasure and absolute command was , it should bee ●o , in regard it was found expedient for the good of the kingdom . otherwise the offenders and wicked counsellors , the perpetrators of so manie evils in the kingdom , should escape unpunished , and the poor oppressed people remain without justice . many other reasons hee aleadged , which were not unpleasing to the people , who were filled with a desire of seeing the punishment ( hee mentioned ) inflicted . and having ended his discours , hee produced and read aloud to them a copie signed by three publick notaries , of what passed between the queen and the commissioners of all the cities and towns in the kingdom , that had votes in parlament . who beeing altogether in her presence , gave her to understand by the mouth of the doctor zuniga of salamanca , the grievances of the kingdom having been pilled and polled by strangers since her ●ather's death , and out of the sens of their opression , they desired that her highness would bee pleased to take upon her the command and government of the kingdom , making high protestations , that they would obey and serve her till death as their queen and naturall soveraign , and that shee should command as absolutely as the most powerfull queen in the world. whereunto shee answered to this effect , that shee loved that countrie and her subjects with so much tenderness , that it grieved her exceedingly to hear of any of their sufferings , but shee had been so long mued up there , and alwaies such bad people about her , who fed her with falsities and lies , insomuch that shee knew not of her father's death , nor of their opression , and that when shee was informed of those strangers coming into castilla , it troubled her very much , yet shee thought it might bee for her children's good , though , it seemed , it proved otherwise . but shee wondred much at them that they did not revenge themselvs , if any thing was don contrarie to justice . and forasmuch ( said shee ) as you intend to remedie the ill-government of the affairs of the kingdom , it doth rejoyce me , and if you do it not let it lye upon your own consciences , besides i command you so to do , and as far as lyeth in my power , i shall bee readie to do any thing for the good of the kingdom , here or wheresoëver i am . you need not come all to mee hereafter , it will bee more convenient , that you appoint four of the discreetest , and most knowing amongst you , who shall at any time have access to mee , and inform mee what cours is meetest to bee taken , i will heare them and do all that possiblie i can . then don pedro lasso desired , that her highness would bee pleased to nominate the four members , whom shee would have to confer with her concerning the government of the kingdom , shee answered that her will was , that the iunta should send whom they thought good , and shee would heare them whensoëver they came . sect . xxviii . this writing signed by three notaries in the presence of the infanta donia catalina , all the commissioners of the kingdom , divers eminent priests and friers , and manie other persons of qualitie , satisfied exceedingly the common people , who cried it up for a kinde of miracle , that the queen , after so many years of retirement , in so strict a manner , that no bodie could scarce have a sight of her , and so long discontiuance from anie knowledg of state-affairs , should now com forth , and shew her self in a time of so great necessitie , with so much knowledg and clear judgment in things concerning the government of the kingdom : they praised god for shewing his mercie in so high a measure unto spain : yet som there were , who did not stick to saie , that all those circumstances were fals , and forged by those of the iunta . that the queen had no judgment to meddle with anie such affairs , neither was shee in a condition to bee treated with . ( this was commonly noised not onely in valladolid , but divers other places also : pero mexia treating of this business , seemeth in his book to favor this opinion , i write what i had from one that was an eie witness of all these passages , and who neither was a commoner nor friend of that faction . ) after all this the frier told them , that there were souldiers without the citie , who , if they would give leav , should com in and carrie away those of the council prisoners . they all agreed , that two hundred should com in the next daie , who would bee sufficient to apprehend them , and carrie them away to tordesillas . whereupon the day following iohn de padilla , captain general of the iunta's forces , entred valladolid with three hundred lances of avila and salamanca , and eight hundred pikemen and musketiers , where hee had noble entertainment , and his souldiers had good quarters given them , with a large portion of all nec●ssaries . iohn de padilla forthwith seized upon all those of the council that could bee found in valladolid , who were doctor veltran , doctor tello , doctor cornejo , and el licenciado herrera , all alcaldes , whom hee confined to their houses that daie , under great penalties , having taken good securitie for them besides , and set guards upon every one ; hee took away likewise the staves from the alguaziles and other officers , whom hee commanded and ordered , under great penalties , to make their personal appearance at tordesillas . the next daie hee carried them away prisoners , with the respect and honor that every one deserved . hee took with him the books of the treasurie , and the broad seal wherewith the council sealed all their acts and orders ; for the better autorising of the matter , the junta desired the queen to confirm by her sign whatsoëver should bee agreed on by them , as persons of her council . which shee refusing to do , the commissioners there present , sent to their respective cities , to give them power to see to the government of the kingdom ( for fault of a governor ) and to constitute a council . som did ●end their powers to this effect , others disliked that proposition , holding it a thing needless , and of a dangerous consequence . divers gentlemen of toledo were much distasted hereat , and sorrie that iohn de padilla had been so forward , for which they sent him and their commissioners a notable check , refusing to give them any power concerning the govenment of the kingdom . sect . xxix . the iunta , for the better autorising and securing their persons and proceedings , used all means possible to seduce all the cities of the kingdom , and engage them in their quarrel . from palencia they had intelligence , that a small matter would make them rise . whereupon they presently dispatched thither an augustine frier , giving him orders first to sound the bishop , and afterward to address himself to the citie , telling them how they stood obliged to favor and assist the junta , in regard the chief end of their assembling , and their onely studie , since they were established , was for the general good of the kingdom . the frier went ( but it had been better for him to have staied in his cell ) and with much libertie and lavishness of words hee began to treat of his message , and having assembled the people , to preach sedition publickly in the pulpit . this continued som daies , until the cardinal , who then was at rioseco , with the council , sent to apprehend him , which was the easier done becaus there were divers loial and well-affected persons in the citie , who were scandalized at the ill example of this frier . hee was carried prisoner to medina , where after few daies , the fact beeing proved against him , hee was strangled . hee had his desert , and may all friers or priests meet with the like punishment , that imbark themselvs so far in secular affairs , not observing that retirement and modestie which their qualitie and profession doth require , which is to renounce the world with all its troubles and vanities . yet the ●eed which this factious frier sowed in palencia , took not so little root in the people's hearts , but that soon after almost the whole commonaltie of the citie , infected with his pernitious doctrine , rose in so tumultuous a manner , that the c●rregidor was forced to flie away , they took away the stav●s from the king's officers , and gave them to som of the commonaltie . they turned out of the citie the provisores d●l obispo or officers of the bishop's cou●t , they turned out the regidores , whom the bishop had constituted , and the commonaltie put others in their places . at the ringing of a bell the people all assembled , and most of them beeing armed , they ran furiously to villamuriel , ( which was a fort and the bishop's hous ) and pulled down a part of one of the towers thereof . the th sept. ● , they cut down the greatest part of a wood called santillana , which belonged to the bishop ; divers other strange disorders and mischiefs they did in and about the citie , as if they had been in an enemie's countrie : things indeed befitting the blinde and furious rage of the common people . sect ▪ xxx . the cardinal , governor of the kingdom , seeing the disturbed estate of things , and that in valladolid hee was not obeyed , as the dignitie of his person and place required , but rather in danger daiely to bee affronted , took a resolution to retire himself to a gentleman's hous out of the citie , where hee might bee secure . this was no sooner known in valladolid , but some of the citie-officers came to ●peake with him , desiring to know wherefore hee would go away from them . the holy man with much meekness , answered , that hee would willingly retire himself with the lord admiral at medina de rioseco . but those of valladolid , holding it their best waie to keep him there , would not let him go . they presently set guards at the gates of the citie , that none of the common people should go out , for they began already to feare , lest they should go joyn with the lord high constable , who was levying forces to resist and suppress those tumults , which were grown so excessive in the kingdom , to whom were repaired those of council , that escaped from valladolid , to the end that castilla , might not remain without justice . the next morning early the cardinal , beeing fully resolved to bee gon , departed from his hous with an hundred and fiftie men on horsback and on foot , besides divers of the principal persons of the citie , who guarded him on both sides . but coming to the bridg they would not let him pass , there hee stayed a good while , still commanding his people to bee quiet and offer no violence , for they would have broke down the gates and forced their way through . this beeing known in the citie , there was presently a great hubbub , and a crying out , the governor 's goeing away , the governor 's goeing away . hereupon one alonso de vera , a deputie of a ward , without any command or order from the captain generall of the commonaltie , ran in great hast to ring the council bell , which beeing heard the citie presently took the alarme , and in a trice there was such a hurly-burly and confusion of people in the stree●s , that it was wonderful , they all locked up their houses and shops and posted with their arms towards the bridg , ( as if the citie had been stormed by an enemie ) where in a moment's time ( in a manner ) was assembled a very numerous armie of compleat men , with new shining arms , but without order and without captain . the cardinal seeing this tumult , turned back againe towards the citie , and beeing half way ouer the bridg some of his servants said to him , my lord ! your eminence should do well to stand still there , untill you see what is the meaning of this boldness of the people . so hee did remain a while , having a strong guard before him . but the people came swarming to that place like emmets . whilest the cardinal was at this stand , came don pedro giron , to whom all the people bore as much respect , as if hee had been their lord. hee was mounted upon a stately ginnet , his body was covered with armor as bright as silver , his head with a richly guilded helmet , his hors proudly praunsing along the streets , made waie through the disorderly throng , untill hee came where the governor stood , to whom after salutation , hee thus spake . my lord ! i am sorry that your eminence would offer to go away thus without the consent of the citie and kingdom , if my counsel might prevail , you should return to your lodging , for if you stay longer here , it will not bee in the power of man to remedie or hinder the mischief , which your departure may produce . the cardinal's men not throughly understanding don pedro's speech , began to draw their swords ; which some of the people , that had crowded neer , seeing , cryed out , arm , arm commoners , help , help . hereupon grew such a noise and so great a tumult , that had not the president of the chancerie , don pedro giron , and other gentlemen been there to appease the furie of the people , they scarse had left one man alive of all those that were with the cardinal . but all beeing pacified , hee returned with his guards to his lodging , accompanied with other prelates and divers gentlemen of qualitie , and after all , followed his traine of bagage in the same order as they marched outwards . the common people went before him all armed , with sound of drums and trumpets conducting him to his lodging , with all due honor and reverence . by this time it was full twelve of the clock , so that they spent six hours at least in this contention . the infante of granada , captain of valladolid , was so much displeased that st michael's bell had been rung , and that the people had all taken arms in that manner without his order or knowledg , that hee threatned to leave his charge . thereupon strict order was given , that no man thenceforwards should dare , under a great penaltie , to ring the bell or to rise in arms , without their captains order . vera who rung the bell , to avoid the punishment which was intended , and his offence deserved , fled to tordesillas . after this , valladolid ordered that every five and twentie men should have a particular captain , that should command them upon occasion , having first received orders from the captain general . the newes beeing carried to tordesillas , how those of valladolid had opposed and detained the cardinal , besides the good order they kept for the guard and defens of their citie , the iunta sent an express with letters to give the people thanks in their names , extolling their valor to the skies , which puffed up the people's hearts with a kinde of vanitie , and incouraged them to commit greater exorbitancies another time . sect . xxxi . the cardinal seeing it was not possible for him to go publickly out of valladolid , and considering how much it behoved him to depart thence , where hee had no more then an honorable prison , resolved to steal away privately : which hee did one night all alone , beeing disguised , and hee had been gone ten daies before it was known in the citie , or his own guard of hors missed him . his foot guards went away the daie before by two and two . after which time hee sent to entreat the citie , to suffer his goods to bee brought unto him , assuring them that his going away should bee no waie prejudicial to them , that hee was in a manner enforced so to absent himself from them , both for respect of his majestie 's service , and that hee had not left him wherewithal to defraie his charges in the citie , but wheresoëver hee was , they might bee confident hee would do all that might be for their● and the whole kingdom 's good . valladolid , with much complement and civil expressions , sent him all his linnens and other houshold-stuff to the town of rioseco , whither hee was gone in exspectation of the lord admiral . about this time there were great differences betwixt those of the commonaltie , and their captain the infante of granada . they would have killed him , manie of them coming violently against him with their arms , and giving him very reproachful and abusive language . as hee advanced into the market place with above six hundred lances to apprehend alonso de vera , ( they saie ) it was a bridle-maker and som such like audacious fellows , that were the occasion of stirring the people to this insolent attempt . the iunta beeing much displeased ● ereat ordered that the infante of granada should leav the office of captain , becaus it was too great a charge to allow him everie month maradiz , alleging moreover , that none but a native of the citie , ought to execute that command . but the infante giving notice of his discontent , by command of the iunta this matter was put to votes , and hee having the major part on his side , it was ordered , that hee should bee confirmed in his office , but withal , that hee should pardon alonso de vera , with the rest that had offended him , and strict command was given , that the people should make no more meetings , nor demand any thing from thenceforward with arms in their hands , but by waie of justice and reason . that presently under pain of one hundred lashes , all those vagabands and fellows that had no professions , should avoid the citie . this was proclaimed in valladolid on st luke's daie . sect . xxxii . whil'st the commonaltie of valladolid was in consultation , whether the infante should continue in his charge or not , arrived a commissioner from the junta , desiring that citie in their names to agree , and bee all as one , and not to give waie to their particular passions , which might breed division among them , to the great weakning and disenabling of that citie , for they were now to consider that they had manie enemies , who had already begun one of the highest and greatest attempts in the world . that if their hearts were not united & stirred up therewith , they , with their wives and children , should bee reduced to most wretched slaverie . that with couragious mindes and upright desires , they ought to prosecute this matter , and bee assistant to those gentlemen who were already engaged therein , and boüy them up out of that gulf of miserie whereinto they were plunged . for the lords of the iunta considering that valladolid was the most noble & principal citie of all spain , and that it had been the principal autor of their good ( as in former times ) exposing and hazarding their lives and fortunes to many eminent dangers . they thought it great rea●on to give them an account of what they had done in the iunta . to whi●h effect they had sent to let them know , how that neither night nor daie they ceased laboring in the advancement of the service of god and the king and the publick good of the nation , neither eating nor drinking in quiet , but still watching with much care and studie , how god and the king might have their due respect and honor , and the kingdom bee preserved in libertie . renouncing all private affairs , leaving houses , goods , wives and children at random , to attend and applie themselvs with more fervencie to procure the people's good without interest . that before the iunta sate at tordesillas , they all took a solemn oath , that no man should procure for himself , wife , children , friends or kindred , anie lands , offices or benefits whatsoëver , to the end that they might loi●lly , and without interests , serv the publick . that every one of the iunta was a gentleman , and as free , as the king himself from all the tributes & taxes that were imposed upon the meaner subjects , & that neither for respect of what they might hope to gain , or to free themselvs of that which others did paie , they had exposed themselvs to so great hazard , beeing no more then fiftie , that did help or any waie advance this business , which so nearly concerned all . that without them the iunta could do little , the case b●eing weightie and dangerous . that they trusted in god within eight daies , the iunta would have taken such a cours , that castilla should enjoie as much peace , quietness , and plentie as formerly ; for they wanted nothing but the articles of the several cities of the kingdom , to extract the best out of them ; which should bee printed and and sent through the whole kingdom , that every one might see the good which proceeded from the iunta . the articles which were purged in the iunta , whereby they thought ( as they saie here ) to remedie and restore castilla to its former condition , shal bee punctually set down in the following book . in valladolid they much rejoiced at this discours , and were highly taken with the promises made them by the iunta , which filled them with a thousand good hopes , but within seven months they found them all fruitless . they offered willingly their estates and goods , and to expose their lives in the defens of the holie iunta as they called it . sect . xxxiii . the cardinal and those of the council , prudently desired first to proceed with mildness , and endeavor by fair persuasions to quench , or ( at least ) mitigate the furie of that unnatural ●ire ; to that effect they sent to entreat the iunta to assemble rather in valladolid , where the council then was , that there things should bee remedied to their liking and content . those of the iunta , having intelligence of this message , sent one to meet him that brought it , before hee could reach to avila , with command to charge him in their names , under pain of death not to com into the citie . the council , seeing that they could prevail nothing by fair means , sent to command and require the junta not to assemble at all , in regard it was a thing forbidden by the king and the laws of the kingdom , without their sovereign's leav . that if they had anie thing to desire , they should repair to the council at valladolid , and they would join with them in petition to the emperor for the obteining and fulfilling their demands . this also they refused to hear ; and sent the like message back to the council by the commendador hinestrosa , to whom they denied both audience and entrance into the citie . from that time forwards the junta called them of council tyrants , and those of the council termed them traitors . which beeing known in valladolid , a rumor was noised about , that the lords of the council had given order to apprehend those of the junta , for which caus el licenciado francisco de vargas , treasurer general , and el licenciado zapata , made their escapes in the night from the council : for they having born a great swaie , one in the treasurie , the other in matters of justice , were both grown odious in the eies of the common-wealth . sect . xxxiv . the several parties reviled , and fell into malicious expressions one against the other , not considering , that that was one of the poorest and vilest revenges upon earth , and which suit 's with none but rascal-like & unworthie dispositions . those that were enemies to the commonaltie , reported , that no gentlemen or persons of qualitie would have taken that side , but for private respects and ambition . that don antonio de acunia bishop of zamora ( whose storie wee are not yet com to ) would make himself arch-bishop of toledo . that don pedro giron was on fire for the estate of medina sidonia . the earl of salvatierra ambitioned certain territories of great value , called merindades . hernando de avalos for revenge of som injuries don ●im . iohn de padilla to bee master of santjago . don pedro lasso to bee lord of toledo . quintanilla to have the command of medina del campo . hernando de ulloa to drive his brother out of toro . don pedro pimentel to advance himself with salamanca . the abbat of compludo to be made bishop of zamora . el licenciado bernardino to bee judg in valladolid . ramiro nuniez that hee might possess himself of leon , and carlos de arellano bee lord of soria . thus their tongues went nimbler then their hands ( except when they were asleep ) breeding and brewing a world of mischiefs . and divers gentlemen found themselvs so far ingaged already in this disorder , that they could not with honor withdraw themselvs , neither could they tell whom to trust . sect . xxxv . before i proceed any further with the historie , of what was done by the commonalties in castilla , i wil here describe the particulars of the insurrection of the citie and kingdom of valencia , in regard it was the blindest and most pernicious of all spain , and although some have written very dolefull and lamentable memorials thereof , they do not mention half what there befell . several prodigious signs presaged this miserable dissention in valencia . in the yeare . the river which runneth by the citie of valencia , so shallow that somtimes there is scarse any water , on a sodain swelled , and overflowed the bankes in such manner , that it put those of valencia to the greatest shift and streight , that ever they had been reduced to in former ages . manie daies and nights , was seen running along the streets a furious great lyon , which made so hideous a roaring that the people ran trembling away from it , and if any had the courage to stay , and see what it would do , they could see nothing . other strange sights were likewise reported to have been observed there in the yeares , and . you have heard how the emperor , before his departure from the groyn , appointed for vice-roy of valencia don diego de mendosa , son to the cardinal don pedro gonsalez de mendosa , and brother to don rodrigo marquis of cenete . who executing his command and charge in valencia , whenas the people , already linked in a confederaoie , began to stand in a competition with the nobles , to molest and prosecute the gentrie , abusing their servants and vassals with great audacitie and disrespect : it hapned that two morisco's vvho belonged to don ramon de cardona , lord of castalla , passing along the street of nuestra seniora de gracia , which was in that part of the citie , where most of the meaner sort of people lived ; some trades-men , that were working at their dores , flouted and laughed at them as they used to do , but the morisco's answering them they presently rose in arms , and cut one of them so grievously that hee died ; and beeing about to kill the other also , who defended himself , a man by chance passing by ( whose name was diego pisador , by trade a salt-maker ) took compassion of the poor fellow , and did what hee could to defend him . whereat those towns-men were so incensed that leaving the other they ran after this diego pisador , following him quite through the citie to his own hous ( whither hee fled to save his life ) and fell a storming it in a furious manner about mid daie , the officers of justice not daring to gain-saie them . the priests of st nicholas church ( which was close by that hous ) came forth all with the holie sacrament , at the nois of this combustion , to pacifie the furie of the people , which their presence and intreaties did somwhat mitigate . but diego pisador , not holding himself secure in his hous , thought it a safer waie to take sanctuary in the church ; so beeing come down , the priest that carried the sacrament , took him next unto him , and ●o advanced towards the church ; which the people seeing , they violently ran again upon him , and killed him with their daggers . upon this , came amongst them one avendanio a cloath-worker , who was the autor and chief of this confedracie ( it vvas thought ) to hinder and keep them from doing mischief , but seeing that man so barbarosly killed , hee vvent presently into a hous , vvhere hee burst and died miserably ( som saie ) for anger and grief , to see such excessive disorder . these and manie other such like outrages vvere done by the people of valencia , before the ●mperor departed , whereof his majestie was advertised by the nobles and gentlemen of that citie ; and hee referred it to xeures , but hee beeing more sollicitous for the transporting of his treasure , then the remedying of the troubles in spain , neglected it . all that was ordered herein , was to remit the quelling and reducing that people to reason , to the care of the infante dou enrique , duke of sego●be , but the people beeing launched into the depth of mischief , slighted his autoritie ; which manifestly declared the rebellion and pernicious intentions of that confederacie . soon after , a man condemned for haynous crimes beeing led along to execution , the people came out with arms , and rescued him from the officers of justice , abusing and ill treating them in a horrid manner . no noblemen or gentlemen could pass through the streets , but those of the confederacie would deride and flout them with base reviling language . insomuch that a hat-maker's wife , dressing a hat at the door , with her children about her , as some gentlemen were going by , shee bid the children look at those men that passed there , and the boyes asking her why shee bid them look at them , shee answered , becaus when you are grown up to bee men , you may say , that you have seen gentlemen . this the woman said , becaus the common people were then in the minde to destroie all the gentrie of the whole kingdom root and branch . avendanio the cloth-worker beeing dead , the confederates chose another captain , one of the same trade as the former , his name was sorolla , a pestilent audacious villain , who amongst other wicked facts , went to the citie hall , when they were consulting about the election of iurates , and with a confident impudence told those of the regimiento , in the name of his confederacie , that if they did not admit them to bee of the regimiento , those stones should flow with blood . and his threats were accomplished ; for they made their election according to the rights and custom of the citie . whereat the people were so enraged , that they committed those outrages which shall bee set down hereafter . in this distemper and extravagant hare-brainedness , don diego de mendosa found the mindes of the people in valencia , when hee came to bee their governor . sorolla , vicente periz , one iohn caro , and other leading men of the confederacie , understanding that the vice-roy had been fully informed of their demeanors , and of the state of things , but yet dissembled the knowledg thereof out of fear , considering what power and credite their confederacie had with the people : they complotted that sorolla should hide himself in his own hous , and that the rest should go up and down the citie and acquaint all his friends and allies that the vice-roy had sent for sorolla , and that ( as they were informed ) hee either had already hanged him , or was then about it , and that for manie respects , they ought not to let such a man suffer , who was the defendor and mainteiner of the publick good . this report beeing thus cunningly spread through the whole citie , so incensed the people's mindes , that in an instant all was up in arms , drums beating , and colours flying , and in this manner they marched to the vice-roy's hous , crying out , let the vice-roy die , if hee deliver us not sorolla . the vice-roy , and som gentlemen that were in the hous at that time with him , besides his servants , defended the windows and doors , where the assault was hottest all daie long , and night beeing com ( as god would have it ) a good woman one of sorolla's neighbors , who having seen him in his hous , and hearing that the people were storming the vice-roy's ●alace for hanging sorolla , shee went to the bishop of segorbe , who lived close by , and told him that shee had seen sorolla safe and sound in his own hous but a little before . hereupon the bishop went presently to sorolla's hous , which hee caused to bee broken open , and finding where hee had hidden himself , hee chid him throughly for his mischievous villanie , but hee excusing himself , said , hee durst not go out of his doors . the bishop immediately gave order to saddle his mules , and riding upon one himself , and sorolla on the other , with manie halbards attending him , hee carried him quite through the citie to the vice-roy's hous , to the end the people might see - sorolla was neither dead nor a prisoner in the vice-roy's hous . the confederates seeing him alive , with much joie they raised their siege , which had continued all daie and almost all night . after this they rescued a man likewise , condemned to death for hainous crimes , whom , in regard hee had manie friends and kindred in the cite , the vice-roy had commanded to bee hanged assoon as he had confessed , lest his friends should petition for him before hee was dead . the thirteen sindicos and sorolla gave out , that this man was condemned , and to bee executed wrongfully , which the people hearing , went pre●ently ( all armed ) to the prison and released him . t●en beeing possessed that the vice roy was about raising men to subdue them , they environed his hous , and put him to his shifts , that hee was forced to send his ladie out of the citie , and hee not daring to staie long after her , with much ado escaped , riding behinde another gentleman upon a mule . hee having left the citie in this manner , all the nobles and gentrie followed him with their wives and children , retiring every one to their own houses . the vice-roy beeing of kin to the earl of cozentayna , carried the vice-queen to his hous . the other gentlemen having left their wives and children in secure places , with what arms , horses , and men they could get toget●er , repaired som to the vice-roy , others to the infante don enrique , and to the duke of segorbe don alonso , agreeing all unanimously to adhere to the emperor's service against the rebels . all these gentlemen's houses within the citie , the people plucked down or burned , and plundered their goods ; a thousand more abominable mischiefs they did , which i am ashamed to relate ( so cruel and unruly is that beast , the common people when it hath broke the bridle . ) they armed all the slaves , and received manie moriscos for souldiers . from cozentayna the vice-roy went to xativa ; the inhabitants of that citie desired him to give them leav to muster upon st bartholomew's daie , which hee denying , they marched out of the citie in despight and contempt of him , and mustered before his face . the vice-roy hereupon , fearing a second trick of valencia , retired into the fort , which those of xativa perceiving , they proclaimed , that no bodie , under pain of death , should furnish him with victuals , or anie provision whatsoëver . hereupon hee went from thence to denia , becaus if hee was pursued by land , hee might escape thence by sea . those of valencia , hearing that the vice-roy was fled to denia , after that xativa had rebelled against him , resolved to seiz upon all the king's revenues and customs : which to effect , they went to the custom houses and broke the records , took away the books , and spoke words which were wors then their deeds . those of valencia , seeing themselvs masters of the citie , the vice-roy and all the gentrie beeing gone , they ordered the government thereof . they appointed thirteen persons to govern and defend it , whom they call'd the thirteen of the confederacie . these thirteen chose for the general of their armie iohn caro , ( who was a sugar-baker ) and held intelligence with the whole kingdom : insomuch that assoon as the news was heard of the rebellion of valencia and xativa , and that the vice-roy was fled , presently the citie of oribuela & the marquisat of helche did the like , and at length there was no citie or town but rebelled also , in imitation of valencia , treating the gentrie and nobler citizens with the like dis-respect and tyrannie . and the gentrie , with their servants , arms , goods , and all they could get , joined together in their king's service . so that ( which is a thing worthie of note and esteem ) there was not one gentleman , nor person of any birth or qualitie through that whole kingdom that sided with that vile commonaltie , but valiantly and unanimously ventured their lives and fortunes in their prince's service , although hee was out of the kingdom ; they suffered patiently their houses to bee pulled down , their goods to bee burned , their towns destroied , and all to shew their fidelitie to their king. the citie of oribuela chose for their captain one palomares , who made himself so absolute lord of those people ( beeing but a poor serving-man ) that oftentimes hee drew out five thousand men into the field to fight , though hee paied dearly for it afterwards . the confederates , having lost their respect to the vice-roy , agreed to lose likewise the fear of god. they made a conspiracie amongst them , the result whereof was to rob and take away all the riches of the monasteries and churches . which beeing discovered , the loial partie desired don rodrigo de mendosa marquess of cenete , to take upon him the autoritie of the justice for the king , which hee did , and like a good resolute gentleman , hee hung up three or four of the chief conspirators , and so the robberie which they intended was prevented , and the citie quieted for certain daies . but soon after the confederates marched into the field towards denia , to drive the vice-roy out of the kingdom . ten thousand men in arms valencia furnished to that effect . the clergie with their hoods upon their heads , and crosses in their hands , stood all at the gate of san vicente , and as the confederates passed by them , the priests and friers said to them , sirs ! misericordia , misericordia ; and they answered , swearing , cuerpo de dios , iusticia , iusticia . and indeed god's justice did abundantly fall upon their heads ; for the greatest part of those that answered so , were either killed in battle , or executed by justice afterwards . iohn caro and sorolla were captains of this armie . the confederates having the sole power and command of valencia , iohn caro was sent with a sufficient force to besiege the castle of corbera , six leagues from valencia , which while hee was battering with some peeces of artillerie , don geronimo vique ( who at that time was at a monasterie of friers of the order of san geronimo , half a league from the castle ) desired to speak with him , who , overcom with his persuasions and powerful reasons , raised his siege . which the thirteen of the confederacie hearing , took t●e office of captain general from iohn caro , and conferred it upon sorolla . by this time the vice-roy , with some forces , which hee had raised , was came to gandia , to succor the castle of corbera ; and sorolla with his armie went seeking the vice-roy : as hee passed hee ruined and spoyled all the places , that belonged to don geronimo vique , becaus hee had persuaded iohn caro to leave the castle . at last coming to gandia , hee met with the vice-roy's armie and gave them battle , wherein manie were killed on both sides , but at length the confederates won the daie , and the vice-roy , with the earl of oliva , and divers other lords and gentlemen that remained alive , were inforced to retreat to denia , whither sorolla with his men still pu●sued them . and beeing arrived at a town called vergel ( one league short of denia ) mossen baltazar vives , lord of that place , refreshed them , and afterwards conveied them safe to denia , where hee imbarked for peniscola , whence they w●nt to the town of morella , where they raised more men . sorolla returned to valencia , where hee entered with his armie very joiful and content with his conquest . by this time the duke of segorbe don alonso de aragon was com into the field with above four thousand foot , and divers gentlemen with their servants and others on hors-back , to the number of one hundred and sixtie , whereof was captain don jayme ferrer , son to don luis ferrer , who was lord steward to the queen donia iuana , at tordesillas . and beeing quartered at almenara , a league and half from monviedro with intent to besiege it , which was the strongest and most considerable fort the confederates had , but four leagues from valencia ; notice was given him that the enemie appeared with no less then eight thousand foot and some hors , fleshed with their victorie over the vice-roy , and recruited with many fresh men from valencia . whereupon the duke sent don iayme with the hors to discover , and according to his advice , hee would follow as speedily as might bee with the foot. this was carried with so much discretion and valor , that the duke gave them an absolute rout , leaving above five thousand men dead upon the place , for which it is called to this daie , the field of slaughter . this victorie restored the kingdom , which if it had otherwise succeeded , the common people had become absolute masters without any contradiction . things beeing in this condition , the vice-roy returned with a fresh supplie , and incamped his armie about alcira and xativa ; the people were somwhat amazed , and startled at the rout the duke had given them . yet those of alcira and xativa marched out very strong to meet with the vice-roy , and finding him a league from the citie , they gave him battle , the conflict was so hot , and so well maintained on both sides , that it was hard to saie which had the advantage , the combate continued all daie , and at night both armies beeing very wearie , and great store of men hurt , they were both glad to retreat , seeking refreshment and medicaments to dress their wounded men . about this time the cities of oribuela and alicante , with all the towns and places under their jurisdiction , associated themselvs with the people of valencia . but all the gentrie and persons of qualitie followed their governor don pedro masa , who was inforced to quit those two cities , and the castle of oribuela , whereof hee was governor . but don iayme de puyg , a valorous gentleman ( who was lievtenant of the castle under the governor ) with fifteen or sixteen men defended himself gallantly against the furie of the common people , when in their violentest heat they killed , burned and sacked the gentlemen's houses . the marquis de los velez , don pedro faxardo , adelantado mayor ( that is lord deputie or lord lievtenant ) of the kingdom of murcia , having notice of the rising of oribuela , levied what force hee could , and marched to reliev the distressed gentrie , having order from the emperor , to assist the governor of oribuela upon all occasions . don pedro maca with his hors , beeing joyned with the marquis de los velez , the common people of oribuela , and the jurisdiction thereof , ( who were above eight thousand ) marched in pursuit of them to the top of a mountain , called rajolar , with intent to give them battle , their intilligence assuring them that they were far the greater number . the governor advised with the marquis about relieving the castle of oribuela , which was in great necessitie , every one of his troopers carrying in , a sack of provision behinde him , whilest the marquess amused the enemie with skirmishes , for hee doubted not to bee back with him time enough to discomfit them . this was don accordingly , and beeing drawn up in batalia , the marquis secured the waie to the castle , that the governor might go thither with his hors , and having put in his provisions , return to the battle , which was dexterously and successively effected , with the slaughter of above four thousand of the rebells : so the marquis cleared all the countrie about oribu●la . but seeing how infected the whole kingdom was , and what multitudes of people were com in to the commoners , encouraged by their victorie ( for it is the nature of the common people to follow the strongest partie ) he advanced higher into the countrie with his armie , which daily increased , insomuch that before hee could reach valencia , hee had above eleven thousand men and thirteen pieces of ordnance , wherewith hee encamped at a place called paterna , within sight of valencia , and sent the citie a summons , which beeing surrendred upon articles , and the vice-roy repossessed of his command , the marquis returned with his armie to murcia . after his departure , the articles beeing not well performed , the confederates retired themselvs to xativa , where they chose for their captain one vicente perez a fellow whose trade was to gather acorns . they assaulted and entred the fort , it beeing ill provided . besides the aforementioned , there were divers strange presages in valencia of these prodigious disorders ; amongst others , upon a tuesda●e the of maie in the evening , a thunder-bolt fell upon a church called el asseu de valencia , which threw down one of the pinnacles , and burst the clock in pieces . upon a fridaie morning in the same month , fell a sudden storm of hail , with most terrible thunder-claps , after which , in a ground betwixt the countie of oliva and dutchie of gandia , were found three stones ( which fell from the skie ) in colour and make like flints . fray antonio de guevara chronicler to his imperial majestie , and bishop of mondoniedo , reporteth , that hee saw one of them hung in a chain in santa maria church , a league from oliva , which weighed no less then five and twentie pounds . the passage which i am now about to relate is so remarkable , that men cannot but admire the blindness which possessed the miserable people that affected these novelties and insurrections . there was nothing more certainly known in spain , then that the prince don iohn ( onely issue male of his father and mother , the catholick kings , and immediate heir to these kingdoms ) died at salamanca , to the exceeding grief and resentment of his parents and all spain , and in those daies there was no further scruple or question thereof . but since in the time of these unhappie commotions , the confederates of valencia were so besotted , that a strange mean fellow of no accompt ( who came in a fugitive manner out of africa , and associated himself with them ) that they received him , and beleiving , or seeming to believ him , to bee the prince don iohn , they swore allegeance to him , as king , and hee commanded and ruled over them for two years , until hee met with the end hee deserved , as shall bee seen hereafter . in the year of our lord , a certain merchant of biscaya , named iuan de vilvao , or iohn of bilbo , went to trade at the citie of oran . in the ship which carried him and his commodities , hee light upon a passenger , who addressing himself to him , told him that hee could write and read in several languages , and that if hee pleased to give him any competent subsistence , hee would bee glad to serv him as his factor , and teach his children ; the merchant entertained him , and took him on board with him at cartagena , thinking himself the happiest man living , that hee had so luckily met with a man of such abilities to instruct his children and follow his business besides . this fellow was of a low stature , thin-faced , of a sallow complexion , hee had a terrible look , his eies beeing of a black and green color , little hair , and thin upon his head , his beard wors furnished ; hee was a man of verie few words , in his conversation somwhat too strict and austere , seemingly intemperate in his diet , a great eater , but drank little , hee spoke spanish , arabick , and hebrew . it never was known directly who his father was , onely hee confessed , while hee was under the lash , that hee was a jew's son , and that hee was circumcised , but never baptized , for his father carried him into barberie , in the same year the jews were driven out of castilla . hee remained in this merchant's hous until the year , which vvas four years : and to ingratiate himself the more vvith his master , hee told him , thenceforvvards hee vvould call himself by his name iuan de vilvao . but the merchant having occasion to absent himself often from his hous , leaving his wife , children , and goods , all in charge with this servant , one time at his return from castilla , hee was told by his neighbors that iuan de vilvao , his man , was a slepperie companion , and that in his absence hee was too familiar with his wife ; others said , hee had abused his daughter . hereupon without any further examination , hee turned him presently out of his hous , not declaring anie occasion , or reason hee had for so doing , becaus hee could not have his servant punished otherwise , without bringing his own honor in question . at that time there was a young man corregidor of oran , who not knowing wherefore the merchant had discarded his servant iuan de vilvao , entertained him to bee his steward . the corregidor having a handsom young wench , which hee kept privately in his hous , iuan de vilvao used all means possible to gain her acquaintance and affection , and withall to persuade her to learn witchcraft ; for amongst other good qualities , this wicked fellow was a great practitioner in negromancie . the young maid beeing little pleased with his sollicitations , resolved at last to acquaint the corregidor , how hee importuned her , and that hee would persuade her to learn witchcraft , but chiefly that hee had made her promise to give him poison , that so they two might with more freedom enjoie each other's affection . the corregidor was much startled and amazed hereat , for hee thought his hous and paramour as secure with iuan de vilvao , as if hee had committed her to the custodie of an eunuch , and therefore hee did not absolutely credit her accusation of him ; but afterwards observing with a more strict eie the carriage and demeanure of his ●teward , hee was confirmed and satisfied of the truth , especially when hee found the spells and poison which he was to use . hee committed him to the publick gaol , whence upon a market daie hee was fetch 't out , set upon an ass , with his sorceries about his neck , and whipped through all the principal streets of the citie . the people were all astonished that hee should bee so close a villain , for every bodie had a very good opinion of him ; after this , beeing banished oran , hee returned into spain , and dis-embarked upon the coast of valencia , just in the time of these disastrous troubles . hee , by his juggling inventions , begat himself a great esteem and credit first amongst the confederates of algecira . afterwards hee came to xativa , under the name of don henrique manrique de ribera , and beeing a subtil impostor , and the confederates simple , and besotted with passion , hee wrought so much upon their blinde credulitie , that they made him their general , and by little and little hee so inveagled them that they held him for their god , and their king. vicente periz ( who was captain general of the confederate rebels of valencia ) made great submissions to him , saying , that god had sent him to give them libertie , and that hee would procure them much monie and arms . those of xativa adored him as their redeemer , and called him el encubierto , or the man disguised , saying , god had sent him for the redressing of the oppressed people . hee made them believ that hee was the prince don iohn , son to the catholick king and queen deceased , and that for certain ●ecret causes and revelations of god's judgments , it was convenient for him not to bee publickly known in the world for long time past , but now since the kingdom 's were in so distressed a condition , and in so great necessitie of their naturall king , to own and defend them , and settle them in the same peaceable government , as they injoyed during his father's reign , hee desired to reveal himself unto them , and that it was god's will also . this those wretched confederates beleiving , followed and honored him , as if hee had been their god. thus having gained the affection and esteem of these rebels , hee conferred with divers of the citie of valencia , of la huerta , and other places thereabouts , inticing them to put in execution what that tyrant , vicente periz , had alreadie moved . hee dealt likewise with some places of aragon , and catalunia ( which were alreadie tottering and half , at least , inclining to commotion , ingaging them , that at the same instant ( if possible ) as hee should make his attempts upon valencia , they should all rise in arms , and secure those parts for him . within valencia hee had his intelligencers , and instruments , whom hee imployed to murder the marquis of cenete , then governor of the citie ; these were so faithful to him in this treacherous design , that hee wanted not assistants to convey him over the walls into the citie , whereby hee might the better contrive his plot , seeing the disposition of the place , and ( having a more free communication with the inhabitants ) allure and draw to his byas more complices , to strengthen his partie , and execute his wicked intention . this was so cunningly carried , that if god had not otherwise disposed it , the whole kingdom at that time ran a notable hazard of beeing absolutely destroied . the citie of valencia ( as i have told you ) beeing in so miserable a condition , the religious men , with other good and loial people , went to petition the marquis of cenete ( who then was in the camp ) to take upon him the government of that distressed citie . which hee did ( like a noble man as hee was ) . the people expressed so much contentment and comfort in his presence , that in all the monasteries and churches , they sung with great solemnitie , the te deum laudamus , and all the b●lls rung out in testimonie of an universal joie . the marquis was a man of such courage and resolution , that when , throughout the whole citie of valencia , no bodie durst so much as name god , king or iustice , hee took divers of the rebellious disturbers and hanged them . so that they began to bee affraid , and sculked in corners . soon after having notice of a band of these confederates , which were fled from valencia , hee marched out against them , and meeting them about monviedro , hee brought away their colors , having routed and put them all to flight . amongst divers great hazards which the marquis ran of losing his life , by the insolence or treacherie of these confederates , one i shall give in particular ; a monstrous disorderly multitude of these wretches beeing gathered together in valencia , fell like a furious storm upon the marquis his hous , with huge clamorous out-cries and ●lashing of weapons , not understanding each other's minde , nor knowing what they would have . the marquis hearing the nois , went down to quiet the tumult , beeing well provided and attended , but his ladie seeing him engaged amongst a throng of such vile respectless people , and fearing lest hee should bee murthered by them , took such a fright , that her weak constitution beeing not able to resist the violence of that sudden apprehension , shee presently expired . vicente periz captain of the rebells , with a numerous armie intrenched himself and planted his cannon within sight of valencia , where hee remained som time : in his camp hee had a bell , at the sound whereof a numberless gang of thievs , such as his armie was composed of , ran out of the citie to him : and had not the marquis been very circumspect , without question they had suprised the citie ; but finding little probabilitie of effecting their design upon valencia , they marched towards monviedro , thinking to make the vice-roy rais his siege thence , but within two daies after monviedro was surrendered to him ( which was of no small importance ) for thereby hee had an open and free passage to receiv succour out of castilla . the marquis hearing that the confederates were marched towards monviedro with their cannon , and having intelligence of their intentions , followed them ( but with no considerable force ) and meeting some of his own foot companies , which having been much galled by their cannon and small shot , were retreating towards valencia quite disheartned , hee strove to incourage them as well as hee could , representing to them the service of god and their king ; but prevailing not with them , howëver he● advanced and set upon the enemie , crying aloud , let the king live , and the traytors die , and without fear of their muskets or cannon , which played fiercely upon him , hee charged into the middest of them , god ( whose caus hee fought ) preserving him , and striking their baser hearts with fear , insomuch that hee had them all at his mercie . yet his nobleness and generositie was such ( though they deserved it not ) that hee commanded his men ( who were very busie in killing ) to forbear further execution , crying out , let them not die , let them not die : having thus quite routed these mutiniers , hee returned to valencia with the spoil , and all their artillerie , where hee was received with joy and tears . the vice-roy afterwards , beeing before xativa , with intent to reduce it to the emperor's subjection , the rebels dealt so cunningly with some of his souldiers ( who sowed the same dissention in his camp , as was within the town ) that by certain signs they understood each others intentions , and they agreed at one and the same time to fall upon the loyall partie , and murther them ; and having taken their artillerie , to storm valencia , sack it , and kill all that were for the emperor in it . this conspiracie was discovered , but there was no remedie to hinder it , neither in the vice-roy's camp , nor in valencia ; for the confederates were very numerous and the loyall p●●sons but a small partie ; the marquis , at the intreatie of the honest people of valencia , went to the vice-roy's camp before xativa , where hee found more disorder then was reported , and the infection less curable then hee imagined . the sign that these conspirators had agreed upon , was , that in the night at a certain hour those of the camp should cry out , paie , paie , mutinie , mutinie , and those within the citie should answer , paie , paie , mutinie , mutinie . the vice-roy and the gentlemen with him in the camp , desired the marquis to venter himself , and indeavor by going into the citie , and reasoning with the people , to defer the execution of this horrid treason : although it seemed an act of great timeritie ( as indeed it was ) for him to expose him●elf to the furie of a ●eople so mutinous , and bent upon mischief , yet the marquis valorously did as hee was required : and it was miraculous , how his presence and fair deportment pacified the inhabitants minds , and brought them to submit to reason . the adversaries beeing mad at the good success the marquis had wrought within xativa , conspired how vicente periz , their captain might secretly convey himself into the citie , and gathering as manie of the people , as hee could , together , apprehend the marquis . this was effected , and vicente periz with a multitude of well armed men went to assault the marquis , who beeing but slenderly provided , and weakly attended , and seeing a squadron of these thievs advance towards him , dissembled , and made as if hee knew them not , asking them thus , are you our friends ? do you com to serv the king ? to which they answered neither yea , nor no , but seemed to bee daunted at the very sight of the marquis . hereupon with much seeming affection hee spake aloud , nay then my boies , viva el rey ; viva el rey ; which said , hee fell upon them , and took away their arms. presently upon this the rest of the enemies discovered themselvs , and began to fight , discharging their cross-bows and musket-shots as thick as hail against the marquis and his men , which the marquis seeing , hee cried with a loud voice , o you traitors ! now force is requisite ; and flinging down his staff , hee took a pike , and saying , god preserv the king , and let the traitors die ; hee fell in amongst them , fighting so desperately , that before his men could com to second him , hee had made them turn their backs , but at last being over-powered and wounded in the left arm , hee was taken prisoner , and carried by the people into the castle , where at that time the duke of calabria was also prisoner , who received the marquis with much honor . the marquis was afterwards put into a dungeon under st george's tower , where they kept him close prisoner som time , thinking thereby to make the vice-roy , his brother , condescend to what they listed : but at last hee was released , and perceiving the countrie to bee infected beyond hope of remedie , hee retired to his own hous . those of valencia found a great miss of him , and seeing most of the people of the citie becom of the confederacie , vicente periz having possessed himself of la huerta , and other places thereabouts , the iurates , and chapter of the church called el asseu , sent to beseech him , that hee would bee pleased to condole the miserie of that citie , and bee tender of the king's service . the marquis was at ayora , a town of his , & upon receipt of this message , hee took his waie towards valencia . thursdaie februarie , , the tyrant vicente perez , trusting to the multitude of his partie within the citie , took the boldness to enter into valencia , with intention to plunder it , and kill all that should resist him , and having intrenched and fortified himself within the walls to that effect , it struck great terrour into the loial partie . but the marquis , well armed , came to a large place , called la placa del asseu , and caused to bee rung that bell , which they used to ring in uproars , to the end all those of the loial partie might repair thither to him ; where hee staied until noon , having used all fair means possible to pacifie without blood-shed the advers partie ; but seeing nothing could avail , hee took a view of his men , and what arms they had ; and finding his no competent force to encounter vicente periz , who had made himself very strong ; hee betook himself to his invention and policie , which succeeded so advantagiously , that vicente periz came short of his design , all his men beeing dis-banded , and returned to their own dwellings . this was a happie daie for valencia , for if periz his plot had taken , hee had been absolute master of the whole citie ; and ever after , that daie was called the thursdaie of vicente periz : yet staying within the citie hee rallied again , and what with those of valencia , what with the fresh supplies which were sent him from xativa , and algezira , by the disguised prince don iuan , or iuan de vilvao , who went thither to that purpose : hee was so strongly recruited , that hee gave the marquis battle in the streets of valencia , and had won the daie undoubtedly , if the marquis had not shewed as much policie as resolution . in the combate the marquis pursuing vicente periz ( who was glad to take his heels ) was knocked down by a great pot full of earth , which a woman flung from the top of a hous upon his head , which though it killed him not out-right , did stun and bruis him very sore : hee was presently taken up again by his servants , but his partie supposing him to bee dead , lost courage , and withal the advantage they had gained of the enem●e : which hee perceiving , assoon as hee was com again to himself , ran amongst them , saying , if the marquis bee dead , the king is alive . these words put new vigor into the hearts of his despairing men , who following the marquis , gave a fresh charge to the confederates , so hot , that they were glad to hous themselvs , which proved no sanctuarie , for there they were killed and taken , not beeing able to make resistance . vicente periz had his head presently struck off . this victorie quieted the citie of valencia , vvhich vvas so infected vvith the poison of rebellion , that in the very cloisters and monasteries , there was as much division and passion as elswhere ; insomuch that one part praied god to favor the confederates , the other to give the cavaliers the victorie . the disguised prince exspected a quite contrarie success , hoping by the death of the marquis , and the routing of his partie , to reign victoriously in valencia ; but god , who had otherwise decreed the event , made him likewise fall into the hands of the marquis the th of maie , , who commanded him to bee hanged , drawn and quartered , and his head to bee set upon the point of lance. and thus that villanous head was crowned , who of an infamous jew , and abominable sorcerer , would have made himself king of spain . after this grew several other commotions in that kingdom , but nothing near so dangerous ; which i shall omit now to particularize , in regard i am called away by those of castilla . sect . xxxvi . the earl of salvatierra , and other mountaniers , infected the people of the mountains of burgos , as far as alava and vitoria , with other places of la rioxa ; and burgos was very near revolting also . all which was opposed by the lord high constable , not becaus the emperor commanded him so to do ( for hee received no orders from his majestie to that effect till afterwards ) but moved with the magnanimitie of his own generous spirit , and the sens of loialtie , which was hereditarie to that noble familie . i do not finde that any of the grandees of castilla were very forward to break the ice in this undertaking , though afterwards , like honest men , they all set their helping hands . the lord high constable at first prudently feared the event , and was loth to engage himself in so perillous an enterprise , hazarding no less then his life and whole estate , in endeavouring to oppose so manie , especially without arms , monie , or order from the emperor . for the enemies were very manie and powerful , no less then thirteen of the most considerable cities of castilla , with divers other towns and villages , beeing declared for the commonaltie ; besides that many gentlemen of qualitie & great estates ( much animated against the emperor and his ministers ) had involved themselvs in the same interest . it vvas an attempt of so much consideration and danger , that the other grandees thought it the best vvay ( seeing they vvere not able to do otherwise ) to sit still and look on , and manie of them advised the lord high constable to do the like . but his ladie donia maria de tovar , onely daughter and heir to don luis de tovar , marquis of berlanga , beeing one of the discreetest and most magnanimous ladies in all spain of her time , was not of the opinion of those that gave her husband that counsel ; but she never ceased , representing to him the advancement of his majestie 's service , and that for the good of the kingdom , hee ought to resist and suppress the exorbitances of the insulting commoners , although hee put himself to the hazard of losing both life and fortune , in regard hee bare the office of lord high constable , captain general , and the second person of the kingdom next his majestie . the dutchess beeing at her own hous at haro , wrote to the lord high constable , her husband , this ensuing letter , which is worthie to bee chronicled . the dutchesse's letter to the lord high constable . your letter i received by pedro de velasco . and my opinion is , since his majestie from the place where hee is doth what hee can , to give you his power and revenue here , that you determine to preserv it . for if hee lose his right , no wonder if you , and all those , that have done what they were obliged to do , bee dispossest of your's ; but if you maintain his interest , you and his other servants will bee all secured . that which ( in my judgment ) your lordship and the lord admiral are now to do , is to raise men and monie with all possible expedition and trie your fortunes . i write to pedro de melgosa to use all means and shifts , that may bee , to procure you monie . the greater the danger , more glorious is the attempt . trust in our lord god , for since herein you doe both him and the king service , bee confident hee will bee favourable , and give a blessing to your indeavors . so , becaus i intend to write more at large to you by the treasurer , i rest , praying god to preserv your lordship's most illustrious person , with more tenderness then i wish to my self . from haro this th of june , . finis libri tertii . the civil wars of spain . the fourth book . sect . i. there is no republick , or change of government whatsoëver so barbarous , as to bee ignorant how important and necessarie a cement concord is to make it long subsist . wherefore those of the iunta dreading ( and not without caus ) the dange● wherein they stood , desired the citie of valladolid to agree and bee all of one heart : for the high consequence of the matter wherein they were ingaged , did require it , promising them that within fevv daies they should see the ordinances , which with incessant labor and watching , the holie iunta had agreed to publish and dispers through the whole kingdom , whereby they hoped to make that republick flourish , as one of the most happie and best governed in the whole world . the people were big with glorious hopes of injoying a second golden age ; and those of the iunta were so well pleased with the thanks and applaus of the people , that their ordinances beeing finished ; they resolved to send them to the emperor , by two gentlemen and a frier , not doubting but therefore his majestie would confer som honorable dignities upon them . but what these were , i will not mention , onely i may say , that hee was so incensed at their message , that they held it a great mercie they escaped with their lives . they wrote moreover a kinde of requisitorie letter for the cities and towns where their embassadors were to pass , and therein they inclosed their letters to the emperor , with the articles and ordinances , which in the name of the kingdom , they desired his majestie to confirm ; and though already i have declared the substance thereof , i will set them down in the same form they sent them ; that the curious and patient may read and see the pretensions of the commonalties , and what the kingdom demanded . let every one judg what reason they had , for my own part , i will neither excuse nor condemn them , but onely relate faithfully the truth , which is as much as can bee required of mee , considering my office . in their letters to the emperor , they give his maj●stie an account of all the troubles and insurrections of the kingdom , which they told him , proceeded from the evil counsel which his majestie entertained about his roial person , who , for their disordinate covetousness , private passions and interests , besides other sinister ends ( they said ) might more properly bee styled the deceivers , cheaters , and enemies of his majestie 's kingdoms , and the publick good thereof , then counsellors , such as they ought to bee . for they were the occasion that the kingdom of castilla , which abounded in riches , and all other things that could bee required of the most opulent and flourishing kingdoms of the world , was now beecom the poorest and most miserable of all the neighboring kingdoms : which did not onely concern the publick , but was also particularly prejudicial to his majestie 's roial patrimonie , and which was insufferable , that the desolation of his majestie 's kingdoms , and the exhausting of his treasure , to his own exceeding inconvenience , and the ruine of his subjects , was to no other purpose , then to enrich his evil counsellors , and divers other persons strangers , who bare no affection to his majestie , nor had any zeal to advance his service , or the publick good , but to build their own fortunes . next they complained that the commissioners of several cities ( who desired his majestie in the name of the kingdom , at santjago and the groyn , not to demand any subsidies ) were by his counsel sentenced rather worthie of punishment then audience , and order given , that they should not bee admitted to sit in parlament , but bee confined and banished , som of them to the remotest parts of the kingdom . that since his majestie 's departure out of the kingdom , the cardinal , with the president , and rest of the council , had given commissions to antonio de fonseca , and the alcalde ronquillo , to sack and make desolate the citie of segovia , notwithstanding they sent to excuse and submit themselvs to the council , and that becaus of their so rigorous proceeding , they sent to toledo , and other cities , for assistance , who before they raised any forces to succour them , desired the cardinal and council by waie of petition to deal more favorably with those of segovia , but receiving no satisfactorie answer , they sent an armie into the field . they aggravated the crueltie of antonio de fonseca in burning medina , whereby the town was endammaged above two millions of ducates , and which occasioned the rising of divers other places . they declared how the queen had commanded the iunta to remove from avila to tordesillas . that they had undertaken the care of the queen's person , and put the marquis of denia and his ladie from her , holding them destructive to the advancement of the publick good . they alleged reasons for dissolving the council , which his majestie had settled before his departure . and why they paied their armie out of his majestie●s revenues . at last they desired his majestie would bee pleased to grant and confirm all those articles , which their embassadors should present him from the kingdom , the intent and scope of them beeing meerly for his good , and the peaceable government , by regulating and repairing the miseries and great dammages that had been occasioned through the evil counsel of those , which thitherto had abused and mis-led his majest●e ; urging moreover , that for the benefit of the publick , and the improving of his roial patrimonie , it was necessarie and expedient , that until such time as his majestie should appoint other persons of better temper , and uprighter intentions to reside in his high council then the former were , his majestie should give power to those cities and towns , which had vote in parlament , to provide and see to the administration of justice , and other things wherein those of his council ought to have been more circumspect and moderate . and also , that hee would revoke the commissions and autoritie which hee had sent to the , then ruling , governors , becaus they were men whom the kingdom could not endure . besides this letter to the emperor , they sent another to those of the citie where hee then was , desiring them to join with them in supplication to his majestie , and procure his consent and approbation of all the kingdom 's desires , in regard they tended to his majestie 's service , the publick good of the kingdom , the increasing of his roial patrimonie , and were exceedingly conducing to a peaceable and quiet government . dated from tordesillas the th of october , . under the the letter was written , i , lope de pallares , secretarie of the parlament and iunta of the kingdom , caused this to bee written by their command . sect ▪ ii. articles of the kingdom . don carlos and donia iuana , &c. to our infantes , well-beloved children , brothers and dukes , greeting . know yee , that for the remedying and repairing the great dammages and exorbitancies , which have been and are in our kingdoms of castilla and leon , by reason of the former evil counsel and government of our said kingdoms , the commissioners or procuradores of those cities and towns that have vote in parlament , are assembled as becometh our loial subjects and servants , with zeal to our servic● and the publick good of our kingdoms , fulfilling that which the laws of our kingdoms oblige them to do ; and by special command from us , the queen , are com to tordesillas , to take care and provide for the reparation and remedie of the said dammages and exorbitancies ; to which effect they have made and ordeined certain articles , which are conducing and expedient for our service , the good government of the kingdom , and the increasing of the revenue and partrimonie roial . the tenor whereof is as followeth : most high and mightie catholick princes , queen and king our sovereigns , that which the cities , towns , villages , commonalties , and natives of your kingdom of castilla and leon , do desires your majesties will bee pleased to grant for a perpetual law , is here ensuing : that which concern's his maiesties roial person . first , these kingdoms humblie supplicate your majestie will bee pleased speedily to return into these kingdoms , and beeing com , to remain ruling and governing them . for staying here your majestie may give laws and command over the whole world , as your predecessors have done : and nothing of all that which they desire of your majestie will bee so pleasing to these kingdoms ( although you should grant them much more , for they hope your majestie will condescend to all these things ) then your speedie coming to them . for it is not the custom of castilla , to bee without their king , neither can they b●e governed by others in peace and quiet , which is very necessarie for your royal service . item , these kingdoms humbly beseech your majestie at your return , to bee pleased to marrie , it beeing necessarie for the universal good of these kingdoms , that there should bee some issue to succeed your royal person , as they desire , your majestie 's age now requiring it . and that you would bee pleased to take a wife according to the vote and good l●king of these your kingdoms , for so shee shall bee of some countrie in amitie with them , as is most convenient for your service and the contentment of your royal person . that which concern's the royal familie . that our ladie and sovereign the queen's royal hous bee put in such order and estate , as is becoming her royal person , and the honor of these kingdoms . that the officers about her bee persons of qualitie . that her hous bee sufficiently provided of all thing befitting her dignitie , for so her highn●ss will bee well pleased with these kingdoms , and they obliged . item , that his majestie would bee pleased at his return into these kingdoms , to bring neither flemings , french , nor other strangers whatsoëver , to bear any office in his royal familie . but that hee would confer all such offices upon natives of these kingdoms , there beeing multitudes of able and sufficient persons , who will serv his majestie with much affection and loyaltie , and that his heirs and successors for ever should continue the like order . item , that neither his majestie , nor his successors , bring in , or entertain any forreign souldiers for the guard of their persons or defens of their kingdoms , in regard there are war-like and courageous men enough amongst the natives , not onely to defend their own countrie , but to conquer others , as they had done heretofore . item , that his majestie beeing in these kingdoms , and having none but natives about him , would bee pleased to order his familie in all respects as don fernando , his grandfather , and donia isabel his queen , and the rest of the catholick king 's , his progenitors of glorious memorie , had done before him . for in so doing hee would save a number of unnecessarie expences which were made in his table and houshold ; and this would palpably appear , for his majestie will find that in the dishes for his own table , and those that are made for the f●vorites and great persons of his familie , is daiely spent one hundred and fiftie thousand maravediz , and that the table-expences of don fernando the king and donia isabel ( who were excellent and powerfull princes ) besides the prince don iohn ( whom god receiv in his glorie ) and the infantes , with a multitude of attendants , amounted to no more then twelv or fifteen thousand maravediz , per diem . and hence proceed's his majestie 's wants , and the impoverishing of the people and commonalties , by ●ubsidies and other taxes imposed upon them . item , in regard it hath been , and is a very excessive charge , to allow wages to such as are not domestick's , that hence-fo●wards there bee no salaries given to any courtier 's wives , or children , or any other persons whatsoëver , no● in immediate service , or shortly to bee entertained and admitted . but if any man should die in his majestie 's service , in satisfaction or equivalence thereof , hee might allow a pension or stipend to the wife or children of the deceased , although they bee not of age to serv. item , in regard after the most ●llustrious queen , our ladie donia isabel his majestie 's grandmother , was taken with the sickness , whereof shee died , divers superfluous offices were crept into the royal familie , which never were before , that whosoëver injoyed any such office or offices , might forthwith bee discarded , and bee allowed no salarie : and all such superfluous expences bee imployed for necessarie uses , more conducing to his majestie 's service . item , that in his majestie 's houshold no grandee might have any office concerning the revenue or royal patrimonie , and if any enjoy any such office at present , that it maie bee taken from them . for this is very inconvenient , and maie greatly impaire the said patrimonie and royal revenue . item , that during his majestie 's absence from these kingdoms his houshold officers , and other persons , who have relation or attendance upon his majestie , bee payed out of the royal revenue . concerning governors . that , in regard in his majestie 's absence it is requisite to have one or more governors in the kingdom , such governor or governors might bee natives of the kingdoms of castilla and leon , appointed and chosen with consent of the kingdoms , and that with their beeing natives may concur the other qualities , which by the law established by the king don alonso , called , ley de la partida , is required . that the said law may bee observed and fulfilled to perpetuitie ; as also the order of election and provision , with the conditions which dispose in what case a governor or governors are to bee chosen , as in respect of minoritie , absence , or whatsoëver other occasion . item , that the provisions , orders or commissions which his majestie had given in those kingdoms , contrarie to the above specified form , might be declared void , and that hee would command those and every of those governors , whom hee had autorized , to forbear the execution of that office . item , that the governor or governors , beeing constituted in the abovesaid manner and form , may bee invested with power to confer dignities , offices , administration of justice , and to redress grievances : and this not onely in the kingdoms of castilla , but also in the isles and firm land alreadie discovered , or to bee discovered , and that they provide them within ten daies . that they may present dignities and places vacant , and do as much therein , as the king himself in person , but not give any g●ft or gratuitie out of the royal patrimonie , nor any t●ing thereunto belonging . concerning billets . the lodging by billets ( which is practised no where neither amongst infidels nor christians , but in this kingdom ) beeing a thing most exorbitant , and whence have proceeded and do proceed inconveniences and dammages so excessive , that a small volume cannot contain them , and his majestie 's subjects suffer thereby not a little , aswell in their honors and lives , as in their estates , that for ever henceforth they may bee freed from so abominable and prejudicial a servitude . and that in these kingdoms no such billets bee given in any kinde , neither by the king 's themselvs , nor any lords , noblemen or prelates whatsoëver , and in case any should bee given , that the people may not bee obliged to accept of them , unless with their own con●ents , they paying for their lodgings , as shall bee agreed upon with the owners or inhabitants of the houses , whither such billets shall bee brought or directed . but in his majestie 's progresses , that lodging and linnen should bee allowed gratìs for those of his houshold and court , so that hee exceed not the term of six daies in one place , which expired , they should paie for their lodging according to the ordinarie rate and custom . likewise , that the souldiers of the guard should have free quarter after the usuall manner . item , that their majestie 's the king's , princes , and infantes , his predecessors , had given and allotted convenient lodgings for their royal persons and familie , and to the number of seventie , but no more , for the officers which were of necessitie to bee neer the palace were appointed in the same citie , or town where the court was , and in such houses as the council , iustice and regidores of the said place should finde convenient and suitable to the conditions and qualitie of the persons to bee lodged , and the said seventie lodgings to bee paid according as the said council , iustice and regidores should rate or tax them . and that for paiment hereof , all the cities , towns , villages , or burrougsh should contribute without ex●mption , according to the cessment made by the said council , iustice and regidores , without troubling or asking leav of his majestie , insomuch that under colour thereof , there should bee no more cessed or gathered , then what the rent of the said lodgings would amount to , under penaltie of the law. item , that these lodgings which are allowed for his majestie 's familie , are not intended for those of the council , for the alcaldes of his hous and court , nor the alguaziles , or other judges or officers whatsoëver , nor the high treasurers , or any such like , for these are to paie for their lodgings , by the order and form before mentioned . item , that his majestie , or the kings or princes his successors , might not give anie billets in general or particular , or other command whatsoëver , that the inhabitants of such cities , towns , or villages should furnish lodgings , contrarie to their own wills and consents : and that in case any such billet general , or particular , by waie of intreatie or command , should bee given , it might bee received with respect , but not fulfilled , neither the owners or inhabitants of the said houses bee obliged to accommodate the bearers thereof . co●cerning customs , taxes , the revenues roial , pole-monie , and fee farms . that the customs and thirds which belong to the crown , may bee reduced to the same number and quantitie as they were instituted by the catholick king don fernando and donia isabel , anno . that at the same rates and value all the cities , towns , villages , with their several lordships and leases of abbie-lands , may remain taxed for ever , and no higher : for they may not bee raised nor abated at anie time , since such was the pleasure of the most illustrious queen donia isabel , our ladie and sovereign , as appear's by her last will and testament . and it is better for the augment of the roial revenue , as well as the good of the kingdom ; for there was more gold and silver brought to his majestie 's exchequer by the simple penie-rents , then by these racking enhancements , considering the breaches and failings which have been , and are amongst those that farm the subsidies , neither is that burthensom to the kingdom . item , that the people may take in the said perpetual tax , the said customs and thirds , and be obliged to rent the situados that there was upon the said customs and thirds , restoring to their majesties the over-plus , having paid the situados and rights at the accustomed places and summons ▪ by this means their majestie 's servants and retainers would bee duly paied , and all those bribes and selling of librancas would bee saved , neither would there be any need of so many officers ; & their majesties might spare great sums of monie , much wages , and a multitude of discharges , or bills of receipt , which were given to officers more then needed . item , that the queen and king , our sovereigns , and their successors in these kingdoms , bee contented for ever to have and rais their customs , by and according to the fore-mentioned imposition , and no otherwise , in regard so they are certain , and not variable , neither will there bee anie thing diminished of the revenue , there still accruing to the crown other profitable rights , as fines , confiscations of goods , the salt-pit-rents , the mountain-tributes , subsidies , customerships , and puertos secos , besides currant monie , taxes , and ordinarie paiments of the kingdom , with the rents of maestrazgos . and that which com's from the indies , isles and firm-land amount's to so great a sum , that thereby his majestie may sufficiently maintein his state , without pressing the kingdom in parlament , and out of parlament , to grant any other extraordinarie subsidies , whereby the people is much aggrieved , and t●eir roial consciences can bee no less burthened with the oppression and great dammages of these kingdoms . item , that all the inhabitants of the cities , towns , villages , burroughs and lordships , may enjoie the said perpetual taxes in general , that none amongst them may rent or farm any particular part thereof at a higher rate then the said taxes , nor ●hat anie more sesments bee made amongst the inhabitants of the said places , then what shall bee necessarie for the recovering and gathering of the said taxes . item , that everie citie or town that is chief of the countie , do caus a chest to bee set in som secure place , wherein they may put or gather the roial revenue , and that they see to and provide , that which shall bee necessarie for the estate of the kingdom ; and chiefly to have a care that the queen , our sove●eign ●adie's familie , bee maintained and furnished with all things suitable to the dignitie of her royal person , and the honor of the kingdoms , next , to paie the searchers , counsels and chanceries , with other ordinarie offices of the kingdom , and beeing payed , that it remain stated in the offices of the puertos secos , mountain-tributes , and customerships , and ( in case any bee wanting ) in the hous of the contratacion of sevilla ; and the remainder of the revenue and royal patrimonie to bee kept in the treasure , and delivered to his majestie , when it shall pleas god that hee return into this kingdom , or to supplie his necessities , and those of the kingdom , if any real and urgent occasion doth require it . item , that the residue , or any thing that is unpaied of the revenue , after ten years , may not bee farmed or recovered . for by recovering debts of so long standing , may arise great extorsions and grievances on the natives of the kingdom , or their sureties , children and heirs , who after so many years can not , perchance , produce the discharges and acquittances that had been given . concerning commissioners or burgesses of parlament , subsidies . that the subsidie granted to his majestie by some commissioners at the parlament in the citie of the groyn , bee neither demanded nor received , nor any other imposed hereafter ; nor that any other impositions , or tributes , extraordinarie bee layed upon the kingdom by their majesties , or any of their successors . item , that when any burgesses or commissioners are to bee sent to parlament , the custom of each citie is to bee observed in the state of the regimiento ; moreover , one is to bee sent from the chapter or clergie , another from the state of the gentrie , a third from the state of the commonaltie , and every state to elect and nominate their commissioner severally in a distinct assembly ; which commissioners are to bee payed by their own citie or town , except the commissioner of the clergie , who is to bee maintained by the chapter . item , when any parlament is called , and the cities and towns , which have vote , bee summoned to send their commissioners , that their majesties , or any their successors , in these kingdoms , send not to the said commissioners any power , instruction , or command , in what manner and form their powers are to bee granted , nor appoint or nominate any particular persons to bee commissioners : but that such citie or towns may have free libertie to grant powers according to their own sence , and to such persons , as they shall think most convenient for the good of their republick . item , wheresoëver the parlament bee assembled , that the commissioners may have the freedom to meet , confer and discours with one another , as often as they shall think good , and that no president bee ordered to com amongst them ▪ for that would hinder them from attending to those things , which particularly concern the cities , and the good of the republick , which they represent . item , that during the time of the commissioners beeing at parlament , nor before or after their return to their hou●es , as having been , or beeing commissioners in the said parlament , they may not receiv directly or indirectly , under what colour or pretence soêver , any present or gratuitie from their majesties , or their successors , in these kingdoms , of what value or qualitie soëver , neither for themselvs , their wives , children or kindred , under pain of death , and confiscation of goods : which goods may bee emploied for the publick reparations of the citie or town , whereof any such delinquent was commissioner . for they beeing free from covetousness , and without hopes of receiving anie bribes in that nature , will bee more attentive and zealous for the service of god , the king , and the publick , and more careful to perform what was encharged them by their towns and cities . item , that the commissioners may onely have the bare stipend , which shall bee allowed them by their cities or towns , and that the said stipend or salarie bee competent , according to the condition and qualitie of the person , and the place from whence hee is emploied as commissioner ; and that this salarie bee paied out of the proper inhabitants revenue of each town , or citie , that doth send the said commissioner , according as they shall bee taxed by the council , iustice , and regidores of the said place . item , that the said commissioners may choos and entertain one or more lawyers beeing at parlament , as they see occasion , to whom the cities or towns are to paie a competent salarie , but may change them as often as they pleas . and that the said lawyer may not demand or receiv any gratuitie from their majesties , or other person , in their names ( as is above instructed and ordered for the commissioners ) neither may any lawyer at all bee entertained by the commissioners , but with the good liking and consent of the kingdom . item , that their majesties would revoke and declare to bee void all gratuities of what qualitie so●ver , which were given to the commissioners of the last parlament , held in the kingdom of galicia , and that neither they , nor their wives , children , heirs or successors , may injoie any part or parcel thereof , under penaltie of losing their goods , for the publick reparations of the citie , or town , whereof they were commissioners . item , that thenceforwards to perpetuitie , the cities and towns , that have vote in parlament , may meet and assemble every three years by their commissioners , who are to bee chosen out of the three states ( as is aforesaid ) . and that it may bee done in the absence , and without licence from their majesties , or the succeeding kings ; to the end , that beeing so assembled , they may procure and see , that the contents of these articles bee punctually observed ; and that they may discours of , and provide other things which may bee expedient for the service of the roial crown , and the publick good of the kingdoms . item , that the said parlament beeing ended , the said commissioners may bee obliged within fourtie daies , to return to their cities , or towns , and give an account of what they had done in the said parlament , under pain of losing their salarie , and beeing deprived of their office , which their majesties might dispose as vacant . concerning coin. that no monie bee transported out of these kingdoms , either gold or ●ilver , coined or to bee coined : since it is forbidden by the laws of the kingdom , under pain of death , confiscation of goods , and other penalties . for the contrarie having been done , especially since his majestie 's coming into these kingdoms , the countrie is impoverished and destroyed . item , that forthwith monie bee coined in these kingdoms , of a different rate and value , then that of the neighboring countries , and that it bee of a base alloy two caratts under the rate of the finest gold , which may countervail in weight and value the crowns of gold that are made in france ; by which means it will not bee carried out of the kingdom . alwaies provided , that whosoëver should bee indebted any quantitie of maravediz , before the time of publication of the new coined monie , might bee obliged to make paiment in the coin , which was then currant , or to make up the value thereof in monie of the later stamp . silver coined . that a mark of silver out of the mint may bee of the just value of two thousand two hundred and fiftie maravediz , and no more . copper monie . that new copper monie may bee coined , and in regard too much silver mixed with it is but lost , into everie mark should bee cast onely the quantitie of one of the new ryals . item , that the monie of silver mixt and copper , which is made in other countries , is much less worth then it passeth for in this kingdom , and the profit and gain thereof remaineth in forreign nations , who carrie away our gold for their base monie . that six months beeing expired after the coining of the said new monie , publick proclamation might bee made to prohibit the taking or receiving any of the said foreign mixt s●lver and copper monie . item , that the old monie which is now currant , in no wise may bee made away , given , or sold out of the mint-hous , directly or indirectly , at any higher rate then now it goe's , under penaltie that whosoëver shall bee defective herein , may lose his monie and third part of his estate , to the end that it may bee all coined , to make new monie . item , in regard before the new monie bee all coined , and especially in the beginning , those who make a trade of transporting monie out of the kingdom , may indeavor , and bee apt to convey much away , that new searchers may bee placed in all ports , by sea and land , and such as may applie their whole care and diligence to the well executing of this particular , and nothing els , provided , they bee persons of trust . and that whosoêver shall bee found guiltie of this fact , may bee punished and condemned to death ( if convinced ) without any further process , that there may bee no reclaiming or remission of this penaltie and punishment , but if those who are incharged therewith , bee slack or negligent in the execution of their office , that they may suffer the same punishment . and to the end this may bee the better effected , that whoso●ver shall declare , or discover it , may have the one half or moitie of the monie so seized . transportation of corn , leather , sheep , and woolls . that no corn , or the leather of sevilla , may bee transported out of the kingdom . that the mercedes , or gratuities and taxes ( which were given and imposed in some parts of these kingdoms ) of levying certain duties , for giving licence to transport corn out of the said kingdoms , and leather from the citie of sevilla , may bee revoked , and declared to bee void . for besides , that the said taxes bee unlawful , they are very hurtful and prejudicial to these kingdoms , and the citie of sevilla . and that their majesties may never hereafter give the said licence for monie , or for any imposition . item , that henceforwards no sheep or hogs alive or dead , or any other cattle may bee transported out of the kingdoms . for this hath been the caus that flesh , leather and tallow are raised to above double the price of what they were wont to yield , and if the said cattle bee not carried a way , these commodities will return to the same rate they were at formerly , which will bee a great benefit to the kingdoms . and if any bee found a delinquent herein , that the one half of his goods and estate may bee confiscate to their majesties , one fourth part given to the accuser , and the other fourth part imployed for reparations and publick uses of the citie , or town , whereof hee was inhabitant . item , that the merchants , clothiers , and other trades of the kingdoms , may take to work and spend therein one half of all woolls , bought by natives , or strangers , to send out of the kingdoms , paying the same price , as they had done , for them ; if they had given readie monie : and if they had taken them upon trust , giving securitie to paie at a certain daie , that the merchants , and others , might have them upon the same conditions , giving the like securitie . and that the officers of justice may take the said woolls from the shepherds , or buiers , and deliver them to such persons ( as is before-mentioned ) not suffering any fraud or contention to arise hereupon , but the truth beeing known , speedily to deliver them to the said merchants , and others , to be wrought in these kingdoms , paying in ready mony , or giving the said securitie ; and in case any officer neglect his dutie herein , that hee may lose one whole years salarie , and be obliged to make good the dammage and interest of the partie . concerning the council , courts , and iustices . that his majestie would bee pleased to dismiss those of the council , whom hitherto hee hath kept , in regard they have advised him to the great prejudice of his majestie 's roial crown , and the excessive dammage of the kingdoms . that they never bee admitted to bee of his privie council , the queen's council , or council of justice . that their majesties would select som of the natives of those kingdoms to bee of their roial councils , who were known to bee loial and zealous for their service , and which would set aside their particular interests for the people's good . item , that the president , council , judges , alcaldes , and officers of the courts and chanceries may bee visited every four years , according to the usual manner . that those who are found faultie , may bee punished , as the laws of the kingdom have ordered , according to the hainousness of their crime : and those who are found otherwise , may bee acknowledged to bee good men , and rewarded by his majestie . item , that the said offices , aswel of the council , as of his majestie 's familie , chanceries , and other courts , bee not given by favor , or procured by the petitions , or importunate sollicitations , of any grandees , or other persons , near about his majestie , but that they may bee bestowed upon able and deserving men : and that the provision may bee to offices , not to the persons , that enjoie them . and if any shall have , or procure them , contrarie to the tenour hereof , the kingdom may not acknowledg such as officers , but that they may bee disabled to keep or execute any the aforesaid , or other publick offices . item , that the said offices of the council roial , alcaldes de corte , chanceries , or other courts , may not bee provided or possessed by such as com but newly from their studies , but by persons ●ndued with qualities , and parts necessarie and fit for his majesties service , having been experienced and practised in the exercise of the office of counsellors at law and judges , for the contrarie having been don hitherto , hath been the occasion of great inconve●iences and dammages to these kingdoms . item , that the judges of the council roial , chanceries , and other courts , which voted in the first sentences , may not vote nor sentence anie processes upon review : but pass the view and votes of such suits by order to the judges of another court , as is usual in suits , which by reason of disco●d , are remitted from one court to another , for of the sentences pronounced by those of the council , and judges of the said courts , beeing reviewed by them , have proceeded and do proceed great inconveniencies . for they shew themselvs very passionate and desirous to confirm their sentences , defending them as if they were advocates for the partie in whose favor they formerly had given sentence . and that all suits may bee determined by two courts , without any inconvenience , that that those writs may bee useless , which , they that are in suit , procure in like cases to make their suits pass through all courts . item , that his majestie provide and appoint a superintendent to bee constant and resident in every one of the courts and chanceries , as was accustomed in the time of the catholick queen donia isabel our ladie , and that they bee persons of autoritie and good intention , who may provide that the ordinances bee observed , and see that the suites bee conformable thereunto ; that clients applying themselvs to them , may finde redress and help for their grievances , and that his majestie may bee informed by them of the state of his courts , and of the justice administred in them . item , that the said offices of the council , chancerie and alcaldias , bee not perpetual , in regard it is so expedient for his majestie 's service , and the good of the kingdoms . that the judges and alcaldes , may not hold themselvs lords of those offices , nor think it to bee an injurie to them to bee displaced , and others appointed to officiate . concerning the council and courts . that the offices of the privie council , in what concerns the kingdoms of castilla and leon , and judges , his majestie 's alcaldes de la casa e corte , chanceries , and all other offices of justice , may not bee given to any strangers , but to the inhabitants and natives of the said kingdoms ; and that for this respect no act or letters pattents of naturalization may bee given , and if any should bee given , that they may bee respectively received , but not fulfilled . that the number of the judges of the council of justice may bee twelve , neither more nor less , and those to bee of such qualities and parts as the laws of the kingdom do require . item , that suits bee determined in the council and chancerie in their order , and as they stand registred , and by the courts where they are depending without joyning of any others to them . that concerning this particular , his majestie may give no writs in derogation of ordinances . also that those which were to bee pleaded , and determined in chancerie , bee not kept still nor removed by wr●ts to the council . and that those judges that can take recognisance of suits , and causes , may not bee put by from hearing and determining the said suits by writ or order from his majestie . and in case the judges bee suspected , the parties may have the remedie of appeal . or if his majestie have given any such writs , that hee revoke and annul them . that henceforwards it may remain as a perpetual and inviolable law , that the judges of the council and chancerie , present or to com , may not obey the said writs , under pain of beeing deprived of their offices , and paying one hundred thousand maravediz each , for his majestie 's exchequer . and that the same may bee observed in the writs which shall bee given by his secretarie , the suites depending . item , that those of the council , judges of courts and chancerie , and alcaldes de corte , may not possess or hold more then one office . and in case they should have two , or more , that they may bee taken from them , and that they may receiv salarie for no more then one office . item , that matters of justice which may bee prejudicial to the parties henceforwards , may bee determined and dispatched by those of the council , and not by the privie chamber , for by this means , things will bee carried according to justice , and without grievances . item , that the secretaries appointed for the chamber , may not have vote in the council of justice , concerning those matters which depend on private writs or mandamus from their majesties ; to the end they may not defend in the council any writs which they had so signed , whereby the parties might bee aggrieved . item , that the said secretaries appointed for the chamber , may not receiv any thing besides the salarie , which his majestie is pleased to allow them , it beeing competent . for by experience it hath been seen they have demanded and adjudged divers unjust things concerning the taxes and impositions of the kingdom . and they keep intelligencers through the whole kingdom , to give them notice of what is vacant , and how they may charge new taxes and impositions . and this office beeing in their own hands , they may ask what they list , and it is granted them . but in case the said secretaries , or any of them , should demand any thing for themselvs , their children or friends , that for so doing , they may lose their offices , and not onely bee disabled to execute the said offices , but all others whatsoëver . item , that the diffinitive sentences pronounced by the alcaldes de casa e corte , and chanceries , in case of death , or mutilation of members , may have the libertie of appeal to those of the council and judges of the courts roial . and that t●e said alcaldes may bee obliged to grant the said appeals and supplications according to law. item , that the said alcaldes de casa e corte , and chancerie , or their notaries , may not exact or receiv either more or less duties or fees then the ordinarie alcaldes of the corregidores of cities and towns in this kingdom , where there is counsel and chancerie . item , that the alcaldes and other officers of the court called the hermandad ( which is properly for high-way-men ) may have a constant place of residence , when they leav their office , which those that succeed them may enjoie ; and that these may have power to question and execute their sentence against the said judges and officers , their predecessors . item , that the corregidores , alcaldes , officers of cities , towns , villages , burroughs , and other places of justice in these kingdoms , may not bee continued in the said offices above the space of one year after their donomination , although the cities , towns , and commonalties should desire it ; for the said offices having been continued for longer time , hath occasioned many inconveniencies and defects of justice to such cities and towns. item , that henceforwards no corregidores may bee provided or appointed for any cities or towns of these kingdoms , but when the said cities or towns shall require it , in regard it is so ordained by the laws of the land. and that the said cities and towns may place and provide their ordinarie . alcaldes , beeing men of abilities , that so the salaries of corregidores , their lievtenants and other officers may bee saved . that the cities and towns may appoint and allow moderate and reasonable salaries to the said ordinarie alcaldes out of the publick stock . and that the said stipendarie judges may bee tied to serv onely that town or citie which giveth them the salarie . item , that in cases wherein a judg inquisitor is required , those that are appointed for judges inquisitors may go with the limited salarie at the charge of the king's exchequer , and not at the charge of the delinquents , for to recover their salaries , they make innocent men delinquents ; and after that the said salaries and charges bee recovered of those who were condemned and declared guiltie by those of the council , or other judges , the said examinations may bee reviewed by waie of appeal , commission , or otherwise . item , that henceforwards no corregidor , or other judg of what qualitie soëver , may bee allowed to receiv his salarie , or any part thereof , or by waie of ayuda de costa ( which is to help bear his charge ) out of anie fines or forfeitures adjudged by them , but may return them to the exchequer , to the end hee may not bee thought to have pronounced an unjust sentence , out of covetousness thereof . and that whosoëver shall receiv anie monie in that kinde , may bee condemned to paie four times as much into his majestie 's exchequer , and bee made incapable of any office ever after . concerning encomiendas , or promotions to dignities , and council of the orders . that those of the council of the orders , as presidents , judges , and other officers bee visited in the same manner as is ordered for the council roial . item , that the treasurers and officers of the orders , and maestrazgos , or masterships , make their visitations from three to three years , that it may appear how they behave themselvs in their offices , and those that shall bee found guiltie may suffer punishment . item , that the encomiendas of the militarie orders of santjago , calatrava , alcantara , may not bee given or conferred upon any strangers , although they bee naturalized . but that herein may bee observed the same rule as in ecclesiastical offices , dignities , and benefices , whereby they may bee provided according as is constituted and ordeined in the statutes of the order . concerning bulls , cruzadas , and compositiones . that no bulls , cruzadas , or compositions , of what qualitie soëver bee suffered to bee preached in these kingdoms , unless upon som real and urgent occasion , debated and approved in parlament . that the monie which shall bee rai●ed t●ereby , may bee deposited in the collegial or cathedral church of the bishoprick , and not to bee taken out thence , spent or emploied otherwise , then in the same urgent occasion , for which the bull was granted . item , that in case there bee such necessitie of preaching the bulls , cruzadas , and compositiones , as above said , this manner and order may bee observed . that there bee care had to choos honest men , of good consciences , and learned , that they may know and understand what they preach . that they exceed not in their preaching the cases and things contained in the bulls . that they preach in none but the collegial , or cathedral churches . that in places where there are no collegial or cathedral churches , the bulls may bee sent to the curates or their vicars , to the end they may divulge and publish them to their parishioners ; that they advise and ●dmonish the people , but impose no penaltie , if they take them not , and that they might receiv them if they would . that there may bee no such exorbitance , as was usual heretofore , injoyning the people to com , and detaining them perforce in their sermons , not suffering them to follow their callings and occupations , unless they took their bulls , and other such ill demeanors . item , that whatsoëver was to bee recovered and gathered by virtue of the bulls thus received , may not bee recovered by waie of excommunication or interdict , but by demanding it before the secular justice of the citie , town , or village , where the bull had been received . that the alcaldes of the villages may have power herein , for the contrarie , having been done , hath much indangered the souls of laboring-men , priests , and other persons , and the people suffer very many and great oppressions in this manner of recovering it . item , that henceforwards for ever the commissaries of the cruzadas and compositiones may not levie or recover any thing of that which some cities , towns , villages , and corporations have expended in their own houses in feasting , bull-baitings , or acts of charitie , although they do it from an ancient custom , by vow , or what other waie soëver they can pretend . item , that the monies levyed by the cruzadas and compositiones , which were granted for the war against the moores ; costs and charges of the armies which had been or are to bee raised against the enemies of our catholick faith , and to releiv the kingdoms and cities of africa , may bee exp●nded and imployed to the same end , for which they were granted , and that they may not bee granted hereafter upon any other pretence whatsoëver , nor the said monie , or any part thereof , may bee given or bestowed as a merced or gratuitie upon any bodie , becaus , besides the publick dammage , men's souls are indangered by the not imploying it to the use , for which it was granted ; which if it were applyed to the proper and right intent , the royal revenues would remain free for the service and augmentation of the royal estate . item , that the mercedes and librancas of any monie of those said bulls , cruzadas and compositiones , which have been given to any particular persons , as well natives as strangers , may bee revoked and made void . concerning the indies , isles , and continent . that henceforwards for ever , no mercedes may bee made of indians , whereby the gold , or any other commodities may bee taken thence , to anie person or persons , of what qualitie soëver . that these which hitherto have been , may bee revoked ; for by that means their majestie 's roial patrimonie hath been , and will bee , much damnified , in stead of beeing advantaged , by reason of the great quantitie of gold exhausted thence : besides that , they are used more like infidels and slaves , then christians , as they are . item , that the hous of contratacion at sevilla , for the isles and continent of the indies , may remain for ever in the said citie , and not bee removed to anie other citie or place within this kingdom or without . in regard the said citie of sevilla is so famous and fit a place for it , and it would bee a great hinderance to these kingdoms , and a disservice to their majesties , if it should bee altered . concerning mercedes . that their majesties , or the succeeding kings , may not make anie merced of goods confiscated , or to bee confiscated , or of anie part or parcel thereof , to anie judg , or judges , who have given , or are to give sentence in the said causes . that the said judges , or anie of them , may not receiv anie such mercedes , either in paiment or lieu of their salaries , or for ayuda de costa , or in anie other kinde whatsoëver , directly or indirectly , either for themselvs , or their wives , children , friends or kindred ; for by this means they , beeing free from all covetousness and interests , may , with more equitie and justice , proceed and give their sentence . that whosoëver shall do the contrarie , may bee obliged to restore four times as much into his majesties exchequer , and that they may for ever remain incapable of enjoying the same , or anie other publick offices . item , that their majesties or their successors , may not give or make anie mercedes or librancas of goods and monie , which hath not been brought into their exchequer , or in their own hands ; for by this means they will know what they give , and how they endammage themselvs ; which not knowing , they easily grant the said librancas and mercedes , as their majesties had given away in that nature great quantities of pearls and monie , which ( if preserved ) had been sufficient to have mainteined their roial houshold , without making such shifts as they were driven to , by taking up monie at interest , or demanding subsidies of the subjects and natives of their kingdoms . item , that their majesties , or their successors , may not give or grant anie merced of goods , demanded in their majesties names , or of the roial crown of these kingdoms , concerning which there is anie suit depending , unless sentence bee first pronounced against the possessors thereof , and that they bee absolutely condemned . that whatsoëver hath been done to the contrarie heretofore , may bee revoked . otherwise it would hinder the free administration of justice according to right and equitie . and that whosoëver should receiv or procure anie such mercedes , may for ever bee held incapable and unworthie of receiving for themselvs , or others , anie merced from their majesties , or their successors , in these kingdoms . item , that their majesties may pleas to revoke all mercedes whatsoever , which had been made or granted since the death of the catholick queen donia isabel , as well by the kings don fernando , and don felipe , as by don carlos our present sovereign . and whatsoever confirmations have been made of anie towns , villages , vassals , jurisdictions , salt-pits , mines of gold and silver , copper , lead , tin , or allum . in regard besides , that they are contrarie to the laws of the land , the most illustrious and catholick queen donia isabel , our ladie , did absolutely prohibit and forbid them , when , by her last will and testament , shee left the government and rule of these kingdoms to the charge and care of the catholick king don fernando ; and that all this may bee applied to the proper use and benefit of the roial crown of these kingdoms , and that those persons who have obteined anie such mercedes , may make no further use of them hereafter . item , forasmuch as since the deceas of the queen donia isabel have been made divers mercedes , and manie patents and privileges of gentilitie given for monie to several persons , without anie just caus or consideration of services done to their majesties , that might deserv the said favour ; whereby the towns , commonalties , and those which paie the taxes , have been much damnified and injured . that their majesties may revoke all such patents , mercedes , and privileges whatsoever , and those to whom they were given , may not anie waies enjoie them . and that henceforward no such mercedes , patents , or privileges may ev●r bee granted , or bee in force , to benefit those to whom they were given . and that this may never bee derogated or abrogated with anie claus general or particular , or by anie ordinarie or absolute power . item , forasmuch as contrarie to equitie , and the tenour and fo●m of the laws of these kingdoms , have been granted and made , divers mercedes of the reversion of offices , benefices , dignities , and other things , in the hands of men yet living : that their majesties may revoke all of them , without exception , that hitherto have been made or granted , either by their majesties , or their predecessors . that nothing in this nature bee ever granted hereafter , and if anie should bee granted , that they may not bee fulfilled , nor take effect , notwithst●●ding any derogatorie clauses with penalties and confirmations whatsoever ; but to the end they may bee resisted and bee of no value , that they may bear no penal●ies at all ; and that whosoever shall procure anie such merced , may bee made incapable of anie place in court , or anie other publick office. item , that his majestie discard and put away the officers of his roial familie and kingdom , as treasurers , and their substitutes , and all others whosoëver have behaved themselvs amiss in their offices , to his majesties great disservice , & the universal dammage of these kingdoms ; who having ( as when they first entred into their offices ) little or nothing of their own patrimonies , and their profits much exceeding their expences , have raised themselvs vaste estates , to the prejudice aswel of the publick good of the kingdoms , and the natives thereof , as the impairing and diminishing of the roial patrimonie . item , that the offices of his majestie 's royal familie and the kingdom , those of the royal courts , and the alcaldes & fiscales , or attournies thereof , corregimientos , assistencias , alguazilagos , regimientos , veyntiquatrias , escrivanias of the audiencias , and council , and whatsoever other offices of the cities , towns , and places of the kingdoms , which are at their majesties , and their successors , disposal , now and from this time forwards , may never bee fold or given for monie , or bestowed , as mercedes , upon any , who beeing unfit to execute the said offices , may make sale of them , in regard the sale of them is very detestable , and forbidden by the common laws and rights of the kingdoms , for the great dammages and prejudices which have accrewed thereby to the good of the publick . and that the said offi●es may bee freely given and bestowed upon persons of sufficient parts and abilities to perform and execute them . item , t●at if the said offices or any of them , bee provided otherwise , or bestowed contrarie to the tenour and form mentioned in the precedent article , that they may bee held as vacant , and whosoever is so placed in them , may bee discarded . and their majest●e's and successors provide and bestow them as above said . item , that the officers which are to serv in the court , or in any the cities , or towns , of these kingdoms , aswell of the iuzgados as of the veintequarto escrivanias , and other such like offices , may not possess more then one office . and if they bee such as may bee supplied by substitutes , or ●ievtenants , that these may bee paied by the principal officers . and that their majesties or successors grant no stipend or salarie to the said substitutes , nor the principals consent thereunto , under pain of losing their offices , and others to bee put into their places . item , as touching the confirmations of the priviledges of the right or custom called , maravediz de iuro ; that no confirmation of the said priviledges may bee required , and that their majesties give command to the officers , who have raised great summs thereby , to restore the said monie to the persons of whom they received it , and that speedily and freely without any trouble or suit . item , that those of the offices roial , as well high treasurers , as those of the cruzadas , compositions , or the islands and continent of the indie● , may bee obliged to certifie and declare unto their majesties , and their successors , whatsoever debts remain conce●led and forgotten , and all other things in the said offices , appertaining to the roial patrimonie , but that they give no intelligence thereof to anie particular or private persons , lest they should beg them , under pain of paying twice as much into the exchequer or roial patrimonie , and of beeing deprived of the said offices , and made incapable not onely of them , but all others . item , that those who have had , or have anie office roial , or charge of the registers of the roial revenues , may not have the said remainders of the farming thereof , and in case anie have made use of them , that hee or they bee obliged to paie the double of what hee hath received thereof , into their majesties ●xchequer , and lose their offices , with the salaries and benefits thereunto belonging . item , that all those who have bought anie offices since the deceas of the catholick king don fernando , which could not bee sold according to t●e laws of the land , and the contents of the preceding articles , may not execute the said offices , under pain of death and loss of good , and their majesties may provide and dispose them to other able and sufficient persons . concerning residencia's . that all those officers who had charge of his majesties estate , in the time of the catholick king don fernando , his grandfather , may bee brought to an account for what they did in their offices and charges , concerning his majesties estate a●d the roial patrimonie , which passed through their hands , and that they produce these accounts before such persons as shall bee nominated and appointed by his majestie , and the kingdom . that his majestie appoint and nominate these said persons within thirtie daies after these articles and laws bee granted by their majesties , and in case his majestie doth not nominate anie within the said term of thirtie daies , that then those accounts may bee produced before such persons as the kingdoms shall appoint , who may receiv them for their majesties exchequer , and condemn and laie penalties upon those whom they finde guiltie , according to equitie and the laws of the kingdoms . item , that the like account bee also given by the treasurers , and other officers , whosoever have been encharged heretofore with the cruzadas , bulls , and compositions , or with the gold and pearls brought from the ●slands and continent of the indies ; and the same order to bee observed therein , as is above-specified . item , that those of the council , and the officers of his majesties familie and court , who have been , or are to bee dismissed , may make their residencia , or render their accounts before the persons mentioned in the preceding arcicles . item , that the said officers bee thus called to account , becaus they have given advise and notice of manie things which have been begged and given as mercedes , to the great prejudice of the roial patrimonie ; which advices and informations they gave , either to enjoie a share thereof themselvs , or to purchase them wholly , or to procure others to buie or farm them , by which means , for very small matters , they have gained vaste sums of monie . therefore in regard this hath been a great dammage and prejudice to the roial patrimonie , their majesties may ratifie and allow the above mentioned persons to take the said accounts and residencia's . and whatsoever shall bee thus discovered by them , that it may all accrew to their majesties exchequer ; for if they had rightly and truly performed their offices , they ought to have given their majesties those informations , and not to private persons . concerning prelates and other particulars . that the bishopricks , archbishopricks , dignities , canonicates , & other ecclesiastical preferments whatsoever , or the pensions thereof , may not bee conferred upon anie ●trangers , but upon the natives and inhabitants of these kingdoms . that if anie were disposed of contrarie to the tenour hereof , his majestie may bee pleased by apostolical autoritie , to order that they may bee resigned and conferred upon natives of these kingdoms , satisfaction beeing given to those that are dispossessed of them , to their full value in other rents in their own countries . item , in regard his majestie had given away the archbishoprick of toledo , before hee was received and sworn king in the parlament at valladolid . that his majestie may make a new presentation of the said archbishoprick , and confer it upon a native and inhabitant of the kingdom of castilla , who may deserv it , beeing a person of learning and conscience answerable , a divine or civil lawyer ; for the bestowing it on the nephew of monsieur de xeures , contrarie to the laws of the kingdom , hath been , and is , very prejudicial to the kingdom , and the said dignitie , hee beeing under age , and absent , ( and although hee were a native of the kingdom , it was not fit nor just to give it him ) . that the revenue of the said dignitie was transported out of the kingdom , wherewith if hee were a native , and resident in the said dignitie , hee might entertain manie nobles and gentlemen in his hous , as hath been the custom formerly . and if his ma●estie would bee pleased to gra●ifie the said nephew of monsieur de xeures with som other lands in his own countrie . it might very well bee done . item , that all letters of naturalization whatsoever , that have formerly been given , may bee revoked , and never anie granted hereafter . and if anie should bee granted , although with derogatorie clauses , and by an absolute power , that they may bee respectively received , but not fulfilled . that there may bee no penaltie for the non-performance of anie such supplication , and whosoever should bee strict therein , may bee apprehended and severely punished by the justices of the kingdom where hee was taken . item , that the judges , notaries , and other officers of the ecclesiastical courts , may not have or demand more fees then those of the secular courts , according to the ●tatutes of the kingdoms . and if , in anie case , the apostolical autoritie bee requisite , their majesties may bee pleased to send to their emb●ssador to procure it from his holiness , and send it . item , that the archbishops , b●shops , and prelates of the kingdoms , may reside in their own diocess the greatest part of t●e year , whereo● , if they fail , that they may lose proportionably a pa●t of their fruits , to bee emploied for the building or repairing of their churches ; for , by reason of their beeing absent , the divine service is not performed as it ought to bee . that his ma●estie send for a bull to this eff●ct from his holiness , within the space of one year . and if his majestie did not send for it within the said term , that the kingdom might have power to demand it , and take , by his autoritie , out of the fruits of the said dignities , as much as would diffraie the charges of the journie , and sollicitation to procure it . item , forasmuch as his holiness at his majesties r●quest had sent a licence to the archbishop of granada , purposing that whosoever should have his said power ( although secular persons ) might judg and give sentence in som cases against priests , in criminal matters . that his majestie would bee pleased to caus the said licence to bee enrolled within six months , and send a copie thereof into these kingdom , to excuse and avoid the scandals which arise thereby . concerning regidores . that henceforwards , their majesties , or their successors , never give or grant anie licence to the regidores , veyntiquatros , iurados , and other officers of the council of cities , towns or villages of these kingdoms , to live with , or have anie dependance upon noble-men . that all licences to this effect whatsoever , granted in former times , may bee revoked ; that the laws of the kingdoms may bee herein observed and executed . that whosoever shall procure , or make use of anie such licence , may bee deprived of his office . and that their majesties dispose thereof , as beeing vacant , but that hee or his children may never re-injoy it . item , that the regidores of the cities and towns of these kingdoms , who are lawyers , may not execute the office of advocates , nor plead in the said cities or towns , but for them and their commonalties . alienation of goods or lands from the royal crown . that his majestie command effectually to restore the towns , villages , forts , jurisdictions , revenues , and all other rights whatsoever , to the cities and towns of his royal crown , which they had formerly in their possession , and which the most illustrious queen donia ●sabel , our ladie , commanded in her will to bee restored . and to the end this may bee effected , and the wills of the catholick king don fernando and his queen donia isabel , may bee fulfilled , that executors may bee appointed with sufficient power to perform the same within six months without further delaie . item , to the end this may remedied henceforwards , that their majesties or successors , for no reason or caus , neither in paiment or satisfaction of services , or anie other waies whatsoever , may alienate anie thing from the royal crown or patrimonie , and in case anie alienation bee made , that it may bee restored . concerning forts and alcaydias , or governments . that the forts and alcaydias of the strong holds of these kingdoms , may not bee given to anie forreiners , but intrusted to the natives and inhabitants of these kingdoms , although they may produce letters of naturalization , and that the same order bee observed herein , as in the dignities and ecclesiastical preferments . item , that his majestie take away all command or governments whatsoever of castles and forts , possessed by strangers , or transferred by them for monie to anie natives of these kingdoms . item , that antonio de fonseca may bee dispossessed of the offices and command hee hath in these kingdoms , in regard of the great mischiefs and scandals which they suffer by his occasion . item , that the forts and alcaydias may not bee given to anie noble-men or persons of high birth and qualitie . and that the alcaydes or commanders thereof may take the oath of fealtie to his majestie , and give securitie to the cities and towns where they are , that , by or from the said forts , they shall receiv no dammage or prejudice . item , that his majestie give order forthwith , and every two years from this time forwards , to visite and repair , as occasion doth require , the forts and places of strength upon the frontiers of these kingdoms . concerning cloath . that the cloath that is imported from other countries may bee of the same size and goodness , as those which are wrought in these kingdoms , according as it is ordered by the statutes and act of parlament . that the said act may bee executed aswell upon forreign clothes , as those which are made in these kingdoms . that what deferring of the time of the act , or licences soëver have been granted to sell and disperse them in these kingdoms , may bee revoked and declared void . that hereafter no such licences bee granted , but in case there bee , that they may not bee fulfilled . and that , without stopping or arresting them , the justices may proceed according to the act , under pain of losing their offices , and paying one hundred thousand maravediz towards the reparations and charitable uses of the citie , town , or village , where their residence is . contribution . in regard it is ordeined by the laws of the land , that certain towns and villages ( which now are under the possession of som noblemen ) should proportionably ( as the rest of their neighboring cities and towns ) bear a share in the tributes and contributions , and taxes for hedges , bridges , fountains , watchmen , suits in law , defences , and enlargement of territories ; yet by the favor of noblemen and persons of great qualitie , ( to whom they belong ) they do not observ or fulfil his majesties commands herein . that henceforwards they may bee obliged to perform them , and in case of default to lose their offices , and all the salarie thereof ; and that the lords of the said places may not oppose or do any thing to the contrarie under pain of losing the lordship and proprietie of the said places , or towns , which afterwards shall bee as crown-lands never to bee alienated from the royal patrimonie . generals . forasmuch as his majestie , in the parlaments which hee called at valladolid and the groyn , did grant som things , which , for the profit and publick good of the kingdoms , ought to bee effected : that his majestie command all provisions and power necessarie for the performance thereof , to bee given to the cities , towns , and other places of the kingdoms . item , that his majestie give order to proceed rigorously against antonio de fonseca , alcalde ronquillo , gutiere quixada , el licenciado iuanes , and the rest , that had any hand in the bur●ing and destroying of the town of medina del campo ▪ and that his majestie approve and allow of what the kingdom shall do concerning the confiscation of their , or any of th●●● estates and goods . item , that their majesties approve the assemblie which the cities and towns of the kingdoms have made , and do make to the end they may repair and remedie the exorbitancies and grievances of the publick ; to make and ordain these articles , and all which they have done in order to the suspending of those of the council , and officers of their majesties familie and court , placing and displacing officers of justice , taking and demolishing of forts , pulling down of houses , killing of men , tumults and uproars , and judging and sentencing other matters of the kingdoms ; their endeavors in taking away all that might stop or hinder their proceedings herein , and any other excess whatsoever , as in the order and form of the premisses is conteined ▪ the assembling the people , raising of arms , and the punishment which certain cities and commonalties have inflicted upon the persons , houses , and goods of ●om men , whom they esteemed enemies to the publick good of the kingdoms . and that their majesties acknowledg to bee well emploied , all and every the sums of monie which they have taken out of the roial revenue , and other things , and disbursed in paiment of the said men , and armies , or otherwaies in prosecution of the above-said premisses : and whatsoever taxes they had imposed and recovered to that effect , or expended in any kinde . that their majesties would command all to bee remitted and absolutely pardoned , as also not onely their assemblies and councils of the cities and towns of the kingdoms , but likewise that every particular person or persons that had been active therein , might bee free from anie trouble or question therefore in anie courts , civil or criminal . that their majesties would revoke and declare void , all and everie information or informations , commands , sentences , and provisions which those of the council , or the alcalde ronquillo , or any other judg whatsoever , had made or given against any of the cities or towns of the kingdoms , or against any particular persons , and that for this caus they , nor any of them , might bee deprived of their privileges or offices , but might remain free and indemnified . in regard they were moved thereunto out of their respects to their majesties service , and the publick good of the kingdoms , and for the encreasing & preserving of the revenues and patrimonie roial , in order to the obligations and duties which they owed to their natural sovereigns , according as the laws of the kingdoms have ordeined . and that his majestie would grant , autorize , and confirm the said articles as a perpetual and inviolable law for ever , and that he would promise & swear , by god and his holie evangelists , never to revoke , or consent to the revoking or altering of them , or do , or suffer to bee done , any thing contrarie to their true intent and meaning in parlament , or out of parlament : and that hee would not demand of the pope or other prelate whatsoever any dispensation or absolution for the said oath and promise . sect ▪ iii. these articles were sent to flanders by those of the iunta , to bee delivered to the emperor . antonio vazquez de avila carried one copie of them , and maestro fray pablo ( a man of an exemplarie life and holie intentions , onely blinded with a zeal for his countrie , seeing the kingdom ruined ) another . they went several waies , but neither of them durst appear before the emperor , and som saie , they never came into flanders . antonio vazquez de avila arrived at length at worms in germanie , which the emperor hearing , commanded him to bee apprehended and imprisoned in a fort ; but after som time , beeing better informed , hee gave order to releas him . fray pablo , and sancho zimbron , who went together , hearing , before they came to the emperor , how antonio vazquez had been welcomed , went no further then bruxels . these articles were applauded and held for holie things amongst the commonaltie ; they said , the emperor must bee verie cruel if hee did not confirm them . that those of the iunta deserved an immortal crown , and a never-dying fame for their pains and care in making such excellent and holie ordinances , whereby their kingdoms should bee made the happiest , and most opulent in the world . sect . iv. the lord admiral , beeing desirous to compose these differences and disorders of the kingdoms , before they broke out anie further , resolved to go and convers with those of the iunta at tordesillas , and beeing at torrelobaton , hee sent to them , desiring , that they would give him the libertie and safe conduct to go to them . those of the iunta answered , that they knew very well , that his lordship came to speak with them concerning the commonalties of the kingdoms , but they desired him not to put himself to the trouble of coming thither , until he had dismissed those gentlemen , with their sou●diers , out of medina , and his own lands , & those of the council likewise , in regard they disserved his majestie , and hindred the good of the kingdom , which don , they should be very glad to serv him , and shew him all the respects due to his person . the admiral replied , that hee was well contented to discharge all those souldiers , and send away all those of the council , except the cardinal and the lord high constable of castilla , who were the governors and principal men of the kingdoms : those of the iunta would not bee satisfied , unless they were all sent away . whereupon they sent two heralds with a notarie publick , to require him with great protestations , that hee should not permit the mischiefs and dammages which might bee occasioned by the iunta , and the armies of the advers partie . they sent others also with trumpets , to require the lord high constable , and the earl of alva , not to levie anie souldiers , becaus that would bee prejudicial to the roial crown , and hurtful to the kingdoms . the lord high constable received those that brought him this message very courteously , and commanded a dinner to bee prepared for them ; after which , hee sent them to the earl of alva , with twelv of his own men on hors-back . the earl apprehended the chief man of them , commanding him to bee clapt in prison , and afterwards , they saie , hee caused him to bee strangled , and gave no other answer to the iunta : whereat they were very much displeas'd ; others said , the earl did like a worthie gentleman , for no law or word is to be observ'd or kept with traitors . the unfortunate man , whom the earl thus put to death , had been , not long before , preferred by those of the commonaltie , to the office of chamberlain to the queen donia iuana . in revenge of which crueltie ( as they termed it ) those of the iunta commanded the lord constable , and the earl of alva , to bee proclaimed , in manie cities and places of castilla , traitors , and capital enemies of the kingdom ; alledging , that they raised forces against the roial crown , and to the prejudice of the kingdom . that they had made a new broad-seal , contrarie to the laws of the kingdom , wherewith they did seal orders against his majesties subjects , and contrarie to all right and justice . that they did favor and uphold those of the evil counsel ; and that they had apprehended her majesties chamberlain , all which was in dis-respect or contempt of her majestie , and to the prejudice of the publick good . and therefore those of the iunta , in order to the service of god , and the kingdom , did finde themselvs obliged to declare them capital enemies , and accordingly , that their estates and land should bee seized and forfeited to the roial crown . sect . v. those of the iunta beeing possessed of tordesillas , and having the queen , with her familie , and the whole kingdom in their own hands , manie people believed that shee was recovered , and that shee was well-pleased with the proceedings of those of the iunta . the increasing of this opinion , and their credit with the people , raised their thoughts to things of higher consequence , and the novelties which everie daie did produce , were already swoln to so great a number , and spred into so manie parts that it is impossible to relate them so cleerly , fully , and distinctly as i would . the pretence of the iunta was so plausible , bearing the sugared name ( which they gave it ) of libertie , and exemption from unjust taxes and evil government , that divers other places , were likewise in arms for them ; and it was a miracle that anie place stood out : for they favored and countenanced them that followed their faction , and those of the contrarie partie were perpetually under the lash of their persecution . in palencia the people mutinied , and would have killed the brother to their bishop mota , with divers canons , and other priests of the citie , becaus they had given possession of the bishoprick to the said mota , whom they extreamly hated . in alcala de henares they turned the governor , and the vicar-general to the arch-bishop , out of the citie , becaus they hated the arch-bishop for beeing a kinsman to xeures , and a stranger . medina prepared to make open war against coca and alaejos , in revenge of the mischiefs and losses which they had susteined by antonio de fonseca . it would bee an endless task to undertake to give a particular relation of their outrages , what persecutions , robberies , and murthers , were committed in each place . those of segovia did not lie still either , but were perpetually making new attempts against the earl of chinchon , and the town of espinar , which they assaulted and sacked , as if they had been infidels , carrying away their wives and daughters , some of whose husbands following after the segovians , said , that if their wives went with them beyond a certain limit , they should keep them for ever . sect . vi. i mentioned in the rising of burgos , the prudence and courage which the lord high counstable , to detain and suppress the furie of that disorderly people , had shewed , in taking upon himself the autoritie and care of administring justice , to the great contentment and rejoicing of the citizens . but the inconstant vulgar , upon no occasion , lost the respect which was due to so honorable a person , never considering how advantageous it would have been for them to have suff●red themselvs to bee governed by him in such troublesom times . that which they pretended to bee the caus of their respectless audacitie was , that when medina del campo did besiege alaejos , segovia , salamanca , avila , and other cities , having assisted them with men to destroie that town , out of the exceeding hatred which they bore antonio de fonseca : burgos would do the like out of revenge of the merchandise which they lost in medina , by fonseca's burning it : but the lord high constable satisfied them otherwise ; and becaus his son offered himself to bee their captain , which the people imagined hee did onely out of subtiltie and cunning to amuse them or for som other by-respect , they began to bee jealous of him ; this suspicion ingendred a mortal hatred , insomuch that their furie grew beyond the bounds of moderation and obedience . the lord high counstable had privately conveyed into his hous four hundred lances : which beeing known in the citie , the regidores and gentlemen assembled , and sent two of their companie to summon him . hee excused himself , saying , hee was very ill , and could not go to them : but they told him , that they could not bee satisfied with that answer , hee must rise , and go with them . at last hee went , and was civilly received ; beeing com amongst them , two of the assemblie in the names of all the rest , rose up and thus bespake him ; wee are very sorrie and grieved that the honor and affection wherewith this citie hath alwaies served your lordship and your ancestors ( beeing persons of so great qualitie , natives , and in a maner , lords of all this citie , which is the chief of castilla ) should bee so ill requited , as that you should keep secretly in your hous four hundred lances , to destroie the people : wee require you forthwith to dismiss them , and reserv onely twentie servants about you , if not , the citie will take their remedie . this was not very pleasing to the lord constable , but it behoved him to satisfie their desires . yet notwithstanding hee condescended to their wills , the suspicions ceased not , neither were the people pacified . upon our ladie 's daie of september their furie broke out , and all the commonaltie rose up in arms against him , in such a raging manner that they had killed him , if hee had not retired to his hous , where almost two whole daies they kept him besieged , and don diego sarmiento the earl of salinas with the dutchess and the countess their wives . after this , seeing himself the object of the people's malice , and every hour in danger to lose his life ; hee conditioned with the people to let him go freely with all his familie out of the citie ; which beeing granted , hee went to a town of his called briviesca . this example of the people of burgos , made other places commit the like audacities against their lords ; as haro against the earl of haro , son to the lord high constable ; duenias against the earl of buendia ; and also naxara against the duke ; although that citie doth allege and prove that they rose not for the commonaltie , but for the king , whose subjects and tenants ( they saie ) they are . the lord high constable beeing at briviesca , very full of care and sorrow to see the kingdom in so great distempers , and so little probabilitie of any remedie ; about the middle of september arrived lope hurtado de mendoça with dispatches and orders from the emperor , importing that hee should bee governor of castilla and navarra joyntly with the cardinal and the admiral of castilla ; which having read , hee presently accepted the government of the kingdoms : but becaus the commission was for them all three , hee could not so suddenly execute the command . for the cardinal was as yet at valladolid , and the admiral in catalunia , in the countie of cabra , whither the dispatches were sent to him , who was of opinion to defer the acceptance of that charge , until his return into castilla , and to use som means in the interim to agree and accommodate the differences of the commonalties , as you have already heard . which difficultie beeing related to the emperor , beeing on the waie to aquisgran , where hee was crowned ; hee sent other letters dated the october following , with special command to the lord high constable , that having assembled som of the council , hee should , alone with them , execute the charge of governor of the kingdoms , & provide for the remedying of the present disorders , until such time as the cardinal , and the admiral could com to join with him ; which hee did , as shall appear hereafter . sect . vii . the lord high constable seeing the remedie of the kingdoms to lie upon his account ( although hee was much offended with those of burgos ) without seeking any reparation of honor , prudently endeavored by fair means and treatments full of courtesie , to appeas that people , and reduce them into the roial waie of doing their prince service ; for it was of no small importance for him , at the beginning of his government , to gain that citie , and settle himself in it , beeing the chief of castilla , and a place of such greatness and esteem . hee kept intelligence with som principal gentlemen of burgos , by whose industrie the citie was so well disposed and ordered , that within a short time after , hee became master of it ; this was the first symptom of the countrie 's health , and an antidote against the desperate poison which had so infected the whole kingdom . the lord high constable , together with the citie , committed to the charge of don diego lopez de castro , the government of the castle of lara , with the territories thereof , hee having first taken the oath of fealtie , as hee was a gentleman , according to the order and manner of castilla , to keep it for the emperor . from this time forwards burgos began to have an ill conceit of the iunta , disliking more and more their proceedings , especially their ill treating of the cardinal and those of the council , and sent to their commissioners to com away from tordesillas . after which they wrote to valladolid , in testimonie of their loialtie , encouraging and persuading those of that citie to do the like , in order to their due obedience to his majestie , and the pacification of the kingdoms . sect . viii . those of valladolid , beeing ill satisfied with the letters which they received from burgos , returned them no answer , esteeming them people of small resolution or constancie , and not fit to bee trusted . those of burgos sent letters likewise to those of the junta , telling them manie things by way of exhortation and advice , amongst the rest , that they should leav the queen in her free libertie , to do what shee pleased , and to let things remain in the same condition the emperor had left them , with other circumstances , which were contradicto●ie to what formerly they seemed to desire . whereby it appeared , that they declined the interest of the junta , and favored the lord high constable's partie . som other places of the kingdom also began to bee more moderate , by the letters and promises which they received from the cardinal , and other gentlemen of note . sect . ix . in the citie of valladolid the people were still divided by several factions , some transported with a blind zeal , pres●ed for obedience to those of the iunta , thinking whatsoever they ordained was good and holie ; others desired with no less earnestness that the lord high constable , with those of the council , might bee re-admitted into the citie , deeming whatsoever was enacted without them , to bee wicked and unjust : and hereupon they spoiled and murthered one another , like people without sense or reason . whereupon they wrote to the lord admiral ( who was their countrie-man and neer neighbor ) giving him account of the troubles of the kingdom , and especially of the mischiefs which they feared would befall that citie in particular . whereunto hee sent an answer with an extraordinarie sens of sorrow , to see the danger whereunto the whole kingdom was brought , counselling and admonishing them to have a care left they lost themselvs : moreover , in regard that citie had been noted particularly for their loyaltie to their king , and for the relation hee had to it by his birth , it grieved him to the soul to see it in such extream distraction , which hee feared would not bee so easily remedied ; with several other expressions of affection and tenderness for their welfare . but valladolid did not set much by his admonitions at that time : but afterwards ( though late ) they were better advised , and they found in the admiral the mercie which they did expect , as shall bee set down hereafter . sect . x. the letters from burgos , with the sedulous and prudent endeavors of the lord high constable , made those of valladolid to bethink themselvs a little , and with a kinde of remors for what was past , to begin to understand reason , although the greatest part ( but not the best ) stickled hard to keep the citie in obedience to the iunta , to the end they might compass their own ill designes . after this the lord high constable sent to notifie his commission to bee vice-roy and governor , together with the cardinal and lord admiral , to all the cities of the kingdom , where it might conveniently bee done , which beeing proclaimed , in most places was obeyed . whereupon hee sent to all his kindred and friends , ordering them to rais what forces they could possibly , and dispatched messengers to all the grandees , and gentlemen of note in the kingdom , encouraging and enjoyning them to assemble , and bee assistant to him . and he●ring that the president , with others of the council , were fled from valladolid in the manner before mentioned , hee sent for them to com to him , which the president , and some of them , did . afterwards the letter coming to his hands , wherein the emperor commanded ( until the lord admiral could joyn with them ) that hee and the cardinal should govern ; hee presently began to put his majestie 's orders in execution , using means to rais monie for the levying and paying of souldiers : for without the force of arms it seemed impossible to do any good ; and therefore hee sent to borrow fiftie thousand duckets of the king of portugal , which hee lent him freely . with which monie , and what hee had of his own , or could procure any other waie , hee raised some infantrie . which done hee wrote to the duke of naxara don antonio manrique vice-roy of navarra for more men , who sent him five hundred foot souldiers and some artillerie , which hee also desired very earnestly . hee sent likewise for those of the guards , who came from that expedition , which was called de les gelues ; some of which were readie to put themselvs in the king's service , others took up arms for the junta , by the persuasion and means of don pedro giron ( who was upon tearms of beeing their captain general ) and of the bishop don antonio de acunia , a great stickler for the commonaltie . also hee carried the business with those of burgos in such manner , that they all should bee ingaged in the emperor's service , promising them very fair conditions , and delivering into their hands don iuan de tovar marquis of berlanga , his second son , and don bernardino de velasco , his yongest son , as hostages , until such time as his majestie should allow and confirm his agreement vvith them . sect . xi . whilest the lord high constable was making all these diligences , the cardinal stole secretly out of valladolid ( as you heard already , upon the of october , with one single page , and thence hee went to rioseco ; whence hee gave notice to the lord high constable , and other grandees of the kingdom , desiring them to send him men , and to repair thither in his favor ; which they did . the first that came to him , were , the marquis of astorga , who brought with him the october , eight hundred cross-bow-men , two hundred musketiers , four hundred men armed with targets and head-pieces , two hundred lances , and one hundred light-horsmen . the earl of venaivente came , the next daie following , into medina , with two thousand five hundred foot , and two hundred and fiftie lances . the earl of lemos brought fifteen hundred men . the earl of valencia a thousand . all which noblemen , with some of the council , staied in rioseco with the cardinal , exspecting more forces . don hernando de vega , lord of grajal , brought three hundred and fiftie men ; and the admiral , lord of that town , wrote , hee would speedily bee there also . the lord high constable was very glad to hear of the cardinal's escape . and according to his agreement with those of burgos , hee entred into the citie the first daie of november , and notwithstanding some opposition , hee possessed himself of it . whence communicating by letters with the cardinal , and other nobles at rioseco , they concluded , since there was no other remedie , that they should carrie on their business by force of arms ; that the rande-vous should bee there at rioseco , that beeing the most convenient place , becaus nearest to tordesillas , where the iunta was likewise making their armie . hee resolved ( it beeing generally so agreed upon ) to staie at burgos , with such force as hee thought convenient , to oppose and suppress the merindades , which were risen , ( of whom the earl of salvatierra , with small discretion , had made himself captain ) and sent his son don pedro de velasco , earl of haro , as captain general of the souldiers and artillerie that were sent him out of navarra , and those hors & foot that were at medina de rioseco . the earl of haro departed from burgos about the middle of november , and went to melgar , eight leagues from thence ; where hee staied to gather more forces : don pedro veloz de guevaro , earl of oniate , don garcia manrique , earl of osorno , the martial of fromesta , don alonso de peralta , and other gentlemen , met him there , everie one bringing as many men as they could rais , thence they continued their march to rioseco , whither every daie came gentlemen with other forces . of all which , the lord high constable gave a particular relation to the emperor . sect . xii . from the very daie that those of the iunta were informed of the naming of the two governors , they thought it was time for them to provide more forces then what they yet had raised . to which effect they presently dispatched letters to all the cities of their league , advertising them of the great preparations the governors were making , and that they must furnish both men and monie . they wrote also to don manuel , king of portugal , thinking to gain him to their partie ; but what answer hee returned i could never learn. sect . xiii . those of the iunta , seeing so great a confluence of souldiers com daily to rioseco , they dispatch'd messengers presently to their several cities , desiring they would speedily send thither what forces they could make . salamanca , with the territories t●erof , furnished two hundred lances , and six thousand foot , which , with those from toledo , madrid , and segovia , made a reasonable good armie . thus both sides prepared what forces they could to destroie one another . those of valladolid , seeing themselvs in the middle of these two parties , and both very near them , beeing not determined which side to take , resolved to send to them both . their messengers , don pedro vaçan lord of van̄eça , doctor francisco de espinosa , pulgar and diego de zamora , batchellors at law , in the name of their citie said to those of the iunta , that if they did continue in doing that which was just and good for the commonalties , as they had begun , the citie of valladolid , with all their armie and power , would assist them , but if otherwise , they would decline their interest , and resist them . thence they went to rioseco , and said as much to the cardinal , and those of the council ; adding moreover , that they should not intermeddle , or hinder anie thing which the iunta had done in favor of the commonaltie of the kingdom , upon which condition they would obey them in all things , and ( if they pleased ) receiv them into their citie with honor and respect : and they did require them in the names and behalf of the infante , gentlemen and commonaltie of valladolid , that they would not rais any souldiers , nor make any scandals or offence to the countrie , by gathering together armies , otherwise , that they did protest against them . a brave resolution of those of valladolid to stand out against them both . sect . xiv . notwithstanding the different factions which divided valladolid , they were all generally well affected to the lord admiral , and desired hee should com amongst them , hoping his presence would conduce much to the remedying of those mischiefs , hee beeing a very noble gentleman , and no waie addicted to passion , or partialitie . the lord admiral , having intelligence of all that passed in valladolid , wrote them a letter , saying , that although hee did not desire to bee pestered with those troubles and confusions , yet his coming thither should not bee deferred much longer . that his intention was to do good to them all generally , being very much grieved for what had passed amongst them . that he could not choos but admire at the tumultuous risings of the kingdom . that if they had but written twice or thrice to his majestie , he would have remedied all those disorders , by granting what they desir'd . that their keeping guards , and going their rounds about the citie , tended to nothing but the consuming of their estates , destroying of their trade , the undoing of the husbandmen and common people , for which hee was very sorrie . that the whole world took notice heretofore of the nobleness and loialtie of these kingdoms : and now their inconstancie , divisions , and factious insurrections , afforded matter of discours to all other nations . that they should take notice that the great turk was com with a mightie armie against rodes , ravaging and spoiling christendom both by sea and land , and that by reason of these dissentions , animosities , and confusion amongst the people , it were no hard matter for him to gain footing in these kingdoms . therefore hee affectionately desired them all to bee pacified , and to believ , that his majestie was very much troubled and aggrieved at these sad occurrences : and that at his return hee would procure the good of the kingdoms . this letter beeing read in the publick assemblie of valladolid , did sufficiently startle som of them , but they hoped for a ●emedie from heaven . after this the lord admiral beeing at zerbera , wrote another letter to them in a manner to the same effect . which beeing heard and seen by those of valladolid , t●ey were astonished at the words and counsel wh●ch hee gave them therein , not knowing how to answer his reasons , nor to what they should attribute his counsels . som that were of opinion that the iunta was wicked and unlawful , would have it bee dissolved ; others extolling it to the skie● , urged , that every bodie ought to conform themselvs thereunto . the nobles and gentrie at rioseco were very desirous to re-unite and pacifie valladolid , it beeing so considerable a place , thinking besides , that if they were but masters thereof , they should with more facilitie compass their design upon the other cities : to this effect they used all the policie and subtil inventions possible , sending messengers , and holding private intelligence with those of the citie , who were well affected and desired the king's service . the citie was in this season more strictly watched then before , they making secret rounds , and placing strong guards at all the gates ; for the contrarie parti● ( which was the most powerful ) was jealous , and afraid of som double dealing . sect . xv. at the same time that valladolid received the lord admiral 's letters , others were brought to them from burgos , which were likewise read in the publick assemblie of the citie . the reader may imagine what various humors , what speeches , what factions , what passions were engendred , by the contents of those letters ; finally , what confusion they might breed in so noble and spatious a citie , ( the seat of the kings of spain ) and what judgments and censures might there-hence take their rise , and fill the malicious heads of the common people ; not knowing well which hand they had best to use , they resolved to plaie with both , and sent again to the cardinal , governor , and those of the junta also , their embassadors don pedro vaçan , and the others before mentioned , with certain articles which they thought were convenient for the pacification of the kingdoms , the cardinal with those of the council , gave them a fair reception , and a satisfactorie answer : those of the junta did no less , desiring to make them of their pack , and moreover , they wrote a letter to those of the commonaltie in valladolid , with some expressions of zeal and affection mingled with reprehensions for their luke-warmness and indifferencie . sect . xvi . on sundaie the eleventh of october , one al●nso de vera got up into the pulpit of the cathedral church of valladolid , and read to the people two letters , one from those of the iunta , wherein they desired , that valladolid would assist and stand to them , as they had promissed , and fulfil what they had commanded them . the other was from don pedro giron , in which hee offered them his service , desiring that as hee had alwaies shewed a particular affection to that citie , and been tender of their welfare , they would receiv him , in regard hee was captain general of the junta's forces , and desired nothing but the good of the kingdom , and his majestie 's service , neither would hee act any thing but with the good liking and consent of valladolid . the people were exceedingly taken with these letters , and said , they would do whatsoever therein was required , and that don pedro should bee welcom into the citie ; and the next daie hee made his entrie , all the people of valladolid going forth to receiv him with great applause . this war beeing betwixt kindred , friends , and countrie men , there was as much diligence used to gain places , and good wills , by letters , as by force of arms. the earl of venavente , and the lord admiral of castilla were in a manner natives and citizens of valladolid , their families from many generations , having had their principal mansions there , and the citie bare them great respect , as they had reason . these noble-men shewing their affection to valladolid , as their native soil , and seeing it so far plunged in these distractions , either out of hope to reduce it by fair means , or meerly out of their love and desire of its good and preservation , they both endeavored by letters to make them sensible of their errors . the lord admiral chiefly desired , that they would let him com into their citie , promising , that hee would bee as vigilant and careful of their general good , as of any particular persons ▪ that hee would imploy in their defens his own life , and fortune : if that could not bee granted , that they would send any three , whom they thought fittest , to meet and confer with him , two or three leagues thence , where they pleased . but valladolid would accept of none of these conditions , alledging that such enter-views would bee ill taken , and that people would bee apt thereupon to saie , burgos having articled and agreed with the lord high constable , that valladolid would do the lik● . so they returned the lord admiral no other answer , then that for the present they could not condescend to any of those things which his lordship desired . to the earl of venavente's letter they briefly thus replied , that since his lordship was so noble , as to offer them his own person , and men , they desired that hee would keep his promise , in letting them have the said men to send to tordesillas , in the iunta's service , and upon that condition , they should carrie the colours and arms of valladolid . these letters were dispatched in the name of the citie by the prior of the great church , who was a grand commoner . these answers beeing sent to the two noble-men , the citie gave order for the raising of more men to send to the iunta , becaus there were many wanting of the thousand which they had sent . moreover , command was given for the gathering of one hundred duckets out of every ward , which amounted to one thousand four hundred duckets . which was forthwith done , and the thousand men compleated . after this they caused a proclamation to bee made throughout the citie , commanding all and everie of the commonaltie to appear under pain of beeing accused for malignants , or ill-affected to the iunta . who beeing all assembled , they made them swear by the holie evangelists , and upon the cross in forma , that under pain of beeing infamous perjurers and faith-breakers , they should bee readie to serv , favor , and assist in whatsoever those of the iunta should do , in order to the service of god , the king , queen , and commonaltie of the citie of valladolid ; and that they should not do , or saie , directly or indirectly , any thing to the contrarie , or suffer anie thing to bee said or done by their children , servants , or housholds . and if they should know or hear any thing said or done to the contrarie , that they should forthwith inform the assemblie of the citie of valladolid thereof , to the end the offenders might receiv condigne punishment ; the oath beeing thus pronounced , they all cried with one voice , this wee swear . sect . xvii . i have already declared , how the citie of segovia was divided by several factions , insomuch that they seemed to bee in civil war amongst themselvs . the earl of chinchon defended the forts . within the citie there were several houses of strength , wherein som of the roial partie fortified themselvs , others did the like in the cathedral church . the fort beeing but slenderly mann'd , the earl of chinchon went to burgos , to desire succour from the lord high constable , who sent ten musketiers , valiant and resolute men , with order to get into the fort , ●s they could . they arrived at pedraça on fridaie morning , of november , where they took abou● one hundred weight of powder , and kept themselvs private until the evening ; night beeing com , they marched with a guide ( who led them by-waies ) to parral , where hee left them , and the moon beeing down , they went into the fort , without any one's taking notice of them ; which was the better effected , becaus that very daie those of segovia had assaulted the church , and were wearie , having found strong resistance . the next daie , it beeing noised in the citie , that the fort had received succour in the night , they were much scandalized , and troubled at it , thinking it more considerable then it was , and feared that they were sold by som within the citie . things beeing in the condition before-mentioned , disposed for an absolute breach , the cities of the league prepared arms and men with all expedition ; and those of the iunta sent certain instructions ( which their captains and souldiers were to observ ) to valladolid , where don pedro giron ( whom they all looked upon as captain general ) remained to make and order the armie , as shall bee more at large declared in the following book . finis libri quarti . the civil wars of spain . the fifth book . sect . i. the passions of the people in castilla grew to such mortal animosities , that pens and tongues beeing wearied , they fell to preparing arms and munition of war : as when an impostume fester's , no cure can bee exspected , but by the applying of hot burning iron . those gentlemen who were the chief sticklers for the commonalties , beeing lanch'd forth into the deepest of the sea of passion , knowing how ill a name they had acquired ( which exceedingly offended their presumption , ) were already grown so desperate , that they cared not to lose their countries , estates , wives , children , or their own lives , desiring to hazard all in the lotterie of arms , and make or destroie their fortunes in one battle ; wherein , if their designs had been crowned with success , doubtless , they would have changed their styles , and beeing victorious , remained with the glorious attribute of redeemers and defenders of their countrie : for humane judgments determine by the event , not by the middle or beginning of any enterprise . though it hath been the ordinarie defect of other commonalties to have but slender forces , this was so powerful , that had there been the least good conduct ●mongst them , and som experienced captains , don carlos hardly ever would have recovered the crown of spain . the common people were to blame , and the gentrie not to bee excused , for opposing and rising against their sovereign's ministers ; yet wee must of necessitie confess , that they were valiant . that there were divers exorbitancies , outrages , and insolencies committed , what wonder is it amongst the respectless and libertine people ? and that the gentlemen depended more upon them , then they upon the nobles , who assisted them . if wee see an armie well disciplined , the souldiers subject and obedient to their captains , shall wee saie absolutely all those in that armie are traitors ? for my part i would not ; neither is it any such great marvel that children rise up against their own fathers ; for if wee look back to som passages of our countrie of spain , what shall wee see , but the like unnatural actions ; the factions of princes , the sidings of grandees , and private gentlemen , who were so audacious , as to rise in arms , against their lawful kings ? and yet they are not so spotted and foul as som would make those of the latter times appear to bee . i do not saie this in justification of these commonalties , but onely to excuse , in what i may , my own nation , and the gentrie thereof . but to return to the purpose : nothing was left unattempted on either side , that might conduce to the increasing or securitie of their partie . you have seen in the precedent book , that the iunta sent their instructions to valladolid , where don pedro giron , and other captains of the commonaltie , were assembled . the time beeing com ( although the season was very sharp and unfit for an armie to keep the field , beeing almost in the depth of winter ) they all put themselvs in a readiness , and in the name of the iunta , they wrote fresh letters to the cities and towns of their combination , to send immediately all the forces they could possibly rais ; which they did . those of the iunta , according to agreement , voted don pedro giron captain general of their forces , and sent him a commission from the queen , and the kingdom , thinking that hee beeing a person of so noble extraction , and allied to so many grandees of castilla , would gain a great reputation to their partie ; and most men were of opinion , that don pedro giron accepted thereof , and wedded the interest of the commonaltie meerly for his own ends , and that by means of these troubles and commotions , hee might get possession of the dukedom of m●dina sidonia , which ( as hath been already said ) hee pretended was his right . this election did not digest well in padilla's stomach , who , till then , had executed the office of captain general , and presumed it should bee confirmed upon him , and for his sake , neither the commissioners of toledo , nor of madrid , would give their votes for don pedro. iohn de padilla beeing informed of all these passages , before that don pedro giron came to take his staff , pretending i know not what occasion , rode poste to toledo ; and his men , seeing their captain gone , would staie no longer in the armie , but the next daie took the same waie after him . notwithstanding all this , don pedro giron accepted the charge , and came to tordesillas with fourscore lances of his own , appointed a randevous for his armie , wherein hee was much assisted by the industrie and diligence of the bishop of zamora , who brought to the service of the iunta near five hundred men with arms , of the antient guards of the kingdom , ( for the rest were gone to the lord high constable ) hee brought moreover , seventie lances of his own , and almost a thousand foot , four hundred whereof were priests of his own bishoprick , besides the people of zamora , whom hee had at his devotion ; for by favor of the junta , hee had driven the earl of alva out of zamora , and made himself master thereof . every daie came fresh supplies from the other cities , both of hors and foot , all well armed , and with them som gentlemen and commanders . from salamanca came don pedro maldonado , with about a thousand foot : other cities appointed those who were their commissioners in the junta to bee their captains ; as leon chose gonsalo de guzman , son to ramiro nun̄ez ; and the citie of toro , don hernando de ulloa , who were their commissioners ; and so likewise did other places . thus those of the junta grew from daie to daie more powerful , beeing resolved to end the business by force of arms. their mouths were all filled with reproachful and threatning language , especially the common-people's , who called the grandees and gentrie of the countrie , traitors & enemies of the kingdom , saying , they had destroied & taken away their estates ; ( which availed them nothing ) but who can restrein a multitude ? amongst other impertinencies , they said , that the queen should do well to marrie the duke of calabria , don hernando de aragon , son to frederick last k. of naples , who , since the time of the catholick king , had been kept prisoner in xativa , in the kingdom of valencia ; i believ this was onely put upon those of the junta , and that they neither did , nor thought any such thing . but the truth is , their passion was grown to such an height , that they never so much as named the emperor in their proclamations , though they had sworn allegiance to him , as their king , but all passed in the names of the queen and kingdom : insomuch that the hatred and enmitie betwixt the two parties became implacable , and both made all preparations possible for a war. in short time those of the junta had put their forces in a readiness , and equipage to march unto the field , as was determined . sect . ii. 'mongst these occurrences arrived the lord admiral at medina de rioseco , where hee was met and received by all the noble-men and gentle-men , ( who were com thither to the cardinal ) with their souldiers all armed , and drawn up in battle-array . hee expressed much gladness to see so many gallant men , and persons of such eminent qualitie : y●t hee had no intention , to wade through blood to the accomplishment of his desires , but rather by fair means , if possible , to settle the disturbed state of the kingdoms ; which to effect , hee left no stone unturn'd , and at last hee obtained , that three or four of the commissioners of the iunta should give him a meeting at torrelobaton , where they consumed five or six daies in treating , but all his reasons , persuasions , and fair promisses could bring them to no reason : before they would harken to any proposition of his , they demanded that the lord high constable should renounce , and leav off the exercise of vice-roy and governor , which hee had begun to execute ; and whilest the lord admiral was thus treating with them , the iunta commanded a proclamation to bee made against the lord high constable , and the earl of alva de lista , as is before mentioned , and other noble-men : and don pedro giron , with the bishop of zamora , had orders to draw their armie into the field , which was seaventeen thousand foot , besides good store of hors , and much artillerie , which had been brought from medina del campo . whereupon the lord admiral despairing of any peace , protested against them , and returned to rioseco , beeing resolved to accept the government joyntly with the cardinal and the lord high constable , in regard those fair conditions of agreement , which hee offred , were slighted and rejected . don pedro giron , captain-general for the iunta , and the bishop of zamora● with his souldiers and band of priests , marched out the ●th daie of november , and quartered their armie that night in villabraxima , tordehumos , villagarzia , and other places about rioseco , with intent to starve or drive the cavaliers thence . and indeed , if the commoners had been men at that time , they might have done it . from their head-quarters at villabraxima , they wrote to the citie of valladolid , giving them an account of their advance , and that , before they fell upon rioseco , they would send a king at arms to require the lord admiral , and those of the town of rioseco , to cast out those thievs , and destroyers of the kingdom , ( as they called the cavaliers ) ; if not that they would use means to take them , and hinder the cardinal's government , it beeing a thing contrarie to the laws , and rights of the kingdom . sect . iii. after this , the armie of the iunta , by waie of justification , sent their heralds , or king 's at arms , to the lord admiral , with the other noble-men , and gentlemen , then beeing in rioseco , requiring them not onely to leav that place , but to go out of the countrie , and desiring those of the said town , to confirm themselvs to those of the commonaltie in favor of his majestie , but this message was so ill resented , that the heralds found but sorrie entertainment , being apprehended and disarmed by order from the earls of venavente , and of alva de lista ; which beeing known by the iunta's forces , they presently advanced towards rioseco , the bishop of zamora marched in the van with five thousand men , fully resolved to do all the mischief hee could to the cavaliers . hee was no sooner com to villabraxima , but the two hundred lances , which the marquis of astorga had placed there , took their heels , flying with such disorder and haste , that some of them lost their arms before they could reach rioseco , and left the place cleer for the bishop , who entering , said , let the king and commonaltie live , and evil counsel perish . the two hundred lanciers disorderly flight to medina , alarmed the cavaliers , who having put their armie in good order , marched into the field , with intent to rout the bishop with his five thousand men , but hee valued them not , though they were numerous , and men of eminent qualities , for hee knew don pedro giron was so neer with the rere-guard , and so vigilant , that hee would bee readie to back and assist him , if occasion should require it . thus the two armies faced one another , each watching an opportunitie to get the advantage of their enemies , and so they remained both drawn up in batalia one whole daie , after which , the cavaliers retreated to tordehumos , and the iunta's armie to villabraxima , both neer rioseco . the four hundred priests , which had left their altars , in imitation of the bishop of zamora , to sacrifice their bloods in this holie enterprise , remained at tordesillas , for the guard of the town and of the iunta , who out of respect to their sacerdotal dignities , would not permit them to march amongst the rabble of the common souldiers . besides these priests , remained two other companies of foot at tordesillas , and some hors commanded by hernando de porras , commissioner of zamora , gomez de avila , and others . three whole daies don pedro giron kept his armie in order , offering to give the cavaliers battle , but they would not ; and indeed it had been madness for them to ingage , beeing far inferior in num ber , and not so well armed , although they were better men , and of higher courages then the common people , yet they thought it their securest waie to exspect the earl of haro's coming , ( their captain-general ) who was reported to bee upon his march thither ; and besides they were in hopes t● obtain the victorie by some other means , without any loss of blood , the lord admiral having some overtures thereof by private intelligence , and dealing with don pedro giron , and som other gentlemen , who sided with the cōmoners , whom if hee could handsomly have taken off , it would have been no hard matter to have routed the vulgar pack of tailors , shoomakers , skinners , curriers , & such like ; whereof the rest of their armi● was compos'd . but the cōmoners perceiving themselvs much the stronger partie , infested the cavaliers with such skirmishes and hot alarms both night & daie , that they could take no rest all the while they staied at tordehumos ; and hearing that the earl of haro was exspected with more forces , they determined to force them to fight before his arrival , or at least , to gain the reputation of proffering them battle . to this effect , having m●de a general muster , they marched with all their artillerie in very good order towards rioseco . sanabria , commissioner of valladolid , rid before with light hors , to discover the field . don pedro lasso de la vega led the vantguard of cuirassiers , don pe●ro maldonado and francisco maldonado commanded the light horsmen . the bishop of zamora was captain of the vantguard of foot ; with him marched don iohn de mendoça , captain of valladolid , son to the cardinal don pedro goncalez de mendoça , don gonzalo de guzman , captain of leon , don hernando de ulloa , captain of toro , and others . in the bodie marched don pedro giron , called , duke of medina sidonia , with him divers other captains , and don iohn de figueroa , brother to the duke of arcos , who came that same daie to the armie from sevilla , besides other commanders . the rear-guard and the artillerie was committed to the charge of other officers . beeing arrived within culverine-shot of the town , they made an halt , commanding their heralds , in mean time , to approach so near unto the walls , that they might bee heard , and declare unto the admiral and earl of venavente , with the other grandees and gentlemen in medina , that the armie of their sovereign ladie , the queen , was com thither , to execute upon them , by her command , those penalties which they had incurred by governing the kingdom without her orde● or consent , and for raising and arming men in contempt , and to the disservice of her majestie ; and therefore they did offer them battle , and did exspect their coming into the field . having sent this message to the town , they remained in the same order almost until sun-set . but the cavaliers , although they were in arms , made no shew at all of battel or skirmish , but persevering in their former resolution , let them stand cooling their heels there . at last , don pedro giron , having commanded som of his cannon to bee discharged against the town , ( but the bullets never reach't the walls ) returned with his armie into his quarters , losing and neglecting that occasion , which proved very prejudicial to his partie . hee was no sooner gone , but the earl of haro arrived with his men , who had marched as fast as possibly they could , thinking to have com time enough to meet don pedro , for the earl had intelligence of his defying the cavaliers in medina , though hee had no great stomach to fight with them . all the nobles and gentlemen , with their souldiers , marched forth to receiv their captain general with great solemnitie , and militarie order . hee brought with him three hundred hors-men in compleat armor , four hundred light-hors-men , and two thousand five hundred foot , all choice men , and twelv or thirteen field-pieces . the same night came likewise to rioseco , don francisco de zun̄iga y avellaneda , earl of miranda , don veltran de la cueva , eldest son to the duke of alburquerque , don luys de la cueva his brother , don bernardo de sandoval y royas , marquis of denia , with his son don luys de sandoval , and don francisco de quin̄ones , earl of luna , with all the servants , tenants and souldiers they could get . this supplie encreased the cavaliers to above one and twentie hundred hors , and six thousand foot souldiers , besides a good companie of servants . insomuch that hereby they held themselvs stronger then their enemies ; not that they exceeded them in number , but in virtue and courage , besides the caus which they mainteined was more just , and warrantable , which add's much confidence and boldness to the hearts of men , and make's their souls insusceptible of any panick fears . sect . iv. those of the iunta seeing fresh forces com daily in to the cavaliers , endeavored to prepossess themselvs of all the towns and places of strength , and sent besides , to all those of their league , to rais , and have in a readiness , what men possibly they could , notwithstanding they were already much stronger then the other partie . hereupon in valladolid , by order from the iunta , was publickly proclaimed , that all the townsmen , from eighteen to threescore years of age , should bee trained , and bee readie with their arms , to march into the field , upon notice from the captain general of the armie . the president , and other judges of the chancerie in valladolid , who were persons of great respect and esteem in the citie , having never before meddled with either side , seeing the great disorder amongst the people , and fearing further confusion , moved with a good zeal and affection to their countries good , came with all expedition to rioseco , to treat with the lord admiral , and other noblemen , about some fair accommodation , whereby the kingdom might avoid the imminent perdition , which through that unnatural war , in all probabilitie , it was like to suffer . they found amongst the nobles very courteous entertainment , and expression of a desire to condescend to anie reasonable propositions , all the difficultie and obstacle laie in those of the iunta's partie , and especially in the bishop of zamora . from rioseco , the president , with the other judges , went to villabraxima , where the bishop , with his five thousand men , was quartered . the president beeing admitted , entreated him with great earnestness and humilitie , the tears standing in his eies , to consider , and leav off in time the evil and wrong cours they had taken , and no● to give waie to , much less to bee the occasion of so great mischiefs , murthers , and scandals , which inevitably must fall upon the kingdom , if they continued inexorable , alleging , that it would bee much more advantageous for their countrie 's good ( which they so much pretended ) to accept of an honorable peace , and accommodation , whereby ( with the help of god ) the kingdoms might bee preserved from the present ruine , and restored to their former flourishing condition : for admit the commoner meet with the success which they desire , vanquish the cavaliers , reduce his majestie to such streights , that hee will bee glad to grant them more immunities then formerly they did desire , yet they must live under him , and when hee find's an occasion , hee will put the yoke again about their necks , and load them with taxes at his pleasure . that these violent uproars and mutinies of the commonalties , in disrespect or disobedience to their princes , were fickle and very unsecure . that those gentlemen and commanders , which then engaged with them , if fortune gave them victorie over their enemies , would lord it over them no less insupportably , then the others : neither did those gentlemen ( defendors of the commonalties ) shew any great discretion , setting themselvs in opposition to all the grandees and nobles of the kingdom , especially in a matter of so much prejudice and disservice to his majestie . that it would bee an act of greater wisdom , to accept of any fair propositions of agreement , to remain in peace , with a due respect & obedience to their princes , whereby to gain their loves , and not to expose themselvs to the various & uncertain chance of war. the bishop answered , lord president ! since in the condition and estate our business now stand's , we have moved & advanced hitherto , i know what is convenientest for us to do , and therefore i will not flinch nor recede one step , but rather persevere in my enterprise , and pursue to destruction those wicked disturbers of the kingdoms . the president seeing the bishop would not hearken to what hee desired of him , hee required him in their majestie 's names , by virtue of the roial seal , which hee brought with him , not to stir from thence , until hee had been to confer about the same business with the lord admiral , and other noblemen , at rioseco ; but the bishop gave him no answer thereunto , neither did hee make any more account of him , then if hee had been his servant ( this was the perfection of this great prelate , successor of the apostles ) . so the president & the judges , leaving him , went to medina , where , by reason of the pervers cross-grainedness of those of the iunta , they could effect nothing to any purpose ; and the bishop's conscience was pricked with such remors at the president 's discours , and his tender heart so moved with his tears , that hee scarce had turned his back , but his reverend lordship called for his armor ( for the head-piece and pouldrons were the pontificial robes wherein hee most delighted ) : and having commanded his artillerie to bee secured in the rear-guard , hee marched forth with his men to encounter a great partie of foot , and th●ee hundred hors , which hee had notice , was advancing towards his quarters . but they , having intelligence that the bishop was com forth in quest of them , with a stronger partie , retreated to rioseco . by this time were com into the armie of the iunta three thousand souldiers more from the citie of leon , besides great numbers from valladolid , and other places ; but chiefly iohn de padilla was exspected with a supplie from toledo and madrid . sect . v. those of the council proceeded against those of the iunta , and all the cities of their league , according to law , and having erected a scaffold , they caused them publickly to bee proclaimed traitors and rebels to the roial crown ; whereat they were so incensed , that thenceforwards they fought not so much for the ●nterest of the kingdom , as for reputation , and to revenge particular quarrels ( the off-spring of those troubles and dissentions ) or for ancient grudges betwixt particular persons or places . the bishop swore that hee would keep the field with his men onely , until hee were either dead , or crowned with victorie . the cavaliers were as resolute on the other side ; insomuch that although the president of the chancerie insisted for peace , hee prevailed nothing . the cavaliers had manie skirmishes with the bishop's men . at last hee , and don pedro giron , seeing that the cavaliers would not com out to give them battle , they sent a trumpeter to them with this message , that they should meet them in the field , to the end they might in one battle set a period to all their contentions , which caused so great disturbances in the kingdom . that winter was coming on apace , and it was to no purpose to stand dallying in that manner , and ruine one another by delaies . that if they refused to fight , they would go to their towns and lordships , and having plundered them , burn their houses to the ground : but the lord admiral could not resolv to put all to so great a venture . in valladolid , besides the men which they sent to the armie , ( as is said ) having mustered again , they found seven thousand more cross-bow-men , pike-men , and musketiers , which they could well spare , leaving moreover , enough to guard the citie ; whereupon they sent to the iunta , that shortly they should receiv another supplie from them , and that if occasion served , they would go everie man in person with their general standard to serv them , for they esteemed the caus which they defended to bee just and holie . sect . vi. the countess of modica , wife to the lord admiral , beeing a very virtuous and devout ladie , was grieved at the soul to see these disorders , and miserable condition of the kingdoms , wherein so many innocent persons suffered , and desiring to compose the sad differences , shee spake to the lord admiral , her husband , and the earl of venavente , earnestly desiring them to stop the current of those miseries , which would proceed from that unnatural war. the good ladie prevailed so much , that the lord admiral , the earl of venavente , don pedro giron , ( who called himself duke of medina ) the bishop of zamora , and shee , had a meeting at villabraxima , one evening ; and having ordered and agreed upon certain articles in favor of the iunta , the earl of venavente said to the admiral ; my lord , though you desire to keep four or five licenciado's in your town , i hope you will not bring our estates in question , and give waie to so many mur●hers , and robberies , as must needs follow , if so , god forbid that i should have any thing to do with it , but to favor and assist the iunta , and the commonalties , since all that they desire is good and just , and i so acknowledge and approve it , and from this time forwards will justifie it : which said , hee set his hand to the said articles , the countess said as hee did ; and the admiral taking the paper in his hands , said to the earl , since you have signed this first , i 'le do the like : and hee having subscribed , they went all together to supper , very well contented . after supper they returned to medina , and presently gave a command , that the whole town should declare for the queen , the king her son , and the commonaltie . all this was done with a politick art and cunning , to make the armie of the commoners leav medina ; for if it had continued longer there , it would have very much streightned and incommodated the cavaliers , the commoners beeing already many more in number , and receiving every daie fresh supplies , and the cavaliers having little hopes of increasing their force , by reason that all the nobles and persons of honor in the kingdoms of toledo , andaluzia , and estremadura sat still , exspecting which waie the scale would turn , without declaring for king or commonaltie . sect . vii . upon the agreement between the lord admiral , the earl of venavente , and don pedro giron , the armie without knowing any reason wherefore , marched from tordehumos and villabraxima to villalpando , where , after some small resistance , they were received and quartered peaceably . don pedro giron took up his lodging , in his unkle , the lord high constable's hous . all were of opinion that don pedro juggled , and plaied legerdemain in this business , and so it appeared by his dislodging his armie , and leaving the enemie free , besides having nothing at all to do at villalpando . and indeed don pedro giron might well bee suspected herein , for the grandees , who were his neer kindred , wrought much upon him , as shall bee seen hereafter . the cavaliers seeing themselvs free from the incumbrance of that powerful armie , which blocked them up in a manner , and finding the waie cleer and secure from thence to tordesillas , marched all out of rioseco , seizing on all posts and travellers , that might give notice of their approach , making as if they had a design upon valladolid , but with as much speed as an armie could advance , they went directly to tordesillas ; those of the iunta , hearing of their coming , dispatched presently a post to valladolid , telling them , that the cavaliers were marching thither with all expedition , therefore they desired them to send them speedie succor . but valladolid having sent neer four thousand of their choisest men already to the armie , and hearing that the enemie was like to fall upon them , desired to bee excused , thinking they might better have relief from the armie , where were men enough . but they beeing in good quarters at villalpando , were not over-hastie to go to tordesillas , for the plot was so well laid , that no man knew the certaintie of the design , but that which don pedro did a little after , confirmed the suspition the world had conceived of him . one night the cavaliers stormed the town , having clapt a petar to the gates , but finding strong resistance , the earl of haro sent a trumpet , to tell them they came onely to kiss the queen's hands , and to set her at libertie , and required them to yeild ; whereunto they giving no satisfactorie answer , the earl resolved to force them , and encouraged his souldiers , promising them the pillage of the town . but what by the natural strength of the place , what through the courageous resistance of the besieged , the earl lost above men , before hee could make any breach . the priests , which the bishop of zamora left there , behaved themselvs very valorously in this holie caus : one amongst the rest was particularly observed to have given eleven men their viaticum with his musket , from behinde the battlements of the wall , where hee thought hee stood secure , and as he saw occasion sent his benediction amongst them , which seldom mist his man. but at last , some of the besiegers , with an unsanctified arrow , shot him quite through the head , with which hee presently fell down , and died , not having the time to saie so much as one miserere . at length an alferez , with some other cavaliers , having forced their entrie at a smal breach in the wall , and given the sign to their camarades , the whole armie gave a shout , and with sound of drums and trumpets , cried all out , victoria , victoria , which so animated the besiegers , that in the same , and in other parts of the town , they made fresh assaults , insomuch that the besieged were no longer able to resist . the cavalier-souldiers , beeing thus entred the town , used no violence to either man , woman , or childe , for that they were forbidden ; but neither houses , churches , nor monasteries escaped from plundering : so that no man had so much as a bed left to sleep upon , unless the souldiers , out of charitie , would let him have any ; which punishment they did deserv , for fighting and defending their goods no better , after they were engaged , and put themselvs into a posture of resistance . the grandees and gentlemen , beeing entred into tordesillas , went directly to the palace to kiss the queen's hands , and shew her their due respects , they found her with the infanta , her daughter , don̄a catalina , in her own chamber , whence don pedro de ayala , commissioner of toledo , had persuaded her to withdraw during the fight : som say , to the end , that from the wall , shee might have commanded the besiegers not to storm the town ; others think , it was with intent to conveie her thence , and carrie her by the bridg-waie to medina del campo ; but this escape that was intended for the queen , beeing attempted just upon the entrie of the enemie into the town , don pedro de ayala left her , and fled himself to medina del campo . shee shewed the gentlemen that came to kiss her hands very gracious countenance , though , by reason of her infirmitie and want of judgment , shee cared little how things went ; onely it is reported , that while they were battering the town , som of the commissioners beeing there , desired that shee would send a command to the besiegers to desist ; and shee answered , open you the gates , and let them in . the earl of haro staied at the gates , to see his artillerie and hors let in until midnight ; which done , hee went likewise to kiss her majestie 's hands , where hee found the rest of the nobles , who soon after , taking their leavs , went to take their rest ; but the earl of haro spent all the night in placing his guards , and taking order for securing of the place . nine or ten of the commissioners of the cities were taken and imprisoned ; the rest fled , som to medina , others to valladolid , where they arrived so mangled and stript , that 't was a pitie to see them . the doctor zun̄iga of salamanca , suero del aguila , and gomez de avila , commissioners of avila , were released , at the request of som grandees , who engaged for them . in this manner was taken the town of tordesillas ; but not the iunta , nor the good will of the revolted cities , whose furie was hereby more enflamed . amongst the dead in the field were found divers dangerously wounded , and som gentlemen , as don diego osorio , son to the marquis of astorga , who was shot through the arm , don francisco de la cueva hurt in the face with a stone , the earl of venavente wounded in the arm with an arrow , the earl of alva had his hors killed under him , and divers commanders , and other persons of account . the king's standard was shot and tattered with two musket bullets , the earl of cisuentes holding it in his hand . however , that daie's work was of exceeding great importance , and was the means of giving a glorious end to these miserable distempers , although not so suddenly ; for hereby the common people were disabused , the allegations and excuses , of those of the iunta , appearing to bee no less fals then malitious : for to give a more specious lustre to their forgeries , and gain credit with the people , they cunningly gave out , that the queen was perfectly well , and in her right senses , and that all they did , was by her order ( which was nothing so ) , whereby the blinde ignorant commonaltie ran themselvs headlong into the precipice of those disasters , which i have , and hereafter shall relate . the glorie of this memorable exploit was properly to bee attributed to the earl of haro's valor , who , contrarie to the votes of divers others , would assault tordesillas , in stead of following their armie , to seek satisfaction for having been out-dared by them to fight , and blocked up in rioseco , according to the others opinions and propositions . sect . viii . those of valladolid were in great fear , when they heard that tordesillas was taken , lest the enemie should fall next upon them , in regard they had disobliged the cardinal , the council , the lord admiral , the earl of venavente , and other nobles , in not admitting them , and favoring so much those of the iunta , that it was generally reported , that valladolid alone did maintain them . few men able to bear arms were left in the citie , for they had sent all to the armie in a manner , but those that were left , stood upon their guard . whilest valladolid was in this fright , came a post from don pedro giron , and the bishop of zamora , with letters , wherein they said , that they knew not , neither did they think that the cavaliers in rioseco would have attempted to take tordesillas , nor have offred that affront or disrespect to the queen , beeing there ; that they could have no intelligence of their design , becaus they had stopt , and taken all the messengers and travellers , that might give notice of their march thither , and that when they did know it , and were prepared to go succor the town , news was brought them , that the cavaliers were carrying the queen away to burgos , which made them turn towards valladolid , thinking that waie to intercept them : and that now beeing at villagarzia , they thought good to acquaint them with their motion , to the end they might receiv provision and orders thence , to prosecute their design ; promising , since that the cavaliers had taken tordesillas , and begun the war with fire and sword , that they would do the like , if valladolid was so contented . these letters confirmed the peoples jealousies of don pedro giron , insomuch that they cursed him in private and in publick , saying , hee was a traytor , and had sold them . moreover , they wrote to this effect to don pedro , that in regard hee had clouded his reputation by not succoring tordesillas , to vindicate his honor , hee should forth with go and laie siege to it , and shew himself what hee was ; that his armie on one side , and those of valladolid on the other , besides the rest of their associates , might joyntly take their full revenge for so insupportable an affront . they wrote in like manner to the bishop , and other captains , but don pedro took no great notice thereof , neither did hee make any other shew , then that hee would go to valladolid himself . divers disorderly captains , like sheep without a shepherd , with their companies , came and took up their quarters at villanubla , two leagues from valladolid : others went to valladolid with their plunder , 'mongst others , two horsmen brought in a thousand sheep , others fiftie , others two hundred mules , mares , and carts loaden with linnen , and all manner of housholdstuff , taken from the poor countrie-men , to the value of above three millions of maravediz , which they sold in the citie , for little or nothing ; a wether was sold for two ryalls , an ewe for one , and a cow for two duckets ; but the mischief was the greater , in that the poor shepherds and husbandmen , having ransomed their cattle and goods , before they had gon half a league , the souldiers would plunder them again , spoiling and robbing friend and foe , as much as they could . by which exorbitancies they began to see , how much better it would have been to have satisfied their king's demands , although the tax was somwhat heavie ; but so great acts of disobedience never passed long without such just punishments : their outrageous impudence grew to such a height , that without any reverence or respect , they robb'd and spoiled the very churches , as if they had been infidels ; women were not secure in their houses , nor men by the high waies . valladolid , to prevent further disorder in this kinde , commanded that those straggling souldiers , which were to the number of six hundred , should return to their colours at villanubla , where their captains were , and there they gave them ten daies paie more to endear them to go before tordesillas ; whither also marched , with all expedition , men from salamanca , toro , and zamora , in great numbers , thinking to catch the cavaliers in the climm . but they lost no time in fortifying themselvs , repairing the walls , ( as was but need ) scouring and clearing their ditches , and laying in provisions of victuals and ammunition . sect . ix . fame soon carried the taking of tordesillas through the whole kingdom , which was diversly resented according to the disposition and inclination of the hearers , as is usual amongst a divided people . assoon as notice thereof was brought to quintanilla , who commanded before alaejos , hee raised his siege , and returned in all haste , with his men , to medina del campo , fearing lest that might also bee surprised . the nobles in tordesillas sent for the cardinal , who remained in rioseco , with those of the garrison . don rodrigo de mendoça , earl of castro , who came to medina de rioseco with his men , too late for the expedition of tordesillas , attended upon the cardinal thither ; where , his eminence beeing arrived , the lord admiral solemnly accepted the joint-government of the kingdoms , with the cardinal , and the lord high constable , having first tried all means possible to reduce the people fairly to the obedience of his majestie ; for after the taking of tordesillas , hee sent gomez de avila , ( who was there made prisoner ) making him first swear to return , to treat with don pedro giron , and the rest of the iunta , offering them very honorable conditions , if they would laie down their arms and com in . but gomez beeing returned without concluding any thing , there was no apparent hope of any accommodation : besides , seeing that the iunta , and the forces of the commoners , were retired to valladolid , ( which was but five leagues from tordesillas ) and that it was no time of year to keep the field , or besiege any other citie , leaving the enemies to themselvs ; the governors , with consent of the rest of the nobles , put all their souldiers in garrison in the adjacent towns ; for divers of their men were gon away , having enriched themselvs with the plunder which they took at tordesillas . the earl of haro , with som chois companies , remained in tordesillas , for the guard of her majestie 's person , and defence of the town . don pedro velez , earl of on̄ate , with som hors and foot companies , was placed in simancas , though the government thereof belonged to don hernando de vega , but hee beeing of the emperor's ; council of state , it was thought more convenient hee should reside at tordesillas , yet hee went thither somtimes himself , as occasion served . in portillo ( a place of strength , belonging to the earl of venavente ) was put another garrison , under the command of don in̄igo de padilla , cosen-german to the earl of venavente . to torrelobaton ( a town of the lord admiral 's ) betwixt tordesillas and rioseco ( by which all their provisions were to pass ) were sent other companies of souldiers , besides those which don hernando enriquez , the lord admiral 's brother , had there ; in regard that was the waie to burgos , where the lord high constable was with the council , with whom they were to keep continual correspondence . betwixt the towns which were for the commoners , and those wherein were garrisons for his majestie , was such killing , robbing , and spoiling , as if they had been the most mortal enemies in the world , as shall bee declared hereafter . artificers could get no emploiment ; husbandmen could not till their grounds , merchants had no traffick , cities lost their correspondence with each other , becaus the waies were unsecure ; justice was quite out of date ; excise , tributes , levies , impositions increased daily , by reason of the excessive charges of the armie , the revenue of the roial crown ( which they had usurped ) not beeing sufficient to defraie them . these , and such like , were the fruits and profit which castilla reaped by their disobedience : and yet for all their miserable condition , they did not humble nor submit themselvs , neither would they accept of the honorable and advantageous conditions which were offered them : but everie daie they were sending fresh men to maintein and foment the war from valladolid , where those , who cast the kingdom into this precipice , had taken up their seat . although they were so jealous and displeased at their captain general don pedro giron , ( especially the common people ) that they did neither obey nor respect him , neither did hee hold himself secure amongst them , and therefore hee left them soon after , as you shall see . sect . ix . the bishop of zamora , and don pedro giron , thinking themselvs not secure in zaratan , ( which was but a smal open village ) marched with their armie to valladolid ( although their coming was not very acceptable to most of the citie ) . beeing there , they quartered themselvs in the houses of those that were affected to the king's partie , making abominable havock and spoil ; their souldiers pulled down t●e houses of francisco de la serna , and don alonso nin̄o de castro , they plundered the hous of the comendador santistevan , robb'd and spoiled all they could laie hands on in the earl of miranda's hous , and divers other mischiefs they did within the citie ; whereof the bishop beeing informed , hee caused many things to bee restored , and som souldiers to bee punished , whereby hee gained much good opinion and affection . two daies after their coming thither , they marched both hors and foot in goodly order out of the citie , with intent to go to break down the bridg of simancas , but hearing by the waie that the earl on̄ate , and those of the town , had saved them that labor , ( for the earl had intelligence , that they intended to surprise him there , and pass thence to tordesillas ) they wheeled about to take the fort of fuensaldan̄a , which they entred without any contradiction , and having left som souldiers with a commander in it , they returned to valladolid the same night , giving orders to their men to bee ready the next morning before daie ; which was obeied , and they gave out , they would gain the pass at simancas , proclaiming war with fire and sword against the cavaliers at tordesillas . but simancas , beeing scituate upon the descent of an hill , the river on one side , and a strong fort on the other , which the earl of on̄ate had been very careful and vigilant in poviding with all necessaries , they feared no attempts from those of valladolid . most of those that marched out of valladolid that time , were from salamanca , toro , and zamora ; many of them sillie ignorant fellows , and their captains not much more knowing in martial affairs , they were so long fitting themselvs , that they made it three a clock in the afternoon before they were all out of valladolid ( which was ten hours after the time appointed ) ; so that they were forced to quarter that night at laguna , one league from the citie , som in the monasterie of abrojo , others in the field with the artillerie . there fell such a difference betwixt don pedro giron and the bishop of zamora , that don pedro , with his lanciers , marched to tudela , but there hee was refused quarters ; so hee was enforced to go on to villavan̄ez . next 〈◊〉 the bishop gave orders to march to simancas , but som told him , that 't was better to return to valladolid , and there take further advice . the people of toro , zamora , and valladolid had likewise som bickerings amongst themselvs , insomuch that every one would carrie their artillerie home to their own cities ; but those of valladolid , beeing the strongest partie , carried it to their citie without any more ado , which bred much discontent and heart-burning : and all exclaimed against don pedro giron , saying all the ill their discontented mindes could imagine of him , for leaving them in that manner , which confirmed all the jealousies and suspicions which they had formerly conceived of him . one daie , twelv foot souldiers of valladolid went out upon a partie towards simancas , and about one league from valladolid , they met with fourscore hors of that garrison , which made them flie , to secure themselvs , into a little tower amongst the vineyards , where they defended themselvs until the alarm was given in valladolid , and the bishop of zamora came out with a partie of hors , and rescued them ; two of those of simancas were killed , and the rest , seeing more men com from valladolid , fled all away ; so the bishop returned with som hurt men , but lost not one : beeing night , the citie ( much satisfied with his courage in this exploit ) sent out many torches to receiv him . the next daie , becaus a brother of serna's had murmured somthing against the bishop , they commanded his hous to bee pull'd down : and in regard the people thronged thither , out of greediness to carrie away the timber , they heedlessly cut down the pillars and posts that supported it , whereby the four quarters of the hous fell amongst the people , killed fourteen or fifteen men , and hurt divers others . sect . x. the commissioners , who fled , at the taking of tordesillas , to medina del campo , came afterwards to valladolid , where they held their iunta general , concerning the affairs of the kingdom . the lord admiral , seeing his towns destroied , his tenants plundered of all their goods and cattle , since the ●●rdinal's departure from rioseco , sent them a letter to valladolid , pourporting ▪ that since it had been god's pleasure to laie his judgments upon the kingdom , and afflict them with the ●pirit of dissention , hee desired ( to the end there might bee no more spoiling nor murthering one another , ) that there might bee a ce●sation of arms , but upon this condition , that whatsoever dammage and prejudice , hee and the earl of venavente had sustained in their lands , by the robbing and violence of those of valladolid , should bee repaired , otherwise , that those arms which they had taken to offend them , they should take to defend themselvs . this letter beeing read in the iunta , it was voted that no answer should bee returned , nor any other letter received thenceforwards from any of the grandees . christmas beeing com , they made great preparations to go against tordesillas ; iohn de padilla beeing arrived with the men of toledo at medina del campo , it was moved that hee should besiege it on one side , and the bishop on the other , hereupon were every daie consultations amongst the commissioners , but they could not determine any thing . at last it was resolved , that iohn de padilla should bee sent for to valladolid , that they might take his advice . the commoners were far more in number then the cavaliers , but these were the better and more experienced men in matters of arms ▪ tordesillas they fortified daily , and furnished with all sorts of provisions . simancas likewise was in so good condition , that the hors of that garrison plagued those of valladolid in such manner , that no bodie could travel nor keep any cattle in the fields , or any thing els , but they would bee sure to snap it . by order of the iunta it was proclaimed in valladolid , with sound of trumpets and minstrels , that no souldiers , or others , should rob under pain of death , albeit they should meet with people coming from the enemies quarters , unless they bore arms on the other side , ( and in such case , they might do what they could ) to the end that people might pass to and fro securely , and trade not absolutely bee destroied . the like was proclaimed in tordesillas and simancas . by this means the waies began to bee somwhat secure , but not altogether , and the people desired there might bee one good battle , for either side falling , the dispute would bee ended . the spirit and courage of the bishop was remarkable : one night hee sallied out of valladolid , and went to palencia , took the corregidor , the alcaldes , and other officers of justice , and placed others in their steads , hee had an intent to apprehend don diego de castilla also , but hee fled . with the favor and assistance of the major part of the citie , hee called himself bishop of palencia , for which bishoprick hee was presently off●ed sixteen thousand duckets . thence hee went to carrion , and torquemad● , in each of which towns ( as in palencia ) hee left two thousand men to guard them , ( which the commonaltie had given him ) hee gave them strict orders to bee very watchful and vigilant , but to offer violence to none , except the the people of burgos , and other places belonging to the cavaliers , and from such , hee bid them take what they could , and paie themselvs with the plunder , and tell the people , that if they came a second time , they might thank god if they took not their lives away , as for their goods or cattle , they must exspect to have none left . this done , hee returned to vallad●lid , having made himself a king , and pope . sect . xi . iohn de padilla marched out of medina del campo towards valladolid , with ● great number of foot , paid for a long time , but onely threescore hors . and beeing arrived at the bridg of duero , hee commanded his artillerie to bee carried up the river to simancas ; at about half a league distance , hee caused four peeces of ordnance to bee shot at the town , whereupon the earl of on̄ate sallied forth with fourscore lances , with which hee laie in ambush , thinking to cut off iohn de padilla's train , but beeing discovered , iohn de padilla let flie four falconets at them , which made them soon turn their b●cks , and hee pursued them to the very gates of simancas . thence hee went to valladolid , where hee was solemnly received with the applaus and content of the whole citie , making as if hee were the father of them all , in whom they reposed all their trust and confidence . and there hee was made captain-general , although those of the iunta would have given that command to don pedro lasso de la vega , but the great credit and esteem which iohn de padilla had gotten amongst the souldierie , made them decline that resolution . the earl of haro , having intelligence of iohn de padilla's march to valladolid , had an intent to stop his waie , to which effect , hee sent for don geronimo de padilla to simancas , with those men hee had at portillo , but beeing upon his departure informed for certain , that some of tordesillas had given iohn de padilla notice of his design , and that they had agreed , assoon as the earl was gon with his men one waie , iohn de padilla shou●d com another , and fall upon tordesillas , where most of the inhabitants were for the commonaltie , and desired nothing more , then the effecting of this plo● ; hee c●anged his former determination , and staied to secure tordesillas . after this , they had intelligence that in a place called rodilana , betwixt medina del campo and valladolid , were quartered five hundred souldiers of salamanca , who beeing so neer medina , thought themselvs secure , and kept no guards , hereupon the lord admiral , and the ●arl , consulted how to beat up their quarters , and destroie them . don pedro de la cueva , brother to the duke of alburquerque , a valiant gentlemen , undertook the execution of this design , and with few more , then what the enemie was spoken to bee , hee marched one night to rodilana , and falling in suddenly upon them , hee killed and took most of them , the rest fled . five or six daies after this , the earl of haro , having received other intelligence , that in a small town called l● zarca , six leagues from tordesillas , where arrived seven or eight hundred souldiers from segovia ; hee incharged the same don pedro ( who was his cosen german ) becaus hee had been so successful before , to go and surprise the said souldiers , giving him two hundred hors and five hundred foot to that effect . don pedro , with those men , marched all night , and going a great league about to avoid medina del campo , hee set upon them unawares , & though the said souldiers retir'd fighting into a church , don pedro followed them so close , that entring perforce after them , hee killed and wounded many of them , and brought almost all the rest prisoners to tordesillas ; which was held an exploit of great valor , conduct , and importance . sect . xii . john de padilla , the bishop of zamora , and other captains of the commo●altie neglected no opportunities of advancing their interest , and infesting the advers partie . it was concluded amongst them , that iohn de padilla , with the two thousand five hundred men hee brought from toledo and madrid , should pitch his camp before cigales , ( a smal town belonging to the earl of venavente , two leagues from valladolid ) and if they did not receiv them willingly , that they should force their entrance , but those of cigales received them without making the least opposition , and lodged them in their houses , thinking no harm . at midnight ( which was a base unworthie action ) the souldiers gave the alarm through all the town , and beeing in arms , they took all their hosts , ( who had so freely given them quarters ) and all the rest of the town , and having manacled , and disarmed them , not leaving them so much as a sword or dagger , they put them all into the church , and set a strong guard upon them , saying , they did so to secure the place , becaus it belonged to an enemie . the third of ianuarie the bishop marched again out of valladolid at midnight , with som companies of souldiers , directly to pal●n●ia , his new bishoprick , where hee staied som time ; after which hee gave out , that hee would return to valladolid , but hee turned another waie ; and having sent his scouts before to moçon , the next morning , by break of daie , hee assaulted the fort of valdepero , whereof was commander andres de ribera , son in law to doctor tello ; who , after a long dispute , and several men killed on both sides , the bishop receiving fresh supplies from the beherrias , was enforced to surrender upon condition , onely to secure the lives of those that were within . the bishop took the persons of the governor , his wife , and doctor tello , her father , into his protection , but could not , or would not , hinder his men ●rom plundering all their goods . they found much very rich bootie within the fort , whereof the bishop demanded a fifth part , as beeing their captain , which they gave him , yet hee that had least amongst the souldiers , carried away fourtie duckets . the bishop grown glorious by this prize , dispatched a messenger to valladolid , requiring them to send him more men , that hee mig●t take the other forts about fu●ntes and palencia , and put ga●r●sons i● them for the commonaltie , which done , hee sent doctor tello , his son-in-law , a●d daughter , prisoners to valladolid , with a guard of thirtie hors. sect . xiii . the commanders of the iunta's forces used all possible diligence to bee revenged of those of simancas , from whom they received continual affronts and mischief , and therefore they sent for more me● to toro , zamora , salamanca , and avila , which they exspected daily ; for all those , and other cities , were possessed with so much disdain and wilfulness , that they asspired and studied nothing more , then the mainteining of that war , as if they thought that their onely means to salvation ; whereof certainly there was weak probabilitie , considering , that for eleven months , which those domestick or civil wars had reigned in spain , the divel had transported the hearts of men with this infernal furie . if any one ( though but of an ordinarie capacitie ) did se●iously consider , what destinie would befal those citi●s , sor denying their due obedience to their king , ( hee granting more then they desired ) and persevering in such extravag●nt misdemeanors and cruelties to themselvs , besides the of●ens to god ; what could hee think , but that they were quite bereaved of natural reason ? and that a bishop ( christ's vicar ) should make himself captain of such ungratious miscreants , o ●empora ! ô mores ! impudence and respectless audacitie were onely in esteem ; the vile inconsiderate multitude fought against the noble and virtuous . those that were of good extraction , or possessed any considerable fortune , durst not open their mouths , for if by chance they did let fall any word which sounded not well in the other's ears , presently their persons were committed to prisons , their goods and estates confiscate , and they proclaimed traitors . such was the confusion , such the corruption and reprobate estate of the castillians , in our grandfathers times , from the year , until ; in which year god brought his majestie back into these kingdoms : which returning to their obedience , and beeing acknowledged by their king , god raised them to the magnificence and glorie wherewith they flourished in former ages , and enjoie yet at this present . to the end the people may see what blessings hee bestow's upon subjects that are obedient to their princes , and how hee punisheth the contrarie ; for although the taxes which they impose upon them bee heavie , they heap upon themselvs grievances infinitely more insupportable , by rising in rebellion against them . though this strange historie of the commonalties seem opprobrious to this nation , and an indelible blot to the castillian honor , having broken their faith to their sovereign , for which they were so renowned in other ages : yet it is exceeding profitable in this respect , that kings may know how to govern their subjects without oppression , and the subjects learn to obey without reluctancie ; for the contrarie can but produce such sad effects as wee both have and shall see hereafter . but to return to our former relation , i must tell you , that the garrison of simancas , holding themselvs secure , by reason of the natural , as well as the artificial strength of the place , went almost every daie pekeering to the gates of valladolid , and not onely brought away all their goods and cattle they could meet withal , but abused and reviled them with most shameful language , calling them dogs , and infidels , bidding them turn christians again . in revenge whereof , those of valladolid so reaked their malice upon the lord admiral , and other noblemen , in this manner ; the daie of januarie , in the same year , by order , or at least , consent of the iunta , they made a proclamation , that no citizen , or inhabitant of valladolid , or jurisdiction thereof , should dare , under great penalties , to go to the fairs , or marts , of villalon , rioseco , or astorga , ( which towns belonged to the lord admiral , the earl of venavente , and marquis of astorga ) their envie and spight beeing so inveterate , that if they could but blemish any one of these noblemen's eies , they would not stick to have pull'd out their own . sect . xiv . don francisco de veamonte , by order of the lord high constable , surprised and possessed himself ( finding no great resistance ) of the town of ampudia , or fuent empudia , belonging to the earl of salvatierra , who was then playing the mad mutinier in the mountains of alava , and could by no means bee reduced to the lord high constable . the commoners to gain favor with the earl of salvatierra , determined to retake ampudia . to which effect one night in the said month of ianuarie , iohn de padilla , and the bishop , made an alarm in the citie of valladolid , causing proclamation to bee made , that every hous should furnish a souldier , to go with iohn de padilla as far as cabecon , for the expedition of ampudia , in regard they had intelligence that five companies of foot and hors were marched out of tordesillas and simancas , to take it from the earl of salvatierra , who was a great supporter of their caus . but the cavaliers for the better accomplishment of their design , sent ten scouts before to discover , and ride close to valladolid , whom those of the citie perceiving , presently sallied out , and gave not over the pursuit of them , until they had recovered simancas ▪ by which means the the rest went securely on to ampudia , without receiving the least hindrance from valladolid , who were diverted by those of simancas . iohn de padilla , with great store of men , one whole cannon , and three or four field-peeces , marched to cabecon and cigales , from whence he sent back again all the men of valladolid , onely two companies , with which , and the rest of his men , hee arrived in very good order at ampudia , where hee found the cavaliers , masters , both of the town , and fort. iohn de padilla's men , beeing mad of fighting , fell to storming the town , and having made two great breaches , in the old , and new wall , the cavaliers , retreated to the fort , whither they pursued them : but the cavaliers seeing they were but few , & the enemies manie , and stout-fighting men , they quitted the fort , leaving in it a governor , with hors , & som foot , & getting out at a private sallie-port , they fled to the tower of mormojon , one league distant from ampudia , whereof when john de padilla had notice , hee followed them with his whole armie , and beeing arrived at mormojon , hee found they had made themselvs strong within the castle , which was scituate upon the side of the mountain called toroços , towards the champain . john de padilla's souldiers were all so animated , and desirous to grapple with the cavaliers , that making a furious on-set , and burning down the gates , they were just entring the town , when all the people came out in procession , the priests with their robes , and crosses in their hands , and the women , and children bare-footed , fell upon their knees with tears , and humble supplications to john de padilla , that hee would not suffer them to bee sack'd or plundered : but his men cried out , no , no , let us sack the town . at which words john de padilla turned himself towards his souldiers , saying , take notice , gentlemen , our intention is not to ransack or destroie any people , especially those who are not culpable : by which , and other such like plaus●ble language , hee pacified the furious greediness of his souldiers , and persuaded them to do what hee pleased : which done , hee told the people upon his word , no man of his should offer them any violence , but they must bring a thousand duckets to content his armie , and swear to bee true to the commonaltie ; whereunto the poor townsmen , out of fear , suddenly condescended , and john de padilla quartered all his men there , but with express order , that they should paie for every thing , except provender for their horses , which the people were willing to give them . soon after , john de padilla commanding one half of his armie to lay close siege to the castle , and block up all the advenues , with the other half he returned to do the like to those within the fort of empudia , who would willingly have surrendred it , and those of mormojon likewise , if john de padilla would have secured them their lives onely , but hee refused it , and swore , if they stood out , hee would hang every man of them ; so hee assaulted them several times very furiously ; but seeing how courageously they defended themselvs , to the loss of no smal number of his men , hee was glad they would deliver it upon better conditions ; which were these , that they should resign the fort , vvith all things belonging thereunto , as munition , victuals , houshold-stuff , &c. and march freely out with all their own arms , horses , and baggage , which they did to the number of one hundred and threesco●e hors and foot. fray antonio de guevara , in his epistles , reporteth , that the bishop of zamora , encouraging his souldiers in this assault , said to them , so , my boyes , get up nimbly , fight and die couragiously , and let my soul go at a venture along with yours , since you die in so just and holie an enterprise . iohn de padilla would not suffer any dammage or havock to bee made of any thing within the fort , nor stand to batter it much without , becaus the earl of salvatierra had written to him , to take it with the least prejudice to him that might bee . those of the commonaltie were very well pleased at the taking of empudia , and iohn de padilla's armie increased daily , by the confluence of people to him from the beherri●s . the bishop of zamora departed from empudia , to monçon , thence to magaz , spoiling and doing all the mischief hee could to those of the cavaliers partie ; hee caused maçariegos , and other towns , to bee sacked , insomuch that hee was asmuch dreaded as fire , in places that were not able to resist him . but in valladolid they found great miss of him , to defend them from the incursions of those in garrison at simancas . sect . xv. the bishop of zamora , by letters , promises , and other private practises , sollicited , and egged on the people of burgos , asmuch as in him laie , to make another commotion in the citie . but the lord high constable was so vigilant and zealous to advance his majestie 's service , that hee did not onely keep those of burgos in good order and subjection , but endeavored by the same means the bishop used , to gain the people of valladolid ; the plot beeing discovered , or at least suspected , they cunningly returned an answer to the citie of burgos , inclosing therein a copie of the letter ( which they shrewdly imagined was of the lord high constable's own forging , and not from the citie ) to the end they might both bee read publickly , which occasioned such a tumult and mutinie among the people , that like hare-brained inconsiderate creatures , they presently rose in arms , and would have turned the lord high constable out of the citie . but hee , seeing fair words and gentleness prevailed nothing at all with them , determined to carrie it with an high hand , and make them to submit per force , having taken the command of the fort from them . to bring this resolution to effect , one daie hee drew up his souldiers and servants all in arms , in a broad place before his own hous ; thither repaired to him forthvvith don iohn de la cerda , duke of medina cely , don luis de la cerda , marquis of cogolludo , his son , don alonso de arellano earl of aguilar , don antonio de velasco earl of nieva , with his two sons , don hernando de bobadilla earl of chinchon , don bernardino de cardenas , marquis of elche , eldest son to the duke of maqueda , and son in law to the lord high constable , besides divers other persons of honor , with their kindred , and servants , who were all resolved to venture their lives with him in this design ; which the people perceiving , they all assembled likewise , intending to fight with these noblemen , and they were so near engaging , that som arrows were interchanged from each partie , and the bullets began to flie also ; but the chief of the citie , seeing the advantage the nobles had over the people , they speedily sent to require and command the commoners to bee quiet , and peaceably laying down their arms , to obey the commands of the lord high constable , as their vice-king and governor , which they did without much contestation , and followed , very submissively and quietly , the lord high constable , who went directly to the fort , requiring the governor to deliver it him presently , otherwise , hee protested , hee would enter it by force , and execute justice upon him , and all the rest with him ; som disputes and controversie there was thereupon , but before night it was surrendered ; and the lord high constable put in another governor for his majestie , placed a corregidor in the citie , and re-established the government in the same manner it had been formerly . thus burgos , not beeing able to resist , was pacified , and reduced to the obedience of his majestie , wherein that citie continued ever after . sect . xvi . this done , the lord high constable sent don iuan manrique , the duke of naxara's eldest son , to suppress those of the merindades ; and by reason hee was very young , martin ruiz de avendan̄● , and gomez de butron , gentlemen of great account in those parts , and in biscaya , were appointed to go along with him ; beeing arrived there , those gentlemen carried the business so discreetly , that there was a peace concluded betwixt the lord high constable , and those of the merindades ; but it lasted not long , for gonsalo de barabona , the abbat of rueda , garcia de arce , but chiefly don pedro de ayala , earl of salvatierra , infringed it , who was grown very powerful in those mountainous parts , and so besotted with that inconsiderate passion , that by his obstinacie , hee brought himself to a miserable end , to the utter ruine and destruction of one of the most honorable and most antient families of castilla , and the mountains . sect . xvii . at the time that most of the cities of castilla declared for the commonaltie , in the province of alava , and citie of vitoria , that opinion was not generally received nor allowed , although som did take the libertie to speak over lavishly , especially against those of the council . in this season was brought to the said province , and citie of vitoria , a letter from burgos , wherein that citie ( as the chief of castilla ) desired those of that province to send two persons ( whom they pleased ) to confer with them at burgos . at the same time , were brought other letters from the province of guipuzcoa , and the countie of biscaya , desiring that they might all unite together . the citie of naxara and town of haro desired , that they would assist them , against the lord high constable , and the duke of naxara , who , they said , did tyrannize too much over them ; vitoria returned civil answers to all , burgos onely excepted , to whom they would not write , becaus they made themselvs their superiors , in styling that the metropolitan citie of castilla , for the citie of vitoria did presume that they , and their province of alava , were absolute of themselvs , without any dependencie , or relation to burgos , as their head. but they sent iohn de alava ( who at that time was merino mayor , that is , chief judg of vitoria ) to let their embassadors understand , by word of mouth , the preheminence of that countrie , and that they could not condescend to the union which they desired , for they understood that burgos had shaken hands with their obedience to his majestie , and they would not bee participant of their disloialtie . this answer was no less unexpected then unwelcom to those of burgos . about the same time , some towns of the province of guipu●coa , infected with the common contagion , fell foul upon the citie of san sebastian , becaus they would not approve of their extravagant opinions , cutting down and spoiling their orchards , ( for they have no vineyards ) and doing them divers other mischiefs . but prevailing not there , they wrote , and held correspondence with divers other places , by means of pedro ochoa de santa maria de mondragon , ( a subtil fellow ) who was their mercurie . at length , vitoria tainted with the same diseas , had joyned in confederacie with them , but that diego martinez de alava , deputie-general of that province , with others , his allies and kinsmen , endeavored to restrain them from a design so wicked and prejudicial to his majestie . sect . xviii . the earl of salvatierra , beeing at difference with madama margarita , his ladie , insomuch that hee would not live with her , shee addressed her complaints to his majestie of her grievances , and of the indignities , which , through his cross and unworthie disposition , shee was enforced to suffer . whereupon it was ordered by his majestie , that the said countess , with her children , should remain in vitoria , and that the earl should allow them maintenance according to their qualities ; and an expr●ss command from his majestie was sent to diego martinez de alava , deputie general of that province , to see the said order punctually observed , who desiring to execute this command by the autoritie and means of the council , the earl thought to counterpois that power , by making the commonaltie of his side , who did him little good in this particular , although those of the iunta sent to that province , and to the citie of vitoria , a judg , called antonio gomez de ayala ( who afterwards was executed for a notorious commoner at valladolid ) with orders and power to give sentence in favor , or against any that should bee brought before him : his addresses were particularly to the earl of salvatierra , to the end that hee might assist and support him : the ea●l gave him fiftie men , who attended on him at his coming into vitoria ; which the deputie diego martinez de alava , and pedro martinez his brother , with others of their kindred , seeing , and knowing that hee brought particular orders against them from the iunta at tordesillas ( where the deputie , and his kinsmen , had been proclaimed traitors ) they thought it a thing much conducing to his majestie 's service , and their own securitie , to apprehend this judg , which to effect , the sons of don fernando de alava , governor of bernedo , and iohn de alava his cosen germane , with twentie men , besides other friends and servants , went to the judge's lodging , took him and his servants out of their beds , clap't irons upon them , and carried them to the fort of bernedo , and took away the orders which hee brought from the iunta , wherein they gave the charge of governor and captain general to don pedro de ayala , earl of salvatierra , from the citie of burgos to fuente ravia . the judg remained under safe custodie in the fort , in mean time the gentlemen , who carried him thither , returned to vitoria , where they found the people much distempered , and murmuring at those men's imprisonment . sect . xix . 'mongst these occurrences came an express from the lord high constable , with letters , notifying to those of vitoria , and the province of alava , the orders which his majestie had sent him , encharging him with the government of the kingdoms , and commanding all his subjects , to obey him as their vice-roy and governor . but those of alava , beeing much inclined to the earl of salvatierra , said , that they were upon a certain agreement with those of the province of guipuzcoa , which beeing concluded , they would obey as far as they were obliged . but the deputie diego martinez , and all his friends , received the said notification with due respect . the citie of vitoria returned an answer to the lord high constable , but would not give him the title of governor ; whereupon som words passed between iohn de alava , & the rest , who bade him , in scurvie terms , go out of the assemblie ; but he boldly answered , get you gon , like traitors and rebels : for which words , they caused him to bee apprehended . in this interim , a priest , from the earl of salvatierra , desired to have conference with those of the assemblie : which the deputie , diego martinez , knowing , privately stole out from the rest , and laid hands upon this priest , clapt him in prison , and having opened his packet , hee found several letters to friers , and other particular men , desiring them to induce the people to denie their obedience to the governors . this bred a main disorder , and libels were scattered about by the people : yet martinez , & pedro de alava , with all those of their kindred and alliance , resolutely determined to maintein his majestie 's interest , pressing and requiring all the rest to subscribe also to his commands ; if not , they protested against them , styling them no otherwise , then rebellious and disloial traitors . of all which proceedings , they sent information to the lord high constable , and hee to the council roial , ( who then resided at castroxeriz ) . those of vitoria , seeing their fidelitie brought into question , resolved to submit , and sent their letters to that effect , promising all obedience to the lord high constable , beseeching him to pardon their former extravagancies and inconsidtrateness , and that hee would give order to burn those informations , which diego martinez de alava had sent to him against them ; which hee did . so by the diligence and resolution of diego martinez de alava , and other gentlemen of his name and familie , the citie of vitoria was reduced , and continued afterwards their loialtie and obedience to his majestie . all these passages were in the year , and the beginning of ▪ the lord high constable , seeing that no reason would sati●fie the earl of salvatierra , endeavored to do him what mischief hee could . hee took from him the town and castle of empudia , and put a garrison of his own therein , who ( as you have heard ) were again forced to quit that , and other places , by iohn de padilla ; in which time the earl of salvatierra , having picked up a number of people out of the merindades , besides his own servants and souldiers , hee led them as far as the monasterie of san ●an salvador de on̄a , wit● intent to go recover empudia ; but beeing informed there , that the bishop of zamora had already taken it , hee changed his resolution , and turned his forces towards vitoria , threatning to burn it to the ground , if they did not renounce their obedience to the lord high constable , and deliver the deputie diego martinez , and his brother , into his hands . the citie , beeing not a little stagger'd and affrighted at these high menaces , sent messengers to the earl , with great submissions , which so much abated his furie , that all the month of ianuarie , , they remained unmolested . sect . xx. his majestie 's royal council beeing at briviesca , and hearing what notable service don pedro xuarez de velasco , lord of cuscurrita , and dean of burgos , had done his majestie in that citie , and how couragiously hee had behaved himself , they sent for him . don pedro not knowing what danger might befall , took about twentie gentlemen and servants on horsback with him , all well armed , with green coates over their armor , that no bodie could discern any thing , besides the hounds and hawks they carried with them , made no creature suspect any other , then that hee went out to take his pleasure . beeing arrived at briviesca , the council gave him order to subdue the seven merindades of old castilla , who were up in arms. whereof don pedro would have excused himself , saying , that it was not suitable with his coat to command souldiers ; ( for hee went in the habit of a priest , by reason of his deanry . ) but those of the council answered , that although hee were effectively a priest , ( much more having onely the habit of one ) hee ought to change his surplice into a suit of armor , especially in cases wherein the service of god , and the king , was so much concerned . don pedro , seeing it was in vain to expostulate any further , resolved to put their commands in execution , and considering hee was the lord high constable's son , discreetly valiant , and beloved of every bodie , many gentlemen , and persons of qualitie , offered themselvs to venture their fortunes with him . beeing arrived within a league of medina de pumar , ( which was hard by those commoners , whom hee went to suppress ) they had intelligence of his approach , and forthwith disposed themselvs to give him battle ; don pedro , though hee had nothing neer so many men , resolved however to conquer them , or die in the combat ; so having passed over a wooden bridg , hee gave them so hot and furious a charge , that they quickly shewed their backsides , and scattering themselvs in a disorderly manner , they sought their securitie amongst the craggie mountains , hee pursued them as far as hee could , and staid some time , thinking they might rallie , but hee heard no more of them . so hee returned victorious , and lost not one of his men . sect . xxi . in the month of march , of the same year , the lord high constable , seeing that they exceedingly wanted artillerie , in regard the commoners possessed all that which was in medina del campo hee gave order to fetch away that which the catholick kings had in store at fuente ravia . don sancho de velasco was presently dispatched thither , with commission to bring the munition over land , and the artillerie by sea to bilbao , thence to vitoria , and so to burgos . the iunta ( then at tordesillas ) having intelligence hereof , presently sent to advertise the earl of salvatierra , that hee might prepare forces and intercept the artillerie ; who used such diligence , that in short time , hee had raised , amongst his friends and tenants , above ten thousand men . and a gentleman named gonçalo de varahona , captain of the said earl's forces , went to the merindades , and of those men which don pedro xuarez de velasco had routed and dissipated , hee rallied so many as made up the number of almost fourteen thousand ( the like armie was never known to bee raised in those parts , in so short a time ) with these men hee took the munition that came by land ; and hearing that the artillerie ( which was seven great pieces of ordnance ) was coming from bilbao to vitoria , convoied by seventeen hundred men , whereof many were gentlemen of note of biscaya , besides the alcalde leguizama , and the corregidor of vitoria ; the third of march , hee marched with his whole armie nine leagues that daie , and night , the next morning by break of daie hee came into the vallie of arretia , where the artillerie was ▪ don sancho de velasco and his men , giving all for lost , dis-mounted their cannon , and taking away the carriages , and their mules , shifted for themselvs . the earl seized on the artillerie , but not beeing able to carrie it away , hee caused it to bee broke in pieces . this done , the earl returned with his armie to the vallie of ayala , having som intelligence , and encouragement from som of his friends within the citie , to fall upon vitoria , which was very pleasing to his captain gonçalo de varahona , and other officers . the report flying about , that hee intended to sack vitoria , made a number of rabbling people join , which swelled his armie to fifteen , or sixteen thousand , but most of them were ill armed , and wors disciplined . hee pitched his camp in the plain of arriaga , one quarter of a league from vitoria . sect . xxii . the abbat of santa pia , and fray diego de arna , a dominican frier , beeing persons , whom the earl particularly esteemed and effected , went to him in his camp , desiring and conjuring him not to enter into the citie . so falling upon a treatie of agreement , hee demanded , that they should denie their obedience to the lord high constable , and that they would deliver unto him the deputie diego martinez de alava , with his brother , and certain others of his kindred . the cit●zens believing that if those gentlemen were out of the citie , the earl's furie might bee the better appeased , earnestly desired them to absent themselvs , which they did , and carried their wives and families with them to trevin̄o , a town belonging to the duke of naxara , where they exspected don manrique , his son , with som forces from navarra . the citie beeing in this perplexitie , som who had relation to don alvaro de mendoça , lord of mendoça de arriva , ( who was an intimate friend with the earl of salvatierra ) beseeched him for alvaro's sake , not to use any violence to that citie . but hee briskly answered , that they had not performed their promises to him . at last , to satisfie him , they concluded , that hee should enter , with his colors flying , at the gate of arriaga , and march out again at the gate of santa clara. whil'st this was arguing , com's el licenciado aguirre , ( who was one of the council ) saying , that they ought not to open the gates to the earl of salvatierra , and that whosoever should do it , were traitors . those that were present gave him a very rude answer , and had laien violent hands on him , if lope de xuaço , and som others , had not suddenly conveied him out of the citie , from whence hee went to staie with diego martinez de alava , and the rest , at trevin̄o . the earl came not into vitoria himself , but sent his captain gonçalo de varahona , mean time hee went to a place called ondagoya , in the vallie of quartango . those of the iunta sent the earl of salvatierra thanks for the favor hee had done them , in taking that artillerie which the lord high constable ( they said ) intended to carrie against ●alencia , and afterwards join with the rest of the cavaliers . sect . xxiii . this earl of salvatierra , ( who was also earl of the vallies of ayala , quartango and san milan ) was a man of a monstrous hautie and terrible disposition . it happened , when those of the iunta sent to him , desiring him to wage war with the lord high constable , and intercept his artillerie , that hee then was with his armie before briviesca , and without returning any answer to their letters , hee presently raised his siege . the messengers of the iunta thought thereby , that hee had no intent to act according to the contents of the letters , which they delivered him , and were very angrie , saying , that hee did onely make a shew of favor and friendship to them , for now the common●ltie having need of him , hee would do nothing for them . these words were brought to his ears , whereupon hee wrote to the iunta , and to valladolid , expressing much distaste and anger , that they should harbor any such thought of him , saying , that hee came not of the race of any pedling mercenarie fellows , nor of traitors , but lineally was descended from the sto●k of the loyall nobilitie of the gottish king 's of spain . this murmuring against him , by those of the iunta , did so distemper him , that the blood gushed out at his nose and mouth for meer anger , and cast him into a sickness , which had like to have cost him his life . after this , hee sent to the iunta , and valladolid , desiring them to have a care that his town and castle of empudia , should not bee destroied , nor spoiled in the re-taking , although hee knew the king would not suffer him to enjoy it . sect . xxiv . the gentlemen of vitoria , who were retired at trevin̄o , sent to the lord high constable and duke of naxara for succor ; the lord high constable sent them four hundred foot souldiers , and one hundred hors . the same night they arrived at la puebla de argançon , the deputie diego martinez went with them to suppress the earl of salvatierra at andagoya , but hee having notice of their design , shewed them a pair of nimble heels . beeing entred into the town , they went presently to his hous , which having throughly ransacked , they burned to the ground ; which done , they returned to la puebla . the next daie arrived at trevin̄o , don manrique de lara , the duke of naxara's eldest son , with two thousand foot , and fourtie hors . hee , and the deputie , with the rest of the gentlemen there , resolved to go to vitoria , and inflict condigne punishment upon some of the factious , and encourage those of the loyal partie . the inhabitants of vitoria , beeing unwilling to receiv so many souldiers into the citie , sent messengers to trevin̄o , desiring don manrique not to bring his souldiers thither , but they could not prevail . so those men which don manrique brought , and the lord high constable's , entred all into vitoria , as also the deputie with all his kindred . the next daie , beeing fridaie , don manrique marched to the town of salvatierra , which was the earl's , and took it with the castle also , both which , hee gave the deputie diego martinez charge to keep for his majestie , leaving him two hundred souldiers ; with the which diego martinez marched from salvatierra , to a place called gauna , where the ●arl had another strong hous , which having burnt , hee returned to salvatierra , and don manrique the sundaie following , went back to vitoria . the earl seeing they had taken his town of salvatierra , and burnt his other houses , went to the valley of quartango , and raised four thousand eight hundred men with his servants . hurtado diez de mendoça , hearing this , came to vitoria , and advertised don manrique of all particulars ; whereupon hee presently marched with his men to quartango . the earl staied not to make him welcom , but fled with all his men to the mountains ; so don manrique's men pillaged all the valley , burned down the towers of andagoya , and morillas . thence hee marched towards the merindades , where hee did no great harm , the people submitting themselvs to him , onely hee burned some houses of gonçalo varahona's , thence hee went to burgos , where hee joyned his forces with the lord high constable , who was then preparing for the battle of villalar . gonçalo varahona , and one captain brizuela , after don manrique's departure out of the merindades , did a world of mischief in the houses of those , that had agreed and made their peace with the lord high constable , at the town of valpuesta , hee killed one salazar a batchellor at law , and burnt his hous , from thence hee went to the valley of ayala , where the earl of salvatierra was : where they remained until april next following , raising men , as fast as they could , to go against vitoria and salvatierra . whereof the citie beeing advertised , they put themselvs in a posture to resist him , got munition from the sea-side , made readie their ordnance , mustred their ●en ( which were but six hundred fit to bear arms , besides two hundred souldiers . ) the lord high constable sent them from his towns of haro , la puebla , and san vicente , two hundred and fiftie men more , besides two troops of light hors-men . hee sent moreover commissions of captains general of the mountains , and those parts , to martyn ruyz de avendan̄o y de gamboa , and to gomez gonçalez de butron y de mugica . upon receipt whereof martyn ruyz de avendan̄o came to vitoria , and with the men of the citie , and those that came from other places , resolved to give the earl battle . hereupon the deputie diego martinez de alava , repaired speedily to salvatierra , to defend that , in case the earl should make any attempt upon it . beeing arrived there , hee would have sent his son to the castle of bernedo , whereof hee was governor , but the towns-men would not suffer him , and offred to apprehend him , whereupon there arose great disorder , and hee was enforced to retire into the fort. divers of the towns-men , having relation to the earl , were very desirous that hee should repossess it , and therefore sent him intelligence privately , that diego martinez , and his sons , were in a manner prisoners , and that now was the onely time for him to fall upon the town . whereof hee beeing very well pleased , made all the haste he could from quartango to salvatierra , but was met in the waie by the hors of vitoria , who took some of his men prisoners , however hee marched on , and gonçalo varahona staied behïnde ; the next daie about midnight ●ee arrived at one of the gates of salvatierra , called san iuan , and his men cried ayala , ayala ; which the deputie's men ( who were upon the guard ) hearing , put themselvs in a posture of defence , and discharged some of their ordnance , which killed and hurt some of his souldiers . the earl himself , beeing very neer the gate , they flung down a great squar'd stone , which raked his shoulders as it fell , and quite spoiled his hors , that made him retreat further off till daie-break , by which time gonçalo varahona had brought the rest of his men , so they marched all in a bodie to a place called vicun̄a , where they burned five houses belonging to diego martinez de alava . and the earl having intelligence that the town of salvatierra , and the deputie , were reconciled , and stood upon the defensive , having no artillerie with him , nor finding any refreshment for his men , the people beeing all fled to the mountains , hee relinquished his design . but upon his retreat , a partie of hors with some foot , sallied out of vitoria , and took divers of his men at alegria , with whom returning to the citie , and giving notice of the order , or rather disorder , of the earl's armie , they concluded to fight them ; to which purpose all the hors and foot marched out , and captain ochoa de asua was sent before to hinder him from passing the bridg of durana ; but his hors beeing already passed , they made it good till the foot was all over , by which time the whole bodie of the vitorians was come up . the earl at first made as if hee would fight , but they plaied so hot upon him with their muskets , that seeing his men drop so fast , hee rod awaie with onely one page , which seeing his men began to follow him : gonçalo varahona valiantly staied behind , crying to his men to stand . captain valenzuela encountred him , and took him prisoner , who , with six hundred of his men , much pillage , and divers colours , were all carried to vitoria ; martin ruyz de avendan̄● , who was present at the sight , committed gonçalo varahona to pedro de alava's hous for the present , and few daies after , hee was beheaded in the great market place , whereof an express was sent to give the lord high constable notice , who was then upon going to villalar , where , a short time after , the battle was given , which was the ruine and break-neck of the commoners . sect . xxv . to relate all the troubles which the lord high constable had with those of burgos , and the earl of salvatierra , would fill whole volumes . i shall now onely cursarily mention , what was done in order to the conclusion of the treatie and articles , which the bishop of laodicea brought , concerning the reducing of don pedro lasso . four daies ortiz remained in tordesillas , exspecting until the lord admiral had consulted of those articles with the cardinal , and given him the result of their determination . but in daie time hee durst not go abroad , so that his negotiation was onely in the night , ( for there is no war so dangerous as that betwixt kindred , and people of the same nation and language ) . at last hee was dispatch't , but hee was fain to carrie their answer in his memorie , not daring to have any writing about him , ●o hee went coasting and crossing the countrie in the night , until hee came into the high-waie of medina del campo , to the end that if hee should meet any of the commoners , they might think hee came from medina , and was going to valladolid ; where , by break of daie , hee arrived , and the guards knowing him at the gates , let him in without difficultie ▪ he would not go to his own lodging , but alighted at a friend's hous , whence hee went directly to don pedro lasso , and gave him an exact account of what hee had done with the cardinal and the lord admiral at tordesillas . but in regard hee had not full satisfaction of all his demands ( which were , that they should procure his majestie 's approbation and allowance of the principal articles sent him by the iunta , for the good of the kingdoms ) . it was determined , that the bishop of laodicea should send a friar to tordesillas , who should correspond with him in their ordinarie cypher , and that ortiz should likewise return thither ; which hee did cunningly , without giving any susspition , and beeing dispatched , hee returned to valladolid in like manner as before . sect . xxvi . in this same year , the kingdom of toledo broke out into the like disorders and exorbitancies , as were committed in other parts of castilla . they report in toledo , of donia maria pacheco , wife to iohn de padilla , and daughter to the earl of tendilla , that shee was a woman of such a daring and resolute spirit , that shee was the greatest instrument to support the commonaltie of that citie . and ( if wee may believ fray antonio de guevara ) hee relate's , that shee beeing com into the vestrie of the great church in toledo , to take away the plate for paiment of her husband's souldiers , shee fell upon her knees , beat her brests with her hands , cried , sighed and sobbed , two torches standing lighted before her , and fell into a kinde of extasie , believing the deceit and conjuring of a morisca witch , who told her , that her husband should com to bee a king , or somwhat near it . hee saith manie other things of her , but let them pass , since afterwards she paied dear enough for her follie : and indeed what otherwise could bee exspected of a woman , that doth so far deviate from the rode of her natural emploiment , as to throw aside the distaff , and the needle , and busie her self with matters of state , and war. the towns of orgaz and ocan̄a , with the favor and support of those of toledo , declared likewise for the commonaltie , and did a thousand mischiefs and affronts to the inhabitants of almaguer , and other places ; for the remedying of which disorders , the governors of the kingdoms constituted and ordeined don antonio de zun̄iga to bee captain general of the kingdom of toledo ; who having rai●ed me● at consuegra , marched into the field to put their commands in execution , what success hee had , shall bee said hereafter . for the iunta , and the cavaliers call mee away . sect . xxvii . the citie of valladolid was grown so passionate in the prosecution , and supporting of the commonaltie's interests , slighting the emperor's graces to them , and beeing so malitiously bent against his council , the lord admiral , and the earl of venavente ( who out of particular relations did desire , and used all means possible to procure their good ) that all their affection was turned into hatred , and their favors into discourtesies . in this occurrence arrived at valladolid , a certain priest , with orders from the emperor , and the queen , to the president and judges of the chancerie there residing , wherein they were commanded , with the college and universitie , forthwith to depart that citie . this coming to the people's knowledg , they were exceedingly incensed therewith , seeing they should bee deprived of three main benefits they had ; which to prevent , they gave out that those orders were fals , and forged , or counterfeited by the pretended governors , who studied to do them all the mischief they could . and they determined to apprehend the priest that brought them ; but hee sheltered himself by the president 's advice in the chancerie . whereupon the people , all in arms , came thither in a tumultuous manner to demand the priest. the president not seeing any other remedie , to satisfie the multitude , delivered him to them ; they presently clap't him into the common gaol , where leaving him , they returned to the president , and in a furious peremptorie manner demanded , that hee would deliver them those orders which the priest brought him ; hee answered , that after hee had conferred with the judges thereupon , they should have them ; but they growing more insolent , told him , that if hee delivered them not without any further delaie , they would set fire on his hous . the president , seeing their mad resolution , thought it his best way to let them have their wills . those orders beeing brought , they forcibly entred into the chancerie , and took away the great seal also , which they delivered to persons of their own choosing . in the orders they found , how the emperor commanded the president , with the fore-named , within three daies to leav valladolid , and repair to the governors , under pain of beeing deprived of their offices , and that for the present they should go to the town of arevalo , where they should attend his further pleasure , in regard valladolid had declined his service , and adhered to those that were traitors to his roial crown . sect . xxviii . the cavaliers sent to valladolid , desiring a cessation for ten daies . the major part voted , that they should not consent thereunto , alledging that the cavaliers would break it , and besides that , they would never have demanded it , but to recrute themselvs with men and arms , which they wanted . at last they returned this answer , that each partie should deposite five thousand marcos de plata , or marks of silver , in some faithful and sure person's hands , and whosoever should break the peace in that time , should forfeit the monie , upon those tearms they would hearken to them , but not otherwise . the cavaliers refused this proposition , and the next daie following , they sent a trumpeter with a letter of defiance to those who called themselvs the commissioners of the kingdom , declaring open war with fire and sword against the commonalties , and valladolid , and required them to laie down their arms , disband their souldiers , to conform themselvs to those whom his majestie had appointed governors of the kingdoms , and obey their commands as they ought . otherwise they protested to hold them as traitors , and would do them all the spoil and mischief that in them laie . those of valladolid answered , that they feared them not , bade them do their worst , and they would serv them with the like sauce : and without any long delay they sent to those in simancas , charging them , both men , women , and children , presently to depart the town , or they should all suffer death without reserv . thus those of valladolid , and of the iunta , shewed their insulting pride and crueltie , which spake them rather men given over to despair , then capable of reason and judgment . notwithstanding all this , the lord admiral , much grieved at the obstinacie of valladolid , and out of the tender affection which hee bare to that citie , wrote them another letter , in his own , and the cardinal's name , inducing them by all fair means possible , with promises of satisfaction for their grievances , to return unto their due obedience to his majestie , dis-banding their a●mies , disclaiming the interests , and refusing to harbor or assist with their men , artillerie , or otherwaies any of the disturbers of the peace and repose of the kingdoms , assuring , that if they would do so , they should finde him alwaies ready to do them all the good offices that they could exspect or desire of him . and if not , hee protested , that according to his majestie 's command , and in order to his service , hee would proceed against them as delinquents , and disloial subjects ; and that hee would make som of them suffer such exemplarie punishments , as should deterre succeeding ages from committing any the like acts of disobedience . those of the iunta , and of valladolid , having read the lord admiral 's letter , made no great account of the persuasive part of it , neither were they any thing daunted at his threatnings ; but returned him an insolent mock-answer ; wherein they charged him , and those of the council , with disturbing of the kingdoms , and required them in the names of their majesties , and of the kingdoms , to return to their due obedience , leaving the queen , with the most illustrious infanta , to their free liberties ; to dis-band their forces , both of hors , and foot , and divers other things , which if they refused , or delaied to perform accordingly , they protested , in the names of their majesties , and kingdom , to proclaim war against them , and declare them delinquents , disloial and disobedient persons to their majesties , and that they would inflict such punishments upon them , as should make them examples to posteritie , for ever committing any such enormities , &c. sect . xxix . after these letters , the cavaliers wrote another to valladolid , which i could not procure : but i have seen the answer , which those of valladolid returned them . it seemed that the cavalier's letter to them was not so civil , and respectful , as they did exspect . therefore in their replie , they said , that they believed that their letter was ill addressed , for certainly it was not intended for them . then they fell upon the justification of their caus , imputing the fault of all the troubles and disturbances of the kingdom to the cavaliers , and making remonstrances of the common people's loyaltie , in what concerned his majestie 's service , beeing not wedded to their private interests , like the cavaliers , who alwaies regarded their own particular advancements and profit , to the diminution , and almost , consuming of the royal patrimonie . sect . xxx . the next daie after this letter was written , the iunta commanded one of every hous in valladolid to march out with iohn de padilla , to receiv iohn bravo , who came captain of those men , which were sent from segovia , salamanca , and avila . they were in all six thousand compleat foot and hors , besides thirtie carts loaden with munition , carriages , and other warlike utensils . they passed the bridg of duero , to the great grief and dread of those in garrison at simancas ( which was not far distant ) and so marched directly to valladolid . upon whose arrival , the iunta sent for the bishop of zamora , who was in the beherrias , burning and spoiling cavalier's lands . the bishop beeing returned , they sat in consultation upon what enterprise they should go next . those of valladolid spred a report , that they would fall upon simancas , in revenge of the damages which they daily received from that garrison . sect . xxxi . i mentioned cursorily before , how don pedro lasso began to wax wearie of the commonaltie , and bethink himself of the disservice hee had done his majestie : now you shall hear fur●her with what difficultie his reconcilement was accomplished . ortiz beeing returned to valladolid , related to don pedro lasso every particular passage ( to his best remembrance , for hee durst not bring any papers ) betwixt the lord admiral , the cardinal , and him , concerning the agreement . wherewith don pedro was not well satisfied , seeing they demanded more of him , then hee was able to perform , so hee remained unresolved . about the time that he was in this quandarie , arrived at valladolid , fray francisco de los angeles of the order of st francis , a man of a noble extraction and great learning , who afterwards was bishop of coria and a cardinal . hee went first to burgos with letters from the emperor to the lord high constable , and the articles which hee desired his majestie to sign for that citie : thence hee came to valladolid , where hee had conference with don pedro lasso ; but lest their too frequent conversation might breed suspition , don pedro agreed , that hee should communicate freely with alonso ortiz , whose breast hee found a secure receptacle of any secret . ortiz told fray francisco all the waies and means hee had used at tordesillas , and what treaties had passed betwixt him and the lord admiral ; that for his part hee came from toledo to valladolid ▪ meerly to trie if his endevors might contribute any thing to the remedying or composing of those unhappie differences . hereupon fray francisco took a resolution to go himself to tordesillas , to confer , with the cardinal and lord admiral ; and beeing there , they sent for ortiz , who went to them upon shrove-tuesdaie , anno , hee alighted at the monasterie of santa clara , where fray francisco lodged , and in regard it was past midnight , there was then no possibilitie of speaking with the lord admiral ; but the next morning , hee coming to hear mass in the same monasterie , went up into francisco's chamber , where ortiz hid himself ; all that morning until dinner time they spent in treating about the articles , in the afternoon they did the like ; and it was god's will , that before they parted , all was fully concluded , to the contentment and satisfaction of each partie , whereof were transcribed two copies , one signed and sealed by the cardinal and lord admiral , as governors , obliging themselvs punctually to perform all and every the articles therein conteined , and procure them to bee confirmed by his majestie , provided that don pedro lasso did make good what hee had promised . ortiz durst not carrie this writing to valladolid , fearing lest the guards should search him . so it was agreed , that fray francisco de los angeles should carrie it to abrojo , a monasterie of friers , a league short of valladolid , ( for hee durst not venture to go into the citie with that about him ) and that ortiz should send som trustie messenger thither for it . ortiz returned the same night ( half frozen ) to valladolid , and the guards let him in without touching him , hee telling them that hee came from medina del campo . beeing entred the citie , hee went immediately to don pedro lasso , whom hee informed fully of all the passages , and that fray francisco de los angeles was to bring the articles of agreement in writing , signed and sealed that same night to abrojo ; which hee did , the earl of on̄ate giving him a convoy of twentie hors from simancas , who put him safe within the gates of the said monasterie , don pedro and ortiz were in pain long time , how they should send with safetie for this writing , and at last they resolved one fray pedro de san hippolito ( of the monasterie del prado ( which was without the citie ) who was pedro's confessor ) should go for it . hee accepted the emploiment , and went to abrojo , and having received the writing of fray francisco de los angeles , hee returned ; but beeing com near to valladolid about sun-setting , hee met with certain souldiers which had been roving abroad , who seeing the frier in that rode , imagined that hee came from simancas , and thinking him to bee a spie ( or rather for greediness of his mule ) they laid hands on him , saying , hee was a traitor , and that hee came from simancas to give the cavaliers intelligence of what passed in valladolid . in this rude manner they led him into the citie , calling him traitor , and saying , that they wovld strip him , to see what letters hee brought to any particular persons ; so they brought him to an hous close by the gate , where they made him alight to bee stript . but it was god's great mercie to deliver don pedro , and the rest that were engaged with him out of this danger : for just as fray pedro was forced to alight from his mule , two franciscan friers came most happily thither , to whom fray pedro addressing himself , with a neat slight of hand , and a notable resolution , drew the papers out of his own sleev , and slipt them into one of theirs , beseeching him for god's sake to fling them into the fire , and let no bodie see them : thus hee deceived the eies of above five hundred people that were gathered together to strip him : vvhich they did , but finding no papers at all about him , they carried him before pedro de touar , one of the regidores , and captain of valladolid , vvho knovving him , commanded them presently to releas him . by this vvile hee saved the lives of all those that vvere concerned in that writing . sect . xxxii . the franciscan friers , having read these articles , did burn them , as fray pedro desired ; but they could not refrain from speaking thereof to som others , and they to others , so that at last it was the common town-talk , and it was carried to the iunta . don pedro lasso somwhat troubled , asked ortiz what they should do ; who bad him bee of a good courage , and if any question came of it , to saie , it was a trick of the cavaliers , to sow discord amongst them , and although they had begun with him , doubtless , ere long , they would do the like to others . it fell out ( as don pedro feared ) that hee was questioned in the iunta hereupon ; but hee was so well prepared to answer them , absolutely denying the charge , that with his smooth and resolute answers they were satisfied ; in regard there was no evidence , nor any ground of suspecting , but meerly from the bare words of the friers . this sore beeing well salved , ortiz wen again to fray pedro , desiring him to venture once more to tordesillas , and acquaint the lord admiral of what had passed , and beseech him to send another copie of the articles , like the former , which was lost ; which hee told him , hee might safely enough do in the night , there beeing a monasterie of his order just in the waie to tordesillas , whither hee would send another messenger to bring it to valladolid . the frier went , and beeing arrived at tordesillas , hee told the lord admiral the storie of his adventures , and how the former copie had miscarried , and therefore don pedro , and ortiz , desired him to send another . the lord admiral wondered at the frier 's strange relation , and thanked god with him for his deliverie , and gave him forthwith another copie verbatim like the first , wherewith hee returned in the night to his monasterie , whither ortiz sent one of his own servants , who brought it safe into valladolid . hereupon don pedro lasso began to undermine , & cunningly to confer with som gentlemen & comissioners of the junta , concerning the miseries of the times , persuading them to condescend to a peace , & to bee reduced to the good , and tranquillitie of the kingdoms , in regard that was the end of their assembling and rising up in arms . som thought this proposition but just and reasonable , others absolutely dis-approved it . all these passages were particularly related to the general of the dominican order , then beeing at tordesillas , who persuaded the grandees of the kingdom to send letters to those of the iunta general , and to the particular iunta of valladolid , to this effect ; that in regard both parties did fervently desire the good , and quiet of the kingdom , and that each in particular did pretend to advance it , yet they spoiled and butchered one another without sens or reason , beeing all natives of the same countrie , and their intentions ( though in a different waie ) steering the same cours . therefore for the better understanding of each other , if the gentlemen of the iunta would nominate any two of the commissioners , and send them to the monasterie of st thomas , which is without tordesillas , to treat with them , they would at the same time appoint two of their partie to go to the monasterie del prado , not far from valladolid , to confer with those of the iunta ; by which means they might com to som reasonable agreement , for the satisfaction and general good of the kingdoms , and that there might bee no more war or dissention amongst them , which had been the occasion of so much damage and miserie . those of the iunta ( divers of them beeing indifferently well inclined , and seeing don pedro lasso , who was one of the principal amongst them , lean that waie ) were so far from dissenting , that without further delay , they appointed him , and alonso de guadalaxara , commissioner of segovia , to go in their names to tordesillas , giving first notice to the cavaliers thereof , and wishing them to send their agents to prado , as was agreed , both giving securitie and pledges that their messengers should pass without danger or molestation . this was concluded on fridaie , march the th . on saturdaie night following arrived at valladolid , those whom the governors sent for pledges ; but those who were against this treatie , having consulted with iohn de padilla , who likewise did not relish it , gave order to those upon the guard , not to let any into the citie that came from tordesillas , but to take away their letters , and seiz upon their persons : insomuch that a messenger with a pass for them , beeing com to valladolid , the guards would have apprehended him , but hee was so circumspect , that hee got clear of them , and returned to tordesillas . this was not done by the general consent of the iunta , but onely by those which were against the treatie ; and the rest of the junta marvelled that the cavaliers did not keep their words , in sending their pass , or safe conduct for the commissioners , according to their own motion . sect . xxxiii . things beeing thus discomposed , the captains of the several cities , with the bishop of zamora , and iohn de padilla , agreed to draw all their forces into the field , to stop all correspondence betwixt valladolid and tordesillas , that the treatie might not go forwards , and to destroie and spoil all the towns or houses they could , th●t belonged to any of the gentrie in tordesillas . with this resolution the bishop of zamora , iohn de padilla with his toledians , iohn zapata with those from madrid , iohn bravo , captain of the segovians , and francisco maldonado , who commanded the men of avila and salamanca , went to the iunta , desiring that they would appoint a captain general over them all , and it is reported ( out of craft , thereby to render him more odious to the common people ) that they press'd to have that office conferred upon don pedro lasso , which plot was imputed to iohn de padilla , who never was don pedro's friend . the iunta , to satisfie them , did name don pedro , but hee desired som time to think upon it , before hee would accept it , and those that bare him no good will , began to divulge his beeing made general , in a disparaging manner , saying , it was more honor then hee deserved , in regard hee had given them so much reason to suspect his fidilitie , for holding correspondence with the governors to sell them , and that iohn de padilla was much more fit for that command . this was so much buzz'd amongst the people , that they began to murmur highly against don pedro. the mutinie growing to such an height , that don pedro , and his friends , not thinking themselvs secure , prepared to make resistance , in case they should assault them in their houses , as som gave out they would . and ( they saie ) the very school-boys , instructed by their masters so to do , ran crying up and down the streets , let iohn de padilla bee general , and not don pedro lasso . the bishop of zamora sent him word that his safest waie would bee to absent himself from the citie , or at least , to retire into some secret place , for the people were very jealous of him , and in their furie would bee apt to do him some displeasure , but this was onely a plot to entrap him . don pedro very resolutely returned the bishop this answer , that hee had done nothing that hee was ashamed of , or ought to run awaie for , and that hee would not stir out of his hous , if the people had any thing to saie to him , there they should finde him . the people's design upon don pedro lasso beeing publickly known , some principal persons of the citie came amongst them , and so handled the matter , that they all retired to their houses , and there was no harm done . sect . xxxiv . those of the junta , beeing in consultation about the ordering of their armie ( for there was no more thought of peace ) some said , that it was very requisite that they should have a captain general , and although iohn de padilla had executed the office ever since don pedro giron had left it , yet hee had not his commission from the junta , neither had the present armie ( which the several cities had raised ) acknowledged him . som stood for don pedro lasso de la vega ; but the major part of the junta , and all the common people voted for john de padilla . hee seeing that they would make him their captain general , out of a feigned modestie refused it , earnestly desiring them all to give their votes rather for don pedro lasso , who was more worthie and capable of so high a charge then hee , not that hee declined their service however , but hee would content himself with the command of the two thousand men which hee brought from toledo , with whom , and with his own person , hee would serv the commonaltie to the last breath . the people hearing that john de padilla was like to bee outed , they came crying in a tumultuous mannertothe junta , and pres●ing them to make john de padilla their general , for no man els should bee . and thinking that dom pedro lasso was the onely man that hindred the election of john de padilla , the multitude ran presently to apprehend him in his hous , laying to his charge that hee had used means to reduce them to his majestie 's service , that hee had been caus that the cavaliers had taken tordesillas , having been in the conspiracie with don pedro giron . but the bishop and john de padilla followed , and staied them in the great market place . assoon as ever the rabble saw the bishop and him , they flocked round about them crying out , let john de padilla live , let the bishop live , long may live john de padilla , who take's away the taxes of castilla . in this manner did the multitude carrie him up and down the market place , hooting and shooting as if they had been all mad ; insomuch that iohn de padilla could not speak to them , if hee would have said any thing , they kept so horrid a nois , saying , hee should bee their general , and no other . iohn de padilla , and the bishop , seeing this fond madness of the people , withdrew themselvs into a hous , out of a window , whereof iohn de padilla spake to them in this manner ; sirs ! you know how i came hither captain for the citie of toledo , in favor of the commonaltie● of this kingdom , to serv you ; you must know likewise , that toledo is not inferior to valladolid , but a f●iend to it , and all the other cities of the kingdom , who all agreed to send mee to assist you , and with the same affection and willingness i have performed my part , and whil'st i have breath , i will omit nothing wherein i may serv you ; and i thank you for your good wills to mee . but the lords of the iunta have determined to choos a captain general for thir expedition : believ mee ( sirs ! ) it is most fit that place should go by election , and i assure you that i was the first man that made that motion , for that is the best and safest waie ; moreover , those gentlemen know very well what they do . hee scars had uttered these words , but they all cried out , wee will have none but john de padilla , and the bishop . thus they continued for the space of a long hour , and more , iohn de padilla entreating them to give their consents , that don pedro lasso might execute that office , for nevertheless hee should bee readie to spend his father's and his own estate , besides the ventring of his life in that holie caus , for the service of the commonaltie . but no reason would stop their mouths , they still continued crying , hee and non els should bee their captain . which obstinacie of the people , beeing reported to those of the iunta , they voted iohn de padilla captain general of ●ll their forces . from that daie forwards , don pedro lasso began to relinquish the commonaltie , and divers of his friends did the like , seeing how blind and void of reason the people were , and how much prejudice they did themselvs , in following a people so overswaied with passion , and the greatest part of them too but men of mean and obscure extraction . sect . xxxv . fower hundred lanciers of the choisest men of those that c●me from the conquest of the gelves mutined and would have gon awaie becaus they did not receiv the paie , which was promised them from valladolid , and they demanded moreover paiement of their arreares ever since the death of the king don fernando , which amounting to fortie duckets a man at least made the summe of eight thousand duckets . the citie not having monie to satisfie their demands , yet loth to let them go , becaus they were stout , well disciplined souldiers , and wel armed , caused all their gates to bee shut , whilest they went to procur● them monie . in the first place they searched the cloister of the benedictans , where they found six thousand duckets , which som particular persons had deposited there , thinking it more secure then in their own hands . after which , they went to other religious houses & colledges in like manner ; insomuch that at last , with what they took up by waie of lone , they got enough to give them satisfaction . thus was that citie guiltie of their own torment and trouble , by maintaining a fire-brand ( for t●ey deserved no other name ) in their own bowels . but that which seemed most grievous to them , was , that they were daily so molested and affronted by that paultrie garrison of simancas : therefore they flatly told those of the iunta , that either they should go themselvs , or give them their men , for valladolid was resolved to unroost those harpyes . at length valladolid seeing themselvs reduced to so great want and povertie , for they had no way to gain a peny , all trading and commerce lost , the roads were so unsecure , that if they did but peep ( as it were ) out of their houses , they were in danger of beeing kill'd , taken ●risoners , or at least plundered ; and that their war was not in earnest to the purpose , neither had they any hopes of peace , they wrote a letter to the cavaliers in these terms : valladolid's letter to the cavaliers . illustrious sirs ! wee received a letter from you , whereby any man of the least judgment or understanding may plainly see , that your actions do absolu●ely contradict what you express in words . and for a further manifestation , that the peace which you publish is directly opposite to your actual proceedings ; you have introduced an abominable war in these kingdoms , under the notion of obedience to their majesties , battering and forcing the place where the queen resid●d , seizing on , and imprisoning ●er servants , and the commissioners of the kingdom , permitting her court to bee ransack't , the churches to bee robb'd , women violated , the high-waies stopped , the iustice of the kingdom ( which was the chancerie ) to bee taken away , and other horrid things , which never were seen or heard of before ; whereby experience sheweth us , that the offers of peace , which you have and do make us , are onely forms , and a policie to wearie out , divide and procure the utter destruction of the king●om . beeing sore aggrieved at , and for the disservices , dammages , and troubles which our sov●reign lord the king , & his kingdoms have , and do daily suffer , and s●eing that with this dissembled peace which you cunningly publish , may bee brought to ruine and perdition , wee are in the minde to persevere in that which wee have begun , and maintein the name of faithful and loial subjects , in discharging our duties to our sovereigns , and in executing what wee are obliged to perform to our selvs , and our countrie ; not forgetting what 's past , wee suffer with chearfulness all these troubles and afflictions , which are worthie of acknowledgment before god , and his majestie , our sovereign , since they pass as obligations which wee owe them . wee hope hence ●orwards , that all the oppressions and waies which you have used to divert and withdraw us from this holie purpose , shall not weaken or dis hearten us , but rather strengthen and encourage us the more to resist and fight against all those that hav● been the causers , and so detestable initiators of the miseries of these kingdoms . ●●d we trust in god that ●e wil speedily shew som heavie judgment upon the ●●●●ntors of such pervers actions , that they may alone suffer the punishment of ●heir crimes , not wee , nor those of the holie junta ; for whosoever will seriously and judiciously consider it , shall see , that there is no fear of blame ▪ where is faithfulness and truth , neither doth passion dare to presume , wher● the publick good is preferred before the particular ; nor ambition , wher● men without consideration of either honor , life or fort●nes , expose thems●lvs to divers hard censures and obloquies . but their actions rather ●mbolden and strengthen them to continue so just an undertaking , the obtei●ing whereof will procure us the perpetual peace which wee desire . yo● know , sirs , that the producer of peace is war ; if our forefathers had not fought and spilt their blood , wee should never have enjoied that happ●● peace which wee had during the time of the reign of king don fernando , and donia isabella of glorious memorie . that war is laudabl● , which tend's to the libertie of the king and kingdom ; and abominable i● that peace , whose end is subjection , oppression , and sl●verie : therefo●● our purpose and intention is , that our king may bee free , enjoie his kingdoms as our sovereign lord , not subject nor over swaied by any evil favorites , nor fals or cheating counsels . that his revenues and roial patrimonie may not bee usurped , or lavishly wasted , but preserved , or usefully expended for the good of his kingdoms , to the end hee may bee beloved , obeied , and faithfully served . and out of this love , obedience , and respect , wee wish , desire , and humbly beseech his majestie to seek a remedie for his roial crown , and his kingdoms ; that , under god , hee onely may bee ou● lord , our king , onely mightie , onely rich , his own and our onely helper an● redressor , whom onely we may fear , serv , ●onor , and obeie : to whom onely wee may asscribe the glorie , and render a due acknowledgment for our publick good , and to whom onely wee may address our complaints and grievan●●s : which if you would but seriously weigh and consider , you would not so condemn and oppose our holie proceedings , nor the sacred end at which we● aim . and since wee cannot accomplish our desire in a peaceable manner , it is but reason wee should endeavor to obtein them by war , in regard it is just and holie , our end beeing to finde everlasting peace . so it cannot bee said that the kingdom is caus of this war , but those disturbers , who hinder us from enjoying and procuring the universal good , which wee seek after ; for which they must render a strict account to god and their majesties , besides all the dammages , slaughters , extortions , and other grand mischiefs , which will all lie upon their score . the true peace is , that 〈◊〉 ▪ and the other grandees ceas from disturbing or hindering the universal 〈◊〉 , which wee labor with all our force and might to procure . for the effecting and settling of which peace , the truce which your lordships did desire was very requisite , if your actions had been answerable to your verbal expressions ; but that was not granted you , becaus it was demanded onely to amuse us , and to gain time to your selvs ; and if it were not so , neither is it just nor reasonable , that the kingdom should dis●band t●eir forces , which have cost so much trouble and charge the raising ; for the experience of former passages hath taught us , that your intent is to cosen and overcom us with such formal pretenses . but wee supplicate and require you , to give the kingdom leav to seek and finde the good which they pretend , and not to set your selvs in opposition and contradiction of our intentions ; for our drift and purpose is no other , then to advance our holie enterprise , and repel all those that shall withstand us . of whom our trust in god is , that ●re long wee shall obtein victorie . to whom wee make our heartie praiers , that hee will bee pleased to enlighten your illustrious understandings with the true knowledg of our caus. sect . xxxvi . although the cavaliers did treat of an accommodation , yet they ceased not to get what arms , and assemble what forces they could . the general letters signed by the cardinal , lord admiral , and earl of haro at tordesillas , with the date in blank , i have seen in the lord high constable's hands , with divers other originals . they demanded of avila eighteen hundred foot : of cordova , one thousand : of the citie of jaen , three hundred : of trugillo , one hundred and fiftie lances , and two hundred foot : of badajos , one hundred foot : of baeca , two hundred foot : of ecija , three hundred foot : of ubeda , two hundred foot. of xerez , one hundred and fiftie lances . of caceres , two hundred foot. of anduxar , one thousand foot. of ciudad-real , one hundred and twentie foot. of carmona , one hundred and fiftie foot. of the duke of arcos , sixtie lances . of the earl of vruen̄a , sixtie cross-bow-men on hors-back . of don fernando enriquez , twentie lances . of the earl of palma , twentie lances . of don rodrigo mexia , twentie lances . of the marquis of tarifa , fourscore lances . of the marquis of comares , thirtie lances . of the earl of ayamonte , thirtie lances . of the marquis of villanueva , twentie lances . of the earl of cabra , fiftie lances . of the duke of medina sidonia , one hundred lances . all these men they desired , and all paied for three months , promising to repaie the souldiers , and charges of levying and arming them out of his majestie 's revenue . at the same time , the lord high constable used the like diligence to rais men in the mountains , saying , hi● design was to resist the bishop of zamora , and the other traitors with him : also hee used means to intercept the arms which were coming from guipuzcoa to the commoners . sect . xxxvii . the commonalties , especially valladolid , were much displeased that those of the iunta , and the commanders of the armie did so prolong the war , for alreadie they were so exhausted , that they found themselvs not able to sustain it . and valladolid , who had so vast a charge of souldiers to maintain , and suffered exceedingly , by the continual assaults and incursions , which those of simancas made into their territories , was more sensible of the smart then any of the other cities , and never left praying and threatning in publick and in private , until they had persuaded or forced the captains to march out with their armie , and to end the dispute with the cavaliers in on battle . upon saturdaie night of the first week in lent the of february . iohn de padilla , with the greatest privacie that might bee , le●t his design should bee discovered , marched with his men out of valladolid to zaratan ( a village within a league of the citie ) where hee quartered that night . from whence hee went the same night with fourtie hors directly to simancas . beeing arrived at the watch-tower , which was upon a hill a little above the town , iohn de padilla asked the fellow which kept it , if hee had perceived any thing of the enemie ; the man thinking hee had been som of their garrison , said , yes ; i saw a great number of men march from valladolid to zaratan , which make's my heartake , for wee have but a few left in simancas . iohn de padilla presently laied hands on him , and carried him to his quarters , where having secured him , hee returned tow●rds simancas , by the waie hee lighted upon a partie of their hors , that had been scouring the countrie , those hee charged and chased into the very town , after which hee returned to zaratan , with a great prise of sheep , which hee took from them . three daies after this , came more men out of valladolid with the artilerie of medina . next daie after them , marched out those that came from los gelves , who were quartered in zaratan , arroyo , and other places about simancas , with them came the bishop of zamora , who although sick , would not staie behind the armie , saying , that in defence of the liberties of the kingdom , dead or alive , sick or in health , however hee would follow the camp , such was the courage and animositie of a prelate threescore years old at least . besides all these , came to joyn with him likewise iohn bravo and francisco maldonado , with all their forces and divers hors-men . some daies they remained in zaratan , pillaging and taking what they could from those of simancas and torrelobaton . some daies they took from the inhabitants of the enemie's quarters sheep per diem , and though it was lent , their bishop gave them leav to eat flesh , so they wanted for no good cheer . another time iohn de padilla marched out of his quarters with a great partie of hors , and met with some of simancas and torrelobaton's garrisons , and after an hot skirmish , wherein som on both sides were killed , iohn de padilla took fiftie cavaliers , horses and arms , for which hee might have had great sums of monie , if hee would have ransomed them , but hee refused it . sect . xxxviii . it beeing a holie time ( in lent ) and the war dangerous and prejudicial , divers good religious men interceded for an accomodation of these differences , and to procure an absolute peace , if possible . at aniago ( a monasterie of the carthusians , upon the river duero , three leagues from valladolid ) was the meeting place to treat . those of the commonaltie had very fair and advantagious conditions offered them , but their heads beeing possessed with prejudice , and their hearts infected with the poisonous vice of war , having the libertie to pillage and spoil as they listed , they would not hearken to any reason . indeed the lord high constable , and the lord admiral , are both worthie of immortal prais ; for out of a most christian zeal and affection to their countrie , they desired this peace , offering the commonalties all favorable and reasonable terms possible , and indented with the emperor , in a manner , that hee should grant and confirm whatsoever they agreed upon with them , and that hee should remit and pardon all the injuries they had done to his roial crown ; protesting moreover , that it grieved them to the souls that any man should die in that quarrel ; yet nothing would do . sect . xxxix . on thursdaie , the of februarie , iohn de padilla marched out of zaratan with his whole camp ( which consisted of seven thousand foot , and five hundred lances ) at two of the clock after midnight , going very silently in good order , and taking guides along with them to shew them the waie to torrelobaton , in the very suburbs whereof hee took up his quarters , robbing and plundering all they could lay hands on ; but the people had carried all their best goods into the town , which was very strong . the next daie iohn de padilla commanded his great ordnance to bee planted in convenient places , to batter ●he town , which hee did very smartly ; but all his shots were to little purpose , for the rampires were extraordinarie . after this hee gave them a brisk assault , with great clamors of men , and bouncing of guns , but hee got nothing by that , for the besieged defended themselvs with much resolution . in this conflict ( which lasted all daie ) were divers slain and hurt , but the most part were of iohn de padilla's men , who fought at disadvantage , having no defence nor rampires to shelter them ; so that seeing the great loss hee received , and the little good hee did , mos● of their ladders beeing too short , and those that ventured to mount up , were either knock'd down dead , or shrewdly wounded , hee thought it his best waie to fall off , and sound a retreat ; so the combate ceased for that time : all that night iohn de padilla labored to entrench himself , and rais a batterie in another place , that hee might give them another fresh assault the next daie . the lord admiral , and the others at tordesillas , beeing advertised of iohn de padilla's beeing advanced to torrelabaton , sent presently to draw the garrisons out of simancas , and portillo , with intent to reliev torrelobaton , if possible , although they were but weak in foot , and the enemie had great store , and very good . first they sent out two troops of hors to discover the order and strength of the enemie's camp , with whom they had som slight skirmishes . this daie iohn de padilla wasted in raising a new batterie , and planting his artillerie , but hee found that p●rt of the town no less strong then the former , so that hee could do no execution ; but on the morrow ( which was the third daie of his beeing there ) hee removed his ordnance to another part of the wall , which was weaker , where hee made som breaches , which those of valladolid and toledo spying , ran presently hurrying without order to enter ; the dispute continued very hot a great while ; but the besieged behaved themselvs so gallantly , that they were forced to retreat with no smal loss . the same daie the earl of haro , captain general , having left a sufficient guard in tordesillas , marched out to face the enemie , with a matter of a thousand lances , intending to give the alarm on one side of the town , whil'st the governor don francisco ossorio , lord of valdonquillo carried in a fresh suppli● of souldiers on the other . hee desired of the lord admiral that they might bee horsmen , but the earl of haro thought that not so convenient , hee having more need of the cavalrie for the field-battle : beeing com within sight of the town in the evening , they staied upon the top of a hill , whence the earl sent a partie of his hors to skirmish with som arcabusiers , ( who beeing betwixt the besieged , and the mud-walls , stood much to their advantage ) but seeing his men cruelly galled , and able to do no good there , hee commanded they should retreat to the bodie , which was still upon the hill expecting don francisco ossorio to put in execution their intended design : but whil'st they were thus staying , arrived a gentleman with a letter from the lord admiral , to the earl of haro , saying , that hee might return again , for hee had notice since , that there was no such need of putting any succor into torrelobaton , for there was already strength sufficient to defend it ; notwithstanding this countermand , divers gentlemen offered to go into the town ; but it could not bee attempted , the lord admiral having forbidden the ladders to bee brought , which were agreed upon . so it behoved the earl to go back again that night to tordesillas , without bringing his purpose to effect , to satisfie the lord admiral , who ( as it afterwards proved ) was very much over-seen therein : but som say , hee was angrie becaus the earl of haro did not follow his advice in the prosecution of that design . iohn de padilla beeing alarmed by these thousand hors , and finding that hee had not force enough for the offensive and defensive both , sent presently to valladolid for more . upon receipt of his letter , three thousand foot , and four hundred hors were ordered to march to the armie at torrelobaton , vvho vvent vvith as good a will to fight , as if they had gon to gain the iubilee . on saturday febr. they arrived in the suburbs , to the no less rejoicing and encouragement of the besiegers , then the dis-heartening and terror of the besieged ; who sent to the lord admiral , complaining very much of valladolid , saying , that onely that citie ●id them all the mischief . sunday , munday , and tuesday they battered incessantly with all their ordnance , and very many were killed on both sides : a man could not peep above the wall , but hee had presently a bullet , or an arrow in his head : yet the cavaliers stood out manfully ; but beeing not above four hundred foot , and som few hors , they were not able to defend themselvs , and w●thstand the continual assaults of the enemie , having no intermission nor time to take any rest , besides provisions began to fail them . iohn de padilla having raised several batteries against the town , at last one of them made a breach , where ( whil'st the besieged were defending themselvs in another part of the town ) those of valladolid entred with their colors ; they sacked the town with the greatest crueltie in the world : they killed the poor laboring men , becaus they could not give them what they demanded , spilled all their wines , breaking the tubs in pieces ; they plundered the churches , stript the altars , and broke open the tombs , thinking to finde som hidden treasure therein . finally they did such things , that the most savage bruits , who have not the use of reason , could not do wors , respecting neither humane things nor divine . next daie beeing wednesdaie , they fell to battering of the tower , which defended it self stoutly , but beeing full of women and children that had retired themselvs thither for securitie ( who feeling it shake at everie shot that hit it ) cried out , fearing it would fall upon their heads , and having nothing to eat , it was surrendered upon condition to secure all their lives , and half their goods . thus iohn d● padilla took torrelobaton , which was no inconsiderable piece of service ▪ hereby hee gained himself much reputation amongst the common-people , it beeing but three leagues from tordesillas , where the governors , with all their forces , were . the towns which stood for the commonaltie , made great shews of rejoicing for this victorie . the lord admiral , and those that were with him , were cruelly netled hereat , and beeing vexed more for their honor's sake , then for the importance of the place , they resolved to bee revenged . so they gave notice forthwith to the lord high constable of all passages , who commanded immediately four thousand men ( which hee had ready ) with four pieces of ordnance , to march by the waie of palencia to tordesillas , whereof don iohn de mendoça having intelligence , sallied out of valladolid with above four thousand foo● , and stopt their passage . t●e cavaliers seeing they could get no succor that waie , nor having men enough in tordesillas to encounter iohn de padilla , who was very strong , besides all the cities beeing their enemies , they sent to demand a truce for eight daies of iohn de padilla , which although he , and som of the commissioners that were with him , were not unwilling to grant , yet they durst not , without consulting with valladolid ; for in regard they stood in great need of that citie , and were very much favored and assisted by them , they bare them a singular respect , and would determine nothing without their privitie . this was communicated to all the people of valladolid , and discussed ; at length they all agreed to return this answer , that they should by no means grant them any truce , no , not for one hour , but proceed against them with all manner of rigor ; for it was most certain , that they demanded a truce for nothing els , but meerly to recruit themselvs of men and provisions , to the prejudice of the commonaltie ; and if they did grant them eight or fifteen daies libertie , by the ancient law of the kingdom they might renew their cessation still to ninetie and six daies , and so from ninetie six to ninetie six , until the year were out ; by which procrastinations , the commonalties would bee destroied and ruined , and the people lose their courage and good zeal , which at present did animate them to defend their liberties : yet notwithstanding valladolid sent this answer , the commissioners of the kingdom , and the commanders of the armie did grant the truce for eight daies , from sunday to sundaie . sect . xxxix . this cessation was demanded after the taking of torrelobaton , although that much displeased the lord admiral , and fray francisco de los angeles went to valladolid , in his and the cardinal's name , to treat thereof , whom alonso de vera a bridler and one of the worshipful citie officers , meeting at the gate del campo , treated very uncivilly , and would not suffer to enter into the citie . after this , alonso de ortiz , with danger enough of his life , ventured to return thither , with letters of credence to treat about the same business . who beeing entred into the citie , communicated his errand to don pedro de ayala , and don hernando de ulloa , ( whom hee found died in grain for his purpose ) and forth with they gave order , that the iunta should assemble to hear the message that alonso de ortiz brought from tordesillas . which beeing heard , and the articles and conditions of the truce being almost concluded , and the time for the continuance thereof limited ; it chanced that fray pablo and sancho zimbron ( who ●arried the articles of the kingdom into flanders , to get them granted and au●horized by his majestie , as hath been alreadie mentioned ) arrived at valladolid : and hearing that they were about a treatie of cessation of arms , fray pablo presently sent notice of his arrival to the iunta , desiring them that they would not conclude of either peace , or war , or truce ; until hee came to give them an account of the employment , upon which they had sent him into flanders . hereupon that business was suspended until the evening : and then the commissioners of the kingdom beeing set againe , fray pablo came and gave them an account of his journie , and what hee had done . amongst other relations , hee told them , that when hee came into flanders , the emperor was gon into germanie , whither hee and sancho zimbron intended to follow him ; but by the waie hee was informed that his majestie had given order ( if they came into germanie ) to have them hanged ; whereupon they went no further . moreover , that hee knew that his majestie was so displeased with those articles , and so incensed against those that had a●y hand in the making of them , or in raising those commotions in the kingdom , that at his return into spain , they should bee all severely punished , notwithstanding any engagement or promises the governors had made to the contrarie in his name . this information the frier gave the commissioners of the kingdoms , besides divers other particulars , which are too tedious to relate . in conclusion , hee told them that his advice was , that they should contract neither peace nor truce with the grandees , but stand firm and unanimously persevere in their former resolution . so that if his majestie would com again into their kingdom , 〈◊〉 might bee through their means , and not by the grandees . for that beeing done by a permissive will of the kingdom , they might make their own conditions , and have what securitie they pleased ; besides , they might so make their bargain , that if his majestie did not perform his agreement with them , the kingdom might remain united and agreed , that all the people should assemble whensoever occasion did require , and stick close one to the other in what concerned them for their defence , and have sufficent assurance that the agreement made with them should bee performed . wherefore his opinion was , that they ought not onely , not to grant the truce which was desired , but couragiously to persist in the war , until they had destroyed the grandees , and made the commissioners of the kingdom with the iunta , lords of the countrie . notwithstanding this discours of fray pablo , the commissioners commanded ortiz to continue the treatie . after all this , it hapned that the frier sitting next to ortiz , and taking him to bee a commissioner of som citie , that was com to the iunta since his departure , hee began to repeat som thing of his discours to the other commissioners , but chiefly harped upon the emperor's intent to punish the commoners , notwithstanding any pardon the governors should promise them in his behalf . whereupon , not well brooking his speeches , ortiz asked him how hee knew the emperor had any such thought : hee answered hee was told so . then ortiz could hold no longer , but with a voice that might bee heard by all in the room , said , that hee wondred that a man of his coat and gravitie , beeing a doctor of divinitie , who ought to give good example , should positively saie a thing of such importance ( as that which hee had verified to those gentlemen in these words , ( that notwithstanding any pardon the gavernors should grant , confirmed by his majestie , those who had raised the commotions in the kingdom , his majestie would punish at his return , as if they had been taken in the fact ) upon no other certaintie , but onely hear-saie ; in regard those words were enough to disturb and hinder the conclusion of the truce , which might produce a peace , and those of his dignitie and profession ought rather to endeavour to make peace , when other hopes failed , then to hinder and obstruct the means of procuring it . the frier hearing this , was very wrath , and asked who hee was ; it beeing told him that ortiz was the man that sollicited for the truce in behalf of the cavaliers , hee stole out of the iunta . ortiz staied still , treating with the commissioners about the conditions of the truce . in mean time fray pablo went to som of the citie , telling them that they had suffered a traitor to com in amongst them , whom the grandees had sent under the notion of treating a truce , to espie what was done in the citie , and to sound the people's inclinations : that in his opinion they ought to turn him out of the citie , or apprehend him , and make him confess the principal caus of his coming thither . presently the commoners , in whose heads hee had buzz'd these things , went along with him to the iunta , all armed , and boldly rushed into the chamber where they sate , asking them very peremptorily , why they suffered a traitor to com into the citie , to spie and make advantage of their proceedings ; requiring the commissioners forthwith to discharge him the ci●ie , otherwise they would apprehend him and make him give them an account of his business there ; other high language and threatnings they used , which put ortiz in a bodily fear . the co●missioners with smooth and flattering words pacified them in such sort , that they went quietly awaie . which done , ortiz thus spake unto them , gentlemen , if becaus i came hither upon your words and assurance to treat of the truce , this stir and combustion hath been rais●d , rather then the people shall turn mee out of the citie , i will depart : but if you pleas to treat further of the business , for which i have undertaken this journie , and will promiss as you are gentlemen to secure and defend mee , notwithstanding their menaces , i will staie until all bee concluded . those of the junta answered , that they were contented , and gave him their words , upon the faith of gentlemen , to defend him . so the treatie went on , and they stirr'd not from the place until the conditions were all concluded , whereof a copie was given to ortiz , inclosed with the conditions and articles , besides a particular dispatch from the iunta general , and the particular iunta of valladolid to their captains , then beeing at torrelobaton , giving them to understand , that they had agreed unto that truce , and commanding them to obeie it , and caus it to bee proclaimed in their armie , verbatim as it was there written . with these dispatches departed ortiz post from valladolid , after eleven of the clock in the night , and arrived at torrelobaton about one ; where hee found neither in the camp , nor in the town , any guard ; so hee entred into the suburbs with his servants , where two thousand men laie fast asleep about their fires , so careless , that two hundred men , falling upon them at that time , had been enough to have destroied the whole armie . ortiz lost no time , but forthwith hee notified to iohn de padilla , and other commanders , the orders for the truce . that same night , and next morning , they all assembled , and although there were som dissenting opinions amongst them , and difficulties of either accepting or keeping it , especially beeing contradicted highly by diego de guzman , commissioner of salamanca , who , by command of the iunta , came into the armie , under notion of beeing the general 's overseer . at length the truce was accepted and proclaimed in the armie ; whereof ortiz taking certificate , departed presently for tordesillas , where hee was joifully received by the lord admiral and the cardinal , with the rest of the grandees , who all were very glad of that truce , as thinking it the precursor of the so generally desired peace . the same night being assembled in the cardinal's chamber , the lord admiral , the earl of venavente , the marquis of astorga , the earl of miranda , the earl of alva de lista , the earl of villarrambla , the earl of cifuentes , and divers other private gentlemen , besides iuan rodriquez mausino , embassador from the king of portugal , el licenciado polanca of the council , and pedro de camaceli secretarie ; before them all ortiz related the troubles which hee had gon through , and produced the dispatches which hee brought concerning the truce , wherein those of the junta said , that they were contented to condescend to the truce , which was desired in the behalf of the governors of the kingdom , in order to the service of god , and becaus the king of portugal had so commanded it : the nobles were much distasted hereat , saying , they would not consent to the truce upon such terms ; that they were not so ill provided , as that the commoners should think they had any advantage of them : that they were ready to give them battle whensoever they would , and that the truce should not bee accepted nor proclaimed in their armie , unless those words were altered . hereupon were different opinions and votes ; at last it was resolved that ortiz should go back to valladolid , to treat thereupon . som daies were spent whil'st this was in agitation , during which time neither the truce was well observed , neither was there open war. whereupon the commonalties , especially valladolid , were highly discontented , and went muttering out their complaints in these or the like words , that their captains having raised themselvs to such high offices , did but dallie and grew negligent of the caus ; that the cav●liers did amuse them in trifling away the time in treaties , onely to recruit and strengthen themselvs , and fall upon them when they saw their advantage ; in which opinion they were not much mistaken . sect . xl. don pedro lasso , and alonso de guadalaxara 〈◊〉 ●●●sioner of segovia , were all this time at the mo●●●●● 〈…〉 dominicans , without tordesillas , treating of peace ●●th the ●●●dinal and lord admiral . but upon the taking and sacking of torrelobaton , the lord admiral beeing very much displeased , the treatie was broken off for a while ; yet out of the great desire hee had to see the kingdom settled , hee fell to treat again of the peace . and beeing agreed upon som articles , it was the general opinion of them , that the cessation would conduce much to the conclusion of the rest ; for the better and more speedy effecting whereof , divers prelates and good religious men came from several parts to ass●●t at the treatie . the governors and noblemen condescended to the greatest part , and most important of the articles , which the commonalties desired , and the peace was in a fair waie of beeing concluded ; but the commoners were so mistrustful , that they could not agree about the securitie : the governors and grandees offered to oblige their persons and estates to procure the emperor's approbation and confirmation of their agreement with the people , besides other very fair propositions which the king of portugal's embassador did much incite the commoners to accept : but they would have the grandees engage themselvs to demand it by force of arms , in case the emperor should denie to ratifie their conditions and promises to the people , delivering them som principal persons as hostages , and certain forts ( then in their hands ) as pledges of their performance thereof . insomuch that t●eir standing upon such terms , destroied absolutely all hopes and probabilitie of peace . yet hoping that time might produce som better effect , it was resolved before the truce was fully expired , to procure a prorogation or a renewing of it ; to vvhich effect the embassador of portugal , and don pedro lasso , taking som grave religious men vvith them , the last daie of the truce vvent to torrelobaton , and gave john de padilla , and the other captains , an account of all passages ; who , whether not willing , or not having the power to grant their desires , agreed ( although the truce was out ) to go to zaratan ; where those of the junta assembled to treat thereupon . but they were so high , and fearing thereby to lose their great offices , especially the commanders of the armie , that they could agree upon neither peace nor truce , although som of the iunta did give their votes for it , whereof don pedro lasso de la vega was the leading man , who from that time forwards left them , withdrawing himself from that assemblie , and went to the governors at tordesillas . thus the truce and treaties came to nothing , onely this benefit they produced , that in those eight daies time iohn de padilla lost a good part of his armie ; for those souldiers , who had gotten monie , or any good plunder at the sacking of torrelobaton , the passages beeing free and secure during the truce , went home to their own dwellings ; the like did divers of the hors of the antient guards of the kingdom , becaus they were not paied . after this there was another assemblie at bamba , whither iohn de padilla was sent for , who beeing com , they all agreed to sit at zaratan . thither repaired divers from valladolid on hors-back and on foot , to small purpose : the grandees demanded truce for eight daies more , or for three ; but the commoners would by no means give consent thereunto , alleging that they would deceiv them : then they went to dinner , but beeing ready to sit down , iohn de padilla had notice , that they had a design to murther him , whereupon , without staying to eat or drink , away went hee to torrelobaton , and the rest to tordesillas . sect . xli . by this time don antonio de zun̄iga had on foot a complete armie in the kingdom of toledo , in favor of his majesties loial servants , and to reduce ocan̄a , which with other places of the maestrazgo of santjago was risen up in arms : and beeing at almaguer , the gardian of st iuan de los reyes of toledo came to him with certain admonitions and treaties from that citie , and commonaltie thereof , insomuch that there was a kinde of truce betwixt them , and probabilities of a peaceable accommodation : but it fell out otherwise , and their difference grevv to an open war , the bishop of zamora beeing made captain for ocan̄a , and other revolted places , against don antoni . sect . xlii . in some papers which i have seen originals of fray antonio de guevaua , chronicler to his imperial majestie , concerning the commonalties , hee mention's that the town of duen̄as likewise rose up in arms , and misdemeaned themselvs exceedingly towards the earl and countess of buendia , who making resistance against their furie , the people sent to desire succor from those of the junta . and hee saie's that those of the junta and the commoners also did seem to bee sorrie that those of duen̄as had desobliged the earl , becaus neither hee nor his ladie had expressed any disaffection to the commonalties , and that of secret friends their miscarriage had now made them open enemies . yet seeing that it was of no small concernment to have the town of duen̄as at their devotion , the succor which they demanded , was forthwith sent them from valladolid , to wit , seven hundred foot , pikemen , muskettiers , and cross-bow-men , and all paid for a certain time . for which they returned thanks in a letter to valladolid , wherein they made large expressions and protestations of their firm resolution to serv the emperor , and the commonaltie , with divers other things . sect . xliii . the th of march . both the armies were in ill condition enough , and neither of them could boast of much advantage over the other , according to the information which don pedro luxan commendador mayor of castilla beeing in simancas , did give the emperor ; saying , that in that garrison they stood in want of men ; that john de padilla with the other captains for the commonaltie had taken torrelobaton ; that from tordesillas and other places thereabout , his foot had received some prejudice . that divers of his men had left the camp , as is usual when an armie lie's still without action . that the like was done by the foot in the loyal armie also , but of hors they had a sufficient quantitie . that the armie remaining in torrelobaton , was reported not to exceed two thousand foot , and three hundred hor● . that iohn de padilla and those with him were upon their departure thence , having a great desire to com to simancas , where they presumed at least a thousand more would com to them from valladolid , out of revenge and hatred to those of that garrison , and to secure themselvs from any further dammage . that monie began to grow scarce amongst the commoners , and that their souldiers were ill paid . that the same diseas was amongst the cavaliers , yet they had somwhat salved that sore by the sale of those noblemen's and gentlemen's plate that were in tordesillas , wherewith they had procured monie to give one months paie to the foot , and two to the hors viz. march and april , ( by which time the emperor had written that hee would bee back in flanders and readie to take shipping for spain . ) and that those old souldiers which came from los gelves , came every daie , by two and three at a time , into the cavaliers armie , and gave out that the rest would all go neer to follow them . finis libri quinti . the civil wars of spain . the sixth book . sect . i. the passions seated in the souls of men are in effect not unlike to the recoverie of a bodie out of some desperate sickness : for any the least excess cast's the affected partie into a relapse , and by an untimely precipitation hurrieth him into the sepulchre . the cavaliers and the commoners did not treat with that realtie as they ought : some made a fair shew , and seemed to desire a peace , though they were best contented with the war , for divers particular interests which they did receiv thereby . others dissembled ( though not altogether ) and the most part of those ( which were called commoners ) were prepossessed with a diffident and distrustful humor , holding for uncertain and onely pretences , all the conditions that were offred them on the behalf of his majestie and the cavaliers . whilest they were in a treatie during the eight daies of truce , two things hapned which destroyed all the impostume or poison wherewith their hearts were swoln , bursting out into the disorders which in this book shall bee related , and shall conclude this deplorable historie . insomuch that the clouds , which hung over castilla , threatning a cruel storm , were all dissipated in one short and not bloodie battle betwixt the cavaliers and the commoners , in the plain of villalar , the success whereof struck such remors of conscience into the people's hearts , and the cities acknowledging their errors , returned to their obedience unto him , whom god had given them for their king , serving and loving him , as shall bee ●een hereafter . during the fore-mentioned occurrences , francisco de mercado , corregidor of medina del campo , with twentie hors ( which in those daies were called esquiers ) and other persons , who by command of the iunta were coming to valladolid , at the pass over the river duero ( which is two leagues from valladolid and one from simancas ) they were encountred by a partie of one hundred and fiftie light-hors of the earl of on̄ate's , who were going to seek adventures : four of those of medina were killed upon the place ; francisco de mercado , the master of the ordnance , and two more were taken prisoners , and carried to simancas . notice hereof beeing given at valladolid , they sent out a strong partie to rescue them but it was too late ; and the corregidor of medina ( who was immediatly released again ) hindred them somwhat , for meeting with them hee told them , they might go back again , for the business was nothing ; but afterwards knowing the truth of the storie , they apprehended the corregidor of medina for a suspicious person , laying to his charge the loss of those men , and would have executed him presently , but upon more serious consideration they held it best to dissemble and forbear a while , lest they should thereby indanger the lives of those that were prisoners at simancas . so they sent first to demand them , making great complaints , that during the truce they should commit such acts of hostilitie , and break their words with them : but they found no amends . sect . ii. that which chiefly incensed the mindes of all the commonaltie was , that before the time of the truce was exspired , there was set up ( they knew not by whom ) in the market place of valladolid , a proclamation made and signed by the governors of the kingdom , wherein they named divers citizens of valladolid , toledo , salamanca , madrid , guadalaxara , murcia , segovia , toro , zamora , and all the rest of the commonalties , to the number of five hundred persons , and som gentlemen , declaring them traitors , violaters of their faith to god and their king , and calling the bishop , and iohn de padilla , and other officers of the commonaltie , treacherous enemies to his majestie . this was dispatched in burgos , and proclaimed with great solemnitie before anton gallo , chancellor and secretarie of his majestie 's council then at burgos , and divers other persons of note . the names of the parties mentioned beeing very many , and that importing little or nothing to the substance of the historie , i shall not trouble the reader therewith . sect . iii. valladolid , in revenge of this proclamation , set up against them , and the rest of the commonalties , the next daie after it was found in the market place , they pasted upon the door of santa maria church ( which is now the cathedral ) a paper , with a direction to the citie of valladolid , animating them to persevere in their holie purpose , and not to bee intimidated for any practices of the enemies , or bee troubled at their reviling them with such opprobrious terms , and encouraging all those of the commonaltie to make all forces possible , and march speedily into the field with so numerous an armie , that the sight of them onely should serv to overcom their enemies without fighting , by which means they should save the lives of many men , which would bee lost , if their armies met with equal strength , besides the hazard to which they should expose their caus. and if they were successful , the war would bee at an end , peace and plentie vvould encreas , the libertie and publick good of the kingdom ensue , and the name of traitors remain upon the conquerred , vvho never vvould dare to face them again : this , vvith som other things to the same effect , vvas the substance of that paper , vvhich the common people read vvith great content and applaus , crying it up exceedingly , and sending copies of it through the vvhole kingdom . sect . iv. padilla's staying so long at torrelobaton was very prejudicial to the commonalties ; for besides that hee lost many men , hee gave the cavaliers time to recruit and strengthen themselvs notably , whereas questionless if hee had fallen upon tordesillas assoon as hee had taken in torrelobaton , hee had driven them to extraordinarie straits . but he remained there hugging himself with that small victorie , and the applaus of the people , which hee had thereby procured : hee fell to repairing the walls which hee had battered down , as if hee intended to make that the seat and residence of his armie , which lasted not long after . the cities of toro and zamora sent him som fresh supplies , whereof the cavaliers having notice , they sent out a partie of seven hundred lances to cut off their waie , and their lives too , if they could ; near pedrosa they met , and after a prettie hot skirmish , the cavaliers forced them into the town , where they besieged them close ; but iohn de padilla having notice of his men's distress , soon came to reliev them with three thousand foot , and five hundred hors , leaving a sufficient guard in torrelobaton : whom when the cavaliers saw with so great force , they made their retreat good to tordesillas ; and iohn de padilla marched with his men to castromonte ( another town of the lord admiral 's ) and having taken it , left a garrison in it , and thence returned to torrelobaton , intending to exspect the succor for which hee had sent to the cities of his combination ; in the mean time hee repaired and fortified the town , ( as i said before ) lest the cavaliers of tordesillas should fall upon him before the forces hee exspected were com to him . there hee began to be sensible of his own ill government , and of the dammage which hee received by his too great confidence , which soon after hee more plainly saw , to the loss of his libertie and life . for it is a blindeness and imperfection of a man's intellect to thrust himself upon imploiments beyond the reach of his capacitie , and having undertaken them , to bee r●miss in the execution of them . to bee the occasion of any troubles or disturbance in a common-wealth is not justifiable , but beeing once ingaged , it is an act of prudence for a man to bee vigilant and active in the atchievment of his design . sect . v. it were unjust that the great zeal wherewith the lord high admiral of castilla was moved to reduce the people of that kingdom ( which were up in arms ) by fair means and without bloodshed , to peace and due obedience to his majestie , should pass without mentioning , for the eternal memorie of so noble a person , and the honor of his generous familie , who ( as it is well known ) was of the blood roial . having advertisment that don̄a maria pacheco mendoça , wife to iohn de padilla , had a great hand with her husband , and might contribute much to the withdrawing him from that imployment , nay , that hee had done the more by her instigation and spurring him on . and that pedro lopez de padilla , his father , was yet living in toledo , but very old and decrepit ; the lord admiral sent a gentleman , one of the emperor's servants to them , with instructions full of prudent and sage counsels and advice , and strong arguments to convince and persuade them to induce iohn de padilla to moderate his over-violent passion , and admit of a treatie with him , advising him not to bee so extreme careful and earnest in advancing the affairs of valladolid , as to forget his own , assuring him that if hee would ( as then it was in his power ) but contribute his consent to the concluding of a peace , hee would not onely procure a pardon from his majestie of all past-offencers , but set him highly in his esteem , and obtein divers favors and mercedes to bee confirmed upon him and his children . these , and divers other good remonstrances hee gave alonso de quin̄ones to urge at toledo , to the above-named persons ; but hee might gave saved that labor . sect . vi. those of the iunta , hearing of the great power which the earl of salvatierra had assembled in the mountains , wherewith hee had possessed himself of the artillerie , which was coming from navarra to the cavaliers , and of the forces which the bishop of zamora had in the kingdom of toledo , besides those which were with iohn de padilla , had their hearts at eas , thinking their game cock-sure . moreover , divers of the kingdom , who had look'd on till then , seeing the grandees so hard bestead , took up arms to make good the caus of the commonaltie . and had things been as those of the commonaltie could have wished , they would have had partakers and abettors enough . but there is no law in this life for the good , or the evil to overcom , or bee overcom ; for favorable , or an advers fortune . yet seeing themselvs in so good a condition , and highly resenting the proclamation which was published by the governors , against them and the cities , they resolved to paie them in the same coin . they fulminated a process as they pleased themselvs , and having commanded a great scaffold to bee erected in the chief market-place of valladolid , adorning it with hangings of rich cloth of gold and silk , and steps and seats placed in good order , on sundaie the of march , , all the commissioners of the iunta , and deputies , with a great number of attendants , and sound of trumpets , drums , and other musick , came and seated themselvs upon it : before them went the kings at arms , with the maces and coats of the kingdom , and beeing placed in their throne , their attornie general read with a loud voice . that they had made a process against the admiral and constable of castilla , the earl of venavente , earl of haro , earl of alva de lista , earl of salinas , ma●quis of astorga , the bishop of astorga , against the secretaries and other officers of the evil council ( for so they termed his majestie 's council ) and against the high treasurers , and under treasurers ; the merchants , and other inhabitants of burgos , tordesillas , ●imancas , and other places , declaring them traitors , and breakers of the truce , expressing divers reasons , especially the burning of medina del campo , with the cruel and inhumane sacking of tordesillas , wherein they alleged , the cavaliers shewed neither respect to god , nor his saints , nor the person of the queen , who was present ; and that two souldiers , without fear of god or their own consciences , broke into a church , and stript the image of our ladie , and cut off one of her arms , for greediness of som gold which there was upon it . that som others took away the custodia , whereof one eat up the consecrated hostia . they ripped up a thousand more such like things , which i shall now omit to rehears . thus our spaniards treat●d each other , beeing all of the same nation and language ; and yet all this was for their king's service , ( as they pretended ) and to free the kingdom from tyrants . sect . vii . after this , the war grew very hot , and their passions on both sides implacable , and no daie passed without some sallying out of the garrisons to robb and spoil each other . som companies of musketiers having notice of provisions and munition that was carrying to tordesillas , marched out of torrelobaton to intercept them . whereof the earl of haro beeing informed , took a stout partie of hors with him , and gave such a hot charge to iohn de padilla's men , that hee left divers of them dead upon the place , and took one hundred and fiftie prisoners , which so scared the rest , that they never durst quatch afterwards , nor make any incursions upon his territories , as when they came first thither they boasted they would do . those of medina del campo , roving in like manner on the other side , the earl of haro with all the nobles and gentrie in tordesillas ( except the lord admiral , whom in respect of his age and charge of governor , they desired to staie with the queen ) went one daie purposely to face it , and scour the whole countrie about it , at whose appearing , those of the town sallied forth and skermished with them , in which encounter some of them were sorely wounded , others taken prisoners , amongst whom was alonso luys de quintanilla their captain , son to don luys quintanilla , to whom ( as is alreadie said ) those of the iunta committed the charge of her majestie , when they took tordesillas . iohn de padilla having intelligence from some inhabitants of tordesillas , of the earl of haro's grand sallie . determined with his armie to assault it in his absence , and put the governors to a rout , and some report , that hee had a promiss from those inhabitants to make one of the gates for him : which beeing told the lord admiral , and that iohn de padilla was alreadie upon his march , hee sent word immediately to the earl of haro , who lost no time after this notice , but with all his gallant partie came thundring back to tordesillas ; which iohn de padilla perceiving , hee durst not prosecute his design , but wheeled back to his garrison of torrelobaton . after this , they remained some daies prettie quiet , without any encounter or action considerable . for , by reason of iohn de padilla's obstinate resolution of staying in torrelobaton , his armie was so diminished , that hee had not men enough left to make a sallie of any consequence . wherefore hee sent to salamanca , toro , zamora , and other cities , demanding fresh supplies . on the other side , the governors agreed to put in effect what they had discussed amongst themselvs , which was , that the lord high constable coming from burgos with his forces , they should all joyn in one bodie , and make up an armie sufficient to encounter iohn de padilla , in case hee should take the field , ( the succors which hee exspected beeing arrived ) or to besiege him where hee was : for beeing divided , they could not attempt either of those enterprises , without danger and a doubtfulness of the success , neither indeed had they strength enough to perform either design , considering they must leav a competent garrison in tordesillas . according to this resolution , the lord high constable , & other noblemen , with the forces they brought w th them to burgos , prepared themselvs for the journie . the duke of naxara , then vice-roy of navarra , sent him a thousand old souldiers , and som artillerie , which with his own men , and those other noblemen's with him , made three thousand choice foot , and five hundred gallant hors , well armed , besides som gentlemen , and light horsmen , and besides those which hee sent before with don diego de sarmiento earl of salinas , and those which his nephew don pedro xuarez de velasco carried to subdue the merindades . with these forces marched the lord high constable from burgos , leaving the citie under the government and guard of don antonio de velasco earl of nieva , with a competent number of men to that purpose . iohn de padilla , and the other captains of the commonaltie , having notice hereof , sent presently to the town of vezerril ( which is in campos ) where he was to pass , advertising and requiring don iohn de figueroa , brother to the duke of arcos , ( who still followed the commonaltie with som cuirassiers , and light horsmen , then beeing at vezerril ) to defend the pass , and do the lord high constable what disturbance and mischief hee could : but hee beeing arrived , commanded his men to storm the town , which was done , and hee entred without any great difficultie , it beeing a place of no considerable strength . don iohn de figueroa , and another gentleman with him , called don iohn de luna , were sent prisoners to the castle of burgos ; which done , the lord high constable continued on his march to rioseco , where hee arrived with four thousand foot , six hundred hors , three or four great pieces of ordnance , about five hundred gascones , and six hundred moors of the kingdom of aragon , vassals to the earl of almenara , wherewith hee served the cavaliers . sect . viii . the cavaliers had so plaied their cards in the kingdom of aragon , that two thousand souldiers were raised in the citie of saragosa , and paied at the kingdom 's charge ; who beeing mustered , and ready to depart , the common people of the citie hearing that they were levyed in favor of the cavaliers against the commonalties of castilla ; there was such a hubbub and uproar of a sudden in the citie , that all the people fell unawars upon those souldiers , disarmed and routed them quite , saying , that aragon had nothing to do to meddle or contradict any thing concerning the liberties of castilla . don pedro giron , who was retired to a town of his named pen̄afiel , gave intelligence of the raising of these men , to those of the commonaltie , and that a great part of them , after they were disarmed , marched to the lord high constable at burgos , whom upon this notice , they saie , the earl of salvatierra did cut off by the waie , which was a thing of no great difficultie , considering in what ill equipage and condition they then were . don pedro said moreover , that hee sent them this advertisement , meerly out of a desire to express his readiness to serv the commonalties , and the citie of valladolid , telling them , that it would not bee amiss to send their acknowledgments and thanks to saragosa , for doing them so great a favor without beeing desired . hee wrote another letter to valladolid immediately after hee had deserted them , and relinquished the office of captain general , vindicating himself of the suspitions and fault wherewith they charged him , offering to return unto his command , and desiring them to bee favorable in their censure , until they knew further : whereupon som gave their votes for his returning to his charge , alleging , that although hee had committed an error , and in probabilitie not unwillingly , in marching to villapando , and leaving the waie clear for the cavaliers to go from rioseco to tordesillas , the fault was chiefly to bee derived upon don pedro lasso . but iohn de padilla had gained so much repute amongst them , and the common people , that most of the iunta disliked that proposition : and it was better for don pedro giron they did so , for it was a stain to the greatness of his birth to bee captain of such people . sect . ix . before i com to relate the end which befell iohn de padilla and the iunta's armie , the several passages and exploits of the bishop of zamora present themselvs unto my pen. when hee marched from valladolid , by the iunta's order , hee gave out that hee went to take possession of the arch-bishoprick of of toledo , then vacant by the death of guillermo de crouij , nephew to monsieur de xeures . hee carried with him an hand●om armie of both foot and hors , with five field-pieces . in toledo hee was very well received , and the citie furnished him with more men and artillerie , from alcala de henares hee took six pieces more , so that hee had in all fifteen pieces of ordnance . don antonio de zun̄iga his adversarie was likewise very strong , having at least six thousand foot , and proportionable number of hors , besides divers gentlemen that were com to assist him . amongst whom don pedro de guzman , a valiant young gentleman ( whom his majestie made the first earl of olivares ) was chiefly taken notice of for his good service . i have already mentioned how the dutchess of medina sidonia , don̄a leonora de zun̄iga , by her masculine courage and resolution , appeased the disorders and insurrection which don iohn de figueroa attempted to rais in sevilla : since which , hearing of the commotions in the kingdom of toledo , and that her brother don antonio de zun̄iga , prior of san iuan , was engaged in the suppressing of them , shee pick'd out a thousand of her choicest foot , and an hundred hors , with six field-pieces , all at the duke , her eldest son's charges , and sent don pedro de guzman , her third son with them , to the end , in don antonio de zuniga , his unkle's companie , hee should give testimonie of his valor and fidelitie to the emperor , against those revolters . don diego de caravajal , lord of todar , and his brother don alonso , came likewise to assist don antonio in this expedition with a reasonable number of men . with all which forces the prior marched out of almaguer toward ocan̄a , thinking to reduce it to his majesties subjection either by force or composition . the bishop of zamora , who had no less forces with him , put his armie in a posture to encounter him , and both came into the field with a full determination to fight , which som devout religious men grieving for the loss that both parties were like to sustein , endeavored by many pious remonstrances and persuasions to divert , but all they could obtein was a truce for three daies . the event of these armies is diversly related by two several autors , whom i chiefly follow in this narration ; the one saith , that the bshop having put the prior to flight , and routed his armie , remained master of the field , but was sorely wounded in two places . the other , pero mexia , reporteth , that during the treatie , som scattering souldiers of antonio's armie beeing engaged with som of the bishop's , one of antonio's foot-captains seeing his men over-match't , without any order from the prior , charged the bishop's men with his whole companie , & so both parties seeking to favor and rescue their own men , at last the whole armies were both engaged , and had a furious battle , wherein divers were wounded and kill'd on both sides ; at last the bishop's men being worsted , began to shew their heels , and the execution had been much greater if the night had not separated them , leaving the victorie and glorie of the daie to antonio's men ; the darknes of the night befriended the bishop very much in his escape , and divers of his men , who fled to ocania : but hee made no long staie there , beeing informed that hee was pursued by don antonio , and that the town was upon terms of yielding to him ; so the bishop beeing gon to toledo , within three daies ocania was surrendred to don antonio for the emperor , upon conditions of pardon for their former disobedience , and they received him with great solemnitie and acts of submission . after which don antonio's armie increased daily with fresh supplies , which hee quartered in all the frontiers and towns adjacent to toledo , continuing the war against the toledians . don iohn de ribera did the like on the other side of the river tagus . sect . x. amongst other transactions in this war , the expedition of the town of mora was the most remarkable , and the most desastrous that yet hath been related : it was thus , the inhabitants of that town beeing inclined to the interest of the commonaltie , rose up in arms , and so continued a certain time ; but seeing the power and victorious proceedings of don antonio , they capitulated with him , and promised obedience to his majestie , ( yet so little constancie there is amongst the vulgar ) after their agreement , they revolted again , declaring for the commonaltie , as before : and not contented with this , seeing one of antonio's captains pass by the town , with som sheep and other cattle , which hee had taken in the confines of toledo , they sallied out to the number of three hundred men , and rescued the prize , forcing him to flie : whereupon , the next daie don diego de caravajal , who was quartered two leagues thence at almonacid , marching out with his hors , joined with don hernando de robledo , who had the command of som foot companies , whom don antonio , at the instance and persuasion of diego lopez de avalos , commendador of mora , had sent to keep them in aw , and make them stand to their conditions ; who advancing toge●her to the very walls of the town , ( which the inhabitants had made as strong as they could ) summoned them to deliver it for his majestie , and give them a peaceable entrance : but they sturdily refused , calling them traitors , and reviling them in base injurious terms , accompanied with many musket shots , and arrows . don hernando de robledo , and those with him , enraged at this uncivil treatment , entred the town by storm , and forced the inhabitants to retreat to the great church , wherein they had put all their wives and children , having fortified it , as they could , and dammed up all the doors but one , which , though open , was barrocadoed lustily , and in it they had planted two fawkenets , with som barrels of powder for their defens . don hernando beeing com thither with his men , required those that made good the church to submit ; whereunto they answered with a shot from one of their guns , which killed a corporal of h●s : whereat his souldiers growing desperate , without any order or command , presently fetched a great quantitie of sprey , or bavins , which they heaped against the other doors , and set fire to them , thinking when the doors were burned down , to enter into the church . but the fire coming to the barrels and the tubs wherewith the doors were barrocadoed on the inside , made such a blaze , that the timber of the church taking fire therewith , all was immediately of a flame ; and the poor people's having no waie out but through the fire , nor any breathing place within the church , were well-nigh all consumed ; at least three thousand persons lost their lives in that miserable manner , which was very much lamented all the kingdom over . sect . xi . the bishop of zamora was not idle all this while , hee had as great a fire , in a manner , as this , within himself . hee went to toledo disguised , and alone , having left his men two or three leagues off the citie , but beeing arrived , hee made himself known ; whereupon the people presently flocked to see him with great eagerness , by reason of the high value and esteem which hee had acquired amongst the commonalties . the citie made exceeding demonstrations of joie for his coming thither , and forthwith granted him the administration of the arch-bishoprick , according to his desire , as if they had been popes . in accomplishment whereof , they carried him with great solemnitie to t●e cathedral church , and placed him in the arch-bishop's seat : which act and form of taking possession beeing past , they gave him monie , and a good quantitie of church-plate , wherewith to paie his souldiers . this made him return merrily to his armie , and soon after hee went to reliev avila , which was besieged by don iohn de ribera , before mentioned : which hee did with the loss of manie men on both sides . that done , hee used all means possible to mischief and endammage don antonio's armie , but hee could do him no great harm , hee beeing grown very powerfull , by reason of fresh supplies that daily came in to his assistance , especially by the recruit which his nephew don pedro de guzman , brother to the duke of medina sidonia , brought him . sect . xii . at the same time that the bishop departed from valladolid to the kingdom of toledo , don iohn de mendoça , with seven hundred men , raised and paid by the citie of valladolid , marched to succor duen̄as against the lord high constable , whom they feared would laie siege to that town . but seeing there was no great need of him there , hee went to villacis ( which is a wall'd town and indifferent strong , one league from carrion ) which hee entred by storm and sacked . thus the confusion and ruine of the kingdom grew daily greater and greater , which much perplexed the governors , and grieved all those that were truly zealous for the publick good . yet there was no waie left unattempted to procure a peace , but nothing concluded . the more the cities of the kingdom suffred , the more their hearts were hardned , peremptorily resolving to stand to the rigorous arbitrement of war for the ending of their differences . and valladolid beeing the chief seat of the commonalties , and as it were , the sinewes of the war , all the other places of the kingdom made their addresses to that citie , extolling it to the skies , saying , that was the onely firm piller which supported their holie pretensions , whence they expected the benefi● of their libertie . amongst others , the citie of leon having levied some monies , in order to the iunta's command sent a letter to those of valladolid , highly magnifying the justice and holiness of their caus , thanking and commending them exceedingly for their care and vigilance in the mainteinance and prosecution thereof , and lastly excusing themselvs that they could procure no more monie to send them at that present , promising within short time to rais a more considerable summe for the furtherance of that holie design , and their treasure beeing exhausted , to engage their own persons , with all their friends and allyes in whatsoever they should pleas to command them . sect . xiii . palacios de meneses , a town not far from medina de rioseco , would needs enter into the same brawl with the commoners , and rise up in arms with them . don alonso enriquez bishop of osma , brother to the lord admiral , and the earl don hernando beeing at that time in medina , drew out three thousand foot and one hundred and fiftie hors , with which they marched directly to palacios de meneses , intending to storm and sack it in revenge of that which the commoners had don at torrelobaton . this design beeing discovered , iohn de padilla sent threescore hors into palacios , which otherwaies was not very ill provided , for having the enemie neer them , their continual fear made them the more careful and circumspect . there was within the town neer four hundred inhabitants able to bear arms , all well provided with cross-bows and other weapons : insomuch that when those of rioceco came thither , and required them to let them in , they answered , that their manner of coming was such , that they could not with safe●ie permit them entrance . thereupon the cavaliers bid them send any two of their towns-men to treat with them ; whi●● 〈◊〉 ●●d . but beeing com unto them , they stript them , 〈…〉 ●●em back in their shirts , with threatnings and comm●●●●●●liver the town presently , otherwise they would ●ansack 〈◊〉 ●●●●●oy them utterly . the town not valuing their mena●●●●●●od to their former resolution , and would not admi● them p●●●ing themselvs in a defensive posture , in case they should atte●●● to storm them . the assault was very furious , and the resistance of the assailed no less couragious , killing and wounding ●●ch other without pitie , four hours together : at last , those within beeing fewer in number then the assailers , were forced to quit the walls , which the enemie presently scaled , and placed two colors upon the top , and divers others were following them : but when those of palacios saw themselvs in that extremitie , three hundred cross-bow-men , and many with slings , charged them so thick with stones and arrows , that both the ensigns beeing killed , one fell with his colors within , the other on the out-side of the wall ; so that those of rioseco , seeing so resolute a resistance , were glad to make a fair retreat ; but they first set fire to the gates , which the towns people perceiving , the women brought presently above two hundred great pitchers of vinegar , and the bow-men sent such clouds of arrows amongst them , that they killed ten of their men , and wounded a great number . with this paiment they returned to rioseco , and those of palacios remained very well pleased and satisfied : hereof they presently gave intelligence to iohn de padilla , don iohn de mendoça , captain of the forces of valladolid , and to empudia , desiring ●uccor , les● the enemie , angrie at their ill success in that attempt , should surprise them another time . hereupon those of the iunta commanded don iohn de mendoça to go to palacios . the same night after the assault , came fiftie musketiers from empudia to palacios , so secretly , that they were not discovered by the enemie , who returned the next daie thither , thinking to carrie it , not knowing any thing of the succor which came to them of palacios over-night , which , though it was not much , proved of great importance . those of rioseco fell on de●perately , but the towns-men , with the help of those musketiers , defended themselvs very stoutly , and killed their men so fast , that they were fain to retire with loss : and those of palacios were cried up for gallant men , having repulsed so many enemies two several times , without the loss of one man , they beeing but an handful in comparison , and their town not strong . sect . xiv . thus the confusion and war daily grew more violent in the miserable kingdoms of castilla , toledo , the province of alava , and in the mountains of burgos . in the kingdom of valencia there was nothing but cutting of throats , and robbing one another : and valladolid , seeing the kingdom in so distracted a condition , began to murmure against those that sate at the helm , charging them with the ill managing of the affairs , and that they did nothing but trifle and delaie the time , without knowing when or how to set a period to their miseries : they desired to bring their differences to an end , but chiefly by the conquest of the cavaliers , that they might bee exempted and free'd from such great mischiefs . the fault of not concluding , either by a firm peace , or an open war , they imputed to the commissioners of the kingdom ; who to enrich themselvs , and becaus they would not bee brought to an account of one hundred and fiftie thousand duckets , which they had received , were glad to keep things from a conclusion ; of which valladolid having suffered the most of any place , and which had been at the greatest expences , was most sensible , and did exceedingly lament . to say the truth on both sides , as well of the cavaliers , as of the commonalties , there was trouble and hard measure enough . in montealegre the bishop of osma , and the earl don hernando , put a great number of the toledian souldiers to t●e rout , beeing there with their captains , swaggering and rioting , and never suspecting to bee surprised by the enemie . they killed som of them that made resistance , and carried near two hundred prisoners to rioseco . thus both parties studied to weaken & ruine each other , and betwixt them consumed the whole countrie . iohn de padilla kept his court in torrelobaton , like another annibal in capua . upon a mundaie , the of april , all the people of valladolid rose up in a tumultuous manner , beeing wearied out with those of the iunta , and discontented at their secret and long consultations , without concluding any thing . in this disorder they went seeking them from place to place , beeing fully resolved to turn them out of the citie , or know of them the reason of their delaies ; for the dammage which they daily receiv'd from those of simancas was insufferable . there was no trading at all , every thing grew so excessive dear , that a bushel of wheat was worth eight hundred maravediz . the people flocked in multitudes to the great church , where the deputies , with the captains of the citie , were assembled , with loud voices , and lamentable cries , beseeching them to seek som remedie , for their miserie was insupportable , desiring them moreover , to let them know the reason , why the war was so procrastinated , and urging , that fiftie daies were past without any action of war , neither could their imaginations reach to what they intended . the officers answered them , that the occasion of those demurres was , the often going to , and coming from tordesillas about the treatie of peace with the cavaliers , bidding them return quietly to their houses , and before night they should know particularly all the circumstances and passages of the business . whereupon the people praied them to consider well what they did , and not to let them suffer any further detriment , or bee burthened vvith any more expences , for vvithin less then seven months they had dis-bursed above one hundred thousand and five hundred duckets , besides other charges and losses , which they had sustained beyond number , yet they did grudg none of all this , if they could close up their miseries with peace , or revenge themselvs by war , and that they might bee permitted to fall upon simancas and tordesillas ; for nothing grieved them so much , as that they could not have their wills on them . towards the evening , the people of every ward beeing called together , they were shewed certain articles which two commissioners of the iunta had concluded with the governors , and brought from tordesillas ; the substance of them beeing according to the contents of the general articles of the kingdom , specified at large already , i shall spare to trouble the reader with a second relation . sect . xv. the people having perused these articles , would by no means approve of them , nor consent to any agreement , alleging , that what the cavalier promised therein was not sufficient , neither was it certain to bee performed , for they had no warrant from his majestie so especial , as a business of that consequence did require ; besides , they refused to give any pledges , or deliver any strong holds into the commonaltie's possession for their securitie . and since the conditions they offered them were neither good nor sure , they would have no peace , but war with them : in regard they found no securitie of their persons or lives without it . the commissioners and captains , seeing all the people fully determined and bent to give the cavaliers battle , and either live with libertie , or end their miseries with death , ( most of them beeing of the same opinion , deeming that to bee their onely safe way ) cherish'd them in that resolution , presently giving order to all the people of valladolid to bee in a readiness , all the artillerie to bee prepared and fitted to carrie into the field : the like was done through all the cities and towns of the commonaltie , every commissioner repairing to his own citie and town to that purpose : thus they intended in one daie to end all their troubles , and that this last bout should paie for all their delaies and triflings , whereby they had ruined themselvs , and given the cavaliers time to recruit and strengthen their partie . sect . xvi . one night , whilest these things were thus in agitation , iohn de padilla , by order of those of the iunta , came privately to valladolid , and after they had consulted with him concerning things necessarie for the present expedition , hee returned immediately to torrelobaton , to secure the artillerie which was there , having intelligence that the cavaliers in tordesillas had a design to surprise it . order was given to rais him two thousand foot well armed , with two hundred lances in valladolid , and two pieces of ordnance , for two purposes ; the one , to demol●sh torrelobaton , which hee did afterwards ; the other , to give the lord high constable battle , before hee could join his forces with the rest . for those from valladolid , with the two thousand which hee had in torrelobaton , and those which hee exspected hourly from salamanca , toro , and zamora , ( who were six thousand foot , and two hundred lances ) besides two thousand five hundred from palencia , fifteen hundred from duen̄as , four hundred from palacios , and others from the beherrias and merindades , would make him an armie of fourteen thousand . but those of valladolid were so long before they could bee in fit equipage to march , and the other tovvns and cities not sending in their supplies time enough , iohn de padilla could not execute his design against the lord high constable ; vvho ( as you have heard ) took vezerril , and marched into rioseco vvith four thousand foot , six hundred lances , three or four pieces of artillerie , &c. so that , through the vveakness and vvant of care of the commoners captains , hee soon after set a period to that so miserably contentious and destructive war. the cavaliers on the one partie , and the cities for the commonaltie on the other , raised all the force they could possibly for this expedition . the citie of palencia sent six hundred men and tvvo pieces of ordnance . duen̄as four hundred men and tvvo pieces of ordnance . baltanas de cerrato two hundred . those of segovia , avila , and leon came not ; salamanca made good the number before mentioned . all these were without any discipline or experience in martial affairs , and amongst their officers there was such emulations , every one standing so upon their punctillio's of honor , each captain would bee chief , scorning to receiv orders from any other : in a word , they were ill bred people , possessed with no less ignorance then unadvisedness ▪ the merchants , and other citizens of valladolid , seeing the ●●siness brought to the push , and the people resolved to decide ●●eir difference with the sword , fearing or doubting the event , ca●●ied all their goods and merchandises into monasteries , having shut up all their ware-houses and shops , and laid all other trading aside , onely for matter of arms , every one providing himself the best hee could . the poorer sort of people beeing ready to starv , made lamentable complaints in the streets , crying out to god for mercie , and to releas them out of those calamities , though it were with the loss of their lives . they feared the power of the cavaliers , who had an armie of two thousand lances , and seven thousand foot , of the choicest men in the kingdom , all well armed , and in good order , with stout and experienced officers , under the command of the earl of haro , who with great vigilancie , answerable to his courage , executed the place of captain general . sect . xvii . the lord high constable marched out of rioseco towards tordesillas , the th of april , , to join with the rest of the cavaliers , where hee was exceedingly desired . beeing com to pen̄aflor near torrelobaton , hee there took up quarters for his forces : wence hee went to tordesillas , where hee was received with extraordinarie expressions of joie . iohn de padilla was yet in torrelobaton , with eight thousand foot , five hundred lances , and the artille●ie of medina del campo , exspecting more supplies from the other cities , which , by their ill management and slackness , were not com to him ; and the thousand men from palencia and duen̄as were also hindered from joining with him , by reason of the lord high constable's beeing at pen̄aflor ; whereby hee plainly perceived his own , and the other captain 's unadvisedness and over-sight , in spinning out so much time there . the lord high constable , the lord admiral , and the other grandees concluded to make their rande-vous at pen̄aflor , leaving with the queen , and for guard of the town , the cardinal of tortosa , don bernardo de sandoval , marquis of denia , with his troop of hors , don diego de rojas , lord of santiago de la puebla with his , and as many companies of foot , which was sufficient , the walls of the town beeing in very good repair . they presently dispatched orders to those in garrison at portillo , to com to the rande-vous ; and to the earl of on̄ate to staie with his hors in simancas , to hinder valladolid from sending any succor to iohn de padilla . this done , the earl of haro having given command over-night to have his men in a readiness , the next morning they all marched to pen̄aflor , where they reposed that night , beeing sundaie . mundaie by break of daie , becaus they would lose no time , the governors , and the captain general drew all their forces into the field , which amounted to about seven thousand foot , and two thousand four hundred hors , besides som noblemen and gentlemen of the greatest qualitie in castilla . that daie they did nothing but muster their men , sending in mean time som light-horsmen to discover in what posture iohn de padilla was in torrelobaton ; for they were generally of opinion to besiege him so close , that hee might not go thence without giving them battle ; and they made no question of worsting him , their armie exceeding his , if not in number , in goodness and valor of the men . with this resolution they returned to their quarters . sect . xviii . john de padilla , and the other captains , understanding the advantage the cavaliers would have of them in the field , durst not encounter them , and fearing to bee besieged , they began , too late , to bee sensible of their own carelesness or imprudence , in staying so long at torrelobaton ; and thinking their safest cours would bee to march secretly thence , assoon as possibly they could , and make no staie until they arrived at toro , where they might remain securely until the succors came to them from zamora , leon , salamanca , and the other cities , ( whereof they were in daily exspectation ) or go from thence to salamanca , as they saw occasion ; they resolved so to do . whereupon a certain priest sitting at the table with him , thus said , s ir ! i have seen a prophecie in which is declared that the commonalties shall this daie bee vanquished , and the cavaliers remain victorious , therefore i beseech you s ir , depart not this daie from torr●lobaton . whereunto iohn de padilla made this answer , go , t●ust not in such foolish and vain predictions , but in god repose your confidence , to whom i shall willingly sacrifice this life , and my person , for the publick good of these kingdoms , and in regard it is now no time to flinch , i do resolv to die , and let him dispose of mee as shall bee most for his glorie ▪ this was on tuesdaie morning , whilest iohn de padilla was at break-fast . which done , his armie marched out with all silence possible , and in good order , the artillerie in the van , his foot divided into two squadrons , and hee bringing up the rear with the hors . the governors and their captain general soon had intelligence of iohn de padilla's march , and presently made after him three several waies , whom without any great difficultie they took prisoner , and routed all his armie . the manner of their fight is diversly reported by several authors , but one ( who saie's hee was a spectator thereof ) relate's it thus : that upon st george's daie , the cavaliers having notice of iohn de padilla's departure from torrelobaton towards toro , they sallied out upon him from three several places , those of tordesillas charged his armie in the van , those of medina de rioseco in the rear , and those of simancas falling desperately in upon the flanks , put all in disorder . the commoners marched until they came neer villalar , in very good order , and the cavaliers were of several opinions concerning the giving of them battle ▪ some said it was enough to make them flie , and lose their credits ; and that it was wisdom not to put a business of such importance to the hazard of one battle . that their foot was very numerous , and in appearance good : that those which the lord high constable brought , were but few and much harassed , besides if they miscarried in this enterprise , their hopes were all destroied with their forces . but the marquis of astorga , the earl of alva , & don diego de toledo insisted with much eagerness to charge them , & their voices carrying it against the more timorous partie , they did make after them : who having great store of excellent hors , & i. de padilla's men being ill disciplin'd , besides the waies being so deep that they could hardly march , & seeing the enemie advance towards them in great bodies several waies , their courage began to fail , yet their captains animated them all they could . the cavaliers follow'd them stil in this manner , their hors skirmishing now & then with them , until they came neer villalar , where , having got within shot of them , they let flie their ordnance amongst their ranks ( who march'd very close ) which kill'd them by heaps . this made their hearts fal to their heels , & for hast to get into the town , they ran one over the other , notwithstanding all their officer's endeavors to keep them in order , & for their further misfortune there fel so fierce a shower of rain , that the foot stuck fast , engaged in the mire to the very knees , neither could they make any use of their artillerie , partly by reason of the ill wether , & partly through the baseness of their gunners , the chief wherof nam'd saldan̄a , a native of toledo not wel understanding his office , fled awaie , & left the artillerie in a plowed field . although some have reported that don pedro maldonado dealt privatly with the gunners , so to engage the ordnance , that they should do no execution against the cavaliers , having so promised his uncle , the earl of venavente , who had made him sensible of his error . however it was , the cavaliers seized upon all their artillerie , and divers of padilla's men both hors and foot , saved themselvs by coming to them , having first changed their red crosses into white ones , which was the sign of the loial partie . iohn de padilla expressed a great deal of courage and valour in his own person , and seeing his game quite lost , hee , with five horsmen more , charged into the earl of venavente's troop , and beeing known to bee the general of the other partie by the richness of his armor , was presently encountred by don pedro baçan , lord of valduerna , native of valladolid . iohn de padilla was in complete armor , and bore in his hand a lance all plated with iron , wherewith meeting don pedro baçan ( who was a corpulent heavie man , and but slightly armed ) him hee gave so rude a salutation , that hee was soon unhors't : iohn de padilla still charged on , crying , santjago , libertad , ( which was the commoner's word , and the cavalier's word was , santa maria y carlos ) at last hee broke his lan●e to the cost of som of his enemies , after which don alonso de la cueva singled him out , and having wounded him , bade him deliver his arms , which hee did . beeing thus a prisoner , don iohn de ulloa , a gentleman of toro , came riding up , and asking who that was , som told him that 't was iohn de padilla , whereupon hee gave him a cut over the bever , and hurt his nose , but not much , for which hee was mightily condemned by all that saw or heard of that ungentleman-like action . so john de padilla was dismounted , and remained prisoner . john bravo , captain of the segovians ( who would also signalize himself ) was likewise taken : and francisco maldonado , captain of the salamanca forces , had the like destinie ; but his men having all forsaken him , hee was catch't running after them as hard as hee could . the cavaliers spent all the rest of that daie in wounding , killing , and taking , having the pursuit of their enemies two long leagues and a half . many dying men desired to make their confessions , but there was no bodie would assist them , nor take any compalsion of their condition , which was a lamentable spectacle , beeing all christians , friends , and kindred . the cavaliers beeing masters of the field , stript all both living and dead , sharing the spoil equally amongst themselvs . john de padilla vvould oft bemoan his sad misfortune , saying , if , after the taking of torrelobaton , hee had followed on his victorie , hee should never have been reduced to so deplorable a condition , vvhich vvas very true ; for by his staying tvvo months there , the cavaliers cunningly delaied the time vvith cessations , until they had so strengthened their partie , that they over-povvered him . but the all-seeing providence disposed it othervvise . at first , the commonalties hearing that their armie vvas routed , and john de padilla taken , gave out , that it vvas som plot or treacherie of his to lose the battle , laying many other things of this nature to his charge , but they vvere better satisfied of his realitie to their caus ▪ vvhen they savv hee lost his head for it . sect . xix . the next morning betimes , the governors commanded don pedro de la cueva to convoy the prisoners , iohn de padilla , don pedro maldonado , francisco maldonado , & iohn bravo to the castle of villalva . while they were preparing to go , iohn de padilla asked don pedro , whither hee was commanded to carrie them ; who answered him , that for the present they were to go to villalva , whither afterwards hee knew not . soon after they were sent for thence to villalar , and put into a hous , with a good guard upon them . the governors beeing infomed of their arrival there , gave order that iohn de padilla , iohn bravo , and don pedro maldonado should bee beheaded , and francisco maldonado carried to the castle of tordesillas : but as hee was on the waie thither , a messenger overtook him from the governors , who told malbaseda , lievtenant to don diego hurtado de mendoça , ( who had the charge of him ) that hee should bring francisco maldonado back again to execution , for the earl of venavente had desired them not to behead don pedro maldonado in his presence , beeing his nephew . and becaus it had been divulged , that don pedro maldonado should bee beheaded , which at the earl's entreatie was countermanded , the lords had voted that francisco maldonado should bee executed in his place . so hee beeing returned , the governors sent for the alcalde of the chancerie of valladolid , commanding him to execute justice upon the persons of iohn de padella , iohn bravo , and francisco maldonado . the alcalde presently went to the hous where they were prisoners , and bade them prepare themselvs , for the governors had given order for their executions . iohn de padilla desired him to send him a learned priest to confess him , and a notarie to make his will , and som witnesses . the alcalde replied , that in the place where they then were , hee could not exspect to finde any men of extraordinarie learning , yet hee would enquire , and if hee could finde one , hee would satisfie his desire therein : but as for a notarie to make his will , hee need not trouble himself , for all his goods and estate were confiscate . in the condemnation of these gentlemen , there was no process , nor formal proceeding made , as used to bee in other criminal causes , by reason of the evidence of the fact , and the qualitie of the offence . at last a priest was sent to them , and iohn de padilla beeing at confession , a franciscan frier came , who was thought an abler man , so iohn de padilla , and the rest , made use of him . their confessions beeing ended , they were brought forth and carried upon mules to the place of execution . before them went a crier , saying , this is the justice which his majestie , and the lord high constable , with the other governors , do command in his name to bee executed upon the persons of these gentl●men , their command is , that they shall bee beheaded as traitors , disturbers of the kingdom , and usurpers of the roial crown , &c. the said alcalde zarate , and the licenciado cornejo alcalde de corte went along with them to autorise the execution of the justice . john bravo hearing the crier saie that they were to suffer for beeing traitors , hee replied , hangman ! thou liest , and those that bid thee saie so , we are no traitors , but zealous for the publick good , and defendors of the kingdom 's liberties . hereupon the alcalde cornejo bid john bravo hold his peace ; whereunto john bravo answered , i know not what , and the alcalde gave him a punch in the breast with his staff , wishing him to consider his present condition , and not affect such vanities . and john de padilla said moreover to him , sen̄or john bravo , yesterday was the time to fight , and shew your self a valiant gentleman , this daie to die like a christian. so the crier continued his lesson until they came to the place of execution , where being arrived , they all alighted from their mules to receiv the fatal blow . john bravo beeing first called to execution , they bid him bend and settle himself in a fit posture ; hee replied , that they might force him , if they would , and so they did , seizing on him , and stretching him upon a carpet , which done , the hangman cut his throat , and would do no more , until the alcalde cornejo commanded him to cut his head quite off , saying , traitors were so to bee used , and their heads to bee set upon the gallows , which was done accordingly . the next beeing padilla's turn , hee very willingly prepared himself , and having taken of certain reliques , which hee wore about his neck , hee gave them to don enrique de sandoval y rojas , ( eldest son to the marquis of denia , who amongst other gentlemen men was standing with him ) praying him to wear them whil'st the war lasted , which beeing ended , hee desired him to send them to his wife don̄a maria pacheco . after which , as hee went to place himself conveniently for the executioner's hand , hee saw iohn bravo's bodie lying by , to which hee said onely thus , are you there good gentleman ? and presently his head was cut off like iohn bravo's . soon after , francisco maldonado beeing brought forth , was executed in the same manner , which done , their heads were set upon several nails over the place of execution , so the justice ceased for that time , and those gentlemen's cares were ended . a gentleman of the loyal partie , the daie before the battle , wrote a letter to one of the contrarie opinion , telling him , that now the business was brought to such a push , that there was nothing to bee thought on els , but everie one to stand upon his guard , for whosoever fell , should bee sure to bear the ignominious brand of traitor : as questionless it had been ; for wee see all the actions and exploits of this life are more esteemed , and censured by their successes and events , then any other waies . if cortes had not been fortunate in mexico , when hee took motezuma , wee should have said hee had been a rash fool-hardie fellow , but fortune having crowned his valiant enterprise with success , all men now applaud his gallantrie , giving him the attributes of couragious and prudent . sect . xx. to saie the truth , in all that i have read of iohn de padilla , i finde him a gallant valerous gentleman , though hee was engaged in that unfortunate business . it is reported , that one daie going to his hous , very melancholie and dejected , hee said to his wife , sitting on hors-back , and shee at the window : sen̄ora , what do you think now of the condition whereunto you have brough● mee ? at which words shee made answer , bee of good courage , for of a poor esquire i have made you half-king of castilla . but the common people are apt to saie manie things in such like occurrences , wherein there 's not one word of truth . in my judgment , if there had been any such passage betwixt him and his wife , hee would have expressed some discontent or anger in the letter , which hee wrote to her the same daie hee was beheaded : but there was no such thing mentioned in it , quite contrarie , hee expressed therein very much affection and tenderness to her , seeming to bee more sensible of her grief and sorrow for his sad fortune , then of his own suffering . besides his letter to his wife , hee wrote another to the citie of toledo . the contents vvere as follovveth . iohn de padilla's letter to his wife . sen̄ora ! if your pain did not more trouble mee , then the losing of my life , i should esteem my self entirely happie . for death beeing a thing so certain to all mortals , the almightie sheweth him a singular favor whom hee honor 's with such an one as mine , which , though lamented by manie , is doubtless acceptable in his sight . it would require more time , then what i have , to write you some things for your consolation , but that cannot bee allowed mee , neither do i desire to deferre the reception of that crown , which i hope to enjoy . you maie , like a discreet woman , bewail your own misfortune , but not my death , for beeing so just , it ought not to bee lamented by any : my soul , since nothing els is left me , i bequeath to you , desiring you to entertain it , as the thing which most affected you . i do not write to pedro lopez my father , becaus i dare not , for though i was his son in daring to lose my life , i was not heir to his good fortune . i will not extend my self any further , becaus i will not trouble the executioner to waite , nor give waie for any one to suspect , that to prolong my life i enlarge my letter . my servant sossa beeing an eie-witness of my end , and to whom i have communicated the secret of my intentions , shall tell you what cannot bee expressed herein , and so i rest , exspecting the instrument of your sorrow and my comfort . iohn de padilla's letter to the citie of toledo . to thee , the crown of spain , and glorie of the whole world , free since the time of the mightie goths ; to thee , who by the effusion of the blood of strangers , aswell as of thine own , hast recovered libertie for thy self and thy neighbouring cities : i john de padilla , thy legitimate son , now give thee an account how by the blood of my bodie , thy former victories are refreshed . if fortune hath not suffered my actions to bee chronicled amongst thy memorable exploits , the fault was in my destinie , not in my good will : which as a mother , i desire thee to accept , since god hath given mee nothing els to lose for thee , but what i have adventured . i am more aggrieved for thy resentment , then my own life . but thou must consider these are but the turns of fortune's wheel , which never standeth still . this is my contentment and consolation , that i , the meanest of thy children , do suffer death for thee ; and that thou hast nourished at thy brests such as may take satisfaction for my wrongs . many tongues , doubtless , will busie themselvs in the relation of my death , which as yet i know not my self , though it bee very neere : my end will give thee a testimonie of my desire . my soul i recommend to thee , as the patroness of christianitie , of my bodie i make no account , since it is no more mine , neither can i write any more , for at this very instant , i feel the knife at my throat , with a greater sens of thy displeasure , then apprehension of my pain . sect . xxi . the victorie beeing obteined at villalar , and the commoners armie quite routed , presently dispatches vvere sent post to the emperor , giving him account of this good fortune : and the earl of haro , as captain general , wrote a particular relation to the emperor of all the passages , vvhich hee receiving at bruxels , the eighth of julie , hee ansvvered , saying , that although by other letters , of the april , hee had intelligence of the vanquishing and punishing of those traitors , ( for so hee called them ) yet hee vvas better satisfied to receiv it from his hand , thanking him very much for all that hee had done in order to his service , and for the affection and zeal vvhich hee expressed tovvards him in that emploiment ; promising , at his return into that kingdom , to gratifie him according to the merit of his extraordinarie services ; hoping , that by his endeavors hee should finde means to settle the whole kingdom , which hee particularly encharged him to use all his vigilance and industrie to procure : and chiefly hee recommended to his care the war of navarra , which was of so great importance , and that hee would assure the grandees and gentlemen which had engaged in his service , that at his return hee would gratifie their loialties according to their qualities and deserts . the commoners forces beeing all discomfited as wee have seen , and their three principal captains executed , those of the iunta , who were in valladolid , fled away , and all was of a sudden blown up like smoke in the aër . within three daies after , the cavalier's whole armie marched to simancas , and quartered in towns all about valladolid , intending to fall upon that citie , and treat them as such open enemies did deserv . but first , beeing numerous enough , they possessed all the towns and villages thereabouts , and stopt up all the avenues , suffering no provisions to bee carried in to them . whereupon the most valiant and violent of all the people began to bee crest-fallen : others that had ( as much as they durst ) opposed those past commotions , seeing the governors victorious and powerful , declared themselvs . there was no captain nor commander left in the citie . whereupon to make short , and prevent a summons , they thought their onely way was , to yield themselvs upon good conditions , which they hoped the lord admiral ( though much offended ) out of compassion and affection to that citie , would grant them . in which resolution they sent som religious men , and persons of respect , with much submission and humble acknowledgment of their faults , to desire mercie and pardon of the lord admiral : who at first shewed himself very much displeased and unwilling to hearken to their desires , saying , hee ought , and would make an example aswel of the principal offendors , as of the common people . the souldiers , who exspected notable plunder , their fingers itching to measure out the silks and velvets with their pikes , ( as they bragg'd they would ) were mad becaus the word of command , to fall on and enter the citie , was so long a giving out ; which the inhabitants knowing , every one secured their commodities the best they could . but by god's help , and the indulgence of the governors , a peace and pardon was concluded and proclaimed in the market places and streets of valladolid , with great acclamations of joie , and sound of trumpets , drums , and other musical instruments : all the inhabitans beeing exempted from personal punishment , confiscation , or loss of offices , excepting twelv , whom the lord admiral should nominate , & appoint to bee left out of the articles , to bee disposed of as the governors should think fitting ; that they might all take notice , that they had a king and lord , to whom they ovved obedience and service ; and such a king as did not seek after vengeance , or desire the destruction of his subjects , but to pardon them with clemencie , and chastise them with mercie . sect . xxii . the citie of valladolid , which had shewn so much stubbornness and obstinacie not long before , proclaimed the pardon with great contentment ; and thought they had obteined no smal favor , to preserv their town from beeing sacked , the souldiers beeing so ready to make the on-set . the ●arl of venavente , and the bishop of osma were great instruments of hindring the destruction of that citie : and the lord high constable , with all the rest of the grandees , were very glad of it , esteeming that the pacification of the whole kingdom depended upon the surrendering of valladolid . the same daie , april , all the cavaliers entred in great state , with their squadrons in martial order , the hors all in armor , covered with rich scarlet coats : the first that marched in , were the earl of venavente , and earl of haro , captain general , the earl of castro , the earl of on̄ate with their troops , their armor was covered with scarlet , embroidered with gold . after them followed the lord admiral , with the adelantado , his brother , and the earl of osorno , all in green , with their troops in armor covered with the same liverie . next them , marched the captains and camp masters of the armie , with their colors flying , and the gentlemen all clad in cloth of silver and gold . then came the bishop of osma , with those of the council roial , the alcaldes and alguaziles ; and last of all , the lord high constable , with the earl of alva de lista , the earl of salinas , the earl of aguilar , and the marquis of astorga , with all their men splendidly accoutred , besides divers gentlemen , and foot souldiers , all in such stately manner , that valladolid was worth the seeing that daie : yet it was observed , that the people were so stomackful , that neither man nor woman did so much as look ou● , or open a window , as if they disdained or abhorred to see them , who , four daies before , were their mo●tal enemies . ( such are the comedies and tragedies of this life ) . how often did the cavaliers desire valladolid to make a ●eace ? what advantageous conditions they offered them ? how often did they slight their favors ? how many scornful answers did they return them ? and at last it came to this , that they were constreined , though with heavie hearts , and hanging down their h●ads , to receiv and treat in their houses thos● whom they so ill affected . and those of valladolid must a●knowledg a particular obligation to the nobilitie of castilla , ( whom they alwaies found ready to receiv them with open arms , and do them all the good offices and favor possible ) aswel for this daie's favor , as others , which by their mediation the kings of spain have granted them , notwithstanding so great uproars and disorders as have been committed in that citie . all the rigor that was don at this time in valladolid , was the executing of an alcalde , and an alquazil of the iunta , whom the governors commanded to bee hanged , the rest fled , though no bodie prosecuted them . sect . xxiii . the rout of the junta's armie at villalor , and the justice ●hat was executed upon the gentlemen there , with the surrendring of valladolid , and the favor which the governors shewed them , beeing noised through the kingdom , the other cities began to bee more submissive , who before carried their heads so high . duen̄as courted their earl again , whom they had forced to leav the town , rising up in arms against him . palencia opened their gates to the lord high constable . medina del campo did the same . but mota stood out a while upon the defensive , yet at last they were glad to make their peace . but the lord high constable , and the lord admiral were such worthie noblemen , that they used no acts of rigor in any place , and all those whom they reduced , found themselvs so well with their present condition , that they held themselvs as redeemed out of thraldom and oppression . onely those of toledo continued in their willfullness . the common people murthered two brothers , biscayners , named aguirres , onely upon vain surmises and suspitions which they conceived of them , yet they had both been captains under ioh● de padilla . notwithstanding that the prior of st iuan , don antonio de zun̄iga was with his armie in the confines of that citie ; the commoners with a great bodie and some pieces of ordnance , marched to a castle called almonacid , and continued battring it for two daies , the governor valorously defending it ; which the prior hearing , presently gave command to draw all his forces into the field , intending to give them battle . but they having intelligence thereof , soon railed their siege , and returned to toledo , for fear of beeing put to the worst . some daies after don alonso de caravajal , brother to don diego , beeing quartred with some light-hors-men at maxcareque , four leagues from toledo , six hundred foot , and fiftie hors sallied out of the citie , and taking by-waies that they might not bee discovered by the enemie's centinels , by break of day they fell upon the village , surprised don alonso and his men , and carried them all prisoners to toledo , before any of their partie could com to rescue them . they did several other such exploits , and on the other side the prior did them what mischief hee could . the governors were much troubled hereat , but could not pass with their armie to toledo , until they had quieted all the old castilla . but that which put them to the greatest plunge , was the news of the king of france his armie advancing into the kingdom of navarra . it was told them that padilla's wife , with all her kindred in toledo , mainteined and fomented chiefly this humor in the inhabitants , therefore they resolved to send thither , and use som means to get her out of the citie , believing , that if shee were gon thence , the rest might bee more easily reduced : to this effect they sent a captain , with a few men disguised , who offered himself to go to toledo , and carrie her out of the citie by fair means , or by foul . being arrived at toledo , hee went directly to the fort where don̄a maria was , desiring to speak with her ; but the people having some intelligence of his designe , presently made an alarme , and came in great multitudes to the castle , where finding the captain in discours with don̄a maria , they straight laid hands on him , and flung him out at the window , which beeing high , hee broke himself all to peeces with the fall ; after this they cut the throats of all those that came with him , insomuch that the citie was in greater disorder by this means then before . in the moneth of september . the french beeing beaten out of navarra , the governors were in the minde to march with all their forces into the kingdom of toledo , and subdue that citie , but they were again diverted by a second intelligence which was brought them , that the king of france was come to bayona vvith a very povverful armie . and don antonio de zun̄iga ( vvho had begun that enterprise ) beeing desirous to bring his design to perfection , drevv all his forces out of their garrisons , and pitcht his camp before the citie on the one side the river , and don iohn de ribera had his men quartred neer the citie on the other . don antonio had with him eight hundred lances , which scoured all the countrie about , and had daily smart skermishes with the toledians , vvherein divers fell on both sides . in this expedition vvas don pedro de guzman , third son ( as you have heard ) to the duke of medina sidonia , vvho beeing yong and full of mettle , and ambitious to shevv his valor , engaged himself too far amongst the enemies , by vvhom hee vvas taken close by the castle of san sernan , so desperately vvounded , that the toledians vvere enfor●'t to carrie him off the field upon a board , hee not beeing able to go any other vvaies . don̄a maria pacheco , beeing at a vvindovv in the fort , obs●rved vvith great attention all the passages of the fight , and distinguishing don ●ed●o from the rest , shee vvas much taken vvith him , seeing ●im b●have himself so gallantly ; and beeing brought to the fort , shee vvent out to receiv him , partly out of respect to pedro's noble birth , but chiefly out of a private inclination vvhich proceeded from the esteem shee made of his valor and animositie . shee treated him vvith much civility and demonstrations of affection , comme●ding highly his provvess vvhereof her eies vvere vvitnesses , and told him , that his generositie vvas vvorthie of an eternal m●morie , onely this was wanting him , that his valor was not emploied in the king's service , and in favor of the citie of toledo : ( for the commonalties pretended in all the cities , that whatsoever they did , was in order to his majesties service ) . don̄a maria would suffer none of pedro's retinue to staie with him , or any bodie els to visit him , neither would shee permit him to write to antonio's camp : but treating him with very great care and complements , shee spared nothing that was necessarie for his recoverie : his wounds beeing throughly cured , shee endeavored to win him to their side , promising , that if hee would renounce the other partie , they would make him general of the forces of toledo . but finding her time lost in persuading him , shee resolved to get him exchanged for other prisoners which don antonio had taken of the toledians , which was done ; for the better effecting whereof , those of toledo gave don pedro his parolle for eight daies , to go to his uncle's armie , having made him swear first , that hee would return again , in case hee procured not the libertie of those whom they demanded : amongst other exceptions which they made him renounce in the oath they administred to him , one was , th●t hee should not allege that those of toledo were traitors , and therefore hee was not obliged to make good his word or oath to them , which was fulfilled accordingly . the citie was very well provided for a long time , and they had broken down all the mills for twelv leag●es compass , that antonio's men might have no means ●o grinde their corn . they took all the plate of silver and gold out of the cathedral church , which beeing coined , did much enrich them , and made them so stout , that they said , they would never consent to peace , unless there were first a pardon general granted for the whole kingdom of spain , and that don pedro lasso de la vega were delivered into their hands , for ( they said ) hee was the principal caus of all those troubles , and the onely man that put them upon that insurrection . sect . xxiv . the marquis of villena beeing entred into toledo , by consent of the citie , began to bring them to a right understanding : whereupon hee wrote to the governors , that they might follow their business in navarra , as for the toledians hee would undertake to reduce them to their due obedience . the governors glad to bee eased of an affair of such care and trouble , emploied all their industrie and force to resist the incursions of the french ▪ as shal bee said hereafter . hernando de avalos , and som oth●r of the inhabitants , would gladly have received a pardon from the marquis of villena's hands ; therefore beeing sent to by them , hee came , accompanied with the earl of oropesa , and som hors and foot , but nothing could bee effected , for the contrarie partie mutinied in such a tumultuous manner , that the marquis was forced to go out of the citie , after hee had spent som daies time to procure a peace . the same effect had the endeavors of don diego de cardenas adelantado of granada , duke of maqueda , who , with the same intention , came to toledo , very well attended , and was driven out by the common people . such was the confusion of that citie which don̄a maria pacheco did uphold with as much courage , as if shee had been a captain long exercised in martial affairs , and therefore shee was generally call●d , la muger valerosa , the valiant woman : the report goe's , that shee made use of the crosses in stead of colors , and to excite the people to compassion , shee made her son to bee carried up and down the streets upon a mule , with a mourning hood and cloak on , and in a streamer , the picture of her husband iohn de padilla beheaded . divers other things were said of her , it may bee they were but feigned . amongst the rest , that shee had a fancie that shee should bee a queen , which was put into her head by som morisco witches at granada . at length her partie began to weaken and diminish , don estevan gabriel merino prevailing against her , who shewed himself a person of great conduct and prudence . this prelate ( who afterwards was cardinal of san vidal ) then governing the bishoprick of iaen , and beeing dean of toledo , assisted by the marshal payo de ribera , and other ●entlemen of that citie , having routed don̄a maria , and her adherents , turned them out of toledo ; and shee , having disguised herself in a countrie-woman's habit , and riding upon an ass , with som gees in her hands , escaped : otherwise shee had lost her head aswel as her husband . so shee spun out the rest of her daies in exsile . after this the citie was reduced , and enjoied the benefit of the general pardon , with other good conditions , which , by reason of the war of navarra , were granted them , and ( as they desired ) neither don iohn de ribera , nor any of his kindred , were permitted to com into the citie , until the king returned into spain ; they received don estevan gabriel merino , and doctor zumel , for their chief officers of justice . they pull'd down padilla's hous to the ground , which done , they ploughed it , and sowed it with salt , becaus the soil , where the captain of so great troubles and mischiefs had his birth and habitation , should not produce so much as grass or weeds , erecting there a pillar , with an inscription , declaring the manner of his life and deplorable end . sect . xxv . although the whole kingdom almost was reduced ( the fear of punishment exceeding the hopes they had of carrying on their design ) ; yet the fort of fermosel ( which was under the command , and properly belonging to the bishop of zamora ) stood peremptorily upon their defence . the governors hereupon sent the earl of alva de lista , with a competent number of men , to take it ; who requiring the governor to deliver it to the emperor , hee answered , that hee kept it in the bishop of zamora's name for his majestie , that if his majestie did com thither and bring the bishop with him ( whom the duke of naxara had taken prisoner ) hee would presently surrender it , otherwise not . the earl laid siege to it hereupon , but to small purpose , for it was very strong . the duke of naxara not long after sent to the governors , desiring them to command the siege to bee raised before ●ermosel , becaus it belonged to his son ; the bishop having ●xchanged it with him . the governors gave order forthwith that the earl of alva should give them truce for twentie daies , whilest they sent to the emperor to know his majesties pleasure . the taking of the bishop of zamora was in this manner . hee seeing all his partie routed , and that it was no boot for him to staie in spain , resolved to make france his refuge . but beeing in the confines of navarra at the same time the french king made his attempt upon that countrie , at a place called villamediana , a league from logron̄o ( although hee had disguised himself ) hee was discovered and taken prisoner by an alferez named perote . who carried him thence to navarrete a town two leagues from naxara , where hee delivered him to the duke don antonio , who kept him there , until the emperor commanded him to bee carried to the castle of simancas , where hee ended his daies , as you shall hear . sect . xxvi . the citie of valladolid wrote to the lord admiral , desiring him to stand their friend , as his ancestors had done in former times . whereunto hee returned a very kind answer , assuring them all the favor hee could do them , or procure them from his majestie , so that they continned their contrition and acknowledgment of their errors , and refrained from acting any thing misbecoming the obedience of loyal and faithful subjects ▪ and to conclude this tedious relation , i shall tell you onely that the emperor beeing retur●ed into spain , called a counsel in palencia , where hee consulted of and concluded a general pardon for the whole kingdom . but some of the commoners beeing brought to execution ( as shall bee hereafter mentioned ) the castillians not knovving what had past in his majesties counsels , began to bee possest with fears ; for the absolute distruction and banishing whereof , the emperor upon the th of october , caused a great scaffold to bee erected in the chief market place of valladolid , and covered with rich cloth of gold and silk , whereon his majestie cloathed with long robes , after the antient manner , all his grandees and council about him , beeing seated ; his attornie general with a rich herald's coat , and one of the clarks of the exchequer named gallo , having made a long narration of the troubles and insurrections of castilla , read with a distinct loud voice the general pardon which his majestie granted to the whole kingdom : wherein were excepted onely some threescore or fourscore persons ; whom , in regard the greatest part of them were but ordinarie people , some of them friers and others already punished , i shall not trouble my self to particularize , onely the execution of don pedro pimentel de talavera , ( who was taken at the battle of villalar ) and his head was cut off in the publick place of palencia . the commissioners of guadalaxara and segovia , with some others , beeing prisoners at la mota de medina del campo , the alcalde leguizama was sent thither to do justice upon them : beeing there arrived , hee commanded seven of them to bee brought out of the common gaol ( vvhere they were put ) with ropes about their necks and set upon asses until they came into the chief market place of medina , where all their heads were cut off . in the citie of vitoria , a skinner of salamanca , and two or three more of his complices , were executed on fridaie the th of august . that which was chiefly laid to the charge of the commissioners and other gentlemen , vvas their daring to take possession of the queen at tordesillas , turning avvaie the marquis of denia and his ladie , vvho had commands from his majestie to attend her person . and besides that some of them held correspondence vvith the king of france . sect . xxvii . the bishop of zamora beeing taken ( as is related ) vvas brought aftervvards prisoner to the fort of simancas , vvhere hee continued a good while . during which time with a brick which hee had cunningly put into a bag , wherein hee used to carrie his breviary , hee knockt out the governors brains , that had charge of him , beeing in discours with him by the fire side . so leaving the father dead , hee had made his escape , but that his son discovered him , and having brought him back , lock'd him into his chamber , without doing any thing els to him , for murthering his father which was held and commended for a peice of great wisdom and patience in the yong man. the emperor upon notice hereof , commanded the alcalde ronquillo to go thither , who having too much justice on his side , and bearing no great affection to the bishop , by vertue of a licence the emperor had from pope adrian , to punish the said bishop and other priests and friers for their exorbitances , bearing date the th of march . hee c●used him to bee strangled within the said fort ; and some report that hee hung him upon one of the pinacles of the tower , to the end hee might bee a spectacle to all that passed that waie . this was done contrarie to the emperor's knowledg , and it grieved him very much , although hee had reason and power enough to do it . this was done an● . sect . xxviii . the end whereunto don pedro de ayala , earl of salvatierra was brought , may serv for an example of the various vicissitudes of fortune in this life : after hee was taken hee was carried to burgos , where hee was kept prisoner in the earl of salinas his hous , where hee was let blood to death , anno , the emperor then beeing at burgos , after which hee was carried to his grave , his feet hanging bare over the bier , with irons upon them , exposed to the publick view of all . this unfo●tunate earl was reduced to so much povertie , beeing forsaken of all his friends in his imprisonment , that hee had nothing to eat but a poor mess of pottage , which leon picardo , a domestick servant and painter to the lord high constable , somtimes brought him . his son don athanasio de ayala , then page to the emperor , out of compassion and pietie , which a childe oweth to his father , sold a hors which hee had to buie the earl victuals : for which the master of the pages would have him punished , and complained of him to the emperor ; whereupon the emperor calling don athanasio to him , and asking him for his hors , hee presently answered , that hee had sold him to buie victuals for his father . the emperor was so far from beeing displeased at so pio●● an act , that hee forthwith commanded fortie thousand maravediz to bee given him . thus this great earl , who , as hee said of himself , was lineally descended from the mightie gothes , ended his daies by an untimely death . sect . xxix . the emperor beeing desirous to express the contentment which hee received by the pacification of his kingdoms , and that hee might shew himself a gracious prince to those that had offended his majestie in so high a measure , hee commanded that two daies after the general pardon was proclaimed , there should bee great feasts celebrated in valladolid , with great solemnitie , with tiltings , fighting on hors-back with bulls , and a turnament or just-royal . and the emperor himself beeing in compleat armor , and so disguised , that no bodie could know him , entered the list , and brake several lances with those that had gotten the greatest honor that daie , behaving himself with such dexteritie , courage , and gallantrie , that hee drew the eies of all the spectators upon him , and kindled a curiositie in their brests to know who hee was , which beeing discovered , their gusts increased with their admirations . light-winged fame having filled the world with the emperor 's good success , many princes and embassadors , from all parts , thereupon came flocking to his court. the king of england sent his embassadors , and don luis de silva , in the king of portugal his master's name , came to congratulate his majestie 's return , his reception of the imperial crown , and the pacification of the troubles in spain , desiring moreover , that hee would give order that the castillians might go no more into the moluccas , which his majestie remitted to bee determined by judicious and experienced men . sect . xxx . his majestie 's goodness and clemencie to his subjects , had it been in the antient greek's or latine's ages , should have been celebrated with a never dying memorie , since of so many offendors so few were excepted in the general pardon , and well near all those too obteined an exemption from all punishments , aswel of persons , as estate : and the nobles were restored to the same height of honor and esteem as they possessed formerly , the emperor shewing as much favor and liberalitie towards them and their children , as if they never had committed any offence against him . whosoever take's the pains to peruse the historie of these fore-related commotions will finde , that hernando de avalos , a gentleman of toledo , was one of the greatest sticklers for the commonalties , one of the chief ring-leaders of these disorders , and one that persevered in them with as great obstinacie and perversness as might bee ; for which hee was excepted , yet nothing was done to him . but whether out of fear , or otherwise , hee privately slunk away out of the kingdom ; for which the emperor ( as hee had reason ) was the more displeased at him . and having continued in this voluntarie exile some time , at last having disguised himself , as hee thought , sufficiently , hee took the boldness to return to the court and endeavor to procure his pardon , which coming to the knowledg of one that was neer his majesties person , hee thinking to do an acceptable piece of service , went presently and told the emperor , that hernando de avalos was in the court , and that , if his majestie was so pleased , hee would apprehend him , for hee knew where to finde him . the emperor took no great notice hereof at the first time . two or three daies after , the gentleman thinking his majestie had not well understood him , or els had forgotten what hee had told him , gave him a second advice of hernando's beeing there . whereunto the emperor with a countenance that express'd no great pleasure in any such like actions , answered ; thou should'st have done better to have advised hernando de avalos to leav the court , then to press mee to give command to have him apprehended . so the pick-thank remained ashamed and confounded , ( as all those which delight in such base unworthie offices for the most part are , when their malicious practises do not take effect ) . it is moreover reported , the testimonie of the goodness of this emperor , that beeing told hovv fevv had been executed of those offendors , hee replyed , it is enough , let there bee no more blood spilt . which vvas a saying indeed becoming the dignitie of so great a prince . sect . xxxi . the general pardon beeing known through all spain , the hearts of all the people were filled with no less rejoycing then affection to their prince , having such notable experience of his clemencie and valour , and thenceforwards the peace and quietness grew daily more and more in the kingdom . those of valencia hearing what his majestie had done at valladolid for the kingdom of castilla , presently sent their commissioners , humbly craving the same grace and favor from the emperor , and in particular they desired his majestie would bee pleased to remove thence their vice-roy don diego de mendoça , whom they abhorred exceedingly , deriving upon him all the fault of their past commotions , by reason of the many tyrannies and oppressions wherewith hee had overburthened the people . but those commissioners not coming in the name and with a general power from the whole kingdom , their desires were not granted at that time . whereupon the of november , anno , four other commissioners were sent with full power , from the kingdom of valencia , to tender , without reserv , into his majestie 's hands all their honors , lives , and fortunes , that hee might dispose of them at his will and pleasure , absolutely resigning themselvs to his clemencie , and desiring onely that hee would give them another vice-roy , for they could not endure don diego de mendoça , and that hee would change som other officers ; which the emperor , to satisfie them , did , placing in diego's stead , the queen germana , and making don iohn , marquis of brandeburg , her husband , captain general of the whole kingdom , who died in the same year . after which , the emperor considering the fidelitie and roial descent of don hernando de aragon , duke of calatria , ( who beeing a prisoner in the castle of xativa ) in the time of troubles the people would have set him at libertie , and made him their captain general , and married him to the queen , but hee discreetly refused their offer , saying , that hee would not go out of prison without the emperor's consent ) sent for him to valladolid , where hee did him great honor and respect , and having married him to the queen germana , ( who was second wife to the catholick king don fernando ) invested them in the government of the kingdom of valencia . sect . xxxii . whilest the governors of castilla , after this victorie at villalar , were reducing and settling segovia , and the other cities of that kingdom , with intent to pass with their armie to suppress and quiet the disorders of the toledians ; the duke of naxara came to them at segovia , informing them that a powerful armie of french under the command of monsieur de asparros , brother to monsieur de lautrech vice-roy of milan , was entred into navarra , had taken pamplona , stilla , and divers other places , and not content to have run all that countrie over ( to which they seemed at first onely to laie claim , and that not in king francis his name , but for don enrique de la brit , who pretended to bee right owner of the kingdom of navarra . at last they declared themselvs ( what reallie they were ) open enemies , and marched with all their forces to assault the citie of logron̄o , their word was vivat the king and flower de luce of france , and the commonaltie of castilla , which was a great argument that some of them held correspondence with the king of france , and gave him encouragement to send his armie thither ; but the valour and policie of those of logron̄o was such , that the french were enforc't to rais their siege , and go away from thence with no inconsiderable loss , and the governors beeing com to succor logron̄o , pursued them , and after divers skirmishes they joyned battle in the pyrenean mountain , wherein the french beeing absolutely routed and their general taken prisoner , the whole kingdom of navarra was presently reduced under the emperors subjection . who perceiving the animositie of the french king , and the means hee used to endammage him in several parts , as well in flanders as in spain , notwithstanding the conditions of peace made betwixt the two crowns at noyon ; resolved at last to paie him in the same coin , and take his full revenge of him in italie . to which effect , hee first sent embassadors to pope leon , desiring his friendship and assistance to drive the french out of lombardy , dispossess them of milan , and restore it to francisco sforza , son to lewis brother to maximilian , from whom the king of france had taken that countrie ; and to retake likewise parma and placentia , which belonged to the church . hereupon a yearly pension of ten thousand duckets out of the arch-bishoprick of toledo , and as much in lands in the kingdom of naples , was promised to the cardinal iulo de medicis for alexander de medicis base son to laurencio son to pedro de medicis , who was duke of vibino . the pope was so far from disliking the motion , that hee prepared monie and men to assist the emperor , making the marquis of pescara marquis of mantua his general ; who joyning with prospero colona , captain general of the imperial forces , they laid siege to the citie of parma , which after som daies resistance , they stormed and sacked . the citie and castle of milan they took also , after which the citie of pavia , and all the rest of the cities and towns belonging to the state of milan presently surrendered themselvs : this done , the imperialists ( notwithstanding their armie was much lessened , monie growing short , by reason of the pope's sudden death ) besieged and took the cities of como and alexandria upon the river ada in lombardie . about the same time the king of france advanced into flanders with a very powerful armie , to succor the citie of tornay ( which then was besieged by the emperors forces ) but beeing repulsed by henrie earl of nassau and don hugo de moncada , hee retreated , and the citie for want of relief was surrendred to the ●mperialists . in mean time francis the first of france , nothing dismaied at the crosness of his fortune , sent another numerous armie against spain , ( building much upon the absence of the emperor and the distractions in that kingdom ) which entring into navarra by puerto de ronces valles , took the forts of pen̄ol and maya , and encamp'd before fuente ravia , a strong place in the countrie of guipuzcoa , four leagues from bayona , which after ten or twelv daies siege , despairing of any succor , diego de vera the governor delivered , upon condition that the souldiers should all march freely out with bag and baggage , the inhabitants not to bee plundred , and have libertie to staie or go out of the town , as they pleased : for which hee was afterwards questioned in castilla . sect . xxxiii . henrie the eighth , king of england , ( whom the emperor , and king of france made arbitrator of their differences ) having concluded that the french king was the peace-breaker , sent the duke of suffolk ( who had married marie , sister to henrie the th , and widow to lewis king of france , with a considerable force , to join with the imperialists , under the command of florencio egmondio , earl of bura , at the siege of hesdin , in the frontiers of flanders , which after two moneths time they were compelled to rais , by sickness , and the over-flowing of the river , besides the unseasonableness of the weather , enforced them to repair into their winter-quarters . but the spring following , they took the field again , and marched near fortie thousand strong toward paris , spoiling and burning without mercie as they went , which put the parisians to a terrible fright . at the same time the lord high admiral of france entred into lombardie with an armie of above fiftie thousand combatants : but the venetians , beeing joined with the imperialists , recovered all the places which they had gotten , and drove them quite out of italie . not long after the king of france came himself into lombardie at the head of another mighty armie , thinking to carrie all before him , but before the citie of pavia ( where hee had pitched his camp ) his forces were all routed by the marquis of pescara , general of the imperialists , and hee taken prisoner , his hors beeing kill'd under him : the prince of navarra was likewise taken and committed prisoner to the castle of pavia , whence hee made his escape ; the prince of scotland was kill'd barbarously by a countrie-fellow , to whom hee had discovered himself , and promised a great reward to conduct him safe to vigeven , where his train and baggage was , which fellow coming to relate to the marquis his exploit , exspecting som recompence , hee commanded to give him a halter for his news , and hee was hanged presently . divers other noblemen and persons of qualitie were taken , and many killed in that expedition . the king , after som time , was carried into spain by don carlos de lanoy , vice-roy of naples , upon his earnest request , hoping to make his conditions the better with the emperor , if hee could speak with him himself . hee continued a prisoner a year and upwards , after which time , hee was released upon articles betwixt him and the emperor , whereof one principal was , that hee should marrie the emperor's sister , don̄a leonor , widow to don manuel king of portugal , and restore the dukedom of burgundie to the hous of austria , for performance of their agreement , his two eldest sons , viz francis the dolfin , and henrie duke of orleans were , at the same time as hee was set into france , delivered as pledges to the spaniards . but beeing in his own countrie , whether by persuasion of ill counsellors , or , thi●king the conditions too unreasonable , and hee not obliged to make good his promise , having been forced thereunto in his imprisonment , hee sent the arch-bishop of bourdeaux to the emperors court , requiring him ( in regard it was not in his power to give away any part of his countrie ) that hee would give his children their enlargement upon any reasonable ransom . which embassage the emperor , with great indignation , answered thus briefly ; that if the king of france could not perform the conditions ( as hee pretended ) yet desired to have his sons at libertie ; hee should com back and take their places , ( which was in his power to do , and hee had promised by oath ) otherwise , hee must not exspect to have his children so soon released . hereupon the french king giving waie to his vindicative passion , left no means unattempted to incite the other christian princes to wage war in his favor against the emperor . and after som time having drawn henrie the th of england to his partie ( who had som other pretences to quarrel with the emperor ) they both sent their kings a● arms with letters of defiance to him into spain , and gave order to their embassadors to return , and leav his court. whereupon their private animosities broke out into a publick war , which for a time continued more fierce and bloodie then the former : but at last their differences were composed , and an happie peace concluded between those two potent princes , by the no less ingenious then industrious endeavors of the most excellent princesses , don̄a margarita , arch-dutchess of austria , aunt to his imperial majestie , and madama luysa dutchess of angulema and anjou , widow to the duke of sav●y , and mother to the king of france . upon which agreement the young princes were released , after almost four years close imprisonment , their father sending for their ransom two millions of crowns of gold , which summe of monie was put into one boat , and they into another at fuente ravia , with the like diffidence and ceremonie as was used when the king , their father , was exchanged for them . at the same time don̄a leonor the emperor's sister passed into france , according to the articles , who was married by the cardinal of tournon to the french king , with great solemnitie and expressions of joie , anno . this peace continued not long , for francis king of france ( who in all other princely qualities and ornaments , was rather surpassing , then at all inferior to any of his cotemporaries ) beeing transported with an insatiable ambition , and envying the emperor's greatness , gave several meetings at boloigne , and calis to henrie king of england ( who having shook hands with conscience and religion , and repudiated queen katharine , charls the fifth's aunt , thinking the emperor would som waie express his discontent , and shew himself sensible of so great●an affront , resolved to give him further occasion of distaste ) ; and there they conspired to suscitate the lutherans in germanie , and rais new factions in italie against him , and under hand they encouraged the danes to rise up in arms against their king christian , whom ( pretending a truce , and a desire to make an accommodation with him ) they surprised , hee not suspecting their treacherie , and imprisoned him in the castle of sundiburgi in holsatia , where hee miserably ended his daies : the said princes had no other ground for this p●ece of malice , but onely in relation to the emperor , becaus christian was his friend and allie , having married his sister ysabella ; and not content herewith , at length finding fit opportunities , they again declared open war against him , the transactions and events whereof shal bee exactly represented in the succeeding book . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e the birth of the emperor charls the fift . his title beeing a child . anno . philip the 〈◊〉 ●w●rn p●i●ce of sp●in . the b●rth of ●he i●fante f●rdinand . anno . the death of isabel queen of spain . ferdinand's design to get the kingdom of castilia to himself . the death ●f phil●p the fair duke of burgu●die ▪ an● a●●●-duke of aust●i● . an old woman's prophecie of him . what children . hee left . the manner of king ferdinand's death . dispute about the government of the kingdom . resolute car●iage and answer of cardinal ximene● to the nobles o● spain . charls the fi●●'s coming into spain . c●rdinal xim●●es buried at alcala , anno . som were of opinion that hee was poisoned . charls the fift's age when hee was received into spain . his disposition . who xeures was . differe●ces about the acknowledging of cha●ls , king of spain . the form of swearing allegeance to him . the oath 〈◊〉 took . m●●auediz make d. a du●ket make's ● d. the infante's dis●on●e●tment . charls the fift received at saragosa . . the castillians and aragoneses distasted . gatinara made lord chancellor of spain . demands of the aragoneses before they would acknowledg charls their king. quarrel be-the castillians and aragoneses , about the receiving charls as king. anno ▪ the empe●or maximilian's dea●h in germanie . his conditions . the king of f●ance'● ambition to the imperial crow● . seven el●c●o●s o● the empire . c●a●ls the f●●●t elected emperor . h●ughti● h●militie of the ea●l v●n●v●n●● , in 〈◊〉 to bee m●de knight of the g●lden fle●ce . the catalanes make difficult●e of acknowledging charls king. those of valencia . re●use to a●knowledg him . their proud answer . troubles in germanie . notes for div a -e the martial don pedro refuseth the oath of al●g●ance . iohn de padilla was afterwards their general , a m●n of noble extraction , and a high spirit . di●●at●s in those o● va●ladolid . tol●do write's to vallad●lid . vall●dolid's answer to toledo . iohn de padilla , don pedro lasso , and hern●ndo de avalos , principal actors for the commons in toledo . corregidor is as our majors are in england . dissentions in ●he a●●emblie at toledo . here the autor mislook his ●carms , speaking like a flattering fri●r . r●gidores and iu●ados are in ●he nature of our aldermen and common-council men . parlament call'd in galicia . t●e autor ought rather to have said promoters of ●he people's good . v●lladolid's answer to the commissioners of toledo . bold speech of don pedro giron to the emperor . tumults in v●lladolid . the people stop the emperor at the gates of the citie . the emperor displeased with the toledians . the commissioners of salamanca refuse the oath in open parlament . dissentings in the parlament . the galician● distasted . emulations in the court. the toledians protest against the parlament at santjago . rather the chief instrument of the common good . the autor undervalue's iohn de padilla out of passion , for contrary to his discription hee was a man of singular wit , learning and mature judgment and his wife was a ladie nobly descended and the most masculine , heroick spirit that ever spain bred . this plot the fryer writ upon report . neither were these men such base fellows as hee make's them but persons of quality . tumults in toledo . their grounds were good and had su●●ceeded better if they had not bin betrayed by som of the nobility . extraction of don pedro l●ss● . cardinal adriano made governor during his m●jestie's absence . his council . the emperor imbark's for flanders . hee arrive's in england cardinal wolcey receive's him at his landing . his reception by the king and queen at canterburie . tumults in segovia . ant●nio de tordesillas r●gidor and commissioner of s●govia hanged by the people . commotions in the citie of zamora . earthquake in burgos . the common people of the c●tie rise up in arms. their design upon don diego de osorio's hous . up●oars in madrid . in siguenca , guadalaxara , salamanca , mu●cia . the people of guad●laxara rise up ag●inst their commissioner● . toledo and madrid succor segovia . iohn de padillae made cap●ain of the toledians . iohn bravo captain of the segovian forces ronquillo refuseth to ingage in battle . antonio de fonseca commanded by the cardinal to assist ronquillo . segovia write's to those of medina del campo not to deliver their artillerie to fonseca . antonio de fonseca advanceth with his forces to medina to demand the artillerie . they refuse to deliver the artilerie . fonseca storn . the town . is repulsed . the unfortunate burning of medina del campo by fonseca's men notes for div a -e bobadilla captain of the people in m●dina . medina complain's to valladolid of their misf●rtune● . valladolid's answer to the emperor's letter . tumul●s in v●lla●olid for the burning o● m●d●na . the c●rdinall disclaime's fonsec●'s burning of medin● and command's him to disband his men . commotions in caceres and iaen quieted by the discretion of don rodrigo mexia . factions in u●eda and b●●za . cuenca riset● for the commonaltiee . the autor b●ing a frier ▪ shewe● himself more a flatt●rer then the priest a fool , for the one praied simply ▪ the other writ colloguingly , taking all advantage , t● advance his interest i● court ▪ toro and ciudad roderigo declare for the commonaltie factions in ●he citie of leon. a ●roph●s●e . toledo invite's all the other cities to send their commissioners t● the assemblie at avila . leguizama the judg , by order from the council , goeth to punish the disorders in murcia . the people rescue the offendor , and mu●inie against leguiz●ma . the marquess of velez's answer to leguizama . leguizam● forced to leav the citie . hee flie's to mula . the people rise there also , and rais the countrie against him . don iohn de figuero● declar●th for the commonalti● in the citie of sevill● . the qu●tros●te ●te four and twentie chiefmen chosen by the citie for the managing of affairs . don iohn taken prisoner , and the citie quieted . salaman●● up in arm● . don pedro maldon●do captain in salamanc● ▪ here the autor flatter's ▪ the junta began in avilae . iuli● . . where they s●ayed not ●●ng before they went to t●●d●sillas . a wiser man then the author or els probablie bee never had rais●d himself from nothing to so great prefe●ment . h●re the a●thor would disgrace and undervalue if hee could the bravest wi●t that ever spain bred , the ho●or of his countrie whose in●entions were o●ely for the common-wealth's good , and had hee not been betrayed by some n●●le-men of his partie , h●e ●ad made it 〈◊〉 most gl●io●s common-weal●h in the world. hee is much lamented by manie persons of qualitie in spain yet 〈◊〉 this d●ie . alguazil is an officer of justice in spain . regimi●nto , or casa del regimiento , is ●he hous where the inhib●tants ●n everi● citie d●●ssemble about things concerning their poli●ical government ▪ padilla's speech to the queen at tordesellas . here the autor jeer's his own coat . the iunta or general assemblie s●ttled at tordesillas . the i●nta send'● to valladol●d to d●ssol● the k●●g'● counc●● . vall●dolid's answer . a name● junta , summo●'s ●hose of the king'● coun●il to app●a● be●ore them at tordesillas . their answer . the emperor sen●●'s commissions to the lord high constable and lord admiral of castilla making them joint-governors of spai● with the cardinal . som of the council escape out of vallad●●lid in disguise ▪ the iunta's request to the queen . john de padilla apprehendeth some of the co●ncil and ca●●i●th them prisone●s ●o tordesillas . how uncharitable the autor is to his brethren friers ? the cardinal indeavouring to go out of valladolid is stopped by the people . don pedro giron's speech to the cardinal , persuading him to return to his palace ▪ note that this mes●age was sent at the fir●t assembling of the iunta in avila . prodigious signs in v●lencia . the confed●rates of vale●cia . sindico's were officers wh●ch they had m●de amongst them●selvs . other prodi●ious signs in v●lencia . el encubiert● . the notable imposture of iuan de vilvao . iuan de vilvao , or the disguised prince executed by the ma●quis of c●nete in v●l●ncia . notes for div a -e librancas , are assignments of monie . p●ertos seco● , are customs paid at the going ▪ in or cut of everie several kingdom in spain by land. maestrazgos , are the places of the masters of the orders of knighthood in spain . writs of error . who was an exempted pe●son and reserved by the emperor to bee punished . commotions 〈◊〉 palencia . alcala de henares . burgos riseth up in arms against the lord high constable . the engagement of those of valladolid . the infant● of granada , having been put out of his office , with fourteen other officers of the citie , by the people of valladolid , who accused them of keeping correspondencie with the enemie . notes for div a -e their cap●a●ns were good enou●h , if ●hey had not h●d som ●●eache●rous great ones amongst them . here the autor con●●●leth in a manner the justnes , of the caus , and s●emeth himself to justifie it . here don pedro , and other gentlemen , begin to plaie the traitors . the president of valladolid's speech to the bishop of z●mora . a gallant and resolute answer of the bishop of zamor● to the lord president . an heroick and generous spirit in the bishop of zam●ra beeing a man indefatigable . don pedro and the bishop of zamora's mess●ge to the cavaliers . the earl spoke with much cunning & dissimulation , purposely to pl●as and blind the bishop , that h●e might not suspect w●at they had in private concluded with don pedro giron , by which conference it appear's plainly that they w●re betraied , & sol● , as ant●nio de gue●ara declareth at large in his epistles . no h●ng but the private treacherie of don pedro giron could have deluded the bishop and destroied ●heir a●mie . t●r●●sillas t●ken by the earl of haro , captain general of the cavalier forces . som of the commissioners of the iunta make their escapes . som are taken , and again released don pedro de giron's and the bishop of zamora's letter to valladolid . valladolid's answer to don pedro. the lord admirals letter to those of the iunta at valladolid . their vote concerning the letter . cou●agious expl●it of the bi●hop o● z●mora . o●her exploit of the bishop of zamora'● . the governor of vald●per●●aken ●aken , and the place plundred by the bishop'● m●n . here the autor g●ve●h kings a l●sson , ●dmonishing t●em not to oppres their subj●cts . mormojon taken by iohn de padilla . empudia taken by iohn de padill● ▪ and the bishop . the bis● . speech to hi● m●n in the assault . the lord high constabl●'● plot discovered . mutinie in the citie of burgos . the common people submit to the lord high constable . the fort is surrendered to him . troubles in the countrie of biscaya . first ground of salva●●erra's di●●a●ie against his majestie . diego martinez de al●va , and his allies , apprehend & imprison the judg , whom the iunta sent to vitoria . th● earl of s●lvatierra faceth vitoria with his armie . d●n pedro xuarez de velasco routeth those of the merindades . the earl of salvatierra , by order from the iunta , intercept's the artillerie which wa● going to the lord high constable , and causeth it to bee broken in pieces . the earl of salv●ti●rra's armie enter's into vitoria . dis●osition of don pedro de ayalae earl of salva●ierr● . his letter to the iunta , an ●he citie o● valladolid . the e●rl of salva●ierr● put to flight . his captain g●nsalo va●ahona taken prisoner by those of vito●ia , and be●●a●ed in the ma●ket place of th●ir citie . here don pedro lasso begin's to treat privately with the council , by means of alonso ortiz , who was a iurate of toledo , and his fellow commissioner in the parlament at santjago . a brave resolution of valladolid . the lord admiral 's letter to those of valladolid . the iunta's and valladolid's answer to the lord admiral . note that seldom hath there been any trea●herie committed , but a frier , or som clergie man , had a hand in it . p●dilla's speech to the commo● peopl● in vallado●id . here the au●or , though ● frier , expresseth more● spl●en and passion ●hen christian charitie to his br●thre● . here the autor ●xtend's himself as far in flatterie , as in other places in passionate railing . i●hn de pa●●lla besiegeth torrel●bation . john de padilla take'● torreloba●o● and the tower. wholsom counsel of the frier . alonso ortiz obtain's a truce f●om those of the junt● with the cavaliers . by order from the junta the truce is proclaimed in john de padilla's armie . the c●andee's exceptions against the truce . tho●e of valladolid disconten●ed against the com●anders of their armie , for yielding to a truce . the truce brok●n off again . notes for div a -e here the frier m●keth a digression , falling into his usual manner of flatterie . john de padilla was not so incapable as the frier make● him , th●ugh over-seen in this o●casion . here don pedro giron discover's himself to bee a traitor on both sides . another notorious traitor to the commons . here the frier flattereth again the familie of the girons . the relation of the first autor ( who in probabilitie was gueuara ) is ●he ●ather to be believed . two months hee staid there . a priest dissuade's iohn de padilla from encountering the cavaliers . his answer . a private plot of don pedro maldonad●'s with the earl of venavente , to betraie the artillerie . notable courage of io●n de padilla . iohn de padilla taken prisoner . don pedro m●ldonado was s●ved for be●raying the ar●●●●erie . resolute answer of j●hn bra●o . christian admonishment of john de padilla . here these three noble gentelmen died as gallantly as they had lived , beeing patriots of their countrie , whose memories deserv an everlasting same . the manner of the cavaliers entering into valladolid . the fre●ch advance into navarra . the f●enc● armie repulsed . the fre●ch enter into biscaya by b●yona . d●n p●d●o de guzman so●ely wounded and tak●n prisoner ●y the tol●dians . d●nia maria pacheco's escape out of toledo . som sai● sh●e died in portugal . they should rather have erected a statue , in memorie that he died a martyr for his countrie . the manner of the bishop of zamora's beeing t●●ken prisoner . they died gallantly as martyrs for their countrie . the b●shop of zamor●'● death . his majestie had great reason to g●●●● for the lo●s of the g●●●test prela●e th●t ever spain b●●d , b●eing so aged , and so resolu●e to the l●st , for the good of his countrie . thus died this brave earl , whom if the other nob●es had seconded , they had made spai● the most glorious re●ublic● of t●e wo●ld . nota●●● pie●ie of do● at●anasio d● ayala to his f●●ther , the earl of salvatierra , being ready to starv in prison . the french make it cursions into nava●ra . the french are forc●d to rais their siege before log●onio . th●ir armie routed in the pyrenean mountains , and navarra also reduced by the governors of castilla ▪ the emperor and the pope combine against the french king. their forces take the citie of pa●ma . milan . pavia . the french advance into flanders , and are repulsed . the french take fuente ravia . henrie . of england assists the emperor against the french. the venetians assist the emperor in lombardie . francis the first of france taken prisoner at pavia . francis the f●rst exchang'd for his two sons . the kings of england and france , sent letters of defiance to the emperor . pe●ce made between ●he emperor and king of france , by the archdutchess of austria , and the dutchess of angul●m● . his two sons ransomed for ● of crowns of gold. the emperor's sister l●onora married to the french king. a plot betw●xt hen. and f●an . king of f●ance , against the emperor . vox cœli, or newes from heauen of a consultation there held by the high and mighty princes, king hen. . king edw. . prince henry, queene mary, queene elizabeth, and queene anne, wherein spaines ambition and trecheries to most kingdoms and free estates of europe, are vnmasked and truly represented, but more particularly towards england, and now more especially vnder the pretended match of prince charles with the infanta dona maria. vvherunto is annexed two letters written by queene mary from heauen, the one to count gondomar, the ambassadour of spaine, the other to all the romane catholiques of england. written by s.r.n.i. reynolds, john, fl. - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc . estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) vox cœli, or newes from heauen of a consultation there held by the high and mighty princes, king hen. . king edw. . prince henry, queene mary, queene elizabeth, and queene anne, wherein spaines ambition and trecheries to most kingdoms and free estates of europe, are vnmasked and truly represented, but more particularly towards england, and now more especially vnder the pretended match of prince charles with the infanta dona maria. vvherunto is annexed two letters written by queene mary from heauen, the one to count gondomar, the ambassadour of spaine, the other to all the romane catholiques of england. written by s.r.n.i. reynolds, john, fl. - . [ ], , - , - p. by william jones], printed in elisium [i.e. london : . s.r.n.i. = john reynolds. wrongly attributed to thomas scott. the imprint is fictitious; actual place of publication and printer's name from stc. identified as stc a on umi microfilm. reproduction of the original in the folger shakespeare library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng great britain -- history -- james i, - -- early works to . spain -- foreign relations -- great britain -- early works to . great britain -- foreign relations -- spain -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion vox coeli , or newes from heaven . of a consultation there held by the high and mighty princes , king hen. . king edw. . prince henry , queene mary , queene elizabeth , and queene anne , wherein spaines ambition and trecheries to most kingdoms and free estates of evrope are vnmaskd and truly represented , but more particularly towards england , and now more especially vnder the pretended match of prince charles with the infanta dona maria . whereunto is annexed two letters written by queene mary from heauen , the one to count gondomar , the ambassadour of spaine , the other to all the romane catholiques of england . written by s.r.n.i. printed in elisium . . to the illvstriovs and grave assembly of the high covrt of parliament . the fruition of all temporall blessings . the felicitie of all spirituall blessings . lords . knights . burgesses . to you who are the re-presentiue body of england , and the epitomie and compendium of this great volume of our estate ; to you who are assummoned by our king , and sent vp by our country , to obay the first with your best fidelities , to serue the second with your chiefeft zeale and endevours , and to affect and honour both , with your most religious prayers and wishes . to you from whom god for his glory , our soveraigne for his honor and safety , and our church and common-weale for their flourishing welfare and prosperity , doe expect much by your transcendent and honourable imploiments : to you i say , and to no other do i present this consultation ( termed vox coeli ) to your consideration , and dedicate it to your protection . and because ( in point of integritie and dutie ) i hold my selfe bound to bring the truth neerer to your knowledge , or rather home to your vnderstanding ; may it please you to be informed , that about some three yeares since , at the first setting of the last high court of parliament , when our king was so earnest in proposing the match of our noble prince his sonne , with the infanta of spaine ; when the king of spaine coulourably pretended ( though not really intended ) to be deepely affected to entertaine and embrace the said motion ; when count gondomar ( his ambassador ) made shew to be a zealous solicitor , and a most actiue and officious stickler for compassing and finishing it ; when our romish catholiques became passionately and insultingly confident of the free toleration of their religion , and in the skie-reaching mountaines of their ambitious and superstitious hopes , were already preparing , to erect their groves and altars , to set vp their idols and images , and consequently to introduce their pope and his masse in the temples of our god ; when all prisons were vnlocked , and open to all pernitious priests and dangerous iesuites , and that many others like ( caterpillers and vipers ) came flocking and swarming from diuers parts of europe , to poyson and eate out the soules of our people , with their idolatrous doctrine of antichrist , and to withdraw their hearts and consciences from their alleagiance and fidelity , to their naturall prince & countrey ; purposely ( with more treachery then religion ) to subiect them to a forreine power & iurisdiction . when the emperour had beaten the king of bohemia from prague , and the duke of bavaria with the assistance of the swords , souldiers , and treasure of the king of spaine , had in a setled truce assaulted and taken many towns in the palatinate , contrary to their promises to our king , & of his maiesties to the prince his sonne in law , and contrary to the publique peace of germany and christendome . then , then it was , ( that to pull off the maske of spaines ambition and malice , who with the fire of this match , sought to set england all flaming in a mournefull and miserable combustion thereby to bury her glory in the dust , and her safety in the cinders of her subuersion and ruines ) that as prometheus fetch'd fire from heauen , so the fire of my zeale to the good of my prince & countrey , likewise fetch'd from thence this royall consultation for the discovery of our apprant and imminent dangers , and in knowing them , to know likewise how to prevent them ; which resolving to make publique , because it is solely tended to englands publique glory and prosperity : i contrary to my expectation ( but not to my feares , ) saw my hopes nipt in their blossomes , and my desires stifled in their births , because the seas of our kings affection to spaine went so lofty , and the windes were so tempestuous , that it could not possibly be permitted to passe the pikes of the presse : when albeit my zeale and fidelity againe and againe infused new audacity and courage to my resolutions , to see it salute the light , yet it was impossible for me or it to be made so happy , because i saw allureds honest letter , scots loyall vox popoli , d. whiting , d. everad , & claytons zealous sermons , and others , suppress'd and silenced , as also wards faithfull picture , which yet was so innocent , as it onely breathed forth his fidelity to england in silent rethorique , and dumbe eloquence . whervpon inforced to take a law from the iniquity of the time , ( with much reluctation and more griefe ) i hushed vp my said consultation in silence , and because i could not serve my prince and country in that booke of mine : i therefore then renewed my constant resolution and zeale to serue them in my most fervent prayers , and my most religious and zealous wishes , the which i haue ever since faithfully and constantly performed . sitting thus to behold the constant inconstancie of the world , which presents as many different accidents to our knowledge , as obiects to our eye ; and being iealous , vigilant , and attentive , to that which did , or which might any way appertaine to my soveraigne and his princely posterity to his dominions and subiects ; i was enforced to see ( o that i had beene so happy as not to haue seen ) the perfidious progresse of spaines new treacheries , and vsurpation vpon many countries of europe ; for first , his cousine leopaldus hath devoured the dutchy of cleaves and iulliers ; then he and his forces have taken many other fre townes , and whole bishopricks in the counties of luxembourg , and la marcke ; as also in the frontiers of swisserland and loraine : then he and his factor the duke of bavaria ( for him ) hath finished his absolute conquest of the palatinate ( that dainty , rich and fertile prouince of germany ) the dowry of our onely princesse , the inheritance of the prince her husband , and the patrimony of their royall issue , wherein the honour of our king , and of his three famous kingdomes , doe most extreamely suffer . i saw him conquer the cheifest cities , forts , and passages of the grisons , and hath brought their liberties and liues to their last gaspe and periode ; yea , to the mercilesse mercy of his not generous but bloody sword ; which being vnder the protection of the french king , doth likewise cast a wonderfull staine and blemish on the lustre of his honor and crowne , if he speedily take not his revenge thereof ; by leauing these his honest confederates as free as he found them , and as great henry his father left them . and after the triumphes and treacherous progression of the house of austria in germany . the king of spaine hath now made a body of his , and the imperiall forces , and this summer intends to play his bloody prize for the totall ruine and subversion of the netherlands ; who ( to the eye of the world , and to humane iudgement ) must shortly sink , if the two kings of great brittaine and france doe not make them swim ; by speedily sending them braue succours and assistance in this their vrgent necessitie . and whereunto tends all this treacherous ambition , and formidable vsurpation and greatnesse of the king of spaine , but to cut out a passage with his sword , and to make his troopes and regiments flye o're the alpes , for his erecting and obtaining of the westerne empire ? and whereunto tends it i say , but to make his territories and dominions to encirculize great brittaine and france , yea to be their cloyster , and to make and esteeme those two famous monarchies , but onely as a fatall church-yard to burie and interre themselues in . but illustrious and generous sirs , is this all the malice and treachery which spaine hath offered towards england ? o no , nothing lesse ; for vpon that iourney ( which was as dangerous as suddaine ) of our prince into spaine ( then whom the world hath not a braver : ) hath not the king of spaine dealt treacherously with him about his match with the infanta his sister ? yea have they not in his princely person , violated the lawes of hospitality , and the priviledges of princes ( when being vnder his own roofe ) by attempting to tye him to formes , which were diametrally opposite to his honour ; yea , to be so audaciously impudent , as with much violency and virulency to seeke to put a rape vpon his conscience and religion , in their profered enforcement of his conversiō to popery ; as if their infanta had bin to him more precious then his soule , or that he had beene so wretchedly grounded and instructed in pietie , that his highnesse would haue forsaken his god , purposely to haue obayed and adored the king of spaine , who is not , nor cannot be a greater king then he is a prince ? and to step yet a degree farther ; was it not a hellish policie , and a diabolicall designe and resolution of the councell of spaine , to advise our prince vpon his return into england , to warre vpon the protestants ; and to proffer him an army to suppresse and exterminate them . the protestants , i say , who are those by whom our king his father raigneth , and without whom his maiestie can never subsist nor raigne ; nor his highnesse successively aspire , or hope to aspire to his crownes and kingdomes after him , sith they are the life , the vigour , the heart , and the soule thereof . and will our king , and our prince , our parliaments and our protestants of england , then ever forget this inveterate rage , and infernal malice of spain against them ? as also the rest of their imperious and insulting cariage towards his highnes and towards great brittaine , as if they priz'd it at so low a rate , and made their boundles ambition so excessively over-value their own spain ? that that were in the crisis of her weakenes and misery , and this in the prime & verticall point of her power and glory ? and when his highnes pressed them for the restitution of the palatinat , which they had oftē promised to the king his father , then they temporized so cunningly , and subtillized so treacherously with him , that every day brought forth new delayes and difficulties , till in the end they had made the cure worse then the disease , & having taken firm footing therein , were enforced to vnvaile & vnmask their dissimulation , and faintly and coldly to affirme , that they would treate with the emperour for the restitution thereof , but could not promise it : thus having abused , first our king the father , and then our prince the sonne , they have now likewise betrayed and ruined our princesse the daughter in their final conquest , and resolute detention of the prince her husbands palatinate , that princesse i say , whose royal and sublime vertues , make her the honour of her time , the ornament of her sexe , and the phaenix princesse of the world . vvhereunto adding the absolute breach of the match long since prophetically delacerated , and cast in heaven by the princely and royall authors of this consultation , and since the same breach here on earth likewise so happily confirmd by the king , as also by the prince : so all these premises considered ▪ hath not englād reason to hate spain , in regard spaine hates it ? especially because of these two main ensuing points , & important considerations ? first , for that the king of spaine is a greater & more professed enemy to our sacred king & his royall posteritie , then either the emperour , or duke of bavaria , and is so to be held and esteemed of vs. secondly , that therefore to denounce warre to him , and to make it good as soone as it is denounced , is as honourable as necessary , and as iust as honorable for england ; as vpon new yeares day last i made these two points apparent and manifest to the king ; in my discourse intituled votivae angliae , which i sent his maiestie in the behalfe and favour of the prince palatine his sonne in law , for the restoration of his palatinate . hauing thus ( with as much disdaine as griefe ) seene his inveterate malice towards great brittaine , towards our king and his royall posterity , and consequently the eminent danger wherinto our profound security hath throwne & precipitated vs in particular ; and vnderstanding likewise how the said king of spaine with xerxes , threatens the seas and mountaines of europe in generall ; being as well in heart as tongue an englishman , and therefore knowing by grace , what i owe by nature to my naturall prince and countrey ( like cressus his dumbe sonne ) i would not , i could not be sil●nt thereat , but must expose this consultation of vox coeli to the light and sight of the world ; i meane to the light of your knowledge , and the sight of your consideration , vnder the secure target , and safe shelter and sanctuary of your auspicious protection . to you therefore great brittaines greatest palladines and champions ; to you the invincible bulwarke of our king and his royall progenie , and the inexpugnable cittadell and acrocorinth of our estate : to you i say the conscript fathers of our supreamest senate , doth it in duty present it selfe , and in humility prostrate it selfe ; which when your first leisure hath curiously read , and your best zeale carefully and maturely considered : then by all that true english blood which streameth in your heart & veines , by all the love which your country beares you , and by all the duty and affection which reciprocally you owe to your country ; i both request and coniure you , to tell our king that it is nothing for his maiestie to haue made a braue and generous declaration of warres against spaine , except he speedily second it with execution , without which it will proue a vaine fantasma , and an abortiue embrion : tell him , that it were the last acts of augustus , which embellished his raigne , and that old pericles made the greatnes of his generosity and courage , to revive & flourish on his tomb , when hee caused the athenians to warre vpon the pelopenessians : tell him that philopaemenus affirmeth , that peace is the best time to meditate of war. tell him that to transport warre into spaine , is to avoide and prevent it in england , as hannibal said to king antiochus , that the only way to make warre against the romanes , was to begin it in the heart and bowels of the dominions of rome , and so to vanquish italy by italy . tell him that plutarch affirmes , there is no action so royall or magnificent in a king , as to take armes to assist and revenge his confederats vniustly oppressed and ruined , much more his owne royall children , and that if the palatinate be too farre , that flanders and brabant , are hut the skirts and suburbs of england . tell him that agesilaus said , that words are feminine , and deedes masculine , and that it is a great point of honor , discretion , and happinesse for a prince , to giue the first blowe to his enemyes . tell him that spaniards hate vs ; why then should we love them ? that we can beate them at our pleasures , why then should we feare them ? tell him that if it goes not well with holland , it must needes goe ill with england ; and that if wee doe not preuent their ruine , that we cannot secure our owne danger . tell him that in matters of warre , it is dangerous to make a stand , shamefull to retire , and glorious to advance . tell him that philip of spaine is of pirrhus his minde , who said , that having devoured and conquered all europe , he would end his dayes in iolity and pleasure in macedonia . and therefore that it is time , yea high time to strike vp our drums against him , because as well our safety , as our honour envites vs to it . and now turning from his maiestie , to you the illustrious and famous body of this great and famous court of parliament , ( whereof the king is the head ) to you , i say , who are the creame and flower of his subiects : o hold it no disparagement that i tell you , that sith in all matters of order , policie and reformation , that delayes and protractions prove still dangerous , many times fatall ; that you beware least as your consultations flie away with the time , that occasion and opportunity flie not away with your consultations , sith time must be taken by his fore-locke , and then as iulius caesar saith , we haue winde and tide with vs. thinke what a happinesse , what a glory it is for england to haue wars with spaine , sith spaine in the lethargy of our peace , hath very neer vndermined our safety ▪ and subverted our glory ; and let vs dispell those charmes of security , wherein england hath bin too long lull'd and enchanted asleepe : and if feare and pusilanimity yet offer to shut our eies against our safety , yet let our resolution and courage open them to the imminency of our danger ; that our glory may surmount our shame , and our swords cut those tongues and pens in pieces , which henceforth dare either to speake of peace , or write of truce with spaine . no , no ; to take the length of spaines foote aright , we must doe it with our swords , not with our neckes , for the first wil assuredly establish our safety , and the second infalibly ruines . vvarres , warres , then yee ( with cheerfull hearts and ioyfull soules ) let vs prepare our selues for warres : that our great brittaine the beauty of europe , as europe is the glory of the world ) lie no longer exposed to the apparant danger and mercilesse mercy of this castillian rat , of this crocodile of italy , of this vulture of germany , & of this wolfe of ardena ; but let vs all signalize our fidelities to our soveraigne by our courage , and immortalize our zeale to our country by our valour and resolution herein· that we may all be of alcibiades his opinion , that the bed of honour is the best death , that there is no better recompence of death then glory , nor no richer glory , then to die for our prince & country . and here i had imposed silence to my pen , and infused a period to this my epistle , had not the dignity of your places , the qualitie of your imployments , the nature of the time , and the consideration that i am an englishman , commanded me to insert and anex these few lines , by the way either of a supplement , or a postscript . although i can adde nothing to your affection and care , for the good of our countrey , yet give me leave ( i beseech you ) to substract from this mine owne fidelity and zeale . . that you be carefull that our warres ( both by sea and land ) be plentifully stored with mony , powder and shot , which indeed is the veignes and arteries , the sinewes and soule of warre . . that you cry downe all gold and siluer lace , and all silkes , veluets , and taffities , and cry vp wooll cloath , and blacke cuirasses and corslets insteed thereof , that thereby england as a blacke and dismal cloude , may looke more martiall and terrible to our enemies . . that our english romanists may be taught either to love , or to feare england . . that there be provision made , and especiall care had to secure his maiesties coasts , seas , and subiect from the ships of warre of dunkerke and ostend , by whom otherwise they will he extreamely indomaged and infested . . that by some wholesome statute and order , you clense the citties and countrey , the streetes and highwayes of all sorts of beggers , by providing for their labour and reliefe , whereby many hundred thousand christian soules will pray vnto god for his maiestie ; and to powre downe his blessings vpon all your designes and labours , whereby without doubt our warres will succeed and prosper the better . i will no farther vsurpe on your patience : but here ( withdrawing the curtaine of this preface ) invite your eyes and thoughts to the sight and consideration of this consultation . s.r.n.i. the printer to the readrr . gentlemen , i heartily beseech you to amend and correct your bookes with your pens ; that in the reading thereof , the authors innocency suffer not through the delect of my remissenesse , in your censures and exprobation . farewell . errata . page . line . for imiat read innate , p. . . for states r. state , p . l. . for so r. so if , ibid. l. . for monsier de boysils , read monsieur de boysile , p. . l. . for peeres r. peeces , p. . l. . for derne . berne , ibid. l. . for fort trentes r. fort fuentes , p. . l. . for millan and spaine read millan to spaine , p. . l . for du fremes r. du termes , ibid ▪ for faxis r. taxis , ibid. for lullias r. lullins , p , . l. for morcanques r mirargues , p. . l. . for bouelle . bonelle , p , ▪ l. . for d. of sicily r. d of suilly , p. . l. . for samury r. samur , ibid. l. . for merary r. mercury , p . l. . for b of molosses r. k. of molosses , p , . l. . for his catholique r. his catholique maiestie , p. . l. . for selfe for ioy , read selfe to death for ioy . vox coeli . the introduction . heauen beeing gods throne , and earth his footstoole , it is impossible any thing can bee here spoken and acted , but wil there be heard , revealed and detected ; for not onely our hearts but our thoughts , not only our tongues but our intents , lye open and are obvious & transparent , to the glorious and relucent eyes of gods most sacred maiestie , who being the sole architector , & preseruer both of heauen and earth , rules that by his presence , this by his providence , and both by his power ; and that we men are not by many thousand degrees so great in his eyes , as the smallest pysmires are in ours ; who lookes still on our designes and actions , sometimes with approbation , now with pitie , then with contempt , and anon with choller & indignation , being himselfe the prime presydent , the great moderator , the mightie councellor , the eternall and euerlasting jehovah ; who can and will giue lawes to all the kings and princes of the earth , as they doe to their subjects , by their subordinate , and yet transcendent power , drawn from his most sacred majestie of heaven , as the starres who actually deriue their light , & borrow their lustre from the refulgent beames , and glorious bodie of the sun. and as this great god seated in his coelestiall throne of glory , with his all-seeing and sacred eyes beholds in heaven the thoughts and actions of men heer on earth , so likewise out of his indulgent mercy and prouidence he likewise giues the same authority and power to his angels , saincts and martyrs , to do the like ; who clad in white robes , the ornaments of sanctitie and puritie , with palme branches in their hands the emblems of peace and ioy , and crownes and coronets on their heads , the rewards and marks of glory . follow the lamb christ iesus wheresoever he goe , still singing these joyful io peans and epithalamians of haleluiah , and glory be to god on high , peace on earth , and good will towards men . by vertue of which deuine priuiledges , the maske of spaines boundlesse ambition being discouered & pulled off , in supporting the pope , & seeking the encrease of his spirituall iurisdiction , whereby his holinesse in exchange , may enlarge that of spaines temporall monarchy , so as that shall haue feet to goe , and these wings to flie to the height of earthly greatnesse ; whereby the catholike kings ayme , out of the ruines of rome and germany , to erect another empire in the west , and endeauour by degrees to make most of the kingdomes and free estates of europe become provinces unto spaine ; as , some by force , some by policie , some by treachery , and now england by the match of the infanta his daughter , with our most illustrious and royall prince charles ( next to his royall father king iames , our most dread soueraigne ) the hope of englands life , and the life of its ioy and hope . i say the newes of these projects and resolutions of spaine , hauing with as much fortunary as celeritie ) passed the clouds , and pierced the vaults and windowes of heaven , it fast arriued there , to the vnderstanding of that immortall maiden queen elizebeth , whose heart ever loued england as her soule did heaven , and of whose flourishing welfare and prosperity i cannot truly averre , whether she still remayne more jealous or ambitious ; whereat grieuing with as much disdaine , as she disdained with griefe , & knowing that her nephew and god-sonne prince henry , participated and burned in her zeale , that the insatiable and bloud-thirsty ambition of spaine , might not erect his trophees vpon the tombe of englands downfall , and the ruines of her subversion , she speedily acquaints him with it ; whom although heaven had purified and devested of his earthly passions , yet such was this young prince , his never dying zeale to englands ever living glory , that his highness could not refraine from looking red with anger , and pale with feare , at the report & knowledge thereof . they consult hereon , and hold it both expedient and necessary to acquaint other english princes herewith , especially those whom they knew stood deeply and sincerely affected to england . so prince henry acquaints his mother queen anne herewith , & queen elizabeth her brother king edward . and both they their father king henry . who so upon advise hereof could not refraine to looke on england with the eyes of affection and pitie , and on spaine with those of indignation and contempt . so these fiue great princes and queens prepare themselues to consult on this most important busines , when loe they are suddenly met and assayled , with a doubt of no mean consequence and consideration viz. whether , or no they should admit and receiue queen mary into this their consultation , whom not her roman merits , but the praiers , of the protestants had brought to heauen ; when at first they considring that in heart & soule , she alwaies loved , and preferred rome and spaine before england ; they resolved to exclude her , but at last ( upon riper and more mature deliberation ) considering that she knew many secrets of spaine , whereof peradventure they were ignorant ; as also that from her innate & inveterate malice to england , she might ( either in jest or earnest ) bewray somthing that might turne and redound to the good of england , they all consented she should bee advertised hereof , and so admitted ; which was instantly performed ; and as the rest of these royall princes envied spaines ambition , and pitied englands dangers ; so to speak the truth , and no more , queen mary ( still resembling herselfe ) both in her speeches and lookes testified the contrary ; vowing that as she loued philip the ii. the father , so shee would still honour philip the iii. his sonne . thus these three princes and three queenes , not daring to consult in heaven on any thing , without permission of the superiour powers , they all reprayre to the sacred throne of the lambe , ( of that great maker and conducter of heaven and earth ) whose tribunall is environed with more sparkling and bvrning sunnes , then we see starres in the firmament ; and who is waited and atended on by many millons and maryades of angels ; where in signe of gods glory and their humilitie , these royall personages fall on their faces to his blessed feet , and so proffer vp their petition to his heauenly majestie to haue authority , and place given them to consult on this important businesse betwixt england and spaine . there petition read and considered , god out of the profunditie of his immense affection and favour , towards the prosperity of england , ( wherein for the space of well neere one hundred yeares , his sacred maiestie hath seen himselfe truely served and glorified ) ratifies their request , and approues and authoriseth their sitting ; when departing from gods most sacred throne ; they were by a full quire of angels with trumpets & tymbrels in their hands , vshered into the golden star-chamber of heaven , which was purposely prepared for them ; when taking their severall seates , the doore shut , and guarded by englands tutulary angell , with a naked brandished sword in his hand , all things being hushed vp in silence , and all heavenly duties and ceremonies performed , these sixe royall personages begin their consultation in this manner . the consultation . h. . before we descend to speak of spaines ambitiō and envie towards england , or of the match now in question betwixt england and spaine , with the dāgers which threaten , & presage vs wil ensue therof it will not be impertinent , rather necessary ; that we mount up the steps of this last century of yeares , and so take a cursory , though not a curious survey , with what ambition , crueltie , and treachery , the kings of spaine from time to time , haue knocked at most kingdoms and estates of europe ; in the unfolding and dilating whereof , you must not expect much light from me , rather i from your selues , sith as your yeeres so your raignes succeed me . navarre . e. . and as you all know , my yeares were so few and my raigne so short , that neither these , nor this , made me capable to diue into the affaires of princes and kingdomes , and yet i must confesse it was both with griefe and pitie , that i reade , with what vsurpation and treachery , ferdinand king of aragon depriued iohn of albret , and katherine his queene of their flourishing kingdome of navarre , who for meere griefe and sorrow dyed immediately after , having no other claime nor title to this kingdome , but an insatiable desire of empire and dominion , which the aragonois , and castilians wonne with the points of their swords . q. m. o but navarre lay fit and commodious for the provinces of old castille , biscay , & galasia , besides the kings of spaine are the catholique kings , & therfore it is both proper and naturall for them to bee vniuersall . q. e. it is indeed both naturall & proper to them to be ambitious and tyrannicall , for i am confident , that as catholique as they are , they loue earths empire , better then heauens glory ; and sure i cannot but lament to see navarre made a prouince to spain , which more is the griefe of christendome , and the shame of the royall line of burbon , now the french king , whose patrimonie and inheritance it is , and will not king lewes recouer it . p. h. had great henry his father lived , he would vndoubtedly haue reconquered navarre with as much glory , as it was lost with shame and pitie ; yea the turrets of pampelone , and fonterarby , had long since cast off the ragged staffe , to beate out the three flower de luces . q. a. so mought king lewes his son too , if the pope and iesuites diverted not his thoughts from that honourable and glorious enterprise . e. . surely it is against the lawes of conscience , and the rules of religion , for the kings of spaine thus to vsurpe navarre , or were they so just , as they pretend they were holy , they would restore and not retayne this kingdome . q. m. o the catholique kings are too wise to commit such grosse errours of state , as to restore ; for it is conquest and possession , and no way restitution , which affoords them best melody ; besides , sith they are the catholique kings , they cannot be irreligious much lesse vncharitable . h. . why then davghter , the kings of spaine are of pirrhus and lysanders mind , whose limits and confines of their countries they held so farre , as their swords and lances could extend them . which being so , they are onely catholique in title , not in effect , much lesse in heart or soule , for if vsurpation be religion , i know not what is heresie . e. . the pope may , but our sauiour christ , never authorised or approved vsurpation . q. m. but the kings of spaine know the popes will and pleasure , as they doe gods , and this beliefe i am sure is both catholique and apostolicall . q. e. see see with how much ignorance & wilfulnesse , with what blind zeale and poore implicit faith , my sister is perpetually lincked to rome and spaine . p. h. if so vsurpation be romes doctrine , & spaines delight and practise , my soule did well to make me hate the one , and detest the other . the west indyes , or new spaine . h. . bvt leaue we nauarre weeping and groaning vnder the burthen of the miserable seruitude to spaine ; o how since columbus de cortez , and pizarro , ( with as much judgement as fortunacy ( discovered to castille the rich america , and in it the gold and siluer mines , which hath giuen winges to his ambition to flie to the height of this earthly greatnesse , wherein we see spaine seated and founded ; how it hath both grieued and amazed me to vnderstand , how at cuba , hayta , peru , panama , and mexico , and in all these vast iles and spacious continents , that the spaniards with a more then hellish crueltie , haue slaine such infinite millions and meryades of those poore indians , wherby in a manner they haue wholly depopulated these populous countries , and not only made rivers but whole seas of their bloud ; and of whose inhumain and bloudie crueltie , i may justly say ; that as all former ages cannot shew the like president , so our posteritie will difficultly belieue it . and yet behold the horrible hipocrisie of these insulting and vsurping castillians ; for demaund them the reason of these their bloudie and execrable massacres , of those poore armlesse and harmlesse indians , and of the rooting out and exterminating of all their princes and nobility , they with as much falshood as impiety will affirme , that sith their king is the catholike king , so this is to plant the catholique faith in the remote , and new found worldes of the world ; whereby wee may obserue , that religion must still bee the pretext , and cloke of their bloody vsurpation , when heauen & earth knowes and sees , that it is first gold , then a greedy desire of dominion and empire , which is the true cause , and sole obiect thereof . e. . but if that bloody resolution , against these huge numbers of poore indians tooke place in the heart and councell of charles . must it needs follow that the like inhumanity and cruelty should liue in this of phill. . and phill. . his sonne and grand-childe : so as this blood-thirstie malice of spleene and gall against there poore indians , must bee hereditary to the kings of spaine , as now by custome and intrusion , ( and by the ignoble connivencie of the princes electors ) the ambition to enioy the empire of germany , is to the house of austria , from whence they are descended . portingall . q. e. my royall father obserued well , that religion was only the pretext , but welth and empire the sole obiect of spaines ambition ; for although charles . vsurped those places of america from the indians , who indeed knew not christ ; yet what religion or catholique was that of phill. . his sonne , vnder hand to precipitate , and throw sebastian king of portingall into the vnnecessary and vnfortunate warres of affrica against the moores , where hee losed his life with his ambition : and then after his decease , to worke so on the impotency , feare , and ignorance , of olde king henry his successour , as ( contrary to the lawes of iustice and nature ) to enforce him to illigitimate don anthony the prior of cra●o , who was the first and neerest heire vnto that crowne and kingdome , thereby to exclude him as indeed he did , or if he had not an itching and longing desire to swallow and devoure that kingdome of portingall ▪ which all christendome and rome her selfe knew was still more catholique then spaine , yea and then when he had ingaged his royall word to the rest of the pretendants , as the aforesaid don anthony , the dukes of savoy and parma , katherine of maedicis ) queene mother of france ) and katherine dutchesse of braganca ; that he with them would stand to the sentence of the chamber of lisbone , to know to whom the right of the kingdom most properly and lineally descended . that then this king phill. . forgat his conscience to god , and his promise to these princes ( fearing others right , and distrusting his owne ) brought an army to the gates of lisbone , ere the pretendants , or portingals themselues dreamt thereof , or had meanes or leasure to defend themselues , whereby such was insatiable ambition , vsurpation , and couetousnes , that in a plain and setled peace , he devoured this rich & noble kingdome ; making it not only tributary but a province to spaine . and was this also religion , or to plant the catholique faith ? or rather was it not manifest treachery , and apparant vsurpation , sith if don anthony had not , all the world knowes , the dutches of braganca had more right to this kingdom then king phill. p.h. yea , that policy king phil. learnt of the emperour charles ▪ his father , who when himselfe , and king francis the first of france , contended for the empire of germany , whiles francis was bribing of the electors , charles brought an army into the field , and so enforced them to elect and chuse him . q.m. i must confesse i have ever held the portingalls , to be zealous and good romane catholiques ; but as navarre lay fit for biscay and galicia , so portingall lay exceeding commodious for andoulosie and so if my husband king phillip , had not seconded his right of descent by the law of his sword , perhaps hee might have had a bad neighbour in portingall , which he and his councell timely fore-seeing , they as wisely prevented . and howsoeuer , although hee hated don anthony , yet i know hee loved the dutchesse of braganca well ; but when we speake of crownes and kingdomes , religion will make this surprise of portingall a matter of state , though to speake truth , state can never make it a matter of religion . q.a. how well king phillip loved the dutchesse of bragāca , i know not , but this i am sure of , that both monsieur de boyses , monsieur de bisseaux , and monsieur de marais , ( ambassadours with king iames my husband ; for the two last french kings , henry . and lewes . ) tolde me that phillips hatred and rage was so great against don anthony , that he begged his body which lyes in a coffin of lead , in the cordeliers church at paris , to be delivered his ambassadours , and so sent him into spaine ; but as they said , these two most christian kings their masters answered phillip , that there was little religion , lesse charity , to take vp , and remooue the ashes of a dead prince and king , as was don anthony , and so his body still remaines in paris . p.h. if spaine were so malicious to a dead prince , how ought those that are living to beware and take heed of him ? h. . as a guilty conscience can never finde rest , so it may be , that king philip was afraid of a second don anthony , as of a second sebastian . p.h. but king philip . his sonne , hath farre more reason to feare don anthonie his two princely sons , don emanuell , and don christopher , and of don emanuell , his two generous and illustrious sonnes , don maurice and don lewes , all foure living who are famous , and royall reserued peeces of shipwrack of that royall kingdome and blood of portingall . q.m. o but they are poore , and want friends and meanes to advance their iust title to that crowne if they have any . e. . their right and title to portingall is iust , and therefore cannot , and should not dye . q. e. if the french forces had met mine , at the groyne , penecha , or lisbone , or had the portingalls risen , my norris , drake , and noble essex , in despight of philip and his forces , had pluck'd the crowne of portingall from his head , and seated it on king anthonies . p.h. no , no. don anthonies sonnes are beloved of the nobilitie of england , france , and the netherlands , and don emanuels wife , is sister to that valiant and incomparable captain maurice of nassaw , prince of orange . so if fortune smile , and a favourable gale blowe , these disinherited portingall princes may one day prove prickes and thornes to the sides of spaine . for all portingall knowes , that their veines and hearts streame with pure portingall blood ; yea , with the remainder of the royall blood of that kingdom ; which philip . his last entertainement ( together with the prince his sonne ) at lisbone , had almost found true : but that his maiestie departed with as much feare , secresie , and shame , as he came with resolution , popularity , and glory : in the intetrim , these portingal princes remaine prodigious and ominous comments to spaine . q. m. did spaine think so , it would quickly make the princes ride poast into another world . q.e. if spaine should send these princes poast into another world , either by the backe doore of poyson , by the wicket of poynard , and not by the great and fore-doore of nature , it would draw the fists of most christian princes about king philips eares , and make all portingall solemnize their funeralls with their swords drawne , and their cities gates shut . e. . indeede i have heard that the commons , and especially the nobility of portingall begin extreamly to distaste the imperious pride , and ambitious cariage of the spaniards , and many of them let not to say boldly and publiquely , that philip enjoyes the kingdome by vsurpation and not by right . q. m. not by right , why pope gregory . approued his title , and confirmed his conquest of the kingdome of portingall . q.e. so did not our sauiour christ , whose successour and vicar the pope pretends himselfe to be . p. h. in the meane time spaine domineeres at her conquest of portingall , and well she may , for it is one of the fairest flowers of his garland , and of the richest diamonds of his crowne . h. . but the other kings of chistendome haue iust cause and reason to grieue and storme hereat , for as it was portingalls mischance then to fall , and vaile bonnet to spaine , so it may be theirs to morrow , for to a prince and people so greedy and ambitious of empire as is spaine , all fish is good that comes to his hooke or net . p.h. thus spaine devoures kingdomes as the cyclope polephemus did passengers ; for he surprizeth no more then he meetes withall , and yet will not christendome beware of spaine . italy . h. . we have past from navarre , the west indies , and portugall , & now let vs come to italy to see how spaine is beloued or feared of the italians , and how he hath behaved himselfe there . e. . in italy the king of spaine is nayled to the pope , as most of the colledge of cardinalls , and all the iesuites are to him ; yea , he hath the greatest and richest territories thereof , as the kingdome of naples , the dutchy of millane , and the island of cicily , and ( in a manner , the marquesse of monaco , and finall , the dukes of montova , parma and vrbin ; the princes of massa , and piombino , with the free states genova and luca doe all march vnder his banner , and call onely on his name ; yea , he hath so incircled the pope as hee is rather his prisoner , then his spirituall father , for if his patrimony of st. peter be the temple , his naples and millane is the cloyster to impall it ; so as hee hath no impeachment or obstacle from making himself sole lord of italy , but the great duke of tuscany , and the prudent and potent seignorie of venice . q.m. o but the pope need not feare the king of spaine , for spaine is the popes hand , so the pope is spaines tongue : for the catholike king is his holinesse champion ; and his holinesse the king of spaines oracle . e. . i had thought that the popes alwayes loved the king of france better then those of spaine . q. e. o no , there is reason to the contrary , for spaine hath receiued romes hellish and bloody inquisition , and france is so wise and couragious , as it reiecterh and disdaines it . p. h. nay , there is another reason likewise ; for although the former kings of france were brave and victorious , yet king lewes that now is feares the pope and loves him not , whereas king phill. of spaine loves him , but feares him not . q.m. if the popes had not loved spain , they would neuer haue given him naples & cicilly , nor permitted him to inioy that rich & populous dutchy of millan , which is the patrimony of the house of orleans , and is now fallen to the right of france . q.e. surely there is a great vnion betweene the popes and the kings of spaine , for spaine makes the pope ride on his pontificall chaire , and the pope makes spaine flie in phaetons chariot , about the foure corners of christendome . p. h. but the pope loued not spaine so well , to giue him either the marquisat of an●●nitana , or the dutchy of ferrara , when he begged it of him by his ambassadours . h. . but did spaine seeke ferrara , and the marca of ancona of the pope ? q.m. yea , and vpon good grounds and solid reasons too , for that lay commodious for millane , and this for naples , and both would serue as bridges to passe into that braue and proud state of venice . the state of venice . q.e. now you speak of the grave and noble venetians ; as they haue long since pull'd off the maske of spaines itching desire to deflowre their beautifull adriatike sea nimph : so they haue resolved no more to trust spaniards . for of late ( notwithstanding their prudent decree to the contrary , grounded vpon some priuate reasons of state ) they both thinke in their hearts , and know in their soules and consciences , that it was only the ambition & double pistols of spaine , that laid the foundation of the last treacherous and execrable attempt against their citie ; and consequently against their whole state , notwithstanding that some perfidious frenchmen ( degenerating from the honour of their country and ancestors ) were corrupted and seduced ( by the gold and flattering promises of spaine ) to bee the chiefest agents , and forlorn hope in that damnable attempt and to make this as cleare and apparent as the sunne , that illustrious and wise senate well knowes , that at that very instant , and nick thereof , the duke of ossuna ( vice-roy of naples ) hovered with his fleet and land forces to lay hold , and embrace that occasion . q.m. sure sister you wrong the duke of ossuna , and in him king philip his maister ; for i haue heard that the said duke did then arme vpon newes of a great fleet of gallyes comming from constantinople to rhodes , vpon the irruption of intelligence betwixt the great turke and the french king , for the eseape of the polonian prince coreski : for the which the barron of sancy , the french ambassadour was at least confined , if not imprisoned at constantinople , and that therfore for the safety of the kingdom of naples , it behoved the said duke to fortifie his ports of apulia , ottranto , and calabria , as well with fleets as regiments . p.h. the king of spaines ministers never want pretexts and evasions for their designes ; but if the duke of ossuna for affirming hereof , should sweare botta dios , and par la sanctissiam virgina , till he were damn'd , yet that wise senate , & especially the councell of tenn , will never beleeve him . q.e. o but ossuna and the king of spaine his master , shall give me leave to joyne in opinion with the prudent venetians ; and therfore i highly praise their foresight , and applaude their generosity , in keeping a brave navall army on their seas , and strong garisons in their castles and cities , for the security of their state , as also for keeping of their exchequer rich , and their arsenall and magasins aboundantly stored and furnished . h. . but hath spaine offered the seignory of venice , no other wrongs and offronts but this ? q.e. o yes , for although that prudent state say little , yet they remember , ( and will not forget ) how busie his ambassadour and agents were at rome , to give fire to the quarrell betweene pope paulus quintus and themselues , about banishing the iesuites from their state , and for imprisoning the chanon of vincensa ; as also how readily and earnestly they proffered the pope , that a great spanish and neopolitan army should instantly enter their state , and put all to fire and sword . p.h. and they likewise remember , how the king of spaine ( that thereby his regiments mought fish in troubled waters , & get firme footing in their country ) hath often incens'd this emperour ferdinand then duke of gratz , to invade their frontier townes in friull , and the trevisan . q·e. but nova palma brescia , pescare , and verona , are obstacles and stops to the designes both of the emperour , and king of spaine ; yea that wise state , is so watchfull and vigilant , that in time of peace they make their greatest preparations for warre : and it were a blessed happinesse and a safe felicity , for most kingdomes and estates of christendome , if herein they would emulate and imitate the example of these wise and noble venetians , which is neither to trust , much lesse to feare spaine . q.m. but as wise and as strong as the venetians are , as their church and pallace of st. marke , was not built in a day , so are not all the designes and resolutions of the king of spaine , and therefore a time may come , but i say no more ▪ q. a. o , i gesse at your minde ! you would have the state of venice made a province to spaine , that thereby he may finde a way for his fleets , to convey his armies into high and lowe germany . and if spain thinke so : contareno the venetian ambassadour , resident with the king my husband ; and since him donato likewise tolde me , that herein spaine is deceived in the arithmetick of his ambition and vsurpation ▪ and thus to reckon , is to reckon without his hostesse , and without god. swisserland . h. . bvt how do the warlike cantons of swissers trust the king of spaine ? q. a. as they doe the emperour ferdinand , his brother leopaldus , and the rest of the austrian princes : for they know his ambition and their malice , and so neither feare him , nor love these . q. m. but they love the double pistols of spaine , doe they not ? q.e. yes , but they say the french crownes of the sunne are farre purer and truer gold , and therefore passe currenter with them . e. . the austrian princes , and the swissers , i haue still heard , are from father to sonne , hereditary and irreconcilable enemies . p. h. yea , the swissers draw good vse and benefit hereof ; for by this meanes they live not in security as some other states doe ; but are still armed and ready to march and follow their colours . q.e. but there is no warre would be so acceptable and pleasing to them as vp to millane , or downe to the free county , brabant , and heynault ; if france , savoy , and venice , would command them the first , and england , france , and holland , ordaine and give way to the second . q. a. what is not past is yet to come . q.m. yea , but the councell of spaine hath policy enough , to insinuate and temporize with all these princes and states ; and so to divert their designes , and frustrate their resolutions , if they were bent that way . p.h. it hath indeede hitherto proved so by spaine : for their policy and treachery , hath purchased and gotten them more countries , then either their valour or swords . q. m. these easie conquests are still sweet and pleasing to spaine . p. h. yea , but they are neither honest nor just . e. . but hath not spaine cavill'd with the swissers for their confines and limmits ? q.e. yes , two wayes , next germany by leopaldus , and betwixt losanna and gray in the free county by the archduke albertus . q. m. yea , yea , the king of spaine will angle so long till he take . q.e. but hath not spaine attempted by his ambassadours and agents , to sowe discention and discord amongst these helvetian cantons ; to oppose them one against the other , and so to debauch and withdraw them first from the french kings seruice , and then to his owne . p. h. yes many times , but that tricke of spaine is now growne olde and thrid-bare ; so as the swissers vowe to remedy the first , and the french kings to prevent the second . q.m. but the catholique king will watch those swissers a good turne , and if the ephinaerides of his envie , ambition , and greatnesse faile him not , either his spinola , or his pedro de toledo , shall one of these dayes dine with him at berne , eriburg , or soleurre , ere their table-cloathes be layed . q. e. but sister you are deceived in the swissers ; for their table cloathes are alwayes nayled to their tables ; yea , they haue so great a quantity of swords pikes , and muskets in a readinesse , to give any enemy of theirs a bloudy banquet , that if philip king of spaine dare assault them , they doubt not but to vse him as they haue formerly done philip duke of burgundy , whom they ouerthrew in three severall pitchd battels , at granson , morat , and nancy , where he losed his treasure , his men , and his life . the grisons . h. . bvt how stand the grisons affected to spaine . e. . spaine through the vicinity of millane , doth so often knocke at their doores , that if they keepe them not fast shut , they know , or at least feare that hee will shortly enter by the voltaline and chiavena . q.m. o though of late they made a shew of resistance , yet the gold of spaine , the neighbourhood of millane , the fort fuentes , but chiefly their owne credulity and security , hath almost brought them to the king of spaines ▪ lure . q.e. this people were both warlike and wise . p.h. but spaine will briefly make them fooles and cowards if they will hearken to him . q m. as how nephew ? pray be not bitter against spaine . p. h. why , first spaine will nussell them vp in peace and security till matters be ripe , or else he will engender factions , and sowe discords among themselues , either for religion , or ranke , or betwixt them and their dearest friends the swissers ; and so when he sees all things ready , and the iron hot , then hee will march , and strike , and not faile to vnite and annex the cantons of the grisons to millane , as he hath already done millane to spaine . h. . if the grisons at any time lose the swissers friendship , or their owne vigilancy and generosity , it will not be long , ere they shake hands with their liberty and lives . q.m. so spaine hopes , for if warre cannot worke and effect it , they make no doubt but peace shall . q.e. if the grisons hearken to the charmes of spaine , they are halfe lost . q.m. if they hearken not to spaine , they are wholly vndone , but if they listen to spaine , all will be well . h. . yea daughter , i beleeue for the spaniards , but not for the grisons . q. e. to trust to spaine , is to rely on a broken staffe , and to harbour a serpent in our own bosomes . p.h. to trust to the promises of spaine , is to commit our selues to the mercy and protection of a lyon who will devoure vs. q.m. the grisons will see , and say the contrary e. . so will i say , if i see the contrary ; till when i feare the grisons will buy their peace , as well with teares as blood . savoy . h. . bvt how doth savoy brooke spaine ? for i take it this present duke charles emanuell , married this king philip . his second sister ; the infanta katherina michaela . p.h. savoy loves spaine , as it hath deserved of it ; for the noble and generous duke thereof cries out ; god defend mee from such a brother in law as king philip. q.m. i beleeve if the catholique king offered that duke any vnkinde office , it was nothing but because hee was so neere a neighbour to geneva , as hee and the pope suspected his highnesse would turne caluinist . q. e. alas that good citie of geneva , why all the world knowes the dukes loue to it , and its religion , witnesse the barron of attignac and his consorts , as also terraill and bastide ; but if there were once a spanish garison in this citie , savoy would soone know how to distinguish betwixt good and bad neighbours . e. . but it is the laughture of the world , to say that spaine hates savoy because he loves the religion of geneva . p. h. yet this is as true as many other of spaines colours , pretexts and evasions , when hee hath a purpose and plot to vsurpe . q.m. why wherein hath the king of spaine abused , or wronged the duke of savoy . p.h. first , in being himselfe the chiefe cause and subiect , and then making him the instrument and executioner , to cut off the two noble heads of biron in paris , and d' albigny in turin . q.m. why the catholique king is the vniversall king , and therefore it is not strange , if in all countries of the world , hee haue his farre fetch'd policies , agents , and instruments to make his stratagems and resolutions take effect , for those who are obstacles to his will and pleasure ; his verball friendship shall alwayes prove their reall overthrow and subversion ; howsoeuer he and his ministers pretend , and make shew of the contrary . q.a. nay , let vs leaue biron and d'albigny in their graves , for mee thinkes it is a poore charity to rake vp the ashes of the dead . and for our better information , let vs take a survey of the courtesie , or rather of the cruelty that spaine hath offered savoy . e. . none knowes nor can deliuer the particular truth thereof , so well as your royall sonne prince henry . q.m. but i feare my nephew will be too partiall in the delivery hereof , betweene the king of spaine , and the duke of savoy , because i haue heard that of the two princesses their daughters ; he preferd that of savoy before this of spaine . h. . no , no ; my nephew henry is a iudicious and iust prince , therefore i know hee will not wrong spaine to doe right to savoy . q. a he resembles king iames his father to well , whoe will still loue the king of spaine , although therein he hate him selfe , therefore speake on fayre sonne . p. h when great henry of france ( my honoured vncle ) made warres vpon the present duke of sauoy for the recouery of his marquisat of saluses , then this phillip king of spaine , ( vnder the pretence and shewe to ayd the duke his brother in lawe against the french ) sent him many troopes and regiments of spanyards for the preseruation of his state ; when the peace being made betwixt the king and the duke , and the exchange for saluses , with the countreyes of bresse and gex ratified and acomplished ; these spanish regiments being quartered in carbonieres , mountemellion , savillan , pignoroll and other places of sauoy & piedmont , they vpon no reqvest or assommons made them by the duke , would depart thence , but being commaunded the contrary by the count de fuentes ( viceroy of millan ) as he was from the king his master from spaine , they peremptorily resolued and vowed to keepe firme footing which they along time did , vntill at last that wise & valiant duke being thereunto constrained for the securitie of his estate , whose emmynent and vtter subuersion he apparantly sawe before his eyes , he very nobly cutt all their throates . h. . beleeue me his highnesse of sauoy did well , for it was an act most worthy of his iudgement and generositie . q m. but the king of spaine , the dukes of lerma pastrama , denia , albecurque , tolleao , and all the counsell of warre of spaine , vowe to haue their reuenge of this affront . q. e. spaine hath done his woorst to sauoy alreadie , for as long as france loues sauoy , sauoy needs not feare spaine ; at least mine authors tell me soe , who are that famous captaine , the duke of dedis . guieres , his valiant son de crequy ; & noble du termes . q. a. though this one wronge , be one too many , yet is these all the wronges that this king of spaine hath offered this duke of sauoy . p. h. noe madame , for although the duke winke , and seemes ( with father aubigny ) to haue the art of forgettfullness ; yet he well remembers , how don iuan de taxis spaines ambassadour in france ) told lullins , arconas , and alimes , his highnesse ambassadours at lyons , that the kinge his master would contribute towards the exchange of the marquisat of saluces , conditionally it remayned on that side the alpes from the french ; and since how his catholique maiestie hath performed nothing . he remembers spaines plott vpon his castle of nice ( the key not only of his countryes , but of italy ) when his spanish galleyes lay at villa franca to bereaue him of his children , he remembers how the spanish cardynalls oppose his precedency at rome , with the duke of florence , and how the catholike king , or his viceroy of millan for him ; was the match and incendiary to set fire twixt the duke of mātoua & him , for the marquisate of montferrad . q. e. wee may see what a kind brother in lawe the king of spaine is , and what it is to build vpon his affiance , afinity , promises and asistance . p. h. i am glad the duke of savoy , and the princes his children haue now purchased the length of spaines foote . e. . they haue reason to haue it , for they were all enforced to take it with their swordes , pikes , and lances , at cassall● , verceile and other wheres . q. a. as longe as savoy loues not spaine , the marquis of lullius and monseur de gabaleon told me , it needes not feare it . q. m. o but as long as spaine knockes at the gates of sauoy and piedmond he may at last enter . q. e. sauoy hath reason to enter millan , not spaine sauoy . q. m. but tyme and the policie and swords of spaine cut all donations and rightes in peeces . p. h. savoy hath had warninges enough to beware of spaine and therefore as i euer loued that generous duke , soe i hope that he and the illustryous & valliant princes , his sonnes , will neuer want armes of steele , and heartes of diamonds to our braue spaine who with such ambition and malice seekes to out braue it . france . h. . but what sayes france of spaine . q. m. my honoured father all the world knowes that spaine hath euer loued france well . q. e. yea too too well , and so well as france will neuer loue spaine , much lesse trust it in requitall . q m. why hath not spaine reason to ballance and counterpoise the power and greatnesse of france . p. h. yea , but not to seeke to make that famous & flourishing kingdome become a prouince to spaine . q. m. spayne neuer wish't it , much lesse attempted it . q. e. yeares , more often then france hath prouinces , or spayne cittyes . p. h. why ? who was the avthor and protector of the league , but first spaine , then the pope , and next the devill . q. m. o that was onely to preserue catholiques , and the catholique religion , and to exterminate and roote out heretiques , and was not this well done of the king of spaine , sith he is the catholique king. e. . nay , now the least child in france knowes that religion was onely the pretext , but empire and dominion the obiect of that league . how else dared mendoza ( spaines ambassadour in paris seeke the crowne of france for the infanta of spaine , or how els dared the iesuites his ministers , in their seditious sermons , and pernicious pamphlets aduance her right to the crowne and kingdome , when god and the world knowes shee had none to it . q. m. why , it was when god had caused that good fryer iames clement , to kill that bad king henry the third at saint clou , and when indeede that kingdome was without a head , and then the king of spaine had reason to aduance his daughters title to france , in right of her mother elizabeth , ( that queene of peace ) notwithstanding the fundamentall power of the salique law to the contrary . h. . you are deceiued daughter , for it was a good king , and a bade fryer ( or rather a diuell in a fryers weede ) to set handes on the lords anoynted , but this arrow came out of the quiuer of spaine , and hell , for that bloudie and execrable murther was no sooner perpetrated , but then instantly followed the proposition of the infantaes title to france , which apparantly makes the murther to be spaynes . q.m. it was the dukes of mayene , mercuaeur who drewe the king of spayne to assist the league , and in it france . q. e. no , no , contrariewise it was the kinge of spayne , that debouchd and drewe these two dukes , and with them almost all the nobilitie to forge and contriue this league , and in it to ruine france : for already france was almost spayne , and the infanta had vndoubtedly borne the crowne : if great henry his victorious sword had not pulld off spaynes maske , and so cutt her title and its pretences in pieces . q. m. but see the equitie and iustice of king phillipe , for when henry that heretique king came to the crowne , he restored him calais , dourlans , valencienes , blauet , and all other townes and castles which he had formerly wonne and conquered in france . p. h. but all this was not worthy thankes , for phillipe alone restored that which hee could not , nor dared not to keepe . q. m. nay , obserue farther how religious king phillip was ( in imitation of king agesilaus ) for hee kept his fayth inuiolable towards henry iiii although he were an heretique king. p. h. nay obserue how irreligiously and treacherous kinge phillip was to king henry . ( in imitation of artaxerxes , the son of xerxes ) for hee violated his fayth and friendship towards him , in debaushing of biron mirargues , loste , whose promises and gold made them traytors to their king and country . e. . surelie i thinke it is incydent , and i feare it will proue hereditary to the kings of spayne to conquer more by treachery then by the sword . q. e. but had great henry liued , he would haue requited , these courses of spayne , as also that of guignard and chastell ; who ( although the report runne otherwise ) had their greatest light and encouragement from beyond the pyreene mountaines ; for to speake truth hee in heart could neuer be drawen to loue spayne . p. h. yea , that spayne knew full well , for when the french iesuites his ministers had vnlocked the mistery they like bloody schoole-masters , soe diuelishlie instructed and fortified that monster of men rauilliack ( their execrable and damnable desciple ) that hee soone sent him hither in a bloody coffin . q.m. but you will not say that the king of spayne was accessary to henry . his murther . p. h. no , but i will say that if the truth were knowne , the opening of that veine would make many great birds , yea and many learned ones too , bleede themselues to death , and peraduenture the wounds and scarres thereof , would bleede an hundred yeares hence . q. a. the marshall of lauerdin whistered mee a word concerning this , which i shall neuer forget , onely hee requested my secrecie therein : so the king of spaines larma , and the queene mother of france her d' anchre , his mariana , and her cotton shall giue me leaue to thinke . q. m. questionlesse it were the sinnes of that king , and the finger of heauen that cut off the threed of his life . q. e. questionlesse you are deceiued sister , for it were the sinnes of france who made the knife , and the treasons of spaine and rome which made that parricide rauilliack performe . h. . well , in despight of rome , spaine and hell , that victorious and glorious king is wasted hither in triumph , therefore leaue wee him with god , and god with him , and let vs see since his deplorable death , how kinde k. philip of spayne hath beene to king lewes his sonne . q. m. so kinde that hee hath matched king lewis to his eldest daughter , the ifanta anna ; and his eldest sonne , prince phil. to the eldest princesse of france , madame elizabeth , that now these two mighty kingdomes and houses seeme to bee but one . q. e. this is faire to the eye of the world , but it will bee excellent if the end of these matches proue fortunate for france . h. . who were the match-makers ? p. h. s. p. q. s. or to bee better vnderstood , spaine , pope and queene regent . q.e. if king philip of spaine be heyre as well to his fathers ambition as to his kingdomes , hee will loue france so well as to push and fish for it . p. h. what force could never effect , hee hopes those marriages now will. e. . indeede the snake lurkes vnder the fairest greene leaues , and the aspik vnder the purest and sweetest roses . q. e. no kings of the world know better how to dissemble then the catholique kings . p. h. you speake scripture , not tradition . q.m. and you tradition not scripture . h. . but what intertainment had the infanta of spaine in france ? p. h noble , royall , glorious . e. . what traine of spaniards brought shee with her into france . p. h. a very great traine , for monsieur de marais ( the french embassadour with the king my father ) told mee that monsieur de bonelle ( master of the ceremonies to the french king ) reported , that when the first of them were entring paris at st. iaques gate , that the last were but comming downe the pyrene mountaines . q. a. but what did all this rabble of spaniards doe in france ? p. h. to speake truth , they fell presently to skrewing and working themselues into the state , by begging and buying of offices , places , pensions , and gouernments , both in church and common-weale , and by making pensioners for spaine , and consequently a bridge and passage for the king their master to enter . h. . but how did the parliaments , the privie councell , and the nobilitie of france brooke and digest this ? q e. yea , that is a question of state indeed . p. h. as for the parliaments , and privie councell , many of them are so iesuitiz'd , as they are spaniards in heart , though french in tongue , and therefore they were so farre from preuenting , as they gaue way to it , onely for the princes and nobilitie ( some few excepted ) they ( resembling themselues ) vowed and swore , that their swords should cut the pens and tongues in pieces of any spaniard whatsoever , that dar'd propose or attempt it , for they spake aloud and affirm'd , the florentines had taught them wit. e. . a braue resolution of the french nobilitie ; for the greatest of a state haue alwayes the greatest interest in the state ; those princes and nobles are therefore highly to be applauded and praised : and such of the privie councell and parliament who tacitely are delinquents , and traytors to their prince and countrey , deserue to bee found out , arraigned , and sacrificed to the good of the common-weale , either with a sword , or a halter . q. m. but , what said the clergie of france to this ? q. e. sister , it is to be fear'd , as you wish & desire . p. h. why they out of passionate zeale , more then of zealous and sollid iudgement , approue of any match for their king , so it be not with a protestant , and yet of none so well as of this with spaine ; demand their reason and they will answer you ( with as much vehemency as ignorance ) that the king of spaine is the catholique king , and if you come further to particularize , they reply , that their cardinalls ( who indeede are onely the popes creatures ) shall deliver more at the estates generall : so the clergie bad the spaniards well-come into france . q. e. but where are the fire-brands and incendiaries of the state , the french iesuites , who indeed are the fistulaes and botches of a state , what entertainment gaue they to the young queene and her spaniards ? p. h. surely aunt , they crouched very low to the queene ; but in cottons absence arnoux and berrulla ( their tongue and eare ) whispered so secretly to her maiestie , that i could neither gather nor vnderstand what they said , but i guest at it ; onely they gaue faire words and actions to all the spaniards in generall ; and to the nobler and wiser sort of them in particular , they ingaged themselues to keepe curious correspondence with the catholique king , to whom they affirmed and swore by their semi-god , and sole patron ignatius loyolla , they would beare true observance , as the marigold doth to the sunne . q. a. are not these two iesuites the french kings ordinary preachers , and yet dare they doe it ? q. e. although berrulla be the father of the oratory , yet he is in heart and soule a iesuite , and arnoux is the arch-iesuite of france , and the kings confessor , and yet they dare , and will doe it . h. . but how did the queene regent enterteyne the spaniards : p. h. courteously and nobly , because shee made the match ; which since shee hath repented tho ; yea and the duke of mayene too , who concluded & finished it : and so did villeroy likewise , although it were to late . but sillery and du vair loue spaine so well , as their courages are so masculine , that though they see their errours in perswading these matches , yet they rather persist then acknowledge it , for like good cleere-sighted states-men , they haue witte enough to beare vpp with the time , for otherwise they know the times will not beare them vp . q. m. but how did the commons of france entertaine the spaniards ? q. e. truely i thinke they will never be perswaded to like the fashion of the little hatte , and great set ruffe . q. a. son henry , pray answere queene mary . p. h. if we may iudge of hercules by his foote , so we then may of france , by those of paris ) which is the eye , the heart , the soule thereof ( where the citizens in all streetes , and especially the lakeyes at the lovrre gate , and the new bridge , still salute the spaniards as they passe by , by these courteous epithites , boracho , pantalones , and bouriques . h. . how long remained all these spaniards in france ? q. m. so long i warrant you , vntill they did all their kings businesse , and their owne too before they departed . p. h. in truth so long , till all france was weary , and distasted of them and their proceedings , yea , so many yeares , that at last the king and councell were in a manner constrained to send them away by an edict , as they themselues , not many yeares since , did the moores . q. m. the banishing of the moores was a good and wholesome counsell of spaine . q. e. and i assure you sister the sending home of the spaniards was an excellent one of france , for vpon the matter , they were but spyes , moaths and drones , and would haue proved so to france if they had continued there longer . e. . but were they all sent home , and none left at the court of france to giue , and receiue packets to and fro for the iesuits , the king of spaines factors and agents . q. e. o , no assure your selfe , for the councell of spaine is too wise to commit so grosse and palpable an errour of state. p. h. therefore to cast the thicker mist , and to put the better varnish on the businesse , the countesse de la tour was left there with the title of gouernesse to the young queene , and there is as much correspondencie betwixt her and don ferdinand de geron ( the ambassador of spaine ) as there is betwixt him and the french iesuites . q. a. thus spayne leaues alwaies a sting behind him , and i feare france will in the end find it so . q. m. whereon is your suspition , and feare grounded ? q. a. vpon the apparant symptomes of the lethargie , feuer , or consumption of france . e. . you say right madam , and the noblest and truest hearted french-men participate of your apprehension ; for the iesuites ( beeing the popes factors , and the king of spaynes oracles and agents ) haue already corrupted the parliaments and priuie councell , who should bee her illium & acrocorynth . they haue vndermyned and ruinated the sorbone , heeretofore her palladium , once the queene of vniuersities : who now as a mournefull widdow , sits with her hayre dandling about her eares , and her teares trickling downe her cheekes , liuing onely in her shaddow or ghost , or rather in her ruines ; for her genius and soule , hath alreadie made a transmigration to clermont-house ; yea , and to speake true french , in our english tongue , they by their diuelish aphorismes and bloodie positions ( vnder a false & hypocriticall shew of learning and pietie ) doe poyson and corrupt the youth and prime witts of france , as the iewes did the springs and fountaines in england . q. e. also , the clergie of france , degenerates from its pristine candor and zeale to the good of france , and the glory of the french church , for they receiue lawes from the popes nuncio and the iesuites , to whome they should giue them . how else at the last generall estates of paris , and the assemblie of notables at rouen ? were they so vnwise , dishonest and cowardly , to referre themselues to the two cardinalls perron and gondye ? who like good cardinalls , but bad french-men ( having onely their bodies in france , but their hearts at rome ) in thankfulnes to the pope for their red hatts , forgat themselues and their allegiance so much , as to prostitute and debase that famous crowne and flourishing kingdome of france , to be dependant to rome in temporall matters , notwithstanding the pragmatick sanction , and the prerogatiues of the crowne & church of france , to the contrary ; whereat the popes nuncio at paris laught with open mouth : so did the colledge of cardinalls , and the pope himselfe at rome ; and likewise the catholike king in spaine , with all that huge rabble of iesuites , whiles all the kings , soveraigne princes , and free estates of europe ( spaine and italie excepted ) grieued and lamented at it , with as much shame as wonder . e. . indeed these are two maine points & reasons , that the greatnesse and generosity of france declynes , and that rome and spaine will shortly shuffle the cards so well , as it must needs bee made a province to spaine ; for they both haue consulted and finde , that what could not be effected during the reigne of old henrie , may in these of young king lewes his sonne . p. h. it is not impossible , rather likely , for france abounds in a monstrous height of pride and sinne , and the old cleargie of france admit of so many new orders of fryers and nuns , that almost all is out of order ; and the seuenteene millions which the duke of suilly left by accompt to the queene regent , is all long since spent , and twice seventeene more . so as although the polleta be still on foote , monopolyes never so rife , the finnances , or exchequer drawne dry , and exhausted ; yet the king is extreamely in debt to his nobilitie and pensioners ; and is not this musicke for the king of spaine ? h. . had great henry liued , he would haue remedied and preuented these calamities . q. a. but his sonne king lewes is not so happie to doe it , no nor his creator , the duke of luynes so discreet and honest to aduise and councell him therevnto . p. h. the neglect thereof may make one , or both of them to repent it , and peradventure the kingdome too ; for alreadie the commons grieue hereat , and the nobilitie would , but cannot remedy it . q. m. spaine loues france , therefore france need not feare spaine . p. h. the panthers skin is faire , yet his friendship is fatall , and his breath infectious . q. e. indeed if france loued not spaine , it need not feare it . q. m. king philip loues king lewes dearely . q. a. not halfe so well as he loues his kingdome of france . q. e. in truth france hath reason to haue a vigilant eye ore spaine , for as long as shee sleepes in her bed of pleasure and securitie , perhaps one of these dayes , spaines ambition may awake her with drumme , trumpet , and cannon . p. h. o no , not as yet , for if the king of spaine were so ill aduised , his councell is not ; for they like old experienced foxes ; will never permit him to discover himselfe , much lesse his resolutions , and least of all his ambition and sword , vntill the sunne hath attaynd the meridian . q. m. i know not what my nephew meanes by this mathematicall riddle . q. e. i was never greatly skild in the mathematickes , and yet consuming my youth , yeares , and cares for england , i haue reason to vnderstand his knowledge . wherefore sister , sith he is a noble and famous prince , let vs heare him , for he hath some mystery to reveale twixt france and spaine . q. m. he loues france , and hates spaine , and which is worse , he was an heretique , therefore his tongue can make no spherall melodie . e. . but his heresie hath brought him hether to heaven tho , and he is a famous and noble prince : therefore cosen wales speake on , of france and spaine , for now we are all resolved to heare you . q. e. i gaue him my fathers name , and he inheriteth my resolution and courage , and the king his fathers wisedome , therefore he can neither flatter nor dissemble . q. a. speake on henry . p. h. know all men by these presents , that if spaine did see the heart and bowels of france weltring in its bloud , and flaming in the fire of an intestine civill-warre , if it did see the princes banded against the king , or the king against the protestants , these riffeling of the lovare , and of paris , and his maiestie beseiging of rochell , sancerre , sedan , nismes , or saumury , or denouncing warre to all those of that religion . if it did see sixteene parisian tribunes , carrying away the court of parliament prisoners to the bastille , and chastellets the rebellious barycadoes , and a bloudie massacre in paris ; and generally in all the cities of the kingdome , if hee did see some princes of the bloud ( or two great dukes , as were du mayene and merury ) captivating and deboshing the obedience and affections of the french nobilitie , cleargie and commons , and covering their pernitious designes and trecherous attempts , vnder the cloake of the holy league ; if it did see calais , dourlaus , amiens , montdidier , valencienes , blauet , and croyden , or other strong cities ; or forts of france , bearing out the redd ragged crosse in stead of the three yellow flower deluces , and a second mendoza for his ambassadour , sate as premier president , and oracle in the lovare , towne-house and parliament , that then phillip the iii. of spaine loues his sonne in law lewes the thirteene of france so well , that he would vse him as king phillip the second had an eager desire , and had almost done great henry his father . q. m. why how was that ? p. h. right as my god-mother queene elizabeth hath formerly told you , nothing but to depriue him of his kingdome . e. . it were better that all the iesuites were hanged , and the young queene of france sent home to spaine , with her portion , to the king her father . q. e. but wee see strange alterations in the court of france , for some dare , but will not , and others would , but dare not informe the king hereof . q. a. france hath reason , yea it it high time for her to looke to her selfe , for the agents , iesuits , and double pistols of spaine are busie , and their swords and pikes are not idle . for whiles france playes the theorie , spaine playes the practique . of the netherlands . h. . how doth spaine and the netherlands agree . e. . spaine hath so long invred and enforced the hollanders to bloud and warres , as now at sea and land they are become such braue souldiers and mariners , as they feare not spaine , and to loue spaniards they vow t is impossible , much lesse to obey them . q. m. it is pittie that king philip the second ended not the chastising and conquest of these heretique hollanders , ere king philip the third beganne it , or that he cannot reduce them to obedience , by ending these warres with more fortunacie , and lesse danger and dammage . q. e. nay sister , it is pittie that these two kings of spaine , and the archduke albertus and isabella , haue from time to time beene so ambitious , inhumane , cruell , and revengefull , to drowne the face of the netherlands with many deluges of blood , in seeking to preserue their libertie , liues , and consciences from the cruell tyranny and inquisition of spaine . p. h. indeed for this fortie yeares the netherlands hath beene the schoole and theatre of mars , whereon there hath beene more braue souldiers and renowned captaines slaine , then in any country of the world , or in many precedent ages ; and yet all this blood is not capable to quench spaines ambition and tyranny in seeking to deuoure those provinces . q. a. hath not spaine assaulted the netherlands as well by trechery as hostillitie ? q. e. yes , witnesse the damnable villaine gerrard , who long since murthered william the famous prince of orenge , their lieutenant generall , and father to maurice that valiant and incomparable captaine , who now succeeds him in his principalitie . q. m. o sister , cast not so base an aspersion on king philip my husband , to affirme he was accessary to the murther of william prince of orenge , much lesse authorised or commanded it . p. h. all the ocean betweene holland and spaine , cannot wash off that murther from your husband king philip , for his proscription to murther him beares it , and his lieutenant the duke of parma commanded the count assonuille to deale with gerrard about this murther , who promised him twenty-fiue thousand crownes to effect it , which , o griefe to speake it , he did . e. . but his valiant sonne hath long since had revenge for the death of his father . q. a. if he haue not , he resolues to haue it . h. . but hath not spaine since attempted , or broached any other treason towardes the hollanders ? p. h. o yes very lately , for whilst spaine is spaine , holland will never forget how neere hee was to haue extinguished her libertie , and surprized their state , by infecting and corrupting their secretary barnevelt , a man of so profound wit , and deepe iudgement and experience in matters of state , as he was not onely the oracle of the netherlands , but the ornament and wonder of europe , yea of his time . q. e. see , see the fruites of spaines gold , and the effects of his boundlesse ambition , for it is a common custome with him , if not by the mayne , yet surely by the bye , to breake the necke of great princes , and free estates , publique ministers , whether they are great souldiers or great statesmen , or both . q. a. yea , the web of this treason was so cunningly wouen , and so subtilly and finely spun , as if the netherlands had not broken barnevelts necke , he long ere this had assuredly broken the necke both of their libertie and state. q. m. well barnavelt is gone , and now spaine needs not feare his pollicie . p. h. nay , barnavelt being dead , and maurice that famous prince of orenge liuing , holland need not feare either the trechery , or force of spaine . h. . but nephew , i heare that the vnited provinces of the low-countries will this spring haue warres with spaine , for their peace is neere expired and ended . p. h. a braue , noble , and wise resolution of theirs . e. . heretofore england taught the hollanders wit and valour , and now they resolue to shew england the way to those two vertues . q. m. but the gold and silver of spaine will prevaile against them , and weigh them downe . p. h. but the hollanders had ships enough of their owne , and gold , silver , and men from england , therefore they disdaine to feare spaine , nay , rather they vow before the next summer to make spaine feare them . h. . see , see , a handfull of men dare attempt that against spaine , which great brittaines huge infinitie will not . q. e. and yet their cause and reason is englands , viz. their consciences , liues , and countries . q. a. pray god england and france interpose not to crosse the warres , and seeke to conclude a peace betwixt holland and spaine . e. . but the hollanders are resolued to make king iames a large offer , to protect them against spaine . q. m. but king iames loues spaine too well , and therefore will not hearken to , or regard their proffer , for his maiestie is resolved not to protect them . p. h. the more is the pitty . q. e. the more my griefe . q. m. and without griefe or pitty , the more is my ioy . q. e. i protected the netherlands in despight of spaine . e . but spaine went neere by your leicester , to betray both you and them . h. . if king iames would now protect the netherlands , how easily might hee refetch backe flushing , the brill , and the ramekins ? e. . nay , how easily did his maiestie depart with them to the netherlands ? p. h. it infinitely reioyceth mee to vnderstand the hollanders braue resolution and forwardnesse to haue warres with spaine . q. m. but there is a secret tricke to coole their courages which they least thinke of . h. . as how daughter ? q. m. why , to pistoll this prince of orenge , as they did his father . q ▪ e. heaven forbid it . p. h. god defend it . q. m. why 't is but one for another ; for hee knowing barnauelt a traitor to his countrey because a pensioner to spaine , caused the lords states , to put him to death , why then ( in exchange and requitall ) should not a pensioner of spayne either poyson , or pistoll the prince of orenge ? e. . these diabolicall resolutions and bloudy positions come from hell. q. e. and thither they goe that professe and practise them . q. m. the king of spaine is too religious to authorise so execrable a murther . q. e. but the pope as holy as he is will pardon it , and yet the world , i hope , knowes , that the k. of spaine cannot be so religious as his holines . q. a. it were good then for holland to bee carefull of their prince of orenge his life ; as all the world knowes his excellencie is of their safetie and preseruations . p. h. and it will likewise behoue them to obserue withall ( as i hope they doe ) how subtilly and trecherously spinola takes their neighbour townes for the emperour , and keeps them for the king of spaine his master . e. . and if the warres goe on 'twixt holland and spaine ; as i hope they will , it will be needefull for spaine to haue a speciall care of his west-indies from the holland fleets . h. . wherefore onely spaines west-indies , or rather why not all the worlds west-indies ; sith their red and white earth sets all the world on fire and in combustion . q. a. surely , ere this summer passe , and the next appeare , the hollanders vow to haue a heaue at them . q. m. nay , i hope the contrary , for the west-indies is the maine & onely prop of spaine , which if once found out , and taken away from them , will quickly make the greatnesse of his ambition and empire to totter . p. h. till when , all other kingdomes and estates of christendome may thinke themselues exempt from spaines feare , but shall never bee from his danger . q. e. this holland perfectly and apparantly knowes , and it were a great happinesse for the rest of europe , if they would heerein imitate their generosity , valour and wisedome , who stand on their guards with their swords drawne , and their match lighted ready to giue fire ; as being constantly and vertuously resolued neither to loue , trust , nor feare spaine . england . h. . but now leaue we all other countries , and come wee to england , from whence being descended , wee by the lawes of nature , are eternally obliged to honour and loue it ; yea to preferre it and its prosperitie and glory to all other countries of the world ; wherfore let vs see spaines ambition and enuie towards it ; and how he hath from time to time borne himselfe to the english. q. m. there is no kingdome in the world , that spaines loues better then england . q. e. nor no people vnder the sunne that it hates more then englishmen . e. . for peter king of castille most ingratefully and basely abused our famous and generous edward the blacke prince , ( the ornament of armes , the glory of england , and the honour of the world ) and his whole army in spaine , after that he had inthronised & seated the said peter in his kingdome , and with his victorious armes expel'd henry the bastard , who vsurped it . q. m. if spaine had not loued england and englishmen , king philip would never haue married me . q. e. he loued you well sister , but your kingdome farre better , for you were the obiect of his zeale , but england that of his ambition . h. . but elizabeth , he hated you more then ever he loued mary . q. e. and yet i dare truely affirme , that king philip loued my kingdome farre more then ever he hated my person . h. . to speake truth daughter , he neither loued you , nor mary his wife and queene , but onely england . p. h. and i haue heard that if he had neuer married my aunt mary , she had never lost calais ▪ nor consequently , england , france . e. . though that match were vnfortunate to england in the losse of calais , yet it was fortunate in that philip and mary had no children . q. m. if we had had any males , england had beene long since a province to spaine . q. e. god knew so much , and therefore preuented it , wherein i blesse his mercy and providence , as also your sterrilitie . p. h. aunt , and i your resolution in speaking it . q. m. the kings of spaine are the greatest and most potent kings of the world. q. e. yea , in ambition and ostentation , but not in power , for i proued it not so , i found it not so , i left it not so . p. h. you madam found warre with spaine surer and safer then peace . q. e. yea , farre more safer , and farre more profitable too for england . q. a. then i wonder that king iames my husband so delights and drownes himselfe in his peace with spaine . q. m. o but spaine findes both policie and reason enough to lull king iames a sleepe in the cradle of peace and securitie . q. e ▪ i neuer feared spaine lesse th●n when i loued it not , nor more then when it made greatest shew to loue me . p. h. and the king my father neuer loued it more , then now when he feares it . e. . but is it possible king iames feares spaine ? p. h. it seemes so , for els he would neuer loue it so excessiuely . q. e. sir nicholas bacon my chancellor on his death-bed wrote mee a letter , that the glory and conservation of england consisted in holding spaine at rapiers poynt ; and will not his sonne sir francys , the now chancellor tell his master so much ? p. h. o no , he is otherwise imployed . h. . but tell me daughter , was spaine euer trecherous to your person ? q. e. almost euery yeare spaine hatched me a new treason , witnesse pa●y , babbington , williams , yeorke , lopez , and infinite others , who sought to lay violent hands on my person and life , but that god in his infinite mercie and prouidence still protected and defended me , to their owne confusion . p. h. but king philip ii. chiefely discouered his loue to england , in the trecherous attempt of his huge armado of . ( tearmed by the pope , in a bravery ) the invincible fleete , ) at what time his ambition and greedie desire of vsurpation , so farre oreswayd him and his councell , as he thought to haue made an absolute conquest of england ; but he was deceived of his hopes ; for god looked on england with his indulgent eye of pittie and compassion , and on that great and mightie navall army with contempt and detestation . q. e. yea , god was so gracious to england , and so mercifull to me , as not onely my ships and people , but the windes and waues fought for my defence , and that of my countrey , against the pride and malice of spaine , who grew mad with anger , and pale with griefe , to see this his great and warrelike armado beaten , foyled , and confounded , in the midst of their glory and ambition . e. . but sister , was this all spaines malice and trechery towardes you and your state ? q. e. no , no , for i had forgotten how before that , his maiestie in spaine and his lieutenant the duke of alua in flanders embarg'd and confisk'd a world of goods and ships that belonged to my subiects , contrary to all lawes of conscience and nations . p. h. and no other . q. e. yes , king philip beg'd my kingdome of ireland of the pope , and so assisted the rebels , and made a confedracy with them for the conquest thereof from me , bringing in first stukley , then don iuan of aquilla , into that kingdome to the same effect : but heaven alwayes laught at their ambition , vsurpation , and trechery , which still prooved as vaine , as impious and vniust . p. h. and yet see the iustice of the cause , and the ●quitie of your armes ; for essex landed at caliz , and in despight of spaine tooke and rifled it , beating and sinking their best and greatest ships , in a maner without any shew of defence or resistāce . q. m. o but now the times are altered and changed , for then spaine was poore and england rich , and now england is poore and spaine rich : likewise spaines warres , parsimonie , and frugalitie , makes his men souldiers ; and our peace , pride , and superfluitie , hath made our souldiers either courtiers or cowards . h. . france knew that i found souldiers in england when i tooke tourney and boloigne . q e. and spaine felt that english were souldiers , when my drake beate them on my seas , and coast in my norris at croyden in my essex at calez in . and my montioy at kingsale in . q. m. but then england was delighted in combats , warres and victories , and now in stage-playes , maskes , reuels and carousing , so as their courages are become as rustie as their swords and muskets , which serue to grace the walles , and not the fieldes , except in poore musters , and sleyght traynings , and that but once a yeare , which vpon the whole , is more for ostentation then seruice : moreouer , then englands navy-royall could giue a law to the ocean , and now time and negligence hath almost made all these ships vnseruiceable , who lye rotting at chatam and rochester . e. . heere queene mary hath reason , for now shee is in the truth . q. e. what ( sister and brother ) my royall navy lye rotting , who are the bulwarkes and walles of england , and when i left them were capable to beate the power and pride of spaine to shivers ; o this grieues me ! but i beleeue not that my wise and prudent successour king iames will suffer or permit it , i pray , god-sonne and nephew prince henry , resolue me hereof . p. h. indeede madam i confesse i haue seene so much my selfe , when god knowes i greeued to see it ; neyther did i fayle to put the king my father often in remembrance thereof ; and his maiestie still promised mee to new builde and repayre that royall fleete , to which number i added my prince-royall , a ship , who had shee many fellowes , england needed not feare all the fleetes of the world ; but although the old lord admirall hath not beene carefull for the preseruation of the nauy , yet the new one is . h. . if he be not , i grieue for the fleete . q. e. and i lament it . e. . and i pittie it . q. a. and i bewaile it . q. m. and not to dissemble , both gondomar , king philip his master , the pope , my selfe , and all the romane catholiques of england reioyce hereat , for the impotency and destruction of this royall nauy , is the harbinger to prepare the way , and a step for king philip to mount the throne of estate , to plucke off king iames his crowne , and to place and settle it on his owne head . q. e. o my ships , my ships : god knowes they were still deere to me , because still necessary to england . where is my drake , where my cumberland , my forbisher , my grinuille , my cauendish , my hawkins , my rauleigh , and the rest ; alas , they want me , and king iames and england wants them ; for when they liued , and i raigned , our valour could stop the progression of spaine ; yea , my ships domineerd in his seas and ports , and their clouds of smoke and fire , with their peales of thunder , strooke such amazement to the hearts , and terrour to the courages of castille and her faint-hearted castillians , that every spanish bird kept his owne nest , not powerfull enough to defend themselues , much lesse to offend any , and least of all england , who was then in her triumphes , in her lustre , in her glory . p. h. grieue no more deere aunt for the nauy royall of england ; for although nottingham were remisse and carelesse herein , yet braue buckingham hath of late yeares set a new face on that fleet ; and makes it not onely his delight , but his glory to re-edifie and reforme them ; yea there is not a yeare passes him , but he brings some new forth from their dockes , and puts in other olde , although cranfield ( resembling himselfe ) byte his lippes at the charge thereof , because he affirmes he hath other occasions to disburse , and pay away the kings treasure . q. e. nephew wales , i am glad to heare that buckingham is so carefull of englands fleet-royall , and in very deed , his ambition , care , and zeale herein , will infallibly purchase him much loue and honour of the whole kingdome , especially if he continue it . h. . me thinkes scotland annexed and vnited to england , should make it farre the stronger . q. e. but how can king iames say england and scotland is strong , when he feares the power of spaine , and will not know or beleeue his owne . e. . yea , it were much honour to the king , and happinesse to his kingdome and subiects , if in any poynt ( knowing the weaknesse thereof ) he would fortifie and reforme it . q. a. and it were a great happinesse for most kingdomes and free estates of europe , if they would follow the examples of the venetians and hollanders , who will neither trust , nor loue , much lesse , feare spaine . p. h. and among the rest , if england would follow it , they should draw securitie out of danger , whereas now her apparant danger is drawne and deriued from her apparant securitie . q. a. o that the king my husband would thinke hereof . p. h. o that the king my father would make vse hereof . q e. o that king iames my heyre and successor would not hearken or beleeue the contrary hereof . h. . but this were the way to haue warres with spaine , and king iames i vnderstand , is resolued to liue and dye in peace with them . q. m. warre cannot be bought at a cheape rate . q. e. but it is pittie that peace should be bought at too deare and dishonourable a rate . p. h. i haue alwayes beene informed that england still gets by her warres with spaine . q. e. i got by my warres with spaine , and spaine lost by it . p. h. my father and his subiects lose by his peace with spaine , and spaine gets by it . q. m. when england hath lost her selfe shee can lose no more . q. e. but sister , your death was the death of the popes hopes , and of spaines pretences to england . p. h. but they both seeme to reviue and bud forth afresh , if the match betweene my noble brother p. charles , and the infanta of spaine take effect . q. a. may heauen deny the first , and the king your father never consent to the second . q. e. so shall spaine euer feare england , but neuer england spaine . q. m. but i hope the contrary ; for in these dayes the king of spaines gold and his embassadour count gondomar act wonders in england . h. . hath gondomar propounded this match to king iames ? p. h. o long since , and he hath vowed to weare out his red leather coach , and greene buckeram litter , but he will see an end of it this parliament . q. a. i thought indeede it was not for nothing , that he makes aesops fables his daily pocket guest . e. . how doth king iames relish this match . q. m. his exchequer is poore , and king philips indies riches , and therefore his maiestie likes it so well , as he will hearken to no other . h. . how doth prince charles himselfe like this motion ? p. h. i know not how my brother likes it , but for my part , i should ever haue preferred a daughter of france to that of spaine , and i hope the match will not succeed , because my noble brother prince charles is wise , valiant , and generous . e. . but how doth the braue and graue parliament savour this spanish match ? q. a. few loue it , most feare it , but as the match , so the parliament is not yet ended . q. e. this would be musicke indeede for the romane catholikes of england , if it should take effect ; for the very first newes thereof , made them flappe their wings , as if they were readie to crowe . q. m. yea , for they hope , and which is more , they know , that if it proue a match , that the infanta will soone introduce the masse , and vsher in the pope ; therefore they haue reason to reioyce at it . p. h. but if the king of spaine will not giue the summe which my father king iames demands , will not they make it vp ? q. e. it is probable and credible , that their holy father the pope and themselues will stretch both their purses and credits to knit the match . h. . why ? hath gondomar such power with king iames , to hope to see this match effected ? q. m. o yes ; for his maiestie saith , that his master is an honest king , and he a wise servant : the first all the world knowes ; and the second , i hope england shall shortly feele , at least , if all hookes take . p. h. indeed if gondomar can effect this match , it is the direct way for him to be a grande of spaine , and to procure a red hat for his sonne , or nephew . q. a. was the duke of monteleone so rewarded for his french matches . q. m. he is alreadie a grande of spaine , and hath the promise of a ha● . q. a. why then count gondomar need not feare , for he hath as much policie as the duke of monteleone , though not so much ostentation . h. . who made and concluded the match with king philip ? q. m. my selfe , and the parliament . q. e. nay sister , put in woolsey and gardyner , and leaue out the parliament ; for you onely proposed it them but for forme , and had secretly concluded it before hand your selfe . q. m. suppose i did , i might doe it of mine owne authoritie , and prerogatiue royall . q. e. but you offred no faire play to the parliament though , in asking their aduise when the contracts were ready to be sealed . q. m. but i had reason to follow mine owne iudgement , not their passions . h. . nay , nay daughter , you contrariwise followed your own passion , not their iudgements , & so god gaue limits to philips ambition , and your owne desires , by making you forsake earth , & he england . e. . but wise king iames is opposite to my sister mary , aswel in religion as sexe ; and therfore i hope , nay , i assure my selfe , he will first consult this match with his parliament , ere he conclude it with spaine . p. h. if the voice of the parliament be free , and not enforced , i make no doubt but the pope , the king of spaine , gondomar , and all our recusants will come short of their hopes for the match . h. . daughter , what benefits proposed you to the parliament , by your match with spaine ? q. m. strength , profit , honour , which england , king iames , and prince charles will likewise now find if the match hold . e. . as for strength , if england would know its selfe , it need not expect or hope for any from spaine : for spaines assistance hath alwayes proued fatall and ruinous , to those who haue vsed it ; and if england would assume the ancient generositie of her ancestors , and forsake her new fangled pride , and prodigalitie , wee know it is strong enough to beate spaine , and all his kingdomes and prouinces , & no way so weake , to feare that spaine should make england a p●●uince ; for it were farre safer for england , and englishmen , if they wore worse cloathes , and had better hearts and swords , and if they were more martiall and lesse effeminate . q. e. for profit , what indies are richer then england ? for if england want money , her selfe is still more powerfull and capable to inrich it selfe , if it would be lesse vaine , and more frugall and industrious , &c. what is a fewe hundred thousand pounds to england , if england be thereby exposed to the danger of spaine ? or that it be againe fetcht from them by the bye , as it was brought in by the mayne ? for was profit ever cheape when it was bought with losse and repentance , with teares and bloud ? or shall not euery ducket be weighed and counterpoised downe with a farre greater preiudice and inconueniency : for if the match hold , will not our recusants looke a-loofe ? will not spaniards be so ambitiously insolent , to attempt to out-looke english ? will not the pope steale in by degrees , and the king of spaine breake in either like a torrent or a thunderbolt , when his factors and agents haue made all things ripe and in a readinesse ? will this be englands profit ? p. h. for honour , england and scotland were free , royall , and ancient monarchies ; when indeed spaine was not spaine , but dis-ioynted and dissevered provinces : yea , for pompe , state , and glory , our princes were kings , when their kinges were scarce princes , nor their princes nobles : therefore great britaine by the match can conferre and adde honour to spaine ; but not spaine to great brittaine . q. a. i could neuer yet affect the match of spaine , for either of the two princes my sonnes : for the spaniard is by nature as trecherous as proud , and although northampton perswaded me thereto , yet i loued true-hearted salisbury , who alwayes diuerted me from it ; as ( in the depth of his allegiance , and the profunditie of his wisedome & iudgement ) well fore-seeing they would proue fatall and ruinous to england . e. . it is strange to see with what insatiable desire and ambition , spaine couets england ; for he hath alreadie attempted it by treachery , by force , and now by the match of his daughter the infanta to prince charles . q. m. you meane king philip the . and not this present king philip the ; and as don iuan de taris ( the ambassadour of spaine ) told king iames at his first comming to the crowne of england , that the ambition and malice of spaine to england , dyed with that prince , and was interred and buryed with him . q. e. but was this king philip the third and his councell neuer acquainted with that horrible gunpowder treason , whereby it was intended and resolued , that england should haue beene blowne vp , ouerthrowne , and ruined in a moment . q. m. o no , he is too catholike a king to haue hearkened , much lesse to haue approued that passionate plot . q. e. you might haue said , that execrable and damnable plot of treason , but that you will still seeke to diminish and extenuate rome and spaines treasons . q. m. you infinitely wrong the pope , and king of spaine , to suspect , much lesse to beleeue , that they were acquainted with that powder-plot . q. e. no : went not faulkes ( that hellish incendary ) once to rome about it , and the younger winter twice to vallidolide . q. m. yea , about some other businesse it may be , although i must confesse it was very immediately before that treason was discouered . p. h. gondomar told me , that both the pope and king of spaine abhord that treason . q. a. i feare they abhord it , for griefe it tooke not effect . q. m. if euer this king philip hated england , yee may be sure now he loues it ; for else he would neuer seeke to match his daughter to it . q. e. what force and trechery cannot effect , now affection in the match shall . wherein king philip is of lysanders minde , who when the lyons skinne will not serue , he will sowe on a peece of the foxes tayle . e. . so he come into england , he cares not by which way he ariue . p. h. so the daughter come not into england , england neede not feare the comming of the father . q. m. count gondomar will beate his head and his horse shoes , but he will bring in the daughter , and already his hopes & the probabilities are great , for hee is exceeding great and familiar with king iames. q. e. else he could neuer haue gotten open the prisons-doores for the romane priests and iesuites . p. h. nor haue made rauleighs head to caper beyond his body . q. a. nor haue kept backe an armie from my sonne and daughter , the king and queene of bohemia , when so many hundred thousand valiant english souldiers desired and longed to haue serued them in their warres . q. e. nor haue shipt away so great a quantitie of ordnance for spaine , which one of these dayes will returne bullets to our hearts . e. . nor haue procured a gallant fleete to secure the coast of spaine , against the turkish pyrates , vnder coulour of going to argier and barbary . p. h. that fleete was fitter to haue gone to mexico . q. a. so indeed it might haue returned with glory and gold , whereas now i feare it will with losse and repentance , i will not say with shame . q. e. i know by experience , it is an excellent thing for england to fight with spaniards , but not to ioyne with spaniards against others . p. h. why should not our english fleetes goe for the west indies . q. m. if this proposition be broached , then gondomar will runne madde . e. . what difference is there betwixt the east and west indies . p. h. as much as there is betweene pepper and siluer , or white feathers and yellow gold. h. . o but england , neere this twentie yeares hath lost those golden times of going to the gardens of hesperides . p. h. and now holland after ten yeares tryall , and patience , resolues to finde them . q. e. now we speake of holland : it againe exceedingly grieues me , that england goes from holland , in that it will not protect it against spaine . q. m. and truely it is my ioy and comfort to vnderstand it ; for the farther england goes from holland , i am sure the neerer spaine comes to england . p. h. nay , if the match hold , holland can expect no assistance from england ; for the pope , the king of spaine , gondomar , the iesuits , and english recusants , will in few yeares so shuffle & deale the cards , as england shall not be able to assist her selfe , much lesse her neighbours . e . why that is the way , in a few more yeares , to make england a province to spaine . q e. yea , yea , there is the mysterie ; for if the match with spaine hold , the conquest of england will vndoubtedly follow , and then gondomar can be no lesse then vice-roy , or great commander of england , for the king and councell of spaine will iudge him worthy of this honour , because he hath deserued it . p. h. it were better spaine were hell , and gondomar vice-roy to the diuell , as he is now ambassadour to the catholike king. q. a. but is it possible that the king of spaine hath so little iustice and charitie , and so much vanitie and ambition to desire it ? e. . the kings of spaine make this the tenth article of their creede , that the rules of the empire and state ought to giue lawes , but not to receiue any . q. e. but this is contrary to the lawes of the king of kings . q. m. but in the councell of spaine , the rules of state are alwayes too sublime and powerfull for those of religion ; yea , the pope will easily dispence with the king of spaine , to make a conquest of england , either by trechery , hostilitie , or the match : for it is against an heretike king and people , who refuse to enter into the bosome of the church , & therefore lawfull in it selfe ; because it tends to the catholike cause , the displanting and rooting out of heretikes , and the establishing & preservation of the romane catholikes in england . q. e. those giddie and passionate romane catholikes of england , who desire to fish in troubled waters , who delight in nothing but in innovation and noueltie , and who make a may-game of conscience , and an ape of religion , may peraduenture flatter themselues with the false sunne-shine of these hopes ; but those of them whose hearts are better lodged , and whose eyes and iudgements can see farther and clearer , those i say , who know by the lawes of grace and nature , what they owe to god , to their lawfull prince , and countrie ; those remember , that the duke of medina sydonia sayd in eightie eight ( who was then generall of the spanish fleete ) that his commission was not to distinguish of religion ; but to make a passage with his sword , ore both religions without exception , that thereby the king his master might haue the easier way , and fairer passage to the crowne and kingdome of england : therefore we neede no perspectiue glasse , or spectacles to see , that it is not the establishing of the romane religion , but of himselfe in england , whereat the king of spaine still aymes . q. m. but count gondomar is wise enough to provide a playster for that sore , for he in netling the nobler sort of catholikes with the match , hath in plaine tearmes given the lye to the duke of medina his speech , and therefore he hopes they will beleeue him . p. h. the nobler and more passionate and factious sort of them may beleeue gondomar herein , but the wiser , temperate , and conscious will not ; and yet the feminine gender , are masculine sticklers and solicitors for him , as he and the iesuites are for the king his master . q. e. nay , the romane catholikes of england haue reason to beleeue gondomar ; sith king iames loues him so well , as he esteemes his speeches oracles and scripture ; and who with the quintessence of his castillian , or rather galician braine , hath now brought matters to this passe , that no cinsere advise , honest letter , religious sermon , or true picture can point at the king of spaine , but they are called in ; and their authors imprisoned ( in stead of rewarded ) though never so honest and loyall subiects . h. . but me thinkes that this is no subtill policie of gondomar ; for the more he striues to suppresse the truth , the more it will flourish and prevaile ; for ( for the good of england ) if one penne , or tongue be commanded to silence ▪ they will occasion and set tenne at libertie to write and speake ; as grasse or cammomell , which the more it is depressed , the thicker it will spread and growe . q. m. but hath not gondomar reason to strike whiles he findes the iron hot , and to take the benefit of the floud , before the ebbe come or the tyde be spent . q. a. indeed they say , he reports that this summer time , the ayre of london and islington is not sweete enough , either for his fistula , or perfumed braine , and that he hath therefore gotten leaue of his maiestie , to lodge in a part of his pallace of greenwich , which standes in so pure an ayre , vpon the pleasant christall riuer of thames . q. e. that were a presumptuous part of gondomar indeed , to aspire to lodge in that pleasant , and royall pallace of greenwich . q m. but if it be so , i thinke it is not to lodge there himselfe , but onely to square out the infanta's lodgings , her chamber of presence , and a plot to build her grace a chappell against shee come , whereof iones sir innigo hath alreadie the modell in his braines . p. h. if king iames my father lodge gondomar this summer in greenwich , the next , king philip himselfe will hope to lye in white-hall . e. . nay soft , first let his daughter the infanta come , for she must breake the ice , ere his catholike maiestie will dare aduenture to come passe the seas hither . q. m. aduenture to come ? why wherefore els , saith count gondomar , lyes king iames his fleete at alicant , and cartagena , but to transport her for england this summer ? q. e. vntill i am inforced to vnderstand , that that fleete is at lisbone the groyne , or saint andera , i will not beleeue it , but then i will feare it . q. m. so the heretike protestants of france , feared their spanish matches , and yet we see they prosper . q. a. it is the end which crownes the beginning , not the beginning the end of a worke . q. e. what speake you sister of the french matches with spaine , to this of england and spaine ? for all the world knowes , that the estates of england and france , are diametrically opposite in point of religion ; for france hath fortie papists for one protestant , and england fortie protestants for one papist . q. m. but those protesting heretikes of england , will sing another tune , when they see the king of spaine hath made their countrey his prouince . p. h. heauen forbid , that euer england should sing the tune of spaines ballad , or spaine liue so long to make england see that dismall and bloudie day . q ▪ e. it were farre better , that prince charles were married to an english milke-maid , and the infanta of spaine mew'd vp for a nunne in a cloyster . q. a. yea , for how can my sonne prince charles thinke the king of spaine loues him , when he sees that vnder-hand , he is a mortall and professed enemy to his brother and sister , the king and queene of bohemia . q. m. you mistake madame ; for it is the emperour ferdinand , and not king philip that is their mortall enemy . p. h. if philip had not ( vnder-hand ) powerfully assisted ferdinand , his imperiall maiestie , had neither had legges to goe , nor wings to flie into prague , and yet the king my father will not assist his sonne in law , king fredericke . q. a. yes , to recouer the palatinate , if that were lost ; but gondomar through his slye crooches , and sugred insinuations , hath extorted a hope , and some say , wrested a promise from king iames not to assist bohemia , but i hope the contrary . q.e. but will spinola restore those townes he hath taken in the pallatinate . q.m. gondomar promiseth that digby , shall bring that home vnder his hand and seale , onely hee saies , t is fit that spinola should be satisfied of his charges . q. e. that 's an old baffle and tricke of spaine , which vpon the matter , will proue but a flat denyall . therefore if king iames please to hearken to my advise , i would send an army thither and refetch these townes of the pallatinate from ferdinand , phillip , al●e●tus , and bavaria , with the point of the sword , in despight of spinola , tilly , and cordova . p. h. if i were againe living in england , i would so worke with the king my father , that this resolution of queene elizabeth , should never dye , but speedily bee put in execution ; for it is the safest , cheapest , shortest , and honourablest way for england ; yea , what would not england doe for my deere and royall sister of bohemia , if the king my father , would but giue it the word of command ? q. m. but content your selfe nephew , count gondomar hath promised that his master king phillip will giue king iames content for the townes of the pallatinate . q. a. so gondomar promised his maiestie , that spinola should never attempt the pallatinate , and yet wee see the contrary , and being false in this , how , or what reason haue wee to beleeue him to bee true in the match . q. m. england must beleeue him , sith their king doth , and wil. and herein , i both triumph and glory p. h. thus my royall father intreats , where he should command , and loues paine , where he hath farre more reason to hate it . q. e. and this is my truest griefe and deepest affliction , that king iames will ●●●ll delight in contemplation , when ( if his maiesty will not ) all the world sees , that king phillip is ( vnder-hand ) deepe in action h. . it may be king iames thinkes king phillip to be of hannybals minde , who more feared fabius not fighting , then marcellus fighting , or of pompey , or marcus crassus their opinion ; who were more affraide of cicero's gowne , then of caesars sword . q. m. no thing lesse ; for king phillip , loues king iames his gowne & pen , yet no way feares his sword . q. e. but if king iames inherited my resolution as he doth my kingdomes , i would make spaine feare his sword , and rome either loue or obey his pen , and neuer consent to a peace , much lesse to the match . q. m. but why should king phillip feare king iames his sword , sith hee never yet knew the way to draw it : or why should his catholike maiestie feare the councell of england , sith it is apparant to all the world , that the element and delight of their king , is bookes , not battailes , the pen not the pike . h. . why ? know you not daughter , that king iames hath lately established a councell of warre , and wherevnto thinke you tends that . q. m. to peace i hope , or rather , assure my selfe . q. e. then sister , yee are of neere intelligence with gondomar ; for not long since in one of his dispatches to spaine , hee wrote the ll. of that councell , that they should not doubt or feare of the councell of warre of england ; for it was ( said he ) but a scarre-crowe to feare , not to hurt , and would onely serue as a vane on a house top , rather for ornament then vse . but if king iames were of my minde , his councell of warre should strike rather then threaten ; and send a royall armie into the bowels and heart of castille , ere they thought it could be readie to depart from the ports of england . q. m. not into castille ; for then the peace were quite broken betwixt england and spaine . p. h. why then into bohemia , the palatinate ; the netherlands ; or the states of venice , or wheresoever the castillian regiments disturbe the publike peace of christendome . e. . i see no reason to the contrary , but england should be as soone in armes and action as spaine . q. e. but it is the inchanting melody of the match , that brings england out of tune . q m. but in this proposition and parlee of the match , the king and councell of spaine , speake faire termes , and giue reall not verball content to king iames. q. e. so , did phillip your husband , and his father by his embassadors to mine at bourbourg , thereby to lull me asleepe when his great armado was in a manner ready to weigh anchor , and set sayle from lisbone to inuade me and my england . q. m. but king iames knowes spaines affection and gondomars sincerity to him , and consequently to england in seeking this match . q. a. but england knowes neither the affection of the master , or the sinceritie of the seruant , and therefore hath reason , though not to feare , yet to suspect both . h. . it rather thinkes king phillip of pericles his opinion and ambition , who desired that the iland in the port of piree mought bee removed , sith it was a moate and beame in his eye . p. h. the morall is , that phillip would haue england a prouince to spaine ; but if the match hold not : spaines ambition , gondomares pollicie , and both their trechery will proue too weake to performe so strong an execution . q. m. then the king of spaine will hate gondomare , as much as he vaunts the king of england loues him . but i trust count gondomare hath liued too long to dote , or be made a child in his old age . p. h. no , no , gondomare is too young to dote , and too old to be a child , therefore he is confident and sure that the match will hold ; but withall , he saith the parliament must be ended , ere these royall nuptiall ceremonies can begin , and so i thinke to . e. . indeede this castillian embassadour now sailes before winde and tyde , vnder fore-sayle , and maine-top-sayle , but very shortly hee hopes to hoyst vp top and top-gallant . p.h. he may chance to packe on so much sayle , that hee may at last cracke the maine mast of his policie , or the maine stay of his hopes , or bee so busie and violent in the solicitation of this match , as hee himselfe may giue himselfe a shot , which may sinke either his reputation , or iudgement , or both , betwixt winde and water . q. e. intruth i found his predicessor mendoza too busie and dangerous in my state , and therefore i forbad him my presence , and discharged him my kingdome , whereat i know not whether he , or the king his master , more grieued , or my councell and my countrey reioyced . q. a. gondomare hath had time enough to know my husband king iames , but it seemes king iames hath not yet enough deepely pryed into gondamare . in a word i know his maiesty hath heard his tongue , but not seene his heart , much lesse the designes and resolutions of the king and councell of spaine , which are inuelloped and hood-winked vnder the mysterie of this match . h. . indeede i haue read that philip k. of macedon went neere to haue betraid arisba , k. of molosses of his kingdome , vnder treating a match with him . q. m. o but that philip of macedon was a heathen king , and this philip of spaine is the catholike king , therefore king iames need not feare his sinceritie in the match . q. e. sith you are so religious sister , pray say , how doth the inquisition of spaine like to match their infanta to an hereticke prince , for so i know they terme my noble nephew prince charles ? p. h. why ? digbye could haue resolved you of that long since , for he knowes that the sacred and reverend inquisition of spaine loues england , but not the match , our country , but not our religion and people ; and yet in hope to root out heretickes , and to plant england with romane catholiques , they oppose not the match , but rather giue way to it , and approue it . q. e. but can royall king iames , and his illustrious sonne prince charles obserue their religion and conscience , in consenting to this match , or haue the clergie of england warrant enough authenticall , out of the word of god to say amen to it ? q a. o no , for king iames ( though not the prince and clergie ) will now make religion and conscience hand-maides to wait and attend on the state. e. . but his maiestie should doe farre better to defend the faith ( whereof hee is the defender ) and therein the state , which professeth the true and sincere religion of christ and his apostles , sith pietie is the preserver of kingdomes , and all our actions whatsoeuer should tend to the glory of god , which is the banishing of idolatry and superstition , with their effects and causes . q. m. why pray , what marriage so religious as for prince charles to match with the catholique king his daughter . q e. sister you haue still religion in your tongue , but i feare wee shall finde none in your heart , for pray what places haue you of divine scripture , to authorize and approue this match of prince charles with the infanta , sith they are of a different religion and beliefe . q. m. as i confesse i haue none to approue it , so i am sure you all cannot alledge any one to oppose and contradict it . h. . yes , i produce gen. ch. . ch. . against it . e. . and i exod. ch. . iudg. ch. . q. e. and i iosh. ch. . chron. ch. . p. h. and i king. ch. . ch. . q. a. and i ezra . ch. . nehem. ch. . q. m. well , whatsoever you say , this match ( notwithstanding ) tends to gods glory , and the good of the catholique and apostolique church , and in the end you shall finde , that gondomars policie and spaines ambition will triumph ore your scripture . q. e. this match tends onely to bring in the pope into our churches , and the king of spaine into our estate ; for that is the ayme of the first , the ambition of the second , and the obiect and hopes of both , and i feare a few yeares will prooue it so ; if in time it be not remedied and prevented : which god of his mercie grant , for 't is true all the wheeles of gondomars art and invention , are at worke to effect and accomplish it . q. m. the pope i must confesse ( as christs vicar generall on earth ) desires that england were catholique , but for the good king of spaine , he hath kingdomes enough of his owne , and therefore lookes not after england , onely he desires to see the match consummated . p. h. yes , the king of spaines tongue hath so long watred , and his mouth gaped for england , that after spaine , he wisheth england were his aboue all the countries of the world , and his catholique maiestie is very confident , that this match will giue a mayne stroke to the busines . q. e. if he once haue england ; he will presently assume the title of emperour of the west , as king philip his father was resolved to doe a little before his death ; yea his ambition was so violent , as he missing of england , would haue proclaimed himselfe emperour of spaine ; and had not his councell diverted and prevented him , he would haue sayled to mexico , and there invested and intituled himselfe emperour of america : p. h. and i haue heard that gondomar hath given the king of spaine his master good hope of england ; for 't is certaine that hee not long since wrote to the dukes of lerma and pastranna , that the report of the strength of england resembled those huge pageants and colosses erected at rome , as the caesars past from the melvine bridge to the capitoll in triumph , who were outwardly glorious , but within fill'd onely with straw and poore combustible stuffe . e. . indeed , it is the shame & weaknes of england , that spaine is no better acquainted with its strength . q. a. and t is my griefe that spaine should see englands weaknesse , and not feele its strength . q. e. o but it is the spanish match which will giue fire to england , and make her welter in her miseries , and flame in her calamities and afflictions . q. m. no , no , that match will keepe the temple of englands peace from firing . h. . yea , as erostratus did that of diana of ephesus , which in one day consumed all the wealth that rich asia had beene many yeares and ages getting . q. a. as religion is the powerfullest passion of our soule , so there is no stronger lincke of friendship then conscience , and therfore i hope my sonne charles will not consent to match with the infanta of spaine . q. m. but one of his chiefest vertues is his obedience to the king his father ; for although the prince be his sonne , yet he knowes he is his subiect . q. a. all the world cannot better teach the prince my sonne to obey the king his father , then already he knowes and doth ; but i could wish that king iames my husband would not inforce his affection to this spanish match . q. e. if he marry the infanta , shee may proue a false and vnsecret secretary to the prince her husband , and a dangerous princesse to the state : for he giuing her his heart , his highnesse can hardly reserue any corner thereof for himselfe . p. h. yea then every spanish traytor and english rebell will shroud themselues vnder the authority and greatnesse of the princesse . e. . so if england match with spaine , spaine vndoubtedly will in a short time ouer-match england . q. a. and infallibly take the crowne from it . q. m. borrow it peradventure , to see it , not to weare it . p. h. i feare to weare it , neuer to returne it . h. . yea for once gone , it is gone for euer . q. e. and then shall englands strong men fall vpon the edge of the sword ; her virgins bee defloured and murthered , her wiues defiled and slaine in sight of their dying husbands ; and their children & young babes shall haue their braines dashed against the wals in sight of their dead parents . p. h. yea then shall our nobility and gentry , dye vpon the swords of those barbarous castillians , and those who escape and suruiue their fury , shall bee fettered and led captiues and slaues to worke in the mines of peru and mexico . e. . then shall our priestes who are now cloathed in the white robes of righteousnesse , bee drowned in those of their owne scarlet blood : no church , no temple , no preaching , no sacraments , but all couered with the thick fogges of romes superstitious idolatries , and egyptian darknes . q.a. yea , then the king my husband , the prince my sonne , my excellent daughter the queene of bohemia , her princely posterity , and if spaine possibly can , all great brittaines blood royall shall be rooted out and exterminated , as if they neuer had beene , or at least no remembrance left of them , or of the name of great brittaine . q. m. this were musicke indeed for rome and spaine to dance at , and for gondomar to laugh himselfe to death for ioy . q. e. but i hope god of his mercy will confound all those who wish or desire it , whether it be gondomar , the iesuits , englands recusants , spaine , the pope , or the divell . the conclusion of the consultation . h. . but heere let vs make a stand , and shut vp our consultation ; and sith so many millions of imminent dangers desolations and miseries attend and hang over the head of england by this match of spaine ; let vs goe to suffrages and votes , that plurality may giue sentence whether it shall bee a match yea or no ; for what wee conclude , i make no doubt but our great god with his owne voyce will ratifie and confirme . h. . q. m. whereunto we all consent and agree . e. . q. e. whereunto we all consent and agree . p. h. q. a. whereunto we all consent and agree . h. . i am against the match . e. . i am against the match . p. h. i am against the match . q. m. i am for the match . q. e. i am against the match . q. a. i am against the match . h. . daughter mary , wee are fiue against you one , therefore the match of england and spaine , hath end ere beginning , and is absolutely cast without reuocation . and now let vs bre●ke vp our consultation , and againe repayre to the throne of the lambe , ( of our sacred god both of heaven and earth ) to acquaint his diuine maiestie with all the particulars thereof , and therein to receiue his heauenly pleasure and commaund ; when the angell opening heauens starre-chamber , a great concourse and afluence of saints and angels ( singing most diuinely ) conduct them to the blessed tribunall , where the whole newes of their consultation , being already arriued to the vnderstanding of the almightie ; it pleased his diuine and coelestiall maiestie , to call foorth queene mary whom he sharpely reproues & checks , in loving spaine , to be so vnnaturall to hate her natiue countrey of england . then he infinitly disproues the match of prince charles , with the infanta of spaine ; as derogating from his diuine glory , and englands safetie and prosperitie ; and so to conclude very joyfully & cheerefully approues of their consultation ; which for the more grace and authoritie he makes and reputes as his owne . when commanding these three princes , & two queenes ( for queene mary was now put by and excluded ) to send vnto england ( by its owne tutulary angell ) foure seueral printed copies of this their consultation ; the first to be deliuered to king iames ; the second to prince charles , his sonne ; the third , to the high court of parliament ; and the fourth , to the lords of his majesties most honourable priuy counsel ▪ the which in his sacred presence was speedily performed and effected ; when a great shout of ioy , and an vniuersall plauditie being hereunto giuen by all the angels , and host of heaven ; these fiue royall personages againe followed the lambe christ iesvs where he went. this consultation thus ended , queene mary biting the lippe at her checke and disgrace ; and grieuing to see the match of the infanta with prince charles thus vnexpected dash'd ; and consequently the pope frustrated of his hopes , and the king of spaine of his ambitious desires , shee cals mercury to her , and withall possible speed sends him away likewise to england , with these two ensuing letters which shee had written , the one to count gondomar the other to all the romane catholikes of england . queene mary . to count gondomar ambassadour for philip the iii. king of spaine , resident with iames , king of great brittaine . your excellencie may vnderstand , that i haue dispatch'd mercurie to you in england , to aduertise you of a consultatiō held here in heaven , by my father king henry viii . my brother king edward vi. my sister queene elizabeth , queene anne , prince henry , and my selfe , concerning your masters pretences and hopes of england , by the match of the infanta his daughter , with prince charles , which al the other fiue haue opposed as preiudiciall & dangerous , and my selfe maintayned as profitable and honourable for england ; for louing philip the father , i must & wil euer honour philip his son ; they haue likewise ript vp & vnmasked spaines former ambition , crueltie , and treacherie , aswell towards england , as other kingdomes and states of europe , the discouery and relation whereof , i could neuer silence nor prevent , your excellencie must giue me leaue to signifie , that i feare your secretaries are not so honest , as your self politike ; for you are hereby these princes brought on the stage in your naked and naturall colours , therefore i could wish you to be more modest and not so busie ; only to the vtmost of your mortall power , knit the knot of this match , for if it holde , the heart of england will be soone broken , or if the cōtrary , it wil infalliably breake the necke of the king your masters generall hopes & pretences , and also of your owne particular credit and reputation , aswell in england , as spain ; you haue many eies ouer you , & although your sweet wordes and promises lulle king iames , asleepe , you will neverthelesse go neere to be circumuented , by those you seeke to circumuent . if you can bring in the infanta , doubt you not but she will vsher in the pope , and consequently he the catholike king , your master ; forget not to continue , and fortefie your intelligence with the seminaries and iesuits of england , as also with the catholike ladyes of that kingdome , and especially , with those of the nobler ranke , and who are most powerfull at court , for they may open a passage for your master when none else dare . at any hand vse the prime of your art & inuention , to keepe the king of england poore & be sure to rivet this nayle soundly to his maiestie that there is no vertue so royall and magnificent in a great king , as liberality . i am sorie to heare that englands nauie royall , doth so prosper and flourish ; in which regard & consideration , the king your master shal do well to build store of new ships in biscay , ostend , and dunkerke ; for if spaine master england at sea , england can neuer withstand spaine by land ; for now the english are effeminate , and you spaniards souldiers . i doubt not but by this time , there is such order taken in spain , that the english fleet at alicant , & cartagena , shall returne home with losse , shame and repentance , whereby you may teach them that it is only proper for spaniards , to domineere at sea , and that the sea , and maritine actions , are now spaines , no longer englands element . so whiles england lyes gasping , on her bed of peace & securitie , let the king your master provide for warre ; continue to sow diuision in the church of england , and rather augment then diminish your pensions to you know whom . if there be any army to goe out of england , either for bohemia , the palatinate , the netherlands , or venice , deale so effectually with king iames , that either it be so small as it can doe no great hurt to catholikes , or bee a meanes to cause them to stay so long , that it be impossible to doe any good for protestants . i commend your excellencies policy , in being sharpe , and bitter against those , who either speake , write , or preach , against the king your master and his pretences , for now you hauing the honour and felicitie , to see your selfe tyed to king iames his eare , & his maiesty to your girdle , the disgrace and punishment of these wil terrifie others . be sure to be intimately acquainted with all factious and discontented catholikes , for they will proue fine agents & instruments to execute your masters commands . i am glad to see king philip so sleight and disrespect king iames , as he hath not this many yeares sent him an extraordinary ambassadour , especially , now for treating and concluding this match ; for the more you and he debase the honour and vndervalue the reputation of england , the more you aduance and prise that of spaine . but that which grieues me most , is because god himselfe hath opposed and confirmed the breach , and delaceration of the match ; but i hope that for the catholike kings sake , our holy father the pope , and our blessed mother the church , will so interpose their prayers to his sacred and diuine maiesty , that very shortly he wil reuoke & change his resolution , and relish that which hee now distasteth . through your zeale and industry , i likewise doubt not , but ( before a few yeares be past and blowne over ) to see england made a province to spaine ; her nobilitie most murthered , and the rest caryed away slaues to worke in the mines of peru , and mexico ; the pope installed ; all heretikes rooted out either with fire or halter . let your excellency proceed , as you haue well and happily begun , and feare not but you shal enioy your wishes , the king your master his hopes , and my selfe and all the roman catholikes of england our desires . in the meane time i kindly greet and salute your excellency , and by your next dispatch for spaine , fayle not to signifie that i kisse the catholikes kings hand . written and sent from heaven . your excellencies friend : marie queene . queene mary . to the roman catholikes of england , of both sexes , and of all rankes . my heart on earth , and my soule in heauen , hath euer so deepely affected you and your religion , as to the vtmost of my power , i will neuer permit , that any aduerse accident , or stratagem whatsoeuer , shall endamage you , or preiudice it . to which end now by mercury ( whom i haue purposly sent vnto you ) i wold not fayle to aduertise you of a consultation which hath bin heere held , by my father henry viii . my brother edward vi. my sister queene elizabeth , queene anne , prince henry and my selfe ; tending to the safetie and glory of england , to the vnmasking of spaines pretentious ambition and treacherie to many estates of europe , and more especially to the vtter breach of the match , betwixt prince charles & the infanta of spaine , which two last points i alone , maintayned and defended , but they all most violently contradicted and opposed . in which consultation ( i write it aswell with griefe as pittie : ) count gondomar , hath beene narrowly both sifted and censured , and all his actions brought on the table ▪ and made apparant and obvious to the dimmest eye , to the weakest iudgement and vnderstanding , the which i haue now signified his excellency by a particular letter ; wherein i haue prayed him to haue a more iealous and curious eye ouer his secretaries , as i know england hath ouer him ; and to the end your soules and consciences may haue spiritual food & consolation , i wish and exhort you to put all your wits on the tender-hookes to bring in the infanta : or else neuer expect the pope , and consequently not the catholike king. for else all your intelligence with rome and spaine , your correspondence with the iesuites and count gondomar , will not preuaile , nor your poyson poniard , or powder take effect , if the match doe not ; and because king iames wants money and his exchequer is drawne dry and exhausted , if hee stand on a greater summe then the catholike king can , or will giue , you shall do a most acceptable seruice to our blessed father the pope , and to our holy mother the church ; that you lords and knights morgage your manners and plate , and you ladyes and gentlewomen , pawne your ringes and iewels to make vp the expected summe ; for the match once consumated you know , and count gondomar can perfectly teach you , a thousand wayes to refetch it , with a ioyfull and golden interrest ; i highly prize and applaude your ioy , when you saw bohemia wonne , & the palatinate assaulted ; towards which victories and conquests , your bountiful contributions gaue a great stroke , which although ferdinand for the present cannot recompence ; yet doubt not but philip shortly and futurely will ; sith his ambassadour gondomar makes him confident , that you are as fast nayled to his scepter , as his catholike maiestie is to the popes tripple crowne . be you still the eyes of count gondomar , and let him still continue your oracle , for you can neuer desire a better solliciter then himselfe , nor a stronger protector then the king his master . but in very deed , i much feare that this great parliament , will teach the protestants of england , wit , and you romane catholikes repentance . if holland , the palatinate , or venice , be in the field , be not you idle in your houses or in england : for although douer be shut , you shall finde ports enough open ▪ for it is for the progression and aduancement of the catholike cause , & for the seruice of the great catholike king ▪ and if all things hit well , you shall not repent your selues of your valor & generositie employed & spent in his service . what though god haue heere approued of this consultation against the match ; yet his great vicar the pope , will confirme the match against the consultation ; therefore make you your peace with the pope , & doubt not but his holinesse , both can and will , at his pleasure , mak his with his god ; howsoeuer be ruled , and beleeue in the pope , who is the head of the church ; for you know out of the church there is no saluation . i like well that there daily trauels some of your wisest gentlemen for spaine , and now you see there is no feare to bring home priests and iesuites , for count gondomar hath found out the art and mysterie , to open the doores of wisbich , the gatehouse , and the clicnke , at his pleasure . to liue idle is effeminate and base , bee you therefore ( like your selues ) still busie and in action , for as in matters of religion and pietie , so in those of the state , the practique is alwayes more honourable then the theorie . in a word , as long as heritike kinges raigne in england , your zealous catholikes shall there finde but little peace , and lesse ioy ; and yet i must needs confesse , that god seemes to beare a particular affection to king iames , but withall you know the second meanes must be vsed , which ( i write to my comfort ) i see his maiestie neglects ; so if gondomar continue in england , and the match dye not , then i hope a little time will worke all thinges to the best . till when i salute you all , and will still pray with you for the prosperitie of the great cause . written and sent from heaven . queene marie . finis .